THE THREAD OF LIFE: Twelve Italian Tales Retold by Domenico Vittorini, Emeritus Faculty. Illustrated by Mary GrandPrÈ. (Running Press, 2003. $15.95.) Domenico Vittorini was a professor of Romance languages and world literature at Penn, who also loved to share folktales from Italy with his children. Helen Vittorini Atkins CW’44 and her brother, Carlo, remember hearing marvelous stories of Persian cats and plotting serpents, of a foolish bride and a cellar flooded with wine. When they grew up, they decided to reissue their father’s collection of Old Italian Tales (first published in 1958); the result is this illustrated book for kids of all ages. Order this book

THE OLD GIRLS NETWORK: Insider Advice for Women Building Businesses in a Man’s World By Sharon Whiteley, Kathy Elliott, and Connie Duckworth WG’89. (Basic Books, 2003. $24.95.) The bad news for women entrepreneurs is that 95 percent of investor financing currently goes to men. The good news is that women are pros at building relationships, which are fundamental to starting, funding, and growing a company. Written by three businesswomen and angel investors, this book serves as a guide for any woman who wants to turn her entrepreneurial spirit into the reality of a business. Order this book

COAL MINERS’ DOCTOR By Rita A. Mariotti CW’52. (Bookman Publishing, 2003. $11.00.) A young, naÔve physician finds herself in a completely new world when she accepts a job practicing medicine in the Kentucky coal-mining country of the 1950s. The first three chapters of Mariotti’s memoir appeared in the May 1998 Gazette. Order this book

BREAKING AWAY By Kristin Lattany Ed’51, former Faculty. (One World/ Ballantine Books, 2003. $23.95.) Bethesda Barnes has a comfortable career as an Ivy League college professor. But when four black sorority sisters press charges against the boys who verbally assault them one night on campus, she must take a stand. This novel by Lattany, who taught at Penn for many years, is loosely based on the much-chronicled “water buffalo” incident. Order this book

THE MAGICAL MELTING POT: The All-Family Cookbook that Celebrates America’s Diversity By Michelle Greenwald CW’75. (Cherry Press, 2003. $29.95.) What better way to celebrate our country’s diversity than through the kitchen? In this colorful multicultural cookbook, top chefs share their childhood memories and favorite recipes, from Cuban plantain bread to Egyptian lamb stew. Greenwald teaches marketing at Columbia and the Wharton School. Order this book

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT: Incredible Stories, from Lottery Wins to Lightning Strikes By Joshua Piven C’93. (Villard, 2003. $17.95.) The co-author of the popular Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series is back with a book exploring all the facets of the luck phenomenon. Each chapter tells the true-life story of someone who experiences amazing good fortune, bad fortune—or sometimes both. Order this book

TO THE TOP: Reaching for America’s 50 State Summits By Joe Glickman C’81 and Nels Akerlund. (NorthWord Press, 2003. $24.95.) How does it feel to reach the top? This richly photographed book is the chronicle of two friends as they attempt to travel to the highest points in all 50 states. Order this book