Aging and Parkinson's Disease: Personal Identification, Embodiment, and Experience with a Degenerative Disease
Abstract
Solimeo S. (2009). With Shaking Hands: Aging with Parkinsonâs in Americaâs Heartland. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. 192 pages. $72.00 (hardcover), $24.95 (paper). With Shaking Hands is a heart-warming, informative, and well-written ethnographic portrayal of individualsâ experiences with Parkinsonâs disease (PD). The primary goal of this work was to describe how persons with PD perceive aging while living with a progressive chronic disease. This is not a typical dry dissertation tome. Samantha Solimeo is able to describe the design and results of her mixedmethod study in a captivating style that is appropriate for a variety of audiences, from the person with no previous knowledge of PD to the most experienced neurologist. Following a somewhat technical introduction to medical anthropology, the author walks readers through the typical PD trajectory, from symptom onset and diagnosis to prognosis and treatment. The concluding chapters diverge from the earlier clinical themes to discuss how PD inï¬uences the relationships and roles between the sufferers and their respective caregivers. Interwoven into each chapter are brief commentaries of the authorâs personal challenges, rewards, biases, and sense of responsibility experienced while working with this vulnerable population. Although PD afï¬icts nearly 1 million Americans, most of whom