This short but revealing biography tells the story of Kurt Mendelssohn FRS, one of the founding figures in the field of cryogenics, from his beginnings in Berlin through his move to Oxford in the 1930s, and his groundbreaking work in low temperature and solid state physics. He set up the first helium liquefier in the United Kingdom, and did fundamental research that increased our understanding of superconductivity and superfluid helium. Dr. Mendelssohn's vision extended beyond his scientific and technical achievements; he saw the potential for growth of cryogenics in industry, visiting China, Japan and India to forge global collaborations, founded the leading scientific journal in the field and established a conference series which still runs to this day. He published two monographs which remain as classics in the field. This book explores the story behind the science, in particular his relationships with other key figures in the cryogenics field, most notably Nicholas Kurti at Oxford, and his work outside cryogenics, including his novel ideas on the engineering of the pyramids.

It is November 6, 1920, in Chilean Patagonia when Oriana Josseau is born into a lively family with two grandparents, two parents, and sixteen young aunts and uncles, most within easy reach of her robust cries. And so begins the life of an independent-minded girl from the bottom of the world who somehow manages to overcome the restrictions and biases of a conservative patriarchal society and eventually becomes a scientist.

As her family relocates to the idyllic countryside of central Chile and then to the hectic complex society of Santiago, Oriana vividly recalls her reactions to such diverse events as the birth of her brothers; the abrupt transition from wealth to near poverty; her first earthquake; the turmoil of student politics; the challenges of mountain adventures; the exploration of friendship, love and sex; and her first encounter with raw anti-female bias in a male-dominated research world. As she details her life from early childhood on, it soon becomes evident that Oriana must prevail over frequent conflicts with prejudice in order to become a strong, free woman long before the advent of the feminist movement.

Oriana describes beautifully, with humor and empathy, the idiosyncrasies, strengths, and foibles of one woman, and those around her, as she embarks on a unique coming-of-age journey in a different society and different time.

While most know Thomas Edison for his invention of the light bulb, his counterpart, George Westinghouse, is too often overlooked. Westinghouse, however, became known as one of the most prolific inventors and businessmen of the Industrial Revolution. This biography reveals the man whose teachers suspected was mentally disabled and who quit college after one semester, yet founded more than 60 different companies employing 50,000 people, and received 361 U.S. patents. He later fought the "Battle of the Currents" (AC vs. DC) with Thomas Edison and won. Westinghouse, with his engineers, provided power and light for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. They harnessed the massive power of Niagara Falls and sent it over wires to light Buffalo and eventually the Northeast. His electric engines powered trains, and his air brakes stopped them. His scientific contributions forever changed the world.

Dr. Drew Pinsky is best known as the cohost of the long-running radio advice program Loveline. But his workday is spent at a major Southern California clinic, treating the severest cases of drug dependency and psychiatric breakdown. In this riveting book, Pinsky reveals the intimate and often shocking stories of his patients as they struggle with emotional trauma, sexual abuse, and a host of chemical nemeses: alcohol, marijuana, Ecstasy, heroin, speed, cocaine, and prescription drugs. At the center of these stories is Pinsky himself, who immerses himself passionately, almost obsessively, in his work. From the sexually compulsive model to the BMW-driving soccer mom, Cracked exposes, in fast-moving, powerful vignettes, the true scope and severity of addiction, a nationwide epidemic.

The smartphones in our pockets and computers like brains. The vagaries of game theory and evolutionary biology. Nuclear weapons and self-replicating spacecrafts. All bear the fingerprints of one remarkable, yet largely overlooked, man: John von Neumann. Born in Budapest at the turn of the century, von Neumann is one of the most influential scientists to have ever lived. A child prodigy, he mastered calculus by the age of eight, and in high school made lasting contributions to mathematics. In Germany, where he helped lay the foundations of quantum mechanics, and later at Princeton, von Neumann's colleagues believed he had the fastest brain on the planet-bar none. He was instrumental in the Manhattan Project and the design of the atom bomb; he helped formulate the bedrock of Cold War geopolitics and modern economic theory; he created the first ever programmable digital computer; he prophesized the potential of nanotechnology; and, from his deathbed, he expounded on the limits of brains and computers-and how they might be overcome. Taking us on an astonishing journey, Ananyo Bhattacharya explores how a combination of genius and unique historical circumstance allowed a single man to sweep through a stunningly diverse array of fields, sparking revolutions wherever he went. The Man from the Future is an insightful and thrilling intellectual biography of the visionary thinker who shaped our century.

"Young Negro boy, what will you do when time makes you a man? Will you miss the mark or fight to hold your stance?"

Those words, stated by an eighth-grade history teacher, became the mantra for author James V. Ellis. In "Triumphs, Tragedies, and Tears," part one of his memoirs, Ellis provides a full account of his life and career and highlights about his work-from growing up as a little boy on welfare without a father, to working as a respected physician and becoming a dedicated husband and father, to his suicide attempt, and short prison term.

The story of a boy who dreamed big, "Triumphs, Tragedies, and Tears" shows how one black man overcame many obstacles to become a successful doctor in the Mid-South and then had to begin a new life with life tools that promote spiritual connectedness, mental and physical fitness, and emotional maturity. His recovery is and continues to be a miracle, inspiring many to hope and dream rather than give up.

A Nobel Prize-winning physicist, a loving husband and father, an enthusiastic teacher, a surprisingly accomplished bongo player, and a genius of the highest caliber---Richard P. Feynman was all these and more. "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track"--collecting over forty years' worth of Feynman's letters--offers an unprecedented look at the writer and thinker whose scientific mind and lust for life made him a legend in his own time. Containing missives to and from such scientific luminaries as Victor Weisskopf, Stephen Wolfram, James Watson, and Edward Teller, as well as a remarkable selection of letters to and from fans, students, family, and people from around the world eager for Feynman's advice and counsel, "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track" not only illuminates the personal relationships that underwrote the key developments in modern science, but also forms the most intimate look at Feynman yet available. Feynman was a man many felt close to but few really knew, and this collection reveals the full wisdom and private passion of a personality that captivated everyone it touched. "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track" is an eloquent testimony to the virtue of approaching the world with an inquiring eye; it demonstrates the full extent of the Feynman legacy like never before. Edited and with additional commentary by his daughter Michelle, it's a must-read for Feynman fans everywhere, and for anyone seeking to better understand one of the towering figures--and defining personalities--of the twentieth century.

MOSHOOD ADEMOLA FAYEMIWO was a newspaper publisher/editor in Nigeria where he grew up but now lives in Chicago. An alumnus of University of Lagos, Nigeria, University of South Florida, and State University of New York, he is author of Who's Who of Africans in America and four published books.. His next book is; Jonathan; The Squandering of Good Luck. MARGIE MARIE NEAL is former university professor, education consultant, and reading coach in Chicago. An alumna of State University of New York, Chicago State University, American College of Education, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is co-author, People Power in Africa: A Week That Changed Nigeria Forever," and author of; "The Roles of Professional Organizations in the Effective Teaching of Reading in Chicago Public School-CPS: The IRA and IRC as Case Studies," (forthcoming). Praise For ALIKO MOHAMMAD ADNGOTE THE BIOGRAPHY OF THE RICHEST BLACK PERSON IN THE WORLD "A highly recommended book to anyone who enjoys learning about how different people of all walks of life become rich and successful, and what it takes to get to the top"---Readers Favorite Book (Starred Review), USA. "A compelling book about a unique personality in Africa"---Goodreads, USA. "Flawlessly written, Dangote stands out as a hallmark of excellent artisanship and knowledgeable chronicling"--- Bookplex Review of Books, Mumbai, India. "Nigerian Aliko Dangote, the richest black person in the world, is a witness to the fact that success as a passionate entrepreneur is not limited by race, ethnicity or national origin"---Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.-(D - IL), 2nd Congressional District, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC, USA. In a land lacking a culture of independent biography, this is a starting point, and Dangote is a promising introduction to the fascinating and still largely unmapped universe of one of the world's richest men."---The Huffington Post, USA. "Dangote has trumped long held assumptions, cultural archetypes and stereotypes, to become known as a respected business man, power broker and philanthropist"---Hon Gloria Hyatt, Member of the British Empire (MBE), motivational speaker, education, coach and managing director, Teach Consultancy Limited, UK. "This is a timely book on Aliko Dangote and the positive changes that are taking place in Africa,"---Prof. Vijay Mahajan, The John Harbin Centennial Chair of Business, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas, Austin USA. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/MoshoodAdemolaFayemiwoandMargieMarieNeal

Audubon Park's journey from farmland to cityscape The study of Audubon Park's origins, maturation, and disappearance is at root the study of a rural society evolving into an urban community, an examination of the relationship between people and the land they inhabit. When John James Audubon bought fourteen acres of northern Manhattan farmland in 1841, he set in motion a chain of events that moved forward inexorably to the streetscape that emerged seven decades later. The story of how that happened makes up the pages of The Neighborhood Manhattan Forgot: Audubon Park and the Families Who Shaped It. This fully illustrated history peels back the many layers of a rural society evolving into an urban community, enlivened by the people who propelled it forward: property owners, tenants, laborers, and servants. The Neighborhood Manhattan Forgot tells the intricate tale of how individual choices in the face of family dysfunction, economic crises, technological developments, and the myriad daily occurrences that elicit personal reflection and change of course pushed Audubon Park forward to the cityscape that distinguishes the neighborhood today. A longtime evangelist for Manhattan's Audubon Park neighborhood, author Matthew Spady delves deep into the lives of the two families most responsible over time for the anomalous arrangement of today's streetscape: the Audubons and the Grinnells. Buoyed by his extensive research, Spady reveals the darker truth behind John James Audubon (1785-1851), a towering patriarch who consumed the lives of his family members in pursuit of his own goals. He then narrates how fifty years after Audubon's death, George Bird Grinnell (1849-1938) and his siblings found themselves the owners of extensive property that was not yielding sufficient income to pay taxes, insurance, and maintenance. Like the Audubons, they planned an exit strategy for controlled change that would have an unexpected ending. Beginning with the Audubons' return to America in 1839, The Neighborhood Manhattan Forgot follows the many twists and turns of the area's path from forest to city, ending in the twenty-first century with the Audubon name re-purposed in today's historic district, a multiethnic, multi-racial urban neighborhood far removed from the homogeneous, Eurocentric Audubon Park suburb.

The day in 2006 when the tastefully customized 1990 Harley-Davidson motorcycle arrived in the driveway was one of Carole Stieler's happiest moments. For Carole and her husband, author David Charles Stieler, experiencing life from the seat of a motorcycle offered a perspective that no other form of transportation could provide. This couple from rural Michigan had no way of knowing that the motorcycle's arrival would mark the beginning of the final journey of life as they knew it.

In The Ride, the Rose, and the Resurrection, David narrates their story of how a horrific hit-and-run motorcycle crash tore life out from under this middle-class American family. He tells of both his and Carole's psychological, spiritual, and physical battles to survive their near-death experience, and he communicates the harsh realities of the financial and insurance issues related to such an accident.

This memoir not only offers a true account of the battle between life and death but also shares stories of compassion and suspicion, companionship and abandonment, and religion and faith, in which forgiveness becomes the key to resurrection.

This book is for anyone, young or old, who has ever had a desire or ambition to achieve the American Dream. It is a story of a man chasing the American Dream told from an African perspective. It is a story which illustrates the power of setting goals and working hard to achieve them. The key is to stay focused. Life is a journey sometimes fraught with many obstacles, highs and lows. In this book the reader will find reason to stay focused on their goal, inspiration to take them over the lows and around the obstacles. Come with me to the Top of The Mountain. Our journey will take us from the sun -drenched, arid African reservations(rural areas to which Africans were relegated) of Southern Rhodesia ( present day Zimbabwe ) to the academic halls of Albert Einstein College of medicine in the Bronx, New York. Enjoy the ride.

Charles Babbage was thirty years old in 1821, as was his close friend, John Herschel, and in English intellectual circles they were both regarded as brilliant mathematicians. One day as Babbage worked in preparing logarithmic tables, a tedious and boring task, he commented to Herschel that he thought he could invent a machine to do these calculations with far more speed and accuracy than a human calculator could. And so was born an idea that would fascinate, tantalize, and absorb him for the remainder of his life. Over the years he drew plans, expanded them, modified them, and finally invented two machines, the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine. The first was capable only of generating tables, but the Analytical Engine could do much more. It could convert into numbers and print the results of any formula that might be required. It could also develop any analytical formula the laws of whose formation were given. Using punched cards it could store early results in a calculation and then use them to make further calculations when they were required. He had invented the first mechanical computer.

When Walt Larimore, MD, moved his young family to Kissimmee, Florida, to start a small-town medical practice in 1985, he had no idea he was embarking on an enterprise that would change his life in ways both large and small. Dr. Larimore shared some of these heartwarming and heartbreaking tales in The Best Medicine. Now he offers up more charming stories of his time as a family physician in a rural, small-yet-growing town in The Best Gift. Ideal for anyone wrestling with the inevitable and difficult storms of life, as well as fans of Dr. Larimore's popular Bryson City series, The Best Gift is a tender and insightful collection of stories chronicling one young doctor's spiritual growth as a physician, husband, father, and community member. Filled with characters colorful and crusty, warmhearted and hotheaded, witty and winsome, these captivating stories glow with drama, heartbreak, warmth, love, and humor. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll learn some of life's greatest lessons. And you'll wish Dr. Larimore was your doctor.

Ships of Mercy tells the riveting true story of Mercy Ships, the astonishing fleet of hospital ships that sail the globe, bringing dramatic change to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the most impoverished and disease-stricken corners of the world. Ships of Mercy is a page-turner of the highest quality, an inspiring testimony both to the essence of the human spirit and God's amazing providence. It tells the story of a teenager's extraordinary vision brought to reality in the form of a multi-million dollar life-saving mission. It also tells the story of a family of people from diverse backgrounds who have sacrificed their comfort and security in order to perform remarkable acts of grace and kindness.

This book provides a rounded biography of Franz (later Sir Francis) Simon, his early life in Germany, his move to Oxford in 1933, and his experimental contributions to low temperature physics approximating absolute zero. After 1939 he switched his research to nuclear physics, and is credited with solving the problem of uranium isotope separation by gaseous diffusion for the British nuclear programme Tube Alloys. The volume is distinctive for its inclusion of source materials not available to previous researchers, such as Simon's diary and his correspondence with his wife, and for a fresh, well-informed insider voice on the five-power nuclear rivalry of the war years. The work also draws on a relatively mature nuclear literature to attempt a comparison and evaluation of the five nuclear rivals in wider political and military context, and to identify the factors, or groups of factors, that can explain the results.