Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Delicate & Powerful at the Same Time
The first poem in this book, "The Amputee's Guide to Sex," tackles the heart of the matter with some practical humor: "To create an uninhibited environment for your partner, track their hands like game pieces on a board. For leg amputees, keep arms on upper body. For arm amputees, keep arms on lower body." (Weise 3)

Weise moves delicately and skillfully into deeper, darker moments, such as when she is fifteen and a boy finds out her secret:

I have an artificial leg. He doesn't know
that and when his hand rubs against me

and I'm not real, he stops and says,
"What the hell?" like I've offended him. (Weise 66)

In the same poem, titled "I Want You to Know This," Weise ends with the poignant words:

I want you to know this, because maybe you
wondered about people with fake legs; maybe

you wanted to hold their hand but you didn't
because you thought you might trip. (Weise 67)

Weise points out that perhaps people are afraid of the unfamiliar, and it's not the person with the fake leg who is awkward, it's other people treating them differently, afraid of tripping themselves, that ultimately leads to awkwardness.

In "The Amputee's Guide to Sex," readers will find beautiful and powerful prose, peppered with poignant moments and Weise's unique, wry sense of humor. The fishnet stockings on the cover tell it all: evocative & provocative. Definitely worth adding to your poetry book collection!

Jillian Weise: First She Captures our Curiosity, Then She Captures our Heart
Jillian Weise is a remarkably gifted poet.Jillian Weise incidentally happens to wear an artificial leg.As her first published collection of poems she elects to utilize both aspects and the result is a series of well-crafted, intensely sensitive poems ostensibly about how people react to amputees at the level of our most vulnerable reaction: sexual attraction.

Weise is neither belligerent nor pitiful in her poems that deal with sexual encounters.She has the courage to embrace her physical status and use it as a barometer for examining how the public in general (and male lovers, in particular) responds to people with 'deformities', such as an artificial limb.Her sense of perspective allows her to see the comedy in the moment of 'discovery' of her 'differentness', relating how men react when during initial passion to the feel of plastic instead of flesh.But Wiese wisely presents the feelings as the one missing a limb: her mental state ranges from pain to anger to daring to pride and at each step her poems reach in a few well-chosen words a level of communication that is astonishingly fine.

Some of the poems in this fascinating collection address the communication barriers between physician and patient in dealing with frank discussions about quality of life status: they are illuminating.She also provides little guides to couples in their preparation for intimate activity, couples where one who has a missing limb and the other is 'whole'.

Most people will pick up this little book (hopefully!) because of the titillating title, AN AMPUTEE'S GUIDE TO SEX is a title that conjures all manner of responses - but mostly curiosity.And for a first volume of published poems the title may heighten the sales of the book. But once any reader opens and reads these poems, that reader will discover a powerful new poet whose manner of writing and whose communication skills are as pungent as anyone writing poetry today.Jillian Weise finds her way into our psyche and into our heart and she is a very welcome newcomer in the field of poetry!Grady Harp, June 07

Boy, did I have to censor this review...
Jillian Weise, The Amputee's Guide to [...] (Soft Skull, 2007)

"Your favorite post-[...] pastime
is naming my scars.
The name for the railroad track
along my back - Engine."
("Abscission")

There can be no denying that Jillian Weise is a powerful poet. However, when fifty-eight of her poems are collected into one eighty-one-page volume, the effect of each powerful poem, taken singly, is diminished. Weise starts looking like a one-trick pony, someone who approaches poetry as fetish. Or, worse, as therapy.

"When I hopped to the bathroom,
he shouted, prettiest cripple I ever
seen and I woke everyone up yelling
Am not, am not, am not!"
("Training Wheels")

If you pick this book up, and there's certainly every reason to, a piece of advice: read one or two poems a day, maybe one or two a week. This is not a book to be read straight through. ** ½

A heart-felt collection of poems from a neat lady
I have no idea what to write.I'll start with the truth and hope to stay there.I was walking through the store of a major book chain in Kenwood today, by happenstance my fifty-first birthday.I was headed to U.S. History which now is near the poetry section.I've never bought a book of poetry in my life until today, but the title caught my attention and I had to give it a read.I am not an amputee but I am disabled as I have substantially no use of the left side of my body.I'm very sensitive to the disabled and particularly to the asexual assumptions typically made about people with disabilities.Never before have I seen the issue treated with such sensitivity.I would like to quote briefly one line from page 9 and the poem, "Abscission,":"Your favorite post-coital pastime is naming my scars.The name for the railroad track along my back--Engine."
This book of poems had an affect on me in a powerful way.I feel less alone and in some ineffable way, comforted by them.Jillian Weise has performed a service for those of us who believe themselves too mangled to be attractive sexually to others.I recommend this book without reservation. ... Read more

Book Description
The majority of canine amputee owners expound on their satisfaction with their decision to amputate/These same dog owners indicate their pets seem to lead normal lives as amputeed without any expression of regret. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

It may not be a literary masterpiece, but it's definitely useful
I suppose some of the literary criticisms I've read in "professional" reviews elsewhere on the web may be valid (hence four stars, instead of five), but I'm inclined to cut the author plenty of slack.After all, there is very little competition among titles in the "canine amputee" section of the book store!

This is obviously a labor of love, intended to help others learn the lessons learned by the author, with fewer hard knocks.I read it cover-to-cover just before our dog's operation, and picked up a number of tips that made things easier for us and our dog.For that I am grateful.It's definitely worth your time and money if you have (or might have) a canine amputee.

If you're reading this, you might be interested to know that our 13-year-old English Shepherd is doing well after losing one of her front legs to bone cancer less than a month ago.The most surprising aspect was her apparent lack of pain.She actually slept on the side of the amputation right away.Apparently, there are few nerve endings there.

As an old dog, she doesn't run around as if all was normal, as some young dogs might.Walking is slow and tiring for her.The best things we did were to buy carpet runners for the kitchen (slippery floors are very difficult for her), and a RuffWear "Webmaster" harness, with two belts under the belly.We use that to help her walk when she's tired, and to get into and out of the car, etc.

We continue to see steady improvement.Most importantly, she wags her tail.

Best wishes to you and your dog.

Great help
This book was very helpful when I found out that my dog had cancer. My vet recommended that we amputate a limb. This book was a great help in understanding everything I could expect from the surgery. It also had wonderful referrals for vet schools and I found a trial of free chemo from it.This book is a must for anyone considering amputating a dog's limb.

Very helpful...couldn't be happier!
This book is a must if you have a pet that will go, or has gone through this.It was helpful for our entire family.

A very difficult decision
How many people would look for a book like this?Yet for those of us faced with a very difficult decision, it is a godsend.My dog Kerby was diagnosed with bone cancer in his right front leg, and because he was not a candidate for palliative radiation, we were faced with two choices: euthanasia or amputation.He was in horrible pain, but he was not ready to die; we had to do something.This book convinced me that amputation was not a hideous choice.Kerby is a big shepherd mix, 12 years old, and I had many doubts; but 2 days after surgery he was ready to jump up into the car (no, we didn't allow it), and a week later jumped up on the couch.Yes, his days of 2 mile walks are over, but he has done so well, and our time together is something so important and special that I find it hard to describe.I urge owners of dogs facing amputation to read this book to gain confidence in your decision.Susan Neal has done a fine job describing what to expect and actions to take. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fantastic book for recent amputees or their families
I had my left leg amputated in February 2003 after a motorcycle accident. A fellow member of my amputee support group at Harborview hospital in Seattle loaned me this book. Once I read it I realized that if I could work hard and keep my sense of humor that I would be able to deal with my handicap. The book covers the stories of amputees, most of the essays are two to five pages long so it is quick reading. There is a lot of practical information in the essays as the writers describe their problems and successes with various prosthetic technologies. Definitely worth reading if you are an amputee, know one or just want to see what the human spirit can accomplish.

You're not alone, it just feels that way, sometimes...
Great book for amputees as well as their families and friends.Thestories are autobiographical and do not portray amputees as either someoneto be pitied or as super-humans.True stories which demonstrate thepotential of life for all of us.Does not generalize about life afteramputation but presents cases of lower and upper extremity amputation, useof super-high-tech prosthetic to no prosthetic.

I was encouraged to learnwhat can, what DOES happen, by the accounts in the book.We are notalone.

Highly recommended.

A must for any amputee or family members of amputees!
This book will provide any person with a wealth of information regarding what you will face going through the amputation of a limb. I am sure many amputees can relate to at least one of the many illustrations given by the actual amputees themselves.My son is a double leg amputee and I have read this book from cover to cover.The stories have givin me a new perspective into the challenges amputees face everyday.It has helped me to allow him to pursue his own independence and achieve it.Truly inspiritional whether you are an amputee or not. ... Read more

Product Description
My ordeal started when I was 16 years old.I had very, very little help with the adjustment or life changes that were forced upon me as I became an amputee.There was no support group available for me to attend, and I was never referred for psychological counseling at all.I find it most interesting and you may agree, that I actually wrote my book to help me!Yes, I wish someone could have handed me this book and said,Read this son, it will help you! , at the time when I found myself having the saddest feeling that I had ever experienced before in my new life as an amputee. My true story as I wrote it all down, chronicles my struggle with the unbelievable harshness that life can bring to us at times. I hope you will readIt s Just a Matter of Balanceand allow me to help you continue moving in a healthy direction towards atruly complete recovery, and enjoy realizing your not alone in your struggles and that life is just waiting for you to get back into it! With my greatest respect always,Kevin S. Garrison C.P., L.P.Author ... Read more

Book Description
Born without arms or legs below his elbows and knees, Kyle Maynard excels as a champion athlete, inspirational speaker, college student and male model. No Excuses is his inspirational autobiography that shows how a positive can-do attitude gives someone we might see as disadvantaged the advantage over life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Inspirational, well written, has helped me with my patients
Very great story. It's one thing to tell a kid that they can do anything they put their mind to when they're born with a body that's not "normal".

But it's another thing for a man like Kyle to SHOW people that it's possible. He's served as an inspiration to at least 2 of my patients and their families, because they can see the possibilities of life as an adult, defining and projecting who you are as a man, rather than letting society tell you who you are supposed to be.

Excellent read. Highly recommended.

Kyle Maynard
Kyle Maynard is such an inspiration.I have recommended this book to several people:a wrestling coach, a parent scared of giving birth to a congenital amputee, a girl with poor self-esteem.Kyle is an amazing young man and a blessing to humanity.

Inspiration
When i read the book "No Excusses" i really felt like he was an inspiration to every one who has a disabiliy. He shows real courage and how you can do anything if you set your mind to it.And its really showed me how many people out their complain that their life is not good well thats sucks dosen't it and i think kyle has shown a real insperation to all of us how he shows he got through the rough spots in life and that shows how anybody can do it if they set there minds to it.thanks to Kyle Maynard he has shown inspiration to all of us!!

A true champion in life
I just finished this book, and I'm planning on recommending it to everyone! I've never met Kyle personally, but after reading this inspirational biography, he's at the top of my list of people I admire and aspire to be more like. He shows that no matter what limitations you may face in life, you can accomplish anything with faith (in God AND in yourself) and determination. What a class act!

Incrediable
I liked this book but had expected a little different. I rate it 4-5 stars just based on this amazing man. It is a excellent gift for someone that is a wrestler. Or maybe a struggling youth that wants to become one. For myself the emphasis was on the struggle to become the best wrestler. I would have like to read that but more emphasis on his personal struggles. His thoughts and ways he inspires himself and others. I have seen this young man on tv and was more inspired by those few moments more so than the book. ... Read more

Book Description
In his fourth poetry collection John Edward Lawson combines his previously displayed penchant for both horrifying subject matter and literary sensibilities. Ranging from the humorous to the surreal, the profane to the deeply personal, The Troublesome Amputee will remove parts of you that you didn't even know you had. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Opened my eyes to poetry's possibilities
Poetry is subjective. It is probably the most subjective form of creative expression. It is nearly impossible to predict what poem an individual will appreciate, even if you know their past likes, just because poetry affects each person in a particular way. In any other form of writing, there are rules to be followed, even if they are just the basic rules of grammar and punctuation. Only in poetry is the author allowed -- nay, encouraged -- to throw all perceived rules out the window for the sake of art.

The only artists with perhaps more freedom are those who work with abstract ideas -- the product of a poet at least has to be readable to someone who speaks the language, even if the words aren't necessarily familiar. An odd subculture has developed of horror writers who are also poets. Who knows why these delvers in the depths of the soul choose to express themselves in verse as well as prose, but the horror community fully supports their efforts. There has even been a Bram Stoker Award for poetry since 2000, and even though many of the same names recur each year, there are always enough collections produced to fill out the nominations.

Dark poetry's practitioners are some of the more respected names in the field, so don't think these are just fly-by-nighters trying to foist their high-school musings on an unsuspecting public. Including The Troublesome Amputee author John Edward Lawson, some names horror fans will surely recognize are Tom Piccirilli, Charlee Jacob, and Michael A. Arnzen (who wrote the introduction to the present collection) -- Stokers winners all for at least one volume of poetry (in addition to their novels)!

John Edward Lawson is an author, editor, and publisher. As editor-in-chief of Raw Dog Screaming Press, he has been responsible for not only bringing terrific new voices like Matthew Warner and Ronald Damien Malfi much-deserved attention, but also is a forerunner of the bizarro movement. More importantly to this review, however, Lawson is also a poet with four collections to his name. As Michael Arnzen states in his introduction, the poems here are for the most part about loss, and the book is divided into three sections, each titled with a different aspect of limb loss: (1) Apotemnophilia (desired amputation in order to overachieve despite the handicap), (2) Acrotomophilia (or "stump fetish"), and (3) Disarticulation (amputation via the joint instead of cut bone). The metaphor is not so hard to grasp. The first section contains primarily the horrific pieces, the second section's contents are primarily the funnier ones, and the more political works are in the third.

All poetry tries to reflect areas of human experience, dark poetry just limits itself to life's more unpleasant aspects. Among the many subjects covered in The Troublesome Amputee are abortion ("Visiting the AbortAretum"), online snuff films ("No Protection, or: Trojan Strikes Again"), culture misappropriation ("Full of Flava"), grief ("Casket Climber"), and even fad diets ("Infomercial"). But through all the troubling descriptions, Lawson keeps a sharp sense of humor, which makes the often depressing subject matter easier to handle (and sometimes even pleasant). For example, in "Jung's Diet," Lawson describes a group of doctors' interest attaching electrodes to a woman's ovaries so they can see "the dreams of human eggs." After a short description of the results, however, he ends with, "It wasn't long before the scientists decided to detach those electrodes" -- understatement at its best. Following "Jung's Diet" are a series of limericks with their own sort of appeal that Edward Lear never even considered.

Other highlights are "Hairy Trigger," which follows the circular thinking of an almost-troublemaker, and "Marvels of Horror," which turns Lawson's skewed vision on the much darker side of comic book heroes. "Plunder Revisited" shows off some pirate wordplay. "Lovable Lamb Chop the Mutilator vs. Super Virgin Dragon Girls" is a wonderful exercise in absurdity (with just a pinch of scatology). But nothing compares with the rampage of the "homeless zombie tongues" in "Will Work for Food," a surprisingly rereadable bit that just may be the best example of Lawson's peculiar vision.

Arnzen's introduction helped me out a lot with The Troublesome Amputee. Understanding the underlying theme makes a poem more readily accessible to the inexperienced poetry reader (like me). After all, this isn't anything like the poetry we studied in school, so it requires a different mindset to get around. The title work, "The Troublesome Amputee," is a highly visual (and relatively long, giving us an opportunity to really get into the topic) disturbance -- a narrative verse of a daily struggle that occurs in a familiar setting and yet is like nothing you would ever want to experience.

The result of all this is that I believe I am now a Lawson convert. The Troublesome Amputee has opened my eyes to new possibilites in poetry, and I am eager to seek out more of his work. Lawson has a way of getting under my skin with his words, making them memorable long after the pages have closed. That said, I wouldn't recommend reading many of the poems in one sitting; there are so many ideas and images that come so quickly that I needed time in between readings to process things properly. Too much is bound lead to some sort of mental or emotional overload.

A Bizarro Genius
I never considered myself a fan of poetry until my clammy hands groped the pages of John Edward Lawson's collection, The Troublesome Amputee.His voice is unique, unlike anything or anyone.Lawson has a vast comprehension of humanity, an understanding of its morbid normality, which can be found within the bizarre, the humorous and the pleasingly cloaked political poems composed here.He is honest in his words, unafraid to scream the unspeakable, beautifully crafting in intricate detail that which some would and should and will call a bizarro genius. ... Read more

Book Description

Help Your Patients Face the Trauma of Lower-Limb Amputations

Book Description
Twenty-two humorous essays by the author of the novel Treat ... Read more

Book Description
Living with a Below-Knee Amputation: A Unique Insight from a Prosthetist/Amputee provides an insightful look at the entire spectrum of the below knee experience from amputation to rehabilitation. As a prosthetist for 22 years, author Richard Riley uses real life examples to answer many of the questions facing amputees.

The information is structured in a manner that permits quick, easy access to an array of topics. Living with a Below-Knee Amputation not only discusses the psychosocial and physical issues; it also clearly explains the role of the medical professional and the complexities of constructing a prosthetic device during each phase of rehabilitation. Images are also included to display all of the available options and components of an artificial leg.

Some topics inside Living with a Below-Knee Amputation include amputation surgery, pain, postoperative care, therapy, purpose and design, fittings, maintenance and hygiene, integration of the prosthesis, child amputees, and recreation and sports.

The unique perspective used by the author helps physical therapists, occupational therapists, physicians, orthopedic surgeons, and rehabilitation professionals better identify and relate to their patients. By understanding the amputee’s emotions and expectations, the professional can cohesively work together with their patients to identify ways for reintegration into their lifestyle.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Extremely informative....
......and helpful with breaks from overly clinical info to personal insights with humor and sensitivity. Very helpful for anyone considering BKA (below the knee amutation). ... Read more

Book Description
Welcome to one of the meatiest collections of grizzly, grotey, bizarro poetry you'll come across. In other words, "the good stuff." The stuff you like to read. The guilty pleasure stuff that's hard to come by. Not the stuff you used to read from your lovers or childhood heroes, or the stuff you were made to read by your teachers or parents. The stuff you genuinely like to spend time with, musing and mulling and mashing. The stuff that makes you guffaw with laughter and want to read out loud to other unsuspecting people. The Scarred Edition includes the out-of-print chapbook The Scars Are Complimentary. ... Read more

Book Description
An interdisciplinary team of experts addresses all aspects of rehabilitation for amputees, from assessments and phychosocial considerations through evidence-based treatment approaches and more. The New Edition is updated to incorporate the latest advances in this field, and to reflect the fact that amputees now receive rehabilitation therapy in a variety of settings. ... Read more

Book Description
This is a re-edited and updated version of the original title. This book is about Ancient Wisdom philosophy. It is in an easy to read question/answer (F.A.Q.) format since the belief of the Yogi is the rudeness of speaking of matters of religion and philosophy from the "pulpit", other than answering a question to a seeking mind. Most of the subjects in the book are very esoteric and not easily understood or absorbed. As the Buddha said "Believe nobody but your own heart and common sense". ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Thrasher, published by High Speed Productions, Inc on April 1, 2005. The length of the article is 897 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Angry amputees.
Author: Lewee Regal
Publication: Thrasher (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2005
Publisher: High Speed Productions, Inc
Issue: 292Page: 182(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more