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 new release. Our address is Office of Communications, Union College, Schenectady, N.Y. 12308.
Robert E. Edwards '44
Raytheon Company: The First Sixty Years with Alan R. Earls
Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 0738537470 $19.99
Raytheon's history is one of the great American success stories. Launched in 1922, the Cambridge-based company quickly moved to the forefront of innovation in the electronics industry. During World War II, thousands of Raytheon workers contributed to the war effort, supplying eighty percent of the magnetron tubes (vital components for U.S. and British radars), developing miniature tubes for the crucial proximity fuse in antiaircraft shells, and providing entire radar systems. Although government contracts slowed after World War II, Raytheon continued to develop military components, including leading-edge radar and missiles for America's defenses in the Cold War, but it also began to offer a host of civilian products: the famous RadaRange (the world's first microwave oven), televisions, marine radars, transistors, miniature hearing aids, and medical equipment. Edwards, a 43-year Raytheon veteran, was an engineering manager and is a volunteer at the Raytheon Archives.
Winslow T. Wheeler '68
The Wastrels of Defense
How Congress Sabotages U.S. Security
ISBN 159114938X $20.27
In this damning exposé, a veteran senate defense advisor argues that since Sept. 11, 2001, the conduct of the U.S. Congress has sunk to new depths and endangered the nation's security. Winslow Wheeler draws on three decades of work with four prominent senators to tell in lively detail how members of Congress divert money from essential war-fighting accounts to pay for pork in their home states, cook the budget books to pursue personal agendas, and run for cover when confronted with tough defense issues. With meticulous documentation to support his claims, he contends that this behavior is not confined to one party or one political philosophy. He further contends that senators who sell themselves as reformers and journalists covering Capitol Hill are simply not doing their jobs. Wheeler worked on national security issues for members of the U.S. Senate and the General Accounting Office for 31 years. He is the only Senate staffer to have worked simultaneously on the personal staffs of a Republican and a Democrat. In 2002 he was pressured to resign from his position with the Senate Budget Committee because of an essay he wrote, under the pen name Spartacus, criticizing Congress's reaction to 9/11. He is a visiting senior fellow at the Center for Defense Information.
Nelson L. Weil '76
Now and Next
Infinity Publishing
ISBN 0741424770 $14.95
Changing markets, intense competition and instability are hammering today's businesses and their profitability. Frustrated managers are trying to determine whether to “stay put” or reach for the “next new thing.” Now and Next reveals how to successfully manage a business in uncertain times by translating an understanding of trends and historical reference into a framework for building a next-generation business model. Applicable to any business, Now and Next focuses on the fastest-growing segment-service businesses-and provides managers and executives with the insight, context and tools required to successfully drive a business forward in the 21st century. With a career spanning more than two decades in the service industry, primarily in retail and telecommunications, Weil has developed and taught seminars on service and business strategies to companies ranging from small, family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. During his career, Weil has held positions as an industrial engineer, line manager and staff manager. He is a consultant on behalf of a major telecommunications manufacturer.
Maria H. Sinskey '83
The Vineyard Kitchen
Menus Inspired by the Seasons
Harper Collins
ISBN 0060013966 $32.50
In this age of celebrity chefs and rarefied ingredients, it is a great pleasure to discover this creative and wholesome collection of recipes. In her debut book, Sinskey shares the homey yet sophisticated recipes that have made her one of America's most celebrated chefs and a culinary star. Maria offers 40 menus, 10 per season, with more than 180 recipes to enjoy year round. From her kitchen in Napa, where she runs a vineyard with her husband and raises her two young daughters, Sinskey looks out onto a landscape whose seasonal bounty is reflected in each recipe. Emphasizing quality ingredients, her dishes are simple and pure, focusing on the freshness and flavor of each element, rather than on fussy or complicated preparations. These are dishes that celebrate the unique offerings of each season and that perfectly suit our shifting appetites as the days go from short to long and as our dining table moves from fireside to patio. Sinskey was named one of the “Best New Chefs in America” by Food & Wine magazine. Formerly the executive chef of PlumpJack Café in San Francisco, she provides culinary direction and cooking classes at Robert Sinskey Vineyards.
(Maria Sinskey was profiled in the spring issue of this magazine.)
Nicole Beland '96
Girl Seeks Bliss: Zen and the Art of Modern Life Maintenance
Plume
ISBN 0452285771 $14.00
A fun, practical guide to Buddhist philosophy for 20- and 30-something women who crave peace of mind but aren't necessarily crazy about folk music or the smell of patchouli. Inside, the reader will find the basic concepts of Buddhism-The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, The Nature of Impermanence, and No Self-explained in simple, straightforward terms. Beland then sheds light on how women can apply these ideas to every aspect of their lives, from work and travel to body image and dating, in order to feel calmer and more content, day in and day out. Other topics include: yoga and Buddhism, a brief history of Tibet, the science of meditation, the major schools of Buddhism, and the best books, movies, and websites about Buddhism. Beland, a freelance writer living in New York, is a contributing editor to Men's Health, a senior writer at Women's Health and the author of four books. She says she is a big fan of Union English professors Harry Marten and Jim McCord.