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The Long Goodbye: Dementia Diaries

by Margaret R. Miles
Paperback |English |1498282385 | 9781498282383

The Long Goodbye: Dementia Diaries

by Margaret R. Miles
Paperback |English |1498282385 | 9781498282383
Overview

The Long Goodbye: Dementia Diaries discusses a disease that is both personal and social for more than five million patients and their families and friends in the United States today. Now that there are medical strategies for preventing and/or curing strokes, heart attacks, even cancer, many more people are going to live into the dementia years in the near future. Although many dementia horror stories circulate in conversation and in the media, they are not the whole story. Creative approaches to loving a dementia patient can make for a valuable learning experience for family and caregivers. In The Long Goodbye Margaret Miles describes her commitment to making--rather than passively suffering--her spouse's dementia experience. Family and friends who accompany patients find embedded in the experience moments of great beauty, hilariously funny incidents, new companions, and life insights. The narrative provides both a travelogue and suggestions for a richly meaningful life passage for all participants. The Long Goodbye seeks to supply a balanced picture of a disease usually represented as unmitigated loss. ""For the uncharted landscape of dementia, there is no wiser guide than Margaret Miles. It's costly wisdom, for the disease stole her husband by inches. Miles chronicles the raw pain of his gathering confusion, but she also finds surprising beauty in funny and holy moments along the way. Moving beyond mere memoir, Miles interrogates Christian understandings of the 'self' and diseases in the body politic, like poverty, discrimination, and injustice. This is theology at its edgy best."" --Martha E. Stortz, Bernhard M. Christensen Professor for Religion and Vocation, Augsburg College ""Few books have opened whole new worlds of unknown and unexperienced arenas. Margaret Miles's Long Goodbye is one of them. Miles explores in subtle and rich ways the experience of saying goodbye to her beloved husband as he recedes more and more into his dementia. It is a love story and an expression of beauty in the face of what is increasingly becoming a common reality in our society. How do we find beauty as those we love become strangers to us? Miles writes the love story weaving together fragments of lived experience from ancient thinkers to modern writers to expose the richness and wonder of living with someone with dementia. . . . Miles has opened that world to us to understand and to wonder at the ability of a person to find beauty there in the midst of anguish. This is an important and timely book that everyone should read, not just those with loved ones who suffer from dementia, but for everyone who lives in our society where dementia is becoming a more common disease."" --Richard Valantasis, Author of Centuries of Holiness and The Making of the Self; Retired professor of Ascetical Theology and Early Christian Studies ""I've seldom read a book more timely and welcome than The Long Goodbye by Margaret Miles. That is not to suggest it is easy on either the heart or the mind, or spiritually edifying in any obvious way. No. Miles, although immersed in the history of Christian thought and art, tells of one specific experience of dementia--centering on her late husband, a theologian. She writes with a kind of particularity and unflinching but loving realism that is truly rare. This is not a story told in such terms or details by biblical writers or ancient philosophers or even authors from a century ago. Relying partly on her diary, and interspersing her narrative with poetic quotations, Miles reminds us that dementia is an increasingly modern condition, as populations live longer. Keenly and caringly, she makes clear that dementia is something that changes not just the 'patient' but the lives of all involved. Miles rejects venerable oppositions between original sin and basic innocence, arguing that it is misleading even to ask whether a human being is naturally good or naturally bad. That cannot possibly do justice to the complex real
ISBN: 1498282385
ISBN13: 9781498282383
Author: Margaret R. Miles
Publisher: Cascade Books
Format: Paperback
PublicationDate: 2017-02-02
Language: English
PageCount: 104
Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.26 x 8.5 inches
Weight: 4.8 ounces

The Long Goodbye: Dementia Diaries discusses a disease that is both personal and social for more than five million patients and their families and friends in the United States today. Now that there are medical strategies for preventing and/or curing strokes, heart attacks, even cancer, many more people are going to live into the dementia years in the near future. Although many dementia horror stories circulate in conversation and in the media, they are not the whole story. Creative approaches to loving a dementia patient can make for a valuable learning experience for family and caregivers. In The Long Goodbye Margaret Miles describes her commitment to making--rather than passively suffering--her spouse's dementia experience. Family and friends who accompany patients find embedded in the experience moments of great beauty, hilariously funny incidents, new companions, and life insights. The narrative provides both a travelogue and suggestions for a richly meaningful life passage for all participants. The Long Goodbye seeks to supply a balanced picture of a disease usually represented as unmitigated loss. ""For the uncharted landscape of dementia, there is no wiser guide than Margaret Miles. It's costly wisdom, for the disease stole her husband by inches. Miles chronicles the raw pain of his gathering confusion, but she also finds surprising beauty in funny and holy moments along the way. Moving beyond mere memoir, Miles interrogates Christian understandings of the 'self' and diseases in the body politic, like poverty, discrimination, and injustice. This is theology at its edgy best."" --Martha E. Stortz, Bernhard M. Christensen Professor for Religion and Vocation, Augsburg College ""Few books have opened whole new worlds of unknown and unexperienced arenas. Margaret Miles's Long Goodbye is one of them. Miles explores in subtle and rich ways the experience of saying goodbye to her beloved husband as he recedes more and more into his dementia. It is a love story and an expression of beauty in the face of what is increasingly becoming a common reality in our society. How do we find beauty as those we love become strangers to us? Miles writes the love story weaving together fragments of lived experience from ancient thinkers to modern writers to expose the richness and wonder of living with someone with dementia. . . . Miles has opened that world to us to understand and to wonder at the ability of a person to find beauty there in the midst of anguish. This is an important and timely book that everyone should read, not just those with loved ones who suffer from dementia, but for everyone who lives in our society where dementia is becoming a more common disease."" --Richard Valantasis, Author of Centuries of Holiness and The Making of the Self; Retired professor of Ascetical Theology and Early Christian Studies ""I've seldom read a book more timely and welcome than The Long Goodbye by Margaret Miles. That is not to suggest it is easy on either the heart or the mind, or spiritually edifying in any obvious way. No. Miles, although immersed in the history of Christian thought and art, tells of one specific experience of dementia--centering on her late husband, a theologian. She writes with a kind of particularity and unflinching but loving realism that is truly rare. This is not a story told in such terms or details by biblical writers or ancient philosophers or even authors from a century ago. Relying partly on her diary, and interspersing her narrative with poetic quotations, Miles reminds us that dementia is an increasingly modern condition, as populations live longer. Keenly and caringly, she makes clear that dementia is something that changes not just the 'patient' but the lives of all involved. Miles rejects venerable oppositions between original sin and basic innocence, arguing that it is misleading even to ask whether a human being is naturally good or naturally bad. That cannot possibly do justice to the complex real

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  • Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
  • Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.

Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.

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  • Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days

Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.  

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If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.

You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.

Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.

Additional non-returnable items:

  • Gift cards
  • Downloadable software products
  • Some health and personal care items

To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)

  • Book with obvious signs of use
  • CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
  • Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
  • Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery

Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.

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Overview

The Long Goodbye: Dementia Diaries discusses a disease that is both personal and social for more than five million patients and their families and friends in the United States today. Now that there are medical strategies for preventing and/or curing strokes, heart attacks, even cancer, many more people are going to live into the dementia years in the near future. Although many dementia horror stories circulate in conversation and in the media, they are not the whole story. Creative approaches to loving a dementia patient can make for a valuable learning experience for family and caregivers. In The Long Goodbye Margaret Miles describes her commitment to making--rather than passively suffering--her spouse's dementia experience. Family and friends who accompany patients find embedded in the experience moments of great beauty, hilariously funny incidents, new companions, and life insights. The narrative provides both a travelogue and suggestions for a richly meaningful life passage for all participants. The Long Goodbye seeks to supply a balanced picture of a disease usually represented as unmitigated loss. ""For the uncharted landscape of dementia, there is no wiser guide than Margaret Miles. It's costly wisdom, for the disease stole her husband by inches. Miles chronicles the raw pain of his gathering confusion, but she also finds surprising beauty in funny and holy moments along the way. Moving beyond mere memoir, Miles interrogates Christian understandings of the 'self' and diseases in the body politic, like poverty, discrimination, and injustice. This is theology at its edgy best."" --Martha E. Stortz, Bernhard M. Christensen Professor for Religion and Vocation, Augsburg College ""Few books have opened whole new worlds of unknown and unexperienced arenas. Margaret Miles's Long Goodbye is one of them. Miles explores in subtle and rich ways the experience of saying goodbye to her beloved husband as he recedes more and more into his dementia. It is a love story and an expression of beauty in the face of what is increasingly becoming a common reality in our society. How do we find beauty as those we love become strangers to us? Miles writes the love story weaving together fragments of lived experience from ancient thinkers to modern writers to expose the richness and wonder of living with someone with dementia. . . . Miles has opened that world to us to understand and to wonder at the ability of a person to find beauty there in the midst of anguish. This is an important and timely book that everyone should read, not just those with loved ones who suffer from dementia, but for everyone who lives in our society where dementia is becoming a more common disease."" --Richard Valantasis, Author of Centuries of Holiness and The Making of the Self; Retired professor of Ascetical Theology and Early Christian Studies ""I've seldom read a book more timely and welcome than The Long Goodbye by Margaret Miles. That is not to suggest it is easy on either the heart or the mind, or spiritually edifying in any obvious way. No. Miles, although immersed in the history of Christian thought and art, tells of one specific experience of dementia--centering on her late husband, a theologian. She writes with a kind of particularity and unflinching but loving realism that is truly rare. This is not a story told in such terms or details by biblical writers or ancient philosophers or even authors from a century ago. Relying partly on her diary, and interspersing her narrative with poetic quotations, Miles reminds us that dementia is an increasingly modern condition, as populations live longer. Keenly and caringly, she makes clear that dementia is something that changes not just the 'patient' but the lives of all involved. Miles rejects venerable oppositions between original sin and basic innocence, arguing that it is misleading even to ask whether a human being is naturally good or naturally bad. That cannot possibly do justice to the complex real
ISBN: 1498282385
ISBN13: 9781498282383
Author: Margaret R. Miles
Publisher: Cascade Books
Format: Paperback
PublicationDate: 2017-02-02
Language: English
PageCount: 104
Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.26 x 8.5 inches
Weight: 4.8 ounces

The Long Goodbye: Dementia Diaries discusses a disease that is both personal and social for more than five million patients and their families and friends in the United States today. Now that there are medical strategies for preventing and/or curing strokes, heart attacks, even cancer, many more people are going to live into the dementia years in the near future. Although many dementia horror stories circulate in conversation and in the media, they are not the whole story. Creative approaches to loving a dementia patient can make for a valuable learning experience for family and caregivers. In The Long Goodbye Margaret Miles describes her commitment to making--rather than passively suffering--her spouse's dementia experience. Family and friends who accompany patients find embedded in the experience moments of great beauty, hilariously funny incidents, new companions, and life insights. The narrative provides both a travelogue and suggestions for a richly meaningful life passage for all participants. The Long Goodbye seeks to supply a balanced picture of a disease usually represented as unmitigated loss. ""For the uncharted landscape of dementia, there is no wiser guide than Margaret Miles. It's costly wisdom, for the disease stole her husband by inches. Miles chronicles the raw pain of his gathering confusion, but she also finds surprising beauty in funny and holy moments along the way. Moving beyond mere memoir, Miles interrogates Christian understandings of the 'self' and diseases in the body politic, like poverty, discrimination, and injustice. This is theology at its edgy best."" --Martha E. Stortz, Bernhard M. Christensen Professor for Religion and Vocation, Augsburg College ""Few books have opened whole new worlds of unknown and unexperienced arenas. Margaret Miles's Long Goodbye is one of them. Miles explores in subtle and rich ways the experience of saying goodbye to her beloved husband as he recedes more and more into his dementia. It is a love story and an expression of beauty in the face of what is increasingly becoming a common reality in our society. How do we find beauty as those we love become strangers to us? Miles writes the love story weaving together fragments of lived experience from ancient thinkers to modern writers to expose the richness and wonder of living with someone with dementia. . . . Miles has opened that world to us to understand and to wonder at the ability of a person to find beauty there in the midst of anguish. This is an important and timely book that everyone should read, not just those with loved ones who suffer from dementia, but for everyone who lives in our society where dementia is becoming a more common disease."" --Richard Valantasis, Author of Centuries of Holiness and The Making of the Self; Retired professor of Ascetical Theology and Early Christian Studies ""I've seldom read a book more timely and welcome than The Long Goodbye by Margaret Miles. That is not to suggest it is easy on either the heart or the mind, or spiritually edifying in any obvious way. No. Miles, although immersed in the history of Christian thought and art, tells of one specific experience of dementia--centering on her late husband, a theologian. She writes with a kind of particularity and unflinching but loving realism that is truly rare. This is not a story told in such terms or details by biblical writers or ancient philosophers or even authors from a century ago. Relying partly on her diary, and interspersing her narrative with poetic quotations, Miles reminds us that dementia is an increasingly modern condition, as populations live longer. Keenly and caringly, she makes clear that dementia is something that changes not just the 'patient' but the lives of all involved. Miles rejects venerable oppositions between original sin and basic innocence, arguing that it is misleading even to ask whether a human being is naturally good or naturally bad. That cannot possibly do justice to the complex real

Books - New and Used

The following guidelines apply to books:

  • New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
  • Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
  • Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.

Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.

Shipping Fees

  • Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
  • Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
  • No additional fees and charges.

Delivery Times

The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.

Estimated delivery times:

  • Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
  • Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days

Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.  

Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times. 

Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.). 

If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.

You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.

Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.

Additional non-returnable items:

  • Gift cards
  • Downloadable software products
  • Some health and personal care items

To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)

  • Book with obvious signs of use
  • CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
  • Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
  • Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery

Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.

Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.

If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:

  • Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
  • Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
  • Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.


Shipping Cost


We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.

If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

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