Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung

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.

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.

Easy reading that touches your heart.

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 was a humbling quick read. Great book to share when getting perspective on your own life and challenges. Inspirational and touching.

Entertaining and thought-provoking story about how this man made the best of life, and how we should appreciate the little things.

A heroic struggle over polio. Still, it is very episodic, often fails to describe key moments and therapies 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 the treatment of people with disabilities.

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.

Very inspiring- every person should read this

This book had quite the effect on me. Paul has clearly had a life more difficult and harder than any of us could imagine, and the adversity didn’t stop after his childhood - he’s had bad luck in love and many other aspects of life too - yet his determination and drive is just incredible. You wonder if he would have been the same or different if left to grow up as a man without polio. All of humanity’s cruelty and love are on display in the book too. It would have been nice to hear more - we don’t know much about Paul’s later years - most of his reminiscences are about his years before the age of 40. The writing style is also very vivid - Paul writes in a haphazard style and jumps around, but paints incredibly vivid pictures with his words which is a very rare skill - you feel a bit like you are there. It’s a slightly similar writing style to Jack Kerouac I suppose.

Great story about a truly magnificent man.

La storia di un uomo coraggioso e perseverante che nonostante una gravissima malattia e disabilità ha saputo vivere una vita piena!

nice read. recommended