Physical: An American Checkup

by James McManus

Includes a New Afterword

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice

When hard-living, middle-aged American writer James McManus gets a three-day executive checkup at the Mayo Clinic, he is immediately forced to confront his mortality. Will he survive his own cardiovascular system and genetic inheritance long enough to see his young daughters grow up? With great candor and wit, McManus explores not only his own health but also that of the health care system itself and the political realities that have hamstrung stem cell research--which could help his eldest daughter's diabetes. Physical is an unabashed, wrenching, and often hilarious portrait of unwellness in America.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medicine

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

James "Jim" McManus is an American poker player, teacher and writer living in Kenilworth, Illinois.

Reviews

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm listening to this on audio. I really needed a car book and it was the first I grabbed. Interesting bits about the Mayo clinic, less interesting political rants.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave this book a 2 star review. The author comes across as arrogant and not very likable at times.

[Mathew Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too true. Humorous, though with a bit of language.

[AmberBug com* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shelf Notes Review


Dear Reader,

This was an audiobook, I feel that fact is important when reviewing because the format of print vs. audiobook can make quite the difference. The Author is a famous poker player who got his fame in the literary world with his informative poker book, "Positively Fifth Street: Murders, Cheetahs and Binion's World Series of Poker". I haven't read that book nor have I heard of James McManus before "Physical". I'm the type of gal that likes to participate not watch when something fun is going on, I hate watching games or sports... I like playing them. Maybe this book has piqued the interested in those who've come across his name through his poker playing skills or his books about the game BUT this book is something entirely different. I would steer those people away from this or at least warn them that without an interest in the medical world or stem cell research, they'd probably be disinterested.

So what does a poker player know about the medical world? Quite a lot actually! As much as his knowledge is vast though, his opinions are even bigger. I can only describe this book as someone who experienced everything first hand and spewed all his passion from this experience straight at us like a lightning bolt. I enjoyed his passion but most of the time I found myself rolling my eyes and hoping he would just tone it down a bit. But this begs the question, if he wasn't so passionate would I have liked the book any more? Probably not. His experience is quite unique and his life is chock full of tragedy. I feel for him and can only be happy he can share this with the world.

I would also advise anyone attempting to read this that he is quite colorful with his words and there's quite a few cringe worthy moments of the book. Particularly, the part about his daughter getting stabbed in the eye with a broken magic wand at a birthday party. I won't spoil the details but it gets quite gruesome. For me in particular, I believe this book held more interest because it had so much to do with the medical world and the controversy behind it. It delved into things that I have been realizing for awhile now, things that if I didn't work in the medical field... might go unnoticed. I'm glad to have read it but I'm not sure I would pick up anything else by him, mostly because reading about poker sounds downright dull.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

[Bookmarks Magazine]

McManus, journalist, novelist, and the author of the wildly popular Positively Fifth Street (2003), a compelling tale of big-stakes gambling at the 2000 World Series of Poker, follows that book with an account of his own mortality. The author's irreverent sense of humor is his strength. The highly readable story, however, suffers a fate similar to that of many magazine articles-cum-books__namely, the short piece's inability to shoulder the weight of further examination and the addition of larger, more serious issues, including the suicide of a son and the fragility of his other children's health. The critical reception of Physical suffers perhaps as much from the success of Positively Fifth Street as from the disjointedness of the narrative at hand.

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.

[Virginia · Rating 2 out of 5]

My original review for this was "Interesting. Light reading." for which I got blasted at the site where I posted stuff before - the commenter was furious that I would call this light reading when there was a description of an injured child in the book. Really? The writing was not deep and complex, and it was about medical issues, which naturally include injured people. What I meant was, you could probably read this while watching tv, or listening to music, or talking with someone else. There is nothing new or earth shattering included in this book, and the writing is very simple.
I wouldn't recommend this.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting at first, but I found it dragging and repetitious as it progressed. Basically, McManus does the "executive physical" at the Mayo Clinic--which encompasses all of those scans and such--it was hugely expensive: $8,000

It's neat, in that you get to see the ins and outs of Mayo--but I encountered some mildly monotonous rants about healthcare that I'm sure Michael Moore could have spiced up a bit, if given the chance.

All in all--great cover, good start, petered out in the end.

[Josh Fischel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Physical was disappointing in the way that Bush's reaction post-9/11 was disappointing. McManus, poker obsessed, had the opportunity to write about the Mayo Clinic and its 'executive physical' - thousands of dollars to run every test ever on you - but he managed to make it dull and overwrought, ranging tangentially to stem cell research and his daughter's diabetes. He stared into the unblinking eye of the physical and, like the rest of us, turned squeamish.

[Neil Crocker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a strange book. McManus goes for an executive checkup at the Mayo Clinic at his employer's expense and finds out he should eat better and quit smoking. Then for the rest of the book he tells us a lot about his health, his family and his hatred of the Bush administration particularly for the stem cell research policy. I liked the book's tone and pace, and learned a lot, but it really felt like 2 magazine articles spliced together, which is basically what it is.

[Risa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The patently obvious agenda of this book (against G.W.Bush, for stem cell research) made it a bit irritating at times -- but it happens to be an agenda with which I generally agree, which mitigated my annoyance somewhat.

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

UGH, his written voice was unbearable. could not read it any more.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe more than I wanted to know about clinic time.