Yale Bulletin and Calendar

April 20, 2007|Volume 35, Number 26

This scene of roaming buffalo is featured on the cover of "Frontiers: A Short History of the American West," co-authored by Yale historian John Mack Faragher.

Yale Books in Brief

The following is a list of books recently or soon to be published by members of the Yale community. Descriptions are based on material provided by the publishers. Authors of new books can forward publishers' book descriptions to Susan Gonzalez.

What Have They Built You To Do?: The Manchurian Candidate and Cold War America
Matthew Frye Jacobson, professor of history, chair of American studies and director of graduate studies in American studies and African-American studies, and Gaspar González
(University of Minnesota Press)

Matthew Frye Jacobson and Gaspar González re-examine the 1959 novel "The Manchurian Candidate," the 1962 film based on the book and the 2004 remake of the original film. Based on close readings of the film and broad investigations into the eras in which it was made, the authors decode the many layers of meaning within and surrounding the film, from the contradictions of the Cold War it both embodies and parodies (including such facets as McCarthyism, Kennedy liberalism, individualism and conformity) to its construction of Asian villians, overbearing women and male heroes in a society anxious about race, gender and sexuality. Through their analysis of these incarnations of "The Manchurian Candidate," the authors raise questions about power and anxiety in American politics and society from the Cold War to today.

New York 2000: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Bicentennial and the Millennium
Robert A.M. Stern, dean of the School of Architecture, David Fishman and Jacob Tilove
(The Monacelli Press)

Touted by Publisher's Weekly as "an unprecedented record," this book is a new volume in a series of books about New York City architecture and development. It documents milestones in the city's architectural history over the past 40 years -- the development of Battery Park City, the rebirth of Harlem and Times Square, the creation of the cultural precinct around the new Museum of Modern Art and the reclaiming of the waterfront along the East and Hudson rivers as recreation parkland. The book also celebrates the achievements of internationally recognized architects including Sir Norman Foster, Cesar Pelli, Richard Meier and Renzo Plano. Stern and his co-authors also trace the rise and fall of the real estate market, the impact of the designation of historic districts and zoning on development and the emergence of new commercial and residential centers. The book is organized geographically, moving north from lower Manhattan and covering the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island as well.

Your Heart: An Owner's Guide
Dr. John A. Elefteriades, chief of cardiothoracic surgery and professor of surgery, and Dr. Lawrence S. Cohen, the Ebenezer K. Hunt Professor of Medicine
(Prometheus Books)

This guide makes crucial, potentially life-saving information about the heart easily accessible. The authors, who have decades of hands-on experience in treating patients, address specific questions that they hear every day from people in their care, covering such topics as hypertension, high cholesterol, angina, valvular heart disease, rheumatic fever and arrhythmia. The physicians also discuss tests and diagnoses; lifestyle changes to avoid or to live with heart disease; medications and therapies; and surgical procedures such as bypass grafting, valve replacement and heart transplants, among other treatments. A special section is devoted to women and their hearts. The book includes professional medical drawings and actual operating-room photographs illustrating facts and concepts.

Frontiers: A Short History of the American West
John Mack Faragher, the Arthur Unobskey Professor of American History, and Robert V. Hine
(Yale University Press)

"Frontiers: A Short History of the American West" is a concise, updated edition of John Mack Faragher's and Robert V. Hine's 2000 book "The American West: A New Interpretive History." In "Frontiers," the authors provide a grand survey of the history of the American West, from the first contacts between Native Americans and Europeans to the beginning of the 21st century. In addition to introducing the diverse peoples and cultures of the American West, the book explores how men and women from different ethnic groups were affected when they met, mingled and often clashed. The authors explore topics ranging from early exploration to modern environmentalism, drawing from a wide range of sources. The book also includes illustrations drawn from Yale's Collection of Western Americana, some published here for the first time, as well as maps.

The Chicago River: A History in Photographs
Jonathan Genzen, laboratory medicine resident and postdoctoral research fellow
(Westcliffe Publishers)

"The Chicago River: A History in Photographs" contains over 100 black-and-white and color images, as well as prints, lithographs and maps, depicting the Chicago River's history. Jonathan Genzen collected most of the images from historical societies, newspapers, photographers and private collectors. The book was inspired by Genzen's experiences canoeing on the river while he was in graduate and medical school at the University of Chicago. Genzen's accompanying narrative text, written for a wide readership, describes the river's transformation from its origin as a small natural river to a modern navigational connection between the Great Lakes, Illinois and Mississippi river systems. He also shows how it has been shaped by human ingenuity, economic need and even disaster, and he highlights the vital link between the condition of the river and the welfare of the city of Chicago.

T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

Peabody paying tribute to its famed murals

Gift will launch major new series at Yale Press

State hails Yale's hands-on archaeology project at historic house

Annual Community Service Day to be held April 28

Psychology professor Marvin Chun is appointed new master of . . .

New undergraduate organization hosts talks by female leaders

Findings shed light on behavior of fundamental particles called neutrinos

Research by chemist Mark Johnson's lab clearly reveals . . .

Event will explore the ways in which progressives support . . .

Health issues faced by China's migrants is focus of symposium

International conference will examine contemporary Taiwan and its legacy

Conference to explore future of South Africa in the next decade

Exhibit traces centuries-long quest to understand cancer

Symposium honors birthday of infectious disease expert Dr. I. George Miller

Yale researchers urge education to halt high rate of . . .

For their 'final exam,' Yale students will stage dances in New York City

Abstract works by Nancy Rubens are on display at Slifka Center

Yale's Asthma Care Team will offer free community screenings . . .

UC-Berkeley student is named the new Yale Younger Poet

In Memoriam: José Juan Arrom

Yale Police adds 10 new officers to its force

Insurance reform advocate and alumnus is honored with fellowship

Yale Books in Brief

Campus Notes