Social Sciences Reviews, April 15, 2011
Apr 15, 2011BIOGRAPHY
Al-Joundi, Darina with Mohamed Kacimi. The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing. Feminist Pr, dist. by Consortium. 2011. c.144p. tr. from French by Marjolijn de Jager. ISBN 9781558616837. pap. $14.95. AUTOBIOG
Actress, screenwriter, and filmmaker Al-Joundi has written a moving and poignant memoir of life before and during the Lebanese civil war (1975–90). The book opens with the funeral of Al-Joundi’s father when the author, respecting her father’s wishes, resists having the Koran read. Al-Joundi instead plays Nina Simone’s “Save Me,” a move that brings devastating consequences. Irreverent and fervently secular, Al-Joundi’s father is a key figure in the author’s life. During her upbringing, as she relates here, her father insisted that she strive for independence, resist gender norms and restrictions, and refuse to adhere to any religion. Al-Joundi describes coming of age in war-torn Beirut, a city saturated with violence, her adolescence replete with drugs, anonymous sex, and other transgressions. Al-Joundi’s struggle against gender oppression and conflicts with her mother ultimately compelled her to leave Lebanon for France. VERDICT Al-Joundi manages to infuse humor into a disturbing narrative of brutality, war, and violence. The unconventional wisdom and feminist-leaning views of her father make this brief narrative a compelling and entertaining read that will appeal to a broad adult audience and to readers interested in women’s rights.—Karen Okamoto, John Jay Coll. of Criminal Justice Lib., New York
Baker, Deborah. The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism. Graywolf. May 2011. c.224p. ISBN 9781555975821. $23. BIOG
In 1962, Margaret Marcus (b. 1934), a young Jewish woman from New York’s suburbs, converted to Islam, left America, and moved to Pakistan to live as a disciple of one of the major architects of the Islamist revival, Mawlana Abul Ala Mawdudi (1903–79). As Maryam Jameelah, she excoriated American decadence and warned of the dangers of Western influence, laying a cornerstone of Islamic fundamentalist ideology. Biographer Baker (In Extremis: The Life of Laura Riding) came across an archive of Jameelah’s papers and became entranced; she presents here a spellbinding factual account of Jameelah’s estrangement from her family, faith, and country; her quest to find an authentic Islam halfway around the world; and her confinement in mental asylums on two continents. How did this troubled woman become the theorist behind the notion of Islam vs. the West? Baker’s investigation of Jameelah yields mysteries and surprises galore. VERDICT A significant contemporary figure in Islamic-Western relations becomes human, with all the foibles and angst that word implies. General readers will find this story compelling, while scholars will be pleased with the insight it brings to an important 20th-century Islamist voice. Highly recommended.—Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL
Chang, Ying-Ying. The Woman Who Could Not Forget: Iris Chang Before and Beyond The Rape of Nanking. Pegasus. May 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9781605981727. $29.95. BIOG
Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II was published in 1997—her aim, to keep the world from forgetting the Japanese war crimes of 1937 in the second Sino-Japanese War. Her mother now presents her own memoir so that the world will not forget her daughter’s life or misunderstand her suicide in 2004. She chronicles in perhaps too much detail Iris’s growing up and her career ambitions. More commanding is the day-by-day narrative of Iris’s indefatigable research, her campaign to promote and defend each of her three published books, and her struggle to balance career and family. Her mother acknowledges rumors of threats from Japanese right wingers and cannot help feeling that her daughter was under grave psychological stress from dealing with gruesome subjects. In the end, however, after an assiduous account of Iris’s medical travails, she reports, “I believe Iris’ suicide was caused by her medications,” which had been prescribed in an attempt to stabilize her moods. VERDICT The writing here is sometimes flat, but the sincerity of the story will appeal to Iris Chang’s many fans and followers.—Charles W. Hayford, Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL
Hartshorn, Peter. I Have Seen the Future: A Life of Lincoln Steffens. Counterpoint. Apr. 2011. c.416p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781582436470. $30. BIOG
The term muckraker seems almost antiquated in today’s journalistic parlance. But as Hartshorn (James Joyce and Trieste) reveals in this first-rate biography, Lincoln Steffens (1866–1936) helped catalyze “the role of journalists from collectors of news…[into] more professional investigators and literate reporters,” which not only dramatically transformed the profession of journalism but fundamentally changed our perception of the nature of government. As an editor at McClure’s magazine from 1902 to 1906, he exposed city and state graft and corruption, pioneering what we now know as investigative journalism. He established numerous contacts with notables, including two U.S. Presidents, while also mentoring such famous writers as John Reed and Walter Lippmann. But as Hartshorn points out, Steffens was essentially a “revolutionary” at heart, one who admired the tumultuous political events in the early Soviet Union and elsewhere; he had enemies as well as admirers. VERDICT This outstanding work offers immediate appeal for both students and practitioners of the journalistic art, while those concerned about freedom of the press and the role of investigative journalism will take comfort in Steffens’s legacy as artfully told here. Highly recommended.—Richard Drezen, Brooklyn, NY
Means, Howard. Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story. S. & S. Apr. 2011. c.320p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781439178256. $26. BIOG
Means (former senior editor, Washingtonian magazine; Colin Powell: A Biography) uses his talent here to separate the history from the folklore surrounding one of America’s most notable legends, Johnny Appleseed. Born John Chapman in Massachusetts on September 26, 1774, Chapman migrated west in his early twenties, adopting the lifestyle of an itinerant pioneer. Considered eccentric—indeed, Means believes “Chapman might have been insane, or demented, or fanatical, and he was certainly religious in the extreme”—Chapman was also known for his boundless love of nature, vegetarianism, kindness, generosity, and bravery. And of course there were the apples. Rather than the lush, bright fruit we know today, the seeds Chapman spread throughout the Midwest (he did not believe in grafting for better fruit, as it would cause the trees pain) grew scrawny sour apples used largely to make hard cider. While much of Chapman’s life is still speculation at best, Means does a good job of pulling together his research on a fascinating figure and the myths that surround him. VERDICT This well-researched and accessible read is a nice companion to Robert Price’s Johnny Appleseed: Man & Myth. With helpful illustrations, maps, and notes.—Lisa A. Ennis, Univ. of Alabama Lib., Birmingham
Wallis, Michael. David Crockett: The Lion of the West. Norton. May 2011. c.320p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780393067583. $27.95. BIOG
Captivated as a child by the mythical Davy Crockett as presented by Walt Disney during the 1950s, Wallis (Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd) endeavors here to find the man behind the myth; he notes that Crockett always referred to himself in writing as David, but his mission is not specifically to debunk the mythology that surrounded Crockett so much as to present a readable and folksy account of the actual facts of Crockett’s life. This is not an academic study that contextualizes Crockett in relation to many of his contemporaries or explores the milieu in which he thrived. Like Daniel Boone, Crockett was viewed as the quintessential frontiersman, but historians seem to have shied away from Crockett since a Mexican diary revealed in the 1970s that he did not die in the heat of battle at the Alamo but was instead executed as a prisoner. Wallis concludes by arguing that we should celebrate Crockett for how he lived. VERDICT Lay readers will enjoy this biography, and if it leads them to want to learn more about Boone as well, they will enjoy Robert Morgan’s Boone: A Biography.—John Burch, Campbellsville Univ. Lib., KY
COMMUNICATIONS
Will the Last Reporter Please Turn out the Lights?: The Collapse of Journalism and What Can Be Done To Fix It. New Pr., dist. by Perseus. May 2011. c.400p. ed. by Robert W. McChesney & Victor Pickard. ISBN 9781595585486. pap. $19.95. COMM
Is it the end of journalism as we know it? Editors McChesney (communications, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Rich Media, Poor Democracy) and Pickard (media, culture, & communication, New York Univ.) present a collection of essays that attempt to analyze the American news media and what needs to be done to protect the Fourth Estate. The pieces address the current crisis of journalism, namely, that newspapers are disappearing, new digital media and social networks are fracturing audiences even more than cable TV did, and journalists are falling behind in their job to “fact-check, analyze, and critique information.” Written by both liberal and conservative journalists and media scholars, these essays offer a variety of ideas and solutions to the crisis. The collection highlights journalism’s role as a crucial component of democracy and as an institution that needs to be reinvigorated in the face of sweeping global technological and economic changes. VERDICT Journalism students and anyone concerned with the state of journalism and the state of the union should read this thought-provoking book.—Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL
ECONOMICS
Humes, Edward. Force of Nature: The Unlikely Story of Wal-Mart’s Green Revolution. HarperBusiness: HarperCollins. May 2011. c.272p. bibliog. ISBN 9780061690495. $27.99. BUS
Humes (Eco Barons: The Dreamers, Schemers, and Millionaires Who Are Saving Our Planet) expertly explains the working relationship between Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott and Blu Skye sustainability consultant Jib Ellison, who are working to redefine Wal-Mart as a green company, and how going green raised its bottom line. Because of its size and retail dominance, Wal-Mart has tremendous influence on suppliers, partners, competitors, and the global economy. Surprisingly, the retail chain has entered areas such as carbon emission reduction, water conservation, and renewable energy. Strides have been made in the growing of organic cotton, efficient supply chains, and packaging. The book gives clear-cut examples and discusses changes needed in the organizational culture to embrace environmental corporate responsibility. VERDICT This book will appeal to readers across income, age, and lifestyle brackets, because it discusses a topic that impacts the public. Recommended for all public and academic collections.—Caroline Geck, MLS, Newark, NJ
Koesterich, Russ. The Ten Trillion Dollar Gamble: The Coming Deficit Debacle and How To Invest Now. McGraw-Hill. Apr. 2011. c.256p. index. ISBN 9780071753579. $28. ECON
The main thrust of Koesterich’s (The ETF Strategist: Balancing Risk and Reward for Superior Returns) new book is his advice for sound personal investing in the shadow of the advancing tidal wave of U.S. debt and the collateral damage to follow. After lucidly discussing the past and the future of that debt, he outlines the economic consequences of unrestrained state profligacy. He contemplates what should happen (higher inflation, slower growth, etc.), why it should happen, and where to look for signs of escalating problems. Specific indicators, data sources, release dates, agencies, and websites are named. Discussion of debt’s consequences morphs naturally into financial advice, as the author encyclopedically catalogs various asset classes along with how they would perform in “a deficit debacle.” Koesterich not only recommends what investors should consider for their portfolios, but also covers why they should buy assets and how. This is not a quick general investment lesson but a helpful, methodical “financial playbook” for realistic investors. VERDICT Highly recommended for those planning to invest over the next five years or more. It is not easy to find books that combine debt macroeconomics with sound financial advice, but Koesterich manages it well.—Jekabs Bikis, Dallas Baptist Univ., TX
Oshri, Ilan. Offshoring Strategies: Evolving Captive Center Models. MIT. 2011. c.254p. index. ISBN 9780262015608. $27.95. ECON
In this dense but highly readable volume, Oshri (Rotterdam Sch. of Management) traces the evolution of the captive center concept. Captive centers are wholly owned offshore subsidiaries that support the parent company by providing back-office services. Oshri uses the strategies employed by Fortune’s Global 250 firms to trace this evolution and to answer questions such as “How should a parent company strategically perceive its captive center in view of its allocation and utilization of resources?” and “What sets of capabilities should be developed offshore to support the evolution of a captive center?” There are six models for captive centers, each of which are outlined in detail. In addition, each model is illustrated with a case study that underscores Oshri’s thesis that if done right, with the requisite strategic planning, captive centers can add value and even become successful companies in their own right. VERDICT Owing to the specialized subject of this book, it is most appropriate for academic business and management collections, but it will bring insight to students and hard-core business readers.—Sara Holder, McGill Univ. Lib., Montreal
Perlin, Ross. Intern Nation: How To Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy. Verso, dist. by Norton. May 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9781844676866. $22.95. BUS
Does the world really need a book-length essay on the treatment and (non)payment of interns? Surprisingly, it might. Perlin’s comprehensive narrative, well supported with interview material, research, and insights from his personal internship experiences, ostensibly highlights abuses of interns’ indentured labor by corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government offices, but it also tells the broader story of an economy increasingly dependent on and confounded by all things “free.” Perlin opens by describing the Disney Program (which employs 7000–8000 interns annually) and focuses on its minimum wages, menial tasks, and enforced company housing. Subsequent chapters provide a history of the Fair Labor Standards Act, university collusion with companies offering internships, the practice of “selling” internships (whereby individuals pay a company to find them unpaid work), and the racism and classism inherent in this system. VERDICT The subject matter may seem too specific to appeal to a broad audience, but Perlin’s writing is engaging and the questions he raises are valid ones in an increasingly competitive job market. Those interested in fair labor practices and recent college grads looking for employment may be curious about—if frightened by—this book.—Sarah Statz Cords, The Reader’s Advisor Online
EDUCATION
Robbins, Alexandra. The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School. Hyperion. May 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9781401302023. $23.99. ED
High school is perhaps one of the toughest social environments American teenagers experience. A student can be considered an outcast for the slightest deviation from the norm set by popular kids, parents, and even teachers. Robbins (The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids) here explores how and why students divide one another into groups. She considers the different groups to which students are assigned by their peers and, shockingly, by teachers and how these labels affect them, and she issues challenges to the seven main subjects of the book (six students and one teacher) to get them out of their comfort zones, out of the “cafeteria fringe,” and on to meaningful and rewarding experiences. Robbins follows her subjects for a school year, tracks their progress with her challenges, and shows how the very traits that marginalize students in high school often lead to success after graduation. VERDICT An excellent overview of the complex social environment of high school, told in an accessible and often humorous and touching manner. High school students as well as adults, especially those who are or were part of the “cafeteria fringe,” will enjoy this book. Very highly recommended.—Mark Bay, Univ. of the Cumberlands Lib., Williamsburg, KY
HISTORY
di Robilant, Andrea. Irresistible North: From Venice to Greenland on the Trail of the Zen Brothers. Knopf. May 2011. c.240p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780307269850. $25.95. HIST
In this engaging book about a historian in pursuit of a riddle, di Robilant (Lucia: A Venetian Life in the Age of Napoleon) relates not just what he found but how he found it and both what he knew and didn’t know by the end of the quest. It’s the best kind of history: scrupulously honest, with attention to detail, and never exaggerated. The puzzle is a centuries-old map, supposedly drawn by the Zen brothers—merchants, sailors and explorers in late 14th-century Venice. The map was said to incorporate what they discovered on their groundbreaking excursions into the sub-Arctic North Atlantic. But is the map, which appeared only in print a century and a half later in a book by a Zen descendant, authentic? VERDICT Di Robilant’s book is rich in exotic detail (e.g., as he visits a burning mountain on the Greenland coast), but at heart it is very modest, a work in which the author never claims to know more than he does. His unassuming mastery of the facts illuminates this little-known episode in late medieval history.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA
Hochschild, Adam. To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914–1918. Houghton Harcourt. May 2011. c.464p. photogs. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780618758289. $28. HIST
At the end of this book, Hochshild (narrative writing, Graduate Sch. of Journalism, Univ. of California, Berkeley; King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa) writes that if only one event of the 20th century could be “undone,” it should be World War I; many readers will agree with this statement. Covering almost exclusively the British perspective, he here tells the story of World War I through the eyes of its most prominent supporters and detractors. Hochschild’s own sympathies lie with the conscientious objectors, socialists, and pacifists who opposed the war but were drowned out by the general public, politicians, and generals. The author is at his best when he describes horrible ironies of the war, such as a Swiss-arranged trade of essential war materials between Great Britain and Germany so the governments could more efficiently send their own soldiers to be slaughtered. VERDICT This book shares a similar thesis with David Stevenson’s Cataclysm: The First World War as Political Tragedy and will be appreciated by anyone interested in the history of World War I or the stories of war dissenters.—Michael Farrell, Reformed Theological Seminary Lib., Oviedo, FL
McKinley, Catherine E. Indigo: In Search of the Color That Seduced the World. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Jun. 2011. c.256p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9781608195053. $27. HIST
In this meandering and meditative memoir, McKinley (The Book of Sarahs) recounts her travels in Africa as a Fulbright scholar researching the rich history and lore of the titular prized blue dye. Her outward search for indigo’s cultural, religious, and economic significance becomes a vehicle for her more personal emotional and spiritual search for meaning, growth, and greater understanding of her own heritage. The sections in which she focuses on the history of indigo are fascinating, and some of her vivid descriptions shimmer with an almost cinematic quality. However, the book is marred by McKinley’s seemingly aimless approach to her research, her overblown, sometimes riddlelike prose, and a too heavy attention to the details of her day-to-day life while living in Ghana, all of which makes the book as a whole too unfocused. VERDICT Lacking in storytelling impetus, this work is best suited for patient memoir or travelog fans interested in African cultural traditions and textile history. Readers or researchers interested specifically in indigo may prefer Jenny Balfour-Paul’s recent more focused and comprehensive Indigo.—Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI
Nichols, David A. Eisenhower 1956: The President’s Year of Crisis—Suez and the Brink of War. S. & S. 2011. c.336p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781439139332. $28. HIST
Eisenhower scholar Nichols (A Matter of Justice: Eisenhower and the Beginning of the Civil Rights Revolution) chronicles the biggest international crisis in that President’s term: the 1956 Suez Crisis that brought Israel, France, and Britain into armed conflict with Egypt. Readers will appreciate how Eisenhower effectively ran his administration by using financial pressure, the United Nations, and informal discussions with key advisers to push for a resolution. Nichols lays to rest the common misconception that Secretary of State John Foster Dulles ran foreign policy while Eisenhower played golf. It was Eisenhower’s leadership that helped bring an end to a conflict that threatened to widen into a larger war but instead developed the Eisenhower Doctrine to contain communism and help countries in the region. During this crisis, Eisenhower also had to deal with the Soviet invasion of Hungary, conduct a reelection campaign, and recuperate from both a heart attack and abdominal surgery. Nichols uses a wide range of sources from secondary materials to oral history interviews and printed primary sources to develop and analyze the captivating buildup of events. VERDICT This book will appeal to both 20th-century presidential history specialists and general presidential history buffs. Recommended.—Bryan Craig, Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville
Restall, Matthew & Amara Solari. 2012 and the End of the World. Rowman & Littlefield. 2011. c.160p. illus. index. ISBN 9781442206090. $16.95. HIST
Media are full of doomsday predictions related to the Maya Long Count calendar end date, December 21, 2012, in today’s Western calendar. Restall and Solari (history, anthropology & women’s studies and art history, respectively, Pennsylvania State Univ.) take a serious look at Maya calendar development, archaeology, and history to seek the truth behind the so-called Maya doomsday prophecy, which adherents believe may forecast the end of the world. The authors see no evidence that Long Count calendar dates for the future, carved on stone monuments at Maya archaeological sites in Mexico and Central America, indicate predictions of doom. Their thorough examination of Maya carvings, images, and writings leads them to the conclusion that the preconquest Maya were not particularly millenarian. By contrast, their Spanish conquerors came from a culture steeped in eschatological thinking. The authors effectively provide scholarly evidence to back up their hypothesis that millenarianism probably came via the Spanish and is not intrinsic to the traditional Maya worldview and to debunk prophecies of doom. VERDICT This readable analysis based on credible scholarship is a needed and balanced counterpoint to the many sensationalist works on the Maya doomsday prophecy as 2012 approaches. Highly recommended for all seeking a reasoned perspective on Maya calendar systems.—Elizabeth Salt, Otterbein Univ. Lib., Westerville, OH
Wert, Jeffry D. A Glorious Army: Robert E. Lee’s Triumph, 1862–1863. S. & S. Apr. 2011. c.416p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781416593348. $30. HIST
Acclaimed Civil War historian Wert (Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: A Biography of J.E.B. Stuart), who has written extensively on both Robert E. Lee’s army and the Union’s Army of the Potomac, brings his lucid literary skills and keen analysis to a close examination of Lee’s military character and conduct during the most successful period of his generalship. Wert argues that Lee became an aggressive general in his strategy and tactics as he recognized that the South could not survive a protracted war and needed to win convincingly in the field because of his own psychological understanding of war and his belief in the invincibility of his soldiers. Wert shows how Lee’s aggressiveness succeeded in the field, even against great odds, but ultimately undermined the offensive killing power of his army owing to high battlefield losses. Sloppy intelligence, a tired general, confusing orders, and other factors led to Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg, thus shifting the strategic initiative to the Union. VERDICT Wert’s book is a page-turner and an essential read for both Civil War history fans and scholars and a work to ponder in terms of the ways self-perceptions inform policy and chance as much as design decides military destiny.—Randall M. Miller, Saint Joseph’s Univ., Philadelphia
LAW & CRIME
Seal, Mark. The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter. Viking. Jun. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9780670022748. $26.95. CRIME
When the story of a parental kidnapping in Boston went out over the newswires in 2008, it seemed initially like a routine family tragedy. But it took strange twists as time passed. The father, wealthy businessman Clark Rockefeller, was not who he seemed to be. In fact, no one at all knew who he was. This episode ended the long career of professional imposter and con man Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, originally from the tiny German village of Bergen. His ambition to emigrate to America and become a filmmaker took him from Boston to California and back. Charm, arrogance, and a wickedly sharp mind helped him create his personae but also enabled him to maintain his lifestyle by stealing, swindling…and maybe worse. In 1985, John and Linda Sohus, Gerhartsreiter’s roommates, disappeared, and Gerhartsreiter was charged with murdering John on March 15, 2011, 26 years after the crime. While the subject’s aloofness and arrogance keep the reader from rooting for him, one almost has to admire the chutzpah. VERDICT The talented Mr. Rockefeller could have come right out of a Hitchcock film. For crime buffs and fans of flimflam.—Deirdre Root, Middletown P.L., OH
PARAPSYCHOLOGY
Nickell, Joe. Tracking the Man-Beasts: Sasquatch, Vampires, Zombies, and More. Prometheus. 2011. c.220p. photogs. ISBN 9781616144159. pap. $19. PARAPSYCH
Nickell’s (The Mystery Chronicles: More Real -Life X-Files) varied career includes stage magician and private detective. He is well known and respected for his skeptical approach to investigating popular modern phenomena such as UFOs and Bigfoot. In his latest book, he traces a large collection of frightening creatures including vampires, zombies, werewolves, merpeople, aliens, swamp creatures, and many more. Nickell looks closely at why we believed in these creatures in the past and why they continue to capture our imaginations. Because he includes so many creatures, there isn’t a tremendous amount of information on each one, but the book does present engrossing history on each beast and insight into what many of them actually were; some “creatures” that ancient and medieval humans feared were actually other people with various diseases. VERDICT Nickell writes in a straightforward, nonacademic manner and includes many insights about human nature (what we fear and why). This fun book includes loads of information and would serve as a good overview for anyone interested in legends and monsters.—Mary E. Jones, Los Angeles P.L.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Barnett, Michael. Empire of Humanity: A History of Humanitarianism. Cornell Univ. Apr. 2011. c.312p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780801447136. $29.95. INT AFFAIRS
Barnett (international affairs & political science, George Washington Univ.; Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda) divides his study of humanitarianism into three stages across 200 years: pre–World War II, World War II through the Cold War, and post–Cold War. First, abolitionist groups and missionaries dominated; after World War II came decolonization and developmental economics; and the third stage reveals the professionalization of agencies and their growing role as a part of global governance. Barnett identifies two types of humanitarian agencies: emergency (immediate relief of suffering) and alchemical (seeking to cure the underlying cause of suffering). He points to Bosnia and Rwanda to highlight the moral dilemma agencies face: they need the cooperation of local governments, even when those governments have caused the emergency or when aid may be diverted to the perpetrators. Barnett is critical of relief agencies, the UN in particular, for failure to address this dilemma appropriately. This is the first work to make such a strong connection between agency history and today’s circumstances. VERDICT Although all contributors to overseas relief agencies should consider these issues, Barnett’s treatment is scholarly, making this most suitable for his fellow academics and for humanitarian agency professionals.—Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York
Streatfeild, Dominic. A History of the World Since 9/11: Disaster, Deception, and Destruction in the War on Terror. Bloomsbury Pr., dist. by Macmillan. Aug. 2011. c.416p. index. ISBN 9781608192700. $27. INT AFFAIRS
The dark legacy of 9/11 includes thousands of deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq, global instability, and the United States’ diminished international reputation, writes British journalist Streatfeild (Brainwash: The Secret History of Mind Control) in this bleak and gripping narrative. The author presents eight cases about the war on terror’s collateral damage. Included is the story of Vasudev Patel in Texas, who struggled hard for 20 years to achieve the American dream only to be gunned down by a deluded “patriot.” Other accounts describe the fate of 223 Iraqi refugees crammed into a boat that was denied port in Australia, an Afghan couple’s engagement party that turned into a blood bath when bad intelligence led to its bombing by American forces, and a case of mistaken identity that led to the capture and torture of an innocent man, wrongly believed to be a 9/11 planner. VERDICT Streatfeild skillfully uses the same thematic approach employed in Paul Hendrickson’s The Living and the Dead: Robert McNamara and Five Lives of a Lost War, in which people far from the seat of power become the victims of government policy. This excellent work will mesmerize readers of current history.—Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA
PSYCHOLOGY
Daedone, Nicole. Slow Sex: The Art and Craft of the Female Orgasm. Grand Central Life & Style. May 2011. c.256p. illus. ISBN 9780446567190. $24.99. PSYCH
A self-educated sexuality coach and educator, Daedone teaches orgasmic meditation (OM). For a basic OM session, the woman reclines comfortably while her partner strokes her clitoris for 15 minutes. Both follow detailed guidelines for technique, communication, and focus. The OM community defines the entire experience as “orgasm” in that it involves intense sexual sensation and connection, although conventional climax may not occur. Regular OM is said to awaken and enrich both desire and intimacy between partners and help a woman follow her desires in the rest of her life. Daedone makes her arguments persuasively, with clear instructions and a knack for the just-right analogy or phrase, and she provides variations to accommodate oral stimulation as well as male recipients. Small drawings translate the techniques into easy-to-understand visuals. VERDICT This is not another tantra book; Daedone provides a focused and simple technique for heightening attention to sensation. While her final claims about the nature of desire don’t all hold up logically, OM practice should give many people a fresh and satisfying conduit to deeper sexual intimacy. Recommended for sexuality/self-help collections.—Martha Cornog, Philadelphia
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Bronski, Michael. A Queer History of the United States. Beacon, dist. by Random. (ReVisioning American History). May 2011. c.288p. index. ISBN 9780807044391. $27.95. SOC SCI
This panoramic survey is less a history of homosexuality in the United States than a reexamination of American mores through a queer lens, a thematic analysis of the ways in which same-sex desire has reflected and shaped American morality over the past 500 years. Calling to mind Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, this is the first title in Beacon’s new “ReVisioning American History” series. Bronski (women’s and gender studies and Jewish studies, Dartmouth Coll.), who has been writing on LGBT topics for several decades, emphasizes the recurring historical tension between integrationist and anarchist paradigms of homosexuality, and he explores how various political and social movements—including transcendentalism, feminism, progressivism, and the labor and Civil Rights movements—have intersected with and diverged from the struggle for sexual freedom. The epilog covers the past two decades, which Bronski deems too recent to be treated as history. VERDICT Bronski does an impressive job weaving together existing LGBT scholarship with his own theoretical analysis. Recommended for anyone interested in gender, sexuality, or American history and culture.—David Gibbs, Georgetown Univ. Lib., Washington, DC
Xinran. Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother: Stories of Loss and Love. Scribner. 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9781451610895. $25. SOC SCI
Xinran has already made great contributions to the study of Chinese history and culture with her previous works The Good Women of China and Sky Burial. Now she adds perhaps her most important work yet. The most painful secret of a Chinese woman’s life can be the “shame” of bearing a daughter. The crippling economy, one-child policy, and superstition keep this outdated practice alive. Since Xinran herself fostered a baby girl in China who was taken away from her, she writes from personal experience. To fully share these circumstances, she interviews Chinese women who had to give up or abort their daughters, the midwives, and also the families (usually Westerners) who have adopted Chinese girls. Even more moving is the afterword, a letter from an adoptive mother who writes to the birth mothers of her two daughters. She explains how the children have two loving mothers who are thankful for each other. VERDICT An essential read for those studying recent Chinese history, as well as international adoptions in the United States.—Susan Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., IL
TRAVEL & GEOGRAPHY
Perrottet, Tony. The Sinner’s Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe. Broadway. May 2011. c.304p. illus. ISBN 9780307592187. pap. $15. TRAV
Known for his explorations of historic salaciousness (The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games; Napoleon’s Privates: 2,500 Years of History Unzipped), Perrottet here puts a new twist on the conventional grand European tour. Lewd locales and relics of yesteryear, historic dungeons, former brothels, and museums of erotica are on the itinerary. From the Castle of the Marquis de Sade and the pornographic art in the Vatican to the British Hellfire sex clubs of the 1700s, readers will be astonished at and either disgusted or titillated by the debauchery. This mix of quirky historic tales, similar to but less documented than the works of Jan Bondeson, with traditional travelog makes for an eye-opening, entertaining, and informative narrative. Dive in to learn the story of Casanova, rumors about Lord Byron, and detailed licentious accounts from one medieval town. No one is spared in these revelations, least of all the clergy. VERDICT This book is for anyone who loves the offbeat mixed with scandalous history. Though not for the prudish, it is a fun romp through some lesser-known history.—Sheila Kasperek, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib.
Spaghetti, Luca. Un Amico Italiano: Eat, Pray, Love in Rome. Penguin. May 2011. c.256p. tr. from Italian by Antony Shugaar. ISBN 9780143119579. pap. $15. TRAV
In her wildly popular Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert introduces her readers to a Roman friend with the unlikely name Spaghetti. This memoir is his attempt to jump on the fame train. His exuberant account of his relationship with Gilbert is fleshed out with his passions for soccer, food, music, James Taylor, New York City, and Rome. The book begins with a chapter on Spaghetti’s surname, a source of childhood teasing and embarrassment, and ends with a useful glossary of Italian/Roman dishes. Gilbert turned out to be more fun than Spaghetti initially imagined, and the two thirtysomethings ended up friends who shared numerous meals, a soccer game, and Spaghetti’s Thanksgiving birthday celebration. VERDICT This is all good fun, and Spaghetti comes across as an enthusiastic puppy dog kind of guy. However, this book would likely not have been published without the association with Gilbert’s best seller and the film. Still, her fans may create demand for this opportunistic spin-off.—Janet Ross, formerly with Sparks Branch Lib., NV
