James Doty is the author and narrator of Into the Magic Shop. After a childhood plagued by poverty, alcoholism, and mental illness, Doty grew up to become an army veteran and leading neurosurgeon, as well as the director of CCARE. Doty credits his success in large part to his chance encounter with Ruth, which bolstered his confidence and provided him with the tools he needed to create a better future for himself. It’s clear, however, that Doty is also an exceptionally intelligent and driven individual with a knack for communication and persuasion, and that these traits also helped him lift himself out of poverty. On multiple occasions, Doty secures opportunities for himself through sheer force of character, circumventing rules and regulations and winning the support of those around him.

Doty’s ambition doesn’t always serve him well, however. Doty frames much of his life as a struggle between two competing impulses, both related to his difficult childhood: a deep sense of identification with the suffering of others, and an urgent need to distance himself from his own past suffering. The latter is what leads him to temporarily leave medicine to become an entrepreneur and financier, all in a futile effort to feel secure and successful.