 Dissident Syria: Making Oppositional Arts Official
By Miriam Cooke. Duke University Press, 2007. 208 pages. $21.95, paper. For the duration of his three-decade reign, Syrian President Hafiz Asad sought to prevent popular unrest through "commissioned criticism," cooke's phrase for his appropriation of political criticism for use in government propaganda. By officially managing anti-government expression from writers and artists, Asad forced dissenters to tiptoe along the line between what he allowed and what could be considered treason. To research this subject and fully grasp the community of Syria, cooke, a Duke professor of Arabic literature and culture, spent six months in the country, learning what life was like during this time from sculptors, playwrights, filmmakers, writers, and artists.  One Fell Swoop
By Virginia Boyd '87. Thomas Nelson, 2007. 300 pages. $24.99. A woman discovers her husband having an affair and murders him, touching off a series of events that affect an entire community. Each chapter is written from a different character's perspective, creating a cumulative impression of just how interlinked a community can be.  College Admissions Together: It Takes a Family
By Steven R. Goodman '85 and Andrea Leiman. Capital Books Inc., 2007.
181 pages. $17.95, paper. Any family that has experienced the college application process knows how stressful and nerve-wracking this time can be. While parental pressures can amplify an applicant's anxiety, healthy and supportive family bonds ease some of the tension, alleviating apprehension about application requirements and the ultimate decision of where to attend. Goodman, an educational consultant, and Leiman, a clinical psychologist and professor, offer advice on connecting as a family and involving parents, while at the same time allowing each student to make independent decisions.  Big History: From the Big Bang to the Present
By Cynthia Stokes Brown '60.
The New Press, 2007. 288 pages. $25.95. Brown intertwines biology, archaeology, physics, geology, and astronomy into an overarching account of global history, one that recognizes the relatively short nature of human history and simultaneously celebrates it as the pinnacle achievement of natural evolution. Topics range from prehistoric geology and the Black Death to global warming and economic disparities among regions.  Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement
By Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori Ph.D. '70. University of California Press, 2007. 263 pages. $24.95, paper. After taking four years to travel the world and visit twenty different countries, Miller and Yamamori assemble the pieces of a religious phenomenon—a mass Christian influence penetrating the developing world. With fresh religious and social insights, the authors chronicle the practices and trends of modern Pentecostal ministries in less economically developed countries, correcting outdated misconceptions and examining the scope of this movement. The accompanying DVD contains footage of interviews with Pentecostal religious leaders, worship ceremonies, a religious demonstration, and social ministry work.  The Sweet Life
By Lynn York '79. Plume, 2007. 290 pages. $14.00, paper. In her second novel, York returns to small-town Southern life, providing a window into the charm, grace, and simplicity that it offers—most of the time. Roy Swan and piano teacher Miss Wilma are living a happy life, eight years after he courted her and won her over, but that changes one day when Miss Wilma's granddaughter, Star, shows up. The relationship between Star and her estranged father, Harper, disrupts the quiet streets of the town, and things become even more complicated when Roy's health begins to suffer.  The Idea of Cuba
By Alex Harris, with an essay by Lillian Guerra. University of New Mexico Press/Duke Center for Documentary Studies, 2007. 152 pages. $50.00. A former student of the famed American photographer Walker Evans and a current professor of public policy and documentary studies at Duke, Harris photographed Cuba in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the intent to reveal an authentic sense of the Cuban national character, one filled with tenacity, heroism, and hope for a better future. Harris' photographs capture street scenes, monuments, and people. In photographs and text, he reflects on the constant physical and spiritual presence of national hero José Martí. In her essay, Guerra, a daughter of Cuban exiles who has visited the island several times, explores what it means to be Cuban. |
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