Remission Impossible

“Cancer, alternatively known by its technical name, ‘that thing that happens to other people,’ is no laughing matter. Life, on the other hand—that thing that happens to all people—certainly is. Or, indeed, it should be if we are to stand a chance of surviving it.”

From its bold opening statement to its lingering final line, Remission Impossible follows one man’s attempt to outlive cancer and outlaugh life. More than a glimpse into the mind of a hopeful pragmatist, it is a personal examination of universal experiences and a quest to find lessons even in life’s less enjoyable moments. This work is at times introspective, at times moving, and at times surprising, but at all times absolutely hilarious — affirming that with the right mindset, everything is possible, even the impossible.

“Attitude matters. Looking at the adversities of life with humor gives you the ability to continue to have a meaningful productive life even with illness. This is an extraordinarily important message.”

Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz, Rav, Kehillat Ohr Somayach

“I highly recommend that other patients adopt this approach, which undoubtedly plays a significant role in improving life and recovering from many illnesses.”

Professor Aaron Ciechanover, Laureate, the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

About the author:

After sufficiently absorbing British culture and humor, Rabbi Yonatan Emmett, aged six, moved to Israel to pursue more noble goals. He later attended Yeshivat Sha’alvim, where, over the course of eighteen years, he learned, served in the IDF, received semichah from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and taught. Prior to this book, Rabbi Emmett published a more traditional sefer, Aliba D’Emet — Sugyot Yesod B’Hilchot Berachot (Mossad Harav Kook, 2018). Presently, Rabbi Emmett divides his time between teaching at MMY, editing classic Torah works for the Shlomo Aumann Institute, and trying to write this paragraph.