Gilbert M. Valentine’s laudable book, Ostriches and Canaries: Coping with Change in Adventism, 1966–1979 (Oak and Acorn, 2023), was selected as a finalist for the Center for Adventist Research Book Prize and warrants accolades. Valentine broke new ground in his masterfully interpreted history of Robert Pierson’s administration and its impact, especially on Andrews University and Loma Linda University. Few historians have studied Adventism in the twentieth century and Valentine is the first to investigate debates over academic freedom within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Ostriches and Canaries is delightfully provocative and especially relevant, as incidents in the recent Adventist past have shown. Valentine’s research is impeccable, reflecting his well-known talent as an archival sleuth and brilliant analyst. His prose is also compelling—indeed, Ostriches and Canaries is a riveting page-turner! Thus, for many reasons, we highly commend Gilbert M. Valentine for his excellent narrative, Ostriches and Canaries.

Author: Center for Adventist Research Prize Committee