ABC-CLIO
African American religious culture; 2v.
Scholars of history, religion, and other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences provide short entries and more substantial essays about the myriad religious cultures among Africans and people of African descent throughout the Western Hemisphere. Among topics of the entries are African Americans in various Christian denominations, Catimbó, maroons, the Nation of Islam, the Orisha religion in Trinidad, Rastafari, Santería, Shrine of the Black Madonna, Umbanda, and Wicca. The essays consider broader areas of African American religion such as literature and religion, preaching and sermonic traditions, healing and health, popular culture, the urban context, education, the psychology of religious behavior, and worship. A chronology is provided, along with appendices containing primary documents and short essays on related topics. The two volumes are paged and indexed together. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The agony of Argentine capitalism; from Menem to the Kirchners.
Lewis (emeritus, political science, Tulane U.) presents the third in a trilogy that includes The Crisis of Argentine Capitalism, which explored the political economy of Argentina from the late 19th century through the rule of Juan Peron, and Guerillas and Generals: The "Dirty War" in Argentina, which concentrated on the causes and effects of political violence in the 1970s. In this volume, he returns to the political economy focus of the first volume, discussing the efforts of President Menem and President De la Rua to push through free trade policies and criticizing the populist policies of the later governments of Cristina and Néstor Kirchner, who he argues seek to "extend state control to all aspects of the economy and to redistribute income derived from the most efficient sector, agriculture," and threaten to repeat the mistakes of Peron, who Lewis blames for the chronic "stagflation" (stagnant production and persistent inflation) that plagued the Argentine economy through the 1980s. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Belligerents, brinkmanship, and the big stick; a historical encyclopedia of American diplomatic concepts.
Dobson (emeritus, history, Oklahoma State U.) has compiled a comprehensive encyclopedia of American diplomacy from the nation's beginnings to the War on Terror. It contains more than 200 chronological and alphabetical listings of the major concepts and events, as well as brief biographies on the individual who made significant diplomatic contributions. The five chronologically-arranged sections begin with introductions that describe significant events and relationships. In addition, excerpts from several key foreign policy documents, statements, and treaties are included. Each entry also includes bibliographic listings of print and Web sources for further study. The volume will interest a variety of readers: from students and educators to politics and history enthusiasts. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Beyoncé Knowles; a biography.
Professional writer Arenofsky's account of American performer Beyoncé Knowles is geared toward high school students who need a challenging yet accessible biography, and would also be suitable for general readers seeking a solid and entertaining read of the singer's life. The text includes in-depth information about Beyoncé's life from birth through childhood, teen years, and adulthood, incorporating information on her family background, education, personal and professional influences, struggles, accomplishments, and contributions. The text also includes a timeline, discography, list of awards, list of online album reviews, bibliography of print and internet resources, and five b&w photographs. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Bit bat bee, rime with me!; word patterns and activities, grades K-3.
Formerly an educator in Los Angeles, Colorado-based Armstrong is an author specializing in books for children and their teachers, including adaptations of 20 classic stories, a collection of contemporary free verse, and several phonics books. A companion to her earlier text, ABC Follow Me: Phonics Rhymes and Crafts, Grades K-1, which teaches phonics, this text moves to the next level of rhyming phonetic chunks, or word families. Designed for teachers, librarians, and literacy coaches who teach beginning reading, the text contains 35 units for teaching rimes through verses, crafts and other activities. Each unit contains a complete lesson plan, including reproducible materials. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Border crossings and beyond; the life and works of Sandra Cisneros.
Best known as the author of The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros is recognized as one the most important contemporary U.S. writers. In this book, Rivera (English and Latino/a Literature, University of Puerto Rico) examines the ways in which issues of cultural and racial identity are reflected in Cisneros' writing and social activism. Chapters look at Cisneros' creative process when writing novels and analyze her poetry collections, highlighting the distinctions that she makes between the two forms of writing. Rivera concludes with a discussion of Cisneros' role as an activist involved in community affairs, particularly those related to the development of Latino/a lives. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The Brothers Coen; unique characters of violence.
This study of the cinema of Joel and Ethan Coen examines the theme of violence that runs through the brothers' work via chapters that scrutinize the motives, thoughts, and actions of the principal characters in each of the Coens' films. In the world depicted in the films, suggests the author, violence always has devastating, unintended consequences on the characters, both for those who live by violence and those who are just bystanders to the violent acts of others. Covering all of the Coens' films except the most recent (2009's A Serious Man), this engagingly written book will interest both film scholars and cinema fans. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The Cinderella test; would you really want the shoe to fit?; subtle ways women are seduced and socialized into servitude and stereotypes.
A clinical psychologist practicing in Indianapolis, Maas explores how the perennial story impacts the development of girls into women, promising much but eliding much more. Her topics include growing up with fairy tales, the silencing of Cinderella's voice, her sexuality, women's relationships, and choosing between a self-directed and other-directed life. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Civil-military relations during the War of 1812.
Stuart (history and political studies, Mount Saint Vincent U., Canada) examines the relationship between civilian and military officials in the US during the era of the War of 1812, especially how ideology, personality, politics, and policy shaped civil-military ideas, attitudes, policies, institutions, and actions from the 1780s to after 1815. He discusses these relations by theme, rather than chronologically, addressing the foundations and principal elements of US civil-military relations, the English and European heritage that affected American thinking in the eighteenth century, early US government and the Federalist perspective, how the Republican Party gained power and revised policies and themes, and the management of military affairs during the war. He then covers the militia system, martial law, and the impact of the war on reshaping civil-military matters after 1815. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The Civil War at sea.
The role of ships during the Civil War is, for most people, confined to the blockade of the cotton exports in the Carolinas and the battle between the ironclads Monitor and Merrimac. Symonds (American History, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis MD, emeritus) covers both these subjects and much more. Steam engines and iron-plated hulls were new technologies at the time, changing the context of sea battles. The encounters are chronicled, with maps and diagrams and the strategic side of the war at sea is explained. However, Symonds also recreates the personalities of the seamen from admirals to deckhands. One lesser known tactic that he discusses is the Confederate response to the blockade, which was the honored tradition of privateering. Union merchant ships were attacked off the coast of France and England. The Shenandoah sailed literally around the world, hampering trade as far as China and Japan. Symonds presents a side of Civil War history rarely, if ever, included in Civil War accounts. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Civil War; people and perspectives.
Presenting modern historical scholarship in an accessible and engaging manner, this reference for students and general readers offers a social historian's view of the Civil War, shifting the focus away from political and military leaders to look at how the war affected, and was affected by, ordinary citizens across the spectrum of racial, class, and gender boundaries. Chapters look at topics such as civilians in invaded and occupied areas, immigrants in battle and on the home front, and the urban Civil War, and each chapter contains two biographical sidebars that personalize the experiences discussed. A section of about 30 pages of one- to two-page excerpts from letters, diaries, news reports, and other primary sources offers further insight into the lives of everyday Americans. A glossary of terms, key figures and events, and concepts is included. Historical b&w photos are also included. Topics in the series are selected to fit curricular standards for both high school history classes and undergraduate American history courses. An emphasis on social history brings historical analysis into the classroom while still focusing on topics that will engage students. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The complete guide to transgender in the workplace.
Sheridan has been researching, writing and speaking about transgender issues for nearly 20 years, and she has created this practical guide for managers, human resource professionals and policymakers who must deal with the increasing numbers of transgender persons entering the workplace. The author provides a list of effective tools based upon policy examples from successful organizations that are designed to improve the cultural climate, quality of life and opportunities for these individuals. Appendices include self-quizzes, case studies and a copy of IBM's equal opportunity policy. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Competing voices from the Pacific War; fighting words.
Ball and Porter present a collection of short, primary-source accounts of critical points in Native American history since 1492. Drawn from a range of sources, the selections detail both conflict and periods of interaction and cooperation between differing tribal groups and between Indians and non-Indians. Organized both chronologically and thematically, the materials cover spirituality and human relationships to nature and the land, European notions of "discovering" a "new world", conflicts from the late-1700s to early 19th century, Indian Removal, the termination of the federal trusteeship relationship of the US government and Native peoples, the Red Power years, Leonard Peltier, contemporary federal Indian law and jurisdiction, gaming, and protection of Native American cultural images and artifacts. For college- and high school-level educators and students, and general readers. Independent scholar Ball is a native of Wales; Porter teaches American Studies at the U. of Wales, Swansea. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Conflict and security in Central Asia and the Caucasus.
This volume reviews the factors contributing to intra- and interstate conflict in Central Asia and the Caucasus. It contains regional essays discussing topics such as the transition from communism, elections in Azerbaijan and Georgia, and oil politics and economics in the Caucasus, followed by country profiles of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. It then presents essays discussing the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Economic Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Finally, the conclusion reviews major trends and assesses scenarios for possible armed conflicts in the future. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Critical food issues; problems and state-of-the-art solutions worldwide; 2v.
In order to create a broad and authoritative reference on food today, 41 researchers from universities around the world were asked to provide their academic expertise on complex information and ideas in a manner that could be communicated across disciplinary boundaries without obscuring the underlying complexity. The disciplines represented range across the entire gamut of the sciences and humanities as contributors address the environment, agriculture and fisheries, health, society, culture, and ethics. Among their topics are soil degradation and conservation, sustainable agriculture in developing countries, the effects of agricultural practices on nutrient profiles of foods, roots and roles of alternative agrifood systems, sustainable regional food systems and healthy rural livelihoods, and animal welfare. The two volumes are paged and indexed separately. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Defending religious diversity in public schools: a practical guide for building our democracy and our education.
Whereas the American constitution establishes a separation of church and state, Kollar (religious studies, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY; education, U. of Rochester, NY) believes that with the increasing diversity of our communities comes a need to expose students to the multiplicity of religions practiced in the U.S. A carefully considered approach will contribute to the creation of an educated, pluralistic population where individuals are attentive, respectful, and hospitable to everyone, regardless of individuals' religious practices, and will help students develop the skills to listen to those who differ religiously from themselves. Kollar offers teachers, counselors, administrators, parents and other interested citizens a discussion of the issues and suggests a number of practical solutions for promoting religious understanding and tolerance in the school environment. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The development of outer space; sovereignty and property rights in international space law.
With the renewed push for manned exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, the question of property rights on those bodies has begun to arise, with organizations such as the Space Settlement Institute urging the US Congress to pass land claims recognition legislation for the Moon and Mars as an economic incentive to private industry to establish space settlements. Prompted by such efforts, which he believes are founded on specious legal arguments and are disallowed by the provisions of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty banning the national appropriation of celestial bodies by claim of sovereignty, by means of occupation, or by any other means — although he is personally in favor of developing an international legal regime for granting and protecting extraterrestrial property rights — Gangale (executive director of OPS-Alaska, an aerospace think tank) examines the legal issues of sovereignty and property that are likely to arise in outer space exploration and discusses how they can be managed by current and possible future international agreements. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Diversity in mind and in action; 3v.
In a three-volume set apparently aimed primarily at educators and other professionals concerned with encouraging understandings and practices of diversity (widely construed to include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and disability), Chin (Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi U.) presents 33 articles that collectively provide a framework for examining issues of diversity while simultaneously examining ways to act to encourage society and institutions to value and protect equity and diversity. The first volume's papers address themes of identity and include articles on bicultural identities; the coming out experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual Asian Americans; interracial marriage; and resilience and protective factors for African American and Latina girls. The theme of the second volume is disparities and competence in service delivery, education, and employment contexts. Topics in this volume include diversity in the African American community and its implications for mental health, the impact of health beliefs on health and health care, experiences of educators and students in integrative diversity training, navigating diversity in leadership roles of higher education, and incorporating internationalism into diversity training. The final volume treats diversity as a social justice issue and includes articles on unconscious bias in legal, employment, and health care contexts; immigration and social justice; racial and ethnic disparities in incarceration; and multicultural counseling and psychotherapy contributions to the promotion of psychological emancipation. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The Earnhardts; a biography.
This biography of three generations of racing giants — Ralph Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. — is also the story of the rarified world of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). Their careers and legacy span the life of NASCAR, from the 1940's to the present franchise. Drawing on interviews with friends, family, and sports writers, the book tells the story of how American stock car racing was born and how an American racing family won, lost, and won again to create three legends in the sport. A timeline of events and b&w photos are included. Like other books in the series, the biography is fact-filled and entertaining, written in an accessible style for high school and up. Souter is a photojournalist who has written many books on sports and auto racing. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Emotional exorcism; expelling the four psychological demons that make us backslide.
In this self-help book for general readers, Hunt, a psychologist, author, and speaker based in Southern California, offers a new way to overcome depression, anxiety, anger, and addictive behaviors. She shows how earlier life experiences can create a core of negative belief she calls the Master Demon, as well as self-sabotaging thoughts and behavior patterns called the Four Soldier Demons. She then provides an original, user-friendly model to change those self-sabotaging thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. Through a variety of tools, including a Demon Disrupting Diary and a Reprogramming Record, she empowers readers to separate from, stop feeding, and exorcize psychological demons. Real-life case studies illustrate concepts. An extensive bibliography includes relevant research studies, books, and reference texts for further information. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
