Happy Wednesday Dear Readers!

As we near the end of this semester (congrats to all of our Graduates!!!), we know that you are anticipating the upcoming Summer! Who wouldn’t be?! With lots of sunshine and free time (hopefully!) we’d like to give you insight into some great reads that you can pick up and use to keep your brains fresh for the Fall!

Today we bring to you a Faculty Pick, reviewed by our very own History Instructor, Ellen Stone.

Pamuk, Orhan,  Snow translated from the Turkish by Maureen Freely.  Random House, New York, NY, 2004.

Ka returned to Turkey after years of self- exile in Germany to find love and inspiration to write poetry again.  The outpost city of Kars close to the border with Armenia had seen better days, but Ka travelled here in the guise of a reporter hired to write about the “head scarf girls”.  The secular Turkish government did not allow head gear on women in their buildings so some high school girls had committed suicide over this issue.  The city, cut off from the rest of the world by a huge snow storm, closed roads and rails.  Only a few hours in the city, and Ka witnessed the killing of the minister of education by a Muslim extremist in a teahouse where all the unemployed men hang out.  There are more twists and turns in the story when a group of traveling actors staged a bloody coup d’etat with cooperating military.  Ka secretly visited the leader of the Islamic extremists called Blue and confessed that perhaps he may have begun to believe in God.  The real object of Ka’s trip, a recently divorced beauty from his college days named Ipek, lived with her sister and father in a hotel they own.  The father, an old Communist, had served time in prison for his beliefs.  All these story lines are complicated by the repressive Turkish government that has bugged the entire city with technology or spies.  Pamuk kept the reader on the edge of her seat until the very end.  Enjoy.

Contributed by Ellen Stone, STC History Instructor

Intruiged? Don’t forget, you can read this book for yourself by checking it out from our Library! (click here for availability)

Dearest Readers,

We are constantly bringing in new titles to our shelves, both physically and virtually, for you to browse and enjoy. Today, we bring to you a review of one of these brand new books to our shelves, reviewed by one of our very own staff members. And don’t forget, every book we review is available for you to check out and enjoy at your leisure!

Gass, William H., Life Sentences: Literary Judgments and Accounts.  New York, NY:  Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.

In a collection of essays and lectures drawing on his professional experience as an essayist, novelist, literary critic, and former professor of philosophy, William Gass formulates a multifaceted exposition on books and writing that is at once informative, witty, and inspiring.

The book is divided into four parts.  The first, “Personals Column”, is largely a biographical reflection on Gass’ lifetime relationship with books and writing. The essays in the second part of the book, “Old Favorites and Fresh Names”, are thoughtful and often entertaining reflections on the work and the lives of several writers including Gertrude Stein, Proust, Nietzsche, Kafka, Malcolm Lowery, Henry James, John Gardner, Katherine Anne Porter, Knut Humson, and Richard Evans.

The third part of the book, “The Biggs Lectures on the Classics”, is a series of reflections on the evolution and application of Greek philosophical concepts such as form, mimesis (portrayal), and metaphor to good literature. The final part of the book, “Theoretics”, opens with a humorous essay on lust.  It is followed by an essay on the importance of factors such as word choice, word placement, narration, and signification in literature.   The final essay on the aesthetic structure of the sentence continues Gass’ exposition on what sets literature apart from other forms of writing.   Here, he makes the point that unlike other forms of day-to-day writing, which aim for clarity of communication, literature often aims for something more artistic and poetic.  Throughout, Gass employs excerpts from several notable writers.

For an entertaining and thought-provoking romp through literary and cultural history, read and enjoy Life Sentences.

 Click here to check on the availability of this book or to learn more!

Contributed by Jesús Campos, Director of Library Technical Services

Headrick, Daniel R. Power over Peoples: Technology, Environments, and Western Imperialism, 1400 to the Present. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2010.

For the past several centuries Western Civilization (Western Europe and North America) has dominated the world.  While the European Empires of the past are all but gone, we still feel their impact on the world.  Today’s dominant superpower (USA) is a product of European colonization, and European languages are spoken all over the globe.  English is the official language in 54 countries, Spanish is the official language in 21 countries, and French is the official language in 31 countries.

How did the West manage to dominate the other major civilizations of the world?  And what explains certain setbacks the West faced throughout the centuries?  This book argues that the West was able to dominate the world through its manipulation of technology which allowed the West mastery over the world’s environments and therefore mastery over peoples in the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Since 1400 the West has developed technology that enabled long-distance sea travel, the prevention of deadly diseases, and the mass destruction of human lives.  All of which have created the world we live in today.  If you’ve ever wondered how Western Civilization came to dominate the world then this book is for you.

Check here for the availability of this item in our libraries!

Contributed by Joshua Wallace, Reference Librarian at the Pecan Campus.

Check out some more of his recommendations on his Read! poster here!