The "delightfully macabre" (The New York Times) true tale of a brilliant and eccentric surgeon...and his quest to transplant the human soul.In the early days of the Cold War, a spirit of desperate scientific rivalry birthed a different kind of space race: not the race to outer space that we all know, but a race to master the inner space of the human body. While surgeons on either side of the Iron Curtain competed to become the first to transplant organs like the kidney and heart, a young American neurosurgeon had an even more ambitious thought: Why not transplant the brain? Dr. Robert White was a friend to two popes and a founder of the Vatican's Commission on Bioethics. He developed lifesaving neurosurgical techniques still used in hospitals today and was nominated for the Nobel Prize. But like Dr. Jekyll before him, Dr. White had another identity. In his lab, he was waging a battle against the limits of science and against mortality itself--working to perfect a surgery that would allow the soul to live on after the human body had died. This "fascinating" (The Wall Street Journal), "provocative" (The Washington Post) tale follows his decades-long quest into tangled matters of science, Cold War politics, and faith, revealing the complex (and often murky) ethics of experimentation and remarkable innovations that today save patients from certain death. It's a "masterful" (Science) look at our greatest fears and our greatest hopes--and the long, strange journey from science fiction to science fact.

Walter Gautschi has written extensively on topics ranging from special functions, quadrature and orthogonal polynomials to difference and differential equations, software implementations, and the history of mathematics. He is world renowned for his pioneering work in numerical analysis and constructive orthogonal polynomials, including a definitive textbook in the former, and a monograph in the latter area. This three-volume set, Walter Gautschi: Selected Works with Commentaries, is a compilation of Gautschi s most influential papers and includes commentaries by leading experts. The work begins with a detailed biographical section and ends with a section commemorating Walter s prematurely deceased twin brother. This title will appeal to graduate students and researchers in numerical analysis, as well as to historians of science. Selected Works with Commentaries, Vol. 1 Numerical Conditioning Special Functions Interpolation and Approximation Selected Works with Commentaries, Vol. 2 Orthogonal Polynomials on the Real Line Orthogonal Polynomials on the Semicircle Chebyshev Quadrature Kronrod and Other Quadratures Gauss-type Quadrature Selected Works with Commentaries, Vol. 3 Linear Difference Equations Ordinary Differential Equations Software History and Biography Miscellanea Works of Werner Gautschi Numerical Conditioning Special Functions Interpolation and Approximation Selected Works with Commentaries, Vol. 2 Orthogonal Polynomials on the Real Line Orthogonal Polynomials on the Semicircle Chebyshev Quadrature Kronrod and Other Quadratures Gauss-type Quadrature Selected Works with Commentaries, Vol. 3 Linear Difference Equations Ordinary Differential Equations Software History and Biography Miscellanea Works of Werner Gautschi

The year 2007 marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of one of the Enlightenment's most important mathematicians and scientists, Leonhard Euler. This volume is a collection of 24 essays by some of the world's best Eulerian scholars from seven different countries about Euler, his life and his work.
Some of the essays are historical, including much previously unknown information about Euler's life, his activities in the St. Petersburg Academy, the influence of the Russian Princess Dashkova, and Euler's philosophy. Others describe his influence on the subsequent growth of European mathematics and physics in the 19th century. Still others give technical details of Euler's innovations in probability, number theory, geometry, analysis, astronomy, mechanics and other fields of mathematics and science.
- Over 20 essays by some of the best historians of mathematics and science, including Ronald Calinger, Peter Hoffmann, Curtis Wilson, Kim Plofker, Victor Katz, Ruediger Thiele, David Richeson, Robin Wilson, Ivor Grattan-Guinness and Karin Reich
- New details of Euler's life in two essays, one by Ronald Calinger and one he co-authored with Elena Polyakhova
- New information on Euler's work in differential geometry, series, mechanics, and other important topics including his influence in the early 19th century

It is rare for a complete biography of an Australian scientist, particularly of an Australian woman scientist, to be published. It is rarer for such a book to be co-authored by an American. Although scientists have written discourses on the history of their discipline, it is most unusual for a scientist to write a full length biography of a colleague in his ?eld. It is also uncommon for a man to write about an Australian woman scientist; most of the work on Australian women scientists has been done by other women. However, these authors, both distinguished researchers in the ?eld of radio astr- omy, became so interested in the history of their discipline and in the career of the pioneer radio astronomer Ruby Payne-Scott that they spent some years bringing this book to fruition. Until relatively recently, Ruby Payne-Scott had been the only woman scientist mentioned brie?y in histories of Australian science or of Australian radio astronomy. This book will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in these disciplines. Being scientists themselves, the authors explain Payne-Scott's scienti?c work in detail; therefore, the value and importance of her contributions can, for the ?rst time, be recognised, not only by historians but also by scientists.

Brand Pretorius knows what it means to be a leader: he was at the head of Toyota South Africa during its heyday, and took over as chief executive at the McCarthy Group. He knows that leadership means making hard and unpopular decisions with an eye on the long term.

He writes about his four decades in business and the lessons he learnt. He illustrates his lessons on leadership with tales from his illustrious career in motoring, like how it feels to be in a Formula 1 racing car with one of the world’s best drivers.

This book gives a rare insight into what it means to do business in South Africa, and how a South African business leader can navigate all of our country’s complexities.

Filled with the wisdom of hard experience, with lessons which, though in the first instance aimed at business people, can be applied in any sphere of life.

An inspirational and gripping book.

"Breath of Life"tells the story of a volunteer re ghter's life as an EMT and a re ghter. Author Daniel McVey chronicles the harrowing stories of saving lives and facing death on a daily basis; he also shares stories of the dedication and professionalism of his comrades. He describes the small village on Long Island called Floral Park, where he belonged to the Rescue Company of the Floral Park Fire Department. While they were primarily responsible for medical emergencies; the stories included in "Breath of Life" provide an intimate view of the dangers these heroes faced as volunteers who also had full-time jobs.

Growing up in Floral Park, McVey set his sights on becoming a volunteer re ghter after taking a CPR course taught by three members of the Rescue Company. From that point on, his stories give a realistic picture of the stresses of emergency care for life-threatening emergencies. Covering the period from the mid to late 1980s into the 1990s, McVey chronicles how the morale of the Rescue Company had many ups and downs and how several members brought the company back together again. In July of 1999, he responded to his last call, thus ending an exciting time as a volunteer re ghter.

'Possessed Mentalities is an honest account of a very painful tragedy. Two of Maxene Kleier's daughters developed schizophrenia; then one killed the other. Ms. Kleier recounts the circumstances and makes the reader realize how cruel the disease schizophrenia can be. She reminds us that many individuals, despite, modern medications, do not respond well and require extensive psychiatric monitoring. Ms. Kleier is brave to tell her story. I recommend it to all families with a seriously ill family member. - E. Fuller Torrey, M.D. Author of Surviving Schizophrenia and other outstanding books. Senator Bob Graham, February 9, 2005, when signing my copy of his book, Intelligence Matters, kindly wrote, To Maxene, to an author who really knows how to write. In person and in works, you demonstrate that indeed intelligence does matter. Maxene Kleier has written a book that will astound and educate you and finally broaden your knowledge of mental illness and what it is to be human. In a psychotic delusional state one of her daughters stabbed and killed another daughter who also suffered from mental illness. with a tragedy so immense and close. Maxene Kleier went on because she had to. We are the richer because she also went on to write a remarkably clear-eyed very readable account of what mental illness is and how she has fought to save her family and herself. It is a story of remarkable grace under pressure. - Mark Vonnegut, M.D., Author of Eden Express.

More people than you may realize suffer from the effects of schizophrenia, and there is no cure for this mental illness. "In Insight into Disability," author Doug Pargeter candidly reveals his battle with schizophrenia: how he learned to cope with the symptoms and gain control of his life through treatment, proper medication, and his devotion to the Lord.

In this memoir, Pargeter shares his life story: growing up as one of five children in Seattle, Washington; serving in the air force; attending college; being married and having children; battling cancer; and living with schizophrenia. "Insight into Disability" provides a firsthand look at how mental illness affects all aspects of a personal life, such as maintaining relationships and being employed.

Meant to inspire, "Insight into Disability" shares Pargeter's successes, breakthroughs, and triumphs over adversity. It communicates how his gift for writing song lyrics, which are interspersed throughout the book, contributes to his healing within. He describes how his relationship with God saved his life and how he became a changed man through his treatment.

He was history’s most creative genius. What secrets can he teach us?

Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci's astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy.

He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry. His ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, made iconic by his drawing of Vitruvian Man, made him history’s most creative genius.

His creativity, like that of other great innovators, came from having wide-ranging passions. He peeled flesh off the faces of cadavers, drew the muscles that move the lips, and then painted history’s most memorable smile. He explored the math of optics, showed how light rays strike the cornea, and produced illusions of changing perspectives in The Last Supper. Isaacson also describes how Leonardo’s lifelong enthusiasm for staging theatrical productions informed his paintings and inventions.

Leonardo’s delight at combining diverse passions remains the ultimate recipe for creativity. So, too, does his ease at being a bit of a misfit: illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, left-handed, easily distracted, and at times heretical. His life should remind us of the importance of instilling, both in ourselves and our children, not just received knowledge but a willingness to question it—to be imaginative and, like talented misfits and rebels in any era, to think different.

On June 9, 2009, Carol M. Maloney, a veteran teacher, experienced a transient ischemic attack in the left hemisphere of her brain. She helplessly observed her mind deteriorate to the point where she could not speak, walk, read, identify household objects, or recall her family. Maloney traveled between the worlds of the surreal and the logical. The stroke resulted in aphasia, the loss of communication and other functions of her left hemisphere.

After eighteen months of rehabilitation, she was finally able to communicate with others by using her hand as a metronome. The frustration of having the words and sentences formed in her mind but being unable to share them caused frustration and depression. Her verbal abilities suffered, along with her reading and comprehension skills. Even so, hard work, strong will, and persistence has allowed her to reach out to other teachers to offer new insight into the minds of her beloved special-education and reading-disabled students.

In this, her story, Maloney turns her experience into a unique opportunity to gain an understanding of her students difficulties and to share that knowledge with other teachers.

Ms. Carol Maloney has written a compelling story that chronicles her amazing life before, during, and after her devastating stroke. She writes with frankness that touches one s heart. Her story will lend encouragement to those who have suffered a stroke as well as offer strategies to those who have a loved one recovering from one. Carol Maloney developed aphasia after her stroke. I am happy to say that she has survived and conquered both the devastation of her stroke and her aphasia. I know this first hand: she conducts amazing PowerPoint presentations to my graduate class at Rivier University each semester. She is an inspiration to all who want to improve themselves. In this book, Carol clearly describes the strategies that she used to help her become the functioning writer and speaker that she is today.

J. Diane Connell, Ed.D.

Come take a stroll down the memory lane of medical history. "Reflections on Pediatric Medicine from 1943 to 2010" recounts the struggles of a dedicated pediatrician as he attempts to strike a balance between a normal family life and the demands of the rapidly evolving world of modern medicine. Through vividly drawn stories compiled from a career that spans more than half a century, author Byron Oberst takes readers on an amazing journey from the early years of medicine, when there were few specific therapies with which to treat patients, to the wonders of today. From the eradication of the scourge of polio to the miracle of antibiotics to the era of organ transplantation and body imaging, Oberst offers a rare chance to experience medical progress and discovery as it happens. Written in eight parts, each spanning a unique decade, "Reflections on Pediatric Medicine from 1943 to 2010" is an unforgettable trip down memory lane-with many interesting side excursions.

Horace Lennon was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1998. The Sixth Battle: A Story of Alzheimer's, Love, and Faith began as a journal of his death by dementia written by his daughter, Mary Lennon Koch. Throughout his journey, she records much of the sorrow and ugliness that accompanies Alzheimer's-along with an unexpected beauty arising through love and faith.

As the disease progressed, Horace journeyed erratically backwards through time. The progression through his working and pastoring years was almost imperceptible. World War II followed, and he lingered there for extended periods. At the same time, he forgot his wife but not her love, and he was tormented with uncertainties about his relationship with God. Eventually he became like a little child and then grew as helpless as a baby. Even so, he understood love and faith to his dying day.

Throughout his journey, the loving support that he received from his wife, six children, grandchildren, and extended family offers a testament to the love and faith of his family. No two Alzheimer's stories are the same. The purpose of The Sixth Battle is not to provide a checklist for the days after the diagnosis, but rather to offer an account of Alzheimer's to help others prepare for their own experience, and they experience similar situations and to share a story of love that transcends circumstances and faith that testifies there is more than what is seen here on this earth.