Product Description

A young man battles Hodgkin's disease and survives--with more than a little help from his Mom--in this wry and uplifting memoir about life, love, and beating the odds.

When Dan Shapiro's decidely anti-drug mom put aside her convictions and grew marijuana in her backyard garden (behind a discrete screen of sunflowers), he learned that in the face of a crisis we all have the opportunity to decide what is most important to us. In this hilarious, high-spirited, sometimes harrowing memoir, Shapiro invites us into his battle with cancer, his romance with an oncology nurse, his journey through graduate school, and his most important life lessons. He tells his story with wit and grace and indomitable spirit, showing us that only when the rhythm of life is stirred violently are able to discover its full beauty.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #718174 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-11
• Released on: 2001-09-11
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 8.01" h x .56" w x 5.19" l, .50 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From Booklist
With some touting marijuana as a palliative to chemotherapy's side effects, which the author smoked as he combated Hodgkin's disease, one might expect Shapiro to explore the controversies surrounding the issue of grass-as-medicine. Besides briefly relating how his mother cultivated hemp in the backyard, he never allows the subject to impinge on his potpourri of cancer survival memories. Diagnosed at age 20 with a tumor, Shapiro details the biopsies, I.V. drips, radiation sessions, and blood draws alongside his characterization of the doctors, technicians, and nurses who managed his care. Interleaved with this commentary about the antiseptic quality of modern hospitalization are Shapiro's deeply drawn recollections of growing up and pursuing a career in psychology. Regrettably this volume lacks a thematic linkage to Shapiro's myriad memories of dreams, his walk along the precipice of death, and his amour. Nevertheless, the book's origin as NPR pieces and the author's lectures to oncology organizations will most likely generate interest. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"A page-turner filled with exquisite drama, deeply personal insight and?delightful, quirky humor."
--Arizona Daily Star


"Part memoir, part social commentary, part medical journal and entirely wonderful."
--Fort Worth Star Telegram

"An engaging, thoughtful, and funny account from a first-rate writer."
--Andrew Weil, M.D.

From the Back Cover
"A page-turner filled with exquisite drama, deeply personal insight and?delightful, quirky humor."
--Arizona Daily Star


"Part memoir, part social commentary, part medical journal and entirely wonderful."
--Fort Worth Star Telegram

"An engaging, thoughtful, and funny account from a first-rate writer."
--Andrew Weil, M.D.