Social Sciences Reviews, September 1, 2011

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Sep 1, 2011

BIOGRAPHY

Blanchard, Jean-Vincent. Éminence: Richelieu and the Rise of France. Walker. Sept. 2011. c.320p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780802717047. $30. BIOG
For his first English-language work, Blanchard (French literature & politics, Swarthmore Coll.) takes on the biography of one of the most legendary and infamous statesmen of France, Armand-Jean du Plessis, otherwise known as Cardinal Richelieu. Using a wealth of manuscripts, correspondence, and other primary sources, Blanchard paints a riveting picture of the scope of Richelieu’s career amid the melodramatic intrigues of the main figures of the early Bourbon dynasty. As it was a career thoroughly enmeshed in the horrifically destructive Thirty Years’ War, the book could prove complex reading for those not somewhat versed in the convoluted political and military history of the period. However, Blanchard has provided a chronology, family trees, a list of principal characters, and ample endnotes to assist the reader. VERDICT While the life of the notorious cardinal is hardly untouched material for writers, Blanchard’s biography is one of few recent treatments of the subject in English and should be well received by scholars and general readers with a serious interest in French military or political history.—Tessa L.H. Minchew, Georgia Perimeter College Lib., Clarkston

Foot, Sarah. Æthelstan: The First King of England. Yale Univ. (English Monarchs). 2011. c.320p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300125351. $40. BIOG
Foot (Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Christ Church Coll., Oxford; Monastic Life in Anglo-Saxon England, c.600–900) utilizes primary and secondary sources to bring attention to this significant ruler of pre-Norman England. Indeed, as Foot asserts, Æthelstan’s diverse accomplishments during his short reign (924–39 C.E.) merit a “coaxing [of] this major figure into the light he deserves.” Other Anglo-Saxon rulers like Alfred the Great and Edward the Confessor have historically garnered more attention, but Foot convincingly argues that Æthelstan’s incredible achievements—he was the first ruler of a unified England—warrant a reevaluation. Useful chapters cover the king’s family, court, church relations, kingdom, war efforts, and death. There are also two valuable appendixes dedicated to primary-source material of this period. It is interesting to read Foot’s description of her methodology in creating a biography of a man who—though a king—had little written about him that survives. There are no recent biographies of Æthelstan for comparison. VERDICT A singularly informative biography by an eminent scholar. For all serious readers in the history of tenth-century England.—Brian Renvall, Mesalands Community Coll., Tucumcari, NM

Matthews, Chris. Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero. S. & S. Nov. 2011. c.448p. photogs. ISBN 9781451635089. $27.50. BIOG
Matthews (Kennedy and Nixon), host of MSNBC’s Hardball and former aide to the late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, has come to know many JFK insiders. Here he uses to excellent effect his conversations and interviews with those officials and friends as he seeks the real John F. Kennedy, that “elusive man,” as JFK’s own wife called him. Using the first person as he seeks out a full portrait of JFK, Matthews gives us an eminently readable biography, following Kennedy through his sickly and less-than-happy youth, his wartime heroism, and his presidency during the most perilous years of the Cold War. Although Matthews’s coverage of Kennedy’s pre-presidential career and the 1960 election is nearly as long as that devoted to the presidency, his most significant conclusion is that Kennedy’s decision not to invade Cuba in 1962 likely saved the world from nuclear annihilation and at the very least stopped Soviet premier Khrushchev from invading West Berlin. VERDICT Robert Dallek’s An Unfinished Life and Richard Reeves’s President Kennedy provide in-depth investigations of Kennedy’s politics, but readers wanting a lively overview of Kennedy, the flawed man and inspiring leader, should turn to this poignant study. [See Prepub Alert, 5/23/11.]—Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA

Noël Hume, Ivor. Belzoni: The Giant Archaeologists Love To Hate. Univ. of Virginia. Oct. 2011. c.312p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780813931401. $34.95. BIOG
Stanley Mayes’s 1959 The Great Belzoni has been long considered the principal biography of Giovanni Battista Belzoni (1778–1823), famous Italian showman, explorer, and early collector of antiquities. Noël Hume (former director, archaeological research program, Colonial Williamsburg) now offers the general reader an engrossing and well-researched study, an early 19th-century adventure that follows Belzoni through Napoleonic Europe to his 1803 arrival in London, where he appeared in theaters as the “Patagonian Sampson,” and his marriage to Sarah Banne, most likely a fellow performer. Belzoni had studied hydraulic engineering, and in 1815, heading to Constantinople, he and his wife instead went to Egypt to sell his design for a water wheel. Overwhelmed by Egypt’s antiquities, he partnered with the British consul to excavate and export sculptures, sarcophagi, and other monuments back to England. The Belzonis returned to London in 1819; he published a book and opened an exhibition (1821) that included a walk-through model of the tomb of Sethi I, which he had discovered in the Valley of the Kings. Noël Hume shows particular interest in Sarah Belzoni and covers her long years of misfortune during widowhood. VERDICT Recommended to all readers interested in the primitive beginnings of Egyptian archaeology or 19th-century travel.—Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL

Randall, Willard Sterne. Ethan Allen: His Life and Times. Norton. 2011. c.617p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780393076653. $35. BIOG
In this work, Randall (history, Champlain Coll.) presents Ethan Allen as much more than the hero of Fort Ticonderoga, leader of the Green Mountain Boys, and founder of Vermont. A contradictory character, Allen is shown here as the outspoken defender of New York land-grant settlers against land speculators but also as a land speculator himself; as a principled champion of justice and liberty while still an ambitious, glory-seeking opportunist; as a riotous and impetuous frontiersman as well as a self-educated philosopher and religious iconoclast. Randall effectively explains Allen’s beliefs and actions by chronicling the economic, religious, and political developments in Colonial New England that shaped Allen and fomented the atmosphere of rebellion before and after 1775. VERDICT The relaxed narrative is supported by valuable primary documents and secondary sources, but Randall ignores Michael Bellesiles’s Revolutionary Outlaws: Ethan Allen and the Struggle for Independence on the Early American Frontier (1993). Of greater concern, upon viewing the first submitted galley for the book, LJ pointed out to the publisher that certain passages closely followed Charles Jellison’s Ethan Allen: Frontier Rebel (1969). The book has since been revised for publication, yet the new version still contains some passages that echo Jellison’s narrative patterns. Nonetheless, this biography of a larger-than-life adventurer and flawed hero will be enjoyed by readers of popular histories about the country’s early years, and by serious researchers in Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New York history.—Margaret Kappanadze, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY

Vogel, Ezra F. Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China. Belknap: Harvard Univ. Sept. 2011. c.874p. index. ISBN 9780674055445. $39.95. BIOG
If you want to understand China today, you must understand Deng Xiaoping (1904–97). Mao Tse-tung’s death in 1976 left in its wake historic achievement and historic tragedy. “We are all to blame,” said Deng, who had joined the Communist Party in the 1920s and was Mao’s trusted helper in such disasters as the Great Leap Forward of the late 1950s. Deng shared Mao’s ambition to make China a strong nation under party leadership, but he cannily built an unassailable position within the party to take it in new directions. Vogel (Henry Ford II Professor of Social Sciences Emeritus, Harvard; The Four Little Dragons: The Spread of Industrialization in East Asia) interviewed dozens of leaders and China experts, as well as Deng’s family, did exhaustive documentary research, and mines the scholarly literature (a good deal of it by his former students) to analyze Deng’s initial success in building China’s economy and international position, frustration in the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, and ultimate legacy. VERDICT Chapters of overwhelming detail are balanced with lucid summary sections. Massive but fascinating, this is highly recommended for those with a serious interest in modern China. Indispensable in understanding Deng, what he accomplished, and where he fell short.— Charles W. Hayford, Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL

COMMUNICATIONS

Phillips, Warren H. Newspaperman: Inside the News Business at the Wall Street Journal . McGraw-Hill. Sept. 2011. c.352p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780071776905. $30. COMM
For over a century, the Wall Street Journal has remained one of the most respected and informative sources of business and financial news throughout the world. One of the key figures behind the paper’s success, Phillips traces his career with the paper in a concise, well-crafted memoir. Beginning in 1947 as a reporter and retiring in 1992 as publisher and CEO of parent company Dow Jones & Company, he records his experiences from reporting in the field in post–World War II Europe to presiding over the paper’s profitable expansion into foreign markets to guiding the company through the transition into the digital era. He sprinkles his story with personal anecdotes and insights into the journalism profession. VERDICT Readers of “Greatest Generation” memoirs and biographies and journalism students will enjoy Phillips’s work. For a similar read, see Richard J. Tofel’s Restless Genius: Barney Kilgore, the Wall Street Journal, and the Invention of Modern Journalism.—Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL

ECONOMICS

Holland, R. William. Cracking the New Job Market: The 7 Rules for Getting Hired in Any Economy. AMACOM: American Management Assn. 2011. c.256p. index. ISBN 9780814417348. pap. $17.95. BUS
In the new, competitive job market, many books on job hunting have recommended demonstrating one’s value, exploiting social media connections, and crafting careful interview strategies to gain employment. Holland, an HR and career management consultant, covers all of these in a clear, positive style and adds advice not often seen, on such topics as how parents can get their children started effectively and how to manage finances during unemployment. The chapter on résumé creation details a strategy for close reading of want ads and provides before and after examples, plus sample cover letters. In the chapter on negotiating benefits, Holland walks the reader through prioritizing wants and needs. The traditional face-to-face interview is amply covered, as are mealtime interviews, group competitions, telephone and video interviews, and hostile questions. VERDICT Three of the seven rules included here are about demonstrating or creating value—not exactly new ideas—but the content of this book deserves a second look. Recommended for public and academic career services collections.—Heidi Senior, Univ. of Portland, OR

Kaplan, Robert Steven. What To Ask the Person in the Mirror: Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential. Harvard Business Pr. 2011. c.288p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781422170014. $26.95. BUS
In this guide to developing and honing leadership skills, Kaplan (management practice, Harvard Business School; cochairman, Draper Richards Kaplan Fdn.; former vice chairman, Goldman Sachs) explains, “the critical premise of this book is that by knowing how and when to ask critical questions, a young professional as well as a senior leader can take greater ownership of his or her organization and career.” He focuses on seven basic areas for inquiry and self-evaluation: “Vision and Priorities,” “Managing Your Time,” “Giving and Getting Feedback,” “Succession Planning and Delegation,” “Evaluation and Alignment,” “The Leader as Role Model,” and “Reaching Your Potential.” In a final chapter, he discusses ways to make inquiry and self-evaluation a regular part of leadership activities. In the chapter on time management, appropriate questions to ask include, “Do I know how I spend my time?” and “Does it match my key priorities?” Kaplan follows these questions by analyzing the importance of effective time-management strategies and the establishment of priorities. Each chapter includes case studies and a list of suggested follow-up steps. VERDICT This is a practical book for students and others who wish to develop their leadership skills. Highly recommended.—Lucy Heckman, St. John’s Univ. Lib., Jamaica, NY

Moran, Richard A. Sins and CEOs: Lessons from Leaders and Losers That Will Change Your Career. Heliotrope. Sept. 2011. c.137p. ISBN 9780983294023. pap. $16.95. BUS
Moran (Never Confuse a Memo with Reality) here offers a collection of stories about leadership (successful and disastrous) culled from his work as a consultant and venture capitalist. The book identifies nine common character flaws exhibited by business leaders and shows how they affect corporations. Moran labels these flaws as sins and divides them into passive and active types. Each chapter focuses on a particular sin (cowardice or arrogance, for example) and is split into four sections. The first section is taken up with anecdotes about CEOs and managers who have committed the sin, followed by a list of temptations leading to that sin and a short section on how the culprits might change their actions (redemption). The final section contains the chapter’s main takeaway. VERDICT While the author’s reliance on religious terminology can become tiresome, the examples are entertaining as well as illustrative. Recommended, especially for those in business leadership positions, as they will identify with the characters in Moran’s anecdotes.—John Rodzvilla, Emerson Coll., Boston

HISTORY

Andrade, Tonio. Lost Colony: The Untold Story of China’s First Great Victory over the West. Princeton Univ. Nov. 2011. c.456p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780691144559. $35. HIST
In this page-turning historical narrative, Andrade (history, Emory Univ.; How Taiwan Became Chinese) chronicles the 1661–62 battle for Taiwan in what is often seen as the first modern conflict between an Eastern and Western power. While historians have traditionally viewed Europeans then as more advanced in science, technology, and political infrastructures than their Eastern counterparts, Andrade reveals that Chinese warfare tactics based on ancient texts and military philosophy, built up over a millennia of a rich cultural heritage, actually allowed for the enigmatic leader Koxinga and his Chinese generals to neutralize any European superiority in weaponry and defeat the Dutch and thus the Dutch East India Company’s hold on Taiwan. Although the Dutch had created the world’s most dynamic colonial empire, even outcompeting the rival British, Spanish, and Portuguese at the time, their defeat on Taiwan tells a story of the relative strengths and weaknesses of European and Chinese military techniques, offering a new perspective on long-held assumptions about Western colonialism in Asia and the volatile nature of war. VERDICT For the global and military history enthusiast, this book is exceptionally insightful about the early-modern history of European contact in Asia.—Allan Cho, Univ. of British Columbia Lib., Vancouver

Boehling, Rebecca & Uta Larkey. Life and Loss in the Shadow of the Holocaust: A Jewish Family’s Untold Story. Cambridge Univ. Sept. 2011. c.434p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780521899918. $29.99. HIST
The voluminous correspondence of the Kaufmann-Steinberg family—among siblings Marianne, Loti, and Kurt, as well as with their mother and aunt (whom the children referred to as “their parents”)—provides a treasure trove of information about how a German Jewish family attempted to survive the Nazis. Boehling (history, Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore) and Larkey (German studies, Goucher Coll.) are at their best when integrating the individual experiences into the wider narrative of Nazi anti-Semitic policy, war, and Holocaust. Their analysis of the emotional challenges faced by the siblings as they chose to leave Germany, two going to Palestine and one to the United States, never to see their parents again, along with the stress of adapting to their new conditions is penetrating. Particularly heartbreaking is how economic stress, geographic distance, and the long time between communications diminished formerly strong sibling bonds. VERDICT Directed at the general reader, the author’s explanation of where the Kaufmann-Steinberg story is typical or atypical of the German Jewish experience is well done. The book, however, periodically suffers from repetition and sometimes poor organization on the paragraph level. Nonetheless, recommended for all interested readers and specialists.—Frederic Krome, Univ. of Cincinnati Clermont Coll.

DeRose, Chris. Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, the Bill of Rights, and the Election That Saved a Nation. Regnery History, dist. by Perseus. Nov. 2011. c.336p. index. ISBN 9781596981928. $27.95. HIST
DeRose, an attorney and veteran political strategist, uses contemporary sources to trace the development of James Madison’s and James Monroe’s position on the U.S. Constitution and how they opposed each other for a Virginia congressional seat in 1789. While Madison was a significant contributor to and supporter of the Constitution, Monroe was more suspicious of it, largely owing to his worries about federal powers trumping states’ rights. Monroe felt that granting a federal power of direct taxation was unnecessary and unjust, and the Constitution did not include a Bill of Rights at the time to preserve liberties like religious freedom. In covering this territory, DeRose doesn’t offer anything new until he moves to the congressional election between the two—and this, which he doesn’t cover until two-thirds of the way through the book, would have been fine as an article. DeRose is correct that the stakes were high in that election: if Monroe had won, the Bill of Rights might not have passed the First Congress as Monroe would not have been the advocate that Madison was. But DeRose tries to build up some personal drama between the two that didn’t exist, since both admitted that the election did not affect their friendship. VERDICT This book is a capable introduction for general readers interested in this time period and Madison and Monroe.—Bryan Craig, Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville

Ferguson, Niall. Civilization: The West and the Rest. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Oct. 2011. c.402p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781594203053. $35. HIST
In the 15th century, Asia and the Middle East seemed to possess tremendous advantages in power and intellect, while the disorganized cluster of nations that made up the West lagged behind. How then did Western civilization come to dominate? According to Ferguson (The Ascent of Money), who holds professorships at Harvard, Harvard Business School, and the London School of Economics, it was six “killer applications”—competition, science, property rights, modern medicine, consumerism, and the work ethic—that enabled the West to charge ahead. Furthermore, he asserts, as many of these “apps” have now been globally assimilated, the time of the West’s ascendancy may be over. It’s an interesting thesis, sure to generate debate, but Ferguson’s arguments lack thorough, consistent development, and at times the six-application structure seems a stretch, with a reliance on vivid but tangential subjects to cover the gaps; e.g., the chapter on medicine ostensibly focuses on how colonization of Africa led to improved treatment of disease but gives far more space to discussions of the French Revolution and the horrors resulting from eugenic theory. VERDICT Fans of Ferguson will find him as engaging as ever, but numerous digressions and simplistic treatments mar the book’s potentially intriguing points. [See Prepub Alert, 5/2/11.]—Kathleen McCallister, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

Flood, Charles Bracelen. Grant’s Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant’s Heroic Last Year. Da Capo. Oct. 2011. c.288p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780306820281. $27.50. HIST
Flood (Grant and Sherman) writes movingly of the last months of Ulysses S. Grant’s life, 1884–85, when, in the wake of financial ruin from a failed investment and suffering from terminal throat cancer, he labored to complete his memoirs (which would be published by Mark Twain) so that his family might once again prosper after his death. Flood paints a vivid picture of Grant’s earlier achievements and of the United States in the decades after the Civil War, moving back and forth between the turmoil surrounding Grant in 1884 and his conduct of the war, paying special attention to his relationships with his family and friends, the troops he commanded, and his humane treatment of Confederate troops in the terms of surrender. Flood has great respect for his subject and succeeds in transmitting it to the reader. VERDICT Those who like presidential or post–Civil War history will especially enjoy this book, aimed at general readers, with its compelling portrait of a well-known historical figure. Grant’s Personal Memoirs has never been out of print and is recommended, with this one, for readers from high school to undergraduate students and history buffs.—Becky Kennedy, Atlanta-Fulton P.L., GA

Hansen, Jonathan M. Guantánamo: An American History. Hill & Wang: Farrar. Oct. 2011. c.448p. illus. index. ISBN 9780809053414. $30. HIST
Hansen (social studies, Harvard; The Lost Promise of Patriotism: Debating American Identity, 1890–1920) here isn’t simply presenting the history of America’s naval base (GTMO) on the southeastern coast of Cuba; his story takes readers from the arrival of Columbus to the 2002 arrival of prisoners in the so-called war on terror. The perfect deep-water port, Guantánamo was once the U.S. Navy’s ideal base in the Caribbean, but its strategic value had diminished over the years, and it was seldom in the news until the post-9/11 period. Hansen places GTMO in an international and regional perspective, recalling the role of the base during Castro’s revolution in a fascinating chapter and concluding with a revealing chapter on the “Gitmo” prison. He never loses the Cuban perspective and the internal divisiveness here at home about Guantánamo’s future. VERDICT More comprehensive than Stephen Irving Max Schwab’s Guantanamo USA, this well-researched and well-written book will appeal to all readers but especially to those interested in American history as it relates to Cuba and the Caribbean.—Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Libs., AL

McCartin, Joseph A. Collision Course: Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the Strike That Changed America. Oxford Univ. Oct. 2011. c.496p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780199836789. pap. $29.95. HIST
“No strike in American history unfolded more visibly before the eyes of the American people…than the PATCO [Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization] strike,” writes McCartin (history, Georgetown Univ.; Labor’s Great War) of the 1981 nationwide walkout of air traffic controllers, a signal event of the Reagan administration. The President fired the controllers, broke the strike, and, in doing so, “decisively altered the course of U.S. labor relations.” In this deeply researched history, McCartin shows what was less visible as well—the issues that originally led the controllers to organize in 1968; the accumulated grievances that produced the militancy of 1981, and the negotiations of that year, in which (contrary to legend) Reagan authorized concessions beyond the law; and the strike’s long aftereffect, which, McCartin argues, has had its most devastating impact on private-sector management-labor relations. VERDICT McCartin interviewed dozens of principals on both sides of the PATCO strike, giving his story an immediacy that will appeal to many general readers. Scholars in labor history and public policy will also be drawn by the depth of this book. Highly recommended.—Bob Nardini, Nashville

Matt, Susan J. Homesickness: An American History. Oxford Univ. Sept. 2011. c.360p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780195371857. $29.95. HIST
The conventional narrative of America has been the story of migration, mobility, and the individualist spirit. But Matt (history, Weber State Univ., Keeping Up with the Joneses: Envy in American Consumer Society, 1890–1930) argues here that America has another often overlooked history: of homesickness. Using letters, diaries, and memoirs, as well as medical records and psychological studies, Matt shows that the individualism so celebrated as an American characteristic also had a flip side of homesickness, loss, and displacement. She takes the reader through the profound homesickness felt by Colonial Americans, soldiers during America’s many wars, as well as the experiences of African Americans, displaced Native Americans, and Americans of other ethnic backgrounds who found themselves confronting the market revolution and industrialization. She argues that homesickness and nostalgia were common but were made into problems to advance a capitalist and individualist ideal in the 20th century. VERDICT An engaging and well-argued read that will be of interest to students of American cultural history and interested general readers.—Jessica Moran, California State Archives, Sacramento

Pastoureau, Michel. The Bear: History of a Fallen King. Belknap: Harvard Univ. Oct. 2011. c.368p. tr. from French by George Holoch. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780674047822. $29.95. HIST
The scholarship displayed in this groundbreaking study is the best kind: deep, broad, imaginative. Medievalist Pastoureau (École Pratique des Hautes Études, Sorbonne: Black: History of a Color) takes on the history of the bear, that exceptional animal once said to most resemble man. Once king of the beasts in the West, at times even god, the bear was hunted down in Europe from the time of Charlemagne (d. 814) and its image systematically degraded. By the end of the 12th century, the bear’s place as king of the beasts had been usurped by the lion. Henceforth the bear was largely a figure of ridicule. How did this happen? What purposes did the change serve? Pastoureau uses evidence from history, textual analysis, heraldry, anthropology, and iconography to produce an eclectic study that not only reads like a dream but opens avenues for future research. VERDICT This book is written for scholars, but the fascinating subject has potential to become a crossover book, interesting all who enjoy history, art history, or the history of animals.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

Romm, James. Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the War for Crown and Empire. Knopf. Oct. 2011. c.368p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780307271648. $28.95. HIST
When Alexander the Great died at a relatively young age and faraway from Macedonia, determining his successor threw much of southern Europe, central Asia, and northern Africa into disarray. Romm (classics, Bard Coll.; The Edges of the Earth in Ancient Thought) details the first decade of the wars and intrigues among Alexander’s generals and family as they fought to maintain their right to rule the empire. The “ghost” of Alexander was still in control; his physical body was held ransom for political gain, and his spirit was evoked, although his successors lacked his charisma and skill. Given the number of characters and the vast distances involved, this is a complex story to tell; Romm’s rhetorical flourishes and chapter labeling help. ­VERDICT Similar to Robin Waterfield’s recent Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Great’s Empire, this book focuses in much more detail on the first decade after Alexander’s death. This should be fascinating to fans and students of Alexander the Great and his legacy.—Margaret Heller, Dominican University Lib., River Forest, IL

Smith, Daniel Blake. An American Betrayal: Cherokee Patriots and the Trail of Tears. Holt. Nov. 2011. c.336p. illus. index. ISBN 9780805089554. $28. HIST
By examining the history of the Cherokee removal from the Southeast (the Trail of Tears) through the prism of Cherokee patriotism, Smith (formerly history, Univ. of Kentucky; coauthor, The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown: The Sea Venture Castaways and the Fate of America) provides a distinct and refreshing perspective that sets this title apart from the many other books on the topic. Smith sympathizes with Chief John Ross and his faction, showing that their patriotism was evident because they refused to cede their ancestral homelands to the United States. The Treaty Party members, most notably Elias Boudinot, Major Ridge, and John Ridge, are also shown here to be patriots in having determined that the only way to retain Cherokee culture and sovereignty was to move away from white settlers and establish a new homeland in the West. Boudinot and the Ridges ultimately signed away the Cherokee homeland in the Treaty of New Echota. That act cost them their lives at the hands of John Ross’s supporters. VERDICT Lay readers will find this an enlightening take on an oft-told story. Readers should also obtain Black Indians: An American Story and The Trail of Tears Cherokee Legacy, two documentaries written by Smith (available through www.richheape.com).—John Burch, Campbellsville Univ. Lib., KY

LAW & CRIME

Berryhill, Michael. The Trials of Eroy Brown: The Murder Case That Shook the Texas Prison System. Univ. of Texas. Oct. 2011. c.244p. photogs. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780292726949. $29.95. CRIME
Readers who have worked in prisons in states other than Texas will consider the case of Eroy Brown bizarre. But this was Texas, and the year was 1980. A black inmate, Brown was accused of drowning his warden and shooting another white prison official. Journalist Berryhill (New York Times Magazine, Harper’s, Houston Chronicle) gives a detailed account of Eroy’s three trials, which ended with his acquittal on the grounds that he acted in self-defense. Three dedicated lawyers—Craig Washington, Bill Habern, and Tim Sloan—cited in their defense of Brown the recently decided case of Ruiz v. Estelle, which charged Texas prison officials with violating the rights of inmates, often brutally. Although tedious at times, the accounts of the trials are packed with information on how the lawyers pulled it off. It did not end happily, for Brown erred again after his acquittal, but the fact remains: he was proven innocent of the murder conviction, and the case boldly challenged Texas plantation mentality. ­VERDICT Recommended for students of the law, proponents of civil rights, Texas historians, and lovers of crime sagas.—Frances Sandiford, formerly with Green Haven Correctional Facility Lib., Stormville, NY

Grillo, Ioan. El Narco: Inside Mexico’s Criminal Insurgency. Bloomsbury Pr., dist. by Macmillan. Nov. 2011. c.336p. maps. ISBN 9781608192113. $27. CRIME
British journalist Grillo has spent a decade covering the chilling world of Mexico’s rival drug cartels, which have steadily gained strength until reaching their current paramilitary status and have led to a staggering 30,000 murders in the past five years. Grillo aims to answer the questions, What is El Narco? Who are these drug smugglers? The book is divided into three parts: a section on the history of Mexico’s drug war, covering the past 100 years; an explanation of El Narco’s anatomy and the widespread corruption that keeps its death machine running; and a discussion of Mexico’s future, revealing how inextricably involved with this war the United States has become. Grillo suggests a future course of action that could help turn the tide. VERDICT A graphic excursion into El Narco and the economic and political realities of Mexico, where a poor country boy’s only chance of financial success may be to join a cartel. Fast paced, thorough, and shocking, this will engage readers interested in true crime, mob stories, current events, and the reality behind TV shows that dramatize the fast, short lives of those who run against the law.—Krista Bush, Shelton Pub. Schs., CT

Palfrey, John. Intellectual Property Strategy. MIT. (Essential Knowledge). Oct. 2011. c.120p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780262516792. pap. $11.95. LAW
Palfrey (law, Harvard; Born Digital) has written a slender, nontechnical primer on recommended strategies for businesses to manage their intellectual property. Writing as if he were speaking directly to a senior manager of a corporation or nonprofit, he uses case studies featuring such organizations as Starbucks, Children’s Television Workshop, and Viacom to draw out lessons—for example, recommending limited sharing of intellectual property via licensing. The book outlines four basic steps to developing strategies in the various areas of intellectual property (patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret), and a final chapter is devoted to nonprofits. At the book’s conclusion, Palfrey offers his personal views on current copyright law. He also provides detailed endnotes and a list of recommended reading. The digital edition will be enhanced with case studies and videos; buyers of the print edition can access the case studies via a related website. VERDICT Palfrey backs up each point in this clear and well-written work with specific examples. The bulk of the book consists of practical advice, and readers will appreciate the author’s dissection of the various pitfalls inherent in different approaches to intellectual property. Recommended for specialized collections.—Harry Charles, St. Louis

Tanenhaus, David S. The Constitutional Rights of Children: In re Gault and Juvenile Justice. Univ. Pr. of Kansas. (Landmark Law Cases and American Society). Sept. 2011. c.176p. index. ISBN 9780700618132. $29.95; pap. ISBN 9780700618149. $16.95. LAW
In 1964, 15-year-old Gerald Gault was arrested for allegedly making an obscene phone call. In a procedure stunningly devoid of due process protections, Gault was given a cursory hearing and sentenced to six years in a tough, boot camp–style boys’ detention facility. Juvenile rights expert Tanenhaus (law & history, William S. Boyd Sch. of Law, Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas; Juvenile Justice in the Making) places what happened to Gault in social, legal, and historical context and packs his retelling of the now-famous case with fascinating detail. Especially compelling is his account of how, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, Gault’s case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. The author’s exploration of the intricacies of the oral arguments and Justice Fortas’s majority opinion illuminate the legal issues and highlight the importance of the decision, which extended due process protections to juvenile court proceedings. VERDICT Even those familiar with the case In re Gault will find Tanenhaus’s behind-the-scenes insights revelatory. Juvenile justice and constitutional law collections should add this book.—Joan Pedzich, Harris Beach PLLC, Rochester, NY

PARAPSYCHOLOGY

Bodine, Echo. The Little Book of True Ghost Stories. Hampton Roads. 2011. c.208p. illus. ISBN 9781571746504. pap. $14.95. PARAPSYCH
At the age of 17, Bodine found that she had psychic abilities and a gift for healing. Since then she has written several books (The Gift: Understand and Develop Your Psychic Abilities; Echoes of the Soul), appeared on TV shows, had her own cable and radio program, and claims to have encountered numerous ghosts. Her third book about her experiences with ghosts covers some of the same ground. She shares her personal experiences with various ghosts, explains why they were still on Earth, and reveals how she convinced them to move on. At the end of each chapter, she includes a “Ghost Fact”; most of these seem to reiterate that living people have power over ghosts (in an interview about her ghost-busting activity, she stated that the practice was more like ghost counseling). The last few chapters advise readers on how to determine whether they have ghosts in their lives and how to rid themselves of those ghosts. VERDICT Bodine’s book is fairly well written and appealing despite a certain amount of repetitiveness. It would work well in public libraries where patrons want to read “real” stories about ghosts.—Mary E. Jones, Los Angeles P.L.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Gardner, Lloyd C. The Road to Tahrir Square: Egypt and the United States from the Rise of Nasser to the Fall of Mubarak. New Pr., dist. by Perseus. Oct. 2011. c.240p. index. ISBN 9781595587213. pap. $17.95. INT AFFAIRS
Gardner (history, Rutgers Univ.; The Long Road to Baghdad) is a well-known authority on the Middle East. His narrative here portrays Egypt as an essential actor in the region over the past 70 years, taking leading roles at the end of the British Mandate in Palestine and creation of Israel, as well as in several regional conflicts. While the United States was trying to define a new international role for itself at the end of World War II and into the Cold War, it was juggling the existing tensions and rivalries around Egypt. Successive U.S. administrations plied successive Egyptian rulers with both economic and military assistance, trying to develop a stable ally. The recently deposed leader Hosni Mubarak provided that stability for 30 years. VERDICT Gardner’s coverage is more in-depth for the earlier years of his focus, i.e., under President Nasser, and, in spite of the title’s implication, lighter for the past 15 years, but many titles on U.S.-Egypt relations cover relatively shorter periods (even William J. Burns’s Economic Aid and American Policy Toward Egypt, 1955–1981, which is considered relatively comprehensive). Informed readers will find this useful background to current headlines on a topic likely to persist well into the future.—Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York

Gerges, Fawaz A. The Rise and Fall of Al-Qaeda. Oxford Univ. Sept. 2011. c.272p. index. ISBN 9780199790654. $24.95.INT AFFAIRS
Gerges (director, Middle East Ctr., London Sch. of Economics; Journey of the Jihadist) argues that the U.S. military and foreign policy establishment are entangled within a “terrorism narrative” sustained by an inflated, distorted view of al-Qaeda’s operational capabilities and global reach, which he contends were drastically degraded even before Osama bin Laden’s death. The peaceful character of some recent revolutions in the Arab world appear to add weight to Gerges’s primary assertion, one of the major strands of this work, that al-Qaeda has long since lost any significant support or legitimacy, in part because of the indiscriminate slaughter of Muslims instigated by al-Qaeda operatives in Iraq, and that their ideology and tactics have been resoundingly rejected by large segments of the Arab populace. Gerges also focuses on al-Qaeda’s role in the increasing instability in Yemen and its influence on “homegrown” radicals in America. VERDICT A cogent examination of al-Qaeda’s historical trajectory that integrates major recent developments into its comprehensive analysis. This work will appeal to readers with an advanced grasp of Middle Eastern history and counterterrorism studies. It is not for general readers, although they may have seen Gerges speak accessibly as an expert on cable news.—Dennis J. Seese, American Univ. Lib., Washington, DC

Girardet, Edward. Killing the Cranes: A Reporter’s Journey Through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan. Chelsea Green. Sept. 2011. c.416p. illus. index. ISBN 9781603583428. $27.95. INT AFFAIRS
Girardet (Afghanistan: The Soviet War) has spent more than three decades as a war correspondent covering conflicts around the world, frequently in Afghanistan, starting with the Soviet invasion in 1979. Having lived on the ground reporting alongside the mujahideen, he offers a sobering perspective. These guerrilla fighters, with U.S. financial aid, ousted the Soviet-backed regime in 1992. They in turn were ousted by the Taliban. During his frequent trips inside Afghanistan, in many cases entering illegally at great personal risk, Girardet was nearly killed (when mistaken for Salman Rushdie) and had a number of personal encounters with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden pre-9/11, unaware of the identity of the “tall Arab man” who was developing a hatred of the United States. VERDICT With his vast experience inside Afghanistan during different conflicts, Girardet presents strong evidence that foreign powers from the British to the Soviets to the Americans have all made the same mistakes by attempting to impose their own political models and values on a nation that does not fit into any Western mold. While this conclusion is hardly new, Girardet’s excellent work should be of particular interest to historians, foreign policy buffs, political scientists, and military personnel.—Robert Bruce Slater, Stroudsburg, PA

Starr, Paul. Remedy and Reaction: The Peculiar American Struggle Over Health Care Reform. Yale Univ. Oct. 2011. c.336p. index. ISBN 9780300171099. $28.50. POL SCI
Starr (sociology & public affairs, Princeton Univ.), who won the Pulitzer Prize almost 30 years ago for The Social Transformation of American Medicine, now recounts the long and largely unsuccessful fight to provide all Americans with health care. Early 20th-century progressives began the struggle, FDR tried halfheartedly during the New Deal, and even Richard Nixon supported national health care. Finally, a century later, President Obama, borrowing Mitt Romney’s individual mandate and leaving out the public option, passed health-care reform that doesn’t satisfy progressives and that socializes medicine, according to right-wing critics. Starr shows how the window of opportunity for health-care reform has opened several times in the last 100 years and how each time it has been slammed shut by powerful interests including the American Medical Association, big insurance companies, and the conservative politicians they support. Starr argues that the “protected public”—those with job-based insurance and recipients of government coverage—prevents major reform because enough Americans have some coverage to fear the consequences of change. VERDICT This is a must-read in order to understand why health-care reform has been and continues to be so difficult to achieve in America.—Duncan Stewart, Univ. of Iowa Libs., Iowa City

PSYCHOLOGY

Boss, Pauline. Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How To Find Hope While Coping with Stress and Grief. Jossey-Bass. 2011. c.256p. index. ISBN 9781118002292. pap. $18.95. PSYCH
With numerous new books on all aspects of growing older, publishers are targeting the baby boomer population—including the increasing percentage of elderly people who suffer from dementia or, more accurately, the increasing number of people who become caretakers for those with dementia. Among these titles, this slight text by clinical psychologist Boss (family social science, emeritus, Univ. of Minnesota; Ambiguous Loss: Learning To Live with Unresolved Grief) emphasizes that the patient is both present and gone and that grieving in such a situation is difficult because it is prolonged and unmarked by cultural rituals. These are certainly interesting ideas, but the result is the same old advice: take care of yourself, seek emotional support, get help. VERDICT A good addition for caregivers who need a quick lift, but Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins’s The 36-Hour Day and Susan M. McCurry’s When a Family Member Has Dementia are better starting points.—Mary Ann Hughes, Shelton, WA

Eide, Brock L., M.D., & Fernette F. Eide, M.D. The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain. Hudson Street. 2011. c.304p. bibliog.
ISBN 9781594630798. $25.95. PSYCH
The two Seattle physicians who coauthored The Mislabeled Child here set out to frame dyslexia not as a disability but as a condition that offers clear advantages if properly understood. To this end, they share anecdotes from current students as well as adults who are successful in the fields of engineering, art, and business. Focusing on the strengths associated with dyslexia (these include “material reasoning” through working with building toys and “narrative reasoning” through retaining and building complex stories), they advise parents and educators on how to improve reading and writing skills in dyslexic students. The section outlining how dyslexic individuals can succeed in school, college, and the professional world is the strongest. The theme that runs through the entire work is the need to develop self-esteem in this population. With this boost, it is plausible that families struggling with a child’s dyslexia will be given the confidence to reach higher and not accept dyslexia as an excuse for underachievement. VERDICT Recommended for public libraries and academic libraries with comprehensive dyslexia collections.—Corey Seeman, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Leman, Kevin. Have a New Teenager by Friday: From Mouthy and Moody to Respectful and Responsible in 5 Days. Revell. Sept. 2011. c.304p. index. ISBN 9780800720216. $17.99. PSYCH
Parents either adore psychologist and humorist Leman or find his many books repetitive. Following his New York Times best-selling Have a New Kid by Friday, the author here expands the same basic message for parents of teens: have a sense of humor, say it once and walk away, act rather than react. Parents should be neither authoritarian nor permissive, he advises; they should teach (and demand) respect. A father and grandfather and a person of strong faith, Leman is blunt (“If you do battle with your teenager, you will lose every time”) and loving (“Love them despite what they do”). Interspersed in each chapter are anecdotes from readers under the heading “It Worked for Me” and hundreds of tips, called “lifesavers.” VERDICT The author of over 35 books, Leman appears on TV talk shows and has a huge following. That said, this is the same message, though geared for parents of teens, that we’ve read before. Sure to be in demand.—Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA

SELF-HELP

Jacobs, Ann Blumenthal & others. Love for Grown-ups: The Garter Brides’ Guide to Marrying for Life When You’ve Already Got a Life. Harlequin. 2011. c.240p. index. ISBN 9780373892365. pap. $16.95. SELF-HELP
Jacobs, Patricia Ryan Lampl, and Tish Rabe, all established authors and television producers in their own right, have joined forces to address the questions that plague women navigating the terrain of dating, marrying, and beginning shared lives after age 35. They bring together the shared wisdom of a number of women who have faced the challenges of joining their families, finances, and lives as mature adults. Readers can access a companion website, a Facebook page, and a Twitter feed, which allow them to interact with the authors as well as with other “Garter Brides”—a reference to the clothing article tossed at weddings for good luck. VERDICT Who can resist a chance to curl up with a bunch of girlfriends and share the wisdom of experience on such topics as combining two full lives, blending families, coping with in-laws, and finding lasting love after 35? Common sense, personal stories, and humor delivered in a fresh, breezy style will make this easy-to-read book attractive to a broad cross-section of women. Recommended.—Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib. & Information Ctr., Atlanta

SOCIAL SCIENCES

Harris-Perry, Melissa V. Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America. Yale Univ. Sept. 2011. c.392p. illus. index. ISBN 9780300165418. $28. SOC SCI
Harris-Perry (political science, Tulane Univ.; Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought) offers a fascinating academic discussion of barriers to African American women’s presence in American political culture. Central to her thesis is the democratic idea that an individual’s personal and national identity must be accurately recognized and named to permit full citizenship and pursuant political participation. She goes on to identify and analyze society’s rampant misrecognition of African American women and its insistence on viewing them within the narrow confines of stereotypes. The text includes examples of negative portrayals of African American women and Harris-Perry’s research on reportage on the impact of these portrayals. VERDICT This honest and unflinching display of the challenges to political participation in America offers readers little regarding strategies toward either overcoming or rectifying this situation. Further, when Harris-Perry draws the reader toward fictive parallels in which novelized African American women characters exhibit resilience while becoming the politicized embodiments of named stereotypes, the central issue becomes muddled. Recommended, nonetheless, for scholars and students of African American studies, feminism, political science, and American culture.—Jewell Anderson, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ. Lib., Savannah, GA

Oltuski, Alicia. Precious Objects: A Story of Diamonds, Family, and a Way of Life. Scribner. 2011. 368p. bibliog. ISBN 9781416545125. $24. SOC SCI
In this combination history, investigative report, and memoir, journalist Oltuski illuminates the secretive diamond industry from within. As the daughter of a Manhattan diamond dealer, Oltuski has access to the tightly knit community that handles most of the diamonds coming through the United States. She weaves together a broader history of the industry, such as the founding of the De Beers diamond company in South Africa and the more recent controversy over African “blood diamonds,” with personal stories of her family’s beginnings in the gem trade and her grandfather and father’s work in Manhattan’s 47th Street diamond district. She highlights the unexpected juxtaposition among the traditional, religious world of New York’s predominantly Jewish diamond dealers and the memorable characters, oddities of pricing and deal making, and threats of danger that are all endemic to the international diamond business. Only someone with Oltuski’s insider’s vantage point could provide such a comprehensive and colorful look at the many facets of a trade that has a broad public impact yet is largely hidden from view. VERDICT A distinctive and personal work that will captivate readers curious about the secret life of jewels.— Elizabeth L. Winter, Georgia Inst. of Tech. Lib., Atlanta

TRAVEL & GEOGRAPHY

Wilson, Jennifer. Running Away to Home: Our Family’s Journey to Croatia in Search of Who We Are, Where We Came From, and What Really Matters. St. Martin’s. Oct. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9780312598952. $24.99. TRAV
Many Americans long for a family trip around the world or a stint abroad. Travel writer Wilson, her architect husband, and their two small children spent a family sabbatical in Mrkopalj, Croatia, an unlikely destination for most folks but the birthplace of Wilson’s great-grandparents. Wilson and family arrived in the village speaking little Croatian but soon became part of the community. She relates how they explored the area, tracked down distant relatives, and became immersed in the traditions of daily life. In this village, people grow a year’s worth of potatoes, survive on sausage and alcohol, and work together to chop wood, roast sheep, celebrate, and survive. The scars of hardship and wars are ever present in Mrkopalj, and Wilson reflects on how different her life has been thanks to her relatives who came to America. What she finds in Mrkopalj is a firm connection to family: her own, those who left, and those who remained. VERDICT This thoughtful, amusing tale reads like a novel and will have wide appeal. [See Prepub Alert, 4/25/11.]—­Melissa Stearns, Franklin Pierce Univ. Lib., Rindge, NH

WORKING PARENTS

McClelland, Audrey & Colleen Padilla. The Digital Mom Handbook: How To Blog, Vlog, Tweet, and Facebook Your Way to a Dream Career at Home. HarperBusiness: HarperCollins. 2011. c.256p. index. ISBN 9780062048271. pap. $15.99. CAREERS
McClelland and Padilla, who founded and edit the sites MomGenerations.com and ClassyMommy.com, respectively, share their experiences as “mompreneurs” working online while raising their kids. Their “how we did it” advice is supplemented by other success stories, and their focus on finding a passion and tribe will inspire readers with ideas but no clue where to begin. Strategies and tips are provided to seek balance between child rearing and having a creative/business outlet that one hopes provides income. Points of entry they encourage to the digital world include a blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and podcasting. This quick overview emphasizes taking the steps to realize one’s goals without sacrificing family time. McClelland and Padilla also discuss questions of integrity when using your children within your business or dealing with large corporations that want your endorsements. ­VERDICT This handy guide will help stay-at-home parents turn their dreams into reality. Working parents looking for a broader guide to starting a business should consider Aliza Sherman and Danielle Smith’s Mom, Incorporated (reviewed below).—Barb Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO

Sherman, Aliza & Danielle Smith. Mom, Incorporated: A Guide to Business + Baby. Sellers. Oct. 2011. c.192p. index. ISBN 9781416206514. pap. $16.95. CAREERS
Sherman (The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Crowdsourcing) and Smith (founder, www.extraordinarymommy.com) provide the nuts and bolts for parents wanting to start a home-based service- or product-oriented business. They introduce the KISS principle—Keep it Simple, Sister!—and include handy planning worksheets throughout (also available for download via MomIncorporated.com). A solid business perspective is supplied, with practical info on accounting, taxes, patents, insurance, and more. The authors also cover time management, PR/marketing, and legal advice. One chapter focuses on creating a workspace whether in a closet or at a café, and there is information on bartering to trade, say, building a website for your bookkeeper for bookkeeping services. The authors advocate asking for help and not succumbing to a “supermom” model while dealing with the constant challenge of juggling work and family. Virtual assistance and opening an online store are also explored. The guide emphasizes creating a business plan and really thinking out your strategy. VERDICT This is a helpful business resource for parents. Those looking to turn a blog or other online presence into profit should also read Audrey McClelland and Colleen Padilla’s The Digital Mom Handbook (reviewed above).—Barb Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO