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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Damn the Diagnosis" by Joel Nathan.]

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a big fall;
All the King’s horses

And all the King’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty
together again.”
(Anon.)

“Humpty did!“
(Joel Nathan)

These are the words with which the prologue of Joel Nathan' story begins. Damn the Diagnosis by Joel Nathan is a powerful and moving account of how, with the help of his childhood lesson amalgamated with the miracles of modern medicine, the hero of our story successfully overcomes not only his first diagnosis but also “recurrences, lung cancer, five-way coronary bypass surgery, kidney failure and stroke.” Damn the diagnosis; How I survived cancer is a re-edited version of the author’s highly successful first book, Time of my Life (Penguin Books, 1992). This is a story of pain and suffering, and of survival and resilience. Ultimately it is a story of courage.

The author of this book, Joel Nathan, was born in South Africa, where he became a creative director in advertising. However, since he couldn’t take the apartheid system, he moved with his family to the UK, and then to Australia. It was at the age of 43 when he was diagnosed with a rare type of Leukemia. However, he recovered against all odds and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal. Joel now holds degrees in Psychology and Philosophy.

There are a lot of things that can be said about this book, and one of them is that the author isn’t riddled with self-pity. He isn't consumed in self-loathing due to the circumstances he has faced, and while there would be nothing wrong with that, there is a kind of beauty in his courage as well as in his spirit of defiance. What this book then does is give the reader hope. Purely in terms of content, I didn’t feel that it was too heavy for me. In fact, I felt uplifted. This is the kind of book you read when you are in a difficult place.

What came to my mind when I saw the title was Angelina Jolie’s favourite term in Girl, Interrupted- “Diagnonsense”, and that is what the essence of the title seems like. I felt that the title is quite technical and intriguing at the same time. The use of alliteration makes one remember it and also makes it a bit lyrical, “damn” gives an impact, and the use of the rhetorical question adds a philosophical spin to the title, and essentially neatly packs up the book with a philosophical idiom.

The writing style of the author is brilliant. There is no doubt about that in my mind. The author has fused the concrete with the philosophical. His sentences don't run too long. He uses just the right words. His love for language is evident from his idioms, and for this reason alone, I love this book. Overall, I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is a perfect read and I suggest this book to adults and young adults. I do wish I could criticise the work at some point but I don’t believe that is physically possible in this particular case.

******
Damn the Diagnosis
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Sounds like a very inspiring story. So many diseases and he managed to beat them all. I am glad you didn't feel like this was a heavy read, because that is the first thing I think when I want to read a book like this one. Thank you for the great review!

It was a beautiful read. I am sure you would love it!

This sounds like a lovely, inspiring read! The author has displayed so much courage in the face of adversity, and even though I don't usually read memoirs, this seems like an amazing one Thank you for your review, it was really illuminating!

Wow! That man has had everything thrown at him! It sounds like an uplifting and inspiritational book. Thank you for the review.

How inspiring! Thank you for this review, I would have never known anything about this book.

A very inspirational look at how to use positivity and medicine to overcome any sickness that may assail the human body. Thank you for your very good review.

I love his attitude. From what I've heard actively fighting cancer with a positive attitude is the most important thing you can do.

I would not have given this book a second look on a shelf - it's not my normal read. Your review has made me decide to add it to my Want to Read shelf. I love that he doesn't wallow in self-pity and I love that it's not "heavy." Those were the sentences that clinched it for me. Thanks for the thorough review!

Wow, it's high praise when a reader would read the book purely for the style of the author! And if the content is good as well... sounds like a great book. I like that word "diagnonsense"

I think what I gather from reading your review and also looking at the title, the message is that our mindset really does play a role in our well being. I decided this a long time ago when I was beginning to worry over every little ache or cough. I mean, we drive ourselves crazy by watching all the drug ads on tv and become more sick minded than healthy minded. I am so glad to see that someone has written a personal account of his triumph over cancer in that he didn't just take what the doctor said as the final word. It sounds like a book that would be good for all of us to read, whether we have a diagnosis or not. Thank you for this insightful review.

An uplifting read this would be! Any other author working on this genre without good enough skills might end up writing in such a way that overwhelms the reader. From your review, however, this does not seem to be the case here! Thanks!

An uplifting read this would be! Any other author working on this genre without good enough skills might end up writing in such a way that overwhelms the reader. From your review, however, this does not seem to be the case here! Thanks!

it's always good to hear of people surviving serious medical problems - the very fact of survival may give hope to others. However, it would be sad if those who are losing the battle were made to feel that they just hadn't tried hard enough.

This is a very well written and thorough review. I would not usually read something like this, but your review definitely opened up the possibility. So, thanks!