The goal is to record most books written or edited by Western Michigan University faculty, staff and students. There is a WMU Authors section in Waldo Library, where most of these books can be found. With a few exceptions, we do not have the rights to put the full text of the book online, so there will be a link to a place where you can purchase the book or find it in a library near you.
-
Prostitutes and Matrons in the Roman World
Anise K. Strong
Prostitutes and Matrons in the Roman World is the first substantial account of elite Roman concubines and courtesans. Exploring the blurred line between proper matron and wicked prostitute, it illuminates the lives of sexually promiscuous women like Messalina and Clodia, as well as prostitutes with hearts of gold who saved Rome and their lovers in times of crisis. It also offers insights into the multiple functions of erotic imagery and the circumstances in which prostitutes could play prominent roles in Roman public and religious life. Tracing the evolution of social stereotypes and concepts of virtue and vice in ancient Rome, this volume reveals the range of life choices and sexual activity, beyond the traditional binary depiction of wives or prostitutes, that were available to Roman women.
-
The Librarian's Introduction to Programming Languages
Beth Thomsett-Scott
The Librarian’s Introduction to Programming Languages presents case studies and practical applications for using the top programming languages in library and information settings. While there are books and Web sites devoted to teaching programming, there are few works that address multiple programming languages or address the specific reasons why programming is a critical area of learning for library and information science professionals. There are many books on programming languages but no recent items directly written for librarians that span a variety of programs. Many practicing librarians see programming as something for IT people or beyond their capabilities. This book will help these librarians to feel comfortable discussing programming with others by providing an understanding of when the language might be useful, what is needed to make it work, and relevant tools to extend its application. Additionally, the inclusion of practical examples lets readers try a small “app” for the language. This also will assist readers who want to learn a language but are unsure of which language would be the best fit for them in terms of learning curve and application. The languages covered are JavaScript, PERL, PHP, SQL, Python, Ruby, C, C#, and Java. This book is designed to provide a basic working knowledge of each language presented. Case studies show the programming language used in real ways, and resources for exploring each language in more detail are also included.
-
Gunpowder Percy
Grace Tiffany
“What are the three parts of powder? Anger. Nostalgia. Love.” These are what drive Thomas Percy, a Catholic Englishman chafing under the rule of the Scotsman James I in the first decade of the seventeenth century. Percy’s passions, fueled by an obsession with the medieval-history plays staged at Shakespeare’s Globe playhouse, erupt at last in a wild plan to save the soul of a kingdom – by killing its Protestant king.
-
China's Geography: Globalization and the Dynamics of Political, Economic, and Social Change
Gregory Veeck, Clifton W. Pannell, Youqin Huang, and Shuming Bao
Despite China's obvious and growing importance on the world stage, it remains often and easily misunderstood. Perhaps this is due in part to the pace of the nation’s remarkable rise and the many economic, political, and environmental problems that have accompanied its growth. Indeed, there are many Chinas, as this comprehensive survey of contemporary China vividly illustrates. Now in a thoroughly revised and updated third edition that offers the only all-embracing geography of the reform era, this book traces the changes occurring in this powerful and ancient nation across both time and space. Beginning with China's diverse landscapes and environments, and continuing through its formative history and tumultuous recent past, the authors present contemporary China as a product of both internal and external forces of past and present. They consider past and present successes and difficulties, including environmental challenges, while placing China in its international context as a massive, still-developing nation that must meet the needs of its 1.4 billion citizens while becoming a major regional and global player. Through clear prose and140 insightful maps, tables, and photos, China's Geography illustrates and explains the great differences in economy, politics, and society found throughout China's many regions. Full-color versions of all the maps, figures, and photographs in the book are available on the China's Geography website athttp://chinadatacenter.org/chinageography, along with a number of additional maps and data sets that can be used for class exercises or as the basis for student research papers and presentations. The site also offers links to the authors’ favorite YouTube videos, sources of statistical data on China, and an on-line mapping website.
-
Life as It
Daneen Leigh Wardrop
Poetry. This collection of prose poetry was chosen by David St. John to win the 2015 Ashland Poetry Press Snyder Prize. Laura Kasischke says it is "poetry of both narrative and musical accomplishments," and Bob Hicock calls it "a diary of exquisite attention."
-
Capital Cities and Urban Form in Pre-modern China: Luoyang, 1038 BCE to 938 CE (Asian States and Empires)
Victor Cunrui Xiong
Luoyang, situated in present-day Henan province, was one of the great urban centres of pre-Qin and early imperial China, the favoured site for dynastic capitals for almost two millennia. This book, the first in any Western language on the subject, traces the rise and fall of the six different capital cities in the region which served eleven different dynasties from the Western Zhou dynasty, when the first capital city made its appearance in Luoyang, to the great Tang dynasty, when Luoyang experienced a golden age. It examines the political histories of these cities, explores continuity and change in urban form with a particular focus on city layouts and landmark buildings, and discusses the roles of religions, especially Buddhism, and illustrious city residents. Overall the book provides an accessible survey of a broad sweep of premodern Chinese urban history.