Longhorn Reviews

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

[Longhorn Review] The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

Material Type: All, books — Tags: bittersweet, native americans — Posted on November 10, 2008, 10:20 am

By: Alexie, Sherman

Alexie's first Young Adult title won him the National Book Award for Young
People's Literature last year. My 11-year old daughter described this book as, "very
funny and sad at the same time," which we adults somtimes call "bittersweet." But
what narrative of Native American life, historical or modern, would not be tinged
with sadness? Alexie, who is of Spokane heritage, writes with humor and poignancy
about his anti-hero, Arnold Spirit, born hydrocephalic who happens to have a great
jump shot, and a number of odd friends and relations. Life on and off the "res," and
the shifting boudaries between modern Native American and Anglo culture are deftly
explored. This book is not preachy at all, but there are lessons here for all of
us.

Reviewer: Tim Strawn

A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World

[Longhorn Review] A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World

Material Type: All, books — Tags: America, history, travel — Posted on November 10, 2008, 10:14 am

By: Horwitz, Tony

When it comes to history and the "discovery" of America, Tony Horwitz is a dummy
and he is betting that his readers are as well. During a visit to Plymouth Rock,
Horwitz discovers, much to his priate school educated chagrin, that he knew next to
nothing about the people who traveled the continent (before and after Columbus),
much less the folks who inhabited "America" before European contact commenced.
Horwitz writes a well-paced and humorous travelogue of self-tutoring as he sweats it
out in a lodge with MicMacs in Newfoundland, follows Coronado's trail all the way to
Kansas (who knew?) and tours present-day Roanoke which was briefly settled, not by
fantasized Pilgrim forebears, but by a, "... motley crew of slave traders, tourists,
castaways and Tudor knights...." Horwitz neatly balances historical narrative with
his own present-day travel stories for an engaging and entertaining history
lesson.

Reviewer: Tim Strawn

Tooth and Claw

[Longhorn Review] Tooth and Claw

Material Type: All, books — Tags: fiction, humor, short stories — Posted on November 7, 2008, 6:00 pm

By: Boyle, T. Coraghessan

This is T.C. Boyle's seventh collection of short stories. Since 1979, Boyle has
published 19 works of fiction all of them fully engaging the human condition with
hilarity and compassion. I am continually drawn to his short stories because his
ruminations on and illuminations of our human plight are so intense. Boyle is what I
would call a lunatic-humanist-surrealist who can elicit laughter and tears
simultaneously. This collection assembles 14 of his darker stories, all gems and not
to be missed. From the story of an unlikely romance between a fetching American
ornithologist and a spinster Scot on the isle of Unst to the tale of a drive-time
radio host's attempt to break the world record for continuous hours without sleep,
Boyle fascinates while enlivening his characters with frailty, humor, compassion and
odd heroics.

Reviewer: Tim Strawn

Patterns 2: design, art and architecture

[Longhorn Review] Patterns 2: design, art and architecture

Material Type: All, books — Tags: architecture, art, falstaffpicks — Posted on October 2, 2008, 11:29 am

By: Barbara Glasner, Petra Schmidt, Ursula Schöndeling

Part 2 of this wildly successful and satisfying book series, which connects works
art, architecture, and a variety of other disciplines through patterns.

Reviewer: Tommy

Ornament as art: avant-garde jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt collection, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

[Longhorn Review] Ornament as art: avant-garde jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt collection, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Material Type: All, books — Tags: art, falstaffpicks — Posted on October 2, 2008, 11:18 am

By: Cindi Strauss

From the publisher: "Presents 800 jewelry objects and drawings from 1960 through
2006 by more than 170 international jewelry artists in the Helen Williams Drutt
Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Includes essays about Minimalist and
Conceptual influences and the history behind the collection, a chronology, and
artist biographies."

Reviewer: Laura

Los asensinos de dongo; novela historica, precidida de un prólogo y continuada en dos tomos

[Longhorn Review] Los asensinos de dongo; novela historica, precidida de un prólogo y continuada en dos tomos

Material Type: All, books — Tags: crime, Dongo Joaquin, justice, murder, New Spain, XVIII century — Posted on September 5, 2008, 8:58 pm

By: Manuel Filomeno Rodríguez

Los asesinos del Dongo is a novel about the homicide of Joaquin Dongo and ten
members of his family, occurred in October 23, 1789. Dongo was a wealthy Spanish
merchant who lived in Mexico City. After a very short investigation the three
murderers were discovered and they were condemned to "garrote." This is a very rare
book, in fact is almost impossible to find it in Mexico.

Reviewer: Odette M. Rojas Sosa

Introduction to Stochastic Programming [Electronic Resource]

[Longhorn Review] Introduction to Stochastic Programming [Electronic Resource]

Material Type: All, books — Tags: ebook, stochastic optimization — Posted on August 30, 2008, 9:33 am

By: John R. Birge and Francois Louveaux

This is the textbook of our graduate course. It's very good.

Reviewer: Longhorn Reviewer

Pakistan’s Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy Making: A Study of Pakistan’s Post 9/11 Afghan Policy Change

[Longhorn Review] Pakistan’s Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy Making: A Study of Pakistan’s Post 9/11 Afghan Policy Change

Material Type: All, books — Tags: Afghanistan, FATA, Islamic Extremism, Pakistan, Pashtuns, Terrorism — Posted on August 29, 2008, 8:15 am

By: Ijaz Khan

A clear and simple analysis of the Pakistan's Foreign Policy after 9/11, helping
in understanding Pakistani predicaments in pursuing its role in the 'War against
Terrorism' in accordance with the satisfaction of the International Community. The
book also helps in understanding the problem of Pakistani State and gives good
historical and contextual overview. It also discusses and introduces the reader to
Pakistan's Pashtun ethnic issues and politics as well as the the situation of
Pakistan's Western borderlands known as FATA.

Reviewer: Longhorn Reviewer

Historia del estado Zulia

[Longhorn Review] Historia del estado Zulia

Material Type: All, books — Tags: history, Venezuela — Posted on August 9, 2008, 9:56 am

By: Juan Besson

Traditional, though still very useful, history of this important western
Venezuelan state. The approach is chronological, and each volume includes
interesting and useful transcriptions of primary documents, without, however,
providing information about their sources.

Reviewer: Peter S. Linder