Referencing, Lived Experience and History
I have had a few submission deadlines over the last couple of months. After years of using the Harvard referencing system, I was required to use the Vancouver system for one assignment and needed to refer to Cite them right by Richard Graham to help me out. This book is easy to follow and contains so much information that it was straightforward to use an unfamiliar system. It covers many different systems and lists the different sources with clear guidance on referencing anything from an ancient text to a social media post. If you want a bit of guidance or confidence with referencing, this book is a valuable tool. It is also available online.
Whilst textbooks are essential to provide an evidence base for practice there are many books which help us develop our understanding and compassion in other ways. The impact of illness does not stop once someone has left the hospital or been discharged from follow up. People are affected sometimes for the rest of their lives by something which may have been relatively fleeting in duration. Moulin Rouge to Gaudi's City is an example of this, a memoir written by EJ Bauer. A life changing illness spurred her to finally go on the trip she had been planning for years. When you realise that 'some day' is not guaranteed it can feel like plans and opportunities need to be grabbed. This story is an interesting insight into the legacy of a cancer diagnosis and evocative details of a short trip through France and Spain through an Australian's eyes. Another lived experience book is the novel The memory of you by Samantha Tonge. Whilst it is a very contemporary and warm romance it has so much obvious compassion for people living with dementia. Beautifully written with some lovely characters, inspiring stuff.
An interesting book I've just finished reading is 'A history of London lunatic asylums and mental hospitals' by Ed Brandon. In the introduction there was a long exploration of how the author reached the title of the book and a really compassionate and thoughtful explanation of the history of the terms and recognition of the power of words to hurt. It is a fascinating book, packed full of history and made so relevant with updates including current time and the ripples that these institutions have left in treatment, understanding and in their communities. There are graphic descriptions of mental ill health and treatments throughout the book and it is tough reading in places. Although the book is based around a specific cluster of hospitals this book looks at broader impacts and takes you from |Bethlem (Bedlam) Hospital through to the Care in the community act of the 1990's and beyond. As an interesting background to care provision and treatments it is relevant to today in many ways and there is much that can be learned from the history of mental health care.
I have also just finished reading Untypical by Pete Wharmby. Easy to read and quite funny. This is an insightful book looking at life and the challenges it can present people who are neurodiverse from the viewpoint of someone who is an autistic person [his choice of words]. Lots of interesting bits of information, great clear examples of what is helpful and what is not and practical suggestions we could all follow to make life more inclusive. A book that is definitely worth reading.
And finally I think that this selection of books can be summed up by a quote that I rediscovered recently that has made me add this book to my to-be-read pile:
We need to dispel the myth that empathy is walking in someone else's shoes. Better than walking in your shoes, I need to learn to listen to the story you tell about what it's like in your shoes and believe you even when it doesn't match my experiences'
Brene Brown Atlas of the Heart: Mapping meaningful connection and the language of human experience.
~ Thanks for reading ~
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