oct04c.indd


N e w  P u b l i c a t i o n s  George M. Eberhart 

Atlas of World Art, edited by John Onians 
(352 pages, July 2004), focuses less on 
works of art and cultural artifacts and more 
on the geographic framework in which they 
were created. The scope is impressive, with 
maps that depict Paleolithic art sites, mon­
asteries and writing centers of the Middle 
Ages; megalithic sculptures on Easter Island; 
16th­century Hindu temples and courtly 
monuments; art and sculpture workshops of 
Renaissance Germany; galleries of Victorian 
London; the acquisition of Native Ameri­
can artifacts by U.S. museums, kingdoms 
and states in 19th­century sub­Saharan Af­
rica; and 20th­century shrines and temples 
in Seoul. A culturally egalitarian treatment 
that supplements more traditional art histo­
ries. $150.00. Oxford University. ISBN 0­19­
521583­4. 

Movie Star Homes: The Famous to the For­
gotten, by Judy Artunian and Mike Oldham 
(309 pages, May 2004), provides addresses and 
photos for more than 350 homes in the Los 
Angeles area where movie actors live or used 
to live. Such classic stars as Orson Welles and 
Claudette Colbert are included, as well as current 
celebrities like Steve Buscemi and Nicole Kid­
man. Because of security, sometimes the photos 
only show a drive or a closed gate. $16.95. Santa 
Monica Press. ISBN 1­891661­38­8. 

From the same publisher, Marilyn Monroe 
Dyed Here: More Locations of America’s Pop 
Culture Landmarks, by Chris Epting (309 
pages, May 2004), shows where famous crimi­
nal, musical, cinematic, and historical events 
(such as where Marilyn first dyed her hair 
blonde) have taken place in North America. 
An entertaining and informative sequel to 
the author’s James Dean Died Here (2003). 
$16.95. ISBN 1­891661­39­6. 

News Flash: Journalism, Infotainment, 
and the Bottom­Line Business of Broad­
cast News, by Bonnie M. Anderson (259 

George M. Eberhart is senior editor of American 
Libraries, e-mail: geberhart@ala.org 

pages, May 2004), 
spells out in clear 
language what is 
wrong with tele­
vision news and 
what must be done 
about it. As a long­
time reporter for 
NBC and CNN, she 
has many stories 
to tell about the 
lowering of ethi­
cal standards, poor 
sourcing, the scar­
city of minority anchors and reporters, staged 
news, the intrusion of personal bias, the fail­
ure to question official pronouncements, the 
disappearing line between journalism and 
entertainment, the suppression of distasteful 
events, and consolidation of media owner­
ship. Many of these issues will be familiar to 
media watchers, but some of her anecdotes 
are surprising, such as NBC’s Roger Mudd 
killing a story in the early 1980s about hetero­
sexuals contracting AIDS because it confl ict­
ed with his belief that it was a gay disease. 
$26.95. Jossey­Bass. ISBN 0­7879­7285­1. 

The Transits of Venus, by William Sheehan 
and John Westfall (407 pages, April 2004), re­
counts the intense excitement in astronomical 
circles when the planet Venus crossed the disc 
of the sun, an event that, prior to June 8, 2004, 
had occurred only six times since the invention 
of the telescope—in 1631, 1639, 1761, 1769, 
1874, and 1882. The transit was considered im­
portant, as it provided the best way in those 
days to determine the exact distance from the 
earth to the sun, a benchmark astronomical 
unit. The distance was calculated precisely by 
another method in 1941, making the 2004 tran­
sit anticlimactic; but the 1882 transit was the 
focus of major international rivalries to make 
the best observations, creating a 19th­century 
version of the space race. The authors provide 
tips on how to best watch for the next one on 
June 5–6, 2012. $28.00. Prometheus. ISBN 1­
59102­175­8. 

552 / C&RL NewsOctober 2004 

mailto:geberhart@ala.org