Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung Paperback – April 13, 2020

LOVE this story so much. I was sad to have come to the end of reading it, I didn’t want his story to end. I highly recommend this book. Read about the man who beat polio, despite having it. His condition and how he survived is just beyond me, it’s shocking what he endured. He will inspire you to never give up, literally. You can do anything you put your mind to.

I graduated the same year that Paul graduated from SMU, and the newspaper had a write-up about Paul and his book. I couldn’t find it anywhere. Sadly, I purchased it on the day he passed, and I have gifted it to friends who are struggling with their lives. Paul’s grit and determination should inspire us all to focus on whatever we want, and to work hard to achieve it. I highly recommend this book to everyone on the planet. Paul accomplished so much, and through his determination and with the grace of God, we have this wonderful book. Thank you to everyone who loved and cared for this man. I wish a thousand blessings for each of you. For those caregivers who stole money from Paul and took advantage of him, late in his life, I wish nothing bad, because Karma has sharp teeth.

Paul’s book was just incredibly riveting and so inspiring. I experienced everything right along with him whilst reading it. The sadness, fear, hope, love and determination. It’s amazing what Paul has achieved in life. It’s amazing the mental fortitude he has. I mean I don’t think I have ever seen another human being like him! He made me feel ashamed of my excuses to not do the best I can, to have not pursued my dreams more. But at the same time, he also inspired me to go ahead and make more of myself, that it’s never too late. His faith in god, and his sheer will to live is incredible. I love you Paul, you are a beautiful pure soul. You are truly god’s gift to us. Thank you for writing this incredible book, it actually changed me in ways I can’t even describe. The fact that he wrote this book with a stick in his mouth! I mean, most people can’t even type with their fingers. So yes there are a few spelling and grammar mistakes as well as some repetition. But I actually prefer that it wasn’t edited. This is the way he wrote it, yes with a stick in his mouth! I think it’s perfect, just as perfect as he is.

Good read about the reality of life for the profoundly disabled among us. An education on the horrors of polio and it's effects on a generation of families. Paul Alexander was an exceptional person.

This book hit me deeply, especially as vaccines had long made this disease not a part of daily life by the time I came around. With the current pandemic, and the description of terror and the unknown, keeping children home, over full hospitals, it feels so relevant to today.I loved the introduction as well. It was true when it was written and so desperately true right now.As the sibling of a childhood cancer survivor, his writing about his siblings and giving a nod to their experiences during the early parts of his disease brought a lot of that back up Spending months in a hospital with a sibling exposes you to other children dying and a lot of fast forwarding in your own childhood. But I'd never ask for a different life, only if I could have taken her place.I liked that this was not edited to be pretty. He wrote it from an iron lung with a stick. The language and words and here-and-there errors keeps that in the forefront of your mind.

Forty some years ago I was an attendant to Ms Jessie Sellman of Portland, Oregon. I was young (19) at the time and needed money and shelter after leaving home. I took care and was friends with this amazing woman for around ten years, only a small slice of our lives. We talked a lot and I learned so much about her but now I’m older and maybe wiser and Mr. Alexander has answered many questions that I would have liked to ask her now about what it was like to be in such a vulnerable state.There are some very strong people in this world and I’m grateful to have had the experience with Jessie and the honor to read Paul R Alexander’s book on what it is like to be confined in an Iron Lung. I hope that we can rid the world of this disease as we have some already. We must not give up trying to make this world a better place.

A heroic struggle over polio. Still, it is very episodic, often fails to describe key moments andtherapies and leaves the reader wondering. Valuable in portraying the terrible scourge of polio,the severity of the epidemic just before the vaccines and the long way we, as a society, have come in thetreatment of people with disabilities.

Wow never judge a book by its cover. Since I had read his booklet prior I was expecting another disappointing read. But I was immediately intrigued and couldn’t stop reading this. Very honest and heartfelt. It captured his true emotions. I hadn’t finished it yet but it’s definitely worth reading. He’s given me another reason to be grateful and to believe that God has a purpose for me and everyone is important.