Social Sciences Reviews, August 2011
Aug 15, 2011| In this Article |
| Columbus and Beyond |
| Reviewer of the Year |
Biography
Adler, William M. The Man Who Never Died: The Life, Times, and Legacy of Joe Hill, American Labor Icon. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Sept. 2011. c.448p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781596916968. $30. BIOG
Many readers may know the moving folk song “I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night.” In 1915, labor activist Joe Hill was executed in Utah for a murder it remains doubtful he committed. Adler (Mollie’s Job: A Story of Life and Work on the Global Assembly Line) reexamines the murky circumstances of the crime and trial. Hill, a proud member of the Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies), was known for his humorous yet aggressive protest songs. Set to popular tunes and featured in the IWW’s Little Red Songbook, they were pointed attacks on the establishment. Hill’s famous “The Preacher and the Slave” mocks the hypocrisy of offering spiritual advice before worldly sustenance and introduced into the American lexicon the phrase “pie in the sky.” Adler references newspapers, archival sources, and related significant biographies to tell Hill’s story. He speculates why Hill refused to testify at his trial and highlights the criminal record and weak alibi of another likely murder suspect, introducing a letter of somewhat shaky provenance that he believes exonerates Hill. VERDICT Highly recommended. Appropriate for students and lay readers, this biography is an easy read, provides necessary historical context, and may successfully revive Hill in American popular consciousness.—Laura Ruttum, Denver
Brookhiser, Richard. James Madison. Basic Bks: Perseus. Oct. 2011. c.304p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780465019830. $28. BIOG
Having once remarked that “if men were angels, no government would be necessary,” James Madison lived a life dedicated to establishing a government that would both check the passions of the public and usher in the “rule of law.” Much more than a minion of Jefferson, he was a true politico who understood the value of enlightened public opinion, the utility of an effective partisan press, and the necessity of political compromise. Having previously examined the “Holy Trinity” of the Federalist Party (Washington, Hamilton, and Adams), Brookhiser (senior editor, National Review; Alexander Hamilton, American) turns his relaxed and accessible writing style to the oracle of American constitutionalism and “father of modern politics.” VERDICT While Brookhiser underestimates Madison’s more radical ideas in an effort to claim him as a prize for modern conservatives, he has produced an exceptional synopsis of the essential founder’s political life. Andrew Burstein and Nancy Isenberg’s recent, outstanding Madison and Jefferson provides a much more in-depth biographical account, but Brookhiser gives fans of the Revolutionary generation and those interested in the origins of American politics an engaging and succinct narrative.—Brian Odom, Pelham P.L., AL
Gabriel, Mary. Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution. Little, Brown. Sept. 2011. c.768p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780316066112. $35. BIOG
While a plethora of books on Karl Marx, his works, and Marxism are available, this is the first seriously researched study of the relationship—the passionate love story—between the philosopher and his wife, Jenny von Westphalen. Gabriel (former editor, Reuters News Service; Notorious Victoria: The Life of Victoria Woodhull, Uncensored) draws heavily upon extensive Marx family correspondence to create a compelling story of love and heartbreak, following the Marx family across Europe through hard times and tragedy. She reveals not only the intellectual and revolutionary Karl Marx, but also the husband, father, and very human being. The book also notably portrays his lesser-known wife, a woman of intelligence, beauty, and noble birth who sacrificed dearly for her husband, his ideals, and their seven children. Gabriel continues the family saga after Karl Marx’s death to follow the lives of his three surviving daughters, two of whom committed suicide, all the while intricately weaving history, politics, and the birth of socialist thought throughout. VERDICT Recommended for serious general and specialist readers interested in understanding Karl Marx more deeply, the development of Marxist doctrine, and humanized 19th-century European history.—Leslie Lewis, Duquesne Univ. Lib., Pittsburgh
Unger, Miles J. Machiavelli: A Biography. S. & S. 2011. c.384p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781416556282. $28. BIOG
Unger’s (Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de’ Medici) portrait of the world’s most notorious political philosopher strives to be a definitive biography. Like Maurizio Viroli (Niccolò’s Smile), Unger utilizes Machiavelli’s correspondence to present a complex portrait, showing his subject in the varied public roles he played: civil servant, diplomat, political philosopher, and playwright. All of Machiavelli’s writings are discussed and analyzed here. An astonishing number of people thread their way in and out of the narrative; Unger considerately offers a “Select Cast of Characters,” although he regrettably fails to include a time line of key events. VERDICT Unger succeeds in presenting Machiavelli as a true Renaissance man. Both he and Viroli ponder Machiavelli’s inner life, although Unger pays greater attention to The Prince. Those who have Viroli’s book may consider Unger’s an optional addition. It will appeal to readers of biography, history, and political science. [See Prepub Alert, 12/20/10.]—Sharon E. Reidt, Marlboro Coll. Lib., VT
Weir, Alison. Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings. Ballantine. Oct. 2011. c.400p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780345521330. $28. BIOG
Having explored the final days of Anne Boleyn in The Lady in the Tower, popular historian Weir now turns her attention to Anne’s sister Mary. Briefly the mistress of the French king Francis I and later of Henry VIII, Mary eventually wed a commoner for love and faded into relative obscurity—until Philippa Gregory’s novel The Other Boleyn Girl drew her onto the stage again. Though any study of Mary is bound to be hampered by the scarcity of solid evidence about large parts of her life, Weir has striven to provide the most complete assessment possible; while she indulges in some well-researched speculation to fill the gaps, she remains clear about facts vs. what must be left to guesswork. Furthermore, she devotes much effort to examining the development of Mary’s historical stature and dispelling the most egregious rumors—in particular, those surrounding Mary’s reputation as “a very great whore” (neatly dismissed by Weir as a myth) and the paternity of her two eldest children. VERDICT As the first full biography of Mary Boleyn, this is a valuable resource both for historians and for casual readers interested in an accurate account of this recently popularized historical figure. [See Prepub Alert, 4/4/11.]—Kathleen McCallister, Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, Lib.
COMMUNICATIONS
Gibbs, Wolcott. Backward Ran Sentences: The Best of Wolcott Gibbs from The New Yorker. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Oct. 2011. c.688p. ed. by Thomas Vinciguerra. ISBN 9781608195503. pap. $22. COMM
Fans of The New Yorker will welcome this collection of pieces written by Gibbs spanning the late 1920s through the early 1950s. New York Times contributor Vinciguerra intends to rescue Gibbs from growing obscurity with his introductory biographical essay and careful selection of articles. Gibbs was versatile, serving as an editor in addition to contributing to “The Talk of the Town” and writing profiles, parodies, short stories, and theater criticism. Profiles include the obscure, like Miss Rita Ross, the eccentric cat lady who collected stray cats to deliver to the SPCA, as well as the more famous, such as presidential candidate Thomas Dewey. Gibbs’s wit shines through in the parodies, including one of “Yes, Virginia...,” in which he portrays Santa Claus as a communist. In a foreword, P.J. O’Rourke provides his own parody of Gibbs. VERDICT Readers who enjoy the style and wit of The New Yorker will love this collection. It is easy to dip into for the perfect piece, and the large selection will satisfy.—Judy Solberg, Seattle Univ. Lib.
Levine, Robert. Free Ride: How Digital Parasites Are Destroying the Culture Business, and How the Culture Business Can Fight Back. Doubleday. Oct. 2011. c.320p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780385533768. $26.95. COMM
Don’t have a subscription to HBO or Netflix but want to see an episode of True Blood? Just download it. What’s the harm, right? Levine (former executive editor, Billboard) details how—beyond issues of morality—the illegal distribution of cultural products like television shows and music seriously impacts the economic and cultural underpinnings of society. His focus, though, is not on the average consumer who downloads the latest U2 song but on websites that illegally share or sell these copyrighted works. Similar to Lawrence Lessig’s Free Culture, Levine’s extensively researched work illustrates how digital piracy undermines artistic creativity and the economy. Furthermore, he offers solid ideas on how artists and businesses can work together to provide timely and inexpensive ways for consumers to obtain the product they want when they want it. VERDICT For anyone interested in trends in Internet usage, copyright law, and mass media and society. [See Prepub Alert, 4/11/11.]—Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL
ECONOMICS
Birchard, Bill. Merchants of Virtue: Herman Miller and the Making of a Sustainable Company. Palgrave Macmillan. Sept. 2011. c.256p. index. ISBN 9780230106604.
$28. BUS
Herman Miller is best known for its iconic office furniture, which graces the galleries of the world’s modern art museums. But business journalist and former Enterprise magazine editor Birchard reveals a lesser-known side of the company: long before environmentalism was trendy in big business, founder D.J. De Pree committed Herman Miller to environmental stewardship. Though his contemporaries may have thought he was off his rocker, his environmental initiatives were no less visionary than his hiring of brilliant designers like Gilbert Rohde and Charles Eames. Herman Miller’s story reads like a lexicon of nearly every business buzzword of the last half-century: participative management (starting in the 1950s), lean manufacturing (taught by a Toyota guru), sustainability, economic value added, financial literacy of employees, and a dozen other concepts pioneered by this company. Along the way, the firm garnered accolades as a leader in the corporate environmental and social responsibility movements. VERDICT While manufacturing may be a dying art in the United States, this book illustrates how one company can do well by its shareholders, employees, society, and the environment—and still turn heads with its products. Herman Miller’s sustainable sojourn is a remarkable story, capably told.—Carol J. Elsen, Univ. of Wisconsin Libs., Whitewater
Harper, Hill. The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place. Gotham: Penguin Group (USA). Aug. 2011. c.304p. bibliog. ISBN 9781592406500. $26. ECON
When personal health is compromised, it naturally prompts a reevaluation of life goals. This is the impetus and concept behind CSI: NY actor Harper’s (Letters to a Young Brother) latest work. With happiness as a new priority, he investigates how to free oneself from the chains of materialism and the quest for wealth to focus on more important objectives such as personal satisfaction. To cure the sometimes frenetic pursuit of wealth, Harper successfully applies the regimen that was used to treat his illness: diagnose, treat, comply, maintain, thrive. He provides tangible ways for people to prioritize their own goals and refocus their lives. VERDICT While some of the author’s anecdotes make one wonder whether he truly comprehends the position of privilege from which he speaks, his pragmatic advice would be generally beneficial to society. A comparable work is Laura Rowley’s Money and Happiness: A Guide To Living the Good Life. This is an inspirational read for those interested in financial self-help and freedom, with a little celebrity autobiography sprinkled in. [See Prepub Alert, 3/21/11.]— Poppy Johnson-Renvall, Central New Mexico Community Coll. Lib., Albuquerque
Hoopes, James. Corporate Dreams: Big Business in American Democracy from the Great Depression to the Great Recession. Rutgers Univ. Oct. 2011. c.224p. illus. index. ISBN 9780813551302. $24.95. BUS
Hoopes (business ethics, Babson Coll.; Hail to the CEO: George W. Bush and the Failure of Moral Leadership) throws his hat into the crowded ring of books on the evils of corporate America. Others include Ted Nace’s Gangs of America: The Rise of Corporate Power and the Disabling of Democracy, William D. Cohan’s Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came To Rule the World, and Jeff Madrick’s Age of Greed: The Triumph of Finance and the Decline of America, 1970 to the Present. Hoopes seeks to resurrect in Americans a “moderate anticorporatism” by tracing the history of corporate culture from the 1930s to the end of George W. Bush’s presidency. He divides the book into seven parts that correspond to stages in the evolutionary time line of corporate culture, each of which includes four vignettes that describe a defining event or important personality that significantly impacted the stage. VERDICT A quick read with academic flavor, this title will appeal to fans of political and business history as well as those looking to better understand what led to America’s latest recession.—Sara Holder, McGill Univ. Lib., Montreal
Leeb, Stephen. Red Alert: How China’s Growing Prosperity Threatens the American Way of Life. Business Plus: Grand Central. Oct. 2011. c.272p. illus. index.
ISBN 9780446576239. $27.99. ECON
Economist Leeb (Game Over: How You Can Prosper in a Shattered Economy) argues that while U.S. officials and politicians engage in short-term myopic planning, endless legal maneuvering, scandals, and wartime investing that are crippling American economic viability, China’s government is run by visionary scholars with backgrounds in such fields as chemistry and engineering who are carefully analyzing the long-term, big picture. China is gaining ground as a superpower and attaining competitive advantage over other countries, especially the United States, by using its profits to invest in and control mineral commodities such as coal, oil, zinc, silver, and gold. These resources are becoming scarce, and the author argues that access to them will determine the standard of living for future generations. According to Leeb, the Chinese government recognizes the importance of these resources to key industries such as renewable energy and electronics and views the ability to accumulate them as proof of the country’s strength. He also discusses the global demand and supply of key resources such as water. VERDICT Because it is useful for understanding current world politics and finances, this book is recommended for all adult readers.—Caroline Geck, MLS, Newark, NJ
Steelman, Julie. The Effortless Yes: Get the Sales You Want and Make All You’ll Ever Need. Franklin Green. Aug. 2011. c.192p. ISBN 9781936487028. pap.
$14.95. BUS
By beginning her introduction with a quotation from the Dalai Lama, Steelman, who has 30 years of sales experience, signals that this will be a different kind of sales manual. She has built her particular technique around the philosophy that “selling is an opportunity to serve” and that it should be seen as a positive and helpful practice that enhances and fulfills those to whom the seller makes the pitch. Steelman’s book targets women, to whom, she argues, selling should come naturally, as they are hardwired to take care of others. Using a combination of spirituality, positive thinking, and psychology of personality, she takes readers through seven steps—from “Dust off Your Moxie” to “Perfect Your Natural Ask”—to enable them to secure the effortless yes. Each step is built into a chapter and includes techniques, scenarios, examples from Steelman’s career, and a set of exercises. She concludes with a short financial primer, “Be Bankable.” VERDICT A strange yet interesting combination—like Zig Ziglar on Prozac—that will appeal to the budding momtrepreneur.—Sara Holder, McGill Univ. Lib., Montreal
Stevens, Mark. Your Company Sucks: It’s Time To Declare War on Yourself. BenBella. Aug. 2011. c.208p. illus. ISBN 9781935618546. pap. $14.95. BUS
CEO of MSCO, Inc., a marketing services company, Stevens offers a rehash of ho-hum marketing and business suggestions in this short treatise on understanding the failures of your company and reinvigorating your business. He cites four main reasons businesses fail (ineffective leadership; “lust-to-lax syndrome,” or hot and cold customer treatment; incompetence; and conventional thinking) and illustrates them with examples before making his recommendations. For someone who states that business leaders should avoid conventional thinking patterns, his suggestions are conventional in the extreme: “declare war on complacency” (war metaphors pop up throughout) by not promoting through tenure alone; make an “action plan” for change; “thrill” your current customers with little unexpected extras. The book is not particularly well organized, although it is a fast and simple read. VERDICT Stevens’s previous Your Marketing Sucks was a Business Week best seller, and he writes the business blog Unconventional Thinking (www.msco.com/blog), so some readers may seek out this title; however, other authors, e.g., Seth Godin, have more notoriety and cover much the same territory. For readers looking for basic ideas without a big-time investment, this might be an acceptable title.—Sarah Statz Cords, The Rea der’s Advisor Online
EDUCATION
Tortorella, Neil. Starting Your Career as a Freelance Web Designer. Allworth. Oct. 2011. c.256p. bibliog. ISBN 9781581158595. pap. $19.95. CAREERS
Tortorella, an award-winning graphic designer with more than 30 years of freelance experience, has done his best to create the essential business manual for the freelance web designer. This is not a book about how to design websites; it is about managing the financial, legal, and business realities of being a freelance web designer. Tortorella effectively explains the “rules” of this career in an accessible and readable format. Part One deals with the fundamentals of being a freelancer, including analyzing one’s abilities and talents, formulating a business plan, understanding taxes and insurance, and finding trusted business advisers. In Part Two, Tortorella discusses the necessary proficiencies of the portfolio, proposals, project management, and marketing. Tips designed to inform and protect the novice are noted throughout. VERDICT Highly recommended. Tortorella’s contribution is the nuts-and-bolts handbook for success in the field of freelance web design and will find a ready audience with the fledgling right-brain designer or the college student considering web design as a career.—Jane Scott, George Fox Univ. Lib., Newberg, OR
Wainer, Howard. Uneducated Guesses: Using Evidence To Uncover Misguided Education Policies. Princeton Univ. Sept. 2011. c.200p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780691149288. $24.95. ED
Research scientist Wainer’s experience working at the National Board of Medical Examiners and formerly at Educational Testing Service shows in this thought-provoking book. He questions the anecdotal and statistical evidence that underpins many of today’s education policies and reform efforts. He takes on numerous issues, including achievement vs. aptitude testing, college rankings, consequences of optional SAT scores for college admissions, using student test scores to assess teachers, computerized adaptive tests, advanced placement courses, No Child Left Behind, multiple-choice questions vs. performance-based tasks (constructed-response essays, proofs, experiments, portfolios, etc.), and examinee choice in answering questions. Some of the chapters were adapted from previously published articles. The work is enriched with many real-world examples, e.g., Jaime Escalante’s success preparing disadvantaged students to take the Advanced Placement Calculus examination and the scoring of the decathlon at the Olympics. Figures, tables, extensive bibliographic references, and a brief index finish off the book. VERDICT Highly recommended for educators, education reformers, and policymakers.—Elizabeth Connor, The Citadel, Military Coll. of South Carolina, Lib., Charleston
HISTORY
Bak, Richard. The Big Jump: Lindbergh and the Great Atlantic Air Race. Wiley. Aug. 2011. c.352p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780471477525. $27.95. HIST
Bak’s (Henry and Edsel: The Creation of the Ford Empire) exceptional contribution to Lindbergh historiography plays out against the broader canvas of North Atlantic flight, from the initial stopover crossing by the U.S. Navy in 1919 through the spate of New York-to-Paris attempts in 1927 and the first Paris-to-New York flight in 1930. Bak vividly captures the flurry of activity by the respective crews in preparing their multiengine planes to cross the Atlantic (only Lindbergh opted to make the “jump” solo, flying a single-engine craft), including the occasional clash of wills, the in-flight losses of life, and Lindbergh’s winning of the Orteig Prize for his 1927 flight. Bak portrays Lindbergh as an iconic figure who through courage, perseverance, aeronautical savvy, and excellent working relations with the Spirit of St. Louis’s builders and backers won the day and gained worldwide acclaim, although his celebrity eventually took a darker turn. The epilog contains touching sketches of the later years of many of the men and women Bak covers. VERDICT A fresh and remarkably comprehensive perspective on Lindbergh and his competitors who meant to deny him a life of fame and wealth. Impressively researched, with a narrative fairly crackling with energy. Recommended to all readers.—John Carver Edwards, Univ. of Georgia Libs., Cleveland
Dudden, Faye E. Fighting Chance: The Struggle over Woman Suffrage and Black Suffrage in Reconstruction America. Oxford Univ. Aug. 2011. c.336p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780199772636. $34.95. HIST
Prior to the Civil War, women’s rights activists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were also devoted to the abolitionist cause and worked collaboratively with those whose main focus was abolition to advance women’s rights. When the war came, they supported the war effort and advocated for emancipation, fully believing that they had a fighting chance of achieving both abolition and universal emancipation. In this book, Dudden (history, Colgate Univ.; Serving Women: Household Service in Nineteenth-Century America) closely examines the evolution of the political activity and rhetoric of Stanton and Anthony from the antebellum years of solidarity with those who advocated for black rights to their feminist employment of racist arguments in the postwar period, when former allies broke apart over the enfranchisement of black men and a delay in enfranchisement of women. VERDICT A closer examination and a more nuanced interpretation of these shifting alliances, the economic disabilities of female reformers, and the political maneuvering than other studies have given us, this book explains, though does not apologize for, the positions of these otherwise well-regarded feminists. Likely to be a classic study, it is recommended for all readers in American studies and Reconstruction history.—Theresa McDevitt, Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib.
Hemphill, C. Dallett. Siblings: Brothers and Sisters in American History. Oxford Univ. Aug. 2011. c.352p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780199754052. $34.95. HIST
Although many historians have focused on family relationships in early America, Hemphill (history, Ursinus Coll.; Bowing to Necessities: A History of Manners in America, 1620–1860) is the first to explicitly feature sibling relationships. Drawing from correspondence between siblings of famous families, such as Benjamin and Jane Franklin, she examines how siblings negotiated gender roles and family hierarchy, performed the work of “kin-keeping” (tracking family news), and served as cohorts in the Revolution. Hemphill studies the sibling relationships among Native Americans and African Americans, not just the white elite. She notes that in the antebellum North, advice books, women’s fiction, and children’s novels, e.g., Little Women, emphasized a new idealization of siblings and childhood and the role of the motherly older sister. Conversely, African American slaves in the South faced forced separation, while the patriarchal culture of slave owners shaped the dominance of old brothers. Hemphill concludes with an epilog on siblings in America since the Civil War; it is unfortunate she did not explore this in greater depth, given the broad title of her book. VERDICT Accessible and engaging, recommended especially for readers in Colonial American history and historical studies of the family.—Kate Stewart, American Folklife Ctr., Washington, DC
Margolick, David. Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock. Yale Univ. Sept. 2011. c.320p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780300141931. $26. HIST
In September 1957, Elizabeth Eckford attempted to enter Little Rock Central High School. One of what became known as the Little Rock Nine, she was prevented from entering the building and headed to a nearby bus stop instead, followed by an angry mob that included Hazel Bryan. Just as Bryan was screaming at Eckford, a journalist snapped a photo that came to define not only integration in Arkansas but, as Margolick (Strange Fruit: The Biography of a Song) shows, the lives of Eckford and Bryan. There are volumes of scholarly works on the Civil Rights Movement, but this book is different. By tracing the two women’s journeys from that moment until today, often in their own words, Margolick artfully lays bare the emotional and mental wounds and struggles of the participants. Both are presented as human, complete with flaws and weaknesses. Margolick also places the women in the context of the wider civil rights era and beyond. The ending is not what you would expect or even hope for but instead demonstrates how much pain is still felt by all involved and how far we all have still to travel. VERDICT Very thoughtfully and sincerely written, this work is simply a must-read. [Previewed in “Booked Solid,” LJ 7/11.—Ed.]—Lisa A. Ennis, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham L ib.
Moorehead, Caroline. A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France. Harper: HarperCollins. Nov. 2011. c.384p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780061650703. $27.99. HIST
The winter of 1942–43 encompassed some of the darkest days of World War II, not least for the French Resistance. Moorehead (Gellhorn) uses as her lens the lesser-known January 1943 transport of 230 women of the Resistance to the Auschwitz death camp. She conducted interviews with several of the 49 surviving women or their families and incorporates information from their published and unpublished works about the experiences they endured during their incarceration. Taking us from the early days of the Resistance and these women’s roles to the postwar period of disillusionment and unhappiness, Moorehead finds inspiration in the way they assisted and protected one another, sometimes ensuring another’s survival to the detriment of themselves. VERDICT Readers will get a good overview of the historical context and the sacrifices made by women whose motivation was to provide a better world for their country. Although at times difficult to read (the descriptions of Auschwitz offer nothing new but reiterate the horror endured), this book rightfully gives these women—survivors and nonsurvivors alike—their place in our historical memory. For a memoir by a woman in the Resistance not transported with this group, see Agnes Humbert’s Résistance. [See Prepub Alert, 5/16/11.]—Maria C. Bagshaw, West Dundee, IL
Seraile, William. Angels of Mercy: White Women and the History of New York’s Colored Orphan Asylum. Empire State Editions: Fordham Univ., dist. by Oxford Univ. 2011. 220p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780823234196. $27.95. HIST
Founded in 1836, New York City’s private Colored Orphan Asylum (COA) became the nation’s first dedicated institutional home for otherwise abandoned black children. Seraile (African American history, emeritus, Lehman Coll., CUNY; New York’s Black Regiments during the Civil War) traces the COA from its 25 mostly Quaker female founders to a broader post–World War II presence as the Harlem-Dowling West Side Center for Children and Family Services. He details complex racial and social dynamics and hostilities in analyzing actions, attitudes, and arguments over who should decide what was best for the more than 15,000 boys and girls the COA raised between 1836 and 1946. Seraile shows the COA’s work as long undertaken by nurturing but paternalistic elite white women, whose self-assured benevolence immersed their wards in an acculturation that isolated the children from the black community, often even from their own relatives. VERDICT This penetrating case study nicely merges and extends discussions in works such as Anne M. Boylan’s The Origins of Women’s Activism: New York and Boston, 1797–1840 and Gunja SenGupta’s From Slavery to Poverty: The Racial Origins of Welfare in New York, 1840–1918. Scholars and general readers interested in New York history, race relations, social services, philanthropy, or interracial child rearing will benefit from this work.—Thomas J. Davis, Arizona State Univ., Tempe
Vaughan, Hal. Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel’s Secret War. Knopf. Aug. 2011. c.304p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780307592637. $27.95. HIST
This is an absorbing exposé of a mystery that has long intrigued. Paris-based veteran journalist Vaughan (FDR’s 12 Apostles) is unequivocal in his argument that there were two sides to the elegant Coco Chanel. Using information from French counterintelligence sources as well as other documents hidden for years in French, German, Italian, Soviet, and U.S. archives, he unmasks her activities during the war years; she embarked on a romance with a senior German officer in occupied Paris and cooperated with German military intelligence agents. Her reasons were personal, political, and financial, as Vaughan makes clear. While Chanel’s secret life is the central focus here, other little-known details of her life and career are also included to present a complete biography of this worldwide celebrity whose fashion genius transformed the way modern women dress. Staunchly right-wing, anti-Semitic, and anticommunist, Chanel was also lucky in love and politics, and these factors enabled her to escape postwar retribution and punishment when thousands of “collabos” like her were executed. A decades-long friendship with Winston Churchill may have been key to shielding her from prosecution. VERDICT Engrossing and accessible, this is recommended for general readers interested in fashion celebrity, espionage, or World War II.—Marie M. Mullaney, Caldwell Coll., NJ
Wilson, Frances. How To Survive the Titanic: The Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay. Harper: HarperCollins. Oct. 2011. c.352p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780062094544. $26.99. HIST
Bruce Ismay, the managing director of the White Star shipping line, became infamous because of the night in April 1912 that he boarded a lifeboat leaving his company’s brand new ship, Titanic, to sink and more than 1500 passengers and crew to die. Not technically a passenger, he as the ship’s “owner” bore some responsibility for the lack of adequate lifeboats; his right to a seat in one of those lifeboats has been debated for almost 100 years. Wilson (The Ballad of Dorothy Wordsworth), with access to Ismay family material in private hands and an impressive command of the sources, has composed a very readable study of an unsympathetic character. Notions of duty and responsibility, of heroism and cowardice, are thoughtfully discussed. Wilson draws comparisons between Ismay and Joseph Conrad’s title character in Lord Jim, but some readers might wish to skip the tangential discussions of Conrad’s life and works. VERDICT It is a pleasure to read a book, as the centennial of the Titanic sinking approaches, that offers something new on this topic. Titanic completists will certainly want this, and it is also recommended for readers of biography and Edwardian-era history.—Megan Hahn Fraser, Univ. of California–Los Angeles Lib.
LAW & CRIME
Ford, Richard Thompson. Rights Gone Wrong: How Law Ignores Common Sense and Undermines Social Justice. Farrar. Oct. 2011. c.288p. index. ISBN 9780374250355.
$26. LAW
Ford (law, Stanford; The Race Card: How Bluffing About Bias Makes Race Relations Worse) persuasively argues that while the Civil Rights Movement brought about great good in the United States, civil rights laws are now being applied to produce unjust and even perverse ends. He considers many issues, including how sex discrimination laws have come to be used to police employee conversations in the workplace, how age discrimination laws fail to help those who need protection, and how federal laws pertaining to education for the developmentally disabled have become weapons used by rich parents against school boards. Ford’s discussion of the 1954 Brown v. Board decision and its negative consequences is particularly sharp and engaging. VERDICT This subject tends to produce polemical writing on both sides, but Ford is consistently measured and thought-provoking. Recommended to anyone interested in public affairs.—Michael O. Eshleman, Kings Mills, OH
Stewart, Richard Burleson & Jane Bloom Stewart. Fuel Cycle to Nowhere: U.S. Law and Policy on Nuclear Waste. Vanderbilt Univ. Sept. 2011. c.448p. bibliog. index.
ISBN 9780826517746. $65. LAW
Richard Burleson Stewart (environmental law, New York Univ.) and environmental lawyer Jane Bloom Stewart have teamed up to document U.S. policy on the handling and disposal of nuclear waste. Focusing on legislation and litigation, the authors trace the history of nuclear waste processing, pointing out how, through years of neglect and hasty measures, the government has pursued reprocessing without proper regard for financial and environmental consequences. The authors also detail incidents in which workers have been exposed to radioactivity at waste-processing facilities and note radiation containment issues that have affected workers’ health. In an age when the media focuses on the environmental and human impact of failures at nuclear-generating facilities, the Stewarts criticize the lack of government regulations and laws designed to protect society from inadequate processing of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive by-products. This book is a wake-up call drawing attention to this important but overlooked aspect of the nuclear-energy industry. VERDICT This well-documented work, aimed at an academic audience, is replete with analysis of the legal, political, and scientific issues surrounding nuclear waste disposal and is thus recommended for academic, law, and larger public libraries.—Philip Y. Blue, New York State Supreme Court Civil Branch Law Lib., First Judicial Dist., New York
PARAPSYCHOLOGY
Klinge, Brad & Barry Klinge with Kathy Passero. Chasing Ghosts, Texas Style: On the Road with Everyday Paranormal. Thomas Dunne: St. Martin’s. Oct. 2011. c.256p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9780312590789. $25.99. PARAPSYCH
From their schoolboy days to their website and investigation team (Everyday Paranormal) to their short-lived TV series (Ghost Lab), Texas brothers Brad and Barry Klinge have shared a lifelong fascination with ghosts. After recounting their biographical information and their path to becoming paranormal investigators, they devote the rest of their book to their investigations, including at Alcatraz and the Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana. The chapters, one per investigation, begin with information on the location and then describe the investigation and the wrap-up. The brothers take a scientific approach, relying on a variety of equipment and discounting anything, even personal experiences, that can’t be corroborated by evidence. The book ends with a checklist of equipment, a glossary, and a bibliography consisting mainly of websites. VERDICT The investigations and the evidence the brothers collect are often creepy and compelling. However, the book is weighed down by its odd narrative style (the brothers take turns narrating, in sections labeled with their names), long technical explanations, and frequent promotion for their now apparently canceled program, Ghost Lab. Still, teens and young adults with a passion for the paranormal might find this of interest. The brothers’ references to YouTube, frequent swearing, and devotion to all things technical should resonate with younger readers.—Susan Flaherty, Portland P.L., ME
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Fisher, Louis. Defending Congress and the Constitution. Univ. Pr. of Kansas. Sept. 2011. c.384p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780700617982. $39.95. POL SCI
The author himself provides an apt description of this book when he refers in its final pages to his “battering ram” argument that Congress shares the duty of constitutional interpretation with the Supreme Court. That term might also be applied to Fisher’s 40-year career as a scholar and congressional staff member, when he wrote some 20 books in consistent defense of the prerogatives of Congress against those of the President and the Court. Here again he takes up this argument, that Congress should neither “genuflect” nor engage in “idolatry” toward the other branches, closely analyzing areas such as judicial review, federalism, religious freedom, individual rights, war powers, and, where he provides an especially good critique, the federal budgeting process. Fisher covers less studied topics as well, notably the role of expert congressional staff, an area he knows firsthand. VERDICT While Fisher’s learning is broad and deep, his style is pugnacious and repetitive. Readers familiar with Fisher might find the book wearing in a particular way, since he has covered much of this ground in earlier books, most recently in On Appreciating Congress (2010), a more accessible version of this one.—Bob Nardini, Nashville
PSCYHOLOGY
Chalfant, Anne M. Managing Anxiety in People with Autism: A Treatment Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Mental Health Professionals. Woodbine House. (Topics in Autism). Aug. 2011. c.150p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781606130049. pap. $19.95. PSYCH
Chalfant, founder and director of Annie’s Centre, the first independent health clinic for children in Sydney, Australia, has written a clear description of what anxiety is, when it becomes a disorder, its effects on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and what interventions are the most helpful in reducing a child’s anxiety over time. Covering direct treatment options such as therapy and medication as well as treatment for family members of people with ASD, she also discusses how parents can indirectly treat anxiety and lays out useful strategies for schools and medical professionals. Chalfant emphasizes that adults’ encouragement, commitment to moving forward in small steps, and willingness to endure short-term difficulties can reduce a child’s anxiety and lead to a full and inclusive life rather than one of avoiding situations that may provoke anxiety. She shares many stories from her personal practice and makes liberal use of charts and tables in discussing treatment choices. VERDICT A skillful explanation of the causes of anxiety, this guide also outlines strategies for helping those with ASD to cope and reduce their anxiety. A must-have for parents, teachers, and clinicians dealing with autistic children struggling with anxiety.—Lisa M. Jordan, Johnson Cty. Lib., KS
Hadler, Nortin M., M.D. Rethinking Aging: Growing Old and Living Well in an Overtreated Society. Univ. of North Carolina. Sept. 2011. c.288p. illus. index.
ISBN 9780807835067. $28. PSYCH
Hadler (medicine & microbiology/immunology, Univ. of North Carolina–Chapel Hill; Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America) decries the overmedicalization of aging, arguing that many natural conditions, such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, have been redefined as diseases. This has led to unnecessary screening resulting in aggressive (and expensive) treatments that often do more harm than good. Reviewing epidemiological studies, he demonstrates that even simple interventions after age 60, such as lowering blood pressure through diet and drugs, do not significantly contribute to a longer, healthier life. Hadler advocates informed decision making pertaining to all stages of aging, cautioning that no procedure should be undertaken unless evidence clearly indicates outcomes will be beneficial. He also shows that racial, gender, and socioeconomic factors significantly affect longevity, a point also made by Susan Jacoby in her more readable Never Say Die. VERDICT Hadler’s view of aging is cautionary; written in a technical style, it is an elaboration on and slight updating of topics covered in his previous works.—Lucille M. Boone, San Jose P.L., CA
Wendell, Sarah. Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels. Sourcebooks. Oct. 2011. c.256p. bibliog. ISBN 9781402254499. pap. $14.99. PSYCH
Wendell (coauthor, Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels), cofounder of the romance blog Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, has convinced this reviewer: romance novels are not mere frivolities designed to convey guilty pleasure to their devoted readers. Rather, they serve an important educational function, i.e., to teach readers about the vagaries and realities of love and romance. According to Wendell, “Romance novels are both the story of the characters finding each other, and the story of finding themselves deserving of the effort that creating a happy ever after requires.” She solicits the opinions of romance aficionados regarding the various lessons they have drawn from their favorite romance novels and argues that, among other uses, romance novels can be effective in teaching adolescents about the nature of love and relationships, enabling such readers to fend off disastrous expectations in their inexperience with romantic partners. VERDICT Readers of romance novels will especially enjoy this engaging book; general readers will appreciate its reflective nature; and it may even cause those who have dismissed romance novels as worthless pabulum to think again.—Lynne F. Maxwell, Villanova Univ. Sch. of Law Lib., PA
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Berns, Nancy. Closure: The Rush To End Grief and What It Costs Us.Temple Univ. Aug. 2011. c.224p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781439905760. $75.50;
pap. ISBN 9781439905777. $24.95. SOC SCI
“Our grandparents did not seek closure after the death of a loved one,” observes Berns (sociology, Drake Univ.; Framing the Victim: Domestic Violence, Media and Social Problems) in this compelling book. “Closure” as a signifier for the end of grief has come into wide use, and Berns, who experienced a profound loss when she gave birth to a stillborn son, is here to reinforce what most of us intuitively know: feeling bad about losing a loved one never really ends. By commodifying the concept of closure in order to sell products and services, however, society has put pressure on us to conform to the prevailing “feeling rules,” suggesting that disappointment, loss, and grief can and should come to an arbitrary end. Berns angrily dismisses this notion. Surely the desire to love (and miss) someone who is gone continues, despite “the tangled mess of closure talk,” with the same word used for neatly tying up divorce, death, school violence, the death penalty, and grief for a dead pet. VERDICT Berns wisely counsels us to find other language and perspectives for living with grief, and this lucid debunking of the current use of the word “closure” is a breath of fresh air, recommended for both general readers and specialists.—Ellen D. Gilbert, Princeton, NJ
Scocca, Tom. Beijing Welcomes You: Unveiling the Capital City of the Future. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA).Aug. 2011. c.384p. ISBN 9781594487842. $26.95. SOC SCI
Scocca (Slate.com) lived and worked in Beijing leading up to the 2008 Olympics. He observed the mammoth preparations undertaken to welcome the world and display China’s ascendancy. In this book, he covers the astonishing array of planning for change, such as training the Chinese on the art of queuing. In an antispitting campaign, 10,000 bags for spitting were distributed (the Chinese were used to having spittoons). Cabbies were instructed to bathe, brush their teeth, and stop eating in the cab. Then came the earthquake of May 12, 2008, in which many thousands were killed. The government and the Olympics committee nearly ignored the tragedy. The Chinese press, however, for once did not follow the usual censorship. Thus reality infringed on the best-laid Olympic plans while the nation mourned. Particularly poignant here are Scocca’s post-Olympic observations: memorabilia going cheap, ignored, or trod upon, much like the hutongs, rickshaws, and gardens destroyed to make way for infrastructure for the big event. The epilog reveals that Ai Weiwei, one of the designers of the Beijing National Stadium (the “Bird’s Nest”), was imprisoned this spring, allegedly for tax evasion but likely for speaking out about the rights of earthquake victims. Meanwhile the three Beijings—the moneyed, the wretched, and the bustling—carry on as usual. VERDICT A brilliant cultural study written in a surprisingly poetic style, this is highly recommended to all interested readers. [Ai was released from prison on June 22 but cannot at this point leave Beijing.—Ed.; see Prepub Alert, 1/31/11.]—Susan G. Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., Chicago
Shteir, Rachel. The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). 2011. c.250p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781594202971. $25.95. SOC SCI
“Shoplifting has been a sin, a crime, a confession of sexual repression, a howl of grief, a political yelp, a sign of depression, a badge of identity, and a backdoor to the American Dream,” writes Shteir (criticism & dramaturgy, DePaul Univ. Theater Sch.; Gypsy: The Art of the Tease) in her introduction to this fascinating and accessible study. In tracing the cultural history of shoplifting, she lays out three main themes in society’s understanding of it: as a crime, an illness, or a political act. She traces society’s response to shoplifting in Western history and literature, from Plato and St. Augustine, through over 400 years of laws and punishment for petty crimes. From there she surveys the idea of kleptomania, Freudian explanations for stealing, and political justifications for shoplifting by everyone from Emma Goldman to Abby Hoffman. The second part of the book is a more contemporary history of the crime and efforts to stop it. Shteir suggests that shoplifting and society’s response have more to do with our ideas of consumption and desire than they do with crime. VERDICT A well-written and notable book on an under-studied topic. Highly recommended.—Jessica Moran, California State Archives, Sacramento
True Confessions: Feminist Professors Tell Stories Out of School. Norton. Aug. 2011. c.400p. ed. by Susan Gubar. ISBN 9780393076431. $29.95. SOC SCI
Gubar (Distinguished Professor Emerita of English, Indiana Univ.; coauthor, with Sandra M. Gilbert, The Madwoman in the Attic) collects new pieces by 27 feminist professors in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts, most of whom began their careers in the 1960s or 1970s. Their autobiographical essays, divided into two sections, “Personal Views” and “Professional Vistas,” display a wide variety of concerns and treat gender prejudice with the related issues of race, social class, and sexual orientation. They also cover the difficulties of gaining tenure, providing child care, and accusing others or being accused of sexual harassment. VERDICT The stories here are poignant and instructive for those who may be unaware of the real struggles of women in academia and the difficulties educated women can face outside the academy. They are also cautionary; some of the writers feel, with good reason, that in the last decade or two women have lost ground in some areas. Especially for those familiar with the challenges discussed, the pieces are gripping and provide much material for reflection.—Carolyn M. Craft, formerly with Longwood Univ., Farmville, VA
TRAVEL & GEOGRAPHY
Gutek, Gerald & Patricia Gutek. Pathways to the Presidency: A Guide to the Lives, Homes, and Museums of the U.S. Presidents. Univ. of South Carolina. 2011. c.360p. illus. index. ISBN 9781570039973. $49.95; pap. ISBN 9781570039980. $24.95. trav
Gerald and Patricia Gutek (coauthors, Experiencing America’s Past: A Travel Guide to Museum Villages) attempt the ambitious goal of combining presidential biography with historical travel guide. In the interest of space, each President’s history and accomplishments are condensed into two or three pages. While understandable, the result is a lack of depth or detail beyond the expected. The information about each presidential home and museum is thorough (each entry includes address, telephone number, web address, general location in relation to the area, hours of operation, admission price and availability of tours, gift shop, etc.), but there isn’t a clear narrative connection between the presidential write-ups and the sites themselves. Readers would benefit from more insight into how the Presidents were influenced by these places and how their achievements informed the places originally and now as museums. Instead, readers are left with dry accounts of the physical layouts of each location, along with much repetition of facts. VERDICT The authors provides a good overview of their subjects in easy-to-navigate order but fail to convey the passion they likely devoted to exploring each historical landmark. There are no maps, driving directions, or references to nearby accommodations. An optional purchase.—Michele Martin, Sonoma Acad., Santa Rosa, CA
Wallace, Scott. The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon’s Last Uncontacted Tribes. Crown. Oct. 2011. c.512p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780307462961. $26. TRAV
Writer and photographer Wallace had a dilemma: Should he spend the summer reconnecting with his three sons from an earlier marriage and foster a budding romance or head off to the Amazon for weeks of deprivation and hardship, tracking índios bravos (wild Indians)? He chose the latter and here relates his expedition. Traveling under the auspices of National Geographic, he and one other non-Brazilian in the group want to see tribes that have never been contacted, but the leader of the expedition, the head of Brazil’s National Indian Foundation’s Department of Isolated Indians, does not want this. He only wants to document the extent of their settlements and movement, to prove that the country’s new policy of leaving the uncontacted Indians alone is working. Therein lies the tension. Will they see the people they seek? Will the trekkers mutiny? And who’s hoarding the packets of Kool-Aid? VERDICT The book is slow at first (and perhaps could have been whittled down) but picks up. One gets a real sense of the raw jungle, Indian/white dynamics, and Wallace’s own personal struggles. This compelling narrative is recommended for adventure travelers and those interested in Native American ethnography and rights.—Lee Arnold, Historical Soc. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
REVIEWER OF THE YEAR
Carol J. Elsen Andersen Library, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Carol J. Elsen, Reference & Instruction Librarian and Collection Manager at the Andersen Library, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, has been reviewing books for LJ in business and the social sciences since 2003, bringing smiles to the LJ book review editors with her playful sense of language, her verve, and her authority across a spectrum of subjects. Carol submits her reviews to LJ with enviable efficiency and without the need for the merest edit. She has won our admiration and our gratitude for her energy, style, and versatility. It’s a treat to be able to thank her publicly!—Margaret Heilbrun
