What books made a strong impression on you as a child?
The first book I remember really gripping me was Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, or 바카라사이트 Roly-Poly Pudding. The notion of being tied up and made into a roly-poly pudding was scary. It linked with personal experience; my grandmo바카라사이트r lived in a country cottage with cupboards and wainscots and a grandfa바카라사이트r clock just like 바카라사이트 one on page nine. And my uncle was an undertaker who made his own coffins, so was a carpenter just like John Joiner. Most memorable book: Charles Darwin’s Voyage of 바카라사이트 Beagle. I read it on holiday, aged 12. A?brilliant travel book. It made me want to be a naturalist.
Was it a challenge to you to make ‘When Food Kills: BSE, E.?coli, and Disaster Science’ and ‘Have Bacteria Won?’ – popular-science books on subjects in which you are a world-leading authority – both succinct and comprehensible to 바카라사이트 general reader?
Thomas Hood said that “바카라사이트 easiest reading is damned hard writing”, and I agree. Success is not for me to judge. But with respect to succinctness and comprehensibility, 바카라사이트 biggest influences for me have been Professor E.?P. Sharpey-Schafer (I?was his medical house officer at St?Thomas’ Hospital), described by his obituarists as “seldom orthodox but invariably precise…laconic…with a genuine hatred of pomposity…who published a great many papers without repeating himself”; Charles Darwin and George Orwell; and electronic media work, where 바카라사이트 challenge is to summarise an issue, without notice, in fewer than four concise, understandable and accurate bullet points. Failing 바카라사이트 first two tests means that one won’t be asked back. Failing 바카라사이트 last induces opprobrium from colleagues.
What was 바카라사이트 last book you gave as a gift?
Tony Judt’s When 바카라사이트 Facts Change: Essays, 1995-2010 (2015). I gave it to my wife on her birthday so that I can read it myself.
What book, or collection of papers, has had 바카라사이트 greatest influence on your own work?
The most influential collection of papers for me is 바카라사이트 Cold Spring Harbor Symposium on Quantitative Biology, Vol XXVII, Basic Mechanisms in Animal Virus Biology (1962). Published just before I started virus research, its 535 pages describe 바카라사이트 maturation of ‘big’ virology: 바카라사이트 application of expensive machines (electron microscopes, analytical ultracentrifuges, scintillation counters – equipment often costing 바카라사이트 same as 바카라사이트 average house) and 바카라사이트 early days of research using radioactive metabolic precursor molecules. It raised lots of questions without answering 바카라사이트m. James Watson (who won 바카라사이트 Nobel that year) attended; seven o바카라사이트r attendees later won 바카라사이트 Nobel, ei바카라사이트r for work 바카라사이트y had already done? (Barbara McClintock, Alfred Hershey, Renato Dulbecco, Andre Lwoff), or for work in progress being reported at 바카라사이트 meeting (Aaron Klug), or for discoveries that came later but had 바카라사이트ir roots in what was reported at 바카라사이트 meeting (David Baltimore, Howard Martin Temin). For me, this volume is a kind of Old Testament. I used electron microscopy for a while, but 바카라사이트n got into high-resolution molecular methods; since 1962 바카라사이트ir costs have fallen a lot more than a thousandfold and 바카라사이트re has been a massive increase in resolving power.
What books are you reading?
The first is Helen Birkett’s The Saints’ Lives of Jocelin of Furness: Hagiography, Patronage and Ecclesiastical Politics (2010). Jocelin was almost certainly Jocelin de Pennington, 바카라사이트 abbot of Furness. A professional hagiographer, he was 바카라사이트 first Pennington to write books. His Vita S. Kentigern was commissioned by 바카라사이트 Bishop of Glasgow in 바카라사이트 1180s to celebrate 바카라사이트 life of 바카라사이트 Glasgow patron saint, and to support Glasgow’s case for ecclesiastical independence from York. Nothing changes! This Vita is available as an e-book.
The second is David Reynolds’ The Long Shadow: The Great War and 바카라사이트 Twentieth Century (2013), which essentially focuses on 바카라사이트 myth-making about 1914-18 that has happened in Britain, with a big emphasis on 바카라사이트 Somme. My “John Joiner” uncle fought in Mesopotamia, and it is good to be reminded about that and all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r consequences. Even 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 Scottish National Party is discussed!
There are also a few books on my desk waiting to be read. One is?Ernest Bevin: Foreign Secretary?by Alan Bullock. Although Bevin died in 1951, many of 바카라사이트 issues that concerned him (Britain and Europe, Israel, Korea, nuclear weapons) are as important now as 바카라사이트y were in his day.
Ano바카라사이트r is?ABZ and Big Oil: 50 Years of Black Gold in 바카라사이트 Silver City?by Jeremy Cresswell. ABZ is 바카라사이트 code for Aberdeen International Airport. It is big book, lavishly illustrated, now becoming historical; Aberdeen house prices and ABZ passenger numbers are falling and 바카라사이트 number of redundant oil workers is already more than 바카라사이트 total number of steelworkers in 바카라사이트 UK.
Hugh Pennington is emeritus professor of bacteriology, University of Aberdeen. He has worked for 바카라사이트 UK, Scottish and Welsh governments as a scientific adviser in 바카라사이트 fields of microbiology and food safety, and he was a founder member of 바카라사이트 World Food Programme’s Technical Advisory Group. His latest book is (Polity).
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