IntroductionDifferences. It is surprising that many people are discriminated against, just because they are unable to fit the cookie cutter that is society. I have never understood this. When we are younger we are praised for being unique, but as we age this praise turns into criticisms and negative remarks because we are not the same as others around us. Society needs more people like Jennifer Arnold and Bill Klein who are not afraid to reveal that being different is nothing to mope around about; being different makes life enjoyable. Due to the positive ways that oneself and society could be altered after reading Life is Short, I would absolutely recommend that others read this book.
SummaryLife is Short is an autobiography written in the first person by both Jennifer Arnold and Bill Klein. The autobiography explains the difficulties that growing up as a little person in society created on each of them. Struggles from their births to present day are depicted in the book. The struggles range from multitudes of surgeries, bullying, and discrimination when trying to look for universities and jobs. In addition, the autobiography reveals the effects that their diagnoses and daily struggles from their spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED), had on the family that surrounded them. Because the book spans the whole life of both Jen and Bill, there are multiple settings in the story. The settings range from St. Petersburg, Florida, Long Island, New York, and Moore Clinic at John Hopkins Hospital when they were younger, to traveling to Hohhot, China and Mumbai, India when picking up Will and Zoey in adulthood. Will and Zoey are the children that Jen and Bill adopted, because it had previously been difficult and hazardous for Jen to get pregnant.
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Theme
The theme of the book is that it is okay to be different and that it is beneficial to view life through someone else’s perspective. In the case of Jen and Bill, it is the view of life from that of a little person. Life is Short helps make us, the readers, thankful for what we have in life. Many people nowadays take a lot of things for granted. Reading the book will give many people an understanding that we need to be more grateful for the things around us and for the things we are able to do. Especially when we read about how acts such as turning one’s neck, which seems simple and instinctive, can be difficult for someone who has had multiple spinal surgeries.
Evaluation
I believed that both Jen and Bill did an amazing job in explaining all of the medical treatments that they had to go through. I especially like how they gave definitions on what the treatment or surgery was after giving the medical terms for the procedure. The act of defining the procedures assists in making the book available to other who are not doctors, because we are able to understand what is going on in the book. I also believe that Jen and Bill perfectly showed the similarities in their lives, by placing the chapters where they had similar occurrences next to each other. Both Bill and Jen also did an amazing job in describing the different scenes in the book. Their excellent descriptions made the book very easy to visualize.
Although I enjoyed the book very much, there were some things that could have been altered within the book. For one thing, the book became a bit confusing when they each started to talk about the surgeries that they had. Since there were so many surgeries, it was hard to keep track of all of them. Secondly, when Jen and Bill started to talk about their family, sometimes it was a bit difficult to keep track of too. Keeping track of their families became especially difficult when both their parents divorced and began to date other people. Besides occasional confusion with surgery count and family the book was quite straight forward.
Although I enjoyed the book very much, there were some things that could have been altered within the book. For one thing, the book became a bit confusing when they each started to talk about the surgeries that they had. Since there were so many surgeries, it was hard to keep track of all of them. Secondly, when Jen and Bill started to talk about their family, sometimes it was a bit difficult to keep track of too. Keeping track of their families became especially difficult when both their parents divorced and began to date other people. Besides occasional confusion with surgery count and family the book was quite straight forward.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I recommend that everyone should read Life is Short. We need to take time to realize that not everyone in the world is exactly like we are. We need to understand that being different is a good thing. Only by looking out positively at others, will we be able to look at ourselves in a positive light. Therefore, are you going to stand up and be different or are you going to blend in?
Publications
Arnold, Jennifer, and Bill Klein. Life Is Short No Pun Intended; Love, Laughter, and Learning to
Enjoy Every Moment. New York City: Simon & Schuster, 2016. Print.
Enjoy Every Moment. New York City: Simon & Schuster, 2016. Print.
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Word Total: (827, Not counting the red titles that divide all the parts).