The Needle and the Damage Done

About the Book

USA Today reporter Scott Bowles turned diabetic when he was just 14. Though he showed few signs of the disease’s complications early on, diabetes came on with a vengeance in his twenties. His eyesight began to fail. He began losing feeling in his fingers in toes. In short, he was losing the battle, as do millions of other diabetics across the country.

Then one day, as he researched his condition on the Internet, Bowles stumbled upon a radical treatment for diabetes: a pancreas transplant.

“The Needle and the Damage Done” is a personal journal of his path toward that treatment. It follows him from life at home, in the newsroom where he works as a reporter, to endless hospital visits and, finally, the operating table.

The highly-acclaimed journal, which was cited for excellence in journalism by the Poynter Institute, has been featured in excerpts in USA TODAY. This book includes chapters never before published.

Bowles is a reporter for USA Today´s Los Angeles bureau. He has also worked as a journalist for the Atlanta Journal_Constitution, Detroit News and Washington Post. He was a contributing author of the 1996 book, “Crime On Deadline,” a collection of crime stories from police reporters nationwide.

Bowles lives with his wife, Julie, in Sherman Oaks, California.

Here´s what people are saying about "The Needle and the Damage Done.”

"Scott Bowles´ intensely personal (and eminently readable) account of his battles with diabetes is remarkable, gripping, heartening journalism." -- William Raspberry, columnist, The Washington Post.

"A remarkable journalism project. [The Needle and the Damage Done] demonstrates social significance, strong impact on audiences, and superb craftsmanship in reporting and writing...Distinguished work " -- The Poynter Institute for Media Studies

About the Author

Scott Bowles, 35, is a reporter for USA TODAY in the paper’s Los Angeles bureau. He has also worked as a journalist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Detroit News and Washington Post. He was a contributing author of the 1996 book, “Crime On Deadline,” a collection of crime stories from police reporters nationwide. Bowles lives with his wife, Julie, in Sherman Oaks, California.