Biography & Autobiography : Science & Technology

He was neither a mathematician nor a trained physicist and yet Léon Foucault always knew that a mysterious force of nature was among us. Like Newton, Galileo, Copernicus, and others before him, Foucault sensed a dramatic relationship between the rotating skies above and the seemingly motionless ground beneath our feet. But it wasn't until 1851 -- in Paris, inside the Panthéon, and in the company of fellow amateur scientist Napoleon III -- that Foucault swung a pendulum and demonstrated an extraordinary truth about the world: that it turns on its axis. At its heart, Pendulum is a story about the illustrious period in France during the Second Empire; the crucial triumph of science over religion; and, most compelling, the life of a struggling, self-made man whose pursuit of knowledge continues to inform our notions about the universe today. more...

Price: $11.99

An account of the history of statistics from the Fisher revolution to the computer revolution. This book sketches the careers, and highlights of the work of 65 people. It emphasises on the author's interaction with these people and includes personal anecdotes. These portraits provide a panoramic view of statistics during the period in question. more...

Price: $44.95

The first scholarly history of eccentricity. Carroll explores how discourses of eccentricity were established to make sense of individuals who did not seem to fit within an increasingly organised social and economic order. more...

Price: $99.00

This fascinating book comprises the autobiographical reminiscences and reflections of Monto Ho, M.D., a Chinese-born, American physician and widely recognized infectious disease specialist. It presents a remarkable opportunity to understand his personal history, the development of his scholarly qualities, and the logic of his scientific and cultural passions. A leader in the field over the past half a century, the author was a pioneer investigator of interferon. He made major contributions to the pathogenesis of virus infections in the immunocompromised host, especially of cytomegalovirus and other herpesvirus infections in organ transplant recipients. He built a strong science-based infectious diseases group at the University of Pittsburgh in the US. In his “second career” in Taiwan, Monto Ho changed the direction of his research to address problems that were important to that country. He recognized the threat posed by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the need to enhance the quality of training of infectious diseases physicians. These efforts paid unexpected dividends. The appropriate use of antibiotics has become an important national health priority, and there is now intense research on the devastating outbreaks of enterovirus 71 in children. more...

Price: $70.00

Strong at the Broken Places is the remarkable story of five ordinary people trapped in the complex world of serious chronic illness. In this intimate portrait, acclaimed journalist Richard M. Cohen probes lives of sickness as these individuals struggle to cope. In 2003 Cohen published Blindsided , a bestselling memoir of illness. The outpouring of support revealed to him that not only does the public want to hear from people who overcome the challenges of illness, but that in the isolated world of illness, there are people who want their voices to be heard. Strong at the Broken Places was born of the desire of many to share their stories in the hope that the sick and those who love them will see that they are not alone. Cohen spent three years chronicling the lives of five diverse "citizens of sickness": Denise, who suffers from ALS; Buzz, whose Christian faith helps him deal with his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; Sarah, a determined young woman with Crohn's disease; Ben, a college student with muscular dystrophy; Larry, whose bipolar disorder is hidden within. The five are different in age and gender, race and economic status, but they are determined to live life on their own terms. Intimately involved with these patients' lives, Cohen formed intense relationships with each, talked to their families and friends, and shared joy, even in heart-breaking setbacks. Though each individual's illness wreaks havoc in a different way, Cohen shows how their experiences are strikingly similar and offer lessons for us all—on self-determination, on courage in the face of adversity and public ignorance, on keeping hope alive, and on finding strength and peace under the most difficult of circumstances. We are strong at the broken places, stronger than we think. In sharing these inspirational and revealing stories, Richard M. Cohen and his fellow warriors against illness offer a chorus of hope. more...

Price: $19.95