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Ability to Sleep on Toilet Required Reviewed by Karen Coiffi-Ventrice
http://www.bookpleasures.com/websitepublisher/articles/1057/1/Ability-to-Sleep-on-Toilet-Required-Reviewed-by-Karen-Coiffi-Ventrice/Page1.html
Karen Coiffi-Ventrice

Reviewer Karen Coiffi-Ventrice: Karen is a published author and freelance writer. She co-moderates a children’s writing critique group, and created and manages a Yahoo authors’ marketing group. Karen is also on the team of DKV Writing 4 U and a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illlustrators (SCBWI).






 
By Karen Coiffi-Ventrice
Published on August 26, 2009
 


Author: Diane Hart Sandin
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
ISBN: 978-4327-2835-9

Ability to Sleep on Toilet Required is a get down and dirty book about being a paraplegic. The author, Sandin, has been paraplegic for over 30 years due to a car accident in 1975; she conveys some of the annoying and funny sides of this condition as well as her thoughts on others’ behavior. While telling her story Sandin is engaging at times, funny at times, abrasive at times, and vulnerable at times.


Author: Diane Hart Sandin
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
ISBN: 978-4327-2835-9

Click Here To Purchase Ability to Sleep On Toilet Required

Ability to Sleep on Toilet Required is a get down and dirty book about being a paraplegic. The author, Sandin, has been paraplegic for over 30 years due to a car accident in 1975; she conveys some of the annoying and funny sides of this condition as well as her thoughts on others’ behavior. While telling her story Sandin is engaging at times, funny at times, abrasive at times, and vulnerable at times.

The Foreword to the book begins the story, “[…] I wish to take you on this journey of every day life that got me out of hell and to this time and place where I can say ‘It sure was a crazy ride, and I’m very happy to still be here!’” About midway through the book Sandin goes on to explain,” The world doesn’t like us, yet they all want OUR hard won, meager privileges. All the bozos and bingbings of the world all want the handicapped parking, the BIG stalls and the best seats, yet NOT ONE would be willing to pay the price.”

A number of the accounts in Ability to Sleep on Toilet Required conveys some of Sandin’s wheelchair mishaps; bathroom inconveniences, adventures and mishaps; and the lack of consideration and common sense of a number of people she’s come in contact with over the years. It even delves into incontinence, intimate times, and catheters. Calling herself, and others in her circumstances, “crips,” she takes her disability head on with a “spiffy, new, PINK chair.” Ability to Sleep on Toilet Required may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who decide to venture in you’ll be afforded a glimpse into the world of paraplegia.

The book is divided into four parts and each part is divided into single occurrences and annoyances. Sandin’s style is laid back and on the sarcastic side at times tinged with a little nastiness, impatience and also humor.  She calls those non-handicapped ill-advised and thoughtless people she encountered, beast, rubberface, moron, and idiots, among other names. And, having endured not only a difficult condition, but also some very inconsiderate individuals, it is understandable why she might run out of patience and get annoyed.

While Ability to Sleep on Toilet Required does have merit, it is clear that it was not professionally edited which is a mistake a number of self-published authors make. In addition, the last story in the book is about a friend of Sandin’s; it’s about his and his family’s hardships when he was very young. While it is an interesting and touching story, it seems out of place within the context of Sandin’s book. With that said, one unique and captivating aspect of the book is at the end. Sandin provides a Preview Chapter of her next book which she is currently working on. It will tell the story of her horrific car crash, body and face reconstruction, and the road back to life. Based on the preview chapter, Sandin’s new book should be a gripping and page- turning story.

 About the author: Diane (Dee) Hart Sandin lives in Florida with her husband, Tim Sandin. She took her 30-plus-years of experience with everyday common difficulties faced by paraplegics and created Ability to Sleep on Toilet Required

 Click Here To Purchase Ability to Sleep On Toilet Required