Arthur Garson Jr.

"Five Thousand Years..." is my most recent book, the one I wish I had read years ago - a history book for non-historians. I never took history in college, yet as Provost at the University of Virginia, we defined what educated people need to know—and world history ranked high. Since I surely wanted to consider myself educated, I then decided to write "Five Thousand Years...", reading more than 500 books to catch up.

As an undergraduate at Princeton, I managed a musical comedy show, studied enough to graduate summa cum laude, decided to shun the family business of brassiere manufacturing and become a doctor. I practiced as a pediatric cardiologist at Texas Children's Hospital, writing seven medical books. When my favorite patient died at nineteen because her Medicaid ran out, at her funeral I pledged to fight for the uninsured—earning a public health degree and working in DC.

That path led to administration: Dean of Baylor College of Medicine, then Dean of Medicine and Provost at the University of Virginia. I also became President of the American College of Cardiology and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

I still teach health policy at the University of Texas and University of Houston—hopefully these students will eventually bring health insurance to all. I live in Houston with Suzan, my wife of 46 years, just a few miles from our two daughters and five grandchildren.

For fun? We collect art...fortunately we love what we have as we have no more room!