Five Lessons I Didn't Learn from Breast Cancer (And One Big One I Did)

An irreverent, funny, compassionate look at what having breast cancer means—and what it doesnÂ't.

From the pink ribbons to the websites that sell related accessories and stuffed animals, breast cancer has morphed from a disease to an experience. And at every step of the way, society tells women that this experience can teach them profound lessons and maybe even give them a peek at the meaning of life.

But what if it doesnÂ't?

Before Shelley Lewis got breast cancer she was a smart, edgy network producer. After the long month of treatment ended, she was still a smart, edgy network producer. The cancer was gone but in its place there was no epiphany, no new perspective on life. Lewis found that for herself and other women, breast cancer was many things, but it was not necessarily an opportunity for self-improvement. It didnÂ't teach them lessons, but surviving it did draw on hard-won life lessons theyÂ'd already learned.

A wonderful interweaving of the authorÂ's personal story, interviews with breast cancer survivors, and a sharp-eyed journalistÂ's look at the breast cancer “community,” this book is full of unconventional wisdom, unexpected advice, and hilarious observations about life inside the pink bubble.

Shelley Lewis is a graduate of NYU School of Film and Television. After 25 years in television, she wrote Naked Republicans, a satirical voterÂ's guide.