2011: A Review of the Years Books

A few of the books I read in 2011

Last year, the most popular blog post I had was my personal best achievement of reading 60 books.  I had hoped to beat the record this year, but merely tied it.   In any case, for those few souls who may read this, I’ve updated my 2011 List-o-Books.  As in the past, the list is heavy on non-fiction, but this year I did read three works of fiction.

If there is a theme to this years books, it is public health.  I have been taking courses through UNC’s Gillings School of Public Health, through an online certificate program in core public health concepts.  That, among other things, has kept me from blogging much this year, but it has inspired me to focus my non-fiction reading a bit.  Some highlights from this year, with a focus on public health and medicine include:

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – by Rebecca Skloot.  This is a wealth researched story of the person behind a notorious cell-line used to research cancer.  A blockbuster bestseller, this book should be on everyone’s “must-read” list.
• Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82 – by Elizabeth Fenn.  A historical account of George Washington’s crucial decision to require inoculation with live smallpox virus of American troops fighting in the revolutionary war.  Inoculation with live virus was a dangerous yet effective way to prevent widespread outbreak of smallpox, and had Washington not done this, the American colonies would likely have lost the rebellion, and our fight for independence.
• Lethal Passage: The Story of a Gun – by Erik Larson.  Some may argue that this is not a book concerning public health.  I disagree.
• The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine Science and Fear by Seth Mnookin.  An in-depth account of the public dispute over the safety of childhood vaccines.
• Betrayal of Trust:  The Collapse of Global Public Health by Laurie Garrett.  An excellent, if overly long, examination of the modern political failure to support public health.
• The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddartha Mukherjee.  A fascinating book.  Cancer is anything but simple, and after reading this, I truly wonder if a cure is possible.
• The Fever:  How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years  by Sonia Shah.  As FHI 360 is doing a lot of work on malaria, I picked this up to find out more what we are up against, and after reading it I feel sure we’ll be in the malaria business for a long time to come.
• Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic That Remains One of Medicine’s Greatest Mysteries by Molly Caldwell Crosby.  A chronicle of the epidemic of sleeping sickness that followed in the wake of the 1918 flu pandemic.  Fascinating.

I would welcome anyone’s comments on these books, and suggestions for more great reading in 2012.

Indigo by Catherine McKinley

Cover, Indigo by Catherine McKinley

Catherine McKinley’s “Indigo: In Search of the Color That Seduced the World” is advertised as the story of the rich cultural history of the color indigo, long sought after as the color of royalty and distinction. Instead, the book is a tiring travelogue with an indigo obsessed academic on a shopping trip through Africa.  The exploration of the history, culture, ritual, and romance of indigo is shallow; instead, I winced reading about this young academic trying to bargain for bundles of cloth she didn’t really need, trying her best to live up to the American stereotype of cultural voyeurism with colonial aspirations.

Ouch!

My bandages after MOHS surgery

Excuse the poor quality image from my web cam, this is just a begging-for-sympathy photo of my bandages, after having a full day at the UNC Mohs surgery clinic. I think they did a good job, but I’ll have to wait to see until the bandages come off.

Midyear Tidbits

Gratuitous picture two of my favorite comedians. Image via Wikipedia

My blog started with a bang in 2011, when some “Freshly Pressed” fame, but alas no fortune, came my way.  Predictably, my blog visitor stats have a monumental peak in January, followed by ever decreasing numbers since.  The post that garnered me 15 nanoseconds of ‘Net fame concerned the number of books I had read in 2010.  Despite working very hard at my job, and filling in my free time with online public health classes at UNC, I’ve been able to keep my reading marathon going.   But, I have found it near impossible to keep up with posting once a week on my blog, something I hoped to do this year.

But, I’ve managed to squeeze in a few minutes to add a few updates lately.   I’ve added a form for suggesting a book, and I always appreciate good recommendations.   You can tell from my reading lists what kinds of books I like, I’m sure: mostly non-fiction, with a few high quality fiction titles thrown in once in a while.

And speaking of reading, I’ve also completed updating my book list so far for 2011, running on at a blistering pace of 35 books so far this year.  Some of the exciting finds so far this year are

• The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean – a fascinating romp through the periodic table of the elements.
• Bossypants by Tina Fey – It’s on the bestseller list for a reason.  It’s funny (well, of course) but also thoughtful, with on-target comments about feminism, and the role of working women in our society.  Fey’s remarks about Sarah Palin’s rise and the media-driven controversy about some of her own comedic barbs sent Bristol Palin’s way are very thoughtful, emphasizing how much Tina, Sarah, and Bristol have in common as women, despite the political gulf between them.
• How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming  by Mike Brown – a must-read for any amateur astronomer, especially for parents.  Brown passion for astronomy comes through on every page, and I hope will inspire young people to pursue science.

Also, I’ve recently started receiving books through LibraryThing‘s Early Reviewers group.  Through this group, you can sign up for access to pre-retail copies of new books, as long as you promise to give a review on LibraryThing or on your own blog.  It doesn’t even have to be a positive review.  Look for a review soon of Indigo by Catherine E. McKinley, the first book I received through this program.

The Value of Education

A good friend of mine, Richard Goldberg, has taught a senior level engineering project class focusing on assistive technology, through UNC’s biomedical engineering department since 1998.  Over the years, his students have changed people’s lives, and I am sure that the student’s lives have been changed by taking this class.  The video below, produced by UNC, demonstrates the effectiveness of a good educator working to bring out the best in students, and the value for society that such interaction can foster.

It is sadly ironic that while UNC students are away for the summer, North Carolina’s Republican led General Assembly has enacted a budget with massive cuts in secondary and post-secondary education.   Government has few responsibilities more important than education, and for North Carolina to walk away from that responsibility is a real tragedy.  We have yet to see how this budget will affect the UNC system, but it already is having an impact on secondary education.  Trying times ahead for the Old North State.