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6 Books By and About People with ALS

October is National Book Month! ALS Northwest staff compiled six book recommendations from our local ALS community in Oregon and SW Washington and beyond. Not all books are about ALS, but all are written by individuals with an intimate experience of the disease. Click on any book cover to learn more.

Find educational resources for people with ALS in our ALS Resource Library.

Weather Woman

by Cai Emmons

Cai Emmons was a writer and person with ALS who lived in Eugene, Oregon. Weather Woman is about a dropout from MIT who discovers she can influence natural forces, leading her on a journey of power, science, and self-discovery.

Liberation of Being

by Dr. Dylan Shanahan

Dr. Shanahan is a person living with ALS in Vancouver, Washington. His memoir explores resilience, acceptance, and autonomy while navigating ALS, offering profound insights into life and mortality—and why readers should embrace uncertainty.

Eyes to the Wind

by Ady Barkan

Ady Barkan was a person living with ALS in California. In this “gripping story” (Senator Elizabeth Warren), Barkan writes about the transformation of his disease into a passionate fight for social justice and purpose-driven activism.

Dance Me to the End

by Alison Acheson

Alison Acheson is a former caregiver for a person with ALS. This poignant memoir chronicles her husband’s ALS diagnosis, decline, and passing, while exploring the emotional complexities of caregiving, family roles, grief, and love during his final months.

A Life Impossible

by Steve Gleason

Steve Gleason is a former NFL player and the founder of Team Gleason. In this chronicle of his journey with ALS, he highlights resilience, love, and optimism as he and his family face immense adversity yet refuse to succumb to despair.

In the Blink of an Eye

by Tony Paola

Tony Paola was a person with ALS in Oregon. This biography follows Tony’s journey with ALS and his reconciliation with the changing man in the mirror.

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