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AMSTERDAM

3TO READ...

THE GOOD THIEF’S GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM BY CHRIS EWAN The first of the successful ‘Good Thief’ series begins in “a dim-lit brown bar on a northern stretch of the Keizersgracht canal” as an unknown American asks Charlie to steal two monkey figurines for him. Charlie is a mystery writer with a side-line (or is it vice versa) as a thief. This assignment is a baffling proposition as, to judge by the ‘sample’ figurine he is given, they are apparently worthless. Charlie decides to rise to the challenge. The writing flows, the characters are well developed and the details of how to pick a lock work surprisingly well alongside the atmospheric description of Amsterdam. The Good Thief’s Guide is light on gore but heavy on humour. Charlie makes a pleasant travelling companion if you are on your way to Amsterdam. Available both in Kindle and print at Amazon.

RECIPES FROM MY DUTCH KITCHEN BY JANNY DE MOOR Dutch cuisine developed over the centuries in the kitchens of fishermen, farmers and the seagoing merchants who introduced the spices and exotic ingredients that still give Dutch food its distinctive edge. Here are more than 75 recipes suitable for today’s home kitchen, from farmhouse cooking to the cosmopolitan dishes that are part of contemporary Dutch life. Information on the culture and traditions of the Netherlands, national festivities, local geography and produce are all part of the story. From Alkmaar Cheese Soup to Creamy Veal Stew with Prunes, from Poffertjes to Frisian Sugar Bread, the book is full of culinary inspiration – and mouth-watering illustrations. Available in hardback on Amazon.

AMSTERDAM, A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CITY BY GEERT MAK Although this ‘brief history’ stretches to 352 pages in the paperback version, there isn’t a dull paragraph. The author endows the fact-packed account with the contemporary attraction of a well-written news story. The result is a fastpaced overview of a remarkable settlement and how it developed from boggy wetlands to a sophisticated city. Quirky narratives abound, along with observations on the Dutch psyche and political commentary. Many of the intriguing anecdotes are related to the buildings, streets and canals every tourist encounters and these, along with the maps included, make this historical work useful as a guide book, too. Available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle versions.

A sensational building awaits delegates in Amsterdam. Maryalicia Post reports. Hotel with a twist

RAI, the Amsterdam convention centre on Europaplein, is as down to earth – and just about as glamorous – as a wooden shoe. So it was startling to encounter, on a recent visit, a sophisticated structure like a stack of gift boxes from outer space, rising up on its perimeter. It’s the new nhow hotel, designed by OMA, the architectural firm of Rem Koolhaas. Topping out at 91 metres, its 25 floors hold 650 rooms. It is the largest hotel in the Benelux region

OMA Partner Reinier de Graaf, the architect in charge of the project, says he drew his inspiration from Het Signaal, the commercial logos on a skewer that once served as the focal point of the square. Once Het Signaal stood alone. Now, it’s dwarfed by the proliferation of buildings around it and can be easy to miss. In contrast, the nhow hotel will be difficult not to notice. Not only does it command the surrounding area physically, but there will be a television studio broadcasting daily from the upper floor.

The interior decor is as fresh and colourful as a tulip field. Its design elements and graphics are drawn from the six cardinal directions to which the building’s corners point: South, East, North, South West, South East and North West. So, for example, Mexican sugar skulls meet Japanese lanterns in the lavish dining area. An underground concourse lined with shops will link the hotel to the exhibition halls.

The new North-South metro line 52, which won the professional Amsterdam Architectural Prize for 2019, is another exciting architectural accomplishment for the city. It took 25 years of intensive work plus an expenditure of €3.1 billion before the line opened in July 2018. It makes it possible to go from Amsterdam’s Central Station to Europaplein in eight minutes. The entire route, from Central Station to Zuid, is 9.7km long, including a stretch of 3.2km underground; it necessitated the construction of five underground and two above-ground stations. Each of the stations boasts colourful mosaics referencing the neighbourhood it serves. Between the escalators at the end of the Europaplein station, some of the thousands of finds recovered during the dig are displayed in a glass case. However, the principle museum of finds is at the Rokin Station. The dates of the objects displayed here range from 1650 to 1850. A website explains more about the objects recovered: belowthesurface.amsterdam.

Het Signaal

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SYM-102 Management of Vitreoretinal Complications of Anterior Segment Surgery Sponsored by the ASCRS Retina Clinical Committee

SYM-104 Complications by Proxy Sponsored by the ASCRS Young Eye Surgeons Clinical Committee

SYM-105 Getting You Better IOL Refractive Outcomes – Hearing from Us and You

SYM-106 The Cuts are Coming… The Cuts are Coming… INNOVATE! Sponsored by the ASCRS EyeConnect Committee

SYM-108 Management of Complicated Cases in Cataract and Refractive Surgery (presented in Spanish) Co-sponsored by ASCRS and ALACCSA-R

SYM-201 Surgical Essentials: Getting You out of Trouble in Cataract Surgery A Combined Symposium of Cataract and Refractive Societies

SYM-203 Debates and Controversies for the Young Ophthalmologist: How Will You Shape Your Practice? Co-sponsored by ASCRS and the Vanguard Ophthalmology Society

ASCRS CATARACT SURGERY SYMPOSIA

SYM-204 ASCRS Efforts to Secure the Future of Your Cataract Reimbursement: An Alternative Option Sponsored by the ASCRS Government Relations Committee

SYM-206 How to Hit a Home Run in Refractive Cataract Surgery Sponsored by the ASCRS Refractive Surgery Clinical Committee

SYM-207 Controversies in Anterior Segment Surgery Sponsored by the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery ®

ASCRS CATARACT DAY 2020 Sponsored by the ASCRS Cataract Clinical Committee

• SYM-302 Cataract Surgery Essentials: Surviving and Thriving in the Clinic and Operating Room • SYM-303 Advanced Cataract Surgery: Achieving 20/Happy in 2020 • SYM-305 The 2020 ASCRS Cataract Surgery Olympics

SYM-304 Drop Free Cataract Surgery: Regulatory Landscape and FDA Perspective Sponsored by the ASCRS FDA Committee

SYM-401 X-Rounds: Refractive Cataract Surgery to the Max

ADDITIONAL ASCRS CATARACT SURGERY PROGRAMMING • 57 Instructional Courses • 24 Paper Sessions/369 Papers • 75 Films • 88+ Posters • 20 Roundtables with Experts • 22 cataract surgery skills transfer sessions

ASCRS GENERAL SESSIONS FEATURING CATARACT SURGERY AND MORE! ASCRS Opening General Session featuring the Binkhorst Lecturer Richard Lewis, MD Saturday May 16 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

ASCRS Sunday General Session Featuring The Voice of Ophthalmology, Season 3 Featuring Scott Gottlieb, MD, former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and The Voice of Ophthalmology, Season 3 Sunday May 17 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

ASCRS Innovators General Session Featuring Charles D. Kelman, MD Innovator’s Lecturer Roy W. Beck, MD, PhD Monday May 18 | 10:00-11:30 a.m.

The Best of ASCRS 2020 General Session Tuesday May 19 | 10:00 -11:30 a.m.

J IN US!

At the 2020 ASCRS Annual Meeting. ASCRS. For Surgeons. For You.

In addition to the extensive cataract surgery programming be sure to take a advantage of the innovative cornea, refractive, and glaucoma (and more) sessions!