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Cranial and spinal magnetic resonance imaging: An atlas and guide
78
Surg Neurol 1988;30:78-80
Book Reviews
Romanian Neurosurgery. Volume IV. By C. Arseni and V. Pais. 295 pages. Bucharest, R o m a n i a : Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste R o m a n i a , 1987. This latest volume of the ongoing series on Romanian neurosurgery deals exclusively with the ultrastructure of brain tumors and adjacent tissues and not, as the authors emphasize in their preface, with problems in clinical neurosurgery. It virtually constitutes an electron microscopic atlas of 185 figures of good to superior quality with an interspersed running commentary on various aspects of cerebral neoplasia. The authors cite opinions gleaned from the literature and have no hesitancy in stating their own, often intriguing, observations. The book is informative on the status of neurosurgery in Romania. H. M. ZIMMERMAN, M.D. Bronx, New York
A Machine Called Indomitable. By S o n n y Kleinfield. N e w Y o r k : Times Books, 1986. 250 pp. $16.95 A Machine Called Indomitable is the story of Raymond Damadian, a remarkable medical researcher, who through his vision and persistence developed the first clinical nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) scanner. His prototype scanner, built mainly of spare parts and named The Indomitable, serves as a symbol of Damadian's lonely struggle against an unbelieving and at times obstructionist medical establishment. A Machine Called Indomitable is a chronicle of the American dream, of genius, and of obsession. While concentrating upon Damadian's work in the 1970s, this book also follows him from his childhood in Queens to his current position as Fonar Corporation's chief executive officer. Damadian is clearly a multifaceted talent, being an accomplished violinist and tennis player of professional stature, In fact, Damadian very nearly attended The Julliard School of Music instead of pursuing a medical career. Both Damadian and the world of science benefited by his choice to enter medicine. However, the price for success paid by Damadian is clear; his violin and tennis racquet now collect dust under his bed. The machine was, and is, his life. Damadian's struggle against the scientific establishment is well chronicled. Infighting, greed, selfishness, and politics are integral parts of the scientific world as they are elsewhere. The
© 1988 by Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc.
National Institutes of Health and other agencies rejected Damadian's grant application on multiple occasions. They concluded that building an N M R scanner was interesting but impractical. Young researchers like myself will find great consolation in reading about Damadian's eventual triumph over this self-satisfied scientific bureaucracy. Damadian's secret of success seems to have involved at least two factors: an unfaltering vision coupled with perseverance. Damadian's vision was centered around a tenuous concept called the ion exchange theory of the cell. Perhaps even more absurd, he envisioned a machine to image human diseases based upon this unproven hypothesis. The essential ingredient seems to have been the unwavering belief in a vision, however imperfect or unsubstained. Though he could never admit it, especially to his philosophy-smitten lab assistant, Damadian truly became Kierkegaard's Knight of Faith. Damadian's faith in this vision was coupled with the perseverance to attain his goal, a character trait at times bordering upon obsession. His 12-year struggle against the scientific establishment and public ridicule is inspirational. The reader may judge whether Damadian was indeed '°The Madman" or only a hardworking visionary. A Machine Called Indomitable is clearly written, and although it will win no awards for literary style, it is engaging by virtue of its content alone. Sonny Kleinfield, the author, keeps his sentences short and informative, a style much like that found in the magazine section of a Sunday newspaper. (Kleinfield, you see, is a reporter for The New York Times, who writes books on the side.) Nevertheless, he should be credited for choosing to tell Damadian's story, as contemporary scie,ace history is not a popular topic among writers today. The book's major shortcoming is that it presents a rather biased view of the importance of Damadian in the development of magnetic resonance scanning. The content of the book is largely taken from interviews with Damadian; it is history seen through Damadian's eyes alone. The major contributions to the field of N M R made by Paul Lauterbur and Lawrence Crooks are largely ignored. The unwary reader is left with the impression that Damadian alone developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); in reality MRI would likely have developed quite well without his influence. A Machine Called Indomitable should not be considered a history or biography, but rather an inside story seen from one man's perspective. Taken in this light, it is engaging and entertaining, and should be of interest to most readers of Surgical
Neurology. ALLEN D. ELSTER, M.D. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
0090-3019/88/$3.50
Surg Neurol 1988;30:78-80
Book Reviews
Romanian Neurosurgery. Volume IV. By C. Arseni and V. Pais. 295 pages. Bucharest, R o m a n i a : Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste R o m a n i a , 1987. This latest volume of the ongoing series on Romanian neurosurgery deals exclusively with the ultrastructure of brain tumors and adjacent tissues and not, as the authors emphasize in their preface, with problems in clinical neurosurgery. It virtually constitutes an electron microscopic atlas of 185 figures of good to superior quality with an interspersed running commentary on various aspects of cerebral neoplasia. The authors cite opinions gleaned from the literature and have no hesitancy in stating their own, often intriguing, observations. The book is informative on the status of neurosurgery in Romania. H. M. ZIMMERMAN, M.D. Bronx, New York
A Machine Called Indomitable. By S o n n y Kleinfield. N e w Y o r k : Times Books, 1986. 250 pp. $16.95 A Machine Called Indomitable is the story of Raymond Damadian, a remarkable medical researcher, who through his vision and persistence developed the first clinical nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) scanner. His prototype scanner, built mainly of spare parts and named The Indomitable, serves as a symbol of Damadian's lonely struggle against an unbelieving and at times obstructionist medical establishment. A Machine Called Indomitable is a chronicle of the American dream, of genius, and of obsession. While concentrating upon Damadian's work in the 1970s, this book also follows him from his childhood in Queens to his current position as Fonar Corporation's chief executive officer. Damadian is clearly a multifaceted talent, being an accomplished violinist and tennis player of professional stature, In fact, Damadian very nearly attended The Julliard School of Music instead of pursuing a medical career. Both Damadian and the world of science benefited by his choice to enter medicine. However, the price for success paid by Damadian is clear; his violin and tennis racquet now collect dust under his bed. The machine was, and is, his life. Damadian's struggle against the scientific establishment is well chronicled. Infighting, greed, selfishness, and politics are integral parts of the scientific world as they are elsewhere. The
© 1988 by Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc.
National Institutes of Health and other agencies rejected Damadian's grant application on multiple occasions. They concluded that building an N M R scanner was interesting but impractical. Young researchers like myself will find great consolation in reading about Damadian's eventual triumph over this self-satisfied scientific bureaucracy. Damadian's secret of success seems to have involved at least two factors: an unfaltering vision coupled with perseverance. Damadian's vision was centered around a tenuous concept called the ion exchange theory of the cell. Perhaps even more absurd, he envisioned a machine to image human diseases based upon this unproven hypothesis. The essential ingredient seems to have been the unwavering belief in a vision, however imperfect or unsubstained. Though he could never admit it, especially to his philosophy-smitten lab assistant, Damadian truly became Kierkegaard's Knight of Faith. Damadian's faith in this vision was coupled with the perseverance to attain his goal, a character trait at times bordering upon obsession. His 12-year struggle against the scientific establishment and public ridicule is inspirational. The reader may judge whether Damadian was indeed '°The Madman" or only a hardworking visionary. A Machine Called Indomitable is clearly written, and although it will win no awards for literary style, it is engaging by virtue of its content alone. Sonny Kleinfield, the author, keeps his sentences short and informative, a style much like that found in the magazine section of a Sunday newspaper. (Kleinfield, you see, is a reporter for The New York Times, who writes books on the side.) Nevertheless, he should be credited for choosing to tell Damadian's story, as contemporary scie,ace history is not a popular topic among writers today. The book's major shortcoming is that it presents a rather biased view of the importance of Damadian in the development of magnetic resonance scanning. The content of the book is largely taken from interviews with Damadian; it is history seen through Damadian's eyes alone. The major contributions to the field of N M R made by Paul Lauterbur and Lawrence Crooks are largely ignored. The unwary reader is left with the impression that Damadian alone developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); in reality MRI would likely have developed quite well without his influence. A Machine Called Indomitable should not be considered a history or biography, but rather an inside story seen from one man's perspective. Taken in this light, it is engaging and entertaining, and should be of interest to most readers of Surgical
Neurology. ALLEN D. ELSTER, M.D. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
0090-3019/88/$3.50