Books in the Library

Peace Week & the Conservative Movement

Week of February 22, 2010

In the News: It’s “Expressions of Peace Week” at Florida Atlantic University. The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet will give a public address on February 24th.

Also In the News: The Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, took place in Washington, DC this past week. According to the American Conservative Union website, this “convention for conservative activists” draws about 10,000 attendees each year.

Peace

The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
By the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler. Riverhead Books, 1998
Call Number: BQ7395 .B774 A78 1998

Building Peace: Practical Reflections from the Field
Edited by Craig Zelizer and Robert A. Rubinstein, 2009
Call Number: JZ5538 .B847 2009

The Contemporary US Peace Movement
By Laura L. Toussaint. Routledge, 2009
Call Number: JZ5584 .U6 T68 2009

Continue reading

Mardi Gras

Week of February 15, 2010

In the News: Mardi Gras is here! There’s more to it than just beads and imbibing. Learn about the Carnivals that are celebrated worldwide, traditionally between Epiphany and the start of Lent.

After the Dance: A Walk through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti
By Edwidge Danticat. Crown Publishers, 2002
Call Number: GT4226 .J33 D35 2002

All on a Mardi Gras Day: Episodes in the History of New Orleans Carnival
By Reid Mitchell. Harvard University Press, 1995
Call Number: PS3552 .R718 F37 1997

Authentic New Orleans: Tourism, Culture, and Race in the Big Easy
By Kevin Fox Gotham. New York University Press, 2007
Call Number: Available online via NetLibrary

Continue reading

Toyota – Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Week of February 8, 2010

In the News: Toyota issues safety recalls, what the company refers to as “Pedal” and “Floor Mat Entrapment,” on over 9 million of its vehicles. Federal investigations have commenced on the best-selling Prius hybrid after problems with its antilock braking system were reported. As a consequence, the top automaker is suffering from the aftereffects: negative PR, lawsuits, and a loss in sales after a halt in production was put in place on some car models.

Also: Top Pentagon officials have called for an end to the 16-year-old federal law, commonly referred to as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. armed forces. Supporters of the repeal include Defense Secretary Robert Gates, former Secretary of State and retired Army General Colin Powell, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.

Toyota

40 Years, 20 Million Ideas: The Toyota Suggestion System
By Yuzo Yasuda. Productivity Press, 1991
Call Number: HD9710 .J34 T69313 1991 (At Jupiter)

Clean Car Wars: How Honda and Toyota Are Winning the Battle of the Eco-Friendly Autos
By Yozo Hasegawa. John Wiley & Sons, 2008
Call Number: HD9710 .J34 T621745 2008

Collision: GM, Toyota, Volkswagen and the Race to Own the 21st Century
By Maryann Keller. Doubleday, 1993
Call Number: HD9710 .A2 K45 1993 (At Jupiter)

Continue reading

J.D. Salinger & Howard Zinn

Week of February 1, 2010

News Item: American author Jerome David Salinger (1919-2010), best known for the classic novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951), died of natural causes at his home in Cornish, NH. Historian Howard Zinn (1922-2010), author of the best-selling book A People’s History of the United States (originally published in 1980) and former professor at Boston University and Spelman College, also died this past week of a heart attack. Read their works and see what others have written about them.

J.D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye
By J. D. Salinger. Little, Brown, 2001
Call Number: PS3537 .A426 C3 2001

The Catcher in the Rye: New Essays
Edited by J. P. Steed. Peter Lang, 2002
Call Number: PS3537 .A426 C3226 2002

Dream Catcher: A Memoir
By Margaret A. Salinger. Washington Square Press, 2000
Call Number: PA3537 .A426 Z88 2000

Continue reading

Conan vs. Jay & Limitless Corporate Spending on Elections (Or, Talk Shows & Campaign Finance)

Week of January 25, 2010

News Item: The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien debuted in September 2009 after Jay Leno, who came on board in 1992 upon Johnny Carson’s retirement, left to host a prime-time nightly talk show. NBC is bringing Leno back to late-night later this March, but not before spending a reported $32 million to buy out the remaining two and half years of O’Brien’s contract. Go here to read more about TV talk shows.

Also in the News: The Supreme Court handed down a 5 to 4 decision that allows companies, unions, and other interest groups to spend as much of their own funds as they want on things such as campaign ads in candidate elections, thus giving corporations First Amendment rights and freeing them from government restrictions on political speech.

Talk Shows

Coming after Oprah: Cultural Fallout in the Age of the TV Talk Show
By Vicki Abt and Leonard Mustazza. Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1997
Call Number: PN1992.8 .T3 A28 1997

Inventing Late Night: Steve Allen and the Original Tonight Show
By Ben Alba. Prometheus Books, 2005
Call Number: PN1992.4 .C28 S45 1987

Johnny Carson: An Unauthorized Biography
By Ronald L. Smith. St. Martin’s Press, 1987
Call Number: PN1992.4 .C28 S45 1987

Continue reading

Haiti

Week of January 18, 2010

News Item: The devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti last week was the largest to hit the Caribbean area in more than 200 years. Throughout the last decade, Haiti had been plagued by political unrest, hurricanes, and food shortages and riots. Pick up one of these books or videos and learn more about the history, culture, religion, and people of Haiti.

Aristide and the Endless Revolution (VHS)
Directed by Nicolas Rossier. First Run/Icarus Films, 2005
Call Number: F1928.2 .A73 2005 (Boca Raton Media Center)

Artists, Performers, and Black Masculinity in the Haitian Diaspora
By Jana Evans Braziel. Indiana University Press, 2008
Call Number: NX650 .M296 B73 2008

Birds of the Dominican Republic & Haiti
By Steven Latta et al. Princeton University Press, 2006
Call Number: QL688 .D6 B57 2006

Continue reading

Airlines, Airplanes, and Airports

Week of January 11, 2010
   

News Item: Crowds. Delays. Fees and Surcharges. Delays. Frustration. Delays. Oh, and increased security – think full-bodied pat downs. Welcome to air travel in 2010 – not at all the luxurious experience it was long ago. A reprieve for travelers?: Beginning this spring, the U.S. government will fine  any airlines that keep passengers on a grounded aircraft for more than two hours without providing food or drink, or three hours without allowing them to disembark. This week we offer a list of titles about commercial air travel and the airline industry. Also take a look at books on airport design. 

Air Passenger Routes in Hub and Spoke Networks
By Wei Song. Edwin Mellen Press, 2003
Call Number: HE9803 .A4 S66 2003    

Air Piracy, Airport Security, and International Terrorism: Winning the War Against Hijackers
By Peter St. John. Quorum Books, 1991
Call Number: HE9779 .S7 1991   

Airline Competition: Deregulation’s Mixed Legacy
By George Williams. Ashgate, 2002
Call Number: HE9777.7 .W55 2002   

Continue reading

In the News: 2009 Book Award Winners & Critics’ Picks

Week of December 14, 2009

Seasons Greetings! “In the News” will be on holiday for three weeks. We’ll return with a new list of titles on January 11, 2010. – Maris

News Item: Need something to read during Intersession? Pick up one of these award-winning titles and top-picks by New York Times, NPR, and Publishers Weekly critics.

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science – (Publishers Weekly Top 10; New York Times Notable Book, Non Fiction)
By Richard Holmes. Pantheon Books, 2008
Call Number: Q127 .G4 H65 2008

All Souls – (Pulitzer Finalist, Fiction)
By Christine Schutt. Harcourt, 2008
Call Number: PS3569 .C55555 A45 2008

Amateur Barbarians: A Novel – (New York Times Notable Book, Fiction)
By Robert Cohen. Scribner, 2009
Call Number: PS3553 .O4273 A8 2009

Continue reading

In the News: The “Cost” of War in the Middle East

Week of December 7, 2009

News Item: This past week President Obama announced his decision to deploy 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan which will eventually bring levels close to 98,000. Public opinion polls indicate Americans are losing confidence in the administration’s handling of the war, but military experts believe more troops are needed to succeed in the region. Since 2002, U.S. efforts in the Middle East have put an even larger strain on the federal deficit and on the very soldiers who have now spent repeated tours of duty in the region.

Air Power Against Terror: America’s Conduct of Operation Enduring Freedom
By Benjamin S. Lambeth. RAND Corp., 2005
Call Number: DS371.412 .L36 2005

Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives, and Corporate Greed in Iraq (DVD)
Directed by Leo Telling. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2008
Call Number: DS79.76 .M47 2006

Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror (DVD)
Directed by Steve Connelly and John Pilger. Bullfrog Films, 2004
Call Number: E183.8 .A3 B732 2004 (Boca Raton Media Center)

Continue reading

In the News: Buy, Buy, Buy

Week of November 30, 2009

News Item: This past Friday, consumers who chose not to participate in Buy Nothing Day were out in full-force nabbing the best deals on electronics, toys, and other holiday merchandise. An “In the News” topic from 2007 focused on holiday shopping. This year, we offer more titles on the shopping experience, but also include resources on a few well-known corporations so that you can learn more about the stores where you shop.

Jump to:
Shopping & Consumerism
Places to Shop

Shopping & Consumerism

Addicted to Cheap Shopping (DVD)
Directed by Leo Telling. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2008
Call Number: HF5429.215 .U6 A33 2008

The Affluent Consumer: Marketing and Selling the Luxury Lifestyle
By Richard D. Michman and Edward M. Mazze. Praeger Publishers, 2006
Call Number: HF5415.33 .U6 M53 2006

Carried Away: The Invention of Modern Shopping
By Rachel Bowlby. Columbia University Press, 2001
Call Number: Available online via NetLibrary

Continue reading