|
|
|
|
NEW IN PRINT
Books released during the week of May 20, 2013 |  |
Kafka: The Years of Insight Reiner Stach Translated by Shelley Frisch "This well-researched new biography details the last nine years of Franz Kafka's life and explores the personal, social, and political events that shaped his writing. . . . Despite the narrow time frame, this insightful book is likely to become a standard by which future biographies are measured."--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) |
 |
Kafka: The Decisive Years Reiner Stach Translated by Shelley Frisch "Most impressive is Stach's recounting of the creation of his subject's writings. . . . Stach's own writing is wonderfully expressive."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) |
 |
Men of Bronze: Hoplite Warfare in Ancient Greece Edited by Donald Kagan & Gregory F. Viggiano "This is the new hoplite book everyone has been waiting for--punchy, stimulating, up-to-date, and full of excitement and contention, like a hoplite scrum."--John Ma, University of Oxford |
Books released during the week of May 13, 2013 |  |
Against the Current: Essays in the History of Ideas (Second Edition) Isaiah Berlin Edited by Henry Hardy With a new foreword by Mark Lilla Introduction by Roger Hausheer "A most remarkable intellectual achievement. There are few books published in our time which more dazzlingly illuminate some of the most crucial problems of western culture and civilisation."--Goronwy Rees, Encounter |
 |
The Crooked Timber of Humanity: Chapters in the History of Ideas (Second Edition) Isaiah Berlin Edited by Henry Hardy With a new foreword by John Banville "A beautifully patterned tapestry of philosophical thought . . . A history of ideas that possesses all the drama of a novel, all the immediacy of headline news."--New York Times |
 |
The Hedgehog and the Fox: An Essay on Tolstoy's View of History (Second Edition) Isaiah Berlin Edited by Henry Hardy With a new foreword by Michael Ignatieff "[Berlin] has a deep and subtle feeling for the puzzle of Tolstoy's personality, and he writes throughout . . . with a wonderful eloquence."--William Barrett, New York Times |
 |
Mammals of China Edited by Andrew T. Smith & Yan Xie Praise for A Guide to the Mammals of China: "Now, for the first time, the natural history of all 556 of China's known mammals has been brought together in this impressive tome. This title represents a major achievement."--Kathryn Jeffs, BBC Wildlife Magazine |
 |
No Joke: Making Jewish Humor Ruth R. Wisse "Accessible to nonacademic audiences as well as scholars, this cultural history is a welcome addition to the study of humor in a sociopolitical context."--Publishers Weekly |
 |
Partiality Simon Keller "Keller's engaging book makes an important contribution to a critical issue in ethical theory. He presents a tremendously succinct presentation of the views."--Diane Jeske, University of Iowa |
 |
The Roots of Romanticism (Second Edition) Isaiah Berlin Edited by Henry Hardy With a new foreword by John Gray "Thoroughly brilliant, often thrilling and yet always accessible."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) |
 |
Uncorked: The Science of Champagne (Revised Edition) Gérard Liger-Belair With a new foreword by Hervé This Praise for the previous edition: "[This] jewel-of-a-book makes the perfect companion gift to a bottle of bubbly. . . . Written by a passionate, wine-loving physicist with just the proper level of jargon for non-scientists, the birth, rise and bursting of a Champagne bubble is scrutinized, rhapsodized, diagrammed, photographed and, finally, demystified. . . . Knowing more about a bubble's lowly birth (formed from debris on the side of the glass) and ephemeral rise to fame will only serve to make you love it more."--Claudia Conlon, Wine News |
 |
Wildlife of Australia Iain Campbell & Sam Woods "Well-organized and clear, this book is easy to navigate. The photographs are consistently good, the selection of species is judicious, and the valuable habitat section establishes the right context for the treatment of diverse fauna. This guide provides a good taste of the Australian wildlife experience for both the casual watcher and the experienced observer."--Alan McBride, coauthor of The Complete Guide to Finding the Birds of Australia |
Books released during the week of May 6, 2013 |  |
Change They Can't Believe In: The Tea Party and Reactionary Politics in America Christopher S. Parker & Matt A. Barreto "A scathing analysis of the Tea Party movement, linking it in spirit to the Ku Klux Klan and the John Birch Society. Taking today's conservative populists to be dangerous and their ideas self-incriminating, the authors speculate that Tea Party supporters may perceive of social change as subversion. Based on research and interviews, they suggest racism, desire for social dominance . . . drives the Tea Party."--Publishers Weekly |
 |
For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio W. H. Auden Edited and with an introduction by Alan Jacobs "[Auden's] four long poems . . . remain the astounding heart of his work. . . . In For the Time Being, the most successful of these poems, [the characters] are at once participants in the Nativity story and drunken New Yorkers."--Adam Gopnik, New Yorker |
 |
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees (Second Edition) Edited and with an introduction by Alan Jacobs "The very best book I can imagine for identifying trees."--Seattle Times |
 |
Picasso and Truth: From Cubism to Guernica T. J. Clark "No art historian in our time has had a greater impact both within the field and beyond it than T. J. Clark. Everything he writes matters in the most fundamental way. His latest book, Picasso and Truth, is no exception--superbly observed, beautifully argued, a tour de force of looking, thinking, and writing."--Michael Fried, author of The Moment of Caravaggio |
 |
Political Bubbles: Financial Crises and the Failure of American Democracy Nolan McCarty, Keith T. Poole & Howard Rosenthal "As pundits debate the causes of the 2008 economic crisis, the authors contend that financial crises have inherently political dimensions. McCarty, Poole, and Rosenthal argue persuasively that political bubbles and market bubbles are highly similar, with policy biases contributing to and amplifying market behavior. . . . The authors provide an exhaustive review of structural problems that they believe impede effective government response to new catastrophic economic developments. Their arguments transcend the academic to include historical precedents and specifics on Wall Street machinations."--Publishers Weekly |
 |
Presidential Leadership and the Creation of the American Era Joseph S. Nye, Jr. "In this concise and readable study of American presidential foreign policy decisions, Kennedy School of Government professor Nye (The Future of Power) asks, 'To what extent were the men who presided over the creation of the American era simply responding, or were they shaping events?' Nye examines eight administrations, defined as 'transformational' or 'transactional,' and the diverse ways presidents communicate with and inspire the public. He also entices the historically minded with a 'What if?' section that speculates on historical alternatives and provides worthwhile reflections on the uneasy relationship between ethical leadership and effective leadership. Besides risking controversy, his ethical scorecards of presidents--including Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson--illustrate the complexity of such judgments. Nye's overall assessment that the most dramatic and inspiring presidents are not always the most effective or ethical may, as he notes, overturn conventional wisdom, but the judgment bolsters his admonition to President Obama. His concluding reflections on the changing nature of exercising power in the 21st century effectively contextualize the continuing tensions inherent in managing domestic and international authority."--Publishers Weekly |
 |
Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy (New and expanded edition) Eric D. Weitz "In his engaging readings of these works, Weitz forgoes abstruse analysis. Instead, he presents them as fresh attempts to make sense of a world in which reliable beliefs about authority and order, class and gender, wealth and poverty, no longer held. His most innovative chapter is an imaginary walk through Berlin, observing the daily lives of the city's different classes. . . . Better than most histories, the book connects culture, politics and city life."--Brian Ladd, New York Times Book Review |
Books released during the week of April 22, 2013 |  |
Presidents and the Dissolution of the Union: Leadership Style from Polk to Lincoln Fred I. Greenstein with Dale Anderson "The American Civil War was somehow caused by slavery, but how was it that the slavery question could not be resolved short of bloodshed? Fred Greenstein rejects the notion of an irrepressible conflict, instead highlighting the failings of a series of presidents, contrasting their drift or dysfunction with Abraham Lincoln's mastery. Briskly argued and brimming with insight, this book will spark fresh conversation about the role of individuals versus social forces in the making of history."--Michael Birkner, Gettysburg College |
 |
Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age W. Bernard Carlson "A scholarly, critical, mostly illuminating study of the life and work of the great Serbian inventor."--Kirkus Reviews |
Books released during the week of April 15, 2013 |  |
Einstein Gravity in a Nutshell A. Zee "Einstein Gravity in a Nutshell is a remarkably complete and thorough textbook on general relativity, written in a refreshing and engaging style. Zee leads us through all the major intellectual steps that make what is surely one of the most profound and beautiful theories of all time. The book is enjoyable and informative in equal measure. Quite an achievement."--Pedro Ferreira, University of Oxford |
 |
Free Market Fairness John Tomasi "[Free Market Fairness's] aim is to question opposed modes of thought and find a way between them. Saying that his book was written for 'ideologically uncommitted readers,' Mr. Tomasi invites them and others to join him in exploring the ideas he has outlined. It is an invitation well worth accepting, especially in an election year."--Adam Wolfson, Wall Street Journal |
 |
Human Capitalism: How Economic Growth Has Made Us Smarter--and More Unequal Brink Lindsey "Mr. Lindsey, formerly with the Cato Institute, is one of the most engaging libertarian writers. Here he seeks to address a much-talked about problem: While many Americans are becoming wealthier by joining the ranks of 'managers, professionals and entrepreneurs,' and the working class is not shrinking, those who remain in the dwindling middle find it harder to break into the so-called knowledge economy. . . . [I]t takes a special kind of talent to write about public policies like these in a way that doesn't put you to sleep, and he has that talent."--Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal |
 |
The Importance of Being Civil: The Struggle for Political Decency John A. Hall "This highly original book is a major contribution to the study of civility and civil society, as well as sociological theory, nationalism studies, the history of ideas, and political theory. With impeccable scholarship, great erudition, rich prose, and a rare ability to integrate sophisticated historical and sociological analysis with specific recommendations, Hall provides a new understanding of civility."--Siniša Malešević, University College Dublin |
 |
Niccolò Machiavelli: An Intellectual Biography Corrado Vivanti Translated by Simon MacMichael "Students well versed in the classics, the historian's vast writings and medieval history will most enjoy this academic biography."--Kirkus Reviews |
 |
Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today's Computers John MacCormick With a foreword by Chris Bishop "Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future offers a great way to find out what computer science is really about. In this very readable book, MacCormick (a computer scientist at Dickinson College) shows how a collection of sets of intangible instructions invented since the 1940s has led to monumental changes in all our lives. . . . MacCormick provides a taste of why we computer scientists get so excited about algorithms--for their utility, of course, but also for their beauty and elegance."--Paul Curzon, Science |
 |
Rational Expectations and Inflation (Third Edition) Thomas J. Sargent "In Rational Expectations and Inflation, Sargent provides a consistent way to think about the relationship between a government and its central bank. . . . [I]t is the best exposition of what monetary policy is all about, at this mostly nontechnical level, of which I know. . . . Rational Expectations and Inflation on the whole remains fresh, stimulating and informative."--Edward J. Green, The Region |
 |
Security: Politics, Humanity, and the Philology of Care John T. Hamilton "John Hamilton's meditation on 'security'--the word and the thing--ranges, with uncommon erudition, over centuries of thought, from Hyginus's Latin fable on Cura (a marvelous beginning) to Heidegger and Homeland Security. Hamilton's philological skill, intellectual historical imagination, and critical brio fuse in a radiant explication of Goethe's Faust; indeed, the trajectory of his thought is itself Faustian in its appetite and willpower."--Stanley Corngold, author of Franz Kafka: The Ghosts in the Machine |
 |
A Short Life of Kierkegaard (New in Paperback) Walter Lowrie With Lowrie's essay "How Kierkegaard Got into English" and a new introduction by Alastair Hannay "Probably as good an introduction to Kierkegaard and his works as any that is likely ever to be produced."--Times Literary Supplement |
 |
Waiting for José: The Minutemen's Pursuit of America Harel Shapira "A valuable look at the birth of a populist paramilitary formation, one whose opponents may not dismiss so easily after reading this evenhanded book."--Kirkus Reviews |
Books released during the week of April 8, 2013 |  |
Fear and Trembling and The Sickness Unto Death (New in Paperback) Søren Kierkegaard Walter Lowrie's classic, bestselling translation of Søren Kierkegaard's most important and popular books remains unmatched for its readability and literary quality. Fear and Trembling and The Sickness Unto Death established Kierkegaard as the father of existentialism and have come to define his contribution to philosophy. Lowrie's translation, first published in 1941 and later revised, was the first in English, and it has introduced hundreds of thousands of readers to Kierkegaard's thought |
 |
The Kingdom of Fungi Jens H. Petersen The Kingdom of Fungi provides an intimate look at the world's astonishing variety of fungi species, from cup fungi and lichens to truffles and tooth fungi, clubs and corals, and jelly fungi and puffballs. This beautifully illustrated book features more than 800 stunning color photographs as well as a concise text that describes the biology and ecology of fungi, fungal morphology, where fungi grow, and human interactions with and uses of fungi. |
 |
Odd Couples: Extraordinary Differences between the Sexes in the Animal Kingdom Daphne J. Fairbairn "Balancing descriptive natural history with probing evolutionary biology, Fairbairn (Sex, Size & Gender Roles, coeditor), professor of biology at the University of California Riverside, examines eight striking cases of extreme size differences between males and females of the same species. . . . The conclusion she draws from this amazing diversity is as profound as it is simple: 'there is no "normal" or "typical" pattern of sexual differentiation across the animal kingdom.'"--Publishers Weekly |
 |
Rational Ritual: Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge (New in Paperback) Michael Suk-Young Chwe With a new afterword by the author "Communal activities, with lots of emotional and symbolic content . . . serve a rational purpose, argues Michael Suk-Young Chwe. . . . [His] work, like his own academic career, bridges several social sciences."--Virginia Postrel, New York Times |
 |
The Seducer's Diary (New in Paperback) Søren Kierkegaard "In the vast literature of love, The Seducer's Diary is an intricate curiosity--a feverishly intellectual attempt to reconstruct an erotic failure as a pedagogic success, a wound masked as a boast," observes John Updike in his foreword to Søren Kierkegaard's narrative. This work, a chapter from Kierkegaard's first major volume, Either/Or, springs from his relationship with his fiancée, Regine Olsen. |
 |
Spaces of PL Manifolds and Categories of Simple Maps Friedhelm Waldhausen, Bjørn Jahren & John Rognes Since its introduction by Friedhelm Waldhausen in the 1970s, the algebraic K-theory of spaces has been recognized as the main tool for studying parametrized phenomena in the theory of manifolds. However, a full proof of the equivalence relating the two areas has not appeared until now. This book presents such a proof, essentially completing Waldhausen's program from more than thirty years ago. |
 |
Syrian Episodes: Sons, Fathers, and an Anthropologist in Aleppo John Borneman "First of all, the book is gorgeously written. Second, it is the anthropology of experience rather than the anthropology of abstruse theory."--Martin Peretz, New Republic |
Books released during the week of April 1, 2013 |  |
After Cloven Tongues of Fire: Protestant Liberalism in Modern American History David A. Hollinger "This book by America's leading intellectual historian is essential reading for anyone who cares to understand the rise, decline, and enduring legacy of what was once our dominant religious tradition. David Hollinger's essays, always empathetic but never uncritical, treat the 'worldly' Protestants with the moral rigor they deserve."--Michael Kazin, author of American Dreamers: How the Left Changed a Nation |
 |
The Aesthetics of Architecture (New in Paperback) Roger Scruton "Compelling and readable. . . . [O]ne not just to read but to return to and to query with persistence and concentration, a book in fact not to borrow and peruse, but to possess and make one's own."--Anthony Savile, Times Literary Supplement |
 |
Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful Daniel S. Hamermesh "Since the mid-nineties, Daniel Hamermesh . . . has done a series of studies on the role that appearance plays in the workplace, and his conclusion is captured by the title of his recent book, Beauty Pays. In the U.S., he finds, better-looking men earn four per cent more than average-looking men of similar education and experience, and uglier men earn thirteen per cent less. . . . Hamermesh finds that pulchritude is valuable in nearly all professions, not just those where good looks may seem to be an obvious asset. . . ."--Jim Surowiecki, New Yorker |
 |
College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be (New in Paperback) Andrew Delbanco "At a time when many are trying to reduce the college years to a training period for economic competition, Delbanco reminds readers of the ideal of democratic education. . . . The American college is too important 'to be permitted to give up on its own ideals,' Delbanco writes. He has underscored these ideals by tracing their history. Like a great teacher, he has inspired us to try to live up to them."--Michael S. Roth, New York Times Book Review |
 |
Confucianism as a World Religion: Contested Histories and Contemporary Realities Anna Sun "This brilliant new book tells us how Confucianism became a world religion, and shows us how Western and Chinese scholars--responding to thousands of years of history and the pressures of the modern world--have understood this idea,d which is still very much in contest in today's China. This book is not only for those interested in East Asia, but for all who are trying to make sense of the world's great traditions."--Robert N. Bellah, author of Religion in Human Evolution |
 |
Finance and the Good Society (New in Paperback) Robert J. Shiller "Reading his book is like wandering through an interesting garden. . . . [T]he best passages in this book make a persuasive case for a fresh view of an industry that is too glibly demonized. The most promising way to promote the good society, Shiller says, is not to restrain finance but to release it."--Sebastian Mallaby, New York Times Book Review |
 |
Handbook of Meta-analysis in Ecology and Evolution Edited by Julia Koricheva, Jessica Gurevitch & Kerrie Mengersen A superb guide to the conduct and interpretation of meta-analysis, from an exceptional team of international experts. This comprehensive manual covers essential concepts, steps, and standards for rigorous research synthesis in ecology and evolutionary biology. Its clear prose, helpful illustrations, and worked examples will be useful for beginners and experts alike. Highly recommended for use as a textbook or for self-study."--Julia Littell, Bryn Mawr College, coauthor of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis |
 |
The Imperative of Integration Elizabeth Anderson "[A] real tour de force of philosophical argumentation utilizing social science data."--Brian Leiter, Leiter Reports blog |
 |
Jane Austen, Game Theorist Michael Suk-Young Chwe "Michael Chwe shows that Jane Austen is a strategic analyst--a game theorist whose characters exercise strategic thinking. Game theorists usually study war, business, crime and punishment, diplomacy, politics, and one-upmanship. Jane Austen studies social advancement, romantic relationships, and even gamesmanship. Game theorists will enjoy this venture into unfamiliar territory, while Jane Austen fans will enjoy being illuminated about their favorite author's strategic acumen--and learn a little game theory besides."--Thomas C. Schelling, Nobel Laureate in Economics |
 |
Lessons Learned: Reflections of a University President William G. Bowen "[Bowen's] advice on how to be a successful leader of a university is invariably spot-on."--Alan Ryan, New Stateman |
 |
Looking for Rights in All the Wrong Places: Why State Constitutions Contain America's Positive Rights Emily Zackin "Emily Zackin argues that the United States has a long history of positive rights protection, created and fostered by political outsiders who wanted to change society and disrupt the status quo. We will find this tradition not in the federal constitution, but in our country's many state constitutions. This is a crucially important book revealing an unjustly neglected feature of America's constitutional traditions."--Jack M. Balkin, Yale Law School |
 |
The Milky Way: An Insider's Guide William H. Waller "Clearly written, splendidly up-to-date, and full of delightful analogies, this book is the natural heir to Bok's The Milky Way. It explores and explains our Galaxy in a way accessible to all readers and will excite anyone who craves an adventure of the mind and imagination."--Andrew Fraknoi, professor of astronomy, Foothill College |
 |
The Open Society and Its Enemies (New One-Volume Edition) Karl Popper With a new introduction by Alan Ryan and an essay by E. H. Gombrich "Learned, subtly argued, and passionately written."--Sidney Hook, New York Times |
 |
The Philosopher, the Priest, and the Painter: A Portrait of Descartes Steven Nadler "The famous painting of Descartes by Frans Hals that hangs in the Louvre is, in fact, not by Frans Hals. And a similar things-are-not-what-they-seem quality applies to this clever little book. For behind the telling of the story of a clutch of paintings and a group of friends in the seventeenth century, Nadler gives us a brisk and lively account of Descartes' philosophy, which, more than any other, would become the foundation of modernity."--Russell Shorto, author of Descartes' Bones |
 |
The Science of War: Defense Budgeting, Military Technology, Logistics, and Combat Outcomes Michael E. O'Hanlon "As an introduction to a vital realm of analysis, this book has much to offer. But its greater value may be as a primary text describing the type of military thinking that gets states into trouble. Indeed, a symptom of this pathology is that no rival textbooks exist, and thus The Science of War presents evidence not only of the models' shortcoming but also that of our profession."--Jonathan D. Caverley, Perspectives on Politics |
 |
Strange New Worlds: The Search for Alien Planets and Life beyond Our Solar System (New in Paperback) Ray Jayawardhana "Anyone scanning the shelves today to learn about such urgent news from the universe should go directly 'J' and take down Ray Jayawardhana's Strange New Worlds. It begins with early speculation by ancient thinkers but moves quickly to a series of seemingly promising discoveries, beginning 160 years ago, that raised researchers' hopes only to frustrate them. . . . [R]eading Strange New Worlds, I felt the thrill of briefly sharing in the efforts of these planet-seeking scientists and seeing the universe through their eyes."--Mike Brown, Wall Street Journal |
 |
The Unpredictable Species: What Makes Humans Unique Philip Lieberman "His ability to marshal contemporary neuroscience to support his assertions is impressive, and his efforts to guide the field away from biological determinism (a 'stew of invented genes') are well-founded and important."--Publishers Weekly |
 |
Women in Western Political Thought (New Paperback) Susan Moller Okin With a new introduction by Debra Satz "Okin has written an engaging, serious, careful, and important work that raises the issues of women and politics in their most elemental and pertinent form. . . . A pioneering book."--Benjamin R. Barber, New Republic |
Questions and comments to: webmaster@pupress.princeton.edu
Princeton University Press
