UCSB Arts & Lectures will present best-selling author Dr. Abraham Verghese in conversation with Pico Iyer, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21 at the Arlington Theatre.

Dr. Abraham Verghese with the two novels he has written. (Courtesy photo)
Dr. Abraham Verghese with the two novels he has written. (Courtesy photo)

Verghese’s instant New York Times bestseller “The Covenant of Water” was released in May to critical acclaim and was named an Oprah’s Book Club pick.

“The Covenant of Water” is the follow-up to Dr. Verghese’s previous novel “Cutting for Stone,” which topped The New York Times bestseller list for more than two years. “Cutting for Stone” is being adapted for film and was named one of Amazon’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime.

A Stanford professor and a prominent voice in medicine, Dr. Verghese received the National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama “for reminding us that the patient is the center of the medical enterprise.”

For 15 years, Dr. Verghese was vice chair for the Theory & Practice of Medicine at Stanford University.

Trained in infectious diseases and pulmonary medicine, Dr. Verghese has long been a top thinker in healthcare. His TED talk “A Doctor’s Touch” has been viewed almost two million times.

He is co-host with Dr. Eric Topol of the Medicine and the Machine podcast and is a top thinker on how we utilize cutting-edge technology to advance medicine with a focus on the physical patient.

This dual-pronged approach, incorporating both an appreciation of technological developments and a commitment to the sacred relationship between doctor/caregiver and patient, makes Verghese a leading voice in the discussion about what quality care means now and in the future.

Dr. Verghese leads PRESENCE, a multidisciplinary center that studies the human experience of patients, physicians and caregivers.

Abraham Verghese in conversation with Pico Iyer is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures.
Speaking with Pico Series Sponsors: Martha Gabbert, Siri & Bob Marshall, and Laura & Kevin O’Connor

Tickets for the event are $45 / $25 / $10 UCSB students (current student ID required) (An Arlington facility fee will be added to each ticket price.)

For tickets or more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures, 805-893-3535, purchase online at www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu, or contact the Arlington box office, 805-963-4408.