If it weren’t a little tacky I would insert a smiley at the end of the next sentence. I suspect that the audience for this is going to be rather limited! This is therefore less a review and more a heads up to those to whom it may be relevant that this books exists.
If you want to know broadly what nystagmus is and why I have a specific interest then a quick Google and a look at my rather overlong article on this site will give you the general idea. A small problem with small consequences that add up to something much bigger.
As ever a series of coincidences led ne here. Lou Dell Osso, whose work with Richard Hertle on the tenotomy procedure informs most of this book, registered and started posting on the nystagmus forums I periodically visit. Aside from the wealth of debate and information this brought forward it became apparent he’d written extensively on the subject in terns of research papers. It occurred to me, finally, that I had never done a search on Amazon for the word nystagmus and… here we are.
The first two things to say about this book are that it is not a long book and, whilst I couldn’t see any indication of this on the site, it appears to only be available in large print. Given the cost you could be forgiven for thinking you’d just been ripped off. I beg to differ. If you or your child has nystagmus this book will probably be your best investment beyond a visit to a specialist in nystagmus.
Starting with a lucid explanation of what nystagmus is and is not, referencing key research data without ever overwhelming the layperson, you’re taken from diagnosis through symptoms; associated conditions; management and treatment all the way through to preparing for surgery. An excellent glossary of terms clarifies the frequent use of acronyms and abbreviations and the illustrations are clear and well explained for the most part.
There are occasional errors – images or charts referenced that aren’t actually there – but that needs to be seen in the overall context that this is probably the single most valuable aid to understanding nystagmus for a layperson currently out there.
I read it in two days flat and, since I’ve recently been learning much more about the specifics of my own condition, I have found myself referring back to it again and again.
It’s very simple. If you have nystagmus and you haven’t read this then order it through your local library or go buy it.
