Science & Technology Reviews, November 15, 2010
Nov 15, 2010
Agriculture
Myron, Vicki with Bret Witter. Dewey’s Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions. Dutton. 2010. c.320p. photogs. ISBN 9780525951865. $19.95. PETS
After the heartwarming Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, Myron had no intention of writing more. However, after receiving touching letters from readers relating stories of their own cats, she decided they should be shared. Selecting those to include wasn’t easy, but she chose nine stories reflecting the same values used to describe Dewey—hard work, community, and perseverance. Featured is a tale from a citizen of Spencer, IA, who had a special relationship with Dewey as well as her own Tobi. Others include a single mother from Alaska who on Christmas Eve saved a drowning kitten dubbed Christmas Cat; a mother and daughter who adopt Cookie, a kitten needing medical attention who later becomes a watchful companion when the mother is ill; and Myron’s most personal story about her new husband, his cat, Rusty, and their mutual cat, Page Turner. VERDICT Readers will be giving their own best friends a big chin scratch as they feel the Dewey magic throughout these pieces filled with laughter and tears. The original volume’s numerous fans will be just as taken with this follow-up.—Eva Lautemann, Georgia Perimeter Coll., Clarkston
Young, Chris. Best Garden Design: Practical Inspiration from the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show. Firefly. Nov. 2010. 224p. illus. index. ISBN 9781554077274. $35. GARDENING
For almost a century, the Royal Horticulture Society’s Chelsea Flower Show has been the botanical ticket of the year in Great Britain. Landscape designer Young (deputy ed., The Garden magazine) culls the best ideas from the last five years’ worth of entries, arranges them by categories such as entrance paths or sustainability, and then deconstructs them for home gardeners. He includes sections on types of plantings, e.g., perennials, herbs, kitchen gardens, and old roses, but the emphasis is on design via such factors as topiary, decking, garden art, and lighting. There are some great ideas for home gardeners here, but the book works best as a source of inspiration rather than a hands-on guide to the nuts and bolts of landscape design, for which Vanessa Gardner Nagel’s Understanding Garden Design or Judith Adam’s Landscape Planning are preferable. VERDICT A good choice for armchair gardeners who enjoy British-flavored botanical treasures or for experienced gardeners searching for new ways to freshen up a tired home landscape.—John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., AZ
Health & Medicine
Beckerman, James, M.D. The Flex Diet: Design-Your-Own Weight Loss Plan. Touchstone: S. & S. Dec. 2010. c.288p. ISBN 9781439155691. $24.99. HEALTH
Beckerman is the WebMD.com health expert and the weight-loss/healthy-living authority for MedHelp.org. As a cardiologist, he has been confronted with patients seeking help to lose weight following a diagnosis of cardiac issues. Here, Beckerman introduces 200 different suggestions for losing a single pound. Rather than prescribe a strict diet plan with rules, charts, and scales, he encourages readers to choose those techniques that best fit into their lifestyle, thereby promoting a strategy for lifetime success. A nice summary of the 200 tips is given as an appendix for quick referral. The author also includes a number of recipes with a nutritional breakdown of calories, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber. VERDICT This title is designed to encourage creative problem solving and healthy lifestyle changes. Regretably, those who have read a number of other related titles may find little new here, but the book’s format does allow the reader to browse for more details and tips of particular interest.—Crystal Renfro, Georgia Tech Lib., Atlanta
Cappello, Mary. Swallow: Foreign Bodies, Their Ingestion, Inspiration, and the Curious Doctor Who Extracted Them. New Pr., dist. by Perseus. Jan. 2011. c.304p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9781595583956. $27.95. MED
Coins, pins, jewelry, seeds, bones, buttons, toys, and utensils are just some of the many items found in the Chevalier Jackson Foreign Body Collection at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia’s Mutter Museum. Cappello (English, Univ. of Rhode Island; Called Back) seeks to explore and understand how and why these objects and many others were swallowed or inhaled by people. The author examines the lives of the patients and the laryngologists who extracted the foreign bodies from them. Cappello details how someone may end up swallowing or inhaling a foreign object and considers the objects themselves and the journey they take into the human body. VERDICT The writing style may make this work difficult for some readers to get through. The subject matter might appeal only to a small audience so most libraries should purchase where there is demand by readers delighted by the unusual.—Dana Ladd, Community Health Education Ctr., Tompkins-McCaw Lib. for the Health Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond
Greenblatt, James M., M.D. Answers to Anorexia: A Breakthrough Nutritional Treatment That Is Saving Lives. Sunrise River. 2010. c.224p. index. ISBN 9781934716076. pap. $16.95. HEALTH
Greenblatt, chief medical officer at a psychiatric clinic, presents an interesting approach to treating anorexia. Defining it as a biological/genetic disorder that causes psychiatric problems as opposed to the reverse, he treats the nutritional deficiency hoping that once the brain and body have the proper nutrition, the psychological symptoms such as obsessive thoughts about body image will cease. He outlines a recommended program of zinc supplementation, probiotics, fatty acids, and referenced-electroencephalograms (EEGs) to assess brainwaves and help select drug therapies. He doesn’t eschew medication and psychotherapy but suggests that once the nutritional deficiencies are managed, these therapies are more effective. Medical research supports zinc supplementation and some other aspects of the program. The writing is clear and the tone, hopeful, with examples of recovery from Greenblatt’s practice. VERDICT Greenblatt doesn’t appear to have published any studies or performed clinical trials. However, since other treatments for anorexia have such dismal recurrence rates, his plan might be worth exploring. Recommended for comprehensive health collections and anorexia patients and their caregivers.—Elizabeth Williams, Washoe Cty. Lib. Syst., Reno, NV
Jelinek, George. Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis: An Evidence-Based Guide to Recovery. Allen & Unwin, dist. by Trafalgar Square. 2010. c.396p. index. ISBN 9781742371795. pap. $27.95. MED
An Australian professor of emergency medicine, Jelinek watched his mother die of multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, he portrays his mother’s struggle and his search for answers on the disease after his own diagnosis in 1999. He provides a complex explanation of the scientific method of evaluating therapies based on published clinical trials and studies, called evidence-based practice, which all health-care providers should use when treating patients. The causes, symptoms, prevalence, and prognosis of MS are outlined, and dietary fats are extensively discussed as having a major impact on the progression and severity of flares. Vitamin D also receives a great deal of attention; other potential factors such as stress, exercise, depression, smoking, gluten, and dental amalgams are discussed. Drug therapies are outlined, and Jelinek offers his own lifestyle and therapy recommendations for optimal health and decreasing symptoms. VERDICT U.S. readers may find the Australian flavor, including spellings variations, somewhat challenging. Also, the explanations are lengthy and convoluted, adding to an already high reading level. Not recommended.—Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans Hosp., Tampa
Roush, Karen. What Nurses Know...Menopause: The Answers You Need from the People You Trust. Demos. 2010. c.192p. bibliog. ISBN 9781932603866. pap. $16.95. HEALTH
There are numerous menopause books, including titles specific to hormone therapy or self-image for middle-aged women, but many women are still searching for answers about the complex issues and decisions involved. This title covers the gamut of topics in a simple, straightforward way from a health-care practitioner perspective. Sidebars provide additional tips from nurses, explain medical terms, or give additional information. Each chapter ends with a list of online resources, making it easy to skip around to sections that are of particular use or interest to individual readers. Quotes from women describing their experiences add a personal touch. Roush, a registered nurse, presents a balanced view of hormone therapy, a controversial topic among many women and medical professionals, and cautions women that it is among the most important health-related decisions they will make in their lives. VERDICT A solid choice for general information about menopause in one volume.—Mindy Rhiger, St. Paul
Shore, Bill. The Imaginations of Unreasonable Men: Inspiration, Vision, and Purpose in the Quest To End Malaria. PublicAffairs: Perseus. Nov. 2010. c.320p. index. ISBN 9781586487645. $25.95. MED
Founder of Share Our Strength, a nonprofit devoted to eliminating hunger in children, Shore was deeply moved by the death of a child he encountered in Ethiopia. He resolved to investigate the scientific work conducted to fight malaria and other tropical diseases and to explore the qualities of individuals and organizations that are key to success against varied health and social problems often rejected as unprofitable, quixotic, and, ultimately, hopeless. Shore spotlights Steve Hoffman as the exemplar of the game-changing scientist pursuing development of a malaria vaccine. Malaria is caused by a parasite transmitted to humans by the Anopheles mosquito, but vaccines against parasites have long been considered impossible. Shore leads his readers to hope that the synergy of creative researchers like Hoffman and the targeted funding of innovative nonprofits will be victorious in the fight against malaria and result in success against a host of social and health problems plaguing the poor and voiceless. VERDICT This well-written description of the ravages of tropical diseases and current efforts to combat them and the trials and triumphs of one particular scientist will enthrall interested readers.—Kathy Arsenault, St. Petersburg, FL
Wolf, Robb. The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet. Tuttle. 2010. c.300p. illus. ISBN 9780982565841. $24.95. HEALTH
In his 2002 book, The Paleo Diet, Loren Cordain (health & exercise science, Colorado State Univ.) outlined a diet high in low-fat proteins, fruits, and vegetables combined with exercise in order to be more fit and avoid “modern” illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Cordain was Wolf’s mentor. Wolf (co-owner of a fitness center in California and cofounder of the nutritional and athletic training journal The Performance Menu) proposes a diet of 15 meats, 15 vegetables, five fats, and 20 herbs and spices; provides a 30-day meal plan with menus and 60 simple but tasty-looking recipes; and includes a basic “Lifeline” exercise program including squats, lunges, and wall push-ups as well as some moves involving weights. VERDICT With chapter titles like “Grains and Leaky Gut or Keep Your Poop Where It Belongs,” Wolf’s pervasively jocular writing style won’t appeal to everyone. The lack of an index also makes it hard to get to the specifics of this diet and fitness program. Cordain’s book is better organized and easier to access, but readers wanting a cheerleader will be introduced here to what is thought to be a valid diet program. Recommended for general readers.—Marcia Welsh, Dartmouth Coll. Libs., Hanover, NH
Home Economics
Academia Barilla (text) & Lucio Rossi (photogs.). Italy’s Great Chefs and Their Secrets. White Star, dist. by Sterling. Dec. 2010. 504p. photogs. index. ISBN 9788854404519. $60. COOKING
Mario Batali and Paul Bartolotta get top billing with their short introductions to this beautiful, oversize cookbook and historical culinary tour of 30 regions of Italy. Academia Barilla, located in an old Barilla pasta factory in Parma, was founded in 2004 to develop and promote Italian gastronomy. Beginning with the northern regions and ending with the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, the reader discovers how the region’s culture is reflected in its cuisine. A specific product is highlighted for each region—hazelnuts in Piedmont, Pecorino Toscano in Tuscany—then at least one chef and restaurant are featured along with a recipe for an appetizer, a first and second course, and a dessert. Illustrated with color, often full-page, photos. VERDICT For home cooks, the recipe ingredients and techniques may be daunting; however, this large, lavish volume is more than a cookbook. An excellent source for anyone interested in the variety of cuisines in this beautiful part of the world.—Christine Bulson, SUNY at Oneonta
Farrow, Joanna. Seasonal Preserves. New Holland, dist. by Sterling. Dec. 2010. 160p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781847734389. $17.95. COOKING
Fresh, seasonal ingredients result in the best preserved foods, and winter is an ideal time for Sweet Pickled Cranberries, Marsala Steeped Raisins, and Hazelnuts in Caramel. With a variety of distinctive recipes, from chutneys to fruit butters to liqueurs, this volume gives readers new ideas for preserving foods most readily available in each season. UK-based freelance food writer Farrow is the author of several other cookbooks covering baked goods and gluten-free, Mediterranean, and vegetarian cooking. Her experience as a food stylist is reflected in this book’s beautiful photographs and engaging layout. The introduction includes a quick overview of preserve types, equipment, and techniques. VERDICT Though this is not a book for novices, those comfortable in the kitchen should be able to complete many of the recipes, which are measured in grams, liters, and ounces and use British names for some ingredients. A beautiful and appealing addition to the many recently published canning and preserving titles.—Meagan Storey, Virginia Beach
Kamozawa, Aki & H. Alexander Talbot. Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work. Clarkson Potter: Crown Pub. Group. Jan. 2011. c.320p. illus. index. ISBN 9780307717405. $25. COOKING
Readers wondering how chefs create dishes that seem to defy the science of everyday cooking now have a road map to more adventuresome kitchen craft. The science that governs techniques and ingredients frames a series of recipes in this illuminating cookbook, no surprise given that Kamozawa and Talbot, husband-and-wife chefs/consultants, write an online column for Popular Science magazine. At times the science overtakes the narrative, and readers may be tempted to skip to the promising recipes rather than slog through the explication. The authors, however, emphasize throughout how understanding the foundation of the cooking allows for greater experimentation with flavors. VERDICT Divided into the larger home cooking and shorter professional cooking sections, this book is bound to get many readers thinking of new possibilities in their kitchens. Challenging but accessible, it will be useful for cooks of many skill levels.—Peter Hepburn, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib.
Sciences
CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations): The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories. Earth Aware. 2010. 400p. ed. by Daniel Imhoff. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781601090584. $50. SCI
Imhoff (Foodfight: The Citizen’s Guide to a Food and Farm Bill) edits this oversize book surveying the current state of food-animal production. Essays are penned by well-known authors including Matthew Scully, Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Eric Schlosser, and Anna Lappé. The book is divided into eight sections centered topically on different aspects of confined animal-feeding operations. One section is primarily a photo-essay of animal factory production highlighting some of the more egregious effects that cow, poultry, swine, and other animal operations have on the environment. The text includes a resource guide, glossary, and a notes section. The pictures included are not for the faint-of-heart, as they graphically portray the brutal occurrences inherent with the mechanized state of animal production. VERDICT While this title’s coffee-table format clearly conveys its powerful anti-CAFO stance, a smaller format would have made the content more accessible for researchers. Strong-stomached animal rights enthusiasts will find this of interest.—Diana Hartle, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens
Couzens, Dominic. Atlas of Rare Birds. MIT. 2010. 240p. photogs. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780262015172. $29.95. nat hist
Couzens (Top 100 Birding Sites of the World; Bird Migration) focuses on 50 rare species worldwide in this volume published under the auspices of the respected conservation organization BirdLife International. Ten chapters, each with an introductory essay, key in on as many types of endangerment with titles such as “The Perils of Island Living,” “Rediscoveries,” and “Unexpected Calamities.” Each chapter profiles five species, and for every bird there are excellent color photographs, well-executed maps, and several pages of cogent text. The layout is attractive and inviting. VERDICT Extinction and rarity are of compelling interest to those attracted to nature, making this a fine addition to the literature of this field, which often is of use in student assignments. Highly recommended for public and undergraduate libraries and birders everywhere.—Henry T. Armistead, formerly with Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Dolnick, Edward. The Clockwork Universe: Isaac Newton, the Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern World. Harper: HarperCollins. Feb. 2011. c.384p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780061719516. $27.99. SCI
Perhaps the most important thing a reader can take from this book is a sense of just how immense were the intellectual leaps that led to concepts like calculus and the theory of gravity. At first, it seems you’re being taken in a completely different direction—nearly the first quarter of the book is spent on historical and cultural background to set the stage for subsequent revelations. Only later does Dolnick (The Forger’s Spell; Down the Great Unknown) really begin to explore the work of the intellectual giants of this era. He returns frequently to their personal and religious motivations, highlighting especially the nearly lifelong rivalry between Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz. Spinning his tale such that it seems to jump around almost at random, Dolnick nevertheless always has an interesting new insight to share, and the brief chapters enhance the feeling of a quick, fun read. VERDICT Those interested in the history of science or even just in exploring how the times in which someone lives shape his thought processes should find this volume fascinating.—Marcia R. Franklin, MLIS, St. Paul
Paul, Gregory S. The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs. Princeton Univ. 2010. 320p. illus. index. ISBN 9780691137209. $35. NAT HIST
This latest book by Paul, a leading dinosaur researcher and illustrator, is an excellent accompaniment to your standard dinosaur encyclopedias. Its strength lies is the inclusion of over 735 species, along with information on how complete the fossil skeletons representing them are, anatomical characteristics, distribution of fossil finds, the animal’s probable habitat, and what scientists believe about its behavior. The text incorporates new scientific opinion on the appearance and habitat of many dinosaurs, and it is beautifully illustrated with over 600 images depicting both skeletal anatomy and current opinions on the creatures’ appearance. Paul is an expert, having written seven books on dinosaurs as well as many technical papers and popular articles on the subject. VERDICT Though not a field guide to stuff in your backpack, this exciting addition to dinosaur reference is essential for high school through university libraries and is highly recommended for all students of dinosaurs.—Betty Galbraith, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
Technology
Meadows, Mark S. We, Robot: Skywalker’s Hand, Blade Runners, Iron Man, Slutbots, and How Fiction Became Fact. Lyons: Globe Pequot. Dec. 2010. c.240p. illus. index. ISBN 9781599219431. pap. $19.95. tech
The title and the text of We, Robot, writer/inventor Meadows’s fourth book, are a deliberate homage to sf god Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot and his fictional laws of robotics (that prevent harm to humans); laws that, Meadows notes, are now being put into practice. Written as a conversational first-person narrative of the author’s trips (principally to Japan and Los Angeles) to see robots, the work is also well researched and footnoted. The chapters are thematic, illustrated by sf film concepts. The first four sections (The Terminator, The Jetsons, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Iron Man) cover current developments, the remaining four chapters (Blade Runner, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Avatar), future trends. More than just a technology book, this work also covers philosophies and ethics surrounding the creation and use of robots. VERDICT An engaging and extensively researched work in a popular tone. It includes some mature language, which may limit it to adult collections, but young adults would enjoy it. Robotics fans and sf heads will go for this.—Sara Tompson, Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles
Fueling with foods
Matten, Glen. The 100 Foods You Should Be Eating: How To Source, Prepare, and Cook Healthy Ingredients. Sterling. Nov. 2010. 160p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781847734402. pap. $14.95. COOKING
Matten, a nutritional therapist based in the UK, purposely doesn’t use the word superfood, focusing instead on readily available supermarket items and simple strategies to incorporate whole foods into everyday eating. Entries are divided into useful categories by season, meal, or theme (e.g., “Lunch on the Go,” “Strapped for Cash”). These categories coupled with the recipes make the book user-friendly, enabling readers to browse easily for and incorporate the featured foods into daily meals. Most of the recipes are vegetarian, although a few meat and dairy products are included. Like Tonia Reinhard (Superfoods [see review, at right]), Matten discusses each food’s phytochemical content and particular nutritional strengths. Although both books have strong points, each leaves the reader feeling that they’ve just scratched the surface. VERDICT The conversational tone and simple recipes make this an easy-to-follow quick reference. One potential downside is the lack of any cohesive criteria for inclusion of foods other than Matten’s preferences. An affordable purchase where a book on this topic is needed.—Rukshana Singh, Torrance P.L., CA
Reinhard, Tonia. Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planet. Firefly. Nov. 2010. 256p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781554076840. pap. $24.95. COOKING
Reinhard, a registered dietitian, compiled this guide to 200 of the most nutrient-dense foods. The book is divided by food type with sections on vegetables and fruit, legumes, nuts and oils, herbs and spices, grains, beverages and treats, nutritional supplements, and, yes, meat! Each entry contains a brief history of the food; a reference to a medical study; vitamin, mineral, and phytochemical content; and tips on usage. Many of the foods are familiar, such as olive oil, lentils, and almonds. Lesser-known ingredients such as goji berries and spirulina are also highlighted. Although a brief glossary and nutritional tables are included, recipes would have been a useful addition. VERDICT A solid beginner’s reference, especially for those seeking the authority of medical studies. Steven Pratt and Kathy Matthews’s SuperFoods Rx offers in-depth coverage of fewer foods (plus recipes and meal plans) and may be a more realistic option for readers serious about incorporating superfoods into their daily diets.—Rukshana Singh, Torrance P.L., CA
