(source: Library Journal, 15/06/2009)
Economics
Anderson, Chris. Free: The Future of a Radical Price. Hyperion. Jul. 2009. c.288p. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-4013-2290-8. $26.99. BUS
While the best things in life may be free, a business model based on giving stuff away seems a little crazy. But Anderson (editor in chief, Wired), who made a big splash with The Long Tail, tells us that this business model is already here. In The Long Tail, he showed how online businesses were making good by selling less of more, that is, by selling a huge range of niche or low-volume products that added up to big bucks. Here he demonstrates that the concept of making money by giving things away has already taken hold in the digital world. VERDICT With explanations of basic economic principles like supply and demand and an analysis of the differences between products in the physical world and those in the digital world, Anderson makes the Free premise sound quite reasonable. Lots of companies are making lots of money from “free.” Google and Yahoo, for instance, have some of the biggest computer server complexes in the world, yet they let us use their email, news, and search services every day. While this book may not be free, it will generate interest among both academic and general readers.—Carol J. Elsen, Univ. of Wisconsin, Whitewater
Leopold, Les. The Looting of America: How Wall Street’s Game of Fantasy Finance Destroyed Our Jobs, Pensions, and Prosperity—and What We Can Do About It. Chelsea Green. Jun. 2009. c.224p. index. ISBN 978-1-60358-205-6. pap. $14.95. BUS
Leopold (founding director, Labor Inst. & Public Health Inst.; The Man Who Hated Work and Loved Labor) spends much of this text providing an excellent “lemonade stand” explanation of the history and mechanics of the various mortgage-related securities and their derivatives that have come under scrutiny as a result of the current financial crisis. Many readers will find the simplicity of this exercise a welcome parry to the mass media refrain that only the most highly trained Wall Street professionals can comprehend these financial instruments. The Whitefish Bay, WI, school board’s foray into these unregulated markets supplies Leopold with a suitably disastrous example of how such securities and derivatives multiplied exponentially the losses resulting from the mortgage default surge that began in 2007. VERDICT Leopold uses the Whitefish Bay study to good effect. Although he doesn’t fulfill the promise of the subtitle in any special way, his clear and basic explanations will at least help readers understand the financial jargon bandied about so readily over the last couple of years.—Steve Wilson, Dayton Metro Lib., Dayton
Plotkin, Robert. The Genie in the Machine: How Computer-Automated Inventing Is Revolutionizing Law & Business. Stanford Law & Politics: Stanford Univ. 2009. c.288p. index. ISBN 978-0-8047-5699-0. $29.95. BUS
There is little argument that invention spurs innovation, competition, and economic growth. With technology today, however, inventors can simply input a problem (a “wish”) into a program and have the computer (a “genie”) generate, or “invent,” the ultimate solution. Who or what, then, is the true inventor of the final product? Plotkin, an intellectual property attorney, tackles this intriguing question by stating that patent law today does not lend itself to such broad interpretation. Further, the author convincingly illustrates an urgent need to reform current law so that it is neither too strong nor too weak in order to protect the future rights of inventors, businesses, and consumers. VERDICT Plotkin posits that “Computer Automated Inventing” or “Artificial Invention Technology” does not replace the human mind; rather, it augments and partners with its human counterpart to build a better mousetrap, whatever that might be. From toothbrushes to auto assembly, the author uses easy-to-understand analogies that most lay readers will understand. Recommended for committed readers in business, computer science, or law.—Judy Brink-Drescher, Dowling Coll., Oakdale, NY
Shell, Ellen Ruppel. Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Jul. 2009. c.320p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-59420-215-5. $25.95. BUS
Just in time for the current economic recession, Shell (The Hungry Gene: The Insider Story of the Obesity Industry) investigates America’s fixation with discount retail prices. Historically, consumers have believed that “buying cheap” was “buying smart,” but Shell assembles convincing evidence that our appetite for cheap products has led to an explosion of “shoddy clothes, unreliable electronics, wobbly furniture and questionable food.” She points out that the rise of the Industrial Revolution in this country saw the simultaneous rise of mass production, which fostered the aims of early retail pioneers such as John Wanamaker and F.W. Woolworth. Now, with its cheap labor force producing cheap goods for the American market, China is largely responsible for much of the discount boom prevalent today. Ironically, Americans have significantly curtailed their buying, thus impacting retailers and in turn causing enormous problems for the Chinese economy. Shell rightly concludes that “technology, globalization and deregulation have made competition a death march,” forcing companies to eliminate jobs, lower quality standards, and depress wages, all with the purpose of creating cheaper goods, resulting in a kind of unending vicious cycle. VERDICT This highly intelligent and disturbing book provides invaluable insight into our consumer culture and should be mandatory reading for anyone trying to figure out our current financial mess. As Shell proves, the hunt for cheap products has hurt us all. Highly recommended for smart readers. —Richard Drezen, formerly with the Washington Post/New York City Bureau
Yellin, Emily. Your Call Is (Not That) Important to Us: Customer Service and What It Reveals About the World and Our Lives. Free Pr: S. & S. 2009. c.320p. ISBN 978-1-4165-4689-4. $26. BUS
Telephone customer service has been with us nearly as long as the telephone, and complaints about telephone customer service have been around for just about as long. From wry poems about the “hello girls” who used to connect each and every call at the turn of the 20th century to the consumer activist blogs of today, Yellin documents the history of disconnect between customers and telephone agents. Almost everyone who has picked up a phone can empathize with such tales of woe as when Vincent Ferrari made national headlines after recording an AOL representative’s seemingly pathological refusal to let Ferrari cancel his Internet service. But Yellin also introduces us to the agents themselves—Mormon housewives and Argentinean college students who absorb eight to ten hours of verbal abuse a day trapped between irate customers and often indifferent companies. We also meet virtual agents like Amtrak’s “Julie” and learn why they will probably be the future of customer service and how they can’t possibly replace real, even if sometimes only human, people. VERDICT This fascinating history of humanity and technology meeting head-on will be of interest to a wide variety of readers and is highly recommended.—Robert Perret, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow
Political Science
Brookhiser, Richard. Right Time, Right Place: Coming of Age with William F. Buckley Jr. and the Conservative Movement. Basic Bks: Perseus. Jun. 2009. c.272p. ISBN 978-0-465-01355-5. $27.50.
Meehan III, William F. Conversations with William F. Buckley, Jr. Univ. Pr. of Mississippi. Jun. 2009. c.204p. index. ISBN 978-1-60473-224-5. pap. $22. POL SCI
William F. Buckley’s 2008 death will surely lead to an extension of the already considerable Buckley bookshelf, which he himself populated during a career spanning six decades, years when he began the National Review, produced television’s Firing Line, and godfathered the conservative movement that came to dominate American politics. These two books are among the first to join Buckley’s own on that shelf. Buckley bibliographer Meehan has gathered 15 interviews from 1970 to 2005 for Mississippi’s long-running “Literary Conversations” series. Readers who agreed with Buckley’s politics and enjoyed his wit will savor the collection of conversations. Those who disagreed, and dismissed Buckley, may be surprised at how well they like him here and surprised again at some of his opinions, which address topics ranging widely from politics to writing to sailing to music to any number of other areas. Among his opinions, stated in a 1970 interview: “It is still hard as hell to find a young conservative with writing talent.” The prior year he’d found Brookhiser, who had submitted an article to National Review, which Buckley published as a cover story in 1970 when Brookhiser had just turned 15 years old. Brookhiser, known for a series of popular biographies that began with Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington, joined the National Review staff in 1977 and at one point was Buckley’s heir apparent; he is still a senior editor at the magazine. His is an engaging memoir of the conservative movement, of one of its engines (the National Review), and of Brookhiser’s somewhat oedipal relationship with Buckley. VERDICT Meehan’s book is a highly recommended introduction to a wide-ranging man, while Brookhiser’s work is recommended for any reader trying to get a better understanding of the conservative movement in late 20th-century America. Recommended for all interested readers.—Bob Nardini, Nashville, TN
Mattson, Kevin. “What the Heck Are You Up To, Mr. President?”: Jimmy Carter, America’s “Malaise,” and the Speech That Should Have Changed the Country. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Jul. 2009. c.272p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-59691-521-3. $25. POL SCI
Mattson (contemporary history, Ohio Univ.; Rebels All!) revisits the 1970s, the Carter presidency, and the major television address that has come to symbolize Carter’s term in office—the “malaise” speech of July 15, 1979. In terms of content and delivery, it was an effective performance. The author reminds us that Carter never uttered the word malaise in his address and that his popularity actually rose after delivering it. Moreover, Mattson argues that the content of the speech still resonates with ongoing concerns over consumer wants, the nation’s dependence on oil, and a loss of trust in government. Unfortunately, after delivering this key speech, Carter undermined it by an unexpected mass purge of his cabinet. Carter’s image became that of the amateur blunderer, allowing Ronald Reagan, a smiling and friendly grandfather on a horse, to ride into Washington to lead the nation. VERDICT With background to the speech that is itself fascinating to read, this book becomes a page-turner for those interested in the decadent disco decade, Jimmy Carter himself, and the modern presidency.—William D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport
Noveck, Beth Simone. Wiki Government: How Technology Can Make Government Better, Democracy Stronger, and Citizens More Powerful. Brookings Inst. 2009. c.200p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-8157-0275-7. $28.95. POL SCI
Noveck (director, Inst. for Information Law & Policy; New York Law Sch.) reports on the unexpected success of a pilot initiative to develop a type of Web 2.0 collaborative model for the patent review process, easing the monumental work of patent examiners with the peer-to-patent initiative. Noveck initially proposed this peer-to-patent initiative in a blog post and subsequently refined it into a platform for e-government with authentic citizen participation. Here she presents what she considers the best practices for online community experts contributing to the evaluation of patent claims, together with examples that show the importance of interfaces that foster group work. She also points to probable governmental applications, like substantive commenting on regulatory issues for the environment or education. VERDICT Noveck’s approach to e-governance is to study where citizen online collaboration can have an impact, and she shows that one can design for participatory democracy with compelling results. Buyer beware if you are looking for a Wiki how to—this is not the essence of Noveck’s book. Well reasoned but clearly for informed readers only.—Jim Hahn, Univ. of Illinois Lib., Urbana
Social Sciences
My Diva: 65 Gay Men on the Women Who Inspire Them. Terrace: Univ. of Wisconsin. 2009. c.320p. ed. by Michael Montlack. ISBN 978-0-299-23120-0. $24.95. SOC SCI
A diva. Every good gay man has one, it seems, and, to paraphrase the editor, it’s amazing that no one thought of this before. Montlack (English, Berkeley Coll.) has assembled essays, chiefly by up-and-coming writers, that explore the symbiotic relationship between the gay male and the diva—those beloved, larger-than-life ladies who have served as role models, muses, and even therapists. Sounds like a hoot, but this is more than a camp fest. The essays, mostly three to five pages, are touching and thoughtful as well as funny, as they lovingly detail what each author’s personal diva has meant to him. Show business and popular culture icons abound, with most of the usual suspects present (Liza, Marlene, Cher, both Bettes, and Joan), as well as choices from history and politics (Elizabeth I, Eva Perón), the culinary arts (Julia Child, Jennifer Patterson), and even fictitious figures (Auntie Mame, Princess Leia, Endora). VERDICT This is one of those delightful books you can open at random and be amused, enlightened, or moved by. The concept seems too rich to be confined to one volume; don’t be surprised if a sequel appears in a year or two. Highly recommended for all LGBT readers.—Richard J. Violette Special Libs. Cataloguing, Inc. & Greater Victoria P.L., Victoria, B.C.
Publié par ressourcesespo 
Publié par ressourcesespo 
Publié par ressourcesespo 