Honoring Our Faculty Achievements 2015 - Collections

Annals of the Former World
John McPhee

As a student I loved science and poetry and found their marriage in Geology. John McPhee captures that poetry.

Multitudinous Heart: Selected Poems: A Bilingual Edition
Carlos Drummond De Andrade (Author), Richard Zenith (Translator)

Carlos Drummond De Andrade is considered one of the greatest poets of Brazil, but he was also my grandpa’s (Jose) cousin. Because we share the same last name, many conversations have started with his legacy. Including with my kids, who enjoy some of his poems. I hope you have a good time reading it.

Engendering Rome: Women in Latin Epic
Alison Keith

This has been an influential book for my research, and the Library owns a copy already.

Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?
Mark Fisher

“From a situation in which nothing can happen, suddenly anything is possible again.”

The Orphan Master’s Son
Adam Johnson

As a journalist, I write non-fiction, but I appreciate a gifted writer who can set a scene and bring characters to life. Adam Johnson took his three years of research about North Korea, including accounts of those who escaped, to create a compelling picture of what life might be like at every level of society.

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
Edward Tufte

This book introduced me to the importance and power of effective visualization, changing the course of my career. I am now a data scientist; I think more about data and the knowledge one can extract from it if treated properly, as well as how one can more clearly communicate new knowledge to a broader audience.

Political Man. The Social Bases of Politics
Seymour Martin Lipset

I read this book as a first-year doctoral student. There is much to like in this book, but it was Lipset’s study on the conditions of the democratic order that helped me to imagine how I could connect my sociological background with my future political science career. I am thankful for that!

A History of the Trombone
David M. Guion

This is a great reference for my students to find valuable research information.

A A Survey of Statistical Network Models
Anna Goldenberg, Alice X. Zheng, Stephen E. Fienberg, Edoardo M. Airoldi

It is a great survey of statistical network models, and it is closely related to my current research interests.

Applied Nonlinear Control
Jean-Jacques E. Slotine, Weiping Li

My Ph.D. co-advisor, Jean-Jacques Slotine at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology introduced the wonderful world of nonlinear control theory research to me. One of the most important books in the field of nonlinear control theory.

The Art of War
Sun Tzu

One cannot lead without having the capability to manage conflict in its various forms. Tzu’s work has survived the millennia because it provides a philosophy of leadership that extends beyond the physical battlegrounds we hope to never see to the abstract battlegrounds we encounter on a daily basis.

The Road Winds Uphill All the Way: Gender, Work, and Family in the United States and Japan
Myra Strober and Agnes Miling Keneko Chan

This book was co-authored by my PhD advisor, Myra Strober. It highlights difficulties in combining work and family, and is an example of collaboration producing meaningful scholarship. Dr. Strober has been inspirational throughout my scholarly journey and I hope that the lessons in this book will resonate with others.

Dissensus: On Politics and Aesthetics
Jacques Rancière

Rancière’s exploration of critical dissent in relation to art and politics marked a before and after in my research on consensual cultural politics in Spain; more importantly, it is also a brilliant reflection on what constitutes a democratic community, on progressive pedagogy and on social equality.

Music-Study in Germany
Amy Fay

An enjoyable and readable account of musical life in 19th century Germany, written by Bostonian socialite and student Amy Fay, who had first-hand encounters with Franz Liszt and his contemporaries, including Clara Schumann, Joseph Joachim, Anton Rubinstein and many others. Her witty commentary on German manners is especially amusing. Interesting reading for any musician.

Where The Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak

This book inspires creativity, imagination, and an important lesson about being where you are loved. It reminds me of my childhood and the love I have for my own children.

Norms of Rhetorical Culture
Thomas B. Farrell

Thomas Farrell was my dissertation advisor. He died ten years ago, much too young. Only since Tom’s death have I realized the full extent of my intellectual debt to him. Norms of Rhetorical Culture typifies Tom’s rich, wide-ranging scholarship about rhetoric, which he marvelously defined as “the fine and useful art of making things matter.”

The Door in the Dream: Conversations with Eminent Women in Science
Elga Wasserman

This collection of personal stories reminds me that there are many paths to success, and the twists and turns along the way are what make the journey the most rewarding.

Working with Discourse: Meaning beyond the Clause
J.R. Martin, D. Rose

I have consulted this book countless times and it has been instrumental for developing an understanding of how meanings are constructed through talk. I learned a method that enabled me to analyze mathematics classroom discourse and teachers’ discussions of mathematics instruction. The authors make available an important linguistic theory to a broad audience.

Human-Machine Reconfigurations: Plans and Situated Actions
Lucy Suchman

This book helped me bridge art to scholarship on a bed of moral concern. I returned to its well in support of every project in recent years, and have Suchman’s work to thank for any success I see in promoting more just sociotechnical systems as an artist, teacher, or administrator.

The Little Prince
Antoine De Saint-Exupery (Translator: Richard Howard)

This book provides an important perspective that can often be forgotten in life: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Howards End
E.M. Forster

Howards End offers a profound insight into human character, and the way social class frames an experience. Beautifully written, Forster artistically weaves his timeless and universal message through themes, characters, and settings. I first read it at 16, and it made me want to devote my life to studying literature.

Saint Paul: The Foundation of Universalism
Alain Badiou

This provocative and imaginative work brings together the ideas of two revolutionary thinker-actors, Alain Badiou and Saint Paul. It reminds us of the eternal struggles for social justice in human history, and is a testament of value of learning from the past, blending perspectives, and keeping the great ideas alive.

Infinite Jest
David Foster Wallace

An endlessly intriguing, enormously complex work that blends an almost scientifically precise approach to conveying information with a deeply emotional, personal, and compassionate description of life and suffering. One of the great novels of the late 20th century, whose author grew up in Urbana-Champaign – I read it soon after joining the University of Illinois.

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
Joseph Smith, Jr. (Translator)

The Book of Mormon motivates me to reach inward to refine and continually improve. It moves me to reach outward to love and care for others. It inspires me to reach upward to life and hope beyond what I now see. I believe that it is the word of God.

Artificial Life: A Report from the Frontier When Computers Meet Biology
Steven Levy

I read this book during high school, and it was one of the main sources of inspiration and imagination that eventually led me to pursue research in machine learning and computer vision.

Organized Innovation: A Blueprint for Renewing America’s Prosperity
Steven D. Currall, Ed Frauenheim, Sara Jansen Perry, Emily M. Hunter

My academic success and promotion were directly influenced by my involvement with the NSF ERC (Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power) that is heavily cited in this book. I am proud that this book highlighted collaborations that I fostered across multiple academic and industrial partners, which led to the first portable pneumatically-powered ankle orthosis.

The Devil and Commodity Fetishism in South America
Michael T. Taussig

This is a wonderful book about how images of the devil in the folklore of South American plantation workers and miners function as critiques of capitalist modes of production. After reading this book, I became convinced that I needed to be an anthropologist.

Selected Stories
Anton Chekhov

Short stories by Chekhov are among my most beloved things in Russian literature and I often reread them with the same sense of interest and pleasure.

The Little Prince
Antoine De Saint-Exupery

The most moving and influential book I’ve read in my life. Such a poetic way to tell a story about relationship, life and love, transcending age boundaries.

A Sand County Almanac and Sketches From Here and There
Aldo Leopold

Reading this book completely changed my view of the agricultural landscape. Aldo Leopold provides a vision of a “land ethic” that connects man with nature through the medium of a rural landscape. My research to this day is inspired by this vision.

Handbook of Canine and Feline Emergency Protocols
Maureen McMichael

This book is the culmination of 15 years of treating and teaching veterinary emergency and critical care. All proceeds go to “This Able Veteran,” a non-profit that trains service dogs to support veterans with injuries related to their service. TAV-service dogs can interrupt the cycle of PTSD.

Wave Propagation in Elastic Solids
Jan D. Achenbach

Jan Achenbach was my post-doctoral adviser at Northwestern University, and he serves as a great scholarly role model for me.

Oh, the THINKS you can Think!
Dr. Seuss

This book continues to provide me with inspiration as it speaks to the limitless possibilities of the creative enterprise. As an educator and practitioner, I find my ability to creatively create, disseminate, and evaluate the effectiveness of our campaigns is critical to future improvements. The sky is the limit!

Complex Analysis
Joseph Bak, Donald J. Newman

It was the first mathematics textbook that I read in English. I was at the time an undergraduate in engineering and I enjoyed studying it in my spare time. Through this beautifully written book I became interested in the applications of mathematics to other sciences.

The Shape of Life
Rudolf A. Raff

Rudy Raff’s The Shape of Life was a landmark book in the field of evo-devo and in my own progression toward a career in this field. The book provided me with a model of how one could integrate developmental biology, paleontology, and evolutionary biology to explain the processes that have shaped the history of life.

Big Name, No Blankets
Warumpi Band

This is a seminal recording in contemporary Aboriginal music. Its combination of Indigenous songs with reggae, rock, and country was influential. This pioneering sound, coupled with a mix of English and the Aboriginal language, Luritja, ultimately defined the Indigenous Roots genre. Plus, it rocks!

The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand

As an artist who has dealt with the never ending scrutiny of reviewers, peer’s and fan’s, I love The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. It’s a great depiction of a true artist, Howard Roark. The challenges of believing in yourself and the willingness to go against the normal protocol are beautifully framed in this book.

Bookbinding and Conservation by Hand
Laura Young

Laura Young’s book is perhaps one of the most readable conservation guides ever published and was critical in helping me both perform and teach different bookbinding techniques. I still refer to it and point others to it as a classic resource with wonderfully informative illustrations.

Make It New: A History of Silicon Valley Design
Barry M. Katz

I was fortunate to have studied with Barry Katz, Professor of Industrial & Interaction Design at California College of the Arts, Professor in the Design Group at Stanford University, and a Fellow at IDEO. Katz argues that “design thinking” provides the crucial bridge between research and development, art and engineering, technical performance and human behavior.

Genera Graminum: Grasses of the World
W.D. Clayton, S.A. Renvoize

This standard reference offers a comprehensive overview of the grass family to generic levels. Grass taxonomy is basic to understanding the most important plant family on earth.

An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology
James Holton

This is the textbook I used when I was in graduate school. I was and I am still fascinated by the dynamic processes governing weather and climate.

Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America
Roger Tory Peterson

This is one of the most important books in conservation, because before we can care about something we must know what it is. I destroyed my copy of this book as a child learning about the birds that live and migrate through Illinois, and I find that I continue to pursue this same goal.

War At The End Of The World
Mario Vargas Llosa

The importance of narrative in the academy extends well beyond the humanities. A successful scientist must be able to articulate a clear and compelling narrative motivating their research. This book is our best story-teller at his very best.

Sport for Development: What Game Are We Playing?
Fred Coalter

I chose this book because it is a seminal and fundamental work in sport for development that has helped to shape the field. It provides a nuanced and critical look at this exponentially growing field.

Partisan Investment in the Global Economy: Why the Left Loves Foreign Direct Investment and FDI Loves the Left
Pablo M. Pinto

One of my dissertation advisers, Pablo Pinto provided guidance on my research, words of encouragement and support, and endless letters of recommendation, undoubtedly setting back the publication date of his book. I hope that others will learn from his writing some of what I learned from him in person.

Strange Library
Haruki Murakami and Maki Sasaki

This title is in Japanese. This book is a collaboration between world famous Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami and Maki Sasaki, a book illustrator and artist knows as an “avant-garde experimental comic illustrator”.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master’s Guide
Gary Gygax

I loved imagining and creating new worlds, and this led me to take some basic science classes in college to learn how to create more realistic worlds. These classes rekindled my love of science, as I began to appreciate that the real world is much more fascinating than any that I could imagine.