Birdmen, Batmen and Skyflyers
Michael Abrams
Harmony Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
1400054915 $23.95 www.crownpublishing.com
BIRDMEN, BATMEN AND SKYFLYERS: WINGSUITS AND THE PIONEERS WHO FLEW IN THEM, FELL IN THEM, AND PERFECTED THEM is a unique survey of exotic aircraft in general and wing suits in particular: those who wear often hand-made creations which defy the use of wings. Here are 'birdmen' who have attempted flight with wings of feathers, iron, leather and more. While their stories are often part of general aviation titles, it's rare to have an entire book devoted to their history, written by one who himself has jumped out of planes with wings. This alternative history of human flight is one which has long needed feature - and which will reach both aviation fans and general-interest audiences alike.
From Squaw Tit to Whorehouse Meadow
Mark Monmonier
University of Chicago Press
1427 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
0226534650 $25.00 www.press.uchicago.edu
FROM SQUAW TIT TO WHOREHOUSE MEADOW: HOW MAPS NAME, CLAIM, AND INFLAME is for any reader who is fascinated by geography and place name history. Here's a gathering of humorous place names and their origins which blends cartography with insights on how they got their names. Politics, geography, and language history blend in a fine account of world places, influences, and names which moves from regions to continents and even into the solar system.
Bathroom Readers' Institute
5880 Oberin Drive, San Diego, CA 92121
www.advmkt.com
Hilarious, entertaining, and not to be missed are two wonderful ''Uncle John's Bathroom Reader'' classics put out by the Bathroom Reader's Institute. UNCLE JOHN'S GIGANTIC BATHROOM READER (1592236063, $14.95) is a bargain, with over seven hundred pages packing a second omnibus edition of humor and insight. Pieces are divided by length – short stories to long ones – and thus are suitable not only for bathroom pursuit but for moments when you have only a small amount of reading time. Topics? How about the origin of basketball, the blue moon phenomenon, stories of dumb crooks, homemade best-sellers, funny musicians and much, much more. EXTRAORDINARY BOOK OF FACTS AND BIZARRE INFORMATION (1592236057, $17.95) is also a winner, this focusing on outrageous, intriguing and entertaining fun facts condensed into digest form. Again, the focus on trivia, myths, weird and crazy science and facts and more guarantees entertaining reading. Both are top picks – and neither should be limited to the bathroom alone.
The House of Representatives is supposed to be closest to the desires of ordinary citizens – but in reality it's lost its way and in recent years are more fixed on power plays than consumer representation: that's the message of FIGHT CLUB POLITICS: HOW PARTISANSHIP IS POISONING THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Here's an important survey for any who would understand modern politics: it provides a history of the House, its actions, and how past decisions differ from modern times.
Developing Thinking in Statistics
Alan Graham
Open University/Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
1412911672 $35.95 www.paulchapmanpublishing.co.uk www.open.ac.uk
Statistics is a key area of school math that directly relates calculations to the real world – yet too often it isn't given enough real-world connections. Alan Graham recharges the excitement potential of statistical forces, offering teachers chapters that are designed to reinforce statistical ideas and approaches. From measurement and variation to randomness, tasks present exciting applications for secondary math teachers and students and promises a wide readership in its paperback edition, deserving of ongoing recommendation.
Endgame
Derrick Jensen
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York NY 100013
158322730X $18.95 www.sevenstories.com
ENDGAME V 1: THE PROGRAM OF CIVILIZATION is a recommended pick for college-level collections strong in cultural history and philosophy: here author Jensen meditates on the state of world species – including humans – and provides a blend of philosophy, psychological analysis, and insights into Western culture. One of the premises is 'the culture as a whole and most of its members are insane': chapters cover conflicting needs and values of the human and natural world and reflect on the 'endgame' humans are playing.
Fake
Kenneth Walton
Simon Spotlight Entertainment
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
1416907114 $21.95 www.simonsays.com
In the early heyday of ebay bidders flooded the site willing to buy nearly everything – among them art collectors who hoped to buy bargains and rarities from less educated listers. FAKE describes the actions of one Kenneth Walton, a lawyer who was not only seduced by an online con artist, but who become one himself. From his initial hobby as an online art-trading hobbyist to his entry into a world of fraud and selling fakes which would lead to a federal felony conviction, FAKE: HOW ONE MAN'S CON GAME CREATED AN INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL AND TRIGGERED A NATIONWIDE FBI HUNT tells of a hobby gone wrong and packs in all the detail and excitement of a true adventure read.
Dictator Style
Peter York
Chronicle Books
85 – 2nd Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
0811853144 $24.95 www.chroniclebooks.com
DICTATOR STYLE: LIFESTYLES OF THE WORLD'S MOST COLORFUL DESPOTS is a hard book to peg: pairing interior design with a funny look at history's alarming dictators, it blends a racy sense of humor with fun profiles of the inner sanctums of the terrifying. Sixteen such interiors – largely bygone by now – are featured along with dictator profiles and 'achievements': you don't know whether to laugh or cry – but will probably wind up doing both.
Hooked
G. Bruce Knecht
Rodale Books
733 – 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017-3204
1594861102 $24.95 www.rodale.com
HOOKED: PIRATES POACHING AND THE PERFECT FISH promises much for a wide audience, from those interested in fishing to others researching modern-day pirating and the politics of the sea. The explosive world-wide demand for popular fish has all but fostered over-fishing and all but condoned seafood piracy: HOOKED combines culinary history with a world-wide chase to document the fading Chilean Sea Bass, a prehistoric-looking fish with the richness of tuna and the texture of butter. It's hard to place this rich text: part culinary history, part social inquiry, largely environmental exploration – it also fits under 'True Adventure'. Many will find it compelling.
So Others May Live
Martha J. LaGuardia-Kotite
Lyons Press
Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1592289312 $22.95 www.LyonsPress.com
SO OTHERS MAY LIVE: SAVINGS LIVES, DEFYING DEATH WITH THE COAST GUARD'S RESCUE SWIMMERS provides a history of the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmer, pairing this history with twelve stories which chronicle maritime rescues. Swimmers tell these stories of perilous rescue and while SO OTHERS MAY LIVE would also qualify to be featured in our 'True Adventure' section, it's featured here for additional value as a history of Coast Guard efforts overall.
New Yorker Book of Cartoon Puzzles and Games
Puzzability
Black Dog & Leventhal
151 West 19th Street, New York NY 10011
1579125530 $17.95 www.workman.com
If you love crosswords and puzzle games and New Yorker complexity in particular, don't be without this oversized NEW YORKER BOOK OF CARTOON PUZZLES AND GAMES. All you need is a pencil and a mind to enjoy puzzles which are offered in a spiral bound large-format paperback lending to easier working than most puzzle books. Here are over eighty puzzles created by the puzzle writing company Puzzability: new blends rather than rehashes of old styles. Avid puzzle fans will find it delightfully fun.
How to Brew
John J. Palmer
Brewers Publications/Brewser's Association
736 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80302
0937381888 $19.95 www.beertown.org
HOW TO BREW: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BREW BEER RIGHT THE FIRST TIME is more than another beer recipe book: it's a series of step-by-step processes perfect for the novice at brewing, explaining terminology, techniques, and even more intermediate processes. A 'crash course' in the basics leads to more extensive discussions of hop quality, fermentation processes, yeasts, and the later considerations of lagers and specialty brews. There are plenty of brewing books on the market, but this is the perfect place to begin, moving deftly from introduction to more advanced brewing.
The Computer Shelf
Pro Tools 7 CSI Master
Steve Thomas
Coolbreeze Systems
c/o Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1598631462 $49.99 www.courseptr.com
Learn the new tools of Pro Tools 7 not via book but through PRO TOOLS 7 CSI MASTER, a training cd-rom which offers hands-on computer training. Work through movie tutorials which teach by example, and learn how a DAW pro uses Pro Tools productively in typical real-life settings. The movie environment compares quite well with the book format, and allows for many more visual step-by-step examples than most books could provide.
Titanium Ebay
Skip McGrath
Alpha/Pearson
800 E. 96th St., Indianapolis, IN 46240
1592574335 $24.95 www.penguin.com
Readers with more than a basic knowledge of Ebay selling should take a look at TITANIUM EBAY: A TACTICAL GUIDE TO BECOMING A MILLIONAIRE POWERSELLER. Many Ebay sellers run a full time business listing millions of items daily – and at these high PowerSeller levels there's big money to be made. But how? TITANIUM EBAY tells exactly how, and comes from a eBay PowerSeller since 1998 and a registered Trading Assistant. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to move up the ebay seller's ladder. Basic Ebay principles and seller's strategies come from solid experience and make for an impressive overview.
Understanding New Media
Kim Veltman
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
1552381544 $69.95 www.uofcpress.com
UNDERSTANDING NEW MEDIA: AUGMENTED KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURE surveys an area most commonly discussed in relation to the Internet's developments, but offers much more depth than most. Here are surveys of networked environments which blend technology with organizational and philosophical issues and changes, along with considerations of computing world evolution and how it reflects profound changes in other realms. Here also are surveys of cross-cultural effects of these advancements, which delves into world nations and their reactions and changing roles to such technology. A 'must' for any college-level audience interested in the digital revolution's long-ranging impact on society as a whole.
Charles River Media/Thomson
25 Thomson Place
Boston, MA 02210
www.charlesriver.com
IT administrators needing scripting skills should look at Bobby Malik's Practical Windows Administration Scripting (1584504617 $49.95), a practical reference which provides solid detail packed with over 300 complete scripts per chapter. Scripting is tailored for Windows administration and engineering tasks and uses Microsoft Scripting technologies: experienced Windows administrators and technicians receive a guide to the latest features, providing solutions to common configuration and maintenance issues, from printers and file management to modifying web sites and generating reports, Practical Windows Administration Scripting is a fine reference. All computer users need to consider Ian Barile's PROTECTING YOUR PC (1584504862, $39.95): it teaches where major hazards lie, how to prevent and fix them, and how to avoid common annoyances like pop-ups, spam, and more. From installing patches and backing up data to avoiding worms and trojans, PROTECTING YOUR PC teaches all the basics of computer security for home or business. Or look at Ankit Fadia's NETWORK SECURITY: A HACKER'S PERSPECTIVE, 2ND EDITION (1598631632, $49.99): it comes from an independent computer security consultant who is a cyberterrorism expert. Chapters are for any with some degree of networking experience and use real-world case studies to update a bestseller on loopholes for major platforms, criminal techniques used to break into networks, and more. Programmers should take note of two fine guides: Eric D. Grebler's 3D GAME PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS (159200900X, $29.99) teaches teens and beginners how to turn their programming ideas into real games. An accompanying cd includes a demo of 3ds Max, Blitz3D and more, while chapters walk through several small program demos which test new skills described. And the more complicated Allen Sherrod ULTIMATE GAME PROGRAMMING WITH DIRECTX (1584504587, $49.95) teaches the fundamentals of DirectX game development and graphics skills, packing in the math and physics insights needed to create basic graphic and animation schemes for games. The book relies on a first-person shooter game called Stranded and each chapter builds on how to add to the game. Users of the online photo sharing site Flickr will find HOW TO USE FLICKR: THE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY REVOLUTION (1598631373, $24.99) teaches how to organize, store, and use a site which is more than just a bandwidth of storage. Flickr is a community for any who use and share digital photos: chapters hold details for both newcomers and prior Flickr users on how to set up accounts, upload photos, organize and share them, and more.
EBay Income
Cheryl L. Russell
Atlantic Publishing Co
1405 SW 6th Ave.
Ocala, FL 34474-7014
www.atlantic-pub.com
0910627584 $24.95
EBAY INCOME: HOW ANYONE OF ANY AGE, LOCATION AND/OR BACKGROUND CAN BUILD A HIGHLY PROFITABLE ONLINE BUSINESS WITH EBAY is exactly as its title poses: an insider's view of the ins and outs of eBay. A basic introduction onto how eBay works is followed by chapters which walk you through the basics on creating either an auction or a store. Later chapters discuss advanced themes of merchandising, multiple sales, using PayPal and Google marketing. Any who would use eBay for the first time would do well to begin here.
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy N
Sebastopol, CA 95472
www.oreilly.com
Shauna Wright's DON'T GET BURNED ON EBAY: HOW TO AVOID SCAMS AND ESCAPE BAD DEALS (0596101783 $16.99) should be required reading of any would-be buyer or seller. It comes from an eBay expert who covers all the current scams and bad deals – and teaches how to recognize and avoid them. From understanding differences in postal and online tracking systems to pros and cons of dealing with shippers, problems in uncovering fakes or switched merchandise, and packaging problems or damaged merchandise, DON'T GET BURNED ON EBAY provides protection for both buyers and sellers who would get the most without getting taken. David Pogue's IMOVIE 6 & IDVD: THE MISSING MANUAL (0596527268, $34.99) is for Apple users who want to delve into filmmaking: it covers all the powerful new tools for editing video and indeed should be purchased with the program for quick understanding. From the basics of film editing techniques to understanding DVD design, this 'missing manual' fills in all gaps. Chromatic works with Damian Conway and Curtis Poe in PERL HACKS: TIPS & TOOLS FOR PROGRAMMING, DEBUGGING, AND SURVIVING (059662741, $29.99) is for all levels of user of Perl, from novices to near experts. Each hack in PERL HACKS is actually a short lesson teaching skills, some with exercises and tests and others with examples that can be followed. Topics range from Productivity Hacks to Working with Modules and Debugging and provide plenty of detail for all kinds of projects. Jeff Webb & Steve Saunders' PROGRAMMING EXCEL WITH VBA & .NET (0596007663, $54.99) is for Windows programmers who want to understand the depths of Excel to customize a spreadsheet. From using Visual Basic and managing Excel's windows to accessing cell data and integrating other data types, PROGRAMMING EXCEL is detailed and recommended for programmers seeking to customize. Bruce Frey's STATISTICS HACKS: TIPS & TOOLS FOR MEASURING THE WORLD AND BEATING THE ODDS (0596101643, $29.99) provides techniques from statistical measurement and experimental research to help tackle and solve problems in business and games alike. From understanding and manipulating the odds in Texas Hold 'Em and other games to designing winnable bets, predicting game outcomes and spotting fraud data and break codes, STATISTICS HACKS blends math and statistical analysis. Cal Henderson's BUILDING SCALABLE WEB SITES: BUILDING, SCALING AND OPTIMIZING THE NEXT GENERATION OF WEB APPLICATIONS (0596102356, $39.99) imparts the tricks of the trade on applications which scale quickly without expensive proprietary programming and products. It comes from the lead developer of Flickr.com and offers plenty of detail on creating fast, popular sites which grow by themselves over time without constant tweaking. From understanding the software architecture behind an application to keeping data secure and clearing bottlenecks, BUILDING SCALABLE WEB SITES is for any programmer who wants to streamline operations and reduce expenses. Aviva Garrett's JUNOS COOKBOOK (0596100140, $54.99) is for JUNOS Networks programmers who know how complex the documentation and training can be. Shortcuts, tricks, and tips on JUNOS software is provided in a title authored by a documentor of Juniper Networks technologies who wrote the first JUNOS manuals, so it comes from a reliable and professional source – and the book's been tested and tech-reviewed by field engineers. From security to routing protocols, JUNOS COOKBOOK holds it all. The 5th updated edition of Bill Burke, et.al.'s ENTERPRISE JAVAEANS 3.0 (059600978X, $49.99) covers the new EJB 3.0 and Java Persistence and is a pick recommended for prior Java users who want in-depth coverage on the new Java annotations and standards. Chapters cover development, entity beans relationships, mapping, and more, with code examples, descriptions of processes, tables, and tips on streamlining processes throughout.
Publish & Prosper: Blogging for Your Business
DL Byron & Steve Broback
New Riders
1249 – 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0321395387 $21.99 www.newriders.com
Blogging isn't just for the chatty consumer: not with the appearance of PUBLISH & PROSPER: BLOGGING FOR YOUR BUSINESS. Here it turns into a viable approach for furthering business, coming from business owners who offer real-world techniques and ideas to blog to improve business. Learn how to start such a blog and build momentum and interest to promote a brand, products, or customer relations. The authors have extensive background in the blogging world and in business alike and have put their premises to the test, so this offers realistic ideas already applied to solid business pursuits.
The Transportation Shelf
A Century of London Taxis
Bill Munro
Crowood Press
Ramsbury, Wiltshire SN8 2HR, UK
1861267622 www.crowood.com www.amazon.com
One of London's most famous attractions isn't a structure at all, but its infamous taxis – so a focus on their history as a London basic is long overdue. All major models, including unsuccessful prototypes, are reviewed in a survey which includes a centerfold of color photos and over 150 black and white images, many vintage and rare. This isn't a title for the tourist, per say, but more for the technical auto buff who will appreciate the technical specs of major models and the in-depth details. A top pick for automotive history holdings and fans of London history.
Street Smart
Gabriel Roth, Editor
Transaction Books
390 Campus Dr., Somerset, NJ 08873
0765803046 $59.95 www.transactionpub.com
STREET SMART: COMPETITION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND THE FUTURE OF ROADS is a 'must' for college-level students of transportation and urban planning: it considers private, market-based alternative for road services both at the idea level and in practical application, considering the history of the private provision of roads before the railway age and how modern planning can look back at lessons from the past to plan for the future. Four different ideas for private services, from testing vehicles and drivers to managing road facilities and using franchise or private ownership, provide different avenues for solving many of today's road issues, from congestion and safety issues to high costs and politics.
Still Life With Cars
John L. Lumley
McFarland & Company
Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786420537 $29.95 www.mcfarlandpub.com
The price tag seems weighty for a standard paperback – but nearly fifty photos are included and the author's memoir of a life spent obsessed with cars promises to reach a wide audience of leisure reading car buffs. From his childhood adventures with Nash, Hupmobile and Citroen cars to descriptions of rebuild challenges, Still Life With Cars comes from a professor of engineering at Cornell and is filled with vivid insights of the evolution of a auto buff.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Body After Baby
Jackie Keller
Avery/Penguin Group
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
1583332510 $24.95 www.penguin.com
If you've had a baby and are ready to shed by 'baby weight', BODY AFTER BABY is for you: it comes from a celebrity nutrition and health coach and founder of NutriFit and provides her 30-day nutrition and workout program designed to help lose weight quickly. Easily-prepared meal plans, natural targeted exercises, and a structured workout routine are only a few of the tips and ideas here.
Tiny Titan
Ann Yurcek
Better Endings New Beginnings
6289 Brunswick Ave. N., Brooklyn Park, MN 55429
0963707272 $15.95 www.betterendings.org
In 1989 the author's sixth child Becca was born with a rare genetic disorder, driving her parents into poverty as they struggled with medical bills and despair. Their journey for financial and health answers would lead to the adoption of five siblings separated in foster care, and a newfound battle for resources in mental health. TINY TITAN: JOURNEY OF HOPE will find many audiences and its autobiographical account of a struggle is truly inspirational.
Aging and the Meaning of Time
Susan H. McGadden & Robert C. Atchley, Eds.
Springer Publishing
11 W. 42nd St., New York NY 10036-8002
0826102654 $20.00 www.springerpub.com
What has life meant and how long is it worth living for? These and other questions are answered in the multidisciplinary survey AGING AND THE MEANING OF TIME, a college-level text perfect for courses on philosophy and health alike. Chapters juxtapose the personal experience of aging with insights on philosophy, health, and metaphysics to provide an excellent survey. A top pick.
Chemistry, Medicine and Crime
Jose Ramon Bertomeu-Sanchez & Agusti Nieto-Galan, Eds
Science History Publications
Box 1240, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562-1240
0881352756 $52.00 www.shpusa.com
Chemistry, Medicine and Crime: Mateu J.B. Orfila and His Times is a fine biography for any involved in medical history and science: college-level readers will appreciate the papers here, which grew from contributions to the international meeting of the same name held in 2004. Orfila's career reveals ideas and characteristics of 19th century medical chemistry and early forensic medicine, with chapters considering how his theories and experiments were applied throughout Europe. From how medical study was changed by his efforts to controversies surrounding medical chemistry and the new organic chemistry ideas, medical history comes to life in a survey of their historical interconnections and Orfila's contributions.
It's My Life Now
Meg Kennedy Dugan & Roger R. Hock
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
0415953251 $18.95 www.routledge-ny.com
Meg Kennedy Dugan is Director of the Victim Assistance Program in New Hampshire and co-author Roger Hock is a Professor of Psychology: the two join forces and expertise to provide the updated second edition of IT'S MY LIFE NOW: STARTING OVER AFTER AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP OR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. Life after getting out of such a relationship often continues to be a struggle, and IT'S MY LIFE NOW offers guidance to overcoming common pitfalls, blending worksheets with insights on self exploration and ongoing growth. From handling feels of loss to overcoming feelings associated with having loved an abuser, IT'S MY LIFE NOW continues to offer invaluable lessons.
The Art Shelf
Licensing Art 101, 2nd Edition
Michael Woodward
ArtNetwork
Box 1360, Nevada City, CA 95959-1360
0940899795 $23.95 www.artmarketing.com
The second updated edition of LICENSING ART 101: PUBLISHING AND LICENSING YOUR ARTWORK FOR PROFIT is a top pick for any artist who would understand how licensing works and how to protect – and profit from – artistic rights. Chapters not only focus on legal aspects but marketing strategies, business practices, presentations and more. It's the artist's tool kit for putting art out in the world effectively, as well as licensing.
Chinese Label Art
Andrew S. Cahan
Schiffer Books
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764323792 $39.95 www.schifferbooks.com
Chinese label art has long been outstanding, so it's surprising that few coverages of Chinese ad art have revealed its history before. CHINESE LABEL ART 1900-1976 provides a fine survey of packaging and labels from the period, pairing stunning images from around China to beyond its borders into Hong Kong and Macau. From tea and medicines to foods, cigarettes, firecrackers and religious items, over 400 color images pair with an authoritative discussion of history and art from Andy Cahan, who has been collecting Chinese ephemera for most of his life.
W.W. Norton
500 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
David Plowden's A HANDFUL OF DUST: PHOTOGRAPHS OF DISAPPEARING AMERICA (0393060330 $49.95) comes from a 1950s documentary photographer who has gathered images of changed scenes from the last five decades. Over seventy duotone photos revisit small towns, often rural, which Plowden once photographed and knew well: abandonment, more often than development, are the themes he finds in old houses and structures. H. Allen Brooks' THE PRAIRIE SCHOOL: FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT AND HIS MIDWEST CONTEMPORARIES (039373191X, $25.00) provides architecture collections with one of the most significant focuses of Lloyd's life and works, the Prairie school. The School was a movement which sought a new architectural perspective and designs characterized by angular forms and interiors. Unpublished material and original documents as well as interviews examine Lloyd and his contemporaries as they contributed to the movement and its changing styles. In fact, this is far more than another Lloyd focus: chapters discuss the idea of the Prairie School as a whole, and its influences on the evolution of modern architecture. Diagrams and photos pepper the coverage.
Dubai Architecture & Design
Sabina Marreiros, Editor
Daab
74 E 14 Suite 17-Z, New York NY 10003
3937718478 $49.95 www.daab-online.com
Dubai is the hub of the modern Middle East: a growing city sporting the world's largest luxury hotel and more, but it's important to note that DUBAI: ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN is the first book published solely on its architecture and design. Any interested in Middle Eastern culture and arts should have this, from college-level art libraries to specialty collection on the Mid East: it charts the roots of modern Middle Eastern design, pairing full-page color photos with insights on architectural achievement and history. While it's a specialty item, its importance is unsurpassed for such holdings.
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
NBM
40 Exchange Place #1308
New York NY 10005
www.nbmpublishing.com
The second volume of Alan Gross & Jerry Carr's Cryptozoo Crew is here, in full color blending adventure comics with jokes, puns, and action. The full-length story CALL OF THE THUNDERBIRD (1561634662 $12.95) sports lovely cover art by Frank Cho and promises fast-paced action and strong women throughout. Rick Geary's THE CASE OF MADELEINE SMITH (1561634570, $15.95) provides another volume in a series on a murder involving class in 19th century Scotland, where Madeline Smith is courted by a man below her station. Victorian romance and murder come to life in black and white drawings throughout.
You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When It Monsoons
Mo Williems
Hyperion
114 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10011-5690
0786837470 $12.99 www.amazon.com
Before Mo Willems became a children's book author, he packed sketchbook and set out to explore the world. At the end of each day he drew a cartoon of a single event which stuck in his mind – and his sketch diary YOU CAN NEVER FIND A RICKSHAW WHEN IT MONSOONS: THE WORLD ON ONE CARTOON A DAY is the result. Each page holds a full-page black and white panel blending humor with observation. An excellent choice for cartoon fans and travelers alike, a foreword by Dave Barry adds to the package.
Fantagraphics
7563 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
www.fantagraphics.com
Craig Yoe's ARF MUSEUM: THE UNHOLY MARRIAGE OF ART & COMICS (1560977329, $19.95) comes from a cartoonist and designer with over fifteen books in the field. It appears in both black and white and full-page color with some striking comic renditions of museum and art world images, providing some powerful connections between the art and comic world and include everything from comic book covers and poster art to spoofs on famous museum art pieces. George Herriman's KRAZY AND IGNATZ: SHIFTING SANDS DUSTS ITS CHEEKS IN POWERED BEAUTY (1560977345, $19.95) captures in satisfying full color the classic strips of the comic from 1937-38. Perfect for fans of Krazy and Ignatz as well as newcomers, they capture a bygone era of comic art and this will prove a keepsake.
The Music Shelf
Rex Collections: Jimi Hendrix Experience
Marcus Hearn, Editor
Reynolds & Hearn/Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, N. Pomfret, VT 05053
www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com
1905287070 $19.95 1-800-423-4525
In 1965 guitarist Hendrix signed with former Animals bassist Chandler and went to England, making a name for himself with his Jimi Hendrix Experience and returning to the U.S. several years later to become a star. REX COLLECTIONS: THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE gathers color photos to follow his career form his earliest London shows and 1967 tours to later years. Many of these photos are new to this book, most are full-page presentations, and the commentary provides a fine survey of Hendrix's life. A top pick for any dedicated Hendrix fan.
Backbeat Books
600 Harrison Street, San Francisco CA 94107
www.backbeatbooks.com
These outstanding new arrivals are top recommendations musicians will favor, offering solid information and useful details. Moses Avalon's CONFESSIONS OF A RECORD PRODUCER: HOW TO SURVIVE THE SCAMS AND SHAMS OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS (0879308745, $19.95) appears in a newly updated revised third edition and comes form an industry insider who's been a producer, engineer and consultant for decades. From ideas on breaking into the industry for newcomers to handling record deals from majors and independents and understanding the role and relationships of musicians to producers, chapters discuss typical deals, common fraud, and real services alike. Dave Hunter's ELECTRIC GUITAR SOURCEBOOK: HOW TO FIND THE SOUNDS YOU LIKE (0879308869, $24.95) provides an analysis of the different sounds which make up the guitar and surveys how they affect the overall sound of a production. Each chapter focuses on a guitar style and type, discussing strengths, weaknesses, and sound and including interviews with musicians and pros. Specific guitars are profiled in sidebars of information while discussions survey hardware pieces, add-ons, model specialties and devices, and more. Jesse Gress' GUITAR LICKS OF THE TEXAS BLUES-ROCK HEROES (0879308761, $19.95) provides a survey of the major blues-rock guitar players with a narrowed focus on their different solo styles. Over a hundred licks form players such as T-Bone Walker, Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughn and more are explored by a performer and music educator who himself tours and records with Todd Rundgren. Each lick receives examples, tips, details on suggested accompaniment, and more. A cd rounds out the presentation. There are plenty of 'how to' guitar books on the market and lots of books for musicians; but these are some of the best we've seen for specific, narrowed topics.
Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
www.courseptr.com
Heather Johnson's IF THESE HALLS COULD TALK: A HISTORICAL TOUR THROUGH SAN FRANCISCO RECORDING STUDIOS (1598631411 $29.99) examines the city's music recording history, covering studios which fostered all kinds of local music from blues and rock to soul and hip-hop. More than just another review of music trends and evolving styles, it focuses on the studios themselves and their roles in fostering such styles, creating a multifaceted survey of the San Francisco music scene as a whole. Orren Merton's GUITAR RIG 2 POWER! THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE (1592009735, $34.99) is for the electric guitar player seeking the perfect guitar amplification system: one which is flexible, works with all digital audio workstation systems, and can be used on and off stage. Yes, Guitar Rig 2 does all these things: but how can it be customized for individual pursuit? By choosing GUITAR RIG 2 POWER you're well on the way to such customization, with chapters covering all the basics of its interface, how to manage its settings and potential, and how to use its powerful sequencers.
Key Terms in Popular Music and Culture
Bruce Horner & Thomas Swiss, Eds
Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
0631212647 $39.95 1-800-216-2522
College-level music students will find these 18 original essays enlightening, considering the foundations of popular music and drawing on works from feminist, postcolonial and cultural studies as well as music studies and literature to consider key terms, usage, and meaning. Contributors from different disciplines consider gender, race, politics and technology's influence on popular music trends and objectives, providing a scholarly and involving set of analyses.
Hal Leonard
19 W. 21st St. Suite 201, New York NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
Jay Warner's AMERICAN SINGING GROUPS: A HISTORY FROM 1940 TO TODAY (0634099787 $19.95) offer a fine history of pop vocal groups from Dion and the Belmonts to NSYnc. The A-Z group reference is organized by eras, from the 1940s to the 1950s, 60s and beyond – so it helps to know the decade of your favorite group – there's no index. These comments aside, there's lots to love here: author Warner is a record collector and music historian whose record collection is only surpassed by his knowledge of groups, songs, and more. Information for AMERICAN SINGING GROUPS comes from over a hundred artist interviews he did, and from his knowledge: there's nothing like it in print. Michael Kosser's HOW NASHVILLE BECAME MUSIC CITY USA: 50 YEARS OF MUSIC ROW (0634098063, $22.95) provides a history of Nashville – and while it's a history of country music's rise, it's also, more unexpectedly, a history of Nashville's influence on American popular music as a whole. Elvis, Bob Dylan and others fostered their careers in Nashville, and since the 1930s the city has earned its reputation as a music mecca, fostering musicians, handling millions of fans, and becoming rich in the process. Michael Kosser lives in Nashville, is a senior editor at American Songwriter magazine, and is himself a recorded country songwriter: his history blends business, urban culture and music history alike.
W.W. Norton
500 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
Readers interested in blues or rock history will find Rich Cohen's THE RECORD MEN: THE CHESS BROTHERS AND THE BIRTH OF ROCK & ROLL (0393327507 $13.95) an excellent survey. In the late 1940s two men – one black, one white, both immigrants – met and formed a music company that would change the nature of American music. It seemed an unlikely combination: a liquor store/club owner and a Mississippi blues singer – but the two capitalized on the Southern blues sound, electrified it, and brought aboard more musicians the likes of Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Howlin Wolf and Little Water. Any who would understand the roots of blues or rock music must have this. Tomas Brothers' LOUIS ARMSTRONG'S NEW ORLEANS (0393061094, $26.95) tells of New Orleans at the turn of the century: a center of conflict, religion and most of all, of jazz music. Set against this backdrop is a young boy named Louis Armstrong, whose influence would change the nature of the New Orleans music scene, placing it on the music world map as a unique city. Thomas Brothers is an Armstrong scholar who creates something different here: he blends a history of New Orleans with a survey of music in general and Armstrong in particular, weaving together threads of experience, influence and social change. With its research foundations in autobiographical material, memoirs and interviews with Armstrong's family, a much more diverse, multi-faceted coverage of his roots is presented than in comparative biographical sketches.
Keep It Simple with GarageBand
Keith Gemmell
PC Publishing
Keeper's House, Merton, Thetford, Norfolk IP35 6OH, UK
1870775163 www.pc-publishing.com www.amazon.com
KEEP IT SIMPLE WITH GARAGEBAND: EASY MUSIC PROJECTS FOR BEGINNERS offers ten easy music-making projects which require no prior skills or musical abilities to duplicate. From extending a tune or recording a voice-over track to adding instruments and recording them, KEEP IT SIMPLE WITH GARAGEBAND is one of the easiest, best we've seen for mastering the program and its musical potentials.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Red Wheel Weiser
65 Parker St. Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
Any novice who finds most astrology books presume a good degree of prior insight will welcome the more bare-bones Douglas Bloch & Demetra George's ASTROLOGY FOR YOURSELF: A WORKBOOK FOR PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION (0892541229 $19.95). Here is the missing link between the art of astrology and interpretations that lend to new assessments of talents, abilities and strengths: a book which teaches how to use astrology as a foundation for exploring self. Chapters promote growth and change in the course of teaching astrology and how it may best be used. Joyce Levine's BREAKTHROUGH ASTROLOGY: TRANSFORM YOURSELF AND YOUR WORLD (1578633575, $21.95) is a fine survey not just of astrology, but how its information can be used to change a life pattern. New connections between the psyche and astrology are drawn in chapters that analyze common traits and whether they should be treasured or transformed. The approach is unique and helps direct the astrology chart on the path of transformation rather than mere acceptance.
New Page Books
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
www.newpagebooks.com
Over four hundred photos and drawings accompany William G. Benham's standard reference The Benham Book of Palmistry: The Essential Work (1564145556 $17.99) for palmistry, and if the name sounds familiar, it's because this reprints a long-standing classic in the field to blend Benham's original text with new formatting and illustration. It originally appeared as THE LAWS OF SCIENTIFIC HAND READING and moved palm reading into the world of science with its approach: a hundred years later it still promises relevance for modern audiences. Denise Dumars' BE BLESSED: DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR BUSY WICCANS NAD PAGANS (1564148726, $12.99) provides Wicca and Pagan practitioner with everyday affirmations to be used throughout the daily routine. From simple prayers to be used any time illness strikes to writing your own meditation or understanding how prayers are answered, BE BLESSED is filled with easy devotionals and the keys for understanding them.
The Lost Civilization of Lemuria
Frank Joseph
Bear & Company/Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
1591430607 $20.00 www.bearandcompanybooks.com
Before Hurricane Katrina there was the destruction of Lemuria, a kingdom carried to the bottom of the sea. Joseph, editor of several other books on Atlantis, uses recent deep-sea archaeological studies, symbols and records to re-create the ancient civilization and its rare technological achievements. So what happened to the Lemurians? Other accounts presume all was lost: Joseph charts the course of survivors who journeyed to other parts of the world to disseminate their scientific skills to existing cultures.
Mapping Your Soul's Purpose
Anne Windsor
Llewellyn
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
0738706736 $19.95 www.llewellyn.com
MAPPING YOUR SOUL'S PURPOSES: DISCOVER YOUR KARMA & DESTINY pairs new age with new technology offering a cd-rom which calculates life's purposes as it uses astrology as its foundation for change. Don't anticipate the usual astrology title filled with advanced ideas: beginners will find it way to begin a journey of exploration with no prior knowledge, making MAPPING YOUR SOUL'S PURPOSES perfect for beginners.
The Science Shelf
The First Scientific American
Joyce E. Chaplin
Basic Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
0465009557 $27.50 www.basicbooks.com
THE FIRST SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND THE PURSUIT OF GENIUS comes from a history professor at Harvard, who shows how Franklin's evolving status as a scientific genius lends to appreciating his works and the evolution of science as a whole. There have been many biographies of Franklin over the years; but this is the first to narrow the focus on his scientific investigations and how they led to his political prominence. All of his scientific research is considered, linking science works with problem-solving at the social and political levels. New research into documents from his early career and those of his colleagues lend to a unique discussion here.
View from the Center of The Universe
Joel Primack and Nancy Abrams
Riverhead Books
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
1594489149 $26.95 www.riverheadbooks.com
Leading scientists and journalists have already praised VIEW FROM THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE: DISCOVERING OUR EXTRAORDINARY PLACE IN THE COSMOS: so what does this mean to the average reader who likes science? Plenty: for one thing it comes from an esteemed scientist and a lawyer and writer, so it combines technical prowess with readability for lay readers. The idea here is that the concept of the universe as a vast, impersonal space is outdated: the perspective here offers a human-centered cosmology, using the latest findings in astrophysics to back up the new approach to human-centered symbolism and how the universe as a whole is emerging. Any who've read the usual cosmological survey will see how unusual an
idea is presented in VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE – the approach changes everything.
Underwater to Get Out of the Rain
Trevor Norton
Da Capo Press
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306814877 $25.00 www.dacapopress.com
As a young boy author Trevor Norton was fascinated by water: a fascination which would continue into adulthood, and which serves as the foundation of experience of UNDERWATER TO GET OUT OF THE RAIN, a blend of natural history and memoir. Norton's fascination would lead him to travel oceans of the world, to study the science and history of oceans, and to probe both the surface of the ocean and the world of a submerged laboratory. UNDERWATER TO GET OUT OF THE RAIN is a joyous celebration as well as a scientific investigation and a fine leisure read.
After Dolly
Ian Wilmut & Roger Highfield
W.W. Norton
500 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
0393060667 $24.95 www.wwnorton.com
Ten years ago author Ian Wilmut shocked science and the general public when he revealed his team of researchers had cloned the first sheep from an adult cell. His revelation was to spark a controversy not just in science, but among consumers and the general public. AFTER DOLLY: THE USES AND MISUSES OF HUMAN CLONING continues the discussion, surveying the current state of the field of cloning, discussing the science behind Dolly's creation and its refinement since, and posing a strong statement on the moral necessity of cloning to cure disease. A pick for both general-interest collections and any who would understand the nature of human cloning issues today.
The Beginner's Guide to Winning the Nobel Prize
Peter Doherty
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
0231138962 $24.95 1-800-944-8648 www.columbiaedu/cu/cup
In 1996 author Peter Doherty found himself receiving the Nobel Price for Physiology or Medicine from the king of Sweden – an unlikely event for a boy who grew up in an Australian working neighborhood where his schoolmates ended up working in the local slaughterhouse. His journey from Australia, his evolving interest in immunology, and his eventual award-winning work are revealed in a memoir which surveys the life of a research scientist, discussing how scientific projects are selected, funded and organized. This approach makes this more than just a memoir of a prize-winner – and important to any aspiring scientist.
Space and Spatial Analysis In Archaeology
Elizabeth C. Robertson, et.al.
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
1552381684 $60.00 www.uofcpress.com
Nearly forty contributions to Space and Spatial Analysis In Archaeology are based on papers presented at the 2001 conference AN ODYSSEY OF SPACE, on of the first meetings to focus on this area of archaeological research. College-level collections strong in archaeological research and history won't want to be without these papers, which survey studies undertaken in different archaeological settings and provide both method and theory to insights on spatial analysis processes. Elizabeth Robertson is a doctorate candidate in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Calgary: her focus blends with those of other candidates and postdocs to provide a detailed, scholarly scientific discussion.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Serve God, Save the Planet
J. Matthew Sleeth, MD
Chelsea Green
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
1933392010 $25.00 www.chelseagreen.com
SERVE GOD, SAVE THE PLANET: A CHRISTIAN CALL TO ACTION could've been featured in our religious shelf area but is reviewed here for its dual blend of spirituality and environmental sentiment. Five years ago the author had a great job, home, and comfortable married life with kids – until he realized something was wrong as he saw increasing numbers of patients suffering from cancer, asthma, and chronic illness. His religious introspection led to a newfound path away from affluence and more in tune with a less materialistic, earth-friendly lifestyle and SERVE GOD, SAVE THE PLANET follows both his journey and the connections between Christianity and environmental thinking as a whole.
Island Press
1718 Connecticut St. NW #300, Washington DC 20009
www.islandpress.org
Nancy Jack Todd's A SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE WORLD: THE PROMISE OF ECOLOGICAL DESIGN (1559637781) tells of a pioneering group who founded a small nonprofit research and education organization called the New Alchemy Institute to build a more sustainable world. Year later they would be joined by scientists, agriculturists, professionals and friends in a journey which would change lives. Nancy Jack Todd relates this journey and covers some of the leaders of the movement, describing the Institute's early work, its evolution, and its building of two bio-shelters. An inspirational guide indeed. Peter Friederici's NATURE'S RESTORATION: PEOPLE AND PLACES ON THE FRONT LINES OF CONSERVATION (155963085X) is a similar inspirational account: this focusing on ordinary citizens who are influencing how we think about nature, and how we plan for it in human environments. From entrepreneurial efforts to make environmentally conscious choices pay off better than the alternatives to individuals working to restore nesting habitats, the work of ecological thinking and restoration is charted in accounts that detail experiments and successes alike.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest
Andy Lamb and Bernard Hanby
Harbour Publishing
Box 219, Madeira Park, BC V0N 2HO, Canada
1550173618 $69.95
Author Andy Lamb is a marine naturalist and educator, Bernard Hanby an avid photographer and diver: the two pair their talents here in Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds and Selected Fishes. Over 1,700 color photos cover some 1,400 species, providing the most in-depth photo gathering of Pacific Northwest marine life under one cover. And lest one think this means a coverage limited to scientists, fear not: Marine Life deserves a space on any public library or science library reference shelf alike.
Secrets of the Savanna
Mark & Delia Owens
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley, Boston, MA 02116
0395893100 $26.00 www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
The authors had the pleasure and trials of exploring one of the last wild places on earth, in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia – and encountered both wild beauty and danger. Their story comes to life in SECRETS OF THE SAVANNA: 23 YEARS IN THE AFRICAN WILDERNESS UNRAVELING THE MYSTERIES OF ELEPHANTS AND PEOPLE. They lived with wild animals, observed similarities between their behaviors and those of humans, and here make additional social comparisons between animals and humans under stress. Travel, science, and social issues blend in a fine survey.
T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, 3rd & Union Avenue, Neptune City, NJ 07753
1-800-631-2188 www.tfhpublications.com
If you own a pet and want to have it healthy through natural care routines, then Robert S. Goldstein & Susan J. Goldstein's THE GOLDSTEINS' WELLNESS & LONGEVITY PROGRAM (0793805457 $19.95) is for you. It's packed with natural treatments for common illnesses, tips on how to diagnose and handle feared diseases, and chapters on everything from skin care to cancer. The coverage of alternative vet therapies as well as home do-it-yourself natural care makes for a winning title. Tammy Gagne and Wayne Hunthausen, DVM's THE CHIHUAHUA (0793836328, $16.95) will delight chihuahua owners, offering a total care guide which uses sidebars, boxes and photos to easily impart the basics to owners. A training DVD comes with a guide covering everything from nail trimming and food to training and travel. Chris Brightwell's THE NANO-REEF HANDBOOK: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO REEF SYSTEMS UNDER 15 GALLONS (0893805724, $26.95) is a 'must' guide to any who would set up a nano-reef aquarium housing reef organisms, whether it be for school or home. From discussions of the components of such a system and its more complicated management to thirty recommended fishes and invertebrates for such an aquarium, hobbyists at all levels receive bright color photos and a wealth of practical 'how to do it' facts.
The Gardening Shelf
The Passionate Gardener
Rudolf Borchardt
McPherson & Co
Box 1126, Kingston, NY 12402
0929701739 $30.00 www.mcphersonco.com
Plenty of books on the market survey flowers and gardening, but THE PASSIONATE GARDENER offers something different, being a handbook and memoir from a naturalist, philosopher, and poet who is as interested in the garden as a symbol as in gardening as a talent. His discourse on flowers, botanical history, and the act of planting blends literature and science with history and offers college-level readers a broad-based survey of the psychological sociological and botanical roots of landscape gardening.
The Homeowner's Shelf
Landscaping Earth Ponds
Tim Matson
Chelsea Green
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
1933392029 $30.00 www.chelseagreen.com
A pond adds value to a property, but many books which extol its virtues are mysteriously silent on just how to install and landscape for maximum benefit – until LANDSCAPING EARTH PONDS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE. Tim Matson's proven methods and designs come from his background as an aquaculture consultant: he's been designing and restoring such ponds for over twenty-five years, and his tips update his prior EARTH PONDS with new details on everything from assessing and maintaining water quality to considering types of fill and handling embankments. Color photos throughout enhance the presentation.
Watson Guptill
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
www.wgpub.com
Pools from around the world – and hot tubs – are the focus of Vinny Lee's Cool Pools and Hot Tubs (0823006824 $35.00), a color guide which highlights the latest in pool technology and aesthetic design. Gone are the Olympic-style rectangles: in their place are eco pools which use plants to filter water, curvy designs which focus on atmosphere overall, lap pools which extend the home gym and home atmosphere, and more. Both indoor and outdoor pools are presented in a range of designs, using case studies both urban and rural to highlight options and innovative techniques. Lovely photos pack the survey and accompany notes on construction, atmosphere and options. Ann Stillman O'Lery's RUSTIC REVISITED: INNOVATIVE DESIGN FOR CABIN, CAMP, AND LODGE (0823046230, $39.95) shows how to use inspirational rustic patterns from nature in a house design. Primary and vacation homes alike are profiled, with natural, local materials creating a rustic impression. Thirty homes across North America are surveyed with notes on innovations, notable designs, and top architects' creations. Andrew Wellman's color photos pack displays of both interior and exterior settings. Anne Bold-Pryor and Donna V. Lacis' THE NAKED WALL: INSPIRING IDEAS FOR PAINT, UNIQUE FINISHES, WALL COVERINGS AND ART (0823031527, $21.95) provides both a display of notable walls and a how-to guide for transforming rooms by adding unusual murals, finishes, trompe l'oeil and more. From wallpapers to art works, chapters cover the types of changes which make a real difference, yet stay within the budget. 3D ideas, partial wallpapering, and more pack an inspiring, diverse display of images.
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
If you're trying to build a home without an architect, you're probably going about it the wrong way – but working with an architect has its own demands, and Gerald Lee Morosco, AIA is the perfect person to tell how in HOW TO WORK WITH AN ARCHITECT (142360007X, $24.95). Chapters come from his own experience and cover all the criteria needed for the successful architect/client relationship, using the typical single-family residential design to survey the entire process. While the focus also includes an overview history of the architect's purposes and methods, it's the focus on the collaborative possibilities of client and architect that makes this so engrossing. Brian D. Coleman's WINDOW DRESSINGS: BEAUTIFUL DRAPERIES & CURTAINS FOR THE HOME (1586858165, $39.95) explores all kinds of choices in window decor using examples from across the U.S., created by some of the country's best designers. From elements of good curtain and drapery construction to details on decorating options, chapters pair fine color photo examples by William Wright with a blend of historical and design notes. Jennifer Roberts' GOOD GREEN KITCHENS (1586857002, $29.95) also comes packed with lovely photos and focuses on how to create a 'green kitchen' which is both lovely and functional as well as easier on the environment. From lightening a countertop's burden by using less square footage to recycling appliances and understanding better materials choices, GOOD GREEN KITCHENS is for any who would remodel their kitchen with more than style in mind. Michelle Kodis' ULTIMATE BACKYARD: INSPIRED IDEAS FOR OUTDOOR LIVING (1586857932, $39.95) provides dozens of ideas for redesigning backyard settings, whether they be urban, suburban or rural. The focus is on redos which help connect to the environment through architectural and design choices: chapters covers everything from an electric outdoor room to a sophisticated small yard transformation and an innovative, low-maintenance outdoor deck with water patterned into it. ULTIMATE BACKYARD is the ultimate in startling design choices and creative backyard style. Douglas Keister's MOBILE MANSIONS: TAKING 'HOME SWEET HOME' ON THE ROAD (1586857738, $24.95) examines all kinds of homes on wheels, from early camp cars to modern motorhomes and everything in between. Any RV fan will appreciate the history of the evolution of the camper car, which pairs historic photos and descriptions with surveys of elegant and ordinary alike.
These excellent new guides from Taunton provide new ways of consider style, design, and home renovation projects. Jerremiah Eck's THE FACE OF HOME: A NEW WAY TO LOOK AT THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSE (1561587710, $40.00) focuses on five key features of good exterior design choices, from the link between site and house choice to harmony in materials and style. Over twenty such homes from across the U.S. are profiled to give examples of these choices, with chapters surveying instances where appropriate or innovative design has led to superior living space arrangement. From challenges to new ideas, THE FACE OF HOME provides plenty of commentary on what makes a superior exterior, and why. STONESCAPING IDEA BOOK by Andrew Wormer (156158763X, $14.95) tells how to incorporate all kinds of stone into an outdoor project, from paver steps to terraces and patios. Courtyards, outdoor rooms, retaining walls and decorative stone are displayed in numerous color photos throughout with commentary exploring how and why stone works. Julie Moir Messervy and Sarah Susanka's OUTSIDE THE NOT SO BIG HOUSE: CREATING THE LANDSCAPE OF HOME (1561587346, $34.95) comes from a noted landscape designer and writers, who tell how to work with rooms inside and outside to bring a harmonious link to both. Photos and drawings are vivid and numerous, teaching basic design concepts as they explore the idea of extending a house beyond its walls. Composition, flow, landscape and more contribute concepts and remodel ideas to an inspiring collection. Jim Tolpin's BUILDING TRADITIONAL KITCHEN CABINETS (1561587974, $24.95) has been completely revised and updated to provide the woodworker author's latest concepts on traditional kitchen cabinets and building techniques. Color photos and an easy step-by-step format teach readers the basics of using tools, designing, and building a complete set of kitchen cabinets for any type of kitchen. Anyone with a basic set of tools and knowledge will find this the item of choice for transforming a kitchen.
The Architecture Shelf
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
www.creativehomeowner.com
Any planning a new home will find these Creative Homeowner titles packed with ideas. THE HOUSE PLANS BIBLE (1580113001, $14.95) is a virtual bible of house plans – and at its price for a weighty paperback, a virtual bargain. Over six hundred plans for all kinds and sizes of houses range from vacation homes and ranches to modern and southwestern styling, with plans supplemented by tips for landscaping and remodeling. Narrow it further with BRICK HOME PLANS (1580113028, $11.95), which features over 400 home plans in color. CAD files are available for serious builders, but those just browsing design options will welcome these brick/stone oriented surveys of what's possible. VACATION HOME PLANS (1580113087, $11.95) tells of vacation home possibilities, packing in over three hundred home plans in color from top architects and designers across the country. For an idea book on interiors, look at 1001 IDEAS FOR COLOR & PAINT (1580112889, $24.95), which offers over 1,000 color palettes and photos for home decorating plans. Discussions of paint techniques blend with inspirational settings to offer plenty of tips for remodelers. DESIGN IDEAS FOR HOME STORAGE (158011301X, $19.95) tells how to make space by both banishing clutter and categorizing it into neat spaces. But HOME STORAGE is more than an organizational guide: it promotes an interior decoration strategy which embraces organization and open space alike, adding tips on how to preserve keepsakes and important documents and how to add appeal while adding storage. DESIGN IDEAS FOR CURB APPEAL (1580112900, $19.95) is a 'must' for any who would decorate a home for maximum resale attraction or personal value. It goes beyond interior decoration to discuss changes to architecture, landscape, and day and night interests alike, packing color photo examples with specific hints on how curb appeal may be fostered through a range of changes. From paint basics to first considerations, chapters offer a progressive series of home assessments for maximum results.
The Woodland House
Ben Law
Permanent Publications
East Meon, Hampshire, GU 32 1HR, England
1856230317 L14.95 www.permaculture.co.uk www.amazon.com
Author Ben Law build a lovely home in the woods – one of the most sustainable and lovely in Britain – and here provides his experience on the whole process, completed under L28,000 with the help of volunteers and no crane, no waste, and no electricity from the grid. His home is an inspiration and was featured on the TV show 'Grand Designs': the book follows the step-by-step process of its construction with color photos all the way.
The Timberframe Way
Michael Morris & Dick Pirozzolo
The Lyons Press
Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
159228776X $22.95 www.LyonsPress.com
Timberframe homes used to be known as post-and-beam homes: no matter what you call them, their popularity has only increased over the years – and THE TIMBERFRAME WAY covers the elements of design and construction which lend to timberframe enjoyment. From design to decoration which enhances timberfame appearance, plenty of color photos pack a room-by-room assessment of specs, appearance, and decor.
Cliffhangers & Hillside Homes
E. Ashley Rodney
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen PA 19310
0764323873 $39.95 www.schifferbooks.com
CLIFFHANGERS AND HILLSIDE HOMES isn't just your ordinary photolog of famous homes, but a gathering of some fifty lovely hillside settings located across the U.S. These buildings come from some thirty notable architects and designers who describe their work and compliment the lovely photo displays with interior decoration comments. From trim detailings to borders, views, and design options, CLIFFHANGERS AND HILLSIDE HOMES is packed with eye-catching interiors, exteriors and informative comments. A top pick.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Pyr
69 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.pyrsf.com
Be prepared for a multi-volume drama, for Sean Williams's THE CROOKED LETTER (1591024382 $25.00) is subtitled 'Books of the Cataclysm One', promising more adventure ahead. Mirror twins Seth and Hadrian travel to Europe on holidays, but when Seth is murdered, both are introduced to other worlds on the other side of death, where parallel Earths and realities include afterlives. Of course, there are struggles, adventures, and conflicts between twin realms: struggles that provide well-rounded characterization and swift action. Chris Roberson's PARAGAEA: A PLANETARY ROMANCE (1591024447, $15.00) provides a fine time travel story of one Akilina, who finds herself thrown into another dimension from her 1964 world, where she meets another 'timelost' person from Earth's past. Chirikov, a rational Soviet cosmonaut, interprets her adventures with 1960s science as her only reference: her struggle to return home to report to her superiors makes for a moving drama, especially with romance thrown in as a twist.
Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com
Baen's new arrivals promise great summer reading, with quality authors paired with solid plot developments. David Weber's BOLO! (1416520627, $7.99) provides another cybernetic war story of humanity's warriors, who move from the role of artificial intelligences to comrades; Travis Taylor's WARP SPEED (1416520635, $7.99) tells of a physicist who wants to become an astronaut. Through his breakthrough he dreams of achieving his goal, until war breaks out and his warp drive technology is threatened by America's enemies. Andre Norton's MOONSINGER (1416520619, $25.00) combines under one cover the original novels MOON OF THREE RINGS and its sequel EXILES OF THE STARS: the first time both have appeared under one cover. An uninterrupted story is the satisfying result. John Ringo's EAST OF THE SUN WEST OF THE MOON (1416520597, $24.00) creates quite a drama with its story of a former slave girl who helps control the world-spanning computer network called Mother. Politics and strife will change her role as she is tapped as a replacement killer for a slaughtered team. Eric Flint works with Virginia DeMarce on 1634: THE RAM REBELLION (1416520600, $25.00), adding to his popular series about an alternate history and a Thirty Years War which continues to destroy 17th century Europe. The West Virginians from original Earth continue to fight to liberate peasants and try to avoid bloodbaths by using future knowledge.
The Ultramarines Omnibus
Graham McNeill
BL Publishers
1525 Hulse Road, Unit 1, Pt. Pleasant, NJ 08742
1844164039 $10.99 www.blacklibrary.com
The Ultramarines represent loyalty and courage, fighting against the enemies of mankind: this premise fostered a trilogy of novels which here appear under one cover. It's a pleasure to see NIGHTBRINGER, WARRIORS OF THE ULTRAMAR and DEAD SKY here – plus a new connected short story: under one cover the story flows smoothly and evenly.
Feeling Very Strange
James Patrick Kelly & John Kessel, editors
Tachyon
1459 – 18th St. #139, San Francisco CA 94107
189239135X $14.95 www.tachyonpublications.com
Advanced review galleys are not typically featured – we usually only review from finished books – but FEELING VERY STRANGE: THE SLIPSTREAM ANTHOLOGY is something unusual to watch for: a collection which helps define and identify the genre of fiction known as 'slipstream'. This category has long defied easy definition: blend literary avant garde elements with science and you begin to realize its boundaries. It embraces cognitive dissonance, ambiguity, and visionary oddities and the short stories by Aimee Bender, Kelly Link, Bruce Sterling and others provide diverse satisfying examples of how this is accomplished.
Black Pockets And Other Dark Thoughts
George Zebrowski
Golden Gryphon Press
3002 Perkins Road, Urbana, IL 61802
1930846401 $24.95 www.goldengryphon.com
This is George Zebrowksi's first collection of horror stories, represents works gathered from his entire writing career, and displays an unusually powerful attention to characterization which makes for horror backgrounds the reader winds up caring about. Too often horror scenarios focus on the impossible with a nod to character: Zebrowski's focus on character development draws readers into compelling plots – as in the dilemma of a woman who goes to sleep and wakes up elsewhere in 'Jumper', or 'I Walked with Fidel', a political horror story. Now, Zebrowski's no newcomer to writing: he has over forty books to his name including short story collections, essays and novels – but this first collection of horror stories displays another edge to his creative talents – one which should be satisfying to a large audience.
The Literary Shelf
American Bee
James Maguire
Rodale Press
733 – 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017-3204
1594862141 $24.95 www.rodalestore.com
AMERICAN BEE: THE NATIONAL SPELLING BEE NAD THE CULTURE OF WORD NERDS follows the lives of five top spellers as they compete, but also provides a background history of world spelling efforts and the evolution of spelling over the centuries. From the strange and changing history of English spelling choices to the evolution of spelling bee contests, AMERICAN BEE is outstanding and detailed reading for leisure browsers as well as fans of literary history.
Our Fire Survives the Storm
Daniel Heath Justice
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Ave. South #290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
0816646392 $20.00 www.upress.umn.edu
OUR FIRE SURVIVES THE STORM: A CHEROKEE LITERARY HISTORY uses the Chickamauga consciousness of resistance and Beloved Path of engagement to provide a different method of interpreting texts composed in English, revealing different nuances of Cherokee literary tradition in the process. With Daniel Health Justice's approach in hand, college-level students of Native American literature have a fine method of analyzing stories for strengths, purpose, and direction.
Romeo & Juliet
Marie Macaisa and Dominique Raccah
Sourcebooks
Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567-4410
140220101X $14.95 www.sourcebooks.com
Don't anticipate a dry account of the play here, for ROMEO & JULIET: BRINGING THE SHAKESPEARE PAGE TO LIFE is packed with visuals and interest, even including a cd of great scenes from the Renaissance Theatre production. Photos from notable productions and a compelling audio with narration by Sir Derek Jacobi bring the classic play to new life.
The Education Shelf
Teach Beyond Your Reach
Robin Neidorf
Information Today
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
0910965730 $29.95 www.infotoday.com
Instructors interested in better meeting student needs through different teaching approaches will welcome TEACH BEYOND YOUR REACH: AN INSTRUCTOR'S GUIDE TO DEVELOPING AND RUNNING SUCCESSFUL DISTANCE LEARNING CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, TRAINING SESSIONS AND MORE. Distance learning is one of the fastest-growing learning options in the country, allowing individuals to earn degrees, certifications and gain skills without entering a classroom. TEACH BEYOND YOUR REACH covers the basics of a successful distance learning approach and shares practices and examples from successful teachers. A fine pick for any teacher entering the cyberworld.
Academic Collective Bargaining
Ernst Benjamin and Michael Mauer, Eds.
MLA
26 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New ork NY 10014-1789
0873529723 $22.00 www.mla.org
Collective bargaining processes have long been the foundation of academic governance, enhancing improvements in working conditions: here to chart these struggles are contributors who survey the historical process. From this foundation of how academic collective bargaining evolved socially and politically to its processes and changing procedures, ACADEMIC COLLECTIVE BARGAINING provides perspectives seasoned educators will appreciate.
TEACHING LITERACY: ENGAGING THE IMAGINATION OF NEW READERS AND WRITERS is a fun, revealing guide for teachers interested in going beyond the textbook to add an atmosphere of fun to literacy. Acknowledging that this atmosphere of fun, familiar ideas and experiences encourage effective instruction, TEACHING LITERACY offers a new approach designed to present classroom teachers with intriguing, different activities. Chapters offer challenges for student and teacher alike and encourage lessons which are refreshingly different.
Approaches to Teaching Early Modern Spanish Drama
Laura R. Bass and Margaret R. Greer, Editors
MLA
26 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York NY 10004-1789
0873529952 $19.75 www.mla.org
Performances of early modern Spanish drama have been more popular lately, requiring teachers to help students understand the major works of the period to appreciate underlying nuances, literary history and form: APPROACHES TO TEACHING EARLY MODERN SPANISH DRAMA helps teachers evaluate editions, anthologies, historical and critical works on the topic, and approaches to understanding. Drama teachers and literary teachers alike will find useful assessments of the theory, content and forms of Spanish plays and their influences, as well as surveys of how films capture and reflect these plays. A 'must' for any college-level collection strong in drama or Spanish culture.
The World History Shelf
National Geographic Expeditions Atlas
National Geographic
1145 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688
0792276167 $40.00 www.nationalgeographic.com
The National Geographic Society was founded over a hundred years ago to foster geographic knowledge, and its latest EXPEDITIONS ATLAS reports on some of the most famous explorers of the 20th century who furthered knowledge of world geography – including scientists and researchers. Hundreds of historic and modern photos and over sixty maps pack EXPEDITIONS ATLAS to trace the achievements, motivations and experiences of such famous explorers as diver Sylvia Earle and cartographer Bradford Washburn. These are adventurers who deserve every bit as much recommendation as the more famous Hillary, Lindbergh and Cousteau – all names also included here – and who deserve and receive the recognition. EXPEDITIONS ATLAS thus fosters a far greater set of insights into world exploration and discovery than the usual focus on adventurers alone.
Commemorating Trauma
Peter Starr
Fordham University Press
University Box L, 2546 Belmont Ave., Bronx, NY 10458
0823226034 $55.00 www.fordham.edu
Peter Starr is a professor of French and Comparative Literature with an abiding interest in how cultures respond to traumatic events: his focus on the Terrible Year in modern France examines the effects of the French army's defeat at Sedan and the fall of the Second Empire in 1870, which was followed by the Prussian occupation of France and the first siege of Paris. Its college-level analysis uses recent scholarly work on cultural trauma to consider the lasting effects of the Terrible Year on Paris history and culture.
Spying for Empire
Robert Johnson
Greenhill Books/MBI
380 Jackson Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
1853676705 $34.95 www.greenhillbooks.com
SPYING FOR EMPIRE: THE GREAT GAME IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ASIA, 1757-1947 covers the struggle between Russia and Britain for influence over southern and central Asia. The British dispatched diplomats and agents to survey and map the area, discovering Russian military plans on the border of India and facing major problems as they tried to understand the nature of the Russian threat to the region. From British intelligence work to the politics of the times, SPYING FOR EMPIRE is a fine recommendation for either college-level world history collections or followers of early British history.
Harcourt Trade
15 E. 26th Street, New York NY 10010
www.harcourtbooks.com
Jonathan Wright's THE AMBASSADORS: FROM ANCIENT GREECE TO RENAISSANCE EUROPE, THE MEN WHO INTRODUCED THE WORLD TO ITSELF (0151011117 $26.00) provides an unusual survey of the first early ambassadors and their journeys. These individuals functioned as both diplomats and explorers, overcoming linguistic, cultural and social barriers to journey to other lands making pacts with leaders. From the Middle East to Asia and the West, chapters provide a backdrop of world history as experienced by early ambassadors to other countries. A rich, moving survey questions the origins of assumptions, encounters, and modern perceptions. Klaus Brinkbaumer nad Clemens Hoges' THE VOYAGE OF THE VIZCAINA: THE MYSTERY OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS'S LAST SHIP (0151011867, $26.00) comes from investigative journalists who were the first to pursue the story of the Nombre de Dios wreck, partially buried in Panama for centuries until a treasure hunter posted an announcement on the Internet claiming the wreck's remains were those of the lost Vizcaina, one of Columbus's final ships. The authors helped organize a team of divers and coordinated Columbus experts around the world to investigate: their saga blends archaeological and historical revelations with all the drama of a true adventure, which will involve many a casual reader as well as those involved in history or underwater archaeology.
The American History Shelf
Overthrow
Stephen Kinzer
Times Books/Holt
175 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
www.henryholt.com
0805078614 $27.50 www.nytimes.com
OVERTHROW: AMERICA'S CENTURY OF REGIME CHANGE FROM HAWAII TO IRAQ is a 'must' for any concerned about American influences overseas and at home: while the common idea is that America has a tradition of encouraging cooperative democracy, in fact Stephen Kinzer, NY Times foreign correspondent, argues the opposite: the tradition has been anything but benign, sponsoring 'regime change' operations to overthrow foreign governments as a matter of course, not a matter of exception. Chapters chart the politics and processes of these regime changes from Hawaii through the Civil War, in the Philippines, and on to the Middle East in a startling expose which documents the long-standing tactics of an aggressive diplomacy.
Dixie Betrayed
David J. Eicher
Little, Brown
1271 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0316739057 $27.95 www.twbg.com
DIXIE BETRAYED: HOW THE SOUTH REALLY LOST THE CIVIL WAR analyzes the Confederate government and how its decisions caused it to lose the war. The Confederate politicians have long been applauded as fighters but in fact were divided by conspiracy and dysfunction. Previously unexplored sources are used to document in-house battles that even evolved to threats and physical violence. With military decisions coming more from political influence than skill and years of unresolved debates evolving over government setup, the South was doomed to lose.
Fields of Honor
Edwin C. Bearss
National Geographic Press
1145 – 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688
0792275683 $28.00 www.nationalgeographic.com
FIELDS OF HONOR: PIVOTAL BATTLES OF THE CIVIL WAR is the first book gathered from Edwin Bearss' recordings of his battlefield tours, gathering the Civil War's history and offering details on fourteen pivotal battles throughout the war. Bearss has presents over six decades of battlefield study, and surveys strategies used by both sides: his is a fine survey which pairs over seventy black and white photos and nearly twenty maps with detailed descriptions of leaders, maneuvers, and conflicts. A 'must' for any avid Civil War student.
Creating the Big Easy
Anthony J. Stanonis
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
0820328227 $22.95 www.ugapress.org
CREATING THE BIG EASY: NEW ORLEANS AND THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN TOURISM, 1918-45 is especially important today as the city struggles to rebuild and redefine itself. It's a survey of tourism-based development and the cultural and economic forces that transformed New Orleans from a port to a national tourist destination. Urban development, historic preservation and taxes along with the city's efforts to promote its cultural heritage to outsiders makes for an in-depth survey on how visitors are enticed by an image of an urban area's past and present. A 'must' for any who would understand the roots of modern New Orleans' development and the task at hand for rebuilding it.
The Cultural Issues Shelf
Words in a French Life
Kristin Espinasse
Touchstone
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0743287282 $18.00 www.simonsays.com
Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France could also have appeared in our travel or literary section, but is featured here for its intriguing cultural insights. The book comes form a popular blog and newsletter written by an American woman living in Provence with her French husband and 'Frano-American' kids. Her long love of all things French led to a fascination by words and phrases which she hadn't learned through schooling – which then led to a lively blog about French culture, language and customs.
The Caged Virgin
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0743288335 $19.95 www.simonsays.com
THE CAGED VIRGIN: AN EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION FOR WOMEN AND ISLAM urges democracies to recommit to reason and makes a case for the freedom of women from Muslim oppression. It's her survey of Islam and its impact on the role of women and their rights, but does more than chart history: THE CAGED VIRGIN proffers a call to action from free women, and provides her own story of how author Ayaan Hirsi Ali evolved to become the leading voice for Muslim women around the world. An international bestseller, it's available here for the first time in English.
More Than a Music Box
Andrew Crissell, Editor
Berghahn Books
Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1845450469 $27.95 www.berghahnbooks.com
MORE THAN A MUSIC BOX: RADIO CULTURES AND COMMUNITIES IN A MULTI-MEDIA WORLD gathers essays for college-level survey of world media formats and their competition for radio's position of importance. Essays consider digital broadcasting, the internet, and other competing media sources, analyzing radio's ongoing importance in competition with these alternative transmission choices. Andrew Crissel is a Professor of Broadcasting Studies with other books on radio and broadcasting to his name: his latest covers such topics as gay radio, Native American radio, public radio and documentaries and will prove a 'must' for any student of broadcasting.
University of Arizona Press
355 S. Euclid Avenue, #103, Tucson, AZ 85719
www.uapress.arizona.edu
Three very different books offer excellent insights into other cultures. Robert J. Wolfe's PLAYING WITH FISH AND OTHER LESSONS FROM THE NORTH (0816524858, $15.95) comes from a cultural anthropologist whose twenty-year experience in Alaska documenting the traditional hunting and fishing practice of Alaskan Natives leads to essays on human nature and lessons from the Natives. These essays contrast the very different worlds of California and Alaska, from differences between cultures and ecology to perspectives on interpersonal relationships. Philip Garrison's BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE WINGS: STORIES OF MEXICAN IMMIGRANT LIFE (0816525250, $17.95) comes from an author who has spent over thirty years rotating teaching positions between the Pacific northwest and Mexico. His essays come from his experiences working and living with Mexican immigrants in Washington's Yakima Valley and survey their lives and cultures both at home and away form home, capturing both everyday experience and cultural insights. Lawney L. Reyes' BERNIE WHITEBEAR: AN URBAN INDIAN'S QUEST FOR JUSTICE (0816525218, $17.95) blends biography with Native American issues and insights as it tells of a man who began as an impoverished youth on a 1930s reservation and grew to a powwow organizer whose influence improved the lives of Indians across the country. When he died in 2000 Whitebear left a legacy of positive achievements, detailed here.
Mestizaje
Rafael Perez-Torres
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South, #290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
0816645957 $20.00 www.press.umn.edu
MESTIZAJE: CRITICAL USES OF RACE IN CHICANO CULTURE will reach college-level audiences with a detailed survey of Chicano culture and the role race plays in modern expectations of such. Concepts of race, historical memory, and community have contributed to potentials for new multiracial identities, yet most Chicano studies focus on differences and conflicts. MESTIZAJE examines a quarter-century's worth of thinking to consider Chicano public art and its social and political representation.
The Sami People
Veli-Pekka Lehtola
University of Alaska Press
Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775
1889963755 $27.95 www.uaf.edu/uapress
THE SAMI PEOPLE: TRADITIONS IN TRANSITION covers a culture rarely given its own attention in books. In fact, the most focus on Sami traditions in recent years has been given because of the music of Mari Bonne and other – so it's refreshing to see a culture-wide survey of the Sami, especially following its recent powerful changes. Black and white photos both vintage and modern accompany a history of Sami traditions in flux, from milestones in their background to their integration into the modern world. Veli-Pekka Lehtola is a senior research fellow in Finland with several surveys of the Sami already in print: her first book on the topic is a winner.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
The Modern Amazons
Dominique Mainon & James Ursini
Limelight Editions
512 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
0879103272 $24.95 www.limelighteditions.com
You'd expect THE MODERN AMAZONS: WARRIOR WOMEN ON-SCREEN to be packed with photos of film details; what is more surprising is that these aren't just mainstream productions, but include plenty of cult and little-known, smaller films as well as images from television. From Uhura in the early Star Trek series and Kate Mulgrew as Captain Janeway in the later to the women in Batman scenes, Xenia the warrior princess and more, THE MODERN AMAZONS promises hours of captivating looking, trivia, insights about changing women's film roles, and much more. And it's packed with black and white photos from films on nearly every page.
The Academy Awards
Jim Piazza and Gail Kinn
Black Dog & Leventhal
151 West 19th Street, New York NY 10011
157912545X $19.95 www.workman.com
If film, actors and the Academy Awards are of interest, THE ACADEMY AWARDS: THE COMPLETE UNOFFICIAL HISTORY must be part of any serious home or public lending collection. It's been revised and updated here and offers behind the scenes and documented film history - nearly eighty years of it – complete with black and white and color photos throughout. Color sidebars of rich information include 'best of' roundups by year, and profile each actor or actresses' achievements. An outstanding keepsake edition documenting the Academy Awards' high points.
Michael Wiese Productions
11288 Ventura Blvd. #621, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
Stanley D. Williams, Ph.D.'s THE MORAL PREMISE: HARNESSING VIRTUE & VICE FOR BOX OFFICE SUCCESS (1932907130 $24.95) explores how protagonist character and dilemmas become a foundation of a successful movie's entire structure – and how filmmakers and writers can use this idea to generate great films. From a history of the Moral Premise and its use and techniques to specific instructions on how to include this in a screenplay, THE MORAL PREMISE offers insight and inspiration which any screenwriter should have. Steve Carlson's HITTING YOUR MARK: MAKING A LIFE AND A LIVING AS A FILM ACTOR (1932907122 $22.95) provides an important insider's view on what it takes to successfully work in Hollywood acting. Plenty of titles offer insights on breaking in, but too few discuss what to do when you've gotten there. HITTING YOUR MARK comes from a veteran of TV and film and its second edition discusses the everyday life of an actor, the actor's progress in the industry, and working on sets. It's these basics which discuss fundamental progress of an actor's evolving career which are unique to HITTING YOUR MARK, making it a top pick for actors who've landed their position and need to go on from there.
How I Broke Into Hollywood
Pablo F. Fenjves & Rocky Lang
Harper/Regan
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
0060789646 $25.95 www.reganbooks.com
Major Hollywood stars had to work hard to break into the industry and make it big, but few places chart their stories under one cover. HOW I BROKE INTO HOLLYWOOD: SUCCESS STORIES FROM THE TRENCHES gathers dozens of Hollywood's greatest successes under one cover, including not just actors but writers, directors, designers and more to provide profiles of the best and how they worked to achieve their goals. Inspirational chapters profile nearly fifty such Hollywood success stories and will appeal to any interested in learning from experience.
The 30-Second Storyteller
Thomas Richter
Thompson
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1598632264 $34.99 www.course.ptr.com
Imagine a job where you need work only 10 days a year to make $100K: one which requires no dress code, no regular hours, and world travel. Such a job is that of the commercial director – but it's a difficult position to land and retain. THE 30-SECOND STORYTELLER: THE ART AND BUSINESS OF DIRECTING COMMERCIALS teaches filmmakers how to get such a job, and how to keep it. It's not just another guide to directing, but a survey of how to create a TV spot which keeps a career moving, covering such a production from start to finish and drawing on examples from successful commercials to illustrate its advice.
Acting is a Job
Jason Pugatch
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St. Suite 510, New York NY 10010
1581154380 $19.95 www.allworth.com
ACTING IS A JOB: REAL LIFE LESSONS ABOUT THE ACTING BUSINESS provides both humor and solid insights as it covers the basics of the acting world and uses interviews with other working actors, agents, and directors to fill in any gaps. From a review of lie theatre, film and TV opportunities and experiences to the basics of locating good-paying work and how to handle training programs, ACTING IS A JOB covers everything you'll need to know about the industry.
The Essential Chaplin
Richard Schickel, Editor
Ivan R. Dee
1332 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566637015 $16.95 www.ivanrdee.com
Nearly thirty essays from film critic Richard Schickel deserve ongoing recommendation and mention for any Chaplain fan, whether newcomer or seasoned. Schickel gathers the best criticisms of Chaplin's life and works from contributors – many of whom were his contemporaries – and pairs them to assessments of Chaplin's films from start to finish. The idea is to place under one cover the very best writing about Chaplin from non-movie-reviewer writers: the result is an analysis of genius and methods rather than films alone, and one which holds up well against movie reviewer surveys or biographies alone.
The California Shelf
Heyday Books
Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
www.heydaybooks.com
With so many books covering the history of San Francisco, it's notable that one devoted to the epic story of Anza and the settling of California hasn't appeared before. Vladimir Guerrero's THE ANZA TRAIL AND THE SETTLING OF CALIFORNIA (1597140263 $16.95) is long overdue and deserves a place in any serious California history collection: it focuses on the leader of an expedition which sought to found a Spanish colony on San Francisco Bay, following politics, achievements, encounters with natives along the way, and more. Original translations, new documents and fifteen new trail maps blend first-hand sources with fresh insight to bring new life to an epic journey. Robert L. Allen's THE PORT CHICAGO MUTINY: THE STORY OF THE LARGEST MASS MUTINY TRIAL IN U.S. NAVAL HISTORY (1597140287, $14.95) could also have been featured in our Military History section but its importance to California readers is even more valuable. During the second world war Port Chicago, in the San Francisco Bay Area, was a segregated naval munitions base which required black seamen to load ammunition onto ships bound for the south pacific while white officers oversaw the operation. In 1944 an explosion killed over three hundred men, most black loaders, and while white officers were commended for heroism, their surviving black enlistee counterparts were sent to repeat the job on another ship. When they refused, fifty men were charged and convicted of mutiny. This is their story: one which should be a part of any serious California history collection as well as any holding on minority issues and history.
Arcadia Publishers
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
$19.95 Each www.arcadiapublishing.com
Arcadia's titles are high-quality presentations and more so than any other publisher, highlight the history and unique attributes of city neighborhoods. Recent arrivals covering San Francisco are no exception: they offer vintage photos culled from a variety of sources. The Japantown Task Force's SAN FRANCISCO'S JAPANTOWN (073853059X) deserves ongoing recommendation and mention as one of the few books to consider Japantown as a separate entity. Authored by an organization dedicated to preserving its cultural and history background, SAN FRANCISCO'S JAPANTOWN presents vintage photos from various societies and Japanese communities to rebuild the history of the neighborhood. Dr. William Lipsky's SAN FRANCISCO'S PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION (0738530093) comes from a city historian who shares an amazing gathering of early Pan-Pacific photos and memorabilia. These images – many not to be found elsewhere – recreate the amazing displays of a fair which lasted 10 months and covered nearly the entire Marina District of early San Francisco in 1915. Robert F. Oaks' SAN FRANCISCO'S FILLMORE DISTRICT (0738529885) surveys a district which has changed ethnically more than any other in the city, going from a large Jewish settlement and Japanese center to a redeveloped area (during which most residents were forced out, again changing the community). Also authored by a San Francisco historian, FILLMORE DISTRICT offers vintage images that trace these many changes. Christine Miller's SAN FRANCISCO'S FINANCIAL DISTRICT (0738529990) comes from a long-time city volunteer interested in city preservation and history, and follows the changes of one of the earliest city settlements. Nearly every type of commercial architecture is represented both in the district and in this book's images. Emiliano Echeverria and Walter Rice's SAN FRANCISCO'S POWELL STREET CABLE CARS (0738530476) tackles a topic which arguably has seen much coverage in other San Francisco titles: it comes from cable car historians who offer up over 200 vintage images to survey the twists and changes of the cable lines, politics, and development. All are essential picks any California collection should have.
California: America's High-Stakes Experiment
Peter Schrag
University of California Press
2120 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-1012
0520244362 $24.95 www.ucpress.edu
From immigration to changing California politics and focus, Peter Schrag surveys the major issues affecting the state, providing an analysis of political, social and technological issues that are affecting California's livability and direction. Schrag was the editorial page editor of the Sacramento Bee for 19 years: his perspective provides a long-term analysis which takes into account past efforts and changing modern focuses alike, with a position near the state's capital offering many close inspections of politics and policy-makers. A fine survey of investment, dysfunction, and success evolves.
After the Ruins
Mark Klett, Michael Lundgren, et.al.
Fine Arts Museums SF
c/o Univiversity of California
2120 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-1012
0520245563 $24.95 www.ucprss.edu
AFTER THE RUINS: 1906 AND 2006 – REPHOTOGRAPHING THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE has been a century in the making, and deserves a spot on any collection purported to be even halfway authoritative about San Francisco or California history. Its purpose seemed simple: to capture the meaning and impact of the 1906 quake through juxtaposing 'before' and 'after' photos, right down to the very angle of original landscapes. The idea was to also document how the city's landscape changed because of and since the quake: black and white and duotone photos by photographer Karin Breuer compliment essays by Philip L. Fradkin and Rebecca Solnit, longtime writers on California history, compliment an outstanding survey. College-level holdings on urban planning and design also should make this a special pick: it's an important documentation of how urban disasters change urban landscapes.
The Gaming Shelf
Children of the Horned Rat
Robert J. Schwsalb
BL Publishing
1525 Hulse Rd. Unit 1, Pleasant, NJ 08742
1844163075 $29.99 www.blackflame.com www.amazon.com
Gamers familiar with Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay will appreciate a companion volume with a narrowed focus on the ratmen race, the skaven. Enlarging upon themes are new details on the secretive rat race which gamers can use in their games, paired with new adventures and descriptions. Ingredients and casting time for new spells pair accompany new characters and roleplaying overviews.
Maran Illustrated Poker
Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place
Boston, MA 02210
www.course/ptr.com
1592009468 $19.99
The Maran family specializes in illustrated, easily used coverages and POKER is one of its best: a gamer's guide with step-by-step instructions on all the basics to play all popular forms of poker. Tips include advice on everything from playing a casino cardroom to a friend's living room, and easily move from introductory beginner's choices to neo-professional poker plays. Color plays every step of the way add plenty of insight to this recommended pick.
90 Minutes
Robert Davies
Merrell
49 West 24th Street, 8th Floor, New York NY 10010
1858943051 $35.00 www.merrellpublishers.com
90 MINUTES: THE GREATEST MOMENTS FROM THE WORLD CUP is a memoir and history any World Cup fan will find engrossing, capturing the sport's highlights in dramatic, artistic full-page color photos accompanied by a captain which cites details of the match portrayed. Soccer is played by millions around the world, so the potential audience for a keepsake edition like 90 MINUTES will prove vast.
Surfing's Greatest Misadventures
Paul Diamond, Editor
Casagrande Press/Wilderness Press, Dist.
3644 Albion Place North, Seattle, WA 98103
0976951606 $15.95 www.casagrandepress.com
Readers with an interest in surfing will find much to like in the true stories here that provide unbelievable tales of big waves, sharks, tsunamis and disasters. These come from surf journalists, filmmakers, and everyday surfers who are committed to the wave: SURFING'S GREATEST MISADVENTURES: DROPPING IN ON THE UNEXPECTED simply excels in vivid 'you are there' dramas capturing surfing's most riveting moments.
Baseball Between the Numbers
Jonah Keri, Editor
Basic Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 01016
0465005969 $24.95 www.basicbooks.com
The Baseball Prospectus Team of Experts' BASEBALL BETWEEN THE NUMBERS: WHY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT THE GAME IS WRONG comes from sports writers who challenge conventions, offering new insights and alternative analysis of baseball questions. The group of fans met with a common goal: to better understand the game and its plays. Ten years and eleven annuals later comes BASEBALL BETWEEN THE NUMBERS, an investigative guide to everything from averages to rotation choices and team trivia. Baseball fans will consider it a 'must' filled with fun and scientific fact alike.
The Cookbook Shelf
Insatiable
Gael Greene
Warner Books
1271 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0446576999 $25.95 www.twbookmark.com
INSATIABLE: TABLES FROM A LIFE OF DELICIOUS EXCESS celebrates the food world like no other, blending a peppering of recipes with the author's observations of the growing world of exotic foods and culinary expertise. The unschooled Greene differs from the quasi-chefs who normally write modern chef's explorations these days: she's immersed in the New York food world but not a chef herself, revealing an undercurrent of snobbery in culinary circles which originally regulated her to the back rooms rather than the center of foodie circles. Her observations of culinary fame, sensual excess, and rich experience provides both a personal memoir and a series of connections to New York's food society, whether it be a gourmet restaurant or her work spearheading Citymeals-on-Wheels, a charity program for the elderly. It's her diverse experiences which set INSATIABLE apart from the many food surveys on today's market.
Alfred Knopf
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
1-800-726-0600 www.aaknopf.com
Kathryn Hughes' THE SHORT LIFE AND LONG TIMES OF MRS. BEETON: THE FIRST DOMESTIC GODDESS (0307263738, $29.95) provides an outstanding biographical key to an early housewife whose book of recipes and domestic advice evolved into a virtual bible of details for other women. Mrs. Beeton lived in a simple house in the suburbs and died at only 28, shortly after her book's publication, so she never saw how it exploded in popularity, reaching the newly affluent with advice on how to cook, clean, and cope with social mores. The widespread distribution of her book even led, decades later, to accusations of plagiarism and reflections on its lasting influence on cooking as a whole. Given all this, it's surprising to note that until now a detailed biography of Mrs. Beeton has not been widely available. This portrait is a 'must' for avid cooks who have familiarity with her receipts and style. Julia Child's MY LIFE IN FRANCE (1400043468, $25.95) is written with Alex Prud'homme, Paul Child's grandnephew, and focuses on Julia's years in France when she first experienced French cooking and discovered her affection for the process. Black and white photos and family snapshots pepper the story of her discoveries in the cooking world, her work with fellow chefs, and her evolution into a world-class cook and teacher. Any who hold an affection for Child's works will relish MY LIFE IN FRANCE and will come to consider it a 'must' read. Bill Buford's HEAT (1400041201, $25.95) is another fine guide for any with an affection for cooking. How is a serious cook made? HEAT (AN AMATEUR'S ADVENTURES AS KITCHEN SLAVE, LINE COOK, PASTA-MAKER, AND APPRENTICE TO A DANTE-QUOTING BUTCHER IN TUSCANY) follows the author to work in a professional kitchen, where his opportunity to train with a three-star New York chef reveals the fast-paced world of Babbo's kitchen. An evolving friendship between the two allows Buford to learn about Batali's own apprenticeship in Italy and to follow in his footsteps. It's hard to neatly classify HEAT: better place it among the new realm of cookbooks by novices-turned-cook, and add a healthy dose of humor to this mix.
Perfect Pairings
Evan Goldstein & Joyce Goldstein
University of California Press
2120 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-1012
0520243773 $29.95 www.ucpress.edu
PERFECT PAIRINGS: A MASTER SOMMELIER'S PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR PARTNERING WINE WITH FOOD isn't for the casual cook: it's the item of choice for home cooks who are well beyond the basics and seek to understand the underlying logic of pairing foods with the wines available from around the world. Evan Goldstein is a restaurant industry veteran, as is his wife, so PERFECT PAIRINGS comes from a professional's point of view and offers the depth of perception on some twelve grape varietals paired with over fifty recipes by chef Joyce that other books couldn't touch in a wine analysis alone. Explanations of food and wine pairings focus on the elements which bring both to life with excellent pointers on other desirable pairings.
Adams Media
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322
www.adamsmedia.com
Over three hundred entrees, appetizers and side dishes suitable for potlucks were either gathered from cooks of all denominations across the country, or created by author Susie Siegfried in Church Potluck Carry-Ins And Casseroles (1593375492 $15.95). Any church-goer knows how many good cooks often reveal favorites at these potlucks – and how many recipes are on the market. CHURCH POTLUCK CARRY-INS AND CASSEROLES: HOMESTYLE RECIPES FOR CHURCH SUPPERS, FAMILY GATHERINGS AND COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS\ strives to represent only the best, and dishes such as Crab-Mushroom Quiche, Corned Beef Salad and Oatmeal Cake won't appear in many competing casserole cookbooks. Nancy T. Maar's THE EVERYTHING GLYCEMIC INDEX COOKBOOK (1593375816, $14.95) bases its recipes on the Glycemic Index, a measuring tool for blood sure rise and fall: as such it's a diabetic's cookbook, but also handy for those wishing to lose weight. Breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks are designed to keep blood sugar levels from fluctuating, and include vegetarian and meat fare alike. From London Broil with Onions and Sweet Potato Sticks to Duck Breasts with Rum-Raisin Sauce for the holidays and Deviled Eggs with Capers, recipes are easy enough not to need photo embellishment.
Party Animal Cakes
Lindy Smith
David & Charles/F&W Publications
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
0715322079 $19.99 www.davidandcharles.co.uk
The eye-catching animal cakes featured on the cover and back of PARTY ANIMAL CAKES may look difficult to make, but with Lindy Smith's step-by-step, color photo enhanced directions in hand, it's a piece of cake to produce them. A base cake round, fondant, and icing along with a cutting template are usually all that's needed, and sidebars of materials and equipment lists assure cooks have everything they need right at hand. These aren't quick productions nor are they for baking beginners, but cooks with some experience will find this takes them the next step from average to extraordinary cake-making. Parents will appreciate the kid-friendly animal themes.
Chronicle Books
85 - 2nd Street, 6th Floor, San Francisco CA 94105
www.chroniclebooks.com
Christopher Hirscheimer and Peggy Knickerbocker's THE SAN FRANCISCO FERRY PLAZA FARMERS' MARKET COOKBOOK: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO IMPECCABLE PRODUCE PLUS 130 SEASONAL RECIPES (0811844625, $22.95) was inspired by the new San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, which evolved from the old Alemany Farmers Market located less centrally. The new market has become one of the best places in the country for obtaining fresh produce, with not only organic fruit and vegetable farmers selling their wares but fresh meats, artisan bakers, and gourmet restaurants and shops enhancing the culinary experience. The Ferry has become a foodie's shopping mecca – and you'll find THE SAN FRANCISCO FERRY PLAZA FARMER'S MARKET COOKBOOK of equal attraction, offering seasonal listings of specialty items, color photos of produce, and recipes for unusually flavorful dishes. Fred Thompson's THE BIG BOOK OF FISH & SHELLFISH (0811849252, $19.95) is the perfect pick for any who love fresh seafood, pairing tips on selection and preparation with dishes which profile a range of cooking techniques, from poaching to grilling and roasting. Over two hundred recipes are organized easily by type of seafood lending to quick substitutions, while original innovations from chefs adapted for home kitchens assure no tired repeats. These are both top picks, highly recommended.
Real Life Entertaining
Jennifer Rubell
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
0060778474 $27.50 1-800-242-7737 www.harpercollins.com
REAL LIFE ENTERTAINING: EASY RECIPES AND UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM isn't for the party-giver who likes stress: it advocates a more carefree method of throwing a party whether impromptu or planned way ahead, foregoing fancy plans for budget-conscious convenience. Techniques for entertaining pair easy yet elegant recipes with ideas for festive themes. Color pictures throughout enhance the displays.
ReganMedia/HarperCollins
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.reganbooks.com
Victoria Gotti's HOT ITALIAN DISH: A COOKBOOK (0060851685, $27.95) pairs recipes with cooking hints and family stories from one who has become famous for her Italian cooking. Over a hundred recipes for festive occasions or family meals compliment family memories, humor, and culinary insights that introduce each section. No color photos, but the easy dishes don't need them. Whether you've seen her TV shows or not, journalist Victoria Gotti's collection is a fun overview of Italian meals paired with a dose of celebrity scoops. Ana Sortun's SPICE: FLAVORS OF THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (0060792280, $34.95) comes from the author's love affair with Turkish cooking as well as her own award-winning restaurant Oleana in Massachusetts, where she uses her interests in Mediterranean cuisine to create innovative new dishes. Lovely recipes are organized by spice rather than dish, allowing cooks an interesting opportunity to focus on the different effects of spices. A centerfold of gorgeous color photos lends well to a very different, original set of creations highly recommended for any fan of Mediterranean flavors.
CREME BRULEE (1552857360, $12.95) is a slim but rich treatise on one of the world's most famous desserts, offering over forty recipes from the classic and best-known vanilla creme brulee to No-Bake Lemon, Sweet Pumpkin, Coffee and more. Color photos accompany each quick dessert. Tessa Kiros' TWELVE: A TUSCAN COOKBOOK (15528573289, $27.50) is simply packed with many traditional Tuscan dishes you might only find scattered among other Tuscan cookbooks. Color photos juxtapose nearly every dish, from Cherry Jam and Chicken in Lemon to Pumpkin Ravioli with Butter and Sage and Melon Jam. A simply gorgeous display makes up a weighty yet highly recommended pick which is a 'must' for any authoritative Italian cookbook collection.
Chef on Fire
Joseph Carey
Taylor Trade Publishing
4501 Forbes Blvd. #200, Lanham, MD 20706
1589793064 $18.95 www.rowman.com
If you could take any recipe and break it down into five easy steps, you'd be able to master different procedures, and CHEF ON FIRE: THE FIVE TECHNIQUES FOR USING HEAT LIKE A PRO does just this, presenting a technique-oriented book covering boiling, cooking with dry heat, and more. Recipes are couched within the method rather than being profiled as a reason for learning the method, putting the emphasis on learning techniques rather than recipes alone. And it's the techniques which will lead to 'making' the good cook.
The Golden Pear Cafe Cookbook
Keith E. Davis
Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's Press
5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
0312349718 $24.95 www.stmartins.com
The Golden Pear Cafe is a popular brunch establishment in Southampton, so THE GOLDEN PEAR CAFE COOKBOOK comes from over twenty years of tradition, presenting almost seventy recipes from these years of experience. Apple Crumb Muffins, Country Cole Slaw, Southwestern Chicken Casserole and more provide a range of dishes and influences for brunch, providing dishes for all seasons and from a range of traditions.
Vintage Restaurant
Jeff Keys
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1586857711 $34.95 www.gibbs-smith.com
VINTAGE RESTAURANT: HANDCRAFTED CUISINE FROM A SUN VALLEY FAVORITE comes from one who began his culinary career over thirty years ago, working in many restaurants before his Vintage Restaurant developed a blend of French cuisine and Western influence. VINTAGE RESTAURANT gathers these innovations for home cooks, offering up dishes that excel in unusual blends from a Szechwan Carrot Soup to Asian Mahogany Chicken Bowl and more. Color photos throughout add the finishing touch and flair to a title that home chefs will welcome for its original dishes.
Purchasing for Chefs
Andrew Feinstein & John Stefanelli
Wiley
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
0471728985 $45.00 www.wiley.com/culinaryandhospitality
PURCHASING FOR CHEFS: A CONCISE GUIDE is a primer unlike competitors on the market: it's directed to busy chefs and avoids the usual theory approach of culinary purchasing guides in favor of a practical quick primer with directions which can be put quickly into place. The assumption that the reader is a busy working chef is solid, and pairs realistic kitchen situations with easy explanations of purchasing basics, terminology, and applications. From buying clubs to reduce costs to vendor selection criteria, PURCHASING FOR CHEFS holds many answers without the verbose structure of others.
The Travel Shelf
Wilderness Press
1200 – 5th Street, Berkeley CA 94710
www.wildernesspress.com
Steve Miller's THE GRAND: THE COLORADO RIVER IN THE GRAND CANYON, A PHOTO JOURNEY (0899973671 $29.95) is for any traveler who would vicariously journey down the canyon, and comes from a river guide who offers up over three hundred photos from his 30 years of rafting the Grand. Numerous color photos on every page create a 'you are there' atmosphere with commentary on the land, geology and nature of the Grand Canyon. If you can't make a raft trip, this is the next best thing. Goldie Gendler Silverman's CAMPING WITH KIDS: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAR, TENT AND TV CAMPING (0899973612, $16.95) provides everything the family camper needs to know, gathering advice from kid and parent campers alike to show how to create the best camping style for a family's needs. Author Silverman is a long-time outdoorswoman: her tips offer parents and their kids a range of insights on kid-family experiences, from campfire enjoyment to sleeping outdoors in comfort. From finding a kid-friendly campground either public or private to assigning camp chores, CAMPING WITH KIDS provides all the small details to make the experience perfect.
Backpacker Tent & Car Camper's Handbook
Buck Tilson and Kristin Hostetter
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat way #201, Seattle, WA 98134
1594850119 $16.95 www.mountaineersbooks.org
Whether you're camping via car, tent or a combination of both, the latest publication from the Backpacker magazine series TENT AND CAR CAMPER'S HANDBOOK is for you: it uses a visual design with black and white photos and sidebars of information to make it easy to access details, it covers all the basics from equipment to what to pack and it is packed with ideas on how to include the kids in a family camping trip. In fact, families and non-campers are the focus here, making it a delightful recommendation for those who have discovered competing books usually assume a foundation of camping knowledge.
Diamond Valley Company
89 Lower Manzanita Drive, Markleeville, CA 96120
$15.95 Each www.trailblazertravelbooks.com
Deserving of ongoing praise for any destination-oriented traveler to Hawaii are two 'Trailblazer' guides by Jerry and Janine Sprout to the byways of an outdoors adventure area. MAUI (0967007240) and OAHU (0767007283) each focus on hikes and outdoor areas and parks, packing in walks and wild places with tips on snorkeling, swimming, surfing, and exploring different island backroads and climates. Maps, photos, and a 'best of' section offer not just listings of places, but hand-picked, personally recommended highlights. If you pack either book and use it as a reference along the way, you're almost guaranteed a unique experience that is high-quality and perfect for independent travelers.
Backroads of Michigan
Robert W. Domm
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson, #200, St. Paul MN 55101
076032574X $19.95 www.voyageurpress.com
Any destination-oriented visitor planning a road trip to Michigan – as well as many a resident – must have BACKROADS OF MICHIGAN: YOUR GUIDE TO MICHIGAN'S MOST SCENIC BACKROAD ADVENTURES. Domm is an outdoors writer who's already written several Michigan guidebooks, but BACKROADS goes further than others, following valleys, byways and old roads that display the best of the Michigan countryside. Color photos throughout
Spectacular Restaurants of Texas
Jolie Carpenter
Signature Publishing Group
13747 Montfort Dr. Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75240
0974574791 $39.95 www.spgsite.com
You have to be either a Texas resident or a visitor to fully appreciate SPECTACULAR RESTAURANTS OF TEXAS: AN EXCLUSIVE SHOWCASE OF TEXAS' FINEST RESTAURANTS – but any with a love of food and wine will appreciate the spectacular photography herein, which showcases establishments notable for their fine food and interiors alike. Full-page color photos accompany details of chefs, offerings, hours, and insights on how fine cuisine is developed. A gorgeous presentation goes beyond mere listing to appeal to a wide audience.
The Photography Shelf
Acting the Part
Lori Pauli, Editor
Merrell
49 West 24th Street, 8th Floor, New York NY 10010
1858943280 $49.95 www.merrellpublishers.com
ACTING THE PART: PHOTOGRAPHY AS THEATRE could also have been featured in our 'Film and Stage' section, but is reviewed here for its fine history of staged photography as a genre. A sampling of such works range from the 1840s to modern times and pairs film stills and artwork with essays by Lori Pauli and others on the use of painting as inspiration, Surrealism and plays, narrative strategies and photographic effects, and more. As the first major history of staged photography, it deserves a spot in an authoritative art library collection as well as many a film library holding.
Glass Plates & Wooden Boats
Matthew P. Murphy
Commonwealth Editions
260 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
188983372X $50.00 www.commonwealtheditions.com
If you're interested in either boats or photography, GLASS PLATES & WOODEN BOATS: THE YACHTING PHOTOGRAPHY OF WILLARD B. JACKSON AT MARBLEHEAD, 1898-1937 is for you. It provides both a history of yachting and a history of the yachting photography of Jackson, with full-page black and white photos packed with classic sailing vessels gathered from an archive of over a thousand glass plates images. There's more than the 75 images Murphy has gathered, too: Murphy adds commentary noting nautical facts and history to round out the photos,
Digital Nature Photography And Adobe Photoshop
Kevin Moss
Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1598631357 $39.99 www.courseptr.com
Digital nature photographers are also travelers and naturalists, facing different challenges in capturing their image goals than other photographers. Here to address these special needs is an advanced guide to shooting, composition and editing results using Photoshop. Half the book focuses on computer equipment and camera gear; the second half surveys editing techniques – so photographers get a healthy dose of both worlds and how they work together. Skills are revealed using a step-by-step focus that builds upon a foundation of knowledge. Add screen shots, color photo examples, and tips on image management and you have a all-in-one blend of field guide and computer tech teacher both geared to the nature photographer's unique needs.
The Biography Shelf
Let Every Nation Know
Robert Dallek and Terry Golway
Sourcebooks MediaFusion
Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567-4410
140220647X $29.95 www.sourcebooks.com
Here's a unique coverage: a political biography honed from John F. Kennedy's own words blending an audio CD with the insights of two notable historians. From issues ranging from Peace Corps politics to Kennedy's debates before his Presidency and his preparations for war, LET EVERY NATION KNOW proves far more compelling – and provides far more insights – than most.
Mr. Ambassador
Edward J. Perkins With Connie Cronley
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
0806137673 $39.95 1-800-627-7377 www.oupress.com
The memoir of Career Foreign Services Officer Edward J. Perkins, the first U.S. black ambassador to South Africa in 1986, comes to life in a hard-hitting memoir of politics and social change that will prove a 'must' for any seeking insights into South Africa under apartheid – and after. Perkins came from a cotton farm in segregated Louisiana to join forces with the elite Foreign Service, becoming the first black officer to ascend to director general. But even these many achievements would be superceded by his work in South Africa – and MR. AMBASSADOR: WARRIOR FOR PEACE tells it all.
The Stolen Prince
Hugh Barnes
Ecco Press
10 E. 53rd Street, New York NY 10022
0066212650 $27.95 www.harpercollins.com
THE STOLEN PRINCE: GANNIBAL, ADOPTED SON OF PETER THE GREAT, GREAT-GRANDFATHER OF ALEXANDER PUSHKIN, AND EUROPE'S FIRST BLACK INTELLECTUAL is perhaps most startling for the final five words in its subtitle: a black intellectual in early Europe? Lost documents have been revealed to provide depth and understanding to this reconstruction of the life of Gannibal, creating a blend of history, travelogue and memoir which surveys the life and times of a young African slave in Constantinople in 1703 who claimed to be a prince stolen from Africa. Russia's tzar adopted the child and gave him the best education available, and thus Gannibal became a early soldier, diplomat and spy whose reputation and achievements would earn him a name through history.
Beau Brummell
Ian Kelly
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York Ny 10020
0743270894 $26.00 www.simonsays.com
BEAU BRUMMELL: THE ULTIMATE MAN OF STYLE comes from a biographer and actor who uses the memoirs, diaries and letters of Beau's friends as well as his own writings to provide an insider's look at the man who inspired the dandy. Despite his widespread fame, Brummell has not had his own serious biography until now: BEAU BRUMMELL delves into the man and his world, providing a racy and enlightening story of a famous public figure.
Now It's My Turn
Mary Cheney
Threshold Edns/Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
141652049X $25.00 www.simonsays.com
Yes, Mary Cheney is daughter and top campaign aide to Dick Cheney – so she's in the perfect position to provide an insider's view of presidential politics, as you'd expect from her biography. What is
