Author

Leading with Practical Wisdom

The Reaper's Dance

Dr. Ravi Iyer's The Reaper’s Dance delivers a gripping, fast-paced account of the COVID-19 pandemic—unraveling the science, politics, and human stories behind the global crisis that brought the world to a standstill. From government failures to heroic triumphs, this masterfully woven narrative pulls readers into the heart of the pandemic, exposing the decisions that shaped its course and the lives forever changed by its impact.

Blending investigative rigor with compelling storytelling, The Reaper’s Dance reads like a thriller while offering deeply researched insights that challenge assumptions and spark conversations. Perfect for podcast discussions on global health, leadership in crisis, and human resilience, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking to make sense of one of the most transformative events in modern history.

ACORNS OF WISDOM: The Neuroalignment Workbook for HR Executives and Leaders

ACORNS OF WISDOM, is the second book in the Squirrels Project series and it picks up where Squirrels in my Brain left off by expanding the concept of neuroalignment into a systematic workbook that HR executives and corporate leaders can use to design and conduct workshops and training programs for the creation of high performance teams. The “Squirrels” project arose in the summer of 2023 when three curious minds came together to ask the question. What if we took a deep penetrating look into how human beings think and work in corporate cultures? What if we threw out the current DEI rulebook and came up with a new definition of how businesses can view teams and employees in a way that empowers rather than merely accomodate or assist? What emerged from this project was "Squirrels in My Brain" and the idea of NEUROALIGNMENT as a foundational principle that transcends the swamps and minefields of DEI politics. In the modern workplace, diversity of thought is more than a corporate value—it is a strategic asset. Neuroalignment is the process of intentionally structuring teams, spaces, and policies so that the cognitive strengths of both neurotypical and neurodiverse employees are leveraged for collective success.

Acorns of Wisdom, has been designed as an everyday desk manual for HR executives and team leaders seeking to both understand the challenges of Neurodiversity as well as the methodology of structured implementation of neuroalignment techniques and technology into everyday practice. This book is best used alongside its companion book Squirrels in My Brain: How to Create Neuroaligned Super Teams.

NEW AWARD: WINNER of 2025 International Impact Book Award in Business Marketing and Brand Excellence

Art of Viral Speaking: My Road to TEDxGary 2024

Dr. Ravi R. Iyer, MD’s The Art of Viral Speaking is the ultimate playbook for turning big ideas into unforgettable TEDx-event talks that inspire and influence. Designed as both a step-by-step guide and personal mentor, this book is based upon and demystifies the author's personal journey to the TEDxGary stage—from crafting standout applications to delivering a viral-worthy presentation. The author is himself a 3x TEDx speaker having landed talks at TEDxGary 2024, TEDxUMKC 2025 and TEDxHandley Blv Women 2025 that has impacted millions of viewers. On July 2025, Dr. Iyer's TEDxGary talk became the #1 most viewed TEDx talk released in 2024 by crossing 3.6 million views

Packed with expert strategies, storytelling techniques, and real-world insights from successful TEDx-event speakers, organizers, and coaches, The Art of Viral Speaking equips readers with the tools and confidence to captivate audiences and amplify their impact.

Squirrels in My Brain

SQUIRRELS IN MY BRAIN is a novel take that diverges from the common disability and accommodative approaches of the past and the gender, race, color, and sexual orientation traps of DEI thinking. By focusing instead on the novel concept of neuro-alignment and cognitive alignment of teams, the authors elevate the dialogue to a higher plane above the quagmire that has bogged down DEI thought leadership. The enterprise of tomorrow will move from the muscle-dependent manufacture of yesterday to the mind-driven businesses that will constitute the economic engines of the world. In such a world, corporations that embrace Neurodiversity will become dominant players tomorrow. Nearly 20% of the global workforce is estimated to be neurodiverse and diversity in teams holds immense significance, offering numerous advantages to organizations. Leading companies, such as Google, Microsoft, SAP, and others within the Fortune 50, have leveraged the creative edge of neuro-inclusivity programs to sustain and enhance competitiveness.

This book and the accompanying sister book "ACORNS OF WISDOM" will serve as a valuable resource to coaches, executives, team leaders, HR executives, and corporate thought leaders who plan to lead the way to the future in an age that will require industry to blend AI, robotics and, machine intelligence with human teams that can move at the speed of AI computer chipsets.

The Art of Viral Speaking

The book about the method that produced the 3rd most viewed TEDx talk of 2024.

Dr. Ravi Iyer, MD’s The Art of Viral Speaking is the ultimate playbook for turning big ideas into unforgettable TEDx-event talks that inspire and influence. Designed as both a step-by-step guide and personal mentor, this book is based upon and demystifies the author's personal journey to the TEDxGary stage—from crafting standout applications to delivering a viral-worthy presentation. The author is himself a 3x TEDx speaker having landed talks at TEDxGary 2024, TEDxUMKC 2025 and TEDxHandley Blv Women 2025 that has impacted millions of viewers.

Packed with expert strategies, storytelling techniques, and real-world insights from successful TEDx-event speakers, organizers, and coaches, The Art of Viral Speaking equips readers with the tools and confidence to captivate audiences and amplify their impact.

Whether you're an aspiring speaker or a seasoned presenter looking to elevate your platform, this book provides the blueprint for creating a ripple effect beyond the red dot. Perfect for podcast conversations on public speaking, thought leadership, and personal growth, this is the resource every speaker needs to make their ideas impossible to ignore.

What the Experts are saying:

Cesar Cervantes: Speaker Coach & Speechwriter

It’s not often you come across a story that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. Ravi Iyer's TEDxGary talk, and this book are exactly that. Ravi has crafted a narrative that takes the reader on a transformative journey from being an untrained novice to an impactful speaker who can communicate with power, connection, and authenticity. I’ve had the privilege of seeing Ravi's speaking journey unfold in real-time. And it has truly been an inspiration.

This book distills many of the strategies and techniques that are used in this process and strikes an honest balance between the Do-It-Yourself approach and the value of skilled mentorship and coaching.

As you turn these pages, you’ll not only be entertained but also invited to a journey of self-discovery. Who are you as a speaker? Who are your mentors? And what do you, in turn, pass on to others? These are not just questions but invitations to reflect on your journey and the impact you can have on others.

Ravi found the answers to these questions on his journey, and by the end of this book, you’ll find yourself a little closer to answering them, too.

Dave Nitzel – Coach Author Speaker Entrepreneur: The TED family of stages has provided a socially critical venue for people from a wide array of expertise to share their depth of knowledge and insights with the world. Dr. Iyer’s book, The Art of Viral Speaking, chronicles his journey in a way that is smart, insightful, and most importantly useful to aspiring speakers. I’m thankful this book exists; I plan to integrate it as part of our coaching program!

Amy Dix – International Best-Selling Author Motivational Speaker Coach:
This book is a must-read for anyone aspiring to deliver a powerful talk. Dr. Ravi Iyer not only takes you on his own journey but demystifies the journey to your own “big red dot.” Each chapter offers practical advice and actionable strategies, making the daunting process accessible and achievable. What stands out is Ravi’s emphasis on authenticity and connection, encouraging readers to embrace their unique voices. Dr. Iyer is one of those people you only hope to cross paths within life. His passion for empowering others is palpable, and his supportive approach makes the journey to speaking success not just enlightening but also enjoyable. This book is a valuable resource for aspiring speakers and a testament to Ravi’s dedication to helping others shine on any stage.

WIN THE CROWD: A Physician's Playbook for Fame, Fortune, Freedom & Fulfillment

A physician’s true story of science, service, and self-mastery — finding meaning beyond success

From the laboratories of Harvard to the wards of Washington, from pipe bombs under dorm beds in India to a viral TEDx talk seen by millions — one physician’s four-decade odyssey to rediscover the soul of success.

When Dr. Ravi R. Iyer arrived in the United States as a young physician-scientist, he carried with him a single question: How does life work?

After forty years across the frontiers of healthcare, he found a deeper one: How do you make life work when it doesn’t?

Win the Crowd is not just a memoir — it’s a physician’s field manual for meaning. Blending science, spirituality, and storytelling, Dr. Iyer reveals how every healer, leader, and human being can build a life that is both impactful and peaceful.

From the narrow lanes of Jamshedpur to the research corridors of Harvard Medical School and the founding of his renowned Iyer Clinic, Dr. Iyer shares a remarkable journey of resilience, integrity, and awakening. Along the way, he distills four decades of hard-won wisdom into a modern playbook for anyone seeking significance in a world obsessed with success.

Inside these pages, you’ll discover:

  • How to rise above failure, fear, and burnout through purpose-driven resilience.
  • How to build wealth and influence without losing your humanity.
  • Why integrity, not ambition, is the most renewable form of power.
  • How to transform pain into service, and service into fulfillment.
  • The four dimensions of mastery — Fame, Fortune, Freedom, and Fulfillment — and how to balance them with grace.

Each chapter ends with “Physician’s Takeaways” — concise, actionable insights you can apply whether you lead a clinic, a company, or simply your own life.

A lyrical blend of memoir and manifesto, Win the Crowd speaks to anyone standing at the crossroads of success and self — the doctor, the dreamer, the leader, and the lifelong learner who senses there must be more.

“Win the crowd, yes — but never lose the quiet within you.
That’s where the healer, the scientist, and the human all begin again.”

Perfect for readers of:

  • When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.
  • The Road to Character by David Brooks.
  • The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama.
  • Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.

GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT!: America’s Elder Care Crisis

“Caregiving is love turned into labor—measured in sleepless hours and quiet courage, mostly unseen.”

In Go Gentle Into That Good Night: America’s Caregiving Crisis, young scholar Alisha Kumar and physician–author Dr. Ravi R. Iyer, MD deliver a profoundly human and deeply researched exploration of one of America’s most urgent yet invisible crises—the unpaid labor of care that sustains millions of families every day.

Through powerful storytelling, data-driven insight, and compassion honed from decades in medicine, this groundbreaking work reveals the emotional, physical, and financial toll borne by family caregivers across the nation. From the daughter spoon-feeding her mother after a stroke to the son navigating veterans’ benefits between double shifts, their stories illuminate a truth too long ignored: the U.S. care system runs on invisible heroes.

Drawing on real experiences and national studies, Go Gentle Into That Good Night traces how our patchwork of policies, inequities, and cultural expectations leaves families exhausted and unseen—while offering a roadmap for change. Each chapter interweaves narrative with analysis, exposing the economics behind love’s labor and the systemic gaps that turn devotion into debt.

With lyrical prose and the authority of lived experience, Kumar and Dr. Iyer show that caregiving is not just a private act of love—it is public infrastructure, vital to the nation’s health and economy. They call for a future where care is recognized, funded, and dignified.

Inside you’ll discover:

  • True-to-life stories of family caregivers from every walk of life.
  • Eye-opening data on the $873 billion value of unpaid care in America.
  • The mental, physical, and financial consequences of caregiving.
  • A blueprint for reform—policies, programs, and cultural shifts that could redefine care as a right, not a raffle.

Go Gentle Into That Good Night is both a mirror and a manifesto: a love letter to those who care, and a rallying cry to the society that depends on them.

Whether you are a caregiver, a policymaker, a healthcare professional, or someone who will one day need care yourself, this book will change how you see the quiet labor that holds our families—and our country—together.

About the Authors:

Ravi R. Iyer, MD is a physician, scientist, author, and 3x TEDx speaker whose acclaimed work bridges medicine, leadership, and human resilience. A four-time bestselling author and founder of The Iyer Clinic, he brings forty years of frontline experience in healthcare and hospice to his writing.

Alisha Kumar is a student and emerging healthcare advocate whose early caregiving experiences inspired this project. Together, their intergenerational collaboration bridges data and empathy, science and story, to reimagine what care in America can be.

WIN THE CROWD: FIELD MANUAL — VOLUME 1 of 3 volume set

The Neuroaligned Operating System for Medical Leaders

In modern medicine, the hardest part of the job isn’t medicine — it’s people, systems, cognition, and leadership.
Physicians were trained to diagnose disease, not misalignment. Yet misalignment — between teams, workflows, expectations, communication, roles, and the physician’s own cognitive bandwidth — is the true source of exhaustion and inefficiency in private practice.

WIN THE CROWD: FIELD MANUAL — VOLUME 1 gives physicians the operating system they were never taught but desperately need. Written by Dr. Ravi R. Iyer, acclaimed physician, scientist, TEDx speaker, and leadership innovator, this groundbreaking manual translates neuroscience, cognitive ergonomics, team psychology, and real-world clinical leadership into a practical, replicable system that any practice can use to increase alignment, reduce friction, and restore clarity.

What This Book Will Teach You
Inside this masterfully structured field manual, you will learn how to:

  • Build teams that stabilize under pressure, not collapse under it
  • Reduce cognitive load so the physician’s clarity, compassion & decision-making return
  • Create authentic buy-in instead of fragile agreement
  • Align roles with strengths using the Spiky Profile and Hidden Genius frameworks
  • Design workflows that protect the physician’s mind and eliminate preventable drama
  • Communicate in neuroinclusive ways that lower defensiveness and increase reliability
  • Convert policies into promises that create trust, accountability, and team cohesion
  • Lead using context instead of control — the secret of high-performing medical teams

Why This Book Matters
Private practice today is more cognitively demanding, emotionally saturated, and operationally complex than ever. What most physicians call “burnout” is often nothing more than chronic misalignment.
This book reveals:

  • Why teams misunderstand clear instructions
  • Why brilliant physicians feel overwhelmed
  • Why practices with fewer resources outperform larger clinics
  • Why communication breaks down even with good people
  • Why some staff thrive and others struggle — and how to fix it

This manual is not another leadership “book.”

It is a new operating system for modern medicine.

Who This Book Is For

  • Physicians in private practice
  • Medical directors & clinical leaders
  • Practice managers
  • Healthcare entrepreneurs
  • Physicians in training who want an early advantage
  • Anyone who wants to build high-performance teams in cognitively demanding environments

Whether your clinic is thriving or struggling, growing or stabilizing, this book gives you the tools to lead with confidence, clarity, and grounded presence.

If you are a physician carrying an invisible weight… this book will help you breathe again.
WIN THE CROWD is not about doing more — it’s about becoming aligned, designing smarter, and leading with precision.
The future of medicine belongs to practices that are aligned, not overwhelmed.
This manual shows you exactly how to build one.

WIN THE CROWD — FIELD MANUAL, VOLUME 2

The Neuroaligned Operating System for Medical Leaders

Modern medicine doesn’t fail because physicians lack intelligence, training, or commitment—it fails because no one teaches physicians how to lead nervous systems, not tasks. Volume 1 built the structural architecture of a high-functioning medical practice. Volume 2 begins where structure ends… and where humanity begins.

Written for physicians carrying clinical load, emotional weight, and the unseen pressures of leadership, WIN THE CROWD — FIELD MANUAL, VOLUME 2 of the 3 volume set reveals the neurobiology behind resistance, burnout, culture stability, emotional climate, and the physician’s own identity.

In this groundbreaking manual, Dr. Ravi R. Iyer—physician, scientist, and #1 most-viewed TEDx speaker of 2024—shows you how to lead from alignment instead of endurance, and how to transform your team, your practice, and your own inner architecture from the inside out.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:

  • Understand resistance as neurological data—not defiance
  • Lead change without triggering fear, burnout, or emotional collapse
  • Build a culture that behaves like an immune system—detecting, repairing, and preventing breakdowns
  • Use integrity loops to stabilize trust, clarity, and communication
  • Prevent burnout by aligning your day with your cognitive peaks and energy rhythms
  • Recognize the Four Horsemen of Physician Overwhelm—and stop them before they take over
  • Restore meaning, identity, and purpose when medicine feels draining
  • Practice cognitive recovery so your clarity, empathy, and decision-making remain sharp
  • Lead through crisis—drawing from real lessons of “The Reaper’s Dance”
  • Rebuild yourself, your team, and your practice through a structured Renewal Cycle
  • Design a personal fulfillment blueprint that allows you to thrive—not just survive

Who This Book Is For
Physicians, practice owners, medical directors, clinical leaders, and healthcare professionals who want to:

  • Reduce overwhelm,
  • build a resilient team,
  • create buy-in without pressure,
  • elevate culture,
  • and reclaim the meaning and identity that first called them into medicine.

Why This Book Matters

Medicine is an emotional ecosystem—not just an operational one. Your presence sets the tone. Your clarity becomes the team’s clarity. Your nervous system becomes the practice’s nervous system.

When you lead from alignment instead of exhaustion, everything transforms.
This is the manual for that transformation.

WIN THE CROWD — FIELD MANUAL, VOLUME 3

The Neuroaligned Operating System for Medical Leaders
Transform Your Leadership. Stabilize Your Team. Redesign Your Clinical Life.

Volume 3 of the WIN THE CROWD trilogy is the physician’s implementation manual—the tactical, field-ready operating system designed for real clinics, real constraints, and real leadership pressure.

Where Volumes 1 and 2 sharpen your understanding of neuroaligned leadership, Volume 3 converts mastery into instinct—through tools, scripts, diagnostic frameworks, templates, worksheets, and rapid-deployment systems that work even on the busiest days.

Inside you’ll discover a complete library of clinical-grade leadership instruments, including:

  • Physician Leadership Diagnostic Kits
  • Hidden Genius Mapping & Staff Development Systems
  • Driver–Stopper Collaboration Tools
  • Resistance Navigation Scripts
  • Cognitive Peak Mapping Tools
  • Practice Change Readiness Assessments
  • Workflow Stress Tests
  • Policy → Promise Converters
  • Daily Neuroaligned Schedule Planners
  • Communication Field Manuals
  • Rapid Conflict-Resolution Frameworks
  • Talent Deployment Grids
  • Role Alignment Planners
  • Culture-Building Tools (“The Five-Finger Fist”)
  • Integrity Recovery Protocols
  • Change Sprint Plans (ACORNS Method)

You won’t find theory here.
You’ll find tools—precise, elegant, repeatable tools built for physicians who want:

  • High-performance teams without micromanagement
  • Clarity without conflict
  • Change without resistance
  • Culture without slogans
  • Reliability without burnout
  • Excellence that feels humane
  • Leadership that feels natural rather than heavy

Whether you lead a private practice, hospital team, or multi-site clinical organization, this volume gives you the architecture to build a practice that runs smoothly—not by force, but by design.

If Volume 1 builds the foundation and Volume 2 builds the psychology,

Volume 3 builds the machine.

Let’s put mastery into motion.