The remarkable epic of an invention that revolutionized medicine...
Dr. Raymond Damadian was plagued with a mysterious and persistent
stomach pain, yet physicians assured him that they could find nothing
wrong. To find the answer to his ailment, Damadian would spend the
ensuing twelve years building a machine that would change medicine.
Nuclear magnetic resonance scanning, now called magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI), was a revolution: A safe means to determine the makeup of
every cell in the human body, distinguishing healthy cells from sick.
Although Damadian's ideas were met with skepticism and outright
opposition from the medical community, this machine would go on to save
the lives of millions by diagnosing disease while effective treatment
was still possible. In short, it was a medical miracle.
The story of Damadian's quest - battling skeptical peers, money
troubles, and more with an intensity approaching obsession - is one of
the great legends of medical research. Sonny Kleinfield, acclaimed
reporter and author, captures Damadian's remarkable triumph against the
odds with compassion and a keen eye.
A Machine Called Indomitable is scientific storytelling at its finest.
