Kathryn Kyker used to faint at the sight of blood. But after three decades as an ER social worker, blood no longer fazed her-and neither did anything else.

Kathryn took her job at a regional Georgia hospital because she was desperate for health insurance. Although she found the work meaningful and became the hospital's first ER social work manager, the high-stakes environment left her unable to cry, hypervigilant about safety, and detached from family and friends.

With her inner emotional landscape sabotaged, Kathryn set out on a quest to regain her relationship with curiosity, joy, and the bonds that make us human. The result is a reflective interrogation of the US health care system, a meditation on social work, and a thoughtful inquiry into the emotional responsibilities we have to ourselves-and one another.

Full of compassion and humorous insight, Surprised by Nothing is a compelling reminder of how to live a creative and nurturing life, even in the face of the world's random, devastating hardships.

A portion of this book's proceeds will be donated to Project HOPE, which supports health care workers and improves access to care around the world.