Written both for family and friends as well as for anesthesiologists and anesthesia researchers, Autobiography of a Persistent Anesthesiologist is the fascinating story of the life and accomplishments of Dr. Edmond I. “Ted” Eger II in his own words. Both conversational and educational, this unique volume covers the family history, training, and storied career of a remarkable man and esteemed anesthesiologist and researcher. Family stories, a love of mountain climbing, and personal life events are conveyed in an informal style as if the reader is having a conversation with the author; scientific topics such as MAC, pharmacokinetics, and mechanisms of anesthetic action are covered in a precise, detailed manner intended to deepen readers’ understanding of the clinical concepts that govern inhaled anesthetic pharmacology, making them easier to understand an incorporate into practice. In this autobiography, the science of anesthetic pharmacology is inseparable from other aspects of Dr. Eger’s story—just as it was in his life.
In Permanent Present Tense Suzanne Corkin tells the incredible story of the amnesiac Henry Gustave Molaison - known only as H.M. until his death in 2008 - and what he taught medical science, neuroscience and the world. In 1953, at the age of twenty-seven, Molaison underwent an experimental psychosurgical procedure intended to alleviate his debilitating epilepsy. The outcome was devastating - when Molaison awoke he was unable to form new memories and for the rest of his life would be trapped in the moment. But Molaison's tragedy would prove a gift to humanity, illuminating functions and structures of the brain and revolutionizing the neuroscience of memory. His amnesia became a touchstone for memory impairment in other patients. For nearly five decades, distinguished neuroscientist Suzanne Corkin studied Molaison and oversaw his care. Her account of his life and legacy in Permanent Present Tense reveals an intelligent man who, despite his profound amnesia, was altruistic, friendly, open, and humorous. She explores how his case transformed an entire field, helping to address eternal questions. How do we store and retrieve memories? How do we know that there are different kinds of memory, controlled by different brain circuits? Is our identity bound up with remembering? If you can recall people or events for only a few seconds and cannot learn from the past or plan the future, can you still live a meaningful life? Permanent Present explores the astonishing complexity of the human brain with great clarity, sensitivity, and grace, showing how one man's story challenged our very notions of who we are. Suzanne Corkin is Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience and head of the Corkin Lab at MIT. The author of nine books, Corkin lives in Charlestown, Massachusetts. 'A fascinating account of perhaps the most important case study in the history of neuroscience, rich with implications for our understanding of the brain, our experience, and what it means to be human' Steven Pinker, author of 'How the Mind Works' and 'The Stuff of Thought' 'The best way to understand memory is to witness the ways it can disassemble. In this remarkable book, Suzanne Corkin gifts us with a rare insider's view, revealing how a man who could not remember his immediate past so profoundly influenced science's future' David Eagleman, neuroscientist and New York Times-bestselling author of 'Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain' 'Suzanne Corkin has written an enjoyable and sensitive story of H.M.'s life and what it has taught us about memory. Millions of patients have been the source of advances in science but few are celebrated as individuals. We learn through H.M. that 'Our brains are like hotels with eclectic arrays of guests-homes to different kinds of memory, each of which occupies its own suite of rooms' Philip A. Sharp, Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 'Drawing on her unique investigations over more than four decades, neuroscientist Suzanne Corkin relates the fascinating story of how one severely amnesic man transformed our understanding of mind, brain, and memory' Howard Gardner, author of 'Multiple Intelligences'
Divine Strength of Mind tells the story of Raj Williams's life-threatening illnesses of Olympian proportions and the way they affected her life. It also touches on her life in India and America and how this background shaped her to be a strong-willed person who knows no fear and believes in the strength of prayers. She is convinced that her recovery from major illnesses would not have been possible if it had not been for her strong faith in God and her incredible network of support from her family, friends, and neighbors. Raj was first diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2003, which was mostly removed the same year. Since she was pregnant at the time of surgery, however, the tumor was not completely removed and started to grow back; she therefore had to undergo a second surgery in 2007. One week before her second surgery, Raj was diagnosed with breast cancer, for which she had cancer surgery in 2008, followed by chemotherapy and radiation the same year. Raj attributes her survival from these major illnesses to her faith in God, her mother's prayers, great doctors, and a huge support system comprising of friends and neighbors in Annapolis, Maryland. Raj believes she had the best doctors, the best of friends, and neighbors a person can have, and that it took the joint eff ort of all these individuals to heal her! "Your book is really quite something. Reading your book gives me further insight into what you went through with both your brain tumor and breast cancer. How you wove this into your entire life is fascinating" Dr. Stanley Watkins, Jr., M.D., Annapolis Oncology Center "Now that I have read your book, I can tell you this... Unbelievable! It's hard to even imagine one person going through all that you have. You are one tough cookie! It's like a movie, except that I know it all to be true. Your words can be very motivational". Tim Sharpe, President, Adrian R'Mante Young Actors Camp, Hollywood, CA
One of the world's leading woman politicians tells her inspiring story At forty-one, Gro Harlem Brundtland, physician and mother of four, was appointed prime minister of Norway-the youngest person and the first woman ever to hold that office. In this refreshingly forthright memoir, Brundtland traces her unusual and meteoric career. She grew up with strong role models-her parents were active in the Norwegian resistance and involved in postwar politics. She became known as a pro-choice crusader in the seventies and entered politics as the minister of the environment. She appointed eight women to her second eighteen-member cabinet, to this day a world record, and was the leading figure in the process that led to the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. As director-general of the World Health Organization since 1997, Brundtland is the first woman elected to run a major UN institution. Along the way, she met a host of international politicians, including Margaret Thatcher-who did not share Brundtland's view on feminism-Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan, and Hillary Clinton. Brundtland writes candidly and with humor about raising children in the political limelight and about dealing with political opposition and stereotypes about women. Hers is a fascinating story of one person's ability to make a difference-globally.
Edited and written by an international "who's who" of more than 100 authors, including anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, bench scientists, a surgeon, and representatives of industry, this text provides a comprehensive history of anesthesia, unique in its focus on the people and events that shaped the specialty around the world, particularly during the past 70 years when anesthesia emerged from empiricism and developed into a science-based practice.
The term arthrogryposis describes a range of congenital contractures that lead to childhood deformities. It encompasses a number of syndromes and sporadic deformities that are rare individually but collectively are not uncommon. Yet, the existing medical literature on arthrogryposis is sparse and often confusing. The aim of this book is to provide individuals affected with arthrogryposis, their families, and health care professionals with a helpful guide to better understand the condition and its therapy. With this goal in mind, the editors have taken great care to ensure that the presentation of complex clinical information is at once scientifically accurate, patient oriented, and accessible to readers without a medical background. The book is authored primarily by members of the medical staff of the Arthrogryposis Clinic at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, one of the leading teams in the management of the condition, and will be an invaluable resource for both health care professionals and families of affected individuals.
Designed for easy transport and quick reference, Pocket Anesthesia, presents essential information that residents, anesthesiologists, CRNAs, and medical students need on the wards and in the operating room. Edited by anesthesia faculty at Harvard Medical School, this pocket-size reference is ideally suited for today's fast-paced anesthesia environment--it is concise, easy to read, and evidence-based. Essential information is presented in a well-organized schematic outline format with many tables, algorithms, and diagrams. The book is filled with must-know facts about drugs, frequent intraoperative problems, differential diagnosis, common disease states, patient evaluation, and anesthetic considerations for each subspecialty. New to the revised, second edition, is the inclusion of ultraound-guided regional anesthesia procedures.