Vivien T. Thomas, a high school graduate, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Johns Hopkins University and was made a member of the medical school faculty in recognition of his contributions to the practice of cardiovascular surgery and to the education of young surgeons. Pioneering Research in Surgical Shock and Cardiovascular Surgery is the autobiography of this extraordinary black man who struggled against overwhelming odds and achieved international recognition in a highly sophisticated field in which he had no formal education or certification.