Throughout the year 2016, many Barnard professors have published works from journal articles to full-length books. Several of the College’s professors have landed on notable “Best of 2016” book lists. Below are five authors who have been singled out for recognition.
ISA | Best Book of the Year 2016
Peaceland: Conflict Resolution and the Everyday Politics of International Intervention
by Prof. Séverine Autesserre
Prof. Séverine Autesserre spent several years doing fieldwork on the concept of peace-building in conflict zones around the globe. The result is her book, Peaceland: Conflict Resolution and the Everyday Politics of International Intervention, in which she explains why some countries are better able than others to reach resolutions. This year, the political science expert received the International Studies Association’s “Best Book of the Year Award 2016.”
Financial Times | Best Books on History
Feeding Gotham: The Political Economy and Geography of Food in New York, 1790-1860
by Prof. Gergely Baics
In his new book Feeding Gotham, Prof. Gergely Baics reveals what it took to feed New York City during the first half of the nineteenth century. In response, the Financial Times* names it one of the "best books of 2016 on history," writing that “Baics has produced one of the year’s most original books with this analysis of food markets in New York City in the decades up to the Civil War.”
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Multiple Bests | Best Science Book of 2016
Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell
by Prof. Alexandra Horowitz
Prof. Alexandra Horowitz, a leading researcher in dog cognition, explains how smells change a canine’s perception in her book Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell. By sharing interesting facts (a human can detect a teaspoon of sugar in a cup of coffee, while dogs can detect that amount in a million gallons of water), Horowitz has captivated the public. Her book was singled out in the podcast Science Friday and in Library Journal.
Multiple Bests | Science Books of 2016
Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space
by Prof. Janna Levin
“An incredibly gifted novelist” is how Prof. Janna Levin, a working astrophysicist, is described by Brain Pickings for her book Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space, which leads the website’s “Greatest Science Books of 2016” roundup. The Wall Street Journal gives Levin a seat at its curated table for “The 20 Books That Defined Our Year,” where the title also holds a position on “The WSJ Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2016.” According to the WSJ, this is “a splendid book for anyone with an interest in how science works or in the power of human imagination.” Forbes places the book on "The 10 Best Popular Science Books of 2016: Maths, Physics, Chemistry," describing it as "meticulously researched." Yahoo! News reports that IANS, India's largest independent newswire, recognizes Black Hole Blues as one of the year's best non-fiction books. The cover, created by book deisigner Janet Hansen, also receives praise on Buzzfeed as one of the most 32 beautiful book covers of 2016.
Multiple Bests | Best Books of 2016
The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between
by Prof. Hisham Matar
Prof. Hisham Matar’s memoir, The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between, which focuses on his search for the truth behind his father’s disappearance in his native Libya, won the attention of New York Times and Washington Post book reviewers, who chose it as one of the best ten 2016 books. In the Financial Times’s “Best Books of 2016” roundup, editors call the non-fiction story a “devastatingly eloquent account of a journey.” Al-Fanar Media includes The Return in its year-end review, praising it for the new insight it affords into the Arab world. Matar was also awarded the "Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize" from The Bookseller in London, and The Return was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize, Britain's most-prestigious award for creative non-fiction.
To see all works published by Barnard professors this year, click here.