Against Medical Advice Review

Against Medical Advice by James Patterson and Hal Friedman, October 20, 2008, Little, Brown and Company, 384 pages, Non-Fiction

The Premise:
Cory Friedman woke up one morning when he was five years old with the uncontrollable urge to shake his head and his life was never the same again. From that day forward his life became a hell of uncontrollable tics, urges, and involuntary utterances. Eventually he is diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive disorder, and Cory embarks on an excruciating journey from specialist to specialist, enduring countless combinations of medications in wildly varying doses. Soon it becomes unclear what tics are symptoms of his disease and what are side effects of the drugs. The only certainty is that it kept getting worse. Despite his lack of control, Cory is aware of every embarrassing movement, and sensitive to every person's reaction to his often aggravating presence. Simply put: Cory Friedman's life is a living hell. 


My Thoughts:
I found this to be a very interesting and fast-paced book. It was educational in that I have not read much about Tourette's Syndrome prior to this book and as such found the information quite enlightening. The way this affliction is protrayed in movies is certainly off the mark and to make fun of someone's affliction is uncalled for.

The story was told through Cory's voice which brought the book to life and made it real. The family support that Cory received was instrumental in his recovery. It was nice to show his thankfulness for his parents and realizing the struggles they faced and how they worked so hard for his benefit.

I would strongly recommend this book as I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rating 4 out of 5.