Medical profession is regarded as the most noble profession and medical practitioners are considered next to God for their ability to perform miracles when people lose hope. It is more of a selfless profession and most respected everywhere.  “A tryst with a neurologist Dr. Navneet Kumar” by Dr. Dewakar Goel is about the renowned neurologist Dr. Navneet Kumar and how he became the person he is today. The author explains in the preface,

“This book, “Dr. Navneet Kumar — A tryst with a  neurologist” takes us into the depths of his personality, his camaraderie with books, his magnanimity as the head of the institution, his accomplishments and his fondness for his students.”

The readers may mistake the book to be merely about the life of a doctor and how he has selflessly served mankind but the author clarifies this in the preface when he writes,

“It is an insight to the unexplored world of neurology, that doesn’t only open doors to simplification of the countless complexities of A human mind, but also the importance of Human Touch, the exceptional role of someone we call a Doctor in treating humans better.”

This clearly indicates that the ideas the book covers are very wide, and there are a range of thoughts woven together in the book.

The book which is divided into 11 chapters begins with the description about the life of the philanthropist, Dr. B.C. Roy. The author describes the life of the eminent doctor and says that he would be a role model for times to come. This is proven true viewing the influence he cast on the life of Dr. Kumar. The author writes,

“Medical fraternity, across the country and beyond, acknowledge him as an epitome of  chivalrous service in medical fields and look up to him as an encouragement to achieve the highest order of determination and devotion to their medical inclinations.”

Later he talks about the life of Dr. Kumar from childhood to how he was inspired to become a part of the medical profession despite unfavorable circumstances. On reading about his life, the reader gets to know that if one person want to do something, there is nothing that can stop him from achieving his goals. The objective of the author may not be to inspire the readers, but at some level the readers are both in awe of Dr. Kumar and also inspired by his life. 

As the book progresses further, the readers get to know about the professional achievements of Dr. Kumar and how he tirelessly worked day in and day out to make things happen, and make a difference in not just his life but the lives of many others too. The book features a lot of pictures with eminent personalities and newspaper cuttings to highlight the achievements of Dr. Kumar and the exceptional life he has. Throughout his career he not only worked professionally but also published books and worked for the cause of students, and the problems they go through. Apart from this, he has also been a part of many seminars and workshops to raise awareness among people and enrich their knowledge.

In the later part of the book, there is a discussion about various diseases related to the brain which includes Epilepsy, Stroke, Parkinson’s, Migraine etc and what measures should be taken if one of them happens to strike. This is like a guide to the readers as mostly people are unaware of what needs to be done until they reach medical help. Being aware and knowledgeable about things are not wrong at all. When that knowledge can come into use, no one knows. Hence, the book also becomes important from the point of view of acquiring knowledge. 

In the final part of the book there is a mention of Dr. Bates who is also a neurologist in the UK. The fact of belonging to the same profession and similar nature connected Dr. Kumar and Dr. Bates very closely and their association continues.

The readers may or may not belong to the medical profession but this book serves as a guiding light for everyone to become a better human being by performing their services to mankind in whatever manner they can. There are less people whose lives can be cited as examples for the other generations to follow. This makes the book a more important read for every reader to understand how good deeds can still be done in the present time. 

The author takes pains to make sure that the language is close to the understanding of the reader and tries to avoid the medical jargon as far as he can. Every reader of fiction or non-fiction should read this book so that they know that in this world of selfishness and cruelty, humanity still prevails

Title: A tryst with a neurologist Dr. Navneet Kumar
Author: Dr. Dewakar Goel
Publisher: Evincepub Publishing
Reviewed By: Akhila, The Literature Today