* Accessible and engaging, even for readers without any formal scientific training or education
* Authored by an authority in the field
* Contains previously unpublished materials from the author's extensive personal library and archive
Dr Adrian Thomas is a writer and teacher. He has seen the development of modern radiology during his career, entering medical school at University College London in 1972, the year that the CT scanner was announced. He has had an interest in history since his school days; studying medical history with Jonathan Miller, Edwin Clarke and Bill Bynum at University College London for his BSc. Adrian started his radiology training in 1981 at Hammersmith Hospital, which coincided with their pioneering development of the MRI scanner. He is a founder member and past-president of the British Society for the History of Radiology. He has co-authored 7 books and written many book chapters. He is past-president of the British Society for the History of Medicine, past-president of the Radiology Section of the Royal Society of Medicine, is Honorary Historian to the British Institute of Radiology, and is a visiting professor at Canterbury Christ Church University.
Title: Invisible Light: The Remarkable Story of Radiology
Author: Thomas, Adrian
ISBN: 9780367344269
Binding:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publication Date: 2022-03-28
Number of Pages: 307
Weight: 0.6362 kg
The title of Adrian Thomas's latest book is essentially a play on the title of Sylvanus Thompson the Victorian scientist's book from 1897 'Light visible and invisible'. Radiology historians will also be aware that 'The Invisible Light' is the title of the British Society for the History of Radiology's in house journal which has been edited by Thomas for many years.
The book is very much a personal account of the history of radiology and gives the author a chance to expand on his previous contributions in this field with extracts and references from previous books and contributions published previously in The Invisible Light and other places. The opening chapter covers the discovery of X-rays by Rontgen which leads on nicely to the next chapter on early radiology departments and the problems they faced. The chapter on radiology anatomy serves to remind us all about the importance of understanding the large variations in normal appearances in radiology practice which is a prerequisite for being able to identify pathology accurately.
A chapter covers dangers which were inherent in early X-Ray departments including electrical and radiation injuries. The history of the early X Ray tubes and early plates and screens is of particular interest covering the progress from Crookes and Coolidge tubes through to modern PACS. The book also covers the development of contrast media and there are chapters on CT tomography and MRI.
The final chapter concludes with thoughts on the future of imaging. The text is accompanied by black and white illustrations and useful references for further reading and there is a helpful index. The book is a welcome addition to the literature in this field.
-Dr Arpan K Banerjee, Chair International Society for the History of Radiology (ISHRAD) for THE BRITISH SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF RADIOLOGY
