Mom's Marijuana: Life, Love, and Beating the Odds

by Dan Shapiro and W.E. Washington, George) Woodward

Book Overview

A young man battles Hodgkin's disease and survives--with more than a little help from his Mom--in this wry and uplifting memoir about life, love, and beating the odds. When Dan Shapiro's decidely... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375708014
• ISBN13: 9780375708015
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Read it or you'll miss out on this jewel.

I picked this book up in the biography section of my library.I was about to have my knee operated on and wondered if I could find a good book to read during the days in bed not moving. Well, I was moved by this book.It is one of the best books I have ever read. You almost feel like you know Dan through his setbacks and triumphs.You'll laugh. You'll cry. You will fall in love with this wonderful book.

A life-changing experience.

You might think that the title of my review refers to this man's life changing experience, but in fact I'm speaking of the life changing experience that has been reading this book. Dan Shapiro truly is a brilliant man and he wrote a complex, insightful book. I think the title is misleading, but the story more than makes up for it. It's almost as if the book is interactive; it makes you think back about many things, and can be very humorous at times. When he said he knew his daughter wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for his mother's talking to a stranger, it took me a while to realize he was talking about the woman in that first waiting room telling his mother to save sperm. I like that, that way that Daniel Shapiro has about writing this book. It was one of my favorite books, if not my favorite book, that I have ever read, and I would absolutely love to see a sequel of some sort. (This is the kind of book that once you're finished reading you feel like you've known the author all your life and you wish to meet him.)

"Death Be Not Proud" on Pot

A book in which a guy narrates the various stages of his harrowing medical ordeal shouldn't be this entertaining. I started reading and found I didn't want to stop. It's warm, amusing, wise, playful and filled with laugh out loud moments -- without a trace of bathos or self pity. This is not a book I would have chosen on my own. I received it as a gift. Now that I have read it, I would recommend it highly to anyone.

great read

I hid the title cover from my young children but the book was never more than an arm's length away until I finished every last page--even the acknowledgements! Dan's poignant and personal story put a powerful face on a dreadful illness. I loved the essay that was an ode to his dad's music. Throughout the book there are just gorgeous snapshots at life. A captivating and humorous read and I highly recommend it.

Read this book!

If you know someone that is or has suffered through cancer treatment, you owe it to yourself to read this well-written first-hand autobographical portrayal of Dan's personal story. Even if you don't know someone that has gone through the experience, this book is a must read.At times I laughed out loud at Dan's Woody Allen-like wit, other times I found myself in a dazed stupor wondering how anyone could go through what he went through. His characterizations are heart-warming, his attention to detail is splendid, I am amazed at how vividly he was able to tell his story.Mom's Marijuana is a fast read with many short chapters (similar to the many Chicken Soup books). However, all of these short chapters weave an intricate trail in chronological order (for the most part) from Dan's breif discussions of his youth through the finer details of cancer treatment.This book educated and inspired me. It also raised my understanding of a terrible disease to new heights. Do yourself a favor, stop reading this review and just buy the darned book. You will not regret it. You da money man, Dan.