Social Sciences Reviews, September 15, 2011
Sep 15, 2011Biography
Bahar, Parvaneh with Joan Aghevli. The Poet’s Daughter: Malek o’Shoara Bahar of Iran and the Immortal Song of Freedom. Larson. Nov. 2011. c.224p. photogs. ISBN 9781936012572. $22.95. AUTOBIOG
The author is the daughter of perhaps the most distinguished Iranian poet of the 20th century, Mohammad Taqi Bahar (1884–1951), also known as Malek o’ Sho’ara Bahar (King of Poets). Because of the enormous importance of poetry in Persian culture and her father’s unique place in its preservation, creation, and innovation, Bahar’s account of her family life is of value both to students of Persian and to the country’s history. The family picture that she evokes here is one of intimacy shaped by a background of political autocracy under the late Shah’s father, Reza Shah Pahlavi. What could such a regime think of an outspoken democrat who insisted on the equality of women and enjoyed alcohol? The book represents the testimony of the author’s own remarkable life. Following her father’s exile and imprisonment under Reza Shah and his tubercular death in Switzerland, Bahar traveled to the United States—over 50 years ago—for university studies, a new life, and involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Her return to Iran after the fall of the Shah is dramatically rendered. VERDICT This well-written combination biography and memoir will be of particular interest to students of Iranian history but should also appeal to general readers of nonfiction.—Zachary T. Irwin, Penn State Univ.–Erie
Bogus, Carl T. Buckley: William F. Buckley Jr. and the Rise of American Conservatism. Bloomsbury Pr., dist. by Macmillan. Nov. 2011. c.416p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781596915800. $30. BIOG
The erudite and entertaining provocateur William F. Buckley was a founding father of modern conservatism. Bogus (law, Roger Williams Univ.; Why Lawsuits Are Good for America) hasn’t written a straight biography but circles his subject as he tells the story of the conservative movement’s origins. Despite the handicaps of being both a lawyer and an academic, Bogus is a first-rate writer. He clearly and fairly explains the competing philosophies of different conservative sects—Burkean conservatism, libertarianism, Ayn Rand’s objectivism. His penned portraits of Whittaker Chambers, William F. Buckley Sr., Russell Kirk, and others are sharp and revealing. He has a deep conversance with the material, yet he wears his knowledge lightly. The entire book is lucid and flows beautifully. The only flaw: Bogus sometimes loses focus explaining background material—yet those tangents are done so well they are worthwhile diversions. VERDICT This is an insightful book that will please anyone interested in midcentury American history and politics. Anyone serious about political philosophy will learn from it. Highly recommended.—Michael O. Eshleman, Kings Mills, OH
Bond, Justin Vivian. Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels. Feminist Pr, dist. by Consortium. Sept. 2011. c.136p. ISBN 9781558617476. pap. $16.95. AUTOBIOG
Here’s proof that the avant-garde is alive and well and—astonishingly—still found in New York’s East Village. In this short memoir, Tony Award–nominated performance artist Bond (who stipulates the pronoun “v” and the possessive “vs”) traces vs vibrant backstory as half of the drag lounge duo Kiki and Herb, recounting also vs rocky experiences growing up as a transgender child. Offering, among other memories, an all-too-common account of the bully who sought out secret assignations, Bond’s memoir is anything but a common one. With equal parts moxie and charm, v reveals both the difficulty and delights of queer youth.
VERDICT Yet another triumphant performance from the “witty, kitten-heeled fixture of the New York” scene who has traveled the world entertaining sold-out crowds. This memoir is not only for parents of LGBTQ children but for all cultured adults who want to touch up their political appreciation with these original recollections of a lively raconteur.—Elizabeth Kennedy, Richmond, CA
Edwards, John. Mary I: England’s Catholic Queen. Yale Univ. (English Monarchs).Sept. 2011. c.336p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300118100. $35. BIOG
Having previously examined the life of Spain’s illustrious Queen Isabella, Edwards (history, Univ. of Oxford; Ferdinand and Isabella) turns his erudite style and penchant for research to England’s “Catholic” queen. On September 30, 1553, Mary Tudor assumed the English throne in the midst of intense social, political, and religious transformation. As the country’s first accepted queen regnant and a devout Catholic, she faced immense internal and external threats to her “regime.” Firmly grounded in a mountain of research, Edwards’s academic treatment is a remarkable synthesis of Mary’s turbulent life that moves beyond “Bloody Mary,” feminist, or saintly martyr and presents a more balanced outlook on her reign and legacy. Key events and actors including Jane Grey, her marriage to Philip of Spain, religious reform, and geopolitics are surveyed with great detail and intelligence. VERDICT While lay readers will prefer biographies such as David Loades’s Mary Tudor: A Life and Anna Whitelock’s Mary Tudor: Princess, Bastard, Queen, Edwards has provided students of the period with an exceptional, scholarly account of England’s most controversial queen.—Brian Odom, Pelham P.L., AL
Gaddis, John Lewis. George F. Kennan: An American Life. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Nov. 2011. c.775p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781594203121. $39.95. BIOG
George F. Kennan (1904–2005) exerted a profound influence on the conduct of American foreign policy, especially during the years of the Cold War. His famous 1947 Foreign Affairs article, “Sources of Soviet Conduct,” published under the pseudonym X, laid the theoretical groundwork for “containing” the Soviet Union in those hectic and dangerous postwar years. As Kennan’s authorized biographer, Gaddis (The Cold War: A New History)—himself one of our most distinguished diplomatic historians—had unfettered access to Kennan’s diaries and personal papers. The result is a nearly 800-page book with by far the most sophisticated and nuanced examination of Kennan’s remarkable contributions to our nation during his lengthy life. Gaddis’s portrayal of Kennan’s personal life is more workmanlike, with less nuance. VERDICT Gaddis has crafted an in-depth study of Kennan as a thinker and practicing diplomat. The focus on Kennan as foreign policy maker will not trouble most scholars of the diplomatic arts, but for the average reader the level of detail may prove more burdensome. Highly recommended for Cold War scholars and for all library collections, alongside Nicholas Thompson’s more personal The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War. [See Prepub Alert, 5/2/11.]— Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames
Longerich, Peter. Heinrich Himmler: A Life. Oxford Univ. Jan. 2012. c.832p. tr. from German by Jeremy Noakes & Lesley Sharpe. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780199592326. $34.95. BIOG
Noted Holocaust scholar Longerich (history, Royal Holloway, Univ. of London; Holocaust: The Nazi Persecution and Murder of the Jews) presents a thorough, well-researched, and clearly written account of Himmler’s life and the history of the SS. Rather than providing groundbreaking new sources or research, this work reframes the existing materials by “integrating biography and structural history” to paint a fuller picture of the infamous Nazi leader and his organization. Longerich successfully weaves primary sources and reputable scholarship into a logical, comprehensive, and unified work. However, with a matter-of-fact tone, a structure more concerned with chronology and clarity than a dramatic arc, and nearly 1000 pages of text and endnotes, it will not appeal to readers of popular biography. VERDICT For popular readers, Katrin Himmler’s The Himmler Brothers: A German Family History is a better choice. Scholars of Himmler and the SS at all levels will find this solid, inclusive book an excellent resource.—Audrey Barbakoff, Milwaukee P.L.
Communications
Fahs, Alice. Out on Assignment: Newspaper Women and the Making of Modern Public Space. Univ. of North Carolina. Nov. 2011. c.400p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780807834961. $37.50. COMM
Although written by an academic for academics, this study of the turn-of-the-20th-century newspaper business and its women practitioners is an accessible cultural history. In seven chapters covering such topics as the personalities of women newspaper writers, the style and impact of papers’ popular “women’s pages” and human interest stories, and how women writers undertook “stunt” journalism and travel adventures, Fahs (history, Univ. of California, Irvine; The Imagined Civil War: Popular Literature of the North & South, 1861–65) combines quotations from the journalists (from the well-known Nellie Bly to the more obscure, e.g., Margherita Hamm) with primary research and scholarly citations. In discussing how these trendsetters wrote about themselves as “bachelor girls” and adventurers, Fahs also explores how they led the way to women’s suffrage and modern ideas of feminism. VERDICT Readers with an interest in media history as well as in women’s studies will find this to be an enjoyable and character-driven scholarly book, although its academic style may render it a bit dry for the general history reader.—Sarah Statz Cords, The Reader’s Advisor Online
Economics
Bates, Suzanne. Discover Your CEO Brand: Secrets to Embracing and Maximizing Your Unique Value as a Leader. McGraw-Hill. Oct. 2011. c.221p. ISBN 9780071762861. $25. BUS
Are you doing everything possible to brand yourself as a successful CEO does? Executive coach Bates (Speak Like a CEO) encourages readers to know and tell their stories, leverage their activities for maximum efficiency and visibility, surround themselves with a strong team, and utilize social media effectively. In example-heavy chapters (from perennial business book favorite Jack Welch to Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bono), Bates addresses numerous aspects of creating a leadership brand. She writes serviceably well, and her chapters contain workbooklike exercises and summaries, but the book still feels long on anecdote and short on technique. The most useful chapter is one of “fast-track tips,” although even they seem more about making a good impression and effective communication than actual brand creation. VERDICT Bates clearly knows how to leverage her own brand by emphasizing image and communication, but branding itself has already been covered by bigger names such as Tom Peters (The Brand You 50) and Dan Schawbel (Me 2.0) and is becoming a tired subject.—Sarah Statz Cords, The Reader’s Advisor Online
The Future of Money. Transworld, dist. by Trafalgar Square. 2011. c.400p. ed. by Oliver Chittenden. index. ISBN 9780753522042. pap. $15.95. ECON
Chittenden, who has worked for the London Speaker Bureau, here gathers ruminations on the recent financial crisis and the crippling recession that has followed. The 40 contributors include such luminaries as Hernando de Soto, F.W. de Klerk, and Muhammad Yunus. Together the essays agree on the causes of the crisis, forming consensus around the pivotal nature of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and the loss of trust in the financial markets. In a particularly biting passage, Richard Koo argues that events immediately following the failure of Lehman were “the most unfortunate and unnecessary suffering brought about by the incompetence, if not arrogance, of U.S. policy makers.” One wonders, though, whether the confidence of some writers in their diagnosis will appear premature, given the debate that rages to this day over the causes of the Great Depression. The chapters discussing our economic present and future offer less unity of opinion and cover the well-trod ground of climate change, population issues, and the role of market regulation. With a handy appendix of short profiles of the contributors. VERDICT Chittenden gathers valuable insight from important thinkers in a variety of fields. The book’s organizational scheme will be attractive to readers who prefer to examine evidence and draw their own conclusions.— Steve Wilson, Dayton Metro Lib., OH
Heinberg, Richard. The End of Growth: Adapting to Our New Economic Reality. New Society. Sept. 2011. 336p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780865716957. pap. $17.95. ECON
Heinberg (senior fellow-in-residence, Post Carbon Inst.; Blackout: Coal, Climate, and the Last Energy Crisis) contends that new economic growth, the ostensible solution to the current global recession, is impossible to achieve. He argues that high levels of public and private debt make new borrowing (necessary to fund growth) difficult and that any deleveraging of the current debt would also inhibit growth. Discounting possible ameliorating effects of efficiency and innovation, Heinberg warns that the increasing scarcity and cost of energy, water, food, and minerals as well as the environment’s fragile condition will be a further constraint on future growth. While he admits that isolated growth has continued to occur, he believes that even fast-growing economies like China’s will ultimately slow. He cautions that an end to growth portends heightened geopolitical and demographic competition but offers hope that the world can build a new economy based on sustainability and self-restraint. VERDICT Clearly written and argued with excellent graphs and taking account of recent events, Heinberg’s contrarian view on growth is highly recommended to all readers interested in economics, sustainability, and future trends.—Lawrence Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA
Huddleston, Pat. The Vigilant Investor: A Former SEC Enforcer Reveals How To Fraud-Proof Your Investments. AMACOM: American Management Assn. Oct. 2011. c.256p. index. ISBN 9780814417508. $24.95. BUS
Every year “Americans lose $40 billion…to investment fraud,” an amount, Huddleston (CEO, Investor’s Watchdog) argues, that is more than any agency can monitor. It’s up to individual investors, then, to protect themselves and their investments by remaining on the lookout for con artists. Huddleston divides his discussion into two parts, the first focusing on the types of fraud one may encounter, and the second focusing specifically on the U.S. securities industry. With a variety of examples and stories of real people, he considers archetypal con artists and shows how investors can avoid their traps. Particularly valuable is the chapter that breaks down the alphabet soup of designations used by financial advisers and other money managers and details the obligations of these professionals to the investor. VERDICT A great addition to the bookshelf of any investor. Huddleston’s examples help simplify these complex issues, and the “Due Diligence for the Vigilant” sections at the end of each chapter provide a quick summary and key takeaways for easy use.—Elizabeth Nelson, UOP Lib., Des Plaines, IL
Pomfret, Richard. The Age of Equality: The Twentieth Century in Economic Perspective. Belknap: Harvard Univ. Oct. 2011. c.296p. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780674062177. $28.95. ECON
This in-depth history examines economic growth over two centuries from a global perspective, outlining relationships between economic perspectives, governmental policymaking, monetary systems, marketplaces, wars, and cyclic events, such as inflations and recessions. The 19th century is referred to as the “age of liberty,” because both countries and individuals had great freedom to pursue profit. Pomfret (economics, Univ. of Adelaide, Australia; Regionalism in East Asia) argues that it was also marked by great inequalities between rich and poor on the national and personal levels. The 20th century, the author explains, was characterized by the rise and collapse of central government planning and a trend toward a more balanced distribution of income between rich and poor countries and people. Especially interesting is Pomfret’s discussion of the history of the gold standard and its relationship to economic growth and equality, which is relevant in light of the current economic climate. The book is complemented by a glossary and an extensive notes and references section. VERDICT Because of its academic approach, this work is suitable for scholarly research and for readers with a background and interest in economic history. Recommended.—Caroline Geck, M.L.S., Newark, NJ
Education
Ruck, Janet M. & Karol Taylor. Find Your Federal Job Fit. JIST. Nov. 2011. 256p. index. ISBN 9781593578343. pap. $14.95. CAREERS
Certified career transition coaches who advise federal employees, Ruck and Taylor emphasize employment stability, comprehensive benefits, and meaningful public service as reasons to consider a job within the federal government. In this career guide, they outline opportunities available, delineate how to match particular skills and competencies to individual federal agencies, and how to navigate the federal hiring process. The authors provide valuable information and insight about federal government employment as well as tools for developing career goals. Targeted information about individual agencies, the federal government as an employer, and worksheets to evaluate potential career fit distinguish this guide from similar titles. Sections on the application and interview processes, emphasizing potential situations and questions, will prove particularly helpful as well. VERDICT Highly recommended for the college student doing career planning or the job seeker in the midst of career change, this guide demystifies the process of seeking federal employment.—Jane Scott, George Fox Univ. Lib., Newberg, OR
History
An Archaeology of Desperation: Exploring the Donner Party’s Alder Creek Camp. Univ. of Oklahoma. Oct. 2011. c.384p. ed. by Kelly J. Dixon & others. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780806742104. $34.95. ARCHAEOL
In autumn 1846, the westward pioneers we know as the Donner party set out from Springfield, IL, for the fertile lands of California. Through delays and misjudgments, they got trapped by a winter storm in the Sierra Nevadas. Ultimately, owing to myriad privations, some members of the party resorted to cannibalism to survive. The well-known story is enhanced by this collection of pieces that provide contextual, evidence-based, scholarly perspectives through studies in archaeology, history, genealogy, and anthropology. Edited by Dixon (anthropology, Univ. of Montana), Julie M. Schablitsky (senior research archaeologist, Museum of Natural & Cultural History, Univ. of Oregon), and Shannon A. Novak (anthropology, Syracuse Univ.), the pieces address a range of topics from Victorian and Jacksonian mores to Native American studies to pure archaeological analysis of faunal remains. Most useful is an entry dedicated to other historical cases of cannibalism, e.g., our early hominid ancestors and World War II concentration camp prisoners. VERDICT This cross-disciplinary work adds depth to library collections on this topic and is accessible to the general reader. It serves as an excellent model of how exemplary historical archaeology is conducted.—Brian Renvall, Mesalands Community Coll., Tucumcari, NM
Asher, Brad. Cecelia and Fanny: The Remarkable Friendship Between an Escaped Slave and Her Former Mistress. Univ. Pr. of Kentucky. Oct. 2011. c.280p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780813134147. $30. HIST
Historian Asher (Beyond the Reservation: Indians, Settlers, and the Law in Washington Territory, 1853–1889) tells a remarkable story here that focuses on the experiences of two women, Fanny Thurston Ballard, a privileged daughter of a Louisville, KY, merchant, and her childhood personal slave, Cecelia. When the opportunity for freedom came on a visit to Niagara Falls with her mistress, Cecelia escaped to Canada. Asher interweaves and fills in the gaps in the lives of Cecelia and Fanny, through archival sources and by examining the history of slavery in Kentucky and the life of women in 19th-century America. He traces the progression of each woman’s life, with evidence of Fanny’s easier to find; she followed a familiar and conventional pattern, but for Cecelia, a life of freedom was not a life of ease. VERDICT While many books have been written about slavery, Asher shines a light on it as a “web of personal connections that extended beyond a single generation” and shows different aspects of the master-slave relationship. Recommended for both academic and armchair historians. [See “Booked Solid,” LJ 7/11, p. 31.]—Nancy Richey, Western Kentucky Univ. Lib., Bowling Green
Davis, Wade. Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest. Knopf. Oct. 2011. c.672p. photogs. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780375408892. $32.50. HIST
In 1924, British climbers George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, as part of that year’s British Mount Everest Expedition, disappeared as they attempted to be the first climbers ever to reach the summit. The mystery of their fate has long haunted the mountaineering world, with many books on the topic. Few can compare to the sheer scope and depth here. Anthropologist Davis (National Geographic explorer-in-residence) moves beyond mountaineering history to delve into the history of British involvement in the Himalayas and the backgrounds of the many players in the British quest to conquer Everest. Davis focuses on the importance of World War I in shaping the worldviews of the expedition members and their backers. Describing in harrowing detail the wartime experiences of many of the climbers, Davis uses the Everest quest as a prism through which to examine the vast changes wrought by the war. VERDICT While well written, meticulously researched, and full of gripping descriptions, this work may overwhelm some readers with its epic scope. Best suited to serious readers and scholars interested in World War I, the British Empire in Asia, and mountaineering history. Those seeking a more biographical focus may consider Peter and Leni Gillman’s The Wildest Dream: The Biography of George Mallory. [See Prepub Alert, 4/4/11.]—Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI
Hines, Stephen W. Titanic: One Newspaper, Seven Days, and the Truth That Shocked the World. Cumberland House: Sourcebooks. Sept. 2011. c.272p. illus. bibliog. index.
ISBN 9781402256653. pap. $16.99. HIST
The 100th anniversary in 2012 of the sinking of Titanic is bringing about a surfeit of books on the subject, and this contribution fills a particular niche. Hines (“I Remember Laura”: Laura Ingalls Wilder) reprints the coverage of the disaster by the London Daily Telegraph, the largest circulating newspaper of the time, and adds his own commentary. The results are useful as a gathering of source material (much like the published transcripts of the official U.S. and UK inquires into the sinking) but not completely successful as an examination of contemporary news reporting as suggested in the book’s promotional material (“Read how a paper and the world struggled to find and report the truth”). Hines makes the obligatory reference to news being different “before television and Twitter” and notes generally how reporters sometimes fabricated details when none was available. VERDICT The author, in his notes, tut-tuts about the hubris of the ship’s owner and builders and of the idea of man conquering nature with an “unsinkable” ship (as all books about Titanic seem to do), but he is good at explaining differences between what was reported in the newspaper articles and what actually happened. Best for Titanic buffs, not necessarily for the general reader.—Megan Hahn Fraser, Univ. of California–Los Angeles Lib.
Kaledin, Arthur. Tocqueville and His America: A Darker Horizon. Yale Univ. 2011. 480p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300119312. $45. HIST
After a long period of neglect, Tocqueville’s Democracy in America has come back into vogue again over recent decades, referenced by writers as varied as libertarian Christopher Lasch, sociologist Robert N. Bellah, and arch-conservative Paul Rahe. Tocqueville is a complex thinker whose views of democracy’s viability darkened considerably between the writing of the first and the second volume of Democracy in America (1835, 1840): his pronouncements can be shanghaied to support almost any view of American culture and political life, from liberal to conservative, optimistic to pessimistic. Thus this nuanced study of his thought is welcome. Kaledin (history, emeritus, MIT) has undertaken a deep reading of Tocqueville’s writings on America, fleshing out the familiar utterances of Volume 1 with a detailed look at Tocqueville’s actual travel notes from his American jaunt (many reservations about American culture) and then moving to the second volume (grave concerns for the present health and future prospects of democracy). VERDICT This exceptional study will be read with great interest by all students of Tocqueville and by many who can learn from him if they care about America’s future.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA
Raleigh, Donald J. Soviet Baby Boomers: An Oral History of Russia’s Cold War Generation. Oxford Univ. Nov. 2011. c.424p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780199744343. $34.95. HIST
Raleigh (history, Univ. of North Carolina; Russia’s Sputnik Generation) surveys the last decades of the Soviet Union from the perspectives of members of its Baby Boomer generation. He traces how this generation’s upbringing—including social, educational, gender issues, religious identity, and life experiences—defined them and prepared them for the postcommunist era. What sets Raleigh’s work apart is his use of oral histories (as in his Russia’s Sputnik Generation) intertwined with his historical exposition and analysis. He interviewed 60 people (not from the previous book), some from Moscow and some from Saratov, a southern manufacturing city that was “closed” to foreigners. Raleigh is careful to acknowledge that his generalizing from memories can be dangerous without a greater historical framework and addresses how differing memories of the same event highlight the social complexities that defined this generation. VERDICT Raleigh brings the last decades of the Soviet Union to life through the words of those who were defined by and helped to define the era. Academics will appreciate the myriad insights his oral histories provide.—Elizabeth Zeitz, Otterbein Univ. Lib., Westerville, OH
Schoppa, R. Keith. In a Sea of Bitterness: Refugees During the Sino-Japanese War. Harvard Univ. Nov. 2011. c.362p. maps. index. ISBN 9780674059887. $35. HIST
The brutal Japanese invasion of China in 1937 forced more than 30 million Chinese to flee their homes and subsist in regions of their country unfamiliar to them as refugees until the end of World War II. Schoppa (Asian history, Loyola Univ.) retraces the stories of these refugees, produced from oral histories, journals, and memoirs chronicling a turbulent period in one particular province—Zhejiang, on the central Chinese coast. The terrorizing offensives of mass murder, rape, and germ warfare launched by the Japanese militarists brought about the most demoralizing sense of political, cultural, and psychological dislocation in Chinese history. Although reactions varied among those fleeing—from their self-destructive scorched-earth policies to poignant individual acts of heroism to voluntary collaboration with the enemy—almost all Chinese regardless of social status or rank in government were inevitably and tragically affected. VERDICT A moving narrative for serious readers in Chinese or Japanese history and in the history of 20th-century warfare in East Asia.—Allan Cho, Univ. of British Columbia Lib., Vancouver
Side by Side: Parallel Histories of Israel/ Palestine. New Pr., dist. by Perseus. Oct. 2011. c.384p. ed. by Sami Adwan & others. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9781595586834. pap. $23.95. HIST
The last “editor” listed as overseeing this book is PRIME, the Peace Research Institute in the Middle East, a NGO of Palestinian and Israeli researchers who more than ten years ago sought to address the entirely different narratives of Israeli and Palestinian history textbooks. The editors hoped that exposing different historical points of view to students of conflict would bring an increased understanding that might one day contribute to peace. The format of the book therefore presents the “Israeli text” and the “Palestinian text” (both here in English) on opposite pages, so readers moving from event to event and issue to issue can find diametrically opposing interpretations. The authors refrain from drawing out a synthesis as they believe the situation is not at the stage yet where one can be drawn. There are no tidy conclusions or summaries. The book is sure to infuriate some readers as facts will be disputed between opposing opinions. VERDICT Thoughtful readers interested in the subject will welcome a challenging history that doesn’t provide easy answers but, indeed, underscores the problems. It does not seek to be the last word on the subject but rather a point from which to enter the debate.—Paul Kaplan, Lake Villa Dist. Lib., IL
Law & Crime
Amirante, Sam L. & Danny Broderick. John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster. Skyhorse, dist. by Norton. 2011. c.432p. illus. ISBN 9781616082482. $24.95. CRIME
Retired judge Amirante kept asking himself “What is wrong with this guy?” after becoming the defense attorney for Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy, his first private-practice client. Gacy was executed by the state of Illinois in 1994 for raping and killing 33 boys and young men. Just five days after he retained Amirante, Gacy confessed everything in a rambling late-night monolog. Amirante tells Gacy’s story—with Gacy’s permission—by focusing on Gacy’s last murder, the investigation, and the trial. Although the subject matter is quite gruesome and includes photographs showing the excavation of several of Gacy’s victims from under his house, readers will find the book hard to put down. Amirante does a terrific job of keeping the story moving even during the longest section, which focuses on the trial. He reminds readers of the constitutional rights afforded to all accused in the United States but doesn’t overstay his time on the soapbox. VERDICT With the spotlight on one of the most infamous serial killers of all time, this should be a popular book.—Karen Sandlin Silverman, Ctr. for Applied Research, Philadelphia
Hudson, David L., Jr. Let the Students Speak!: A History of the Fight for Free Expression in American Schools. Beacon, dist. by Random. 2011. c.208p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780807044544. $17. LAW
The U.S. Supreme Court decided 40 years ago to extend some First Amendment speech rights to public school students in the pivotal case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District. The decision was preceded and followed by numerous other cases focusing “on the conflict between school authority and student speech rights”—including political, sexual, religious, obscene, drug-related, violent, and off-campus speech; banned books; and dress codes. The law continues to evolve, notably with litigation on online speech and bullying. Hudson (law, Vanderbilt Univ.; The Rehnquist Court: Understanding Its Impact and Legacy) describes a progression of key cases, places them in historical and social context, brings in personal insight from participants, and analyzes the significance of the decisions. Another book with a similar selection of cases, Jamin B. Raskin’s We the Students: Supreme Court Cases for and About Students, serves as more of a teaching resource for high schools. VERDICT An interesting and accessible read for upper high school and beyond, the book will appeal to educators, high school students, and parents.—Mary Jane Brustman, Univ. at Albany Libs., NY
Robinson, Jeffrey. The Takedown: A Suburban Mom, A Coal Miner’s Son, and the Unlikely Demise of Colombia’s Brutal Norte Valle Cartel. Thomas Dunne: St. Martin’s. 2011. c.336p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9780312612382. $28.99. CRIME
A money-laundering task force goes fishing for minnows and catches whale after whale in this exciting account of the demise of the violent Norte Valle cocaine cartel. Chasing down money launderers through small storefront money remitters (nonbank financial institutions that send money overseas) isn’t the most glamorous job, but it gets results, so when Romedio Viola of the El Dorado Task Force needed a warrant to take down a few small remitter businesses, he called on Bonnie Klapper, an assistant U.S. attorney who specialized in these cases. Pursuing the small-time criminals, they stumbled onto a massive cocaine operation in Colombia, began to pick it apart one member at a time, and ultimately took down the entire operation. Robinson (The Laundrymen) turns this paper chase into a compelling story, and the exploits of the violent drug lords—and the contract hit that one if them took out on Klapper—add to the tension. VERDICT Though raids and gunfights make the news, patient investigative work makes the cases. This book will appeal to readers interested in procedurals and the international drug trade.—Deirdre Bray Root, Middletown P.L., OH
Stuntz, William J. The Collapse of American Criminal Justice. Belknap: Harvard Univ. Sept. 2011. c.408p. index. ISBN 9780674051751. $35. LAW
Published posthumously, Stuntz’s (law, Harvard Univ.) new work is a bracing critique of American criminal jurisprudence. He argues that because of harsh sentences, the few jury trials, poor policing methods, and misguided court decisions, the United States has a wasteful and destructive criminal justice system. Two things stand out in Stuntz’s book: the extensive use of demographic data and the author’s ability to synthesize historic, economic, and political developments of the last 150 years into a clear, persuasive narrative. The first part of the book compares the effects of both European immigration and the Great Migration from the South, examining crime rates and the justice system. The remainder primarily consists of an analysis of how the Supreme Court under Justice Earl Warren made it easier for well-heeled defendants to escape justice because of the emphasis on street crime and police misconduct. It would be better, Stuntz submits, to emphasize community policing and local jury trials and to reduce sentences—eliminating the great disparity in the punishment of white and black defendants and promoting more respect for the law. VERDICT Deeply researched and well written, this is an outstanding work. Highly recommended for all collections.—Harry Charles, St. Louis
Winkler, Adam. Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right To Bear Arms in America. Norton. Sept. 2011. c.320p. illus. index. ISBN 9780393077414. $27.95. LAW
Constitutional law scholar Winkler (law, Univ. of California, Los Angeles) presents an extensive overview of the history of state and federal attempts to regulate firearms. The author shows how political pressures and popular will can be exerted upon both liberal and conservative politicians to periodically tighten and loosen restrictions on the possession and sale of guns. A central theme of the book is the ripple effect on gun-control laws resulting from pendulum swings in social policy brought about by economic uncertainty and periodic bursts of political and social violence. The author shows how gun-control laws are frequently knee-jerk reactions to sudden shifts in public policy rather than carefully planned political and legal responses to social change and the evolution of constitutional thought. VERDICT Aimed at an academic audience and well documented, the book is replete with analysis of the legal, political, and social issues involved and is thus recommended for academic, law, and larger public libraries.—Philip Y. Blue, New York State Supreme Court Criminal Branch Law Lib., New York
Political Science
Ballen, Ken. Terrorists in Love: The Real Lives of Islamic Radicals. Free Pr: S. & S. Oct. 2011. c.288p. index. ISBN 9781451609219. $25. INT AFFAIRS
Ballen (founder, Terror Free Tomorrow), a former federal prosecutor whose nonpartisan organization strives to understand extremism, interviewed over 100 Islamic radicals who left jihadism behind. In this book, he shares the stories of six of them, including an al-Qaeda suicide bomber who survived and became pro-American. Ballen is adept at getting to the heart of what motivates each individual, and he believes that to bridge the gap between Muslim extremists and the Western world we have to understand each other’s core beliefs. The life stories told by these Muslim extremists are often brutal and alarming. Ballen discovers some underlying themes that weave the stories together, such as an all-consuming religious fervor, a previous sense of isolation, and a desire to be something bigger than oneself. He somehow manages to make us fathom how these six men came to hold their beliefs, before life events turned them away from jihad. VERDICT The tenth anniversary of 9/11 will bring added attention to this book, which delves into such related issues as the Taliban leadership, al-Qaeda funding, and what these groups are planning to try next. For all readers following these current events or interested in this approach to the study of Islamic radicals.—Krista Bush, Shelton Public Schs., CT
Carle, Glenn L. The Interrogator. Nation: Perseus. 2011. c.336p. index. ISBN 9781568586731. $26.99. INT AFFAIRS
In was late summer 2002 when Carle was offered a career-changing assignment—the type a CIA officer spends his or her career yearning for. He was asked to participate in the interrogation of a detainee called CAPTUS who was considered a High Value Target (HVT) connected with al-Qaeda. As Carle builds an odd relationship with CAPTUS, it becomes clearer to him that CAPTUS is not the HVT the U.S. government believed. Despite his misgivings, outlined in cables to superiors, Carle had to intensify his interrogations. Carle spends much of the book soul-searching, weighing his belief in duty to his country against his moral obligations to another human. VERDICT Despite considerable CIA redactions of this text, readers will find a frightening picture of what has been taking place behind the scenes in the so-called war on terror, including incompetence, secrecy, and corruption. A well-written and highly engaging story.—Patti C. McCall, Pratt Inst. Lib., Brooklyn, NY
Psychology
Manning, Shari Y. Loving Someone with Borderline Personality Disorder: How To Keep Out-of-Control Emotions from Destroying Your Relationship. Guilford. 2011. c.253p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781609181956. $40; pap. ISBN 9781593856076. $16.95. PSYCH
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a lesser-known psychiatric diagnosis associated with serious forms of self-harm. BPD is also especially stigmatized, perhaps even among therapists. Manning, a clinician and apostle of leading BPD expert and dialectical behavior therapy originator Marsha Linehan, here addresses the concerns of friends and relatives of persons with BPD. First, Manning presents a biosocial theory of the disorder and suggests helpful responses to borderline behavior. She then explores the behavioral dynamics characteristic of BPD, including self-invalidation, lack of problem-solving skills, apparent competence, emotional dysregulation, and inhibited grieving. Specific scripts for encounters and detailed case examples are presented. The final section instructs readers on handling their own emotions and assessing the danger of self-harm and suicide and the need for hospitalization. The book ends with a brief overview of professional treatments for BPD. VERDICT This hopeful yet realistic book is an indispensable tool for managing relationships with persons who have borderline personality disorder. Research based, clearly written, and practical, this guide to a complex disorder is highly recommended.—Antoinette Brinkman, M.L.S., Evansville, IN
Patterson, Paul H. Infectious Behavior: Brain-Immune Connections in Autism, Schizophrenia, and Depression. MIT. Oct. 2011. c.176p. illus. ISBN 9780262016452. $24.95. PSYCH
Patterson (neurobiologist, California Inst. of Technology & Keck Sch. of Medicine, Univ. of Southern California; coauthor, The Origins of Schizophrenia), who has published over 200 heavily cited research articles, is a perfect guide to take readers step-by-step through a research process that tests how environment and genetics combine to affect behavior and health. Patterson covers past research on implicated genes, maternal-fetal interactions, and how human diseases influence behavior. He relates these factors back to mice and other animal models used for research. Patterson stresses that prenatal environment alone is not enough to lead to disease or certain behavior—there must be other contributing genetic or environmental factors throughout life. A chapter is devoted to an evidence-based review of the theory of a connection between vaccinations and autism. For this chapter alone, this book is worth a recommendation. VERDICT This well-written book is good for anyone interested in behavior, disease, maternal-child health, and public health.—Margaret Henderson, Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Lib., Richmond
Wilson, Timothy D. Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change. Little, Brown. Sept. 2011. c.288p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780316051880. $25.99. PSYCH
Wilson (psychology, Univ. of Virginia; Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious) presents a fascinating argument for how humans make sense of the world. Basing his book on the classic work of Kurt Lewin, Wilson explains that to understand the choices people make, one must understand how they see the world. He believes people can change the way they and others view the world through interventions like story editing, story prompting, and his “do good, be good” approach. Although more relevant for academia, the material is nicely interpreted for lay readers and covers the impact of the author’s techniques on improving personal self-esteem, preventing teen pregnancies, reducing teen violence and alcohol and drug abuse, combating prejudice, and achieving personal goals. A plausible and well-documented alternative to David Kinchin’s and Victor Volkman’s theories of trauma. VERDICT While Wilson’s work is well researched and heavily cited, his novel ideas for treating trauma will likely raise eyebrows. Essential for mental-health professionals, especially those working with first responders and members of the military, and highly recommended for all university libraries supporting the helping professions.—Dale Farris, Groves, TX
Social Sciences
Doctorow, Cory. Context: Further Selected Essays on Productivity, Creativity, Parenting, and Politics in the 21st Century. Tachyon, dist. by IPG. Oct. 2011. c.240p. ISBN 9781616960483. pap. $14.95. SOC SCI
Canadian blogger, sf novelist, and copyright activist Doctorow writes about issues near and dear to librarians’ hearts in this collection of essays on topics from the damage censorship does to schools to the complications of digital-rights management. Drawing from blog entries and columns he wrote for the Guardian and Publishers Weekly, the book presents 44 short pieces that could be sound bites. He’s not afraid to use his experience in the worlds of programming and, more recently, publishing as kindling to fuel his arguments, and essays such as the pointed and irreverent “Why I Won’t Buy an iPad (And Think You Shouldn’t Either)” are highlights. The writing is full of practical advice for those grappling with writing and self-publishing or simply trying to keep their email inbox neat. Formal subject divisions would have made the book easier to navigate. VERDICT A good introduction to Doctorow, the volume collects his most recent work and will be of interest to a wide audience: anyone who teaches, reads sf, follows tech news, or wonders why one can’t read the same books on a Kindle as on a Nook.—Kate Gray, New York
Hill, Anita. Reimagining Equality: Stories of Gender, Race, and Finding Home. Beacon, dist. by Random. Oct. 2011. c.224p. index. ISBN 9780807014370. $25.95. SOC SCI
In the wake of the subprime mortgage crisis, Hill (social policy, law, & women’s studies, Brandeis Univ.; Speaking Truth to Power), who became famous overnight 20 years ago for speaking of sexual harassment in the Clarence Thomas hearing (not mentioned in this book), here writes compellingly on the topic of home and just what it means in America. In an approach that is both sweeping and engaging, Hill examines the role of gender and race in access to housing and the accompanying opportunities. She brings to bear her considerable skills as a scholar—the slim volume is chockablock with relevant case law and trenchant arguments regarding social policy—while invigorating her scholarship with compelling narratives from her own family’s history, from the lives and work of important historical figures (from Abigail Adams to Nannie Helen Burroughs and Ida B. Wells), and from contemporary American women affected by the housing crisis. VERDICT Serious readers of all kinds, especially those interested in current affairs and social policy, will appreciate a book that is both highly readable and deeply analytical.—Rachel Bridgewater, Reed Coll. Lib., OR
Locke, John L. Duels and Duets: Why Men and Women Talk So Differently. Cambridge Univ. Oct. 2011. c.241p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780521887137. $28. SOC SCI
Some readers may ask why, after the publication of such popular books as Deborah Tannen’s You Just Don’t Understand (1990) and John Gray’s Men are From Mars, Women Are From Venus (1990), we need another book on this topic. Because it’s been a generation since those came out. Locke (linguistics, Lehmann Coll., CUNY; Eavesdropping: An Intimate History) acknowledges the contributions of these earlier works while pointing out that they provided “no formal account of the reasons why men and women use language differently in the first place.?? He rejects explanations of men’s and women’s different speech patterns based on learning and culture, preferring evolutionary need as the basis for why men verbally spar while women harmonize. VERDICT Specialists in the field may be more willing to tackle this scholarly treatment than general readers, who might find more useful, everyday ideas about how to be verbally facile (with any gender) in Daniel Menaker’s A Good Talk: The Story and Skill of Conversation.—Ellen D. Gilbert, Princeton, NJ
Sharlet, Jeff. Sweet Heaven When I Die: Faith, Faithlessness, and the Country in Between. Norton. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9780393079630. $24.95. SOC SCI
Individually provocative but collectively a bit frustrating, this loosely linked gathering of essays, many originally published in magazines, explores faith—or more precisely, it explores, in various intimate, keenly observed ways, human responses to the human condition. Sharlet (The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power) writes about Cornel West, Yiddish writer Chava Rosenfarb, and evangelist to teens Ron Luce, but also about private citizens and Sharlet’s friends in the throes of loss or crisis. He discusses slain activist Brad Will as mourned by his conservative parents, New Age spirituality through the lens of real estate “cleanser” Sondra Shaye, and, curiously, Clear Channel’s appropriation of radio and live concert culture. VERDICT No preface is included, so unless a reader starts with the introspective final essay and works backward, the subtitle is the only indication of the collection’s theme. Several essays seem only very tenuously connected to the subject of religious belief and unbelief. But each is compelling on its own and evocatively written, if part of a highly eclectic collection. A good choice for connoisseurs of the personal essay. [See Prepub Alert, 2/7/11.]—Janet Ingraham Dwyer, State Lib. of Ohio, Columbus
Travel & Geography
Grant, Richard. Crazy River: Exploration and Folly in East Africa. Free Pr: S. & S. Oct. 2011. c.304p. index. ISBN 9781439154144. pap. $15. TRAV
Ah, the mighty Malagarasi River! Few people have heard of the second-longest river in Tanzania; when Grant (God’s Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre) learned about it, he became a bit obsessed with rafting the river from its headwaters to Lake Tanganyika. After two years of planning, Grant finally got his chance to follow in the footsteps of fellow British explorers, including his personal favorite Richard Francis Burton, and set out across East Africa. From Zanzibar to the Tanzanian mainland, Burundi, and Rwanda, Grant encountered a former African golf pro, prostitutes, expats, NGO workers, big-game hunters and guides, government officials (mostly corrupt), poachers, and refugees; interviewed the president of Rwanda; met many Africans struggling to stay alive; and tried to survive his East African adventure. VERDICT For those of us who like our travel stories realistic, humorous, with a dash of history, and filled with a cast of crazy characters, places, and situations, this book will not disappoint. Highly recommended for a wide range of readers.—Melissa Aho, Univ. of Minnesota Lib., Minneapolis
O’Rourke, P.J. Holidays in Heck. Atlantic Monthly. Nov. 2011. c.288p. ISBN 9780802119858. $24. TRAV
O’Rourke, conservative humorist and best-selling author, offers up a collection of entertaining essays, most of which have been previously published in the Atlantic Monthly and Forbes. They display a less provocative O’Rourke than fans who enjoyed Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance might wish for; snide jabs at President Obama or people and things that could be deemed liberal are kept to a minimum. O’Rourke’s stories of taking his three young children to Hong Kong and on a skiing trip to Ohio are the most appealing, tame, and funny (he describes his seven-year-old daughter skiing as “part ballerina and part frog”). Other essays take him horse-trekking in Kyrgyzstan, up the Yangtze River in China, and back to the future, as in the 1950s House of the Future at Disneyland. VERDICT Readers looking to reinforce their love or hate for O’Rourke’s opinions will find little meat here, but he’s an engaging writer, regardless of the topic. [See Prepub Alert, 5/9/11.]—Linda M. Kaufmann, Massachusetts Coll. of Liberal Arts Lib., North Adam
BROWN MARCHES ON
Gilpin, R. Blakeslee. John Brown Still Lives!: America’s Long Reckoning with Violence, Equality, & Change. Univ. of North Carolina. Nov. 2011. c.304p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780807835012. $30. HIST
In this, his first book, Gilpin (United States Study Ctr., Univ. of Sydney, Australia) tracks the uses, and abuses, of John Brown’s image from Brown’s own self-promotion to recent artists’ renderings. In doing so, he argues that each generation had its own takes on Brown as they wrestled with the meanings of racial equality and social change and the instruments—especially violence—used to realize change. By examining the works of biographers from James Redpath to W.E.B. DuBois, poet Stephen Vincent Benét, the Southern Fugitive writers such as Robert Penn Warren, and artists as varied as Thomas Hovenden, John Steuart Curry, Jacob Lawrence, and Kara Walker, Gilpin shows the malleability of Brown’s symbolic power and his persistent appeal as the metaphor for antislavery, heroism, and fanaticism. VERDICT Gilpin’s choices are somewhat idiosyncratic, so the full range of (especially more recent) renderings of Brown the person and the symbol does not get covered, but his analysis is pointed and pertinent. University students will especially profit from his resurrections of Brown.—Randall M. Miller, Saint Joseph’s Univ., Philadelphia
Horwitz, Tony. Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War. Holt. Oct. 2011. c.384p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780805091533. $29. HIST
Horwitz (Confederates in the Attic), Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and best-selling author, presents a gripping narrative of Brown and the raid on Harpers Ferry that in many ways set the stage for Southern secession and civil war. Horwitz brings all his gifts of character building and storytelling to Brown’s rise and self-promotion as an instrument of a supposed God-ordained command to purge with blood the land of the sin of slavery. Horwitz also speculates on motivations, especially his unproven suggestion that Brown did not care whether his raid failed because his real purpose was sowing terror and dying nobly. In his martyrdom, Brown sought to steel Northerners to stand up against the Southern slavers’ power and make Southerners fear for their lives. In that, Brown succeeded brilliantly. Other recent biographies, especially David S. Reynolds’s fine John Brown, Abolitionist, provide ample details on Brown and his time, but Horwitz surpasses all in his sensitive probing of Brown’s mind and soul and in his attention to those who supported Brown. VERDICT Horwitz’s Brown did not die in vain. By recalling the drama that fired the imagination and fears of Brown’s time, Midnight Rising calls readers to account for complacency about social injustices today. This is a book for our time. [See Prepub Alert, 4/11/11.]—Randall M. Miller, Saint Joseph’s Univ., Philadelphia
