BOOKSHELF
Compiled By Laura Butchy and Peter Kang '05

The Way of the Dreamcatcher: Spirit Lessons with Robert Lax [’38]: Poet, Peacemaker, Sage by Steve T. Georgiou. In this narrative, a young man finds a “light-giver” in the elderly poet and hermit who spent much of his life as a recluse on the Greek isle of Patmos and who Jack Kerouac described as “a strange, wonderful, laughing Buddha” (Novalis, $19.95 paper).

Vital Contradictions: Characterization in the Plays of Ibsen, Strindberg, Chekhov, and O’Neill by Michael Manheim ’49. This close study of serious drama explores the complexity and core contradictions of the characters created by four of the greatest early modern playwrights (P.I.E.-Peter Lang, $29.95).

Communication, Media, and American Society: A Critical Introduction by Daniel W. Rossides ’50. Challenging popular belief, this study argues that communication technology and media in contemporary America is more about the maintenance of social power than the liberation of society (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, $27.95).

Drawing Acts: Studies in Graphic Expression and Representation by David Rosand ’59, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History. Focusing on drawings by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt and Picasso, the author of Myths of Venice seeks to define a new approach for the criticism and appreciation of drawing (Cambridge University Press, $75).

More With Less: Paul MacCready and the Dream of Efficient Flight by Paul Ciotti ’63. In this biography about an introverted southern Californian engineer, the love of efficiency inspires this visionary to lead a team of enthusiasts in building successful, low-powered vehicles (Encounter Books, $26.95).

Who Owns History? by Eric Foner ’63. In this collection of essays and addresses, the DeWitt Clinton Professor of American History examines the profession of historical scholarship in the modern age, the legacy of historical events on scholarship, and reflects on his scholarly career (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $24).

Shaped by War and Trade: International Influences on American Political Development, edited by Ira Katznelson ’66, Ruggles Professor of Political Science and Constitutional Law, and Martin Shefter. This collection of 10 essays examining the challenge of globalization for the United States also emphasize the link between domestic politics and international relations (Princeton University Press, $60 cloth, $18.95 paper).

Seapower as Strategy: Navies and National Interests by Norman Friedman ’67. A noted defense analyst and Naval weapons expert explains the benefits of the use of navies to solve national security issues (Naval Institute Press, $36.95).

The Story of My Typewriter by Paul Auster ’69, paintings by Sam Messer. This short story, illustrated by Messer’s paintings, portrays the author’s obsession with his Olympia typewriter, which he has owned for more than 25 years (Distributed Art Publishers, Inc., $17.95).

Bending Over Backwards by Lennard J. Davis ’70. This reexamination of the relationship between disability and normality addresses the political and social issues facing people with disabilities in postmodern culture and how our concept of disability has evolved over time (New York University Press, $55).

A Companion to the Works of Hugo von Hofmannsthal by Thomas A. Kovach ’71. This examination of the complex writings of the Viennese man of letters documents his intellectual transformation amid “a crisis of cognition and language,” which turned him away from poetry and lyric drama and toward more public forms of art (Camden House, $75).

Play Ball Like the Pros: Tips for Kids From 20 Big League Stars by Steven Krasner ’75. This comprehensive guide for kids details every baseball position as well as batting techniques, profiles famous players and provides solutions to various game situations (Peachtree Publishers, $12.95 paper).

Whose America? Culture Wars in the Public Schools by Jonathan Zimmerman ’83. The director of the History of Education Program at NYU explains the long history behind the “culture wars” of American public education and how the unending controversy “may be the only thing that holds us together” (Harvard University Press, $29.95).

The Big Onion Guide to New York City by Seth Kamil and Eric Wakin ’84, foreword by Kenneth T. Jackson, Jacques Barzun Professor of History and Social Sciences. In his foreword, Jackson, president of the New-York Historical Society, comments on the growth and success of the unique Big Onion walking tours, founded by two of his Columbia graduate students (New York University Press, $17.95).

The Black Church in the Post-Civil Rights Era by Anthony B. Pinn ’86. This present day view of the Black Church, detailing the various historical elements that came to define this tradition, describes the sensitive issues that the Black Church must confront in today’s society (Orbis Books, $20).

The Law of Telecommuting by Nicole Belson Goluboff ’87. As more employees work from home, this book examines the legal implications for employers and telecommuters and how employers can maximize worker output in a non-traditional work environment (ALI-ABA, $75).

Detour: My Bipolar Road Trip in 4-D by Lizzie Simon ’98. In this fast-paced narrative, the 23-year-old author’s cross-country quest for others affected by bipolar disorder ultimately becomes a portrait of a woman in search of “a herd of her own” (Atria Books, $24).

New York’s Pennsylvania Stations by Hilary Ballon, professor of art history and archaeology. This photo-rich history of Pennsylvania Station analyzes the great engineering and architectural feat that was this urban landmark, its demolition in the 1960s and its future with a new station set to open in 2005 (W.W. Norton, $55).

Regulating Intimacy: a New Legal Paradigm by Jean L. Cohen, professor of political science. This scholarly presentation demonstrates the need to restructure the traditional views of proper legal treatment in the private, intimate domain and introduces a “reflexive law” as a new legal framework (Princeton University Press, $35).

The Incas by Terence N. D’Altroy, associate professor of anthropology. This comprehensive study of Incan civilization — from its early days in Southern Peru, to its rise as a great empire, to its demise at hands of Spanish conquistadors — describes the Incans’ politics, economy and way of life (Blackwell Publishing, 29.95).

The Social Contract and The First and Second Discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, edited by Susan Dunn, essays by Gita May, professor of French, et al. This volume, comprising Rosseau’s three most influential political writings, is supplemented by essays by major scholars (Yale University Press, $15.95).

Grover Cleveland by Henry F. Graff, professor emeritus of history. A look at an effective yet unglamorous president who, though perhaps best known for serving two non-consecutive terms, brought quiet dignity and principles into the White House (Henry Holt and Company, $20).

When Men Were the Only Models We Had by Carolyn G. Heilbrun, Avalon Professor of Humanities Emerita. A personal account of how three Columbia professors — Clifton Fadiman ’25, Lionel Trilling ’25 and Jacques Barzun ’27 — influenced and inspired the life of a feminist scholar and professor (University of Pennsylvania Press, $24.95).

Show & Tell, by Giancarlo T. Roma, photographs by Thomas Roma, associate professor, professional practice, department of the arts. In this father-son collaboration, 8-year old Giancarlo writes his own commentary, which accompanies his father’s black and white photographs of their native Brooklyn (powerHouse Books, $19.95).

The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting by Christopher H. Scholz, professor of earth and environmental sciences. This revised edition of the 1990 compendium features updated information on earthquakes and geological faults while building on the core themes of fault-earthquake connection and friction laws (Cambridge University Press, $48).

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