Patients can't tell the difference between time and attention. They think I give them more attention than other doctors. But all I give them is more time. By the end of the first sixty seconds I've seen all I need to know. The remaining nineteen minutes I fill with attention. Or, I should say, with the illusion of attention.
-- Marc (narration) (chapter 1)

Importance: This is the way in which Marc introduces himself to the reader, describing one of his many unconventional philosophies. As with many of Marc's actions, he appears to be sympathetic to those around him -- for example, conversing at length with a patient -- but, underneath, he is coldly transactional and calculated. Nonetheless, Marc's habit of listening to patients proves to be crucial to his livelihood, as he loses significant business when he ceases listening to patients, following his family vacation. This excerpt also displays Marc's habit of thinking in short...