UC Authors Archive
Though university folk are generally expected to produce scholarly works, UC alumni, faculty and staff also write novels, family histories, personal journeys, self-help books and works of spiritual guidance. The following are just some of the recently published general-interest books.
For inclusion in this section, UC-related authors may contact assistant editor Amanda Hughes before submitting their press releases and copies of their new books for review.
New Rooms for Old Houses: Beautiful Additions for the Traditional Home
By Frank Shirley, DAAP ’89
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For those who love their historical homes but also would like to update for a modern lifestyle, “New Rooms for Old Houses” explores the ins and outs of additions to old residences. Shirley is an experienced architect whose passion for historical homes and their detailed style is evident throughout this work. Accompanying his words, readers will find large photos of old houses and their new additions -- the good, the bad and the ugly. Tips of the trade and details to consider also are highlighted throughout the book.
Order Information
ISBN: 1561588857
Fast Track: The Best Undergraduate B-Schools:
Exclusive Profiles of 121 Business Schools
By Geoff Gloecker
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Geoff Gloecker, a staff editor at BusinessWeek, shares his research and knowledge of the best business schools in the country in this book ranking the top 121 undergraduate programs. Gloecker covers everything from school costs, admission requirements and what kinds of jobs graduates can expect to find. He also profiles schools by the type of education offered and features comments from current students to help readers determine which school is right for them.
Visitor information for each school – where to stay, what to do, where to eat -- iwill assure prospective students and their parents a more effective visit.
And, Gloecker attempts to answer the question at the top of parents’ and students’ minds alike -- is it all worth it?
Order Information:
ISBN: 007196548
'Til the Fat Girl Sings:
From an Overweight Nobody to a Broadway Somebody
By Sharon Wheatley, CCM att.'90
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This memoir shares the story of Sharon Wheatley, a Broadway singing star and alumna of the College-Conservatory of Music. While funny, candid, revealing and wise, it also reveals a heartbreaking and tragic journey to the top.
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ISBN: 1593375433
Legal and Financial Exploitation of our Elders
By Stephanie Siddall Germack, DAAP ’75
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Germack’s personal experience with the involuntary institutionalization of her elderly mother spurred a dedication to helping others avoid the painful process. Her book outlines the costs of losing guardianship: giving up civil rights, life savings, right to live where and how you wish, children’s inheritance and family relationships.
Beyond sharing her own story, Germack offers advice to readers to keep themselves from becoming targets. She also outlines the strategies used to prematurely institutionalize and how individuals can help change and improve involuntary guardianship laws.
Order Information:
ISBN: 1430327626
The Condemned
By David Jack Bell, PhD (A&S) ’05
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The world is at war. The water supply to Jett Dormer’s city was contaminated in a terrorist attack, and now the city’s inhabitants are condemned “City People” -- zombies in the night. Determined to rescue his partner and friend, Dormer discovers there may be more to these lost souls than meets the eye. Bell’s first book, “The Condemned” puts a new spin on zombie stories in the horror genre.
Order Information:
ISBN: 1929653905
Profiling Your Date: A Smart Woman’s Guide to Evaluating a Man
By Dr. Caroline Presno, EdD ’98
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Part modern social commentary and part study in human psychology, Presno’s book acts as a guide for any woman interested in figuring out the inner-workings of a potential mate. She discusses warning signs for women in new relationships, as well as offering advice to those still looking for their male counterpart. Using real-world and celebrity examples, Presno keeps the content fresh, making for an easy, intriguing read that will serve as food for thought for the female audience.
Order Information:
ISBN: 0312362277
My Quest to Ghana
By Keith Gillis, MBA ’02
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Journey with first-time author Keith Gillis on an eight-day voyage to discover his heritage and ancestry in Ghana. Gillis, a metal plant manager who resides with his family in West Chester, Ohio, regales readers with his personal account of the culture, people and shopping of Ghana. As part of a group tour, he follows an emotional journey, tracing his ancestors’ footsteps from African village to “The Gate of No Return,” the last passageway for slaves heading to North America. Gillis’ honesty about his experiences and impressions in Ghana are inspiring and educational.
Order Information:
ISBN: 0976031000
Images of America: Cincinnati Television
By Jim Friedman, PhD (DAAP) ’78
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The city of Cincinnati has a long and rich history with television. From the day WLW-T signed on in 1948 as the first licensed commercial television station in Ohio, local programs have become a part of many Tri-state families. The book includes a wealth of historical photos and facts from Cincinnati’s TV past, from founder Powel Crosley to the stars of “The Uncle Al Show” to favorite news anchors, such former mayor Jerry Springer and long-time Channel 12 anchor Carol Williams.
Order Information:
ISBN: 0738551694
The African American Experience in Vietnam: Brothers in Arms
By James E. Westheider, MA (A&S) ’88, PhD (A&S) ’93
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African-Americans have served in all U.S. military conflicts since the Revolutionary War, distinguishing themselves alongside their white counterparts. Westheider says that like all soldiers, they have fought for a variety of reasons, the most important being “the right to fight.”
Blacks competed with whites on a near equal basis for the first time in Vietnam, and military service there helped shape modern black culture. As the war progressed and racial violence increased, however, many blacks began viewing the military as less of an equal rights opportunity and more of an undue burden.
Order Information:
ISBN: 0742545326
C-Reel Results: 12 Weeks to Permanent Fat Loss and Weight Management
By John Henry Creel, Bus ’91
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In this fitness book, nationally known personal trainer John Henry shares his secrets to help readers shape and tone their bodies in just three months. Topics include redefining your metabolism and reducing excess fat through practices that tone muscle.
Creel has been named one of America’s Best Trainers by Men’s Journal Magazine and is the official trainer of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavalier Dance Team. He also owns Mind & Body Fitness Studio in Beachwood, Ohio, and has been featured on multiple radio and TV programs.
Order Information:
ISBN: 1600373178
Jews of Cincinnati: An "Images of America" book
by John S. Fine and Frederic J. Krome, UC adjunct professor of history and Judaic studies and managing editor of the American Jewish Archives Journal
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Jewish citizens contributed much to the growth of early Cincinnati through civic leadership, support for war refugees, child day care, religious education and in the city’s development as a center for manufacturing and regional trade. The authors focus also on the history of Hebrew Union College, the importance of Cincinnati Jewry to American Jewish history, how Cincinnati Jewry fit into the broader community and how a distinct form of American Judaism -- Reform Judaism -- developed in the Queen City.
Names and photos of historic leaders and landmarks will be familiar to many. The K.K. Bene Israel (Rockdale Temple) is the oldest synagogue west of the Alleghenies. Isaac Mayer Wise, an early rabbi there, founded The American Israelite newspaper. Among other notables are Nelson Glueck, past HUC president and archaeologist; Sandy Koufax, famed UC ballplayer and major league pitcher; David Frisch, founder of the Big Boy Restaurants; Sally Priesand, HUC graduate and the first female rabbi; and Dr. Albert Sabin, UC researcher and developer of the oral vaccine against polio.
Order Information
ISBN: 13978-0-7385-5106-7
Jack's Notebook: A Business Novel about Creative Problem Solving
by Gregg Fraley, BFA '75
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An innovation consultant to Fortune 500 companies, Fraley teaches through storytelling and introspection in this conversational novel. A young, would-be photographer comes to him, wondering how to make his dream of a creative career a reality. The consultant shows Jack the value of asking himself the right questions -- writing down possible solutions in his notebook -- when he's faced with roadblocks.
A bit of drama enters Jack's story to emphasize the parallels between problem-solving strategies used to fix a physical need and those used to solve a business dilemma. Jack gets mugged. His sweetheart is kidnapped. A mother returns from the dead. Jack and his supporters look at their options and choose the solution that seems best.
Order information
ISBN: 13: 978-0-7852-2166-1
Lord of Homicides
by Dennis Latham, A&S '92
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This talented storyteller takes readers on another weird and entertaining ride in his new paranormal humor novel. Original and unexpected characters, both good and evil, vie for and against an event of possibly major destruction in Greater Cincinnati. More slapstick than terrifying, each "army" in this Armageddon is burdened with very odd habits and crude expressions. Even the confused hero, Nathan Bright, is uncertain about where his loyalty lies.
Latham's third novel explores Bright's character. A chronic drunk and gambler who lives in Aurora, Ind., and an unmotivated but good-hearted loser, he is totally unknown to the demon horde until his name is "writ large" by a fiery finger on a Denver cliffside. Could Nathan be the Second Coming? The finger doesn't say, and Nathan doesn't know, but the demons are keeping their eyes on him.
Author of "The Bad Season," previously reviewed.
Order information:
ISBN: 0-7433-0927-8
Michael in Hell
by Dennis Latham, A&S '92
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Latham's first novel (reprinted 2007) looks into the heart of a former Marine who is convinced his body harbors an avenging "monster" capable of destroying child abusers and murderers. Michael lives in a grim, futuristic Cincinnati where authorities dispose of convicts at public beheading festivals and street gangs frequently slaughter one another to mark their racial territory.
After a long, bloody battle, Michael is arrested and sent to Paddock prison to await execution. The masochistic warden, who values prisoners only as potential organ donors, orders the young man to become the city's new hatchet-man - or be prepared to die horribly. Hoping for a chance to escape, Michael agrees, but when he passes his reflection in the window glass, he knows he can never leave.
Order information:
YS Gazelle Books
ISBN: 0-9796744-1-7
Cincinnati Police History: An "Images of America" book
by Christine Mersch, MA (A&S) '06
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Featuring vintage photos from the archives of the Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society museum, author Christine Mersch honors fallen officers who gave their lives in the line of duty in this “Images of America” book. The work includes detailed information about the city's police force from its early days to the present. Women and minority officers who earned acceptance on the police force also are profiled here.
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Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 10-0-7385-5096-5
Into the Deep: One Man's Story of How Tragedy Took His Family but Could Not Take His Faith
by Robert Rogers, Eng '91
Robert Rogers was living a genuine love story in 2003, enjoying life with his wife, Melissa, and four young children. Then, the unthinkable happened. A flash flood swept the family van off a dark highway, tumbling it to the bottom of a cold, muddy river. When bodies were recovered, it was the heartbroken husband and father -- still recovering from his injuries -- who was asked to identify his wife, sons and daughters.
This true story of personal tragedy has a hopeful theme. Instead of concluding that he was being punished by God or giving in to his grief, Rogers believes that his wife and children were joyfully welcomed in heaven. It took time and prayer, but he gradually worked through his grief, held fast to his faith and began a new ministry in Fort Wayne, Indiana, ("Mighty in the Land"), dedicated to advancing adoption and care for orphans and special-needs children.
Order Information:
A "Focus on the Family" book
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 13: 978-1-58997-378-7
Crosley: Two Brothers and a Business Empire that Transformed the Nation
by Michael Banks, att. '70
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Powel Crosley Jr. was a charismatic Cincinnati entrepreneur. Among his creations were cars, airplanes, a powerful broadcast empire (WLW) and a major-league baseball team (the Reds). His younger brother, Lewis, Eng '12, shared Powel's drive, talent and unerring knack for knowing what Americans wanted. He supported his brother's creative ideas and was ready to do whatever he could to turn Powel's plans into reality. They made the Reds more profitable by starting "night" baseball games, and even helped America win World War II. Notes on each chapter and historic photos make the story even more enjoyable.
Information for the book was collected from Crosley family and friends, oral histories, various archives and scores of books, magazines and articles. Banks is the author of more than 40 non-fiction books and novels and has taught writing in UC’s Communiversity program.
Order information
ISBN: 978-1-57860-291-9
Fuhrer's Heart: An American Story
by James Ward, MPA (A&S) '83, PhD (A&S) '88
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Although warmly welcomed to the faculty at a Louisiana university, a talented young black professor is confused when his career begins to stumble almost immediately. Several academics and students deliberately misrepresent Michael's words and actions. White supremacy symbols are displayed as a "joke" in offices of supposedly liberal faculty. When his Jewish friend, an outspoken professor, mysteriously dies, Michael is alarmed enough to ask the FBI to check out the campus. The novel's high point is the account of the agent's risky undercover pose as a Klan member.
Ward is a former newspaper and television reporter who lived in New Orleans in the 1990s. This is the political science professor's (Mississippi University for Women) first attempt at fiction.
Order information:
ISBN: 978-142572-3118
Sports Dermatology
by Brian Adams, MD, associate professor of dermatology at UC
and director of dermatology at Veterans Administration Medical Center
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An evidence-based guide to diagnosis, treatment and prevention of sports-related skin conditions, this handbook is recommended for all who regularly deal with a wide range of sports-related skin injuries -- bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic. Includes helpful illustrations and an easy-to-read style.
Springer Science+Business Media.
Available on Amazon.com
ISBN: 0-387-28837-6
Living Sideways: Tricksters in American Indian Oral Traditions
by Franchot Ballinger, UC associate professor of English emeritus
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A comprehensive study of the diverse roles and qualities of the North American Indian "trickster," including the mischievous spirit's roles as buffoon, social critic, teacher, transformer or mediator between humans, nature and the gods. Each chapter examines an aspect of trickster behavior and tells a related story. Includes a full bibliography and discussion of the stories as literature.
University of Oklahoma Press.
Available on Amazon.com
ISBN: 0-806-13796-7
Guide to the Euphonium Repertoire: The Euphonium Source Book
by Lloyd Bone, MM '01, co-editor
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A comprehensive new guide for the euphonium, this well-researched book contains the instrument's history, discography and an extensive repertoire of interest to educators, historians, composers, arrangers, performers and students.
Bone, who performed at Carnegie Hall in January 2007, teaches brass and directs band at Glenville State College, West Virginia.
Indiana University Press.
Available on Amazon.com
The Cut of His Coat: Men, Dress and Consumer Culture in Britain, 1860-1914
by Brent Shannon, MA (A&S) '96
Assistant professor of English, Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky.
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Although most British men in the early 19th century felt it was "puny peacockism" to be overly concerned about what they wore, attitudes quickly changed when an emerging consumer culture offered them inexpensive ready-to-wear. Middle- and lower-class men began to imitate the look of their “betters,” to the chagrin of the well-to-do. Includes Victorian-era cartoons and clothing ads.
Ohio University Press
Available on Amazon.com
ISBN: 0-821-41703-7
Greene: Revolutionary General
by Steven Siry, PhD (A&S) ’86
Professor of history, Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio
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The youngest general in America’s Continental Army, Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island both outguessed and outmaneuvered British soldiers in the war for independence. Greene wore down the enemy by combining militia, regular troops and guerilla forces under his command, enabling rapid troop movement and applying continuous pressure on British forces. Well written, interesting style.
Potomac Books
Available on Amazon.com
ISBN: 10: 1-57488-913-3
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