Editors’ Picks for February 2025

10 reviews handpicked from the latest issue of Choice.

Posted on February 13, 2025 in Editors' Picks

This groundbreaking work fills a significant gap in Western understanding of socialist art during the Maoist period.

—T. Li, University of Southern California Libraries

Art and modernism in socialist China: unexplored international encounters 1949–1979, ed. by Shuyu Kong, Julia F. Andrews, and Shengtian Zheng. Routledge, 2024. 260p bibl index ISBN 9781032585291, $180.00; ISBN 9781003450535 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Art and Modernism in Socialist China is a compelling anthology that challenges prevailing notions about art during the Maoist era. Stemming from papers presented at the workshop “Global Art Exchange and Modernism in Socialist China 1949–79,” this collection offers a fresh perspective on the artistic landscape of China between the founding of the People’s Republic and the onset of reform policies. The essays draw on newly uncovered archival materials and previously overlooked art exhibitions and cultural exchanges, providing a nuanced reexamination of socialist art during this pivotal three-decade period. They contest the long-held view of Maoist art as a monolithic expression of “socialist realism” constrained by political and ideological boundaries. Instead, the contributors frame their analyses through the lens of “socialist modernity,” revealing the “unexpected divergences from the mainstream” of individual artists and highlighting the “persistent pursuit of artistic autonomy” during the period (p. 1). This groundbreaking work fills a significant gap in Western understanding of socialist art during the Maoist period. By presenting new perspectives and previously inaccessible archival materials, it lays the groundwork for more comprehensive research into this understudied period of Chinese art history. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty. —T. Li, University of Southern California Libraries

No mathematical background is needed, only an interest in a field that is pervasive but almost universally misunderstood.

—D. Z. Spicer, formerly, University System of Maryland

Bessis, David. Mathematica: a secret world of intuition and curiosity, tr. by Kevin Frey. Yale, 2024. 344p bibl index ISBN 9780300270884, $30.00; ISBN 9780300277142 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Mathematics is among the oldest of the sciences and is universally taught at all levels of education. Why, then, do many people take pride in saying, “I can’t do mathematics; I’ve never understood it”? Mathematics and mathematicians are viewed as something arcane and beyond mere mortals. This books is intended to dispel these misperceptions. It is not a “how to do” mathematics book or a history of mathematics, which are already in the collections of most academic libraries, but a very readable book on how and why people do mathematics. No mathematical background is needed, only an interest in a field that is pervasive but almost universally misunderstood. The author says, “Mathematics shapes our world. It is an instrument of power and domination. But for those who live it, math is above all an inner experience, a sensual and spiritual quest.” The main theme of the book is that anyone can have this experience. This is an English translation of the original French. (N.B. There is a computer algebra program also called Mathematica, which is totally unrelated and should not be confused with this volume.) Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. —D. Z. Spicer, formerly, University System of Maryland

In short, readers are offered a provocative work.

—P. Kivisto, Augustana College (IL)

Brecht, Mara. The habits of race and faith in a religiously diverse world. Lexington Books, 2024. 238p bibl index ISBN 9781498559058, $110.00; ISBN 9781498559065 ebook, contact publisher for price.

The United States and its wealthy counterparts have become considerably more religiously diverse and secular, while as the current right-wing populist backlash attests, the problem of the color line is far from over. In this fraught moment, Catholic theologian Brecht (Loyola Univ.) offers a meditation on the challenges confronting interreligious exchanges in a context of the historically rooted entanglement of race and religion. Given the author’s standpoint, there are parts of the book that are more likely to resonate with Catholic readers, but its range and appeal extend far beyond. The chapters on whiteness and Christianity are an example of this. Readers are introduced to two liberation theologians—Gustavo Gutierrez and James Cone—whose works unfortunately are no longer as familiar as they once were. Brecht also is intent on exploring universalist theologies; here, Karl Rahner S.J. and Jacques Dupuis S.J. take center stage. Edith Stein raises the issue of soteriological privilege, while Flannery O’Connor’s character Ruby Turpin vividly and absurdly illustrates white privilege. Insights on the significance of habits derive from John Dewey. In short, readers are offered a provocative work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers. —P. Kivisto, Augustana College (IL)

The wealth of cited sources will encourage further investigation into the complexity of a ubiquitous feature of the environment that is commonly dismissed as unworthy of scholarship.

—M. Nilsen, emerita, Indiana University South Bend

Fenner, David. The art and philosophy of the garden, by David Fenner and Ethan Fenner. Oxford, 2024. 392p bibl index ISBN 9780197753590, $35.00; ISBN 9780197753613 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Seeking to answer the question of whether the garden is a work of art that can be analyzed for its aesthetic properties, David Fenner (philosophy, Univ. of North Florida) and Ethan Fenner (horticulture, Univ. of California) draw on a small corpus of philosophical garden studies and their familiarity with a rich, historical and global tradition to define gardens and discuss their interpretive potential. The creation, maintenance, interpretation, and enjoyment of gardens are of import for three distinct constituencies: (1) “gardenists,” more commonly referred to as landscape architects or designers, who conceive of the garden project; (2) gardeners, responsible for physical creation and maintenance of the physical site with its plantings and artifacts; and (3) garden visitors, who enjoy, critique, or analyze the constantly evolving results. The systematic approach of the authors weaves together philosophical methods with horticultural practices, grounding investigative questioning into the tangible factors of garden fabric. Of interest to the landscape scholar, garden theorist, philosopher, and art historian, this study will also trigger reflection on field practices and theoretical underpinnings for the professional or amateur gardener. The wealth of cited sources will encourage further investigation into the complexity of a ubiquitous feature of the environment that is commonly dismissed as unworthy of scholarship. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —M. Nilsen, emerita, Indiana University South Bend

The authors give an excellent discussion of the issue, the difficulties in achieving this objective, and the path toward reaching it.

—P. K. Kresl, emeritus, Bucknell University

Marchal, Sarah. Zero poverty society: ensuring a decent income for all, by Sarah Marchal and Ive Marx. Oxford, 2024. 336p bibl index ISBN 9780192871527, $115.00; ISBN 9780192699381 ebook, contact publisher for price.

The economies of wealthy societies, whether free market or managed, have never provided all its members with a livable income or standard of living. For this reason, for the past 500 years societies have introduced income maintenance schemes. However, contemporary societies have reached the situation where they have the capacity to accomplish this long-sought goal. Essentially, they are now able to allow all citizens to live “a life in dignity and free of poverty,” but the question is how to best accomplish this? The authors give an excellent discussion of the issue, the difficulties in achieving this objective, and the path toward reaching it. There is much more knowledge now about the extent of wealth at the top levels of society, and economists no longer accept Arthur Okun’s trade-off between equity and efficiency. Work often gives an income that is below the poverty level. The authors offer an excellent review and analysis of the options to create a “zero poverty society.” Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —P. K. Kresl, emeritus, Bucknell University

Parker’s work should appeal to all scholars interested in the wider oeuvres of these major writers and also writing teachers, especially those involved with creative non-fiction, since her study adds new dimensions to the intersectionality of usually separated genres of fiction and life-writing.

—M. F. McClure, Virginia State University

Parker, Emma. Life writing and the end of empire: homecoming in autobiographical narratives. Bloomsbury, 2024. 208p bibl index ISBN 9781350353794, $115.00; ISBN 9781350353800 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Parker (Univ. of Bristol, UK) presents a masterful close reading of the life-writing of Penelope Lively, J. G. Ballard, Doris Lessing, and Janet Frame, all “British” writers who grew up in colonial settings and wrote repeatedly in multiple genres of their experiences exploring “what it means to witness empire’s end, only to inherit its afterlives” (p. 7). Parker contributes to postcolonial Anglophone literature by examining life-writing (a genre that bridges memoir, autobiography, travel, auto[biographical] fiction) in ways that mine the convoluted psychology of these representatives of British colonialism at the point of its dissolution and afterward. Postcolonialist criticism typically unpacks the ongoing effects of European colonialism on its “subject” peoples, and rightly so, but Parker’s work adds a different perspective not often explored explicitly, that of the complexities of life for the colonizers both during and after Empire. Parker’s work should appeal to all scholars interested in the wider oeuvres of these major writers and also writing teachers, especially those involved with creative non-fiction, since her study adds new dimensions to the intersectionality of usually separated genres of fiction and life-writing. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —M. F. McClure, Virginia State University

The stories included in this text are retold with sympathy but without a victimizing slant.

—A. B. Al-Deen, emerita, DePaul University

Rahman, Samia. Muslim women and misogyny: myths and misunderstandings. Hurst & Company, 2024. 216p bibl index ISBN 9781911723011, $18.66; ISBN 9781805261391 ebook, contact publisher for price.

In an engaging, insightful, and powerfully written first-person narrative, Rahman, a writer, scholar, and journalist, explores the myths and misconceptions about Muslim women that affect their lives in London and around the globe. Writing from a position in the global majority with agency, rather than as the victim of the global minority, she acknowledges not only misogyny but the mistranslations and misinterpretations of central texts in Islam that are used to perpetuate it. Around London, she is able to glean an amazing number of opinions and stories from a range of Muslim women, including scholars, students, and regular women. Rahman also provides readers with a studied history of women in Islam, their struggles with misogyny, and the contexts of their lives, which are summarily omitted by Western feminists. She includes Muslim women authorities’ commentary on the Qur’ān, law, and other concerns, and she brings to the fore important figures from past and present. The stories included in this text are retold with sympathy but without a victimizing slant. Muslim women do not need Western women, who hold a different set of values and omit spirituality, to save them; they can save themselves. A must-read volume. Summing Up: Essential. General readers through faculty; professionals. —A. B. Al-Deen, emerita, DePaul University

Thoughtful questions leave the reader wondering about the costs and benefits of elite sports and who really wins.

—S. K. Fields, University of Colorado Denver

Schultz, Jaime. Regulating bodies: elite sport policies and their unintended consequences. Oxford, 2024. 28p bibl index ISBN 9780197616499, $29.99; ISBN 9780197616512 ebook, contact publisher for price.

This book is a compelling overview of the regulation of elite sports and the success and failures to create safer and fairer playing spaces. Schultz (Pennsylvania State Univ.) concludes that the desire of athletes, fans, and sporting organizations for consistently improved performance (more records, more wins) has a price. The regulations, made and enforced by the sports themselves, do not always serve to protect the athletes from the negatives of becoming a winner and may themselves harm the athletes. The book explores the history of regulations and their real-world impacts in five areas. Schultz begins with weight regulations, particularly in horse racing and combat sports like wrestling and mixed martial arts, noting the athletes who have died while cutting weight. Sex testing and its concerning history are followed by the regulation and classification systems in paralympic sports; both chapters emphasize the dehumanizing impact of the regulations. The book also treats the history of doping regulations and the rise of gene doping. This is a well-documented, scholarly but accessible work with extensive notes, a bibliography, and some images. Thoughtful questions leave the reader wondering about the costs and benefits of elite sports and who really wins. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. —S. K. Fields, University of Colorado Denver

This excellent book provides invaluable insights into local governance, resource management, internal migration, regional gaps, and other key sociopolitical issues in China today.

—Z. Zhu, Bucknell University

Vortherms, Samantha A. Manipulating authoritarian citizenship: security, development, and local membership in China. Stanford, 2024. 296p bibl index ISBN 9781503640184, $75.00; ISBN 9781503640832 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Manipulating Authoritarian Citizenship asks why and how China’s authoritarian government manages to expand socioeconomic rights to internal migrants through the hukou system. Vortherms (Univ. of California) argues that, at multiple levels, the Chinese bureaucracy attempts to balance security and economic motivations when granting migrants access to citizenship rights. Security interests incentivize local governments to exclude migrants, while economic interests compel them to include migrants in government redistribution. This balancing act between security-based conservatism and development-promoting liberalization has created “a highly institutionalized form of authoritarian citizenship” (p. 4). Internal citizenship regimes allow the government to adopt a flexible policy of inclusion and exclusion to ensure local economic development and social stability. Such regimes subdivide the population into different classifications of citizens with differentiated rights entitlements. This thoroughly researched book focuses on the evolution of China’s age-old, controversial hukou system, which has become an essential tool for managing labor across the country in the contemporary Chinese political economy. Extensive field research, archival study, and interviews support the analysis and argument. This excellent book provides invaluable insights into local governance, resource management, internal migration, regional gaps, and other key sociopolitical issues in China today. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. —Z. Zhu, Bucknell University

Warner, Rick. The rebirth of suspense: slowness and atmosphere in cinema. Columbia, 2024. 312p bibl index ISBN 9780231212700, $140.00; ISBN 9780231212717 pbk, $35.00; ISBN 9780231559522 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Warner (Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) has written a groundbreaking, provocative investigation into the uses of suspense in “slow cinema.” Suspense studies, he says, have hitherto focused on Hitchcockian manipulation of plot and character. In slow, contemplative cinema, one should also take into consideration structural, generic, perceptual, and—of most interest to Warner—atmospheric suspense. His careful film analyses includes both classic directors like Bresson, Antonioni, Kieslowski, and Akerman and more contemporary artists like Kelly Reichardt, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Weerasethakul Apichatpong, Pedro Costa, Lucrecia Martel, and Jonathan Glazer. Carefully woven into these analyses are the thoughts of most of the major film theorists. The effect of the book on this reader was to acquire a list of new films to watch and, more importantly, a new way of looking at them. Less convincing is Warner’s final chapter, which deals entirely with David Lynch’s television series Twin Peaks: The Return. Nevertheless, on the whole this book reveals new ways of appreciating film. What more could a film lover ask? Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through faculty. —W. A. Vincent, Michigan State University

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