John Grisham has sold more than 300 million books worldwide, but in an interview with CBS This Morning, the best-selling author talked about how his short new book on focused ultrasound will always have a special place in his literary oeuvre.

“The Tumor is the only book I’ve written that has a potential of advancing a technology that will have a profound impact on the lives of millions of people,” Grisham told correspondent Chip Reid, in the interview.

Grisham explained that sometimes he looks back with a critical eye at books he has published, and said "first and foremost [they are] entertainment." For the author of classic legal thrillers like The Firm and The Pelican Brief, the opportunity to spread the word on focused ultrasound through his craft meant doing something that he would always be completely proud of.
"If it finds people to push our research... that's the purpose of the book," said Grisham.

Dr. Neal Kassell, chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, is also interviewed in the video and explained the important role that Grisham plays in educating the public. “One of the key impediments to the development and adoption of the technology is lack of awareness. It turns out that we have a celebrity on our board who has got a brand, can tell a story, and has a following,” he said.

Kassell discussed the book with HCB News back in January and said he feels the book is a perfect vehicle for increasing awareness — which goes hand-in-hand with an increase in funding to support focused ultrasound research and other activities.

“One of the basic tenets is that to navigate this technology through this complicated [process] requires that all of the stakeholders be informed as to the potential benefits of focused ultrasound,” said Kassell. “Increasing awareness of what this technology could do when it is fully developed is essential.”

The book, which can be downloaded for free, tells the story of a young father and husband who is diagnosed with a brain tumor. In one telling of the story he receives the current state-of-the-art treatment and ultimately dies in nine months. In a second telling, however, he is treated with focused ultrasound and his tumor becomes a chronic but manageable condition for many years.

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