Science & Technology

Plant pathologist Deardorff and naturalist Wadsworth have created a book to diagnose and organically treat plant problems, whether related to cultivation, pests, or disease. The first section of the book is divided by plant part, from whole plant to leaves to flowers to fruits to stems to seeds. Gardeners use the symptoms present in their plant—or specific part of the plant—to answer a series of questions, arranged in flow charts and illustrated with color drawings, which lead them to a diagnosis of the problem. The entry then refers the gardener to the pages for solutions and, if available, a photograph of a plant with that problem. The authors stress providing the proper growing conditions for plants as well as preventative measures to avoid issues. However, if an insect/disease problem does occur, they offer solutions in Part 2—first changes in growing conditions, then biological/chemical products, all approved for organic gardening. Part 3 includes photographs of common troubles. VERDICT This attractive, comprehensive, authoritative, and easy-to-use guide, allowing gardeners to diagnose and organically treat a wide range of plant problems, is a worthy purchase.—Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove Lib., IL

Meadow gardening is an exciting, fresh approach to horticulture. By taking advantage of native plant life and soil conditions, gardeners can create an ecologically friendly yard that requires less water and mowing. Greenlee (Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses) is well known for his work creating meadow gardens and improving grasses available to gardeners. Here, he focuses on the conditions of regional types of American grasslands, emphasizing throughout that gardeners must first understand local ecology (using professional help where necessary) to be successful. With Holt's photographs, this is a large and colorful showcase of Greenlee's extensive knowledge and great passion for gardening. His enthusiasm will be infectious to those who find a natural look appealing, but others may be put off by the idea of meadows growing in suburban lawns. VERDICT Gardeners who are serious about creating a more natural look will find this book extremely helpful and inspirational in its thorough introduction to planning and creating a meadow garden.—Margaret Heller, Dominican Univ. Lib., River Forest, IL

In her latest splendid botanical endeavor, British gardening journalist Pavord (Tulip) expands on her passion for the tulip to include information on all kinds of bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes. Writing with a deliciously brisk sense of wit, Pavord provides a short history of these fascinating varieties of flowers and some general details about planting them. The real strength here is the 600 lushly illustrated entries, alphabetically arranged by genus, each including specifics about habitat, hardiness, season, and height, along with Pavord's suggestions for growing the specific plant in your garden. The only thing lacking in this otherwise excellent source is a common name index so that those searching for information on snowdrops, for example, might find them more quickly than by looking under Galanthus. VERDICT Even those who have John E. Bryan's Bulbs or Jane McGary's Bulbs of North America will still want to find room for Pavord's eminently useful guide. Both newly minted gardeners and those with years of practical digging experience will find Pavord's treatise to be a solid introduction to these botanical treasures.—John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., AZ

Gutkind (writing, Arizona State Univ.) has amassed a collection of essays by doctors who are also writers, e.g., Perri Klass, Danielle Ofri, and Sandeep Jauhar. These and others give readers a glimpse into the lives of medical professionals at various stages of their career. In one story, first-year resident Chris Stookey faces malpractice and must come to terms with how he could be sued by a patient whom he saw only briefly. In another, pediatric primary-care doctor Klass describes her work teaching first-year medical students how to interact with and interview patients so they can learn what a remarkable privilege it is to gain access into people's lives. Kay Jamison describes how being diagnosed with bipolar disorder changed her career path from becoming a doctor to finding a new interest in psychology. VERDICT Medical students and medical professionals will enjoy these perspectives on their profession; they will likely encounter or have encountered many of the obstacles narrated.—Dana Ladd, Community Health Education Ctr., Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Libs. & Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Health Syst., Richmond

This readable book by Collins (The Language of God), the current director of the National Institutes of Health and former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, can help anyone understand more about how genetics and our DNA contribute to our health. Noting that many diseases are hereditary in origin, Collins reports on the latest breakthroughs in genetics research and discusses how these findings can personalize our medical care, including learning about disease risk, better treatments, and better drug choices and dosages based on our DNA. To illustrate his discussion, the author incorporates actual medical cases and offers some predictions for what we can expect from genetic research in the future, including ways to prevent aging. Each chapter concludes with a list of things to do, e.g., web sites to check and topics to discuss with your doctor. Appendixes cover the basics of genetics and drug development, as well as a comparison of direct-to-consumer DNA testing companies. VERDICT Highly recommended for lay readers interested in their health and health-care workers who need to learn about personalized medicine. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/09.]—Margaret Henderson, Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond

A 1976 auto accident in a Minnesota snowstorm left Dolen with a brain injury and a prognosis of "suicide or the psych ward." She was motivated, however, to prove the health-care team wrong. In part the story of her continuing recovery, in part a manual for survivors and loved ones, these books are readable, practical resources that parallel each other in general content and approach. Dolen explains normal brain anatomy and functions, as well as what happens when the brain is injured. Readers learn that no two patients are alike; injuries range from mild to severe and in the worst cases lead to death. Concentration, attention span, organizational skills, emotion, sleep, and behavior can be affected. Both books offer in-depth explanations of how to get the most from health-care professionals and educate readers about treatment, recovery, postinjury rehabilitation, and adaptation. Chapters focus on a specific aspect of therapy: spiritual, cognitive, emotional, nutritional, physical, social, and vocational. Included is a valuable list of resources, organizations, and web sites arranged in the same order as the chapters. A reference list for each chapter completes the content. VERDICT Survivors is a powerful testament to how courage and spirit can aid in recovery and, like Loved Ones, equips readers with knowledge and understanding to help with the many problems accompanying head injuries. Both titles are highly recommended for their intended audiences.—Jodith Janes, Cleveland Clinic Fdn. Lib.

As the baby boomers hit retirement age, these volumes can provide valuable information to them and their families. The Hogans (founders, Home Instead Senior Care) demonstrate that options for senior care have proliferated but require careful planning, evaluation, and financial resources. They provide advice for adult children on how to initiate conversations about changes in abilities and living arrangements and stress the importance of planning early, before a crisis situation arises. Also explained are the advantages and limitations of various types of living accommodations, such as adaptations of independent living spaces, independent-living communities, assisted-living facilities, senior and day centers, nursing homes, and care at home.

The Fitzpatrick physician-and-lawyer team have seen the hazards experienced by those caught in the health-care system's imperative to save life at any cost. Case studies are used to highlight court challenges to the right to die and offer evidence that advance directives can be ignored. One's right to a natural death through withholding therapies and basic services, especially in nursing homes, is described. Also outlined is the authors' five-step "compassion protocol" to help individuals know their options and make, communicate, and legally formalize personal decisions. VERDICT Both volumes are easy reads packed with solid information. While Stages of Senior Care outlines the myriad choices available, it does not place enough stress on the senior's rights to choose. A Better Way of Dying, however, is outstanding.—Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans Hosp., Tampa

Joffe (sociology, Univ. of California; Doctors of Conscience) interweaves policy analysis, history, and first-person stories from providers, educators, and women seeking abortion to chronicle the impact of antiabortion activism on politics, medical education, and the lives of abortion providers and the women they serve. Joffe distinguishes so-called abortion fanatics from other people in the antiabortion movement of prolife activism and calls on them to understand the myriad reasons and circumstances that lead women to seek abortions. Joffe's argumentation is not likely to change the minds of the fanatics because she does not address the belief that the fetus is a separate human being with rights and dignity from the moment of conception. Still, she challenges Americans to think carefully about the consequences for others in the choices they make regarding the abortion controversy. VERDICT A careful and passionate work that honestly portrays the lives and commitments of individuals in the trenches of abortion debates.—Aaron Klink, Duke Univ., Durham, NC

Hormones play a vital role in normal human physiology, but an imbalance may cause health problems and unpleasant symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. Here, physician Smith (What You Must Know About Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, & More), who specializes in antiaging medicine, tackles hormones and the treatment of hormonal irregularities. She begins by discussing individual hormones, their roles in bodily functions, and how they work together. She then focuses on common problems that result from hormonal imbalance like premenstrual syndrome, postpartum depression, and, more seriously, osteoporosis and heart disease. The final section discusses hormone-replacement therapy and the difference between natural and synthetic hormone treatments. Smith is a proponent of natural or bioidentical hormones in custom-compounded drugs. However, this treatment has no evidence-based literature to support it, and these hormones are not approved by the FDA. Smith is a diplomat of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Physicians, an institute not recognized by the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, or the American Board of Medical Specialties. VERDICT Skip this and buy an extra copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves and Barbara Seaman and Laura Eldridge's No-Nonsense Guide to Menopause.—Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L.

Warner, New York Times columnist and author of the best-selling Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety, set out to write a follow-up volume exposing what she believed were capricious diagnoses and medication of children's mental and learning disorders. Instead, she fell down the rabbit hole to an alternative reality. Although she found the stereotype of pushy parents who shop for prescriptions or educational accommodations to fit their overscheduled children, Warner's heartbreaking conversations with pediatricians and the parents of children with mental issues such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, serious depression, or bipolar disorders led her to see beyond her prejudices. As Warner passionately writes, appropriate care for childhood mental illness, if possible, is not necessarily probable. The perceived stigma of mental illness, deep-rooted suspicions of the medical and educational establishments, and, above all, merciless economic factors deny a shocking number of children with learning or mental disabilities the care and medications they need to succeed in school and society. VERDICT Parents, social workers, and educators will find Warner's compelling study troubling but enlightening. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/09.]—Kathy Arsenault, St. Petersburg, FL

British mixologist Difford has an encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails and an abundance of confidence in his own bartending skills, and he effectively uses both in this entertaining guide to classic and modern alcoholic drinks. After dispensing a short introduction to the equipment, key ingredients, and garnishes a good bar requires, Difford delivers an alphabetic listing of recipes for 2600 different drinks with everything—including the type of glass to use, the mixing method, and even comments and a rating—needed to complete the beverage to perfection. While this volume might not be quite as luxe as Danny Meyer's Mix Shake Stir (one of the other standout books on drinks published in 2009), it more than makes up in the glam department with its profusion of practical information. VERDICT Whether you take your drink shaken, stirred, on the rocks, or neat, you will still find plenty to keep you busy at the bar with this exceedingly useful resource.—John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., AZ

Weaver, freelance writer and author of the food blog Tea & Cookies (teaandcookies.blogspot.com), chronicles her efforts to reconcile her strict vegetarian upbringing with a medically motivated decision to eat meat. While exploring the differences between vegetarians and carnivores, Weaver cooks steaks, hosts dinner parties, tours ranches, and interviews farmers and meat enthusiasts. She considers literally cooking her way through a butcher's meat counter but never does. Instead, she embarks on a series of diet-altering "food challenges" that end with her becoming a raw-foodist. VERDICT Compared with the immersive, yearlong projects featured in Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, Weaver's experiments seem ephemeral and inconclusive. While her book will appeal to readers looking for a general survey of meat manufacture and culture, it will likely disappoint those expecting the "chick-lit spin on Michael Pollan" promised on the back cover. More successful transitions from blog to book include Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life, Shauna James Ahern's Gluten-Free Girl, and Julie Powell's Julie and Julia.—Lisa Campbell, Univ. of Alabama Lib., Tuscaloosa

Did you know that the difference between the average human brain and Einstein's is the amount of glial cells? Measuring at about 85 percent of your total brain cells, with neurons a mere 15 percent, glia are the other brain—yet little is known about these cells. Weaving together medical history with cutting-edge research, Fields, a leading researcher in the field and editor of the journal Neuron Glia Biology, discusses the science that is gradually uncovering the role glial cells play in the brain, such as how myelin (formed by glia) prevents neuroregeneration. He also explains how our increasing understanding of glia sheds light on a variety of brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, brain cancer, spinal cord injuries, depression, and more. VERDICT Fields tells a great story about not only how our brains work but also the labor of discovery. He will provoke his readers to rethink what they know about their brains, whether how the brain communicates, develops, degenerates, heals, ages, remembers, or thinks. Like Norman Doidge's The Brain That Changes Itself, this volume will spellbind lay readers and academics interested in the latest discoveries in neuroscience.—Scott Vieira, Johnson Cty. Lib., Overland Park, KS

First published in Britain in 2008 as Leviathan and the winner of the prestigious BBC Samuel Johnson Prize, this gracefully written exploration of why whales fascinate us combines science, literature, history, and personal reflections. The author is a British writer of biographies of Noel Coward and Oscar Wilde and an enthusiastic traveler to such whale-related locales as Nantucket, MA, and Mystic, CT. His discussions of whale biology, physiology, and migration are interspersed with quotes from Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, excerpts from well-written accounts of 19th-century whaling voyages, and stories of present-day whale-watching trips, adding rich background. The illustrations, detailed index, and brief glossary add reference value. VERDICT Alexandra Morton's Listening to Whales and Trevor Norton's Underwater To Get Out of the Rain are other examples of books that center on the authors' personal relationships to the marine world. Fans of those titles as well as of Richard Ellis's Men and Whales will enjoy. Sure also to appeal to whale enthusiasts without a formal science background.—Judith B. Barnett, Univ. of Rhode Island Lib., Kingston