Bookshelf

(University of Toronto Press, 2024).

According to the publisher “In the 1970s, new methods of social science research began to flower in Latin America, connecting academic researchers to grassroots social movements. One of these was participatory action research, a method now used by community organizers, educational activists, and social scientists around the world.

(BookBaby, 2024).

In this book, Parker reveals timeless wisdom through poetry and dramatic photography. According to the publisher, “It imaginatively communicates the topics of values, manners, love, leadership, and fears in the lifelong journey. These messages are metaphorically illustrated through birds, boats, designs, and notes: What we can learn from birds. The wisdom of the sea. Lessons in art and design. The importance of love.”

(Marrowstone Press, 2024).

In this book of poems, the last in a four-part series, Weltner follows loss or what remains enduring after time or an era has passed. “It is about memory and what it clings to or holds on to despite all that inevitably, inexorably changes. It is about how new work always follows in the steps of the old toward the future, about influence and inspiration, whatever the source,” he notes.

(self-published 2024).

These two volumes are the latest editions in the author’s “anatomy” series, designed to explore how the activities of humankind have evolved and provide insight into the puzzle of human behavior. Anatomy of Antisemitism takes readers through the journeys of the Jewish people and the hardships they’ve faced. As one reviewer comments, “An eye-opening view of antisemitism written in a conversational tone. We read a chapter during our Passover Seder which will become a new tradition.” Anatomy of Addiction focuses on the history and current treatment of many forms of addiction, mainly concentrating on drug addiction, but also delving into such addictive tendencies such as sex and gambling.

(Black Lawrence Press, 2024).

This literary chapbook of flash fiction — essentially a short book of 12 very short stories — includes tales of longing and desire for escape. “Whether the characters yearn for a different, unknown life, or they wish themselves out of something else, Turner’s surreal yet relatable collection offers glimpses to the depths beneath, above, or in-between our own domestic realities,” notes the publisher.

(BookBaby, 2024).

Do you want to be free? Come fly with me. The publisher describes this children’s book as a story with adventure, fun, scary things, and a happy ending. “The story takes the child on an adventure, with our symbolic heron, who finds friends, goes on a fun adventure, has scary moments, and comes home for a happy ending. However, reading it will stir the parent’s imagination, too.”

(Scribner’s, 2024).

The author, a professor of English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, takes us on a fast-paced and entertaining tour of playful animals and the scientists who study them. The publisher notes, “From octopuses on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to meerkats in the Kalahari Desert to brown bears on Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, we follow adventurous researchers as they design and conduct experiments seeking answers to new, intriguing questions: When did play first appear in animals? How does play develop the brain, and how did it evolve? Are the songs and aerial acrobatics of birds the beginning of avian culture? Is fairness in dog play the foundation of canine ethics? And does play direct and possibly accelerate evolution?

(New York University Press, 2024).

“In the face of numerous challenges, small-scale farming for local markets requires enormous courage and optimism. The decision to become a farmer often arises from a profound desire to uphold certain values and beliefs, driven by the moral and emotional motivations to contribute to a greater good,” notes the publisher.

 

(Arc-Humanities Press, 2024).

This book examines the legend of Prester John (from the Latin “presbyter,” meaning priest), which first came to light through a forged letter that surfaced in Western Europe in the late 12th century. This letter, purportedly from Prester John himself to the Byzantine Emperor Manuel Komnenos, described his immense power and wealth, generating widespread excitement across Europe — particularly at the prospect that John’s armies could aid fellow Christians in the Crusades.While the legend of Prester John and the famous letter have been studied by medievalists for over a century, Eldevik’s research sheds new light on how the letter was copied and circulated in manuscript collections, often alongside works on geography, history, and apocalyptic theology.

(Modern Language Association of America, 2024).

According to the publisher, “This volume brings a diverse range of voices - from anthropology, communication studies, ethnomusicology, film, history, literature, linguistics, sociology, theater, and urban geography - into the conversation about film from the People’s Republic of China. Essays seek to answer what films can reveal or obscure about Chinese history and society and demonstrate how studying films from the PRC can introduce students to larger issues of historical consciousness and media representation.