Winter 2011–12
Bookshelf
Jacques Barzun [’27]: Portrait of a Mind by Michael Murray. This biography, written by a longtime friend, offers an affectionate account of the life and work of legendary Columbia professor, historian and critic Barzun (Amazon Digital Services, $7.99).
Finding Wisdom in East Asian Classics edited by Wm. Theodore de Bary ’41, the John Mitchell Mason Professor Emeritus, Provost Emeritus and Special Service Professor in East Asian Language and Culture. This collection of essays about the foundational texts of East Asian civilization and culture focuses on their central role in the shaping of Asia’s history and the humanities at large (Columbia University Press, $29.50).
Athletes by Kirby Congdon ’50. This collection of poems goes beyond the notion that sports is only a physical excursion and focuses on the fragility of the human form, with a healthy dose of spirituality (Presa Press, $9.95).
The Hydra Chronicle by Charles Young ’50. Set during the occupation of the Greek island Hydra during WWII and its aftermath, this novel follows characters Ido and Philip as they go to Hydra to find the last man and a huge treasury of Jewish assets (Cosmos Publishing, $19.95).
When the World Spoke French by Marc Fumaroli, translated by Richard
Howard ’51. In this first English translation from French, Fumaroli
profiles Francisco Goya, Benjamin Franklin and other foreigners who used French
as the political and intellectual language of Europe (NYRB Classics, $18.95).
The Fate of Greenland: Lessons from Abrupt Climate Change by Philip Conkling, Richard Alley, Wallace Broecker ’53, the Newberry Professor of Geology, and George Denton. Due to periods of acute climate instability, Greenland’s ice sheet has been melting. The country’s warming is shown here with vivid color photographs and is accompanied by the authors’ investigations into the effects abrupt climate changes have had on the world (The MIT Press, $29.95).
Rethinking the Other in Antiquity by Erich S. Gruen ’57. The author challenges longstanding notions that Greeks, Romans and Jews contrasted themselves with foreigners and shows instead how they found connections and shared roots with diverse peoples (Princeton University Press, $39.50).
A March of Liberty: A Constitutional
History of the United States, Volume II: From 1898 to the Present by Melvin I. Urofsky ’61 and Paul Finkelman. This
comprehensive overview of the American Constitution discusses in detail not
only how the Supreme Court handles major cases but also the impact these cases
have on society and on American culture (Oxford University Press, $49.95).
Blood Trust by Eric Van Lustbader ’68. In this novel, Alli Carson, one of the best FBI agents at the Fearington Institute, becomes a suspect in a murder that leads her and the national security adviser, Jack McClure, to a secret international slave trade run by a powerful Albanian crime lord (Forge Books, $25.99).
The Essential Belloc: A Prophet for Our Times edited by Scott Bloch, Rev. C. John McCloskey ’75 and Brian Robertson. Belloc was considered one of the champions of the Catholic faith, and in his writings he addresses topics such as the limits and dangers of science without faith in God and the love of good food and camaraderie (Saint Benedict Press, $17.95).
Harlem: The Four Hundred Year
History from Dutch Village to Capital of Black America by Jonathan Gill ’86. Beginning with Harlem’s
early days of Dutch settlements and farms, Gill documents how Harlem
transformed itself into a major site of influential music and literary works,
especially for African-American art and intellectual development (see “Columbia
Forum,” Fall 2011) (Grove Press,
$29.95).
Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein ’87. In this kids’ adaptation of The Art of Racing in the Rain, Enzo, the dog of a racecar driver, dreams of racing against cars and learns that life isn’t simply about going fast (HarperCollins, $6.99).
Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour by Elana Amsterdam ’89. These recipes offer an alternative that fits into many dietary lifestyles and still satisfies anyone’s cupcake fix (Celestial Arts, $16.99).
Earthquake Season: Poems by Jessica Goodheart ’89. Through her poetry,
Goodheart explores how copying machines, dry cleaners and other things have
come to be the way they are (WordTech Communications, $18).
The White Devil: A Novel by Justin Evans ’93. American teen Andrew
Taylor is enrolled at Harrow, a British boarding school, where he is haunted by
a ghost as he tries to figure out a centuries-old literary mystery that
involves Lord Byron (Harper, $24.99).
Inside the Insane by Erica Loberg ’99. A depiction of the life and minds of people living with mental illnesses in a psychiatric crisis ward in Los Angeles, this book also features episodes from Loberg’s personal journey with Bipolar II (Chipmunkapublishing, $21).
Living Music Conversations With Pandit Dinkar Kaikini by Priya Purushothaman ’03. This book explores Pandit Dinkar Kaikini’s theories of sound, melody, rhythm and creativity while following him during his life of uncompromising devotion to music and constant spiritual enquiry (Popular Prakashan, $34.95).
Palaces of Time: Jewish Calendar and Culture in Early Modern Europe by Elisheva Carlebach, the Salo Wittmayer Baron Professor of Jewish History, Culture and Society. This book examines how sifrei evronot, European Jewish calendars/ almanacs of the 15th–18th centuries, reflected both Jews’ values and beliefs and their interaction with Christian society (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, $35).
EyeMinded: Living and Writing Contemporary Art by Kellie Jones, associate professor of art history and archaeology. Jones brings awareness to the work of women, African- American, African and Latin artists who have created their own art practices, through selections of her writings from the past 20 years (Duke University Press, $27.95).
Perspectives on the Performance of the Continental Economies edited by Edmund S. Phelps, the McVickar Professor of Political Economy, and Hans-Werner Sinn. Leading economists use various methods to explain Europe’s economic underperformance in productivity and other metrics against real-world data (The MIT Press, $40).
Scribble, Scribble, Scribble: Writing on Politics, Ice Cream, Churchill, and My Mother by Simon Schama, University Professor. In this collection of essays and speeches, Schama writes about an array of topics from art to history and everything in between (Ecco, $27.99).
Samantha Jean-Baptiste ’13