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BOOKSHELF
Meyer Schapiro: His Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture by Meyer Schapiro '24. This first publication of over 200 artworks and three new essays by the art historian and professor emeritus provides an intriguing portrait of his views on art and his own artistic style; with an introduction by Diana Trilling and a preface by New York Times art critic John Russell (Harry N. Abrams, $49.50). Teaching Hospitals and the Urban Poor by Eli Ginzberg '31, Professor of Economics Emeritus. The director of the Eisenhower Center for Conservation of Human Resources analyzes academic health centers' traditional success in technological advances, failure in serving their poor communities, and potential evolution under proposed health care changes (Yale University Press, $20). CNN's Cold War Documentary: Issues and Controversy, edited by Arnold Beichman '34. A critical analysis by historians and journalists, many of whom fault the 24-episode CNN series "as being biased toward the Soviets and against the United States and the West," as well as a defense by the program's producers (Hoover Institution Press, $17.95 paper). Circus Days and Nights: Poems by Robert Lax '38. Three minimalist, yet evocative, poems - "Circus of the Sun," "Mogador's Book" and "Sunset City" - from the reclusive poet, who before his death in September 2000 had spent most of the last 40 years on isolated Greek isles (Overlook Press, $26.95). The Sound of Listening: A Retreat Journal from Thomas Merton's Hermitage by John Dear. A Jesuit priest, moved by the example of Thomas Merton '38, who abandoned New York literary society for the isolation of the cloister, recounts the nine days he spent in Merton's secluded retreat on the grounds of the Gethsemani monastery near Louisville, Ky. (Continuum, $13.95 paper). The Beat Hotel: Ginsberg, Burroughs and Corso in Paris, 1957-1963 by Barry Miles. The author of biographies of Jack Kerouac '44, Allen Ginsberg '48 and William Burroughs turns his focus to the Beat Hotel, a cheap rooming house on the Left Bank that, until it was sold in 1963, was both home and office to Ginsberg and other legendary Beat figures (Grove Press $25.00). François Villon's The Legacy & The Testament, a bilingual edition translated by Louis Simpson '48. The prolific poet, literary critic and novelist here offers Villon's classic works in an edition that places the French side-by-side with the English translation, supplemented by notes (Story Line Press $17.95 paper). Historical Dictionary of Quotations in Cognitive Science: A Treasury of Quotations in Psychology, Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence, compiled by Morton Wagman '48. A one-of-its-kind compendium of esoteric quotations of special interest to scholars, professionals and graduate students in cognitive science disciplines (Greenwood Publishing, $79.50). My Love Affair with America: The Cautionary Tale of a Cheerful Conservative by Norman Podhoretz '50. In this memoir, the former Commentary editor describes his intellectual roots (including his years at Columbia), lambastes the excesses of both the Left and the Right, and offers a spirited justification for his belief that America is "God's country" (Free Press, $25). For an excerpt, please see Columbia Forum. All Gall Is Divided by E.M. Cioran, translated with an introduction by Richard Howard '51. In his introduction, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet says of this collection of aphorisms, the Romanian-born author's second French work: "Not since Nietzsche has any thinker revealed himself so drastically" (Arcade Publishing, $18.96). The Trust: The Private and Powerful Family Behind The New York Times by Susan E. Tifft and Alex S. Jones. An epic biography of one of America's most powerful families, the dynasty that publishes America's newspaper of record, including Arthur Hays Sulzberger '13 and Arthur Ochs "Punch" Sulzberger '51 (Little, Brown, $29.95 cloth; Back Bay Books, $18.95 paper). Pet Peeves, or Whatever Happened to Doctor Rawff? by George Plimpton, illustrations by Edward Koren '57. A series of crumpled-up letters from pet owners about unusual animal issues are the only clues in a whimsical mystery about the disappearance of the eponymous veterinarian and pet advice columnist (Atlantic Monthly Press, $14.95). The Death and Life of Philosophy by Robert Greene '58. In his introduction to this spirited defense of Aristotelianism against Cartesian dualism and modern philosophical currents, the author credits Columbia professors John Herman Randall Jr. '16, Justus Buchler, Albert Hoftstadter and Paul Oskar Kristeller for helping to shape his ideas (St. Augustine's Press, $30). Hating Whitey and Other Progressive Causes by David Horowitz '59. In these essays, most originally published in the Internet magazine Salon, the author of Radical Son offers a controversial polemic against what he describes as "the Left's war against 'whiteness' and against America's democratic culture" (Spence, $24.95). What Counts: Poems by Jay Liveson'59. A fourth volume of semi-formal verse - on topics ranging from Stalin's forced collectivization to dining out - from a neurologist who specializes in clinical neurophysiology (Fifthian Press, $12 paper). Turtle Island Blues by William Borden '60. This play, which covers 500 years of American history told from varying perspectives (including those of Sitting Bull, Christopher Columbus and Thomas Jefferson) was first produced at Minnesota's Listening Winds Theatre, where the author, a core alumnus playwright at The Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis, is playwright-in-residence (Listening Winds Theatre Press, $12.95 paper). Europe and the Atlantic Relationship: Issues of Identity, Security and Power, edited by Douglas Eden '60. The contributors to this volume examine developments within the principal institution of the alliance between Europe and the Americas, NATO, which has had to admit new members, adopt new strategies and become more interventionist since the collapse of the Soviet Union (Palgrave, $62). Gates of Eden: American Culture in the Sixties by Morris Dickstein '61. In his introduction to this new edition, the Queens College professor and former Columbia faculty member notes that the core of the 1960s is found in "the changes in consciousness that lay behind the public spectacle of the times" (Harvard University Press, $15.95 paper). Exploring Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology, edited by Steven M. Cahn '63. This primer, which combines "clear, recent essays by noted philosophers" with selections from famous thinkers from Plato to Bertrand Russell, seeks to offer "fair accounts of differing opinions" (Oxford University Press, $35). The Kurdish Predicament in Iraq: A Political Analysis by Michael M. Gunter '64. A political analysis of events that have pummeled all attempts to solve the Kurdish problem in Iraq since 1992, when Iraqi Kurds formed their own regional parliament and joined in the creation of an opposition organization to Saddam Hussein (St. Martin's Press, $39.95). Maryland: Lost and Found... Again by Eugene L. Meyer '64. An informal primer of the geography, history, society and culture of the "Old Line State" from the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachian mountains, by an award-winning Washington Post reporter (Woodholm House, $15.95 paper). Finding the Princess by Thomas Hauser '67. An attorney and author of 24 books explores race relations in a comic and suspenseful novel that centers around life, love, politics and a journalist in New York (University of Arkansas Press, $29.95). Closer Than Brothers: Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy by Alfred M. McCoy '68. A professor of Southeast Asian history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison draws on interviews, diaries and memoirs to create this detailed account of the secretive brotherhood of the Filipino officer corps and the vast changes the academy underwent between the 1930s and 1990s (Yale University Press, $40). The Irish Play on the New York Stage, 1874-1966 by John Harrington '74. This study of the Gaelic influence on the American theater won the Michael J. Durkan Prize for the best book in Literary Criticism, Arts Criticism and Cultural Studies given by the American Conference for Irish Studies (University Press of Kentucky, $29.95). The Heroes of Kasht: An Armenian Epic, assembled from oral sources and retold by Karapet Sital, edited and translated by James Russell '74. The first translation of a hitherto neglected medieval folk epic recounting the doughty resistance of Armenian peasants to the invasion of T'amur Xan, better known in the West as Tamerlane (Caravan Books, no price). Visual Computing by Richard Mark Friedhoff '76 and Mark S. Peercy. Abundantly illustrated with both classical work and computer-generated art, this volume explores how and why visual computing affects our lives and envisions a future in which human creativity is empowered by computers (Scientific American Library, $34.95). Attention! (How to interrupt, yell, whisper, and touch consumers.) by Ken Sacharin '79. A reader-friendly guide to overcoming advertisers' inability to capture consumers' attention in today's over-saturated market, from the executive vice president of Media Edge, the world's fourth-largest media services firm (John Wiley & Sons, $29.95). The Alphabet of the Trees: A Guide to Nature Writing edited by Christian McEwen and Mark Statman '80. A practical handbook of essays teaching all aspects and forms of nature writing, co-edited by the poet, essayist and fiction writer Statman (Teachers & Writers Collaborative, $19.95 paper). After the Heavenly Tune: English Poetry and the Aspiration to Song by Marc Berley '85. A professor of English at Barnard explores the complex relationship between music and poetry in Western literature, especially the appeal of "the trope of song" to poets of the English Renaissance (Duquesne University Press, $58). Your Body: The Girl's Guide by Janis Brody '87. An informative guide for teenage girls and their families navigating the tumultuous topics of self-esteem, body consciousness, eating disorders and other contentious issues of female adolescence (St. Martin's, $4.99 paper). Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience by John Darrell Sherwood '89, GSAS '91. For this homage to American jet pilots who fought in Vietnam, the official Navy historian conducted nearly 300 interviews and developed fascinating portraits of the military careers of 14 aviators involved in the air war (Free Press, $25). College Football: History, Spectacle, Controversy by John Sayle Watterson. This comprehensive history of the collegiate gridiron notes that Columbia was the first major school to drop football (1905), the first to reinstate it (1915), and, with its victory over Stanford in the 1934 Rose Bowl, the last Ivy League team to play in the postseason (Johns Hopkins University Press, $34.95). The Reader's Companion to the American Presidency, edited by Alan Brinkley, Allan Nevins Professor of History, and Davis Dyer. Narrative essays on every chief executive from George Washington to William Jefferson Clinton, along with timelines, pictures and factoids, provide not merely a history of the men who became president but also a history of the institution (Houghton Mifflin, $40). Ideas, Ideologies and Social Movements: The United States Experience Since 1800 edited by Peter A. Coclanis and Stuart Bruchey, Allan Nevins Professor of American Economic History Emeritus. The essays in this collection argue that capitalism provided the necessary environment for the country's numerous ideological movements - even those opposed to capitalism (University of South Carolina Press, $29.95). Gendered Voices: Medieval Saints and Their Interpreters, edited by Catherine M. Mooney. University Professor and acclaimed medievalist Caroline Walker Bynum wrote the foreword to this study of female saints, mystics and visionaries - and how their experiences have been mediated by men (University of Pennsylvania Press, $19.95 paper). Environmental Markets: Equity and Efficiency edited by Graciela Chichilnisky, UNESCO Professor of Information and Resources, and Geoffrey Heal, Garrett Professor of Public Policy. An in-depth study of the economic issues raised by the growing use of environmental markets and of the relationship between equity and efficiency (Columbia University Press, $40). Popular Culture and High Culture: An Analysis and Evaluation of Taste by Herbert J. Gans, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology. A revised and updated edition of the 1974 sociological study of American culture, which defends popular culture against some of its attackers and argues that the popular culture vs. high culture dichotomy still makes sense (Basic Books, $16 paper). The Politics and Public Culture of American Jews by Arthur A. Goren, Russell and Bettina Knapp Professor of American Jewish History. The essays gathered in this volume are united by the question of how American Jews can maintain their collective identity while participating fully in an open and accepting American society (Indiana University Press, $17.95 paper). Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska, with a new foreword and revised introduction by Alice Kessler-Harris. Professor of History Kessler-Harris's campaign 25 years ago to republish this novel about a rebellious daughter of Jewish immigrants on New York's Lower East Side, which was originally published in 1925, inaugurated modern interest in Yezierska, who died in obscurity in 1970 (Persea, $8.95 paper). Beyond Rights Talk and Culture Talk: Comparative Essays on the Politics of Rights and Cultures, edited by Mahmood Mamdani, Herbert Lehman Professor of Anthropology. In addition to the introduction by the editor, who is also director of the Institute of African Studies, the essays selected for this volume from a conference on cultural transformations held in Cape Town, South Africa, include one by Kimberle Crenshaw, professor of law (St. Martin's Press, $19.95 paper). Lewis Carroll, edited by Edward Mendelson, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, illustrated by Eric Copeland. A warmly illustrated collection for young readers of favorite, fantastic poems by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a nineteenth-century Oxford mathematician, under his nom de plume (Sterling Publishing, $14.95). Not the Germans Alone by Isaac Levendel. Robert Paxton, professor emeritus of history, wrote the foreword to this exploration of the disappearance of Levendel's mother in Nazi-era France, in which Levendel angrily reveals French complicity in the war while thankfully rediscovering those who helped him after his mother's arrest (Northwestern University Press, $25.95). Hokusai: One Hundred Views of Mt. Fuji, introduction and commentaries by Henry D. Smith II, Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures. Taken together, these depictions of Japan's most famous peak, drawn by the printmaker when he was in his 70s, form "a prayer for the gift of immortality that lay hidden within the heart of the mountain" (George Braziller, $20.95 paper). The Wit to Know: Essays on English Renaissance Literature for Edward Tayler, edited by Eugene D. Hill '70 and William Kerrigan '71 GSAS. All but one of the contributors to this festschrift - including Eugene D. Hill '70, B.J. Sokol '63E, and Jonathan Tuck '69 - studied at Columbia with the famed literature professor, who retired in 1999 (George Herbert Journal, $25).
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