Between Heaven and Hell: The Story of My Stroke by David Talbot

Between Heaven and Hell: The Story of My Stroke Reviews

• 
  Monica Kenney

  David Talbot, Perfectly Candid Stroke Survivor. I love this writer, but love him even more after reading his brutally honest story of his stroke. Don't miss reading this one.
• 
  Frederick Gault

  A wonderful book! The author's brush with mortality ironically made him more alive. David has already given much to us with his books and journalism, but this is perhaps his most important, about living, and accepting mortality, and loving all that is good around us.
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  David

  Had the pleasure of attending Mr Talbot appearance at my neighborhood book store. Good to see him up and about. Enjoyed this book, and he so aptly inscribed to me, "Live Life Fully!". Indeed.
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  Dez Van Der Voort

  I feel bad for anyone with an illness or disease, and in this author's case, a stroke. So while I feel bad, the book itself detailed well the hours before and after his stroke, but wasn't as detailed in his spiritual renewal, or his bodily functions coming back online one by one.
  
  That said, I was hoping he could either describe the physical body healing in detail, or the mind change in detail. He did both but in vague terms. For example, he had "alter egos" after his stroke, one was an ego that loved to dance, but more description there, why he had the ego, when did the ego kick in, frequency. Or even introductions to the ego itself, and others, weren't there, or at least perfunctory.
  
  Hoping this book could be more informative.
• 
  Susan

  Listened to the audio version, really liked this a lot. Having grown up in the SF bay area in the 60s/70s, the author is someone I've followed for a while. This was very well written and quite an honest telling of his journey after having a stroke.
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  M.

  It was a good read.
• 
  Patricia

  A thoughtful and reflective book to read as we transition from winter to springtime.
  
  Food: An apple, of course.
  
  
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  Michelle

  This book will go on my bookshelf along with others that give nuggets of wisdom for navigating, accepting, and living life.
• 
  Brant

  A decent stroke memoir. Talbot, despite still having some of that Boomer self-admiration, does a valuable job of capturing the experience of stroke.
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  STEPHEN "Stevie" PLETKO!!

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  An important book especially for “Type A” personalities
  
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  “And certainly writing this book has been emotionally cathartic for me.
  
  But I also hope to convey a sense of the strange joy that my stroke has bestowed in me. The sense of liberation from the dead weight of the past or at least from those parts that have too much gravity.
  
  My stroke did not just change my life. It saved my life.”
  
  The above quote (in italics) comes from this extremely well-written memoir by David Talbot. He is a journalist, columnist, best-selling author and media executive. Talbot is the founder, former CEO, and former editor-in-chief of one of the first successful Internet magazines.
  
  What is a stroke? It is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow causing blockage and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functioning properly. Average life expectancy after a stroke is one year.
  
  In late 2017, an ischemic stroke overtook author Talbot’s high energy, fast paced, and stressful life. This book is an honest and personal account of his many struggles and healing (both physical and emotional) in the year following his stroke.
  
  Forced to substantially slow down his life, Talbot continues to be concerned with death, recovery, and the meaning of life.
  
  Finally, this book’s cover art (shown above by Good Reads) is interesting. It came to the author, as if in a vision, in the middle of his stroke.
  
  In conclusion, this is a wise, charming, and intimate stroke memoir, both touching and informative, that is sometimes funny, sometimes harrowing but always interesting!!
  
  (2020; introduction; 16 chapters; postscript; main narrative 165 pages; appendix; acknowledgements; author’s note)
  
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• 
  Randall P

  A few months ago, I suffered a stroke. My affected area was the Pons, as was the case with David Talbot. It was my wife that ran across this title and recommended it to me.
  
  The book was pleasant reading, but I was hoping for more. By more, I guess I mean more of the things that came to mind as he was recovering - either spiritual reflections or reflections on life.
  
  The book seemed personal, what else could it be, and to me it was more of a USA Today version of things. I wanted a little more meat. Having made that comment, I have to add that I think it’s remarkable that someone who has had a severe stroke can create such a robust post-stroke life and write about it. That is a significant feat, but that doesn’t mean the book itself was Tolstoy-level. It was a good, easy read. Best to Mr. Talbot for his work here.