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| The Neurology of Angels | 
 enlarge | Author: Krista Tibbs
Creator: Cover Photo Copyright Jean-charles Cuvelier/fotolia
Publisher: Friction Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $14.00
Buy New: $6.15
You Save: $7.85 (56%)
New (18) Used (15) from $3.40
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 433231
Media: Perfect Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 284
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 0.8
ISBN: 0981880304
EAN: 9780981880303
ASIN: 0981880304
Publication Date: August 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Neurology of Angels is a novel about the hearts inside the business and politics of drug development and the consequences of a choice between saving one child and treating thousands. Galen is a neuroscientist and entrepreneur who loses everything to develop a cure for stroke. Eddy is a devoted father who enters politics on a mission to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Elizabeth is a pharmaceutical industry lawyer who is raising a daughter with a rare and fatal genetic illness. Their families become forever entwined as the three parents engage in a tug-of-war over a failing system of good intentions. In the wake, heroes are born.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 worth reading and eye opening December 1, 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story flowed nicely and easily kept my attention. I was dismayed to realize that with the author's backround in research, I can only assume that some of the roadblocks encountered were not purely fictional. How sad that the cure for so many diseases could be stuck behind red tape.
Thank you Krista Tibbs, I look forward to your next book!
BUREAUCRACY AND MEDICINE November 19, 2008
In her debut novel, The Neurology of Angels, Krista Tibbs explores the political, economic and personal issues surrounding the pharmaceutical industry in the US.
Although the characters and situations are fictitious, I got a real sense from Tibbs that she's done her homework. I'm not a US citizen, so my knowledge of the FDA and other government regulations that influence the US drug industry is limited. However, Tibbs does her best to inform the reader through her careful research on the topic.
Galen, Eddy and Elizabeth are the three central characters in the book. And all three are parents with a vested interest in the development of a new drug, Lexistro. Galen is the head of a pharmaceutical company; Eddy is the politician; while Elizabeth is the lawyer. Their paths cross personally and professionally, and their individual stories are interwoven and explored.
The drug industry in the US is a subject which is obviously very close to Tibbs' heart. She has created a story that is entirely plausible and characters who are flawed, but really only have the best intentions.
This is a great read for those who enjoy a good medical drama.
Zara Stevens
Boy Meets Girl: A Pocketful of Wedding Stories
Well written story about politics and family September 15, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I read this book rather quickly because the story was so engaging and well written. I often read on the elliptical machine while working out and I kept adding minutes to finish the book which is high praise indeed. The premise of the book is based on how a new drug is brought to market and the politics behind how the drug companies use profits for research v. how the costs of these drugs impact the economic situation of those who need the drugs. While this is the premise, it is not in my opinion what the story is actually about.
The real story here was centered on the personal choices, intertwined family life, strained friendships and how we make hard decisions to prioritize the balance between our work and our family. The main character goes into medical research due to a loss of a loved one, and he is set on finding a cure for a rare neurological disorder. In the process he loses his family, as his wife leaves him and takes their daughter. I was in the middle of some very difficult personal family issues myself when reading and often found tears streaming down my face, in part because the pain and loss is so well depicted, and then obviously because it struck such a strong chord with me.
I do not want to spoil the rest of the story, because it is a very good one. The issues are well documented, including the medical research (or at least I assume they were not being a neurological scientist) and the political framing. I recommend the book highly as an emotional and touching depiction of choices and love and as a great backdrop for an important debate on health care.
Powerful, Informative, Heart-tugging September 5, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Neurology of Angels is a highly entertaining and thought-provoking novel. I found the narrative compelling and the issues raised extremely relevant, especially in an election year. I learned a lot and enjoyed a story that revolved around believable and likeable characters. Although the book includes some medical data and details of bureaucratic red tape, this is primarily a story about people living difficult lives and facing monumental problems which are compounded by the actions of well-intentioned people working at cross-purposes. The FDA's drug approval process essentially controls who in this country has access to the newest drugs - and who does not. Legislators make decisions based on human reactions to health care problems faced by Americans, without truly understanding the economic fallout of their actions. The Neurology of Angels is a powerful novel exploring these issues through the intertwined lives of several people for whom drug availability is a daily personal dilemma. Two parents whose children suffer from rare and fatal illnesses - one with an existing but expensive cure - one with no cure at all - play tug-of-war over laws and regulations and resources, while a scientist-turned-entrepreneur faces heart-rending choices about how and when his miracle drug will be used - and who will receive it.
This is a book I will recommend to my friends - especially to one who happens to have political ambitions. Although I recognize Ms. Tibb's personal bias shining through the narrative, she makes a compelling argument for an industry that is usually vilified by the press. Her characters are well-developed and empathetic. There are no bad guys, no villains, no one who acts from purely selfish motives. It's a story about American society - about economy and medicine - and about ordinary people who all have the same goal, but don't agree on the proper way to get there.
Dianne Salerni
Reviewing for POD Book Reviews and More
Superbly written from first page to last September 3, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Suppose you had enough resources to make possible the cure for Leukemia or the cure for Alzheimer's -- but not both. Which one would you choose? Drawing upon her academic research and her experiences working for the Executive Office of the President in Washing, DC, her degrees in neuroscience and business, and her current profession in clinical research in the biotechnology industry, author Krista Tibbs has written "The Neurology Of Angels", a novel that provides fascinating insights into the process of drug development from the perspective of three professionals in a marathon race to save a life. Galen is a neurologist turned reluctant biotech entrepreneur who gives up everything to develop a cure for stroke. Eddy is a devoted father who enters politics on a mission to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Elizabeth is a pharmaceutical industry lawyer who is raising a daughter with a rare and fatal genetic illness. Their lives become forever entwined as the three parents engage in a tug-of-war over the failing system of good intentions which is our contemporary American health industry. What Krista Tubbs has accomplished through her novel is to lay out with vivid clarity the real-world issues facing national health care today where competing interests clash, where market forces and governmental policies collide, and where good people from differing perspectives find themselves having to make life and death decisions constrained by forces beyond their control. Superbly written from first page to last, "The Neurology Of Angels" is highly recommended reading (especially for anyone with an interest in contemporary health care issues) and a welcome addition to community library collections.
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