Synopsis
Actor Christopher Reeve, paralysed in a riding accident in 1995, challenges readers not to accept limitations - those set by oneself or by others - but to harness our untapped resources. He has mastered the art of turning the impossible into the inevitable, and shows that we are all capable of overcoming seemingly insurmountable hardships. He interweaves anecdotes from his own life with speeches and interviews he has given with evocative photographs taken by his son, Matthew. Reeve teaches us that for able-bodied people, paralysis is a choice - a choice to live with self-doubt and a fear of taking risks - and that it is not an acceptable one. He knows from experience that the work of conquering inner space is hard and that it inevitably requires some suffering - nothing worth having is easy to get. He also asks challenging questions about why it seems so difficult - if not impossible - for us to work together as a society. "Nothing is Impossible" reminds us that life is not to be taken for granted but to be lived fully with zeal, curiosity, and gratitude.
Review
A sequel of sorts to Reeve's bestselling memoir, Still Me, Nothing is Impossible is a concise, meditative companion to the earlier book. Each of its nine chapters is devoted to some aspect of successful living (humor, faith, hope) or addresses a major life issue (parenting, religion, recovery). Although Reeve draws on his experiences prior to his spinal chord injury in 1995, it's clear that his views on life have evolved dramatically in the seven years since. Clearly of most obvious value to those facing the challenges of physical paralysis, this book also serves as inspirational primer for otherwise able-bodied individuals who may be thwarted by mental rather than physical wounds. In additional to his personal message, Reeve is also a blunt proponent of medical insurance reform and government research funding, devoting a chapter to it here, as well as a significant portion of his nonprofit Web site, christopherreeve.org. --David Bombeck
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