Editors’ Picks for August 2026

10 reviews handpicked from the latest issue of Choice

Posted on August 19, 2026 in Editors' Picks

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Essential reading for psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, students, policymakers, and parents, this examination of the available research will help guide decision-making, create realistic expectations for treatment effectiveness, and illuminate areas of science that need further study, providing a path toward fully addressing the emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal needs of young people.

—D. Sydiaha, emeritus, University of Saskatchewan

Foltz, Robert. No method to the madness: making sense of the psychiatric treatment of our youth. Bloomsbury Academic, 2025. 188p bibl index ISBN 9798881806026, $120.00; ISBN 9798881806033 pbk, $34.95; ISBN 9798881806040 ebook, $31.45.

In this volume, Foltz (The Chicago School), a clinical psychologist with 35 years of experience in mental health treatment, has published the results of large-sample studies. He comes to three conclusions. First, most training institutions for psychiatry place their primary emphasis on medication as a method of treatment and little emphasis on psychotherapy. Second, medication as the primary treatment of children and adolescents has been shown to be ineffective. Third, terminating medication abruptly when it is found to be ineffective runs the risk of creating undesirable consequences. This termination of medication requires the active involvement of the psychiatrist who prescribed the medication to treat the child or adolescent through withdrawal. Moving beyond symptom management, the book explores therapeutic approaches that place well-being at the forefront. Essential reading for psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, students, policymakers, and parents, this examination of the available research will help guide decision-making, create realistic expectations for treatment effectiveness, and illuminate areas of science that need further study, providing a path toward fully addressing the emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal needs of young people. Summing Up: Essential. Undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers. —D. Sydiaha, emeritus, University of Saskatchewan

For its intelligent structure, rigorous scholarship, and many well-chosen illustrations and photographs, this work is excellent for undergraduate and graduate programs that emphasize parks and resource management.

—K. S. Edwards, emerita, Clemson University

Designs upon nature: the cultural landscape history of yellowstone, ed. by William K. Wyckoff and Karl Byrand. University Press of Colorado, 2025. 336p bibl index ISBN 9781646427680, $45.00; ISBN 9781646427697 ebook, $36.00.

Since its creation in 1872 as the first national park in the US (and in the world), Yellowstone National Park has served as a crucible for reconciling the celebration of our nation’s wilderness wonders with the human interventions necessarily introduced over time to protect “nature” from tourist hordes while simultaneously shaping, managing, and promoting “the national park idea.” The nine essays in this collection—commissioned from geographers, environmental and landscape historians, an archivist, and a former Yellowstone park historian—trace the “cultural landscapes” of the park from its creation to the current day, focusing on key attractions along Grand Loop Road, to reveal “the degree to which [the park’s] landscape has always been as much a cultural construction as a natural fact.” The interdisciplinary notion of “cultural landscapes” is the binding agent here, best understood as the history, legacy, and material consequences of human actions, built artifacts, resource management policies, and evolving social, technological, and political concerns for the natural landscape. For its intelligent structure, rigorous scholarship, and many well-chosen illustrations and photographs, this work is excellent for undergraduate and graduate programs that emphasize parks and resource management. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. —K. S. Edwards, emerita, Clemson University

Particularly strong are the discussions of sensory supports for emotional regulation and approaches that engage bodily-kinesthetic learners—areas often underemphasized in the literature.

—K. M. Singh, formerly, Seminole State College

Cosco, Tara. Adapt and thrive: strategies for inclusive and special education. Myers Education Press, 2025 (c2026). 89p index ISBN 9781975509217 pbk, $37.95; ISBN 9781975509224 ebook, $37.95.

In Adapt and Thrive, Cosco (Augusta Univ.) offers a concise, practitioner-focused guide to individualized instruction for exceptional learners. Part of the “From Disability to ABILITY” series, Adapt and Thrive does not attempt comprehensive coverage of special education; instead, it highlights essential concepts and classroom-ready strategies that both general and special educators can apply across varied learning profiles. Primarily, Cosco focuses on addressing challenging behaviors, supporting autistic learners, differentiating instruction, and leveraging current technologies to customize instruction. Throughout, Cosco emphasizes motivation, empathy, and a positive approach to teaching. At just 89 pages, the volume is highly readable, though its brevity sometimes limits depth. For example, chapter 5, “Tech Support,” provides robust lists of technologies useful for differentiated strategies to create individualized learning opportunities but lacks examples of classroom implementation. Particularly strong are the discussions of sensory supports for emotional regulation and approaches that engage bodily-kinesthetic learners—areas often underemphasized in the literature. Overall, Adapt and Thrive succeeds as a practical guide, offering adaptable strategies that educators can implement immediately to foster more inclusive, individualized classrooms. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. —K. M. Singh, formerly, Seminole State College

This book provides an intimate picture of life on a Maryland tobacco plantation, chronicling the lives of the enslaved inhabitants, their living conditions, diet, and consumption of goods such as ceramics, clothing, and tobacco pipes.

—A. P. Hancock, Merrimack College

Schablitsky, Julie M. Belvoir: an archaeology of Maryland slavery. Alabama, 2025. 152p bibl index ISBN 9780817322502, $110.00; ISBN 9780817362225 pbk, $34.95; ISBN 9780817395797 ebook, $34.95.

In Belvoir, Schablitsky (Univ. of Maryland) surveys the archaeological and documentary research conducted at the Belvoir plantation’s 18th- and 19th-century stone slave quarters in Maryland. The book begins by discussing the importance of involving descendant populations to “direct and inform [the archaeologist’s] research path,” as well as to provide descendants with connections to their family history and past (p. 1). Subsequent chapters provide an approachable narrative of the documentary research conducted, site excavations, the recovered material remains, and the analysis of finds through the lens of enslaved inhabitants. This book provides an intimate picture of life on a Maryland tobacco plantation, chronicling the lives of the enslaved inhabitants, their living conditions, diet, and consumption of goods such as ceramics, clothing, and tobacco pipes. To highlight the importance of this site, it would have been useful to include more details about how the descendant community’s insights influenced the project. Their involvement is a project strength, and a deeper look at their role could guide future historians and archaeologists. This is a well-researched volume, supplemented with an extensive “References Cited” section. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates and graduate students. —A. P. Hancock, Merrimack College

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This is archaeology done with conscience and craft, making it essential reading for anyone interested in household archaeology, colonial transitions, or the ethics of Indigenous heritage research.

—M. J. O’Brien, Texas A&M University–San Antonio

Overholtzer, Lisa. Toward a small data archaeology: Otomí, Aztec Imperial, and Spanish colonial Xaltocan, Mexico. University Press of Colorado, 2025. 281p bibl index ISBN 9781646427499, $93.00; ISBN 9781646427505 ebook, $74.00.

Toward a Small Data Archaeology is a methodologically innovative and ethically admirable contribution to Mesoamerican archaeology. Rather than defining Indigenous peoples solely through the lens of conquest and subordination, Overholtzer (McGill Univ., Canada) reconstructs long-term household histories that bridge the pre-Hispanic and early Colonial periods at Xaltocan, a settlement with a rich and layered history as an Otomí city-state capital, a Tepanec conquest, an Aztec imperial incorporation, and finally a node in the Spanish colonial world. The book’s central argument is both a provocation and a framework—that rigorous, humanizing archaeology need not depend on massive datasets. Through careful analysis of artifacts, human remains, and ancient DNA, Overholtzer achieves richly detailed reconstructions of familial relationships and social networks from limited records. Crucially, the project is community-collaborative, honoring descendant communities rather than treating them as passive subjects. The study is also informed by collaborative research with descendant communities and by Indigenous feminist perspectives that emphasize relational knowledge and place-based histories. This is archaeology done with conscience and craft, making it essential reading for anyone interested in household archaeology, colonial transitions, or the ethics of Indigenous heritage research. Summing Up: Essential. General readers through faculty; professionals. —M. J. O’Brien, Texas A&M University–San Antonio

Kurashige inspires readers to create positive change by becoming allies to organize and create solidarity with Asian Americans and other racial groups.

—T. Chan, MIT Libraries

Kurashige, Scott. American peril: the violent history of anti-Asian racism. California, 2026. 352p bibl index ISBN 9780520424777, $27.95; ISBN 9780520424784 ebook, $27.95.

Kurashige (president, James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation) examines the violent history of anti-Asian racism, which did not begin with the COVID-19 pandemic, when Asian Americans experienced violent attacks. Kurashige traces the history of anti-Asian racism in the US from the 1850s to the present. He explores the impact of events such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, Japanese American mass incarceration during WW II, and violence against women. He analyzes the impacts of war, such as the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the colonization of the Philippines, on Asian American communities. The author also analyzes how the murder of Vincent Chin in Detroit in 1982 and other tragic events transformed Asian American identity and politics. Despite the hate, violence, and racism Asian Americans have experienced, Kurashige cites examples of how Asian Americans and their allies have come together to combat hate crimes through legislation and prosecution. Kurashige inspires readers to create positive change by becoming allies to organize and create solidarity with Asian Americans and other racial groups. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. —T. Chan, MIT Libraries

This is required reading for critical theorists and for students and scholars of (forced) migration, war and conflict, and religion.

—J. Alkorani, Radboud University

Iqbal, Basit Kareem. The dread heights: tribulation and refuge after the Syrian Revolution. Fordham, 2025. 298p bibl index ISBN 9781531510312, $125.00; ISBN 9781531510329 pbk, $35.00; ISBN 9781531510336 ebook, $34.99.

The Dread Heights investigates how the devastation of the Syrian war is theologically conceptualized and experienced by displaced Syrian Sunni Muslims. The book follows the experiences of refugees, relief workers, and religious scholars based primarily in Jordan and Canada, with fieldwork and interviews conducted between 2015 and 2023 (mostly 2018–19). Iqbal (anthropology, McMaster Univ., Canada) explores the Muslim charities and community organizations dedicated to resettling and supporting refugees, and the bureaucratic, social, and religious sites where their efforts unfold. Doing so, he “offers an ethnography of a multi-sited tradition” (p. 19) that “guides adherents as they traverse the devastations wrought by the war” (p. 16). Following an introduction outlining its theoretical framework, the book consists of three chapters interspersed with two “thresholds.” Chapter 1 explores how Islam infuses Muslim humanitarianism across Jordan and Canada, chapter 2 examines how theological conceptualizations of “tribulation” animate Syrians’ lives, and chapter 3 traces how one man orients himself toward the divine amidst the instability and violence characterizing his life at the Syrian-Jordanian border. The book also includes an afterword penned shortly after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. This is required reading for critical theorists and for students and scholars of (forced) migration, war and conflict, and religion. Summing Up: Essential. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —J. Alkorani, Radboud University

Ferziger’s tour de force is essential reading for scholars of religion in general and those specifically engaged in Jewish studies.

—J. Fischel, emeritus, Millersville University

Ferziger, Adam S. Agents of change: American Jews and the transformation of Israeli Judaism. New York University, 2025. 472p bibl index ISBN 9781479817542, $39.00; ISBN 9781479817559 ebook, $28.00.

Modern Orthodox (MO) Judaism is a rubric for Orthodox Jews who, unlike the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi), attempt to integrate Jewish tradition and beliefs with an appreciation for secular studies, scientific knowledge, and universal values. Although the ultra-Orthodox dominate religious matters in Israel, MO religious observance has been advanced in recent decades by American MO rabbis and scholars who have made aliyah to the Jewish state. This American immigration to Israel has resulted in a range of educational institutions that have laid the foundations for moderating traditional orthodoxy. In this original and important book, Ferziger (Bar-Ilan Univ., Israel) examines eight expatriates who have been instrumental in engaging Israelis regarding the place of women in orthodoxy, such as in the study of the Talmud and their presence as ritual facilitators; approaches to the gay and lesbian communities; and interactions with non-Orthodox denominations, such as Reform and Conservative Judaism, among other problematic issues. Convincingly, Ferziger credits these “agents of change” with paving the way for a more accessible Orthodoxy in Israel. Ferziger’s tour de force is essential reading for scholars of religion in general and those specifically engaged in Jewish studies. Summing Up: Essential. Faculty and professionals. —J. Fischel, emeritus, Millersville University

This is a lucid, logical, and well-argued scholarly work.

—G. Emeagwali, Central Connecticut State University

Oluwayomi, Adebayo. Foundations of Black epistemology: knowledge discourse in Africana philosophy. Temple, 2025. 240p index ISBN 9781439925478, $115.50; ISBN 9781439925485 pbk, $34.95; ISBN 9781439925492 ebook, $34.95.

By focusing on the writings of past and present Black luminaries, Oluwayomi (West Chester Univ.) explores Black epistemology and its multifaceted taxonomies. Phillis Wheatley’s social epistemology and her exploration of Black creativity are juxtaposed with the Black self-epistemology of Frederick Douglass, who pursued freedom through liberation of the mind and an anti-colonial epistemic tradition aimed at self-understanding, self-ownership, and personhood.Theauthor argues that Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s meticulous fact-finding and empiricist statistical model of knowledge production would challenge racial terrorism and “jungle justice” in the postbellum American South, no doubt setting the stage for W. E. B. Du Bois and his rigorous emancipatory sociology of knowledge creation. Oluwayomi’s list of Black epistemologists also includes Huey Newton, Kathleen Cleaver, Frantz Fanon, and Steve Biko, who collectively challenged the canonization of whiteness, inferiorization, marginalization, systemic oppression, and the manipulations of the colonial, neocolonial, and imperial state. The text explores the historical and current interconnections between knowledge and power and asserts the need for comprehensive acknowledgment and recognition of Black intellectuals’ and scholar-activists’ profound contributions to epistemic discourse and Black epistemology. This is a lucid, logical, and well-argued scholarly work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. —G. Emeagwali, Central Connecticut State University

Hunter’s study is a valuable exploration of new methods in the evolution of immersive theater for audiences and even more so for practitioners.

—J. Fisher, emeritus, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Hunter, E. B. Acting the part: audience participation in performance. Michigan, 2025. 251p bibl index ISBN 9780472077717, $100.00; ISBN 9780472057719 pbk, $34.95; ISBN 9780472905300 ebook, open access.

Audience participation in immersive theater involves a mastery of physical and virtual spaces, according to Hunter (Washington Univ., St. Louis), in his deep exploration of how vintage and contemporary works inspire artists to immerse and deeply engage audiences. Hunter’s penetrating study is certain to be of particular interest for contemporary stages contending with diminishing physical resources while, at the same time, making use of astonishing technological wonders. In recent decades, directors and designers have experimented with these new means to step beyond traditional boundaries between audiences and actors. In four densely packed chapters, Hunter focuses on the ways canonical works, from ancient Greek tragedies to Shakespeare’s plays, profit from immersive treatment, and he provides examples from London’s Globe Theatre and other spaces. A brief, useful glossary explains Hunter’s notion of “enactivity”—techniques used to disrupt the traditional positioning of audiences and actors to achieve freshly viewed versions of classics and new adaptations of those works. Hunter’s study is a valuable exploration of new methods in the evolution of immersive theater for audiences and even more so for practitioners. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty, but especially practitioners. —J. Fisher, emeritus, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

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