Still Me

An inspirational autobiography from Christopher Reeve, the world-famous actor who brought Superman to life and created the superhero craze. The amazing true story of the real Superman in a wheelchair.

A story of enormous depth: honest, intelligent and compelling. I have rarely read anything as moving

Fascinating and utterly lacking in self-pity

Through his honesty, dignity, and clarity of purpose, Reeve has created an involving book and a meaningful life

Still me redefines the idea of hero . . . In this detailed and well-written autobiography, Reeve proves that, in many ways, he has transcended previous accomplishments through his courage and character

A REMARKABLE BOOK . . . Reeve's autobiography is distinguished not only by the dignified candor with which he describes his utterly changed world but also by his emotional directness. . . . Long hours of soul-searching have resulted in a heightened eloquence. . . . STILL ME may be the most important contribution Reeve could ever make to his healing, to his family, to his public. . . . [He] communicates so well, in fact, that it's easy to forget that every word of STILL ME has been wrested from a body in revolt against a mind clarified by adversity. This is a feat to daunt even Superman

Captivating . . . an emotional memoir . . . The author takes readers on a roller-coaster ride from the height of Hollywood fame to his darkest days . . . In one heartbreaking passage, Reeve writes how he wanted to die after his Memorial Day accident until his wife urged him to live

Christopher Reeve established a reputation as one of America's leading actors through his role as the world's favourite superhero, Superman. After being paralysed in an accident in an equestrian competition in 1995, he put a human face on spinal cord injury. Reeve was chairman of the board of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF) and vice chairman of the National Organisation on Disability and lobbied vigorously for healthcare reform and funding of research. Nothing is Impossible, his follow-up autobiography to Still Me, was published by Century in 2002. He died in 2004.

Through his leading role in the three Superman films, Christopher Reeve became so closely identified with the superhero that he wasn't just seen as the actor who played Superman, he was Superman. Which is why the tragic riding accident which left him paralysed from the neck down shocked the world. Superman was not superhuman. It is also why he is now the world's most recognisable person in a wheelchair. In true superhero style, Christopher Reeve refuses to resign himself to the life of a quadriplegic, and is actively campaigning to raise the profile of spinal-cord injury victims and research. Although he was initially told that he would only ever be able to move his head, he can now shrug his shoulders and breathe alone for increasing periods of time, and is determined that he will walk again. It is this extraordinary courage and determination that has made Christopher Reeve the internationally admired figure that he is, and it is this bravery which makes this autobiography about his paralysis and his journey to recovery such a powerful and moving story.

Christopher Reeve

Reflections of a New Life

In Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life, Christopher Reeve challenges readers not to accept limitations - those set by oneself or by others - but to harness our untapped resources. Christopher Reeve has mastered the art of turning the impossible into the inevitable.  In Nothing is Impossible he shows that we are all capable of overcoming seemingly insurmountable hardships.  He interweaves anecdotes from his own life with speeches and interviews he's given and with evocative photographs taken by his son, Matthew. Reeve teaches us that for able-bodied people, paralysis is a choice - a choice to live with self-doubt and a fear of taking risks - and that it is not an acceptable one.  Christopher Reeve knows from experience that the work of conquering inner space is hard and that it inevitably requires some suffering - nothing worth having is easy to get, after all.  He also asks challenging questions about why it seems so difficult - if not impossible - for us to work together as a society.  But he never preaches; he steers the reader gently, reflecting and offering guidance, not the pat answers that often characterise works of inspiration.  Nothing is Impossible reminds us that life is not to be taken for granted but to be lived fully with zeal, curiosity, and gratitude.  That is a powerful message in itself, but it is the messenger who gives it its full resonance.

Christopher Reeve

Books by Christopher Reeve

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