It's not obvious from the title that this is the tale of a person who has a brush with a life-threatening disease and comes out of lengthy hospital procedures brimming with mental and spiritual strength. Goss (The Luckiest Unlucky Man Alive) was a navy pilot with a wife and two young children when he was diagnosed with skin cancer and given six months to live. After a harrowing operation that removed his left ear, Goss fought hard to return to normal life. Of course, his "normal" life—which included flying spy planes and living in a gorgeous Florida home surrounded by wildlife—was a motivating factor. To help his recovery, a friend who knew of Goss's love for animals and need to keep busy gave him a small flying squirrel to look after. Goss started to see the little squirrel—Rocky—as a copilot of sorts as he navigated his way out of mummifying bandages and toward health. He doesn't offer much in the way of suspense, nor does he give substantial insight into the treatment of skin cancer. But Goss's relentlessly upbeat attitude and goofily eccentric style make this bizarre tale somehow come together. Despite a tendency to load the pages with aphorisms like the five Fs of Fulfillment (Family, Friends, Faith, Focus, Fun), Goss also pokes fun at himself and has such an infectious love for flying and animals that readers will inevitably root for him to beat every obstacle in his path. B&w photos. (July)
