The author, an infectious disease specialist and co-author of the best-selling Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple, describes his 5-year medical journey from Africa to Appalachia, as he encounters many alternative approaches to medicine (voodoo, naturopathy, homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, hot yoga, barefoot running, performance enhancing drinks, titanium necklaces, magnets, hypnosis, detoxification diets, and ayurvedic medicine).

Dr. Mahan relates his personal and often humorous experiences in the dual worlds of alternative and Western medicine, offering an unbiased analysis and opinion of the differing approaches to medicine.