Walter J. Scott MD

My new book, On the Art of Bonsai, is my first non-medical book. For many years, I have enjoyed learning about the bonsai art form, about how to train and care for trees. More recently, I have asked myself why I find bonsai so interesting. Bonsai are beautiful, but is there more to it than that?

Thinking about this led to more questions: How does bonsai relate to the art world at large? Is it art or is it nature? Bonsai originated in Asia hundreds of years ago. What is the meaning of bonsai for us today, in the West? What is American bonsai? Bonsai has spread across the world. It is embraced as an art form by people with many different cultural backgrounds. Why is that so?

What is the future of bonsai? Climate change is the greatest challenge that humanity faces. I believe that bonsai can help people to develop better relationships with plants and nature, prerequisites for taking action in order to limit the damage from a rapidly warming environment.

Bio for my previous books:

I have treated thousands of patients with lung cancer over the years. I was motivated to write "Lung Cancer: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment" by the realization that when it comes to quality lung cancer care, most patients don't know what it is or how to get it. My goal was to provide patients and caregivers with the knowledge they need to find the best lung cancer care, to research the internet, to ask the right questions, and to choose the best treatment. If you have lung cancer, the old saying that "knowledge is power" has never been more true. -- Walter Scott

Walter J. Scott, MD, FACS, was the Chief of Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery at the Fox Chase Cancer Center and most recently Professor Emeritus of Surgery (Thoracic) at Thomas Jefferson University Medical School, Philadelphia. Board-certified in Thoracic Surgery and a leader in minimally invasive (VATS, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted) surgical procedures, Dr. Scott specializes in treating cancers involving the chest; lung cancer, esophageal cancer, thymomas and thymic cancer, mesothelioma and tumors that may have spread (metastasized) to the lungs from other areas of the body.