The spring 2008 cyclone that ripped through the Irawaddy Delta region, once again brought the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar to the forefront of world news for the worst of reasons. As if the country’s political and economic woes were not enough, Mother Nature dished out a disaster of her own. As the world rushed to the aid of the cyclone victims, the military regime that holds the country in its iron grip, just as swiftly blocked the flow of aid to those victims.
Until 1989, Myanmar was known as Burma, the name given it during British rule from 1885-1948. The country obtained independence after World War II and elected new leaders despite an economy tattered by years of fighting. But within a short time, a military coup ousted the government. While there have been internal changes in leadership, the military is still in firm control of the government and swiftly squashes any form of political dissent.
To understand Myanmar’s history, it’s helpful to read George Orwell’s, Burmese Days, a depressing, but illuminating novel set during British rule in Burma in the early 20th Century. Orwell had spent five years in Burma as a military policeman before writing the novel. Emma Larkin (pseudonym) visited Myanmar in 2003 and wrote a fascinating account of her attempts to understand the country through the lens of George Orwell’s writings. In Finding George Orwell in Burma, Larkin travels around the country, meeting casually with citizens as she gauges the literary and political undercurrents of an the country.
You may also want to read Perfect Hostage: A Life of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s Prisoner of Conscience. Aung San Suu Kyi is a political activist who was essentially elected as Prime Minister of Myanmar in 1990 but was prevented from taking office by the military.
It’s summer and that means baseball season is in full swing. If you like baseball, chances are you like Yogi Berra, too. The witty former Yankee player, manager, and Hall of Famer sure has a way with words. He’s coined phrases like it ain’t over till it’s over, ninety percent of this game is half mental, and this is like deja vu all over again.
Enjoy Yogi’s unique sense of humor in his latest book, You Can Observe a Lot by Watching: What I’ve Learned about Teamwork from the Yankees and Life (McNaughton Collection, Ber).
Here are a couple more Yogi books:
- When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take it!: Inspiration and Wisdom from one of Baseball’s Greatest Heroes (Main Collection, GV865.B4 A3 2001)
- Yogi: It Ain’t Over (Main Collection, GV865.B4 A27 1997)
The Library has more than 400 other books and movies about baseball, so you’re sure to find something you like.
You may have noticed something you took for granted before. Custodians used to clean the Library after hours, but now they’re here during the day and evening, tidying up after us. So how do the custodial shift changes help reduce global warming? The University can now turn off lights and power down the heat & air conditioning at night to conserve electricity. This cost-saving & energy-conservation initiative is happening across the Univ. of Wisconsin system as we do our part to help the planet.
For many people, the New Year prompts thoughts of leaving bad habits behind or maybe trying something new. If you’re determined to do better in the coming year than you did last year, the Library can help. You may not have had the Library in mind when you made your resolutions, but once you’ve made ‘em, we can help you keep ‘em. The Library is a great place to find books that will help you turn over a new page in your life.
Here are a few searches in the Online Catalog that will help you find books and videos on these popular New Year’s Resolutions:
Open to Suggestions
Hey, we’re open to suggestions on titles to add to our collection. Recently a student asked if we could purchase a DVD of Babel, starring Cate Blanchett & Brad Pitt. Since we’re starting a collection of popular movies, we bought a copy. Cool, huh?
If you suggest a title to add to our collection, you’ll get a personal response from a librarian letting you know if the item is a good fit for our library. Generally we only add academically-oriented books to the collection, but with movies we’ll consider fun titles too.
So if you find a book you think we should have or your professor suggests that you watch a movie we don’t have, fill out our online Suggest a Book form (it works for videos, too).
Hope to hear from you soon!
Need it Quicker?
If you’re in a hurry to get something we don’t own, try Universal Borrowing. You can borrow books or videos from other UW libraries for free & pick them up at our library within 2-4 business days. Here’s more info on Universal Borrowing.
Truth is stranger than fiction.
The Diana Chronicles
By Tina Brown
MCN Bro
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor
Granted, there have already been hundreds of books written on Diana, Princess of Wales. But this new addition to the field should be a good one. Author Tina Brown was editor-in-chief of the England’s gossipy Tatler magazine when Diana began her rise to fame. Brown went on to become editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and later The New Yorker.
Brown not only knew Diana personally, but she interviewed 250 people who moved in Diana’s inner circles, to put together a compelling portrait of the “real” Diana. However, it’s more than a little disappointing that the only photographs in the book are the black & white montage on the front- and end-papers of the book.
Secret History of the American Empire
By John Perkins
MCN Per
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor
John Perkins’ bestselling 2004 book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (Main Collection, 3rd Floor, UB271.U52 P47 2004), chronicled his descent from a Peace Corps volunteer to an international pawn for corporate greed. In this sequel Perkins demonstrates how the U.S. “empire” imposes its will on much of the world. His overarching theme is that an “empire” is ruled by a potentate whose reign is entirely independent of the will of the people. And Perkins names multinational corporations (the corporatocracy), tied to the power of American military might, as this autocrat. Perkins’ saga blazes through dozens of countries where he chronicles political assassinations, CIA-backed coups, crushing debt for foreign governments, deepening poverty for the masses, and billions of dollars in profits to the corporatocracy. Some critics have called Perkins books “paranoid” while others find his revelations just plain scary. Judge for yourself – one guarantee is that you won’t find this book boring.
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
by Alexander McCall Smith
MCN McC
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor
The latest installment of the international best-selling No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series is sure to keep fans coming back for more. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is a master mechanic, who loves his job as the proprietor of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. But feeling the need for a new kind of challenge, he takes on a case at his wife’s detective agency. Meanwhile Mma Makutsi is also feeling restless and threatens to resign as assistant detective at the agency. Things go even more awry as Charlie, the older apprentice gets big ideas about his future. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing at a local hospital where patients are dying in the same bed at the same time on Fridays. As always Mma Ramotswe, the only private lady detective in Botswana, must use all her female intuition and good judgment to keep her little corner of the world from unraveling.
You won’t need to read the previous seven books to appreciate The Good Husband, though. This book will give you a glimpse into life in a modern African city whose heart is still shaped by the broad savannahs and wide open skies of Botswana.
Barbershop
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
PN1997.2 .B37 2003
New Book Island, 2nd floor
When Barbershop was released in 2002, it ruffled more than a few feathers. Some viewers found remarks about African-American icons, like Jesse Jackson, irreverent and distasteful. On the surface, Barbershop is a story about Calvin (Ice Cube), who runs the barbershop he inherited from his father on Chicago’s South Side. He’s got dreams and this shabby business is stalling his progress. But as the business begins to slip through his fingers, Calvin gets a clue about what his barbershop really stands for. Calvin’s fellow barbers are side-splittingly funny, including Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer), who always tells it like it is. Jimmy is well-educated, but a total snob and he can’t stand Isaac (Troy Garity), the barber who hasn’t figured out that he’s white. On a deeper level, this movie is not only about the social institutions that create community, but about individualism and the “average joe” as the defining element of cultural identity. But don’t let all that deep stuff scare you – this movie is hilarious.
Wizard of Oz
Turner Entertainment
PN1997 .W59 2005
New Book Island, 2nd floor
Follow the yellow brick road … to adventure. Every year, I looked forward to watching this magical tale when it returned to television. Once, I made the mistake of watching it alone on our dark, cold TV porch and nearly fainted in terror when the Wicked Witch of the West appeared on the scene. No childhood would be complete without the story of Dorothy, who, with her little dog Toto, Scarecrow, Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion, make their way through the witch-infested woods to find the Wizard, who will send Dorothy back to Kansas. Relive the magic of Oz with this 2 DVD set. Disc 2 includes documentaries, trailers, a photo gallery and lots more memorabilia.
If you have ideas for books or movies you think the Library should own, try the Suggest a Book form. A librarian will review your suggestion and let you know our decision. If we order the book, we will give you the option of being the first to check it out. How’s that for service?
