Alfalfa to Ivy

The human story of Joseph Martin's journey from rural origins to highly regarded leader makes Alfalfa to Ivy a compelling read. His deep-seated Mennonite values guided him with humility and optimism through tumultuous changes in modern medicine-changes that he helped guide while serving as Dean of Medicine and Chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco Medical School and, later, Dean of Harvard Medical School. His in-depth experience leaves Martin perfectly poised to evaluate academic politics and health care in Canada and in the United States. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the radical evolution of medicine in the United States that began in the second half of the twentieth century. -Dr. Eric Kandel, 2000 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine Joe Martin's career confronted all the major issues of medicine and health care. He experienced the glories of research, the complexities of institutional relationships, the unsustainable health care system, and the strain of political pressures. -John Dirks, President and Scientific Director, The Gairdner Foundation Joseph B. Martin grew up near the village of Duchess, Alberta. He received his MD from the University of Alberta in 1962. He served for ten years as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard University before stepping down in 2007. Joseph Martin is currently the Edward R. and Anne G. Lefler Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School.