Without the exceptional teachers in my life The Hard Bargain would not have been written. I was privileged to be exposed to some of the most brilliant, academic minds that shaped my career path. But, also, I was lucky to be a son of Richard Tucker who taught me some of the most valuable life lessons.
There were four individuals who stood above all the rest. The first was Ms. Grace Warner, my elementary school teacher in Great Neck, Long Island, who took a troubled young boy and instilled the gift of learning. She set a compass that stayed with me throughout my life. The second teacher was Dr. John McLean, Chief of the Department of Ophthalmology at Cornell Medical School, who ironically was a big fan of mine when I sang at numerous Cornell dinner parties. Although he was enthusiastic about my vocal talent, he would be the one who influenced my decision to become an ophthalmologist. Then there was Dr. Edward Norton, Professor and Chairman of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida. He set the highest bar for me for excellence and ethics in the practice of ophthalmology with my patients.
I dedicated my memoir, The Hard Bargain, to my father who was my greatest mentor of all. What I thought was parental indifference as a young man, I now recognize as my dad's type of tough love that turned out to be , for me, parental wisdom.
Stay tuned to hear more from me, and visit my homepage: www.thehardbargainbook.com.
Dr. David Tucker