Still, this is a seminal work of scholarship, well-translated from the French, and an important contribution for both genocide scholars and general readers.
—P. G. Conway, SUNY College at Oneonta
Becker, Annette. Messengers of disaster: Raphael Lemkin, Jan Karski, and twentieth-century genocides, tr. by Käthe Roth. Wisconsin, 2021. 304p bibl index ISBN 9780299333201, $38.95; ISBN 9780299333232 ebook, contact publisher for price.
This research best explains why most people did not or could not comprehend the Holocaust while it happened, despite evidence available as early as the summer of 1942. Becker (Paris Nanterre Univ., France) analyzes the effects of WW I propaganda, especially the contributions of Rafael Lemkin and the lesser-known Polish soldier and Catholic student Jan Kozielewski (renamed Karski after he surreptitiously infiltrated Nazi facilities during WW II). Karski first documented detailed accounts of atrocities and the mass killings of Jews, primarily in his wartime efforts to publicize the struggle of all Poles against Nazi aggression. His report was delivered to FDR in December of 1942, and they met six months later. Details were widely publicized but not persuasive in making the cause of Jewish survival distinct from winning the war. The legacies of both Lemkin and Karski are respectfully, albeit critically, examined here, though Douglas Irvin-Erickson provides a more extensive analysis of Lemkin’s life and achievements in Raphaël Lemkin and the Concept of Genocide (CH, May’17, 54-4470). Still, this is a seminal work of scholarship, well-translated from the French, and an important contribution for both genocide scholars and general readers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers and advanced undergraduates through faculty. —P. G. Conway, SUNY College at Oneonta
Her unique, insightful study of family history’s role and potential will appeal equally to genealogists, academic historians, and the larger reading public.
—J. P. Smaldone, Georgetown University
Evans, Tanya. Family history, historical consciousness and citizenship: a new social history. Bloomsbury Academic, 2022. 236p bibl index ISBN 9781350212060, $115.00; ISBN 9781350212114 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Evans (Macquarie Univ., Australia) is a public historian specializing in the history of the family, family history/genealogy, and women’s history. Here, she takes readers’ understanding of the contemporary practice, meaning, and social significance of family history to new levels. Although focused on Australia, Britain, and Canada, the volume’s conceptual reach, methods, and applications are global. Based on extensive literature and the author’s own cross-national survey research, the text explores how “little people” participate in and contribute in many ways to public and social history; their impact on individual and collective memory; the multiple emotional dimensions of their experience; how family historians produce and share knowledge, including how they engage with the academic world; how their efforts change understandings of themselves, history, and social perceptions; and how societies remember their past and imagine their future. Evans pointedly promotes engagement and collaboration across social and international boundaries and the social value of family history in advancing and democratizing historical knowledge. Her unique, insightful study of family history’s role and potential will appeal equally to genealogists, academic historians, and the larger reading public. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. —J. P. Smaldone, Georgetown University
A fresh thinker, unafraid of what others think, Soros succeeds at almost everything he attempts.
—J. J. Janney, University of Dayton
George Soros: a life in full, ed. by Peter L. W. Osnos. 3rd ed. Harvard Business Review Press, 2022. 320p bibl index ISBN 9781647822798, $30.00; ISBN 9781647822804 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Who is George Soros? He is widely recognized as an investor and a philanthropist, but he is poorly understood. Supporters think he is wonderful; critics think he is dangerous. This edited collection provides a more thorough answer. The volume’s editor, Osnos (founder, PublicAffairs), describes Soros as a “Survivor, Billionaire, Speculator, Philanthropist, Philosopher, Political Activist, Nemesis of the Far Right, Global Citizen” and invites eight contributors to discuss Soros largely in terms of a given label. Because some of the contributors have directly benefited from Soros (e.g., Michael Ignatieff served as rector and president of Central European University, which Soros founded and endowed), the book is largely sympathetic toward Soros, and criticisms are often softened. Sebastian Mallaby’s chapter on Soros’s speculation is fascinating because much of Soros’s wealth came not from superior insights but from taking major risks. Soros applied behavioral insights to investing before behavioral economics was formally developed and reaped billions as a result. Soros applies this logic to the other areas of his life, although perhaps not quite as successfully. A fresh thinker, unafraid of what others think, Soros succeeds at almost everything he attempts. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. —J. J. Janney, University of Dayton
The book challenges both liberal and conservative orthodoxy regarding separatism, providing a fair and thorough treatment.
—A. P. Audette, Monmouth College
Green, Steven K. Separating church and state: a history. Cornell, 2022. 246p bibl index ISBN 9781501762062, $42.95; ISBN 9781501762079 ebook, $27.99.
Green (law, Willamette Univ.) continues his extensive research into the religion clauses with a sweeping historical summary of the separation of church and state as a concept. Beginning with the pre-Enlightenment religious roots of separatism and continuing to the present day, the book argues that today’s debates over the separation of church and state differ from the original construct, waxing and waning with various legal, religious, and political developments in American society. Green concludes that the separation of church and state is legally and culturally in decline though it remains resilient as an idea. He also claims that today’s debates over a wall of separation are more symbolic than real. The book challenges both liberal and conservative orthodoxy regarding separatism, providing a fair and thorough treatment. It especially shines when taking the separation of church and state out of the American legal context and discussing its antecedents. Paired with Philip Hamburger’s Separation of Church and State (CH, Dec’02, 40-2112), this book opens an interesting dialogue about the concept in the early days of the Constitution, which is of particular importance to recent religion cases decided by the Supreme Court and to all looking to understand the Court’s religious jurisprudence. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —A. P. Audette, Monmouth College
In this way, Hart shows that Franklin was the quintessential Anglo-Protestant, but this was the limit of Franklin’s Protestantism. He had no place for dogma: his religion had to have direct application to civic life, and it had to be oriented toward good works for others.
—S. Wolfe, Louisiana State University
Hart, D. G. Benjamin Franklin: cultural Protestant. Oxford, 2021. 272p bibl index ISBN 9780198788997, $40.00; ISBN 9780191093395 ebook, contact publisher for price.
There is no dispute among scholars that Benjamin Franklin was no orthodox Protestant. But as Hart (Hillsdale College) shows, one cannot understand Franklin’s life and his theological positions separate from his Anglo-Protestant milieu. Best understood as a “cultural Protestant,” Franklin’s life exemplified certain Protestant virtues of hard work, frugality, civic-mindedness, personal responsibility, and practical wisdom. In this way, Hart shows that Franklin was the quintessential Anglo-Protestant, but this was the limit of Franklin’s Protestantism. He had no place for dogma: his religion had to have direct application to civic life, and it had to be oriented toward good works for others. Franklin’s religion, according to Hart, is emblematic of and partly contributed to a significant shift in religion that occurred in and around the time of the Great Awakening and developed well into the 20th century—the shift from an emphasis on piety to moralism. The old Puritan concern for formal, instituted worship and heavenly life gave way to concerns for good works, social reform, and earthly life. Franklin is the “original American” (p. 145) in this regard, who “broke the path that Americans later followed” (p. 144). Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers and advanced undergraduates through faculty. —S. Wolfe, Louisiana State University
This anthology begins to answer some key questions about the aging sporting population and encourages further research.
—S. K. Fields, University of Colorado Denver
Lifestyle sports and identities: subcultural careers through the life course, ed. by Tyler Dupont and Becky Beal. Routledge, 2021. 320p bibl index ISBN 9780367355999, $160.00; ISBN 9780429340505 ebook, $48.95.
Dupont (State University of New York, Oneonta) and Beal (California State University, East Bay) have edited a volume that explores an important, understudied area of sport and leisure. Twenty different chapters address guiding questions about how sport identities and participation change over time in “lifestyle” sports. Though one can quibble over definitions such as what a lifestyle sport is—the editors define it as an alternative sport that is participant driven with limited administrative structures—and the definitions of the age categories—midlife is 18–55 years of age, which seems broad—many essays tell fascinating stories of older athletes. Though the quality, methodology, and subjects of the chapters vary, certain themes appear recurrently. Adults often participate in sport for the sake of community as well as physical activity, and social media help organize adult sporting events and adult participation. The anthology covers a wide range of sporting activities, such as surfing, skateboarding, rock climbing, and Jeeping, from around the world. The first section of the book on career and activity in midlife is particularly strong, and the section about making a career of one’s alternative sport offers intriguing perspectives. This anthology begins to answer some key questions about the aging sporting population and encourages further research. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. —S. K. Fields, University of Colorado Denver
Readers may learn to understand the challenges faced by moths, and even to think about ways to protect these interesting and useful creatures.
—J. M. Gonzalez, Austin Achieve Public Schools
Sourakov, Andrei. The lives of moths: a natural history of our planet’s moth life, by Andrei Sourakov and Rachel Warren Chadd. Princeton, 2022. 288p bibl index ISBN 9780691228563, $29.95; ISBN 9780691230368 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Books about moths are not as common as those about butterflies, but Sourakov (Florida Museum of Natural History) and Chadd (a freelance writer) have contributed this new work to demonstrate the importance and relevance of moths. The text begins with an introductory chapter explaining the basics of moth biology and physiology, including some discussion of the taxonomy of moths. The next chapter explains their metamorphosis from egg to imago in sections devoted to each. This is followed by a comprehensive chapter dealing with ecology and moth behavior. Following this prelude, the last six chapters present detailed accounts of moths that live and thrive in various different biomes: tropical forests, grasslands/meadows, deserts/tundra, temperate forests, and “agroecosystems” including human homes. The final sections of the book include a short, well-thought-out glossary, a list of many moth families with their various numbers of genera and species, and a list of Lepidoptera-relevant organizations and other useful websites that readers may explore further. This is an excellent and accurate source of information, featuring a plethora of beautiful images of moths in the wild and plenty of explanatory graphs and maps. Readers may learn to understand the challenges faced by moths, and even to think about ways to protect these interesting and useful creatures. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. —J. M. Gonzalez, Austin Achieve Public Schools
Tulshyan explains how important it is to disaggregate demographic data to ensure that initiatives are equitable across all identity groups. In particular, she centers women of color, whose specific experiences are frequently lost in the shuffle.
—A. Dantes, Oak Lawn Public Library
Tulshyan, Ruchika. Inclusion on purpose: an intersectional approach to creating a culture of belonging at work. MIT, 2022. 296p bibl index ISBN 9780262046558, $29.95; ISBN 9780262368605 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Tulshyan, an inclusion strategist, provides a manual for creating more-inclusive workplaces. Using anecdotes from her personal life and a plethora of people of color she interviewed, Tulshyan creates a compelling case study of how companies often fail at being inclusive and identifies the steps they can take to change workplace cultures and ensure more equitable hiring and retention practices. She details striking examples from companies, such as Adobe and Culture Amp, that have made substantial changes to improve their corporate cultures, but she is also very pointed about what most businesses are doing wrong. Tulshyan explains how important it is to disaggregate demographic data to ensure that initiatives are equitable across all identity groups. In particular, she centers women of color, whose specific experiences are frequently lost in the shuffle. Each chapter ends with reflexive questions or checklists to reinforce the message of the chapter. Inclusion on Purpose is a good book for transforming organizations and essential reading for anyone trying to make friendlier, more-inclusive workplaces. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers. —A. Dantes, Oak Lawn Public Library
A most important aspect of the collection is that each case is written up by the individuals involved in the particular project, often with two or more authors involved.
—A. T. Moody, MEDVAMC
University and public behavioral health organization collaboration: models for success in justice contexts, ed. by Kirk Heilbrun et al. Oxford, 2021. 232p bibl index ISBN 9780190052850 pbk, $60.00; ISBN 9780190052874 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Edited by Heilbrun (Drexel Univ.), Wright (Temple Univ.), Giallella (Philadelphia Dept. of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services), and DeMatteo (Drexel Univ.), this book is a collection of nine case study examples that offer rationale for continued collaborative efforts to respond to and prevent violence. The collection offers a variety of pragmatic frameworks for cooperative, interprofessional efforts to address matters of health service delivery policy as they relate to criminal justice situations. An important strength of this text is its diversity of examples, from the establishment of a forensic training clinic within a doctoral psychology program to a reexamination of case management practices for justice-involved youth. Each case study begins by providing necessary background information including a rationale for the collaborative project and identification of key stakeholders; then follows a detailed description of the project, and lessons learned before, during, and after. This organizational format makes the book accessible to a wide variety of audiences, including academics and students as well as community practitioners. A most important aspect of the collection is that each case is written up by the individuals involved in the particular project, often with two or more authors involved. This direct connection lends additional credibility and emphasizes the importance of translational research and collaborative community projects. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. —A. T. Moody, MEDVAMC
The book’s value extends beyond the printed pages: extensive supplementary resources are available online, including a searchable database of reviews and more than 7,000 annotated bibliographies.
—S. McCarragher, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
What works in conservation: 2021, ed. by William J. Sutherland et al. Open Book Publishers, 2021. 1,017p ISBN 9781800642737, $71.95; ISBN 9781800642720 pbk, $49..80; ISBN 9781800642751 ebook, contact publisher for price.
This large, annually updated volume edited by Sutherland (Univ. of Cambridge) and others is packed with useful, evidence-based synopses of practical conservation management interventions. Findings from studies that have quantitatively monitored the effectiveness of conservation interventions are based on a comprehensive literature review (30 scientific journals, more than 300 specialist journals and non-English journals, and more). The volume is well organized, color-coded by degrees of effectiveness, and user-friendly. Interventions are categorized into 15 conservation topics, ranging from specific animal groups to landcover types, ecosystems, and broader biomes and further organized by, e.g., threat levels, desired outcomes, effectiveness, and certainty. General and species-specific guidance is included. Though its quantitative emphasis excludes valuable qualitative knowledge about conservation, this work is an excellent general resource for decision-makers, policy makers, and other stakeholders involved in conservation efforts. It could also be used in whole or selectively to inform discussion in an undergraduate course. The book’s value extends beyond the printed pages: extensive supplementary resources are available online, including a searchable database of reviews and more than 7,000 annotated bibliographies. The editors strongly advise users to consult these supplemental resources for detailed accounts of evidence, based on relevancy to the context/species of concern. Notably, the book is also available for free download from the publisher. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. Students in two-year technical programs. General readers. —S. McCarragher, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
