New Books
February 2008
NONFICTION
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession - Levitin , Daniel J.
Starred Review: Think of a song that resonates deep down in your being. Now imagine sitting down with someone who was there when the song was recorded and can tell you how that series of sounds was committed to tape, and who can also explain why that particular combination of rhythms, timbres and pitches has lodged in your memory, making your pulse race and your heart swell every time you hear it. Remarkably, Levitin does all this and more, interrogating the basic nature of hearing and of music making (this is likely the only book whose jacket sports blurbs from both Oliver Sacks and Stevie Wonder), without losing an affectionate appreciation for the songs he's reducing to neural impulses. Levitin is the ideal guide to this material: he enjoyed a successful career as a rock musician and studio producer before turning to cognitive neuroscience, earning a Ph.D. and becoming a top researcher into how our brains interpret music. Though the book starts off a little dryly (the first chapter is a crash course in music theory), Levitin's snappy prose and relaxed style quickly win one over and will leave readers thinking about the contents of their iPods in an entirely new way. – Publisher's Weekly
Contents: Introduction: I love music and I love science-- why would I want to mix the two? -- What is music : from pitch to timbre -- Foot tapping : discerning rhythm, loudness, and harmony -- Behind the curtain : music and the mind machine -- Anticipation : what we expect from Liszt (and Ludacris ) -- You know my name, look up the number : how we categorize music -- After dessert, Crick was still four seats away from me : music, emotion, and the reptilian brain -- What makes a musician? : expertise dissected -- My favorite things : why do we like the music we like? -- The music instinct : evolution's #1 hit.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time - Mortenson , Greg
On a 1993 expedition to climb K2 in honor of his sister Christa, who had died of epilepsy at 23, Mortenson stumbled upon a remote mountain village in Pakistan . Out of gratitude for the villagers' assistance when he was lost and near death, he vowed to build a school for the children who were scratching lessons in the dirt. Raised by his missionary parents in Tanzania , Mortenson was used to dealing with exotic cultures and developing nations. Still, he faced daunting challenges of raising funds, death threats from enraged mullahs, separation from his family, and a kidnapping to eventually build 55 schools in Taliban territory. Award-winning journalist Relin recounts the slow and arduous task Mortenson set for himself, a one-man mission aimed particularly at bringing education to young girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan . Readers interested in a fresh perspective on the cultures and development efforts of Central Asia will love this incredible story of a humanitarian endeavor. – Booklist
Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future - Carson, Iain
A stirring call to arms urging Americans to demand that the government act now to meet the challenges of global warming and to tackle the country's addiction to oil. Carson, former industry editor of The Economist, and Vaitheeswaran , who for ten years reported on environmental and energy issues for that magazine, take to task the automakers of Detroit and Big Oil, dubbing them "dinosaurs" facing extinction unless they change their thinking soon. The authors' closeup look at the workings of the auto industry is sharp and pulls no punches. They credit Toyota with taking the lead in the race to develop the successor to the internal-combustion engine, calling the Prius a stepping stone to the car of the future. The chapters on oil trace the story of America 's dependence on Mideast oil from FDR's pact with Ibn Saud of Saudia Arabia in World War II to the terror-threatened market of the present day, and they consider the serious problems now facing the Western oil giants, especially the restricted access to reserves as competition from national oil companies increases. But there's also good news, note the authors. Employing religious terminology, they envision a "Great Awakening" under way in the form of a new awareness of the need for energy reform and some specific actions being taken to achieve it. They offer engrossing stories about a variety of technology innovators and entrepreneurs with fresh ideas about clean energy, including the use of hydrogen to power cars that have clean fuel cells instead of dirty gasoline engines. The authors conclude with a manifesto stating five principles for a smart energy policy, including the necessity of individual action and a grassroots rebellion thatwill prompt action from the country's leaders. A timely, authoritative book written in a punchy, easy-to-read style. – Kirkus
Contents: The terrible twins : cars and oil wrote the history of twentieth-century American capitalism -- Down and out in Detroit : how the car industry, the icon of American greatness in the last century, lost its way -- Big oil in big trouble : the world is not running out of oil, but America's oil giants are in trouble even so -- The parable of the Prius : how Toyota's culture propelled the once-provincial carmaker past GM to number one -- The axis of oil : oil's geopolitical complications arise from America's bipartisan addiction to oil -- The slumbering giant awakes : the great awakening of America to the dangers of oil addiction and global warming is pushing corporations to act--but can big business really solve the problem? -- Crouching tiger, leaping dragon : Asia's rise could save, rather than destroy, the planet -- The juice and the jalopy : the same anarchic, amazing forces that brought us the Internet and telecom revolutions are now racing to develop the clean fuels and smart cars of tomorrow -- A call to arms : a grass-roots movement sweeping across America promises to overturn Washington's oil curse--and level the playing field for clean energy and the car of the future.
Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction - Hamilton, Sue
India has a long, rich, and diverse tradition of philosophical thought, spanning some two and a half millennia and encompassing several major religious traditions. This Very Short Introduction emphasizes the diversity of Indian thought, and is structured around six schools which have achieved classic status. Sue Hamilton explores how the traditions have attempted to understand the nature of reality in terms of an inner or spiritual quest, and introduces distinctively Indian concepts such as karma and rebirth. She also shows how Indian thinkers have understood issues of reality and knowledge -- issues which are also an important part of the Western philosophical tradition. – from the publisher
Contents: The Brahmanical beginnings: Vedic sacrifice and the early Upanisads -- Beyond Brahmanism: the Buddha and other renouncers -- Issues and justifications: language, grammar, and the emerging of polemics -- Nyaya and Vaisesika -- Developments in Buddhist thought: Abhidharma , Madhyamaka , and Yogicara -- Yoga and Samkhya -- Grammar again, and the exegetical traditions: Bhartrhari , Mimamsa , and Vedanta -- Further reading -- Index.
Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project - Wells, Spencer
Travel backward through time from today's scattered billions to the handful of early humans who lived in Africa 60,000 years ago and are ancestors to us all. In Deep Ancestry , scientist and National Geographic explorer Spencer Wells shows how tiny genetic changes add up over time into a fascinating story. Using scores of real-life examples, helpful analogies, and detailed diagrams and illustrations, he explains exactly how each and every individual's DNA contributes another piece to the jigsaw puzzle of human history. The book takes readers inside the Genographic Project—the landmark study now assembling the world's largest collection of DNA samples and employing the latest in testing technology and computer analysis to examine hundreds of thousand of genetic profiles from all over the globe—and invites us all to take part. – from the publisher
The European Union: A Very Short Introduction - Usherwood , Simon
Explains the European Union in plain English. Including controversial and current topics such as the Euro currency, the EU's enlargement, and its role in ongoing world affairs, this accessible guide shows how and why the EU has developed from 1950 to the present. Covering a range of topics from the Union's early history and the ongoing interplay between ' eurosceptics ' and federalists, to the single market, agriculture, and the environment, the authors examine the successes and failures of the EU, and explain the choices that lie ahead in the 21st century. – from the publisher
Contents: Abbreviations -- List of boxes -- List of charts -- List of illustrations -- List of maps -- What the EU is for -- How the EU was made -- How the EU is governed -- Single market, single currency -- Agriculture, regions, budget -- Social policy, environmental policy -- 'An area of freedom, security, and justice' -- A great civilian power ... or more, or less? -- The EU and Europe -- The EU and the world -- So far so good ... but what next? -- Further reading -- Chronology -- Glossary -- Memberships of European Organizations -- Index.
The Discovery of France : A Historical Geography , from the Revolution to the First World War - Robb, Graham
Starred Review: France is often regarded as the center of elegant civilization, so it's surprising to find that as late as 1890, most of the population was far from civilized—outside the confines of sophisticated Paris, as noted biographer Robb explains in his riveting exploration of France's historical geography, great swathes of countryside were terra incognita: dark places inhabited by illiterate tribes professing pre-Christian beliefs and lethally hostile to outsiders. They spoke not French but regional dialects; much of the country had not been accurately mapped; and many in the rural areas lacked surnames. The author himself embarked on a 14,000-mile bicycle tour of the France passed over in tourist guides. The result is a curious, engrossing mix of personal observation, scholarly diligence and historical narrative as Robb discusses the formation of both the French character and the French state. Robb's biographies of Victor Hugo, Rimbaud and Balzac were all selected by the New York Times as among the best books of the year, an accolade that assures a select readership will be eager to pack his newest alongside their Michelin guides. – Publishers Weekly
50 Best Sights in Astronomy and How to See Them: Observing Eclipses, Bright Comets, Meteor Showers, and Other Celestial Wonders - Schaaf , Fred
Starred Review: Based on a lifetime of stargazing, Schaaf lists his personal favorites—the 50 most thrilling sights to be seen in the heavens: a comet, Orion's Belt, the Andromeda Galaxy, the planet Neptune, a meteor shower, sunspots, a supernova, and on and on. Schaaf begins with some basic information and terminology ( altazimuth system, for example, or right ascension) and then plunges right in with the most easily accessible astronomical sight, the starry sky above our heads. For each sight, he not only explains what it is and the best conditions under which to observe it, he also tells us about its historical, mythological, or scientific importance and explores how these far-off wonders can have a very real effect on our humble home world. This could so easily have been a dry-as-dust tome, but Schaaf's enthusiasm overflows every page. How could you not love a book about astronomy whose author tells you the date of his favorite planetary conjunction? (It was June 4, 1978, when Mars and Saturn got to within 0.1 degrees of each other.) Just a wonderful book. – Booklist
Contents: Introduction: Basic Information for Astronomical Observers -- THE 50 BEST SIGHTS -- FIELD OF VIEW: 180 DEGREES (THE WHOLE SKY) TO 100 DEGREES (NAKED-EYE SCAN) -- The Starry Sky -- Total Eclipse of the Sun -- Meteor Shower or Storm -- Fireball Meteor -- The Northern Lights or Aurora -- Bright Satellite or Spacecraft -- The Milky Way -- FIELD OF VIEW: 100 DEGREES TO 50 DEGREES (THE WIDEST FIXED NAKED-EYE FIELD) -- The Big Dipper and the North Star -- The Orion Group of Constellations -- The Summer Triangle Region -- FIELD OF VIEW: 50 DEGREES TO 15 DEGREES (MODERATELY WIDE NAKED-EYE FIELD) -- Venus or Mercury at Greatest Elongation -- Venus, Jupiter, or Mars at Brightest -- Bright Comet with Long Tail -- Sirius, the Brightest Star -- Other Bright Stars – Orion -- Other Prominent Constellations -- FIELD OF VIEW: 15 DEGREES TO 1 DEGREE (NARROW NAKED-EYE FIELD, BINOCULARS FIELD, WIDE TELESCOPIC FIELD) -- Total Eclipse of the Moon -- Total Eclipse of the Sun Close-Up -- The Moon at Full and Other Phases -- Very Thin Crescent Moon -- Lunar Conjunctions and Occultations -- Planetary Conjunctions -- Bright Comet Close-Up -- The Hyades Star Cluster and Aldebaran -- The Pleiades -- Other Very Bright, Large Open Star Clusters -- Orion?s Belt and Sword -- Algol , Mira, and Other Dramatic Variable Stars -- Novae, Supernovae, and Supernova Remnants -- Starriest Fields -- The Sagittarius Milky Way Region -- The Great Andromeda Galaxy -- The Realm of the Galaxies -- FIELD OF VIEW: 1 DEGREE TO 1/10 DEGREE OR LESS (MEDIUM TO NARROW TELESCOPIC FIELD) -- Overall Telescopic Views of the Moon -- Close-Up Views of Lunar Craters and Other Features -- Sunspots and Other Solar Features -- Partial Eclipses of the Sun -- Transits of Mercury and Venus -- Venus Near Inferior Conjunction -- Jupiter and Its Moons -- Saturn and Its Rings and Moons -- Mars at Closest in Telescopes -- Uranus, Neptune, and Other Dim But Important Worlds -- A Colorful or Otherwise Striking Double Star -- The Great Orion Nebula -- A Rich Open Cluster -- A Bright Globular Cluster -- A Bright Planetary Nebula -- A Bright and Structured Galaxy -- Appendices -- Glossary -- Sources of Information -- Index.
Rousseau: A Very Short Introduction - Wolker , Robert
One of the most profound thinkers of modern history, Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) was a central figure of the European Enlightenment. He was also its most formidable critic, condemning the political, economic, theological, and sexual trappings of civilization along lines that would excite the enthusiasm of romantic individualists and radical revolutionaries alike. In this study of Rousseau's life and works Robert Wokler shows how his philosophy of history, his theories of music and politics, his fiction, educational and religious writings, and even his botany, were all inspired by visionary ideals of mankind's self-realization in a condition of unfettered freedom. He explains how, in regressing to classical republicanism, ancient mythology, direct communion with God, and solitude, Rousseau anticipated some post-modernist rejections of the Enlightenment as well. – from the publisher
Contents: Life and times of a citizen of Geneva -- Culture, music, and the Corruption of Morals -- Human nature and civil society -- Liberty, virtue and citizenship -- Religion, education, and sexuality -- Vagabond reverie -- Further reading – Index.
501 French Verbs with CDROM - Kendris , Christopher
Presents the most important and most commonly used French verbs arranged alphabetically with English translations in chart form, one verb per page, and conjugated in all persons and tenses, both active and passive. The accompanying CD-ROM gives students practice exercises in verb conjugation plus a concise grammar review. This combined book and software package is a comprehensive guide to French verb usage with a wealth of reference material and language tips, including a bilingual list of more than 1,250 additional French verbs, helpful expressions and idioms for travelers, and verb drills and short tests with all questions answered and explained. – from the publisher
Becoming Charlemagne: Europe, Baghdad , and the Empires of A.D. 800 - Sypeck , Jeff
Shortening the distance to medieval history and imaginatively lifting its obscuring mists, Sypeck creates a vibrant Charlemagne narrative. Culminating in the Frankish king's elevation in 800 to emperor of a restored Roman Empire (a coronation retrospectively symbolic of aspirations of European unity), Sypeck's drama substantively strives to evoke the king's personality and the lives of his subjects in the few years on either side of Charlemagne's crowning glory. Amid tactile descriptions of everyday toils such as travel or farmwork , Sypeck evokes, especially in quotes from writings by Charlemagne's friend Alcuin, the prevalent cultural outlooks suffused in religious, dynastic, and political trends. Sypeck expands factual nuggets into the immediate experience of events, such as depicting Alcuin's monastic routines amid his advice to Charlemagne, or producing an entertaining vignette about an ambassador's delivery of an elephant given by the caliph of the Abbasid Empire. An inspired, instantly readable work of popular history. – Booklist
Contents: Empires -- A Rome yet to be : Aachen, A.D. 796 -- An empress of Byzantium : Constantinople, A.D. 797 -- Sowing the seeds of empire : Tours, A.D. 796-798 -- Daybreak in the city of peace : Baghdad, A.D. 797-799 -- The merchants of Ashkenaz : Francia , A.D. 797-799 -- Emperor -- Blood of the martyrs : Rome and Paderborn, A.D. 799 -- Prayers and plots : Francia , A.D. 799-800 -- Karl, crowned by God / Rome, A.D. 800 -- An elephant at Aachen : Ifriqiya to Aachen, A.D. 801-802 -- Little men at the end of all things : Verdun, A.D. 843.
Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published - Bykofsky , Sheree
Publishing companies have consolidated, there are fewer editors, and literary agents are more selective. The result is that it's tougher than ever to get published. Now, a successful literary agent and author and a best-selling nonfiction author and literary consultant provide even more of the practical advice every writer needs to get published. In this new edition, readers will find an updated overview of changes in the publishing industry, and practical tips about pitch letters, negotiations, contracts, and industry trends. The book also includes a CD-ROM with sample pitch letters, proposal templates, a comprehensive list of literary agents, links to fantastic author websites, and more. – from the publisher
Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming - Lomborg , Bjorn
A groundbreaking book that transforms the debate about global warming by offering a fresh perspective based on human needs as well as environmental concerns. Bjorn Lomborg argues that many of the elaborate and expensive actions now being considered to stop global warming will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, are often based on emotional rather than strictly scientific assumptions, and may very well have little impact on the world's temperature for hundreds of years. Rather than starting with the most radical procedures, Lomborg argues that we should first focus our resources on more immediate concerns, such as fighting malaria and HIV/AIDS and assuring and maintaining a safe, fresh water supply—which can be addressed at a fraction of the cost and save millions of lives within our lifetime. He asks why the debate over climate change has stifled rational dialogue and killed meaningful dissent. Lomborg presents us with a second generation of thinking on global warming that believes panic is neither warranted nor a constructive place from which to deal with any of humanity's problems, not just global warming. Cool It promises to be one of the most talked about and influential books of our time. – from the publisher
Contents: Polar bears : today's canaries in the coal mine? -- It's getting hotter : the short story -- Global warming: our many worries -- The politics of global warming -- Conclusion: making our top priorities cool.
God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe , 570-1215 - Lewis, David Levering
This superb portrayal by NYU history professor Lewis of the fraught half-millennium during which Islam and Christianity uneasily coexisted on the continent just beginning to be known as Europe displays the formidable scholarship and magisterial ability to synthesize vast quantities of material that won him Pulitzer Prizes for both volumes of W.E.B. Du Bois. In characteristically elegant prose, Lewis shows Islam arising in the power vacuum left by the death throes of the empires of newly Christianized Rome and Persian Iran, then sweeping out of the Middle East as a fighting religion, with jihad inspiring cultural pride in hitherto marginalized Arab tribes. After Charles Martel's victory at the Battle of Poitiers in 732 sent the Muslim invaders back south of the Pyrenees , the Umayyad dynasty consolidated its rule in al- Andalus (Muslim Spain), forging a religiously tolerant, intellectually sophisticated, socially diverse and economically dynamic culture whose achievements would eventually seed the Renaissance. Meanwhile, the virtually powerless Roman popes joined forces with ambitious Frankish leaders, from Pippin the Short to Charlemagne, to create the template for feudal Europe : a "religiously intolerant, intellectually impoverished, socially calcified, and economically primitive" society." The collapse of the Umayyad dynasty and the rise of local leaders who embraced Muslim fundamentalism as a means to power destroyed the vitality of al- Andalus , paving the way for the Crusades and the Christian reconquista of Spain . – Publishers Weekly
Contents: The superpowers -- "The Arabs are coming!" -- "Jihad!" -- The co-opted caliphate and the stumbling Jihad -- The year 711 -- Picking up the pieces after Rome -- The myth of Poitiers -- The fall and rise of the Umayyads -- Saving the popes -- An empire of force and faith -- Carolingian Jihads: Roncesvalles and Saxony -- The great mosque -- The first Europe, briefly -- Equippose --delicate and doomed -- Disequilibrium Pelayo's revenge -- Knowledge transmitted, rationalism repudiated: Ibn Rushd and Musa ibn Maymun .
Power to Save the World: The Truth about Nuclear Energy - Cravens, Gwyneth
Science reporter Cravens begins this journey of discovery "through the Nuclear world" dubious of nuclear power's safety and utility: "I'd participated in ban-the-bomb rallies" but "never considered the fate of a retired weapon." Her trip begins with a casual conversation with nuclear physicist Dr. Richard "Rip" Anderson on the hidden warheads being dismantled outside Albuquerque , N.M. ; as it turns out, the nuclear "pits" were to be used for fuel in nuclear reactors. Curiosity, and Rip's conviction that no other large-scale energy source is as "safe, reliable, and clean," drives Craven to spend 10 years with the scientist traveling to national laboratories, uranium mines and nuclear waste sites; reviewing accounts of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island; and examining modern reactor designs, the life cycle of uranium and studies on radiation's effects since 1945. Gradually convinced that "uranium is cleaner and safer throughout its shielded journey from cradle to grave than our other big baseload electricity resource, fossil fuel," Craven has submitted a thorough, persuasive report from the front lines of the world's energy and climate crises, illuminating for general readers the pros and cons of a highly misunderstood resource. – Publishers Weekly
Contents: Introduction by Richard Rhodes -- ORIGINS -- Survival -- The Nuclear Tour -- Ambrosia Lake -- THE INVISIBLE STORM -- Mother Nature and Fencepost Man -- Undark -- Into the Strange City -- THE HIDDEN WORLD -- Risk and Consequence -- Going to Extremes -- Tiny Beads -- Under the Silver Dome -- EVERYTHING WAS BRIGHT -- The Kingdom of Electricity -- Dark Satanic Mill -- What if . . .? -- From Arrowheads to Atoms -- Barriers -- Unobtainium -- CLOSING THE CIRCLE -- Ten Thousand Years -- The Huge Factory -- 32N164W -- Those Who Say It Can't Be Done -- The Gigantic Crystal -- BORROWING FROM OUR CHILDREN -- The Iron Chamber -- Water Them Anyway -- The Power Within -- EPILOGUE -- Notes -- Glossary -- Index.
Shakespeare Wars: Clashing Scholars, Public Fiascoes, Palace Coups - Rosenbaum, Ron
Starred Review: New York Observer columnist Rosenbaum has built a career on refusing to give easy answers to difficult questions; see, for example, his Explaining Hitler (1998). Here he attends to the mysteries and controversies in contemporary Shakespearean scholarship. He begins this well-researched, nicely written tome with a discussion of Peter Brook's groundbreaking production of A Midsummer Night's Dream , a production he credits with changing how he thought of Shakespeare's work, before turning to such current battles as the one raging over which, if any, of the three extant early versions of Hamlet is the "definitive" one, a subject he discussed in a New Yorker article. The beauty of Rosenbaum's work lies in his ability to discuss complex intellectual issues lucidly and often wittily in a manner that is the very antithesis of opaque, postmodern academic prose. You may not know by the end of the chapter on King Lear which of the two existing endings is the one "Shakespeare intended"--it isn't Rosenbaum's intention that you do--but you will know the full spectrum of opinion on the topic and also how the current "stars of the academy" align on the subject. – Booklist
Contents: The bottom of Shakespeare's secrets -- The dream induction -- Civil Wars among the textual scholars -- One Hamlet or three? -- A digressive comic interlude featuring Shakespeare's ambiguously revised testimony in the wigmakers' lawsuit -- "Look there, look there ... ": the scandal of Lear's last words -- The war over what is-and what isn't-"Shakespearean" -- The great Shakespeare "funeral elegy" Fiasco -- The Indian, the Judean and Hand D -- The promise and perils of Shakespearean " Originalism " -- The search for the Shakespearean in a delicate pause -- The spell of the Shakespearean in "original spelling" -- Dueling shylocks -- Shakespeare on film: a contrarian argument -- Three giants -- Peter Brook: the search for the secret play -- "You can't have him, Harold!": the battle over Bloom and Bloom's Falstaff -- Stephen Booth: 777 types of ambiguity -- Love, beauty, pleasure and bad weather in Bermuda -- Looking for love in As You Like It; looking for an orgasm in Romeo and Juliet -- "No cause": the unexpected pleasures of forgiveness.
Teen's Guide to Getting Published: Publishing for Profit, Recognition And Academic Success - Dunn, Jessica
A revision of the guide these sisters published 10 years ago, when they were 15. Adding new Internet opportunities such as online journals, writer-support blogs, and e-mail editing, this volume covers the full gamut of possibilities and pitfalls for aspiring writers. Emphasis on the need to keep journals, read voraciously, and write down ideas is countered with warnings about publishing personal information that could damage relationships. In addition to standard advice on publishers and agents, the authors give practical suggestions for finding a writing environment that is accessible to teens, such as school publication staffs and local newspaper internships. Annotated appendixes list Web sites, books, journals, and contests. Also provided is information on mentors, writing camps, and courses catering to young authors, and a valuable list of mainstream publishers who have expressed openness to submissions from teens. This compact, sensible book discusses all kinds of writing rather than only one aspect or genre. – School Library Journal
Contents: Prologue -- Introduction: Why Publish? -- THE WRITING CRAFT -- The Writer's Toolbox -- Finding Inspiration -- Prose, Poetry, and Puzzles -- Editing Techniques to Improve Your Writing -- FREELANCE PUBLISHING -- Selecting Your Targets -- Preparing Your Submission -- Rights and Copyright -- Online Publishing -- Tracking Your Progress -- The Unfortunate Realities of Freelancing -- Pitfalls of Publishing -- GETTING FEEDBACK -- Mentors and Critiques -- Professional or Peer Critique -- Correspondence Programs -- Writing Camps and Workshops -- Writers' Clubs -- BEYOND FREELANCING -- School Publications: Yearbooks, Newspapers, and Literary Magazines -- Becoming an Editor -- What About Book Publishing? -- Self-Publishing -- (NOT YOUR ORDINARY) DIRECTORY OF MARKETS -- Publications: Print and Online -- Markets to Watch -- Contests -- Note About Contests -- Epilogue -- Appendix A: Regional and National Writing Camps -- Appendix B: Book Publishing Opportunities -- Contests -- Mainstream Book Publishers -- Additional Resources -- Books -- Web sites -- About the Authors.
Terra: Our 100-Million-Year-Old Ecosystem--and the Threats That Now Put It at Risk - Novacek , Michael J.
The natural world known to humans is the result of evolutionary forces that have expanded and contracted for nearly 100 million years. Bursts of evolutionary variety have given way to extinction events, some of which have been more catastrophic than others. But never has our planet been more in danger of extinction than it is right now. Paleontologist Novacek (senior vice president, American Museum of Natural History; Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs ) takes an unflinching look at what humans have done over time and in more recent years. Combining paleontology, evolutionary biology, and environmental science, he shows how these three perspectives can bring us to a better understanding of the "mass extinction event" that threatens this planet if changes aren't implemented now. Among the causes explored are consumption patterns, pollution caused by humans, land usage, and activities that contribute to global warming. The rate at which our world is degrading is alarming, according to Novacek , but the situation is not hopeless. The question is whether humankind will do the hard work needed. – Library Journal
Prologue: The Hyena -- THE WAY OF THE WORLD -- A Creature in the Forest -- Lush Life -- Ephemeral Life -- Elephants, Dung Beetles, and Ecosystems -- Evolution - Life Through a New Lens -- THE WORLD BECOMES MODERN -- Ancient Ground -- Imperial Collapse -- The Dinosaurs of Middle Earth -- A Flower in the Forest -- The Garden of Delights -- Toward a New Ecosystem -- Dinosaur Camelot -- DEATH AND RESURRECTION -- A Puzzling Catastrophe -- The Era After -- TERRA HUMANA -- Who They Were -- The Exterminators -- The Cultivators -- Land Rush -- Dark Forces -- The Waste of a World -- Heat Wave -- Future World -- Notes and References -- Acknowledgments -- Index.
Hard America , Soft America : Competition vs. Coddling and the Battle for the Nation's Future - Barone , Michael
Barone , senior writer with U.S. News and World Report , claims there are two Americas : one hard-edged and extremely competitive, the other soft and overprotective. Essentially, American youths age 6 to 18 are dominated by a "soft" culture, most notably in public schools, which emphasizes self-esteem and protects them from the harsh realities of adult life. Come adulthood, Americans are confronted with a "hard" culture that is characterized by cutthroat marketplace realities. Generally, the dichotomy exists between school and work and between the public and private sectors, but the boundaries between the cultures are not fixed. Barone traces the trend in American culture that has produced the dichotomy--the increased leisure and ease of a wealthier economy, government regulation, and social trends toward providing greater safety nets. Barone is never overtly critical of soft America , recognizing the need for protecting some people in society, but he clearly argues for a deeper awareness of the dichotomy, its implications for the future, and the need to maintain a balance between hard and soft America . – Booklist
Contents: Introduction -- Softening: From Sister Carrie to The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit -- Softening and Hardening: From The Long Goodbye to The Greening of America -- Hardening: From Rabbit Is Rich to Barbarians at the Gate -- Hardening: From Mr. Sammler's Planet to the 2003 Blackout -- Hardening: From If I Die In a Combat Zone to the Iraq War – Conclusion -- The Battle for the Nation's Future -- Notes -- Acknowledgments -- Index.
Modern East Asia : An Introductory History - Miller, John H.
The stunning rise of East Asia follows a trajectory that was not always evident in established understandings of the past. This concise general history of the region draws out themes that illuminate the present. It is written with rare mastery, a sure sense of the essential, and a global perspective. Chapter 1 describes East Asia 's geographical, human, cultural, economic, social, and political setting and the three major belief systems-Confucianism, Buddhism, and Islam. Chapter 2 presents a panoramic survey of the region in 1800. The following three chapters lead from European expansionism to East Asians' responses to the civilizational challenge and the remarkable rise of Imperial Japan. Chapters 6 and 7 trace Japan 's bid to lead a pan- Asianist revolt against the twin threats of Western liberalism and Soviet communism, and the ensuing Pacific War. Chapters 8 and 9 span the cold war era and the division of East Asia into communist and anticommunist blocs. The Sino-Soviet split and the Sino-American rapprochement of the early 1970s open the way to the "East Asian miracle" and a resurgence of East Asian regionalism, surveyed in chapter 10. A concluding chapter considers the prospects for continued dynamism and the balance of nationalist and pan- Asianist trends shaping the region's future. – from the publisher
Contents: List of Illustrative Materials -- Preface -- Introduction: East Asia as a Region -- East Asia's Foundations -- East Asia in 1800 -- A Clash of Civilizations -- The Development of Nationalism -- The Rise of Imperial Japan -- The Turbulent 1920s and 1930s -- The Pacific War -- From Postwar to Cold War -- The Late Cold War -- Post-Cold War Trends -- East Asia's Future -- Select Bibliography -- Credit Information for Maps and Illustrations – Index.
Radical Innocent: Upton Sinclair - Arthur, Anthony
A hundred years ago, 27-year-old Upton Sinclair became an overnight sensation with the publication of his novel The Jungle, an indictment of the meatpacking industry that would usher in legislation like the Pure Food and Drug Act. The social reformer went on to shock his friends by leaving the American Socialist Party and winning the 1934 Democratic nomination for governor of California , although he lost the election. And at 65, despite a string of failed novels, the resilient author won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for Dragon's Teeth , the second in an 11-book series of historical novels featuring the hero Lanny Budd. Particularly interesting are the portrayals of Sinclair's friendships with luminaries like President Theodore Roosevelt, Sinclair Lewis and Albert Einstein; his ambitious experiments in communal living; and his shattering divorce from his first wife and estrangement from his son. Also noteworthy are his unsuccessful campaign for the Nobel Prize and his problematic business dealings with Russian film director Sergei Eisenstein. Arthur ( Warring with Words: Famous Literary Feuds in America ) draws a well-researched, balanced and fascinating portrait of a self-centered feminist who didn't understand women, a muckraker whose naïveté left him constantly vulnerable to human treachery, and a complex, bestselling celebrity who was often dismissed as a propagandist by the literary establishment. – Publishers Weekly
The Many Faces of God: Science's 400-Year Quest for Images of the Divine - Jeremy Campbell
A grand work of philosophy and history, The Many Faces of God shows how our religious conceptions have been shaped by advances in technology and science. Beginning his narrative in the 1600s and concluding with the fervor of the millennium, Jeremy Campbell shows how Isaac Newton and his generation altered the medieval definition of God from one interpreted through divine messengers to an all-knowing, autocratic God who watched over the scientific wonders of the universe. Arguing that religions harbor a secret fear that science may one day explain God away, Campbell masterfully shows how twentieth-century technology and theology have become intertwined, often to the detriment of both disciplines. Illuminating the writings of such intellectual luminaries as Calvin, Luther, Einstein, and Niels Bohr, all the way up to John Updike, The Many Faces of God is a sweeping history of religious and scientific thought in the Western world. – from the publisher
Contents: Smashing the idols -- God's immensity, man's dilemma -- Angels come out of hiding -- The technical Trinity -- The sweet deceits of piety -- "Almost like a contagious disease" -- Getting God wrong -- Strangeness and the quest for the divine -- "One of history's great losers" -- A cool mediator -- Simplifying the divine -- "People simply cannot be religious any more" -- Secularizing the sacred -- The private and the public -- Cutting God down to size -- Reasoning God into existence -- The uses of paradox -- Ironic theology -- Democratizing transcendence -- God's biography -- The bagginess of nature -- The tiger and the lamb.
Poincare's Prize: The Hundred-Year Quest to Solve One of Math's Greatest Puzzles - George G. Szpiro
If the book is half is entertaining as the Contents (see below), it ought to be a great read!
Starred Review :Imagine Oedipus solving the riddle of the Sphinx only then to refuse the crown offered as the reward for his triumph. A modern version of such an improbable event forms the spine of Szpiro's remarkable narrative. Himself an accomplished mathematician, Szpiro recounts the story of how a geometrical puzzle worthy of the most voracious sphinx finally yielded to an eccentric Russian genius who has since refused the honors and million-dollar prize proffered by an astonished world. The mathematical puzzle, readers learn, originated with the French polymath Henri Poincaré , whose revolutionary topology generated a tantalizing conjecture about how multidimensional bodies might all be transformed into spheres. Only specialists can fully understand this famous conjecture, but Szpiro translates its essential features into remarkably accessible analogies—rubber bands wrapped around a bagel, for instance. Readers learn much not only about the conjecture but also about the many scholars consumed by passion to prove—or disprove—it. Readers meet, among others, the radical but gentlemanly "Papa" Papakyriakopoulos and the playboy windsurfer Richard Hamilton. However, Szpiro accords pride of place to Grigori Perelman, the reclusive titan who finally pierced the mystery—and then spurned the awards. Never has mathematics provided more fascinating human drama! – Booklist
Contents: Preface -- Fit for a King: Grigori Perelman's unprecedented refusal of a Field's Medal for solving one of the greatest problems of our age. The king waits in vain. -- What Flies Know and Ants Don't: The importance of dimensions for Christopher Columbus and for bugs. -- The Forensic Engineer: The life of Henri Poincaré , in particular his investigation of a disaster in a coal mine. -- An Oscar For The Best Script: Poincaré's prize-winning theory of the solar system's stability ... and the scandal. -- Geometry Without Euclid : Topology, how this mathematical discipline developed since Euler -- From Copenhagen and Hamburg to Black Mountain , North Carolina : Poincaré's first, incorrect, attempt to prove the conjecture... and the parts he got right. -- A Question that Leads Too Far Astray: What the conjecture is really all about, or, imaging things that are unimaginable. -- More Dead Ends and a Mysterious Disease: Around the world with three-dimensional spheres. -- Voyage to Higher Dimensions: William Thurston's geometrization conjecture (in which space is made of eight building blocks). -- Inquisition West Coast Style: Pursuing the elusive objective and how the hopefuls end up with egg on their faces. -- Watching Things Go Pop: Richard Hamilton gets going with the Ricci Flow... and then gets stuck -- The Cigar Surgeon: The proof lands on the internet. Swooping up Poincaré , Thurston and Hamilton. History is made. -- The Gang of Four, Plus Two: Vetting the proof, Harvard prof pushing his protégés into the limelight. -- The Prize: The minor matter of a million dollars. Does money motivate math? -- Endnotes -- Bibliography -- Index .
101 Best Scenes Ever Written - Barnaby Conrad
Works by Hemingway, Jack London, Steinbeck, Twain and other notables are surveyed with an eye to providing examples of some of the most memorable writing approaches in modern history. Playwrights, in particular, will want this survey of what influences transform an ordinary scene to a great one. – Midwest Book Review
Contents: Prologue -- Beginnings -- Purely Visual Scenes -- Action -- Adventure -- War -- Romance -- Revenge -- Betrayal -- Humor -- Horror -- Juveniles -- Endings -- L'envoi .
White Paradise : Journeys to the North Pole - Francis Latreille
A photographer for some of the most successful 1990s scientific expeditions to the Arctic , Latreille gorgeously confirms, in the spectacular images mounted in this volume, the common wisdom that the Far North is as beautiful as it is harsh. The low angle of the sun's rays, the vast white backdrops of snow and ice, and the clarity of the atmosphere, dehydrated by the cold, seem to intensify color as at no other place on the earth (but think of the brilliance of photographs made in space, which is yet more arid). The curves of reindeer antlers and mammoth tusks glow like amber. The blues of the sky are rich throughout their varied hues. The slightest bit of colored material or, during the brief summer, vegetation positively burns. And the sunsets, and the northern lights! Short, sober summary essays on Arctic exploration, research, peoples, and the current global warming "heat wave" interrupt the pictures, and captions relate pictures to texts. The photos by themselves constitute the book's best argument for Arctic conservation. – Booklist
Contents: Introduction – Conquerors of the North Pole – Listening to the ice: research in high latitudes – Peoples of the Far North – Heat wave in the arctic.
My Year Inside Radical Islam: A Memoir - Daveed Gartenstein -Ross
Gartenstein -Ross reveals how widening doctrinal tensions are dividing twenty-first-century expressions of Islam in this memoir of his journey into and out of the faith. Raised by freethinking Jewish parents in a world of former hippies, Gartenstein -Ross finds himself pondering ultimate questions after two brushes with death. Friendship with a progressive Shiite Muslim offers answers. Gartenstein -Ross therefore converts. But both he and his Shiite friend subsequently encounter--and then cross over--the chasm separating moderates from radical orthodoxy. Gartenstein -Ross even works for a Muslim charity diverting funds to terrorists. After eventually turning away from the group hatreds and anti-intellectualism of radical Islam, Gartenstein -Ross becomes an FBI informant. To his great joy, he subsequently discovers that his Shiite friend has likewise turned away from radicalism. For readers trying to understand Muslims on both sides of the radical-moderate divide, Gartenstein -Ross' story will be an eye-opener. – Booklist
The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History since 1900 - David Edgerton
A class titled History of Modern Technology 101 would probably focus on electricity, mass production, the automobile and the Internet, but according to British historian Edgerton, it would miss the real history of 20th-century technology. We should pay less attention to novelty and invention, he argues, and more to the technologies that people actually use in their daily lives—"a whole invisible world of technologies," many of which have served the poor more than the rich, such as corrugated metal and flat-pack IKEA furniture. Ranging across broad swaths of history, Edgerton offers multiple examples of overlooked technologies that are far more important than they might initially seem, including the condom and the sewing machine, as well as innovations in killing, such as insecticides, slaughterhouses and chemical warfare. The result, while sometimes overly pedantic for nonhistorians , is a provocative challenge to students of technology. – Publishers Weekly
Contents: Significance -- Time -- Production -- Maintenance -- Nations -- War -- Killing -- Invention -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Selected Bibliography -- Acknowledgements -- List of Illustrations -- Index.
Infection: The Uninvited Universe - Gerald N. Callahan
Microbiologist-pathologist Callahan has compelling news. Only about 10 percent of the cells of a human body can be called human. The remainder are bacteria. This is a good thing, for without these bacteria, we would surely die. It is the vastly underrated microbiotic system that sustains and even enables life. Lacking a complete set of healthy bacteria allowing us to digest food and fend off illness, individual existence would be impossible. Largely responsible for strengthening the immune system, these good germs ought to be sought after and nourished, Callahan says. Pointing to a number of illnesses, from asthma to acute lymphoblastic lymphoma, that can be at least partially linked to a lack of exposure to certain bacterial infections, Callahan makes a case for lackadaisical housekeeping. Not so sloppy as to foster the germs that deliver infectious diseases such as malaria, AIDS, SARS, or influenza, however, any of which might deal the ultimate blow that cleanses the planet of humanity. Callahan writes of an at-times unpleasant topic in clear, reader-friendly language. – Booklist
Contents: Introduction: My Grandfather's Wooden Leg -- Good Germs -- Infections: Where We Get Them -- Infections: Why We Need Them-Spare the Rot and Spoil the Child -- Bugs in Our Genes: Infection and Human Evolution -- Sepsis and Self-Realization: Knowing and Nurturing Our Infections -- The Lunatic Fringe -- The Dark Side: Infectious Diseases -- Taking a Turn for the Worse: The Deteriorating State of the World -- The Occult: The Hidden Face of Human Disease -- The Truth About Insanity: Infection and Behavior -- Red Dawn: The Shape of Things to Come -- Microbes That Will Change the World -- The Spider in Room 911: SARS -- Diseases on the Fly: Malaria, Dengue Fever, and West Nile Virus -- Agents of Change: Anthrax, Plague, and Bioterrorism -- Eating Your Brains Out: Mad Cow Disease -- An Infectious Holocaust: HIV -- The Slate Wiper: Influenza -- Notes -- Index.
Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes - Thomas Cathcart
Here's a lively, hilarious, not-so-reverent crash course through the great philosophical traditions, schools, concepts, and thinkers. Some of the Big Ideas are Existentialism (what do Hegel and Bette Midler have in common?), Philosophy of Language (how to express what it's like being stranded on a desert island with Halle Berry ), Feminist Philosophy (why, in the end, a man is always a man), and much more. Finally—it all makes sense! – from the publisher
Contents: Philogagging : an introduction -- Metaphysics -- Logic -- Epistemology -- Ethics -- Philosophy of religion -- Existentialism -- Philosophy of language -- Social and political philosophy -- Relativity -- Meta-philosophy -- Summa time: a conclusion.
REFERENCE
Earth - DK Publishing
Visually spectacular, this standout guide to our planet offers a thorough look at the Earth's physical dynamics. Divided into five major sections-Planet Earth, Land, Ocean, Atmosphere and Tectonic Earth-the book explores the planet's environment, weather systems and general physical makeup. The large-format volume begins with the Earth's history and anatomy, featuring pages of stunning photos (one image shows a river of red-hot lava running into the sea), comprehensive layouts and excellent diagrams (e.g., a cut-out of the Earth's structure, from inner core to the chemical composition of its atmosphere). A chapter on rocks explains the many various types of metamorphic and sedentary stones, for instance, while a chapter on rivers and lakes showcases beautiful photos of the endless Amazon, with smaller sidebar photos of the animals that live in the tropics and color-coded maps of the region. Pretty enough to serve as a coffee table book, this volume also contains a tremendous amount of absorbing information. – Publishers Weekly
Planet Earth: History of the Earth -- Earth in space -- Anatomy of the Earth -- Changing Earth -- Land: Mountains and volcanoes -- Rivers and lakes -- Glaciers -- Deserts -- Forests -- Wetlands -- Grasslands and tundra -- Agricultural areas -- Rural areas -- Industrial areas -- Ocean: Oceans and seas -- Coasts -- Atmosphere: Climate -- Weather -- Tectonic Earth: Earth's plates -- Glossary.
Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife - David Burnie
Stunning photographs will elevate this book beyond a coffee-table or reference shelf existence. Every aspect of the book seizes attention. The first 80 pages clarify information on classification, habitats and behavior with charts, maps, photographs and illustrations. The remaining six chapters focus on numerous specific species and subspecies, divided into broad groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and invertebrates. Readers learn, for instance, that the curlew's long, curved beak is touch-sensitive for seeking out food hidden in mud and sand; plovers, on the other hand, though they share the curlew's habitat, have short bills for picking up food they can see. The editors provide endangered-species information at the end of each chapter. The varying size and shape of the photographs some cropped cleanly around their subject, some showing the interaction of the animal with its environment compel the reader onward, as do the assorted full-page spreads and action sequences (e.g., of a whale breaching). Text entries are both edifying and brief. But for its heft, this book is almost impossible to put down. – Publishers Weekly
The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide - George McKay
The animal kingdom encompasses a mind-boggling range of creatures, from immobile sea squirts and long-winged Andean condors to predatory cheetahs and shy, nectar-loving butterflies. This illustrated reference methodically documents all the subgroups in the six taxonomic categories, demonstrating the diversity of life comprehensively and beautifully in pages dominated by full-color photos and line drawings. An overview of the animal kingdom's essential characteristics includes sections on evolution, biology, habitats and endangered species. The largest portion of the book is devoted to mammals, with somewhat shorter chapters on birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes, and the briefest on invertebrates; these groupings are further divided into orders and families, and sidebars highlight the species that fall into these categories. Other marginal text boxes provide intriguing details on subjects like anatomy, parenting behavior and species interaction. The writing isn't overly technical, but it does assume readers possess an intermediate knowledge of biology, though the book contains a glossary of scientific terms for those who don't. A bird's-eye view of the varied creatures that walk the Earth, this is an excellent general reference for animal lovers of all stripes. – Publishers Weekly
FICTION
Stone Cold - Baldacci, David
Revenge is a dish best served "stone cold." In Baldacci's third novel in "The Camel Club" series-after The Camel Club and The Collectors -Oliver Stone, aka John Carr, ex-CIA assassin, is back with his eclectic group of conspiracy theorists. Their mission is to discover the truth behind the American government's lies. This time the group is trying to protect Annabelle, an honorary group member, as she is being chased with the certainty of being killed by casino king Jerry Bagger, whom she conned out of $40 million in avenging her mother's murder. Concurrently, Harry Finn, a Homeland Security contractor, is himself out for revenge, against the people who framed and killed his father, a Cold War spy. Finn's targets include such people as ex-intelligence chief Carter Gray, senator and presidential hopeful Roger Simpson, and, if Harry discovers he's not dead, John Carr. Baldacci's intricately woven plotlines, well-developed characters, fast-paced action, and surprise ending will leave readers satisfied and wanting more. A sequel worthy of its predecessors; highly recommended for all fiction collections. – Library Journal
John's Story: The Last Eyewitness - LaHaye , Tim
A novel based on the life of John, the only apostle who wasn't martyred.