This is the second in a series of NU Faculty Book Reviews. This series takes a closer look at works written by Northwestern professors in their elusive free time. Even after lecturing, grading papers and lording over TAs, they somehow find the hours to contribute to contemporary literature and academia.
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Reading John Keene’s novel,
, is like staring into the sun. The book fills no more than 75 pages, yet it dazzles the mind with Read the rest of this entry »

Over the past two decades, it has become the popular thing for athletes to write a book with a ghost writer, presumably as a way to make some fast cash. Even though
’s book came at the beginning of this period, many readers could probably lean towards the publication of a book by the most famous pitcher of the time, especially one that was entitled
, was just another
by an already highly publicized athlete.
The first couple of chapters do Read the rest of this entry »

, in which two women travel to Communist China in the '80s, I was fascinated to read Zachary Mexico's riveting portraits of "underground" artists, musicians, and intellectuals in the newer, more open China of the 21st century. I actually had Zachary Mexico's father as a guest Pilates client for several days here at Parrot Cay. I always ask guests about the books they are reading while on holiday, and he actually gave me his copy of the Read the rest of this entry »

One American hero who won't get his due during Black History Month is Booker T. Washington.
in last Sunday's Times Book Review makes me want to read the biography and is worth reading on its own.
Steele deals with Washington's unfashionable reputation, noting that "the brilliance with which he achieved the near impossible is forgotten, while the unfair presumption of his racial capitulation is ubiquitous." Steele explains:
Norrell, a professor Read the rest of this entry »

,
by Ha Jin. (Vintage International, $15.95.)
Jin’s previous novels, one of which, “Waiting,” won a
in 1999, have all been set abroad. This one is about Chinese immigrants to the United States, who through trial and error, bank deposit by bank deposit, become Americans. Jin describes their two-steps-forward, one-step-back progression in simple sentences full of domestic details. “Life, from day to day, seems hardly to Read the rest of this entry »

,
,
,
,
, etc, etc, etc
9 hours, 11 CDs, Unabridged
Erik Singer,
Actor,
,
A first-year associate is blackmailed by a deadly group of professional operatives to spy on his own law firm.
The premise of The Associate is promising and classic Grisham. A 25-year-old former editor-in-chief of the
- read: very smart - and first-year associate at a huge New York law firm, is sucked into intrigue and mayhem way beyond his pay-grade. Read the rest of this entry »

Walking through the capital's university district, Yu Hua looks more like a migrant worker than one of China's best-selling authors. His hair short and spiky, his clothes simple and plain, he does not fit in -- and clearly doesn't make much of an effort to do so.
That attitude extends to his view of contemporary society, which he says is so sick that a writer can't pretend to be a doctor. Instead, the best one can do is admit that one is ill and Read the rest of this entry »

Not long ago, we
,
and concluded that, while possibly useful for beginners, experienced stock investors would dismiss the book as simplistic and having added nothing new. The review also mentioned that a good alternative for more experienced investors looking to add to their knowledge is Pat Dorsey's
(2004). In this post, we'll take a look at that book.
The author, Pat Dorsey, is currently the Director of Equity Research for Morningstar. Historically, Read the rest of this entry »

[The Monitor occasionally reprints material from its archives. This review originally ran on Sept. 27, 2005.]
He was born two months prematurely, so underweight and unattractive that his own mother said, “When I saw him I could see no promise in him.”
As a boy, he was an uneasy soul who walked in his sleep, a poor student who daydreamed rather than studied until he dropped out of school at the age of 12.
When he became a man - and Read the rest of this entry »

n July 2006, U.S. District Judge Alan Gold issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Miami-Dade County School Board from removing the book
from its libraries. At the time, we applauded this sound affirmation of First Amendment rights. Unfortunately, it wasn't the last word. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta has overturned Judge Gold's injunction -- but that shouldn't be the last word, either.
The majority 2-1 decision offers an Read the rest of this entry »