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Cancer on Five Dollars a Day (chemo not included): How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life
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Product Description
But Schimmel never lost his sense of humor, his searing honesty, and most of all, his passion to make people laugh. Indeed, it was his basic need to entertain—even if the only people around him were suffering from cancer and the room he was playing was the Mayo Clinic infusion center—that carried him through his ordeal.
Alternately laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving, Cancer on $5 a Day is a stirring account of how one man’s face-off with a deadly disease helped him better understand himself, and ultimately changed his life.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #41053 in Books
- Published on: 2009-01-05
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 224 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Schimmel already had a hit HBO stand-up comedy special and a Stand-Up of the Year title from the American Comedy Awards when, in the spring of 2000, he was diagnosed with Stage III non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. His world changed instantly; success in the raunchy joke trade-he also had an edgy FOX series in development-was replaced by the struggle for survival, the rigors of chemotherapy and all the fear and uncertainty that goes with it. Schimmel also looks back on his son, whom he lost not long before to brain cancer. Among a crowded field of inspiring and straight-talking personal survival stories, Schimmel's conversational account is particularly ribald, emphasizing the importance a sense of humor can play in coping, learning and healing.
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Review
“Offers an edgy, humorous look at [Schimmel’s] battle with the disease.”
InfoDad.com, 1/29/09
“Personal, profane, often overdone and equally often hilarious…The book bursts with life, and its message of fighting back—coupled with its equally strong message of trying anything when you have nothing to lose—is sure to resonate with families dealing with any type of serious disease, not just cancer.”
OpEdNews.com, 2/5/09
“Incredibly interesting and very, very funny…While this is not what I’d call a light read, it is anything but grim. It’s the story of an extraordinary man who is painfully honest about himself, his illness, and how it changed him. It’s the archetypal human drama; the hero and the telling are beautiful but raw…I highly recommend Schimmel’s book. You’ll get to know him and learn something, all while laughing your head off.”
Blogcritics.org, 3/21/09
“A very fast read…[Schimmel] tells his story without pulling any punches…Cancer on $5 a Day is written in a friendly, relaxed manner that helps the reader to immediately empathize with Schimmel's plight.”
Omaha World Herald, 3/26/09
“Schimmel spilled a goulash of emotions, thoughts, observations and roguish jokes into his paperback.”
About the Author
Alan Eisenstock is the author of several nonfiction works. He lives in Pacific Palisades, California.
Customer Reviews
humanity via humor
I heard Robert Schimmel on Stern last week and picked up this book before a flight. I was familiar with Schimmel's humor so I got a lot of what I expected (and wanted) in the book.
What I didnt expect, but loved, was the humanity and compassion Schimmel shows for fellow patients, family and friends through his fight with cancer. He clearly states the importance of both selfishness and selflessness to get him through this darkest hour. Most of all, he relies on humor and an open mind to get him and his posse through his harrowing experience with chemo.
The takeaway is multi-layered, but bottom line, a positive attitude and a great support network clearly help Schimmel Lick the Big C.
Hope to get to see him do stand up some day, I am sure his show contains the passion he won through his hard fought victory over cancer.
You don't read this book, you wear it
This is a book that is an easy weekend read, but it is so powerfully written that it stays with you for a long time. The book mirrors Schimmel's style of comedy: brutally honest, no punches pulled, sarcastic and defiant. Even as you're reading this book, you get the feeling you're on the ride with him.
You don't really read this book, you absorb it. You wear it; not like a coat, but more like a second skin. That skin crawls when Schimmel describes the seemingly unabated misery associated with the chemo treatments. That skin frosts over when you and Robert get the news that he's got non-Hodgkins lymphoma. And that skin gets goosebumps as you emerge from the depths of despair right along side Robert.
It's a cliche, but Schimmel never does lose his sense of humor. Not only did he not lose his humor, he refused to let those around him lose theirs. That's the definition of a hero. Sure, there's probably a dash of his own self-preservation cooked in there as well, but he refused to become completely selfish even when his doctors told him that's what he had to do to survive. Even if it meant his own death, he was committed to making this experience less impactful on those he cared about -- and even some people met during treatment.
As for the ending, well, I'm going to let you experience that for yourself. Nobody ruined it for me and I envy you your first time reading of it as well. I will say this of the ending: if you don't get tears in your eyes at the end of this book, hold a mirror under your nose to see if you're still breathing.
Get this book and thank me later.
More laughs than tears but plenty of both.
I love Robert's comedy and when I saw him on Conan's show, I immediately ordered a copy of his book. I think I laughed out loud on every page for the first half of the book. The second hundred pages had plenty of Robert's wonderful humor, but also moments that brought tears. He is quite a comedian and quite a human being. I definitely recommend his book.
