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Life Without Diabetes: The Definitive Guide to Understanding and Reversing Type 2 Diabetes
by Roy TaylorTHE US EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A momentous medical breakthrough —a scientifically proven program for managing and reversing Type 2 Diabetes at any stage of health.The fastest growing disease in the world, Type 2 diabetes has long been regarded as an incurable, lifelong condition that becomes progressively worse over time, resulting in pain, loss of vision, amputation, and even premature death. But there is hope. For more than four decades, Dr. Roy Taylor has been studying the causes of diabetes. In 2017, he had a breakthrough: he found scientific proof that Type 2 diabetes is not only reversible, but that anyone following a simple regimen can prevent and cure it. Dr. Taylor’s research shows that Type 2 diabetes is caused by too much fat in the liver and pancreas, which interferes with both organs’ normal functioning. By losing less than 1 gram of fat, the liver and organ can begin to perform as they were designed to once again—thus beginning the reversal process. The most efficient way to shed fat from the liver and pancreas is to lose weight as quickly as possible. Life Without Diabetes makes it easy for people to cut back on their daily calorie intake and avoid the two big problems of dieting—hunger and choice—and lose up to 35 pounds in just eight weeks. Thanks to Dr. Taylor, we can now fundamentally change how we treat and prevent this debilitating and all-too-common disease forever.
Life Without Me
by Anna LegatA darkly and brilliantly funny look at what being a fly on the wall is really like, Life Without Me is Anna Legat’s debut novel.Georgie Ibsen is a successful, cynical, fortysomething hotshot lawyer. She runs her life, professional and personal, with precision and clear purpose. She’s just made a breakthrough in a crucial case, her family is growing more independent … things couldn’t be better.Until it all comes to a screeching halt when she’s involved in a hit-and-run and ends up in a coma.Somehow, in her comatose state, Georgie is given unique glimpses into the lives of her nearest and dearest, their most intimate secrets: her boring husband’s intense involvement with a colleague; her son’s lovelorn yearning for his mother’s nurse; her fifteen-year-old daughter’s bad boy boyfriend, who just might be linked to the criminal mastermind involved in her last big case…Throw in a neurotic actress sister, a senile mother with a traumatic past, and a smug subordinate barrister who’s out to ruin her case in her absence…oh, and a sex-god lawyer extraordinaire who’s a deeply troubled soul with a penchant for some unsavoury practices…although Georgie is out of action, life certainly isn’t boring without her!
Life after the Diagnosis: Expert Advice on Living Well with Serious Illness for Patients and Caregivers
by Steven PantilatFor a time of growing concern about living well with serious illness and getting the best possible end-of-life care, Life After the Diagnosis delivers a compassionate and sensitive guide for patients, families, and caregivers.In Life After the Diagnosis, Dr. Steven Z. Pantilat, a renowned international expert in palliative care, shares innovative approaches for dealing with serious illness, outlines the steps that patients should take, and demystifies the medical system. He makes sense of what doctors say, what they actually mean, and how to get the best information to help make the best medical decisions. Dr. Pantilat covers everything from the first steps after the diagnosis and finding the right caregiving and support, to planning your future so your loved ones don't have to. He offers advice on how to tackle the most difficult treatment decisions and discussions and shows readers how to choose treatments that help more than they hurt, stay consistent with their values and personal goals, and live as well as possible for as long as possible.
Life and Breath
by Neil SchachterThe fourth leading cause of death in the United States, COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, affects an estimated 35 million Americans. Yet only half are aware that they are seriously ill. Life and Breath, by Dr. Neil Schachter, is the first book that alerts people to their risks for COPD and explains the steps they need to take to prevent the development of this debilitating and often fatal lung disease. Life and Breathbegins witha quick quiz to rate your risk for COPD. It explains the steps of a complete pulmonary work-up and teaches you about the painless, inexpensive six-second test that can save your life. We all know that diet, exercise, and environmental changes can reduce the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. Now, for the first time,Life and Breathprovides the medical and lifestyle steps that can prevent, treat, and sometimes reverse the signs and symptoms of chronic lung disease. Dr. Schachter discusses the role of antioxidants in treating asthma and chronic bronchitis, explains why indoor exercise is better if you have irritable airways, and provides a supportive, simple, and successful plan to quit smoking. Life and Breathtakes you on a tour of your own home, pointing out sources of irritants and allergens that can cause pulmonary problems. Dr. Schachter explains how to improve indoor air quality to protect your lungs at any age, on the job, in your home, and on the road. If you are one of the 15 million Americans with asthma, or one of the 94 million current or former smokers in this country, Life and Breathis the one book you need to stay alive and well. From the Hardcover edition.
Life and Death Decisions: Fighting to save lives from disaster, disease and destruction
by Dr Lachlan McIver***'Just brilliant. The book of the decade.' - Professor Tim Flannery, Former Australian of the Year 'An honest, powerful and riveting book that demonstrates Lachlan's courage in the face of the hardest of circumstances.' - Levison Wood, Award-winning author, explorer and photographer'Wow. A hugely important and enjoyable book that will restore your faith in humanity and what is possible... Deeply moving and at times tragic but never losing a sense of optimism or hope.' - Sir Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome TrustLachlan was sixteen when he found his father dead on the side of a dirt road in North Queensland, Australia. He had suffered a sudden heart attack and died alone. It was this tragedy that motivated Lachlan to train as a doctor specialising in providing medical care for people living in remote, resource-deprived locations. Lachlan's work with the World Health Organization and Médecins Sans Frontières has taken him to some of the world's most extreme environments, from the sinking islands of the Pacific to epidemics and war zones in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. In this no-holds-barred memoir, Lachlan recounts his experiences treating patients ravaged by tropical diseases, managing war wounds with drug-resistant infections, delivering babies by the light of a head torch, dealing with the devastating effects of climate change and narrowly avoiding being kidnapped by militia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tackling such impossible problems day in and day out inevitably takes a personal toll. Lachlan is ultimately forced to face his own battles with depression, alcohol abuse and bankruptcy.Life and Death Decisions is a deeply human look at the personal cost of our broken global health system and a vital call to action.
Life and Death Rays: Radioactive Poisoning and Radiation Exposure
by Alan PerkinsThis unique book provides an accessible introduction to both the scientific background and the key people involved in the discovery and use of radiation and radioactivity. It begins by providing a short history of radiation exposures and radiation poisoning; from the early inappropriate use of X-rays and radium cures through the misadventures of the Manhattan Project and the Chernobyl disaster, to the high-profile and deliberate poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in London with polonium-210, which gave rise to worldwide media attention. The chapters provide a catalogue of deliberate criminal acts, unfortunate accidents, and inadvertent radiation exposures, exploring well-known events in detail, as well as some not so well-known occurrences. It works through the topics by focusing on human stories and events and their biological impact. In addition, it covers descriptions of the beneficial uses of radiation and radioactivity. This book can be enjoyed by any reader with a general interest in science, as well as by students and professionals within the scientific and medical communities. Key features Authored by a subject area specialist who has worked in both clinical practice and academia and was involved with the national media following incidents of national and international importance Provides a unique human perspective into well-known and some lesser known events and a concise history of the discovery of radiation and the events that followed Adds scientific and medical background to a subject of high media interest
Life and Death in Kolofata: An American Doctor in Africa
by Ellen EinterzWhen Dr. Ellen Einterz first arrives in the town of Kolofata in Cameroon, the situation is dire: patients are exploited by healthcare workers, unsterilized needles are reused, and only the wealthy can afford care. In Life and Death in Kolofata: An American Doctor in Africa, Einterz tells her remarkable story of delivering healthcare for 24 years in one of the poorest countries in the world, revealing both touching stories of those she is able to help and the terrible suffering of people born in extreme poverty. In one case, a 6-year-old burn victim suffers after an oil tanker tips and catches fire; in another story, Dr. Einterz delivers a child in the front yard of her home. In addition to struggling to cure diseases and injuries and combat malnutrition, Einterz faced another kind of danger: the terrorist organization Boko Haram had successively kidnapped foreigners from Cameroon, and they had set their sights on the American in Kolofata. It would only be a matter of time before they would come for her. Tragic, heartwarming, and at times even humorous, Life and Death in Kolofata illustrates daily life for the people of Cameroon and their doctor, documenting both the incredible human suffering in the world and the difference that can be made by those willing to help.
Life and Death in Rikers Island
by Homer VentersShining a light on the deadly health consequences of incarceration.Finalist in the PROSE Award for Best Book in Anthropology, Criminology, and Sociology by the Association of American PublishersKalief Browder was 16 when he was arrested in the Bronx for allegedly stealing a backpack. Unable to raise bail and unwilling to plead guilty to a crime he didn't commit, Browder spent three years in New York's infamous Rikers Island jail—two in solitary confinement—while awaiting trial. After his case was dismissed in 2013, Browder returned to his family, haunted by his ordeal. Suffering through the lonely hell of solitary, Browder had been violently attacked by fellow prisoners and corrections officers throughout his incarceration. Consumed with depression, Browder committed suicide in 2015. He was just 22 years old. In Life and Death in Rikers Island, Homer Venters, the former chief medical officer for New York City's jails, explains the profound health risks associated with incarceration. From neglect and sexual abuse to blocked access to care and exposure to brutality, Venters details how jails are designed and run to create new health risks for prisoners—all while forcing doctors and nurses into complicity or silence. Pairing prisoner experiences with cutting-edge research into prison risk, Venters reveals the disproportionate extent to which the health risks of jail are meted out to those with behavioral health problems and people of color. He also presents compelling data on alternative strategies that can reduce health risks. This revelatory and groundbreaking book concludes with the author's analysis of the case for closing Rikers Island jails and his advice on how to do it for the good of the incarcerated.
Life and Death in the Gombe Chimpanzees: Skeletal Analysis as an Insight into Life History (Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects)
by Claire A. KirchhoffThis book addresses how skeletons can inform us about behavior by describing skeletal lesions in the Gombe chimpanzees, relating them to known life histories whenever possible, and analyzing demographic patterns in the sample. This is of particular interest to both primatologists and skeletal analysts who have benefited from published data on a smaller, earlier skeletal sample from Gombe. The Gombe skeletal collection is the largest collection of wild chimpanzees with known life histories in existence, and this work significantly expands the skeletal sample from this long-term research site (49 chimpanzees). The book explores topics of general interest to skeletal analysts such as demographic patterns, which injuries leave signs on the skeleton, and rates of healing, and discusses both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the patterning of lesions. The book presents the data in a narrative style similar to that employed in Dr. Goodall’s seminal work The Chimpanzees of Gombe. Readers already familiar with the Gombe chimpanzees are likely to appreciate summaries of life events correlated to observable skeletal features. The book is especially relevant at this time to remind primate conservationists of the importance of the isolated chimpanzee population at Gombe National Park as well as the availability of the skeletons for study, both within the park itself as well as at the University of Minnesota.
Life and Learning of Digital Teens: Adolescents and digital technology in the Czech Republic (Young People and Learning Processes in School and Everyday Life #6)
by Jiří Zounek Libor Juhaňák Klára ZáleskáThis book describes and explains how digital technologies enter adolescents’ everyday life and learning in different contexts and environments. The book is based on research conducted in recent years in the Czech Republic, the results of which are set within a broad theoretical and international framework.The authors consider the theoretical and methodological anchoring of the topic, describing various approaches in an effort to comprehensively describe and understand the learning process of today’s pupils. They focus on ways to explore learning in the digital era, domestication of digital technology in families, and parents' approaches to digital technology. Attention is paid to adolescents’ competences and autonomy in the use of digital technologies, as well as their views on technology in their lives and learning. The authors summarize the most important results of the research, but also consider the options of empirical research and their own experience with the research of such a complex concept.
Life at a Distance: Medicine and Nationalism in India's Pan-African e-Network (Expertise: Cultures and Technologies of Knowledge)
by Vincent DuclosIn Life at a Distance, Vincent Duclos recounts the story of the Pan-African e-Network. Branded as "India's gift to the world," and as a "shining example of South-South cooperation," the Pan-African e-Network was an exceptionally ambitious project. Between 2009 and 2017 the network used satellite technology to connect hospitals across Africa with hospitals in India, providing medical education and delivering health care for patients at a distance. Duclos shows how, by accelerating the flow of expertise across continents, the network also created connected enclaves, at once commercial, infrastructural, and medical. Life at a Distance is the story of a project that, Duclos suggests, acted as a medium for speculation about the future—about medical markets, the nation, South-South relations, and a new world order beyond Western-centric scripts.
Life at the Zoo: Behind the Scenes with the Animal Doctors
by Phillip RobinsonPlease Do Not Annoy, torment, pester, plague, molest, worry, badger, harry, persecute, irk, bullyrag, vex, disquiet, grate, beset, bother, tease, nettle, tantalize or ruffle the Animals.—sign at zooSince the early days of traveling menageries and staged attractions that included animal acts, balloon ascents, and pyrotechnic displays, zoos have come a long way. The Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes in Paris, founded in 1793, didn't offer its great apes lessons in parenting or perform dental surgery on leopards. Certainly the introduction of veterinary care in the nineteenth century—and its gradual integration into the twentieth—has had much to do with this. Today, we expect more of zoos as animal welfare concerns have escalated along with steady advances in science, medicine, and technology. Life at the Zoo is an eminent zoo veterinarian's personal account of the challenges presented by the evolution of zoos and the expectations of their visitors. Based on fifteen years of work at the world-famous San Diego Zoo, this charming book reveals the hazards and rewards of running a modern zoo. Zoos exist outside of the "natural" order in which the worlds of humans and myriad exotic animals would rarely, if ever, collide. But this unlikely encounter is precisely why today's zoos remain the sites of much humor, confusion, and, occasionally, danger. This book abounds with insights on wildlife (foulmouthed parrots, gum-chewing chimps, stinky flamingoes), human behavior (the fierce competition for zookeeper jobs, the well-worn shtick of tour guides), and the casualties—both animal and human—of ignorance and carelessness. Phillip Robinson shows how animal exhibits are developed and how illnesses are detected and describes the perils of working around dangerous creatures. From escaping the affections of a leopard that thought he was a lap cat to training a gorilla to hold her newborn baby gently (instead of scrubbing the floor with it) and from operating on an anesthetized elephant ("I had the insecure sensation of working under a large dump truck with a wobbly support jack") to figuring out why a zoo's polar bears were turning green in color, Life at the Zoo tells irresistible stories about zoo animals and zoo people.
Life in Her Hands: The Inspiring Story of a Pioneering Female Surgeon
by Averil Mansfield'A great read. I am honoured to have worked with such a legend' David Nott'A role model for women' Independent'A wonderful read' Julian Fellowes'Remarkable' Lauren Laverne'Charming' GuardianWe were occasionally expected to travel by ambulance to a serious case and would always have a kit of tools and drugs ready for emergency calls. On one occasion, we were responding to a man who had fallen into the hold of a grain ship and broken his leg. I was expected to go down a pole into the ship to administer analgaesia before he could be rescued. The 'audience' of shipworkers delighted in telling me that there were rats the size of dogs down in the grain. The other problem was that this was the era of the mini skirt, and you can imagine what that meant. Following the incident, I instituted the purchase of some 'Casualty Officers Emergency Dungarees' as an addition to the kit.Averil Mansfield established herself as a pioneer in every sense of the word when she qualified as a surgeon in the early 1970s. At the time just two per cent of her colleagues were female, and she was often met with surprise, bordering on disbelief and amusement, when telling people what she did. But time and again, Averil proved herself more than capable of the role which had been her greatest dream since the age of eight. After a formidable operating career in Liverpool and London, during which she made many enduring friendships, she went on to became the UK's first ever female professor of surgery.Life in Her Hands is the remarkable story of a truly trailblazing woman. Averil's account shines light on a medical and societal world that has changed beyond measure, but which - as she shows through her experiences - still has a long way to go for the women finding their place within it.
Life in Motion: Unlocking the Secret to Healthy Aging
by University of FloridaThe University of Florida has an ambitious goal: to harness the power of its faculty, staff, students, and alumni to solve some of society’s most pressing problems and to become a resource for the state of Florida, the nation, and the world. In the upcoming decades, an unprecedented demographic shift will take place; the eighty-five and over population is projected to climb far higher than any other age group. To keep the current elderly population healthy and help prevent future generations from experiencing poor health outcomes, researchers are studying crucial connections between skeletal muscles and whole-body health. The University of Florida is at the forefront of this research, utilizing its nationally recognized excellence in the fields of muscle biology and exercise physiology to discover unique ways to preserve muscle health in the aging and those with diseases. Find out how the proteins within muscle can be manipulated to reduce recovery times for individuals who are bedridden. Learn how older, elite athletes have resisted the inevitable degeneration that comes with aging, and how intermittent fasting may help you live longer and healthier. Step inside the lab where a researcher is uncovering the origins of cancer cachexia—a wasting syndrome responsible for 20 percent of cancer deaths worldwide—to improve the lives of patients. The loss of skeletal muscle through disease, disuse, or aging is associated with a host of poor health outcomes, but promising new avenues of research are being studied every day at the University of Florida to make for a healthier tomorrow. The stories chronicled in GATORBYTES span all colleges and units across the UF campus. They detail the far-reaching impact of UF’s research, technologies, and innovations—and the UF faculty members dedicated to them. Gatorbytes describe how UF is continuing to build on its strengths and extend the reach of its efforts so that it can help even more people in even more places.
Life in Pain: Affective Economy and the Demand for Pain Relief
by John L. FitzgeraldThis book explores pain in a number of ways. At the heart of the book is an extension of Melzack’s neuromatrix theory of pain into the social, cultural, and economic fields. Specific assemblages involving varied institutions, flows of capital, encounters, and social and economic structures provide a framework for the formation of pain, its perception, experience, meaning, and cultural production. Complementing the extended neuromatrix is a second theory, focussed on the propensity of western market capitalism to seek out new areas of life to subsume to capital. Pain is one such life area that is now ripe for exploitation. Although the book has theory at its heart, it draws extensively on case studies to identify the contradictions and complexities. Case studies are drawn from accounts of drug use in varied contexts such as prescription drugs, methamphetamine use, oxycodone use in North America, and the global rise of the medicinal cannabis marketplace.
Life in Rewind: The Story of a Young, Courageous Man Who Persevered Over OCD and the Harvard Doctor Who Broke All the Rules to Help Him
by Edward E. Zine Terry Weible Murphy Michael A. Jenike“A surprising tale of success by medical science confronted with a nearly insurmountable disorder. Well-rounded, powerful, and inspirational.”—Kirkus Reviews In the vein of Manic and Girl, Interrupted, and the popular stories of Oliver Sacks, Life in Rewind is the captivating true story of promising young athlete Ed Zine’s sudden descent into severe mental illness, and the brilliant Harvard doctor, Michael A. Jenike, who broke through the boundaries of traditional medicine to save him. Written by Terry Weible Murphy with Zine and Jenike, Life in Rewind provides a shocking picture of severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the surprising and unorthodox lengths to which a doctor goes to help his patient. The Washington Times calls this, “[An] extraordinary story.” It is that and much more.
Life in the Age of Insulin: A Brief History (Copernicus Books)
by Edwin GaleLife in the Age of Insulin offers a straightforward and jargon-free narrative account of how insulin was discovered, what it does, why people still struggle to obtain it, and what the future might hold. It tells of the creative power that emerges when many people work towards a common goal, and of collective strength founded upon the limitations of individuals. It envisages a future of competitive insulin pricing and revolutionary therapies, kindling hope for health equity. With over 70 million insulin users world-wide, this book bridges the gap for patients and families. It will appeal to health professionals, to those intrigued by science, and to anyone who likes a good story. Life in the Age of Insulin is an empathetic and enlightening saga of science, society and human resilience.
Life in the Frozen State
by Nick Lane Barry J. Fuller Erica E. BensonWhile it is barely 50 years since the first reliable reports of the recovery of living cells frozen to cryogenic temperatures, there has been tremendous growth in the use of cryobiology in medicine, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and the conservation of endangered or economically important species.As the first major text on cryobiolog
Life in the Victorian Asylum: The World of Nineteenth Century Mental Health Care
by Mark StevensA vivid portrait of the day-to-day experience in the public asylums of nineteenth-century England, by the bestselling author of Broadmoor Revealed. Life in the Victorian Asylum reconstructs the lost world of nineteenth-century public asylums. This fresh take on the history of mental health reveals why county asylums were built, the sort of people they housed, and the treatments they received, as well as the enduring legacy of these remarkable institutions. Mark Stevens, a professional archivist, and expert on asylum records, delves into Victorian mental health hospital documents to recreate the experience of entering an asylum and being treated there—perhaps for a lifetime. Praise for Broadmoor Revealed &“Superb.&” —Family Tree magazine &“Detailed and thoughtful.&” —Times Literary Supplement &“Paints a fascinating picture.&” —Who Do You Think You Are? magazine
Life on Delay: USA Today Book Club
by John HendricksonA NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • USA TODAY BOOK CLUB PICK • ONE OF AUDIBLE'S BEST BIOS AND MEMOIRS OF 2023 • &“A raw, intimate look at [Hendrickson's] life with a stutter. It&’s a profoundly moving book that will reshape the way you think about people living with this condition.&”—Esquire • A candid memoir about a lifelong struggle to speak. &“Life On Delay brims with empathy and honesty . . . It moved me in ways that I haven&’t experienced before. It&’s fantastic.&”—Clint Smith, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller How the Word Is Passed&“I can&’t remember the last time I read a book that made me want to both cry and cheer so much, often at the same time.&”—Robert Kolker, best-selling author of Hidden Valley RoadIn the fall of 2019, John Hendrickson wrote a groundbreaking story for The Atlantic about Joe Biden&’s decades-long journey with stuttering, as well as his own. The article went viral, reaching readers around the world and altering the course of Hendrickson&’s life. Overnight, he was forced to publicly confront an element of himself that still caused him great pain.He soon learned he wasn&’t alone with his feelings: strangers who stutter began sending him their own personal stories, something that continues to this day. Now, in this reported memoir, Hendrickson takes us deep inside the mind and heart of a stutterer as he sets out to answer lingering questions about himself and his condition that he was often too afraid to ask.In Life on Delay, Hendrickson writes candidly about bullying, substance abuse, depression, isolation, and other issues stutterers like him face daily. He explores the intricate family dynamics surrounding his own stutter and revisits key people from his past in unguarded interviews. Readers get an over-the-shoulder view of his childhood; his career as a journalist, which once seemed impossible; and his search for a romantic partner. Along the way, Hendrickson guides us through the evolution of speech therapy, the controversial quest for a &“magic pill&” to end stuttering, and the burgeoning self-help movement within the stuttering community. Beyond his own experiences, he shares portraits of fellow stutterers who have changed his life, and he writes about a pioneering doctor who is upending the field of speech therapy.Life on Delay is an indelible account of perseverance, a soulful narrative about not giving up, and a glimpse into the process of making peace with our past and present selves.
Life on a Knife’s Edge: A Brain Surgeon’s Reflections on Life, Loss and Survival
by Dr Rahul Jandial'It's a brilliant book... There are lessons in every paragraph... Get it now.' Chris Evans'Wonderous and wild. I loved this book' James Nestor, bestselling author of Breath 'Moving, raw and unflinching' Julia Samuel, bestselling author of This Too Shall Pass'Incredible storytelling' Dr Rangan Chatterjee, bestselling author of Feel Better in 5____________________________________________________________________________How do you carry on when things go deadly wrong?When Dr Rahul Jandial operated on Karina, an eleven-year-old girl whose spinal cord was splitting in two, he had to make an impossible decision. He followed his head over his gut and Karina was left permanently paralysed, altering both patient and surgeon's lives for ever. This decision would haunt Rahul for decades, a constant reminder of the fine line between saving and damaging a life.As one of the world's leading brain surgeons, Rahul is the last hope for patients with extreme forms of cancer. In treating them, he has observed humanity at its most raw and most robust. He has journeyed to unimaginable extremes with them, guiding them through the darkest moments of their lives.Life on a Knife's Edge is Rahul's poetic and beautifully written account of the resilience, courage and belief he has witnessed in his patients, and the lessons about human nature he has learned from them. It is about the impossible choices he has to make, and the fateful consequences he is forced to live with.From challenging the ethics of surgical practices, to helping a patient with locked-in syndrome communicate her dying wish to her family, Rahul shares his extraordinary experiences, revealing the depths of a surgeon's psyche that is continuously pushed to its limits.
Life on the Edge: Amazing Creatures Thriving in Extreme Environments
by Michael GrossCan life exist in the Antarctic ice, in the deep subsurface, in dilute sulfuric acid, in hot springs-even on Mars? What degree of high or low temperature, pressure, or salt concentration can living cells tolerate? In recent years, scientists have discovered many single-cell creatures that exist in-in fact, are perfectly adapted to-extreme environments that were considered uninhabitable just one or two decades ago. In Life on the Edge, author Michael Gross explores how microorganisms adapt to their hostile environments and how they affect our current definition of the "normal" conditions for life. He also describes the vast implications of these extremophiles and other amazing creatures-from potential breakthroughs in medicine and biotechnology to the search for life elsewhere in the universe.
Life on the Ground Floor
by James MaskalykA celebrated humanitarian doctor's unique perspective on sickness, health and what it is to be alive.In this deeply personal book, humanitarian doctor and activist James Maskalyk, author of the highly acclaimed Six Months in Sudan, draws upon his experience treating patients in the world's emergency rooms. From Toronto to Addis Ababa, Cambodia to Bolivia, he discovers that although the cultures, resources and medical challenges of each hospital may differ, they are linked indelibly by the ground floor: the location of their emergency rooms. Here, on the ground floor, is where Dr. Maskalyk witnesses the story of "human aliveness"--our mourning and laughter, tragedies and hopes, the frailty of being and the resilience of the human spirit. And it's here too that he is swept into the story, confronting his fears and doubts and questioning what it is to be a doctor. Masterfully written and artfully structured, Life on the Ground Floor is more than just an emergency doctor's memoir or travelogue--it's a meditation on health, sickness and the wonder of human life.
Life on the Line: Young Doctors Come of Age in a Pandemic
by Emma GoldbergThe gripping account of six young doctors enlisted to fight COVID-19, an engrossing, eye-opening book in the tradition of both Sheri Fink’s Five Days at Memorial and Scott Turow’s One L. In March 2020, soon-to-graduate medical students in New York City were nervously awaiting “match day” when they would learn where they would begin their residencies. Only a week later, these young physicians learned that they would be sent to the front lines of the desperate battle to save lives as the coronavirus plunged the city into crisis. Taking the Hippocratic Oath via Zoom, these new doctors were sent into iconic New York hospitals including Bellevue and Montefiore, the epicenters of the epicenter. In this powerful book, New York Times journalist Emma Goldberg offers an up-close portrait of six bright yet inexperienced health professionals, each of whom defies a stereotype about who gets to don a doctor’s white coat. Goldberg illuminates how the pandemic redefines what it means for them to undergo this trial by fire as caregivers, colleagues, classmates, friends, romantic partners and concerned family members.Woven together from in-depth interviews with the doctors, their notes, and Goldberg’s own extensive reporting, this page-turning narrative is an unforgettable depiction of a crisis unfolding in real time and a timeless and unique chronicle of the rite of passage of young doctors.
Life or Death
by Daniel J. BaumA understandable overview of the laws regarding euthanasia, end-of-life treatment, and medication of those who may be unable to decide for themselves if the treatment is necessary. <p><p> Our bodies are ours to control, free from state interference — or so it appears. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.” <p> But, how absolute is this? Do parents have the final decision in determining the medical care of their children, even if that choice may mean death? May children override the choices of their parents as to medical care? What role, if any, does the state (or the courts) have in reviewing individual medical choices, even if those choices are made by an adult but could result in death? Can physicians insist that their patients must have certain medical treatments? Do the terminally ill have the right to ask for assistance in dying? <p> These are among the questions upon which Canadian judges must rule. When and how they reach decisions are explored in Life or Death: A Matter of Choice?