Thursday, January 26, 2012

Anatomy of a Kidnapping: a Doctor's Story

       Last night I read Anatomy of a Kidnapping: a Doctor's Story by Steven L. Berk, M.D.   A true story of a bizarre kidnapping that happened here where I live.  While living here in Amarillo a few years ago Dr. Berk, the Dean of Texas Tech Medical School (we have a campus here), had a quiet Sunday morning interupted by a stranger in his house, pointing a gun at him.  The kidnapper didn't know it was a Dr's home, he was just looking for an opportunity.  The circumstances were so ordinary it could have been any of us.   The family dog finds a dead mouse in a trap and did what dogs do..."Look, Daddy! Look what neat toy I found!"  Mrs. Berk has just left for church when Dr Berk takes the remains out the back door, through their attached garage and into the alley to deposit in the dumpster.  In a rush to get inside and I imagine wash his hands and get back to what he was doing he failed to close the garage door. Just forgot, but something he will never forget to do again.  He went to his office on the second floor of their home and began emailing his son away at college after reading a paper the son had asked him to look over.  The next thing he knows the barrel of a gun is shoved in his face. 
     I am sure I would not have read this had it not taken place here.  I would have missed out on a good book.  Not only does it tell the story of the kidnapping but it also includes stories from his own med school days and how he drew on lessons learned there to keep himself alive during the hours spent with the kidnapper.  Read the reviews on the Amazon link here ---->    http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Kidnapping-Steven-L-Berk/dp/0896726932/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327627948&sr=8-1 to see if you might enjoy it as well. 

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