The giveaway is closed, but please read on for my review of this terrific book.
I have written previously about Jon Reiner and his book, The Man Who Couldn’t Eat. I was especially thrilled to have the opportunity to see him at a reading, shake his hand and speak with him for a few short moments. I also took home a signed copy of his book that night. It took a while for it to make its way up to the top of the pile, but it finally did a week or so ago. I finished it today, and am tempted to read it again!
This book is a memoir, describing a year out of Mr. Reiner’s life. A rather eventful year. The story starts during a Manhattan February in which the author, a long-time Crohn’s patient, finds himself unexpectedly on the living room floor in absolute agony. One thing leads to another and after a would-be-comedic-if-it-weren’t-life-threatening series of events, is given a ‘nothing by mouth’ order. For the next few months, all of Mr. Reiner’s nutritional needs are provided by IV, and absolutely no food or liquid is to be ingested. Not surprisingly, this has numerous effects not only on his own psyche, but on those of the people closest to him, and on his relationships with his family, his friends, and indeed, his humanity.
To say that this is a book about Crohn’s Disease, or the difficulties of living with a ‘nothing by mouth’ order would do the book a grave injustice. This is a book about pain, suffering, and recovery. It is an exploration of some of the fundamental tenets of humanity and what it means to be denied them. One is left also with the impression that this book is about forgiveness; granting it to one’s self, and seeking it from those whom one has injured.
One of the elements that I feel made this book particularly successful are Mr. Reiner’s gifts with humor and language. This could easily have been a dismal slog, elbow deep in misery, but thanks to the author’s penchant for self-deprecation and his keen observations on the human condition, all his pain and misery is balanced with a lightness that keeps the reader engaged and interested, alternately peppering the experience with grins and grimaces. Mr. Reiner makes no apologies for his self-assigned status as a hedonist, and his descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of food had me salivating and wondering if I need to make a trip to New York to taste some REAL pastrami! But more than just the sensual nature of food, the author is made keenly aware of the social nature of it, and more specifically, how the removal of food can mean a removal from many of the rituals of our society. The author never lets us forget that he was no hero as he wound his way through this process. Inasmuch as he felt excluded from society, so too he alienated his wife and children.
I feel as though I could spend several paragraphs talking about this book, but in so doing, I’d not leave you much to discover on your own, so I’ll bring this to a close. I found this book to be a delight to read. I also found it a sobering reminder to take care of myself and my gut in the hopes that I don’t end up in the truly desperate straits that Mr. Reiner found himself. This book is not about Crohn’s disease, nor does one need to suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease to appreciate it. This is a book about being human, and I believe that if you are human, you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
I’d love to share this book with others, as I think it holds a lot of value for the reader. Also, I’d like to have the opportunity to give something back to my readers. So in addition to the copy I had him personally sign for me, I have another signed hardcover copy that I’m going to give away to some lucky reader! There are a few ways you can enter to win, and you can use as many of them as you like. Your options:
- Subscribe to receive email updates when I post to this blog and leave a separate comment here telling me you did so.
- Like MyCrankyGut on Facebook and leave a separate comment here telling me you did so and what your name on Facebook is.
- Follow @MyCrankyGut on Twitter and leave a separate comment here telling me you did so and what your Twitter handle is.
- Find MyCrankyGut on Google+, add it to a circle and leave a separate comment here telling me you did so and what your G+ name is.
- Link to or mention this post on your blog and leave a separate comment here with a link to it.
- Leave a separate comment here telling me about some book you’ve read that’s helped you to confront or manage a difficult condition in your life (it doesn’t need to be IBD-related) and why you think I should read it.
Manon Ruel said:
Hi ! My name is Manon Ruel and I like your page on FB, and would love to receive this book. Thanks !
bumtumbride said:
Hi I’m the Bum Tum Bride and I follow your blog and have been known to have a sneaky peak at your FB page too 🙂 I’m embarking on a liquid diet for a short period of time to try and get back into remission and I am being such a moaning minnie about it. Reading your review has made me realise that I could be a whole lot worse, and be like John and be on TPN. Not have a morsel pass my lips – hell on earth surely? Thanks for giving me a much need boot up the proverbial and good luck with your book draw…. I’m off for a liquid feed drink now – cheers!
Manon Ruel said:
The book that helped me manage my UC is ”Breaking the Vicious Cycle” but I know you’ve already read it a couple of times 😉
Vicky said:
Hi! This is a great review! I already like you on Facebook!
Vicky said:
I already follow you on Twitter!
Vicky said:
I subscribed to your site!
Vicky said:
and last but not least, the book that helped me confront and manage a difficult condition in my life or rather that of my son’s is Breaking The Vicious Cycle, it completely changed the way we eat and cured my son of his Crohn’s Disease! Good luck with the diet!
celiacchick91 said:
Hi!! I’m Allie Brown & I ‘liked’ your facebook page!! (a long time ago, actually!) 😀
celiacchick91 said:
I subscribed to your site!! 😀
celiacchick91 said:
I’m now following you on twitter!!! 😀
celiacchick91 said:
I’m celiac chick on G+ (I think I got it, just created it to win your book!! :D) & I added you to my friends circle!!!!
celiacchick91 said:
The book would have to be the incredible one we SCDers love & cherish: “Breaking the Vicious Cycle”. I know you’ve read it but what the heck, give it another skim!!! I love this book because it truly changed my life. Had my dad not brought it home after having received it from a generous client of his, I would not be where I am today mentally/physically/emotionally. I owe my new life to this book. 🙂 Man, it makes me emotional!!! Anyway, cheers to the SCD!
damion said:
Cheers indeed, Allie!
Jadah said:
I have found Jordan Rubin’s book: Patient Heal Thyself (the Maker’s diet book) to be quite helpful. Although he seems pushy to buy his line of supplements throughout the reading it is a nice recount of someone who battled severe Crohn’s Disease and came through it to be healthier than ever by use of healthy diet. I hope to be able to read The Man Who Couldn’t Eat one day, it sounds interesting.
damion said:
Thanks for the recommendation, Jadah! I love your blog, and I’m anxious to try your kale chips!
Kathy English said:
I recently found your blog, marked it as a fav, and visit it often. I’ll go right now and “like” you on FB as well. Please enter me in the drawing for the book. Of course, Breaking The Vicious Cycle is life-changing, but I also enjoy my SCD cookbooks. My favs would probably be Grain-Free Gourmet and Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet. I also download recipes from NoMoreCrohns.com.
Thanks for this blog!
damion said:
Kathy, Thank you for reading, and for entering the drawing. Those cookbooks are both on my list of ‘things to acquire’, but perhaps I should nudge them a little closer to the top!
Patrick Leger said:
Hi!
I follow you on Twitter (patrick_leger) & Liked you page on Facebook under my name.
I recommend Breaking the Vicious Cycle, but it seems you already read that. 🙂
Patrick
thecrohn said:
First of all, I’m already a subscriber. Because your recipes sound delish and I can’t wait til I’m confident enough in the ol’ tum to give em a shot.
Secondly, I already like MyCrankyGut on Facebook and am a big supporter.
Thirdly, I follow you on Twitter. Because you’re awesome.
And of course the book that changed my life is by our very own Elaine G- Breaking the Vicious Cycle. 🙂 On a side note, my fave book of all time is Moby Dick. Way awesome book. Never thought I could get through full chapters of reading about the logistics of whale blubber- and it was painful at times- but OH MAN when I closed that book- I thought “this is the best book I ever read.” About a million parallel themes happening at the same time. That Herman Melville is a genius for English literary nerds like myself. And whoa, what a tangent.
Masha said:
Following you on twitter
Masha said:
Have you in my google reader
Bee said:
Hi! I’ve already “liked” u on FB, my name is Shelby, and I am subscribed to your blog. I want a book! 🙂
ibeafoodie said:
Obviously we just started following you on Twitter. Would love to get our hands on the book and be enlightened by it! What a great idea for a giveaway!
Kirsty said:
Now following on twitter as minxyks. Loving the blog!! Xx
Pingback: SCD-Legal Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf « My Cranky Gut
Pingback: IBD and Supplementation « My Cranky Gut