Arts & Humanities

Dobbins (architecture, Georgia Tech Univ.) has actively taught and practiced the professions of architectural design and urban design for 40 years and, until 2002, served as the Atlanta commissioner of planning and development. Here, he summarizes almost half a century of his active professional involvement with architectural design and urban planning. His purpose is to illustrate the public policy and professional pedagogy of urban design as a way to bring together the citizens, politicians, business people, and professionals in common business and design decisions. Dobbins includes a thorough, useful bibliography, listing over 50 authors, including W.H. Whyte, Lewis Mumford, Kevin Lynch, Jonathan Barnett, and Christopher Alexander. VERDICT This is a tedious, difficult read with a dearth of illustrations. It's aimed at students as a textbook of administrative action and decision making and will only be of use to those with a specific technical interest in the subject.—Peter Kaufman, Boston Architectural Coll.

A major challenge of comprehensive books on graphic design is to fit the numerous dimensions of the field into a work that is logical and readable. The best so far have been more or less chronologically arranged, notably Phillip Meggs's long-standing History of Graphic Design (4th ed., Wiley, 2005) and Stephen Eskilson's Graphic Design: A New History (Yale, 2007). The authors of this book, both founders of UnderConsideration, an online graphic design networking site, provide an accessible overview of graphic design in a very browsable format. Its success is owing to a general-to-specific subcategorization based on four main ideas: principles (typography, color, etc.); knowledge (important books, journals, schools, and repositories); representatives (notable designers, firms, and typefaces); and practice (design applied to book and music jackets, posters, products, etc.). Each entry includes full-color illustrations with one- or two-paragraph discussions on the related concepts. The index is thorough, and a brief illustrated time line at the book's beginning is also nice. VERDICT Highly recommended for design students as a supplement to the core texts mentioned above.—Eric Linderman, Euclid P.L., OH

In this generously illustrated exhibition catalog accompanying a major retrospective exhibition at the Hangaram Art Museum in Seoul, Kallir (curator & codirector, Galerie St. Etienne) and some distinguished scholars contribute essays covering all aspects of Gustav Klimt's career and achievements as an artist coming of age at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, including his early period designing and executing public murals for prominent cultural and educational institutions in Vienna, his time as a founding member of the Vienna Secession and Werkstätte, and his later development as a painter of private commissions. The theme of the "total artwork"—or the notion of the unity of the arts—is given special attention in relation to Klimt's career, representation of women and nature, drawings, affinities for the arts of East Asia, and influence on his contemporaries. Nicely designed, presented, and documented, this book includes full-page color plates of the artworks shown, a biographical chronology, and objects checklists. VERDICT This scholarly yet easy-to-read survey of Klimt's career and achievements is strongly recommended for students, art historians, art professionals, and general readers.—Cheryl Ann Lajos, Free Lib. of Philadelphia

American sculptor and photographer Kenneth Snelson (b. 1927) was deeply involved in the making of this book, providing essays and comments in alternation to the texts by journalist Heartney. Snelson is articulate and thoughtful, and he provides an engaging perspective on his well-known steel tube sculptures and more recent computer-generated images and photographs. Selective rather than exhaustive, the book still offers a thorough overview of half a century of work on a focused set of themes. Snelson has stuck to his last, working away at ideas of structure, particularly atomic structure and force in space, throughout his career. The book clearly relates much about the process of conception and the actual work of making the pieces. The 250-plus illustrations are good, although scale is obviously lost at times. VERDICT A good overview of Snelson's career, with the benefit of the artist's cooperation, unmarred by vanity. For general readers and specialists.—Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Libs.

Heather (North Korean Posters), a collector of North Korean and Vietnamese art, and Buchanan (Vietnam Zippos: American Soldiers' Engravings and Stories) here present full- and half-page reproductions of Communist propaganda posters printed in Vietnam from the 1960s to the present. Buchanan's discussions in the introductory essay on the printing methods and native materials used in wartime posters are especially captivating. The posters, captioned in English and German, are arranged into four subject groups: war; Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Party; agriculture; and education, population control, and voting. Because the material is organized by topic, it would have been helpful for the captions to include approximate dates. VERDICT An original and nicely produced book; recommended for students and lay readers with an interest in Vietnam or propaganda art.—Eric Linderman, Euclid P.L., OH

The exquisite still lifes of 18th-century painter Meléndez (1715–80)—31 of which are reproduced here—feature fruit, fowl, legumes, bread, honey pots, wine, and the vessels used to consume them. Painted with such meticulous detail, the objects acquire a numinous character, conferring gratitude for God's abundance while retaining a calculated casualness in composition. Meléndez's work possesses deep reverence and reveals his scientific eye for precise botanical form; this nexus between the spiritual and the empirical is a common 18th-century motif and in few instances are these polarities more visible. Good biocritical essays by Hirschauer (associate curator, Italian art, National Gallery), Catherine Metzger (senior conservator, National Gallery), Peter Cherry (history of art & architecture, Trinity Coll., Dublin), and independent historian Natacha Seseña open the book. The visual analyses are particularly strong: each of the paintings is broken into details, some of which are revealing photomicrograph studies. VERDICT For artists and art historians, this monograph and the exhibition at Washington's National Gallery of Art it accompanies are an outstanding introduction to a master not yet well known outside of Western Europe. A lasting purchase.—Douglas F. Smith, Berkeley P.L., CA

Harvey Kurtzman was a pioneering comics artist, best known as the creator of Mad magazine in 1952 and "Little Annie Fanny" comics (with Will Elder) in Playboy from 1962 to 1988. Revered by subsequent comics artists, Kurtzman nevertheless had a professional life filled with struggles and setbacks. This appreciation of Kurtzman's work reads more like a biography than an art book. The substantial text by Kitchen, a cartoonist, comic book publisher, and agent for the Kurtzman estate, and Buhle (Jews and American Comics) is generously illustrated by photographs of the artist, sketches, page layouts, and finished work by Kurtzman and others following his layouts. Numerous reprints of Kurtzman's publications, collections of his work, an index (The Illustrated Harvey Kurtzman Index), and a monograph (The Comics Journal Library: Harvey Kurtzman) have been published. This book reprints some finished pieces but includes mostly preparatory work, presented here for the first time. VERDICT An engrossing read for comics fans, baby boomers, and cultural studies scholars.—Kathryn Wekselman, MLn, Cincinnati

In these engrossing color photographs of cloud formations, dense forests, ice crystal prisms, rippled dunes, and reflections on water and glass architecture, Buffalo journalist and newspaper publisher Lipsey explores abstract beauty, subtle patterning, geometries of nature, and the dynamics of comparison and contrast. Pairings reveal discriminating attention to the nuances of light, color, line, texture, scale, surface, perspective, design, cropping, and composition. Favorite subjects are locations in the American West and East Coast architecture. In one opening, Lipsey humorously pairs stacked newsprint rolls with cylindrical grain elevators. The photos resonate brilliantly by themselves, and introductory texts by Louis Grachos (director, Albright-Knox Art Gallery) and Anthony Bannon (director, George Eastman House) are wisely concise. Thumbnails at the end of the volume identify subject, location, and date (1980s to present). VERDICT Of value mostly as a primer for photography students and photographers who specialize in abstractions of nature and architecture.—Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL

Commemorating an unexpectedly inclusive set of individuals who lived and worked in particular buildings in London, the hundreds of blue plaques affixed since 1866 to a variety of points on facades highlight the link among people, events, and the architecture that enclosed them. Arranging contributions by borough, Cole, senior investigator and head of the blue plaques division of English Heritage, begins each section with a short social and architectural history as well as a street map to which the text is helpfully keyed. More than simply an architectural guidebook, this volume offers short biographical essays based on English Heritage's files on the honorees, whom the general public can nominate. A blend of historic photographs of people and contemporary photographs of buildings results in a rich set of illustrations (250 color and 200 b&w). VERDICT Far too large to serve as an on-site reference during architectural walks, this handsomely produced labor of love might have more utility were it published in multiple volumes. For staunch architecture and urban history readers.—Paul Glassman, Felician Coll. Lib., Lodi, NJ

During his career in the mid-1700s, Matthew Boulton made important technological advances, including building steam engines with James Watt, producing ornamental metals, and improving the production methods for coinage. While he is not as well known today as his friend Josiah Wedgwood, Boulton's engines, silver plate, ormolu, and coins live on in museums and industrial heritage sites. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of his death, an exhibition was held at the Birmingham Museum in England. This accompaniment goes beyond simply cataloging items manufactured or used by Boulton, such as swords, buckles, model steam engines, Sheffield plate, furniture, and fine and decorative art. Each entry includes museum loaning object, physical description, history of object, and entry author's initials. Mason (The Hardware Man's Daughter: Matthew Boulton and His 'Dear Girl') also includes well-researched chapters covering aspects of Boulton's life, work, and times by experts in the fields of industrial archaeology, history, science, technology, and numismatics. VERDICT Of special interest to students of British industrial history or the Enlightenment.—Nancy J. Mactague, Aurora Univ. Lib., IL

This book is an admirable attempt to show how public art of the French Enlightenment reflected the shift of authority from the church and hereditary aristocracy to the French nation and its emerging democratic institutions. However, the text is so full of unnecessary jargon and arcane phraseology that this reviewer spent one-half hour just making sense of the first few pages. Naginski (architectural history, Graduate Sch. of Design, Harvard) assumes the reader understands concepts such as "the dialectic of monument and countermonument" and "revolutionary vandalism" and is willing to wade through sentences beginning with "Hence, notwithstanding the impact of precursors and contemporaneous skirmishes…" However, no undergraduate would be able to follow her train of thought effortlessly. VERDICT Although well researched, thoroughly documented, and beautifully illustrated, this book has limited appeal; purchase if you cater to specialists and graduate students only.—Nancy J. Mactague, Aurora Univ. Lib., IL

From his gondola on canals in Venice, Sargent created watercolors, light, luminous, and washed, with fluid, rhythmic brushstrokes. In this latest volume of the catalogue raisonné, Ormond, an independent art historian and great-nephew of Sargent, and Kilmurray, research director of the project, chronicle an intense period of Venetian scenes—about 120 in watercolors and about a dozen in oil. This sixth volume in a series opens with a chronology covering the time period, followed by the criteria used in the preparation of the book, a 1900 map of Venice, and Kilmurray's introductory essay on the Venice known among artists and Sargent's circle of intimates at the time. These are followed by the illustrated catalog entries. A good feature is the inclusion of photographs comparing camera images to Sargent's painterly eye. VERDICT The book provides provenance, exhibition history, and the identity of these specific works and is important for the completion of the catalogue raisonné for art history book collections. It is not critical but descriptive and can stand on its own for lovers of Venice, Sargent, and watercolors.—Ellen Bates, New York

Serious studies of American quilts and coverlets have kept pace with the booming disciplines of material culture and women's history since the 1980s. Recent works of note include books about the Gee's Bend quilters and quilting heritage by state, Linda Eaton's Quilts in a Material World, Patricia A. Turner's Crafted Lives, and Kate Lenkowsky's Contemporary Quilt Art. Here, Peck, curator of American Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with the assistance of research associate Schaffner, updates a catalog published in 1990 of the Met's admirable collection of mostly 19th-century East Coast pieces. The authors highlight 90 works, arranged chronologically by type—appliquéd, pierced, whole cloth, woven, and embroidered. A learned essay by textile conservator Elena Phipps on materials and techniques introduces the catalog portion, which documents all 151 quilts and coverlets in the collection. Two handicrafts are presented on each page, with accompanying color photos, maker, date, dimensions, materials, technique, provenance, description, condition, references, and other notes. VERDICT Attractively presented and modestly priced, this important work is primarily of interest to collectors, artisans, and scholars and researchers of textiles, design, and decorative and folk arts.—Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL

Written as a new interpretation of his The Triumph of American Painting (1970), this work revisits the early years of abstract expressionism, providing in-depth analysis of the inception of the movement in the 1930s and its development in the 1940s. Sandler places abstract expressionism in its historical and art historical context while focusing on the social, spiritual, cultural, political, and geographical influences on the artists. Counting Pollock, Rothko, de Kooning, Newman, and others as personal friends, Sandler is not unbiased and is firm in the conviction that abstract expressionists were the "most original, vital and masterly painters" in the world. While neither an index nor a bibliography is offered, each chapter includes extensive endnotes for the more scholarly reader. VERDICT Sandler's clear writing style and unique perspective, coupled with the numerous high-quality images, make this book appropriate for undergraduate students, professional art historians, and general readers.—Nancy J. Mactague, Aurora Univ., IL

Photojournalist Torgovnik (contract photographer, Newsweek), who visited Rwanda over the past three years, here documents the stories of 30 women who were raped during the 1994 genocide. Each set of photographs of women and their children who were born from rape includes the mother's words describing the violent circumstances under which she was raped and the difficulties she has had raising a child born of violence. Rwandan UNICEF staff member Marie Consolée Mukagendo offers a brief, personal, nonacademic introduction to the Rwandan genocide and the way rape was used to inflict ongoing violence on women and their communities. The DVD includes an overview of the Rwandan genocide and rapes, individual interviews with several of the women documented in the book, additional images, and an interview with Torgovnik about his experience documenting the women's stories. VERDICT Recommended to readers interested in Rwanda, war crimes, women's studies, and photojournalism. Teachers and professors may be interested in showing the DVD for classroom discussions.—Valerie Nye, Coll. of Santa Fe, NM

Rare bookstore owner Ken Saunders relishes catching book thieves, and his favorite target is John Gilkey, a repeat offender who has spent multiple stints in jail for using stolen credit card numbers and bad checks to purchase books estimated to be worth together more than $100,000. In this intriguing account, journalist Bartlett takes readers behind the scenes at antiquarian book fairs and rare bookstores, where sellers are always on the lookout for thieves. Bartlett first meets Gilkey when he is serving time near San Francisco. Over several meetings, Gilkey explains that he feels he builds his image through books, proving himself a man of taste, knowledge, and affluence. VERDICT This excellent tale of people's intimate, complex, and sometimes dangerous relationships to books will be relished by readers, writers, and collectors who are passionate about books as well as fans of true crime stories. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/09.]—Joyce Sparrow, JWB Children's Svcs. Council, Clearwater, FL

Nonprofit Dzanc Books aspires to fill the literary cracks left by the commercialization of the big presses and chain bookstores and thereby lead the way to the future of publishing. For this hipper version of annual anthologies such as The Best American Short Stories, Abbott (All Things, All at Once) surveys several hundred online literary journals and collates the best short stories, poetry, and nonfiction from 2008 (all coming in under an easily readable 20 pages). The offerings run the gamut from biographical essays on literary greats to short stories of magical realism and are nearly universally superb. The book lends itself to browsing or reading in short spurts, with its succinct pieces quickly gripping the reader and ending within a few pages. Interviews with several of the authors as well as brief biographies of each of the contributors are also thoughtfully included. VERDICT Highly recommended for short story enthusiasts as well as those interested in contemporary literature.—Megan Hodge, Randolph-Macon Coll. Lib., Ashland, VA

Browne is a media content analyst, book reviewer, and writer who has turned his passion for secondhand books into this entertaining guide to the world of used bookstores. The book begins autobiographically, as Browne explains how his love for secondhand books grew and was guided by various individuals he has encountered. In the book's second part, he looks at genres of books and particular titles that mark out a great store. Finally, Browne considers what to do with all the books one has acquired—read, give, store, or sell. The chapters are interspersed with "Bookmarks," brief reviews of particular books that have stood out to Browne and have been influential in his own book-shopping journey. VERDICT This is an easy read that would make a good companion for those who share the author's predilection for hunting down secondhand printed treasures.—Rebecca Bollen Manalac, Sydney, Australia

This fast-paced, entertaining volume lives up to its subtitle, giving behind-the-scenes insights into what writers really do when they're working: whether it's lounging in the bathtub, writing longhand on legal pads, or drinking heavily. Writers of all time periods are included; most are North American or British, although authors writing in other languages are also covered. No clear pattern in their habits emerges, so this work cannot be taken as a how-to manual for writers. One can, however, get a sense of the range of tools and tricks that writers use. Bruce performed considerable research to compile all the anecdotes and quotes presented, and his bibliography is suitably impressive. Academic readers, however, will be frustrated by the lack of citations or footnotes. Another drawback is the absence of an index, which makes it difficult to locate all the mentions of a particular author. VERDICT Of interest to aspiring writers wanting to know how successful writers work, as well as those who enjoy popular biographies and gaining insight into the lives of the famous.—Alison M. Lewis, Drexel Univ., Philadelphia

Prolific linguist Crystal tells more than his own story, remarkable for his role as an independent scholar. Infused with the title's humor and suspense, Crystal's narratives also sketch his field. The stories answer both professional and personal questions, such as, for example, What is a linguist? What do linguists do? What kind of linguist are you? What prepared you for and drew you to the field? How many languages do you speak? What is your family background? And why do you wear a beard? Chronological organization of 19 chapters spreads topics like family life over many chapters. Crystal embraces this storytelling challenge to mingle professional anecdotes with family experiences. He gradually reveals heritage bridging Northern Ireland, North Wales, Liverpool, London, Catholicism, and Judaism. For example, Chapter 17 describes an emotional encounter with his father and also a piece on choosing how to refer to the former Soviet Union in late 1991 as an encyclopedia editor. VERDICT A unique, lengthy, and substantial autobiography, this is recommended for academics and memoir fanatics.—Marianne Orme, Des Plaines P.L., IL

The question "What is life?" was a major obsession shared by the British romantic poets, writing from 1760 through 1830, and the scientists of that era. In this carefully researched study, Gigante (English, Stanford Univ.; Taste: A Literary History) analyzes four difficult poems from this period, linking their content and form with the biological theories of the time. Discussing Christopher Smart's "Jubilate Agno," she points out the similarity between his poetic organization, from small to more complex forms, and the progression found in organic life. Gigante urges readers to approach William Blake's "Jerusalem" as a whole rather than analyzing the parts separately, noting his "open organic form." Considering two later poems, she discusses the organic process carried to excess. The featured characters in Percy Bysshe Shelley's "The Witch of Atlas" and John Keats's "Lamia" are too beautiful, too dangerously attractive and are thus examples of romantic monstrosity, organic form gone too far. VERDICT For scholars with an interest in the British romantics, Gigante brings fresh interpretations to these perplexing poems.—Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

There is a scene in Heller's biography where the controversial writer Rand and her husband delight in the fact that they can select from the more expensive items on a cafeteria menu after selling the movie rights of The Fountainhead. The scene illustrates Heller's ability to capture the essence of her subject. Rand, never a fan of the poor masses, was elated to remove herself from the mob. Although Heller was denied access to the Ayn Rand Institute's archives, because she is not an advocate for Rand's ideas, she still performs beautifully. Heller conducted over 50 interviews, including three long interviews with Rand's former lover, Nathaniel Branden. She traces Rand's childhood in Russia; her arrival in America; her unconventional marriage to actor Frank O'Connor; her work as a playwright and novelist; the development of objectivism, Rand's philosophy that embraces capitalist individualism and rejects altruism; and her long-standing extramarital affair. VERDICT An impartial, well-documented, and sweeping biography for fans and scholars of Rand; with a bibliography and 100-plus pages of notes.—Stacy Russo, Chapman Univ. Libs., Orange, CA

George Eliot's last novel, Daniel Deronda (1876), makes an astonishing case for Zionism well before the traumas and tragedies of Jewish life in the 20th century. Himmelfarb (The Moral Imagination), an important figure in the neoconservative movement, has written a wide-ranging and fair-minded discussion of Daniel Deronda from a conservative and Zionist perspective. Himmelfarb discusses Eliot's life, various European intellectual enlightenment traditions, and the Jewish and general political conditions in Great Britain during the 19th century. She also considers Lionel Trilling's and F.R. Leavis's writings on Eliot and her last novel and offers critical insights on Jean-Paul Sartre's and Edward Said's views on Judaism and imperialism. Himmelfarb makes the case for a conservative reading of Eliot and for a proactive Zionism, as distinct from Zionism as a response to the destructive forces of 20th-century history. She considers Natan Sharansky the heir of George Eliot's thoughts and work. VERDICT While of some interest to literature students, Himmelfarb's book will be eagerly consumed by serious readers interested in questions of Jewish identity and present-day Israel.—Gene Shaw, NYPL

Lloyd and Mitchinson have another hit on their hands. Readers who enjoyed their trivia compendium, The Book of General Ignorance, will love this collection of quotations. Instead of baffling, fascinating, and annoyingly technical trivia, this book includes over 600 quotations organized by subject (and by subject alphabetically) and an index of quoted persons (with birth and death dates, where appropriate, and profession). Only a handful of quotes are listed in two sections, as the authors—who write that quotations are like catnip for them—have managed to select pithy, single-minded statements. The quality of organization makes this title suitable as a reference work, but relegating it from circulation would be sinful. VERDICT The content is wickedly fun and truly runs the gamut; Jack Handey and Aristotle can be found in close proximity. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys wit and a good turn of phrase.—Audrey Snowden, Cleveland P.L.

Perrault's tales are well known (e.g., "Sleeping Beauty," "Cinderella," and "Little Red Riding Hood"), but they are most often reprinted singly within anthologies. This new translation and collection of the tales in one volume is especially useful for serious students of the folk tale, though it is also billed by the publisher as a gift edition. In his strong introduction, retired French professor Betts presents a biography, cultural background, and brief analytical comments, Freudian and otherwise. Three verse tales ("Griselda," "Donkey-Skin," and "Three Silly Wishes") are translated as poetry rather than prose for the first time in English, Betts believes. Explanatory notes deal with problematic cultural and language issues, and an appendix covers Aarne-Thompson-Uther and other classifications and related literature. The 19th-century illustrations by Doré (some of them gruesome) add to the gift quality of this collection, but it is not for the very young, even if read aloud. VERDICT Decidedly scholarly in tone, this will best serve those in an academic context. For the translation alone, it is worthy of purchase, even for libraries already holding a collection of Perrault tales.—Katherine Koenig, Ellis Sch., Pittsburgh

If she had survived, Anne Frank would have turned 80 this year. Prose (Goldengrove) analyzes her diary in an innovative way, underscoring Frank's writing genius. In viewing the diary from a more literary perspective, Prose examines Frank's life, her original and revised writings, the annex where she hid, Holocaust deniers, and the challenges of teaching the diary. Her discussions of the play and film adapted from the diary are particularly enlightening; these dramatic versions veered fundamentally from the diary, rendering Frank a silly, love-struck teenager rather than the pensive adolescent one discovers in the diary. Prose touches on many subjects, e.g., how Frank's plight has been "universalized" and "Americanized," taking away from the message she tried to convey in her writings. Despite these issues, Prose recognizes that Frank's story can still make an impact and continues to resonate 64 years after her horrific death. VERDICT This riveting book is highly recommended for all readers interested in the enduring legacy of Anne Frank and for literature scholars. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/09.]—Erica Swenson Danowitz, Delaware Cty. Community Coll., Media, PA

Public television writer and producer Reisen's biography is the result of a deeply held, lifelong affection for Louisa May Alcott; it's a substantial by-product of the research undertaken to write and produce a documentary film biography of the same title to air December 2009 as part of the PBS "American Masters" series. Reisen's writing is lively and appealing. She analyzes Alcott's best-known works—Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's Boys—as well as Pauline's Passion and Punishment, Behind a Mask, and Perilous Play, the pulp fiction Alcott wrote anonymously or as A.M. Barnard. Drawing extensively from Alcott's journals and letters as well as those of her family members, Reisen portrays Alcott's life with precision and sympathy yet does not hide her flaws. This compelling biography allows readers to know Alcott and appreciate her as "her own best character." VERDICT Highly recommended for Alcott fans as well as readers interested in American women writers and women's studies. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/09.]—Kathryn R. Bartelt, Univ. of Evansville Libs., IN

In his introduction, Martin (Samuel Johnson: A Biography) eloquently contends that, with the exception of Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson is the one writer who must be read and not merely read about. Praising Johnson as a great moralist and thinker, Martin notes that his genius resides in his ability to present himself to his readers not as a preacher but as a man who has thought deeply and encourages his readers to do the same. This collection of Johnson's works, published to mark the 300th anniversary of his birth, focuses on those pieces that best illustrate the depth of Johnson's skill as a moral thinker and critic—a number of essays from the Rambler, Adventurer, and Idler are included as well as excerpts from Lives of the Poets and the prefaces to the Dictionary of the English Language and his Shakespeare edition. Martin also selected the moral fable Rasselas, for its ability to speak to readers of today. VERDICT Students of English literature and general readers should find much pleasure and insight in this collection. Highly recommended.—Anthony Pucci, Notre Dame H.S., Elmira, NY

New, who has edited all eight volumes of the Florida edition of the works of influential novelist Laurence Sterne, and de Voogd (editor, The Shandean) generously acknowledge their debt to earlier scholarship, notably Lewis Curtis's 1935 edition of Sterne's letters and Arthur H. Cash's two-volume biography of Sterne. Curtis did an outstanding job editing Sterne's extant correspondence, and, by the editors' own admission, "in an age of great letter writers, Sterne comes up a bit short." Why, then, a new edition? Twenty-five letters have been discovered in the 70-plus years since Curtis; other scholars have filled in many lacunae in the letters. Many of the letters were throwaways, sent to arrange the publication and sale of his books, solicit subscriptions and thank patrons, and borrow and dispense money. Although the lengthier letters lack focus, there are touches of Shandean wit, and these volumes show a man who lived his life in order to mine it for his fiction. VERDICT The editorial apparatus makes reading these collections a daunting task for the layperson, but the editors have done all one could ask to produce accurate and comprehensive texts for future scholarly work. Indispensable for researchers.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

Orson Welles may be the most discussed and analyzed figure in the history of American theatrical entertainment. Yet with countless biographies and critical works already on the shelves, there has never been a book as intimately in tune with the man himself as this beautifully written memoir by his daughter. The author, who writes for the Brain Quest series of educational children's products, possesses a natural gift for writing that is ever present here. Her story is all the more poignant because she was largely separated from her father after her parents divorced when she was three. From her warm childhood recollections of her time with Welles's second wife, Rita Hayworth, to the story of her belated meeting with his devoted partner at the end of his life, Oja Kodar, Feder presents a fuller, more essential portrait of the man than has ever been published before. VERDICT This tender and elegant work is highly recommended to any admirer of Orson Welles. [See also "Editors' Fall Picks," p. 24.]—Peter Thornell, Hingham P.L., MA

Distinguished folklorist and blues scholar Ferris (senior associate director, Ctr. for the Study of the American South, Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) has crafted a captivating and diverse multimedia experience for fans and scholars of the blues and gospel music. Supplementing and expanding upon his 1978 book, Blues from the Delta, he here presents transcriptions of stories he captured via films and recording devices from the 1960s and 1970s of Mississippi blues practitioners, preachers, and Parchman Prison inmates. The enclosed CD and DVD bring the package together with stories, blues songs, and gospel recordings. B.B. King and Willie Dixon are the most famous artists included, but the stories of desperately poor sharecroppers and ex-inmates are just as engrossing. The comprehensive bibliography is a great resource. In addition to Ferris's books, libraries may want to consider Alan Lomax's classic The Land Where the Blues Began. VERDICT Ferris's new book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the blues or Southern history.—Todd Spires, Bradley Univ., Peoria, IL

Fletcher (Moon: The Life and Death of a Rock Legend), who has worked in the music industry as a producer, consultant, and DJ, here examines styles that were developed and evolved on the streets of New York City from 1927 to 1977, covering jazz, blues, Brill Building pop, doo-wop, folk, punk rock, hip-hop, and disco. Fletcher provides compelling and convincing evidence on why New York and its unique cultural mix were essential to all of these scenes. He studies in detail how music that developed on the streets became important commercial genres and examines the intersections of all the styles over the 50-year period he discusses. VERDICT This thoroughly researched, engaging, and perceptive book is aimed at all readers and doesn't duplicate anything that's already out there. Anyone with any interest in popular music in New York City will want to read it.—James E. Perone, Mount Union Coll., Alliance, OH

This first purely biographical treatment of the landmark jazz composer and pianist brings in a wealth of new material, much of it specifically intended to put paid to Monk's reputation as an enigmatic recluse. Historian Kelley (Race Rebels: Culture, Politics, and the Black Working Class) draws on new personal interviews and unprecedented access to private documents and recordings, filling in some gaps left in previous biographies. A wealth of historical context is richly studded with details of Monk's family background and the broader world in which he lived and worked. There is less musicological emphasis here, for which Gabriel Solis's Monk's Music provides a useful companion. There are still gaps, to be sure, but Kelley presents the clearest biographical picture yet of a man who was certainly a genius and may have been eccentric, but who was also both more complex and more a product of his times than those descriptors indicate. VERDICT Likely the most thorough possible illumination of the man behind the legend, this is recommended for academics, jazz aficionados, and Monk fans.—Genevieve Williams, Pacific Lutheran Univ. Lib., Tacoma, WA

Established poet Lehman investigates the lasting impact of 20th-century Jewish popular songwriters in America, ranging from Irving Berlin's and Jerome Kern's early efforts in the 1910s through George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, and Oscar Hammerstein II to Leonard Bernstein and the early 1960s. In fluid prose and expert foreshadowing and summations, the author conveys the personality of each musician or writer and recommends selected versions of his favorite songs. Historical sections about the plight of the Jews in Europe and a chronology help ground the descriptions in context and evoke the atmosphere of when the songs were first performed. It is hard to determine Lehman's audience as he careens from scholarly pages with footnotes to personal fantasies about meeting some of the long-gone figures to poetry excerpts, some his own and some by others. VERDICT This is likely to appeal to adventurous readers who find a straightforward approach mundane. For a more dispassionate treatment, readers should look to, e.g., Will Friedwald's Stardust Melodies, Philip Furia's America's Songs, or William Zinsser's Easy To Remember.—Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH

The connection between the movie and the viewer has grown more intimate than ever in recent years. No longer forced to leave the house to experience the great pleasures of the genre, viewers can now watch films—then watch them again and again—at their leisure. This collection of short stories, essays, and poetry compiled by Pera (Troublemaker) and Tupitsyn (Beauty Talk & Monsters) examines what it means to experience the world through the cinema. Starting by considering what kind of movies our lives are imitating, 25 authors, including Lynne Tillman, Wayne Koestenbaum, and Robert Gluck, show that movies have influenced the image of self and that what humans fear in movies reflects what humans fear in life. Exceedingly personal and usually provocative, the pieces included here represent our collective history with film. VERDICT Recommended for film studies students and scholars as well as adventurous and creative film buffs.—Pam Kingsbury, Univ. of North Alabama, Florence

Over 20 years ago, with encouragement and assistance from Papp, Turan (film critic, Los Angeles Times) interviewed over 160 people (more than 40 are no longer living) for this oral history of the New York Shakespeare Festival and the Public Theater. The project was nixed in the end by Papp but later revived with permission from his widow. Beyond an introduction and afterword, the book is made up entirely of interviews, each chapter a mixture of Papp's words and those of other well-known personalities who worked with him as he realized his passion for providing free public access to Shakespeare and modern plays. While sometimes highly critical of Papp's methods, those interviewed clearly respect the man and his achievements. This is reminiscent of Theodore Mann's Journeys in the Night: Creating a New American Theatre with Circle in the Square but more oral history than memoir. VERDICT Superb editing and mixing of interviews make each chapter seem as though one is simply eavesdropping on conversations, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Highly recommended. [See also "Editors' Fall Picks," p. 24.]—Laura A. Ewald, Greenville Coll. Lib., IL

Freedom is most often the terrain of philosophers and political theorists, but Ciprut (ed., The Future of Citizenship) collects essays that use music, psychology, and religion to provide background. Political theorists also appear to good effect: for example, Nancy Hirschmann (political science, Univ. of Pennsylvania; Gender, Class, & Freedom in Modern Political Theory) disposes of simplistic theses like Isaiah Berlin's positive and negative liberty. Surprising insights are revealed in other essays, e.g., Levi Haskelevich's (associate director, Lubavitch House, Univ. of Pennsylvania) account of liberation in Jewish liturgy and practice. There seems to be an unintentional bias in the book: Christianity and Judaism are frequently referred to in a favorable manner, but nine of 11 mentions in the index under "Muslims and Islam" are to al-Qaeda. Institutional freedom gets short shrift. Overall, the essays emphasize the necessary tension between freedom and order. VERDICT Despite a few flaws, this readable book offers something nearly everyone will enjoy and much that everyone needs to think about.—Leslie Armour, Dominican Univ. Coll., Ottawa, Ont.

Luper (philosophy, Trinity Univ.) takes on one of the most important topics in philosophy, death. What does it mean to die? Can one live on after death? To understand what death is, mustn't one also understand what it is to be alive? To try to deal with these and other pertinent questions in a philosophical way, Luper grounds his study on ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus's statement that death cannot harm us. The author considers this in two parts, on dying and on killing, which includes suicide, euthanasia, and abortion. He refers throughout to the relevant philosophical literature and does philosophy as it should be done, with extremely close argumentation that requires absolute attention to follow the points being made. There are helpful summaries for each chapter, but make no mistake, this is not a book for beginners in philosophy. VERDICT The subject will attract lay readers, who will be, for the most part, lost; however, this will be of most use in and is highly recommended for advanced academic library collections in philosophy.—Leon H. Brody, Falls Church, VA

The ten "rules" on which these two Long Island University philosophy professors briefly expound name friendship, self-mastery, responsibility, and other such ethical/behavioral codes. Not only is the book brief, but the treatment of any one concept falls somewhere south of minimalist. Yes, the classical philosophical roots are here, and, sure enough, Solon warned, "Nothing in excess," but that epigraph is the sum total of his contribution to the chapter "Avoid Excess." Each rule comes with a "Meditation Grid" offering about five truisms. The trappings of two-line examples, meditation snippets, and the three or so paragraphs that weave these two together in each chapter might satisfy only the reader who has never heard of—or realized from experience—such concepts as "kindness toward others tends to be rewarded." Since the fictitious example characters are apparently leading relatively complex lives, the appropriate reader might not identify with them. VERDICT The overall effect of the whole is frustrating, as there is little to consider except for the ten rules. Not recommended.—Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax P.L., N.S.

Described on the back cover as "a work of changing equivalents," Cincinnati Review editor Bogen's fourth poetry collection attempts, as the title suggests, to explore "the properties and relationships of abstract entities…manipulated in symbolic form." "Wanted to run, always somewhere new…// at places to turn back, kept going," the first poem announces. The poems that follow read like interior monologs harnessed to ordinary questions of everyday loss: "Who will drive the car/ to the hospital/ after the cancer has metastasized?" We enter a life we all know—the sick child, the room befogged by vaporizers and fear. There are both sequences and individual poems, playful forms like the bagatelle and the barcarole, explored equivalencies like those between the sea god Proteus and a bacterium with the same name. VERDICT Bogen's language is discursive in every sense of the word, for better and worse. One wishes that some of the poems had turned back and taken a longer look at themselves; they feel too much like "a ghost [that] pretends to be alive." At his best, Bogen provides a multilayered lyric adventure for anyone interested in the directions of contemporary poetry.—Susan Kelly-DeWitt, Sacramento City Coll., Univ. of California, Davis

Winner of the 2008 National Poetry Series mtvU Prize, which is presented to a college student, Naca writes in three languages (American English, Tagalog, and Spanish), using these modalities to explicate the narrator's becoming within three disparate cultures. In "Uses for Spanish in Pittsburgh," the narrator's father says, "Spanish means there's another person inside you." It is this woman —daughter, sister, child, adult and lover—whom Naca tries to reconcile through verse. Many of the poems pay homage to litany, to delicately crafted and strongly imagistic lists. In one long series, Naca muses on the word house: "House is a five-letter word. It is pronounced /aus/, aus/, or, /auz/." Then she wonders: "What have you done with my 'h'?" In another about a woman removing a pair of gloves, the gloves appear "natural and improbable/ as found sculpture." Often wondering, sometimes wise, Naca is no stranger to the wit inherent in her discoveries. VERDICT Highly recommended for anyone interested in contemporary poetry or multicultural studies and especially those interested in exploring the ways that language creates us.—Karla Huston, Appleton Arts Ctr., WI

Stretching back to the pre-Columbian era, this bilingual anthology presents in chronological order by birth date over 125 poets from throughout Latin America. Editors Vicuna, a poet and editor, and Livon-Grosman (Hispanic studies, Boston Coll.) sacrifice comprehensiveness for content: many poets who are not household names are included at the expense of fewer poems by heavyweights like Borges, Neruda, and Paz. Modern poets are emphasized over older ones, but women and indigenous poets are heavily represented. Each entry is prefaced with a brief biographical sketch and a list of major works; unfortunately, the poems do not indicate provenance. Many poems appear in English here for the first time; some of the translations were commissioned specifically for this work, but some other translators (e.g., Samuel Beckett, Elizabeth Bishop, and Allen Ginsberg ) are famous in their own right. The English translation is printed in verse, but the original is displayed oddly in run-on prose lines, with verses separated by slashes. Two introductions, one by each editor, present an overview of mestizo poetics and a general historical overview. VERDICT The most comprehensive, representative, and up-to-date survey in English of Latin American poetry, bar none.—Lawrence Olszewski, OCLC Lib., Dublin, OH

By most accounts Shinder—who died from cancer at 52 last year—led active social and professional lives. A community organizer among poets, he edited numerous anthologies and founded the YMCA's National Writer's Voice program. But like the two volumes of poetry that preceded it, this third, posthumous collection, edited by his friends, gives voice to "The whipped soul, the whacked and wounded self," a persona embalmed in a loneliness so impenetrable and hopeless that the conditions of life and death seem interchangeable. He speaks of "The strange sickness of being alive" and tells himself, "Maybe you inhabit a death." Interspersed with poems about his dying mother, Shinder's meditations on his own dire circumstances are largely devoid of image and figuration, soft-spoken and somber if not entirely humorless ("The cancer saved me from having to go/ to another book party") and suggest a grim, almost relieved acquiescence to the inevitable. VERDICT Though confessional in tone, these poems are never harrowing, their aspirations to intimacy undercut by an all-too-passive fatalism. For poetry insiders.—Fred Muratori, Cornell Univ. Lib., Ithaca, NY

Bitel (history, religion & gender studies, Univ. of Southern California) carefully studies the archival and material record to develop a persuasive account of the roles of two legendary and historical women of the fifth and sixth centuries in the transformation of Europe from pagan to Christian. The monumental extent of their impact is expressed not only in Bitel's architectural metaphors, but also in the actual churches and cities whose building these women inspired. The physical artifacts and ruins reveal a slow process of Christianization as converts adopted the new religion, participating in their own conversion by building Christian churches and cities. In a period of severe restrictions upon women's religious activity, these women traveled widely, inspired the financing and building of religious structures, increasing the spread of Christianity and of Rome's religious influence into Gaul and Ireland, a miraculous achievement. VERDICT Recommended for feminists, church historians, architects, archaeologists, and those interested in a well-written, accessible account of the activities of two remarkable women.—Carolyn M. Craft, emerita, Longwood Univ., Farmville, VA

Gordon (Mistress Bradstreet) offers a unique look at the Old Testament relationships between and among Abraham; his wife, Sarah; and his mistress, Hagar. Gordon approaches the biblical text as a literary study as opposed to a literal divine revelation. With no theological ax to grind, she draws upon the work of theologians, scholars, archaeologists, and historians to unpack a widely misunderstood and misinterpreted saga. Most interesting is her focus on the exiled, shamed, and shadowed Hagar, whom Gordon elevates to a mystic and prophet. Gordon ultimately shows that these biblical characters are complex and multilayered; they behave, in short, like human beings who wrestle with foibles, passions, and jealousies. Most important, the story speaks to the 21st century and its marital ambivalence, dysfunctional family systems, pervasive divorce, as well as to 9/11, the so-called "Axis of Evil," and West Bank unrest. The author's vision is that the retelling of this ancient tale might awaken the world to redemption. The sons of Hagar and Sarah, after all, came together in peace at their father Abraham's funeral. General readers with even a casual interest in religion and its impact on history, as well as on current events, will appreciate the lens through which the author peers.—C. Brian Smith, Arlington Heights Memorial Lib., IL

Hakuin, an early 18th-century patriarch of Japanese Zen Buddhism, is credited with reviving the Rinzai (koan) school of Zen Buddhism. To the benefit of generations of seekers, he was rare among Zen teachers in divulging in print the ups and downs encountered along his personal path. In this collection, respected translator Waddell (Zen Words for the Heart: Hakuin's Commentary on the Heart Sutra) presents very readable and accessible versions of five of the master's works, including the best known and most read, "Idle Talk on a Night Boat." Several focus on his personal journey to enlightenment and his central teaching that post-enlightenment work is crucial to development. In the sixth contribution, "The Chronological Biography of Zen Master Hakuin by Torei Enji," one of Hakuin's students covers the second half of the teacher's life, a career left largely untouched otherwise. Brief essays introduce each translation and place each within the context of Hakuin's opus. Hakuin's early life and his enlightenment experiences are also covered in another Waddell translation of Hakuin: Wild Ivy: The Spiritual Autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin. VERDICT Highly recommended along with Wild Ivy for seekers wishing to tap the original teachings of the greatest masters.—James R. Kuhlman, Univ. of North Carolina at Asheville Lib.

In this truly remarkable work, from both scholarly and practical perspectives, Mitchell (theology, Univ. of Notre Dame; Real Presence: The Work of Eucarist) clearly articulates the central role of a unique devotion in the life of the Roman Catholic Church. The rosary was first introduced between the 14th and 15th centuries and has remained virtually unchanged, through enormous changes in ecclesial and world cultures. It has steadfastly retained its dominant place as a favorite form of Christian imaginative prayer, surviving such turbulent times as the Reformation, the Council of Trent, and even Vatican II. Mitchell explores how this adaptable and innovative prayer form is accessible to great theologians and the illiterate, both seeking to more fully identify themselves in the divine life of Jesus and Mary. In providing a solid historical foundation, Mitchell also shows how art, liturgy, and ritual have influenced and been influenced by this prayer over the past five centuries. VERDICT Well written, with extensive notes and a helpful index, this should be read by students of Christian theology and the history of Catholic devotion.—John-Leonard Berg, Univ. of Wisconsin-Platteville Lib.

Many high-quality books have been written on Jonathan Edwards, and one wonders if there is need for another. However, Sweeney (director, Carl F.H. Henry Ctr. for Theological Understanding, Trinity Evangelical Divinity Sch.; The American Evangelical Story) focuses on a particular subject that has not received much attention. As he writes in the preface, he considers Edwards "a model of Christian faith, thought, and ministry"; thus, his target audience is Christian ministers, students, and others who wish to learn about this central figure in Evangelical history. Sweeney devotes most of the book to a consideration of Edwards's life and work, but he also includes a couple of chapters on his biblical and theological thought. He concludes by discussing the ongoing legacy of Edwards and what the reader can learn from him. Writing in clear and nontechnical language, Sweeney makes the story of Edwards's life an engrossing one. VERDICT Ministers and students might well find this a helpful book. However, for the larger community of readers, this slim volume will not seem a satisfactory treatment of Jonathan Edwards.—John Jaeger, Dallas Baptist Univ. Lib., TX

James may be the best basketball player in the world right now; he's definitely one of the most popular. And Bissinger's Friday Night Lights became a national sensation, spawning a movie and a successful television series. They should make for a powerful combination as they present the story of James's amazing Akron, OH, high school basketball team, which won multiple state titles and a national championship. Many readers will be interested to know the details surrounding his suspension during his senior year for accepting free "throw-back" jerseys from a local sports dealer and his mother's controversial purchase of a $50,000 Hummer. Unlike Friday Night Lights, few details of the lives of either James himself or his best friends/teammates, the "Fab Five," are given. VERDICT People will want to read this because of James's star power and the controversies he addresses. Both fans of James and of books on high school sports will find the story of the games, the players, and the coaches engaging, but they may be disappointed with matter-of-fact game descriptions that fail to build much excitement.—Todd Spires, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, IL