John Diamond (1) (1953–2001)

I am not interested in John Diamond as a columnist, nor am I interested in his retelling of what he has been through suffering from cancer -not that I don't care but, having close relative having died of cancer I am familiar with most of what he describes here, I don't need reading a book to have an hint of what such horrible experience it must be! In fact, the reason why I picked this up is, I was curious to get the point of view of a terminally ill patient when confronted with alternative show more medicine and other quacks. I wasn't disappointed: he cut bravely straight through ignorance, superstition and wishful thinking to rubbish it all as it deserves. Sadly, he had no time to finish the work (his cancer took him away in 2001). Sadly too, because it is unfinished it doesn't equal other works on the topic -deeper and more complete. It still worth a read, though, being the perspective of a sick man who believed rightly in science as a way of thinking and, refused until the end to surrender to useless mumbo jumbo. show less

I found it so boring, I couldn't connect with Diamond at all, he was obnoxious, I get his pessimism but holy shit was it irritating, the guy keeps repeating how he doesn't believe that being cured has anything to do with your attitude and willingness to fight but he had so little of that in him that it doesn't surprise me he was so against that idea.

The book repeats itself a lot and is full of unrelated and uninteresting stuff, we hear very little about the children for example but too much show more about some friends, and none of that helps us really get to know Diamond better, we end the book knowing so little about his life before cancer. Its just a lot of whining.

I do feel I need to explain a bit more, of course this is Diamond's story and I can't criticize what he felt, it was what it was, and I know that dealing with illness (though I never had cancer but I was close to dying) is tiresome, depressing, you feel so hopeless, but there are also moments of light, when you need to stand up and keep going, create new hope again and again, and through the book it just felt like he had given up the moment they told him he had cancer.

When you are desperate you try anything, all that stupid homeopathic shit, why not give it a try? The alternative therapies didn't do shit for me but I'll be damned if I didn't try it, that's what you do.

I hate to think that after reading this book some people that have never been through illness will think this is how it goes, it doesn't, I'm sorry that Diamond couldn't find the strength and it's true that willpower alone won't cure anything but giving up won't either.

Don't be swayed by his "rationality", pessimism isn't rational. show less

Unflinching and heartfelt, this book starts out as Diamond's impassioned crusade against the anti-science medical quacks. He died before he could finish it, and the second part of the book is a collection of his newspaper and magazine columns.

The first part is unerringly sharp, scientific and intellectually rigourous. It's got an axe to grind, sure, but the grinding tools are the highest quality. Five stars.

The second part would have been better for me if I were better versed in Brit show more politics and entertainment- several of the columns were about people I'd never heard of. They were well-written, even so. The columns dealing with the progression of Diamond's cancer were remarkable. His voice was singular and his outlook was realistic, unblinking, and passionately devoted to journalistic honesty. Four stars.

Wrenching and well-worth reading.

Celebrity aside: Diamond was married to Nigella Lawson, the chef my true love adores watching. show less

Having seen the moving TV documentary many years ago I was prompted to pick up this book to read when I saw it in a library sale. Despite the inevitable expected sadness at the end this book is so well written as I knew it would be. The writer was such a talented and memorable man. The book is brutally honest about head and neck cancer and it's treatment. Having worked at the Royal Marsden, for me he has captured
the essence of the place and made me smile remembering good memories of the show more time. A book to be recommended.

honest about cancer and it's treatment. show less