The Problem of Alzheimer's by Jason Karlawish

THE PROBLEM OF ALZHEIMER'S by Jason Karlawish received starred reviews from Kirkus (“an outstanding primer”) and Library Journal (“a must-read”). I have ordered a copy for our library since this is a high interest topic for many of our students.  They are watching parents face tough choices with respect to care for grandparents as well as dealing with their own feelings of missing the grandparent they once knew and fear about the disease in general. Karlawish, University of Pennsylvania professor and co-director of Penn Memory Center, has subtitled his book “How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease into a Crisis and What We Can Do About It.”  He divides the book into sections titled Alzheimer’s Unbound; The Birth of Alzheimer’s Disease; Living Well in the House of Alzheimer’s, and A Humanitarian Problem. He reviews key points in the history of the disease (including founding of Alzheimer’s Association in 1979 and scientific papers labeling it the “disease of the century” in 1981 and a 2009 report titled A National Alzheimer’s Strategic Plan), tracing “the story of how once upon a time, Alzheimer’s was a rare disease, and then it became common, and then it turned into a crisis.” As with climate change, scientists have been warning us about the physical, emotional, and economic impact of dementia as members of our society age, leading to questions of policy and government involvement. Karlawish describes scientific advances, opportunities in social, environmental, and psychological interventions for patients and caregivers, as he “explains why and what we have to do.” This call to action is an extremely valuable resource written in an accessible manner, complete with notes, a glossary, selected bibliography, and helpful index.