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

Arnold, Edwin T.  “What virtue there is in fire”: cultural memory and the lynching of Sam Hose.  Georgia, 2009.  242p index afp ISBN 0-8203-2891-X, $28.95; ISBN 9780820328911, $28.95. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3351  F292   2008-50471  CIP

It is often politicians who tell an uninformed population that they are a nation of laws; in many instances, just the opposite is so. Anyone who seeks “to know” about the kind of nation the US really is and has been would do well to begin with this work, which offers new insight into the horrific death of African American Sam Hose in Newnan, Georgia, in 1899. Hose, accused of murder and rape, is only one victim of vigilante justice in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His death, burning, and dismemberment at the hands of a mob are gruesome beyond words. Arnold (English, Appalachian State Univ.) includes many newspaper accounts and revisits the site where Hose was murdered to offer an update. Efforts have been made to bring local residents together for reconciliation as Bishop Desmond Tutu did in South Africa. For those with interests in African American, Gilded Age, and social and cultural history, this book is a must. Read Philip Dray’s At the Hands of Persons Unknown: The Lynching of Black America (CH, Jul’02, 33-6633) as a companion. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. — P. D. Travis, Texas Woman’s University

California Digital Library.  Internet Resource. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-2905

http://www.cdlib.org/ 
[Visited Nov’09] The California Digital Library (CDL) is an online digital access platform with two complementary roles. First, it provides online access for the University of California academic community to subscription-based licensed content and to the Melvyl online catalog. Second, of interest to the outside community, is the university’s commitment to making freely available its digital collections of scholarly information. One aspect of this is an ongoing program of mass digitization of thousands of volumes from the ten University of California campuses. CDL offers UC Press E-Books Collection, 1982-2004 http://www.escholarship.org/editions/, some 2,000 online books, 25 percent of which are available to the public. It is the university’s scholarly publishing platform for UC faculty, who make research available to worldwide researchers and the general public at no charge. Another aspect of CDL is the Web archiving service. The majority of the archived Web sites cover political movements, public policy, and campaign materials.

A special collections component, Calisphere (CH, Oct’08, 46-0650), is a public gateway designed for teachers, with more than 150,000 digitized primary sources from the UC libraries and California museums. Also included is the Mark Twain Project Online, containing digitized documents with commentary. The Online Archive of California is a finding aid with some online access for special collections and archives within California institutions. Overall, the CDL is an innovative work in progress with more planned resources in its future. In the meantime, this emergent digital collection is valuable for the access that it currently offers, and for the far-reaching goals and objectives of its leadership. CDL joins a growing assemblage of online university collections that offer digital information; however, the scope of this project makes it stand out. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners. — C. W. Bruns, California State University—Fullerton
 
 
Cook, Mariana.  Mathematicians: an outer view of the inner world, portraits by the author.  Princeton, 2009.  199p afp; ISBN 9780691139517, $35.00. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3217  QA28    MARC
 
To convey their interior lives, photographer Cook has produced an elegant volume of striking, insightful, black-and-white portraits of 92 mathematicians, each accompanied by autobiographical reflections by the subjects. The mathematical scientists selected vary in both age and research specialty; Fields medalists and Abel Prize winners (and Princeton faculty) are particularly well represented. Included in the group are just 13 women, but two father-daughter pairs and the three Browder brothers. The essays demonstrate a range of personal, philosophical, and aesthetic views of the profession. It is difficult to say who will enjoy browsing this book the most: professional mathematicians glad to see old friends, students looking for role models, or interested lay readers curious to learn if a career in a highly abstract pursuit reveals itself on the faces of its practitioners. The volume includes a preface by the author, an introduction by R. C. Gunning of Princeton, and an afterword by Brandon Fradd, a former undergraduate mathematics major at Princeton who encouraged Cook to undertake the project. A rare work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic and general readers, all levels. — S. J. Colley, Oberlin College 
 
 
Denny, Mark.  Froth!: the science of beer.  Johns Hopkins, 2009.  183p bibl index afp ISBN 0-8018-9132-9, $24.95; ISBN 9780801891328, $24.95. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3116  TP577   2008-22646   CIP 

Books about beer tend to be either purely descriptive or wholly scientific. Rarely does a book combine the two, much less with genuine wit and charm. Froth!, by physicist/writer Denny, is the exception. It is a great joy to read and contains a wealth of information for a wide audience. Copious humorous asides and genuinely funny footnotes and quips (e.g., “beer puts the fizz in physics;” “I like a lot of beer a lot”) liven up the text, which is sometimes highly technical and extremely detailed. For instance, one learns that there are trillions of beer bubbles produced on Earth annually or that in a closed container it is not necessary to induce a cold break (sudden chilling) of the wort, something otherwise essential in an open vessel. Chapters devoted to a brief history of beer-making and beer, the brewing of beer at home, the dynamics of beer with focuses on yeast/temperature, and the nature of beer distribution make this a remarkably intricate, thorough study, notable for its amazing economy of words. By Denny’s own admission, Froth! is not meant to supplant the works of the legendary Michael Jackson or Horst Dornbusch, but it most certainly adds pleasure to the overall discussion of zymology. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. — C. L. Dolmetsch, Marshall University 
 
 
Evans, William McKee.  Open wound: the long view of race in America.  Illinois, 2009.  330p bibl index afp ISBN 0-252-03427-9, $34.95; ISBN 9780252034275, $34.95. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3363  E185   2008-32904   CIP
 
As the 2008 presidential election and the ruckus over the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor revealed, race remains a volatile, vexing issue in the US. Evans (emer., California State Polytechnic Univ.) attempts to show how race and racism have been in constant operation in the social, economic, and political systems of the US since the 18th century, to the disadvantage not only of people of color but of poor people generally. The author surveys three periods of crisis, the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Cold War. He demonstrates how the interplay of racially inclusive and racially exclusive interests, especially economic interests–be it the necessity of black slavery to promote white freedom in the American Revolution, the systematic erasing of the African American experience in the Civil War to promote white reunion in the late-19th century, or the removal of de jure racial discrimination while leaving de facto racism in place during the Cold War–has consistently marginalized African Americans. Despite the sober tenor of the volume, Evans asserts that voices committed to human equality and inclusion have effected permanent and lasting betterment, winning economic and political concessions opportunistically during crisis times. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. — E. R. Crowther, Adams State College 
 
 
Ford, Liam T. A.  Soldier Field: a stadium and its city.  Chicago, 2009.  364p index afp ISBN 0-226-25706-1, $30.00; ISBN 9780226257068, $30.00. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3228  GV584  2009-16521   CIP
 
Ford (who writes for the Chicago Tribune) has written an excellent biography of Chicago’s Soldier Field, depicting it as a product of patriotism, urban boosterism, the City Beautiful movement (of the turn of the 20th century), and machine politics. Built in 1924 with additions in 1928, the stadium-cum-war-memorial hosted amateur sports and other public events, including religious revivals, rock and roll concerts, automobile races, rodeos, and political rallies. But its premier events have been sporting contests, including the 1927 Dempsey-Tunney “long count” fight, a 1937 high school football game that drew a record 120,000 spectators, and, since 1971, the games of the Chicago Bears. Employing the extensive collections of the Chicago Park District, Ford traces how politicians like mayors Bill Thompson, Edward J. Kelly, and Richard J. Daley employed the facility to curry favor with the voters and secure jobs and contracts for their associates. He also discusses how Soldier Field lost its national historical landmark status when the city reconstructed the edifice’s interior in 2003 (at a cost of $695 million) for the Bears. Excellently written, beautifully illustrated, and nicely documented, this book places Soldier Field in the context of the national appetite for construction of municipal stadiums in the 1920s. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. — S. A. Riess, Northeastern Illinois University 
 
 
Goldberger, Paul.  Why architecture matters.  Yale, 2009.  273p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780300144307, $26.00. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-2981  NA2540  2009-11071   CIP
 
Focusing on Western architecture from the vernacular through monuments past and present, Goldberger (architectural critic, The New Yorker) considers his emotional and intellectual reactions to buildings and the uniqueness of the architectural experience: “Good intentions … serious ideas … inspire the creation of built form,” and architecture “makes life better.” The author looks at the social character of buildings and their forms and symbols, and considers the contexts of buildings with their sense of place. Drawing on many writers’ works, from ancient to modern, he offers strong challenging opinions with his judgments and emotional responses to buildings. The book features wonderful descriptions of both buildings and sites. A particularly good chapter on memory in architecture looks at the author’s personal memories and those evident in society, film, art, photography, and literature. Goldberger also considers the concept of time in architecture and is particularly insightful on historic preservation in New York City. The text includes an eclectic selection of small black-and-white pictures. This volume also features a glossary and “A note on bibliography,” which examines Goldberger’s favorite sources. Nontechnical in nature, it will be very useful for architecture and architectural history students as a noteworthy introduction to understanding buildings. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; general readers. — W. L. Whitwell, formerly, Hollins College 
 
 
Heller, Anne C.  Ayn Rand and the world she made.  Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 2009.  567p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780385513999, $35.00. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3022  PS3535  2008-27638   CIP
 
Sensational popular novelist and cult philosopher for the American libertarian Right, the controversial Ayn Rand (1905-82) and her work have inspired an astounding volume of writing. When she died, she was both heralded and excoriated for her uncompromising belief in individualism and capitalism. An unabashed worshipper of male heroes who triumph over leveling, crippling influence creeds like socialism and communism, Rand inspired legions of readers to believe in what she deemed “the virtue of selfishness” (the title of one of her nonfiction books). Although not stinting a concern with Rand’s ideas, Heller is mesmerized by Rand the novelist and the person. The biographer pores over Rand’s early years in Russia with brilliant results, showing how much Rand (born Alissa Zinovievna Rosenbaum) drew on her experience in the 1920s Leninist state for her impressive novel We the Living (1936). Early on Rand projected an idea of America as a land of unfettered freedom where she could reinvent herself. Heller’s riveting depictions of Rand’s marriage and her affair with a disciple half her age make this biography a worthy companion to Rand’s still best-selling The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. — C. Rollyson, Bernard M. Baruch College, CUNY

Iran in the 20th century: historiography and political culture, ed. by Touraj Atabaki.  I.B. Tauris/Iran Heritage Foundation, 2009.  336p bibl index afp (International library of Iranian studies, 20); ISBN 9781845119621, $89.50. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3348  DS271   MARC
 
Radical political, cultural, social, and religious changes that have marked the history of Iran since the beginning of the 20th century also have shaped the country’s historiography. Atabaki presents the contributions of a number of international scholars who examine some of its leading themes, including “constitutional reform and revolution, literature and architecture, identity, women and gender, nationalism, modernism, Orientalism, Marxism and Islamism.” This is an excellent addition to the ever-increasing literature on contemporary Iran. Atabaki mentions in his introduction that he told the authors “our common denominator would be to examine the way the present has refashioned our reading of the past. At the same time, I highlighted the need to investigate how the Iranian historiography interacted with the political culture of the country in the twentieth century” (p. 4). Abbas Amanat in his excellent essay “Memory and Amnesia in the Historiography of the Constitutional Revolution,” Houshang Chehabi in his comprehensive paper “The Paranoid Style in Iranian Historiography,” and Kamran Scot Aghaie in his illuminating study “Islamist Historiography in Post-Revolutionary Iran” as well as other contributors demonstrate that the “mission was accomplished,” and that this book should be included on the list of recommended readings on contemporary Iranian history. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. — N. Rassekh, emeritus, Lewis and Clark College  
 
 
Kilcullen, David.  The accidental guerrilla: fighting small wars in the midst of a big one.  Oxford, 2009.  346p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780195368345, $27.95. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3441  U240  2008-54870   CIP
 
Former Australian Army officer Kilcullen is one of the world’s leading authorities on guerrilla warfare. Among his many roles, he has been senior adviser on counterinsurgency for Condoleeza Rice and for General David Petraeus in Iraq and chief counterterrorism strategist for the US Department of State. This excellent book, which is virtually a text on the subject of contemporary warfare, demonstrates his expertise. Successful security requires a strategy to address the complexity of warfare in its multifarious dimensions, including insurgent terrorists. Kilcullen explains that most insurgents are not committed terrorists dedicated to the cause. Local issues and conflicts, economic motivations, social networks, and manipulation by the core terrorists drag them into the larger war. The author employs personal experience and case studies of Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia, Thailand, East Timor, and Pakistan in this fascinating study. The critique of US involvement in Iraq, the description of the evolution and implementation of the “surge,” the analysis of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the primer on counterinsurgency strategies are all illuminating. Students, scholars, policy makers, and the larger public should take the book very seriously because the hope to avoid future wasteful ventures begins here. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, upper-division undergraduate students, and above. — J. P. Dunn, Converse College

Migrations and mobilities: citizenship, borders, and gender, ed. by Seyla Benhabib and Judith Resnik.  New York University, 2009.  505p index afp; ISBN 9780814775998, $75.00; ISBN 9780814776001 pbk, $22.00. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3428  K3324   2008-44241   CIP
 
Benhabib and Resnik’s edited volume is a welcome addition to an increasingly rich body of literature on citizenship and the politics of migration. In its emphasis on gender equality claims, it illuminates an often underemphasized dimension of the migration-citizenship nexus. The insightful chapters contained within this volume deal with the gendered dimensions of citizenship in relation to many issues: historical conceptualizations of citizenship, the relationship between the gendered global economy and women’s status as citizens, family reunification policies and motherhood, localized women’s empowerment in settings resistant to gender equality, and more abstract discussions of multiculturalism and identity. In addition, this interdisciplinary set of scholars embeds its analysis within numerous concrete settings: North Africa, the Middle East, East and Central Asia, Europe, the US, Canada, and transnational political spaces such as the EU and INGOs. This volume is one of only a handful of books to connect ongoing debates regarding migration, territorial borders, and membership in the political community to the issue of gender. For scholars and students seeking novel answers to the difficult questions that these issues produce, Benhabib (Yale Univ.) and Resnik (Yale Law School) offer an invaluable resource. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. — R. W. Glover, University of Connecticut, Storrs 
  
 
Mills, Eric L.  The fluid envelope of our planet: how the study of ocean currents became a science.  Toronto, 2009.  434p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780802096975, $75.00. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3175  GC29    Can. CIP
 
This book, with its thorough, well-presented research, offers detailed insights into the history of major theories in physical oceanography. The work builds a complete view of the ideas, theories, and conflicts inherent in the birth of a new science. Further, oceanographer and science historian Mills (emer., Dalhousie Univ.) covers the lives of the people behind the development of oceanography and the history of the major oceanographic institutions. Because the book focuses on physical oceanography, observations and theories of circulation are central to the first two chapters. The third chapter presents approaches to mathematical modeling. Chapters 4-8 examine the central figures, major institutions, and schools of thought in early-20th-century oceanography. Scientific and personal conflicts are treated factually and, in the end, serve as an example of the scientific method applied in a new science. The last chapter addresses the mid-20th-century’s major theories and oceanographers. The work is well written and includes an extensive list of references. Summing Up: Highly recommended. History of science and oceanography collections, upper-division undergraduate through professional. — N. W. Hinman, University of Montana 

Mintzberg, Henry.  Managing.  Berrett-Koehler, 2009.  306p bibl index afp; ISBN 9781576753408, $26.95. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3263  HD31  2009-21997   CIP
 
In Mintzberg’s view, management is not a science or a profession. Rather, it is a practice, where expertise is gained is a messy milieu made up of uncertainties, enormous pressures, demanding stakeholders, and incessant competition. In his landmark book The Nature of Managerial Work (1973), Mintzberg (McGill Univ.) followed five chief executives over the course of a working week. In this current work, he uses the same methodology–meticulous observation of 29 managers from a variety of organizations. What ensues is a marvelous description of the numerous everyday challenges that managers face and how the successful ones tackle these challenges. Take the case of Sandy Davis, in charge of the national parks of western Canada. Mintzberg argues, quite correctly, that Davis faces a classic managerial conundrum: does she micromanage because each park in her domain is distinct? Or does she look for synergies in these parks? Each choice has its pros and cons, but for Davis this is a predicament that she faces every day. Mintzberg does not accept conventional wisdom–he challenges it constantly using his vaunted research methodology. The current book is erudite as well as practical. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Business collections, upper-division undergraduate through professional. — R. Subramanian, Montclair State University 

Potter, John.  Tenor: history of a voice.  Yale, 2009.  305p bibl discography filmography index; ISBN 9780300118735, $35.00. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3067  ML1406   MARC
 
Tenor John Potter (Univ. of York, UK) details the evolution of the tenor voice by surveying its most significant and illustrious exemplars. He skillfully addresses seminal issues, for example, the castrato’s influence on the modern tenor and the defining transformation of the bel canto tenore di grazia into the romantic tenore di forza. In synthesizing firsthand accounts and primary sources, he answers familiar questions while shedding light on historical trends and national styles. Potter devotes the second half of the book to singers of the post-gramophone era; this section suffers from the cursory nature of many of his remarks. He wisely avoids subjective criticism and urges the reader to explore further. To this end, he provides notes and biographical lists along with audio, video, and Web site sources. Although much of this material is readily available elsewhere, Potter’s passion for his subject combines with his erudition to make for an appealing, authoritative, scholarly study. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. — S. C. Champagne, Oberlin College Conservatory of Music 

Powers, Jeanne M.  Charter schools: from reform imagery to reform reality.  Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.  243p bibl index ISBN 0-230-60627-X, $89.95; ISBN 9780230606272, $89.95. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3306  LB2806  2008-50341   CIP
 
Powers (Arizona State Univ.) offers a unique study of charter schools, tracing their development from initial policy formation to implementation. Powers uses both national data sets and case studies of charter schools in California to demonstrate the limited success of charters in meeting the bold claims of advocates, emphasizing the complexity of charter reform. Powers offers a useful overview of the national charter school scene, including the development of legal frameworks for charter-prominent states such as Arizona and Michigan. Using national data sets from 1999-2000 and 2005-06, Powers presents useful information, including the characteristics of those who attend and work in charters, variations in program offerings and management, and more. Unlike recent volumes focusing on achievement or parental satisfaction (e.g., Berends, Springer, and Walberg’s Charter School Outcomes, CH, Nov’08, 46-1615, and Buckley and Schneider’s Charter Schools: Hope or Hype?, CH, Dec’07, 45-2159), Powers focuses on the role of state policy in shaping practice, linking specific features of a charter school’s operation to the school’s policy context. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections. — M. J. Garrison, D’Youville College 
 
 
Sperling, Daniel.  Two billion cars: driving toward sustainability, by Daniel Sperling and Deborah Gordon.  Oxford, 2009.  304p bibl index afp ISBN 0-19-537664-1, $24.95; ISBN 9780195376647, $24.95. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3292  HE5611  2008-21647   CIP
 
This is a very important, realistic, and highly readable book on the currently unsustainable world auto “monoculture” and its needed changes, written by two leading transportation researchers. The authors prescribe the principal solution for reducing the auto’s carbon footprint and diversifying its energy sources as electric-drive technology. The reluctance of some auto manufacturers to commercialize environmentally promising technologies is described in detail, as are current fuel sources, alternative fuel technologies, and the probable future of transport fuels, including the promise of biofuels (except corn-based ethanol). The chapter on consumer behavior is excellent, and unusual in the recent round of books on the world auto industry. Its coverage of travel and vehicle purchase responses to price and social trends reflects the latest research. The chapter on China’s auto industry, which discusses implications for the global auto market and the evolution of electric-powered two-wheeled vehicles, is fascinating. The concluding chapter provides many recommendations for “driving towards sustainability” and reflects the authors’ optimism that while difficult, market forces and some government regulations will result in climate and energy solutions. Extensive and excellent references and index. Summing Up: Essential. All collections and readership levels. — D. Brand, formerly, Harvard University
 
 
Wessel, David.  In Fed we trust: Ben Bernanke’s war on the great panic.  Crown Business, 2009.  323p index; ISBN 9780307459688, $26.99. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-3294  HG2565   MARC
 
In Fed We Trust combines the methodical approach and careful documentation of a good reporter and editor, which author Wessel is (The Wall Street Journal), with the drama, pace, and anticipation of the novelist Dan Brown. Authors have tried to capture the policies of the US’s central bank–the Federal Reserve System–and the mindset of its previous presidents; William Greider’s Secrets of the Temple (1989) and Bob Woodward’s Maestro (CH, Jun’01, 38-5695) are two of the better ones. But Wessel treats its head since 2006, Ben Bernanke, almost in “real time” as the Fed chairman wrestles with the financial panics and global economic meltdowns of the last three years. The interactions of Fed and Treasury officials–principally Bernanke, Geithner, and Paulson–with venerable Wall Street firms (Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns), the insurance behemoth AIG, leading commercial banks (Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo), and mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offer chilling insights into monetary policies and Bernanke’s “whatever-it-takes” mantra during the US’s worst economic performance since the Great Depression of the 1930s (or at least since 1982, depending on one’s measuring rods). Already a virtual classic. Summing Up: Essential. All levels and collections. — A. R. Sanderson, University of Chicago 
          
 
Wordnik.  Internet Resource. Reviewed in 2010feb CHOICE.
47-2921

http://www.wordnik.com/ 
[Visited Nov’09] Wordnik is great fun. It combines the speed of the Web with the ease of print. Simply by clicking on links at the top of the screen, users may look up the definitions of any word, along with examples, pronunciations, etymologies, related items, and statistics. For instance, Wordnik estimates that someone is likely to use the word “ant” about twice a month (viewing the numerous flickr photos found under the main entry could lead to even more use). A bubble chart illustrates the word’s use in the past two centuries. Additionally, this reviewer clocked the 90th look-up of “ant” on Wordnik. That’s neat. But, like many Web sources, this site is only as good as its contributors. Fortunately, they are very good indeed. Anyone may log in and add words, sounds, pictures, tags, and synonyms; in the spirit of camaraderie, these contributions tend to be sound, valid, credible, and cool. What Wordnik will not do is provide help for misspellings like “commaderie.” A useful addition would be one of the ubiquitous “do you mean” features for those who are challenged by multi-letter concoctions. Users can stay in touch with Wordnik through Twitter, a blog, FAQs, and “recently looked up,” “random word,” and “word of the day” features. Students stuck in a boring lecture could open another browser window and check out Wordnik. They may not be up-to-date for class, but they would have a lot of fun learning new words. Wordnik qualifies as marvelous, stupendous, and colossal. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general audience. — K. Condic, Oakland University 

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