A Personal History of Nuclear Medicine

Each year, at the annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Henry Wagner summarizes his view of principal advances in the ? eld. In A Personal History of Nuclear Medicine, he brings the same insight to the ? fty years he has practiced, preached and breathed nuclear medicine. That same ? fty years spans the era in which radioactivity has been harnessed to provide exquisite maps of physiologic function in the living human body. Thus, the book brings the perspective of an insider, whose own contributions have been particularly in? uential: leader of a premier program in education and research; founding member of the American Board of Nuclear Medicine; proponent of int- national cooperation and the World Congress, and much more. Because of Henry’s positions and desire to meet and know colleagues throughout the world (he and his wife Anne are most gracious hosts and visitors) this autobiography is also a story of the major ? gures who grew the ? eld of nuclear medicine and made the discipline into a coherent one. The book also re? ects Henry’s personality: his candor and un? inching way of telling it the way he thinks it is, his punctuated use of aphorisms (some of his own making), his deep understanding of who he is, and an innocent delight in many accomplishments. Some years ago, I suggested that Henry was a constructive troublemaker; someone who goaded us out of accepted wisdom into new, and sometimes outrageous, thinking.

From the reviews:

"This is a personal memoir of Henry N. Wagner, Jr., MD, perhaps the most influential person in the development of clinical nuclear medicine worldwide. There has been almost no one of significance in nuclear medicine that Dr. Wagner has not interacted with in some capacity over his five-decade career in nuclear medicine. This book is a chronicle of those interactions and a description of the evolution of nuclear medicine over the period. This is a superb description of the evolution of nuclear medicine over five decades. It serves not only as a description of events and people in nuclear medicine, but also as a model for how histories should be constructed in other fields from the memoirs of influential individuals. There is no comparable book that addresses this evolution in nuclear medicine. This book is recommended for anyone interested in how curiosity about potential applications of a new science (atomic energy in this case) can be developed in medicine." (William R. Hendee, DOODY REVIEW FROM Doody Enterprises, Inc. - COPYRIGHT 2007)

"The book is of rigorous historical value. Henry N. Wagner had a very long career characterised by the excellence of his research … . he is certainly in a good position to provide an evidence-based and critically constructed history of nuclear medicine … . This is a very well written story of a life intensely lived, providing evidence that nuclear medicine can be, indeed … a great passion. Therefore, I strongly recommend this book to both expert and young nuclear physicians … ." (L. Mansi, European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Vol. 34 (3), 2007)

"Among physicians who specialize in nuclear medicine, Henry Wagner is an internationally acclaimed authority … . A Personal History of Nuclear Medicine is a natural culmination of Dr. Wagner’s enormous professional accomplishments and contributions to the field. … this highly informative,semiautobiographical account also brings alive the people, places and events that have shaped nuclear medicine from its early formative times to the present day. … Dr. Wagner’s book will serve as a seminal primer and guide … . indeed a ‘must read’." (S. Ted Treves, European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Vol. 34 (3), 2007)

"A Personal History of Nuclear Medicine traces nuclear medicine from its inception, in the early 20th century, to the present day … . The book is penned in a characteristically realistic writing style. … is not only a good descriptive history book but is also a philosophic resource containing amazing wisdom and gracious humor. This book will benefit medical students, clinicians at large, radiologists, and nuclear medicine physicians, as well as researchers and academicians in all allied fields." (Yong-Whee Bahk, Radiology, Vol. 245 (2), 2007)

A pioneer in nuclear medicine and past president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Professor Henry N. Wagner Jr., MD has spent nearly five decades helping to define and promote the specialty. His groundbreaking work in the applications of nuclear medicine to pulmonary and coronary artery disease and his studies of brain chemistry with radio-labelled tracers have led to significant advances in these fields. Wagner is the director of the Division of Radiation Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where he has worked since 1958. He is a professor emeritus of radiology and radiological sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a professor of environmental health sciences at the School of Hygiene and Public Health. A prolific researcher and writer, Wagner is author or co-author of more than 800 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, books and chapters. He is a member of several editorial boards and many medical and radiological societies, and an honorary member of the British Institute of Radiology (2000).