Books By And For Members

Ruth Winter

BOOKS BY AND FOR MEMBERS

by Ruth Winter

Medical Firsts: From Hippocrates to the Human Genome by Robert Adler (NASW), published by John Wiley and Sons.

“Each disease has a nature of its own, and none arises without its natural cause.” With this revolutionary insight, more than 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates laid the foundation for scientifically based medicine. In Medical Firsts, Adler, a Santa Rosa, CA. freelance specializing in astronomy and cosmology, recounts the development of Western medicine through the lives and achievements of more than 30 of its brightest lights. Some of these luminaries are well known, but readers may not have encountered figures such as the ancient Greek anatomists Herophilus and Erasistratus, the medieval Islamic freethinker and inspired student of smallpox Abu Bakr al-Razi, or the contemporary immune-system innovator Polly Matzinger. Adler says he has always been interested in “firsts”-discoveries or conceptual breakthroughs that actually advance human knowledge, and had been tossing possible items into a folder for years: “Four years ago, I heard through John Wilkes’ very helpful e-mail list that Wiley and Sons might be interested in something similar and zipped off a query to them. The result was his first book of firsts, Science Firsts: From the Creation of Science to the Science of Creation, published in 2002, and now Medical Firsts. Adler says he did most of his research in libraries, but also went to the Pasteur Institute, in Paris, and the John Snow Pub, in London, to interview several current researchers. Publishers Weekly said of the book “Adler ably combines good storytelling, clear and cogent scientific explanations, a respect for science over superstition, and a love of what he sees as one of humanity’s ‘finest and most difficult’ arts: the application of medical knowledge to individual human beings like you and me.” Teachers can request evaluation copies at www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471401757,descCd-eval_form.html. For review copies, contact Robert Adler at adler@nasw.org.

Buzz: The Intimate Bond Between Insects and Humans by Josie Glausiusz (NASW) with photographs by Volker Steger, published by Chronicle Books in San Francisco.

Glausiusz says she and Volker first came to know one another as a result of the article “Dining on the Fly” that appeared in Discover magazine (Feb. 1998). Volker had sent the magazine an extraordinary set of never-before-published electron micrographs that showed various insects in the act of eating one another. “The then editor of Discover, Marc Zabludoff, liked the pictures so much that he decided to print them and asked me to write the accompanying text. I did so, and found the experience of working with Volker a highly rewarding one. Later, when Volker decided to publish an entire book of his insect shots, he asked me to compose the text.” One of the most interesting aspects of writing this book, Glausiusz says is gauging people’s reactions when told the subject matter. “Most people, when they hear the word ‘insects’ or ‘bugs,’ respond by saying ‘yuck.’ They have no idea how dependent human life is upon insects,” said Glausiusz. “As I explain in the book’s introduction, insects are so integral to the web of life on this planet (they pollinate crops, decompose dead matter, aerate the soil, and form food for a vast array of animals) that were insects to disappear, it’s likely that human life would be imperiled.” Glausiusz can be contacted at Josie.A.Glausiusz@disney.com or via phone at Discover magazine, 212-633-4818. The press representative is Brenda Tucker at Brenda_tucker@chroniclebooks.com.

Deep-Sea Detectives by Peter Limburg (NASW), published by ECW Press of Toronto, Canada.

Limburg, a Bedford, NY freelance specializing in oceanography and marine science, has written about the art, science, and technology of locating the wreckage of ships and aircraft-and their unfortunate passengers. In the past, wrecks have often sunk in waters too deep for conventional divers to gather evidence that could be used for interpretation in shore-side labs. Behind each wreck, Limburg writes, is the human tragedy, and behind that lies all too often corporate greed, official corruption, and individual villainy. Among the cases included in his book are the giant English bulk carrier Derbyshire; the unfortunate coastal collier Marine Electric, doomed by her owners’ refusal to spend money to maintain badly deteriorated hatch covers; Egypt Air Flight 990; and the U.S. arctic trawler Arctic Rose, whose sinking was probably caused by the fish-processing crew’s failure to keep a watertight door closed (they liked to keep it open to sweep away some of the stench of their working space). He also describes the demise of the giant Baltic ferry Estonia, which sank in a storm with massive loss of life-over 800 people-and the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald. Thanks to rapid developments in undersea technology, Limburg points out, it is becoming harder and harder for the bad guys to “get away with it.” “I learned a lot about ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicle) and what can go wrong with them on the job, the much-touted AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle), armored diving suits, the effects of hypothermia on the bodies of people dumped into cold water, ship design, and much, much more.” Incidentally, he interviewed the man who owns the remains of the Lusitania. Limburg can be reached at peterlimburg@earthlink.net. The press representative, who wants to evidently be known only by one name, Kulsum, is at kulsum@ecwpress.com and 416-694-3348.

The First Space Race by Matt Bille (NASW) and Erika Lishock, published by Texas A&M University Press.

Sponsored by NASA, The First Space Race traces the launching of the first Earth satellites, from the beginnings of rocketry through the frantic events of 1957-58. Bille, a Colorado freelance, and co-author Lishock interviewed many of the participants who are still with us (Dr. James Van Allen contributed the Foreword), and their book corrects some misconceptions about the Sputnik, Vanguard, and Explorer programs, as well as describing the Navy’s then-secret, air-launched satellite “Project Pilot.” For more information visit www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2004/bille.htm.

Acquainted with the Night: A Parent’s Quest to Understand Depression and Bipolar Disorder in His Children by Paul Raeburn (NASW), published by Broadway Books.

Raeburn says he began Acquainted with the Night thinking it would be a science writer’s account of mental illness in children. He begins the story with a prologue relating his own experiences with his children, one of whom has bipolar disorder and one of whom has depression. When he finished the prologue, he says, “I felt I had more to say about the personal story before I moved to the journalism.” Eventually, he discovered he could not let go of the personal story-it took over the book. Among the many issues raised in the book are the ways in which schools, psychiatrists, therapists, hospitals, the insurance industry, and the research establishment are failing our mentally ill children. The New York Times said the book was a “harrowing” account “that will surely be a help to thousands of similarly distraught parents.” The Washington Post said “Raeburn’s ability to make mental health statistics and the history of American psychiatry utterly engrossing is second only to his unflinching candor about the effects of his blazing temper on his children . . . It is also a searing and eloquent indictment of America’s insurance industry that ought to land CEOs in jail.” Raeburn can be reached at paulraeburn@nasw.org or 212-645-1240. His publicist at Broadway is Joanna Pinsker at jpinsker@randomhouse.com or 212-782-8941.

Send material about new books to Ruth Winter, 44 Holly Drive, Short Hills, NJ 07078, or e-mail ruthwrite@aol.com. Include the name of the publicist and appropriate contact information, as well as how you prefer members to get in touch with you.