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Not here : why American democracy is eroding and how Canada can protect itself / by Goodman, Rob,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."What does it mean to live beside an eroding democracy? As this powerful and timely book argues, that question will define the next generation of Canadian politics. As a congressional staffer in the United States, Rob Goodman watched firsthand as a rising authoritarian movement disenfranchised voters, sabotaged institutions, and brought America to the brink of a coup. Now, as a political theorist who makes his home in Canada, he has an urgent warning for his adopted country: The same forces that have upended democracy in America and around the world are on the move in Canada, too. But we can protect our democracy by drawing on a set of political, cultural, and historical resources that are distinctly of this place. In Not Here, Goodman outlines four such resources. First, the rejection of the dangerous idea of one "real" Canadian people. Second, the refusal of political charisma and founder-worship. Third, a set of social programs--embattled but still standing--that empower neighbours to see one another as equals. And fourth, Canada's longstanding search for an identity separate from the great power with which it shares a continent. Today, that great power is a democracy in decline, and so defending what makes Canada distinct matters more now than ever before. Canadian difference is not a curiosity, a luxury good, or a vanity item. It is a democratic immune system. Laying bare the historical roots of today's politics and making an urgent case for action, Not Here is a roadmap for safeguarding a democracy under unprecedented threat."--
Subjects: Democracy; Democracy; Political culture; Political culture;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The myth of normal : trauma, illness & healing in a toxic culture / by Maté, Gabor,author.; Maté, Daniel,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From our most trusted, compassionate authority on stress, trauma and mental well-being--a groundbreaking investigation into the causes of illness, a bracing critique of how our society breeds disease, and a pathway to health and healing. In the richest, most technically advanced, most health-obsessed society ever, all is not well. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, chronic illnesses were on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, every fifth person has high blood pressure. In Europe, over 30 percent of the population suffers from hypertension. And everywhere, adolescent mental illness is on the increase. So what is really 'normal' when it comes to health? Over four decades of clinical experience, Gabor Maté has come to recognize this version of 'normal' as misleading, neglecting the roles that trauma and stress, and the pressures of life in the modern world, exert on our bodies and our minds at the expense of good health. For all its expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person, which in turn stresses the body, burdens the immune system and undermines emotional balance. Now, Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of commonly held myths about what makes us sick, and connects the dots between personal suffering and the pressures of modern-day living. Filled with stories of people in the grip of illness or in the triumphant wake of recovery, The Myth of Normal is Gabor Maté's most life-affirming and urgent book yet."--
Subjects: Civilization, Modern; Social medicine.; Diseases; Health;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Ageless : the new science of getting older without getting old / by Steele, Andrew,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."A startling chronicle by a brilliant young scientist takes us onto the frontiers of the science of aging, and reveals how close we are to an astonishing extension of our life spans and a vastly improved quality of life in our later years. Aging--not cancer, not heart disease--is the true underlying cause of most human death and suffering. We accept as inevitable that as we advance in years our bodies and minds begin to deteriorate and that we are ever more likely to be felled by dementia or disease. But we never really ask--is aging necessary? Biologists, on the other hand, have been investigating that question for years. After all, there are tortoises and salamanders whose risk of dying is the same no matter how old they are. With the help of science, could humans find a way to become old without getting frail, a phenomenon known as "biological immortality"? In Ageless, Andrew Steele, a computational biologist and science writer, takes us on a journey through the laboratories where scientists are studying every bodily system that declines with age--DNA, mitochondria, stem cells, our immune systems--and developing therapies to reverse the trend. With bell-clear writing and intellectual passion, Steele shines a spotlight on a little-known revolution already underway"--
Subjects: Aging; Longevity.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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What the wild sea can be : the future of the world's ocean / by Scales, Helen,author.;
Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-290) and index."The acclaimed marine biologist and author of The Brilliant Abyss examines the existential threats the world's ocean will face in the coming decades and offers cautious optimism for much of the abundant life within. No matter where we live, "we are all ocean people," Helen Scales emphatically observes in her bracing yet hopeful exploration of the future of the ocean. Beginning with its fascinating deep history, Scales links past to present to show how the prehistoric ocean ecology was already working in ways similar to the ocean of today. In elegant, evocative prose, she takes readers into the realms of animals that epitomize today's increasingly challenging conditions. Ocean life everywhere is on the move as seas warm, and warm waters are an existential threat to emperor penguins, whose mating grounds in Antarctica are collapsing. Shark populations -- critical to balanced ecosystems -- have shrunk by 71 per cent since the 1970s, largely the result of massive and oft-unregulated industrial fishing. Orcas -- the apex predators -- have also drastically declined, victims of toxic chemicals and plastics with long half-lives that disrupt the immune system and the ability to breed. Yet despite these threats, many hopeful signs remain. Increasing numbers of no-fish zones around the world are restoring once-diminishing populations. Astonishing giant kelp and sea grass forests, rivaling those on land, are being regenerated and expanded. They may be our best defense against the storm surges caused by global warming, while efforts to reengineer coral reefs for a warmer world are growing. Offering innovative ideas for protecting coastlines and cleaning the toxic seas, Scales insists we need more ethical and sustainable fisheries and must prevent the existential threat of deep-sea mining, which could significantly alter life on Earth. Inspiring us all to maintain a sense of awe and wonder at the majesty beneath the waves, she urges us to fight for the better future that still exists for the Anthropocene ocean"--
Subjects: Marine ecology.; Marine ecosystem health.; Nature; Ocean.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The vaccine : inside the race to conquer the COVID-19 pandemic / by Miller, Joe(Correspondent),author.; Şahin, Uğur,1965-author.; Türeci, Özlem,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Winners of the Paul Ehrlich Prize The dramatic story of the married scientists who founded BioNTech and developed the first vaccine against COVID-19. Nobody thought it was possible. In mid-January 2020, Ugur Sahin told Özlem Türeci, his wife and decades-long research partner, that a vaccine against what would soon be known as COVID-19 could be developed and safely injected into the arms of millions before the end of the year. His confidence was built upon almost thirty years of research. While working to revolutionize the way that cancerous tumors are treated, the couple had explored a volatile and overlooked molecule called messenger RNA; they believed it could be harnessed to redirect the immune system's forces against any number of diseases. As the founders of BioNTech, they faced widespread skepticism from the scientific community at first; but by the time Sars-Cov-2 was discovered in Wuhan, China, BioNTech was prepared to deploy cutting edge technology and create the world's first clinically approved inoculation for the coronavirus. The Vaccine draws back the curtain on one of the most important medical breakthroughs of our age; it will reveal how Doctors Sahin and Türeci were able to develop twenty vaccine candidates within weeks, convince Big Pharma to support their ambitious project, navigate political interference from the Trump administration and the European Union, and provide more than three billion doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to countries around the world in record time. Written by Joe Miller-the Financial Times' Frankfurt correspondent who covered BioNTech's COVID-19 project in real time-with contributions from Sahin and Türeci, as well as interviews with more than sixty scientists, politicians, public health officials, and BioNTech staff, the book covers key events throughout the extraordinary year, as well as exploring the scientific, economic, and personal background of each medical innovation. Crafted to be both completely accessible to the average reader and filled with details that will fascinate seasoned microbiologists, The Vaccine explains the science behind the breakthrough, at a time when public confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy is crucial to bringing an end to this pandemic"--
Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Vaccines.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Cured : the life-changing science of spontaneous healing / by Rediger, Jeffrey,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."When it comes to disease, who beats the odds - and why? When it comes to spontaneous healing, skepticism abounds. Doctors are taught that "miraculous" recoveries are flukes, and as a result they don't study those cases or take them into account when treating patients. Enter Dr. Jeff Rediger, who has spent over 15 years studying spontaneous healing, pioneering the use of scientific tools to investigate recoveries from incurable illnesses. Dr. Rediger's research has taken him from America's top hospitals to healing centers around the world-and along the way he's uncovered insights into why some people beat the odds. In Cured, Dr. Rediger digs down to the root causes of illness, showing how to create an environment that sets the stage for healing. He reveals the patterns behind healing and lays out the physical and mental principles associated with recovery: first, we need to physically heal our diet and our immune systems. Next, we need to mentally heal our stress response and our identities. Through rigorous research, Dr. Rediger shows that much of our physical reality is created in our minds. Our perception changes our experience, even to the point of changing our physical bodies-and thus the healing of our identity may be our greatest tool to recovery. Ultimately, miracles only contradict what we know of nature at this point in time. Cured leads the way in explaining the science behind these miracles, and provides a first-of-its-kind guidebook to both healing and preventing disease"--
Subjects: Healing; Medicine, Psychosomatic.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Unlike the rest : a doctor's story / by Oriuwa, Chika Stacy,author.;
Includes bibliographical references.In this personal story of becoming, belonging and being seen, a psychiatry resident pulls back the curtain on the journey to becoming a doctor. From childhood, Chika Oriuwa dreamed of being a doctor. She knew that she was destined to wear the white coat one day, no matter what it took. The high of being accepted to the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine in 2016 came crashing down when Oriuwa discovered she was the only Black student in her incoming class of 259 students. Oriuwa soon learned that medical school and a medical career are not immune to the systemic discrimination that permeates the fabric of our world. Interwoven with descriptions of on-the-ground medical training, personal moments of doubt and success, and reflections on mental health and family expectations, Unlike the Rest is the moving and inspiring story of a young doctor's journey through medical school and residency, where she found her calling in the science and in the patients, but also felt alone and lonely, and compelled to advocate for change, not only for those in training but for those in care. While the risks of speaking up seemed great, staying silent was simply unacceptable. If you've ever doubted that you belong or struggled to find your voice, Unlike the Rest will inspire you to stay true to yourself and fight for what you believe in.
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Oriuwa, Chika Stacy.; Oriuwa, Chika Stacy; Black people in medicine; Discrimination in medical education; Medicine; Physicians; Racism in medicine; Women physicians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The adrenal thyroid revolution : a proven 4-week program to rescue your metabolism, hormones, mind & mood / by Romm, Aviva Jill,author.;
"A Yale-trained, board-certified family physician with a specialty in women's health and obstetrics delivers a proven 28-day program to heal the overwhelmed, overloaded systems, and prevent and reverse the myriad of symptoms affecting the vast majority of women today. Weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, hormonal imbalances, and autoimmune conditions--for years, health practitioners have commonly viewed each as individual health problems resulting from a patient's genetic bad luck, poor lifestyle choices, or lack of willpower. Patients, too, have turned to different doctors to alleviate their specific symptoms: an endocrinologist for a thyroid problem; a gynecologist for hormonal issues; an internist for weight, diabetes, and high blood pressure; a rheumatologist for joint problems, and even to therapists or psychologists. While these ailments may seem unrelated, Dr. Aviva Romm contends that they are intrinsically connected by what she calls Survival Overdrive Syndrome, a condition that occurs when the body becomes overloaded. SOS can result from childhood survival patterns or adult life stressors that are compounded by foods we eat, toxins in our environment, viral infections, lack of sleep, disrupted gut microflora, and even prescribed medications. Two of the systems most affected are the adrenal system and the thyroid, which control mood, hormones, inflammation, immunity, energy, weight, will power, blood sugar balance, cholesterol, sleep, and a host of other bodily functions. When these systems become overwhelmed they lead to symptoms that can develop into full blown illnesses, including diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and heart disease--all of which have medically provable origins in SOS. The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution explains SOS, how it impacts our bodies and can lead to illness, and most importantly, offers a drug-free cure developed through Dr. Romm's research and clinical work with tens of thousands of patients. In as little as two weeks, you can lose excess weight, discover increased energy, improve sleep, and feel better. With The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution, you can rescue your metabolism, hormones, mind and mood--and achieve long-lasting health"--
Subjects: Adrenal glands; Fatigue; Nutrition.; Self-care, Health.; Thyroid gland;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Size : how it explains the world / by Smil, Vaclav,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."To answer the most important questions of our age, we must understand size. Neither bacteria nor empires are immune to its laws. Measuring it is challenging, especially where complex systems like economies are concerned, yet mastering it offers rich rewards: the rise of the West, for example, was a direct result of ever more accurate and standardized measurements. Using the interdisciplinary approach that has won him a wide readership, Smil draws upon history, earth science, psychology, art, and more to offer fresh insight into some of our biggest challenges, including income inequality, the spread of infectious disease, and the uneven impacts of climate change. Size explains the regularities--and peculiarities--of the key processes shaping life (from microbes to whales), the Earth (from asteroids to volcanic eruptions), technical advances (from architecture to transportation), and societies and economies (from cities to wages). This book about the big and the small, and the relationship between them, answers the big and small questions of human existence: What makes a human society too big? What about a human being? Which alternative energy sources have the best chance of scaling and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels? Why do tall people make more money? What makes a face beautiful? How about a cathedral? How can changing the size of your plates help you lose weight? The latest masterwork of "an ambitious and astonishing polymath who swings for fences" (Wired) Size is a mind-bending journey that turns the modern world on its head."--
Subjects: Size perception.; Stature.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The fifth risk / by Lewis, Michael(Michael M.),author.;
"The election happened," remembers Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, then deputy secretary of the Department of Energy. "And then there was radio silence." Across all departments, similar stories were playing out: Trump appointees were few and far between; those that did show up were shockingly uninformed about the functions of their new workplace. Some even threw away the briefing books that had been prepared for them. Michael Lewis's brilliant narrative takes us into the engine rooms of a government under attack by its own leaders. In Agriculture the funding of vital programs like food stamps and school lunches is being slashed. The Commerce Department may not have enough staff to conduct the 2020 Census properly. Over at Energy, where international nuclear risk is managed, it's not clear there will be enough inspectors to track and locate black market uranium before terrorists do. Willful ignorance plays a role in these looming disasters. If your ambition is to maximize short-term gains without regard to the long-term cost, you are better off not knowing those costs. If you want to preserve your personal immunity to the hard problems, it's better never to really understand those problems. There is upside to ignorance, and downside to knowledge. Knowledge makes life messier. It makes it a bit more difficult for a person who wishes to shrink the world to a worldview. If there are dangerous fools in this book, there are also heroes, unsung, of course. They are the linchpins of the system-those public servants whose knowledge, dedication, and proactivity keep the machinery running. Michael Lewis finds them, and he asks them what keeps them up at night.
Subjects: Administrative agencies; Government executives; Public administration; Civil service;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
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Results 31 to 40 of 41 | « previous |