A very personal account of one man s fight for survival and triumph over very adverse odds. It is also a heartfelt tribute to all those people, principally in the National Health Service (UK), who give so much to heal and support. One mid-summer evening in an English hayfield Jan McCourt was crushed beneath his 7-ton tractor. In an instant his life was changed forever. His lower back, hip and pelvis were virtually demolished. Lucky to be airlifted to hospital, luckier still even to be alive, he was later informed by the surgeon that the procedure would be akin to taking a polo mint, stamping on it and then piecing the broken bits back in their original position. The injury also played complete havoc with his digestive system. Enduring long weeks of unimaginable and at times quite terrifying pain, the toll on Jan s body also began to affect his mind."

Most people think that stroke victims end up looking like Frankenstein with a horrible facial expression and erratic movements. But, that is not the way it has to be. Today, it is possible for some stroke victims to make a full recovery. Gerry Purdy knows this because his wife, Alicia - a healthy, beautiful and smart person - suffered a stroke on August 23, 2011 and was able to return to her vivacious self. Our Stroke of Luck portrays the life they had together. Gerry and Alicia had dated in high school and got back together for their 45th high school reunion. Life was good. And then - Bam! - without warning Alicia suffered a stroke. Find out how Alicia's neurosurgeon was able to remove the clot from her brain that caused the stroke. Experience the tense ups and downs of that night-one moment seeming as though she might be paralyzed on her left side for the rest of her life and then the next seeing a flash of hope. Gerry and Alicia were lucky that the radiologist was able to identify the clot in her brain and lucky to get her transferred to the Marcus Stroke Center at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. They were lucky that Dr. Nogueira was able to extract the clot from Alicia's brain. And, finally, they were lucky that she was able to make a full recovery. Truly, this was their stroke of luck.

This is the story of a boy raised up in a village in Poland during World War II, with his father deported to concentration camps throughout the war. Some years after he graduated from medical school, he serendipitously entered the then developing field of dialysis, and he eventually embarked on a career-long practice in the field, where he contributed to the development of a number of new inventions and therapeutic methods. The book contains 13 chapters covering the author's childhood, education, and his career-long contributions to the field of nephrology. The book includes inspirational stories of his patients; the struggles he faced in the course of getting his numerous inventions patented; his research work in the 1990s; his work of teaching and consulting; and not the least, his travels to interesting places unrelated to business. The book concludes with an epilogue summarizing his life, as well as his predictions regarding treatment of chronic renal failure in the future.

At seventeen, Nicole believed her life was just beginning. She was a senior in high school looking forward to college and living on her own. However, all her dreams vanished the moment she became injured. Diagnosed with the neurological and chronic pain disorder, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), mainstream medicine viewed her pain and symptoms as being untreatable and incurable. She was living a nightmare. With no use of her right hand and minimal use of her arm, she depended on massive amounts of narcotics to survive each day. Yet even that could not control her agony. The crippling pain was so paralyzing that she faced periods where she was bed-ridden or wheelchair bound. All she had to hold on to was hope. Hope that her miracle would someday arrive... "No, It is Not in My Head: The Journey of a Chronic Pain Survivor," will spread hope, present answers and allow others to believe in the unimaginable. It is not one young woman's story back to health, but a culmination of "our" stories back to health.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1791) is an unfinished memoir by Benjamin Franklin. Addressing the work to his son William, Franklin intended to provide a private account of his life and accomplishments. Published after his death, however, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin has since been recognized as one of the most influential works of autobiography in history, as well as a foundational text for the American ideal of the self-made man. Born in Boston, Franklin joins his brother's printing business at a young age, learning the ropes in an industry which will later bring him both wealth and fame. Secretly, however, he publishes a series of essays under the pseudonym "Silence Dogood," satirical pieces written from the perspective of a middle-aged widow. When his authorship is revealed, a dispute ensues between Franklin and his brother that leads the young Benjamin to look for work elsewhere. Unable to find work in New York City, Franklin continues south toward Philadelphia, where he establishes himself as the printer and editor of the Pennsylvania Gazette. After describing his system of thirteen virtues aimed at moral perfection, Franklin returns to his work as a publisher of Poor Richard's Almanack, a successful yearly pamphlet containing meteorological information, practical tips, and puzzles. Franklin also focuses on his diplomatic work, scientific research and inventions, and his appointment as an honorary member of the prestigious Royal Society. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

My First Summer in the Sierra is the incredible true story of John Muir's iconic time spent working in the California mountain range of the Sierra Nevada's. In this republished edition, read about his experience that shaped so much of environmental stewardship today. In the summer of 1869, a young John Muir joined a crew of shepherds working in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. Spending countless hours working with the group, Muir also worked tirelessly to advocate for the land's protection. His efforts eventually transpired into the founding of Yosemite Valley as a national park, a landmark event in the history of United States environmentalism. A glimpse into Muir's private journals, My First Summer in the Sierra is the remarkable retelling of his time there. Full of humorous anecdotes and insightful prose, John Muir personal narrative will likely inspire you to pack up your belongings and head for the mountains.

This is a compilation of tributes to a gentleman who has impacted the field of biomedical engineering and musculoskeletal science for four decades through his research, his guidance and mentorships, his friendships, and his love for the field, family, and friends. It provides readers with a view of how one man can impact so many.

Sir James Dewar was a major figure in British chemistry for around 40 years. He held the posts of Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy at Cambridge (1875-1923) and Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution (1877-1923) and is remembered principally for his efforts to liquefy hydrogen successfully in the field that would come to be known as cryogenics. His experiments in this field led him to develop the vacuum flask, now more commonly known as the thermos, and in 1898 he was the first person to successfully liquefy hydrogen. A man of many interests, he was also, with Frederick Abel, the inventor of explosive cordite, an achievement that involved him in a major legal battle with Alfred Nobel. Indeed, Dewar's career saw him involved in a number of public quarrels with fellow scientists; he was a fierce and sometimes unscrupulous defender of his rights and his claims to priority in a way that throws much light on the scientific spirit and practice of his day. This, the first scholarly biography of Dewar, seeks to resurrect and reinterpret a man who was a giant of his time, but is now sadly overlooked. In so doing, the book will shed much new light on the scientific culture of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries and the development of the field of chemistry in Britain.

This fascinating portrait of an amateur astronomy movement tells the story of how Charles Olivier recruited a hard-working cadre of citizen scientists to rehabilitate the study of meteors. By 1936, Olivier and members of his American Meteor Society had succeeded in disproving an erroneous idea about meteor showers. Using careful observations, they restored the public's trust in predictions about periodic showers and renewed respect for meteor astronomy among professional astronomers in the United States. Charles Olivier and his society of observers who were passionate about watching for meteors in the night sky left a major impact on the field. In addition to describing Olivier's career and describing his struggles with competitive colleagues in a hostile scientific climate, the author provides biographies of some of the scores of women and men of all ages who aided Olivier in making shower observations, from the Leonids and Perseids and others. Half of these amateur volunteers were from 13 to 25 years of age. Their work allowed Olivier and the AMS to contradict the fallacious belief in stationary and long-enduring meteor showers, bringing the theory of their origin into alignment with celestial mechanics. Thanks to Olivier and his collaborators, the study of meteors took a great leap forward in the twentieth century to earn a place as a worthy topic of study among professional astronomers.

The perfect gift for fans of All Creatures Great and Small, this is a charming collection of classic stories from James Herriot's much-loved books with insights into his life and work from his children Rosie and Jim. With astute observations and boundless humour, country vet Herriot captures the spirit of the Yorkshire Dales and of rural communities on the cusp of change, before tractors and machines had taken over and modern medicines and antibiotics transformed veterinary work. Along the way a beloved cast of characters emerges, from the squabbling brothers Tristan and Siegfried to Herriot's hapless courtship and eventual family life with Helen Anderson. But it's the animals which are at the heart of Herriot's stories. Whether he's dodging a raging bull on a risky artificial insemination assignment, becoming pen pals with Tricki Woo the spoilt Pikingese or the inevitable trials and tribulations of lambing season, there's never a dull moment in Herriot's company. At times moving and often laugh-out-loud funny, The Wonderful World of James Herriot will delight fans old and new.

This is a scientific and philosophical autobiography written around a collection of Denis Noble's most significant papers. It traces a remarkable journey from na ve reductionism to a rigorous systems approach to living systems. It is rigorous because Denis Noble was one of the first biologists to construct computer models of cells and organs of the body. His theoretical work is entirely mathematically based, with no room for ambiguity. Far from the denigration of the systems approach as holistic 'hand-waving', his work is now regarded by pharmaceutical companies and regulators as the gold standard of modelling in the development of new medication.

Systems Biology is an idea in search of a definition. This book explains why this is true: it is an approach rather than a subject. Denis Noble's work is one of the clearest examples of the systems approach in practice since it reveals the nature of some of the forms of downward causation in multilevel analysis. The story will delight readers who like to see how scientific controversy is resolved, since many of the developments described in each chapter were highly controversial when they occurred.

A fascinating, forgotten story of the six brilliant women who launched modern computing. As the Cold War began, America's race for tech supremacy was taking off. Experts rushed to complete the top-secret computing research started during World War II, among them six gifted mathematicians: a patriotic Quaker, a Jewish bookworm, a Yugoslav genius, a native Gaelic speaker, a sophomore from the Bronx, and a farmer's daughter from Missouri. Their mission? Programming the world's first and only supercomputer-before any code or programming languages existed. These pioneers triumphed against sexist attitudes and huge technical challenges to invent computer programming, yet their monumental contribution has never been recognised-until now. Over a decade, Kathy Kleiman met with four of the original six ENIAC Programmers and recorded their stories. Here, with a light touch and a serious mind, she exposes the deliberate erasure of their achievements and restores the women to their rightful place as revolutionaries, bringing to life their camaraderie, their determination, and their rapidly changing world. As big tech struggles with gender inequality and momentum builds in restoring women to history, the time has come for this engrossing story to be uncovered and celebrated.

The author of Mind of the Dolphin and Center of the Cyclone tells the story of his astonishing discoveries - from his early experiments mapping the brains of monkeys and communication with dolphins to his awesome breakthroughs with consciousness expanding drugs and isolation tanks. His revelations in The Scientist are staggering - his latest report on the "solid state conspiracy", on communication with extraterrestrials and the imperative of dolphin/human dialog will grip the reader with its sense of cosmic vision. This expanded edition of The Scientist contains "bubbles" of consensus reality - text and photos - in the hyperspace narrative. It includes an introduction by Timothy Leary, an afterward by Burgess Meredith, biographical and bibliographic information. The third edition has an update on John Lilly's work with Human/Dolphin communication and the results of recent reintroduction of captive dolphins and other cetaceans to the wild.

Best known outside the scientific community for the Nobel Prize in Physics he won in 1991, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes was exceptional amongst scientists for the breadth and depth of his contributions in multiple fields of physics. He was also much ahead of his time in his desire to break down barriers between scientific disciplines and between fundamental and applied science. He was equally unusual in his willingness to explain the nature and purpose of his work to society at large and to young people in particular. Laurence Pl vert's fascinating work retraces the influences and experiences that moulded this complex, charismatic, charming and eclectic genius. It follows him from his unconventional childhood on the fringes of the old French aristocracy and in war-divided France, through his glittering school and early scientific career, up to the revolutionary breakthroughs in fields as diverse as superconductivity, liquid crystals, polymers and soft matter, culminating in the final consecration of the Nobel prize. Constructed from exclusive interviews with the physicist himself, his family, friends and colleagues, this biography immerses us in the work and character of a truly remarkable figure, a Renaissance man of the 20th century.

Extensively researched, this book traces the life and work of Abraham De Moivre as well as the state of probability and statistics in eighteenth-century Britain. It is the first extensive biography of De Moivre and is based on recently discovered material and translations, including some of De Moivre 's letters.

The book begins with discussions on De Moivre 's early life in France and his initial work in pure mathematics with some excursions into celestial mechanics. It then describes his fundamental contributions to probability theory and applications, including those in finance and actuarial science. The author explores how De Moivre 's wide network of personal and professional connections often motivated his research. The book also covers De Moivre 's contemporaries and his impact on the field. Written in a clear, approachable style, this biography will appeal to historians and practitioners of the art of probability and statistics in a wide range of applications, including finance and actuarial science.

Sunday Times bestseller Growing up on the Wirral, Hannah Jackson had no idea she wanted to work on a farm until a life-changing family visit to the Lake District in her late teens. It was there where she first saw a lamb being born, giving her the drive to defy her urban roots and become a professional shepherd. She never looked back. In this uplifting and inspirational memoir, Hannah shares how she broke the stereotypes of her 'townie' beginnings, took risks and faced up to the challenges of being a young woman in a male-dominated industry, and followed her heart to become the Red Shepherdess. But behind the beautiful landscape, talented sheepdogs and eye-catching red hair was a steep learning curve. The physically and mentally demanding conditions she faced as she chased her dreams to build her own Cumbrian farm taught Hannah the values the holds true, including community, leadership, patience and resilience. In Call Me Red, Hannah gives a unique insight into farming life and reveals a mindset and determination that proves no matter your background, with hard graft (and a loyal sheepdog) you can make your dreams a reality.

This book tells the story of Enzo Piccinini, a brilliant surgeon and a truly inspirational figure. Enzo was one of the most resolute proponents of contemporary Catholicism and led many to embrace Catholicism wholeheartedly. His warm spirit and devotion to Christ will inspire you to lead a life of compassion.

A fascinating life of Sir Joseph Banks which restores him to his proper place in history as a leading scientific figure of the English Enlightenment "An extensive, admiring account of his subject's circuitous route to fame and power."-Wall Street Journal "Readers interested in the British Enlightenment, the history of science, or the lives of great figures who played leading roles in England's emergence as a global presence will enjoy this highly informative book."-Choice As official botanist on James Cook's first circumnavigation, the longest-serving president of the Royal Society, advisor to King George III, the "father of Australia," and the man who established Kew as the world's leading botanical garden, Sir Joseph Banks was integral to the English Enlightenment. Yet he has not received the recognition that his multifarious achievements deserve. In this engaging account, Toby Musgrave reveals the true extent of Banks's contributions to science and Britain. From an early age Banks pursued his passion for natural history through study and extensive travel, most famously on the HMS Endeavour. He went on to become a pivotal figure in the advancement of British scientific, economic, and colonial interests. With his enquiring, enterprising mind and extensive network of correspondents, Banks's reputation and influence were global. Drawing widely on Banks's writings, Musgrave sheds light on Banks's profound impact on British science and empire in an age of rapid advancement.

Armin G Stromberg was arguably one of the founding fathers of the technique of stripping voltammetry frequently used in chemical analysis, yet he is virtually unheard of in Western scientific circles. He was a brilliant scientist, but due to his German ancestry he was interred in one of the NKVD GULAG camps at the outbreak of the Second World War. This semi-biographical history presents the complete set of 74 surviving letters written by Stromberg to his wife during this period. The letters provide both historians and the interested public with a rare and unique glimpse into the everyday living conditions of inmates in one of the GULAG labour camps. The book also traces Stromberg's life following his release. More importantly, it relates how he founded the thriving Tomsk school to the wider historical context of electroanalysis in the USSR, drawing conclusions about the rate of scientific development as compared to the West and showing how wet analysis' remained of vital importance to industry long after equivalent measurements were made elsewhere. Readers will also appreciate how Stromberg's invaluable contributions in the Tomsk School of Electroanalysis laid the foundations for the extensive metallurgical extraction and nuclear industries that dominated the entire Siberian region for many years. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the life and times of an important, yet often overlooked scientist of the Second World War.

'A witty, gossipy, sparkling history, full of bright jewels of anecdote... Magnificent Rebels is a triumph' THE TIMES, Book of the Week 'Extraordinary... A thrilling intellectual history that reads like a racy, intelligent novel, with a cast of unforgettable characters' SUNDAY TIMES 'Magnificent Rebels is a magnificent book: a revelation which could easily become an obsession' SPECTATOR 'A thrilling page-turner, by turns comical & tragic... My book of the year so far' TOM HOLLAND 'Elegantly written, deeply researched and totally gripping' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE In the 1790s an extraordinary group of friends changed the world. Disappointed by the French Revolution's rapid collapse into tyranny, what they wanted was nothing less than a revolution of the mind. The rulers of Europe had ordered their peoples how to think and act for too long. Based in the small German town of Jena, through poetry, drama, philosophy and science, they transformed the way we think about ourselves and the world around us. They were the first Romantics. Their way of understanding the world still frames our lives and being.We're still empowered by their daring leap into the self. We still think with their minds, see with their imagination and feel with their emotions. We also still walk the same tightrope between meaningful self-fulfilment and destructive narcissism, between the rights of the individual and our role as a member of our community and our responsibilities towards future generations who will inhabit this planet. This extraordinary group of friends changed our world. It is impossible to imagine our lives, thoughts and understanding without the foundation of their ground-breaking ideas.

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.

In 1885, Thomas Edison, age thirty-nine and already a world-famous inventor, met the two great loves of his life: Mina Miller and Fort Myers, Florida. Mina soon became his second wife, and Fort Myers--a remote, almost inaccessible, village on Florida's southwest coast--became their winter home.

Other tomes tell the global account of Thomas Edison, the American icon named by Life magazine as the "Man of the Millennium." This book offers a look at his life in his tropical retreat, his "jungle," where for forty-six years he and his bride sought refuge from the cold winters and the demanding lifestyle of his New Jersey home, laboratory, and business complex.

While in Fort Myers he watched over his extensive botanical gardens, fished from both his boat and his long dock, interacted with the locals, and labored for many hours in his laboratory. Henry Ford and his family lived nextdoor and many dignitaries came to visit, including President-elect Hoover and Harvey Firestone.
The Edisons became an essential part of the Fort Myers story. They made lifelong friendships with townsfolk and joined in local activities until the love affair of the Edisons was cut short by the death of Thomas in 1931. Mina continued to live out her love for Fort Myers and its people until her death in 1947. She gave their winter estate, Seminole Lodge (Thomas's "jungle"), to the grateful citizens of Fort Myers.

On December 17, 2008, 46-year-old Scott Bolzan hit his head on the bathroom floor and awoke in a hospital with no memory of who he was or how he got there. He didn't know that the petite blond at his side was Joan, his wife of twenty-four years--or even what a wife was. He couldn't remember the births of his two young-adult children, the daughter he'd lost, his time as an offensive lineman for the NFL's Cleveland Browns, or his flourishing aviation career.

With heart-rending honesty and no shortage of humor, the Bolzans share their remarkable journey as Scott finds his way in a now-unfamiliar world and reinvents himself as a man, husband, and father. The challenges are initially overwhelming, but My Life, Deleted is above all else a celebration of extraordinary perseverance. Throughout it all, what emerges--against all odds--is an enviable love story, as Scott and Joan fall in love all over again.

S Chandrasekhar, popularly known as Chandra, was one of the foremost scientists of the 20th century. The year 2010 marks the birth centenary of Chandra. His unique style of research, inward bound, seeking a personal perspective to master a particular field, and then pass on to another was so unique that it will draw considerable interest and attention among scholars. As Chandra elucidates in the preface, "The various installments describe in detail the evolution of my scientific work during the past forty years and records each investigation, describing the doubts and the successes, the trials and the tribulations. And the parts my various associates and assistants played in the completion of the different investigations are detailed." It is indeed a remarkable and rare document, fascinating to read and experience the joys, frustrations and struggles of a creative mind.

S Chandrasekhar, popularly known as Chandra, was one of the foremost scientists of the 20th century. The year 2010 marks the birth centenary of Chandra. His unique style of research, inward bound, seeking a personal perspective to master a particular field, and then pass on to another was so unique that it will draw considerable interest and attention among scholars. As Chandra elucidates in the preface, "The various installments describe in detail the evolution of my scientific work during the past forty years and records each investigation, describing the doubts and the successes, the trials and the tribulations. And the parts my various associates and assistants played in the completion of the different investigations are detailed." It is indeed a remarkable and rare document, fascinating to read and experience the joys, frustrations and struggles of a creative mind.