Week ending January 26, 2018

Abdurraqib, Hanif. They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us. Two Dollar Radio. 2017. 236p. ISBN 9781937512651. pap. $16.99; ebk. ISBN 9781937512668. SOC SCI

Poet, essayist, and music critic Abdurraqib (The Crown Ain’t Worth Much) examines contemporary America through the lens of popular culture. He paints a picture of a divided country in which the political and cultural structures of white America have imposed constraints on the voices, minds, and bodies of African Americans. With a pensive tone, the author considers gender, income, and religion in the context of race—with only twinges of hope for the future. For example, he demonstrates how the punk genre excludes and ignores people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community; how tennis star Serena Williams is expected to remain humble and quiet; and how hip-hop group Migos struggles with credibility because they hail from the suburbs. Abdurraqib’s music knowledge is extensive as he comments on diverse genres and artists from Nina Simone to Fall Out Boy to Future. He mixes essays, which touch upon themes such as death, fame, survival, and authenticity, with personal stories about growing up in a Muslim family and losing his mother as a teenager.

Verdict Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries. Readers don’t have to be familiar with the celebrities and artists mentioned to appreciate Abdurraqib’s cultural commentary.—Chris Wilkes, Tazewell Cty. P.L., VA

Burg, Avraham. In Days to Come: A New Hope for Israel. Nation. Jan. 2018. 336p. tr. from Hebrew by Joel Greenberg. index. ISBN 9781568589787. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781568589794. POL SCI

Former Israeli speaker of the Knesset, chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organization, author (The Holocaust Is Over), and current spokesman for the Israeli left, Burg wrote this book to examine his own life experiences and use them to chart a more sustainable path for Israel. Though the author repeatedly expresses his love and respect for his father, Yosef Burg (Religious Zionist MK and Israeli cabinet minister 1949–88), the two changes he identifies as essential for Israel’s future are true separation of religion and state and the recognition that the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 and the occupation of territory after 1967 were fundamental traumas for the people living there and their descendants. Burg also asserts that Israel has a responsibility to participate in dealing with that event. He advocates for two states between the Jordan River and the sea, both of which must be democratic and egalitarian and respect gender, religion, and ethnicity. Burg writes that Israelis must be more like the Jews of the diaspora: patient in living with complexity.

Verdict Of great interest to readers concerned with the future of Israel.—Joel Neuberg, Santa Rosa Junior Coll. Lib., CA

Gibler, John. I Couldn’t Even Imagine That They Would Kill Us: An Oral History of the Attacks Against the Students of Ayotzinapa. City Lights. 2017. 264p. maps. ISBN 9780872867482. pap. $16.95; ebk. ISBN 9780872867499. HIST/CRIME On the evening of September 26, 2014, local, state, and federal police in Iguala, Mexico, attacked five buses of college students and a youth soccer team, leaving six dead, dozens wounded, and 43 students missing. Journalist Gibler (To Die in Mexico) reported the events and collected hundreds of stories from those who survived as well as families of the disappeared students from Ayotzinapa Teachers College. Gibler determined the story was best told through “writing by listening,” and here he weaves a narrative of the harrowing events through the words of the students, offering multiple points of view. The families of the missing then offer their accounts as they seek answers from the government, which was complicit not only in the attacks but in covering up the truth of what happened. The result is a raw and vulnerable glimpse into the violence that continues to affect parts of Mexico and the pain of parents who still don’t know what happened to their children.

Verdict As a collection of oral histories, this may not be an easy read for some. But readers interested in learning more about crime and corruption in Mexico, especially from the point of view of the victims, will want to read this book.—Michael C. Miller, Austin P.L. & Austin History Ctr., TX

Harris, Dan & others. Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-To Book. Spiegel & Grau. Jan. 2018. 304p. bibliog. ISBN 9780399588945. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780399588952. SELF-HELP

Weekend ABC News anchor and author Harris (10% Happier) pens this book, with the help of “Meditation MacGyver” Jeff Warren and journalist Carlyle Adler, for all those who think they should meditate but don’t have time or couldn’t do it right. There is no right way, says Harris, but the main practice involves stepping away from distractions and focusing on one’s breath. Harris provides a wealth of techniques to help promote concentration, understand urges, enjoy one’s body, and even relieve boredom. Because he peppers the pages with his own skepticism and humor, readers are encouraged to keep going and may even be prompted to try a meditation.

Verdict A great Meditation 101.—Deborah Bigelow, Leonia P.L., NJ

Hornblum, Allen M. American Colossus: Big Bill Tilden and the Creation of Modern Tennis. Univ. of Nebraska. Mar. 2018. 512p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780803288119. $39.95. SPORTS

In his latest book, Hornblum (The Invisible Harry Gold; Acres of Skin) examines the rise of professional tennis and the contributions to the sport of Bill Tilden (1893–1953). This requires context; in the 1920s, the sporting landscape was different. Tilden was among the first to have all of the elements of the game, both physical and mental, with the ability to exploit the weakness of opponents, or the much more difficult task of overpowering their strengths. Hornblum presents Tilden as the consummate amateur. The athlete made no money from competitive tennis as an amateur player, though he earned a living in part from his writing about tennis. Ultimately, this led to the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) revoking his amateur status. As a professional, Tilden started a career in filmed golf instruction. As much as Tilden contributed to the sport, his legacy was marred by rumors about his sexuality.

Verdict While predominantly a book on a tennis personality, people involved in the business of sport and the role of the NCAA will also find this of interest.—Steven Silkunas, Fernandina Beach, FL

Kells, Stuart. The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders. Counterpoint. Mar. 2018. 224p. ISBN 9781640090200. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781640090217. SOC SCI

What is a library? Book trade historian Kells describes libraries as an “act of faith.” Libraries cover many areas of human existence: being integral to education, offering solace and discovery, and providing a social connection. Interesting facts abound. Want to learn more about “bookworms,” or Dermestes lardarius? What vellum is made from the skin of bovine fetuses? Each chapter follows a general theme, such as oral traditions, ancient books, design, and war. Interspersed after each chapter are brief stories on topics such as accidental physical items found in books and historical accounts of book vandalism. Kells also covers the development of both real (the Folger Shakespeare Library) and fantasy (J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings) institutions. The author ends with his own “love letter” to libraries, seeing them as something sacred, magical, and hard to quantify.

Verdict This work takes readers on what can only be described as a labyrinth of traditions, facts, and vignettes that will whet the appetite of any bibliophile or lectiophile. It will appeal mostly to those who are attracted to the minutiae of libraries (although this is not an exhaustive history.)—Maria Bagshaw, Elgin Community Coll. Lib., IL

Nixey, Catherine. The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World. Houghton Harcourt. Apr. 2018. 384p. illus. maps. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780544800885. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780544800939. REL

In her debut, Times (UK) journalist Nixey boldly challenges the conventional narrative of the happy triumph of early Christianity by telling the story from the perspective of those whom the Church defeated. Her gripping, albeit sometimes sensationalistic, revisionist popular history calls into question the standard accounts of topics such as monasticism, the Roman persecution of Christians, and martyrdom while vividly portraying the tragedies of people such as Hypatia of Alexandria and Damascius of Athens. Nixey’s overarching purpose is to provoke readers to consider the terrible cost of the rise of the Christian faith. Although medieval monasteries did indeed preserve a lot of classical knowledge, prior to that the Church demolished, vandalized, and destroyed art, statues, temples, and books and was an instrument of persecution, intolerance, and anti-intellectualism as it conquered its rivals across the Roman Empire.

Verdict While providing a valuable corrective and alternative to Christian-centric historical perspectives, Nixey is prone to push too far in the other direction, oversimplifying complex events, presenting speculation as fact, and offering limited evidence to support dramatic conclusions. Regardless, readers interested in unorthodox histories will appreciate this stimulating and iconoclastic work.—Brian Sullivan, Alfred Univ. Lib., NY

William Ivey Long: Costume Designs 2007–2016. Yale Univ. 2017. 128p. ed. by Annie Carlano. illus. notes. ISBN 9780300229387. $45. DEC ARTS

Since working on his first Broadway play in 1978, prolific costume designer William Ivey Long has been creating historic and contemporary costumes for Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays, dance and opera productions, cinema, television, and other stage shows. Having worked on more than 70 Broadway productions, he has received six Tony Awards (out of 15 nominations). He was also the first designer to be chair of the American Theatre Wing, from 2012 to 2016. This accompaniment to an exhibition of the same name at the international art and design Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC (the designer’s home state), edited by senior curator Carlano, focuses on Ivey Long’s designs from seven theatrical productions between 2007 and 2016, including The Lost Colony, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, On the Twentieth Century, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, among others. The complexities of theatrical design are illustrated through sketches, photographs, preparatory materials (such as the designer’s mood boards), and the finished costumes.

Verdict With many color images and insights into the designer’s process, this title is recommended for show people, creatives, and those interested in the art of costume design.—Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Univ. Lib., MA