Hyper-chondriac: One Man's Quest to Hurry Up and Calm Down [Hardcover]

Brian Frazer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2007

Does your blood pressure surge if the car in front of you turns without signaling? Do your neck veins pulsate when a cashier takes too long to ring you up? Does relaxing seem like it'll have to wait until you're dead? Then your name could very well be Brian Frazer.

On paper, Frazer is the world's healthiest guy. He eats right, exercises regularly, gets plenty of sleep, has never smoked and has missed only one day of flossing in the last five years. But inside he's a swirling vortex of angst, capable of contracting a new malady every month. Once Frazer realized that all his ills were tied to stress, he went on a quixotic quest for calm, venturing into everything from Tai Chi, serotonin blockers and Kabbalah to an unfortunate incident involving pineapple-chicken curry at a Craniosacral therapy session. Never has the road to wellville taken so many unforeseen turns.

Achingly funny, uncomfortably true and always entertaining, Hyperchondriac is just the medicine for anyone who wants to take it down a notch.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Frazer's first book is the perfect medicine for anyone suffering from a case of treacly-memoir syndrome. Hilarious and biting, Hyper-Chondriac recounts the author's lifelong battle with various ailments and maladies, ranging from minor instances of frostbite to rage-filled meltdowns. Frazer's reflections are distinct and laugh-out-loud funny. During a teen rendezvous, Frazer contemplates how his date, suffering from scoliosis, removes her brace: 'It probably had to involve her entire family, as if they were an Indy pit crew.' It's that kind of spiked, wickedly funny observation that makes this sickness-filled book so easy to swallow. A-"

-- Entertainment Weekly

"How did Brian Frazer take his neuroses and write a hysterical book, while mine just annoy my family? Seriously, this is one funny book. Damn it."

-- Ray Romano

"Hyper-chondriac is my new favorite memoir! It was so funny I laughed out loud, so honest I gasped out loud and so relatable I immediately called my therapist. I love this book!"

-- Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, author of Sippy Cups are Not for Chardonnay

"Brian Frazer has written a very touching and hilarious exploration of family, hypochondria, and road rage. It's awesome."

-- Greg Behrendt, coauthor of He's Just Not That Into You

"...a riotous romp through a head case's attempts to find inner peace for his own bodily health."

-- New York Post

"Hyper-chondriac is an amazing book. It's funny, raw, moving and original. And I'm not just saying that because I'm afraid Brian Frazer will be angry at me if I don't."

-- A.J. Jacobs, author of The Know-it All

"...caustically funny yet quietly moving." -- USA TODAY --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Brian Frazer has written for Esquire, Vanity Fair, Premiere, ESPN, Los Angeles and other magazines. A former stand-up comedian, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Nancy, and dog, Kenyon.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1 edition (March 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743293398
• ISBN-13: 978-0743293396
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,394,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A smart, engaging, manic ride., February 27, 2007

By 

V. Wagner (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hyper-chondriac: One Man's Quest to Hurry Up and Calm Down (Hardcover)

You know that feeling when you start a book and spend an entire weekend reading it cover to cover, not wanting to stop to put it down for a second? Within the first couple of chapters, I came across Brian Frazer's hilarious, self-deprecating description of competing in his first bodybuilding contest, slathered in oil in his Speedo, and I was hooked. Then he broke it all down...

This is a brutally, painfully, and wonderfully honest depiction of a journey to gain inner peace and all of the things that make us nuts to begin with. By the end, I was deeply moved and sad it was over. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a smart, engaging, manic ride. Expect to laugh.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On My Must Have List, February 20, 2007

By 

Stefanie Taylor "Author of 'Sippy Cups Are No... (Encino, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hyper-chondriac: One Man's Quest to Hurry Up and Calm Down (Hardcover)

Okay, I'm a sucker for a memoir but let's face it, a lot of them are not great and most of them are not funny. Somehow Brian Frazer managed to hit the trifecta of painfully honest, brave and hilarious on his quest to stop being so angry all the time. Personally I related to this book a little too much - Zoloft, irrational irritation and a desire to get better were themes of mine as well. But I definitely didn't go to the lengths that Brian did. He shares stories of silence retreats, Tai Chi with old people, therapy and other undignified ways to spend an afternoon with such rare humor that you will find yourself laughing out loud even if you can't relate at all.

I highly recommend this book and if you don't love it, you can personally ask for your money back from Brian Frazer. He's so calm now I'm sure he'd give it to you. Okay, maybe not. But buy the book.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a fantastic book., March 1, 2007

By 

Courtney (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hyper-chondriac: One Man's Quest to Hurry Up and Calm Down (Hardcover)

It feels so good to laugh as hard I laughed while reading this book, I wish I encountered something this funny every day. I kept reading parts of this book aloud to my boyfriend and we were both laughing so hard we were CRYING. Crying! I actually had to set the book down several times to wipe my eyes. What's also great is that it goes from being extremely funny to extremely moving. His account of his family's dysfunction is touching and funny and even though his childhood was unusual--even bizarre--it was totally relateable. This book does that thing that every great book does--it explores and exposes "the human condition", it reveals what it means to be alive--questioning and searching, trying to find solutions, trying to avoid suffering. I wish I could get this book for everyone I know. It ranks up there with the best humor writing, and it's as deep and revealing as any "serious" stuff I've read. Even though this book is brand new, I already think of it as a classic.