I am running very late in getting my review of "The Diabetes Manifesto: Take Charge of Your Life" by Lynn Crowe and Julie Stachowiak as my family and I have had a crisis that brought chaos into our lives for the last 5 months! I am happy that I can finally fulfill the obligation of reviewing this book to share how important and timely the information given was during our period of crisis.

The information in the Diabetes Manifesto begins with the first step of accepting a lifetime dealing with an incurable disease with the eventual goal being mastery of the knowledge needed to help the diabetic become an expert. One thing that makes this book unique is the author's goal to minimize the disease aspect in the life of the diabetic. In that way diabetes can be managed by ruling over it without letting it rule over them! The book includes the many options available for diabetics to be able to choose a "best path" for their own diabetic needs! Armed with knowledge the diabetic is able to make the best choice available to maintain a quality life. Also covered are aspects of diabetes that are not directly medical but are still a big part of managing diabetes, such as the impact that a chronic disease can have on individual emotions. Many resources are included throughout the book to expand the ability to research anything the diabetic may still have questions about! Among these are extra helps to guide in choosing a doctor that will offer the best care for a diabetic's unique case, as well as learning how certain other medications will work best in the diabetics individual situation. The medical information is also detailed and explained in a lay terms that make understanding easier for anyone with diabetes or family members of a diabetic.

My husband was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about fourteen years ago. The crisis that rose up as this year began was our first time to deal with the effects that stress can cause in a diabetic. Having this book at this time book opened new solutions for my husband that we were not aware of before reading it! We were blessed to find out that so many of the difficulties that he encountered with his diabetes throughout our crisis time were due to the effects of stress. What to expect with the many symptoms or possible complications that can arise are covered so well with the information presented in a clear and organized system that this book is worth keeping handy as a permanent reference!

By putting diabetes in its place one can still live life to the fullest despite having a lifelong chronic disease! I can enthusiastically recommend this book for anyone who is diabetic or dealing with diabetes in some way! ( )

This book has been sitting in its place of honor in the main bathroom for some two months now and a page or two is read each day. I do this because it is not jest another book, but rather a text book on a disease I have had for half a decade and of which I find little information cemented together as it is here. Although I have digested only about 80 of the 240 texzt pages (or one-third of the book), I can state unreservably that, if the book were to end at page 86, say, it would already have provided me every penny of information for its selling price. This is a must book, fellow diabetics, as it seems to be all in here. If the continuing perusal of the book as I wander towards the end changes my opinion any re this review, I shall return and edit it to reflect these changes. Meanwhile, if you have diabetes or love and care for someone who does, buy this book. ( )

This is the second self-help book I have received through the Early Reviewer program. I live with a person with type II diabetes who has had major health complications over the past year. I wanted to learn more about the disease and be able to communicate with him better around its many issues. I don't have diabetes myself.

I have read many, many self-help books, as well as many books that are about health-related topics. I used to teach management seminars on things like stress and I had to have a fairly good layman style understanding of what causes stress and the like. So I think I have some basis for comparison here, and I think that this is a very good example of what a self-help book should be.

Lynn and her co-writer (who concentrated on the more technical medical and pharma sections) concentrated on a positive, what you can do, approach, that was a real breath of fresh air given that the information surrounding diabetes (particularly type II) is so judgmental and didactic, particularly about exercise, diet, how bad insulin is, etc. In contrast to that kind of stuff, this was objective, full of useful suggestions about how to learn more and take more charge of your condition, and a lot of very good pointers on the doctor/patient relationship.

The book included a lot of online resources and advice about navigating the huge amount of information on the Internet.

It looks like this is part of a series of "manifestos" about various different kinds of diseases. This is the sort of book that will help people cope with chronic illnesses without being preachy and didactic.

I really don't have any negative critiques, except that at times I thought the author made her point at too much length, but as I'm not the actual disease sufferer that the book was designed for, it's hard to say that it is really a flaw - I am sure if the issue were more immediate, I might like the reassuring flow of the writing and not get impatient with it.

If you have diabetes, either type I or type II, or if you are related to someone who does, this book will give you a lot of good information and advice. Highly recommended. ( )

This is a review of a LibraryThing Early Reviewers copy of The Diabetes Manifesto: Take Charge of Your Life (2011) by Lynn Crowe and Julie Stachowiak, a book that can be summarized in three words: learn, change, and live. This is a book that balances hope with realism, possibilities with actualities.

Author Lynn Crowe tells the truth about diabetes from the perspective of a diabetic, having lived with Type I Diabetes since the age of twelve. Her well-researched book is good both for cover-to-cover reading and for a look-up resource because of its structure, logic, wisdom, practicality, bibliography, and cross-referenced index.

One of the more difficult things for me to cope with as a diabetic has less to do with the disease than with the medical jargon: C-peptide, islet cell antibodies (ICA), glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 antibodies (GADA), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome (HHNS), diabetic retinopathy, gastroparesis, and more. One of the strengths of The Diabetes Manifesto is that explanations of technical jargon are written in layman's words. For example, in her discussion of hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome, we learn that HHNS is dangerous, rare, and treatable. Straightforward accounts are given to conditions like these so that the reader knows what symptoms to expect, what they feel like, and what to do about them.

Writing as a diabetic to diabetics, the author said that one of the best ways to get a handle on the information pertinent to our situation is to compile our own "Diabetes Encyclopedia." I took this to heart and have made room in my personal journal for a growing glossary of health-related terms.

Scattered throughout the book are shaded boxes that summarize in a concise way, usually in one or two sentences, what the author is saying in the surrounding context. The headings in these boxes repeat with chapter-by-chapter changes in substance. Here are some examples of her pithy exhortations. Take Charge: "Spend at least as much time checking out your doctor as you would a babysitter." The Real World: "Okay, diabetes sucks. It truly does. Let's just get that out there." Do Your Best: "Don't be stupid." Know Your Stuff: "You must understand your illness, your symptoms, and your medications if you are going to be in control of your life. There is no other choice." Make It Better: "Don't forget to celebrate your successes. If you improve a symptom or get a good night's sleep for a change, feel proud and reward yourself." Get Help: "No one can help if you don't ask. Be considerate, specific, and respectful when you ask for help and people will gladly pitch in." Don't Panic: "Diabetes is scary. Make it less scary by turning unknowns into knowns and uncontrollables into controllables whenever you can."

All of the chapter headings are action statements: proceed with confidence, be a diabetes expert, tackle complications, make your doctor work for you, help treatment help you, create health in new places, reform relationships on your terms, cooperate with your emotions, get "in the Mix," make things better.

Each chapter concludes with a brief summary section under the heading, "The Bottom Line." Like the chapter headings, these summaries are action oriented. The book itself concludes with "The Bottom Bottom Line," telling the diabetic reader, in an autobiographical way, the benefits of knowing your stuff, taking charge, getting help, making it better, and not panicking.

My Bottom Line: Recommended for diabetics who want to take charge of their lives. ( )

OK, I think I have almost made it through this book. It has a lot of great information, you just have to suffer through the frivolous rah, rah, sis, boob, bah cheerleader tone of voice. I am newly diagnosed and I have a lot of questions, many of which this book is answering. However I think the target of this book is for people who are also very depressed with their situation. Right now I'm finding the pep talks distracting and annoying, much like a high school guidance counselor.

Bottom line, I feel that there is some good info in here, you just have to overlook the Tony Little schtick. ( )