Book Lovers Club
Comments
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The future of medicine is fascinating - and I find Dr. Topol to be truly brilliant.
I love my new Kindle Paperwhite, am able to read at night without disturbing DH. My reading has almost crept to a halt lately, due to a big project that thankfully will end in late April. Need to finish up the books that I've started so that I can move on to other great suggestions made here.
So many books, too little time!
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Minus....Check out the OP written by Konakat, aka Elizabeth (may she RIP).....There's been a handful of medical books that have slipped into our thread. The Emperor of Maladies and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down come to mind. Both boths have become "classics" and are read by the mainstream....
I posted the video of Dr. Topol just to whet your appetites. The book goes way beyond what our smartphones can do and what we can do with that data. Collecting the data from ALL of us and then using that data to find new meaning is what's so exciting. Think back to the day when they invented the microscope and for the first time we could see "things." That's what's going to happen in the future with this digital/technology revolution. We're going to see "things" that we never saw before. And that future is occurring NOW....
Not sure if anyone saw last week's news about drug interactions and Google...This is just one fine example coming to fruition that Dr. Topol had envisioned. The book even has a chapter devoted to genetics which many of us are now familiar with because of our journey. Here's last week's news that gives us all a glimpse into the future:
How Our Web Searches Could Expose Drug Side Effects
By Alexandra SifferlinMarch 07, 2013(CONTINUE READING THE NEXT POST)
Researchers looking for previously undiscovered drug side effects are turning to web searches for answers.
"When drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are vetted for potential side effects, and drug makers are required to divulge these on their products’ labels. But not all side effects emerge in the short term studies that manufacturers conduct, so many only come to light when hundreds of thousands, and even millions of people start using a medication. And what better way, a group of researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Microsoft Research decided, to suss out some of these unexpected side effects than to turn to where people are most likely to report, share and ask about them — the internet.
The researchers combed through a year of web search history from 6 million Internet user volunteers. Using automated tools, the scientists were able to to mine anonymous data from 82 million drug-symptom and condition searchers made by the participants who agreed to let the users install a Microsoft plug-in to monitor their history."
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Researchers looking for previously undiscovered drug side effects are turning to web searches for answers.
"When drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are vetted for potential side effects, and drug makers are required to divulge these on their products’ labels. But not all side effects emerge in the short term studies that manufacturers conduct, so many only come to light when hundreds of thousands, and even millions of people start using a medication. And what better way, a group of researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Microsoft Research decided, to suss out some of these unexpected side effects than to turn to where people are most likely to report, share and ask about them — the internet.
The researchers combed through a year of web search history from 6 million Internet user volunteers. Using automated tools, the scientists were able to to mine anonymous data from 82 million drug-symptom and condition searchers made by the participants who agreed to let the users install a Microsoft plug-in to monitor their history."
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JoyH, I, too, love my Kindle Paperwhite because I can read in bed, with the lights out, without disturbing DH. We've both had Kindles for a few years, but the clicking as we turned pages on the older ones drove us both crazy as we trued to sleep. I had a sleep mask but that methodical clicking was annoying, like a faucet dripping!
I'm now reading ' We Band of Angels,' recommended here, about WWII nurses on Bataan and Corregidor.0 -
A friend just lent me a Greg Iles book... Turning Angel.... cant put it down.
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wave haha - it did sound like a dripping faucet! Agree about the clicking noise on the older Kindles - and love that now a light tap of the finger on the screen turns the page!
Clear and very cold day today. Will get out for some exercise and then have a glorious day ahead planned to do not much else but read!
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While I'm not thrilled that I'm awake and online at 3 am, it did lead to me finding this thread, so that makes it worthwhile.
A brief intro...I am almost 2 weeks out from my lumpectomy and SNB. I also have fibro, so pain keeps me up a lot. I love this thread because I am a high school librarian, book reviewer for several review periodicals, and a voracious reader. I love most non-fiction, mysteries, thrillers and historical memoirs.
I am currently listening to a great book...first in a series. A Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Flaming. They take place in upstate NY, and feature an agnostic small town chief and threw new preacher in town, who happens to be female (and very confusing to the old guard). Well-written, solid mystery fare.
If you have a sense of humor and would like to travel to India, you'd enjoy Tarquin Hall's, most private detective series, starring Vish Puri, aka Chubby. They are a good fun read, but they are even better in audio.
Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I already love this thread! Great to meet you all. Any errors are the responsibility of this damn tablet that I can't stop from correcting things!
Lynn0 -
hi Lynn, welcome!
Monica, FYI there's a new "In Death" book by J.D. Robb topping the bestseller list.
Thanks for the rec of Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure, sounds like a good one, along with My Year with Eleanor. Two people I admire. Also on my list is Maeve Binchy's final book A Week in Winter and a new non-fiction Salt Sugar Fat. Description: a New York Times reporter reveals how food companies use science to encourage us to consume more of their products.
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Hi, LL! Badger, I just ordered the hardcover of Calculated in Death. I.am re reading the shirt stories of the series so I can crack it open the minute it comes in I have now officially reread ALL the series, all 36 of them. Adding the anthologies, there are 5 of those, I read a.lot. I can't wait to get to the new one. I really love all the characters. Feels like i am visiting with friends when I reread them. Also, its Way cheaper, as I can read a book a day, and that adds up. LOL
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So my friend got a new car two weeks ago and it's sitting in the garage because she's afraid to drive it. I told her to read My Year with Eleanor. She called to say she just finished reading the first chapter and loved it. Not sure if she really loves the book, is trying to appease me or is looking for an excuse not to get behind the wheel....Going to give her a few days... maybe with a couple of chapters under her belt, she'll open the garage... Stay tuned!
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Anyone hear of this new book...The Supremes at Earl's All-You Can Eat? It's a NOVEL and is getting terrific reviews ... I am starting it now...
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VR, thanks for the Topol title. Looking forward to reading that one soon. I am all for good medical nonfiction.
Re-reading THE IMMORTAL LIFEL OF HENRIETTA LACKS for bookclub. As good this time around as the first. Science has come a long way.
Next up will be DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC by Candace Millard, then EVIDENCE OF THINGS UNSEEN by Marianne Wiggins, which will be another re-read for bookclub. I generally do NOT re-read, but this one is one of my top 10 of the past decade, and I'm actually looking forward to it. I was thrilled that someone else in bookclub thought enough about it to nominate it, otherwise I was planning on it.
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The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
A story that spans from pre-WWII England to now, as a middle aged actress tries to unravel her mother's mysterious and haunting past. Lots of twists, turns and suprises. Very good....keeps you suprised all the way through
I have The Aviator's Wife, novel about Anne Morrow and her marriage to Charles Lindberg, on deck & then will check out Harry and Eleanor.....
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Ruth, recently finished 'The Aviator's Wife.' Very good and certainly gives you a different perspective on the famous Mr. Lindbergh.
Almost finished with ' We band of angels.' I had no idea what our men and women endured on Bataan and Corregidor. Chilling.0 -
Wave...My beloved father served in the Philippines during WWII! He didn't talk much about his experience. I'm also a military buff and watch a lot of shows on the Military Channel...Don't ask me why?? I think I picked up the habit from my younger son who always watched it, so I guess maybe that's how I got hooked. He left home 7 or 8 years ago and I STILL watch it....
Speaking of WWII....I'm reminded of the recent death of the character actor Charles Durning. I adored his performances! The Sting is one of my favorite films of all time! When he passed, I read his obituary. When it comes to profiles in courage, he's the man! I would LOVE to read a biography of his life. Here's some info on his WWII experience that I ripped from Wiki:
Military service
Durning served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Drafted at age 21, he was first assigned as a rifleman with the 398th Infantry Regiment, and later served overseas with the 3rd Army Support troops and the 386th Anti-aircraft Artillery (AAA) Battalion.
Durning participated in the Normandy Invasion of France on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and was among the first troops to land at Omaha Beach. In episode "S03E09" of the television program Dinner for Five, which also included Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise and Charles Nelson Reilly, Reynolds spoke about Durning's service career for him, as Durning did not like to talk about it much. Reynolds revealed that Durning was in a group of gliders who overshot their landing zone and that he had to fight alone all the way back to the beach. Reynolds also stated that his own father was there fighting about 15 yards away and that Durning was probably the most decorated veteran (then) still alive from World War II.[11] Some sources state that he was with the 1st Infantry Division at the time,[12] but it is unclear if he served as a rifleman or as a member of one of the division's artillery battalions.
Durning was wounded by a German “S” Mine on June 15, 1944 at La Mare des Mares, Normandy. He was transported to the 24th Evacuation Hospital and by June 17 he was in England at the 217th General Hospital. He was severely wounded by shrapnel in the left and right thighs, the right hand, the frontal head region, and the anterior left chest wall. Durning recovered quickly and was determined to be fit for duty on December 6, 1944. He arrived back at the front in time to take part in the Battle of the Bulge, the German counter-offensive through the Ardennes Forest of Belgium and Luxembourg in December 1944.[13][14] Subsequently, Durning was at one point captured by the Germans and reportedly narrowly escaped a massacre of prisoners.[15] (Whether this was the famed Malmedy massacre is a matter of dispute, since no official record of Durning's name associated with the massacre has been found, and Durning himself did not publicly claim to have been there.)
After being wounded again, this time in the chest, Durning was returned to the United States. He remained in Army hospitals until being discharged with the rank of Private First Class on January 30, 1946.
Durning was known for participating in various functions to honor American veterans. He was the chairman one year of the U.S. National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans.[16] He was an honored guest speaker at the National Memorial Day Concert for many years, televised by PBS every year on the Sunday evening of Memorial Day weekend.
For his valor and the wounds he received during the war, Durning was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Heart medals.[17] Additional awards include the World War II Victory Medal.[18]
In April 2008, Durning received the National Order of the Legion of Honor from the French consul in Los Angeles, awarded to those who served with distinction in France. During the ceremony, Durning spoke about his wartime experiences.[19]
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Eric Topol is the new medical director (I probably have the title wrong and to lazy to look it up but you get my drift) at Medscape.
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Luv...I could go on and on and on about Dr. Topol! I first became aware of him when he founded theheart.org website....I've followed his career, even wishing him success, following his departure from the Cleveland Clinic. I have always been pleasantly surprised to receive personal emails from him when I've written to him. By coincidence, my older son now works in San Diego and has had the pleasure of collaborating with Dr. Topol on some common assignments. Because my son works in Dr. Topol's world, I guess you can say I have a "pulse" on what's going on and it excites me....
Last year, Dr. Topol personally gave my son an autographed copy of his book for me. When I finally got my hands on The Creative Destruction of Medicine and read it, it just blew me away!!!
Last week, the DH and I visited one of his cardiologists and I asked him if he had finally read Dr. Topol's book. I think I must sound like a broken record because every time we visit a physician, I ask them if they've read his book. To my surprise, the cardiologist told me that he did in fact read Dr. Topol's book and thought it was fantastic. Furthermore, he just returned from a Technology and Medicine symposium in New Orleans and Dr. Topol was the keynote speaker. I asked what the audience thought of Dr. Topol's presentation and he said that in his humble opinion, "Dr Topol is a rock star and visionary."
Yep!
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Since there is so much interest in WW2 History, I would like to share with you my cousin Aaron Elson and his passion is recording the stories of WW2 veterans. Here is a link to his website
http://www.audiomurphy.com/ and a description from the website:
"Aaron started interviewing WWII veterans more than two decades ago when he attended a reunion of his father's tank battalion. Since then, he has gathered over 600 hours of their stories and presents them here in the veterans' own voices. These are the stories that documentaries leave on the cutting room floor, that authors can't fit into popular histories. They are stories about courage and fear, about food and drink, about life and death and love and loss, about wounds and tonsillectomies, about General Patton and general confusion.
these are the stories that introduce the greatest generation to the latest generation..."
He has compiled and transcribed some tapes into print, others are available in cd form and excerpts can be listened to for free on the website. The interviews are those who were fighting in Europe and most those in tank battalions. I have enjoyed reading about the same battle from different soldiers' points of view.
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Greetings.....I've been away from this site for a bit, taking a little rest from the BC world. I recently joined a local book club so thought I'd check in here to see what ya'll have been reading. Thanks for all the great suggestions, can't decide where to start.....maybe the Eric Topol book, sounds fascinating.
My book club just started The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillip Sendker with a setting in Burma, I'm only a few chapters in and it's interesting but hasn't really grabbed me yet, I'll have to update.... Last month we read The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, although a modern novel it's reminiscent of Jane Eyre, The Woman in White and Wuthering Heights. I liked it very much.
I couldn't help but notice no recent posts from Apple, did a little digging and am so sad to learn she's left us. She was a responder to my first post on this site and I've followed her since, a great loss :-(
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Lynn
Welcome! Do you review a variety of genres?
I finished the Tana French series. Had so many suggestions for new mysteries that my reading list was over 80 titles.
I am starting with Louise Penny. I have intended to try her books for years.
You would never guess Charles Durning's history would be so dramatic.
VR, have you read "With the Old Breed"? These WWII stories are so inspirational. It puts my struggles in perspective.
Will be adding "The Thirteenth Tale". Loved the brooding Bronte style.0 -
Tazzy - I discovered Greg Illes last year and also started with Turning Angel. I promptly haunted used bookstore until I found all the rest. Check out his web site. He recommends which books of his you might like best if... And which you might want to avoid if...
I too think of Apple often.
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Jelson...That's terrific about your cousin....Another Studs Terkel!!! Wonderful!
Hightide....going to have to put that book on the DH's list...Thank goodness I have him read all of the military books and thrillers and then tell me about them. I, thankfully, never had to read a Tom Clancy book...but I know EVERYTHING about his books....and Childs, and Silva, and Flynn and Lescourt and I could go on and on and on.....
The only books that we both read are humorous books by Hiaasen, Barry and Tropper....
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Reading Barbara Kingsolver's "Flight Behavior" and really enjoying it. I am a Kingsolver fan, and true to form, all of her books are different. If I opened the book without knowing who the author was, I would not know. Athough I always end up liking her books at some point while reading, I have enjoyed this one from the start. Just saying...
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High,
Thanks for the welcome! I review reference books for Booklist. For Foreword Books (reviews independent and self-published), I do mainly glbt fiction and non, young adult books, children's books and an occasional mystery or two. For VOYA, I review anything young adult, fiction and non-fiction.
I'm a high school librarian, so that is where my specialities lie, but I love reading just about everything.
I just started the third in William Manchester's series on Winston Churchill called The Last Lion. It's huge, but I love the way Manchester (and Reid who took over after Manchester passed) write.
I am also enjoying Parnell Hall's newest puzzle lady mystery, Arsenic and Old Puzzles. It's a great cozy series, and there are crosswords.
This one is based on one of my favorite plays, Arsenic and Old Lace. Lynn
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I just finished reading The Beach Trees by Karen White. It is a great missing persons mystery and it contains references to New Orleans and Biloxi that will be dear to anyone who has ever lived in or visited either one of those places.
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Lynn,
I too love Manchester. Have you read American Caesar? It is about MacArthur. Not one of my favorite people. My son insisted I read the book and I am glad. I gained a new respect. I still don't like MacArthur but Manchester's research is amazing and it helped me to gain respect for what the man accomplished.
Candice Millard did that with 'Destiny of the Republic'. Who knew Garfield was so noble?
Great men and women are so complicated. My Eleanor Roosevelt reading list has grown since joining this thread.
There just aren't enough hours in the day. I find that a stack of books is a comforting sight. I love the smell of a dusty library.
But I digress...back to reading "Still Life".0 -
High,
No, I haven't read the MacArthur book. It might be timely, as there is a movie of him coming out soon, I think. I agree about the complexities of these personalities. I just finished the LBJ biography installment by Caro, and I was blown away. For as many "good" things as he began (LBJ), he was really a jerk. How's that for simiplification?
Lynn
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Lynn... I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Caro a few years ago at The Museum of the City of New York. The museum had an exposition on Robert Moses. It was an SRO audience! I was quite amused by his lecture and especially amused by his feelings toward Robert Moses which have only hardened since he wrote The Powerbroker. Regarding LBJ.. I had the pleasure of recently visiting the LBJ Library in Austin. I also read the most recent Lady Bird Johnson book, an oral history.... And on Monday I saw a play that's heading to off-Broadway in May about the lives of Lady Bird, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford. It's called Tea for Three and I highly recommend the play!
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I love this group here! You can mention absolutely anything and someone has read or seen or experienced something related. I LOVE IT!
I would be so excited to hear Caro speak. His writing is so eminently readable! I will keep an eye out for that play. I'm in Madison, WI, but maybe it will come here...or if I ever get back to New York City...
Did you enjoy the Lady Bird Johnson book? I'm not as fascinated with her, as I am with LBJ, but she has always impressed me as quite strong because of what she had to put up with with him.
Lynn
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Lynn...I wrote awhile back about a biography written by Mary Brennan about Pat Nixon. After visiting the LBJ library, I became facinated with Lady Bird. When I was watching the play on Monday, I felt the actress nailed both women. I've been thinking a lot lately about how misunderstood Lady Bird and Pat Nixon were and still are. It seems we get an idea in our minds about these women that may be sooooo far away from what they are really like. Even with so many books written about Jacqueline Kennedy...do we really know much about her essence? We probably know more about what she wore during her White House years than we truly know about her. And speaking of William Manchester...his book about President Kennedy, was IMHO magnificent. But wasn't Jackie trying to create "Camelot" with the interviews with Manchester that later became the book?
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