Perspective Books

Kobena Mercer has long been a strong presence in the ongoing debate and discourse around issues of race and representation in the practice of artists of color. Much of his work has focused on the postmodern moment. With this important book Mercer now brings his incisive intelligence to bear on one of the premier African American modernists, Romare Bearden. It is no surprise that Mercer has brought the same high level of intellectual acuity and observation to Bearden's work, casting him in a new and exciting light. Mercer is joined here by a host of other art historians and theorists, each taking a moment out from the continuing din of Postmodernism to reflect on how we might bring a seemingly moderninst artist into the current discussion. In doing so they rescue Bearden from the dustbin of history, and make him once again an artist worthy of continued--and renewed--attention.

This book is an important and valuable addition to the ongong discourse around the place of African American artists within both the modernist and postmodern canon. That this work was undertaken by Mercer--with his impeccable Postmodernist pedigree--makes it that much more impressive.

An excellent collection of helpful and challenging discussions of cost-benefit analysis, covering both strengths and weaknesses from a variety of perspectives. Some major names in the fields (such as Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum, Richard Posner, and Cass Sunstein) are included.

"Counseling in African-American Communities: Biblical Perspectives on Tough Issues" presents a well-researched, practically-developed, biblical methodology for pastors, lay people, and counselors working from a Christian perspective and/or working with the Christian client. Though focused on African-Americans, the material can quite effectively be used cross-culturally.

The editors, June and Black, divide the book into four parts. Part I delves into various addictions, their nature, development, and treatment. Part II focuses upon family issues. Part III highlights mental health matters. Part IV is entitled, "Confronting Other Critical Issues," and includes matters such as conflict, faith, demonology, unemployment, and research in clinical practice.

In each chapter within each section, the research is presented in easy-to-digest form, almost always with helpful charts. Interspersed within each chapter, the reader finds real-life vignettes that bring the material to life. The foundation of every chapter is the biblical counseling diagnosis and treatment plan. The authors use theological concepts as well as specific principles from pertinent passages to build a biblical approach to the topic. Finally, every chapter includes a brief, helpful bibliography for further research.

The book's audience is clearly the helper--the professional counselor, pastor, or lay care-giver. The lay person himself/herself, struggling with a particular issue, could benefit through reading the pertinent chapter(s). However, the intent of the book is not primarily to be a "self-help" manual.

"Counseling in African-American Communities" provides a comprehensive introduction to a biblical perspective on a wide-range of issues facing counselors, pastors, and spiritual friends.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

This book is the result of two international conferences on stress and coping processes among couples.

The primary aim of first the conferences and now the book is to bring together the the thinking of scholars working on these issues from different perspectives. The result is a concise survey of the current approaches on stress and couples based on American and European researchers.

The book is intended primarily for scholars in the field of marital research and interpersonal relationships. It also serves as a a useful reader for practioners and therapists as well.

The list of the twenty two contributors to this book reads like a "Who's Who" of the leading researchers in the world. This book represents the state-of-the-art in research in this area and provides reports on several ongoing studies that are helping to define the scope and possible solutions to the problems.

I am no expert on this subject, but I was able to learn a lot in a short time. The authors compare the interrelationship of the Courts and politics in the United States, England, France, Germany and Japan. The book is well structured and easy to read. "Apples" are compared with "apples" in each section of the book, providing the reader with a cogent comparison of these systems. If you are interested in comparative law or just want to learn about the legal systems of one or more of these countries, this book is worth reading.

OUR GROUP HAS BEEN INSPIRED BY THE STUDY OF THIS BOOK. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL BIBLE CLASSES.

A very nice introduction to the economics of electronic commerce with a good overview of its technological antecedents. Most of the book is devoted to more than twenty Stanford Business School case studies covering such companies as SAP, Siebel, eBay, Cisco, Webvan, and so on. Well-written and easy to read. Well worth the purchase!

This book should appeal to the small group of Motor Behavior/Sport Psychology researchers, such as members of NASPSPA. I needed the chapter on Franklin Henry specifically, but the perspectives from the other big names in the field are interesting too.

This book is a nice mix of intuitive explanation and rigorously proved results. It gives a very good overview of the issues involved and can form a useful tool for a researcher in this area. Not only does it tell the state of the art, but a perceptive researcher can also identify areas of future research.
Overall, a great reference.

William N. Still has crafted what will unquestionably be the standard work documenting the contribution of the United States Navy in World War I in 1917 and 1918. The only disappointing thing about this outstanding, detailed, work is the fact that it is issued by an academic press (although a very fine one, the University Presses of Florida), thus somewhat inhibiting a more widespread distribution and marketing of the book to a potentially much greater audience. Additionally, at $100.00 the copy new, Still's book is dauntingly pricey, but is certainly worth it nonetheless, to the specialist, researcher or, like myself, the serious collector of scholarly and thoughtful works of naval history.
I like Dr. Still's approach to his subject in which he is clearly and obviously extremely well-versed. He outlines and delineates far more than the standard operational history of the Navy during this period although that is well covered. He elucidates useful, and little-known, insights on the role and criticality of protecting troop convoys from the German U-Boat threat across the Atlantic, the trial-by-error development of proper convoy escorts, the role of the U.S. battleship squadron in its interaction with the Royal Navy's Grand fleet (we definitely did not measure up to the high gunnery and tactical standards of the Brits at first, although the Brits had experienced their own difficulties in these regards at the inconclusive battle of Jutland a year before the U.S. entered the war).
What impresses me the most about this book is the exhaustive amount of background material--the often quirky (and demanding) personalities of the captains and admirals, the daily lives of ordinary sailors on convoy patrol on the various types of warships (the food they ate, how they spent their shore leave in the British Isles, etc.), early 20th century USN warship development, the logistical "fleet train" and much, much more.
Copious endnotes lend the stamp of authenticity and credibility to the whole flow of the narrative, yet without "getting in the way" of an outstanding read. Still tells a compelling story like it has never been told before.