Book excerpt: Exactly one year after Summer Whisman received her master’s in English, she was diagnosed with ALS. To put her degree to use, and to do something other than watching bad television, she decided to pass the time writing and doing what she does best: storytelling. Whisman takes the average "Sick Lit" memoir and turns it on its head. Yes, she does share her experiences living with a fatal, incurable and insidious disease, but somehow manages to do it in an unsentimental way, imbued with humor and humility. Whisman also weaves ridiculous, funny, and revelatory stories from her life before ALS. Each chapter explores the tragic-hilarity of life, and reminds us that the old adage is true: laughter is indeed the best medicine.