Happy Post-Fourth of July Readers!

We hope you had a fantastic Fourth, celebrating our great nation with Pride! Today, we bring to you a review of a book, selected and reviewed by our very own STC Coordinator of Veterans Affairs. This book, Outlaw Platoon, has reached his heart, and the heart of many veterans across the nation. Read on, give this book a chance, and maybe you too can gain insight into the lives and minds of many of our veterans all around us.

Parnell, Sean. Outlaw Platoon. New York: William Morrow, 2012.

I heartily recommend that you read this book.  It is a personal account from a young officer “Captain Sean Parnell” that stepped into a combat environment in Afghanistan and was assigned to a platoon of infantry men (US Army’s 10^th Mountain Division) also named the “Outlaw platoon”.  Their trade-mark was skulls designs on their vehicles.  The enemy respected and feared them.

Captain Parnell needed to win the trust and confidence from the members of the platoon.  He also needed proof to himself that he had the skills and ability to lead a group of men into combat.  Leading by example and taking care of your troops were a priority for Captain Parnell.  He talks about his personal trials from his injuries and the worries from home.  Captain Parnell’s disappointments in the Afghanistan Army, our politics, and the higher command as well with fellow officers are shared in this book.  He also talks about his love for his men under his command and the respect for the enemy.

The battle scenes are very explicit. They show the heroic actions, mental stress, sacrifices, decision making and injuries that our soldiers suffered both physically and mentally on a daily basis.  We see the change in a soldier’s life in dealing with the cruelty and destruction of war.  It gives us a better sense of respect and understanding to the countless sacrifices that our men and women are making on a daily basis in the protection of our freedoms that we, at times, take for granted.  We also get a small glance of the worries, pains and sacrifices that the family makes while their love ones are away defending our Nation.

Please stop, reflect and give thanks to our men and women that have served and are serving in our armed forces.  Always remember their sacrifices.

“Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.”  – Dwight D. Eisenhower

Contributed by: Javier Arredondo, Coordinator of Veterans Affairs

You can check this book out in our libraries! Find out more about the availability of this book HERE!

Happy Summer Session!

That’s right! The library is back in full swing with research help, available computers, and, of course, our ever smiling staff ready to help all of you as you make your way through the Summer semesters. And… New books! Check out our latest great Staff Pick below and browse our New Collections shelves, available at all campus libraries, for all of the latest and greatest additions to our collection!

Louv, Richard. The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder. New York: Algonquin Books, 2011.

In The Nature Principle (2011), Richard Louv revisits the proposition that human beings need to reconnect with nature.   The work gathers anecdotes, observations, and the results of scientific studies to make a compelling case for developing an awareness of the natural world around us and for actively engaging nature.  Studies cited by Louv suggest that a separation from nature diminishes the quality of human life.  Conversely, a reconnection to the natural world, Louv argues, is fundamental to human health, spiritual wellbeing, and survival.   For example, an activity as simple as a nature walk, which famous geniuses such as Albert Einstein and Kurt Gödel used to engage in, helps to improve mental activity.  According to Louv, in an age of rapid technological change, the future will belong to the nature-smart–those individuals, families, business, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of nature, and who balance the virtual with the natural world.  This book may well energize you to take more frequent trips to the park, the beach, or even your backyard this summer.

Contributed by: Jesús Campos, Director of Library Technical Services.

You can check out this highly recommended book in our libraries! Check it out here!

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