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ms_tiahmarie's review against another edition
Book Bite on behalf of the Sunday Times: http://bit.ly/2Mp7HjD
~The earliest psychiatric hospital was in the Islamic world, built in Baghdad in 805 AD. These early hospitals were forbidden by law to turn away patients who were unable to pay for care.~
~[The teen] looks at the X-ray the doctor holds up, showing the size of her heart taking up too much space. She will not live. 'I have too much heart?' she asks.~
~There is a danger of forgetting what nursing is, what it means: the importance of providing care.~
~Domestic violence is the leading cause of death in Europe of women aged eighteen to forty-four, ahead of road traffic accidents; ahead of cancer.~
~After both world wars, plenty of soldiers were treated for shell shock - that is, post traumatic stress disorder. But nurses working in the war zones were not. Research about the mental-health impact of war has always been about the men, despite hundreds of women working as nurses, next to the soldiers.~
~We are taught, via the media, to be afraid of strangers. That strangers hurt and abuse children. My nursing has taught me something else: it is families who abuse their children, who kill them. Parents. Caregivers. Relatives. The people we should trust the most.~
~'Adoption is devastating, however you dress is up;' a friend tells me. She was adopted forty years ago. 'Helping a child is not saving a child. It is accepting that a child might not ever be saved, then loving them unconditionally anyway.'~
~The earliest psychiatric hospital was in the Islamic world, built in Baghdad in 805 AD. These early hospitals were forbidden by law to turn away patients who were unable to pay for care.~
~[The teen] looks at the X-ray the doctor holds up, showing the size of her heart taking up too much space. She will not live. 'I have too much heart?' she asks.~
~There is a danger of forgetting what nursing is, what it means: the importance of providing care.~
~Domestic violence is the leading cause of death in Europe of women aged eighteen to forty-four, ahead of road traffic accidents; ahead of cancer.~
~After both world wars, plenty of soldiers were treated for shell shock - that is, post traumatic stress disorder. But nurses working in the war zones were not. Research about the mental-health impact of war has always been about the men, despite hundreds of women working as nurses, next to the soldiers.~
~We are taught, via the media, to be afraid of strangers. That strangers hurt and abuse children. My nursing has taught me something else: it is families who abuse their children, who kill them. Parents. Caregivers. Relatives. The people we should trust the most.~
~'Adoption is devastating, however you dress is up;' a friend tells me. She was adopted forty years ago. 'Helping a child is not saving a child. It is accepting that a child might not ever be saved, then loving them unconditionally anyway.'~
tanja_alina_berg's review against another edition
3.0
A touching memoir about becoming and being a nurse. A lot is about how undervalued the profession is. It’s quite technical, yet touching and disturbing.
tashalouise33's review against another edition
4.0
By pure coincidence, I read the Language of Kindness during the height of COVID-19 hospitalisations in the UK, which has stretched the NHS to breaking point. This book made me feel so much sympathy for and gratitude toward the hundreds of thousands of nurses working on the frontlines of the pandemic.
This account was a window into a world that I know very little about. Christie Watson does a brilliant job of describing the immense physical and emotional exhaustion that this profession entails. I listened on audiobook with Watson narrating. The narrative takes you through Watson's career in an engaging way, with just the right amount of detail.
More than anything else, this book was truly heartbreaking. The amount of death, stress and devastation that nurses have to deal with really struck me deeply. I found the sadness weighing on me whilst listening, so I can only imagine the toil that this must take when faced with such a huge burden on a daily basis.
In my opinion, it's a 4 star book. The anecdotes are poignant and interesting, but it misses out on the 5th star simply as I can't help but compare it to some of the books I have read that have left me speechless and/or wanting to read the whole thing all over again the second I have finished.
To make sure I end on a positive note... I would highly recommend this book in an instant. It's definitely worth a read to understand more about the lives of society's unsung heroes.
This account was a window into a world that I know very little about. Christie Watson does a brilliant job of describing the immense physical and emotional exhaustion that this profession entails. I listened on audiobook with Watson narrating. The narrative takes you through Watson's career in an engaging way, with just the right amount of detail.
More than anything else, this book was truly heartbreaking. The amount of death, stress and devastation that nurses have to deal with really struck me deeply. I found the sadness weighing on me whilst listening, so I can only imagine the toil that this must take when faced with such a huge burden on a daily basis.
In my opinion, it's a 4 star book. The anecdotes are poignant and interesting, but it misses out on the 5th star simply as I can't help but compare it to some of the books I have read that have left me speechless and/or wanting to read the whole thing all over again the second I have finished.
To make sure I end on a positive note... I would highly recommend this book in an instant. It's definitely worth a read to understand more about the lives of society's unsung heroes.
raindropxox's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I listened to the audiobook on Libby, and I would highly recommend, as, as well being an emotional and informative read, the narration by Watson was beautiful! :)
hborrows1's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first nursing related memoir I’ve read since starting nursing school myself and it really touched me. It’s incredibly well written. Definitely a work memoir with very little personal elements but it still feels warm and engaging. I love that it spans her whole 20 year career and includes her student experiences as they particularly gave me perspective and put words to my own experiences. There are so many specialties and wards mentioned it gave me practical knowledge as well as personal insight.
Eye opening and also heart-wrenching at times. Definitely worth reading if you’re interested in this sort of thing.
Eye opening and also heart-wrenching at times. Definitely worth reading if you’re interested in this sort of thing.
arobertson_93's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.5
memoriesfrombooks's review against another edition
3.0
In The Language of Kindness by Christie Waston, I expect to experience her nursing career with her, to develop a deeper understanding of the dedication it takes, and to be moved by the experiences she shares. I am, to an extent. However, the use of a lot of specific medical terminology and the lack of chronological structure in the book keeps me from completely sharing in her journey.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/07/the-language-of-kindness.html
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/07/the-language-of-kindness.html
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
minihobbit's review against another edition
3.0
Story is a bit all over the place. No linear story telling.
Would only recommend if you have some kind of back ground in medicine or care. I feel I wouldn't have enjoyed it if I didn't know a bit of what was happening at tissues.
Would only recommend if you have some kind of back ground in medicine or care. I feel I wouldn't have enjoyed it if I didn't know a bit of what was happening at tissues.