A popular joke of the 1920s posed the question, "What's the fastest thing on four legs?" The punch line? "A goat passing Dr. Brinkley's hospital!" It seems that John R. Brinkley's virility rejuvenation cure — transplanting goat gonads into aging men — had taken the nation by storm. Never mind that "Doc" Brinkley's medical credentials were shaky at best and that he prescribed medication over the airwaves via his high-power radio stations. The man built an empire.<P>The Kansas Medical Board combined with the Federal Radio Commission to revoke Brinkley's medical and radio licenses, which various courts upheld. Not to be stopped by a mere court, Brinkley started a write-in campaign for Governor. He received more votes than any other candidate but lost due to invalidated and "misplaced" ballots. Brinkley's tactics, particularly the use of his radio station and personal airplane, changed political campaigning forever.<P>Brinkley then moved his radio medical practice to Del Rio, Texas, and began operating a "border blaster" on the Mexico side of the Rio Grande. His rogue stations, XER and its successor XERA, eventually broadcast at an antenna-shattering 1,000,000 watts and were not only a haven for Brinkley's lucrative quackery but also hosted an unprecedented number of then-unknown country musicians and other guests.<P>The Bizarre Careers of John R. Brinkley tells the story of the infamous "Goat Gland Doctor" — controversial medical charlatan, groundbreaking radio impresario, and prescient political campaigner — and recounts his amazing rags to riches to rags career.

Lee (formerly of the U. of South Dakota) recounts the amazing story of John R. Brinkley, a controversial medical charlatan who came up with a virility rejuvenation cure (transplanting goat gonads into sexually impotent, aging men) that had patients flocking to his hospital in Milford, Kansas. In addition, he founded one of the first commercial radio stations where he advertised his procedures, read aloud his listeners' medical problems and prescribed for them over the air, started a write-in campaign for Governor, and then founded a station on the Mexican side of the Texas border when his medical and radio licenses were revoked.
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"[Lee] endeavors mightily to depict Brinkley as an entrepreneur, media trailblazer and political heavyweight. And yet Brinkley remains essentially a con man, the P.T. Barnum of American medicine. While this is not for the general reader, those interested in American charlatanism will enjoy the tale of this 'showman par excellence.'" Publishers Weekly

"Lee offers a documented, unbiased, and thorough account that suggests that Brinkley wasn?t really a charlatan and quack but was a first-rate con man. A high-quality biography of a once famous, then notorious, but now little-known figure." Booklist