To highlight the wide range of publications reviewed in Choice, each month Choice editors feature some noteworthy reviews from the current issue. 

Baker, Dan. What happy companies know, by Dan Baker, Cathy Greenberg, and Collins Hemingway. Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006. 298p index afp ISBN 0131858572, $25.99. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2198       HD58       2005-35713CIP

This book correlates business success and increased productivity and output with an organization's attitude, or the "happy factor" of the people that make up the organization. This work is heavy in empirical evidence and will be of value to organizational leaders interested in making effective hiring decisions, improving company culture, increasing productivity, and enhancing job satisfaction. The authors blend their psychology and business expertise and credentials to produce a unique presentation on the new science of happiness. The book is organized into 16 chapters. The first several chapters provide examples of negative organizational behavior and examine how fear-based behaviors contribute to the breakdown of a business. Next, the authors focus on the positive leadership qualities of happiness by breaking down the components of emotional intelligence and providing useful direction for organizational improvement. The final chapters offer practical advice and new ideas for implementing a happy environment for increased productivity and organizational survival in a competitive environment. Several case studies of successful organizations illustrate the authors' propositions. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels of undergraduate and graduate students as well as practitioners. --- D. J. Rochester, Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration

44-1906       NK835       2005-9171CIP
Congdon, Kristin G. Just above the water: Florida folk art, by Kristin G. Congdon and Tina Bucuvalas. University Press of Mississippi, 2006. 288p bibl index afp ISBN 1578067782, $65.00. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.

Congdon and Bucuvalas's survey of Florida folk arts joins a roster of statewide surveys documenting traditional aesthetic practices. Like other works within this genre, Just above the Water anchors a gazetteer of artists with chapters on cultural context and the definitional concerns that beset folk art studies. Drawing on work created by more than 70 Florida artists, the authors establish an extraordinary range of aesthetic practices collected under the Florida folk art umbrella. Congdon and Bucuvalas take great pains to demonstrate regional, national, and ethnic diversity, and to establish linkages between artists and their communities and the interplay of tradition and innovation. The catholicity of the authors' coverage extends from painting and sculpture to airboats, roadside signs, and dress and hairstyles. "Art," they argue pointedly, "in the broad sense of the term, is so pervasive that we respond to it every moment of every day." Thus, each ensuing individual entry fuses biographical, community, and aesthetic observations. A color plate portfolio of selected works concludes the volume. Critical arguments aside, Just above the Water succeeds in its documentation of the inseparability of art from everyday life. Summing Up: Essential. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through faculty. --- B. L. Herman, University of Delaware

Cox, Anna-Lisa. A stronger kinship: one town's extraordinary story of hope and faith. Little, Brown, 2006. 272p bibl index ISBN 0316110183, $24.95. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2288       F574       2005-20332CIP

Arguing that racism is not "natural" but deliberately constructed by individuals' choices, Cox, a Newberry Library scholar in residence, recounts the story of Covert, Michigan, a rural township that, starting in the 1860s, created integrated schools and churches and an environment in which some of its 8 percent black residents could accumulate substantial property, hold local political office, intermarry with whites, host integrated celebrations of emancipation, and sue whites successfully in the courts. In doing so, Covert's residents often defied not only Midwest custom, but state law. Cox does a superb job of evoking both the personalities of community members and the everyday economic and social realities of their environment. She convincingly demonstrates that no charismatic leader or political philosophy brought this unusual result; rather, it was due to the individual decisions of a multitude of people from diverse backgrounds who chose to create and maintain a culture of equality. This book, solidly based on local records, is engagingly written and accessible to readers with limited knowledge of history. Summing Up: Highly recommended. The book should be acquired by public and undergraduate libraries. --- P. F. Field, emerita, Ohio University

Emerson, Michael O. People of the dream: multiracial congregations in the United States, by Michael O. Emerson with Rodney M. Woo. Princeton, 2006. 261p bibl index afp ISBN 0691124515, $24.95. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2065       BL2525       2005-49941CIP

Emerson (sociology, Rice Univ.) has written an outstanding, comprehensive study of multiracial congregations in the US; the majority of American congregations are segregated by race and ethnicity. Emerson's study of racially mixed congregations, which constitute about seven percent of all congregations, builds upon previous work with colleagues at Rice (United by Faith, by C. P. DeYoung et al., CH, Dec'03, 41-2139) and his own study of the racial problem in American evangelicalism (Divided by Faith, with Christian Smith, CH, Jan'01, 38-2685). Using the congregation of Rodney Woo's Wilcrest Baptist Church of Houston as a model of racial diversity, Emerson's study combines statistical and ethnographic methodologies to elaborate on the demographic factors and typologies of multiracial congregations, as well as personal stories. Woo's own personal struggles and theology in building a multiracial congregation provide the overall framework and narrative, so he is listed as a major contributor to the book. The theme of "the dream" indicates that building multiracial congregations is seen as a work in progress. In this readable book Emerson deals with both the strengths and weaknesses of these congregations. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty/researchers. --- L. H. Mamiya, Vassar College

Globalization and the Third World: a study of negative consequences, ed. by B.N. Ghosh and Halil M. Guven. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. 269p bibl index ISBN 0230004679, $90.00. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2219       HC59       2005-58947CIP

Globalization is an economic trend that appears unstoppable, but international economic expansion is not without problems. As this volume points out, all societies have material, social, and spiritual dimensions. This collection acknowledges the seeming inevitability of the global movement but highlights the need to consider more than merely the cheapest labor cost or lowest raw material costs. It underscores the rigidity of entrenched interests that frequently develop policy without taking into consideration the broader sociological impact those policy choices might have. Articles examine the impact of international trade from a variety of perspectives such as labor, raw materials, and investment flows. Most of the research is based on experiences in India, China, and Southeast Asia, though some generalizations to other parts of the world are reasonable. Articles range from technical econometric studies to more general reflections, and all assume some economic knowledge on the reader's part. Economic policy analysts will find this volume an excellent beginning point for considering the broader implications of policies they adopt. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections. --- D. E. Mattson, Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Goldman, Alvin I. Simulating minds: the philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience of mindreading. Oxford, 2006. 364p bibl index afp ISBN 0195138929, $35.00. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2399       BF323       2006-40043CIP

How do people learn how to successfully attribute mental states to others? Goldman (Rutgers) proposes that people often understand what others are thinking by having similar experiences and thoughts in their own minds. Through this process of "simulating" other minds, one can begin to engage in "mindreading." Goldman has closely followed cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychology, finding empirical support for simulation theory. Of current interest is the discovery of "mirror neurons" in various areas of the human cortex. A person's mirror neurons are active when that person performs an action, and are active again when observing someone else performing that same action. Goldman hypothesizes that "low-level" mind reading about emotions, feelings, and intentions utilizes this neuron mirroring. "High-level" mind reading of others' beliefs and knowledge requires some compromise with the rival "theory-theory" explanation of mind reading. Goldman examines various problems surrounding his preferred view that one can introspectively know one's current conscious mental states. He also considers related difficulties with his treatment of mental concepts in terms of introspective representations, again conflicting with assumptions from the rival "theory-theory." Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic libraries supporting lower-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners. --- J. R. Shook, University of Buffalo

Goodarzi, Jubin M. Syria and Iran: diplomatic alliance and power politics in the Middle East. I.B. Tauris, 2006. 359p bibl index ( Library of international relations, 23 ) ISBN 1845111273, $74.95. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2352       DS95       MARC

The recent Israeli-Hezbollah war has put a spotlight on both Iran and Syria. Goodarzi's analysis of Syrian-Iranian relations is a solid, historical description of the key relationship in present Middle Eastern troubles. A bit overdetailed for the more casual reader, the book is well worth the closer study required to examine this complex subject. Goodarzi offers a description of high-level diplomatic, military, and intelligence activities that touch on most of the major crises and issues of the past 25 years. The author clearly and definitely demonstrates the tight linkages between Iran and Syria in the creation and support of the Lebanese Hezbollah Party. Goodarzi, an independent scholar who has worked for the UN and research institutes in the US and UK, is at his best in describing the complex interlinkages between foreign policy issues involving Syria, the rest of the Arab world, and the Israeli/Lebanese relationship. The US comes off as unskilled and inattentive to the Iran/Syria nexus, and more than a little behind the curve of understanding, especially in the post-2003 period. This is a very solid piece of research and writing that will be valid for years. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through graduate students. --- J. D. Stempel, University of Kentucky

Holtz, Shel. Blogging for business: everything you need to know and why you should care, by Shel Holtz and Ted Demopoulos. Kaplan Publishing, 2006. 247p index ISBN 1419536451 pbk, $21.95. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2204       TK5105       2005-34522CIP

Holtz and Demopoulos, technology professionals, have produced an informative, well-organized, and clearly written primer on blogs and the blogosphere. They define blogs, place them in context, and explore current applications and future developments in a clear, user-friendly style. For the record, blogging was consecrated by a Business Week cover story in May 2005. Since then, it has been estimated that 70,000 blogs are created every day. The authors discuss the importance of blogs for personal and business communications and provide instructions for creating and promoting a business blog. They also discuss ways to measure the effectiveness of a blog and address workplace and legal issues related to blogs. For those who want to know more about blogs and the nature and use of podcasting and vlogs, this book is a must-read, no-nonsense introduction. See related, Nancy Flynn's Blog Rules: A Business Guide to Managing Policy, Public Relations, and Legal Issues (CH, Nov'06, 44-1615). Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections. --- S. A. Schulman, CUNY Kingsborough Community College

Hull, R. Bruce. Infinite nature. Chicago, 2006. 258p bibl index afp ISBN 0226359441, $25.00. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2052       BD581       2005-35108CIP

Hull (Virginia Tech) serves as a highly competent guide, taking readers on richly challenging journeys through 12 dimensions of humanity's relations with nature. He presents fine topographical maps that lucidly display the complexity of the areas of contention, brilliantly illuminating the reasoning and feeling behind each of many polarized positions concerning humankind's relations to both the nonhuman and the human world. This work is a tour de force: a meticulously fair presentation of issues that engage people's deepest passions. The clarity of these discussions of evolving nature, ecological nature, economic nature, healthy nature, aesthetic nature, and moral nature, to name a few, cannot help but encourage openness of spirit and renewed interest in engaging in public debate about the kind of world people want to live in and the future they envisage for their offspring and fellow travelers. Hull models well the virtues one needs to be well informed about, and engages with these fascinating issues. Interested readers should also consider Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature, ed. by William Cronon (1996). Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels--anyone with a view about nature. --- S. A. Mason, Concordia University

Iyob, Ruth. Sudan: the elusive quest for peace, by Ruth Iyob and Gilbert M. Khadiagala. L. Rienner, 2006. 224p bibl index afp ISBN 1588263509 pbk, $15.95. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2255       DT157       2006-19110CIP

This is a timely study exploring the complexities of achieving peace in Sudan, given the wars that have plagued the country due to its geographical and ethnic diversity since achieving independence in 1956. Geography proved a barrier to the construction of a uniform identity. The conflicts that arose between the various communities resulted from competition for resources and hegemonic control. The authors detail geography's role in reconstructing in concrete as well as abstract forms provincial boundaries and the politicization of a theological geography demarcating the domain of war with inhabitants relegated to a subordinate position versus those decreed "true believers." They analyze the regionalization and internationalization of the conflict in southern Sudan in terms of political contests and alliances between northern and southern political actors, as well as between southern rebels and external intervention and mediation. The conflict in Darfur receives ample consideration. The transition from a culture of violence to a culture of peace is, in the authors' words, at heart an economic phenomenon mediated by resource availability and use, particularly to communities traumatized by war and lack of economic opportunities. Summing Up: Recommended. Most levels/libraries. --- C. E. Farah, University of Minnesota

McGuinn, Patrick J. No Child Left Behind and the transformation of federal education policy, 1965-2005. University Press of Kansas, 2006. 260p bibl index afp ISBN 0700614427, $40.00; ISBN 0700614427 pbk, $19.95. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2241       LC89       2006-6836CIP

McGuinn (Drew Univ.) shows readers the necessity of a historical analysis of American politics and public policymaking to understand the federalization of education policy and law in No Child Left Behind. The role of public opinion applied at exact points in national policy wars is examined as the key variable leading to adoption of NCLB. The lack of historical research in national educational policy is examined, denounced, and largely rectified in this text, starting with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and moving through the throes of national struggles for equal educational opportunity across ethnic, financial, and geographic lines. The author describes the growing national pressure to compete globally in academics and to hold tax-financed education to public accountability. McGuinn concludes that the American political system does reflect public demands for academic accountability, and that NCLB represents a steady, three-decade-long shifting of public policy, rather than a sudden adjustment. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, upper-division undergraduates through practitioners. --- D. D. Bouchard, Crown College

Parkin, Katherine J. Food is love: food advertising and gender roles in modern America. Pennsylvania, 2006. 296p bibl index afp ISBN 0812239296, $47.50. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2207       HF5827       2006-42227CIP

Parkin's book draws on a wealth of historical studies about the role advertising plays in defining gender norms. However, she focuses her attention on a specific aspect of retail: the selling of branded food. According to Parkin (history, Monmouth Univ.), for the last century women have been the exclusive target of food manufacturers' marketing efforts; they have attempted to build brand loyalty by asserting that women's place in the family is defined by their preparation of food. Advertisers have used a surprisingly limited range of tactics to convey this message over the last century. Parkin identifies six recurrent themes in food advertising, all of them centered on maintaining women's traditional domestic responsibility to care for others. What is particularly interesting is that manufacturers and ad agencies have employed these strategies despite evidence that men as well as women shop for food and prepare it. They have preferred to reinforce old models rather than widen their market, thus demonstrating that ads both reflect society and try to mold it to their own liking. The book is lively, well organized, humorous, and sprinkled with relevant visual examples of the ads Parkin discusses. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Public and academic libraries, lower-division undergraduate through faculty. --- R. A. Standish, University of Maryland University College

Poole, Steven. Unspeak: how words become weapons, how weapons become a message, and how that message becomes reality. Grove Press, 2006. 282p bibl index ISBN 0802118259, $23.00. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-1953       P119       2006-40054CIP
This book is both disturbing because of its content and enjoyable due to the author's wonderful writing style. Focusing on the use of specific words, Poole (a freelance writer) examines how those in power manipulate language to hoodwink the public. Although the author is British and many of his examples are taken from Tony Blair and his cohorts, the linguistic sins of the present US administration receive full attention. Poole carefully analyzes statements made by George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz, cutting through the euphemisms to show what they are really saying; e.g., he looks at how Wolfowitz tried to find a word other than "occupation" to describe the US occupation of Iraq. Poole fully documents his copious examples of manipulations and semantic slides in endnotes, and the index is excellent. Some may consider this book an example of semantic quibbling, but as Poole observes, "Words have consequences in the world." Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers; all levels. --- P. E. Kane, emeritus, SUNY College at Brockport

The Rule of Mars: readings on the origins, history and impact of patriarchy, ed. by Cristina Biaggi. Knowledge, Ideas & Trends, Inc., 2006 (c2005). 453p bibl index ISBN 1879198312 pbk, $40.00. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2197             
This eclectic and fascinating collection of 32 essays revolves around the topic of patriarchy, including its origins, diverse cultural manifestations, nefarious effects, and eventual demise. Most of the essays examine patriarchy's origins and are heavily indebted to the work of archaeomythologist Marija Gimbutas. Authors largely view patriarchy as a social construction first forced upon southeastern European peoples by Neolithic Kurgan invaders, thereby undermining their matriarchal, egalitarian, goddess/female-worshiping societies. Marshalling evidence from the anthropological record past and present, several contributors demonstrate vast differences between matriarchal and patriarchal social orders and the chaos, pain, and suffering wrought by the latter, including war, domestic violence, exploitative capitalism, and environmental degradation. Essays range from the well researched and documented to the more philosophical and reflective. That the authors hail from a range of nations makes the collection truly international. Though the sheer number of essays sometimes suggests a less than cohesive whole, Biaggi deftly weaves the various essays together through her introductory comments to each section. Three concluding essays by Clark, Eisler, and Drummond chart an exciting path for a world beyond patriarchy, based on community solidarity, partnership, and respect for Mother Earth. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. --- L. M. Costa, Hollins University

Rymph, Catherine E. Republican women: feminism and conservatism from suffrage through the rise of the new Right. North Carolina, 2006. 338p bibl index afp ISBN 0807829846, $59.95; ISBN 0807829846 pbk, $24.95. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2310       JK2356       2005-18338MARC

Rymph's new book concerns Republican Party feminists, a group that in today's political climate is easy to forget ever existed. She traces women's participation in the GOP beginning in the 1920s following the passage of the 19th Amendment, and considers the ongoing tension between Republican women who wanted to integrate into the male party structure and those who preferred to maintain separate, independent women's groups. Paying close attention to the diversity among Republican women, who mirrored similar splits within the larger party organization, Rymph (Univ. of Missouri-Columbia) concludes her story in the 1980s, when conservative women led by Phyllis Schlafly overwhelmed the power base of moderate Republican feminists. What makes this book particularly interesting is that Rymph makes it clear these issues of power are not limited to conservative women; instead, she uses the specific case of women in one party to illustrate the larger problems that women involved in party politics face, and the obstacles they encounter when they attempt to gain, and then keep, influence. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries. --- R. A. Standish, University of Maryland University College

State and society in conflict: comparative perspectives on Andean crises, ed. by Paul W. Drake and Eric Hershberg. Pittsburgh, 2006. 324p bibl index afp ISBN 0822959224 pbk, $24.95. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2359       JL1866       2006-1960CIP

Despite measurable economic growth, Latin America's democracies have been punished by extraordinary debt service payments and pressures to hew to a neoliberal fiscal regime. It should be no surprise that an alarming disconnect has been growing between government and populace in these states. Economic constraints and interest group mobilization have shaken traditional patterns of clientelism, generating growing public alienation. The editors of this volume have assembled ten invaluable studies of these phenomena in five Andean states: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. In all five, fragile democracies have been threatened and transformed by the increasing fragmentation of parties, ethnic arousal, and, in reaction, authoritarian populism. Where constitutional experiments have been attempted (in Colombia and Venezuela), the result has seen those countries move away from participatory democracy. Best essays among a fine bunch: the editors' introduction; Eric Hershberg on Colombian reforms; Donna Lee Van Cott on ethnic mobilization; Deborah Yashar on disaggregation in Ecuador and Bolivia; Jo-Marie Burt on Lima's slum-dwellers' travails; and Miriam Komblith on the collapse of traditional democracy in Venezuela. Essential for collections on Latin American politics, problems of democratization, and Third World political development. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through practitioners. --- E. M. Dew, Fairfield University

Sthapitanonda, Nithi. Architecture of Thailand: a guide to tradition and contemporary forms, by Nithi Sthapitanonda and Brian Mertens. Thames & Hudson, 2006. 256p bibl index ISBN 0500342237, $60.00. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-1945       NA1521       MARC

This handsome book, created with a large staff under the direction of renowned Thai architect (Sathapitanon) Sthapitanonda, illustrates the evolution of Thai architecture from the 13th century to the present with hundreds of superb color photographs and informative texts by Mertens, a Bangkok-based writer. The earliest wood houses are cousins to those discussed in The Traditional Architecture of Indonesia, by Barry Dawson and John Gillow (CH, Apr'95, 32-4285). Like those houses, ceremonial and religious architecture including mosques and sacred palaces take on different forms, depending on their location in Thailand. The confluence of Thai and Western or other Asian styles is investigated. The often-neglected contemporary buildings illustrate how traditional architectural forms still play a meaningful role today. A unique feature is the inclusion of many photographs of the architectural elements and ornaments for each category: shapes of windows, doors, roofs, ceilings, and courtyards with statuary, spirit houses, and bonsai. Students of architecture, art history, and Asian studies will enjoy this book. There are 750 color and 50 black-and-white illustrations with well-organized captions. Glossary; chronology; two maps, one indicating sites of architectural interest. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels. --- M. Morehart, emerita, University of British Columbia

Sweet, William. Kicking the carbon habit: global warming and the case for renewable and nuclear energy. Columbia, 2006. 256p bibl index afp ISBN 0231137109, $27.95. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2132       TJ808       2005-35034CIP

As the title suggests, Sweet's Kicking the Carbon Habit describes the global warming problem and proposes a multifaceted solution based on renewable and nuclear energy sources. Sweet's convincing argument, based on his views and his interviews with several highly respected climate scientists, is that reduction of US greenhouse gas emissions to acceptable levels will require a strategy that includes conservation (less driving, higher efficiency vehicles) and replacement of the primary energy resource, coal, with renewable (primarily wind) and nuclear sources. The book is extremely well written, drawing on historical developments in climate change science and their counterparts in the political arena. As such, the book should provide readers at all levels with an adequate introduction to the issue of recent and potential future climate change. The primary strength of Sweet's effort relative to previous endeavors in this area is the evaluation of proposed emission reduction strategies in light of both their effectiveness and consideration of the time needed for implementation. Useful index. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through professionals. --- J. Schoof, Southern Illinois University

Toplin, Robert Brent. Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11: how one film divided a nation. University Press of Kansas, 2006. 161p index afp ISBN 0700614524, $24.95. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2025       PN1997       2006-122CIP

Toplin (history, Univ. of North Carolina, Wilmington) seeks to provide a "broad-based" evaluation of the art and politics behind both Moore and his film Fahrenheit 9/11. He argues that the film served to represent the polarization between Democrats and Republicans during the 2004 presidential campaign. He further suggests that although Moore, in making the film, sought to open dialogue regarding the Bush administration's handling of the war on terror, a widespread campaign to discount the moviemaker and his work muted the film's effect. Toplin asserts that most of the film's claims went unchallenged by critics and that before attempts to discredit it were fully under way, the film swayed many potential Bush supporters. Providing interesting insights into the craft of documentary filmmaking, this book demonstrates how Moore's films reflect traditional techniques and how critics have seemingly held him to different standards than they have others working in the genre. Toplin concludes that the perception of the film's flaws was worse than were its actual flaws, and that the film engendered not the dialogue Moore intended but instead ad hominem attacks devoid of critical analysis. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through faculty and professionals; general readers. --- R. M. Alexander, Ohio Northern University

Wilson, Anthony. Shadow and shelter: the swamp in southern culture. University Press of Mississippi, 2006. 208p bibl index afp ISBN 1578068045, $45.00. Reviewed in 2006dec CHOICE.
44-2006       F209       2005-11648CIP
A swamp is a swamp is a swamp, but its iconography is multifarious. Using the tools of literary analysis, cultural studies, and ecological history, Wilson (English, LaGrange College) manages to make the complex iconography of southern wooded wetlands fascinating, even to those with absolutely no prior interest. The ways in which southern swamps have been perceived--by explorers, early colonists, Native Americans, the Founding Fathers, memoirists, landed gentry, slaveholders, slaves, abolitionists, plantation owners, poor whites, essayists, poets, novelists, Yankee soldiers, carpetbaggers, industrialists, politicians, scientists, reformers, Marxists, filmmakers, pop culturists--are varied almost beyond belief. Each of the book's chapters deals with the swamp during a particular period: the antebellum era, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the 20th century, and the postmodern era. Throughout, the constant is that the diverse icons that represented one or more aspects of the beautiful but miasmic swamps were linked to issues of regional and personal identity. This well-written, well-documented study will have surprising value in a variety of disciplines. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. --- A. J. Griffith, emeritus, Our Lady of the Lake University

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