Alumni Ink

 

A COMPUTER CALLED KATHERINE: HOW KATHERINE JOHNSON HELPED PUT AMERICA ON THE MOON and COUNTDOWN: 2979 DAYS TO THE MOON

BY SUZANNE SLADE ’86

Suzanne, award-winning author of more than 100 children’s books, has released two new books. “A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon” tells the true story of mathematician Katherine Johnson, who computed her way to NASA and helped put humans on the moon. Suzanne teams up with illustrator Veronica Miller Jamison to tell the tale of this inspiring woman. “Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon” features Suzanne’s powerful free verse and illustrations by Thomas Gonzalez to tell the true story of the American effort to land the first man on the moon. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the United States would land a man on the moon within the decade. During the 2,979 days that followed, 18 astronauts climbed into space ships, and three died before leaving the ground. The powerful story tells of the trials, triumphs, and tragedies from Apollos 1 through 10 leading to the first successful moon landing

 

A CLOSER WALK

BY MERLE SEEHAFER ’53
“A Closer Walk” is a closely observed chronicle of Merle’s life, from his impoverished boyhood in the Great Depression to his eventful youth in the U.S. Navy during the violent 1940s. His recollections of boyhood are replete with examples of how his large, tight-knit family relied on faith, personal responsibility, and hard work to rise above the poverty into which they had been born. Merle’s service record is recalled in amazing detail, including a vivid depiction of being caught up as a member of Admiral “Bull” Halsey’s Third Fleet in the terrifying Typhoon Cobra in December 1944


A CHANCE TO REGAIN PARADISE: WHAT PRECEDED THE BIG BANG 

BY MICHAEL MCCAREY ’63
Michael takes the reader on a journey through time, in search of the meaning of human existence. Along the way, readers meet the Triune God, Satan, Einstein, Lemaitre, Mother Teresa, Emperor Constantine, St. Augustine, Saul of Tarsus, and others. Questions are answered that have troubled humans throughout the ages: Why do we exist? Is there a god who created us? If so, for what purpose? If you are wondering about the meaning of your existence, you will be fascinated with an explanation of how it all began and how it all will end.

 

WHO AM I NOW? REALIGN YOUR HOME AND LIFE

BY KATE KITZMANN ’95

VARNESS
Have you ever looked around your home and wondered, “How did I get so much stuff?” You want to declutter and simplify, and you feel completely overwhelmed with the thought. “Who Am I Now?” invites you to shift your relationship with your belongings and provides a step-bystep process on how to do so. What worked for you before may not work for you now. Through the stories within the book, you’ll learn the process of self-discovery, which is the first step to realigning your home to match your current needs. If you’re tired of feeling weighed down and yearn for something better, this book is for you.

 

AN UNCOMMON GUIDE TO RETIREMENT: FINDING GOD’S PURPOSE FOR THE NEXT SEASON OF LIFE

BY JEFF HAANEN ’05
Today, a growing number of older adults — both Christians and their neighbors — are discontent with current cultural assumptions about retirement. Some sell the idea that retirement will be a perpetual vacation; others that it’s “unbiblical” to retire. How should those entering retirement think about money, work, time, family, leisure, and a life of purpose? “An Uncommon Guide to Retirement: Finding God’s Purpose for the Next Season of Life” gives readers a practical and hopeful vision for thinking about work, rest, calling, and becoming “elders” filled with wisdom.

 

TAMAR’S DESIRE: FINDING HOPE, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND STRENGTH IN THE MIDST OF INFERTILITY

BY ANGIE PERINO ’00

HAGER

Hager’s “Tamar’s Desire” is a collection of devotions that address the emotions surrounding infertility and miscarriage such as jealousy, guilt, and shame. Those suffering with infertility and miscarriage suffer in silence. Many do not know or understand the pain they are going through, the strain infertility places on marriage, and the financial burden of infertility. The book also discusses the instinct to focus on what we do not have instead of what we do and our ability to find gratitude for all our blessings even when they are not what we imagined them to be.

 

BALL HAWKS: THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF THE NBA IN IOWA

BY TIM HARWOOD ’02

Believe it or not, Waterloo, Iowa, had an NBA team during the league’s first season, 1949 to 1950. Broadcaster and independent sports historian Tim Harwood uncovers the story of the Waterloo Hawks and the Midwest’s influence on professional basketball. Beginning with the professional leagues that led up to the creation of the National Basketball Association, Tim recounts big games, dramatic buzzerbeaters, and the players who made them. Tim weaves together newspaper accounts and personal interviews with surviving players to tell the story of this underdog team, in the unlikeliest of places, that helped make professional basketball what it is today.

 

SWAPPING PURPLES FOR YELLOWS

BY MATTHEW DUFFUS ’98
For Professor Rob Sutherland, homecoming weekend is challenging enough on its own. Combined with Halloween, reunion events, and the return of a major donor, it’s almost too much to bear. While Rob and his colleagues endure alumni and presidential receptions, a losing football game, and the unveiling of the donor’s gift, his wife contemplates a life separate from her family, and their high-school-aged daughter finds herself entangled with several of her father’s students. Over the course of three days, the family is forced to confront the secrets they keep from one another and the flaws they deny even to themselves.

 

PEARLS: WOMEN’S WISDOM ON GROWING OLDER

BY DOT NUECHTERLEIN ’60

What’s it like to grow older? “PEARLS: Women’s Wisdom on Growing Older” encourages women to share with one another their experiences and insights about the later stages of life’s journey: the ups as well as some downs, joys along with sorrows, happy memories from the past plus contentment with much of the present. More than 80 women from across the United States — many related to Valparaiso University and ranging in age from mid-50s through late 90s — show they are neither afraid nor ashamed of the later stages of life, despite whatever troubles they may have faced. Some of their quotes and comments are serious, some amusing, some heartbreaking, and some just plain sensible. Life is worth living, even as relationships, health, and responsibilities may change. Lessons learned from a lifetime can enrich one’s later years; talents and wisdom gained from experience can be blessings to others as well. Attitude is the key, and at every age, one may choose how to live during the time ahead. Part of the proceeds from each sale will be shared with the Valparaiso University Guild, the Lutheran Diaconal Association, and Crusader Women’s Sports. 

 

CREATIVE WAYS TO LEARN ETHICS

BY DAYNA LIMPERES ’79 GUIDO
“Creative Ways to Learn Ethics” is an accessible, easy-to-read guide that compiles a variety of ethics trainings to help professionals stimulate their minds, relieve stress, and increase engagement and memory retention. The book uses a range of experiential and thoughtprovoking approaches, including contemplative exercises, expressive arts, games, and media. Each chapter contains objectives, detailed procedures, adaptations for different audiences, and handouts. Trainers, educators, clinicians, and other mental health professionals can use these exercises in various settings and modify them to meet the needs of their clients.

 

EVER FAITHFUL: A VINTAGE NATIONAL PARKS NOVEL

BY KAREN BARNETT ’92
A continuation of her book series, Karen Barnett adds the next exciting chapter to her romantic mystery set in the vibrant and historic Yellowstone National Park. Nate Webber trades the streets of Brooklyn for the National Park, signing up for the Civilian Conservation Corps. While there, he meets Elsie Brookes, who discovers Nate might be hiding who he really is. Their tutoring friendship leads to romance, but a string of fires put them at odds. Can they find the answers each of them are looking for? Check out the other two books in the series: “The Road to Paradise” and “Where the Fire Falls.”