Still Me is a memoir by Rebecca Chopp of her battle with Alzheimer's. The overall theme of this book, is that despite a terminal diagnosis, there are ways to still live and enjoy a good life that is rich and fulfilling, with lots of examples on how to do it. I was primarily interested in this book as a resource for information on Alzheimer's. The author is tremendously accomplished, having served at the head of administration/president/chancellor for several well-known US colleges and universities, including Yale.

The author covers a large variety of topics, including the complexity in obtaining a diagnosis and how easy it is to miss the early signs, the emotional and physical toll of living with an Alzheimer's diagnosis, the difficulty of dealing with doctors and medical jargon, and planning for the future while you're still able to make sound decisions.

She also discusses a lot of methods to mitigate symptoms, which were probably the most helpful chapters for me. Some methods mentioned are the MIND diet, getting 2 hours of exercise daily (doesn't have to be strenuous, can be as simple as walking if able), getting enough sleep, and engaging in creative and social endeavors (such as learning to paint, or getting together with friends). I found all of these methods to be approachable, at least with the mindset that any improvement in those areas can help (perfection isn't necessary).

Some resource/advocate groups mentioned were: Voices of Alzheimer's (VoA), Alzheimer's Association, Us Against Alzheimer's, Being Patient, and Dementia Minds.

While this book was very well written, I failed to connect with the author's personality. I found the writing to be self-aggrandizing, and the chapters on religion were just a little bizarre to me. The author refers to God as the "ultimate" and it was confusing to me to keep reading that as a noun rather than as an adjective (may not be true for everyone). I think the main point you can take away from those chapters is that faith in a higher being can be helpful to coping with Alzheimer's. Some of the chapters were helpful, insightful, and informative, but some of them were a slog to get through.

3.5/5 stars, rounded up. While the author's experiences with Alzheimer's appear to be more early onset, I do recommend this book to anyone who's been diagnosed or had a family member or friend diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Perhaps the most helpful section of the book was the footnote references, which were extensive. And it's hopeful to know there are things that you might be able to do to delay or mitigate the worsening of symptoms, to keep yourself or your loved one as themselves for as long as possible. Best wishes to anyone else who's picking this book up for similar reasons to why I did. May it give you some amount of hope, like it did for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read the ARC. I was not required to write this review, which reflects my honest opinion.

This book was fascinating to read (and I know Rebecca Chopp slightly from one of the institutions where she taught). I think we truly need more narratives from the point of view of those suffering from dementia and memory loss--these voices are crucial. I applaud this book for its grace and courage and candor.