Paul Zoll MD is an engaging account of the life and work of Dr. Paul M. Zoll, the physician and medical researcher behind the treatments and techniques we use today to save victims of heart attacks and to prevent premature deaths from other forms of heart failure. The book tells how one man's compassion, insight, intelligence and perseverance solved medical mysteries that had plagued people through the ages. The biography also shows the human dimensions of Dr. Zoll, including his childhood, education, military service, family relationships, recreational interests and social associations throughout his life, from 1911 to 1999. But the book's primary topic is Dr. Zoll's contributions to medicine, especially his breakthroughs in cardiac care and his development of closed-chest pacemakers and defibrillators, implantable pacemakers and heart monitors. The biography positions Zoll as a leading pioneer in cardiac care, whose innovations and ideas changed the field. Through carefully documented historical analysis, the book shows how Dr. Zoll was the creator and the first physician to successfully employ devices that are the fore bearers of life-saving implements commonly used today. The author, Dr. Stafford I. Cohen, was a medical resident under Dr. Zoll and, later, a colleague at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. His book is the first full-length biography of Dr. Zoll. It strives for historical accuracy and gives a fair and balanced assessment of Zoll's life and work. Paul Zoll MD firmly establish Paul M. Zoll as a first-in-the-world innovator whose treatments and inventions make him the father of modern electrocardiac therapy - a man to whom we owe a great deal today.

In the Age of Sail scurvy was responsible for more deaths at sea than piracy, shipwreck and all other illnesses, and its cure ranks among the greatest of military successes - yet its impact on history has mostly been ignored. Stephen Bown searches back to the earliest recorded appearance of scurvy in the sixteenth century, to the eighteenth century when the disease was at its gum-shredding, bone-snapping worst, and to the early nineteenth century, when the preventative was finally put into service. Bown introduces us to James Lind, the navy surgeon and medical detective, whose research on the disease spawned the implementation of the cure; Captain James Cook, who successfully avoided scurvy on his epic voyages; and Gilbert Blane, whose social status and charisma won over the British Navy. Scurvy is a lively recounting of how three determined individuals overcame the constraints of eighteenth-century thinking to solve the greatest medical mystery of their era.

In the vast array and vitriol of our National Health debate, the doctor's voice, especially that of the surgeon, is rarely solicited, and seldom heard . It is mostly the clamor of patients you hear or the rancor of politicians . This compendium of lifetime essays will restitute an imbalance that is long overdue .

The collection speaks to how a practicing surgeon really feels about the vital medical issues of our day, and what needs to be done to improve his life's work and his dedicated care for his patients . American medicine is at a desperate crossroads where the qualitative health of ourselves and our beloved country have arrived at critical mass . Herewith a rare insider's insights, with unadulterated answers . .......

Prepare to be intrigued, amazed and astonished as you join Dr Rhona Morrison on an often funny, and at times downright bizarre, thought-provoking and eye-opening rollercoaster ride through some of the most curious encounters of her career as a leading forensic psychiatrist.Delve into the minds of real people, whose actions may shock and stun you, but who's stories have the power to challenge your assumptions and the stigma that surrounds mental illness.Travel directly into their living rooms and see behind the closed doors of hospitals, prisons and court rooms. Lift the lid on Dr Morrison's jaw-dropping experiences with murderers, stalkers and other dangerous offenders as she attempts to make sense of some highly unusual situations. Discover the true stories of the inspiring human beings who are bravely learning to live with major mental illness.'I don't talk to dead bodies' shines a powerful, emotional and surprisingly moving spotlight on the fascinating life of a forensic psychiatrist and the people she works with. It goes beyond the sensationalist headlines to show you just what happens in a world where mental illness occasionally makes good people do bad things.

Fifty-nine-year-old Robert LaPlante gave up cigarettes in his twenties, was never overweight, practiced good health habits, and had run marathons and many other foot races. He lived his life in a way he believed would ward off terrible things like cancer. But in November 2008, LaPlante received the devastating diagnosis of signet ring cell adenocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that begins in the appendix.

In "Cancer No Chemo," LaPlante documents his three-year battle with cancer-from the initial diagnosis, to surgery to remove ten inches of colon and twenty-two lymph nodes, to winning the fight. Through journal entries, he shares his innermost thoughts during his treatment and recovery, including the fearful decision to forgo chemotherapy in favor of holistic healing methods that are gaining a place in the battle against cancer.

In this memoir, he shares how he believes a positive attitude is the most important tool that inspires positive action. "Cancer No Chemo" provides an inspiring look at how one man battled a foreboding cancer diagnosis and won.

This candid autobiography, the last work by renowned psychologist Albert Ellis, is a tour de force of stimulating ideas, colorful descriptions of memorable people and events, and straightforward, no-nonsense talk. Ellis, the creator of one of the most successful forms of psychotherapy--Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)--recounts the memorable episodes of his life; discusses how he coped with emotional problems at different stages of life; describes his love life; and subjects his own self-description to a ruthlessly honest critique.
The heart of Ellis's book is his analysis of the psychological leitmotifs that have appeared again and again throughout his life. He describes the aim of this autobiography as follows: "As far as I can, I shall present my bad and good, stupid and intelligent, weak and strong points. Why? Because, following H. G. Wells's recommendation, I want to go as all-out as I can. I want to acknowledge my idiocies--and use REBT to feel sorry about but unashamed of them. I want to make the point--again a central tenet of REBT--that all humans are fabulously fallible--including, of course, me. We have no real choice about this, but we can unconditionally accept ourselves--our so-called essence or being--with our fallibility. That will momentously help us, probably encourage us to acquire unconditional self-acceptance (USA) and possibly inspire other people to give it to themselves, too." With a concluding chapter by Ellis's widow, Debbie Joffe Ellis, describing the final years of his life, this is the definitive summation of the life and work of one of psychology's most successful thinkers and practitioners.

In response to the stifling socialism of the Canadian health care system and the intolerably long Canadian winters, Dr. Mel Genraich made a life-altering decision: leave Toronto for good, and seek his fortune in Houston, Texas. Little did he know that in the short space of eight years, he would be divorced from his wife and children, remarried to a native Texan (from a staunch Church of Christ family, no less), and would relocate his practice to the Texas Panhandle. "Take Two Aspirins, but Don't Call Me in the Morning" depicts the travels and struggles of a Canadian Jew living in an almost one-hundred percent Christian world. Genraich tells of his incredible swings of fortune and adaptation to events that change the course of his life. He chronicles his travels in America and abroad-in particular, his transformational journey through Europe as a senior medical student. Brutally honest and sprinkled with his personal observations, Genraich shows that he is not afraid to be honest and controversial, traits that most in his profession decry. This is a memoir that is frank and engaging, far removed from the private enclave of the medical world and yet also a story of that world.

With over fifty patents to his name and innumerable awards and accolades, James Lovelock was a distinguished and original thinker, widely recognized by the international scientific community. In this inspiring book, republished in the year of his 100th birthday, Lovelock tells his life story, from his first steps as a scientist to his work with organisations as diverse as NASA, Shell and the Marine Biological Association. Homage to Gaia describes the years of travel and work that led to his crucial scientific breakthroughs in environmental awareness, uncovering how CFCs impact on the ozone layer and creating the concept of Gaia, the theory that the Earth is a self-regulating system. Written in a sharp and energetic style, James Lovelock's book will entertain and inspire anyone interested in science or the creative spirit beyond his legacy.

Yoshio Nishina not only made a great contribution to the emergence of a research network that produced two Nobel prize winners, but he also raised the overall level of physics in Japan. Focusing on his roles as researcher, teacher, and statesman of science, Yoshio Nishina: Father of Modern Physics in Japan analyzes Nishina's position in and his contributions to the Japanese physics community. After a concise biographical introduction, the book examines Nishina's family, his early studies, the creation of RIKEN, and the greater Japanese physics community in the early twentieth century. It then focuses on Nishina's work at the Cavendish Laboratory and at the University of Gottingen as well as his more fruitful research at Niels Bohr's Institute of Theoretical Physics in Copenhagen. The book also describes the establishment of the Nishina Laboratory at RIKEN, the collaboration between its experimentalists and theoreticians, and the cosmic ray research of its scientists. The last two chapters discuss Nishina's controversial construction and operation of two cyclotrons at RIKEN as well as his presidency at RIKEN after World War II. Navigating Nishina's entire life through various perspectives, this easy-to-read biography will help you become well acquainted with this fascinating physicist.

Reaching for Heaven chronicles Rebecca Browder's struggle with the Proteus syndrome, a condition that involves atypical growth of the bones, skin, head, and a variety of other symptoms. Rebecca is dedicated to learning as much as she can and to sharing a positive outlook on life through her faith in her Savior, Jesus Christ. She has learned to overcome overwhelming obstacles because of her malformation and medial disabilities manifested by the Proteus syndrome.

Rebecca seeks to reach out to others who may be struggling with a disability or with a challenging life. By letting people know that they are not alone, Rebecca believes she is fulfilling God's purpose for her. She believes that God doesn't take anything away from us to make us sad or hurt us, but rather to make us stronger so that we can reach out to others and treat them with loving kindness.

Rebecca's story is one of strength, challenges, and the understanding that God has something better in store for her. It has been challenging for her to go from being able to walk to being bed bound, but she understands that sometimes we have to accept the hardest things in life in order to receive better things in the future. Our faith and trust in God can carry us through our difficulties.

"A revealing tale of loneliness and camaraderie, dissonance and intimacy with hospital staff, and pain and triumph as one man struggles to reclaim body and spirit after a devastating accident." -Ed Boyd, Ed.D, psychologist and educator Frank Garfunkel, dynamic teacher, activist, and sports enthusiast, slammed headfirst into the wall of a squash court. Suddenly a quadriplegic in a rehab hospital, he found himself facing the existential absurdity of total helplessness. Unable to write about his experiences, he documented his ordeal in a series of probing conversations with longtime friend, Jay Clark. Ironically, Frank, a professor of special education at Boston University, devoted his career to waging battles for the rights of the disabled. Fate catapulted him into the greatest challenge of his life. In twenty transcribed conversations, Frank spoke with Jay about a neurological system in chaos, "You're operating a puppet, and the puppet is you." Following a three-month hospitalization, Frank returned home, relieved to be in familiar surroundings but facing endless attempts to regain control of his "Everest/Death Valley" life. His conversations with Jay reveal daily encounters with vulnerability, bewilderment, and depression but also with laughter, gratitude, and love. Walk of the Centipede is the story of a fiercely independent man faced with utter dependence.