Our Lot:
How Real Estate Came to Own Us
By Alyssa Katz
HD1375 .K348 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
The housing market these days has a lot of people worried and waiting for an economic recovery to make the next move. The real estate bubble and subsequent implosion put individuals and corporations in dire situations. This week’s featured title looks at the factors that contributed to the crash of the American dream of home ownership.
Katz, journalism instructor at New York University, examines the housing market and how we got to where we are now. The author focuses on all of the players involved, from the government to the bankers to community activists, that created the crisis that we’re currently experiencing. She writes about a somewhat complicated subject in a very accessible style and even includes a glossary of real estate terms just in case. Furthermore, she does provide notes and sources for further research.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Work:
A Research Companion
By Mustafa Özbilgin
HF5549.5 .M5 E68 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
Equality has become a major issue at the forefront of every debate, whether it be health care, education or civil rights. Many people strive to ensure that the voices of everyone are respected and represented, and rightfully so. Our university system has taken to gauging the campus climate at each institution, and we’re currently undergoing that process (and by the way, take the campus climate survey if you haven’t – you have until Thursday!). Of course, the workplace is another venue in which battles can still take place, and this week’s featured title examines the current state of equality in that setting.
Özbilgin, professor of HR management in the UK, has pulled together thirty-one chapters on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI for short) in the office, which cover the sociological and psychological aspects of the topic. The edited volume includes a section on the education of others, such as diversity trainings or seminars and their effectiveness, as well as a part dealing with the role of men in EDI. With scholars contributing from all over the world, the book provides an excellent international perspective to the subject of diversity.
Paradise Found:
Nature in American at the Time of Discovery
By Steve Nicholls
QH102 .N53 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
How has your hometown changed over the last ten years? Your lifetime? Ever wonder what your hometown looked like before anyone actually lived there? This week’s featured title take a look at our continent and its natural history around the time that Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
Nicholls, known for his work as a wildlife filmmaker, takes the reader on a journey through North America – before the first settlers left their lasting marks. The Europeans that made the voyage across the ocean were met with untouched natural beauty, leaving behind detailed notes of the flora and fauna that they encountered. The author uses his vast knowledge of natural history and experience from directing and writing documentaries to bring the picturesque beauty of the landscape to life. He utilizes the firsthand accounts from the past and scientific research being done today to create portraits of each of the regions of the continent.
A World of Gangs:
Armed Young Men and Gangsta Culture
By John Hagedorn
HV6437 .H34 2008
New Book Island, 2nd floor
As I was catching up on all of the day’s important news through my Facebook news feeds, a few of my friends from the other side of the border posted links or referred to Derrion Albert, the sixteen year-old teen that was beaten to death on the south side of Chicago in a street melee (heads-up: if you don’t do violence, don’t watch the video). All of this was on my mind when searching for a book to feature today, and to say that this book practically jumped off of the shelf at me would be a major understatement.
Hagedorn, criminal justice professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, delves into the urban center’s overlooked neighborhoods to research the groups of youth that have banded together to survive and/or thrive in the harsh city environment. The author looks at gangs all over the world and the reasons for the existence, how the United States isn’t the only hot bed for gang-related activity and why these violent groups will be around for a lot longer. He also provides an inside view to gang life on three continents, from Chicago to Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town, comparing and contrasting their histories. The book serves as an excellent resource and starting point when investigating urban life and its challenges.
Surrender:
Appeasing Islam, Sacrificing Freedom
By Bruce Bawer
BP171 .B35 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
With the eight-year anniversary of the 11 September terrorist attacks just the other day, this book naturally jumped out at me when browsing the shelves.
Bawer, a highly-respected cultural critic, looks at the effects on human rights not by former presidential administration, but by Muslim extremists. The author posits the idea that the combination of fear of radical Islam and political and social correctness threatens to silence the freedoms of speech and press. He points out that individuals that accommodate even the most illiberal aspects of the restrictive religion are helping further their cause. This book is an eye-opening account to the potential harm done to individual rights in the future.
The author’s 2006 book, While Europe Slept, a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, is available in the Main Collection, 3rd floor, at call number D1056.2 .M87 B39 2006.
Inside the Mind of the Shopper:
The Science of Retailing
By Herb Sorensen
HF5429 .S5937 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
Shopping. Even in a recession, it’s sometimes impossible to pass up a good deal. Or when you go to the grocery store on an empty stomach – now that’s a dangerous idea. I always end up with way too much junk food and not enough of the good stuff. Although this week’s featured title doesn’t tackle the question of the eyes being bigger than your stomach and its impact on purchasing habits, it will make you look at your local supermarket in a whole new way.
Sorensen, widely recognized as the foremost retail consultant, offers scientific insights into the shopping experience with the purpose of improving sales for retailers. Using second-by-second analysis of consumer behavior, the author begins by boldly stating that eighty percent of shopper time is wasted. He then goes on to explain this assertion and others, like the influence of store layout on sales, the big box concept that might not always better, and the placement of products. It’s an eye-opening read that make you think the next time you head to the store.
The Monty Hall Problem:
The Remarkable Story of Math’s Most Contentious Brain Teaser
By Jason Rosenhouse
QA95 .R67 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
“What’s behind door number one?” The famous question of Let’s Make a Deal’s Monty Hall has spawned much discussion on strategy, bringing in mathematics, probability, psychology and philosophy into the arena (and made the front page of the New York Times). After you’ve selected the door of your choice and Monty reveals what’s behind the one of the other doors, do you stay with your first choice or do you switch to the other doors? That, my friend, is the Monty Hall Problem.
Rosenhouse, math professor at James Madison University, set out to compile his notes about the problem spawned from the game show and present them in book format. However, he ran into some difficulty when he started researching because the problem attracted the attention of more than just mathematicians. The author therefore has incorporated the aspects of psychology and philosophy that have been studied in relation to the conundrum presented by the prizes behind the doors. Rosenhouse does explain in his preface that while chapters three and four are pretty math-heavy, the rest of the book is relatively easy-to-understand.
Tabloid Valley:
Supermarket News and American Culture
By Paula Morton
PN4888 .T3 M67 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
I’ve always been fascinated and entertained while standing in line at the checkout because I have a chance to catch up with what really matters in our society, like who dressed to impress or who has found themselves unexpectedly expecting. That’s right, the celeb rags have captured my attention and curiosity for the rich and famous people important enough to grace those pages. This week’s featured title talks all about the tabloid industry and the dirt that it has managed to spread throughout time.
Morton, a freelance author, explores the history and culture of Tabloid Valley, the Silicon Valley equivalent for the gossip industry. The six major publications were all headquartered through Palm Beach County, FL, until they were bought up by AMI in 1999. The author examines the industry’s rise to fame and prominence within grocery stores everywhere and how their outlandish headlines and sensationalist stories have infiltrated our culture for all-you-can-handle celebrity news. Written in a similar format to a tabloid, Morton interviewed many of the tabloid insiders and provided the list of sources she used in compiling her story. You will find yourself bouncing back and forth between fact and fiction.
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark:
The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art
By Don Thompson
N6490 .T525 2008
New Book Island, 2nd floor
Have you ever wondered how they came up with the price of a work of art? You see it in the news that this painting has gone for a record sum of money, but then you wonder, ‘They paid WHAT?! They must be out of their minds!’ What factors control the demand for art – the creator? the circumstances? the mood of the agent? This week’s featured title can probably provide a few answers for you concerning the mysterious art world.
Thompson, marketing & economics professor at York University, takes you into a world that most people can only dream of experiencing – the contemporary art scene. The author examines the artists that produce the extravagant pieces of art; the agents and auction houses responsible for convincing individuals to pony up the dough for their client’s creative endeavors; and the aforementioned souls forking over the money for the privilege of displaying the art in their personal galleries. It’s a convergence of art, economics and psychology that keeps you entertained with Thompson’s excellent knowledge of the subject matter. Anyone interested in contemporary art, from either the aesthetic or business perspective, should read this book.
Txtng:
The Gr8 Db8
By David Crystal
TK5105.73 .C79 2008
New Book Island, 2nd floor
It’s those darn kids – you know, the ones with their electronic devices and unlimited text plans and super-fast fingers. They reward skill for speed and accuracy with a $50,000 prize purse at the US National Texting Championship, conveniently sponsored by LG. Yet, with the emphasis on speed, abbreviations and acronyms rule and can leave people not in the know completely lost. Does this shortening of language cause any other effects, such as hindering literacy or promoting laziness? This week’s featured title takes on the great SMS debate.
Crystal, honorary professor at the University of Wales, Bangor, offers his knowledge and expertise in the area of linguistics to tackle the texting phenomenon. He examines the origins of this ‘weird’ form of communications and how/why it’s used. Although most of the media attention is devoted to adolescents’ addictive habits, the author also investigates who texts (hint – it’s not just the kids). Furthermore, Crystal addresses the criticisms of (mainly) adults that predict that texting has contributed to decreased literacy. Included in this book are two handy appendices with definitions to common abbreviations, not only in English, but also in eleven other languages.
