Saturday, March 5, 2011

The PACE trial and the Thieves of Darkness

James Rollins, the New York Times bestselling author of the Sigma series, Reviews Thieves of Darkness:

I think Richard Doetsch may be my long-lost brother, or at the very least we're kindred spirits. First, we're both adrenaline junkies, living life on the edge--though in his case, literally.

Richard jumps out of planes, off cliffs, even from dangling cranes. He scuba dives, competes in triathlons, and is an expert skier. At least he left cave exploring to me.

But both of us love to take these sports, these adrenaline highs, and fold them into our thrillers, something Richard does with a skill and dexterity that astounds.

Don't believe me? Then check out any of his books featuring Michael St. Pierre, a master thief and explorer of all things ancient and lost. The Thieves of Darkness, the latest in the series, is the best one yet.

The story roars from the start with a daring rescue, as Michael must break two friends out of a desert prison in a breakaway republic near Pakistan: one is his best friend, Simon; the other is KC Ryan, a woman close to his heart and who happens to be a skilled thief herself.

But the trouble only starts from there and rolls into an amazing and thought-provoking adventure. Seeking a map to a lost repository of forbidden knowledge and priceless treasure thrusts Michael, Simon, and KC into a global game of cat-and-mouse with a truly sadistic businessman, Philippe Venue. The story moves from the sun-baked palaces of Istanbul to the snowy valleys of the Himalayas; from the streets of London to the canals of Amsterdam; and from luxurious harems to dusty church tombs.

This novel has it all. Part heist novel, part escape story, this book will keep you guessing with every turn of the page. Each chapter draws you deeper into a tangled web that challenges the characters' friendships and tests their loyalties. With revelations, betrayal, murder, and redemption, The Thieves of Darkness never lets up and demands to be read in one sitting.

It's also whip-smart, cobbling bits of real history into a story that is as believable as it is thrilling, for it's not just the lives of his friends that Michael must protect, but the very fate of humanity.

So help keep Richard Doetsch alive. Buy his book, tell friends, do anything necessary to keep this man in his desk chair, pounding at a keyboard?instead of flinging himself off some cliff. It's the only way we can ensure we get more jaw-dropping, razor-edged thrillers out of this guy.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You're doing a wonderful job keeping us all informed Dr Speedy, thank you


http://www.investinme.org/IIME%20Statement%202011-03-01.htm

"Below is the submission from IiME to the Lancet-



The trial investigators did not use objective outcome measures apart from a six minute walking test in which patients in the CBT arm were able to walk an extra 21 metres in 6 minutes (354m) compared to baseline [1] - a distance well below that of healthy elderly subjects (631m) [2]. The clinical benefit is insignificant in relation to the trials cost.

It would be more consistent if the researchers had adhered to their initial intention of using actigraphy at the end as well as the beginning of the trial [3] to see if patients traded their other daily activities for exercise. The hypocrisy of the researchers is demonstrated by their comments [4] especially as patients chosen for the trial had to be well enough to attend clinics.

Of the 3158 patients screened for eligibility for the trial from secondary fatigue clinics 1011 did not meet the inclusion criteria, the Oxford criteria [2]. These criteria exclude those with neurological signs and symptoms so by definition this trial had nothing to do with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) as classified by WHO [5].

It is therefore important that the trial results are not extrapolated to justify effectiveness of CBT/GET for patients diagnosed with ME.

The purpose of medical research should be to benefit patients.

It is not in patient groups’ interests in mixing patient cohorts and trying to find a one-size-fits-all management technique.

The PACE trials lack credibility, do not benefit ME patients, are flawed and the result of poor and unprofessional research."

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