Social Sciences

Giddings (Afro-American studies, Smith Coll.; When and Where I Enter) has written a massive study of this noted black activist's lifelong crusade against lynching. Prodigious research took Giddings to more than 30 archives; 100 pages of notes and bibliography attest to the depth of her scholarship. The result serves as a definitive biography of Wells. Giddings argues that her subject was a leading feminist as well as a crusader for civil rights. She explores Wells's optimism in the face of numerous setbacks, including ostracism from her home city of Memphis. The author concludes that Wells's unflinching focus on opposition to lynching ultimately was adopted by the NAACP as a central tenet, which helped lead to the NAACP's success as a civil rights organization. Much more complete than previous studies of Wells, e.g., by James West Davidson, Ida is well written and painstakingly detailed. Highly recommended for all academic and major public libraries.—A.O. Edmonds, Ball State Univ., Muncie, IN

A great biography reveals the personality of its subject chapter by chapter, but Grant's dreary book lacks the coherence or demonstrated research to do that. Garvey built an international organization focused on uniting and advancing Africans and those of African descent globally, and any biography of him should demonstrate why so many people believed in his movement and continue to do so. Grant (producer, BBC Radio) quotes James Weldon Johnson, who echoed many contemporaries in observing that Garvey had a "magnetic personality, torrential eloquence, and intuitive knowledge of crowd psychology." It is hence puzzling that this biographer omits Garvey's own words, especially as Garvey's speeches and papers have been collected and published. In this slanted portrait (Garvey is called "a supreme opportunistic propagandist"), there is little about Garvey's own life. The most interesting parts of the book are about others, including Garvey's mentors, Duse Mohamed Ali and Hubert Harrison, and one of his followers, Josie Gatlin. But there is too much biographical information about fellow Jamaican Claude McKay, who was not a follower of Garvey, and W.E.B. DuBois, whose NAACP competed with Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) for members and staff. Libraries should have Rupert Lewis's Marcus Garvey: Anti-Colonial Champion, which includes a chapter about Garvey's oratorical skills, instead of this disappointing book. Not recommended. (Index not seen.)—Tonya Briggs, Oberlin Coll. Lib., OH

Li (linguistics, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara), who had an extraordinary life growing up in pre-Communist China, shares his story of betrayal, loss, hope, and triumph in this lyrical account. Li was initially privileged, but after his father was imprisoned by Chiang Kai-shek, he had to steal to survive. Later, living with his Christian aunt in Shanghai, Li observed the Communist takeover of 1948 and concluded that the worst war crime was the fear inflicted on citizens. When his mother joined a seminary, he was forced to live with his inattentive father in Hong Kong, where he learned by chance that while the family starved, his father had $25,000 saved to start his own political movement. He was happy when his father began teaching him about politics but was then sent to reform school, which he left as a six footer weighing 96 pounds. He finally withdrew from his father and with his mother's help went to America to study. This brilliant memoir is as much about modern Chinese history as it is about familial relationships. Recommended for all public and academic libraries with collections on China or the immigrant experience.—Susan G. Baird, Chicago

Rose (formerly, U.S. Dept. of State's Bureau of Oceans & International Environmental & Scientific Affairs; Power at Sea) presents the first full biography in several decades to assess the life and controversial career of polar explorer Robert E. Byrd, who was once as famous an aviator as Lindbergh. Using Byrd's personal papers, only recently available, and previously published sources, the author traces Byrd's life from Virginia boyhood to a less than stellar career at the Naval Academy, to participation in the early stages of naval aviation in World War I. As a pilot with good connections, Byrd was on the 1925 Donald MacMillan Arctic expedition. He returned to the Arctic the next year, claiming the first successful flight over the North Pole. He then turned his attention to Antarctica, leading two expeditions, and later commanding the U.S. Antarctic Service mission in 1939–40. Rose also covers Byrd's efforts to elect Franklin D. Roosevelt president in 1932, his work to establish international peace in the 1930s, and his involvement with strategic military aviation during World War II and the early Cold War. Despite his celebrity, Byrd had detractors who doubted he reached the North Pole. Others claimed Byrd was more interested in advancing his career than advancing aviation or polar research. Rose allows readers to weigh Byrd's life for themselves. Recommended for all libraries.—Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ., Parkersburg

If you're comfortable with your own mortality, you'll enjoy the reflections offered by Shields on life (his own and that of his 97-year-old father) and death. Award-winning author Shields (English, Univ. of Washington; Dead Languages) explores the human experience from infancy to death and beyond, briefly addressing the notion of human immortality. The anecdotes he shares about his own life are vivid, engaging, and, above all, honest. He admits, for example, that his father's determination to live fully (and forever) generates in him feelings of both love and hate. Interspersed with his own story are numerous startling facts about the human condition, e.g., that we will take approximately 850,000,000 breaths in a lifetime and that the brain of a 90-year-old is about the same size as that of a three-year-old. In addition, Shields offers dozens of memorable quotations from sources ranging from Sibelius and John Wayne to Bertrand Russell and Neil Young. Shields compels readers to examine the mysteries of life and death, but if thoughts of "the end" depress you, take solace in the knowledge that Shields's book also comes to an end. Recommended for public and academic libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/07.]—Anthony Pucci, Notre Dame H.S., Elmira, NY

Lev Tolstoy famously said, "All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Sullivan both proves and disproves this statement in her memoir. Like that of many memoirists of late, Sullivan's childhood was a horror of physical, sexual, and chemical abuse. Her single mother was a master manipulator, thief, and cocaine addict. Sullivan spent her childhood in Brooklyn, following her unpredictable mother as she careened from one man to another, one job to another, one apartment to another. Sullivan attempted to reinvent herself via a variety of friends, hairstyles, and a rich imaginative life. Unsurprisingly, she ended up as a drug-addicted adult, although with a college education and a slot in the prestigious Columbia University writing program. Told through flashbacks, her narrative is harrowing. What makes her family different from other unhappy families is that Sullivan eventually came to terms with the person her mother was and learned to accept the love she was able to give her. The author shakily worked her way to living a clean and sober life, which her mother could never achieve. Recommended for public libraries.—Jan Brue Enright, Augustana Coll. Lib., Sioux Falls, SD

Edward R. Murrow, Eric Sevareid, Walter Cronkite: these are some of the notables who shaped CBS as a groundbreaking television news organization. Roger Mudd, an Emmy and Peabody Award winner later associated with NBC and the History Channel, worked at CBS from 1961 to 1980 as another journalist and anchor in the network's cadre of dedicated and talented newsmen. In this memoir, he recounts the heyday of the station's news division and particularly its Washington, DC, bureau. Dotted with humor, these balanced recollections are enhanced by extensive research and interviews with former CBS colleagues such as Dan Rather and Leslie Stahl. He tries to present himself objectively, pointing out both his accomplishments (a Peabody) and his mistakes (publicly criticizing network news in 1970). His clear and concise writing illuminates how all the journalists, producers, cameramen, and staff in the Washington bureau worked diligently to report the significant events of the day, including such milestones as Civil Rights legislation and President Nixon's impeachment hearings. This enjoyable book is recommended for all libraries.—Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL

Linden Labs gave Au, a highly accomplished technology journalist, the opportunity to describe the growth, from launch, of its highly popular virtual 3-D product Second Life. Second Life is appropriately named because individuals can create "avatars," also called "residents," to interact with others and enhance this universe through their own user-generated content. Avatars engage in many humanlike behaviors, such as communication, sexual relations, and wealth attainment. Second Life even has its own currency, Linden Dollars, which is convertible into U.S. dollars. Au has drawn on his own extensive Second Life experience, including online interviews with avatars and offline interviews with the persons behind them. He presents a comprehensive account that shows why Second Life may be the next great frontier and why it is so appealing to individuals and enterprises worldwide. Au also discusses the interaction between real life and this online world, the many ethical and policymaking issues Linden Labs has encountered, and the future of Second Life. This intriguing work is suitable for both public and academic libraries.—Caroline Geck, Kean Univ., Union, NJ

Culbert (Anderson Graduate Sch. of Management, Univ. of California, Los Angeles; Mind-Set Management) takes on "bullsh*t" in this slim volume, mostly as a means of discussing the various personal agendas, emotional involvements, and hidden/overt biases that can occur in the workplace. Culbert identifies and defines "bullsh*t," then moves on to the theory and application of "straight-talk" at work. Unfortunately, much of the book is filled with idiosyncratic jargon that requires wordy explanation. For example, "I-speak" refers to language that "adds an 'I think,' 'I believe,'…to all recitations of fact and belief [and] implies a relationship of equality and a commitment to fair play." The case studies Culbert presents are less relevant than they could be. Readers are likely to decide that this book itself is mostly you know what. Edgar H. Schein's The Corporate Culture Survival Guide is a better tool to have on-hand for those reevaluating their approach to corporate culture.—Brian Walton, Tampa-Hillsborough P.L., FL

If you think that choosing a life partner or even finding the "ideal" job are the two most important decisions you'll ever make, Florida (business & creativity, Rotman Sch. of Management, Univ. of Toronto; The Rise of the Creative Class) would like to add still a third consideration: choosing a place to live. He has done extensive research on the significance of one's location, marshaling extensive data to support his thesis that "where we live affects every aspect of our lives," with the caveat that if this decision isn't made carefully, the consequences may adversely impact one's life for years to come. The book pulls together findings from vast amounts of research to dissect the reasons why people opt to live where they do. Part of the author's focus is on various kinds of community types, such as "Strollerville," "Ethnic Enclave," "Family Land" and others, weighing the respective pros and cons of each. The last chapter offers a ten-step framework, intended to "help people make better choices about where to live." Although the text is occasionally overloaded with trendy demographic jargon, this thought-provoking and seminal work will surely be studied, not only by scholars but more importantly by consumers pondering a move. Following Florida's advice should aid them in that quest. Highly recommended for all libraries.—Richard Drezen, Washington Post/NYC Bureau

In his first book, The End of Poverty, development economist and UN special adviser Sachs laid out how extreme poverty in places like Africa could be alleviated. Here, he identifies and offers strategies for dealing with the leading global threats of the coming decades, such as environmental degradation, overpopulation, and resource depletion, arguing persuasively that much of the threat to humanity comes from those living in extreme poverty. He calls for wealthy nations to invest in efforts to improve the conditions of the extremely poor and thereby lessen the impact of extreme poverty on the planet. He explains in detail the goals that need to be met and how governments, not-for-profits, the private sector, and even individuals, can cooperate to achieve them. He reserves much of his criticism for the United States, which he says spends far too much on military technology that will prove ineffective in dealing with the true threats to our security. Though Sachs avoids jargon and writes clearly, the book would be heavy going for casual readers. Nevertheless, his work is an eloquent plea and a solid argument for global economic and political cooperation. Highly recommended for most libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 4/15/07.]—Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ., Erie, PA

At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, an unassuming German shoemaker had one goal in mind: to get his racing spikes on the feet of the fastest man in the world. U.S. Olympian Jesse Owens sprinted and leapt his way to four gold medals in those games—shod in Adi Dassler's spikes. Decades later, the three stripes on Adi's shoes would become a worldwide icon. International business journalist Smit tells the intriguing (and sometimes harrowing) tale of Adolph (Adi) and Rudolph (Rudi) Dassler. Together they built up their father's fledgling shoemaking business in a picturesque Bavarian village. But their lives were anything but idyllic. Smit does an excellent job of unlacing the brothers' complicated relationship and business dealings. After World War II, they parted ways to establish two of the top athletic shoe companies in the world. Adidas (founded by Adi) and Puma (founded by Rudi) dominated the athletic shoe market in Europe, and Adidas eventually took the U.S. market by storm. The Dassler story here covers brand-building and the birth of corporate sponsorship as much as it does the Dassler family, making this book a good choice for public and academic library business collections.—Carol J. Elsen, Univ. of Wisconsin, Whitewater

More statues exist of Abraham Lincoln than of any other American public figure. The nationwide fervor for erecting monuments in honor of the fallen President continued from after his death until at least the Great Depression. Percoco ( history, West Springfield H.S., Virginia) shows how he has used these Lincoln monuments as a means of incorporating his fascination with public sculpture into his school curriculum with admirable results. With a small group of teenaged students, he visited seven of these Lincoln statues, in places like Washington, DC, Newark, NJ, Chicago, Fort Wayne, and Cincinnati, each piece depicting a different artistic view of the President—e.g., youthful visionary, emancipator, statesman. The group examined newspaper accounts of the monuments' funding, creation, and dedications, learning that many of the sculptors were more concerned with their own egos than their art. Lincoln's only surviving son, Robert, was critical of many of the finished pieces, calling George Grey Barnard's statue in Cincinnati a "grotesque" likeness. Percoco's narrative is both engaging and thought-provoking, a wonderful example of classroom lessons brought to the streets of our hometowns. Recommended for all libraries as the Lincoln birth bicentennial draws near.—Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI

This book starts in 1892, with explosions manufacturer Alfred Nobel's observation that his factories might "put an end to war" by making it too horrible to wage, and ends on December 31, 1941, with the civilized world enmeshed for the second time in half a century in a life-and-death struggle that would last four more years and kill more people—civilians and combatants—than any other war before or since. Acclaimed author Baker (Double Fold) has made a career of focusing on detail in both his fiction and his nonfiction, a preference that works to effect in this bombshell of a book. In this litany of examples of aggression, inhumanity, and self-deception, Baker's entries typically run a paragraph or two. He seldom editorializes. The cumulative effect of the detail is devastating: it's like a particularly unsettling nightmare, a treadmill you can't get off. You may not agree with Baker that counteraggression doesn't stop aggression ("Churchill …was wrong") but instead escalates it, with rationality and humanity among its first casualties. But this thought-provoking book may make you reconsider your views on the necessity and efficacy of war. Warmly recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/07.]—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

Journalist Dennison has written an entertaining biography of Queen Victoria's youngest child, a Royal known, if at all, for a life devoted to her widowed mother. Beatrice was four when her father, Prince Albert, died and her mother plunged into lifelong mourning. Called Baby for most of her childhood, Beatrice was brought up to believe that she must always stay with Victoria, who displayed considerable selfishness by ensuring that her daughter had no close friends. Marriage, the queen determined, was completely out of the question. After all, as she wrote to her eldest (married) daughter, "Youngest daughters have a duty to widowed mothers." And to another correspondent the queen wrote, "I'll take care that She never marries." When Beatrice, at the advanced age of 27, falls in love with Prince Henry of Battenberg, readers will eagerly turn the pages to see what happens. This well-written biography of an often overlooked Victorian princess offers a fascinating look at a way of life nearly impossible to imagine. Strongly recommended for public libraries where biographies, history, and royalty are popular. (Illustrations not seen.)—Elizabeth Mellett, Brookline P.L., MA

Working in nonprofit and government positions for 30 years, Dunwell has accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the Hudson River, which he presents in this well-documented and lavishly illustrated volume. Dunwell argues that the Hudson is the true river of empire and has played a vital role in the creation of America politically, socially, and economically. Fifteen chapters trace the river's history, beginning with Henry Hudson's exploration and the Dutch who settled along its banks in the 17th century and moving on to the colonial wars between the English and the French and their Native American allies, the American Revolution, the Industrial age following the Civil War, and the 20th century, when the river was best known for its pollution. Dunwell also reveals how the river has inspired artists (the Hudson River school), writers (Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper), conservationists who worked to preserve the scenic vistas and historical sites, and environmentalists who worked to clean up the river. This history of the Hudson River is a story of interaction between people and the environment and a story of continuing inspiration and renewal. All libraries will be enriched by this volume.—Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley Coll., Mt. Carmel, IL

Farmer (history, SUNY at Stony Brook; Glen Canyon Dammed: Inventing Lake Powell and the Canyon Country) provides a cultural-geographic study of Utah Lake and Mount Timpanogos in central Utah during the mid-1800s. The Ute Indians depended upon the vast fishery resources of the former, a sweet-water oasis in the Great Basin, before they were forcibly displaced from there by early Mormon settlers. Their displacement to Mt. Timpanogos resulted in a historic reinterpretation of the Utes as mountain Indians and the mythologizing of the Mormon pioneers themselves as responsible for the "blooming of the desert" in this naturally fertile lake region. A central theme of the book is the conceptual development of the mountain as a local landmark at the expense of the lake. Farmer's work neatly complements W. Paul Reeve's Making Space on the Western Frontier: Mormons, Miners, and Southern Paiutes, a study of power, space, and place among competing 19th-century communities in southwestern Utah. Research libraries with interests in Great Basin, Utah, Native American, and Western water studies should take note, as should those libraries collecting for American cultural geography.—Nathan E. Bender, Univ. of Idaho Lib., Moscow

Gerzina (English, Dartmouth Coll.) shifts locales from her well-noted Black London: Life Before Emancipation to piece together the engaging and remarkable story of the love, family, defiance, and persistence of Lucy Terry Prince (1724–1821) and her husband, Abijah Prince (1705–94). The Princes were cash-poor, hard-working, self-made settlers, first as slaves and then as free persons in Massachusetts and Vermont, revealing terrain seldom glimpsed in writings on blacks in early America. The story of their family and their surroundings flows beyond slavery into a fluid narrative of personal contacts and encounters only distantly bordered by the institutional dictates and legislative directions commonly offered to define early American black life. Individualizing the broad strokes in historian William D. Piersen's Black Yankees, Gerzina offers a New England version of T.H. Breen and Stephen Innes's "Myne Owne Ground," their 1980 piece on race and freedom in colonial Virginia. Gerzina illuminates the deep shadows where free blacks in early New England, and elsewhere, still remain barely glimpsed. Her often riveting first-person research report is recommended for collections on early America and African Americans.—Thomas J. Davis, Arizona State Univ., Tempe

Tracing the history and intended goals of the Marshall Plan (1947)—named for its primary creator, Secretary of State George C. Marshall—Mills passionately argues that it was a successful nation-building tool that offers many lessons for the United States today. According to Mills (American studies, Sarah Lawrence Coll.), Marshall emphasized that American aid after World War II should not be used against nations but against "forces that deprived people of their dignity." His goal was to help revive the economies of Europe, creating stable political and social units that would facilitate the existence of free institutions. In this, Mills declares the Marshall Plan a success in that it supplied Europe with "a crucial margin of aid" that enabled it to recover without slashing needed welfare programs or reducing wages. In other words, the Marshall Plan was Europe's New Deal, providing the foundation for a stable Europe that would include Germany in its economic center. Well written, engaging, and likely to be considered controversial owing to its praise of the plan, Mill's book should promote discussion, especially in light of current events. Recommended for academic and larger public library collections.—Patti C. McCall, AMRI, Albany, NY

Cosimo the Elder (1389–1464) and Lorenzo (1449–92) of the Medici family so dominate the history of Renaissance Florence as to make their successors seem nonentities. But not all of them were. Cosimo the Great (1519–74) consolidated the family's fortune and ended his days as grand duke of Tuscany, elevating himself above his many peers in Italy. Cosimo's favorite daughter, Isabella, was, according to historian and biographer Murphy (The Pope's Daughter: The Extraordinary Life of Felice Della Rovere), the very model of a Renaissance princess—forceful and passionate. Handed off in marriage to cement a political alliance, Isabella was able to maintain independence from her husband while her father lived. But when Cosimo died, Isabella's house of cards tumbled—her brutish husband, smarting over Isabella's adultery with a condottiere from his own family, took her to a country villa and strangled her. Her malevolent brother, now head of the family, may have connived in her murder. This scrupulously researched book narrates a little-known episode in Renaissance history. In the process, it says much about the sources of—and limits to—a woman's power in 16th-century Italy. Recommended for academic libraries and larger public collections.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

Although Richard Allen created the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and was one of the first black pamphleteers and abolitionists, he is not a well-known figure of black history today. Newman (history, Rochester Inst. of Technology; The Transformation of American Abolition) has written a thorough biography of Allen that casts him as a black founder who profoundly impacted the cause of abolition and black community building as well as a peer to the white Founding Fathers. Born a slave, Allen earned his freedom and became both a Methodist minister and a businessman in Philadelphia. Methodists supported abolition, but Allen broke with the denomination after many struggles for racial equality and formed the black AME Bethel Church, an institution that would come to play a pivotal role in black uplift. Allen struggled with rebellion within his own church, however, and briefly supported the unpopular cause of African colonization. Because evidence of Allen's life is sparse at points, Newman occasionally offers speculations, but on the whole this biography is well written and researched. Recommended for academic libraries.—Kathryn Stewart, Salem, OR

Schantz (history, Hendrix Coll., AR) makes a compelling case that Americans' experiences with, and ideas about, death before the Civil War made it possible for them to understand—and even celebrate—death caused by the war. By closely reading landscapes, images, and all manner of writings on the "culture of death," Schantz discovers that Northerners and Southerners alike came to believe that how one approached death and how a people honored the dead revealed, even decided, matters of faith, community, and national identity. Schantz is especially perceptive at describing mourning rituals, the literature on heaven as a place of family reunion with full bodily restoration, the rural cemetery movement, and the illustration of death in lithographs, photography, and painting. He finds a strong strain of Greek revival and ancient mythology in Americans' representation of what death demanded of men and women. When read in tandem with Drew Gilpin Faust's recent This Republic of Suffering, we learn that for 19th-century Americans the "unifying power of death" defined how one must live, and when the war came, it also made it easier to kill and to die. A sobering assessment for anyone who imagines war as a purifying process.—Randall M. Miller, Saint Joseph's Univ., Philadelphia

Schönhaus's tale of survival is fascinating in that he, in effect, hid in plain sight in Berlin during most of World War II. Originally exempted, when most Jews were deported from Germany, because he was a skilled worker, he later avoided transport by forging documents to fit the various circumstances he found himself in, finally escaping to Switzerland, where he still resides. His memoir illustrates two significant issues about Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. Although popular mythology holds the Third Reich up as an efficiently organized system, in fact the Nazi bureaucracy had broken down even before the war, which enabled a few to slip through holes in the net. Schönhaus's story also demonstrates how sympathetic Germans aided him, often risking their own lives and not always for financial gain. Since the Nazi regime depended on the willingness of ordinary Germans to enforce its anti-Semitic policies, the story reveals how a few courageous individuals could make a difference. On the downside, the narrative is often choppy and seems too dependent at times on the author's postwar recollections, which alternate between minute details of his physical surroundings and statements about Nazi policy. The illustrations by Schönhaus add to the book's quality. Recommended for specialized collections.—Frederic Krome, Univ. of Cincinnati Clermont Coll.

Back in the 1990s, especially after the April 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, there was much law enforcement interest in homegrown extremist militias and white supremacist groups. When busted for pot smuggling in 1996, author Hall agreed to infiltrate the Ohio chapter of the Aryan Nations under the direction of FBI agent Tym Burkey, who coauthors this book with Katherine Ramsland (forensic psychology, DeSales Univ.; Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers). Hall and Burkey tell their stories in parallel tracks, moving between their respective points of view. This real-life investigation moved slowly, with missteps and technical malfunctions along the way; the constant tension arising from the dangerous nature of Hall's undercover work is palpable. While the continuous hate, paranoia, and violent tendencies recounted here may astound some, others will find these things very familiar. Supplementary background material can be found in Howard L. Bushart's Soldiers of God: White Supremacists and Their Holy War for America. Suitable for all libraries.—Daniel K. Blewett, Coll. of DuPage Lib., Glen Ellyn, IL

Lifelong psychic Dillard (intuition development, Duke Univ.) offers up a genuinely satisfying work on developing psychic abilities well beyond the typical if-I-can-do-it, you-can-too! claptrap. After identifying four basic types of intuition (mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual), she provides a quiz to discern which intuitive style is the reader's most native mode, sort of a Meyers Briggs of psychic aptitude. An explanation of characteristics and challenges is followed by useful exercises, techniques, and targeted meditations geared to each of the four types to expand and develop strengths as well as create awareness of potential pitfalls. Dillard's sections on protection, working with spirit guides and angels, and moving beyond one's nascent style are both reassuring for those just beginning to explore their intuitive selves and substantive to those who have already accepted this preternatural aspect of experience. Recommended for libraries serving a sophisticated parapsych audience.—Janet Tapper, Western States Chiropractic Coll., Portland, OR

In her first book, Goff, a former senate campaign intern for Hillary Clinton and manager of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's 2002 reelection campaign, looks at how young black Americans' political views differ from those of their parents. Goff argues that members of the post-Civil Rights—the hip-hop—generation, without personal memories of the Civil Rights Movement, have different political motivations from their parents and think more independently about politics than previous generations of African Americans. Goff examines issues of social class, economics, partisanship, and the increasing influence of figures from popular culture on the way black Americans vote. While in some parts Goff generalizes about trends related to the "black vote," she also acknowledges that, because African Americans have become much more politically savvy and independent over the past 20 years, political parties can no longer take for granted the unilateral "black vote" phenomenon. Interviews with prominent leaders in politics and popular culture, such as Colin Powell and Russell Simmons, lend credibility to the work. Recommended for public and larger academic political science collections.—Elizabeth L. Winter, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib. & Information Ctr., Atlanta

In 1965, Jenkins, a sergeant in the U.S. Army stationed in Korea, walked across the DMZ and surrendered to North Korean troops. He hoped to be swapped in a prisoner exchange, thereby returning sooner than otherwise to the United States; he was held in North Korea until 2004. During those years, he taught English to military officers, translated Western press and Hollywood film soundtracks, and even acted in domestic film productions. He usually lived with or near other U.S. military defectors and foreigners who said they had been abducted from abroad. Although these foreigners lived better than North Korean citizens, they resorted to growing their own food to have enough to eat, digging their own wells, and maintaining their own electrical generators, especially during the 1990s, when the economy declined sharply. They were required to attend study groups on the thought of Kim Il Sung and to be mindful of the ever-present controllers who watch foreigners and citizens alike. Jenkins's straightforward presentation, written with the assistance of Frederick (senior editor, Time magazine), conveys effectively both the hardships that he and other foreigners endured and the understanding and personal ties that he established. Readers have few opportunities to hear firsthand about life inside North Korea; those who follow current events will be intrigued by this story. [The book was written in English but first appeared in Japanese translation overseas.—Ed.]—Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York

Kozloff (Hugo Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S) traverses South America in this timely review of the leftist shift among many of America's southern hemispheric neighbors. In addition to the obvious (Venezuela), Kozloff surveys Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and to a lesser degree, Peru, and their new nationalist leaders. Absent are Colombia, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Chavez is the central figure and prime motivator, yet the nations discussed struggle with the question of which comes first—political unity or economic integration? Dealing with issues such as a history of military oppression, uses of media, energy solutions, the indigenous populations, and cultural identities, Kozloff's narrative is readable and well developed, ending in the concept of a community of nations and the obstacles to its realization. As new leaders emerge in the shadow of Chavez's Bolivian revolution, South America promises to be a much larger diplomatic concern for the United States. Highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries.—Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Lib., AL

Ever since the first Gulf War of 1990–91, the Kurdish issue has emerged as a political and strategic fulcrum in Iraq. During the period between 1991 and 2003, the U.S.-imposed no-fly zone in Iraqi Kurdistan allowed the Kurds to develop governing institutions and the components of a civil society away from the suffocating presence of Saddam Hussein's military forces. When the Bush administration invaded Iraq in 2003 and overthrew its government, the Kurdish region of the country was well poised to exert influence in post-Saddam Iraq. The fact that both Jalal Talabani, the current president of Iraq, and Hoshyar Zebari, the country's foreign minister, are Kurds has further enhanced Kurdish political clout in contemporary Iraq. Lawrence (Middle East correspondent, the World) has spent much time in the region and written reports on it for various Western publications. In lively and jargon-free language, with insights gained through experience, he explains the constellation of forces among the 25 million Kurds, the Kurds' relations to the other groups in contemporary Iraq, and their quest for independence. This is a timely and informative book that should be read by all interested in gaining a better understanding of today's Kurdish political developments. Recommended for academic and public libraries.—Nader Entessar, Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile, AL

As the Cold War recedes into history, we are starting to see a number of books dealing with many of the remarkable characters who worked quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) providing the United States with intelligence about our enemies. Last year there was Tennent Bagley's Spy Wars: Moles, Mysteries, and Deadly Games, and now journalist Morley reveals the incredible career of Winston Scott, who, among other posts, served as station chief for the CIA in Mexico City for over a decade in the 1950s and 1960s. Scott was there for the Bay of Pigs, and he was there when his people followed Lee Harvey Oswald around the city just prior to November 1963. Scott allegedly had at least three Mexican presidents on his payroll and generally had the run of the city while overseeing covert espionage actions throughout central America. Morley's tale is well told and helps us get a peek inside the highly secret world of Cold War spying. Our limited knowledge of the era's espionage activities in the Western Hemisphere is greatly enhanced by this account. For all collections devoted to the Cold War and espionage.—Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames

Inspired by "Welcome to Holland," Emily Perl Kingsley's 1987 essay about her experiences raising a special-needs child, Groneberg here shares her own story, which begins with her unexpected early delivery of twin boys, Avery and Bennett; it continues with Avery's being diagnosed with Down syndrome five days later and follows her from there. As she narrates her disorienting experience ("It's like planning a trip to Italy, only to get off the plane and discover you're actually in Holland. You need a new road map, and fast…"), we are drawn in by her candid revelations about the emotions and other discoveries she encounters along the way. Groneberg explores the pain of sharing the news with friends and family—not everyone is able to look past the diagnosis and see the wonder of Avery. She includes an extensive bibliography, a glossary of terms, and resources for parents who might find themselves in a similar situation. A beautiful book full of insight into life with Down syndrome, this recounts a trip that did not go according to plan but turned out to be perfect after all. Highly recommended.—Lisa M. Jordan, Johnson Cty. Lib., KS

Pioneer researcher Iacoboni (neurology, UCLA) balances technical detail with engaging historical perspective, humor, and idealism in this exploration of discoveries made through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In the past 15 years, fMRI has jolted psychology and philosophy as well as neuroscience, and this book explores implications for language, empathy, sense of self, autism, control and inhibition, violence and drug abuse, and advertising and politics. Why is conversation easier for most of us than speechmaking? Do we learn to imitate or imitate to learn? The new findings, Iacoboni reports, replace some older theories of mind and society with new emphasis on the self as a product of relationships. Iacoboni argues that dramatized violence fosters violence and that negative political ads work at the cost of disaffection from politics in general. The human brain—the most complicated thing in the known universe—becomes approachable for general readers thanks to ingenious research explained by a versatile, caring, optimistic teacher. This model of good and useful science is an essential purchase for cutting-edge psychology and philosophy collections.—E. James Lieberman, George Washington Univ. Sch. of Medicine, Washington, DC

Jung's writings are universally considered the basis for modern dream interpretation, as well as being culturally influential in many other ways. So the publication of previously unreleased material many years after his death and Collected Works (also from Princeton) is certainly a milestone. Edited by one of Jung's grandsons (now deceased) and a Jugian analyst, these notes on a seminar about children's dreams are clear, concise, and rarely lapse into Latin—a happy surprise for anyone who has attempted to wade through Jung's Mysterium Coniunctionis or its ilk. Yet viewed as a contribution to modern dream theory, however, the whole approach to children and dreams has come to be viewed as suspect. Jung was interested in children's dreams as a way to "prove" the existence of the collective unconscious, defined as a structure of inborn symbols (archetypes) whose meaning was shared by all of humanity. Jung and his followers believed that prepubescent children didn't have enough life experience to generate individual dream images (i.e., "the bear chasing me in the dream is the big mean man across the street") so that their dreams are pure archetype ("the bear" is a shadow figure, symbolic of rejected traits). Even modern Jungians would reject that premise. Students of depth psychology or the history of ideas will find this essential for understanding Jung's tenents. Most other audiences can pass.—Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, WA

Here are two rather different approaches to exploring contemporary sexual practices. In America Unzipped, journalist Alexander travels the country meeting perfectly ordinary people who sell sex toys, create amateur porn, or immerse themselves in bondage or fetish cultures. Along the way, he takes a job at a sex superstore in Tempe, AZ; accompanies a Passion Parties consultant to house parties in Shawnee, KS; and (in a particularly explicit chapter that may disturb some readers) spends a day observing BDSM porn videos being created in San Francisco. Alexander notes the uneasy but possibly symbiotic coexistence of social/religious conservatism and sexual adventurousness, which both nurture their communities by self-defining as countercultural. Though himself a sex columnist (for MSNBC's "Sexploration"), Alexander identifies as "vanilla" and seems initially nonplussed at so much sex of such a kinky variety. His narrative persona may comfort some readers and annoy others, but his willingness to go where his research leads him (short of participation) is to be admired regardless.

Sociologist Bogel's is a qualitative, interview-based study of the sexual experiences of undergrads and recent alumni of two colleges. It contrasts the boy-asks-girl-out "dating script," once a mainstay of the collegiate social scene but now relegated to high school and adulthood, with the now-dominant practice of "hooking up" in which people in group settings such as bars and parties pair off for no-strings-attached experiences varying from kissing to intercourse. Bogle notes that hooking up benefits those interested primarily in immediate sexual gratification and not those looking for a sustained relationship. She concludes that despite many changes from the dating era to the hooking-up era, including increased sexual freedom for women, a double standard benefiting men continues to prevail. Contrasting with Alexander's informal findings, Bogle also notes that sexual activity on campus is less rampant and promiscuous than many observers (including college students) presume. So is everyone else really doing it, and how and with whom? We still don't know, but we know more than we did before. Both books are recommended; Bogle's is of greater interest in academic settings and Alexander's for tolerant general audiences. [For Alexander, see Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/07.]—Janet Ingraham Dwyer, Worthington Libs., OH

Honoré (In Praise of Slowness) presents a laundry list of ways in which parents all over the developed world have long been robbing their children of their childhoods by inserting themselves into every facet of their children's lives, e.g., education and testing, sports, and play. He quotes great thinkers from the ancients through the figures of the Enlightenment, who castigated their contemporaries for their poor child-rearing practices, and notes the situation is still critical today. Looking to experts in Europe, North America, and the Far East and drawing from the latest scientific research, Honoré goes on a fact-finding mission for instances of the rejection of "modern" parenting. Though to Honoré, the child has become a trophy to be sculpted, admired, and envied, all, he feels, is not lost. He reports on fascinating child-rearing programs in Italy, Finland, England, and elsewhere, and he offers readers an extensive resource list for further inquiry. Joining a crowded field of child-rearing books, this is an excellent choice for public and academic libraries.—Margaret Cardwell, Memphis

This handsome guide almost explodes with its abundance of information for travelers considering a visit to Greece. The first three chapters, "Envisioning and Planning Your Trip," "A Walk Through Ancient Greece," and "Getting Acquainted with Greece," cover both relevant history and practical information for visitors. The authors candidly state, "Greece is not a dangerous place for Americans, but it is also not a cozy place for those who boldly or loudly assert American hegemony." Four minutely detailed itineraries follow, taking the reader day by day through Crete (Minoan Greece), the Peloponnese (Mycenaean Greece), Athens (classical Greece), and the Cyclades (Aegean Greece). These cover where to stay, what roads to take, when to arrive, restaurants, prices, etc. It's expected that one will rent a car but explore the ancient sites on foot. Meagher (humanities, Hampshire Coll.; Frommer's Ireland) and Neave (Ancient Ireland: An Explorer's Guide) caution that "[f]inding your way along Greek roads can be a maddening endeavor as it is an intellectual challenge or perhaps a battle of wits." Thus it's unfortunate that the color maps are limited to simple diagrams of areas recommended for exploration (not for driving). The book has been written with the independent traveler in mind and includes suggestions for additional reading. The color photographs are impressive. Recommended for large travel collections in public libraries as well as academic libraries with classical studies sections.—Janet Ross, formerly with Sparks Branch Lib., NV