Books by UU authors, Winter 2006

Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism. James W. Loewen. New Press, 2005; $29.95. Loewen, a sociologist and award-winning author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, writes about the phenomenon of Sundown Towns—white American towns that didn’t permit African Americans to be there after dark. The term now refers to all-white towns. Loewen looks at the history of these towns and the means they used to discriminate against black and other residents, and how some continue to do this even now. He is a member of All Souls Church, Unitarian, in Washington, D.C.

True Harvest: Readings from Henry David Thoreau for Every Day of the Year. Ed. by Barry Andrews. Skinner House, 2006; $15. A collection of inspirational readings from Henry David Thoreau for every day of the year. Passages are drawn from journals, letters, books, essays, and lectures. Andrews is minister of religious education at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Shelter Rock in Manhasset, New York.

Comfortable Chaos. Carolyn S. Harvey and Beth E. Herrild. Self-Counsel, 2005; $14.95. Using quick exercises, checklists, and tips, this book helps readers develop a personalized plan to work within the chaos of life and make choices that decrease guilt and increase satisfaction. Harvey and Herrild are members of East Shore Unitarian Church in Bellevue, Washington.

Death and Religion in a Changing World. Ed. by Kathleen Garces-Foley. M.E. Sharpe, 2006; $27.95. Academic essays on the sociological aspects of how religious people approach death in the twenty-first century. Garces-Foley teaches in the religious studies department at California State University, Northridge, and is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura, California.

Readin’ + Writin’ for the Hard-Hat Crowd: Curriculum Policy at an Urban University. Susan R. Merrifield. Peter Lang, 2005; $29.95. Explores the history of an urban public university through the lens of the evolving nature of first-year English from an emphasis on the Great Books to more “practical” fare. Merrifield is professor of English education at Lesley University and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts.

The Lindbergh Syndrome: Heroes and Celebrities in a New Gilded Age. Robert Lockwood Mills. Fenestra, 2005; $19.95. Mills explores the conditions and circumstances that launch unknown people into the spotlight’s glare, making them into heroes or celebrities. He identifies these factors in a series of Gilded Ages starting in 1865. Mills is a member of the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut.

Submissions for Books by UU Authors may be sent to UU World, 24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210. Indicate publisher, date, price, and the author's UU affiliation. We cannot include every title and cannot return books. Preference will be given to books of general interest; self-published books will be included selectively.