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BOOKSHELF
Nine American Jewish Thinkers by Milton R. Konvitz. The Jewish exemplars appraised in this volume include Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo (Class of 1889) and Marxist intellectual Sidney Hook, who attended the Graduate School (Transaction Books, $29.95). OPUS by Edward Alexander '41. In the former Foreign Service officer's third thriller, an American Columbia graduate and Soviet cultural affairs officer get caught in a web of intrigue when they team up to track down a lost Beethoven concerto (Xlibris, $34.99 cloth, $24.99 paper). Conversations With Elie Wiesel by Elie Wiesel and Richard D. Heffner '46, edited by Thomas J. Vinciguerra '85. These lively and wide-ranging colloquies between the Nobel Peace Prize-winning author and the longtime host of public television's The Open Mind were edited by the former managing editor of Columbia College Today, now deputy editor of The Week (Schocken Books, $23). Brotherly Love: A Poem by Daniel Hoffman '47. A reprint of the celebrated, extended 1981 poem revolving around William Penn's Quaker vision of America; by the former Poet Laureate of the United States (University of Pennsylvania Press, $15.95 paper). Addiction Free: How to Help an Alcoholic or Addict Get Started on Recovery by Gene Hawes '49 and Anderson Hawes. The latest information on six proven methods (ranging from Alcoholics Anonymous to law enforcement) that can help friends or loved ones fight the demons oppressing them (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press, $24.95). Taking Science to the Moon: Lunar Experiments and the Apollo Program by Donald A. Beattie '51. Conceived as a Cold War statement of America's moral superiority, the Apollo missions offered scientists an unforeseen opportunity for one-of-a-kind experiments in lunar and cosmological research (Johns Hopkins University Press, $42.50). The Grandfather Thing by Saul Turteltaub '54. An affectionate yet comedic month-by-month chronicle of a grandson's first year from a Hollywood comedy writer and proud grandfather (Tallfellow Press, $16.95). Wingless Eagle: U.S. Army Aviation Through World War I by Herbert A. Johnson '55. An exploration of the first 15 years of American military aviation, when political, organizational and technical factors stunted development and forced American pilots to fly European aircraft during World War I (University of North Carolina Press, $34.95). Broadway, The Golden Years: Jerome Robbins and the Great Choreographer-Directors, 1940 to the Present by Robert Emmet Long '56. Robbins and five other theatrical giants provide the basis of a wide-ranging, colorful history of the Great White Way and its uniquely American fusion of song and dance (Continuum, $35). Databases and Transaction Processing: An Application-Oriented Approach by Philip M. Lewis, Arthur Bernstein '57 and Michael Kifer. A textbook on the theoretical and engineering concepts underlying database and transaction processing systems that are at the heart of our modern information-age technology (Addison Wesley, $91). Aunt Rachel's Fur by Raymond Federman '57. A French expatriate, back in his homeland after a decade in the United States, weaves his life's story — in a series of disjointed vignettes — to a "professional listener" in a Parisian café (FC2, $13.95 paper). PDR for Nutritional Supplements. Sheldon Saul Hendler '57 was one of the two chief editors of the first-of-its-kind, physicians' desk reference compendium of accurate information in the growing field of nutritional medicine (Medical Economics/Thomson Healthcare, $59.95). The Dybbuk and the Yiddish Imagination: A Haunted Reader, edited and translated from the Yiddish by Joachim Neugroschel '58. This anthology traces three centuries of Jewish and Yiddish supernatural poetry and literature that form the backdrop to S. Ansky's The Dybbuk, which is translated anew for this volume (Syracuse University Press, $49.95 cloth, $24.95 paper). Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins: Ping-Pong and the Art of Staying Alive by Jerome Charyn '59. Even amateurs who don't know what "picot" means can enjoy this one-of-a-kind history, which celebrates the giants of a game that dates back to the 17th century and is played by more than 250 million people worldwide (Four Walls Eight Windows, $24). Decade of Denial: A Snapshot of America in the 1990s by Herbert London '60. The president of the Hudson Institute and NYU humanities professor indicts the baby boomer generation for its self-indulgence, perfectionism and sanctimony, "an attitude embodied most graphically in the Clintons" (Lexington Books, $70 cloth, $24.95 paper). Investment Pearls for Modern Times by Bernard Michael Patten '62. Sure-fire investment strategies, in verse and prose, from the self-described "world's first, last, best (worst) and only Stock Market Poet" (Neighborhood Press, $15.99 paper). Dark Domain by Eugénio de Andrade, translation and afterword by Alexis Levitin '63. This collection of poems, originally published in Portuguese in 1971 and translated into English for the first time, reveals the poet's love of the natural world and fascination with the human animal (Guernica, $10 paper). Of Leaf and Flower: Stories and Poems for Gardeners, edited by Charles Dean and Clyde Wachsberger '66, with illustrations by Wachsberger. A collection of verse and prose that celebrates the passions that animate gardeners, accompanied by 12 sumi ink paintings of flowers and plants (Persea Books, $21.95). Seapower and Space: From the Dawn of the Missile Age to Net-Centric Warfare by Norman Friedman '67. The first complete, unclassified account of the revolution in naval warfare flowing from the development of space systems, especially satellite-based surveillance and targeting (Naval Institute Press, 42.50). Offside: Soccer and American Exceptionalism by Andrei S. Markovits '69 and Steven L. Hellerman. Written for sociologists as well as soccer aficionados, this tour of American sports culture asks why soccer, the world's favorite pastime, remains a poor relation in the United States, where baseball, football, basketball and hockey reign supreme (Princeton University Press, $59.50 cloth, $17.95 paper). I'll Be the Parent, You Be the Child: Encourage Excellence, Set Limits and Lighten Up by Paul Kropp '70. In this essential how-to manual, real-life scenarios illustrate difficult parenting issues, while reliable research, extensive interviews and personal experience provide direction for concerned parents (Fisher Books, $16 paper). Interpretation and Allegory: Antiquity to the Modern Period, edited and with an introductory essay by Jon Whitman '71. This scholarly collection exploring the theory and practice of interpretation and allegory won the Polonsky Foundation 2001 Award for Contributions to Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities (Brill, $123). Inventing the Classics: Modernity, National Identity, and Japanese Literature, edited by Haruo Shirane '74, Shincho professor of Japanese, and Tom Suzuki, associate professor of East Asian languages and cultures. An outgrowth of a 1997 Columbia conference, this collection examines history, culture and theory in the construction of Japanese literature that we know today (Stanford University Press, $60 cloth, $24.95 paper). Jim Jarmusch ['75]: Interviews, edited by Ludvig Hertzberg. A selection of two decades' worth of interviews with the white-maned director and auteur, whose acclaimed independent films include Down By Law, Mystery Train and Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai (University Press of Mississippi, $18 paper). Dollars and Change: Economics in Context by Louis Peterman '76. This primer explains economic ideas in non-technical language and places the dismal science in a broad historical, social and ethical perspective (Yale University Press, $40 cloth, $19.95 paper). TV: A Novel by Brian Brown '80. The behind the scenes machinations of American television are revealed in the story of a disgraced sports programming director, once the greatest in his field, who gets a last chance at redemption (Crown Publishers, $24). Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981–1991 by Michael Azerrad '83. The story of post-punk and pre-grunge indie-rock music and culture in America, which flourished in out-of-the-way venues and on small, pioneering record labels (Little, Brown, $25.95). Breaking the Silence: Domestic Violence and the South Asian-American Community, edited by Sandhya Nankani '96. An anthology of writings by community activists, scholars, artists and survivors, who discuss the realities of domestic violence within South Asian communities in the United States, as well as consciousness-raising efforts and the provision of victim services (Xlibris, $21.99 paper). A Minute Without Danger by Jacqueline Waters '96. The author's first volume of poems is characterized by attention to physical detail and a sympathetic appreciation for the human experience (Adventures in Poetry/Zephyr Press, $10 paper). Aaron Rose: Photographs, essay and interview by Alfred Corn, adjunct professor of writing. A lavish collection of photographs of objects, urban landscapes and nature from "an astonishingly original artist who has produced a major oeuvre" (Harry N. Abrams, $49.50). Close Up: Iranian Cinema, Past, Present and Future by Hamid Dabashi, associate professor of Middle East and Asian languages and cultures. Exclusive interviews combined with insightful commentary spotlight the distinguished history of Iranian cinema, which has only recently begun to win international attention and acclaim (Verso, $20 paper). Strong Feelings: Emotion, Addiction and Human Behavior by Jon Elster, R.K. Merton Professor of Social Sciences. A revised and expanded version of the Jean Nicod Lectures, delivered in Paris in 1997, which examine the theoretical and methodological problems facing the study of emotion and addiction (MIT Press, $15.95 paper). Leibniz's Metaphysics: Its Origin and Development by Christia Mercer, associate professor of philosophy. The first systematic account of the philosophical development of Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (1646–1716), who sought intellectual peace by constructing a true metaphysics from elements of several philosophical traditions (Cambridge University Press, $80). Archaeologies of Social Life: Age, Sex, Class et cetera in Ancient Egypt by Lynn Meskell, associate professor of anthropology. In this new study of ancient Egyptian history and society, pharaohs and sphinxes need to make room for the experiences of everyday life among ordinary people (Blackwell Publishers, $66.95 cloth, $33.95 paper). In the Place of Origins: Modernity and Its Mediums in Northern Thailand by Rosalind C. Morris, associate professor of anthropology. The performances of contemporary Thai spirit mediums obliquely reveal the influence of modernity and the grand ambitions of political authority, which are transforming a country strongly shaped by tradition (Duke University Press, $64.95 cloth; $21.95 paper). Sociology as an Art Form by Robert Nisbet, Albert Schweitzer Professor in the Humanities Emeritus, with a new introduction by Paul Gottfried. While not as popular among readers as his earlier studies in social theory, this slim tract (originally published in 1976) on the kinship between sociology and literature and painting was a favorite of its author, who died in 1996 (Transaction Books, $24.95 paper). The Fate of "Culture": Geertz and Beyond, edited by Sherry B. Ortner, professor of anthropology. In addition to the editor, Columbia contributors to this volume assessing the long-term significance of the anthropologist Clifford Geertz include Professor of Anthropology Lila Abu-Lughod (University of California Press, $45 cloth, $17.95 paper). Anything But Love by Gustavo Pérez Firmat, David Feinson Professor of Humanities. From the acclaimed author of Next Year in Cuba comes this reissue of his comic yet steamy first novel, in which the Cuban-American protagonist will do anything for love (Arte Público Press, $12.95 paper). Caliburn: The Lost Saga of King Arthur by Virgil Renzulli, associate vice president for public affairs. A modern retelling of the timeless Arthurian epic from the perspective of an aged Merlin the Magician regaling two stranded Briton warriors (Xlibris, $30.99). Ritualized Violence, Russian Style: The Duel in Russian Culture and Literature by Irina Reyfman, professor of Slavic languages and literature. In the Russian imagination, dueling crossed the boundaries of purely aristocratic experience and acquired the status of heroic behavior because it served to define and defend personal autonomy in a hierarchical and autocratic society (Stanford University Press, $51). Stealing the State: Control and Collapse in Soviet Institutions by Steven L. Solnick, associate professor of political science. Archival sources and interviews make the case that internal organization collapse contributed to the breakdown of the Soviet Union more than political stalemate at the top or revolution from below (Harvard University Press, $52.50 cloth, $19.95 paper). Defacement: Public Secrecy and the Labor of the Negative by Michael Taussig, professor of anthropology. Studying the defacement of public objects helps explain public secrets, those inconvenient or dangerous truths that are "generally known, but cannot be articulated" (Stanford University Press, $19.95 paper). Durable Inequality by Charles Tilly, Joseph L. Buttenwieser Professor of Social Science. This study, which won the Eastern Sociological Study Book Award, argues that persistent social inequality is a direct result of systemic features of social organization (University of California Press, $45 cloth, $17.95 paper). Chinese Literature in the Second Half of a Modern Century: A Critical Survey, edited by Pang-Yuan Chi and David Der-Wei Wang, professor of East Asian languages and cultures. A general overview of Chinese literature in the People's Republic and Taiwan during the last half of the 20th century, when ideological conformity gave way to a looser, more ambitious literary expression (Indiana University Press, $39.95). Legislative Entrepreneurship in the U.S. House of Representatives by Gregory Wawro, assistant professor of political science. In a way analogous to their business counterparts, House entrepreneurs — who initiate policy revisions, spearhead new laws and build their reputations — drive the legislative agenda and help the House fulfill its essential functions (University of Michigan Press, $39.50 cloth, $19.95 paper).
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