Worthen, DB. Heroes of Pharmacy: Professional Leadership in Times of Change, 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: American Pharmacists Association; 2012, 496 pp, $39.95 (hardcover), ISBN 9781582121635.
Worthen, DB. Heroes of Pharmacy: Professional Leadership in Times of Change, 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: American Pharmacists Association; 2012, 496 pp, $39.95 (hardcover), ISBN 9781582121635. Heroes of Pharmacy: Professional Leadership in Times of Change, the second edition, is the culmination of Dennis B. Worthen's articles on American pharmacy heroes that were published in the Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association (and then the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association) from 2002 until 2010. (1,2) The first edition covered a little over half of the published articles; this second edition hardcover book encompasses all of the articles. (3) The intent of the original articles (and subsequently, of the book), according to the author's preface, was to address the general lack of knowledge among pharmacy practitioners of the historical pharmacy figures who toiled and risked to advance the profession. While engaged in other historical research, Dr. Worthen discovered that many within the profession could name a few historical pharmacists or awards named for historical figures, but few knew the facts behind the names. By addressing this deficit, the book fills a significant gap in the literature concerning American pharmacy history. While addressing the profession's collective ignorance of historical figures, Dr. Worthen simultaneously addressed 2 other important issues with this work. First, he delineated what constitutes a "hero" in the context of a profession. According to Dr. Worthen, when viewed in a professional context, a hero is one who sacrifices personal interests and champions the advancement of one's profession even in the face of opposition. Second, based on this definition, the author addressed what makes an individual into a hero of pharmacy. The preface of the book provides the inclusion criteria for the heroes profiled, the roles played by professional heroes, and why heroes are relevant. Each historical figure's profile then provides, in story format, how that individual's life accomplishments resulted in his designation of "pharmacy hero." Heroes of Pharmacy primarily consists of the original 55 published essays, each comprising a chapter within the book. These essays included the introductory essay entitled "Who Are Your Heroes," a monograph of the 20 founders of the American Pharmaceutical Association (now American Pharmacists Association)--4 of whom are also individually profiled, monographs of 52 American pharmacy historical figures, and the ending essay entitled "Heroes of Pharmacy Postscript: Ave atque vale." The monographs describe how each individual approached, engaged, and impacted the profession, and how the profession reacted or changed in response. In an easy to read format, Dr. Worthen details how some were rewarded, while others were scorned, but how all left behind a professional legacy. In addition to the original essays, the book contains a few items that did not appear in or with the published articles. There is a foreword, written by Lowell Anderson, which explains why heroes of the past can assist in the creation and motivation of professional leadership in the future. …