In her first book, Belkin explores questions of medical ethics and legal liability that arose one summer at Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas. Through the intimate stories of families and doctors who are faced with horrible life-and-death calculations, Belkin forces the reader to ask themselves tough questions about the value of a life and how far doctors and technology should go to save a life. The gut-wrenching stories of emotional and physical suffering show that the answer to these questions are anything but simple.