Basic Books

1812; the navy's war.

As America approaches the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, naval historian and award-winning author Daughan presents a new account of the conflict. Based on 15-plus years of archival research of the era, the text incorporates political, diplomatic, economic, and military history to examine ways that the War of 1812 changed the shape of the world. Daughan examines how the War of 1812 — dubbed our "Second War of Independence" — led to the development of a strong military, renewed America's confidence as a unified nation, and forced Europe to recognize the country as a strong power. The text also highlights the key role played by the U.S. Navy in the winning the war, reasons why that role has not been sufficiently recognized before now, and lessons of the War of relevance today. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Armies of heaven; the first crusade and the quest for apocalypse.

When Jerusalem fell to European armies in 1099, says Rubenstein (Medieval history, U. of Tennessee), contemporaries believed that a new era had dawned, not just in history but in God's plan, that it loosed the apocalypse promised a thousand years earlier at Christ's crucifixion. He retells the familiar story within the framework of apocalyptic thinking. His topics include the Pope's plan in November 1095, the crusaders at Constantinople in August 1096-April 1097, the fall of Antioch in April-June 1098, and the last emperor in July 1099. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Crude awakening; money, mavericks, and mayhem in Alaska.

Writing with a sense of humor and a conversational style for general readers, Coyne and Hopfinger, founders of an online news site covering Alaska, go back to 1968 (when oil was first discovered in the state) to explore the roots of Alaska's oil-fueled political scandals. The book focuses on the relationship and shady dealings of Republican Senator Ted Stevens and Bill Allen, founder of VECO Corporation, an oilfield services company, and their support of politician Sarah Palin. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

EcoMind; changing the way we think, to create the world we want.

We humans have found ourselves in a dire situation, says Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet. Our population continues to increase, global warming and other environmental catastrophes loom in our near future, and we lack the proper mind set to correct our past mistakes. She asserts that our ways of viewing the world directly conflict with what we now know to be the truth about how our world works. According to the author this antiquated thought process is responsible for our slow-going and ineffectual response to environmental warning signs. This book, aimed at a general audience, introduces readers to an ecologically sound way of viewing the world and our relationship with it. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The folly of fools; the logic of deceit and self-deception in human life.

Why did intellect and language evolve to include lies and self- deception? Trivers (anthropology and biological sciences, Rutgers U.) presents a general theory based on evolutionary logic to answer this intriguing question. He argues that deception, which occurs even between our brain hemispheres, is closely tied to group conflict, courtship, neurophysiology and immunology, but can be overridden by awareness of it and its consequences. The accessible book is based on extensive reference material, and bears an endorsement by Richard Dawkins (The Selfish Gene). (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

James Madison.

This new study of James Madison, from the popular biographer and documentarian Richard Brookhiser, showcases the career of the father of the Constitution and America's first political partisan, highlighting the role of the Virginia delegate in the documentation of the nation's birth, the development of party politics and later, his leadership as President during the period of insecurity surrounding the War of 1812. The work is presented in a narrative style appealing and accessible to general readers. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Pearl Harbor; FDR leads the nation to war.

Written in simple language for general readers in high school and up, this book chronicles President Franklin D. Roosevelt's decisions and actions in the 24 hours after the Japanese attack on the US Navy's base at Pearl Harbor, culminating in his declaration of war to Congress on the day after the attack. Even as he declared war, FDR kept the worst details of the attack from the American public and Congress in order to boost morale and head off criticism. Focusing on the first 24 hours allows the author to provide a new perspective on the inner workings of the presidency in the face of crisis. The book's type size is larger than many books, although not officially 'large print.' The publication of the book coincides with a December 2011 TV special on The History Channel. Gillon (history, U. of Oklahoma) is resident historian for The History Channel. He has written eight other books on history for general readers. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Powering the future; how we will (eventually) solve the energy crisis and fuel the civilization of tomorrow.

Laughlin (physics, Stanford U. and Nobel Laureate) offers a readable case for where energy will come from when the world's oil is gone. He considers the economic, ecological, and geopolitical implications of a variety of probable alternatives in a somewhat comforting upbeat tone tempered with a good amount of common sense. Some of the options he sees: solar and wind, geothermal, biofuels (such as animal waste, vegetable matter), and nuclear power. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

What doesn't kill us; the new psychology of posttraumatic growth.

Stephen (psychology, health and social care, U. of Nottingham) aims to correct an imbalence in how we appreciate trauma, usually seen in purely negative terms and an obstacle to growth, by showing how post-traumatic stress is part of how we adapt and grow. He argues that a "trauma industry" of counselors, psychiatrists, social workers and psycho-therapists have capitalized on adversity. In doing so, they have emphasized treatment frameworks that focus on the negative, creating self-fulfilling prophecies and a cultural expectation of non-recovery. He offers a counter-perspective that draws on research into post-traumatic stress and a counter-theory of post-traumatic growth that stresses flexibility and creativity. Though written for a general audience with particular relevance for therapists, this latter perspective resonates with neoliberal rhetoric about "creative destruction" and "disaster capitalism," making the book potentially of interest for those researching the roots of that cultural narrative. Included in the back are three appendices on post-traumatic stress, a questionnaire and seeking professional help. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Winning at new products; creating value through innovation, 4th ed.

Cooper (business, McMaster U and Pennsylvania State U) has 35-plus years of experience studying the practices and pitfalls of some 3,000 new-product projects in hundreds of companies, and has written 13 books and numerous academic articles on innovation management. Since 1986, Winning at New Products has served as a valuable resource for product developers. Emphasizing bold innovation, the updated and expanded fourth edition text incorporates significant findings from benchmarking studies undertaken by Cooper and his colleagues since the 2001 third edition to uncover and validate best practices in product innovation methods, portfolio management, strategy development, and idea generation. Cooper has also integrated insights gained from the installation of his Stage-Gate idea-to-launch process in leading firms worldwide in recent years, including ways that global users of the system have contributed to its evolution and acceleration. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)