Administration

Research Recognition

Hamilton Book Author Awards Program: 2001 Awards

Grand Prize Winner

• Lucas Scot Powe, Jr., Professor of Law
  The Warren Court and American Politics
  Harvard University Press

Runners-Up

• Jonathan Brown, Professor of History
  Latin America: A Social History of the Colonial Period
  Harcourt College Publishers
• Robert Dudley, Professor of Integrative Biology, School of Biological Sciences
  The Biomechanics of Insect Flight: Form, Function, Evolution
  Princeton University Press
• Michael Starbird, Professor of Mathematics
  The Heart of Mathematics: An Invitation to Effective Thinking
  Key College Publishing Company
• John Wheeler, Professor of Astronomy
  Cosmic Catastrophes: Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts, and Adventures in Hyperspace
  Cambridge University Press

About the Books

"The Warren Court and American Politics" by Lucas Scot Powe, Jr.

The Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren was the most revolutionary and controversial Supreme Court in American history. But in what sense? Challenging the reigning consensus that the Warren Court, fundamentally, was protecting minorities, Lucas Powe revives the valuable tradition of looking at the Supreme Court in the wide political environment to find the Warren Court a functioning partner in Kennedy-Johnson liberalism. Thus the Court helped to impose national liberal-elite values on groups that were outliers to that tradition – the white South, rural America, and areas of Roman Catholic dominance.

In a learned and lively narrative, Powe discusses over two hundred significant rulings: ...

Most of these decisions date from 1962, when those who shaped the dominant ideology of the Warren Court of storied fame gained a fifth secure liberal vote. The Justices of the majority were prominent individuals, brimming with confidence, willing to help shape a revolution and see if it would last. (Excerpts from a review by Harvard University Press)

Lucas Scot Powe, Jr. is a Professor of Law at the University of Texas at Austin.

"Latin America: A Social History of the Colonial Period" by Jonathan Brown

In Jonathan Brown's book, "Latin America: A Social History of the Colonial Period," he presents Latin American history from the “bottom up” with emphasis on indigenous peoples, African slaves, and mixed-race workers and peasants. He explains colonialism as a process of accommodation and conflict between numerous ethnic groups. The book is replete with illustrations and historical documents that depict contributions of a culturally diverse people with experiences unique to the colonial time. (Excerpts from a review by Harcourt College Publishers)

Jonathan Brown is a Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin.

"The Biomechanics of Insect Flight: Form, Function, Evolution" by Robert Dudley

Dr. Dudley's book presents the first comprehensive explanation of how insects fly. From the rain forest of Borneo to the tenements of Manhattan, the author relates the biomechanics of flight to insect ecology and evolution in a major new work of synthesis. Dudley ranges widely, from basic aerodynamics to muscle physiology and swarming behavior. He systematically evaluates evolutionary and ecological perspectives with the development of functional design. (Excerpts from a review by Princeton University Press)

Robert Dudley is a Professor of Integrative Biology, School of Biological Sciences, at the University of Texas at Austin.

"The Heart of Mathematics: An Invitation to Effective Thinking" by Michael Starbird and Edward Burger

Michael Starbird, along with co-author Edward Burger, Professor of Mathematics from Williams College, have published "The Heart of Mathematics: An Invitation to Effective Thinking," created as a mathematics course for the Plan II honors program. The book is fascinating, mind-opening, and captures and presents truly significant mathematical ideas in a manner which can be enjoyed, understood, and appreciated by all people, in particular liberal arts students. (Excerpts from a review by Key College Publishing)

Michael Starbird is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin.

"Cosmic Catastrophes: Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts, and Adventures in Hyperspace" by J. Craig Wheeler

In this tour de force of the ultimate and extreme in astrophysics, renowned astro-physicist and author J. Craig Wheeler takes us on a breathtaking journey of supernovae, black holes, gamma ray bursts and hyperspace. This is not far-fetched science fiction but an enthusiastic exploration of ideas at the cutting edge of current astrophysics...With the use of lucid analogies, simple language, and the crystal-clear illustrations of Tim Jones, this book makes accessible some of the most exciting and mind-bending objects and current ideas in the Universe. (Excerpts from a review by Cambridge University Press)

J. Craig Wheeler is a Professor of Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin.

Check out more Hamilton Award winners: