Arts &Humanities

Arts

This amazing volume reproduces with mesmerizing vivacity striking works in stunning arrangements on quality paper. The painstaking attention to the artifacts is impressive: each is displayed in a pristine environment that showcases the artwork and eliminates any possible distraction. Renowned collectors John and Dominique de Menil have assembled a truly remarkable array of African sculptures and masks worthy of attention. Editor Van Dyke (associate curator, Menil Collection, Houston, TX) has added an elaborate introductory text that is at once an insightful tribute to the de Menils and a carefully researched and exciting account of the formation of the African art section of the Menil Collection, with its nearly 1000 objects. Other contributors have supplied helpful explanatory texts for many of the volume's featured 120 pieces. A powerful and captivating catalog, not to mention a worthy treat for art enthusiasts and students. Recommended for public and academic libraries, especially those with strong art collections.—Edward K. Owusu-Ansah, East Stroudsburg Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib.

Altshuler (director, museum studies, Graduate Sch. of Arts & Sciences, NYU; The Avant-Garde in Exhibition) revivifies all the great exhibitions of modern art history—including the Armory Show in New York (1913) and Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme in Paris (1938)—in two massive volumes (the second volume is scheduled for publication later this year). This first tome starts with the Salon des Refusés in Paris (1863), when the emperor of France decreed that artists not admitted by the picky jury (Édouard Manet was one) could show in the other end of the exhibition hall. For each of the 24 included exhibitions, Altshuler includes a page of overview, a list of the artists, a selection of contemporary criticism, and a variety of ephemera including cartoons, brochures, and tickets. The greatest lack is illustrations of the artwork, although it would be difficult to pack them into this already large book. Coverage is global from dada in Berlin to modernism in London, with an engaging detour to the Gutai Exhibition in Tokyo (1955). Aimed at art historians and artists, this is accessible to the general public.—David McClelland, Philadelphia

Bloch may not be known far from the ocean-side galleries and coastal collections that make up the surf-art scene, but this first monograph should introduce him to a broader audience. Bloch grew up surfing the beaches of Ecuador, and his somber and enigmatic canvases have never lost the influence of the waves. Departing from typical surf art, Bloch's paintings are dark, textural, and not particularly representational. In the introductory essay, Stice (English, Laguna Coll. of Art & Design) offers a brief biography and charts the trajectory of Bloch's imagery, succeeding more in placing him high among surf artists than staking a claim for him in the larger art world. Much of the book is made up of full-page, full-color images (over 125), which are beautifully reproduced but on uncoated paper. Designed by David Carson (coauthor, The End of Print), this book is a wonderful object; shifting text sizes, migratory column widths, and sporadic page numbering may enhance visual effect, but they also diminish readability. Recommended for collections with strong holdings of contemporary American artists.—Kraig Binkowski, Yale Ctr. for British Art, New Haven, CT

For more than 30 years, Connor has traveled the world and photographed surreal landscapes and exotic structures in India, Indonesia, Turkey, Cambodia, Egypt, Tibet, and the American Southwest. More than 140 of these images are included in this oversized picture book, which accompanies a touring exhibition. Made with a large-format camera and vintage printing techniques, Connor's work evokes an ethereal, spiritual quality. The power and complexity of her images are the topic of a transcribed conversation with legendary Emmet Gowin, Robert Adams, and Connor herself. This conversation is a valuable collection of insights about Connor's influences as well as her place within the larger canon of fine art photography. Presently, Connor is professor of art at the San Francisco Art Institute. For part of her long career, Connor worked extensively with printing antique astronomical photographs as noted in the featured critical essay by William L. Fox. Her earlier works include On the Music of the Spheres: Photographs by Linda Connor, Poems by Charles Simic (1996) and Solos: Photographs by Linda Connor (1979). Recommended for all collections.—Shauna Frischkorn, Millersville Univ., PA

Graham-Dixon, former art critic for the Independent, brings to the fore the greatest achievement of the genius who perhaps best deserves the designation Renaissance man. After a short biography of Michelangelo up to his reluctant acceptance of the pope's commission, Graham-Dixon analyzes the masterpiece itself. He excels at contextualization, appropriately calling the chapel "a simple rectangular building" and making plain how the artist strongly insisted he was a sculptor, not a painter of frescoes. The figures created in this hallowed space are nearly as sculptural as anything truly in the round, a fact the author emphasizes. Graham-Dixon is adept at analyzing the pictorial scheme in its entirety and interpreting the dozens of individual sections of the ceiling's barrel vault. He has managed to resurrect, in an attenuated scholarly nugget, the popular appeal of this great and beloved landmark of the Western world. A focused and instructive read, this refreshing look at a familiar topic should attract a wide readership.—Douglas F. Smith, Berkeley P.L., CA

Richard Parkes Bonington (1802-28) was a brilliant landscape watercolorist who produced more than 400 paintings and drawings during his short life. Born in England, Bonington moved to France with his family in 1817, where he was introduced to Eugène Delacroix and studied with Baron Gros. His work drew praise from critics and influenced romantic and naturalist painters in both France and England. There has never been a reliable catalog of Bonington's oeuvre to support art historians' study of him. His work was widely copied and forged, which led to many misattributions. Fortunately, Noon (Patrick & Aimee Butler Chair of Paintings and Modern Sculpture, Minneapolis Inst. of Arts) has devoted several decades to researching Bonington and his work; his definitive catalogue raisonné contains 380 color and 60 black-and-white illustrations, plus a biographical essay on Bonington, a chronology of his life, two bibliographies, and detailed indexes. The book's scholarly focus and high price make it most appropriate for art history and museum libraries.—Martha Smith, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY

This third volume in a four-part catalogue raisonné on Chase covers Chase's paintings of the 1880s and early 1890s and reproduces a variety of paintings (49 in black and white, 209 in color) that together give marvelous insight into his exemplary depiction of light and shadow. Much of his work shows various vantages of Shinnecock Hills, Long Island, and surrounding environs in New York; however, Chase's trips to Munich, Spain, and Italy helped the progression of his skills, and some work done overseas is included. Pisano, who was curator of the Heckscher Museum of Art, painstakingly researched documentation of Chase's works to create this complete retrospective but unfortunately passed away before the project was completed; this volume was finished by Ph.D. candidate Carolyn K. Lane. One cannot help but wonder, in spite of the thoroughness of representation and documentation of paintings, if Pisano would have added essays or other writings to flesh out Chase as a man and artist. Even without extra text, this volume serves a valuable purpose for scholars of art and art history.—Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH

Previously, Farber (Hazards to the Human Heart; The Beholder) has written about the necessity for a home and the human need to give order to home, in both the real and the metaphorical sense. He has also been a recipient of Guggenheim, Rockefeller, Fulbright, and National Endowment for the Humanities fellowships and is currently Senior Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley. His "meditations" seek to define what it means to age, how desire changes over the course of an adult's life, the many forms mania can take, and the memories that haunt. Using his space (a cottage in Berkeley) and personal possessions (photographs, letters, books from family members), the author opens his life up for scrutiny and examination, never flinching from the final transition awaiting all humans. The resulting vignettes offer the writer's "nudity" up for the reader to examine and contemplate. What emerges is a lovely discourse on Farber's world. Recommended for all libraries as interests warrant.—Pam Kingsbury, Florence, AL

Inspired by answering language questions on talk radio and through email, journalists and grammar book authors O'Conner and Kellerman keep explaining the English language in ten topical chapters. While some grammar and etymology questions are familiar, other topics are happily fresh. An example of this is the first chapter, which considers authenticity, namely, whether American or British English retained more original vocabulary and pronunciation. Skillfully drawing on the Oxford English Dictionary and other research tools, the writers always present conversational prose with different kinds of wordplays. For instance, regarding using pronouns, they write, "But one word is missing…the word that I would have used instead of 'he or she' in the last sentence." Because the work aims to explain even more than guide, it emphasizes historical background more than other recently published books such as June Casagrande's Mortal Syntax and Paul Yeager's Literally, the Best Language Book Ever. With an accessible tone and full of information, this work is recommended for public libraries.—Marianne Orme, Des Plaines P.L., IL

In his third memoir (after A Whole New Life), award-winning author Price details his life from 1955 to 1961—his studies at Oxford, where he befriended W.H. Auden and met such writers as Robert Frost and Eudora Welty; his European travels; and the beginning of his Duke teaching career. The detailed stories he includes come from copies of letters he wrote to his mother and brother. Two underlying streams in this memoir are Price's homosexuality and the beginning of his first novel, A Long and Happy Life, which he refers to as his "pregnant-girl story." Price's true friendship with an Oxford classmate, Michael Jordan, and his intimate relationship with Matyas, a British academic, reveal Price's personal growth during his studies. He outlines the universal writer's dilemma of working the "necessary job" to pay the bills while struggling to begin a writing career. Readers will identify with his journey and eventual satisfaction. Recommended for all academic collections.—Joyce Sparrow, JWB Children's Svcs. Council, Clearwater, FL

With two national best sellers (Found and Found II), a magazine of the same name and accompanying web site, and a road show across America already in place, Rothbart adds this collection of 67 pieces submitted by writers, musicians, and friends. Rothbart invited contributors—including such well-known figures as comedian Andy Samberg, musician Andrew Bird, and writers Tom Robbins, Susan Orlean, Dave Eggers, and Paulo Coelho—to share their finds or to include a short piece of fiction based on a find. Bich Minh Nguyen (Stealing Buddha's Dinner) found a photograph of her mother, whom she'd never met; Samberg found a ten-dollar bill with an obscenity written on it; Orlean found the idea for a book about orchids. Various selections are fascinating, disturbing, funny, poetic, graphic, personal, illuminating, and combinations of these. Clearly, Rothbart's idea has found a following, and his book is a keeper.—Anthony Pucci, Notre Dame H.S., Elmira, NY

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Simic (The World Doesn't End) collects his recent reviews and essays, which together give a good understanding of his concepts of poetry, writing, morality, and the imagination. His writings on Robert Creeley and Donald Hall set the parameters for his ideas of what poetry should be. He discusses, among other authors, Edwin Arlington Robinson, Louise Glück, Elizabeth Bishop, Anne Carson, Yves Bonnefoy, and Zbigniew Herbert. Simic's readings of poetry are lucid and nuanced and explain why he considers some poems and books successful as art. Included are personal observations and reflections; especially good is his "Reading About Utopia in New York City." He reviews the dada artists and Odilon Redon and discusses works by Daniel Mendelsohn and Witold Gombrowicz and plays of Christopher Marlowe. Simic explains his likes and dislikes and allows the reader to make a fair judgment. Recommended for literature collections.—Gene Shaw, NYPL

One of a bunch of Chicago Jewish youngsters, including Saul Bellow, who collectively set out to revolutionize American literature, Isaac Rosenfeld (1918-56) had his first novel, Passage from Home, published to wide acclaim when he was 28; readers compared him to Bellow, and most gave Rosenfeld the edge. Using personal interviews as well as printed material relating to Rosenfeld's short, tumultuous life as a lover, husband, father, and writer—whose entanglements may have proved a greater hindrance to his development as a novelist than was the case with the more focused Bellow—Zipperstein (Daniel E. Koshland Professor in Jewish Culture & History, Stanford Univ.) has written a deeply felt but no-holds-barred American fable. Master of a lean, unadorned prose, Zipperstein offers a study evocative of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night or a Greek tragedy. A masterful work, highly recommended for all libraries.—Charles C. Nash, formerly with Cottey Coll., Nevada, MO

In this lavish history, Davies (A–Z of Cult Films and Filmmakers) examines gay cinema from its earliest days through the present. He organizes the material by decade, beginning with pre-1960s cinema, and discusses various films within their social contexts—from when the subject was off-limits and expressed on-screen only via symbolic codes and icons, through Stonewall and AIDS, to when gay people and gay themes were openly accepted and became central to certain films. Davies follows each chapter with biographical summaries of key actors and directors and includes in-depth examples of the genre's development, from Midnight Cowboy (1969) and La Cage aux Folles (1978) to Torch Song Trilogy (1988), Philadelphia (1993), and Brokeback Mountain (2005). A generous selection of photos and movie stills and an excellent foreword by Simon Callow nicely complement this work. A thoughtful and well-presented overview of the subject with insightful perspectives on the complex role and social, political, and artistic impact of gay cinema within modern culture.—Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ

Singin' in the Rain is number one on the American Film Institute's list of greatest movie musicals. Loved for the unique, energetic dance routines, the movie still captivates. In this extensively researched book, Hess (Stewart W. McClelland Chair in History, Lincoln Memorial Univ.) and Dabholkar (marketing, Univ. of Tennessee) describe in detail everything from the original concept to the Hollywood premiere in 1952. Using books, articles, dissertations, studio production notes, and other sources, the authors have painstakingly pieced together the history of this classic film, including short biographies of Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. The text is informative but not stimulating; the dance routines are much better on-screen than described in print. Most of the material can be found in works such as Peter Wollen's Singin' in the Rain (excerpts from which appear in this book). Hess and Dabholkar's contribution will be useful for film students and perhaps dance students; however, it probably won't appeal to general audiences. Recommended for college film libraries.—Rosalind Dayen, South Regional Lib., Pembroke Pines, FL

Indie culture exists outside of and often rails against mainstream culture—independent record stores in opposition to Best Buy, crafts festivals instead of Ikea, zines as opposed to Rolling Stone. As a corollary, poet Oakes (writing, Univ. of California, Berkeley; Telegraph) reminds us, indie culture has a strong history of reciprocity between producer and consumer; it is a creative community that should produce an equal amount of inspiration and consumption. Oakes locates the evolution of this idealism in the cultural explosion that occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. Covering musicians, zines, comics, independent presses, and homemade crafts and events, Oakes uses the concept of a creative community as a mediating theme to illustrate how indie culture has oscillated between the music and literary scene throughout the last few decades. Ultimately, she questions the future of indie culture in its currently oversaturated and corporate form. Recommended for all public libraries; this will particularly appeal to artists, musicians, writers, and kids with thick-rimmed glasses.—Joshua Finnell, McNeese State Univ. Lib., Lake Charles, LA

Musical Renaissance man and self-described "sonic landscaper" Brian Eno has been a band member (Roxy Music), producer (David Bowie, Talking Heads, U2, Coldplay), writer, and prolific solo artist, but his most famous piece of music may be the six-second start-up sound for the Windows 95 operating system. Sheppard (Elvis Costello; Leonard Cohen) has written a detailed study of this restless, innovative artist. Although Sheppard had access to Eno and relies heavily on interviews with the subject and his wife, this is not a fawning biography, and the author doesn't hesitate to examine Eno's musical and personal successes and failures. Sheppard is particularly good at placing Eno's work in the appropriate cultural context. Although the author's wordiness gets a bit exasperating, Sheppard makes up for it in attention to detail. Recommended.—Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR

Iris Burton, who died in 2008, built a successful talent agency on making children a "viable commodity" in Hollywood and is credited with being the first agent to negotiate million-dollar deals for minors. Snyder, who was her executive assistant for years, chronicles this selfish and occasionally funny woman as her agency and power declined. Burton clung to one of the last small publicity agencies in a ruthless atmosphere of larger agency recruitment and rivalries, within an industry that preys on people. Through a focus on two of Burton's more famous clients, River and Joaquin Phoenix, we see how the client's interest and value are measured in monetary terms, and relationships are portrayed only occasionally as guided by human concern and support. Snyder intersperses his stories of the difficulty of breaking away from the agency and his attempts to relieve stress and actively accept his sexuality. Suitable for public libraries with a population of Hollywood gossip aficionados.—Lani Smith, Ohlone Coll. Lib., Fremont, CA

The social, political, economical, and musical elements that coalesced to shape the genre of punk have been well documented; however, few books tell the beginning from the perspective of a 17-year-old in the midst of a musical revolution. Thompson was that kid, working in a record store in London in the late 1970s and witnessing the humble start of punk rock. Although his narrative is personal, his emphasis throughout is on musicians who influenced and launched the DIY movement, both well-known acts (e.g., Patti Smith, the Sex Pistols, the Damned) and lesser-known ones (e.g., the Adverts, the Maniacs, and Roogalator). One of rock music's most prolific writers, Thompson has authored more than 100 books over the last 25 years. This most recent effort reminds us of what punk music looked like before it became a career and a topic in college classrooms. Recommended for all public libraries; this will particularly appeal to punk enthusiasts, musicians, and every member of the punk generation.—Joshua Finnell, McNeese State Univ. Lib., Lake Charles, LA

Cogburn (philosophy, Louisiana State Univ.) and Silcox (humanities & philosophy, Univ. of Central Oklahoma) note that philosophers have traditionally been depicted as "spacey dreamers" and that "it must be hard to imagine how the revelatory insights that philosophy is supposed to provide could be achieved while playing video games." To make this less difficult to imagine, the authors examine a large number of specific video games in terms of their possible philosophical implications. In each of seven chapters, they begin "by describing a philosophical puzzle that arises from reflection on some particular genre or species of video game," e.g., personal identity, theories of perception and phenomenalism, and how violent games affect users' ethical, moral, and aesthetic dilemmas. The final chapter deals with "what many philosophers regard as the most important philosophical question—'What is the meaning of life?'" Throughout, the pertinent thinking of many philosophers, both past and present, is thoughtfully considered. There has been an upsurge of interest in philosophy books dealing with pop culture subjects, and this book should be of interest to a large readership; highly recommended for all libraries.—Leon H Brody, Falls Church, VA

This is an account of a life devoted to the idea of love and the love of ideas. As a young philosopher with an empiricist outlook, Singer first tackled the tangled ideas encapsulated in the word love with the techniques of logical analysis. The associated concepts include romanticism and sex, but they also include togetherness, community, basic human worth, and God. They resisted his analyses. The empiricism is still there, but what comes out now is a taste for John Dewey's pragmatism and a passion for history. During a long career at MIT, Singer has produced two trilogies, The Nature of Love and Meaning in Life, and a string of other works that extend to music and film. The present short work sums up much of this with relaxed charm. Singer's conclusion is that the study of love shows us an irreducible pluralism of justifiable human values. The pluralism cannot be overcome by system builders, but the system builders do not labor in vain, for they sharpen the choices, and the strength of their contrasting arguments shows us why there is a pluralism. Nearly everyone can learn something from this book.—Leslie Armour, Dominican Univ. Coll., Ottawa

Your first reaction after reading this slim autobiography may well be, "Why is it so short?" A rich life such as this deserves much more exposition. The author is a Congolese-French rapper who was born in the ghettos of Paris. Tempted by a world of drugs and crime and injured by racism, he instead adopted rap as a means of artistic expression and a means of escape. Yet wealth and prestige (he was awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres) are not enough for him. He writes of his conversion to Islam, after which he is exposed to its harsh fundamentalist side and turns away, looking for other avenues leading to the divine. He eventually adopts Sufism and uses his music to spread the messages of joy and peace. This book is a little gem, full of colorful characters and uplifting incidents that have the charm of fairy stories, as well as the profundity and resonances of life tales. Most important, it is a spiritual journal of a young man, seeking the infinite to find peace. Recommended for all readers.—Glenn Masuchika, Pennsylvania State Univ. Libs., University Park

This book offers an informed critique of good-and-evil dualisms on both sides in the war on terror. Terrorists and their opponents share an "us against them" conception of reality that vilifies the enemy as irredeemable and suited only for destruction. Political estrangement and isolation nurture the cosmic dualism inherent in violent jihadist ideologies, argues Aslan (creative writing, Univ. of California at Riverside; No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam). But a similar dualism lies behind ill-founded American responses to terrorism. In quick, informative surveys, Aslan takes readers through the origins of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, zealotry in ancient Jewish and contemporary (evangelical Christian and Zionist) forms, the history of Islamic jihadist distortions of Islamic teaching, and the repressive postcolonial governments that nurture such radical ideologs. But Aslan is hopeful: radical groups moderate their ideologies when they are drawn into the political process, and a new U.S. administration may adopt a more enlightened foreign policy. Aslan's suggestions are simple but not simplistic. Recommended for all readers interested in viewing the war on terror from this alternative perspective.—Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL

Chanting prayers and slinging holy water, the cinematic exorcist faces the forces of evil with strength and faith. But what of his real-life counterpart? In his first book, journalist Baglio follows Brother Gary, an American Roman Catholic priest, as he learns about exorcism firsthand during a sabbatical in Rome, first through a university class and later through an apprenticeship with an Italian exorcist. Spectacular exorcisms do occur, but most of the book focuses on other topics, from Father Gary's early life to the scientific controversies surrounding exorcism. The Rite provides more questions than answers: Why do some exorcists use methods not approved by the Church? Has the popularity of alternative religions led to a rise in possessions and exorcisms, as Baglio's interviewees maintain? If exorcism is a Christian ritual, why does it benefit Hindus and Muslims? More guidance as to how readers might explore these questions would be welcome, but this book is recommended for all public libraries as a place to begin the dialog.—Dan Harms, SUNY at Cortland Memorial Lib.

Cameron, the best-selling author of The Artist's Way, aspired in her middle years to write a book about God, specifically focusing on the "safety of God" as it relates to connecting or relating to the numinous. The result is an authentic, vulnerable, and introspective work. Cameron discloses her own losses, identity crises, and struggles to reconnect with and surrender to the divine. In addition, she shares anecdotes from the lives of her creative friends. She also draws inspiration from theologian Paul Tillich, psychiatrist Carl Jung, the biblical writers, and other wisdom figures. Faith and Will brings to mind the work of Anne Lamott, falling somewhere between Traveling Mercies and Bird by Bird. Creative souls (i.e., artists, writers, actors, musicians, etc.) especially will be drawn to this book, but any reader can glean pearls of wisdom from its pages: "Doubt is the shadow side of faith" and "God is intimate" are but two memorable quotes. Faith and Will is recommended—without hesitation.—C. Brian Smith, Arlington Heights Memorial Lib., IL

Billy Graham, prominent evangelist, is reintroduced here for the important role he played in creating the latter-day American South. Miller studies Graham's behavior and rhetoric within the overlapping themes of religion, politics, and race during the decades since 1950 and Graham's part in the story of the post-civil rights South. Miller relates Graham's evangelical universalism, spread through his signature crusades, containing clear political meanings such as acceptance of existing civil rights laws, condemnation of racial violence, and dismissal of the need for further protests or legislation. Not everyone agreed with him, but Graham did muster regional support for political realignment, especially from Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton. Graham's career spanned decades, and his role as a political and ministerial counselor to political leaders well positioned him quietly to influence political, religious and cultural trends and ease racial tensions. Recommended for political science collections in academic libraries.—Leo Kriz, West Des Moines Lib.

Stetzer (missiologist in residence, LifeWay Christian Resources; Planting Missional Churches), Richie Stanley (team leader, Ctr. for Missional Research, North American Mission Board), and Jason Hayes (young adult ministry specialist, LifeWay Christian Resources) focus on 20- to 29-year-olds who don't currently attend church, outlining nine best practices for a church to reach such young men and women successfully. The first section contains statistical analysis of current beliefs and attitudes toward religion and the church (some very surprising) as indicated in polls of members of this age group. The second section delves deeper into these attitudes with results from focused interviews. The authors develop some broad themes, backed up by statistics from the first section. The final third of the book highlights nine strategies churches are using successfully to reach these unchurched adults. Helpful graphs and tables are included throughout as well as visuals such as text boxes made to resemble sticky notes, making the book both readable and useful. Highly recommended for practitioners and all interested in this topic.—Ray Arnett, Fremont Area Dist. Lib., MI

Brooks (sociology, Univ. of California at Riverside), having studied under and been inspired by the highly esteemed Elijah Anderson at the University of Pennsylvania, provides an ethnographic description of recreational basketball in South Philadelphia. A self-professed frustrated former high school basketball player (he blames himself and his former coach for his shortcomings), the author looks at the hopes and dreams of young inner-city black men he coached who aspired to play ball professionally. In true sociological tradition, he presents detailed information on members of the famed Blade Rodgers Neighborhood Development League, based on interviews with these athletes, their families, coaches, and other locals. While focusing on two athletes in particular, Brooks educates readers about a number of "street" realities (e.g., the daily struggle for survival and basketball viewed as a way out of the ghetto). Demystifying certain racial stereotypes, Brooks explains that even God-given skills must be developed through hard work and dedication. His book is a worthy ethnographic text and is recommended especially for students of sports sociology.—Tim Delaney, SUNY at Oswego