Biography: science, technology and medicine Books
Weldon Owen, Incorporated The Art of Curiosity: 50 Visionary Artists,
Book SynopsisFifty of the world’s most creative people share their stories, their inspirations, and their unique takes on science and education, all inspired by the Exploratorium science museum.What do music visionary Brian Eno, kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen, science writer Mary Roach, Mythbuster Adam Savage, and Pulitzer-winning journalist Thomas Friedman have in common? They are all game-changers: scientists, artists, entertainers, and activists who revolutionized their fields with bold new perspectives and approaches—and they all had transformative, course-setting experiences at the Exploratorium. Join them and 45 more brilliant thinkers and doers in a wonderfully playful, insightful, and sometimes incredibly moving journey to see how you, too, can harness your powers of observation, inquiry, and engagement to be the change you want to see in the world—regardless of who you are or what you do. Interviewees and Subjects Include: Oscar-Winning Sound Designer Walter Murch on observation Laurie Anderson on art as a way of knowing Memory Expert Elizabeth Loftus on how we learn Oliver Sacks on perception Mary Roach on how she learned to ask the right questions Adam Savage on the fun of finding things out Mickey Hart on the art of playing to learn, and learning to play California Governor Gavin Newsom on the importance of science Community activist Randy Carter on finding joy in the worst of places . . . and dozens more interviews, insights, and activities suggested by artists, scientists, poets, and politicians, in a book that’s guaranteed to make you a more creative person. And maybe just change the world.
£23.79
Allen & Unwin Anzac and Aviator: The Remarkable Story of Sir
Book SynopsisIn November 1919, a year after the Great War, four Australian servicemen made a unique and epoch-making journey home. In the open cockpit of a twin-engine Vickers Vimy bi-plane, brothers Ross and Keith Smith and mechanics Wally Shiers and Jim completed the 18,000-kilometre flight from Britain to Australia. The 28-day journey, part of a competition sponsored by the Australian government, made the Smith brothers internationally famous and marked Australia's emergence into the air age. Ross Smith's fame would be short-lived: he would be killed in an air accident less than three years later on the eve of an attempt to make the first ever circumnavigation of the world by air.Born on a South Australian cattle station, Smith had a relatively privileged and cosmopolitan upbringing. He was, nonetheless, working in a warehouse in Adelaide in 1914, where he would have no doubt eked out a quiet and unremarkable life were it not for the war's outbreak. Enlisting in the light horse at 22 years of age, Smith survived arduous campaigns at Gallipoli and in the Sinai Desert before volunteering for the Australian Flying Corps. Smith's feats in the skies above Palestine during 1917-18 earned him a reputation as one of the great fighter pilots of the war. By the armistice he had received the Military Cross twice and the Distinguished Flying Cross three times; he was one of only three British Empire airmen to do so during the war. Smith's skill in the cockpit also saw him assigned the Middle East theatre's only twin-engine bomber during the war's final year, a machine he used to support T. E. Lawrence 'of Arabia's' campaign against the Turks in Jordan and, after the war, survey an air-route between Cairo and Calcutta.Anzac and Aviator is the story of this extraordinary Australian and the fascinating era in which he lived, one in which aviation emerged with bewildering speed to comprehensively transform both warfare and transportation. Born a decade before powered flight and going off to war on horseback, Smith finished the conflict in command of a bomber, the weapon that would come to symbolise the totality of warfare in the twentieth century.Table of ContentsForeword Andy Thomas, NASA Astronaut (Retired)PrefaceMapsText notesPrologue: Brooklands aerodrome, Weybridge, England PART ONE: 'A DETERMINED BOY' 1892-19141 Mutooroo 2 Froggy 123 A little more eclat 4 Aviemore PART TWO: 'A BRITISHER WITH HIS BACK TO THE WALL' 1914-19165 The Great War 6 Six-bob-a-day tourists 7 Anzac 8 Life in the trenches 9 The August offensive 10 Quinn's Post 11 Cutting some ice 12 Once more out in the desert 13 The savage satisfaction of seeing them drop PART THREE: 'A LEADER BORN' 1916-191814 The coming thing 15 Hadji16 Gaza 17 Quite an airman now 18 Vengeance is only poor consolation 19 Brisfits and baggage20 Biffy and the Bloody Paralyser 21 ArmageddonPART FOUR: '14,000 MILES THROUGH THE AIR' 1918-191922 Preaching the gospel of the RAF 23 An awfully good time 24 South Asian survey 25 The great race 26 God 'elp all of us! 27 Class 5-unfit for all flying 28 Crossing the Mediterranean 29 Do your best but do nothing foolhardy 30 Chasing Poulet 31 The Far East 32 The bamboo runway 33 The supreme hour of our lives PART FIVE: 'THE FOREMOST LIVING AVIATOR' 1919-192234 Everyone has gone quite mad 35 Fame and fortune 36 Leaving an old and trusty friend 37 The aristocracy of achievement 38 Viking 39 Valhalla40 Now he belongs to the empire Epilogue Acknowledgements Note on sources Bibliography Notes Index
£13.49
Atlantic Books Charles Todds Magnificent Obsession
Book SynopsisDavid Dufty is a historian and researcher. He is the author of Nabbing Ned Kelly; The Secret Code Breakers of Central Bureau, winner of the 2017 Nib Military History Prize; and of Radio Girl, winner of the Best Non-fiction, 2020 ACT Notable Awards.
£17.09
Upfront Publishing Better Angels
Book SynopsisWhen faced with events as devastating and rare as 1 in 100 million, you need the help of people who are 1 in a million In April 2013, at the age of fourteen George contracted a devastating infection that put him at death's door and changed his future. His experiences became the kernel of this book. Beginning on that fateful day and continuing until July 2014 with a critical operation, Better Angels tells George's inspiring story in his voice, his fight to return to normality and deal with consequences for the rest of his life. He and his family cope with a switch from full health to near death in the space of five hours. We see George find a maturity he is forced to take on and his parents search for positives at the bleakest of times. Extraordinary people rally to help George. These better angels gave rise to the title of the book and it is their story, their compassion & selflessness that inspires. Better Angels is a chronology of strength and fortitude- a description of a family thrown sideways by events, the compassion & expertise of healthcare teams to get them back on track, but above all George's journey to find himself again.
£12.78
The History Press Ltd Reflections of Alan Turing: A Relative Story
Book SynopsisEveryone knows the story of the codebreaker and computer science pioneer Alan Turing.Except …When Dermot Turing is asked about his famous uncle, people want to know more than the bullet points of his life. They want to know everything – was Alan Turing actually a codebreaker? What did he make of artificial intelligence? What is the significance of Alan Turing’s trial, his suicide, the Royal Pardon, the £50 note and the film The Imitation Game?In Reflections of Alan Turing, Dermot strips off the layers to uncover the real story. It’s time to discover a fresh legacy of Alan Turing for the twenty-first century.Trade ReviewA timely and important book … [an] exploration of the possibilities of AI and beyond. -- Sir Adrian Smith FRSStrips away the encrusted hagiography that has developed around Alan Turing in recent years … a passionate argument for the lessons we should draw from his life and his extraordinary scientific achievements. -- Robert HanniganFascinating and highly readable ... My wife Rohini and I feel particularly grateful to have a special link to [Alan Turing] through our house in Coonoor … where Alan’s mother lived for many years. -- Nandan NilekaniEssential reading for anyone who thinks they know the history of Alan Turing … a significant reappraisal of his meaning for us today. -- Dr Tilly BlythDermot compels us to learn from his uncle’s incredible life and many achievements in our own pursuit of creating a better world for all. -- Liz Carr
£11.78
Batsford Ltd Stephen Hawking: Remarkable Lives
Book SynopsisStephen Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease at the age of 21 and was expected to live for only another two years. He went on to write books and deliver public lectures right up until his death at the age of 76 in 2018. Hawking achieved commercial success with several works of popular science in which he discusses his own theories and cosmology in general. His book A Brief History of Time, a layman's guide to cosmology, appeared on the Sunday Times best-seller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks and sold more than 10 million copies. As Martin Rees, the cosmologist, astronomer royal and Hawking’s longtime colleague wrote, “His name will live in the annals of science; millions have had their cosmic horizons widened by his best-selling books; and even more, around the world, have been inspired by a unique example of achievement against all the odds — a manifestation of amazing willpower and determination.” In this concise and informative guide to Hawking’s life and work, his key scientific achievements – from gravitational singularities to quantum cosmology – are covered in an approachable and accessible way. This is a celebration of an icon of modern physics, who inspired generations of scientists and changed our understanding of the universe.
£7.16
Oldcastle Books Ltd Charles Darwin: Origins and Arguments
Book SynopsisThe publication of The Origin of Species in 1859 was the culmination of more than twenty years of work by Charles Darwin and the ideas he presented in it would lead to a fundamental change in the way we think about life on earth. Evolution, as it came to be known, described how the extraordinary variety of life could develop and adapt by natural means rather than being entirely the creation of a supreme being. It was controversial at the time and now, as the bicentenary of Darwin's birth approaches in 2009, it remains the subject of bitter argument, with the opposing sides of the debate, the supporters of Darwinian evolution like Richard Dawkins and the proponents of intelligent design, as polarised as they have ever been. The theory, as revolutionary as it was, did not come out of thin air, but developed within the context of the scientific and philosophical thinking of the period. In order to arrive at a better understanding of the current debate, this book looks at key moments in Darwin's life and at the relevant aspects of the intellectual climate of the time which, taken together, would lead him towards the theory. It goes on to consider how evolution has developed, how its opponents have responded and how the arguments between scientific rationalism and religious faith are much the same now as they were in Darwin's day.Trade ReviewBill Price's Charles Darwin: Origins and Arguments in The Guardian round-up of the current crop of Darwin books -- Philip Ball * The Guardian *
£9.49
The Lilliput Press Ltd Cathal Gannon: The Life and Times of a Dublin
Book SynopsisCathal Gannon (1910-1999) revived the art of harpsichord making in Dublin in the early 1950s after a lull of some 150 years. His story is one not of rags to riches but of obscurity to recognition. Despite a modest start in life, he became hugely respected for his skills and was awarded two honorary MA degrees (TCD 1978, Maynooth 1989) for his contribution to music in Ireland. This richly documented biography charts Cathal’s life from his Dublin childhood through his career in the Guinness Brewery, begun at the age of fifteen, to an active and prolific retirement, during which he continued to make harpsichords and restore antique pianos. Although the seeds of interest were sown in early life, his harpsichord-making career only began in 1951, and his first harpsichord was played in public in 1959 – an occasion lauded in the national press. A few years later, his employers set up a special workshop in the Brewery where Cathal would work exclusively on instrument making. With his impish sense of fun, he became well known as a prankster by his colleagues. This book also offers fascinating behind-the-scene glimpses of the ‘unofficial ‘ goings-on in the Guinness Brewery. Many people were drawn to Cathal through his liveliness and quick mind. He befriended the likes of Grace Plunkett (widow of Joseph Mary Plunkett), Carl Hardebeck, a noted arranger of Irish music, and Desmond and Mariga Guinness, founders of the Irish Georgian Society. He was the subject of several RTE radio and television programmes, including The Late Late Show. This intimate account of a man who was, in his own words, ‘interested in everything’ (amongst other hobbies, he was a keen amateur horologist), reveals a storyteller who delighted in the colourful characters he encountered. The work is further enriched by its lively evocation of Dublin and its environs in bygone times, from a rustic Dolphin’s Barn in the 1920s to the bookstalls and antique shops of the city centre during the 1930s and 1940s, giving a real sense of time’s passing and the social change that has since occurred.
£23.75
£18.52
Prospect Books Sir Hugh Plat: The Search for Useful Knowledge in
Book SynopsisSir Hugh Plat (1552-1608) is remembered today for his two books, The Jewell House of Art and Nature (1594) and Delightes for Ladies (1602), but he was more than a mere occasional author, cookery writer or agricultural improver. The son of a London brewer and a lawyer by training, he spent much of his life exploring the mysteries of the world around him, his interests spanning alchemy, agriculture, gardening, cookery, cosmetics, distilling, food preservation, medicine, arms and armaments, military transport and raising rabbits in suburban surroundings. He was an inventor and adapter, a man of science in all but name. He takes his place in the community of innovators of early modern London, precursors of the age of science and reason that was about to flower.While much quoted, Plat''s life and works have been little studied for what they can tell us about his own career and his scientific and technological preoccupations. Malcolm Thick describes a man whose ideas came to be valued in the later 17th century; he explores his pioneering work on agricultural fertilizers and the recycling of the by-products of London''s nascent industries; and he discusses the interface between speculative alchemy and practical invention and innovation. Sir Hugh Plat was the man who brought pasta and macaroni to the notice of the English. For that, and for much else, he should be celebrated.
£36.00
Dexter Haven The Entokil Man
Book SynopsisHarold Maxwell-Lefroy, the agricultural pioneer who founded Rentokil, was a maverick and a driven man. He was the first to apply the scientific method to dealing with insect pests, which saved innumerable crops in India and the Caribbean, where he worked with farmers. Suddenly the destruction of livelihoods by pests no longer needed to dominate the future. He became Professor of Entomology at Imperial College and developed anti-pest chemical treatments that led to Rentokil (trademark rules barred him from calling it Entokil), which became his most tangible legacy.
£11.24
Legend Press Ltd Crushed: My NHS Summer
Book SynopsisOne midsummer evening in an English hayfield Jan McCourt was crushed beneath his seven tonne 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 even still 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. This is the very personal account of one man s fight for survival, and triumph over very adverse odds. An astonishing tales of endurance, it is also a heartfelt tribute to all those people, principally in the NHS, who give so much to heal and support.
£13.29
Legend Press Ltd What Matters Most: A Collection of Pieces
Book SynopsisDiscovering the passions of Chris Woodhead. Collected writings from a man who stimulated controversy and roused passions.Best known as the Chief Inspector of Schools who demanded higher standards across the board, Woodhead was admired and condemned in equal measure for his determination to confront taboos and bring them into the national education debate. His final and greatest challenge was with Motor Neurone Disease, a condition he faced with strength and empathy until his death in 2015. While his education journalism stands at the core of this book, What Matters Most explores Woodhead''s lesser known passions, literature and climbing, which he writes about with the precision and clarity that became his journalistic hallmark.In the final pages of the book Woodhead shares his personal views on assisted dying, advocating for individuals to be permitted to die with dignity at a time of their choosing.What Matters Most: A Collection of Pieces is a fascinating and poignant book which tracks the life and beliefs of a truly inspirational contemporary thinker.
£13.49
Legend Press Ltd The Whistle-Blower: the story of one man's battle
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£13.49
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh C Cherished Plan: The Story of Puck's Hut at
Book SynopsisCherished Plan celebrates RBGE at Benmore and the Desire to commemorate Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour.
£10.18
YouCaxton Publications Charles Waterton: Creator of the First Nature Reserve
£19.50
John Beaufoy Publishing Ltd A Newsworthy Naturalist: The Life of William
Book SynopsisWilliam Yarrell (1784-1856) was an influential naturalist at a time when natural history was becoming an important factor in 19th century society. He wrote two notable books: A History of British Fishes and A History of British Birds, that were being quoted as the authorities well into the next century and are still admired today, especially for their delightful wood engravings. He was a member and sometime Treasurer, Secretary and Vice-President of the Zoological, Linnean and Entomological Societies. He was known to, and greatly admired by, the leading naturalists; Charles Darwin sought Yarrell's advice on several occasions. In addition to his key role as an organiser and disseminator of knowledge about the British fish and bird fauna, Yarrell also conducted significant original scientific research, being perhaps best known as the first person to recognise Bewick's Swan as a separate species from the Whooper Swan, naming it Cygnus bewickii after his illustrious ornithological predecessor. Yarrell owned the London newsagency, Jones and Yarrell, with his partner, Edward Jones, from 1803 until 1850. They held a royal warrant and supplied the Houses of Parliament as well as royalty with newspapers. Besides his work on natural history and running the newsagency, he was a popular figure with his friends, renowned for the good food and wine served at his convivial dinner parties, and he was a prolific correspondent.
£23.75
Simon & Schuster Elon Musk
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£28.00
Penguin Publishing Group A World Appears
Book SynopsisFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Change Your Mind, a panoptic exploration of consciousness—what it is, who has it, and why—and a meditation on the essence of our humanityWhen it comes to the phenomenon that is consciousness, there is one point on which scientists, philosophers, and artists all agree: it feels like something to be us. Yet the fact that we have subjective experience of the world remains one of nature’s greatest mysteries. How is it that our mental operations are accompanied by feelings, thoughts, and a sense of self? What would a scientific investigation of our inner life look like, when we have as little distance and perspective on it as fish do of the sea? In A World Appears, Michael Pollan traces the unmapped continent that is consciousness, bringing radically different perspectives—scientific, philosophical, literary, spiritual and psychedelic—to see what each can teach us about this central fact of life.When neuroscientists began studying consciousness in the early 1990s, they sought to explain how and why three pounds of spongy gray matter could generate a subjective point of view—assuming that the brain is the source of our perceived reality. Pollan takes us to the cutting edge of the field, where scientists are entertaining more radical (and less materialist) theories of consciousness. He introduces us to “plant neurobiologists” searching for the first flicker of consciousness in plants, scientists striving to engineer feelings into AI, and psychologists and novelists seeking to capture the felt experience of our slippery stream of consciousness.In Pollan’s dazzling exploration of consciousness, he discovers a world far deeper and stranger than our everyday reality. Eye-opening and mind-expanding, A World Appears takes us into the laboratories of our own minds, ultimately showing us how we might make better use of the gift of awareness to more meaningfully connect with our deepest selves.
£18.44
Kohlhammer Einstein Und Heisenberg: Begrunder Der Modernen
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£26.10
Kohlhammer Robert Bosch
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£24.65
Duncker & Humblot GmbH Heinz Barwich
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£42.42
Brill Fink ADA Lovelace: Die Pionierin Der Computertechnik
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£35.91
Hirzel S. Verlag Die Geschichte der Natur Zwlf Vorlesungen
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£27.90
Franz Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden GmbH Tobias Mayer: Oder Die Vermessung Der Erde, Des
Book Synopsis
£20.40
Hirzel S. Verlag Leó Szilárd Der Mann hinter der Bombe
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£21.60
Damiani Einstein: The Man and his Mind
Book Synopsis"This visual - and artistically beautiful - format differentiates Einstein: The Man And His Mind from all previous books about him" - Amazon reader review "Gary Berger and Michael DiRuggerio's photographic exploration of Einstein is a indubitably a coffee table book, but in its highest form. It's huge (34 x 26 cm) and contains a collection of beautiful imagery." “massive, well-produced ... Some of these images are striking photographs of Einstein, a good few of which I've never seen before.” "the kind of small, but interesting contribution to the Einstein story we can find here." "a remarkable book…. I've never seen anything quite like it... a fascinating find.” - https://popsciencebooks.blogspot.com Albert Einstein is known by name and image throughout the world to people of all ages. He is probably the most well-known scientist of all time. Even though most people have only a vague idea of what he did, the attraction remains. The raison d'être for this book is to convey a sense of familiarity with Einstein as a real person and with the essence of his contributions. This is accomplished through annotated full-page photographs of Einstein that tell the story of his scientific life. The book is written for the general public. It may appeal to Einstein scholars as well.This visual - and artistically beautiful - format differentiates Einstein: The Man And His Mind from all previous books about him. The images (mostly signed portrait photos) are supplemented by a selection of 53 rare letters, manuscripts, books, journals 51 original rare portraits 4 equations in Einstein's handwriting provided by what is likely the largest private Einstein collection in existence. This project has the support of two private US foundations The Sterling Foundation and The Antonia & Vladimer Kulaev Cultural Heritage Fund, Inc. All royalties will be donated to the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
£44.00
£13.98
The University of Chicago Press Fermi Remembered
Book SynopsisNobel laureate and scientific luminary Enrico Fermi (1901-54) was a pioneering nuclear physicist whose contributions to the field were numerous, profound, and lasting. This title features archival material - including correspondence between Fermi and physicist Leo Szilard and a letter from Harry Truman.Trade Review"A lively collection of reminiscences about the greatest Italian scientist of the twentieth century." (New Scientist) "Fermi Remembered provides fascinating insights into Fermi's style and the beginning of the Manhattan project." (Times Higher Education) "As a researcher and a teacher, Fermi inspired two generations and two continents-a man whose charismatic nature attracted many talented scientists and students to Chicago. What emerges from this book is the gratitude of so many extraordinary physicists to their master, who instilled in them a passion that has lasted a lifetime: the passion for physics." (Physics World)"
£28.00
The University of Chicago Press Making Marie Curie
Book SynopsisHow did one create and maintain for oneself the persona of scientist at the beginning of the twentieth century? What special conditions bore upon scientific women, and on married women in particular? This book provides a composite picture not only of the making of Marie Curie, but the making of modern science itself.Trade Review"A gripping account of the episodes in Marie Curie's life when her involvement with intellectual property, the press, celebrity culture, and the international management of information became especially consequential. Through these episodes, Hemmungs Wirten traces the creation of the Curie 'brand'-a term and a legal concept that the European Union has explicitly adopted. She reveals a fascinating process through which scientific persona and publicity intersect." (Adrian Johns, University of Chicago)
£76.00
The University of Chicago Press The Experimental Self
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£26.00
The University of Chicago Press Helmholtz
Book SynopsisDefinitive biography covering the life, world, and work of pioneering nineteenth-century German polymath Hermann von Helmholtz.
£45.60
The University of Chicago Press Dreamers Visionaries and Revolutionaries in the
Book SynopsisThe third in a series of collections of brief lives of prominent scientists, this one focuses on the life sciences and thus features some major names, from Darwin to Crick to Goodall.
£33.25
The University of Chicago Press Alexander von Humboldt A Metabiography
Book SynopsisAlexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) is famous for his work in physical geography, botanical geography, and climatology, and his role as a popularizer of the sciences. This volume traces Humboldt's biographical identities through Germany's collective past to shed light on the historical instability of our scientists.Trade Review"Rupke's study... will doubtless become a standard reference for the Humboldt industry and for writers of scientific metabiographies to come." - Isis "Engaging.... Rupke's meticulous analysis is fascinating on many scores." - Times Higher Education Supplement "A study born of considerable scholarship and one with important methodological implications for historians of geography." - Charles W. J. Withers, Progress in Human Geography "Rupke is right to draw attention to the fact that shifting biographical traditions make one person have many lives, and his metabiography helps us to appreciate the historical instability of any scientific life, not just one as complex as Humboldt's.... Rupke has given us a Humboldt just right for our own less certain and more self-conscious times - fractured, multiple and unstable." - Steven Shapin, Nature"
£24.00
The University of Chicago Press The Man Who Flattened the Earth
Book SynopsisSelf-styled adventurer, literary wit, and statesman of science, Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis stood at the center of Enlightenment science and culture. This work offers a portrait of this man, revealing how his private life and public works made him a man of science in eighteenth-century Europe.Trade Review"Terrall's work is scholarship in the best sense. Her explanations of arcane eighteenth-century French physics, mathematics, astronomy, and biology are among the most lucid available in any language." - Virginia P. Dawson, American Historical Review "As a guide to the public world of post-Newtonian European science, this well-written, scholarly work has much to offer." - Jeremy Black, Times Higher Education Supplement"
£34.20
The University of Chicago Press Oppenheimer
Book SynopsisAt a time when the Manhattan Project was synonymous with large-scale science, physicist J Robert Oppenheimer (1904-67) represented the new sociocultural power of the American intellectual. This title traces the making - and unmaking - of Oppenheimer's wartime and postwar scientific identity.Trade Review"A fascinating new perspective.... Thorpe's book provides the best perspective yet for understanding Oppenheimer's Los Alamos years, which were critical, after all, not only to his life but, for better or worse, the history of mankind." - Catherine Westfall, Nature "This is an outstandingly well-researched book, a pleasure to read and distinguished by the high quality of its observations and judgments. It will be of special interest to scholars of modern history, but non-specialist readers will enjoy the clarity that Thorpe brings to common misunderstandings about his subject." - Graham Farmelo, Times Higher Education Supplement"
£76.00
The University of Chicago Press Oppenheimer
Book SynopsisAt a time when the Manhattan Project was synonymous with large-scale science, physicist J Robert Oppenheimer (1904-67) represented the new sociocultural power of the American intellectual. This title traces the making - and unmaking - of Oppenheimer's wartime and postwar scientific identity.Trade Review"A fascinating new perspective.... Thorpe's book provides the best perspective yet for understanding Oppenheimer's Los Alamos years, which were critical, after all, not only to his life but, for better or worse, the history of mankind." - Catherine Westfall, Nature "This is an outstandingly well-researched book, a pleasure to read and distinguished by the high quality of its observations and judgments. It will be of special interest to scholars of modern history, but non-specialist readers will enjoy the clarity that Thorpe brings to common misunderstandings about his subject." - Graham Farmelo, Times Higher Education Supplement"
£28.00
University of Chicago Press Crafting Medicine
£87.40
Columbia University Press The Caring Heirs of Doctor Samuel Bard
Book SynopsisPeter Wortsman offers a selection of profiles of Columbia-educated doctors who have made a fundamental difference in the lives of others. The physicians profiled in this book represent the complete spectrum of MDs.Trade ReviewIn these profiles of some of America’s most notable, influential, and fascinating MDs, Peter Wortsman merges social history, theory of the professions, and an intimate local cultural anthropology of Columbia University’s medical center. Our Columbian history provides a microcosm of the history of medicine writ large, showing the obligatory interweaving of clinical practice and basic science breakthroughs. The Caring Heirs of Doctor Samuel Bard will be an inestimable resource for all interested in medicine and its interface with society, as well as a source of inspiration to medical students and applicants to medical school. -- Rita Charon, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of Medical Humanities and Ethics and Executive Director of Columbia Narrative MedicineTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsTaking Doctors’ Histories, a Preface1. A New Dean Digs in at Boston University School of Medicine, by Karen Antman ʼ742. A Champion of Health Equality at the Helm of the NYC Department of Health, by Mary T. Bassett ʼ793. New Jersey’s Health Care Crusader, by Stanley S. Bergen, Jr. ʼ554. A Nobel Laureate’s Lifelong Commitment to Curiosity, by Baruch Blumberg ʼ515. Babies’ Best Friend, by T. Berry Brazelton ʼ43D6. Musings of a University President Emeritus, by Keith Brodie ʼ657. Promoting Respect for “Our Future Selves,” by Robert N. Butler ʼ538. A Neurosurgeon at the Helm of the AMA, by Peter Carmel MSD ʼ709. A Vitreoretinal Visionary, by Stanley Chang ʼ7410. Protecting Imperiled Populations, by Davida Coady ʼ6511. How Three P&S Alumni Bucked the Odds and Made It Big in Biotech, by Ron Cohen ʼ81, Paul Maddon MD ʼ88 MD PhD, and George Yancopoulos MD ʼ86, PhD ʼ8712. An American Odyssey, by Robert Coles ʼ5413. Medicine by the Book, by Robin B. Cook ʼ6614. A Shared Life in Medicine, Canadian Style, by Richard ʼ55 and Sylvia Cruess ʼ5515. Surgeon-Scientist Takes Knowledge to the Cutting Edge, by Patricia Donahoe ʼ6416. Tuning-up the Engine of Public Health in the Motor City, by Abdul El-Sayed ʼ1417. The Un-Retiring Dean of American Rheumatologists, by Ephraim P. Engleman ʼ3718. From Student to Surgeon to University Trustee—a Columbia Journey, by Kenneth Forde ʼ5919. From Endocrinology to Admissions, a Life in Medicine, by Andrew G. Frantz ʼ5520. Practicing the “Art of the Possible,” by The Outgoing Director of the CDC Reflects on His Time at the Helm, by Thomas R. Frieden MD/MPH ʼ8621. Medicine by Bench, Bedside, and Book, by Jerome Groopman ʼ7622. A Pioneer in Adolescent Medicine Committed to Health and Well-being for All, by Karen Hein ʼ7023. At Home in High Places, by Charles S. Houston ʼ3924. An All-Star on the Team Against TB, by Michael Iseman ʼ6525. Championing Intellectual Rigor and Risk at the American University of Beirut, by Fadlo R. Khuri ʼ8926. Making Health Care Happen, a Committed Primary Care Practitioner in the Deep South, by Karen Kinsell ʼ9327. Urologist, Historian, Collector, Sleuth, by John K. Lattimer ʼ3828. Yes, There Is Balm in Gilead, by Margaret Morgan Lawrence ʼ4029. A Doctor in the House—the White House, That Is, by Burton J. Lee, III ʼ5630. Receptive to Receptors, by Robert J. Lefkowitz ʼ6631. Adventures in Virology, by Jay Levy ʼ6532. A Digital Pioneer at the National Library of Medicine, by Donald A.B. Lindberg ʼ5833. Out of Anguish into Africa, by Martha M. MacGuffie ʼ4934. Battling Invisibility—a Primary Care Clinician and Spokesperson for the Care of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgender People, by Harvey J. Makadon ʼ7735. At the Cancer Command, by Paul Marks ʼ4936. A Pivotal Player at P&S and Presbyterian Hospital Throws in the White Coat37. A Surgeon in Space, by F. Story Musgrave ʼ6438. A Military Neurologist on the Front Against Chemical Attack, by Col. Jonathan Newmark, MC, USAR ʼ7839. It Takes Heart, by Suzanne Oparil ʼ6540. An Educator Not Afraid to Stick His Neck Out, by Calvin H. Plimpton MSD ʼ51 41. Notes of a Pioneering Neurosurgeon, by J. Lawrence Pool MD ʼ32, MSD ʼ4042. First Woman of Medicine, by Helen Ranney ʼ4743. Medicine by Blue Pencil, by Arnold Relman ʼ4644. A Doctor to the World, by Allan Rosenfield ʼ5945. Kidneys are Color-blind, by Velma Scantlebury ʼ8146. The Hands-On Surgeon-in-Chief of the Hospital for Special Surgery, by Thomas P. Sculco ʼ6947. The Assistant Secretary for Health is a Doctor First and Foremost, by Eve Slater ʼ7148. Rebel Doctor with a Cause, by Benjamin Spock ʼ2949. A Veteran NIH Investigator Takes on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, by Stephen E. Straus ʼ7250. A Pioneering African American Perinatologist Looks Back with Pride, by Yvonne Thornton MD ʼ73, MPH ʼ9651. Merck’s MD at the Top, by P. Roy Vagelos ʼ5452. Nobel Laureate at the NIH, by Harold Varmus ʼ6653. for Women’s Health, by Lila Wallis ʼ5154. A Matter of Heart, by Clyde Y. C. Wu ʼ5655. The Scientific Wunderkind of Biotech Makes Proteins Do the Right Thing, by George D. Yancopoulos PhD ʼ86, MD’87Author’s BioPhoto Credits
£29.75
University of Illinois Press Locomotive to Aeromotive
Book SynopsisThe first in-depth look at an influential engineer and aviation pioneerTrade Review"Exhaustively researched and persuasively argued, Short's biography of Chanute fills a long-lamented void in civil engineering and early flight historiography."--Library Journal "An important biography of an extraordinary man. Highly recommended."--Choice"Simine Short has brought a worthy addition to the corpus of aviation literature continuing to come from the United States."--The Aerospace Professional “With this book, Simine Short has done us all a great service. Locomotive to Aeromotive is a well written, serious work with an attention to detail that will appeal to historians."--Technical Soaring"As the first detailed biography of civil engineer and aeronautic pioneer Octave Chanute, this book fills a gap in the existing literature and is suitable for both the lay reader and the expert."--Anthony M. Springer, editor of Aerospace Design: Aircraft, Spacecraft, and the Art of Modern Flight"We have waited a long time for a solid biography of Octave Chanute. Simine Short has given us a book worth waiting for. She succeeds in situating the details of Chanute’s long life and extraordinary career squarely in the context of his time.”--from the foreword by Tom D. Crouch, senior curator of aeronautics, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution"A fascinating, detailed, and intimate portrait of an engineering giant."--Civil Engineering"An amazing trip back in time – to the time of steam ships and steam locomotives."--Soaring "Simine Short has written the first full biography of Chanute, and has done a remarkable job."--Technology and Culture "An impressive, truly significant addition to the field of engineering and aeronautical history. Simine Short shows how Octave Chanute's personality and method of problem-solving enabled him to make meaningful contributions in diverse fields such as railroad and bridge engineering, stockyard design, and the early phase of aviation."--Robert W. Jackson, licensed glider pilot and author of Rails across the Mississippi: A History of the St. Louis BridgeTable of ContentsIntroduction by Tom D. Crouch: Octave Chanute and "The Course of Human Progress" Prologue Book 1 The Formative Years; Book 2 The University of Experience, Starting an Engineering Career; Book 3 Opening The West; Book 4 At the Top; Book 5 Self Realization; Book 6 Preserving Timber, Business Owner and Consulting Engineer; Book 7 From the Locomotive to the Aeromotive; Book 8 Encouraging Progress in Flying Machines Acknowledgments; Endnotes and References; Index
£28.80
University of Illinois Press C. Francis Jenkins Pioneer of Film and Television
Book SynopsisPresents the biography of the important American inventor Charles Francis Jenkins (1867-1934). This book documents the life of Jenkins from his childhood in Indiana and early life in the West to his work as a prolific inventor whose productivity was cut short by an early death.Trade Review"Almost eighty years following Jenkins’ death, the story of his life and many achievements is finally being told."--Robin Vierbuchen Sproul, Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief, ABC News "With his biography of Francis Jenkins (indeed, the first ever), Don Godfrey again demonstrates his "chops" as a historian willing to do the archival digging necessary to rescue a story worth telling. As in his earlier study of Philo Farnsworth, Godfrey sorts out the sometimes controversial pieces of a career that--for a time--seemed to show the way to widespread use of television. Especially interesting is Jenkins' creative work in both film and television at their very dawning. This is a life well worth reading."--Christopher H. Sterling, author of Stay Tuned: A Concise History of American Broadcasting and Sounds of Change: A History of FM Broadcasting in America"C. Francis Jenkins, Pioneer of Film and Television makes a substantial contribution to the literature on film and electronic communication. Godfrey's scholarship is exceptional and exhaustive. He left no stone unturned in compiling his resources to write this book." --Louise M. Benjamin, author of The NBC Advisory Council and Radio Programming, 1926-1945"Godfrey has produced a biography of the underappreciated inventor that excels both in its completeness and in its engaging readability. The book is an excellent example of history that is both thoroughly researched and eminently readable."--Journalism History"Media historians have not overlooked Charles Francis Jenkins, but neither have they given his story its due. Don Godfrey corrects this imbalance by probing traditional sources and cultivating evidence buried in unusual records--including Jenkins's 283 patents. C. Francis Jenkins is a much-needed improvement to existing histories and an indispensable reference for any future treatments of media technology. . . . brings an American visionary to life."--Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly
£38.70
University of Illinois Press Women and Ideas in Engineering
Book SynopsisTrade Review"A significant contribution to the field. While this book includes some well-known women, many of those described are not widely recognized and the book does a good job of demonstrating the variety of roles that women engineers at Illinois have played."--Margaret E. Layne, editor of Women in Engineering: Pioneers and Trailblazers "Mixes stories by/about women in STEM that go beyond the 'great names' whose biographies have multiplied. It is also good to have accounts of women from different decades, from different fields. The first chapter, detailing the history of women in engineering at Illinois, is particularly significant [and] adds to our knowledge about the early entry of women into these fields."--Amy Sue Bix, author of Girls Coming to Tech! A History of American Engineering Education for Women"Women and Ideas in Engineering is a signpost pointing us in the direction of a more enlightened and informed future, one where equal representation in STEM fields is more than just a given, it is a boon to all." --BTN LiveBIG Book Club
£18.99
Indiana University Press Lynton Keith Caldwell
Book Synopsis*Based on interviews the author conducted with Caldwell and on unrestricted access to his memorabilia, photos, and records.Trade ReviewWertz has given a signal service in providing the field with a resource through which we can learn about this remarkable scholar. Her coverage of the NEPA, often regarded as the 'Magna Carta' of U.S. environmental policy, is deeply insightful . . . The field of environmental policy is richer for this addition. * H-Net Reviews *[T]his is a solid overview of both Caldwell's contributions and the development of the environmental movement in the US; it will interest readers in the fields of environmental policy, environmental history, and environmental studies. . . . Recommended. * Choice *
£35.15
Indiana University Press Frank Julian Sprague
Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of "The Father of Electric Traction"Trade ReviewNo one has previously used Sprague's personal papers in a published biography . . . Recommended.May 2010 * Choice *The authors weave this biography through time, with technological and political details that make Sprague human, a creative soul pressing his ideas with a sports-like outcome—some wins, some losses, and some ties. . . . I recommend this well-written book detailing the life of the 'Father of Electric Traction' to explain the development of what we so casually take for granted.April 2010 * Trains *Frank Sprague . . . is a major historical figure who for decades lacked a significant biography. This void has been ably and engagingly filled in this book by the dean of electric traction authors, William D. Middleton, and his son, William III.Summer 2010 * Classic Trains *This definitive, and long-awaited, biography of the 'Father of Electric Traction' details the life and times of an exceptional engineer, maverick innovator, entrepreneur, and businessman.August 2010 * NMRA Magazine *Anyone interested in American history, urban affairs, and related topics will find this book very interesting. 12/1/2009 * bookviewsbyalancaruba.blogsport.com *Table of ContentsForeword by John L. Sprague Acknowledgments1. A Boyhood in New England2. The Midshipman Inventor3. Sprague and the New World of Electricity4. Triumph at Richmond5. Sprague and the Electric Elevator6. Frank Sprague and the Multiple Unit Train7. Electrifying the Main Line Railroads8. The Naval Consulting Board and the Great War9. Sprague and Railroad Safety10. A Diverse Inventor11. An Inventor and Engineer to the End12. EpilogueAppendix A. Frank Julian Sprague PatentsAppendix B. Frank Julian Sprague Honors and AwardsAppendix C. Common Electrical TermsNotesSelected BibliographyIndex
£31.35
University of Notre Dame Press Long Road from Quito
Book SynopsisThe incredible story of David Gaus, who has dedicated his life to bringing modern health care and medicine to rural communities in Ecuador.Trade Review"The book succeeds in helping readers understand the lack of medical care in rural areas—the 'urban bias' of where doctors want to practice—and the unique geographic and social problems that complicate access to health care." —Mark Curnutte, Cincinnati Enquirer, author of A Promise in Haiti"Long Road from Quito: Transforming Health Care in Rural Latin America is well written and captures the attention of the reader; the many examples provide a colorful and vivid narrative that makes this book a page turner. Tony Hiss knows how to tell a story, and the reader gets an excellent in-depth impression of the context based on the vivid descriptions provided." —Clemens Sedmak, author of A Church of the Poor"If you are lucky, a few times in life you will come across a person who is able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. It is even rarer still to find in such a leader a genuine sense of humility and a depth of soul that radiates joy and laughter. I know you will enjoy and be inspired by this story of a modern-day man who is as holy as he is innovative, who is as determined as he is fun, and who is both visionary and focused on the set of eyes before him at any given moment." —Lou Nanni, from the foreword“[David] Gaus’ journey from an accounting undergraduate to a medical doctor hailed as a hero in Ecuador, with hesburgh as inspiration and partner, is recounted in the new book, Long Road from Quito, by journalist Tony Hiss.” —Notre Dame Magazine"Long Road from Quito by Tony Hiss is an extraordinary combination of biography and history . . . an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections in general, and Latin American Medical History supplemental studies reading lists in particular. . . . With a charming conversational style that's a pleasure to read, Hiss shows . . . Gaus's vision and determination . . . in a story with equal parts interest for Notre Dame readers, health practitioners, medical anthropologists, Latin American students and scholars, and the general public." —John Taylor, Midwest Book Review"[This] narrative has the contents, structure, and timing to engage the reader with the details of the philosophy, biography, and determination of David Gaus, a young accountant who took a charity trip to Quito in 1984. His trip ended up transforming him into a physician for the poor, a hospital builder, and an educator in rural Ecuador." —Choice“Long Road from Quito also depicts a challenge far greater than geographic isolation—namely, how rural populations differ from urban populations in their perception of health and disease. Such insights are essential not just in Ecuador but in much of the world, including industrialized nations.” —American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene"For family physicians with an interest in global health, rural medicine, and tropical disease, plus an appreciation for a well-told story, this book is a great read. Thoroughly entertaining while still conveying a message about how global health can be done well and responsibly, the book gives a sense of hope and energy." —Family Medicine
£20.89
Pennsylvania State University Press A Conservative Environmentalist
Book Synopsis
£71.36
University of Washington Press George Perkins Marsh
Book SynopsisGeorge Perkins Marsh (1801-1882) was the first to reveal the menace of environmental misuse, to explain its causes, and to prescribe reforms. This book offers insights, from sources, into Marsh's career and shows his relevance.Trade Review"This is a keenly felt and carefully written biography by one of our leading geographers.Every page, almost every line, of this remarkable book shines with scholarship, learning, and insight of both the subject and author. I don't know whom I admire more— Marsh or Lowenthal." * Historical Geography *"This superbly written biography provides a brilliant insight into the life and background of one who was influential in the development of today's environmental movement." * The Naturalist *"Learned in twenty languages, a lawyer, (unsuccessful) businessman, several-term congressional representative, sometimes university lecturer, lexicographer, grammarian, archaeological enthusiast, veteran diplomat, and ceaseless pursuer of sundry projects civic and scholarly, Marsh was a rare example of amateurish Yankee ingenuity transformed into a disciplined, cosmopolitan intelligence." * The Journal of American History *"Every page, almost every line, of this remarkable book shines with the scholarship, learning, and insight of both the subject and the author." * Historical Geography *"Truly remarkable. . . Lowenthal is masterful in weaving together the whole of Marsh's remarkable life: his wide ranging scholarly interests, diverse personal experience, command of myriad languages, and his ability to constantly criticize and reverse himself in the light of new evidence and experience." * Northern Woodlands *"A vivid portrait of Marsh against his intellectual and social background. . . . Lowenthal is the ideal biographer. . . . Everyone should come away with a better appreciation of a man who was a century ahead in recognizing many of our environmental problems and who addressed them at a fundamental level." * Nature *"Brings to life the career and ideas of an important green forerunner [whose] book was one of the founding works of modern environmentalism." * The Economist *"The history of science in 19th-century U.S., the political culture of the diplomatic world, the politics of Italian independence— all are commented on by two brilliant scholars: Marsh and Lowenthal." * Choice *"Classic. . . a compelling read." * Boston Globe *"This book is well written, well constructed, and thoughtful— valuable as a biography of a fascinating American Victorian amateur scholar, politician, and diplomat, and essential as a contribution to the history of environmental thought." * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Foreword by William Cronon Preface Woodstock and the First Watershed Burlington: Blunders and Bereavements Puritans, Vikings, Goths Congress and the Smithsonian American History from the Ground Up Constantinople and the Desert Missionary Miseries, Mediterranean Jaunts Debts and Dromedaries Vermont Public Servant The English Language Risorgimento and Civil War Turin and the Alps Man and Nature: The Making Man and Nature: The Meaning Florence and Unfinished Italy Last Watersheds: Rome, Cravairola, Vallombrosa Retrospect: Forming a Life Prospect: Reforming Nature Abbreviations in Notes and bibliography Notes Bibliography Illustration credits Index
£33.98
University of Washington Press Jack Ward Thomas
Book SynopsisTrade Review"You won't know Jack Ward Thomas—13th chief of the USDA Forest Service—until you have read this remarkable volume..Skillfully edited and introduced by Harold K. Steen, preeminent historian of American forestry, this book offers a blunt set of insights into and a disturbing feel for environmental politics during the Clinton years." * Journal of Forestry *"This is living history at its best, an intimate glimpse into the life of a man whose dedication to public service gives new meaning to the role of leadership in government and the broader conservation movement..A complete 'course' in natural resource policy, public administration, ethics, and personal courage—a course in philosophy tempered by experience." * American Forests *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Index
£110.48
