FutureVigil (r) » Books

THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO by Atul Gawande MD

Jeffrey Newman — Sun, 02 May 2010 09:17:56 +0000

Prolific Brigham & Women’s Hospital surgeon Atul Gawande has written an interesting book extolling the benefits of utilizing checklists in order the reduce errors, increase quality assurance and systematize everything from medical procedures to daily endeavors of everyday life. Gawande sprinkles his thesis with excellent examples of how basic procedures sometimes result in sickness and death because of time limitations resulting in shortcuts and memory lapses. Gawande makes some excellent points. Many physicians reject checklists ascribing to the belief that medicine is much an art as a science. In addition, they point up the limitations of checklists, which Gawande does not fully explore. Checklists are excellent tools for non-complex matters but could serve to limit analysis in circumtances which are more problematic as it relates to difficult diagnoses and prognoses. Notwithstanding, Gawande makes some excellent points and checklists, just as is in flying large airliners or NASA spacecrafts, are excellent starting points to reduce errors and eliminate the need for reliance on memory when time constraints and external pressures may result in lapses. The book is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in systems approaches.

FILM THE ROAD AND BOOK BLOOD MERIDIAN BY CORMAC MCCARTHY

Jeffrey Newman — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:12:06 +0000

Yesterday, after having read THE ROAD twice, I saw the film adaptation. As I have said about the book, I was captured and entranced by the characters, who became a part of my life during the read, to the point of distracting me during working hours, especially when I knew they were in trouble. It was no longer a book for me but rather a communication I knew was important, about two fellow travelers struggling to stay alive. I went to the film without any expectations that it should live up to the film or be true to it, as this would set the stage for failure. The book and the film had to stand on their own without help or hinderance from the other. Despite the dark and brooding images lasting throughout and the visualization of the worst of mankind including cannibalism, I felt the film was well done and the intimacy between a man and his son in the most difficult of times conveyed well and without embellishments or Hollywood type injections. The acting is superb and the dialogue well written. The film made me think, despite the fact that I knew the plot well. So I recommend that people see this film, which may not sell as well as Avatar but will stand the test of time and I predict will have legs for years to come, as did the film ON THE BEACH, based on the apocalyptic book by NEVILLE SHUTE. Now, I am on to reading another of Cormac McCarthy’s books, BLOOD MERIDIAN about life in the early 1800’s in Texas and New Mexico. Cormac researched this heavily before writing and has depicted man’s heart of darkness and brutality with skill and poetry. Be prepared for the worst but know that it all happened. A worthwhile gift for the holidays, either in paperback or on tape. My favorite character, without giving away the plot, is THE JUDGE. An ecclectic and intellectual fellow widely read and traveled, a former lawyer, he is also much much more and I have met people like him and these people are to be feared.

SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS eREADER EXPLOSION

Jeffrey Newman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:03:54 +0000

According to Forrester Research, one of the major successes in social media in the near future will be the breakout of sReaders for books, magazines, newspapers and other publications. There are a number of reasons why eReader sales ar gorwing faster than expected including lower prices, more content availability and lots of media buzz. In addition, new technology for eReaders is about to burst on the scene in the form of a whole newe generation of tablet PC’s from Apple, Microsoft and others making use of E Ink and LCD screens. In 2009, eReader sales in the U.S. were about 2 million units. Sales in the U.S. in 2010 are expected to be beyong six million units, three times as many! Competition among many companies is expected to enhance design and technology and lower the price. Content developers should also benefit.

THE ROAD by CORMAC MCCARTHY

Jeffrey Newman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:07:06 +0000

This post apocalyptic thriller and its two main characters so captured me that after reading the book, I listened to the book on tape and would sit in my car until I was nearly late for appointments. The father and son, constantly close to death, facing and surmounting one challenge after the next. I rooted for them through my radio, telling them it was going to be okay–to keep fighting. I listened. I waited. During the day at work, I found myself worrying about my friends and the need to get back and check in on them. Once in a great while, a book will do this and when it does, you are no longer aware that you are reading a book. You are there and it is magic. . One of the most striking things about the book is its taught and realistic dialogue. You can hear the words and see the characters. I liked the book so much I am afraid to see the film (soon to be released). Jeff

BOOK: TREATMENTS BRINGING THE DEAD TO LIFE

Jeffrey Newman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:44:28 +0000

Sanjay Gupta M.D., the super nueorsurgeon and CNN correspondent has penned an interesting book which talks about the line between life and death and how new medical techniques are retrieving those who have died and brought them to life again. New medical advances pose an interesting future in this controversial area. Cold is now used to minimize organ damage, as it was for a mnan who died on the treadmill. In the I.C.U. he was chilled for days and weeks later awoke from a coma to recuperate to complete health. Another man died behind the wheel of his car and six weeks later after receiving similar treatment, had no ill effects. A resusitation technique called rapid chest compressions with no mouth to mouth breathing is now being used successfully to bring people back from the abyss. In his book, Gupta describes animal testing in which they are put into deep hybernation with a gas mixture and brought back with no ill effects. This will be used in the future to give people time to receive special care and ultimately prevent death.

TWILIGHT SEQUEL NEW MOON SHOWS INCREASING INTEREST IN SCI-FI

Jeffrey Newman — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:57:37 +0000

The financial success of the new release of the Twilight sequel NEW MOON is further evidence of popular interest in science fiction in its many forms. The film is based on the romance novel, one of four by author Stephanie Meyer. It is about the life of Isabella Swan, a teenager who moves to Forks Washington and falls in love with a 104-year-old vampire, Edward Cullen. In New Moon, Edward leave Forks because he thinks he is endangering Bella’s life. She becomes deeply depressed until her new friendship with werewolf Jacob Black. Jacob and other werewolves in his tribe must protect her from Victoria, a vampire seeking to avenge her mate James’ death, by killing Bella. The film garnered the third best weekend opening of all time, earning $140.7 million nearly double the opening of the last Twilight film. The third film, Eclipse, is set to be released June 30, 2010. The growing interest in Twilight confirms that science fiction and fantasy continues to fuel and sustain Hollywood’s movie industry.

STEPHEN KING’S NEWEST SCI-FI BOOK UNDER THE DOME

Jeffrey Newman — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:58:26 +0000

Stephen King’s latest work UNDER THE DOME, soon to be a television mini series, is about a Maine Village suddenly sealed off by an invisible force field. The people inside the field are cut off and time is running out, as they have limited resources–a metaphor on our planet, according to the author. The story is about the people inside the dome and how some try to take advantage of the situation for control and power and how others try to help their neighbors, to help them through. A worthwhile read for the holiday.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN BY CORMAC MCCARTHY

Jeffrey Newman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:13:13 +0000

After reading THE ROAD, I went back to the library to find another book by Cormac McCarthy. I found NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. That’s how I seem to find books. This process is too haphazard, devoid of creativity in my choice of reading but it is what I do and I expect others do the same. In any case, I thought it would be hard to find a darker, more brooding book than THE ROAD, but this one is it. Without giving too much away, no matter what happened to the characters in THE ROAD, McCarthy still left me with hope for their future. Not so here. It doesn’t lessen the experience though. In NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, we get a glimpse into the mind of a true sociopath–the kind of person we all know exist in the shadows in every city and town and who will kill as easily as sipping their morning coffee. McCarthy tells the truth in his fiction and you just know it is the truth about people. For example you know some people kill for no reason and if you happen to get on their radar screen you had better be lucky or fast to get away from them. Also, his words are hypnotic and the beat of his narrative is impossible to turn away from. The thing I like the best about his writing is that McCarthy takes his time. He builds his characters and his characters take time in their own life to look around and ponder things. It is Cormac’s patient details that make the difference…the banter before murder showing the bizzare logic of the killer; the old cop’s taking time to buy cups of hot coffee from the diner before driving off; one man standing and watching the sun before fleeing danger . The book draws out those mystical in between moments which have come to enrich my own life. The lines in the grocery store, early morning coffee; the quiet of 2 am. McCarthy carefully points up the connections between people in their banter. So give yourself a gift. You can take McCarthy’s characters carry them with you during the day, like marbles in your pocket waiting to be pulled out one by one as a reminder to stop the frenetic life and to remember what’s really important. The magic.