Rodeo in Joliet [DELUXE EDITION] (Paperback)

~ Glenn Rockowitz (Author)
Key Phrases: green mile, thick dick, infusion room, Steve Pearlman, The Look, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

...an exhilarating rollercoaster ride that is, at once, heartbreaking and heartwarming, funny and sad, joyous and jolting. A must-read for anyone who knows anyone dealing with cancer. There are many books by and about cancer patients. None, however, is as powerful, or more moving, than this one. --Allen Klein
author, The Courage to Laugh

As a faculty member, I believe that Rodeo in Joliet should be required reading for all medical students before walking onto the ward. As a cancer survivor and physician, I'm again struck by the capricious nature of this disease and the fragility of our time here. Rockowitz tells it just like it is. --Brandon Hayes-Lattin, M.D.
Director of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, Knight Cancer Institute

Product Description

A relentlessly honest coming of death story, this psychological memoir of comedian Glenn Rockowitz's ongoing struggle with cancer offers a vivid glimpse into the landscape of a mind when it is faced with the constant threat of death. The story takes us from Glenn's unexpected diagnosis of 'three months at best' just days before the birth of his only child, to his miraculous remission and the ironic death of his father. It is a journey that is by turns heartbreaking, painfully funny, misanthropic, loving and ultimately heroic. Rodeo In Joliet tramples the Hallmark cliches and platitudes of traditional cancer survival stories and presents in their place an experience that leaves the reader in awe and grateful for his or her every breath.

Product Details

• Paperback: 346 pages
• Publisher: LB&c; Pre-1st RG edition (April 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1427637164
• ISBN-13: 978-1427637161
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #707,671 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most remarkable book I've read in years., April 21, 2009

By	John Hartmann (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Not only is this book startling in it's honesty and clarity but the very style of the writing allows the reader to actually feel the emotions on the page. I think I took one breath in the entire first six pages. Absolutely remarkable in every sense of the word.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, April 13, 2009

By	Book Snob "Book Snob" (Chicago, IL.) - See all my reviews

I had heard about this memoir from a friend and I bought it immediately after searching through the book. I read it in 8 hours and I couldn't put the f#@king thing down. A mix of Norman Mailer, Philip Roth and James Frey. Stripped down, nothing precious, not a word wasted. It will make you cry and laugh your a** off. LOVED it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ready to feel queasy and laugh at the same time?, May 12, 2009

By	KK "bookwirm" (Seattle) - See all my reviews

Rodeo in Joliet Have you ever thought about what you would do if you were told you were going to die? This book shows you what it was like for one person. And he tells you about it in such a way that you can feel the same punch to the gut, think the same confused thoughts and experience the shock and the attempts to make decisions when control has been taken away.

Aside from being a brilliantly composed story, this really is an amazing opportunity to learn what a person goes through when cancer disrupts everything. Healthcare providers and caregivers should read this.

Because it is a brilliantly composed story, I heartily recommend it to any fan of memoir looking for a fresh style.