Blood Plasma: The Promise and the Politics
by Thomas C. Drees '51

Thomas C. Drees '51 has written a comprehensive study of the "miracle drug": blood plasma. According to his text, Blood Plasma: The Promise and the Politics (Ashley Books, 1983), almost everyone who reaches the age of 75 will need blood, plasma, or one of their components, at least once in his/her lifetime. 

Part political science, part sociology, and part biology, the book deals with the complexities of blood donation. Donors, Drees writes, can now help cure diseases once considered incurable, such as hepatitis, tetanus, and Rh factor disorders. 

Drees is president and director of the board and executive committee of Alpha Therapeutic Corp., one of the largest plasma fraction companies in the world. He is also a member of the U.S. Senate Business Advisory Board.

Bridges Toward the Inter-Parish Regional Community . Deaneries, Clusters, Plural Parishes
by Rev. Robert G. Howes '40

Bridges Toward the Inter-Parish Regional Community . Deaneries, Clusters, Plural Parishes (Liturgical Press, 1998), by Rev. Robert G. Howes '40, discusses the various issues and concerns of pastoral management. 

The book is the third in a series by the author. The first two also concern pastoral planning and management: one discusses shared responsibility, and, the other, parish councils. Bridges addresses the advantages and disadvantages of churches sharing priests, in light of the rise of lay ministries in the Church and the recent decline of vocations to the priesthood. 

Howes, who is the founder of the National (Catholic) Pastoral Planning Conference, has consulted with over 30 dioceses in the United States and Canada. Well respected in his field, he is now a professional consultant in pastoral planning.

Intelligent Multimedia Interfaces
by Mark T. Maybury '86

In the age of multimedia communication, manuals such as Intelligent Multimedia Interfaces (AAAI Press, 1993), by Mark T. Maybury '86, are invaluable. Maybury asserts that providing machines with the ability to read and decipher multimedia output would be extremely valuable in the workplace.

The book, along with its companion edition, Intelligent Multimedia Information Retrieval, also edited by Maybury, attempts to cover a broad spectrum of topics. Among them are methods for automatic design, systems that integrate multimedia input, and processing multiple media. 

Maybury works for the Mitre Corp., Bedford, Mass.

A Swingin' Yule
by Steve Calderone '81

A Swingin' Yule (Warner Brothers, 1999) by Steve Calderone '81 is the author's second collection of piano arrangements for intermediate and advanced jazz piano.  The book includes a Compact Disc featuring recordings of the arrangements. The songs in this collection include: "Joy To the World". . . "Carol of the Bells" / "Sing We Now of Christmas". . . "The Holly and the Ivy". . . "We Three Kings" / "The Coventry Carol". . . "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear". . . "Good Christian Men, Rejoice". . . "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" / "Angels We Have Heard on High". . . "O Holy Night". . . "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" / "Jingle Bells". . . "Silent Noel".(bonus song) "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"

More information about A Swingin' Yule can be found at http://steve_calderone.tripod.com