NEWS AND REVIEWS

Books   From Jack Johnson to Lebron James edited by Chris Lamb Praise from the Tampa Tribune: “A thought-provoking collection of essays. Media coverage has expanded greatly since Jack Johnson put on boxing gloves to defend his heavyweight title, and a critical, sharp look at media coverage through the years is a necessary—and welcome—addition to sports literature.” The Self-Propelled Island by Jules Verne Translated by Marie-Thérèse Noiset Review from the Washington Post: “Aside from its tendency toward leisurely travelogue, The Self-Propelled Island consists largely of slapstick comedy, prescient satire of capitalist privilege and melodrama. Ultimately, it develops into another of Verne’s pessimistic, late-in-life cautionary … Continue reading NEWS AND REVIEWS

NEWS AND REVIEWS

Books   Sublime Physick by Patrick Madden Review from Publishers Weekly: “Like many essayists before him, Madden (Quotidiana) makes a habit of finding the transcendent in the transient. In this new, sometimes moving collection, he ranges over topics including spit, plagiarism, empathy, and middle age . . . Madden’s work combines elegance with a bumptiousness, illustrating the messy character of human language and lives.”   This Benevolent Experiment by Andrew Woolford Praise from the Washington Book Review: “This Benevolent Experiment is a must-read for the experts and students of North American history and Native Americans alike. It is a highly scholarly and … Continue reading NEWS AND REVIEWS

NEWS AND REVIEWS

Books My Wife Wants You to Know I’m Happily Married by Joey Franklin Praise from Reading Glutton: “Franklin’s essays are just deep enough not to be trivial, just light-hearted enough not to be heavy, and readable enough not to be dull. Highly recommended!” The Kitchen-Dweller’s Testimony by Ladan Osman Review from Rain-Taxi: “Ladan Osman conveys a language and logic that is disturbingly fresh; it leaps from one observation to another and speaks familiarly yet obliquely enough to make us listen a little harder.” Remembering French Algeria by Amy L. Hubbell Recommendation from CHOICE: “Hubbell’s Remembering French Algeria is an intriguing and important contribution to scholarship on … Continue reading NEWS AND REVIEWS

NEWS AND REVIEWS

Books Cora Du Bois by Susan C. Seymour Praise from the Los Angeles Book Review: “Seymour’s book reads like a detective novel in parts, a history in others, as she follows the adventurous life of a ‘distant observer of mankind.’ . . . Susan Seymour makes clear the irony of a woman with principle—a patriotic American who attempted to see beyond the present — being first rewarded by her country and then defamed by its intelligence agencies for doing so. There are important contemporary lessons here. If we don’t know where we have come from, we can’t see where our country … Continue reading NEWS AND REVIEWS

NEWS AND REVIEWS

Books Micah Goodman, Maimonides and the Book that Changed Judaism Praise from Publishers  Weekly: “suitable for both spiritual seekers and intellectually curious laypeople . . . Goodman’s explanation of Maimonides’s Guide concentrates on the most fundamental question of the Guide: what constitutes a life well-lived? Goodman considers the aim of the Guide in its original context and its impact on Judaism in previous ages, as well as its continued relevance, particularly its value to people living in a post-modernist, skeptical age.” Ross Coen, Fu-Go Recommendation from Military Review: “Coen, a historian of the American West, weaves thorough research into a well-written narrative. His description . … Continue reading NEWS AND REVIEWS