Naked to the Bone: Medical Imaging in the Twentieth Century (Sloan Technology Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love reading science books geared toward non-scientists such as I. Bettyann Holtzmann Kelves Naked to the Bone: Medical Imaging in the Twentieth Century exactly fit the bill. Profusely illustrated and gracefully written, this fine work of non-fiction tells the story of x-rays, CT scan, MRI, sonograms, and PET scans. Kelves writes for the non-scientist, and does an excellent job of explaining how these various machines work, how they were perceived at the time, the economics of their development and marketing (Kelves never forgets that, for better or worse, medicine and inventing have always been businesses), and their changes in perception and use over time. Perhaps most interesting, and unexpected, are her two chapters addressing how medical imaging -- the ability to see "bones and all" -- was itself imaged in and influenced the visual, literary, and fine arts. Of particular interest to me, as a lawyer, is her accounts of how x-rays and other imaging devices were first used, and then later relied upon (or rejected) in courts of law. The depth and breadth of her research are truly impressive, as is her fine prose.

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