Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution

"A fast-paced and fascinating ride through a dark and devious period in science, Blood Work is a witty, insightful, and skillfully written book that sheds light on the mysterious story of blood transfusion." --Wendy Moore, author of The Knife Man On a cold day in 1667, a renegade physician named Jean Denis transfused calf's blood into one of Paris's most notorious madmen. In doing so, Denis angered not only the elite scientists who had hoped to perform the first animal-to-human transfusions themselves, but also a host of powerful conservatives who believed that the doctor was toying with forces of nature that he did not understand. Just days after the experiment, the madman was dead, and Denis was framed for murder. A riveting account of the first blood transfusion experiments in 17th-century Paris and London, Blood Work gives us a vivid glimpse of a particularly fraught period in history--a time of fire and plague, empire building and international distrust, when monsters were believed to inhabit the seas and the boundary between science and superstition was still in flux. Amid this atmosphere of uncertainty, transfusionists like Denis became embroiled in the hottest cultural debates and fiercest political rivalries of their day. As historian Holly Tucker reveals, transfusion's detractors would stop at nothing--not even murdering Denis's patient--to outlaw a practice that might jeopardize human souls, pave the way for monstrous hybrid creatures, or even provoke divine retribution. Taking us from the highest ranks of society to the lowest, from dissection rooms in palaces to the filth-clogged streets of Paris, Blood Work sheds light on an era that wrestled with the same questions about morality and experimentation that haunt medical science to this day.

Tucker, Holly

History

W.W.Norton&Company

“A fierce tale of conspiracy and retribution… Thanks to Tucker’s sympathetic necromancy and her luscious resurrection of everyday detail, even in gilded palaces the human psyche seems familiarly deceitful and self-justifying.” ―Michael Sims, author of The Story of Charlotte’s Web and Arthur and Sherlock
Appointed to conquer the “crime capital of the world,” the first police chief of Paris faces an epidemic of murder in the late 1600s. Assigned by Louis XIV, Nicolas de La Reynie begins by clearing the streets of filth and installing lanterns throughout Paris, turning it into the City of Light.
The fearless La Reynie pursues criminals through the labyrinthine neighborhoods of the city. He unearths a tightly knit cabal of poisoners, witches, and renegade priests. As he exposes their unholy work, he soon learns that no one is safe from black magic―not even the Sun King. In a world where a royal glance can turn success into disgrace, the distance between the quietly back-stabbing world of the king’s court and the criminal underground proves disturbingly short. Nobles settle scores by employing witches to craft poisons and by hiring priests to perform dark rituals in Paris’s most illustrious churches and cathedrals.
As La Reynie continues his investigations, he is haunted by a single question: Could Louis’s mistresses could be involved in such nefarious plots? The pragmatic and principled La Reynie must decide just how far he will go to protect his king.
From secret courtrooms to torture chambers, City of Light, City of Poison is a gripping true-crime tale of deception and murder. Based on thousands of pages of court transcripts and La Reynie’s compulsive note-taking, as well as on letters and diaries, Tucker’s riveting narrative makes the fascinating, real-life characters breathe on the page. 8 pages of illustrations; 1 map

City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

"Excellent…Tucker’s chronicle of the world of 17th-century science in London and Paris is fascinating." ―The Economist
In December 1667, maverick physician Jean Denis transfused calf’s blood into one of Paris’s most notorious madmen. Days later, the madman was dead and Denis was framed for murder. A riveting exposé of the fierce debates, deadly politics, and cutthroat rivalries behind the first transfusion experiments, Blood Work takes us from dissection rooms in palaces to the streets of Paris, providing an unforgettable portrait of an era that wrestled with the same questions about morality and experimentation that haunt medical science today. 33 illustrations

Europe

"An artful reconstruction of seventeenth-century Paris with riveting storytelling." ―The New Yorker
In the late 1600s, Louis XIV assigns Nicolas de la Reynie to bring order to Paris after the brutal deaths of two magistrates. Reynie, pragmatic and fearless, discovers a network of witches, poisoners, and priests whose reach extends all the way to the king’s court at Versailles. Based on court transcripts and Reynie’s compulsive note-taking, Holly Tucker’s engrossing true-crime narrative makes the characters breathe on the page as she follows the police chief into the dark labyrinths of crime-ridden Paris, the halls of royal palaces, secret courtrooms, and torture chambers. 8 pages of illustrations; 1 map

Turn your passion into profit with this inspirational guide from Holly Tucker MBE, Co-founder of notonthehighstreet and the UK Ambassador to Creative Small Businesses. ***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*** It's time to turn your dreams into reality. You just need a mentor to guide the way. Holly Tucker MBE - co-founder of notonthehighstreet, and creator of Holly & Co - is on a mission to change business forever. Having inspired over 100,000 entrepreneurs and identified the keys to their success, in Do What You Love, Love What You Do, she now wants to help anyone build a business doing what they love, leading to a happier and more fulfilled life. Demystifying the grey world of business, whether you've yet to take your first steps or find yourself stuck in a business rut, this beautiful and vibrant book will allow your dreams to take flight. Holly looks back at her own story, sharing her biggest lessons and proven advice on creating and growing a business. From side hustle to full-time, from defeating your confidence gremlins to creating an empowered community, Holly reveals both the skills and the mindset any founder needs to help their business thrive. A book like no other, Do What You Love, Love What You Do also shines a light on the creative community, showcasing the brilliant and unique output of small businesses, inspiring you to join them in their success. There are now over 5 million small businesses in the UK - join the movement with the ultimate small business bible.

Do What You Love, Love What You Do: The Empowering Secrets to Turn Your Passion into Profit

Business & Money

Finance

Virgin Books

How male medical authorities and female literary authors struggled to describe the inner workings of the unseen-and competed to shape public understanding of it-is the focus of this engaging work by Holly Tucker. In illuminating the gender politics underlying dramatic changes in reproductive theory and practice, Tucker shows just how tenuous the boundaries of scientific "fact" and marvelous fictions were in early-modern France.
On the literary front, Tucker argues, women used the fairy tale to rethink the biology of childbirth and the sociopolitical uses to which it had been put. She shows that in references to midwives, infertility, sex selection, and embryological theories, fairy-tale writers experimented with alternative ways of understanding pregnancy. In so doing they suggested new ways in which to envision women, knowledge, and power in both the public and the private spheres.

Pregnant Fictions: Childbirth and the Fairy Tale in Early Modern France

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Women's Health

Wayne State University Press

The popular AAUSC series of annual volumes for directors of university language programs strives to further scholarship in second language acquisition and teaching with regard to undergraduate programs with multisection courses. Teaching assistant supervision, teaching assistant professional preparation, and the role of faculty and administrators in postsecondary institutions are some of the topics addressed.

SLA and the Literature Classroom: Fostering Dialogues, 2001 AAUSC Volume (World Languages)

Reference

Magnan, Sally Sieloff

Scott, Virginia Mitchell

Foreign Language Study & Reference

Heinle

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Books by Tucker, Holly

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Tucker, Holly. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution

City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris

Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution

City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris

Do What You Love, Love What You Do: The Empowering Secrets to Turn Your Passion into Profit

Pregnant Fictions: Childbirth and the Fairy Tale in Early Modern France

SLA and the Literature Classroom: Fostering Dialogues, 2001 AAUSC Volume (World Languages)