Horace Mann - Summer 2016 - 41

Bookshelf and upward mobility. The showmanship of the dunk mesmerized Price as a child, but even with his height (six foot plus) and impressive wingspan, he never pushed himself to try it. With his youth folding into the shadows and middle age on the horizon Price, a journalist specializing in covering the environment, decides to spend a year remaking his body and testing his mind as he wonders, like most adults, what untapped talent he still possesses. In this humorous and often poignant journey into the pleasures and perils of exertion, Price, introduces readers to a memorable cast of characters who help him understand the complexity of the human body and the individual drama at the heart of sports. Along the way he dives into the history and science of one of sports' most exuberant acts, examining everything from our genetic predisposition toward jumping, to the cultural role of the slam dunk. The yearlong effort forces him to ask some fundamental questions about human ability and the degree to which we can actually improve ourselves, even with great determination. But the lessons of "The Dunk" can be applied to any endeavor we undertake, any feat we try to master, and any new direction we pursue. "White men, it seems, can jump after all. In fact, they can soar, as Asher Price shows in Year of the Dunk, his craftily documented pursuit of the slam," wrote Roland Lazenby, author of Michael Jordan: The Life. "As Price pursues his quest to throw down a rim-clearing stuff, his opponent is not just gravity, but time. Price's journey to reshape his body and upgrade his hops becomes a fun meditation on the mid-air slam dance that for decades now has fascinated millions the world over." Making a Living, Making a Life By Daniel Rose '47 Half Moon Press, First edition, October 18, 2014 Making a Living, Making a Life offers readers a selection of the many moving and influential speeches Daniel Rose '47 has presented to audiences worldwide at universities and other institutions throughout the course of his distinguished career as a real estate developer, and also as a person passionate about and active in philanthropy, education, particularly for those in need, politics and a variety of other social issues. Kirkus Reviews named Making a Living, Making a Life one of its Best Books of 2015, writing: "As a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a former adviser to the Clinton administration, Rose speaks and writes with authority, warmth, and candor. He's no ideologue ... Instead, he beguiles with his broad knowledge of literature, art, and Judaica ("Judaism is a religion in which human beings talk to, argue with and remonstrate with God," he insightfully writes), and he skillfully weaves that knowledge into his articulate, fair-minded appeals. He not only champions social and business success; he also argues that those who succeed owe a debt to society: "High standards are important in all areas of life," he writes, "but particularly in business." In a time when shrill voices seem to possess center stage, Rose appeals to reason, and he seems to regard his readers as being as reasonable as he is. Ever the stylist, his succinct, well-cadenced prose shows an engaged mind, a sharply tuned wit, and a transforming compassion and intellect that provide a model for civic engagement ... Although collections of speeches were once quite popular, major commercial publishers relatively rarely publish them these days, and this book fills a much-needed niche. ... this collection offers the fruits of a lifetime of dedication to the affairs of the nation." Kirkus Reviews concluded, calling the book "A wise, well-honed collection of speeches that address vital issues with fresh, penetrating insight. CODE RED By Jonathan D. Simon '74 CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; July 5, 2014 In CODE RED Dr. Jonathan D. Simon '74 presents his view on what has happened to American elections, American politics, and America since computers took over the vote counting just a few short years ago. The author is Executive Director of the Election Defense Alliance (www.ElectionDefenseAlliance.org), a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 to restore observable vote counting and electoral integrity as the basis of American democracy. The book identifies what Simon sees as the red flags in our recent voting history, and provides accessible examinations of these warnings. CODE RED shows how the United States came to adopt and embrace this computerized voting system while other democracies-including Germany, The Netherlands, and Ireland- have moved away from the computerized tabulation they initially embraced, having recognized the manifest security risks it entails. The book also discusses why U.S. society is collectively resistant to reconsidering the system's safety and appropriateness. It also examines the role of election administrators, politicians, and the media in stifling investigation of the validity of suspect American elections, as well as the nexus between computerized elections and the veer of American politics over the past few years since computers took over the counting. Finally, CODE RED urges possible ways out of this situation, and evaluates the prospects for reform. The B-Side By Ben Yagoda '71 Riverhead Books, January 22, 2015 Written by acclaimed author and cultural critic Ben Yagoda '71 The B-Side is a compelling narrative and social history of the great American songwriting era. While everyone knows and loves the American Songbook, it's a bit less widely understood that in about 1950, this stream of great songs more or less dried up. All of a sudden, what came over the radio wasn't Gershwin, Porter, and Berlin, but "Come on-a My House" and "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" Elvis and rock and roll arrived a few years later, and the earlier genre disappeared. The B Side examines what happened, and why. Yagoda answers those questions in a fascinating piece of detective work. Drawing on previously untapped archival sources and on scores of interviews-the voices include Randy Newman, Jimmy Webb, Linda Ronstadt, and Herb Alpert- the book illuminates broad musical trends through a series of intertwined stories, including the battle between ASCAP and Broadcast Music, Inc.; the revolution in jazz after World War II; the impact of radio and then television; and the bitter, decades-long feud between Mitch Miller and Frank Sinatra. The B Side is about taste, the particular economics and culture of songwriting, and the potential of popular art for good. Wrote The New York Times "Yagoda writes so engagingly, and has put in so much time and effort, that one closes his book with the feeling that he has made a significant contribution... [his] distillation of it all is a lovely way to help perpetuate a most precious commodity." The New Yorker called the book "[A] spirited history of American popular music." $ Horace Mann Magazine Summer 2016 41 http://www.ElectionDefenseAlliance.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Horace Mann - Summer 2016