“Prescriptions for Living”

December 02, 1999

“Love, Medicine and Miracles” doctor Bernie Siegel chats about his book, “Prescriptions for Living,” his approach to dealing with life-threatening illness and how people can live life to the fullest during and after recovery.

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Borders.com: Welcome to Borders.comLive! Tonight we are chatting with "Love, Medicine and Miracles" doctor, Bernie Siegel, who will discuss his book, "Prescriptions for Living." NetCafeLive is presented by Borders, Inc. and Talk City, Inc. Bernie, welcome to Talk City!

Bernie Siegel: I am pleased to be here and I hope that I can be of help to those who are chatting and feel free to ask anything that you are comfortable sharing.

Borders.com: Bernie, it's great to have you here with us tonight. Can you tell us a bit about your book, "Prescriptions for Living"?

Bernie Siegel: "Prescriptions for Living" was written to help people before they run into a disaster and are enlightened by it. After the book was written I thought of a statement -- "Don't fix it if it isn't broken"" -- but it a lot better to strengthen it so it won't break in order to become strong at the broken places. The book really contains the wisdoms of the ages in modern parables and stories. So I admit in the book that there is nothing new, but it's easier for you to understand this than the myths and tales of the prophets of the past. And if you read it and follow the instructions you will live a longer, happier life. I guarantee that or you can return the book.

Pcquest: How did you come up with the idea of "Prescriptions for Living"?

Bernie Siegel: Because I saw too many people really writing books to help others after they have heart attacks, cancer, aids, suicide, flood, tornadoes, bankruptcy, and then they say, "NOW I know what is important about life and how to spend my time" -- and it's just ridiculous. We need to be educated -- not informed, but educated -- so that we are prepared for life and its difficulties and don't have to be awakened by a knock on the head and a threat to our existence. So the book has many lists by survivors of childhood cancer, U.S. Marines, and my own that are about survival and what they have learned. So learn now.and make your life easier.

Andrew: When did you realize you wanted to be a doctor, and what made you want to be one?

Bernie Siegel: I just heard my mother (she is 90) tell someone in an interview that when I was 10 years old I turned to her and said, "I'm going to be a doctor." I have absolutely no memory of that, but as a teenager I realized I loved working with my hands. I was an artist -- a painter. I loved science. I loved people and I loved fixing things, so a natural way to put this all together seemed to be a doctor; a surgeon, so I could use my skillful hands. What I have learned since is why I was in so much pain as a physician -- because nowhere in medical schools or training do they deal with the feelings that you have when a nice kid becomes a doctor and can't cure everybody and the pain that you then experience. Most physicians just bury it and are very much like army veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. I refuse to bury my pain and was guided most by a patient who said, "I need to know how to live between office visits." And so my life was changed when I began to help people to live rather than try to keep them from being dead. Of course, the benefit of enjoying life is that many people don't die when they are supposed to and that's what got me writing and speaking. The benefits of a joyful, loving life.

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