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Anatomy of a Kidnapping

A Doctor’s Story

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Anatomy of a Kidnapping

By: M.D. Steven L. Berk
Narrated by: Keith McCarthy
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About this listen

Four hours. That was the amount of time between looking down the barrel of a gun and finding myself free along a silent highway lined by cotton fields. In the time period that seemed eternal, my unique experiences as a doctor created an indescribable bond between myself and my captor. I looked upon the situation just as I looked upon a medical emergency: I took a deep breath, hid my panic, and tried to solve the situation.

In March 2005, Dr. Steven Berk was kidnapped in Amarillo, Texas, by a dangerous and enigmatic criminal who entered his home, armed with a shotgun, through an open garage door. Dr. Berk's experiences and training as a physician, especially his understanding of Sir William Osler's treatise on aequanimitas, enabled him to keep his family safe, establish rapport with his kidnapper, and bring his captor to justice.

This harrowing story is not just about a kidnapping. It is a story about patients, about physicians, and about what each experience has taught Berk about life and death, mistakes, family, the practice of medicine, and the physician-patient relationship. It is a story about how Berk's profession prepared him for an unpredictable situation and how any doctor must address life's uncertainties.

The book is published by Stanford University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2011 Steven L. Berk (P)2023 Redwood Audiobooks
Abductions, Kidnapping & Missing Persons Educators Medical Exciting

Critic Reviews

"A harrowing account of a compassionate doctor's abduction at gunpoint from his own home. Stays with you." (People Magazine)

"This phenomenal memoir is truly a harrowing, wonderful and ultimately a redemptive tale." (Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone)

"This is a touching, deep story, and possibly one of the most emotional stories ever." (San Francisco / Sacramento Book Review)

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