The Wesley Hospital and St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital presented 'An Evening with Samuel Shem' at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday. Famed author of
The House of God, Samuel Shem, pen-name of American psychiatrist Dr Stephen Bergman spoke to a crowd of 200 people from the medical fraternity about his professional life journey and successes.
Since his bestselling classic,
The House of God, was published in 1978, Shem continues to highlight the danger of isolation and the healing power of good connections.
The House of God was ranked number 2 on the list of 10 Best Satires of All Time from Publishers Weekly -
Catch-22 ranked number 3. Some of Shem's other works include,
At the Heart of the Universe (2016 by Seven Stories Press),
The Spirit of the Place (June 2008), Fine (1985) and
Mount Misery, sequel to
The House of God. He has co-authored
The Buddha's Wife (2015) with his wife Dr Janet Surrey, PhD. Catch Shem's riveting interview with Steve Austin on
612 ABC's morning show that aired last Friday.