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The Scientist as Rebel
By Freeman J. Dyson. 2006
From Galileo to today's amateur astronomers, scientists have been rebels, writes Freeman J. Dyson. Like artists and poets, they are…
free spirits who resist the restrictions their cultures impose on them. In their pursuit of nature's truths, they are guided as much by imagination as by reason, and their greatest theories have the uniqueness and beauty of great works of art.Dyson argues that the best way to understand science is by understanding those who practice it. He tells stories of scientists at work, ranging from Isaac Newton's absorption in physics, alchemy, theology, and politics, to Ernest Rutherford's discovery of the structure of the atom, to Albert Einstein's stubborn hostility to the idea of black holes. His descriptions of brilliant physicists like Edward Teller and Richard Feynman are enlivened by his own reminiscences of them. He looks with a skeptical eye at fashionable scientific fads and fantasies, and speculates on the future of climate prediction, genetic engineering, the colonization of space, and the possibility that paranormal phenomena may exist yet not be scientifically verifiable. Dyson also looks beyond particular scientific questions to reflect on broader philosophical issues, such as the limits of reductionism, the morality of strategic bombing and nuclear weapons, the preservation of the environment, and the relationship between science and religion. These essays, by a distinguished physicist who is also a prolific writer, offer informed insights into the history of science and fresh perspectives on contentious current debates about science, ethics, and faith.Saving Each Other
By Victoria Jackson, Ali Guthy. 2012
On the surface, Victoria Jackson is the American Dream personified: from a troubled childhood and unfinished high school education, she…
overcame immeasurable odds to create a cosmetics empire valued at more than half a billion dollars. Married to Bill Guthy--self-made principal of infomercial marketing giant Guthy-Renker--Victoria's most treasured role is mother to three beautiful, beloved children, Evan, Ali, and Jackson.Suddenly, Victoria's dream life is broken as she begins to battle a mother's greatest fear. In 2008, her daughter, Ali, began experiencing unusual symptoms of blurred vision and an ache in her eye. Ali's test results led to the diagnosis of Neuromyelitis Optica. NMO is is a little understood, incurable, and often fatal autoimmune disease that can cause blindness, paralysis, and life-threatening seizures, and afflicts as few as 20,000 people in the world. At the age of 14, Ali was given a terrifying prognosis of four to six years to live.Saving Each Other: A Mother Daughter Love Story begins just as Victoria and Bill learn of Ali's disease, starting them on a powerful journey to save Ali, their only daughter, including bringing together a team of more than fifty of the world's leading experts in autoimmune and NMO-related diseases tocreate the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation.Told in alternating viewpoints, Victoria and Ali narrate their very different journeys of coming to terms with the lack of control that neither mother nor daughter have over NMO, and their pioneering efforts and courage to take their fight to a global level.Bringing their story to light with raw emotion, humor, warmth, and refreshing candor, Saving Each Other is the extraordinary journey of a mother and daughter who demonstrate how the power of love can transcend our greatest fears, while at the same time battling to find a cure for the incurable.What Matters in Medicine: Lessons from a Life in Primary Care
By David Loxterkamp. 2013
Primary care has come into the limelight with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the unchecked…
and unsustainable rise in American health care expenditures, and the crest of Baby Boomers who are now Medicare-eligible and entering the most health care-intensive period of their lives. Yet how much is really known about primary care? What Matters in Medicine: Lessons from a Life in Primary Care is a look at the past, present, and future of general practice, which is not only the predecessor to the modern primary care movement, but its foundation. Through memoir and conversation, Dr. David Loxterkamp reflects on the heroes and role models who drew him to family medicine and on his many years in family practice in a rural Maine community, and provides a prescription for change in the way that doctors and patients approach their shared contract for good health and a happy life. This book will be useful to those on both sides of primary care, doctors and patients alike.To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight
By James Tobin. 2003
James Tobin, award-winning author of Ernie Pyle's War and The Man He Became, has penned the definitive account of the…
inspiring and impassioned race between the Wright brothers and their primary rival Samuel Langley across ten years and two continents to conquer the air.For years, Wilbur Wright and his younger brother, Orville, experimented in obscurity, supported only by their exceptional family. Meanwhile, the world watched as Samuel Langley, armed with a contract from the US War Department and all the resources of the Smithsonian Institution, sought to create the first manned flying machine. But while Langley saw flight as a problem of power, the Wrights saw a problem of balance. Thus their machines took two very different paths--Langley's toward oblivion, the Wrights' toward the heavens--though not before facing countless other obstacles. With a historian's accuracy and a novelist's eye, Tobin has captured an extraordinary moment in history. To Conquer the Air is itself a heroic achievement.Malignant Metaphor: Confronting Cancer Myths
By Alanna Mitchell. 2017
Clear medical explanations will bring comfort to those readers and their loved ones facing…
a cancer diagnosis Publishers Weekly A Finalist for the Lane Anderson Award for Science Writing Alanna Mitchell explores the facts and myths about cancer in this powerful book as she recounts her family s experiences with the disease When her beloved brother-in-law John is diagnosed with malignant melanoma Alanna throws herself into the latest clinical research providing us with a clear description of what scientists know of cancer and its treatments When John enters the world of alternative treatments Alanna does too looking for the science in untested waters She comes face to face with the misconceptions we share about cancer which are rooted in blame and anxiety and opens the door to new ways of looking at our most-feared illness Beautifully written Malignant Metaphor is a compassionate and persuasive book that has the power to change the conversation about cancer Mitchell s research is rooted in science while her writing remains grippingly personal Quill QuireCambridge Scientific Minds
By Simon Mitton, Peter Harman. 2002
Since the 'scientific revolution' of the seventeenth century, a great number of distinguished scientists and mathematicians have been associated with…
the University of Cambridge. Cambridge Scientific Minds provides a portrait of some of the most eminent scientists associated with the University over the past 400 years, including accounts of the work of three of the greatest figures in the entire history of science, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and James Clerk Maxwell. The chronological balance reflects the increasing importance of science in the recent history of the University. The book comprises personal memoirs and historical essays, including contributions by leading Cambridge scientists. Cambridge Scientific Minds will be of interest not only to graduates of the University, science students and historians of science, but to anyone wishing to gain an insight into some of the greatest scientific minds in history.Biographical Memoirs: Volume 91
By National Academy of Science the National Academies. 2009
Biographical Memoirs is a series of essays containing the life histories and selected bibliographies of deceased members of the National…
Academy of Sciences. The series provides a record of the life and work of some of the most distinguished leaders in the sciences, as witnessed and interpreted by their colleagues and peers. They form a biographical history of science in America--an important part of our nation's contribution to the intellectual heritage of the world.The Match
By Susan Whitman Helfgot. 2010
Joseph Helfgot, the son of Holocaust survivors, worked his way from a Lower East Side tenement to create a successful…
Hollywood research company. But his heart was failing. After months of waiting for a heart transplant, he died during the operation. Hours after his death, his wife Susan was asked a shocking question: would she donate her husband’s face to a total stranger?The stranger was James Maki, the adopted son of parents who spent part of World War II in an internment camp for Japanese Americans. Rebelling against his stern father, a professor, by enlisting to serve in Vietnam, he returned home a broken man, addicted to drugs. One night he fell facedown onto the electrified third rail of a Boston subway track. A young Czech surgeon who was determined to make a better life on the other side of the Iron Curtain was on call when the ambulance brought Maki to the hospital. Although Dr. Bohdan Pomahac gave him little chance of survival, Maki battled back. He was sober and grateful for a second chance, but he became a recluse, a man without a face. His only hope was a controversial face transplant, and Dr. Pomahac made it happen. InThe Match,Susan Whitman Helfgot captures decades of drama and history, taking us from Warsaw to Japan, from New York to Hollywood. Through wars and immigration, poverty and persecution, from a medieval cadaver dissection to a stunning seventeen-hour face transplant, she weaves together the story of people forever intertwined—a triumphant legacy of hope.Biographical Memoirs: Volume 74
By National Academy of Sciences Staff. 1863
The realistic empiricism of Mach, James, and Russell
By Erik C. Banks. 2014
In the early twentieth century, Ernst Mach, William James, and Bertrand Russell founded a philosophical and scientific movement known as…
'neutral monism', based on the view that minds and physical objects are constructed out of elements or events which are neither mental nor physical, but neutral between the two. This movement offers a unified scientific outlook which includes sensations in human experience and events in the world of physics under one roof. In this book Erik C. Banks discusses this important movement as a whole for the first time. He explores the ways in which the three philosophers can be connected, and applies their ideas to contemporary problems in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of science - in particular the relation of sensations to brain processes, and the problem of constructing extended bodies in space and time from particular events and causal relations.The $25,000 Flight
By Wesley Lowe, Lori Haskins Houran. 2014
The most exciting adventures are the ones that really happened! This brand-new Totally True Adventures book follow America's first superstar…
pilot, Charles Lindbergh. In the 1920s, flying was brand new--and very dangerous. A $25,000 prize for the first flight from New York to Paris went unclaimed for years. Many teams tried. And many teams failed. Still, Charles Lindbergh felt he had a shot at the prize. He wasn't famous. He wasn't rich. But he was determined. He'd cross the ocean in a tiny plane . . . and he'd do it all by himself! After you've read the story, don't miss the bonus content with extra facts, a timeline, and more 20th century history, geography, and science-tie-ins!From the Trade Paperback edition.German Rocketeers in the Heart of Dixie
By Dr Monique Laney. 2015
This thought-provoking study by historian Monique Laney focuses on the U. S. government-assisted integration of German rocket specialists and their…
families into a small southern community soon after World War II. In 1950, Wernher von Braun and his team of rocket experts relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, a town that would celebrate the team, despite their essential role in the recent Nazi war effort, for their contributions to the U. S. Army missile program and later to NASA's space program. Based on oral histories, provided by members of the African American and Jewish communities, and by the rocketeers' families, co-workers, friends, and neighbors, Laney's book demonstrates how the histories of German Nazism and Jim Crow in the American South intertwine in narratives about the past. This is a critical reassessment of a singular time that links the Cold War, the Space Race, and the Civil Rights era while addressing important issues of transnational science and technology, and asking Americans to consider their country's own history of racism when reflecting on the Nazi past.Moon Spotlight Newfoundland and Labrador
By Andrew Hempstead. 2015
This full-color guide includes vibrant photos and easy-to-use maps.Moon Spotlight Newfoundland & Labrador is an 80-page compact guide covering the…
best of Newfoundland and Labrador, including the Avalon Peninsula, Labrador Straits, Gros Morne National Park, and the Northern Peninsula. Travel writer and Canada resident Andrew Hempstead offers seasoned advice on must-see attractions, and includes maps with sightseeing highlights so you can make the most of your time. This lightweight guide is packed with recommendations on sights, entertainment, shopping, recreation, accommodations, food, and transportation, as well as easy-to-read maps, making navigating these unforgettable locations uncomplicated and enjoyable.Explore the Cosmos like Neil deGrasse Tyson
By Cap Saucier. 2015
This introduction to space science for children uses the story of Neil deGrasse Tyson's life and career to frame the…
journey.Catch the thrill of the cosmos and space science through the life of Neil deGrasse Tyson--the popular astrophysicist, science communicator, and host of FOX-TV's Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. In language neither too simple nor overly technical, author CAP Saucier interweaves up-to-date information about the universe and the science of astrophysics with a biographical portrait of the famous astrophysicist. Quotes from Tyson appear throughout each chapter, personalizing the science. Illustrated with striking images from the Hubble Space Telescope, the story of one man's successful life in space science may inspire kids to follow a similar path. As Tyson makes clear, there is still much to do for future space scientists: diverting asteroids, unraveling the mystery of dark matter, finding life elsewhere in the universe, and more!From the Trade Paperback edition.101 Things You Didn’t Know about Einstein: Sex, Science, and the Secrets of the Universe (101 Things)
By Cynthia Phillips, Shana Priwer. 2005
Learn everything you need to know about Albert Einstein, the genius who created the Theory of Relativity and calculated mass-energy…
equivalence.101 Things You Didn’t Know About Einstein provides in-depth, fascinating facts about the famous scientist and mathematician—including details about his personal life, scientific discoveries, interactions with his contemporaries, thoughts on war, religion, and politics, and his impact on the world since his death. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, information, or interesting and entertaining trivia, this book contains everything you need to know about Albert Einstein!Sander tells the story of how The Origin of Species came to be translated into German, how it served Bronn's…
purposes as well as Darwin's, and how it challenged German scholars to think in new ways about morphology, systematics, paleontology.My Watery Self
By Stephen Spotte. 2015
In MY WATERY SELF: AN AQUATIC MEMOIR, author/scientist Stephen Spotte traces a fascinating trail through a life that began in…
West Virgina coal camps, drifted through reckless bohemian times of countercultural indulgence in Beach Haven, New Jersey, and led to a career as a highly-respected marine biologist. Together, these stories form a view not just of one man's life, but that of a generation that often refused to take a direct path to the workplace, insisting instead on a winding unveiling of true self-realization, to achieve previously-unimagined outcomes. For Spotte, the key was water: His years of beach living led to a self-initiated study of literature and the sea. He eventually returned to college and received his training as a marine biologist, and discovered, through his singular voice, a wet and occasionally very weird perspective on the world. His writing is engrossing throughout, the stories he shares--such as his stint as curator of the New York Aquarium at Coney Island at the tail end of the hippie era--are compelling and thoroughly enjoyable as he elevates the people and situations he encounters to mythical levels, blending empirical observation with literary prose.Taking on Water
By Wendy J. Pabich. 2012
When Wendy Pabich received a monthly water bill for 30,000 gallons (for a household of two people and one dog),…
she was chagrined. After all, she is an expert on sustainable water use. So she set out to make a change. Taking on Water is the story of the author's personal quest to extract and implement, from a dizzying soup of data and analysis, day-to-day solutions to reduce water use in her life. She sets out to examine the water footprint of the products she consumes, process her own wastewater onsite, revamp the water and energy systems in her home, and make appropriate choices in order to swim the swim. Part memoir, part investigation, part solution manual, the book is filled with ruminations on philosophy, science, facts, figures, and personal behavioral insights; metrics, both serious and humorous, to track progress; and guidelines for the general public for making small (or perhaps monumental) but important changes in their own lives. Told with humor and grace, Taking on Water offers a raw account of how deep we need to dig to change our wasteful ways.True Genius: The Life And Science Of John Bardeen
By Lillian Hoddeson, Vicki Daitch. 2002
What is genius? Define it. Now think of scientists who embody the concept of genius. Does the name John Bardeen…
spring to mind? Indeed, have you ever heard of him?Like so much in modern life, immediate name recognition often rests on a cult of personality. We know Einstein, for example, not just for his tremendous contributions to science, but also because he was a character, who loved to mug for the camera. And our continuing fascination with Richard Feynman is not exclusively based on his body of work; it is in large measure tied to his flamboyant nature and offbeat sense of humor.These men, and their outsize personalities, have come to erroneously symbolize the true nature of genius and creativity. We picture them born brilliant, instantly larger than life. But is that an accurate picture of genius? What of others who are equal in stature to these icons of science, but whom history has awarded only a nod because they did not readily engage the public? Could a person qualify as a bona fide genius if he was a regular Joe?The answer may rest in the story of John Bardeen.John Bardeen was the first person to have been awarded two Nobel Prizes in the same field. He shared one with William Shockley and Walter Brattain for the invention of the transistor. But it was the charismatic Shockley who garnered all the attention, primarily for his Hollywood ways and notorious views on race and intelligence.Bardeen’s second Nobel Prize was awarded for the development of a theory of superconductivity, a feat that had eluded the best efforts of leading theorists—including Albert Einstein, Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and Richard Feynman. Arguably, Bardeen’s work changed the world in more ways than that of any other scientific genius of his time. Yet while every school child knows of Einstein, few people have heard of John Bardeen. Why is this the case?Perhaps because Bardeen differs radically from the popular stereotype of genius. He was a modest, mumbling Midwesterner, an ordinary person who worked hard and had a knack for physics and mathematics. He liked to picnic with his family, collaborate quietly with colleagues, or play a round of golf. None of that was newsworthy, so the media, and consequently the public, ignored him.John Bardeen simply fits a new profile of genius. Through an exploration of his science as well as his life, a fresh and thoroughly engaging portrait of genius and the nature of creativity emerges. This perspective will have readers looking anew at what it truly means to be a genius.52 Best Day Trips from Vancouver
By Jack Christie. 2011
Jack Christie has been sharing his enthusiasm for the outdoors since the 1980s. Through his popular guidebooks and media appearances,…
he has helped countless Vancouverites and visitors alike appreciate the renowned natural beauty and diverse recreational opportunities of the Pacific Northwest. From the first time he combed through his files and pulled together his favourite day trips from Vancouver into a single book, a success story was born. Now revised and updated, 52 Best Day Trips will enrich the west coast experience for many new adventurers. The best views, the best biking, the best beaches, the best outings for kids--they're all here, described in the clear, upbeat, observant prose that is Jack's trademark.Whether you're up for a trek with the dog, in search of a quiet picnic spot with a great view or looking for a place that will impress out-of-town visitors, Jack's 52 Best Day Trips will point you in the right direction. From Delta to Whistler, the North Shore to the Fraser Valley, detailed directions and custom maps help you find your way and enjoy the sights en route. Driving distance, time to allow and activities available once you reach your destination are highlighted for each area.