Bernd Schumacher, M.D., who grew up in Germany and worked as a medical doctor in the Middle East and the United States of America, looks back at the highs, lows, and the lessons he learned while living an exciting, international life in this autobiography. As a boy, he grew up with a fascination with the American dream, decorating his room with the American flag, models of an Apollo Rocket and the lunar lander. His wallpaper featured the Manhattan Skyline, with the Twin Towers still intact, of course. After immigrating to the United States, he met his future wife, and they enrolled at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois, in 1986. After medical school, it was on to residency, with some time spent collecting model trains along the way. In 2000, he moved to Saudi Arabia, and there his working hours were much more regulated. He had lots of household help, including a gardener and a woman to help with the children and the household. The author’s experiences have taught him to empathize with the plight of others. In recalling his life, he argues that the global village concept is inevitable but that we must strive to preserve local cultures.
