In his 17th adventure, Tom finds himself battling something his scientific knowledge has not prepared him for: personal tragedy!Already having conquered several of science fiction's more difficult problems, Tom Swift is faced with a crisis that will test his abilities nearly to the breaking point.An incredibly close person has been stricken with an inoperable tumor inside his head. The tumor will kill him in months, or an operation might do it sooner. At the very least, standard medical procedures would leave him with brain damage.When Doc Simpson proposes an impossible task, Tom, who is mentally fatigued almost to the breaking point, finds that he must rally if there is anything to do to save the man. But the Doctor himself refuses to consider the treatment Tom has in mind when he finds out that what the inventor proposes is more like a living video game that serious surgery.Will it be possible to convince him to let Tom-an unskilled surgeon at the very best-perform the life-saving procedure?And, can Tom rally his emotional and physical strength long enough to make the operation a success?