“I’m of the opinion that the writer also should be surprised from time to time when you’re setting down words,” offered Albert Driedger when explaining his new venture at the age of eighty-seven.
“Brainworms and Other Surprises at the Margin of the Impossible,” Driedger’s newly published book, is a collection of rather startling contemplations and thought-provoking essays pertaining to the nature of the unexplained and the unknown. “The ramblings and grumblings of an unsatisfied mind confronted by the infinite margins of the unknown,” writes Driedger in chapter two.
Albert moved to Huntsville three years ago after the death of his beloved wife, Lilianne. A retired physician-scientist with a Ph.D. in biochemistry, specializing in internal medicine, Dr. Driedger had a distinguished career in nuclear medicine, health and safety in the nuclear industry, and teaching about the physician’s role in hospital management throughout the Middle East and Sudan. Throughout his professional life, he was coaxed to write a memoir about his remarkable life, profession, and world travels. After some attempts at doing so, Driedger recognized that a linear retelling of his story wasn’t a particularly compelling use of his time, so he devoted his expansive energies to environmental concerns with the Thames Talbot Land Trust, battling invasive species with a chainsaw.
“Storytelling was always an option for me. I wrote for my profession. I published and was an editor of a European journal of nuclear medicine and biology for a decade, or so, as an associate editor, so I knew about professional writing. The thing about writing for a larger community is to make it intelligible. I think most of my book could be read by anybody who’s not a full-time scientist or physician.”
Driedger had begun his series of “editorials,” as he calls them, during his wife’s illness and more seriously during the pandemic. After moving to Huntsville, in a new environment, he found that his little pieces became increasingly enjoyable and “fun,” which inspired him to pursue writing in a bigger way, with a tentative goal for possible publication.
“Brainworms” traverses a compelling range of topics, observations, and ruminations. The author explores fascinating elements in science, nature, and his experiences. From breast cancer to beekeeping, molecular biology to astrology, each superbly written piece contemplates a specific event, underscoring Albert’s indefatigable curiosity and inquisitive mental agility. Purposefully short, precise, and succinct, the eighty-plus chapters are designed to stimulate the reader’s own investigative thought. Each chapter contributes to the reader’s growing sense of astonishment. And in so doing, a composite impression forms on the richness of Albert’s life experience, mental acuity, attitudes, and insights.
For example, the chapter titled “The Bullet-Proof Shoelaces” relates the story of how Driedger found an expensive pair of braided Kevlar laces, which were guaranteed indestructible.
“These are guaranteed for life,’ she said. “Just keep the receipt.”
“Whose life would that be?” I asked. “The laces, the work boots, or my own life?” She didn’t get it.
The story illustrates the dilemma of owning an item that could possibly outlast even the purchaser and the ramifications of such an acquisition. With its usual conclusion, the story veils a “truth” meant to ponder, like a mysterious Zen koan, or hopeful, like a wishing penny dropped into a fountain.
“I’m concerned that we should be telling the truth, regardless. And sometimes it surprises one. I’m accustomed to being surprised by truth-telling. Sometimes, the words I write cause me to change my mind. And sometimes it’s a change I didn’t want to make,” Driedger points out about his writing.
When pressed to clarify what he means by “truth,” he comments. “Listen to what goes on in the world of politics, in the public sphere these days. People think nothing of telling lies and inventing conspiracies. You know, we shouldn’t have any of that. And yet, we have way too much because in places in the world where so-called scientific publishing is not critiqued adequately, we now have paper mills that publish journals that are rubbish.”
While Albert Driedger’s scientific disposition may be attempting to draw a correlation and unexpected connection between seemingly unrelated topics, his writing style, elucidation, and sharp observations are both entertaining, often humorous, and informative. It makes a delightful companion for casual readers and intellectuals alike. Moreover, it is a worthy compilation of deliberations from a relentless thinker and keen scientific mind.
“The invocation of brainworms is the way I scratch my curiosity, and they daily stoke my awe of the vast and wonderful universe we, however briefly, inhabit,” writes Driedger in his introduction. Officially launched on December 15, 2024, the book is available from FriesenPress HERE.
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Doug, thank you for the generosity displayed in your review of my book.
Al