The Body Builders: Inside the Science of the Engineered Human and Materials science to boot!
I read in my spare time. Haven't had much of that in the last few years, but I get a little bit now and again. These two interesting books I read just for fun.
Over the school year, I read a book by a material scientist entitled Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape our Man-Made World, by Mark Miodownik. This book was interesting. I learned a lot about the chemical composition and physical properties of stuff in our every day life. The chapter on porcelain was particularly insightful since I read that one while deciding what type of dinnerware to purchase after Christmas.
I enjoy the cohesiveness of this book. All the materials he discusses are present in one photograph of the author on his roof. Each chapter begins with that picture and then breaks down the history, composition, and social relevance of the material under discussion. He discusses everything from concrete, to chocolate, to paper. Miodownik includes a few biographical snippets which add to the book nicely.
The first book of my summer reading was The Body Builders: Inside the Science of the Engineered Human, by Adam Piore. This book blew my mind! The story begins with feats of prosthetic engineering. (I learned more about Hugh Herr http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blogs/secretlife/engineering/hugh-herr/ . I heard a snippet on NPR about Herr, which is why I chose to read this book. Amazing story! Inspiring person.) Piore continues his story about the feats of modern medicine and immerging technology. Genetic engineering, memory drugs, glasses that give sight through auditory stimulation and instant savants are all discussed in this book.
Piore includes a few biographical gems, but he mainly writes as a journalist, recording what he has seen and heard. It is obvious that he is not a scientist, but he covers the material nicely and the book is accessible to people of all backgrounds. It gave me the desire to dig a bit deeper into some of the topics.
Over the school year, I read a book by a material scientist entitled Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape our Man-Made World, by Mark Miodownik. This book was interesting. I learned a lot about the chemical composition and physical properties of stuff in our every day life. The chapter on porcelain was particularly insightful since I read that one while deciding what type of dinnerware to purchase after Christmas.
I enjoy the cohesiveness of this book. All the materials he discusses are present in one photograph of the author on his roof. Each chapter begins with that picture and then breaks down the history, composition, and social relevance of the material under discussion. He discusses everything from concrete, to chocolate, to paper. Miodownik includes a few biographical snippets which add to the book nicely.
The first book of my summer reading was The Body Builders: Inside the Science of the Engineered Human, by Adam Piore. This book blew my mind! The story begins with feats of prosthetic engineering. (I learned more about Hugh Herr http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blogs/secretlife/engineering/hugh-herr/ . I heard a snippet on NPR about Herr, which is why I chose to read this book. Amazing story! Inspiring person.) Piore continues his story about the feats of modern medicine and immerging technology. Genetic engineering, memory drugs, glasses that give sight through auditory stimulation and instant savants are all discussed in this book.
Piore includes a few biographical gems, but he mainly writes as a journalist, recording what he has seen and heard. It is obvious that he is not a scientist, but he covers the material nicely and the book is accessible to people of all backgrounds. It gave me the desire to dig a bit deeper into some of the topics.
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