Brain Injury

This memoir recounts the personal, painful story of a survivor of a traumatic closed brain injury. Prior to a 1981 car accident, Cooper held top management positions, was a gifted musician, and was a talented orator in demand for speaking engagements. Tragically, his injuries were incorrectly diagnosed and treated, which made a terrible situation far worse. Personality changes contributed to broken relationships with his family and co-workers and created obstacles to getting help from health care and legal professionals. More than 30 years later, as a new chapter at the end of this updated edition of his 2006 book outlines, he is still fighting for justice. Despite his impairments, Cooper has abilities to communicate that many people who suffer brain injuries lack, and he hopes the book will help brain-injured persons and those close to them better understand the range of faculties that can be affected. It's a difficult read. The book bears marks of the author's injuries stylistically and in its structure, which shifts back and forth from past to present with a narrator who seems at times unreliable, but that is part of what makes it a valuable book for anyone who lives or works with a brain-injured person. (Dec.)