Reviews for Later

The average rating for Later based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-11-30 00:00:00 Mark Avrech The very first thought that entered my head after finishing Rise and Shine by Simon Lewis was, thank God this didn't happen to me. Selfish, right? Well, you might think the sentiment understandable when you've read this story of one man's harrowing journey from hopeless near-death to physical and spiritual recovery over a heartbreaking span of fifteen years. By the time I reached the end of the book, I realized the author had been truly transformed. And so had I. There are many stories'both real and imagined'of people who undertake the hero's journey'often not willingly. I've read my fair share of novels and watched countless movies, and what the creators sometimes get wrong is the last part, where the hero returns to share what he has learned. Well, Mr. Lewis does this in spades. As we follow him along the "hidden path," we come to learn that science and medicine aren't the answer to everything and, sometimes, are at odds with each other. Not a very comforting thought, when we've always been taught to trust our doctors. We also learn, though, that science can be a benefit when applied appropriately. If you love reading true stories of loss and redemption, I suggest you grab this book. The research alone is worth the price. And when you are finished, you may come to the same realization the author did'that life is precious and very much worth living.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-07-04 00:00:00 Jeffrey Drummond I read this after seeing the author's TED talk at I think having an image in my head of the author as he is now made it easier to read the more devastating parts of the book. It also helps that there's a bit of an emotional disconnect between the author and the story of the first 15 years of his recovery from a hit and run car accident. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is it's perspective on the medical and insurance systems in the US. The author was able to return to a high level of physical and cognitive function because he had the tenacity to find what he refers to as the 'hidden path' to find out which treatments would be best for him and under what circumstances insurance would pay for them.