“Gems and Gemstones: Timeless Natural Beauty of the Mineral World”
Allison R. Augustyn ’01, co-author
This lavishly illustrated volume — the most ambitious publication of its kind — provides a general introduction to gems and natural gemstones, conveying their timeless beauty and exploring similarities among different species and varieties. The book also includes fun-filled facts and anecdotes that broaden the historical portrait of each specimen. “Gems and Gemstones” is a 2009 PROSE Award winner.

“Well-Being & Death”
Ben Bradley ’93
“Well-Being & Death” addresses philosophical questions about death and the good life: what makes a life go well? Is death bad for the one who dies? How is this possible if we go out of existence when we die? Is it worse to die as an infant or as a young adult? Is it bad for animals and fetuses to die? Can the dead be harmed? Is there any way to make death less bad for us? In defending several views about what makes life go well and the effects death has, Bradley reveals that the only sensible way to make death less bad is to live so long that no more good life is possible.

“You-Know Stories”
Brian Beck ’59
Beck spent more than 30 years collecting anecdotes for his first anthology. Wide-ranging in subject matter, “You-Know Stories” is the first master anthology of this little-known, under-enjoyed genre.

“Furs, Fir and Fourdrinier: A Story of Wisconsin Paper Families”
William (Bill) Brehm ’67
Brehm explores the network of events, family relationships and business ties, behind the exploration and settlement of Wisconsin from its days as a part of New France. He also reveals many of the personal, family and political relationships that link the paper families of Neenah-Menasha, including: Kimberly, Clark, Babcock, Hewitt, Bergstrom, Smith, Sensenbrenner, Lawson, Gilbert, Davis and others. This compelling story of the settlement and development of North America and particularly Neenah-Menasha, Wisconsin, is told from the perspective of these families and their friends and associates.

“You are Invited to Serve: A Black American Peace Corps Volunteer Serves in Swaziland”
Joe Green III ’86
After working as a college placement counselor in Chicago’s Dearborn Park homes, Green is invited to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Swaziland. His story covers four years of his life between 1986-1990. He chronicles the rise and fall of black political power in Chicago, the radically changing post-apartheid politics in South Africa and living in the Kingdom of Swaziland.

“Northsiders: Essays on the History and Culture of the Chicago Cubs”
Andrew Hazucha ’82, editor; Rick Moser ’83, contributing writer
This collection of 19 essays examines the Cubs’ role in the history and politics of Chicago. The essays focus on topics such as the rise of a nationwide fan base through the long reach of superstation WGN; icons Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and Ryne Sandberg; historical divides along lines of race (on the field) and class (in the stands); Wrigley Field as a public space both sacred and cursed; the importance of local and nationwide media coverage and the Cubs’ impact on Chicago’s music and literature.

“Railroad in the Old South”
Aaron Marrs ’99
Marrs challenges the accepted understanding of economic and industrial growth in antebellum America with this original study of the history of the railroad in the Old South. Drawing from both familiar and overlooked sources such as the personal diaries of
Southern travelers, papers and letters from civil engineers, corporate records and contemporary newspaper accounts, Marrs expands on the conventional business histories that have characterized scholarship in this field. He situates railroads in the fullness of antebellum life, examining how slavery, technology, labor, social convention, and the environment shaped their evolution.

“Unsound Science: Poetry By Robert Sonkowsky”
Robert Sonkowsky ’54
Sonkowsky’s collection includes 46 poems, many of which are written with unusual rhyme schemes and with forms such as the sonnet, villanelle, free verse and prose poetry. The subjects of Sonkowsky’s poetry range from love and aging to religion and science.