Reading Holiday
Use SMU’s book list to satisfy your gift list with stories ranging from historical to fictional to inspirational.
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Compiled by Cherri Gann
SMU News
DALLAS (SMU) – Use SMU’s book list to satisfy your gift list with stories ranging from historical to fictional to inspirational.
| Books from SMU | |
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To help commemorate The Year of the Library, SMU has published a new book, The SMU Libraries at 100: Celebrating 100 Treasures. The beautifully produced collector’s volume highlights a selection of the most notable rare books, documents, correspondence and memorabilia contained in the collections of the University’s libraries. Items range from the papyrus fragment of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans and an original copy of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species to corporate archives and the artworks of some of Texas’ finest painters. Entries feature richly detailed color photography and a brief description of each item’s significance and history. The perfect gift for the Mustang book lover! Available at our merchandise page. Return to the top. |
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With the beginning of SMU's second century, the University is proud to introduce SMU Unbridled Vision to celebrate its heritage, define its vision, and engage the community though a truly unique publication. Using hundreds of beautiful images, this oversized, full color book shares visual stories of campus life and the impact of SMU around the world. Net proceeds of sales for SMU Unbridled Vision benefit the President's Scholar program, the highest academic awards given by the University. Available at our merchandise page. Return to the top |
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A comprehensive look at the beauty and architecture of the SMU campus at 100. Available at our merchandise page. Return to the top |
| Books by SMU Faculty and Staff | |
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Ottoman-Iranian Borderlands: Making a Boundary, 1843–1914 (Cambridge University Press, 2013), by Sabri Ateş, tells the story of how the Muslim world’s oldest borderland was transformed into a bordered land. The history professor at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences traced Ottoman, British and Iranian archives spanning 70 years to show how this ill-defined and highly porous area became an internationally recognized boundary that played a significant role in shaping Ottoman-Iranian relations and in the identity and citizenship choices of the borderland peoples. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Every four minutes, more than 50 children under the age of 5 die. In the same time span, two mothers die in childbirth. Malaria kills nearly 1.2 million people each year, though it can be prevented with a mosquito net and treated for less than $1.50. This list goes on. Logistics problems contribute to millions of people in remote, hard-to-reach communities around world dying from diseases that are easily and inexpensively prevented and/or treated. In Pharmacy on a Bicycle (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2013), Eric Bing, professor of global health at Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development, and senior fellow and director of global health at the George W. Bush Institute, with co-author Marc J. Epstein, offers a solution to deliver bottom-up health care at the source, through local-based microclinics, micropharmacies and microentrepreneurs. The authors have seen the model work and achieve extraordinary results in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Willie the Texas Longhorn (Pelican Publishing Co., 2013) by Alan C. Elliott, director of the Statistical Consulting Center at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, tells the story of one particular Christmas Eve when a thick, pea-soup fog descended on Texas. Santa needed a local guide and Willy believed that if a reindeer could fly, well, then a longhorn could, too. Ignoring dissent from the other cattle, Willy pursued his dream and painted his horns a glowing blue. Then he set off to pull Santa’s sleigh all over the Lone Star state, delivering presents to every house in Texas while visiting all the famous cities and sites, including the Alamo, Sam Houston’s statue, Padre Island, El Paso and Big Bend. Reminiscent of the traditional “Night Before Christmas” poem, but with a Texas flair. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Dallas’ rolling, tree-covered section of Oak Cliff has turned out extraordinary talented citizens from its earliest days. In Legendary Locals of Oak Cliff (Arcadia Publishing, 2013) Alan C. Elliott, director of the Statistical Consulting Center at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, with two other local authors, profiles such local success stories as future U.S. Speaker of the House Jim Wright, who caught his political vision in a high school history class, and future Olympic champion and LPGA founder Babe Didrikson, who began her training at Lake Cliff Park. Legendary guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and his musical contemporaries Michael Martin Murphy and Ray Wylie Hubbard began their careers in Oak Cliff. Sports legends Jerry Rhome and Harvey Martin paid their dues on local playing fields. Actor and author Stephen Tobolowsky ’73 first caught the bug in high school drama classes, decades after pioneer OC girl Sarah Horton Cockrell became Dallas’ first millionaire. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Southern Casseroles: Comforting Pot-Lucky Dishes (Chronicle Books, 2013) brings the irresistible charm and comfort of Southern culture to the dinner table by way of mouthwatering casserole dishes and the endearing stories behind them. SMU Public Information Officer Denise Gee presents 55 beloved classic and contemporary recipes bubbling with traditions that stretch from the bayou to the lower Appalachian Mountains. To complement, chapters covering the basics, as well as easy recipes, party fare, side dishes and more, plus dozens of luscious photos showcase the delicious attributes of a perfect casserole. Available at online booksellers. |
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The Marias Massacre of Piegan Blackfeet Indians by the U.S. Army occurred Jan. 23, 1870 in Northern Montana, and was just as horrific as the more infamous slaughters at Sand Creek and Wounded Knee. The Red and the White: A Family Saga Of The American West (Liveright, 2013) profiles this gripping, heartbreaking story within the three-generational Clarke family saga. Andrew R. Graybill, associate professor of history and director of SMU’s William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies, uses the Clarkes’ unknown story to illuminate the complex history of native-white intermarriage in the American West, with particular attention to the mixed-blood children of such unions. These “peoples-in-between” struggled to negotiate the shifting grounds of race in 19th- and early 20th-century America. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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In David Haynes’ A Star in the Face of the Sky (New Rivers Press, 2013) four lives intersect in the wake of a family tragedy. Janet Williams takes charge of her only surviving grandchild, Daniel, whom she wants to protect from his mother’s insanity. And when Janet’s imprisoned daughter reaches out to him, Janet scrambles to keep Daniel safe. Janet’s best friend, Estelle, provides refuge for her own misunderstood grandson, Ari, and also pursues her father’s dying wish that his riches leave the world a better place. This latest novel by the associate professor and director of Creative Writing at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences explores the legacy of history, the evils of spite and, ultimately, the power of love. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Why must we provide our birth date and gender when buying an airplane ticket? It is so the U.S. government can vet your name against a terrorist watchlist before deciding whether you can travel. Most people are familiar with the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) No-Fly List. Less known, however, is how similar this list is to a system used some 50 years ago – and ultimately deemed unconstitutional. Mrs. Shipley’s Ghost: The Right to Travel and Terrorist Watchlists (University of Michigan Press, 2013) asks whether courts now are more willing to balance individual liberty against national security. Jeffrey Kahn, associate professor at Dedman School of Law, introduces readers to the grandmotherly Ruth B. Shipley and the immense power she wielded as chief of the U.S. State Department Passport Office from 1928 to 1955. Kahn combines history, policy analysis and the law, and questions how far national security policies should go and whether the government should be able to declare some individuals too dangerous to travel. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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In Saint Margaret, Queen of the Scots: A Life in Perspective (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), Catherine Keene, visiting assistant professor in medieval studies at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, shows the saint and 11th-century queen as a product of Nordic, Kievan, Hungarian, Anglo-Saxon, Norman and Scottish influences, with all the related expectations placed upon her. Keene provides context for the interesting life of this captivating woman. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Organizational competitive advantage will constantly evolve in response to changes in the business environment. Demystifying Your Business Strategy (Routledge, 2013) by David Lei, associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at Cox School of Business, with John Slocum, offers a comprehensive overview of what drives evolutionary advantage. The book offers insights on how to spot nuances of strategic transition and identify signals indicating a need to develop a new source of competitive advantage. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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If you’re older, you probably glance at a wristwatch, while younger folks check their phones. Either way, Americans live by the clock. In Marking Modern Times (University of Chicago Press, 2013), Alexis McCrossen, history professor at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, explains the development of modern time discipline and delves into the standardization of time. She describes how timekeepers have served as political, social and cultural tools in a society that doesn’t merely value time, but regards access to it as intrinsic to being an American. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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In Inspiration in Uniform: Windows Into the Everyday Lives of Our Warriors (AWOC.com, 2013) Dona Mularkey, lecturer at SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering, aims to inspire personal reflection by sharing these true stories about the daily lives of our men and women in uniform, their families and the civilians who support them. From the trenches of World War I Europe to the deserts of the Persian Gulf, each passage concludes with an online link to a source to learn more about the described topic. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Anne E. Peterson, curator at SMU’s DeGolyer library, has created The Civil War in Photographs: New Perspectives from the Robin Stanford Collection, a 95-page full-color catalog of 200 exceptional Civil War images. Collected for 40 years by Robin Stanford of Houston, the images include pre-war and wartime Southern views by local photographers and views by northern photographers who documented Union-occupied areas of the South. Also included are images of the daily life of soldiers at mealtime, playing cards and writing letters. Available for purchase through DeGolyer at http://smu.edu/cul/degolyer/publications.htm. Return to the top |
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Some Act of Vision (ASD Publishing, 2013), by Lori Ann Stephens, novelist and English lecturer in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, chronicles the tale of high school student Jordan Walker. Ten years of ballet lessons pay off when Jordan finally lands a principal role in “Romeo and Juliet.” Sweeter yet, “Romeo” invites her to Winston High School’s May Fling Ball. But then nearby fracking activity triggers a massive Texas earthquake, tearing apart the community and possibly ending Jordan’s future as a dancer. Her family survives the earthquake, but must abandon the life they have known and escape to Galveston to flee a nefarious military. Jordan nearly loses all hope until she meets Caleb, a blind musician. The deeper their secret friendship becomes, the more Jordan realizes the danger she’s brought to everyone she loves. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France (Yale University Press, 2013) shows that both queens and mistresses wielded influence beyond their powerful men, and affected French politics and culture overall. Kathleen Wellman, Dedman Family Professor of History and Chair of the Clements Department of History, chronicles French Renaissance history through the lives of its most prominent queens and mistresses, beginning in 1444 with Agnès Sorel, the first officially recognized royal mistress. Also included are Anne of Brittany, Catherine de Medici, Anne Pisseleu, Diane de Poitiers and Marguerite de Valois. The stories conclude with Gabrielle d’Estrées, Henry IV’s powerful mistress during the 1590s. Wellman explains enduring mythology surrounding these women and relates captivating tales about the Renaissance, as well as our own modern-day preoccupations. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Kiva (Sunstone Press 2013), a novel by Ron Wetherington, professor of anthropology in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, chronicles the story of Graciella, a young archaeology student who never expected to expose the sacred kiva underneath an excavated ancient pueblo room. Sinister events follow, including murder, and hurl her into a vortex of dangers from both past and present. Graciella navigates a twisting path that crosses the line dividing myth and reality, and an Apache detective assigned to investigate the murder helps her attempt to escape the haunting forces. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
| Books from the Meadows Museum Fans of the Meadows Museum at SMU can experience (or re-experience) its exhibits via art catalogs containing rich photography and fascinating back stories. Offerings for 2013 include: |
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The richly illustrated Impressions of Europe: Nineteenth-Century Vistas by Martín Rico explores the life and works of one of Spain’s most noteworthy painters of the 19th century. Rico gained critical acclaim for his depictions of the verdant landscapes of Spain, France and Italy, and for his prolific output of luminous works illustrating the charms of Venice. This 320-page volume traces the paths that brought the artist to international prominence with a diverse selection of paintings and sketches. Return to the top |
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Sorolla and America explores the artist’s relationship with early 20th-century America through his commissions, his collectors, and his colleagues, such as John Singer Sargent and William Merritt Chase. Particular attention is paid to his association with The Hispanic Society of America and key figures like Archer Milton Huntington and Thomas Fortune Ryan. The 320-page catalog includes an illustrated appendix of 250 additional paintings that were not part of the museum exhibition. Return to the top |
| Books by Alumni | |
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We Need New Names (Reagan Arthur Books, 2013), the first novel by NoViolet Bulawayo, has 10-year-old protagonist Darling navigating a fragile and violent world. In Zimbabwe, Darling and her friends steal guavas, try to take the baby from young Chipo’s belly, and grasp at memories of the time before their homes were destroyed by paramilitary policemen, before the school closed and before all the fathers left for dangerous jobs abroad. Darling escapes to America to live with her aunt, with hopes to participate in this strange land’s famous abundance. Instead, she finds that her options as an immigrant are perilously few. This debut novel by the ’07 alumna was among six finalists for the prestigious Booker prize for fiction. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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William Joyce ’81, Academy Award-winning filmmaker and bestselling author, released his newest book The Mischievians (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013). Have you ever been plagued with missing homework, strange smells, disappearing remotes or the irascible unscratchable itch? It turns out these global mischief-makers, the mischievians, are the root of all manner of irks and minor evils. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Mary Brooke Casad '77 writes children's books featuring Bluebonnet the armadillo and her visits to various Texas landmarks. In Bluebonnet at the Alamo, she meets Digger Diller, whose Great Great Grand Diller was there during the famous battle. Digger Diller even has Jim Bowie's knife! Bluebonnet thinks he should donate his family treasure to the Alamo Museum so everyone can learn from it. Can Bluebonnet convince him to share? Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |
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Louise McReynolds '73 is a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her new book is Murder Most Russian: True Crime and Punishment in Late Imperial Russia. How a society defines crimes and prosecutes criminals illuminates its cultural values, social norms, and political expectations. In Murder Most Russian, she uses a fascinating series of murders and subsequent trials that took place in the wake of the 1864 legal reforms enacted by Tsar Alexander II to understand the impact of these reforms on Russian society before the Revolution of 1917. For the first time in Russian history, the accused were placed in the hands of juries of common citizens in courtrooms that were open to the press. Available at online booksellers. Return to the top |