Perspective Books

This book, actually a doctoral dissertation, looks at the world of surgical residency for women of color.

Residency is supposed to be a tough, weeding out process. But female residents have several extra obstacles in their way. Most female doctors are in fields like gynecology or psychiatry. Those who want to become surgeons are encouraged to choose another specialty, because surgery is "too hard." Any patient complication will be looked at especially closely. Role models are rare; the number of female surgeons is tiny, while the number of black female surgeons is practically zero.

Since surgery is very much a male-dominated field, there is the usual obstacle of women having to work twice as hard to be considered half as good. Residency does not teach a person how to keep their humanity (which some surgeons have totally lost); what to say to a family whose loved one has just been declared dead (suppressing their femininity).

This book looks at the personal experiences of several black female surgeons. Their residency experiences, whether at predominantly white or black institutions, ranged from difficult to very difficult.

Even though this is a doctoral dissertation, it is clearly written, easy to read, and worth reading. The next time a loved one is in the hospital, and the doctor is a woman, just remember that she probably is experiencing, or has experienced, the things mentioned in this book.

This book is a great look into the experiences black women have as the vast minority in surgical residency. It is very well written and is full of rich writing and emotion. There is no parallel, especially as it is a topic that is not widely known about. This is a great book.

The book was in excellent condition and arrived on schedule. It was great service, typical of Amazon!

For years I have been searching for an introductory policy text that will give my BSW students a firm foundation without putting them to sleep. This book's explicit focus on social justice offers a powerful framework for understanding a wide range of issues, while its use of real case studies brings to life the human dimension of social policy. The first chapter of the text is the most difficult for my students, so I allow extra time and use the auxilliary resources on the Thompson website to be sure they master this abstract content.

"In this volume we encounter Rumi living through the words of a contemporary Mevlevi Shaykh, Sefik Can.
Shaykh Can's presentation of the biography and poetry of this passionate, God-absorbed Rumi reminds us of that message of love, acceptance of diversity, and self-transcendence that is the true essence of Islam. Here we meet Rumi as Sufi, as Muslim, but above all as lover of God expressed in the love of humanity."
Marcia K. Hermansen
Professor of Islamic Studies
Loyola University, Chicago"

This book is written by Sefik Can, whom devoted his life to Mevlevi tradition. Foreword is by Fethullah Gulen, who is a Turkish scholar known by his moderate ideas in and outside Turkey. Translated by Zeki Saritoprak, a Theology professor in John Carroll University. It seems the best combination to learn the real Rumi.

Compiled and edited by John Stenhouse (Faculty member, Department of History, University of Otago) and Brett Knowles (Senior Teaching Fellow in Church History in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Otago) with the assistance of academician Antony Wood, The Future Of Christianity: Historical, Sociological, Political And Theological Perspectives From New Zealand is comprised of contributions by a group of New Zealand scholars, theologians, historians and lawyers who examine the relationship of New Zealand's Western culture and Christianity. Scholarly, articulate, intellectually engaging, The Future Of Christianity ranges from Allan K. Davison's "Christianity and National Identity: The Role of the Churches in the Construction of Nationhood", to Mary Petersen's The Future of Christianity in New Zealand: What Is Happening with the Children?", to Peter Lineham's "Social Policy and the Churches in the 1990s and Beyond", to Mike Riddell's "Beyond Ground Zero: Resourcing Faith in a Post-Christian Era Obligation". These and the other informative and intellectually challenging articles make The Future Of Christianity very highly recommended reading.

The circumstances, possibilities, and issues concerning Christianity in New Zealand are a microcosm of these elsewhere in the Western world. This multidisciplinary work aims to inform readers of perspectives and realities regarding contemporary Christianity not reflected or suggested in the popular media. Focus on certain anomalies is especially revealing, as well as to some degree predictive of Christianity's possible future depending on how these are resolved. Kevin Ward, a lecturer of Church issues in the modern world, explores how the "fragmentation and religious pluralism" in postmodernism not only limit and distort understanding of beliefs and developments in Christianity, but also shape strategies for Christians wishing to be a part of modern culture. "Believing Without Belonging" is part of the title of Ward's article. Another by Bruce Knox, Executive Director of Bible College in New Zealand, explores the apparent anomaly that "Christian Allegiance Is Declining, Yet Theological Education Is Booming." The role of religion in shaping the New Zealand national identity, even as the nation was "set up more or less decisively independent of any denominational church influence," is another relevant topic; while a couple of other articles take up political solutions for dealing with the desire of Christians to see their beliefs and values reflected more plainly in government policies and activity. The number of articles by theologians, historians, and sociologists, among others, with their fingers on the pulse of contemporary Christian situations and concerns offer a variety of views on the persistent matter of religion in contemporary life and current affairs.

The main focus of Jorg Bewersdorff's "Galois Theory for Beginners: An Historical Perspective" is "...[polynomials] and their solutions..." Chapters 1 through 3 are about classical methods (formulas) for solutions on cubic and bi-quadratic polynomials. Chapter 4 and 5 are "systematic investigation of the...solution formulas..." Chapter 6's primary topic is "...[polynomials] that can be broken down into...lower degree." Chapter 7 focuses on the construction of regular polygons with straightedge and compass. Chapter 8 is about "...finding a general solution formula for [the] fifth-degree [polynomials]..." Chapter 9 and 10 focus on Galois theory: "...the limits of solvability of [polynomials] in radicals."

I began my pursuit "...to understand why a general...[polynomial] of the 5th degree should have no solution in radical..." decades ago, as if Jorg Bewersdorff. His book is the best I have ever read on Galois theories. For instances:

1. Theorem 10.18 An [polynomial] is solvable in radicals, that is all of its solutions can be expressed in terms of nested roots whose radicands can be expressed in terms of the coefficients using the four basic operations, if and only if its Galois group is solvable...

2. Definition 9.2 For a [polynomial] without multiple solutions whose coefficients lie in a field K, the Galois group (over the field K) is the set of all permutations s in the symmetric group Sn that permute the indices 1,...,n of the solutions x1,...,xn in such a way that for every polynomial h(X1,...,Xn) with coefficients in K and h(x1,x2,...,xn) = 0, one has h(x(s(1)),...,x(s(n))) = 0 ...

3. Definition 10.17 A finite group G is called solvable if there is a chains of groups {id}=G0 ( G1 ( G2 ( ... ( G(k-1) ( G(k) = G for which the subgroup G(j) is a normal subgroup of the next group in the chain G(j+1), such that the quotient group G(j+1)/G(j) is cyclic of prime order n...

4. A point in a plane is constructible if and only if its "...coordinates can be expressed in rational numbers and nested square roots using the four basic arithmetic operations (+, - , * , /).

This is a wonderfully written, highly accessible introduction to polynomial equations (quadratics, cubics, etc.) and their solutions by radicals, leading step by step to an introduction to Galois theory.

Galois theory is presented only towards the end of the book. Readers already familiar with the solutions of quadratic equations, depressed cubics, cubics, and quartics will find the first half of the book somewhat redundant. But it is nevertheless very pleasant to read, with succinct notes on the historical background, and (mostly) self-contained short sections.

It reads very well all the way to the end. It gets a little harder when Galois theory is introduced. But that's perhaps to be expected. I can't say that I master the subject, but certain things (about polynomial equations) are a great deal clearer for me now.

I do have one reservation (but I did not knock off a star for that): the editing (of this English translation of the German original) is quite poor: there is a typo just about every other page. I am very sensitive to typos, and most readers probably won't (nor should they) care -- but there are some typos in the math here and there, and that's plain unacceptable.

One of very few books describing the experiences of women police across national boundaries. Based on the authors' extensive research and interviews with women police officers, this book provides readers with a finely drawn picture of the roles women play in policing around the world.

This is an important book that helps us prepare for a future where we recognize and appreciate the great strengths women bring to law enforcement. By understanding the global perspectives of women in law enforcement, we can begin to eliminate the stereotypes and encourage the entry and success of more women into this noble profession.

Tickner does an excellent job of deconstructing the gendered connotations in international relations. The book makes you rethink the meaning of war, peace, power and environmental destruction in terms of the masculine vs. feminine interpretations. This book offers a wider perspective in the field of international relations. It makes for very interesting and refreshing reading.

Tickner is required reading in many an IR course because of this book. Her style is accessible (ok for upperclassmen, not just grad students) and her organization is clear. In about 250 pages, Tickner takes the reader through a quick survey of the major issues in International Relations from a feminist perspective. She readily identifies different schools of feminist thought and comes off as committed, but not dogmatic. The book does not get into great depth, but does a great job of presenting feminist perspectives to people who have limited experience.

The specific areas covered are national security, economic security, ecological security, and global security. The first is designed to distinguish feminist perspective from the dominant IR paradigms. The last three develop feminist perspectives through their non-traditional conceptualizations of security. The index is good, making the book valuable as a reference. I held on to mine for years until a student "borrowed" it. It was getting ragged, anyway. For debaters, there is great ev here, this is the Tickner you've heard repeatedly cited. She's especially good for kritiks.

The topic of human smuggling makes most people think of yet another global mafia business tricking people into slavery. In contrast, this book provides an excellent overview of the complexity and diversity of migrants and refugees trying to get across borders simply to find jobs or freedom. Especially interesting are the historical chapters that place this social issue into perspective and draw parallels with previous "white slavery scares." The book also presents diverse types of research in different countries to provide a mosaic rather than a grand theory of human smuggling. Hopefully more similarly thoughtful work on this topic will follow. Of course, no book on a topic like this can be up to date, so some of the things the authors discuss will have to be reevaluated after 9/11.

There are many dimensions to the transport of people across international borders. Global Human Smuggling provide a historical and contemporary look at the topic. They start with the traffic of sex slaves in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They focus on topics such as asylum seekers, ill-legal immigration to America from Mexico and Asia. The book also deals with the topics of organized crime. Russian, Chinese and Mexican organized crime units have played parts in transporting humans from one country to anotuehr. The book also deals with the political impact of smuggling people across borders. Countries such as Japan and the United States have been cracking down the use of illegal aliens and both countries have seen xenophobia saying that foreigners are responsible for crime and lowering native wages.

"This book may take our breath away." So states the cover blurb from Walter Brueggemann on "Globalization, Spirituality, and Justice: Navigating the Path to Peace," released on April 17, 2007 by Daniel G. Groody. The basic premise is, metaphorically, that the global family has booked passage and is now aboard the ship of globalization and there is no turning back to the shore. The question we must ask ourselves, as passengers on this ship, is, "who is at the helm and where are we going?" As Gustavo Gutierrez quips, "Being against globalization is like being against electricity." We can't stop the ship, and one would question the wisdom of wanting to, but the issues of who's driving and where will we end up are legitimate.

The book begins by offering an overview of the dual nature of globalization--its inherent propensity for good, such as the triumphs of technology, and for ill, such as the tragedy of poverty. Perhaps more importantly, chapter one details where we have sailed on this ship so far. This chapter seeks to give a realistic picture of the world today and paints that picture by using the most current statistics available. These statistics were gathered from sources such as the World Bank, the United Nations annual Human Development and World Development reports, and the World Institute for Development Economic Research. It is staggering to learn that 19 percent of the global population lives on less than $1 per day, 48 percent live on less than $2 per day, 75 percent live on less than $10 per day, and, according to the World Bank, two-thirds of the population of the planet lives in poverty. The weight of these income disparities is compounded when one looks at the unequal distribution of wealth and our disordered spending patterns. According to an article in the December 2006 issue of "The Economist," half of all wealth is held by only 2 percent of the world's adults. The world spends almost as much money on toys and games as the poorest 20 percent of the population earns in a year, and four times as much on alcohol as on international development aid. The troubling area of military spending is also addressed.

The world picture, from the perspective of poverty and need is indeed bleak, but Professor Groody does not leave us in the grip of its reality with no hope. He is convinced that, while fully aware of the abuses committed in the name of religion throughout history, the gift theology can bring to the process of globalization is a navigation system that has the potential to guide us to a place of solidarity and peace, where if globalization is left to itself or to those leaders who are only motivated by profit we may run aground on the icebergs of greed. As Groody notes, we are doing theological reflection all the time, but he argues that to find a place of human solidarity we must undergo a conversion from "money-theism" to monotheism. The remaining eight chapters of the book deal with how the various sub-disciplines of theology inform the process of globalization.

* Chapter two details the core narratives of the Bible--the Narrative of the Empire, the Narrative of the Poor, the Narrative of Yahweh, the Narrative of Idolatry, and the Narrative of the Gospel, integrating them all with the Narrative of the Passover.
* Chapter three challenges idolatry and excessive wealth through the words of the early church writers.
* Chapter four lays out an overview of Catholic social teaching with an acronym ("A God of Life") that provides a framework on which to hang the basic tenets. There are also several very useful charts that detail the documents of the universal and regional churches by categories of year, author, context, and key concept.
* Chapter five consists of a short section (five or six pages) on the basic social teachings of each of the major, non-Judeo-Christian, world religions--Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Bahai Faith, and African Indigenous religions. Here we see that social justice is not unique to Christianity.
* In chapter six the lives of five contemporary models of justice are briefly chronicled: Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, Mother Teresa, and Oscar Romero. Attention is paid especially to their foundational experiences, the major metaphor of their life, their operative theology, and their core contribution to justice.
* Chapter seven reflects on God through the perspective of the poor by looking at liberation theology and the preferential option for the poor. This chapter is an especially helpful read for anyone who wishes to understand what is meant by these two terms and the position of the Vatican on liberation theology. The global perspective is readily apparent again in this chapter as attention is paid to Black, Hispanic, Feminist, and Asian liberation theology.
* Chapter eight concerns the rite of the liturgy, and justice as living in right relationships with God, self, others, and the environment. This chapter also has several nice charts that are helpful in linking the sacraments to social teaching by way core issue.
* The final chapter on spirituality and transformation beautifully sums up the book by looking to the spiritual disciplines which can strengthen us for doing the work of justice in the world: fasting, prayer, community, solidarity, nature, simplicity, recollection, and Sabbath.

Each chapter begins with a relevant story, and ends with a set of questions that would be helpful for personal reflection, group discussion, or classroom use, and a detailed bibliography for further reading and study.

I recommend Globalization, Spirituality, and Justice for upper level undergrads and graduate students in theology, peace studies, political science, ethics and justice, and economics and business, as well as justice groups, and the general reader interested in this vital and timely topic. Groody has managed to research and write a compelling treatise on global injustice without conveying a bleak and hopeless message. At its core, this book seeks to respond to the deeper issues of the human heart that globalization has largely left unexplored--questions related to belonging and loneliness, good and evil, peace and division, healing and suffering, meaning and meaninglessness, hope and despair, love and apathy, justice and injustice, freedom and slavery, and ultimately life and death. He is not interested in overwhelming readers with guilt, but rather with guiding readers to examine our personal and corporate lives and motivations, all the while encouraging us to think beyond ourselves to the needs of our brothers and sisters in the global family. The book is clear and well documented, exquisitely written, and sings a wonderful melody of the gratuitousness of God that is both a gift to and a demand on our lives.

Truly excellent work. This book addresses how to be christian in todays world. Thought provoking and very well researched. Great for a book group with discussion questions at the end of each chapter. I have already recommended this book to many.

"An important contribution to our understanding of the Bay Area and its history.... An indispensable guide to this vital region."

"Here at last in a single volume is the interwoven story of the San Francisco Bay region.... Authoritative, readable, compact, the first wide-angle portrait of a vast and vigorous urban substate"