Books for Understanding: Scholarship beyond the Headlines

Books for Understanding: Scholarship beyond the Headlines, from the Association of American University Presses.
This free Web site provides lists of university press books on topics of current interest. The lists are divided into six groups--International, United States, Public Policy and Civics, Nature and Science, Religion, and Art and Literature--and organized internally by subtopics. Examples of topics include Ronald Reagan (under United States), Hurricane Katrina (under Nature and Science), and U.S. Poets Laureate (under Art and Literature). Since university press books are highly respected sources of scholarly, peer-reviewed information, these lists can be valuable to researchers (students and professors) and to collection development librarians. This site could reassure students that the books they have chosen are scholarly and lead them away from Googled sources and newspaper articles to more reputable information. Each book listed is reliably linked to pertinent information at a specific university press site. This resource is easy to use and the information clearly presented. Some librarians or professors might want to link to relevant lists through a research guide or course management software. RSS and e-mail alerts for new lists are available. Libraries and instructors seeking book data in alternative formats such as text files may contact the site's project manager. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general audience. -- J. E. Sheets, Baylor University Reviewed in ACRL's June, 2011 CHOICE.