Humanities Resources
Spring 2018
Communication
Never Split the Difference
by Chris Voss with Tahl Raz
In this practical guide, a former FBI hostage negotiator shares nine effective principles that you can use to become more persuasive in both your professional and personal life.
Social Media and Public Relations
by Judy Motion, Robert L. Heath, and Shirley Leitch
This challenging and fascinating book examines the impact of social media on public relations’ core concepts, strategies, and tactics.
Reconcilable Differences
by Dr. Dawna Markova and Angie McArthur
Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Markova and communication expert McArthur provide the strategies you need to bridge the gap at the heart of your differences with others.
Secret Sauce
by Harry Mills
For a message to grab attention and persuade, it now has to pass the SAUCE test and be: Simple, Appealing, Unexpected, Credible, and Emotional.
We Need to Talk
by Celeste Headlee
Headlee outlines the strategies that have made her a better conversationalist and offers actionable steps anyone can take to improve their communication skills.
Present Like a Pro
by Cal Hausman
This book offers straightforward, step-by-step instructions that provide a sensible "plan of attack" for preparing and presenting as well as addressing common presentation problems.
Language
Guardians of Language
by Florian Coulmas
This book focuses on twenty intellectuals from various cultures and times who influenced language policy. Coulmas provides background information and a fictional interview summarizing each scholar’s main thoughts on language.
How Language Began
by Daniel L. Everett
Everett explains what we know, what we'd like to know, and what we likely never will know about how humans went from mere communication to language. In the process, he debunks long-held theories by some of history's greatest thinkers.
The Language of Light
by Gerald Shea
A comprehensive history of deafness, signed languages, and the unresolved struggles of the Deaf to be taught in sign language—the only language that renders them complete, fully communicative human beings
Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing
by Daniel Tammet
A fascinating journey through the world of words, letters, stories and meanings, and an extraordinary testament to the stunning range of Tammet's literary and polyglot talents.
Ensayo Sobre la Ceguera
by José Saramago
This Nobel Prize-winning parable of loss and disorientation begins when a city descends into chaos after being hit by a terrifying epidemic of “white blindness,” available to readers in Spanish and in English.
Swearing Is Good for You
by Emma Byrne
The latest research by neuroscientists, psychologists, sociologists, and others has revealed that swear words, curses, and oaths―when used judiciously―can have surprising benefits.
Philosophy & Religion
From Bacteria to Bach and Back
by D. C. Dennett
Dennett builds on recent discoveries from biology and computer science to show, step by step, how a comprehending mind could in fact have arisen from a mindless process of natural selection.
Bioethics
by Stephen Holland
This second edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect a wide range of debates with the latest advances in bioethics, providing a clear and comprehensive introduction to the subject.
The Philosophy Book
DK Publishing
An essential introduction to the history, concepts, and thinking behind philosophy that demystifies what can often be daunting subject matter.
What Do Philosophers Do?
by Penelope Maddy
Maddy successfully accomplishes her goal of demonstrating what philosophers do by doing philosophy herself on the topic of epistemology and skepticism, and by inviting other philosophers into the discussion.
A Place at the Altar
by Meghan J. DiLuzio
Demonstrating that priestesses had a central place in public rituals and institutions, DiLuzio emphasizes the complex, gender-inclusive nature of Roman priesthood.
The Chance of Salvation
by Lincoln A. Mullen
Mullen traces the history of the distinctively American idea that religion is a matter of individual choice and that Americans switch religions more often than any other nation.
Music
Coltrane
by Ben Ratliff
In this deftly written study, Ratliff examines the life of Coltrane, the acclaimed band leader and deeply spiritual man who changed the face of jazz music.
The Everything Essential Music Theory Book
by Marc Schonbrun
With each clear and easy-to-understand chapter, Schonbrun takes you through the essentials of music theory--the very glue that holds music together.
Meaning and Interpretation of Music in Cinema
by David Neumeyer
Neumeyer shows that film music, sound, and dialogue are manipulated and continually interact in the larger acoustical world of the film sound track.
Good Booty
by Ann Powers
Powers examines how popular music shapes fundamental American ideas and beliefs, allowing us to communicate difficult emotions and truths about our most fraught social issues, most notably sex and race.
Queen of Bebop
by Elaine M. Hayes
This absorbing and sensitive treatment of a singular personality updates and corrects the historical record on Sarah Vaughan and elevates her status as a jazz great.
Joni: The Anthology
by Barney Hoskyns
A time capsule of the iconic musician Joni Mitchell spanning decades of her unforgettable career, from rare and uncut interviews to candid conversations with the musician and her contemporaries.
The Great Jazz and Pop Vocal Albums
by Will Friedwald
A survey of 57 of the greatest 20th-century jazz and pop albums, each entry reflecting on how these extraordinary collections of songs were shaped and unraveling personal stories of the artists’ successes and failures.
Jazz Transatlantic
by Gerhard Kubik
Drawing on personal encounters and extensive field diaries, Kubik’s two volume set takes readers across the Atlantic from Africa to the Americas and back to trace the many influences on the creation of jazz.
Digital Signatures
by Ragnild Brøvig-Hanssen & Anne Danielsen
Discover unique insights into the uses and effects of recording technology, and how digitization has changed the sound of popular music and the listener’s experience of it.
Arts & Film
The Art of the Bible
by Scot McKendrick and Kathleen Doyle
This beautiful and informative exploration of the illuminated manuscripts of the Bible across the globe sheds new light on some of the most significant, yet rarely seen, paintings of the Middle Ages.
The Monster Movies of Universal Studios
by James Neibaur
Neibaur examines twenty years of key horror films released by the production company beginning in the 1930s, including a discussion of the continued impact of these memorable movies.
Stan Lee
by Bob Batchelor
This first true biography traces the life of the pop culture visionary behind some of the most beloved comic book characters, revealing the cultural significance of the genre and its place in the American experience.
Ink & Paint
Walt Disney Productions
This essential volume introduces the female pioneers who brought many stories to life at Walt Disney Studios and beyond, redefining the collective history of animation.
Street Art World
by Alison Young
This strikingly illustrated book explores every aspect of street art, revealing an energetic world of self-made artists passionate about expression.
Start to Finish
by Eric Lax
Lax follows legendary director Woody Allen throughout the creation of his film Irrational Man from inception to premiere.
Leonardo da Vinci
by Walter Isaacson
A new biography, by a celebrated journalist and biographer, of the Italian Renaissance genius which connects his work in various disciplines.
Warner Bros
by David Thomson
Thomson charts the rise of the uncompromising film studio from its beginnings in the early twentieth century through its ascent to the pinnacle of Hollywood influence and popularity.
Off the Cliff
by Becky Aikman
This title presents the inspiring underdog story of the making of the now classic film in which women were, in every sense, behind the wheel.
Sargent's Women
by Donna M. Lucey
This seductive, multilayered biography based on primary sources illuminates four extraordinary women painted by the high-society portraitist John Singer Sargent.
Broad Strokes
by Bridget Quinn
Art historian Quinn delves into the lives and careers of 15 brilliant female artists from the Renaissance to the modern day in text that's smart and feisty, complete with vibrant reproductions of the artists’ works.
Treasures from the Oxus
by Massimo Vidale
A richly illustrated book that explores the fascinating history, art, and archaeology of the Oxus River civilization that once flourished on the 1,500-mile waterway in Central Asia.
