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It is rare that a book can make your jaw drop every three pages.  From There to Here, published by a grant from Independence Technology (Johnson & Johnson), brings together 45 autobiographical essays, each telling a personal story.  "There" represents the time period following a disabling accident, usually involving depression and a significant adjustment to the life of the spinal cord injured.  "Here" indicates the time period where the individual is currently.  Generally these people have found happiness and success in their “here” state.

Editors Gary Karp and Stanley D. Klein have formatted each essay in a similar format.  The chapter heading includes the name, level of injury (i.e., T4, C5), age at Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), date of SCI, and the city in which the individual resides.  Many authors don’t spend much time on how their injury occurred, rather the bulk of the 3-5 page essay deals with the transition of acceptance and adaptation.

The introduction by the editors includes a brief spinal cord injury education for those unfamiliar with the significance of C-5 or T-8, as well as a brief discussion of partial and full recoveries.  Some of the stories include individuals who have recovered from their injuries and now are able to walk and run.  Most, however, only obtain a partial recovery while in rehab.  Recovery is a number one concern for most recently injured and many stories speak to the difficulty of accepting the limitations of their recovery.

From There to Here gives insight into how adaptive and resourceful humans are.  While these stories all involve unique individuals with different personalities, there are themes that run throughout the book.  For instance, the help of having a family/friend support system, feeling depression and anger, and the helpfulness of having others with SCI share their stories and successes are all examples of themes running through the essays.  This book is helpful for anyone who has suffered an SCI, as well as useful for those who seek to gain further perspective into this life-changing event.