-Will it EVER get better?- Dr. Joel Chenosky, owner-dentist from the Denver area, ponders the question glumly as the annual meeting of the American Dental Association begins in San Francisco. In this business parable, Joel struggles coming to grips with his failing practice. He knows he has issues, but is undecided and almost paralyzed about what action to take.

Then Joel meets fellow attendee Dr. Davis Avalon, a dentist from Long Island with an exuberant, almost triumphant appreciation for good food, and a quickly-formed friendship offers Joel a window of opportunity. Over a...