Buckley, the icon of conservative intellectuals, founder of the National Review and host of Firing Line, wrote almost 50 books and completed most of this one before his death. It offers a compilation of his correspondence with Ronald and Nancy Reagan during a friendship that began in 1961, narratives about Reagan's entire political career, a sampling of Buckley's columns, and an engaging foreword by Buckley's son, the popular novelist Christopher Buckley. The book does not live up to its promotional copy as "the most revealing portrait of Ronald Reagan the world is likely to have," because Ronald Reagan's responses to Buckley's letters are focused on politics and daily events and less introspective than they are humorous. Nevertheless, Buckley has written an enjoyable account of the Reagan years and the camaraderie he shared with the Reagans. He concludes that Reagan's legacy is his opposition to big government, his role in the fall of the Soviet Union, and his having been the nicest person to have been President. Recommended for most public libraries.—Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA

History has certainly been kinder to Abraham Lincoln than to his troubled wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. This is partly because of the animus between Mrs. Lincoln and her husband's law partner and early biographer, William Herndon; partly owing to her Southern heritage, troubling in a time of secession and civil war; and partly for the mental distress that marked her life. In this evenhanded treatment, noted historian Clinton (Queen's Univ., Belfast; Fanny Kemble's Civil Wars) sifts through the many criticisms of Mary Lincoln to offer a sensitive reassessment that debunks unjust attacks and reveals Mrs. Lincoln's many strengths—charitableness, devotion to family and nation, unwavering love and encouragement for her beleaguered husband—alongside the mental illness and flaws of temperament for which she is better known. This biography builds on the recent scholarship of Jason Emerson (The Madness of Mary Lincoln) and standard primary and secondary sources to provide what will undoubtedly become a standard work on Mary Todd Lincoln. Written in a style that will appeal to the general reader, Clinton's book features sufficient nuance to satisfy scholars looking for a greater interpretation of the life of this controversial historical figure. A necessary purchase for most public, school, and academic libraries.—Linda V. Carlisle, Southern Illinois Univ., Edwardsville

This timely memoir looks into the life of a man who has experienced war in Afghanistan from a side not normally reported on by the American media. Farivar explores his experience in the war with Russia that raged from 1979 to 1989, showing how his life circumstances influenced his attitude about war and religion and what jihad really means to someone who is Muslim. Not just a chronicle of war, it is also a coming-of-age story about a child raised by a secular father who as a young man becomes a refugee in Pakistan drawn to radical Islam, joining the mujahideen fighting in his homeland. A chance meeting with an English convert sets him on the path to America, a turn from radicalism, and a degree from Harvard. After years in America, Farivar has decided to return to Afghanistan and a very uncertain future. This invaluable memoir shows the other, non-American side of the Middle Eastern coin, explaining how a normal person can get caught up in radical Islam—not because he is anti-American or anti-West but because he is pro-Afghanistan. Farivar humanizes the experience for us. Recommended for larger public and especially academic libraries, where its discussion of hot-button issues will generate good discussion.—Jenny Seftas, Southwest Florida Coll., Fort Myers, FL

Hensley's memoir is a joyous celebration of his life among the Inuit people and of fighting for their rights. As a child, Hensley (chair, First Alaskans Inst.) was raised in a traditional manner in the Alaskan bush near Kotzebue, north of the Arctic Circle. In wonderful detail, he describes the chores, games, and hard work involved in surviving there. Hensley wrestled with an education system, both in Alaska and "Outside," that saw nothing of value in Iñupiat culture. As a result, he became active in the Alaska land-claims movement, a consequence of the Statehood Act of 1959, which argued that there were no public lands in Alaska, only Native lands. He also helped organize the Northwest Alaska Native Association and the First Alaskan Institute to advocate for Native rights. President Nixon signed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act into law in 1971, awarding 44 million acres and nearly $1 billion to Alaska Natives. Hensley also played a pivotal role in renewing Iñupiat language, culture, and values, which he reinforces here by using words in Iñupiaq throughout the text and providing both an Iñupiaq glossary and an introduction to Iñupiaq writing and pronunciation. Highly recommended for public libraries.—Margaret Atwater-Singer, Univ. of Evansville Libs., IN

Considered one of the 20th century's most idealistic revolutionaries, Che Guevara is remembered for his deeds, words, and legacy. The Argentine-born international revolutionary spent over a decade championing the downtrodden and economically oppressed until his death in 1967 at the age of 39. His story has been widely told, beginning with his arrival in Mexico in 1954 to join Fidel Castro's planned invasion of Cuba. This volume brings together two memoirs about Che, written by his father and published in Spanish in 1981 and 1987. This first English translation edits those works into one volume focused on Che's young years, from his youth in Argentina to his travels in South and Central America. Though displaying the obvious bias of a father, the book is still a valuable account of the formative years of a revolutionary icon, antedating the time chronicled in Guevara's own Motorcycle Diaries (2003) and Alberto Granado's Traveling with Che Guevara. Editor/translator Toledo's diligence is noted in providing useful biographical notes in a relatively smooth translation. Recommended for larger public and academic libraries.—Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Lib., AL

Early 20th-century black liberation activist Hubert Harrison has not received much academic attention, and this initial volume of a projected two-volume biography by independent scholar Perry is the first book-length treatment of his life. Why bother to try to revive Harrison's reputation as a political leader, influential orator and journalist, and philosopher of liberation? Perry argues that Harrison's catholic views (he fought for equality on the basis of class, sex, employment, and immigration status as well as race) have kept history from recalling the influence he had in his own time: he was too independent and complicated to be easily pigeonholed by scholars. Perry attempts to redress this with his carefully researched and finely drawn study. Each aspect of Harrison's early life is delivered in deliberate context, with attention to the minutiae of personality, politics, neighborhood history, and other issues. This slow, rich storytelling style may bore some readers, but Perry's clear prose allows access to a three-dimensional picture of Harrison's life for readers with little intellectual foundation in the period. Recommended for African American history collections and larger general American history collections.—Emily-Jane Dawson, Multnomah Cty. Lib., Portland, OR

Each immigrant has a story to tell, and that story usually touches on efforts to mediate between family and society and the uneasy knowledge of the older generation's painful memories. Add to this the quirks of particular relatives, the brand names and fashions of a particular time and place, and some specific coming-of-age experiences, and you have Pung's memoir, first published in Australia in 2006. In 1981, Pung's parents and grandmother fled Cambodia to Australia, where she was born one month after they arrived. Predictably, young Pung struggled to bridge home culture and school culture. As a teenager, she endured depression and near mental breakdown before being drawn out of her misery by academic success and the promise of a bright future. Some readers will enjoy Pung's light touch and casual tone; others will find the insights bland. No new ground is covered with this memoir, despite its being one of few written by Southeast Asian refugees to Australia. Recommended for public libraries with larger Asian populations or high demand for memoirs.—Lisa Klopfer, Eastern Michigan Univ. Lib., Ypsilanti

MySpace, originally created as a data storage site, quickly transformed itself into one of the largest social-networking services worldwide, and it has revolutionized electronic marketing. Angwin, an award-winning reporter for the Wall Street Journal, relays its history as it changed hands among different businesspeople and companies, eventually becoming the prize digital asset of Rupert Murdoch, the well-known CEO of News Corporation. The site currently has many competitors, the biggest of which is Facebook; market share is determined by individuals' decisions to join one of these services, decisions largely based on whether family members and friends are already members. Angwin explains how high-profile members exert power by threatening to leave if they are not given maximum control of their online experiences. She skillfully shows the combination of business strategies used by MySpace and Facebook, including copying each other's best features, to capture market share and advertising revenue. The first and only business history thus far of MySpace, this outstanding title is highly recommended for all public library and academic collections.—Caroline Geck, MLS, MBA, Somerset, NJ

Endlich (Goldman Sachs: The Culture of Success) here profiles 11 contemporary philanthropists whose efforts are especially noteworthy. According to Endlich, "Everyone profiled in this book can point to a moment when their compassion turned into giving; when their giving, into full-blown philanthropy where something touched them so profoundly they could not turn away." Those profiled include commodity trader Paul Tudor Jones, Melinda Gates (wife of Microsoft's Bill Gates), former CEO of NBC Universal Bob Wright and his wife, Peter Bloom (managing director of a global investment firm), and former Olympic speed skater Johann Olav Koss. Each profile presents a short biography of the philanthropist and the reasons he or she got involved with a specific cause, followed by a transcript of an interview conducted by Endlich. The profiles are all compelling and inspirational, and they effectively capture the passion each has for his or her cause. Endlich provides citations and a bibliography of books and web sites of the featured philanthropic organizations. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.—Lucy T. Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., NY

Clinical psychologist Hoyk and Hersey (leadership studies, Nova Southeastern Univ.; coauthor, with Kan Blanchard, Management of Organizational Behavior) have pieced together 45 "ethical traps" facing executives, hoping that if these traps are identified and labeled they can be avoided. The authors begin by differentiating "primary," "defensive," and "personality" traps, then explain each trap and its effects on ethical behavior in one to three pages. The traps range from "justification" (a "primary" trap, initiated from outside) to "empathy" (a "personality" trap). Examples abound, but they are often taken from psychological studies and rarely from business. Two case studies are also not related to business, making their analyses less than useful for the target audience. Hoyk and Hersey provide no guidance for avoiding the traps or navigating out of them and do not even provide an overview of modern business ethics. As an introduction to the psychology of ethics, this is an interesting work, but supervisors looking for a guide to behaving ethically would do better to read almost any other textbook or case study.—Brian Walton, Tampa-Hillsborough P.L., Tampa, FL

Time magazine's Africa bureau chief, Perry opens with a story of the Stone Age Jarawa tribe and their encounters with modern society in 1997. It's an arresting but somewhat jarring start that sets the rather uneven tone of the book. Perry has covered his share of conflicts and has a journalist's eye for telling details. In four different sections, he investigates global hotspots, details conflicts resulting from resource competition and differing worldviews, describes how confusing it can be to determine who is really benefiting from globalization, and questions whether war will always be a part of the human experience, regardless (or because) of shifting borders. Each chapter offers firsthand reports from frontiers of global competition, including Shenzhen (China), Bombay, Nepal, Kenya, and Karbala (Iraq). The book's downfall is that it proceeds from location to location with very little cohesiveness, and Perry can't quite seem to decide whether his subject is business, politics, society, or war. Perhaps that is the point, but it still makes for disjointed reading. Larger public libraries may consider it to round out their international affairs collections; otherwise, not recommended.—Sarah Statz Cords, The Reader's Advisor Online

Gándara (education, Univ. of California at Los Angeles) and Contreras (education, Univ. of Washington) examine issues revolving around Latino education, primarily following a chronological history of bilingual education and affirmative action in California. Along the way, the authors also attempt to tackle controversial issues like illegal immigration and institutional racism, presenting human stories via hypothetical case studies, which are revealed as real situations toward the end of the book. That something akin to a plot twist is attempted in this sociological analysis should be your first warning. Gándara and Contreras give selective, and often contradictory, readings of the data they reviewed. They also regularly conflate Latino and black students when convenient, which seems to undermine the argument that there is a Latino-specific education crisis. Rather than seriously consider any opposing viewpoints, they set up broad straw-man arguments. All this might be forgiven if the rhetoric weren't so bland. An extensive bibliography may be of interest to students and researchers in this field. Overall, however, the book brings nothing new to the discussion of an American education crisis.—Robert Perret, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow

History has some years in which little happens and some in which everything seems to happen. Andress (modern history, Univ. of Portsmouth, England; The Terror) addresses one of the latter kind. Relying chiefly on secondary sources, he examines the state of affairs in the United States, Britain, and France during 1789. Here, of course, is the French Revolution, but here also is the mutiny on the Bounty, the establishment of the American federal government, the insanity of George III, William Wilberforce's battles against slavery, American-Indian aggressions, and the British Empire's challenges in India. Some of this—e.g., the French Revolution and the Bounty mutiny—has been extensively documented already, but 1789 is fresh, revealing, and insightful, particularly in its parallels among the different nations, e.g., the oppression by tax collectors everywhere. Although Andress covers a great deal of material, the narrative never feels rushed or shallow. It leaves you wanting more. A first-rate book; highly recommended for all libraries.—Michael O. Eshleman, Kings Mills, OH

This tale of murder, mayhem, and a "trial of the century" in the new nation tells of the death of George Wythe (1726–1806), a leader of the patriot movement in Virginia and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson considered him "my earliest and best friend" and a mentor in the quest for independence and the rule of law. His death came in old age, but it was murder and a tragedy for the new nation, as portrayed in this thoroughly researched and documented book by historian Chadwick. Chadwick reveals the darker side of Colonial Richmond and its influence on Wythe's grandnephew, George Sweeney. It was Sweeney who would betray and murder Wythe, yet he was acquitted and released, highlighting the injustice of not allowing a former slave's eyewitness testimony to be accepted. Nascent forensics and criminal investigative techniques are described in detail, as is the prevalence of poison as a means of murder at that time. The reader will come to admire Wythe and his character and influence greatly and mourn the loss of a patriot as he is presented in this fresh portrait. A compelling read that will make an excellent addition for every public and academic library.—Nancy Richey, Western Kentucky Univ. Lib., Bowling Green

The publisher is marketing this book to emphasize the theme of globalization, which is clever yet ingenuous. Ancient trade routes, naturally enough, played a large role in the regions surrounding Egypt and Babylon, and Collins (curator of Later Mesopotamian Collections, British Museum) explicates them impressively. While his date range narrows the political parameters substantially, the trade routes are the operative factors here as Collins outlines the political contexts and then coherently relates them to the economics of a host of flourishing societies, from the Egyptians and Aramaeans to the Hittites, Minoans, and Persians. The illustrations—largely of objects from the British Museum—are magnificent, although one would love to know more about each object's provenance. Nevertheless, this work will enhance not only Ancient Near East but classical and religious studies collections as well. The amount of data is formidable, and students of these periods will benefit greatly from Collins's interconnecting of the political and economic with the archaeological record. Although the book is directed at a popular readership, some prior familiarity with the rulers, the major events, and the politics of the period will be valuable given the book's coverage from the end of the Egyptian Empire until the Persian conquests. Additional maps would have aided general readers further, particularly as Collins ties his discussions to archaeological evidence at particular sites. Recommended for academic and public libraries.—Clay Williams, Hunter Coll., New York

Conceived as a synthesis, this work thematically updates and expands Benjamin Quarles's 1961 classic The Negro in the American Revolution. Building on prodigious scholarship, such as Sylvia R. Frey's Water from the Rock: Black Resistance in a Revolutionary Age and Michael A. McDonnell's more recent The Politics of War: Race, Class, and Conflict in Revolutionary Virginia, Egerton (history, Le Moyne Coll.; Rebels, Reformers, and Revolutionaries) narrates dramatic developments from the 1760s to the early 1800s that produced the U.S. republic. Probing the multifaceted, long-term independence struggle in light of prevailing white racial attitudes, Egerton plumbs the tensions among black slavery, white liberty, and trumpeted Revolutionary equality. Leading eight of his ten chapters and his epilog with individual blacks such as William Lee, Olaudah Equiano, Quok Walker, Mum Bett, Absalom Jones, and the 1800 Virginia rebel Gabriel, Egerton emphasizes the challenges posed by betrayed and disappointed blacks to the existing social order as they worked to relieve themselves and the new American nation from broad racial oppression and the crippling persistence of slavery. Reflecting broad research and reading, these musings from a mature historian of early America advance fresh perspectives that both clarify and complicate our understanding of the distinct racial dynamics and values at the nation's start. Recommended for collections on African American and U.S. history.—Thomas J. Davis, Arizona State Univ., Tempe

This oversized book by Grant (Warrior: A Visual History of the Fighting Man) is perhaps the most comprehensive one-volume history of war at sea, covering engagements large and small, from 1200 B.C.E. to the present day. There are multiple illustrations and photographs (all in color), informatively captioned and surrounding the text. The easy-to-follow narrative is presented in chronological order, but readers can also pick and choose individual chapters, as they well stand alone. Enhancing Grant's discussion of key battles are amazing three-dimensional diagrams of vessel placement at crucial moments during the given day of battle. Of especial interest is coverage of naval warfare in Asia throughout the time period, making this a truly global book. Along with discussions of the birth and evolution of naval maneuvers, Grant covers weapons and the duties of various crewmen from cook to captain. Not lacking human elements, the book includes eyewitness accounts of various combatants as well as capsule biographies by the commanders. Highly recommended.—David Lee Poremba, Cagan Crossings Community Lib., Clermont, FL

Addressing Franklin Delano Roosevelt's plan to expand the number of Supreme Court justices from nine to 15 in order to ensure the Court's support of New Deal legislation, Solomon (The Washington Century) offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Court, the White House, and a country suffering from the Great Depression. Roosevelt was at odds with a conservative Court, one that routinely struck down his economic legislation as unconstitutional. After his landslide reelection victory in 1936, he conceived the plan that came to be known as court-packing. The author, a correspondent for National Journal, examines every aspect of the court-packing fight, from the public who supported Roosevelt's efforts to enact legislation that would help it, to the justices who opposed any changes to the Court. Solomon also discusses the political scene as the three branches of government engaged with one another, vividly describing the personalities involved. He offers a broad view of Depression-era politics and society while effectively explaining an event that still affects the Court today. Recommended for all libraries.—Becky Kennedy, Atlanta-Fulton P.L.

Stewart (The Savage Border: The Story of the North-West Frontier), a journalist formerly with Reuters, takes readers to Afghanistan and the 1841–42 campaign by the British to seek to control that country. The British came in with a vengeance—to Kandahar in the south and to such cities as Kabul, Ghanzi, Gandamack, and Jalalabad in the north. The 16,500 troops, (4500 British and 12,000 hired militia from India) eventually holed up in Kabul and soon realized that they were in dire straits. Dost Mohammed, a ruthless politician, feared warrior, and brutal dictator who would just as easily chop a head off as get dressed in the morning, despised the British and lied, coerced, and pilfered his way to surround them. With a cast of characters that requires some serious concentration, this book should become the source for this sad chapter in the history of British imperialism. Nearly all 16,500 troops, as well as their wives and children, were cut down on the retreat out of Kabul. It is interesting to note that the wife of one of the officers was taken hostage and wrote a journal from which Stewart gleaned much firsthand information about the event. Stewart reveals an interesting, if bloody, year in the life of the British Empire in a small and still volatile corner of the world. Recommended for academic libraries and for large public libraries with collections on Afghanistan, British history, and the British Empire.—James Thorsen, Madison Cty. Schs., Weaverville, NC

In the first half of the 18th century, France and Britain engaged in several wars for control of North America, culminating in the Seven Years' War (1756–63). Throughout that time, enterprising Colonial merchants engaged in controversial trade with French ports. Using a multithematic approach, Truxes (senior lecturer in history, Trinity Coll., Hartford; Irish American Trade, 1660–1783) examines New York City's participation in smuggling and privateering before and during the war, both at sea and on the city's streets. Combining elements of political, economic, military, social, and legal history, Truxes describes the operations in which merchants and sailors engaged. He presents both the merchants' views that their practices were perfectly legitimate and the Crown's perspective that these acts were treasonous. All the while, Truxes keeps the book's theme in context, providing brief overviews of the war's major events and the influence those events had on domestic trade and politics. Helpful end matter includes a chronology of events, glossaries of persons and terms, relevant legal decrees, and notes. This lively and scholarly analysis of a largely untreated topic would be an excellent purchase for academic libraries and public libraries with strong Colonial history collections.—Matthew J. Wayman, Penn State Schuylkill Lib., Schuylkill Haven, PA

In late 1882, a farewell dinner in honor of Herbert Spencer was held at New York's famous Delmonico's Restaurant. The guest list was impressive, representing many prominent Americans who supported Spencer's ideology of social Darwinism. Guests included important politicians (Elihu Root, Carl Schurz), scientists (O.C. Marsh, William Graham Sumner), industrialists (Andrew Carnegie, Cyrus Field), and ministers (Henry Ward Beecher, Lyman Abbott). This banquet represented the convergence of Gilded Age thinking related to the role of government, society, and religion based upon evolutionary principles. Spencer's brand of social thought came to America at a time when the leaders in the country were searching for ways to deal with scandal, corruption, and economic crisis. Social Darwinism seemed to provide the answers they were seeking for science, race, and spirituality. Werth (31 Days; The Scarlet Professor) has written a fascinating book about one of our country's most interesting and complex periods. He provides a unique perspective on this era and the important people involved with shaping our history. Highly recommended for all academic and public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/08.]—Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll.-Penn Valley, Kansas City, MO

A great idea—gather some of the finest columns written by Philadelphia Inquirer veteran journalist Anastasia and publish a book—falters in its execution. For those who live in Philadelphia, Anastasia is a favorite, writing like no other on the exploits and foibles of Philadelphia mobsters. All those tales are here—the hit man with the wrong-sized shells in his rifle, the mobster who used his own car for a job, and the one who burned himself while torching a getaway car. Here, those same tales are repeated several times, and the out-of-context arrangement makes this a book to dip into, not one to read cover to cover. Anastasia's adept writing and insights are unparalleled, and many will find this an enjoyable opportunity to read or reread some of his columns. However, it would have been much more satisfying with longer introductions to the four sections and brief updates to some of the tales, as most date to the 1990s. While a fun addition to true crime collections, this is not recommended for legal/academic libraries.—Karen Sandlin Silverman, Library Svcs., Ctr. for Applied Research, Philadelphia

Bankruptcy attorney Elias targets the estimated two million American homeowners who are currently in default on their mortgages. Elias explains how foreclosure works, what options there may be for keeping a home when in default, and what to do when that is not possible. He includes instruction on negotiating a workout with a lender as well as chapters on how to use bankruptcy to avoid foreclosure. Elias's section on fighting foreclosure in the courts helps readers understand the circumstances in which they may be able to delay or stop a foreclosure action. The appendixes provide summaries of each state's foreclosure laws, a glossary, and information on finding and working with lawyers and bankruptcy petition preparers. Straightforward and timely, this is recommended for most public libraries.—Joan Pedzich, Harris Beach PLLC, Rochester, NY

In the past three years, a sudden literature encompassing over a dozen books of journalism, scholarship, and memoir has documented the rise of private security firms in Iraq and as part of other recent conflicts. Fainaru (coauthor, with Ray Sanchez, The Duke of Havana: Baseball, Cuba, and the Search for the American Dream) won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in international reporting for his Washington Post series on the companies that grew in Iraq "like mushrooms after a rainstorm, some with boards of directors and glass offices, others that are scarcely more than armed gangs." He shows that these firms operated all but outside the law and beyond oversight, "the largest use of private forces in the history of American warfare," whether it was the notorious Blackwater, a large State Department contractor, or Crescent Security, a small profiteer whose reckless activity is the primary subject of Fainaru's reporting. Five Crescent employees whom Fainaru came to know were ambushed, kidnapped, and murdered, and his skillful injection of a personal element into the larger story makes this a highly engaging book, among the best written so far on this subject. Recommended for all libraries.—Bob Nardini, Nashville

In this gripping book, Green (West Africa correspondent, Financial Times) describes his quest to locate and interview Joseph Kony, the elusive leader of the northern Ugandan rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). After years of filing stories about the LRA out of the Reuters Nairobi office, Green wanted to know how "one maniac could hold half a country hostage for twenty years." Though Kony's LRA has indeed been brutalizing northern Uganda for decades, the struggle has rarely received much attention from the West. Green's lucid, illuminating book describes the West's interest in believing in a stable post-Amin Uganda in a part of the world plunged into chaos by conflicts in neighboring Sudan, Congo, and Rwanda. With its brisk pacing emanating from the central narrative of Green's journey up and down the Nile, the work manages to be a page-turner while exploring the political history of the country. In the end, Green's story provides a thoughtful and evenhanded exploration of a conflict that is all too often sensationalized, misunderstood, or ignored. While its long-form reportorial style, without endnotes or an index, may not make it a choice for all academic libraries, they should still consider it. It is highly recommended for all public libraries.—Rachel Bridgewater, Reed Coll., Portland, OR

Reingold (political science & women's studies, Emory Univ.) has compiled these essays to address "the ways in which gender interacts with partisanship, ideology, race, and ethnicity to affect [elected] women's choices, goals, strategies, interactions and accomplishments." After a brief survey of the scholarly literature, 11 essays consider topics that have received limited attention. For example, rather than focusing on general elections, one piece considers women's experience specifically in primaries and finds that women tend to face more competition in those races. Another examines how women in the U.S. Senate handle defense issues and observes that they engage on the "hard" issues (weaponry) as often as male senators but are more likely to lead on the "soft" ones, such as the quality of military life. Latina and Latino state legislators share policy priorities, but Latinas more often work in coalition with other underrepresented groups. African American women state legislators, it is noted, remain excluded from positions of power in Mississippi, Georgia, and Maryland. All the writers hold scholarly credentials, and the intended audience is academic. Especially useful for those studying and teaching in the field of women and politics, this work offers several fresh areas of examination. Suitable for academic libraries and large public libraries.—Cynthia Harrison, George Washington Univ., Washington, DC

Keltner (psychology, Univ. of California, Berkeley; director, Greater Good Science Ctr.) effectively brings together Charles Darwin, William James, John Bowlby, and contemporary students of emotion Paul Ekman and Jonathan Haidt to posit a "new science of positive emotion." He bases this science on the Confucian notion of jen, which describes the satisfaction of bringing out the goodness in oneself and others. Keltner argues that emotions like affection, trust, love, compassion, and awe are hardwired in humans across cultures. Vulnerability promotes social cooperation when our frontal lobes are functioning normally—not the case with psychopaths. With sophisticated and entertaining research, Keltner shows that smiling and laughter have different origins and functions, that teasing and politeness are related, that getting soldiers to kill requires damaging the structures of goodness, and that altruism, awe, and religious feeling are demonstrable components of evolved human brains. A landmark book in the science of emotion and its implications for ethics and human universals, this is essential for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/08.]—E. James Lieberman, George Washington Univ. Sch. of Medicine, Washington, DC

Moss, the author of several books on dreaming (e.g., The Three "Only" Things: Tapping the Power of Dreams, Coincidence, and Imagination), now explores the impact of dreaming and coincidence on history. In the first half of the book, he discusses instances in which seers and dreamers have changed the course of history by gaining otherwise inaccessible information while also considering the history of dream interpretation and the history of dreams as inspiration in medicine and the arts. The book's second half presents the biographies of four remarkable and distinctive dreamers—Joan of Arc, Lucrecia de León (whose dreams predicted the defeat of the Spanish Armada), Mark Twain, and Winston Churchill. While certainly not adhering to the standards of academic history or psychology, the book is captivating, well written, and sure to please the casual reader. For most public libraries.—Mary Ann Hughes, formerly with Neill P.L., Pullman, WA

Relationships are fraught with dangerous pitfalls, the most current being the "emotional affair," which the Internet has made a major temptation and a painful problem. Psychotherapists Ronald T. Potter-Efron (Angry All the Time) and Patricia S. Potter-Efron define an emotional affair as "an intense, primarily emotional, nonsexual relationship that diminishes at least one person's emotional connection with his or her committed partner." They provide an excellent list of questions to help determine if your partner is involved in such an affair and discuss why these affairs take place, whose fault it is, and how to confront the partner having the affair. They also offer advice for the person having the affair on how to end it and move on. The Potter-Efrons emphasize the "five A's" of a relationship—attention, appreciation, acceptance, admiration, and affirmation—and identify seven common problems—mutual anger and hostility, lack of emotional commitment, mutual distrust, emotional overdependence, continuing power battles, excessive focus on family or children, and oversensitivity to insult. Straightforward, well written, and full of good advice for couples facing this problem and those who may be drifting toward what could become an emotional affair, this is recommended for all public libraries.—Mary E. Jones, Los Angeles P.L.

Canadian clinical psychologists Watt (psychology, St. Francis Xavier Univ.) and Stewart (psychiatry, psychology, & community health & epidemiology, Dalhousie Univ.) tackle the identification and treatment of anxiety sensitivity, characterized by behavioral patterns in which the individual dwells excessively on the possibility of an event. In the book's first half, the authors introduce this anticipatory state of worry, which can be severe enough to trigger panic attacks, posttraumatic stress episodes, and related anxiety disorders. In the second half, techniques for reducing anxiety and skills for preventing relapse are explored in depth. Unlike many of the popular self-help books on the market, this is grounded in significant scholarly and clinical research. Watt and Stewart have, combined, 25 years of clinical and research experience in the field of anxiety and related disorders and are productive authors of peer-reviewed research in this field. Their book benefits greatly from this expertise; concepts are presented clearly, and corroborating case studies add color and depth to the topics under discussion. Recommended for both public and academic libraries.—Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib. and Information Ctr., Atlanta

Every year, another scandal! The Pentagon fakes the story of captured soldier Jessica Lynch; the New Republic discovers that reporter Stephen Glass made up all or part of 21 stories; Oprah touts and then must repudiate James Frey's falsified memoir. And in author Maliszewski's first book, we learn also of his own faked letters to the editor and advice columns when he was working for an upstate New York financial journal in the 1990s. What he wrote was accepted and published without comment; it reinforced the editor's and readers' prejudices. Maliszewski says he created his own correspondents to highlight the journal's idiocy. He learned a lesson about our vulnerability to falsehood: we accept what we think right, especially if it's presented as story, and not (usually) what we've verified as true. The reader seeking a scholarly study won't find it in this intriguing and engaging book of essays. Rather, Maliszewski tells lively stories about fakers past and present, spiced by his own observations on why faking works. There are interviews with journalist Michael Finkel (he invented Youssouf Male, an African wage slave, for the New York Times), painter Sandow Birk, and performance artist Joey Skaggs. A good book, enlightening but of modest proportions, it is recommended for general collections.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

After living on—and writing about—islands in the South Pacific (The Sex Lives of Cannibals), Troost now tackles China. As with his previous books, he does so with wit and the great ability to tell a good story. It is also clear that he has not written this book with cooperation from any official Chinese tourist bureau. China comes off as terribly polluted: "in no way was I ready for the swirling filth that constitutes air in Beijing. It was, frankly, apocalyptic"; a nation of knock-offs and rip-offs, and cruelly authoritarian (Tibet). Troost is constantly besieged with offers of questionable Rolexes and Mont Blanc pens and is badgered by taxi drivers and beggars. It seems as if every hotel he stays in has an established brothel, or at least entrepreneurial women offering massages. His traveling fortunes turn when he gets out into the countryside, away from the overcrowding and pollution and back to nature. Troost went to China on the pretext of checking it out, after toying with the idea of moving his wife and kids there (to flee the pollution and crime of Sacramento). What he finds instead is a country changing fast while skipping over nuisances like human rights, copyrights, and pollution controls. Ending on an upbeat note, he does concede that China is probably better than North Korea. Troost's books are a pleasure to read. Recommended for public libraries.—Lee Arnold, Historical Soc. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia