The Shadow Boxers – a book review

/ simplywendi
photo of woman in boxing gloves

Photo by Heloisa Freitas on Pexels.com

 

I am super excited to kick off my 2020 book review series with, The Shadow Boxers – Fighting Fibromyalgia – Your Personal Journey by Kim Johnson & Karen Anderson.  My goal is to review 6 books, all written by individuals living with chronic illness(es).  If you are an writer and would like me to review your book, at my cost, please send me a message.

The Shadow Boxers was purchased from Amazon using personal funds and the review is completely my own.

 

My initial impression of the book is that I really liked the size.  It is not too big or small and fit in my hands perfectly.  This may seem like an unusual observation but I have purchased books that were just too small for my hands to hold easily and therefore caused pain or too big and akward to hold, again causing discomfort.  The print is also a good size, making the words easy to read.  Another bonus is the colors on the cover of the book are easy on the eyes creating another asthetic win.

Shadow Boxers covers all the basics of fibromyalgia, which I have to admit, although I thought I knew a lot about the illness, I still learned quite a bit.  The authors’ used not only their stories, but stories of others, allowing us to take a peek into the life of those who live with  fibromyalgia and how the illness can affect people in different ways.

But what I loved most about this book is that it is for you to write in.   You are an active part of the book, the main character, and with that honor it is imperative that you do your part.   Each chapter is followed by a one sentence prompt and it is a place for you to express your own thoughts and feelings, with enough space to write a rather lengthy commentary.

Although I did not write in the book, I did use the prompts to express my own thoughts and I found what I wrote to be quite insightful, I just substituted fibromyalgia for the main illness that I deal with.  Active participation is a MUST to get the most out of this book……..it is meant to be written in, to explore your own feelings, to express your frustrations and your inner most thoughts.  Once you have made your way through the book, it would be like having a productive counseling session and a whole lot cheaper.

Kim can be found blogging at I Tripped Over a Stone and I highly recommend you check her out………she is an amazing human being and force to be reckoned with!

 

77 thoughts on “The Shadow Boxers – a book review”

  8. Loved the review! You are absolutely correct! The reader is the main character of the book! Although opinions, ideas, and definitions are provided… the prompts are to encourage you to write YOUR story. Putting the name of what you are struggling with in place of Fibro works very well, great idea! This was meant to be a journal, first and foremost. This is YOUR platform to write your own story. Thanks so much, my friend! Sincerely.💜💜💜

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  9. Thank you for sharing!!.. often times the experiences of others and how they dealt with challenges put in their path and help others with their challenges, irregardless of the subject matter.. looking forward to more reviews.. 🙂

    “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, the man who at best knows achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

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  15. I love your intentions of reading several books by other battling diseases. Together, it’s knowledge shared and supporting each other. You may even stumble across some “aha-moments”’and find something you want to incorporate into your day as well.
    Bless you Wendi ❤️, hope you are well.

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  16. This sounds a wonderful Book and I can see how impressed you were by it.. The very fact that a book can hurt for those who do not suffer conditions which affect muscles would be unaware..
    While I say I am 110% better cured from my FMS… ( A story to be found within my blog somewhere 😉 )
    From time to time I overdo things and suffer more than most.. Especially cramps..

    When at the peak of my complaint, I went on a course set up by my GP. It was called the Expert Patient Program in which patients with the disease took the class… Helping others manage their conditions by setting small achievable goals..
    Like Ironing could be too much, cleaning windows washing pots, lifting pans… and so on…
    I found this six weeks course with literature and self help books a definite help in that it made me understand I was not alone and that I could begin a program to work in small steps to help myself..

    This I did… as you know… And the first hurdle we have to overcome is the title of this book… We have to shadow box ourselves.. to have that Belief in ourselves.. That we Can HEAL…
    We are all miracles in progress, one step, one thought one action at a time..

    Loved the review Wendi… Thank you for sharing…
    Have a great February… One day at a time… ❤ ❤ ❤

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  18. Fab write-up on this, Wendi! I think it’s good you’ve emphasised the active participation being so vital; it’s great you were able to reflect as you went through the book and it takes good content to engage you like that. It’s so valuable too when you can find a book that’s actionable, where you can do or learn or apply what you’re reading somehow. Kim is a superstar, isn’t she?! xx

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    • 🙂 Hey Caz……yes, Kim is a super star! Thank you so very much leaving such awesome comments! It was such an honor to review her book and I enjoyed every moment of writing the review! 🙂 I hope today is behaving itself! 🙂

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  20. Isn’t it amazing what we discover and learn as we write? What a smart idea Kim Johnson and Karen Anderson had to make the book interactive. I am very sorry you must deal with chronic illness; kudos for being proactive to do what you can! P.S. Thank you for becoming a follower of my blog, From the Inside Out. I pray you’ll find the posts meaningful whenever you’re able to visit.

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  21. Pingback: Calling authors who live with a chronic illness! | Simply Chronically Ill

  22. Dear Wendi,
    I missed this post last week, so I am so glad you referred back to it! I am always looking for books written by those with chronic illness, and this sounds so intriguing! I think I’m going to have to put it on my wishlist now too. Thank you so much for sharing your heart here so freely. You are a blessing!

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  24. Thank you, Wendi, for sharing about this book. I have read a few books about chronic physical and mental illness and always learn a lot to supplement my own experiences.

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  25. Pingback: The Chronic Pain Manual – book review | Simply Chronically Ill

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