“The Chumash World at European Contact”
by Lynn Gamble

When Spanish explorers and missionaries came onto Southern California’s shores in 1769, they encountered the large towns and villages of the Chumash, among the most advanced hunter-gatherer societies in the world. The Spanish were entertained at lavish feasts hosted by chiefs who ruled over the settlements and their extensive social and economic networks. In “The Chumash World at European Contact” (University of California Press, 2008), SDSU anthropology professor Lynn Gamble weaves together multiple sources of evidence to recreate the rich tapestry of the Chumash.

“Nefarious Crimes, Contested Justice”
by Joanne Ferraro

The detective stories in Joanne Ferraro’s book illuminate how crimes of incest, infanticide and sex among the clergy played out in Venice during the 16th to 18th centuries. Ferraro, chair of SDSU’s history department, researched and wrote the book over the course of seven years, visiting the archives and libraries of the northern Italian city to reconstruct some of Venice’s most notorious crimes. “Nefarious Crimes, Contested Justice” (Johns Hopkins Uni-versity Press, 2008) sheds light on how culturally constructed laws and societal norms hinging on gender have impacted society.

“The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy”
by Luke Cuddy

For gamers with a philosophical bent, “The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy” (Open Court, 2008) is an anthology of essays, one by Cuddy himself, about the virtual universe of Zelda, a fantasy-adventure video game introduced in 1986. The author compiled the book while completing a graduate degree in philosophy at SDSU. He currently teaches philosophy at Southwestern College.