From Booklist
Inner faith and self-discipline saw Willis through elementary and high school, out of Chicago's notorious Cabrini Green projects, and on to pursue the M.D. His supportive and optimistic mother's guidance was crucial, too. His account of his early life combines such brutal events as the gang-initiation killing of his closest friend's younger brother with the tale of his questing curiosity, which led him from comic books to the dictionary and the encyclopedia. A few inspiring and mentoring teachers in high school, college, and medical school helped him mature and see possibilities. Willis' interest in cancer resulted in the publication of a theoretical article that caught the eye of the National Cancer Institute, and for three years he worked in Robert Gallo's research group on AIDS. But the stresses of the Gallo-Montagnier dispute over discovery of HIV forced him to leave and enter private practice in St. Louis. Willis' storytelling ability and use of his own photographs enliven his readable, thought-provoking memoir. William Beatty
