On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer's

by Greg O'Brien

This is a book about living with Alzheimer’s, not dying with it. It is a book about hope, faith, and humor—a prescription far more powerful than the conventional medication available today to fight this disease.

Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.—and the only one of these diseases on the rise. More than 5 million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia; about 35 million people worldwide.

Greg O’Brien, an award-winning investigative reporter, has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's and is one of those faceless numbers. Acting on long-term memory and skill coupled with well-developed journalistic grit, O’Brien decided to tackle the disease and his imminent decline by writing frankly about the journey. O’Brien is a master storyteller. His story is naked, wrenching, and soul searching for a generation and their loved ones about to cross the threshold of this death in slow motion. On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer’s is a trail-blazing roadmap for a generation—both a “how to” for fighting a disease, and a “how not” to give up!

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Psychology, Health, Science, Mental Health, Biography

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 12, 2014

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a little timid about giving a book about the author's experience with early onset Alzheimer's only two stars. I know it was courageous of O'Brien to open himself up like that and I appreciated learning that early onset Alzheimer's involves scary things like hallucinations and rage. However, that's all I learned. O'Brien wrote in figurative language so much (see: being on Pluto, dandelions, sports metaphors) that the reader really doesn't get a good idea of what day-to-day life with Alzheimer's and strategies for dealing with it look like. O'Brien was a journalist for thirty years, yet he just doesn't convey his experience well. (The old adage is "show, don't tell". O'Brien doesn't even tell.) Things are told out of order, so the scene in which O'Brien's wife learns of his diagnosis lacks any emotion because it wasn't clear to the reader that she didn't know yet. Then, in the middle, O'Brien details going to a Catholic elementary school, complete with abusive nuns and naughty boys. It was as if Wally Lamb suddenly wrote a chapter. Those interested in learning about early onset Alzheimer's would do well to read Lisa Genova's "Still Alice" instead of "On Pluto".

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Told with extraordinary vulnerability, grace, humor, and profound insight, On Pluto is an intimate look inside the mind of Greg O’Brien, a journalist diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer's. But the real gem of On Pluto lies in its unflinching look inside Greg’s heart. If you’re trying to understand what it feels like to live with Alzheimer’s, and you are because you’re reading these words, then you need to read this book." --Lisa Genova

[Chris]

I abandoned this book. Got fifty pages in, and elected not to finish. This is a rare decision for me; I really dislike not finishing books. And I feel compelled to defend that decision, which was not easy to make.

This book is essentially a memoir by a person who has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. As he wrote the book, he was in the "middle" stages of it.

I had a lot of reasons to read it: I work as an elder law attorney, and it's good for me to be better acquainted with what my clients often go through. My grandfather died of dementia, and it would be good to have greater insight into his life and the lives of his caregivers. Further, it's likely that I'll be a caregiver of someone with an illness like Alzheimer's in the future. I heard an interview with the author that was greatly intriguing. It's highly recommended by Lisa Genova, who's written a couple of books that I also greatly enjoyed.

Perhaps those reasons will one day impel me to pick up the book again.

Here are the reasons I put the book down:
1. The author repeats himself. As in, verbatim, used exactly the same sentence, cut and pasted, between the introduction/preface and early chapters (I cannot speak for later chapters, I only read about three or four). This happened more than once. It wasn't to make a point; it wasn't acknowledged, and honestly, the editor should have caught it. Why bother reading the preface and introduction when you're going to repeat it later? This was just frustrating.
2. The author gives numerous unnecessary details about a lot of things. As in, he's driving somewhere with his son or wife, and this section is about the conversation that they will have and the resulting emotional impact--but it's peppered with statistics, historical facts, and data about the bridge they drive on or the town they live in or something like that. If it had been done well, great. It wasn't done well. It was really and truly very distracting and made me feel extremely frustrated. This was probably the number one complaint I had, which really caused me to put down the book. I couldn't get immersed with this kind of non-related distracting data thrown in all the time. I believe this is also an editor problem. Books should flow.
3. I couldn't identify with the author. Three sub-parts:
a. I'm not a Baby Boomer. There's a lot of talk about Baby Boomers. This is a big part of where my own personal bias is kicking in. I don't really want to go into it in a book review, so this isn't a general comment, this is specific to me--his general generational self-pity for Boomers getting dementia didn't rub me the right way.
b. I'm also not Catholic, or Irish, or from the East Coast. The author is. I'm having a hard time articulating this, but here goes: there seemed to be some kind of privileged (right word??) assumption of an understanding of the culture. I don't have that understanding. I generally enjoy reading about other American sub-cultures, but you're going to have to at least attempt to explain it rather than just assume I know what you mean. This is especially difficult for a book review because, even though I read this yesterday, I can't think of any specific examples of what I mean. It was just a general feeling that seemed to be pretty pervasive to me. Somehow, rather than feeling invited into his world, I felt excluded from it because of our different (yet both white American!) cultural heritages.
c. I agreed with the author in the first chapter. He describes looking around a study or other personal room he uses, and says something about "this man" (himself) being kind of a "prick". And he goes on to describe all the things this man has done and the things he's written and people he knows and items he's collected that he finds worthy, with some awareness than he is a prick, but really, proud as shit of his stuff and what he's done. Interestingly, at some point he mentions that his wife is a journalist/was extremely interested in journalism in college when he met her, or something like that, but in the first fifty pages, I'd gotten a lot of information about how he was a great reporter and had done a lot, but ZERO information about her professional life, or, if it happens that she gave a lot of that up to raise their kids while he was this fantastic reporter, zero information regarding her own contributions to the family. And I found myself agreeing... yeah, I think this guy IS kind of a prick.

But I don't know him. And maybe I really just put down the book because I'm not ready for it yet. Or maybe the same type of book--a memoir by someone with Alzheimer's--would just go down better with me if I could identify more with the author--or if there was a better editor. Regardless of how much I liked or disliked the author, I think I would've finished it (it's only 200 pages) if the book had flow. I did not find that it did.

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very brave and not at all self-pitying account by a journalist diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's telling us all how it feels to be inside that disease. I personally think everyone should read this; we all meet someone close or not-so-close with this disease and it will get much more common.

[Mark Muckerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

How does one "rate" another's autobiography of losing their mind? Do we give 4 stars for the courage to document the journey into darkness and fear? Or do we dissect and critique the awkwardness of writing and at times boring and irrelevant storytelling, all the more harshly because the author IS a writer? Can we ever imagine or relate to the process, experience, difficulty and fear that comes with such an undertaking? I suspect not, and for that reason alone I can't evaluate the book, but rather can only offer a perspective on its impact.

I split the difference with three stars.

Having no expectations from this book other than "to get the experience of a different perspective on Alzheimer's", the book gave me that. Would I have liked more tangible experiential stories and expanded content on coping mechanisms? Sure, but that's not my story to write. I set aside any expectations and just tried to take the story through the writers eyes, and assumed that what he shares is only a drop in the ocean of episodes, frustration and fear. There is no book, film or story that can ever truly convey to an outsider what the Alzheimer's patient experiences & feels.

I'm reminded of the story of when John Travolta was researching the part of Vincent Vega for Pulp Fiction, and spoke to heroin addicts on how to "research the feeling of the high". He was told "get as drunk as you can on tequila, then float in relaxed silence in a hot tub. THAT will give you 1/1000th of the feeling." I view this book the same way: ANY insight into this unknown world is helpful, and I'll take whatever I can get.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully written, funny, heartbreaking book provides an inside look at a mind slowly erasing. I wanted to say "erasing itself," but in fact that's not what happens. It IS ERASED by plaques and entanglements. How the outside world appears to a person experiencing erasure is what Greg O'Brien describes in this book, and I am so glad I read it! It is not a book I can readily pass to my family members who are, with me, watching this happen to our patriarch. I will need to find something more objective and scientific for my siblings and my mother, but I cherish this book as the perfect read for ME. It came to me as a loan, but this is one I shall buy to keep and to read again, especially if my genetics betray me in this fashion one day....
Thank you Lisa!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing look at the disease from the inside out. As a medical professional, and my grandmothers primary caregiver when she had it, I have dealt with many Alzheimer's patients at many stages. From my patient who ask us to start his car for him (he forgot how) to my grandmother tirades of creative cursing but I had no idea how it looks from the inside. This book is great for anyone who deals with Alzheimer's patients whether as family or professionally. An important reminder that none of us can know what and how they are thinking at any given time and that they are still in there...somewhere.

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway but the opinions expressed are solely my own.

[BookTrib.com]

Those of us fighting Alzehiemer’s Disease on a daily basis are running in place, trying desperately to find a way to cope. It’s a death in slow motion, like having a sliver of your brain shaved every day. The dying part comes later.

With the launch of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month in November, millions across the country are focused not only on finding a cure, but on better care for those affected with the disease, as well as for the caregivers who struggle to provide support and guidance. The Cure Alzheimer’s Fund of Boston and other researchers have made impressive strides, but far more needs to be done. Meanwhile, doctors scramble to slay this demon—one that’s expected to bankrupt Medicare and decimate the Baby Boom generation.

The rest of our review: https://booktrib.com/2014/11/on-pluto...

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have several family members and mothers of close friends currently going through this. I wanted to read this to get more insight into what the person with Alzheimer's is experiencing. The book went into it a little bit, but was more a story of his life. The resources at the end of the book look helpful.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important read for me. Greg O’Brien’s first person account of his progression with Alzhiemer’s. Brutal. My mother died from this thief of a disease (after 16 years). My older brother now is in about year 4 of it. The author grew up where I did and has overlapping circles of friends with my brother. It was neat to have folks I know and places I go mentioned. But man, was it hard for me to get through it. Constant reminder of how blessed we are to be alive and healthy. The best part of the book was the last portion, where those close to Greg each wrote about the experience from their perspective…it was powerful. A well written, good book…but a difficult subject that repeatedly reopened old wounds and reminded me of fresh ones.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. The author wrote it after his diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease, and I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. I had always thought of Alzheimer's as kind of a slow death, with your mind shutting down and no possible recovery, and in a sense it is, but O'Brien demonstrates all the life that still endures through the various stages of this disease. As he says early on, it's not a book about dying of Alzheimer's, but about living with it. It's a manifesto; and an affirmation of self; and a painful acknowledgement of the fleeting nature of, well, everything; and most poignantly, a celebration of the delight of living. This is a memoir, but instead of chronicling his past, he's detailing his present and his inevitable future. He's doing more than marking time--he's living. And even as everything changes, even as his mind is destroyed, bit by bit, and he is further isolated from everyone (including himself), he's still there. As with any memoir, so much of the book's worth depends on the character of the author. Here, O'Brien's personality shines through, his warmth, his humor, his pain, his down-to-earth sensibilities--the whole package. I expected that this might be a good book for people to read who have friends or family with Alzheimer's disease. Now, I think it's a good book for anybody. Period.

I received this book for free from Goodreads firstreads giveaways.

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a little uncomfortable giving this book only three stars, given the enormity of the author's accomplishment in not only facing his Alzheimer’s with such braveness and positivity, but actually writing a book about it — a daunting task even for people with healthy brains. It's an inspiring book for sure. And I very much enjoyed the sections that really were about living with Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, much of the book goes off into slightly self-indulgent reminiscing, and I found much of that to be boring random tangents, rather than enrichers of context. It's a worthwhile book, I just think it would have benefitted from some less lenient editing.

[Eric Andresen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed like a memoir to me and I just expected more. I think I wanted to learn more about what life living with Alzheimers might be like but this book was thick with analogies, maybe because the author lacked the vocabulary to express what he was experiencing. Anyway I was sort of disappointed with the book. Nothing nearly as good as the story of Still Alice.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing this book at midnight, it was not easy to fall asleep. Greg O'Brien has Alzheimer's disease yet he was able to write this outstanding story about his continuing journey with Alzheimer's as well as what he experienced while caring for his parents with debilitating health problems, including Alzheimer's. A heart-breaking account by a very brave and articulate man.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greg O'Brien's story of living with Alzheimer's is direct and honest, the story of a man fighting and living with great courage. Amazing, heartbreaking, and inspiring all at the same time.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was all set to give this book 3 stars as I was reading (actually resorting to skimming) a few chapters in the middle that were boring to me. The book started out interesting as it covered more current times and even the historical details were mostly interesting to me since I am a baby boomer myself, and therefore "got" most of his historical references.

The middle chapters added nothing to the book for me, though, and had nothing to do with his current disease. O'Brien detailed his earlier days in Catholic school, church, and his neighborhood, and recounted all of it with excruciating attention to detail and (to me, unnecessary) lists of names. I guess he wanted to make sure to document these formative years and mention all his friends and associates while he could still remember them, but these chapters were painfully tedious for someone who was not there and is not Catholic or Irish. I confess that I almost put the book down and DNF it.

I'm very glad I forged on.

The last few chapters won me over. In these chapters O'Brien shared more of his current experiences with Alzheimer's. I also enjoyed reading of his experiences dealing with his parents later years, as his mother slipped deeper into Alzheimer's grip while his father battled physical illness and eventually dementia himself. His parents' struggles were similar to my own in-laws, so this was very relatable to me and some of what my husband and I have gone through with them over the past decade.

O'Brien is an incredibly intelligent and accomplished man who is very much aware of when he is "on Pluto" (i.e., in the grips of his disease doing "crazy" things or thinking "crazy" thoughts), and he does an excellent job of describing what this chilling disease feels like, and how it can (at least in the earlier stages) come and go. At times he is totally lucid and other times, does, think, and even sees (hallucinates) bizarre things. What a scary thing, this disease that gradually steals one's most basic self.

In the e-book version, there were some obvious copy-editing oversights that were jarring and were hopefully corrected in the print copies. Overall, I really enjoyed this book but can see that it would not be for everyone. Lovers of history. baby boomers, and those with relatives or friends dealing with Alzheimer's Disease will probably enjoy it the most.

[Marion Sheppard · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I grew up in a modest neighborhood where memories last forever. Forever is a long time, yet in a long-term memory, it’s a place of persistent peace, a steadfast mooring when the swift high tides of life pull one to treacherous waters where memory implores the brain: forget me not.”

A former investigator reporter, O’Brien was diagnosed several years ago with Alzheimer’s after a series of tests and head trauma. This disease took O’Brien’s maternal grandfather, his mother, and his paternal uncle, and before his father’s death, he, too, was diagnosed with dementia. We follow him from the past to the present, seeing how this disease crept into his life and how he copes with it today. He notes that 60% of his short-term memory is gone 30 seconds after it existed, with long-term memory surviving much longer. Another means by which he is keeping Alzheimer’s at bay is to engage in ongoing physical activity. His family of origin was 8 children and 2 parents. Their lives, by all accounts, were normal, varied, and robust. The book spends some time setting up the background of his family (memories he still has) to contrast with his everyday existence now (word finding difficulties, rage, hallucinations, not recognizing people, etc.). I found the book to be both interesting and informative. He felt that putting himself out as one of the faces of Alzheimer's, he could offer more insight into the disease.

“My private darkness is allegorical terms is Pluto, a reference from my early days as an investigative reporter when I went deep ‘off the record’ with sources. We’re heading to Pluto where no one can hear what is said. The Pluto metaphor still works for me, more than ever, as I seek the peace of isolation and pursue the urge to drift out as Alzheimer’s overcomes at intervals. (Pluto) is all the more isolated for off the record talks. It is a fine place to get lost metaphorically. Pluto’s orbit, like mine at times, is chaotic; its tiny size makes it sensitive to immeasurably small particles of the solar system, hard to predict factors that will gradually disrupt an orbit – the perfect place to have a conversation that ‘never existed’ or a conversation one can’t recall.”

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are people out there for whom this will be the most important book they ever read. I am not one of those people.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a lecture by the author. I'd gone more out of social obligation than a particular interest in Alzheimer's. Nevertheless, I found O'Brien a captivating speaker. He was joined at his signing table by the owner of one of our local independent bookstores. "Sure," I thought. "I'll be his book. Hopefully, he's as good a writer as he is a speaker. And I'm always happy to support a local bookseller."

I did not find the book to be as captivating as the lecture. In it, O'Brien writes about his personal experience living with Alzheimer's. But, honestly? He pretty much summed that up in the first chapter. The rest of the book consisted of a memoir, both of his family and his marriage, interspersed with tales about the last few years of forgetfulness, disorientation, hallucinations, and paranoia. As someone without a direct, personal interest in the subject matter, I found 'On Pluto' to be repetitive and meandering.

Look: if this were a book about colon cancer, it'd be particularly compelling for people with colon cancer and for those who love them. The same goes for any other serious affliction. I, however, am just your general reader with a range of interests. Neither of my parents, and neither of my in-laws, suffer from Alzheimer's. Divorced from that personal connection, this is just another memoir about a guy with a terrible malady.

If you or someone you love is dealing with Alzheimer's, I think you should absolutely read this book. I think you'll find insightful and well-written. I think you'll empathize with the author and his family. If you're just some guy off the street? Well, you might want to give it a pass.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike Still Alice, the powerful novel about a woman with early onset Alzheimers, On Pluto is told by a real person living with the progression of this devastating disease. Greg O'Brien is obviously an extremely intelligent and accomplished person; the book is full of hundreds of references to philosophers, religious figures, movies, music, etc. that show a highly educated, well-read, successful and observant man. You know that the diagnosis is not truly a surprise to him, as he watched his mother decline and die from the same thing, following her own father with the disease. His commitment to chronicling his disease, so that others can benefit from his experience, is amazing.
On Pluto offers the sobering fact that, with the aging of the population, the number of those suffering from Alzheimers (currently 5.5 million Americans at an annual cost of $200 billion) will triple by 2050.
The book ends with a plea for a cure, supporting Cure Alzheimer's Fund. I must sign off now to go make a donation. At age 68 with two uncles who had dementia of some type, this is a very scary book.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I noted this book, as referenced within "Still Alice". I respect Greg's story, but was less interested in specific details of his personal life. My intent was to gain insight into how to better handle the terrible Alzheimer disease from a caregiver/family perspective. I did takeaway the following insights:
- It takes courage & empathy to live with Alzheimer’s. Understanding it is the path to empathy. Empathy is the key to human connection.
- Hardening of the arteries was the predecessor to Alzheimer’s
- Right side, creative side is in tact; Left side for functions, balance, judgment, short-term memory, financial analysis, recognition of friends, etc is in a free fall
- Study the enemy to ready for fight with Alzheimer’s. Define strategies.
- Alzheimer’s named for Dr. Aloysius (Alois) Alzheimer who in 1906 first identified amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that rob the brain of identity – the most common form of dementia – umbrella term for irreversible cognitive collapse
- Alzheimer’s patients find peace among elements of history (pictures, articles, etc)
- 23 milligrams Aricept is the legal limit
- Dimentia: out of one’s mind; Alzheimer’s: marathon against time.
- Brain is like an iPhone: prized possession, sophisticated device, but freezes up, shuts down without notice, drops calls & pocket-dials
- You can’t beat Alzheimer’s with a head butt. You have to learn to dance with it.
- Brain SPECT scan is a brain image. The Memory Center.
- Estate attorney: protect family assets, given statutory 5-year “look back” during which nursing home can attach personal properties & bank accounts
- Denial. Freud called it “abnegation” – defense mechanism when faced with a fact too uncomfortable or overwhelming
- E-OAD: Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease
- Daily physical activity helps reduce “sundowning”
- Hallucinations/apparitions - - people, spiders, etc
- Confabulation. Memory disturbance. Fabricated or misinterpreted memories without intent to deceive
- Alzheimer’s is a form of cognitive dissonance. Individuals feel “disequilibrium”, frustration, dread, guilt, anger, embarrassment & anxiety

[Eric Pulsifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a family caregiver to my father (and my mother before she passed away), and I found this bood a valuable resource. It allowed me to see alzheimers' and other forms of dementia through the eyes of the person who has it, which is what I was after. But there's more. O'Brien's an excellent writer and he has the reporting chops that alowed him to write this work.

He describes the feeling of driving somewhere and getting lost. The feeling of holding a garden hose and wondering how he's supposed to work the thing. The rage that comes when he can't wrap his head around the simple tasks that used to be really simple.

I gave this a 4-star rating because it would have to be an exceptional work for me to make it a 5. Maybe O'Brien's trip back into his childhood and Catholic-school upbringing were important in letting the reader get to know him, but to me it was a distraction. But then, from what I've seen with dementia the past looks a whole lot better than the present and future. He does repeat himself a lot, but how much of that is due to sloppy editing and how much is due to the deterioration Alzheimer's brings?

I'd recommend this if you plan to live a long time and Alzheimers or other dementia runs in your family. I'd especially recommend it if you're taking care of someone who has it.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate what the author is attempting to do with this book, but it's poorly written, and this surprises me given that he was a reporter for many years. I attribute this to lousy editing - misspelled words, too much repetition, and far too much name dropping (people, books, movies). I enjoyed the name dropping/cultural references, but there was so much of it, that it detracted from O'Brien's story. I liked the author's humor and honesty, and the book certainly reminded me of the tragedy of Alzheimer's. I would recommend this book to others to read; despite being disappointed, I still enjoyed the story. Perhaps I've read too many others like this book such as Jan's Story, Always By My Side, and Losing My Mind, and I was thinking this book would offer something different. I am surprised that Lisa Genova wrote the foreward to the book. I know that I will upset many with my comments because I have read the love fest people have for this book on goodreads, but this book could have been so much better if someone had done a better job of editing. I admire O'Brien's tenacity and candor; he is also compassionate and kind.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but mid-way through it felt more like a memoir of a kid growing up in a large Irish Catholic family in a close-knit neighborhood. It took me awhile to accept this change in direction. I was reading the book to learn more about what Alzheimer's is like and to see if any of the behavior matches my mother who I believe might be facing some dementia. However, the author took us back to his past a great deal, and I understand that remembering years and years ago is a whole lot easier than remembering what happened two months, two weeks, or two days ago for one with Alzheimer's. But, I wasn't sure if the author took us back to his childhood because he needed some filler for the book or if it truly served a purpose in understanding him now vs. then. In the end, it was fine but I got bored a few times when he felt the need to describe in detail people and places that I didn't feel were very relevant to the reason why I read the book. I probably would have given it 3.5 stars if able.

[Maureen Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written and truthful look into living w Alzheimer’s. Written by a journalist who’s family has been stricken by this horrid disease for several generations and the author himself has Early Onset Alzheimer’s, which means it was diagnosed before age 65.
Greg tells it like it is, no challenges swept under the carpet. Greg is one who’s mission is to make others more aware of this disease and advocate for the need to fight this on a global level.
We need to take the stigma out of this illness.

This book is personal for me as my husband was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s several years ago as well so this story truly followed the path we are experiencing.
Alzheimer’s s*cks, but Early Onset truly hits people even harder as they are often still income earners, raising children, caring for elderly parents etc.
My maternal family is currently on its 3rd generation of this disease as well.

If you know someone w Alzheimer’s reach out, it’s not easy, but it can become a very lonely disease.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first edition of On Pluto in February 2015 and I gave it 4 stars at the time. I just finished the second edition and I highly recommend it, even to those who were ambivalent about the first. The second edition is nearly twice as long, and the additions are good, including personal stories of some of Greg's friends who also have the disease as well as chapters by each of Greg's family about their experiences living with his Alzheimer's. The sometimes sloppy editing of the first edition has been improved. This is far and away the best and most articulate book about what it is like to live with Alzheimer's disease.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done; a must read for anyone who has a family member or friend who has Alzheimer's or another type of dementia. An informative, heart wrenching, funny at times story of author Greg O'Brien's struggle with Alzheimer's and his message to all that more research money must be spent to find a cure for this disease which affects so many people and their families. This is the first time I've read an account of what it is like to be living with this devastating disease and live it with such courage!

[Carol Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What could have been an only sad book became a fascinating, heart-wrenching, & beautiful portrait of a man living with Alzheimer's. Mr. O'Brien truly has an amazing story to tell & to teach. We quite simply MUST do more to understand the Alzheimer's epidemic...and yes, it is an epidemic that will strike nearly half the population by 2050. We cannot ignore this. We cannot afford to lose so much. Please: read AND please support curealz.org, an organization to which all the money is directly given to research. All administrative costs are handled by those who set up the fund.

[Devan Heronemus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, unlike Still Alice On Pluto delved more into what having a family member with dementia is like.

[Willie O · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of the book vividly describes the reality of the impact this disease can have on individuals and their families. Powerful first person account.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer’s: Greg O’Brian

Imagine an ice sculpture so perfectly frozen placed in the sun. Slowly over time it melts and all that’s left is a cold liquid. Take a match and light it. Place the small flame on a piece of paper and watch the flame engulf the paper turning it into ash. Imagine being able to walk into a store and purchase anything you want and the next time not remembering what you bought. A reporter’s mind is sharp, filled with facts, important details and is able to decipher and discern information. What happens when that mind no longer functions the same way? What happens when the spark begins to fade and all that’s left is a dim flicker? What happens when your fate is no longer in your hands the outcome is early-on-set Alzheimer’s which is a death sentence in slow motion? What happens when you hear these words and you refuse to process what you now know is the reason for your memory lapses, your articulation problems and your ability to function and process information at times? Some would give up and call it a day while others fight back and will not allow this deadly illness to win. On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer’s is Greg O’Brien’s way of letting the world know and Alzheimer’s too that he’s not giving up, not going to take it lying down and that although it might win in the end he’s going to fight as hard as he can in the present.

In the introduction he explains the history of the illness, how it was discovered and the stages. At first you might have increasing impairment of learning and short-term memory problems and difficulties with speech. That would be at first. As the illness progresses to the moderate state you will progressively deteriorate leading to incapacity to perform even the simplest daily functions and your short term memory will fade even more, anger or rage is strong and the inability at times to recognize familiar place and people set the stage for this part of the illness. But, incontinence often occurs and misidentifications and illusions are not uncommon. Of course the advanced stage is the one you hope never comes as you can expect a complete shutdown of “cognitive and body functions.” But, first there is much more to understand and learn as you enter the mind of someone with this dreaded illness.

The author and journalist takes readers inside his family to understand just how this illness impacted not only him but his mother too. Imagine having to take Aricept and Namenda. Imagine taking it along with your mom. As her illness progressed she became aware of little areas where her functioning was failing but never really recognized her limitations. Fighting to keep who you are is not easy as the author relates till this day. Having to come to terms with the illness, share his findings with his wife and family should help others understand why supporting the person and not allowing them to give into the disease is vital.

When reading page 10 the author shares that Dementia runs in his family and he explains that he was diagnosed five years ago in 2009. Explaining what his doctors told him and understanding that his daily routine would be Aricept, Namenda and two other drugs to help him sleep and keep him calm, reminds me of my mom who took the same things. Sad but true there is no way to combat and win but there are ways to keep alert, sharp and not allow this illness to overtake your every waking hour.

Pluto is the one planet that has been declassified to a dwarf planet and because it is so far out in the solar system with an orbit that the author relates is like his: Chaotic. So small in size “makes it sensitive to immeasurably small particles of the solar system.” Imagine being so far out in orbit you cannot find your way back in. Isolation is one thing people feel at times and frustrated when looking at someone familiar and unable to identify them. Dementia knows know age limit and the requirements do not fit a particular age bracket. You can get it as early as 40 and some even younger. The book Still Alice seems to be his guide and inspiration. Fear, the unknown, the loss of memory, lack of ability to take on new challenges are just part of what happens when this illness decides to take over your mind and ability to think. Understanding the stages and what each one entails is not easy for some to grasp or want to grasp. Sharing his childhood, his parent’s illnesses and the impact Alzheimer’s had on his mother and father’s relationship is heartfelt and heart breaking. Knowing that you too will face the same fate at some time hard to imagine yet you know it will.

Important information regarding how to tell family members, documents that need to be in place and when to take the car keys away are all shared. Not being able to remember a friend’s name at a business meeting and dealing with teams of doctors that evaluated his case including Neuropsychologist Gerald Elovtiz of the Memory Center and Dr. Conan his personal doctor each sharing their findings and points of view. When you read pages 35- 45 you will learn exactly what the author did about his illness, what they felt he was experiencing and how he dealt with the news.

Daily activities vary and at times he felt disjointed or disconnected. Learning what he felt and experienced reminded me of what my mom did too as she had her own journey with this illness for 12 years. The determination to continue his daily routine, working out at the gym, writing his reports and attending business meetings and keeping his body and mind active is just part of what Greg does to keep up the fight and not let this dreaded disease win.

As Greg realized that his mother was facing her own downhill battle as she began sticking knives into sockets, misplacing money and even using liquid soap to brush her teeth, the harsh reality that she was facing her own slow progression only add to his fears about himself. Taking Aricept together and rebonding with her was one way to keep the lines of real communication from totally fraying. But, realities set in and one event came crashing down on him as he realized that his mother could not identify her own children in a photo. That’s hard as my mom would often ask me in her later stages who I was even though she knew in her heart I was her daughter. Doctor visits, many assessments and a diagnosis that would make most chuck it in but not Greg. In the doctor’s own words: I am not sure how much longer he has in terms of being able to reliably and meaningfully provide the quality of work he put out in the past.” Who wants to hear that! But, that final visit with Dr. Marks alerted him to the fact that certain documents had to be in place, signed and different bank accounts needed someone to oversee them.
Denial is one way of dealing with a reality you prefer to not face as within Chapter 5 you hear the anger, frustration and fears that rage within the author as he signs the documents and feels he is losing control of his life. The next chapters deal with his childhood, his family, his daily routines and the rocks he feels now comprise his mind, brain and head.

A fathers voice is heard as his son reacts to the news in a way that most would not expect. When Greg thinks about this disease he questions whether his children will allow him to be their father. As the author relates it is vital and important for those with Alzheimer’s to have ties to the past, present and their family. Long-term memories are often sharper than short term as I learned with my mom.

This book brings it all back and the author’s words are heard on every page letting readers and families whose loved ones have this dreaded disease the importance of supporting each other, the person of course, allowing them to continue as normal life as possible and to remember that they are still there. Talking about the Rye Family dinner table, discussed, understanding that those with the illness need to be accepted where they are and understood. The stories he tells on pages 173-174 are quite compelling and what happens on February 4, 2010 frightening. But, the saddest pages dealt with his parent’s final moments sharing the deaths of so many of his friends and reminding everyone “Memory is everything. Without it we are nothing,” observed Eric Kandel winner of the 2000 Novel Prize for groundbreaking research on the physiology of the brain’s capacity for memory.” He further elaborates in the next three paragraphs and the author closes with many other remembrances and why some days he’s focused and others he is caught as he states in the mirror of infinity-seeing the past, confused in the present, and preparing to head to Pluto. Adding resources where you can learn more about Alzheimer’s and help raise funds, this book is a must read for anyone that has a family member with dementia, early on-set or any form of Alzheimer’s. How do you say goodbye to yourself when you are not ready to do anything but say hello: You don’t: You never give up! You keep going strong and you stay you as long as you can!
Fran Lewis: reviewer
I dedicate this review to Ruth Swerdloff my mom you lived the illness for 12 years and whose courage, strength and love of life would not let her give up!