The Rochester Review, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
Mark Bocko, professor, electrical and computer engineering
When Mark Bocko reaches for a good book, he's looking for adventure. Lately, that means reaching for one about the 1914 Antarctic expedition of British explorer Ernest Shackleton. Each book about the expedition that he describes below is, in its own right, a page-turner for Bocko.
As Bocko tells the story, Shackleton, a veteran of two previous Antarctic expeditions, set out on the ship Endurance with the goal of landing on the Antarctic coast and leading an expedition across the continent. The ship itself ultimately failed to live up to its name: It became trapped in the pack ice within 80 miles of the Antarctic coast and was subsequently crushed by the pressure. However, the ship's name would prove to be an inspiration for its crew.
Lifeboats eventually took them to inhospitable Elephant Island. There, Shackleton regrouped and with a handful of his men set out in one of the lifeboats once more to find help at South Georgia island some 700 miles away. Once there, the group embarked on a 20-mile trek across unmapped mountains and glaciers to reach the whaling stations on the north coast. There they found help to rescue the men trapped back on Elephant Island.
As Bocko says, "This is an amazing story of human endurance and leadership. Explorers are at their best when they're on the edge."
Hush Money, by Robert B. Parker. Putnam Publishing Group 1999.
BOOKS
The Acoustic World of Early Modern England, by Bruce R. Smith '73 (PhD). University of Chicago Press 1999. $21.
A study of the religious and social functions of Italian laude--underground sacred songs--many of them written by the condemned heretic Fra Girolama Savonarola.
Chronicles the work and career of Peters (1897-1980), a pioneer American regionalist. (A copy of this book was accessioned as the 3 million-first volume in the University Libraries' collection.)
"Someone who believes in utopias is widely considered out to lunch or out to kill," declares the author, a professor of history and education at UCLA. And, he adds, there is a cost to this cultural retreat.
Essays exploring timely social issues and family relationships.
Part of a series on optical engineering edited by Provost Emeritus Brian Thompson. (A copy was donated to the University Libraries as the 3 million-second volume in the collection).
Other recent books by the same author: Problem Analysis (with John Reynolds and Susan Achilles) and Handbook on Gangs in Schools: Strategies to Reduce Gang-Related Activities (with Shirley R. Lal and Dhyan Lal), Corwin Press.
A narrative history that "vividly recreates the charm and authority of many forgotten reviewers," according to The New York Times.
A historical look at both the park and its incumbent Red Sox. Includes essays by Doris Kearns Goodwin, John Updike, A. Bartlett Giamatti, and others.
The graduate school experience--from the application process to writing and defending the dissertation.
Through a focus on the history of social work, analyzes what it means to be middle class.
RECORDINGS
The Frivolous Harpsichord, featuring music by Dan Locklair '81E (DMA): Custer's Last Stand and Rag from The Breakers Pound. Ondine CD (ODE 891-2).
"In my opinion, this is the best written narrative of the Endurance voyage. The original edition (published in the 1940s) in the University library has interesting maps and pictures not appearing in the paperback edition. It's an exciting adventure story."
"This book provides another account of the story with a bit more insight into the human interactions and an excellent photographic record of the journey. Hurley was the original photographer on the expedition. It's an interesting chronicle."
"Shackleton's matter-of-fact recollections of the journey are a study in understatement. For two weeks they were on the edge of survival, and he describes it as a 'cold and difficult journey.' To hear the story told in his and the crew's own words is interesting."
"Roland Huntford, the outstanding biographer of Antarctic explorers, has written an excellent biography of Shackleton that I highly recommend to the truly Shackleton-addicted like myself. One thing that comes to light is that Shackleton's finances were shaky. He borrowed heavily to finance his expeditions and any proceeds from lectures and books afterward usually were needed to pay off his creditors. Plus, his brother was a shady financial dealer who was long suspected of stealing the Irish crown jewels."
"The most recent Spenser novel is especially suited to the University community because it's about Spenser's unraveling of a conspiracy and murder in a university tenure case. Parker's breezy and witty writing style provides for thoroughly enjoyable reading. His amusement with stereotypical university characters is obvious."
"This is a tale of intrigue and murder on the professional bass-fishing circuit. Hiaasen's bizarre sense of humor, great characterizations, and improbable plot twists make for a very entertaining read."
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