Campus Currents

Faculty Book Picks

Straight off the shelf of a professor near you. Working under the theory that taking a peek at a person’s bookshelf helps you to know that person better, we’ve asked a few members of our college family to share with us a literary find.

Matthew James, chair of the music department and associate professor of music, recommends The Physics of Immortality, by Frank J. Tipler (1994). “I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual book, which claims, by the use of a rigorous scientific logic, to prove the existence of God.” Dr. Tipler’s conclusions about the end of the universe also indicate, ‘it is not only possible, but likely, that every human being who ever lived will be resurrected from the dead.’

Deborah Silva, assistant professor of communications, recommends Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time, by Susan Scott (2002), a communication consultant who spent 16 years training clients in the art of “fierce conversations.” She explains how to engage people in transforming dialogue using principles, tools, and stories. “If you are facing important conversations, this book is a must!”

Ginger Ketting-Weller, vice president for academic administration, recommends Reframing Organizations, by Bolman and Deal (1997). “In Reframing Organizations, the authors discuss four different perspectives leaders may use in dealing with problems and/or change within organizations. I was particularly intrigued with the Symbolic and Political frames described in the book, as I believe Adventist organizations have historically ignored these perspectives.”

Lynn Boyd, associate professor of marketing, recommends Swimming Across, by Andrew S. Grove (2001). “Swimming Across is a wonderfully absorbing coming-of-age memoir by Hungarian immigrant, Andy Grove. A lot has been written about this Intel co-founder and Time Magazine 1997 Man of the Year, but nothing so eloquent or interesting as his own simple account of his early years.”

Darold Bigger, professor of religion and social work, recommends Or Perish in the Attempt: Wilderness Medicine in the Lewis & Clark Expedition, by David J. Peck, D.O. (2002). “Peck focuses on the medical challenges of the Lewis and Clark expedition, describing medical assumptions of that time, preparations, probable causes of illnesses, diagnostic procedures, common treatments, and their probable consequences. Readers will appreciate the significant progress in medical care in the last 200 years.”

Jean-Paul Grimaud, assistant professor of modern languages, recommends Don’t Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned, by Kenneth C. Davis (1995). “This is a book I have been reading for weeks. Not only is it a wealth of information to the non-native American, ignorant French I am, but also ‘quirky, sardonic, accurate, rudimentary and often amusing’ as The Atlanta Journal and Constitution puts it. The ‘question and answer’ approach is very practical and fun.”
• Who started the slave trade?
• What was the “big stick?”
• Where did the Underground Railroad run?

Linda Emmerson, instructor in philosophy, recommends The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life, by Armand M. Nicholi Jr. (2002). “Dr. Armand Nicholi offers an insightful look at the lives and thinking of two of this century’s great thinkers. Nicholi considers the complex web of life experiences and rational thought processes that shaped Freud’s and Lewis’s ultimate views of the world. While generalizations from this text ought to be carefully made, this book nevertheless illumines conversation concerning some of humanity’s most timeless questions.”  W

Previous Story | Next Story | Back to Contents