One Man's Century with Pen, Brush, Fiddle and Scalpel - Confessions of a Near-centenarian with Five Lives (Paperback)

This account of a 10-decade journey through life ? Confessions of a Near-Centenarian with Five Lives ? is unique in that it is actually a story of an exceptional man's five lives and three professions ? plus a number of anecdotal highlights ranging from how his parents recognized and responded to the outlandish needs of a gifted child to how he almost killed Jascha Heifetz.
The author's five lives were a personal life, a life in art, a life in music, a life in clinical surgery and surgical research, including a stint as a front-line surgeon in World War II ? during which the Heifetz incident occurred ? and a post-surgical life as a bioengineer. His three professions were commercial art, general/vascular surgery with research, and capped off by bioengineering, specializing in surgical technology and facilities.
Crafted from collected notes, writings, drawings, paintings, anecdotes and memories, the incidents that survived formed a framework for sparkling insights into why and how achievement can be reached in so many diverse activities. What the author had collected was more than another tedious autobiography ? a realization of the reasons behind his multiple achievements. He describes what drove him ? on a conscious or subconscious level ? to achieve in diverse undertakings.
This book provides far more than an engaging recollection of a truly wonderful existence. The book dramatically but candidly describes a life of explorations rather than a life's work.
Also, contrary to what you may expect from the pen of a physician, the author does not prescribe, preach, nor hand out platitudinous advice on how tolead your own life, nor how to stay young forever ? as if one size can fit all. Instead, he presents his century of life as his own exploratory and learning journey.
If you find any parallels between your own life's journey perhaps his disclosures can help pave the road through yours.
An extraordinary story of an extraordinary life.