"Volker Sonntag provides us in Backbone with an intimate and humble story of one of this century's greatest spine surgeons. At various times, Dr. Sonntag's personal journey is heartbreaking, courageous, and even funny but at every turn it is always inspiring."
Allan J. Hamilton, MD
Author of The Scalpel and the Soul
Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine
"A great story highlighting the willingness to move ahead . . . not just miraculously going to Harvard or Oxford, but by adaptation and optimization. This is the story."
Michael M. Crow
President, Arizona State University
"Backbone is an appropriate title for Sonntag’s book outlining his remarkable personal, professional, and career reflections. As this fascinating medical memoir so aptly illustrates, having “backbone” implies unwavering personal integrity, strength, and commitment in an individual. The patient management experiences and professional vignettes he offers in Backbone are worthy of thoughtful reflection."
Mark N. Hadley, MD
Professor of Neurological Surgery and Director of Residency Training, University of Alabama