Smart But Feeling Dumb: New Understanding and Dramatic Treatment for Dyslexia - Harold N. Levinson, M.D.

For those concerned with or wondering about the inner workings of dyslexia and its many indicative symptoms, you can find no better book.

For someone like me, who has little familiarity or experience with the disease, neither through family or friends, nor otherwise, I had the conception going into it that I was going to, as the title implies, 'feel dumb', since most medical texts are over my head with their thesaurus-drowned wordings. Levinson doesn't do that, though. He wrote this book for the every-man: the concerned parent, the questioning teacher, the confused adult. Though its 488-page length is alone intimidating, the easy-to-understand phrasing and frequently used supporting case studies should make this a relatively easy read for those looking further in this disease and its inner workings.

And in no small way does he elaborate on his advancements in the field, only one of which is his 3D Auditory and Tactile Scanners, which have helped in monitoring the progress and development of a person's basic motor functions. Mind you, even this much is over my head, but I have little doubt that this hefty, informative guide will aid those seeking help and guidance in identifying and maintaining dyslexia.

Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve - Christoper Andersen

Christopher Reeve became the world's Superman, but his real-life struggle with spinal cord paralysis showed a strength far surpassing the comic book hero's, present both in him and his wife, Dana. Their stories, from their time of meeting to their reunion in heaven are eloquently recalled in Christopher Andersen's Somewhere in Heaven.

This heart-breaking recollection of one of the most beautiful relationships to see Hollywood collects the family's best and worst times, from Christopher's first sight of his future wife to the horse accident that left him paralyzed. Their story, dotted with emotionally shattering moments, was one of true love and trust, as Dana took the full-time role of caregiver to her disabled actor husband, who, from his first awakening post-accident to his very last breath, felt the hardship of raising a family without the ability to physically interact with his and Dana's son, Will. But through their hardships and struggles came hope and inspiration, as their constant lobbying for stem cell research brought spinal cord paralysis to its highest awareness and amazing breakthroughs, often in Reeve himself.

Upon Reeve's devastating death, Dana continued her husband's inspirational endeavours until stage-4 lung cancer reunited her with her husband less than two years later. However, son Will and Christopher's children with actress Gae Exton, Matthew and Alexandra, continue their parents' motivational work to raise awareness for spinal cord paralysis through the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. And it is through them, as well as the timeless works Christopher and Dana left behind, that they will live on in the hearts of millions. An absolutely beautiful, tear-jerking read that should be on every bookshelf.