Dr. Matthew John Hayes had never met his nephew Ken. Ken was living in Japan, far from Matt's home in the mountains of North Carolina. When Matt and Ken struck up an e-mail conversation, it became apparent that Ken felt profound confusion about his life's path. Through Ken's curiosity and Matt's thoughtful responses, an intriguing portrait emerged of a rebellious young man who would become a pioneering emergency physician.
Balancing on the Edge is an unflinching memoir expressed through the unique lens of a successful doctor's e-mail correspondence with a young man on the brink of adulthood.
The e-mails between uncle and nephew provide the complete story of Matt's remarkable life: his childhood in Brooklyn, his stubbornness as a youth, his army career, his medical education in Germany, and his push for the reform of the American emergency medical system. Through it all, Matt remains true to his own principles and keeps his sense of humor-and he encourages Ken to do the same.
Balancing on the Edge is an extraordinarily intimate and insightful memoir aimed at any young person who is questioning his or her direction in life.
About the Author: Matthew John Hayes, MD, PhD, is a renowned American emergency physician. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Hayes is a US Army veteran who graduated from St. John's University. He completed his medical training at Heidelberg University in Germany, where he studied medicine in German despite barely speaking the language.
As a physician, he fell in love with the excitement of the emergency room and successfully pushed for reform of US emergency practices in the 1970s. He inaugurated and served as the first president of the Washington State chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Hayes makes his home in the mountains of North Carolina with his wife, Mary Beth. His correspondence with his nephew inspired him to share his life story with a wider audience, in the hope of teaching young people that the path to success is often best traveled while marching to the beat of one's own drum.