CD-ROM Highlights
The collection size of the NUS Library passed the two million mark during the academic year 1995/96 when the total number of books and bound journals reached 2.05 million volumes. As an NUS Library member, have you ever explored the library's collection for leisure reading, for personal discovery?
'I never realized that our library has such interesting stuff!' is the sentiment often expressed by users who had previously not ventured beyond their required readings.
A list of titles is compiled here to entice you to further discover the range of the materials available beyond those of utilitarian purpose.
Jack Lenor Larson, a trustee of the American Crafts Museum in New York once said:
Books, to me, are very stimulating so I don't want them in direct view.Source: At home with books : how book lovers live and care for their libraries, 1995. CLMS MA6612 Ell
If you find that you are easily seduced by books and the pleasure of reading, you are in good company!
All titles listed are located at CLMS
(Central Library Main Shelves)
unless otherwise stated.
The Diana adventure. 1995. fCC77 Und.Ba
This is no ordinary adventure and is a griping story, told first hand by Dorian Ball (who once took a computing job in Singapore) of his quest to find and salvage an 1817 shipwreck and recover a cargo of 19th century Chinese porcelain. The journey which his indefatigable search brought him on makes compelling reading.According to Dorian Ball, who finally found the sunken ship Diana in the Straits of Malacca in December 1993, it was at the 'world-class' NUS Library where he located, during the course of his research, the Prince of Wales Island Gazette which carried 'the first report of the loss of the ship (Diana).'
The art and architecture of Islam 1250-1800. 1994. fN6260 Bla
Sheila Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom describe over 200 works of art of this period and also investigate broader social and economic contexts, discussing topics such as function, patronage and meaning.
The best in modern Chinese folk painting. 2nd ed, 1990. ND1045 Bes
It was in the autumn of 1958 that the first peasant painting from Pixian in Jiangsu which appeared in a Beijing art exhibition received favorable press reviews. Enjoy, at your leisure, over 200 colourful and enchanting paintings by peasants, herdsmen, fishermen and housewives. It is published by Beijing's Foreign Language Press.
China avant-garde : counter-currents in art and cul ture. 1994. N7345 Chi
This 322-page book consists of a collection of articles on a wide range of topics including the fine arts after the Cultural Revolution, Beijing's experimental theatre as well as Cui Jian and the birth of Chinese rock music.
Contemporary painting in Russia. 1995. ND688 Dyo
E. Dyogot describes the new directions in Russian painting since the demise of the Communist regime and profiles 48 artists and their works. Read the 17-page introduction entitled 'Art on the map of Moscow'.
Cultural economics and cultural policies, edited by Alan Peacock and Ilde Rizzo. 1994. NX705 Cul
As stated in the editorial forword, the first step in producing a constructive dialogue between policy makers and funding bodies for the arts is for the economist to examine critically what his (or her) discipline can offer. The 12 articles in this collection are devoted to this end.
The culture of flowers. 1993. GN476.73 Goo
A fascinating 462-page treatise by Jack Goody, a former professor of social anthropology at the University of Cambridge. Includes chapters on garlands in India, the 'four gentlemen of flowers' in China and flowers without representation in Islam.
Literature and photography : interactions, 1840-1990, edited by Jane M. Rabb. 1995. PN56 Pho.L
Did you know that Lewis Carroll, the Oxford math don who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was one of England's best amateur photographers and that one of his favorite models, Alice Liddell, inspired his most famous book? This and much much more, are yours to enjoy in this 634-page critical anthology about the history of photography and its use in literature.
Music in the world of Islam : a socio-cultural study. 1995. ML348 Shi
This survey begins with the effort to pinpoint the emergence of classical forms of art music during the first and second centuries of Islam. It is important to take note that 'the concept of music is not the same everywhere', as pointed out in the Introduction by the author, Amnon Shiloah.
Performing arts of Kerala, edited by Mallika Sarabhai. 1994. PN2885 Ker.Sa
This beautifully illustrated compilation has superb photographs by Pankaj Shah. The appendix has a 6-page Calendar of Performances in Kerala preceded by a listing of the 'Malayalam months with the corresponding international months'.
Art as politics in the Third Reich.1996. N6868.5 Nat.Pe
Paintings on one's wall do not invariably denote a positive sign 'though conventional wisdom maintains that the arts exert a humanizing and ennobling influence', observed the author J. Petropoulos. He pointed out that in following Hitler, the subleaders of the Third Reich dedicated an inordinate amount of time and energy to the visual arts, both in the official and the private spheres of their lives. His study noted that the Nazi elite were 'more skilled at purchasing and seizing existing cultural artifacts than they were in promoting or furthering creativity.'A related book is Michael Meyer's The politics of music in the Third Reich, 1991. ML275.5 Mey
Pianos and politics in China: middle-class ambitions and the struggle over Western music. 1989. ML336.5 Kra
Richard Curt Kraus organizes this study around the lives of four important Chinese musicians 'whose careers embody the contradiction of Western culture and Chinese politics.' They are the composer Xian Xianghai (who attended school in Singapore when he was a young boy) and three virtuoso pianists: Fou Ts'ong, Yin Chenzong (both of whom had performed at Singapore's Victoria Concert Hall) and Liu Shikun. The book ends with a chapter on The Power of Music, the Music of Power.
Bearing meaning: the language of birth, 1995. HQ759 Kah
No, Yes, I mean, this is about the language of birth, not the birth of language. 'The language of birth that Western culture and medical protocols and practices offer, I be lieve, are disfigurements ... With the added distortions of capitalism, women's reproductive labor is subordinated to productive labor', argues Robbie Pfeufer Kahn in this treatise, which weaves together politics, philosophy, social theories and personal experience. It will make absorbing reading particularly for students of medicine or sociology and policy makers.
Am I thin enough yet?: the cult of thinness and the commercialization of identity. 1996. BF697.5 Bod.H
Have women really come a long way? Sharlene J. Hesse-Biber asks women to liberate themselves from the meaningless pursuit of ideal thinness at any cost.
Computers, surveillance and privacy, edited by David Lyon and Elia Zureik. 1996. TK7872 Eav.Co
The social impact of information technology is discussed.For more of such materials, just check LINC under the subject heading Information technology--Social aspects.
Ethics in engineering. 3rd ed. 1996. TA157 Mar
Where and how do moral problems arise in engineer ing? The very first sentence in the Preface sets the perspec tives of this book by Mike W. Martin 'Technology has a pervasive and profound effect on the contemporary world, and engineering plays a central role in all aspects of technological development'. Do not wait to read it only after you qualify as an engineer.For further explorations into ethical issues, check LINC under specific subject headings such as Business Ethics, Medical Ethics, Political Ethics, Social Ethics, etc.
The ethics of collecting cultural property, edited by Phyllis Manch Messenger. 1989. CC135 Eth.
A very different type of ethics is discussed and it certainly carries a message and raises questions such as What is Stolen? (Chapter 11).
Out of their minds: the lives and discoveries of 15 great computer scientists. 1995. QA76.2 Sha CLMS, SCMS
Based on in-person interviews, the book profiles the lives and work of eight Turning Award winners, 'the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for computer science'.
Profiles of power and success : fourteen geniuses who broke the rules. 1996. BF637 Suc.La
Gene N. Landrum selects 14 individuals in this study which is 'dedicated to overcoming the myth that money, brains, formal education and societal influence have anything to do with suc cess.' Find out who are the chosen 14 and why (and also who were those considered but not selected).
Sometimes my heart goes numb: love and care giving in a time of AIDS. 1995. RC607 Aid.G
Twenty caregivers talk candidly about their experience and their ideas about active listening, establishing bounda ries and coping with bereavement and uncertainity in this book by Charles A. Garfield with Cindy Spring and Doris Ober.
When illness strikes the leader: the dilemma of the captive king. 1993. JF1525 Dec.Po CLRBR
The authors, Jerrold M. Post, a physician trained in psychiatry who has devoted his career to the study of political leadership, and Robert S. Robins, a political scientist, reviewed 'more than a hundred cases to identify patterns and themes associated with the effect of illness upon the relationship among the leader, inner circle, fol lowers, and political system itself.'
Embracing their memory : loss and the social psy chology of storytelling. 1996. BF575 Dis.Ha
John H. Harveys writes for the readers 'who wish to probe and grapple with the meaning of loss and adaptation to loss', maintaining also that 'to recognize that the need to grieve for our losses is healthy.' Covers loss of close relationships through divorce, death, natural disaster and violence and concludes with a chapter on Losses that Heal and are Generative.
The language of life : a festival of poets. 1995. PS325 Moy
You do not care for poetry and could not care less about the people who write them? Then stay away from this book or else you may change your mind!A series of absolutely engaging conversations with 34 American poets such as Robert Bly and Robert Hass and including Asian-Americans Marilyn Chin, Lee Li-Young and David Mura. Edited by James Haba, this is a collabo ration from journalist Bill Moyers and filmmaker David Grubin; a companion volume to a Public Broadcasting Service series.
The Straits Chinese: a cultural history. 1995. DS599.4 *Per.Kh
Dr Khoo Joo Ee, the Curator of the Asian Art Museum in Kuala Lumpur and a Straits Chinese from Penang, provides a detailed account of the Straits Chinese in this beautifully illustrated work published in Amsterdam.
Portraits of places : history, community and identity in Singapore. 1995. DS599.4 Por HMLMS, CLRBR, CLSMC
What is the relationship between place and history, community and identity? What is the meaning of place? Find out from this collection of essays written by Singa pore's geographers, sociologists and other professionals, and read about the place-making of some of the most captivating districts and neighborhoods in Singapore such as Holland Village, Katong, Tiong Bahru, etc. Edited by Brenda S.A. Yeoh and Lily Kong from the Department of Geography at NUS.
Manhood in America : a cultural history. 1996. HQ1090.3 Kie
Provoking and entertaining. The author, Michael Kimmel, makes two claims: First, manhood is homosocial that is, men need to prove themselves to each other, not to women. Second, definitions of manliness have evolved in response to women's movements. When women act, men react.
Einstein's wife : work and marriage in the lives of five great twentieth-century women. 1995. HQ759 Gab
Among the five women profiled by Andrea Gabor are Denise Scott Brown (the architect wife of architect Robert Venturi) and Mileva Einstein. If you have sampled Albert Einstein/Mileva : the love letters, 1992 (QC16 Ein.A SCMS), this 1995 account of their marriage would make poignant reading.
The good marriage : how and why love lasts. 1995. HQ734 Wal
An attempt 'to map new territory : the internal life of good marriages in a culture of divorce'. Based on a study sample of 50 married couples in North California who volunteered to be interviewed, and based on the selection criteria set by the authors, Judith S. Wallerstein and S. Blakeslee.
Swaying : essays on intercultural love. 1995. HQ1032 Swa
Read how couples in interethnic marriages 'struggle, quite often successfully' in making commitments across cultural lines.
American plastic : a cultural history. 1995. TP1117 Mei
A history of material and metaphor by Jeffrey L. Meikle.
Sign wars: the cluttered landscape of advertising. 1995. HF5821 Gol
Advertisements are everywhere, so read about their impact as discussed by Robert Goldman and Stephen Papson.
Migrations and cultures : a world view. 1996. JV6021 Sow
Thomas Sowell takes a sweeping historical and global look at a large number of migrations over a long period of time, covering the Germans, Jews, Italians, Japanese, Indians and Chinese.
On prejudice : a global perspective. 1993. BF575 Pre.O
Through essays, memoirs, polemics, short fiction, etc. the contributions edited by Daniela Gioseffi explore the nature and expression of human prejudice from global and historical perspectives.
Honest opportunism : the rise of the career politician. 1993. JN231 Rid
Peter Riddell, political columnist and commentator of The Times, provides a broad look at how British politics has changed in the last thirty years.
Union of words : a history of presidential eloquence. 1996. JK518 Fie
You and I ought not to die, before we have explained ourselves to each other.
John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 15 July 1813.
Wayne Fields the author states that 'the eloquence Americans hope for in their executives is ill defined and reflects a long-standing uncertainty about what kind of public discourse can be trusted' (p.9). Read all about presidential rhetoric in this title before the elections in the United States this year from declaration of candidacy and nomination to inaugurals and special occasions and finally, executive farewells, the title of its last chapter.
God and the philosophers. 1994. BR102 God
'The reconciliation of faith and reason' is the subtitle of this book which contains a series of highly personal essays edited by Thomas V. Morris.
The Oxbridge conspiracy : how the ancient universities have kept their stranglehold on the establishment. 1994. LA637.7 Ell
A controversial analysis by Walter Ellis, who writes for The Times, of the role played by Oxbridge in Britain today.
If you are interested in the collection of the Chinese Library (located in the Central Library Building), check its catalogue ChiLINC.
If you prefer to relax by watching feature films and documentaries, many interesting titles are available during office hours at the Central Library Media Resources Department. Check LINC for availability of titles or ask the staff for assistance.
Finally, campus-wide desktop accessibility of what are the new arrivals at the NUS Library is possible, just access Library InfoGate on NUSNET and select New Titles for the Month (NETM).