Continued from page 130 Combining facts with humor, the author takes

LOOKlNG AT MY HEART, b y Dr. Philip Blaiberg, Stein and Day, 1968, 192 pages. Price $5.95.

This author has a unique true story to tell: his own account of a successful heart transplant by Dr. Christiaan Barnard. The medical passages are written in good taste and discretion for readers who have no medical background. There are many dramatic inci- dents noted, for the author is the first man in the world to hold his own heart in his hand while the heart of another now takes care of his circulatory needs. The account of the meeting with the wife of the donor whose heart is keeping Dr. Blaiberg alive is written with poignant sensitivity and is especially moving.

This book is comprised basically of human interest reading, for in it Dr. Blaiberg, the son of pioneer Jewish immigrants, tells of life in South Africa, of his happy marriage and of his pride in his daughter who is now studying in Israel. There is also the love story of two people who have survived the surgery, the subsequent publicity, the setbacks, and the resultant joys with the mutual love and understanding that is a part of their relation- ship. In keeping with the family story, the book includes photographs of Dr. Blaiberg in his athletic youth and on his wedding day.

This very personal book was written by one who has been granted a new life through the many gifts of others. It takes great fortitude to keep both hope and faith through such an ordeal and still maintain such objectivity in writing. Looking at M y Heart should give us all a new outlook on life and help us realize daily opportunities for happiness and service.

MABEL CRAWFORD, R.N. Los Angeles, California

THE ART OF CLEAR THINKING, b y Rudolf Flesch, Ph.D., Harper & Row, Inc., New York, 1951, 212 pages. Price $5.95.

us on a journey into scientific findings on thinking and problem solving. We make some exciting discoveries on a side-trip into logic, advertising, and propanganda, and then return to the basic facts about thinking.

What makes the automatic computers- “Thinking Machines”-so extraordinary? Unbelievable speed and memory. People may have excellent memories, but are not free of error and emotion. Machines are.

Dr. Flesch explains the flexibility, imagina- tion, and learning capacities of the human mind. The human brain does have its advan- tages : “Machines cannot do intuitive thinking, make guesses, and leap to conclusions.”

The first rule of clear thinking is not to go by rules. In Chapter 17, “How Not to Rack Your Brain,’’ Dr. Flesch explains this rule and supplies some reminders :

Everyone has only his own experience to think with; Try to detach your ideas from your words: Don’t apply general rules to spe- cific problems: Bright ideas are often wrong and must be tested; Don’t underrate the influ- ence of chance.

This book is an excellent guide for thinking. It is well-organized and contains useful information which includes : short-cuts for mathematics; how to read newspapers, journals, etc. ; thinking processes, a self-test of ability; and many more examples and plans.

In the appendix, Dr. Flesch provides a reading list, notes on each chapter, and an article on reading material entitled, “Measur- ing the Level of Abstraction.”

This is not the usual “DO It Yourself” type book. Though the author’s style of writing is keen and stimulating, it is not filled with abstract words. He makes us conscious of fascinating material, but material which is both concrete and definite. I t is quite refreshing to read a book of this type, a book that is, in itself, clear to the reader.

RITA HORWITZ, R.N. St. Louis, Missouri ++

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