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

Armstrong, Michael F.  They wished they were honest: the Knapp Commission and New York City police corruption.  Columbia, 2012.  256p index afp; ISBN 9780231153546, $29.50; ISBN 9780231526982  e-book, contact publisher for price.
50-2933  HV8148  2011-44777 CIP

This reviewer has been a sometime partner in two New York City taverns since 1976. We have never encountered a policeman on the take, a statement that could not have been made prior to the work of the Knapp Commission in 1970-71. The commission’s investigations, as described here by its chief counsel, revealed pervasive patterns of both petty and major corruption and led to a series of significant reforms, the effects of which persist. Colorful characters, political machinations, and glimpses of some of the seedier sides of police work are here in sufficient abundance to keep the reader plowing through some of the less interesting organizational challenges that faced the commission. Armstrong (chief counsel, Knapp Commission) acknowledges, but dismisses a bit lightly, some of the dangers of punishment by publicity, and he perhaps overstates the commission’s work in actually shaking up the department. Especially for those who remember the days prior to Knapp–or who need reminding of how a culture of corruption can fester and spread–this is a cracking good story with implications that extend far beyond New York in the 1960s. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.
— E. V. Schneier, emeritus, City College of the City University of New York

Biddle, Wayne.  A field guide to radiation.  Penguin Books, 2012.  258p bibl index; ISBN 9780143121275 pbk, $16.00.
50-2718  QC475   2012-9025 CIP

This book is a pleasure to read; it is chock-full of information and thought provoking–not the usual description for a field guide. Information about radiation is frequently clothed in technical lingo that laypersons cannot easily understand. Biddle (writing seminars, Johns Hopkins Univ.) points out that field guides are not “scholarly texts,” but should be “utilitarian handbooks for amateurs and professionals.” The alphabetical ordering of the material serves to divide the text into a collection of short, self-contained chapters on various elements and related topics. Most chapters provide a historical context, a brief technical overview of a substance’s radiation properties, and an evaluation of its uses and dangers. The author includes some serious comments about the government’s role in honest disclosure and testing of radiation effects; for example, he cites a 1963 University of Rochester study related to the effect of Iodine-131 on a population weighted toward younger people. Liberally sprinkled throughout the text are examples that remind readers of the nontrivial dangers associated with radiation from standard medical tests and from nuclear power plants. These are strengthened with quantitative support for the points being made. A valuable resource for college libraries. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates, two-year technical program students, general readers, and professionals/practitioners. — K. L. Schick, emeritus, Union College (NY)

China in and beyond the headlines, ed. by Timothy B. Weston and Lionel M. Jensen.  Rowman & Littlefield, 2012.  354p bibl index afp; ISBN 9781442209046, $99.00; ISBN 9781442209053 pbk, $39.95; ISBN 9781442209060 e-book, contact publisher for price.
50-2816  HN733   2011-30051 CIP

In these high-quality scholarly essays, specialists from various fields investigate the most critical issues that China is facing and making a great effort to deal with. They include China’s relationships with the US and other countries, human rights issues, social welfare reform, a sharp rich-poor division, rapidly growing popular culture, emerging consumerism and tourism, rapid urbanization, economic development and environmental protection, intellectuals of different ideologies, the establishment of a modern legal system, ethnic tensions in minority regions, the decriminalization and depathologization of homosexuality, and China’s efforts to introduce its language and culture to the world. The in-depth discussions of these issues are based on the most current data and information resources, and they really go beyond the headlines of limited Western media coverage on China. Providing a panoramic view of contemporary China and comprehensive coverage of Chinese economic, political, technological, social, and cultural changes, as well as the influence of these changes on the whole world, this is a must read for all scholars and students of China studies. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. — A. Y. Lee, George Mason University

Chinese silks, ed. by Dieter Kuhn with Zhao Feng; tr. by David Andrew Knight, Craig Shaw, and Nicholas Morrow Williams with Chen Juanjuan.  Yale, 2012.  371p bibl index afp ISBN 0300111037, $85.00; ISBN 9780300111033, $85.00.
50-2460  NK8899  2011-47220 CIP

This edited volume of essays, published in both Chinese and English, is a cooperative effort between Chinese and Western scholars that explores for both general and scholarly audiences the history of Chinese silk textiles. The book begins with a chronology and list of emperors, and ends with strong chapter notes and an extensive index. Essays are arranged chronologically by dynasty with some overlap of time period and information. Each essay discusses the developments and advancements in sericulture, silk cloth manufacturing, and fabrics. Details of materials, structures (weaving, printing, and embroidery), motifs and patterns, color and dyes (including resists), national and international trade, and finished cloth use emphasize silk as material culture and a product of daily life for all social classes of China. The scholarship is strong, covering technical information, aesthetic concerns, and political, economic, and cross-cultural influences. A beautifully published book with images of significant textiles and supporting material culture, technical diagrams, and informational charts, this volume is indispensable for textile programs and a strong addition for art history and Asian studies programs. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. — L. L. Kriner, Berea College

Entman, Robert M.  Scandal and silence: media responses to presidential misconduct.  Polity, 2012.  269p bibl index ISBN 0745647634 pbk, $24.95; ISBN 9780745647630 pbk, $24.95.
50-2940  P96   MARC

Entman (media and public affairs, George Washington Univ.) tries to explain why some violations of behavioral norms become scandals while others do not. His “cascade model” argues that in order for misbehavior to become a scandal one of the political parties must actively promote a “scandal frame” as an explanation of events that in turn leads to greater prominence and duration of press coverage. Entman discusses why the Republican Party has been more successful in initiating scandal cascades than the Democratic Party. His book then examines a number of contemporary political scandals that involved infidelity, draft avoidance, insider trading, and the outing of CIA agents. He concludes that the press ignored the misbehavior of a number of prominent Republicans and by doing so biased the public’s perception of the two parties. This is a conceptually interesting, well-written, but ultimately depressing account of US politics. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. — A. D. McNitt, Eastern Illinois University

Frankel, Tamar.  The Ponzi scheme puzzle: a history and analysis of con artists and victims.  Oxford, 2012.  231p index afp; ISBN 9780199926619, $35.00.
50-2775  HV6691  2011-51887 CIP

The high-technology revolution has significantly increased financial frauds, of which Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme has been the most publicized. Frankel (Boston Univ. School of Law) explains the reasons for the expansion in financial frauds by analyzing both con artists and their victims. Her primary sources are court cases and newspaper articles that weave the story of con artists’ success. Frankel covers the drawing power of con artists’ stories and their ability to generate trustworthiness. These individuals have narcissistic personalities that need other people’s attention and adoration and are “beset by greed … and driven by a desire that is never satisfied.” Victims tend to be optimistic, expect better personal conditions, and have “heightened risk tolerance.” External factors such as stock market bubbles, substantial IPO price increases experienced by investors, and large lottery payouts make Ponzi schemes more believable to potential victims. One chapter considers legal issues such as bankruptcy and distribution of a con artist’s remaining assets and the seizure of assets from individuals who served as feeders. Clearly written with extensive documentation (30-plus pages of endnotes), this timely book will interest those concerned with behavioral finance and criminal psychology. See also, Lionel Lewis, Con Game: Bernard Madoff and His Victims (CH, Nov’12, 50-1576). Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. — H. Mayo, The College of New Jersey

Furani, Khaled.  Silencing the sea: secular rhythms in Palestinian poetry.  Stanford, 2012.  298p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780804776462, $55.00.
50-2507  PJ8190   2012-7600 CIP

An anthropologist by training, Furani (Tel Aviv Univ.) introduces this study of “secular rhythms in Palestinian poetry” as an “ethnography of ‘literary’ transformation,” thus calling attention to the interdisciplinarity of his research. The resulting anthropology of Palestinian poetry involves careful, meticulous attention not only to the poetry itself but also to the poetry’s “situatedness” and historicity, by way of interviews with poets and their readers. The title is taken from the acclaimed Syrian poet Adonis and refers to the “waters of poetic and political life throughout the Arab world” and to the fact that “in Arabic, ‘the sea’ also refers to poetic meter.” The transformations Furani refers to in the study’s introduction engage, on the one hand, generic differences–the traditional ode, free verse, and prose poetry–and, on the other, their contextualization within the social developments in Palestine and with regard to current literary experiments in the larger Arab world. In addition to the interviews with poets and close readings of their poems, Furani culls competing critical perspectives from contemporary journals. A provocative, innovative interdisciplinary inquiry into the relevance of both poetry and Palestine, this is a book for those pursuing Middle East studies, anthropology, and comparative literature. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. — B. Harlow, University of Texas at Austin

Gurza, Agustin.  The Arhoolie Foundation’s Strachwitz Frontera collection of Mexican and Mexican American recordings, by Agustin Gurza with Jonathan Clark and Chris Strachwitz.  UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, 2012.  226p bibl index afp  (The Chicano archives, 6) ISBN 0895511487 pbk, $19.95; ISBN 9780895511485 pbk, $19.95.
50-2410  ML138  2012-9932 CIP

The Strachwitz Frontera Collection is the world’s most extensive archive of recorded music of the borderlands (frontera) area joining northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. Through an ongoing digitization project <http://frontera.library.ucla.edu/index.html>, the archive is being made available, hosted by the UCLA Library. Chris Strachwitz (b. 1931), a native of Germany, became an ardent collector of “roots” recordings after immigrating to the United States in 1947. He founded Arhoolie Records in 1960 and personally assembled this focused archive of some 147,000 items (78 rpms, 45 rpms, LPs, and cassettes) covering the 20th century; in 1995, he founded the Arhoolie Foundation and transferred ownership of the collection to it. The main body of this volume is divided into two parts: ten individual articles describe the collection, its musical genres (most notably, the corrido, a type of ballad), the historical and linguistic interpretation of song texts, and leading performers; 11 appendixes bring together statistics derived from the archival database and lists of favorite recordings and performers, some with very interesting comments. The associated website allows users to search or browse the collection and listen to 50-second samples of the musical selections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above, especially those interested in Chicano musical or linguistic studies. — J. E. Druesedow Jr., formerly, Duke University

Hesketh, Robin.  Betrayed by nature: the war on cancer.  Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.  255p bibl index; ISBN 9780230338487, $28.00.
50-2688  RC275   2011-49931 CIP

Reviewing a scientific treatise can be a routine task or occasionally an overall delight when the excellence of the approach, the writing style, and the scope and caliber of the subject coverage are of the degree found in this work by Hesketh (biochemistry, Univ. of Cambridge, UK). The comprehensive coverage of the many facets of cancer never leaves the reader feeling overburdened with too much information. The text flows smoothly from topic to topic, with chapters divided into four parts focusing on history and background information, genetics and cell changes, cancer cells, and diagnosis and therapy; coverage is adequate to indicate the relevance of each topic to the overall theme. The author writes in a somewhat personal and narrative style, with occasional well-placed tidbits in a lighter vein. Of the nine chapters, the last, “Where Are We? Where Are We Going?,” presents a well-thought-out synopsis of the current status of cancer and an assessment of what the future may hold for cancer victims. A glossary and a listing of cancer information resources support the text. Because of the overall excellence of this work, it is a “must read” for anyone who wishes to update his knowledge of this disease. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. — R. S. Kowalczyk, formerly, University of Michigan

Inequality in America: facts, trends, and international perspective, by Uri Dadush et al.  Brookings, 2012.  94p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780815724216 pbk, $19.95.
50-2780  HC110   2012-21020 CIP

This slim volume thoroughly covers the topic of inequality in the US in a manner accessible to a wide audience. Lead author Dadush is affiliated with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; his three coauthors–Kemal Dervis, Sarah Puritz Milsom, and Bennett Stancil–are with the Brookings Institution or the Carnegie Endowment. They document the increase in inequality with the Gini coefficient, a widely used summary measure of inequality. For comparative purposes, the authors note the trend of rising inequality in 17 of the 22 OECD countries, and that of those 22 only Mexico and Turkey have higher inequality than the US. The book’s initial chapters document the rise in inequality in the US; explain the reasons for this increasing inequality, which include new technology, international trade, immigration, demographic shifts, and financial considerations; and discuss the ramifications of inequality such as increased poverty and macroeconomic instability. There is an interesting discussion of positional goods and services, which are the relative, rather than absolute, characteristics of consumption. In the final chapters, the authors present policy proposals for reducing inequality, which focus on improved education, progressive taxation, and increased international cooperation. A timely book on an important topic. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections. — E. P. Hoffman, emerita, Western Michigan University

Lawlor, Clark.  From melancholia to Prozac: a history of depression.  Oxford, 2012.  265p bibl index afp ISBN 0199585792, $24.95; ISBN 9780199585793, $24.95.
50-2960  RC537   2011-945245 MARC

What is depression? Classical writings define depression as a long-term medical illness of sadness caused by an excess of black bile. Renaissance physicians expanded this humoral definition of melancholy to more alchemical terms–an excess of black bile in the body that caused vapors to obscure the brain. By the 19th century, physicians understood melancholy as a nervous disorder associated with depressed nerve force that caused “depressed spirits.” The current DSM identifies a spectrum of depressive disorders with competing biological and social causes. But, how did we get here? Lawlor (Northumbria Univ., UK)–who has a particular interest in the cultural history of disease–addresses contemporary questions about the definition, treatment, and causes of depression through a historical discussion of its evolving definitions. He argues that “the depressed patient is not reducible to a biochemically deficient machine, but [is instead] an individual embedded in a complex social environment.” Dividing his argument over seven chapters, Lawlor starts in the classical period and goes into the 21st century. He includes a glossary of historical and contemporary terms, a section of suggested reading, and extensive endnotes. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates, graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals. — M. L. Charleroy, University of Minnesota

Marcel Breuer Digital Archive, from the Syracuse University Library.  Internet Resource.
50-2482

http://breuer.syr.edu/ 
[Visited Oct’12] Continually in search of new materials such as tubular steel (it is said he was impressed by the strength of his bicycle) and forms such as the cantilever, Breuer epitomized the design innovator, ever looking for new ways to solve design problems. Like many innovators, he was open to collaboration with mentors like Walter Gropius and the influence of modernist masters like Le Corbusier. Collating documents from seven repositories, this website presents 239 of this furniture designer and architect’s projects in the form of high-resolution digitized correspondence, project records (usually invoices), drawings (design development, presentation, and sketches/studies), photographs, and published material (including newspaper clippings). The electronic interface is well constructed with a navigation bar that allows for easy limiting to any of the formats, fast loading of images, and easy navigation. The browse feature permits linking to all related objects for a project. Although authors are unidentified, text and commentary are scholarly and well written.

Limited to work through the mid-1950s, the content ends with the UNESCO project in Paris. And although downloading is unavailable, users will find a link under Resources to the finding aids of the Archives of American Art’s and Syracuse University’s Breuer papers. Overall the site has exceptionally high value, given the depth of content and quality of the images. Users will find details on furniture construction and masonry patterns, floor plans, and even mechanical equipment. If this archive were completed to include all of Breuer’s work, it would be a truly remarkable resource, with holdings from the Whitney Museum of American Art and Breuer’s work at New York University’s uptown campus, now Bronx Community College. This may be the only online archive of an American modernist with an aim toward comprehensiveness. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty interested in modern architecture/design. — P. Glassman, Felician College

Mendoza, Louis G.  Conversations across our America: talking about immigration and the Latinoization of the United States.  Texas, 2012.  299p index afp; ISBN 9780292737389, $55.00; ISBN 9780292738836 pbk, $24.95; ISBN 9780292737396 e-book, contact publisher for price.
50-2979  E184   2011-48138 CIP

This text is a five-and-a-half-month listening tour conducted on a bike ride across the US, covering 30 states and 8,500 miles; it is a companion book to A Journey around Our America (2012), which chronicles the author’s nearly half year on the road. Mendoza (Univ. of Minnesota, Twin Cities) focuses on contemporary social changes based on the significant demographic shifts of the past 40 years, particularly in rural communities, which he refers to as “Latinoization.” Post-9/11 policy changes and impacts figure prominently in stories of malignant patriotism and media coverage, increased US-Mexico border militarization, and the hyper-scrutinization and criminalization of immigrants that renders them simultaneously outsiders yet subject to continuous microscopic review. Employing snowball methodology to find interviewees, the author organizes their stories into broad themes: exodus and internal migration within the US; change and adaptation; mutualism and human rights advocacy; and threats to and responses by immigrant communities. The text adds to the increasingly complex understanding of the Latina/o diaspora in the US, especially in nontraditional destinations like Idaho or North Carolina. Interviewees demonstrate the importance and power of local leadership to affect outcomes despite ever-evolving state, federal, and global economic and political policies. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. — S. M. Green, California State University—Chico

Palmer, Barbara.  Women and congressional elections: a century of change, by Barbara Palmer and Dennis Simon.  L. Rienner, 2012.  285p bibl index afp; ISBN 9781588268150, $66.50; ISBN 9781588268402 pbk, $26.50.
50-2946  HQ1236  CIP

In their study of women in Congress, Palmer (Baldwin-Wallace College) and Simon (Southern Methodist Univ.) present a comprehensive, in-depth analysis. They not only look at the history of women running for the national legislature and find a slow, inconsistent, and incremental growth of female legislators–they also provide explanations as to why: the rise of incumbency and careerism in the 20th century Congress and the role of a woman’s family name, especially that of her widowed husband. But once in office, these women establish their own credentials and have long public careers. As the authors move through the 20th century, they find a transition period in which electoral aspects become a factor, with women securing their own victories, due in large part to the old adage “all politics is local” and the impact of district demographics. After exploring the recent trend of more female Democratic candidates than female Republican candidates, the authors end their study with a model meant to predict the election of a female candidate to Congress. Scholars will find this study useful for both gender politics and legislative politics; a worthy addition to both fields. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers, upper-division undergraduate students, graduate students, and research faculty. — J. Michael Bitzer, Catawba College

Poetry of the Taliban, ed. and introd. by Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn; tr. by Mirwais Rahmany and Hamid Stanikzai.  Columbia, 2012.  247p bibl afp; ISBN 9780231704045, $24.50; ISBN 9780231801164 e-book, contact publisher for price.
50-2502  PK6814  2012-9947 CIP

This fascinating and moving book deserves a wide readership. The Western press has presented a certain impression of the Taliban, and this book shows another side. Finding this other side has not been easy, especially since the US and others fighting in Afghanistan have had a share in creating the Taliban that Westerners now are taught are the enemy. These poems give an insight into how it feels to be an Afghan “Talib” (singular of Taliban). The poems were all written by members of the Afghan Taliban, and the vast majority date from after 9/11. A small number were translated from Dari (Afghan Persian), but most are from Pashto. All are signed and dated. The translations are not metrical and by and large do not observe their original poetic form. The English is often ragged, and the glossary and notes omit some important entries (e.g., Deoband). Love of the land, pride in the physical courage of the Afghans, longing for families at home, and great respect for Islam and the Qur’an are some of the major themes of these poems. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. — W. L. Hanaway, emeritus, University of Pennsylvania

Sachs, Jonah.  Winning the story wars: why those who tell–and live–the best stories will rule the future.  Harvard Business Review Press, 2012.  264p bibl index afp ISBN 1422143562, $27.00; ISBN 9781422143568, $27.00.
50-2763  HF5415  2011-53284 CIP

In this timely, practical, perceptive, and thought-provoking book, Sachs (CEO, Free Range Studios) does a remarkable job trumpeting storytelling as a means by which people can effectively influence others. He provides an excellent discussion of the move by marketers from “inadequacy marketing” to “empowerment marketing”–moving away from attempting to motivate people by focusing on unmet needs or fear, to motivating people by storytelling that resonates and truly connects. Achieving the goal of empowering others rests on the three major parts of a storytelling strategy: tell the truth, be interesting, and live the truth. Marketing survival today requires knowing that ideas and messages are not private; rather, thanks to the Internet, they are “owned and modified by everyone.” The description of what Sachs terms the “Digitorial Era” is noteworthy, as is his splendid treatment of the Digitorial Era’s implications for designing marketing messages that connect with the intended audience. This book is a primer on ideas that can help pave the way for real marketing leadership. It is loaded with insight and teeming with illuminating examples of how storytelling can benefit marketers and people in general by helping them break through the clutter to capture attention and get approval of their messages. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. — N. A. Govoni, Babson College

Simpson, St. John.  Afghanistan: a cultural history.  Interlink Books, 2012.  160p bibl index; ISBN 9781566568548 pbk, $19.95.
50-2828  DS357   MARC

The colorful illustrations of this informative and very accessible introduction to the archaeology and cultural history of Afghanistan make it the most attractive volume available on its subject matter. Simpson is an archaeologist and assistant keeper of the ancient Iran and Arabia collections in the British Museum, and he displays a thorough, insightful understanding of the underlying complexities of Afghanistan’s location as the “crossroads of Asia.” In particular, he discusses local geographical conditions, the migrations and mixtures of many different populations and their cultures, and the relations between the peoples of Afghanistan with those living across arbitrary, and often temporary, political boundaries. Simpson also emphasizes the significant contributions of the indigenous peoples themselves to Afghanistan’s history, rather than interpreting their lives and destinies as simple products of external intervention and determination. There are some unfortunate but relatively trivial errors, such as equating pastoral nomads with Gypsies (p. 149), misidentifying Mohammed Daoud’s date of death as 1918 (p. 147), and providing an 1848 date for a drawing depicting a scene prior to the First Anglo-Afghan War of 1839-1842 (p. 139). Nevertheless, the book definitely belongs in any university or public library collections on Afghanistan. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. — B. Tavakolian, emeritus, Denison University

Williams, Florence.  Breasts: a natural and unnatural history.  W. W. Norton, 2012.  338p; ISBN 9780393063189, $25.95.
50-2696  QM495  2011-53153 MARC

A book about breasts is subject to being trivialized or dismissed as superficial, but Williams, an editor and science reporter, has investigated breasts through the lenses of anthropology, biology, and history, and produced an eloquent, thought-provoking work. Williams’s own breasts and her personal health and reproductive histories provide a framework for examining topics such as the complex anatomy and physiology of breasts, lactation, and breast cancer. Most compelling, though, is Williams’s review of the scientific evidence for the presence of environmental influences such as bisphenol A, DDT, and polychlorinated biphenyls in breast milk, thus supporting her contention that “breasts are bellwethers for the changing health of people.” Biologists, environmentalists, or ecologists likely would agree with Williams’s central thesis–that human biological systems are affected by the modern environment–even though many scientists might reject the notion that a single body part, breasts, can convey all-encompassing information about individual health. The author’s lively, entertaining writing style renders complex concepts such as genetic risk factors, chemical compounds, and breast imaging understandable and accessible to all readers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through graduate students; general readers. — P. Lefler, Bluegrass Community & Technical College

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