How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror
By Reza Aslan
Random House
April 2009, 240 pages

A recent poll indicates that nearly 90 percent of U.S. foreign policy analysts on both the left and the right believe the United States is losing the so-called “war on terror.” In this book, Aslan argues that America’s poor performance in this conflict is due not only to decisions made by the Bush administration, but more importantly to the very way in which the struggle against Islamic extremists has been framed as a “cosmic war” between the forces of good
and evil.

Aslan is a UCR assistant professor of creative writing.

Tyranny of the Minority: The Subconstituency Politics Theory of Representation
By Benjamin Bishin
Temple University Press
April 2009, 216 pages

Bishin’s new book explains how the desires of small groups, which he calls “subconstituencies,” often trump the preferences of much larger groups. “Tyranny of the Minority” provides a unified theory of representation to explain how citizens’ intensity fosters knowledge and participation and drives candidates’ behavior in campaigns. Bishin offers a unique explanation of when, why and how special interests dominate American national politics.

Bishin is an associate professor of political science at UCR.

The Fourth Amendment: Origins and Original Meaning 602–1791
By William J. Cuddihy (’95)
Oxford University Press
January 2009, 1,008 pages

One of the most controversial rights in the Bill of Rights, the Fourth Amendment protects citizens from unreasonable search and seizure and is the foundation for police regulation and other governmental functions in the United States. It is also one of the most frequently disputed provisions of constitutional law. This book relates the full story of the Fourth Amendment’s complex history, including its roots in England.

Cuddihy is an independent scholar living in California.

A Complete Introduction to the Bible
By Christopher Gilbert (‘98, Ph.D.)
Paulist Press
March 2009, 308 pages

“A Complete Introduction to the Bible” offers a literary and historical introduction to the Bible exploring the content of both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian New Testament, but also introducing the reader to scholarly questions and theories about the Bible.

Gilbert is a philosophy and religious studies instructor at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Structure, Function, and Modulation of Neuronal Voltage- Gated Ion Channels
Edited by Valentin K. Gribkoff (’83, Ph.D.) and Leonard K. Kaczmarek
Wiley
February 2009, 475 pages

This book features contributed reviews of the structure, function and modulation of neuronal voltage-gated ion channels, with an emphasis on their emerging applications to drug discovery and development. It provides a reference for students, teachers and research scientists, with many tools and approaches for current ion channel and drug discovery research.

Gribkoff is Knopp Neurosciences’ chief science officer/senior vice president of discovery research.

GIS and Spatial Analysis for the Social Sciences: Coding, Mapping, and Modeling
By Robert Nash Parker
Routledge
July 2008, 246 pages

The book provides sociologists, criminologists, political scientists and other social scientists with methodological logic and techniques for doing spatial analysis in their fields. “GIS and Spatial Analysis for the Social Sciences” includes many examples of techniques beyond conventional statistical methods. The book is a methodological and conceptual approach for the linking together of spatial data, or data that is based on a physical space, with nonspatial data, which can be thought of as any data that contains no direct reference to physical locations.

Parker is a professor of sociology at UCR.

Custodians of Place: Governing the Growth and Development of Cities: American Governance and Public Policy
By Max Neiman and Paul Lewis
Georgetown University Press
March 2009, 247 pages

“Custodians of Place” is an analysis of growth politics and policies in California cities. The book provides a portrait of the varied development policies undertaken by the state’s diverse cities. Neiman and Lewis draw from existing urban policy theories, leadership and representation to contribute a new understanding of urban politics and government.

Neiman is a professor emeritus of political science at UCR.

Drift
By Victoria Patterson (’93; 2006, M.F.A.)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
June 2009, 240 pages
Patterson illustrates how deceiving initial impressions can be in this collection of 13 interconnected stories.

At first glance, the characters seem to be blessed but Patterson scrapes off the glitter, examining the complicated lives of Rosie, a confused teenage girl; John Wayne, a braindamaged, homeless stoner; Anne, a lesbian psychologist in love with Rosie’s mother; Melody, a trophy wife cheating on her husband, Henry Wilson, who has a secret of his own; and Joe/Christina, a transvestite. The majority of the stories feature Rosie, a nerdy teenager whose attempts to make sense of her life lead her down increasingly self-destructive paths, though she remains aware of others’ suffering.

Patterson is a lecturer in creative writing at UCR.

The American War in Contemporary Vietnam: Transnational Remembrance and Representation
By Christina Schwenkel
Indiana University Press
July 2009, 264 pages

Schwenkel explores how the “American War” is remembered and commemorated in Vietnam today by analyzing official and unofficial histories, and everyday life. She examines monuments and martyrs cemeteries, museums, battlefield tours and related sites of “war tourism.” It is in these spaces that American and Vietnamese war memories intersect, shaped by global economic liberalization and the return of Americans as tourists, pilgrims and philanthropists.

Schwenkel is a UCR assistant professor of anthropology.

African Culture and Melville’s Art: The Creative Process in Benito Cereno and Moby-Dick
By Sterling Stuckey
Oxford University Press
November 2008, 168 pages
Although Herman Melville’s

“Moby-Dick” and “Benito Cereno” have been the subject of many scholarly examinations, the impact of African culture on the works have largely gone understudied. Stuckey discusses how African customs and rituals influenced Melville, to reveal an author deeply influenced by the African-American celebration of traditional African customs.

Combining literary and historical angles, Stuckey shows how these influences came together to create the unique vision portrayed by Melville.

Stuckey is a distinguished professor emeritus of history at UCR.

The Xaripu Community Across Borders: Labor Migration, Community, and Family.
By Manuel Barajas (’97, M.A.; ’02, Ph.D.)
University of Notre Dame Press
April 2009, 352 pages

Barajas presents an extended case study of the Xaripu community, with home bases in both Xaripu, Michoacan, and Stockton, Calif., and elaborates on how various forms of colonialism, institutional biases and emergent forms of domination have shaped Xaripu labor migration, community formation and family experiences across the Mexican/ U.S. border for more than a century. Of special interest are Barajas’ formal and informal interviews within the community, his examination of oral histories and his participant observation in several locations.

Manuel Barajas is an associate professor of sociology at California State University, Sacramento.

The Elusive Malaria Vaccine: Miracle or Mirage?
By Irwin W. Sherman
ASM Press
May 2009, 391 pages

Chronicling a 100-year quest, this book tells the story of the hunt for the still-elusive malaria vaccine. The book is accessible to a general audience and brings to life all the drama of the hunt, celebrating the triumphs and documenting the failures. The author captures the controversies, missteps, wars of words, stolen ideas and clashes of ego as researchers around the world compete to develop the first successful malaria vaccine.

“The Elusive Malaria Vaccine: Miracle or Mirage?” is based on Sherman’s
investigation of the scientific literature as well as his first-hand interviews with vaccine research. As a result, the book offers insights into the keys to a successful malaria vaccine and the obstacles hindering its development.

Malaria is one of humankind’s greatest killers, currently afflicting some 300 million to 500 million people. Moreover, malaria infections have begun to spread and surge in places previously free from the disease. With the book’s coverage of such topics as immunity, immunology,
recombinant DNA and monoclonal antibodies, readers gain a new understanding of the disease itself, the importance of microbe hunters and the need for responsible leadership to face the challenges that lie ahead in the battle against malaria.

Sherman is a professor emeritus of biology at UCR.