Following his hugely successful The Math Book and The Physics Book, Clifford Pickover now chronicles the advancement of medicine in 250 entertaining, illustrated landmark events. Touching on such diverse subspecialties as genetics, pharmacology, neurology, sexology, and immunology, Pickover intersperses “obvious” historical milestones--the Hippocratic Oath, general anesthesia, the Human Genome Project--with unexpected and intriguing topics like “truth serum,” the use of cocaine in eye surgery, and face transplants.
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"The writing is lively and the topics are varied . . . [Pickover] achieves his goals, and his brevity and breezy style should appeal to readers used to accessing information quickly on the Internet but who are still interested in picking up a book.” --Library Journal
About the Author
Internationally renowned author Clifford Pickover has published more than 40 books, translated into over a dozen languages. He is an associate editor for several journals and the author of over 200 articles on various subjects. Dr. Pickover received his PhD from Yale University's Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. He holds over 80 US patents for inventions dealing with computing technologies and interfaces, and his website, pickover.com, has received millions of visits.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The Medical Book is the latest in a series of over forty scientific books by the author, Clifford Pickover. The Medical Book completes a trilogy on the theme of scientific milestones. The trilogy now includes the Medical Book, The Math Book and The Physics Book. Each book has the same format. There are exactly 250 milestones arranged in chronological order. Each milestone is provided with a two-page layout. On the left-hand page is a written explanation and on the right-hand page there is a full-page image. Among the images are paintings, photos, drawings from Untied States patents, and graphic representations associated with the milestones.
There is a progression in the scope of the subject matter covered in each of the three books. The Math Book, which is first in the series, covers a universe of abstract mathematical constructs while only occasionally touching on the physical world, e.g., the entry on the Bedsheet Problem. The Physics Book deals with the reality of space and time from the very large to the very small, beginning with the Big Bang and ending with the death of our Universe. The Medical Book takes us on a more personal journey. It starts with investigations of human anatomy, progresses through the discovery of the disease carriers, and eventually takes us on an exploration of the ever smaller: cells, bacteria, viruses, and DNA.
Pickover's genius lies in his ability to combine scientific explanation with thought-provoking images. My strategy for the Medical Book was to page through the illustrations and then to go to the written explanations. Among my favorite illustrations are the photographs: a Roman sewage system, 600 BC; a flea, representative of objects observed by Robert Hooke using his compound microscope, 1665; Mendel's pea plants, 1865; and a saber-toothed cat fossil illustrating PCR, 1963. Some of the connections between subject matter and illustrations show a certain leap of inspiration on the part of the author, who holds over one hundred United States patents according to the book jacket.
As a scientist, I could not help but notice a sub-theme running through the book. That is the role played by science, engineering, chemistry, and physics in the development of medical practice. Some specific examples that we take for granted today include the previously mentioned Roman-invented sewage system, clean water supply, the discovery of antibiotics, medical x-rays, PET, CAT, and MRI scanning.
This new entry in Pickover's scientific milestones trilogy is impressive. It goes well with the previous Math Book and Physics Book. If you like one, you will like the other two.
There is a progression in the scope of the subject matter covered in each of the three books. The Math Book, which is first in the series, covers a universe of abstract mathematical constructs while only occasionally touching on the physical world, e.g., the entry on the Bedsheet Problem. The Physics Book deals with the reality of space and time from the very large to the very small, beginning with the Big Bang and ending with the death of our Universe. The Medical Book takes us on a more personal journey. It starts with investigations of human anatomy, progresses through the discovery of the disease carriers, and eventually takes us on an exploration of the ever smaller: cells, bacteria, viruses, and DNA.
Pickover's genius lies in his ability to combine scientific explanation with thought-provoking images. My strategy for the Medical Book was to page through the illustrations and then to go to the written explanations. Among my favorite illustrations are the photographs: a Roman sewage system, 600 BC; a flea, representative of objects observed by Robert Hooke using his compound microscope, 1665; Mendel's pea plants, 1865; and a saber-toothed cat fossil illustrating PCR, 1963. Some of the connections between subject matter and illustrations show a certain leap of inspiration on the part of the author, who holds over one hundred United States patents according to the book jacket.
As a scientist, I could not help but notice a sub-theme running through the book. That is the role played by science, engineering, chemistry, and physics in the development of medical practice. Some specific examples that we take for granted today include the previously mentioned Roman-invented sewage system, clean water supply, the discovery of antibiotics, medical x-rays, PET, CAT, and MRI scanning.
This new entry in Pickover's scientific milestones trilogy is impressive. It goes well with the previous Math Book and Physics Book. If you like one, you will like the other two.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Ray Erskins
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
"The Medical Book" is Clifford A. Pickover's latest in a series of colorfully illustrated books that highlight 250 milestones in the history of a specific body of knowledge. The first of three was The Math Book: From Pythagoras to the 57th Dimension, 250 Milestones in the History of Mathematics (Sterling Milestones), which won the BSHM Neumann Prize and was soon followed by The Physics Book: From the Big Bang to Quantum Resurrection, 250 Milestones in the History of Physics (Sterling Milestones), the second in what is now a trilogy. Each book is identical in size, shape, scope, and format, but they all contain the essence of their own unique and separate field of study.
"The Medical Book" begins with the very first milestone in medicine (circa 10,000 B.C.) with the "Witch Doctor" on page 16. One would have assumed that shamans, medicine men, etc. were the genesis of the prehistoric healing arts, and this seems to be the case. They were the earliest practitioners to utilize the "Placebo Effect" (page 404). And one can only hope that Stone Age witch doctors were more conscientious than the jokers who concocted a famous potion in the U.S. (circa 1890) known as Hamlin's Wizard Oil (page 294). This alleged cure-all contained alcohol, camphor, ammonia, chloroform, sassafras, cloves, and turpentine. Fortunately, Congress put a stop to "Patent Medicines" with mysterious and unlisted ingredients with the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and today all medications are rigorously tested, labeled, and regulated before they are sold to the public, unless, of course, you buy them on the Internet.
I only mention Hamlin's Wizard Oil in connection with witch doctors because the history of medicine is bizarre - so much so that it has often resembled a freak show in a carnival or a sci-fi horror movie. Some of this may be due to the sheer number of unusual and inexplicable maladies that have afflicted humans over the centuries, which forced doctors to use their imagination and creativity in peculiar and even desperate ways. Yet even as far back as 3000 B.C. sutures were being successfully applied to close wounds (page 22) and eye surgery was performed as early as 600 B.C. (page 36). Medicine has also had its great humanists (Hippocrates - page 40) and innovators (Galen - page 50) as well as pioneers in surgical technique (William Stewart Halsted - page 280). It has also had more than its share of charlatans, quacks, and butchers, but over the millenniums the human species has been driven to develop medical science and technology to its current state out of sheer necessity. And today we possess capabilities that Hippocrates and Galen would regard as unimaginable wonders. It's almost as if medical miracles have become routine.
To an ever increasing extent, this has become our modern problem. We, or our loved ones, emerge from ICUs or the operating rooms of hospitals around the U.S. as if assembly line cures and recoveries are an every day occurrence. Others simply take prescribed medications and live year after year with death or disability literally knocking at their door. But because we have transcended untimely death, disability, or disfigurement to such a degree, we face entirely new challenges. One, of course is: How do we pay for these modern marvels of medicine? Another is: How can we make informed decisions when faced with life and death situations at the doctor's office or in the hospital?
Of course, those questions will have to be answered at some point in our future, whether we like it or not. And to do it right we will need reliable and up to date knowledge. The old adage that "Knowledge is power" is still true and never more so than in today's so-called "Information Age." We are flooded with misinformation and what amounts to propaganda on a daily basis via the Internet, or, through specious advertisements in all aspects of the mass media. Consequently, discussions of healthcare have become increasingly acrimonious around the water cooler due to the sheer amount of cognitive dissonance that afflicts our Reason.
"The Medical Book" can help dispel those demons of cognitive dissonance. It is a compelling digest of medical history that provides much needed clarity and cutting edge understanding of a complex field, as well as the science behind it, and at a pivotal moment in its history. Carefully written explanations and conscientiously selected illustrations will enlighten and inform the discerning mind as to the best, and worse, practices of medicine throughout the ages. In that sense, it is a history book about our future.
We've come a long way since witch doctors and Hamlin's Wizard Oil. Let's keep up the good work. Hippocrates and Galen would expect no less from us.
"The Medical Book" begins with the very first milestone in medicine (circa 10,000 B.C.) with the "Witch Doctor" on page 16. One would have assumed that shamans, medicine men, etc. were the genesis of the prehistoric healing arts, and this seems to be the case. They were the earliest practitioners to utilize the "Placebo Effect" (page 404). And one can only hope that Stone Age witch doctors were more conscientious than the jokers who concocted a famous potion in the U.S. (circa 1890) known as Hamlin's Wizard Oil (page 294). This alleged cure-all contained alcohol, camphor, ammonia, chloroform, sassafras, cloves, and turpentine. Fortunately, Congress put a stop to "Patent Medicines" with mysterious and unlisted ingredients with the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and today all medications are rigorously tested, labeled, and regulated before they are sold to the public, unless, of course, you buy them on the Internet.
I only mention Hamlin's Wizard Oil in connection with witch doctors because the history of medicine is bizarre - so much so that it has often resembled a freak show in a carnival or a sci-fi horror movie. Some of this may be due to the sheer number of unusual and inexplicable maladies that have afflicted humans over the centuries, which forced doctors to use their imagination and creativity in peculiar and even desperate ways. Yet even as far back as 3000 B.C. sutures were being successfully applied to close wounds (page 22) and eye surgery was performed as early as 600 B.C. (page 36). Medicine has also had its great humanists (Hippocrates - page 40) and innovators (Galen - page 50) as well as pioneers in surgical technique (William Stewart Halsted - page 280). It has also had more than its share of charlatans, quacks, and butchers, but over the millenniums the human species has been driven to develop medical science and technology to its current state out of sheer necessity. And today we possess capabilities that Hippocrates and Galen would regard as unimaginable wonders. It's almost as if medical miracles have become routine.
To an ever increasing extent, this has become our modern problem. We, or our loved ones, emerge from ICUs or the operating rooms of hospitals around the U.S. as if assembly line cures and recoveries are an every day occurrence. Others simply take prescribed medications and live year after year with death or disability literally knocking at their door. But because we have transcended untimely death, disability, or disfigurement to such a degree, we face entirely new challenges. One, of course is: How do we pay for these modern marvels of medicine? Another is: How can we make informed decisions when faced with life and death situations at the doctor's office or in the hospital?
Of course, those questions will have to be answered at some point in our future, whether we like it or not. And to do it right we will need reliable and up to date knowledge. The old adage that "Knowledge is power" is still true and never more so than in today's so-called "Information Age." We are flooded with misinformation and what amounts to propaganda on a daily basis via the Internet, or, through specious advertisements in all aspects of the mass media. Consequently, discussions of healthcare have become increasingly acrimonious around the water cooler due to the sheer amount of cognitive dissonance that afflicts our Reason.
"The Medical Book" can help dispel those demons of cognitive dissonance. It is a compelling digest of medical history that provides much needed clarity and cutting edge understanding of a complex field, as well as the science behind it, and at a pivotal moment in its history. Carefully written explanations and conscientiously selected illustrations will enlighten and inform the discerning mind as to the best, and worse, practices of medicine throughout the ages. In that sense, it is a history book about our future.
We've come a long way since witch doctors and Hamlin's Wizard Oil. Let's keep up the good work. Hippocrates and Galen would expect no less from us.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Darrell Bain
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I just finished The Medical Book and thoroughly enjoyed it. For anyone who is the least bit interested in Medicine and how we got from Witch Doctors to the present day technological marvels in medicine, this is the book for you. In fact, if you just like history, it's a great book. It is non-technical so that those who haven't worked in the medical field can still enjoy reading it. It is well organized and beautifully illustrated. As both an author and an inveterate reader, I can just about guarantee that anyone who picks up this book and begins it will finish it and keep it on their bookshelf. That's how good it is.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
great book
I really love this book. it's very interesting and presents the fact of the medical field in a captivating way.
Published 1 month ago by Simona
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interested in the history of medicine? Read this book!
Everyone interested in Medicine and its progress should read this book. It is light, conscise and informative like all Pickover's books. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Alberto Flavio A. Aguiar
5.0 out of 5 stars
gift
Was a gift for christmas for my husband, who thinks he is a doctor. Shipping and packagine were perfect. I am sure he likes the book so he can diagose the family
Published 3 months ago by Landra
5.0 out of 5 stars
Certain to surprise you.
Engrossing assemblage of important medical implements, procedures, and ideas throughout history, presented in the always fascinating, thoroughly researched "Pickover style" in the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Nemo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Full of interesting facts
I ordered this as a gift for my mom. Its a heavy book almost like a textbook. She's in a medical profession though so i ordered this for her. Read more
Published 4 months ago by missyk
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating and informative.
I bought this as a gift for my nephew, a college student who aspires to attend med school. Makes you glad to have been born in this era.
Published 5 months ago by SK
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superior
This is a superior book for a curious mind. Each page is a treasure of information, as well as truly unique view of the history of medicine. A must have.
Published 6 months ago by Baroness
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Milestone of a Book about Medical Milestones
"The ancient Egyptians placed crocodile dung mixed with honey in the vagina in an attempt to prevent conception. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Dennis Gordon
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Medical Book - Another Marvel by Cliff Pickover
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Published 8 months ago by Teja K.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another great milestone book from Cliff Pickover
"The Medical Book: From Witch Doctors to Robot Surgeons, 250 Milestones in the History of Medicine" is the third in a series of books by renowned author Cliff Pickover. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Daniel Isaac
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