From social commentary to scholarly inquiry and analysis to critically acclaimed fiction and non-fiction, members of the A&S community published an incredibly diverse range of books this year. Here are just a few that can expand knowledge, understanding and imagination.
Vanilla is anything but boring
In his new book Vanilla: The History of an Extraordinary Bean, Eric Jennings shows that one of the world’s most popular flavourings is far from bland.
The Department of History chair and a leading authority on modern French colonial history, Jennings dives into both the business and cultural history of vanilla.
Jennings first became interested in vanilla over 20 years ago when he was conducting PhD research in Madagascar, where roughly 80 per cent of the world’s vanilla is now produced. But that’s not where it originated.
The vanilla orchid is native to Mexico where it is pollinated by a local bee called the Melipona. The beans were used to help flavour a drink called chocolatl, favoured by the Totonac people and later the Aztecs. European colonial powers later transported vanilla across the ocean and it ultimately made its way to Madagascar.
Why are democracies keen to attack dictators?
While strolling through New York City, Madison Schramm was struck by a large billboard of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, along with a message that the U.S. had to stop Iran.
For Schramm, an assistant professor with the Department of Political Science, the image sparked questions about why liberal democracies target authoritarian states.
That led to her writing Why Democracies Fight Dictators , which explores the dynamics that intensify conflict between liberal democracies and personalist regimes — political systems where a single individual has undisputed executive power.
In addition to exploring the psychology of conflict, Schramm looks at this phenomenon through two specific cases.
One is the 1956 Suez crisis, in which American and British leaders fixated on the personal traits of Egyptian leader Gamal Nasser. The other is the Gulf War of 1991, which gave rise to a decade-long American preoccupation with deposing Saddam Hussein, culminating in the 2003 Iraq war.
An ancient language offers insights into modern love
Are you looking for advice on love and relationships? You might find the answers in the ancient language of Sanskrit.
Anusha Sudindra Rao, a PhD candidate in the Department for the Study of Religion, co-wrote a unique romance book with her partner, Suhas Mahesh. How to Love in Sanskrit is a collection of short poems divided into chapters with instructive titles such as “How to Flirt,” “How to Yearn,” “How to Daydream,” “How to Break Up” and “How to Let Go.”
Originally written by a wide range of Sanskrit scholars — ancient poets, monks, emperors and even some modern-day writers — the poems were translated by Rao and Mahesh.
A longtime scholar of Sanskrit, Rao’s doctoral studies examine the intellectual history of Vedānta: the set of theological, religious philosophical schools that’s synonymous with Indian philosophy today. Her research looks at the intersection of poetry and philosophy within this tradition.
Says Rao, “It’s really surprising how relatable some of the voices in these poems continue to be today.”
Celebrating 17th century Dutch art through sonnets
John Reibetanz was so moved by Dutch paintings from the 17th century by artists such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer, he put his admiration on paper.
The professor emeritus from the Department of English wrote his latest poetry collection, Everyday Light, with sonnets that touch on themes of music, landscapes and ordinary domestic life, all drawn from these paintings.
Reibetanz made a recent pilgrimage to the Netherlands, visiting over 20 museums and art galleries. “I looked at so many different paintings, and I chose the ones that had the most relevance to what our culture faces today,” he says.
The sonnet, he decided, was the perfect poetic form to capture his appreciation of these great works.
“The sonnet form just opened itself up to me,” says Reibetanz. “A sonnet opens up at the beginning, and then there's complication, complication, complication, and then some kind of resolution. That's the way the sonnet worked in the 17th century — it formulated people's thoughts — and still does today.”
An A&S alum dives into the life of a children’s performer
For Arts & Science alum Lindsay Zier-Vogel, swimming is more than exercise: it’s where the best ideas are generated, including her latest novel, The Fun Times Brigade.
In it, she explores music, motherhood and grief through the eyes of Amy, a successful children's musician searching for identity and validation as an artist. Amy tours with bandmates Jim and Fran. They play festivals and concert halls on a demanding schedule; they release mega hit albums and land a show on the CBC.
The book’s premise came to Zier-Vogel several years ago as Canada’s famous children’s musicians Sharon and Bram were crossing the country on their farewell tour.
She credits her master's in creative writing from U of T for her research skills. “My degree paved the way for knowing any book I write is going to include a major research component,” she says.
The book has quickly drawn praise, including being named among the Toronto Star’s 25 books to read in 2025 and the CBC’s 70 Canadian fiction books to read in spring 2025.
The quest for inclusion for trans athletes in sports
A&S alum Rachel Browne’s debut book, Let Us Play: Winning the Battle for Gender Diverse Athletes, explores her brother’s experience as the first openly transgender athlete in a professional team sport.
Browne co-authored Let Us Play with her brother, Harrison Browne, which pairs his lived experience as a trans man competing first in college and then in professional hockey with original research and testimonials from other trans athletes.
Harrison began the book as a memoir but was convinced to take a more all-encompassing approach that broadly promotes the inclusion of trans athletes in sport, adding rigorous research and fact-finding.
“This book gives people a cheat sheet,” says Harrison. “It’s a handbook to explain why this is an important topic and help them speak on it.”
Imagine undergraduates as agents of research
Robert Gibbs believes Canadian universities are failing to harness the skills and energy of undergraduate students for original research.
A professor with the Department of Philosophy, cross appointed to the Department for the Study of Religion, Gibbs’ latest book, What Could a University Be? Revolutionary Ideas for the Future suggests undergraduates are a valuable resource with untapped potential.
Though he admits they have much to learn about critical methods of inquiry and research, they also have the strongest connection to the world outside of campus, compared to professors and graduate students, making them keen observers of changes and trends in society.
Drawing on philosophy and the history of higher education as well as his own education career, Gibbs proposes teaching students how to conduct research throughout their entire undergraduate education, enabling them to become confident knowledge creators rather than passive recipients receiving instruction.
