Review of Higher Ground

[Jorge Leon Salazar]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Higher Ground" by Sophia Edwards-Bennett MD PhD.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Dr. Sophia Edwards-Bennett MD Ph.D. is an oncologist, but in this book, she focuses on the psychological side of cancer. Patients who suffer from this disease often endure mental and emotional problems like fear, hopelessness, and anguish, among others. Generally, their lives change after the unfortunate diagnosis. In Higher Ground, Dr. Edwards-Bennett tries to equip her patients with the resources to cope with the life they did not choose.

The author briefly narrates her experiences as an oncologist and the difficulties that patients often face from a psychological perspective. To confront these hardships, she presents a complementary proposal to the required treatment, which consists of a kind of algorithm that she called “Big-C Re-Attitudes.” This algorithm contains a set of statements aimed at strengthening the patient's mind, so they can overcome the effects that cancer can produce on their mind. The seven “Re-Attitudes” include “Reappraisal of Life”, “Restoration of Hope”, “Reclamation of Identity”, “Reaffirmation of Self-Worth”, “Rehabilitation of the Mind”, “Reignition of Purpose”, and “Requited Admiration.”

This short book of only twenty-one pages is compiled in a friendly way in seven brief chapters. The writing style is attractive as the traditional narrative is combined with the prose format and the verse format. There are several sections called "Prose for Ponder", which the author uses to convey the messages inherent in each "Re-Attitude". She reasons about cancer and patients by orienting the description to encourage patients.

I found it surprising that the author, being a doctor, used literary devices. I loved the section “A Chant for Cancer Patients”, in which the author introduces a kind of prayer in verse format. This chant seeks to instill in the patients a positive mindset, despite the harsh situation they are undergoing. Dr. Edwards-Bennett shows great passion for her profession helping patients as she goes beyond the treatment with medicines. I consider commendable her intention of coping with the psychological toxicities that are frequently forgotten or ignored. This can be a crucial factor in both healing patients and improving their quality of life. In summary, the book’s approach is the aspect that I liked the most.

The only negative I saw is the presentation was a bit untidy. There are bold or underlined phrases and words that don't seem to follow the same pattern. For example, on page 5, the content under the heading "Prelude" is all in bold. The same goes for some punctuation marks. For instance, on page 14 the line with the phrase “While we treat them, they enlighten us” does not end with a period. In contrast, the next three lines have the same structure and all end with a period.

I appreciated the focus of the book. I believe that all cancer patients must take into account the psychological aspects that surround this terrible disease. This book is inspiring and useful. I deem the presentation issues mentioned to be minor and easily correctable. Plus, I noticed a couple of minor grammatical details that don't affect the reading flow. For all these reasons, I consider that Higher Ground deserves a rating of four out of four stars.

I recommend this book to all cancer patients and their families or loved ones also indirectly affected. I think it can as well be helpful for patients with other illnesses who may be affected psychologically and emotionally. It might equally be suitable for physicians who agree with Dr. Edwards-Bennett's philosophy and her "Re-Attitudes" algorithm.

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Higher Ground

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Higher Ground
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