Backbone: The Life and Game-Changing Career of a Spinal Neurosurgeon

US: Lisa Hagan Books, 2017. Paperback. Very Good. A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. On a beautiful spring morning in 1989, neurosurgeon and spine expert Volker Sonntag was just finishing rounds at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, A rizona. At that same moment sixteen miles away, a hard-charging boy named T J veered his bike into the path of a speeding pickup truck. The impact all but killed the boy, leaving him with a shattered leg, severe internal injur ies, a massive blood clot near the brain stem, and--but for the fragile spi nal cord--a complete separation of the skull from the spine. This is the riveting story of how Dr. Sonntag's pioneering innovation that day launched him into the forefront of the emerging field of spinal neurosu rgery. Surgeon to a Who's Who of royalty, celebrities and politicians, his clear-eyed accounts of failures and successes, hostile turf wars, media acc usations of quackery, political challenges, and cutting-edge technical adva nces reveal to the reader just what it takes to be a game-changer in one of the world's most harrowing professions. Revered by patients, residents, and fellows for his highly personal approac h to teaching and mentorship, and for his example of life balance, in this book Dr. Sonntag also shares stories of his youth as a German immigrant in Cold War America that lend insight into how, with humility, sacrifice, hone sty, compassion, industry--and humor--an individual can overcome adversity and achieve the American Dream. Editorial Reviews About the Author Volker K.H. Sonntag, MD, is vice-chairman emeritus at B.