Aleta's Book Report

I am currently teaching a small 5 week class at USM/OLLI on Our Glands, and how aging affects those glands. I looked for a book to read to refresh my memory, and found this... Aroused: The History of Hormones and How They Control Just About Everything by Randi Hutter Epstein. Don't get excited by the title (or go ahead and get excited). This is the story of the development of Endocrinology and it is NOT an textbook!!! This is a pleasant read. There are many case studies from as early as 1900, many stories of parents struggling to get hormonal treatment for their children in the early days (1960's), and advancements in treatments. This book is worth your time, and you may find you do what I do...diagnose people as they walk past you in malls and airports.

by Robin Sloan This fun science fiction novel brings together computing, engineering, robotics,...and of all things, sourdough. Mr. Sloan has a delightful way with words, and had me laughing at the visualizations he developed. Our protagonist, Lois, has "lost" herself to her job, as many teachers have done. Lois "inherited" a sourdough starter, and is determined to keep it from dying, so she does what all good students do - she reads a book. She joins a local "Lois" group (you have to read it to meet the ladies in the group), she makes bread, and integrates robotics. All in all, this is a very easy read, maybe two hours on a rainy day to yourself (if you have such an endangered species). Get lost in the fun. You'll be glad you did.

What a fun story based on history! The plot winds around the animosity between paleontologists Marsh and Cope, as told by a fictional member of the dig party. We are taken (in the form of our protagonist, William Johnson) to the Badlands, Deadwood, into Indian raids, labeled as a traitor, attacked on all sides by all kinds of people, and then we get home a changed young man. If you know history, you will enjoy they way Crichton weaves momentous events and remarkable historical persons into the story. You will find yourself thinking "I know what's coming," because you do, if you know anything about the WEST in the 1870's, or know some of the background with Marsh and Cope. I listened to this story as a traveled each week, getting about 2 hours of the book on each trip. After each two hours, I wanted more, but I forced myself to wait for the next week. I was sad to be finished with it yesterday.

Just like most of you, I read Eva Curie's biography of her mother when I was around 10 or 11 years old (mine was is the Reader's Digest for Young Adults). I was, like you, inspired. Recently, I saw the reenactment of Marie Curie by Susan Marie Frontczak, produced on film by Jen Myronuk. The presentation was AMAZING! I really did feel as if Marie Curie was telling her story just to me. MSTA will be discussing sponsoring this presentation at a conference in the future. Susan Marie Frontczak talked with the audience via Skype after the presentation. She told us that she had read Eva Curie's biography in her preparation, but she relyied on the Susan Quinn biography for much of her research and dialogue. I knew I had to read this book, so I downloaded it to my Kindle that very day! The book is, of course, enlightening. I just happened to be reading about Marie's viewing the total eclipse the night before our total eclipse in August. I stopped so I could read th...

This book is exactly what it promises - bits of information delivered quickly and primarily for entertaining purposes. Being published by the Bathroom Readers Institute, you will appreciate its delivery and humor. Strange History by Bathroom Readers' Institute Printers Row Publishing Group Portable Press

Hardcover, 576 pages Published May 19th 2015 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published April 3rd 2015) ISBN 0199334412 (ISBN13: 9780199334414) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WOW! This is a MUST READ for biology teachers. I had only heard snippets of this story, and they seem to have been related to me incorrectly. I am so glad I have read (listened) to this book. Jacobs does a great job with his early life, and that of his parents. She addresses the controversy of the killed vs. weakened vaccine, Salk vs. Sabin, and other stories. Jacobs gives us real insight as to the founding of the NFIP (National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis) which started the March of Dimes. The beginning of this is amazing, and gave rise to Salk's idea that the people of the nation own the vaccine, as they provided the funds for its development. Again, I say, READ THIS BOOK. It is really long, but all really good books are!

Patient H.M. A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets by Luke Dittrich Random House Publishing Group - Random House Random House Nonfiction (Adult), Science Pub Date 09 Aug 2016 I was enchanted with the details and the history of neurosurgery in this book. The author, being the grandson of the doctor in focus, provides a great insight into the life of that grandfather and the development of his surgical skills. Another aspect is the history of the lobotomy: surgical, via accident, or medication. The author reviewed the stories of Broca and Tan, as well as Phineas Gage and the sister of JFK, in a compelling, storytelling way which will appeal to high school and college students. I recommend this book for teachers and students who are interested in studying the brain, accidents involving the brain, and surgery.

I really enjoyed this book and I am including the book on my biology readings list.  The book gives the "first starts" for the many areas contained in forensics, and I do have students interested in this very type of reading. In this, we have a good overview of the Colin Pitchfork case, in which DNA fingerprinting was used for two 1sts:  proving a man's innocence and proving a man's guilt.  Also included are ballistics, trajectory, blood evidence, etc. Because each chapter is a "short story,"  this would be an easy biology book club book.

Amazon.com Review Dan Ariely on Survival of the Sickest MIT professor Dan Ariely has become one of the leaders in the growing field of behavioral economics, and his bestselling book debut, Predictably Irrational, has brought his ideas--and his ingenious experiments and charming sense of humor--to a much wider audience. With the simplest of tests (often an auction or a quiz given under a few conditions) he shows again and again not only that we are wired to make irrational decisions in many situations, but that we do so in remarkably predictable ways. I have always been puzzled by the way in which genetic diseases have managed to survive throughout the ages. How could it be that these diseases were able to withstand the evolutionary process, where only the most fit survive, and continue to be transferred from one generation to the next? Survival of the Sickest provides a thought provoking yet entertaining explanation to this puzzle. In this insightful book Dr. Sharon Moalem demonstra...

Missing Microbes by Martin Blaser (Henry Holt and Company) Description: A critically important and startling look at the harmful effects of overusing antibiotics, from the field's leading expert Tracing one scientist’s journey toward understanding the crucial importance of the microbiome, this revolutionary book will take readers to the forefront of trail-blazing research while revealing the damage that overuse of antibiotics is doing to our health: contributing to the rise of obesity, asthma, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. In Missing Microbes, Dr. Martin Blaser invites us into the wilds of the human microbiome where for hundreds of thousands of years bacterial and human cells have existed in a peaceful symbiosis that is responsible for the health and equilibrium of our body. Now, this invisible eden is being irrevocably damaged by some of our most revered medical advances—antibiotics—threatening the extinction of our irreplaceable microbes with terrible health consequenc...

Not yet Published - but looks good for Science Teachers... The Remedy by Thomas Goetz (Gotham Books) Description: The riveting history of tuberculosis, the world’s most lethal disease, the two men whose lives it tragically intertwined, and the birth of medical science. In 1875, tuberculosis was the deadliest disease in the world, accountable for a third of all deaths. A diagnosis of TB—often called consumption—was a death sentence. Then, in a triumph of medical science, a German doctor named Robert Koch deployed an unprecedented scientific rigor to discover the bacteria that caused TB. Koch soon embarked on a remedy—a remedy that would be his undoing. When Koch announced his cure for consumption, Arthur Conan Doyle, then a small-town doctor in England and sometime writer, went to Berlin to cover the event. Touring the ward of reportedly cured patients, he was horrified. Koch’s “remedy” was either sloppy science or outright fraud. But to a world desperate for relief, Koch’s remedy ...

by Neil White This is the story of a prison in Carville, Louisiana. Most of us know that Carville is also the site of the only "leper" colony in the lower 48 states. It happens to have been shared for some time by the Department of Corrections prison. Neil White, a Mississippi native educated at Ole Miss, was indicted and jailed for crimes he committed in his publishing business. He was incarcerated in the Carville facility, which shared housing with a very old colony of Hansen's Disease patients. Neil was surprised and upset that he was at the same place with "lepers", not even sure that he wasn't going to "catch" the disease. This is his story of accepting the residents and learning from them. You will enjoy this sweet book.

Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York Deborah Blum http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125502336&ft=1&f=1033 WOW - What a book! Science teachers will especially enjoy the history behind the elements of the periodic table as these elements are used in poisons and toxins. The book itself follows the story of the two men who founded forensic science in New York City ( New York City?! ). Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler worked many years to find methods to detect toxins during autopsies. Their trials were magnified by the politics of Tammany Hall, since, in many cases, the political body did not want cause of death to be recorded. Blum wrote a very readable book. Listen to the interview at the link above - I think you will enjoy it.

by Colin Dickey This was a fun and interesting book to read. I really enjoyed the historical aspect and the stories of the "unusual" ways these characters "memorialized" their heroes. Being a lover of music, I really enjoyed the post-death adventures of Haydn and Beethoven, and as a student and teacher of anatomy, it just goes to follow that I enjoyed the "research" part of this story. I immediate shared this book and it is now on the circuit, being enjoyed by many.

by Steve Berry Steve Berry hooked me with the Romanov Prophesy, and did not let me down on this story. It is another in the Cotton Malone series, dealing with the mysteries from Napoleon's adventures in Egypt. Ironically, I am also reading Mirage, a factual writing about Napoleon's time in Egypt (which ties in with the Katherine Neville book "The Eight"). I love the way Berry weaves in histories and myths into his writings. He rounds out a book like few other authors.

by James Rollins Wow - if you want a good roller-coaster ride in a book, this is IT. Rollins has presented a great story centered in Louisiana, and has incorporated good genetic tales. My mother read this book in one sitting (on my Kindle) and just gushed about it. I cannot tell you the premise or describe the story without ruining it for another reader, but I do highly recommend this book. Fun Science Fiction with a thriller twist.

by Simon Winchester I looked at my last posting and realized it has been a ridiculously long time since my last book. I have been reading - I promise! Winchester's book (another "I heard it on NPR" read), while a slow read, was very informative. He tells us not only about the events during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, but also about events leading up to that date. The thing that really grabbed me was the comment about the seismic activity prior to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake being the greatest in recorded history. This statement got to me as, while I was reading this book, we seem to be having another cycle of great seismic activity in the world. Read and learn.

by Norman Doidge visit his website Kelly Lambert recommended this book while she spoke at the DKG Southeast Regional Conference, and I downloaded it to my Kindle that day. I have learned so much about the brain repairing itself from this book! It is amazing what the brain can do in its "plasticity." HAving suffered some brain function loss after a "tick fever," I have experienced some use of new and improved brain areas. I am really glad to be able to learn student names again, but my calendar skills still need help - me, who was like Rainman with a calendar and math! I had to read the first chapter to my A&P 2 students. This chapter was about a woman who had NO sense of balance. Her "scientists" used her tongue! to send balance information to her brain! I have met many great people through this book. Dr. Edward Taub developed constrain-induced therapy to help stroke victim regain use of affected limbs. Barbara Arrowsmith Young (who cured hers...

by Kelly Lambert visit her website I am a crochet-er and have been for years, so when I heard a woman talking about how the hand-mind connection was a treatment for depression (on NPR's To the Best of Our Knowledge last fall), I perked up. She discussed how our society has worked so hard to automate things, when we actually need to do hand work to keep a healthy mind. Okay, that was my first exposure! I attended the Delta Kappa Gamma Southeast Regional Conference this summer in Little Rock - and there she was, talking about depression and the need for people to work with their hands. Kelly discussed her book and the effort-driven rewards system. She explained that making things for others made us feel good. Well, maybe I have always known that! I hardly sit down without a project in my hands! Her book is a joy to read, and can really help each of us deal with down times and maybe understand those who live in depression daily. I have decided that I will read this book to my ...

by Michael Pollan Pollan makes several statements in this book which should hit us all pretty hard. One rule to eating "right" would be "don't buy anything in the grocery store your great-grandmother would not recognize." His point is that the processing of food is what has led to a "western diet" and the ills associated with that diet. Nutrition science has stripped natural foods of the good stuff and replaced with synthetic, poor mimics of those nutrients. He mentions that usually the only area of a grocery store we should visit would be the area around the "edges." Think about that - I find that in the last few years, that is where I do 90% of my food shopping. This is a slow read, but it is full of "a-ha" moments. I will report more on this later.