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Books > Biography > Science, technology & engineering
His ideas turned the mathematical world on its head. As a scientist he should be placed on the same level as Newton and Einstein. This account of Euler's life and livings is embedded in the great political developments of his time, particularly in Austria, Prussia and Russia. The comic by Elena Pini (illustrations) and Alice and Andreas K. Heyne (text) follows the life of the genius from Basel, who, born 300 years ago, would set out to change the scientific world. The book is completed by a short biography of Euler and relevant data of the most important politicians and contemporaries.
"For the decade of my father's illness, I felt as if I was floating in the deep end, tossed by waves, carried by currents but not drowning." In a singular account of battling Alzheimer's, Patti Davis eloquently weaves personal anecdotes with practical advice tailored specifically for the overlooked caregiver. After losing her father, Ronald Reagan, Davis founded a support group for family members and friends of Alzheimer's patients; drawing on those years, Davis reveals the surprising struggles and gifts of this cruel disease. From the challenges of navigating disorientation to the moments when guilt and resentments creep in, readers are guided gently through slow-burning grief. Along the way, Davis shares how her own fractured family came together and how her father revealed his true self-always kind, even when he couldn't recognise his own daughter. The result is an achingly beautiful work on the fragile human condition from a profoundly wise and empathetic writer.
Winner of the Elizabeth Longford prize for Historical Biography 'Engrossing' Claire Tomalin / 'Superb' Sunday Times / 'A triumph' Daily Mail Whether honoured and admired or criticized and ridiculed, Florence Nightingale has invariably been misrepresented and misunderstood. As the Lady with the Lamp, ministering to the wounded and dying of the Crimean War, she offers an enduring image of sentimental appeal and one that is permanently lodged in our national consciousness. But the awesome scale of her achievements over the course of her 90 years is infinitely more troubling - and inspiring - than this mythical simplification. From her tireless campaigning and staggering intellectual abilities to her tortured relationship with her sister and her distressing medical condition, this vivid and immensely readable biography draws on a wealth of unpublished material and previously unseen family papers, disentangling the myth from the reality and reinvigorating with new life one of the most iconic figures in modern British history. 'Enthralling' Guardian 'Excellent' Spectator 'Hugely readable' Lancet 'Gripping and faultless' Observer, Books of the Year 'Remarkable. A subtle, scholarly and immensely readable portrait. Scrupulous, thoughtful and clear-eyed. A masterly achievement' Financial Times 'It will not be superseded for generations to come' Sunday Telegraph
AN UNSUNG HEROINE OF THE SPACE AGE--HER STORY FINALLY
TOLD.
An archive of personal trauma that addresses how a culture still toxic to queer people can reshape a body In the summer of 2019, Jonathan Alexander had a minor stroke, what his doctors called an "eye stroke." A small bit of cholesterol came loose from a vein in his neck and instead of shooting into his brain and causing damage, it lodged itself in a branch artery of his retina, resulting in a permanent blindspot in his right eye. In Stroke Book, Alexander recounts both the immediate aftermath of his health crisis, which marked deeper health concerns, as well as his experiences as a queer person subject to medical intervention. A pressure that the queer ill contend with is feeling at fault for their condition, of having somehow chosen illness as punishment for their queerness, however subconsciously. Queer people often experience psychic and somatic pressures that not only decrease their overall quality of life but can also lead to shorter lifespans. Emerging out of a medical emergency and a need to think and feel that crisis through the author's sexuality, changing sense of dis/ability, and experience of time, Stroke Book invites readers on a personal journey of facing a health crisis while trying to understand how one's sexual identity affects and is affected by that crisis. Pieceing and stitching together his experience in a queered diary form, Alexander's lyrical prose documents his ongoing, unfolding experience in the aftermath of the stroke. Through the fracturing of his text, which almost mirrors his fractured sight post-stroke, the author grapples with his shifted experience of time, weaving in and out, while he tracks the aftermath of what he comes to call his "incident" and meditates on how a history of homophobic encounters can manifest in embodied forms. The book situates itself within a larger queer tradition of writing-first, about the body, then about the body unbecoming, and then, yet further, about the body ongoing, even in the shadow of death. Stroke Book also documents the complexities of critique and imagination while holding open a space for dreaming, pleasure, intimacy, and the unexpected.
This title reveals a shy yet passionate woman more at home in the natural world than in the literary one that embraced her. Souder also writes sensitively of Carson's romantic friendship with Dorothy Freeman, and of her death from cancer in 1964. This biography captures the essence of one of the great reformers of the 20th century.
The astonishing biography of Josef Ganz, a Jewish designer from Frankfurt, who in May 1931 created a revolutionary small car: the Maikafer (German for "May bug"). Seven years later, Hitler introduced the Volkswagen. The Nazis not only "took" the concept of Ganz's family car--their production model even ended up bearing the same nickname. The Beetle incorporated many of the features of Ganz's original Maikafer, yet until recently Ganz received no recognition for his pioneering work. The Nazis did all they could to keep the Jewish godfather of the German compact car out of the history books. Now Paul Schilperoord sets the record straight. Josef Ganz was hunted by the Nazis, even beyond Germany's borders, and narrowly escaped assassination. He was imprisoned by the Gestapo until an influential friend with connections to Goring helped secure his release. Soon afterward, he was forced to flee Germany, while Porsche, using many of his groundbreaking ideas, created the Volkswagen for Hitler. After the war, Ganz moved to Australia, where he died in 1967.
An intensive-care doctor reveals the long-term problems caused by ICUs, and how these can be prevented. Thousands of people are admitted to intensive-care units (ICUs) every day, and this is only increasing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of these admissions will be sudden, unexpected, and harrowing - an experience that can alter patients and their families in physical, emotional, and spiritual ways, with effects that endure for years. But there is hope. Dr Ely is a leading ICU doctor. His unconventional methods minimise patients being harmed by the cutting-edge technologies that are saving their lives; post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) is a well-established complication that millions of ICU survivors battle, which Dr Ely aims to eradicate. His cutting-edge studies have convinced doctors around the world to change their ICU practices for the better. Through captivating stories, Dr Ely shows how he and colleagues from around the world have re-introduced humanity into the ICU, creating pathways that bring hope and healing to healthcare. This is the future of medicine, and is a must-read for healthcare professionals, patients, and their families.
Many people know Edward Teller as the "Father of the H-Bomb." To his supporters he was a hero of the Cold War. To his detractors he was evil personified. Between these extremes was the life of the real man. In this definitive and comprehensive biography, a personal acquaintance of Teller's presents a balanced portrait of the multifaceted and enigmatic scientist against the backdrop of a turbulent period of history. Taking pains to avoid bias and preconceptions, thr author critically examines Teller's personality, family background, and the experiences that guided his actions-correcting many of the myths that others and Teller himself promulgated. Drawing for the first time on hitherto unknown archival material from Hungarian, American, and German sources, the author provides fresh insights that help the reader to understand Teller's motivations, his relationships with friends and foes, and his driven personality. In addition to this research and his own memories of Teller, Hargittai has interviewed such prominent figures as Richard Garwin, Freeman Dyson, George A. Keyworth, and Wendy Teller (Edward Teller's daughter), among others. The author reviews the significant facets of Teller's life: his Jewish-Hungarian origins, forced emigrations, brilliance in science, and devotion to the defense of the United States. He discusses Teller's ruthless Machiavellism in achieving his goals, which included his pivotal role in the creation of the hydrogen bomb and the second weapons laboratory at Livermore, as well as his damaging testimony against physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. Teller's peers viewed this testimony as a betrayal and, in effect, sent him into internal exile, which Hargittai describes as more tormenting to him than his previous emigrations. The author notes that Teller was sometimes called "a monomaniac with many manias," such as his fierce opposition to nuclear test bans during the Cold War and, toward the end of his life, his role as propagandist for the Strategic Defense Initiative. Yet, his very excesses may have in fact contributed to the demise of the Soviet Union. Who was Edward Teller-the real "Dr. Strangelove," the driven crusader for the H-Bomb, the villain who destroyed Oppenheimer, or the devoted husband, loyal friend, patriot, and strongly idealistic scientist? This monumental work will reveal the contradictory nature of this complex man in all his strengths, flaws, and brilliance.
In sumptuous and illuminating detail, Simon Winchester, bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman, brings to life the extraordinary story of Joseph Needham--the brilliant Cambridge scientist, freethinking intellectual, and practicing nudist who unlocked the most closely held secrets of China, once the world's most technologically advanced country.
This book is an enthusiastic account of Pierre Laszlo's life and pioneering work on catalysis of organic reactions by modified clays, and his reflections on doing science from the 1960s to 1990s. In this autobiography, readers will discover a first-hand testimony of the chemical revolution in the second half of the 20th century, and the author's perspective on finding a calling in science and chemistry, as well as his own experience on doing science, teaching science and managing a scientific career. During this period, Pierre Laszlo led an academic laboratory and worked also in three different countries: the US, Belgium and France, where he had the opportunity to meet remarkable colleagues. In this book, he recalls his encounters and collaborations with important scientists, who shaped the nature of chemistry at times of increased pace of change, and collates a portrait of the worldwide scientific community at that time. In addition, the author tells us about the turns and twists of his own life, and how he ended up focusing his research on clay based chemistry, where clay minerals were turned in his lab to catalysis of key chemical transformations. Given its breath, the book offers a genuine information on the life and career of a chemist, and it will appeal not only to scientists and students, but also to historians of science and to the general reader.
The essential book on how not to be a doctor - and how to be a better one. Drawn from his popular medical columns over the years, John Launer shares fifty of his best-loved essays, covering topics from essentials skills they don't teach you in medical school to his poignant account of being a patient himself as he received treatment for a life-threatening illness. Taken together, the stories make the case that being a doctor should mean drawing on every aspect of yourself, your interests and your experiences no matter how remote they seem from the medical task at hand. How Not to Be a Doctor combines humour, candour and the human touch to inform and entertain readers on both ends of the stethoscope. ***PRAISE FOR HOW NOT TO BE A DOCTOR*** 'An essential read... It is a gem.' Dr. Fiona Moss, CBE, Dean of the Royal Society of Medicine 'This collection is warm, wise, generous, thoughtful and thought-provoking... imbued with a moving humanity which offers inspiration and reassurance in equal measure.' Dr. Deborah Bowman, MBE, BBC Broadcaster and Professor of Medical Ethics and Law 'Witty and wise. Shows how important it is that doctors are allowed to be human.' Kit Wharton, author of Emergency Admissions: Memoirs of an Ambulance Driver 'An all-round excellent book, which would appeal to a wide range of healthcare professionals and students... a light-hearted way of looking at serious subjects.' BMA Panel of Judges 'I raced through this book, laughing, nodding, highlighting and then read some favourite bits again. Every chapter has a gem of wisdom as well as being so very elegantly written and entertaining.' Jenny Rogers, Co-Author of Coaching for Health 'Bursting with wonder and wisdom, this seductively readable book imparts courage and joy in equal measure.' Dr. Iona Heath, CBE. Former President, Royal College of General Practitioners and author of The Mystery of General Practice 'Gets to the heart and soul of current medical practice. Written by a doctor, but incorporates life experience and wisdom, making it an easy, thought provoking read.' Professor Jane Dacre, President of the Royal College of Physicians
When the world stopped, all hopes rested on finding a vaccine. One team answered the call and were ready to act. But how do you develop a life-saving drug when every second counts and one mistake could be catastrophic? Married couple and decades-long research partners Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci did just that within weeks of the pandemic breaking out. From convincing Big Pharma to support their ambitious project, to navigating political interference from the Trump administration and the European Union, the road to producing the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was by no means smooth. But these cutting-edge innovators overcame every obstacle to provide more than two billion doses of the life-saving drug to countries all around the world in record time. The Vaccine draws back the curtain on one of the most important medical breakthroughs of our age, containing contributions from the fascinating couple themselves, as well as more than 50 scientists, politicians, public health officials, and BioNTech staff. Shedding a light on the science behind the breakthrough, The Vaccine tells the story of the trailblazers to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude. More suspenseful than a novel, this is a real-life story of an extraordinary race against time to save the world.
Astronomer, planetary scientist, astrophysicist, exobiologist,
educator, public figure, skeptic--all these hats represent
important parts of Carl Sagan's complex, multifaceted career.
Perhaps best known as the host of the popular television series
Cosmos, Sagan offered to the world his extraordinary gift for
cross-disciplinary research, his deep well of integrated visions
and fruitful ideas, his vivid imagination, and his wealth of
nonstop enthusiasm.
En Nuestra Medicina: De Los Remedios para el Aire y Los Remedios para el Alma, la autora presenta una compilacion de experiencias propias que tienen que ver con el cuidado y alcance de su propia salud y, mas tarde, de la de otros. Las experiencias narradas son vividas directamente por la autora quien descubre, interpreta y describe en detalle lo que el ser humano guarda en su cuerpo y en su alma. A partir de la observacion aguda, que hace la autora de algunos eventos concretos que se presentan a lo largo de su vida, sanandose a si misma y a otros, es, que nos explica, como, en un encuentro inesperado entre ella y otros que encuentra en su camino, se da la pauta a un interesante dialogo. En este dialogo, la comunicacion va mas alla de las palabras, expresando un profundo sentir y forma de ver el mundo concreto en que se desenvuelven muchos mexicanos, portadores del conocimiento sobre la Medicina Indigena. Es, a partir de esa comunicacion que, muchos mexicanos herederos de una vasta y diversa cultura antigua nos ofrecen una profunda vision del mundo, y con ello el planteamiento de la resolucion del conflicto eterno que existe entre la salud y la enfermedad. Pareciera que la vida fuese una constante batalla, donde lo concreto; las particulas, los atomos, las celulas que forman parte del cuerpo humano y, lo no concreto; los sentimientos, los pensamientos, lo etereo del Ser, se entrelazan y se desenlazan hasta lograr la sincronizacion, la alineacion al camino que, permitira a los individuos cumplir con su destino. Con ello se permiten los seres de esta Tierra, completar al fin los ciclos, empezar otra vez, abriendo posibilidades nuevas de armonia, amor, paz. A lo largo de este documento, la autora nos ofrece en concreto una interpretacion seria y profunda de los conceptos tradicionales -incluyendo su interpretacion filosofica, sobre los padecimientos que aquejan a los seres humanos, la cual forma parte de la cosmovision de los mexicanos herederos de esta cultura. Sobre todo, y principalmente, enfatiza en observar aquellas causas que dan origen a las enfermedades -consideradas por los indigenas mexicanos, que tienen que ver con la perdida del alma, la conciencia y la salud -hoy mal o bien llamada mental. Presenta asi, las diferentes formas de sanacion que utilizan muchos mexicanos, los cuales hoy carecen de la seriedad e intensidad que se merecen, lo que hace que los problemas de la salud sean cada vez mas dificil de resolver, esa es la principal razon de este libro. Donde la autora plantea retomar esas formas, sin desdenar las tecnicas modernas. Ella solo se enfoca a ofrecer las inmensas posibilidades que los terapeutas de hoy, sean alternativos o tradicionales pudieran utilizar para sanar a su gente. |
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