Editors’ Picks for November 2025

10 reviews handpicked from the latest issue of Choice—feminist sport, racial inequities in public school discipline, and Costa Rica's butterflies

Posted on November 13, 2025 in Editors' Picks

---

…a compelling introduction to critiques of the sporting binary and to understanding why eliminating that binary is likely best for everyone.

—S. K. Fields, University of Colorado Denver

Bekker, Sheree. Open play: the case for feminist sport, by Sheree Bekker and Stephen Mumford. Reaktion Books, 2025. 180p bibl index ISBN 9781836390534, $22.50.

Open Play asks why women’s sport should be separated or, as the authors state, segregated from men’s sport. The authors, one a sports philosopher and the other an expert in sports injury prevention, articulate a detailed, clearly written, easy-to-comprehend argument that the gender binary in sport is to protect the patriarchy. They dismiss arguments that male bodies are inherently athletically superior to female bodies, noting that women eventually match male athletes’ records despite having no social, political, or sporting equality. Instead, gender segregation protects the superiority of men’s sport—usually just called sport. Women’s sport is further minimized by positing that women need protection. This leads to exclusion: exclusion of trans athletes, exclusion of any person who fails to meet the femininity standards the (often male) sport administrators impose, and exclusion of anyone put off by gender tests. Instead, the authors call for a new feminist sport model, valuing inclusion, compassion, care, freedom, and openness. The book is a compelling introduction to critiques of the sporting binary and to understanding why eliminating that binary is likely best for everyone. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. —S. K. Fields, University of Colorado Denver

---

…this book is necessary reading for anyone who doubts the relevance of psychoanalysis for the 21st century and all its challenges—social, political, emotional, and environmental.

—M. Uebel, University of Texas

Bolognini, Stefano. Freud and the changing world: contemporary psychoanalysis and its troubles, by Stefano Bolognini and Luca Nicoli. Karnac Books, 2024. 182p bibl index ISBN 9781800132801, $31.95.

Bolognini and Nicoli (both, Italian Psychoanalytic Society) offer readers a special opportunity to observe two brilliant psychoanalytic minds in dialogue. Nicoli poses thoughtful questions about the state of psychoanalysis in the contemporary world and how psychoanalysis might be suited (or not) to address some of the world’s most imposing problems. Bolognini, in response, frames the psychoanalytic enterprise in historical and cultural terms meant to revitalize the discipline as a whole. The conversations span a wide range of subjects: from the place of the unconscious in therapy to issues of gender and identity and the world’s ecological future. Truly impressive is the absolute accessibility of the ideas, such that readers do not have to be analysts themselves to understand them. Those who are analysts will find discussions of the state of psychoanalytic training, the operations of transference and countertransference, and the role of technology in therapeutic practice of particular interest. Because there is also so much here for the interested general reader, this book is necessary reading for anyone who doubts the relevance of psychoanalysis for the 21st century and all its challenges—social, political, emotional, and environmental. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers. —M. Uebel, University of Texas

---

…uses inscriptions, poetry, and non-Arabic contemporary writings to develop a social and religious portrait of Muhammad’s community.

—R. W. Zens, Le Moyne College

Lindstedt, Ilkka. Muḥammad and his followers in context: the religious map of late antique Arabia. Brill, 2024. 372p bibl index ISBN 9789004687127, $109.00; ISBN 9789004691742 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Depictions of the Prophet Muhammad and his religious movement have long been based on non-contemporary sources. In recent years, scholars have incorporated new sources to replace traditional Arabic historiography. Among these scholars is Lindstedt (Univ. of Helsinki, Finland), who uses inscriptions, poetry, and non-Arabic contemporary writings to develop a social and religious portrait of Muhammad’s community. Following in Fred Donner’s footsteps, Lindstedt depicts a community of believers, rather than Muslims, embracing the teachings of Muhammad. The book opens with several chapters establishing the presence of Jews, Christians, and monotheistic/henotheistic gentiles in Arabia in the period during and prior to Muhammad’s lifetime. Their presence, which represented a Jewish majority in South Arabia and a Christian majority in North Arabia, disputes the common narrative of Arabia being dominated by polytheistic idol worshippers, and instead asserts that polytheistic beliefs had largely disappeared by the sixth century. Thus, most of Muhammad’s early followers already possessed monotheistic beliefs and had some familiarity with the ideas and narratives presented in the revelations. The author also demonstrates that the Quran accommodated and included Jews and Christians, since they were a key part of the early community. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —R. W. Zens, Le Moyne College

---

The author’s seminal research goes a long way toward filling the existing lacunae in the research frontier.

—L. Yacher, emeritus, Southern Connecticut State University

Mittman, Asa Simon. Cartographies of exclusion: anti-Semitic mapping in medieval England. Pennsylvania State, 2024 (c2025). 256p bibl index ISBN 9780271097466, $109.95; ISBN 9780271097879 ebook, contact publisher for price.

This is an important, timely, and unique contribution! Mittman (art and art History, California State Univ., Chico) analyzes numerous medieval maps to gain a greater understanding of anti-Semitism in England during that period. One cannot avoid relating this to current events taking place worldwide. Reading this detailed examination of the cartography of Christendom is a challenge to the emotions, as it brings to life a sense of belonging in a perilous and unsettling world. Sadly, the book leaves a heavy feeling of how members of a dominant group can vilify and control actions against those chosen for exclusion by dehumanizing them for their differences. Maps can be effective in providing the kind of information that can persuade a percipient to conclude representations that support or defy truth. Mittman examines the less obvious yet subtle details found in medieval period maps that relay heavily negative messages about Jews. The author’s seminal research goes a long way toward filling the existing lacunae in the research frontier. For uninitiated readers, each chapter’s contents provide marginalized perspectives. Complemented by abundant photos, maps, and a rich bibliography, this must-read volume covers topics that remain underresearched. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, advanced undergraduates through faculty, and professionals. —L. Yacher, emeritus, Southern Connecticut State University

---

…the presented information will be an invaluable resource for tourists, nature lovers, and biologists who want to know or learn about Costa Rican Lepidoptera.

—J. M. Gonzalez, Austin Achieve Public Schools

Murillo-Hiller, Luis Ricardo. Butterflies and moths of Costa Rica. Comstock Publishing Associates, 2025. 328p bibl index ISBN 9781501781605 pbk, $34.95.

This work, authored by lepidopterist Murillo-Hiller (formerly, Univ. of Costa Rica), delves into the diverse species of Lepidoptera found in Costa Rica. The first pages feature a practical introduction to lepidopteran biology, ecology, and systematics, as well as an overview of Costa Rica’s geography, weather, and ecosystems. Following this, the book is organized into eight well-defined groups that present the morphology, taxonomy, life cycles, natural history, and detailed range maps for 70 moths, 11 skippers, and 91 butterflies. The book shines with stunning photographs that display larvae, pupae, and adults, sometimes both males and females. The combination of figures and the clear and mostly approachable language used offers valuable insights that help identify and understand each covered species. A list of Lepidoptera-associated plants, a glossary, and a comprehensive bibliography round off this treatise. Despite the very handy size, the book’s format leans more toward a reference guide than a field guide. A potential drawback could be that the book does not cover everything some users might be looking for. However, the presented information will be an invaluable resource for tourists, nature lovers, and biologists who want to know or learn about Costa Rican Lepidoptera. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals. —J. M. Gonzalez, Austin Achieve Public Schools

---

---

The work provides excellent examples of new directions in Wagnerian scholarship and is an important contribution to the literature.

—B. Doherty, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Wagner studies, ed. by Steven Vande Moortele. Cambridge, 2025. 259p bibl index ISBN 9781108837064, $120.00.

This collection of essays focuses on analytical and theoretical questions surrounding Wagner’s music. Leading scholars address them by employing traditional and contemporary techniques to unearth new interpretations and observations. The first of this volume’s four parts contains two essays: the first, a critical dissection of the many details that bring intense emotion and a sense of community to the work, and the second a broad study of sexuality and gender in Wagner’s works, in which the concept of “bottoming” is used to reveal elements of gay male characterizations. Part 2 references historical forms used to analyze music and drama, for example, Marvin’s essay on the use of solita forma, or double aria, in Wagner’s early dramas. Part 3 includes three essays focusing on the analytical techniques of Wagner’s operas, particularly his use of absolute music within his opera, Riemannian tonal functions and drama, and counterpoint in the late works. Part 4 has two studies that look broadly at Wagner’s reception and impact. The first examines similar uses of silence and gesture in Parsifal and Mahler’s Ninth Symphony. The work provides excellent examples of new directions in Wagnerian scholarship and is an important contribution to the literature. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —B. Doherty, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

---

Welsh (Vanderbilt Univ.) delivers a full-throated bellow, an agonized insistence that educators at all levels pay more attention to the abundant research that identifies the systemic racial discrimination that characterizes public school discipline in the United States. 

—K. Gedge, emerita, West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Welsh, Richard O. Suspended futures: transforming racial inequities in school discipline. Harvard Education Press, 2025. 264p bibl index ISBN 9781682539767, $34.00; ISBN 9781682539781 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Welsh (Vanderbilt Univ.) delivers a full-throated bellow, an agonized insistence that educators at all levels pay more attention to the abundant research that identifies the systemic racial discrimination that characterizes public school discipline in the United States. More than a pipeline to prison, punitive discipline robs Black children of the opportunity to learn and thrive in school and throughout their lives. Welsh tasks superintendents, principals, teachers, school boards, teacher educators, and more to revolutionize disciplinary approaches by focusing on adult and not student behavior. Using his research in the Civil Rights Data Collection and data from and site visits to the New York City Public Schools, Welsh identifies models (the positive outliers) of inclusive and asset-based school climates that welcome and support Black students, their families, and Black educators. The research considers regional distinctions, neighborhoods, income levels, and racial composition. Inclusive schools prioritize building relationships of trust at all levels, supporting students as well as teachers, administrators, and families. The book’s mission is urgent. Calls for protecting teachers with increased punitive discipline policies sacrifice Black students and their learning. Summing Up: Essential. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. —K. Gedge, emerita, West Chester University of Pennsylvania

---

Crucial for regional experts.

—C. C. Kolb, independent scholar

Whalen, Michael E. Reframing Paquimé: community formation in northwest Chihuahua, by Michael E. Whalen and Paul E. Minnis. Arizona, 2025. 314p bibl index ISBN 9780816554669, $75.00; ISBN 9780816554676 ebook, contact publisher for price.

This collaboration between Whalen (emer., Univ. of Tulsa) and Minnis (emer., Univ. of Oklahoma) completes a trilogy—preceded by the books Casas Grande and Its Hinterland (2001) and The Neighbors of Casas Grandes (CH, Mar’10, 47-3901)—on Paquimé (Casas Grandes), a large prehistoric archaeological site in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua attributed to Mogollon culture and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Focusing on five of c. 400 smaller sites, the authors examine how and to what extent Paquimé affected its near and distant neighbors during its 150-year rise, reign, and ruin (1425 CE). Confronting the “small site problem” of the Medio period, the authors’ intensive site survey reveals architecture, room counts (3,259) and configurations, floral and faunal remains, lithics and ceramics (covered mostly in their 2009 book), exotic and ritual items (shell and copper), and trade. They also review site occupational histories, social complexity, and diversity. Supplementing the previous volumes are three maps, 88 figures (mostly line drawings, lacking photographs), 59 tables, and 286 references. Results suggest a Puebloan form of societal organization and a heavy overlay of Mesoamerican concepts and symbolism, expanding and correcting Charles Di Peso’s earlier conclusions in Casas Grandes (1974). Crucial for regional experts. Summing Up: Essential. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —C. C. Kolb, independent scholar

---

This volume would be an excellent addition for all libraries and all reading levels, given its unique nature.

—W. J. Rafter, emeritus, West Virginia University Libraries

Women and the army in the Roman Empire, ed. by Lee L. Brice and Elizabeth Marie Greene. Cambridge, 2024. 360p bibl index ISBN 9781107068575, $135.00; ISBN 9781009623704 ebook, contact publisher for pricing.

This edited collection delves into the role of women in Roman military contexts, a topic that has not been addressed in a single volume previously, even describing the research methods used to determine how these roles were uncovered. The essays are all supported by well-documented references, ensuring a high level of scholarly rigor. Of particular interest are the essays “Mother Courage and Her Children,” which explores the “family and social life of the garrisons stationed in Rome,” and “(In)Visible Women and Children,” which studies “British migrant families in the Roman Army.” Beyond these two essays, there are also interesting discussions on women’s religious roles in the military and a case study looking at Agrippina’s role in the military and in military camps. Some of the authors perhaps overemphasize the valid point of how women (and families) have been treated as invisible in the study of the history of the Roman Army. The volume’s essays succeed in showing that women were an essential element and therefore must be included in studies of the Roman Army. This volume would be an excellent addition for all libraries and all reading levels, given its unique nature. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. —W. J. Rafter, emeritus, West Virginia University Libraries

---

Zukerwise (Simmons Univ.) flips the focus of previous academic studies in a provocative and insightful new book.

—K. Anderson, Eastern Illinois University

Zuckerwise, Lena. Politics in captivity: plantations, prisons, and world-building. Fordham, 2024. 288p bibl index ISBN 9781531507022, $110.00; ISBN 9781531507039 pbk, $32.00; ISBN 9781531507046 ebook, contact publisher for price.

What role do prisons play in the formation of political ideology? How does the experience of incarceration lend itself to strategies of resistance? These questions reveal the limits to current understandings of how prisons profoundly impact modern conceptions of justice and punishment. Zukerwise (Simmons Univ.) flips the focus of previous academic studies in a provocative and insightful new book. She points out that numerous previous critiques of the carceral system have argued that imprisonment is slavery, but she maintains that this is a limited understanding of how prison shapes our politics in that it misses their role in shaping resistance to white supremacy and other forms of injustice. This resistance is the foundation of a politics that challenges physical, social, and political limits to African American freedom. The emphasis on prisons as a locus of political imagination and strategic thinking makes this a challenging and thought-provoking argument that asks essential questions for contemporary politics. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —K. Anderson, Eastern Illinois University

---

Sign up for the Editors’ Picks newsletter to receive the list right in your inbox.

Related Posts