Among physician authors, Dr. Robinson stands out for his ability to peel away the common clichés and tropes that populate so much of this literary genre, giving us unflinching insights into both the utterly mundane as well as the truly extraordinary experiences of physicians and patients alike.--Robert D. Truog MD, director of the Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School and coauthor of Talking with Patients and Families about Medical Error: A Guide for Education and Practice