Books
Summer Reading
Archived article from Jun 2, 2003
Ah ... summer, a time when most of us can relax a bit and read the books we haven't been able to get to all year. Focus asked members of the university community to share their summer reading lists or recommend books others might enjoy.
Joseph Barbarese, assistant professor of English, Camden
Michael Palma's new translation of Dante's "Inferno" — "Inferno: A New Verse Translation" (W.W. Norton & Co., 2002) — is one of about a half dozen to appear in the last five years and, though stripped of the annotation of Ciardi et al., Palma's rendition retains Dante's terza rima and is among the best of the new.
Alok Baveja,associate professor, School of Business-Camden
"Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi," edited by David Godman (Arkana, 1991). An unmatched book on the life and teachings of one of the greatest mystics who lived in the modern era. Especially valuable in understanding the technique of self-enquiry for finding unassailable peace.
John Beckerman, associate dean, School of Law–Camden
I was intrigued by a review written by Professor Dennis Patterson of the Camden Law School, so I'm planning to read "The Shield of Achilles: War, Peace and the Course of History" by Philip C. Bobbitt (Knopf, 2002).
Marcia Wilson Brown, associate provost for student and community affairs, Newark
Given the times, I might reread George Orwell's "1984" (Signet Classic, 1990). But a must-read for me at anytime is a legal mystery, so maybe "King of Torts" by John Grisham (Doubleday, 2003). Lawyers never admit to reading them, but I do. I love ‘em. I live by the beach, so I need books that allow me to decompress.
Darrell Hamlin, English instructor, New Brunswick
"Roscoe" (Penguin USA, 2002) by William Kennedy; and I'd like to finish reading "Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson" by Robert Caro (Knopf, 2002). Caro's book is so well done that I'd like to linger with it some more.
Bahman Kalantari, associate professor of computer sciences, New Brunswick
Isaac Newton was ashamed of having computed 16 digits of pi. Perhaps he thought he was doing art and that is not what a mathematician should do. If so, he was wrong, and so was Leonardo da Vinci who wrote: "Let no one read me who is not a mathematician." The two disciplines of art and math are, indeed, closely related. Books that I hope will inspire me in writing my own book on a particular connection between art and math include: "An Imaginary Tale: The Story of Square-Root of Minus One" by Paul J. Nahin (Princeton University Press, 1998); "Fragments of Infinity: A Kaleidoscope of Math and Art" by Ivars Peterson (John Wiley & Sons, 2001); "The Zen of Magic Squares, Circles, and Stars" by Clifford A. Pickover (Princeton University Press, 2002); and "Fractals, Graphics, and Mathematics Education" by Benoit Mandelbrot and Michael Frame (The Mathematical Association of America, 2002).
Jeehiun K. Lee, assistant professor of chemistry, New Brunswick
I recommend "John Adams" by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster, 2001) because it is a spectacularly written book, a real page-turner, about a president that most of us tend to forget. It is made particularly gripping by the fact that Adams and his wife Abigail were avid letter writers, and that Adams himself assiduously kept a journal. Therefore, when reading, one feels the immediacy of the history. It is also timely reading — it reminds one of the ideals upon which America is built. Plus, Adams was in some ways an underdog, and everyone loves an underdog.
George Kelling, director, Police Institute, Newark
My first reading will be Richard Hofstadter's "The Age of Reform: From Bryan to F.D.R." (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1960). Other readings will be on the influence of Progressives on contemporary urban life.
Leslie Kennedy, dean, School of Criminal Justice, Newark
I'm recommending "Churchill: A Biography" by Roy Jenkins (Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2001) and a novel, "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett (Perennial, 2002). Both books ensnared me with their optimistic narratives on the power of personality and individual talent. The conversational tone adopted by Jenkins, a full participant in many of the historical events described, holds your attention for close to 1,000 pages. Anyone who wants to understand the power of charismatic leadership in changing world events, contextualized in the day-to-day tribulations of personal ambition, should read this book. "Bel Canto" is a superbly written work about a kidnaping gone awry. Again, the power of personal charisma to overcome impossible circumstances is compellingly described.
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