Science and Technology Reviews, November 1, 2010
Nov 1, 2010
agriculture
Elder, Janet. Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family—and a Whole Town—About Hope and Happy Endings. Broadway. 2010. c.295p. photogs. ISBN 9780767931342. $21. pets
In this simple story, Elder’s (senior editor, New York Times) only child longs for a dog for years, but his busy New York City parents constantly refuse. Eventually, Elder and her husband relent when she is diagnosed with cancer and has to undergo chemotherapy, hoping that a dog will give the boy something positive to look forward to. Huck, a toy poodle, eventually joins the family and immediately becomes a much-beloved member. After Elder’s recovery, the family takes a celebratory vacation, leaving Huck with trusted relatives, but the dog gets loose and wanders for days in the unfamiliar suburbs. Fearing the worst, the family manages to marshal the entire Ramsey, NJ, community to help find him. Thanks to the efforts of neighbors and strangers, Huck is found. VERDICT Despite the spoiler in the title, this story is told with page-turning, heart-stopping intensity and heart-wrenching emotion. It is likely to restore one’s faith in the goodness of humanity. Most lost-dog stories are fictional; this is real. Dog lovers and other patrons looking for a heartwarming memoir will be most satisfied.—Florence Scarinci, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY
Sundance, Kyra. 101 Ways To Do More with Your Dog. Quarry: Quayside. 2010. c.208p. photogs. ISBN 9781592536429. pap. $19.99. pets
Dog owners looking for fun activities with their canine companions will find many ideas from Sundance, who has written several dog-training books (e.g., 51 Puppy Tricks) and hosts a DVD series. The glossy, full-color pages are indicative of the book’s fun and enthusiasm—there is something here for everyone. Activities range from paw-print painting to extreme sports. Some, such as agility and obedience training for service dogs, are fairly mainstream. Others, like paragliding with your dog or having your canine pal serve as a blood donor, are more unusual. With at least one page devoted to each activity, there is a description, a list of required gear (if any), and suggestions for getting started. A sidebar identifies dog breeds ideally suited to the activity and includes a personal note and tips from dog enthusiasts. For some activities, there are additional pages with more specific instructions. VERDICT This upbeat, fun book is a welcome addition to collections serving those who view their pets as family.—Debby Emerson, Rochester Regional Lib. Council, Fairport, NY
Zeaman, John. Dog Walks Man: A Six-Legged Odyssey. Lyons: Globe Pequot. 2010. c.320p. ISBN 9781599219639. $22.95. pets
Zeaman, freelance art critic and creator of the children’s book series “Before They Were Pets,” provides a welcome diversion from the glut of canine corrective-behavior manuals. No dog whispering, proffering of rules and advice, or guilt trips. He lets his pet poodle, Pete, be Pete—uncrated, unleashed, and (sometimes!) un–picked up after. Zeaman organizes the book around the life span of his companion; beyond that, its chapter structure, playful tone, and unadorned style suggest a daily, casual jaunt accompanied by a “person in a dog suit,” as he writes. The author gets serious thinking done while he’s out, but his musings never get in the way of his irrepressible curiosity. The primary locale is New Jersey’s Meadowlands, a fringe area that becomes paradise to man and dog as Zeaman reconnects with nature and, eventually, himself. With Pete’s aid, this professional looker learns that even in the muck and scum of industrial wastelands there is always something worth observing. VERDICT Memoir readers—not just New Jerseyans or nature lovers/dog people—will find this book’s gentle humor and wisdom, its exploration of the strange and ordinary, thoroughly absorbing. Highly recommended.—Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont.
Health & Medicine
Atkins, Chloë G.K. My Imaginary Illness: A Journey into Uncertainty and Prejudice in Medical Diagnosis. ILR: Cornell Univ. Nov. 2010. c.248p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780801448874. $27.95. HEALTH
From age 21 into her early thirties, Atkins (communication & culture, Univ. of Calgary, Alta.) lived the nightmare of having real physical symptoms, including intermittent paralysis, attributed to psychosomatic illness. This was partly because her likely myasthenia gravis failed to fit into a diagnostic cubbyhole based on standard tests. Subsequently, Canadian and U.S. physicians, nurses, and therapists, who first approached her sympathetically, rejected her when learning of previous hospitalizations suggesting psychogenesis. Open-minded medics were intimidated into falling in line by peers or the system. Amid the chaos, Atkins still managed to gain professional success and a happy personal life. VERDICT Atkins’s description of her struggle is a well-told cautionary tale for patients, their families, friends, and especially caregivers—whom clinical commentator Brian David Hodges (psychiatry, Univ. of Toronto) feels would benefit from what will be an uncomfortable read. The system Atkins encountered deals poorly with uncertainty, and Hodges suggests possible improvements to health-care provider education and communications skills.—Dick Maxwell, Porter Adventist Hosp. Lib., Denver
Hobbs, Chantel. Love Food & Live Well: Lose Weight, Get Fit, & Taste Life at Its Very Best. WaterBrook: Random. Dec. 2010. c.240p. ISBN 9780307457844. $19.99. HEALTH
Hobbs (The One-Day Way: Today Is All the Time You Need To Lose All the Weight You Want), a life coach and fitness expert, shares insights from her own weight-loss journey of shedding 200-plus pounds. She focuses on techniques to help avoid dangerous food traps and recognize sabotaging behaviors and beliefs that block success. Obsessive thoughts and actions often drag successful dieters into even more destructive states while they’re struggling to maintain newfound fitness and health. Among the recipes and fitness plans, Hobbs intersperses enthusiastic encouragement for readers to turn their lives over to God, the higher power, she writes, that loves us unconditionally and wants us to succeed in our health quest. VERDICT Hobbs shares inspiring, commonsense advice that will appeal to readers searching for a new way to view food’s place in their lives. Her message will particularly resonate with individuals involved in 12-step programs.—Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib., Atlanta
Kandel, Johanna S. Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder: Reclaim Yourself, Regain Your Health, Recover for Good. Harlequin. 2010. c.237p. index. ISBN 9780373892266. pap. $16.95. HEALTH
As happens with many mental difficulties, eating-disorder victims are often told, “Just eat more. Get over it.” Of course, it isn’t that easy. Kandel, founder and executive director of the Alliance for Eating Disorders and a member of the Eating Disorders Coalition and National Eating Disorders Association, struggled under the yoke of her own condition for a decade. So she comes to the subject with firsthand experience and great understanding and, as a former victim, here offers a metaphoric hand to hold. Intended for use in addition to medical, nutritional, and psychological treatment, this book explains why some people are susceptible to eating disorders and offers coping mechanisms for the various types of hurdles encountered on the road to recovery. VERDICT Readers with any sort of obsessive-compulsive behaviors may find these suggestions useful, but the book will be especially good for those suffering from anorexia and bulimia. Highly recommended.—Susan B. Hagloch, formerly with Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OH
Home Economics
DeWitt, Dave. The Founding Foodies: How Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin Revolutionized American Cuisine. Sourcebooks. Nov. 2010. c.304p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9781402217869. pap. $16.99. COOKING
Expanding the definition of foodie to include “a consuming interest in any and all aspects of food, from agriculture to fine dining,” DeWitt (Da Vinci’s Kitchen: A Secret History of Italian Cuisine) introduces his audience to the foodies, both deliberate and accidental, who shaped the early American palate. After setting the stage by tracing the rise of the first Colonial staples—corn, cod, pork, and rum—he explores the influence of the American Revolution’s leaders on the new nation’s food culture. Farm records, journal entries, and published and private letters reveal many surprises, including Washington’s devotion to composting, Franklin’s recipes for succotash and broiled steaks, and the experiences of the slave chefs responsible for Washington’s and Jefferson’s White House kitchens. Although period recipes appear throughout the book, the final chapter is devoted entirely to sample menus, adapted with modern ingredients and measurements. VERDICT A deft combination of primary-source material, historical context, entertaining tidbits, and authentic recipes, this highly readable piece of pop history is sure to have wide appeal.—Neil Derksen, Gwinnett Cty. P.L., Lawrenceville, GA
DuBose, Fred with Greg Connolly & others. The Four Seasons Book of Cocktails: Tips, Techniques, and More Than 1,000 Recipes from New York’s Landmark Restaurant. Sterling Innovation. Nov. 2010. 256p. illus. index. ISBN 9781402770968. $17.95. BEVERAGES
A good bartender can be hard to find, but with DuBose’s help almost anyone can become an expert mixologist at home. He here updates his 2004 The Ultimate Bartender’s Guide: 1000 Fabulous Recipes from the Four Seasons Restaurant with all new recipes from the exclusive New York restaurant. There are recipes for all types of liquor and spirits, as well as different versions of the ever-favorite margaritas, daiquiris, martinis, and others. You’ll decide how creative you want to be—if you want to make a Headless Jockey, this is the place to look. There are also recipes for the more common Gin and Tonic and 7 and 7 as well as nonalcoholic drinks, punches, spiked soft drinks, and frozen and hot drinks, along with good descriptions of different types of wine. DuBose helps you plan your home bar by listing essential equipment, appropriate glassware, mixers, and garnishes. VERDICT This comprehensive book with good illustrations and clear instructions should be a big hit.—Elizabeth Rogers, CEF Lib. Syst., Plattsburgh, NY
O’Neill, Molly. One Big Table: A Portrait of American Cooking; 600 Recipes from the Nation’s Best Home Cooks, Farmers, Fishermen, Pit-Masters, and Chefs. S. & S. Nov. 2010. c.864p. illus. ISBN 9780743232708. $50. COOKING
Part cookbook, part ethnography, part cultural history, this volume contains all that it advertises in its subtitle. O’Neill (Mostly True: A Memoir of Family, Food, and Baseball), former food columnist for the New York Times Magazine and host of the PBS series Great Food, features hundreds of examples of hometown cooking from sea to shining sea, each accompanied by a folksy story and most with carefully noted provenance, whether Bill McIntyre’s Marinated Feta (Corydon, IN) or Nina Chanpreet Singh’s Chicken Tikka (Bronx, NY). Starters, soups, entrées, and desserts are represented, together with vegetarian options, seafood, and more. Clear instructions should allow all cooks to find success, and, although a wide range of ethnic and regional cuisines are represented, readers will find most ingredients to be readily accessible in grocery stores. VERDICT Replete with full-color illustrations and historical photos and peppered with sidebars, it’s as much a coffee-table book as a source of recipes. This survey of American home cooking from the ground level is wide-ranging, attractive, and just plain huge; recommended.—Courtney Greene, DePaul Univ. Lib., Chicago
Segnit, Niki. The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Dec. 2010. c.400p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781596916043. $27. COOKING
Like Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg’s The Flavor Bible, this volume aims to encourage cooks to be creative in the kitchen. While Page and Dornenburg used a panel of experts, Segnit, who’s worked with companies such as Coca-Cola and Cadbury to develop products and flavors, relied on personal experience. Her intuitive approach produces a cozy collection of description, anecdotes, and recipes within the flavor combination entries. In an introduction, she describes what inspired the book (a cooking rut); the methodology used to group flavors into families such as citrusy, meaty, and earthy; and the subjective nature of classifying flavors. The main text is made up of descriptions of combinations and the elements of each (e.g., nutty, sweet) as well as how the two flavors interact with each other (enhance, blunt, complement, etc.). Segnit’s intimate style makes the book enjoyable as well as useful. VERDICT This handy little guide will be a wonderful addition for cooks trying to expand their repertoire.—Ginny Wolter, Toledo-Lucas Cty. P.L.
Sciences
Brown, Nancy Marie. The Abacus and the Cross: The Story of the Pope Who Brought the Light of Science to the Dark Ages. Basic Bks: Perseus. Dec. 2010. c.368p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780465009503. $27.95. SCI
The story of Gerbert of Aurillac, later Pope Sylvester II, not only is a rags-to-riches saga but also captures how the direction of history can be influenced by one person. Gerbert entered the monastery early and thrived on learning and reading. Mastering grammar, rhetoric, dialectic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music, he also possessed a sophisticated command of Latin and later taught at major cathedral schools and tutored the sons of kings. In Córdoba, the crossroads for the exchange of knowledge between the Arabic world and Europe, he learned the abacus and higher mathematics and astronomy. Brown (Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman) captures the court and church intrigues, disputes, politics, wars, marriages, and backroom maneuvering that drove events before and after 1000 C.E. Had Gerbert lived longer and been more politically savvy, Brown’s portrait makes one believe his ability to teach might have jump-started science before the Dark Ages enveloped Europe. VERDICT Enjoyable to read, informative, and highly recommended for all history and history of science buffs.—Michael D. Cramer, Schwarz BioSciences, RTP, NC
deNapoli, Dyan. The Great Penguin Rescue: 40,000 Penguins, a Devastating Oil Spill, and the Inspiring Story of the World’s Largest Animal Rescue. Free Pr: S. & S. 2010. c.304p. ISBN 9781439148174. $26. nat hist
In June 2000, deNapoli was a New England Aquarium penguin specialist when an oil tanker sinking off the African coast triggered a massive spill threatening the local colony of 75,000 African penguins—representing 40 percent of this vulnerable species’ global population. She and other penguin researchers rushed to Cape Town to assist in the rescue and rehabilitation of nearly 20,000 oiled birds and several thousand abandoned penguin chicks. She describes her rehabilitation-supervisor experience, detailing both the intense physical and emotional strain and the inspiration of working alongside thousands of volunteers toward a single goal. VERDICT While deNapoli’s story is enjoyable and the rescue project has a happy outcome, the book is uneven; several compelling sections are disappointingly brief, while other portions are repetitive and overlong. This is a quick read that will generate interest with its timely topic and engaging animal heroes, although many may find themselves skimming.—Kelsy Peterson, Prairie Village, KS
Egerton, Louise & Jiri Lochman. Wildlife of Australia. Allen & Unwin, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Dec. 2010. c.448p. photogs. ISBN 9781741149975. $44.95. nat hist
This solid reference work covers the breadth of the country’s animal world and reaches far beyond the typical—e.g., kangaroos, wallabies, and a bounty of birds—to feature even the snails, insects, snakes, and nonnative (introduced) species. The amount of description varies by animal; specific species such as the bilby get just a few paragraphs, while broader areas like reptiles get a fuller description within a natural-history context. However, the wealth of this work is in the photographs—breathtaking images dominate the narrative with their amazing detail and lush colors. Zoologist Egerton and photographer Lochman also deliver a strong message of wildlife conservation throughout the text. VERDICT This stunning book will appeal to a diverse audience—from school children wild about animals to undergraduate students beginning research on conservation and species diversification to people planning a trip to the Outback. Though certainly not the size of a pocket guidebook, this will capture the imagination of anyone interested in Australia and its spectacular natural history.—Marianne Stowell Bracke, Purdue Univ. Lib., West Lafayette, IN
Switek, Brian. Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature. Bellevue Literary. Nov. 2010. c.320p. illus. index. ISBN 9781934137291. pap. $17.95. NAT HIST
When Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution by means of natural selection in 1859, his reasoning was hampered by the lack of transitional fossils. These “missing links” formed the basis for persistent refutation of Darwin’s theory. Today, with the recent discoveries of feathered dinosaurs in China, whales that walked from Pakistan, and other peculiar fossils, the significant gaps in evolutionary history are now being filled. Switek (research associate, New Jersey State Museum), who blogs for Smithsonian’s Dinosaur Tracking and Seed magazine’s Laelaps, presents a popular account of fossil discoveries, historical debates related to evolution, and how the unearthing of these missing links is filling in the gaps in evolutionary history. Written for the lay reader, this is an informative survey of the latest facts coupled with the historical record of evolutionary changes. VERDICT Armchair scientists and general readers interested in evolution will enjoy this informative book. Highly recommended.—Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll., Penn Valley, Kansas City, MO
technology
Benford, Gregory & Popular Mechanics Eds. The Wonderful Future That Never Was: Flying Cars, Mail Delivery by Parachute, and Other Predictions from the Past. Hearst: Sterling. 2010. c.208p. illus. index. ISBN 9781588168221. $24.95. SCI
Predictions abound as society guesses what the future will bring—but does today’s world match the past’s predictions? Nebula Award–winning sf author Benford (physics, Univ. of California; The Sunborn) and the editors of Popular Mechanics here examine that prospect by reviewing predictions printed in the magazine over the past century. The majority were wrong, as the title implies; Americans don’t go to work in Jetson-like flying cars or eat food made from sawdust. However, many were correct; televisions are thin enough to hang on a wall like pictures (predicted in 1954). Other guesses were right but for the wrong reasons. Widespread use of video phone calls (predicted in the 1940s) was enabled by the Internet and Skype rather than videophones combining telephones with TV transmitters. VERDICT Benford provides an interesting tour of the future views of the past. Great fun for history of science/technology buffs.—William Baer, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib., Atlanta
