The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Hands down one of the worst books I have ever read. I had to read it for a class. I don't know if I just resented being forced to read sub-par literature or if it was really as bad as I remember. It was a brutally long and wordy read. To its credit, I did appreciate the perspective it gave. I liked how it personalized ethical issues, but I'm still trying to figure out how the Vietnam war had...more

Hands down one of the worst books I have ever read. I had to read it for a class. I don't know if I just resented being forced to read sub-par literature or if it was really as bad as I remember. It was a brutally long and wordy read. To its credit, I did appreciate the perspective it gave. I liked how it personalized ethical issues, but I'm still trying to figure out how the Vietnam war had anything to do with this little girl. (oh i know i know, it gives us a background with the Hmong...right.) It could have all been said in about half as many pages with the same impact. I am pro-good writing and good ideas, anti-words for words sake.   hide

An interesting reflection upon the transgression of a Hmong child's health due to the cultural barrier between Hmongs and Americans. It is fascinating to read of how the cultures do not collide in beliefs but take completely different paths. The novel definitely provides a lot of powerful points and compelling facts. My only complaint is that Fadiman is sometimes repetitive and, when she is...more

An interesting reflection upon the transgression of a Hmong child's health due to the cultural barrier between Hmongs and Americans. It is fascinating to read of how the cultures do not collide in beliefs but take completely different paths. The novel definitely provides a lot of powerful points and compelling facts. My only complaint is that Fadiman is sometimes repetitive and, when she is not, she drags her descriptions out for too long. Other than that, the book is a good read.   hide

This is one of my favorite books of all time. It should be mandatory reading for anyone working with a diverse group of people....isn't that all of us?

Not very well-written, but quite a moving story. I'd recommend checking it out from a library (or borrow it from me), rather than buying a copy.

A harrowing account of the disconnect between medicine and culture.

i had to read this book for my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Fadiman tells the true story of a little Hmong girl and the clash of cultures between her family and doctors. It made me aware of these cultural and social differences that can hinder communication, and in this case, the health-care of this ill child. I learned about cultural competence, awareness, and patience. Sometimes we must...more

i had to read this book for my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Fadiman tells the true story of a little Hmong girl and the clash of cultures between her family and doctors. It made me aware of these cultural and social differences that can hinder communication, and in this case, the health-care of this ill child. I learned about cultural competence, awareness, and patience. Sometimes we must realize that not everyone is familiar with our "western" medical system and every culture has different methods to treat illness.   hide

This was the best non-fiction book I have read in a long long time. The book is about the collision of culture and medicine. Specifically the Hmong culture and Western medicine. The Hmong are a tribal people who come from the mountains in China, where for centuries they were persecuted for not assimilating with the Chinese culture. Many of them fled, to Laos and Thailand, only to befall the same...more

This was the best non-fiction book I have read in a long long time. The book is about the collision of culture and medicine. Specifically the Hmong culture and Western medicine. The Hmong are a tribal people who come from the mountains in China, where for centuries they were persecuted for not assimilating with the Chinese culture. Many of them fled, to Laos and Thailand, only to befall the same fate and eventually many moved in great numbers to Merced, California. They have very fascinating beliefs (illness is attributed to ones soul being lost from the body but one can get ill from a variety of transgressions such as peeing on a rock shaped like a tiger or offending the spirits of your ancestors). They believe evil demons are all around trying to steal the souls of babies, so they dress theirs up in frilly hats so the demons will mistake them for flowers. I could go on and on about their beliefs as this takes up a huge portion of the book and is really my favorite part of it. The actual story here is of Lia, a Hmong baby girl with epilepsy. The title “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” is the actual translation for epilepsy in the Hmong language. Once again the disorder is attributed to soul loss, however the Hmong regard epilepsy as something almost holy and many epileptics go on to become shamans as they are regarded as being able to communicate with spirits. From the outset the parents want the best for their child but do not want the epilepsy to go away entirely. As Lia’s seizures become worse and more frequent, and her medications more numerous, her parents faith and trust in American doctors and medicine becomes weaker and weaker.....What happens next begs the question: who was at fault here? The parents for not obeying doctors orders? The doctors for not trying to understand the Hmong culture and reach out to them in a way that they could understand?   hide

This is a great book. It's the story of a little Hmong girl, her medical problems and the cultural clashes that ensued in the treatment of her condition. It is in some ways tragic, and other ways enlightening, but thoroughly enjoyable to read, especially for those who are into this kind of thing.

this book was frustrating to read, but definitely worth it, especially if you are pursuing a career in which cultural competency is an issue (particularly with regards to medicine). the book basically tells the story of a little girl, lia, who has epilepsy and her clinicians' struggles to communicate her needs to her family, whose culture/religion don't subscribe to traditional western medicine...more

this book was frustrating to read, but definitely worth it, especially if you are pursuing a career in which cultural competency is an issue (particularly with regards to medicine). the book basically tells the story of a little girl, lia, who has epilepsy and her clinicians' struggles to communicate her needs to her family, whose culture/religion don't subscribe to traditional western medicine (and don't have the same deference towards western medicine and physicians as many others in our country do). i found the flow of the book a little awkward as right during the most crucial part of lia's story, the author interspersed each chapter about lia's illness with chapters about the history of the hmong people and the conflict in laos. i mean, that was interesting and all, but you almost can't help but skip over them while you're trying to find out what will happen to lia! overall, i wouldn't pick this book up unless i had to read it for class, but it should be required reading for any professional having to interact with others in the field of medicine.   hide