In Stitches

Tony Youn learned early on that cool has a short shelf life. One of two Asian-American kids in a small midwestern town, he was tall and thin with Coke-bottle glasses, Hannibal Lecter headgear, a bowl cut, and a protruding jaw that grew even faster than his comic-book collection. He spent weekends doing homework and playing tennis with his Korean father, who decreed his son would be successful only if he became a surgeon: "Doctor never get fired."

All Tony ever wanted was to fit in. He finally got his chance when, as his friends ended senior year in a flurry of parties, he lay strapped in an oral surgeon's chair having his jaw broken and reset. It was a brutal makeover that led him to his callingumaking him realize how changing your appearance can so profoundly affect your life.

In this humorous and heartwarming memoir, Tony shares how the angst, the flubs, the triumphs, the nonstop studying, the intermittent heavy drinking, the sexual frustration, and the dear friends of the next four years helped him resurrect his confidence and find his true self. He entered medical school a shy, skinny nerd with no nerve, no game, and no clue. He left a plastic surgeon.

From awkward conversations with his father ("You want to be a pediatrician? Little people, little dollah! Spend all day giving suckers to little babies!") to the tiny, defenseless patient who helped Tony answer that elusive question from the first day of medical school (Why do you want to be a doctor?), In Stitches is the smart, poignant, and hysterical story of a kid who found the best in himself by bringing out the best in others and finally learned to be comfortable in his own skin.

From Dr. 90210 to CNN to the Rachael Ray Show, DR. Anthony Youn is quickly becoming America's best-known expert on cosmetic surgery. A board-certified plastic surgeon, he has also appeared on The Doctors, The Early Show, Fox & Friends, The O'Reilly Factor, and elsewhere. His comments have been featured in such publications as Us Weekly, In Touch, Life & Style, RADAR Magazine, the National Enquirer, Star, and the Detroit Free Press. His blog www.celebcosmeticsurgery.com is one of the most popular medical blogs in the country. For more on Dr. Anthony Youn, visit his web-site at www.institchesbook.com.