Arts & Humanities

Accompanying an eponymous exhibition (through 9/16) marking the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Menil Collection, Houston, this nicely illustrated (64 color, 21 b&w plates) catalog celebrates renowned French-born art collectors John and Dominique de Menil's inspired vision of patronage and the art objects they acquired for and donated to various European and American museums, including their own. Many of these works are exhibited together for the first time, evidencing the de Menils' inspired "modern" vision. Four insightful, sufficiently well-documented essays by Brennan (art history, Rice Univ., Houston), Josef Helfenstein (director, Menil Collection; exhibition curator), Ann Temkin (curator, Museum of Modern Art, New York; Barnett Newman), and Alfred Pacquement (director, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centres George Pompidou, Paris) discuss the artworks as well as the manners in which the de Menils extended their unique vision of patronage to several significant cultural institutions. Thoughtfully conceived and carefully presented, this work, though departing from the traditional organization of an exhibition catalog in its lack of catalog entries for each masterpiece, belongs in many academic, public, and special library collections, particularly those focusing on early to mid-20th-century collectors and museum collections. Highly recommended.—Cheryl Ann Lajos, Free Lib. of Philadelphia

Julie Speidel (b. 1941) creates large bronze and stone sculptures, many with unusual color and patina; she has also designed a few fountains. Her work is firmly entrenched in the 20th-century classic modernism hearkening back to Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Hans Arp, and Constantine Brancusi. She began her creative life by making jewelry, and some of the intimacy and intricacy of her jewelry pieces can be seen in her large-scale work. After the foreword by Brown (chief curator, Henry Art Gallery, Univ. of Washington), this career retrospective consists largely of color reproductions that do a reasonable job of portraying the three-dimensional originals, although multiple views of a few works would have more fully conveyed the scope. Art critic Henry's interview with the artist gives a few tantalizing glimpses into Speidel's long struggle to become an artist, but the interview is too short and general to convey the complete story. Not essential for the average library but welcome for collections with a focus on women artists or the art of the Pacific Northwest.—Amy K. Weiss, Univ. of California Lib., Santa Barbara

This is more than just a slim catalog following a recent Art Institute of Chicago exhibition; it is also an efficient anthology of language's enduring importance in Mel Bochner's (b. 1940) practice. Art historian Burton's (Bard Coll. & Columbia) essay, James Meyer's (art history, Emory Univ.) interview, and crisp reproductions of Bochner's various innovative exhibitions, magazine interventions, drawings, sculptures, photographs, quote pieces, and paintings reveal an innovative wordsmith of the conceptual generation. There is nothing groundbreaking in Burton's claim that language is the "connective glue" in Bochner's diverse oeuvre and its intellectual preoccupations. This is evident in Bochner's early word portraits of other artists and notecard statements from the 1960s as well as in his loud "Thesaurus Paintings"; recent scholarship, too, deserves more extensive acknowledgment. But Burton and Meyer both probe the historical ramifications and the paradoxes of language as material and offer fresh insights into Bochner's recent work. While other publications offer a broader view—e.g., Richard Field's excellent Mel Bochner: Thought Made Visible 1966–1973 (1995)—this one should not be overlooked. Recommended for art library collections.—Prudence Peiffer, Cambridge, MA

The beauty of life amid the agony of war and starvation is perhaps the most hopeful message in this powerful but somewhat disorganized polemic coinciding with an exhibition at the powerHouse Arena in Brooklyn, NY (8/30–9/30). Interspersed among the works of eight photographers are 21 pages of text giving a very brief overview of civil unrest in both Darfur and South Sudan as well as pleas from such figures as journalist Nicholas D. Kristof and Amnesty International (AI) Director Larry Cox to halt the killing and raping. The conflation of photos of the victims of the rebellion in Sudan's southern provinces with those in Darfur blurs the suffering into one vast vision of starving Africa. This book is in no way an explanation or history of the conflict in Sudan since the end of the colonial era. But as an album of photojournalism focused on human suffering, it is a success, and in its mission to rally members to AI and sway international opinion against civilian-directed violence, we can only hope it will not be preaching to the converted. Recommended. [An accompanying handbook provides URLs and other resources; all proceeds to benefit AI and the Genocide Intervention Network.—Ed.]—David McClelland, Seoul, South Korea

The fourth volume in Phaidon's successful "Cream" series, with modern typeface and reflective cover, highlights the work of 100 universally talented artists from 25 different countries ranging in age from 27 to 89, including several sixty-somethings whose work still shines. Hot curators such as Massimiliano Gioni and Shamim M. Momin select memorable, representative pieces from ten artists as well as one "source artist," an artist from a previous generation whose work has been influential. The interviews with the curators are lively and ultracontemporary, and the artwork is perfectly framed by the simple layouts. Next to each artist's selected biography are a few paragraphs of sharp analysis. Phaidon's claim that the book's main purpose is to "predict art stars of tomorrow" slightly cheapens this singular, handsome effort (the boast is especially puzzling as the majority of the artists featured have exhibited widely and continue to show at established galleries). Nonetheless, the impressively diverse showcase of talent makes this a singularly exciting reference. Highly recommended for all contemporary art collections.—Doug McClemont, New York

Although the art of Edwin Smith is relatively unknown today, when he died of cancer in 1971, he was one of England's most beloved photographers. Smith's images of quintessential English architecture, landscapes, gardens, and interiors were truly detailed and sensitive. He declared himself "an architect by training, a painter by inclination and a photographer by necessity," but his images have been favorably compared to many of the era's masters, including Eugène Atget and Ansel Adams. Elwall (photographs curator, British Architectural Lib., Royal Inst. of British Architects, London; Building with Light: The International History of Architectural Photography) divides this attractively designed book into three chapters: "Discovering Photography," "Discovering Britain," and "Discovering Abroad." Each traces the evolution of Smith's interest in and mastery of the medium of photography, while the more than 180 beautifully reproduced black-and-white photographs illustrate the historical and aesthetic value of his work. Revived discussion of this under-recognized artist will surely follow publication of this worthwhile career retrospective. Recommended for both photography and architecture collections.—Shauna Frischkorn, Millersville Univ., PA

Images of fantasy and horror, melancholy and memory are intrinsic to French artist Gustave Doré's (1832–83) work, but as this first English study in 25 years points out, his illustrations are only one element of his oeuvre. Doré's paintings and sculpture reveal a strong Romantic vision of the 19th century as well as a taste for political and mythological images, and though they have never had the same appeal as his graphic works, they are well worth considering. Based on holdings in American collections, this fascinating work examines the artist in the context of his own time and assesses his impact on visual media to the present day. Rosenblum (modern European Art, NYU) draws interesting parallels between Doré and Édouard Manet and points out their differences. Political statements and sardonic caricature are the topic of Dahesh Museum of Art curator Small's essay, while Zafran (curator, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art) examines Doré's work by theme. His inclusion of criticism from contemporary publications offers insight into the tastes and sensibilities of an earlier generation. Highly recommended for all art and academic libraries as well as large public collections.—Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York

This volume records the proceedings of a 2003 symposium at the National Gallery of Art (NGA) that coincided with an art exhibition also held there. Edited by Conisbee (Cézanne in Provence), the gallery's senior curator of European paintings, it consists of 15 of the 16 papers originally presented by the symposium's distinguished international scholars and is intended as a complement to the exhibition catalog. Chronologically arranged and predominately scholarly in methodology, content, and tone, it sets forth the latest research on French 18th-century genre painting and its subjects, contexts, audiences, and meanings. The contributors examine paintings by such artists as Jean-Antoine Watteau, Jean-Siméon Chardin, and Louis-Leopold Boilly and explore themes like the hybridization of painting genres. While adequately illustrated (175 b&w, 30 color plates) and well documented—with endnotes and contributors' biographies—the publication lacks a selected bibliography, cross references to the essays and artworks appearing in the catalog, and a list of works featured in the exhibition. As a self-contained, highly focused, detailed study, however, it belongs in art research library collections and is highly recommended for academic libraries. Public libraries may prefer to purchase the exhibition catalog, which is more colorful and contains survey essays and detailed descriptions of the masterpieces.—Cheryl Ann Lajos, Free Lib. of Philadelphia

Curator Houston recently mounted an exhibit of op art, an optical-illusion art form popular in the 1960s, at the Columbus Museum of Art, OH. This catalog, the only recently published work on the subject, accompanies that exhibit, yet it could easily stand alone. Following an introduction by art critic Dave Hickey are 11 well-written chapters describing op art within its historical context. This text is interspersed with images of archival material and high-quality photographs of installation pieces and paintings. Readers will find additional depth and understanding of this movement in the "Manifestos" section, which contains ten short essays by artists working in the op art genre. The catalog also provides short biographies of the more than 55 international artists it features—including Josef Albers, Bridget Riley, and Victor Vasarely—and a bibliography of criticism primarily from the 1960s. Recommended for public and academic libraries with art and 1960s history collections.—Valerie Nye, Coll. of Santa Fe Lib., NM

Seeking to understand how photographers get their ideas and inspiration and how images are selected for exhibition and publication, journalist/critic Jaeger has gathered interviews with an impressive international assortment of 20 photographers and eight curators, editors, and agency directors into one very interesting resource. She groups the photographers—e.g., Mary Ellen Mark, David LaChapelle, and Tina Barney—into five groups: art, documentary, fashion and advertising, portraiture, and next generation. Her straightforward questions, such as "Do you think it is important to have a philosophy?" and "What advice would you give to a budding photographer?" reveal her subjects' depth and range of practices and ideas. Likewise, those selecting photography for exhibition and publication—e.g., Rudolf Kicken (Gallery Kicken, Berlin) and Kathy Ryan (New York Times Magazine)—respond to questions like, "What do you look for in an image?" and "Where do you think photography is going?" Photographs accompany each interview. This is exciting stuff, spotlighting the inner workings of high-profile photography, and there is no single definitive answer to any given query. The result is a book full of informative ideas and suited for a varied audience. Recommended as an affordable addition to large public and academic photography collections.—Debora Miller, Minneapolis

Kelley's art is often BIG. So, too, is this book, which tries to be, via still photographs and two music CDs, a record of Kelley's 365-chapter mixed-media installation at New York City's Gagosian Gallery in 2005. Described as "a work-in-progress," it seems a lifetime of images already. Kelley takes high school yearbooks as source material then builds his art through sculpture, actors in costume, sound, dance, and silhouettes, giving tribute to holiday festivities, student hazing, and student life. He includes notes on various aspects of the project, while Welchman (visual arts, Univ. of California, San Diego), who has written other books on Kelley, contributes a critical review. A work this big can either be grand and epic or an ego-driven self-indulgence. The latter seems to prevail here. We all have high school yearbooks and high school memories; Kelley's transforming them into a huge brew of images and sounds, with visuals posed and added, just because he could may have startled, thrilled, or disappointed viewers in installation form at the Gagosian Gallery; as a book, it simply disappoints. Not recommended.—D. Bryant, New Canaan Lib., CT

Contemporary American printmaker and painter Kipniss is best known for his contemplative still lifes and landscapes of trees and shadowed houses. With their muted palette of grays, greens, and browns and their complete absence of figures, Kipniss's paintings evoke solitude and silence. This volume, a companion to Robert Kipniss: Intaglios 1982–2004 (2004), is devoted almost entirely to color plates, 117 in total. It includes a foreword by E. John Bullard (director, New Orleans Museum of Art), a short essay by Richard J. Boyle (art history, emeritus, Temple Univ.; American Impressionism), and a few comments by the artist himself. As Kipniss is not a widely known artist, this is not an essential acquisition except for comprehensive art libraries or regional libraries in the New York or Pennsylvania area. However, his work is accessible to a broad audience and has been shown in other U.S. regions (most recently in New Orleans), so general libraries may want to consider as well.—Kathryn Wekselman, M.Ln., Cincinnati

Koda and Bolton, who both curate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, offer the catalog raisonné to a recent show on French fashion designer Paul Poiret (1879–1944). (In 2005, the museum acquired a number of Poiret designs auctioned by his widow.) Containing personal photographs from the Poiret family archives as well as newly commissioned photographs of the designer's work, the catalog opens with an introduction by Nancy J. Troy (modern art history, Univ. of Southern California). This is then followed by scholarly essays by leading art and design historians exploring the many facets of the couturier's work. Poiret liberated women from the corset by creating tunic dresses that draped from the shoulders and harem trousers based on orientalist fantasies. His fashions—rendered in bright colors and made of luxurious fabrics—were like wearable works of art, and they appealed to such wealthy and artistic clients as actress Sarah Bernhardt, dancer Isadora Duncan, and heiress/activist/artist Nancy Cunard. A handsomely designed book with beautiful illustrations, this tome is recommended for academic and art libraries that collect books on fashion and design.—Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Coll. Lib., MA

This self-authored and picture-heavy (469 color ilustrations) catalog to a recent eponymous exhibition at the Fondation Cartier in Paris presents a sundry of peculiar artistic work by Lynch, who is probably more famous for his films (e.g., Blue Velvet and Eraserhead). Even so, it offers up a rare opportunity to explore his curious multidisciplinary talents: e.g., painting, photography, sculpture, and furniture. The minimal text precludes the need for a table of contents or an index. That said, transcribed among the artwork are a conversation on Lynch's art between philosopher Boris Groys and filmmaker Andrei Ujica and an interview with the artist by journalist Kristine McKenna. Those who really can't be bothered to read this text can instead insert the two accompanying CDs and listen to the conversations while contemplating Lynch's artwork—which, by the way, may be considered by some a bit too risqué for younger audiences. Recommended for special libraries with a contemporary art and/or film studies focus.—Jennifer H. Pollock, Yale Ctr. for British Art Lib., New Haven CT

This wonderful collection of paper-cut prints compiling the artist's calendar art is arranged thematically by each of the four seasons. Paper-cutting originated in China and gained popularity in Europe during the 18th century. McClure is self-taught in the medium, and her work is folk art at its best. She has a fine sense of composition, and her pieces have a bold, graphic appeal that is easy to like. She composes silhouettes by cutting black paper with an X-Acto® knife and, once the paper cut is complete, adds color and simple prose. With a knack for imparting movement to images, she creates a world-nurturing calm: a farmer reclines in meadows, while goats gently nuzzle his fingers; city dwellers make their way to work under a field of bobbing umbrellas; wafts of steam rise from a teacup carefully held in two hands. McClure's text is appropriate for fine arts libraries interested in collecting visual material in the so-called minor arts. Her organic, modernist images and life-affirming message make this a suitable children's book, too.—Katherine C. Adams, Yale Univ. Lib., New Haven, CT

Yorkshire novelist and artist Miller (Slow Down, Arthur, Stick to Thirty) presents samples of his iconoclastic and often scurrilous wordplay art based on the reworked covers of 1950s and 1960s Penguin Classics paperbacks. Cataloging the contents of a 2001 exhibition at the White Cube Gallery, London, the book also features transcripts of unedited conversations with such luminaries as filmmaker Sophie Fiennes, novelist Gordon Burn, and musician Jarvis Cocker. The tone is irreverent, informal, and at times tediously self-aggrandizing. Striking full-page and double-spread reproductions of the paintings and illustrations are grouped into enigmatic sections (e.g., "The Bad Weather Pictures") identified only at the back of the book. The interviews delve into the creative process; motivations and influences (Miller acknowledges pop art, Mark Rothko, Robert Rauschenberg, Ronald Dahl, and most notably Ed Ruscha, who provides the best interview); and the contemporary art, film, and music scenes. While the exchanges and anecdotes are of passing interest, excessive posturing subtracts from their profundity. The entire enterprise, which includes a brief chronology and an exhibitions list, would have been better served by third-party curators and critics as well as by the attention of a sagacious editor. Optional.—Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL

Every August people gather for one week in Nevada's Black Rock Desert to create and view curious, often fascinating artworks at the Burning Man Festival. For more than ten years, Californian photographer Nash (2010: The Return of Quetzalcoatl) has participated as an artist in this highly original event held in an otherwise bleak landscape and has documented its varied creations. His black-and-white images, especially the panoramic views against a backdrop of parched sand, capture the whimsy and imagination both of the artwork and the artists themselves. Daniel Pinchbeck (Breaking Open the Head) contributes an introduction that vividly sets the scene and explains the nature of the Burning Man. The photographs are then loosely organized into chapters that include "The Beginning," "Inspiration," "Road Trip," "Desert Rhythms," and "Exodus." Through each of these chapters, Nash provides a running commentary that helps to capture the spirit of the festival. At the very least, this is a fun book; at its best, it is a tribute to the liberating spirit of American art. Well designed and printed, it is highly recommended for all photography and art collections in public and academic libraries.—Raymond Bial, First Light Photography, Urbana, IL

Nichols, winner of the 2005 British Garden Writers' Guild Photographer of the Year Award, here describes his techniques and inspirations in capturing garden and flower images with both digital and traditional film cameras. He details plants and gardens from various countries and offers advice on such topics as equipment, light and weather conditions, and digital-image processing and enhancement. Readers will feel as though they're walking through the gardens themselves, with Nichols as their guide. The stunning photos, each accompanied by informative text, will capture their attention. While advanced photographers may find some of the content to be a rehashing of standard techniques, there is plenty to pique the interest of new photographers who love working in the garden. Since there aren't many other books on the topic, this one is recommended for public libraries with an interest in photography or for academic libraries with a photography program.—Ronald S. Russ, Arkansas State Univ. Lib., Beebe

This second volume of the definitive and elegant catalogue raisonné on American painter William Merritt Chase (1849–1916) is based on curator/museum director Pisano's research and was completed after his death by independent scholar Carolyn K. Lane and D. Frederick Baker (director, Pisano/Chase Catalogue Raisonné Project). It identifies Chase's lifetime output of more than 600 oil portraits, from the 1866 portrait of his grandfather he painted at age 18 to a self-portrait completed in the year of his death. Entries include title, physical properties, owner and location, information about the sitter, exhibition and auction references, and periodical citations. Chase kept no records, but Pisano devoted 30 years to reconstructing and documenting reliable information about the artist's oeuvre. Color reproductions dominate—some half-page, some full-page—with occasional black-and-white illustrations. Under a joint agreement with the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, the complete research and archival materials will be housed at the Parsons New School of Design, which was founded by Chase in 1896 as the Chase School. Volumes 1 and 2 are highly recommended for graduate-level collections. [Vols. 3 (2008) and 4 (2009) will complete the set.—Ed.]—Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL

As with his 2005 book, Buildings in Wood, freelance photographer Pryce brings to his latest architectural survey a distinctive perspective well grounded in architectural theory and practice. The "big shed" is essentially a vast enclosed space with minimal interior supports that allows for maximum adaptability for current and future needs. Pryce proposes that structures as diverse as airports, art museums, and stadiums have evolved over the last century and a half by utilizing the shed paradigm, albeit with widely divergent building techniques and aesthetic aspirations. Richard Rogers's Millennium Dome (London) and Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) are among the 36 cutting-edge projects by today's high-profile firms that Pryce has chosen to exemplify the "big shed." Often surveys like this consist of little more than captioned illustrations. In contrast, alongside 200-plus of his own glorious (mostly color) photos, Pryce's insightful text provides background and support to his "big shed" thesis. Chapters devoted to function—e.g., sport, industry, and transport—incorporate in-depth critiques of each project. Highly recommended for professional, academic, and large public libraries.—David Soltész, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH

Originally published in 1977 by a father-and-daughter team and now available in hardcover for the first time (U.S. paperback edition: 1994), this classic architecture reference work is both concise and informative, highlighting the design motifs and patterns of ornamental cast iron found in cities and buildings around the world. Robertson was a renowned authority on this subject in Australia and beyond; his daughter assisted with the research and took the photographs for many of his books. The text focuses on the rich historical literature relating to ornamental metalwork as well as personal observation and study; the roughly 500 black-and-white photographs and illustrations provide readers with clear examples of the varieties of styles and patterns in works ranging from balconies and railings to verandas and building facades. This historical world survey should be useful to public and academic libraries as well as collections focusing on architectural design. Enthusiastically recommended.—Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City

Who says modern architecture is dead? Here it is in full color, alive, well, and kicking all around the planet, from Taipei, Taiwan, which now lays claim to having the tallest building in the world (the 101 Tower by architect C.Y. Lee), to a tiny lakeside sauna designed by Ari Bungers in the trees of Pirunsaari Island, Finland. Vidiella (The Atlas of Architecture), a multitalented teacher, editor, author, and film director, provides case studies of more than 80 public, private, and commercial international works of architecture built since the late 1990s. These come with ample color photographs, plans, and brief project descriptions. The selection is international and catholic in the best sense, bearing no particular stylistic or cultural bias: just aggressive, cutting-edge design is featured. A fine, reasonably priced one-volume survey of contemporary architecture for smaller public and university visual arts collections.—Peter S. Kaufman, Boston Architectural Ctr.

Published in conjunction with a traveling exhibition in the United States (through 5/4/08) and Scotland (through 8/31/08) and organized by the National Gallery of Art (NGA), Washington, DC, this catalog offers a unique look at modern photography during the 1920s and 1930s in Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. In it, Witkovsky (curator, NGA) presents nearly 100 photographers—some familiar, others less well known—placing deliberate emphasis on the regional characteristics of Central European artists. He pays particular attention to the importance of photomontage, a technique that involves cutting apart and rearranging multiple photographs, as it was applied to both fine art and press photography. He discusses how post-World War I photomontage differed from the photomontage created during World War II: in the 1920s, it reflected a character of national reconstruction and recovery from war, while in the 1930s and 1940s, it included more underground works of activism. One strong point is Witkovsky's attention to the impact of social trends, e.g., women's fashion and concern for workers' rights. With excellent supplementary material including artist biographies, reproductions and maps (192 color, 59 b&w illustrations), and a thorough bibliography; recommended for academic and larger public libraries.—Eric Linderman, Euclid P.L., OH

Based on the sample of poets in this book, one might think that 21st-century poetry is more grounded in language and sound than in concrete images or personal confessions. Even at its most avant-garde, the poetry that editors Rankine (Don't Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric) and Sewell (Name Withheld) here present is often formal, e.g., Kenneth Goldsmith's versified retyping of an entire issue of the New York Times. The accompanying CD of the poets reading their work makes it possible to hear Tracie Morris's sound poems, which could not be reproduced in print. More traditional poets include Juliana Spahr, who celebrates a common American stream, and Susan Wheeler, whose "The Debtor in the Convex Mirror" bows to John Ashbery but has its own artistry. All of the poets are challenging, and many are inspiring. Following the poetry selections are a statement by the poet and a critical essay on his or her work. A web site (www.Wesleyan.edu/wespress/americanpoets.html) features more readings by the poets. A fine overview of contemporary poetry; highly recommended for academic libraries.—Amy K. Weiss, Univ. of California Lib., Santa Barbara

Haitian-born American writer Danticat (The Dew Breaker) is at her best—fearless, persuasive, and captivating—in recounting her family history. We meet the author as a child in her native country when she is left in the care of her pastor uncle, Joseph, after her parents and brothers immigrate to America. Fast-forward several years, and a teenage Danticat joins the family she barely remembers in New York City, leaving behind her beloved "second father" and island country. What comes next are not uncommon threads in an immigrant narrative—political uncertainties and the colorful figures imposing them, rogues empowered with guns to protect the interests of a self-serving dictator, visa aspirations, cultural woes, and the soothing power of family. In a world where the concept of the distinct nation is fast giving way to the preeminence of diasporas, this is a tale for all, both uplifting and tragic (in 2004, 81-year-old Joseph fled to Miami after escaping a pro-Aristide mob only to be detained and die in prison). Most readers will likely recognize a kindred spirit or something familiar in this family account, brought so vividly to life and captured for the ages by a fine writer. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/07.]—Edward K. Owusu-Ansah, Kingsborough Community Coll. Lib., CUNY

Epstein's (Snobbery: The American Version) description of Truman Capote as "gayer than a leap year Mardi Gras" is just one of the sly remarks setting the tone for this collection of 31 essays and reflections. In "Goodbye, Mr. Chipstein," a story about the 30 years he spent teaching English and writing at Northwestern University, Epstein reveals how his students taught him nothing but reminded him of the "surprise of human possibility." He discusses restaurants in "Memoirs of a Cheap and Finicky Glutton" and pays homage to the unnamed creator of the BLT sandwich, all the while explaining his dislike of overly friendly waiters. He also covers literature in several entries, e.g., with his dismissal of the Great Books clubs and his thoughts on how refusing the position of poet laureate of the United States is the only way to be recognized in association with that position. In the end, it is Epstein's introductory comments on turning 70 that mark the entire work: Epstein shuns literary honors and states he just wants to be remembered as a good writer by thoughtful people. And so it is. Recommended for academic library literary collections.—Joyce Sparrow, JWB Children's Services Council, Pinellas Park, FL

In this well-researched, in-depth study of "speech disruption" analysis, Erard, who holds a Ph.D. in English and a master's degree in linguistics, uses his strong sense of the humor inherent in his topic to good effect. He begins with an account of the life of the renowned verbal blunderer Rev. William Archibald Spooner, after whom the spoonerism is named. He then looks at the Freudian slip, which Freud originally conceived as a spotlight on the unconscious self but that has evolved in its popular usage. After examining other notable scholars in the area (e.g., Austrian linguist Rudolf Meringer's investigations of the connection between the evolution of language and blunders and Yale psychiatrist George Mahl's studies of the speech disruption "um"), he devotes an entire chapter to President George W. Bush's verbal stumbles and envisions the future of verbal blunders. This entertaining and detailed text is suited to larger public and academic libraries.—Rebecca Bollen Manalac, Sydney, Australia

Famanfarmaian wrote this intriguing diarylike memoir with Iranian American author and theater artist Houshmand. Born in Persia in 1924, Famanfarmaian grew into a free-spirited, attractive modern woman with her own viewpoint and a delightful sense of humor. After her father was elected to parliament, the family moved to Tehran, where, with both her gradual realization that fine art was her calling and her acceptance into Tehran University's Fine Arts College, her sense of independence grew. She eventually left for New York to study art and drawing. There she married (and divorced) a fellow Iranian with whom she had a child. Her second husband was an Iranian of royal descent; when she returned with him to Tehran, her artistic talents multiplied with exhibitions in Venice, New York, and Paris. Their home life flourished with a second child, but the rise of a radical faction in Iran necessitated their return to New York, where they successfully managed to start their lives anew. Farmanfarmaian's story is one of encouragement, self-sufficiency, and liberty. Her advisory, admirable memoir is recommended for larger public libraries.—Robert Kelly, Fort Wayne Community Schs., IN

Rhonda Byrne's 2006 best seller, The Secret, is getting The Da Vinci Code treatment: spin-offs. Author and journalist Kelly rounds up a team of experts that includes scholars, scientists, popular culture experts—even some of the participants from Byrne's book and DVD—to share their insights on the powers and limits of positive thinking and the "law of attraction," the tenets on which Byrne bases her book. Their arguments are as varied as their professions, e.g., that it is not simply about what you want but your wants not hurting others; that the law of attraction may work generally, but nothing is a guarantee.

Who Moved My Secret?, meanwhile, is a hilarious spoof of the book. Journalist and playwright Gerard introduces a secret he believes far superior called It's the Secret, Stupid! (ITSS), providing detailed instruction on how to use it and the great success that will come with it. He states that in order to get what you want, you must conceive, believe, and also receive and act like you already have everything—in other words, act delusional. Each chapter includes such sage words as "we are all connected, which makes it impossible to get dressed." Kelly's book is recommended for public and academic libraries as well as for anyone wanting to know the real "secret" behind The Secret; Gerard's is for anyone seeking a humorous read and a lighthearted look at life and the laws of attraction. [For a biblical perspective of the best seller, see the review of James Garlow and Rick Marschall's The Secret Revealed, p. 92.—Ed.]—Susan McClellan, Shaler North Hills Lib., Glenshaw, PA

Award-winning authors Heath (coauthor, Who Killed Homer?) and editor/teacher Adams attempt to take the intellectual pulse of the American reading public by examining the shared themes of the best-selling books of the past 16 years (they base their findings on their review of nearly 200 titles culled from lists produced by Publisher's Weekly and USA Today between 1990 and 2005). While best sellers make up only a portion of the books Americans read, their status is determined by broad audience demand and can thus "provide a glimpse into the current state of the national psyche." In each chapter, the authors examine seemingly disparate works and present insightful conclusions regarding the common thematic threads that resonate with American readers. The text's conversational style makes for easy reading, though the numerous snarky asides more often distract than illuminate. The sidebars, including a song parody based on John Grisham's The King of Torts, are especially precious. However, the authors clearly take their subject matter seriously, presenting a sobering analysis of the self-limiting literary choices Americans continue to make. Recommended for all public libraries.—Shedrick Pittman-Hassett, Phil Johnson Historic Archives and Research Lib., Dallas

On the 50th anniversary of the publication of On the Road, New York Times reporter Leland (Hip: The History) provides a fresh, thought-provoking examination of the Jack Kerouac classic. He explores the novel's themes of male friendship, love and death, family values, jazz, and religion and argues that narrator Sal Paradise's road trips with saintly fool Dean Moriarty constitute an inward journey leading to manhood and maturity. Drawing on Kerouac's own letters and journals as well as on the work of earlier biographers, Leland discusses Kerouac's use of autobiography, focusing on the role of the novel's narrator. He notes that where Sal Paradise succeeds, Kerouac too often fails. Leland's book is one of the first to take advantage of the availability of the original scroll typescript of Kerouac's novel for comparison with the 1957 volume. (Viking will be releasing On the Road: The Original Scroll simultaneously with the novel's anniversary edition.) Written in an informal, accessible style, it will appeal to Kerouac fans as well as academics. Highly recommended for all literature collections.—William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNY

Malcolm (The Journalist and the Murderer) presents a masterful glimpse into the lives of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, whose 40-year relationship is one of the most intriguing of the 20th century. Rather than attempting to include as many details as possible, Malcolm wisely chooses to illuminate the truth of several perplexing questions as thoroughly as any biographer possibly could. The result is a remarkably readable, honest, intelligent, and insightful book in which she reveals some ugly truths about the man who protected Stein and Toklas during World War II and shares her struggles to comprehend Stein's most enigmatic work, The Making of Americans. Several other Stein scholars disclose their frustrations with Leon Katz, the Columbia doctoral student who in the 1950s discovered Stein's notebooks on the novel and interviewed Toklas extensively. Despite the potential of Katz's work to change the course of Stein scholarship, he has yet to publish it. Malcolm's attempt to interview the elderly Katz ends in failure, and the secrets of the notebooks and the results of the Toklas interviews remain largely untold. Preserving something of the mystery is perhaps exactly what Stein would have wanted. Highly recommended for academic and larger libraries.—Anthony Pucci, Notre Dame H.S., Elmira, NY

When many Americans today hear the name Thomas Wolfe, they think of The Right Stuff. During the 1930s, however, it was the first Thomas Wolfe, author of Look Homeward, Angel (1929), who spoke to the country's yearning, vaguely disconsolate youth on the cusp of the Great Depression. The subject of Wolfe's four huge, rambling novels and miscellaneous shorter prose works was himself and his experiences growing up in the small town of Asheville, NC. Yet as much as modern readers may feel they know the real Thomas Wolfe from these works, the amount and nature of the material Maudlin here unearths will surely startle them and send them back for a second reading of his novels. Mauldin's astonishingly detailed account of Wolfe's last two years on earth (1937–38) involves in part legendary Scribner editor Maxwell Perkins, who helped shape Wolfe's disorganized text into coherence, and Perkins's successor, Harper's Edward C. Aswell, who added and deleted material from Wolfe's manuscripts to his heart's content. Of all the words written about Wolfe, including his own, Mauldin's are among the most fascinating. Highly recommended for academic libraries.—Charles C. Nash, formerly with Cottey Coll., Nevada, MO

Prolific poet, best-selling author, and publisher Picano (Like People in History) draws on 30 volumes of his journals begun in 1968 as well as his self-described "pleasure or curse" photographic memory to detail the nascent gay literary movement and many of the publishing houses that gave rise to it. This book grew out of exhibits and the author's lectures, which he found raised more and increasingly complex questions than he could address in person. The answers he here provides fill a void in gay history as he takes readers through a maze of names, dates, titles, and places over a span of 20 years, beginning with his decision to found the SeaHorse Press in 1977 and continuing through the closing of the Gay Presses of New York in the mid-1990s. Readers also get a history of the Violet Quill Club and learn of the role it played in Picano's and other writers' lives. They will want to keep this on their reference shelf for consultation long after reading. An index would have been highly valuable. Recommended for all public and academic libraries.—Mark Alan Williams, Library of Congress

Saunders, best known as a fiction writer (e.g., CivilWarLand in Bad Decline), uses the skills he's honed writing for The New Yorker, GQ, and Harper's to take on politics, literature, and religion in his first essay collection. In the title piece, he discusses the many ways in which the media have become a "braindead megaphone." He compares on-air coverage of celebrity news (from the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase to Paris Hilton's incarceration) with that of hard news (e.g., the famine in Darfur and America's dependency on oil), finding the traditional television media caving to the pressure for ratings and advertising. If blame is to be assigned, he writes, a "lazy media, false promises, and political doublespeak" are the culprits. In other essays, Saunders wonders what has happened to the spirit and wisdom of Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut in American letters. "Mr. Vonnegut in Sumatra" is particularly timely and poignant. This lively read, by turns funny, frightening, and fascinating, is recommended for all public and academic libraries with large nonfiction collections.—Pam Kingsbury, Univ. of North Alabama, Florence

American writer Settle (1918–2005) is best known for her historical novels, particularly the National Book Award-winning Blood Tie (1977). Her founding of the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Award further roots her in literary history. More recently, The Beulah Quintet, a series of novels moving from the 17th through the 20th centuries, awakened critical interest and brought recognition of Settle's contribution to the development of historical fiction. This memoir, which she began in 2003 and picks up where Addie (1998) left off, follows her from her first passion, acting, to vibrant young womanhood on a life journey beginning in Depression-era West Virginia and continuing on to New York City, where she launched a modest but successful career as an actress and model. In the half century that followed, she tirelessly devoted herself to rendering ideas of justice and freedom into reliable works of fiction and nonfiction. Settle's memoir reveals a woman of sharp, uncompromising intelligence and wit and is sure to entice readers into discovering her novels. Recommended for larger public and academic libraries.—Katharine A. Webb, Ohio State Univ. Libs., Columbus

Thurman's latest comprises two decades' worth of New Yorker pieces written between 1987 and 2006 in a sort of career biography. These profiles and essays explore the worlds of high fashion, art, letters, and public life. Odder selections look at the history of tofu, the importance of hair in the black community, and recent census data on American professions. Whether analyzing different biographical approaches to the life of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay or scrutinizing the popularity of pearls, Thurman sees her solidly researched subjects through highly subjective eyes. The figures she profiles are varied, ranging from an array of fashion design legends to philanthropist Teresa Heinz Kerry to writers Nadine Gordimer and André Malraux. As a title with a built-in audience, this may be a worthy purchase for libraries subscribing to The New Yorker, particularly academic institutions and larger public libraries. It may be overlooked in smaller, general collections.—Audrey Snowden, Cleveland P.L.

This book of essays edited by Croft (Univ. of Oklahoma Libs., Norman) aims to explore "how Tolkien used, revised, updated, 'corrected,' and otherwise held an ongoing dialogue with Shakespeare's works." Given Tolkien's established—though arguably overstated—dislike of Shakespeare, this choice of focus seems odd. Croft admits that since Shakespeare's influence on Tolkien is debatable, she and her colleagues are "reduced to speculation," and, indeed, some of these offerings appear forced. In her essay on elves in Shakespeare and Tolkien, Allegra Johnson ends one section lamenting "on the whole, Elves do not feature prominently in the vast majority of Shakespeare's work," while in her piece on A Midsummer Night's Dream, Rebecca-Anne Do Rozario veers momentarily into the bizarre with her assertion that "Bottom's translation renders him hairy, bestial and with the added effect of the flower juice, sexier to Titania, but Tolkien's Hobbits have always been hairy without necessarily being sexy." Although there are certainly some worthwhile contributions here—e.g., Maureen Thum on both writers' depictions of women—readers interested in exploring connections between Shakespeare and Tolkien would be better served by Tom Shippey's The Road to Middle-Earth. An optional purchase for academic libraries.—William Walsh, Georgia State Univ. Lib., Atlanta

The human rights/literary organization PEN has a history of working on the behalf of writers who have suffered government persecution. This book commemorating the organization's 85th anniversary represents the work of 50 writers from more than 20 countries, most of whom have been persecuted, prosecuted, imprisoned, tortured, or killed as a result of their writing. Contributors include those well known in the English-speaking world—e.g., Nobel Prize winners Orhan Pamuk (Turkey) and Harold Pinter (England); Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi (Burma)—as well as less famous figures. Their poetry, stories, letters, book excerpts, and other short pieces, which vary in style, form, and content, are gathered into four sections: "Prison," "Death," "Exile," and "The Freedom To Write." The selections make clear that many countries not ordinarily thought of as authoritarian are nevertheless not really safe for free expression. A compelling and worthwhile purchase; recommended for all libraries.—Denise J. Johnson, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, IL

Do you ever wonder what movie to watch during a bout of insomnia or when feelings of "Apocalyptic Dread" and war worries take over? A film to celebrate Christmas might be obvious, but how about Passover? Film journalist Atkinson (Ghosts in the Machine: The Dark Heart of Pop Cinema) and movie fan and database manager Shifrin offer recommendations in 104 different categories that include holidays, events, seasons, and more. There are obvious suggestions and blockbusters (Easter Parade with Fred Astaire and Judy Garland for Easter and Saving Private Ryan for Memorial Day) mixed with many surprises (the Holocaust documentary Shoah for insomnia) and little-known films (e.g., Peter Jackson's early movie Meet the Feebles recommended after a "Bad Day at Work"), each with a short review. Although the Internet is overflowing with movie recommendations and reviews, this may still be helpful as a reference tool and makes for entertaining browsing. Recommended for public libraries that need to fill in their movie-book collections.—Lani Smith, Boston

In this well-documented biography of little-known Hungarian pianist and composer Ervin Nyiregyházi (1903–87), Bazzana (Wondrous Strange: The Life and Art of Glenn Gould) draws on Géza Révész's 1925 Psychology of a Musical Prodigy but expands the canvas to cover an entire lifetime. Through interviews and the examination of primary sources, Bazzana traces the pianist's formative years in Europe from his grade-school-age concertizing to his popular world tours, distressing relationships with managers and promoters, difficulties with alcohol and sex addiction, and encounters with contemporaries, including actors Béla Lugosi and Harold Lloyd and even gangsters Al Capone and John Dillinger. One empathizes with Nyiregyházi as he careens from superstar to penniless drudge to adored advocate of romanticism and back to homelessness, all within a few years. Nyiregyházi's ten wives and affairs with luminaries such as silent screen star Gloria Swanson make his relations with women prime territory, but it is unfortunate that Bazzana concentrates so much on this and chooses crude, off-putting language to describe the pianist's sexuality. The contemporary photographs and facsimiles of musical scores add interest, and the comprehensive index is useful. Recommended, with the above caveats, for all collections.—Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH

French actress Deneuve is considered not only one of the great beauties of world cinema but also an accomplished artist who has appeared in classic films directed by masters such as François Truffaut, Luis Buñuel, and Roman Polanski. Including diaries of film shoots, a recounting of a visit to the Cannes Film Festival, and an extended interview with director Pascal Bonitzer, her diaries do not make up a complete record of Deneuve's adult life or the making of her films. She did no writing between 1969 and 1991, so there is little about her longtime personal and professional relationship with Truffaut or his early death. Readers, too, may end up confused owing to the lack of notes. Regarding her beloved older actress sister, Françoise Dorléac, Deneuve writes, "she still haunts me at night," but nowhere is it explained that Dorléac was killed at age 25 in a fiery car crash. To make matters worse, the entries aren't arranged in chronological order. While there are some insights to be gleaned here, particularly Deneuve's surprising assertion that she coveted Meryl Streep's part in The Bridges of Madison County, this is a mixed bag overall. An optional purchase for large public libraries and academic film collections.—Stephen Rees, Levittown Lib., PA

Faron Young (1932–96) was an important force as a country music recording artist and concert performer from the 1950s to the 1990s and the founder of the periodical Music City News. By the time of his suicide, however, Young's career was on the wane and his chart success largely forgotten. An acquaintance of Young's from 1970 to 1996, Diekman (Navy Greenshirt; A Farm in the Hidewood) tells more than the story of Young's musical career—she also covers his notoriety as a heavy drinker, womanizer, and verbally abusive bandleader. According to Diekman, Young's career and musical style were interwoven with the challenges country music faced, including the decline of the industry during the onslaught of rock 'n' roll and the battles over the mergers of country and pop music in the 1960s and 1970s. Incorporating published accounts, interviews, and personal insights, this balanced book is important in keeping the memory of a chart-topping country artist alive and in putting the country music scene of the period into perspective. Recommended for all public libraries, especially those with significant country music and pop culture collections.—James E. Perone, Mount Union Coll., Alliance, OH

This passionate memoir by the artistic director of the Globe Theatre serves to introduce readers to Shakespeare and offers new insights into the plays and characters. Dromgoole ties his personal history to Shakespeare's work, illustrating how his own life and the contemporary world have been enriched, explained, and illuminated by the plays and poems. Through such topics as love, death, family, friendship, and war, readers come to know both Dromgoole and Shakespeare. Dromgoole posits that Shakespeare is "hard wired" into the British psyche in part from World War II: e.g., after losing their theater during the Blitz, the Old Vic company produced "nation-defining performances" with greats like Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud. Writing that "no one could ban Shakespeare," Dromgoole illustrates how the plays could work covertly in politically repressive countries to provoke thought for new solutions. This is a marvelous text in which Shakespeare (and Dromgoole) spring to life in unexpected and delightful ways. Recommended for theater, academic, and large public library collections.—Susan L. Peters, Univ. of Texas, Galveston

A former member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Eliot (dance, Ohio State Univ.) here focuses on "working dancers whose careers, in important ways, represent the major issues in the dance of their times." The featured dancers are four ballerinas—Giovanna Bacelli (Italian, c. 1753–1801), Adèle Dumilâtre (French, 1821–1909), Tamara Karsavina (Russian, 1885–1978), and Moira Shearer (Scottish, 1926–2006)—and one modern dancer, Catherine Kerr (American, b. 1948). The careers of these women—of varying educational and class backgrounds and personal lives—represent a historical cross section of dance performance, training, and technique. Eliot recognizes that dance history lacks an acknowledgment of the role of workaday dancers, and she attempts to fill in the gaps. Because the working lives of dancers remain largely undocumented, Eliot makes many "imaginative leaps" that incorporate her interpretations of poetry, painting, and sculpture to cobble together a meaningful narrative. She has enriched our understanding of dance history by addressing this challenging topic, but her frequent reliance on guesswork is a weakness. Recommended for large public and university libraries.—Joan Stahl, Univ. of Maryland Lib., College Park

In 1998, the Coen brothers followed up their Oscar-winning film, Fargo, with The Big Lebowski. Although it initially failed to make a big splash commercially, it has generated a cult following strong enough to support an annual Lebowski Fest. This book by four such devoted fans and founders of the Lebowski Fest—Green, Ben Peskoe, Will Russell, and Scott Shuffitt—includes enough behind-the-scenes trivia and inside information to impress even the most hard-core Little Lebowski Urban Achiever (as dedicated Lebowski savants dub themselves). The authors managed to score interviews with every major actor (and many of the minor ones), and they all have interesting stories to tell. Also interviewed are some of the real-life inspirations behind the outlandish characters of the film, such as Peter Exline, whose rug really tied the room together, and Jeff Dowd, who first called himself "The Dude." Notably absent, however, are the Coen brothers, who "neither bless nor curse" the book. Sure to be of interest to anyone who enjoys the film, this is recommended for all libraries.—John Helling, NYPL

In 1969, Monty Python's Flying Circus on the BBC commenced the saga of a six-man troupe with a distinctly British mix of cerebral, surreal, and profane humor that spanned a television series, four films, and numerous albums, books, and live appearances. Two new titles focus on specific members of the group. McCabe (coauthor, The Pythons: Autobiography) profiles the late Graham Chapman, who studied medicine but eventually devoted himself to comedy. McCabe uses interviews with Chapman's brother; his lifelong partner, David Sherlock; and former Pythons to present the life of a quiet man "who liked to surprise people with what was under the surface." Chapman battled with alcoholism and used his homosexuality to speak out against prejudice during a life cut short by cancer. Python Palin's wonderfully observed and written chronicles of the heyday years of Monty Python display the qualities of the novelist and travel writer that he became. Whether describing writing sessions, performance tours, filming in exotic locales, or battles with censorship, his diaries transcend the quotidian to capture a place and time in cultural history. His book is highly recommended for all public libraries: interest should surpass the Python fan base, who will find it essential reading. McCabe's thorough and balanced profile will be best appreciated by those with some previous knowledge of the troupe and is recommended for larger public libraries. For newcomers, a revised edition of George Perry's 1999 illustrated history, The Life of Python, is available in September and complements the more exhaustive The Pythons: Autobiography (2003).—Jim Collins, Morristown-Morris Twp. P.L., NJ

This paean to the cinematic genius of Ingmar Bergman is unflagging in its devotion to the Swedish director's vision. Singer's (philosophy, MIT; Three Philosophical Filmmakers: Hitchcock, Welles, Renoir) knowledge of the filmmaker is exhaustive, and at times the breadth of his argument loses readers who may not be as well versed in his large body of work. Six films are analyzed in-depth and over 35 mentioned in passing. The text flows quickly: Singer has more than a dozen books to his name and retains an accessible voice even while discussing complex aesthetic subjects. There are glancing comparisons to other directors, Welles and Hitchcock mainly, but there is little discussion of Bergman in relation to anyone but himself. The director seems never to have made a misstep in this critic's eyes—an argument that may stretch a point. Still, the book inspires the reader to revisit Bergman's catalog and explore new questions raised. Recommended for academic collections.—Christian Zabriskie, Queens P.L.

One would think that Taraborrelli has an obsession with Diana Ross. His first book, Diana (1985), was a flattering fan's view; his second, Call Her Miss Ross (1989), was hailed by some for its documentation and criticized by others as a "bitchfest" that painted Ross as arrogant and mean-spirited. No matter, it arguably made Taraborrelli king of the unauthorized celebrity biography genre, and he went on to write about Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra. Now, he focuses on Ross again, writing "it took many more years for her to fully reveal herself to me." About 100 pages bring the story up-to-date and include her DUI and the tragic death of her last husband. Taraborrelli has pulled new information from old interviews, expanded the discography to the present, and includes analyses of all of Ross's records. Taraborrelli is one of the best at what he does, and Ross is a fascinating subject. Highly recommended.—Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA

This is Gehrke's third book of poetry; the first two won prestigious prizes, and this one was selected for the National Poetry Series by T.R. Hummer. These brawny, ekphrastic poems trace the artistic endeavors of several great artists, including Rembrandt, Turner, and Mapplethorpe, and portray art as the grueling work that transforms suffering into beauty. Gehrke dwells on the horrifically real, from the guts of a cadaver model to the rotting carcasses in Géricault's famous painting The Raft of the Medusa to Otto Dix's experiences of World War I. But of Sargent, he writes that "even if he could paint/the blistered, or dead bodies…the white angel-maggots burrowing/into a face, his mind at its core, could not help making things/beautiful." (Gehrke's novelistic details are rich and engaging, but a rhetorical tic detracts: "the valley of their myth," "the bull-ring of consciousness," "the bullets of infection") "the avalanche of his beard," "the foxholes of his eyes," "the wasp's nest of his mouth," and "the jewelry box of memory" all occur in the first 21 pages. Yet this poet's powers extend considerably beyond the easy metaphor. Recommended.—E.M. Kaufman, Dewey Ballantine LLP Lib., New York

In this long-awaited volume, his first in ten years, former U.S. poet laureate Hass (Human Wishes) asks readers to consider what we have to pay for living a life in a culture that not only encompasses war and atrocities but also profound love and the tenacity for survival. Time and materials: the price to get something done, to get something fixed, something that we may have "broken." In "State of the Planet," a long poem written in a series of vignettes, he proposes that what might have been done to the planet "was something we've done quite accidentally." No matter. There is a price to pay. In poems that are sometimes elegiac, prophetic, and wise, he asks readers to consider these costs. His style is varied—from short, almost haikulike couplets to long narrative riffs, conversations (so Whitman-like) with the past, present, and future. These poems filled with modern life at the same time ponder the mythologies that create and bind our often flawed but survivable culture. Hass translates Japanese haiku poet Basho when he writes, "If the horror of the world were the truth of the world,/… there would be no one to say it/and no one to say it to." Highly recommended.—Karla Huston, Appleton Art Ctr., WI

In a literary atmosphere where poetry book prizes proliferate and mediocrity dominates, Krygowski's first volume, chosen by Gerald Stern for the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize, is a delight—which does not mean it's easy, or even pleasurable, to read. Instead, this is superbly crafted tragedy that stops short of melodrama or self-pity. The title poem describes the poet at 16, riding her bike along back roads, loving the speed, until two men in a truck pass and grab her long hair: "and then the crumple/that was me, the gravel/pitting my pure heat." And that's only the start. The book is structured around the death of her sister, and each of the three sections has a poem titled "She Dies." Part of the book's strength is its unrelenting focus, the theme and variations, threads dropped and picked up again, so that even a few seemingly unrelated poems are drawn into the fold. Highly recommended; the only question is whether Krygowski can sustain this energy for more than one book.—Rochelle Ratner, formerly with Soho Weekly News, New York

Australian poet Murray's latest (after Poems the Size of Photographs, 2002) finds him in a traveling mood. Chockablock with views both sweeping ("Luminous electric grist/brushed over the night world:/White Korea, Dark Korea,/tofu detailing all Japan,/Bangkok on a diamond saddle") and local ("The sun, through stiff lozenge leaves,/prints verandahs in yellow Argyle"), his lyrics flex a language as molded to personal sensibility as that of Heaney or Ammons and as authoritatively uttered as Hopkins's, convincingly spawning words like moveless, knotwork, and nosepaper. Even when his neologistic tendencies risk cleverness, as in "Gentrifical Force," Murray redeems the ploy with postcolonial conscience: "Gentrifical force leaves so many behind/and turns them to primitives in its mind." He can be blunt ("we are money's genitals"), and the clipped, accentual formality of his lines can seem "cold as anesthetic" or just plain gnarly ("The diked low county on parole from floods/began foreshadowing inland jacaranda"). But in a time of easy-to-swallow poetry, chewing on a little "knotwork" is rewarding, especially when the morsels are this tasty. Recommended for academic collections.—Fred Muratori, Cornell Univ. Lib., NY

Winner of the National Book Award for Door in the Mountain (2004), Valentine is considered a poets' poet. No wonder. The poems in Valentine's 11th collection are tight, self-enclosed, camouflaged excursions into a dreamlike state of mind. Difficult in a Zen way, these poems work through vivid imagery and understatement. Their territory being the spiritual life, they focus on the soul's journey from the time before birth to after death. Some, like "Moose and Calf," which was inspired by the writing of Julian of Norwich, can be somewhat obscure. The strongest and most representative section concerns the life of Jesus as seen from the Annunciation to the Resurrection in the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas. Here the poems make their point through a subtle blend of metaphor and humor as in Jesus describing his risen body as "It's the same material,/but lighter,/summer stuff." Ultimately, the best of these poems work like sacraments: they symbolize and effect humankind's connection to the transcendent. Suitable for most libraries.—Diane Scharper, Towson Univ., MD

Once again, Armstrong (The Great Transformation) has written a groundbreaking history. This one, a well-reasoned and inspired biography about the most influential book of all time (at least in the West), comes complete with the interesting circumstances, people, and places that made the Bible what it is: so important, controversial, and misunderstood a text. Whether writing on Jewish oral history, providing an unobstructed summary of kabbalistic teachings, or conveying the impact of the Christian Right on American politics, Armstrong shows a depth of insight and transparent understanding of complex theological issues. In her closing, she insists that "this short biography makes it clear that many modern assumptions about the Bible are incorrect"; she is not being presumptuous. She argues persuasively for a more compassionate hermeneutics and a more charitable exegesis—a theme common to many of her books in their exhortations toward a kinder and more tolerant world of faith. This book is a miqra, or a "call to action" for all Jews, Christians, and Muslims. And Armstrong is Armstrong—simply one of the best writers ever on religion. Recommended for all libraries.—Gary P. Gillum, Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT

Generation Xer Auslander (Beware of God: Stories), raised an Orthodox Jew but trying to extricate himself from his dysfunctional web of family and religion, has a self-described problem: he believes in God, but it's not working for him. Auslander traces his adversarial relationship with the Almighty through a series of hilarious but gut-wrenching episodes from his childhood and adolescence: the "blessing at meals" competitions at yeshiva, Orthodox dating woes, and his painful relationship with his rage-filled father. Readers will alternately laugh and cringe at his scathing portrayals of family life and his angry, almost biblical attempts to bargain with God in order to achieve happiness and security. Though this is not at all a theological treatise, those unfamiliar with the Orthodox Jewish tradition will learn much through Auslander's attempts to accommodate the larger American culture while adhering to religious law. Anyone raised in a strict religious environment and/or by a strict religious family will identify with his experiences. Suitable for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/07.]—Nancy E. Adams, Harrisburg Area Community Coll., PA

In 2004, Ellens (research scholar, dept. of Near Eastern studies, Univ. of Michigan; founding editor, Journal of Psychology and Christianity) put together the first edition of this work, which he has here reduced from four volumes of 50 essays to a single volume of 16—half by Ellens himself—with minimal updating. Each essay ranges from ten to 20 pages in length; the contributors, mostly theologians or biblical/psychology scholars, explore the ways violent sacred texts legitimate human aggression and foster psychological pathologies. Disciplines such as sociology and anthropology are largely absent. Ellens's contributions make up the weaker chapters because he often states his assumptions and conclusions (e.g., the notion that fundamentalism tends to attract psychopathological people to its ranks) as givens rather than arguing from empirical and reasoned evidence. Nonetheless, his contributions do effectively move the "plot" of the anthology: that the Western monotheisms need to reject their violent narratives of cosmic battle of good vs. evil and replace them with the gracious conception of life as a quest for growth and fulfillment. The perspective remains that of Christian psychologists and theologians committed to retaining the good in religion while struggling to identify the bad, placing this work somewhere between Sam Harris's The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason, which indicts all religion, and Charles Kimball's When Religion Becomes Evil: Five Warning Signs, which sees religion as generally a positive phenomenon, albeit susceptible to taking on dangerous forms. Recommended for collections missing the earlier set.—Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL

Garlow (Cracking Da Vinci's Code) and comic and cartoon historian Marschall try their hand at exposing the secrets of Rhonda Byrne's best-selling The Secret. At best, their book is a hastily written reply to an incredibly popular title; at worst, it's a really long sermon. The first half is devoted to name-calling, describing The Secret in turns as dangerous, cynical, absurd, selfish, childish, materialistic, and me-oriented, while the second half tries to convince the reader that the Bible is the only real path to happiness. Some of the authors' arguments are undoubtedly accurate, e.g., the quotes attributed to famous people in the book were not in any way related to the belief system it espouses, while others were never said at all. Where Garlow and Marschall lose steam is in their comparisons between the law of Attraction and Christianity. They argue that because both are faith-based belief systems, you can't subscribe to the law of attraction and be a Christian. Readers may not go for this heavy-handed, only-one-answer approach; certainly, few minds are going to be changed with regard to beliefs. Worth reading as a companion to The Secret to get another perspective. [See also the reviews of Jim Gerard's Who Moved My Secret? and Karen Kelly's The Secret of "The Secret,"p. 87.—Ed.]—Jennifer Kuncken, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA

In his follow-up to Iran: The Coming Crisis, Hitchcock surveys Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's apocalyptic vision of the fulfillment of Islamic prophecy and of Iran's role in hastening the coming of the messianic Mahdi through militant action. Hitchcock rightly sees the danger here, but he interprets Ahmadinejad's Mahdism through the particular lens of American Protestant fundamentalist prophecy. He makes no reference to the significant disagreements over prophecy interpretation in both Christianity and Islam, except to deny—incorrectly—that Christians have ever sought to hasten Armageddon through radical action. Hitchcock's view that one form of Christianity is true and Islam is false obscures the common millennialist threads of these sister faiths. Certainly, Ahmadinejad poses a threat to peace but not because he fulfills literal Christian prophecies as Hitchcock understands them, but because he oversees a theocratic dictatorship that exhibits militant literalist religious fervor coupled with nuclear ambitions. As this is not a work of history or academic scholarship, it is only for public libraries that circulate similar works and for religion collections on Bible prophecy interpretation.—William P. Collins, Library of Congress

National Jewish Book Award finalist Klinghoffer (senior fellow, Discovery Inst., Seattle) delivers a lively and spirited discussion continuing in much the same vein as his Why the Jews Rejected Jesus: The Turning Point in Western History (2005). With journalistic eloquence, he adds a Jewish viewpoint to the many Christian voices concerned with the "moral degradation" of contemporary American culture. He structures his work in ten vignettes corresponding to the Ten Commandments; through these, he seeks to illustrate his overall point of how the United States has forsaken God. He presents interesting insights with passion, but his work falls short on many counts. His "statements of fact" are often given without corroboration or citation, he frequently alludes to and quotes rabbinical sources without providing the proper context, he regularly operates on the basis of what he considers to be "universally" shared a priori assumptions, and he makes conclusions without sound reason or justification. Additionally, Klinghoffer shows a singular disregard for any religious perspective clashing with his own judgments. Not recommended.—Dann Wigner, Wayland Baptist Univ. Lib., Plainview, TX

McGrath (Univ. of Oxford; The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall of Disbelief in the Modern World) calls his latest book not a documentary but an intellectual history of the Protestant idea that all Christians have the right to interpret the Bible for themselves. (Note that he equates Christianity with Protestantism.) Roman Catholics have often complained about the Protestant principle of individualism, arguing there could conceivably be as many interpretations of the Bible as there are Protestants. To his credit, McGrath recognizes that the Protestant revolution unleashed chaos in the Christian church. But do we need yet another history of Protestantism? The book's major contribution is that it helps describe the shift currently taking place in the Protestant world with the decline of churches in Europe and North America and the growth of the movement in Africa and Asia. What began as a revolt against international Christianity in favor of nationalism and individualism is today a cultural revolution. Eventually, Protestantism will be redefined by the churches in the so-called Third World. Recommended.—James A. Overbeck, Atlanta-Fulton P.L.

In his 2006 best seller, The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins, who has made his reputation as generally a fine popularizer of science, argued that belief in God is no more than a delusion and that atheism is the only respectable position for a thinking person to adopt. Alister McGrath (historical theology, Oxford; Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life), originally an atheistic molecular biophysicist, and his wife, Joanna (psychology of religion, Heythrop Coll., Univ. of London; coauthor, Meeting Jesus: Human Responses to a Yearning God), see Dawkins as a brilliant thinker who went down the wrong path with his last book. Combining scholarship with a popular style, the McGraths examine Dawkins's arguments and find them wanting. They do not respond to every one of his points; instead, they show the inadequacy of his argument on the major points, contending that Dawkins's critique of religion is based on hearsay and anecdotal evidence rather than on hard research and that he employs rhetoric rather than rationality. Where Dawkins's criticisms are justified, they have no problem agreeing with him and in fact have nothing but praise for his earlier works. Recommended for all libraries.—Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, NJ

With chapter headings like "A Western Jesus and Me" and "What the Church Should Look Like," this book about Jesus as perceived by modern Westerners vs. the genuine transcendent Christ explains how we have diluted and compromised Jesus's true essence to suit the culture we embrace. After sharing some of his own struggles, veteran pastor Minter (Reston Bible Church, VA) asks readers to look at Western morality, theology, faith, and materialism as well as at how Jesus figures into current Western culture. He is unwavering in his belief that, while science is appealing, we should follow the teachings of Jesus and trust his word. He illustrates an instance of preaching in Africa wherein an oil drum served as a podium and hymns were accompanied by an old guitar, and he regrets that such a thing would fail to draw a crowd in modern America. Throughout, Minter provides basic rules for living the word of Jesus in daily life (e.g., remove temptation such as videos and cable from your home). This may be a book for pastors and Sunday school teachers craving additional support for the study of Scripture. Recommended for large Christian religious library collections.—L. Kriz, West Des Moines P.L., IA

This volume continues the prolific intellectual output of Nasr (Islamic studies, George Washington Univ.; The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity), one of Islam's most respected thinkers. The Sufi mystical heart of Islam is one of the few antidotes to fundamentalism in the Muslim world, and here Nasr looks at the human spiritual quest for Ridwan—the paradisiacal divine garden—from an orthodox Sufi perspective. Life is a journey from the heavenly primordial covenant through a physical experience to the pinnacle of choosing to become nothing and to experience God as the only true existence. To reach the truth, the disciple must follow divine law and walk a spiritual path guided by a master. While non-Muslims may borrow Sufi ideas, truly being a Sufi requires that one also be a Muslim. Nasr structures the journey to Ridwan in terms of what it means to be human, the nature of truth in essence and manifestation, love, beauty, goodness, the disciple's path, and what Sufism offers. He ends with a history and description of various Sufi orders and a glossary of terms. Eloquent, elegant, and lucid, this work should be on the shelves of university, public, and religious libraries.—William P. Collins, Library of Congress

At a time when books like Stephen Prothero's Religious Literacy challenge contemporary Americans to learn more about other faiths in our post-9/11 world, Peters (Middle Eastern & Islamic studies, NYU; The Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam) examines the similarities and differences in the function of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Quran as scripture for each respective religious community. Addressing a broad general audience, he employs a historical critical methodology to try to determine how each faith developed, canonized, and passed on its version of God's revelation to humanity. In nine chapters, he details, e.g., the human composition of each collection of scripture, its transmission through different versions, and its use and application in each religious community. He further traces its historical development from its origin on Mount Sinai to the invention of the printing press in 1454, by which time the collection of sacred scripture for all three religions had become stabilized. In its important comparative analysis of the historical development, role, and function of sacred scripture in the three major monotheistic religions, Peters's book helps promote interfaith understanding. Highly recommended.—Charles Murray, Boston Univ. Sch. of Theology Lib.

The terror and trauma of 9/11 raised questions about the reality of evil and the notion of sin, concepts that had all but faded from public discourse at the opening of the 21st century. In this informative, readable survey, Portmann (religious studies, Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville; When Bad Things Happen to Other People) traces the evolution of sin from the present to the past. He examines how the ancient Greeks, the Israelites, Jesus, Paul, Augustine, and Dante viewed sin before going on to provide an overview of "modern sins," including homophobia, racism, and drunk driving. What's more, he peers into the future of sin, or "what we as a group will accept or deny is sin's future." Portmann is well qualified to write on this topic. His important work, reminiscent of Karl Menninger's What Ever Became of Sin? and M. Scott Peck's People of the Lie, is recommended without reservation for both academic and public libraries.—C. Brian Smith, Arlington Heights Memorial Lib., IL

The title of this ambitious, short book is a bit deceptive. Although Sicker, a prolific writer of books on Jewish history and biblical studies, seeks to introduce the reader to traditional Judaic thought through an explanation of rabbinic literature and the various books and tractates comprising Judaic literature, this is hardly an "introductory-level" text. After a detailed discussion of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh), the remaining seven chapters deal with complex topics such as biblical exegesis; the codification of applied law and practice; the evolution, similarities, and differences between the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud; the meanings of biblical writings as collected in the Midrash; and a discussion of the state of Judaic thought in our new century. What Sicker makes eminently clear is that rabbinic writing and Judaic thought are not meant for casual consumption but for concentrated study. The highly complex and rich literature that has emerged from the original books of Moses now has a highly complex and rich companion guide in Sicker's study. Recommended for libraries with scholarly collections of Judaic studies.—Herbert E. Shapiro, Empire State Coll. of SUNY at Rochester

Sweeney (The Lure of Saints) has authored several books on Francis and Clare of Assisi. In his latest offering, he explores the relationship between the two medieval saints, drawing on early biographies of Francis by Franciscans Thomas of Celano and Saint Bonaventure as well as later scholarship. Among the topics he examines are Francis's conversion to Christ and Clare's embracement of his radical life; he completes the book with a list of characters, a chronology of events, and notes. This is a religious text and needs to be read as such. Certainly, some historical context and objectivity would have balanced it and made it more accessible to the general reader, but for those inclined to delve into spiritual faith—and specifically Catholic beliefs—it is a perfect selection. Suitable for large Catholic religion collections. (Index not seen.)—Jennifer Kuncken, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA

This magnum opus of a major philosopher won the 2007 Templeton Prize, a highly prestigious award for works that significantly contribute to the understanding of science and faith. Taylor (philosophy, emeritus, McGill Univ.) describes in careful detail how over the past five centuries the Western world has become an increasingly secular one. "Why was it virtually impossible not to believe in God in, say, 1500 in our Western Society, while in 2000 many of us find this not only easy, but even inescapable?" he asks. A common answer to this question is that secularization has been the result of a healthy shift from a naively theistic worldview to a sophisticated, humanistic one. As a theist, Taylor takes a different and more nuanced approach. His careful analysis of the shifts over the centuries sees the spiritual and sacred in ongoing interaction. He thus offers a unique and creative view of the development of modern culture. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.—John Jaeger, Dallas Baptist Univ. Lib.

Megachurches, which have existed for some three decades in the United States, are today growing at a more rapid rate than the country's population. Their total membership would constitute America's third-largest religious group, and their worship practices and leadership styles have permeated the American church scene. Following a foreword by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren, Thumma (sociology of religion, Hartford Seminary, CT; Gay Religion) and Travis (executive VP, Leadership Network; Beyond the Box: Innovative Churches That Work) build their arguments and insights on data culled from several academic studies of megachurches completed within the last decade. (The book's uniqueness is that it is research-based.) The authors do not completely describe the causes or implications of the megachurch phenomenon—for that, see Lyle E. Schaller's The Very Large Church: New Rules for Leaders and John N. Vaughan's Megachurches & America's Cities: How Churches Grow—but they present a convincing corrective to nine common misperceptions about them that have been accepted as gospel by the media, leaders of other churches, and segments of the American public. Recommended for academic libraries and public libraries with collections relating to contemporary churches.—Nancy E. Adams, Harrisburg Area Community Coll., PA

Unlike many of Llewellyn's other titles, this is neither a manual of practices nor a survey of world shamanic traditions. Rather, drawing on current research in the broad context of religious and healing practices, it seeks to reexamine shamanism as a whole. Walsh (psychiatry, philosophy, anthropology & religious studies, Univ. of California, Irvine; Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices) argues persuasively that shamans are not as a class psychotic, epileptic, or complete charlatans. He does a passable job describing shamanic journeying, healing, and interactions with spirits as well as considering psychological mechanisms that could be at work. But his book would have been stronger had he included examples from a wider range of traditions, and his coverage of psychedelic drug use, "psi" powers, and other topics weakens the work, as he only tenuously connects them to shamanism. In the end, many questions are left unanswered owing to lack of research. Nonetheless, few works have attempted such a broad survey of shamanism, and Walsh's perspective is unique. A worthwhile addition to subject collections in academic or large public libraries.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Lib., Wisconsin Rapids

In this important book, Wisse (Yiddish & comparative literature, Harvard; If I Am Not for Myself: The Liberal Betrayal of the Jews) explores the patterns of Jewish political strategy through the centuries. Jews' pragmatic and solipsistic strategies, she argues, have enabled them to survive as a people while making them particularly vulnerable to anti-Jewish political behavior—even to extreme violence and near destruction. As Wisse observed in a 2000 lecture delivered in Jerusalem, the "legacy of Jewish politics in the Diaspora continues to haunt the decision-making of Jewish leaders in their own sovereign state." Further, she writes, Jews' "capacity for accommodation dooms them if they fail to repel their assailants when necessary." A thoughtful, well-reasoned yet hard-hitting and radical approach to an urgent world problem; highly recommended for all collections.—Marcia Welsh, Dartmouth Coll. Libs., Hanover, NH

In recent years, a series of top-notch books (e.g., Alan M. Klein's Baseball on the Border: A Tale of Two Laredos) has greatly added to our knowledge of Latin American baseball. Now Burgos (history, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) offers his own encyclopedic treatment of Latinos and baseball, covering the topic from the late 19th century to the present. Burgos presents the story of players like Vincent Nava, baseball's "first brown player," who endured racial insensitivity and outright "racist taunts," and Louis Castro, the first Latino to play in the major leagues in the 20th century. He also points to darker-skinned stars, such as Jose Mendez and Cristóbal Torriente, who were prohibited from playing organized baseball. Gradually and inconsistently, a smattering of Latinos made it to the big leagues, but even the collapse of the Jim Crow barrier failed to prevent players like Vic Powers and Roberto Clemente from enduring racial prejudice. Nevertheless, by the 1980s, Major League Baseball was increasingly internationalized and now includes many Latinos. Burgos's coverage of this important baseball story is recommended for general readers.—Robert C. Cottrell, California State Univ., Chico

Ambitious would be an understatement in describing this work's thrust and contents. Williams, the author of several previous angling books geared to fly fishermen, offers something here for all anglers, covering the United States state by state and Canada province by province. Then he covers the rest of the world, albeit not nearly to the same degree. Judging by the treatment of the regions and waters with which this reviewer is intimately familiar, e.g., the Southeastern states, Yellowstone National Park, and Montana, the depth and accuracy of detail is impressive. There are the inevitable little things to nitpick—you'll fish North Carolina's Davidson River in vain for brook trout in the 13-inch class, and no local would agree that the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River (on the Tennessee side of the Smokies) is the "best all-around stream in the Park." But these are the kinds of quibbles that anyone might bring up about his home waters. That said, this book deserves a prized place on library shelves for serious traveling fisherman and the general sporting audience.—Jim Casada, formerly with Winthrop Univ., Rock Hill, SC

A seasoned sports and business reporter, Yost looks at the influx of sponsorship money into NASCAR, exploring the corporate deals that have altered the way the sanctioning body does business. His approach is less scholarly than historical: the development of racing as a spectator sport once known for good old boys and high-speed hijinks but measured by "brand impressions" and "B2B" (brand to business) measures. It is a story explored before, as in Robert G. Hagstrom's The NASCAR Way, Joe Menzer's The Wildest Ride, and Jeff MacGregor's Sunday Money. However, Yost brings a specific analysis of the NASCAR of today, which has solidified its hold as a money sport (it's the second most-watched in America) and is intent on maintaining that hold. Among the more controversial topics are the entry of Toyota into the field formerly limited to the American "big three" automakers and the adoption of NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow," which will limit racing teams to using specially designed chassis on which only fairly minor adjustments can be made.—Eric C. Shoaf, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence