To highlight the wide range of publications reviewed in Choice, each month Choice editors feature some noteworthy reviews from the current issue.
 
Abrahamian, Ervand.  A history of modern Iran.  Cambridge, 2008.  228p bibl index; 9780521821391, $80.00; 9780521528917  pbk, $24.99. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2847  DS316 2008-5641 CIP
 
Abrahamian (CUNY), one of the foremost scholars of Iran, offers a comprehensive summary of Iran’s history during its last 200 years, covering the country’s sociological and religious/cultural dimensions as well as its political and economic institutions. Nineteenth-century Qajar-era rulers governed the country less by coercion and “grand appeals to divinity and history” and more through the systematic manipulation of social divisions and regional and sectarian divisions. The hallmark of the Pahlavi age (1921-78) was state building, resulting in an extensive state structure–the first in Iran’s 2,000 years. The Islamic revolution and its clerics took over the previous state intact in 1979, merely purging the top echelons and gradually but steadily expanding its ranks since then. Abrahamian lucidly and objectively presents Iranian history, particularly of the turbulent 20th century. The information contained in the book is truly incredible. Indispensable for anyone who genuinely desires to understand the roots of the theocracy that has taken over the country. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. — N. Rassekh, Lewis and Clark College

Adventures in the wild: tales from biologists of the natural state, ed. by Joy Trauth and Aldemaro Romero.  Arkansas, 2008.  182p index afp; 9781557288721 pbk, $19.95. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2641 QH318  2007-50669  CIP
 
The stereotypical caricature of the biologist with the bright white lab coat, safety goggles, and beakers full of mysterious colored liquids is cast aside in this book that chronicles the scientific adventures of the biology faculty at Arkansas State University. Trauth and Romero, both faculty at Arkansas State, have assembled what amounts to a scientific travelogue of sorts. From the seemingly benign adventures of studying anticancer agents in medicinal plants, to the nail-biting accounts of exploring blind cave fish, there is a story here that will interest readers of all levels and backgrounds. The chapter on black-water diving in the Cache River comes complete with stories of mysterious “monsters,” pesky alligators, and “Mardi Gras Hallucinations.” This book will appeal to any biologist who has ever sat around a table with colleagues and exchanged entertaining stories related to his/her work. The true value-added nature of the volume may be in its potential use as an advising tool. Any faculty member who has ever been asked “What do biologists do?” will want to have a copy of this work. The book not only represents a diverse cross-section of the discipline, but it reflects the adventurous nature of science in a way that is both educational and entertaining. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. — J. A. Hewlett, Finger Lakes Community College 
 
 
Calabresi, Steven G.  The unitary executive: presidential power from Washington to Bush, by Steven G. Calabresi and Christopher S. Yoo.  Yale, 2008.  544p index afp; 9780300121261, $60.00. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2937 KF5050 2007-45594 CIP
 
The source of much debate and rancor, the Unitary Executive Theory posited primarily by supporters of the Bush administration calls for an expansive and powerful presidency. Adherents to the theory see its roots in the founding era, but critics are skeptical of such claims. Vast in scope of power and largely unmoored from the separation of powers system created by Madison and the framers, proponents of the unitary executive see a president largely independent of the Congress and able to act with independent authority derived from the vesting clause of the Constitution (the grant of executive power to the president in Article II, Section 1). The authors of this thoughtful and comprehensive work, two well-known legal scholars, are advocates of the Unitary Executive Theory. To their credit, Calabresi (law, Northwestern Univ.) and Yoo (Univ. of Pennsylvania Law School) narrow their focus primarily to the president’s removal power and, in doing so, strengthen their case. Their advocacy scholarship is designed to make a case for a strong presidency and, while they on occasion go beyond the evidence in their claims, they make a compelling case that the framers of the Constitution did indeed intend to create a presidency with clear and defined independent power. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduate through professional collections. — M. A. Genovese, Loyola Marymount University 

Davis, Sue.  The political thought of Elizabeth Cady Stanton: women’s rights and the American political traditions.  New York University, 2008.  299p bibl index afp 0-8147-1998-8, $49.00; 9780814719985, $49.00. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2927 HQ1413 2007-43896 CIP
 
Davis (Univ. of Delaware) convincingly demonstrates how Rogers M. Smith’s “multiple-traditions thesis,” which argues that American political culture comprises a complicated interaction among contrasting and conflicting traditions, not all of which are liberal, is illustrated in the complex figure of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the most important leaders and thinkers of the women’s movement in the 19th century. In this thoroughly researched, well-written, and engaging study, Davis reveals how Cady Stanton drew upon liberalism, republicanism, ascriptive forms of Americanism, and radicalism in advancing the cause of women’s rights. Davis’s historical institutionalist approach to the topic is most suited for demonstrating not only the way in which Cady Stanton, as a political actor, adjusted her arguments because of strategic consideration of the way they were received, but also the normative theoretical commitments that shaped the thinking of Cady Stanton as a political philosopher. The book is a must read for scholars of the history of political thought, feminist theory, and women’s studies who wish to understand the full significance of Cady Stanton’s intellectual and political legacy for American political thought. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections. — M. Browers, Wake Forest University 
 
 
Diamond, Lisa M.  Sexual fluidity: understanding women’s love and desire.  Harvard, 2008.  333p bibl index afp 0-674-02624-1, $27.95; 9780674026247, $27.95. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2954 HQ29  2007-27806 CIP
 
Diamond (psychology and gender studies, Univ. of Utah) recruited 89 women from various gay places and 11 women from college sex courses who identified themselves as heterosexual. She interviewed each of them five times over ten years. (At the end, there were 79 participants from the gay sites and 10 heterosexuals.) After summarizing previous research about men, almost all of which found that the vast majority of men had a stable sexual orientation throughout life–always heterosexual, or bisexual, or gay–Diamond gives her results about her subjects. The majority of the women changed in various ways: lesbians having an affair with men, straight women with women, changing self-description from lesbian to unlabeled or vice versa, and so on. Most of the changes were in some range, wider for some women, narrower for others. At the end of the book, Diamond suggests changing current categorical thinking (hetero, bi, gay) into a “dynamic systems” model: proceptivity (desiring sexual contact) distinct from “arousability” (becoming sexual because of the current situation). She worries that her research, already being quoted by anti-gay groups to prevent legal rights for LGBT people, will become a weapon for bigots in the future. A well-researched, easy read. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate collections in gender studies; researchers/professionals. — R. W. Smith, emeritus, California State University, Northridge
 
 
Ellwood, Iain.  Wonder woman: marketing secrets for the trillion-dollar customer, by Iain Ellwood with Sheila Shekar.  Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.  240p bibl index afp; 9780230201606, $49.95. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2773 HF5415 2008-21226 MARC
 
Wonder Woman is an apropos title for this book, which vividly describes many characteristics that influence the female consumer. Marketing professionals Ellwood and Shekar begin with a captivating, easy-to-understand discussion of the biological and behavioral differences of women and men. Discussions on neuroscience, mind mapping, and how people process information lay the foundation for the major content of the work. The authors follow with an overview of the key needs of women that should be addressed by marketers, especially in advertising. Separate chapters are devoted to in-depth analyses of women of Generation Y, Generation X, and the baby boomer generation, providing advice on developing more targeted approaches to meeting the needs of each segment. The authors conclude with strategies for dealing with brand satisfaction and experience marketing to women. Each chapter provides objectives, solid analysis interspersed with frequent useful figures and tables, and a brief summary for a quick review. A thorough bibliography and list of tables and figures is provided for easy reference. The book is interesting and easy to read but also thoroughly researched and filled with abundant applied business examples. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections. — K. M. Johnson, Metropolitan State University

From superpower to besieged global power: restoring world order after the failure of the Bush doctrine, ed. by Edward A. Kolodziej and Roger E. Kanet.  Georgia, 2008.  411p bibl index afp; 9780820329772, $69.95; 9780820330747 pbk, $24.95. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2917 E902  2007-34024 CIP
 
Kolodziej (emeritus, Univ. of Ilinois, Urbana-Champaign) and Kanet (Univ. of Miami) offer a superb set of essays that present a devastating critique of the failed Bush Doctrine of preemptive intervention against putative threats to US security. The contributors make a compelling case that the US is not even a superpower, much less a global hegemon. The country entirely lacks the military and financial wherewithal to realize the Bush administration’s breathtaking ideological goals. Kolodziej and Patrick Morgan outline the ideological flaws and military limitations of the doctrine in two superb introductory chapters. Twelve chapters by regional specialists follow. These show that Bush’s policies and rhetoric have largely backfired. The doctrine has severely strained US-European relations by undermining the notion of shared values across the Atlantic. Meanwhile, Bush policies have caused other major world powers–Brazil, Russia, China, and India–to define their interests in terms of resisting the imposition of US will. Paradoxically, local authoritarians have used the administration’s anti-terror policies as a pretext to punish dissent and suppress democracy. In the final two chapters the editors call for a return to the US’s historic multilateralism, respect for international law, a refocus on domestic economic needs, and, above all, a redefinition of US interests more in line with its capabilities. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduate through professional collections. — J. F. Clark, Florida International University 
  
 
Grampp, Christopher.  From yard to garden: the domestication of America’s home grounds.  Center for American Places at Columbia College, Chicago, 2008.  278p index; 9781930066748, $32.50. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2631 SB451  2008-3903 CIP
 
Occasionally a book is written that explores a topic so obvious that it has been essentially ignored, and yet one finds great meaning and interpretive value in the subject. One of these rare treasures is From Yard to Garden. Most books dealing with garden history concentrate on the exceptional and/or the elite. Not this one. The yard space surrounding a single-family house is familiar to virtually every American, but how has it developed, what does it mean? What are the distinctions between reality and the images of yards presented in popular magazines? These and many other questions are tackled in this extensively researched and well-written book by Grampp (Merritt College), a practicing registered landscape architect as well as an educator. Grampp guides the reader through the three stages of the American yard–agricultural, utilitarian, and domestic–always with his eye on the larger relationships to American culture. Recognizing a unique contribution to America, the author divides the book into two parts, “American Yard” and “California Garden,” and it all makes sense. This book deserves a wide readership. It is a story of us all. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General, professional, and academic libraries, upper-division undergraduates and up. — I. Richman, emeritus, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg Campus

Health News Review.org.  Internet Resource. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2693

http ://healthnewsreview.org/ 
[Visited Oct’08] Health News Review provides objective reviews of media stories covering therapeutic claims. Such claims may involve a new medical treatment, procedure, drug, supplement, or test. Over 600 articles have been reviewed to date, from nearly 70 US newspapers, wire services, magazines, and network news programs. Ten criteria are used to evaluate the quality of health stories. These criteria include whether the story discusses availability of a health treatment, its costs, its potential benefits and harms, its novelty, and its comparison with existing treatments. Stories should also refrain from “disease-mongering,” discuss the strength of the medical research behind the story, check with independent sources and disclose conflicts of interest, and not be based primarily on a press release. Reviewers assess how well the story meets each criterion, and then give the story a zero- to five-star rating; five-star stories are highlighted on the Web site.

Health News Review was initiated by Gary Schwitzer (journalism and mass communication, Univ. of Minnesota). Nearly 30 reviewers, most with MD, MPH or PhD credentials, work with the site, which is modeled after Media Doctor Australia http://www.mediadoctor.org.au/; a Media Doctor Canada http://www.mediadoctor.ca/ site also has been developed independently. Reviews may be browsed by date, media source, or star rating, and are searchable. Users may comment on reviews or other issues in the discussion forum. A Journalist Toolkit provides an introduction to various issues in medical reporting, such as off-label drug prescription, epidemiological concepts, and medical research phases. The site offers e-mail updates and an RSS feed. Since health news affects everyone, students, faculty and the general public all will find this site quite useful. It is an excellent resource for courses on critical thinking, for journalism students, and for health practitioners and students who educate patients. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels. — U. Ellis, Deaconess Hospital
 
  
Henderson, Mary C.  The story of 42nd Street: the theaters, shows, characters, and scandals of the world’s most notorious street, by Mary C. Henderson and Alexis Greene.  Back Stage Books, 2008.  240p bibl index 0-8230-3072-5, $40.00; 9780823030729, $40.00. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2580 PN2277 2008-1594 CIP
 
Henderson is a leading historian of New York City theater, and she and Greene have produced a beautiful yet serious coffee-table book on the theatrical history of 42nd Street. The book chronicles the maturation of the street from a thin line on an 1811 planning map through its various incarnations, from the sophisticated to the tawdry, as one of the world’s great entertainment centers. Although Henderson discussed the 12 area theaters built between 1893 and 1920 in The City and the Theatre (CH, Mar’74), all those theaters are afforded comprehensive portraits here, both as business ventures for Broadway entrepreneurs and their architects and in terms of their productions. The authors include detailed profiles of the plays, players, and playwrights that graced their stages. The book is written in clear, accessible language, and the excellent, copious illustrations will bring history alive, especially for undergraduates; unfortunately, the lack of citations weakens the book’s value as an academic resource. Despite that scholarly deficiency, the book is well researched and provides an engaging portrait of the development of Broadway entertainment on what is arguably the most famous street in the world. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers, all levels. — M. S. LoMonaco, Fairfield University 
 
 
Kennedy, Randall.  Sellout: the politics of racial betrayal.  Pantheon Books, 2008.  228p index; 9780375425431, $22.00. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2968 E185  2007-28052 CIP
 
A Harvard law professor by day, Kennedy has made a successful career moonlighting as a polemical public intellectual writing short books (or long essays) discussing incendiary race words among black Americans–first Nigger (CH, May’02, 39-5253) and now “sellout”–that underscore their troubling relationship to race and racism in the white supremacist USA. Chapters examine the idea of racial sellout historically and in the contemporary US, with a particularly interesting interrogation of whether racial passing/racial masquerade is another egregious example of sellout or, rather, a subtle mode of resistance and subversion of white racism. The centerpiece of this work concerns the strange case of Clarence Thomas, perhaps the most vilified black man in US history for his perceived sellout of the black community in rendering many problematic votes. In the end, Kennedy exonerates Thomas, as he does his black law students who choose to climb the lucrative corporate ladder instead of serving the community, and by extension, himself as well, on the basis of liberal individualism, the implied US creed that underlies all his works. One senses Kennedy almost gleefully anticipating being called “sellout” again for his particularistic exegesis on sellout, and why not? Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. — E. Hu-DeHart, Brown University 
  
 
Larkin, Ralph W.  Comprehending Columbine.  Temple University, 2008 (c2007).  253p bibl index afp; 9781592134908, 71.50; 9781592134915 pbk, $24.95. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2807 LB3013 2006-20365 CIP
 
Larkin (John Jay College of Criminal Justice) has undertaken an important task in this work. He deconstructs the Columbine High School tragedy, attempting to reach an objective understanding of a complicated event that has become tangled in myth and emotion. He presents the events at Columbine carefully before examining the influences that may have contributed to this crisis. A variety of possibly contributing factors are presented at different levels, including local and school culture, bullying, national influences, and the individual histories and personalities of Klebold and Harris. The author pulls the reader closer to the situation by including narrative from his interviews, quotes from important sources, and specific examples. The resulting work is well organized and written, yet it remains difficult to read due to its painful subject matter. The content of this book should be required reading for school administrators, educators, counselors, and others who work regularly with young people. The work might be best appreciated when presented in the context of a course or reading group so that readers would have the opportunity to discuss the content and their reactions with others as they search to comprehend Columbine. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections. — C. J. S. Monroe, California University of Pennsylvania 
 
 
Lowenstein, Roger.  While America aged: how pension debts ruined General Motors, stopped the NYC subways, bankrupted San Diego, and loom as the next financial crisis.  Penguin, 2008.  274p index 1-59420-167-6, $25.95; 9781594201677, $25.95. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2789 HD7125 2007-042508 CIP
 
This book excellently shows the dire consequences of pension plans that push the costs to future owners and taxpayers. Properly structured pensions can secure a stable workforce, but Lowenstein (financial journalist; Origins of the Crash, 2004, and When Genius Failed, CH, Jan’01, 38-2845) asserts union demands escalated while irresponsible boards and city councils bought temporary labor peace at the expense of the future. He reports how pensions and medical insurance ruined the once-great American automobile industry, and how corporations such as General Motors and governments such as those of New York City and San Diego were pressured by unions to promise pensions but without adequate funding. From their power to strike as well as their political clout, city employees were able to obtain lavish pensions that perversely encouraged early retirement. The author notes a similar syndrome is occurring with Medicare and Social Security, with underfunded liabilities. Lowenstein recommends federal medical vouchers, retirement annuities, legal requirements to fully fund pension benefits, and an independent Social Security budget. Another work on this theme is Steven Sass’s The Promise of Private Pensions: The First Hundred Years (1997). A timely book on a major policy issue. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections and readership levels.
— F. E. Foldvary, Santa Clara University 
 
 
Mason, Matt.  The pirate’s dilemma: how youth culture reinvented capitalism.  Free Press, 2008.  276p
1-4165-3218-8, $25.00; 9781416532187, $25.00. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2777 HQ799  2007-23530 CIP
 
This interesting book addresses the challenge to established intellectual property rights and traditional business models posed by easy consumer access to online information and sharing and modification technology. The ease of cutting and pasting electronic content challenges long-established norms defining plagiarism of original content. Considering disco mixers and radio pirates, Mason (journalist; founder, RWD, an urban music magazine) covers the societal and business impact of these “pirates”–individuals who seek new markets outside traditional market boundaries and create “original” repackaged products. The ownership rights (and income stream) of the creators are often bypassed in the guise of free speech and expression. The information gathering, repackaging, and dissemination models of wikis and custom disco mixes create entrants to the workforce who apply these practices to their own job content, not necessarily the corporate identity. The author describes how “flash mobs,” viral marketing messages, and “patent trolls” have redefined marketing, and how the youth culture, which embraces these technologies, is transforming business. The notes section provides additional information sources. Mason’s message is critical for survival of any current business endeavor. See related, Paul Goldstein’s Intellectual Property: The Tough New Realities That Could Make or Break Your Business (CH, Mar’08, 45-3874). Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, all levels of undergraduate students, practitioners. — N. J. Johnson, Metropolitan State University

Morton, John Fass.  Backstory in blue: Ellington at Newport ’56.  Rutgers, 2008.  304p bibl index afp; 9780813542829, $34.95. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2571 ML410 2007-33644 CIP
 
No one would argue that the performance of Duke Ellington and his orchestra at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival was one of the touchstone events in the extraordinary career of the jazz maestro–or that Ellington’s rendition of “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue” was the capstone of that program. Morton provides a detailed exploration of that remarkable July night in a not-very-jazzy community then known primarily for its upper-class society lifestyle. By way of backstory, the author provides cogent explorations of everything from the creation of the US’s first jazz festival and the then-emerging technology of live recording to Ellington’s midcentury career and the history of his star saxophonist, Paul Gonsalves. Morton delves into the cultural impact of jazz in the middle of the 20th century and the political, personal, and professional impacts of this particular historic performance. Though Morton’s jazz credentials would seem rather limited, his research and writing are outstanding. Jumping back and forth in time, Morton draws the reader into both the factual content and the emotion of that performance. This is a book for students and scholars of American studies as well as jazz. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. — C. M. Weisenberg, formerly, University of California, Los Angeles 

  
Motherhood, the elephant in the laboratory: women scientists speak out, ed. by Emily Monosson.  ILR Press, 2008.  219p afp; 9780801446641, $25.00. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2621 HQ759   CIP
 
There is no instruction manual for simultaneously becoming a successful mother and a successful scientist, in part because each woman’s goals and circumstances are unique. Nevertheless, institutional and collegial support for balancing work with life is essential if society aims to boost the number of women pursuing scientific professions. Monosson, an independent toxicologist, collected brief life stories from 34 female scientists who began their careers between the 1970s and today. The combination of their experiences reflects the truism “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” but young scientists are also finding more flexibility in their career paths. Advice is provided from a number of perspectives, including those of adoptive and single parents as well as nuclear families. The accounts suggest that scientists can have it all, but not all at one time. These American Association for the Advancement of Science members recommend following one’s passion and trusting that all will turn out right. They point out that establishing family-friendly policies in academia would benefit fathers as much as mothers. Determining the care right for one’s child is key. Employers, career groups, book clubs, and the children of scientists will find useful observations in this work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels of readership. — A. K. Ackerberg-Hastings, University of Maryland University College 
 

Thompson, David.  The history of watches, photography by Saul Peckham.  Abbeville, 2008.  175p bibl index afp 0-7892-0918-7, $45.00; 9780789209184, $45.00. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2474 NK7482 2007-21044 CIP
 
Keeping time has become an obsession in modern society, as people work, eat, and sleep according to the clock. Not surprisingly, the passion for watches also has grown over the years. In this beautifully illustrated volume, Thompson, the curator of horological collections at the British Museum, tracks the history of the watch as it shifts from a miracle of 16th-century technology into a modern precision instrument. Although not an exhaustive history on the subject, this book does cover nearly 500 years, from the German stackfreed mechanism of 1560 to the mass-produced watches of the 21st century. Thompson provides detailed historical and technical information, including the maker and decorator for each of the 77 watches chosen for the book. Each section discusses a different watchmaker, and the collection includes models made in Europe, North America, and more recently Asia. This elegantly written volume will delight a wide range of readers and will be very useful for collections that focus on European decorative arts, technology, crafts, engraving, and metalwork. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners; general readers. — L. R. Hudgins, South Carolina Institute of Archaeology & Anthropology 
  
 
Wilson, Jean Moorcroft.  Isaac Rosenberg: the making of a great war poet: a new life.  Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2008.  468p bibl index; 9780297851455, $39.95. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2538 PR6035  MARC
 
This well-researched biography should help cement Rosenberg’s position as a preeminent WW I poet. Including numerous color plates of Rosenberg’s paintings, Wilson charts the growth of the poet’s mind from birth until his premature death at age 27 in 1918, on the Arras-St. Quentin front. The author compares Rosenberg to William Blake, detailing the growth of the visual artist who in the end chose words over color as his primary medium but whose combining of media was key to his modernist perspective and genius. Rosenberg saw himself as a son of John Keats, and certainly the poems he left of his war experience suggest that, had he lived, he would today be ranked in the top tier of all English poets. Wilson makes much of Rosenberg’s Jewishness, his knowing only Yiddish well into his early school years, and his extreme poverty. A sustaining theme of the biography, however, is Rosenberg’s poor timing in so many aspects of his life, part of the general misfortune that even today overshadows his considerable literary achievements. Rich in detail, sharp in literary judgment, and painterly in revealing so many remote corners of an obscure life in pre-war English Jewish ghettoes, this is an invaluable resource. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers, all levels. — B. Adler, Georgia Southwestern State University 
 
 
Wright, Gwendolyn.  USA: modern architectures in history.  Reaktion Books Ltd, 2008.  320p bibl index 1861893442 pbk, $29.95; 9781861893444 pbk, $29.95. Reviewed in 2009jan CHOICE.
46-2489 NA712   Brit. CIP
 
Sure to become a standard in the field, this latest installment in the series “Modern Architectures in History,” by Wright (Building the Dream, 1981; The Politics of Design in French Colonial Urbanism, CH, Jul’92, 29-6099), is critical of the timeworn view that American modernism is simply a wholesale adoption of avant-garde styles imported from Europe. Wright’s history is far more rich and complex, more heterogeneous and variable than it is homogeneous and monolithic. The author expounds the view that American modernism is intricately tied to the very specific social and political concerns of American life after WW II, not only on a national level but also regionally. Her history moves beyond a consideration of iconic forms (e.g., skyscrapers, factories) and iconic names (Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Meier, Johnson, Wright), though she does not dismiss them, to an examination of the contributions of lesser-known building types (e.g., gas stations, public housing, coffee shops, hotels) and architects (e.g., Morris Lapidus, Douglas Honnold). This book is a joy to read and copiously illustrated. Wright’s enthusiasm for her topic comes through in her vivid, compelling writing. Summing Up: Essential. All levels. — D. E. Gliem, Eckerd College 

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