The Violinist’s Thumb by Sam Kean

The Violinist’s Thumb : and other lost tales of love, war, and genius, as written by our genetic code

By Sam Kean

HSL Amesse/1st Floor, 572.8 KEA  

The words deoxyribonucleic acid, or simply DNA, are familiar to the vast majority of people and most likely invoke images of a double helix, chromosomes, and Gregor Mendel and his pea plants.  But the story behind DNA and the men and women who uncovered its secrets is far more interesting than one might imagine.

Sam Kean brilliantly relays this fascinating history in The Violinist’s Thumb.  From Artic explorers discovering that their skin will fall off after indulging in polar bear liver to an unfortunate Japanese man who not only survived the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima but also of Nagasaki, Kean sheds light on the endlessly amazing journey of DNA.

The reader will meet:  Columbia’s “Fly Boys” who worked tirelessly with Drosophila during the day while one of whom worked tirelessly to chase women by night;  Paganini, the inspiration for the book’s title, the violinist who could play music like no other before or since because he suffered a genetic disease that allowed his ligaments to be looser than the average musician; Charles Darwin, not only was he the man that gave science the theory of evolution, but he was also a man who suffered an extraordinary amount of conditions, such as frequent vomiting and irritation of the bowels; the rival scientists and consortia working on the cut-throat business of the Human Genome Project through public and private endeavors; and many more amazing men and women in the pages of the history of DNA.

Genes and chromosomes may be enthralling by themselves, but discovering the people behind the missteps and discoveries of genetics is a continuously intriguing journey.  Kean’s writing brings this story to life in a charming and enjoyable manner that will make the reader crave more.

[Brittany Heer, Library Technician II ]

 

 

Librarian Picks: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

In Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese blends medicine, culture, religion, and family saga into a compelling Zhivago-esque tale set in India, Ethiopia and New York. At the start of the novel, a nun trained as a nurse in India and a surgeon trained in Scotland arrive in post-World War II Ethiopia to work in a small medical clinic.  Sister Mary Joseph Praise and Thomas Stone form an efficient surgical team, providing services valued by emperor and everyman. When Sister Mary Joseph Praise dies while giving birth to twins and Stone abandons his twin sons, the remaining doctors step in to raise Marion and Shiva Stone.

While the story is set mostly within the political turmoil of 1960’s and 1970’s Ethiopia, the novel makes significant historical events personal.  Marion Stone, the novel’s narrator, moves from Ethiopia to New York, and grows to adulthood and advances through his medical training.  Marion observes the world around him, describing political events, the poverty and humanity of the patients, the skill of the doctors and aides, and innovative practice of medicine in challenging settings.  Verghese avoids stereotypes and simplifications to portray life and death at the clinic and the unforeseen consequences of individual choices.  In doing so, he banishes western preconceptions about African medical care.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is in the Amesse collection, first floor Commons alcove, call number F VERGHESE CUT.

[Lynne Fox, Education Librarian]

Book Review: Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku

Physics of the future: how science will shape human destiny and our daily lives by the year 2100
By Michio Kaku
HSL Amesse/1st Floor, 303.48 KAK

In 1899, the commissioner of the U.S. Office of Patents, Charles H. Duell, famously said, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” Today such a statement seems exceptionally myopic, but as citizens of 2012 know, hindsight is 20/20. The true challenge is envisioning the future with accuracy.

By interviewing hundreds of leading scientists across the disciplines of computer science, artificial intelligence, medicine, nanotechnology, physics, and even economics, Dr. Michio Kaku takes up the difficult task of synthesizing their collective works and envisioning what our global civilization may look like throughout the 21st century.

Dr. Kaku anticipates that nearly every aspect of our lives will involve computers and computer chips, woven into society in such a way that they become invisible and ubiquitous. Nanotechnology should develop to the point that our bodies will even be full of microscopic chips designed to monitor our health and alert us to potential diseases and cancers. While robots may become common place, we don’t need to fear a Matrix-like take over because scientists in the field of artificial intelligence have not been able to replicate emotional intelligence.

Energy of course will be a grave issue facing this century. Dr. Kaku examines the possibilities of magnetism, nuclear power, including fusion and fission, as well as wind and solar technologies. Developments in these areas will also benefit the future of space travel as we continue to explore our nearest planetary neighbors.

The world of 2100 is exciting and vibrant, thanks to the persistent scientific breakthroughs of this century. While Dr. Kaku’s 2100 feels a little too utopist, there is no question that science will continue to fuel and change our society in many significant ways.

-Reviewed by Brittany Heer
Library Technician II
Interlibrary Loan

“Everything Has Changed Forever, Again.” A book talk supported by the Amesee Collection at Health Sciences Library

The Health Sciences Library will be sponsoring a book talk as part of the endowed Amesse Collection of Popular and Leisure Reading. The talk is titled, “Everything Has Changed Forever, Again” (based on the book What would Google do?), featuring speaker Martin Garnar, MLIS. Mr. Garnar, a Regis University faculty member, will address the topic of how Google is changing the way we think about almost everything. The talk will take place Friday, November 18^th, from 12:00-1:00 P.M. in HSL’s Teaching Labs 1 & 2.

What Would Google Do? An Amesse Collection Book Talk

The Health Sciences Library Amesse Collection, located in the leisure hub of the Information Commons on the first floor, contains a wide selection of popular reading material, including current novels, nonfiction, & biographies, as well as popular magazines and a “Medicine in the Movies” section of DVDs. The collection provides an opportunity to take a break from your busy day. Learn more about the Amesse collection from our resource guides.

Come listen to our speaker over lunch (bring your own, and some munchies will be provided), then relax for a few minutes in one of the leisure hub’s easy chairs!

For more information on this event,  please contact Lynn Schwalm at lynn.schwalm@ucdenver.edu.

Related articles

• New Amesse Leisure Reading (hslnews.wordpress.com)

New Amesse Leisure Reading

The following titles have recently been added to the Amesse collection, located in the Library’s leisure hub area adjacent to the 1st floor north information commons.

Fiction-
Egan, Jennifer/ A Visit from the Goon Squad [review]
Martin, George R.R./ A Game of Thrones
Palma, Felix/ Map of Time
Patchett, Ann/ State of Wonder
Stein, Garth/ The Art of Racing in the Rain

Nonfiction-
Beer, Nicky/ The Diminishing House
Fraser, Laura/ All Over the Map
Larson, Eric/ In the Garden of Beasts
Wells, Gully/ The House in France
Youn, Anthony/ In Stitches

Amesse Memorial Collection Moves into the Information Commons at HSL

The Amesse Collection in the Health Science Library provides a leisure reading collection of novels, biographies, and nonfiction, as well as the Denver Post and a selection of popular magazines and newspapers. A small collection of movies on DVD is also part of the collection. Because of the Amesse family love of books, the reading area and collection is dedicated to three generations of Amesse family physicians. The collection has been moved to a central spot on the first floor of the library within the Information Commons.

Tradition, Reading, and Memorial: Amesse

The collection was originally established with books from John C. Amesse’s personal collection. Additional items are purchased from the Amesse Memorial Fund. The new dedicated space in the Information Commons on the 1st floor of HSL continues the tradition and resonates with the memory of John, his love of reading and the pleasures of a nook in a library. Each book in the collection bears a bookplate designed by Eleanor Benson and printed by Frederic Pannebaker, friends of the Amesse family. We hope this leisure hub provides a serene retreat from the hectic world of medicine, and, in so doing, keeps alive the memory and spirit of the Amesse family physicians. HSL proudly unveils the collection in a new location, a new space in the midst of the busy lives of our medical and health science students.

Every day hundreds of students work, study, collaborate, meet in groups, attend classes and learn in the information commons on the first floor of the library. With the Amesse collection in the heart of this fabulous first floor space, students will have opportunity to appreciate relaxation and browsing of a popular collection. Nearby in the new materials corner is an honor paperback collection — take one and go, no check out necessary. Materials from the main Amesse collection can be checked out at the service desk. The magazines of the collection do not circulate and are for in-house use only.

If you’d like to make a recommendation for the Amesse collection, please let us know. Take a break and visit the leisure hub in the Commons of HSL soon. first floor, room space 1304.

New Amesse Collection Books – Dec. 2009

Fiction

• Brown, Dan/ The Lost Symbol
• Kingsolver, Barbara/ The Lacuna
• Walls, Jeannette/ Half Broke Horses

Nonfiction

• Agassi, Andre/ Open: An Autobiography
• Gladwell, Malcolm/ What the Dog Saw
• Green, Sharon Weiner/ Barron’s GRE
• Jarvis, Jeff/ What Would Google Do?
• Obmascik, Mark/ Halfway to Heaven
• Smith, Bud/ Creating Web Pages for Dummies

Agassi, Andre/ Open: An Autobiography

Gladwell, Malcolm/ What the Dog Saw

Green, Sharon Weiner/ Barron’s GRE

Jarvis, Jeff/ What Would Google Do?

Obmascik, Mark/ Halfway to Heaven

Smith, Bud/ Creating Web Pages for Dummies