Arts & Humanities

By Staff -- Library Journal, 5/15/2007

Arts

Published in conjunction with an eponymous exhibition showing through August 2007 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, this catalog is a photographic collection of the Great Wall in all its nuances, which Changfen has spent a lifetime photographing from every angle, in every season and all weather, in shadow and light, from close up and far away. Of the 70 photographs, 42 are in color and 38 are in black and white. The latter images, with their tonal range and sense of emptiness, recall the work of Ansel Adams. Changfen truly captures a sense of feeling or personality with his beautiful and majestic photographs. Noted Yale historian Jonathon D. Spence writes the foreword, and Tucker (curator of photography, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; History of Japanese Photography) writes the essays accompanying the photographs while also providing an interview with Changfen. A book to treasure; highly recommended for public, special, and academic libraries.—Karen MacMurray, Cape Coral P.L., FL

Drawing from more than 20,000 glass-plate negatives and 10,000 vintage photographic prints, this large-format catalog (finely printed on acid-free paper) features the work of Eugene de Salignac, official photographer of the New York City Department of Bridges/Plant and Structures from 1906 to 1945. Published in conjunction with a major exhibition of de Salignac's work at the Museum of the City of New York, it includes chapters on his photographs of city inspections, accidents, and the city's major bridges. Each of the carefully composed photographs—a blend of document and fine art—captures a key moment. As a group, they offer an impressive slice of New York City life during a time of robust growth. A fascinating biographical essay by Lorenzini (senior photographer, New York City Dept. of Records/Municipal Archives) recounts efforts to learn more about the largely unknown photographer, while Moore's (Jacques Henri Lartigue: The Invention of an Artist) thoughtful essay, illustrated with classic photographs of the era, places de Salignac's work in historical context. A compelling story of the city during this key historic period and a wonderful tribute to the photographer; highly recommended not only for photography, art, history, and architecture collections but also for general collections in public and academic libraries.—Raymond Bial, First Light Photography, Urbana, IL

Last year, the 70th anniversary of Eva Hesse's birth saw two major exhibitions and five new books devoted to the work of this remarkable artist, one of which is this catalog to a recent exhibition at Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Hesse is best known as a sculptor whose work, rooted in 1960s minimalism, blurred boundaries between artistic media and used flexible materials such as latex, string, and electric wire to create abstract organic forms. Drawing was central to Hesse's creative process and served as a springboard for her sculptures, many of which resemble three-dimensional drawings. The book contains 199 color and 33 black-and-white illustrations and a list of works in the exhibition. Eight essays by editor de Zegher, one of the organizers of the exhibition, and other scholars examine various aspects of Hesse's life and work. Highly recommended for all art collections.—Martha Smith, Elmira Coll., NY

Fanés (art history, Univ. Autònoma de Barcelona; former director, Salvador Dalí Museum, Spain) here presents a particular piece to the puzzle that is surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. In focusing on the years between Dalí's first one-man show and his filming of the movies Le Chien andalou (1929) and L'Âge d'Or (1930), Fanés paints a full picture of the development of Dalí's artistic personality. Perhaps most touching and indicative is the artist's relationship with writer Federico García Lorca. In the early pages, Fanés discusses Lorca's "Ode to Salvador Dalí," situating Dalí squarely within the Esprit Nouveau movement, showing him to be a formalist, and illustrating the closeness between the two friends. But the last pages find Dalí a changed man, one who is "far from love," having broken his ties to both his homeland and to Lorca and who is steeped in Surrealism. Fanés gives us concrete imagery throughout, e.g., showing a Lorca drawing on the reverse side of the canvas Dalí used to paint Lugubrious Game (1929). A sound foundation for Dalí scholars, this is recommended for larger libraries and those specializing in art history.—Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH

Looking out of lofty hotel windows after dark, German photographer Hütte captures monumental views of ten different U.S. cities, creating a unique document of American urban landscapes in the first decade of this century. This thin monograph accompanies a recent show of the 21 carefully selected shots, each bearing subtle cues as to the more singular qualities of the metropolis it depicts. For example, the foreground of the New York photos is crammed with midtown high rises, and Las Vegas appears as a field of glitter low on the horizon. Nocturnally, Manhattan looks less attractive than it is in daylight, while Vegas seems more crystalline and appealing. Perceptible hints of Charles Sheeler, Clyfford Still, and 19th-century landscape realism emerge from Hütte's project. In the flesh, these photos are enormous; the panoramic close-ups of Rem Koolhas's Seattle Central Library are ten feet wide. Here they are reduced by about 75 to 90 percent, so the "wow" factor must be imagined without seeing the 2006 London exhibition in person. Still, the Seattle images offer a comforting sense of closure in the final pages. An interesting expansion of both the medium and the artistic traditions, this is recommended for large art collections.—Douglas F. Smith, Berkeley P.L., CA

This translated academic treatment focuses closely on the progression of the design of major buildings during the 15th and 16th centuries, as Italian artists and master builders were rediscovering Roman architecture. Frommel (former director, Biblioteca Hertziana, Rome), who has taught at various universities, incorporates recent historical research into his discussion of the work of 35 prominent architects, including Filippo Brunelleschi, Leon Battista Alberti, Donato Bramante, Raphaello Sanzio, Michelangelo, and Andrea Palladio. No current work in English seems to cover this ground (Peter Murray's identically titled book is more accessible, but it has not been revised in ten years or more). The glossary is essential for nonscholars; Frommel uses precise architectural terms and some Italian terms to describe form and decoration. The illustrations consist of high-quality black-and-white archival photographs, drawings, and engravings. Recommended for academic libraries.—David R. Conn, Surrey P.L., B.C.

Laub has published photographs in Newsweek, Time, and The New Yorker and studied photography at the International Center of Photography in New York. Testimony, her first published monograph, is a compilation of 47 color portraits taken between 2002 and 2006 of Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, displaced Lebanese families, and Palestinians—all of whom have been touched by the Arab-Israeli conflict. While people with startling war wounds are sometimes depicted, many of the images appear to be of ordinary people living their everyday lives in their homes, in city parks, and at local beaches. Laub asked each person she photographed to write a statement as if it were his or her last will and testament. The result: the photographs tell sorrowful stories, but much of the written commentary tells stories of hope. Recommended for public and academic libraries with large photography collections and collections documenting Israel and Palestine.—Valerie Nye, Coll. of Santa Fe, NM

Viennese-born designer Paul T. Frankl (1886–1958) combined the training of the Old World with the energy of the new, thereby creating a casual but elegant, uniquely American style. Skyscraper furniture, streamlined furnishings, striking graphic advertisements, and the use of industrial materials were the hallmark of his work on the East Coast; later, on the West Coast, a freer, more open design emerged, as did Asian influences in his interiors. With access to family documents and unpublished papers, Long (architectural history & theory, Univ. of Texas, Austin; contributing author, Josef Frank: Architect and Designer) is the first to delineate both the life and the work of this important figure. Throughout his career, Frankl sought to keep experiment and innovation alive, working with other artists and manufacturers to refine and redefine the look of the American style and the world it represented. The ability to popularize without demeaning, to adapt without distorting, and to create a new aesthetic without abandoning the past—these are the talents he brought to his design and to our world. With excellent illustrations (120 b&w, 42 color) and an extensive bibliography; highly recommended for any collection of 20th-century art and design.—Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York

Well conceived, presented, and illustrated, this oversized catalog, accompanying an art exhibition at the Kunstsammlungen in Chemnitz, Germany, features the woodblocks, etchings, watercolors, lithographs, drawings, writings, and more by German American illustrator, painter, and printmaker Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956). Born in the United States, Feininger studied art in Germany and France, where he developed a style influenced by Cubism and German Expressionism. He taught printmaking at the Bauhaus prior to fleeing Nazi Germany in 1937 and permanently returning to the United States. Showcasing Nuremburg architect Harald Loebermann's Feininger collection for the first time in its entirety, this monograph reveals the affinities of the two men, who were interested in craftsmanship, representations of urban spaces, and the spirit of the Bauhaus. The catalog also sets forth six essays by distinguished curators, writers, and art historians, who address various aspects of the artist's works and career, including his early search for new forms, tenure at the Bauhaus, relationships with contemporaries, persecution by the Nazis, and American period. A well-documented book that constitutes a noteworthy acquisition for most large public, academic, and research collections focusing on modern art and artists, this is highly recommended for its beautiful scholarly and insightful content.—Cheryl Ann Lajos, Free Lib. of Philadelphia

This aptly titled catalog and exhibition (which just closed at the Baltimore Museum of Art and will travel to Milwaukee and Memphis) together form a deep study of the transformation of Camille Pissarro's work from 1864 to 1974, which saw the artist move away from his Barbizon-style mentors and technique toward an avant-garde style of his own. The catalog is a visual treat, as one luscious although not predictably impressionistic landscape after another fills its pages. It is also a very fine work of scholarship. Exhibition curator Rothkopf (curator, European painting & sculpture, Baltimore Museum of Art) and highly regarded Pissarro scholars like Christopher Lloyd have contributed smart, succinct essays conveying the artist's appeal. Because this is the first catalog to look so closely at Pissarro's pre-impressionist years, his experimental techniques during this time, and the profound impact place had on his painting of landscapes, it is recommended for academic, public, and special libraries supporting an art history collecting program.—Jennifer H. Pollock, Yale Ctr. for British Art, New Haven, CT

Artist Candida Höfer works in a variety of media. This catalog for an exhibition, which showed recently at the Centro de Exposições in Lisbon, Portugal, collects her photographs of palaces, churches, libraries, and other architecture of Portugal, accompanied by minimalist captioning. The volume is beautifully produced on thick, glossy paper, lending gravitas to both image and text. The images are strong and powerful, united in style and presentation and accompanied by bilingual text by Saramago, the Nobel laureate in literature for 1998, and others. Well written, scholarly, and thought-provoking, this commentary appears primarily at the beginning, thus leaving most of the pages to the photographs. Unfortunately, however visually stunning the book, it remains questionable whether American readers have adequate background on Höfer and Portugal to create much demand. Order only if demand warrants.—Alex Hartmann, INFOPHILE, Williamsport, PA

This book aims to lasso Russian architecture and pull it into the corral of European architecture, going back 1000 years—which, argues the author, is an about-face in the historiography of Russian architectural history, hitherto confined to an isolationist position fostered by the Soviet state. Shvidkovsky, dean of Russian architectural historians and son of two well-known Russian architectural historians, here addresses only monumental masonry buildings—churches, palaces, fortresses, and major 19th-century institutional buildings—in alignment with the ideology of the new Russian state, for which international tourism is paramount. Russia's rich tradition of wooden, vernacular, and folk architecture is completely absent because it lies outside the pale of formal European stylistic influence. The 250 color photographs by Shorban, a senior research fellow in the National Register of Russian architectural heritage, are all phenomenal. Unfortunately, Shvidkovsky's text is difficult to read, even for an experienced and knowledgeable architectural historian. Either the text or the translation needs polish. Not a necessary purchase.—Peter S. Kaufman, Boston Architectural Ctr.

Members of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York, including Steele (director), Patricia Mears (deputy director), and Clare Sauro (assistant curator of accessories), organized an exhibition and this accompanying catalog to celebrate Ralph Rucci, perhaps the best anonymous haute couture designer in America and also a former FIT student. Here they provide the first comprehensive look at a perfectionist designer whose clothes ooze luxury and exquisite attention to detail and whose success is the stuff of American fairytales. Rucci effectively quotes design icons like Cristóbal Balenciaga through fabric, but his modern art references are less convincing (one major artist's name is even misspelled). And while it is inspiring to see Rucci finally receiving attention, this catalog fails to deliver fully. Its photographs do not completely capture his designs, their sumptuous materials, or the way they work, and the texts are cursory. One wishes New York Times fashion reporter Cathy Horyn, one of the few critics to show sustained interest in Rucci over several decades, had been asked to contribute. Like the clothes themselves, this book should appeal to a small audience of high-fashion lovers.—Prudence Peiffer, Cambridge, MA

If he had not been a professional basketball player, Abdul-Jabbar informs his readers, he would have been a history teacher. This new book on the Harlem Renaissance brings together his four greatest passions: Harlem, basketball, jazz, and writing. Examining the social and economic forces that led to Harlem's rise as the cultural capital of black America in the 1920s and 1930s, it celebrates the literary, artistic, and political influences of the movement's leaders, including W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Alain Locke, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay, and Zora Neale Hurston, among others. It also highlights Harlem's special relationship with jazz, providing background on the nightclubs that flourished there as well as historical commentary on jazz and jazz musicians from Scott Joplin to Louis Armstrong. However, the most original—and perhaps the most interesting—chapters of the book deal with the history of the Harlem Renaissance Big Five and this team's influence on professional basketball. A good choice for African American literary studies and sports collections, this book is recommended for, but not limited to, young adult readers.—William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNY

Wallace Stevens stands alongside Yeats, Frost, Elliot, Moore, and Williams as a major poetic voice of the 20th century. But his work often presents challenges, and his rich and sensuous language can quickly turn haunting and perplexing. Concerned with the rich power of the imagination and how it transforms reality, his poems often begin with the familiar, then move into the figurative. He is also known to work with unusual words—the colloquial, archaic, and rare—exploring all of their connotations and combining them in unusual ways. This "reader's guide" by Cook, a Stevens scholar and professor emerita at the University of Toronto, discusses poems from Stevens's several poetry collections, addressing some of these difficulties for college students and others who may be baffled or curious. A detailed appendix, including a guide to reading modern poetry, offers additional help. In contrast to guides that provide long, involved commentaries, Cook's incisiveness and brevity are impressive—she sheds light without forcing her interpretation. Recommended for large public and academic collections.—Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

This collection of some 40 essays first published in the New Criterion and written by such noteworthy figures as Robert H. Bork and F.H. Buckley is intended to celebrate the conservative journal's 25th year. Declaiming against a culture "contaminated" by "political influences," New Criterion coeditors and copublishers Kimball and Kramer—believing themselves uncontaminated, objective observers of our cultural scene—describe in an introductory essay the source of our cultural decline: the "demotic inanities of pop culture," pseudoscholarship running amok in universities, and "gullible and feeble" liberals ruining stuff in general with their "centuries of sentimental qualms." In one astounding essay, Mordecai Richler implicitly compares his own writings favorably with those of Mark Twain. In another, Robert Bork sneers at a sinister intelligentsia cabal (led by the likes of Ted Turner and Barbra Streisand) for its overwhelming influence on any social institution that fails to take the proper conservative point of view toward, well, anything at all. This is the kind of book that will prove whatever prejudgments the reader brings to it: conservatives will find it a good source of quotations and arguments to buttress their views, while progressives will only shudder and say, "There you go again, Mr. Crazy Rightwinger." Could be very popular.—Peter Dollard, Mt. Pleasant, MI

These three works begin a series called "The Writer's World," which is edited by critic, poet, and essayist Edward Hirsch and will eventually feature writing from Arabia, Chile, Israel, Italy, Romania, Spain, and 19th-century America. The goal of the series is to promote understanding among cultures by allowing authors to speak of their craft in relation to their culture. These three titles offer selections of essays, poetry, and interviews of some of the best and most essential authors of their respective cultures, though each takes a slightly different approach. The volume on Mexican writing stresses history and assimilation. Selections begin with writing that describes indigenous times (de las Casas), continue through the colonial era (Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, de Balbuena), and progress up to the dilemmas of Mexico of the late 20th century (Paz, Poniatowska, Fuentes, and others). The Irish volume does not go back quite that far; the authors represented were born in the 19th or 20th centuries, when Ireland was struggling for autonomy and later achieved it. Entries are many but brief—this is a "a book of fire and shorthand"—but what a rich medley: Yeats, Shaw, Lady Gregory, O'Casey, Joyce, Beckett, MacNeice, Behan, Kinsella, Heaney, and 70 more. The Polish volume stresses community, in particular how Polish literature migrated from nationalism (Lesmían, Brzozowski), endured the trauma of World War II (Schultz, Milosz, Kamienska), and finally permitted the individual to speak (Herbert, Szymborkska). The common thread running through the writing of the authors selected to represent these three cultures is the interweaving of literary and national identities. Thus, an author's ability to transcend boundaries—whether social, political, or personal—is the worthy feat documented by each of these writers. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.—Nedra Crowe-Evers, Sonoma Cty. Lib., CA

Lynch (Triumph of the Red Devil) has written a scholarly book as addictive as an issue of Hello! She traces the creation in 1949 of the titular bookshop (which actually got its start as a general store stocking hardware) through its closure by owner Miss May Flaherty in 1988, using anecdotes and interviews with bookshop staff as well as writers and their friends and relations. Though she arranges the book in roughly chronological order, the chapters weave back and forth over the years tracing events in the lives of famous bookshop patrons: the rivalry between playwright Brendan Behan and poet Patrick Kavanagh; a drunken celebration of the anniversary of Bloomsday by (among others) novelist Flann O'Brien and Tom Joyce, James Joyce's cousin; and the heydays of the Pike Theater and the Palace Bar. This is neither a literary biography nor a history of 20th-century literary Dublin; rather, it is an intimate, eccentric, and loving look into a time and a place (Parsons) that are now gone. Recommended for large public and academic libraries with Anglo-Irish literature collections.—Felicity D. Walsh, Emory Univ., Decatur, GA

Aiming to examine how opinions of and attitudes toward Shakespeare have mutated since the playwright's death in 1616, Lynch (English, Rutgers Univ.; ed., Samuel Johnson's Dictionary) here provides an introduction to and overview of how different eras perceived Shakespeare and presented his plays and discusses the development of what has become the "Shakespeare industry." In part, the text is a history of theater in England that mostly concentrates on attitudes there. The chapter on early Shakespearean actors focuses on the 18th and 19th centuries and provides more information about the actors than on how they shaped their respective eras' view of Shakespeare. Lynch is most interesting when examining how different eras rewrote and edited Shakespeare to make the plays meet the moral and theatrical standards of their time. He includes a list of suggested readings but provides no footnotes or references. A more useful scholarly study of Shakespeare's cultural impact is John Gross's After Shakespeare: An Anthology. However, Lynch's text will appeal to general readers with an interest in Shakespeare. Recommended for public libraries.—Shana C. Fair, Ohio Univ. Lib., Zanesville

Faulkner once said in an interview, "If I had not existed, someone else would have written me." In this biography—an installment in Oxford's "Lives & Legacies" series, which also includes biographies of Twain and Eliot—Porter (American literature, Univ. of California, Berkeley; Seeing and Being) demonstrates that Faulkner's novels could not possibly be written by "someone else." This concise but authoritative resource about Faulkner's life and writing spans the writer's entire life but focuses on the period between 1929 and 1940—considered the most prolific years of his writing career. Porter recounts particular moments in Faulkner's life, including his childhood, difficult marriage, struggles as a writer, and stays in Paris, New Orleans, and Hollywood. The sound biographical information sets the backdrop for Porter's excellent analysis of Faulkner's major works, including The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying, and Light in August. Her examination of Faulkner's writing technique, especially his experimentation with the narrative form, makes this resource essential for all libraries that support literature collections.—Erica Swenson Danowitz, Delaware Cty. Community Coll., Media, PA

Roiphe here presents her vision of "progressive marriage, occurring in literary circles in England…from 1910 to the…Second World War." Her premise is that the couples she examines were highly unusual and innovative—willing to challenge the traditional boundaries of married life and the conventions agreed to by polite society. She chronicles the lives of such well-known figures as H.G. Wells and Katherine Mansfield as well as personalities not so widely recognized today, including Ottoline Morrell and Elizabeth Von Armin. Of the "unconventional domestic portraits" Roiphe offers, the only truly unusual ménage is the household of artist Vanessa Bell. Bell managed an "almost ideal family" consisting of her husband, Clive Bell; abandoned lover Roger Fry; Duncan Grant, the man she lived with; and Grant's lover, David Garnett. The other domestic arrangements examined here are composed largely of husband/wife pairs entangled with a third party and dealing with typical emotions of "jealousy, disappointment and rage." Although Roiphe contends that the people she analyzes believed in their ability to overcome their emotions through reason, she concludes that they were destined to fail. Roiphe herself ultimately fails in her attempt to make a convincing case for this superficial topic. Not a necessary purchase. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/07.]—Kathryn R. Bartelt, Univ. of Evansville Libs., IN

Steinberg has enjoyed an illustrious career as a comic entertainer, writer, and director. He served as Johnny Carson's regular substitute host; directed episodes of several notable television programs, including Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Mad About You; and currently hosts the television show Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg. In his new work outrageous humor intersects with autobiography as Steinberg imagines his life as a play on the Old Testament. Owing to the nature of the narrative, it is difficult at times to decipher fiction from nonfiction; footnotes often provide the only insight to the true story. Groucho Marx, Lenny Bruce, and other notables make brief appearances, but the main characters are God and a frequently sexually preoccupied Steinberg. While this is not a book for readers who enjoy standard autobiographies or those seeking the details of Steinberg's life, fans may expect—and even desire—such an unusual and clever creation. Recommended for public libraries that collect biographies of popular culture figures and specialized film and television collections.—Stacy Russo, Chapman Univ. Lib., Placentia, CA

Harris (dance, Texas Christian Univ.), a former student of Banes, collects analysis and criticism by Banes (Marian Hannah Winter Professor Emerita of Theater History & dance studies, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison; Terpsichore in Sneakers) from the Soho Weekly News, the Village Voice, Dance magazine, and other publications, along with previously unpublished papers. From a unique perspective, Banes covers major choreographers like Alvin Ailey, Merce Cunningham, and Paul Taylor during the 1970s and 1980s, and she discusses National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding, university patronage of the arts, and the portrayal of women dancing in music videos. On the work of Merce Cunningham, she writes, "And each dance has its own qualities and features, just as you'd never mistake Times Square for Piazza San Marco." Banes explores many different aspects of the dance scene, e.g., the nonprofit arts organization The Kitchen in New York, olfactory performances (dance using scent), and even George Balanchine's choreography for circus elephants in the 1940s. An important contribution to dance history and criticism that captures the spirit of the times in a changing landscape; recommended for academic libraries with dance collections.—Barbara Kundanis, Boulder, CO

Film may be the perfect creative medium through which to ponder, parody, and criticize the world of politics. Booker (English, Univ. of Arkansas; Alternate Americas: Science Fiction Film and American Culture; Drawn to Television) explores this relationship in an academic yet accessible discussion of American films that deal with politics and political issues. His examination of the genre is extensive—he cites and discusses over 250 films produced between 1911 and 2006—but a focus on a more select group may have been more effective; many films are mentioned so succinctly that the book reads more like an exercise in research than a vital list of works that represent the American political film. Readers interested in the subject most likely will already be familiar with the majority of the films and their political relevance. As a single-volume survey of a provocative and important genre, however, this is a unique and highly readable source. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.—Peter Thornell, Hingham P.L., MA

Let's get real; this is not the book to buy this summer to improve your golf game. Cooper's tips are helpful, but who can live up to his seventh step, "Play with Those Who Inspire You"? This comes from a guy who played golf with Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, and Dean Martin and who considered Groucho Marx one of his best friends. Part golf book, part rock 'n' roll fairy tale, and part Alcoholics Anonymous testimonial, this is Cooper's autobiography—the story of Detroit's Vincent Damon Furnier, who formed the band Alice Cooper and changed his name. All the myths are debunked: no, he never killed a chicken on stage; yes, he is now a proud Christian; and no, his father is not Mr. Green Jeans from Captain Kangaroo. Cooper's battle with alcohol addiction is inspiring, although he replaced booze with a healthy addiction to golf (eighth step). Written with the Zimmermans, twin brothers who have coauthored 12 books, this is recommended for large public libraries collecting golf and highly recommended for any library collecting the history of rock' n' roll.—Todd Spires, Bradley Univ., Peoria, IL

Crozier, a former member of the editorial board of the British Journal of Music Education, has written a straightforward guide to the world of musical instruments to help parents, teachers, children, and even adult learners select a suitable instrument. Part 1 provides general advice and background information on a range of topics, including selecting a teacher, practice, the components and various types of music lessons, the practical matter of costs, where and how to buy, and music competitions. Part 2 provides concise one- to two-page descriptions about the most commonly taught instruments, from guitar and piano to clarinet and violin, as well as more unusual choices such as the steel pans, tabla, and ocarina. Each description includes a chart rating the instrument and information about repertoire, aptitude and temperament, cost and maintenance, and size and weight. Libraries that want a more in-depth resource will prefer Stephanie Stein Crease's Music Lessons: Guide Your Child To Play a Musical Instrument (And Enjoy It!). This concise and useful guide is recommended for public libraries and academic libraries that support music education programs.—Elizabeth M. Wavle, Elmira Coll., NY

It's fitting that Hasselhoff's autobiography was published first in Europe, where his status as icon began and where he is also a singing star. Growing up in Atlanta, he always wanted to be an actor. His big break was the soap The Young and the Restless, on which he was a huge hit for seven years. He is best known for his roles in Knight Rider, which has a cult following today, and Baywatch, which, with the help of his marketing sense and endless self-promotion, gave him a following around the world and a powerful position in television. He faced two divorces that devastated him and stints in rehab; but that is behind him, he says. Life is good for "The Hoff." He currently stars in The Producers in Las Vegas and will again be a judge on the TV show America's Got Talent. Hasselhoff has written a candid account of his life, with interesting tidbits about such costars as Pamela Anderson, and his self-deprecation and humor mitigate his sometimes self-congratulatory tone. A national tour is planned, so expect demand. Recommended.—Rosellen Brewer, Son-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA

Moskowitz (musicology, Univ. of South Dakota; Caribbean Popular Music) offers an exhaustive look at the words and music of all of the major releases by the late reggae superstar, Bob Marley. Major events of Marley's life are interspersed with analysis of his music and connected, somewhat superficially, to his songs. However, considering the great number of books about Marley, this one ranks among the best in its analysis of the song lyrics and its documentation of the musicians, producers, and instrumentation for most Marley sessions. With its comprehensive 23-page discography of singles and albums, informative chapter-by-chapter footnotes, and extensive bibliography of Marley and reggae-related titles, this will be of interest to music historians and determined fans; however, it is somewhat repetitious and may not appeal to casual readers. Recommended for comprehensive reggae collections and academic music libraries.—Bill Walker, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA

Sheed (The Boys of Winter; Office Politics) has produced a loving, idiosyncratic look at the classic era of American popular song from the "piano era" of Irving Berlin and George Gershwin to the post-World War II era. In chapters focusing on individual composers, Sheed discusses (among others) Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers. The essays are delightfully witty, perceptive portraits—certainly not full biographies. Sheed's love for the music shines on every page, yet he can also write in a slightly acerbic vein, as he does in his essay on Richard Rodgers. Sheed notes that this is not a work of scholarship; there are no footnotes or endnotes. There is, however, "A Note on Sources" listing the many conversations and interviews Sheed has had over the years with songwriters and their acquaintances. While this will not replace any of the many scholarly works on this era or on the individual songwriters, it is a valuable commentary on an essential slice of Americana. Highly recommended.—Bruce R. Schueneman, Texas A&M Univ.-Kingsville

Francis (political science, Univ. of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand) writes that "there were two Herbert Spencers." One was the public man who wrote and published much on scientific, philosophical, psychological, and sociological questions and problems; the other was a troubled, intensely private, and overly sensitive man whose life "had been a tragedy." Victorian biologist and social philosopher Spencer (1820–1903) has largely been neglected in the literature, and Francis remedies that here. He covers well the many problems in Spencer's life: e.g., his conflicts with his overbearing and troubled father, his inability to form and consummate loving relationships with the women in his life (notably, novelist George Eliot), and his battles with depression, melancholia, insomnia, and hypochondria. Although Francis prefers to call this an "intellectual biography"—and it certainly is that, because much of it deals with the ideas and controversy surrounding the nature of evolution—what sets it apart is its insight into Spencer's inner conflicts and aspects as well. Ours is often referred to as the Age of Anxiety, and in this sense, the picture of the troubled person who emerges here indicates why the author places him squarely in "modern life." Recommended for most collections.—Leon H. Brody, Falls Church, VA

American political philosopher Huard uses the Myth of the Cave, as found in Plato's Republic, as an agent against which to measure modern liberal democratic platforms. Following a quick review of the myth, he discusses the need to rehabilitate Plato's original concepts from their Augustinian subversion. He then deconstructs the conceptual differences and assumptions of the Platonic worldview vs. the largely Christian one that developed atop it. Finally, he restores Platonic concepts of freedom, justice, equality, truth, and art to his own view of Plato's intentions. This treatment of the Myth of the Cave is best suited to political and philosophical scholars, who will want to contrast and compare Huard's work with both traditional commentaries and contemporary political theories. The text is jargon-free, but it requires from the reader a thorough grounding in the foundations of Western philosophy. For academic libraries.—Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley P.L., CA

Selected by Louise Glück as winner of the prestigious Yale prize, Fisher's debut melds dreamscape and West Coast landscape, truth and fiction, hurt and humor, with a composed yet passionate language that seems all her own. The poems explore the line between world and word in the frail-craft of consciousness that is formed from experience: "but you're no different now/ than you were when you climbed out of the bath/ and out the window and onto the roof / and huddled naked, lord of yourself." Narrative prose poems comprise one of the four sections of this book: in "Three Dreams," the speaker holds the body of her dead brother and changes the reality of her dream to text: "and I thought Now that was clever, what a chap shot—if it disturbs you, you don't have to look; if it disturbs you, make it a book." Another prose poem, "Now-the Parade" (admired by Glück in her intelligent preface) uses surrealism to evoke detail and intensities of feeling rather than a penetrable story. Sometimes coherence derails ("If a camel has one hump and a dromedary two, how many will have perished at the mirage?"), but the final poem, which ends in a pioneer cabin, confirms this writer's powers: "What dreams we'll leave you/ salmon runs/ the idea/ of something outside:/ luminous patch of sky/ through branches & black needles." For all contemporary poetry collections.—E.M. Kaufman, Dewey Ballantine LLP Law Lib.

Hall's third poetry collection (after Hermit with Landscape and Strange Relation) is an extended elegy, dedicated without pretense to Long Nguyen, the poet's male lover, who died in 1998, having expressed the wish "not to be made into poetry." Through multiple contexts, Hall traces the effects of grief over the long term, with a frame of reference that embraces classical literature, popular culture (from Tom Hanks and Antonio Banderas in Philadelphia to W.C. Fields in The Bank Dick), and the postmodern discourse of Eve Sedgwick. Travel is the central metaphor, taking readers across varied geographical and cultural terrain from Los Angeles to Death Valley, from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and through the mental landscapes of time, memory, and dreams. Likewise, Hall shows affection for a range of fixed forms, from the exotic Persian ghazal to the Petrarchan sonnet, with each narrative choice reflecting an aspect of the changing face of grief. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.—Sue Russell, Bryn Mawr, PA

"What is poetry in wartime?" News anchors around the world apologize for showing explicit footage, but, as one Al Jazeera broadcaster says, "The world should know the truth." Rich has seen more of the world than most of us, and her poems bring back a truth we are unlikely to encounter anywhere else. As an election supervisor in Bosnia, a Fulbright fellow in South Africa, and a human rights trainer in Gaza, she has witnessed the horrors of war and seen ravaged nations and their scarred people. "What saved me was geography," she says, referring you to her childhood and her father's attentions. It is our turn now, and she shows us that there is much more to the world than most of us know: the Irish Jewish Museum in Dublin, a woman endlessly sweeping the wind-blown Sahara from her room, the women of Kismayo, who protest for peace by baring their breasts: "Simply the women/ of the town telling their men// to take action, to do something/ equally bold." We see maps and drag our fingers along spinning globes, but we are rarely aware of all the places we have left our fingerprints. Rich is a traveler and an observant one at that, with a keen attention to detail and a wonderful ear for the sounds and rhythms of place that make these lyric poems a delight. Highly recommended.—Louis McKee, Painted Bride Arts Ctr., Philadelphia

Vap's first collection, winner of the 2006 Iowa Poetry Prize, contains the soft, polished pieces one has come to expect from most contest winners. It's also beset with some of the same problems many first books face. A few too many unspecific others are addressed as "you" and spoken of throughout. Readers will have trouble even getting a clear picture of the speaker, as she admits in a rare moment of honesty: "I can't pull/ anything together, particularly./ There is little doubt that my blessedness/ is a perfect transparency. Maybe also, whatever comes to me first, stays." One wishes, at this point, she'd been a little more selective. Ventures into surrealism fall short of brilliance, seeming more like a half-remembered dream than an image or symbol grasped and explored. As if turning away from people, hers is an animistic dreamscape full of cats, dogs, horses, bears, birds, and sundry others. She's capable of a few excellent poems, though, and pieces such as "Speech of my lost twin," "My attention" and "Just look:" are promising enough to hope her next collection will be more powerful.—Rochelle Ratner, formerly with Soho Weekly News, New York

While much public debate has focused on whether global warming is real and a result of human action, a small segment of the religious Left has been quietly rethinking and reimagining faith, philosophy, and human action in light of this emerging reality. That the environmentally aware approach to religious thought known as ecotheology has come of age is amply in evidence in this outstanding cross-disciplinary anthology, which grew out of a conference held at Drew University in 2005. Editors Kearns and Keller have made sure that top names in the field as well as younger scholars offer something for almost all readers—accessible entry-level articles, approachable case studies, liturgical services and poetic readings, and, for veteran philosophers and theologians, tightly argued explorations from feminist, postmodernist, and activist perspectives. The philosophical and theological contributions are especially strong, both critiquing and appropriating Christian doctrine and deconstructive philosophy for eco-friendly ends. This challenging yet hopeful book will help readers become more earthy, more spiritual, more reflective, and more active. Recommended for all academic and larger public libraries.—Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL

In researching why women throughout European history have become nuns, Evangelisti (modern history, Univ. of East Anglia) found that some chose religion over an unwelcome marriage. Many more, she learned, were forced into convents by parents unable or unwilling to pay high dowries for their daughters' marriages. And still others chose to enter religious life as an alternative to remarriage after their husbands died. For women wanting an education, a convent offered an opportunity for learning and afforded a certain status. Several of the women highlighted here, e.g., Teresa of Avila, were able to create a career in the convents that would not have been possible in the secular world. By the 16th and 17th centuries and against the wishes of the Church, women began forming open communities—those not enclosed in a convent—that aided the poor, healed the sick, and taught the community's girls. There are few new ideas in this well-organized, well-researched, fully annotated, and indexed text, but it is certainly valuable to have these historical figures documented in one place. A lengthy bibliography is included for those wanting more information. A fine book; recommended for public libraries.—Jennifer Kuncken, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA

Fiala (philosophy, California State Univ., Fresno) has frequently taught ethics to undergraduate students coming from varying moral, theological, and philosophical perspectives. Some are committed believers, while others are more skeptical. Here, Fiala synthesizes years of teaching and debate into an objective ethics textbook. He carefully elaborates on Jesus's fundamental moral teachings, as articulated in the New Testament, and extrapolates from these principles a moral system extending to modern situations like abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, human sexuality, and social welfare—situations unfamiliar to the historical Jesus. He also incorporates the ethical reflections of great philosophers and psychologists like Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Sigmund Freud. His concisely written and succinctly argued survey of ethical studies is complete with chapter conclusions, notes, and a helpful index. Though intended for classroom instruction, it is equally appropriate for anyone interested in reflecting on living an ethical and moral life in today's world and well suited to a contemporary audience searching for truth. Readers may also be interested in Fiala's other scholarly contributions, Tolerance and the Ethical Life, Practical Pacifism, and The Philosopher's Voice. Recommended for all libraries.—John-Leonard Berg, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., Platteville

Patel (Building the Interfaith Youth Movement), a young American Ismaili Muslim of Indian background, uses this memoir to communicate the essential truth that what we learn in our youth will determine lifelong commitments, for good or ill. (Ismaili Islam is a branch of the Shia community.) Too many religious communities give mere lip service to the young, while religious totalitarians recruit youth for murderous acts—e.g., a Jew to assassinate the Israeli prime minister, a Christian racist to bomb the Olympics and family-planning clinics, Muslims to fly planes into buildings. Patel honestly addresses his own angry youth, cataloging in a deeply affecting way the fortunate influences—Catholic Worker houses, Sufis, his scarifying grandmother—that caused him to realize that understanding others' humanity and faith is better than the fanatic goal of eliminating what is different. The result has been Patel's founding of the Interfaith Youth Core, dedicated to helping youth of different faiths build trust through working toward common goals and carrying out social-service projects. His book strongly complements such memoirs as Ziauddin Sardar's Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Skeptical Muslim. Highly recommended for all libraries as one of the best first-person stories of youth activism, interfaith cooperation, and how to be both authentically American and Muslim.—William P. Collins, Library of Congress

Asked to name women auto racers, most people would think of Janet Guthrie and Shirley Muldowney, but a whole slew of women preceded them, until the demise of amateur clubs and increased commercialism shut the doors in the early Sixties. Before that, amateur clubs admitted women drivers rather matter-of-factly. McCarthy (chief film critic, Variety; Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood) engagingly paints portraits of women entering races as early as 1900, including Suzy Dietrich, an "enormously cute" librarian, and the aristocratic Evelyn Mull. Some were beauty queens, and some were grease monkeys, but understandably, most women racers were "free spirits," attracted to the risk and thrill because, as one socialite said, "It's so hard to go slow." The author sketches a history of amateur racing in the first half of the century, including references to Steve McQueen and James Dean, to put women's participation in context. This book could have been a dry recounting of race results but instead tells colorful anecdotes about colorful people, saying of Ruth Levy, "She's one of the main reasons the fifties were fabulous." As a unique look at a fascinating period, this is recommended for all public libraries. (The 16-page photo insert not seen.)—Kathy Ruffle, Coll. of New Caledonia Lib., Prince George, B.C.

By Gale A. Williamson, Fashion Inst. of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles

Driemen (former publisher, Best Kitchens & Baths magazine) explains in his book how kitchen design theories developed 60 years ago by Mary Kohl Heiner and Rose Steidl of Cornell University's College of Home Economics are gaining popularity in contemporary kitchen design. Their research revealed that task-specific work centers—as opposed to the work-triangle design popular in the latter half of the 20th century—were best suited for the kitchen. Interior photographer Hill's accompanying color images show 20 kitchens that have incorporated this concept; also included are descriptions of how the inhabitants worked with architects and designers to incorporate their lifestyles into the final design.

Alternately, architect Labau focuses on the kitchens of nearly 20 bungalows located throughout the United States that have been updated to suit 21st-century needs while keeping with the Arts and Crafts style. He discusses a variety of choices for lighting, flooring, hardware, windows, and the like and adds sidebarsto give a historical perspective on how the kitchen functioned in the first half of the 20th century. Both are recommended for professional, academic, and public libraries.

Lately, wallpaper as a decorative wall covering seems to have been replaced with the use of various paint finishes. However, this work by Fallon (coauthor, The Bathroom Makeover Book) and Floodgate (Creative Spaces for Kids) may renew wallpaper's popularity, with its wealth of practical advice for papering every surface of a home's interior. Clearly written and well-illustrated instructions describe wallpapering basics, and projects go into further detail about how to handle special situations such as papering around doors and inside cupboards. Especially handy is a troubleshooting section for those times when things don't go quite as planned. Both U.S. and U.K. resources are given. Highly recommended for public libraries.

The founders of the Boston furniture company Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams dispense decorating advice alongside color photos, floor plans, and step-by-step instructions. Using examples from their own homes as well as those of their clients, they show how to intermingle their company's furnishings and decorative accessories with personal collections and flea-market finds. The section demonstrating how a room's look can change using three different layouts and furnishings is particularly useful. With their furniture featured in Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, this book is recommended for large public interior design collections.

Vendome Press founder Gregory examines the estates of his European friends—Kasteel de Haar, Casa de Pilatos, Harewood House, Château de Haroué, Palazzo Gangi, Palazzo Sacchetti, Schloss St. Emmeran, and Palacio Frontiera—each of which is still owned by the original family. Many of these properties are open to the public either as museums or as rentals, but Gregory and photographer Walter were also given access to private rooms, all shown here in stunning color photographs. Family history is given, along with descriptions of the current owner's lifestyle, the measures taken to maintain the ancestral estate, and the estate itself. Recommended for large interior design collections.

Needlecraft writer Jefferys (Learn To Sew) offers 20 simple curtain-sewing projects after first reviewing the basics, e.g., equipment and trims. Accompanying most of the projects are clearly written directions that also advise on fabrics and window styles for which the curtains would be suited. Most of the styles are easy to make, except for the pinch-pleat curtains, which inexplicably are accompanied by only a minimal explanation (a better source for making these curtains can be found in Gail Abbott and Cate Burren's So Simple Window Style). The color photographs and instructions for various seams and hand stitches make this an excellent reference for the novice. Well suited for public libraries.

Discovery Home Channel veteran Lowell (Christopher Lowell's Seven Layers of Organization) shares more than 50 tricks for transforming a bland room into a pleasing one. Using a living room, a den, a master bedroom, and a hall—each photographed before and after—he experiments with new furniture layouts and numerous DIY projects. His upbeat, breezy tone suggests that amateurs will easily be able to tackle these projects; unfortunately, the minimal directions he provides might prove troublesome for his less experienced readers. Nonetheless, given Lowell's popularity, this book belongs in large public library collections.

As Petersen shows, glass can be used for two purposes in home design: as a way of allowing natural light to illuminate a room and as an architectural or decorative feature. Much of the text explores the first, detailing various types of windows, doors, and skylights and describing how their use and placement can create a desired effect. The remainder addresses glass as a decorative architectural element. More than 175 color photographs vividly illustrate the points, and sections on art glass—e.g., glass that has been stained, faceted, or etched—are also included. Recommended for academic and public libraries.