Shrinkage: Manhood, Marriage, and the Tumor That Tried to Kill Me
Bishop attempts to lighten the solemn topic of cancer in his first book, which is part humorous memoir and part self-help guide. Shortly after getting engaged and scoring a gig as radio and television personality Adam Carolla’s acolyte, 30-year-old Bishop was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Initially given six months to a year, Bishop carried on, finding solace in his career, his fiancée, and his optimistic sense of humor. Offering “tumor tips” and numerous digressive footnotes, he wryly takes readers through his experiences, recounting the challenges of planning a wedding while undergoing radiation treatments, the surprising variety of porn made available in sperm banks, and his adventures trying alternative healing procedures involving thanking the tumor instead of cursing it. The candid, dude-oriented prose is sometimes bogged down by lists that feel like filler content: his biggest regrets, “feel-good playlist,” and “illustrious fraternity of assholes,” a vindictive catalog of doctors, former bosses, and other people he hates. But ultimately, Bishop delivers a moving testament to the goodness of friends, family, and strangers during times of need. --Jonathan Fullmer