Raising the Dead

The former surgeon writes of his own near-death experience after being diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease and lapsing into a coma. The fragility of health and robustness of imagination merge when this seemingly healthy man's legs collapse suddenly beneath him, propelling him into a 23-day coma triggered by Legionnaire's Disease. Here, Selzer relives his illness, allowing the reader a highly personal glimpse into his delirium as he skates the line between life and death. This tale of survival remains unsentimental as Selzer grounds what was surely a terrifying experience in humor, emphasized by use of third person narrative.