Good Reads

By Jordan Schraeder in 40 Acres, Sept | Oct 2012 on September 19, 2012 at 12:27 pm | 2 Comments

New books of interest to the Longhorn Universe

Framed: America’s 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance

By Sanford Levinson

In his latest book, Framed, UT law and political science professor Sanford Levinson makes a bold claim: our nation’s Constitution needs a serious update. Levinson challenges the assumptions the founding fathers made 225 years ago, questioning whether constitutional mandates like presidential pardons and veto power are good for contemporary society. According to Levinson, these principles we view as givens—as fundamental procedures of governance—are contributing to the dysfunctionality of the American government.

 

The Arab World Unbound: Tapping into the Power of 350 Million Consumers

By Vijay Mahajan

Up your business savvy with this in-depth look into an oft-neglected consumer market. In The Arab World Unbound, McCombs business professor Vijay Mahajan, MS ’72, PhD ’75, investigates how bigwig companies like Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble are capitalizing on the Arab world, which constitutes one of the 10 largest economies globally. As a result of more than 600 interviews with businesses in the Middle East, Mahajan emphasizes the need to get rid of stereotypes and target growing demographics like Arabyouth to create a  better business plan.

 

The Truth That Makes Them Free: Spiritual Journeys of Christian Faculty Members of The University of Texas at Austin

Edited by Donald Davis

Universities are known for being places of discourse and the sharing of ideas, but often, the topics of faith and religion rub against the academic world’s need for concrete evidence. In The Truth That Makes Them Free, 12 Christian UT faculty members share essays describing their own spiritual journeys, as well as the difficulties of discussing religion on the Forty Acres. Edited by School of Information professor emeritus Donald Davis, this compilation is sure to open up a dialogue about faith’s place on a university campus.

 

The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace

By H.W. Brands

The prolific H.W. Brands, perennially a New York Times best-selling author, doesn’t disappoint with his latest work, The Man Who Saved the Union. The UT history professor delves into the life of Ulysses Grant, the Civil War general and two-term president whom Brands credits for keeping the nation stable on two separate occasions: during the Civil War and following Andrew Johnson’s impeachment. Despite his popularity as president, Grant’s reputation was torn to shreds after his death by those who resented Reconstruction. Brands questions Grant’s lasting legacy by taking an in-depth look at the man who kept the Union alive.

 

Texas Amphibians: A Field Guide

By Bob L. Tipton, Terry L. Hibbitts, Troy D. Hibbitts, Toby J. Hibbitts, and Travis J. LaDuc

Is that toad in your backyard a Bufo speciosus or Bufo nebulifer? Now you caneasily find out, thank to this new guide featuring 72 Texas species of frogs, toads, and salamanders. Each entry includes a colorful photo of the species, accompanied by details on size, calls, and distribution. Developed with the help of College of Natural Sciences lecturer and Texas Memorial Museum assistant curator Travis LaDuc, PhD ’03, this is the only field guide dedicated exclusively to amphibian species in the Lone Star State.

Tags: Bob L. Tipton, Donald Davis, Framed, h.w. brands, Makes Them Free, Sanford Levinson, Terry L. Hibbitts, Texas Amphibeans, The Arab World Unbound, The Man Who Saved the Union, Toby J. Hibbitts, Travis J. LaDuc, Troy D. Hibbitts, Vijay Mahajan