Judith Pearsonis the award-winning author of three previous books: The Wolves at the Door, Belly of the Beast, and From Shadows to Life, which won the 2022 Nautilus Gold Award. A graduate of Michigan State University, Pearson and her husband divide their days between mountains and beaches.
"It's fortunate that Columbia University asked Mary Lasker to
record an oral history, providing skilled author Pearson with much
of the material for this fascinating portrait of a medical champion
deserving more wide-spread recognition."—Booklist
“Pearson illuminates the accomplishments of her subject, a woman
who arguably did more than any other individual to improve the
health of Americans throughout the 20th century…Pearson uses
Lasker’s words to great effect in this artfully crafted
biography…Pearson’s clear and concise writing serves the narrative
well. Her attention to detail is stunning, with reconstructed
conversations so intimate, you might wonder if she was a fly on the
wall at Mary’s meetings with President Eisenhower or lunches with
Lady Bird Johnson…Offer[s] important insight into the difficulties
of making large, meaningful changes via public policy…Today,
Americans are much more likely to recover from major illnesses like
cancer and heart disease than they were 70 years ago. After reading
this eye-opening account of Mary Lasker’s life, you’ll know whom
they should thank.”—Washington Independent Review of Books
"Informative, detailed, compelling, insightful, memorable and
inspiring, Crusade to Heal America is an extraordinary and
impressively well written biography."—Midwest Book Review
“Finally we have in Crusade to Heal America a full-length
treatment of the indomitable Mary Lasker, one of the most important
advocates for public health dollars devoted to cancer research and
heart disease. In Judith Pearson’s able hands, Lasker, very often
the only woman in the room, comes to life--her smarts, power,
money, discipline and work ethic producing some of the most
important achievements in funding for medical research of the 20th
century.” —Julia Sweig, New York Times bestselling author
of Lady Bird Johnson
“Perhaps no American citizen did more for the country's postwar
medical and research infrastructure than the indefatigable Mary
Lasker. Crusade to Heal America tells the inspiring true story of
how one woman impacted the public health of an entire nation. We
owe a debt of gratitude to Mary Lasker, and also to Pearson, for
reminding us of her subject's enduring legacy.”—Christopher C.
Gorham, author of The Confidante
"This landmark work by Judith Pearson brings alive the amazing Mary
Lasker, the tireless crusader whose gentle persuasion and
relentless dedication to medical research achieved
transcendent success. It is the ultimate insider's
account of how she triumphed in the secret world of the Washington
power elite, with Republicans and Democrats alike, as she drove
forward toward her goal to save millions of American lives."
—Robert J Mrazek, award-winning author of The
Indomitable Florence
"Mary Lasker’s indomitable personality leaps off the pages of this
book. The story of this resilient 'citizen lobbyist' captures her
altruism, dedication and persistence, as it chronicles her
life-long campaign to relieve suffering and cure disease. Her call
to action, 'If you think research is expensive….try disease' is as
true today as ever and should rally us all to take up her crusade
to increase funding for medical research and thus move us closer to
her goal to 'heal America'." —Claire Pomeroy, president, Albert and
Mary Lasker Foundation
"Mary Woodard Lasker was a gem of a citizen activist who
transformed the National Institutes of Health into the National
Institutes of HOPE, turning it into the diamond in the crown of our
nation's programs." —Terry Lierman, Mary Lasker's close friend and
Washington, D.C., advisor.
"This excellent narrative brings to life Mary Lasker, citizen
petitioner, whose efforts to encourage federal support for medical
research laid the foundation for America’s leadership in biomedical
research and advances in human health." —Jim Fordyce, nephew of
Mary Lasker
"Pearson brings Lasker to vivid life, diving deep into her
extraordinary friendships, her arduous journey to reshape how the
medical field (and general public) viewed diseases, and her
extraordinary love story with her husband Albert. A fascinating
biography that whisks the reader from New York high society to
medical labs to the White House, Pearson’s book shines a
long-overdue light on the brilliant life of a true American hero.”
—Public Libraries Online
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