Recommended Reading: Books by de Vise ’89, Fox ’92, P’26, and Others
DANIEL DE VISE ’89
In the 44 years since its premiere, The Blues Brothers has been inducted into the National Film Registry for its cultural significance, declared a “Catholic classic” by the Church itself, and re-aired thousands of times. In this book, author Daniel de Visé reveals the epic story behind one of the most significant films of the 20th century, including the colorful childhoods of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd; the comedic revolution sparked by the Harvard Lampoon and Chicago’s Second City; the anecdote-rich, drug-filled early years of Saturday Night Live, where the Blues Brothers were born; and the behind-the-scenes stories of how the film was made. Based on original research and dozens of interviews with principals from director John Landis and producer Bob Weiss to Aykroyd himself, The Blues Brothers illuminates an American masterpiece while vividly portraying the creative geniuses behind modern comedy. (Grove/Atlantic Inc.)
Susannah Fox ’92, P’26
Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-led Revolution in Medical Care
Anyone who has fallen off the conveyer belt of mainstream health care and into the shadowy corners of chronic illness knows what a dark place it is to land. Author Susannah Fox draws on 20 years of researching the expert networks of patients, survivors, and caregivers existing between the cracks of the health care system to offer a way forward. She identifies four archetypes of this rebel health revolution: seekers, networkers, solvers, and champions. Anyone who wants to navigate the health care maze faster will want to become a health rebel or recruit some to their team. It is also a competitive advantage for businesses, governments, and organizations to understand and leverage the power of connection among these patients, survivors, and caregivers. Action-oriented and radically hopeful, Rebel Health is a guide for anyone who wishes to join the rebel health alliance and become the hero of their own story. (MIT Press)
Audrey Golden ’06
I Thought I Heard You Speak: Women at Factory Records
Factory Records has become the stuff of legend. The histories of the label have been told from many perspectives, yet no in-depth history has ever been told from the perspectives of the women who were integral to Factory’s cultural significance. The untold history of Factory Records is one of women’s work at nearly every turn: recording music, playing live gigs, running the label behind the scenes, managing and promoting bands, designing record sleeves, making films and music videos, pioneering sound technology, DJing, and running one of the most chaotic clubs on the planet, The Haçienda. Featuring contributions from Gillian Gilbert, Gina Birch, Cath Carroll, Penny Henry, and over 50 more interviewees, I Thought I Heard You Speak is an oral history that reveals the true cultural reach of the label and its staying power in the 21st century. (White Rabbit)
David Lindorff ’71
Spy for No Country: The Story of Ted Hall, the Teenage Atomic Spy Who May Have Saved the World
In 1944, eighteen-year-old Theodore Hall was the youngest physicist on the Manhattan Project. He was recruited from Harvard and sent to Los Alamos where he tested and refined the complex implosion system for the plutonium bomb. What Hall’s colleagues didn’t know was that the teenager was also feeding top-secret schematics about the bomb to the Soviets. But Hall was neither a Communist nor a Soviet sympathizer; he wanted to ensure that America did not monopolize the science behind the atomic bomb, which he felt may have apocalyptic consequences. Featuring in-depth research from recently declassified FBI documents, first-hand journals, and personal interviews, investigative journalist David Lindorff uncovers the story of the atomic spy who gave away secrets and helped level the playing field in the arena of nuclear war. (Prometheus)
Catherine Maguire ’83 (and Amy LaViers)
Just as different movements express the inner emotions of humans, so too can the engineered systems behind robots. Making Meaning with Machines is a rigorous primer in movement studies for designers, engineers, and scientists that draws on the fields of dance and robotics. Drawing upon the Laban/Bartenieff tradition, Amy LaViers and Catherine Maguire offer a refreshingly embodied approach to machine design that supports the growing need to make meaning with machines by using the field of movement studies, including choreography, somatics, and notation to design expressive robots. The book includes an overview of movement studies, exercises that define the presented taxonomy and principles of movement, case studies in movement analysis of both humans and robots, and state-of-the-art research at the intersection of robotics and dance. (MIT Press)
