The Union Bookshelf regularly features new books written
by (or about) alumni and
other members of the Union community. If you're an author and would like to be included in a future issue, please send
us a copy of the book as well as your publisher's news release. Our address is Office of Communications, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308.
Daniel M. Paine '63
Elevated Work Platforms
and Scaffolding : Job Site
Safety Manual by Matthew J. Burkart, Michael McCann, Daniel M. Paine, Matthew Burkart, Jim Lapping, Daniel Paine, and Michael Joye
McGraw-Hill Professional;
ISBN 0071414932, $89.95
Nowhere is construction site safety more at a premium than on elevated work platforms and scaffoldings. Elevated Work Platforms: Job Site Safety Manual demonstrates how to keep these areas as accident-free as possible. Written with authority by construction site safety experts, this heavily-illustrated reference promotes safety through knowledge, correct equipment usage, and the careful application of construction regulations and standards. The manual is ideal for architects, engineers, contractors, and attorneys.
Antonio F. Vianna '66
Talking Rain
1st Books Library,
ISBN 1414066481, $10.74
When Tony Vianna, a human resources executive, isn't
writing management articles for trade journals, he creates mystery novels that pull the reader right in. The backdrop for his most recent yarn, Talking Rain, is a twenty-year-old murder case that sent a man to death row. However, it appears that the case is anything but “closed.” When the convicted killer's wife walks into a police station and confesses to the murder, the police are incredulous. But when people who had been involved in the
case start to die, she gets the authorities' rapt attention,
particularly that of police detective Jack Bogle.
Rewind twenty years ago to the violent death of a university professor. Mix in an academic rivalry, problem gambling, an alleged affair, and a callow policewoman and her not-quite-ex boyfriend who was the lead reporter at the time of the crime. As they rake over the cold embers of the murder and investigate new evidence, the clock on death row continues to tick.
Vincent M.
Bonventre '70
Streams of Tendency on the New York Court: Ideological and Jurisprudential Patterns in the Judges' Voting and Opinions
William S. Hein & Co., Inc., $75
Vincent Bonventre, a prominent judicial scholar and noted expert on the New York Court of Appeals, examines the judges' voting and opinions in nearly 400 divided public law cases from 1987 through 2001 and uncovers how the jurisprudential values and outlooks of individual judges have shaped the court's decisions. Highly readable, this book will be of interest to attorneys, judges, legal scholars, academics, or anyone curious about the judicial process in general.
A member of Albany Law School's faculty since 1990, Bonventre is widely quoted and published on judicial decision making, state constitutional law, criminal and civil rights, legal ethics, and the New York Court of Appeals. He is founder and director of the Center for Judicial Process, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization devoted to the interdisciplinary research and study of courts and judges. He is the editor of Government, Law, & Policy Journal (New York State Bar Association) and State
Constitutional Commentary.
The book can be ordered
by contacting W.S. Hein by phone 800-828-7571, fax
716-883-8100, e-mail heincite@ wshein.com, or
at www.wshein.com.
Jim McCord
Professor of English, Union College
Approaching Winter Solstice
Cobtree Press, Aylesford,
Kent, England
Approaching Winter Solstice is
a selection of twenty-eight poems by Jim McCord, professor of English at the College. The poems have been described as “closely observed encounters with an ordinary world suddenly rendered extraordinary through attentive eye and ear.” Subjects include the delights of small wonders around house and garden, the loving and difficult presences of mother and father, meditations on loss, illness, and death, artifacts, art, and architecture. Whether set in New York State, England, Greece, or Italy, they remind the reader that even when looking into
the heart of darkening light, man as maker can still the beauty of continuance. The book was designed, illustrated, and printed by Anthony Smith. Copies are available from the printer and the author.
Emily Haft Bloom '85
Burgers Every Way
Stewart, Tabori & Chang publisher
ISBN 158479352, $13.97 (Amazon)
'Tis the season-for burgers traditional and exotic. Get
out and fire up the barbecue because Emily Haft Bloom, a freelance writer and regular contributor to Parents magazine, has published Burgers Every Way. With carb-conscious and protein-focused Americans, Bloom offers up a burger for every plate.
Her book is a compendium of 100 recipes for burgers that go beyond beef. A variety of delectations may be created from chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, and veggie variations. The ingredients are easy to find and she includes accompanying beverage suggestions and interesting side dishes, sauces, and condiments (Pineapple Chutney, anyone?). From haute cuisine to low cholesterol, some of the enticing recipes include orange-flavored shredded duck, grilled lamb, big kahuna tuna, and portobello mushroom. Indeed, she has elevated the humble hamburger to new gustatory heights. Along with the recipes and absolutely beautiful photos, Bloom provides a brief history of the hamburger (yes, the American hamburger's grandfather was indeed from Germany) and some very sensible information about food safety.
All in all, this slim volume (less than 100 pages) is a delightful, valuable addition
for the serious gourmand and
a gentle, user-friendly companion to those intimidated/ bewildered by the culinary arts.