September 05, 2008
Joan M. Zenzen, MA’88
Fort Stanwix National Monument: Reconstructing the Past and Partnering for the Future, SUNY Press, 2008.
The book: Fort Stanwix National Monument is a reconstructed log-and-sod Revolutionary War fort located in the center of the city of Rome, New York. Initially undertaken as part of Rome’s urban renewal effort to revive a failing economy through tourism, the fort’s reconstruction exemplifies how a regional interest successfully engaged the National Park Service in achieving its goals. This book looks at the history of Fort Stanwix and documents how the people of Rome partnered with the National Park Service to create the fort.
The author: Joan M. Zenzen is an independent scholar and the author of “Battling for Manassas: The Fifty-Year Preservation Struggle at Manassas National Battlefield Park.”
Posted by lingjiex at 04:28 PM | Comments (0)
Gina A. Ulysse, MA’95, PhD’99
Downtown Ladies: Informal Commercial Importers, a Haitian Anthropologist and Self-Making in Jamaica, University of Chicago Press, 2007.
The book: The Caribbean “market woman” is ingrained in the popular imagination as the archetype of black womanhood in countries throughout the region. Challenging this stereotype and other outdated images of black women, this book offers a more complex picture by documenting the history of independent international traders—known as informal commercial importers, or ICIs—who travel abroad to import and export a vast array of consumer goods sold in the public markets of Kingston, Jamaica. Both by-products of and participants in globalization, ICIs operate on multiple levels and have made significant contributions to the regional, national, and global economies.
The author: Gina Ulysse is an anthropologist, poet/performer and multimedia artist. Haiti is the main focus of her works. She is also a professor of anthropology and African American studies at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.
Web site: http://www.ginaathenaulysse.com/index.html
Posted by lingjiex at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)
David Shambaugh, PhD’89
China's Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation, University of California Press, 2008.
The book: Few issues affect the future of China—and hence all the nations that interact with China—more than the nature of its ruling party and government. This timely study assesses the strengths and weaknesses, durability, adaptability, and potential longevity of China's Communist Party. It argues that although the CCP has been in a protracted state of atrophy, it has undertaken a number of adaptive measures aimed at reinventing itself and strengthening its rule. This investigation draws on a unique set of inner-party documents and interviews and finds that the CCP is resilient and will continue to retain its grip on power.
The author: David Shambaugh is professor of political science and international affairs and director of the China Policy Program at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University. He is also a non-resident senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution. He has written and edited many books.
Posted by lingjiex at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)
Jani Scandura, MA’93, PhD’97
Down in the Dumps: Place, Modernity, American Depression, Duke University Press, 2008.
The book: Mucking around in the messy terrain of American trash, the author tells the story of the United States during the Great Depression through evocative and photo-rich portraits of four locales: Reno, Key West, Harlem and Hollywood. In investigating these Depression-era “dumps,” places that she claims contained and reclaimed the cultural, ideological and material refuse of modern America, she introduces the concept of “depressive modernity.” This enduring affective component of American culture exposes itself at those moments when the foundational myths of America and progressive modernity—capitalism, democracy, individualism, secularism, utopian aspiration—are thrown into question.
The author: Jani Scandura is associate professor of English and co-founder of the Space and Place Research Collective at the University of Minnesota. She is a co-editor of “Modernism, Inc.: Body, Memory, Capital.”
Posted by lingjiex at 03:42 PM | Comments (0)
Thomas Pliner, ’61
TepeeToons: The Adult Humor of Tepee, AuthorHouse, 2007.
The book: The cartoons in this book were created to help adults change mindsets and bring more laughter back to their lives. The book contains mostly adult humor, in good taste, based on adult situations. While enjoying this book, the reader is encouraged to take another look at the situations he or she faces every day, find some humor in them and laugh.
The author: After several years of cartooning for business associates, friends and family, Tom Pliner wanted to share his art and humor with a larger audience and decided to publish this book. He and his wife, Gail, live in Bonita, California and have two grown children.
Web site: www.tepeetoons.com
Posted by lingjiex at 03:41 PM | Comments (0)
Carl Oglesby, ’62
Ravens in the Storm: A Personal History of the 1960s Antiwar Movement, Scribner, 2008.
The book: In 1964, Carl Oglesby, a young copywriter for a Michigan-based defense contractor, was asked by a local Democratic congressman to draft a campaign paper on the Vietnam War. Oglesby's report argued that the conflict was misplaced and unwinnable. He had little idea that its subsequent publication would put him on a fast track to becoming the president of the now-legendary protest movement Students for a Democratic Society. In this book, Oglesby shares the triumphs and tribulations of an organization that burgeoned across America, only to collapse in the face of surveillance by the US government and infighting.
The author: Carl Oglesby was president of Students for a Democratic Society between 1965 and 1966. His previous books include “Containment and Change” and “The JFK Assassination.” He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Posted by lingjiex at 03:38 PM | Comments (0)
David Newton, ’55, MA’61
The New Chemistry Set, Facts on File, 2007.
The book: Introducing chemistry in its simplest terms, this six-volume set provides an overview of some fascinating areas of research, supplementing information that students may have received from classes in general science, physical science or chemistry. Current and comprehensive, it covers topics ranging from the most fundamental fields of chemistry to those with important applications to everyday life. Emphasis is on recent research and advances in each of the fields of chemistry covered in the set. These books offer students an engaging reference to a complicated science in language that is easy to understand.
The author: David E. Newton taught mathematics and physical sciences, was a professor of chemistry and physics at Salem State College, and was an adjunct professor in the College of Professional Studies at the University of San Francisco. He is the author of more than 400 textbooks, encyclopedias, resource books, research manuals, trade books and other educational materials.
Posted by lingjiex at 03:36 PM | Comments (0)
Kip Lornell and Tracey E. W. Laird, MA’94, PhD’00, editors
Shreveport Sounds in Black and White, University Press of Mississippi, 2008.
The book: The musical distinctiveness of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been shaped by individuals and ensembles, record label and radio station owners, announcers and disc jockeys, club owners and sound engineers, music journalists and musicians. The area's output cannot be described by a single genre or style. Rather, its music is a kaleidoscope of country, blues, R&B, rockabilly and rock. The authors present that evolution in a collection of scholarly and popular writing that covers institutions and people who nurtured the musical life of the city and surroundings.
The author: Tracey E. W. Laird is associate professor of music at Agnes Scott College and the author of “Louisiana Hayride: Radio and Roots Music Along the Red River.”
Posted by lingjiex at 03:34 PM | Comments (0)
B. Kumaravadivelu, PhD’86
Cultural Globalization and Language Education, Yale University Press, 2008.
The book: We live in a world that is marked by the twin processes of economic globalization and cultural globalization. This thought-provoking book explores the impact of cultural globalization on second- and foreign-language education. Grounded in Western and non-Western perspectives, and written in an easily accessible style that combines personal narrative and academic genre, this book is indispensable for graduate students, practicing teachers, teacher educators, researchers and others who are interested in exploring the complexity of cultural globalization and language education.
The author: B. Kumaravadivelu is professor of applied linguistics and TESOL at San José State University. His previous book, “Beyond Methods: Macrostrategies for Language Teaching,” was published by Yale University Press in 2002.
Posted by lingjiex at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)
Kenneth A. Gould, ’84, David N. Pellow and Allan Schnaiberg
The Treadmill of Production: Injustice and Unsustainability in the Global Economy, Paradigm, 2008.
The book: Schnaiberg’s concept of the treadmill of production is arguably the most visible and enduring theory to emerge in three decades of environmental sociology. Building new extensions and applications of the treadmill theory, this new book shows how and why northern analysts and governments have failed to protect our environment and secure our future. Using an empirically based political-economic perspective, the authors outline the causes of environmental degradation, the limits of environmental protection policies and the failures of institutional decision-makers to protect human well-being.
The author: Kenneth A. Gould is professor and chair of sociology at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and professor of sociology and earth and environmental sciences at the CUNY Graduate Center. He is coauthor of “Environment and Society: The Enduring Conflict” and “Local Environmental Struggles: Citizen Activism in the Treadmill of Production.”
Posted by lingjiex at 03:29 PM | Comments (0)
Miriam (Hammerman) Goodman, ’64
Reinventing Retirement: 389 Bright Ideas about Family, Friends, Health, What to Do and Where to Live, Chronicle Books, 2008.
The book: With 76 million baby boomers on the cusp of retirement, it's time to look beyond finances and examine how ending traditional, full-time work affects every aspect of life. Hundreds of retirees weigh in on the subjects of home, marriage, family, friends, hobbies, health and even going back to part- or full-time work. Their insights will help readers create their personalized strategy for an active and fulfilling retirement. A workbook format makes it easy to access the practical information that makes this an essential guide to this exciting new phase of life.
The author: Miriam Goodman is a public relations consultant, journalist, radio producer and Emmy-nominated television producer. She has interviewed more than 1,000 people, from celebrities to diplomats, during her career. She has served on boards of nonprofit organizations in the fields of women’s rights, children’s rights and politics and is known in the San Francisco area for her work in social action causes.
Web site: http://www.reinventingretirement.info
Posted by lingjiex at 03:27 PM | Comments (0)
Richard Goodman, ’67
The Soul of Creative Writing, Transaction Publishers, 2008.
The book: This book explores the elements of language, style, rhythm, sound and the choice of the right word. It paints an image of how language can produce a life and meaning that otherwise cannot exist in the symbols themselves. The author collects examples from writers of the past and present and uses them to illustrate how each element of our written language can be used. The volume, written with humor and clarity, is an indispensable source of creative inspiration and instruction for writers and a guide to understanding the tools and devices of great writing for literary critics.
The author: Richard Goodman is the author of “French Dirt: The Story of a Garden in the South of France" and has written for many national publications. He has taught creative writing in New York City for a number of years and is now associated with the New York Writers Workshop. He teaches writing at Spalding University’s MFA in Writing Program.
Web site: http://richardgoodman.homestead.com
Posted by lingjiex at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)
Julian Go, ’92
American Empire and the Politics of Meaning: Elite Political Cultures in the Philippines and Puerto Rico during US Colonialism, Duke University Press, 2008.
The book: This book examines how efforts to provide the elite of Puerto Rico and the Philippines a practical education in self-government played out in the early years of American colonial rule, from 1898 until 1912. It is the first systematic comparative analysis of these early exercises in American imperial power. The author unravels how American authorities used “culture” as both a tool and a target of rule and how the Puerto Rican and Philippine elite received, creatively engaged and sometimes silently subverted the Americans’ ostensibly benign intentions.
The author: Julian Go is assistant professor of sociology at Boston University. He is a coeditor of “The American Colonial State in the Philippines: Global Perspectives,” also published by Duke University Press.
Posted by lingjiex at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)
Julian Go, ’92
American Empire and the Politics of Meaning: Elite Political Cultures in the Philippines and Puerto Rico during US Colonialism, Duke University Press, 2008.
The book: This book examines how efforts to provide the elite of Puerto Rico and the Philippines a practical education in self-government played out in the early years of American colonial rule, from 1898 until 1912. It is the first systematic comparative analysis of these early exercises in American imperial power. The author unravels how American authorities used “culture” as both a tool and a target of rule and how the Puerto Rican and Philippine elite received, creatively engaged and sometimes silently subverted the Americans’ ostensibly benign intentions.
The author: Julian Go is assistant professor of sociology at Boston University. He is a coeditor of “The American Colonial State in the Philippines: Global Perspectives,” also published by Duke University Press.
Posted by lingjiex at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)
Julia A. Ericksen, MA’65
Taking Charge of Breast Cancer, University of California Press, 2008.
The book: Showcasing diverse voices and experiences, this book explores how women respond to a breast cancer diagnosis. Drawing from interviews in which women describe their journeys from diagnosis through treatment and recovery, it explores topics ranging from women's trust in their doctors to their feelings about appearance and sexuality. What emerges is a compelling picture of how cultural messages about breast cancer shape women's ideas about their illness, how breast cancer affects their relationships with friends and family, why some of them become activists and more.
The author: Julia A. Ericksen, herself a breast cancer survivor, is a professor of sociology at Temple University and an author, with Sally Steffen, of “Kiss and Tell: Surveying Sex in the Twentieth Century.”
Posted by lingjiex at 03:13 PM | Comments (0)
Marilyn Mayer Culpepper, ’44, PhD’56
Never Will We Forget: Oral Histories of World War II, Praeger Security International, 2008.
The book: These are the stories of some 400 men and women, all profoundly affected by World War II. The book reflects the experiences of male and female veterans, civilians on the home front, conscientious objectors, survivors of the torpedoing of the USS Indianapolis and of typhoons, and participants in the Normandy Invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. From the first stirrings of war through its aftermath, this book captures how Americans lived, felt and believed during the 20th century's most brutal conflict.
The author: Marilyn Mayer Culpepper is the author of “Trials and Triumphs: The Women of the American Civil War” and “All Things Altered: Women in the Wake of the Civil War.” She is professor emeriti at Michigan State University.
Posted by lingjiex at 03:11 PM | Comments (0)
Stephen V. Bittner, ’93
The Many Lives of Khrushchev’s Thaw: Experience and Memory in Moscow's Arbat, Cornell University Press, 2008.
The book: Moscow’s Arbat neighborhood has been home to many of Russia's most famous artists, writers and scholars as well as several leading cultural establishments. This book explores how the neighborhood changed during the period of ideological relaxation under Khrushchev that came to be known as “the thaw.” This book finds that, while the period is typically remembered as a golden age, it was instead characterized by confusion and contestation. It is a window onto the complex beginning of a process that is not yet complete: deciding what to jettison and what to retain from the pre-Soviet and Soviet pasts as Russia moves into the future.
The author: Stephen V. Bittner is associate professor of history at Sonoma State University. He is the editor of “The Kremlin’s Scholar: A Memoir of Soviet Politics Under Stalin and Khrushchev” by Dmitrii Shepilov.
Posted by lingjiex at 12:35 PM | Comments (0)
Donald Robert Beagle, MALS’77, with Bryan Albin Giemza
Poet of the Lost Cause: A Life of Father Ryan, University of Tennessee Press, 2008.
The book: Among Southern sympathizers after the Civil War, Father Abram J. Ryan’s celebrity placed him in a pantheon of Confederate figures. His verses investigated faith and propagated a romanticized view of the Southern cause, and Ryan himself became a near-mythical figure. His posthumous influence extended to such writers as William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor. This biography of the enigmatic Confederate poet examines the man behind the myth and separates Lost Cause legend from fact. Scholars of the Civil War, the Irish in America and American religious history will find this a fascinating examination of a controversial figure.
The author: Donald R. Beagle is a director of library services at Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte, North Carolina, and curator of the Father Ryan Archive. His many articles have appeared in journals such as Catholic Library World, Journal of Academic Librarianship and Libri: International Library Review.
Posted by lingjiex at 12:23 PM | Comments (0)
Porter Shreve, MFA’98
When the White House Was Ours, Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
The book: It's 1976, and while the country prepares to celebrate the bicentennial, Daniel Truitt's family is falling apart. His father, Pete, has been fired from yet another teaching job, and his mother is close to leaving for good. But when Pete lucks into a crumbling mansion in the nation's capital, he makes a bold plan to start a school under his own roof where students and teachers will be equals. Replete with the wry humor, human insight and cultural resonance, this book will resonate with anyone whose family has lived through an idealistic time and ended up in an era of compromise.
The author: In the 1970s, Porter Shreve’s family started an alternative school, and some of this book draws loosely on that experience. His first novel, “The Obituary Writer,” was a New York Times Notable Book, and his second, “Drives Like a Dream,” was a Chicago Tribune Book of the Year. He lives with his wife, the writer Bich Minh Nguyen, ’96, MFA’98, in Chicago and West Lafayette, Indiana, where he directs the Creative Writing Program at Purdue University.
Web site: http://www.portershreve.com/
Posted by lingjiex at 08:58 AM | Comments (0)
Preeta Samarasan, MFA’06
Evening Is the Whole Day, Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
The book: Set in Malaysia, "Evening Is the Whole Day" introduces us to the prosperous Rajasekharan family as its closely guarded secrets are slowly peeled away. It moves gracefully backward and forward in time to answer the many questions that haunt the family while it offers an unflinching look at relationships between parents and children, brothers and sisters, the wealthy and the poor, a country and its citizens. This spellbinding and acclaimed debut novel illuminates in heartbreaking detail one Indian immigrant family’s story while exposing the complex underbelly of Malaysia itself.
The author: Preeta Samarasan was born and raised in Malaysia but moved to the United States in high school. After spending several years working on a dissertation on gypsy music in France, but all the while writing fiction, she decided to switch tracks. An early version of this novel received the Hopwood Novel Award; she’s also won the Asian American Writers’ Workshop short story award.
Posted by lingjiex at 08:55 AM | Comments (0)
Peter Markus, ’89, Bob, or Man on Boat, Dzanc Books, 2008.
The book: Set on the shores of the Detroit River, this book creates an obsessive (and obsessively rendered) song about a man, a boat and a fish—a contemporary retelling of Moby Dick.
The author: Peter Markus is the author of three books of short fiction, “Good, Brother,” “The Moon Is a Lighthouse” and “The Singing Fish.” His writing has been published in a number of anthologies and journals. Markus lives in Trenton, Michigan, with his wife and two children and is the senior writer with the InsideOut Literary Arts Project of Detroit.
Posted by lingjiex at 08:53 AM | Comments (0)
Joanna Hershon, ’94
The German Bride, Random House, 2008.
The book: In Berlin 1865, Eva Frank has a secret affair with a mercurial artist that has devastating consequences. Desperate to escape her situation, she marries a merchant who has returned to Germany for the first time since establishing himself in the American West. The 18-year-old bride leaves for an unfamiliar life in Sante Fe, New Mexico. This novel is a gripping and gritty portrayal of urban European immigrants struggling with New World frontier life in the mid-19th century. Vivid and emotionally compelling, it is a beautiful narrative on how far one must travel to make peace with the past.
The author: Joanna Hershon is an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University and the author of “Swimming” and “The Outside of August.” Her short fiction has been published in One Story and The Virginia Quarterly Review. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, the painter Derek Buckner, and their twin sons.
Web site: www.joannahershon.com
Posted by lingjiex at 08:50 AM | Comments (0)
Art Corriveau, MFA’94
Blood Pudding, Esplanade Books, 2008.
The book: This collection of short stories chronicles the lives of people on the margins—from a street hustler in Montreal and a priest in Burkina Faso to the mother of a bride in Boston and a blind woman in Amsterdam. These characters span the globe and are united by family and friendships that bind them (and us) together. The offbeat tales offer insight into how we deal with love and loss, and how crisis can sometimes give rise to moments of magic.
The author: Art Corriveau’s short stories have appeared in literary journals in the United States and the United Kingdom. His first novel, “Housewrights,” was published in 2002. As a travel writer, Corriveau has lived throughout Europe and Southeast Asia. Descended from one of Quebec’s oldest families, he lives in New Mexico.
Web site: http://artcorriveau.com/
Posted by lingjiex at 08:48 AM | Comments (0)
Megan Abbott, ’93
Queenpin, Simon & Schuster, 2007.
The book: A young woman hired to keep the books at a down-at-the-heels nightclub is taken under the wing of the infamous Gloria Denton, a mob luminary. Cunning and ruthless, Gloria shows her young protégée the ropes, ushering her into a glittering demimonde of late-night casinos, racetracks, betting parlors, inside heists and big money. Suddenly, the world is at her feet—as long as she doesn't take any chances, like falling for the wrong guy. As the roulette wheel turns, both mentor and protégée scramble to stay one step ahead of their bosses and each other.
The author: Megan Abbott has taught literature, writing and film at New York University and the State University of New York at Oswego. “Queenpin,” her third novel, won the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original. She has written two other novels and a nonfiction study of white masculinity in fiction and film noir. She lives in New York City.
Web site: www.meganabbott.com/Queenpin.htm
Posted by lingjiex at 08:44 AM | Comments (0)
September 04, 2008
Christina Meldrum, ’90
Madapple, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008.
The book: Aslaug is an unusual young woman. Her mother has brought her up in near isolation, teaching her about plants and nature and language—but not about life, especially not how she came to have her own life and who her father might be. When Aslaug's mother dies unexpectedly, everything changes. She is a suspect in her mother's death, and the more her story unravels, the more questions unfold. Addictive, thought-provoking and shocking, this is a page-turning exploration of human nature and divine intervention.
The author: After working in grassroots development in Africa, Christina Meldrum worked for the International Commission of Jurists in Geneva, Switzerland, and as a litigator at the law firm of Shearman & Sterling. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her family and is on the advisory board of Women of the World Investments. This is her first novel.
Web site: www.christinameldrum.com/
Posted by lingjiex at 09:44 PM | Comments (0)
Greg Rappleye, JD’76
Figured Dark: Poems, University of Arkansas Press, 2007.
The book: Linda Gregerson, poet and U-M professor, writes of this book: Oh the fine, brawling, pungent observation of these poems: “the smog-brown sea, the baggies-drooping sea”; Homer would be exhilarated and appalled. Greg Rappleye revives the language and revives our powers of seeing. “Figured Dark” is shot through with light.
The author: Greg Rappleye is corporation counsel for Ottawa County in Grand Haven, Michigan. He’s the author of two poetry collections, “Holding Down the Earth” and “A Path Between Houses,” and two chapbooks. A past Bread Loaf fellow in poetry, he has won a number of awards, including a Pushcart Prize, the Paumanok Poetry Award and the Brittingham Prize, and was the first runner up for the 2007 Dorset Prize.
Posted by lingjiex at 09:41 PM | Comments (0)
Ted Lardner, MFA’85, PhD’91
Tornado, Kent State University Press, 2008.
The book: Reviewer Alicia Ostriker states the following about this chapbook: “Tornado” is a book of ravishing and precise beauty. Death, said Wallace Stevens, is the mother of beauty, and so it is here; around the loss of a beloved sister in childhood, Ted Lardner has spun a radiant web of language by which he reveals what does not and cannot die, in the scale of nature above and underground, in the movements of time, and in the ongoing reach of human tenderness that “glides through our skins like a wave, lighting it up from inside.”
The author: Ted Lardner's poems have appeared in Arsenic Lobster, 5am, Rhino, Luna and Pleiades and in a previous chapbook, “Passing by a Home Place.” He teaches writing at Cleveland State University.
Posted by lingjiex at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)
Joe Fletcher, ’99
Sleigh Ride, Factory Hollow Press, 2008.
The book: One of the lines from this chapbook is the following: "I couldn't see the far shore, but / directly before us a suspension bridge arched out over the dark waters."
The author: Joe Fletcher lives and teaches in North Carolina.
Posted by lingjiex at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)
Max Sussman, ’07, and Eli Sussman
Freshman in the Kitchen: From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef, Huron River Press, 2008.
The book: Written for cooks who are younger, budget-minded, food-conscious and socially aware, this book expands your culinary education. Even experienced gourmets will learn new techniques and tips. Readers are guided through seven chapters of food preparation, starting with the simplest (no heat) to chapters on vegetarian food for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike and on one of the most popular cuisines for college-age cooks: grilling. Each chapter adds a new technique or style, culminating in recipes for themed feasts and, of course, dessert.
The author: Max Sussman has a wide range of culinary experiences, from cooking with his brother, Eli, at a summer camp, to his experience in upscale establishments. It is this range that gives him his unique attitude toward food, unpretentious and yet passionate about creativity and quality.
Posted by lingjiex at 09:29 PM | Comments (0)
Mary Lore, ’79
Managing Thought: How Do Your Thoughts Rule Your World?, Nelson Publishing & Marketing, 2008.
The book: The keys to success in work and in life are the same: self-awareness, self-mastery and being on purpose. Without these, you’ll experience the same things over and over, both personally and professionally. This book gives you the tools to banish habitual, counterproductive thinking to change your way of life and the way you conduct business so you can achieve what’s important to you. You’ll learn to identify thoughts not consistent with the results you intend; identify thoughts that waste your time, energy and money; and shape your thoughts to achieve clarity of purpose and sharp focus and to overcome obstacles.
The author: Mary Lore is the founder and CEO of Managing Thought, a consultancy that works with CEOs and senior management. She is also an executive management consultant and mentor, and serves as a chair for TEC, an international organization for the personal and professional development of CEOs. She has appeared numerous times on television and radio and in magazines.
Web site: www.managingthought.com
Posted by lingjiex at 09:26 PM | Comments (0)
Michelle J. Alpert, ’87, MD’91, and Saul Wisnia
Spinal Cord Injury and the Family, Harvard University Press, 2008.
The book: The authors cover the causes of and prognosis for spinal cord injury through case studies, review common courses of rehabilitation and answer the “what now?” questions—from daily routines to larger issues concerning sex, education and employment, childbearing and parenting with spinal cord injury. Rich in clinical information and practical advice, the book shows how real patients and their families are living full lives after spinal cord injury.
The author: Michelle J. Alpert is director of rehabilitation medicine at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and clinical instructor in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. She was the founder and first director of the Spinal Cord Injury Program at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
Posted by lingjiex at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)
August 21, 2008
Raymond Pettit, ’72
Learning From Winners: How the ARF Ogilvy Award Winners Use Market Research to Create Advertising Success, Taylor & Francis, 2007.
The book: The best companies use the creative application of research to produce big ideas with significant impact on the market and on the people, employees, partners, retailers and customers. Readers will learn how brand managers and their agencies use research to drive new brand insights, redefine problems or markets, support risk-taking ideas, and illuminate diverse audiences. This book will be an invaluable resource for business executives looking for market strategy, consumer psychologists, teachers, students, and practitioners looking for a trusted guide for study in advertising, marketing and promotion.
The author: Raymond Pettit is senior vice president of MarketShare Partners, based in Los Angeles, California. He also is an at-large member of the Alumni Leadership Council and continues to marry business and musical pursuits with his wife, Beth Hall, a professional trumpet player in the New York City metro area.
Posted by lingjiex at 06:44 PM | Comments (0)
Michael Dulworth, ’83
The Connect Effect: Building Strong Personal, Professional, and Virtual Networks, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2008.
The book: This book shows how to take a conscious, systematic approach to networking. After a short quiz to measure your “networking quotient,” it identifies three distinct kinds of networks: personal, professional, and virtual. The book examines their specific characteristics and offers strategies, tools and resources for building up and making the best use of each one. Stories from the author’s 20 years of experience running networks as well as interviews with executives, researchers and thought leaders, provide insights and advice about how networks function in the real world.
The author: Before acquiring Executive Networks, Mike Dulworth was vice president of learning services at The Concours Group. Before that, he was a founder and CEO of Learning Technologies Group, Inc. He is the author, co-author or a contributor to seven books and lives in San Francisco, California, with his wife, Teresa Goodwin, and son, Theo.
Web site: www.theconnecteffect.com/
Posted by lingjiex at 06:32 PM | Comments (0)
Miriam (Hammerman) Goodman, ’64
Reinventing Retirement: 389 Bright Ideas about Family, Friends, Health, What to Do and Where to Live, Chronicle Books, 2008.
With 76 million baby boomers on the cusp of retirement, it's time to look beyond finances and examine how ending traditional, full-time work affects every aspect of life. Miriam Goodman interviewed hundreds of retirees, who weigh in on the subjects of home, marriage, family, friends, hobbies, health and even going back to part- or full-time work. Their insights will help readers create their personalized strategy for an active and fulfilling retirement. Goodman is a public relations consultant, journalist, radio producer and Emmy-nominated television producer. She has interviewed more than 1,000 people, from celebrities to diplomats, during her career. She has served on boards of nonprofit organizations in the fields of women’s rights, children’s rights and politics and is known in the San Francisco area for her work in social action causes.
AAUM: Why "reinvent" retirement?
Goodman: We need to reinvent retirement because boomers say they don't want to have the same kind of retirement their parents and grandparents had. Too often in the past, retirement was followed by deterioration—physically and mentally—and boomers are more experienced, educated, healthier, wealthier and, we think, wiser than the previous generations. We reinvented so much along the way, when or whether to have kids, how often we change jobs and spouses, how to question authority—these are all reinventions of boomers. Also, retirees who are 65 today have a good chance of living 30 more years, and we want them to be exciting years, not ones filled with dread.
What are the keys to a successful retirement?
Most of all, one should be free to follow his passion, whether it is music, golf or gardening. You must find something that is meaningful for you. Next, if you are fortunate enough to have a partner, you must both communicate your feelings about your retirement years and not make assumptions about what the other person wants to do. We also must recognize what we took from our work—structure, purpose and a community—and find ways to replicate these things in our post-work lives. So finding a purpose, establishing some kind of structure and participating in your community are other keys to a "successful" retirement.
What’s your best advice to someone preparing for retirement?
We need a plan. It is not good enough to say, "Oh, when I stop working I will find plenty to do." It doesn't work that way. You should have outside interests all through life, whether it is gardening or photography or singing, and then use your retirement to pursue the things you really love. Also, talk to your children about your plans. They may assume you want to be full-time babysitters and then will be disappointed when you take off on a long trip. Communication is key.
What were some of the common problems or challenges you heard about retirement when you wrote your book?
There is a great deal of anxiety involved with retirement. Some women say, "My husband is not allowed to retire." Wives don't want their husbands invading their "space" 24 hours a day, and too many men have no plans and just assume their wives will give up their lives and careers just because he is now home. Another problem is that many people think they must move to a new location without considering the advantages of where they are now. Perhaps the home is already paid for, they know how to get around on public transportation, they like their neighbors and neighborhood. Or they move to be near grandchildren only to discover that the kids are so busy with school and other activities that there is often little time for them to be with grandparents. The biggest challenge is to be true to yourself, understand your own limits and interests, and follow those.
There’s more to retirement than financial planning. What are some of the issues that retirees will have to deal with that they might not anticipate?
Looking for another job, dealing with the loss of self-image that was connected to their work, deciding how they are going to relate to their families. People tell pollsters they want to "give back," but they don't really investigate the volunteer activities and end up in a place where they are unhappy or not needed. People need to “play” again—at sports, at other recreation—and not feel guilty about it.
Were there any interesting stories about retirement that you heard when writing your book—an unusual path someone is traveling during retirement?
I talked to a retired attorney who moved his retirement up to 62 when he realized that most of the people in his mother’s retirement home were women and he wanted to have time to do things before it was too late. He and his wife began studying Italian for a few years and then they moved to Italy for a year. They would have stayed longer had the economy not interfered, but they came back and live full-time in their "vacation" house in the mountains where they have become involved in local politics and where he works on his collection of old cars. They travel every year to some place new. I have to say that women do much better in retirement than men do, perhaps because they have always been multitaskers while many men were involved in only their careers.
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