Book excerpt: In the 1960s, while practicing as a general surgeon and teaching surgery at the Yale School of Medicine, Richard Selzer began publishing unique creative work in magazines such as Harper's and Esquire. This volume is a definitive collection of essays, stories, public lectures, and final diary entries by the renowned surgeon and imaginative writer. Each of the book's nine topical sections is prefaced by an overview of themes and patterns in Selzer's work.