Oxford University Press's
Academic Insights for the Thinking World
J. C. McKeown is a Professor of Classics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His new book, A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities: Strange Tales and Surprising Facts from the World’s Greatest Empire, is a collection carefully gleaned from the wide body of evidence left to us by the Romans themselves. Each fact or opinion highlights a curious feature of life in ancient Rome. Below we have excerpted some tidbits from the chapter on Roman toilets.
In honor of National Tap Dance Day (May 25) Oxford is celebrating with Constance Valis Hill, author of Tap Dancing America. In this excerpt Hill shares a contemporary tap dance scene full of rich choreography.
Joan Fitzgerald is Professor and Director of the Law, Policy and Society Program at Northeastern University. Her new book, Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development, is a refreshing look at how American cities are leading the way toward greener, cleaner, and more sustainable forms of economic development. Emerald Cities is very readable and Marco Trbovich of the Huffington Post wrote, “Fitzgerald combines the academic discipline of an urban planner with the rigors of shoe-leather journalism in crafting a book that documents where real progress is being made….” In the original post below Fitzgerald shares how she found the fine balance between “academic discipline” and “shoe-leather journalism”.
Wayne Sandholtz, author of Prohibiting Plunder, examines the Napoleonic practice of seizing art from conquered territories and the appointing a specialist for this very purpose.
An excerpt from The Lives of Ants.
Professor David Blockely on the lessons he believes the wider world can learn from bridge-building.
James Hall, author of The Sinister Side, on the left-right symbolism in one of the Labour Party’s new election posters.
An excerpt from Paul Woodruff’s book The Necessity of Theater.
An excerpt about Ursula von Rydingsvard.
John Carey has been at various points in his life a soldier, a barman, a television critic, a beekeeper, a printmaker, and a professor of literature at Oxford. He is the Chief Book Reviewer for The Sunday Times in London. His book, What Good are the Arts? offers a delightfully skeptical look at the claims […]
An excerpt from Robert Bresson: A Passion for Film.
An excerpt from Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin.
15 years ago Albie Sachs was appointed by Nelson Mandela to South Africa’s first Constitutional Court. Here he talks about one of the most important buildings in the post-apartheid era and the artwork that makes its visitors pause.
Roger Scruton argues that there are universal standards by which to judge art.
Jennifer Fisher looks at Tom DeLay’s appearance on “Dancing with the Stars”.
How can you perform your best?