Social Sciences

In 1271, 17-year-old Marco Polo set off from Venice with his father and uncle on an expedition to the court of Kublai Khan, where Marco remained a trusted servant of the Mongol emperor for 17 years. When he returned to Venice, contemporaries didn’t believe him: they found his tales fantastic. Years later, languishing in a prison in Genoa, Marco had a writer named Rustichello write down his story. Thus was born his Travels of Marco Polo, the richest and best of medieval travel books and one of the great adventure stories of all time. Fellow Venetians found it difficult to accept Marco’s boasts, but most of what he related was true. Once or twice in this biography, Bergreen (Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe) hypothesizes beyond the evidence, e.g., that Marco “employed drugs,” which imparted “unnatural vividness” to his narrative, but in general Bergreen is scrupulous in his use of sources; the story he tells is fascinating, even if there is no new analysis. Recommended for general collections.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

This book is hard to classify: Is it a memoir? A history? A psychological exploration written to achieve closure on a strange yet exciting upbringing? One could argue that it is all of these things, woven together by a dark and penetrating sense of humor. Campbell, a sort of Renaissance woman (she’s billed as a model, artist, writer, and journalist), has penned a portrait of her dysfunctional childhood with an alcoholic and narcissistic father in Cawdor Castle, her family’s ancestral home in Nairn, Scotland. Her father inherited the title Thane of Cawdor, familiar to many because Shakespeare used it in Macbeth, which creates a fictional connection between that character and the thanedom. With an adult’s perspective, Campbell details many disturbing incidents growing up in the 1960s. At times touching and sad, the book may prompt both anger and compassion for the father who destroyed his family in more ways than one. Campbell also weaves local and ancestral history into the narrative. An enjoyable and moving read, this book would be best suited for public libraries.—Maria C. Bagshaw, Ecolab Research Ctr., Eagan, MN

Did you pick up and read a newspaper today? If so, you are in an ever-shrinking minority. Newspaper readership has been in decline in the United States since the 1960s and is almost extinct in the 18–34 age bracket. Chicago Tribune reporter Madigan has assembled 15 articles and sections of industry reports that highlight the current crisis. Reprinted from a variety of magazines (e.g., Commentary, American Journalism Review, and Slate), the articles by journalists and social commentators highlight factors contributing to the newspaper’s demise. Changing ownership, evolving tax laws, corporate desires for high-profit margins, and other financial issues are discussed in articles by Elizabeth Neiva, Philip Meyer, and Neil Hickey, while David Carr and Rachel Smolkin explore the competition with Internet news sources and the demands on newspapers to develop a robust web presence. The tone of the selections is journalistic rather than academic; the brief abstracts before each selection provide little context. This snapshot of the current state of print newspapers might serve as an introduction for beginning journalism students. Recommended for undergraduate journalism collections.—Judy Solberg, Seattle Univ.

This hybrid volume mixing history and sociology with political cartoons entertainingly brings the past to light. Dewey’s (The Tenth Man: The Fan in Baseball History) lengthy introduction traces the development of U.S. political cartoons from Benjamin Franklin’s Join, or Die in 1754 to current examples involving the Iraq war and President Bush. This section puts the topic in historical context, showing how these works have been around as long as the country and pointing out the not insignificant role they have played in electing (or bringing down) political figures like Boss Tweed. Touching on famous cartoonists (e.g., Thomas Nast, Herbert “Herblock” Block), historical figures and events (e.g. the New Deal), and racial and social issues (e.g., unions, big business, racism), Dewey’s selections are arranged by broad category, such as “local and domestic politics.” While not the only book on political cartoons, this serves both as a historical and a cartoon art resource. A pleasant read, it is a welcome addition to public and academic libraries.—Leigh Mihlrad, Albert Einstein Coll. of Medicine Lib., Bronx, NY

Even in a sluggish market, there will always be people seeking advice and direction in buying a first home. Nolo’s excellent guide for novice home buyers provides fresh, updated information about the whole process that even those in the know will find useful. Readers will appreciate the chapter outlines highlighting key topics in each section, as well as the personal anecdotes and tips from real estate experts. As in the “For Dummies” series, each chapter here is punctuated with icons, starred paragraphs, and simple catchphrases, all designed to reduce further the intimidation factor in making a major life-changing purchase. Packaged with a CD-ROM that includes essential forms (e.g., a “Final Walk-Through Checklist,” a sample inspection report, and a “Questions for the Sellers Worksheet”) and MP3-formatted audio files of extended insight from the real estate experts, this is highly recommended for most public libraries, especially those seeking to replace and update outdated real estate titles.

Determined not to leave any segment of the real estate community uninformed, Nolo also offers a guide to buying a second home. Though perhaps overly detailed in some sections (e.g., there are in-depth descriptions of the differences among a townhouse, a co-op, and a condominium) and not as universally needed, the book is valuable for guiding readers toward examining and understanding the desire for purchasing a second home and the financial ramifications of embarking on such an endeavor. A CD-ROM with reproducible forms is included. Recommended for libraries with larger boomer populations and/or populations with higher-than-average discretionary incomes, though the book is quick to emphasize that a second home purchase is no longer strictly only for the rich and famous.—Joslyn Jones, Oak Park P.L., IL

Referring to such athletes as Arnold Palmer and Lance Armstrong, executive recruiter Citrin examines what these champions had, beyond natural ability, to achieve success and how they transferred their success to business and philanthropic ventures after the culmination of their athletic careers. Citrin identifies three levels: the Champion is all about individual success by virtue of natural talent, persistence, and mental toughness; the Leader takes those characteristics and applies them in the business arena; and finally, the Legacy Builder through drive and the ability to inspire others leaves a mark that outlasts the individual. While Citrin’s The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers (coauthored with Richard Smith) identifies ways to achieve career advancement from the bottom up, this book underscores skill-set transference, particularly for those whose background is not in business. With such repeated examples as Armstrong and his successful move from world-class cyclist to highly visible cancer research philanthropist, the book has an upbeat tone, but it contains no practical career strategies that bridge the gap between superathletes and the rest of us. Additionally, the graphs and charts supporting Citrin’s explanations are difficult to read. An optional purchase for public libraries.—Regina Beard, Kansas State Libs., Manhattan

A former pollster for President Clinton and a public relations CEO (Burson-Marsteller), Penn depicts a fracturing world in which people use the Internet to follow their interests and desires and find others like them. If a fraction of one percent of a population has a common interest, then identifying that interest can mean capturing millions of customers or voters, à la the “soccer moms” Penn detected and labeled in his work for Clinton. Having done extensive research in polls and statistical sources (all of it meticulously cited in endnotes), Penn, with former White House fellow Zalesne, presents 75 niche markets in all areas of modern life and describes service needs and marketing opportunities for each group (e.g., “single women by choice”). Many essays contain an “International Picture” sidebar explaining the relevance of a trend beyond the United States. Penn is at his best basing arguments on the numbers he adores and less convincing when his proof consists of anecdotal evidence and examples from popular culture. Sometimes he contradicts himself, which is to be expected in a book presenting the United States as a hundred Americas. Recommended for public libraries.—Heidi Senior, Univ. of Portland Lib., OR

It’s been said that yesterday’s 50 is today’s 40, and it appears to be true: no one seems quite as old as they used to be. This book helps explain why this is true and what smart entrepreneurs and business leaders will need to take into consideration as they plan for the future, drawing on research performed by Yankelovich Partners Inc., where both authors work. The firm has studied consumer values and lifestyles since 1958 and coined the term baby boomers to represent the 78 million people born between 1946 and 1964. Smith and Clurman explain that the overarching values and priorities of the boomers are to remain youthful and play a vital role in society throughout their lives; they divide boomers into six major segments—straight arrows, due diligents, maximizers, sideliners, discontenteds, and re-activists—and explain that boomers will continue to move markets and spark change as they refashion retirement and redefine what it means to get older. Highly recommended for all libraries.—Wendy Wendt, Marshall–Lyon Cty. Lib., MN

Tungate (Fashion Brands) presents a survey of the modern era of advertising. Going back to the early 19th century and taking a global perspective, he provides an excellent introduction to the personalities, agencies, and trends that have shaped a hugely influential industry. Although there are other books that explore this subject or review certain regions or eras, many of them are published by the agencies or holding companies themselves and can be biased in their focus. David Ogilvy’s Confessions of an Advertising Man is a classic, but it is clearly written to recruit staff and clients. Tungate is diligently evenhanded, revealing significant trends connecting one era to the next, with his unifying theme being that innovation, independent spirits, and economics have always conspired to destroy what works and replace it with something different—often better, but not always. Potential clients seeking to hire an agency or high school students interested in majoring in communications, marketing, web development, or advertising should consider this an essential read. Recommended for general circulation libraries with even modest business sections.—Stephen Turner, Turner & Assocs., Abingdon, PA

There are literally millions of student athletes in the United States who hope to play college sports. As if making a collegiate-level team isn’t hard enough, these young athletes must also compete for sports scholarships. Hastings, a syndicated columnist on women’s sports, and Caven, her son, who attended Stanford University on a soccer scholarship, have completely updated their how-to handbook designed to help high school athletes, aided by their parents, coaches, and counselors, find a sports scholarship. They point out that there are 180,000 scholarships offered in 34 sports each year—a $1.2 billion annual reward system—and that only one percent of high school athletes get 99 percent of the attention from college coaches, recruiters, and the media. In other words, those who are willing to do their homework have plenty of opportunities for a sports scholarship. This book is filled with useful information to help the non-“blue-chip” athlete find financial assistance for collegiate sports from archery to wrestling. An essential resource for aspiring collegiate athletes and their families; highly informative and recommended for public and all high school libraries.—Tim Delaney, SUNY at Oswego

That prison inmates can be good writers should not be a surprise to anyone who has heard of Jack Henry Abbott (In the Belly of the Beast) or the most famous inmate writer of them all, Jean Genet (Our Lady of the Flowers). Teacher poet Shelton (Going Back to Bisbee) discovered talent on his own in 30 years as a volunteer conducting writing workshops in the Arizona State Prison system. In this memoir, he talks about some of his students as well as his combative relationship with the institutions confining them. The stories, despite their poignancy, are secondary to the enticing observations Shelton makes about life, literature, incarceration, and the human condition, which make for a book that is hard to put down. Shelton writes with skill and candor about society’s exiles and their hidden talents, which he was able to bring out in his workshops; his own talents as a writer give the book its power. Both eye-opening and enchanting, this volume would certainly be a worthwhile addition to any collection.—Frances Sandiford, (ret.) Green Haven Correctional Facility Lib., Stormville, NY

Beard (classics, Univ. of Cambridge, UK) examines classical literary and pictorial evidence to determine what can be known about the Roman ritual that honored victorious generals, which was celebrated more than 300 times over a period of 1000 years. Despite the popular idea of the triumph presented by artists and historians—laureled victor in chariot, prisoners in chains, booty on display, soldiers singing bawdy songs—Beard sees evidence of a more dynamic ritual. While in the book’s first half Beard may overstate her own triumphs over misreadings of earlier historians, the book gains interest as she explores the divergence between the triumph before and after Augustus (when the ritual became all but closed to anyone but members of the royal family). Beard proposes two rituals, one taking place in the streets of Rome and the other a “ritual in ink,” the conservative accounts written by ancients intent on linking unruly street ceremonies with a tradition dating back to Romulus. Beard’s contrast stands up well to analysis of public rituals of today. Because of the book’s focus on debate over conflicting classical source materials, this authoritative account of the triumph will be of greatest interest to academic libraries.—Stewart Desmond, Madison Square Park Conservancy, New York

Church (minister of public theology, Unitarian Church of All Souls, New York; Freedom from Fear) systematically looks at how the first five U.S. presidents wrestled with the separation of church and state. Many Christians in the United States believed that their new government would not survive without a strong church presence fashioned along the English model. Others felt that a strict church-state separation was the only way to guarantee the religious liberty for which many had fought. This divide, author Church argues, between “order and liberty” was America’s first great culture war, one that continues to this day. The founding presidents ran the gamut from John Adams, who touted a “Christian Republic,” to James Monroe, who espoused complete church-state separation. The book reveals the complexities and ironies of this divide. For example, George Washington was stoic on religion, yet he worked to establish a moral government with religion as one of its pillars; Baptists lionized Thomas Jefferson, the champion of liberty and secular government, as the savior of their religion. Well researched and written, this lively book will appeal to students of American religious history. Recommended for larger public and academic libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/07.]—Robert Flatley, Kutztown Univ. Lib., PA

The Allies of World War II—the nations that came together against the Axis powers—have been much studied. Winston Churchill produced his own six-volume contribution, and scores of historians have examined the stormy relations among Churchill, FDR, and Stalin. These “Big Three” had a common enemy in Hitler, but Churchill and FDR also had to deal with their own political oppositions. For Churchill, it was the Labour Party; for FDR, it was the isolationists. In the Soviet Union, no one dared question Stalin, who demanded a buffer zone of most of Eastern Europe and a second front in France. Churchill had to protect “the Empire” at all costs, and FDR’s pet programs were the establishment of a United Nations and to get along with Stalin. Fenby makes highly readable history of the day-to-day operations of these three as they attempted to shape the future of the world at two major conferences in Tehran and Yalta. Fifty years of Cold War, China becoming Communist, the need for the Berlin airlift, and Zionist aspirations in Palestine all had their roots in the flawed relations of these world leaders. Recommended for public and academic libraries.—Harry Willems, Park City P.L., KS

Novelist Goldman (The Divine Husband) works as a journalist here—this book originated as a New Yorker piece—delving deep into the murky political waters of modern Guatemala as he explores the shocking 1998 murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera in Guatemala City. A human rights activist, the bishop had just published a report implicating the military in human rights violations during the bloody civil war of the 1980s; the government is widely believed to be behind his assassination. What begins as a nonfiction whodunit evolves into a revelation of conspiracy on a terrifying scale. Gerardi’s enemies were powerful: the murder investigation and eventual trial limped along for several years. Goldman was present at the trial and interviewed the investigators. He brings a first-person grittiness to the entire account, presenting a broad cast of characters, from the homeless witnesses living on the street to the elite military officers implicated in the crime. The narrative does become convoluted as witnesses change their stories and entire testimonies are retold, but Goldman’s overall tapestry of the courageous struggle against corruption in high places never unravels. A fine book to have alongside Daniel Wilkinson’s broader Silence on the Mountain: Stories of Terror, Betrayal, & Forgetting in Guatemala; highly recommended for modern history collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/07.]—Elizabeth Morris, Barrington Area Lib., IL

Koenig, the author of two highly respected, behind-the-scenes books on Disneyland (Mouse Tales; More Mouse Tales), now sheds light on the beginnings of Walt Disney World. Walt Disney was upset with how the area around Disneyland gave rise to cheap motels and trinket shops, so he decided to build another park in Florida and purchased enough land to control every aspect of the environs. Koenig’s description of the backdoor deals, phony companies, and lengths the Disney Company went to secure the thousands of acres needed to build the new park is fascinating. Disney’s dream of EPCOT—the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, a multilevel, climate-controlled model city with a network of people movers—was never fully realized, but a park with that name opened in 1982. While the Mouse Tales books emphasized cast member stories at Disneyland, here Koenig takes time to immerse readers fully in the history of what is now the top tourist destination in the world. Interviewing almost 100 people and incorporating almost a decade of research, Koenig has written his best book to date. Perfect for Disney fans and history buffs; for all library collections.—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

Meredith (The Fate of Africa) continues his superb accounts of Africa, here centering on the period from the discovery of the first diamond field in 1870 to the formation of the modern state in 1910. South Africa in the early 1800s was a hodgepodge of British colonies, Boer republics, and African chiefdoms until the discovery of rich diamond and gold deposits. Raw power, corruption, racism, and the debacle of the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) are well covered in this distinguished account. Throughout, Meredith intertwines and exposes the roles of diamond titan Cecil Rhodes and Boer leader Paul Kruger, who defied the British for nearly a quarter of a century. Underlying this story is the horrible cost to Africa’s native peoples and the rise of the virulent Afrikaner nationalism that lasted nearly a century. Meredith thoroughly involves us in this gripping history. Highly recommended for all libraries.—Mary C. Allen, Everett P.L., WA

Historians have given Dwight Eisenhower low marks for his civil rights record mostly because he did not use the presidential “bully pulpit” to educate the public about segregation’s evils. Nichols (Lincoln and the Indians: Civil War Policy and Politics) offers a convincing differing view, which concludes that Eisenhower made unprecedented and enduring contributions to the civil rights cause that laid the groundwork for the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. These include completing the integration of the armed forces; desegregating Washington, DC; and, most important, appointing Earl Warren as chief justice of the Supreme Court and four other pro–civil rights associate justices. None of these events was accidental, according to Nichols, because Eisenhower believed in economic and social justice for African Americans. However, the author rightly admonishes Eisenhower for his reluctance to speak out against the South’s failure to obey the laws of the land and for not recognizing the moral support such speeches could have given African Americans. This impressive revisionist account is strongly recommended for larger public and all academic collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/07; see the Q&A with Nichols, p. 72.—Ed.]—Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA

Rasenberger (High Steel: The Daring Men Who Built the World’s Greatest Skyline) addresses American technological achievements and their impact on the national mood a century ago. Although episodic and largely centered on the East Coast, the result is an engaging work of popular history. Without neglecting the formidable challenges of continuing racism and the need for workplace reforms, Rasenberger makes the case for a buoyant nation as confident—and contradictory—as its president in 1908, Theodore Roosevelt. Beginning with the first New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square and ending with a Wright brothers’ flight that proved the viability of air travel, he shows America on the move by air, sea (e.g., the global voyage of the Great White Fleet), and land (e.g., the New York to Paris automobile race). Acknowledging that his book “[finds] its very heart in the newspapers of 1908,” he follows in the tradition of such earlier journalist historians as Frederick Lewis Allen (Only Yesterday). Rasenberger’s story of an adolescent nation at a point of peace and prosperity would make a welcome addition to public libraries, especially as we bear in mind that 2008 is around the corner.—Frederick J. Augustyn Jr., Library of Congress

In a tour de force displaying his mastery of Atlantic maritime matters, historian Rediker (Univ. of Pittsburgh; Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age) details step by step the terrors, toil, technologies, commercial linkages, and business plans that made the slave ship the human triumph and tragedy it was. The magnificent and monstrous machine that formed the modern Atlantic world functioned as nursery, prison, war engine, and graveyard. For nearly 400 years from the late 1400s through the 1800s, tall ships—from the bantam ten-ton Hesketh with its 30 captives to the behemoth, ill-fated 566-ton Parr—operated as terrible instruments of capitalist profit and human wastage. They made cargo of ten to 15 million Africans in the hellish voyage called Middle Passage. Rediker brings to life sea captains, sailors, and slaves consumed in “the abominable traffick.” Imaginatively conceived, expertly researched, humanely informed, and movingly written, this virtuoso work is essential for collections treating the history of Europe, the Americas, or Africa since 1500.—Thomas J. Davis, Arizona State Univ., Tempe

Shirley Wiegand (law, Marquette Univ.; Library Records) and Wayne Wiegand (library & information studies, American studies, Florida State Univ., Tallahassee; Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey) cover a fascinating chapter in the grassroots history of American communism. In August 1940, the Oklahoma City police illegally raided the local Communist Party bookstore, carting off its contents and arresting everyone in it. The suspected Reds were held incommunicado in jail, without access to lawyers or bail. Eventually, the authorities brought them to trial under the state’s criminal syndicalism laws, saying that those arrested advocated the violent overthrow of the government by selling revolutionary books. Four of the defendants were convicted and sentenced to ten years in jail. The irony of putting people on trial for selling books during a war against fascism was not lost on Americans; two years later, all the cases were overturned on appeal. The authors understand that many American Communists were motivated more by naive altruism than by Marxism-Leninism. Yet they unnecessarily repeat the simplistic view that the Communist Party was completely controlled from Moscow and that American Communists were all unwitting dupes of a few party members in New York and Moscow, the only weaknesses in a fine book. Recommended for larger public and all academic libraries.—Duncan Stewart, Univ. of Iowa Libs., Iowa City

South African historian Van Onselen first glimpsed a news item about Joseph Silver, the head of a pimps’ club, while researching the social history of a mining community. He set out on a 25-year journey to document the life story of Silver, né Lis, and came to quite a conclusion along the way: Silver was none other than Jack the Ripper. A heretofore unknown Polish Jew, Silver spent his life circumnavigating the “Atlantic (under)World” living a life in the shadows. He had an obsessive hatred of prostitutes yet made his living off of sexual slavery. Van Onselen meticulously details known Ripper facts compared to known and strongly suspected aspects of Silver’s life and concludes that the circumstantial and coincidental evidence is simply too compelling. While it is clear that Silver was an evil, misogynistic man, and Van Onselen lays out an intriguing case, we will probably never definitively solve the Ripper mystery. Although the use of forensic investigative techniques was being developed in Silver’s lifetime, he managed to stay ahead of the law. He was a master manipulator, even working as a police informer at times. A deeply researched, well-written masterpiece; highly recommended, especially to Jack the Ripper scholars.—Karen Sandlin Silverman, Ctr. for Applied Research, Philadelphia

Here, Vidmar (law & psychology, Duke Univ.) and Hans (law, Cornell Univ.)—coauthors of Judging the Jury—“examine what juries do and what research tells us about their performance.” Chapters cover the history of juries, jury selection, tasks of the jury, judging evidence, judging criminal responsibility and insanity, the death penalty, and civil liability and include plentiful references to historical and contemporary cases as well as discussion of available research studies. These studies include interesting comparisons of judge and jury verdicts, how juries understand the law, how jurors evaluate evidence, the role of race in jury decision making, and the impact of the death-qualification process in capital cases. Hundreds of books have been written on juries, e.g., Randolph N. Jonakait’s The American Jury System, but the strength of this book is its topic-by-topic presentation of research studies. Well suited to ambitious undergraduates and scholars, it is essential for law libraries and academic libraries with strong law, criminal justice, public policy, and social sciences collections.—Mary Jane Brustman, SUNY at Albany Libs.

The post-9/11 world is one steeped in and driven by despair. Terrorists are created by an environment of economic and moral poverty, which in turn creates a desperate alienation that results in a cycle of injustice. Terrorists’ violent acts feed the despair that fuels their own desperation. Noted art critic and Booker Prize winner Berger (G.) presents an essay collection focused on the underlying causes of the unrest that has violently manifested itself in the form of worldwide terror. In poetic and highly literate prose, he points the finger at hypocritical policies emerging from Israel and the United States that have produced a generation of willing fighters and, too often, martyrs. He also indicates the ethical bankruptcy produced by the world’s domination by corporate capitalism. Interspersed are beautifully written reflections on the lives of friends and fellow social commentators as well as personal portraits of life in the Middle East, particularly Palestine. Throughout, Berger rails against the usurpation of meaningful language as a symptom of humanity’s disconnection from what should be held dear. Recommended for academic and large public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/07.]—Shedrick Pittman-Hassett, Phil Johnson Historic Archives & Research Lib., Dallas

Africa now produces as much oil for the United States as the Middle East, and it’s set to provide even more oil for significant countries like China. Those who continue to regard Africa as simply a continent with an extremely poor and AIDS-infected population will miss its larger importance as a global player in the coming years. As Washington begins to take notice of Africa’s rising importance on the world stage, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), an independent national think tank, posits that a more nuanced understanding of the region’s politics can help us see what is at stake for both America’s and Africa’s future. Recent work by the council’s task force, summarized here by Lyman (adjunct senior fellow for Africa policy studies, CFR) and Dorff (director, CFR publishing), defines different issues in the region and recommends U.S. policies that would spur economic growth and encourage democracy. This is a good introduction to the serious issues currently facing Africa, including the growing ranks of unemployed youth, violence against Muslims, Robert Mugabe’s politics in Zimbabwe, and China’s interests and involvement in Darfur. Suitable for academic and large public libraries.—April Younglove, Linfield Coll. Lib., Portland, OR

One of the more noteworthy developments in the Middle East is the emergence of competing Arabic-language radio and television networks that seek to attract a pan-Arab mass audience. The best known of these among Western audiences is the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera network. Others include the Saudi-supported Al-Arabiya, Al-Jazeera’s main competitor, and the Al-Manar news channel, which is owned and operated by the Lebanese Hezbollah. In recent years, the United States has sought to use its media power to win the battle of “hearts and minds” by launching the Arabic-language Radio Sawa and Al-Hurra TV as counterweights to Al-Jazeera. In this readable and informative book, Fandy (senior fellow, International Inst. for Strategic Studies, London; Saudi Arabia and the Politics of Dissent) offers a critical analysis of the role played by the media, especially the pan-Arab television networks, in shaping political debate in the Middle East. The author’s main thesis is that the Arab media lack journalistic autonomy and are simply an extension of their respective government policies. For example, he contends that the two major TV networks, Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, function primarily as conduits for Qatari-Saudi rivalry and tension. Recommended for all public and academic libraries.—Nader Entessar, Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile, AL

This latest offering from best-selling author Wolf (The Beauty Myth) is a harbinger of an age that may finally see the patriarchal realm of political discourse usurped. Here is Wolf’s compellingly and cogently argued political argument for civil rights, not women’s rights. She contributes this call to action to a canon that from Plato and Aristotle to Hobbes and Locke and forward, with a few exceptions (e.g., Hannah Arendt), has been largely populated by men. Wolf’s work is actually closer to the agitated, passionate polemics of Emma Goldman than the ponderous, philosophical musings of Arendt. Readers will appreciate her energy and urgency as she warns we are living through a dangerous “fascist shift” brought about by the Bush administration. Her chapters outline the “Ten Steps to Fascism” citing historical corollaries (as well as the pigs in Orwell’s Animal Farm), with headings like “Invoke an External and Internal Threat,” “Establish Secret Prisons,” and “Target Key Individuals.” In other words, fascism can exist without dictatorship. Her book’s publication through a small press in Vermont that is committed to “the politics and practice of sustainable living” rather than through a large trade house is itself a political act. Highly recommended for all collections.—Theresa Kintz, Wilkes Univ., Wilkes-Barre, PA

In this touching and poignant literary memoir of living with fragile X syndrome, Dunsford (associate dean, Coll. of Arts and Sciences, Boston Coll.) shares her journey of discovering a diagnosis for her son J.P. and the reverberations of that diagnosis throughout her family. The author examines what being a carrier of the fragile X permutation means to her as an individual and as a parent. Drawing on her English professor background, Dunsford turned to writing as a way to explore the twists and turns of diagnosis, genetic counseling, and daily life with her son. She often references the work of poet William Wordsworth, specifically his ballads “The Mad Mother” and “The Idiot Boy,” which describe the relationship between mother and son. Gerard Manley Hopkins, Dunsford’s dissertation subject, also gets several nods; like that poet, the author ponders the question of identity. Through vivid descriptions of her relationship with J.P., readers can glimpse the parental highs and lows of life with a child who has developmental delays. A resource guide is included. Recommended for public libraries with parenting and special-needs collections.—Lisa M. Jordan, Johnson Cty. Lib., KS

A visiting professor of psychology at Brown University, Herz recounts how she became fascinated with the sense of smell when she discovered that her kindergarten classmates didn’t share her affection for eau de skunk. Indeed, one of many interesting facts to be gleaned from this science of scent primer is that there is no universally noxious smell. In terms of desire, we learn that women are most attracted to men whose body odor is chemically unlike their own. However, women taking birth control pills prefer men who are chemically similar. Since most married women eventually change from the pill to a more permanent form of birth control, this may be an unrecognized source of stress in modern relationships. The book also covers the “Proust effect” (why smells and tastes can evoke vivid memories), aromatherapy, food cravings, and future developments of smell research. This is one of those all-too-rare books that is involving, well written, and solidly grounded in research. Highly recommended for pop psychology collections.—Mary Ann Hughes, Pullman, WA

Neurologist Sacks (The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat) plays piano—e.g., Chopin mazurkas—and has treated musicians with brain and peripheral nerve problems. As always, he writes impeccably here but takes on such unusual, highly technical problems of music and medicine—e.g., musical hallucinations, cochlear amusia, Tourette’s syndrome—that readers who don’t know a lobe from a sulcus will be challenged. Writing about himself, however, Sacks is wonderful, as in “Lamentations: Music and Depression,” wherein he talks about how music may lose its power to engage people who are suffering depression after loss; then, suddenly and unexpectedly, music makes contact, releases stifled grief, and restores enthusiasm for life. Better for a general audience are Daniel J. Levitin’s This Is Your Brain on Music and Anthony Storr’s Music and the Mind, both of which are highly regarded by Sacks. This book is best suited to large general collections and those focused on music and neuroscience. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/07.]—E. James Lieberman, George Washington Univ. Sch. of Medicine, Washington, DC

New York, always a city of immigrants, has in the past half century attracted new residents of myriad ethnicities. Long-established Italian, Irish, Greek, and Jewish enclaves now sit alongside, share space with, or are being transformed into communities from Uzbekistan, Somalia, Guyana, and Bangladesh. New York Times reporter Berger (Displaced Persons: Growing Up American After the Holocaust) explores 22 neighborhoods citywide to learn the folkways of people living on borders between two—or more—cultures. Berger details a controversy among Orthodox Jews in Midwood, Brooklyn, as to whether the municipal drinking water is kosher. He travels to work with a Palestinian woman who commutes four hours daily from the Bronx’s Bedford Park neighborhood for a $7-an-hour part-time job. He considers ways immigrants nurture connections to their homelands, from phone cards and videoconferencing to the expatriate Ghanaian practice of buying a home in Ghana, absent definite plans to move back. In his brisk but detailed, respectful, and captivating tour, Berger considers economics, immigration policy, adaptation, identity, domestic issues, and the awkward intersection of American and homeland cultural expectations. Highly recommended for New York libraries and for all travel and social sciences collections.—Janet Ingraham Dwyer, Worthington Libs., OH

This collection of 23 new essays maps a lot of terrain, not simply that of physical desire or lust. The longings here range from joyous to bittersweet, from abstract and philosophical to practical and gritty. In “Death and the Desire to Live Deliberately,” Maggie Bucholt describes how her friend, diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer, takes charge of her life by aiming to live and not waiting to die: she assists hospice patients until she is too sick to volunteer and requires hospice care herself. In “Still Horny After All These Years,” S.S. Fair drives home her point that sexual desire does not fade with age. “Desire has its own circulatory system,” she states, and “as long as you’re upright and breathing, you’re riding its eternally recurring loop of lust and satiation.” Julia Serrano, who was born male and desired more than anything else to be a girl, writes of her loneliness and turmoil in “At Odds.” These writers cut across age and cultural and religious lines. Some use graphic language but not in an exploitative manner. This moving and eye-opening collection is recommended for medium to large public and academic libraries.—Lisa Nussbaum, formerly with Dauphin Cty. Lib. Syst., Harrisburg, PA

In this collection of 55 short essays (some excerpted and some newly written) edited by award-winning travel author Miller (Panama Hat Trail), successful Latinos write personal accounts of how they learned English and the impact this had on their lives. The contributors range from notable writers to television personalities, from military officers to successful business leaders. All learned English not only in the classroom but also from television, radio, and the movies, encountering a different language as well as a different culture. The stories are funny (e.g., artist Enrique Martínez Celaya accidentally using the English word constipated to describe being ill) and poignant (e.g., poet and doctor Rafael Campo losing the ability to speak Spanish to a grandparent). The essays cover issues that affect any immigrant population: the navigating of two worlds, language learning as lifelong learning, and the importance of bilingualism and maintaining connection to a native culture. A timely book, as immigration and bilingual education are current topics of debate in this country. Recommended for all public libraries, especially those serving Spanish-speaking or immigrant populations.—Jennifer Zarr, NYPL

A former newspaper reporter, Jensen (journalism, Univ. of Texas, Austin) writes from his perspective as a social activist. Although Jensen is a polemicist rather than an empiricist, his firsthand experience of pornography—only video is really considered here—extends even to interviewing some of its creators and performers. Jensen states an unequivocal antipornography case: that its mere existence and persistence are evidence of endemic misogyny; that its production is inherently exploitative; and that its use is critical to the maintenance of unequal gender relations. Strongly influenced by his late mentor Andrea Dworkin, Jensen takes the same uncompromising position on pornography that leads some self-identified feminist critics to counter with a more “sex positive” attitude that embraces a diverse range of erotic practices. Despite insisting that his study treats only mainstream pornography, his attention is drawn almost exclusively to the depiction of acts that have the taint of the exotic and to subgenres that humiliate women. Jensen opens by extrapolating the aggressive, extremely boorish behavior of attendees of the Adult Entertainment Expo to all men who have experience with pornography, which is a bit like suggesting that to enjoy Star Trek is to be an obsessive Trekkie. This book will be ignored and supported by many but has the genuine potential to provoke fresh discussion, which makes it a recommended acquisition for academic collections.—Scott H. Silverman, Bryn Mawr Coll., PA

Burgett (interdisciplinary arts & sciences program, Univ. of Washington, Bothell; Sentimental Bodies) and Hendler (English, Fordham Univ.; Public Sentiments: Structures of Feeling in Nineteenth-Century American Literature) have assembled an impressive group of 64 scholars to elucidate on the language—and culture—of American cultural studies. Readers are introduced to a contested lexicon and forced to consider how the meanings attached to words and concepts (e.g., civilization and marriage) are influenced by social location. The editors asked for provocative or polemical entries, and they received them. In the entry on gender, controversial queer theorist Judith Halberstam refers to Valerie Solana’s infamous 1970 Society for Cutting Up Men (SCUM) Manifesto as a “refreshingly extreme approach to the gender question.” David Kazanjian discusses the genocide of Native Americans in his entry on “Colonial.” All of the central terms and buzzwords are here, from “African” and “Class,” to “West” and “White,” with some, e.g. “Sentiment,” seeming a bit random or out of place. Several of the writers may be found in David Horowitz’s The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America. Recommended for all collections.—Theresa Kintz, Wilkes Univ., Wilkes-Barre, PA

Bouldrey’s walk along the rocky spine of the fascinating Mediterranean island of Corsica becomes a fractured journey in his book, where travel journal, memoir, and social commentary don’t so much blend together—as in the best travel memoirs—but exist as separate strands of fine writing. Interspersed with descriptions of his actual trek in the company of his German traveling companion, the recently divorced Petra, are his ruminations on “Why I Walk” as well as hilarious anecdotes about his Midwestern youth and a devastating chapter on San Francisco gay life early in the AIDS epidemic. Bouldrey teaches creative writing at Northwestern University, and his own writing here certainly qualifies as creative. There are real gems as he describes his family life, his fellow travelers down Corsica’s GR20, and his blue passport “outing” him as an American. His style is chatty, humorous, and self-deprecating, which makes for an enjoyable read. But the question remains as to just what category of book it is and whether it is more than an optional purchase for most libraries.—Janet Ross, formerly with Sparks Branch Lib., NV

If “those far-away places with strange-sounding names” are still calling, settle in for a visual trip around the world as only National Geographic can present. This beautifully illustrated travel guide profiles 500 of the most incredible places on earth and lets you choose not only a destination but also a way to get there. Interested in an unforgettable rail journey? How about a “gourmet vacation” where you can learn culinary skills from world-class chefs? Looking for a “green” vacation where you leave the smallest possible carbon footprint? Along with the characteristically exquisite photographs, there is information on the best time to visit these destinations, web sites to contact, what to be certain to see when you’re there, and even “inside information” offered by experts. Some of these places are relatively easy to visit (e.g., California’s wine country, the Indian country of New Mexico, Pennsylvania’s Amish communities), while others definitely require planning and a considerable income (e.g., Antarctica, Vietnam, the Pyrenees of Andorra). To an armchair traveler, however, the door to world travel is wide open and inviting. Recommended for large public libraries.—Joseph L. Carlson, Lompoc Unified Sch. Dist., CA

These collected travel essays, originally published in Condé Nast Traveler magazine and here selected as a 20th-anniversary treat by that magazine’s editor in chief, are by some of the world’s best writers, who mainly gained their eminence in other genres. Nonetheless, most travel enthusiasts will recognize the assortment of novelists (e.g., Shirley Hazzard), poets (e.g., Patricia Storace), journalists (e.g., Robert Hughes), and editors (e.g., Philip Gourevitch) who write about the Everglades, Bath, Capri, Provence, Athens, Italy, and Tanzania, to name a few locations. There’s also Simon Winchester taking readers up a volcano in the Philippines, William Dalrymple walking the pilgrimage route of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and John Julius Norwich touring the Vatican. Other selections cover Hawaii, Iran, Japan, Petra, Romania, and Barcelona. Glowczewska provides the date that each essay appeared in the magazine and is probably responsible for the eclectic updates (some practical, some delving further into subjects covered by the essayist) added at the end of each entry. Recommended for all public libraries for armchair-travel readers.—Lee Arnold, Historical Soc. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia