Cengage Learning

State and local politics; institutions and reforms.

This undergraduate-level textbook on state and local politics in the United States, written by Donovan (political science, Western Washington U.), Mooney (political studies, U. of Illinois at Springfield), and Smith (political science, U. of Florida) is presented with the following explicit themes integrated into the discussion: the idea that institutions matter, the importance and possibility of reform, and the value of comparative methodologies in political science. Opening chapters examine rules that affect elections and participation, institutions of direct democracy, political parties, interest groups, legislatures, executives, and courts. The remaining chapters are issues-oriented and discuss fiscal politics, land use policy, morality policy, social welfare and health, and education. Making it seem younger, longer, the book carries a 2009 copyright date but was published early in 2008. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The Sundance reader, 4th ed.

This edition has been updated to include over two dozen new readings, a four-part questioning strategy that follows each entry, expanded descriptions of the writing process to include thesis statements and outlines, sample student essays, a sample MLA-documented essay, materials on social issues, new visuals, expanded coverage on analyzing media, critiques of how writers use more than one method of development, and information on writing beyond the classroom. Connelly (Milwaukee Area Technical College) works thematically, focusing on the writing context and process, critical reading, narration, description, definition, comparison and contrast, analysis, division and classification, process, cause and effect, argument and persuasion. Along with a range of worthy readings, Connelly provides useful samples of writing students can analyze and many tips on organizing ideas and getting them down on paper. The result would work in survey literature and composition undergraduate courses. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Terrorism and homeland security, 6th ed.

White (Grand Valley State U.) intends this textbook on terrorism to be of use "for students in law enforcement, security, and military studies who have little or no understanding of the world of terrorism, and those readers who want to understand terrorism as a social phenomenon." It proceeds through four section introducing basic issues such as the definition and conceptualization of terrorism, terrorism organization and financing, terrorism and the media, and tactics and force multipliers; discussing the history and development of terrorism (this section has been expanded and includes discussion of the Irish "Troubles," Latin American influences on terrorism, and the Middle East); current issues such as Israel/Palestine, international umbrella groups and terror networks, regional manifestations of terrorism around the world, and the structure and study of domestic terrorism; and terrorism prevention issues such as the relationship of law enforcement bureaucracy to homeland security and homeland security and civil liberties. For the new edition White has added definitions of key terms, summary and essay questions, new maps and graphics, and "Another Point of View" sidebars introducing controversial opinions and alternative understandings of the topic at hand. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Texts and contexts, 7th ed.

Using examples, readings and exercises, Robinson (English Emeritus, San Francisco State U.) and Tucker (English, California State U., Sacramento) take undergraduates through what they will need to develop fiction and non-fiction projects at the college level, and do so with an eminently practical, step-by-step approach. They describe how to read critically and to summarize, using a wide variety of readings on compelling topics, then show how to apply those critical skills in the writing process to shape texts, learning how to write by sorting it out and by comparing, discussing readings and concepts, writing the essay, taking care of common usage problems and proofreading effectively. They include material on writing answers to essay exams as well, and provide a proofreading skills workbook at the end of the text that allows for practice in grammar and proofreading. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Texas politics, 10th ed.

With updated examples, photos, cartoons and text, this covers the eighteenth legislative session in 2007, the fiscal year budget of 2008-2009 and the 2006 elections. Along with a very good introduction to the context of Texas politics, the authors describe the Constitution, major interest groups, political parties, voting, campaigns, elections, the organization of the legislature, the legislative process, the work of the governor and the administration, the judiciary and the substance of justice, local government, the state economy and the financing of state government, issues in public policy (including welfare and poverty, the environment and infrastructure) and the future of the Texas political system. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Understanding society; an introductory reader, 3d ed.

Strongly rooted in research, the 70 papers in this supplemental textbook explore different sociological perspectives on culture, deviance and crime, global stratification, race, gender, family, religion, education, work, health care, population, and urbanization. The third edition adds 37 new readings on such topics as contemporary immigration, gender construction through children's play, and violent media content. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Value creation; the power of brand equity.

Consultants and authors Neal and Strauss offer a thorough examination of brands, the intangibles that are, they confidently state, the most valuable assets a corporation owns. Topics include how brand creates purpose and meaning; how brands impact performance, choice, and loyalty; and how value is created and/or destroyed on a daily basis. The authors also discuss the strong relationship between brand integrity and firm value. The book is written clearly and takes advantage of case studies and anecdote to explain concepts. Useful in the hands of managers, students, and academics in related disciplines. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Visual storytelling; videography and post production in the digital age. (DVD included)

This guide explains video production by focusing on the aesthetics, concepts, and techniques of visual storytelling rather than a specific technology. Osgood (media production, Indiana U.) and Hinshaw (media arts and design, James Madison U.) review the fundamental concepts of field production and post-production. They outline the pre-production process and story structure; legal and ethical issues; shooting, lighting, audio, and composition; and post-production: editing, soundtracks, graphics and effects, and output. A DVD accompanies the book and parallels its structure; it contains interactive modules and demos and clips for editing exercises. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Western civilization, 7th ed.

The goal of this undergraduate text is to present a balanced work in which political, economic, social, religious, intellectual, cultural, and military aspects of Western civilization are integrated into a chronologically ordered synthesis. The latest research on social history and women's history is integrated, rather than isolated in separate chapters. For this seventh edition, Spielvogel (The Pennsylvania State University) adds material reflecting current scholarship on everything from the Neolithic Age to the war in Iraq, and including considerable new material on the impact other parts of the world have had on the West. Pedagogical features include boxes of primary source documents, detailed chronologies, illustrated timelines, chapter outlines, critical thinking questions, and a glossary. The text's updated color maps feature detailed captions. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Writing analytically, 5th ed.

This fifth edition of a text for undergraduates integrates earlier versions of the book, which are oriented toward thesis and evidence, with the emphasis of later editions on observation and interpretation. The book illustrates flexible organizational schemes beyond the five- paragraph form and demonstrates ways of responding to secondary sources other than merely agreeing and disagreeing. Students are invited to make a thesis evolve rather than remain static as it encounters different types of evidence. The authors assume that professors will want to supply their own subject matter for students to write about, but the book does contain writing exercises that can be applied to a wide range of print and visual materials. For this edition there is a new chapter on rhetorical analysis. The text can be used for first-year writing courses or seminars, as well as in more advanced writing- intensive courses in a variety of subject areas. Both authors teach English at Muhlenberg College. In developing the text, the authors align themselves with the thinking of Carl Rogers on the goal of making argument less combative, and have been heavily influenced by Peter Elbow, Ken Macrorie, and other early proponents of the process movement in writing pedagogy. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)