by Steven A. Rosenberg & John M. Barry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1992
The exciting story of an idea whose time has come—and of the man who pioneered it. Rosenberg is that rare combination of surgeon and research scientist who early on decided he wanted to take on the challenge of cancer. His patients are all terminal, all failures to chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. His idea: attack the cancer cells with the body's own immune cells—in particular the specialized T lymphocytes capable of killing cells. The rub was how to get quantities of these cells, ensure that they would attack the cancer cells and only the cancer cells, not produce dire side effects, and achieve long-lasting effects. To do all this, Rosenberg and his team at the National Institutes of Health had to surmount enormous hurdles: extracting T cells from animals and humans, priming them to grow in tissue culture, making sure they retained their killing ability, infusing them back into the live animals and humans.... The work, the frustration, the day-to-day drudgery and disappointments are all told here, with the occasional moment of triumph that galvanizes the team. The story unfolds with the discovery of new families of growth factors—the interleukins- -and a new breed of lymphocyte: the tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte. There's also a commercial story with a competition between biotech companies and, as techniques evolve, a gene-therapy story involving inserting foreign genes into patients' T cells to increase their potency. And then there are the patients, all graphically presented. Many were not helped, but enough have survived, their tumors melted away, to demonstrate that there's a new and powerful cancer therapy on the horizon. And that there are scientists like Rosenberg doing their all to make the therapy work.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-399-13749-1
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1992
Share your opinion of this book
by Jim Dent ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 16, 2011
A superb work that paints the resilient athlete as a fierce competitor and an unforgettable sportsman.
Heartfelt biography of a Texas football star whose life was cut short by cancer.
Inspired by interviews with coaches, teammates and friends and a 1971 autobiography, award-winning sportswriter Dent (Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football, 2007, etc.) tracks Freddie Joe Steinmark’s early years and burgeoning career with the Texas Longhorns. From his childhood in 1950s Denver, Colo., Steinmark’s interest in sports flourished, carefully groomed and profoundly encouraged by his father, a self-made athlete turned cop who’d sacrificed a professional baseball career to raise his son. “A small child with fragile bones” yet dubbed “a born winner” by early mentors, Steinmark’s diminutive stature proved a surprisingly suitable match for his steely, fearless determination on the field. Dent budgets his narrative wisely, proffering equal parts sports achievement and personal accomplishment in tracing his subject’s incremental ascent to greatness as he earned the admiration of fellow teammates like star quarterback Roger Behler. As the Longhorns’ “golden boy” key safety, the “155-pound peach-fuzz kid” exhibited drive and tireless perseverance on the gridiron, making him a respected letterman under Coach Darrell Royal. However, soon after a game-saving field performance, Steinmark suffered a crushing blow when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer that would eventually claim his life at 22. Dent also includes the story of Steinmark’s shyly romantic courtship of high-school sweetheart Linda Wheeler, an intensive love that endured throughout their tenure together at the University of Texas. The author also bolsters the biography with a fond foreword from current Texas head coach Mack Brown, who, to this day, continues to memorialize Steinmark’s legacy by bringing his photograph along to the team’s away-games.
A superb work that paints the resilient athlete as a fierce competitor and an unforgettable sportsman.Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-312-65285-2
Page Count: 307
Publisher: Dunne/St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2011
Share your opinion of this book
More by Jim Dent
BOOK REVIEW
by Jim Dent
BOOK REVIEW
by Jim Dent
BOOK REVIEW
by Jim Dent
by Lenore T. Coleman and James R. Gavin, III ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 31, 2004
Authoritative and, most helpfully, accessible.
Self-help guide for diabetes sufferers, mostly in question-and-answer format, with an emphasis on helping racial and ethnic minority diabetics.
Coleman is a pharmacist with a doctorate in her specialty, Gavin a Ph.D. and M.D. Aside from acknowledgments and a foreword signed by Gavin alone, their voices and expertise are indistinguishable, offering lucid, simple solutions for diabetes patients. Gavin relates watching his great-grandmother endure debilitating pain as a result of diabetes while he visited her as a youngster. He remembers hearing adults mention that sugar killed her, and he wondered how something that tasted sweet could cause so much harm. As an adult, he realized that his great-grandmother's affliction could be controlled through treatment. The authors focus on Type 2 diabetes, the most common form in minority populations. An estimated 18.2 million Americans are diabetic, with perhaps 5 million unaware of their situation. About 11 percent of U.S. diabetics are African-American, and about 8 percent are Latino. The question-and-answer format begins with an overview section about diabetes, with an emphasis on risk factors. Section Two covers management of the disease, including nutrition, exercise, blood-testing, oral medications and insulin use. In addition, the authors continually recommend smoking cessation, as well as instructing patients on the readiness of self-treatment. Section Three explains the complications—high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease—that could arise if the condition remains untreated or treated ineffectively. The questions in all of the sections are worded simply, and the answers are usually free of medical jargon. Though the sudden shifts in tone and voice are occasionally jarring, the writing remains clear enough to distill the facts. The real downside here, though: patronizing, laughable illustrations that degrade the overall product.
Authoritative and, most helpfully, accessible.Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2004
ISBN: 0-9746948-0-0
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.