Review: Not the Last Goodbye: On Life, Death, Healing, and Cancer

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Not the Last Goodbye: On Life, Death, Healing, and Cancer by David Servan-Schreiber

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Not the Last Goodbye is a very short but emotionally-packed book. It was written by the author of the Best-Seller 'Anti-Cancer' (a book which I haven't read. I also wasn't aware of this when I started reading it). From what I understand, Anti-Cancer was a diet/self-help book that essentially taught a diet based on scientific evidence that can help prevent cancer increase the longevity of cancer patients. I may be completely wrong about that premise but that is the gist as I understand it. Not the Last Goodbye follows up Anti-Cancer as an end-of-life farewell by Dr. Servan-Schreiber after his cancer returned aggressively.

I can imagine that those who were skeptics and the followers of Dr. Servan-Schreiber's method were shaken a bit by the return of his cancer. In this book, he addresses the skeptics and arguments against his proclamations in Anti-Cancer and his continued support for its teachings. But more than anything, NTLG is a brief recollection of his struggles toward the end of his life and his legacy that he hopes to leave behind.

I think this was a book written for those who hold Dr. Servan-Schreiber dear, including his family, friends and fans, but I think there are also strong lessons that can be picked up by anyone who reads it. It's a bit of a dark read for such a short book and unlike Pausch's 'Last Lecture', I didn't necessarily finish it inspired to pick up and do anything different with life... but it was a decent read and a heart-felt goodbye.

The book was finished just 8 weeks before Dr. Servan-Schreiber's death so I'm sure many will hold these word with great reverence. I'm not sure it spoke enough to those not familiar with his other works but overall it was still a good read.

For full disclosure, I got the book for free from NetGalley for an unbiased review.



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