Bookshelf

Learning from Franz L. Neumann: Law, Theory,
and the Brute Facts of Political Life by David Kettler ’51 and Thomas Wheatland. The first English-language, full-length study of Neumann, a highly regarded Columbia professor and exile scholar who played a prominent role in efforts to break down the divide between political theory and the empirical discipline of political science (Anthem Press, $99, Kindle version).

Renia’s Diary: A Holocaust Journal translated by Elizabeth Bellak GS’55. The widow of George M. Bellak ’57 brings to life the diary of her late sister, who was murdered by the Gestapo in 1942; the book became a New York Times bestseller (St. Martin’s Press, $27.99).

Cesare: A Novel of War-Torn Berlin by Jerome Charyn ’59. The latest from Charyn, an author of more than 50 works of fiction and nonfiction, is a literary thriller and love story, “born of the horrors of a country whose culture has died, whose history has been warped, and whose soul has disappeared” (Bellevue Literary Press, $26.99).

Crude Oil, Crude Money: Aristotle Onassis, Saudi Arabia, and the CIA by Thomas W. Lippman ’61. Lippman, who has written about Middle Eastern affairs and American foreign policy for four decades, sheds light on a little-known story about the collision of nationalism, money, celebrity and oil (Praeger, $37).

The Cambridge Introduction to British Fiction, 1900–1950 by Robert L. Caserio ’65. An examination of the work of more than 100 writers in a variety of genres, including detective, spy, gothic, fantasy, comic and science fiction; Caserio also brings new attention to lesser-known writers he thinks merit increased attention (Cambridge University Press, $29.99).

Biotech Juggernaut: Hope, Hype, and Hidden Agendas of Entrepreneurial Bioscience by Stuart Newman ’65 and Tina Stevens. The authors recount their encounters with biotechnology in scientific, legal, policy and advocacy settings, and give broad historical context to biotech and its societal implications (Routledge, $42.95).

Chip Rock and the Fat Old Fart: A Heartwarming Adventure by Michael Daswick ’79. The story of a comic and poignant friendship between 23-year-old orphan Chip Rock and Deacon, a 50-something, socially outcast meat cutter (Bowker, $28.95).

My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation by Donald M. Rattner ’79. Rattner, a noted architect, shares practical techniques for shaping a home that will boost your creativity, and includes photos of interiors from around the world (Skyhorse, $29.99).

The Misadventures of Rabbi Kibbitz and Mrs. Chaipul by Mark Binder ’84. The fourth book in Binder’s “Life in Chelm” series features stories about the importance of exercise for seniors, maintaining your identity and the joy of eating good food (Light Publications, $29.95).

What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture by Ben Horowitz ’88. Horowitz, a leading venture capitalist and modern management expert, explains how to make your company culture purposeful by spotlighting four historical models of leadership and connecting them to modern case studies (Harper Business, $29.99).

The Yellow Bird Sings: A Novel by Jennifer Rosner ’88. As WWII rages in Poland, a mother hides with her young daughter, a musical prodigy; to soothe the girl and pass the time, the mother tells her a story about an enchanted garden (Flatiron Books, $25.99).

Banshee by Rachel DeWoskin ’94. DeWoskin’s lead character has a full, sane life and all the trappings of middle-age happiness, but when she gets a terrifying diagnosis, a lifetime of being polite and putting others first ignites in her a surprising rage (Dottir Books, $16.95).

Little Weirds by Jenny Slate ’04. This collection of personal essays gives insight into the writer, actress and stand-up comedian’s “strangely funny and tender, magically delicious mind” (Little, Brown and Co., $27).

Characters Before Copyright: The Rise and Regulation of Fan Fiction in Eighteenth-Century Germany by Matthew Birkhold ’08. The first in-depth study of the history of fan fiction — literary works written by readers who appropriate preexisting characters invented by other authors (Oxford University Press, $70).

Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker ’10. The first novel from poet Parker, about a black teenage girl searching for identity when the world around her views her depression as something to be politely ignored (Delecorte Press, $18.99).

— Jill C. Shomer