Heart of a Pagan, by Andrew Bernstein, is a novel that every physical therapist and every patient in rehabilitation should read. The main character, Swoop, is a college basketball superstar who struggles to return from a crippling injury, and whose attitude about his body and mind is what every therapist dreams of instilling in his patients.  As a role model for everyone he meets, Swoop cuts to the core: the choices a person makes about himself  determines what he makes of himself.  Swoop embodies a world in which the phrase "I did my best" is not used as an excuse, but as a sacred statement of self-pride and unabashed celebration of self-achievement. In the face of his own physical and spiritual pain, Swoop labors with an ambitious dedication to developing his mind and body to the fullest. The motivation and elation a reader experiences while reading of Swoop's struggle is real. This is not a novel to read at bedtime. It makes you want to get out and exercise with the Swoop Troop.

Carrie Rickard, Licensed Physical Therapist
President & C.E.O. Rickard Rehabilitation Services, Inc.
June, 2002