The authors created this self-help guide for those who have suffered a spinal cord injury because "Our experience ... tells us that recovery and successful living after injury go more smoothly when people know what to expect ..." The descriptions of each aspect of life following the injury, from what happens in the hospital and the emotional effects which accompany the trauma, to the new lives experienced afterwards, are supplemented with the personal stories of those who have suffered this injury. Of the three authors, two are psychologists and one is an MD affiliated with the rehabilitation program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. A list of resources is included.