Illinois Books

After reading this book, I was surprised that it didn't garner more attention. Friedman's world is that of the "everyman," and his keen ear for dialogue, his subtle rendering of the despair lurking behind polished suburban surfaces, and his dense and arresting realism approach the intensity of Ray Carver. For an unaffected look into the psyche of the middle class--and modern man as a whole--this collection of short stories is an important work. Dark, unsettling, and inexplicably compelling like the best of the minimalist genre, "If Defeated Allege Fraud" is short fiction at its finest.

of anguish and despair. The poets scream, but their voices cannot be heard, as they plead for mercy for their brothers and sisters' lives. An excellent book that must be read over and over again.

Again, the pictures in the book are easy enough to use for my 3 year old. The information contained in the book is useful. We enjoy using this book and look forward to the spring and summer when we can travel further than our backyard.

Kant's Anthropology is what we call today - psychology. The book is a series of lectures that Kant himself edited into a book. Usualy we know Kant as hard to read, yet this book is unique in that. It flows, from subject to subject, examining man's mind and various characteristics of the human spirit. It is embodied with examples from life and literature, and gives a very good idea of Kants views regarding everyday life and behavior of normal people, and also of insane ones. It is a very warm book, filled with intelligent remarks about the human race, and it gives a very good notion of psychology (both cognitive and abnormal) in Kants days. I recommend it Highly.

This book was a godsend. For anyone who wants a very quick and concise overview of Anthropology's major theorists, I highly recommend this book to you. The editors make some great analogies and comparisons to the varied approaches in the field.

Duncan, a professor of mine when I was in graduate school and an invaluable member of my thesis committee, has done it again. He is one of a rare breed of intellectual, the philosopher-teachers in the style of Plato, Aristotle, or Socrates. Duncan's insight into the methods and motivations of ancient, medieval, and modern political thought is of the rarefied type that allows the originator of the insight to teach it to others. Any student or hobbyist of Early American history would be remiss to deprive their library of this work, which explores, analyzes, and contrasts the road taken with the road not taken, and presents the latter as a viable option unexperienced by Americans.

Appeals does not walk the reader through a maze of rhetorical terms, old dead white guys, and traditional concepts as its starting point. Instead it engages the notion of the "appeal" as an appropriate notion for rhetoric. The appeal is "to plead one's case" as in argumentation but also "to plead" to anther in a more bodily--sense via empathy, emotion, identification (Freudian and Burkean sense), etc. (p. 2). Thus Killingsworth accomplishes the range of rhetoric from the "nearly unconscious to the directly persuasive" within the notion of the "appeal."

The appeals model is to move an audience towards a value. The value is the connection point. The metaphors are orienteering and sailing. It is a process of triangulation. This is beginning of the appeals model.

After locating the "appeal" in rhetoric and discussing authority and evidence he discusses context in terms of exigence and genre.

The book then works the "modern topoi": appeals to time, place, body, gender, race, through tropes, and narrative.
The body chapter is done especially well.


Each of the modern appeals are accessible to scholars new to rhetoric and literally enjoyable for experienced rhetoricians. His ability to speak to both audiences is a function of the depth, clarity, and insight found in his example critiques of various "texts." From a childhood toothpaste advertisement based on sex to the Sci-Fi movie "Enemy Mine", you will find yourself writing "damn good analysis" in the margins. In this case it is a choice text for undergraduate rhetoric students who need the foundational concepts treated with a gentle touch AND who need examples of what quality rhetorical criticism looks like.


You'll get some of the terms: metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, irony that folks need for rhetoric so readers can be conversant and/or testable. Another plus is that the book is short yet compact at 149 pages. Also- for the instructors, the book has a number of environmentally-related examples. So if this is your passion - the book will lead right into many discussions that interest students.

If you are a Burkean (Kenneth Burke that is) you will appreciate the use of the weight of Burke's concepts to teach and clearly organize modern rhetorical notions. The use of Burke is organic and clear and does not beat the reader over the head with the same poor interpretations of Burke's most famous notions.

My critique of the book (i.e. narrative chapter gets shortchanged, I would love to see a discussion of the term "Modern", I'd prefer more in-text citations, etc.) would only be justified if the book were written for a different audience, but this is for an undergraduate audience or for rusty rhetoricians that want a fresh perspective on rhetoric. The reader is therefore not burdened with the waxing that I want these days.

Overall- a refreshing text all stripes of rhetoricians. A great launching point compared with what else is available- and only 149 pages.

In the Chicago area, Lambert Fleming is arrested for allegedly molesting a little girl. Private Investigator Mal Foley remembers Lambert as the classmate who was thoroughly humiliated by his so-called friends, including Mal. Feeling guilty over that two decade old incident, Mal decides to prove Lambert is innocent.

Mal figures this will be a simple investigation that should not take up much of his time. Instead, to his shock, Mal finds the case to be extremely difficult and even somewhat dangerous as the alleged victim turns out to be related to extremely powerful mob families. Even when the girl's father tries to abort Mal's investigation, he continues to investigate what really happened to the little girl.

In his third appearance, hard boiled Mal Foley continues to be a very interesting sleuth whose acerbic and witty tongue constantly gets him in trouble. The Chicago area also comes to life (albeit through Mal's myopic eyes). This, in turn, leaves readers believing they are visiting the Windy City. Though the story line of APPLAUD THE HOLLOW GHOST includes some stretches, the novel remains a very entertaining mystery.

Harriet Klausner

This book is a must have for all!!! It should be part of all school curriculum on American history. All Americans come from somewhere unless they are American Indians and were already here--true natives.

This book is an excellent historical and factual piece of work. Mr. Hanania captures it all--real people and their experiences. The book leaves you wanting more. Looking at the numerous vintage pictures that fill the book is like opening up a treasure chest filled with riches in culture and the immigrant experience. I can't wait for Hanania's next book.

Saffiya Shillo
Chicagoan

If you love the 70s, especially all the great cheesy TV shows of the time, this books is for you. It's super smart and funny, as the author, Josh Osersky, takes you on a guided tour of the times, and how shows like Three's Company and the Love Boat tell us the true story of America in the 70s. One of the best books I ever read!!!!