It is with great pride we congratulate Elinor Ostrom, co-winner, with Oliver Williamson, of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics and author of the Princeton University Press book UNDERSTANDING INSTITUTIONAL DIVERSITY.  And I hear through the grapevine that we have another project of hers coming out in the not-to-distant future.  Stay tuned!

Congratulations, again, Elinor!

We were thrilled to learn the other day that bestselling PUP book ANIMAL SPIRITS: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy, and Why It Matters for Global Capitalism, by George Akerlof and Bob Shiller, was included on the shortlist for the FT/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year 2009 award.  Our congratulations to George and Bob on the publication of this tremendous, important, and timely work.

We were very pleased to hear this week that two Princeton University Press economicstitles are on the longlist for consideration of the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year–the only university press on the list.  Congratulations to George Akerlof and Robert Shiller for ANIMAL SPIRITS: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy, and Why It Matters for Global Capitalism, and to Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff for their soon-to-be published THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly. Shortlist  announcements will be made in September.

Princeton’s Annan Professor of English Susan Stewart is one of seven authors honored with a 2009 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Read the announcements from Princeton University and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Learn about Love Lessons: Selected Poems of Alda Merini, translated by Susan Stewart.

Over at Foreign Policy, Dan Drezner recently posted his favorites for the short list of the International Studies Best Book of the Decade Award. His top five included three Princeton titles: A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World by Gregory Clark; Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists: Unleashing the Power of Financial Markets to Create Wealth and Spread Opportunity by Raghuram G. Rajan and Luigi Zingales; and After Victory: Institutions, Strategic Restraint, and the Rebuilding of Order after Major Wars by G. John Ikenberry.

You can see his entire list here. Which Princeton titles would make your top five?

Judging for the 2009 AAUP Book, Jacket, and Journal Show took place January 22-23 at the AAUP Central Office in New York City. Approximately 289 books, 292 jacket and cover design entries, and 7 journals were entered. From this pool of excellent design, the jurors chose 53 books, 1 journal, and 36 jackets/covers as the very best examples. We are proud to announce that four Princeton University Press titles were among these winners. We salute our stellar design team (and special thanks to Jason Alejandro for providing these beautiful photographs to showcase their collective talents).

Princeton University Press had four AAUP Selected  Entries:

SCHOLARLY  TYPOGRAPHIC
Shakespeare by Johann Gottfried Herder
(Translated, Edited, and with an introduction by Gregory  Moore)
Designer: Pamela Schnitter
Production Coordinator: Betsy  Litz

[Show as slideshow]

TRADE TYPOGRAPHIC
Privacy: A Manifesto by Wolfgang  Sofsky
Designer: Pamela Schnitter
Production Coordinator: Sharyn  Zasada

[Show as slideshow]

JACKETS  AND COVERS
A Pinnacle of Feeling: American Literature and  Presidential Government by Sean McCann
Designer/Art Director:  Marcella Roberts
Production Coordinator: Sharyn  Zasada

[Show as slideshow]

Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, from Poisoned  Candy to Counterfeit Coffee by Bee Wilson
Designer/Art Director:  Lorraine Betz Doneker
Production Coordinator: Sharyn  Zasada

[Show as slideshow]

For more information visit the AAUP Web site.

Princeton University Press would like to congratulate Jeff Madrick and his book THE CASE FOR BIG GOVERNMENT for being a finalist in the 2009 PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction.  It was one of three books, and the only university press book on the list.  The award went to Steve Coll for his excellent book The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century.  The other finalist was Jane Mayer’s book The Dark Side The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals.

We were so pleased to find out last week that our author Bernard d’Espagnat has been awarded the prestigious 2009 Templeton Prize, billed as the world’s largest annual award to an individual, for his work affirming the spiritual dimension of life.

The Templeton Foundation announced the $1.42 million prize at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris on Monday. You can read an article about the news on Reuters. 

Princeton University Press had the pleasure of publishing his book ON PHYSICS AND PHILOSOPHY in the Fall of 2006.  We offer our congratulations to him on this tremendous honor.  Read more about the prize here.

Please join me in congratulating Sheldon Wolin for winnning the 2008 Lannan Notable Book Award for his recent book DEMOCRACY INCORPORATED: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism.  This is a very prestigious and well-deserved award given to Sheldon for his original scholarship and exceptional writing.  You can read more about the Lannan awards and the Lannan Foundation in general here.