Dedication

I dedicate this book to my parents. My mother of beloved memory, Dorothy Berson Kodish, often reminded me to “act like a mensh!”1 I’m happy that some of her directness, spontaneous humor and creativity rubbed off on me—at least I think it did. She consistently encouraged me by letting me know that I could stand up for myself and do what I set out to do. My father, Morris ‘Mashe’ Kodish, has demonstrated throughout his life a quiet competence— with some swearing—that has shown me what it means to do what needs doing. I admire his toughness and independence and am grateful for his humor and love. Both my parents helped me develop a Grade-A ‘crap detector’, gave me my love of books and showed me that self-reliance and the love of learning depend on your attitude and not on your title or on what degrees you have.

I am also grateful to my late uncle, Sam Berson, who encouraged me with his quiet humor to think for and challenge myself. I miss him. My deep gratitude also goes to my late in-laws, Beatrice and George Samuelson, who supported me throughout the development of my career. I miss their wit and courage.

I also feel gratitude to all of my physical therapy teachers (including fellow students) at the University of Pittsburgh and elsewhere. I feel a debt as well to my Alexander Technique teachers, in particular the late Troup Mathews—who showed me what “growing young” means—and Ann Mathews and Christine Batten, for their patient teaching of a sometimes unruly student.

I feel indebted to my many students, patients and clients over the years for helping me to learn what I could not get from books or teachers.
Finally, I owe a debt to the work of Alfred Korzybski, perhaps best known for his statement, “A map is not the territory.” This book may be seen as my application of General Semantics, the discipline which Korzybski founded, to the problem of back pain. My deep gratitude goes to all of my teachers and colleagues at the Institute of General Semantics. In particular, Robert P. Pula and the late Charlotte Schuchardt Read have helped me to apply a scientific attitude (extensional orientation) to my own life. I’m still working at it.

Note

1. Yiddish term “rhymes with ‘bench.’ from German: Mensch: ‘person.’ Plural: menshen. 1. A human being...2. An upright, honorable, decent person...3. Someone of consequence; someone to admire and emulate; someone of noble character...To be a mensh has nothing to do with success, wealth, status [or gender]. A judge can be a zhlob; a millionaire can be a momzer; a professor can be a shlemiel; a doctor a klutz; a lawyer a bulvon. The key to being a ‘real mensh’ is nothing less than—character: rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible, decorous. Many a poor man, many an ignorant man, is a mensh.” (Leo Rosten, The Joys of Yiddish, p. 237)

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