Ordinary Man, Extraordinary Fight (Like a Hole in the Head - Ivan Noble)

Member Name: mo79

Product:	Like a Hole in the Head - Ivan Noble
Date:	05/01/06 (305 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A fitting tribute; proof that cancer doesn't mean submitting to suffering. Proceeds go to charity.

Disadvantages: Ivan's death

It's hard to believe that it's nearly been a year since the sad death of Ivan Noble. For the uninitiated, Ivan was amongst other things a science and technology writer for the BBC. August 2002 saw Ivan diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour.
In the wake of the phenomenon known as blogging, Ivan decided to share his battle with those who cared.

He didn't expect an audience of many thousands regularly clicking into his column on the BBC site and being inundated with vast amounts of email. I was one of those instantly moved by what I read from day one (The BBC News site being in my bookmarks) and followed until the unfortunate end. Everybody hoped that he would win the battle, and it seemed that he would. Or maybe he did – it is certain that he never got on with his disease but learned to cope admirably. The fact that his sense of humour never diminished is testament to that.

To not belittle the impact of the disease (I fortunately have not seen cancer amongst my family and friends), the reason why Ivan's account was engrossing was not simply because he'd got handed the spotlight – his wording was truly powerful. The humble nudity of the emotion shined through. He'd refer to subjects that we all take for granted, such as spending time with family, and contrast all the overwhelming feelings of his battle against it.

Those who followed Ivan were assorted; some fighting the battle, some who fought it, some coping with someone who has it, and others – like myself – who though relatively distanced from what the beast cancer is, still very cared. I was truly upset when Ivan died. Even though he didn't know me, I certainly learned a fair amount about him and found a connection.

In May last year, Hodder & Stoughton published this book which collects all of Ivan's diary entries (whose frequency depended on treatment circumstance), largely accurate to the original posts, with samples of readers comments after each chapter. Four in-depth reflections by readers with particular dealings with cancer are also included here and prove how universal the battle for life is.

Though a relatively short book, the impact of Like A Hole In The Head is long. I just couldn't bring myself to read it a second time after first read (yet) as it conjured back my thoughts from those few years I had followed him and was distressed to clearly know what the 'ending' was.
However, the book is a very poignant and important read – and not particularly about cancer either. What I gathered from it was the value of not taking life for granted, appreciating each day – for all I know I could die tomorrow, or my friends and family could die tomorrow.
Also, optimistically I did learn a considerable (graphic) amount on cancer itself: the advancement of treatments, and of course the human ability to overcome suffering. It's cliché to say, but if you fight fear you've won, which is perhaps one of cancer's richest power supplies.

I was one of many who emailed Ivan and was happy to see that it was printed on the relevant entry of his online. I was saddened however that upon being contacted by the BBC for the use of what I wrote, in edit form (which features on the bottom page 135) for the book wasn't the foray into print I'd imagined. =)

All royalties of the book are directed to Medecins Sans Frontieres. Ivan is survived by a wife and two young daughters.

Summary: Book form of the late BBC writer Ivan Noble's brain tumour diary