Food in World Mythology: Nectar and Ambrosia

What did Italians wear to ward off the evil eye? Any idea what the ancient Romans thought was a great cureall for all kinds of ailments? Or what food was worshipped by Native American tribes but feared by Hindus? The answers are, in order, garlic, cabbage, and beans.

For questions about the history of various foods or the cultural traditions and values that surround them, find answers in Nectar and Ambrosia: An Encyclopedia of Food in World Mythology. Covering just about any food you could think of, as well as many that you may not have thought of as food, i.e. insects, turtles and guinea pigs, this encyclopedia is a great resource for multicultural assignments in culinary arts, business, hospitality, and nursing.

Find it in the reference section: REF GR 498 .A53 2000. You also may wish to try the 3-vol. Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (REF GT 2850 .E53 2003) and the 2-vol. Cambridge World History of Food (REF TX 353 .C255 2000).
-Amy

Researching Public Policy Issues

Hurricane Katrina…port security…Iraq…global warming…Medicaid…pharmacists refusing to dispense contraceptives…new Supreme Court justices…wiretapping…civil liberties…
Whatever the topic, the following resources are particularly useful for finding information on public policy issues:

CQ Weekly and Congressional Digest – both available in the periodical section on main floor of library…generally very current
CQ Researcher – available in the reference section on main floor of library – search index online (.pdf file – go to Edit – Find on this page to get a search box)…weekly reports focusing on one specific topic
OpenCRS: Congressional Research Reports – think tank reports for Congress
Opposing Viewpoints – explore both sides of controversial social issues

The library has many other relevant magazines, including weekly newsmagazines like Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, as well as political commentary magazines like National Review, America, Harpers, and New Republic. 
-Amy

New Books: History – Government – Economics

What’s new in history, government, and economics? Here’s a list of our latest purchases in these areas:

America’s Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines
Balkans: A Short History
Darfur: The Ambiguous Genocide
End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for our Time
European Imperialism, 1830-1930: Climax and Contradiction
First Democracy: The Challenge of an Ancient Idea
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945
Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice
Night Draws Near: Iraq’s People in the Shadow of America’s War
Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare
Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945
Prisoner in the Garden: Opening Nelson Mandela’s Prison Archive
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America
Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African American Baseball
Shining Thread of Hope: The History of Black Women in America
What We Knew: Terror, Mass Murder, and Everyday Life in Nazi Germany
World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century

All these books have been received and should be on the shelves soon, if they aren’t there already.
-Amy

Job Hunting?

Whether you’re about to graduate and you’re looking for that first professional job in your field, or whether you’re just looking to line up a summer job or internship, you may want to take a look at some of the following resources.

A couple of new books, just in:
201 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview
Elements of Resume Style: Essential Rules and Eye-Opening Advice
Resume Handbook: How to Write Outstanding Resumes and Cover Letters

A couple of newer job search engines that you may not have heard about yet:
SimplyHired
Indeed

You also may want to keep an eye on the Career Services website for announcements of job fairs, campus recruitment visits, etc. If you want more personalized help, go straight to the expert. Come in to the Resnick Learning Center and make an appointment to see Lou Shields, Director of Career, Transfer and Veterans Services.
-Amy