Dr. Dora Wang has done what few physicians have had the courage and humility to do-she invites us into her world in a deeply personal but never self-centered way--and in a way that allows us to learn from her journey of hard-won knowledge, of difficult choices and of coming to terms with increasing practice limitations. This highly recommended book engages us immediately in a personal quest that feels almost universal while simultaneously offering multiple insights into the practice of medicine today. As she notes when temporarily disabled herself: "Health insurance is for the healthy...it is unavailable to people too sick to hold a job." Naturally The kitchen shrink focuses particularly on the practice of psychiatry which, with the advent of Prozac along with pressures to treat ever more patients in shorter times, means that psychiatrists must "squeeze in psychotherapy." Dr. Wang observes that the "subconscious seems to be disappearing from psychiatry" and offers a searching reflection on whether "antidepressants [are] enabling a more abusive society."Given that we all depend on physicians, it's helpful to understand major influences on their development. As she notes: "In medical school, we learned to always do two things at once." Advice included "try to talk like a speeded up recording" because those minutes saved mean a little more sleep. Even as she "notices a change...a wall that grows between who I was and who I am now" as a result of this process, it's also clear that Dr. Wang retains her own humanity and her humane orientation to her patients. We believe her when she states: " I still carry a flame that won't be extinguished, at least not yet". This important book inspires as well as informs.