Suggested Book & A/V List

Guides, Workbooks, and Textbooks

  1. Alternate Therapies In The Treatment Of Brain Injury And Neurobehavioral Disorders: A Practical Guide
    By Gregory J. Murrey
    Describes a number of safe and effective therapies for the lifelong process of people with brain injury.

  2. Brain Disorders Sourcebook
    By Dr. Roger Cicala
    A thorough book on brain injury.

  3. Brain Injury Medicine: Principles and Practice
    By Nathan Zasler
    A comprehensive guide to all aspects of the management issues involved in caring for the person with brain injury – from early diagnosis and evaluation through the post-acute period and rehabilitation.

  4. Brain Injury Survival Kit, 365 Tips, Tools, and Tricks to Deal with Cognitive Loss
    By Dr. Cheryle Sullivan

  5. Brain on a String (And Other Strategies for Staying Organized When Gray Matter Isn't Working Like It Used To)
    By P.J. Long, Psychotherapist
    A book to help you stay on top of everyday chores.

  6. Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness
    By Daniel G. Amen, M.D.
    Dr. Amen takes you through numerous brain-injury issues, and has solutions for strengthening the brain.

  7. Creative Mind: Tapping the Power Within
    By Ernest S. Holmes

  8. Empathy for the Brain, After Insult and Injury
    By William Grimes
    An episodic tour of brain injuries and the strange behavior that often accompanies them. Focuses on the poor treatment available to many patients.

  9. Head Injury (The Facts)
    By Audrey Daisley, Rachel Tams, and Udo Kischka

  10. Head Injury: The Facts, A Guide for Families and Caregivers
    By Dorothy Gronwell, Phillip Wrightson, and Peter Waddel
    Explains that a person injured with a brain injury can gradually rebuild a meaningful life again.

  11. Healing Anxiety and Depression
    By Daniel Amen, M.D.

  12. Healing the Hardware of the Soul - Enhance Your Brain to Improve Your Work, Love and Spiritual Life
    By Daniel Amen, M.D.

  13. Keep Your Brain Alive
    By Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D.
    Teaches you how to use all of your five sense to enhance "brain power" well into your later years. Neurobics, a scientifically proven method of exercising the brain, is described fully within the 148 pages.

  14. Living With Brain Injury: A Guide for Families
    By Richard Senelick, M.D. & Karla Dougherty
    The authors believe that there is life after brain injury. They provide a guide to help you accomplish this.

  15. Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Postconcussion Syndrome: The New Evidence Base for Diagnosis and Treatment (AACN Workshop Series)
    By Michail A. McCrea
    The editor has gathered together many of the best and most current peer-reviewed publications on mild traumatic brain injury and compiled an excellent reference.

  16. Mindstorms: The Complete Guide for Families Living with Traumatic Brain Injury
    By John Cassidy and Karla Dougherty

  17. Missing Pieces: Mending the Head Injury Family
    By Marilyn Colter
    This book will help your family know that there are thousands of other people just like yourselves who have been through this same experience. Provides hope and understanding.

  18. Preventing Alzheimer's: Ways to Help Prevent, Delay, Detect, and Even Halt Alzheimer's Disease and Other Forms of Memory Loss
    By Daniel G. Amen, M.D.
    To help you win the battle against the ravages of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

  19. Saying Yes to Change: Essential Wisdom for Your Journey
    By Gordon Dveirin
    Outlines the three classical stages of change that constitute a rite of passage.

  20. Stroke of Insight
    By Jill Bolte Taylor

  21. The Brain That Changes Itself - Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
    By Dr. Norman Doidge
    You will find this book in the Science aisle. Dr. Doidge provides a summary of the current revolution in neuroscience. He explores the the fact that the age-old distinction between the brain and the mind is changing, as the power of positive thinking finally gains scientific credibility. Various stories about recoveries, treatments, and new methods are presented and used to explain the fact the the brain can be “rewired” and “remapped.”

  22. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat
    By Oliver Sacks
    Oliver Sacks is a neurologist who explores neurological disorders with a novelist's skill and an appreciation of his patients as human beings.

  23. The Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Workbook
    By Douglas J. Mason
    Very thorough. Gives an overview of traumatic brain injury (TBI), then breaks it down into all of the individual problems associated with TBI … anatomy of the brain, what happens to the brain after TBI, measuring the severity, setting goals, medical care, physical aspects of TBI, how the senses are involved, cognitive issues, and emotions. Throughout this book there are a lot of mental exercises … mazes, number and letter searches, abstract puzzles, etc.

  24. Will to Recover: One Man's Refusal to Give Up
    By Tommy Hayes

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Books from Survivors of Brain Injury

  1. Brain on a String (And Other Strategies for Staying Organized When Gray Matter Isn't Working Like It Used To)
    By P.J. Long, Psychotherapist
    A book to help you stay on top of everyday chores.

  2. Coping With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
    By Diane Roberts Stoler, Ed. D. and Barbara Albers Hill
    Dr. Stoler is a brain-injury survivor. This book covers every aspect of brain injury, such as: how the brain works; how the brain can be injured; procedures used to diagnose and treat the brain; common physical, mental, and psychological symptoms of brain injury; suggestions for coping; advice on financial, insurance, family matters, the rehabilitation process and possible outcomes; etc.

  3. Cracked: Recovering After Traumatic Brain Injury
    By By Lynsey Calderwood

  4. Every Good Boy Does Fine
    By Tim Laskowski
    Tells story of wanting to fit into the world without being pitied, looked down upon.

  5. From Tragedy to Triumph: Journey Back From the Edge
    By Jessica Elizabeth Taylor
    A testimony of an incredible journey from a young girl to becoming a mother, a wife, and highly successful businesswoman, only to have it all dashed by a terrible head and brain trauma which left her for years in the murky annals of confusion and terror. This story is an inspiration for all brain-injured people; it will also help families gain a much-needed perspective on the various behaviors and functions following such a trauma.
    To order: www.booksurge.com or www.Amazon.com
    Visit: www.jessicaetaylor.org

  6. Gifts from the Broken Jar
    By P.J. Long, Psychotherapist
    Tells the quieter tale of savoring the ordinary and discovering life's wonders.

  7. How to Conquer the World With One Hand and an Attitude
    By Paul E. Berger and Stephanie Mensh
    An inspiring uplifting story of stroke recovery. (A stroke patient's brain injury is very similar to other brain injuries.)

  8. I'll Carry the Fork, Recovering a Life after B.I. (Brain Injury)
    By Kara L. Swanson
    A moving, first-person account of living with TBI.

  9. In An Instant (A Family's Journey of Love and Healing)
    By Lee and Bob Woodruff
    This is the true story of how ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff sustained a brain injury in January 2006 while in Iraq, and how he and his family coped with his injury and recovery process. This is a frank, compelling, yet heartfelt account. Their story is told from both Lee (his wife) and Bob's perspectives.

  10. In Search of Wings
    By Beverley Bryant
    Beverley describes her efforts, following a brain injury, to adapt her work as a gymnastics judge and ultimately to find a new profession to regain her self-esteem and confidence.

  11. My Reality Check Bounced: Humor from a Brain Injury Perspective
    By Brain Injury Survivors Editorial Board. Edited by John Youngbauer, Mandy Goodnight, Jeanne Hetherington

  12. Over My Head: A Doctor's Own Story of Head Injury from the Inside Looking Out
    By Claudia L. Osborn

  13. Rambling Down Life's Road
    By Kevin Pettit
    Provides unedited excerpts from his diary following his brain injury. This book is meant to give you a view from the inside out of what it's like to have a traumatic brain injury, to encourage you to avoid having and causing a brain injury, and to get you to laugh.

  14. Recovery In Poetry
    By Debbie Renfro
    A beautiful book of poetry written by a brain-injury survivor to help with her recovery process. Read Debbie's book at www.recoveryinpoetry.com.

  15. Smile and Jump High (The True Story of Overcoming a Brain Injury)
    By Daniel J. Lloyd and Shannon L. Kehoe
    Starlight Press, Monroe, GA 770-266-7791

  16. Spiritual Growth Book 1
    By Michael House
    A manuscript by minister Michael House who suffered a traumatic brain injury at the age of 17.

  17. TBI Hell: A Traumatic Brain Injury Really Sucks
    By Geo Gosling
    A recent college graduate who is single explains his “TBI Torture” of being surrounded by young cute women, but being in no shape to impress them.

  18. To Wherever Oceans Go
    By Beverley Bryant
    An inspiring story of recovery. It is the fabric of one woman who refused to set limits on her potential.

  19. Tour de Life: From Coma to Competition
    By Saul Raisin and Dave Shields

  20. When Life Doesn't Stick To The Game Plan…because the doctor has bad news
    By Carol A. Hacker
    Carol is a brain tumor survivor. She sensitively shares her personal story of diagnosis and recovery along with practical tips and techniques. All profits from this book are donated to the brain-injury cause.

    Note: This book may be purchased by calling, faxing, or emailing Carol Hacker:
    (770) 410-0517
    Fax (770) 667-9801
    email:

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Books from Caregivers of Brain Injury Survivors

  1. A Change of Mind
    By Janelle Biagion
    Janelle recalls the complex and confusing world of brain injury she and her family entered when her husband was injured in a motorcycle crash while on duty as a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman.

  2. A Three Dog Life: A Memoir
    By Abigail Thomas
    A wife, Abigail, tells the story of her husband's injury.

  3. Being With Rachel: A Story of Memory and Survival
    By Karen Brennan
    Written by Rachel's mother, this book describes what they went through, and her feelings and emotions.

  4. Crooked Smile: One Family's Journey Toward Healing
    By Lainie Cohen
    A family's son is injured, and is not given a good prognosis. This book tells his recovery process.

  5. In An Instant (A Family's Journey of Love and Healing)
    By Lee and Bob Woodruff
    This is the true story of how ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff sustained a brain injury in January 2006 while in Iraq, and how he and his family coped with his injury and recovery process. This is a frank, compelling, yet heartfelt account. Their story is told from both Lee (his wife) and Bob's perspectives.

  6. Ketchup on the Baseboard
    By Carolyn Rocchio
    Tells the personal story of Carolyn's family's journey after her son, Tim, sustained a brain injury. Chronicling his progress over more than 20 years, she describes the many stages of his recovery along with the complex emotions and changing dynamics of her family and their expectations.

  7. Reconstructing David
    By Deanna Scott
    An intimate story of a mother's dedication and devotion to her teenage son's recovery after a brutal motorcycle accident, and the long slow journey back from traumatic brain injury. An encouraging book for someone who is going through the difficulties of dealing with a brain-injured family member.
    To order: visit www.booksurge.com

  8. Where Is the Mango Princess?
    By Cathy Crimmins
    A poignant memoir of brain-injury recovery, told by a caregiving spouse.

  9. Why Scotty?
    By By Wynell Hunt with Terry Lee
    Written by Scotty's mother, this touching story describes the ordeal of Scotty's devastating car wreck, the hospital stay, rehabilitation, and his triumphant road back to recovery.

    C.O.P.I.N. Ministries, Inc.
    P.O. Box 1962
    Cumming, GA 30028

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Videos and CDs

  1. Brain Injury Dialogues
    Written and directed by Lyell Davies, City University of New York, and Richard Franklin, a brain-injury survivor of 17 years. Rick explores the impact that brain injury has had on himself and other survivors, and reveals helpful approaches. Contact Rick at or (510) 932-1063.

    "The goal of Brain Injury Dialogues... is to educate the public and provide survivors, their families and health professionals an accurate, empowering account of the many challenges associated with brain injury." - Jaclyn Law, Managing Editor, Abilities Magazine of Canada

    TO PURCHASE DVD: $20 via www.braininjurydialogues.org.
    Run time: 52 min. with a 25-minute bonus feature of Prof. Mark Sherry speaking to a Support Group for brain-injury survivors.

  2. Life. Support. Music.
    The story of Jason Crigler, one of New York City's most sought-after guitarists. Chronicles Jason's powerful and unusual story. Explores the nature of hope, faith, and healing.

    TO ORDER DVD: $22.98 with shipping & handling www.filmbaby.com/films/3375

  3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
    The story of a magazine editor who suffered a massive stroke while driving his son home. The story of his struggle to "write" his story. This is a TRUE story. www.amazon.com (various prices)

  4. The Healthy Brain Kit
    Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Gary Small have put together a workbook, training cards, and two CDs to help keep your brain young, sharpen your mind, enhance your concentration, and build verbal fluency. www.amazon.com (various prices)

  5. The Many Faces of TBI
    Created by the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Unique to this video are individuals who have experienced mild, moderate, and severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as well as Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) who relate their personal stories about their initial diagnosis and their lifelong challenges in living with TBI. (This is an online Google video.)

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1697371909936854878&ei=D3C7SqDFNKigqgKonIzjBg&q=The+Many+Faces+of+TBI#

  6. "To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports"
    The story of ABC news anchor, Bob Woodruff, who sustained a serious, life-threatening brain injury when his Humvee was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while covering a story in Iraq (as one of the many Embedded Reporters). The ABC News special “To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports” is available on DVD at: www.abcnewsstore.com./BobWoodruff

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