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Lessons Learned
That Will Never Do! is a memoir of medical innovation and personal growth, chronicling your journey in urology and pioneering efforts to develop less invasive surgical techniques that transformed patient care. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Coming to the end of a truly fortunate career, I wanted to pass along some of the many things I had learned in hopes that it might be of help to those to follow. Some lessons learned the hard way, which, when explained to others, might save them a similar lengthy/painful learning curve. Then again, I also wanted to acknowledge those who made all the difference in my life and provided me with the privilege to proceed and succeed. Clearly Carol, but also a host of mentors and colleagues who never failed to encourage and support.
How did your mother’s optimism influence your approach to challenges?
There is nothing better in this world than optimism, in my opinion. There is a silver lining somewhere to almost all events, save the loss of a loved one. Roz’s optimism was something special though – regardless of what you wanted to do or your particular aspiration, she had the ability to convince you they would be realized, not maybe, but absolutely. I have yet to meet anyone in my life who had that ability and belief in an individual to realize their dreams. Armed with that kind of support, you understood, in Churchill’s words, that failure is not final and that indeed, there would be another day, and success would be on its horizon.
You openly discuss shortcomings in the preparation for early innovations. What did those experiences teach you?
This is where it is so important to bring in a collaborative group, so you don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Certainly, with the laparoscopic nephrectomy, we needed someone to step out of the enthusiasm and view it at a distance. I think if one person had just said, perhaps you ought to first try this in a cadaver, it would have changed a lot; we would have learned how to perhaps deal with the colon such that our first case, instead of being over 6 hours, may have only been 3 hours. But I think we were so blinded by the success with the porcine kidney, we did not take time to step back and think about how much more complex the anatomy and surrounding tissues of the human kidney might be.
How would you like your legacy as a physician, innovator, and mentor to be remembered?
The people who have done the endourology fellowship are truly my legacy – as they are physicians, innovators, and mentors in their own right. I am so thankful that the vast majority of the fellows have proceeded into an academic setting where they could become both innovators and mentors. Through them, the 5 H’s of honesty, hard work, humility, humor, and heart are passed on to the next generation of surgeons, much to the benefit of the people they treat and to the progress of the specialty.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Clayman traces the roots of that drive to a childhood shaped by discipline, persistence, and the difficult pursuit of parental approval, then follows it through a career at the forefront of modern urology, recounting the people, setbacks, discoveries, and unlikely ideas behind some of the field’s most important advances. Along the way, he reflects on the values that sustained him: hard work, honesty, humility, humor, and heart.
Part memoir, part chronicle of surgical innovation, That Will Never Do! is an engaging account of how character, curiosity, and collaboration can lead to discovery and reshaped the practice of surgery.
The Dictionary of Missing Time
The Dictionary of Missing Time, by Susan Eileen, is a memoir of addiction, family, relationships, mental health, and recovery organized through a clever personal lexicon. Each chapter takes its title from an expression Eileen has coined or adopted, such as “A Reverse Kafka,” “Memory Burn,” “Irish Goodbye,” and “Confident Humility,” then uses that phrase as an entry point into a particular period of her life. The dictionary framework gives shape to a story that ranges from a financially strained childhood in Ohio through marriage, motherhood, teaching, substance abuse, difficult relationships, legal trouble, and sobriety. Early in the book, Eileen describes her life as “a series of rambunctious events,” an apt description of a memoir that moves through painful and comic experiences with considerable energy.
Eileen’s voice is the book’s defining strength. She writes with candor about behavior that could easily be softened in retrospect, including drinking, pill abuse, financial instability, people-pleasing, damaged relationships, and the ways addiction consumed both her time and her attention. Her humor gives the book accessibility without erasing the seriousness of what she describes. The invented expressions are often funny, but they also function as compact explanations for recurring patterns of behavior. As the memoir progresses, these terms become a way for Eileen to name experiences she once struggled to understand. That approach is particularly effective because language itself becomes part of the recovery process: defining an experience allows her to examine it, connect it to the past, and decide what role it should have in her future.
The book also succeeds in presenting sobriety as a continuing process of self-examination. Eileen traces improvements in her work habits, finances, home life, boundaries, relationships, and ability to tolerate difficult emotions, while also examining transfer addiction and the patterns she carried from childhood and marriage into later relationships. Some of the memoir’s most thoughtful passages concern time, particularly the years and mental energy absorbed by addiction. Her observation that “Time can never be retrieved” gives the title its deeper significance. Recovery, in this telling, involves recognizing that lost time while becoming more deliberate about the time that remains. The result is a narrative concerned as much with identity, habits, and emotional maturity as with abstinence itself.
By the end, The Dictionary of Missing Time has become a record of reconstruction. Eileen arrives at a life built around simplicity, creative work, family, healthier boundaries, volunteering, and a more measured sense of self. Her idea of “confident humility,” defined as keeping one’s ego in proper proportion, neatly captures the balance she spends much of the book trying to establish. The closing sentiment, “I’ve built a life I don’t need a vacation from,” gives the memoir an especially fitting conclusion because it measures recovery through ordinary contentment. Eileen has created a personal recovery memoir with an unusual organizing principle, a conversational voice, and a clear interest in how people can use language, reflection, and self-knowledge to make sense of a complicated life.
Pages: 268 | ASIN : B0CTN1NJWW
That Will Never Do!
Ralph V. Clayman’s That Will Never Do! is a memoir of medical innovation, academic leadership, and personal formation. Clayman traces his path from a New Jersey childhood shaped by a demanding father and an irrepressibly optimistic mother to a distinguished career in urology. At its center is a compelling question: “How could we achieve a surgical cure without the attendant morbidity of the big incision?” That question gives the book its intellectual and moral direction as Clayman recounts his role in advancing endourology, laparoscopic nephrectomy, flexible cystoscopy, and other techniques that reduced the physical burden of surgery.
The book’s structure expands from chronological autobiography into a detailed account of surgical practice and, finally, a series of case studies in creativity. Clayman explains how innovations emerge through collaboration among physicians, engineers, trainees, and industry partners. His descriptions of the first laparoscopic nephrectomy are especially absorbing because he records both the ingenuity behind the procedure and the shortcomings in its preparation. Throughout the memoir, he treats failure as evidence to study. This candor lends credibility to his reflections on persistence, mentorship, and the practical work required to move an idea from the laboratory into clinical care.
Clayman writes with technical precision, self-deprecating humor, and an evident concern for the person undergoing treatment. The extensive explanations of anatomy, instruments, and procedural history make the book particularly valuable to surgeons, medical trainees, and readers interested in health-care innovation. These passages can be dense, and the repeated summaries of his innovation framework occasionally slow the narrative, but they also preserve a detailed record of how a specialty changed over half a century. The photographs, diagrams, surgical maxims, and portraits of influential colleagues reinforce the memoir’s central conviction that discovery is collective. As Clayman tells his operating-room teams, “No one of us is as smart as all of us.”
The memoir presents surgical progress as an ethical commitment to achieving a cure with the least possible harm. Its personal and professional strands converge in Clayman’s five guiding values: hard work, honesty, humility, humor, and heart. His accounts of Carol’s sacrifices, his mentors’ interventions, his colleagues’ ingenuity, and his trainees’ accomplishments keep the story grounded in relationships. The result is a substantive and engaging record of modern urology’s transformation, as well as a thoughtful argument for compassionate competence, intellectual curiosity, and generous mentorship.
Pages: 208 | ASIN : B0HJ4T28WW
Reawaken: Finding Hope, Purpose, and Joy Through Life’s Unexpected Journey
Reawaken is Richard E. Poulin III’s account of how his family’s adventurous, carefully planned life changed after his daughter, Rylae-Ann, developed unexplained medical episodes. Poulin begins with his and his wife Judy’s multicultural childhoods, teaching careers, and years of travel before moving into the book’s central story: their search for the cause of Rylae-Ann’s symptoms. That search leads to a diagnosis of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency, an extraordinarily rare genetic disorder, and eventually to an experimental gene therapy trial in Taiwan. The result is part family memoir, part medical odyssey, and part caregiver field guide.
Poulin writes with an open, personable voice that suits the story well. He’s candid about fear, denial, exhaustion, financial pressure, and even the envy he felt while watching other families celebrate milestones that seemed unreachable for his daughter. His humor keeps those admissions from becoming overwhelming, whether he’s describing airport mishaps, hospital bureaucracy, or therapy sessions conducted over Rylae-Ann’s enthusiastic protests. Judy emerges as the family’s steady engine, while relatives, caregivers, educators, clinicians, and researchers gradually form the wider “Team Rylae.” That attention to collective effort gives the memoir much of its warmth.
The book is especially affecting when it concentrates on small, observable changes. Rylae-Ann sitting independently, selecting a picture in a familiar book, throwing a fork, speaking her first words, and taking a few unsteady steps carry more emotional force than broad statements about perseverance. Poulin’s background as an educator also gives the later chapters practical substance. His discussions of scaffolding, play, sleep, communication supports, and the family’s caregiver lifestyle framework show how therapy became part of ordinary routines. Brief sidebars on medicine, science, history, travel, and culture add context, though their frequency and the repetition of a few motivational ideas occasionally slow the story’s momentum.
I recommend Reawaken to parents and caregivers of children with rare diseases, disabilities, or developmental delays. They’ll recognize the difficult decisions, relentless research, improvised routines, and strange mix of grief and celebration that can shape caregiving. Educators, therapists, healthcare professionals, and rare-disease advocates will also find a useful reminder that families bring vital knowledge to clinical and educational partnerships. Above all, this is a hopeful account of a child gaining access to movement, language, learning, and a fuller life, and of a family turning that experience into advocacy for others.
Pages: 291 | ASIN : B0HB2NQP28
Compelling and Inspiring
Joseph of Africa and America follows an elderly immigrant who recounts more than eight decades of childhood, education, migration, family, and personal transformation to his American grandson. What inspired you to share this story with readers?
After I retired, I suddenly found myself with plenty of time to indulge in my lifelong passion – reading. I read a lot of biographies and memoirs along with various novels. This led me to examine and reflect on my own life story, and I came to the conclusion that my life story was compelling and inspiring enough to share with the world.
What does the small metal trunk that follows Joseph through boarding school symbolize for you?
The trunk symbolizes for me the triumph of the human spirit over impossible odds. Due to poverty, Joseph’s relations were not able to buy him a new trunk for boarding school; they simply gave him his grandfather’s old trunk which was not adequate for boarding school. Joseph did not despair and instead worked hard in spite of the various challenges he faced and was able to lift himself out of poverty.
Were there any characters who surprised you by becoming more important as the story developed?
That character would be Matt. Matt played an important role in Joseph’s life throughout the story. He was with him at the beginning going to the farm at Camp, then through secondary school, university, and travelling to America; he was still with him in retirement and throughout all of Joseph’s adversities.
What does Joseph of Africa and America suggest about perseverance, family, and the meaning of a successful life?
It suggests that no matter how dire the circumstances one finds himself/herself in, one must always have hope and never give up. It is possible through hard work, perseverance, and even some help from providence, to emerge victorious from those circumstances. Joseph was able to lead a successful life in spite of his difficult beginning and the various financial and health issues he faced throughout his life.
When a miraculous visa drops at his feet on a crowded city street, he journeys to Los Angeles, determined to conquer the corporate world.
But the American Dream is far more unforgiving than the African sun.
Stranded with frozen funds and a debilitating muscle illness, Joseph must summon fierce determination to survive in a foreign land.
Just as he climbs to the top of a downtown skyscraper, a toxic web of corporate fraud and betrayal threatens to tear his life apart.
This sweeping work of biographical fiction is a deeply moving drama inspired by a remarkable true story of resilience, faith, and the triumph of the human spirit over impossible odds.
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Talent and Determination
A Life of Impact explores the career of transplant pioneer Samuel L. Kountz, MD, whose work advanced kidney transplantation, while his commitment to mentorship, education, and underserved patients pushed medical progress beyond technical innovation alone. What did you discover about your father during your research that you hadn’t fully understood while he was alive?
Perhaps the greatest discovery was the full magnitude of what my father had accomplished. I knew him first as my father, not as Samuel L. Kountz, the pioneering transplant surgeon. I understood that he was an accomplished physician and scientist, but I was young when he was at the height of his career and did not fully appreciate the barriers he had overcome or the breadth of his influence. Researching the book allowed me to see him through the eyes of his colleagues, trainees, patients, and the historical record. I came to understand more clearly how remarkable his journey was—from growing up in a small, segregated town in Arkansas to becoming an internationally recognized transplant surgeon. I was also struck by how consistently people remembered his generosity, optimism, and willingness to create opportunities for others. Writing the book allowed me to meet my father again, this time as an adult and as a physician myself.
Mentorship plays an important role throughout his story. Who were some of the people who helped make his path possible?
My father’s career is a wonderful example of what can happen when talent and determination encounter people willing to open doors. Senator J. William Fulbright helped make it possible for him to attend the University of Arkansas, where faculty members also recognized and nurtured his potential. Later, Dr. Roy Cohn became an important mentor and helped develop his interest in transplantation, while Dr. Norman Shumway, another giant in the field, was an important influence during those formative years.
One lesson I took from researching his life was how consequential mentorship can be. My father never forgot the people who helped him, and he spent much of his own career doing the same for students and young physicians, particularly those who might otherwise have been overlooked. Mentorship wasn’t simply something he benefited from; it became something he felt obligated to pass along.
What lessons from his career remain relevant to current conversations about health disparities and representation in medicine?
Unfortunately, many of the issues my father confronted remain with us. He entered medicine when opportunities for African Americans were severely limited, yet he refused to allow those limitations to define what he could accomplish. His concern about inequity also extended beyond his own career. He understood that advances in medicine have limited meaning if the people who need them cannot benefit from them.
His life reminds us that representation matters, but opportunity matters just as much. It is not enough to encourage talented young people from historically underrepresented backgrounds to pursue medicine. We also need mentors, institutions, and leaders willing to recognize their potential and create pathways for them to succeed. My father’s career demonstrates what can happen when those opportunities are provided—and how many patients and future physicians can ultimately benefit.
What do you hope medical students and young physicians learn from his combination of scientific ambition, service, and mentorship?
I hope they understand that these qualities do not have to compete with one another. My father was extraordinarily ambitious scientifically. He wanted to solve difficult problems, advance transplantation, and improve outcomes for patients. But he also believed that professional success carried an obligation to serve others.
For young physicians, his life offers a broader definition of impact. A successful career is not measured only by publications, titles, discoveries, or positions. It is also measured by the patients whose lives you improve, the people you mentor, the opportunities you create for others, and whether the work you began continues after you are gone. That, ultimately, is why I called the book A Life of Impact.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
A Life of Impact: A Biography of Samuel L. Kountz, MD is a powerful and deeply human portrait of one of the most influential pioneers in transplant surgery. Spanning from the segregated cotton fields of rural Arkansas to the forefront of global medical innovation, this biography captures not only a scientific journey, but a story of resilience, courage, and transformation.
Born into a world shaped by racial inequality and limited opportunity, Samuel L. Kountz refused to be defined by circumstance. Through determination, intellect, and an unwavering commitment to healing, he rose to become a groundbreaking surgeon whose work helped reshape the future of kidney transplantation.
This book traces his early life in the American South, his education under systemic barriers, and the mentors and communities that shaped his path. It explores his entry into medicine during a period of scientific uncertainty, when transplant surgery was still experimental, risky, and often controversial. Against this backdrop, Kountz emerged as a leader who pushed the boundaries of what medicine could achieve.
More than a clinical biography, this work also examines the human dimensions of his journey. It delves into the emotional and ethical challenges of early transplantation, the realities of discrimination in medical institutions, and the burden of responsibility carried by those who pioneer life-saving procedures. It highlights his advocacy for equity in healthcare, his dedication to underserved communities, and his lasting influence on medical education and transplant ethics.
Through detailed narrative and historical depth, A Life of Impact presents a vivid account of a man whose legacy continues to shape modern medicine. It is a story of ambition forged through adversity, of science driven by compassion, and of a life devoted to expanding the limits of what is possible.
This book will appeal to readers interested in medical history, biographies of influential figures, healthcare ethics, and stories of perseverance against systemic barriers.
Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Fiction
The Literary Titan Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.
Award Recipients
The Voice of Cuba by Amarilys Rassler
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Nonfiction
The Literary Titan Book Award recognizes outstanding nonfiction books that demonstrate exceptional quality in writing, research, and presentation. This award is dedicated to authors who excel in creating informative, enlightening, and engaging works that offer valuable insights. Recipients of this award are commended for their ability to transform complex topics into accessible and compelling narratives that captivate readers and enhance our understanding.
Award Recipients
The Bear and Cat Chronicles by Kris Neely
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
