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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I love scam stories. I love unhinged historical stories. I love pseudoscience stories. I love old pop culture stories. This book gave me everything I could possibly want.
Finished this only minutes ago, and have to say my attention/interest wavered throughout the first half, while also sometimes I paused to laugh, or share morsels of information my wife didn’t care to hear. This hindered reading in a “timely” manner, and I sometimes daydreamed about other books, but feel this did ultimately hook and re-hook me and satisfied my sense of reading a good story. I mean, the whole thing is appalling and it uncovered so many things about American society and culture that I always *almost* knew about because of its omnipresence and haphazardly beneficial byproducts—this quack was *innovative*—but its notoriety had dwindled and so became less relevant or remarkable. Although, so many aspects of this echo (from the past?) so very many things Americans just…experienced… politically-speaking; charlatans using the same old playbook. Surprisingly, a great read. Just wow.
[The copy I read was an advance reader’s edition from my days as a bookseller. Had no idea what I was getting myself into. Glad I hung onto it. Will pass along.]
[The copy I read was an advance reader’s edition from my days as a bookseller. Had no idea what I was getting myself into. Glad I hung onto it. Will pass along.]
This was a fascinating read! John Brinkley started as a snake oil salesman who graduated to transplanting goat testicles in men to restore vitality. The story follows his antics and the determination of Morris Fishbein to stop him. Huckster that he was, we have him to thank for the spread of country music and the blues. His rise in politics sounds like he is the original Donald Trump - only he was defeated in his run for Governor.
As with most non-fiction books, I spent quite a bit of time reading more information about the situations and people mentioned in this book. Thoroughly entertaining and enlightening.
As with most non-fiction books, I spent quite a bit of time reading more information about the situations and people mentioned in this book. Thoroughly entertaining and enlightening.
medium-paced
What didn't I learn from this book?! The pages are full of the details about "Dr." Brinkley, a man who lived and pretended to be a certified doctor in the 1920's-30's. At his best, he was making over a million in one year; at his worst, he was being charged for botched goat gland transplants and selling bottles of colored water as a special tonic. He was responsible for preaching his medical findings in between introducing most of the early country stars to America, courtesy of a huge radio tower he built just over the Mexican border.
The man was a freaking genius, and this book is beyond fascinating.
"Certain [goat gland operations] I took and cut a hole out of the man's testicle and took a chunk out and filled the hole up in the testicle with the goat gland."
Brilliant.
The man was a freaking genius, and this book is beyond fascinating.
"Certain [goat gland operations] I took and cut a hole out of the man's testicle and took a chunk out and filled the hole up in the testicle with the goat gland."
Brilliant.
The similarities between the doctor and Steve Jobs are remarkable (although Steve Jobs, as far as I am aware, was not involved in illegal business activities). They were both marketing and publicity geniuses, and could tell you what you wanted before you knew you wanted it. Steve Jobs used his abilities to provide the world with amazing technology, while the doctor left a trail of dead and maimed bodies in his wake.
"So, baby, things have been getting a little stale in the bedroom. I think it's time we tried something ... different. Not kinky or anything. Just, you know, all natural. Something like -- GOAT TESTICLES!
Hey, where are you going?
So when you say you're leaving, do you mean leaving or just, you know, leaving?
Right, well, I'll call you!"
Yeah. Not even fiction is this weird. And this guy made millions off this surgery. He ran for governor, TWICE!
Gross doesn't even begin to cover it.
Hey, where are you going?
So when you say you're leaving, do you mean leaving or just, you know, leaving?
Right, well, I'll call you!"
Yeah. Not even fiction is this weird. And this guy made millions off this surgery. He ran for governor, TWICE!
Gross doesn't even begin to cover it.
A fun read. This is the story of John Brinkley who "pioneered" the field of gland transplants in the late 1910's and 1920's. Specifically (and yes, this is true), Brinkley specialized in transplanting goat testicles into humans. Combine this with his health elixirs and the media empire he built with radio stations, and Brinkley may have been America's original and most successful medical quacks and pitchmen.
The book is so well-paced that you have to remind yourself that you're reading nonfiction. It reads like a medical thriller at times, complete with complicated characters and marginally believable plots (but it's all true!).
Recommended, but if you're a guy, be ready to stifle more than one cringe reflex.
The book is so well-paced that you have to remind yourself that you're reading nonfiction. It reads like a medical thriller at times, complete with complicated characters and marginally believable plots (but it's all true!).
Recommended, but if you're a guy, be ready to stifle more than one cringe reflex.
Eh. Some interesting (and sensational!) bits to the story but the writing style was nothing exceptional, the story seemed a bit fragmented and jumped around the timeline, and it sort of dragged.