Social Sciences

Friday (history, Univ. of Georgia; Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan) begins his book in the year 939, when Samurai hero Taira no Masakado made Japanese history by attacking outlying provinces and threatening to war against the ruling central government. The rebellious wars earned Masakado fame and the title of Shinnô, or New Emperor, but also eventually cost him his head, which was promptly put on display in the ancient capital of Kyoto. Friday then goes on to explain that, according to legend, Masakado's severed head would not be conquered: "For three months, they say, it hung outside the East Market, its eyes never closing and its color remaining unchanged." Such reports inspired awe in those who heard them, and the malevolent spirit of Masakado was soon revered; Buddhist temple shrines were built to honor his memory and appease his infamous anger. An expert of Samurai warfare, Friday explains through the legend of Masakado the importance and realities of Samurai culture in tenth-century Japan. Structured as an academic analysis, this book is ultimately an enjoyable read for eager Japanophiles and lovers of cultural folklore. Recommended.—Matthew Loving, Univ. of Florida Libs., Gainesville

We know him as Stalin, or Josef Stalin, but before he settled on this alias he had at least a dozen others, including Koba and Soso. His youthful friends were responsible for most of his monikers, which were sometimes taken of necessity to escape from the Okhrana (secret police) and the local police. No book published in the last 100 years goes into as much detail about the youthful Stalin as Montefiore's does. Unlike Sarah Davies and James Harris's Stalin: A New History, which has a 25-page chapter covering Stalin's youth, Montefiore (Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar) uses many newly available archival records from Stalin's peers to greatly amplify information on the man's early years and his growing attachment to the revolutionary movement. Stalin's early experiences shaped his paranoia for the rest of his life, and his revolutionary experiences reinforced it. Montefiore says, "The machine of repression, the flinthearted, paranoid psychology of perpetual conspiracy and the taste for extreme bloody solutions to all challenges were not just accidents, but glamorized and institutionalized. He was patron of these brutal tendencies but also their personification." Montefiore goes on to refute the notion that Stalin was a double agent of the Okhrana and that he "missed the revolution," ideas that his detractors formulated from flimsy evidence. This accessible book is highly recommended for academic and public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/07.]—Harry Willems, Park City P.L., KS

Today's burgeoning variety of news sources poses a real challenge for any political administration wishing to communicate agendas, priorities, and policy initiatives to the public. Kumar (political science, Towson Univ.) examines the White House Office of Communications (which began in the Nixon administration), with particularly detailed analysis of the Clinton and George W. Bush terms. She looks at the delicate balance between Presidents, who must use the press to communicate, and the media, which can play an adversarial role in covering them. She defines the White House's communications role as advocating for policies, defending the President from critics, and coordinating government-wide publicity. Having been a regular in the White House Press Room since the early years of the Clinton administration, Kumar can offer an insider's view. Her interviews with Communications Office staff from earlier administrations, such as Ford's and Reagan's, offer a rare look at day-to-day operations and strategies. For example, Dan Bartlett, White House communications director from 2001 to 2005, explains how his office reached out to unconventional media and sponsored a White House roundtable for George W. Bush to meet with correspondents from hunting, fishing, and wilderness magazines. Kumar notes that even as communications strategies vary, there is stability in the system across administrations. Political science and journalism scholars will appreciate the rich detail and scholarship here. Appropriate for most academic libraries.—Judy Solberg, Seattle Univ.

Hoyt and John Palattella, executive editor and former editor, respectively, of the Columbia Journalism Review, built this volume from an article published in its November 2006 issue. Here, three reporters interview 50 journalists, all of whom covered the war in Iraq between the March 2003 invasion and the summer of 2006. Those interviewed include reporters, photographers, translators, and stringers from the major U.S. and UK news organizations, as well as freelance journalists. Their oral histories, dispersed within chapters that move chronologically through the war, reveal the challenges of their work. The journalists move from their coping with the initial stages of the conflict to their work at gathering details from a wide cross section of sources. They talk about how violence toward other reporters affected them, the challenges of working with the military authorities, and the controversial subject of the invasion's "embedded" journalists. Overall, the interviews make clear the difficulties in obtaining accurate information during war and insurgency. Many of the journalists developed good working relationships with Iraqi citizens, and they talk about how the war has changed their own lives forever. An enlightening look at the Iraq war that deserves to be in most collections.—Joel W. Tscherne, Cleveland P.L.

In a way, this is a sequel to the authors' 1999 best seller, The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage, also building on the premise that people aren't satisfied with commodities anymore—they want an experience (i.e., the entertainment and memories that surround the act of using a product or service). The twist here is the difference between the real and fake experience, and the book provides many examples of what that means and why it matters. This theme is part of a broader movement expressed through books such as Robert Scoble and Shel Israel's Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers. Like Authenticity, these books don't focus on the products or services themselves but on how they are made, discussed, and experienced; the movement is away from products and toward the consumer's imagination and needs. Libraries with the luxury to collect observations about the latest trends should examine such books more closely. Authenticity is a branding book of sorts but from a completely different angle than other books on the topic. It is ideal for business school libraries, especially those with an emphasis on marketing and product development.—Stephen Turner, Turner & Assocs., Abington, PA

Blue jeans are as American as Jell-O and the Beach Boys. But freelance journalist Snyder exposes their backside and splits the seams to look into denim and its global significance. This book more or less parallels the themes of Pietra Rivoli's Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy, so the story is not an entirely new one. However, Snyder does an admirable job of putting a human face on the global genesis of blue jeans as a major product. She picks cotton alongside women workers in Azerbaijan, visits denim fabric designers in Italy, attends a textile chemical association conference in North Carolina, witnesses a May Day garment worker demonstration in Cambodia, and hobnobs with socially aware jeans designers in New York. Through these personal glimpses, the political, legal, and economic realities of globalization become apparent. Synder also explores the success of the organic cotton movement and highlights how Ali Hewson (wife of U2 frontman and activist Bono) and fashion designer Gregory Rogan have teamed up on the Edun line of jeans, which are made with strict attention to responsible environmental and labor practices. The story of these "traveling pants" is a good fit for public and academic library business collections.—Carol J. Elsen, Univ. of Wisconsin, Whitewater

The Versailles peace conference, held between the Allied victorious powers and Germany following World War I, attempted to create a lasting peace—and parcel out the world. The great powers felt that they should inherit much of it; inhabitants of the countries to be parceled out felt otherwise. The shortsightedness of the conferees produced a world that fragmented in unexpected ways and arguably generated a century of continuous conflict. With chapters on some of those present, such as the young Ho Chi Min, on the shared goals of Emir Feisal and Chaim Weizmann, and on the abortive stab at making peace in revolutionary Russia, Andelman (executive editor, Forbes.com) casts a bitter light on the rest of the 20th century. The author's constant theme is that the failures of the Versailles conference laid the groundwork for World War II, the iron curtain, the Vietnam War, the various Middle East conflicts, and the Balkan wars. Andelman's sprightly view of the peace process, the major and minor players, and the decades-later outcomes is an excellent read that will enhance most history collections. Recommended for most subject collections.—Edwin B. Burgess, U.S. Army Combined Arms Research Lib., Fort Leavenworth, KS

John Washington (1838–1918) was born a slave in Virginia. Wallace Turnage (1846–1916) was born a slave in North Carolina. Blight tags the men as "ordinary," yet his detection and re-creation of their lives belie the label. Both Washington and Turnage wrote autobiographies, discovered by this award-winning Yale historian (Race and Reunion) and director of the university's Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition, and his finds add fresh dimensions to the genre usually mislabeled "slave narratives." Blight offers insightful and instructive explanations of place and time, but this work does more than contextualize the two men's writings of how they liberated themselves. As a whole, it evokes a treasury of experience and impression of African American slavery and emancipation. Washington's "Memorys of the Past" and poignant note on the death of his son and Turnage's "Journal" powerfully depict a too often shrouded past. Required reading for scholars or even casual students, this signal contribution is essential for any collection on slavery, emancipation, or African American or U.S. history and literature.—Thomas J. Davis, Arizona State Univ., Tempe

By late 1951, President Truman had become increasingly concerned about the possibility that the Soviet and the Chinese Communist forces were going to get much more involved in the Korean conflict. According to Boyd, he therefore secretly authorized Operation Broken Reed, a Special Access Program (or so-called black operation) that was to traverse Korea in January 1952 and gather military intelligence. A team of army rangers, air force officers, navy frogmen, and CIA operatives pretended to be crew members of a captured B-29 bomber, who, under the guard of Chinese nationalist military personnel posing as Chinese Communists, moved in military vehicles across the North Korean countryside gathering information about Soviet and Chinese military forces massing quietly in the North Korean countryside. Boyd served as a cryptographer for the operation, signaling information back to American forces. The Chinese forces ultimately discovered the true purpose of the small caravan, and all but Boyd were killed. Sworn to secrecy, Boyd waited over 50 years to tell his amazing story. There is no official or unofficial record of Operation Broken Reed, but Boyd believes the work of this small band of men helped convince Truman that it would be disastrous to expand the war into North Korea. A chilling story and, if true, certainly an amazing one in the annals of wartime espionage. For larger collections.—Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames

In a thoughtful and carefully crafted book, Holland (political science, Brigham Young Univ.) argues that civic charity is an important, if unappreciated, component of America's political culture. He meticulously traces the biblical tradition of Christian charity, agape, and how the idea or value of charity made its way into American political life. In charity's transition from a religious to a civic value, it becomes civic charity. Civic charity, Holland contends, calls for "a public recognition of and gratitude for a God of judgment and providence even as it respects and helps establish a constitutionally robust pluralism including a substantial degree of separation of church and state." To support his argument, he conducts a close contextual analysis of three of America's greatest and most influential speeches: John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity," Jefferson's first inaugural address, and Lincoln's second inaugural address and traces the intellectual threads that connect them. Holland's command of the literature and critical analysis of the texts are truly impressive. Not a book that the average patron will select for casual reading, this work is recommended primarily for all academic libraries and larger public libraries that support academic research.—Thomas J. Baldino, Wilkes Univ., Wilkes-Barre, PA

In 1492, Jews were banished from Spain; the Moors suffered the same fate in 1609. Prior to these banishments, Christians, Jews, and Muslims mixed in the same communities, and medieval Spain was noted for tolerance and intellectual fermentation. According to Kamen (Royal Historical Soc., London; Empire: How Spain Became a Great Power), it was these expulsions that unleashed centuries of intolerance, forcing many Spaniards to flee their homeland. While opposition to the political and religious status quo turned many Spaniards into exiles, Kamen is primarily interested in the Spanish intelligentsia who have left their country over the centuries to pursue their professional and creative ambitions. Artists, musicians, writers, and scientists, from Jose Ortega y Gasset and Luis Cernuda to Pablo Picasso and Pablo Casals, chose self-exile rather than endure Spain's intolerant and intellectually stagnant atmosphere. Kamen examines the lives of many of these exiles to explain the impact their absence had on Spain and to measure their contributions to Western culture. In many respects, this book is a sad sequel to Chris Lowney's A Vanished World: Medieval Spain's Golden Age of Enlightenment and is an essential purchase for all Spanish history collections.—Jim Doyle, Rome, GA

This photographic journey through modern France is a tour de force to be celebrated by Francophiles and general readers alike. In a companion volume to his best-selling The British Century, journalist Moynahan (correspondent, Sunday Times, London) has captured in both text and images the spirit of a changing France. While certainly not a standard history textbook, the volume is organized chronologically, beginning with the siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–7 and continuing through the belle epoque, both world wars, and the changing fortunes of the postwar period. Accompanied by engaging and arresting photographs, Moynahan's text explains how historical, political, and cultural events have both shaped the French imagination and influenced the world. The work is especially strong in representing French influence on the arts as well as sports, entertainment, fashion, and intellectual life. After celebrating the glories of the postwar period ("les trentes glorieuses") the book arrives at France today. Moynahan sees France as undergoing an identity crisis as it deals with a host of ills: fears of a loss of identity, bristling resentment at foreign influence, and changing demographics. Highly recommended.—Marie Marmo Mullaney,Caldwell Coll., NJ

Through an interesting combination of historical documentation, ethnography, and fiction, Oberg (history, SUNY at Geneseo; Dominion and Civility: English Imperialism and Native America, 1585–1685) examines how an Algonquian werowance (leader) named Wininga came to be decapitated by an Englishman at Roanoke in 1586. The story begins much earlier, which allows the author to show from the Algonquian perspective how repeated attempts to engage the English civilly were often met with brutal violence. Eventually, the desperate native peoples, whose populations were also being ravaged by European diseases, were forced to respond in kind for their own self-preservation. While historians generally fixate on Roanoke as the "lost colony," the author demonstrates that the Algonquian peoples that encountered the English at that locale also saw their population dwindle to the brink of extinction. Recommended for academic libraries, which should also consider acquiring a current reprint of Thomas Hariot's 16th-century A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia and Kim Sloane's A New World: England's First View of America, which shows 16th-century Roanoke Island illustrations in the British Museum's collections.—John Burch, Campbellsville Univ. Lib., KY

Whitfield, the author of several books on maps, including Cities of the World, has produced a fascinating history of London organized around some 100 of the countless maps, panoramas, and plans created of the city over the last 500 years, going back to the earliest extant map. Arranged chronologically, each map or plan serves as the accompaniment to a chapter that in fact covers more than the map in question. Thus, an unused 1666 plan for postfire reconstruction by Christopher Wren highlights a chapter on "The London That Wren Never Saw," while an essay entitled "Mapping Poverty and Wealth" is illustrated with a colorful map section detailing the economic status of the inhabitants of Victorian London. London's lost rivers, scandalous pleasure gardens, and memorable architecture are featured in other chapters. Whitfield serves up an enjoyable mix of facts, both familiar and obscure, handsomely supported with contemporary illustrations in addition to the maps. As with any book reproducing graphics in a reduced size, some detail is lost, but anyone with an interest in the history of London or of maps generally will find much to enjoy. Recommended highly for public and academic libraries.—Linda M. Kaufmann, Massachusetts Coll. of Liberal Arts Lib., North Adams

In this brief book, Eisgruber (provost & public affairs, Princeton Univ.; Constitutional Self-Government), a former Supreme Court clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens, explains the defects of the Supreme Court appointments process, discussing the role of each government branch in the process of selecting a Supreme Court justice. He examines several Supreme Court confirmations, including the most recent ones. Each chapter tackles a different aspect of the confirmation process, from the nomination by the President to the partisan politics in the confirmation hearings. Eisgruber argues that the process inappropriately sidesteps controversy, even as the justices cannot avoid controversy in their work. In his first chapter, for instance, Eisgruber repeats an exchange during the Samuel Alito hearings in which New York Sen. Charles Schumer questioned Alito on abortion. Although Alito has said that abortion rights are not constitutionally protected, he refused to answer when Schumer raised the issue. The author believes that such impasses are harmful to the Court and to the justice system. Nominees should talk more generally about the judiciary and the role of judges instead. In his final chapter, Eisgruber proposes solutions to the problems of these hearings. Academic libraries will find this book useful; public libraries may want more general material.—Becky Kennedy, Atlanta-Fulton P.L.

Both a chronological narrative of major events and an examination of the important issues regarding the FBI's controversial operations and policies (e.g., its illegal harassment of organizations and its hiring of relatively few women and minorities), this book carries on a theme of Jeffreys-Jones's (American history, Edinburgh Univ.) Cloak and Dollar that intelligence agencies are playing confidence games on the public, exaggerating threats to get more resources and fewer restrictions. Using both secondary sources and FBI case files, the author touches on how American politics and society have affected the organization and the executive branch's efforts to control it. In contrast to other books highlighting FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's prominence, this one gives more emphasis to the efforts of the attorneys-general to guide and reform the bureau. Interest in racial problems and suspicion of African Americans are common threads throughout, making this book a good supplement to Kenneth O'Reilly's Racial Matters: The FBI's Secret File on Black America, 1960–1972. Suitable for academic and large public libraries.—Daniel K. Blewett, Coll. of DuPage Lib., Glen Ellyn, IL

Naples-born investigative reporter Saviano has dedicated himself to investigating the Camorra, an organized crime system that operates in Naples and the Campania region of Italy. The Camorra has infiltrated the fashion, construction, and toxic waste disposal industries of Italy, giving them virtual control of the region, with influence ultimately extending into the global economy. Its bloody disputes have helped make the region's murder rate the highest in Europe. Saviano grew up seeing the casual public brutality of the System (as they call themselves) and was outraged at the way many of the poor looked up to the leaders as examples of success. This book, a best seller in Italy and winner there of the 2006 Viareggio Literary Prize, exposes the history, the clan wars, and the massive drug/clothing/toxic waste empire of Naples's answer to the Mafia (which itself originated in Sicily). Musically translated by Jewiss (senior lecturer, Trinity Coll., CT, Rome campus), this stunning exposé from a truly courageous informant belongs in all libraries. —Deirdre Bray Root, Middletown P.L., OH

Linguist, philosopher, and political activist Chomsky has long been critical of U.S. foreign policy and has authored many books expressing his views, beginning with American Power and the New Mandarins (1969). This latest book gathers 2006–07 interviews with radio journalist Barsamian (host, "Alternative Radio"; The Decline and Fall of Public Broadcasting), a frequent partner in dialog with Chomsky—they have produced at least six books together prior to this one. Presented in chronological order, these conversations cover many topics frequently in the news, including the Middle East and Iraq, Latin America, trade and globalization, and Israel. Despite the format, statements are extensively footnoted, with references to both mainstream media and the web sites of relevant organizations. The basic points are not new: that the United States regularly, through many administrations, violates international law, assuming that as sole superpower it can do whatever it chooses whenever it decides to. Chomsky criticizes those journalists and public intellectuals who, in reporting and commenting on events, do not question the assumptions under which the country acts and have framed the debate so that only the details are fodder for discussion. Chomsky's points are challenging and will make readers uncomfortable, yet most libraries will want to acquire this.—Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York

A remarkable discovery leading to a remarkable book. As indicated by the subtitle, Dershowitz (Harvard Law Sch.; The Case for Israel) serendipitously located and then purchased a lengthy statement by Thomas Jefferson touching upon freedom of speech. The statement is not only notable for its contribution to our understanding of this eminent American's thoughts on the subject, as well as those of the Founding Fathers in drawing the original constitutional limitations on expressive speech and actions, but is of vital importance in illuminating current debate on the subject of terrorism and the right to express unpopular opinions and politics. Entrusted to a scholar of note and a prolific writer not fearful of engaging in cutting-edge arguments, the letter leads to a fascinating exchange of views that will provide signal assistance to anyone vitally interested in politics, civil liberties, and constitutional rights. In addition, the author engages in a lively recitation of his lifelong passion for collecting rarities and treasures, which many share. Given its clear explanation of the debate surrounding the right to speak out, as well as its genuinely amusing elements, this book should be made available to a wide-ranging readership in all general libraries.—Gilles Renaud, Ontario Court of Justice, Cornwall

Like haggis, Antonioni films, and Hillary Clinton, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is something you either hate or love. Only the AARP can rival it for power, and even the "gun grabbers"—an NRA term for those who support gun control—know that it is supremely effective. Feldman, a lawyer with a political itch who worked for the NRA in the 1980s, effectively makes his case for the Second Amendment as he entertainingly presents his work organizing and lobbying on the state level. He disdains the NRA leadership of Wayne LaPierre, painting him as an overpaid, ethically questionable, scorched-earth extremist who won't compromise and is more interested in fund-raising than results. The book is weak in covering the last 20 years of the NRA since Feldman was an outsider—he was heading a gunmakers' lobby in the 1990s—and presents only his own observations. He gives readers too many boogeymen and too much internal NRA drama. Nevertheless, Feldman does show us how the NRA achieves its goals, making this a worthwhile purchase for public libraries.—Michael O. Eshleman, Kings Mills, OH

Psychopharmacology has changed so radically in the last few years that Gorman (psychiatry, Mount Sinai Sch. of Medicine, New York) has updated this clear, balanced, and authoritative guide three times since the first edition appeared in 1997. Gorman stresses the field's human aspect: he promotes good history taking (at least an hour's worth) by the treating psychiatrist, encourages patients and family members to ask questions, and emphasizes the value of feeling better over other considerations, including insight. He sees the worth of psychotherapy, giving examples where medication is not appropriate, and addresses well the subject of electro-convulsive therapy (i.e., shock therapy) in a positive light. Gorman no longer takes fees from drug companies, is somewhat critical of their promotional ties to physicians, and strongly supports the use of cheaper generic medication when available. The chapters review all the usual syndromes, so the book is a general guide to symptoms and diagnoses as well as to drug treatment. Since most psychiatric drugs are prescribed by nonpsychiatric physicians, this work will be useful for them and for nurse practitioners as well as for patients and families. Essential for all general libraries.—E. James Lieberman, George Washington Univ. Sch. of Medicine, Washington, DC

Lane (English, Northwestern Univ.; Hatred and Civility: The Antisocial Life in Victorian England) takes on the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and big pharma, asserting that for self-serving reasons involving control and profit they have colluded to create new psychiatric diagnoses demonizing shyness and demanding treatment by drugs such as Paxil. Having gained access to archival materials from the APA, Lane provides a behind-the-scenes look at the haphazard, unscientific process used to revise The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, along with the equally unscientific procession of drug studies funded by the very pharmaceutical companies that most stand to profit from endorsement of those drugs by the investigating psychiatrists. This superb, iconoclastic cultural study might well be compared to Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison and Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason, two major works by Michel Foucault exploring the social construction of ideas and institutions. Highly recommended for university and large public libraries.—Lynne F. Maxwell, Villanova Univ. Sch. of Law Lib., PA

As more baby boomers cross the half-century mark, more and more books are being published offering to help them through those "senior moments." Ageless Memory is one such title; Super Brain, though aimed at a broader demographic, fishes for the same aging population—"If you don't use it, you lose it" is the first line of the foreword. Lorayne (The Memory Book) relies on variations of such classic techniques as the "Memory Palace" (remembering a list of items by imagining each item ordered sequentially within a palace—or your house, in Lorayne's update) and picture building (e.g., to remember that a man's name is Baldwin, imagine him with no hair—"bald one"). Vorderman, well known in Britain for her feats of mental arithmetic on the U.K. quiz show Countdown, has produced a book whose first half consists of 101 brain exercises she purports will enhance not just memory but concentration, problem-solving ability, creativity, and reaction time. These are mostly short expositions of standard techniques—e.g., breath meditation and the aforementioned "Memory Palace"—as well as a selection of word and number puzzles. The book's second half comprises general health advice—e.g., eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep—that, if followed, will undoubtedly positively affect mental function but is certainly not anything new.

Neither of these titles is essential. Most public libraries need at least one book on standard memory techniques, such as Lorayne's earlier titles. If such a title is needed, Ageless Memory is an acceptable choice.—Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, WA

Luskin, the director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects (a series of research projects that investigate forgiveness methods), reworks his 2002 Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness, now focusing on marriage. Citing numerous studies (mostly his own), Luskin explores forgiveness as a means to a successful relationship, explains its multiple benefits, reviews its four stages, presents a seven-step plan toward achieving it, and emphasizes the difference between forgiving in a specific situation and actually becoming a more forgiving person. No-nonsense writing and numerous lists provide accessibility and achievability. Luskin has an unfortunate tendency to tell the reader how the book will help instead of letting the many anecdotes he's gleaned from his research and private practice speak for themselves; also, an index would have been useful. That said, only a handful of older, specifically religious titles exclusively address this subject, among them Paul W. Coleman's The Forgiving Marriage: Resolving Anger and Resentment and Rediscovering Each Other and Lewis B. Smede's The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive and Don't Know How. An innovative, research-based approach recommended for public libraries.—Shawna Thorup, Fayetteville P.L., AR

Popular literature on the child as consumer focuses on children as victims of aggressive marketing campaigns, e.g., Juliet B. Schor's Born To Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture. According to Banet-Weiser (Annenberg Sch. for Communication, Univ. of Southern California; The Most Beautiful Girl in the World: Beauty Pageants and National Identity), however, the kid-centered cable station Nickelodeon sees children in a very different way—as media savvy consumers or, "consumer citizens." Not as educational as PBS or as commercial as toy-based programming on network television, Nickelodeon, says this author, is a commercial station with a mission: to empower kids by giving them a space where they can be themselves. Each of her six chapters is written as a separate essay. There is a chapter that traces the history of the station from its early days as "green vegetable" educational television to its current status as a hip, kid-centered media giant of original programming. Another two chapters are devoted to the network's dedication to representing racial diversity and its sensitivity to gender issues as part of the Nickelodeon brand. This is not the first book about this cable network giant (see, e.g., Heather Hendershot's Nickelodeon Nation: The History, Politics, and Economics of America's Only TV Channel for Kids), but the focus here, on children as "citizens" within a commercial context, is distinct. Recommended for academic libraries.—Jennifer Zarr, NYPL

DeSantis (communications, Univ. of Kentucky) takes an ethnographic approach to investigating what members of Greek organizations at one university can tell us about the impact of Greek life on perceptions about gender among fraternity and sorority members. As a fraternity member himself and a longtime faculty and alumni adviser to Greek organizations, DeSantis takes an empathetic approach to his subject. Based on statistical data about Greek life from various sources, his own experiences with these organizations, and focus group and individual interviews with over 200 fraternity and sorority members, DeSantis's work addresses how traditional—sometimes exaggerated—gender identities are reinforced in Greek organizations, affecting members' views on issues such as sexuality, emotional intimacy in same-gender relationships, body image, and post-college aspirations. Always respectful of his participants, DeSantis produces a sympathetic work that seeks to help future members of Greek organizations to critique and avoid the often harmful gender ideals that fraternities and sororities can perpetuate. This book should be required reading for college students thinking about pledging a fraternity or a sorority. Recommended for academic libraries.—Elizabeth L. Winter, Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta

Some travel books are about people and places, and some are about the traveler. Published in Australia in 2003, this outrageous tale by a first-time author is of the "all about me" variety. The tone is best summed up as snarky: Sheward, as narrator, is callow, sarcastic and brash. She and her traveling companion have great fun getting drunk, shouting obscenities, and, as she puts it, "annoying the world." This could have been an intrepid female travel tale spiced with slapstick humor, if only Sheward had actually done anything intrepid or even interesting. The writing does move the action along; but the action stripped of bravado is nothing but the usual low-budget scraping-by along a well-trodden tourist route. Most of the book is taken up not with Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia but unpleasant meals, even more unpleasant toilets, and furious confrontations with locals and tourists alike. Sheward lampoons New Age hippies and middle-class travelers, and reflects artlessly on the unfairness of war and exchange rates, all with no hint of awareness of her own position. Recommended only for larger collections of women's or travel writing.—Lisa Klopfer, Eastern Michigan Univ., Ypsilanti