Romance, Riches, and Restrooms: A Cautionary Tale of Ambitious Dreams and Irritable Bowels

By Tim Phelan

Book Overview

Tim Phelan is a confident, twenty-one-year-old college graduate who is determined to build his future on two solid pillars: meeting the woman of his dreams, and earning a financial fortune. Three... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1583480188
• ISBN13: 9781583480182
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Help and humor for IBS sufferers

This book: 1) comforted me by letting me know others struggle with IBS as much as I do (at times I felt like author Tim Phelan was reading my mind); 2) made me laugh out loud; 3) explained my gut-controlled life to my boyfriend in a much more eloquent way that I have ever been able to. For anyone who suffers from IBS-D, this book is a must read. It doesn't offer any absolute answers to life with IBS, but gives great levity to a very private topic. After I read this book, I handed it to my boyfriend. While he understands the physical symptoms of IBS (he's a doctor), the author's very personal story offered lots of insight into the mental and emotional anguish IBS can cause. Our relationship has certainly suffered at times from my IBS. I think this book helped us both understand and accept that if I could snap my fingers and get rid of IBS, I would -- but that it just doesn't work that way. Tim Phelan deserves lots of credit for being brave enough to publicly tell his story, but also for providing some wonderful humor to those who suffer with similar life issues.

Wow, great book!

I have had IBS since I was 11 years old, and am now 28. I could really relate to this guy's story and could not put the book down. I didn't think anyone else was just like me, as far as strategizing my entire day around bathrooms. I would like to see more memoirs on this topic, and would kind of like to tell my story someday. What an inspiration Tim is to put it all out on the table. As a female in our society, I'm so embarrassed to have these symptoms, and feel so isolated dealing with them daily. Even my boyfriend doesn't want to talk about my issues, and I get little support. Tim was able to convince me to lighten up a bit and be positive when finding new ways to manage. Everyone should read this book!

Thank you for your honesty and bring humor to a *($# & % problem!

I've never, ever written a review on any of the thousands of books I've read, but this one I must offer an opinion of. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Tim - your mother must read this review - YOU ARE A FABULOUS WRITER! Screw being an "investment banker." With this book you have made a difference, and a very positive one, in a lot of people's worlds. You've taken a subject that no one, I mean no one, dare talk about, and you have provided an indepth dialogue that is helpful, sidesplitting funny, and insightful. I am sharing this book with a friend tomorrow who has Crohn's Disease, and happens to be blessed with a great sense of humor. Me...well, I've visited more than my share of restrooms throughout the world (including the buses that we share a common resistence to). I read your book in it's entirety today, laughed so hard I cried, and shared with my husband so many ancidotes, that I ended up almost reading your entire book outloud...several times laughing so hard while reading, I couldn't be understood. Like they say, "you have to be there, baby." While we folks out here in the world suffer in complete and utter silence (well...maybe not...if you happen to be lurking near the restroom door...) we wonder and hope about our future and what kind of help we can obtain for IBS or whatever name we figure this problem is. It becomes an obsession, a life-style, and sometimes a frightening prison. Thank you for letting me laugh with you about this weird little world. And, thanks for letting me know that I'm really not alone.Romance, Riches, and Restrooms: A Cautionary Tale of Ambitious Dreams and Irritable Bowels

Can You Relate?

This book takes an embarrassing subject and relates it from a personal perspective - Irritable bowel syndrome is no laughing matter when it happens to you - but it happened to Tim, and he takes you into his day-to-day life experiences with this disorder - with a good sense of humor about himself and his illness. Besides taking away a bunch of laughs and empathy for the poor guy, you also learn that you should seek medical help and he gives you some resources for help as well. A good read about an ailment that affects about 1 in 20 of us - and helps keep things in perspective.

Look Out Augusten...Here Comes Tim Phelan!

Bravo to this refreshingly bold and risk taking young new author! Phelan is clearly able to take a subject that so many of us are horrified by and make it not only ok to talk about, but ok to laugh about as well. Through his private, emotional and often hysterical journey we come to realize that often the life we envision for ourselves and the life our bodies have planned can be two very different things! Phelans ability to draw comparisons between everyday situations and places around him with those within him are hilarious, enlightening and often gut-wrenching (literally!). This rookie author has a comedic writing style that is unique and oozes talent! This is a must read for anyone who has ever had to "make a run for it", or knows anyone who has!