Though university folk are generally expected to produce scholarly works, UC alumni, faculty and staff also write novels, family histories, personal journeys, self-help books and works of spiritual guidance. The following are just some of the recently published general-interest books.

For inclusion in this section, UC-related authors may contact assistant editor Mary Niehaus before submitting their press releases and copies of their new books for review.

by Wendy Beckman, UC public information officer

Few parents feel comfortable discussing sexual behavior with their teenage children. Fortunately for them, Beckman's book should help "dispel some fears, disprove some myths and dispense some information about relationships, dating and sex."

A former instructor at UC, Beckman presents easily understood data based on studies by psychologists, physicians, educators, statisticians and historians, as well as from candid interviews with young people. Written for a teen audience, the book also offers parents some helpful conversation starters. In addition to the main text are a glossary of terms, a suggested reading list, reference notes for each chapter and an index.

This is the author's third nonfiction book for the Enslow publishing house. Others are "National Parks in Crisis: Debating the Issues" and "Artists and Writers of the Harlem Renaissance." Read a review of two more Beckman books.

Amazon.com
or Enslow Publishers
ISBN 0-7660-1948-9

by Jay Coffman, edited by Thomas Fulks, A&S '58

Like many WWII soldiers in the South Pacific, Coffman spent a fair amount of time wishing for mail from home, dreaming of his sweetheart, getting sick from malaria, making friends with native families, going horseback riding, hearing bullets "zing" past his head in combat and hoping to get home alive. He wrote his thoughts on hundreds of scraps of paper and tucked them into his personal gear.

When Coffman made it back to the U.S., he got married and forgot about war stories for a while. When the veteran uncrumpled his notes, he had his wife type them up in chronological order, for family eyes only. After his death, nephew Tom Fulks received the diary, went through the text -- identifying family and friends mentioned, researching America's wartime strategies such as food rationing, adding historically accurate notes about WWII battles and making the diary relevant to a larger audience.

Amazon.com
For a copy signed by the editor, write to TCFulks@aol.com
ISBN: 1890905526

by Jules Fern, MA (A&S) '39, edited by Juliana Fern Patten

Lt. Jules Fern's Coast Guard service was great material for his natural storytelling and reporting skills. In his tour of duty in the final years of WWII, his letters home were often amusing, intriguing and minus the most gruesome details, perhaps to keep his mother from worrying. Fern's first ship was an LST (landing ship/tank), a vessel he claimed was blessed with good luck -- where he managed the ship's commissary.

After the Allied Forces landed on Leyte in the Philippines, Fern describes a series of 32 enemy air raids in one week. "The ammunition dump on the beach was hit by a bomb dropped from a high level; we watched the terrific conflagration all night. … Hundreds of soldiers bivouacked nearby were killed, and next day several who survived came aboard (our ship) for treatment and clothing. … They are all ambulatory cases, so we are spared the unpleasant ceremonies which take place at sundown on the other ships in our convoy."

After active military service, Fern resumed his career as an English instructor at UC. His daughter discovered his letters many years later and created this book.

Amazon.com
ISBN: 1572493771

by Kirsten Gardner, MA (A&S) '95, PhD (A&S) ' 99

Women's activism against cancer -- breast, cervical, ovarian and uterine -- began not with the feminists of the '70s, but with grassroots movements in 1913. Encouraged by the medical community, 300,000 volunteers reached out at women’s clubs, health fairs and through magazines, teaching other women about breast cancer exams and urging them to go to their doctors immediately if problems were found. At the time, most people believed that "early detection" and radical surgery were the only ways to survive.

Gardner, an assistant professor of history and women's studies at the University of Texas, San Antonio, points out that the legacy of women’s long support of the medical community is what empowered the late 20th Century feminists to lobby for more cancer research funding, especially for studies that looked at gender differences and first-hand experiences of women cancer patients. Women wanted effective, less radical cancer treatments and information about what causes the disease. Women are still waiting for some of those answers.

Amazon.com
or University of North Carolina Press
ISBN: 0807856827

by Lamar Herrin, PhD (A&S) '78

Herrin's newest book is a true, lyrically written work with a dual story line. In one, he tells how he met the lovely Amparo, whose photo appears on the book's cover, and his subsequent heroic efforts to obtain the permission of Spanish authorities to marry her. The other follows the couple’s return to Spain, 30 years later, to revisit the countryside and find the perfect place for their retirement.

The author refrains from typical love-story excesses, but his skill in lyrical description is delicious. For example: "We enter Navarra. The valleys broaden, scoop out deep broad hollows where wheat and grapes grow. Towns are situated on the slopes, the warm ocher of their stone giving off tints of red in the afternoon sun. Pamplona lies ahead. … I'm curious to see how the city might have changed since I came here looking for help. I was a lonely man then, being kept from the woman I loved."

Review another Herrin book, "House of the Deaf."

Amazon.com
or Unbridled Books
ISBN: 1-932961-22-4

by Dennis Latham, A&S '92

A monstrous entity exists in a foggy hollow, deep in the Kentucky hills. It becomes active on humid summer nights -- the "bad" season -- and thoroughly destroys any living thing that trespasses too near its lair. Whether tourists, DEA officers or drunken locals, those who stumble into the hollow at that particular time of year are not likely to survive, although a stubborn Vietnam vet will make the effort, on behalf of a missing friend.

Latham is a talented storyteller. He keeps a reader so involved in the action that it is extremely difficult to put down the book before the tale is resolved. Somehow, that seems fitting for a writer rumored to live in a Victorian haunted house.

Author of numerous short stories and a first novel, "Michael in Hell," Latham sold his first story to a fellow Marine, who bet him $10 he couldn't write something he would enjoy, in less than half an hour. Latham won.

Amazon.com
or Clocktower Books
ISBN: 0-7433-0905-7

by Jeff Lueders, Eve '77, '81 and MA (A&S) '98

Growing for nearly 200 years, Green Township may now be Ohio's most populous township. Settled as an agricultural community by predominantly German immigrants, family farms there have mostly given way to numerous housing developments, parks, shopping malls, recreation sites and highways.

Green lies west of the City of Cincinnati's northwest suburbs, north of Delhi Township, east of Miami Township and south of Colerain Township. Main communities within its borders are Bridgetown, Covedale, Dent, Mack, Monfort Heights and White Oak.

Author Lueders has included a comprehensive mix of photos and memorabilia from the past to help readers visualize the people, commerce and entertainments of long ago. Most were provided by the Green Township Historical Association.

Review Luedder's autobiographical story, "Second Chances."

Amazon.com
or Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 0-7385-4117-6

by Christine Mersch, MA (A&S) '06
Photos by Jack Klumpe, Ed ’42

When Paul Brown started a Cincinnati pro football team in 1967, he used the name "Bengals," as a sentimental link to Cincinnati's 1937-41 pro footballers of the same name. While Riverfront Stadium was being built, Brown's team had no venue for games. Where were the 1968 and '69 seasons played? At UC's Nippert.

These are a few of the historic notes that introduce Mersch's history of the Cincinnati Bengals. The book offers more than 200 photos, many by alumnus Jack Klumpe, who donated his professional work to UC's Archives & Rare Books Library. From great action shots of team heroes of the past to pictures of revered coaches, dancing Ben-Gals and striped tiger mascots, this volume reminds readers of the excitement that has kept fans cheering since '68.

Just a few of the "greats" pictured in action are Mike Reid, Anthony Munoz, Bob Trumpy, Cris Collinsworth, Pat McInally, Archie Griffin, Essex Johnson, Ken Anderson, Virgil Carter, Greg Cook, Boomer Esiason, "Samoan" Jack Thompson and Sam Wyche.

Review Mersch's book about Delhi Township.

Amazon.com
or Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 0-7385-4090-0

by Christine Mersch, MA(A&S) '06

An independent city of less than 22,000 residents, Norwood is nearly surrounded by the City of Cincinnati. If there ever were a time that Norwoodites would have been willing to be absorbed by their larger neighbor, it would have been 1986 when the General Motors auto plant closed. Although the lost tax revenue was debilitating, Norwood kept its city status.

Readers who browse through Mersch's book will recognize some well-known businesses that got their start or grew their fortunes in Norwood -- where taxes were lower. Among them are Busken Bakery, United Dairy Farmers, Frisch's Big Boy restaurants, Aglamesis ice cream, Heekin Can, LeBlond manufacturing, Zumbiel Packaging and U.S. Playing Card.

Early in the 20th century, the city was proud of its numerous parks and playgrounds, churches and religious centers, private and public schools, a Catholic seminary and a Masonic Lodge. A chapter of the Federation of Women's Clubs promoted local history and public libraries. The Norwood Service League provided child day care for working mothers, free health checkups and low-cost apartment rentals, and the city had its own police and fire department services.

Review Mersch's book about Delhi Township.

Amazon.com
or Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 0-7385-4038-2

By Robert Earnest Miller, A&S ’81, MA (A&S) ’86, PhD (A&S) ’91

From his own experiences as a youngster and as a parent, Miller deems the county's park system one of the region's "most treasured resources" and "the area's most popular outdoor attraction." With seven million people a year visiting the county parks, numbers do surpass the combined annual total of people who attend Reds and Bengals games and visit Kings Island.

What makes the Hamilton County Park District so successful? In a carefully chronicled story, the UC adjunct associate history professor traces the parks' steady development and services from their Great Depression beginnings to the present, all illustrated by photographs. He credits the "amazing foresight and vision," plus hard work and perseverance, of local people who cared enough to preserve land and wildlife habitat threatened by development.

Review Robert Miller's book about Cincinnati in the WWII era.

Amazon.com
or Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 0-7385-4114-1

by Sue Ann Painter, MA (A&S) '73, photographs by Alice Weston, DAAP '79

This impressive 9-by-10-inch tribute to Cincinnati's architectural treasures presents beautiful photographs on every page. More than a visual treat, however, the book tells the story of Cincinnati's important commercial, civic and sacred architecture in chronological order -- from early land developers who saw a chance to create a metropolis in the wilderness to the completion of the University of Cincinnati's Campus Master Plan with the Richard E. Lindner Athletic Center.

In a reference to UC's new campus buildings, the author points to the university's leadership in sustainable design, a practice that honors conservation of energy and water, as well as the use of "green" materials in construction. By October '05, UC had registered 13 qualifying projects, more than any other institution or corporation in the U.S.

Painter, executive director of the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati, has been a public historian for the Cincinnati Historical Society for more than a decade. Other contributors to the project include John Hancock, UC professor of architecture, editorial adviser, and Walter Langsam, UC adjunct associate professor, architectural historian.

Review another book by Sue Ann Painter.

Amazon.com
or Ohio University Press
ISBN: 0-8214-1700-2

by Pamela Pease, DAAP '74

Artist Pease’s clever pop-up book about Louisville’s famous "Run for the Roses" is a visual and informational delight. There are moveable views of Derby Day crowds, horse stalls whose doors open and close, a horse and rider that can be made to gallop, the famous Churchill Downs oval racetrack and golden winner's trophy.

The designer also provides photos of a dozen Derby champions of the past, an explanation of the raising of thoroughbreds and a summary of U.S. racing traditions, including how the colorful “silks” worn by each jockey reveal the stable he or she represents. For readers who long to hear the famous bugle call that introduces the race, Pease includes a recording on a tiny CD of the authentic “Call to the Post.”

As if her illustration and writing talents aren't enough, this alum has also founded her own publishing company, Paintbox Press, to monitor the production quality of her hardcover 11.5 x 11.5 volumes.

Amazon.com
or Paintbox Press
ISBN: 0-9669433-5-X

by Pamela Pease, DAAP '74

Subtitled "a pop-up book for children of all ages," Pease's version of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a delight. Since 1924, rain or shine, the famous store on New York's Herald Square has entertained 50 million viewers at the start of the holiday shopping season. Most watch the parade on television; Pease offers a new vantage point.

In colorful pop-up scenes, readers see rows of marching band members; elaborate floats led by Tom Turkey; hundreds of Macy employees as clowns, mimes and Keystone Kops; and high-flying character balloons guided by teams of Macy volunteers. When the Radio City Rockettes do their synchronized dance kicks, readers have a chance to set the pace.

Pease, who owns her own publishing company, Paintbox Press, teaches a course on the art of Children's books at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Amazon.com
or Paintbox Press
ISBN: 0-9669433-2-5

by Annette Simon, DAAP '84

"Stop copying me!" A teasing game played by young children becomes a charming picture book written, designed and illustrated by Simon. A saucy redbird and spunky bluebird copy one another's chirping through the pages, then sing together to create a new song. Beginning readers will enjoy the easy text and patient adults will be entreated to read it again and again.

The author's bold, colorful graphics will delight youngsters and older readers alike. Simon has earned accolades for her work at AIGA's New York book-design exhibition and received a 2006 finalist award from the Writers League of Texas.

Amazon.com
or Simply Read Books
ISBN: 1-894965-29-9

by Jack Simon, as told to his mom, Annette Simon, DAAP '84

How does a 5-year-old figure out what has happened to his little sister? It helps to have a mom like Simon, who began writing down young Jack’s questions and thoughts after the death of her three-year-old daughter. Later, Jack's imaginative words inspired this brightly colored, poignant book.

What does Jack have to say? He wants to ask Libby how angels grow their wings and whether he will recognize her when he gets to heaven. He wonders if she got the colored balloons he sent skyward on her birthday. Does she still love and miss him and her family?

Jack remembers that Libby was unable to hug anyone or crawl around when she was alive, so he’s glad to think that, now, she’s free to zoom around the sky and move any way she wishes. Because Libby must know God pretty well, he asks his sister to "give him a big hug from me."

Amazon.com
Bulk rates are available for organizations from Andrews McMeel Publishing or from annettesimon@clearwire.net
ISBN: 0-7407-2952-7

by Erica Houser Stux-Shore, A&S '49, MS (A&S) '50

These true stories of heroic women scientists will provide plenty of inspiration for girls considering a career in the biological sciences.

Profiles include Dr. Gerty Cori, the first woman in America to receive a Nobel Prize in science; Dr. S. Josephine Baker, who dramatically lowered New York's infant mortality rate in the early 1900s; Rita Levi-Montalcini, neurophysiologist who shared the 1986 Nobel in medicine for discovering the nerve growth factor; Rosalyn Yalow, medical physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 1977; Dorothy Hodgkin, who won a Nobel in chemistry in 1964; Mary Leakey, anthropologist who was first to excavate a 2,000-year-old homo erectus; Rosalind Franklin, whose x-ray photos of DNA revealed the double helix structure; and Sylvia Earle, ocean scientist, undersea explorer and National Geographic author.

Previous books by this author include "Eight Who Made a Difference: Pioneer Women in the Arts" and "Writing for Freedom, a story about Lydia Maria Child."

Amazon.com
ISBN: 1888105704

Weil, Dorothy MA (A&S) '69, PhD (A&S) '74

An adolescent girl, whose mother and father have recently separated, reluctantly joins a girls softball team that her father has agreed to coach. The other team members live in a distant neighborhood, attend different schools and have life experiences and attitudes Mercedes finds both off-putting and intriguing. She isn't that adept at softball -- as the other team members point out -- but she wants to please her dad, so she agrees to keep trying.

The girl's growth, not only in ball-playing skill but also in learning to understand and appreciate the value of unexpected friendships, helps her to become more tolerant of her flawed parents, and herself, as well. This book is a satisfying read for adolescent girls and the families who love them.

Review other books by Weil.

Amazon.com
ISBN: 1413778267

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