Cheating Destiny: Living With Diabetes, America's Biggest Epidemic

by James S. Hirsch

The best-selling author of The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter offers a thought-provoking look at living with the disease that is becoming America's fastest-growing epidemic, revealing his own bout with Type 1 diabetes, the science behind the disease, and the skyrocketing impact of diabetes on the American economy and society.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Health

307 pages, Hardcover

First published November 8, 2006

About the author

James S. Hirsch is an American journalist and author who has written about sports, race, and American culture. He was a reporter for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and his first book was the best-selling Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter.

Hirsch has also written Riot and Remembrance: The Tulsa Race War and Its Legacy, Two Souls Indivisible: The Friendship That Saved Two POWs in Vietnam, and Cheating Destiny: Living with Diabetes. His biography of Willie Mays, released in February 2010, describes how the Negro leagues phenom became an instant sensation with the New York Giants in the 1950s, was the headliner in Major League Baseball's expansion to California, and played an important but underappreciated role in the civil rights movement.[1]

Hirsch, a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, lives in the Boston area.

Bibliography

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERYONE should read this book!!!

This was a very emotional read for me. The author has type 1 diabetes, and the book outlines his 3 year old son also being diagnosed with this devastating disease. As my family has lived through this same event--my husband has been type 1 diabetic for 25 years, and our son was just diagnosed at age 10 9mos ago. I have a hard time describing what that feels like, but James Hirsch has done a beautiful job of it.
The book also includes the history of the disease (both type 1 and 2), including past and present treatments for both diseases.
The information in the book is hurtful and heartbreaking at times, but that's because it is reality. He also explains how our current medical system and medical research are both set up to keep diabetics sick, and prevent a cure from being found.

Amidst the parts that made me cry, there are moments that made me smile and feel hope also.

If you know or love anyone with diabetes, you need to read this book!

[Katharine Grubb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a review for this in the Seattle Times and cut it out, only to lose it in my piles of stuff. I recovered it, then finally checked it out from the library. I wish I had read this sooner! The book goes into a wonderful history of this disease and its treatments through history. Of interesting importance is the discussion of the treatment of insulin over the past (almost) 100 years. Hirsch interviews people with diabetes, tells their stories in a way that illustrates the gravity of the disease and leaves you wanting to help. Hirsch has diabetes himself, and while writing the book, his son was diagnosed at age three. I felt much empathy for his feelings of anger and gulit at passing this disease along to a new generation. After reading this book, I feel very angry at the medical establishment and all the red tape it takes to cure this disease. Insulin is NOT a cure. My mom went online and bought me eight copies of this book. I am giving them to my friends and family to read. Hopefully they like it, and can get a better understanding of what goes through my mind on a daily basis.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most thorough exploration of diabetes I've come across. The author, James Hirsch, was diagnosed with Type 1 as a teenager. His brother (also Type 1) is a leading endocrinologist, and his son was diagnosed at age 3. It is a moving and sympathetic view of juvenile diabetes, chronicling the day-to-day struggle of living with a chronic, incurable, auto-immune disease. Insulin is not a cure, as this book painfully points out. This book also notes the epidemic growth of Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90-95% of all diabetic patients.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read for anyone with a child of type 1 diabetes. Mr. Hirsch has perfectly penned the words of heartache and hope associated with this childhood epidemic. Our school nurse (she is employed as an ER nurse in the local hospital) read it to better care for the 2 diabetes students and it was eye opening for her. She was able to fully grasp and understood the priority of "tight control". I think it would be a fabulous tool for administration and teachers serving our children.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't picked this up for about 10 years and yes, some of it has definitely become outdated. (Remember stem cells? I literally just saw an article about medical research using stem cells at my university and diabetes wasn't mentioned.)

And Hirsch is not as careful with clarifying when he's talking about what kind of diabetes as I'd like.

And I skipped a chapter exclusively about Type II (Chapter 4) and the one on Dr. Bernstein (Chapter 8) (the comparison with Frederick Allen's starvation diet is apt). And I skimmed much of the rest.

However, there are still some timeless truths and insights here that merit acknowledgement. Hirsch provides some intel, analysis, and sense-making that is rare in writing on type 1 diabetes (T1D).
- So much Hawthorne Effect in the DCCT! And bribery?! (p. 54) No wonder we mere mortals have always had a hard time living up to its findings.
- I had forgotten about Joslin's moralistic views. Talk about historical precedents being perpetuated.
- Hirsch has T1D and his son was diagnosed at age 3. I appreciate his exploration of why children with T1D are often the focus of fundraising and publicity efforts around T1D. "While children have never constituted a large percentage of diabetics [there's that failing to specify type of diabetes thing], they have always given the disease its special poignancy, its distinctive sorrow" (p. 93). Joslin himself was uniquely affected by the children he cared for. Hirsch found that his attitude changed once his son was diagnosed--that he was much more distressed (and stressed!) by his son's T1D than his own.
- I had forgotten about the JDF/JDRF "crisis" messaging vs. Bliss/Best and insulin as a miracle. (For more on this, read Bliss's "The Discovery of Insulin" and Chris Feudtner's book "Bittersweet: Diabetes, Insulin, and the Transformation of Illness.")
- Historian Michael Bliss notes that Americans' perpetual hope for a cure reflects our "complicated mix of American optimism, evangelicalism, and exceptionalism" (p. 235). From the vantage point of this particular moment of 2020, it seems like some of those things are shifting. It will be interesting to see if our diabetes cure discourse changes with them.

[Bradley Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book incredibly complements the academic history and personal experience of diabetes. I am proud to be working at a company for which Hirsch consults. I look forward to reading this book a second time!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on the recommendation of our Endocrinological Physicians Assistant.

I was hoping to gain a deeper understanding and education in diabetics. I gained that.

I also learned more than I ever wanted to know about the politics driving research into disease.

And I learned the history of diabetes care and the more recent research into solving its mystery.

Mostly I was depressed. As good as it is to know that other people fight this chronic condition every day and do well in the end, it still is a bitter daily war for the suffers of diabetes.

If you want to understand the point of view of a parent of a diabetic and the helplessness that is felt trying to fight this battle, this is a good book to read.

And BTW we have great healthcare professionals. Thanks Sharene and Hodia. And of course Don.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read for anyone interested in understanding diabetes and the challenges those who have it face everyday, this book covered everything from the history of its treatment to modern day research to find the ever-elusive cure; the stupifying willingness of insurance companies to cover treatment for complications yet their unwillingness to pay for prevention of the disease; the daily struggles of people living with the disease today and stories of those who survived in the past against all odds.
The author offers plenty of objective information, plus some sections from his perspective as person with type 1 diabetes who also has a young child with type 1 diabetes. If you don't well up at some point, I don't know what's wrong with you.

[Videoclimber(AKA)MTsLilSis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could totally relate to this author and this book. Like his son, I too was 3 years old and weighed 33 pounds when I was diagnosed. I enjoyed reading about the history of the disease. Much of the history was heartbreaking. The story about the boy who asked for the canary, just so he could eat the birdseed, and later starved to death, is one I will not soon forget! Some of the facts and figures were boring to me, but I live them so I know about them. I think this is the best book about diabetes I have read. I recomend it to those who are living it, those who love those who are living it, and those who want to know more.

[Nichole Miller Tinker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every person with a child with Type 1 Diabetes should read this book. In fact, I think it should be handed out at the hospital on diagnosis day. Hirsch gives a history of the disease that educates, and he gives you things to think about and ponder. What I love most about the book is his honest, real look at diabetes. He himself has T1D, as does his son and brother. You don't get more real than that! As a parent of a child with T1D, this book evoked just about every emotion possible in me. Anger, despair, hope, sadness, joy. . . get your kleenex, sit down and get ready to be educated and enlightened.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book's rambling style makes for an interesting, if somewhat disjointed read. Some of the information is now dated, such as insulin prices which are more often than not set by one's insurance. The book does cover some topics rarely seen elsewhere, such as the Bernstein low-carb Type 1 diabetes management method or the desperate need to treat diabetes as an epidemic instead of just kicking the problems down the road to hopefully a different insurer when complications finally start.

It's fun to read once, but don't expect it to be part of your permanent reference collection. Perhaps try the library for this one?

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hit really close to home, but it was intensely interesting for that very reason. I read it just months after my own diagnosis and it gave me a really detailed background of the disease, as well as info on treatment and the whole scandal of the health care industry. It was the first time I found a publication that didn't focus on the predominant Type 2 diabetes, and actually addressed those rare Type 1s out there and gave them some credit. A great read, very interesting!

[Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

While full of insights about the disease and living with diabetes, one of the most eye-opening things about this book is how it reveals the fundamental problems with our health care system. I’ve heard it said may times that in the U.S. we have a sick-care system rather than a health care system, but I never really understand what that meant until I read Cheating Destiny.

Not only fascinating book, but a hugely important one as well.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author describes his personal experiences with Type 1 diabetes as well as a parent of a child with Type 1. He also delves into the history of diabetes in the modern age. This is a difficult subject to approach and he makes it understandable for those without personal experience or background of diabetes. It jumps around, though, making it a bit confusing to read. This may be a problem with editing, not writing per se.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best, most honest and touching books I have read about diabetes. The history is well-researched and interesting (as well as relevant to the situation today) and Hirsch's writing about his own and his son's diabetes was moving and helpful. I think this book would mostly speak to people who have diabetes or a parent of a diabetic child. Now, I'm looking for a book by/for spouses of diabetics.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I learned in the book given that I've had diabetes for half my life now. I enjoyed reading the history of diabetes treatment and coming to understand recent research. This is a nice compilation of diabetes management history and recent developments that includes personal insights from the author, his family, and individuals he interviewed, making it much more compelling than anything I've read about diabetes before.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an informative and highly readable book about the history and future of diabetes and its treatment, and equally importantly about the experiences of people (young, old, patients, parents, family, and friends) affected by diabetes. The emphasis is on type 1 diabetes but Hirsch touches on type 2 diabetes too. Fascinating and engaging, a mix of academic/research content and personal narratives. Highly recommend for anyone with or touched by diabetes.

[Trey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is personal for me on several levels, but even if you are not personally affected by diabetes, it is worth checking out for a fascinating case study of everything that is wrong with our health care system in the United States.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of T1 diabetes - science, therapeutic history, economics, pursuit of cure, and the challenges of living with the condition. Very well researched and reported. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to get smart fast.

[Bridgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't thinkI can write a review of this book right now. But I do want to say that for me, three weeks after my 14 year old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, this book is necessary. Emotional and grateful and sad, ever so sad, I am grateful for this book.

[Darcy Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read if you are a diabetic or love a diabetic.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book about diabetes.

[Robert Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched (especially the chapter on Dr. Denise Faustman).

[Spencer H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. I was diagnosed with type one diabetes when i was eleven, and this book gives you a whole new perspective on diabetes.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of historical information with the author's personal stories as a central theme. It is very well written, and not as boggy as many nonfiction books, even with so many scientific/medical terms.

[Brandi D'Angelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read! He covers a lot of ground from early research, old treatments, personal stories, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed and found it hard to put down.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Great

[Laura]

A beautifully written and reseached book. Both illuminating and at times powerfully emotional.

[Pantea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living with diabetes