Reviewer's Choice

Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice: Science, Practice, and Pol= icy
Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering
c/o National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309693370, $50.00, PB, 438pp

https://www.amazon.com/Reducing-Racial-Inequality-Crime-Justice/dp/03096933=
73

Synopsis: The history of the U.S. criminal justice system is scarred by rac= ial inequality and sustained by present day policy. Large racial and ethnic=
disparities exist across the several stages of criminal legal processing, = including in arrests, pre-trial detention, and sentencing and incarceration=
, among others, with Black, Latino, and Native Americans experiencing worse=
outcomes. The historical legacy of racial exclusion and structural inequal= ities form the social context for racial inequalities in crime and criminal=
justice. Racial inequality can drive disparities in crime, victimization, = and system involvement.

A landmark study, "Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice: Science=
, Practice, and Policy" synthesizes the evidence on community-based solutio= ns, noncriminal policy interventions, and criminal justice reforms, chartin=
g a path toward the reduction of racial inequalities by minimizing harm in = ways that also improve community safety. Reversing the effects of structura=
l racism and severing the close connections between racial inequality, crim= inal harms such as violence, and criminal justice involvement will involve = fostering local innovation and evaluation, and coordinating local initiativ=
es with state and federal leadership.

This comprehensive report also highlights the challenge of creating an accu= rate, national picture of racial inequality in crime and justice: there is =
a lack of consistent, reliable data, as well as data transparency and accou= ntability. While the available data points toward trends that Black, Latino=
, and Native American individuals are overrepresented in the criminal justi=
ce system and given more severe punishments compared to White individuals, = opportunities for improving research should be explored to better inform de= cision-making.

Critique: A seminal and timely study, "Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime = and Justice: Science, Practice, and Policy" is unreservedly recommended for=
the personal reading lists of students, academia, and political activists,=
as well as professional, governmental, college, and university library Soc= ial Justice, Social Sciences, Ethnic Studies, and Racial Law Reform collect= ions and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Bridgebuilders
William D. Eggers, author
Bondal F. Kettl, author
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781647825119, $35.00, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bridgebuilders-Government-Transcend-Boundaries-Probl= ems/dp/1647825113

Synopsis: Pandemics. Climate change. Refugee resettlement. Global supply ch= ains. Corporate executives and entrepreneurs face a new generation of compl=
ex problems that stretch across the public and private sectors and flow ove=
r organizational boundaries. To meet the moment, we need a fresh, new appro= ach that strengthens institutions and government agencies by breaking free = from organizational boxes and rigid, top-down leadership.

With the publication of "Bridgebuilders: How Government Can Transcend Bound= aries to Solve Big Problems", co-authors William D. Eggers (Executive direc= tor of Deloitte's Center for Government Insights), and Donald F. Kettl (pub= lic management scholar), show that we need a government of bridgebuilders w=
ho collaborate with partners (both inside and outside of government) to get=
the job done. These leaders manage horizontally instead of vertically; the=
y see their role as connectors; and they identify which players have the as= sets needed to solve the unprecedented problems at hand.

Each chapter examines one of the ten core principles of bridgebuilding and = features practical tips and dynamic cases of how effective leaders have put=
each bridgebuilding principle to work. "Bridgebuilders" also includes a sp= ecial section that helps government leaders create a hundred-day bridgebuil= ding plan.

Throughout, Eggers and Kettl tell fascinating and instructive stories about=
some of today's bridgebuilders -- federal, state, and local government lea= ders who transcend boundaries, partner across sectors, and get stuff done.

Trusted and effective government has never been more important than today. = "Bridgebuilders" provides a new model that current government decision make=
rs (as well as young leaders who aspire to public service) can learn from a=
nd apply right now to transform government and restore public trust.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of two A= ppendices (A 100-Day Plan to Bridgebuildng in Your New Government Job & How=
to Teach This), thirty pages of Notes, and a fourteen page Index, "Bridgeb= uilders: How Government Can Transcend Boundaries to Solve Big Problems" is =
an impressive and useful study that will prove to be a welcome addition to = personal, professional, corporate, community, and academic collections as w= ell as supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MB=
A students, academia, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, governmental pol= icy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subj= ects of business leadership, motivation, decision making, and problem solvi=
ng that "Bridgebuilders: How Government Can Transcend Boundaries to Solve B=
ig Problems" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

Editorial Note #1: William D. Eggers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William= _D._Eggers) is executive director of the Deloitte Center for Government Ins= ights and a fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration. He is = the author or coauthor of numerous books, including The Solution Revolution=
and If We Can Put a Man on the Moon, both from Harvard Business Review Pre= ss.

Editorial Note #2: Donald F. Kettl (https://lbj.utexas.edu/kettl-donald-f) =
is a professor emeritus, former dean of the School of Public Policy at the = University of Maryland, and a fellow of the National Academy of Public Admi= nistration. He was previously the Sid Richardson Professor at the LBJ Schoo=
l of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. His books include=
, most recently, The Divided States of America and Can Governments Earn Our=
Trust?

The Defiant Optimist
Durreen Shahnaz
Broadleaf Books
510 Marquette Avenue N, Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.broadleafbooks.com
9781506480763, $27.99, HC, 247pp

https://www.amazon.com/Defiant-Optimist-Inequality-Reinvent-Finance/dp/1506= 480764

Synopsis: When she launched the world's first stock exchange for social ent= erprises, Durreen Shahnaz started more than a new financial system; she spa= rked a movement. Defiant optimism (the stubborn belief that systems that en= rich the few can be transformed for the good of the many) requires an indom= itable spirit. With the publication of "The Defiant Optimist: Daring to Fig=
ht Global Inequality, Reinvent Finance, and Invest in Women", Shahnaz illum= inates what investing in those excluded from networks of power and opportun= ity requires.

From growing up with constrained life chances, to working as the first Bang= ladeshi woman on Wall Street, to becoming a global leader in impact investi= ng, Shahnaz takes us on a mesmerizing trek of innovation, compassion, and e= nterprise. In the pages of this definitive biography we accompany her to vi= llages in Bangladesh where she helps women entrepreneurs learn to proudly s= ign their names, and on visits to venture capitalists who walk past her to = shake her male employees' hands. We go to a garment factory where women lab=
or for low wages, and to a town in India where microfinance offers women en= ough capital to run grocery stores and tailor shops. Along the way, the bir=
th of her two daughters only fuels her relentless pursuit of a world where = girls are valued. Finally, armed with financial backers and a plan, Shahnaz=
crafts the world's first tradeable financial product geared toward investi=
ng in underserved women's livelihoods.

Changing how systems work (and who they work for) isn't for the faint of he= art. But "The Defiant Optimist" offers 'real world practical' strategies fo=
r placing women, the underserved, and the planet at the heart of systems. T= ogether we can locate the levers of power and pull them defiantly in a new = direction.

Critique: A fascinating combination of memoir and economic policy reforms, = "The Defiant Optimist: Daring to Fight Global Inequality, Reinvent Finance,=
and Invest in Women" is an extraordinary, thought-provoking, and inspiring=
read throughout. Of special particular value to readers with an interest i=
n personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Busi= ness Women's Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted for that "The=
Defiant Optimist" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.= 49).

Editorial Note: Durreen Shahnaz (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durreen_Shah= naz) has worked both in high finance on Wall Street and in microfinance in = the back streets of rural Bangladesh. Following stints as an investment ban= ker, development worker, educator, media executive, and social entrepreneur=
, Shahnaz founded a pioneering impact investment firm that brings together = investors, development agencies, and entrepreneurs to advance sustainable d= evelopment and empower millions of women. Shahnaz is on the Forbes "50 over=
50" list and received the 2017 Oslo Business for Peace Award, often referr=
ed to as the Nobel Prize for Business. Shahnaz holds degrees from Smith Col= lege, the University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies
Gaia Bernstein
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781009257930, $24.95, HC, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Unwired-Gaining-Control-Addictive-Technologies/dp/10= 09257935

Synopsis: Smartphones, screens, and social media -- our society has a techn= ology problem. One that often leads to a form of addiction and mental healt=
h issues.

Many of us want to disconnect from screens but can't help themselves. These=
days we spend more time online than ever. Some turn to self-help-measures =
to limit their usage, yet repeatedly fail, while parents feel particularly = powerless to help their children.

With the publication of "Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologi= es", Professor Gaia Bernstein shows us a way out. Rather than blaming users=
, "Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies" shatters the illus= ion that we autonomously choose how to spend our time online. It shifts the=
moral responsibility and accountability for solutions to corporations.

Drawing lessons from the tobacco and food industries, "Unwired: Gaining Con= trol over Addictive Technologies" demonstrates why government regulation is=
necessary to curb technology addiction. It describes a grassroots movement=
already in action across courts and legislative halls. Groundbreaking and = urgent, "Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies" provides a b= lueprint to develop this movement for change, to one that will allow us to = finally gain control.

Critique: Simply stated, every parent concerned with the adverse impact tha=
t social media and the other new technologies (such as Artificial Intellige= nce) that are coming on-line will have on their children, as well as adults=
who are becoming aware of the addictive seductions of algorithms are havin=
g upon their lives and emotional well being, "Unwired: Gaining Control over=
Addictive Technologies" must be considered essential reading. Timely and a=
n important, informative contribution to today's on-going national conversa= tion regarding the deleterious impact that addictive technologies are havin=
g and how to deal with them, "Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Techn= ologies" is an unreservedly and exceedingly important addition to personal,=
professional, community, college, and university library Computer History/= Culture collections and supplemental Networking/Cloud Computer Social Issue=
s curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, gove= rnmental policy makers, political activists, technology developers, and non= -specialist general readers with an interest in this subject that "Unwired:=
Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies" is also available in a digita=
l book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Gaia Bernstein (https://gaiabernstein.com) is the Technolog=
y, Privacy and Policy Professor of Law, Co-Director of the Institute for Pr= ivacy Protection, and Co-Director of the Gibbons Institute of Law Science a=
nd Technology at Seton Hall University School of Law. She writes, teaches, = and lectures on subjects at the intersections of law, technology, health, a=
nd privacy. Professor Bernstein developed a nationally recognized outreach = program on technology overuse for school-aged children and their parents.

The SideRoad Columnist: Observations from an Upper Michigan Author
Sharon M. Kennedy
Modern History Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
https://www.modernhistorypress.com
9781615997374, $32.95, HC, 168pp

https://www.amazon.com/SideRoad-Columnist-Observations-Michigan-Author/dp/1= 615997377

Synopsis: Penned by author and local newspaper columnist Sharon M. Kennedy =
in recent years, "The SideRoad Columnist: Observations from an Upper Michig=
an Author" presents a very special collection of her newspaper columns.

To delight the reader, each installment tells a complete story in miniature=
.. "The SideRoad Columnist" showcases Sharon own particular mixture of nosta= lgia, humor, shared experiences and sundry observations. The featured stori=
es are short (under two pages) making "The SideRoad Columnist" an ideal cho= ice for readers who have limited time or are passengers on a journey.

Readers will smile as they recall a time when boys slathered hair cream on = their locks, women sported a bouffant hairdo and barnyards were a common si= ght.

Whether recovering from her many domestic and kitchen disasters, navigating=
the U.P.'s notoriously bad roads or trying to properly celebrate a lifetim=
e of holidays, Kennedy's adventures will bring groans of recognition.

Critique: A combination of nostalgia, humor, insights, and representations =
of the human condition and experience, "The SideRoad Columnist" is certain =
to delight and amuse -- especially mature readers as they remember the old = days. Younger readers will laugh as the Sharon Kennedy describes the way th= ings were, her struggle to understand technology and the green dot followin=
g everyone on Facebook. Kennedy's ability to entertain, while simultaneousl=
y writing terse columns, is undeniable. She's a writer for our times -- bot=
h past and present. While highly recommended and a guaranteed popular addit= ion to community library rural life humor and American Midwest biography co= llections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The SideRoad=
Columnist" is also available in a paperback edition (9781615997367, $18.95=
) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.95).

Editorial Note: Sharon M. Kennedy (https://www.authorsharonkennedy.com) liv=
es in Michigan's Upper Peninsula on the land of her youth. As an opinion wr= iter for Gannett Media, her newspaper columns reflect a keen observation of=
people and their experiences. Whether humorous, serious, or poignant, she = records events and situations relatable to individuals of various ages. Ken= nedy has the remarkable ability to communicate with readers as if they were=
sitting at her kitchen table, sharing a cup of coffee and a laugh with her=
..

Time Served
T.L. Cromwell
KP Publishing
https://kp-pub.com
9781960001207, $24.95 hardcover, $19.95 paperback, $9.99 ebook

https://kp-pub.com/books/time-served

Time Served is a memoir written by a retired Correctional Captain who worke=
d in the California prison system for over twenty years, and is highly reco= mmended reading for anyone interested in the daily activities and nuts and = bolts of the modern American prison system.

The memoir is particularly notable in two ways: T.L. Cromwell is a Black fe= male in a system dominated by male correctional officers, and she covers th=
e process of overseeing inmates in contrast to the many prison stories writ= ten by those who have done time behind bars. Having an exploration from the=
other side of the bars provides many eye-opening insights that will prove = especially valuable to students of law, justice, and those aiming for jobs =
in the correctional system.

Another important note is that Cromwell worked in some of the toughest pris=
on systems in the nation. This background lends further interest to her sto= ry, which navigates the social and political issues of maintaining a prison=
and dealing with inmates as a female in a decidedly male-dominated environ= ment.

The story opens with Cromwell's childhood and the candid note that she neve=
r saw herself being in the position she wound up in as an adult: "Nobody sa=
ys they want to work in prison when they grow up. Who would want to be a pr= ison guard? I certainly didn't. I wanted to be what all kids say they want =
to be when they grow up: a doctor, a lawyer, a social worker, or maybe even=
a teacher." Growing up in the 'concrete jungles' of Los Angeles, however, = Cromwell knew many who were incarcerated, including her own father.

When, as an adult, she divorced and was faced with raising a daughter alone=
, Cromwell was determined to obtain a job that paid well, keeping them out =
of poverty and the cycles she'd seen too many fellow women fall into as sin= gle mothers. Her search for a stable career kept leading her back to correc= tions work. It was a job she would excel in, grow and learn from, and ultim= ately would share with the world in this memoir of her experiences, which d= ovetails the routines and requirements of the prison system with insights o=
n inmate/correctional officer relationships and the dangerous psychological=
undercurrents that often affect and direct them.

Through Cromwell's eyes, readers learn of these threats and the reactions t= hat saved her career and life. The psychological insights are not only impe= ccably described, but offer rare insights into the dangers of the prison sy= stem that go well beyond physical violence and into the territory of psycho= logical danger: "Inmates had 365 days to focus on us; to find any little th= ing they think they can use to manipulate us. It is insidious and before yo=
u know it you have fallen into their trap. When they target you, they usual=
ly start small by being friendly, jovial, and very complimentary. If they w= ork for you, they make sure they do the best job they can while putting you=
at ease in their presence. They want you to think they are different from = any other inmate you have ever met. Lulling you into a false sense of secur= ity and pushing you to lower your guard. They attempt to get you to do some= thing small, something seemingly innocuous that you know you're not suppose=
d to do, just this one time, just for him. Nobody will ever know. It will b=
e just between you and him."

More so than almost any other prison system title, Cromwell provides an inv= aluable and rare look at inmate relationships and how they are affected by = imprisonment. Students of prison system and justice issues, as well as anyo=
ne thinking of entering this milieu who wonders what these daily encounters=
translate to in terms of motivation and experiences, will find that Time S= erved pulls no punches in revealing all the underlying emotional challenges=
of the job. It humanizes the correctional officer's job and relationships =
in many different ways.

Time Served should ideally be included in general-interest collections, inn=
er city libraries, and any library strong in books about social issues. It = should also be used as debate material in classes and book clubs examining = prison system operations and experiences.

Bluebirds to Tikal: Stories of Fun, Fear & Folly
David Hann
Anamcara Press
https://anamcara-press.com
9781960462015, $21.99, PB, 222pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bluebirds-Tikal-Stories-Fear-Folly/dp/1960462016

Synopsis: The readers of "Bluebirds to Tikal: Stories of Fun, Fear & Folly"=
will discover why deer don't like to be lassoed, what it's like to drive d= own a mountain pass without power steering or power brakes after the engine=
quits, and learn what can happen when cultures clash in this anthology of = stories celebrating fun, fear, and folly.

Author David Hann's "Bluebirds To Tikal" is a kind of literary travel journ= al, of sorts. filled with a miscellany of entertaining tales of adventures = and misadventures from central U.S.A. to central Asia.

A family traveling to Guatemala to see the Mayan ruins at Tikal encounter "= los hombres militarious" and uniformed soldiers. A sightseeing trip in Turk=
ey meets with obstacles, courtesy, and aid from an unexpected source. A vis=
it to the Eiffel Tower ends with eviction by security guards. An idyllic ka= yaking vacation in Florida turns into an expedition of courage.

In addition to tales of modern travels and travails, Hann's stories include=
the experiences of two young men searching for jobs as they make their way=
through the Northwest riding the rails before World War I; a coal miner's = dark journey in Osage County, Kansas; and the competition between two Germa=
n noblewomen for the affections of a dashing cavalry officer.

Critique: A fun and fascinating read from cover to cover, "Bluebirds to Tik= al: Stories of Fun, Fear & Folly" is an extraordinary collection of deftly = crafted and humor laced stories that will linger in the mind and memory of = the reader long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf. Sim= ply stated, "Bluebirds to Tikal: Stories of Fun, Fear & Folly" is unreserve= dly recommended for personal, community, and academic library travelogue an=
d short story/essay collections.

Editorial Note: David Hann (https://hannsksbooks.wixsite.com/writer/about) = has written many stories, articles and books. Bluebirds to Tikal, 2023, The=
Jayhawker Cleveland, 2021, River Memoir and other stories, 2011, and Kansa=
s Past: Pieces of the 34th Star, 1999.Hann established himself as an aficio= nado of the strange wonders of Kansas in Sampling Kansas: A Guide to the Cu= rious, 1990. David lives in Lawrence, Kansas, where he retired from the Uni= versity of Kansas in 2009.

How to Create a Contemporary Circus Show
Eric Bates
Modern Vaudeville Press
https://modernvaudevillepress.com
9781958604038, $25.00

Students and professional performers interested in the basics of assembling=
a modern circus show will find no better guide than the new book How to Cr= eate a Contemporary Circus Show. It's written by an award-winning contempor= ary circus artist named Eric Bates who started as a Vermont circus juggler = with early roots in Circus Smirkus before going on to study at Montreal's p= restigious National Circus School.

Throughout each chapter Bates explores the linear process from conception t=
o creation, and presents his company Cirque Barcode's methods for making a = circus production. From budgeting to overseeing team efforts, Bates covers = all aspects of organizing a circus, using the experiences of his team and t= heir successes and pitfalls to identify common areas of challenge involved =
in crafting a successful show. His book gathers all the advice he wished he=
'd had earlier in the effort, featuring 20 plus interviews that were conduc= ted by Bates of industry professionals sharing their advice, and will save = aspiring circus producers a lot of headaches by streamlining the hard work =
of creating a multifaceted production from scratch.

From using exercises to identify core concepts in a circus show and making = the leap between acting and circus performances to honing a perspective and=
vision that allows the circus ideal to translate easily into promotional e= fforts, Bates provides industry examples that are compelling and hard-earne=
d lessons from experience: "What you do serves as the proof of what you bel= ieve. Rather than telling everyone how great your show or company is, it mi= ght even be a better strategy not to, but instead to talk about why you dec= ided to make that show in the first place. What were you trying to accompli= sh? What is so important to you that drove you to put all this effort in? T= hen tell them why your show or your company reflects that."

Circus performers and producers receive an extensive nuts and bolts list of=
what works, what doesn't, and how best to tailor a tour-proof contemporary=
show for maximum success and ease. Bates takes the whole experience and br= eaks it down into accessible, manageable chapters in a way that allows a pe= rformer/creator, regardless of what stage of their studies or career, acces=
s to new information every creator needs to see their project through to fr= uition.

How to Create a Contemporary Circus Show may focus on the circus's unique e= nvironment and requirements, but its wide-ranging production experiences, i= llustrations, exercises, and formulas for success makes it a top recommenda= tion not just for circus reference libraries, but any performing arts colle= ction, and for those who would put together a winning production.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
s from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these=
reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, inte= rnet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested indivi= duals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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