If you want some cool, refreshing summer reading, consider Frozen Earth: the once and future story of ice ages, by Doug Macdougall. It is hard to imagine Boston and Detroit covered in ice, but they were, along with much of the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. While the focus is on ice, there are excellent explanations of other climactic phenomena including global warming, greenhouse gas effects, etc. This is a way cool book, check it out. (Vairo Library (QE698.M125 2004)
Do you ever wonder how you would react in a disaster situation? You probably assume that you would stay calm and evacuate the premises right away without wasting much time - this is what we think our instincts would be. However, the article in the May 2nd issue of Time, called "How To Get Out Alive", (page 59) shows that most of us will have a much slower reaction time, and our thinking/assessment of the situation will be much slower than usual. We go into a "freezing behavior"/paralysis, and we have disbelief at the situation.
The article tells anecdotes of past disasters and their results, and also tells of a few studies done to show why our behavior is opposite what it should be. Also the article gives good advice about things you should do and know ahead of time to help yourself should a disaster event happen. Read the article for the full story.
Some interesting facts from the article:
"On 9/11, at least 70% of survivors spoke with other people [trying to decide what they should do] before trying to leave."
"Women are quicker to evacuate than men are."
"The people who made it out of the World Trade Center, for example, waited an average of 6 min. before heading downstairs.... About 1000 took the time to shut down their computers."
Go to this link for to read the article online:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1053663,00.html
"By age 75, 58.5% of Americans have encountered at least one year of poverty... The fact that nearly 30 percent of the American population experiences five or more years of poverty during adulthood is eye opening." (p.95) Those statistics are just a few of the eye opening numbers in Mark Rank's One Nation, Underprivileged: why American Poverty Affects Us All. Rank's argues that poverty is not the result of individual shortcomings, but systemic problems of the economic structure of the United States, which fails to produce enough decent paying jobs, and fails to provide sufficient safety nets. He explains why we need to care about poverty, and why it is in everyone's best interest to eradicate it. He concludes with specific suggestions for action by individuals and the nation. Not beach reading, but worthwhile. (Vairo Library HV91.R363 2004)
Completing our Spring Week theme, we highlight William M. Klein, Jr.'s beautiful book, Gardens of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. With the price of gas soaring, you may want to take some short day trips instead of a gas guzzling long vacation. This book can help you mark your course. Each garden essay includes historical information and wonderful illustrations. Included is little known Mount Cuba, which will hold a rare public event in early May, according to today's Philadelphia Inquirer. (Vairo Library SB466.U62P485 1995)
One British petroleum expert predicts peak production of oil could come as early as next year. "If he is correct, then global oil production can be expected to decline steadily at about 2-3% a year, the cost of everything from travel, heating, agriculture, trade, and anything made of plastic rises. And the scramble to control oil resources intensifies. As one US analyst said this week: "Just kiss your lifestyle goodbye." You'll want to catch up with this sobering news article from April 21, 2005 The Guardian on the web at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,,1464050,00.html
Spring Fever is rampant! Having posted a book on birds of the Delaware Valley two days ago, we are now enjoying Trees of Pennsylvania by botanists at the Morris Arboretum , the official arboretum of Pennsylvania. They briefly discuss the history of Pennsylvania forests, provide a clear and concise explanation of what a tree is, and have an exhaustive key to identification. The individual descriptions of our native trees include photos, drawings, and a map locating the species in the commonwealth. Where was this book when I was collecting leaves for science class at Phillip Ginder? Well, it's here now to accompany walks in Tyler Arborteum!
Joan Chittister is a Benedictine sister, a Penn State alum (PhD Communications Theory), and a person who does not hesitate to ask important questions. In Called to Question: a spiritual memoir, this outspoken activitist talks about the perpetual questioning that is the foundation of a spiritual life. The questions she addresses in this book deal with the soul, feminism, ecology, friendship, justice and the role of the church in society. Her search for answers offers challenges to, and is uplifting for, both believers and non-believers.
(Vairo Library BX2350.65.C48 2004)
People who enjoyed Mike De Rosa's Faculty Forum talk on birds sighted on our campus may want to check out Birding the Delaware Valley Region. It gives tips on where to find 335 different species of birds in our region, and directions as to how to get there. Some of the trips take you to wonderful scenic views even if you don't get to see the bird! This is a great book to prep for a fun spring/summer weekend. Enjoy. (Vairo Library QL683.D53H37)
Catharine A. MacKinnon develops this book based on the cases she has fought for her women clients since the mid-1970s. They deal with sexual harassment at work and school, pornography and murder, sexual assaults and genocidal sexual atrocities. "Surely one of the most effective strategies for maintaining a system of dominance is to convince those who seek to end it that the tools of dominance must be left in the hands of the dominant." (p.42) Her book "is a demand that law recongize that women live here, too. Every day of our lives." (p.43) (Vairo Library KF478.M26 2005)
If you missed Bill Gates' speech on the systemic problems of American high schools, you can catch up with it on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation web site.http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Education/TransformingHighSchools/RelatedInfo/NGA2005.htm The New York Times described it as "blistering." Gates declared U.S. high schools "obsolete" and responsible for "ruining millions of lives every year." Universities have a vital interest in following the secondary school reform experiments the Gates Foundation is funding. Their web site has more information on those efforts.
The May 2005 issue of MIT's Technology Review has an article regarding Google's initiative to scan and digitize thousands of books, to be available full text to the public. Most books being scanned are not under copyright (anything published before January 1, 1923).
The article poses several questions, one being this: Will digitizing books for consumption online make libraries, their physical presence, obsolete? It is an interesting question but the answer seems to be "no".
Another issue is what will happen when a private, for-profit comapny starts dealing with information that has always been completely free through public and academic libraries.
Check out this article here in Vairo Library for the pros and cons of what Google and its partner libraries will be doing in the near future.
Daniel Marcus, assistant professor in the department of communication at Wayne State University, authors this book tracing the influence of the 50s and 60s on American cultural politics. The cover features the famous photo of Clinton shaking hands with JFK, but the analysis goes back to the Reagan era thru the current resurgence of the religious right. There are lots of references to film, tv, advertising and other nostalgia, which Marcus argues is helping to shape politicians messages today. Happy Days and Wonder Years is available in Vairo Library at E830.5.M37 2004
Observing a student watching "anime" online triggered a look at a book by Paul Wells called Animation and America. As the cover suggests, this is not a history of animation in the U.S., but an examination of how the changing technology of animation reflects social and political change in America. Disney, Pixar, Woody, the Flintstones, the Simpsons, and Toy Story are here; the Incredibles are not. Maybe our student is working on Animation and Japan!
(Vairo Library PN1997.5.W455 2002)
Fans of films based on American history will want to examine this new book the Vairo Library recently acquired. History is defined broadly to include not just wars and notable individuals, but also groups (e.g. Native Americans), insitutions and movements (e.g. slavery), sports, places, myths & heroes (e.g. machine in the garden & the self-made man), and eras (the '50s). It would be useful for instructors putting together courses on these topics. Most essays are accompanied by an excellent filmography and bibliography. (PN1995.9.U64C65 2003)