This biography traces the life and work of Mary Fairfax Somerville, whose extraordinary mathematical talent only came to light through fortuitous circumstances. Barely taught to read and write as a child, all the science she learned and mastered was self taught. In this delightful narrative the author takes up the challenge of discovering how Somerville came to be one of the most outstanding British women scientists and, furthermore, a popular writer. Particular attention is paid to the gender aspects of Somerville's success in what was, to put it mildly, a predominantly male domain.

This book examines the myriad identities and portrayals of Edith Cavell, as they have been constructed and handed down by propagandists, biographers and artists. Cavell was first introduced to the British public through a series of Foreign Office statements which claimed to establish the "facts" of her case. Her own voice, along with those of her family, colleagues and friends, were muted, as a monolithic image of a national heroine and martyr emerged. The book identifies two main areas of tension in her commemoration: firstly, the contrast between complexity of her own behaviour and motivations and the simplicity of the "Cavell Legend" that was constructed around her; and, secondly, the mismatch between the attempts of individuals and professional organisations to commemorate her life and work, and the public construction of a "heroine" who could be of value to the nation state.

The English version of the book does not di?er essentially from the Rus- 1 sian version . Along with a few notes and new references I included Part II to Article 3 and added some new materials to the 'Nobel' autobiography. Furthermore, Article 7 (M. Cardona and W. Marx "Vitaly L. Ginzburg - a bibliometricstudy"), whichwaspublishedinJournalofSuperconductivityand NovelMagnetism, v.19, No.3-5, July 2006 is included as an appendix. My special thanks are due to Prof. Manuel Cardona and Prof. Werner Marx who kindly allowed publishing their paper as an appendix to this book (with some new minor author's amendments). Also, I am grateful to M.S. Aksent'eva, E.A. Frimer, G.M. Krasnikova and S.G.RudnevfortheirassistanceinthepreparationoftheEnglishmanuscript. Moscow, September 2008 V.L.Ginzburg 1 V.L.Ginzburg, Osverkhprovodimostiiosverkhtekuchesti.Avtobiogra?a (Moskva: Izdatel'styvo Fiziko-matematicheskoi literatury, 2006) Preface to the Russian Edition The Nobel Prize in Physics, 2003 was awarded to A.A. Abrikosov, A.J. L- gett and myself 'for pioneering contribution to the theory of superconductors and super?uids'. It does not mean that the contribution was made in joint works with these authors. Speci?cally, I do not have any joint publications with A.A. Abrikosov and A.J. Leggett.

The Wide Open Door: My Conversation with God in the Operating Room is an inspirational memoir by Dr. Neeraj Bhushan, a practicing physician in Reston, Virginia. When Dr. Bhushan entered the hospital as a patient for knee surgery, he was seized by a panic attack that inspired the most desperate prayer of his life as he lay on the operating table. As he begged God to help him, he heard a voice of comfort, reassurance and love that led to his total surrender to his fate, no matter what might be in store for him.
The moment Dr. Bhushan awoke after the surgery, he knew something strange and wonderful had happened. The love he'd felt pouring into him on the operating table continued to bubble in his consciousness, even as he struggled to understand the miracle of that voice. Had he really spoken to God? Why had God chosen to speak to him? As a doctor, he knew the joint should be inflamed and sore after the trauma of having three holes drilled in his knee. But when he rose from his hospital bed a few hours later, he felt no pain. None. He could walk without crutches. Why didn't his knee hurt? As soon as he returned home, he unwrapped the bandage to make sure he'd really had an operation.
Dr. Bhushan's journey of physical, emotional and spiritual healing continued from that day forward. He never took any drugs, the recovery was painless, and the healing was complete. In gratitude for the extraordinary gift he received, he shares his story with everyone. The love of God has filled his heart, and the more he gives that love to others, the more joy he receives.

This book provides the first comprehensive, historically based, philosophical interpretations of two texts of Thomas Percival's professional ethics in medicine set in the context of his intellectual biography. Preceded by his privately published and circulated Medical Jurisprudence of 1794, Thomas Percival (1740-1804) published Medical Ethics in 1803, the first book thus titled in the global histories of medicine and medical ethics. From his days as a student at the Warrington Academy and the medical schools of the universities of Edinburgh and Leyden, Percival steeped himself in the scientific method of Francis Bacon (1561-1626). McCullough shows how Percival became a Baconian moral scientist committed to Baconian deism and Dissent. Percival also drew on and significantly expanded the work of his predecessor in professional ethics in medicine, John Gregory (1724-1773). The result is that Percival should be credited with co-inventing professionalism in medicine with Gregory. To aid and encourage future scholarship, this book brings together the first time three essential Percival texts, Medical Jurisprudence, Medical Ethics, and Extracts from the Medical Ethics of Dr. Percival of 1823, the bridge from Medical Ethics to the 1847 Code of Medical Ethics on the American Medical Association. To support comparative reading, this book provides concordances of Medical Jurisprudence to Medical Ethics and of Medical Ethics to Extracts. Finally, this book includes the first Chronology of Percival's life and works.

Despite never graduating from university, Sir Archibald Geikie (1835 1924) forged an exceptionally successful scientific career. In 1855 he was appointed to the Scottish branch of the Geological Survey, and by 1882 was Director General of the Survey. In keeping with his Edinburgh beginnings, most of his career was spent studying igneous rocks. He was a prolific and gifted writer, producing textbooks, popular science books and biographical and historical works, including the influential Founders of Geology (1897), as well as numerous technical publications. The only geologist to hold the post of President of The Royal Society (1908 12), he also served as President of the Geological Society of London and the British Association, and received an array of honorary degrees and medals. This autobiography, published in the year of his death, provides a readable, personal account of the life of one of the great scientific figures of the nineteenth century.

Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829) was a hugely influential chemist, inventor, and public lecturer who is recognised as one of the first professional scientists. His apprenticeship to an apothecary in 1795 led to his introduction to chemical experiments. A chance meeting with Davis Giddy in 1798 introduced Davy into the wider scientific community, and in 1800 he was invited to a post at the Royal Institution, where he lectured to great acclaim. This two-volume memoir was published by his brother, Dr John Davy, in 1836, in response to Paris' biography of 1831, authorised by Lady Davy (also reissued in this series). John Davy had additional papers in his possession, and felt that Paris had failed to convey Sir Humphry's character as a man and philosopher. Volume 2 concentrates on his researches (including on the safety lamp) and travels in Europe. It includes poetry, and also memorials of Davy by friends.

On May 30, 2008, Nannette Jodar received a diagnosis of Stage 4 Inflammatory Breast Cancer. The disease had spread to her liver and the surrounding lymph nodes, up to her thyroid. In the medical field, this is a "worst of the worse" diagnosis, most likely ending in death. With a broken heart and dwindled hope, Jodar began to pray. Then, two weeks later, the timorous "hot spots" were gone. Miracle or misdiagnosis?Her doctors would say miracle, as would Jodar herself. The medical community was astounded by her progress-so much so that they had no idea how to follow up. Nannette Jodar has since been called a "Miracle Woman," and to this day, she serves as a beacon of hope to other women suffering from similar disease. "Being Held by God" is the story of her journey, but it is not only a retelling: it is a reckoning.Jodar is healed, and it was through her self-designed process of seeking the counsel of an herbal doctor, changing her diet, prayer, and belief that she was being guided towards her course of a cure. She now serves as an advocate to those who desire to stay healthy or become healthy through proactive love of their body-temples. Our lives are a divine gift, and as soon as we see them as such, the healing can begin.

William Whewell (1794-1866) was born the son of a Lancaster carpenter, but his precocious intellect soon delivered him into a different social sphere. Educated at a local grammar school, he won a scholarship to Cambridge, and began his career at Trinity College in 1812; he went on to be elected a fellow of Trinity in 1817 and Master in 1841. An acquaintance of William Wordsworth and a friend of Adam Sedgwick, his professional interests reflected a typically nineteenth-century fusion of religion and science, ethics and empiricism. Published in 1876, and written by the mathematician and fellow of St John's College, Isaac Todhunter (1820-84), this biography combines a narrative account of Whewell's life and achievements with extracts taken from his personal correspondence. Volume 1 covers his sermons and early poetry, as well as his work on tides, moral philosophy and mechanics, and his celebrated study of the inductive sciences.

William Whewell (1794-1866) was born the son of a Lancaster carpenter, but his precocious intellect soon delivered him into a different social sphere. Educated at a local grammar school, he won a scholarship to Cambridge, and began his career at Trinity College in 1812; he went on to be elected a fellow of Trinity in 1817 and Master in 1841. An acquaintance of William Wordsworth and a friend of Adam Sedgwick, his professional interests reflected a typically nineteenth-century fusion of religion and science, ethics and empiricism. Published in 1876, and written by the mathematician and fellow of St John's College, Isaac Todhunter (1820-84), this biography combines a narrative account of Whewell's life and achievements with extracts taken from his personal correspondence. Volume 2 contains a selection of his correspondence with scholars including Herschel and Lyell, revealing much about the conflicts, debates and friendships that shaped nineteenth-century academic life.

Timed to coincide with the release of Walter Isaacson's latest biography on the famous painter and inventor, as well as the latest thriller in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code series, this book includes 101 in-depth facts about Leonardo Da Vinci. 101 Things You Didn't Know About Da Vinci provides you with all the fascinating facts you didn't know about the famous artist, inventor, and creator of the Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian Man, including details about his personal life, information about his inventions and art, his interactions with his contemporaries, and his impact on the world since his death. Some facts include: -Da Vinci was left handed, and wrote from right to left, even writing his letters backwards. -Da Vinci's The Last Supper started peeling off the wall almost immediately upon completion, due to a combination of the type of paint Leonardo used and the humidity -Among Leonardo's many inventions and creations was a mechanical lion he created to celebrate the coronation of King Francois I of France Whether you're seeking inspiration, information, or interesting and entertaining facts about history's most creative genius, 101 Things You Didn't Know About Da Vinci has just what you're looking for!

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer and biologist, best remembered as the co-discoverer, with Darwin, of natural selection. His extensive fieldwork and advocacy of the theory of evolution led to him being considered one of the nineteenth century's foremost biologists. He was later moved by a variety of personal experiences to examine the concept of spirituality, but his exploration into the potential for compatibility between spiritualism and natural selection alienated him from the scientific community. He was also a social activist, highly critical of unjust social and economic systems in nineteenth-century Britain, and one of the first prominent scientists to express concern over the environmental impact of human activity. This autobiography was first published in 1905. Volume 2 deals with his many eminent acquaintances, including Darwin and Huxley, his lecture tour in America, and his involvement with spiritualism and with social activism.

During the 1950s, the United States and the Soviet Union teetered on the brink of nuclear devastation. America's hope for national security relied solely upon aerial reconnaissance. "Radar Man" is the fascinating memoir of a physicist who, with his colleagues, developed the stealth technology that eventually created radar-invisible aircraft. Edward Lovick shares a compelling story from the perspective of an enthusiastic scientist that highlights his pioneering experiences in an innovative, secret world as he helped create stealth aircraft such as the A-12 OXCART, SR-71 Blackbird, and F-117 Nighthawk. From the moment in 1957 when Lockheed's famous aircraft designer Clarence L. 'Kelly' Johnson invited Lovick to join his "Skunk Works," Lovick details how he helped the CIA eventually perform vital, covert reconnaissance flights over Soviet-held territory during the Cold War, saved Lockheed ADP's A-12 from cancellation, and provided key design input to the SR-71 and F-117. Lovick's autobiography describing his career as an engineering physicist in the Skunk Works not only draws attention to the insurmountable challenges that accompanied the task of developing radar-invisible aircraft, but also the importance of the monumental task these young scientists fulfilled-all with the hope of creating a secure future for their beloved country.

Sir David Brewster (1781 1868) was a Scottish physicist, mathematician, astronomer, inventor, and writer of international reputation. His biography of Sir Isaac Newton, published in 1855 and reissued in 1860, was the result of over twenty years' research, undertaken while publishing hundreds of scientific papers of his own. Brewster made use of previously unknown correspondence by Newton, and his own scientific interests, particularly in optics, meant that he was able to understand and explain Newton's work. It covered the many facets of Newton's personality and work, remaining the best available study of Newton for over a century. Brewster reveals much about the science of his own time in his handling of earlier centuries, and as a cleric was obviously uncomfortable about the evidence of Newton's unorthodox religious views and alchemical studies. Volume 2 covers the period from the dispute with Leibniz to Newton's death, and considers his posthumous reputation.

Memoir and Correspondence of Caroline Herschel (1876) contains the letters and diaries of the celebrated astronomer Caroline Herschel (1750-1848), edited by her niece, Mary Herschel. Caroline was born in Hanover to a musician father and an illiterate mother who did not want her daughter to be educated. However Caroline's brother William, an organist employed in Bath, persuaded their mother to allow Caroline to join him there. She left for England in 1772 to live with William, to whom she remained devoted all of her life. In Bath, William turned towards telescope-making and astronomy, to such effect that in 1781 he discovered the planet Uranus. He was appointed 'the King's astronomer' in 1782, and Caroline, trained by William, continued to work at his side as a scientist in her own right. Between them, they discovered eight comets and raised the number of recorded nebulae from a hundred to 2500.

Sir David Brewster (1781 1868) was a Scottish physicist, mathematician, astronomer, inventor, and writer of international reputation. His biography of Sir Isaac Newton, published in 1855 and reissued in 1860, was the result of over twenty years' research, undertaken while publishing hundreds of scientific papers of his own. Brewster made use of previously unknown correspondence by Newton, and his own scientific interests, particularly in optics, meant that he was able to understand and explain Newton's work. It covered the many facets of Newton's personality and work, remaining the best available study of Newton for over a century. Brewster reveals much about the science of his own time in his handling of earlier centuries, and as a cleric was obviously uncomfortable about the evidence of Newton's unorthodox religious views and alchemical studies. Volume 1 covers the period up to about 1700, and includes disputes with Leibniz over the development of calculus.

Inspired by the life and times of Alexander von Humboldt, 1769-1859 , this biography follows Humboldt, who is considered the father of the Natural Sciences and in his day was as well known as Napoleon, and traces his childhood in what was then Prussia, his education at various Universities his training as a mining engineer and how he progressed into the sciences. Duringing the Age of Enlightenment, Humboldts journey to South America between 1799 and 1804 with Aime Bonpland, changed the course of both their lives and during this period of exploration, they sent back to Paris and Berlin some 6000 samples of new species, minerals and animals. En route the scientists collected a mass of detailed information - cartographical, geological, astronomical, botanical, anthropological and linguistic - that took a life time to decipher.

Discover the exhilarating true story of Ernest Shackleton's legendary Antarctic expedition Told through the words of the world's greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes - one of the only men to understand his experience first-hand . . . 'For anyone with a passion for polar exploration, this is a must read' NEW YORK TIMES 'THE definitive book on Shackleton and no one could have done it better . . . an authentic account by one of the few men who truly knows what it's like to challenge Antarctica' LORRAINE KELLY _________ In 1915, Sir Ernest Shackleton's attempt to be the first to traverse the Antarctic was cut short when his ship, Endurance, became trapped in ice. He and his crew should have died. Instead, through a long, dark winter, Shackleton fought back: enduring sub-zero temperatures, a perilous lifeboat journey across icy seas, and a murderous march over glaciers to seek help. Shackleton's epic trek is one of history's most enthralling adventures. But who was he? How did previous Antarctic expeditions and his rivalry with Captain Scott forge him? And what happened afterwards to the man many believed was invincible? In this astonishing account, Fiennes brings the story vividly to life in a book that is part celebration, part vindication and all adventure. _________ 'Fiennes makes a fine guide on voyage into Shackleton's world . . . What makes this book so engaging is the author's own storytelling skills' Irish Independent 'Fiennes relates these tales of exploration and survival, adding insight to Shackleton's journeys unlike any other biographer' Radio Times Praise for Sir Ranulph Fiennes: 'The World's Greatest Living Explorer' Guinness Book of Records 'Full of awe-inspiring details of hardship, resolve and weather that defies belief, told by someone of unique authority. No one is more tailor-made to tell [this] story than Sir Ranulph Fiennes' Newsday 'Fiennes' own experiences certainly allow him to write vividly and with empathy of the hell that the men went through' Sunday Times 'Fiennes brings the promised perspective of one who has been there, illuminating Shackleton's actions by comparing them with his own. Beginners to the Heroic Age will enjoy this volume, as will serious polar adventurers seeking advice. For all readers, it's a tremendous story' Sara Wheeler, The Wall Street Journal

In 1857 Henry David Thoreau moved to a small cabin in the woods near Walden Pond where he lived as a recluse from society for just over two years. In his time of self-prescribed isolation, Thoreau recorded his daily routine and reflections in an effort to get away from the noise brought about by a mainstream society. His work became one of the most influential American literary works of all time. Thoreau's daily journal entries became the foundation for one of the most well-known works of Transcendental philosophy to this day. Published as one title, Walden is a quasi-memoir and naturalist manifesto that has withstood the test of time. The work continues to inspire generations to switch it up, unplug, and revert to the higher calling of nature.

A biography of venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel, the enigmatic, controversial and hugely influential power broker who sits at the dynamic intersection of tech, business and politics

Since the days of the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s, no industry has made a greater global impact than Silicon Valley. And few individuals have done more to shape Silicon Valley than billionaire venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel. From the technologies we use every day to the delicate power balance between Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Washington, Thiel has been a behind-the-scenes operator influencing countless aspects of contemporary life. But despite his power and the ubiquity of his projects, no public figure is quite so mysterious.

In the first major biography of Thiel, Max Chafkin traces the trajectory of the innovator's singular life and worldview, from his upbringing as the child of immigrant parents and years at Stanford as a burgeoning conservative thought leader to his founding of PayPal and Palantir, early investment in Facebook and SpaceX, and relationships with fellow tech titans Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Eric Schmidt. The Contrarian illuminates the extent to which Thiel has sought to export his values to the corridors of power beyond Silicon Valley, such as funding the lawsuit that bankrupted the blog Gawker to strenuously backing far-right political candidates, including Donald Trump for president.

Eye-opening and deeply reported, The Contrarian is a revelatory biography of a one-of-a-kind leader and an incisive portrait of a tech industry whose explosive growth and power is both thrilling and fraught with controversy.