Synopses & Reviews
Phineas Gage was truly a man with a hole in his head. Phineas, a railroad construction foreman, was blasting rock near Cavendish, Vermont, in 1848 when a thirteen-pound iron rod was shot through his brain. Miraculously, he survived to live another eleven years and become a textbook case in brain science. At the time, Phineas Gage seemed to completely recover from his accident. He could walk, talk, work, and travel, but he was changed. Gage "was no longer Gage," said his Vermont doctor, meaning that the old Phineas was dependable and well liked, and the new Phineas was crude and unpredictable. His case astonished doctors in his day and still fascinates doctors today. What happened and what didn"t happen inside the brain of Phineas Gage will tell you a lot about how your brain works and how you act human.
Review
'\"Phineas Gage brings a scientific viewpoint to a topic that will be delightfully gruesome to many readers.\"'
Review
'\"The riveting topic will draw all kinds of readers, and they\'ll be fascinated even as they\'re educated.\"'
Review
'\"Fleischman\'s bold, present-tense writing draws the reader into the story from the first sentence.\"'
Review
"Carefully separating fact from legend, Fleischman traces Gage's subsequent travels and subtle but profound personality changes." Kirkus Reviews, Starred
"Phineas Gage brings a scientific viewpoint to a topic that will be delightfully gruesome to many readers." School Library Journal
"The riveting topic will draw all kinds of readers, and they'll be fascinated even as they're educated." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Fleischman's bold, present-tense writing draws the reader into the story from the first sentence." Horn Book
"Fleischman is a fine science writer, and he has organized his book adroitly." Riverbank Review
"Science writer Fleischman uses a clipped, engaging expository style to tell this incredible story." Publishers Weekly
Review
"A thorough and humorous exploration of our relationship with blood."and#8212;
VOYA"This transfusion of information offers a rewarding experience to readers whether they're after the specific differences between blood types and other biological data or just gore's icky lore."and#8212;Kirkus
"Blood-spattered pages play into the subject matter's potential for ickiness, even while Newquist makes it clear that blood is worthy of fascination, not fear."and#8212;Publisher's Weekly
"The conversational tone and the faux blood-spattered pages, replete with sidebars, color photos, archival drawings, and medical illustrations, are sure to pull readers in."and#8212;School Library Journal
"Newquist's prose is smooth enough that several chapters could actually function as nonfiction readalouds."and#8212;Bulletin
Synopsis
Phineas Gage was truly a man with a hole in his head. Phineas, a railroad construction foreman, was blasting rock near Cavendish, Vermont, in 1848 when a thirteen-pound iron rod was shot through his brain. Miraculously, he survived to live another eleven years and become a textbook case in brain science.
At the time, Phineas Gage seemed to completely recover from his accident. He could walk, talk, work, and travel, but he was changed. Gage "was no longer Gage," said his Vermont doctor, meaning that the old Phineas was dependable and well liked, and the new Phineas was crude and unpredictable.
His case astonished doctors in his day and still fascinates doctors today. What happened and what didnt happen inside the brain of Phineas Gage will tell you a lot about how your brain works and how you act human.
Synopsis
A thrilling and lively tour of the world of blood, from ancient history to modern science, to dark and often gruesome legends of vampires and plague, this book informs readers about the most important tissue in the body.
Synopsis
Winner of the Magnolia Award
and#160;
HP Newquist takes young readers on an engaging tour of the world of blood, from
ancient history to modern scienceand#8212;with an occasional trip to the very strange side of
the most important tissue in our bodies. Oddly enough, scientists began to understand
this fascinating fluid only within the past one hundred years and how its microscopic
components nourish the entire body.
Whether the tales of vampires, medieval medical practices, and Mayan sacrificial
rites captivate or terrify, this comprehensive investigation into bloodand#8217;s past and present
will surely enthrall. And if this account is a little bloodcurdling, well, thatand#8217;s half the
fun!
About the Author
John Fleischman uses his brain as a science writer with the American Society for Cell Biology and as a freelance writer for various magazines, including Discover, Muse, and Air & Space Smithsonian. He has been a science writer at the Harvard Medical School and a senior editor with Yankee and Ohio magazines. He lives in Ohio with his wife and a greyhound named Psyche.