CCU Faculty Books

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Ecology of marine bivalves: An ecosystem approach, second edition

Richard F. Dame

Exploring the potential use of bivalves as indicators and monitors of ecosystem health, this book describes live and computer simulated experiments, mesocosm studies, and field manipulation experiments. This second edition discusses major new developments, including phase shifts in many coastal and estuarine ecosystems dominated by suspension-feeding bivalves, the invasion or introduction of alien bivalve species, the rapid growth of environmental restoration focused on bivalves, and the examination of geological history with regard to global climate change and its impact on bivalve-dominated systems.
By the Hand of Providence: How Faith Shaped the American Revolution

Rod O. Gragg

Here, in the fascinating follow-up to his popular work Forged in Faith, award-winning historian Rod Gragg reveals how the American Revolution was fired and fueled by America’s founding faith—the Judeo-Christian worldview. Based on meticulous research and propelled by a fast-paced style, By the Hand of Providence uncovers the extraordinary, almost-forgotten history of the faith-based Revolution that secured American liberty and nationhood.

From the American people’s first resistance to attacks on their God-given or “inalienable” rights, through the dramatic battlefield events of the Revolution and General George Washington’s pivotal faith-based leadership, to the climactic surrender of Cornwallis’s British army at Yorktown, By the Hand of Providence exposes the long-overlooked but critical element that kept alive the American War for Independence and motivated the ultimate victory that established the United States of America.

In the words of George Washington: “The Hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith. . . .”

Graced by a fast-paced narrative and based on the extensive research Gragg has so notably applied to other events in American history, By the Hand of Providence is an insightful and fascinating account of the faith-based Revolution that secured American independence and nationhood.
Searching for a King: Muslim Nonviolence and the Future of Islam

Jeffry R. Halverson

At a time when violent images of the Muslim world dominate our headlines, Western audiences are growing increasingly interested in a different picture of Islam, specifically the idea of Muslim nonviolence, and what it could mean for the world. But is nonviolence compatible with the teachings of Islam? Is it practical to suggest that Muslim societies must adopt nonviolence to thrive in today’s world? Where is the Muslim equivalent of a Mohandas K. Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr.? Searching for a King offers a comprehensive look into Islamic conceptions of nonviolence, their modern champions, and their readings of Islam’s sacred texts, including the Qur’an and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.Jeffry R. Halverson asserts that the foundation for nonviolence in Islam already exists. He points to the exemplary lives and teachings of modern Muslim champions of nonviolence, including Abdul Ghaffar Khan, an ethnic Pashtun from the tribal regions of Pakistan whose 100,000 Muslim followers peacefully resisted British colonial rule in India. Using rich historical narratives and data from leading NGOs and international governmental organizations, Halverson also makes the case that by eliminating the high costs of warfare, nonviolence opens the door to such important complementary initiatives as microfinancing and women’s education programs. Ultimately, he endorses Muslim conceptions of nonviolence and argues for the formulation of a nonviolent version of jihad as an active mode of social transformation.
The Handbook of College Athletics and Recreation Administration

George S. McClellan, Chris King, and Donald L. Rockey Jr.

The Handbook of College Athletics and Recreation Administration provides a practical and informative resource for athletics administration, recreation, and fitness practitioners of all levels in both 2- and 4-year institutions, public and private. It is also a resource for graduate students and faculty in sports management programs with an emphasis in collegiate athletics. The book addresses the broad functional areas of collegiate athletic enterprises including intercollegiate athletics, health and fitness, and recreation.
Rabbit Punches

Jason Ockert

A re-release of the iconic first collection by celebrated author Jason Ockert.

Riotously funny, beautifully written, and charged with emotional intelligence, this well-crafted debut investigates the world from the fringe through characters who stray so far from convention they seem to inhabit another universe. Whether it’s Alston Goldstein ferrying drugs around Florida on his yellow moped, a young man fighting his entire neighborhood to find a suitable husband for his pregnant sister, or a man preparing to arm wrestle Jesus, these thirteen stories hinge on the interplay between middle-class normality and capricious heroes, transporting readers to a tenderly evoked world where the real and the absurd at last make peace.
The Politics of Race in Latino Communities: Walking the Color Line

Atiya Kai Stokes-Brown

Latinos are the fastest growing population group in the U.S. and have exerted widespread influence in numerous aspects of American culture from entertainment to economics. Unlike Asian, black, white, and Native Americans who are defined by race, Latinos can be of any race and are beginning to shed new light on the meanings and political implications of race. As the Latino population grows, how will Latinos come to define themselves racially given the long standing social order of black and white? What are the political implications of their chosen racial identities? How does Latinos’ racial identity influence their political behavior and motivation for participation?

The Politics of Race in Latino Communities is an innovative examination of development and political consequences of Latino racial identity in the U.S. Drawing on a national political survey of Latinos and focus group interviews, the book shows that development of Latino racial identity is a complex interaction between primordial ties, institutional practices, individual characteristics, and social interactions. Furthermore, the book highlights the political relevance of identity, showing that racial identity has meaningful consequences for the political attitudes, opinions, and behaviors of Latinos. An important piece of research propelling new discussions and insights into Latino politics.
Forged in Faith: How Faith Shaped the Birth of the Nation 1607-1776

Rod O. Gragg

This fascinating history, based on meticulous research into the correspondence and documentation of the founding fathers leading up to and encompassing the crafting of the Declaration of Independence, sheds light on how the Judeo-Christian worldview motivated America’s founding fathers, influenced national independence, inspired our foundational documents, and established the American nation. Written with the pacing and drama of an enticing drama, Forged in Faith is crafted for popular appeal with a compelling mix of dramatized story and action-driven narrative, yet with the authenticity and academic verity of historian Rod Gragg.
Master Narratives of Islamist Extremism

Jeffry R. Halverson, H. L. Goodall Jr., and Steven R. Corman

This volume introduces the concept of Islamist extremist 'master narratives' and offers a method for identifying and analyzing them. Drawing on rhetorical and narrative theories, the chapters examine thirteen master narratives and explain how extremists use them to solidify their base, recruit new members, and motivate actions.
The moral dimensions of empathy: Limits and applications in ethical theory and practice

Julinna C. Oxley

Does empathy help us to be moral? The author argues that empathy is often instrumental to meeting the demands of morality as defined by various ethical theories. This multi-faceted work links psychological research on empathy with ethical theory and contemporary trends in moral education.
Theory and Application of the “Generation” in International Relations and Politics

Brent J. Steele and Jonathan M. Acuff

The 'generation' has been largely forgotten in the fields of sociology and political science, especially regarding global politics. This volume re-engages the concept of a 'generation,' utilizing it to explore how it can help us understand a variety of processes and patterns in International Relations and Comparative Politics.
HUMOR AND INFORMATION LITERACY: Practical Techniques for Library Instruction

Joshua Vossler and Scott Sheidlower

How can humor be applied by academic librarians to better teach information literacy? And why is humor such an effective teaching tool? This book provides a cross-disciplinary review of the literature regarding use of humor in tertiary education settings, and specifically in library science; explains its effectiveness for capturing and maintaining student attention when covering necessary subjects; and presents the invaluable personal experiences of instruction librarians across North America who regularly use humor in the classroom.

Humor and Information Literacy: Practical Techniques for Library Instruction addresses the subject in both a scholarly and a practical manner. The first section of the book contains original multi-disciplinary essays covering humor in the fields of communication theory, education, library science, psychology, and even stand-up comedy. The second section documents practical techniques that practicing librarians use to teach information literacy with humor, accompanied by commentary by the authors.
Anamorphosis in Early Modern Literature: Mediation and Affect

Jennifer E. Boyle

Anamorphosis in Early Modern Literature explores the prevalence of anamorphic perspective in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in England. Jen Boyle investigates how anamorphic media flourished in early modern England as an interactive technology and mode of affect in public interactive art, city and garden design, and as a theory and figure in literature, political theory and natural and experimental philosophy. Anamorphic mediation, Boyle brings to light, provided Milton, Margaret Cavendish, and Daniel Defoe, among others, with a powerful techno-imaginary for traversing through projective, virtual experience. Drawing on extensive archival research related to the genre of "practical perspective" in early modern Europe, Boyle offers a scholarly consideration of anamorphic perspective (its technical means, performances, and embodied practices) as an interactive aesthetics and cultural imaginary. Ultimately, Boyle demonstrates how perspective media inflected a diverse set of knowledges and performances related to embodiment, affect, and collective consciousness.
French Historians 1900-2000: New Historical Writing in Twentieth-Century France

Philip Daileader and Philip Whalen

French Historians 1900-2000: The New Historical Writing in Twentieth-Century France examines the lives and writings of 40 of France's great twentieth-century historians. • Blends biography with critical analysis of major works, placing the work of the French historians in the context of their life stories • Includes contributions from over 30 international scholars • Provides English-speaking readers with a new insight into the key French historians of the last century.
Theology and creed in Sunni Islam: The Muslim brotherhood, Ash'arism, and political sunnism

Jeffry R. Halverson

This book explores the correlation between anti-theological thought and the rise of Islamism in the twentieth century by examining Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and the leadership of Umar al-Tilmisani (d. 1986).
Palestinian Women and Politics in Israel

Suheir Abu Oksa Daoud

Though equal rights protection is written into Israeli law, women are underrepresented in the political arena. This is especially true in the case of Palestinian women--only two in the entire sixty year history of Israel have been members of the Knesset.

Suheir Abu Oksa Daoud examines the various factors that have created this culture of political oppression. She relies on both feminist theory and theories of colonial domination as well as conclusions drawn from personal interviews with female activists. Utilizing Arabic, English, and Hebrew sources, she also makes careful distinctions between the lives and experiences of Christian, Muslim, Bedouin, and Druze women.

Daoud's focus remains squarely on the experiences of Palestinian women, however, and she demonstrates that the problem is not only due to the minority status of Palestinians. She reveals how they are further hampered by Arab cultural attitudes toward women and the overall political culture in Israel, which continues to privilege men over women even as it pays lip service to equality.