This book is the memoir of Quang Van Nguyen, son of the legendary Buddhist monk and healer, Thau Van Nguyen. Quang’s father, Thau was a local hero in the Mekong Delta area of South Vietnam during the French and American wars, as well as one of South Vietnam’s highest-ranking monks. Practicing an ancient lineage of Chinese medicine, he worked seven days a week traveling from village to village to help people on both sides of the conflict. At 64, Thau adopted an orphaned infant whom he trained to follow in his footsteps. But, as wise and resourceful as Thau was, he met his match in his mischievous son, Quang, who was more interested in learning sorcery and martial arts than in developing his skills according to his father’s plan. Quang Van Nguyen’s extraordinary journey into adulthood is a chronicle of war, a barefoot doctor's practice of traditional medicine, mentorship with his father, and tutelage under martial artists, a taoist cave hermit, and more.

“No one in this country could hope to have Dr. Van Nguyen’s depth of experience in so many realms. Now that his story is public property I am even more encouraged to ask that he consider teaching what everyone who reads the book now knows should not be lost. Naturally, he cannot re-create the world that made him for anyone else, but even a small part would be a great contribution.” —(Leon Hammer, MD, DOM)