Lee W. Bailey and Mary Pat Fisher, eds., An Anthology of Living Religions, second edition (Pearson Education, 2007)

This second edition of the well-received textbook features new material including more myths and rituals, updated articles on women in religions, an exploration of evangelical moves into social issues, pieces by Rabbi Michael Lerner about Judaism and Taoism, and a discussion of Roman Catholic priests and child abuse. Bailey retired last year from IC as a professor of philosophy and religion.

Therese Forton-Barnes ’85, Zaki and Venus Go to the Beach (Llumina Press, 2007)

This photo book for kids concerns the real adventures of Forton-Barnes’s dogs, yellow lab Zaki and black lab Venus, at the beach. A portion of the proceeds benefits dog rescue operations. Forton-Barnes, who runs an event planning company in Buffalo, was profiled in ICView 2007/1 (“Live Wood”).

Richard Jadick ’87, On Call in Hell: A Doctor’s Iraq War Story (NAL Caliber, 2007)

U.S. Navy career brigade surgeon Richard Jadick ’87, M.D., received a Bronze Star for bravery during his volunteer service with a battalion of the U.S. Marines in Fallujah, Iraq, during the intense battles in that city in November 2004. Jadick did not wait back for wounded people to be brought to him; instead he and his team of medics worked in a forward aid station at the front lines, so they could tend to the wounded immediately and move them to safety as quickly as possible. During the Fallujah siege, 21 marines from Jadick’s battalion were killed and 200 wounded, and his team treated and stabilized more than 200 marines, soldiers, sailors, Iraqi troops, and a few people identified as insurgents. The often graphic combat stories in the book focus not on his own heroism but on the bravery of Jadick’s fellow corpsmen. Yet his battalion commanding officer, Lt. Col. Mark Winn, who recommended Jadick for the Bronze Star, told reporters, “I’ve never seen a doctor display the kind of courage and bravery that Rick did during the Fallujah battle.” Jadick will return to Navy duty after com-pleting his urology residency in Georgia. At Alumni Weekend 2007 he was honored by the Ithaca College Alumni Association with its Professional Achievement Award.

Amy Grech ’94, Apple of My Eye (Two Backed Books, 2006)

This is a collection of 13 short stories from hard-working horror writer Grech, whose short fiction has been published in numerous genre publications. She published a novel, The Art of Deception, in 2000. Based in New York, Grech finds much of her inspiration there. “Horror,” she says, “is the emotion I find most fascinating.”

Michael Richardson, Revolutionary Theater and the Classical Heritage: Inheritance and Appropriation from Weimar to the GDR (Peter Lang, 2007)

IC associate professor of modern languages and literatures Richardson’s book covers what he calls “the critical appropriation of the German literary heritage during the Weimar Republic by proletarian-revolutionary dramatists.” The dramatists discussed include Bertolt Brecht, Gustav von Wangenheim, and Friedrich Wolf. Richardson investigates the legacy of their aesthetics on the German Democratic Republic.

Howard Rowe, M.S. ’67, Hot Sauce (Walking Frog Records, 2006)

This collection of 17 of Rowe’s jazz ensemble compositions is performed by the Studio A Big Band under the direction of Ed Peterson. Rowe is a prolific composer, with more than 80 published works for jazz and concert band and for string and chamber ensembles. He has received numerous commissions and awards, and since 1997 has been a composer in residence in Rochester, New York, schools through the Commission Project. He is also an active professional trumpet player.

Cynthia Sayer ’77 with Bucky Pizzarelli, Attractions (Plunk Records, 2007)

This is Sayer’s eighth CD as a headliner; she has performed on numerous others. When this banjo player says she loves many different styles, she is not kidding: Attractions features 13 pieces from composers as varied as Franz Liszt, Django Reinhardt, Irving Berlin, and Hank Williams, as well as one Sayer original. Sayer plays banjo, sings, and arranged; she is joined by the legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, with whom she has collaborated before. Strings, horns, and percussion round out the sound. (See story.)

Brian Smithers ’82, Mixing in Pro Tools (Thomson Course Technology, 2006)

This book-DVD set is a guide to using Pro Tools, a popular music recording and mixing software, for editing. Its presentation is called a “skill pack.” This enables the reader to test her ability with a specific software skill and then complete a project with step-by-step instructions, using Smithers’s source files on the accompanying DVD and honing a specific skill while actually working within an application. Smithers, a musician, conductor, composer, and recording engineer, is a course director at Full Sail Real World Education, one of the largest digital audio workstation labs in the world. He also teaches music technology at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, and writes articles for several music magazines.

Julia Spencer-Fleming ’83, All Mortal Flesh (St. Martin’s Press, 2006)

Spencer-Fleming’s latest novel, the fifth in her series of mysteries featuring helicopter pilot-turned Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson, places the reverend in questionable light when the estranged wife of the police chief she has been seeing turns up murdered. Publishers Weekly wrote of the book, “Fans, once they start reading, will hang Do Not Disturb signs on their doors.” (See story, It's No Mystery in Aluminaries.) 

Alex Wilson ’77, Your Green Home (New Society Publishers, 2006)

This is a practical guide for regular people who want to incorporate sustainable principles and energy efficiency into their homes; it is primarily about new construction, but many of its recommendations can be applied to renovating and upgrading projects. Longtime environmental leader Wilson discusses the advantages of various structures, designs, materials, and energy sources. He goes into some detail on advanced framing, jobsite recycling, rapid renewables, xeriscaping, and natural daylighting, as well as financial concerns such as cost control, mortgages, and tips for selling a green home. (See story.)