Customer Reviews

Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

As a cancer survivor, I wanted to like this book. I love the idea of a "hip" survival/inspirational guide for women. I am so glad that Kris Carr has dealt so well with a devastating diagnosis. This points to a true strength of spirit. I think the author's heart is in the right place, but something went wrong here. I didn't find this book hip, or funny. It struck a bad chord for me. When I had cancer I too was 31. I didn't go through a decision-making process about whether to tell my esthetician about my illness. I wasn't worried about getting my bikini area waxed. I didn't go on a "cancervation" with my "posse", because I was working to pay my bills and keep my health insurance. I didn't attend retreats and trainings and buy hundreds of dollars of goods from Whole Foods on shopping trips and make a documentary about myself. People deal with trauma and heal in different ways, and spending freely seems to have been beneficial to Kriss Carr's personal journey. Each woman featured in this book talks about her height and weight, and Kris Carr makes numerous references to her own weight and desire to weigh less. It seems the opposite of "empowering", and perhaps a bit disingenuous, for a woman who looks (at least in her photos) radiantly healthy, beautiful, stylish, and very thin to keep making references to desire for weighing less. I'd find it inspirational to hear things along the lines of "I used to worry about my weight before cancer, but since I've changed my diet and lifestyle, my body has changed and I'm very happy with it, I feel very comfortable in my own skin now" (or something like that). When I had cancer, I was more concerned with getting well than stepping on the scale. I'm well and healthy, now, my looks are something I pay attention to but emphasizing it in a book focused on cancer seems wrong. I can't pretend to know what it's like to have the disease that Kris Carr is living with. She seems to be doing something right - a lot of somethings. I respect this tremendously. I'd love to hear more about diet and exercise, more on inner process, less about numbers on the scale and appearance and the things that money can buy. Maybe focusing on this is meant to distract the mind, and I've missed the point!

I was diagnosed with cancer two years ago at the age of 32 and at the time I certainly yearned for cancer guidebooks and first-person narratives that reflected my experience as a "young" person with cancer. But I'm not sure if this book would have helped me. Page after glossy page, it makes cancer seem like more fun than it really is. Crazy sexy beautiful cancer babes? I'm all for empowerment, but cancer treatment makes you feel like utter garbage. I can imagine coming home from a chemo-vomit-fest at the hospital to open up a book filled with beautiful, thin, made-up, well-coiffed women (who, of course, have dashing, heroic boyfriends and husbands who always make them feel better) -- only to feel that I don't measure up. What, now I have to feel sassy and sexy when I'm being poisoned by intravenous drugs? How about a book for the rest of us, with our imperfect bodies and hairdos and our romantic partnerships with fallible human beings who don't always save the day? I appreciate the spirit of the project, but the book would have been improved with some glossy photos of these beautiful women looking and feeling like death warmed over. It's great to have your spirits lifted, and to be reminded that you're still "crazy and sexy" even though you have cancer -- it's great to refuse to be defined entirely by the disease. But let's not pretend that cancer isn't terrifying and devastating and painful and isolating, and that sometimes you just WON'T feel good. Cancer is a grim, ugly thing. Let's not paper over that with fancy makeup and pink ribbons. A truly empowering book would embrace the ugly AND the beautiful sides of the experience. I think the author had the right spirit; I think the publishing company's marketing department just got the best of her.

When I first came across this book, I was intrigued by the title: "What on earth is sexy about cancer?" I wondered. I only had to read a couple of pages to get the answer to my question: the thousands of wonderful, beautiful, gorgeous, loving, caring, brilliant, crazy, sexy women who are diagnosed with cancer every year. Question answered! With this book Ms. Carr is lifting the veil on cancer; and it's high time. So many of us tip toe around the subject of cancer. The irony is that everyone is in some way affected by the disease or will be at some point in their lives. In this book, Ms. Carr, in a delightfully crazy, sexy way shares her own incredible journey while at the same time providing "cancer babes" as she calls them, tips on how to tackle their own diagnosis. The book leaves no stone unturned--there are tips for recovering from the shock of an initial diagnosis, on getting the very best medical care possible, dealing with friends, family, dating and fertility. There's even an informative and interesting chapter on nutrition and exercise. Throughout the book, Ms. Carr tells her story and shares her wisdom and experiences with honesty and laugh-out-loud humor. There's an entire chapter on retail therapy! You've got to read this book for yourselves! No review can do it justice. Read it, and I promise it will leave a smile on your face and create a lightness in your soul that will be impossible to shake. And this book is NOT just for folks dealing with a cancer diagnosis; not by any means. It didn't take me long to realize that it's about so much more than dealing with a cancer diagnosis, it's about facing and overcoming any adversity that life throws at us. But, by all means, if you do know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, don't hem and haw and be at a loss for words, give them this book!

As a recent Breast Cancer survivor, I can tell you that this book was my favorite "cancer" book. Like everyone who is diagnosed with cancer, I spent hours researching on the internet, and reading various "what to expect" books. After all that, I cannot tell you what a pleasure it was to read CrazySexyCancer!

As a cancer survivor, you realize while reading this book that "Oh Yeah, I have been in that exact situation" many times. Maybe, at the time, you didn't see the humor in it, but reading Kris's book you will now! Kris offers sound and practical advice from talking to your Doctor and nurse, playing the cancer card, working on your attitude, dressing up, and eating correctly. Her style is humorous and irreverent, but with a deep understanding from someone who has looked at the abyss and said, "OK, let's jump!" I especially liked the stickies, or post-it notes, throughout the book, making you feel like you really are communicating directly with the author. My all time favorite stickie is the one we can all relate to, "Why Me?"

My only criticism of this book is that it is targeted to an audience of young women. As a 54 year old breast cancer survivor, I loved reading this book and I know that women of all ages would enjoy it. Now, women my age will skip over the "Fertile Hope" section, but will still find plenty to read that applies to them. I have already bought several copies to give to friends, and to put in the Cancer Wellness Center in my area. This book is "must have" for the bookshelves of any Cancer Center. All women, whether they have had cancer or not, should thank Kris Carr for writing this book. She gives us a reason to laugh, while at the same time gives us valuable information and tips about how to cope with cancer and/or the curves that life throws you! I loved this book, and in awe of Kris' strength as she faces her life with cancer.

What's great about this beautifully produced book is that it's not just for so-called female cancers, but for any woman with any kind of cancer - even the kind that usually hits 60-something men. Once you've read the clinical books on cancer, pick this one up. It'll give you all sorts of fantastic tips on everything from handling losing your hair to "cancercations." Best of all, you'll feel less alone.

Kris Carr is truly amazing. After being diagnosed with a rare cancer in her thirties, she began documenting her story of survival. Rather than being one of the usual "soup for the soul" kind of book, Kris's Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips relates her experiences with humor and irreverence. I'm not a cancer survivor, but this book inspired me to live life every day to the fullest (and not wait until something tragic befalls me to start paying attention to my world)!

First of all, I have a bad case of "chemo brain" right now so please forgive my bad spelling. This book would be helpful if I seemed to have the unlimited access to money that Mrs. Carr seems to have. I would love to be able to go on a "cancervation" to my favorite bed and breakfast. Who's going to pay for it? The parts about shopping therapy were a laugh riot..-_-. Oh, that trip to Whole Foods to replace everything white and processed in my pantry. YEAH, because we all know cancer survivors are SUPPOSED to be VEGANS right? I wish I lived in such an idyllic world. Where I could just go to upstate New York and hike my troubles away. Wait.. what troubles does Kris Carr have? Well a rare form of cancer yes, but is she sick? Is she on chemo? Radiation? No wait.. she doesn't even FEEL sick and is having NO TREATMENT? Then who is she to give me tips on dealing with the days and nights of side effects of chemo? No one that's who. If you wanted mindless pandering by all means.. buy this book.

Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips is a thought provoking and ultimately inspiring book. I've spent most of my life trying my best to avoid anything having to do with the big "C" and yet the title and design of this book compelled me to give it a peek. I was sold on page one. Kris Carr has had to change her priorities, look inside herself, and now she's sharing with us what she's learned. It's an eye opener for me. It's not depressing or morbid, but an affirmation of the beauty of life and for me personally, a reminder to stop, breathe, and look around. Not only would I recommend reading it, but I recommend it being shared with friends and discussed.
Ira

I am a 58 year old mastectomy cancer patient and could well relate to this book even though it was written with young women in mind. I found this book refreshing and "right on". Mz.Carr's attitude and turn of phrase along with her photographs was so extremely clever and funny. She did not make light of the disease but took all of the horrifying details we all had to deal with and was able to describe them in such a way that we could all say, "Yeah, that's it! That's what I experienced!" and let us laugh about it. Any cancer patient of any age would benefit from this book. I plan to order several to send to friends battling this disease. I am also giving a copy to my oncologist to suggest to her patients.

I ususally do not read books about illness and health calamities, but Kris Carr's book is an exception for a reason - as soon as I picked it up I was hooked. Her voice is clear, strong, funny, moving, and down right unnerving at times! It's truly a page turner, which is a funny thing to say about the book given its subject matter. I also think it is a book that anyone facing any kind of life threatening challenge or even a major life crisis will find helpful, reassuring, and yes, enjoyable.