Editors’ Picks for June 2023

9 reviews handpicked from the latest issue of Choice.

Posted on June 7, 2023 in Editors' Picks

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This quantitative study of media is striking scholarship—it made this reviewer wish for similar studies of television and digital media.

—R. L. Saunders, Southern Utah University

Amenta, Edwin. Rough draft of history: a century of US social movements in the news, by Edwin Amenta and Neal Caren. Princeton, 2022. 360p bibl index ISBN 9780691232782, $95.00; ISBN 9780691232775 pbk, $29.95; ISBN 9780691232768 ebook, contact publisher for price.

This is a fascinating, insightful meta-analysis of news coverage, focusing on the way US social movements appear in mainstream news reporting of the pre-digital 20th century. Written by sociologists Amenta (Univ. of California, Irvine) and Caren (Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), with the participation of other scholars in specific chapters, the book relies heavily on counts and statistical analysis, looking carefully at what sort of movements and institutions garner attention. In the preface Amenta states that “[they] address which movements and organizations received the most news attention when they received it and why” (p. xii). Two of the six chapters look in depth at how news coverage hobbled the Townsend Plan, a private version of Social Security proposed in the 1930s, and how it aided the aims of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Far broader than a study of one newspaper or region, the book looks at news reporting across the country. An appendix catalogues the volume’s methodology, which really should be read carefully before the text itself. This quantitative study of media is striking scholarship—it made this reviewer wish for similar studies of television and digital media. A crucial resource for any institution with a communications or journalism program. Summing Up: Essential. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —R. L. Saunders, Southern Utah University

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Whether a professional working with clients faced with related problems, an instructor looking for an appropriate text for an undergraduate or graduate course dealing with this subject, or a lay reader seeking self-understanding, all will appreciate this volume.

—R. E. Osborne, Texas State University

Baumeister, Roy F. The self explained: why and how we become who we are. Guilford, 2022. 420p bibl index ISBN 9781462549283, $45.00; ISBN 9781462549313 ebook, contact publisher for price.

In this book, Baumeister does what Baumeister does! He condenses a complex and often dense literature into understandable, readable, and highly digestible bites. Though the text is relatively long, comprising 28 chapters, each chapter is concise, well written, interesting, and related to what was discussed just before and what comes after. Although—as the author acknowledges—the book is not packed with voluminous references and citations, enough of the literature surrounding these complex “self” ideas is referenced for the reader to know where to seek additional information. Individuals working with others in clinical settings and attempting to understand self-related issues will find the sections “The Self as Active Agent,” “The Self in Relation to Others,” and “Problems of Self” to be especially useful. After taking the reader on a stimulating tour of what is generally known about the self and why knowing this is so important, Baumeister closes with an epilogue, “The Self: A Summary.” If one had time to read only a single section, this part would serve. Whether a professional working with clients faced with related problems, an instructor looking for an appropriate text for an undergraduate or graduate course dealing with this subject, or a lay reader seeking self-understanding, all will appreciate this volume. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students and professionals. General readers. —R. E. Osborne, Texas State University

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Cooling assesses how military spending became an inseparable element of national self-perception, foreign policy, and political posturing, especially as potential enemies came and went and the country found itself in various military conflicts since the end of the Second World War.

—S. J. Ramold, Eastern Michigan University

Cooling, Benjamin Franklin, III. Arming America through the centuries: war, business, and building a national security state. Tennessee, 2022. 488p bibl index ISBN 9781621905868, $55.00; ISBN 9781621905875 ebook, $55.00.

In Arming America through the Centuries, Cooling (National Defense Univ.) combines history and commentary in reviewing the interchange between industry and national security needs. Cooling provides a useful history of how the US military acquired its armaments in the first decades of its history, demonstrating the role of both government-owned facilities and private industry as the country’s economy evolved. Later chapters rely more on commentary, as rapid changes in technology led the military to cede weapons production to private enterprise and the creation of what President Eisenhower labeled the “military-industrial complex.” Cooling assesses how military spending became an inseparable element of national self-perception, foreign policy, and political posturing, especially as potential enemies came and went and the country found itself in various military conflicts since the end of the Second World War. Especially interesting is Cooling’s evaluation of events since 9/11; America’s “War on Terror” consumed great resources but with stagnated technological development and investment based on post–Cold War military dominance. With the emergence of new “near-peer” threats, Cooling’s look at economics, industry, and perceived threats may find new relevance. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —S. J. Ramold, Eastern Michigan University

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Those familiar with the history of the British Isles and/or paganism will find the book an easy read, but nonspecialists may struggle with the frequent references to other scholars and theories. However, all readers will likely find Hutton’s theories fascinating.

—A. Sheppard, Arkansas State University

Hutton, Ronald. Queens of the wild: pagan goddesses in Christian Europe: an investigation. Yale, 2022. 256p bibl index ISBN 9780300261011, $25.00; ISBN 9780300265279 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Historian and British Isles expert Ronald Hutton (Bristol Univ., UK) has written an illuminating and thought-provoking book on four goddess-like figures: Mother Earth, the Fairy Queen, Lady of the Night, and the Cailleach (old woman or hag). Drawing on a mixture of history, anthropology, and literature, Hutton challenges past scholarship regarding “pagan survival” after the conversion of Europe to Christianity, making the case that none of these popular female figures was a pre-Christian pagan deity. He traces their individual changing stories and interwoven imageries to show how these figures developed, thrived, and adapted throughout the centuries and existed within a Christian world view. In an epilogue, the author provides a similar look at a male figure, the Green Man, who is associated with May Day rituals. Drawing heavily on past scholarship, Queens of the Wild is thoroughly researched and includes snippets of poems, folklore, and images. Those familiar with the history of the British Isles and/or paganism will find the book an easy read, but nonspecialists may struggle with the frequent references to other scholars and theories. However, all readers will likely find Hutton’s theories fascinating. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; general readers. —A. Sheppard, Arkansas State University

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Fearful of retribution from the Axis powers and the threat of communism spreading throughout Europe, Pius XII’s clergy made its peace with Hitler and Mussolini.

—J. Fischel, emeritus, Millersville University

Kertzer, David I. The pope at war: the secret history of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler. Random House, 2022. 672p bibl index ISBN 9780812989946, $37.50; ISBN 9780812989953 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Kertzer (anthropology and Italian studies, Brown Univ.) has written 12 previous books, including The Pope and Mussolini (2014), which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2015. His latest book is a meticulously researched account that should become the definitive study of Pope Pius XII’s tenure during WW II. Drawing on newly declassified Vatican documents, Kertzer reveals how the controversial wartime pope set aside his moral leadership in order to protect Italy’s Catholic Church by not speaking out against Nazi Germany’s deadly violence against the Jews or the Nazi atrocities against Catholic Poland’s population, and by ignoring the excesses of Mussolini’s Fascist government. Fearful of retribution from the Axis powers and the threat of communism spreading throughout Europe, Pius XII’s clergy made its peace with Hitler and Mussolini. Barring a small number of brave priests who hid Jews, the Pope looked away as Italian Jews were deported to death camps. The pope did speak out to plead (unsuccessfully) that the Nazis spare Italian Jews who were baptized as Catholics in the roundup of Jews who were deported to Auschwitz. Supplemented by an extensive bibliography and illustrations, this volume is written in an unencumbered style. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, advanced undergraduates, and graduate students. —J. Fischel, emeritus, Millersville University

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Thanks to Leonard and others, influential leaders like Butler, John Andrews, and Thaddeus Stevens are finally getting their due.

—T. P. Johnson, University of Massachusetts, Boston

Leonard, Elizabeth D. Benjamin Franklin Butler: a noisy, fearless life. North Carolina, 2022. 392p bibl index ISBN 9781469668048, $36.00; ISBN 9781469668055 ebook, $27.99.

Everyone could use some redemption sometimes, even the (in)famous “Beast” Butler, and this fine biography bids fair to provide it. A gleefully polarizing, larger-than-life figure—no pictures truly capture his appearance or physical presence—Benjamin Franklin Butler impacted major issues in the US during the 19th century, notably promoting rights for African Americans, women, and workers. Butler prospered in many endeavors: as a Massachusetts lawyer, military administrator, Unionist, politician, abolitionist, Reconstruction advocate, and businessman. An inadequate field commander, his ineptness sometimes endangered his own men. Yet, as a “political” general representing important voter constituencies, Butler profoundly shaped Civil War policies. At Fort Monroe in May 1861, his inspired decision to retain enslaved fugitives as “contraband of war” struck a mighty first blow leading to slavery’s eventual destruction (p. 66). Leonard (emer., Colby College) covers all of this and more in this well-researched, accessible study. Some readers may skim family details, but these help illuminate Butler’s path from antebellum Democrat to Radical Republican. Thanks to Leonard and others, influential leaders like Butler, John Andrews, and Thaddeus Stevens are finally getting their due. Overturning deleterious Lost Cause interpretations, this is a timely, relevant history for the troubled present. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —T. P. Johnson, University of Massachusetts, Boston

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Plummer’s creative employment of discourse analysis should encourage wider application of this approach across the disciplines and underscores the benefits of studying the role of ordinary citizens and the power of online platforms in politics.

—J. P. Smaldone, Georgetown University

Plummer, Anita. Kenya’s engagement with China: discourse, power, and agency. Michigan State, 2022. 276p bibl index ISBN 9781611864410, $49.95; ISBN 9781609177119 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Amid the copious literature on China-Africa relations, Kenya’s Engagement with China sets a new standard for novel methodologies that yield unique perspectives. Exploiting existing literature and traditional communications media, Plummer (African studies, Howard Univ.) approaches the many dimensions of Kenya’s engagement with China through a critical discourse analysis of online social media platforms supplemented by interviews and personal observations. She compares and contrasts the messaging official sources generate with popular dissenting narratives, which constitute a counter discourse against Kenyan and Chinese “public diplomacy” and opaque officialdom. She examines this dynamic, multilayered, contested domain across four major sets of issues: economic development and trade, the energy sector and environmental justice, indebtedness, and race and labor. Using this counter discourse, Kenya’s engaged publics exercise their agency by directly questioning and challenging their government on a wide range of concerns about internal conditions and international relations. Plummer’s creative employment of discourse analysis should encourage wider application of this approach across the disciplines and underscores the benefits of studying the role of ordinary citizens and the power of online platforms in politics. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —J. P. Smaldone, Georgetown University

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As befits a comprehensive review of crisis communication and management, this book offers numerous case studies, which, thanks to crisp writing and a clear focus, do not overstay their welcome.

—B. St. John, University of Colorado-Boulder

Social media and crisis communication, ed. by Lucinda Austin and Yan Jin. 2nd ed. Routledge, 2022. 432p bibl index ISBN 9780367488994, $160.00; ISBN 9780367489007 pbk, $44.95; ISBN 9781003043409 ebook, $44.95.

Social Media and Crisis Communications, now in its second edition, provides across its 34 chapters a comprehensive overview of the emerging theories and practices for social media and crisis communication and management. This updated edition offers new insights about AI, religious crises, ethics, visual communication, and internal communication. This volume also offers compelling information about “dark” social influencers in the public relations and marketing mix as well as corporate social advocacy—two areas that crisis managers will likely find vital for addressing some crisis scenarios. As befits a comprehensive review of crisis communication and management, this book offers numerous case studies, which, thanks to crisp writing and a clear focus, do not overstay their welcome. Although edited academic volumes tend to suffer from a diffuseness that reveals the editors did not have a clear, thematic through line for their endeavors, this book offers, as the editors state, “a lamp of hope.” More than that, it offers clear thinking, illustrated by sufficiently articulated details, to help crisis communicators in high-pressure situations deliver on that hope through carefully considered actions. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers. —B. St. John, University of Colorado-Boulder

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A born scientist, Boas creatively used statistics with a remarkable grasp of human biology and cultural diversities.

—A. B. Kehoe, emeritus, Marquette University

Zumwalt, Rosemary Lévy. Franz Boas: shaping anthropology and fostering social justice. Nebraska, 2022. 648p bibl index ISBN 9781496216915, $39.95; ISBN 9781496233318 ebook, $39.95.

This second volume by Zumwalt (emer., Agnes Scott College) completes the author’s biography of Franz Boas, which began with Franz Boas: The Emergence of the Anthropologist (2019). This volume opens with his move to Columbia University in 1899 and ends with his 1942 death. Zumwalt describes Boas as a scientist able to organize and lead, concerned about and helpful with his students’ needs, and as a family man and gifted pianist. Boas also maintained an unstinting commitment to social justice. His picture here builds from informal correspondence with his students, who are given mini biographies. Firmly against misogyny, Boas argued ceaselessly for his women students, and he literally stood strong for Black students, traveling to historically Black colleges for their commencements. During the 1930s, he led committees and programs assisting refugees escaping Nazism in a US seething with anti-Semitism. A born scientist, Boas creatively used statistics with a remarkable grasp of human biology and cultural diversities. However, real-world issues, crises, and people always grabbed his attention and time. Boas and his students struggled to support marginalized groups—e.g., Black people, First Nations members, women—against powerful elites’ domination of the US, which makes this book significant today. Moreover, Zumwalt’s lively style and abundant use of quotes make readers feel they are present. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, advanced undergraduates through faculty, and professionals. —A. B. Kehoe, emeritus, Marquette University

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