On November 7, 2002, The John Adams Institute proudly presented an additional lecture to its schedule of events with writer-physician Atul Gawande (1965). He spoke about his book 'Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science'.In 'Complications', Gawande writes about the art of healing as it takes place in America's leading academic centers. He describes medicine, his profession, as an enterprise of constantly changing knowledge, uncertain information and fallible individuals. In other words, the dubious footing on which a doctor must perform. Medicine reveals itself as a fascinatingly complex and "fundamentally human endeavor". With humor, sensitivity and critical intelligence, Gawande explores the pros and cons of new technologies and writes unflinchingly on various ethical dilemmas and medical mistakes. In one case, he critiques a controversial factory model for routine surgeries that delivers superior success rates while dramatically cutting costs. By alternating between the anecdotal and the scholarly, Gawande offers his extraordinary view of the medical world.