Drawing from an impressive array of letters, articles, committee records, and interviews with the physicians who defined and fought for the practice of emergency medicine, Zink carefully and chronologically traces the development of the specialty: from its origin with a handful of independent and visionary physicians trying to solve a new problem to a full-fledged medical specialty with strong professional organizations, graduate training programs, active research initiatives, and one of the most advanced certification processes of any specialty.
As a story it is immensely entertaining and educational. Honest, down-to-earth portraits of people who risked a great deal for their beliefs inspire a real sense of pride in our specialty. Much can be learned from watching these physicians build their legendary careers on luck, dedication, imagination, and (often) stubbornness. For these characters alone the book is worth reading.
This book should appeal to everyone who practices emergency medicine, not just history buffs or those interested in politics and administration. If I had my way, every emergency medicine trainee would be required to read this book or some part of it. --Annals of Emergency Medicine, June 2006
