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issue's reviews | Reviews in Brief | Mar/Apr
Contents | Gazette Home BRIEFLY NOTED A selection of recent books by alumni and faculty, or otherwise of interest to the University community. Descriptions are compiled from information supplied by the authors and publishers.
THE
STRANGER IN THE MIRROR: Based on groundbreaking research by Yale psychiatrist Marlene Steinberg, this book explodes the myths about dissociation, a universal response to trauma or childhood abuse—the most extreme form of which is multiple personalities—and reveals that symptoms of dissociation are as common as anxiety and depression. The book includes tests to help identify dissociative symptoms and a method of treatment for the general public. Maxine Schnall is a writer, broadcaster and executive director of Wives Self Help Foundation Inc.’s City Police and Fire Counseling Service. JANE
AUSTEN’S DISCOURSE WITH NEW RHETORIC This book identifies major considerations in Jane Austen’s novels with those of 18th-century Scottish New Rhetoric. Austen uses fictional examples to argue the development of moral understanding in both sexes by educating them in rhetorical subjects found in Hugh Blair’s Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres and George Campbell’s The Philosophy of Rhetoric. Her own stance, closely allied to the empiricist thinking from which Campbell’s philosophy derives, shares with his presentation an infusion of rationalism which separates Campbell’s philosophy from David Hume’s skepticism. As Austen’s novels test the rhetorician’s premises, her picture of rhetoric evolves into a representation beyond their limits, and the limits of her own time and place. Dr. Lynn Rigberg has taught English literature and composition on both the high school and college levels, and has written on a wide range of aesthetic subjects as a journalist and arts commentator. DISCOVERING
QUEENS!: A Useful Guide to Queens, New York A guidebook on the little known borough of Queens—think Seinfeld, Bette Midler, Paul Simon and the New York Mets—home to two million people who speak more than 100 different languages. With 82 photographs, the book showcases 28 of the borough’s most visually interesting residential neighborhoods. Detailed information is provided on schools, transportation, shopping, housing costs and recreation. Also described are 50 interesting places to visit and 50 good restaurants. Steve Reichstein is a recently retired community development director and city planner.
THE
SCOTTISH 100: Portraits of History’s Most Influential Scots Immanuel Kant, Rupert Murdoch, Guglielmo Marconi, Rachel Carson, Edgar Allen Poe, Elizabeth Arden—they share neither an era nor an endeavor nor a nationality, but they all have Scottish ancestry. So did David Livingstone, Jackson Pollock and Lord Byron. From the battle-scarred life of Robert the Bruce, who won Scotland’s independence from the English early in the 14th century, to the military exploits of General Douglas MacArthur in World War II and Korea, this volume crosses centuries and circles the world in its presentation of history’s 100 most influential Scots. Their achievements have built empires, reformed religion, defined justice, composed music, revolutionized dance, made pictures move and built engines run by steam. Duncan A. Bruce, FSA Scot., is the author of The Mark of the Scots. He has long been a board member of several New York and national Scottish-American organizations and is one of the few Americans to be awarded arms by the Lyon Court of Scotland. THE
MYTH OF SANITY: Divided Consciousness A successful female film editor goes to sleep on Monday and wakes up on Tuesday only to discover that it is Friday. A man enjoying a meal with his wife flies into a rage at the thought of her college boyfriend and transforms into a person his wife does not recognize. A nurse, and loving wife and mother, keeps a suicide kit in the back of her closet in case her urge to die brings her to action. These are just a few of the case studies Stout uses in her work to illustrate how even outwardly normal individuals may be suffering the aftershocks of life’s traumatic experiences. This book addresses the fact that humans—worn down by the more traumatic events of our childhoods—all suffer from a fragmented awareness of our everyday worlds. Our ability to dissociate, so helpful in preserving childhood, becomes a way of living life, leading to emotional and mental detachment from our world and the people we love. Dr. Martha Stout is a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and a clinical associate at Massachusetts General Hospital.
USS
OLYMPIA: Herald of Empire Until now
there has never been a comprehensive ship’s biography of the last survivor
of America’s steel navy of the Spanish-American War era. The protected
cruiser Olympia was constructed as part of a congressionally
mandated program to build a modern fleet before the turn of the century.
Designed for the Asiatic Squadron, this ship became famous as Adm. George
Dewey’s flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay and later returned the
body of the Unknown Soldier from France after World War I. More than
a ship’s log recital of places and dates, this is a flesh-and-steel
history of a
I
KNEW RUFE SNOW BEFORE HE WAS A ROAD On August 9, 1999, the NETroplex cartoon strip introduced readers of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Northeast Metro section to a new family in town, led by husband Grant, a Yankee, and wife Lee, a Southerner. This geographically mixed-marriage family also consisted of three children—Sherman, Tara and Stonewall, or Stony for short. The lives of these characters, their friends and acquaintances—like the real people upon whom they are based— revolve around PTA meetings they don’t attend, high school football games they never miss, political campaigns they ignore and zoning wars that break out when something new threatens the neighborhood. During the 1990s, a record number of newcomers arrived in North Texas. Thousands of jobs were created and development reached record heights. The NETroplex cartoons, created by senior graphics editor Tim Bedison and columnist Dave Lieber (“Bagels and Big-Haired Women,” November 1997; “Profiles,” Sept/Oct 2000), attempt to show what these changes mean to the people, both old-timers and newcomers, who live there. This book is based upon the first year of cartoons. GALĄPAGOS
GALORE After reading most of the books about the Galˇpagos Islands, to which he had traveled for an extensive photography trip, Daniel Polin wondered how he would create a new book on the same subject. None of the books he had read were also in the local Spanish language, most did not address the “local color” or funny stories and incidents about the islands, and certainly none had anything to do with music related to the Galˇpagos. Polin’s goal in creating this English-Spanish book, which comes with a CD featuring Galapˇgos-related music, was to provide a different outlook and depth about these unique islands and encourage others to visit. Polin is the author of Let There Be Light, Words and Music. THE
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL’S GUIDE With the growing number and popularity of dietary supplements today, it’s more important than ever that clinicians have access to thorough and reliable information on mass-marketed supplements. More than 70 vitamins, minerals, amino acids, ergogenics, herbals, enzymes and other supplements are covered in this guide, along with information on their marketing claims, food sources, dosage information and bioavailability, relevant research and safety. Allison Sarubin is a registered dietician who focuses on researching, writing and speaking about the safety and efficacy of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other popular products. DIVORCE
RULES FOR MEN: Current books on divorce generally fall into one of two categories: general books on divorce, many of which are technical and difficult for the layperson to understand, or books targeted toward women. This book provides men the information they need to go through the entire divorce process. Topics covered include how to cut down on alimony, issues regarding child support and the court experience. Martin Shenkman is an attorney in private practice concentrating on divorce valuation matters, divorce tax planning, estate planning, asset protection and tax planning. He has written 25 books, including How to Buy a House With Little or No Money Down. THE
SEXUAL MALE: Problems and Solutions This book
combines the expertise of a leading urologist and a prominent psychologist
and sex therapist, to answer the most important questions about male
sexual function. Most men will at some time experience erectile problems,
lack the knowledge to address the problem and fall victim to myths about
performance. Their partners may become confused and frustrated, placing
stress on the relationship. This book provides answers to many of the
questions men—and women—would like to ask about male sexual function,
but often avoid. Dr. Julian Slowinski is senior clinical psychologist
at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, a certified sex therapist,
and clinical assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at
Penn’s School of Medicine. Dr. Richard Milstein is the former chief
of urology at Underwood-Memorial Hospital and medical director of the
Center for Sexual Health in Woodbury, N.J. Previous issue's reviews | Reviews in Brief | Mar/Apr Contents | Gazette Home Copyright 2001
The Pennsylvania Gazette
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