Physical
An American Checkup
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A Hilarious and Poignant Journey Through the American Healthcare System
In Physical, James McManus takes readers on a witty and unflinching journey through the American healthcare system as he confronts his own mortality during a three-day "executive checkup" at the Mayo Clinic. Forced to face the reality of his family history and the needs of his young children, McManus grapples with the decision to follow his doctors' advice while navigating the political and medical labyrinth of healthcare in America.
From the terrifying stress test supervised by dominatrix-esque technicians to the looming question of whether to get a vasectomy, McManus's story is a no-holds-barred portrait of a privileged generation coming to terms with their own mortality. With his trademark humor and candor, McManus explores the complexities of stem cell research, the challenges of living with chronic illness, and the universal desire to be there for our loved ones.
Physical is a must-read for anyone navigating the healthcare system or facing the realities of aging. McManus's honest and hilarious account will resonate with readers as he calls for sanity and enlightenment in the face of life's most challenging moments.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As McManus (author of the bestselling Positively Fifth Street) admits, he's been spending too much time on his duff, playing poker and eating third helpings of his wife's cooking. He also likes his liquor and his postprandial cigarette all bad things given his family history of early heart attacks and death. In this disjointed, sometimes uproarious, sometimes powerful book, Mcmanus describes his experience of the ber-physical the executive physical at the Mayo Clinic. McManus does amazing high-energy riffs on themes like our belief in our own immortality, and assesses the manner and personalities of his doctors as keenly as they examine him. One wonders whether he needed an $8,000 physical to learn he should exercise more, eat and drink less and cut out the smoking, but the tour of the remarkable Mayo Clinic and the best physical money can buy is well worthwhile. Equally strong is a recounting of his older daughter Bridget's struggle with juvenile diabetes, which leads to forceful but repetitious rants against President Bush for virtually banning embryonic stem cell research (which could lead to a cure for diabetes). Odd detours into other areas of McManus's physical life, like his reluctance to have a vasectomy, are less gratifying, and the book doesn't really add up to a look at health care in America today.
