BLOOD

by Leo Vroman ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 23, 1967

Leo Vroman, a Dutch-born scientist deeply concerned with blood, and in particular with blood-clotting, violates the cardinal rules of academic writing: He uses the first person and active verbs. He anthropomorphizes like crazy. He interlaces his account with personal history and emotional attitudes. He describes controversies in the field and discloses that there are many more mysteries than solutions. The result is a completely absorbing book, eminently readable and surprisingly detailed. In his scientific career Vroman has done routine blood tests as well as high-powered experiments to explain, for example, why blood clots faster in a glass test tube than in a plastic one. Anyone who has suffered the hospital indignities of blood-letting before breakfast may be pleased that perhaps he has inspired a Vroman-like concern for blood. The author's description of exactly what happens to those precious drops and how much they can reveal may even ameliorate the painful memory. Biographical notes reveal that in addition to his apparent skills in English, the author has also been awarded a prize by the Dutch government for several volumes of verse.

Pub Date: June 23, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION