Adsit offers specific guidance in the chapters on craft and offers discussion questions, handouts, and exercises that will be immediately useful to the reader.
—G. Sikorski, Anne Arundel Community College
Adsit, Janelle. Writing and health care: creative and critical approaches. Bloomsbury, 2025. 296p bibl index ISBN 9781350417076, $100.00; ISBN 9781350417083 pbk, $34.56; ISBN 9781350417090 ebook, Contact publisher for price.
In her newest book, Adsit (California State Polytechnic Univ.), author of Toward an Inclusive Creative Writing (2017) and the editor of Critical Creative Writing (2017), explores the health benefits of artistic expression, with a firm grounding in current theories of narratology, creative therapies, and aesthetics. Whether working in a health-care setting or a college classroom, any instructor or student who is interested in creative writing as a means of cultivating greater health will appreciate this text. It includes accessible discussions about the epistemologies of illness and disease, the history of therapeutic arts, key concepts such as empathy and trauma, and related issues of disability and social justice. Adsit offers specific guidance in the chapters on craft and offers discussion questions, handouts, and exercises that will be immediately useful to the reader. Standing beside Demaine and Einstein’s Expressive Therapeutic Writing (2025) and Harris and Thompson’s Collaborative Writing and Psychotherapy (2023), this volume is very highly recommended. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. —G. Sikorski, Anne Arundel Community College
It serves as a testament to the growing importance of environmental perspectives.
—D. E. Marting, University of Mississippi
Anderson, Mark. The rights of nature and the testimony of things: literature and environmental ethics from Latin America. Vanderbilt, 2024. 288p bibl index ISBN 9780826506788, $99.95; ISBN 9780826506771 pbk, $34.95; ISBN 9780826506801 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Surprising in its originality, theoretical prowess, and clarity of expression, Anderson’s book should be read not only by Latin Americanists or literary scholars, but by all who are interested in nature, environmental humanities, literature, and contemporary philosophy. While its ideas are usually directed at the intersection of these groups, its major contribution is to promote the theoretical and practical rights of land, animals, plants, and humans; it is legal philosophy and an interpretation of culture in a universal form. The Rights of Nature clarifies legalities, Indigenous texts and philosophies, and modernity as pertaining to representation in fiction, essays, law, and philosophy. Ethics and social justice recur as themes. Never easy reading, it critiques Donna Haraway; explores Derrida, Lacan, Deleuze, and Judith Butler in new ways; promotes the Ecuadorian constitution; and adds Indigenous philosophies to the theories more easily and more frequently inhabited by ecocriticism today. Iconic Brazilian and Spanish American works about nature are mentioned (by Clarice Lispector, Andrés Bello, Juan Rulfo, José Enrique Rodó, Alcides Arguedas, and Esteban Echeverría, among others), though biodiversity, biotechnologies, bioethics, biosemiotics, and biocentrism fill its pages more than literary analyses. It serves as a testament to the growing importance of environmental perspectives. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —D. E. Marting, University of Mississippi
Nevertheless, it is refreshing to read an optimistic take on how the lessons of cognitive science can be harnessed to move the future out of the background and into the foreground of public officials’ thinking.
—R. P. Seyb, Skidmore College
Chesterley, Nicholas. Future-generation Government: how to legislate for the long term. McGill-Queen’s, 2025. 300p bibl index ISBN 9780228024750, $34.95.
The recent tectonic shifts in US politics may be a harbinger of a future in which public officials favor ambitious, often disruptive and disorienting actions over cautious, incremental policymaking. At a moment when “taking big (often ill-conceived and even reckless) swings” may be becoming the norm, it is reassuring to read statements such as “small changes in the environment can lead to large changes in behaviour” and “the future is usually determined by a series of small decisions, not one big one.” Chesterley’s subject is, specifically, developing incentives to encourage public officials to think about the future. He mines the literature on “behaviorally informed governance” to “nudge” policymakers to “measure what matters,” perceive “long-term planning as the easy option,” make commitments to improve future generations’ quality of life, and experiment with different policy solutions before taking definitive action. Chesterley (independent scholar) acknowledges the political obstacles his recommendations confront. Many of these obstacles are likely insuperable. Nevertheless, it is refreshing to read an optimistic take on how the lessons of cognitive science can be harnessed to move the future out of the background and into the foreground of public officials’ thinking. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. —R. P. Seyb, Skidmore College
Eddington’s work is scrupulously documented and very well written—so much so that the reader is likely to be left hoping for another volume covering the evolution of the surveillance state from the Kennedy administration forward.
—T. C. Ellington, Wesleyan College
Eddington, Patrick G. The triumph of fear: domestic surveillance and political repression from McKinley to Eisenhower. Georgetown University, 2025. 408p bibl index ISBN 9781647125455, $134.95; ISBN 9781647125462 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Triumph of Fear offers an encyclopedic yet very readable account of domestic surveillance in the United States from the late 19th century through the Eisenhower administration. Eddington (Cato Institute) unveils a pattern of lawlessness in the use of surveillance tools against apparent threats from subversive groups, be they anarchists, communists, or immigrants from places such as Japan or Germany. Regardless of the apparent threat, the actual targets of this surveillance all too often prove to be innocent Americans and their constitutional liberties. Eddington’s work provides helpful historical context for contemporary debates about surveillance powers. The technology involved may change, but the essential questions about individual rights and the rule of law remain very much the same. Even dedicated students of surveillance will find new details in this work, and those new to the study of domestic surveillance will find much shocking. Eddington’s work is scrupulously documented and very well written—so much so that the reader is likely to be left hoping for another volume covering the evolution of the surveillance state from the Kennedy administration forward. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers. —T. C. Ellington, Wesleyan College
An important addition to Jinghao Zhou’s Great Power Competition as the New Normal of China-US Relations (2023).
—M. E. Carranza, emeritus, Texas A&M University–Kingsville
Fong, Brian C. H. US-China rivalry: great power competition in the Indo-Pacific. Edinburgh University Press, 2024. 344p bibl index ISBN 9781399534161, $125.00; ISBN 9781399534185 ebook, $125.00.
This outstanding book makes a major contribution to the growing literature on the United States–China competition. Fong (National Sun Yat-sen Univ., Taiwan) superbly integrates system-level and unit-level explanations of state behavior, answering three questions: why, where, and how the United States and China compete in the Indo-Pacific region. He develops an original theoretical construct (“neo-offensive realism”), refining Mearsheimer’s offensive realism theory with several conceptual add-ons, including a combination of military and economic perspectives and scenario analysis techniques. Part 1 distinguishes two stages in US–China competition: moderate competition from 1992 to 2007 and intense competition from 2008 to 2022. In the latter stage, China emerged as a potential hegemon under “unbalanced multipolarity.” Part 2 has in-depth empirical case studies of Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Part 3 discusses four scenarios for the future of US–China competition in this region: (1) unbalanced multipolarity (the present trend), (2) Chinese unipolarity, (3) balanced multipolarity, and (4) bipolarity. The book would have benefited from a concluding chapter examining the prospects for reversing the current escalatory cycle of great power competition. An important addition to Jinghao Zhou’s Great Power Competition as the New Normal of China-US Relations (2023). Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —M. E. Carranza, emeritus, Texas A&M University–Kingsville
The relatively long biographical notes on the contributors are particularly valuable, as personal stories and tribal connections will help readers with context.
—B. Almon, emeritus, University of Alberta
Indigenous poetics, ed. by Inés Hernández-Ávila and Molly McGlennen. Michigan State, 2025. 237p bibl index ISBN 9781611865264, $79.95; ISBN 9781611865271 pbk, $39.95; ISBN 9781628955422 ebook, $39.95.
This remarkably fertile collection brings together senior scholars, like the editors, and a variety of other established and emerging writers to consider the nature of Indigenous poetics by asking, “Is there such a thing as an Indigenous poetics, and if so, what does it take into consideration?” The answers are expressed in various ways: interviews, personal essays, and scholarly analysis. The answers explore topics like decolonialism, awareness of place and ancestors, language performance, and the poetics of erasure. One especially important essay, by Natahnee Winder and Tanaya Winder, looks at poetry created by writers who were in residential schools. A poet from the Chamoru people of Guam, Craig Santos Perez, adds a valuable Pacific perspective, and the Hawaiian poet ku’uoloha ho’omanawanui brings a whole culture and its poetry into view. Many of the articles have informative notes and/or bibliographies, which will assist readers who pursue the subject. The relatively long biographical notes on the contributors are particularly valuable, as personal stories and tribal connections will help readers with context. Some of the contributors wish mostly to express their culture, while others are more interested in self-expression. Both approaches are fruitful. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty. —B. Almon, emeritus, University of Alberta
The writing is sharp, and extensive notes support persuasive analysis. Mandel concludes with relevant and practical policy recommendations.
—W. A. Taylor, Angelo State University
Mandel, Robert. AI and early warning systems: technology innovation for national security. L. Rienner, 2025. 279p bibl index ISBN 9781962551687, $115.00; ISBN 9781962551694 ebook, $115.00.
In this important book, Mandel (Lewis & Clark College) examines the nexus between threat detection, technology innovation, and national security. He highlights the importance of advanced detection and effective response to terrorism, cyberattack, disease, and disaster, reinforcing the significant consequences of failure thereof. The book considers the whole spectrum of threats, from the terrorist attacks of 9/11 to the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on AI and its hybrid ability to enhance threat detection across a spectrum of cases. Mandel outlines under what circumstances this technological innovation can improve intelligence analysis and defense decisions. He employs more than 30 case studies to elucidate specific conditions that might enhance the likelihood of success and provides a balanced assessment of both opportunities and limitations, as well as a prudent exploration of risks. Useful tables and figures appear throughout, and a glossary of technical terms will benefit readers new to the topic. The writing is sharp, and extensive notes support persuasive analysis. Mandel concludes with relevant and practical policy recommendations. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —W. A. Taylor, Angelo State University
Meurer’s account is a model of both intellectual and administrative history, one that libraries specializing in administrative studies, 18th-century British history, and the history of the British Empire will want to add to their collections.
—M. Klobas, Scottsdale Community College
Meurer, Sebastian. Administrative reform in late eighteenth-century Britain and its empire: a system of economy. Boydell Press, 2025. 324p bibl index (Studies in the eighteenth century, 14) ISBN 9781837650989, $120.00; ISBN 9781805436157 ebook, $24.00.
Administrative history, as Meurer (Univ. of Duisburg-Essen, Germany) acknowledges at the beginning of this book, does not have a reputation as an exciting field of research. However, his explanation of how the reports of the Commissioners for Examining the Public Accounts (CEPA), chartered by Parliament in the 1780s, proved a watershed in the emergence of modern administrative practices demonstrates how important the field can be. Situating CEPA’s inquiries within the context of Enlightenment discourses about government and the state, Meurer shows how the drive to root out “corruption,” which inspired the inquiry, fueled reforms that transformed administrative practice profoundly, both in Britain and across its empire. The resulting reforms in the British state and the burgeoning administration in British-controlled India and in Ireland were not only shaped by the connections between these efforts but also contributed to the redefinition of Britain’s relationships with its imperial possessions. Meurer’s account is a model of both intellectual and administrative history, one that libraries specializing in administrative studies, 18th-century British history, and the history of the British Empire will want to add to their collections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —M. Klobas, Scottsdale Community College
This is essential reading in sexuality studies.
—S. M. Valente, independent scholar
Pollock, Sarah H. Sex, risk, and society: when is sex dangerous?. Berghahn Books, 2025. 175p bibl index ISBN 9781805399414, $120.00; ISBN 9781805399896 ebook, contact publisher for price.
As the title suggests, Pollock (Texas A&M Univ., San Antonio) examines when sex is considered dangerous, finding no universal answer. Contexts and social structures with conflicting definitions of sex and danger (e.g., youth pregnancy, STIs, violence) play critical roles. Exploring popular answers, the social sciences, epistemology, and epistemic logic, she ponders how we justify beliefs about sex and what role institutional, cultural, religious, and political views play. Answers to questions pertaining to sexual danger, such as whether sex is a right or something sinful; whether sex is unnatural, normal, or instinctual; and whether sex is good or bad, reflect beliefs and thus are not straightforward or self-evident. One fascinating chapter applies a social science analysis to sexual education (SE) in Texas schools with high rates of youth pregnancy and STIs, where culture wars impinge on SE. UNESCO’s comprehensive SE program emphasizes contraception and social aspects, while Teen Pregnancy Prevention programs (TPPs) emphasize risk avoidance, which research finds ineffective. Polarized culture war discourse aims to control sex, yet programs disagree on the meaning and purpose of sex. Whether they are intended to emphasize heterosexual marriage or liberate women’s sexual choices and autonomy, their rhetoric inflames moral panic. This is essential reading in sexuality studies. Summing Up: Essential. General readers through faculty; professionals. —S. M. Valente, independent scholar
Instead, the standard approach, and the one put forward in a common undergraduate neuroscience textbook, is strictly linear, going from gene to protein to phenotype.
—C. A. Lindgren, Grinnell College
Rust, Nicole C. Elusive cures: why neuroscience hasn’t solved brain disorders—and how we can change that. Princeton, 2025. 296p bibl index ISBN 9780691243054, $28.90; ISBN 9780691243078 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Elusive Cures should be required reading for all neuroscience students. Rust (Univ. of Pennsylvania) says what many have been thinking for years: the bench-to-bedside effort in neuroscience is flawed. There is a glaring gap between the rate at which new research discoveries are made and the rate at which new and effective treatments are developed. Although Rust correctly points out that clinical application is not the only goal of basic research, there is a notable discordance between the amount of progress in neuroscience over the past half-century and the fact that most drugs used today to treat nervous system diseases were introduced before 1960. Rust proposes that this is because neuroscientists have failed to account for the complexity of the brain, with its massive interconnectivity and multiple levels of feedback. Instead, the standard approach, and the one put forward in a common undergraduate neuroscience textbook, is strictly linear, going from gene to protein to phenotype. Rust argues that this has only worked in a limited number of cases and fails to work for most pathologies. Although Rust does a good job of defining the problem, her proposed solution lacks enough detail to be properly critiqued. However, it does point toward a promising direction for the next 50 years of neuroscience research. Summing Up: Essential. Undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals. —C. A. Lindgren, Grinnell College
