book review: The Migraine Brain

Interesting, MJ.  I have also been very troubled by the innacuracies in the book, though I have not finished it yet and have been trying to give it the benefit of the doubt.  There were numerous points where she downplays dangers.  The status migrainous point is one, also right at the beginning in her "myth busting" she states that no one ever died from a migraine attack - well, what of migrainous stroke, then?  It is dangerous for a MD and director of a headache center, who will get a great deal of credibility out of her status, to make incorrect points like these.

I do think that her description of the Migraine brain is useful, the phrase she uses is "a high maintenance brain" which I really like. It is helpful for Migraineurs and others to really understand that our brains are different and must be cared for, that our lives must be kept regular to regulate our brains. I also think she has a number of worksheets and tools which are helpful.  Now, could those things have been done in a more accurate and well written book? Of course.  Is the book worth buying?  I don't know.  If you're only going to buy one book on managing your life with Migraine, this is definitely not the one.  I agree that Teri's book is better!

Great article, MJ. I really appreciate your review.

Although, I have not read this book, I have heard similar praises for her description of the Migraine brain. I like your point that if she so many typos were left, what else might have been overlooked. I also wonder why she uses outdated terms. It makes me question if she is up-to-date on current literature. 

Like you and Megs, I find it especially alarming that she does not find status migraine more alarming. No mention of stroke is extremely concerning.

Thank you for your candid and honest review.

I REALLY appreciated your candid review of "The Migraine Brain". I have read the book and it was the name of the book that drew me to it. I am 61 and have migraines since age 30 and am now retired on disability however I am still fighting with the Long-Term-Disability and waiting for my hearing with Social Security disability. Because of that I was looking for a couple of books that would help describe the migraine process better to those that don't have a clue. As you said in your review and someone else commented, it gives a great description of the migraine brain. It helped me understand the process better. However when I finished to book I was a little disappointed and now I know why. Her details are lacking but I wasn't sure what it was because I am not as familiar with you. Your review helped me understand it better.

Since then I have also read Teri Robert's book and throughly loved it. I learned sooooo much. She is quite an amazing lady. That is how I came across this web site. I am forwarding some of her information to my lawyer because he isn't going to know the details about migraines either. I have had migraines for 6 or 7 days and had read that it was dangerous but never knew why until recently. That is really crucial to know.

Like you I think the typos are important. It tells a story. I worked in the printing field and know how easy it is to have mistakes but in this day and age of technical power there is really no excuse for it. As you said, if it wasn't proofread for spelling and grammar then what about the facts included.

Thank you for helping me see the values of the book and the things to avoid referencing.

Carol

MJ, thanks for this thorough and helpful review. I haven't read the book yet and now know that I don't have to rush to do so. As an editor (who makes mistakes too), I cringe to hear about typos that should have been caught because they do harm credibility.

Appreciating your time and effort,

Betsy

I rushed to buy it after seeing it on tv and was very disappointed it. I never actually finished it. Just the outdated terms, the lack of mentioning stroke associated with status migrainous (sp?), and a few other little things just put me off and made question her credibility. Maybe one day I will finish it, not sure. I have read so many books on migraines, and I agree that Teri's is the best. The only good thing about this book is that it does go into detail about how our brains differ from other people's brains. Thanks for posting the review, I think it will save a lot of people from wasting their money on this book!

Sherry