Dr. Matthew John Hayes had never met his nephew Ken. Ken was living in Japan, far from Matt's home in the mountains of North Carolina. When Matt and Ken struck up an e-mail conversation, it became apparent that Ken felt profound confusion about his life's path. Through Ken's curiosity and Matt's thoughtful responses, an intriguing portrait emerged of a rebellious young man who would become a pioneering emergency physician. Balancing on the Edge is an unflinching memoir expressed through the unique lens of a successful doctor's e-mail correspondence with a young man on the brink of adulthood. The e-mails between uncle and nephew provide the complete story of Matt's remarkable life: his childhood in Brooklyn, his stubbornness as a youth, his army career, his medical education in Germany, and his push for the reform of the American emergency medical system. Through it all, Matt remains true to his own principles and keeps his sense of humor-and he encourages Ken to do the same. Balancing on the Edge is an extraordinarily intimate and insightful memoir aimed at any young person who is questioning his or her direction in life.