Here are the stories of twenty-one baseball players who enjoyed the seasons of their lives back in the 1950s. This fully indexed volume contains stories of championships and individual stellar performances. These athletes contributed mightily to the success of their teams during the wonderous span of a baseball year. Dusty Rhodes, Al Rosen, Dick Groat, Bobby Shantz among other stars.

Rich Letarte ’67G, a certified public accountant in Leominster, lives in Lunenburg with his wife, MaryEllen. They have three children and three granddaughters. He writes, “Throughout my life I have been a student of baseball history. I first became interested in the sport at age seven after buying a statistics-filled yearbook at Braves Field in Boston. I was later able to convince a second-grade teacher to instruct me in long division so I could figure out batting averages and win-loss percentages.” Please visit www. gloriousseason.com for more information on the book. Steve Priest ’66 developed and maintains the site.

Born in Switzerland, Jacob Weidenmann emigrated to the United States in 1856 at the age of twenty-seven after obtaining college-level diplomas in art, architecture, and engineering. The only landscape architect in America so educated, Weidenmann quickly gained a reputation for his excellent design and brilliant solutions to complex engineering and architectural challenges. He developed an important collaboration with Frederick Law Olmsted and became a leading innovator in the field, helping to set standards and design principles for the profession. Based on four decades of research by author Rudy J. Favretti, this is the first comprehensive biography of this major artist, covering his life and career in-depth, and illuminating Weidenmann's importance in defining his profession for future practitioners. Featuring over fifty illustrations, this oversized volume places Jacob Weidenmann in the context of his time, place, and art, and locates him in the pantheon of nineteenth-century designers.

Rudy Favretti ’67G, a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, specializes in landscape history and preservation and is professor emeritus of the University of Connecticut. He has written a biography of Jacob Weidenmann, a 19th-century landscape architect whose work included large cemeteries, public parks, capitol grounds, and private yards.

With over half of the population projected to be non-Anglo by 2050, this is a must-read for any salesperson whose goal is success in the booming multicultural marketplace. You'll take away world-savvy sales skills, putting more money in your pocket and becoming a greater asset to your company.

Experts worldwide acclaim the detailed techniques and step-by-step, multicultural selling process revealed in this book.

Lew Kutzman ’65, president of Growth Resources Associates in Wilmington, North Carolina, writes, “This book addresses the new challenges faced by American and Canadian salespeople who sell to a rapidly growing population of foreign-born buyers.” Visit www. grasolutions.com for more information.

Writes Hugh Seidman of David Axelrod’s latest volume:

These poems movingly explore both the highs and the lows of the family drama and of the down-to-earth variety of everyday experience. Axelrod is tender, angry, playful and vulnerable. As he says in one gentle love poem, ‘So many pieces to the heart’.

David Axelrod ’65 has been named Suffolk County Poet Laureate for the 2007-2009 term. His 18th book to be published is The Impossibility of Dreams. For more information visit www.poetrydoctor.org. He has published hundreds of articles and poems as well as sixteen books of poetry. Among his many grants and awards, he is recipient of three Fulbright Awards including his being the first official Fulbright Poet-in-Residence in the People's Republic of China . He was featured in Newsday as a "Star in his academic galaxy," and characterized by the New York Times as "A Treat." He has shared the stage with such notables as Louis Simpson, X. J. Kennedy, William Stafford, Robert Bly, Allen Ginsburg, David Ignatow and Galway Kinnell, in performance for the U.N., the American Library Association, the Struga Festival, and hundreds more schools and public events. His poetry has been translated into fourteen languages and he is a frequent and celebrated master teacher.

Emotion regulation skills should be mastered by early childhood, but many enter school with mild or serious deficits that may not be addressed effectively or early enough. Practitioner's Guide to Emotion Regulation in School-Aged Children presents in-depth background and practical information on the subject so school professionals can craft interventions that are developmentally appropriate, relevant, and timely. The author identifies variables that contribute to emotional regulation, exploring complex relationships between emotions, stress, and temperament, and examines challenges to competence at school (e.g., test anxiety, bullying) and at home (e.g., punishment for "wrong" emotions). Strategies are included for recognizing specific skill deficiencies or more general needs, and the book reviews emotion coaching techniques, cognitive-behavioral, methods, anger management programs, empathy training, and other interventions. And dozens of worksheets and handouts can be reproduced or fine-tuned to fit age and ability levels.

Featured topics include: Emotion dysregulation as a risk factor for mental disorders, including anxiety, depressive disorders, and the autism spectrum. The biology of emotion regulation, and its potential in designing interventions. Strengthening parenting skills to reinforce children's emotional skills. Working with teachers to improve the emotional climate in the classroom. The peer group: translating self-regulation into social contexts. A step-by-step guide through the intervention process. This volume provides solid support for school psychologists and other school-based mental health and educational professionals. With targeted training at the classroom,home, and peer levels, children can achieve the vital skills they need for a lifetime of social interactions.

Gayle (Geberth) Macklem ’63 is a licensed school and educational psychologist in Massachusetts. Having served in the field of education for 30 years, she is a
former president of the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association (MSPA) and serves on the board of directors as technology chairperson of the state association. In 2001 she was elected School Psychologist of the Year by MSPA and received a GPR award from the National Association of School Psychologists in 1997. Among her many publications is her most recent book. She lives in Manchester with her husband, Richard ’62, ’63G.

The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts finds himself embroiled in a messy, high stakes, politically charged,divorce case where he is pitted against Attorney Ted Eldridge, a lawyer whom he has alienated in the past and who now seeks to bring the Governor down. Genetic markers raise the question of paternity of Danny, the twelve year old child of the Governor and his wife Emily, who herself is battling her own demons.
As the case unfolds, the events that involve the Governor and his paramour, the Judge sitting on his case, and the Italian bookies in Boston's North End play themselves out in a dramatic, courtroom whirlwind of controversy and intrigue. The characterizations ring true and the flaws of the participants are demonstrated in graphic detail in this suspenseful narrative.

Interwoven in the plot is the heartbreaking revelation of the terrible inadequacy of the Massachusetts divorce system as related in the author's action sequences played out in open court and behind closed doors in the elegant high rises of downtown Boston. The author, himself a former Massachusetts divorce court judge, expertly provides a courtroom showcase that is graphic, compelling and impressively accurate.
What elevates the novel in addition, is the interesting descriptions of the City of Boston including the financial district, the State House and Beacon Hill where the action occurs.

Gerald McLellan ’57, a former family and probate judge in Massachusetts, has written his first novel, Old City Hall. Visit www.oldcityhallanovel.com for more information.

Includes compact disc recording of the poet reading her poems. No illustrations. Introduction by the author. A theatrical director, dramaturg, and longtime professor of theater who has retired to a New England village offers poetic reflection on people famous and not-so-famous, nature, life, and death.

Doris Abramson ’49 lived in New Salem and is a professor emeritus of theater at UMass Amherst, where she taught for 34 years. (Prior to press time Doris passed away after a brief illness. (See “In Memoriam”)

John Powers ’40,’45G has edited Pioneers in Food Science 2, which recounts the careers of four scientists who set the teaching of food science upon its course. He writes, “Two of the scientists were UMass Amherst professors; Walter Chenoweth describes his career from 1913 to 1941 in a chapter written by Professor Jack Francis ’54G.”

Over the last several years the world has experienced some of the worst natural disasters ever. These events were predicted years ago by Jesus Christ who said this: ..... and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. The Tsunami was one of the worst earthquakes ever recorded. It was an underwater earthquake that was so powerful it wobbled the earth on its axis. The hurricanes that just hit the United States of America caused more damage than any other in the history of the country. Within weeks, Katrina hit New Orleans then Rita hit Texas. People all over the world are wondering what is happening. Michael Vilardi attempts to answer that question in his new book ,The Time of His Coming. It is the fictionalized account of the return of Jesus Christ and all the events that precede it. Vilardi breaks down the biblical timeframe for all these events then explains why God will allow them to happen. The book starts off by explaining the timeframes of the events that must occur. He explains why the bible says that certain people will be saved from the more severe disasters. Vilardi explains what will happen to the United States ,the European Common Market and Israel. Vilardi breaks down all the biblical events that must occur before Christ can return. Events such as the Rapture, The Tribulation period , The AntiChrist, the False prophet, the two witnesses appearing and Daniel´s 70th week. Vilardi explains why the events happen in the order that they do and what the purpose of each event is. If you ever wanted to know all of the events that will happen before Christ returns then this is the book for you!! This book is quickly being billed as "The book that will change the World". A Must Read for anyone interested in Future Events. The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Michael Vilardi ’82, ’84G lives in Sound Beach, New York. More about his book can be found at www.thetimeofhiscoming.com.

This is an in-depth treatment of the organization and operation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Referencing primary documents from league owner Arthur Meyerhoff and others, the book offers a unique perspective inside the AAGPBL and examines its rise and fall, with an emphasis on league and team administration. The study begins with a brief history of women's softball, noting its importance as a precursor to, and talent pool for, women's professional baseball. Next the book investigates changing league administration and organization. Publicity and promotional philosophy and practices receive particular attention. Later chapters cover team administrative structure, team managers, and chaperones. Finally, discussion focuses on player backgrounds and league policies and regulations for the players, including salaries, trades, waivers, and allocation procedures and problems. The book includes a foreword by AAGPBL all-star Jean Cione; four appendices with valuable information about the AAGPBL Players’ Association and league highlights; numerous photographs; and an extensive bibliography.

Merrie Fidler's ’76G book, The Origins and History of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, was voted one of the five best baseball histories or biographies for 2006 by the Society for American Baseball Research. For more information visit www.merriefidler.com.

Features the lives of women in the yachting world, but also documents the lives of women as workers, caregivers and sportswomen over the course of the twentieth century. Beautifully illustrated with photographs from the Rosenfeld Collection at Mystic Seaport with interpretive essays to accompany the images.

Margaret Andersen Rosenfeld ’73G, ’76G, a faculty member, former Vice Provost and former Dean of Arts and Sciences at the University of Delaware, was recently awarded a Named Professorship there. She is the author of a new book published through the Mystic Seaport Museum titled On Land and On Sea; A Century of Women in the Rosenfeld Collection. Visit www.mysticseaport.org for more information on the collection.

New Hampshire's storied Weirs Beach turns deadly... a young woman’s body is found on the bucolic shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, just before the 83rd Annual Bike Week comes to town. News photographer, Don Wright, pursues the crime, researching journals of an elderly Weirs resident and Army veteran. From earlier motorcycle rallies, he discovers key clues that take him on a path of startling discoveries. Key among them is a tattoo, "Vincent," that offers a clue to a suspect’s name.

The thriller is a torrid plot of black leather, lace, romance, domination and unscrupulous deceit. A New Jersey motorcycle gang and a tattooist are suspect, yielding twists and turns as Wright, the police, and a coroner seek a motive for the crime, culminating in a hold-your-breath, thriller ending.

J.P. Polidoro ’72G has written his seventh and final novel, Tattoo – Incident at The Weirs. He lives in Laconia, New Hampshire, and works in the biopharmaceutical/toxicology industry. Also a songwriter, guitarist, performer, poet and photography buff, he writes, “I will cease writing books so that I can embark on a one- to two-year promotional agenda to hype all my books to date.”

"Remember when I told you about the memory competitions?" asks Dara Wier in her latest collection. Memories, apologies, and misunderstanding compete in this series of lyric poems that are intricately connected in their ability to recollect and speak to one another.

Dara Wier, Professor and Director of the MFA Program at UMass Amherst, is the author of nine previous collections, most recently Reverse Rapture. She has received awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the NEA, and The American Poetry Review.

The autobiography of a musical genius and poet, Yusef Lateef. Dr. Lateef's work combines images that delight the aesthetic senses and provoke the intellect. This is his story in his words.

Yusef Lateef ’75G, a musician and  retired Five College professor, has written an autobiography with Herb Boyd titled The Gentle Giant. His career, spanning more than sixty years, has included performing with John Coltrane, Quincy Jones, Theloniaus Monk, and other jazz greats. He lives in Amherst and is the founder of the YAL record label. Visit yuseflateef.com for more information.

Claims and counterclaims flew during debates over the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. Some said the law would undermine the political parties, weaken free speech, curtail competition, and strengthen the very interest groups it was meant to weaken. Others said the law would do nothing of the sort: it would root out a serious problem, the parties would be fine, and the system would thrive. Reality, it turns out, was more complex than either position. The Election After Reform is the first serious book to get beyond speculations by looking at real evidence-the first elections under the new law. From it, the reader learns not only about the politics of 2004 but how to begin assessing the effects of reform.

Raymond La Raja is an assistant proffessor of political science.

The Electric Sky book by Don Scott, a member of the Thunderbolts.info group, is 256 pages of powerful material that introduces the Electric Universe and plasma cosmology. Dr. Scott is a retired professor of Electrical Engineering and he destroys the sensational and fantastical constructs of "gravity only" cosmology, replacing them with very lucid explanations of the electric sun and stars, as well as other astral phenomena. A must read!

Donald Scott earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. Following graduation he worked for General Electric in Schenectady, NY, and Pittsfield, MA. He earned a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, and was a member of the faculty of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst from 1959 until his retirement in 1998. During that time he was the recipient of several good-teaching awards. He was, at various times, Assistant Department Head, Director of the undergraduate program, Graduate admissions coordinator, and Director of the College of Engineering’s Video Instructional Program.

In 1987, the McGraw-Hill Book Company published his 730-page textbook, An Introduction To Circuit Analysis – A Systems Approach. He has authored numerous scientific papers and chapters including Real Properties of Electromagnetic Fields and Plasmas in the Cosmos, a paper to be published in the Special Issue of the IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science 8/2007.

He is a lifelong amateur astronomer. Some of the author’s images of astronomical objects can be viewed at: members.cox.net/dascott2/ImageList.html

This collection of stories employs humor and poignancy to expose the social and sexual turmoil between modern day men and women. With keen observations of American culture, these tales feature a mother’s sexual legacy that traps her daughter, a restless dentist discovering an unlikely cure to his ailments, a seemingly happily married suburbanite receiving a jolt of sexual panic when visited by a woman selling knives, and a World War II–era couple meeting after 50 years with stunning results. Insightful and moving, the unique voice that unites this collection leaves a lasting impression.

Marisa Labozzetta is an adjunct professor at UMass Amherst.