SCENES OF VISIONARY ENCHANTMENT: Reflections on Lewis and Clark By Dayton Duncan C’71. (University of Nebraska Press, 2004. $22.00.) Writer and filmmaker Dayton Duncan revisits the story of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery, reintroducing the people and places along the trail, reflecting on events that occurred during the expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific, and offering insights into why this famous journey still exerts such a powerful hold on the national imagination. Order this book

UNDERSTANDING TERROR NETWORKS By Marc Sageman Res’95. (Penn Press, 2004. $29.95.) U.S. strategies to combat today’s international terrorism networks are based on the traditional idea that individuals turn to terrorism due to poverty, trauma, madness, or ignorance. Marc Sageman refutes these notions, arguing that for the vast majority of participants, social bonds predated ideological commitment. Sageman is a forensic psychiatrist and former Foreign Service officer who has advised the U.S. government on countering terrorism. Order this book

THE VARIETIES OF POLITICAL EXPERIENCE IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY AMERICA By Richard R. Beeman, Faculty. (Penn Press, 2004; $39.95.) Penn history professor Richard Beeman’s overview of political life in 18th-century America reveals a great diversity of political belief and practice, showing that “the journey to a democratic America was neither inevitable nor did it unfold along a single, straight path.” Order this book

PARROT CULTURE: Our 2,500-Year-Long Fascination with the World’s Most Talkative Bird By Bruce Thomas Boehrer G’82 Gr’86. (Penn Press, 2004. $27.50.) Introduced to Europe by Alexander the Great, parrots were quickly embraced by Western culture as exotic and magical. Since then they have been regarded as pets and pests, valuable merchandise, and research subjects. Ultimately, they would become emblematic of the West’s interaction with the world at large. Bruce Thomas Boehrer is an English professor at Florida State University. Order this book

MERCY, MERCY ME: The Art, Loves, & Demons of Marvin Gaye By Michael Eric Dyson, Faculty. (Basic Civitas Books, 2004. $23.95.) Two decades after Marvin Gaye’s death, Michael Eric Dyson examines the enduring legacy of R&B, the role of collaboration in Gaye’s most successful projects, and the passions and struggles of this Motown genius. Dyson is the Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities. Order this book

STOCKING UP ON SIN: How to Crush the Market with Vice-Based Investing By Caroline Waxler C’93. (Wiley, 2004. $27.95.) There’s no denying it: “Vice stocks” are hot, according to financial journalist Caroline Waxler. In this guide she reveals the investment potential of such “sin-dustries” as tobacco, gambling, alcohol, and defense. Order this book

© 2004 The Pennsylvania Gazette
Last modified 08/27/04