Science & Technology Reviews, October 1, 2011
Oct 1, 2011Health & Medicine
At Risk: Latino Children’s Health. Arte Publico. 2011. c.304p. ed. by Rafael Pérez-Escamilla & Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez. ISBN 9781558857087. $25.95. HEALTH
Latinos are the fastest-growing population group in the United States today and, although our country spends more on health care per capita than any other nation, it ranks (as reported in 2007) 42nd in life expectancy worldwide. Because Latinos have a higher rate of poverty, lower levels of education and English-language proficiency, and legal issues related to immigration, their access to health care is often adversely affected. Diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and obesity are common in the community. Pérez-Escamilla (director, Office of Community Health, Yale Sch. of Public Health) and Melgar-Quiñonez (human nutrition, Ohio State Univ.) have compiled ten essays by leading experts with academic and nonprofit affiliations that examine the social and economic issues in the community and how they affect children’s health. Among the topics covered are the quality of neighborhood schools, food insecurity, feeding practices and the lack of awareness of obesity, lack of physical activity, and substance abuse. The contributors also examine the positive impact of community health workers on prenatal and child health. VERDICT This is an important work for those involved in public-health policy. Readers interested in health policy, public health, and the health sciences will want to pick it up.
—Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L.
Bishop, Jeffrey P. The Anticipatory Corpse: Medicine, Power, and the Care of the Dying. Univ. of Notre Dame, dist. by Univ. of Chicago. (Studies in Medical Ethics). Oct. 2011. c.440p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780268022273. pap. $35. MED
In this evocatively titled book, physician Bishop (health-care ethics, Saint Louis Univ.) joins his Catholic sensibility with a Foucauldian analysis of medicine and power to expose the ambiguities and complexities of contemporary end-of-life issues. His narrative is thesis driven: the dead body, not the living patient, is the “normative body” of medicine, and “animation of dead matter” is thus implicit in medical practice. This concept is reinforced by factors such as the impact of a medical student’s first encounter with a dead body on the dissecting table and the acceptance of animal experimentation, despite its historic cruelties, in medical research. Through the lens of his thesis, Bishop examines issues such as how the need for donated organs since the 1950s has shaped care of the dying in troubling ways, the contesting passions surrounding the Terri Schiavo case, and the trivialization of the religious lives of caregivers and dying patients as wrought by the professionalization of palliative care. VERDICT Raising important questions but providing few answers, this is a book for sophisticated readers with some background in philosophy.—Kathy Arsenault, St. Petersburg, FL
Dow, Mike with Antonia Blyth. Diet Rehab: 28 Days To Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat. Avery: Penguin Group (USA). Jan. 2012. c.336p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781583334423. $26. HEALTH
We all know that the chips, cookies, and burgers we love can make us fat. Lately, we’ve also come to realize that the salt, fats, and sugar in these foods can be addictive because they affect our brain chemistry. How to break the cycle? Dow, a psychotherapist and host of TLC’s Freaky Eaters, outlines a program that incorporates good-for-you foods before you quit the less healthy, more addictive ones. He discusses foods that boost serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain to make you feel better and help you stop eating junk. VERDICT Dow makes a good case; the writing is clear and relatively free from the jargon common to many diet books. His program pushes the kind of healthy diet—heavy on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—most supported by doctors, and his system may well allow for easier adoption.—Susan B. Hagloch, formerly with Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OH
Feigenbaum, Naomi. Maintaining Recovery from Eating Disorders: Avoiding Relapse and Recovering Life. Jessica Kingsley. Oct. 2011. c.240p. index. ISBN 9781849058155. pap. $19.95. HEALTH
Focusing on how to stay healthy after the initial recovery from an eating disorder, this book is aimed at anyone coping with daily life after concluding in- or outpatient treatment. Feigenbaum (One Life: Hope, Healing and Inspiration on the Path to Recovery from Eating Disorders) offers sensible advice and gives specific recommendations, e.g., keep a journal and find a reputable nutritionist. Pursuing a master’s degree in counseling at Florida Atlantic University, the author occasionally sounds like she’s writing a college paper. The case histories of a half-dozen women in their teens and twenties as well as a man in his thirties help illustrate the various causes of eating disorders, recovery, and possible setbacks. Feigenbaum, who recounts her own struggles, also quotes therapists and eating disorder specialists and recommends several treatment centers. Although her writing style is not elegant, her sincerity is apparent, and she carefully avoids mentioning any specific self-injurious behaviors, calling them symptoms of unhealthy behavior. VERDICT Anyone trying to stay on a healthful track after completing treatment for eating disorders can find helpful words of advice here.—Martha Stone, Treadwell Lib., Boston
Pecorino, Lauren. Why Millions Survive Cancer: The Successes of Science. Oxford Univ. 2011. c.256p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780199580552. $29.95. MED
“The good news is that we are seeing the beginning of the end” in the battle against cancer, writes Pecorino (principal lecturer, cancer biology, Univ. of Greenwich, UK; Molecular Biology of Cancer). Geared toward readers who have some medical and/or scientific knowledge, this book details the methods that are being used to fight cancer today. Pecorino discusses cancer prevention (stopping smoking, healthy living and eating, screening), treatment methods being used or developed (vaccines, chemotherapy, starving tumors, etc.), and how more and more cancer treatment is being personalized for the individual patient. VERDICT Overall, Pecorino’s book is more appropriate for those with medical knowledge, but she writes with compassion about the fears that accompany a cancer diagnosis. She succeeds at explaining why so many are now surviving the disease.—Karen Sutherland, White Oak Lib. Dist., Romeoville, IL
Sharp, Kathleen. Blood Feud: The Man Who Blew the Whistle on One of the Deadliest Prescription Drugs Ever. Dutton. 2011. c.434p. ISBN 9780525952404. $27.95. MED
Sharp (In Good Faith) tells an engaging tale of intrigue, deceit, and pressure for profit in the American pharmaceutical industry. She traces the history of the drug Procrit, a once widely prescribed drug marketed to cancer, HIV, and dialysis patients and prescribed as a fatigue reliever. Two pharmaceutical companies, Amgen and Ortho (a division of Johnson and Johnson), owned the licensing rights to Procrit and each had purview over certain areas of the drug’s use. Drawing on extensive interviews with an Ortho salesman, Sharp shows how the companies manipulated the FDA approval processes, enticed doctors, and pressed for ever wider uses for the drug. In so doing she paints a vivid picture of a pharmaceutical industry culture that values sales and revenues above all. VERDICT A page-turner, this alarming chronicle of profit seeking in American medicine will appeal to all who are invested in the health care they receive or the drugs they’re prescribed. [See Prepub Alert, 3/21/11.]—A.W. Klink, Duke Univ., Durham, NC
Washington, Harriet A. Deadly Monopolies: The Shocking Corporate Takeover of Life Itself—and the Consequences for Your Health and Our Medical Future. Doubleday. Oct. 2011. c.432p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780385528924. $28.95. MED
In 2004, Marcia Angell called for major reform in the pharmaceutical industry in her groundbreaking book, The Truth About the Drug Companies. Now, National Book Critics Circle Award winner Washington (Medical Apartheid) illustrates that, in many ways, the issues surrounding drug research are only getting worse. She contends many of the problems relate to the Bayh-Dole Act, the U.S. patent system, and researchers’ ability to patent not only genes but also other life forms. Regulatory changes in the way the drug industry and universities collaborate have led to stronger financial incentives, significant conflicts of interest, and an emphasis on creating profitable drugs at the expense of vital new medical research. Perhaps most frightening are the examples of how Henrietta Lacks’s story is not unique—other Americans have had cells or organs confiscated for research without permission and without seeing a direct benefit. These research abuses are not limited to the United States and are also perpetrated in developing countries. VERDICT Extensively documented with minimal scientific jargon, this book is recommended for any reader interested in the future of our health system. [See Prepub Alert, 8/4/11.]—Tina Neville, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib.
Home Economics
Adler, Tamar. An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace. Scribner. Oct. 2011. c.272p. index. ISBN 9781439181874. $25. COOKING
Adler, who opened a farm-to-table restaurant in Georgia and cooked at Chez Panisse (Alice Waters here contributes a foreword), offers insight into how to make simple foods into enjoyable meals, e.g., food scraps that are normally thrown away are instead used for soups, bones for stock, and orange peels for marmalade. In the chapter “How To Boil Water,” she encourages readers to put on a pot of water, then figure out what to throw in it—vegetables, pasta, potatoes, beans, even meat—increasing flavor with each item. Adler devotes a chapter to eggs, which can easily create a meal via a variety of cooking techniques, and she includes a recipe for Tortilla Española (simply potatoes, onions, and eggs). She also offers inspiration for making an exciting salad from in-season produce. VERDICT Working with mundane, simple foods and easy cooking techniques, Adler shows readers how to stretch their ingredients and add flavor to foods. This is not a cookbook but a narrative featuring easy-to-implement ideas that will encourage seasoned cooks to experiment and make mealtimes pleasing experiences.—Phyllis Goodman, Clermont Cty. Lib., Amelia, OH
Mueller, Tom. Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil. Norton. Dec. 2011. c.256p. photogs. ISBN 9780393070217. $25.95. COOKING
Mueller, a freelance writer based in Italy, expands on his 2007 New Yorker article, “Slippery Business: The Trade in Adulterated Olive Oil,” with this in-depth look at the world of olive oil production. Skillfully blending international courtroom drama with the rich history of one of the first commodities, Mueller explains that despite its almost universal status as a symbol of peace and prosperity, olive oil has been a magnet for fraud and corruption since antiquity. While the earliest record of oil tampering dates back to 5000-year-old cuneiform tablets, the Romans devised a system that helped curtail such behavior; bottles known as amphorae were stamped or inscribed with notes at each stop on their way to the consumer. Mueller would say that such a system would be a good starting point in today’s olive oil trade, where the words “Made in Italy” carry almost no assurance that anything other than the label is from that country. VERDICT Fans of Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Peter Singer and Jim Mason’s The Way We Eat will find Mueller’s indictment of a slippery trade enlightening and entertaining.—Rosemarie Lewis, Georgetown Cty. Lib., SC
Sciences
The Best American Science Writing 2011. Ecco: HarperCollins. 2011. c.336p. ed. by Rebecca Skloot & Floyd Skloot. ISBN 9780062091246. pap. $14.99. SCI
The latest entry in this 12-year-old series is another interesting read. Rebecca Skloot (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) and her father, Floyd Skloot (The Wink of the Zenith: The Shaping of a Writer’s Life), explain in the introduction that they wanted to include variety in this volume—not only in subject matter but also in style and approach. The topics are varied and sometimes surprising, including estrogen-replacement, fermented foods, computer worms, the medical ethics of cardiac treatment, and the emulation of the human mind by computers. Contributing to the diversity of the volume, these essays come from many different sources but favor magazines not known primarily for their science writing, such as The New Yorker and Atlantic Monthly. As with any anthology, a few selections will appeal to some readers more than others. Still, it remains a strong collection overall. Most of the essays are very accessible and put particular emphasis on the human-interest aspect of the subject. There appears to be no duplication of content with the similar series title The Best American Science & Nature Writing 2011. VERDICT Recommended for general readers with an interest in current developments in science, medicine, or the environment.—Carla H. Lee, Univ. of Virginia Lib., Charlottesville
Hamilton, Allan J., M.D. Zen Mind, Zen Horse: The Science and Spirituality of Working with Horses. Storey. 2011. c.320p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781603425650. pap. $24.95. NAT HIST
Calling his work with horses an avocation, Hamilton, a neurosurgeon, consultant for Grey’s Anatomy, and nationally known horse trainer, emphasizes the spiritual connection that can exist between horses and humans. He argues that people need to quiet their inner voices, allowing the intuitive right side of the brain to guide human/equine relationships and communication. He compares horses to a band of legendary Zen masters, perfect teachers that help uncover their trainers’ real motivations. Hamilton builds on Parelli’s principles of natural horsemanship, explaining equine and human brain function, chi (life energy), and the seven chakras that all play into nonverbal communication. He provides groundwork for his concepts as well as specific instructions for readers. Personal stories and equine legends are interspersed throughout the text. VERDICT Hamilton’s ideas will resonate with anyone who has ever formed a close relationship with a horse. The sometimes lyrical writing is clear and persuasive, and the examples and illustrations are good for novices and experts alike. Recommended.—Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans Hosp., Tampa
Nielsen, Michael. Reinventing Discovery: The New Era of Networked Science. Princeton Univ. Nov. 2011. c.264p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780691148908. $24.95. SCI
Presenting complex ideas clearly, Nielson explores in his first book how online collaborative tools, networked science, and open data policies are revolutionizing the process of discovery. He presents a clear vision of science’s future and challenges us to bring it to fruition. The author divides the book into two parts. In the first, he explores how specific design principles allow online tools to amplify collective intelligence. Throughout, he uses examples from collaborative chess matches, the open-source movement, large-scale collaborative mathematics, and more to make abstract design principles easy to understand. In the second section, he explains how those tools benefit science, details the challenges the scientific community must overcome to make full use of them, and argues convincingly for a more open science. VERDICT Both captivating and enlightening, this book is recommended for general readers or specialists interested in how online collaboration tools, open data policies, and networked science might benefit the future of science and humanity.—Jonathan Bodnar, Emory Univ. Lib., Atlanta
Nikiforuk, Andrew. Empire of the Beetle: How Human Folly and a Tiny Bug Are Killing North America’s Great Forests. Greystone: Douglas & McIntyre, dist. by PGW. 2011. c.240p. maps. index. ISBN 9781553655107. pap. $17.95. SCI
Bark beetles: they are as tiny as a match head, individually fragile, and yet as a swarm more destructive than any forest fire. Nikiforuk (Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent) follows bark beetle outbreaks from the last three decades in Alaska and the western United States. Despite its grim title, the book paints a complex picture of bark beetles that showcases their incredible qualities as well as their potentially harmful ones. Nikiforuk argues that bark beetles are a part of western North America’s natural ecosystem, but the growing human population and its demands on natural resources place the insects in the role of nuisance. As a pest, however, they are incredibly dangerous to forests and have, to date, killed more than 30 billion trees since the 1980s. VERDICT Nikiforuk tallies the human and ecological costs of bark beetles’ destruction of wide swathes of trees, costs that are exacerbated by climate change. His plainspoken writing style is especially poignant as he gives voice to the devastating human experience of lost forests. Recommended.—Marianne Stowell Bracke, Purdue Univ. Libs., West Lafayette, IN
Ray, Janisse. Drifting into Darien: A Personal and Natural History of the Altamaha River. Wormsloe Fdn: Univ. of Georgia. 2011. c.256p. photogs. maps. bibliog. ISBN 9780820338156. $22.95. NAT HIST
Ray (Ecology of a Cracker Childhood) offers a personal and passionate view of the Altamaha River, a lush ecosystem, home to many rare and endangered species, which flows through southeast Georgia. She describes the river as a library, and her life is dedicated to reading its every page. The first half of the book, a diary, vividly depicts her floating trip along 137 miles of river, following it to Darien, GA, where it empties into the Atlantic. Ray argues that the river is a champion of happiness as well as sadness and shares both kinds of personal stories. The essays composing the second half are stories of the people living along the river whose lives have been molded by it, of people working to preserve the river, and of those who exploit it—including the nearby nuclear power station Plant Hatch. In flowing, lyrical prose, Ray calls for increased safeguards for the Altamaha River, noting that its gifts—its moments, as she describes them—should be preserved for all time. VERDICT Readers interested in firsthand accounts of nature or regional social and environmental history will be intrigued.—Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colls., Mt. Carmel
Rothenberg, David. Survival of the Beautiful: Art, Science, and Evolution. Bloomsbury Pr., dist. by Macmillan. Nov. 2011. c.320p. illus. index. ISBN 9781608192168. $30. SCI
A trained musician, Rothenberg (philosophy & music, New Jersey Inst. of Technology; Thousand-Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound) became curious about the aesthetics of animals as he shared duets with aviary birds. As he considered extravagant beauty, like birdsong, Rothenberg came to question scientists’ traditional insistence that evolution serves functionality. In contrast, Rothenberg proposes the idea of aesthetic selection, whereby all living beings favor natural beauty regardless of functionality. Working on this theme, Rothenberg leads readers through Darwinian theory, neuroscience, and modern and prehistoric art. His all-encompassing book recalls the work of writers from a variety of disciplines—David Quammen, for instance, who parses Darwinian theory in The Song of the Dodo, and Elaine Scarry, whose On Beauty and Being Just is a crisp treatise on beauty. Ultimately, Rothenberg demonstrates the merits of gathering these strands together through interdisciplinary collaboration. VERDICT Though readers may sometimes feel assaulted by questions as they read this book, they will almost certainly find something that challenges their perspective on the world. Recommended for those with eclectic interests and a penchant for philosophy.—Talea Anderson, Walla Walla, WA
Stirling, Ian. Polar Bears: The Natural History of a Threatened Species. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, dist. by Ingram. 2011. c.332p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781554551552. pap. $40. NAT HIST
Stirling (scientist, emeritus, Canadian Wildlife Svc.; biology, Univ. of Alberta) has studied polar bears for over 40 years. In this highly readable natural history of the polar bear in a nontechnical reference format, he presents the basic facts about polar bears in response to the general public’s heightened awareness of the species because of climate change. As polar bears rely on an ice-based environment, global warming is a serious threat to their existence. In this book, readers learn about polar bears’ distribution, evolution, feeding habits, morphology, physiology, reproduction, conservation, behavior, and threats to their survival. Stirling draws extensively from his own research as well as from traditional knowledge from different groups of native peoples, such as the Inuits, who have interacted with polar bears for thousands of years. VERDICT Not just for mammalogists, this title will appeal to readers with an interest in arctic ecology or the effects of global warming.—Diana Hartle, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens
Tumber, Catherine. Small, Gritty, and Green: The Promise of America’s Smaller Industrial Cities in a Low-Carbon World. MIT. Nov. 2011. c.192p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780262016698. $24.95. SCI
In recent years many small to mid-sized industrial cities of the Midwest have struggled economically. The near collapse of America’s automotive companies has left these areas with widespread unemployment and other enormous challenges. Tumber (research affiliate, MIT’s Community Innovators Lab) studied 25 small to mid-sized industrial cities in the Northeast and Midwest regions and here makes recommendations for what these cities can do to thrive and grow instead of wasting away. Small cities are inherently different from large ones, she maintains, and city planners need to move beyond “planning for growth” models, especially when many of the cities in these areas are dwindling in numbers. Instead, they should harness the unique blend of flexibility and resources available in small cities to solve problems creatively. VERDICT Recommended for anyone interested in city planning or studying the socioeconomic challenges of the Midwest and Northeast regions.—William Baer, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib., Atlanta
Technology
Jarvis, Jeff. Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age Improves the Way We Work and Live. S. & S. 2011. c.256p. bibliog. ISBN 9781451636000. $26.99. TECH
Jarvis (What Would Google Do?) takes a comprehensive look at the core element undermining so much of the technology and services emerging today: the ever-increasing public nature of life online. Overjoyed by what the Internet has accomplished thus far and the opportunities it has made possible for business and personal life, Jarvis feels passionately about privacy and security issues, which he believes could threaten this new sphere. With the many online privacy advocates dominating the public conversation about information sharing, Jarvis champions openness. His book covers only the benefits of Internet publicness happening today or coming in the near future. All of the negative consequences of the Internet’s social connectedness are ignored, dismissed as something society needs to resolve, or justified under the guise of current laws and norms that may not match a majority of people’s beliefs. Intellectual property infringement, a core battle area, never comes up. VERDICT Jarvis’s argument is one-sided, but he presents a wonderfully focused read. A great contextual book for social media advocacy. [See Prepub Alert, 4/25/11.]—James A. Buczynski, Seneca Coll. of Applied Arts & Technology, Toronto
