Science & Technology Reviews, June 1, 2011
June 1, 2011AGRICULTURE
Heger, Mike & others. Growing Perennials in Cold Climates. rev. ed. Univ. of Minnesota. 2011. 448p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9780816675883. pap. $39.95. GARDENING
This new expanded edition of a gardening standard is just what gardeners need when choosing plants for a region that dips below -20°F in winter. The original authors Heger and John Witman team up with Debbie Lonnee, an experienced garden writer and nursery worker in her own right, to revisit the 50 most popular perennial groups. Each plant group is covered in a profile so thorough it even includes information on longevity, years to expected bloom time (from both seed and potted plants), and special uses. Conveniently, nursery sources are listed within the plant group’s profile rather than in an appendix (though contact information is limited to an address and phone number). Following each profile is an updated list of varieties deemed reliable in the northern tier of the country. This edition is expanded to include over 2000 varieties (cultivars as well as species), with roughly 500 earning a five-star rating. Part II, a “crash course” in gardening, teaches beginners (and reminds others) about the best practices for planting, propagating, and caring for plants. VERDICT Highly recommended for northern gardeners.—Bonnie L. Poquette, Milwaukee
Lucas, Neil. Designing with Grasses. Timber. 2011. 276p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780881929836. $34.95. GARDENING
This work is for gardeners who desire a less formal look requiring less maintenance than traditional turf lawns or who wish to breathe new character into their property. Lucas, owner of Knoll Gardens in Dorset, England, is a recognized authority on using ornamental grasses in the landscape. Although he writes from the UK, this is not a regional book; he includes U.S.-specific discussions and images. Designing with these versatile, adaptable, and often beautiful plants is gaining more attention in the gardening world. These grasses are generally low maintenance and often thrive under conditions where many other plants cannot. They can add texture, movement, and year-round garden interest or serve as borders, screens, and wildlife habitat. Lucas covers their various growing requirements and all aspects of cultivation, including the environmental benefits of growing ornamental grasses. Color photographs, informative tables, and a comprehensive directory of plants (including U.S. sources) round out his enjoyable and useful book. Many of the design applications are taken from grasses growing in their natural settings. VERDICT This clearly written and well-designed book will appeal to most landscape designers and gardeners. Two green thumbs up!—Deborah Broocker, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Dunwoody
Mabey, Richard. Weeds: In Defense of Nature’s Most Unloved Plants. Ecco: HarperCollins. Jul. 2011. c.336p. illus. index. ISBN 9780062065452. $25.99. GARDENING
British naturalist Mabey (columnist, BBC Wildlife magazine; Flora Britannica) explores the world of weeds—defined as plants designated a nuisance by humans. Using everything from primary botanical and literary sources to his own personal experiences with weeds, he shares their lore, legends, and history. He discusses a variety of weeds and gives examples of how a plant that was useful at one time is later considered a weed and how something thought a weed by some is considered beautiful by others. He discusses weeds’ varied habitats, botany, and natural history, including their reproductive techniques and dispersal methods, as well as the problems they cause worldwide, from the merely irritating to the very destructive. Mabey tells the stories of the poppies that appeared on the battlefields after World War I, how kudzu has taken over the southeastern United States, and how weeds were the first plants to colonize the bombed areas of London during World War II. He also shares how weeds are portrayed in art and literature and the interesting scientific studies centered on them. VERDICT A readable, wide-ranging, carefully documented, and personal look at a group of plants not often written about in a sympathetic manner. Recommended.—Sue O’Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL
HEALTH & MEDICINE
After Tobacco: What Would Happen If Americans Stopped Smoking? Columbia Univ. Jul. 2011. c.544p. ed. by Peter Bearman & others. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780231157766. $115; pap. ISBN 9780231157773. $35. HEALTH
Optimistically assuming that state and federal legislators might take the time to read a collection of evidence-based essays on a single topic, Bearman (social sciences, Columbia Univ.), Kathryn M. Neckerman (research assoc., medicine, Univ. of Chicago), and Leslie Wright (former project coordinator, Ctr. of Excellence in Women’s Health, Boston Univ.) present a look at the potential consequences of a substantial reduction of smoking in the United States. Three scenarios are considered: no policy changes, stricter interventions recommended by the Institute of Medicine, and more draconian measures. All of the researchers used the same simulation tool and the same format for the resulting essays, and each also includes a section on statistical methods clearly not intended for the casual reader. Studied for possible economic and social impact are tobacco farmers and those working in cigarette manufacturing as well as their surrounding communities, retailers, the hospitality industry, and tobacco company philanthropy. Contributors also consider the effect of increased longevity on health expenditures and the Social Security Trust Fund and potential disruptions for smokers with mental illness or addictions. VERDICT The expansive overview here is distinctive, while the work’s technical nature makes it useful primarily for academic and government libraries serving policymakers. The antismoking lobby will also love it.—Dick Maxwell, Porter Adventist Hosp. Lib., Denver
Bohn, Yvonne, M.D., & others. The Mommy Docs’ Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy and Birth. Da Capo Lifelong. 2011. c.544p. ISBN 9780738214603. pap. $15.95. HEALTH
Bohn, Allison Hill, and Alane Park are OB/GYNs, mothers, stars of the cable reality show Deliver Me, and bloggers at www.mommydocs.com. Writing from their more than 45 years of combined experience and having delivered more than 10,000 babies, they seek to debunk urban legends and old wives’ tales. Chapters are arranged from preparing for pregnancy to first, second, and third trimesters; birth; and early days at home. Additional chapters handle complications of early pregnancy, high-risk pregnancies, and “frequently asked questions…and frequently repeated myths.” They offer reassurance for a healthy pregnancy even for those with health conditions such as hypertension or diabetes. Throughout, the authors deliver practical tips and emotional support for coping with both complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies as well as the things that can go wrong, such as miscarriages or infertility. Individual stories add a personal dimension to the medical information conveyed. VERDICT A great resource for anyone seeking information on pregnancy, childbirth, and the first weeks after birth.—Jodith Janes, Cleveland Clinic Fdn.
Floud, Roderick & others. The Changing Body: Health, Nutrition, and Human Development in the Western World Since 1700. Cambridge Univ. (New Approaches to Economic and Social History). 2011. c.472p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780521879750. $90; pap. ISBN 9780521705615. $32.99. HEALTH
That people living in the developed world have become taller and heavier over generations is widely known. To examine this phenomenon, Floud (provost, Gresham Coll., London) led an interdisciplinary team of social historians and economists, including Nobel Prize winner Robert W. Fogel (economics, Booth Sch. of Business, Univ. of Chicago), to examine these changes and their effects over the last 300 years in the United States, England and Wales, and continental Europe. Their extensive research, presented in more than 130 tables and graphs, documents the complex interactions of changes in average height and weight, social indicators such as overall health and mortality rates, economic growth, and technological changes. They argue that improvements in human health and nutrition, combined with new technologies that improve health outcomes and economic growth, produced a “technophysio revolution” that resulted in the economic and social transformation of Europe and North America. The authors conclude that enhanced nutrition resonating over at least three generations is positively linked to productivity and manufacturing output, particularly in economies with low measures of income inequality. VERDICT This is sure to be influential across a range of disciplines, particularly in the international economic-development community. It is, however, a scholarly work meant for specialized readers.—Kathy Arsenault, St. Petersburg, FL
Glasser, Ronald J., M.D. Broken Bodies/Shattered Minds: A Medical Odyssey from Vietnam to Afghanistan. History Pub., dist. by Midpoint. Jun. 2011. c.272p. index. ISBN 9781933909479. pap. $17.95. MED
Pediatrician Glasser, whose best-selling 1971 memoir, 365 Days, recounts his experiences as an U.S. Army physician during the Vietnam era, updates his earlier observations with this disturbing exploration of the medical aspects of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, where explosives are the enemies’ weapons of choice. Survivors of these improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide bombs may suffer massive injuries, amputations, and brain damage, requiring years, if not lifetimes, of expensive treatment. Other explosive injuries to the brain are subtle and difficult to detect without advanced imaging equipment. Glasser argues convincingly that the effects of surviving repeated shock waves contribute to soldiers’ and veterans’ high rates of prescription drug addiction, suicide, and debilitating post-traumatic stress syndrome. The tragic human cost of such injuries is paralleled by our mounting financial obligation to provide lifelong care for ever-growing numbers of returning soldiers. VERDICT Glasser writes with a passion that challenges those who might wish to avoid confronting the harsh medical and social costs of current warfare. General readers will be engrossed in his accounts of the spirit, creativity, and heroism of our soldiers and the medics, nurses, and physicians who care for them.—Kathy Arsenault, St. Petersburg, FL
O’Connell, Jeff. Sugar Nation: The Hidden Truth Behind America’s Deadliest Habit and the Simple Way to Beat It. Hyperion. Aug. 2011. c.320p. bibliog. ISBN 9781401323448. $24.99. HEALTH
Journalist, editor in chief of Bodybuilding.com, and fitness buff O’Connell was shocked to learn of his prediabetes diagnosis in 2006. Knowing that his father had lost a leg to diabetes, O’Connell set out to learn what research has shown as medical best practices and why diabetes is at epidemic proportions in the United States. He warns that doctors do not do enough to prepare and support patients for necessary lifestyle changes and are too quick to simply prescribe drugs. Nutrition, and especially the sugar that permeates the American diet, is targeted as the primary culprit in chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart and kidney disease, and stroke. O’Connell weaves information from medical experts and clinical research studies into his story of personal challenges and his journey to better health. VERDICT An engrossing, well-written narrative that has major relevance to all consumers. O’Connell questions many established guidelines and bases his own logical assertions on research. A thought-provoking title; highly recommended for all consumer-health collections.—Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans Hosp., Tampa
HOME ECONOMICS
Lawson, Tracey. A Year in the Village of Eternity: The Lifestyle of Longevity in Campodimele, Italy. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Aug. 2011. c.416p. photogs. ISBN 9781596915022. $30. COOKING
Lawson, a British journalist, first visited Campodimele, Italy, to write about the health and longevity of its residents. Midway between Rome and Naples, Campodimele (“field of honey”) is home to people whose life expectancy averages 95. Inhabitants share hard work, self-sufficiency, and traditions. They live with the changing of the farming seasons, church festivals, and the rhythms of nature—and really good food. Lawson’s tribute to Campodimele is organized by month, from the olive harvest of January through the first wild asparagus of March, the wood harvest of July that will provide logs for the wood-fired ovens, and boar hunting in November. Bread is baked daily using sourdough starter that may be generations old, and everyone has a garden. Wild fruits, figs, sausages, tomatoes, and amarene cherries are preserved for winter. Many of the exquisitely delicious meals have their roots in cucina povera, the hungry times when the land was scoured for food. VERDICT A lovely meditation on the foods, lives, recipes, and traditions of this area of Italy, this will appeal to travelers and foodies.—Melissa Stearns, Franklin Pierce Univ. Lib., Rindge, NH
Quirk, Jessica. What I Wore: Four Seasons, One Closet, Endless Recipes for Personal Style. Ballantine. Aug. 2011. c.144p. illus. ISBN 9780345526106. pap. $18. PERSONAL GROOMING
Author of the blog What I Wore (whatiwore.tumblr.com) since May 2007, Quirk is developing a strong reputation in the fashion and blogging communities. In her book, she helps readers create functional, fashionable wardrobes by building on basics, adding special and seasonal items, and using pieces in versatile ways to get more wear throughout the year. For each season, she recommends beginning with pieces that transition from the previous one, then adding in seasonal items and accessories. Clothing pieces are presented as single items in color drawings and then as components in three to four outfits. Quirk provides inspirations for three weeks of work and weekend outfits for each season, as well as special occasions (e.g., weddings, work picnics). She also describes essential “Tools of the Trade” (full-length mirror, lint roller) and provides easy storage tips. VERDICT Quirk’s voice is likable, and though her style may be seen as more relevant for women of a similar age and body shape (Quirk is in her late twenties and tall and slim), her ideas are practicable for a large audience.—Meagan Storey, Virginia Beach
Soule, Amanda Blake & Stephen Soule. The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder Through the Seasons. Trumpeter: Shambhala, dist. by Random. Aug. 2011. c.256p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9781590307779. pap. $19.95. HOME ECON
Amanda Blake Soule (The Creative Family; Handmade Home), who authors the popular blog SouleMama, and her husband document their family life over a year, sharing personal reflections on the seasons, photographs, and suggestions for crafts, recipes, and various activities. Organized chronologically by month, chapters begin with essays from both authors, which are followed by “Make” and “Do” projects appropriate for the month or season; e.g., in May the family makes flower essence lotion, tempura dandelions, and a book of flowers. Some “Do” activities, such as January’s project for making an ice mold sun catcher, provide clear directions; others are more ambiguous suggestions, such as September’s “Have a Preserving Party,” which encourages this social event without instructions for preserving or canning (though the authors do provide suggested reading for these endeavors). VERDICT The book has lovely visual appeal, with numerous photographs in the style of those featured on Soule’s blog. Fans of the blog and Soule’s previous books will enjoy this intimate look into her family’s life.—Meagan Storey, Virginia Beach
SCIENCES
Cohen, Steven A. Sustainability Management: Lessons from and for New York City, America, and the Planet. Columbia Univ. Jul. 2011. c.256p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780231152587. $35. SCI
Executive director of Columbia University’s Earth Institute, Cohen (Understanding Environmental Policy) focuses on his hometown of New York City to showcase triumphs of modern-day sustainability that do not sacrifice profitability. Cohen challenges the modern assumption that being green equals losing green by questioning the sustainability of a manufacturing-based society that does not consider waste products or a polluted environment as evidence of inefficiency. He logically and frankly organizes the environment vs. economics debate into a blend of background, opinion, and factual case studies focusing on each facet. By considering each angle (water, food, business, cities) through the framework of technical, financial, managerial, and political issues, the text is accessible enough for the nonprofessional yet comprehensive enough to serve as a primer for sustainability managers of tomorrow—of which there will be many, according to Cohen. VERDICT Cohen’s liberal viewpoint may overshadow the sound managerial advice for those who don’t agree with it. Regardless of politics, this will be used widely as a text for environmental studies, political science, and business majors. Strongly recommended.—Jaime Hammond, Naugatuck Valley Community Coll. Lib., Waterbury, CT
Deutsch, David. The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World. Viking. Jul. 2011. c.462p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780670022755. $30. SCI
Deutsch (Fellow, Royal Society; physics, Univ. of Oxford, UK; The Fabric of Reality) provides a comprehensive discussion of the larger concepts in science and everyday life. Picking up where Fabric ended, Deutsch expands his views on the deepest strands of discussion on evolution, quantum physics, knowledge, and computation to the broader concept of the multiverse. He does this by examining a variety of concepts including creativity, optimism, choice, and the evolution of culture to show that any topic is within the reach of reason. While Deutsch’s book is lengthy, he convinces readers of the existence of the multiverse and how it can be described in the chosen contexts. VERDICT Comparable recent works include John Gribbin’s In Search of the Multiverse, Steven Manly’s Visions of the Multiverse, and Bernard Carr’s Universe or Multitverse? for those interested in learning more about the basics of the discussion and current beliefs in the existence of the multiverse. Recommended for readers in science, philosophy, and physics.—Elizabeth Brown, Binghamton Univ. Libs., NY
Eilperin, Juliet. Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks. Pantheon. Jun. 2011. c.320p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780375425127. $26.95. NAT HIST
Humans kill 73 million sharks to supply fins for soup and have depleted populations worldwide and disrupted ecosystem balance in various ocean environments. Eilperin, an environmental reporter for the Washington Post and a scuba diver, describes her travels throughout Asia, South Africa, and the United States in search of shark information and folklore. She tasted shark soup in China and found it bland. There is also illegal trade in sharks in demand by aquariums in casinos and resorts. The author provides a well-written overview of current and past attitudes toward sharks and discusses shark species, physiology, genetics, reproduction, evolution, navigation, and attacks on swimmers. Because sharks swim so fast and are hard to spot underwater, tracking them for scientific purposes is difficult and costly. VERDICT Eilperin’s adventures will entertain general readers and high school and college students. For systematic treatment of shark behavior, size, and distribution of the various species, consider such works as Thomas B. Allen’s The Shark Almanac or Doug Perrine’s well-illustrated Sharks and Rays of the World.—Judith B. Barnett, Univ. of Rhode Island Lib., Kingston
Gillham, Nicholas Wright. Genes, Chromosomes, and Disease: From Simple Traits, to Complex Traits, to Personalized Medicine. FT: Pearson. Jul. 2011. c.311p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780137075447. $49.99. SCI
This history of medical genetics with background on risk factors and disease and susceptibility genes is important for understanding complex polygenic diseases including cancer. Gillham (biology, emeritus, Duke Univ.) also tackles thorny issues of eugenics, IQ, and behavioral genetics. He covers current and emerging genetic testing, how genetic counseling was defined and has developed, and the rapidly expanding field of newborn genetic screening. In vitro fertilization, preimplantation genetic diagnostics (PGD), gene therapy, and stem cell therapeutics are also considered. VERDICT There are many less technical genetics books aimed at nonspecialists, but there are few, if any, simple answers to these complex questions. Gillham does a good job of explaining why we should care about history and specifics. Newly diagnosed patients, those in good health who worry, prospective parents, and parents of newly diagnosed newborns may well find these details and context just what they want. Recommended for collections with Stephen Jay Gould’s The Mismeasure of Man, Kevin Davies’s The $1,000 Genome, or related titles.—Mary Chitty, Cambridge Healthtech Lib., Needham, MA
Meredith, Martin. Born in Africa: The Quest for the Origins of Human Life. PublicAffairs: Perseus. 2011. c.304p. photogs. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781586486631. $26.99. SCI
Today it is accepted that Africa is the continent of origin for the human species. But this was not always the case. A century ago, when human fossils were just beginning to be discovered and classified in various spots across the globe, scientists argued over where human beings originated, with many believing it was Indonesia, elsewhere in Asia, or even Europe. Meredith (History: The Fate of Africa) traces the history of scientific discoveries of human fossils over the last 100 years in the first part of the book, including the many controversies that erupted over differing conclusions within the scientific community. In the second half, he focuses on the migration of the human species out of Africa to the rest of the world. VERDICT Throughout, Meredith successfully chronicles the advancement of scientific thinking where human origins are concerned. Amateur physical anthropologists will find this an interesting, enjoyable read.—Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll.–Penn Valley, Kansas City, MO
Nordhaus, Hannah. The Beekeeper’s Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America. HarperPerennial: HarperCollins. Jun. 2011. c.336p. photogs. ISBN 9780061873256. pap. $14.99. SCI
The 2006 bee colony collapse crisis generated several fine books on bees/beekeeping. This book differs by focusing on the keeper, not the kept. Meet John Miller, a fourth-generation migrant beekeeper, who trucks his hives to California and Washington State for winter pollination activities then back to North Dakota for summer foraging. It’s a big outfit, one of the nation’s top 20, and so much of its success rests on the health of Miller’s millions of little employees. Readers will get a strong sense of what a crucial, beautiful, and terribly precarious livelihood beekeeping can be. The book’s charm derives in large part from the author’s rapport with her subject—they’re kindred souls, journalist Nordhaus and Miller—both are appealingly self-effacing, and they seem to share (as the author points out) the occupational hazard of loneliness. VERDICT “Bee guy” Miller’s lament is not of the weeping and wailing variety but rather a resigned, humorous, one-damn-thing-after-another approach to life. It’s not too much of a stretch to suggest this book as a “do what you love” career guide. Or instead of that, it is highly recommended as both a character study and a compelling popular science work for interested readers.—Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont.
Prager, Ellen. Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Oceans’ Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter. Univ. of Chicago. 2011. c.184p. bibliog. ISBN 9780226678726. $26. NAT HIST
Prager (Chasing Science at Sea), a marine scientist formerly at the University of Miami and the Aquarius Reef Base, an underwater lab in the Florida Keys, has written another approachable book. The catchy title here is accurate. She discusses reproduction underwater for tiny phytoplankton, sex-changing fish, and more; drugs developed from many organisms, such as anticancer drugs from sponges; and the advantages of slime for hiding, protecting, or attacking. About a third of each chapter covers why we should care about the ocean and its inhabitants, which echoes Prager’s message in The Oceans (written with Sylvia A. Earle). The overriding theme is that we should learn about the ocean and take care of it. She has humor and surprises to make it interesting, but readers will want some background in terminology or a dictionary. VERDICT The title might attract readers from teens to adults, and the relaxed writing style and fun facts will encourage them to keep reading and learn why to help protect the oceans and their inhabitants.—Jean E. Crampon, Univ. of Southern California Science & Engineering Lib., Los Angeles
Worden, Al with Francis French. Falling to Earth: An Apollo 15 Astronaut’s Journey to the Moon. Smithsonian. Jul. 2011. c.304p. photogs. ISBN 9781588343093. $29.95. SCI
Nine months after Worden’s (Hello Earth: Greetings from Endeavour) return to Earth, NASA management moved him permanently out of the astronaut office for allegedly profiteering from spaceflight. In this autobiography, he addresses the accusations and how he cleared his name. His focus, however, is on the first half of his life, from childhood to his departure from the Houston space center; he dispatches the last 40 years in two short chapters. The book’s highlight is a detailed and fascinating account of training for and successfully completing the first longer-stay lunar mission. Although Worden clearly regrets sacrificing his marriage for his career, kicks himself for getting involved in questionable financial deals, and obviously has mixed feelings about his former mission commander, he doesn’t dwell on the details or on his emotions. In a low-key conclusion, the author claims he is reconciled with most of his astronaut peers and on better-than-ever terms with NASA. VERDICT A good, occasionally blunt read and a worthy newcomer to the ever-popular genre of astronaut memoirs. Anyone interested in the space program will enjoy Worden’s reminiscences.—Nancy R. Curtis, Univ. of Maine, Orono
TECHNOLOGY
Swift, Earl. The Big Roads: The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers Who Created the American Superhighways. Houghton Harcourt. Jun. 2011. c.384p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9780618812417. $27. TECH
Swift (Where They Lay: Searching for America’s Lost Soldiers) takes on the myth-plagued story of how America’s interstate highway system came to be. Not so much a single story but a series of intertwined tales, the book busts many of the myths around the who, what, when, why, and how of today’s superhighways. The stakeholders (users, industrialists, politicians, engineers) and their roles are surprisingly fluid over time. While a discussion of the highways as social and economic change agents occupies some of the book, it is not the primary focus. Swift also does not focus on engineering specifications, roadway structures, or road alignment battles across the nation, though he occasionally mentions those topics. This is a story about the characters who, over several decades, played a role in building the greatest public works project in history. Unfortunately, few pictures are available. VERDICT At a time when “we can’t afford it” and “we don’t need it” dominate public discourse, it’s nice to look back to an era when visionary investment was still possible. For history and engineering buffs.—James A. Buczynski, Seneca Coll. of Applied Arts & Tech, Toronto
