Editors’ Picks: November 2024 Edition

10 reviews handpicked from the latest issue of Choice.

Posted on November 14, 2024 in Editors' Picks

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By creating an accessible format of course design principles, this book guides would-be teachers on how to engage topics as varied as geography, trade, migration, disease, empire, and the impact of the environment on Indian Ocean societies.

—I. Blumi, Stockholm University

Alpers, Edward A. A primer for teaching Indian Ocean world history: ten design principles, by Edward A. Alpers and Thomas F. McDow. Duke, 2024. 216p bibl index ISBN 9781478026068, $99.95; ISBN 9781478030294 pbk, $25.95; ISBN 9781478059295 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Drawing on years of experience researching and teaching the history of the Indian Ocean world, this clever primer penned by historians Alpers (emer., Univ. of California, Los Angeles) and McDow (Ohio State Univ.) not only supplements, but likely replaces, the outdated textbooks college and high school educators use to introduce students to such a vast and complex story. The task of encouraging those already teaching and future instructors to adopt au courant research into their world history courses invariably addresses the frustrations scholars of the Indian Ocean world have with their field’s neglect. By creating an accessible format of course design principles, this book guides would-be teachers on how to engage topics as varied as geography, trade, migration, disease, empire, and the impact of the environment on Indian Ocean societies. As such, the helpful introduction to non-European sources that accommodates the historical methodologies to which these two experts of the field contributed over the years makes this an excellent tool for instructors seeking new ways to develop their curriculum and thus enrich their students’ experience when learning about how the Indian Ocean contributes to world history. Superb for graduate students, advanced scholars, and high school teachers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. —I. Blumi, Stockholm University

It is essential reading for librarians, humanities scholars, university leaders, and policymakers, and it compares with the more focused and practice-oriented Open Access and the Humanities (2014) by Martin Paul Eve.

—L. C. Duhon, The University of Toledo

Arthur, Paul Longley. Open scholarship in the humanities, by Paul Longley Arthur and Lydia Hearn. Bloomsbury Academic, 2024. 160p bibl index ISBN 9781350232273, $64.00; ISBN 9781350232297 ebook, $64.00.

This slim volume summarizes open scholarship from the late 1990s to the present, succinctly compiling the movements (e.g., the BBB declarations, including the Berlin Declaration) foundational to open science and ultimately to the humanities. A blueprint for building on open scholarship, it further calls for bringing the same degree of openness to the humanities as has served the sciences for decades. The authors draw a “two cultures” distinction between challenges encountered in open access to science and those uniquely experienced by scholars in the humanities, which is only fully confronted in the fourth chapter (p. 45). Importantly, they also address the diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges that remain to be overcome to ensure social change globally (e.g., the sovereign representation of Indigenous cultures). This theoretical and policy-oriented volume is an unparalleled reference on the principles guiding open science to date, offering keen insight into barriers to open scholarship that persist in the humanities (data protection, copyright, recognition, infrastructure, funding, etc.). It is heavily referenced, with notes comprising nearly half of the overall text. It is essential reading for librarians, humanities scholars, university leaders, and policymakers, and it compares with the more focused and practice-oriented Open Access and the Humanities (2014) by Martin Paul Eve. Summing Up: Essential. Graduate students through faculty; professionals. —L. C. Duhon, The University of Toledo

For students of modernism in general and Joycean scholars in particular, this book is indispensable.

—G. E. Bender, SUNY Cortland

Attridge, Derek. Forms of modernist fiction: reading the novel from James Joyce to Tom McCarthy. Edinburgh University Press, 2023. 272p bibl index ISBN 9781399512459, $120.00; ISBN 9781399512473 ebook, contact publisher for price.

This important new work by Attridge (emer., Univ. of York, UK) is as ambitious in depth as it is impressive in breadth. Attridge centers his analysis on James Joyce’s Ulysses, a novel he believes is unparalleled for the immense challenge it presents to the tradition of the novel that preceded the modernist explosion. The formal inventiveness introduced by Ulysses, Attridge claims, began a “renovation of the novel tradition” that propels literary innovation to the present day. Attridge advances this claim with a series of persuasive, subtle readings of Ulysses that introduce such concepts as “inorganic form” to describe a detaching of form from content so that their relationship “is no longer organic” or intrinsic but characterized, instead, by a degree of arbitrariness that can account for, among other things, wide variations in style within a single work. After exploring Ulysses’ unique formal richness, Attridge expands the scope of his analysis to trace Joycean patterns in the work of writers spanning continents, including W. F. Hermans, Zoë Wicomb, and Kamila Shamsie. For students of modernism in general and Joycean scholars in particular, this book is indispensable. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —G. E. Bender, SUNY Cortland

It is a historically oriented philosophical work with contemporary significance.

—J. F. Richeimer, Kenyon College

Boersma, John. Aristotle’s quarrel with Socrates: friendship in political thought. SUNY Press, 2024. 294p bibl index ISBN 9781438496702, $99.00; ISBN 9781438496726 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Friendship is typically thought of as a private pleasure with no political implications. Friendship is not taken to be part of the public sphere, and when it is considered politically, it is usually treated as an obstruction to a healthy politics, as in cases of favoritism. The actual basis for our political life is a combination of utility, autonomy, and profit. Boersma (Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison) argues that Socrates and Aristotle, in very different ways, believe that friendship is actually the very basis of healthy politics. Real friendship means seeing the excellence in another person’s character. It enriches one’s life. It makes one understand the value of humans. Further, Boersma argues that the founders of the American Republic understood this. Self-interest, laws, penalties, etc., are not sufficient for maintaining a thriving political community. Relations among political leaders, for instance, cannot be just transactional. Without friendships among political leaders, the community fractures. Boersma examines how Socrates and Aristotle differ in their understanding of friendship and, thus, differ on what role politics should play in life. The book is very readable and clearly written, and will provoke discussion. It is a historically oriented philosophical work with contemporary significance. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty. —J. F. Richeimer, Kenyon College

Hartley’s claim that current law is redeemable must contend with the notorious reform dilemma that legislative changes need already strengthened reform movements, but activists, scholars, and readers lacking practical experience will appreciate his clear and comprehensible explications of the real world of labor organizing without adequate legal protections.

—A. B. Cochran, emeritus, Agnes Scott College

Hartley, Roger C. Fulfilling the pledge: securing industrial democracy for American workers in a digital economy. MIT, 2024. 306p bibl index ISBN 9780262547130, $45.00; ISBN 9780262377355 ebook, $44.99.

Hartley (law, Catholic Univ.) presents a digestible, straightforward argument that many more American workers desire representation than currently belong to unions; that greater union density would serve unorganized workers and the public good; that labor law fails to encourage collective bargaining; and that the law is amenable to reform. He backs this persuasive logic with extensive evidence, especially in describing the “representation gap” between desired and realized organization and the social value of an organized workforce. Although recognizing several plausible causes for labor’s contemporary weaknesses, Hartley centers labor law as a major contributor and suggests solutions, many tracking the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (which he helpfully summarizes). Shaun Richman’s Tell the Bosses We’re Coming (2020) diagnoses flawed worker protections from a broader perspective, offering a wider array of solutions in contrast to Hartley’s narrower, but deeper and more detailed, legal approach. Hartley’s claim that current law is redeemable must contend with the notorious reform dilemma that legislative changes need already strengthened reform movements, but activists, scholars, and readers lacking practical experience will appreciate his clear and comprehensible explications of the real world of labor organizing without adequate legal protections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —A. B. Cochran, emeritus, Agnes Scott College

Knight has always been a masterful close reader of literature, and his analysis of a broad range of texts within the context of ecocriticism is cogent and enthralling.

—A. L. Kaufman, Ball State University

Knight, Stephen. Nature and medieval literature. University of Wales Press, 2024. 312p bibl index ISBN 9781837721023, $105.00; ISBN 9781837721030 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Knight (Univ. of Melbourne, Australia, Cardiff Univ., Wales) has authored numerous important books on the Robin Hood tradition, Arthurian studies, Chaucer, and crime fiction. This volume is a significant, comprehensive study of the natural world in European medieval literature, including the ways in which nature is represented, how literary characters interact with their environment, and how the natural world can serve as a critique of the ways in which humans have interacted, shaped, and affected the world in which we live. Knight has always been a masterful close reader of literature, and his analysis of a broad range of texts within the context of ecocriticism is cogent and enthralling. The book contains seven chapters, beginning with medieval Welsh literature (Culhwch ac Olwen and the Mabinogi), Old French romances, Chaucerian texts, and Middle English romances. A substantial chapter is devoted to nature within the works of two Scottish writers of the 15th century, William Dunbar and Robert Henryson. Nature is an ever-present feature in the Robin Hood tradition, and Knight’s discussion of it in medieval and postmedieval works is wide-ranging. The book concludes with a thoughtful study of nature in select Middle English religious and secular lyrics. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty. —A. L. Kaufman, Ball State University

The book presents a fascinating and heavily documented view of John Muir and his generation along with their flaws, issues that still plague the US today.

—C. W. Bruns, emeritus, California State University–Fullerton

McNally, Robert Aquinas. Cast out of Eden: the untold story of John Muir, Indigenous peoples, and the American wilderness. Nebraska, 2024. 328p bibl index ISBN 9781496227263, $34.95; ISBN 9781496239198 ebook, $34.95.

John Muir is best known as a respected early environmentalist who called for the protection of the American wilderness. His activism led to the protection of the Sierra Nevada mountains and particularly Yosemite National Park. Muir’s observations would encourage environmentalism and protection of our wilderness areas, which continues today. In this volume, McNally, a freelance writer and editor, focuses on a different side of Muir. He looks at the destructive behavior of the US directed toward conquered Indigenous peoples as they endured cultural annihilation and forced removal from wilderness areas. McNally finds that Muir’s writing and his behavior reflect the prevailing attitudes of the dominate white culture of the time. Muir felt that the best use of the land was to preserve it for the use of “Euro-Americans,” not recognizing that Indigenous peoples already occupied the land. The book presents a fascinating and heavily documented view of John Muir and his generation along with their flaws, issues that still plague the US today. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. —C. W. Bruns, emeritus, California State University–Fullerton

Highly recommended for any teacher, school leader, policy maker, or researcher who desires a vision for improved science education.

—D. M. Moss, University of Connecticut

Morales-Doyle, Daniel. Transformative science teaching: a catalyst for justice and sustainability. Harvard Education Press, 2024. 192p bibl index ISBN 9781682538746 pbk, $34.00.

The promise of improved science teaching and learning has gone unfulfilled since the reform movements of the latter half of the 20th century. National standards have come and gone, and yet science classroom teaching today would look familiar to those who taught more than a generation ago. Transformative Science Teaching lays out a vision for science education reform grounded in justice-centered science pedagogy, practice-based professional learning, and youth participatory engagement. The book offers a bold yet practical approach designed to impact real-world communities and the pupils who learn there. Reframing various assumptions, chapter 2 peels back layers of problems to be addressed, including the perceived lack of student motivation. Moving away from a deficit model and blaming students, this book calls for a relevant and engaging curriculum to meet all students’ needs. Outlining creative curricular alternatives is a start, and this book would have benefited from even more attention given to a detailed, comprehensive assessment model. The latter is likely to drive any reform efforts, but the big-picture road map offered in this volume is a good start. Highly recommended for any teacher, school leader, policy maker, or researcher who desires a vision for improved science education. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals. —D. M. Moss, University of Connecticut

Though organized into seven thematic sections, the theme of authenticity runs throughout, as does the work and career of John Lydon (Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd.). Among philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche is widely cited.

—J. G. Matthews, Washington State University

Post-punk and philosophy, ed. by Joshua Heter and Richard Greene. Open Universe, 2024. 304p bibl index ISBN 9781637700570, $24.95.

Volume XIII in “Open Universe’s Pop Culture and Philosophy” series, this book is an essential contribution to scholarship examining connections between post-punk and philosophy. As with similar collections covering music and culture, the definition of the topic remains flexible, but a consensus about what post-punk is does emerge and references music mostly created during punk’s heyday in the late 70s–80s, with exceptions. Contributions range widely across diverse inquiries into post-punk and philosophical research. While most essays deal with British bands and Western philosophy—ancient as well as modern—a few explore connections between post-punk and Eastern thought, Indigenous traditions, and post-modern criticism, while others address the psychological, aesthetic, and political dimensions of post-punk. Though organized into seven thematic sections, the theme of authenticity runs throughout, as does the work and career of John Lydon (Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd.). Among philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche is widely cited. The book concludes with author biographies, which include lists of favorite post-punk bands and records; though mentioned several times in this section, the Violent Femmes do not receive comment in any contribution. Summing Up: Essential. Undergraduates through faculty. —J. G. Matthews, Washington State University

This fascinating book will appeal to readers who are interested in the fields of disability studies, environmental studies, science and technology, and the history of medicine.

—H. Caldwell, Chestnut Hill College

Wolf-Meyer, Matthew J. American disgust: racism, microbial medicine, and the colony within. Minnesota, 2024. 296p bibl index ISBN 9781517916237, $116.00; ISBN 9781517916244 pbk, $29.00; ISBN 9781452971063 ebook, $29.00.

In the 20th century, the notion of eating “right” and maintaining wellness became a moral project, one in which “healthy” citizens contributed to the social order, while those deemed unhealthy represented objects of disgust. In this thought-provoking book, Wolf-Meyer (Rensselaer Polytechnic Univ.) seeks to “unsettle” society’s perceptions of disgust by exploring how they became intertwined with ideals of whiteness in American society. Promoting the virtues of self-regulation and “normalcy” in stark contrast to disorder and disease, Wolf-Meyer argues, was essential to creating and upholding the construct of whiteness. These mechanisms, grounded in the history of colonialism and racism, were later recognized as forms of medicine that demarcated the healthy from the diseased, the able-bodied from the “dis-abled,” and whiteness from Blackness. Drawing on historical texts, archival sources, and current scientific research, American Disgust traces how society’s perceptions of disgust have evolved since the 19th century, and proposes a collaborative approach to health and healing. This fascinating book will appeal to readers who are interested in the fields of disability studies, environmental studies, science and technology, and the history of medicine. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers. —H. Caldwell, Chestnut Hill College

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