Cancer Schmancer/Abridged

Rating:
Summary: Touching, funny, informative
Review: Unlike other celebrity books that can sound stilted and ghost-written, "Cancer Schmancer" is alive with the humor, honesty and witty prose of its author: Fran Drescher. I loved her storytelling style, and I was really impressed by the candor of the book. She pulls no punches, and manages to write a book about cancer that is down to earth without being dull, touching without being sappy and funny without sounding like a stand-up routine. Go Fran!

Rating:
Summary: Not Funny
Review: Fran takes such a superficial approach to cancer and I must say I fealt deeply offended. I guess it is nice to laugh your way through an illness, but if you have ever had cancer you will know that it is not funny. The problem with the book is you can't make light of some things (cancer being one of them) and if the author had a better understanding of what people go through when they lose a loved one to cancer I think she would have written another book.

Rating:
Summary: I can't relate
Review: I read the excerpt from this book and it's all I needed to see. I'm sorry, but this woman just doesn't speak to me. It seems to be one big brag about herself. She talks about her housekeepers, blah, blah, blah and her fancy schmancy house. Then she gets the call from her doctor. She claims this doctor assured her she did not have cancer. If a doctor told me this before he/she ran any tests, I'd leave. That is just downright irresponsible. Then, of course, the doctor had to backtrack after finding out that Fran did, indeed have cancer. She claims the doctor told her she could call if there was any problem--even if she just needed a hug. There were two possibilities here: 1) The doctor was trying to cover her backside by seeming to be sooo compassionate or 2) The doctor really did care about her patient. If the case was #1, Fran should've found a new doctor immediately. If the case was #2, then she should've thanked the doctor. She said she felt no need to thank the doctor (but she did anyway). Hmmmm...is she naive or is she just so caught up in herself she can't bring herself to be grateful? Sorry, but there is just too much narcissism in this book for me. Now, I will go prepare for my surgery without the help of servants. And I will certainly express my gratitude to my doctor for taking care of me.

Rating:
Summary: Discussing Cancer with Humor as only Fran can
Review: Cancer is a serious subject, yet Fran managed to write about it in a way that makes you laugh as well as cry. Sharing her experiences will help many women.

Buy this book. The information it contains is priceless. You will not be sorry.

Diane Gasparri Offutt

Rating:
Summary: Not worth buying
Review: While the information Ms. Drescher gives on her symptoms and warning signs are eye-openers, the book itself is a disappointing waste of paper. Her whining and pettiness has turned what was once a devoted fan of hers to someone who is so glad I don't have to live with someone so selfish and self-absorbed in my life. Wish I could get my money back from Ms. Drescher, no wonder she's not on TV anymore.

Rating:
Summary: i like fran
Review: I am a fan of Ms. Drescher and I enjoyed reading this intimate account of a diificult chapter in her life. Plus, it's a great true story of how shrinks are quacks and medical doctors, unless they have some kind of alternative training, are uninformed, cruel, and totally lacking proper bedside manner. They also lack effective diagnostic skills and humane treatments. So I guess MD's are quacks too!

Rating:
Summary: An easy read, more for fun than information...
Review: I purchased this book at the dollar store so I really had nothing to lose. It was an easy read that didn't require much mental or emotional commitment. I agree with the other reviewers that there is a good message re: not ignoring any symptoms... I also agree with many of the reviewers who commented on Drescher's whininess. She doesn't seem to get how self centered she comes across. I don't begrudge her for being rich and priveleged, but have some tact for the readers your book will inevitably draw, i.e. less priveleged cancer patients. Fran never lost an opportunity to complain about something, or to mention someone's admiration of her. It was brutally honest in a bad sense of revealing unimportant details of her bowel movements (not relevant) and the same with her sex life with her new boyfriend, she shared more than I cared to know. And yet, there were areas where honest revelation would have been interesting and helpful to others, but never occurred. In the end, this is a book which passes the time and piques some interest without being very memorable. Not bad for a dollar though!

Rating:
Summary: Technically helpful but does not relate to the average woman
Review: Fran Dresher is a decent author. She clearly related her situation and technically, the details about her symptoms and tests she underwent are definitely helpful reading.
However, most of this book will not be helpful to the average woman. Fran Dresher is someone who has the privillage of knowing money is no object and who's main concerns were extremely self involved. There is no worrying about work, missing work, making sure there was food on the table or the laundry done and house cleaned, etc, during and after such an illness. With the details out of the way, the recovery section seemed too selfish and privilaged to be considered helpful to other women and was more of a biography.

Rating:
Summary: Aah Hah!!!
Review: This probably this most enjoyable book I have read by a celebratey, who talks about herself having uterine cancer. It is merely pages form her journal, as well as her experiences through the process. There is also stuff about her family and boyfriend in it.

It's just a fun book. And she doesn't get extremely technical with details. It said on the side cover that, "she wants you to make youself a cup of tea, kick your feet back and dish with her!!!"

That's exactly what you'll do when you read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Read this book!
Review: Fran Drescher, she is simply amazing, as is this book! This slim work is a really quick and easy read, yet also rewarding and touching. In fact, it feels as if your deep in conversation with Fran and you don't want to look away because the content is so engaging and heartfelt. I have always been an admirer of hers, but only after reading this book did I realize the immense talent she possesses! She is wonderful writer, able to captivate her audience and get into your heart. The story she tells, her story, is one that must be heard, must be retold, and must be remembered. Fran, if you read this reviews, I applaud you for the courage you had and continue to have. You are wonderful!