The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life
by Robert Becker
from Harper Paperbacks
The Body Electric tells the fascinating story of our bioelectric selves. Robert O. Becker, a pioneer in the filed of regeneration and its relationship to electrical currents in living things, challenges the established mechanistic understanding of the body. He found clues to the healing process in the long-discarded theory that electricity is vital to life. But as exciting as Becker's discoveries are, pointing to the day when human limbs, spinal cords, and organs may be regenerated after they have been damaged, equally fascinating is the story of Becker's struggle to do such original work. The Body Electric explores new pathways in our understanding of evolution, acupuncture, psychic phenomena, and healing.
Science and Practice of Strength Training, Second Edition
by Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky
from Human Kinetics Publishers
This new second edition of Science and Practice of Strength Training comes with many additions and changes. A new coauthor, Dr. William Kraemer, joins Dr. Vladimir Zatsiorsky in expanding on the principles and concepts needed for training athletes. Among Dr. Kraemer's contributions are three new chapters targeting specific populations—women, young athletes, and seniors—plus the integration of new concepts into the other chapters.
Together the authors have trained more than 1,000 elite athletes, including Olympic, world, continental, and national champions and record holders. The concepts they divulge are influenced by both Eastern European and North American perspectives. The authors integrate those concepts in solid principles, practical insights, coaching experiences, and directions based on scientific findings. This edition is much more practical than its predecessor; to this end, the book provides the practitioner with the understanding to craft strength training programs based on individuals' needs.
Science and Practice of Strength Training, Second Edition, shows that there is no one program that works for any one person at all times or for all conditions. This book addresses the complexity of strength training programs while providing straightforward approaches to take under specific circumstances. Those approaches are applied to new physiological concepts and training practices, which provide readers with the most current information in the science and practice of strength training. The approaches are also applied to the three new chapters, which will help readers design safe and effective strength training programs for women, young athletes, and seniors. In addition, the authors provide examples of strength training programs to demonstrate the principles and concepts they explain in the book.
The book is divided into three parts. Part I focuses on the basis of strength training, detailing concepts, task-specific strength, and athlete-specific strength. Part II covers methods of strength conditioning, delving into training intensity, timing, strength exercises, injury prevention, and goals. Part III explores training for specific populations. The book also includes suggested readings that can further aid readers in developing strength training programs.
This expanded and updated coverage of strength training concepts will ground readers in the understanding they need in order to develop appropriate strength training programs for each person that they work with.
William Franklin: Son of a Patriot, Servant of a King
by Sheila L. Skemp
from Oxford University Press, USA
When Benjamin Franklin flew his kite in a thunderstorm in his famous experiment, his illegitimate son William was his only companion. Together they traveled through the western wilds of Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War, fought in the colony's fractious political battles. Ben helped his son attain the post of Royal Governor of New Jersey, and William's government hired Ben to represent the colony in London. But when war came, father and son were split: one acclaimed as a patriot hero, the other a loyalist condemned by his countrymen.
In William Franklin, Sheila Skemp tells the story of this fascinating and complex man, a man with a foot in both worlds--he loved both King and country, and saw the interests of both as inextricably intertwined. She follows William's early years as a militia officer in the wars with the French, his life as a law student in England, and his long tenure as Royal Governor of New Jersey. Skemp highlights the close personal and political relationship between father and son, depicting such ironic episodes as William's defense of his father against charges that Ben was the author of the infamous Stamp Act. But as the years passed, Ben, in London, grew increasingly bitter toward the Crown, while William, in America, remained devoted to the King. By the time war came, their loyalties were divided, their relationship destroyed.
Skemp traces William's career through the tumult of revolution and exile. Refusing to follow his fellow royal governors into asylum, he was arrested by the patriots and jailed; his wife soon died, and his property was confiscated. Upon release, William became president of the Board of Associated Loyalists in New York, where--neglected by the British and despised by the revolutionaries--he authorized one of the most notorious atrocities of the war, the hanging of Joshua Huddy. At war's end, Franklin fled into exile in England, hated by his countrymen, and disowned by the father he still venerated, and even loved.
Sweeping and authoritative, William Franklin captures some of the great issues and personalities of the Revolutionary era, and the bitterness of a family split between father and son, patriot and loyalist.
Forensic Science of CSI
by Katherine M. Ramsland
from Berkley Trade
The CBS television show, "C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation," has captured audiences - and ratings - with its unflinchingly realistic details of forensic science, tools, and technology. This fascinating new book - written by an acclaimed biographer with a master's degree in forensic psychology - goes behind the crime-solving techniques dramatized on the TV show to examine the reality of these cutting-edge procedures.
From DNA typing and ballistics, to bitemark and blood pattern analysis, here are detailed accounts of the actual techniques used in today's crime investigations. Prominent experts in the field offer rare glimpses into cases ranging from missing persons to murder.
For fans of the television show, as well as true crime buffs and science readers - this is the real thing.
"With the mind of a true investigator, Katherine Ramsland demystifies the world of forensics with authentic and vivid detail." (John Douglas)
"Fascinating...this book is a must for anyone who wonders how the real crime-solvers do it." (Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Patient.)
Protein NMR Spectroscopy: Principles and Practice
by John Cavanagh
from Academic Press
Protein NMR Spectroscopy combines a comprehensive theoretical treatment of NMR spectroscopy with an extensive exposition of the experimental techniques applicable to proteins and other biological macromolecules in solution. Beginning with simple theoretical models and experimental techniques, Protein NMR Spectroscopy develops the complete repertoire of theoretical principles and experimental techniques necessary for understanding and implementing the most sophisticated NMR experiments.
Important new techniques and applications of NMR spectroscopy have emerged since the first edition of this extremely successful book was published in 1996. The second edition includes new sections describing measurement and use of residual dipolar coupling constants for structure determination, TROSY and deuterium labeling for application to large macromolecules, and experimental techniques for characterizing conformational dynamics. In addition, the treatments of instrumentation and signal acquisition, field gradients, multidimensional spectroscopy, and structure calculation are updated and enhanced.
Protein NMR Spectroscopy is written as a graduate-level textbook and will be of interest to biochemists, chemists, biophysicists, and structural biologists who utilize NMR spectroscopy or who wish to understand the latest developments in this field.
· Provides an understanding of the theoretical principles important for biological NMR spectroscopy
· Demonstrates how to implement, optimize and troubleshoot modern multi-dimensional NMR experiments
· Allows for the capability of designing effective experimental protocols for investigations of protein structures and dynamics
· Includes a comprehensive set of example NMR spectra of ubiquitin provides a reference for validation of experimental methods
Handbook of MRI Pulse Sequences
by Matt A. Bernstein
from Academic Press
This indispensable guide gives concise yet comprehensive descriptions of the pulse sequences commonly used on modern MRI scanners. The book consists of a total of 65 self-contained sections, each focused on a single subject. Written primarily for scientists, engineers, radiologists, and graduate students who are interested in an in-depth understanding of various MRI pulse sequences, it serves readers with a diverse set of backgrounds by providing both non-mathematical and mathematical descriptions.
The book is divided into five parts. Part I of the book describes two mathematical tools, Fourier transforms and the rotating reference frame, that are useful for understanding MRI pulse sequences. The second part is devoted to a wide variety of radiofrequency (RF) pulses, and the third part focuses on gradient waveforms. Data acquisition, image reconstruction, and physiological monitoring related to pulse sequence design form the subject of Part IV of the book. Once this foundation is established, Part V of the book describes the underlying principles, implementation, and selected applications of many pulse sequences commonly in use today.
The extensive topic coverage and cross-referencing makes this book ideal for beginners learning the building blocks of MRI pulse sequence design, as well as for experienced professionals who are seeking deeper knowledge of a particular technique.
·Explains pulse sequences, their components, and the associated image reconstruction methods commonly used in MRI
·Provides self-contained sections for individual techniques
·Can be used as a quick reference guide or as a resource for deeper study
·Includes both non-mathematical and mathematical descriptions
·Contains numerous figures, tables, references, and worked example problems
Surviving the Extremes: A Doctor's Journey to the Limits of Human Endurance
by Kenneth Kamler
from St. Martin's Press
Medical case studies can be fascinating to read, full of drama, heroism, and sometimes tragedy. Most doctors' tales take place in clinics or hospitals, but those pedestrian settings are not for Kenneth Kamler, who practices medicine outside, patching people up with surprising success under harrowing conditions. Surviving the Extremes starts with open-air surgery in the steamy jungles of the Amazon River, moves to disturbingly detailed descriptions of the many ways humans can die at sea, and from there takes white-knuckled readers through the rest of Earth's extreme environments. Krakauer fans will gasp at the book's best chapter, covering the high-altitude medical feats Kamler has performed on Mt. Everest and other peaks. "No course in medical school taught me the proper mixture of oxygen, IV fluids, and Tibetan chants to treat a subdural hematoma in below-zero temperatures on a 3-mile-high glacier," Kamler writes. Instead, he has learned the fine art of adventure doctoring by doing it, and in the process, he's won fans among the world's most prominent risk-takers. Through it all, Kamler remains fascinated by the human body's ability to heal under horrifically dangerous conditions. His medical adventures are inspiring and thrilling, as well as occasionally bloody and disgusting. In short, perfect stories of human survival. --Therese Littleton
Dr. Kenneth Kamler has spent years observing exactly what happens. A vice president of the legendary Explorers Club, he has climbed, dived, sledded, floated, and trekked through some of the most treacherous and remote regions in the world. A consultant for NASA, Yale University, and the National Geographic Society, he has explored undersea caves, crossed the frozen Antarctic wastelands, and stitched a boy's hand back together while kneeling in knee-deep Amazonian mud. He was the only doctor on Everest during the tragic expedition documented in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air and helped treat its survivors. Kamler has devoted his life to investigating how our bodies respond to "environmental insults"-a nice way of saying the things that can kill us-and watched while some succumbed to them and others, sometimes miraculously, overcome them.
Words like "extreme" and "survival" have lost some of their value from overuse and media hype. By showing us what happens when life itself is at stake, and the body's capacities put to their greatest test, this book reminds us what they truly mean. Divided into six sections-jungle, open sea, desert, underwater, high altitude, and outer space-Surviving the Extremes uses first-hand testimony and documented accounts to illustrate what happens in environments where our instinctive survival strategies must become fully engaged. These stories reveal how infinitely complex are the workings of the human body-and also how heartbreakingly fragile. At the heart of this book is a quest for the source of our will to survive and the haunting question of why some can, and others cannot, summon its awesome and nearly mystical power at their moment of greatest need.
Surgeon, explorer, and masterful storyteller, Kamler takes us to the farthest reaches of the earth as well as into the uncharted territory within the human brain. Surviving the Extremes is a scientific nail-biter no reader will forget.
Fundamentals of Biomechanics: Equilibrium, Motion, and Deformation
by Nihat Özkaya
from Springer
Biomechanics applies the principles and rigor of engineering to the mechanical properties of living systems. This book integrates the classic fields of mechanics--statics, dynamics, and strength of materials--using examples from biology and medicine. Fundamentals of Biomechanics is excellent for teaching either undergraduates in biomedical engineering programs or health care professionals studying biomechanics at the graduate level. Extensively revised from a successful first edition, the book features a wealth of clear illustrations, numerous worked examples, and many problem sets. The book provides the quantitative perspective missing from more descriptive texts, without requiring an advanced background in mathematics. It will be welcomed for use in courses such as biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation and industrial engineering, and occupational or sports medicine.
Biological Physics (Updated Edition)
by Philip Nelson
from W. H. Freeman
Biological Physics is built around a self-contained core geared toward undergraduate students who have had one year of calculus-based physics. Additional “Track-2” sections contain more advanced material for senior physics majors and graduate students.
If so, click here to read Phil Nelson's "To The Instructor":
Life in Moving Fluids
by Steven Vogel
from Princeton University Press
Both a landmark text and reference book, Steven Vogel's Life in Moving Fluids has also played a catalytic role in research involving the applications of fluid mechanics to biology. In this revised edition, Vogel continues to combine humor and clear explanations as he addresses biologists and general readers interested in biological fluid mechanics, offering updates on the field over the last dozen years and expanding the coverage of the biological literature. His discussion of the relationship between fluid flow and biological design now includes sections on jet propulsion, biological pumps, swimming, blood flow, and surface waves, and on acceleration reaction and Murray's law. This edition contains an extensive bibliography for readers interested in designing their own experiments.
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