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

Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge, by the Arctic Studies Center, Smithsonian Institution.  Internet Resource.
48-0352

http://alaska.si.edu/ 
[Visited Jun’10] The Smithsonian’s stunning Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge Web site, a model of best practices for virtual interpretive museum exhibits, aims to make vast Alaska and northeast Siberia collections in the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) accessible. The project was implemented by the Arctic Studies Center, a research program of NMNH’s Department of Anthropology. Tribal elders and representatives from source communities made a series of trips to Washington museums to provide cultural information about museum objects. Sharing Knowledge is organized around ten cultures: Iñupiaq, St. Lawrence Island Yup’ik, Northeast Siberian, Athabascan, Unangan, Sugpiaq, Eyak, Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida. The site is well designed, visually enticing, and easily navigable via Browse, Cultures, Tours, and Search tabs. Browse takes users to tabs for each culture and a scrolling series of images organized by Community, Ceremony, and Environment, although content for each group varies. Metadata for each cultural item includes its Native language name and lengthy transcripts of interpretive conversations by elders about the item. The Cultures tab provides an interactive map showing cultural-linguistic boundaries as they existed around 1900. Clicking on a region provides extensive information about the group and a Meet the People section with images and information about participating elders. The zoom feature on each group’s map reveals village location. The Tours tab leads to a series of ten images demonstrating the whaling tradition among the groups. A sophisticated search interface allows visitors to limit keyword searches by object category (e.g., hunting, tools, ceremony), culture area, and theme. A Russian-language version of the entire site, reflecting the international distribution of these peoples, is available with a single click. Sharing Knowledge is an ongoing project, with some uneven representation of cultural regions. With new items, information, and voices continually added, this promises to be an even more outstanding resource. Summing Up: Essential. All public and academic libraries. — M. Cedar Face, Southern Oregon University 
  
Bennett, Clinton.  Interpreting the Qur’an: a guide for the uninitiated.  Continuum International Publishers Group, 2010.  157p bibl index; ISBN 9780826499431, $130.00; ISBN 9780826499448 pbk, $24.95.
48-0203  BP130  2009-10922 CIP
 
Bennett (SUNY at New Paltz) introduces readers to the Qur’an by insisting that they view the text within the context of the Prophet’s life. History, for the author, is a central category. By the very nature of things, it must be the central frame of reference for anyone who seeks to make sense of the Qur’an, either in part or as a whole. In the four principal chapters of the book, the author leads readers through key passages of the Qur’an and establishes the historical setting for each. He begins with the Prophet’s call and proceeds to identify crucial events in his life from the early Mecca period to the end of the Prophet’s life in Medina. This is a carefully conceived work, sensitive to Muslim perspectives on the Qur’an, although as a matter of principle Bennett always offers his independent judgment when questions of interpretation are involved. This volume can be commended especially to newcomers to the Qur’an and to those who have found it a difficult text. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic and public libraries, lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers, general readers. — M. Swartz, Boston University 
  
Brandenburg, David M.  National Wildlife Federation field guide to wildflowers of North America.  Sterling Publishing Co., 2010.  672p bibl index; ISBN 9781402741548 pbk, $19.95.
48-0254  QK110  2009-27744 CIP
 
There is great wisdom in a guide to North American wildflowers that identifies to the genus level. The work’s broad scope (over 2,000 species) dictates such a strategy. Most field guides cover only about 200-400 species. Using more than 4,000 photos as the primary vehicle to identify a wildflower, taxonomic botanist Brandenburg (Dawes Arboretum) wisely adds flower symmetry and the extent of fusion of the petals as criteria to successfully identify a wildflower without getting bogged down in technicalities. The distribution maps and explanations of plant parts are superb. With all the effort made to assist the would-be naturalist in successfully identifying an organism in the field, the guide suffers from the shortcomings of all such printed guides–static methodology and the exclusion of plants likely to be encountered. Picture-book taxanomy only goes so far in the vegetable kingdom. Electronic tools function better, but people continue their love affair with print. The ultimate test is to hand the guide to a student in class, which this reviewer did this spring. The proof is in the pudding; the outcome was a successful identification. Congratulations to the author and publisher on a job well done. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels of academic and two-year technical program students, practitioners, and general readers. — T. Johnson, Prescott Valley Public Library

C-SPAN Video Library.  Internet Resource.
48-0039

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/ 
[Visited Jun’10] Although long ridiculed as being the most boring thing on television, the C-SPAN network (CH, Sup’05, 42Sup-0635) has provided an invaluable public service by recording and broadcasting various federal government events such as press conferences, bill signing ceremonies, political meetings, congressional hearings and debates, and other activities that might be of interest to US citizens and anyone following US politics. Recent examples include videos on the Gulf oil spill and jobs and the economy, and notable past topics include the Iran-Contra hearings, the Clinton impeachment drama, and discussions about going to war after 9/11. Since 1987, more than 160,000 hours have been recorded, and digital copies of these materials are now available online through this video library. These streaming videos are great teaching tools for history or political science classroom use, and can be freely accessed by students outside of class. The site allows one to search for programs by topic and series, by congressional committee, and also by the most recent and most popular programs. The Congress section includes data on congressional member days on the chamber floors. The Browse section includes links to the Booknotes and Book TV programs, related programs and Web sites, and current events. Readers can also view and subscribe to the site’s blog. This is a great video archive that every public and academic library should include in its links and online catalog (the OCLC # is 556400291). Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections. — D. K. Blewett, College of DuPage 
  
DiPaolo, Amanda.  Zones of twilight: wartime presidential powers and federal court decision making.  Lexington Books, 2010.  249p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780739138335, $75.00; ISBN 9780739138342 pbk, $29.95.
48-0548  KF5060  2009-32225 CIP
 
DiPaolo (Middle Tennessee State Univ.) examines how federal courts rule when the national government has limited individual liberties during times of national emergency. Using Justice Robert Jackson’s Youngstown Sheet & Tube v. Sawyer (1952) framework in a case law-based analysis, DiPaolo observes that in cases in which the president justifies his actions by claiming national security concerns, the federal courts will often opt not to rule on the larger constitutional issues at stake. Rather, they will evaluate the president’s actions based on whether or not Congress has legislated. This “separation of powers” approach, she suggests, protects the courts from bowing to the pressures of the moment and making a mistake that will, in the long run, weaken the judiciary and the Constitution itself. DiPaolo’s very thorough–at times, somewhat dense–case retellings are helpfully summarized by various tables that classify the decisions based on whether or not the court agreed with the chief executive’s decision, and whether or not Congress had legislated in the particular subject area. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate collections. — J. P. Crouch, American University 
 
Echols, Alice.  Hot stuff: disco and the remaking of American culture.  W.W. Norton, 2010.  338p bibl index; ISBN 9780393066753, $26.95.
48-0171  ML3526  2009-40997 CIP
 
Echols (American studies and history, Rutgers Univ.) draws on a wide range of primary and secondary sources in telling the fascinating story of the rise and (almost) fall of disco music. The subtitles of the book’s six chapters reveal the progression of the narrative: “Black Masculinity and the Disco Turn,” “One and Oneness in Gay Disco,” “Women and Disco,” “Disco and the Rise of Gay Macho,” “The Little Disco Movie” (Saturday Night Fever), and “Disco and Its Discontents.” The author highlights the early connection between disco and the emerging gay male club subculture, and the role of African American performers in developing this dance style. The chapter on Saturday Night Fever is particularly informative, given the film’s influence on the disco craze in the US’s white suburbs. Thriving during the decade of the 1970s, disco seemed dead as a commercial musical force by 1980. Yet it still survives. This is not a complex musical exploration; rather, it is an imaginative discussion of the performers, the record companies, and disco’s connection with the rise of gay, black, and female consciousness. A fitting companion to Tim Lawrence’s Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979 (CH, Oct’04, 42-0850). Includes helpful illustrations and notes. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. — R. D. Cohen, emeritus, Indiana University Northwest  
 
Fleming, Cynthia Griggs.  Yes we did?: from King’s dream to Obama’s promise.  University Press of Kentucky, 2009.  281p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780813125602, $29.95.
48-0462  E185  2009-22456 CIP
 
In the era of the civil rights movement, the African American community fought for the abolition of Jim Crow laws and the attainment of legal equality. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and death marked a climax of that campaign. In the decades that followed, African American leaders sought black power, acceptance into professional groups, residencies in middle- and upper-class communities, political prominence, uplift of minorities left scarred by racism, and scholarly academic reputability. Leaders disagreed about the best directions in which to lead. Despite such disparities, there was consensus when Obama was elected president in 2008 that the election was a marker of accomplishment for African American leadership. Historian Fleming (Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville) interviewed 42 black leaders from the King to Obama eras about their experiences and insights as black leaders. What happened to the unity of the African American community after King? Did leaders do what they should have done? Their fresh perspectives and Fleming’s comments and contextual additions to the leaders’ stories provide worthy insights into minority leadership in a time when definitions of progress diverged. A valuable account of how complicated the path was from King’s dream to Obama’s promise, and a good read for aspiring leaders. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. — J. H. Smith, Wake Forest University 
 
Grossman, Edith.  Why translation matters.  Yale, 2010.  135p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780300126563, $24.00.
48-0099  PN241  2009-26510 CIP
 
This book is part of the “Why X Matters” series, the X being a variety of topics (e.g., the Dreyfus Affair, Hannah Arendt, the Constitution, architecture), and in this case the author is well chosen. An accomplished literary translator, Grossman offers an informed, pragmatic perspective on the importance of translation. She examines how the existence of translated texts can feed cultural awareness and knowledge transfer–even how this promotes democratic ideation process in a free society. Early on in the book, she brings up the example of literature professors (and in some cases entire university literature departments) who do not allow students to study any work in translated form. Rather, these professors enforce the reading of texts only in the original language: any translation would be a bastardized form of the text. Grossman provides first a pragmatic argument, observing that having reading knowledge of numerous languages is quite a feat, and then uses the scenario as a springboard into a discussion of why translated texts are indeed valuable. Her investigation of the broad-reaching societal benefits of translated texts–which allow for exchange of ideas and insight–is captivating and refreshing. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. — C. M. DiFranco, New York University  
 
Halverson, Anders.  An entirely synthetic fish: how rainbow trout beguiled America and overran the world.  Yale, 2010.  257p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780300140873, $26.00.
48-0268  QL638  2009-36200 CIP
 
Sport fishing has been a significant recreational activity since the mid-19th century. As the ecologic conditions of the waterways, especially in eastern North America (NA), deteriorated in the late-19th and 20th centuries, states began seeking ways to improve the qualities and survivability of stream/lake fishes, particularly seeking species that would actively take the bait and give the rod-and-reel fisherman a challenge. Halverson (PhD, aquatic ecology; Univ. of Colorado, Center of the American West) describes the selection, breeding, transportation modes, and stocking of rainbow trout across NA. He shows why rainbows were the species of choice, noting that they are now on every continent. They make good game fish, and can survive in very different conditions and grow in hatcheries. Halverson introduces many historical key players in government and universities, and the successful/unsuccessful methods used on many specific streams/lakes. Some accounts demonstrate the need for careful testing before almost random stocking, which has produced unexpected results. Many native NA fish species are much different from their 19th-century forebears, and significant hybridization between native and hatchery fishes has changed the ecologic relationships among the different fishes. A good introduction to the decisions various state hatcheries made, and their effect on major and local streams/lakes. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic and public libraries, all levels. — D. Bardack, emeritus, University of Illinois at Chicago  
 
Lucy, William H.  Foreclosing the dream: how America’s housing crisis is reshaping our cities and suburbs.  APA Planners Press, 2010.  195p index; ISBN 9781932364781 pbk, $52.95.
48-0395  HD7293   MARC
 
In this timely study, Lucy (urban and environmental planning, Univ. of Virginia) delineates the American dream of owning a home, the recent housing bubble, the pattern of foreclosures, and the consequent economic downturn. He examines the causes and consequences of the housing crisis, presents quantitative data, and shows how demographics, housing units, and family income are intertwined. His account shows how the housing crisis was triggered by federal government policy aimed at increasing the rate of home ownership, easy credit with low down payments, deregulation of financial institutions, and the secondary mortgage market. Examining the implications of this crisis for future housing, Lucy focuses on the impact of suburban sprawl on increased use of automobiles and the resulting pollution and global warming. He argues in favor of smart growth: developing more compact urban areas, increasing the use of public transit, providing more alternatives to driving alone, and moving household locations closer to jobs, bus routes, shopping, etc. Furthermore, Lucy emphasizes the need for federal and state government policies directed at changing human behavior and lifestyles through finance, tax, home buying, and energy-related incentives, leading to a more compact and equitable metropolis. This book is a major contribution to the literature on urban housing and environmental policy/planning. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections/readership levels. — D. A. Chekki, emeritus, University of Winnipeg

Newcomers, outsiders & insiders: immigrants and American racial politics in the early twenty-first century, by Ronald Schmidt Sr. et al.  Michigan, 2010.  322p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780472117031, $70.00; ISBN 9780472033768
pbk, $24.95.
48-0553  JV6477  2009-24951 CIP 
 
Schmidt (California State Univ., Long Beach), Alex-Assensoh (Indiana Univ.), Aoki (Augsburg Coll.), and Hero (Univ. of Notre Dame) provide a timely, novel examination of the political and policy debate about immigration to the US. They consider the impacts of increased immigration of three groups: blacks, Latinos, and Asian Americans. The authors rightly frame this debate in terms of the neglect of this issue by mainstream political scientists. They dutifully fill the void in the study of racial and ethnic politics with the presentation of a synthesis of the field. In part 1, the authors put forth a comprehensive overview of key demographic trends, and then they present an analytical framework of the “new immigration.” They effectively demonstrate that the political incorporation of immigrants can be understood along the dimensions of assimilation, pluralism, and bi- or multiracial coalitions. In part 2, the authors review the history of ethno-racial politics and enduring racial (and ethnic) segregation. In part 3, they consider the fight for political power and representation. Last, the future prospects for immigrant incorporation are described. The book is well written and clearly communicates the multiple dimensions of immigrant incorporation. It is a critical reading for all those interested in the immigration debate today. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. — T. J. Vicino, Northeastern University  
  
Rosenblum, Lawrence D.  See what I’m saying: the extraordinary powers of our five senses.  W.W. Norton, 2010.  350p bibl index; ISBN 9780393067606, $26.95.
48-0573  BF233  2009-47975 CIP
 
How can the blind play baseball? How well can people identify the emotions conveyed by music? Can people use their two nostrils to achieve stereo-smell and follow an odor trail? Do some people see letters or numbers in different colors? Could an individual come to see letters or numbers in colors? How does the magician use natural human responses to fool people? Addressing himself primarily to the general reader, Rosenblum (psychology, Univ. of California, Riverside) answers these questions and many others. Void of technical jargon or experimental detail, the book describes the results of a wide variety of fascinating studies on the more-than-five human senses. One of the book’s major themes is that people do not see the world or hear the world or smell the world, and so on. Rather, they perceive the world through various interactions among all the senses, often without awareness of these interactions. Another theme is how rapidly and effectively the mind, or brain, molds itself to use whatever information is available to all the senses in order to identify things and navigate the environment. The writing is engaging, and copious notes direct inquisitive and scholarly readers to original sources. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. — R. H. Cormack, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology  
 
Schulze-Makuch, Dirk.  We are not alone: why we have already found extraterrestrial life, by Dirk Schulze-Makuch and David Darling.  Oneworld, 2010.  187p bibl index; ISBN 9781851687190 pbk, $19.95.
48-0244  QB54   MARC
 
Schulze-Makuch (astrobiology, Washington State) and Darling (science writer) make a convincing case that primitive life forms exist on Mars and at various other places in our solar system where surface conditions are probably too hostile to permit life to exist–certainly life as we know it. Extrapolating their logic to planets, which are now being found orbiting around nearby stars, the authors speculate with sound reasoning, based on a good knowledge of chemistry and biology, that there will also be life on planets surrounding other stars. Their logic and presentation show a detailed knowledge of what constitutes life, and their arguments are well explained in the narrative. New to readers may be the possibility of life at various levels within the atmospheres of Venus and Jupiter, and life within the oceans of the large moons of planets that probably exist under their cold surfaces. Though very speculative, the arguments appear compelling, even though there is no evidence yet of more-than-primitive life-forms elsewhere in the universe. The book is well illustrated with 28 black-and-white figures. Includes an interesting three-page chronology of the quest for alien life, nine pages of mostly technical references, and a four-page index. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Readers interested in extraterrestrial life, upper-division undergraduates through professionals/practitioners and general audiences. — W. E. Howard III, formerly, Universities Space Research Association  
 
Synnott, Anthony.  Re-thinking men: heroes, villains, and victims.  Ashgate, 2009.  297p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780754677093, $124.95.
48-0589  HQ1090  2009-17571 CIP
 
Observing that the definitions and cultural depictions of men have become increasingly negative over the past 50 years, Synnott (Concordia Univ., Montreal, Canada) challenges the misandrist and unbalanced view of men so prevalent in popular culture and literature, gives voice to the large numbers of powerless men, and offers a more balanced perspective on gender and power relations. He begins by examining the plurality of meanings attached to masculinity and manhood, noting that men throughout history have been portrayed as villains, heroes, or victims. The author is particularly adept at documenting the myriad “wars” to which men are subjected–military, social, cultural, ideological, systemic, or even civil (i.e., wars among men themselves). In analyzing such wars, Synnott notes the complexities of power relations between and among men and women and extends understanding of gender relations in a postmodern world. Finally, he identifies the contributions of his scholarship in the wide variety and rich history of theories of masculinity. The result is a comprehensive, engaging, and important contribution of immense value to any student or scholar interested in the past, present, and future of masculinity and men’s studies. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above. — J. R. Mitrano, Central Connecticut State University  

Tedlow, Richard S.  Denial: why business leaders fail to look facts in the face–and what to do about it.  Portfolio, 2010.  261p bibl index; ISBN 9781591843139, $26.95.
48-0379  HD31  2009-39396 CIP
 
In this clearly written, well-researched, excellent work, Tedlow (Harvard Business School) discusses the natural tendency of companies to be in denial about the changes taking place in their environments during certain periods, resulting in severe financial problems. He provides extensive historical backgrounds of five of these companies including Ford and Sears. For example, in the 1920s, Henry Ford denied the desire by Americans for style and color in their cars. In the 1960s, Sears denied that their real competition included discounters such as Wal-Mart. In contrast, Tedlow provides examples of companies such as DuPont and Intel that faced the facts, avoided denial of change, and achieved success. For example, starting in 1913, DuPont used openness and participation with its middle managers to change its product line and organizational structure to adapt to changes taking place in its environment. In the early 1970s, Andrew Grove at Intel listened to his middle managers, sales force, and engineers to change a memory company into a microprocessor company. This work includes excellent notes for each chapter and a bibliography of scholarly articles, books, Web sites, cases, and teaching notes. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All business collections and readership levels. — D. W. Huffmire, emeritus, University of Connecticut  
 
Vargas, George.  Contemporary Chican@ art: color & culture for a new America.  Texas, 2010.  277p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780292721166, $55.00; ISBN 9780292721173 pbk, $27.95.
48-0076  N6538  2009-15039 CIP
 
Interest in and publications about Chicano art have expanded recently. What makes this contribution by Vargas (Texas A&M Univ.–Kingsville) unique is its expansion of the notion of Chicano/a art into art that is “uniquely American in character and expression.” The book begins by defining the contested and complex identities of the Chicano/a as American. Following this, content is organized chronologically. The first chapters describe the historical trajectories of the Chicano art movement since its political beginnings in the 1950s and 1960s and as an art generating new forms while referencing well-known and socially critical art (e.g., muralism and printmaking in postrevolutionary Mexico). Later chapters define the shift to contemporary expressions of multiculturalism as Chicano/a artists began to address broader issues while maintaining signs of and references to their particular experiences, histories, and interests. What makes this book so compelling is its careful articulation of the artists, works, events, and exhibitions produced and the distinct phases the movement has undergone. This book is required reading for anyone seeking to understand the contributions and complexities of Chicano/a art and its continual transformation. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. — L. E. Carranza, Roger Williams University

Women’s movements in the global era: the power of local feminisms, ed. by Amrita Basu.  Westview, 2010.  495p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780813344447 pbk, $48.00.
48-0517  HQ1155  2009-35873 CIP
 
In this fine collection, Basu (Amherst College) and her contributors provide sweeping analyses of diverse feminist and women’s movements and organizations in major world regions. The globally driven conceptual introduction is followed by two chapters on Africa (South Africa and Zimbabwe), three on Asia (Pakistan, India, and China), two on Europe (Poland and Russia), several on Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and a comparative chapter on center-left governments, cleverly titled “Seeking Rights from the Left: Gender and Sexuality in Latin America”), two from the Middle East (Palestine and Iran), and one from the US. Basu argues that feminist and women’s movements face many challenges, including balancing autonomy and alignment in strong national grounding with transnational linkages, engaging with the state while retaining identities and constituencies, and building alliances with other movements and groups. The book updates and globalizes Basu’s collection (albeit with different national chapters) of 15 years ago, The Challenge of Local Feminisms (1995). Each chapter begins with boxes containing comparative national, economic, and political descriptors and indicators of women’s status, reminiscent of the collection by Barbara Nelson and Najma Chowdhury, eds., Women and Politics Worldwide (CH, Oct’94, 32-1212). Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, undergraduate students, graduate students, and above. — K. Staudt, University of Texas at El Paso   

Yunus, Muhammad.  Building social business: the new kind of capitalism that serves humanity’s most pressing needs, by Muhammad Yunus with Karl Weber.  PublicAffairs, 2010.  226p index; ISBN 9781586488246, $25.95.
48-0381  HD60  2010-2857 CIP
 
With passion and the conviction of his experiences aiding the poor in Bangladesh, Yunus (2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner; Banker to the Poor, CH, Mar’00, 37-4016) suggests that by adapting the traditional capitalistic paradigms to develop social businesses, social welfare and human needs fulfillment can be improved. He persuasively argues that the world should respond to global poverty by embracing the tenets of free market capitalism to create self-sustaining, “not-for-shareholder” social businesses designed to solve a social problem, produce economic growth, and serve markets that traditional organizations either cannot or will not serve. In nine short, well-written chapters, Yunus provides genuine insight into global poverty and a unique perspective on the ways in which social businesses can coexist with traditional businesses to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of the world’s citizens. Excellent real-life examples from companies such as Adidas, BASF, and Intel, as well as profiles of a variety of entrepreneurs and social activists, evidence how side-by-side for-profit and social businesses are becoming the catalyst of socioeconomic change and enhanced global social welfare. See related, Alex Counts, Small Loans, Big Dreams: How Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus and Microfinance Are Changing the World (CH, Nov’08, 46-1596). Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, all levels of undergraduate students, practitioners.
— S. R. Kahn, University of Cincinnati      
  
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