University of California Press Blog

UC Press Podcast: Mingus Speaks

ssilverman — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:06:28 +0000

Books like Mingus Speaks come around once in a lifetime, and Music editor Mary Francis’s enthusiasm for the project is palpable. That’s why we asked her to introduce this episode of the UC Press Podcast, a discussion with writer and former music critic John Goodman, complete with music and archival clips from Mingus’s interviews. Take it away, Mary!

When I [more...]

New UC Press Author Asks: Who Profits From Poverty?

ssilverman — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:39:13 +0000

Ananya Roy and her colleagues at the #GlobalPOV Project, an initiative of UC Berkeley’s Blum Center for Developing Economies, have just released a stunning new illustrated video that explores the business of poverty. Roy is the author of Encountering Poverty (forthcoming from UC Press), a path-breaking book that will consolidate a new field of inquiry: global poverty studies.

Watch the [more...]

Introducing Melissa L. Caldwell, New Editor of Gastronomica

ssilverman — Sat, 11 May 2013 00:30:56 +0000

We’re pleased to announce that Melissa L. Caldwell, Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has joined UC Press as the new editor of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. A two-time UC Press author (Dacha Idylls: Living Organically in Russia’s Countryside and Not by Bread Alone: Social Support in the New Russia), her research [more...]

Wine Tourism Day is May 11th – Pair with a Copy of American Wine

ssilverman — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:23:46 +0000

Over the past three decades, a wine revolution has been taking place across the United States. There are now more than 7,000 American wine producers—up from 440 in 1970—and the best bottles are every bit as good as the finest wines of Europe.

In celebration of this burgeoning industry, Saturday, May 11th, is North America’s first-ever [more...]

Desalinization Issues on the 38th Parallel

ssilverman — Thu, 09 May 2013 01:26:25 +0000

David and Janet Carle, authors of Traveling the 38th Parallel: A Water Line around the World, report on their blog that the desalinization plant in Torrevieja, Spain—a 38th Parallel site they visited in 2010—is nearing completion after 10 years of construction. The Torrevieja plant will be the largest desalinization structure in Europe and the second-largest in the [more...]

Merry White Honored for Contributions to Japanese Studies

ssilverman — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:47:30 +0000

We are pleased to announce that the Government of Japan honored UC Press author Merry White today with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon decoration. The award recognizes Professor White’s significant contribution to the development of Japanese studies and the introduction of Japanese culture in the United States.

Merry White, better [more...]

Preserving Healthy Soil for Future Generations

ssilverman — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:46:31 +0000

David R. Montgomery, author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations and professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, was recently profiled as one of Sunset Magazine’s “10 Visionaries, Trendsetters, and Innovators” who are “redefining every aspect of gardening in the West—and changing the way we live, eat, and connect with one another.”

Montgomery was [more...]

Draw a Proof, Win a Book

ssilverman — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:28:46 +0000

Nathan Schneider, author of the forthcoming book God in Proof: The Story of a Search from the Ancients to the Internet (June 2013) is running a contest over at his website, The Row Boat, in which he asks readers to draw a proof of what they believe. Read Schneider’s description of the contest below.

What Do You Believe? How [more...]

UC Press Podcast: The Amazing Bud Powell

ssilverman — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:24:39 +0000

In this special edition of the UC Press Podcast, our Music editor Mary Francis introduces author Guy Ramsey, whom she’s worked with for 10 years. Read Mary’s account of the backstory behind the project, then listen to the podcast below.

I’ve worked with Guy Ramsey on some truly fantastic projects, starting with his ground-breaking Race Music: [more...]

Why the World Needs Benchwarmers

ssilverman — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:54:32 +0000

Harvard sociologist Hilary Levey Friedman, author of the forthcoming book Playing to Win: Raising Children in a Competitive Culture, is now a featured blogger at Psychology Today. Her first installment, “Qualities of the B (aka Bench-Warming) Player” talks about why it may be more advantageous for a child to be a benchwarmer than a star [more...]