William David was diagnosed with diabetes before home glucose monitoring, before insulin pumps, before NPH insulin. Yet today, 67 years after being diagnosed in 1938 at the age of seven, he has four children, three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and has led a life that has helped emotionally troubled kids. In Converving Hope, David helps us to understand the challenges that all people with diabetes face, notably the deep fear of hypoglycemia, a theme that pervades the book. David writes in an easy to read style that conveys well what it is like to grow up with diabetes.

As a parent, it’s often difficult to appreciate fully what it means to live with diabetes. David’s book, like some others, offers us a chance to peek inside the mind of someone who has lived longer with and seen more advances in diabetes than anyone we are ever likely to meet. As a bonus, 50% fo the profits from the sale of the book will be donated to diabetes charities.