THE UNRELEASED BEATLES: Music and Film By Richie Unterberger C’82. (Backbeat Books, 2006. $34.95.) This exhaustive and engagingly written survey uncovers all of the Beatles’ unreleased recordings from 1957 to 1970—studio outtakes, BBC radio recordings from 1962 to 1965, live concert performances, home demos, private tapes, fan-club Christmas recordings, songs they gave other artists, and more—and discusses their musical and interpersonal contexts. Unterberger, the author of several other books on music history, won a 2007 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research for this book. Buy this book
SMART MICE, NOT-SO-SMART PEOPLE: An Interesting and Amusing Guide to Bioethics By Arthur L. Caplan, faculty. (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. $21.95.) Bioethical questions abound as new technologies offer the promise of making us stronger, prettier, and more resistant to disease. This book analyzes finely nuanced issues, such as stem-cell research and embryo-adoption programs, in simple language accessible to even the least-informed voters—who are the most vulnerable to impassioned political rhetoric. Caplan is Emmanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics, chair of the Department of Medical Ethics, and director of the Center for Bioethics at Penn. Buy this book
TREATMENT COLLABORATION: Improving the Therapist, Prescriber, Client Relationship By Ronald J. Diamond G’73 M’73 and Patricia L. Scheifler. (Norton, 2007. $29.95.) Navigating the sometimes-divergent goals of the three figures in the mental-health triangle alluded to in the subtitle can be a tricky proposition. This guide focuses on ways to improve communication among all sides; topics include the role of medication in mental-health treatment, beneficial collaboration in decision-making, and tips for sustained recovery. Buy this book
PRESENCE PASSING: Photographs By Andrea Baldeck M’79 GM’84.(University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Publications, 2007. $75.00.) This collection of black-and-white photographs is a visual exploration of decay, impermanence and loss, manifest in structures and objects left behind. Buy this book
LIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD Edited by Irina Reyn (Touchstone, 2006. $14.) New Jersey isn’t all The Sopranos or Kevin Smith movies. The essays in this collection deal with the varied landscapes and personalities of the Garden State, and the contributors include Caren Lissner C’93 and Kathleen DeMarco C’88 W’88. Buy this book
THE LAZY ENVIRONMENTALIST: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living By Josh Dorfman C’94. (Harry N. Abrams, 2007. $14.95.) To his fellow “lazy environmentalists”—those who have the passion, but not the time, to protest— Dorfman provides tips for living a greener, cleaner life on everything from clothing to transportation, alternate energy to housekeeping and hygiene. (For more on Dorfman, see “Profiles,” Nov|Dec 2005.) Buy this book
THE ARTIST AS ALICE: From A Photographer’s Life By Darcy Cummings G’75 Gr’00. (Bright Hill Press, 2007. $14.) Cummings traces the life that Lewis Carroll’s muse, Alice Lidell, would have led, as a girl who talked to rabbits gradually became a woman with an unsympathetic husband, a family of her own, and a calling toward the artistry of photography. Buy this book
NO MORE LIES By Rachel Skerritt C’98 GEd’99 (Kensington, 2007. $6.99) With a nearing deadline, Desiree Thomas is researching the subject which made her first novel a runaway bestseller: heartbreak. To gain new facts for her fiction, she hits the dating scene after a five-year absence and is pursued by two men: med student Hunter and blue-collar Jason. Will Desiree’s history cause her to lose both, or will she be able to write herself a happy ending? Buy this book
JANE: A Flight to Freedom By Donald J. Devine C’64. (Cold River Books, 2007. $14.95.) This historical coming-of-age novel follows the eponymous heroine from the confines of slavery to a not-always-greener life on the other side of the Mason-Dixon line. Devine blends adventure, suspense, and romance, along with analyses of the differing attitudes and values in the nation’s citizens leading to the Civil War.
THE OTHER PHILADELPHIA STORY: How Local Congregations Support Quality of Life in Urban America By Ram A. Cnaan, faculty. (Penn Press, 2006. $69.95.) This unique, in-depth study of 1,392 congregations in Philadelphia explores the depth to which religious communities effect positive social change in their neighborhoods for members and non-members. Cnann, professor in the School of Social Policy and Practice, is director of Penn’s Program for Religion and Social Policy Research. Buy this book
PEASANT SCENES AND LANDSCAPES: The Rise of Pictorial Genres in the Antwerp Art Market By Larry Silver, faculty. (Penn Press, 2006. $59.95.) Silver investigates the phenomenon of pictorial painting as a new genre, the foundation of artistic “signature” styles (with its effect of propagating imitation), and the proliferation of art collection in the late 16th century, common notions today that seemed radical when practiced in the first open art market. Silver is a professor of art history at Penn. Buy this book
LAST TEAM STANDING: How the Steelers and the Eagles—“The Steagles”—Saved Pro Football During World War II By Matthew Algeo C’88. (Da Capo Press, 2006. $26.00.) In the spring of 1943, the NFL faced a player shortage due to the war. While the Cleveland Rams were forced to fold, the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers melded a motley group of “4-Fs” (persons unfit for combat) into a team that surpassed expectations on the football field while its members worked full-time in defense plants.
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L’ENFANT’S LEGACY: Public Open Spaces in Washington D.C. By Michael Bednar GAr’67. (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. $65.00.) Bednar explores the evolution of Washington D.C.’s public spaces, from Pierre Charles L’Enfant’s 1791 plan to its present state, to examine the roles open spaces play as symbols of the democratic ideals of the city. Buy this book
KILLER RIBS: Mouthwatering Recipes from North America’s Best Rib Joints By Nancy Davidson C’84. (Chronicle Books, 2006. $16.95.) Davidson scours North America, from the Yukon to Texas, interviewing competitive cookers and local legends to find the best recipes, sauces, and cooking methods for barbecue. She also provides a general introduction to the world of cooking ribs and tips that accompany each recipe. Buy this book
