East Central College Books

An incredibly good book. McAlister dissects and analyzes the representations of the Middle East in various media -- movies, news, plays, books, etc. -- and their relationships to the projection of US global power and the shaping of US cultural identity since the end of World War II. As she puts it, her goal is to address the absence of culture from discussions of the history of US imperialism, the absence of empire from discussions of US culture, and the absence of the US from discussions of postcolonial imperialism.

Among her subjects, all of which she treats deftly and with attentive detail, are: Amiri Baraka's "A Black Mass," the Israeli military raid on Entebbe, the 1977 John Frankenheimer movie "Black Friday," the tour of King Tutankhamen's artifacts through the United States during 1977-1978, Hal Lindsey's "The Late Great Planet Earth," the rise of the Moral Majority, the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-1980 and its obsessive coverage in the US media, the prevalence of military revenge movies in the 1980s like "Navy Seals" and "Delta Force," Betty Mahmoody's book "Not without My Daughter," and the Gulf War.

I found particularly compelling her discussion of 1950s biblical epics, such as "Ben-Hur" and "The Ten Commandments." The recent controversy over "The Passion of the Christ" is put into definite context when you see how "The Ten Commandments" was received (and what purposes it served) when it was released in 1956.

This book is quite dense. It makes for slow and contemplative reading. As a review of the anthropological literature of the Middle East, it should be a required text for any graduate or upper level undergraduate social sciences course focussing on the Middle East or Central Asia. Original source material is summarized and analyzed in comparison to other viewpoints, particularly across time. Anyone with further interest in particular areas of culture could skim the footnotes to find the complete citations for the original material. Each chapter also concludes with an annotated list of further readings, which would also be quite useful for the interested reader. My favorite sections were the second chapter, Intellectual Predecessors: East and West, and the last part of the last chapter, Writing Middle Eastern Anthropology.

A unique visual history that traces the College's roots from its earliest beginnings throught the late 20th century. Over 190 black and white photos capture the Tusculum experience. From highlighting its famous presidents and faculty members, to showcasing the dramatic changes of the campus over the years, this book is overflowing with history. For Tusculum alumunis, former faculty and staff or any history buff, Tusculum College, Tennessee will be a trip down memory lane.

Wise Guide has done an excellant job creating a book that can be used by anybody to truly experience game day at Ohio Stadium to the fullest. Whether a rookie to the traditions, or a grizzled veteran, this book covers almost every Buckeye tradition that's related to game day. This book is perfect for fans who would like to pass on the great tradition of Ohio State football to others who have never had the pleasure of attending a game, or who may be unaware of the many wonderful experiences that can be had by being a Buckeye fan in Columbus on game day.