No comments about The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (America's Past).

5 comments about Five Quarts: A Personal and Natural History of Blood.

1. Bill Hayes does a wonderful job of exploring our concepts of blood and sharing his experiences. I feel this book should be required reading for phlebotomists - I am one and found the book on my own and loved it!



2. Rarely have I encountered so unflinchingly honest a book. Mr. Hayes has an exceptionally complex relationship with blood; his partner of fourteen years is HIV positive while Mr. Hayes remains HIV free. Therefore, the book falls squarely into its own unique category--it is a journal of discoveries both personal and scientific. Its power is found in the author's candor as he shares his journey of discovery.
   
   The personal dimension of this book is surprisingly vast. Though it does treat the science to the degree one would expect, the scientific and historical discussion is but the lesser portion. The true context lies in the author's expressed need to know what blood is all about and his discovery of how blood-related knowledge has shaped his life. The intensely personal nature of the work gives a depth to the discussion not present in the expected general science genre.
   
   Though the author's frank treatment of his sexual orientation and personal history were startling, it can safely be said that Five Quarts is much more than a memoir and certainly more than the typical general science/history offering. Five Quarts was truly a rare and welcome find.



3. We could be corny and tout this as the kind of book you'll sink your teeth into, but that seems so bloody obvious. Instead we'll say that Five Quarts is a damn good read. Author Bill Hayes uses his HIV-positive status to springboard into a pulsating exploration --- as fascinating as it is frightening, as humorous as it is harrowing --- of the cultural, historical, spiritual and medical myths, misconceptions and marvels of blood. From the legend of Dracula to the scared saga of the Eucharist, from a heart-warming bedside visit with a woman suffering from hemophilia to a look inside a blood bank ... there's lots of interesting and informative on this plate(let).



4. Author Hayes mixes science, philosophy and a lot of personal intimacy in this interesting book on blood. A strange subject (though not the strangest around--a recent bestseller is about cadavers.) We have five quarts of the red stuff--hence the title.
   
   The book starts with Bill getting a cut. But then we go on a journey about hemophila and history (the royal house of Great Britain) and we learn about bloodletting, blood banks, and ultimately the AIDS epidemic.
   
   While I would prefer more science and less personal information in a treatise on a scientific subject, that's just me (I studied biology and immunology for quite some years.) But for a non-science-steeped reader, this is a fascinating look at the stuff of life. Recommended, though not for the squeamish.



5. This is a very well written book. If you are looking for an intelligent, but entertainng read...This is the book.

1 comments about Dame Kathleen Kenyon: Digging Up the Holy Land (Ucl Institute of Archaeology Publications).

1. I have to admit that I approached Dame Kathleen Kenyon: Digging Up the Holy Land with trepidation. I am no Ph.D. and can't even rank myself as even a rank amateur in the field of archeology. Further, I feared I would be inundated with unknown jargon, unknowable theories and actors I had never heard of. Instead, Davis' book took me step by step into a useful and pertinent knowledge of Dame Kenyon - both who she was and what she did. I never felt out of place and now know more about archeology and the excavation of the Holy Land than I had ever hoped. And that knowledge is there for the barest tyro to the most expert in the field. Dame Kathleen Kenyon: Digging Up the Holy Land is well written, well researched, entertaining and informative. Instead of just technical work, you are also able to learn about Dame Kenyon the person. At the same time, this book provides enough inside information and advanced knowledge that professionals in the field will find it helpful, interesting, informative and must read material. Dig on Davis' Dame Kathleen Kenyon: Digging Up the Holy Land and find yourself in a holistic reading and learning experience!

1 comments about On High: The Adventures of Legendary Mountaineer, Photographer, and Scientist Brad Washburn.

1. The biography of Brad Washburn makes a terrific yarn, even for us armchair adventurers. This is a well-told tale, with a transcribed "oral history" from Mr. Washburn, interspersed with the narrative supplied by Mr. Smith. The significance of Mr. Washburn's life, and what makes this book worth reading, is that his mountaineering adventures were part of the 20th century's final conquest of high places in this world. The high mountains were the last frontier, and Mr. Washburn lived it, wrote about it, mapped it, and (more importantly) photographed it. Fortunately, National Geographic chose to include a variety of Mr. Washburn's best photographs. His friendship with, and admiration for, Ansel Adams is apparent. Buy this for the read, but also buy it as a coffee table book.

No comments about Galloping on Wings with the P-51 Mustang: Diary of an Air Race Pilot.

5 comments about The Meinertzhagen Mystery: The Life and Legend of a Colossal Fraud.

1. In Kenya Diary, Meinertzhagen lists game counts throughout the book to the nearest animal, an impossible achievement when animals and observer are in motion. I've tried. Some years ago I asked the University of Nairobi's Mathematics Department to confirm that the game count totals are random. They are not. Meinertzhagen had "favourite" numbers that recur in a non random fashion. Perhaps this is a small matter, but it is yet another small matter.



2. This is not so much a biography of Richard Meinertzhagen as it is an attempt to destroy his reputation. Meinertzhagen was a warrior, a famous collector of rare bird specimens, supporter of Zionism, African hunter and war hero from the First World War. Most of all he was an adventurer. He had a keen sense for history and felt sympathy for the Jews and deep hatred for Hitler.
   
   But all this has been stolen from him because of a number of allegations of impropriety. There are the stuffed birds that he is alleged to have stolen and re-labeled. There is the fact that no one recalls him being in Haifa in 1948 (although who would have?). Most of all there is the controversy over his diary and his meetings with T.E Lawrence. Meinertzhagen was sure that people would 'find out' about Lawrence and his having made things up and it seems that Meinertzhagen may have fabricated a number of diary entries including meetings with Lawrence.
   
   This book attacks Meinertzhagen even for the exploits that are widely known to have been his most brave and audacious. He once dropped fake plans behind Turkish lines in order to deceive them in the battles for Beersheba and Gaza in 1917. He is attacked here for having not come up with the original idea. But the proof for this is that other people claimed to have had the same idea. But why believe their claims and not Meinertzhagen's?
   
   Most of the rumors and stories about Meinertzhagen cannot be proved and neither can most of the allegations. For those such as T.E Lawrence the legend has remained, why there is so much interest in dismantling the reputation of a minor player such as Meinertzhagen is not clear, if anything he deserves more mention in history books on the Middle East, not less. The best place to start is to read his diary, Middle East Diary, 1917-1956 and then Warrior: The Legend Of Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman



3. Richard Meinertzhagen was a military hero, explorer, spy, friend of Israel, diarist, world renown Ornithologist and prevaricator. Unlike most people, he reveled in the lies that he told and the reactions of those he told them to. He left an 82 volume library of his 'life', much of which was wishful thinking or down right false, but like Dr.Goebbels he believed that if you tell "The Big Lie" forceful enough and long enough, people will begin to believe.
   
   Why would a man who was respected as a world class ornithologist, get himself barred from the British Museum for stealing? Was it for the notoriety? Having re-written his diaries (in some cases many times) and destroying all the previous versions, did he want to be caught after his death? Like publicity, being remembered, whether for good or bad, is still being remembered.
   
   Garfield, who admits the man was one of his heroes as a child, spends a lot of time trying to find back-up information to prove RMs tales. But the more his digs, the more his finds that it like digging a hole in the dessert, it buries you. When RM writes that he did so-and-so, Garfield is able to find that not only wasn't he involved, but that RM might not have even been anywhere in the area (much less on the same continent) when the event occurred.
   
   Ian Fleming had written that RM was the archetype for "James Bond". He could not have known how right he was in basing his fictional spy on a real-life falsified spy. The sad part is, had RM just written about his real accomplishments, his story would still be one of an outstanding personality; it just wasn't outstanding enough for him.



4. Col. Richard Meinertzhagen's exploits are those of either the greatest and most daring man ever to wear a British Military Uniform, or that of the most whopping fraud to walk the earth. Excellent research and a great read.



5. Brian Garfield is a supurb writer. It doesn't matter if he is writing fiction (Death Wish, the book behind the Charles Bronson movie), military history (The Thousand-Mile War about the part of World War II in the Aleutians), or a non-fiction book like The Meinertzhagen Mystery. His writing style is captivating and even otherwise dull subjects come alive. Any book is highly recommended.
   
   Col. Richard Meinertzhagen left a history of heroic deeds so dramatic that he was used as the model for Ian Fleming's 'James Bond.' Or at least it is so rumored. His diaries are full of stories so outrageous that you'd think they have to be made up.
   
   It turns out that most of them now appear to have been made up indeed. The difficulty is to split out what is true from what is false. And then we need look at what historians have reported as fact based on what is now seen to be false. It's enough to make you wonder about all of history.

3 comments about Einstein's Brainchild: Relativity Made Relatively Easy!.

1. This book gives a great intro to Einstein, that's understandable and lends to the appreciation as to what a great thinker Einstein truly was.
   
   Other great books along this same vein are E=MC2, and Fermats Enigma, the latter gets a bit deeps towards the end but the beginning chapters really flesh out number theory in a historical context that really freshens the mathematic atmosphere.
   
   Will aspiring mathematics majors appreciate Einstein's Brainchild? If you involve yourself with the process of introduction and discourse, they probably would!
   
   Enjoy!



2. This book is great! It answers every question you've ever had about the universe, plus tons more. Not only does it tell you about Einstein's theories, it tells you about his life, friends, competitors, everything! I have learned so much from this book! Don't think it is written for children, because it is most certainly not. I got confused sometimes, but not too much. I recommend this to anyone with an interest in space or anything to do with it, it is really quite fascinating, especially because I want to be an astrological physicist when I'm older!



3. Relativity is made easier in Einstein's Brainchild which brings Albert Einstein's theories to life with bright, involving writing. This traces both the story of his life and the theories he envisioned, blending cartoons and illustrations with a lively discourse on the meaning of Einstein's insights, applicable to the modern world. Highly recommended.

5 comments about The Man Who Tapped the Secrets of the Universe.

1. I was given this book by a friend who knew my keen interest in learning about people who lived a great life as an example to others of the potential within us all.
   
   This little 55 page book doesn't go into too much details of the life of Walter Russell, it touches upon his accomplishments and success in all areas of his life and leaves out dwelling on any suffering he went through to accomplish great things but it does talk about HOW he did it.
   
   The best part of this book, besides giving us a glimpse into the life of an extraordinary man, is that it points the way for each of us to find that same measure of greatness within ourselves - if we choose to do so.
   
   Some have reviewed this as "stupidity" but the mans success speaks for itself and "stupidity" and sarcasm will not find you greatness...
   I enjoyed reading this book very much and hope you do to!



2. This little booklet is basically a rehash of the same insane nonsense that L. Ron Hubbard attempted to spew when Hubbard was doped to the gills on illegal narcotics and alcohol. Nothing that the author writes is even remotely scientific, testable, or falsifiable. All the book contains is endless outrageous stupidity and cynical commercial appeals to gullible, ignorant people.
   
   I acquired my copy of the booklet at my local public library where the book had been donated and the library staff rejected it as insane, possibly criminally fraudulent stupidity.



3. This book is inspirational, but lacks spirit connection. Mr. Clark basically wrote a bio about Mr. Russel Walter who was chosen to reveal incredible gifts from God. The book's composition gave me the impression that Mr. Walter's meditations reveal the secrets of the universe - everything stems from lightwaves. His reasoning for his talents (without books) bears witness to the inner self (Universal Intelligence). On a different page, he gives humble references and praise to famous Americans like Mark Twain, Tomas Edison and Henry Ford. I doubt if Mr. Walter really knows these people . . . they really worked hard for their wealth, yet they did not have a formal education; moreover, they all had a dark side.
   
   From a Biblical point of view, Satan did not test this man's faith like Job of the Bible, perhaps because of the deception of wealth lends itself to the evil one. The book makes the universal gifts sound so real without any sacrifice or struggle in Mr. Walter's life. Even Jesus suffered for his glory and power.
   
   As a Christian, I say "beware." You know the saying, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is a SCAM." One thing I do believe, YOU determine your fate . . . God willing.



4. I've just finished rereading this book for the third time.
   
   I was drawn to it again when challenged to create my "vision" for my business and life.
   
   If you are a results-oriented type person, then you will like this book because: Russell was: musician, professional skater, sculptor, artist, writer, architect (designed several NY buildings), RE developer, philosopher, etc.
   
   If you are a deep-thinker, connected to the Higher Source type of person, then you will like this book because: Ch. 5 shares the 5 laws of success that further connect you to the Source, there are great quotes like, "I believe mediocrity is self-inflicted and genius self-bestowed. Every successful man I have known. . . carries with him the key which unlocks that awareness and lets in the universal power that has made him into a master."
   
   "What is that key?" I asked.
   
   "The key is i-desire-i when it is i-released-i into the great eternal Energy of the Universe." i-italics-i p. 6 and 7
   
   Read it, and then recommend it to others. I had never heard of this man until an author/professor recommended it. Thanks Dr. James Payne!



5. Walter Russell lived a MOST AMAZING life. He knew "The Secret" innately, it appears. He seemed to move effortlessly through life persuing his dreams successfully and unselfconsciously, achieving all that he desired. Inspirational.

1 comments about J. D. Bernal: The Sage of Science.

1. .D.Bernal(1901-1972) was a genius level crystallographer who made original contributions to the study of protein structures in the early days of X-ray crystallography.The author portrays him as the first molecular biologist, although he was trained as a physicist. He worked at Birkbeck College and at the Royal Institution. He helped plan the D-Day landings in Normandy, and helped train proteges such as Dorothy Hodgkins and Helen McGaw.He served as an advisor to Lord Mountbatten in the far east. Unfortunately he was also an ardent communist and seemed to feel that scientific research was better organized in the USSR than in the west. He failed to condemn the Soviet liquidation of its geneticists or the biology of Lysenko.
   This in-depth biography contains many quotes from Bernal's extensive writings on subjects at the interface of science and politics.
   Not omitted are Bernal's many love affairs and open marriage.
   Many of the great figures of 20th century science come into this book, including Lord Rutherford(Bernal was one of two people Rutherford loathed),Francis Crick, Max Perutz( who was Bernal's student), John Kendrew ,"Solly" Zuckerman, William and Lawrence Bragg and Lord Cherwell
   ( the other person Rutherford loathed).
   The book will appeal most to the scientifically inclined, although there
   is nothing really technical to understand. Bernal came close to understanding the helical structure of DNA. Ironically Francis Crick wanted to work with Bernal, but was sent away by his secretary.
   The book started slowly, but became really interesting in the part about WW II as Bernal's career accelerated toward what seemed to be a crash
   over his communist ideas.We learn about the British plan(never realized) to construct a huge aircraft carrier out of ice reinforceed with wood pulp.
   Bernal was a true polymath, able to discuss diverse subjects such as art and architecure as well as science, and had the sort of mind that could comprehend and organize vast masses of data, making him valuable in tasks like assessing bomb damage during the Blitz.
   Overall, an absorbing interesting book.

5 comments about The Honors Class: Hilbert's Problems and Their Solvers.

1. The Honors Class is the collection of mathematicians that individually or in collaboration solved or partially solved at least one of Hilbert's 23 problems. Yandell does a great of gathering up the historical information so that we have an up-to-date account of the progress on each problem and even how some problems evolved because of their vague or incorrect original proposal.
   This is a popular math book and is accessible to the nonmathematician such as the fine books by Casti on mathematicians and mathematical developments. It is also similar to Singh's book on Fermat.
   
   I think the historical research and accounting of the mathematics deserves 5 stars. I am a little unsure about how well the technical mathematics is conveyed to the layperson however. Admittedly, this is a very difficult task as much of the mathematics is very abstract, especially the early chapters on the foundational questions. The number theory, geometry and even some of the abstract algebra problems are easier to explain and Yandell does a fine job with them.
   
   As a mathematician who studied algebra, analysis and even some symbolic logic as an undergraduate and graduate student, I still had a hard time feeling that I got the essence of the mathematics associated with some of these problems. Yandell's discussion is at times detailed but is necessarily sketchy on some of the mathematics. This works for me sometimes but not so well at other times. I think it would be much harder for a novice, but I guess it depends on the depth of understanding one is looking for.
   
   I have always found the work of Cantor mysterious and so the ealry chapters that cover Godel and Cohen's amazing results are not the most enlightening for me. I had learned about the axiom of choice in my real analysis classes and was told something about the undecidability of it and its equivalence to the continuum hypothesis but have never really seen the connection or gotten much insight. The material on Paul Cohen is interesting to me because I attended Stanford in the 1970s when he was the buzz of the campus. A younger and less accomplished mathematician compared to many of his famous colleagues in Stanford's prestigious mathematics department, he still was revered because he solved one of Hilbert's problems. Still I am no closer to understanding symbolic logic and the method of deciding whether or not a proposition can be deduced from a set of axioms or can exist independently of the axiom system.
   
   I got hooked on the book with the chapter on the tenth problem. This problem seemed more easily understandable and it was very interesting to see how the many players work together and separately to attack the problem including the very interesting Julia Robinson who was a key player in the middle of alll this.
   
   The lives of these mathematicians, in some cases their suffering and insanity (similar to Nash) is very interesting and entertaining. There is too much here to handle in one reading.
   
   I think this is a book I will go back to again and again. I am interested in reading more on Kolmogorov and want to try to understand some of the abstract algebra and number theory questions in more detail. There is a great deal of commonality in many of the stories. A large number of the members of the Honors Class were from Germany and fled during World War II. Many also traveled through or spent great portions of their career at Princeton University (some at the Institute for Advanced Study).
   
   The book is thorough and gives an account of all the unsolved problems as well providing the insights of the mathematicians who have made attempts at them.



2. I was hoping for something more like The Millennium Problems: The Seven Greatest Unsolved Mathematical Puzzles of Our Time, an explanation of the problems and how they were solved, at a reasonably accessible level. This book appears to be just chat about the funny people who become math professors. Sort of interesting, but not what I wanted.



3. As a career scientist for over 50 years, I am versed in mathematics but not exactly a mathematician. I bought it to become familiar with Hilbert's problems. I quickly realized that Yandell's book was more about the attempters and solvers than about the problems. Yet the problems are described too, in considerable and certainly sufficient detail.
   
   What was ultimately fascinating was the web Yandell weaves throughout the book. Those famous mathematicians and their colleagues, their personal lives, those famous problems, and all integrated so cohesively.
   
   When I started reading I knew I was in for a long adventure. In fact, it took me over a year to read - of course, only an hour or so every few days. What extended it was the temptation to go back and reread, again and again. Finally, a week ago, I turned the last page. With great reluctance I put it on my bookshelf. I had a strong urge to start all over again from the very beginning, and I knew if I succumbed I was in for another year with it.
   
   As I reflect, partly it was the subject - those difficult problems in such vastly different fields. Partly it was those mathematicians - many of them already heroes of mine. But mostly it was Yandell's skill in putting together this riveting accounting. His love of and fascination with mathematics, and his desire to share his romanticism with others, comes through so clearly. It is sad that he died, at the young age of 53, a scant two years after writing this book. Of a heart attack and multiple sclerosis. What a tragic loss. He was a gem.
   
   Even if you are only mildly interested in mathematics, its history and personalities, you will absolutely love this accounting of it.



4. First, my background: I am not a mathematician, but an academic with fair knowledge of college math and even some advanced materials. I do greatly enjoy reading books about mathematics and mathematicians.
   
   This book is obviously a work of great effort by the author. My difficulty probably came from the work's ambitious premise: offering mathematical and biographical history of Hilbert's problems. There are simply too many ideas and persons (some well known, others a bit obscure to lay reader like myself) to cover in one book. The author dutifully and honestly gives references to his sources. My impression is that the author collected as much material as he could about each problem and solvers, and tried to squeeze the information as compactly as possible into the pages.
   
   The result: the narrative is very methodically told - explanation of the problem, some necessary ideas introduced, who the major solvers were, then a short biography of each solver, when and where they were born, who their parents were, where they went to school, who they married and so on; then another cycle begins. Halfway into the book, I began to get bored.
   
   I can imagine mathematicians enjoying a quick review of and glimpses into their discipline and heroes, but lay readers much beware. I recommend lay readers to check out a few pages carefully online or at your local library to see whether you like it. I certainly didn't hate it but did not like it as much as I expected.



5. Due to rapid development of mathemtics in the last century, now one cannot master all subfects of mathematics. This is also true for those historians. Most of the boods of " History of Mathematics " end in the beginning of 20th century. So we know very little about the conteporary mathematicians. This book can be described as a gap for it. After readiming this book, not only you have a knowledge about the life of the great mathemaitcians, you also get the period in World War II how Nazis forced those mathematicians out of Germany and the reason why U. S. A. is now the leading centre of mathematics.