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Well Enough Alone: A Cultural History of My Hypochondria Audiobook
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(3.02) - 326 listener ratings
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The good news is Jennifer Traig does not have lupus, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Crohn’s disease, or muscular dystrophy. She discovers that she does not have SUDS, the mysterious disorder that claims healthy young Asian men in their sleep, nor does she have Foreign Accent Syndrome, the bizarre but real neurological condition that transforms native West Virginians into Eliza Doolittle overnight. What she does have is hypochondria. Jenny Traig’s inquiry into her ailment is not only an uproariously funny account but also a literary tour of hypochondria, past and present: the implied hypochondria of the Talmud, the flatulence-obsessed eighteenth century, and the malady’s current unfortunate lack of a celebrity spokesperson. At the same time, Traig provides an intimate look at the complement of minor conditions that have concealed her essential health and driven her persistent self-diagnosis: the eczema, the shaky hands, and, worst of all, the bad hair. To her surprise, she ends her journey more knowledgeable than she was when she started out, a little less neurotic, and—one might say—healthier. Well Enough Alone is the definitive book on being worried well, in all of its gruesome and hysterical detail, from one of our funniest and most distinctive literary voices.
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"I flew through this book in less than a week, but it was excellent. I would recommend reading her first memoir, "Devil in the Details", first, but I don't believe it is absolutely necessary. Jenny Traig successfully details the ups and downs of life as a hypochondriac while leaving you in fits of laughter. I especially love the bonus material at the back of the book, such as Hypochondria Haikus and horoscopes. Might not be the best reading material for those with weak stomachs, but otherwise, it's fantastic."
— Jenn (5 out of 5 stars)
Well Enough Alone Listener Reviews
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" super good for anyone who has hypochondria :) or loves one :) "
— Meg, 2/4/2014 -
" This book started out as three stars but moved down to two for me as it went along. Jennifer Traig is funny, I'll give her that, but at a certain point I also started to find her annoying and narcissistic. Sure, there's always a certain level of narcissism inherent in writing about oneself, but hers seemed to go beyond that into bratty territory. Still, an amusing read about a topic I'm all too familiar with myself. "
— Aviva, 2/2/2014 -
" After reading Jennifer Traig's other book "Devil in the Details," and now this, I'm pretty sure she's my long-lost twin sister. In fact, the similarities between us are so astonishing that I'm not entirely convinced that she is not me. I am so much of a hypochondriac that, even though Traig kept me in stitches (not literally) with her hilarious writing, she also kept me running to the Internet between every chapter to see if I had the disease she had just mentioned. "
— Whitney, 1/25/2014 -
" I am such a germ phobe! I found this book pretty funny. Many parts of it struck home with me, including the parts about anorexia. "
— Robin, 1/21/2014 -
" not as good as "Devil in the Details"....hilarious, though...she is gifted with quick wit and making words flow...a fast read. "
— Jamie, 1/11/2014 -
" Trying a bit too hard, but a few laugh out loud moments. "
— Jessica, 1/7/2014 -
" Just couldn't get into this book. It felt to me like someone figured out that maybe their neurosis could make them some money. Painful to read....at least, for me. "
— Terri, 12/30/2013 -
" Very, very, laugh-out-loud funny, and as a particular subset of hypochondriac, I could totally relate. "
— Nette, 12/12/2013 -
" I heard about this book in Glamour, someone said it was funny, so I picked it up. It's about a hypochondriac, but it's really really boring. Boo. One star. "
— Ranya, 12/10/2013 -
" I am nowhere near as bad as her!!! "
— Kimberly, 11/13/2013 -
" If you are going to write a book about your hypochondria, the least you can do is be clever and glib. Unfortunately, Traig isn't either. "
— Sarah, 8/29/2013 -
" Damn! Another book I'm bummed to have finished. Traig is pretty funny. I'm looking forward to reading her other memoir, on her obsessive compulsive disorder. The chapters on Traig's essential tremors (and her time as a grad student teaching freshman comp) and IBS are particularly good. "
— Monica, 8/24/2013 -
" Couldn't get through it, I thought it would be more relatable but I was not. "
— Kelsey, 7/2/2013 -
" So far, this is absolutely delightful (and more than worth the $1 I got it for at the boookstore). Great overview of the history of the term (for a psych geek like me), clever prose, and funny allusions. I'm loving this one and finding it hard to get back to work when I'd rather be reading it. "
— Nancy, 6/9/2013 -
" Some parts were entertaining, but overall, not that great. I was hoping to gain insight into the mind of the hypochondriac, but she is working so hard at being funny, no real depth seems to get through. "
— Connie, 4/12/2013 -
" The first chapter was interesting and then book got boring. I finally convinced myself that I did not have to finish the book. "
— Julie, 1/7/2013 -
" Jennifer Traig knows obsessive thinking. "
— Mary, 4/10/2012 -
" The author's story of her bout with hypochondria. A good read but not as funny or entertaining as her earlier Devil in the Details. "
— Susan, 3/25/2012 -
" Funny but not as good as her other book Devil in the Details. "
— Lexi, 2/28/2012 -
" I keep placing this on our "staff picks" shelves and folks keep checking it out. Yeah! Satisfying! "
— Carol, 12/28/2011 -
" Hilarious! The appendix has some great hypochodriac haikus! "
— Melissa, 11/18/2011 -
" Loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jennifer Traig is very humorous. "
— Danielle, 5/10/2011 -
" I felt kind of like a jerk for laughing at this, but it's told in a light-hearted manner despite the seriousness of the topic and the extras are quite amusing. "
— Sphinx, 2/7/2011 -
" I gave up. The authors "voice" made me want to stab an icepick into my eardrum. Further proof that not everyone needs to write a memoir. "
— Judah, 5/26/2010 -
" funny but sad as well....glad the Prozac helped. "
— Joann, 5/7/2010 -
" So far, this is absolutely delightful (and more than worth the $1 I got it for at the boookstore). Great overview of the history of the term (for a psych geek like me), clever prose, and funny allusions. I'm loving this one and finding it hard to get back to work when I'd rather be reading it. "
— Nancy, 1/31/2010 -
" I am such a germ phobe! I found this book pretty funny. Many parts of it struck home with me, including the parts about anorexia. "
— Robin, 10/15/2009 -
" The author's story of her bout with hypochondria. A good read but not as funny or entertaining as her earlier Devil in the Details. "
— Susan, 7/30/2009
About Jennifer Traig
Emily Woo Zeller is an artist, actor, dancer, choreographer, and voice artist who has won Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration in 2018. She began her voice-over career by voicing animation in Asia. AudioFile magazine named her one of the Best Voices of 2013 for her work in Gulp. Other awards include the 2009 Tristen Award for Best Actress as Sally Bowles in Cabaret and the 2006 Roselyn E. Schneider Prize for Creative Achievement.