Fall Good Reads

Fall is the perfect time to settle in with a good book. And in this edition of Good Reads, featuring three works by Seattle University faculty, there is an option for readers who like to dive into the courts, for those with an interest in ethics in social media and for the lover of psychology and philosophy.

Court on Trial: A Data-Driven Account of the Supreme Court of India by Sital Kalantry and co-authors

Sital Kalantry, professor of law and founder and executive director of the RoundGlass India Center, has co-authored Court on Trial: A Data-Driven Account of the Supreme Court of India, which offers a fascinating look at the Indian Supreme Court. The court was established nearly 75 years ago as a core part of India’s constitutional project. Critics point out its flaws: It takes too long to adjudicate cases, a select group of senior advocates exercise disproportionate influence on the outcome of cases, the Chief Justice strategically assigns cases with an eye to outcome and the self-appointments process is just another “old boy’s network.”

Building on nearly a decade of original empirical research, Kalantry and her co-authors examine these and other controversies plaguing the Indian Supreme Court today and present data-driven suggestions for improving its effectiveness and integrity. 

“The Indian Supreme Court is often called the most important court in the world: It is the court of last resort for more than 1.4 billion people, which is nearly 1 in 5 people on earth,” explains Kalantry. “Despite this, very little is known about the court as an institution globally and even within India. Our book uncovers aspects of the court that have never before been studied. We wrote the book in language that is accessible to non-academics and published it with a trade publisher (rather than an academic press) in the hope that this information reaches a broader audience.”

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Social Media Ethics Made Easy: How to Comply with FTC Guidelines by Joseph Barnes

Social Media Ethics Made Easy: How to Comply with FTC Guidelines, by Associate Clinical Professor of Marketing Joseph Barnes, shows the good, the bad and the ugly in business social media posts and explains the role of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines and expectations. Violating these guidelines can lead to fines and the book shows why every business and organization should have a social media policy and how to create one.

“I wrote this book because as a consultant and speaker, I was going into businesses asking what their social media guidelines were,” explains Barnes, “and to my shock, I found about 90% of businesses and organizations did not have a policy. Policies need to be created for employees, senior leadership, the board of directors, volunteers and vendors.”

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The Psychology and Philosophy of Eugene Gendlin: Making Sense of Contemporary Experience by Kevin Krycka, PsyD and Eric Severson, PhD

The Psychology and Philosophy of Eugene Gendlin: Making Sense of Contemporary Experience, edited by Kevin Krycka, PsyD, associate dean and professor of psychology and Eric Severson, PhD, associate teaching professor of philosophy, brings together a collection of essays written by scholars inspired by the work of Eugene “Gene” Gendlin, a noted U.S. philosopher and psychologist. Contributors are particularly interested in thinking with and beyond Gendlin for the sake of a global community facing significant crises. Gendlin’s theoretical and philosophical approach to psychology is naturally interdisciplinary, making this book an essential read for anyone interested in moving to the boundaries where psychology meets philosophy, theology, art, environmental studies, science, technology and more.

“We were compelled to write and edit this volume by our shared sense that the work of Gene Gendlin has powerful, pervasive and ongoing relevance for the work we are doing in our fields of psychology and philosophy,” explains Krycka. “We worked on this project together because Gene’s work compels us to collaboration across the traditional disciplinary divisions that exist in too many academies.”

Get the book.