From autoimmune disorders to viral infections, and everything in between, The Hypochondriac's Pocket Guide to Horrible Diseases You Probably Already Have by Dennis DiClaudio covers forty different real medical conditions that are hilariously terrifying. Each entry comes a short list of symptoms, a diagnosis, a prognosis, and treatment options. In case you don't already have the disease, helpful prevention tips are provided. I was cracking up reading this! I recognised a few, but many of these were new to me. Highly recommended, both for humour value, and trivia value!

***Many thanks to the Netgalley & Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

This was a hilarious read... although some of those diseases sound a little like me. Ack! I have to throw out my fish tank stat! ( )

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

First off, this is not a book for the faint of heart. It is, however, the perfect read for those with an off-the-wall sense of humor.

Mr. DiClaudio has compiled a list of forty-five of the most outlandish, obscure, and downright nasty diseases that you're likely to ever run across. Hopefully, on second thought, you'll never run across any of them, but in case you do, if you've read this book you'll at least be prepared for the horrid and totally disgusting ways with which you will suffer.

The diseases are broken up into categories, including Autoimmune, Bacterial, Genetic & Neurological, Idiopathic, Parasitic, Toxic & Fungal, and Viral & Prionic.

Although I found myself laughing hysterically at some of Mr. DiClaudio's observations, I sincerely hope to never find myself on the receiving end of these diseases. And, truth be told, I can't decide if I'd rather have worms living on my eyeball, having my flesh begin to decay while I'm still alive, or suffering from fatal familial insomnia (in which case, I'll never sleep again, and will probably spend my final waking hours wishing I had a disease as simple as worms living on my eyeball or having my flesh decay while I'm still alive).

Overall, a great way to spend a couple of hours. However, if you suspect you suffer from any of these forty-five diseases, you might want to actually see a doctor. ( )

This is an interesting book to look through. It contains rare and fascinating diseases that you hope you never encounter. For example, Chronic Idiopathic Diarrhea (from p.112)--in which you have explosive diarrhea twenty-five times a day. Or how about Lymphatic Filariasis (from p.146)--in which parasitic worms climb inside your lymph nodes and make your testicles swell to the size of a basketball. You get the idea. Leave it out in view when you have people coming over to your house. Few will be able to resist picking it up and then talking about it. ( )

This book is an absolute treasure. If you love obscure medical trivia and witty banter, you must get this book. The engraving-style illustration add to the humor, but the delightful thing is that I learned quite a lot about these diseases. Here is an excerpt from my favorite chapter, on the candiru, lovely South American fish that do unpleasant things to male anatomy:

"Prognosis: Expect lots and lots of pain. The candiru will be up inside you, sucking at your blood and flesh, raking its teeth across the mucus membrane of your urinary tract and swelling in size the more it eats. The hemorrhaging that occurs may very well induce death. Even if it doesn't, the pain involved may inspire death.
Prevention: Do not pee in the water while swimming, particularly not in the Amazon or Orinoco Rivers in South America, where the fish is most prevalent. On second thought, don't even go in the water. On third thought, stay home and rent a movie. It's much safer."

I will be keeping this book forever, and probably will buy a few more copies for gifts. I don't recommend reading this while on public transportation, because it will make you very afraid to touch anything. ( )