The training to become a psychiatrist is challenging and at times bewildering. Once trained, the practicing psychiatrist will continue to encounter people and situations for which he or she is not fully prepared. Some of these experiences are ultimately rewarding and show doctors and patients at their very best; others can overwhelm, lead to anger, or break your heart. All can be stories worth telling. Looking back on forty years of work, the author selects most of his "tales" to illustrate his own naivete and sometimes the shortcomings of his peers and teachers. Overall, this is a hopeful and respectfully entertaining book about those who suffer and those who try to help.