Lady Tan's Circle of Women - Lisa See

 

A great read from my book club.  I'd previously read her book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and enjoyed it according to my review.  This is the true story of a female Chinese physician from the 1400s who became renowned for her writings on medical treatment and medicine for women.  The writing was flowing and engaging while immersing the reader in Chinese culture over 30 years before Christopher Columbus came to America.  I loved learning about the history of women's lives and those of the elite class of people. A moving story of a legendary woman. 

Reference to the first book on forensic science: The Washing Away of Wrong Sung Tz'u

Published: 2023  Read: May 2026  Genre: Historical fiction

Moonshot - Albert Bourla

 Sub-title: Inside Pfizer's Nin-Month Race to Make the Impossible Possible

I'm an optimist, and this book supported my search for positive information about the pandemic. Dr Bourla is the chairman and CEO of Pfizer pharmaceutical company.  The book is his first person account of the development of the coronavirus at the fastest pace ever for a vaccine.  I was impressed with how the world coordinated their efforts in science, manufacturing, distribution and investment to develop the vaccine.  

Some may critically say the companies that developed the vaccine made lots of money and I call foul.  As commercial entities, yes, they will make huge profits; however, as the book illustrates, they also took huge risks in choosing the development path and ignoring financial concerns in favor of pursuing the best path for development.

The company adopted the phrase "Science Will Win" and we should all be grateful that it did.

Published: 2021  Read: March 2022  Genre: Science, History

The Spirit Catches You and then You Fall Down - Amy Fadiman

I'd remembered this author's name when I saw it on the spine so thought it would be a good choice.  I picked the book up in Pismo Beach while camping there.  I found the previous book I'd read of this author's, Ex Libris, by searching on my blog.  I'd enjoyed it a lot and this one was also a great read.

This book tells the story of Lin, a Hmong child whose family had immigrated from Laos after the Vietnam war.  Lin has a severe form of epilepsy and the way she is treated by American doctors versus the beliefs of her family and culture are the focus of the story.

I didn't know who the Hmong were so the history and cultural information was fascinating.  Their immigration struggles in the late 70's and 80's brought home the extreme difficulty of starting life over some place new. 

I was enthralled by the contrast in the belief systems of the two cultures and sadden by its impact.  A wonderful, thoughtful read.

Published:  1997  Read: September 2019  Genre: Non-fiction

This Will Kill You - HP Newquist and Rich Maloof

Sub-title: A guide to the ways in which we go

A humorous and morbid look at the many ways humans die, from disease to accident to the absurd.  The authors use a template describing how each way kills, the cause of death, science of it, time, risk, lethality, stats, notable victims and horror factor.

Published: 2009  Read: November 2018  Genre: Non-fiction

Inheritance – Sharon Moalem

Sub-title: How our genes change our lives and our lives change our genes

I got this book as a Christmas present, I think, it feeds my obsession with genealogy and DNA.  The author is an MD specializing in rare genetic and metabolic diseases.  He makes a case for studying these conditions, not only to help the patient, but as a means of discovering information that can be applied more broadly.  Of particular interest to me, is the explanation of genetic expression and epigenetics.

Genetic expression is the concept that while we may inherit a gene related to a specific disease or condition, the degree to which that disease or condition are manifest is determined by extent our genes articulate the effect.  In short, some people carrying a gene may get the related disease and others not and even others to varying intensity.

Epigenetics is the newer science examining the effect of our lifestyle and events on our genes.  Traumatic experiences of a mother as well as her diet can affect her unborn child.  There are studies that found children of parents who has experienced starvation before having children can still pass on genetic impacts.  The author defines it as “the study of changes in gene expression that result from life conditions”. 

One anecdote I enjoyed was about Dr. John Kellogg, considered a health guru in his lifetime, he lent his name to the brand.  He was an advocate for whole body vibration, or shaking the sickness out of his patients using vibration therapy.  While discredited in the past, now vibration therapy is being advocated for patients with osteoporosis because it could possibly activate the gene expression that breaks down and builds up bone.

The book provides several case studies of rare diseases that are genetically related and gets repetitive in the telling of the stories.  An interesting read with food for thought.

Published:  2014 Read:  June 2018   Genre: Science, Medicine

I Had To Survive - Dr Roberto Canessa

co-author, Pablo Vierci

This is the story of one of the 16 people that survived the plane crash in the Andes Mountains in 1972, that was told in the movie, "Alive".  Dr Canessa was one of the two boys (they were 19 years old) who hiked out from the crash.  All these years later, it is still astonishing that so many of the 45 passengers and crew survived for 70 days.

The story is told in first person by Roberto and then later in the book through interviews with his family and patients.  Dr Canessa became a renowned pediatric cardiologist, working to save newborns with malformed hearts.

His story of survival is inspiring but it is what he did with his life afterwords that is worth reading. How he provides hope to families whose children have heart problems and how he cares for them as people and not just patients is evident in the testimonials of the parents and their children.  He comes across as a modest, humble, but driven individual.

I think the story read unevenly, however because of the translation from Spanish.  The language at times seemed flowery and overly dramatic, like reading newspaper stories from the late 1800's.

I took from this book the lesson that we all have survived some experience in our lives that has shaped who we are today.  It is what we've done going forward from that experience that can make our life continue to make a difference in the world.

Published: 2016  Read: March 2016  Genre: Auto-biography, memoir

ISBN:781476765440