Wednesday, January 26, 2011

"Evoking Genocide" Awarded "Outstanding Academic Title" Citation by Choice Magazine







 My (our!) edited volume, Evoking Genocide: Scholars and Activists Describe the Works That Shaped Their Lives, has been chosen as an "Outstanding Academic Title" for 2010 by Choice Magazine, the leading journal of librarians around the English-speaking world. The citation was announced in the magazine's January 2011 issue. The Choice review of Evoking Genocide appeared in their July 2010 issue, and is reproduced below.

Winner of Outstanding Academic Title

47-6326 HV6322 Can.CIP
Evoking genocide: scholars and activists describe the works that shaped their lives, ed. By Adam Jones. Key publishing House, 2009. 313 p index 9780978252694 pbk, $32.99 

This compilation has a simple yet fascinating premise: ask leading human rights scholars and activists to reflect on the art and literature that most influenced them. The result -- 60 two-to-three page essays meditating on a wide variety of sources, from the essential (Elie Wiesel’s Night, 1960) to the unexpected (Star Trek) -- is highly engaging and thoughtful. The beauty here is that these well-known intellectuals and activists are honestly writing about the things that move them, capture their imaginations, and propel them onward in their work. Reading the book is akin to talking to a favourite professor about why he or she chose a specific field of study. The essays, covering events ranging from genocide of the indigenous peoples of the Americas to the genocide in Darfur, are not traditionally academic, a fact that may make this book more accessible to students. An excellent starting place for those interested in developing classes on the art and literature of genocide. Jones includes a list of resources for further reading.

Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. –J.B. Edwards, University of Montana

Choice July 2010 Vol. 47 No. 11 Social & Behavioral Sciences

1 comment:

Please be constructive in your comments. - AJ