A deeply concerned physician reflects on today s doctor patient relationships and offers a compelling vision of a better way to practice medicine Patients and doctors alike are keenly aware that the medical world is in the midst of great change We live in an era of continuous healthcare reforms many of which focus on high volume efficiency and cost effectiveness This compelling thoughtful book is the response of a practicing psychiatrist who explains how population based reforms have diminished the relationship between doctors and patients to the detriment of both As an antidote to failed reforms and an alternative to stubbornly held traditions Dr Abraham M Nussbaum suggests ways that doctors and patients can learn what it means to be ill and to seek medical assistance Using a variety of riveting stories from his own and others experiences the author develops a series of metaphors to explore a doctor s role in different healthcare reform scenarios scientist technician author gardener teacher servant and witness Each role influences what a physician sees when examining a person as a patient Dr Nussbaum cautions that true healthcare reform can happen only when those who practice medicine can see and be seen by their patients as fellow creatures His memoir makes a hopeful appeal for change and his insights reveal the direction that change must take