October 2014

Noam: A time for Gifts.

Patrick Leigh Fermor

Noam I bought this for Yoni last month and I think that it is time for you to read it. It won't cure your wanderlust that's for sure. This guy, who was a huge hero in the second world war, after getting kicked out of school at 17 in 1932 decided to walk across Europe. This isn't really a trip that you can make anymore though many have tried. I say that because the world has become so much smaller and the differences between nations have become so much smaller. Anyway he walks like a tramp some of the time and because of his contacts, social status and gift for languages he ends up sleeping in a lot of palaces. A great book, thought by many to be the best modern travel book. Bear in mind that he wrote it 50 years after the trip so he is able to see some of it through the hindsight of history.There are two others, just let me know when you want those.

Yoni:

City of Thieves: A Novel

Benioff, David

This is one of those great finds, a book I picked up at a book sale because the author had a Jewish name. I couldn't put it down, honestly, it deserves all the reviews on Amazon, Judy is reading it now.

When I finished it I read a book about the siege and most of the stuff here is true. Of course, there is a Jewish connection. I think that Daci will enjoy this as well.

July 2014

Noam:

The Remedy: Robert Koch, Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Quest to Cure Tuberculosis

Goetz, Thomas

I know you like books about diseases, TB is really the king of Bacteriological issues. Though Selman Waksman (yes MOT) developed the first useful treatment in the 1950's TB remains along with Malaria as the most destructive infectious disease, though in the past, it was often related to creativity. I hope that this book will shed some light on the subject. It is certainly the disease with the most literary heritage.


Yonatan:

A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution: 1891-1924 

by Orlando Figes 

I have refrained from getting you guys history books, this does look a little daunting at first. I read this last year and I have to say it is really readable. This period in history is mostly misunderstood and the scale of events is truly momentous. Don't worry I won't send books on the Balkans any time soon.

June 2014

Noam:

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir (P.S.)

See Yonatan's book from last month, the story about the leprosy asylum in S. Louisiana. I keep hearing great things about this book, I hope that it appeals to you as you like both microbiology stories and Louisiana history.

Yonatan:

Midnight in Europe: A Novel

 The new Furst book came out on Tuesday, you will get it on Saturday!

May 2014

Yoni:

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir (P.S.) Paperback

by Neil White

My good friend Marc Kahn from Tulane recommended this. The true story of a white-collar criminal who finds himself befriending the last remaining patients of the last remaining "leper-colony" which is of course in South Louisiana. Probably a disease you will never see but an intersting window into a lost medical world (thankfully).

Noam:

The Paris Architect: A Novel Hardcover

by Charles Belfoure (Author)

Ok, as you know I would happily drop everything and move to Paris. In addition this a book about Jews, the holocaust and an Architect. It has your name written all the way through. There should be a fair amount of architectural detail hidden  throughout.

April 2014

A fun month I think (if you think  the history of TB is fun)


Noam: 

Why Knot?: How to Tie More than Sixty Ingenious, Useful, Beautiful, Lifesaving, and Secure Knots!

Petit, Philippe
(that's the guy why walked the high wire in between the twin towers.
If he doesn't know how to tie a knot who does?

I know you love all sorts of outdoorsy stuff and I read really good things about this book.
I myself still remember how to square lash from camp. It is probably a good life skill.


Yonatan: Less fun but very interesting;

The Remedy: Robert Koch, Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Quest to Cure Tuberculosis

Goetz, Thomas

I have been waiting fo rthis to come out for a while and I am ordering myself a copy. TB remains along worth Malaria as the most destructive infectious disease, though in the past, it was often related to creativity. I hope that this book will shed some light on the subject. It is certainly the disease with the most literary heritage.

March 2014

Boring choices this month though one may be useful and the other will raise your blood pressure:

Yonatan:

The White Coat Investor: A Doctor's Guide To Personal Finance And Investing

Dahle MD, James M

I know that you are a careful planner and both of you believe in saving. This book was written for all income levels of doctors from residents up to practising physicians. I know  you have a financial advisor but another perspective can't be bad.

Noam:

Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital

Fink, Sheri

As you live in NO, I think that this book is important. Your Mother is  reading it now and it is making her angry, which means it must be a good book. The absolute inability of the richest country in the world to think through a problem quickly and get help to its citizens within hours instead of days is a stain on the history of the US. If this had happened elsewhere, it is safe to say that people would be in jail but all we got was "well done Brownie!" The physicians involved had to make choices normally reserved for military situations during a battle. An improtant book.

February 2014

February 2014.

Yoni, Noam and Mark: Gary Shteyngart 
Little Failure: A memoir.

I loved his previous two books. We were driving down to NOLA to visit Noam and Catie when we were listening to his interview on Fresh Air (well worth finding the podcast BTW). This is very slightly embellished autobiography. It is,of course, his personal story but so much of it will resonate with us  that you should find it immediately appealing.
Immigrants and the children of immigrants: MOT : middle school crisis : fears and therapy : Parents demanding educational excellence, I think you both get the point by now.

If you want to read the novels let me know, I enjoyed them both.

January 2014

Noam: What a plant knows.

This is an introduction to the increasingly popular and interesting science of plant senses, the book explains how plants react to stimuli and whether they are really "feeling" which is as much a philosophical question as a biological one. They tried to call this field plant neurobiology, but as plants lack an organized Neurological system, the real neurobiologist got upset. A remarkable introduction and so much of this has been found out in the past 20 years. If you want more of this you need to get into some real cutting edge science, but I was stunned to find out that there are 16 different photoreceptors in Arabadopsis, and that plants do have memory. In addition the BRAC gene found in breast cancer is also present in plants and a mutation in the gene that in humans causes deafness but stopping teh growth of sensory hairs in the ear canal, in plants stops root hair growth

Yonatan:  Dark Star Alan Furst

I know you loved the first one in the series. You know I love reading books in a series so here is number 2. Let me know how long we should go between installments.