I Am the Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and Possibility Paperback – April 13, 2004

Many of us remember when the "Central Park Jogger" incident occurred-- and we were all horrified that a young woman out jogging had been set upon, raped, badly beaten, and left for dead.Well, she didn't die-- which is something of a miracle all by itself. She lived-- and not only did she live, but she overcame what had been done to her, healed, and went on to lead a successful, fulfilling, and inspiring life. I won't go into any more detail, because I want you to read the book for yourself. It is WELL worth your time and money!

I ORDERED THIS BOOK, BEING FAMILIAR (AS A NEW YORKER) WITH THE EVENTS OF APRIL 19TH & 20TH, 1989. IT TOOK ME ONLY 3 DAYS TO READ IT FROM COVER TO COVER.MS. MEILI DOESN'T GO INTO AS GREAT DETAIL ABOUT HER INJURIES AS ONE WOULD EXPECT (SHE REFERS THE READER TO TIMOTHY SULLIVAN'S BOOK: UNEQUAL VERDICTS). INSTEAD, SHE DESCRIBES HER JOURNEY FROM BEING IN A COMA (BASED ON WHAT FAMILY, FRIENDS & MEDICAL PERSONNEL HAVE TOLD HER) TO TODAY, AND THE IMPACT THAT ALL THE WELL WISHES HAVE HAD ON HER RECOVERY OVER THESE 14 YEARS. SHE IS VERY POSITIVE IN HER OUTLOOK AND HER WRITINGS, MUCH MORE THAN ONE WOULD EXPECT CONSIDERING EVERYTHING SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH.SHE ALSO DESCRIBES THE POSITIVE EFFECTS SHE HAS HAD ON OTHER'S LIVES. THIS IS A MUST READ.WHEN IT RAINED IN HER LIFE, SHE LOOKED FOR THE RAINBOW, AND SHE FOUND IT. READING THIS BOOK REMINDED ME OF PSALMS 30:1-3.TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST, BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO.IN ADDITION TO THIS BOOK, I RECOMMEND PEOPLE ALSO READ: BROOKLYN NOIR, edited by Tim McLoughlin.

I had to read this book for a Victomology class that I was taking to supplement my Criminal Justice major. I was pleasantly surprised by the readability of this book seeing as that most of my fun-reads are in the apocalyptic/ zombie fiction genre. Meili was concise and very descriptive with her experiences as a rape victim, but more importantly, a brain trauma survivor.This book is inspiring and easy to relate to regarding overcoming adversity. A quick read leaving you with a positive feeling.

What a wonderful story! I had no idea the woman I have frequently seen in yoga over the years is the central park jogger. The straightforward writing style and tone in which she tells her story in no way diminishes the absolute horror of what she endured and the amazing will and determination she exhibits throughout her recovery. I am particularly interested in Trisha's unwavering belief that community prayer contributed to her healing and her subsequent calling to use her experience to help others. This story is a testament to not only the tenacity of the human spirit but also to the abundance of good in the world that never ceases to rise to the occasion.

all the people who wrote horrible reviews obviously didn't read the book; it's not a book of innocence or guilt but rather an inspirational book on traumatic brain injury. she never blames the "central park 5"; i think if you are going to have an opinion that's valid you need to educate yourself first or try reading the book

I recall hearing about this when it happened decades ago. I am glad that Trish survived and leads a functional life. While I understand that she worked very hard to get to where she is today, I just don't think she told the story very well. I didn't "feel" for her the way I thought I would because her story was more about the steps she went through but I didn't get a real sense of her inner thoughts and fears during this entire ordeal. I do wish her the best and although I am always horrified by people wrongly convicted of crimes, I don't think she owes anyone anything as she had nothing to do with the men who were wrongfully convicted.

Trisha Meili was perhaps preordained to the event that changed her life.I applaud her tenacity to overcome her tragedy, and to use the power of her mind to recover, live in the moment and especially to listen to her inner “whispers” to attain her ultimate life goals.Your picture is next to the word, “Inspiration” in the dictionary!

Trisha's story was absolutely inspiring! I lived in NY near NYC at that time and distinctly remember when it happened, so I really felt I could envision and relate to the time period.I also saw her speak at Achilles Hope & Possibility 5 miler in Nashville as I was reading the book. She is a true testament to how our will to survive can overpower our physical limitations.

Good quality, very informative. Seen the netflix showso I wanted the book

This book is amazing. It doesn't go into graphic details about the attack or anything. Its far more about Trisha's recovery and how her life changed afterwards. She is such an amazing woman and if you read this book, you can't fail to learn something from it. If she can get through something so awful, it makes you think you could deal with just about anything. She is truly inspirational.If you have read A New Earth, this book gives the same message about living in the now. I couldn't put it down once I started reading.If life is hard at the moment and you need some inspiration, this is the book to read.

I am interested in trauma and how to deal with it in practical terms, for myself and others, and had expected a lot more practical tips which could be transferred to others. Unfortunately the detail was in the story, not in how to deal with trauma.

Although I was a teenager in 1989 I can remember reports of the attack on a defenceless woman who had simply been out for a run in her local park. The attack was so brutal that it caused shockwaves around the world. Trisha Meilia was raped and had a brick or rock smashed into her face. I have often wondered what became of the victim and was interested to find this book on Amazon. Trisha Meili has a conversational style of writing and the book flows nicely. She doesn't go into great detail about the attack itself, she can't as she is unable to remember it at all. She has pieced together events from medical reports and from chats with those who treated her. Sadly she suffered a brain injury which has left her with long term difficulties with concentration and recall. This book is about her ongoing recovery. Trisha was working as investment banker for Salomans in 1989 and, probably as they recognised good PR, they paid her huge medical bills. She therefore received the very best treatment available. Nevertheless her achievements since the attack have been impressive. Trisha is clearly a perfectionist and I found that some parts of the book were very repetitive as she seems desperate for us to understand what an exceptional person she is. On almost every page she retells the story of someone paying her a compliment. Of course she is exceptional, we know that already but reading it time and time again becomes a bit tiresome. When she doesn't progress at the Investment Bank she worries that she is a middle-ranking sort of person, I am sure this comment annoyed a lot of her middle-management colleagues. I much prefered the parts where she really opened up, about her struggle with anorexia and about her need for a change in her life. I would have liked to learn a little more about the other victims who were attacked in Central Park on the same evening. Also I never really found out how she felt about the case becoming a race relations issue and about the subsequent aquittal of some of those originally convicted. I am sure most of us would not have been able to achieve a fraction of what this brave woman has achieved and I wish her well for the future.

Inspirational, Trisha is an amazing person and this book is fantastic. The amazing message that you can adjust to just about anything with the right mindset!