In our last issue, we asked readers to complete a survey if they were curious about what LAS faculty and staff are reading. Beyond all the typical professional journals and other research publications, here's what some faculty said they read this summer for work and pleasure:
Pamela Riney-Kehrberg
Distinguished Professor of History
Department of History
"Snowblind," the first in a series by Icelandic author Ragnar Jonasson.
Maximilian Viatori
Professor of Anthropology
Department of World Languages and Cultures
"The Fishmeal Revolution: The Industrialization of the Humboldt Current Ecosystem," by Kristen Wintersteen.
Emily Smith
Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
"Blowout," by Rachel Maddow.
This book selection has an interesting story behind it. Emily was re-reading the book prior to seeing her uncle, Iowa State alumnus John Lutt, over the summer. He gave Emily the book, about the global energy industry, as a gift when she accepted a new position with U.S. Department of Energy's Ames National Laboratory.
Emily also delved into Iowa authors over the summer, including:
"Everything We Didn’t Say," by Nicole Baart.
Bonar Hernández
Associate Professor
Department of History
Hernández shared a book he was re-reading:
"I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala," by Rigoberta Menchú.
The book is the testimonial of Rigoberta Menchú, a Maya indigenous woman and political activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for her defense of human rights in Guatemala during the country’s civil war (1960-96).
He was also reading, "Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas," by Roberto Lovato.
The memoir partly examines the relationship between U.S. policy and the history of immigration from Central America to the United States during the Cold War.
If you'd like to know what books faculty and staff in certain majors or programs are reading, complete this quick survey. Skip to the end of the survey to name a specific, current faculty or staff member. Each month, we'll review the top requests and include a new collection in the next issue of Link.