Naked to the Bone: Medical Imaging in the Twentieth Century (Sloan Technology Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love reading science books geared toward non-scientists such as I. Bettyann Holtzmann Kelves Naked to the Bone: Medical Imaging in the Twentieth Century exactly fit the bill. Profusely illustrated and gracefully written, this fine work of non-fiction tells the story of x-rays, CT scan, MRI, sonograms, and PET scans. Kelves writes for the non-scientist, and does an excellent job of explaining how these various machines work, how they were perceived at the time, the economics of their development and marketing (Kelves never forgets that, for better or worse, medicine and inventing have always been businesses), and their changes in perception and use over time. Perhaps most interesting, and unexpected, are her two chapters addressing how medical imaging -- the ability to see "bones and all" -- was itself imaged in and influenced the visual, literary, and fine arts. Of particular interest to me, as a lawyer, is her accounts of how x-rays and other imaging devices were first used, and then later relied upon (or rejected) in courts of law. The depth and breadth of her research are truly impressive, as is her fine prose.

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Health Care Reform and American Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know Review

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(More customer reviews)This highly readable book is a brilliant political analysis of health reform, beginning with a well-researched, detailed history of the Affordable Care Act and ending with a realistic assessment of the political forces amassed against it and a moderately optimistic view of the likelihood of its implementation. In between it offers an enlightening and objective description of the Affordable Care Act's impact on ordinary Americans. The wisdom and integrity of the two authors are reflected on virtually every page. The book's foray into health economics, arguably a stretch for political scientists, is nevertheless credible. Its legal analysis is generally on target, but not sufficiently detailed to satisfy experts in health law. Although highly factual, this book is more engaging than a good novel. My only problem with it is that I had difficulty putting it down.


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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama in March 2010 is a landmark in U.S. social legislation.The new law extends health insurance to nearly all Americans, fulfilling a century-long quest and bringing the United States to parity with other industrial nations.Affordable Care aims to control rapidly rising health care costs and promises to make the United States more equal, reversing four decades of rising disparities between the very rich and everyone else. Millions of people of modest means will gain new benefits and protections from insurance company abuses - and the tab will be paid by privileged corporations and the very rich. How did such a bold reform effort pass in a polity wracked by partisan divisions and intense lobbying by special interests?What does Affordable Care mean- and what comes next? In Health Care Reform and American Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know, Lawrence R. Jacobs and Theda Skocpol--two of the nation's leading experts on politics and health care policy--provide a concise and accessible overview.They explain the political battles of 2009 and 2010, highlighting White House strategies, the deals Democrats cut with interest groups, and the impact of agitation by Tea Partiers and progressives. Jacobs and Skocpol spell out what the new law can do for everyday Americans, what it will cost, and who will pay. Above all, they explain what comes next, as critical yet often behind-the-scenes battles rage over implementing reform nationally and in the fifty states. Affordable Care might end up being weakened. But, like Social Security and Medicare, it could also gain strength and popularity as the majority of Americans learn what it can do for them.

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