This week features two books about famous people and the lives they lead out of the spotlight.
Private Lives, Public Consequences:
Personality and Politics in Modern America
William H. Chafe
E743 .C425 2005
New Book Island, 2nd floor
Chafe, faculty member at Duke University and respected historian, writes about how the private lives of some of the most distinguished politicians of the twentieth century shaped their political careers. Not all come from dynasties like the Kennedys and the Bushes, and this book demonstrates that these individuals led ideal lives. The author argues that it is the adversity which these individuals face that contribute to their greatness as leaders of our country. Politicians profiled include the Roosevelts, Nixon, Reagan and the Clintons.
The Lavender Locker Room:
3000 Years of Great Athletes Whose Sexual Orientation Was Different
Patricia Nell Warren
GV708.8 .W373 2006
New Book Island, 2nd floor
Several former athletes have made headlines in the past months by coming out of the closet, waiting until after retirement to clear the air about their sexual orientation. It may make you wonder, who else is hiding? The Lavender Locker Room, as its subtitle declares, explores three thousand years of history and the athletes that dared to play by different rules. The book is written as more of a narrative, with the author taking tangents on topics like Brokeback Mountain, Troy and Harry Potter. Great light reading and informative at the same time.
