Summary

Chapter 1, The Son of a Stranger, opens with Dr. Paul O'Rourke talking about his view of the mouth. He says that flossing makes all the difference in a healthy mouth but most people simply won't floss anyway. He urges every one of his patients to floss. Paul says that a dentist's main job is that of a mortician because he pulls teeth, drills out rot, and deals with cavities. Paul has a successful dentist practice in the ground floor of Aftergood Arms, an apartment building on Park Avenue. He borrowed money to start the practice and ignored the advice to create an office space for himself. Instead, he created five exam rooms. That decision means he has no privacy at all but makes “tons and tons of money.”

Paul talks a great deal about his life and what his life could have been. He...