Book Introduction...

What if you had the potential deal with death every day? You might just look at your own life quite differently. By working to make patients cheat death with every medical means at his disposal, neurosurgeon Dr. Vivekanand Palavali has put forward a new way to live.

Welcome to the world of a neurosurgeon-a world ripped apart by horrifying accidents, brain tumors, gunshots and strokes. Dr. Palavali immerses you in the grief and triumph of families struggling to deal with parents, children and spouses on the verge of death. In a series of powerful true stories, he walks you through his own awakening to the fragility of life, which transformed him and made him value and appreciate life. He learned to pursue happiness by living and enjoying each and every day of this one and only life.

By overcoming his own fear of death, a journey he openly shares in the pages of this amazing book, Dr. Palavali has been given unique insights on his life. His message of how to find and keep real happiness is both uplifting and vital in a world that seems increasingly beyond comprehension.

"Life and death on the front lines of the world of brain surgery. A riveting account by one of America's leading neurosurgeons that is by turns thrilling and enlightening. Dr. Palavali brilliantly conveys the importance of living and appreciating life to the fullest through passionately rendered vignettes of is patients' trials and triumphs."

-The new York Times Book Review

"An inspirational book... As neurosurgeon... Palavali has faced death on countless occasions [which] has prompted   the conviction that, because life is fragile and fleeting, postponing it is a grave mistake. Palavali recommends living in the moment, grasping life's smallest pleasures, enjoying the journey rather than delaying pleasure and fulfillment of the future. Palavali offers humanistic wisdom grounded in experience."

-Kirkus Discoveries

"A compelling examination of the big picture of life and how truly alike we all are in our needs and desires."

-Maurice Borrows, author of Freedom After Life