Yes, now the problem is no longer getting access to data, whether it's a genome sequence or whether it's a glucose sensor, but how do you process that data in an efficient way, getting the juice, the distillate? Once this thing goes to scale, you've got to have algorithms and auto signal processing.

Topol pulls out another device, a portable ultrasound about the size of book with a wand connected by a wire. Called the Vscan, it's manufactured by General Electric.

Have you seen the Vscan, it's a portable ultrasound. I use this instead of a stethoscope. I haven't used a stethoscope as a cardiologist in about two years now. As part of a routine physical exam, I do a full echo of a patient's heart. I see the valves, the chamber, the whole thing. Why would I listen to the heart go lub dub? This has been out since February 2010. And each echo exam is free once you buy the thing, which is about $7,000. It costs something like $800 every time you send someone to the echo lab, and they do this ritualistic 45-minute study. I do this as part of the physical exam in one to two minutes. This is the modern stethoscope, the real deal -- scope means look into -- for me.

Why isn't this being used by all cardiologists today?

Because they don't get reimbursed. The hospital loses a charge of greater than $500 and the doctor loses his fee. There are 20 million echocardiograms done a year. How many billions of dollars is that? This is two-year-old technology.

You are being very careful not to sound too negative in this book, but how do you really feel about the rather substantial hurdles to creative destruction happening as you envision it?

I believe that change is already happening, but it's not going to happen from within the medical community. It's going to come from consumers. That's why I wrote the book, to take this case to empowered consumers that can educate, activate, get their social networks going. Let's say they go to the cardiologist and say: "Doctor, why are you using a stethoscope? If you're writing me a prescription, why aren't you getting my genotyping done for that drug?"

You are talking about using genetic differences in people that cause drugs to work or not work, or to be safe or not to be safe?

You can now get genetic information on over 25 drugs before you get the prescription filled -- if you're going to respond, or you're going to have some horrendous side effect.

In my own genetic testing, I discovered that I'm hypersensitive to warfarin -- blood thinner. It's dangerous for me to take the usual dose.

Yeah, I'm also hypersensitive -- would need to take 2 mg instead of a 10 mg dose.

There is another genetic test for a side effect for statins -- myopathy, or weakening of the muscles.

That's the SLCO1B1-5 gene. We should use it today for everyone who takes statins, at the time of initial prescription. Why do we make so many people suffer? Some people get myopathy so bad they can't even get out of bed. They think they have the flu, but it's the drug.