The Constant Flow of Knowledge
As an executive you must constantly be learning about significant developments in technology and economic trends which affect your field of business. One of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, Bill Gates regularly maintains and publishes a reading list which is an effective way to stay at the cutting edge and forefront of technology and economics which shape our world today and in the years to come. Thinkers like himself are aware of the value of time and how obtaining, utilizing, and spreading the best knowledge is how we can advance our world.
I have most recently completed Rose George's book 'Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood'. Written as an exploratory and investigative series of narratives into various aspects of blood and its medical, social, and economic ramifications - her story is an incredibly well researched and scoped insight into the historical uses of blood, and the present day blood-industrial complex. Rose weaves her personal perspectives as a modern writer in to the book with a voice that reads matter of factly, but with kindness for those whom she may be educating. Notable content categories covered include:
History and the Development of Blood Transfusion Medicine
Rose takes us on an unexpected tour through time, interspersed as historical contextual bits throughout the book which are related to the matter at hand; From an ancient search for improved vitality by ingestion or transfer of the blood of the mighty (person or animal), to wartime innovation, and ultimately artificial substitution, she masterfully addresses the technical challenge presented in the time and date of discussion and how humanity seeks to over come and innovate. Readers gain an appreciation for the capabilities of modern medicine to save lives when stories are recalled of advanced London trauma centers infusing blood volume multiple times over a patient's entire supply which is perfectly typed, safe, and available within a few minutes of severe trauma. In the fight against death, stopping hemorrhage and other blood related maladies appears achievable now more than ever in our history.
Blood Banking and Donation
In order to achieve the miracle of modern transfusion medicine she elucidates the original tales of success of transfusion and the odd story of the origin of the blood bank (again centered in the UK). Often the stories included center around the dogged determination of one or a few people to make the world a better place, and that was not any different with regards to the start of blood banking. Rightfully so, the original donation of blood was voluntary. She leads into the introduction of pay and incentives for blood donation and their detrimental effects on health and medical outcomes.
Leeching
We see the age of man's rampant and mindless consumption of the Earth's resources on full display in the section on leeching. In ways that are now asinine to consider (since leeching was more often harmful than helpful in the myriad applications it was used at the time) we retrospectively see that not all growth is good. Ignorance shields the actors of the past from being painted with malice, but in the modern business environment, to proceed with treating people without review of efficacy or risk is entirely unacceptable. Also interesting to consider is the power of nature to create these creatures so perfectly adapted to taking and using blood, with decoagulating powers that mystify science and outcompete our own complex 100+ protein cascades that seek to control our precious blood supply.
Therapeutic Blood and Plasma Fractionation
Profit driven by the collection of human biological product seems to be a violation of the moral once introduced with plasmapheresis and the therapeutic uses of blood components . However, Rose illustrates wonderfully how the economics of blood fractionation end up being a beneficial function of our increasingly specialized society. The daily fate of hemophiliacs is reliant on the production of clotting factors being supplied by other people and without the modern systems of blood product collection and processing, thousands would be lost to the world. Additionally, medicine continues to advance on the back of discoveries made by industries rising from this precious supply (my current position in the in-vitro diagnostic industry being one of them).
Menstruation and Menstrual Health Management/Hygiene
In this section we spend the majority of our time discussing developments outside of the major therapeutic blood supply centers of the world (the US and the UK) and instead focus on traditionally poorer, rising economies. More dogged determination from inventors and advocates follows the menstrual biology of women, which continues to be normalized and destigmatized, advancing a more equitable world in which we design our problems away after accepting them as realities. Incredible to consider is how in India, the problem determination and solution which empowers so many did not require a multi-million dollar solution, just a willingness to step out of one's comfort zone and consider designs for a problem deeply from the perspective of more than half the world's population. (We consider here further reading and influence from books such as Invisible Women by Caroline Perez, a critique on systems design wherein women have been largely ignored and its schools of thought).
Bloodborne Pathogens and Infectious Diseases
Honing in on the dark side of what blood transfusion can bring when tainted by profit - Rose illuminates the story of contaminated medicine being exported by knowing officials in the time before the therapeutic blood supply was made statistically safe from most diseases, and transfecting patients around the globe with serious viral diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis. Additionally there is included heartbreaking discussion on the challenges of medical compliance and the rise of apathy towards infectious disease worldwide gives readers pause, and motivates the need for successful vaccination considering the many affected.
Closing Thoughts:
For my colleagues in the blood and plasma supply industry for in-vitro diagnostic use, this book satisfies curiosities about driving forces behind the state of source plasma supply, whole blood and recovered plasma supply, and moves by therapeutic blood collectors that dictate the availability of material. For colleagues outside of my current line of work - you'll begin to think differently and appreciate more deeply the human gift of life, the blood flowing through your veins - oxygenating and nourishing your cells, and with an incredible potential for healing (or harm). For all business and growth minded thinkers - you'll begin to seek out transformational technologies like those described on the scale in the book, ones that impact each and every human life, with universal potential for economic benefit.
Comments