Briefly Noted

“At first blush it might seem a wee bit sacrilegious to parallel the history of Christianity with the history of beer, but Stephen Mansfield makes us wonder why no one has done it before. The strands come together in the person of Arthur Guinness, an 18th century entrepreneur who was to beer what Mayer Rothschild was to bonds. In this smart, good-humored, always-engaging book, Mansfield makes a quietly serious case for the essential role that faith has played not only in the Guinnesses’ success but also in the evolution of democratic capitalism.”

“Whether he’s in his surgeon’s mask in a hospital in Uganda, or in cufflinks in the marbled halls of D.C., Bill Frist is working hard to save and improve the lives of the poorest people on the planet. He’s an inspiration.”

“From the Civil Rights struggle, to Dr. King’s dream, to Barack Obama’s election, Tim Wise provides us with an extremely important and timely analysis of the increasing complexity of race on the American political and social landscape. Between Barack and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama provides an insightful and much needed lens through which we can begin to navigate this current stage in our ongoing quest for a more inclusive definition of who we are as a nation. It’s definitely a book for these times!”

“A real contribution to Faulkner studies, southern studies, American studies, and cultural geography. It’s a book one doesn’t want to put down because Aiken is always showing us something from a perspective we have not had before.”

“A fascinating window into an era when the rules of industrial capitalism were in their infancy and gunboat diplomacy was standard operating procedure. … Dando-Collins tells this tale well, bringing the events and the personalities to vivid life. The book reads almost as a densely detailed screenplay treatment for a hell of a movie. … A terrific read.”

“This cogent, thorough history should prove fascinating for anyone interested in the changing landscape of American agriculture.”