Penguin Books Australia

'Cancer patients put up with the most and complain the least, endowed with an uncommon wisdom that is a privilege to observe. It is not simply that they see the big picture; if you spend long enough with them, they help you see it too.'

What really happens when someone hears the words, 'You have cancer?'  What has preceded it and what comes after? Written with great compassion and honesty, this is a rare view from the other side of the desk. Oncologist Ranjana Srivastava reflects on the very human side of the medical profession – the moral dilemmas, the anxieties, the empathy  – and shows us that the best doctors are the ones who keep learning by listening to their patients.

This book is much more than an oncologist's diary; it is an acknowledgement of the incredible courage of ordinary people as they confront the big issues of life and death.