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Recent Books By Alumni ALEX AVERY ’92, The Truth About Organic Foods, Henderson Communications LLC. Ever wonder if organic foods are worth the price? Are they really more nutritious, safer and better for the environment? Avery exposes what he contends are myths about organic foods and offers facts from independent studies. He quotes extensively from organic activists who, he says, reveal “the emptiness of their claims that the benefits of organic farming outweigh those of conventional farming.” As noted in the foreword, “Mr. Avery is not trying to discourage consumers from buying or eating organic foods. His point is that consumers have the right to know what the truth is about these products, and the right to make an informed decision.” The author is director of research and education at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Food Issues. www.TheTruthAboutOrganicFoods.org GAYLE M. GILMORE (M.S.Ed. ’93), Only by the Grace of God: The Story of Sharon Dixon, PublishAmerica LLP. This is the story of Gilmore’s friend, Sharon Dixon, who was shot by a jealous boyfriend when she was 22. It has left her paralyzed and wheelchair-bound for more than 30 years. Dixon and Gilmore, an associate minister and a guidance counselor for Chesapeake Public Schools, have spoken locally about domestic violence. They donate a portion of book sales to the H.E.R. Shelter in Portsmouth. www.PublishAmerica.com JACK TEMPLE KIRBY ’63, Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South, University of North Carolina Press. A retired history professor (Miami University of Ohio) who now lives in Florida, Kirby offers a personal recounting of the centuries-old human-nature relationship in the South. Exhibiting violent cycles of growth, abandonment, dereliction, resettlement and reconfiguration, this relationship, the author suggests, has the sometimes melodious, sometimes cacophonous vocalizations of the region’s emblematic avian, the mockingbird. John R. Stilgoe, author of “Landscape and Images,” notes, “Kirby moves in the most sure-footed way across a variety of themes, ranging from Bartram and alligators to parakeets and apple orchards to chemical pollution and the topographical effects of coal mining.” www.uncpress.unc.edu DAISY MCCRAY MURPHY (Ph.D. ’98), In His Care: Finding Love, Protection, & Assurance for Victorious Living. This self-published book of poems includes related scriptures and soul-searching questions that encourage readers to consider their priorities. Writes one reviewer, “Daisy’s work is a thoughtful contribution to devotional works that inspire the mind and heal the soul.” The author teaches at Tidewater Community College. 586 Byron St., Chesapeake, VA 23320 LUKE RITTER (M.B.A. ’98), J. Michael Barrett and Rosalyn Wilson, Securing Global Transportation Networks: A Total Security Management Approach, McGraw-Hill. According to the authors, with the staggering volume of goods that transit the globe each year, there is a growing concern that within this sea of moving parts lies a critical security gap, one that could easily be manipulated by terrorists. They further contend that nature and negligence also threaten to cause failures in global transportation networks and the supply chains they service. The book challenges readers to adopt Total Security Management as a way to improve security in the context of sound business practices. CLAY SHAMPOE ’80 (M.S.Ed. ’86), The Norfolk Sports Club, Donning Company Publishers. Readers can discover why the Norfolk Sports Club is one of Virginia’s most respected civic organizations. Established in 1944, this charitable and social club today boasts several hundred devoted members and has provided more than $1 million in scholarships to student-athletes. Primarily a collection of photos, the book features vintage pictures of the likes of Yogi Berra with the Norfolk Tars and Julius Irving with the Virginia Squires. Also pictured are the club’s presidents, including current president Amy Morrissey Turk, a 1996 ODU graduate. norfolksportsclub@cavtel.net BROOKS TENNEY ’52, Killing Mauritius, Trafford Publishing. In this thriller about Islamic terrorism, most of the action takes place on the remote Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, but some events are set in Norfolk. “Unlike some recent works dealing with terrorism, which refuse to confront militant Islam, to address the role of key individuals or to point out the role of the Qur’an in exacerbating current tensions, ‘Killing Mauritius’ puts everything – albeit in fictional form – on the table,” says Tenney. “In this fictional account, Osama is a main character and readers can get a glimpse of his thoughts and motivations, as visualized through the eyes of one observer.” trafford.com Calling All Authors |