Johns Hopkins U. Press
The 36-hour day; a family guide to caring for people who have Alzheimer disease, related dementias, and memory loss, 5th ed.
Mace, a retired consultant to the Alzheimer's Association who was an assistant in psychiatry at Johns Hopkins U., and Rabins (Alzheimer disease and related disorders, Johns Hopkins U.) offer a guide for people caring for someone with dementia. They address evaluation and treatment; behavioral and mood symptoms; independent living, daily care, and medical problems; how to get outside help; family issues, effects of dementia on the caregiver and self-care; tips for children and teens; financial and legal issues, including Medicare and Medicaid (updated for this edition); and research areas. This edition has revised chapters on causes, managing the early stages, and finding appropriate living arrangements when home care is no longer an option, and a new chapter on preventing or delaying cognitive decline. The material on less common causes such as frontotemporal lobar dementia and Lewy body dementia has been expanded. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The birth of the past.
When did Western intellectuals first begin to think about the past in the distinctive terms we use today? Schiffman (history, Northeastern Illinois U) surveys the development of the concept of history and historical thinking in the West focusing on thinkers of ancient Greece, early Christianity, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment, such as Herodotus, Petrarch, Jean Bodin, Montaigne, Lorenzo Valla, and especially Montesquieu. The author argues that Montesquieu, using a new epistemology deriving from Malebranche and applying it to the realm of human science, first managed to see in the past both the individuality of particular places and times and the general social rules that made different places and times comparable to one another. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Controversial bodies; thoughts on the public display of plastinated corpses.
German anatomist Gunther von Hagens's display of posed human bodies, preserved by a method he developed in Body Worlds exhibits, has prompted controversy. Lantos (U. of Missouri at Kansas City/Children's Mercy Bioethics Center, Children's Mercy Hospital) introduces a dozen essays (many first presented at a Center for Bioethics conference held in Kansas in 2008) that discuss the development of plastination, historical attitudes toward treating human remains, and issues concerning commercialization and detachment in a biotechnological era. The book includes suggested further reading. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The ephemeral history of perfume; scent and sense in early modern England.
Dugan (English literature, George Washington U.) looks to the history of early modern English perfume for insight on "...historical relationships among materiality, perception and representation while challenging implicit assumptions about the universality of sensory perception and the history of the human body" (from the introduction). She examines in turn, the scents frankincense, rose, sassafras, rosemary, ambergris, and jasmine, noting their manner of use, cultural and religious roles, economic properties, and what their use can tell us about the way our olfactory senses have shaped our interactions with one another and our environment. Copious chapter notes are included. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The exceptionalist state and the state of exception; Herman Melville's Billy Budd, sailor.
This critical literary analysis of Herman Melville's Billy Bud, Sailor examines the political implications of the work in the context of global empire and American exceptionalism. Contradicting the common view that this later work lacked the political depth of Melville's earlier writings, the author argues that Billy Bud represents a critique of the exceptionalist philosophy of the nineteenth century that produces relevant echoes today in light of the war on terrorism and the Bush administration's forays into unilateral imperial aggression. Spanos is a professor of comparative literature at the State University of New York, Binghamton. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Field guide to the street trees of New York City.
This almost-pocket guide (5.25x8.25 inches) covers 50 species of trees found in New York City, illustrated with detailed drawings and color photos of New York City trees on every page, aiding identification at all times of year. In addition to tree entries, the book includes maps of all 5 boroughs of the city and descriptions of the leafy neighborhoods of each borough, plus an explanation of tree terminology and an illustrated glossary. Tips on tree care and profiles of 10 of the city's tree experts are included. Day is a biology and life science teacher at The Elizabeth Morrow School. Illustrator Smoke is professor of English at Hunter College. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
A history of American higher education, 2d ed.
Thelin (policy studies, U. of Kentucky) draws on secondary sources and scholarly research in addition to a wealth of primary materials such as institutional records, biography, fiction, memoirs, photos, journalism, and Hollywood movies to reconstruct the issues and debates surrounding American higher education from colonial times to the present. Emphasis is on the social, political, and economic factors that have shaped the structure and life of higher education's institutions. The author's approach is based on the notion of the organizational saga, or the proposition that institutions are heirs to various historical strands, which include the 'official' chronology as presented in board meetings and formal documents, as well as the history associated with legends, lore, and the memories of students. This second edition is updated to reflect the current debate on controversial topics such as sports programs, the role of governing boards, and financial challenges. B&w photos are included. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Introduction to U.S. health policy; the organization, financing, and delivery of health care in America, 3d ed.
In this introduction to health policy in the United States, Barr (pediatrics, Stanford U.) focuses on those factors that influence the structure of health care; or how it is organized, financed, and delivered. He presents chapters discussing the politics of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama in 2010; the historical development of the health care system; the influence of unique institutional norms and expectations in the US on the structure of health care; the professional structure of the system; ways that health care is structured, with a focus on managed care organizations; Medicare and Medicaid; the impact of for-profit health care on the delivery of care; pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical policy; the system of long-term care; the problem of the uninsured; social factors (other than insurance) that affect the delivery of and access to care; and current health care dilemmas that persist after the enactment of recent reform. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Inventing iron man; the possibility of a human machine.
This entertaining and engaging small volume looks at the science behind the comic book character Iron Man, and discusses, in detail, whether and how current technologies might be used to make and operate real life Iron Man armor. Topics discussed include the biological and technological interface, hardware technology, internal mental capabilities of whoever wears the suit, and power management and maintenance for complex systems. The volume includes several illustrations, tables, equations and formulas. Zehr is a professor of neuroscience at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, and the author of a similar work entitled Becoming Batman. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Investigating the supernatural; from spiritism and occultism to psychical research and metapsychics in France, 1853-1931.
This interesting volume on the history of metaphysical research in France from the 1850s through the early 1930s explores the quest for scientific legitimacy of spiritualist researchers and the effects of these fields on the burgeoning public interest in popular science generally. Appropriate for historians working in the history of science, or popular culture of the nineteenth century, the work is well written and engaging and would also be of interest to advanced general readers. Lachapelle is a professor of history at the University of Guelph, Canada. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The Johns Hopkins atlas of digital EEG; an interactive training guide, 2d ed. (DVD-ROM included)
Krauss (neurology, Johns Hopkins U.), Robert S. Fischer (neurology, Stanford U.) and Peter W. Kaplan (neurology, Johns Hopkins U.) designed this atlas to help train physicians and technologists to recognize common normal and abnormal electroencephalography (EEG) patterns, and to serve as a reference. The accompanying CD contains an interactive training guide which includes EEG figures which can be viewed using an actual EEG reading systems. This second edition includes a major expansion of neonatal EEG patterns. The book includes a chapter on the basic components of EEG machines and a chapter on "EEG For Beginners." The atlas collection of normal and abnormal EEG patterns are represented in digital format and presented in a logical sequence. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Keeping your child healthy in a germ-filled world; a guide for parents.
Kourtis, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist, helps parents protect their children from germs and infections in a variety of situations including at home, school, on the playground, when playing with animals, traveling. She first gives background on germs and their relationship with humans, what germs children are likely to encounter, how they spread and multiply, and how they make people sick. She includes information on germs relevant to teens, like sexually transmitted infections and those from tattoos and piercings. Kourtis then describes ways to prevent infections and addresses whether antimicrobial soaps and cleaning products and vaccines should be used, discusses the proper use of antibiotics, prevention during pregnancy, and the benefits of breastfeeding. Coverage also includes discussion of whether children's immune systems require food supplements and herbs, probiotics, and traditional wisdom and folk remedies and their scientific merit. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
One for the road; drunk driving since 1900.
Lerner (medicine and public health, Columbia U.) traces the history of drunk driving and efforts to control it in the US. He relates the stories of doctors and advocates who promoted the sympathetic concept of alcoholism after the repeal of Prohibition, scientists and policy makers who conceptualized drunk driving as a major public health problem, and representatives of the alcoholic beverage industry who promoted responsible drinking while ensuring sales of their product. Also discussed are the women who started Mothers Against Drunk Driving, academics who challenged statistics that justified new activism against drunk driving, libertarian critics, and drunk drivers themselves. He describes the first research on drunk driving in the 1930s, the influence of increased driving with the growth of the suburbs and highways in the 1950s and 1960s, the introduction of the Drunkometer and Breathalyzer, activist groups like Students Against Drunk Driving and the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, Ronald Reagan's creation of the Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving, continued scientific research, stories of drunk driving today, and problems preventing and punishing the behavior. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Postcolonial literary studies; the first 30 years.
This collection of 22 essays draws on Modern Fiction Studies and brings together the best essays published there on postcolonial studies in the last 30 years. They focus on literary figures and texts, rather than solely on theory. That said, the first of four major sections features essays representing paradigmatic concerns, including postcolonial feminism, US colonialism, idigenity and subalternity, queer postcoloniality and diaspora. The second and third parts are dedicated to postcolonial Africa and India, with essays on apartheid, modernity, patriarchy, and colonial resistance. The final section presents essays on the future of postcolonial studies, including an essay by Michael Bérubé examining the appropriation of English in postcolonial fiction-writing and a couple on the challenges to postcolonial studies as a field in an era of globalization. The authors consist mostly of professors of English, comparative literature and foreign languages. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The prodigious muse; women's writing in Counter-Reformation Italy.
Expanding on a chapter from her 2008 study Women's Writing in Italy, 1400-1650, Cox (Italian, New York U.) presents a comprehensive survey of the literary production of Italian women in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, describing it as a remarkable period in terms of the quantity and range of output. She advances some key arguments about women's writing during this period, including that the Counter-Reformation counter-intuitively opened up cultural opportunities for women's writing, that the new tradition of vernacular religious literature offered women a more attractive and gender-egalitarian environment for writing, and that religious writing has to be understood as existing in a dialectic with secular literature and not (as modern habits of criticism tend to suggest) in a separate world. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Renaissance meteorology; Pomponazzi to Descartes.
Martin (history, Oakland U.) offers a fine analysis of a heretofore misrepresented approach to natural history in the Renaissance, narrowly defining the points of distinction in approaches used by Aristotelians and natural philosophers. The moral aspect of meteorology is alluded to as the philosophy, methods, and application of meterology are described, with separate sections on the interpretation of the earthquakes in Ferrara, the work of Niccolò Cabeo, the parallel work in chemistry by Daniel Sennert and others, the concept of vapors and other explanations for natural phenomena, and the contribution of Descartes. The Renaissance thinkers' interpretation and reactions to Aristotle's Meteorology is a central theme. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The rockets' red glare; an illustrated history of the War of 1812.
This colorful volume examines the history of the War of 1812 and will appeal to general readers with an interest in American military history and the politics and conflicts of the nineteenth century. Based around numerous color illustrations, maps and art reproductions, the work provides a historical outline and highlights key characters, battles, strategies, and technologies involved in the conflict. A detailed chronology in included. Hickey is a professor of history at Wayne State College and Clark is an education consultant. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Small wild cats; the animal answer guide.
Many small wild cats are rare; all are secretive and therefore difficult to study in the wild. This work for general readers in late middle school and up gives details on 30 species of small wild cats around the world, in question and answer format. An introductory chapter explains how small cats evolved and where they live, while later chapters describe the markings, behavior, and reproduction and development of small cats. There is also material on small cats and their sometimes problematic relationships with humans, and small cats in stories and literature. The book is illustrated with b&w and color photos of small cats in the wild and in captivity. An appendix lists common and scientific names of species and their locations. Sanderson is founder of the Small Cat Conservation Alliance. Watson is a freelance wildlife artist and naturalist. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
So much aid, so little development; stories from Pakistan.
This personal account from an insider in the world of international development in Pakistan, examines both institutional and ground-level hurdles to implementing successful development programs and discusses, through a series of illustrative vignettes, the corruption, personal failings, irrational policy and international politics the weigh heavily on the organizations and activists that seek to provide services for the poor and disenfranchised. The work focuses on the problems and roles of women in Pakistan's development and provides an interesting first-person perspective from a development professional trying to make a difference in her homeland. Altaf is a physician and public health specialist and a former senior advisor to the USAID in Pakistan. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
STEM the tide; reforming science, technology, engineering, and math education in America.
For policy makers and education professionals, this volume outlines a practical path to improving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in America today. Noting that current trends in STEM education leave the nation on an uncompetitive footing in the world economy, the work provides a research based solution to problems in STEM education, including inequities based on socio-economic and racial factors and the de-valuing of teaching professionals. Drew is a professor of education at Claremont Graduate University. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Transylvanian dinosaurs.
This is a study of the fairly unique dinosaurs and other prehistoric flora and fauna of the region of Romania at one time known as Transylvania, where evolutionary pressures created tiny versions of otherwise giant dinosaurs. It follows field research done by David Weishampel, a paleontologist and now professor of functional anatomy at Johns Hopkins U., and Coralia-Maria Jianu, former paleontological museum curator. They also reflect on Franz Baron Nopcsa's contribution to Transylvanian paleontology and use their findings to advance some interesting ideas about contingency and heterochrony in evolution, themes they explicitly tie to Stephen Jay Gould's Ontogeny and Phylogeny. While not written for a very general audience, their style is clear and, also in the spirit of Gould, peppered with literary and historical allusions. The detailed glossary in the back offers non-specialist readers some support. An extensive bibliography and notes will be attractive for students doing or developing research. The study includes many black and white renditions of ancient creatures, topographical graphics, phylogenetic and cladistic diagrams, and color plates. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
User unfriendly; consumer struggles with personal technologies, from clocks and sewing machines to cars and computers.
Problems with a new computer printer, despite coming with two manuals, was the inspiration for this book. Corn (emeritus, history, Stanford U.) traces consumers' struggles with personal technologies since the Industrial Revolution. Despite appreciating innovations, he addresses problems with choosing, operating, and paying for products from the motor car to digital devices that we have become dependent upon. Examples of directions and illustrations from early instruction manuals reinforce his case that we are on a user-unfriendly "technology treadmill." (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The vegetarian imperative.
Saxena has written a persuasive argument why vegetarianism is not only healthier, it is better for society as a whole. A biophysicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory for three decades until his retirement, Saxena brings a scientist's perspective to the book, describing in precise detail the impact of an ever larger population (in both senses of the word) consuming meat, fish, and dairy products on resources, the environment and health. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
