The Pen and the Stethoscope is a unique collection of fiction and non-fiction by doctor - writers that gives us a fascinating look behind the doctor's mask and gets inside the minds of those who deal with enormous existential issues and traumatic situations on a daily basis. It is through writing that many doctors have plumbed the depths and richness of their experience. This book takes a critical look at doctors' close observations on their working life. With a foreword by Jerome Groopman, contributors include Oliver Sacks, Atul Gawande, Irvin Yalom, Jacinta Halloran, Peter Goldsworthy, Ethan Canin, Robert Jay Lifton, Danielle Ofri, Perri Klass, Nick Earls, Ethan Canin, Sandeep Jauhar, and Leah Kaminsky.