“Yorke’s concise memoir doesn’t provide a comprehensive biography; instead, the author uses carefully chosen anecdotes that connect to larger themes of American history, from his parent’s admiration of W.E.B. DuBois to his personal analysis of James Baldwin. Stories from his medical career are equally poignant…”

—Kirkus Reviews

“A provocative book about Dr. Yorke’s personal journey from childhood, adhering to his parents’ dreams and plans for him, focusing on excellence in school, music, and athletic pursuits throughout childhood and his professional career. I found Steep a thoughtful reflection on life lessons and a compelling read.”

—Kathleen Sebelius, former Governor of Kansas and U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services

“This moving memoir recounts Craig Yorke’s steep climb from the poorest neighborhoods of Boston to the University of California San Francisco’s world-renowned neurosurgical program. A gifted violinist who might have filled concert halls instead of operating rooms, he chose to exercise his virtuosity in caring for patients with neurosurgical disease. Steep offers a rare window into the emotional and ethical terrain of a life spent on the front lines of life and death. Steep sands alongside the best medical memoirs—riveting, profound, and unforgettable.”

—Dr. Paul Camarata,Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery and Chair, Neurosurgery, The University of Kansas Medical Center

“A fascinating memoir by a distinguished Black neurosurgeon. But it is more than that; it’s also evidence that professional achievement along with self-respect can bolster one’s “armor” against racist condescension. A Boston Latin School and Harvard University graduate who received his surgical training in San Francisco, Dr. Yorke moved to Topeka, Kansas, to seize the opportunity to work with the renowned Menninger Foundation and to meet the community’s need for a neurosurgeon. Dr. Yorke is a masterful storyteller.”

—Bill Tuttle, Professor Emeritus of American Studies at the University of Kansas and the author of several books, notably including “Daddy’s Gone to War”: The Second World War in the Lives of America’s Children

“Steep is no less a profound meditation on the toll it takes to stand before the steep wall of lowering historical forces and the determination, discipline, and drive necessary in scaling it. What awaits at the summit, however, is unexpected; the ultimate reward of the author’s journey upward is freedom—liberating self-knowledge and compassion for the struggles of others. Steep is about discovering what it is to become truly human. I can only hope that this, the author’s first book, is not his last.”

—Tobias Schlingensiepen, member of the Kansas House of Representatives, Senior Pastor First Congregational Church, Topeka, Kansas