The brain is a marvelous, incredible joy to behold -- when it is functioning properly. When the signals are crossed, chaos results, leaving frustration, fear, anger, pain, sorrow and helplessness.

At the age of five, Hal Friedman's son Cory began to twitch frantically. Over the years, Tourette's Syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, alcohol, and an exceedingly high level of anxiety took over Cory's life and made it and those around him a living hell.

An entire spectrum of anti psychotic, anti depressant, anti seizure, blood pressure, mood enhancer, mood depressor drugs were prescribed. Some created a larger problem.

In the end, a cognitive behavior modification program and a wilderness survival camp were the only things that helped.

The story was interesting and I learned a great deal about Tourette's. However, I remained skeptical throughout. Cory's parents appeared to be too unreal, too perfect, too understanding.

Because the story was told in the voice of Cory, but written by his father, the level of honesty was compromised and thus it detracted from the realness of this very complicated and difficult situation which impaced Cory, his family, his teachers, his therapists and all with whom he came in contact.

This book will NOT be on the list of top reads for 2010.