JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS: Why Penn Wins By Harold I. Gullan.(Camino Books, 2006. $25.00.) This labor of love uses the 2005-06 season as a springboard to examine Penn’s remarkable men’s basketball program. Gullan, a professional historian as well as a longtime hoops aficionado, examines everything from the architecture at Penn (“simply the most interesting college campus in the United States”) to then-head coach Fran Dunphy to the great Penn-Princeton rivalry, and includes some “Notes from the Hardwood” by star forward Steve Danley C’07.
IF YOU CATCH AN ADJECTIVE, KILL IT: The Parts of Speech, for Better And/Or Worse By Ben Yagoda G’91.(Broadway Books, 2006. $21.95.) In this erudite and witty guide to the evolving organism known as the English language, Yagoda—professor of English at the University of Delaware, author of many books, and frequent contributor to the Gazette—applies his uncommon sense to the nine parts of speech. Though the title comes from Mark Twain, the book’s down-to-earth tone can be gleaned from Yagoda’s second choice of titles: Pimp My Ride, which, he says, “illustrates a deep and wonderful truth about the parts of speech: they change like the dickens.”
SLIDING TO THE RIGHT: The Contest for the Future of American Jewish Orthodoxy By Samuel C. Heilman Gr’73. (University of California Press, 2006. $60.00 hardcover, $24.95 paperback.) The conflict between an increasingly progressive society and the devotion needed to maintain Orthodox Jewish tradition is the focus of this comprehensive look at the history and progression of Orthodox Jewish thought in the United States. Heilman is the Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Harold M. Proshansky Chair in Jewish Studies and Sociology at the City University of New York. Order this book
CLOSELY OBSERVEDBy Andrea Baldeck M’79 GM’84.(University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Publications, 2006. $49.95.) Striking black-and-white photographs explore the infinite variety and beauty of the botanical world. Order this book
THE BABY BOOMER’S GUIDE TO THE NEW WORKPLACEBy Richard Fein C’68.(Taylor Trade Publishing, 2006. $14.95.) For those who plan to continue working through their retirement years, The Baby Boomer’s Guide sheds light on why people choose to keep working rather than retire to golf courses in Florida; it also offers tips for navigating that sometimes-rocky employment terrain. Fein is the founding director of the undergraduate placement program at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Order this book
EX-CITIES By Hélène Cixous.(Slought Books, 2006. $25.00) Part-autobiography, part postmodern whirlwind, this reflection on cities (real and metaphorical) becomes a meditation on language, memories, and the roles of both in forming identity and influencing modes of artistic expression. English and French versions of Cixous’ essay are offered, split by Maria Chevska’s photo-installation “Vera’s Room.” Order this book
