From 1987 to 1990, author Dr. Richard Moss traveled extensively through Asia while working as a cancer surgeon in four different countries including Thailand, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. His work was voluntary, however the payoff was in the rich, fascinating, and, often bizarre experiences he had both as a surgeon and wanderer.

Based on this three-year excursion, A Surgeon’s Odyssey delves into the true-to-life adventures, struggles, and quandaries of a young surgeon from humble beginnings who found himself in a strange and tragic but beautiful world, striving to save those suffering from horrifying disease under hellish circumstances. In this memoir, Moss shares his story that includes insights into life, other cultures and religions, and the tragedy of intolerable disease amidst destitution and scarcity.

A Surgeon’s Odyssey tells of a young man’s decision to forgo comfort and financial security for the adventure of a lifetime, pitting himself against the specter of overwhelming suffering and illness. It narrates the unique journey of a cancer surgeon who, against conventional wisdom, embarked on a pilgrimage of healing and experienced surgical triumphs and setbacks amidst some of the most beguiling and fascinating cultures in the world.

A Surgeon’s Odyssey by Richard Moss MD wins the Independent Press Award for 2019 for best book in the category of Travel.