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The Bookwatch

Volume 6, Number 9 September 2011 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Business Shelf Economic Studies Shelf
Science Shelf Education Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Music Shelf Cookbook Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Computer Shelf Social Issues Shelf Fiction Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Audiobook Shelf Political Science Shelf
Travel Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Military Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Gardening Shelf Memoir Shelf
Journalism Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf World History Shelf
Sports Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Brain Storm
Don Hahn
Disney Editions
c/o Disney Book Group
114 Fifth Avenue, 14th floor, NY, NY 10011
9781423140368, $14.95, www.disney.com

BRAIN STORM: UNLEASHING YOUR CREATIVE SELF comes from a film producer who offers effective methods for unleashing the creative spirit. Personal experience blends with anecdotes and humor to explore how a creative environment is constructed. From the idea of a Guy Store evoking a passion among men to tackling challenges of collaboration, the inspiration of being alone, and more, this is a lively survey any general library will relish.

Leonardo to the Internet, second edition
Thomas J. Misa
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
1421401533, $25.00, www.press.jhu.edu

Leonardo to the Internet: Technology & Culture from the Renaissance to the Present provides a fine history of technology and comes from a historian who explores the history of relationships between technology and society over the past 500 years. The study began as an effort to understand the works of Leonardo De Vinci and evolved to explore changing eras of technology and changes in worldview that embraced them. A powerful pick for any library interested in a scholarly yet lively survey of connections between science and culture.

Upheaval in Charleston
Susan Miller Williams and Stephen G. Hoffius
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
0820337153, $29.95, www.ugapress.org

UPHEAVAL IN CHARLESTON: EARTHQUAKE AND MURDER ON THE EVE OF JIM CROW tells of a massive earthquake near Charleston South Carolina in 1886 that sent shock waves as far as Maine and Florida. The resulting social change that accompanied that disaster is detailed in this collection of stories of Confederate veterans and former slaves alike, offering a fine blend of disaster recovery and evolving social issues in the Jim Crow South. Any collection strong in regional American evolution will find this a powerful survey.

Atlantic Publishing
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala FL 34471-0640
www.atlantic-pub.com

Martha Maeda's HOW TO RAISE DAIRY GOATS (9781601383785, $24.95) provides a fine basic survey of how to become a dairy goat breeder ad farmer. From raising goats for different purposes from fiber to dairy to selecting the right breed, understanding its pros and cons, handling care of breed goats and more, this comes from numerous expert goat farmers and offers a fine overview on raising goats. Martha Maeda's THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO GREEN BUILDING & REMODELING YOUR HOME (9781601383648, $24.95) provides a fine guide to home renovation basic s and provides an in-depth understanding of the entire process, from obtaining green materials to plans, paperwork, and the construction process. From natural building methods to alternative energy systems, this is a fine pick for any general home collection.


The Business Shelf

Flipping Burgers to Flipping Millions
Bernard Kelly
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401324209, $21.99, www.hyperionbooks.com

Flipping Burgers to Flipping Millions: A Guide to Financial Freedom Whether you Have Your Dream Job, Own Your own Business, or Just Started Your First Job tells of the author's first job working at McDonald's, when his goal was to work for three months and save money for a trip to Europe. Thirteen years later he manages 6 restaurants with annual sales of over, $24 million, having developed a winning system of managing success from McDonald's framework. Any who would derive financial freedom from work will find this inspirational - which includes patrons in many general lending libraries as well as business collections.

Career Press
220 West Parkway Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
www.careerpress.com

CEO PRIORITIES: MASTER THE ART OF SURVIVING AT THE TOP by Neil Giarratana (9781601631268, $15.99) is a fine recommendation for any business library and offers a survey of key areas that must be handed by the CEO. From tracking and ending office politics to handling a bad quarter, forecasting earnings, and becoming a more effective leader, CEO PRIORITIES offers keys to setting better priorities. Roger Dawson's SECRETS OF POWER PROBLEM SOLVING (9781601631527, $15.99) provides proven techniques for solving all kinds of problems using a blend of intuition and savvy. From creating options when there seems to be no solution to considering speed in choices and decisions to act over holding back, this offers executives plenty of insights into making definitive motions for change. Both are top picks for business collections.


The Economic Studies Shelf

False Profits
Dean Baker
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9780982417126, $15.95, www.bkconnection.com

FALSE PROFITS: RECOVERING FROM THE BUBBLE ECONOMY provides an outstanding survey of how the unlimited housing bubble was the biggest economic blunder in the history of the world, leading to the recent collapse of the financial system. Many looked the other way as the bubble grew: FALSE PROFITS documents how the country's top economic policymakers kept the American public unaware of the dangers of the bubble, and how they failed to rein it in. A powerful pick for any economic or American history holding!


The Science Shelf

Electrostimulation: Theory, Applications, and Computational Model
J. Patrick Reilly
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062 USA
9781608071081, $139.00, www.artechhouse.com

Electrostimulation: Theory, Applications, and Computational Model is a recommendation for any college-level library strong in advanced health and engineering theory. It discusses electrostimulation techniques and focuses on the accidental and biological effects of electrical energy for professionals who want to develop standards for human exposure to electric currents. Also included is guidance in using the SENN computer model that stimulates the interaction of applied electric energy with myelinated neurons. From applications such as stun gun settings to MRI exposure and sensory responses, this is a fine technical guide.


The Education Shelf

Cracking the SAT 2012
Adam Robinson and John Katzman
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780375428296, $21.99, www.princetonreview.com

Cracking the SAT 2012 should be in the reference sections of any high school library, providing young scholars with proven techniques for gaining a higher SAT score. In addition to five full-length practice tests there's a host of hints and tips on how to study for the exam, how to achieve higher scores, and how to recognize common SAT test approaches. It's packed with more than tests and answers, including detailed explanations of why one answer is the answer of choice.

Med School Rx
Walter Carl Hartwig, PhD
Kaplan Publishing
1 Liberty Plaza, 24th floor, NY, NY 10006
9781607140627, $24.95, www.kaplanpublishing.com

Med School Rx is for any student's reference library and offers keys to the entire medical school admissions process. It comes from a medical school admissions advisor who has helped thousands of students and provides advice on everything from preparing for and applying to medical school to getting the most from a medical school education. Students receive a chronological discussion covering the essentials of what to expect before, during and after medical school.

Making the Grades
Todd Farley
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9780981709154, $16.95, www.bkpub.com

MAKING THE GRADES: MY MISADVENTURES IN THE STANDARDIZED TESTING INDUSTRY provides a fine memoir documenting the author's experiences with K-12 testing and considers the tests, their creators, scorers, and employees who read student responses for low wages and no benefits. It rebukes psychometrics, critiques how tests are scored, and blends humor and personal experience with insights into how assessments really work in an eye-opening critique perfect for any education collection.

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

Michael W. Corrigan, Doug Grove, Philip F. Vincent's MULTI-DIMENSIONAL EDUCATION: A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO DATA-DRIVEN THINKING (9781412992596, $43.95) is based on over 40 years of research and offers a seven-dimensional model to enhance a school curriculum and community environment. From assessing student achievement and modifying instruction based on data analysis to understanding a framework for shared leadership and planning strategies and asking the right questions of data results, this is a fine pick for any school leader and libraries catering to them. John D. Ross's ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: DESIGN, DELIVER, SUCCEED! (9781412987127, $35.95) offers a fine survey that answers the basics of how to embark on an online professional development program. From costs and getting started to understanding the technologies, arrangements and options of online professional development, this provides step-by-step planning and real-life case studies from OPED providers and users alike. An outstanding resource for any professional seeking to advance their skills online. Educators interested in overall school change will welcome Judy Stoehr, Maria Banks and Linda Allen's PLCs, DI & RTI: A TAPESTRY FOR SCHOOL CHANGE (9781412992381, $26.95). This resource blends three top topics on professional learning communities, differentiated instruction and Response to Intervention under one cover, blending all topics to provide a foundation for achieving ongoing school improvements. Principals in particular will welcome this survey on how to build stronger foundations for school leadership and teacher effectiveness using all three programs. TEACHING NUMERACY: 9 CRITICAL HABITS TO IGNITE MATHEMATICAL THINKING by Margie Pearse and K.M. Walton (9781412992237, $34.95) provides teachers with the basics of imparting basic math understanding to students. It tells how to monitor and address student comprehension, shows teachers how to represent mathematics differently, and shows how to imbed numeracy into lesson plans. Math teachers will find this a winner! Walter Kaweski's TEACHING ADOLESCENTS WITH AUTISM: PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR THE INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM (9781412995290, $34.95) provides a fine guide to reaching teens with autism and offers secondary teachers practical strategies based on his experience as an autism specialist and inclusion coordinator. From an introductory guide to the causes and challenges of autism to supporting students with autism and helping them adjust, each chapter pairs personal stories with concepts supplemented with bulleted lists, tables, photos and cartoons drawn by a student with autism. Any secondary teacher working in an inclusive classroom setting needs this. The second updated edition of MAKING FRIENDS PREK-3: A SOCIAL SKILLS PROGRAM FOR INCLUSIVE SETTINGS by Ruth Herron Ross and Beth Roberts-Pacchione (9781412981132, $33.95) provides a fine set of literally hundreds of activities that help kids learn about how to behave appropriately and make friends. From team playing to emotion regulation and safety, this provides teacher-friendly activities that can be used in small groups or with the whole class, and should be a top pick for any education library and many an elementary-grade teacher. Jennifer Stepanek, Melinda Leong, Linda Griffin and Lisa Lavelle's TEACHING BY DESIGN IN ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS GRADES K-1 (9781412987042, $38.95) tells how to use collaborative planning to strengthen math lessons, providing a series of professional development guides that help teachers investigate how students learn. It's one of three volumes focused on grade-appropriate number and operations topics in relation to the Common Core State Standards, and guides groups through the co-creation and implementation of lessons. This volume covers Grades K-1 and provides teachers with worksheets, lessons and more.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Demon Fish
Juliet Eilperin
Pantheon Books
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780375425127, $26.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

DEMON FISH: TRAVELS THROUGH THE HIDDEN WORLD OF SHARKS offers a fine adventure investigation of how humans relate to sharks. Science and reporting blend in a survey of shark encounters around the world, documenting the experiences of scientists and villagers trading in or encountering sharks. Cultural perceptions of sharks and scientific observations blend in a fine survey of how people and sharks co-exist, and how sharks are tolerated and used by humans.

Venomous Reptiles of the U.S., Canada and Northern Mexico V. 1
Carl H. Ernst and Evelyn M. Ernst
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
9780801898754, $75.00, www.press.jhu.edu

Venomous Reptiles of the U.S., Canada and Northern Mexico V. 1 represents a completely revised landmark reference and is a top pick for any college-level reference on venomous reptiles. It provides improved species accounts of lizards and snakes (the second volume will cover rattlesnakes) and represents the authors' in-depth research and facts on each animal's natural history. Also covered are details on snakebite, venom composition, and photos for identification as well as maps of species ranges. The latest research makes this a winner.

Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

C. Wayne McIlwraith and Bernard E. Rollin's EQUINE WELFARE (9781405187633, $69.99) is a clear exploration of ethical and welfare concerns about the human use of horses, and is co-edited by a veterinary surgeon and a philosopher, and written by a diverse team of contributors. The survey considers the many issues surrounding horses, from its basic nature and the ethical basis for our concern with equine welfare to a historical survey and examination of horse abuse, use, and research. Any in-depth collection strong on horses and the horse-human relationship will find this a winning survey packed with important, key articles! Veterinary reference holdings will welcome Fred Mann, Gheorghe Constantinescu and Hun-Young Yoon's FUNDAMENTALS OF SMALL ANIMAL SURGERY (9780781761185, $79.99), a fine introduction to the surgical basics key to any vet practice. Pencil drawings and clinical photos compliment detailed descriptions on these surgeries and is designed to provide a basic foundation to any studying veterinary surgery at the college or clinical levels. NEPHROLOGY AND UROLOGY OF SMALL ANIMALS, edited by Joe Bartges and David J. Polzin (9780813817170, $149.99) provides vets with the knowledge needed to diagnose and treat urologic diseases in canine, feline and exotic animals. It's designed as a comprehensive clinical coverage charting the clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of conditions and packs in references for all levels of vets, providing all the basics needed to diagnose and treat urologic diseases. Color and black and white photos throughout accompany in-depth articles perfect for any college-level or practicing vet's collection.


The Music Shelf

Def Leppard
Photos by Ross Halfin
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811879309, $35.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

DEFF LEPPARD: THE DEFINITIVE VISUAL HISTORY offers stunning insider photos by Ross Halfin to accompany a visual history of the rock group's travels, concerts, and impact. Notes on how the photos speak to the viewer and how they were created accompany full page color images capturing Def Leppard's most notable experiences.

The Chitlin' Circuit and the Road to Rock 'n Roll
Preston Lauterbach
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393076523, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

The Chitlin' Circuit and the Road to Rock n Roll provides a fine history of the network of black nightclubs that created rock and roll. For generations the 'chitlin circuit' meant second-tier performers in raucous nightspots away from big cities. Music journalist Preston Lauterbach here provides an in-depth survey of the real roots of rock n roll: in black nightclubs across America. His is a chronicle that fills in details and is a 'must' for any serious rock music history holding.

Along the Cherry Lane
Milton Okum as told to Richard Sparks
Hal Leonard
P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213
9781423499497, $24.99, www.halleonard.com

Along the Cherry Lane: Tales from the Life of Music Industry Legend Milton Okun tells of a producer, conductor and arranger who worked with such greats as Harry Belafonte, Petr Paul and Mary, and more. He founded Cherry Lane Music, published Elvis, and achieved success in many different music-related fields - yet spent his life as a music teacher in New York City public schools. ALONG THE CHERRY LANE is the first account of his life and achievements and is a 'must' for any music history collection.

Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, NY, NY 10010
www.backbeatbooks.com

Robert Shelton's classic NO DIRECTION HOME: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF BOB DYLAN (9781617130120, $35.00) restores major parts of the original, previously unpublished manuscript by Robert Shelton, pairing it with updated footnotes and a chronology of Dylan's life and career. The result elevates an already-powerful survey written by a friend of Dylan whose work remains the only one written with Dylan's active cooperation. This new edition is published to acknowledge Bob Dylan's seventieth birthday and provides a powerful account that took twenty years to complete, first appeared in 1986 to great acclaim, and here expands and enhances the presentation in a 'must' for any Dylan or popular music history collection. Kent Crowley's SURF BEAT: ROCK N ROLL'S FORGOTTEN REVOLUTION (9781617130076, $19.99) has been researched over a period of many years and is packed with anecdotes and insights form surfers, musicians, record label owners and more to provide the first in-depth story of surf music since its beginnings. A history of surfing and surf culture is accompanied by a surf rock review of groups, musicians, trends and surf music marketing. Any popular music history holding will find this a valuable addition!


The Cookbook Shelf

Miette
Meg Ray with Leslie Jonath
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811875042, $27.50, www.chroniclebooks.com

MIETTE: RECIPES FROM SAN FRANCISCO'S MOST CHARMING PASTRY SHOP is an engaging cookbook on many levels. First, it comes packed with vivid color photos by Frankie Frankeny that features the unusual and appealing dessert creations. Second, its pages are attractively scallop-edged with an artistic flair not to be found in competing cookbooks. Lastly, it focuses as much on the packaging and presentation of a cake as on its recipe and creation. Add recipes for the baker's signature cake creations, not to be found in any other cookbook, and you truly have a unique dessert attraction any dessert chef will relish.

Homemade Soda
Andrew Schloss
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603427968, $18.95, www.storey.com

HOMEMADE SODA: 200 RECIPES FOR MAKING AND USING offers a guide to all kinds of sodas, from herbal waters and sparkling teas to fruit sodas, root beers and brews, and floats. From making syrups and mixing them with seltzers to carbonating with CO2 systems, this is packed with practical information!

Wiley
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

The fifth updated edition of Costas Katsigris and Chris Thomas's THE BAR & BEVERAGE BOOK (9780470248454, $68.75) offers culinary and hospitality students an in-depth text on creating a five-star bar and beverage service, with the updated fifth edition discussing new information on industry trends and social drinking changes. From the rise of classic cocktails to new changes in alcohol service regulations and new directions for creating budget and cost worksheets, this is intended for the bar manager who wants to understand the legal requirements to serve alcohol and how to make a profit running a bar or beverage operation. Highly recommended for any college-level reference collection! General collections will relish Jill Silverman Hough's 100 PERFECT PAIRINGS (9780470446348, $16.95), a fine pairing of dishes and wines. It's written for casual wine lovers who want a cookbook organized by twelve popular wine varieties: six whites and six reds, and offers color photos and dishes that will prove top attractions. Any general culinary collection will find this an attractive choice.

Vegan for Life
Jack Norris, RD and Virginia Messina, MPH, RD
DaCapo Lifelong
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780738214931, $17.00, www.dacapopress.com

Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet provides a definitive guide for maintaining optimum nutrition and provides new and established vegans with an easy six-step plan for switching to a vegan diet. From a vegan food guide with five new food groups to sample menus, this offers keys to the latest research and needs for vegan eaters. Any general lending library catering to vegetarians needs this introductory guide.

The Emperor of All Maladies
Siddhartha Mukherjee
Scribner
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439107959, $30.00, www.simonandschuster.com

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer deserves repeated, ongoing mention as a powerful survey and 2011 Pulitzer-Prize winner for nonfiction, providing an epic history of this disease that ravaged people for thousands of years. Science, health, and social issues combine in a fine survey of research discoveries, challenges to cancer treatments, and how cancer has affected the human race. Health and general lending collections alike need this award-winner, which has recently been issued in paperback.

W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com

Richard C. Francis's EPI-GENETICS: THE ULTIMATE MYSTERY OF INHERITANCE (9780393070057, $25.95) provides general-interest science readers with the first non-specialist's book on the science of epigenetics, offering discussions of relationships between DNA and traits and their relationship to the environment. From a mother's diet and health to epigenetic factors affecting disease development, this is packed with the latest research but couched in language any general-interest adult can easily access. BRAIN BUGS: HOW THE BRAIN'S FLAWS SHAPE OUR LIVES by Dean Buonomano (9780393076028, $25.95) provides fine survey of brain flaws and how the brain works or fails. In particular discussions of how the brain is ill-equipped to handle the fast pace of our digital world make for enlightening, eye-opening surveys packed with examples and studies based on the latest neuroscience research. Causes of 'brain bugs' in human behavior (which range from susceptibility to propaganda to false memories and forgetfulness) are provided in chapters that cover research and daily applications alike.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Quilt Savvy: Hand Quilting
Virginia "Rusty" Hedrick
American Quilters Society
P.O. Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
1574328255, $21.95, www.americanquilter.com

Quilt Savvy: Hand Quilting provides a spiral bound, fingertip 'how to' guide to mastering hand quilting, covering the basics and providing the first in a projected series. This format especially lends to quilter use, offering an 11" long shape and spine lettering for easy location on a bookshelf paired with spiral binding for lay-flat usage. The large-sized step-by-step color photos leave nothing to guesswork, making this a special recommendation for beginning hand quilters seeking visual display of the basics.

Couture Sewing Techniques
Claire B. Schaeffer
Taunton Press
Box 5507, Newtown, CT 06470-5507
9781600853357, $24.95, www.taunton.com

Couture Sewing Techniques is revised and updated for new audiences and comes from a fashion historian who provides a guide to techniques that define couture sewing. Her title has been revised and updated with new photos, a new chapter on specialty fabrics, and more, with coverage of techniques for shaping garments and applying perfect fit ideas to sleeves, jackets, gowns and more. Color photos and illustrations accompany an exceptional guide recommended for any sewing collection.

Happy Endings, revised edition
Mimi Dietrich
Martingale & Company
20205 - 144th Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
1564775003, $19.95, www.martingale-pub.com

HAPPY ENDINGS: FINISHING THE EDGES OF YOUR QUILT is a fine revised edition offering a wide range of different ways to finish a quilt, from easy edging to advanced borders. New ideas for backings, bindings and more appear in a revised edition providing a new section on quilt borders, tips on using different fabrics and techniques, and more. Quilters will find this the perfect conclusion to polish and refine any quilting project!

Fast, Fusible Flower Quilts
Nancy Mahoney
Martingale & Company
20205 - 144th Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
9781604680393, $24.99, www.martingale-pub.com

Fast, Fusible Flower Quilts comes from a best-selling author who provides some eleven beautiful, easy projects for creating flower motifs. From wall hangings and lap quilts to two twin-size quilts and patterns for tracing onto fusible web, this packs in full-page color panels of completed projects and creates an outstanding set of projects perfect for any quilter seeking specific themes.

1-2-3 Sew
Ellen Luckett Baker
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811876490, $24.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

1-2-3 SEW: BUILD YOUR SKILLS WITH 33 SIMPLE PROJECTS offers bags, accessories, and home projects from an expert seamstress and craft blogger who provides a building-block approach to sewing, presenting projects in groups of three to build on skills and techniques used in the prior project. Over thirty fine projects range from clothing to decor and are perfect for all levels of sewers, including how-to basics and patterns tucked into an enclosed front envelope. This may not make the book perfect for library lending - but it's perfect for the home seamstress!


The Computer Shelf

Software Build Systems: Principles and Experience
Peter Smith
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321717287, $59.99, www.informit.com/aw

Software Build Systems: Principles and Experience is a recommendation for any in-depth software engineering collection, and provides keys to the basic principles involved in producing efficient build systems. Features, usage scenarios, and mastering basic concepts offers insights into five leading build tools, packaging software for installation, and debugging, profiling and checking methods. Developers will find the specifics offer a big key to success.

Programming iOS 4
Matt Neuburg
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9781449388430, $49.99, www.oreilly.com

Programming iOS 4 is a highly recommended pick for any involved in mobile web developments or iPad applications. It teaches all the basics of iPad app development, teaches object-oriented programming concepts, and tells how to understand Cocoa concepts and Xcode projects in their entirety. There's a huge amount of reference material paired with real-world examples here: enough to make this a top pick for any technical computer collection.

iPad for Dummies, second edition
Edward C. Baig and Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118024447, $24.99, www.wiley.com

IPAD FOR DUMMIES appears in its second updated edition to cover iPad and iPad 2, and teaches the basics of how to set up an iPad, learn its interface, and surf the web or make video calls. The iPad can become an e-book reader, a portable game console, or a HD video camera: chapters provide full-color screen shots and step-by-step examples to accompany bulleted tips on usage in a reference highly recommended for any new iPad user or collection catering to them.

Windows Azure Step by Step
Roberto Brunetti
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735649729, $34.99, www.microsoft.com/mspress

Windows Azure Step by Step pairs a workbook with online book and practice files to cover the basics of programming for Windows Azure. From extending skills to cloud development and building web applications for the cloud to storing data using Windows Azure Storage, this packs in real-world solutions and steps to common Azure uses and is a pick for any Azure programmer's collection.

Sybex
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46256
www.sybex.com

George Omura with Rick Graham's MASTERING AUTOCAD 2012 AND AUTOCAD LT 2012 (9780470952887, $49.99) offers an in-depth, comprehensive reference to AutoCAD in a tutorial designed to help readers quickly learn the software program. It uses a series of foundation tutorials to build and apply skills, offering in-depth explanations of its latest features and applications and offering an official guide to help readers prepare for Autodesk's Certified Associate and Certified Professional exams. From using tables and fields to controlling objects, linking drawings to databases, and exploring modeling, this teaches how to present 3D models and render realistic designs. AutoCad learners will find this a fine, specific survey. The seventh updated edition of Todd Lammle's CCNA: CISCO CERTIFIED NETWORK ASSOCIATE STUDY GUIDE (9780470901076, $49.99) teaches the basics of preparing for the latest version of the CCNA Exam. An accompanying CD features advance testing software including chapter reviews and bonus exams as well as electronic flashcards, while chapters cover all exam objectives and provide hands-on and written labels for critical skills. A 'must' for any CCNA exam-taker, this is packed with information and strategies for success. Roderick W. Smith's LPIC-2: LINUX PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTE CERTIFICATION STUDY GUIDE (9781118000151, $69.99) covers both the 201 and 202 exams and packs in exercises, applied scenarios, and the latest exam prep software. Add electronic flashcards and a glossary of terms in pdf format and you have an in-depth study guide key to any studying for the Linux certification test.

Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.ciscopress.com

Sean Wilkins & Franklin H. Smith III's OFFICIAL CERT GUIDE: CCNP SECURITY SECURE 642-637 (1587142805, $69.99) provides Cisco exam takers with a fine study guide that focuses on the objectives for the CCNP Security Secure exam. This comes in the form of organized chapters and test prep routines using proven techniques, and is accompanied by a CD-ROM testing engine that allows users to focus on individual topic areas or the entire test. Any planning on taking the exam will consider this an in-depth, essential guide and any computer collection catering to these exam students needs this reference. Anthony Burno and Steve Jordan's OFFICIAL CERT GUIDE: CCDA 640-864 (9781587142574, $59.99) is also a winner, offering an official study guide that helps master all the topics in the CCDA Design exam, from network structure models and WAN technologies to security solutions, routing and voice design. Test-takers will find this packed with real-world examples and applications. Kevin Wallace's CCIE's IMPLEMENTING CISCO UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS VOICE OVER IP AND QOS (CVOICE) (1587204193, $64.99) is a Cisco-authorized text for learning CCPN Voice basics, and is a pick for any advanced user learning VoIP configuration and applications. From dial plans and gatekeepers to mechanisms, operations, and basic applications of IP phones in a Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express environment, this is an in-depth technical pick for any Cisco collection.


The Social Issues Shelf

Hate Crimes and Ethnoviolence
Howard J. Ehrlich
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344454, $27.00, www.westviewpress.com

Hate Crimes and Ethnoviolence: The History, Current Affairs and Future of Discrimination in America provides essays by Howard J. Ehrlich, who conducted the first national surveys on ethnoviolence and helped design the protocol for identifying hate crimes. His personal research and expertise lends to discussions that offer historical and social insights into ethnoviolence and prejudices and how prejudice translates to violence, offering discussions essential to any college-level social issues course covering violence and prejudice trends.

Always On
Brian X. Chen
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142
9780306819605, $25.00, www.dacapopress.com

ALWAYS ON: HOW THE IPHONE UNLOCKED THE ANYTHING-ANYTIME-ANYWHERE FUTURE - AND LOCKED US IN explores the impact of iPhones on our daily lives - and asks if the smartphone will prove a detriment, long-term, to human society. Chapters examine how technology will influence our lives by keeping us more closely connected to the world, and chapters explore the Apple, specifically, as a powerful company controlling its products and users through a virtual business model. Business and social issues collections alike will find this an important survey.

National Security, Civil Liberties, and the War on Terror
M. Katherine B. Darmer and Richard D. Fybel, Editors
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616143961, $21.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

National Security, Civil Liberties, and the War on Terror provides a fine survey of the various issues surrounding legitimate national security concerns and personal civil liberties, considering what limits should be placed on interrogating suspected terrorists and what rights apply to prisoners in such situations. Political and social issues are considered in a collection of recent articles and legal commentary that provides a balanced perspective and overview in a collection recommended for any college-level collection strong in terrorism studies.


The Fiction Shelf

Twenty Thirty
Albert Brooks
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312583729, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

TWENTY THIRTY: THE REAL STORY OF WHAT HAPPENS TO AMERICA offers a fine novel projecting social changes into the future and how June 12, 2030 changes the U.S. when an earthquake levels Los Angeles and the government can't afford to rebuild. It's a world where cancer has been cured and Americans age dramatically, living in perpetual retirement while young people resent "the olds" for their wealth. A vivid story of national changes and changing social issues based on realistic modern-day concerns makes this a riveting story highly recommended for any general lending library.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Rock Hole
Reavis Z. Wortham
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Avenue #103, Scottsdale AZ 85251
9781590588840, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

THE ROCK HOLE: A RED RIVER MYSTERY offers the satisfying story of a farmer and part-time Constable Ned parker, who combines forces with a legendary black deputy sheriff to track down a threat to a small Texas community. Many twists and turns of plot are presented in a powerful survey of animal torture and murder that eventually threatens Ned's own family. Murder mystery collections will find this a riveting thriller!

Dreams of the Dead
Perri O'Shaughnessy
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781416549734, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

DREAMS OF THE DEAD provides a new Nina Reilly thriller and is set in South Lake Tahoe, California where Nina faces strange clients, criminals, and personal issues involving her teen son and his estranged father. A fugitive sociopath returns to threaten her world, and Nina's connection to two local women who are brutally murdered brings danger to her own doorstep in this riveting account, perfect for any general lending library strong in novels, mysteries and thrillers.


The Audiobook Shelf

Demonic: How the Liberal Mob is Endangering America
Ann Coulter
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307878816, $37.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

Demonic: How the Liberal Mob is Endangering America enjoys a vivid narration by author Ann Coulter who here argues that liberals exhibit the psychological characteristics of a mob. She cites mob psychology as a pattern in liberal behavior and reactions, cataloging the Left's mob behaviors and offering a history of the liberal mob psyche from the French Revolution to modern times. Any political or social issues collection needs this!

Becoming a Man of Unwavering Faith
Joel Osteen
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781611138092, $24.98, www.hachetteaudio.com

Becoming a Man of Unwavering Faith is narrated by Dr. Paul Osteen, a physician and surgeon who for twelve years has provided leadership to all the pastoral ministries of Lakewood Church. His narration of late pastor John Osteen's title brings life and vivid feeling to this account of s sixty-year ministry in which John Osteen emphasized the power of faith in his life. Moments of intense struggle are precisely the moments faith should be at its strongest, he maintains. Any religious collection will want to include this inspirational account.


The Political Science Shelf

The Terrorist Next Door
Erick Stakelbeck
Regnery Publishing Inc.
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
9781596981522, $27.95, www.regnery.com

THE TERRORIST NEXT DOOR: HOW THE GOVERNMENT IS DECEIVING YOU ABOUT THE ISLAMIST THREAT provides fine survey on the threat of terrorism in America, which the government maintains has been largely eliminated. THE TERRORIST NEXT DOOR comes from an investigative reporter who exposes the truth about the enormous terrorist threat growing right under our noses in this country - and it provides chapters that offer close inspection of mosques in America, plots for Islamic domination in this country, and how jihadist training camps are springing up throughout rural America. Any concerned about terrorism will find this an eye-opening guide!


The Travel Shelf

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

Carolina A. Miranda, et.al.'s DISCOVER PERU (9781742200026, $24.99) covers all of the country's highlights, provides itineraries for making the most of Peru, and comes from local experts who add maps, commentary, cultural insights and more. It's packaged in a perfect take-long tote size and is intended for destination-oriented visitors who want to make the most of independent travel to Peru, and is a fine recommendation for this audience or for libraries with strong travel holdings. Marc Di Duca and Leonid Ragozin's UKRAINE (9781741793284, $24.99) provides an excellent survey of the country packing in nearly fifty maps, itineraries, discussions of history, culture and transport and more. Designed as a handy take-along tote, this is packed with important keys to navigating the country and is a pick for any Ukraine-bound tourist.

Paris to the Past
Ina Caro
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393078947, $27.95, www.wwnorton.com

PARIS TO THE PAST: TRAVELING THROUGH FRENCH HISTORY BY TRAIN offers a fine blend of French history and travelogue, and offers the author's survey of that history when she began to rearrange her travels using the chronological order in which landmark historical events took place. Her trips can be taken from Paris by the city Metro and other public transit, and provides day trips to locales which were pivotal in French history. Whether it's a general library seeking an armchair read or a French history holding, this provides an appealing blend of travel facts and historical insights.


The Christian Studies Shelf

God Wins
Mark Galli and Randy Alcorn
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414366661, $12.99, www.tyndale.com

GOD WINS: HEAVEN, HELL, AND WHY THE GOOD NEWS IS BETTER THAN LOVE WINS provides a fine survey questioning whether a loving God really sends people to hell, and examines questions raised in LOVE WINS, from the role of the cross for Christians to biblical authority and concepts of a holy or living God. As an in-depth examination of the issues raised in LOVE WINS, this will please any Christian reader.


The Military Shelf

Sun Tzu at Gettysberg
Bevin Alexander
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393078138, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

Military historian Bevin Alexander considers how the Chinese sage Sun Tzu's THE ART OF WAR has influenced Eastern warfare for over two thousand years - but didn't become widely known in the West until the 1970s when guerrilla forces in Vietnam used sun Tzu's axioms to defeat entire armies. This considers how Sun Tzu's maxims created effective military scenarios, considering different decisive operations in modern times from 1777 to the Korean War. The pairing of military history with Sun Tzu's approach makes this a powerful pick for any military collection.

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

Angus Konstam's YANGTZE RIVER GUNBOATS 1900-49 (9781849084086, $17.95) provides a fine survey of early gunboats that protected traders and missionaries from the end of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th. It was a wild time in China as warlords fought small wars to increase their powers: this covers gunboats of all the major nations that stationed naval forces in China during the times and provides color drawings and vintage black and white photos to capture the boats in action. Any China or military history library will find this specific and informative. Military history holdings will also appreciate Gordon Williamson's E-BOAT VS. MTB: THE ENGLISH CHANNEL 1941-45 (9781849084062, $17.95), a fine survey of the German E-Boat and their conflicts with the U-Boat Allies. German and British skirmishes using either boat are covered in chapters packed with vintage black and white photos and illustrations to capture a fine history of the two military vessels.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Awake in the World
Michael Stone
Shambhala Publications
300 Horticultural Hall, Boston MA 02115
9781590308141, $17.95, www.shambhala.com

AWAKE IN THE WORLD: TEACHINGS FROM YOGA AND BUDDHISM FOR LIVING AN ENGAGED LIFE teaches how to live a balanced life in unbalanced times, and how meditation and yoga can support our daily lives. It comes from a teacher and psychotherapist who presents the basics of yoga, emphasizing the teachings of simplicity and connecting life. The spiritual heart of yoga and Buddhist practice encourages world awareness - and this book also encourages getting involved in communities and using trainings to support life-affirming goals.

Confessions of a Tarot Reader
Jane Stern
Skirt!
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200
Guilford, CT 06437
9781599219936, $22.95, www.globepequot.com

Confessions of a Tarot Reader: Practical Advice from This Realm and Beyond comes from a fourth generation tarot reader who has read cards professionally for over forty years, and who uses the twenty-two major arcane cards to impart the basics. Advice for all kinds of life scenarios are presented in a guide that draws connections between tarot and the unseen world, providing chapters that discuss literal and figurative translations of the cards. Any interested in tarot will find this a clear presentation of the cards and their basic interpretations.


The Gardening Shelf

Homegrown Herbs
Tammi Hartung
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603427036, $19.95, www.storey.com

Homegrown Herbs: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Enjoying More Than 100 Herbs is for any gardener who wants to grow herbs successfully, whether in pots or in a herb garden or even added to an existing flower bed. Keys to planting, caring for and using the products of over 100 herbs pack a guide that covers all the basics, from preparing soil to planting and propagation. General gardening collections looking at a wide-ranging herb growing and usage guide will find this a winner!

Growing Fruit Trees
Jean-Marie Lespinasse and Evelyne Leterme
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780393732566, $49.95, www.wwnorton.com

Growing Fruit Trees: Novel Concepts and Practices for Successful Care and Management packs in color photos, illustrations, and keys to successful fruit tree management, includes all kinds of trees from apple and common fruits to kiwis and various nut trees, and is a fine key for any interested in quick, high-quality fruit production. Over three hundred color photos compliment in-depth discussions perfect for gardeners and horticultural libraries alike.


The Memoir Shelf

Innocent Spouse
Carol Ross Joynt
Crown
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307592095, $25.00, www.crownpublishing.com

Innocent Spouse: A Memoir tells of a family struggle when a husband dies suddenly, leaving behind a five-year old son and a widow forced to take over her husband's finances and legendary restaurant business. Carol discovered her husband had secrets - including nearly, $3 million in debt to the IRS, which she was responsible for as his surviving spouse. Her struggles and recovery makes for a vivid memoir with an unusual twist to the widow's tale, and should be in any general lending library.

Familyhood
Paul Reiser
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401324322, $25.99, www.hyperionbooks.com

FAMILYHOOD comes from the best-selling author of COUPLEHOOD and BABYHOOD and is a pick for either fans of the prior books or collections catering to parents and families. Here Paul Reiser, an actor and comedian, shares his views about marriage, parenthood and midlife and adds humor to his explorations of universal truths about life and love. A fine, involving survey, this will appeal to a wide audience.


The Journalism Shelf

Page One
David Folkenflik, Editor
Public Affairs
250 West 57th St. Suite 1321, New York NY 10107
9781610390774, $15.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM: A PARTICIPANT MEDIA GUIDE is inspired by the documentary and deserves ongoing recommendation as a fine pick for any library strong in media history and culture. Some of the media's leading experts investigate the past, present and future of news and its reporting style, considering issues of accuracy, fairness, analysis, and more. The New York Times here serves as a foundation for this in-depth consideration, recommended for any college-level journalism or media issues library.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Joe Simon: My Life in Comics
Joe Simon
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9781845769307, $24.95, www.titanbooks.com

Joe Simon: My Life in Comics provides the official autobiography of a comic artist who has become one of the most influential people in comics history. He was half of the comics team of Simon and Kerby, helping create captain America and was the first editor at Marvel Comics, where he hired Stan Lee for his first job. His autobiography recounts not only his personal experiences in the industry, but the rise of the genre as a whole, detailing encounters with key figures along the way. Any collection strong in comic book history must have this.

Fighting American
Joe Simon & Jack Kirby
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857681157, $19.95, www.titanbooks.com

Fighting American is published with perfect timing as the new Captain America: The First Avenger film comes on the market, and comes from the team behind the original Captain America. This color graphics novel offers the complete adventures of the character plus a new introduction by co-creator Joe Simon, plus previously unpublished stories and covers. Any fan of Captain America will find this a winning, keepsake collection!


The World History Shelf

No One Had a Tongue to Speak
Utpal Sandesara and Tom Wooten
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616144319, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

No One Had a Tongue to Speak: The Untold Story of One of History's Deadliest Floods tells of a 1979 disaster that happened in the Indian state of Gujart, where a two-mile-long damn disintegrated after a week of monsoon rains. The waters rushed through a heavily populated area, destroyed an industrial city and its surrounding villages, and the death toll was estimated as high as 25,000. This tells, for the first time, the story of the disaster and is based on over 130 interviews and archival research. Any collection strong in either India history or disaster accounts will find this engrossing.


The Sports Shelf

Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
www.humankinetics.com

The fifth updated edition of American Sport Education Program with Sam Snow's COACHING YOUTH SOCCER (9780736092173, $16.95) is a pick for any sports collection appealing to coaches, and offers coaches a tool for directing a youth soccer team. It's written by ASEP in conjunction with Sam snow, a coaching director, and is intended for coaches of athletes 14 and under. Over 45 activities and 40 coaching tips blend with over 70 photos and 50 illustrations in a top coaching guide recommended for any sports library. Also recommended for college-level sports collections is David Gilbourne and Mark B. Andersen, Editors' CRITICAL ESSAYS IN APPLIED SPORT PSYCHOLOGY (0736078851, $49.00), a collection of 16 essays discussing sport psychology's traditions, research models and more. A team of recognized sport psychologists with backgrounds in various disciplines presents ideas in the field in a collection that considers research methods, applications, and more. Each essay offers a different perspective on applied sport psychology practices.


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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