|
Loading... C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too...by John Diamond
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. UK columnist writes about the progression of his throat cancer and the treatments he endures. An interesting if not entirely enlightening account. (  ) skullstuffing | Sep 28, 2008 |  This is a very powerful and brutally honest account of one man's cancer. It doesn't really *do* anything, it's not there to tell you how to deal with a diagnosis, to recommend treatments or to discuss philosophy, it's just about how John Diamond (broadcaster, columnist and husband of Nigella Lawson) dealt with his cancer. I read the first 2/3 in one afternoon but then found it very difficult to pick up to finish the final 1/3 which featured some fairly graphic descriptions of surgery and post-op issues. That section was also less interesting and more depressing to me as it just became about getting through each day, it was all about the condition rather than about living and it becomes much harder to form a connection. A fascinating book and a remarkable insight. (  ) sulkyblue | Apr 25, 2007 | John Diamond was a Journalist who wrote an amusing colum about his family life in the Sunday Times. Whilst he was in his early 40s he was diagnosed with cancer. He carried on writting his colum about the relatity of life with cancer. It's a brave witty account of the treatment, even though he claims to be a 'coward' because he has the fears everyone faces. I know one Consultant who reccomends it to his juniors to find out what 'cancer's actually like'. (  ) woollymammoth | Nov 21, 2006 | This is a funny and moving account of a man's fight with cancer (which he subsequently lost). John Diamond was a (London) Times journalist who wrote weekly columns covering his battle. I found the book sad but uplifting (as a lot of these books do, they end up portraying endurance and - despite the title - courage, in a way which manages to avoid mawkishness). (  ) Eric_the_Hamster | Oct 10, 2005 | The Harrowing tale of his bout with cancer of the Tongue and throat. The Hardback ends on a semi-hopeful note, the paperback notes that he died shortly after finishing the book. Funny, realistic, witty, brilliant. ( ) wyvernfriend | Sep 27, 2005 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0812931777, Hardcover)In the face of such overwhelming statistical possibilities, hypochondria has always seemed to me to be the only rational position on life."So begins this caustically funny and informative account of living with cancer from a self-professed coward who's nevertheless unafraid to take on the myths and taboos of the illness. First diagnosed with cancer in March 1997, journalist John Diamond determined to chronicle the experience for the millions of people facing the same baffling process of diagnosis and treatment. His is a refreshingly clear-eyed take for those readers who likewise instinctively rebel when told that to "wage war with their cancer" they must chant, channel, laugh, breathe, group-hug, or sport a halo for sainthood or a medal for bravery. Diamond's is a distinctly more curmudgeonly stance. With humor and intelligence, Diamond ex- plains how he coped with dilemmas every person recently diagnosed with cancer must confront: the awkwardness of "telling"; the need to shrug off the unearned mantle of "brave soul"; friends' sudden inability to speak openly; intrusions by well-intentioned purveyors of alternative health solutions; battles with good, bad, and indifferent doctors; dealing with treatment gains and setbacks; tension on the home front; and more. Most important, he describes how he's learned to live with uncertainty, the ultimate hallmark of the human condition. A number one bestseller in England, Because Cowards Get Cancer Too is destined to become a classic in the literature of full-frontal assault on the body, next to such works as Jean-Dominique Bauby's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Robert Lipsyte's In the Country of Illness. Diamond's gorgeous writing, sense of wit, and fierce intelligence make this a reader's book as well as a road map for a journey that touches almost everyone. (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:03 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
Abebooks |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
