jjares reviewed Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton: The Lives and Careers of History?s Most Influential Nurses on + 3255 more book reviews
Both of these women did extraordinary things at a time when women were supposed to be home, minding the fireplace. They took major steps away from the usual role of genteel women. They were successful because they were polite, dedicated, organized, resourceful, and willing to work harder than anyone else at the job. These two stories are inspiring and would be really good to share with those who are shy-and-retiring but want to do more.
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE --
Florence was raised in a wealthy, close family and had a superb education from her Unitarian father. Under his tutelage, Florence learned Italian, French, German, as well as English. From an early age, she was known to have a healing touch. Florence also was well-up on the geography and political niceties of the world. She was well-traveled.
Florence would later tell people that God called her but she had no religious bent but wanted to dedicate herself to mankind. Her parents were dismayed and tried to divert her. However, once she had an opportunity to work and learn at a German center for orphans and hospitalized poor, Florence knew she'd found what she wanted.
I've read various books about Florence Nightengale but found this book to be particularly interesting and illuminating about her illness (that she contracted in Crimea and it affected her for the rest of her life) and her successes. She did so much because she did it quietly, with little fanfare. Thus, she was able to charm others into doing what she suggested. She was obviously someone who excelled at being a ministering angel, an organizer, someone familiar with what the ill needed to eat, someone able to write the nursing text used for generations, able to establish a nursing school, and so much more. I hope her parents lived long enough to learn that by releasing their younger child to do what she wanted, they gave a gift to the world.
CLARA BARTON --
Clara began school at 3-years-of-age. Clara began her nursing career taking care of her brother, David. She started out as a shy teacher and after several years of successful teaching and organizing, she moved on to a new challenge. During the Civil War, she gathered materials and food and traveled to the hospitals and medical tents with just some mules and a wagon. After the war, her greatest contribution was to form the American branch of the Red Cross, a non-political group of helpers for emergency care of those destitute.
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE --
Florence was raised in a wealthy, close family and had a superb education from her Unitarian father. Under his tutelage, Florence learned Italian, French, German, as well as English. From an early age, she was known to have a healing touch. Florence also was well-up on the geography and political niceties of the world. She was well-traveled.
Florence would later tell people that God called her but she had no religious bent but wanted to dedicate herself to mankind. Her parents were dismayed and tried to divert her. However, once she had an opportunity to work and learn at a German center for orphans and hospitalized poor, Florence knew she'd found what she wanted.
I've read various books about Florence Nightengale but found this book to be particularly interesting and illuminating about her illness (that she contracted in Crimea and it affected her for the rest of her life) and her successes. She did so much because she did it quietly, with little fanfare. Thus, she was able to charm others into doing what she suggested. She was obviously someone who excelled at being a ministering angel, an organizer, someone familiar with what the ill needed to eat, someone able to write the nursing text used for generations, able to establish a nursing school, and so much more. I hope her parents lived long enough to learn that by releasing their younger child to do what she wanted, they gave a gift to the world.
CLARA BARTON --
Clara began school at 3-years-of-age. Clara began her nursing career taking care of her brother, David. She started out as a shy teacher and after several years of successful teaching and organizing, she moved on to a new challenge. During the Civil War, she gathered materials and food and traveled to the hospitals and medical tents with just some mules and a wagon. After the war, her greatest contribution was to form the American branch of the Red Cross, a non-political group of helpers for emergency care of those destitute.
