Book reviews spring 2007

By Gayla Marty

From M, spring 2007

The Translation of Dr Apelles

One terrible winter, two Native-American bands perish. A young girl and boy, unknown to each other, are the sole survivors, and both are rescued by animals. Many years later, solitary Dr. Apelles finds their story and begins to translate it. At the same time, Dr. Apelles is discovering that he has never been in love. "Translation" into humanness--through words or love--makes us fully alive...but will Dr. Apelles succeed at either one? Treuer teaches literature and creative writing on the Twin Cities campus and is the author of Native American Fiction: A User's Manual.

Graywolf Press, 2006; ISBN 978-1-55597-451-0; $23.00 hc

The Physics of Superheroes

Discover what first-year students--and readers across the nation--have learned from the professor who uses his love of comic book superheros to teach us about the marvelous world of physics. Now in paperback. Kakalios teaches physics on the Twin Cities campus.

Gotham Books, 2006; ISBN 1-592-40242-9; $15.00 pb

Maximizing Study Abroad

Do you learn better by reading, hearing, or doing? And do you do those things better with others, or by yourself? Take the survey at the beginning of this guide to identify your own learning style...then pick the strategies that are best suited to help you learn to speak a language and live in another culture--before you go, while you're there, and after you get home. This guide was written for college students but is invaluable for any adult who wants to get the most from even a short experience abroad. The U authors are international leaders in their fields.

U of M Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, second edition, 2006; ISBN 0-9722545-5-2; $12.00 pb

Contact the University of Minnesota Bookstores, located in Coffman Memorial Union and the St. Paul Student Center, at 612-626-0559 or generalbooks@umn.edu. Look for faculty authors at www.bookstores.umn.edu/genref.