UW Notebook

August 14, 2025

New faculty books: Language instruction, the yoga of power, and more

New faculty books from the University of Washington include those about yoga, language instruction, dynamic futures trading and more.

New faculty books from the University of Washington include those from Asian languages and literature, applied mathematics and the Jackson School of International Studies.

Charting a new genealogy of yoga

Sunila S. Kale and Christian Lee Novetzke, both professors in the Jackson School of International Studies, collaborated to publish “The Yoga of Power: Yoga as Political Thought and Practice in India.”

Yoga has an enormous range of meanings, though it most often refers to philosophy or methods to control the mind or body. Kale and Novetzke argue for a wider understanding, writing that yoga has long expressed political thought and practice.

“This is a book about yoga, but it is not about that yoga. Our book does not center the yoga you’ll find in a modern yoga studio,” they write in the opening. “Instead, the yoga of this book is the yoga of poets and kings, warriors and heroes, princes and revolutionaries. It is the yoga of leaders finding ways to govern and of insurgents rising from under the weight of colonialism.”

The authors chart a new genealogy of yoga, beginning with uses of the term in some of India’s ancient texts like the Rig Veda, the Mahābhārata, the Bhagavad Gītā and the Arthaśāstra. In the world of these texts, yoga names everything from war and battle strategy to good governance, espionage, taxation and welfare.

This path leads to the modern period, where Kale and Novetzke examine the writings and speeches of nationalist-era political figures like Gandhi, Aurobindo, Ambedkar and the Raja of Aundh. Their interpretation of yoga embraces its long-standing political conceptualization and sheds light on South Asian political thought and history.

They write: “The yoga that we study here echoes from the ancient past in a way that resonates forcefully in the political present. This is a book about the yoga that names what people do to hold sway over other people, things, concepts and political structures. This is a book about the yoga of power.”

For more information, contact Kale at kale@uw.edu and Novetzke at novetzke@uw.edu.

History and development of the Chinese script

Zev Handel, professor of Asian languages and literature, recently published “Chinese Characters Across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.”

The book explores the history of the Chinese script, particularly how it’s been changed and adapted over 2,000 years for use in non-Chinese languages. In tracing these developments, Handel explores misconceptions and myths about Chinese writing, notions that Chinese could be a universal script and the future of Chinese characters.

“This book presents the fascinating story of the millennia-long history of Chinese writing,” Handel said. “Through lively anecdotes, examples and images, it demystifies Chinese writing and invites the reader to gain new insights and perspectives on the relationship between written and spoken language.”

The book is written in a non-technical style meant to be accessible to readers who don’t have any background knowledge of Chinese.

“I am proud and excited to be able to present material that has engaged me throughout my scholarly career in a style that invites everyone to share my fascination,” Handel said.

For more information, contact Handel at zhandel@uw.edu.

Latest edition of “Korean for Dummies”

EunYoung Won, UW teaching professor of Asian languages and literature, served as the primary co-author for the second edition of “Korean for Dummies.”

The newly released edition features 20 thematically organized chapters that explore a wide range of everyday topics, including Hangeul, Korean grammar, travel, shopping, work and dining out.

Each chapter is designed to introduce practical expressions, essential vocabulary, cultural insights and helpful language tips, equipping learners with the tools to communicate effectively and confidently in various real-life situations. The book offers language support that is relevant and accessible.

“This isn’t a traditional language textbook filled with dense grammar explanations,” Won said. “Instead, it serves as a practical reference guide for learners who want to start conversing in Korean with ease.”

The book focuses on real-life scenarios, such as ordering food, shopping at local markets or making travel arrangements, while offering cultural notes that enhance understanding of Korean norms and etiquette.

Ideal for beginners, the book supports pronunciation practice, conversation strategies and the use of polite language in context. It also serves as a valuable resource for anyone seeking to deepen their appreciation of Korean culture through language.

“This book is brimming with cultural gems and practical tips that help learners grasp the essentials of Korean,” Won said.

The project is a collaborative effort between Won and Jeongyi Lee of Kennesaw State University.

For more information, contact Won at woney@uw.edu.

A stochastic control approach to dynamic futures trading

“Stochastic Control Approach to Futures Trading” is a recent book by Tim Leung, professor of applied mathematics.

Futures play an integral role in financial markets; millions of contracts are traded on futures exchanges around the globe every day. In recent years, futures have been incorporated into a wide array of financial securities and have become the driving force behind their price dynamics.

Multiple stochastic models are designed to capture the salient features of various market regimes and dynamics. They are useful for pricing futures contracts and building futures portfolios.

In this book, Leung and his co-author Yang Zhou, who graduated from UW with a doctoral degree in applied mathematics, analyze the mathematical problems associated with futures trading problems in different market environments. The book presents a series of numerical examples to illustrate the optimal trading strategies.

“This book was motivated by a series of research projects on futures pricing and trading,” said Leung, who is the Boeing Endowed Professor of Applied Mathematics and the computational finance and risk management, or CFRM, program.

“UW graduate students in applied mathematics and in the CFRM program participated in our lectures on dynamic futures portfolio optimization, while others took part in the early reading of the drafts of various chapters,” Leung said. “We’re grateful for this vibrant research environment.”

For more information, contact Leung at timleung@uw.edu.

Highlighting concept-based language instruction

“Concept-based Language Instruction: Usage-based Linguistics and Sociocultural Theory in Teaching Japanese” showcases how concept-based language instruction can be effectively integrated into foreign language instruction.

Published in January, the book was co-authored by Amy Snyder Ohta, UW professor of Asian languages and literature, Rie Tsujihara, UW lecturer of Japanese, and Kyoko Masuda of Georgia Tech.

Concept-based language instruction is grounded in the relationship between theory, research and practice. The method uses visual aids called SCOBAs – or schemas for a complete orientating basis of action – to teach accurate scientific concepts.

“This is one of the first books in an emerging research area, and the first related to Japanese,” Ohta said. “We are excited to see it in print, and hope that it provides inspiration for researchers and foreign language teachers.”

For more information, contact Ohta at aohta@uw.edu.