Biography & Autobiography : Science & Technology

A brain scientist’s journey from a debilitating stroke to full recovery becomes an inspiring exploration of human consciousness and its possibilities. On the morning of December 10, 1996 Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke when a blood vessel exploded in the left side of her brain. A neuroanatomist by profession, she observed her own mind completely deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life, all within the space of four brief hours. As the damaged left side of her brain – the rational, grounded, detail and time-oriented side – swung in and out of function, Taylor alternated between two distinct and opposite realties: the euphoric nirvana of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace; and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized Jill was having a stroke, and enabled her to seek help before she was lost completely. In My Stroke of Insight, Taylor shares her unique perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery, and the sense of omniscient understanding she gained from this unusual and inspiring voyage out of the abyss of a wounded brain. It would take eight years for Taylor to heal completely. Because of her knowledge of how the brain works, her respect for the cells composing her human form, and most of all an amazing mother, Taylor completely repaired her mind and recalibrated her understanding of the world according to the insights gained from her right brain that morning of December 10th. Today Taylor is convinced that the stroke was the best thing that could have happened to her. It has taught her that the feeling of nirvana is never more than a mere thought away. By stepping to the right of our left brains, we can all uncover the feelings of well-being and peace that are so often sidelined by our own brain chatter. A fascinating journey into the mecha more...

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The triumphant true story of the man who achieved one of the greatest feats of our era—the mapping of the human genome Growing up in California, Craig Venter didn’t appear to have much of a future. An unremarkable student, he nearly flunked out of high school. After being drafted into the army, he enlisted in the navy and went to Vietnam, where the life and death struggles he encountered as a medic piqued his interest in science and medicine. After pursuing his advanced degrees, Venter quickly established himself as a brilliant and outspoken scientist. In 1984 he joined the National Institutes of Health, where he introduced novel techniques for rapid gene discovery, and left in 1991 to form his own nonprofit genomics research center, where he sequenced the first genome in history in 1995. In 1998 he announced that he would successfully sequence the human genome years earlier, and for far less money, than the government-sponsored Human Genome Project would— a prediction he kept in 2001. A Life Decoded is the triumphant story of one of the most fascinating and controversial figures in science today. In his riveting and inspiring account Venter tells of the unparalleled drama of the quest for the human genome, a tale that involves as much politics (personal and political) as science. He also reveals how he went on to be the first to read and interpret his own genome and what it will mean for all of us to do the same. He describes his recent sailing expedition to sequence microbial life in the ocean, as well as his groundbreaking attempt to create synthetic life. Here is one of the key scientific chronicles of our lifetime, as told by the man who beat the odds to make it happen. more...

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Learn more about 100 Most Influential People of all times - from. Buddha and Hammurabi to Thomas Edison and Brothers Wright. Their lifes, views,. and careers illustrated with drawings, photographs, and maps. Features.:.; Fully illustrated with drawings, photographs, and maps.; Navigate from Table of Contents or search for the words or phrases.; Written in clear and concise English.; Designed for optimal navigation on PDA, Smartphone, Tablet, and desktop devices.; Formatted to display on all electronic devices including Smartphones and Mobile Devices with a small display. Table of Contents.:.; Kings, Emperors and Politicians.; Religious Leaders.; Humanitarians.; Thinkers and Philosophers.; Scientists.; Inventors.; Explorers and Pioneers.; Musicians and Composers.; Writers.; Painters, Sculptors and Architects.; Stage, Screen and Photography. Kings, Emperors and Politicians. Menes (ca. 3100-3000 BC) - united Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom. Hammurabi (c.1792-1750 BC) - first king of the Babylonian Empire. Cyrus the Great (ca.576-530 BC) - founder of the Persian Empire. Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) - king of Macedon; he conquered most of the. world known to the ancient Greeks, never losing a battle. Asoka (304-232 BC) - emperor of India who converted to and spread Buddhism. Qin Shi Huang (260-210 BC) - Chinese Emperor; unified China, initiated construction. of the Great Wall of China. Hannibal (247-183 BC) Carthaginian military commander and politician. Julius Caesar (c.100-44 BC) - Roman military and political leader; key role. in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. ... Religious Leaders. Zoroaster (c.1200 BC) - ancient Iranian prophet and the founder of Zoroastrianism. Buddha (c.563-c.483 BC) - founder of Buddhism. Jesus Christ (c.6 BC-c.30 AD) - founder of Christianity. St. Paul (b. c. 10-d. c. 67 AD) - proselytizer of Christianity. Muhammad (c.570-632 AD) - Prophet of Islam; conqueror of Arabia. Martin Luther (1483-1546) - a ch more...

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Ernest Starling (1866-1927) was pre-eminent in the golden age of British Physiology. His name is usually associated with his “Law of the Heart,” but his discovery of secretin (the first hormone whose mode of action was explained) and his work on capillaries were more important contributions. He coined the word 'hormone' one hundred years ago. His analysis of capillary function demonstrated that equal and opposite forces move across the capillary wall--an outward (hydrostatic) force and an inward (osmotic) force derived from plasma proteins. Starling’s contributions include:. *Developing the "Frank-Starling Law of the Heart," presented in 1915 and modified in 1919. *The Starling equation, describing fluid shifts in the body (1896). *The discovery of secretin, the first hormone, with Bayliss (1902) and the introduction of the concept of hormones (1905). more...

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From humble beginnings as the son of a working-class family in suburban Washington state to one of the world’s richest men, Paul Allen’s life story reads like the American dream come true. But if Allen’s story is as familiar to us as any rags-to-riches tale, Allen himself has remained a curious enigma. more...

Price: $27.95