Easy to read and to use, this A-to-Z mini-encyclopedia covers the most important medical innovations of the last 200 years.

Easy to read and to use, this A-to-Z mini-encyclopedia covers the most important medical innovations of the last 200 years. Medical innovation is an extremely important topic—and one to which relatively little study has been devoted. This volume is designed to introduce readers to the history and development of key advances in the science and practice of medicine. It explores issues in medical history and provides perspective on contemporary scientific research and innovation. It also provides a backdrop against which to evaluate current headlines, such as the discoveries of live samples of smallpox virus in an unused storage room at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and incidents of bubonic plague in China and Colorado. Although the entries in this single-volume resource describe how each innovation works, this is not intended as a technical text. Instead, the focus is on the context in which each innovation was developed and on its lasting importance in the field of medicine. Through these fascinating accounts, readers will be able to trace the evolution and legacy of key innovations and to see how other sectors of society—such as industry and the military—have affected and been affected by advances in the field of medicine.

"This work applies a holistic approach that reaches beyond the implications for medicine and explores a more diverse way of understanding the innovation. Recognition is given to the dynamic nature of innovation with the exploration of related social contexts, political considerations, economic implications, and much more. The author uses writing that is easily accessible, translating medical and scientific content into a user-friendly volume for the layman." - Booklist

"The emphasis on innovation makes this book unique compared to other noteworthy titles on similar themes. . . . Summing Up: Recommended. All readers." - Choice