The Latest Volume, Coming February 2023
148 Amazing People
This sixth volume of interesting people includes the guy who came up with a turntable “pickup” that made “high fidelity” records possible. The Secret Service agent that saved Ronald Reagan’s life. The woman who saved American parents from the thalidomide prescription drug disaster.
Who was the first U.S. Navy “frogman” — and why was he called that? The guy who made film sound easier to record, and the other guy who made it easier to listen to. The 25-year-old who convinced the U.S. Government to stop censoring American war correspondents (he had to go to the White House to make it happen). The priest who invented the suicide hotline.
The guy who brought the “Sting-Ray” bicycle to Schwinn (it sold millions). The talent spotters who “discovered” later-famous actors and singers. The computer visionaries who changed the world. The woman who changed Wall Street. The doctor who invented the idea of a burn unit. Even the guy who decided to dynamite the Internet-famous “exploding whale.”
Scientists, inventors, doctors, professors, writers, reporters, musicians, and more who changed the world in ways you may be aware of, but had no idea who it was that made the change.
The mainstream media tend to worship celebrities and sports figures, but the real heroes in life are often anonymous to the public. Each of the stories will make you realize the cool people you have missed in your midst. These are the people you will wish you had known.
The Honorees
Included in Volume 6:
- AMAZING California Lover Huell Howser
- Political realist James M. Buchanan
- Bundles for Britain founder Lady Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton
- Extraordinary collector Larry Selman
- Portable audiophile Stefan Kudelski
- Immortal character Stuart Freeborn
- Talent spotter Mark Kamins
- Ethical Surgeon General C. Everett Koop
- Honor student Bailey O’Neill
- Angel Nurse Mildred Dalton Manning
- Polio expert Jacquelin Perry
- Anti-censor fighter A.B.C. Whipple
- Rocket scientist Yvonne Brill
- Repentant racist Elwin Wilson
- The ever-Lumpy Frank Bank
- Human computer Shakuntala Devi
- Comedy director Jack Shea
- Father of Cell Biology Christian de Duve
- “Sting-Ray” designer Al Fritz
- The twisted Charles Burford
- Brave soldier Vernon McGarity
- Storm Chasers Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras, and Carl Young
- Maverick Minister Will D. Campbell
- Comedic enabler Bernie Sahlins
- Houseware innovator Sam Farber
- Futurist James Martin
- Computer visionary Douglas Engelbart
- Anti-Nazi pilot Nadezhda Popova
- Financial journalist James Russell
- Humane person Berthold Beitz
- SETI Chief John Billingham
- Devil’s Advocate Jacques Verges
- Financial Maverick Muriel Siebert
- Music Man Murray Gershenz
- Tie-in novelist Ann Crispin
- Sound physicist Ray Dolby
- Limnologist Ruth Patrick
- Visionary neuroscientist David H. Hubel
- Visionary mathematician Abraham Nemeth
- Child Advocate Dottie Berger MacKinnon
- Prison nun Sister Antonia Brenner
- Fighter pilot J. Robinson Risner
- Frogman John Spence
- Exploding Whale icon George Thomas Thornton
- Code-breaker Mavis Batey
- Big & Small philanthropist Fred Kavli
- Computer privacy pioneer Willis Ware
- Book publisher André Schiffrin
- Free education pioneer Charles M. Vest
- Cancer geneticist Janet Rowley
- Maple leaf flag designer John Ross Matheson
- “Adam Smith” George Goodman
- Lunch counter activist Franklin McCain
- Sidewalk astronomer John Dobson
- Wee Pals cartoonist Morrie Turner
- “Shaft” arranger Johnny Allen
- Gentleman farmer Walter Cottle Lester
- Pianist Alice Herz-Sommer
- Mathematician Lee Lorch
- Medical historian Sherwin Nuland
- Burn doctor A. Richard Grossman
- Libertarian Tonie Nathan
- Clever POW Jeremiah Denton
- Newspaperman and teacher Charles S. Stone Jr
- Jesuit priest Frans van der Lugt
- NASA engineer John Houbolt
- LCD inventor George Heilmeier
- Research physician Jacinto Convit
- Test pilot James Coleman
- Singing cowboy Herb Jeffries
- Book editor Oscar Dystel
- TV critic Steven Scheuer
- Thought-provoking novelist Daniel Keyes
- Polymer chemist Stephanie Kwolek
- Pilot Rollin King
- Rocket scientist Fred Ordway
- Olympic medalist Alice Coachman
- Virologist Joep Lange
- ASL popularizer Robert Panara
- Makeup artist Richard E. Smith
- Non-smoker Jesse Steinfeld
- Chopin expert Jan Ekier
- Good listener Helen Bamber
- Privacy advocate Hal Finney
- Digital pioneer Andrew Kay
- Rock producer Cosimo Matassa
- Emergency medicine pioneer Gail V. Anderson
- Medical informatics founder Morris Collen
- Circumnavigating pilot Jerrie Mock
- Radio host Luther Masingill
- Queer priest Bernard Mayes
- Death with Dignity advocate Brittany Maynard
- Glass chemist S. Donald Stookey
- Anti-war soldier Tomas Young
- Director Mike Nichols
- The radical Denham Harman
- Supercentenarian researcher L. Stephen Coles
- Airman Lowell Steward
- Network executive Brandon Stoddard
- Senator Edward Brooke III
- Extraterrestrial roboticist Alberto Enrique Behar
- TV sports director Tony Verna
- Children’s TV campaigner Peggy Charren
- Author Colleen McCullough
- Chemist Carl Djerassi
- Designer Kenji Ekuan
- Chocolate magnate Michele Ferrero
- Writer and social critic Avijit Roy
- Playful researcher Brian Sutton-Smith
- Medical philosopher John D. Arras
- Ceramic engineer Joel Moskowitz
- Film preservationist Roger Mayer
- Energy researcher Richard Post
- Cop shrink Martin Reiser
- Sign designer Betty Willis
- Writer Michael Blake
- Rocket engineer Oscar Holderer
- Lamaze advocate Elisabeth Bing
- Ethical university president John Lo Schiavo
- EMS pioneer Stanley Zydlo
- Typographer Hermann Zapf
- Space spokesman Jack King
- Comic manager Jack Rollins
- Birdmaker Don Featherstone
- Beekeeper Burt Shavitz
- Animator and sculptor Blaine Gibson
- Sitcom pioneer Peg Lynch
- Pre-hospital trauma pioneer Norman McSwain
- Aeronautic physician Forrest Bird
- Fussy bureaucrat Frances Oldham Kelsey
- Policeman Edward Thomas
- Bartender Sasha Petraske
- Acoustic researcher James Flanagan
- “Adam-12” training officer Martin Milner
- Suicidologist Norman Farberow
- The Reverend Everett Parker
- Mafia nightmare Joseph Coffey
- Presidential protector Jerry Parr
- Canadian Caper diplomat Ken Taylor
- Children’s hospice savior Kirsty Howard
- Burn treatment pioneer Howard Green
- The very brave Adel Termos
- Pickup artist Norman C. Pickering
- Space Cadet Al Markim
- Real American George Sakato
- Ignored hero Tibor Rubin
- Solar-powered physicist Harry Tabor
- Science fiction writer George Clayton Johnson