JOLLOF RICE AND OTHER REVOLUTIONS by Omolola Ogunyemi GEng’94 Gr’99 (HarperCollins, 2022, $27.99.) Nigerian author Ogunyemi makes her American debut with this novel exploring her homeland’s past, present, and possible future through the interconnected stories of four fearless, globe-trotting women. Buy this book
THE GIRL IN JAPAN: A Young Soldier’s Story by John A. McCabe LPS’15 (Assiduous Way, 2022, $19.99.) After being exposed to the ravages of atomic bomb detonations in the Nevada desert, Joe McGrath, an Army recruit, meets the titular girl in Japan, Reiko, who also experienced atomic detonations, albeit an ocean away, at the end of World War II. A special connection forms as the two begin to expose the horrors of nuclear threats. Buy this book
TAMING INFECTION: The American Response to Illness from Smallpox to COVID by Gregg Coodley C’81 (Atmosphere Press, 2022, $19.99.) A primary care doctor tells the story of how 15 major infections such as tuberculosis, yellow fever, malaria, and syphilis have affected American history. Buy this book
1960: When Art and Literature Confronted the Memory of World War II and Remade the Modern by Al Filreis (faculty) (Columbia University Press, 2021, $35.00.) This cultural history shows how artists processed the trauma of World War II through songs, literature, poetry, and film. Filreis, an English professor, asks, “What does it mean for an avant-garde (nominally a trailblazing group, ahead of its epoch) to be looking not ahead but—at least initially—backward to the past?” Buy this book
PEOPLE AROUND THE CORNER AND OTHER STRANGERS by David Barudin W’69 (Self-published, 2022, $11.99.) Twelve stories remind readers to be curious about the strangers we encounter. Buy this book
MIDLIFE VAGABOND: A Chronicle of Travel in Europe, June–August 1984 by James Carnahan C’68 (Matrix Publishing, 2021, $34.95.) The first of four planned volumes, this richly illustrated memoir gives an intimate and colorful account of Carnahan’s two-month solo trip through Europe in 1984 with a backpack and rail pass.
SEARCHING FOR PEROT: My Journey to Discover Texas’ Top Family by Dave Lieber C’79 (Yankee Cowboy Publishing, 2021, $27.95.) A new biography of two-time presidential candidate Ross Perot tells the story of a “complicated Texas genius and his philanthropic family.” Buy this book
DETOUR AHEAD by Pamela Grebow Ehrenberg C’94 and Tracy López (PJ Publishing, 2022, $9.99.) This middle-grade novel tells the story of Gilah, a neurodiverse 12-year-old Jewish girl who is finally allowed to ride the bus alone. There, she strikes up a friendship with Guillermo, a young Salvadoran American boy resigned to taking the bus while his bicycle is being repaired. Buy this book
DEATH AT THE CECIL HOTEL IN LOS ANGELES by Dale Richard Perelman WG’65 (The History Press, 2022, $21.99.) Perelman’s ninth book tells the true crime story of the serial killers, suicides, and unusual happenings for which this hotel in Los Angeles is famous. Buy this book
WORDSHINE MAN: Tips for Polishing Words Until They Sparkle by Tom Madden ASC’70 (Mascot Books, 2022, $16.95.) As CEO of a public relations firm, Madden spends his days as an “email surgeon and word doctor,” operating on news releases, media pitches, and letters. Here he shares his tips for making prose more readable, engaging, and effective. Buy this book
BECOMING GREAT UNIVERSITIES: Small Steps for Sustained Excellence by Richard Light W’62 G’64 and Allison Jegla C’16 (Princeton University Press, 2022, $27.95.) Coauthored by a Harvard professor and a higher education strategist, this handbook highlights 10 challenges that all colleges and universities face and offers practical steps that all members of a campus community can take to meet them, from attracting students from rural areas, to helping students from under-resourced high schools succeed in college, to building a culture of innovation and lifelong learning. Buy this book
