Jeremiad Jottings

Book excerpt: In his Jeremiad Jottings, Blaise Cronin presents a collection of essays that touch upon a range of issues, spanning from affirmative action to academic dress. Tackling the ever-increasing power that "political correctness" holds in institutions of higher education, Cronin defines its influence by writing op-ed style essays delving into sometimes highly divisive topics from recents news and events. His essays encompass light-hearted topics such as "Mangled Metaphors," pointing to the advertisement industry's use of metaphors, and more popularly serious issues in "Burned Any Good Books Lately?", an essay dealing with book burning. Although easily approachable by the non-scholar, each of Cronin's essays is abundant with references that will lead any reader to the right area of interest if necessary. Cronin's light tone and clear presentation will appeal to many readers.