Official Review: Invincibility in the Face of Prostate Ca...
Posted: 04 Jul 2017, 05:50
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Invincibility in the Face of Prostate Cancer:" by Alfred Samuels.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Invincibility In the Face of Prostate Cancer is a non-fiction book by Alfred Samuels, a professional security adviser and a former protection officer for high-profile clients including wealthy entertainment and film stars. Mr. Samuels recounts a true and unfolding personal story about his battle with advance metastatic prostate cancer; from the period of diagnosis through a novel treatment method to the point of reversal of the cancer, all in a period of about three years. In writing the book, Mr. Samuels sought “to educate and empower others in a similar situation and to assist cancer researchers seeking to understand the detailed, personal and debilitating physical feelings of a cancer sufferer.”
The moral of the book hinges on a person’s whole attitude towards survival after the diagnosis of cancer. In this regards, Mr. Samuels laid down two potential attitudes that could be adopted. One may either look at prostate cancer from a negative perspective or one may focus on the fact that it is one of the most manageable and curable medical conditions that can be treated. The writer alludes that though medication plays a great part in the healing process, if a person’s mental attitude is that of giving up before swallowing the first mouthful of pills, then that person has lost the race for life.
Mr. Samuels did not fail to illustrate the battles he had with physical, emotional and mental pain, more so when he had diligently documented these on a daily basis in his dairy. According to the writer, the main source of transformation was how psychologically resilient he had become in coping with this disease. In his words, “My resilient attitude has not meant that I have been forced into thinking positively all of the time. Far from that, the added stress of debt, daily business matters and family issues caused deep anxiety and depressive moments. My mood swings of sadness, loneliness and anger were part of my daily chores, but I never really felt that there was anything wrong about going through these emotions.”
The writer gave pointers for survival on the steep and rocky road of living with prostate cancer:
1. “I realized that in order to win the war against cancer, you have to find and embrace
something that motivates you”
2. “Gestures such as taking me to one of my clinical treatment appointments or cooking a meal for me speak louder than words”
3. “Eventually, I learned that my battle with cancer was my own battle. My battle was not the same as anyone else's and I learned not to compare myself with others who have fought, who are fighting or will fight cancer”
4. “Walking the path of cancer alone is totally inadvisable”
5. “Contrary to what one might expect, patients with advanced cancer, experience anxiety not due to fear of death, but more often from fear of uncontrolled pain, being left alone or dependency on others”
Invincibility In the Face of Prostate Cancer illustrates that the process of surviving with cancer is actually a series of challenges and obstacles that had to be overcome. Sometimes, these challenges become so overwhelming that it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The initial diagnosis may raise the worst fear in one’s mind, however it may not always be fatal. While merely mentioning the word ‘cancer’ to people could result in them talking to you in that ‘death-sentence’ tone, we just need to dig deep to bring to the surface, the strength that we never thought we had.
I like Invincibility In the Face of Prostate Cancer because it tells not only a tale of survival, but also one of hope for many people who are on the path and many more who will unfortunately but inevitably thread that same path of living with prostate cancer. The book is worth reading just because the writer wrote most of it not after he had recovered, but while he was experiencing the pain and trauma. The military precision with which the daily diary entries were done was indeed very remarkable.
It is very difficult to think of any person or group of persons for whom this book will not be relevant. This is because prostate cancer has become a menace and the disease is among the leading causes of death in the world. The disease has proven itself to be deadly and a story about how to successfully live with it is worth reading. Everyone should read this book because the chances of encountering the disease as an adult male are quite significant, especially for males of African descent. More importantly, the chances of knowing an adult male relative (brother, father, cousin, husband, son and so on) who may have to live with the disease are even higher. There are also chances of knowing a friend or acquaintance who may have to live with the disease and sharing this story with them may make a life-saving difference.
I will therefore recommend this book to every adult male and anyone who knows an adult male as a family member or friend. I will also recommend it for caregivers of cancer patients as well as researchers who seek to make living with the disease easier.
As an adult male of Black African descent, in my late thirties and living an urban life-style, I have been enlightened about prostate cancer by someone who has battled with the disease face-to-face and who has gathered the courage to tell the world about his experiences. I was encouraged to go for screening and I have gathered more information after reading the book to help me better prepare to confront and possibly beat prostate cancer.
In reading the book, one would not miss a few grammatical screamers. However, these can be excused since parts of the book are direct reproductions of the daily library entries made by the author. However, these did not discourage me from reading on and on and on. I therefore rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Invincibility in the Face of Prostate Cancer:
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Elvis Akpabli's review? Post a comment saying so!
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Invincibility In the Face of Prostate Cancer is a non-fiction book by Alfred Samuels, a professional security adviser and a former protection officer for high-profile clients including wealthy entertainment and film stars. Mr. Samuels recounts a true and unfolding personal story about his battle with advance metastatic prostate cancer; from the period of diagnosis through a novel treatment method to the point of reversal of the cancer, all in a period of about three years. In writing the book, Mr. Samuels sought “to educate and empower others in a similar situation and to assist cancer researchers seeking to understand the detailed, personal and debilitating physical feelings of a cancer sufferer.”
The moral of the book hinges on a person’s whole attitude towards survival after the diagnosis of cancer. In this regards, Mr. Samuels laid down two potential attitudes that could be adopted. One may either look at prostate cancer from a negative perspective or one may focus on the fact that it is one of the most manageable and curable medical conditions that can be treated. The writer alludes that though medication plays a great part in the healing process, if a person’s mental attitude is that of giving up before swallowing the first mouthful of pills, then that person has lost the race for life.
Mr. Samuels did not fail to illustrate the battles he had with physical, emotional and mental pain, more so when he had diligently documented these on a daily basis in his dairy. According to the writer, the main source of transformation was how psychologically resilient he had become in coping with this disease. In his words, “My resilient attitude has not meant that I have been forced into thinking positively all of the time. Far from that, the added stress of debt, daily business matters and family issues caused deep anxiety and depressive moments. My mood swings of sadness, loneliness and anger were part of my daily chores, but I never really felt that there was anything wrong about going through these emotions.”
The writer gave pointers for survival on the steep and rocky road of living with prostate cancer:
1. “I realized that in order to win the war against cancer, you have to find and embrace
something that motivates you”
2. “Gestures such as taking me to one of my clinical treatment appointments or cooking a meal for me speak louder than words”
3. “Eventually, I learned that my battle with cancer was my own battle. My battle was not the same as anyone else's and I learned not to compare myself with others who have fought, who are fighting or will fight cancer”
4. “Walking the path of cancer alone is totally inadvisable”
5. “Contrary to what one might expect, patients with advanced cancer, experience anxiety not due to fear of death, but more often from fear of uncontrolled pain, being left alone or dependency on others”
Invincibility In the Face of Prostate Cancer illustrates that the process of surviving with cancer is actually a series of challenges and obstacles that had to be overcome. Sometimes, these challenges become so overwhelming that it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The initial diagnosis may raise the worst fear in one’s mind, however it may not always be fatal. While merely mentioning the word ‘cancer’ to people could result in them talking to you in that ‘death-sentence’ tone, we just need to dig deep to bring to the surface, the strength that we never thought we had.
I like Invincibility In the Face of Prostate Cancer because it tells not only a tale of survival, but also one of hope for many people who are on the path and many more who will unfortunately but inevitably thread that same path of living with prostate cancer. The book is worth reading just because the writer wrote most of it not after he had recovered, but while he was experiencing the pain and trauma. The military precision with which the daily diary entries were done was indeed very remarkable.
It is very difficult to think of any person or group of persons for whom this book will not be relevant. This is because prostate cancer has become a menace and the disease is among the leading causes of death in the world. The disease has proven itself to be deadly and a story about how to successfully live with it is worth reading. Everyone should read this book because the chances of encountering the disease as an adult male are quite significant, especially for males of African descent. More importantly, the chances of knowing an adult male relative (brother, father, cousin, husband, son and so on) who may have to live with the disease are even higher. There are also chances of knowing a friend or acquaintance who may have to live with the disease and sharing this story with them may make a life-saving difference.
I will therefore recommend this book to every adult male and anyone who knows an adult male as a family member or friend. I will also recommend it for caregivers of cancer patients as well as researchers who seek to make living with the disease easier.
As an adult male of Black African descent, in my late thirties and living an urban life-style, I have been enlightened about prostate cancer by someone who has battled with the disease face-to-face and who has gathered the courage to tell the world about his experiences. I was encouraged to go for screening and I have gathered more information after reading the book to help me better prepare to confront and possibly beat prostate cancer.
In reading the book, one would not miss a few grammatical screamers. However, these can be excused since parts of the book are direct reproductions of the daily library entries made by the author. However, these did not discourage me from reading on and on and on. I therefore rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Invincibility in the Face of Prostate Cancer:
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Elvis Akpabli's review? Post a comment saying so!