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The indomitable Florence Finch : the untold story of a war widow turned resistance fighter and savior of American POWs / by Mrazek, Robert J.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."When Florence Finch died at the age of 101, few of her Ithaca, NY neighbors knew that this unassuming Filipina native was a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, whose courage and sacrifice were unsurpassed in the Pacific War against Japan. Long accustomed to keeping her secrets close in service of the Allies, she waited fifty years to reveal the story of those dramatic and harrowing days to her own children.Florence was an unlikely warrior. She relied on her own intelligence and fortitude to survive on her own from the age of seven, facing bigotry as a mixed-race mestiza with the dual heritage of her American serviceman father and Filipina mother. As the war drew ever closer to the Philippines, Florence fell in love with a dashing American naval intelligence agent, Charles "Bing" Smith. In the wake of Bing's sudden death in battle, Florence transformed from a mild-mannered young wife into a fervent resistance fighter. She conceived a bold plan to divert tons of precious fuel from the Japanese army, which was then sold on the black market to provide desperately needed medicine and food for hundreds of American POWs. In constant peril of arrest and execution, Florence fought to save others, even as the Japanese police closed in. With a wealth of original sources including taped interviews, personal journals, and unpublished memoirs, The Indomitable Florence Finch unfolds against the Bataan Death March, the fall of Corregidor, and the daily struggle to survive a brutal occupying force. Award-winning military historian and former Congressman Robert J. Mrazek brings to light this long-hidden American patriot. The Indomitable Florence Finch is the story of the transcendent bravery of a woman who belongs in America's pantheon of war heroes."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Finch, Florence Ebersole Smith, 1915-2017.; United States. Army. Forces, Far East; United States. Coast Guard. Women's Reserve; Prisoners of war; Prisoners of war; War widows; World War, 1939-1945; World War, 1939-1945; World War, 1939-1945;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Blood money : the story of life, death, and profit inside America's blood industry / by McLaughlin, Kathleen(Journalist),author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Bad Blood meets Dreamland in this kaleidoscopic investigation into the shadowy and vampiric blood business and the dangerous limits of demand for the crucial resource that runs through our very veins. Every year, about twenty million Americans sell blood plasma for cash in a barely regulated market dominated by private industry and off-the-grid trafficking. These commercial efforts prey on an insatiable market for medical and scientific innovation fed from the veins of some of the country's most marginalized communities, such as undocumented immigrants and residents of poverty-stricken Flint, Michigan. We are often told that "blood donations" are used to save lives, but blood plasma, a component of whole blood, has become a precious commercial good. Blood plasma is collected and marketed by private industry, with the United States one of just five nations on the planet that have not yet banned the practice of pay-for-plasma giving. This precious resource is used for everything from expensive and unproven age-reversing treatments to costly and experimental cures for novel diseases like COVID-19. Based on a cross-country investigation into the plasma-giving capitals of the country, in-depth research into the blood industry, and her personal experience as a beneficiary of plasma-derived treatment for a rare condition, Kathleen McLaughlin's Blood Money reveals the underhanded machinations and unbalanced power structures of the blood industry. Taking us from China's blood black market to Silicon Valley's shadowy tech startups, this is an unforgettable inside look at an industry many of us had no idea even existed. Blood Money is an electrifying exposé that demonstrates the shadowy overlap between big medicine and big business and paints a searing portrait of the extent to which American industry feeds on the country's most vulnerable"--
Subjects: Blood banks; Blood products;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Malady of the mind : schizophrenia and the path to prevention / by Lieberman, Jeffrey A.,1948-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."This brilliant portait of schizophrenia--the most malignant and least understood mental illness--by renowned psychiatrist Jeffrey Lieberman, Chair of Columbia's legendary Psychiatry department, interweaves cultural and scientific history with dramatic patient portraits and clinical experiences to impart a revolutionary message of hope: that for the first time in human history, schizophrenia can not just be effectively treated, but even prevented. Of the many myths and misconceptions that have historically obscured our understanding of schizophrenia, the most pernicious is that there is no effective treatment or cure. The reality couldn't be more different: the truth is that today's treatments have the potential to be game-changing--and often lifesaving. In this rigorously researched, deeply compelling biography of schizophrenia, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman draws on his four-decade career to tell the story of the past, present, and future of this historically dreaded, often disabling illness. From his vantage point at the pinnacle of academic psychiatry, informed by extensive research experience and clinical care of thousands of patients, Dr. Lieberman describes how the complexity of the brain, the checkered history of psychiatric medicine, and centuries of stigma combined with misguided legislation and health care policies have impeded scientific and clinical progress. And yet, there is hope: by offering evidence-based treatments that combine medication with psychosocial services, doctors are now able to effectively treat schizophrenia. Even more auspiciously, early detection and intervention before the onset of psychotic symptoms can--thanks to decades of scientific work--not only suppress symptoms but also effectively prevent the outbreak of this disorder. A must-read for fans of psychological histories and anyone whose life has been affected by schizophrenia, this revelatory work offers a comprehensive scientific portrait, crucial insights, and, most importantly, hope for those afflicted"--
Subjects: Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Dark calories : how vegetable oils destroy our health and how we can get it back / by Shanahan, Catherine,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."In recent years, on the heels of high-profile revelations about nutrition gatekeepers and new technologies that are capable of measuring how foods are metabolized in the body, Dr. Catherine Shanahan has been shouting something new from the rooftops. If you are looking for the most powerful driver of the obesity and nearly all disease epidemics afflicting both young and old, you need look no further than the vegetable oils listed as main ingredients on the packages you buy. If you've had trouble losing weight, or experience heartburn, hypoglycemia symptoms, seasonal allergies, asthma, eczema, frequent headaches, or palpitations, just to name a few symptoms, your body may be giving you early warning signs that it's struggling to control the inflammation induced by seed oils. And that vegetable oil's meteoric rise in our food supply more perfectly parallels the explosion of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic diseases than any other single variable in the modern diet equation. And it's time to expunge it, for good. Dark Calories is the first book to definitively show that vegetable oil is the defining ingredient in not just junk food but all processed food, from frozen meals, canned soup, pizza, and even your vitamin gummies, and makes the case that eliminating it is the single best thing you can do for your health. Through a narrative account of the speedy rise of the vegetable oil industry, a walk through the science of how it fundamentally alters our cells, and an action plan to help you take your health back into your own hands today, Dr. Catherine Shanahan shows how three factors -- a combination of endless advertising sound bites, undisclosed conflicts of interest in research, and the failure of medicine to focus on prevention -- have destroyed human health and turned nutrition science into a farce"--
Subjects: Recipes.; Diet.; Vegetable oils in human nutrition.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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How to change your mind : what the new science of psychedelics teaches us about consciousness, dying, addiction, depression, and transcendence / by Pollan, Michael,1955-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."A brilliant and brave investigation by Michael Pollan, author of five New York Times best sellers, into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs--and the spellbinding story of his own life-changing psychedelic experiences. When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. Thus began a singular adventure into the experience of various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s, when a handful of psychedelic evangelists catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research. A unique and elegant blend of science, memoir, travel writing, history, and medicine, How to Change Your Mind is a triumph of participatory journalism. By turns dazzling and edifying, it is the gripping account of a journey to an exciting and unexpected new frontier in our understanding of the mind, the self, and our place in the world. The true subject of Pollan's "mental travelogue" is not just psychedelic drugs but also the eternal puzzle of human consciousness and how, in a world that offers us both struggle and beauty, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Pollan, Michael, 1955-; Hallucinogenic drugs; Psychotherapy patients;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Cave of bones / by Hillerman, Anne,1949-author.;
"New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman brings together modern mystery, Navajo traditions, and the evocative landscape of the desert Southwest in this intriguing entry in the Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito series. When Tribal Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito arrives to speak at an outdoor character-building program for at-risk teens, she discovers chaos. Annie, a young participant on a solo experience due back hours before, has just returned and is traumatized. Gently questioning the girl, Bernie learns that Annie stumbled upon a human skeleton on her trek. While everyone is relieved that Annie is back, they're concerned about a beloved instructor who went out into the wilds of the rugged lava wilderness bordering Ramah Navajo Reservation to find the missing girl. The instructor vanished somewhere in the volcanic landscape known as El Malpais. In Navajo lore, the lava caves and tubes are believed to be the solidified blood of a terrible monster killed by superhuman twin warriors. Solving the twin mysteries will expose Bernie to the chilling face of human evil. The instructor's disappearance mirrors a long-ago search that may be connected to a case in which the legendary Joe Leaphorn played a crucial role. But before Bernie can find the truth, an unexpected blizzard, a suspicious accidental drowning, and the arrival of a new FBI agent complicate the investigation. While Bernie searches for answers in her case, her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee juggles trouble closer to home. A vengeful man he sent to prison for domestic violence is back--and involved with Bernie's sister Darleen. Their relationship creates a dilemma that puts Chee in uncomfortable emotional territory that challenges him as family man, a police officer, and as a one-time medicine man in training. Anne Hillerman takes us deep into the heart of the deserts, mountains, and forests of New Mexico and once again explores the lore and rituals of Navajo culture in this gripping entry in her atmospheric crime series"--
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Chee, Jim (Fictitious character); Indian reservation police; Leaphorn, Joe, Lt. (Fictitious character);
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Quantum body : the new science of living a longer, healthier, more vital life / by Chopra, Deepak,author.; Fertig, Brian,author.; Tuszynski, J. A.,author.;
"In an unprecedented collaboration between three of today's most powerful minds, Deepak Chopra, M.D., teams up with physicist Jack Tuszynski, Ph.D., and endocrinologist Brian Fertig, M.D., to bring readers a visionary work that delves into the innovative world of quantum science and shows how unlocking its secrets can revolutionize how we live and age-and, ultimately, how we can eradicate disease. The key is the quantum body. Unlike our physical body, which is subject to aging, injury, and decay, the quantum body exists on a sub-atomic level and is the infinite, invisible source of everyday reality that affects your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and biological responses. Without your quantum body, there is no physical body. And this lack of awareness of the most crucial part of ourselves negatively impacts our lives every day. Through a powerful combination of prescriptive exercises and innovative research into the quantum world, the authors unveil seven breakthroughs that will revolutionize the future of everyone's well-being. Central to this revolution is a groundbreaking understanding of metabolism-the way our cells process energy-that promises to challenge our understanding of modern medicine as we know it. Though all too familiar in the physical world, Alzheimer's, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease do not exist at the fundamental level of quantum reality. By harnessing the power of the quantum body, we can significantly improve our physical and mental well-being, including supporting healthy cell, tissue, and organ function, boosting immunity, promoting mental resilience, and expanding our understanding of what it means to live a happy and purposeful life. In this groundbreaking book, Chopra, Tuszynski, and Fertig show you the way by unveiling the "real" reality of your body and mind as never before and providing a vision for a tomorrow that is already here"--
Subjects: Longevity.; Mind and body.; Well-being;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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In pain : a bioethicist's personal struggle with opioids / by Rieder, Travis N.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.A bioethicist's eloquent and riveting memoir of opioid dependence and withdrawal - a harrowing personal reckoning and clarion call for change not only for government but medicine itself, revealing the lack of crucial resources and structures to handle this insidious nationwide epidemic. Travis Rieder's terrifying journey down the rabbit hole of opioid dependence began with a motorcycle accident in 2015. Enduring half a dozen surgeries, the drugs he received were both miraculous and essential to his recovery. But his most profound suffering came several months later when he went into acute opioid withdrawal while following his physician's orders. Over the course of four excruciating weeks, Rieder learned what it means to be "dope sick" - the physical and mental agony caused by opioid dependence. Clueless how to manage his opioid taper, Travis's doctors suggested he go back on the drugs and try again later. Yet returning to pills out of fear of withdrawal is one route to full-blown addiction. Instead, Rieder continued the painful process of weaning himself. Rieder's experience exposes a dark secret of American pain management: a healthcare system so conflicted about opioids, and so inept at managing them, that the crisis currently facing us is both unsurprising and inevitable. As he recounts his story, Rieder provides a fascinating look at the history of these drugs first invented in the 1800s, changing attitudes about pain management over the following decades, and the implementation of the pain scale at the beginning of the twenty-first century. He explores both the science of addiction and the systemic and cultural barriers we must overcome if we are to address the problem effectively in the contemporary American healthcare system. In Pain is not only a gripping personal account of dependence, but a groundbreaking exploration of the intractable causes of America's opioid problem and their implications for resolving the crisis. Rieder makes clear that the opioid crisis exists against a backdrop of real, debilitating pain-and that anyone can fall victim to this epidemic.
Subjects: Rieder, Travis N.; Opioid abuse; Opioid abuse; Drug addiction; Pain;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The road years : a memoir, continued ... / by Mercer, Rick,1969-author.;
"Rick Mercer is back--again!--with the eagerly awaited sequel to his bestselling memoir. At the end of his memoir, Talking to Canadians, Rick Mercer was poised to make the biggest leap yet in his extraordinary career. Having overcome a serious lack of promise as a schoolboy and risen through the showbiz ranks--as an aspiring actor, star of a surprisingly successful one-man show about the Meech Lake Accord, co-founder of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, creator and star of the dark-comedy sitcom Made in Canada--he was about to tackle his biggest opportunity yet. The Road Years picks up the story at that exciting point, with the greenlighting of what would become Rick Mercer Report. Plans for the show of course included political satire and Rick's patented rants. But Rick and his partner, Gerald Lunz, were also determined to do something that comedy tends to avoid as too challenging: they would emphasize the positive. Rick would travel from coast to coast to coast in search of everything that's best about Canada, especially its people. He found a lot to celebrate, of course, and was rewarded with a huge audience and a run of 15 seasons. The Road Years tells the inside story of that stupendous success. A time when Rick was always heading to another town--or military base, sports centre, national park--to tag moose, hang from a harness (a lot), ride the Train of Death, and countless other joyous and/or reckless assignments. Added to the mix were encounters with the country's great. Every living prime minister. Rock and roll royalty from Rush to Randy Bachman. Olympians and paralympians. A skinny-dipping Bob Rae, a goal-keeping Margaret Atwood, a joint-rolling Pierre Berton. Along the way he even found the time to co-found and champion the charity Spread the Net, which has gone on to save more lives than any malaria medicine. Join the celebration, and revive a wealth of happy memories, with what is Rick Mercer's funniest, most fascinating book yet."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Mercer, Rick, 1969-; Comedians; Television personalities;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Determined : a science of life without free will / by Sapolsky, Robert M.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."One of our great behavioral scientists, the bestselling author of Behave, plumbs the depths of the science and philosophy of decision-making to mount a devastating case against free will, an argument with profound consequences. Robert Sapolsky's Behave, his now classic account of why humans do good and why they do bad, pointed toward an unsettling conclusion: We may not grasp the precise marriage of nature and nurture that creates the physics and chemistry at the base of human behavior, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Now, in Determined, Sapolsky takes his argument all the way, mounting a brilliant (and in his inimitable way, delightful) full-frontal assault on the pleasant fantasy that there is some separate self telling our biology what to do. Determined offers a marvelous synthesis of what we know about how consciousness works-the tight weave between reason and emotion and between stimulus and response in the moment and over a life. One by one, Sapolsky tackles all the major arguments for free will and takes them out, cutting a path through the thickets of chaos and complexity science and quantum physics, as well as touching ground on some of the wilder shores of philosophy. He shows us that the history of medicine is in no small part the history of learning that fewer and fewer things are somebody's "fault"; for example, for centuries we thought seizures were a sign of demonic possession. Yet, as he acknowledges, it's very hard, and at times impossible, to uncouple from our zeal to judge others and to judge ourselves. Sapolsky applies the new understanding of life beyond free will to some of our most essential questions around punishment, morality, and living well together. By the end, Sapolsky argues that while living our daily lives recognizing that we have no free will is going to be monumentally difficult, doing so is not going to result in anarchy, pointlessness, and existential malaise. Instead, it will make for a much more humane world"--
Subjects: Free will and determinism.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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