2018 Q3 - Time Travel, The Four Agreements, Pelvic Girdle

Time Travel by James Gleick

I've often wondered if anyone had written a book on the concept of time and our relationship with the concept of time. Then, I came across this book. It is worth a read - at least a listen via the audiobook version. His main question of 'Why we are so fascinated by the concept of Time Travel?' He answers this question through the lenses of literature, philosophy, history, and - of course - science. And yes, he dies into all the usual dilemmas of time travel, including 'should we time travel just because it is made possible?' and 'if time were a river, then...'

If you're into classical & current literature, then you'll really enjoy his literary exploration of the concept of time travel through Jules Verne, Philip K Dick, Virginia Wolf, etc. All in all, I thought this was an excellent thought experiment in the 'what if's' of time travel. Worth the read/listen. Also, you can check out his Google Talk here.

The bibliography is long and filled with fiction that I should probably (re)visit. Finally, this book makes me want to check out his prior books. I've heard all of them are excellent.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

This was, and still is, a very popular book. I decided to pick it up and was glad I did. There's no correct or wrong time to learn and apply the 4 agreements mentioned in this book. For what it's worth, don't be fooled by the book's simplicity. This is one of those "simple, but not easy" books to digest & apply. I'll summarize them here.

  1. Be Impeccable With Your Word.

    • Say only what you mean

    • Speak with integrity

    • Don't Gossip

    • Speak only with the intentions of truth & love

  2. Don't Take Anything Personally

    • People make their own decision. It usually has nothing to do with you.

    • People's choices and actions are a projection of their true inner desires, not you.

    • The more attention you give to someone else's choices & decisions, the more power you give them over you.

  3. Don't Make Assumptions

    • Be brave & speak up.

    • Be concise in your communications. Keep it simple. Fancy communication can get confusing and sent the wrong message.

    • This agreement alone can transform yourself and how you view the world around you.

  4. Always Do Your Best

    • "Your best" is not a static concept, it changes. Just keep doing your best considering the circumstances.

    • Be completely honest with yourself about doing your best. Don't give yourself much slack on this agreement.

I found the first half of the book to be more impactful than the 2nd half. Then again, maybe I'm simply not in the "right" mindset to make the best of the 2nd half.

The Pelvic Girdle by Diane Lee

At just over 400 pages, this is longer & denser than it might first appear. The first few chapters cover pelvic girdle anatomy, form closure, force closure, osteokinematics, as well as the works of Vleeming, Thomas Myers (Anatomy Trains - reviewed in an earlier Quarterly), and others.

One of the core concepts of Diane's approach is the concept of a "Failed Load Transfer" that is tested by the old "Stork Test" (or single leg standing test), trunk mobility (with acute observations for efficient motions), and Active Straight Leg Raise Test. She also does a nice job introducing the impact of pregnancy on the pelvis, as well as it's potential complications. The best part about this is her foray into the endo-pelvic regions and the viscera; it's something that's generally the expertise of pelvic physical therapy specialists. Pelvic floor function is something that needs much more attention in clinics everywhere. Get this: your pelvic floor should automatically contract before you reach overhead with your arm.

Diane then introduces her Integrated Systems Model and the clinical puzzle - "a tool for clinical reasoning and developing clinical expertise." The ISM Approach's Clinical Puzzle is best visualized by 3 concentric circles with the outermost circle representing "strategies for function and performance", the middle circle representing the four physical treatment components of Myofascial, Articular, neural, and Visceral, followed by the innermost circle representing the psycho-emotional aspects of every patient's care - meanings, emotions, goals, virtual body, and story. The rest of the book is a deep dive into the ISM Approach to patient care.

All in all, I'd say it's a good read - especially the first half and the final 2 chapters. The second half seems to require a more "hands-on" training to fully integrate and apply in the clinic.

The book is a mix of evidence-based literature and clinical experience. She makes it clear that she changes her mind when the published evidence is strong enough for her to change. Concurrently, she is also very aware of the limitations of published literature when it comes to clinical applicability. The fact that this is written from the perspective of a clinician, and not an academic is very meaningful to me. However, it should be obvious that such a perspective comes with corollary biases that are woven into the book.

I'm looking forward to the 2nd edition of her book on the Thorax. It comes out in the next few weeks.

Links!

Jason Boddu