Bookshelf

With All Due Respect by Lewis Segal ’56. Segal’s first novel tackles issues of embedded bigotry within the context of a prestigious law firm. Thrown into a work environment with a Nazi sympathizer, attorney Michael Cullen must face the responsibility of the law profession while addressing the personal conflict he feels, forcing him to define justice for himself (Tupelo Press, $17.95).

Exploring the World of J.S. Bach: A Traveler’s Guide by Robert L. Marshall ’60 and Traute M. Marshall. A biography, travel guide and encyclopedia, this book tracks the life of composer Johann Sebastian Bach through all the places where he may have lived, visited or worked. Combining careful research with historical illustrations, photographs and maps, the authors aim to inspire adventure in even the most settled of readers (University of Illinois Press, $29.95).

L.E.L., Letiticia Elizabeth Landon, The English Improvisatrice: Catalogue of a Collection Held by The Rare Book & Manuscript Library of Columbia University by Francis J. Sypher Jr. ’63. Sypher has been studying the works of Landon — who signed her poems as “L.E.L.” — since the 1980s and has donated more than 200 manuscripts, books, prints and other materials to the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (New York: Columbia University Libraries, 2016).

Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration, and the Theory of Continental Drift by Mott T. Greene ’67. More than 20 years of research and travel culminate in a thorough portrait of Wegener, the scientist best known for his theory of continental drift. Greene argues Wegener deserved more credit for his accomplishments (Johns Hopkins University Press, $44.95).

Photographs of My Father: A Lost Narrative from the Civil Rights Era by Paul Spike ’70. Reeling with confusion and anger after the murder of his father, clergyman and civil rights leader Robert W. Spike, the author dives headfirst into reflection: upon the Civil Rights Movement, his father’s position in the fabric of history and his own experiences at Columbia coming to terms with the world. Originally written when Spike was 23, this revised edition offers readers a new opportunity to engage with his story and that time (Cinco Puntos Press, $17.95).

No More Dancing the Jig: A Novel by Michael Haley ’77. This novel follows Margaret, a 30-something English teacher who, after a prophetic dream, is struck by the desire to change her life and unabashedly pursue happiness. As she fights to reclaim her creativity and her purpose, our heroine finds wisdom and friendship in those who bolster her (iUniverse, $14.95).

A Legacy of One by Kevin G. Chapman ’83. Inspired by Chapman’s experiences on Morningside Heights, this novel follows fictional alumnus Jonathan Prescott III ’93, a U.S senator on track to run for President. When the keeper of his biggest secret threatens to reveal information that would jeopardize his political career and family name, Prescott must grapple with what it means to leave a legacy (CreateSpace Publishing, $16.28).

The Art of Fact Investigation: Creative Thinking in the Age of Information Overload by Philip Segal ’84. Through the lens of the Cubist tradition in art, investigative attorney Segal suggests we need to recognize different perspectives in order to best distill an extraordinary amount of information into something productive. Attorneys, investigators and other researchers must review data with an inquisitive and thorough eye; for, as Segal says, “it is not the abundance of information that is alluring …but the absence of it” (Ignaz Press LLC, $22.95).

100 Years: Wisdom from Famous Writers on Every Year of Your Life selections by Joshua Prager ’94 with visualizations by Milton Glaser. This collection of quotations sews common threads from the past and the future with words about every year from birth to 100. Prager urges readers to “… get happily lost” amidst these pages, as in life (W.W. Norton & Co., $17.95).

Notched Sunsets by Tim Wood ’96. In this experimental poetry collection, Wood allows the reader a glimpse at his process. He presents a sonnet created one line at a time followed by the abstraction of the sonnet into inspirations and influences and concludes with a recapitulation of the lines reedited and in reverse chronological order (Atelos, $12.95).

Worth It: Your Life, Your Money, Your Terms by Amanda Steinberg ’99. The founder and CEO of DailyWorth.com aims to recalibrate the toxic relationship many women have with money and self-worth. Steinberg redefines money as a source of personal power and freedom rather than one of anxiety, offering women a way to break through to the financial independence they desire, but often don’t achieve (North Star Way, $26).

Beyond Crimea: The New Russian Empire by Agnia Grigas ’02. Political risk expert Grigas presents a critical analysis of Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy that demonstrates the dangers of Russia’s expansionist tactics. The question of how post-Soviet borders will be reconstructed is currently relevant and remains unanswered (Yale University Press, $40).

— Aiyana K. White ’18