outside the box, John Garrett ’98. The debut comedy CD was recorded live last year at the Go Bananas Comedy Club in Cincinnati. “I’m an accountant with a sense of humor,” the comic says, allowing, however, that he and his fellow CPAs are “all huge dorks.” Here he riffs about slow cookers (“a microwave with a learning disability”), Humvee plates and NASCAR. Jeff Spoonhower ’99 designed the CD package. For more information, see JohnGComedy.com.
The Abduction, Mark Gimenez ’80J.D. (Vanguard Press). Following his best-selling The Color of Law, the author returns with a thriller about the kidnapping of 10-year-old Gracie Brice. As her multimillionaire father and Vietnam vet grandfather frantically race to find her, they eventually uncover a governmental conspiracy that threatens the president of the United States.
Thanking Father Ted: Thirty-five Years of Notre Dame Coeducation, edited by Ann Therese Darin Palmer ’73, ’75MBA (Andrews McMeel Publishing). In honor of Father Hesburgh’s 90th birthday, more than 150 undergraduate alumnae and campus celebrities, including Lou Holtz and Anne Thompson ‘79, discuss the impact of a co-ed Notre Dame on their lives. The Thanking Father Ted Foundation will donate all profits from the book to fund a scholarship at ND in Father Ted’s name.
Brand NFL: Making & Selling America’s Favorite Sport, Michael Oriard ’70 (University of North Carolina Press). The Oregon State University professor and former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman dissects the way professional football has been marketed as entertainment since the 1960s. He argues that the financial behemoth the “product” has become may be endangering the appeal of the game as sport.
’Dillos: Roadkill on Extinction Highway? W.R. Klemm, DVM, ’63Ph.D. (Benecton Press). Armadillos are not the brightest mammals in the cosmos, but the “evolutionary relic” has survived for eons. This lighthearted book offers a natural history of the ‘dillo; its status in pop culture, particularly in Texas, where it is the official state mascot; its value in biomedical research; some armadillo recipes; and a discussion of the odd creature’s future.
The Crisis of Modern Times: Perspectives from The Review of Politics, 1939–1962, edited by A. James McAdams (University of Notre Dame Press). The Review of Politics, founded in 1939 by Waldemar Gurian, soon emerged as one of the leading U.S. journals of political and social theory. These collected essays from the journal’s beginning years showcase the critical thought of such distinguished authors as Hannah Arendt, Jacques Maritain, Leo Strauss and Yves Simon. The editor is director of Notre Dame’s Nanovic Institute for European Studies.
One Hundred Great Catholic Books: From the Early Centuries to the Present, Don Brophy ’56 (BlueBridge). Restricting himself to books of interest to general readers, the author provides insightful summaries of works by such Catholic authors as the Desert Fathers, Augustine, Chaucer, Teresa of Avila, Thomas Merton, Graham Greene, J.R.R. Tolkien, Annie Dillard and Alasdair MacIntyre. These books, as the author says, “take us into another realm, into mystery.”
1000 Paintings of Genius, Victoria Charles, Joseph Manca, Megan McShane, Donald Wigal ’66M.A. (Barnes & Noble). The art historians who put this book together focus on culturally treasured works of the Western world from the 13th century to the present. Full-color reproductions of the individual works are included, as are biographies of 100 influential artists and discussions of major events that had an impact on the art world.
Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and the Ethics of Warfare, Father Edward Malloy, CSC, ’63, ’67M.A., ’69 M.A. (Now You Know Media). Notre Dame’s president emeritus discusses Christian thought and history as it applies to issues of just war, pacifism, terrorism, torture and other relevant issues of our post-9/11 world. The four-CD set can be ordered through NowYouKnowMedia.com.
The First Adventures of Incredible You, Sarah Riley Headrick ’95 and Sarah Foreman Rivera, illustrations by Jill Dryer Bartolucci (Custom Made for Kids). A rhyme-based book that can be personalized for a child with up to 20 personal details—including names of friends and relatives, favorite sports team and most-loved food. Designed for children through age 8, the brightly colored hardcover book can be ordered at custommadeforkids.com.
Rituals Rites Celebrations: Reaching Across Time, Al Harding Jr. ’59 (Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science). The author and photographer visited more than 100 countries, and here he displays the omnipresent signs of our need to create traditions. The often exotic images range from Scotland’s Callanish Standing Stones, a Mayan shaman in Guatemala and Indonesia’s Balinese festival to the Swiss procession to the Alps and Ethiopian tribal dancers.
Visit www.nd.edu/~ndmag/w0708/chxtra.html for choices in brief.