Social Sciences Reviews, July 2011
Jul 15, 2011BIOGRAPHY
Adams, Jad. Gandhi: The True Man Behind Modern India. Pegasus. Jul. 2011. c.288p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781605981710. $26.95. BIOG
Historian Adams (visiting research fellow, Sch. of Advanced Study, Univ. of London; Hideous Absinthe: A History of the Devil in a Bottle) bases this biography (published in the UK with the subtitle “Naked Ambition”) on primary sources, including Gandhi’s own writings and those of his associates, as is evident in the book’s extensive notes and bibliography. In addition to the solid research, Adams casts a penetrating and critical eye on Gandhi’s complex personality, although at times Adams evidently fails to understand the mores of the period. Additionally, he ascribes motives to Gandhi that may or may not be true. At other times, the author’s assertions are undeniably on the mark. If Joseph Lelyveld’s recent Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India focuses on Gandhi the reformer and his struggle to unite Hindus and Muslims, this book is an astringent and hard-hitting look at Gandhi’s life, especially his personal eccentricities and inconsistencies. In this regard, Adams’s book is closer to George Orwell’s 1949 essay, “Reflections on Gandhi.” VERDICT Libraries that already have Great Soul may well wish to purchase this title to round out their collection.—Ravi Shenoy, Naperville P.L., IL
Fuller, Alexandra. Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Aug. 2011. c.237p. photogs. ISBN 9781594202995. $25.95. AUTOBIOG
Fuller’s previous well-received memoir Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood dealt with her time growing up amid the harsh realities of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) during civil war in the 1970s. In her new memoir, billed as a combination of prequel and sequel, she focuses on her mother, Nicola Fuller, whose adventurous spirit, droll humor, and abiding love for Africa were challenged by the tragic deaths of three of her young children and her subsequent mental breakdown. Fuller evocatively depicts her mother’s Kenya childhood, marriage to Tim Fuller, and the ensuing chaos and joys of raising a family and eking out a precarious living amid the wild and inspiring African landscape. Her eloquent depiction of her mother’s darker sides, including racism, alcoholism, and mental illness, reveals a fascinating, flawed, and funny woman whose story illuminates the contradictions and extremes of Africa itself. VERDICT Unsparing, well written, and spiced with many compelling anecdotes, this vivid tale of a one-of-a-kind matriarch and her family’s fortitude through adversity and absurdity will be relished by memoir fans and recreational readers interested in Africa. Such readers may also enjoy Isak Dinesen’s classic Out of Africa or Barbara Kingsolver’s dark novel The Poisonwood Bible. [See Prepub Alert, 1/31/11.]—Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI
Maitland, Alexander. Wilfred Thesiger: The Life of the Great Explorer. Overlook, dist. by Penguin. Jul. 2011. c.544p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781590201633. $37.50. BIOG
This authorized biography, published in the UK in 2006, will stand as the definitive work on Wilfred Thesiger (1910–2003). Maitland makes extensive use of Thesiger’s letters and previous publications, e.g., My Life and Travels, which Maitland, a personal friend, edited. Thesiger had an idyllic childhood in Ethiopia (then called Abyssinia), where his father served in Britain’s Foreign Office. In 1933–34, he was the first known European to journey to the end of the Awash River there. He traveled on foot with tribal guides and loved the freedom to map, hunt, and collect birds and other animals. But the biggest thrill was the danger of traveling through hostile territory. He served in the Sudan Political Service from 1935 until the outbreak of World War II, when he served in Sudan, Ethiopia, Syria, and Egypt. Following a stint as political adviser to the crown prince of Ethiopia, Thesiger joined the Middle East Anti-Locust Unit and traversed southern Arabia’s deserts. Later he traveled extensively through Kurdistan and the marshes of southern Iraq. Thesiger took many photos of the tribal people he encountered, later donating over 38,000 negatives and assorted artifacts to a museum in Oxford. VERDICT Maitland’s biography shows Thesiger as a (sometimes unacknowledged) giant in the field of exploration. An essential purchase for exploration collections.—Margaret Atwater-Singer, Univ. of Evansville Libs., IN
Wickenden, Dorothy. Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West. Scribner. 2011. c.320p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781439176580. $26. BIOG
Wickenden (executive editor, The New Yorker) shares the story of her grandmother Dorothy Woodruff, who, along with close personal friend Rosamond Underwood, spent nine months teaching at a remote settlement school in northwestern Colorado in the early 20th century. This highly personalized and meticulously researched account is more than a simple family history: it tells a great backstory about American development in those years, an “alternative western,” in Wickenden’s words. These rich and well-educated young society women, tired of social conventions and frustrated by suffrage work, came face to face with another America in the years before World War I—one that was poor, diverse, remote, lacking in modern conveniences, occasionally violent, and yet spectacularly beautiful and “new.” Although far from being a scholarly account, the story here adds to our understanding of the complexity of women’s experiences in presuffrage America. As college students today do transformative volunteer work worldwide, so, too, did these two young women. Their lovingly preserved letters richly demonstrate how in seeking to assist others they also changed themselves. VERDICT Recommended for general readers interested in the development of the American West, teachers, and those seeking contributions by women to history. [See Prepub Alert, 12/20/10.]—Marie Marmo Mullaney, Caldwell Coll., NJ
COMMUNICATIONS
McKinney, Megan. The Magnificent Medills: The McCormick-Patterson Dynasty; America’s Royal Family of Journalism During a Century of Turbulent Splendor. Harper: HarperCollins. Oct. 2011. c.464p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780061782237. $27.99. COMM
With the engrossing sweep of a family saga and the rich details of a genealogical study, this book brings to life four generations of a family that shaped American journalism for over a century. Starting with Chicago Tribune founder Joseph Medill in 1855 and continuing with grandson Col. Robert R. McCormick’s leadership of Chicago’s newspaper of note, the family extended their influence by founding two other successful newspapers, New York’s Daily News and Long Island’s Newsday. By utilizing innovations like the tabloid format, comic strips, and pictorial layouts, they changed how the public consumes news. Journalist McKinney provides colorful snapshots of American history, showing how the family members and their journalistic endeavors interacted—and sometimes clashed—with important political leaders like Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt. VERDICT For general readers of family dynasty–style nonfiction and anyone interested in American studies, newspaper history, and the glamour of the modern era from the 1850s to the 1950s. [See Prepub Alert, 4/18/11.]—Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL
Petersen, Jennifer. Murder, the Media, and the Politics of Public Feelings: Remembering Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Indiana Univ. Sept. 2011. c.218p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780253356598. $70; pap. ISBN 9780253223395. $24.95. COMM
Petersen (media studies, Univ. of Virginia) analyzes the media handling of the murders of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, WY, and James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, TX, and the hate-crime legislation that was passed as a result. She has done extensive research and conducted interviews with some of the key players to trace the trajectory of what eventually culminated in the 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Also discussed is how the media uses our emotions to personalize stories and how regionalism can be used to reinforce stereotypes. Taking a scholarly approach, Petersen makes a case that media allows strangers from all over the United States to come together to “form publics” (large groups of people united by a common interest). She argues that the common interest in these murders helped affect “political-legal changes.” VERDICT Petersen makes use of an intriguing thesis and presents an insightful source for journalism and broadcasting students.—Barb Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO
ECONOMICS
Nasar, Sylvia. Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius. S. & S. Sept. 2011. c.554p. ISBN 9780684872988. $35. ECON
Nasar (John S. and James. L Knight Professor, Columbia Graduate Sch. of Journalism; A Beautiful Mind) posits that economics theorists have over the last two centuries shown people how they might take charge of their destinies rather than trusting their material progress to fate. It’s an ambitious project, and Nasar offers chapters that mix history and biography while explaining the greatest hits of economic thought. She links theorists with their settings, including Marx and Engels in Paris and England, Beatrice and Sidney Webb in London, Joseph Schumpeter in Vienna, and John Maynard Keynes seemingly everywhere. Nasar’s biographical sketches are lively, but the history sometimes bogs down in the (still simplified) economic details. Although the book proceeds chronologically in three sections (pre–World War I, during World War I and the lead-up to World War II, and the postwar period), it never quite seems to gel as either narrative history or biography. VERDICT Libraries and readers have waited 13 years for Nasar’s second book, and there will be demand. But the story may be too dry for fans of biography and not rigorous enough for hard-core economics wonks. [See Prepub Alert, 2/28/11.]—Sarah Statz Cords, The Reader’s Advisor Online
Rumelt, Richard. Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters. Crown Business. Jul. 2011. c.320p. index. ISBN 9780307886231. $28. BUS
Award-winning author and sought-after consultant Rumelt (Harry and Elsa Kunin Chair in Business and Society, UCLA Anderson Sch. of Management) provides keen insights on how to recognize effective approaches to promoting economic performance. Drawing from his rich experience, he offers numerous examples to help business leaders craft effective strategies. The book contains three essential components. First, it covers how to diagnose a challenge and formulate policy and action plans to address it. Then, it shows how good strategies can build upon the strengths, weaknesses, and sources of power unique to an organization. Finally, it shows the importance of business leaders sharpening their sensitivity to the challenges of an organization by viewing them from the customers’ perspective. VERDICT Readers accustomed to managerial terminology should be able to cut through Rumelt’s thin shroud of consultant hype to get to his practical insights. Although his candid comments and colorful examples convey his passion for counseling readers interested in strategy, the effective application of these concepts requires considerable experience and stamina.—Jerry P. Miller. Cambridge, MA
EDUCATION
Be Honest: And Other Advice from Students Across the Country. New Pr., dist. by Perseus. Aug. 2011. c.272p. ed. by Nínive Calegari. ISBN 9781595586094. $25.95. ED
826 National is a nonprofit organization that partners writers and educators with classroom teachers and students to develop writing as a means of expression. There are nine 826 locations across the country—Calegari cofounded, with Dave Eggers, the first, in San Francisco. In this collection, students express their thoughts about what works and what doesn’t in American education today. While not scholarly or particularly authoritative, the volume has power beyond research and statistics via the voices of students within the educational system. Readers get to see how current policies as they are implemented impact those they are meant to help. VERDICT This is an outstanding book. Not only is it eye-opening to see how students feel about schools and education, it is encouraging to read teens express themselves so capably. It also displays the influence of 826, one of the more innovative school/community partnerships out there. A valuable look at education from students’ perspectives.—Mark Bay, Univ. of the Cumberlands Lib., Williamsburg, KY
Hauser, Brooke. The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens. Free Pr: S. & S. Sept. 2011. c.304p. bibliog. ISBN 9781439163283. $26. ED
After writing “This Strange Thing Called Prom” for the New York Times in 2008, Hauser spent an entire school year at the International School in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, and here gives readers a sense of how students from varied cultures deal with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. There’s Ngawang, who escaped Tibet in a suitcase; Jessica Tan, abandoned by her step-family after arriving in America; Chit-Su, the only student at International who speaks Burmese; and Mohamed Bah, plucked from near poverty in Sierra Leone and determined to become an American citizen. Hauser’s writing resonates with the message she forwards, which is epitomized by International and its cohorts: “Keep hope breathing.” VERDICT Though the narrative can get bogged down in detail, Hauser provides a clear view into the mindset of immigrant teenagers. In doing so, she succeeds in telling a story about people rather than a school. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 3/28/11, as New American High.]—Karen McCoy, Fort Lewis Coll. Lib., Durango, CO
HISTORY
Booth, Robert. Death of an Empire: The Rise and Murderous Fall of Salem, America’s Richest City. Thomas Dunne: St. Martin’s. Aug. 2011. c.352p. illus. index. ISBN 9780312540388. $25.99. HIST
Booth (curator, emeritus, Pickering House, Salem; Boston’s Freedom Trail) weaves together the 19th-century decline of the once vital port of Salem, MA, with a murder story. Following the American Revolution, Salem’s maritime activities made it the wealthiest city in the new nation, with its ships sailing the globe and opening Asian markets to trade. However, economic changes over the late 18th and early 19th centuries, especially implementation of tariffs on imported finished goods to encourage American industrialization, rather soon eroded Salem’s standing. In response, Stephen White, a member of a wealthy Salem shipping family, led an unsuccessful attempt to establish manufacturing in the city. The loss of jobs had brought on a rise in local violent crime. On April 6, 1830, Joseph White, Stephen’s father, was murdered in his home. Stephen himself initially fell under suspicion, but Frank Knapp, a member of another prominent Salem family, confessed to the crime. The entire incident further tarnished Salem’s declining reputation. Booth bases his narrative history on diaries, letters, ship logs, period newspapers, and secondary sources. VERDICT This is a readable, even gripping account of the consequences of the economic decline on a once proud city. Recommended for fans of accessible history and historical true crime. [See Prepub Alert, 12/20/11.]—Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ., Parkersburg
A Companion to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Wiley-Blackwell. (Blackwell Companions to American History). 2011. c.784p. ed. by William D. Pederson. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781444330168. $199.95. HIST
Pederson (American Studies Endowed Chair & Director of the International Lincoln Center for American Studies, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport; The FDR Years) presents a comprehensive collection of new essays on all aspects of FDR’s presidency. Each writer expertly guides the reader through important themes and areas that have heretofore been in need of further research. The range of essays, each with endnotes and further readings, is impressive; the book covers not only the usual subjects such as the New Deal, foreign relations, and the presidential elections, but other less discussed issues such as conditions and treatment of minorities and land conservation. Some more recent sources for further reading are not here, e.g., Kirstin Downey’s The Woman Behind the New Deal. VERDICT As historiographical essays, they are not intended for the lay reader. For serious students of FDR’s presidency, from undergraduates to faculty and scholars, this is an indispensable foundational source. [Pederson has been a longtime LJ book reviewer in American history and biography.—Ed.]—Bryan Craig, Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville
Devine, T.M. To the Ends of the Earth: Scotland’s Global Diaspora, 1750–2010. Smithsonian Bks., dist. by Random. Oct. 2011. c.416p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781588343178. $32.95. HIST
Devine (Sir William Fraser Professor of Scottish History & Palaeography, Univ. of Edinburgh; The Scottish Nation, 1700–2007) rounds out his trilogy of authoritative works on Scottish history with this seminal volume on the dispersion of the Scots to other lands throughout history. Devine insightfully addresses the impetus behind the large-scale Scottish emigration as well as the experiences of émigrés in their new lands over the past 250 years. Covering Scottish engagement in the colonial slave and tobacco trades; the movement of impoverished Highland Scots during famine in the 1850s; fortune-seeking Scots in the British Empire and the American colonies; and Scottish missionary efforts in India and Africa, Devine offers a sweeping critical examination of this topic, which he admits is in its infancy as an area of academic study. He succeeds in addressing a broad span of time and geography while avoiding both triumphalism and exceptionalism on behalf of the Scots. VERDICT A meticulously researched and thoroughly documented academic volume that will be welcomed by scholars and others with a keen interest in Scottish history.—Elizabeth L. Winter, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib., Atlanta
French, Patrick. India : A Portrait. Knopf. 2011. c.320p. illus. index. ISBN 9780307272430. $30. HIST
National Book Critics Circle Award winner French (The World Is What It Is: The Authorized Biography of V.S. Naipaul) provides a thematic history of India, primarily from its independence in 1947 to the present. Rather than aiming for comprehensive coverage, he outlines Indian history in three major subject areas: nation (politics), wealth, and society. French provides detailed yet compact introductions to many major historical figures such as B.R. Ambedkar and various members of the Nehru/Gandhi dynasty, as well as figures from India’s pop culture and street life. Most of these he has interviewed in person to produce engaging narratives that enlarge on his main themes and illuminate India’s multiple cultures and the complexities that stem from its many systems of language and behavior. VERDICT While the book would have benefited from a bit more establishment of background and definitions, serious readers, including undergraduate and graduate students, will come away with a nuanced understanding of today’s India. French’s tales may also remind readers, paradoxically, that many of the reasons they love India cannot easily be put into words. [See Prepub Alert, 11/29/10.]—Karen Sobel, Univ. of Colorado Lib., Denver
Glain, Stephen. State vs. Defense: The Battle To Define America’s Empire. Crown. Aug. 2011. c.496p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780307408419. $26. HIST
Since the early years of the Cold War, the U.S. State and Defense Departments have been locked in a bitter fight over making foreign policy—a battle in which Defense has dominated to the extent that the national security budget is now 20 percent of the total federal budget (i.e., rather than there being a greater percentage for diplomacy or foreign aid). So writes journalist Glain (Wall Street Journal; Mullahs, Merchants, and Militants: The Economic Collapse of the Arab World) in his fascinating account of the making of modern foreign policy. This is not a comprehensive Cold War history, but it skillfully investigates each presidential administration since Truman’s to show how militarists—often wealthy corporation heads and elected officials—have created the military-industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned against. Readers will be familiar with many of the militarists and diplomatists who fill these pages but will likely be angered about the extent to which the former went to distort the truth about the former Soviet Union and, later, Asian and Muslim nations’ strength and intentions toward the United States. VERDICT This frank and absorbing interpretation offers a well-constructed framework for viewing foreign policy; it will interest general readers, scholars, and appointed and elected officials. [See Prepub Alert, 2/21/11.]—Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA
Harris, William C. Lincoln and the Border States: Preserving the Union. Univ. Pr. of Kansas. Sept. 2011. c.424p. illus. index. ISBN 9780700618040. $34.95. HIST
Henry Adams Prize winner Harris (history, emeritus, North Carolina State Univ.; Lincoln’s Rise to the Presidency) has done something new in Lincoln and Civil War studies; he has written a cogent argument on the ways the politics of keeping the crucial border states in the Union informed, and almost transformed, policies on civil-military relations, emancipation, arming black troops, civil liberties, and more. Lincoln supposedly once said that he “hoped to have God on his side but must have Kentucky.” Harris pinpoints the military and political reasons such a priority weighed on Lincoln. He goes deep inside the state politics especially of Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri to discover the machinations of pro-Union and pro-Southern interests to keep their states in or take them out of the Union, protect or repeal slavery, and prevent the war from degenerating into a social revolution and outlawry. Harris argues that Lincoln’s broad perspective on how to win the war, his patience and forbearance, and his keen sense of political necessities and personalities saved the border states for the Union and thus did much to preserve the Union. VERDICT Harris’s probing work brings the border states back to center stage and demonstrates how and why Lincoln mastered the art of balancing competing interests without yielding on the essential priority—an insightful lesson on leadership that speaks to our own day. Highly recommended.—Randall M. Miller, Saint Joseph’s Univ., Philadelphia
Lachman, Charles. A Secret Life: The Sex, Lies, and Scandals of President Grover Cleveland. Skyhorse, dist. by Norton. Jul. 2011. c.496p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781616082758. $24.95. HIST
Lachman (executive producer, Inside Edition; The Last Lincolns: The Rise and Fall of a Great American Family) uses a sordid incident in Grover Cleveland’s life to show that scandals in politics are not new. He focuses on Maria Halpin, a widowed store clerk who, with her young son, moved to Buffalo and became involved with Cleveland, giving birth to a son in 1874. Lachman tells the story from Halpin’s point of view, as she accuses Cleveland of rape, abandonment, child abduction, and trying to institutionalize her. Although Halpin ultimately dropped her claims, George H. Ball, a local Buffalo minister, tried to bring Cleveland down with a newspaper campaign about the affair but only managed to put his own motivations under scrutiny. Lachman portrays Cleveland as a heartless womanizer who used his connections to bury the scandal. Inflated in this sensationalist book, the story does have a fascinating cast of characters, and Lachman traces the life of Cleveland’s son. VERDICT This will satisfy gossip lovers and some presidential history buffs. Serious readers will be better served by fuller studies, including Allan Nevins’s Grover Cleveland: A Study in Courage, over 50 years old now, or Henry F. Graff’s Grover Cleveland.—Jane B. Marino, Great Neck Lib., NY
Morgan, Robert. Lions of the West: Heroes and Villains of the Westward Expansion. Algonquin. Oct. 2011. c.496p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781565126268. $29.95. HIST
Biographer (Boone: A Biography) and novelist (Gap Creek) Morgan (Kappa Alpha Professor of English, Cornell Univ.) here presents a biographically based book in which he focuses on ten men deeply involved in America’s western expansion, with one chapter devoted to each figure. Beginning with President Jefferson and his Louisiana Purchase and national vision, Morgan then provides an account of the War of 1812 through the perspectives of President Andrew Jackson and “Johnny Appleseed” Chapman. Southwestern expansion occupies the remainder of the book through the lives of U.S. President James K. Polk, Sam Houston, president of the republic of Texas, frontiersmen David Crockett and Kit Carson, as well as Gen. Winfield Scott, and U.S. statesman Nicholas Trist. The epilog on President John Quincy Adams has a concise discourse on the use of western expansion by Southern interests attempting to prolong the slave-based economy and the resulting opposition from Adams, the Yankee intellectual. The villains of the subtitle are the opponents of western expansion, including Britain, Spain, and Mexico, none of which is really villainized here. VERDICT Recommended for public and academic libraries and general readers as a themed set of biographies most useful for its southwestern frontier perspective, though not comprehensive or inclusionary.—Nathan E. Bender, Albany County P.L., Laramie, WY
Solomon, Daniel F. Breaking Up with Cuba: The Dissolution of Friendly Relations Between Washington and Havana, 1956–1961. McFarland. 2011. c.336p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780786459728. pap. $45. HIST
Solomon (administrative law judge, U.S. Dept. of Labor) presents a lively history of the deterioration of Cuban-American relations begun under the Truman and Eisenhower administrations and culminating in the split under President Kennedy. The years from 1956 to 1961 marked a monumental change in America’s relationship with Cuba—now often forgotten as we study all that came after. Solomon’s assertion of friendly relations leading up to his era of study is a bit too strong, as American imperialistic practices left a sour taste among Cubans, but the two countries coexisted rather peacefully until Castro’s revolutionary movement inspired many Cubans to hold Yankees in complete contempt. The author’s strongest asset is placing the events within the context of international relations at the time, especially evident in his fifth chapter, detailing Vice President Nixon’s disastrous Latin American trip of 1958 and the broader perspective of world affairs. VERDICT Solomon’s keen insights into the evolution of America’s obsession with Cuba and Castro will appeal to both lay readers and specialists. His book is well documented with endnotes, as well as a bibliography, interesting illustrations, and index.—Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Libs., AL
Stewart, David O. American Emperor: Aaron Burr’s Challenge to Jefferson’s America. S. & S. Oct. 2011. c.391p. illus. index. ISBN 9781439157183. $28. HIST
While most assessments of the life of Aaron Burr (1765–1836) center on the disputed presidential election of 1800 and his deadly duel with Alexander Hamilton in 1804, Stewart (The Summer of 1787) provides an outstanding account concerned primarily with Burr’s suspicious western exploits thereafter and his subsequent trial for treason. Burr’s trial played out on a national stage, included an impressive cast of characters from Chief Justice John Marshall to the traitorous Gen. James Wilkinson, and ultimately provided federal courts with a procedural definition of treason. Drawing on his experience in constitutional law, attorney Stewart explains how such an iconic character, standing outside the reign of power, could provoke “generations of speculation and wonder.” His gripping narrative reveals a founder driven by ambition, with a passion for expansion into Central and South American. VERDICT Stewart’s sympathetic but unapologetic study of the enigmatic Burr, most recently given a full biography in Nancy Isenberg’s Fallen Founder, transcends its subject in exposing the frailty of early America’s westward ambitions. Highly recommended for readers of Revolutionary-era biographies and early U.S. history. [See Prepub Alert, 4/25/11.]—Brian Odom Pelham P.L., AL
Williams, Susan Millar & Stephen G. Hoffius. Upheaval in Charleston: Earthquake and Murder on the Eve of Jim Crow. Univ. of Georgia. 2011. c.368p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780820337159. $29.95. HIST
Williams (English, Trident Tech Coll.; A Devil and a Good Woman, Too: The Lives of Julia Peterkin) and Hoffius (coeditor, Landscape of Slavery: The Plantation in American Art) describe the major earthquake that crushed Charleston, SC, in 1886 and share stories culled from a gamut of sources, including former slaves and Confederate soldiers, in this exploration of the struggle of blacks and whites to coexist a generation after the Civil War. One figure who tried to bring people together was Francis Warrington Dawson, but his three years of peacemaking efforts ended with his murder. His killer was tried and ultimately walked free. While the destruction caused by the earthquake creates a fitting backdrop for those dangerous times, the authors do not demonstrate that the natural disaster was the springboard for the political events that transpired. They do, however, excel at revealing Charleston’s dirty politics. VERDICT This is a tale of upheaval, in terms of both the earthquake and the politics, as the issue of segregation and Jim Crow became increasingly pressing. Recommended for those who appreciate books on natural disasters, American history, and the secret goings-on of the political world.—Krista Bush, Shelton Public Sch., CT
LAW & CRIME
Guillemin, Jeanne. American Anthrax: Fear, Crime, and the Investigation of the Nation’s Deadliest Bioterror Attack. Times Bks: Holt. Aug. 2011. c.320p. index. ISBN 9780805091045. $27. CRIME
Guillemin (Ctr. for International Studies, MIT; Anthrax: The Investigation of a Deadly Outbreak) offers a detailed look at the seven-year investigation of the deadly anthrax-laced letters that killed five people shortly after 9/11. Like David Willman’s just published The Mirage Man: Bruce Ivins, the Anthrax Attacks, and America’s Rush to War, Guillemin presents a thorough account of the massive FBI investigation that bungled its way through several suspects until finally settling on Bruce Ivins of the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Frederick, MD. Ivins committed suicide before he could be prosecuted; Willman is more convinced than Guillemin of his guilt. Willman focuses on Ivins, with a great deal more on his past—information that appears highly relevant but is absent from Guillemin’s book. But Guillemin shows that the evidence, while strong, is circumstantial and notes that Ivins did pass a polygraph test. VERDICT Guillemin provides a well-written account of an important historical event. Along with Willman’s book, this will be of interest to political scientists, historians, scientists, and readers interested in criminal investigations.—Robert Bruce Slater, Stroudsburg, PA
North, Mark. Betrayal in Dallas: LBJ, the Pearl Street Mafia, and the Murder of President Kennedy. Skyhorse, dist. by Norton. Aug. 2011. c.336p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781616082369. $24.95. CRIME
Historian and Kennedy assassination aficionado North (Act of Treason: The Role of J. Edgar Hoover in the Assassination of President Kennedy) here continues his quest to uncover the Mafia connection in the Kennedy assassination. North contends that Robert Kennedy’s aggressive pursuit of the mob threatened both the vast criminal empire and LBJ’s own political aspirations. With the collusion of J. Edgar Hoover, he argues, Johnson and the Ciavello mob set up a contract hit on President Kennedy in a town where they controlled law enforcement and anyone who could investigate the murder. However, the case is made via vague innuendo, tenuous connections, and the silence of a cast of hundreds, which cannot be disguised by 240 pages of documentation and 40 pages of source notes. Additionally, it requires Bobby Kennedy, Johnson’s avowed enemy, to know the truth about his brother’s death but to blackmail Johnson for political favors in return for his silence. Such unlikely assertions sink the book. VERDICT This carefully documented sermon to the converted will fascinate conspiracy buffs but is unlikely to win over skeptics. Buy for interest.—Deirdre Bray Root, Middletown P.L., Dayton, OH
Pulitzer, Lisa & Cole Thompson. Portrait of a Monster: Joran van der Sloot, a Murder in Peru, and the Natalee Holloway Mystery. St. Martin’s. Jul. 2011. c.288p. photogs. ISBN 9780312359218. $25.99. CRIME
On Sunday, May 30, 2005, high school student Natalee Holloway headed out to party on her last night in Aruba—and disappeared without a trace. Five years to the day after Holloway’s disappearance, Stephany Flores went to a casino in Lima, Peru—and was found dead in a cheap motel. Both were last seen in the company of Joran van der Sloot, a young Dutch expatriate with a mean streak. Pulitzer (Fatal Romance: A True Story of Obsession and Murder), a former New York Times correspondent, and Thompson (coauthor, A Deadly Game: The Untold Story of the Scott Peterson Investigation) jump back and forth between the two cases, a potentially risky strategy that works well here to highlight the mistakes and bad breaks that prevented van der Sloot’s capture. His repeated lies, ever-changing alibis, and fabricated “confessions” kept him one step ahead of the law in Aruba, but he wasn’t so lucky the second time around and was caught within days. He is currently awaiting trial in Peru. VERDICT This mesmerizing account of a young sociopath will be devoured by anyone who followed the Holloway case.—Deirdre Bray Root, Middletown P.L., OH
Slocum, Joshua & Lisa Carlson. Final Rights: Reclaiming the American Way of Death. Upper Access. 2011. 512p. index. ISBN 9780942679342. pap. $19.95. LAW
Slocum (executive director, Funeral Consumers Alliance) and Carlson (executive director, Funeral Ethics Organization) offer a guide intended to prepare consumers to deal with what the authors claim is a deceptive and greedy funeral services industry. They look at the components of burying the dead, including choosing caskets and markers, dealing with cemeteries and funeral homes, understanding pre-need funeral purchases, and new and revived trends such as home funerals and green funerals. They offer numerous real-life examples of manipulation and questionable practices and provide tips for consumers to help avoid rip-offs, such as misleading perpetual-care arrangements and exorbitant embalming costs. There is practical advice on filing a complaint when wronged by the industry and a cautionary chapter on the Federal Trade Commission and what the authors see as its failure to enforce its own consumer protection rules. VERDICT This book is a boon for those looking to simplify and personalize caring for the dead. The inclusion of a compilation of each state’s funeral laws, including statutory citations and guidance for those investigating home funerals and burials and body donation, make this an essential purchase for consumer-protection collections.—Joan Pedzich, Harris Beach PLLC, Rochester, NY
Political Science
Phillips, Christopher. Constitution Café: Jefferson’s Brew for a True Revolution. Norton. Aug. 2011. c.288p. ISBN 9780393064803. $24.95. POL SCI
Is it time to call a new Constitutional Convention? Building on the small, informal gatherings that Phillips used to collect the information for an earlier book, Socrates Café, he traveled around the country leading discussions on how the U.S. Constitution could be updated to reflect 21st-century values. Basing much of the discussion on Jefferson’s views of individual rights and his wariness of centralized power, Phillips reminds readers that Jefferson advocated replacement of the Constitution every 19 or 20 years. The wide range of topics includes altering the process of amending the Constitution, restricting the power of lobbyists, and providing for a universal “world class” education for every child. Following a description of the participants in each group and its setting, Phillips provides a brief summary of the discussion’s content and progress, then proposes a Constitution Article that the group agreed on. Background information and follow-up commentary accompany each section. VERDICT As an exploration of current governmental theory and philosophy, the book provides an excellent framework for conducting similar discussions. Readers who enjoy political and governmental theory or who participate in politically oriented book clubs will find this a worthwhile choice. [See Prepub Alert, 2/7/11.]—Jill Ortner, Hamburg, NY
Wise, David. Tiger Trap: America’s Secret Spy War with China. Houghton Harcourt. 2011. c.304p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780547553108. $28. INT AFFAIRS
Wise (Spy: The Inside Story of How the FBI’s Robert Hanssen Betrayed America) explores the spying by China on the United States since 1985, arguing that China’s efforts are very different from traditional Cold War spying, glamorized over the past 50 years. Money and sex are not the main ways that China manipulates and motivates spies. Rather, in thousands of contacts with students, tourists, trade delegations, and visiting scientists, the Chinese intelligence agencies patiently emphasize appeals to personal relationships (guanxi) and ask these contacts to help China better itself. Not only does this create many thousands of potential spies, but there are few simple “just follow the money!” pathways for U.S. agents to use to track and uncover the networks. Through recounting U.S. counterintelligence operations, Wise provides scintillating and embarrassing details of counterintelligence failures and shows how China has penetrated many secret U.S. programs. He also demonstrates that complacency might be the biggest enemy of U.S. security and counterintelligence efforts. VERDICT Wise’s readable and well-researched book is an early effort on a topic that will be important for decades and a must-read for anyone interested in this subject. Highly recommended.—Mark K. Jones, Mercantile Lib., Cincinnati, OH
PSYCHOLOGY
Kaye, Randye. Ben Behind His Voices: One Family’s Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope. Rowman & Littlefield. Aug. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9781442210899. $26.95. PSYCH
It’s the reason parents fear the teenage years—the all-too-common story of a happy, well-adjusted child who slowly spirals into rebelliousness, disaffection, and apathy. Such teens may drop out of school or stop studying, indulge in drugs and alcohol, and possibly commit petty crime. When Kaye’s son Ben gradually became “troubled,” she tried all of the usual remedies: therapy, tough love, and special camps and schools, but nothing worked. Instead, he became increasingly emotionally unavailable and uninterested in taking care of himself and was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia. Like many sufferers, Ben doesn’t acknowledge his illness and hates the side effects of the medication he needs to function. In the latter part of the book, Kaye describes what she goes through to ensure that her son takes his medication and has a safe place to live. VERDICT An illuminating portrait of a parent coping with the guilt and heartbreak that come from feeling like one can’t “fix” one’s child. Recommended for anyone who is involved with teens or those with mental disorders, and a darn good read for memoir fans.—Mary Ann Hughes, Shelton WA
The Mind: Leading Scientists Explore the Brain, Memory, Personality, and Happiness. HarperPerennial: HarperCollins. Aug. 2011. c.304p. ed. by John Brockman. ISBN 9780062025845. pap. $14.99. PSYCH
This engaging collection comes from the online science salon Edge.org, where editor Brockman’s (This Will Change Everything: Ideas That Will Shape the Future) 18 interviews with 16 scientists originally appeared. Interviewees include Steven Pinker, V.S. Ramachandran, Alison Gopnik, Philip Zimbardo, Frank Sulloway, and George Lakoff; their respective topics are computation, mirror neurons and self-awareness, infants, cruelty and evil, birth order and personality, and philosophy. The style is conversational, lively, and informal. Especially interesting are Gopnik’s amazing babies, Lakoff’s linguistics, Joseph LeDoux’s discussion of emotion, Geoffrey Miller on sexual selection (including how it can affect our art and music choices), and Jonathan Haidt’s conversation on morality. Darwin is frequently cited, Freud hardly ever. Interview dates range from 1997 to 2009, with only four from the last five years. The editor ignores the amount of time that has elapsed since the interviews took place, e.g., the decade-old contribution on mirror neurons asserts that the subject is “unreported.” Missing from the book, among others, are Antonio Damasio, Judith Rich Harris, and Eric Kandel. VERDICT A lively and useful but somewhat dated introduction to diverse aspects of brain and behavior research, accessible to a general audience.—E. James Lieberman, George Washington Univ. Sch. of Medicine, Washington, DC
Segal, Nancy L. Someone Else’s Twin: The True Story of Babies Switched at Birth. Prometheus. Aug. 2011. c.250p. photogs. ISBN 9781616144371. $25. PSYCH
Twin studies have proven to be a valuable tool for assessing the influence of genetic factors on individual traits and behavior. Here, however, Segal (psychology, California State Univ.; Entwined Lives: Twins and What They Tell Us About Human Behavior), who has an extensive research background in twin studies (and is a twin herself), provides a novel twist on the traditional nature vs. nurture debate. Though other twin scenarios are reviewed, the main focus is a case study of three young women from the Canary Islands who faced the trauma of being switched at birth. Segal covers the complex issues arising from such a scenario—which may affect approximately 20,000 children annually in the United States—including maternal/paternal certainty, infant ID systems, long- and short-term best interests of children, damage assessments, and effects on other family members. Several of these issues may affect other planned and less dramatic forms of collaborative parenting. Original research forms the basis for this book, but the reporting style is more journalistic than technical. Comprehensive notes accompany the text. VERDICT Authoritative and accessible, this is recommended for public libraries and professional collections serving counselors, advocates, and administrators concerned with this unique form of malpractice.—Antoinette Brinkman, M.L.S., Evansville, IN
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Adler, Patricia A. & Peter Adler. The Tender Cut: Inside the Hidden World of Self-Injury. New York Univ. Aug. 2011. c.251p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780814705070. pap. $22. SOC SCI
This timely, important book is not an easy read. Although, according to the authors, “self-injury has existed for nearly all of recorded history,” the quantum growth in the last 20 years of people, especially the young, engaging in self-cutting, burning, branding, scratching, picking at skin, reopening wounds, biting, hair pulling, and more supports the need for a comprehensive discussion about self-injury. Patricia A. Adler (sociology, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder) and Peter Adler (sociology & criminology, Univ. of Denver) present a clinical but compassionate scholarly treatment. While the recent use of cyberspace for “practitioners” of self-injury to communicate with each other about formerly very private behaviors now provides alarming evidence of this “cult youth phenomenon,” it also offers the possibility for mutual support among practitioners and, perhaps, interventions by professionals and caring families. In their thorough treatment of the subject, the authors include a history and literature review of this difficult topic, discussions of case histories, and examinations of relational dynamics and social contexts that may lead to cutting. VERDICT While literary references and clinical terms may be beyond the average reader, this is a must-read for those connected in any way to this topic.—Ellen D. Gilbert, Princeton, NJ
Gilligan, Carol. Joining the Resistance. Polity, dist. by Wiley. 2011. c.180p. bibliog. ISBN 9780745651699. $19.95. SOC SCI
In 1982, NYU professor and clinical psychologist Gilligan reformed our understanding of gender and human development in her best-selling In a Different Voice by deconstructing the powerful messages society sends young girls. Discussing how her ideas evolved from her own life experiences, Gilligan here takes a humane approach to thinking about personal and political relationships, holding that both love and citizenship in democratic society spring from the same impulses. She addresses widespread misunderstandings of her earlier work and emphasizes the need for an ethic of care. She also elucidates the current lively discourse on gender relations and discusses the potential for social transformation. VERDICT This is an eloquent, sophisticated analysis of gender relations, individual identity, and human nature that focuses on how women have “lost their voice” in a predominately patriarchal society. It will appeal to erudite or specialized readers interested in issues of gender and psychology. Recommended for university collections in gender studies, philosophy, psychiatry, psychology, and the helping professions.—Dale Farris, Groves, TX
Hollander, Paul. Extravagant Expectations: New Ways To Find Romantic Love in America. Ivan R. Dee. 2011. c.264p. index. ISBN 9781566637770. $27.95. SOC SCI
In this sociological study of modern American ideals of romantic love, Hollander (sociology, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst; The End of Commitment: Intellectuals, Revolutionaries, and Political Morality in the Twentieth Century) departs from his previous focus on criticism of communism and the Left to examine the impact of individualism and moral relativism on the expectations of romantic relationships. He compares and contrasts 19th-century romanticism with American individualism and examines popular self-help books, print personal ads, and individual profiles on a popular online dating site. By studying self-promotion and descriptions of ideal partners in print and online personal ads, Hollander successfully identifies the desirable traits and characteristics sought by those looking for a romantic partner. He concludes that these attributes are often deeply in contention with one another because of the conflict that arises from individualism vs. the need for community. VERDICT While popular works have been published about personal ads and online dating, Hollander provides a unique scholarly examination about how they mirror contemporary American romantic ideals. Recommended for readers with a serious interest in sociology and contemporary American culture.—Kate Wells, Fitchburg State Univ. Lib., MA
Romero, Mary. The Maid’s Daughter: Living Inside and Outside the American Dream. New York Univ. Sept. 2011. c.265p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780814776421. $27.95. SOC SCI
Mexican-born Carmen settled in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s as a live-in maid with her young daughter, Olivia. Aside from occasional visits to relatives in impoverished Mexican neighborhoods, Olivia lived her childhood and teen years with Carmen’s primary employer, the Smiths, who in ways embraced Olivia as one of their own—from paying for her education to, many years later, inscribing her name on a Smith family gravestone. Over the course of 20 years, social justice scholar Romero interviewed the adult Olivia about her childhood experiences. Olivia’s knowledge of two disparate communities gave her broad social capital and a high degree of social confidence, but her cultural competence was muddied while growing up by her proximity to privilege, with her access to the fruits of privilege strictly limited. VERDICT At once a valuable case study and a dramatic life story, this oral history explores identity and illuminates race, class, and gender in America at a peculiarly intimate intersection between upper-middle-class white families and the women of color who provide domestic labor for them. With Romero’s analysis, extensive footnotes, and a through bibliography, it will be of greater interest to scholars than to casual readers of memoir.—Janet Ingraham Dwyer, State Lib. of Ohio, Columbus
Stoute, Steve. The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy. Gotham: Penguin Group (USA). Sept. 2011. c.269p. ISBN 9781592404810. $26. SOC SCI
According to Stoute, a branding consultant and former record executive, “the adhesive of youth culture and inclusive racial diversity” has led to the “tanning of America.” Ignoring the globalization of popular culture is perilous, he argues, and he seeks “to put an end, once and for all, to the boxing of individuals based on color.” Part One traces the evolution of hip-hop and rap, showing how these forms brought success to performers who poetized their frustrations and appealed to urban teens who wanted to be cool. This section offers a detailed chronicle of early hip-hop musicians, including DJ Kool Herc and numerous others, as well as advertisers, such as Adidas and Nike, eager to increase their market share by plugging into hip-hop culture. Part Two details the “Power, Pitfalls and Potential of Tanning,” and Part Three, “The Future of the Tan World,” calls tanning a “cultural bridge” to the American Dream. “Cross-culturism is the next phase of tanning,” writes Stoute, of which the most important element is “loving one another.” VERDICT This detailed history of hip-hop as a musical genre and its genesis, development, and effects on society will appeal to historians and sociologists, as well as some fans of hip-hop. [See Prepub Alert, 12/13/10.]—Joanne B. Conrad, Geneseo, NY
Vander Ven, Thomas. Getting Wasted: Why College Students Drink Too Much and Party So Hard. New York Univ. Aug. 2011. c.208p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780814788325. pap. $19.95. SOC SCI
Vander Ven (sociology & anthropology, Ohio Univ.; Working Mothers and Juvenile Delinquency) delves into well-trod territory, though with a somewhat new perspective and research motive. While previous scholarly efforts have focused on binge drinking and its inherent risks, Vander Ven focuses on the social structure, meaning, and implication of drinking behaviors. With an intended audience of researchers, students, and parents, as well as college administrators, the book recounts the self-reported alcohol-related rationalizations and outcomes of over 400 college students at three different campuses. The author focuses on the impetus for drinking and the important roles codrinkers play, the range of activities that can result during a bout of drinking (fun to potentially fatal), and the ensuing impact and result of the drinking episode. This is not a comfortable read. And yet despite limited analysis and an academic’s awkward touch on somewhat questionable youth-culture language, the book does offer a realistic portrayal of socially bonding drinking behaviors and attitudes. In the end Vander Ven suggests stellar ways campuses can reduce the harm of excessive drinking. VERDICT Recommended for sociologists, university administrators, and college-age students.—Jewell Anderson, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ. Lib., Savannah
TRAVEL & GEOGRAPHY
Blackman, Marci & others. Bike NYC: The Cyclist’s Guide to New York City. Skyhorse, dist. by Norton. Jul. 2011. c.192p. illus. maps. ISBN 9781616083137. pap. $12.95. TRAV
Sightseeing by bicycle is a great way to cover a lot of ground and still feel the pulse of New York City. Bike tour guides Blackman and Ed Glazer and Michael Green (founder, BikeBlogNYC.com) cover nine routes designed to provide both tourist highlights and local insider knowledge. The book is replete with interesting historical tidbits, as well as information on local restaurants, on-route bike shops, and traffic conditions. It reads like an engaging tour guide’s script, but it will be difficult to parse out this information while riding; most notably missing are ride cue sheets and clear maps one might expect from a cycling guidebook. VERDICT This guidebook’s strength is the wealth and variety of information about the city and its history. Not well designed for use en route, it is recommended for trip planning and research. Though it’s somewhat dated, riders may prefer the clarity and brevity of Phil Harrington’s Short Bike Rides in and Around New York City.—Sheila Kasperek, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib.
Mason, Walter. Destination Saigon: Adventures in Vietnam. Allen & Unwin, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Aug. 2011. 260p. bibliog. ISBN 9781741759495. pap. $16.95. TRAV
From the heat and crowds to the exotic foods to the kindness of residents, Australian writer Mason gives readers an engrossing glimpse of a modern, poverty-stricken, mysterious Vietnam. He weaves his tales of traveling around the country and meeting eccentric individuals, including Buddhist monks, nuns, hairdressers, café dwellers, boat/taxi drivers, and their relatives with humor, dignity, and a great deal of love for the places and people he has come to know. Although this book is based on a three-month trip, Mason gives his adventures in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Hanoi, and beyond (and the people that he shared them with) a history based on his previous visits, which allows him to portray a Vietnam that few Westerners will ever experience. VERDICT Armchair travelers as well as all readers interested in Vietnam or Buddhism will love this delightful book. Highly recommended.—Melissa Aho, Univ. of Minnesota Lib., Minneapolis
HAITI: BEFORE & AFTER
Curnutte, Mark. A Promise in Haiti: A Reporter’s Notes on Families and Daily Lives. Vanderbilt Univ. Aug. 2011. c.232p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9780826517838. $25. SOC SCI
Curnutte (Cincinnati Enquirer) presents the stories of three struggling families in Gonaives, Haiti, a city of 200,000, located approximately 60 miles north of Port-au-Prince. During visits to Gonaives, mainly in 2006 and 2008, Curnutte met and interviewed the Henrisma, Cénécharles, and Louis families. He describes their dire financial situation, poor living conditions, limited employment prospects, and lack of educational opportunities. Despite Haiti’s history of natural disasters and ongoing economic and political problems, Curnutte highlights the strength and resiliency of these families, paying particular attention to their faith and religion. Curnutte unfortunately was unable to visit these families after the devastating 2010 earthquake—conditions on the ground made it impossible—but he reports on the situation around Port-au-Prince after the devastation. VERDICT A timely book that will appeal to a general audience, although the title does not make clear that it is primarily about Haiti before the earthquake. The author’s reflections on his internal struggles as a privileged American journalist in Haiti are honest, sincere, and refreshing. Curnutte writes of being influenced by James Agee and Walker Evans’s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Recommended to those interested in foreign aid on a personal level and the lives of the poor in Haiti.—Karen Okamoto, John Jay Coll. of Criminal Justice Lib., NY
Farmer, Paul. Haiti After the Earthquake. PublicAffairs: Perseus. Jul. 2011. c.464p. ed. by Abbey Gardner & Cassia Van Der Hoof Holstein. photogs. index. ISBN 9781586489731. $27.99. INT AFFAIRS
On January 12, 2010, the whole world witnessed the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti and the devastation that followed. Having worked in Haiti for almost 30 years, Farmer (UN Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti; global health & social medicine, Harvard) draws on his vast experience to explain what he calls the “acute on chronic problem” that exists in the aftermath of the quake. He recounts the chronic problems caused by Haiti’s history of colonial rule, damaging foreign and domestic economic policies, and the resulting abundance of well-meaning but dysfunctional humanitarian aid. Farmer does not deny the horror of the earthquake, but he pushes for closer examination of the problems in Haiti that made this natural disaster so destructive and the efforts to help its citizens extremely difficult. He argues for a more progressive rebuilding plan in Haiti to “build back better.” Also included are essays from earthquake survivors, doctors, and other volunteers, which lend a more personal tone to the book. VERDICT Farmer demonstrates his deep love for Haiti while at the same time pushing for the drastic foreign and domestic reforms needed to rebuild this troubled nation. Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about the history of, and recovery efforts in, Haiti.—Veronica Arellano, California, MD
