"Richard Karl appears to be one of those rare surgeons who cares about as well as for his patients, who speaks to them in English, rather than confusing them with complex medical terms, and who in these difficult days still loves surgery. I admire his ability to describe technical matters in simple language. His book is engagingly conversational, and, like many surgeons, he’s a great storyteller."—Joan Cassell, Ph.D., Department of Surgery, Washington Medical School, St. Louis
"[Karl is] a natural storyteller and writer... He writes short, pithy sentences and gives a description of an MRI that should speak for everyone who has survived that procedure. Dr. Karl has an acute sense of patients' rights, and members of Congress would do well to read his book before voting on the matter."—Mary McGrory, The Washington Post
"From the introduction, readers will be struck with how well this book captures the human side of medicine.... It's enlightening to read as Karl eloquently chronicles the sleepless nights spent worrying about patients, the outcomes that were more related to luck than his expertise and the very moving conversations held at the end of life."—Tribune & Times (Tampa, Florida)