Thomas Hager is an American author of popular science and narrative nonfiction.

Thomas Hager
Hager at the Oregon coast, 2010
Hager at the Oregon coast, 2010
Born (1953-04-18) April 18, 1953 (age 70)
Portland, Oregon, United States
Died2021
OccupationWriter, science historian, editor, publisher
GenreScience history, biography
SpouseLauren Kessler
ChildrenJackson Hager, Zane Hager, Elizabeth Hager
Website
www.thomashager.net

Career edit

Thomas Hager is the author of twelve books on health and science, as well as more than 100 feature and news articles in a variety of popular and professional periodicals.[1] His national awards include the American Chemical Society's 2017 James T. Grady–James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public.[2]

Two of his books, Demon Under the Microscope and Ten Drugs, have been #1 bestsellers on Audible.com. Ten Drugs has been translated into fifteen foreign languages.[3] The Alchemy of Air was a finalist for the National Academies Communication Award; listed among the "Best Books of The Year" by Kirkus Reviews; and named a Borders "Original Voices" Selection.[3][4]

He has been a keynote speaker, invited lecturer and guest scholar at a number of universities, and has spoken widely to groups ranging from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Goddard Space Center to science pub nights and Rotary Clubs, industry conventions, agricultural meetings, medical gatherings, and all sorts of educational and professional organizations. His work has appeared in a wide range of periodicals, including the Wall St. Journal, Time, The Atlantic, and Reader's Digest. His media appearances include two talks on C-SPAN's Book TV; interviews on National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition,” “Science Friday,” "Diane Rehm Show" and “Tech Nation;” and an expert role in the OPB documentary "Linus Pauling." His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

An Oregon native, Hager started his writing career after earning a master's degree in medical microbiology and immunology from the Oregon Health Sciences University and a second master's in journalism at the University of Oregon. He served as a communications intern at the National Cancer Institute, worked as a freelance medical writer, was a regular contributor to American Health, and was a West Coast news correspondent for the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 1983 he became founding editor of LC Magazine, a trade publication for scientists. At the University of Oregon he edited the award-winning Oregon Quarterly magazine for a decade, and then served a number of years as the UO's Director of Communications and Marketing, and director of the University of Oregon Press. He is currently a courtesy associate professor of journalism and communication at the UO.[3]

He lives in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife, the writer Lauren Kessler. They have three children: Jackson, Zane, and Elizabeth.

Bibliography edit

Books by Thomas Hager include:

  • 2021, Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison's American Utopia, Abrams Press.  ISBN 978-1419747960[5][6]
  • 2019,Ten Drugs: How Plants, Powders, and Pills Have Shaped the History of Medicine, Abrams Press.  ISBN 978-1419734403[7]
  • 2016, Understanding Statins: Everything You Need to Know About the World's Bestselling Drugs - And What to Ask Your Doctor Before Taking Them, Monroe Press.  ISBN 978-1944533052[8]
  • 2016, Understanding Abilify: An Easy-to-Read Guide to Uses, Benefits, Side Effects, Withdrawal, and More, Monroe Press.  ISBN 978-1944533014
  • 2016, Understanding Zyprexa: An Easy-to-Read Guide to Uses, Side Effects, Withdrawal, and More, Monroe Press.  ISBN 978-1944533045
  • 2014, Feeding a Hungry World, International Fertilizer Development Center, Kindle/Amazon  ASIN B00NLOLXE4
  • 2008, The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery that Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler, Harmony/Crown; paperback, audio, and digital editions.  ISBN 978-0307351784[9]
  • 2006, The Demon under the Microscope: From Battlefield Hospitals to Nazi Labs, One Doctor’s Heroic Search for the World’s First Miracle Drug, Harmony/Crown; paperback, audio, and digital editions.  ISBN 978-1400082131[10]
  • 2001, Linus Pauling: Scientist and Peacemaker, ed. with Clifford Mead, OSU Press.  ISBN 978-0870714894[11]
  • 1998, Linus Pauling and the Chemistry of Life, Oxford University Press.
  • 1995, Force of Nature: The Life of Linus Pauling, Simon & Schuster.  ISBN 978-0684809090[12]
  • 1990, Aging Well, with Lauren Kessler, Fireside Press.  ISBN 978-0671724764[13]

References edit

  1. ^ Perry, Douglas (September 4, 2008). "How to turn air into bread and explosives". oregonlive.com. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "2017 National Award Recipients".
  3. ^ a b c www.thomashager.net
  4. ^ THE ALCHEMY OF AIR | Kirkus Reviews.
  5. ^ life, Katrina Gulliver is writing a history of urban (July 9, 2021). "Review of Thomas Hager's 'Electric City'". City Journal. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  6. ^ Kosner, Edward (December 22, 2021). "'Electric City' Review: Bright Lights, Big River". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  7. ^ Hager, Thomas (2019). Ten drugs : how plants, powders, and pills have shaped the history of medicine. New York. ISBN 978-1-4197-3440-3. OCLC 1048939516.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ^ Hager, Thomas (2016). Understanding statins : everything you need to know about the world's bestselling drugs--and what to ask your doctor before taking them (2016 ed.). Eugene, OR. ISBN 978-1-944533-05-2. OCLC 1011600340.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ Hager, Thomas (2008). The alchemy of air : a Jewish genius, a doomed tycoon, and the scientific discovery that fed the world but fueled the rise of Hitler (First ed.). New York. ISBN 978-0-307-35178-4. OCLC 191318130.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. ^ Hager, Thomas (2006). The demon under the microscope : from battlefield hospitals to Nazi labs, one doctor's heroic search for the world's first miracle drug (1st ed.). New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 1-4000-8213-7. OCLC 64067410.
  11. ^ Pauling, Linus (2001). Linus Pauling : scientist and peacemaker. Clifford Mead, Thomas Hager (1st ed.). Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. ISBN 0-87071-489-9. OCLC 45172874.
  12. ^ Hager, Thomas (1995). Force of nature : the life of Linus Pauling. New York. ISBN 0-684-80909-5. OCLC 32855541.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  13. ^ Hager, Thomas (1990). Aging well. Lauren Kessler (1st ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-72476-2. OCLC 21560451.

External links edit