Guillain Barre syndrome is an horrific and very frightening illness, basically this illness takes away all of your bodily functions, to the level where you cannot do anything for yourself (even breathe), and you truly believe you might die, unfortunately some do. The one characteristic of Guillain Barre syndrome is that it in no way affects the function of your brain, to be fully aware of what is going on around you yet be unable to move or even speak is mind-glowingly awful. It was because of the retention of all his mental faculties that the author was able to chronicle all the suffering in accurate detail. This level of lucidity and accuracy makes this book a compelling read for anyone, even those without the illness, as a "human interest" tale of the biggest battle this author ever had to face. Of course this book will be of use to fellow sufferers and their families, but it is aimed at the wider audience as well. There is some biography at the start of the story to give you some idea of the authors background, which saw him as a serving soldier in the Armed Forces. Nothing has been left out this story, however unpalatable it may be, from the rapid decline, the loss of all of bodily functions, and eventually the need for life-support systems. The story encompasses all of the highs and lows, the raw emotions, and personal thoughts of this illness, and there are many. The lighter side of the story comes later in the book, dealing with the immense battle it took to regain all the physical functions, which people take for granted, like breathing, talking, eating, drinking and having to learn to walk all over again at forty years of age.