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Books: Text Books: Biological Sciences
Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Scienceby Atul Gawande List Price: $13.00 Available from Amazon $10.01 On 7-21-2006 
See Item's Page Product Review Gently dismantling the myth of medical infallibility, Dr. Atul Gawande's Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science is essential reading for anyone involved in medicine--on either end of the stethoscope. medical professionals make mistakes, learn on the job, and improvise much of their technique and self-confidence. Gawande's tales are humane and passionate reminders that doctors are people, too. His prose is thoughtful and deeply engaging, shifting from sometimes painful stories of suffering patients (including his own child) to intriguing suggestions for improving medicine with the same care he expresses in the surgical theater. Some of his ideas will make health care providers nervous or even angry, but his disarming style, confessional tone, and thoughtful arguments should win over most readers. Complications is a book with heart and an excellent bedside manner, celebrating rather than berating doctors for being merely human. --Rob Lightner --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Publishers Weekly Medicine reveals itself as a fascinatingly complex and "fundamentally human endeavor" in this distinguished debut essay collection by a surgical resident and staff writer for the New Yorker. Gawande, a former Rhodes scholar and Harvard medical School graduate, illuminates "the moments in which medicine actually happens," and describes his profession as an "enterprise of constantly changing knowledge, uncertain information, fallible individuals, and at the same time lives on the line." Gawande's background in philosophy and ethics is evident throughout these pieces, which range from edgy accounts of medical traumas to sobering analyses of doctors' anxieties and burnout. With humor, sensitivity and critical intelligence, he explores the pros and cons of new technologies, including a controversial factory model for routine surgeries that delivers superior success rates while dramatically cutting costs. He also describes treatment of such challenging conditions as morbid obesity, chronic pain and necrotizing fasciitis the often-fatal condition caused by dreaded "flesh-eating bacteria" and probes the agonizing process by which physicians balance knowledge and intuition to make seemingly impossible decisions. What draws practitioners to this challenging profession, he concludes, is the promise of "the alterable moment the fragile but crystalline opportunity for one's know-how, ability or just gut instinct to change the course of another's life for the better." These exquisitely crafted essays, in which medical subjects segue into explorations of much larger themes, place Gawande among the best in the field. National author tour. Copyright 2002 Cahners business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. |
Principles of Anatomy and Physiologyby Gerard J. Tortora and Bryan H. Derrickson Available from Amazon $154.95 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page Book Description The eleventh edition of Principles of Anatomy and Physiology marks a new milestone in the publication of the phenomenally successful Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. Bryan Derrickson of Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida joins Jerry Tortora as a co-author, bringing his background and expertise in physiology in balance with Jerry's focus on anatomy. The authors have maintained in the text the superb balance between structure and function and continue to emphasize the correlations between normal physiology and pathophysiology, normal anatomy and pathology, and homeostasis and homeostatic imbalances. The acclaimed illustration program is now even better thanks to the input of hundreds of professors and students and the re-development of many of the figures depicting the toughest topics for students to grasp. The eleventh edition now fully integrates this exceptional text with a host of innovative electronic media, setting the standard once again for a rewarding and successful classroom experience for both students and instructors. About The Author Gerard J. Tortora is Professor of Biology and former Coordinator at Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ, where he teaches human anatomy and physiology as well as microbiology. He received his bachelor's degree in biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and his master's degree in science education from Montclair State College. He is a member of many professional organizations, such as the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS), the American Society of Microbiology (ASM), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), National Education Association (NEA), and the Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists (MACUB). Above all, Jerry is devoted to his students and their aspirations. In recognition of this commitment, Jerry was the recipient of MACUB's 1992 President's Memorial Award. In 1996, he received a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) excellence award from the University of Texas and was selected to represent Bergen Community College in a campaign to increase awareness of the contributions of community colleges to higher education. Jerry is also the author of several best-selling science textbooks and laboratory manuals, a calling that often requires an additional 40 hours per week beyond his teaching responsibilities. Bryan Derrickson is Professor of Biology at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida, where he teaches human anatomy and physiology as well as general biology and human sexuality. He received his bachelor's degree in biology from Morehouse College and his Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Duke University. Bryan's study at Duke was in the Physiology Division within the Department of Cell Biology, so while his degree is in Cell Biology his training focused on physiology. At Valencia, he frequently serves on faculty hiring committees. He has served as a member of the Faculty Senate, which is the governing body of the college, and as a member of the Faculty Academy Committee (now called the Teaching and Learning Academy), which sets the standards for the acquisition of tenure by faculty members. Nationally, he is a member of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) and the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT). Bryan has always wanted to teach. Inspired by several biology professors while in college, he decided to pursue physiology with an eye to teaching at the college level. He is completely dedicated to the success of his students. He particularly enjoys the challenges of his diverse student population, in terms of their age, ethnicity, and academic ability, and finds being able to reach all of them, despite their differences, a rewarding experience. His students continually recognize Bryan's efforts and care by nominating him for a campus award known as the "Valencia Professor Who Makes Valencia A Better Place To Start." Bryan has received this award three times in the past 5 years.
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Chaos: Making a New Scienceby James Gleick List Price: $20.00 Available from Amazon $13.00 On 7-21-2006 
See Item's Page Product Review Few writers distinguish themselves by their ability to write about complicated, even obscure topics clearly and engagingly. James Gleick, a former science writer for the New York Times, resides in this exclusive category. In Chaos, he takes on the job of depicting the first years of the study of chaos--the seemingly random patterns that characterize many natural phenomena. This is not a purely technical book. Instead, it focuses as much on the scientists studying chaos as on the chaos itself. In the pages of Gleick's book, the reader meets dozens of extraordinary and eccentric people. For instance, Mitchell Feigenbaum, who constructed and regulated his life by a 26-hour clock and watched his waking hours come in and out of phase with those of his coworkers at Los Alamos National Laboratory. As for chaos itself, Gleick does an outstanding job of explaining the thought processes and investigative techniques that researchers bring to bear on chaos problems. Rather than attempt to explain Julia sets, Lorenz attractors, and the Mandelbrot Set with gigantically complicated equations, Chaos relies on sketches, photographs, and Gleick's wonderful descriptive prose.
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The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2005 (Best American (TM))by Jonathan Weiner and Tim Folger List Price: $14.00 Available from Amazon $10.78 On 7-21-2006 
See Item's Page From Publishers Weekly Best-of collections are like boxes of chocolates: they're ideally consumed in sittings, and the mystery of what's next adds to the enjoyment. So it is with this volume. Under the editorial guidance of Pulitzer-winning science writer Weiner (The Beak of the Finch), it tips several sacred cows, including a handful from the field of mental health. Malcolm Gladwell has two pieces, one on the insufficiencies of personality tests, another on what he argues is a thoroughly modern preoccupation with post-trauma stress. Frederick Crews's scorn isn't quite concealed as he tackles the shaky scientific evidence for Rorschach blots, while Natalie Angier's brief essayon the incompatibilities—establishment denials notwithstanding—of religious faith and science will please atheists and irk deists. William Speed Weed's amusing day-in-the-life shows the extent to which Americans are deluged with largely bogus scientific assertions—and how we unthinkingly wolf them down (again, like bonbons). The need to think critically may be the price of admission to human consciousness: capping the anthology is an article on the brain wiring that gives rise to moral impulses. "Chimps may be smart," a neuroscientist says, noting that some primates seem to have moral reactions in the absence of reason. "But they don't read Kant." (Oct. 5) Copyright © Reed business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. From Booklist Launched at the start of the century, this annual showcase of top-notch writing about diverse scientific and nature-related subjects is proving to be an invaluable gathering of not only lively reports on science but also incisive analyses of the politics of science. From its inception, science has come into conflict with fundamentalist religion, but it is shocking to see how pitched this increasingly high-stakes battle is in the here and now. Just when we urgently need clarifying public discourse about everything from pharmaceuticals to global warming, bioethics, and computers, topics broached in these pages with knowledge and finesse, American society is slipping back into a miasma of ignorance as those in power reject rock-solid scientific understandings, not to mention rationality and common sense. By way of fighting back, this year's inspired guest editor, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Weiner, has selected 25 superb essays, including such clarion responses to the current attack on science as Natalie Angier's "My God Problem--and Theirs" and James McManus' searing inquiry into the debate over stem-cell research. Donna Seaman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. |
The Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperationby Matt Ridley List Price: $15.00 Available from Amazon $9.75 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page Product Review Human life, scientific journalist Matt Ridley suggests, is a complex balancing act: we behave with self-interest foremost in mind, but also in ways that do not harm, and sometimes even benefit, others. This behavior, in a strange way, makes us good. It also makes us unique in the animal world, where self-interest is far more pronounced. "The essential virtuousness of human beings is proved not by parallels in the animal kingdom, but by the very lack of convincing animal parallels," Ridley writes. How we got to be so virtuous over millions of years of evolution is the theme of this entertaining book of popular science, which will be of interest to any student of human nature. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal Relying heavily on game theory, zoologist and science writer Ridley focuses on how cooperation evolved in the generally selfish world of humankind. The result is a fascinating tale incorporating studies in theoretical and evolutionary biology, ecology, economics, ethology, sociology, and anthropology. Ridley details many complex behaviors, such as altruism in animals and humans, and Reviews many anthropological investigations to show how these behaviors manifest themselves in differing groups. He also develops some absorbing ideas regarding extinct civilizations. Unfortunately, his conclusions are sometimes at odds with his claim that individual property rights are the key to conservation and that environmentalists are misguided. His criticisms of conservation efforts and of the concept of the "noble savage" can be one-sided, and his sources are limited. Still, the material will captivate a wide audience, including scholars who appreciate the original literature cited. Highly recommended.?Constance A. Rinaldo, Dartmouth Coll. Biomedical Lib., Hanover, N.H. Copyright 1997 Reed business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. |
Benchmarks for Science Literacy (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, Project 2061)by American Association for the Advancement of Science Available from Amazon $29.95 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page From Library Journal Benchmarks is a companion volume to the acclaimed Science for All Americans (Oxford Univ. Pr., 1990), which told us what it means to be science-literate. Intended for educators at levels K-12, Science told "what" while Benchmarks tells "how." The result of a four-year, grass-roots project developed by six teams of educators across the United States, Benchmarks is not an actual curriculum but a "tool" for teachers to use in designing curriculum that fits local needs, calls upon their imagination, and meets the grade-level standards set in Science. It is anticipated that, as a "developing product," Benchmarks will always be changing. This first printing guides teachers in meeting "thresholds" in achieving the important goal of creating science-literate adults, who can think "critically and independently" in this increasingly complex world. Essential for all school libraries. - Diane M. Fortner, Univ. of California Lib., Berkeley Copyright 1993 Reed business Information, Inc. Book Description Published to glowing praise in 1990, Science for All Americans defined the science-literate American--describing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes all students should retain from their learning experience--and offered a series of recommendations for reforming our system of education in science, mathematics, and technology. Benchmarks for Science Literacy takes this one step further. Created in close consultation with a cross-section of American teachers, administrators, and scientists, Benchmarks elaborates on the recommendations to provide guidelines for what all students should know and be able to do in science, mathematics, and technology by the end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12. These grade levels offer reasonable checkpoints for student progress toward science literacy, but do not suggest a rigid formula for teaching. Benchmarks is not a proposed curriculum, nor is it a plan for one: it is a tool educators can use as they design curricula that fit their student's needs and meet the goals first outlined in Science for All Americans. Far from pressing for a single educational program, Project 2061 advocates a reform strategy that will lead to more curriculum diversity than is common today. IBenchmarks emerged from the work of six diverse school-district teams who were asked to rethink the K-12 curriculum and outline alternative ways of achieving science literacy for all students. These teams based their work on published research and the continuing advice of prominent educators, as well as their own teaching experience. Focusing on the understanding and interconnection of key concepts rather than rote memorization of terms and isolated facts, Benchmarks advocates building a lasting understanding of science and related fields. In a culture increasingly pervaded by science, mathematics, and technology, science literacy require habits of mind that will enable citizens to understand the world around them, make some sense of new technologies as they emerge and grow, and deal sensibly with problems that involve evidence, numbers, patterns, logical arguments, and technology--as well as the relationship of these disciplines to the arts, humanities, and vocational sciences--making science literacy relevant to all students, regardless of their career paths. If Americans are to participate in a world shaped by modern science and mathematics, a world where technological know-how will offer the keys to economic and political stability in the twenty-first century, education in these areas must become one of the nation's highest priorities. Together with Science for All Americans, Benchmarks for Science Literacy offers a bold new agenda for the future of science education in this country, one that is certain to prepare our children for life in the twenty-first century. |
Integrating Inquiry Across the Curriculumby Richard H. Audet and Linda K. Jordan Available from Amazon $32.95 On 7-21-2006 
See Item's Page Product Review NSTA Recommends, October 2005 : "There is a series of concrete guidelines and suggestions for facilitating implementation of inquiry-based instruction that teachers will find very useful . . . this is a worthwhile collection of essays that could easily serve as a stimulating and beneficial book for a reading group or staff development resource." Book Description Create a whole new world of understanding in your classroom! Inquiry is a fundamental step in the student learning process, and often the least understood. In Integrating Inquiry Across the Curriculum, the authors offer a collection from leading experts on how to integrate inquiry across the K-12 curriculum. This finely edited volume enables educators to visualize inquiry as the unifying knowledge base to guide students through all major subject areas. An essential resource for curriculum supervisors, professional developers, department heads, teachers, and preservice educators, this compilation includes inquiry’s best practices, current research, and lesson ideas. It is a key for educators exploring ways to integrate material concepts that cut across a variety of content areas. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn how to make your classroom the best place it can be, where investigation and discovery learning flourish! Integrating Inquiry Across the Curriculum includes:
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Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrongby James W. Loewen List Price: $16.00 Available from Amazon $10.08 On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page From Publishers Weekly Sociology professor Loewen lambastes history textbooks as both too inaccurate and too bland to engage students. Copyright 1996 Reed business Information, Inc. From Booklist When textbook gaffes make news, as with the tome that explained that the Korean War ended when Truman dropped the atom bomb, the expeditious remedy would be to fire the editor. Loewen would rather hire a new team of authors bent on the pursuit of context instead of factoids. In Loewen's ideal text, events and people illuminating the multicultural holy trinity of race, gender, and social class would predominate over the fixation on heroes and acts of government. Such is the mood adopted throughout this critique of 12 American history texts in current use. Vetting 10 topics they commonly address--from the Pilgrims to the Vietnam War--Loewen bewails a long train of alleged omissions and distortions. To account for the deplorable situation, he offers this quasi-Marxist explanation: "Perhaps we are all dupes, manipulated by elite white male capitalists who orchestrate how history is written as part of their scheme to perpetuate their own power and privilege at the expense of the rest of us." Certainly students' appalling ignorance of history is troublesome, and broken families and excessive TV viewing are at least the equals of white male conspirators as the cause. However, libraries located where dissatisfaction with textbooks exists should be interested in Loewen's critique. Gilbert Taylor --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. |
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