Cat Whiskers and Talking Furniture: A Memoir of Radio and Television Broadcasting Book

I chose this book because I've watched Merideth Viera on her various TV shows including and since The View, and also read magazine articles about her. Some of them, which her husband, Cohen, mentions in the book portrayed Cohen as a sickly invalid fully dependent on his wife. Looking at the photo on the cover, I felt surely that couldn't be the case, so I wanted to read his side of the story, told in his own words.
If you just look at Cohen piece by piece, perhaps you'd agree with the magazines. He has lived with Multiple Sclerosis since his mid-twenties, which has caused him to be nearly blind, walk with a cane and slow awkward gait (often noted by Cohen as resembling that of a stumbling drunk), and experience bouts of moodiness and depression. Add to that his 2 bouts of colon cancer which left him with many surgical scars and an uncooperative gut, and yes life hasn't dealt him all the good cards when it comes to his health. Look at the whole man, and you learn that the damaged body houses a loving father and husband with a very creative mind who is not yet ready to surrender to his troubles.
Viera and his children also get a fair bit of attention in Cohen's memoir, as they are clearly his reason for living. He admits that he isn't the easiest person to live with, and yes, he is largely dependent on his family, as driving was a luxury lost long ago and tasks requiring fine motor skills, vision, or both are beyond his physical capability, but he sees the bright side to all of it, as Merideth is the perfect compliment to him and his children have been raised to be compassionate and mature young adults.
At the same time, Cohen often wonders what might have been. He was the partner who craved work and loved his time producing television news shows while Merideth would have loved to remain a stay at home mom after the birth of their first child, but his health prompted the role reversal. He also remembers the grand days of his youth with his father, whose MS didn't present strongly until Cohen was in college, and how he has always been a father whose activities with his children have been limited. Cohen recognizes the burden he places on his family, even if they don't see it as such, and discusses friends whose MS advanced to the end stages and how they relieved that burden at a time of their choosing, not ruling out that he might opt for the same if he feels his time has come.
Overall, I found it to be an interesting read though not a particularly gripping page turner. He was a bit maudlin for me, dwelling quite a bit on his limits rather than seeing the possibilities and accomplishments. Granted, all books can't be sunshine and roses, and I can't fault the man for his honesty, just wasn't what I expected.