PSU Magazine Spring 1998

In the Balance: Themes in Global History by Candice Goucher (black studies and international studies faculty), Charles Le Guin (history emeritus faculty) , and Linda Walton (history and international studies faculty). 2 vols . McGraw-Hill, 1998. The authors developed this two– volume set while team teaching a world history course at PSU. Unlike the gener– ally accepted Euro– centric view of history, the authors incorpo– rate other cultures and orga- using a thematic and selective approach different from most text– books. Their broad categories of emer– gence, order, transformation, and balance organize comparatively the diversity of human experience against the backdrop of common human concerns and endeavors. A Whole Other Ball Game: Women's Literature on Women's Sport by Joli Sandoz '74 . Noonday Press, 1997. This comprehensive anthology of stories, poetry, and novel excerpts from 1895 to 1996 present the thrills and agonies of women in sport competition who must balance the struggles of wanting to win with society's demand to be "ladylike." The book opens with an introduction by Sandoz detailing the history of women's sport, inter– spersed with her own personal experi– ence growing up as an athelete. The book is for anyone who appreciates the drive and desire to be the best. 6 PSU MAGAZINE SPRING 1998 Making It Home by Lars Nordstroem '8 1. Prescott Street Press, 1997. A native Swede, Nordstri::iem met his American future wife as she vacationed in Sweden. They eventually married and lived for brief periods in the U.S. and Sweden before settling in north– west Oregon with their two sons. Nordstri::iem chronicles their life of the past 10 years on eight acres of land on a ridge outside Beavercreek, growing grapes as a cash crop and raising enough animals and food to become self-sufficient. Learn what brought the family to this land and the hard work and peaceful joys that keep them there. Mexico Between Hitler and Roosevelt: Mexican Foreign Relations in the Age of Lazaro Cardenas, 1934-1940 by Friedrich Schuler (history faculty). University of New Mexico Press, 1998. Schuler analyzes events in Mexico's foreign policy during the years leading up to World War II under President Cardenas. Mexico's most important relationships were with the U.S. and Spain. However, foreign links were pursued with other countries as Mexico struggled for a firm foundation in the international economy. Schuler describes this time of domestic develop– ment, economic expansion, industrial– ization, and foreign diversity in Mexico. The Culture of Denial: Why the Environmental Movement Needs a Strategy for Reforming the Universities and Public Schools by C.A. Bowers (education faculty). State University of New York Press, 1997. Our educational system should be teaching us how to create a sustainable future. Instead, it is driven by techno– logical and economic competitiveness, and a belief that a highly educated workforce will improve efficiency and reliability. The author argues that progress within our Western culture leads to a degradation of our environ- ment. Bowers' thesis is that ecological issues must be integrated into acade– mic cour es across campus, and that environmental awareness must be present in all parts of university life. The Re-Creation of History in the Fernando and Isabel Plays of Lope de Vega by DeLys Ostlund (language faculty). Peter Lang Publishing, 1997. Lope de Vega is considered the father of Spanish drama, and, as with other play– wrights, he is well known for his use of history as an inspiration for his plays. Although he portrayed actual historical events, Lope re-created history to suit his own literary purposes. Ostlund discusses the influences of the Spanish Golden Age and the ambiguity between history and fiction. She presents an in-depth study of five Lope plays dealing with the Catholic monarchs Fernando and Isabel. What's a Schwa Sound Anyway? A Holistic Guide to Phonetics, Phonics, and Spelling by Sandra Wilde (education facuity) . Heinemann , 1997. The schwa is the upside-down e (;;i) that appears in dictionary pronuncia– tions. It is used, for example, in the unaccented first syllable of upon and about. The schwa sound is particularly difficult for children to learn to spell because it may stand for any vowel. Wilde presents a basic introduction to linguistics and the sounds of English and exp lores their relationship in learning to read and write. Reviews of facu lty and alumni books and recordings are written by Mary Ellen Kenreich, PSU Library faculty. To have a published work considered for this page, please submit pertinent information to Kenreich via e-mail kenreichm@pdx.edu, by fax at (503) 725-5799, or mail to Portland State University, PO Box 1151, Portland, OR 97207-1151.