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The Bookwatch

Volume 6, Number 10 October 2011 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Parenting Shelf Crafts Shelf
Art Shelf Audiobook Shelf Military Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Education Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Computer Shelf Social Issues Shelf Music Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Photography Shelf
Political Science Shelf Philosophy Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Cookbook Shelf Business Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Travel Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Martial Arts Shelf Civil War Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

The Pirates of Somalia
Jay Bahadur
Pantheon Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307379061, $26.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

The Pirates of Somalia: Inside Their Hidden World offers the first close-up look at the pirates of Somalia, has been featured on the Colbert Report, and is a top pick for not just social issues collections, but any general lending library. Lively discussion exposes for the first time the identities, lives, and purposes of the forces that created piracy in Somalia, considering everything from how they treat hostages to how they spend the ransom money. Regional politics, Somalia history and culture, and the evolution of piracy in the region makes for a gripping story that's simply riveting!

The Interrogator: An Education
Glenn L. Carle
Nation Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781568586731, $26.99, www.nationbooks.org

The Interrogator: An Education provides an autobiographical piece from a CIA case officer who was a spy for over two decades. It focuses on his mission to interrogate a high-level al-Qaida terrorist at the height of the Global War on terror, telling how he led the interrogation of a high-level terrorist for months before coming to believe they had the wrong man. His assignment challenged one of the top cases in the war on terror and this inside story of a high-level interrogation process makes for vivid, engrossing reading.

The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions, fourth edition
John J. Donnelly & Judy Donnelly
Skyhorse Publishing
307 West 36th St, 11th Floor, New York NY 10018
9781616082383, $29.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

The fourth updated edition of The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions is a pick for sports and reference holdings alike and is available for the first time since 2003 to offer handloader all the tips, tools, and techniques needed to convert materials into over a thousand different rifle and pistol cartridge cases. From making rare cartridges from modern materials to handling odd diameter projectiles, this revised edition offers over a hundred photos and drawings, recommended starting loads, an index of hundreds of cartridges, and much more.


The Parenting Shelf

If I Have to Tell You One More Time...
Amy McCready
Tarcher
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9781585428649, $24.95, www.penguin.com

IF I HAVE TO TELL YOU ONE MORE TIME... THE REVOLUTIONARY PROGRAM THAT GETS YOUR KID TO LISTEN WITHOUT NAGGING, REMINDING OR YELLING provides parents with a fine guide to empowering a child to end attention-seeking behavior patterns. The author's studies in Adlerian psychology lend well to her tips for achieving more positive results, offering examples of common misbehavior and how to identify unconscious parenting habits that thwart the parenting process as a whole. It's a program filled with tools parents need to raise respectful, well-behaved kids and deserves a place in any parenting library.

Don't Let the Kids Drink the Kool-Aid
Marybeth Hicks
Regnery Publishing, Inc.
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
9781596981515, $24.95, www.regnery.com

Don't Let the Kids Drink the Kool-Aid: Confronting the Left's Assault on Our Families, Faith, and Freedom contends that the left has embarked on a campaign to create a generation of socialists - and, that it's worked. It discusses how a new generation of Americans who believe they are entitled to a lifetime of government care have come of age, and shows how this socialist worldview will destroy ambition, work ethics, faith and more. An intriguing survey for any interested in right-wing perceptions of liberal intent in modern America.


The Crafts Shelf

Gracing the Table
Compiled by Dawn Anderson
Martingale & Company
20215 - 144th Avenue NE
Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
1584773744, $21.95, www.martingale-pub.com

GRACING THE TABLE: MORE THAN 20 HANDCRAFTED PROJECTS provides a fine set of home decorating projects for any who would focus on tableware and kitchen accessories. Even crafters who have no prior knowledge of needlework or painting will find it quick and easy to produce the home accent projects featured here. Most require only a few hours to complete and pair easy techniques with polished results in excellent step-by-step projects. Any crafts or home and garden collection needs this!

Chains Chains Chains
Joanna Gollberg and Nathalie Mornu
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781600595981, $24.95, www.larkcrafts.com

Chains Chains Chains: 25 Necklaces, Bracelets & Earrings provides jewelry-making collections with a strong focus on unconventional chain projects. The focus on non-traditional chain options offers projects that feature the chain as a piece of art in itself, without needing pendants or charms to enhance the result. Chainwork here is made of silver, gold, copper, steel, brass and more and provides a satisfying range of finishes perfect for any jewelry crafter or library catering to them!

The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook
Carol Ekarius & Deborah Robson
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603427111, $35.00, www.storey.com

The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn is a top recommendation for any crafter working with fiber. It covers over 200 fibers and animal breeds, tells how to use fiber washed and unwashed and how to prepare it for any project, and provides spinners and knitters with a sourcebook packed with keys to using fiber products. It's also a photographic display that covers nearly every sheep breed in the world: as a reference for crafters, it's a 'must have' reference!

Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachbooks.com

BeadStyle Magazine's MAKING ELEGANT JEWELRY FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS (9780871164254, $17.95) offers a fine array of jewelry projects featuring simple designs, lovely blends of pearls, crystals and wire, and pieces suitable for elegant outfits. Each project pairs a color photo and step-by-step instructions with details on tools and techniques accessible to learners at all levels, making for an outstanding jewelry-making guide. Bead & Button Magazine's CREATIVE BEADING V. 6 (9780871164193, $29.95) packs in a year's worth of beaded jewelry projects tested by the magazine's top editors, and offers popular stitches, wirework and chain mail techniques, crochet, and a Basics section for required knots and wireworking skills. Projects come in a range of jewelry styles and offers a powerful set of inspirational directions and vivid color photos key to any jewelry-making collection. Paulette Baron, Amy Katz and Sherry Serafini's BEADING ACROSS AMERICA: JEWELRY INSPIRATIONS FROM COAST TO COAST (9780871164001, $21.95) represents a collaborative effort by artists from across the U.S. and provides a unique volume of beadwork introducing new beading styles at all skill levels. Beadweaving, embroidery, and more are surveyed with thirty projects from necklaces and bracelets to earrings and rings. Beaders will find this a fine pick!


The Art Shelf

Storied Past
Cheryl K. Snay
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953560, $65.00, www.hudsonhills.com

STORIED PAST: FOUR CENTURIES OF FRENCH DRAWINGS FROM THE BLANTON MUSEUM OF ART tells of the museum's lesser-known holdings of French drawings. The Blanton is renowned for its old master drawings from the Italian renaissance and baroque eras. This catalog accompanies an exhibition profiling the French drawings of its holdings - many presented here for the first time. This represents a re-identification of sources, new research on dates and subjects, and even presents a work thought lost. Essays provide a satisfying alternative analysis to traditional French drawing consideration and make this a top pick for any art library interested in European or French art historical research.

Art Saves
Jenny Doh
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
144030906X, $24.99, www.createmixedmedia.com

Art Saves: Stories, Inspiration and Prompts Sharing the Power of Art provides a survey of the experiences of over twenty artists who show how art literally gives them purpose for living. From projects and mixed media techniques to ideas that help readers learn lessons from working artists, this is a pick not just for crafts collections, but for any library strong in a workbook covering both the meaning of art and the purpose and techniques of its production.


The Audiobook Shelf

Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.highbridgeaudio.com

Alafair Burke's LONG GONE (9781611744316, $34.95) provides a fine novel of suspense by a powerful new young crime writer, and offers action brought to life by the audio format. Here Alice arrives at work to find everything in the new art gallery gone overnight - stripped bare of belongings, with the dead body of her boss on the floor. Her dream job turns into a nightmare as she finds herself at the heart of an investigation that draws chilling ties between the death and a missing girl - all of which point to Alice. Her search for the real truth leads her on a dangerous, involved path in this fine thriller. Camilla Lackberg's THE PREACHER (9781615735488, $39.95) provides a fine thriller that springs to life in audio and tells of a series of sadistic murders spanning two generations in a small fishing village. A local detective charged with resolving an old case becomes immersed in a feuding clan and a family's dangerous secrets in this involving thriller.

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.hachetteaudio.com

Anne Rivers Siddons's BURNT MOUNTAIN (9781607882497, $34.98) receives an outstanding reading by Kate Reading, who spices an exceptional unabridged narration about a tomboy who marries an unconventional Irish professor and moves into her deceased grandmother's home in Atlanta to lead a quiet life. Her husband's involvement in a camp on Burnt Mountain telling Irish tales to campers makes for a powerful story of love and secrets, perfect for any general lending collection. Nonfiction audio collections will find CHANGE ANYTHING by Kerry Patterson, et.al. (9781609419875, $29.98) a top pick. It discusses the science of personal success, discussing the mechanics of change and how to understand the underlying influences on personal choices. Studies of thousands of changers reveal the methods of positive change and make for an exceptional survey perfect for any self-help or self-improvement audio collection.

Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Harry Dolan's VERY BAD MEN (9780142429372, $39.95) receives a fine narration by actor Erik Davies, who appeared on film, TV and stage in many popular shows. His narration of VERY BAD MEN spices a fine narrative telling of a notorious crime, a man behind bars, and a vendetta of murder. Two people are drawn into a murderer's world when a crazy theory comes to life in this riveting novel that comes to life in audio. John Steinbeck's classic THE GRAPES OF WRATH comes alive under the fine audio reading by Dylan Baker (9780143145158, $39.95), who spices a dramatic and involving story set in the Great Depression and centering around the changes affecting an entire nation during the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s. A farm family's struggles come to life in this vivid account, recommended for any audio collection strong in the classics. Steinbeck's TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY IN SEARCH OF AMERICA (9780142429198, $29.95) receives a fine reading by Gary Sinise, who spices and embellishes a vivid story of the author and his poodle Charley, who journey across America. Steinbeck's observations of his world during the trip form a compelling portrait of 1960s America that springs to life in audio. Manning Marable's MALCOLM X: A LIFE OF REINVENTION (9780142428443, $39.95) receives a fine reading by actor G. Valmont Thomas, who brings to life all the drama and controversies surrounding the life of the man known as Malcolm X. From his early years in Boston to his conversion to Islam and his rise as a militant, his entire life springs to vivid action in an unabridged audio that is recommended for any lending library. Amor Towles' RULES OF CIVILITY (9780142429273, $39.95) provides a fine novel spiced by Rebecca Lowman's vivid reading (she has appeared in numerous TV series) and is set in 1937, where a chance encounter between a banker and a jazz club attendee leads Katey on a journey from being a Wall Street secretary to entering New York society. Her newfound experiences with wealth will change her life and bring new opportunities in this fine story of New York high life and personal transitions, recommended for any audio collection strong in novels. Jim Butcher's GHOST STORY (9780142429068, $49.95) receives a fine narrative by Broadway actor John Glover, who played Lionel Luther on Smallville among many other credits, and comes to life in audio. Harry Dresden is Chicago's only professional wizard, the host for the spirit of a fallen angel, and more. But here he's been murdered and is trapped between life and death - only to find he's on a mission to bring his murderer to justice to save his friends. An intriguing, different kind of ghost story evolves!


The Military Shelf

Mauser Military Rifles of the World, fifth edition
Robert W.D. Ball
Gun Digest Books
700 E. State St., Iowa, WI 54990-0001
9781440215445, $49.99, www.gundigeststore.com

The fifth updated edition of Mauser Military Rifles of the World comes from a world-renowned authority on Mauser military rifles and offers the latest results of his research into the rifle. Full color photos accompany new chapters offering coverage of experimental weapons and prototypes, previously unknown variations on the Mauser, and histories, models, and new photos of the rifles. Any collector or historian concerned with the Mauser simply MUST have this invaluable reference!

Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
www.ospreypublishing.com

Richard Brooks's WALCHEREN 1944: STORMING HITLER'S ISLAND FORTRESS tells of 1944 (9781849082372, $19.95) when the Allies captured the port city of Antwerp. In order to have access to the city they needed to clear German outposts, including the island of Walcheren, the most fortified stretch of coastline in the world. This reveals the history of one of the last major amphibious operations of the war, offering insights into strategies, challenges, and statistics of the conflicts. Ben Hughes' THEY SHALL NOT PASS! THE BRITISH BATTALION AT JARAMA - THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR (9781849085496, $25.95) tells of how in 1937 a group of idealistic British volunteers sailed from England to battle the Spanish. They achieved the first victory against Franco's army in a battle which proved the must important of the 20th century - and which is nearly forgotten today. That's why military history collections must have THEY SHALL NOT PASS, an outstanding and detailed account of a little-known conflict. Gordon L. Rottman's VIETNAM INFANTRY TACTICS (9781849085052, $18.95) comes from an infantry veteran of Vietnam and provides a fine survey of small-unit tactics of the conflict. Photos and color diagrams illustrate coverage of the solutions adopted by the U.S. armed forces during Vietnam and makes for a fine in-depth coverage for any Vietnam history collection. ENDURING FREEDOM: AFGHANISTAN 2001-2010 (9781849085328, $24.95) offers a fine companion volume for FORCE ON FORCE, where players have all the in-depth details needed to recreate the battles in specific areas of the world. From scenarios and mission objectives to combat in Afghanistan and background information, this is intended for military Force on Force players who want the details necessary to re-create actual military scenarios. Highly recommended!


The Environmental Studies Shelf

The Invention of Ecocide
David Zierier
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
0820338273, $24.95, www.ugapress.org

The Invention of Ecocide: Agent Orange, Vietnam, and the Scientists Who Changed the Way We Think About the Environment provides a rich blend of military and scientific history packaged in a lively narrative and is a pick for science and military holdings alike. It traces the movement banning 'ecocide' which began in the 1940s when weed killer was developed for agriculture and its military applications were studied, tracing developments to modern times when scientists confirmed major ecological disaster occurred from herbicide use in war. Interviews, archives, and recently declassified national security documents examine the movement to ban ecocide in this hard-hitting survey.


The Education Shelf

You, Your Child, and "Special" Education
Barbara Coyne Cutler, et.al.
Brookes Publishing Co.
Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598571233, $24.95, www.brookespublishing.com

You, Your Child, and "Special" Education: A Guide to Dealing with the System is a key acquisition for any parent working with the school system to educate a special needs child. It deserves ongoing recommendation as a 'must have' acquisition that teaches parents how to work within the school system to advocate educational benefits for their child. Step-by-step, real-world guidance makes this an ongoing top reference.

Crossing the Vocabulary Bridge
Socorro G. Herrera, et.al.
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York NY 10027
9780807752173, $27.95, www.tcpress.com

CROSSING THE VOCABULARY BRIDGE: DIFFERENTIATED STRATEGIES FOR DIVERSE SECONDARY CLASSROOMS is packed with lessons and activities that have been created by the authors and used successfully in their own educational processes, and offers teachers and students step-by-step instructional routines for forming a cooperative learning community. Student input is welcomed in such a framework for learning, with chapters providing a set of strategies that work equally well across all content areas for diverse classrooms. A fine pick for any education collection!

Useful Research
Susan Alberts Mohrman, Edward E. Lawler III and Associates
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605096001, $49.95, www.bkconnection.com

USEFUL RESEARCH: ADVANCING THEORY AND PRACTICE offers a fine survey of successful researchers who describe their approach to research and discuss how it advances theory and practice. From how academic knowledge translates to business and professional practice and changes to how to do useful research in traditional academic settings and publish it in appropriate journals for peer analysis, this provides a top survey useful for a range of disciplines, from business and education to academic research collections.

The Best 376 Colleges, 2012 edition
Robert Franek, et.al.
Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780375428395, $22.99, www.princetonreview.com

The Best 376 Colleges appears in its updated 2012 edition to discuss that makes a college great - and how to understand popularity of a college among students. Direct quotes from students provide insights into college atmosphere, course, teachers, and financial aid, while in-depth admissions details offer keys to applying, deadlines, graduation rates and more. The blend of statistics and ratings by students makes for a fine 'must have' acquisition by any high school or general lending library.

The Innovative University
Clayton M. Christensen and Henry J. Eyrinbg
Jossey-Bass
989 Market Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9781118063484, $22.95, www.josseybass.com

The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out provides a thorough assessment of disruptive technologies at work in higher education, surveying how traditional universities face intense competition from online sources and for-profit entities, and showing educators how traditional colleges can combat these advantages. It analyzes the traditional university and explains how they must change to compete effectively with new technology's approaches to education. Any college-level collection strong in education history must have this!

The Multiplayer Classroom
Lee Sheldon
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
1435458443, $34.99, www.courseptr.com

The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game shows teachers how to engage students by designing a structured learning experience as a game. It's written for educators who want the principles and tools involved in creating such an environment, providing tools learned in the development of popular video games and applying them to classrooms or even boardrooms. No prior gaming experience is needed for educators to make successful use of all the tips here!

Requirements Engineering Fundamentals
Klaus Pohl & Chris Rupp
Rocky Nook
26 West Mission Street, Suite 3
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
9781933952819, $39.95, www.rockynook.com

REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS: A STUDY GUIDE FOR THE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL FOR REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING EXAM FOUNDATION LEVEL/IREB COMPLIANT is designed for self-study and covers all the requirements for the exam as defined by the IREB. It's the official textbook based on the curriculum, so will find its place not only with self-study achievers but as classroom assigned reading for coursework, making this a top pick for any exam-taker!

Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.corwin.com

Ruth Swinney and Patricia Velasco's CONNECTING CONTENT AND ACADEMIC LANGUAGE FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS AND STRUGGLING STUDENTS GRADES 2-6 (9781412988438, $36.95) provides educators with fine unit plans for EL students and focus on developing language that integrates with content. The attention to helping students advance from social to academic language and planning language arts, social studies and science lessons that connect content with language makes for a fine set of lesson plans, concepts and tools suitable for any teacher working with bilingual and struggling students seeking academic advancement. Jackie Acree Walsh and Beth Dankert Sattes' THINKING THROUGH QUALITY QUESTIONING: DEEPENING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT (9781412989022, $33.95) is based on research and provides a collection of instructions for creating an engaged classroom. It focuses on establishing new norms for student awareness, responsibility and critical assessment skills and shows teachers how to establish guidelines for cognitive assessment, using formative feedback more effectively, and much more. Renee Hobbs' DIGITAL AND MEDIA LITERACY: CONNECTING CULTURE AND CLASSROOM (9781412981583, $36.95) shows teachers how to foster students' critical thinking and collaboration skills, teaching how to blend media literacy into all subjects. From texts appropriate for a general classroom to keys to helping students develop critical thinking around popular culture, this is packed with tools teachers in grades 6-12 will appreciate, coupled with case history, real-world examples of their applications. David A. Sousa's HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS, 4TH EDITION (9781412997973, $44.95) provides a fine survey of how the latest research in brain learning styles translates to new classroom strategies and activities. New information on memory and how technology affects the brain results in new educational approaches, and this surveys the latest findings, revises sections on hemispheric specialization processes, and expands resources to link with this new research. Charts, exercises and discussions make this a key teaching tool.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Dragon's Time
Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey
DelRey
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780345500892, $26.00, www.delreybooks.com

DRAGON'S TIME joins others in the classic 'Dragonriders of Pern' series, offering a new presentation for the first time in more than three years by a mother and son who add a new story to the series. Here the ongoing effect of a plague that was killing the dragons of Pern continues: there are no longer enough dragons to fight the deadly Thread. It's up to Lorana to take drastic steps in the search for help: steps that will affect the future of Pern itself. Prior fans and newcomers alike will find this a moving, satisfying fantasy.


The Computer Shelf

Crafting Rails Applications
Jose Valim
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325, Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356739, $33.00, www.pragprog.com

Crafting Rails Applications: Expert Practices for Everyday Rails Development comes from a Rails core developer who here uses seven specific tutorials to guide readers through the new Rails extensions and applications that solve specific problems. Developers will receive keys to understanding Rails 3's template handlers, routers, and more, and will benefit from applied examples of all Rails concepts. Challenges are paired with code for optimum emphasis of techniques in a pick for any developer's collection.

CompTIA Security+ Certification Kit, third edition
Emmett Dulaney, et.al.
Sybex
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46256
9781118061152, $99.97, www.sybex.com

The third updated edition of CompTIA Security+ Certification Kit packs in everything needed to study, practice and succeed in the exam, pairing three in-depth study guides in a slipcased package that includes electronic flashcards, hundreds of sample questions and hands-on exercises, and an interactive CD package of two full practice exams and other perks. In-depth coverage of all exam questions cover objectives, key information arranged by daily tasks, and reviews of key information. No student of the exam can afford to be without this intense, comprehensive study package!

ITIL Capacity Management
Larry Klosterboer
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0137065922, $39.99, www.ibmpressbooks.com

ITIL Capacity Management provides a fine guide to using ITIL capacity management processes to gain more value from existing investments, offering a best-practice guide from an ITIL expert. Chapters cover all the business and IT concerns in capacity management, offering keys to ITIL terminology, systems, linking between systems and processes, and more. It uses the author's in-depth ITIL experience to consider all facets for any IT manager or computer or business manager.

Practical Packet Analysis, second edition
Chris Sanders
No Starch Press
38 Ringold St., San Francisco CA 94103
9781593272661, $49.95, www.nostarch.com

The second updated edition of Practical Packet Analysis provides programmers with keys to capturing packets using Wireshock, and is a fine discussion of network protocols and using packets for optimum information and decisions. Over forty new scenarios are included in an extensively revised second edition, with new sections on troubleshooting slow networks and packet analysis for security. A top pick for any network administrator's collection!

Adobe Flex 4.5 Fundamentals
Michael Labriola, et.al.
Adobe Press
1249 - 8th St. Berkeley CA 94710
0321777123, $49.99, www.adobepress.com

Adobe Flex 4.5 Fundamentals: Training from the Source teaches how to use MXML language to lay out applications, create custom user interfaces, and build dynamic applications using Flex 4.5. It offers step-by-step scenarios and applications building knowledge in a course approach that will appeal to self-learners and classroom students alike, and is written by authors who have real-world experience using and customizing Flex 4.5. Any computer collection strong in Adobe Flex needs this.

A Practical Guide to Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, sixth edition
Mark G. Sobell
Prentice-Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0132757273, $59.99, www.prentice-hall.com

The sixth updated edition of A Practical Guide to Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux offers the latest updated coverage of Fedora 15 and RHEL 6 and covers all the basics of the major changes - yet assumes no prior Linux knowledge, starting at the beginning and working into advanced applications. Chapters provide step-by-step keys from installation to configuring Linux using a DVD in the book, and cover applications for desktops and networks alike. The DVD holds the fill version of Fedora 15. Especially recommended for newcomers to the Fedora environment and to classrooms teaching Linux and Fedora.

XNA Game Studio 4.0 for Xbox 360 Developers
Jonathan S. Harbour
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
9781584505372, $49.99, www.courseptr.com

XNA Game Studio 4.0 for Xbox 360 Developers tells how to use Game Studio 4.0 to create challenging games, and offers a review of the entire XNA framework and its applications. Game programmers receive in-depth coverage of the basics, from playing audio to creating graphics, and receive step-by-step instructions that build a foundation of skills and culminate in a game project that takes full advantage of XNA's abilities. The perfect place for developers to start, to learn all of XNA Game Studio 4.0's capabilities!

Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Barry Burd, PhD's JAVA FOR DUMMIES (9780470371732, $29.99) appears in its fifth updated edition and provides all the basics of working with Java, from combining several smaller programs to create a bigger one to reusing existing code, using arrays and collections to juggle values, writing Java Aplets, and more. All the basics are packed into step-by-step instructions that also include highlights of common questions and obstacles, making this a clear survey perfect for any Java beginner. VISUALIZE THIS: THE FLOWINGDATA GUIDE TO DESIGN, VISUALIZATION AND STATISTICS (9780470944882, $39.99) by Nathan Yau provides a unique new approach to approaching data representation, using a visual key to creating statistical graphs, geographical maps, and other representations of data. It uses the author's own FlowingData approach and creation to explore how data is perceived and absorbed, discusses tools that can help in the data visualization process, and teaches the basics of how to represent data visually. A fine pick for any computer collection!

Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com

The second updated edition of Dan Holme, et.al.'s MCTS EXAM 70-640: CONFIGURING WINDOWS SERVER 2008 ACTIVE DIRECTORY (9780735651937, $69.99) provides a fine training kit for the exam and has been completely updated for Windows Server 2008 R2. A series of lessons and reviews cover each exam objective and reinforce real-world case scenarios and knowledge to pair them with practical practice exercises. Students will find this allows them depth and insights on all the processes, from managing authentication to planning Active Directory replication. A 'must have' for any student taking the exam! Mark Russinovich and Aaron Margosis' WINDOWS SYSINTERNALS ADMINISTRATOR'S REFERENCE (9780735656727, $49.99) tells users how to master the Sysinternals tools to keep systems running smoothly. From analyzing reports of CPU spikes and system problems to learning how to generate memory dumps for application troubleshooting and analyzing file digital signatures and security, this is packed with all kinds of references Sysinternals administrators will find essential! Stephanie Krieger's DOCUMENTS, PRESENTATIONS, AND WORKBOOKS USING MICROSOFT OFFICE TO CREATE CONTENT THAT GETS NOTICED (9780735651999, $54.99) is a fine key to using Microsoft office to create eye-popping documents, and is a 'must' for any collection strong in Office processes. From creating custom office themes to using tables and professional graphics, this covers everything from advanced PivotTables and PowerPoint to automating documents using Visual Basic for Applications and Office Open XL. Simply a 'must' bible for any Office collection! Maria Langer's MICROSOFT OUTLOOK FOR MAC 2011 STEP BY STEP (9780735651890, $29.99) focuses on building Outlook skills on a Mac system and provides a step-by-step approach reinforced by a searchable online edition of the book paired with online video tutorials. The entire package allows Mac users to manage all email accounts using Outlook, and provides keys to customization. Mac users will find this an exceptional reference! The third updated edition of Cliff Atkinson's BEYOND BULLET POINTS (9780735627352, $29.99) tells how to think beyond bullet points and provides a step-by-step guide to applying classic storytelling and presentation techniques to enhance the PowerPoint presentation experiences. From locating and enhancing an emotional connection to storyboarding ideas and creating inspirational, motivational lectures, this tells how to translate traditional storyboarding to computer and visual lecture environments for maximum impact in a pick recommended for business and computer holdings alike.

AK Peters
c/o CRC Press
6000 Broken Sound Pkwy, NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton FL 33487
www.crcpress.com

Jason Zink, Matt Paettineo, and Jack Hoxley's PRACTICAL RENDERING & COMPUTATION WITH DIRECT 3D 11 (9781568817200, $69.95) packs in documentation and in-depth coverage of basic and high-level concepts related to using Direct 3D 11 and is a top pick for any serious programming collection. It reviews rendering and hardware, considering algorithms and features of Direct 3D 11, and it includes sample algorithms and analysis. Concepts, applications, and overall philosophy contribute to a complex survey of high and low level concepts perfect for a wide range of users. Any interested in computation and multicore models will find this packed with examples and technical applications. Noriko Kurachi's THE MAGIC OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS (9781568815770, $49.95) is edited by Michael Stark and focuses on CG effects and their applications. Chapters survey rendering in computer graphics, providing students and computer graphics users with specifics on image-based rendering and offering chapters packed with discussions of environmental maps, BRF synthesis, BSSRDF models, and much more. Technical college-level collections strong in computer graphics models will find this a popular reference.

Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.informit.com/aw

The second updated edition of Jason Ouellette's DEVELOPMENT WITH THE FORCE.COM PLATFORM: BUILDING BUSINESS APPLICATIONS IN THE CLOUD (9780321767356, $49.99) is a top pick for developers working with Cloud business applications. It tells how to use Force.com to build enterprise applications, and comes from the author's experience building three of the world's top ten Force.com applications. Chapters discuss the database's unique features, how to build intuitive data interfaces, adding social media applications with Chatter's new tools, and more. A 'must' for any who would work with Force.com applications! Aaftab Munshi, et.al.'s OPENCL PROGRAMMING GUIDE (0321749642, $54.99) is a pick for graphics programming collections strong in OpenCL, and teaches the basics of writing applications using the Open Computing Language standard. It's written by five OpenCL experts who cover all the basics using case studies and downloadable code examples throughout, offering a basic understanding of terminology, goals, and more. From supporting devices from cellphones to computers to understanding image and signal processing, filters and more, this moves from basic to complex goals in the OpenCL environment. Ken Collier's AGILE ANALYTICS: A VALUE-DRIVEN APPROACH TO BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND DATA WAREHOUSING (032150481X, $49.99) is a recommended pick for business and computer collections alike, offering keys to Agile project management techniques, team coordination, test-driven DW development, and more. Any involved in IT management or database administration and development interested in applied Agile will find this packed with platform-driven solutions to blending different systems of commercial and custom code. Examples show how to manage teams with very different approaches to development.

ESRI Publishers
380 New York St., Redlands, CA 92373-8100
www.esri.com

Christian Harder, et.al.'s UNDERSTANDING GIS: AN ARCGIS PROJECT WORKBOOK (9781589482425, $79.95) explains and explores the methods and processes needed to apply GIS analysis to a spatial problem. Readers receive a hypothetical project of selecting a suitable location for a park near the Los Angeles River, along with self-paced tutorials and step-by-step directions for linking the (included) ArcGIS Desktop 10 software to project applications. A top pick for any GIS library! Also highly recommended is Kathryn Keranen and Robert Kolvoord's MAKING SPATIAL DECISIONS USING GIS: A WORKBOOK (9781589482807, $69.95) appears in its second updated edition offering students scenario-based lessons to develop GIS skills. Students use organized workflows, spatial analysis and visualization to make decisions rooted in real-world applications in a title designed for a college curriculum. An accompanying DVD contains data for the exercises, along with a 180-day trial of ArcGIS Desktop 10. Any GIS student will find this a solid workbook packed with practical, real-world applications.

O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com

The sixth updated edition of Randal L. Schwartz, Brian D. Foy & Tom Phoenix's LEARNING PERL (9781449303587, $39.99) covers Perl 5.14 and offers fine keys to getting started with Perl. Programmers, systems administrators and others receive a detailed survey of all Perl's basics from subroutines and expressions to lists, sorting, and smart tools. It's a classic text for any Perl programmer and should be in any serious computer library interested in a guide that uses basic modern applications to teach the program. Fan Pilone and Tracey Pilone's HEAD FIRST IPHONE & IPAD DEVELOPMENT, 2ND EDITION (9781449387822, $49.99) uses the latest research in cognitive learning theory to provide a visually rich format designed for how the brain learns, and is an optimal way of learning iPhone and iPad applications. From using iOS SDK tools and mastering Objective-C programming basics to creating best-selling apps and using the iPhone's GPS and camera, this offers a fine survey covering iOS 4 SDK and Xcode 4 and is a 'must' for any developer working with the iPhone and iPad environments!


The Social Issues Shelf

Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture
Karen Sternheimer
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344171, $34.00, www.westviewpress.com

Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture provides a fine, in-depth guide to myths perpetuated by politicians, advocacy groups and the media alike, considering inconsistencies and urban myths such as the notion that violence is perpetuated by violence in video games, or that popular culture promotes teen sex. Popular culture is not the culprit - there are underlying forces affecting such social problems, and they involve poverty, abuse and unequal public education more than cultural influences. College-level classes in pop culture will find this an absorbing survey.

Haymarket
PO Box 180165,Chicago, IL 60618
www.haymarketbooks.org

David Fasenfest is the editor of ENGAGING SOCIAL JUSTICE: CRITICAL STUDIES OF 21ST CENTURY SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION (9781608461240, $28.00), which offers college-level collections a fine interpretation of social movements and their connections to global economics. Various contributors provide articles discussing the need for a progressive pedagogy, examining different forms of resistance to capitalism and exploring new types of struggles against capitalism by peoples around the world. A top pick for any college-level collection strong in capitalism, socialism, and economics. The Young Lords Party consists of Puerto Rican activists who organized in Latino communities in New York and took their cues from the Black Panthers, and PALANTE: VOICES AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE YOUNG LORDS, 1969-1971 (9781608461295, $24.95) pairs photos by Michael Abramson with a survey of the history and evolution of the Young Lords. PALANTE has long been out of print: its republication with a new foreword by a leading Young Lords member assures the group's history and purposes will not be forgotten. Any collection strong in Latino issues must have this!


The Music Shelf

Groove Interrupted
Keith Spera
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312552251, $26.99, www.stmartins.com

GROOVE INTERRUPTED: LOSS, RENEWAL, AND THE MUSIC OF NEW ORLEANS provides contemporary narratives centered around New Orleans, and comes from the music writer at the New Orleans Times-Picayune who writes vividly about the city and its music. Musicians who return to New Orleans post-Katrina provide insights on the city's changes, reflections on its past, present and future, and the jazz traditions that have built the city's reputation. An outstanding survey, this is a pick for any jazz music collection.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Angel Omnibus
Jess Whedon, et.al.
Dark Horse Books
10956 SE Main St., Milwaukee, OR 97222
9781595827067, $24.99, www.darkhorse.com

ANGEL OMNIBUS gathers all of Dark Horse Comic's ANGEL comics to date under one volume and features the entire miniseries under one cover. Any fan of the Angel television series will relish having them all - and the full-color graphic novel format here, which offers high drama and vivid images. The Angel television series has been a hit: ANGEL OMNIBUS gathers all under one cover and is a powerful presentation for any enthusiast and for libraries featuring comics and graphic novels.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Breaking into the Game Industry
Brenda Brathwaite and Ian Schreiber
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
1435458044, $34.99, www.courseptr.com

Breaking into the Game Industry: Advice for a Successful Career from Those Who Have Done It provides specific keys for game developers who want to develop better portfolios, make industry contacts, and make a career out of the industry. It provides a solid sense of what the game industry is and how game developers operate in it, offering a range of tips from experienced pros. From what NOT to do when communicating with developers to assessing a salary offering, this is packed with specifics key to any would-be gaming professional.


The Photography Shelf

Food Photography
Nicole S, Young
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321784117, $24.99, www.peachpit.com

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: FROM SNAPSHOTS TO GREAT SHOTS teaches the best way to compose pictures and id s 'must' for any who would use their camera to master composition and arrangement of food. All the basics of photography are discussed with a specific eye to food photographs and cover everything from lighting to using Photoshop to improve results. The entire process of food photos is covered with a chapter packed with start-to-finish examples making for an outstanding survey recommended for photography and culinary collections alike!

Canon EOS Rebel T3/1100D
David D. Busch
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
143546026X, $29.99, www.courseptr.com

Canon EOS Rebel T3/1100D is a fine recommendation for any owner of the Canon entry-level camera, showing how, when and why to use its many neo-professional features to take optimum photos. Color images illustrate the buttons and dials and accompany specifics on how to get the most from all the settings and their possible combinations!

Rocky Nook
26 West Mission St., Suite A
Santa Barbara CA 93111-2432
www.rockynook.com

Darrell Young's MASTERING THE NIKON D7000 (9781933952802, $34.95) is packed with color photos and screen shots to accompany a wealth of details for the new D7000 camera, and explores the features of the D7000 in a way that goes far beyond its accompanying user's manual. It offers a step-by-step guide to adjusting settings and choosing options, discusses shooting style options, and offers an easy approach to technical camera and photography options that will appeal across the board to professionals and amateurs alike. JanLeonardo Woellert and Joerg Miedza's PAINTING WITH LIGHT: LIGHT ART PERFORMANCE PHOTOGRAPHY (9781933952741, $39.95) provides a powerful survey of LAPP, a form of art that was developed by the authors of this book. LAPP requires photographers to create and capture new subjects constructed entirely of light: LAPP pieces are usually shot at night and involve connections between background and the light used to produce individual image elements. Full-page color photos pack in fine images for highlight. Highly recommended!

Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo, NY 14226
www.amherstmedia.com

Tracy Dorr's ENGAGEMENT PORTRAITURE: MASTER TECHNIQUES FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS (9781608952274, $34.95) teaches how to design fine engagement portraits and is a 'must' for any professional photography collection. It specifies the importance of the engagement session and teaches how to create a personalized session for different couples, both formal and informal. Photographers receive specifics on such sessions and will find the keys to tailoring engagement photos to be particularly useful. Rod and Robin Deutschmann's PAINTING WITH A LENS (9781608952373, $34.95) tells how to master shooting and lighting skills needed to capture artistic images and shows how to find artistic potential in ordinary scenes. From using manual camera controls more creatively to making artistic decisions on how scenes should relate to each other, this is filled with many artistic insights. Don Giannatti's LIGHTING ESSENTIALS: A SUBJECT-CENTRIC APPROACH FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS (9781608952328, $34.95) provides a fine survey telling how to previsualize images and take control of exposures, lighting both natural and in studio, and how to control balance of light and shadow for optimum results. Techniques cover previsualization and honing the light to achieve such images, and offer sample assignments for achieving goals. Pros and amateur photographers alike will find this specific and packed with tested options. Bill Hurter's SMALL FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY (9781608952823, $34.95) tells how to get big results from small flash units and covers all the basics of using grids, snoots, and bounce-flash techniques. From directing and adjusting light to saturating the background and understanding flash synchronization, this tells photographers how to get the most from a small flash. Mark Chen's FLASH AND AMBIENT LIGHTING FOR DIGITAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY (9781608953066, $34.95) focuses on lighting specific to photography, where a fine portrait is all about light and background. Techniques covered embrace natural light and flash individually as well as together, offering keys to obtaining the best results indoors and outdoors. From still lifes to hand blocking, this is filled with fine directions. Christie Mumm's FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY: THE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDE TO BUILDING A BUSINESS ON RELATIONSHIPS (9781608953028, $34.95) teaches how to use photography to capture and enhance family relationships. From using social networks and blogging to getting to know clients and designing a plan to document children's lives, this is packed with fine details. The second updated edition of Jeff Smith's POSING FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY: A HEAD-TO-TOE GUIDE FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS (9781608953141, $34.95) teaches basic methods for designing flattering portraits that will sell to clients. From posing the entire body to creating custom images and correcting common figure problems, this goes far beyond the usual tips on how to capture shot and surveys the basics of pose styles and overcoming common problems.


The Political Science Shelf

After the Fall
Nicole Gelinas
Encounter Books
900 Broadway #601, New York NY 10003
9781594032615, $25.95, www.encounterbooks.com

AFTER THE FALL: SAVING CAPITALISM FROM WALL STREET - AND WASHINGTON discusses how Washington policymakers in 2008 replaced private risk-takers in the financial system with government capital so that credit flows wouldn't stop - fostering a depression and economic turmoil that continues to this day. Interactions between government and Wall Street purposes are closely analyzed in AFTER THE FALL, which provides a history of government bailouts and actions that continue, to America's detriment, to this day. A fine source of debate for any economic or political history collection.

Global Warming and Political Intimidation
Raymond S. Bradley
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498693, $19.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

Global Warming and Political Intimidation: How Politicians Cracked Down on Scientists as the Earth Heated Up comes from a respected climate scientist who provides the inside story of how politics prevented the author and his colleagues from scientific research. Tactics used by those in power to suppress scientific information make for pointed chapters that both expose the global warming issues and the underlying politics affecting information development. Any college level political issues collection should have this!

Political Consultants and Campaigns
Jason Johnson
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder CO 80301
9780813344881, $35.00, www.westviewpress.com

Political Consultants and Campaigns provides college-level audiences with a fine theoretical analysis of political consultants and how they affect electoral processes. Different political theories contrast with what political consultants are doing in the field, with data from over 300 active consultants, campaign managers and professional campaign schools contrasting theory with field practices. A strong 'must have' for any college-level political studies shelf.

Catching Our Flag
James E. Rogan
WND Books
2020 Pennsylvania Ave NW, #351
Washington, DC 20006
9781935071327, $25.95, www.wndbooks.com

CATCHING OUR FLAG: BEHIND THE SCENES OF A PRESIDENTIAL IMPEACHMENT offers an insider's guide of the events leading to the impeachment of popular president Bill Clinton, and comes from the notes James Rogan kept during the entire process. His intent is to clarify historical record and provide an accurate historical chronicle of events, with chapters written by one of the House Managers in the impeachment trial of Clinton. Any American political history collection focusing on Presidential politics will appreciate this.


The Philosophy Shelf

The End of Christianity
John W. Loftus
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst NY 14228
9781616144135, $21.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

THE END OF CHRISTIANITY provides a companion volume to John W. Loftus' previous The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails and comes from a former minister who is now a passionate atheist. More scholars continue the critical discussion begun in The Christian Delusion, documenting the improbable nature of Christian beliefs, analyzing more influences on the creation of the Bible, and critiquing Christian doctrines of hell, atonement and the resurrection. A fine scholarly guide for any serious Philosophy collection!


The Christian Studies Shelf

God is Subversive
Lee Griffith
William B. Eerdmans
2140 Oak Industrial Drive NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802865021, $20.00, www.eerdmans.com

GOD IS SUBVERSIVE: TALKING PEACE IN A TIME OF EMPIRE comes from a veteran anti-war activist who has been arrested many times for his pro-peace demonstrations - and who offers a biblical argument for uncompromising nonviolence. This could also have been featured in our 'social issues' section but is reviewed here for its broader importance to spirituality collections who would enjoy ideas and connections between God and everyday people's concerns.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

A New Harmony
J. Philip Newell
Jossey-Bass
989 Market Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9780470554678, $19.95, www.jossey-bass.com

A NEW HARMONY: THE SPIRIT, THE EARTH AND THE HUMAN SOUL is a fine companion continuing the scholarly discussion begun in CHRIST OF THE CELTS, and is a special recommendation for any who have enjoyed its predecessor. His analysis of ancient harmony and modern discord incorporates a spiritual, Christian perspective with a survey of changes in how we understand concepts of self and spirituality. In exploring possibilities of a new harmony in life, we have vast potential for effecting positive changes: A NEW HARMONY shows how, and is a pick for any spirituality library.

God, Justice, Love, Beauty: Four Little Dialogues
Jean-Luc Nancy, Translated by Sarah Clift
Fordham University Press
University Box L, 2546 Belmont Ave.
Bronx NY 10458
9780823234264, $18.00, www.fordhampress.com

God, Justice, Love, Beauty: Four Little Dialogues is a top pick for art, religion and philosophy collections at the college level and offers an intellectual discourse on issues of God, justice, love and beauty. A fine philosophical dialogue relates everyday life to its underlying meaning and provides a fine survey particularly recommended for college-level discussion and debate.


The Cookbook Shelf

Student's Vegetarian Cookbook for Dummies
Connie Sarros
Wiley Publishing
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470942918, $16.99, www.wiley.com

Learn how to eat vegetarian on campus with a student's friendly guide to nearly two hundred quick recipes and meal ideas for sticking to a vegetarian diet on campus. From chapters covering different types of vegetarianism to tips geared to dorms and limited kitchen spaces, this offers no-cook, quick-cook and other recipes for snacks and baked goods.

Fire It Up
Andrew Schloss & David Joachim
Chronicle Books
650 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811865050, $24.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

Fire It Up: 400 Recipes for Grilling Everything advertises it has recipes for everyone - and it's refreshing to see that this is, indeed, really the case. It holds not only chapters packed with the usual chicken, pork and beef dishes, but surprisingly extensive sections for seafood and grilled veggies. Side dishes are also included, with all brought to life in vivid color photos. From rubs and brines to how to grill different cuts of meat or side dishes, this is packed with plenty of ideas for year-round enjoyment!


The Business Shelf

Launch
Michael A. Stelzner
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118027233, $24.95, www.wiley.com

LAUNCH: HOW TO QUICKLY PROPEL YOUR BUSINESS BEYOND THE COMPETITION provides a fine formula for attracting people and opportunities with rich business content. It tells how to create such content then leverage it for maximum impact in any given industry, and provides a step-by-step formula for creating a product-enhancing, growth-oriented mindset throughout the business launch process. Any business collection will find this an involving survey.

Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Vipin Mayar and Geoff Ramsey's DIGITAL IMPACT: THE TWO SECRETS TO ONLINE MARKETING SUCCESS (9780470905722, $24.95) covers the challenges online marketers face in connecting with customers digitally. New methods of making connections and assessing their effectiveness are outlined here, with an attention to creating content that pulls the right customers to the offer. From the seven most important digital marketing metrics to calculating returns on investments and positioning online business, this is packed with real-world experiences. Adam Pash and Gina Trapani's LIFEHACKER: THE GUIDE TO WORKING SMARTER, FASTER, AND BETTER (9781118018378, $29.99) appears in its third updated edition to explore how to use technology to spend less time working and more time living. From 'future-proofing' an email address and making Google Search results automatically come to you to running a home web server and using voice on a phone, this is packed with options for getting more out of technology without sacrificing personal time. Over 100 shortcuts make this a 'must have' title on streamlining your life!

Rip Off Your Necktie and Dance
Leen Zevenbergen
Global Professional Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781906403690, $25.00, www.styluspub.com

Rip Off Your Necktie and Dance asks businesses to consider empowering their employees by encouraging staff to be innovative and creative, and draws important connections between these qualities and business environments. Chapters consider how to encourage employees who feel more comfortable following rules than generating creative results, providing concepts in color and in easy-to-digest chapters that lend to quick browsing as much as cover-to-cover study. The author has run three large multinational companies and started about 20 new businesses: his background lends practical experience to the keys on fostering innovation in a business environment. Any business library should have this.

What to Ask the Person in the Mirror
Robert Steven Kaplan
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422170014, $26.95, www.hbr.org/books

What to Ask the Person in the Mirror: Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential offers a survey of successful leaders who reach their potential and how they evolve through periods of struggle and personal challenge. Chapters are designed to help business executives improve their leadership skills, and offer a series of critical questions to help such leaders analyze their organizations, actions, attitudes and approaches to controversy and change. Business collections will find this a top pick.

Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
www.koganpage.com

Shaun Smith & Andy Milligan's BOLD: HOW TO BE BRAVE IN BUSINESS AND WIN (9780749463441, $26.95) is about 14 businesses brave enough to challenge industry norms, that operate ethically and go beyond what customers expect. Interviews with key executives of these companies offer insights on each brand's story and shows how the brands share traits that make them unique. The founders discuss growth and growing a small business and provide a wealth of tips key to any business seeking to grow a superior product. Jonathan Passmore edits EXCELLENCE IN COACHING: THE INDUSTRY GUIDE (9780749456672, $39.95), a fine survey that offers cutting-edge thinking in workplace coaching. This second edition has been updated to reflect many changes in the profession, adding new chapters on different coaching objectives and developments and considering the entire process, from evaluation and intercultural coaching to behavioral coaching and NLP coaching. 28 BUSINESS THINKERS WHO CHANGED THE WORLD: THE MANAGEMENT GURUS AND MAVERICKS WHO CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT BUSINESS (9780749462390, $22.50) comes from Rhymer Rigby, who provides compelling reading on the key world players who fostered business innovations. A very lively writing style lends to biographies and business insights that even non-business readers will appreciate, with chapters offering assessments of each leader's innovations, the business climate of his times, and their unique 'rules' for building innovative approaches. Business and general collections will find this a top pick!


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Post-Traumatic Insomnia Workbook
Karin Elorriaga Thompson, PhD and C. Laurel Franklin, Ph.D
New Harbinger
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland CA 94609
9781572248939, $21.95, www.newharbinger.com

The Post-Traumatic Insomnia Workbook tells how to sleep better and recover from traumatic life experiences that affect how we sleep, and is a workbook highly recommended for general collections and health libraries alike. It's based on cognitive behavioral therapy research and provides easy tips and techniques for self-healing, helping readers understand what affects sleep, how to de-stress a bedroom and how to absorb relaxation techniques for calming body and mind before bedtime. Highly recommended!


The Travel Shelf

Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

Sarina Singh, et.al.'s INDIA (9781741791518, $29.99) holds over 1,200 pages so as a take-along tote it may at first seem too weighty a production - but it's packed with regional information, extensive descriptions of where to eat and stay, and offers bonus chapters covering everything from a camel trek to sports and yoga, so it's worth the extra space to take it along on any extended independent trip to India. Chapters are packed with photos and maps and leave nothing to wonder about. Simply a 'must have' trip planner for any heading to India! Regis St. Louis' QUEENSLAND & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF (9781741794632, $23.99) is also a top pick for any heading to Australia. Where other books attempt to cover the entire continent, this smaller regional guide offers more specifics about Queensland and the reef, packing in maps and everything needed to know to plan an independent trip to Queensland. LONELY PLANET DISCOVER CANADA by Karla Zimmerman, et.al. (9781742202846, $24.99) offers a fine overview of Canada's best places, adds itineraries and local attractions, and uses local experts to pinpoint 'must see' opportunities. With its pull-out maps, specifics on lodging and eating, and the latest country-wide travel specifics, this is a top pick for any travel collection.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Solve Your Money Troubles
Robin Leonard, JD & Attorney Margaret Reiter
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
141331421X, $24.99, www.nolo.com

Solve Your Money Troubles: Debt, Credit & Bankruptcy offers keys to understanding the latest bankruptcy laws and options, providing legal and financial advice for any worried about bills. From stopping aggressive collection practices to creating a realistic budget, this is a 'must' for any who would understand debt and money management, and is a highly recommended reference for any general lending library.


The Martial Arts Shelf

The Little Black Book of Violence
Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder
YMAA
Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894
1594391297, $24.95, www.ymaa.com

The Little Black Book of Violence belongs in any martial arts or reference collection and is written for men ages 15 to 35. It discusses street survival methods and explains avoidance and de-escalation processes, considering how martial arts plays into scenarios of violence and its prevention. Learning strategies and techniques are geared to street conflict in this fine explanation of the aftermath of a violent encounter, from physical and psychological issues to legal concerns. General and martial arts collections alike will find this a key acquisition.


The Civil War Shelf

Breaking the Heartland
John D. Fowler & David B. Parker, Editors
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon GA 31207
9780881462401, $29.00, www.mupress.org

BREAKING THE HEARTLAND: THE CIVIL WAR IN GEORGIA offers a fine survey of the impact of the war's outcome on Georgia, which provide over 120,000 soldiers for the Confederacy and thousands for the union cause. Georgia was vital to the Confederate war effort and critical to the Southern infrastructure as a whole: BREAKING THE HEARTLAND covers Georgia's unique experiences of the war and provide college-level essays exploring its impact. College-level collections strong in civil liberties and civil rights or Southern history need this.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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