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Ithaca: A Brief History by Carol Kammen (History Press) Ithaca: A Brief History by Carol Kammen (History Press) Ithaca has a double reputation, at once "ten square miles surrounded by reality" and a town fully engaged in the world. In the early nineteenth century, it was known as an "enterprising place"—and for the "wickedness of […]

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Ithaca: A Brief History by Carol Kammen (History Press)

Ithaca: A Brief History by Carol Kammen (History Press)

Ibook coverthaca has a double reputation, at once "ten square miles surrounded by reality" and a town fully engaged in the world. In the early nineteenth century, it was known as an "enterprising place"—and for the "wickedness of its inhabitants." FDR's secretary of labor, Frances Perkins, called it the "most isolated place on the Eastern Seaboard," yet now it boasts a diverse international population. Kammen, the Tompkins County historian, charts how Ithaca grew from a rough transport hub of the salt trade through economic fluctuations to its current reputation as an influential center of education. "Throughout time," writes Kammen, "it has maintained its character, even while there has been a homogenization of many American towns."

 

Blue Helmets and Black Markets by Peter Andreas, PhD '99 (Cornell). The 1992-95 siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war was the longest in modern history. It attracted an international assortment of U.N. peacekeepers, aid workers, diplomats, journalists, foreign fighters (on both sides), and black marketers. Andreas analyzes why the siege persisted for so long and concludes that "the backstage dimensions of humanitarian action…were entirely compatible with and served the U.S. and Western European policy objectives of containment and avoidance of a major military entanglement."

A History of Railroads in Tompkins County by Hardy Campbell Lee, revised and expanded by Winton G. Rossiter '78 and John Marcham '50 (Dewitt Historical Society). Tompkins County's first railroad, the Ithaca & Owego, used equine power to haul freight and passengers. Steam soon supplanted horses, and eventually a network of seven rail routes covered the county. By 1900, two railroads dominated—the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western and the Lehigh Valley. Today only one line operates in the county. Former Alumni News editor John Marcham updates the text and adds photos, an index, and a map of rail routes in this third edition.

Runner by Thomas Perry '69 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Jane Whitefield promised her husband that she would stop showing people "how to go from places where somebody is trying to kill them to other places where nobody is." For several years she has been living quietly in Amherst, New York, as Mrs. Jane McKinnon, a surgeon's wife, until she is called upon to help a pregnant girl hide her identity from dangerous pursuers. In the sixth novel in the Whitefield series, Jane must break her vow and work again as a "ghostmaker."

The Cure for Our Broken Political Process by Sol Erdman '65 and Lawrence Susskind (Potomac). "Over the last decade, as our lawmakers have relentlessly blamed one another for our nation's troubles, 97 percent of those lawmakers who've run for reelection have held onto their seats." The president of the Center for Collaborative Democracy and the director of the MIT-Harvard Public Disputes program present a plan to get members of Congress to work together to solve America's problems. They propose changes in the election process that can help political adversaries resolve their differences.

Recently Published

Fiction

Best African American Fiction edited by Gerald Early, PhD '82, and E. Lynn Harris (Bantam). A professor of English and African American studies at Washington University in St. Louis and a bestselling novelist bring together short fiction and novel excerpts from writers Junot Diaz, MFA '95, Emily Raboteau, and other upand-coming African American writers.

The Third Candidate by Stephen Poleskie (Wasteland). In art professor emeritus Poleskie's second novel, an unemployed actor agrees to run as a third-party spoiler for a congressional seat. Oddly enough, he outstrips his opponents but disappears on the night of his surprise victory.

Nonfiction

Best African American Essays edited by Gerald Early, PhD '82, and Debra J. Dickerson (Bantam). This anthology includes essays by Malcolm Gladwell, Walter Mosley, Jamaica Kincaid, and James McBride, as well as pieces by Cornell English professor Kenneth A. McClane '73, MFA '76, and President-Elect Barack Obama.

A Dawn Like Thunder by Robert J. Mrazek '67 (Little, Brown). A five-term Congressman tells how the pilots of Torpedo Squadron Eight, while sustaining high combat losses, helped turn the tide against Japan at the Battle of Midway and Guadalcanal.

Nantucket Portrait by James H. Cromartie as told to J. W. Nostrand '57 (Schiffer). A memoir of Cromartie's development as a realistic painter and stories of the Nantucket and North Carolina landscapes that inspired his canvasses.

Stir It Up by Megan J. Elias '91 (Penn). A teacher at Queensborough Community College traces the history of how home economics began as an educational reform movement in the early 1900s but devolved into an object of scorn when cultural attitudes shifted in the Sixties.

Muslims and Matriarchs by Jeffrey Hadler, PhD '00 (Cornell). The Minangkabau culture of West Sumatra is the world's largest matrilineal society—and is also Muslim. An assistant professor of Southeast Asian studies at UC Berkeley shows the flexibility of Islamic reformism, the weak influence of Dutch colonialism, and the endurance of local custom.

Park It! NYC by Margot Tohn '86 (Park It! Guides). The third edition of the comprehensive guide to parking in Manhattan.

Defiant Dads by Jocelyn Elise Crowley '92 (Cornell). An associate professor of public policy at Rutgers examines fathers' rights groups and their objections to existing child support and custody systems.

Powder Ghost Towns by Peter Bronski '01 (Wilderness). A guide to backcountry skiing at abandoned Colorado ski resorts, with detailed instructions on how to find pristine powder away from the crowds.

The Colors of Poverty edited by Ann Chih Lin and David Harris (Russell Sage). Cornell Deputy Provost Harris and co-editor Lin, associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, ask why race still affects poverty in twenty-first century America. They argue that no single policy can disentangle the racial and ethnic disparities that perpetuate educational and economic disadvantage.

Breast Cancer: The Complete Guide by Yashar Hirshaut and Peter Pressman (Bantam). In the fifth edition of their book (a winner of the American Medical Writers Association's Rose Kushner Award), an oncologist and a surgeon at Weill Cornell Medical College provide thorough, clear information on the steps involved in the treatment of breast cancer.

High Stakes by Jessica R. Cattelino '96 (Duke). The income from tribal casinos has transformed the culture and political and economic power of the Florida Seminoles. An associate professor of anthropology at UCLA investigates the implications of the tribe's new prosperity.

Before the Scalpel by Panchali Dhar (Tell Me Press). An assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology at Weill Cornell dispels common myths about anesthesia. The book covers how to prepare for surgery, become familiar with pain control techniques, and ease concerns about being awake during surgery.

The Future of Democratic Equality by Joseph M. Schwartz '75 (Routledge). An associate professor of political science at Temple University analyzes the reasons why contemporary political theorists have had little to say about the growth of inequality in the U.S. since the Eighties.

The Stress-Free Pregnancy Guide by Carol Livoti '64 and Elizabeth Topp '98 (AMACOM). Dr. Livoti uses examples from her thirty years of experience as an obstetrician to dispel myths and provide reassuring advice for expectant mothers.

Everything Has Two Handles by Ronald Pies '74 (Hamilton). The wisdom of Stoic philosophy can improve people's lives, argues Pies, a professor of psychiatry and lecturer on bioethics and humanities at SUNY Upstate Medical Center.

Commitment and Healing by Richard A. Isay (Wiley). Drawing from his private practice, the clinical professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell stresses the importance of romantic love for gay men and the difficulty many have in finding or sustaining it.

Displacing Place edited by Sharon Klein-man, PhD '98 (Peter Lang). A professor of communications at Quinnipiac University and her co-authors explore the role that mobile communication plays in contemporary life.

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