Arts & Humanities

Noted British modern culture and design critic Bayley (Cars: Freedom, Style, Sex, Power, Motion, Colour, Everything) presents an original look at women as a product of design from all directions and points of view. Readers/viewers are bombarded with numerous examples from history, literature, and art, along with stunning photography and other imagery. First, Bayley focuses on the body as represented by the cults of Aphrodite, eroticized bottoms, bras, and breasts, and undergarments. In Part 2, he takes on the cultural side, covering pinups, the life of blonds, fashion distortions and exaggerations, and beauty enhancement techniques. All in all, this work is a cross between a guide on everything you ever wanted to know about women but were afraid to ask and Marshall McLuhan's "the medium is the message" concept. VERDICT Designed for and marketed to heterosexual men—from the embossed female front and rear forms on the dust jacket to the slick contemporary and colorful layout—this total package is better for individual purchase rather than for public libraries. It generally strikes one as an indulgence disguised as research.—Stephen Allan Patrick, Jonesborough, TN

The first book in a new series focusing on contemporary art around the world, this overview of art and artists working in the geographical area spanning from Algeria to Afghanistan reflects the political, religious, and cultural complexity of the territory. Covering photography, painting, sculpture, textiles, installations, video, and performance art, Monem (ed., Font: The SourceBook) also presents four essays by modern art curators and scholars to provide an introduction to the artwork that comprises most of the book. The work of 45 artists is represented, mainly in color photographs; short essays accompany about half of the entries. The book's appendix includes an excerpt from Edward W. Said's Orientalism and a related essay—material crucial to understanding European and American perceptions of the Middle East. The appendix also includes seven interviews with curators, museum directors, and journalists about contemporary Middle Eastern art. The book concludes with brief biographies of the artists. VERDICT This book's broad approach will interest students of art, the Muslim world, the Middle East, and women's studies. Highly recommended.—Martha Smith, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY

This work features more than 500 color photographs of doors (and of some locks, hardware, surrounding building parts, and openings) from the earliest buildings to the present, frequently several to a page. Graphic designer Wilcox is from Canada, but the scope of this work is wide, with most of the images showing western European examples. The arrangement is generally chronological, but there is no clear sequence to the order of images, which come mostly from stock photo services. Overall, the photos are very saturated, and the glossy paper is not the best. Scale is sometimes hard to judge, particularly when several images are on a page, and for identification readers must rely on the sometimes sketchy information in the list of plates and the geographic index at the back of the book; there is nothing beyond the images on the numbered pages. Perhaps more focus (on a single culture or a narrower time or geographic area) might have given this book a stronger raison d'être or a clear audience. VERDICT Don't open this one.—Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Lib.

Accompanying the first major exhibition on early 20th-century Parisian couturiere Madeleine Vionnet, this catalog contains an imaginary interview with Vionnet, written by Golbin (curator, Museé des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; Valentino: Themes and Variations), that outlines the couturiere's working methods and preferences. In another excellent essay, Golbin emphasizes the chief characteristics of Vionnet's dress designs, including their geometric cuts as well as the draping and bias cut that accentuated the femininity of a woman's body. As opposed to Paul Poiret, known for his Orientalist designs, and Coco Chanel, who adopted simple menswear cuts, Vionnet stands as a purist in relation to fashion, with plastic dress forms that drape the body as a second skin. Featuring many beautiful photographs of models wearing Vionnet's designs taken by Patrick Gries for this book, plus black-and-white archival photos, the book also includes a chronology and primary-source documents by people who knew the designer. VERDICT Recommended to readers who are interested in the history of couture fashion.—Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Coll. Lib., MA

O'Byrne (After a Fashion: A History of the Irish Fashion Industry), former fashion correspondent for the Irish Times, informed by fashion promoter and consultant Annette Worsley-Taylor, breezily tells the story of how Britain transformed from a place with some disdain for the frivolous pursuit of fashion to a supportive epicenter of creative fashion designers, prolific art colleges, and a style informed by youth street culture. No longer the stepchild to the international fashion capitals Paris, Milan, and New York, London has evolved from the 1970s through the edgy punk days and the romantic influence of Princess Diana to the current city renown for both high style and street chic. O'Byrne interweaves details of fashion financials with firsthand accounts from designers like Vivienne Westwood and Jasper Conran. VERDICT The well-chosen photographs and punchy layout will appeal to students of fashion, but academic readers should also consider Catherine McDermott's Made in Britain or Christopher Breward's Fashioning London; this is more like a coffee-table book than an in-depth history.—Nancy B. Turner, Syracuse Univ. Lib., NY

This unusual book on the creative process in architecture began as architect Roberts's personal notebook and does not venture far from its origin. With no discernible organization beyond major sections called "Idea," "Evolution," and "Reality" and chapters with single-word titles such as "Vision," "Discovery," "Direction," and "Synthesis," the text features poetic musings and meditations that center on the unconscious, sensations, and energy tensions within the human zone between earth and sky and the symbolism of architectural forms. Quotations from philosophers, architects, and theoreticians consort with photographs of prehistoric monuments such as Stonehenge and prominent 20th-century buildings. Illustrations show Roberts's ideas during his creative process and epiphanies that occurred in the evolution of his architectural philosophy and aesthetics. While passionate, some of Roberts's conclusions are simplistic and open-ended, trailing off with cheerful, you-can-do-it exhortations. VERDICT There are too many random thoughts and free associations here for most readers; however, for those interested in the raw materials of architectural creativity, the book does offer a well-designed torrent of images and ideas printed on quality paper.—Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL

In her first book, a picaresque memoir, Rona Jaffe Prize-winning essayist Batuman (literature, Stanford Univ.) takes the reader on a journey both literary and physical as she traces the evolution of her fascination with Russian literature across the globe and several centuries. Batuman writes in a voice that is frank, droll, and at times dryly hysterical. Her devoted, sometimes tangential study of Russian language and literature and the Dickensian cast of characters she meets in its pursuit will strike a chord with anyone who has been to graduate school and amuse even those who haven't. Footnoted translations of quotations in foreign languages would be helpful, but this is otherwise a wildly entertaining romp through academia and the Russian literary pantheon that does justice to a literature that is deservedly praised but underread. VERDICT Highly recommended for book lovers of all sorts, especially fans of Russian literature or metanonfiction such as Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris and Helene Hanff's 84, Charing Cross Road.—Megan Hodge, Randolph-Macon Coll. Lib., Ashland, VA

The beating of your heart and the ticking of a clock mark time in easy-to-understand ways, but the concept is not as straightforward as it seems. Remember the night before a big event in your childhood. Do you recall how slowly time seemed to pass? It is this contradiction and many other issues relating to the complex nature of time that Hoffman explores in the newest addition to the "Big Ideas/Small Books" series (after Jenny Diski's The Sixties). Best known as a novelist and memoirist (Lost in Translation: A Life in a New Language), Hoffman deftly tackles this complex topic in a highly readable and entertaining way. She explores time in relation to the body, the mind, and culture before ending with topics from the impact of technology to the inevitability of aging. VERDICT This is a book for readers interested in exploring the world around them or hoping to see their surroundings in a new light. A fascinating and easy-to-read meditation on a deceptively simple concept.—Deborah Hicks, Edmonton, Alta.

Former McSweeney's editor Nester (English, Coll. of Saint Rose), whose writing has appeared in The Best Creative Nonfiction, The Best American Poetry, and Poets & Writers, presents his debut collection of humorous nonfiction, amassing 41 years' worth of experience in nonconformity. His stories are, as the title suggests, inappropriate, and they often engender squeamishness, discomfort, and laughter. But they are fresh and, at times, touching, qualities that make this an enjoyable read. Subjects include teaching curse words to Chinese ESL students, reimagining a Terry Gross NPR interview of Gene Simmons by substituting Gene Simmons with an AI computer, a collection of references to flatulence in English poesy, the history of mooning, and out-of-context comments he made as a college professor in order to clarify and expand upon his students' writing. Nester includes photographs, illustrations, and a time line of his inappropriate acts from birth to the present. VERDICT Recommended for readers who enjoy memoirs and essays.—Mark Alan Williams, Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Playwright Schenkar (Truly Wilde: The Unsettling Story of Dolly Wilde, Oscar's Unusual Niece) has written a meticulous and careful biography of one of 20th-century America's great crime and mystery writers, the author of Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Patricia Highsmith's emotional life was complex and difficult; her lifelong obsession with her relationship to her mother and her homosexuality set the parameters for her travels, friends, lovers, and work. Growing up in Fort Worth, TX, and New York City, Highsmith finally settled in Switzerland. Schenkar, using Highsmith's diaries, notebooks, and writings, tells of her alcoholism, paranoia, depressions, desires, and needs; she is especially good at describing Highsmith's years as a comic book writer and the homosexual culture of the 1940s–50s. Schenkar works through the books, highlighting Highsmith's themes of murder, forgery, identity, doubling, shame, and death while noting the difference between the author's early and best work and her later, inferior writings. VERDICT An imaginative, definitive Highsmith biography, great for literature students, Highsmith fans, and mystery readers.—Gene Shaw, Paramus P.L., NJ

It is difficult to imagine there is anything new to learn about Elvis. Since his death in 1977, people from his wife, Priscilla, to his bodyguards have written about him. In the last five years, there has been at least one book about the King published each year. Klein, whose personal mission is to keep Elvis's memory alive and who knew Elvis since the eighth grade and considered him his best friend, offers firsthand insight into Elvis's early years. One wonders why he waited so long to tell his story—his answer is that he didn't want to add to the "clamor," but now he wants everyone to know that Elvis was a smart and funny friend. Klein tells his own story, too, of making his way to the top of the disc jockey ladder. VERDICT Klein's constant use of dialog is grating, but demand for all things Elvis continues. This may be sought out by those who enjoyed Jerry Schilling's Me and a Guy Named Elvis (also cowritten with Crisafulli).—Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA

Music journalist, record producer, and longtime resident Kubernik traces the influence of Laurel Canyon on the history of rock 'n' roll. Starting with a brief chronology of the wooded area nestled within Los Angeles, he concentrates on the rock icons who lived and collaborated there. Mainly using the words of a wide variety of former residents, he features obvious 1970s musicians such as Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, and the members of Crosby, Stills & Nash, and the Eagles; he also shows the breadth of musical activity in the canyon, discussing such onetime residents as Frank Zappa, Eric Burdon, the Turtles, and John Mayall, even portraying the Monkees in a new light. Unlike Michael Walker's Laurel Canyon, Kubernik focuses on the impact of the rural setting within L.A. on the musicians who lived and created there. VERDICT Interspersing interviews and commentary with previously unpublished photos in a stunning graphic layout, Kubernik takes readers on a magical trip into an area that served as the center of rock music for nearly a decade. Fans of the era will eat it up.—Dave Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle

Don't be fooled by the title—this isn't another contrived memoir from a Ramones groupie or hanger-on. Rather, this is a heartfelt and revealing portrait of the late Joey Ramone by his brother, Leigh, and onetime friend McNeil (coauthor, Please Kill Me). Written without apprehension or vanity, the book is far from idol worship. And though it excels at sharing unflattering truths like Ramone's social troubles as an awkward, gangly teen and the start of messy obsessive-compulsive issues that led to stays in mental wards, Leigh's narrative of his life with a future punk legend only provides a more complete and compassionate picture of his big brother. He writes of Ramone berating their mother and brotherly conflicts resulting in Ramone asking friends to choose sides, but from page one to the final passages of being at his side as he died from lymphoma, it's clear Leigh wrote this enlightening book with love and respect. VERDICT The singer's myriad multigenerational fans will cherish this touching portrait, as will lovers of rock music in general, especially those with brothers. [See a Q&A with the authors in BookSmack!, 11/19/09.]—Robert Morast, Fargo, ND

In this entertaining and colorful book, first published in the UK in 2007, lyricist and composer Nicholas (Chopin: His Life & Music) contributes to a long list of titles endeavoring to identify which composers rank among the greatest. Fifty entries are arranged chronologically; each includes a portrait or photograph of the composer, a life summary running a few pages in length, a list of essential works with dates, and informational tidbits—some gleaned from contemporary sources, others the author's frank opinions. In his foreword, Nicholas explains his criteria for inclusion, e.g., that the composers were likely to excel in different musical genres and have strongly influenced other musicians. American composers appear somewhat slighted, with only Gershwin included, but this is likely an unintended bias. VERDICT General readers with little musical background who want a quick guide to some of the greatest music literature will appreciate Nicholas's accessible prose and will most likely enjoy his sardonic musings on these multifaceted yet fallible creators.—Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH

Bob Dylan's lyrics have been dissected and analyzed in a host of recent works, but Rogovoy (The Essential Klezmer: A Music Lover's Guide to Jewish Roots and Soul Music, from the Old World to the Jazz Age to the Downtown Avant-Garde) offers an original perspective in this welcome addition. He explores the influence of the Bible, the Talmud, and the Kabbalah on Dylan's songwriting, uncovering references to these texts in each of Dylan's 33 studio albums, up through 2009's Together Through Life. Rogovoy's research adds fresh insight into iconic songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind," "Like a Rolling Stone," and "Forever Young," providing a deeper understanding of Dylan's Jewish influences. Chronological album-by-album and song-by-song analyses make up the book's core, and Rogovoy gives just enough biographical context to argue convincingly that Judaism strongly influences Dylan's life and lyrics. VERDICT Entertaining, intelligent, and surprisingly accessible, this book complements Michael J. Gilmour's Tangled Up in the Bible and Christopher Ricks's Dylan's Visions of Sin. Highly recommended to all music scholars and Dylan aficionados.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

Since the groundbreaking introduction of Candid Camera in 1948, reality shows have continued to provide a subtly complex interplay of entertainment, social commentary, and standard setting within a variety of areas. Here, Taddeo (Lytton Strachey and the Search for Modern Sexual Identity) and Dvorak, the former president of the American Culture Association, have collected a representative mix of essays by diverse scholars, grouping them into three major sections: reality TV as a social experiment, as a study of family culture, and as a portrayal of history. Using varied examples, contributors dissect the mechanics, people, and impact of reality TV here and abroad from a wide range of perspectives. Although critics argue that some reality TV has no substance and can be an invasion of privacy, these well-written pieces indicate otherwise by illustrating that there is more to the genre. VERDICT Cultural/media analysts and media studies students will find this of particular interest, as will those who seek a deeper understanding of contemporary culture as reflected in and shaped by television. Recommended for its breadth of thoughtful and in-depth perspectives.—Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ

This baker's dozen of scholarly essays takes on the subject of seeking truth in spite of perception, or eking out the delimiters between what we believe we witness and what may in fact be merely hallucinatory. This idea has become known as disjunctivism—by many considered to be the most important recent development in the philosophy of perception. Editors Byrne, a philosophy professor at MIT, and Logue, a graduate student in philosophy at MIT, use the work of logician J.M. Hinton to set the stages for the arguments that have developed across the past 40 years, with two of his essays on the reality or unreality of experience. Other contributors, including Paul Snowdon and M.G.F. Martin, will be familiar to scholars in the fields of logic and contemporary philosophy. VERDICT These are all writings by experts for experts rather than explanations of a specialty for nonspecialists. However, as a source book in which diverse and developing conceptions are drawn together, the volume satisfies and provides a cohesive examination of a controversially theoretical stance.—Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax P.L., N.S.

Across almost five years, Sartre's godson Gerassi (a former editor at Newsweek) met with the philosopher monthly to discuss family, politics, theory, identity, and other topics high in the minds of both men. As recorded in this aptly titled volume, the discussions remained personable, intellectual, and well guided. Stories about Sartre's nearly lifetime companion, Simone de Beauvoir, and Gerassi's father, artist and Spanish revolutionary Fernando Gerassi, are interwoven with memoirs of Sartre's earliest childhood as well as his then contemporary travels in the Middle East. In spite of the familiarity between the two discussants, the reader feels included rather than either excluded by lack of context or in the role of eavesdropper. Sartre's wit and warmth are nicely revealed without losing his still-active and engaged theorizing. VERDICT The whole makes for an eminently readable and compelling window on 20th-century intellectual social life, as well as philosophy and politics. Of wide interest not only to scholars but also to more casual readers.—Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax P.L., N.S.

Slovenian-born philosopher Zizek (international director, Birkbeck Inst. for the Humanities, Univ. of London; Violence; Welcome to the Desert of the Real) here argues that only a revolution that aims to overthrow the global capitalist system and replace it with a socialist society can save the world from a dire fate. He writes that, at present, an elite class of the superrich lives in a luxurious world with rare contact with anyone else. The poor have little prospect of improving their condition, and matters are likely to grow worse. As if this were not bad enough, genetic manipulation will be used to ensure a pliant population. What can save us? Only, Zizek writes, a revolution that unhinges all our conventional categories. His analysis of capitalism, although presented with his usual combination of paradox and panache, is based entirely on classical Marxism. VERDICT Zizek seems more expert in Lacanian psychoanalysis than in economic theory, and readers are likely to differ in their assessment of his analysis. There is no doubt, though, that Zizek is an influential thinker, and this short book offers an excellent entry into his thought.—David Gordon, Bowling Green State Univ., OH

Baker's ninth collection (after 2005's Midwest Eclogue) finds the poet in a meditative, at times elegiac frame of mind, seeking solace from suggested but largely unspoken domestic tribulations in the flora and fauna of rural Ohio and in a range of primary texts, from the travel reports of 16th-century explorer Cabeza de Vaca to 19th-century Shaker "gift messages." Nature provides abundant metaphors for human transience and the poet's personal losses ("I have you in my hands and then you're gone./ White swan. White shadow crossing the black pond"), while the obscure historical references—helpfully clarified by several pages of notes—furnish not only conceptual contexts for the poet's ruminations on his place in the cosmos but on occasion an archaic diction that implies both omniscience and subjectivity ("Let this body taketh/ away sorrow"). The cumulative result is a series of bittersweet epiphanies about love and mortality that don't illuminate so much as confirm the obvious ("When we love/ we never touch the ground"). VERDICT For all Baker's attention to craft and allusion, these poems rarely transcend the prosaic. This volume would appeal most to dedicated readers of contemporary poetry.—Fred Muratori, Cornell Univ. Lib., Ithaca, NY

Poets in general seek to create an oeuvre defined more by its aesthetic merits than its affiliation with a certain culture or heritage, and that's what Bitsui (Shapeshift) is striving admiringly to do here. His new book-length work uses his Native American heritage and experience as a lightning rod for writing poetry that goes beyond provincialism to create a diverse and rich poetic landscape. His poetry is seeded with all the peculiarities of Native tales of love and loss as well as with modern life issues. Bitsui juxtaposes the abstract with the physical in condensed, lively language. He also incorporates photographic technique to create fast, apocalyptic scenes: "a twig yanked from the nervous eye of a dying bull." The passage from surreal images to more realistic ones is transparent and smooth: "What happened when gunfire blew into their speech/ and left one language hanging by a nail" and "the mud-covered hooves of drought/ kicking at the rain-stained earth." VERDICT Bitsui's poetry returns things to their basic elements and voice in a flowing language rife with illuminating images. A great reading experience for those who like serious and innovative poetry.—Sadiq Alkoriji, South Regional Lib., Broward Cty., FL

Wisconsin sportswriter McGinn is widely hailed as perhaps the best football beat man in the business. His analytic study of game replays and his intelligent interviewing enable him to write knowledgably about the inside game—the design of plays and the techniques and responsibilities of players. McGinn has interviewed players, assistant coaches, and head coaches from all 43 Super Bowls, 23 of which he covered in person, to determine the reasons that things went right or wrong on all the key plays in these championship games. He doesn't just retell the familiar backstories, but instead contributes a wealth of fresh material that heightens our understanding of why teams won or lost. In particular, his interviews with a variety of position coaches often pinpoint the fine line between success and failure in the ultimate pressurized environment of the Super Bowl. The book also features complete player rosters, comprehensive team and individual statistics, and a thorough listing of Super Bowl records. Entertaining Top 10 lists interspersed throughout the text add even more value to this best book ever about America's greatest game. VERDICT Essential for all football lovers.—John Maxymuk, Robeson Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ

In sports, it's hard to be a "student of the game." A young person lacks the historical perspective but over time can remain contemporary via tributes like this to golf. The editors of Sports Illustrated have pieced together photos and essays of the sport from the magazine's archives. The short collected pieces by Dan Jenkins, Steve Wulf, Bobby Jones, and others stand the test of time. As to the photos, which dominate the text, in many instances they look more impressive here than as they originally appeared in the magazine. The editors also cover women golfers and the LGPA. (This being a Sports Illustrated product, much is made of the current bumper crop of "lookers.") Books in a similar vein include Classic Golf: The Photographs of Walter Ioos Jr. VERDICT For golf fans, this is a coffee-table book worth considering.—Steven Silkunas, North Wales, PA