Joseph Jebelli

This is a gripping account of the history of the discovery of and research into this cruelest of diseases, which takes over and eventually destroys the brains of its victims over time from within. I have a personal interest in that my 86 year old dad was diagnosed with it two or three years ago and has gone downhill this year and has just had to go into a care home. That said, it is not always a disease of old age and some of the most shocking sections of the book dealt with families who have suffered throughout several generations from early onset Alzheimer's in their 50s or even 40s. There has been fierce scientific and medical debate about the causes of the disease and latterly, looking into genetic factors, including some that mean certain communities across the world are less susceptible to the disease and may provide the basis for the holy grail of a cure for the disease. At the moment there are only available (at least here in the UK) cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil, that slow down the symptoms for a while - better than nothing but far from a cure. The author was motivated to pursue his own clinical career due to the Alzheimer's of his own grandfather, and is upbeat that a cure will eventually be identified, probably based on genetic engineering, too late for his grandfather and for my dad, but which should offer better prospects for millions of future sufferers and their families.… (more)

When you think of diseases that kill people cancer and heart disease would most top peoples list, but with the population in the western world getting older, other illnesses are having an effect on mortality rates and people’s quality of life. One of the most significant is Alzheimer's and dementia, a cruel disease that leaves the shell of the person whilst stealing their personality, dignity and their memories. The first time that Joseph Jebelli came across this illness was when he was twelve years old and his grandfather started doing strange things and becoming ‘indefinably peculiar’; Gone was the warm person he had known. This family tragedy became a pivotal point in his life and drove him to pursue a career in science researching the very disease that claimed his grandfather.

I felt totally alone, with the world receding away from me in every direction, and you could have used my anger to weld steel – Sir Terry Pratchett

Jebelli is now an established expert in the field of Alzheimer's research and in this interesting and informative book he sets about describing the background with Alois Alzheimer's discovery of the illness in 1906 all the way up to the current understanding of the science behind this distressing disease. Travelling all over the world he talks to the people at the cutting edge in laboratories about the latest avenues of research as they race to find a cure. He takes time to talk to sufferers and their families gaining a heartfelt understanding of the anguish they go through every day. It is a clear and well-written exploration of the different efforts that encompass research into Alzheimer's. There is a small amount on Sir Terry Pratchett, who was sadly one of those to get early onset Alzheimer's, or his embuggerance as he called it. He donated a fairly hefty sum of money to enable research, but more importantly, he spoke about his illness and spent time raising awareness of it. Jebelli writes about a difficult and personal subject in a way that brings clarity to the dark world that is Alzheimer's, I can highly recommend this book. 4.5 stars… (more)