The Puzzle Solver, Tracie White
The Puzzle Solver, Tracie White
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The Puzzle Solver
A Scientist's Desperate Quest to Cure the Illness that Stole His Son

Author: Tracie White, Ronald W. Davis

Narrator: Hillary Huber

Unabridged: 5 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Legacy Lit

Published: 01/05/2021


Synopsis

A Father, His Son, and an Unrelenting Quest for a Cure
At the age of twenty-seven, Whitney Dafoe was forced to give up his life as a photographer who traveled the world. Bit by bit a mysterious illness stole away the pieces of his life: First, it took the strength of his legs, then his voice, and his ability to eat. Finally, even the sound of a footstep in his room became unbearable. The Puzzle Solver follows several years in which he desperately sought answers from specialist after specialist, where at one point his 6'3" frame dropped to 115 lbs. For years, he underwent endless medical tests, but doctors told him there was nothing wrong. Then, finally, a diagnosis: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis.

In the 80s, when an outbreak of people immobilized by an indescribable fatigue were reported near Lake Tahoe, Nevada, doctors were at a loss to explain the symptoms. The condition would alternatively be nicknamed Raggedy Ann Syndrome or the Yuppie Disease, and there was no cure or answers about treatment. They were to remain sick.

But there was one answer: Whitney's father, Ron Davis, PhD, a world-class geneticist at Stanford University whose legendary research helped crack the code of DNA, suddenly changed the course of his career in a race against time to cure his son's debilitating condition.

In The Puzzle Solver, journalist Tracie White, who first wrote a viral and award-winning piece on Davis and his family in Stanford Medicine, tells his story. In gripping prose, she masterfully takes readers along on this journey with Davis to solve one of the greatest mysteries in medicine. In a piercing investigative narrative, closed doors are opened, and masked truths are exposed as Davis uncovers new proof confirming that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a biological disease.

At the heart of this book is a moving story that goes far beyond medicine, this is a story about how the power of love -- and science -- can shine light in even the darkest, most hidden, corners of the world.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Almila on March 21, 2021

As a medical doctor, I learned a lot of lessons from this book about the disease, obstacles in medical care, and how the doctors failed the patients. I recommend this book to all my colleagues in every specialty. 'We really tend to blame the victim if we don’t know the answer or the reason, especial......more

Goodreads review by Donna on September 26, 2020

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a digital copy of this book prior to publication in exchange for my honest review. The Puzzle Solver by Tracie White with Ronald W. Davis, PhD, is the story of Davis and his search to find the cure for myalgic encephalomyelitis, more commonly......more

Goodreads review by Quenby on January 10, 2021

The Puzzle Solver the heroic story of how a very prestigious genetic researcher, who helped pioneer the Genome project, got involved in researching the pariah of illnesses, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. As someone with CFS and familiar with current research, there weren’t many surprises in the book. How......more

Goodreads review by Geraldine (geraldinereads) on January 14, 2021

Wow! This one really packs a punch for such a short book! This is a medical mystery in the nonfiction genre about a father's quest to find a cure for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, otherwise known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). If you're not familiar with CFS, I encourage you to pick this one up so y......more

Goodreads review by ChiMei Yang on February 14, 2021

I had no idea there are still people who are suffering from such debilitating illness. I learned so much from this book. Thank you for sharing your insights and relentless fights to solve the mystery of this illness.......more


Quotes

"THE PUZZLE SOLVER is a medical mystery with a heart. It's a poignant memoir of a scientist whose determination, ingenuity and love for his son drives him to the limits of science and medicine to unravel an enigmatic illness that has eluded doctors for decades." —Steffanie Strathdee, author of The Perfect Predator

"The Puzzle Solver is a compelling story of the love of a father who as a scientist preserved through a maze of uncertainty to help his son. Anyone who has endured undiagnosed chronic illness or has been subjected to the blanket dismissal of the medical community will find refuge in this book. The personal sense of responsibility coupled with the journey for acceptance of this disease as having a biological basis is nothing short of inspiring. A reminder that our lives can change in an instant, are are ultimately dependent upon our love for each other."—Rana Awdish, MD, author of In Shock

"The Puzzle Solver is a love-letter not only to the Dafoe and Davis family but to everyone with crushing chronic illness who nevertheless continue to find meaning and joy in life - and to those who stand behind them. It's both a gripping read and a heart-wrenching story, but far more, it's inspiring, showing how we, and those we love, can band together to withstand challenges, even those beyond your worst nightmares."—Julie Rehmeyer,author of Through the Shadowlands