Arts & Humanities

American philanthropist Norton Simon (1907–93) spent more than 30 years acquiring the best available paintings and sculptures. As a result, the museum that bears his name in Pasadena, CA, holds 100-plus works by Edgar Degas. This collections catalog is made up of three lengthy essays by noted scholars and curators like Campbell of the Norton Simon Museum about Simon's evolving taste and sophistication, which Degas he acquired and what he thought about them, and the many Degas bronze modèle sculptures of horses, ballerinas, and figures that encompass a large and important part of the museum collection. Fully illustrated with many reproductions and photographs, the book also provides a bird's-eye view of the workings of the art world between dealers and collectors. There is a concordance to John Rewald's catalog raisonné of Degas sculpture and a list of Simon's Degas purchases in date order that may aid researchers in the future. VERDICT A thorough record of the Degas holdings at the Norton Simon Museum, especially useful to specialists and art history students; an essential acquisition for museum and academic libraries.—Ellen Bates, New York

At three feet wide, this ten-pounder of a book requires a sturdy coffee table. Appropriate background music (e.g., "Little Sisters of the Grassland," "The East Is Red," "The Yellow River Cantata") and a group of kibitzers with suitable libations will also enrich the experience of viewing the 238 stunning color images of China by Ming Tan collected here. This volume's agenda is to show the natural and built environment of that country in the most grandiose and spectacular way. There is a direct link in the artistic vision between Chinese landscape painting and these large-format digital pictures. If you thought those vertical mountains swirled with mist were artistic distortions, check out the real photos. By combining sumptuous classical landscapes, opulent interiors of temples and palaces, and dense cityscapes, editor Guang Guo (general manager, CYPI Pr.) and presumably the official cultural establishment mean to impress the rest of the world with China's natural magnificence and central place in world history. The political agenda also mandates inclusion of Tibet and Taiwan as integral parts of China. The one thing that seems strange is that this is China without the Chinese people—only a tiny minority of photos have discernible humans. VERDICT Quibbles aside, these truly beautiful images (there are only 83 paragraphs of text) present the best sights of one of the world's most amazing countries. Travelers, nature gazers, and dreamers will love this book.—David McClelland, Philadelphia

Award-winning graphic designer and illustrator Chwast with Heller (coauthors, Graphic Style: From Victorian to Digital; Illustration: A Visual History) and Chwast's wife, Scher, compile some of Chwast's thousands of commissions, pages from the publications The Push Pin Graphic and The Nose, and never-before-published personal works, paintings, and sculptures spanning the artist's oeuvre. Perhaps not as well known today, Chwast led a major upheaval in American illustration and graphic design during the late 1950s and early 1960s, initiating a shift from sentimental realism to comic expressionism. Having created illustrations for Time, the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker, Chwast also produced designs for books, advertisements, animated films, packaging, and album covers. Including an introduction by Heller, a personal essay by Scher, and a self-interview by the artist, this survey consists primarily of 270 color reproductions of Chwast's work, arranged by subject, e.g., cars, semihuman beings, celebrities, the Brylcreem Man, monkeys, diagrams, food, fashion, war, and interiors. VERDICT Nicely illustrated, with sufficient captions and a back-of-the-book list of featured works, this is highly recommended for fans, collectors, popular culture aficionados, students, and other art professionals.—Cheryl Ann Lajos, Free Lib. of Philadelphia

The angular jewelry Jean Després designed in the 1930s based on the intricate forms of engine parts revolutionized the public perception of precious jewelry. Striking out against tradition, he worked with pewter, silver, and brass to evoke the speed and vitality of the 20th century, using his World War I experience drawing engine parts for the French army. Although this book, published to accompany an exhibition that will travel to Paris and New York, emphasizes his machine-inspired designs, he fabricated a wide range of wearable jewelry and a line of hand-formed silver vessels similar to those produced by Viennese designers. Gabardi (Art Deco Jewellery, 1920–1949) presents a readable narrative text with extensive references to Després's collaborators, friends, and artistic influences. The 234 high-quality color illustrations are interspersed with another 100 black-and-white images of Després in his studio and some of the original images from catalogs and exhibitions. There are also extensive illustrations of his preliminary sketches. VERDICT This will be appealing to artists and collectors equally for the visual material, while the text will be valuable for historians of art and design.—David McClelland, Philadelphia

Grabar (Islamic art & architecture, emeritus, Inst. for Advanced Study; The Dome of the Rock) has here chosen 100 illuminated manuscripts for their beauty and for their reflection of Islamic culture. In his introduction, he places them into temporal, geographical, cultural, and religious contexts and explains why certain eras produced figural imagery and others did not. Each featured manuscript is accompanied by a full page, full-color illustration and a short textual description; the majority date from 16th-century Iran. This well-illustrated overview (with 200 color images) includes a minimal amount of text; the full-page images in this large-format book are truly striking. With a table of illustrations, an index that also provides definitions of some of the indexed terms, and a short bibliography. VERDICT This is a good choice for high school-aged readers and up who are interested in illustrated manuscripts from the Middle East.—Nancy J. Mactague, Aurora Univ. Lib., IL

Green (history of art, emeritus, Courtauld Inst. of Art; Picasso: Architecture and Vertigo), a distinguished authority on early 20th-century French avant-garde art, offers what he intends to be a fresh approach to the work of arguably the most intensely scrutinized artist of the last century. The text, written for the catalog of a 2009 exhibition that Green curated at Barcelona's Museo Picasso (copublishers of this volume), concentrates on cubist works created before 1933 in southern France. Societal and political forces as they influenced the aesthetic life of the times figured in Green's previous critiques of the avant-garde; here, instead, dualities of light/dark, life/death, rhythm/stasis, and other juxtapositions are seen as key factors in the ever-evolving play of forms in the paintings and drawings from early cubism up to a perhaps unintended shift toward surrealism. The book also features 133 high-quality illustrations. VERDICT Advanced scholars and art historians may find in Green's dialectical reasoning a new direction from which to appreciate Picasso's early works.—David Soltész, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH

Irving Penn (1917-) is best known as a Vogue fashion photographer who creates a sense of drama in his pictures with a masterly use of natural lighting. Many books have covered Penn's phases of portraiture, fashion, and still-life photography; however, this exhibition catalog by Heckert and Lacoste, an associate curator and an assistant curator, respectively, at the J. Paul Getty Museum, is the first to focus on his "small trades" series from 1950 and 1951. These portraits of common workers like chimney sweeps, window washers, policemen, and riveters in New York, London, and Paris are all black-and-white, full-body portraits that may be viewed at the Getty through January 10, 2010. The authors contextualize the images via a discussion of Penn's career and his work on the small trades project. An interview with author and former French Vogue editor Edmonde Charles-Roux recounts her talks with Penn about the project at the time it was completed. VERDICT The book's major strengths are the full-page presentation of the photos and the complete catalog at the end. Photographers and students of photography and art history will appreciate the most.—Eric Linderman, Euclid P.L., OH

This exhibition catalog for a show traveling now through January 2011 showcases color photographs of intricate and lively mythological scenes on vase paintings dating from over 2000 years ago. Also included are bronze and marble statues and reliefs that portray individual heroes, who are illustrated in a smaller format on coins and gems. These beautiful objects were culled from various collections in America and Europe, including the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Editor Albersmeier (associate curator, ancient art, Walters Art Museum) and eight other university and museum specialists contributed to the 106 catalog entries, and another ten experts wrote supplemental essays that make up over half the book. While all kinds of "heroes" in ancient Greek culture are discussed (including children who died young), an emphasis is placed on Herakles, Achilles, Odysseus, and Helen (who, though most known for her role in the Trojan War, was also a daughter of Zeus). VERDICT While a two-page glossary of terms is included, one for the multitude of people's names really would have helped readers unfamiliar with the complex events and personages mentioned in these very scholarly essays. Best for those desiring to immerse themselves in the classical world.—Anne Marie Lane, Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie

Landrus's The Treasures of Leonardo da Vinci is a dynamic and creative look at the life and work of the great Renaissance artist; this new book features virtually the same text, bibliography, and list of recommended web sites. There are some differences in the illustrations and only 15 rather than 30 replications of Leonardo memorabilia (e.g., maps, city plans, engineering and anatomical drawings). But the major difference is in the book's layout and design: the memorabilia are now inserted in groups in glassine envelopes bound with the pages, and the book is taller and rectangular and has a lower price. Leonardo has always been regarded as one of the great artists of all time, and The Da Vinci Code has rekindled popular interest. VERDICT While there is nothing terribly new or earth-shaking in Landrus's text, the presentation will appeal to general readers, young people, and students and give them the feeling of discovering the artist for themselves, although libraries may dread keeping track of the inserts. Highly recommended.—Marcia Welsh, Dartmouth Coll. Libs., Hanover, NH

Ireland's recent economic surge has launched social change, immigration, and a building boom. American-born Lappin (architecture, Queens Univ., Belfast, Northern Ireland) has produced a survey of recent work by 16 Irish firms. After introducing issues of national identity and urban development, the author briefly profiles each practice and describes a few buildings illustrated with plans, sections, and color photographs. The survey includes houses, schools, office buildings, libraries, and community centers throughout the island and overseas. The standout partnership is heneghan.peng.architects, which has won major international competitions, but the author shows respect for local and regional practices. Unfortunately, readers will be constantly flipping pages, as most graphics are not with the descriptions. Some of the photographs lack detail because they are so dark. Captions are minimal, and text-page margins are inadequate. VERDICT A fine concept and engrossing content let down by substandard publishing; mainly of interest to architects and design students.—David R. Conn, Surrey P.L., B.C.

Over 1000 eye-popping photos combine with clear, nontechnical explanations of design basics and sketches of individual designers to convey Miller's enthusiasm for modern design. Beginning with the birth of modernism, sections cover significant developments and high points of the craft movement, art deco, midcentury modernism, postmodernism, and contemporary periods. Works from approximately 300 major artists, designers, and manufacturers in ceramics, textiles, carpets, table- and metalware, lighting, posters, plastics, and, in particular, furniture and glass are featured. Page openings generally treat one or two topics and achieve maximum effect with texts, captions, and detail notes carefully surrounding the photos. VERDICT Written specifically for collectors (it includes tips, price codes, and a short glossary of marks), this solid addition to Miller's popular antiques and collectibles series of guidebooks (e.g., Miller's Antiques Price Guide) will also appeal to readers interested in an overview of 20th-century design history, principles, artists, and objects.—Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL

Whether architecture critics or practitioners themselves acknowledge the persistence of modernism, that hallmark of the movement, the curtain wall, with its diaphanous lightness and advanced technology, persists, and this book provides ample evidence of that. Three sections trace the history and current state of curtain wall design worldwide: history, technique, and case studies. Further divided into four chapters, the history begins with a rather standard view of technological developments in late 19th-century Chicago (expressing particular fondness for the 1895 Reliance Building), with the regrettable omission of Gerald Larsen's original and important observations on the 1886 Home Insurance Company Building. Performance and technique are presented clearly with concise language and fine illustrations. The case studies are the real highlight, however, effectively selected to illustrate the remarkable breadth of results possible within one technological constraint. Each case study is described with precision, stunningly photographed, and well documented with floor plans and wall sections. VERDICT This book will serve as an essential supplement to Konrad Gatz's seminal Curtain Wall Construction (Praeger, 1965) and Herman Sands's Wall Systems: Analysis by Detail (McGraw-Hill, 1986). It would serve as an essential text in any course on 21st-century architectural developments and will be welcome and heavily consulted by all architecture school students.—Paul Glassman, Felician Coll., Lodi, NJ

This is one contemporary artist's take on the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (the dead Egyptians' guide to an exultant afterlife). Through a combination of whimsical axioms like "The sun needs our eye to shine" and earthy images of everything from penises to plants, Phillips, a painter and scholar who has exhibited internationally and taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Chicago, contemplates his own human experience, giving special attention to his sexuality. Scholars Hawass (secretary-general, Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt) and Doniger (history of religions, Univ. of Chicago; The Hindus: An Alternative History) mostly discuss ancient Egyptian, Hindu, and Buddhist funerary texts and Phillips's artwork in relation to them. VERDICT While Phillips's unrefined watercolors on papyrus could be regarded by some as coarse or naive, others may find this a curious and therefore intriguing book.—Jennifer Pollock, Coll. of DAAP Lib., Univ. of Cincinnati

Author/photographer Koch, founder and CEO of Forma, the International Center of Photography in Milan, has compiled a significant collection of images from well-known masters and contemporary photographers from around the world in a portfolio binding. Arranged according to 12 themes—reportage, war, portraits, nudes, women, fashion, art, travel, cities, still life, sports, and nature—his work features 250 photographs by 210 photographers, including Ansel Adams, Bruce Davidson, Richard Avedon, and Herb Ritts. Each image is beautifully reproduced and paired with an intriguing commentary and brief biography of the photographer. The collection is distinctive owing to the number and variety of photographers and images featured, as well as for the insightful observations that tell the story behind the images. VERDICT The book itself resembles a box with a portfolio binding that suggests a box of photographs readers will want to open again and again. Essential for all photographers, professional and amateur alike, and all who love photography.—Lisa Block, Atlanta

Leading Sri Lankan architect Anjalendran (1951-) has practiced for over 30 years in his homeland, the large island off the southeast coast of India formerly called Ceylon. He also served for many years as an assistant and friend of the greatest Sri Lankan architect of the 20th century, Geoffrey Bawa, who died in 2003. Robson, an authority on Sri Lankan modern design (Bawa: The Complete Works), presents an overview of his work: mainly houses, villas, offices, and a large children's school. He combines poetic local and historical traditions with industrialized modern design: a combination of international bungalow style with the more imaginary style of the great French modern architect Le Corbusier. VERDICT Robson offers a well-written study and a beautifully photographed survey aimed at designers, architects, and students of both.—Peter S. Kaufman, Ph.D., Boston Architectural Coll.

Obviously conceived before the early 2009 threatened closure of the museum and dispersal of the 7000-item collection, this is a selection of the choicest works from the Rose Art Museum. Director Rush contributes a brief, informative survey of how the collections were built in a university environment, frequently directly from artists or by curators working with donors for the museum. Six scholars provide mini-essays on areas of strength (American modernism, social realism and surrealism, postwar American art and abstract expressionism, pop and minimalism, photography and photorealism, and contemporary art). Commentaries on the almost 200 individual works reproduced are frequently by alumni, a nice way of showing the impact of a university museum collection. Although this book does not address the threat to the collection, and the outcome remains uncertain, the intrinsic quality of the works discussed and the documentary significance of this overview speak quite poignantly about the value of an art museum in a university setting. VERDICT Recommended for its collection of works of enduring value and timely topical interest.—Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Libs.

Through its size and luxuriant photographs by Hasselblad Laureate Award winner Singer, this publication exalts the beauty and intricacy of plant life in a way unmatched in generations. Singer's ambitious project is a fulfillment of a desire to carry on the centuries-old tradition of botanical illustration while compelling increased awareness of habitat destruction—in his words "to provide the art that will help the science understand the urgency to conserve the world's biodiversity." Each of the over 250 digital images depicts a single species centered over a coal-black ground. The eye focuses on the plant, its unique character precisely accentuated. The photos are composed with such care, the colors so rich, that it is easy to forget that these are not animate beings imbued with real personalities. Singer organizes the images into five thematic sections in which dozens of plants are carefully arranged with brief technical descriptions by Kress (National Museum of Natural History at Smithsonian Inst. Libs.) and Hachadourian (New York Botanical Garden) appended. VERDICT As rare and sublime as the marvels surveyed within its broad covers, Singer has produced a work to rest alongside some of the great botanical codexes in history, one for connoisseurs of the still-life, natural phenomena, and the photographic art.—Douglas F. Smith, Berkeley P.L., CA

Much like a 19th-century itinerant photographer, Sternbach, who also teaches at New York's International Center for Photography, carries her camera and darkroom to the beach to make tintype portraits of surfers. The unpredictable nature of the antique photographic process—streaks, flaws, vignetting—echoes the rugged terrain of the rocky beaches where her subjects are posed. Sternbach's high-contrast tintypes have a sun-bleached quality that complements her subjects; her approach offers a compelling alternative to the ubiquitous digital image. Including a foreword by Phillip Prodger, curator of the accompanying exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, and published by the nonprofit organization promoting emerging and midcareer photographers, Photolucida, this book contains more than 50 one-of-a-kind images of surfers, including couples, children, and entire families, all with their surfboards. VERDICT Recommended for undergraduates in photography and photo history as well as surfing enthusiasts.—Shauna Frischkorn, Millersville Univ., PA

Published to accompany the first major Ensor exhibition in the United States in nearly a decade, this catalog by Swinbourne (assistant curator, dept. of painting & sculpture, MoMA) deals with a particularly productive period in the artist's life, 1880 to the mid-1890s, a time of transition from dark realism and impressionistic studies to brilliantly colored visionary art. During this decade, Ensor began to focus more and more on his drawings, many of which he referred to as "visions" or light studies; the next step was the production of etchings, in his view the media that would allow his work to survive far longer than painting or drawing. Although landscape and light continued to intrigue him, his fascination with masks and satire, the grotesque and the bizarre, became intense during this period, and many of the works in the exhibition deal with this theme. VERDICT Although interesting points are made, the featured essays tend to be turgid and repetitive. Still, this stands as a contribution to the literature because of its comprehensiveness and the opportunity to view many of the lesser-known works.—Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York

Tadgell continues his "Architecture in Context" series with a fine fourth addition concerning architecture in the Western tradition during the time between the start of Christendom and the Reformation and its spread from Spain to Russia, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. Like the previous volumes, this one is the result of the author's traveling the world and photographing the structural spaces he learned to know intimately from 30 years of teaching. Tadgell's images emphasize the space and grandeur of the buildings perfectly. Just the right angles illustrate what the building space is meant to be about. Many of the photos of churches, for example, truly create the feeling of entering the kingdom of God, by catching the sanctuary in just the right light or shooting up into the domes to highlight the space toward heaven. Tadgell's intimate knowledge of the topic is also reflected in his gift for parsing one sentence together, which captures subtlety and historic scope others would need paragraphs or chapters to put across. VERDICT A labor of love so arresting both architecture aficionados and scholarly art historians will seek out the other entries in the series (Islam: From Medina to Magreb and from the Indies to Istanbul, The East: Buddhists, Hindus, and the Sons of Heaven, and Antiquity: Origins, Classicism, and the New Rome).—Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH

Surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp demonstrated his belief that "things of great importance in art have to be slowly produced" by taking 20 years to create Étant donnés, his final, large artwork. The room-sized installation, featuring a nude female mannequin with prominent genitalia posed on a bed of twigs in front of a hyperreal landscape, including a twinkling waterfall, was installed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art just after his 1968 death. Museumgoers view the piece through two peepholes in a weathered wooden door. In this exhaustively detailed volume, published in connection with a Philadelphia exhibit based on Étant donnés, Taylor (curator of modern art, Philadelphia Museum of Art) covers the piece's creation, other Duchamp pieces associated with it, the love affair that inspired it, technical analyses of its materials and their assembly, its donation to the museum, its popular and critical reception, and its influence on other artists. VERDICT An exhaustive treatment of a single artwork that only scholars or the most avid Duchamp fans will read completely. Profuse illustrations and Duchamp's name will also attract more casual browsers.—Kathryn Wekselman, MLn, Cincinnati

As an embedded war photojournalist, van Agtmael spent two years (2006–08) in Afghanistan and Iraq. The images from that period, amassed in his first published collection, express a profoundly complex array of contradictions: ordinary life and violence; American soldiers and insurgents; beauty and devastation. Van Agtmael's comments, which accompany the photographs, are particularly compelling, offering distinctive insights about the circumstances behind these powerful images. His title derives from a soldier's graffiti in one of the photographs. VERDICT Already a member of Magnum Photos, van Agtmael is clearly an important emerging artist. His debut is recommended in particular for photojournalism undergraduates.—Shauna Frischkorn, Millersville Univ., PA

A professional fashion and celebrity photographer, Watts is widely known for shooting ad campaigns for such companies as Nike and Sony. His second collection (after the successful Big Up) takes an intense look at pop and urban culture via images of hip-hop artists, graffiti, supermodels, boom boxes, musicians, and celebrities. The subjects range from the Black Eyed Peas to Bruce Springsteen, from Heath Ledger to Mary J. Blige—many of whom are posed as boxers with their fists aimed at the camera. Watts presents his images as a scrapbook, a collage approach that includes Polaroids, graffiti, scotch tape, markers, and crayons. VERDICT The effect is a sort of mashup with an authorial voice that harkens back to Big Up. Students of fashion photography and graphic design will devour it whole.—Shauna Frischkorn, Millersville Univ., PA

Wert (Kansas City Art Inst.) has here collected an impressive selection of posters from Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The images are particularly notable because they are not official campaign posters but a form of outsider art, the work of a wide range of artists all of whom were inspired to work independently to promote the candidacy of Obama. Beginning with Ray Noland in Chicago (who provides a foreword), the book goes on to present the work of anonymous artists as well as that of well-known figures like Robert Indiana. We see Obama rendered as Lincoln, Superman, a pothead, a basketball hero, a boxer, a wrestler, and an Everyman depicted humorously, with dignity, with nobility, and as the neighbor down the street. It is hard to think of a graphic style that isn't represented. A succinct epilog with a historical view of graphics from past political campaigns helps put the phenomenon in perspective. VERDICT More than a novelty, this enjoyable chronicle of a unique moment in America's national history will remain a useful document for generations. For anyone interested in graphic arts, poster art, and political history.—Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY

Alexander, a professional writer who has been published in Granta, The New Yorker, and National Geographic, holds a Ph.D. in classics from Columbia University. Her new book explores her deep fascination with Homer's Iliad. Essentially, she offers an extended discussion of the plot, elaborating and contextualizing it by reference to extant fragments from other epics and other ancient texts and archaeological and historical evidence. She also relates the resonances of The Iliad in the modern world, from Muhammad Ali's refusal to serve in the Vietnam War to the account of an American war widow responding to the death of her husband in Iraq. VERDICT Alexander's book is vigorous and deeply learned yet unpedantic. Highly recommended to general readers interested in a full appreciation of the power and the enduring relevance of The Iliad.—T.L. Cooksey, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ., Savannah, GA

Baron (English & linguistics, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) explores how writers use technology to accomplish their work, historically and personally, highlighting clay tablets, parchment, paper, pencil, typewriter, and computer. Along the way, he provides humor-infused portraits, such as of Henry David Thoreau's role in producing the pencil and Dan Rather's fall owing to unverifiable documents about George W. Bush. Baron reminds readers of the clunky beginnings of word processors, complete with screenshots, and describes his experiments with students writing on clay tablets. He consistently relates his own journey to writing exclusively with computers as well as the views of fellow scholars and students. The anecdotes put human faces amid scholarly discussion. Baron culminates his survey by considering the new types of writing recently popularized on blogs, social networking web sites, and wikis. VERDICT In providing analyses of censorship, privacy, and the transformed relationship between reader and writer, Baron presents a well-researched, original sketch of how technology and literacy meet. Recommended for academics and serious language lovers.—Marianne Orme, Des Plaines P.L., IL

Four separate, previously published sources make up this intimate portrait of poet Dante: Leonardo Bruni's Life of Dante, extracts from Giovanni Villani's Florentine Chronicles and Filippo Villani's Life of Dante, and documents from a manuscript by Boccaccio (best known for his Decameron). Readers learn via Boccaccio about Dante's unique character and life, from his torments of passionate love and involvement in politics to scholastic enthusiasm and military experience. The poet's banishment from Florence owing to the Guelph's loss of power and his subsequent exile to Ravenna are also recounted with a delicate charm by Boccaccio. While Dante wrote in the vernacular, and not Latin, Bruni claims that Dante's vernacular writing was superior to any other Italian who wrote in the vernacular. Also included is a biography of Boccaccio, 48 years Dante's junior. VERDICT Best suited to scholars of medieval literature and to graduate students studying medieval literature, especially The Divine Comedy.—Bob T. Ivey, Univ. of Memphis

Novelist and biographer Ackroyd (London: The Biography) offers a modern English prose "retelling" of The Canterbury Tales designed "to facilitate the experience of the poem." After an informative overview of Chaucer's life and the elements that "conspired to render Chaucer the most representative, as well as the most authoritative, poet of his time," he begins with the general prolog to the Tales and concludes with Chaucer's retractions. The body of the work is made up of 23 tales, starting with The Knight's Tale and ending with The Parson's Prologue. VERDICT Ackroyd's prose is not elegant: the sentences are generally short, with few transitional phrases to link these sentences to form a unified composition. Some of the language does not accurately reflect the flavor of Chaucer's original words. Fans of Ackroyd's previous works may appreciate this effort; other readers may prefer the classic modern English verse translation of Geoffrey Chaucer's great poem by Nevill Coghill.—Kathryn R. Bartelt, Univ. of Evansville Libs., IN

Dudgeon (The Woman of Substance: The Secret Life That Inspired the Renowned Storyteller Barbara Taylor Bradford) explores the relationship between J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, and the Du Maurier family. Dudgeon has extensively researched the literary work of George and Daphne Du Maurier and Barrie to draw parallels between their works and their real lives; he also uses archival material such as letters and third-party accounts. Dudgeon argues that Barrie had a close relationship with the Du Maurier boys, and he drew on this relationship in the creation of Peter Pan. Dudgeon also portrays Barrie as a dark and troubled man who may have used hypnotism to gain an obsessive control over the Du Maurier boys and their mother. He goes on to look at Barrie's link to the tragic demise of the boys, from the drowning of Michael to the suicide of Peter. VERDICT Given its detail and extensive reference to the literary works of Barrie and the Du Mauriers, this will appeal most to those with a specific interest in these authors.—Rebecca Bollen Manalac, Sydney, Australia

Greenberg, a native New Yorker and author of the well-received Hurry Down Sunshine, collects 45 short essays that originally appeared in the Times Literary Supplement. Greenberg's editor gave him simple instructions: for each piece, spill a drop of blood, give it a sense of urgency, and do not exceed 1200 words. Greenberg skillfully meets his editor's requirements and seems to have carefully and artfully selected words and constructed sentences for maximum impact, much like a haiku, to which he likened his strict parameters. His narratives, which mostly take place in New York City, include an entertaining cast of characters and span from his youth in the 1970s through marriage and raising his own children to the near present day, with the underlying theme of a writer eking out a living by any means possible and, in turn, living a full life. VERDICT Each piece is about four pages long, which makes this a quick and easy read, especially for subway or bus commuters; recommended for readers who enjoy memoirs and essays.—Mark Alan Williams, Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Australian novelist Jose (chair, Australian studies, Harvard Univ.; The Custodians), with a team of editors, has collated this impressive anthology of Australian literature, which covers a broad range of genres from songs, speeches, and diaries to fiction, letters, and drama. Introduced chronologically by date of birth, each author's life and work is briefly synopsized, which will whet the appetite of readers new to Australian writing and provide a broad understanding of the major events and literary movements in Australian history. The book begins with European settlement and contact with the indigenous population, moves through colonial and frontier experiences, and takes the reader right up to a portrait of contemporary urban life. Authors range from a First Fleet surgeon to world-renowned writers like Patrick White to comedians and contemporary voices such as singer and writer Nick Cave. Aboriginal writers are also represented throughout. VERDICT Care has been taken to ensure a flow from one extract to another; the text also lends itself to being dipped into, an experience that will almost certainly bring the reader both entertainment and an understanding of the many facets of Australia's culture. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/09.]—Rebecca Bollen Manalac, Sydney, Australia

Like no other genre, memoir has splintered into multiple subgenres that resist classification. Apart from the lives of celebrities, children of celebrities, addicts, infidels, and masters of amazing feats, there are new brands: six-word memoirs, canine memoirs, and "shtick lit" (a stuntlike project undertaken for the purpose of writing about it), all part of an unprecedented and spawning publishing enterprise. Yagoda (When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It: The Parts of Speech, for Better and/or Worse) tackles a history of memoir in order to trace its fashionableness. His use of anecdotes reveals likely progenitors and the circumstances from which the form evolved. A course is mapped from the Confessions of St. Augustine, to the rise of secularist writers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Daniel Defoe, Benjamin Franklin, and Henry David Thoreau, to the change-issuing slave narratives and Holocaust survivor accounts. Despite fakes, fictional inventions, and battles for legitimacy, memoir remains enduringly popular. VERDICT Highly recommended for hearty readers, lovers of memoir, and students of literary and cultural studies.—Katharine A. Webb, Ohio State Univ. Libs., Columbus

Ahmad, a Pakistani physician and rock star, is on a mission to foster peace through rock 'n' roll. Here, he begins with his formative years in Lahore, his move to New York as a teen, and his reintroduction to Pakistani life during medical school. He discusses his lifelong passion for music, especially a combination of Led Zeppelin-style rock 'n' roll, qawwali music, and Sufi poetry, and his internationally successful band, Junoon, which has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide. Ahmad focuses on the combination of his music and Pakistani politics, social issues such as HIV/AIDS, and the quest for peace, and he describes his role as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. VERDICT Not just about rock music, this fascinating, well-written book provides a stirring example of the intersection of music, culture, politics, and social issues that should appeal to general readers as well as music buffs who need to be reminded that rock 'n' roll exists outside U.S. borders. A good companion to Mark LeVine's Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam.—Dave Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle

Originally published in 1990, Brahms and His World is being rereleased with Richard Wagner and His World, the 19th title in this prestigious, scholarly series on major composers. Frisch (music, Columbia Univ.; Brahms: The Four Symphonies) and Karnes (music, Emory Univ.; Music, Criticism, and the Challenge of History) have substantially updated and expanded their collection of scholarly essays by leading musicologists in the field of Brahms studies. Several new essays take advantage of more recent scholarship. The contributions cover diverse topics in Brahms scholarship, detailed analyses of specific works, reminiscences by Brahms's contemporaries, and a list of compositions dedicated to the great German master. There are frequent musical examples and occasional photos throughout; all entries are extensively footnoted.

As befits Wagner—a composer whose works were massive and epic and about whom more ink has been spilled, in praise and in vitriol, than nearly any other composer—his volume is much heftier than its companions. Grey (music, Stanford Univ.; Wagner's Musical Prose) compiles articles, contributed by an international roster of eminent musicologists, on, e.g., biographical contexts, Wagner's years in Paris, and complete program notes. A significant number of essays are translations of writings by Wagner's contemporaries, such as Franz Liszt and the critic Eduard Hanslick. The book, like all others in the series, is dense with bibliographic references and musical analyses that will be of use primarily to scholars in the field. VERDICT Both titles are recommended for enthusiasts, musicologists, upper-level undergraduates, and graduate students. Lay readers interested in the complex world of Wagner should consider that volume essential.—Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, PA

This updated version of Derry's (coordinator of motion pictures studies, Wright State Univ.; The Suspense Thriller: Films in the Shadow of Alfred Hitchcock) 1977 Dark Dreams is an insightful study of the evolution of modern horror films. The main focus is on political, cultural, and societal trends that influence fear in audiences, e.g., the atomic bomb, radiation, and serial murders. Derry has created three subgenres—related to personality, Armageddon, and demonic possession—to analyze the films in his concise text. He includes interviews with George Romero, William Castle, and other horror directors, as well as 900 enriching illustrations and movie stills. Curiously, Derry's picks include nonhorror such as Mommie Dearest, Dahmer, and The Passion of the Christ; however, his analyses fit them into the subgenres well. VERDICT This is a good choice for film students and researchers. Horror fans may be more entertained by shorter, less analytical books. The cost being a consideration, this is not an essential purchase but a good choice if possible.—Rosalind Dayen, South Regional Lib., Broward Cty., FL

Heath, with McLaren (English, Hofstra Univ.; Langston Hughes: Folk Dramatist in the Protest Tradition, 1921–1943), tells a life story that is inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable. Rising up through the big band era, absorbing the ideas of the beboppers in the mid-1940s, and continuing to embrace changes in jazz from the 1960s through the 1990s, Heath has produced sought-after compositions and arrangements and, as a teacher, has shared his love of the principles of jazz with thousands of students. Now an elder statesman who remains active, he writes of how his supportive family life allowed him to succeed. His parents let him and many other musicians practice at their home, and they were steadfast even after he developed a taste for heroin in the 1950s. Beyond Heath's storytelling, the book is interwoven with comments from a number of acquaintances (mostly musicians), which helps keep the narrative moving. VERDICT This is an entirely engaging and thoughtful autobiography from one of jazz's true treasures. This richly told saga is highly recommended.—William G. Kenz, Minnesota State Univ., Moorhead

While French film director Robert Bresson's work is not well known in America, he has had influential admirers, including Susan Sontag and American director-screenwriter Paul Schrader. Over a 40-year career, Bresson (1901–99) made only 13 films. His cinema is deliberate and austere and noted for featuring nonactors, minimal dialog, and few theatrical conventions. Pipolo (film & literature, emeritus, CUNY) writes that the films display an uncompromising "moral rigor" and a preoccupation with the themes of salvation, redemption, and innocence vs. corruption. Aided by contributions from Bresson's former colleagues, this book is, as Pipolo writes, a "highly personal response" to Bresson's body of work and a chronological, in-depth dissection of the films with particular attention paid to Bresson's style. Pipolo also notes Bresson's stylistic contrasts with contemporaries and his unorthodox depiction of Catholic spiritual themes. VERDICT This is a scholarly yet accessible study for the motivated reader. Though a bit light on biography, it is recommended for its close reading of the films, which are still not widely available in the United States.—Stephen Rees, Levittown Lib., PA

Faye (philosophy, Univ. Paris Ouest-Nanterre La Défense) provides a well-argued and accessible case—first published in France in 2005—for holding Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) morally responsible for inculcating mid-20th-century European intellectual reason with a virulent strain of fascist irrationality. This fascistic embrace flourished most during 1933–35, and Faye shows how, in spite of stepping down as rector from his university, Heidegger continued to wield and even build popular influence during this era. Relying on a careful reading of the unpublished seminars and the available "complete" works Heidegger's supporters have brought to market, as well as a sound and thorough understanding of the political intricacies of the war period and postwar intellectual allegiances, Faye provides other scholars and general, informed readers with insights on how a reputation was built, the damage it did to others, and how to see it more clearly in our own period. VERDICT This first French study to make such an argument based on an examination of all of Heidegger's work is vastly important to world philosophy. With accessible writing, this is wonderfully recommended for all readers interested in 20th-century continental philosophy.—Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax P.L., N.S.

Following closely upon her prize-winning Elegy, a searing journey through tragic loss, Bang's new collection has the feel of restrained hysteria. Here, she continues to extend the territory of her first book, Apology for Want, into an ever more fragmented existential desolation. The book takes the form of an abecedarian in which E stands for existence, with the engine of the alphabet overriding the entropy of emptiness, in which "all action is in the mind, a cluster of notions/ in depravity's head independent of the dreadful/ invention of the magnetic temporary where/ a partition is positioned between right and wrong." Many of these poems refer to the precariousness of human future, with Bang's medical background contributing convincing detail, and her sharp wit buoys the description with bleak meaning: "The meeting with mammals whose bones are not found/ Upright anymore." Of the prose poems that follow in a separate section, most notable is "G Is Going," which asserts that a comedy of errors is a tragedy. VERDICT For readers who enjoy sophisticated, abstract work that presses the limits of language.—Ellen Kaufman, Dewey & LeBoeuf Law Lib., New York

In his latest collection, prolific poet Levine ruminates on family, life, and death in the familiar colloquial style that won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1995. With a quiet intimacy, Levine quite literally delivers the news of the world, with tales of haunting mountains, exhausted Detroit workers, and Spanish songstresses. His flirtations with death in both prose poems and formal verse have a weightiness that remains long after you close the book: "I felt bad/ for the little priest: both of us/ he called 'my sons' were failing,/ slipping gracelessly from our lives/ to abandon him to face eternity/ as it came on and on and on." These poems exude a certain melancholia, but Levine's ability to examine expertly the beauty in this sadness keeps them from veering toward the unnecessarily depressing. He can paint even the strange with simple, natural language in a way that's subtly moving, and the nostalgic glow he applies to his memories makes this work the perfect addition to the oeuvre that has come to define his life. VERDICT An integral part of his life's puzzle that Levine, even at 81, is still attempting to piece together; for all readers of contemporary poetry.—Jessica Roy, Library Journal

Here, novelist (Einstein's Dreams) and physicist Lightman has created a vivid and moving first-person narrative in verse. The two worlds of the title are the two sections of the book: "Questions with Answers" and "Questions without Answers," with the former representing scientific inquiry and the latter the intuitive capacity that allows us to respond to great art. But this work is no simple intellectual exercise—it is the story of a man who is exiled within his own country, whose intelligence and aloneness keep him perpetually knocking at the door "naked…wearing only my questions." Lightman names the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore as the inspiration for this work. For the nonscientists among us, Lightman has provided entry into a world to which we would otherwise have limited access. Several artfully placed photographs (in black and white in the text and in color on the cover) anchor the story into its setting and serve as found poems in their own right. VERDICT A vivid and moving book-length narrative poem that places the reader inside of a universe of wonder; of interest to poetry readers and beyond.—Sue Russell, Bryn Mawr, PA

A fan of recent MacArthur fellow McHugh's work for some time, this reader began her 13th book eagerly. The poems are witty, musical, and linguistically ingenious but often keep to the surface. McHugh pokes fun at herself, at priests, at God (and gods), but the singsong cleverness too often misses the mark, though the book is informed by (and wrestles with) incontrovertibles: grief, terror (personal and global), illness, aging, and cruelty. Sometimes she does go deeper, with poems like "Creature Crush" (about a monkey tortured as public entertainment) and "Not To Be Dwelled On" about the burial of a friend. Often, however, they are (as the publicity says)"pyrotechnics"—full of dazzle and energetic bursts that fade in the night sky of poetry. VERDICT If you're looking for puns and fast-paced wordplay ("No Sex for Priests" is sad, wry, and pretty darned funny), along with multifaceted erudition played off against a post-9/11 background, then this book is for you. Readers interested in the directions of contemporary poetry should consider.—Emily Souza, Sacramento, CA

With profound clarity, insight, and skill, Glucklich (Hinduism, Georgetown Univ.; Sacred Pain) enters into the fray of post-9/11 discourses on religion, reorienting the perceptions about suicide bombers that obtain mostly in the West by examining the social, psychological, and historical roles of pleasure. Moving away from an oft-perceived Islamic-West dualism, Glucklich probes the very nature of what it means to be religious and the attractiveness of becoming religious. In nine chapters, he digs into the role that such concepts as pleasure, happiness, humor, and ridicule play in the social and religious realities of our worlds (Islamic or not), complete with examples from Mozart to the KKK. Through his explorations, he successfully elucidates both the emotive and the visceral foundations of not only the suicide bomber but also our Western perceptions and reactions. VERDICT Extremely well written, and at times quite funny (e.g., when Glucklich writes about humor), this book is an absolute necessity for a public seeking to understand religious nuance and zealotry; it deserves careful attention and a broad readership. Highly recommended.—Anthony J. Elia, JKM Lib., Chicago

At one point in the correspondence between Lewis (1898–1963) and Calabria (1873–1954), Calabria writes that Lewis has the gift and mind and heart. These same traits also belonged to Calabria and most certainly to their letters as well. Written in Latin, their correspondence is mostly about religious unity regardless of denomination but also the developing kinship between two individuals of different backgrounds and personal experiences. Calabria was an Italian priest from Verona, an author of religious publications, and a founder of a series of orphanages who was beatified in 1988. At the time, Lewis had achieved fame as a novelist, essayist, and literary critic. Their letters, though focused on dissension between religious groups resulting from confusing differences in morality with differences in beliefs about the facts, also include references to daily effort, seasonal weather, health and well-being, and the death of a loved one—and how all of it is supported by faith and prayer. VERDICT The faithful, those who have strayed from their faith, and those who merely like to read will find these letters between two men (they never met) inspirational, redemptive, and challenging.—Robert Kelly, Fort Wayne Community Schs., IN

Pastor McHugh has served several churches and parachurch ministries and is currently on staff at the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. As an introvert himself, in full-time ministry, he examines closely this personality type in light of the broader culture and the culture within mainstream evangelicalism. He skillfully deals with both the strengths and the weaknesses of introverts in light of modern church programs. Personal and historical illustrations add to the readability of this book and give concrete applications to the concepts. In particular, he highlights the spiritual depth and devotion that introverts can experience and share with those around them. Two chapters also highlight the unique strengths that experts are realizing introverts bring to leadership and evangelism. Discussion questions and a bibliography for further reading amplify the usefulness of this volume. VERDICT Full-time and lay ministers within churches will enjoy reading this book to understand better the struggles and strengths introverts can bring to church ministry. Highly recommended for seminary and relevant academic libraries and where local demand for church management books is high.—Ray Arnett, Fremont Area Dist. Lib., MI

Moses (journalism, Brooklyn Coll.) tells the little-known story of St. Francis of Assisi's peace mission in 1219 to the Muslim court of the Egyptian sultan Malik al-Kamil. The saint "had dreamed of converting a Muslim leader to bring peace between Christianity and Islam." For his part, the sultan perhaps received Francis because he sought to end the conflict between the Crusaders and his land or perhaps because "they wished to become Saracens." Francis did not convert the sultan, but neither was the sultan able to sway the saint. Admittedly, few reliable details of this meeting survive. But the meaning of the exchange has significant implications for the present, says Moses: violence should not be met with violence, and peace can be achieved through goodness. VERDICT While a worthy topic that indeed covers some previously overlooked Franciscan history, perchance this lends itself more readily to a thorough article than a book-length discussion as it is replete with speculation and inference as well as plenty of already-known Franciscan hagiography. Only for the most ardent Franciscophiles.—Sandra Collins, Byzantine Catholic Seminary Lib., Pittsburgh

Christian evangelist Nasser (founder, David Nasser Outreach; Glory Revealed) carried memories of his secular, privileged childhood in pre-revolution Iran with him as his family struggled to find a footing in the American Deep South. Lacking the comforting presence of other immigrants in the Texas and Alabama towns where his father sought work, Nasser strained to learn English and to fit in with schoolmates who assumed Iranians are "towelheads" and pitiful heathens. After a stormy adolescence, he found his identity and personal calling in Christian salvation. Following in a long tradition of conversion narratives, this book will be treasured by those seeking examples of Jesus revealed.—Lisa Klopfer, Eastern Michigan Univ. Lib., Ypsilanti

Sheler (contributing editor, U.S. News & World Report; Is the Bible True?) offers a biography of one of the giants of contemporary American evangelical Christianity and, although described as "unofficial," it's done with the input of Rev. Warren, his family, and his associates so readers get an authoritative treatment that is current to mid-2009. From Warren's early choice of a life as a servant of Christ, Sheler follows Warren's work and his ever-deepening and expanding commitment. Sheler hits all of the high points—the growth of Saddleback, Warren's megachurch in California, the huge success of his books, his international work, and the Obama inaugural invocation—but he doesn't shy away from the difficulties or controversy either. VERDICT Warren's name guarantees that any library serving anyone who is a fan will see interest in this book. Readers interested in church growth will follow Warren's work with Saddleback with interest and be able to glean much from it. Buy for demand and expect quite a bit of it.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Lib., Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Science reporter Wade (New York Times) has written an intriguing case for religion and belief in "God" being wired into our human genetics, rather than being something that is learned. He asserts that we are born with a natural tendency to believe in a higher power or a system of religion much like our natural aptitude to learn a language. Religion provided early societies with the structures necessary to organize governments and systems of law. Wade chronicles the development of religious practices through the ages and shows how religion builds community, along with loyalties, and causes differences from place to place that are responsible for many conflicts and wars. Gathering input from numerous experts in their fields, he collects data to support the scientific and behavioral basis for religious thought being part of our physical and mental selves. Similar books that study this topic are Karen Armstrong's The Case for God and Lee Strobel's The Case for the Creator. VERDICT This book will be enjoyed by readers interested in cross-disciplinary studies among science, anthropology, and theology, presented accessibly. Both students and general readers may be interested.—Cynde Suite, Bartow Cty. P.L. Syst., Cartersville, GA