Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2017 -

Chowdhury and Akenson's edited volume on diaspora provides an invaluable contribution. The text is organized into two parts: "Concept" and "Formations." The former provides crucial prehistories to diaspora, and the latter is a series of engaging case studies linking diaspora to global history. The introduction provides a rigorous opening salvo; it asks questions and introduces concepts that the contributors examine throughout the text, articulating how "diasporas inhabit that curious space made possible through dispersion, and are claimed through varied articulations of belonging." The foundations built in part 1 frame trade in the Western Indian Ocean, the Swedish diaspora, English culture in 19th-century North America, the Great Famine (Ireland), and Indian indentured laborers in part 2. The text rigorously examines definitions of diaspora that will engage historians, political scientists, and anthropologists. The conclusion reflects that despite the new nationalism movement gaining traction, it "has only served to proliferate diasporic claims of disparate groups" demanding that "the academic concept of diaspora now more than ever requires urgent renewal and repair." This thought-provoking volume is mandatory for graduate students, faculty, and specialists in diaspora studies, as well as students and scholars of global history.Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above.

The timeliness of this book could not be more obvious. As millions of migrant persons, many of them children, pour across borders, few writers have taken the thoughtful investigative stance of what happens to them next as have these contributors. In 10 extremely well-written chapters, these authors explore patterns of international migration, the politics and policies that drive them, and, most importantly, the effect of this transitory narrative on the identities of the migrant children themselves. Written in novel, accessible, first-person fashion, the editors "speak" to readers in the clear, concrete prose of critical realism. Using primarily case studies, contributors narrate the tales of migrant children across the globe--from Pakistan to Norway, the South Sudan to the US, Vietnam to the Czech Republic. Highlighting field research but adding depth through analysis, contributors offer both close-up and wide angle views of migrant childrens' experiences. This compelling text is a must read for anyone no longer satisfied with being merely a spectator in the migrant crisis unfolding in front of the world; it will help propel readers toward informed action.Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.

Beres (social work, King's Univ. College, Western Univ., Canada) goes above and beyond what her book's unassuming title might indicate, providing a unique perspective on spirituality within the social work practice setting. Today, people often avoid discussion or inclusion of spirituality so as not to offend others, or to evade one's own personal discomfort. This collection affords readers an open and honest discussion exploring spiritual beliefs and practices originating from a diverse society, written by professionals of varying backgrounds and experience. The book also explores the potential effects of spirituality on the practitioner's personal and professional self, as well as how those effects translate into client-worker interactions. Critical reflection of the practitioner's own spirituality becomes a springboard for reflective practice with colleagues and clients. The collection is well organized and brings a new focus on such concepts as mindfulness, being present and available to clients, and acceptance, and emphasizes the connection between spirituality and the values on which the social work profession was founded. This easy read would be of great benefit to all students and professionals who ever questioned what place spirituality should have in their professional practice.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.

Although veterans often feature in highly dramatic news stories about active shooter events, PTSD, homelessness, or VA healthcare inadequacies, surprisingly few texts of academic caliber focus on current issues surrounding veterans. A noticeable exception is this two-volume set edited by Hicks (St. Mary's College of Maryland), Weiss (Univ. of Southern California), and Coll (Texas State Univ.), which offers 30 articles on an array of social topics ranging from higher education, employment, families, and healthcare to more timely issues of media portrayal, suicide, immigrants, LGBT and women veterans, and the Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program. Previous data from surveys, government or research statistics, literature reviews, and personal interviews is often used to present secondary data analysis and content analysis that offer new insights into how veterans navigate the transition from military to veteran status and acclimate (or fail to acclimate) to civilian life. Patricia Stern's Veterans Readjusting to Civilian Life: Overview of Issues, Challenges, and Transition Assistance (2015), a significantly slimmer work, is the only comparison text. A fantastic read! For institutions with sociology, social work, political science, or military history programs, or any public library serving substantial military populations.Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.