Pop City: Korean Popular Culture and the Selling of Place
Cornell University Press, Dec. 2018
By Youjeong Oh, assistant professor, Department of Asian Studies
Pop City examines the use of Korean television dramas and K-pop music to promote urban and rural places in South Korea. Building on the phenomenon of Korean pop culture, Oh argues that pop culture place-selling mediates two separate domains: political decentralization and the globalization of Korean popular culture.
Human Performance Optimization: The Science and Ethics of Enhancing Human Capabilities
Oxford University Press, Dec. 2018
Edited by Michael D. Matthews and David M Schnyer, professor, Department of Psychology and Dell Medical School
This volume addresses current, science-based approaches to optimizing human performance. Collectively, the topics integrate performance optimization strategies across several disciplines, a common theme being the need to include ethical considerations in any approach. The book concludes with a summary of attainable and emerging approaches to performance enhancement.
A Nation of Immigrants Reconsidered: US Society in an Age of Restriction, 1924-1965
University of Illinois Press, Jan. 2019
Edited by Maddalena Marinari; Madeline Y. Hsu, professor, Departments of History and Asian Studies; and Maria Cristina Garcia
This book explores how the political and ideological struggles of the “age of restriction” — from 1924 to 1965 — paved the way for changes that followed. The essays examine how geopolitics, civil rights, perceptions of America’s role as a humanitarian sanctuary, and economic priorities led government officials to facilitate the entrance of specific immigrant groups.
The Garden of Leaders: Revolutionizing Higher Education
Oxford University Press (New York), Jan. 2019
By Paul Woodruff, professor, Department of Philosophy
Most universities claim to prepare their students to be leaders, but few have tailored their curricula or teaching methods to leadership. What do leaders need to learn? Woodruff proposes a curriculum heavy in the liberal arts, taught by methods that promote independence and encourage students to lead in teamwork.
When Democracy Trumps Populism: European and Latin American Lessons for the United States
Cambridge University Press, Jan. 2019
Edited by Kurt Weyland, professor, Department of Government; and Raúl L. Madrid, professor, Department of Government
Citing experiences with populist governments in Europe and Latin America, this book examines the potential impact of President Donald Trump on democracy in the U.S. It argues that the strength of our political institutions, along with the president’s limited popular support, should prevent Trump from seriously undermining U.S. democracy.
Considering Comparison: A Method for Religious Studies
Oxford University Press, Feb. 2019
By Oliver Freiberger, associate professor, Departments of Asian Studies and Religious Studies
This book provides a thorough analysis of comparison in the study of religion. It proposes an analytical framework of the comparative method and an approach that helps to confront its greatest challenges: decontextualization and essentialization. The author also argues that comparison is indispensable to religious studies.
Weeping for Dido: The Classics in the Medieval Classroom
Princeton University Press, Feb. 2019
By Marjorie Curry Woods, professor, Department of English
Weeping for Dido looks at how medieval teachers focused on women’s emotions to help boys learn classical texts, teachers’ comments on the period when Achilles was disguised as a woman to avoid the Trojan war, and evidence for boys’ performing women’s emotional laments in the classroom.