University of California Press Blog

David Montgomery Wins MacArthur Fellowship

Congratulations to David Montgomery, UC Press author and 2008 MacArthur Fellow!

Montgomery is a geomorphologist and the author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, which recently won the Washington State Book Award in General Nonfiction from the Washington Center for the Book, at the Seattle Public Library. In Dirt, Montgomery tells the story of our most important and underrated resource—the very ground we walk on. He examines soil's critical role in the rise and collapse of societies throughout history, and warns about the potentially catastrophic consequences of our own civilization's unsustainable use of soil.

The MacArthur Foundation selects its fellows for their exceptional talent, creativity, past achievements, and potential for future contributions. There are no restrictions on age or profession (a fiction writer, a violinist, a geriatrician, and a structural engineer are among this year's Fellows), and recipients can spend the $500,000 award any way they choose.

Interview with Tyler Colman, author of Wine Politics

On September 18, Mike Sula of the Chicago Reader published an interview with Tyler Colman, author of Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink (UC Press, July 2008). Below, is a passage from the interview. To view the whole interview, please visit visit the Omnivorous column, Oenonomics 101.

Whereas in the U.S. producers don’t struggle with each other, they struggle with the government, and by extension distributors?

If you want to plant gewürztraminer in Napa Valley then you’re welcome to do that. You can irrigate and plant your vines at whatever density you want to. But all of that is controlled by appellations rules in France. So American producers do seem to have a freer hand on the production side. But when it comes to simply getting the wine to the consumer in the United States—which you would think would be a no-brainer in the free-market economy—it’s actually incredibly difficult. The most glaring example for Illinois consumers is the law that just went into effect in June that prevents Illinois residents from ordering wine from out-of-state retailers.

Stat-Spotting 'Illions and 'Illions

Joel Best is Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. Among his many books are Flavor of the Month: Why Smart People Fall for Fads, More Damned Lies and Statistics: How Numbers Confuse Public Issues, and Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians, and Activists, all from UC Press. In his latest book, Stat-Spotting: A Field Guide to Identifying Dubious Data (UC Press, September 2008), he investigates ambiguous data. While in his piece below, he examines how media news uses large numbers like millions and billions in their stories.

‘Illions and ‘Illions

By Joel Best

“The billion is the new million.”  That’s the opening sentence in my new book, Stat-Spotting: A Field Guide to Identifying Dubious Data (University of California Press, 2008).  In writing that sentence, I was trying to make two points.  First, a million used to be a big–and fairly unusual--number, but today’s news reports refer to billions–billions of people, billions of dollars, and so on.  Second, there is a tendency to gloss over the differences between millions and billions, to mentally treat them as essentially equal–as a lot.

Recent economic news invites us to equate–as all being a lot–not just millions and billions, but trillions.  Last year, the CEO of a major financial firm (that recently went belly up) took home an estimated $45 million.  For everyone except Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, that annual income probably seems like a lot.  A little over a week ago, the federal government invested $85 billion in AIG, the endangered insurance giant.  Even Bill Gates probably considers that a lot.  As I write, Congress is debating a proposal to spend close to $800 billion–some pessimists warn the real total could easily exceed a trillion dollars–to bail out Wall Street.

The mind boggles.  These are all big, nearly incomprehensible numbers, and the temptation to just shrug and say, yup, $45 million and $85 billion and $1 trillion are all a lot of money.  But, of course, it is important to remember just how different those figures are.  It would take over 1,888 $45 million CEO salaries to cover the AIG investment, and more than 22,000 of those salaries to cover a $1 trillion bailout.  (Remember, a trillion is a million millions.) Those numbers may all be a lot, but they sure aren’t equal.

Clearly, we’re living in an age when the news media present many–usually big, impressive–numbers.  Understanding the news requires that we confront those figures, rather than just dismissing them as a lot.  Now, more than ever, we need to think critically about the numbers in the news.
   

Let's Talk About Wine. UC Press Podcast Featuring, John Winthrop Haeger and Tyler Colman

Cheers! Episode 7 of the UC Press podcast series is now available. In September's episode, Chris Gondek of Heron and Crane Productions interviews two wine experts. First, it's John Winthrop Haeger, the author of Pacific Pinot Noir: A Comprehensive Winery Guide for Consumers and Connoisseurs and second, it's Tyler Colman, author of Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink. You may subscribe to the monthly podcast feed that contains the individual episodes using your RSS aggregator or directly via the iTunes store.  You can listen to individual author interviews from the episodes at www.ucpress.edu/podcast or on the individual book pages using the embedded player.

Listen to an interview with John Winthrop Haeger, author of Pacific Pinot Noir.

Listen to an interview with Tyler Colman, author of Wine Politics.

Article with Robert Davis, author of The Healthy Skeptic

On Sept. 22, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer, Helena Oliviero chatted with Robert Davis, author of The Healthy Skeptic: Cutting Through the Hype About Your Health (UC Press, June 2008). In the article, Davis examines the myths of dark chocolate and hair color, among other things. While an excerpt of the article is posted below, you can find the full story "Emory Teacher Questions Foods' Benefits" here.

HARD TRUTHS

We recently asked Davis about some popular medical claims:

The claim: Dark chocolate prevents heart disease.

The Healthy Skeptic: Small, short-term studies — virtually all of them funded by the chocolate candy industry — suggest dark chocolate, which contain antioxidants known as flavanols, may have some beneficial effects on your cardiovascular system when consumed in large quantities. This doesn’t mean you are less likely to have a heart attack 10 or 20 years down the line.

Bottom line: There’s no evidence a little chocolate now and then is bad for you. But remember: Chocolate should viewed as candy — not medicine.

The claim: High cholesterol is bad for you.

The Healthy Skeptic: There is much more to heart health than cholesterol. Only half of people who have had heart attacks had high cholesterol levels.

Bottom line: You should know your number but not be obsessed with it. If you have high cholesterol, it does not mean you will drop dead from a heart attack. And if you have low cholesterol, it does not mean you can eat whatever you want.

The claim: Vitamin B gives you more energy.

The Healthy Skeptic: Vitamins help convert carbohydrates into energy, but they are not a source of energy. Only food supplies energy. A normal diet and multivitamin provides sufficient Vitamin B to covert carbs into energy.

Bottom line: You do not need extra doses of Vitamin B. You can get what you need from your diet and daily multivitamin.

The claim: Blueberries will prevent Alzheizmer’s.

The Healthy Skeptic: Blueberries have antioxidants. They are perfectly good to eat and one of the many fruits we should eat, but there’s no basis to suggest that blueberries are better than you than strawberries or watermelon or that it will prevent Alzheimer’s.

Bottom line: Stop being fixated on any one fruit and focus on your overall diet and getting a variety of fruits and vegetables.

The claim: Red wine is good for your heart.

The Healthy Skeptic: There is some evidence that a glass of wine every night may be good for your heart, but the risk of drinking too much is far greater than drinking just the right amount.

Bottom line: If you want to drink a glass or two of wine, that’s fine and it may be beneficial, but any more is probably not a good idea.

The claim: Sunscreen prevents cancer.

The Healthy Skeptic: Sunscreen prevents sunburn and can prevent squamous skin cancer but there is not strong evidence that it prevents the very serious melanoma.

Bottom line: Avoiding sun, staying in the shade and wearing wide-brimmed hats are more effective measures. Sunscreen should not be a first defense.

The claim: Teflon pans cause cancer and birth defects.

The Healthy Skeptic: The production of Teflon involves a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and studies in rodents show that it may cause cancer and birth defects. Virtually all Americans have PFOA in their blood but the levels tend to be extremely low — about five parts per billion. That’s up to 25,000 times less than the amount demonstrated to cause harm in lab animals.

Bottom line: Don’t throw out your Teflon pans, and don’t worry about it.

Interview with Roger Martin, author of Racing Odysseus

In the September 17 issue of Shelf Awareness: Daily Enlightenment for the Book Trade, the editors had a chance to interview Roger Martin, author of Racing Odysseus: A College President Becomes a Freshman Again. In the interview below, Martin talks about his love for books on classics and higher education.

On your nightstand now:

Colin Thubron's In Siberia. It's 90 degrees outside; plus I love reading travel books.

Favorite book when you were a child:

I didn't read much as a child and paid for it later on. But one of my earliest memories is reading Alan Moorehead's Gallipoli, which opened my eyes to history and to the world.

Your top five authors:

Homer, Plato, Herodotus, Plutarch and Aeschylus. Having had very little interest as a student in Greek literature and philosophy, I got to read these authors in my early 60s and only then realized how much I had missed.

Book you've faked reading:

Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics (all 14 volumes), which I was required to read in Divinity School. To impress my professors and fellow students, I went to public places like the university library and pretended to be reading it. But I was actually sound asleep.

Book you're an evangelist for:

Derek Bok's Our Underachieving Colleges. Bok's thinking about higher education in America is quite profound.

Book you've bought for the cover:

Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics. All 14 volumes sit prominently on my bookshelf at home, and friends and colleagues who visit think that I am very smart.

Book that changed your life:

The Bible. It's not only great literature, but continually inspires me to be a better person.

Favorite line from a book:

A great line in Unseasonable Truths: The Life of Robert Maynard Hutchins, Harry Ashmore's wonderful biography of the fabled president of the University of Chicago, says it all for college presidents like myself: "A university president has at least five constituencies: the faculty, the trustees, the students, the alumni, and the public. He could profitably spend all his time with any one of the five. What he actually does, of course, is to spend just enough with each of the five to irritate the other four."

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

I don't mean to overplay the Great Books theme, but the book I would read again for the first time is Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War. Written almost 2,500 years ago, it is about (among other things) the downfall of Athens when it tried unsuccessfully to impose its political and social values on the rest of the known world. This book is a "must read" for whoever gets elected the next President of the United States!

Online Book Sale

UC Press Announces Its 2008 Online Book Sale!

This year's sale includes:
* Over 3,000 titles at greatly reduced prices
* Hundreds of titles available for under $10
* Many bestselling titles at sale prices

To visit our sale page and browse sale titles, please visit go.ucpress.edu/filluprss  When placing orders, please enter the discount code: 09M4149 in the coupon code box in the shopping cart and click the "update" button to obtain your sale price.

This year's sale runs from today through October 31.  Stock is limited-order now!

 

The State of Health Atlas Named Best Public Health Book by the British Medical Association

Diarmuid O'Donovan's The State of Health Atlas won first prize in the public health category of the British Medical Association's 2008 book competition. The judges called the book “a superbly accessible, beautifully produced, highly informative and well-written compendium of world health statistics", and said, "It will be of interest to a wide range of professionals and students in many areas. It is excellent value for money and should grace the book shelf of everyone who cares about human health.” The awards ceremony took place on September 9.

Interview with Marion Nestle, author of Pet Food Politics

On September 10, blogger Jill Richardson interviewed Marion Nestle, author of Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine (UC Press, August 2008), Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, Revised and Expanded Edition (UC Press, October 2007), and Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism (UC Press, March 2003). Below is an excerpt of the interview. To read the entire interview, click here. Additionally, you can read Richardson's blogs, La Vida Locavore and Recipe for America.

Jill Richardson: At what point did you know you needed to write about the pet food crisis of 2007? What in particular about the story made it a compelling topic for you?

Marion Nestle: This is a long story. My book What to Eat came out in 2006. It's not really a book about what to eat; it's about how to think about what to eat using supermarkets as an organizing device. I went through supermarkets, aisle by aisle, trying to answer every question anyone might have about the issues related to food choices, from nutrition to environmental impact. I kept seeing this huge aisle devoted to dog and cat foods and would look at the products but couldn't understand their labels. If I didn't understand them, I suspected other people might not either. My partner, Mal Nesheim, is a retired animal scientist. He had no trouble understanding them. Aha! Let's do a book together! We signed a contract with Harcourt in February 2007 to write What Pets Eat. And then, one month later, came the recalls. I knew we would have to talk about the recalls in our book. I started working on what I envisioned as a 10-page appendix to What Pets Eat about the recalls, but I totally got into trying to figure out what had happened. The piece got ridiculously out of hand. Fortunately, University of California Press picked it up as a separate book.

JR: What was the top reason that allowed the pet food problems to reach the magnitude they did? Was it preventable?

MN: The number one reason is that nobody was paying any attention to food ingredients imported from China. After that, the reasons multiply. Pet food companies had no idea where their ingredients came from. The manufacture of pet foods is complicated, so it is centralized in a few manufacturing facilities that make many different brands. The food supply for pets is so tightly linked to the food supplies for people and farm animals that the food supplies cannot be separated; what affects one, affects all. The FDA has lost so much funding over the last 10 years or so that it can't do its job. And China is an important trading partner as well as an exporter of cheap goods. This is a hugely complicated, interconnected story that I thought was well worth telling.

JR: What do you think readers will find most shocking about what our pets eat?

MN: What shocked me the most was the lack of oversight. Readers may feel differently. I expected to be appalled by what is in pet foods, but I think they are really OK. Dogs and cats don't mind eating parts of animals that we wouldn't dream of eating. Pet foods perform an important public service in making good use of the nutritious byproducts of human food production. Otherwise, those byproducts would go to waste and have to be thrown in landfills or burned.

Another E Ink Reader Joins the Fray

Today, the NY Times announced a new e-newspaper reader from Plastic Logic. No, this is still not the publishing industry's iPod moment. Still, it's interesting to note that new iterations of E Ink readers are appearing in faster cycles and that more companies are entering into the fray.

A question for readers of this post who resent the fact that they have to read it on screen: is the back-lit screen a major reason that you don't currently like to read books, newspapers, and magazines on you computer or PDA?

Laura Cerruti is Director of Digital Content Development at University of California Press