I believe this is the only non-fiction title that James Patterson has been involved with. It is actually the story of a young man named Corey Friedman, the son of Patterson's writing partner for this volume. Corey has Tourette's Syndrome, a condition that causes him to speak and move uncontrollably. The actions an take on the form of tics, head shaking, and other (what is for him) necessary motions.

There was no sign that Corey was going to face a challenging life with this condition until he became 5 years old. It all started with a need to shake his head and progressed from there. What would follow would be years and years of treatment in the form of counseling, various medications (often with terrible side effects), and even some adventure camps. Besides having Tourette's, Corey also must deal with a developing form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The combinations of many of his treatments were often torturous and sometimes even made his conditions worse.

What really interested me about this book is that it is told in a narrative format as if Corey was sitting down and telling you his story. It added a really personal feel to the story.

About a year ago, there was an incident in one of the libraries in Rhode Island. A patient with Tourette's came to use the library and it led to a difficult interaction that led to a potential lawsuit related to ADA compliance. The library was judged to have tried to offer "reasonable accommodation," but it did increase my interest in the condition.

I did think the book was harsh on a lot of the medical and educational professionals that pop up throughout the book. While I have no doubt that some added to Corey's challenges, they all come across as being disinterested, rushed, or mean-spirited. It is not until the Father's Epilogue at the end that some positive words are said about what they were trying to do. It just seemed to be an odd conjunction of views.

I think the only thing I would have liked to have seen added was some sort of Authors' Note or Appendix that presented some of the basic details of Tourette's. There is no question that the reader gets a strong feeling about the emotional aspects of being a part of a family confronted with the condition, but I can't say that I walked away with any sense of feeling that I understand the medical aspects of it.