Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku

Title: Physics of the Future
Author: Michio Kaku
Genre: Nonfiction, science
Publisher: Doubleday, 2011
Source: Library
Read for: Indie Lit Awards

This is going to be a quick review because life is insane, but I am drastically behind in my reviews -- I have enough to make it to May without reading another book. So here goes. :)

Michio Kaku's book has an interesting premise: Take several different technologies, such as medicine, economics, robotics, computers, and nanotechnology, and evaluate what they will be like in 2030, 2050, and 2100.

Sounds cool, right? In many ways, it was. I was introduced to countless inventions and possibilites that had never crossed my mind, and the fact that when I was in elementary school, I still had never used the internet, had a cell phone, or heard of a blog show that drastic changes are certainly possible, considering that all of these things factor very significantly into my daily life. However, Kaku did not convince me that all of these inventions are in our future. He had an arrogant tone, saying that these inventions will definitely be a part of our future lives, while citing examples of others who had said the same thing about certain technologies we have yet to see. It seemed to me as if every time he was describing something especially revolutionary he would say, "You think that this won't happen -- but it will." I needed a little more evidence to back up those claims -- the "look how far we've come lately" argument isn't quite solid enough to convince me. Many of these claims were quite extremist -- for example, Kaku claimed that physicians would be completely outdated by the year 2100, and that nanobots would scour our bodies for rogue cells and microorganisms while a computer analyzed them and prescribed treatment according to an algorithm. While nanobots rooting out cancer sounds like an excellent idea to me, I don't think an algorithm will ever completely effective in prescribing and diagnosing. Each human body is so different, and each illness somewhat unique in its way -- I think there will always be a human behind the nanobot.

I also found Kaku's writing to be somewhat lacking. Of course, his primary goal was to convey information from his primary career, science. However, I think if someone endeavors to write a book, they owe it to their reader to write well -- writing not being their primary career is not an excuse. While Kaku's ideas were conveyed clearly enough, at times transitions or explanations were a bit awkward or simplistic, brimming with enthusiasm but not always content.

However, there were some interesting ideas. As mentioned before, I love the idea of nanobots living in our bodies and destroying rogue cells that could lead to cancer. I also found Kaku's ideas on information being inserted in a chip or some other internal device for constant access to be refreshing -- I usually feel pretty fatalistic about biotechnological enhancement, but he painted the picture much more brightly than I had perceived it.

Physics of the Future will appeal to technology and science buffs and futurists, but Kaku's claims must be taken with a grain of salt. He is eager to state that his ideas are the certain truth, which gave the entire book an air of incredulity. It is an interesting but flawed book.

3 stars

Warnings: None I can think of

Cheating Death by Sanjay Gupta

Title: Cheating Death

Author: Sanjay Gupta

Genre: Nonfiction, science, medical memoir

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2010

Source: Husband's

This book is CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta's description of several different medical techniques and phenomena that defy traditional views and practices concerning death. He describes hypothermia treatments, a new version of CPR, near death experiences, miraculous and seemingly spontaneous cancer healings, and coma states.

I think from a medical standpoint this book is a great idea. Having just started nursing school this week, my mind is already swirling with the different agencies, brochures, and prerogatives to increase individuals' roles in their own healthcare decisions. An educated patient is more likely to understand the reasons for treatment, be compliant, and also be on the lookout for healthcare provider errors (which are much more common than they should be). Describing medical innovations in a mainstream book is in my opinion a great way to augment that process, the downside being that sometimes patients educate themselves on treatments but not their own issues and request treatments that are not applicable to their condition or good choices for their individual medical history. Gupta describes the different medical techniques in his book clearly and simply (but not simplistically). He explains physiological processes and medical procedures in layman's terms, giving enough information to accurately describe the situation but not drowning the reader in complicated jargon.

From an organizational standpoint I had one or two small issues. First of all, Gupta begins his book by describing some strictly biological techniques, and then about halfway through the book discusses some situations that are more spiritual and psychological. This transition seemed a bit random to me - at first I was reading about equipment costs and biological reasons for hypothermia to work for cardiac arrest patients and the next I was reading descriptions of patients in a coma walking down toward that shining light. I appreciated Gupta's perspectives on the spiritual and psychological phenomena (and possible biological explanations) he has observed in medicine, but I felt that the transition could have been less jarring. I also didn't love Gupta's description of Barazanji, a man who is followed throughout the chapters detailing the different medical techniques. At times Gupta would leave the patient he was describing and return to Barazanji, relating the medical technique to him. I think this could have worked quite well, but some of the references were not relevant, and I felt jarred as I tried to remember who Barazanji was.

Overall, however, this was an interesting book describing some of the more controversial methods to cheat death and also evaluating the spiritual and biological experiences of individuals nearing death. The book is very accessible to those who do not have extensive medical knowledge, and will provide some very strange and fascinating facts.

3 stars