Main description:

Gary Reiswig, the last man standing in a generation ravaged by inherited, early-onset Alzheimer's Disease, tells a family history like no other. As a child, he walked his adult relatives by the hand, so they wouldn't lose their way, and later he watched his brother, his sister, and numerous cousins die of the disease in middle age. His unique memoir explores the best hope that modern medical science offers to anyone facing the ultimate identity theft of Alzheimer's - especially Reiswig's own nieces and nephews, who are just now reaching the age when their destiny may express itself. Written with strength and passion, from a debt of familial love, "The Thousand Miles Stare" confronts a dread shared by families everywhere. It is a compelling and beautifully written personal account of one family's quest to beat this most dreaded disease. Each family member-afflicted or not- has to find their own way to meet this challenge.