Quotable Notre Dame, edited by Jim Langford ’59 and Jill Langford ’80 (Corby Books). From one-liners to short vignettes, this paperback offers a compendium of quotes that draw from the University’s 170 years of existence. Insights from presidents, professors, priests, sports figures, students and alumni are included here, in such categories as history, academics, student life, athletics, and spirit and spirituality. Black-and-white sketches and photography enhance the book.
Hawai’i’s Pets: Photos of Our Animal ’Ohana, photography by Deb McGuire, written by Tim McGuire ’85 (Mutual Publishing). From dogs and cats to horses, rabbits, goats and even reptiles, the book showcases the island group’s pets — called ’ohana or extended family — in stunning natural settings. The photographer also provides tips on how to capture you own personable pet shots. A portion of the proceeds are being donated to the Hawaiian Humane Society.
The Available Parent: Radical Optimism for Raising Teens and Tweens, Dr. John Duffy ’86 (Viva Editions). When sullen silence and slammed doors replace hugs and smiles, what’s a parent to do? The author, a clinical psychologist, suggests strategies to keep the lines of communication open, first discussing what doesn’t work — such things as snooping, lectures, overindulgence, coddling and micromanaging — then what does, from showing respect to supporting a teen’s interests to reinforcing positive behavior.
Grace Notes: True stories about sins, sons, shrines, silence, marriage, homework, jail, miracles, dads, legs, basketball, the sinewy grace of women, bullets, music, infirmaries, the power of powerlessness, the ubiquity of prayers, & some other matters, Brian Doyle ’78 (ACTA Publications). The book’s subtitle gives an idea of what the storycatcher, who says he is “charged with finding stories that matter” celebrates. The committed Catholic uses 37 snapshots here to “point at shards of holiness.”
Books, Crooks, and Counselors: How to Write Accurately about Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure, Leslie Budewitz ’84J.D. (Quill Driver Books). What is evidence? The burden of proof? The discovery process? Can judges question witnesses? Mystery writers may know plots and characters, but not all know the fine points of the law. This guidebook by a practicing lawyer and mystery writer addresses legal issues to help writers correctly incorporate the law into fiction.
Ending Dirty Energy Policy: Prelude to Climate Change, Joseph P. Tomain ’70 (Cambridge University Press). America’s dependence on fossil fuels can be eased, the author asserts, but changing energy policy won’t be simple. Here he proposes “two dramatic changes”: America must promote and support new energy markets, and the country must reject its 20th century model of government regulation. “New market structures, new products, and new technologies,” Tomain writes, “require new, and in many instances dynamic, regulatory responses.”
Battling Goliath: Inside a $22 Billion Legal Scandal, Kip Petroff ’83J.D. with Suzi Zimmerman Petroff (Frame House Press). When discouraged dieters heard about fen-phen, many rushed to their doctors for a prescription for the weight-loss drug. Unfortunately, some then suffered devastating lung and heart damage. Attorney Kip Petroff details his decade-long fight against a pharmaceutical giant to bring justice to the drug’s victims. “It’s going to get ugly,” he was told, and it did.
Monk’s Tale: Way Stations on the Journey, Edward A. Malloy, CSC, ’63, ’67M.A., ’69M.A. (University of Notre Dame Press). In the second of his projected three-volume memoir, the priest and ND president emeritus covers the years from 1975 to ’87, and his life as “a teacher, dorm staff person, international traveler, major administrator and board member.” He includes the process that led to his election as ND president and the thankless job of reassigning some parking spots.
Trauma: My Life as an Emergency Surgeon, Dr. James Cole ’87 (St. Martin’s Press). From his work in the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq to his civilian practice in trauma surgery, critical care and emergency general surgery in Illinois, the doctor’s account of his life spent saving lives is not for the faint of heart. The cases he highlights include an attempted suicide by crossbow, a woman whose body is invaded by flesh-eating bacteria and a construction worker impaled on a row of steel poles.
Linebacker in the Boardroom: Lessons in Life and Leadership, Marvin A. Russell ’77 (Outskirts Press). A member of the 1973 Notre Dame national championship football team, the author talks about “the demand for excellence and accountability in all things we do.” He offers tools to help readers transform themselves into high performers by finding their impact zones, or “individual opportunities to make a difference.” University President Father John I. Jenkins, CSC, and football coach Brian Kelly are among those quoted in the book.
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Panic in the Pews: Do You Wreak Holy Havoc? Lisa Bergman ’96, illustrated by Erin Bartholomew (St. Augustine Academy Press). Highlighting the behavior of young churchgoing miscreants through words and drawings, this book offers comedic advice on how not to act in church. Bergman says her six children “hardly ever” behave like the hooligans pictured here.
All About Exchange-Traded Funds: The Easy Way To Get Started, Scott Paul Frush, CFA, CFP, ’99MBA (McGraw-Hill). This “All About” series book is designed to help beginners learn the fundamentals of exchange-traded funds, including all aspects of investing and trading in these complex investment vehicles. The book includes a look at different types of EFTs and a sample EFT portfolio
Organic Referrals: The Collected Best-Practice Referral Wisdom, Al Depman ’73 (CreateSpace). Designed for those in the financial services industry, the collection highlights five key elements of the referral practice. “Good referrals are cultivated and earned,” the author notes, as he offers tips on how to make the process organic. Depman is also the author of How To Build Your Financial Advisory Practice and Sell It at a Profit.
I’ve Been Picked! Chopper’s “Tail” of Adoption, Chopper Steedley-Tolan, (AuthorHouse). It’s a dog’s life for Chopper, but that’s a good thing when the shih tzu goes to his forever home. Readers ages 4 to 8 can follow as the puppy makes new friends and finds new ways to have fun and make mischief in his new family. Amanda L. Steedley ’00M.S. helped Chopper out with the writing and illustration of the colorful book.
Brainrush: A Thriller (Book One), Richard Bard’73 (CreateSpace). When an MRI gives combat pilot Jake Bronson extraordinary cognitive powers, a dangerous terrorist wants a piece of the pilot’s new-found talent. The chase is on, as Jake must fight both for his survival and that of his girlfriend and her autistic son. Mixing political thriller with science fiction and action, this debut novel is the first in a series.
A Noble Quest: Cultivating Spirituality in Catholic Adolescents, Arthur David Canales ’95 (Believer’s Press). In this resource for parents, youth ministers and others who work with young people, the author discusses 12 pastoral practices that he believes will bolster Catholic identity and spirituality in teens. Those include Bible time, contemplation, journaling, music, prayer and retreats. Each chapter ends with small group discussion questions.
Denman Ross and American Design Theory, Marie Frank ’86 (University Press of New England). Denman Ross (1853-1935) focused his design theory on the abstract, a change from John Ruskin’s romantic naturalism. Color illustrations are included in this cultural and intellectual biography of Ross, whose theory attracted artists, Arts and Crafts artisans and architects. The author is an associate professor of art history at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society, Brad S. Gregory (Harvard University Press). The author argues that the Protestant Reformation of the Middle Ages actually served to reinforce the sense of religion as subjective and arbitrary. “Despite the hopes and dreams of Reformation protagonists,” he writes, “the result of their distinctive approach to scripture alone was . . . an undesired, open-ended range of rival truth claims about answers to the Life Questions.” The author is a Notre Dame professor of history.
Gospel According to the Klan: The KKK’s Appeal to Protestant America, 1915-1930, Kelly J. Baker (University Press of Kansas). In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan carefully designed its messages to resonate with Protestant America. Each chapter here presents one component of that Klan era’s world view. Also included is a deep look at the Klan-Notre Dame riot of 1924, when students protested a parade of the anti-Catholic group in South Bend.
The Ethics of Organ Transplantation, edited by Steven J. Jensen’93Ph.D. (Catholic University of America Press). Is it okay to remove organs from those ruled brain dead? What about infants born without a brain? Is a market in organs acceptable? Contributors — including theologians, philosophers, physicians and an attorney — discuss these and other issues surrounding the transplant debate.
Valren, Kerry Castorano ’05 (The Little Things Publishing). Set in the medieval era, the fantasy novel follows the journey of the fierce Freyja, who was saved from her abusive father by the Valren. As war in the kingdom breaks out, she must join the battle against those who would destroy her adoptive family.
Salvation Means Creation Healed: The Ecology of Sin and Grace: Overcoming the Divorce between Earth and Heaven, Howard A. Snyder ’83 with Joel Scandrett (Cascade Books). The author says, “my main interest is in the power and relevance of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom for the world today and tomorrow.” The theological divorce of earth from heaven exists, he writes, when we, among other things, “think salvation is about the soul only, not the body; see no spiritual significance in material things . . . see spirit and matter as two opposite and irreconcilable categories.”
The Glossa Ordinaria on Romans, translated and with an introduction and notes by Michael Scott Woodward ’92Ph.D. (Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University). As the introduction notes: “The Gloss on Romans is a collection of sources from many periods and places. . . . Education [in the 12th century] began to flourish into what would become universities, where the master’s role was to elucidate traditional, authoritative texts. And chief among these was the Bible, not standing alone but with the accompanying Gloss.”
Tales from the Hidden Apple, Edward Vasta ’52 (OakTara). A professor sees himself clearly, thanks to a wayward dog; a futuristic assassin gets surprise assistance; and a mute child’s keen vision, hearing and sacrifice cause music to rise to the heavens — these are among the 17 stories that the ND emeritus professor of English offers here. The tales focus on “what is seen with the heart … what really matters.”
A Portrait of the Priesthood: Three Priestly Ontologies, Father Antonio Anderson, SOLT, ’85 (Tau Publishing). The missionary priest serving in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, just across the border from Laredo, Texas, here present his view of the essence and spirit of the priesthood. “As valuable as his words are in understanding today’s priest, his life and work among the poor of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, offer a far more valuable picture of what today’s priest should be like,” says Rene Henry Gracida, D.D., bishop emeritus of Corpus Christi Texas.
AIA New Jersey Guidebook: 150 Best Buildings and Places, Philip S. Kennedy-Grant ’78M.S., ’79BArchitecture, Mark Alan Hewitt, Michael J. Mills, photography by Alexander M. Noble (Rivergate Books/ Rutgers University Press). A group of local architects selected structures that highlight the Garden State’s architectural heritage – from ball parks and diners to works by Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Kahn. The historical significance and architectural features of each building are explained in this compact book that is organized by region.
The Soul Sphere: Book 1, The Shattered Sphere, David J. Adams ’85 (CreateSpace). In the land of Arkania, an ancient sphere that was created to contain the Dark One is smashed, and armies of demons and resurrected dead now roam the world. This first in an epic fantasy series follows an unlikely band that contains an elf, goblin and a warrior as its members gather the shards and seek to restore order to their world.