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The One-Armed Soldier: My Amazing Adventures With ADHD, Dyslexia, And A Broken Family
ADHD, Dyslexia, and a broken with friends like these, who needs enemies? This autobiography tells the story of a disturbed child and a college flunk-out who found himself at the absolute rock bottom of despair where he discovered he was his own worst enemy. This is the story of how understanding and forgiveness combined with his ADHD to power his long climb out of that hell and to the achievement of his dreams.
This is not a textbook about ADHD, Dyslexia, or a broken home. This is a collection of a lifetime of reminiscences of an old man through which the reader might gain insight into the workings and wanderings of such a mind.
This is the story of a life well lived and the many people that helped him become the man, the adoring husband, the loving father, the proud grandfather, and the successful doctor and micro-surgeon of the eye he became.
In these amazing adventures, the reader might observe the old man’s gradual realization that ADHD, Dyslexia, and the lessons of his broken home are his superpowers.
This is not a textbook about ADHD, Dyslexia, or a broken home. This is a collection of a lifetime of reminiscences of an old man through which the reader might gain insight into the workings and wanderings of such a mind.
This is the story of a life well lived and the many people that helped him become the man, the adoring husband, the loving father, the proud grandfather, and the successful doctor and micro-surgeon of the eye he became.
In these amazing adventures, the reader might observe the old man’s gradual realization that ADHD, Dyslexia, and the lessons of his broken home are his superpowers.
515 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 27, 2023
This is an enjoyable book chronicling life's struggles of a person to follow his dreams and ultimately achieve them. It demonstrates how difficult, but possible it is, to maintain balance while overcoming obstacle after obstacle and succeed, from early childhood through the senior years. The work is an inspiration for all and well worth the read.
September 28, 2023
In this longish autobiography, Wayne Bizer reflects on a life that was in his words “One hell of a ride.” Born into a dysfunctional family and burdened with ADHD and dyslexia, Bizer met one obstacle after another as he tried to figure out life as a grown-up. Time after time, Bizer hit rock bottom. He was on the edge of seeing his dreams collapse, but he was always saved at the last minute—childhood accidents that nearly cost his life, a near miss from the Vietnam draft, rejection by two medical schools, only to find his niche at the third. Every time he was given another chance, Bizer vowed to make it work—and he did with a combination of determination and perseverance. Instead of failing, he earned an osteopathic medical degree and certification in a specialty (ophthalmology), married an apparently wonderful woman, raised two sons, and made a great success of his career in medicine.
Bizer tells his story with humor, even the near misses, and with a nice honesty about his own part in his near-failures. He writes that if life is a straight line from birth to death, his looks like a bowl of spaghetti. And elsewhere, he compares life to a roll of toilet paper—the closer to the end, the faster it goes. But underlying this seemingly light-hearted attitude are two things that might almost be considered prosaic these days: a strong marriage and family life and his deep Jewish faith, which he and his family celebrate weekly at Shabbot.
Admitting that he is not a self-made man (no Horatio Alger story here) and that he had a lot of critical help, Bizer’s point seems to be that if he can overcome the difficulties he did, so can others. You, too, can fight like a one-armed man.
People of the Jewish faith have a habit of adding, “May his name be a blessing,” whenever they mention someone who has gone before. Bizer claims we die twice—once when we stop living and again when our name is no longer mentioned. Wayne Bizer will long be mentioned by family, friends, colleagues, and patients—now he’s added readers to that list. Not that he’s going anywhere soon. In their early eighties, he and his wife have overcome serious health problems and are looking forward to a long future together.
Bizer tells his story with humor, even the near misses, and with a nice honesty about his own part in his near-failures. He writes that if life is a straight line from birth to death, his looks like a bowl of spaghetti. And elsewhere, he compares life to a roll of toilet paper—the closer to the end, the faster it goes. But underlying this seemingly light-hearted attitude are two things that might almost be considered prosaic these days: a strong marriage and family life and his deep Jewish faith, which he and his family celebrate weekly at Shabbot.
Admitting that he is not a self-made man (no Horatio Alger story here) and that he had a lot of critical help, Bizer’s point seems to be that if he can overcome the difficulties he did, so can others. You, too, can fight like a one-armed man.
People of the Jewish faith have a habit of adding, “May his name be a blessing,” whenever they mention someone who has gone before. Bizer claims we die twice—once when we stop living and again when our name is no longer mentioned. Wayne Bizer will long be mentioned by family, friends, colleagues, and patients—now he’s added readers to that list. Not that he’s going anywhere soon. In their early eighties, he and his wife have overcome serious health problems and are looking forward to a long future together.
October 4, 2023
I have read a few autobiographies over the years, and they all had the smell of whitewash around them. “The One-Armed Soldier” did not. It covered good and bad, successes and failures, in other words – realistic and very personal.
It is the sort of book that will probably get you thinking about your own history – especially if you have a lot of years on your clock.
The chapter structure is unusual, but it works very well. Instead of covering a fixed period of time, each chapter covers a concept or event. It might be very short or fairly long, but it fits the content.
Every life has its share of triumphs and tragedies. It takes a special courage to show them to the world.
I enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend to it anyone.
It is the sort of book that will probably get you thinking about your own history – especially if you have a lot of years on your clock.
The chapter structure is unusual, but it works very well. Instead of covering a fixed period of time, each chapter covers a concept or event. It might be very short or fairly long, but it fits the content.
Every life has its share of triumphs and tragedies. It takes a special courage to show them to the world.
I enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend to it anyone.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews