Author Archives: Pat Higo

There is power in a union: the epic story of labor in America

by Philip Dray

From the textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, the first real factories in America, to the triumph of unions in the twentieth century and their waning influence today, the con­test between labor and capital for their share of American bounty has shaped our national experience. Philip Dray’s ambition is to show us the vital accomplishments of organized labor in that time and illuminate its central role in our social, political, economic, and cultural evolution. There Is Power in a Union is an epic, character-driven narrative that locates this struggle for security and dignity in all its various settings: on picket lines and in union halls, jails, assembly lines, corporate boardrooms, the courts, the halls of Congress, and the White House. The author demonstrates, viscerally and dramatically, the urgency of the fight for fairness and economic democracy—a struggle that remains especially urgent today, when ordinary Americans are so anxious and beset by eco­nomic woes.

CATALOG PAGE

Joining the mission: a guide for (mainly) new college faculty

by Susan VanZanten

Joining the Mission is a helpful guide for new (and experienced) faculty at religious colleges and universities. Susan VanZanten here provides an orientation to the world of Christian higher education and an introduction to the academic profession of teaching, scholarship, and service, with a special emphasis on opportunities and challenges common to “mission-driven” institutions. From designing a syllabus to dealing with problem students, from working with committees to achieving a balanced life, VanZanten’s guidebook will help faculty across the disciplines — Art to Zoology and every subject between — understand better what it means to pursue faithfully a vocation as professor. “Susan VanZanten’s Joining the Mission is an exceptional resource for all faculty members at Christian colleges and universities. While it is a very practical guide to teaching at a university, the book also helps the reader understand and wrestle with the nuances of what it means to be a faculty member at a mission-driven institution. I appreciate VanZanten’s contribution to articulating why mission is important at our institutions, why we care about it so much, and how we can better accomplish it.” — Thomas Cedel President, Concordia University Texas

CATALOG PAGE

Chrysler’s Turbine Car: The Rise and Fall of Detroit’s Coolest Creation

by Steve Lehto

In 1964, Chrysler gave the world a glimpse of the future. They built a fleet of turbine cars–automobiles with jet engines–and loaned them out to members of the public. The fleet logged over a million miles; the exercise was a raging success.
These turbine engines would run on any flammable liquid–tequila, heating oil, Chanel #5, diesel, alcohol, kerosene. If the cars had been mass produced, we might have cars today that do not require petroleum-derived fuels. The engine was also much simpler than the piston engine–it contained one-fifth the number of moving parts and required much less maintenance. The cars had no radiators or fan belts and never needed oil changes.
Yet Chrysler crushed and burned most of the cars two years later; the jet car’s brief glory was over. Where did it all go wrong? Controversy still follows the program, and questions about how and why it was killed have never been satisfactorily answered.
Steve Lehto has interviewed all the surviving members of the turbine car program–from the metallurgist who created the exotic metals for the interior of the engine to the test driver who drove it at Chrysler’s proving grounds for days on end. Lehto takes these first-hand accounts and weaves them into a great story about the coolest car Detroit ever produced.
Page 79 of 105...102030...7778798081...90100...