Book Notes

In A Friendship Like No Other (Loyola Press), renowned spiritual director Rev. William A. Barry, S.J., ’52 explores the path to becoming a friend of God. The book offers three well-supported and practical sections: prayerful exercises to help lead readers to the conviction that God wants them for a friend; a close look at objections to this idea; and reflections on experiencing the presence of God and discerning those experiences. These sections are enhanced by brief meditations woven throughout. Grounded in biblical tradition and with a clear focus on Ignatian spirituality, this book offers a fresh approach to relating to God.

Fr. Barry currently serves as tertian director for the New England Province of the Society of Jesus. His many works include Letting God Come Close and God and You.

Political Violence and the Authoritarian State in Peru (Palgrave Macmillan), by Jo-Marie Burt ’86, explores the devastating effects of insurgent violence and the state’s brutal counterinsurgency methods on Peruvian civil society. Burt’s analysis provides compelling insights into the way societies sacrifice freedom and democracy in the name of fighting terrorism—and also the way ruling elites manipulate societal fears to perpetuate their power and privilege. Together with Philip Mauceri, Burt is the editor of Politics in the Andes: Identity, Conflict, Reform (University of Pittsburgh Press), a comprehensive volume that assesses the persistent political challenges facing Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Comprised of essays covering such topics as diversity, drug trafficking and political change, this book offers a contemporary view of a region in crisis.

Burt is an associate professor of government and politics at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

In 101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out (The Lyons Press), Josh Pahigian ’96 takes the reader on a road trip across America to honor the game’s players, fans and ballparks. Through a series of colorful photos and essays, he commemorates the game’s effect on American culture: how the game evolved while our country came of age, how baseball helped break down barriers, and how it unified our citizens when we needed it most. Pahigian profiles 101 baseball-related spots, including museum exhibits, gravesites, bars and pop culture landmarks that reflect the game’s rich history and quirky lore. Among the sites he highlights are the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Lenny Dykstra’s Car Wash, Babe Ruth’s gravesite and McCovey Cove.

Pahigian is the author of The Ultimate Minor League Baseball Road Trip and co-author of The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip. He teaches writing at the University of New England in Maine.

From Bondage to Belonging (University of Massachusetts Press), edited by B. Eugene McCarthy and Thomas L. Doughton, is a collection of autobiographical narratives by eight former slaves who lived in Worcester. Although each personal story is unique, together they illuminate the inhumanity of slavery as well as the dreams and dilemmas of emancipation. In their introduction, the editors situate the narratives within a broader historical framework and analyze their meaning and significance. They discuss why these ex-slaves came to Worcester, the circumstances in which each wrote his or her narrative and the audiences they had in mind.

McCarthy is a professor emeritus of English at Holy Cross. Doughton is a senior lecturer in the College’s Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies.

Listen to a recording of Doughton and McCarthy discussing their book.

A Primer on Church and Eucharist (Eastern Christian Publications), by Rev. Robert F. Slesinski ’72, is an introduction to Eucharistic ecclesiology from an Eastern point of view. In this adult catechesis, Fr. Slesinski, a Byzantine Catholic priest and world-renowned theologian and lecturer, relates the Eucharist to an understanding of the church, icons, the Trinity, the holy mysteries and Christian unity.

Fr. Slesinski is the pastor of Holy Trinity Byzantine Catholic Church in New Britain, Conn.

The mission of Children of Divorce (Krieger Publishing Company) is to reduce the fighting and conflict experienced by children of divorced parents. It is unique among books for divorced parents because it blends the expertise of psychiatric and legal professionals. Written by William Bernet, M.D., ’63, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and Don R. Ash, J.D., M.J.S., a sitting judge, the book speaks to the adults who deal with children of divorce—parents, therapists, attorneys and judges—and gets them all on the same page. It is organized around the use of parenting plans, agreements that are developed through the collaboration of the parents rather than imposed by a judge.

Dr. Bernet is a professor of psychiatry at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn.

Now in its second edition, American Adventurism Abroad (Blackwell Publishing), by Michael J. Sullivan III ’62, traces U.S. foreign policy from the late 1940s through the past six years of America’s War on Terror. It is comprised of 34 case studies of overseas United States militaristic intervention throughout this period. It provides not only an understanding of the interventions, but also a framework with which to interpret anticipated future American adventures. Complete with extensive bibliographies, this volume offers a detailed and compelling picture of American foreign policy and its position in the world today.

Sullivan is a professor of history and politics at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Airborne Forces At War (Naval Institute Press), by Robert K. Wright Jr. ’68 and John Greenwood, shows the development and employment of Unites States Army airborne forces from the small Parachute Test Platoon of 1940 to the multiple global contingencies of the 21st century. Featuring more than 150 photographs—some rare or seldom seen and many in color—the work highlights the history of the airborne units as they added new dimensions to national power and military operations, arriving from the sky by parachute and aircraft and compressing time by their swift deployment and flight to objectives thousands of miles away.

Wright spent nearly 30 years as an Army historian, serving as the XVIII Airborne Corps historian during Operation Just Cause and the first Gulf War.