Born of wealthy parents, but shunned by his father, Yong Ku Ahn suffered through a stormy and traumatic childhood, and in his loneliness, taught himself to play the violin. Born in 1928 in Wonsan, in what is today North Korea, Ahn’s early childhood included parental rejection and a debilitating bout of polio that cut him off from his family and their social milieu. It was music and the violin in particular that saved him. Until Ahn was accepted into Kyungsung Music School, which later became the School of Music at Seoul National University, he was virtually self-taught. Those who knew him through his college years remember him as an orphan. After World War II, Ahn began his professional education. Shortly thereafter, he was swept up the Korean War and found himself a refugee in Pusan. His adventures led him from one challenge and crisis to another, but Yong Ku kept picking himself up and continued running. He studied in Germany, Austria, and London with some of the greatest violin teachers of the 20th century, fighting incredible obstacles all the time, but he never gave up. In later years, after teaching in the U.S., Yong Ku, who joined the faculty at the esteemed Peabody Conservatory of Music, not only become known internationally as a great teacher but went back to Korea to play an active role in the Korean reunification effort, making several trips to North Korea. His fascinating and inspiring story of triumph over tragedy—set against a backdrop of Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule and the Korean War—is told with great feeling and humility and will inspire young people, especially young musicians, of all nationalities. BOOK REVIEW Yong Ku Ahn, famed violinist and teacher of music, tells of both the sad moments and happy joys of his life in heart-rendering terms. After years of rejection by his parents, he reaches a peak experience one day, which finally leads him to pick up his dusty old violin and begin to play again in earnest. He describes marvelously one of those snowy days in Wonsan, Korea when he noticed an old gramophone at home, and “out of curiosity opened the lid to the box. There was a record placed in it. I turned the crank on the side of the box and carefully put the needle arm on the record....Four notes sounded: “Ta ta ta taaah.” Then once again “Ta ta ta taaah....” The majestic and passionate notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony pierced his heart like a sharp spear, like fate knocking on the door. He writes, “The four notes repeated themselves like the persistent unhappiness of my childhood. When the symphony ended, uncontrollable tears flooded down my face. Over ten years of loneliness, injustice, disappointment and sorrow flowed from me as if a dam had burst open. It was a purely miraculous moment, never to be recreated in my life: the moment when I realized that there existed a world of breathlessly beautiful sound outside of my cold and miserable existence of constant alienation.” Never has the power of serious Western music been better described. How many of us have encountered such an experience on first discovering the beauty of classical music. Ahn went on to become a great violinist, a pioneer in the introduction of music playing and appreciation in Korea. He describes his travels, his love of chamber music, his passionate involvement in the movement to unify Korea, north with south. At present, the names of his pupils are on marquees of concert halls all over the world. Now eighty-three years old, he ruminates on the passing away of time, philosophically accepting the loss of members of his “veteran music friends.” He ends his memoirs with a heart-warming, yet sad, commentary on the human predicament. My Sorrows, My joys is a delightful book to read by anyone who has felt the cleansing power of great music, or the passion of dedication to a great enterprise swelling in his or her heart. ---Reviewed by Dr. Henry J.
The second edition of Sustainable Buildings and Infrastructure continues to provide students with an introduction to the principles and practices of sustainability as they apply to the construction sector, including both buildings and infrastructure systems. As a textbook, it is aimed at students taking courses in construction management and the built environment, but it is also designed to be a useful reference for practitioners involved in implementing sustainability in their projects or firms. Case studies, best practices and highlights of cutting edge research are included throughout, making the book both a core reference and a practical guide.
Drawing examples from real-world networks, this essential book traces the methods behind network analysis and explains how network data is first gathered, then processed and interpreted. The text will equip you with a toolbox of diverse methods and data modelling approaches, allowing you to quickly start making your own calculations on a huge variety of networked systems. This book sets you up to succeed, addressing the questions of what you need to know and what to do with it, when beginning to work with network data. The hands-on approach adopted throughout means that beginners quickly become capable practitioners, guided by a wealth of interesting examples that demonstrate key concepts. Exercises using real-world data extend and deepen your understanding, and develop effective working patterns in network calculations and analysis. Suitable for both graduate students and researchers across a range of disciplines, this novel text provides a fast-track to network data expertise.
The book describes in detail the technical aspects of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (LDLT), the routine practice of the world renowned Liver Transplant Team at Hong Kong's Queen Mary Hospital, and our views on various issues of the operation. The thorough review on the history and technical procedures of LDLT and discussion on various aspects of the operation and its future perspectives will serve as a unique reference for surgeons, researchers, nurses, medical students, patients and laypersons seeking information on LDLT.This latest edition offers updated operative results from our center and the latest modifications of the technique. With contributions from a leading microvascular surgeon, a critical care clinician, a psychiatrist, and two anesthetists from the same liver transplant team, the LDLT experience at Queen Mary Hospital is depicted in an even greater extent.
Molecules Engineered Against Oncogenic Proteins and Cancer A comprehensive review of the latest molecular advances in cancer treatment Featuring 91 total small molecule kinase/KRAS inhibitors, 80 of which are FDA-approved, Molecules Engineered Against Oncogenic Proteins and Cancer documents the recent scientific advances that have transformed one of medicine’s most challenging areas—cancer treatment. Most of these inhibitors specifically block oncogene-induced carcinogenic proteins with results that have dramatically advanced the treatment of cancer. In addition, the structural formulas of more than 100 kinase/KRAS inhibitors in clinical trials are presented. With a very well-known chemist as an author, Molecules Engineered Against Oncogenic Proteins and Cancer includes information on: Each molecule’s structure, function of the kinase target and relevance to cancer, the drug discovery process, and molecular details of drug action Mutated protein kinases as oncoproteins and targets for inhibition, along with the details of discovery for each antitumor antikinase agent History of oncoprotein inhibitors and their role in advancing the treatment and understanding of cancer The discovery process as a whole, effective strategies for innovation, ongoing challenges, and a glimpse of the future of the field Combining the most significant recent discoveries in a unique and useful way, Molecules Engineered Against Oncogenic Proteins and Cancer is an essential resource for researchers and students in bioscience, medicine, chemistry, and oncology as well as for those at industrial companies involved in therapeutic discovery.
Fungi research and knowledge grew rapidly following recent advances in genetics and genomics. This book synthesizes new knowledge with existing information to stimulate new scientific questions and propel fungal scientists on to the next stages of research. This book is a comprehensive guide on fungi, environmental sensing, genetics, genomics, interactions with microbes, plants, insects, and humans, technological applications, and natural product development.
Born of wealthy parents, but shunned by his father, Yong Ku Ahn suffered through a stormy and traumatic childhood, and in his loneliness, taught himself to play the violin. Born in 1928 in Wonsan, in what is today North Korea, Ahn’s early childhood included parental rejection and a debilitating bout of polio that cut him off from his family and their social milieu. It was music and the violin in particular that saved him. Until Ahn was accepted into Kyungsung Music School, which later became the School of Music at Seoul National University, he was virtually self-taught. Those who knew him through his college years remember him as an orphan. After World War II, Ahn began his professional education. Shortly thereafter, he was swept up the Korean War and found himself a refugee in Pusan. His adventures led him from one challenge and crisis to another, but Yong Ku kept picking himself up and continued running. He studied in Germany, Austria, and London with some of the greatest violin teachers of the 20th century, fighting incredible obstacles all the time, but he never gave up. In later years, after teaching in the U.S., Yong Ku, who joined the faculty at the esteemed Peabody Conservatory of Music, not only become known internationally as a great teacher but went back to Korea to play an active role in the Korean reunification effort, making several trips to North Korea. His fascinating and inspiring story of triumph over tragedy—set against a backdrop of Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule and the Korean War—is told with great feeling and humility and will inspire young people, especially young musicians, of all nationalities. BOOK REVIEW Yong Ku Ahn, famed violinist and teacher of music, tells of both the sad moments and happy joys of his life in heart-rendering terms. After years of rejection by his parents, he reaches a peak experience one day, which finally leads him to pick up his dusty old violin and begin to play again in earnest. He describes marvelously one of those snowy days in Wonsan, Korea when he noticed an old gramophone at home, and “out of curiosity opened the lid to the box. There was a record placed in it. I turned the crank on the side of the box and carefully put the needle arm on the record....Four notes sounded: “Ta ta ta taaah.” Then once again “Ta ta ta taaah....” The majestic and passionate notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony pierced his heart like a sharp spear, like fate knocking on the door. He writes, “The four notes repeated themselves like the persistent unhappiness of my childhood. When the symphony ended, uncontrollable tears flooded down my face. Over ten years of loneliness, injustice, disappointment and sorrow flowed from me as if a dam had burst open. It was a purely miraculous moment, never to be recreated in my life: the moment when I realized that there existed a world of breathlessly beautiful sound outside of my cold and miserable existence of constant alienation.” Never has the power of serious Western music been better described. How many of us have encountered such an experience on first discovering the beauty of classical music. Ahn went on to become a great violinist, a pioneer in the introduction of music playing and appreciation in Korea. He describes his travels, his love of chamber music, his passionate involvement in the movement to unify Korea, north with south. At present, the names of his pupils are on marquees of concert halls all over the world. Now eighty-three years old, he ruminates on the passing away of time, philosophically accepting the loss of members of his “veteran music friends.” He ends his memoirs with a heart-warming, yet sad, commentary on the human predicament. My Sorrows, My joys is a delightful book to read by anyone who has felt the cleansing power of great music, or the passion of dedication to a great enterprise swelling in his or her heart. ---Reviewed by Dr. Henry J.
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