BOOK REVIEW: Appointments With Heaven

I am very skeptical of books about people who have died and had experiences in Heaven or Hell. Usually there is so much hype surrounding the book that I wonder how much is simply publicity to put the author on the best -seller lists. The experience may be true, I just read with a pinch of salt on hand.

As a result when I was loaned APPOINTMENTS WITH HEAVEN by Dr. Reggie Anderson, I gathered my salt shaker and started reading. In no time Dr. Anderson had my attention.

APPOINTMENTS WITH HEAVEN is the story of Reggie Anderson’s journey of faith as well as his experiences as a doctor who is present at the beginning as well as the ending of life.

Raised on a farm in Tennessee by parents of deep faith, Reggie lost his belief when part of his family was brutally murdered. His question of “ if there is a God how could he allow such a horrible thing to happen?” is one that most of us have asked. The story of how his faith was renewed is well told, believable and fascinating.

But that is only part of the story that Reggie wants to share. The first time that he is asked by a patient to sit by her bed as she died made him uncomfortable. He was still a medical resident and was not sure what to expect.The experience of watching the veil part and receiving a glimpse of what awaits on the other side was one that would be repeated many times in his career.

Reggie’s family had to deal with the suicide of a young teenager. Helping other family members deal with the guilt and hurt of knowing that the loved one’s pain had been so intense to cause him to take his own life, came close to challenging his faith.

In the book Reggie reveals the true stories of his experiences as a doctor and as a family man. It is a journey of courage, confidence and one that will give us hope to face the death of a loved one and to expect the miraculous in life.

Doctor Reggie Anderson has practiced family medicine for over twenty-five years. He has received the First Humanitarian Award by the Centennial Medical Centre in Nashville. He is a physician First Clinic, Chief of Staff of TriStar Ashland City Medical Centre, and medical director of three nursing homes. He and his wife Karen have four adult children.

APPOINTMENTS WITH HEAVEN was a warm, human story. It is about a man who has made his lifework that of helping the poor and the elderly as a physician. His journey is not only soul-stirring, but a hope-filled one for all of us. I like that, though the subject may sound depressing and one that we might want to avoid, the book is honest and human. You will feel that you know this not so ordinary country doctor and maybe the shaker of salt was not necessary.