Algorithms of oppression, by Safiya Umoja Noble

 

Safiya Noble was a speaker at the 2020 Association of Research Libraries fall forum, and attendees received a copy of her book prior to the forum. This is a heavily-researched in-depth look at how search engines (primarily Google) treats non-whites and women. Dr. Noble has conducted research into the algorithms that return racist or sexist results for seemingly innocent searches that begin with phrases such as "Black girls are..." or "Asian girls are..." At the time that she conducted her original research, such searches would bring up highly sexualized or pornographic results on the first page. Noble's research has resulted in Google's changing its algorithms to prevent this, as shown by more recent searches. Noble's research goes much further than these examples, and should be read by anyone who is a regular user of search engines; it's truly eye-opening!

You can't spell Truth without Ruth, [compiled by] Mary Zaia

 

This is a fun collection of Ruth Bader Ginsburg quotes. My favorite: "Waste no time on anger, regret, or resentment; just get the job done" (p. 85).

Norman Rockwell: 332 magazine covers, by Christopher Finch

 

I bought this small book (4.3 x 4.7 inch) at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is introduced with an essay by Christopher Finch and organized chronologically into 10 sections. Paging through these plates is a great way to spend an hour or two. You can also see all of these magazine covers at the museum, but we haven't been able to go since 2019. We've tried to visit at least once a year; we like to review the standing exhibits, but also check out the changing exhibits as well. One of my favorites from a few years ago was the Roz Chast exhibit. Another good one was "Woodstock to the Moon: 1969 Illustrated."

Optiks, by Zeke Berman

 

This is an interesting collection of black and white photography by an artist who begins by creating a 3-D sculpture and then photographing it. I think he could have picked a more interesting cover for this book, though! He uses strings, other objects, and clay to make interesting displays and then photographs them, making them appear like still-life pictures (see below for my favorite example). This book was published as number 53 in the Untitled series by The Friends of Photography, and is based on an exhibit at the Ansel Adams Center in San Francisco.

Photographs, by Liliane De Cock

 

This is a lovely collection of black and white photographs, with a foreword by Ansel Adams. Ms. De Cock was Adams' assistant for many years, but also a photographer in her own right. Her photographs are in the same vein as Adams, although there appear to be more of an interest in pueblos and rural buildings like barns and churches (see below).

Ship fever, by Andrea Barrett

 

I'm not normally a fan of short stories, but I was bowled over by this collection; it's no wonder that it won the National Book Award. The writing is amazing, and the stories are so creative and unusual, with their focus on scientists and science of the past. I heartily recommend this collection.

This is the American Earth, by Ansel Adams, Nancy Newhall

 

This oversized book is a collection of photographs and accompanying text by Ansel Adams and a few dozen other photographers. Many of Adams' prints are familiar from other published collections. The book was published in 1960 by the Sierra Club, and evokes the rapidly changing landscape of the American West (mostly). Photos show the contrast between the natural landscapes and industrialized farming and suburban sprawl. It's a nice collection, although I didn't take the time to read the entire text.

The Print, by Ansel Adams

 

This is the third book in The Ansel Adams Photography Series, and the only one that the UAlbany Libraries own. It includes many prints that he uses as illustrations for various techniques. It is more about the science and technique of photography than interest me, so I only paged through it. Chapters address: Visualization and the expressive image; Darkroom design and equipment; Printing materials; Proofs and work print: basic printing and enlarging; The fine print: control of values; Final processing; Sensitometry; Finishing, mounting, storage, display; Special printing applications.

She said, by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

 

This is a fascinating account of the investigation that led to Harvey Weinstein's outing as a sexual predator. Mike gave me this book for Christmas (he saw it on a bookshelf behind a reporter who was being interviewed on TV and thought I'd find it interesting). What I like about the book is how it tells the story behind the story. It's not just about the facts of the case, but it shows how the reporters tracked down clues and put the pieces together. If you're at all interested in investigative journalism, this is a great example of how it's done. In addition to covering the Weinstein case, it also includes a chapter about the Christine Blasey Ford allegations, and how she ultimately chose to reveal her story and testify before Congress.

How to be champion: my autobiography, by Sarah Millican

 

I've been watching bits of Sarah Millican's comedy routines online for a while now (thanks, Facebook, for introducing us!), and have found her to be very funny, so I was happy to learn that she'd written a book with a lot of her signature humor. I really enjoyed this book; it covers her entire life from childhood on, although focuses mostly on her adult years and professional career. There are 43 chapters, each ending with tips on "How to be champion." Some of the chapters are: What I was like at school; Things I've been bullied for; Dates I have had; Divorce; So many proper jobs; Things my dad taught me; The six men I have loved; How to be a comedian, and Tips for turning forty. All very funny, but also heartfelt, sincere, and authentic. And the writing is very good; I would read more from her, and look forward to watching more of her shows.

How we fight for our lives: a memoir, by Saeed Jones

 

This is a touching, heartfelt, yet brief memoir by poet Saeed Jones, who shares his experiences growing up gay and black in rural Texas, attending college in Western Kentucky, beginning his career as a school teacher and then writer. It's a very personal and intimate look at his life which he shares with brutal honesty. Great writing!