After forty years as an electronics engineer, Jim Snell had a stroke that ended his career but not his life. In 2007, Jim suffered the fate of many Americans who do not eat nutritiously and who live a sedentary life-he had a stroke. Although it nearly took his life, it served as a new beginning. Reeling from the physical challenges presented by the stroke, Jim also had to learn to manage the underlying medical condition that had developed-type 2 diabetes. At the Precipice is the story of one man's journey back to health. After three years of doing everything he was told to do-monitor his blood glucose, make better food choices, take his medications properly, and more-Jim gained control over his disease. But like many, he was frustrated by what he perceived as a chasm between what his doctors knew and what they were sharing with him. Like many new diabetics, he found himself lost in a sea of conflicting information, vague advice, advertisements for "miracle cures, " and the promise of impossible advances in non-medical supplements. Though overwhelmed, Jim applied his engineer's mind to the task, and this memoir details his experiences. Living with diabetes is no longer the death sentence it was once thought to be. Jim Snell is proof of that, and his story was written to inspire others who have developed this increasingly common disease.