Customer Reviews

Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy: A True Story of Discovery, Acting, Health, Illness, Recovery and Life

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We live in a yogi-riddled age, where just about every shmuck with enough coinage to open a curd stand, self-publish a book or fund an infomercial is out there preaching his or her own "enlightened" method of living, eating, sleeping, dieting, thinking, exercising or making love. Most of these people are cranks or con-men, and their advice is worth about as much as a bean-curd pastry at a Texas chili cook-off. Having read CONFESSIONS OF A KAMIKAZE COWBOY, I feel compelled to say that Dirk Benedict, former star of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and THE A-TEAM, is n-o-t one of them. You may not agree with everything he has to say, either on the medical establishment, diet or philosophy, but he tells an interesting story and makes a passionate and perhaps even credible argument for embracing a totally different way of relating to the world.

Benedict was born in rural Montana (hence: COWBOY) and grew up on what might be referred to as an all-meat diet, a diet he later blamed for his arthritis, acne, receding hairline and ultimately, for his prostatic cancer, and CONFESSIONS is largely an examination of his lifelong journey to really grasp the meaning of the phrase, "You are what you eat." The book is subtitled "A True Story of Discovery, Acting, Health, Recovery and Life" and on every part but the "Acting" this is true. Readers hoping for the inside story on his up-and-down career in front of the camera will be disappointed, for with the exception of some anecdotes about getting cast as Starbuck on GALACTICA and a hilarious recollection of his guest appearance on CHARLIE'S ANGELS he has almost nothing to say about Hollywood (except, of course, for its pill-popping, soul-destroying culture). This lends credence to his oft-repeated mantra that he really doesn't give a damn about acting, fame or money, which is kind of refreshing from a guy whose looks certainly should have made him as superficial as a nightly news segment.

In CONFESSIONS, Dirk preaches the virtues of a macrobiotic diet, which ain't easy, because macrobiotics is/are one of the toughest culinary disciplines out there, eschewing all animal flesh, all dairy, all caffine and alcohol drinks, all sugar, all flour products, all fruits, nuts, and oils (with one or two exceptions), and all tropical vegetables, in favor of "50 - 60% whole grains, 20 - 30 % cooked vegetables, 5 - 10 % soups, 5 - 10 % beans and bean products, and 5 - 10 % cooked sea vegetables." The only acceptable beverages are water and a couple non-stimulant teas, such as bancha or seaweed. (In other words, jack-all.) Hand-in-hand with a macrobiotic diet, however, Dirk also preaches a macrobiotic way of life, founded on the principles of yin and yang (hence: KAMIKAZE) which, if I may reduce it to a phrase, stresses a life dedicated to the understanding and examination of causes, rather than the treatment and reaction to effects.

Dirk's grudges, against American culture specifically and modern society generally, are numerous and bitter. Like Kevin Trudeau, who has made untold gazillions with his NATURAL CURES books, Benedict puts a steel-toed boot up the a*s of organized Christianity, the medical establishment, the dairy association, the drug concerns, the fast-food and sugar-soda empires, and so on. Like Trudeau, he blames our diet and consumerist, materialist, effects-driven culture for all the evils of the world, from rape and cancer to wars and nuclear proliferation. Diet, he maintains, is the essential, the central, the first cause of all behaviors and world-outlooks, and a diet laden with garbage causes not merely physical disease - like he had - but emotional and spiritual disease as well. Through a macrobiotic approach, Dirk purged his body of a life-accumulation of toxins and whupped his migraines, his impotence, his receding hairline, his acne, his arthritis and finally, his cancer. And the proof's in the pudding - he quotes his stats as of 2005 as: pulse 45 (!), bp 106/60, cholesterol 145. He adds gleefully that he never gets tired, hasn't had a headache in 15 years, sleeps like rock, and has the sex drive of a 18 year old. Dirk ain't stupid, he knows sex sells, and if he is ultra-sparing with details of his acting career, he makes no bones about how it greased the wheels of an envy-inducing sex life.

To be sure, D.B. has some out-there ideas and not a few of his opinions had me doing the oh-come-on dance, but the same charm he exuded on TV as "Starbuck" and "Faceman" glosses over even his more obnoxious moments, such as when he claims that rape is a side-effect of bad diet or that nobody gets anything in life he doesn't deserve. On the whole however his writing style is erudite and enjoyable. If he often bogs down in pseudo-profundity, he just as often entertains with wonderfully mean-spirited assaults on all the soulless b*stards in the world that profit from obesity, disease and human vice generally. His ultimate attitude is, "If you want to know what's in my 'medicine cabinet', look in my kitchen."

Most people are either too brainwashed by modern corporate Kultur, with its never-ending emphasis on bigger-faster-more, or too unwilling to give up everything that seems worthwhile in the fridge just to add a few years to the back-end of their lives, to follow Benedict down his path. I'm not sure it's for me, either, but I'm willing to take a few steps and see where it goes....

Dirk Benedict is a witty and 'no holds barred' writer, and I appreciated the raw honesty of both of his books. I read the 1991 printing of this book several years ago and wish I had read it sooner. Confessions changed the way I think about modern medicine. It was the beginning of my journey to learning about the healing power of macrobiotics and it's ability to keep us healthy so we can enjoy life as we were meant to. But don't take my word for it, read the book. I think everyone should.

This is an excellent book. Dirk is an excellent author. This was the quickest read of non-fiction I have had in years. It is great getting a point of view of others, especially, when they write in a down-to-earth style you can understand. Dirk seems to be that kind of guy.

If you are looking for a bit-by-bit blow from Battlestar Galactica or the A-Team...forget it. He only tells us a little about his work. I wish he would have written more because the few parts there were a great read.

This book is mainly about how Dirk fought cancer using macrobiotics. After reading this book I am not a convert, but I learned a lot. I learned that I and most Americans need to greatly reduce our intake of fatty meat and triple our intake of good vegetables. More veggies, a balanced diet and less caffeine and alcohol all lead to a healthier person.

I do not totally agree with him on his views on modern medicine. Yes, there are many quacks out there who think that they can solve any problem you have with a pill, you get addicted to that pill and then you're hooked. But evidence shows that we are living longer today despite our intake of unhealthy food. I think we can thank some doctors and scientists for that.

For me, the power of this book was the fact that Dirk took control of his life that, to him, seemed out of control. And it does seem like his method helped beat his disease.

I hope we have more offerings from Dirk, not only on the screen, but more literary works as well.

The life of Dirk Benedict, the benefits of a macrobiotic diet, taking control of your own health instead of using pills, that's what this book is about. I loved the book, but if you're an A-Team or Battlestar Galactica fan, I'm not so certain you'd want to hear much about Benedict's advocation of a vegetarian diet & how he believes he beat cancer through it.

I am a practicing medical doctor, so hear me out on my opinion on his views on diet & cancer. I very much support much of what Benedict says--perhaps about 80-90% of it. He mentions going vegetarian, incorporating a macrobiotic diet & excercise saved his life in more ways than 1. Take into consideration that Benedict wrote this in a day & age when cutting down harmful fats, excercising & eating "whole" foods were seen as a harmful fad. It is understandable why he writes his opinions in a tone that is somewhat preaching & angry. Its actually quite revolutionary that he had these views in the 70s, since this seemed to only catch on in the 90s.

I also strongly support that people in general need to take control of their health through diet & excercise & not really on the doctor for wellness. Its unfortunate, but the pharmaceutical industry & managed care have created something I nickname "fast food medicine". They only want us to see patients for about 15 minutes, give them a pill & see the next one. They don't want us sitting with our patients & educating them about health. No, they will not outright claim this but all the financial incentives push us in this direction. In several places, I can only get paid for a 15 minute check. If I don't prescribe a med, I might not get reimbursed. Doctors are pushed to treat sickness, but not promote wellness. Those that promote wellness often are doing it at a loss of pay because they care.

Some of the approaches that Benedict did to treat his cancer without medication or surgery have now been validated by modern science to have a positive effect. Several meats today for example as a result of factory farming have several unwanted chemicals. E.g. cows are fed feed with tetracycline, which stays in the meat & ends up in our own system. Hormones in animal meats can possibly affect the prostate. Some nutrients in vegetarian products have now been identified to be healthy for the prostate that were not known in the 70s to have this effect. Reducing calories has been found to help treat cancer because it starves cancer cells. So, Benedict's approach to treating his own cancer which was seen as ludicrous back in the 70s-80s, now doesn't sound impossible with this knowledge that wasn't known then by western medicine.

However as a doctor, I really need to point out 3 parts of the book that I question & cannot advocate. I am not saying they're not true (I don't know), just saying that I could never reccomend them to a patient. I could never tell a patient with protstate cancer to simply & only use diet. Benedict also believes that someone who was a something of a spiritual health guru accurately diagnosed his cancer by simply seeing a polaroid photo of him, and this person had a skill at detecting illness because of the properties of a polaroid photo. Keeping the most open mind possible (and this is a stretch), perhaps this person did have these metaphysical powers. Maybe its miracle on the order of Lourdes, but if science accepted miracles simply on the word of another, we'd be accepting 100 mistakes for every real benefit. Besides, if this really worked, why didn't this person allow himself to be researched? I do need to add that Benedict did go to traditional western doctors who then reconfirmed that he did indeed have prostate cancer (another reviewer claims Benedict did not do this, I double checked, he did). Finally, the last point is yes, I agree that several doctors have a closed minded approach to eastern medicine, but there are several today that are more open minded & know perhaps even more than he does on this matter. Andrew Wiel, M.D. for example has used a scientific approach to study eastern medicine & has found much of it to work.
All in all did I enjoy the book? Yes, very much so. Just wanted to point out the above. Outside those portions, I very much loved this book & hope you will try it out.

A very exiting to read book, a true adventure, life or death, with a happy end. I read it in one sitting.

This book's story matches my personal experiences, even though my health problems were not the same, they were equally critical. Sometimes, and in this case too, health problems that would lead to a soon death can be eliminated by understanding how your body works, giving your body the food it needs and COMPLETELY, I mean TOTALLY, avoid junk food. What is equally important, and it shines through between the lines, is a relaxed mind set.

A few related books:

Macrobiotic Diet

Cooking the Whole Foods Way: Your Complete, Everyday Guide to Healthy, Delicious Eating with 500 VeganRecipes, Menus, Techniques, Meal Planning, Buying Tips, Wit, and Wisdom

Christina Cooks: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Whole Foods But Were Afraid to Ask

Glow

If you have an open mind I highly recommend this book; and even if your mind is closed you might find yourself thinking differently after reading this book. We live in a society that over medicates it's people. Dirk's book shows his personal struggle with cancer and how by taking control of his health naturally through food and not medications he was able to fix the imbalance within his body and kick the cancer out. His stories of the ups and downs of life (relationships, Hollywood, etc) are very entertaining and enlightening. This book is an easy and great read. Just remember, the bigger the front the bigger the back, and don't forget to chew!

This book is interesting. Often crude and graphic. Could have done without the rough language. Good advice though and my husband is following much of it. Thanks

Dirk Benedict's story is a great read which gives hope to those suffering from cancer. He tells it like it is when talking about the US medical professsion, and its greed and incompetance. I believe this book saved my life. While I cannot say for certain that I had cancer -like Dirk I do my best to avoid doctors. But I was told by a nurse at a VA hospital that I needed to have a biopsy on my prostate gland. I learned that the procedure is that they insert a hollow needle and take 24 samples of the prostate. So I told them "no thanks"! Shortly thereafter I purchased a copy of "Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy", and after reading it I followed the macrobiotic diet which saved Dirk's life. I lost 85 lbs within about 3 months. This was in 2003, and I am still kicking. I do still have a slight problem with prostate enlargement which I am fighting by other means, but otherwise am healthy. I have also read several other books by people who have claimed to have been healed of cancer by following the macrobiotic diet and macrobiotic principles.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone suffering from cancer, or anyone who thinks they may have cancer.

I found this book in the lobby of my apartment in San Jose in 2001 shortly before my dad died..I was overweight, had many health problems and knew I needed to make some changes..This book assisted me in moving towards a vegan diet and cutting down on calories and unhealthy foods...I love his disdain of Western Medicine unless one is injured or has structural damage..I don't agree that the macrobiotic diet is 100% the answer..A vegan organic whole foods diet with occasional fish oil and fish probably is best..Also avoiding drugs, caffeine, sugar, processed foods, alcohol, etc etc makes a lot of sense.....Nice spiritual journeu described in full honesty..Dirk encourages the reader to go inside for the answers...I do question the fact that Kushi smoked/had cancer. that Dirk smokes cigars and that Kushi's wife/daughter died of cancer..An inspirational read with many holes, however.

Dirk Benedict has written a most thoughtful and interesting book about his experiences with relationships, lifestyle, diet, and health, but as a prostate cancer survivor myself I felt let down by his claim that he overcame this disease by a macrobiotic diet alone. A careful reading will find that at no time did he have a biopsy to determine if he had prostate cancer or not, and other tests available today did not exist in 1975.
So how does he know he had cancer? Because he had sent a Polaroid photo of himself to an "Italian scientist" who from 6,000 miles away had divined from the photo's "aura" that he had a tumor and treatment was paramount. Yes, it's true that he had an enlarged prostate (presumably from a Digital Rectal Examination), painful urination, and he had blood in the urine, but these are also indicators for non-cancerous Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH, enlarged prostate) and/or inflammation and infection of the prostate (Prostatitis), as well as prostate cancer.
Whether he overcame a severe case of BPH and Prostatitis using a macrobiotic diet is interesting, but claiming to be cured of CANCER when he might have had no such thing is misleading at best. Unfortunately, other authors have taken this up and claim that Benedict "cured his prostate cancer" by a macrobiotic diet.