Dr. Doug Garland practiced orthopedic surgery in Southern California for 37 years. He is a Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Southern California and published more than 110 peer-reviewed scientific articles. After experiencing the tall poppy syndrome (TPS) firsthand, Dr. Garland began a 10-year journey researching TPS. This exploration began in Ancient Greece, where the syndrome was first described, to modern times and involved various countries, customs, and cultures. Specific emphasis was directed towards Australia, where TPS is a cultural pastime. To his surprise, it was recognized everywhere in one form or another except in America. After studying America’s emotional-cultural behavior, Dr. Garland concluded that TPS was prominent in America, perhaps more so than in any other country, but it is unrecognized. Emotional behaviors of the cutter and cutter were identified. The result was the definitive tome, “The Tall Poppy Syndrome – The Joy of Cutting Others Down,” with more than 600 citations, which is available on Amazon.