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The Bookwatch

Volume 10, Number 10 October 2015 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Photography Shelf Education Shelf
Crafts Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Computer Shelf
Science Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Parenting Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Language Studies Shelf Social Issues Shelf
International Studies Shelf Mathematics Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf LGBT Studies Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

5@55
Judith D. Grimaldi, Esq. & Joanne Seminara, Esq. with Pierre A. Lehu
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
9781610352581, $12.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com

5@55: The 5 Essential Legal Documents You Need By Age 55 comes from two elder law attorneys and provides a slim but information-packed discussion of the five most important legal documents one needs at age 55: a Will, a Health Care Proxy, a Living Will, a Power of Attorney and a Digital Diary. While most will have heard of the wills and power of attorney, the latter document is something many won't know about; and by setting a age-related deadline of 55 to explain why these documents are needed and how to work with a lawyer to make sure they're in order, consumers can be assured that they will have clear coverage of all the basics in language they can readily understand.

Dutch East India Company Shipbuilding
Wendy van Duivenvoorde
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
9781623491796, $90.00, www.tamupress.com

It was eight months into its maiden voyage when the Dutch East India Company's ship Batavia sank in 1629 off the coast of Western Australia. Not only was it lost, but the mutiny and massacre among its shipwrecked survivors became one of the most notorious tales in nautical history. The wreck of the ship and its subsequent excavation and reassembly is well known as is its history; but until now closer study of the Batavia's wooden hull has been unpublished. This book pairs historical and archaeological information with coverage of the technical processes involved in the ship's restoration. It packs in tables, drawings, and photos in the process of exploring and explains early ship construction, and is a recommended pick for any interested in shipwrecks in general, archaeological restorations, or the history of the Batavia in particular.


The Photography Shelf

What They Didn't Teach You in Photo School
Demetrius Fordham
Ilex
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781781572696, $19.99, www.ilex-press.com

What They Didn't Teach You in Photo School: What You Actually Need to Know to Succeed in the Industry passes on lessons the author learned from his successful career in commercial photography, and discusses topics often left out of photography books. These include how to gain internships, build an impressively professional portfolio, how to cement client relationships that result in ongoing work, and how to build a career in the industry. As chapters move from building contacts to getting paid for the process of taking pictures - such as travel expense - they provide a solid review of industry processes, standards, and how the aspiring photographer fits into that business picture. The result should be given to any college-level photography student looking to make a career out of their art.

Amherst Media Inc.
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
www.amherstmedia.com

Jeff Smith's Pricing Your Portraits: High-Profit Strategies for Photographers (9781608958719, $34.95) teaches photographers how to develop pricing strategies that avoid common errors and allow flexibility to meet both customer expectations and market demands, and offers a set of insights into how photography is priced. From planning sessions in advance with pricing in mind to understanding how session fees operate and how to streamline the process, this book is packed with insights on how to control imaging and equipment costs, how to create a profitable workflow, and how to sell digital and print files. Any photographer looking to move into the profit-making realm of the business will find this essential to understanding the difference between profit and loss. The Essential Photographer Workbook: The Beginner's Guide to Creating Impressive Digital Photos by Stephen Dantzig and Joan Dantzig (9781608958634, $27.95) teaches the basics of taking shooting skills to a new level and is recommended for photographers who already have the basics down, but wish to move from snapshots to design. Lessons are blended into forty exercises that encourage photographers to learn new techniques and approaches, making for a fine guide that beginners can easily access and understand. Stan Trampe's Fine Art Nudes: Lighting and Posing for Black & White Photography (9781608959013, $27.95) comes from a fine art photographer who covers sixty of his favorite shoots, providing step-by-step coverage on how he conceived image concepts and worked them into a polished piece. Studio and location shots involve composition, lighting, and posing skills: all are discussed here with a focus on simple props and sets and working with models for optimum results. While beginners will find this accessible; ideally the book is recommended for those with basic photography and model-shooting skills, who are ready to take their business pursuits in fine art nudes to the next level. Jennifer Emery's Lighting Design for Commercial Portrait Photography (9781608958955, $34.95) surveys the world of commercial photography and lighting challenges involved in portraiture, and comes from a photographer and educator whose work in the field is successful and outstanding. Specifics covered in her book range from production skills needed to produce better shots to shooting for magazines or movie posters, using multiple-light setups, handling group shots, and applying negative fill to best advantage. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any commercial portrait photographer; especially those who have basic skills but want more specifics on producing professional results.


The Education Shelf

The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox
Erin E. Barton and Barbara J. Smith
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781599576672, $36.95, www.brookespublishing.com

The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox provides a fine how-to book for preschool administrators, child care directors, and staff, discussing how to chart and guide the process of early childhood inclusion through wide changes of school systems and approaches to preschool. It provides a checklist of problems, solutions, and actions that can be put into place based upon the latest research and best practices, includes handouts and tools teachers can use in a preschool program, and is loaded with solid action plans for success. No preschool leader should be without this specific, powerful guide.

Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com

With the multitude of books about common core practices and applications on the market today, the appearance of more might suggest redundancy; but there's nothing redundant about a book that narrows the focus to integrating common core writing standards with an applications that promises to reach struggling students, making this a winning guide blending the UDL framework with common core goals. Sally A. Spencer's Making the Common Core Writing Standards Accessible Through Universal Design for Learning (9781483369471, $34.95) tells how UDL can overcome common roadblocks to success, provides dozens of classroom activities, discusses resources, and provides teachers with all the tools necessary to translate common core standards to classroom goals. Teachers will find this a solid guide packed with practical suggestions for success and advancement. Rae Pica's What If Everybody Understood Child Development? Straight Talk About Bettering Education and Children's Lives (9781483381548, $21.00) imparts the basics of connections between how kids grow and how they learn, and comes from an educator with over thirty-five years in the education field. Her contention is simple: there's a break in understanding between how children learn and how they develop - a disconnect that can be filled with actionable lesson plans and approaches to education. Nearly thirty short essays offer discussions of best practices in both child development and education processes, blending the opinions of experts with the latest research. Educators will find this a solid approach to improving teaching.

Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
www.redleafpress.org

Allen C. Rosales's Mathematizing: An Emergent Math Curriculum Approach for Young Children (9781605543956, $29.95) offers strategies for building children's math skills through a process of immersing kids in a program connecting math to everyday experiences. It's a style that blends lessons and case studies with illustrations and charts unavailable elsewhere and specific to this customized style of teaching, and offers educators a concrete program of learning based on the author's twenty-plus years of experience as an early childhood educator. The result is a highly recommended approach. Deborah Hirschland's When Young Children Need Help: Understanding and Addressing Emotional, Behavioral, and Developmental Challenges (9781605542386, $34.95) explores the fundamentals of how to support three- to six-year-olds who have emotional and behavioral problems, and provides ideas that can be used in a busy classroom environment. From handling kids with histories of neglect to helping when language is limited, this book is a 'must' for teachers and childcare providers working in diverse classrooms or situations.

Teaching and Learning in Bilingual Classrooms: New Scholarship
Kristin J. Mulrooney, Editor
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
9781563686238, $80.00, www.gupress.gallaudet.edu

Teaching and Learning in Bilingual Classrooms: New Scholarship examines classroom interaction using research by five professors who adopted SoTL methods in their own classrooms at Gallaudet University to blend a bilingual approach incorporating American Sign Language and written English, and is a scholarly examination recommended for ASL teachers and scholars. Scholars assessed common problems in classes on ASL linguistics and criminal justice to consider how providing educational materials in ASL and English resulted in better educational quality. The result is a solid study in education and effectiveness that is recommended for any collection strong in ASL studies.

Well Played
Linda Dacey, Karen Gartland & Jayne Bamford Lynch
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781625310323, $25.00, www.stenhouse.com

Well Played: Building Mathematical Thinking Through Number Games and Puzzles Grades 3-5 offers a rich presentation of puzzles that go beyond fun activities to prove key to teaching basic math concepts, and is recommended not only for classroom teachers but for homeschooling parents as well. Explanations of the foundations of math theory involved in each puzzle accompany games, variations on themes, step-by-step directions, and sample classroom models for integrating the puzzle or game into an overall curriculum approach. From how to teach using these puzzles to handling diverse classrooms and using the reproducibles in the book, this is a top recommendation for any teacher who would use a child's interest in games to reinforce basic math skills.


The Crafts Shelf

The Art of Paper Weaving
Anna Schepper and Lene Schepper
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781631590399, $24.99, www.craftside.net

The Art of Paper Weaving: 46 Colorful, Dimensional Projects includes full-sized templates and online support, plus paper for one project, as it covers techniques for a craft that has its roots in traditional Danish and German woven paper designs. It comes from paper artists who have a successful blog and shows crafters how to begin learning paper weaving, presenting projects that begin simply and teach the techniques needed to move into more advanced circles. The result is a recommendation for any crafts collection, pairing full-page color images with easy step-by-step instructions beginners can access.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Haunted House Diaries
William J. Hall
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
12 Parish Drive Wayne, NJ 07470
9781632650061, $16.99, www.newpagebooks.com

The Haunted House Diaries: The True Story of a Quiet Connecticut Town in the Center of a Paranormal Mystery tells of an author drawn to investigate a notorious, haunted farmhouse in his home state. As his research led him to discover the 1790s house was built on a paranormal crossroads where supernatural forces converged, he culled facts from the private diary of one of the house's residents that detailed five decades of frightening encounters, and paired these with interviews of neighbors and house inhabits to create this powerful collection. Any with an interest in true ghost stories and ghostly encounters will find this takes the subject a step further, creating a powerfully compelling read that's eerily hard to put down.

The Witch's Oracle
Marla Brooks and Tania Kahn
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764349317, $24.99, www.schifferbooks.com

The Witch's Oracle provides a 45-card oracle deck with each card including a magical incantation to provide energy and support the card's underlying message, and is a recommended deck for any new age tarot reader or oracle user. It's designed to be a divination deck for Witches and non-Pagans alike and holds the ability to appeal to beginners and those well versed in Tarot and other decks. The lovely artwork of the cards is supplemented by a guide that addresses the symbolism of the deck and its interpretations, making for an excellent collection for any using oracle decks.


The Computer Shelf

Web Security: A WhiteHat Perspective
Hanqing Wu and Liz Zhao
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781466592612, $79.95, www.crcpress.com

Web Security: A WhiteHat Perspective is for any company looking to improve their information security strategies, and provides an in-depth guide to the topic designed for managers who want to build a more effective security system. It comes from an expert who explains how hackers work, why companies of differing sizes and approaches need different security measures, and provides coverage of everything from client script security and Internet company security operations to click jacking, injection attacks, authentication, and much more. Solutions to a range of known vulnerabilities accompany coverage that considers the wider ramifications of web security as it applies to bigger-picture thinking and smaller-scale companies, creating an accessible discussion suitable for web security experts and managers alike.

Sams Teach Yourself Javascript in 24 Hours, sixth edition
Phil Ballard
Sams
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780672337383, $34.99, www.informit.com/sams

Sams Teach Yourself Javascript in 24 Hours appears in its sixth updated edition to cover the basics of JavaScript programming, offering lessons geared to beginners with no prior programming experience and offering a complete 'classroom in a book' discussion. Directions cover the most common JavaScript programming tasks and include quizzes, self-test, exercises, tips, and examples from real-world JavaScript applications. Updated basics and lessons that serve as stepping stones of knowledge make for a key lesson plan highly recommended for any who would learn the program with no assumption of prior programming skills.

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

Roger Sedgewick, et.al.'s Introduction to Programming in Python (9780134076430, $69.99) uses examples of real-world programming to impart the basics of Python's features and its applicability to engineering, business, and science projects alike, and blends a format ripe with Q&As, exercises, and opportunities for diverse practice with algorithms, applied math and physics examples, and source code specific with Python 2 and 3. No light treatment, Introduction to Programming in Python takes the introduction from basics to advanced applications, in effect creating a 'classroom in a book' for any programmer who would learn and apply Python's basics. Martin L. Abbott and Michael T. Fisher's The Art of Scalability: Scalable Web Architecture, Processes, and Organizations for the Modern Enterprise (9780134032801, $44.95) is a recommendation for any involved in web programming or providing web services, and comes from two leading scalability consultants who discuss the basics of how to tailor such products and services. This edition represents an extensive revision covering new technologies, strategies, and lessons and adds new case studies from the authors' consulting practice. It's written with decision makers in mind and covers the basics of structuring organizations for maximum agility and scalability, discussing how issues commonly begin with such structures, spill over into technological answers, and how to meet the growing challenge of changing organizations as well as technological responses to user needs. Hal Fulton and Andre Arko's The Ruby Way (9780321714633, $49.99) appears in its third updated edition to show Ruby programmers who to achieve specific solutions to coding issues. From best practices for regular expressions to storing data, automating system administration, measuring Ruby performance, and using toolkits to build GUIs, this reference comes with downloadable source code supporting the book's text and covers Ruby 2.1 using over four hundred examples answering basic questions to using Ruby for specific routines. The result is a 'must' for any Ruby code programmer who wants a combination of reference and how-to manual. Dan Sullivan's NoSQL for Mere Mortals (9780134023212, $49.99) provides a basic primer on solving problems with NoSQL, from getting started and choosing between NoSQL databases to documenting databases, creating column family databases, understanding document and collections terms, and designing tables using best practices guidelines. The depth of detail and information makes for a powerful recommendation for any new to NoSQL or for programmers who want to build upon its special capabilities.


The Science Shelf

Humankind
Alexander H. Harcourt
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781605987842, $27.95, www.pegasusbooks.us

Humankind: How Biology and Geography Shape Human Diversity is for any reader interested in either biology or sociology, and considers how the evolution of humans has been shaped by a diverse assembly of influences, from anatomy and culture to geographic and population changes. It follows the human species around the planet in a history that considers how environmental constraints lends to differing features and psyches of human beings around the world, and it considers the interactions and connections between all these facets of humanity in a wide-reaching survey recommended not just for college-level students of the sciences, but for general-interest audiences with a particular interest in human evolution and diversity.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Free Range Triangle Quilts
Gwen Marston and Cathy Jones
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604602111, $24.95, www.americanquilter.com

Free Range Triangle Quilts provides a new book of projects with lessons that blend traditional methods and styles with updated quilt patterns, and is a pick for any who would use quilt projects to teach the basics of using the classic triangle in new ways. A display of quilts made using the 'free range' concept of the triangle blends with good-sized color photos throughout to create a quilter's guide packed with ideas for innovative triangle results. Quilters who already have the basics down but who seek innovations on themes will be especially happy to have this guide, which covers all the options and possibilities. The 'Lessons Learned at Granny's Knee' provides many tips and discusses and contrasts Liberated and other techniques.

Crochet for Christmas
Salena Baca
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
9780811714785, $21.95, www.stackpolebooks.com

Crochet for Christmas: 29 Patterns for Handmade Holiday Decorations and Gifts arrives just in time for needleworkers to put their skills together in time for the holidays, and offers seasonal items ranging from tree skirts and reindeer baskets to a hedgehog door stopper. Because many of these items are more seasonal than religious, a wide of users looking for seasonal themes will find the crochet projects varied and to their liking, from Poinsettia balls to crocheted coffee cup sleeves for warm beverages, making for a top pick for any holiday needleworker.

Style and Swing
Susan Dunlop
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604654674, $26.99, www.shopmartingale.com

Style and Swing: 12 Structured Handbags for Beginners and Beyond provides keys to making a wide range of colorful and practical handbags, from totes and clasp purses to market bags and satchels, and is recommended for beginning to advanced sewers who want twelve specific projects covering a range of shapes and styles. Each project enjoys small color photos, full-page patterns, and an easy step-by-step series of instructions that not only cover the basics but tell why a particular strap or form is recommended for a particular style. With its clear directions and unusually inviting blend of color and practicality, Style and Swing stands out from other primers on producing totes.

2016 Quilting Calendars
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
www.martingale.com

Two excellent wall calendars from Martingale are recommended picks for any looking to pair quilting instructions with the handy date blocks of a wall calendar, and will make for good gifts for any quilter. Sue Spargo's Stitches to Savor (9781604667156, $22.99) features her designs and comes from a folk artist and designer who packs in over 250 photo close-ups of her stitches, techniques, and approaches. It is both a showcase of Spargo's artistic works and quilting embellishments and an inspirational starting point for quilters to hone their skills. The Quilt Calendar 2016 (9781604687088, $16.99) includes instructions for each project and provides 12 designs by a variety of quilting artists, along with a pull-out booklet of step-by-step illustrated instructions for every design. These lovely projects range from bed quilts to wall hangings and sewing machine covers, making for a varied and inspirational collection of projects for all skill sets.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Dragon in Exile
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781476780719, $26.00, www.baen.com

Dragon in Exile provides a new Liaden Universe story as it tells of Clan Korval, which has been convicted of crimes against the homeworld - even if part of the crime involved saving the planet. The Council of Clans doesn't care: they just want the Korvan family out - but their allies enter the picture and they are banished rather than executed. Political alliances, clan efforts to recruit new allies and return to the fold, a dangerous game that is being played on and off-world, and a series of political interactions that threaten to bring everything down makes for a powerful survey especially recommended for prior fans of the Liaden Universe and its intricate progression.


The Parenting Shelf

Your New Pregnancy Bible, fourth edition
Joanne Stone, MD and Keith A. Eddleman, MD, Editors
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780600631590, $34.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com

There are so very many books on pregnancy and health on the market today that one might wonder at the need for yet another; but in fact Your New Pregnancy Bible: The Experts' Guide to Pregnancy and Early Parenthood represents a fully revised, updated fourth edition of a world-wide best-seller and is really the only book a prospective parent will need on the subject. It synthesizes the advise of experts into a discussion of all the major issues of pregnancy, provides practical tips on what to expect during different stages of pregnancy, and surveys health care routines, exercise, emotional changes during pregnancy, and more. A section enhanced by 3-D images even follows the weekly progress of an unborn child, while discussions include future fathers and their roles. Any new to parenting and pregnancy will find Your New Pregnancy Bible the perfect starting point for complete, easy understanding of the process of bringing a baby to term.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Will Eisner: A Spirited Life
Bob Andelman
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490618, $39.95, www.twomorrows.com

Will Eisner: A Spirited Life appears in a deluxe edition that expands and presents in full-color a biography that's been out of print, covering the life of an artist with over seventy years in the comics industry. His direction fostered the concept of concepts for adult readers, created the first famous graphic novel, and helped influence other notable talents from Batman's creator to various underground comics icons - so the publication of this definitive survey is something that no serious comics, cartoon or graphic novel collection should bypass. Interviews, black and white and color illustrations on every page, detailed discussions of comic history and evolution that place Eisner's work in historical perspective, and more make this a 'must have' reference.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Man Who Fell from the Sky
Margaret Coel
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425280300, $26.95, www.penguin.com

The Man Who Fell from the Sky tells of what first appears to be an accidental death when Robert Walking Bear's body is found in the mountains. The only suspicion comes from the fact that he was hot on the trail of buried treasure when he seemingly fell - and when rumors begin to circulate that he was murdered by family members, Vicky and Father John find themselves involved when an anonymous witness pops up to support that theory. The real conviction that something's wrong begins when another family member has an accident - and now a murder spree prompted by greed seems more likely and even more deadly. Mystery fans who love Hillerman and other Native American-based sagas - including prior Coel fans - will relish this latest story.

Sense of Deception
Victoria Laurie
Obsidian Mysteries
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451473868, $24.95, www.penguin.com

Sense of Deception offers a fine new 'Psychic Eye' mystery and continues to pair intrigue with the paranormal as Abby Cooper senses that a convicted killer is innocent, but just needs proof. Further complicating her case is an angry judge, the truth surrounding a woman who faces the death penalty, and an investigation largely based on intuition which leads Abby directly into a search for the real killer that runs up against an execution deadline. Mystery readers will find the light psychic addition just the ticket for producing a compelling read; especially when added into the mix of an impossible judge, an impossible deadline, and deadly dangers.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

A Guide Book of Mercury Dimes, Standing Liberty Quarters, and Liberty Walking Half Dollars
Q. David Bowers
Whitman Publishing
4001 Helton Drive, Florence, Alabama, 35630
079484314X, $29.95, www.whitmanbooks.com

Coin collectors seeking specific guides will welcome over three hundred pages of pricing, grading directions, history and collector insights to the mercury dime, standing liberty quarter and liberty walking half dollars, which were minted between 1916 and 1947 and can be found in many old-time collections. Thousands of coin collectors seek them and this new guide is the reference to have in hand for both avid collectors and relative newcomers. With its full color images, including some high-resolution enlargements for overdates and other die varieties, this book includes any data needed to make value and build a coin collection with these pieces.


The Language Studies Shelf

A Historical and Etymological Dictionary of American Sign Language
Emily Shaw and Yves Delaporte
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
9781563686214, $75.00, www.gupress.gallaudet.edu

A Historical and Etymological Dictionary of American Sign Language discusses how ASL came to be developed, and follows its evolution from early ASL creation until the late 19th century. This history has plenty of data but until now, no single reference has gathered, under one cover, all the known texts featuring illustrations of early ASL and accompanying images of French Sign Language (LSF) and related them to modern signing. The blend of field research through France and the U.S. and analysis of cultures, language lexicons, and ASL sign regional variations lends to an alphabetical text of signs accompanied by origin notes, making for a powerful and unique reference no ASL language collection should be without.


The Social Issues Shelf

The Ville, updated edition
Greg Donaldson
Empire State Editions
c/o Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
www.fordhampress.com
9780823265671, $29.95, www.empirestateeditions.com

The updated edition of The Ville features a new epilogue by the author and presents a powerful story from a longtime Brooklyn school teacher who considers a Housing Authority police officer who is struggling with guns and crack and a talented teen who is working to escape his neighborhood, among others. It charts the politics and evolution of drug culture in a New York inner city neighborhood, it details messages, chaos, and cultures under fire, and it ultimately succeeds in creating a powerful saga that compelling, revealing, and offers up much food for thought on the social processes involved in urban neighborhoods. Other books have attempted what The Ville achieves: a well-rounded set of perspectives covering not one viewpoint, but all the issues.


The International Studies Shelf

The Tail Wags the Dog
Efraim Karsh
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781632861184, $28.00, www.bloomsbury.com

The Tail Wags the Dog: International Politics and the Middle East refutes the common notion that Middle Eastern history is based on the region's interactions with the west, and offers a different idea: that such history has actually been formed more by trends and behavior patterns within the region than dictated by encounters from the outside. His focus on its political development argues that only a different perspective of the peoples and their evolution can ultimately lead to a better relationship between the Middle East and the West, and chapters consider international political approaches to the region which have not fostered this possibility. Any studying Middle East history and politics will find this different perspective refreshing and enlightening, and a 'must' for any real understanding of the traditional approaches and their failures.

The Challenges of Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Richard D. Burns and Philip E. Coyle II
Rowman & Littlefield
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9781442223752, $29.95, www.rowman.com

The Challenges of Nuclear Non-Proliferation joins others in Rowman and Littlefield's 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' series to survey the many aspects of non-proliferation agreements and how they work - or don't work. It reviews nuclear programs in different countries and their different approaches, considers rogue states and technological advancements in delivery and nuclear systems, analyzes the political and economic influences behind decision-making processes, and in general reviews the key issues involved in worldwide nuclear security. No student of nuclear arms issues should be without this hard-hitting discussion.


The Mathematics Shelf

Numbers: Their Tales, Types, and Treasures
Alfred S. Posamentier & Bernd Thaller
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633880306, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Numbers: Their Tales, Types, and Treasures gathers under one cover a wide range of number facts and mathematics oddities and crease a lively discussion to foster reader interest in numbers and their unique attributes. One needn't be a mathematician nor even have a strong prior affection for numbers in order to appreciate this book's approach, which blends math concepts with trivia and fun facts to make discussions energetic and relevant. From the finer arts of combinations and counting to the development of various math systems in different cultures and special calculation systems, Numbers: Their Tales, Types, and Treasures offers more insights than most in a fun survey highly recommended for any general-interest collection.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Palimpsest: A History of the Written Word
Matthew Battles
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393058857, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

Palimpsest: A History of the Written Word considers why writing exists, what it means in human culture, and how it has evolved from myth and technology to become an intrinsic part of human culture. Here Battles provides a compelling examination of this written word, considering why it exists, its meaning, and its magic. From ancient to modern times, the history of writing receives a lively survey that circles the globe in its consideration of how writing developed and revolutionized not just local communities but the human race as a whole. Coming from a former antiquarian librarian, this represents a powerful and lively discussion that invites reflection from all kinds of literary circles, from historians and librarians to calligraphers and fans of the written word.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Transplantation Ethics
Robert M. Veatch & Lainie F. Ross
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781626161672, $39.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Transplantation Ethics appears in its second updated edition to cover the latest cutting edge research in medicine and bioethics, and reflects vast changes in the field of transplantation ethics during just the last fifteen years. From living donors and face transplants and their challenge to personal identity to new transplantation policies and concerns, Transplantation Ethics covers everything from new creating a new definition-of-death law to ethics of third-party risks and agreements between donor and recipient, accountability issues in health-risky behaviors, constitutional issues surrounding death, and more. No college-level medical reference library should be without this.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Ocean Solutions Earth Solutions
Dawn Wright, Editor
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
9781589483637, $59.99, www.esri.com/esripress

Ocean Solutions Earth Solutions is a recommendation for marine science, government, and research and resources managers alike, and provides a compendium of GIS best practices as they relate to these fields. Articles come from over fifty authors and include digital story maps and online solutions for protecting the ocean and managing ocean resources. Additional data supporting this book are available online, but the heart of the collection lies in abstracts and discussions that discuss mapping as it relates to ocean study, data assessments and research. The wealth of information culled from various resources makes this a top pick for any collection concerned with either ocean resources study and management or GIS applications.


The LGBT Studies Shelf

No House to Call My Home
Ryan Berg
Nation Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
9781568585093, $25.99, www.nationbooks.org

No House to Call My Home: Love, Family, and other Transgressions considers the lives of LGBTQ teens and comes from a caseworker at a group home who worked with young people who were abandoned, abused, or regulated to the streets as a result of being LGBTQ. From a transgender woman who dreams of a fine house but lives on crack and prostitution to encounters with parents who have rejected their children to the point of denying that they have produced them, No House to Call My Home consists not of dispassionate analysis but of poignant case histories of children, parents and households the author encountered in the course of his work. It's a moving, serious saga that's hard to put down and filled with psychological and social insights.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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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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