Tried but couldn't. The subject would be really interesting if the author wasn't so whiny. ( )

When I began reading, I thought to myself that this was feeling a bit like a Jon Ronson book, and that was delightful. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, things fell apart a bit for me. I was hoping for more variety in the syndromes explored, but Bures stayed unfortunately penis-focused. Had the title been other than what it is, I would not have expected variety. I rather wish the author had admitted to himself that the only one of the "World's Strangest Syndromes" he had any interest in was vanishing penises and kept to it. The occasional dip into exploring other syndromes seemed more of a distraction than a support of the author's theme.

(Also, there were several grammatical/spelling errors which I found distracting. I'm going to put those down to this being an uncorrected proof and hope they're fixed by the time the book is published.) ( )

The author examines how culture itself can not only shape how you think and what you believe, but what you see or don't see. Part of the title alludes to this. In certain cultures, men can have their penises "stolen" by a witch, and the only way is to force the witch to put it back. If the man truly believes his penis has been stolen, then he literally cannot see his own penis. Others in the culture won't be able to see it either.

This example and the others in the book show how malleable the human mind is to the culture around us. ( )

Frank Bures has been a widely respected journalist for years. In the geeky world of journalists and nonfiction writers, he is particularly admired for his wide-ranging journalistic interests and his skill as an interviewer and reporter. It is my privilege to be among his colleagues and friends, and have watched the evolution of this book for a couple of years now. (Although, like all good passions, this book has been years in the making). As a narrator, Bures is sensitive, insightful, and unwilling to make broad assumptions and assertions. The narrative frame here is a personal journey--trying to understand so-called "culture-bound syndromes" while also understanding his own obsession with the very idea of these syndromes. At its heart, this book explores the very idea of what constitutes illness--both mental and physical--and forces the reader to confront his or her own preconceived notions. For anyone who has experienced culture shock, and whose life has been changed by that collision, Bures' experience will feel familiar. But he takes it farther by trying to get to the heart of the elements of the cultures he's explored which have shocked him. And, in fact, he may even force you to consider the idea that culture itself doesn't exist. At least not how it's been defined.

Unrelated to the book, I do have to say this: several other readers here have had the audacity to "review" the book and put it on their "read" shelf despite reading only a single chapter. Sorry, but you do no get to put a book on your "read" shelf if you only read the first chapter. The act of passing judgment publicly on a book that you have not read is dishonest, unethical, and frankly appalling. I happen to know how much work it takes to report on and write a book because I am also a writer--and the thought that someone would feel qualified to analyze and publicly review a book based on a handful of pages sickens me. If I'd stopped reading East of Eden after ten pages, I would've assumed the book was plodding and boring. And I consider it a masterpiece.

If you don't like a book, you have every right to let fellow readers know that. But if you're negatively "reviewing" a book you haven't read, then you are dishonest. This deception is widespread on Goodreads, and I wish there were some way to crack down on it. That kind of thing is not the act of a true reader. ( )