Dr. Adventure: Danger and Discovery From Pole to Pole

Dr. Adventure: Danger and Discovery From Pole to Pole

In a memoir that is equal parts intellectual, inspiring, and at times irreverent, physician-scientist Dr. Warren Zapol takes readers through a life built on an unquenchable desire to learn about the world in order to improve human health. From a (seemingly) perfectly normal upbringing to more uncertain times, Zapol’s natural curiosity and scientific prowess kept him grounded. He navigated the halls of MIT at only sixteen years old, and pursued a medical research career at Harvard. His persistence through a series of disappointments, led him to make breakthroughs that help people, and continue to save countless lives. Balancing risk and reward, Zapol understood that the only way to advance in science is with a leap of faith. His revolutionary discovery that small quantities of a toxic gas, nitric oxide, could save “blue babies”—newborns with ill-functioning lungs—revolutionized their care. His work lives on and continues to save lives. In his memoir, Zapol confronts fundamental problems of humankind’s survival, our struggle with our identity, and our thoughts about life and death. Zapol explores these themes in depth: coming to terms with his origin story, surviving malaria, leading research teams through the dangers of Antarctica, and providing care to patients around the world. Every journey teaches a lesson. Dr. Warren Zapol shares his with us, in hopes that we will ignite our own adventurous spirit, and harness it to improve the lives of others.