3 out of 4 stars
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Determination: Surviving a Devastating Brain Trauma by Keith Buff is a nonfiction novel that tells of the struggles the author faced after suffering a life-threatening injury. Buff uses his novel to tell of the daily challenges he faced after this event and how, since then, his whole approach to life has been changed. It is an inspirational novel that chronicles the triumph of the human spirit.
At thirty-six years of age, Keith was living an idyllic life. A hard-working family man, he operated several successful business ventures and was an avid golfer. Gifted in sports from an early age, he enjoyed his time on the golf course with his friends. One fateful day, life as he knew it changed. Following a game of golf, he returned to the locker room at the country club with his friends. While in the locker room, he experienced a sudden, very severe headache that caused him to vomit and pass out. His friend called 911 and he was rushed to the hospital.
Upon reaching the hospital, it was determined that Buff had suffered from a brain hemorrhage related to an arteriovenous malformation. This is a condition where there is a malformation of the blood vessels in the brain, which then rupture and cause bleeding in the brain. Buff’s hemorrhage occurred in his cerebellum and brain stem, causing severe damage to several different body systems. He would need to learn to walk again, talk again, control his balance, even eat and drink again. Despite his doctors saying that he may not ever learn to do some of these things, he chose to apply himself to the best of his ability and was determined to prove them wrong. This book tells of how he did just that. It also tells of his struggles and how this event affected him and his family. Interweaving stories and anecdotes from his childhood, Buff gives a complete picture of how his life was before the incident and how it has changed since.
I have several thoughts about this novel. Buff was a gifted athlete, businessman, and family man prior to the hemorrhage and subsequent brain damage. After the event, he was an invalid unable to walk, talk, eat, or dress himself. The drastic contrast between those two would test most people’s motivation and dedication. While Buff admits that there were low times, he chose not to focus on those and instead focus on the positives and moving forward. I think this is a wonderful attitude that people should use in everyday life. One of my favorite lines of the book is when Buff says “…appreciate everything you have”. He talks about how his priorities in life have changed, and how he no longer measures success by financial status but rather how people treat each other and what they accomplish personally in their lives.
Reading this book was not so much like reading a book, but an extended motivational speech. It felt as if you were sitting in a room with Keith, listening as he told you his life story. As does happen when one is relaying their life story, sometimes the story jumped back and forth between different times in Buff’s life without any clear correlation between the memories. While it was interesting and inspiring to read, this did make it a little difficult to follow in a few areas. There were also several spelling and punctuation errors throughout the book. Because of the flow issues and spelling errors, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a story of the power of faith and the perseverance of the human spirit.
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Determination
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