History: Japanese Confinment, Russian Jews, Politically Powerful Women of the 16th Century, Roman Britain in the Iron Age

A Tragedy of Democracy: Japanese Confinement in North America (BOOK): by Greg Robinson

"A magnificent tour de force. This book will achieve the status not only of the best extant study on the topic, but also the one most widely adopted in college classrooms and purchased by the general public." –Arthur Hansen, Director of the Japanese American Evacuation History Project

Antisemitism and Philosemitism in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Representing Jews, Jewishness, and Modern Culture (BOOK): edited by Phyllis Lassner and Lara Trubowitz

This book of essays provides a significant reappraisal of discussions of antisemitism and philosemitism. An outstanding group of contributors from political theory, film, English, gender studies, and history demonstrates that analysis of philosemitic attitudes is as crucial to the history of representations of Jews and Jewish culture as are investigations of antisemitism. The topics include F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", Hannah Arendt's politics, self-help guides such as "Boy Vey! The Shiksa's Guide to Dating Jewish Men", and contemporary cinema. This pathbreaking book shows the necessity of studying philosemitism as a critical manifestation of antisemitism and as a principle way that Jews have been and still are set apart from non-Jews. These essays will enable us to rethink historical debates surrounding the 'Jewish question'.

Phyllis Lassner teaches Holocaust Studies, Gender Studies, and Writing at Northwestern University. Lara Trubowitz is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Iowa.

Crisis, Revolution, and Russian Jews (BOOK): by Jonathan Frankel

This collection of essays examines the politicization and the politics of the Jewish people in the Russian empire during the late tsarist period. Frankel describes the dynamics of the Russian revolution and the leading role of the intelligentsia as revolutionaries, ideologues, and observers.

Daily Life in Roman Britain (BOOK): by Lindsay Allason-Jones

An introduction to the daily life of the population living in Britain from the end of the Iron Age to the end of the Roman occupation of the country, based on archaeological evidence and supported by contemporary literature and inscriptions.

Debating Women, Politics, and Power in Early Modern Europe (BOOK): by Sharon L. Jansen

The sixteenth century was an age of politically powerful women. Queens, acting in their own right, and female regents, acting on behalf of their male relatives, governed much of Western Europe. Yet even as women ruled—and ruled effectively—their right to do so was hotly contested. Men’s voices have long dominated this debate, but the recovery of texts by women now allows their voices, long silenced, to be heard once again. This book is a study of texts and textual production in the construction of gender, society, and politics in the early modern period. Jansen explores the “gynecocracy” debate and the larger humanist response to the challenge posed by female sovereignty.

Web Information vs the Library's Collection

Bob Berring, professor at Berkeley Law, talks about the differences between what free legal information on the Web offers versus professionally organized and authoritative legal research.

Film: Dr. No, Sean Connery

Films: Adveture, Drama, Comedy - Free DVD Rental!

Being John Malkovich (DVD): John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, John Malkovich (1999)

Comedy: A puppeteer discovers a hidden doorway in his office, which turns out to be a portal into John Malkovitch (the famous actor)'s mind. Upon entering the portal, one gets to be inside Malkovitch's mind for 15 odd minutes. As with any great discovery of this century, the ultimate question immediately arises : 'How can we make money out of this?' He and his co-worker promptly set out to exploit this discovery. It doesn't take long for things to go haywire.

Dr. No (DVD): Sean Connery, Ursula Andress (1963)

Adventure: James Bond (007) is Britain's top agent and is on an exciting mission, to solve the mysterious murder of a fellow agent. The task sends him to Jamacia, where he joins forces with Quarrel and a loyal CIA agent, Felix Leiter. While dodging tarantulas, "fire breathing dragons" and a trio of assassins, known as the three blind mice. Bond meets up with the beautiful Honey Ryder and goes face to face with the evil Dr. No.

Hunting the Hidden Dimension (DVD): James Garner (1997)

Documentary: This movie is a 3D IMAX film, which is exciting to watch no matter what's playing. It featured the first-time ever scanning electron microscope (SEM) movie sequences. These sequences were in synthesized color (recorded with a system patented by David Scharf) and true 3D stereoscopic imaging. The film was engaging and interesting as it used various forms of scientific imaging such as macro and micro-photography and schlieren imaging to convey the story. However, the SEM sequences of insects, which ran over 5 minutes, were the highlite of the film.

Richard III (DVD): Ian McKellen, Annette Bening (1995)

Drama: William Shakespeare's classic play is brought into the present with the setting as Great Britian in the 1930s. Civil war has erupted with the House of Lancaster on one side, claiming the right to the British throne and hoping to bring freedom to the country. Opposing is the House of York, commanded by the infamous Richard who rules over a fascist government and hopes to install himself as a dictator monarch.

Sin Nombre (DVD): Spanish (2009)

Foreign: Honduran teenager Sayra reunites with her father, an opportunity for her to potentially realize her dream of a life in the U.S. Moving to Mexico is the first step in a fateful journey of unexpected events.

The Breakfast Club (DVD): Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Molly Ringwald (1985)

Drama: They were five total strangers, with nothing in common, meeting for the first time. A brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel and a recluse. Before the day was over, they broke the rules. Bared their souls. And touched each other in a way they never dreamed possible.

The Pianist (DVD): Adrien Brody (2002)

Drama/Biography: The true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman who, in the 1930s, was known as the most accomplished piano player in all of Poland, if not Europe. At the outbreak of the Second World War, however, Szpilman becomes subject to the anti-Jewish laws imposed by the conquering Germans. By the start of the 1940s, Szpilman has seen his world go from piano concert halls to the Jewish Ghetto of Warsaw and then must suffer the tragedy of his family deported to a German concentration camps, while Szpilman is conscripted into a forced German Labor Compound. At last deciding to escape, Szpilman goes into hiding as a Jewish refugee where he is witness to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (April 19, 1943 - May 16, 1943) and the Warsaw Uprising (1 August to 2 October 1944)

The Princess Bride (DVD): Cary Elwes, Billy Crystal, Robin Wright Penn (1987)

Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy: A classic fairy tale, with swordplay, giants, an evil prince, a beautiful princess, and yes, some kissing as read by a kindly grandfather.