Biography: science, technology and medicine Books

Book SynopsisFranz Alexander was the first graduate of the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute, the man who turned down Freud's offer to enter into private practice in Vienna, and the man Freud told to go to America and spread the doctrine of psychoanalysis. He was also the grandfather of Ilonka Venier Alexander, the author of this remarkable account of one of the major figures of psychoanalysis in the twentieth century, set against the backdrop of the growth of analysis in America. The book considers his personal and professional life, the role of family in his decisions, and how those decisions affected other family members. Themes touched on in this intimate and personal biography include family secrets and lies, the fear of discovery and the need to reinvent one's past in order to survive, the importance of giving to society, and family reunification after decades of deceit and betrayal. All of these themes help to create a stunning portrait of a man who, as the author's mother once told her, was "as important to psychoanalysis as Elvis is to music". Franz Alexander's story is finally told here by those who really knew him.Trade Review'This personal and moving biography of one of the major figures in the history of psychoanalysis takes us from the intellectual society of pre-war Budapest to the shores of California. Although the format is biographical, this book reads more like a mystery, as the author peels away the many layers of her grandfather's personal and professional life. Franz Alexander, or the man she affectionately calls "Big Papa", though well known as a brilliant thinker, is revealed to be a loving, though at times distant, parental figure, who, for reasons known only to himself, chooses to conceal important facets of his family history. Through her research for the book, the author uncovers secrets and lies, which, perhaps in a process similar to psychoanalysis itself, leads her to what Franz Alexander would call a "corrective emotional experience" and a renewed and complete sense of identity. This book is an absolute page-turner that benefits from beautiful descriptive language, mystery, love, intrigue and a satisfying denouement. A compelling read!'- Dr. Mimi Champagne, retired psychologist, Nova Scotia, Canada'Dr Franz Alexander was one of the great minds of psychoanalysis, but until now his story has never been told in detail. Ilonka Venier Alexander has written a book that brings a shining new light to the life of Dr Alexander, her grandfather. Told with a mix of historical fact, detailed insight and personal ancedotes, along with striking photographs, her book captures the spirit of the psychoanalytic movement as well as the lives of a man and his family who were at the heart of it.'- Brian Oram, MSW, RSW'This book provides a special perspective on the family life and background of one of the pioneers ofpsychoanalysis in the USA, against the backdrop of the major political and cultural upheavals taking place in Europe - the gathering storm of anti-Semitism and the rise of Hitler. Throughout we see some of the tensions and challenges reflected in Alexander's personal and professional life as he makes a new life in the New World. One senses the author's joy and admiration, and the impact he had on her, despite a few unanswered questions.'- Brian Foley, MB, MRCPsych. FRCPC consultant psychiatrist, Cape Breton District Health Authority, Nova Scotia, CanadaTable of ContentsSeries Editor’s Foreword -- Preface -- A journey to the past -- Life at the Palace -- The Great War and meeting nobility -- The Alexander children in the twentieth century -- Berlin: setting the stage for Chicago (with a brief stopover in Boston) -- Chicago and the time of his life -- Moving west, one last time -- My grandfather and me -- Epilogue: The family today -- Afterword

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisTo commemorate the centenary of Turing's birth, this republication of his mother's biography contains a new foreword by Martin Davis and a never-before-published memoir by Alan's brother. The contrast between this memoir and the original biography sheds new light on Turing's relationship with his family, and on the man himself.Trade Review'The book is full of brilliant treasures, anecdotal accounts of Turing's eccentricity and genius, and insights into his science … This little book, with its kaleidoscopic picture of Alan Turing's short life, goes some way towards de-coding his mind, and his family.' The Guardian'Well-written and tackles some of Turing's mathematical work.' Engineering and Technology'… the readers of the new edition can benefit from a previously unpublished memoir by Alan's older brother John, as well as a new foreword by Martin Davis; both texts provide a different view of Alan Turing, and represent a nice complement to the main part of the book.' Antonin Slavik, Zentralblatt MATHTable of ContentsForeword to the Centenary Edition Martin Davis; Preface to the First Edition; Foreword to the First Edition Lyn Irvine; Preface; Part I. Mainly Biographical: 1. Family background; 2. Childhood and early boyhood; 3. At Sherborne school; 4. At Cambridge; 5. At the Graduate College, Princeton; 6. Some characteristics; 7. War work in the Foreign Office; 8. At the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington; 9. Work with the Manchester Automatic Digital Machine; 10. Broadcasts and intelligent machinery; 11. Morphogenesis; 12. Relaxation; 13. Last days and some tributes; Part II. Containing Computing Machinery and Morphogenesis: 14. Computing machinery; 15. Chemical theory of morphogenesis considered; My brother Alan John Turing; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisJohn Evelyn (16201706), diarist, gardener and founder member of the Royal Society, is best known for his Diary, the great journal of his times. Sylva, first published in 1664, was the first English-language treatise on forestry. This 1908 two-volume reissue is of the fourth edition published in the year of Evelyn's death.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Books published by the author; Book I: 1. Of the earth, soil, seed, air, and water; 2. Of the seminary and of transplanting; 3. Of the oak; 4. Of the elm; 5. Of the beech; 6. Of the horn-beam; 7. Of the ash; 8. Of the chestnut; 9. Of the walnut; 10. Of the service, and black cherry-tree; 11. Of the maple; 12. Of the sycomor; 13. Of the lime-tree; 14. Of the poplar, aspen, and abele; 15. Of the quick-beam; 16. Of the hasel; 17. Of the birch; 18. Of the alder; 19. Of the withy, sallow, ozier, and willow; 20. Of fences, quick-sets, etc.; Book II: 1. Of the mulberry; 2. Of the platanus, lotus, cornus, acacia, etc.; 3. Of the fir, pine, pinaster, pitch-tree, larsh, and subterranean trees; 4. Of the cedar, juniper, cypress, savine, thuya, etc.; 5. Of the cork, ilex, alaternus, celastrus, ligustrum, philyrea, myrtil, lentiscus, olive, granade, syring, jasmine and other exoticks; 6. Of the arbutus, box, yew, holly, pyracinth, laurel, bay, etc.; 7. Of the infirmities of trees, etc.

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Book SynopsisJohn Evelyn (1620â1706), intellectual, diarist, gardener and founder member of the Royal Society, is best known for his Diary, the great journal of his life and times, encompassing a momentous period in British history. A lifelong collector of books, like his contemporary Pepys, Evelyn amassed over 4,000 items in his library. This work, originally published in 1664, was the first English-language treatise on forestry. Intended for the gentry, it aimed to encourage tree-planting after the ravages of the Civil War and to ensure a supply of timber for Britain's fast-developing navy. The first work sponsored officially by the Royal Society, it was an offshoot of Evelyn's unpublished manuscript Elysium Britannicum, a compendium of gardens and gardening. This is the 1908 two-volume reprint of the fourth edition, published in the year of Evelyn's death. Volume 2 covers practical aspects of forestry and the use of trees in landscaping.Table of ContentsBook III: 1. Of copp'ces; 2. Of pruning; 3. Of the age, stature, and felling of trees; 4. Of timber, the seasoning and uses, and of fuel; 5. Aphorisms, or certain general precepts of use to the foregoing chapters; 6. Of the laws and statutes for the preservation and improvement of woods and forests; 7. The paraenesis and conclusion, containing some encouragements and proposals for the planting and improvement of his majesty's forests, and other amunities for shades, and ornament; Book IV: An historical account of the sacredness and use of standing groves, etc.; Renati Rapini Hortorum liber II.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"As a SEAL operator, I had the honor of serving with some of the best warriors and leaders in the United States military. Jay Redman's humble and direct account of his journey ... is remarkable. His life is the epitome of the 'Never Quit' spirit." -- Marcus Luttrell, New York Times bestselling author of Lone Survivor and Service "The Trident is a riveting, brutally honest and heartfelt story of a warrior's journey to hell and back. It's one of the best memoirs about love, combat and triumph against all odds that we've seen in a generation." -- Sean Parnell, New York Times bestselling author of Outlaw Platoon "[A] book all leaders and aspiring leaders should read; both military and civilian-not only for the heart-pounding ride-along into battle, but for the inspiring reminder that a warrior's strength and tenacity comes not from his physical stature but from his family and from within." -- Eric Blehm, New York Times bestselling author of Fearless "This story is not just about a SEAL on the Iraqi battlefield, but a SEAL at war with himself, and his ultimate victory. [Redman's] story will inspire the reader, just as it did me." -- Robert M. Gates, former Secretary of Defense, from his Introduction "Lt. Redman doesn't hide anything ... Only an intensely personal account like this can show us what he and thousands of others like him have gone though, and will continue to struggle with, for the rest of their lives." -- Larry Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Exit Plan "The Trident is a frank, compelling and inspiring chronicle of an American warrior's journey." -- Washington Times

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Book SynopsisThe life and work of Freeman Dyson—renowned scientist, visionary, and iconoclast—and his particular way of thinking about deep questions.Freeman Dyson (1923–2020)—renowned scientist, visionary, and iconoclast—helped invent modern physics. Not bound by disciplinary divisions, he went on to explore foundational topics in mathematics, astrophysics, and the origin of life. General readers were introduced to Dyson’s roving mind and heterodox approach in his 1979 book Disturbing the Universe, a poignant autobiographical reflection on life and science. “Well, Doc, You’re In” (the title quotes Richard Feynman’s remark to Dyson at a physics conference) offers a fresh examination of Dyson’s life and work, exploring his particular way of thinking about deep questions that range from the nature of matter to the ultimate fate of the universe. The chapters—written by leading scientists,

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Book SynopsisA deeply compelling biography of the pioneering children’s heart doctor Helen Taussig, who helped start heart surgery and became a global force against preventable suffering.In A Heart Afire, Patricia Meisol renders a moving portrait of the indomitable pediatrician and global patient activist Helen Taussig (1898-1986), who famously gathered and publicized evidence linking thalidomide to birth defects, leading to US drug safety laws. Taussig also developed the Blalock-Taussig shunt (along with Alfred Blalock) for infants with congenital heart defects. Spanning Taussig’s childhood in Boston, her struggle with dyslexia, her progressive hearing loss, her research contributions, and the founding of her own fledgling children’s heart clinic, this book chronicles Taussig’s ambition, tenacity, and formidable work ethic. As Meisol shows, Taussig not only saved lives, but also set a bold precedent for other women doctors in the twentieth century, who

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Book SynopsisAn impassioned and inspiring story from the creator of the award-winning documentary Sharkwater. Beginning with a childhood spent catching poisonous snakes and chasing after alligators, Rob Stewart, the award-winning documentary filmmaker behind Sharkwater, charts his development into one of the world''s leading environmental activists. Risking arrest and mafia reprisal in Costa Rica, nearly losing a leg in Panama and getting lost at sea in the remote Galapagos Islands, Stewart is living proof that the best way to create change in the world is to dive in over your head. With his efforts to save sharks leading to tangible policy change in countries around the world, Stewart sets his sights on a slightly bigger goal: saving humanity. Criss-crossing the globe to meet with the visionaries, entrepreneurs, scientists and children working to solve our environmental crises, Stewart''s message is clear: the revolution to save humanity has started, the only thing missing

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Book SynopsisCurator and space historian at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum delivers a brilliantly nuanced biography of controversial space pioneer Wernher von Braun. Chief rocket engineer of the Third Reich and one of the fathers of the U.S. space program, Wernher von Braun is a source of consistent fascination. Glorified as a visionary and vilified as a war criminal, he was a man of profound moral complexities, whose intelligence and charisma were coupled with an enormous and, some would say, blinding ambition. Based on new sources, Neufeld's biography delivers a meticulously researched and authoritative portrait of the creator of the V-2 rocket and his times, detailing how he was a man caught between morality and progress, between his dreams of the heavens and the earthbound realities of his life.

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Book Synopsis***2017 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist for Nonfiction***What's more American than Corn Flakes? —Bing CrosbyFrom the much admired medical historian (“Markel shows just how compelling the medical history can be”—Andrea Barrett) and author of An Anatomy of Addiction (“Absorbing, vivid”—Sherwin Nuland, The New York Times Book Review, front page)—the story of America’s empire builders: John and Will Kellogg. John Harvey Kellogg was one of America’s most beloved physicians; a best-selling author, lecturer, and health-magazine publisher; founder of the Battle Creek Sanitarium; and patron saint of the pursuit of wellness. His youngest brother, Will, was the founder of the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, which revolutionized the mass production of food and what we eat for breakfast. In The Kelloggs, Howard Markel tells the sweeping saga of these two extraordinary men, whose lifelong competition and enmity toward one another changed America’s notion of health and wellness from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, and who helped change the course of American medicine, nutrition, wellness, and diet. The Kelloggs were of Puritan stock, a family that came to the shores of New England in the mid-seventeenth century, that became one of the biggest in the county, and then renounced it all for the religious calling of Ellen Harmon White, a self-proclaimed prophetess, and James White, whose new Seventh-day Adventist theology was based on Christian principles and sound body, mind, and hygiene rules—Ellen called it “health reform.” The Whites groomed the young John Kellogg for a central role in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and sent him to America’s finest Medical College. Kellogg’s main medical focus—and America’s number one malady: indigestion (Walt Whitman described it as “the great American evil”). Markel gives us the life and times of the Kellogg brothers of Battle Creek: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his world-famous Battle Creek Sanitarium medical center, spa, and grand hotel attracted thousands actively pursuing health and well-being. Among the guests: Mary Todd Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Booker T. Washington, Johnny Weissmuller, Dale Carnegie, Sojourner Truth, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and George Bernard Shaw. And the presidents he advised: Taft, Harding, Hoover, and Roosevelt, with first lady Eleanor. The brothers Kellogg experimented on malt, wheat, and corn meal, and, tinkering with special ovens and toasting devices, came up with a ready-to-eat, easily digested cereal they called Corn Flakes. As Markel chronicles the Kelloggs’ fascinating, Magnificent Ambersons–like ascent into the pantheon of American industrialists, we see the vast changes in American social mores that took shape in diet, health, medicine, philanthropy, and food manufacturing during seven decades—changing the lives of millions and helping to shape our industrial age.

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Book SynopsisWhen celebrated neuropsychologist Paul Broks's wife died of cancer, it sparked a journey of grief and reflection that traced a lifelong attempt to understand how the brain gives rise to the soul. The result of that journey is a gorgeous, evocative meditation on fate, death, consciousness, and what it means to be human.   The Darker the Night, The Brighter the Stars weaves a scientist’s understanding of the mind – its logic, its nuance, how we think about what makes a person – with a poet’s approach to humanity, that crucial and ever-elusive why. It’s a story that unfolds through the centuries, along the path of humankind’s constant quest to discover what makes us human, and the answers that consistently slip out of our grasp. It’s modern medicine and psychology and ancient tales; history and myth combined; fiction and the stranger truth.   But, most importantly, it’s Broks’ story, grou

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Book Synopsis  Science, biography, and arctic exploration coverage in this extraordinary true story of the life and work of Norwegian scientist Kristian Birkeland, the troubled genius who solved the mysteries of one of nature’s most spectacular displays.     Captivated by the otherworldly lights of the aurora borealis, Birkeland embarked on a lifelong quest to discover their cause.  His pursuit took him to some of the most forbidding landscapes on earth, from the remote snowcapped mountains of Norway to the war-torn deserts of Africa.  In the face of rebuke by the scientific establishment, sabotage by a jealous rival, and his own battles with depression and paranoia, Birkeland remained steadfast.  Although ultimately vindicated, his theories were unheralded—and his hopes for the Nobel Prize scuttled—at the time of his suspicious death in 1917.   The Northern Lights offers a brilliant account of the physics behind the aurora borealis and a rare look inside the mind of one of history's most visionary scientists.

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Book SynopsisAn unforgettable story of discovery and unimaginable destruction and a major biography of one of America’s most brilliant—and most divisive—scientists, Robert Oppenheimer: A Life Inside the Center vividly illuminates the man who would go down in history as “the father of the atomic bomb.”“Impressive. . . . An extraordinary story.”—The New York Times Book Review“Judicious, comprehensive and reliable. . . . By far the most thorough survey yet written of Oppenheimer’s physics.—Washington Post Oppenheimer’s talent and drive secured him a place in the pantheon of great physicists and carried him to the laboratories where the secrets of the universe revealed themselves. But they also led him to contribute to the development of the deadliest weapon on earth, a discovery he soon came to fear. His attempts to resist the escalation of the Cold War arms race—coupled wi

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Book SynopsisThe ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy has generated a flurry of interest in how medical professionals really make it through one of the most rigorous educational programs around, but how much of the medical drama seen in Grey’s Anatomy is pure entertainment, and how much is an accurate reflection of life both in and out of the OR? In The Real Grey's Anatomy, a well-known medical journalist provides some answers. He examines a group of new surgical residents at a major teaching hospital in the Pacific Northwest as they tackle the roller-coaster ride of long hours, fascinating procedures, mundane office tasks, and emotional ups and downs that comprise the life of a student of surgery.

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Book SynopsisA pioneering marine biologist takes us down into the deep ocean to understand bioluminescence—the language of light that helps life communicate in the darkness—and what it tells us about the future of life on Earth in this “thrilling blend of hard science and high adventure” (The New York Times Book Review). NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BOOKLIST • “Edith Widder’s story is one of hardscrabble optimism, two-fisted exploration, and groundbreaking research. She’s done things I dream of doing.”—James CameronEdith Widder’s childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist was almost derailed in college, when complications from a surgery gone wrong caused temporary blindness. A new reality of shifting shadows drew her fascination to the power of light—as well as the importance of optimism. As her vision cleared, Widder found the intersec

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Book SynopsisEsta es la historia de Michael Sayman, quien a sus trece años creó una empresa de desarrollo de aplicaciones iOS que llamó la atención de Mark Zuckerberg. Desde entonces, ha trabajado para Facebook, Google y, actualmente, para Roblox, la conocida empresa de juegos virtuales.  Emprendedor por naturaleza e hijo de inmigrantes hispanos, Michael luchó desde niño por encontrar su lugar en el mundo. En App Kid, nos cuenta cómo, a raíz del colapso del negocio familiar que llevaban sus padres, aprendió a programar por sí mismo, lanzando una aplicación para iPhone que llegó a recaudar miles de dólares al mes, lo suficiente para mantener a flote a su familia. Entrado en la adolescencia, nos comparte la increíble experiencia que vivió al pasar de la escuela secundaria directamente al mundo profesional, entrando a trabajar en Facebook como su empleado más joven

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Book SynopsisThis authoritative Bantam Classic edition presents readers with a wide-ranging selection of Benjamin Franklin’s most important writings, illuminating the complex and appealing character of this quintessential American who rose to fame as a publisher, inventor, educator, bon vivant, and statesman.Here are selections from Franklin’s newspaper articles, from the sage wisdom of Poor Richard’s Almanac, from his entertaining letters, from his scientific essays, from his political and revolutionary writings, plus a generous sampling of his famous aphorisms, poems, and humor. And, most important, here is a newly edited text of one of the most vital and important works of American literature, the Autobiography. As fascinating and as relevant as ever, this timeless collection of writings reveals an extraordinary man whose mind was always curious, always questioning, and who forever remained dedicated to the principles of truth and liberty.

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Book SynopsisA compelling account of surviving a freak accident, and a fascinating exploration of the science of trauma and recovery.    Late one night, while Rebecca Fogg was alone in her apartment, her hand was partially amputated in an explosion. Quick thinking saved her life, but the journey to recovery would be a slow one. As the doctors rebuilt her hand, Rebecca (who also survived 9/11) began rebuilding her sense of self by studying the physical and psychological process of recovery.   Interspersing the personal with the medical, Rebecca charts her year of rehabilitation, touching on the marvelously adaptable anatomy of the hand; how the brain’s fight-or-flight mechanism enables us to react instantly to danger; and why trauma causes some people to develop PTSD and gives others a whole new lease on life.   Told with emotional and intellectual clarity, Beautiful Trauma is a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit and the wonde

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Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “I’ve read kind of all the books on this subject . . . and this is the one you want to read.”—Rachel Maddow Before Ukraine, before impeachment: This is the never-before-told inside story of the high-stakes, four-year-long investigation into Donald Trump’s Russia ties—culminating in the Steele dossier, and sparking the Mueller report—from the founders of political opposition research company Fusion GPS.Fusion GPS was founded in 2010 by Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, two former reporters at The Wall Street Journal who decided to abandon the struggling news business and use their reporting skills to conduct open-source investigations for businesses and law firms—and opposition research for political candidates. In the fall of 2015, they were hired to look into the finances of Donald Trump.What began as a march through a mind-boggling trove

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