Book Description
When Karen Stark becomes pregnant, she and Barney are overjoyed. They've wanted a baby for so long. After an industrial accident, Barney unknowingly spreads radioactive dust into his neighborhood, into his home, and onto his wife's body. As frightened friends and neighbors become enemies, the dream of becoming parents turns into a nightmare. . .

This new edition of Keyes' second novel includes a preface and additional material by the author. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (6)

What it takes . . .
What it takes to write one great book is a lifetime of preparation.It seems that every element of Daniel Keyes' life, up to the writing of Flowers for Algernon, was gearing toward that one great book.Every piece of Charlie's life, and every phrase spoken by his coworkers and the scientists who changed him came from Keyes' experience.

Half of this autobiography is the set-up to his great novel, the one work that would define his life.The other half is the aftermath.Thrust into fame and the machine that profits off other's works, Keyes' found himself tossed to and fro.

A writer wants to write, not to examine contracts and make decisions about rights.A writer wants to create and then to own his creations, not to see what came from his mind as property to be arbitrated.Daniel Keyes' found himself in the fortunate position of creating a work of beauty and then wrestling with ownership of that beauty for many years afterward.

What I loved about this autobiography is the journey which prepared him to write a great novel - showing the work and creativity and effort that goes into an instance of genius.What I also loved was the life's lessons learned that he put down on paper so that another person might have an easier journey.

- CV Rick

Secret of "Flowers for Algernon"
The main charm of "Algernon, Charlie and I" is the revealed episodes behind "Flowers for Algernon", which make you understand (at least partly) why "Flowers's for Algernon", the author's acclaimed novel, is so increadibly compelling and moving.

By reading this book, you will find that the "Flowers for Algernon" is not a product of pure fantasy, but is based on so actual facts, emotions and feelings, that the author had been observing and experiencing himself. Charlie's desire to become smart comes from the author's experience while working with mentally retarded children, who wanted to become smart.Charlie's feeling toward the professor, while becoming smarter than the professor who created him, comes from the author's experience of suddently over-growing his parents, immigrants who did not speak English fluently.

After reading this book, you will realise that it isthe author's sensitivity, warmness toward other people and his candidness about his own feeling what make his extraordinary novel so warm and moving.In the end, "Flowers for Algernon" is not about this poor guy who has gone through extraordinary experience, but about all of us.

Read this book, you will leave with a greater appreciation.
Mr. Keyes exposes himself personally in this intimate autobiography.I was captured by his honesty, his sensitivity and his fluid writing style.I felt, as though I was a familiar friend and I gained and enormous appreciation for his dedication in writing "Flowers for Algernon".I look forward to more books by this gifted author.I hear his next will be science fiction / mystery.

A "must" for all Daniel Keys fans.
In Algernon, Charlie And I: A Writer's Journey, Daniel Keys reveals thelife experiences behind his creation of the character Charlie Gordon, ayoung man whose quest for intelligence and knowledge parallels that of themouse, Algernon, in his acclaimed novelette "Flowers forAlgernon" (which has been optioned and is in production for a CBSmade-for-tv movie. Both the novelette version, and the novel that followed,have been widely translated and remain part of many school and collegeliterature course curriculums. Algernon, Charlie And I includes theauthor's original short novelette version and is a "must" for allKeys fans.

After Read This Book
This book is about one retarded guy named Charlie Gordon.Thisbook is very interesting because this book is written as a real diaryof Charlie.Very first part of book...Charlie's grammars and spellings are all wrong.After Charlie gets operation, Charlie is getting smarter and his writing skills are getting better.End of this book, Charlie is turn into retarded man again.This book shows Charlie's efforts to get smarter, Charlie's lonesome life, and his emotional changes.I felt sorry about Charlie when I read last part of the book.This book is extraordinary and very cool. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Daniel Keyes wrote little SF but is highly regarded for one classic, Flowers for Algernon. As a 1959 novella it won a Hugo Award; the 1966 novel-length expansion won a Nebula. The Oscar-winning movie adaptation Charly (1968) also spawned a 1980 Broadway musical.

Following his doctor's instructions, engaging simpleton Charlie Gordon tells his own story in semi-literate "progris riports." He dimly wants to better himself, but with an IQ of 68 can't even beat the laboratory mouse Algernon at maze-solving:

I dint feel bad because I watched Algernon and I lernd how to finish the amaze even if it takes me along time.

I dint know mice were so smart.

Customer Reviews (432)

I read this as a child
I read this as a child and just seeing the book again brought such memories of how it affected me.I highly recommend this book.I will definately read it again.It is very thought provoking and emotional.

unbearable lightness of being...
This is now my absolute favorite tragic novel. I can't justify how sincerely and compellingly Charlie's journal conveys his warmth and spirit. Charlie evolves from mental disability to genius and devolves back into intellectual darkness. But where we begin to see his intelligence shine through, we see his unhappiness and dissatisfaction with the world grow. His elation at the realization that he is growing smarter every day is matched only by his desperation and terror that his descent is even more rapid.

I bawled during the last ten pages or so, sharing his horror and deep sadness that he would soon forget who he was and who he had been. After a few moments of reflection, I began to wonder if the rise and fall of Charlie's intelligence was not overshadowed by his emotional journey. As a "retarded" adult, he was happy just knowing that he made others happy. As a genius, he was miserable in the thought that others were laughing at him. Finally, in the end, he again is able to recognize that happiness comes from making others happy. But he also has the knowledge of himself that he did not have at the beginning of the story.

Is he really better off having experienced the intellectual and emotional journey? Does his achievement of emotional enlightenment at the end balance his descent into intellectual darkness?

Ugh...
This book is not actually as bad as everyone say it is.It's juts that SOOOOO many schools make this required reading, and only a small percentage of kids would actully find this book engaging.

The plot is pretty cool, it's a very interesting thought: what if an operation could make you a genius?The format of the book; diary entries; is engaging also.However, the book goes into too much detal about pointless things...and that's why so many people don't like this book.It drags on and on, never getting very exciting.

I love to read.I really do.I just don't like being forced to read horribly boring books by my english teacher.

Flowers For Algernon
The book that I have read is called "Flowers For Algernon". This book is about a boy named Charlie Gordon and, a rat named Algernon. Charlie is mentally ill and, has no friends because of his condition. Algernon is a lab rat who will soon undergo an experiment. Both Charlie, and Algernon will now be guinea pigs to a new surgery a doctor wants to try.

Charlie was disliked by many of his family members. His mother and sister often teased him about his condition, but his father loved him no matter what. Charlie went to a doctor who did a surgery on him ,and the lab rat Algernon. After the surgery Charlie and Algernon both became smart. Charlie did not have his mental condition anymore, and Algernon had the mind of a very smart human.

As time went by both Charlie, and Algernon became friends. Charlie felt good about himself because he was finally smart and he could now prove he was not dumb. People didn't like him even more now that he was smart because Charlie started seeing things and yelling at others because he got that smart.

The book in my opinion is a great book. I would recommend "Flowers For Algernon". To many diffrent people. I liked this book because its relatable to real life situations. There is alot of emotions and problems that everyone goes through. Charlie was in a tough situation because Algernon finally died and he had no one left.

Xavier

Ignorance is bliss
In "Flowers for Algernon", Keyes presents the story of Charlie Gordon, a mentally handicapped person who undergoes an operation to change him into a super-genius.Throughout the novel, the story of Charlie's remarkable transformation is chronicled in a series of journal entries that Charlie pens himself, for as a test subject of this new experimental procedure, he is required to write down all his feelings and memories in a journal.The architects of this groundbreaking operation, Nemur and Strauss, are affiliated with a prestigious college, Beekman.As Charlie becomes more intelligent, we see the remarkable changes in him, not so much of the intellectual changes, but much more interestingly the emotional changes.

Keyes novel idea of presenting journal entries written by Charlie are unique and contribute to the mood of the novel.In his earliest stages with an IQ of 68 we can read his entries as they are barely legible, with no punctuation, poor spelling, etc.However, suddenly his writing improves and soon it has turned into poetic prose.Through this unique style of writing, we are able to peer inside of Charlie's mind.We are limited, of course, to what Charlie can see, but there are numerous flashbacks to his earlier life as the dimwitted Charlie.Through these flashbacks, they eventually piece together a puzzle that answers some lingering questions that haunt the newly transformed Charlie.

The thing that struck me most about this novel was the contrast in Charlie's behavior and attitudes while he was mentally handicapped versus his role as a genius.As a mentally handicapped young man, Charlie is likeable and friendly and has a boyish innocence about him (obviously, since he has the mental capacity of a seven year-old, at best).Of course, he is taken advantage of by his supposed friends because of his ignorance, but Charlie seems happy and content.However, as his intelligence increases, he soon sees these people for who they really are and becomes bitter.Indeed, as Charlie reaches the apex of his intelligence, he becomes alienated and had no true friends.His social interactions have become limited and he has become arrogant and self-centered.True, he does find a sex partner, but his relationship with her is superficial and fleeting.So the conclusion to be reached seems to be that a smiling, friendly, but mentally handicapped person is only that way because they are ignorant and don't know any better.When that same person is given intelligence and all the burdens and stresses that go along with it, then the complex nature of rivalries and competition turns an otherwise likeable "moron" into an overbearing, unlikeable "genius."

Overall, this is a fascinating book based on a hypothetical "what if".True, the technology for this type of operation does not exist (and certainly did not exist in the 1960s when the novel was written), but this should not detract from the novel.Indeed, Keyes has done a masterful job of portraying the human emotions and spirit of an individual as he goes through a startling transformation. ... Read more

Book Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Novels for Students."Download Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Novels for Students." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Flowers for Algernon
Flowers for Algernon is about a young man named Charlie Gordon that undergoes an operation to increase is IQ. During his treatment, he begins to have memories of a young child that he never had before. He remembers his childhood and how his unhappy mother denied his illness as a "special needs" person. He also has some unpleasant memories, like his mother slapping him because he was holding his little sister. There is also a mouse named Algernon, that had also undergone the same operation as Charlie. Throughout the months, Algernon's IQ begins to drop, and he becomes ill and eventually dies. The same thing happens to Charlie, except he doesn't die. He becomes the same person he was before the operation.


The main character in Flowers for Algernon is Charlie Gordon. Charlie is a 32-year-old man with dark brown hair that has an April birthday. He works at Donners bakery and earns 11 dollars a week. He attends Beckman collage for retarded adults, and he also has a younger sister named Norma. Charlie and I do not share any traits, but we are very different. Charlie had a very terrible childhood. His father left Charlie at a very young age, so that means that he didn't really know his father very well. I have had a very good childhood, and have a great relationship with both my mother and my father. Charlie is also a very dependent person, but I am very independent.

I think that Flowers for Algernon is a very interesting book, and it had a good meaning. I think that it can teach people that you should be happy with yourself, and you shouldn't want to be anyone else. I really liked it, but it got confusing sometimes. My favorite part was when Charlie asks Mrs. Kinnian, his teacher, to put some flowers on Algernon's grave. I think that everyone should read this book.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

i was never convinced Milligan wasn't faking
to me Milligan comes across as an ego-maniac fraud.i believe he had an abusive childhood and that he is a sociopath, but i believe he just learned to act and manipulate people.he is a serial rapist and armed robber.i hope he is cured, but i believe he is a con man who has created quite a scam for himself.

Not Detailed Information enough!
I hate to sound morbid or cruel but I don't think the author really explains the actual cruelty and abuse that Billy suffered at the hands of his stepfather on that farm in Ohio. I am glad that the author shows us pictures of the real Billy and his family. We should realize how important the effects of cruel child abuse whether physical, sexual, emotional or psychological can manifest in a young child like Billy. Of course, there is no excuse for his crimes of raping women. The author explains the development of Billy's mind and the fragments which holds the personalities or individuals that make him. Without them in the first place, Billy would not be alive. They came to be because of the abuse and it was a self-defense mechanism to help him cope and survive. Of course, how would be respond as young children in his situation of cruelty at the hands of a stepfather who just hated the boy. Anyway, the author does also show his drawings and how the authorities and psychiatrists came to believe that he was indeed insane at the time of his crimes. The pictures and drawings in the book indicate trouble especially the raggedy ann doll with a noose around her neck as a sign of trouble. Even Sybil was or is still an artist herself, creative people like Billy and Sybil developed their personalities in order to cope with such needless suffering, cruelty, and abuse at the hands of those who claimed to have loved them, their own parents. Of course, Sybil's mother was mentally ill but went untreated and Billy's mother left his stepfather because of all the abuse in the household.

Wow!!
This is an incredible book. It takes you through the harrowing, depressing mind of Billy Milligan. It amazes me so much that it's a true story. I guess sometimes, fact is better than fiction. It's my favorite book - a must-read if you have any interest at all in psychology.

A different read about MPD
As with any work of non-fiction, we should allow ourselves to believe as much or as little as we wish to what the author(s) has to reveal in the story.I found this book to be an extraordinary account of the life of a young man living with MPD and the struggles he faced both personally and in society.

Although the crimes Billy committed while under alter peronalities are unexcusable, it's both sad and appalling to know that the justice system in this country can be so cruel.

The conclusion left me wanting to know more of what Billy's life may be like today.Unlike other books about MPD where the so-called victims receive a great deal of therapy to mesh their different personalities into one, this book offers a different end to perhaps becoming whole.

For anyone interested in MPD, this is a great read to add to his/her library.

Really Makes You Think
Wow!I just finished reading this book, and I am completely blown away!

"The Minds of Billy Milligan" is about a young man with multiple personality disorder, the crimes a few of his personalities committed, and the mostly horrendous treatment he endured while trying to find help for his mental disability.

One of the crimes committed was that of rape, the other was stealing.Although I must admit that the crime of rape is horrific, it seems as if neither the court, politicians, nor the media cared about the reasons it happened.All that was focused on was punishment, at the expense of trying to help this man get better, and to learn to be a functioning person is society.It is really quite sad!!!

Unfortunately, I think that if the same thing happened today, the results would be similar.We, as a society, are so worried about making sure that everyone receives their just punishment, that we don't stop to see if there is a reason for the disconnect - a reason for why people in our society do these things.Maybe if we would focus our attention on the "whys", and how to provide EFFECTIVE treatment, we would find ourselves in a much better place.

Overall, I found this book to be both sad & thought provoking.I found myself getting angry at the reporters who sought to bring him down every time he was starting to show progress, as well as toward the politicians who used him as a bargaining chip to gain more votes - quite unhonestly, I found this to be disgusting behavior as well!

I would recommend this book to anyone intersted in psychology - specifically multiple personality disorder - it is a real eye opener! ... Read more

Book Description
Word count: 1817. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I weep because this book is out of print
Recently I began a project investigating the works of Alan Keyes for a project in one of literature classes.Through this project I became interested in 'The Fifth Sally' and decided to order a used copy.

I'll admit I had my hesitations, it had been published once in 1980 and hadn't been published since.Evidently it hadn't even warrented a paperback edition.But after reading the novel, I can only weep that it seems fated to die in obscurity.

Without a doubt, The Fifth Sally was one of the best books I have ever had the fortune to read and it solidified my belief that Daniel Keyes is an excellent author and one of the greats of the twentieth century.

Strictly speaking, this book is not comparable to Keyes' Flowers For Algernon, the novel that he will be remembered by and for good reason, but The Fifth Sally is never-the-less excellent.The tale is of Sally, Bella, Nola, Derry, and Jinx.The interesting thing about these five women is that they all seem to be occupying the same body.

Keyes pays little attention to the controversy over whether Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) is a real disease and instead writes from the assumption that it is in fact very real.He hints at the controversy from time to time but ultimately that is irrelevent.You see, the tale is written from a first person point of view, Derry tells us the story.When she is in control, it is pure first person and when one of the others is in control, she is little more then an observer.

The style can be described as little more then simply fascinating.It's generally a cardinal rule not to mix multiple viewpoints, especially in a single scene, but Keyes slips between Derry's first person narration (and Derry is a great story teller!) to an impartial recording that you almost forget it is Derry telling that you never feel lost.

The book is riveting, all along we see Sally's more acceptable personalities: Sally the motherly type, Derry the tomboy, Bella the party-goer, and Nola the artist.But all along we know that Jinx, the maniac, is lurking just under the surface and we never know just what Jinx is going to do.

All I can say of this book is this: ordering a used copy of it will be the best thing you ever do.Pay exhorbatent prices (not too exhorbatent lets hope, I paid a modest $15 but it was well worth it) climb over hills, steal from libraries (ok, well maybe not that) Anything - just find a way to get a copy of this book.It is simply fantastic.Whether it is comparable to Keyes's more well known The Minds of Billy Madigan is hard to say, but I know this much: I won't forget Sally or the others for a long time to come. ... Read more

Book Description
This comprehensive reference provides all the information emergency departments and personnel need to prepare for and respond to terrorist events. The first section covers all agents potentially used in terrorist attacks--chemical, biologic, toxicologic, nuclear, and explosive--in a systematic format that includes background, triage, decontamination, signs and symptoms, medical management, personnel protection, and guidelines for notifying public health networks. Algorithms show when to suspect and how to recognize exposure and detail signs and symptoms and management protocols. The second section focuses on all-hazards preparedness for hospitals, communities, emergency medical services, and the media, and includes an important chapter on simulation of disasters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

medical response to terrorism
The Medical Response to Terrorism Textbook is EXCELLENT - I have really enjoyed reading it (and I HATE reading textbooks).Each chapter is up to date, focused, and written in a manner more reminiscent of a novel than a medical textbook.Limiting the number of pages per chapter really forced the authors to be concise and made each topic more inviting to read.Great stuff - Dr. Keyes, et al should be very proud. ... Read more