The Book of Better
Chuck Eichten
From the author: I have diabetes. I’ve lived with it for years and years. I’ve done everything to learn as much as I can about it. I’ve made more idiot mistakes—accidentally and on purpose—with diabetes than you think would be safe. I’ve managed to stay very healthy. And by some standards, my life is pretty “normal.”
Throughout my extended career as a person with diabetes, the most important fact I have learned is that ANY BIT BETTER (…3%…5%…28%…91%…) IS STILL BETTER. It might be the most important thing you can know about your diabetes. Maybe we can’t make it go away. Maybe we can’t make it perfect. Maybe we’re still mad that we got stuck with it. But we absolutely CAN make it BETTER. It’s not always easy, but it’s not complicated either. Diabetes gets Better if you make it Better.
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but it doesn’t hurt that the cover of The Book of Better: Life with diabetes can’t be perfect, make it better is bright, hopeful, and actively asserts that “The Book of Perfection is not available.” Author and Nike, Inc. design director Chuck Eichten, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 13 while on vacation with his family, writes candidly about his struggles with diabetes while inspiring readers to take whatever steps they can to make diabetes better. “Maybe we can’t make it go away. Maybe we can’t make it perfect … But we absolutely CAN make it BETTER.” This book won’t outline the specific steps you should take to move forward, but the easy-to-read infographics and vignettes of how progress can be made makes the first step less overwhelming. The Book of Better is a good book to thumb through if you need a little pick-me-up from diabetes.
Published by Three Rivers Press. 275 pages, paperback. $15.00. ISBN 978-0-307-72068-9.2011
