“Chronically Positive” is a collection of essays for dealing with everyday issues. Whether those issues are as big as chronic kidney disease or as minuscule as a nagging honey do list. Marlon Ransom and his son Tyler take turns in a tete-a-tete discussion of different strategies for managing the challenges life can throw at you.
Marlon is a single father of two living in Los Angeles California. Tyler, his son, is a high school student who is dealing with chronic illness: kidney disease. The two document their struggles, their successes and their strategies. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu plays a large part in both their lives. Tyler has been training eleven years and is a blue belt. His dad is a purple belt. Over the eleven year period Tyler has trained at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, with Eddie Bravo downtown LA and Henry Akins in West LA. Both train under Cobrinha at his Wilshire Boulevard location.
The book is short with 75 pages, eight chapters and 29 pictures. Sprinkled throughout are pictures documenting their years training Jiu-Jitsu. It includes some simple tools like being your own medical advocate and more difficult ones like setting a deadline on nagging projects. Both authors use language that’s light and easy to understand making the book a fast read.
Marlon and son Tyler come across to the reader as warm, honest and forthright. They don’t squirm from the ugly parts and they don’t embellish on the happier successes. The reader receives the benefit of two points of view, 25 years apart in age and experience.
This book is more about using a solid set of tools to deal with life than it is about kidney disease. I would recommend this book for young and old; sick and healthy. Who can’t use a few more tools to deal with life?
Link to buy the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/CHRONICALLY-POSITIVE-SONS-SYSTEM-STAYING/dp/1976747791/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519357082&sr=8-1&keywords=chronically+positive
Tyler Ransom Music: https://www.facebook.com/Tyler-Ransom-Music-435582850109833/
Tyler and Kidney Disease http://www.healingtyler.com/
