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BOOKSHELF

The Modern Researcher

by Jacques Barzun ’27 and Henry F. Graff. Perhaps the only book revised by the same authors half a century after its first edition, the sixth edition of the renowned guide to inquiry and communication by two legendary Columbia professors offers essential lessons on research and reporting as well as discussions on using the Internet and the library (Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, $46.95).

Selected Papers of Alan Hoffman [’44] With Commentary

edited by Charles A. Micchelli. This volume of papers by mathematician Alan Hoffman ’44 includes an autobiographical piece that highlights formative influences as an undergraduate as well as works on geometry, combinatorics, graph spectra and more (World Scientific, $88).

The Rise And Fall Of The Press Box by Leonard Koppett '44

The Rise and Fall of the Press Box

by Leonard Koppett ’44 with foreword by David Stern, NBA commissioner and chair of the Board of Trustees. This memoir by the illustrious and well-respected sports writer, finished just days before his death in June 2003, describes the evolution of American sports and media coverage from the viewpoint of a career newspaperman who was honored by both the baseball and basketball Halls of Fame (Sport Media Publishing, Inc., $23.95).

Terror War and Peace: With De-Sanctification of Jihad

by Stephen Seadler ’46. The third book of the Softpower Trilogy is a security treatise on “softpower weapons” in the “Age of Catastrophic Terrorism” with a focus on the nullification of the “Islamic Jihad” (ID Center, $12).

The Sibling Thing: How I Went From Prince to Pest in Four Short Years

by Saul Turteltaub ’54. The author of the bestselling The Grandfather Thing writes a comic memoir from his 3-year-old grandson’s perspective. Max, who becomes an older brother with the birth of Ross, offers observations and insight into the burgeoning sibling rivalry (Tallfellow Press, $17.95).

Arthur Miller: His Life and Work

by Martin Gottfried ’55. This biography portrays the personal and professional life of a great American playwright who “in his own country … has gone unappreciated to the point of scorn.” The book offers insight into Miller’s works and explores a personal life that included marriage to Marilyn Monroe and struggles with the House Un-American Activities Committee (De Capo Press, $30).

A Time to Whisper

by Jay Liveson ’59. This collection of poems by the New York neurologist, finished shortly before his death, explores themes from the author’s lifetime. His “medical” poems include technical and clinical terms that combine the scientific with the poetic, recreating the emotions he experienced as a doctor (Fithian Press, $12).

Mr. S: My Life With Frank Sinatra

Mr. S: My Life With Frank Sinatra by George Jacobs and William Stadiem '69

by George Jacobs and William Stadiem ’69. This “deliciously gossipy” account by Sinatra’s former valet, Jacobs, offers an intimate portrait of the legendary singer and describes the fascinating world of stars, politicians and mobsters (HarperCollins, $24.95).

Not Till the Fat Lady Sings: The Most Dramatic Sports Finishes of All Time

edited by Les Krantz. A collection of entries on memorable sports finishes, from Bobby Thompson’s “Shot Heard Around the World” to Michael Jordan’s last basket as a Chicago Bull, the book includes four chapters by CCT editor Alex Sachare ’71 (Triumph Books, $29.95).

Lyndon Johnson and Europe: In the Shadow of Vietnam

by Thomas Alan Schwartz ’76. This revisionist look at the oft-criticized president provides a comprehensive study of LBJ’s policy toward Europe and credits his leadership in building a Western alliance amid global Cold War crises (Harvard University Press, $29.95).

Meet John Trow

by Thomas Dyja ’84. In this multi-genre novel, a disillusioned ad man joins a local group of Civil War re-enactors and becomes obsessed with the life of Private John Trow, a character he is assigned to portray (Penguin Books, $14).

The Anxiety Cure: An Eight-Step Program for Getting Well

by Robert L. DuPont, Elizabeth DuPont Spencer ’88 and Caroline M. DuPont. Written by a father and his daughters, this guide, which features dramatic stories as well as progress charts and outlines, offers step-by-step methods for dealing with anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder (Wiley, $15.95).

How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less

by Melissa de la Cruz ’93 and Karen Robinovitz. Two freelance writers at Marie Claire are given two weeks to “become famous” and to make it to the celebrity A-list. This reality show-style book details the writers’ 14-day adventure to fame and the outrageous steps taken to land them in the world of gossip columns, celebrity parties and five-star restaurants (Ballatine Books, $12.95).

Serious Girls by Maxine Swann '94

Serious Girls

by Maxine Swann ’94. This award-winning short story author’s first novel focuses on adolescent growth, as two boarding school girls, Maya and Roe, turn their feelings of alienation into a desire to be adults and a journey of self-discovery (Picador, $23).

Culture and Resistance: Conversations With Edward W. Said

by David Barsamian. The late University Professor, in a series of interviews, offers insight on topics such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, terrorism and the Iraq situation (South End Press, $16).

Reclaiming the Game: College Sports and Educational Values

by William G. Bowen and Sarah A. Levin. Probing 33 academically selective colleges and universities that do not offer athletic scholarships, including Columbia, this study on the athletic recruitment process reveals how recruited athletes are as much as four times more likely to gain admission than non-athletes with the same academic qualifications (Princeton University Press, $27.95).

Pulitzer’s School: Columbia University’s School of Journalism, 1903–2003 by James Boylan

Pulitzer’s School: Columbia University’s School of Journalism, 1903–2003

by James Boylan. In this history commissioned by the Journalism School, the founding editor of the Columbia Journalism Review gives a definitive history of the institution from Pulitzer’s original $2 million grant to the recent controversy about the school’s mission (Columbia University Press, $37.50).

Indelible Shadows: Film and the Holocaust

by Annette Insdorf, professor of film studies. This fully revised third edition, which includes an annotated filmography of more than 100 Holocaust titles, analyzes dozens of films on the Holocaust and addresses theoretical issues such as the “truth claims” of the cinematic medium (Cambridge University Press, $25).

Morningside Heights by Cheryl Mendelson

Morningside Heights

by Cheryl Mendelson. This novel, from the bestselling author of Home Comforts, chronicles the lives of two middle-class musicians, their social interaction in the Morningside Heights community and the family’s financial struggle that might force a move to the suburbs (Random House, $24.95).

You Don’t Always Get What You Pay For: The Economics of Privatization

by Elliot D. Sclar, professor of urban planning. Addressing the trend of public sector privatization and the shrinking of “legitimate collective decision making,” this book takes a critical look at the market economy and offers insight on effective public management techniques (Cornell University Press, $18.95).

P.K.

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