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"An account of the struggle to recover. Here also are insights into the practice of medicine in the United States, and the many fine doctors, surgeons, and nurses who restored Simon."
—David Pryce-Jones, National Review Online
"A saga of struggle and redemption that is truly heroic, Lewis narrates his ordeal in meticulous detail, and he even provides a glossary to assist the reader with the more obscure terminology of medical care and insurance practices."
—Jonathan Kirsch, Book Editor JewishJournal.com
"An eye-opening account of how helpless a patient can feel when caught up in the snares of medical care bureaucracies and the loopholes in health insurance policies. It's an educational and inspiring story for anyone, but especially for those who are seeking care for a long term illness or medical condition."
—Joy Johnston, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"A tribute to the determination of one man and his supporting family to succeed where others have failed. Almost a condemnation of the health insurance industry."
—Jane Glenn Haas, The Orange County Register
"Rise and Shine is Lewis' testament to the rebuilding of mind, body and spirit, a recovery still in progress after 16 years, and bedeviled by false dawns, the quest for elusive, state-of-the-science specialists, and health payout rulings that seem part black comedy, part punitive Stasi torture. An indomitable, latter-day Job, Lewis grips you from opening horror through 15 assorted operations to triumph as he walks freely again."
—Madeleine Kingsley, The Jewish Chronicle (UK)
"Independently important information to enhancing the medical community's base of understanding about brain activity, subjective awareness and varying levels of consciousness following brain injury. Lewis' accounts of the processes by which he regained awareness and cognitive functioning were viewed by both reviewers as specific and valuable.
Lewis' detailed accounts of his recovery following MVA [motor vehicle accident] forces a reflection on general adult recovery.
Both reviewers were convinced that there are audiences who will benefit from this story. The junior reviewer went back into her practice with an acute awareness of how important her role is in patient care, especially in finding proper and timely referrals for her patients. The more-senior reviewer saw the book as having its greatest utility as essential reading for health care administrators and medical directors that guide and influence frontline care.
This is clearly a book that highlights the need to treat every patient equally—that independent of insurance status, power and wealth, or having "VIP" status, all patients must receive our very best and must be provided that extra effort."
—Journal of the National Medical Association, September 2010:
Edwards CJ, Naylor J. Book Review J Natl Med Assoc. 2010;102(9):846-848.
"Simon Lewis's inspiring account helps us to understand that hope is real and survival behavior can lead you to exceed expectations. Inspiration, desire and intention when combined with information can do amazing things."
Bernie Siegel, MD
Author of Faith, Hope & Healing, Help Me To Heal, and Love, Medicine and Miracles
"The truth hurts. The truth heals. The truth in Simon Lewis's retelling of his personal journey to recovery surely does both. Rise and Shine is a brutally honest, yet compassionately gentle story of a journey away from life, and back again. The temptation for many will be to think of Rise and Shine as meant only for those facing the type of return to life from a physical trauma as Simon has. While people like our members and their families certainly will appreciate his story, the truth is that anyone I know could gain from his work, no matter their current circumstance. Simon's book should be a resource on the shelves of any person or family facing a long recovery of any sort."
Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, National Spinal Cord Injury Association
"As someone who has experienced tragedy over the course of my lifetime, I can empathize with the struggles Simon Lewis has endured, survived, and overcome. His remarkable and dramatic story is sure to provide inspiration to anyone who has ever faced such a difficult and heroic journey. Rise and Shine has touched me deeply; it is a powerful reminder of the magic and beauty of life itself and I know I will return to it in the future whenever I am in need of encouragement and strength."
Kelsey Grammer
Actor, television producer, director, writer, and voice artist
"There are a hundred reasons not to do something, but it takes just one to get the job done. Simon Lewis has found that one reason to win. The positive influence of setting, moving towards, and reaching individual goals are the foundations for building self-esteem and reclaiming your life. Simon Lewis's vivid account of his recovery should be a guidebook for all disabled individuals and their families. His disciplines directly mirror the training of an athlete: 'Go into battle prepared to win'"
Mike Utley
Former Detroit Lion, president Mike Utley Foundation
"Many people with a brain injury struggle not only with the process of recovery, but in knowing what the next best steps should be. Rise and Shine offers insight into the process of rehabilitation, describes how the rehabilitation process is more complex, and can last longer than we ever imagined. It reinforces the idea that a supportive family, and an expectation of recovery, even in small steps, can be powerful ingredients in a successful rehabilitation."
Greg Ayotte
CBIS, Director of Consumer Services, Brain Injury Association of America
"One of the most fascinating stories of tragedy, loss, endurance, tenacity and eventually triumph I have ever read."
Howie Mandel
Actor/comedian/host and author of Here's the Deal, Don't Touch Me!
"Rise and Shine reads like a medical thriller that speaks to the indomitable will to live in the face of grief, pain, debilitation and the indifference of the insurance companies that turn by turn conspire to undermine appropriate medical care and possible cures. This true story is a journal of the relentless interplay of hope and despair"
Michelle Phillips
Singer, The Mamas and The Papas
"A beautiful account of a tragic experience. Simon's courage, indefatigability, and pure humanity shine through every grueling step of his journey back from the rim of death. As he recounts each courageous and agonizing step, he shows us that, at the end of the day, healing is truly a reweaving of body, mind and spirit. Thank you, Simon, for sharing your arduous, light-filled path with us. You give us hope."
Daphne Rose Kingma
Author of: Coming Apart: Why Relationships End and How to Live Through the Ending of Yours, and The Ten Things To Do When Your Life Falls Apart: An Emotional and Spiritual Handbook
"A true survivor of catastrophic injury, Lewis opens a window into the many struggles, hardships and victories one encounters while attempting to navigate the health care system."
Jennifer FrenchExecutive Director, Neurotech Network
"Simon Lewis has transformed his own personal tragedy and pain following a horrific car accident, by documenting his adjustment to the double challenge of losing his wife and discovering his own disabilities. His autobiography will inspire other neurological patients and their families and give them hope."
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen
Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, Cambridge University
"Despite suffering a terrible accident and the sad loss of his wife, Simon Lewis found dignity, bravery, and strength in his magnificent recovery. I found it inspiring and uplifting to read his words, which are beautifully written. Lewis's journey and experience will, I am sure, give hope to many people like myself who are recovering from head and brain injuries, as well as their families. Rise and Shine is a story of courage and determination, and it offers valuable insights into the world of those who suffer brain injuries."
Asad Ahmad
Presenter, BBC London News
"Written with the thrill of a novel, the pace of a screenplay, the confidentiality of a diary and the unique insight that is solely Simon's, Rise and Shine should be essential reading for all professionals in this field. And whether or not you are a health professional, whether or not you have faced a challenge in your life, this is a book that will thrill you with its story, overwhelm you with its emotion, and leave you thinking about your own life and work in a new light. Simon's story has inspired me to think afresh about the nature of the services we offer, how we do it, and to think much more holistically and even spiritually."
Anne Eden
Chief Executive, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, England
"The whole process of recovery needs a lot of patient determination, as well as family support, finance, and adequate specialists. Simon Lewis's sixteen-year experience of medical health care can surely be treated as a priceless record of a patient on the path leading to a full recovery. It can also be a very useful guideline for those who treat, and for those who are treated and may have lost hope to improve their condition. I warmly recommend this book, especially to those who have been harmed by fate and who have lost their hope. New diagnostic technologies as well as the involvement of biomedical engineering and biotechnology can give a chance to everybody, even when it has been a long time since they lost their health. It is worth fighting for the quality of your own life, as Simon Lewis has."
Dr. Teresa Sierpińska
Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
Click the links below to read reviews from the following sites (opens in new page):
Rise and Shine's many recommendations include:
- Ellen DeGeneres at Ellen's New Book Pick
- Mike Utley, President of the Mike Utley Foundation dedicated to survivors of Spinal Cord Injury
- LA Magazine
Rise and Shine on Facebook
Simon Lewis on Twitter
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