Book picks similar to
Lilavati's Daughters: The Women Scientists of India by Rohini Godbole
women-in-science
inspiring-women
science
scienific
A Dominant Character: The Radical Science and Restless Politics of J. B. S. Haldane
Samanth Subramanian - 2020
B. S. Haldane’s life was rich and strange, never short on genius or drama—from his boyhood apprenticeship to his scientist father, who first instilled in him a devotion to the scientific method; to his time in the trenches during the First World War, where he wrote his first scientific paper; to his numerous experiments on himself, including inhaling dangerous levels of carbon dioxide and drinking hydrochloric acid; to his clandestine research for the British Admiralty during the Second World War. He is best remembered as a geneticist who revolutionized our understanding of evolution, but his peers hailed him as a polymath. One student called him “the last man who might know all there was to be known.”He foresaw in vitro fertilization, peak oil, and the hydrogen fuel cell, and his contributions ranged over physiology, genetics, evolutionary biology, mathematics, and biostatistics. He was also a staunch Communist, which led him to Spain during the Civil War and sparked suspicions that he was spying for the Soviets. He wrote copiously on science and politics in newspapers and magazines, and he gave speeches in town halls and on the radio—all of which made him, in his day, as famous in Britain as Einstein. It is the duty of scientists to think politically, Haldane believed, and he sought not simply to tell his readers what to think but to show them how to think.Beautifully written and richly detailed, Samanth Subramanian’s A Dominant Character recounts Haldane’s boisterous life and examines the questions he raised about the intersections of genetics and politics—questions that resonate even more urgently today.
Put Your Big Girl Panties on and Deal with It: The No-Nonsense Guide to Getting What You Want
Roz Van Meter - 2007
Rife with deeply personal, perhaps slightly embarrassing and often hysterical personal stories from the author herself, Put Your Big Girl Panties On and Deal With It is the guidebook for real women ready to take charge of their own lives.Inside, discover:--How to shuck those procrastination panties: Action Antidotes to the Top 10 Procrastination Perpetuator--How to untwist your knickers: Stressbusting for the rest of us--Aunties in your panties: What we can learn from the Big Girl Panty-Wearers who have gone before us--Big girl Valentine panties: Plenty of romance revivers and passion primers--Bodacious Beauty Britches: How to celebrate your unique gorgeousness
Changing Normal: How I Helped My Husband Beat Cancer
Marilu Henner - 2016
Within days of their first meeting in 2003, they were planning a life together, and soon they were inseparable as Michael became ever more integrated into Marilu’s family. But after only months they were thrown the ultimate curveball: Michael was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and then lung cancer. Marilu refused to lose the love of her life so easily. With the knowledge she had gained on her own health journey, chronicled in several of her bestselling books, Marilu set about finding a path for Michael that would use the best of Eastern and Western medicine to beat his cancers and return Michael to optimal health. Michael eschewed most traditional treatments and with Marilu’s help—aided by knowledgeable and sympathetic doctors—he forged his own path. In this moving and informative book, Marilu tells the story of their fast-paced romance and how this contrasted with the day-to-day battle for Michael’s life. Michael tells the story from his point of view: the search for the cause of his cancer, the mental anguish he felt as he realized how responsible he was for his condition, the physical and mental hardships that he had to overcome, and the triumph of love that made it all worthwhile. Not a “how-to” book in the traditional sense, Changing Normal is a book of empowerment, a call for all those facing similar challenges to take responsibility for their lives, to search for the causes of their illness and address them directly. Written with an engaging voice, a sense of humor, and life-changing wisdom, Changing Normal is a personal and touching look at how Marilu and Michael faced down a cancer diagnosis and came out the other side happier, healthier, and more in love than ever.
As a Man Thinketh and From Poverty to Power
James Allen - 2011
Loosely based in its principles around the Biblical proverb "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," As a Man Thinketh asserts the powerful idea that belief is central to bringing about positive events in one's life. From Poverty to Power, Allen's first book, relies on a similar philosophy but addresses themes of adversity and suffering more directly and offers his simple wisdom as a means of overcoming difficulty. Allen's writings are powerful and relevant today as they were over a century ago, and this collection brings their solace and inspiration to modern listeners.
Mumbai's Dabbawala The Uncommon Story of the Common Man
Shobha Bondre - 2011
Their clockwork precision and incredibly low error rate has got the world to sit up and take note of this awesome army of 5000 men, who make sure office-goers get a hot, home-cooked meal every day, come rain or shine. It is a stupendous feat of coordination, efficiency, honesty and sheer hard work that could teach many a corporate honcho a lesson or two in running a business successfully. The humble dabbawalas of Mumbai shot into fame when Prince Charles requested a meeting with them on a visit to the city in 2003, after having seen a BBC documentary on them. It was a meeting that the heir to the British throne did not forget. In April 2005, the Dabbawalas Association received an invitation to the wedding of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker-Bowles. A few days later, Sopan Rao Rao Mare and Raghunath Medge attended the royal wedding as representatives of the Dabbawalas Association. The story is narrated alternately by the man who has made it happen – Raghunath Medge, president of the Dabbawalas Association, and the author Shobha Bondre. .
Lady Doctors: The Untold Stories of India's First Women in Medicine
Kavitha Rao - 2021
The story of how firmly they were bound in fetters of family, caste and society, and how fiercely they fought to escape, needs to be told. In Lady Doctors, Kavitha Rao unearths the extraordinary stories of six women from the 1860s to the 1930s, who defied the idea that they were unfit for medicine by virtue of their gender. From Anandibai Joshi, who broke caste rules by crossing an ocean, to Rukhmabai Raut, who escaped a child marriage, divorced her husband and studied to be a doctor; from Kadambini Ganguly, who took care of eight children while she worked, to child widow Haimabati Sen, who overcame poverty and hardship—these women had a profound and lasting impact. And in their forgotten lives lie many lessons for modern women.In truth, the compelling stories of these radical women have been erased from our textbooks and memories, because histories have mostly been written by men, about men. In an immensely readable narrative, and with impeccable research, Lady Doctors rectifies this omission.
Manna: When You're Out of Options, God Will Provide
Steve Farrar - 2016
In those moments, we are utterly dependent on God for well-timed help. If he doesn't come through, we're finished. For forty years, two million Israelites were in the wilderness, and God fed them supernaturally every morning with manna, teaching people who doubted him he can be trusted with everything they needed to survive. This is a lesson we need to learn too. In personal stories and applications of biblical lessons, Manna reveals how God specializes in making a way where there is no way. He proved it every day to the nation of Israel, never missing a day of being faithful. He was never late, and he was never early. He was always just in time. And he will be for you.
Diary of a Medical Intuitive: One Woman's Eye-Opening Journey from No-Nonsense E.R. Nurse to Open-Hearted Healer and Visionary
Christel Nani - 2004
Twenty-five case studies with patients suffering from heart disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple sclerosis, adult onset diabetes, and other illnesses document the emotional and physiological causes behind patients' symptoms. The interaction of a person's energy system with health and illness is discussed in detail, as are the revelations that medical intuition offers about life, death, healing, and the existence of God. Instructive strategies for increased health and well-being offer ways to increase resistance to disease and reverse the progress of illness.
Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India
Sujatha Gidla - 2017
While most untouchables are illiterate, her family was educated by Canadian missionaries in the 1930s, making it possible for Gidla to attend elite schools and move to America at the age of twenty-six. It was only then that she saw how extraordinary—and yet how typical—her family history truly was. Her mother, Manjula, and uncles Satyam and Carey were born in the last days of British colonial rule. They grew up in a world marked by poverty and injustice, but also full of possibility. In the slums where they lived, everyone had a political side, and rallies, agitations, and arrests were commonplace. The Independence movement promised freedom. Yet for untouchables and other poor and working people, little changed. Satyam, the eldest, switched allegiance to the Communist Party. Gidla recounts his incredible life—how he became a famous poet, student, labor organizer, and founder of a left-wing guerrilla movement. And Gidla charts her mother’s battles with caste and women’s oppression. Page by page, Gidla takes us into a complicated, close-knit family as they desperately strive for a decent life and a more just society.A moving portrait of love, hardship, and struggle, Ants Among Elephants is also that rare thing: a personal history of modern India told from the bottom up.
The Ballerina Mindset: How to Protect Your Mental Health While Striving for Excellence
Megan Fairchild - 2021
It's a competitive and physically and mentally demanding career that combines elite athleticism, artistry, and performance. Not only do dancers rehearse for six to eight hours a day before performing at night, but they also must make it all look easy!As a principal ballerina with New York City Ballet and a one-time Broadway star--not to mention a mother of three and an MBA student--Megan Fairchild is all too familiar with these challenges. In The Ballerina Mindset, she shares all the wisdom she's learned from her nearly two-decade career, drawing upon her own experiences to show us how she learned to overcome challenges ranging from stage fright to negative feedback to a packed calendar to weight management--and how we can do the same. Inspiring, warm, and revelatory, The Ballerina Mindset is the perfect how-to guide for dancers, athletes, artists, and anyone struggling to stay sane in a high-pressure environment.
Drop Dead: A Niki Marwah Mystery
Swati Kaushal - 2012
And, with all due respect, sir, who the hell are you?'When a body mysteriously appears at the bottom of the otherwise serene hills of Sonargam in peak tourist season, Superintendent of Police, Shimla, Niki Marwah, and her crack team of investigators must act quickly to find out how Rak Mehta, the hotshot President & CEO of a super-successful publishing company, landed there.As they scour the grounds of the luxurious Lotus Resort, where Indigo's employees have checked in for their annual conference, the police team uncovers bitter rivalries, secret grudges and vicious lies – not to mention the victim's own sordid past that has made him more enemies than friends.Lipstick stains, condoms, a notebook full of rambling code; bribery, mind games, broken promises - everything points to murder. And, with the list of suspects growing, it will take all of Niki’s ingenuity and skill to catch the killer before Sonargam's idyllic landscape is disrupted once again...
Quite
Claudia Winkleman - 2020
In this, her first ever book, Claudia invites us all into her world. She shares her observations on topics such as the importance of melted cheese, why black coats are vital, how it’s never okay to have sex with someone who has an opinion on your date outfit, how nurses are our most precious national treasure, and why colourful clothing is only for the under 10s (if you’re reading this sporting a bright red jumper and you’re 9, great! If you’re older, sorry). This is a love letter to life – the real, sometimes messy kind. Quite celebrates friendship, the power of art, the highs and lows of parenting, and of course, how a good eyeliner can really save your life. Heartfelt, wry and unmistakably Claudia, this book gets to the heart of what really matters.
Three Thousand Stitches: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives
Sudha Murty - 2015
Undeterred, she went back, telling herself she must talk to the devadasis about the dangers of AIDS. This time, they threw tomatoes.But she refused to give up. The Infosys Foundation worked hard to make the devadasis self-reliant, to help educate their children, and to rid the label of the social stigma that had become attached to it. Today, there are no temple prostitutes left in the state of Karnataka.This is the powerful, inspirational story of that change initiative that has transformed thousands of lives.
Happiness, Finders' Keepers
Mary Ellen Edmunds - 1999
What is it, and where can it be found? Is it an ideal to be hoped for in the next life, or a reality to be sought here and now? "To me there was never a time when we had a greater need for happiness and for the peace, contentment, serenity, hope, gratitude, and joy that are part of it," writes Mary Ellen Edmunds. In Happiness: Finders, Keepers, she offers a wealth of practical, cheery, spirit-filled suggestions for living a happier life. Since our Father in Heaven's plan is "the great plan of happiness," and since one of the reasons for our very existence is that we "might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25), it's clear that we're meant to be happy right now, here, today! We can do so, even in the midst of trials, if we understand the true nature of this heavenly gift. "I am convinced that even with the heavy burdens, the awful injustices, and the tragedies in the world, there is happiness all around us," writes the author. "We must be the finders and the keepers — those who are aware of and who cherish this holy, abundant blessing." Overcoming stress, maintaining a sense of humor, remembering our blessings, feeling gratitude — these are just some of the paths to happiness discussed in this delightful book. Warm personal stories and solid insights from the scriptures and the words of Church leaders help shape our perspective. The message is one of hope: There are things we can do and feel that will make us almost instantly happier. As Mary Ellen says: "May we remember that we already chose the great plan of happiness, but we need to choose it again, hour after hour and day after day, through all our earthly experiences. . . . If we will, we can live happily ever after!"