Faculty Profile:
Tom Reck

Faculty Reflection

Opportunities for Giving

Campus Collage

Helping To Make CSU, Chico Better

Wine Appreciation Through the Senses: A Practical Guide for Winetasters, by Marian Baldy, College of Agriculture (American Wine Society, 1997; 58 pages; $15 paperback)

This brief guide introduces the novice winetaster to the systematic techniques and procedures used by experts. The reader is introduced to the five parts of sensory evaluation -- appearance, color, odor, in-mouth impressions, and overall assessment. Baldy then provides a detailed discussion of the anatomy and physiology of olfaction ("flavors are odors," she explains) and advice for learning "wine odors." The fundamentals of taste thresholds and a separate chapter on bitterness and astringency complete the guide. Wine Appreciation includes fifteen tables, twenty-six figures, and a glossary.

Teaching in Multilingual Classrooms: A Teacher's Guide to Context, Process, and Content, by Hilda Hernandez, Department of Education (Merrill-Prentice Hall, 1997; 264 pages; $31 hard cover)

"Teaching in multilingual classrooms is in some ways analogous to building bridges," writes Hernandez in the preface. Her book examines the complex relationships between home, school, and community and language, literacy, and academic development. Hernandez provides a synthesis of research and connects that to classroom techniques and strategies for K-12 teachers. She emphasizes the importance of context, process, and content. Hernandez also examines how students adapt academically as well as individually to a new culture; second language acquisition and literacy development; and teaching and assessment strategies appropriate to various levels of students' development.

 
 
Qualitative Analysis of Human Movement, by Duane Knudson, Department of Physical Education and Exercise Science, with Craig S. Morrison (Southern Utah University) (Human Kinetics, 1997; 216 pages; $32 hard cover)

This textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses is the first to present an integrated approach to qualitative analysis of human movement. Also useful as a reference for teachers and future teachers, the book guides readers through the process of qualitative analysis, providing illustrations, tutorials, case studies, and examples from a wide variety of sports and activities that show what movement professionals encounter every day. The authors present a comprehensive four-task model of qualitative analysis that integrates many subdisciplines of kinesiology. The text helps readers sharpen their abilities to observe movement, detect errors, and diagnose situations to help people move more effectively.

 
 
Sainete criollo / democracia / representación: El caso de Nemesio Trejo, by Silvia Pellarolo, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures (Corregidor Press, 1997; 237 pages; $15 paperback)

Pellarolo analyzes the representation of the prominent demographic, political, economic, and cultural changes in Buenos Aires society from 1890 to 1916 as portrayed in the popular theatre of that time, the sainete criollo. Based on the theory of transculturation, the study includes an evaluation of popular/massive cultural productions in the context of the modernization of a peripheric economy. Specifically, it recognizes agency in the producers of these non-dominant cultures whose cultural transformation is not only experienced as a "loss" of the original values, but also as a process of empowerment through an active selection and appropriation of elements of both the former as well as the receiving culture.

 
 
Dimensions of Communication: An Introduction, by Michael D. Scott and Steven R. Brydon, Department of Communication Arts and Sciences (Mayfield, 1997; 276 pages; $41.95 hard cover)

Dimensions of Communication is designed around the concept that "although the context in which people communicate may change, the basic skills that define communication competence are much the same in every context." This introductory text examines the foundations of communication and addresses its various contexts: relational communication, small group communication, public speaking, and mass communication. Dimensions draws on rhetorical principles and contemporary communication research and emphasizes critical thinking and multiculturalism. Accompanying the text is a video that uses live action, animation, and still photographs to convey fully the dynamic process of communication.

 
 
Crime and Immigrant Youth, by Tony Waters, Department of Sociology and Social Work (Sage, 1998; 224 pages; $48 hard cover, $21.95 paperback)

Crime and Immigrant Youth explores the causes of youthful crime in immigrant populations. Using data from 100 years of United States immigration records, particularly from California, Waters examines immigrant groups such as Mexicans and Molokan Russians in the early twentieth century and Laotians, Koreans, and Mexicans in the late twentieth century. He discusses the evolution of migrant families and reveals where crime does and does not occur. Numerous case examples show how misunderstandings between immigrant parents and their children often provide conditions for a predictable outbreak of crime. Waters theorizes that as long as this country has a demand for cheap immigrant labor, the "second generation" issue of youthful crime and gangs in immigrant communities will persist.

Casey Huff, University Publications, compiled Open Book, Book Shelf, and Book Marks.