Faculty books: Marital communication to mysteries

New faculty books focus on health and marital happiness. They urge readers to increase physical activity, hold inspiring thoughts, visit parks and eat well. And for those who are stressed by the thought of diet and exercise, there are mysteries to take the mind off of all worries.

The books include:

• “Physical Activity and Public Health Practice,” by Barbara E. Ainsworth, professor, School of Nutrition & Health Promotion and president, American College of Sports Medicine), and Caroline A. Macera (spring 2012).

Synopsis: This book is a summary of the latest scientific research in the area of physical activity and health and is designed to guide public health practitioners and public health researchers to include topics on the latest information on physiological adaptation to physical activity and the unique contribution of sedentary behavior to overall health, the role of physical activity in the prevention and in the treatment of chronic disease as well as its role as related to growth and development, among healthy adults, among older adults, and as related to obesity.

• “Marital Communication,” by Douglas Kelley, associate professor of communication.

Synopsis: “Marital Communication” develops the idea that marriage is a distinctive communication context (long-term, romantic, and committed) that uniquely influences various relationship processes. It focuses on three essential elements needed for healthy marital functioning: positive everyday communication, intimacy and love, and productive conflict management. The book finishes by describing how these essential elements change across the lifespan, by examining marriage’s dark side, and by focusing on the use of forgiveness to ensure a healthy longevity.

• “The Religious Imagination in Modern and Contemporary Architecture: A Reader,” Routlege, 2011, edited by Renata Hejduk, associate professor, Barrett, the Honors College, and Jim Williamson, Cornell University.

Synopsis: This anthology collects, substaniates, and demonstrates the importance of the religious imagination within Western modern and contemporary architecture.

The essays written expressly for the anthology take a critical look at the relationship between religion and architecture in the 20th century, as well as giving a brief look at the pre-history of the modern movement and its relationship to religion and architecture. These are grounded by and help to explicate the reprinted essays that are culled from the last one hundred years.

• “A Simple Tao: A Pocket Companion to the Tao Te Ching,” by David Arthur Sampson, systems analyst/ modeler, Decision Center for a Desert City, Global Institute of Sustainability. Published by createspace.com.

Synopsis: A concise, modern-day look at the Tao Te Ching using various translations, related work, Sampson believes he has greatly simplified the Tao. “My Tao tenets and simplified interpretations serve as a true companion for any traditional translation,” Sampson said.

• “Ki Inspiring Thoughts - Developing a Generation of Honorable Warriors,” by Steven M. Erickson, M.D., FACP, head team physician, ASU. Chaos Publishing.

Synopsis: The vision of “Ki Inspiring Thoughts” is to inspire all people to live more peaceful and compassionate lives by using Zen stories, object lessons, martial arts philosophy, and ancient wisdom to explore universal truths and values. The goal is to inspire readers to embark on a journey of personal transformation through mindful self-introspection in order to maximize personal potential.

• “Duende Meadow,” by Paul Cook, lecturer in English. Arc Manor, 2011.

Synopsis: The mysterious alien artifact called the Halo came quietly and mysteriously and then sowed the earth with seeds that threatened to destroy humanity by destroying their souls. But the aliens had underestimated the human spirit and a band of Moon-based scientists survive to fight and take back what is rightfully ours. A powerful, visionary and scary look into our future and a possible encounter with an alien species almost impossible to beat.

• “Halo,” by Paul Cook, lecturer in English. Halo Rockville, Arc Manor, 2011.

Synopsis: When the last great war came, a small group of survivors hid themselves below the fields of Kansas, living in a place of eternal twilight. Over time the energy surrounding the descendants of these survivors turned them into Duendes, ghost-like beings, never having seen real light or knowing anything of the conditions of the world beyond their underground enclosure. Six hundred years have passed since the war and now some Duendes want to leave the safety of their habitat and finally go ‘above.’ But what will they discover once they have emerged into the sunlight?

• “Leisure, Health, and Wellness: Making the Connections,” edited by Barbara E. Ainsworth, professor, School of Nutrition & Health Promotion, and current president of the American College of Sports Medicine; Laura Payne; Geoffrey Godby. Venture Press.

Synopsis: As our understanding of the bases of good health changes, it is apparent that leisure and its use are an important issue in both achieving and maintaining good health. This book reflects the story of how parks, recreation and leisure studies contribute to health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and societies. This is also the story of how public health contributes to parks, recreation, and leisure studies; the intersections and connections between and among these fields, concepts, and professional practices.

• “Clinical Companion to Medical-Surgical Nursing (8th ed.),” edited by Shannon Dirksen, associate professor for research, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, S. Lewis and M. Heitkemper, and L. Bucher.Elsevier Mosby, 2011.

Synopsis: Written by an expert team of authors led by Shannon Dirksen, the book offers at-a-glance access to key information on more than 200 medical-surgical conditions and procedures. Completely updated content is organized alphabetically for quick reference in the clinical setting. Plus, a variety of illustrations and summary tables clarify key concepts and add to the overall functionality of this essential resource.

• “Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment & Management of Clinical Problems (8th ed.),” edited by Shannon Dirksen, associate professor for research, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, S. Lewis, M. Heitkemper, L. Bucher and I. Camera, I. Elsevier Mosby, 2011..

Synopsis: The book offers up-to-date coverage of the latest trends, hot topics, and clinical developments in the field, to help you provide exceptional care in today's fast-paced health care environment. Completely revised and updated content explores patient care in various clinical settings and focuses on key topics such as prioritization, clinical decision-making, patient safety, and NCLEX® exam preparation.

• “The Science of Nutrition (2nd ed.),” by Linda Vaughan, director of School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, J.L. Thompson, M. M. Manore. Benjamin Cummings.

Synopsis: This university level textbook is for an entry level nutrition course enrolling nutrition/dietetics, nursing, exercise science, and other students with a chemistry background. It was the first nutrition textbook to present information on nutrients using a functional approach, meaning all nutrients related to bone health, for example, are discussed together; all antioxidants are presented in the same chapter and all nutrients involved in blood formation are integrated into a single chapter.

• “Studying Ethnic Minority and Economically Disadvantaged Populations: Methodological Challenges and Best Practices,” by George P. Knight, professor of psychology, with M.W. Roose and A.J. Umaña-Taylor. American Psychological Association.

Synopsis: Ethnic minority and economically disadvantaged populations have been historically underrepresented in social science research, and despite improvements in recent years, this trend continues today. Given the rapidly changing demographics of the United States, there is an acute need for more targeted research on these populations, which requires an understanding of diversity and a more nuanced understanding of human behavior and outcomes. Unfortunately, there is a relative dearth of information in standard research texts regarding the unique methodological challenges associated with conducting research with these populations.

• “Engineering the System of Healthcare Delivery,” edited by Denis Cortese, director of ASU's Health Care Delivery and Policy Program, and W.B. Rouse.

Synopsis: As the United States continues to debate reform of its healthcare system, this book argues that providing health insurance for all without improving the delivery system will not improve the current problems of access, affordability, and quality. The US healthcare system has manyexcellent components; strong scientific input, extraordinary technology for diagnosis and treatment, dedicated staff and top-class facilities among them.

But the system has evolved haphazardly over time and although it has not failed entirely, the authors argue that like any system where attention is paid to individual components at the expense of the system as a whole, it can never hope to succeed.

Above all, they point out that the US system does not provide high value healthcare; it has the highest costs in the world and yet many other countries have lower infant mortality rates and better life expectancy.

Together with a team of highly regarded thought leaders, the authors of this publication advocate a complete re-thinking of healthcare from a systems perspective - an engineering approach to healthcare - and they then describe how to set about it.

• "Handbook of Stress: Neuropsychological Effects on the Brain," edited by Cheryl Conrad, professor of behavior neuroscience. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.

Synopsis: “The Handbook of Stress” is an authoritative guide to the effects of stress on brain health, with a collection of articles that reflect the most recent findings in the field. It examines stress influences on brain plasticity across the lifespan, including links to anxiety, PTSD, and clinical depression and features contributions by internationally recognized experts in the field of brain health.