| Summary: | READ "R" REVIEWS Journal Review of: "National Geographic" Have you ever felt like traveling but lacked the time and money? Now you can explore the scorching Sahara or the icebergs of Iceland without leaving your couch through the magical articles and award-winning photography of National Geographic. The National Geographic Society has published the National Geographic magazine since 1888. The monthly publication covers a variety of topics including environmental issues, people and their culture, nature, and discoveries and expeditions by the National Geographic Society. Examples of some of the feature articles are how meditation changes the brain, the nomadic existence of the Moken who live 8 to 9 months of the year in boats, and Tsunamis formations. The magazine also investigates wild life, such as killer whales, spotted hyenas, and the snow fox. National Geographic always seems to be ahead of its time. An example of this is the October 2004 article on the perils of the Louisiana wetlands and the disappearing coastline. Less than a year later the predictions in this article came true when Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans. Some of the feature articles in the most recent issue include the latest on Southeast Asia's bird flu, Africa's Danaki Desert, the natural beauty of Northwestern Hawaiian Island, and the peril of the domesticated elephants of urban Thailand. Through their informative articles and breathtaking photography, National Geographic makes learning fun. National Geographic is available in a couple different formats in the Bellevue University Library. The paper version, from 1933 to the present, is housed in the periodical section of the library, while the electronic version, from 2001 to the present, can be found through ProQuest Direct, one of the databases available on the Bellevue University Library webpage. Book Review of: "Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" Author: Barack Obama (E185.97.O23 A3 2004) Who is Barack Obama? This wonderfully written autobiography Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance will acquaint you with the author and his personal journey to find his racial identity as a black American. As Barack Obama so eloquently states, "What has found its way onto these pages is a record of a personal, interior journey - a boy's search for his father, and through that search a workable meaning for his life as a black American." Barack Obama is the son of a white mother from Wichita, Kansas and a black African father from Kenya. He was born in Hawaii in 1961 and was raised by his mother and grandparents from an early age after his father left the family and returned to Africa. The beginning of Obama's personal journey began after he received the news that his father had been killed in a car accident. The news of his father's unexpected death motivated him to take an emotional journey of self-discovery - he traveled to Kansas and traced his mother's family from Kansas to Hawaii, and later he traveled to Kenya to meet the African side of his family. Obama explores his internal struggle with belonging to a white world and a black world and not knowing which world he belonged in. Fortunately, he is able to resolve his two separate heritages and eventually found his place in society as a black American. He has achieved great success; Obama became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review and after graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1991, he worked as a civil-rights lawyer and a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School. Obama was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1997, where he served as Chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee. Today he is the Democratic Senator for the State of Illinois and he is the only African-American currently serving in the United States Senate. He is considered one of the nation's fastest rising political stars and could possibly be the first African American president of the United States. Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance is insightful and superbly written; it is well worth reading and at the conclusion you will appreciate why he titled the book Dreams From My Father. As an added bonus the keynote address given by Barack Obama to the Democratic Convention on July 27, 2004 has been included. Video Review of: "Shanghai Ghetto" (DVD DS135.C5 S525 2005) With the start of World War II, thousands of Jews in Germany found themselves with nowhere to go. Their homes and businesses were destroyed on the November night known as Krystallnacht. No one could leave Germany without a passport, none of which were being given out. The Evian Conference of 1938 proved that few were willing to take in Jewish refugees. Then a ray of hope appeared when rumors spread that there was a place on the other side of the world where anyone could go without papers. Just a four-week trip on a luxury ship and they would be free from German oppression. The refugees, most having been fairly wealthy, were thrust into poverty upon arriving at Hongkew port in Shanghai. This city was unprepared to become home to so many people and there was barely enough space for everyone. The wealthy Baghdadi Jews, already in Shanghai, stepped forward and began to build shelters and schools. Soon there was a still poor, yet thriving community. Then the Japanese bombed Pearl harbor, America entered the war, and suddenly everything changed. "Shanghai Ghetto" is about the experiences of Jewish refugees in an extremely foreign land. Four survivors tell their incredible stories of sacrifice, loss, hope and survival. They recall the moment that really changed their lives, and profess the hard learned lesson that paradise is relative. This DVD can be found in our video collection and can be checked out for seven days. Database Data With the addition of the new online database, Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC), there is no excuse for not being well informed about social issues. All sides of controversial issues are covered in detail. There are over one hundred topics to choose from, each offering a wealth of information including articles, viewpoint essays, statistics, images, and links to websites. Topic overviews, court cases, biographies, and profiles of government agencies and special interest groups are also available for many topics. In addition, one hot topic currently in the news is prominently spotlighted. Archives of previously spotlighted topics are also available. Sources include journals and newspapers, as well as information from the Opposing Viewpoints print series. Even if your topic is not listed, you may do a search for it, and chances are good that you will find some information. Also, new titles and content are added regularly, reflecting market research on issues of interest. However, OVRC is more than just a collection of resources, it is a teaching tool too. The "Research Guide" and "Toolbox" are particularly good features. In the Research Guide, students will find guidance in analyzing information, evaluating sources, and using critical thinking skills to develop opinions. The Toolbox offers tips on everything from choosing a topic, to organizing a report, to citing sources. Even though the database is easy to use, "Search Tips" and "Frequently Asked Questions" offer further assistance, and there is even a "Dictionary" included. OVRC is truly a thorough and unique database, invaluable whether you need to research an issue for an assignment or just want to be well informed. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center may be accessed from the library homepage or through B.R.U.I.N.
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