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Book Review
Title: Rolling On: The Story of the Amazing Gary McPherson, by Gerald W. Hankins, 2003
Publisher: Edmonton, University of Alberta Press, 2003
ISBN: 0-88864-405-1
Price: paper $24.95 CA
Description: 216 pp.
Reading this book and writing this review was a pleasure from a number of standpoints. The book is easy to read and tells a story that is entertaining, engaging and thought-provoking. Gary McPherson is a colleague and personal friend. I am honored to write this review for the International Journal of Disability, Community and Rehabilitation. I recommend the book, not because I have worked with and am a friend of Gary's, but because it is a story worth reading, one that inspires and encourages.
Rolling On: The Story of the Amazing Gary McPherson is a biography of the life of Gary McPherson. It simply and completely chronicles the life story of this man who is well known as an advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities. The story is one that would have wide appeal. The audience will range from the general reader to the student in a disability studies area. Gary is a man who has made incredible contribution to a community, a province and a country and yet has not forgotten about the value of each individual. He is also a man who uses a wheelchair to get around, has only slight physical movement is in his left leg and the fingers of his left hand. His indomitable spirit is what makes his physical disabilities subordinate to his abilities.
The author tells the story of Gary's life from the vantage point of an able bodied person who met, was impressed with and felt that Gary's was a story worth telling. Hankins writes about Gary's life from birth to the present but focuses on the time subsequent to Gary's disability. The chronology is engaging and well documented. The sequence of events is not always sequential and there is some overlap in the presentation but overall the discussion is easy to follow and maintains the reader's attention.
The book is 27 chapters that are titled in a way that allows the reader to follow Gary's life. Each of the chapters focuses on a particular period of time in his life. Pictures supplement the chapters, giving the reader a sense of the physical challenges faced by Gary as well as the number of friends and family that surround him. The author does not attempt to romanticize Gary or his contributions. Hankins gives a straight up look at the challenges and the supports that Gary requires in order to live and work in his community and chosen profession.
Rolling On begins with a look at "A day in the life of Gary McPherson." This short yet poignant chapter gives the reader a sense of the supports that are necessary for Gary to start his day. It is in this chapter that Gary is quoted extensively about his physical care requirements. Gary requires someone to help him get up, take care of his personal care routine, dress, eat and get out the door. While these requirements are a given, Gary's discussion of his day makes the reader immediately see that Gary is first a husband, father and professional; the difference is that he needs more assistance than others to perform the basic activities of daily living.
Chapters 2-5 focus on Gary's childhood and adolescence. Gary contracted polio at 9 years of age. A common occurrence in the 1950's, it left Gary first in a coma and ultimately paralyzed and unable to breathe without assistance. The reader is left with a sense of the incredibly strong family bond between Gary and his family. This section of the book goes on to describe the tenuous nature of life in the polio ward that became home to Gary for much of his childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. It is clear that the bond that developed among "the boys", a group of young men who found themselves thrown together through circumstance rather than choice, was a strong one. It is refreshing to read about the "brotherhood of rogues", young men who fought to live a life that had connections and relationships outside of the institution which they were required to live in because of their medical needs. The reader will be surprised by what was required to do simple things such as go to a football game or take a vacation. What is obvious is the tenacity of each and every one of the young men living in the hospital, a tenacity that paved the way for others who followed. Each of these young men reappear later on in the book, evidence that the bond was strong and that there was a connection from each of them to Gary that did not end. Most attribute their confidence in living outside the walls the institution, at least in part, to Gary.
Chapters 10-26 profile the contributions that Gary has made to a vast array of organizations, activities and issues. While Hankins does not label, it is evident through the stories told that Gary has multiple interests from sport to legislation, policy and rights. Hankins does an excellent job of describing Gary's involvement with wheelchair basketball, Jaycees, The Man in Motion Tour and the Premier's Council on the Status of Person's with Disabilities among others. Gary is portrayed as an educator, coach, entrepreneur, author and social activist and engages each of these areas with enthusiasm, dedication and an energy that seems to defy explanation. Gary is sought after as a speaker. His endorsement is requested around major projects and it is clear that he is known and listened to by politicians, policy makers and others in a position to make a difference in major issue areas.
Embedded in the book is Gary's passion for health and living well. Gary's previous book, With Every Breath I Take: One Person's Extraordinary Journey to a Healthy Life, and How You Can Share In It is referenced. Gary attributes his current state of well being to his focus on physical, emotional and spiritual health.
Gary's intense love of his family is also an ever present theme in the book. Wife Val, daughter Keiko and son Jamie are obviously the most important people to Gary. The love and commitment to family is clear, from the description of Val and Gary's courtship and marriage to his description of the birth of his children. Once again, Gary is quick to point out the support of friends and family that has allowed his life to be filled with laughter, love and involvement in his community.
Gary's circle of friends is immense. The list reads like a who's who in government, business, education, sport, media and community. Gary's friends and associates are characterized as loyal, steady and most certainly are laudatory of his attributes and character.
There are places in the book that uses language that is a bit outdated. For example, individuals are referred to as a paraplegic or quadriplegic or a disabled person. While the author might have attended more to language and terminology, the overall tone of the book is certainly one that indicates a view that is positive and appreciative of the value of and contribution that each person makes to the overall well being of a community. There are also times in the book where names and places become a bit overwhelming. This reviewer found occasion to look back on previous chapters to follow the sequence of events and people. This did not detract significantly from the overall quality of the book.
I recommend this book without hesitation. It will be of interest to a general audience as well as students who are interested in the disability studies field. Rolling On: The Story of the Amazing Gary McPherson is just that, the story of an amazing man.
Review by
Cheryl L. Crocker, Ph.D.
Instructor, Grant MacEwan College, Sessional Instructor at University of Calgary, Athabasca University and University of Alberta
Cheryl has been an advocate and educator in rehabilitation and disability studies for 25 years.
Email: crockerc@macewan.ca
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