Hyper-Chondriac: One Man's Quest to Hurry Up and Calm Down

by Brian Frazer

Book Overview

Does your blood pressure surge if the car in front of you turns without signaling? Do your neck veins pulsate when a cashier takes too long to ring you up? Does relaxing seem like it'll have to wait until you're dead? Then your name could very well be Brian Frazer.

On paper, Frazer is the world's healthiest guy. He eats right, exercises regularly, gets plenty of sleep, has never smoked and has missed only one day of flossing in the last five...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743293428
• ISBN13: 9780743293426
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.8" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

This is a fantastic book.

It feels so good to laugh as hard I laughed while reading this book, I wish I encountered something this funny every day. I kept reading parts of this book aloud to my boyfriend and we were both laughing so hard we were CRYING. Crying! I actually had to set the book down several times to wipe my eyes. What's also great is that it goes from being extremely funny to extremely moving. His account of his family's dysfunction is touching and funny and even though his childhood was unusual--even bizarre--it was totally relateable. This book does that thing that every great book does--it explores and exposes "the human condition", it reveals what it means to be alive--questioning and searching, trying to find solutions, trying to avoid suffering. I wish I could get this book for everyone I know. It ranks up there with the best humor writing, and it's as deep and revealing as any "serious" stuff I've read. Even though this book is brand new, I already think of it as a classic.

A smart, engaging, manic ride.

You know that feeling when you start a book and spend an entire weekend reading it cover to cover, not wanting to stop to put it down for a second? Within the first couple of chapters, I came across Brian Frazer's hilarious, self-deprecating description of competing in his first bodybuilding contest, slathered in oil in his Speedo, and I was hooked. Then he broke it all down... This is a brutally, painfully, and wonderfully honest depiction of a journey to gain inner peace and all of the things that make us nuts to begin with. By the end, I was deeply moved and sad it was over. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a smart, engaging, manic ride. Expect to laugh.

Buy this book!

Brian Frazer has written a hilarious tour de force! A quest for inner peace, "Hyper-chondriac" describes a personal desperation mirrored in our frenzied society. From pharmaceuticals to New Age therapies, Frazer seeks release from his own escalating neuroses. His saving grace is the black humor that is always at a proper dosage throughout this fine memoir. Frazer had me laughing out loud and physically wincing. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

What a roller coaster ride!

This is an amazing book -- a ruthless self-dissection that's relentlessly hilarious. The most striking thing is that as bizarre as Brian Frazer's quests and adventures were, I related to them all. That's what really made Hyper-chondriac so engaging -- under the nearly constant laughter and frequent astonishment, I really found myself empathizing and sympathizing and rooting for him. There were several chunks I had to stop and read to friends over the phone, and they were in stitches too. Funny, poignant, and startlingly honest -- what more can you ask for in a memoir, or any book? Five stars -- highly recommended.

On My Must Have List

Okay, I'm a sucker for a memoir but let's face it, a lot of them are not great and most of them are not funny. Somehow Brian Frazer managed to hit the trifecta of painfully honest, brave and hilarious on his quest to stop being so angry all the time. Personally I related to this book a little too much - Zoloft, irrational irritation and a desire to get better were themes of mine as well. But I definitely didn't go to the lengths that Brian did. He shares stories of silence retreats, Tai Chi with old people, therapy and other undignified ways to spend an afternoon with such rare humor that you will find yourself laughing out loud even if you can't relate at all. I highly recommend this book and if you don't love it, you can personally ask for your money back from Brian Frazer. He's so calm now I'm sure he'd give it to you. Okay, maybe not. But buy the book.