Girls' Night In
Jennifer Worick
Lauren Glen
5880 Oberlin Dr., San Diego, CA 92121-4794
1592232760 $9.95 www.laurelglenbooks.com
Think of pampering and spas and usually one thinks of paying big bucks to leave home and obtain professional treatment: but as GIRLS' NIGHT IN: SPA TREATMENTS AT HOME shows, many of the same results can be achieved right at home on a budget. Use GIRLS' NIGHT IN to host a spa party: seasonal themes, recipes for home products and healthy foods and drinks, and even cocktail recipes make GIRLS' NIGHT IN an appealing alternative.
The Pocket Survival Guide
J. Wayne Fears
Stoeger Publishing
17603 Indian Head Hwy #200, Accokeek MD 20607
0883173050 $12.95 www.stoegerpublishing.com
If it's basic survival techniques you need to survive a short-term crisis, read this book then keep it close at hand. J. Wayne Fears is a search and rescue official trained in survival skills in the military, so his tips are backed by Army training. From preparing for local weather and emergency signaling to avoiding hypothermia and dressing for the unexpected, any planning a camping trip or outdoors venture must have THE POCKET SURVIVAL GUIDE: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR SHORT-TERM SURVIVAL in the backpack.
The Big Book Of Boy Stuff
Bart King
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1586853333 $19.95 www.gibbs-smith.com
While THE BIG BOOK OF BOY STUFF is intended for ages 8-14, in actuality it will appeal to many an adult and is featured here for its survival recommendations for harried parents. Here are over 1,000 ways to entertain a boy, from jokes and fireworks to armpit bagpipes, experiments, and juggling practice. These are perfect games and exercises for any family and any parent seeking to distract or entertain a boy.
Destination Bride
Lisa Light
North Light Books
c/o F&W Publications
4700 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236
1558707034 $24.99 www.artistsnetwork.com
A 'destination wedding' is something special: an opportunity for both bride and groom to travel to another locale to wed anywhere in the world. Use DESTINATION BRIDE: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PLANNING YOUR WEDDING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD as the stepping stone to achieving a smooth non-local wedding. Chapters touch upon all the basics; from communicating with guests and organizing the ceremony to choosing the right location, researching its resources, and making travel arrangements for guests and family. But there's more than generalities about weddings on the go: final sections cover the specifics of countries around the world from Africa and Asia to Europe, and include specific recommendations for places which lend to weddings and establishments which cater to them. Very highly recommended.
Land Navigation Handbook
W.S. Kals
Sierra Club Books
85 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94105
1578051223 $16.95 www.sierraclub.org/books
This updated second edition of LAND NAVIGATION HANDBOOK: THE SIERRA CLUB GUIDE TO MAP, COMPASS & GPS could also have appeared in either our Sports or Military columns, but deserves mention here to be sure the widest possible audience receives notice of the completely updated edition including new text by Clyde Soles. Here is a pocket-sized 'bible' of outdoors survival, providing basic keys on everything from using maps and compass to using an altimeter, navigating by kayak on lakes, understanding GPS navigation and how to choose and use a GPS unit, and even how to navigate by moon and sun alone. Photos, drawings, and a fold-out topographic map provide plenty of visual illustration and examples of the details and make for an invaluable instructional reference both in the field and for at-home study.
Wilderness Navigation Handbook
Fred Touche
Touche Publishing
207-900 Berkeley Rd., N. Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7H 1Y2
Independent Publishers Group, distributor
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
0973252707 $17.95 www.ipgbook.com 1-800-888-4741
If you have room to pack just one book on navigation concepts, WILDERNESS NAVIGATION HANDBOOK should be the item of choice: it covers all the basics of using maps, charts, natural and man-made navigational tools to navigate in all terrains, from desert and glacier to jungle and oceans. Chapters are organized by type of navigation system and discuss basic principles of navigation systems, contrasting pros and cons of each.
Snowstruck
Jill Fredston
Harcourt
525 'B' St. Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101
0151012490 $24.00 www.harcourt.com
Author Jill Fredston has worked in avalanche prevention, education and rescue for several decades, trying to keep people and avalanche disasters separate: her account of her experiences in SNOWSTRUCK: IN THE GRIP OF AVALANCHES provides an excellent mix of science, adventure and autobiography as it surveys her experiences. From triggering them with explosives to teaching potential victims how to stay alive, Fredston's many encounters and stories all hold lessons for survival.
Think 'biker' and you think of a tough outlaw but cultural historian Bill Osgerby thinks otherwise, and dispels the common stereotype in his BIKER: TRUTH AND MYTH, a survey of how the original biker became the bad boy of the movies. Biker groups aren't limited to gangs: they can consist of seniors and other groups, especially today. While rebels do exist, BIKER covers both types of groups, packs in plenty of photos, and covers all kinds of details of motorcycle culture, from movies and magazines to stunt riders and beatniks.
The Da Vinci Fraud
Robert M. Price
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591023483 $18.00 www.prometheusbooks.com
The best-seller novel THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown sold millions and stirred imagination and debate, weaving theories about Christian origins with a fictional murder mystery. New Testament scholar Robert Price, member of the Jesus Seminar, here examines the fallacies of Christian history and usage in THE DA VINCI CODE, drawing important connections between fantasy and real history and adding religious insights based on known facts about Jesus and his life, the Gospels, and historical figures. Readers who have followed THE DA VINCI CODE will find THE DA VINCI FRAUD: WHY THE TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION equally engrossing.
Windstrom Creative
7419 Ebbert Dr. SE, Port Orchard, WA 98367
$12.99 Each www.windstormcreative.com
Two fine caregiving guides are recommended picks. R. Anders Porter's COPING WITH A LOVED ONE'S DISEASE (1590920449) comes from experience: the author's fiancee was diagnosed with Lupus and they faced a struggle to keep their lives and relationship from falling apart. Lessons they learned from the experience identify sources of strain, the importance of humor, and how the author coped. Chanda Bloodgood's BECOMING A NANNY: WORKING AS A LIVE-IN CHILDCARE PROVIDER (1590921763) tells how to work as a live-in nanny, assessing the pros and cons of the job and offering a blend of business worksheets and insights. Add extensive website resources and tips on educational activities for children and you have a practical guide at hand for the venture.
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.aaknopf.com 1-800-726-0600
Two excellent, very different titles are highly recommended picks for both college-level and general public library holdings. Andrew Delbanco's MELVILLE: HIS WORLD AND WORK (0375403140, $30.00) provides a biography of the creator of Moby-Dick and other classics, from his growth as a bawdy storyteller to his later, more mature narratives. Details of his personal life from his family losses and strife to his friendships with Hawthorne and other literary contemporaries do more than just review his influences: they draw important connections between his experience and his literary devices, and will enhance any reader's understanding of Melville's works as well as his personality and times. A recommended pick; particularly for college-level students of Melville seeking added depth. Leslie Savan's SLAM DUNKS AND NO-BRAINERS (0375402470, $23.95) discusses language as it relates to media, business and modern culture, offering chapters which focus on American language patterns. Leslie Savan has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist three times, and lends authority and insights into the means by which words and expressions become popular or fade. From sitcom writers' influence on the development of pop language alternatives to understanding how language and reality interrelate, SLAM DUNKS AND NO BRAINERS: LANGUAGE IN YOUR LIFE, THE MEDIA, BUSINESS, POLITICS, AND, LIKE, WHATEVER offers some very important insights.
Dreams of the Solo Trapeze
Mark Schreiber
Canal House
0975466402 $19.95 www.canalhousebooks.com
Author Mark Schreiber first met Olga Sidorova in 2002: she had run away from Siberia as a teen to follow her dream to fly and entered the world of the trapeze with the performers Cirque du Soleil. DREAMS OF THE SOLO TRAPEZE: OFFSTAGE WITH THE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL describes her journey and the group's evolution from one who traveled with them and become an 'insider' rather than a reporter. It's at once a biography, group history, travel narrative and love story like no other, and any with an interest in performances or circus acts will find the journey compelling.
The Root of Wild Madder
Brian Murphy
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0743264193 $25.00 www.simonsays.com
Devotees of the Persian carpet have had numerous carpet buyer's guides and histories in the past, but ROOT OF WILD MADDER; CHASING THE HISTORY, MYSTERY, AND MORE OF THE PERSIAN CARPET is something different: a journey which follows the Persian carpet from remote Afghanistan and Iranian villages where they're often woven by young girls to bazaars which trade them, artists which revere them, and US carpet showrooms which display them for sale. Carpets are dyed often by the madder plant which lends them brilliant reds but the color and dyers' traditions threaten to die back, and reporter Brian Murphy is just as determined to capture the magic, methods and allure of these carpets in his survey of the Persian carpet. The blend of travelogue journey and carpet facts works exceptionally well in THE ROOT OF WILD MADDER, lending it accessibility even to those without a consuming passion for Persian rugs.
Artificial Rock Waterfalls
J. Erik Kinkade
Granite Canyon Publications
2631 W. Bennett, Springfield, MO 65807
0972003657 $59.95 www.rockandwater.com
You can build a rock waterfall not just for a pond but for a swimming pool, spa, or garden; especially with the step-by-step ideas and instructions in ARTIFICIAL ROCK WATERFALLS: ROCK MAKING TECHNIQUES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL AND THE HOBBYIST. Produce fountains and falls which look entirely natural, blend it into an existing theme or environment, and understand the materials and construction techniques of different layers in a guide which is loaded with photos of the step-by-step process. Discussions of design alternatives, electrical and plumbing options, and more provide everything you need to gain an idea and the knowledge to follow through.
Your Brick Oven Building It & Baking in It
Russell Jeavons
Grub Street
4 Rainham Close, London SW11 6SS, UK
190494325X 10.99 Brit. pounds www.grubstreet.co.uk
If you want to build your own brick oven for baking, you can't go wrong with (and simply must own) YOUR BRICK OVEN: BUILDING IT & BAKING IN IT: it's a bible of facts about the step of building such an oven, from suitable sites to using it in baking. Base, domes and construction are all covered, along with first firing and cooking tips. While it's more a construction guide than a cooking guide, YOUR BRICK OVEN serves both audiences well and as there are relatively few other books on the market on the topic, it earns a place as a unique recommendation for any homeowner adding such an oven to a house project.
Adding to the indispensable references Writer's Market and Poet's Market are more specific guides for selling items: each completely revised and updated to make for invaluable references The 2006 ARTIST'S & GRAPHIC DESIGNER'S MARKET (1582973962, $24.99) is an art reference every artist needs to have: it holds articles, interviews and packs in over 1,900 listings of paying sources which buy art. The contact information has all been updated, and markets are extensive, ranging from publications and card publishers to galleries and ad agencies. Newcomers will appreciate the in-depth industry articles which offer plenty of marketing ideas and insights. The 2006 PHOTOGRAPHER'S MARKET (1582973954, $24.99) is for any aspiring photographer who wants to build a career and locate new markets. Interviews with working photographers and articles on the business of photography accompany listings which even have tips from photo buyers, name contacts and emails, and submission guidelines. If your art or photography is more than just a hobby, you simply can't be without these two references: no reference shelf is complete without them and no marketing effort complete without their advice. The Memory Makers ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SCRAPBOOKING (1892127652, $24.99) is recommended above most competitors: arranged in easy lay-flat hardcover binding, it includes an overview of basic tools, photography tips, journaling ideas, computer scrapbooking coverage, and tips on everything from cropping to arrangements. Color-coded pages create easy references and a quick-look-up format.
Wongvipa Devahastin na Ayudhya and Sakul Intakul's MODERN ASIAN LIVING (0794602916, $45.00) is a top pick for any involved in architectural design, whether it be interior or exterior and especially for regional or ethnic design. It outlines classic sleek, modern structures with Asian influences which represent the latest wave of Asian architectural talent, and it provides color photos on every page many full-page displays to capture the Asian architectural styles indoors and out. Introductions to each set of photos (photos by Masano Kawana) provide an overview of modern homes and how they were changed or built to incorporate the Asian design models. Richard W. Lewis' ABSOLUT SEQUEL: THE ABSOLUT ADVERTISING STORY CONTINUES (0794603319, $30.00) comes with a CD-ROM of images as it gathers the best of the last ten years of Absolut advertising. Any involved in the ad world will readily acknowledge Absolut's ads offer consistently productive results, with eye-capturing images: the formula is simple two simple words, the first always the same, and a single stunning image: it's the follow-through which is the clincher, and which creates such compelling copy from so many enthusiastic artists. ABSOLUT SEQUEL is more than a collection of images: chapters survey the artists, the themes, and the ad campaign itself with an eye to revealing the formula behind Absolut's ad magic.
Margaret Mee's Amazon
Antique Collector's Club
116 Pleasant St. #60B, Eastampton, MA 01027
1851494545 $50.00 www.antiquecc.com
At once an art history, personal adventure, and fascinating biography, MARGARET MEE'S AMAZON: DIARIES OF AN ARTIST EXPLORER is profiled here for its simply gorgeous pages packed with botanical illustration and photos. Unlike most illustration titles, however, MARGARET MEE'S AMAZON isn't just a photo or illustration catalog, but an in-depth survey blending her amazing drawings with accounts of her thirty-two years of expeditions into the Amazon rainforest. Her first expedition to Amazon was in 1956, where she began the diaries and sketchbooks which comprise this title. From vivid accounts of plant-collecting expeditions to the exhibition of her paintings at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew (who work with Antique Collector's Club in producing this title, this is a definitive, outstanding piece holding wide-ranging interest and recommendation from art library holdings to botany collections, natural history holdings, and even the general-interest public library collection.
The Military Shelf
U.S. Army: A Complete History
Col. Raymond K. Bluhm, Jr. Editor-in-Chief
Army Historical
c/o Hugh Lauter Levin Associates
9 Burr Road, Westport, CT 06880
088363113X $75.00 www.HLLA.com
Any seeking a definitive history of the U.S. army from the 1600s to modern times must have this weighty, exhaustive reference: it truly is a complete history, surveying the Army's changes and purposes during war and peace. Gorgeous color photos and drawings pack timelines of events, some as specific as for months of a given year, while army status, general participation and resignations, division commands and processes, traditions, and medals, congressional moves and more all receive notes. Any seeking a weighty history that offers at-a-glance facts and dates simply have to have U.S. ARMY: A COMPLETE HISTORY.
Helion & Company Ltd.
c/o Casemate
2114 Darby Rd., 2nd Floor, Havertown, PA 19083
www.helion.co.uk www.casematepublishing.com
These outstanding military specialty titles are recommended picks for any student of World War II. Hans Kissel's HITLER'S LAST LEVY: THE VOLKSSTURM 1944-45 (1874622515, $59.95) provides a companion to IN A RAGING INFERNO COMBAT UNITS OF THE HITLER YOUTH, but stands well on its own as a fine account of the German Home Guard, which was formed from men unfit for military service, the young, and the old. The Guard saw extensive combat and Kissel here describes the Volkssturm's training, organization, armament and more. Translations of German documents and specialty eyewitness combat reports pair with nearly two hundred black and white photos and color uniform plates to make for an intense, detailed history. Philip S. Jowett's RAYS OF THE RISING SUN: ARMED FORCES OF JAPAN'S ASIAN ALLIES 1931-45, VOLUME 1: CHINA AND MANCHUKUO (1874622213, $59.95) is also an excellent recommendation for military collections, covering a puppet government set up in China by the Japanese and the armed forces which served this government. These 'puppet' armies were large and held over a million before 1945, and influenced the course of the Japanese war effort in China and Asia. Despised by both the Chinese and the Japanese, the troops have been largely under-represented in World War II coverages, until now. Details of their organization, training, actions, and uniform and battles make for an important study. Friedrich Georg's two-volume set HITLER'S MIRACLE WEAPONS is also an excellent recommendation for in-depth military library holdings. Volume 1, THE LUFTWAFFE AND KRIEGSMARINE (1874622914, $55.00), describes the design and research of carrier systems for the nuclear weapons the Nazis were developing. An outline of their weapons program is accompanied by a survey of the craft the Luftwaffe adapted and put into action in anticipation of their project. Volume 2 FROM THE V-2 TO THE A-9 (1874622620, $55.00) is more of an aviation title: its focus is upon the rockets and flying craft of the third Reich, and it surveys the rocket variants and German plans to utilize them against London and Paris in 1945. Each book is packed with black and white and color photos, in-depth details, specifications and descriptions, and excellent history. Duncan Rogers and Sarah Williams edit ON THE BLOODY ROAD TO BERLIN: FRONTLINE ACCOUNTS FROM NORTH-WEST EUROPE AND THE EASTERN FRONT (1874622086, $39.95), a gathering of powerful first-person accounts of the battle. From accounts from troops on all sides to editorial background information provided by the editors, you can't beat this 'you are there' collection which packs in eyewitness experience. Thorolf Hillblad's TWILIGHT OF THE GODS (1874622167, $34.95) provides a very unusual wartime account written by a Waffen-SDS soldier: it's one of the few to appear in English, originating from one of the non-German European volunteers. Originally written in Swedish and published shortly after war's end, it tells of the experiences of Swedish soldier Wallin, who volunteered for service and participated in the battles on the Eastern Front towards war's end. Wallin served in different locations in a division which gained a reputation for its combat capability: TWILIGHT OF THE GODS documents his experiences. All are highly recommended picks for specialty military collections and 'must have' references for World War II studies.
Graphic War
Donald Nijboer
Boston Mills Press
c/o Firefly
c/o 155 East 34th St. #5B, New York NY 10016
1550464248 $49.95 www.fireflybooks.com
World War II students interested in in-depth detail will relish GRAPHIC WAR: THE SECRET AVIATION DRAWINGS AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF WORLD WAR II: it offers information which until recently was classified and filed away in archives from Britain and the US to Germany and the Soviet Union. Artists on all sides played a major part in the war, creating visual aids vital to pilot training and the aviation industry as a whole. GRAPHIC WAR surveys artists, drawings, and how the face of the war was transformed because of their efforts. From color cut-away craft illustration to posters, schematics, charts, and other technical works, GRAPHIC WAR surveys the total impact of graphic art drawings. A recommended pick for both general collections and in-depth military holdings.
You Can't Get Much Closer Than This
A.Z. Adkins Jr. & Andrew Z. Adkins III
Casemate Publishers
2114 Darby Rd., Havertown, PA 19083
1932033289 $32.95 www.casematepublishing.com
Andy Adkins Jr. was a Second Lieutenant and served in Company H, 80th Infantry Division during World War II: his regiment landed at Normandy in 1944 and fought they way on foot across France and into Germany. If you want a riveting, hard-hitting memoir which recreates the moment of a soldier's experience, the title says it all: YOU CAN'T GET MUCH CLOSER THAN THIS: COMBAT WITH COMPANY H, 317TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 80TH DIVISION. First-person memories of war experience assume a 'you are there' atmosphere as the author speaks with comrades and experiences battles, rough conditions, and struggles.
W.W. Norton
500 5th Ave., New York NY 10110-0017
www.wwnorton.com
Any who would understand the effects of terrorism on free speech issues in modern times must take a look at the history provided in Geoffrey R. Stone 's PERILOUS TIMES: FREE SPEECH IN WARTIME FROM THE SEDITION ACT OF 1798 TO THE WAR ON TERRORISM (0393327450 $17.95): it provides a narrative which considers all instances in where the U.S. government has suppressed civil liberties during major periods of war. Legal and historical detail blend in a survey which comes from a professor at University of Chicago Law School, and which uses court proceedings, challenges, and legal precedent to trace the history and impact of these events. Very highly recommended indeed: a 'must' for any concerned about free speech issues in modern times and the influence of past decisions upon the present. Kayla Williams' LOVE MY RIFLE MORE THAN YOU: YOUNG AND FEMALE IN THE U.S. ARMY (0393060985, $24.95) isn't your usual military account: it's an autobiographical account of author Williams' five years of service, including a year of deployment to Iraq during and after its invasion, and it recounts how Williams and her peers operate as specialists in military intelligence. From being a vegetarian in the military to handling men who think the army is no place for a woman, LOVE MY RIFLE MORE THAN YOU is hard-hitting, candid, and even outrageous at times. Very highly recommended.
The Great War for Civilisation
Robert Fisk
Alfred Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
1400041511 $40.00 www.aaknopf.com
Journalist Robert Fisk has been reporting on the Middle East for thirty years, covering nearly every major event in the region during that time: perhaps this is why his weighty THE GREAT WAR FOR CIVILISATION: THE CONQUEST OF THE MIDDLE EAST comes with such detail and authority. Bend his eyewitness accounts of the modern turmoil there with his knowledge of the region's cultures and political complexities and you have an outstanding analysis of the meaning behind newspaper events, considering the injustices which have made the Middle East a setting for near-constant wars, the influence of other countries throughout the region, and the differing religious sentiments of its inhabitants. All this would seem too weighty were it not for Fisk's own accounts of his experiences in the region: it's this combination of history and experience which keeps THE GREAT WAR FOR CIVILISATION from becoming overwhelming and keeps it on course as a relevant survey for modern times.
War Elephants
John M. Kistler
Praeger
Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
0275987612 $44.95 www.praeger.com
For over three thousand years elephants were key members of human armies from Asia to Europe: yet today many only recall Hannibal as the military man who used elephants in battle. WAR ELEPHANTS provides the full history of pachyderms in battle, presenting an animal historian's in-depth history of evidence tracing the use of elephants in battles from 1100 B.C. to the 17th century. From how the elephants participated in battle to strategies against them, WAR ELEPHANTS provides quite a different perspective and is a unique military survey.
The Computer Shelf
How to Cheat at IT Project Management
Susan Snedaker, MBA, MCSE, MCT
Nels Hoenig, Tech Editor
Syngress Press
800 Hingham St., Rockland, MA 02370
1597490377 $44.95 www.syngress.com
Where other books cover IT project basics, HOW TO CHEAT AT IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT goes a step further in showing project managers how to make sure an IT project is in line with company strategic objectives, and which will deliver the best results. Learn how to link work process to project tasks and budgets, and how to manage a team more effectively through a book which covers 'cheating' or shortcut methods to get a project back on the fast track. From when and how to report to identifying risks, HOW TO CHEAT AT IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT holds all the answers to decreasing errors and increasing returns.
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy, Sebastopol CA 95472
www.oreilly.com
More basic 'foundation titles' from O'Reilly are special picks for libraries seeking to build strong computer collections which won't become instantly outdated by new program versions. Jesse Liberty's PROGRAMMING VISUAL BASIC 2005 (0596009496, $39.95) is a fine introduction to writing Windows and web applications in Visual Basic. It's a quick start for coding with a difference: chapters cover the steps to building applications which tech Visual Basic language concepts and syntax as you go along: this means a working knowledge of Visual Basic is built based upon need in a progressive manner leading to advanced techniques and comprehension. Another book putting theory into practice this one for advanced programmers is Ken Pugh's PREFACTORING: EXTREME ABSTRACTION, EXTREME SEPARATION, EXTREME READABILITY (0596008740, $29.95): it provides software developers with insights based on author Pugh's own real-world experiences and it draws important connections between designs and real-world applications. Learn when to produce code and when to leave out troublesome lengthy versions, how to identify extreme naming problems, and how to separate policy from implementation to keep code more readable. Jim Van Meggelen, Jared Smith & Leif Madsen's ASTERISK: THE FUTURE OF TELEPHONY (0596009623, $39.95) focuses on the open source application Asterisk, which allows for flexible dial plans to support all kinds of telephony applications, from analogs and trunks to VoIP services from standard providers. Learn how to use Asterisk to set up dialplans, applications, speech synthesis and more with a guide written by Asterisk's original creator and maintainer: you can't get more authoritative than this! Robert Jones' INTERNET FORENSICS (059610006X, $39.95) examines how to use digital evidence to solve computer crimes. From fake login pages directed by email scams to mirror servers, spam and domain main similar names, INTERNET FORENSICS offers many basics on how to tell a scam online. Jim Elferdink's Iwork 05: the missing manual (059610037x, $24.95) covers Pages and Keynote 2 as it provides all the basics of how to create documents and produce presentations with iWork's latest, powerful features. Mac users receive a solid reference which will appeal to beginners and advanced users alike: particularly appealing when covering such new functions as Keynote, which has gone through a major update to make it a formidable competitor to PowerPoint. Business users, especially, will find IWORK 05: THE MISSING MANUAL an essential reference to maintaining professional standards. David Pogue's ILIFE 05: THE MISSING MANUAL (0596100361, $29.95) covers all the major features and functions of iLife: iTunes, iPhoto 5, Garage Band 2 and more. These are all key cornerstones of the Mac's popularity and here are revealed by a weekly computer columnist for the New York Times who is himself a Macintosh author. From producing polished music recordings with no prior experience to using information panels, effects panes, film rolls and other features of iLife 05, you simply can't be without this book if you own the program. The full color screen examples packed throughout make it hard to mess up. David Pogue works with Adam Goldstein on SWITCHING TO THE MAC TIGER EDITION: THE MISSING MANUAL (0596006608, $24.95), a handbook to the very different Apple operating system. You need this book even if you're an old Apple user: the Mac OS X operating system is quite different from Windows and even from prior Mac versions, and reveals all the shortcuts, design touches, and tips, tricks and traps intrinsic to successfully using and optimizing the Mac. Chapters review all the functions, from using the junk mail filter and introducing accounts to using a Bluetooth transmitter and upgrading software. Karl Fogel's PRODUCING OPEN COURSE SOFTWARE: HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL FREE SOFTWARE PROJECT (0596007590, $24.95) provides advice on how to organize and run an open source software project, and comes from a developer who has worked in open source on many such projects. From providing developers with technical resources and handling communications to tracking and repairing bugs and funding open source projects, this is a treasure trove of detail highly recommended for any overseeing an open source project. Advanced users building web applications will find the latest third edition of Jesse Liberty & Dan Hurwitz's PROGRAMMING ASP.NET (059600916X, $49.95) provides a fine hands-on introduction to both ASP.NET 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005, with an eye to moving into productive solutions as quickly as possible. From using Master pages to create web site consistency to understanding rendering methods and custom control properties, handling Cache dependencies, and populating on demand, PROGRAMMING ASP.NET covers all the functions essential to quick and efficient applications. Chris DiBona, Danese Cooper and Mark Stone edit OPEN SOURCES 2.0: THE CONTINUING EVOLUTION (0596008023, $29.95), a collection of essays from today's tech leaders exploring open source's impact on the software industry. Open source is network-enabled distributed collaboration that holds the potential of changing not only online business itself, but the nature of collaboration. Articles address the future of open source in essays that cover not just the developing technology but the participation of international communities. A 'must' for any interested in open source who would understand its ongoing evolution and potential.
ESRI Press
380 New York St., Redlands, CA 92373-8100
www.esri.com
Winnie Tang and Jan Selwood's SPATIAL PORTALS: GATEWAYS TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (1589481313, $29.95) tells how new 'spatial portals' link technology with geographic to affect daily lives. Government systems and other organizations hold information which can help consumers and businesses alike evaluate options and make good decisions: case studies, examples and visual surveys of such geographic information provide both students and decision makers with a review of spatial portals and how they are changing our lives. Cynthia A. Brewer's DESIGNING BETTER MAPS: A GUIDE FOR GIS USERS (1589480899, $24.95) covers the latest advances in GIS mapping software which have led a growing number of people without cartographic training to make use of new systems and map offerings. There's a bad side to the story, though: there's a dearth of poorly designed, inaccurate maps which obscure efforts to understand so DESIGNING BETTER MAPS is written for those without cartography training who still need to know how to create and understand maps for their work. From understanding scale bars and legends to choosing the right map layout for a purpose, DESIGNING BETTER MAPS: A GUIDE FOR GIS USERS is essential to proper map illustration and information usage. Cory Fleming edits THE GIS GUIDE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS (1589481410, $24.95), an important guide for any government official considering GIS approaches for blending the mapping technology into city or county management and analysis systems. Case studies are presented from across North America to illustrate successful applications of GIS to specific government needs, from monitoring weather to fixing potholes. From how GIS works to implementation challenges, THE GIS GUIDE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS is a 'must have'.
Linux Debugging & Performance Tuning
Steve Best
Prentice Hall Press
One Lake St., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
0131492470 $49.99 www.phptr.com
Learn how to debug Linux code at both kernel and application levels through a hands-on tutorial which covers all kinds of performance optimization issues. From cache misses and memory management issues to network performance and dump analysis from crashes, LINUX DEBUGGING AND PERFORMANCE TUNING TIPS AND TECHNIQUES is packed with real-world examples, with screen shots and code lists helping explain debugging logic and procedures. Highly recommended for any Linux systems administrator involved in debugging processes.
Adobe Press
c/o Peachpit Press, Inc.
1249 Eighth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.peachpit.com 1-800-283-9444
Two new guides provide excellent JavaScript References for CS2 users working with the programs. ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS2 (032141294X, $39.99) provides the programmer with a complete reference for JavaScript objects and properties defined by Illustrator CS2. From basic and advance scripting techniques tailored to Illustrator CS2 to textpath properties, GradientStops properties, and more, the JavaScript reference holds all the keys to working effectively with Adobe Illustrator CS2. ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2 (0321409701, $39.99) achieves the same for Photoshop CS2, showing how to automate CS2 workflow by using the Javascript objects and methods defined by Adobe CS2. All the utilities and tools in ExtendScript are covered, as well as value types, techniques, and definitions. Charts, screen shots, object properties for Window and layout, and more all receive excellent technical discussions. Both are highly recommended as basic picks for any working with JavaScript and these two applications. Jan Kabili and Colin Smith's HOW TO WOW: PHOTOSHOP CS2 FOR THE WEB (0321303945, $39.99) is outstanding: it presents the in-depth tips from two professional graphic designer/trainers who have developed a method for combining quality, flexibility and speed with web graphic creation based on Photoshop CS2. Their program teaches all the fundamentals for building more effective sites, building upon basics to move to more advanced topics such as animation. A companion cd-rom disc includes all the original designs used in the project-building HOW TO WOW, along with styles, actions and pattern presets. A 'must' for any owner of Photoshop CS2 who is serious about building the better web site.
Build Your Own Standards Compliant Website Using Dreamweaver 8
Rachel Andrew
Sitepoint Pty Ltd.
424 Smith St. Collingwood, VIC Australia 3066
0975240234 $39.95 www.sitepoint.com
You don't have to be a professional programmer to produce an accessible, acceptable web site using Dreamweaver 8: all that's required is a working knowledge of the program and Rachel Andrew's BUILD YOUR OWN STANDARDS COMPLIANT WEBSITE USING DREAMWEAVER 8. It's a step-by-step guide which begins with setting preferences and proceeds through the basics of accessibility, navigation links and styling, working with Dreamweaver's CSS panel, and more. One might anticipate a complex guide but BUILD YOUR OWN STANDARDS COMPLIANT WEBSITE is easy to use, whether you're reading cover-to-cover or hopping about for a quick fix to a problem.
Degunking Windows, 2nd Edition.
Joli Ballew & Jeff Duntemann
Paraglyph Press
1238 E. Cambridge Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85006
1933097078 $24.99 www.paraglyphpress.com
The first edition of DEGUNKING WINDOWS provided a basic reference to Windows XP: the revised edition includes the extensive update Service Pack 2 and focuses on the 'gunk' remaining in this update as well as tweaking issues for Windows. Learn how to clean up and streamline PC operations, how to work faster and more efficiently with file systems, and how to boot quickly and cleanly: chapters lend to both study and referencing.
Thomson
c/o Charles River Media
10 Downer Ave., Hingham, MA 02043
www.charlesriver.com
Both beginning and advanced programmers receive a standard collection of tips on using C++'s Standard Library feature and its Standard Template Library in common programming routines with the powerful book by Greg Reese C++ STANDARD LIBRARY PRACTICAL TIPS (1584504005 $49.95). A CD-ROM accompanies a reference offering over a hundred solutions for programs from handling different values to getting a C-style array from a vector and finding medians and modes. Tips on algorithms, containers, numerical processing and more hold plenty of examples and usage insights. A recommended, standard pick for any working regularly in C++. Chris Neuhahn and Josh Book's PROFESSIONAL SHORT FILMS WITH AUTODESK 3DS MAX (1584504153, $49.95) teaches how to use the tools in 3ds Max to create short films, from devising a story and storyboards to rigging characters and animation, using different techniques in the process, and editing to produce a polished product. An actual film, Vacant Planet: a Curious Bit of Scrap, is used as a case study and files on the accompanying DVD-ROM help users develop their own stories for an animated tale. You have to have prior 3ds Max basics down to benefit: this is for the user who wants to move on to more professional pursuits in the short film format.
Digital Gameplay
Nate Garrelts, Edition
McFarland & Company
Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786422920 $35.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com
DIGITAL GAMEPLAY isn't another game programmer's handbook, but a collection of scholarly, college-level essays on the topic of digital games with a survey of the role of the game. Fifteen essays discuss how players interact with games essential information for programmers to know and survey both physical and mental aspects of playing. While video games are also included, any game programmer will find discussions of how games are perceived and used by players to be important considerations in organizing and developing routines.
The Cult of iPod
Leander Kahney
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro St., San Francisco, CA 94107
1593270666 $24.95 www.nostarch.com
Fans of the CULT OF MAC book will find equally absorbing Leander Kahney's new look at how the iPod is revolutionizing all kinds of information. A history of the iPod's development and marketing is accompanied by colorful cultural insights and examples of iPod's vast changes to music culture and file sharing. Any interested in making, marketing or listening to music must consider THE CULT OF IPOD: it's an eye-opening look at how the iPod itself has changed the nature of music.
AutoCad 2006 and AutoCad LT 2006
David Frey
Autodesk
c/o Sybex
1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501
0782144144 $34.99
AUTOCAD 2006 AND AUTOCAD LT 2006: NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED is a fine, basic introduction to a powerful program which once commanded the attention only of professionals. Any seeking to utilize the CAD software should have this manual in hand: it provides a set of tutorials which are sequentially arranged for step-by-step study but it also can be used as an at-a-glance reference sourcebook for solving specific problems. From understanding coordinate systems and drawing routines to working with fills, text, external references and more, AutoCAD's powerful tools and drawing features are all detailed in depth.
Service-Oriented Architecture Compass
Norbert Bieberstein, et.al.
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0131870025 $44.99 www.ibmpressbooks.com
The IBM Enterprise Integration Team experts provide a comprehensive guide to planning, using and managing Service-Oriented Architecture, helping business readers migrate to SOA by sharing best practices and lessons gained from projects and development efforts. From considering SOA's impact and importance in the business environment to SOA design, analysis, security and integration into other systems, chapters provide technical and detailed software engineering information based on models, services and activities in real world situations.
My Job Went to India
Chad Fowler
Pragmatic Bookshelf
0976694018 $19.95 www.pragmatic.programmer.com
Any working in the computer industry knows outsourcing overseas is a big trend and MY JOB WENT TO INDIA (AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY BOOK): 52 WAYS TO SAVE YOUR JOB is a vital survey of how an employed computer person's active job can vanish overseas tomorrow. The company changes, technology changes, economy changes and ways a computer professional can add value to his job has also changed. If you haven't adapted MY JOB WENT TO INDIA is for you: it's about making choices in skills levels which add value to a job which can't easily be duplicated for less, overseas and it talks about both skills and marketing services. A top-rated pick, MY JOB WENT TO INDIA is recommended beyond the computer industry for any observing the outsourcing trend.
The Sports Shelf
Willie Mays
Mary Kay Linge
Greenwood Press
Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
0313334013 $29.95 www.greenwood.com
For a solid biography of baseball's great, look no further than Mary Kay Linge's WILLIE MAYS: A BIOGRAPHY: it covers everything from his segregated childhood in Birmingham Alabama to how he became the first black team captain in baseball, then moved up to become a world-famous player. From his army stint to his championship season, WILLIE MAYS captures all the highlights of his career and life.
Sports Publishing LLC
804 N. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820
www.SportsPublishingLLC.com
The 1985 Chicago Bears set a standard for success by dominating the NFL season and holding a 15-1 record: learn from their achievement in Mike Ditka and Rick Telander's IN LIFE, FIRST YOU KICK ASS: REFLECTIONS ON THE 1985 BEARS AND WISDOM FROM DA COACH (1582619778 $24.95). Wisdom to be gained from the head coach author includes team interactions, how to handle stress and turmoil, power struggles between management and players, and more. Readers looking for football history will find plenty of memories and recollections of players and notable moments in Coach Ditka's memoir of the season but also plenty of strategy insights and reflections on the wider sport of life. Jerry Reynolds and Don Drysdale's REYNOLDS REMEMBERS: 25 YEARS WITH THE SACRAMENTO KINGS (1596701374, $19.95) is for any interested in the evolution of a shortstring operation which couldn't compete to a model NBA franchise. THE KINGS are celebrating their 20th season in Sacramento, California and Jerry Reynolds was part of them before their rise to fame. His memoir celebrates their growth and provides a powerful leader's first-person experiences. Jerry Tarkanian's RUNNIN' REBEL WITH DAN WETZEL: SHARK TALES OF 'EXTRA BENEFITS', FRANK SINATRA, AND WINNING IT ALL (1596700181, $24.95) presents a college coach's autobiography but offers a contrary format; for Tarkanian considers himself not a 'coach' per say but a 'teacher of young men', and his colorful national championship years are packed with controversy and color. RUNNIN' REBEL reveals college sports from an insider's unabashed viewpoint, offering candid discussions of the politics and issues underlying the sport and revealing how he beat the NCAA out of 2.5 million. Chutzpah and charm packs RUNNIN' REBEL with color. Dennis Rodman works with Jack Isenhour in I SHOULD BE DEAD BY NOW (1596700165, $24.95), the vivid story of a flamboyant former basketball star who has remained a key figure in the sports world. His autobiography follows his struggles after he stopped playing in the NBA, from personal challenges to his hope to make a comeback. Roy Gleason tells his story to Wallace Wasinack and Mark Langill in LOST IN THE SUN: ROY GLEASON'S ODYSSEY FROM THE OUTFIELD TO THE BATTLEFIELD (1582619441, 24.95), an account of one who was the only person to serve in Vietnam and play at least one game in the major leagues. Roy was the only player from his era to be drafted and sent to war: LOST IN THE SUN tells why, and also provides both wartime and game insights in a 'you are there' gripping autobiography.
Bold Ruler
Edward L. Brown
Blood-Horse
c/o Eclipse Press
PO Box 919003, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
Natl Book Network, distributor.
4501 Forbes Blvd. #200, Lanham, MD 20706
1581501307 $24.95 www.eclipsepress.com 1-800-582-5604
The horse Bold Ruler was a star of the 1950s: one of the best of a generation of racehorses who participated in the memorable 1957 Triple Crown season. His story is recounted in a vivid memoir which follows the sport of horse racing overall, revealing Bold Ruler's championship runs and riders. With black and white photos adding excitement, BOLD RULER is a thoroughbred legend account which reads with all the drama of fiction and is a highly recommended pick for any horse racing fan.
Fishing Guides
Publishers Design Group
Box 37, Roseville, CA 95678
www.publishersdesign.com
Fishermen who travel to hot spots will find these exceptional destination-oriented guides to fishing all species in the best locations possible. Rene Limeres and Gunnar Pedersen's ALASKA FISHING: THE ULTIMATE ANGLER'S GUIDE, DELUXE 3RD EDITION (1929170114, $34.95) is a 'must' for any angler planning a journey to Alaska. All species, all methods, and all areas throughout Alaska over 300 of them are covered along with plenty of charts, illustrations, species and access notes, and much more. If California's the destination you can't go wrong with Ken Jones' PIER FISHING IN CALIFORNIA: THE COMPLETE COAST AND BAY GUIDE, 2ND EDITION (1929170092, $29.95): it packs in over 500 pages of comprehensive information on over a hundred California piers perfect for fishing, from the Delta to Long Beach, and covers species, conditions, fishing tips, history, and facilities. Both aren't for the casual fisherman as much as for the avid angler who plans a trip around the best fishing holes.
Bode: Go Fast, Be Good, Have Fun
Bode Miller & Jack McEnany
Villard Books
c/o Random House Trade Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
1400062357 $24.95 www.villard.com 1-800-726-0600
2005 overall world cup champion Bode Miller was raised in New Hampshire in a rural cabin without electricity or indoor plumbing, so his roots are as unconventional as his rise to become a top sports star. GO FAST, BE GOOD, HAVE FUN is an autobiography which recounts his philosophy in life as much as his sports experience: he tells of the world of competitive skiing and how he bucked conventional wisdom to rise to the top, and his personal theories shine brightly throughout. GO FAST, BE GOOD, HAVE FUN is packed with first-person 'you are there' adventure and insights: paired with Miller's personal formula for success, it's as much a winner as he is.
Crashing the Borders
Harvey Araton
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0743280695 $25.00 www.simonsays.com
Basketball fans will find a vibrant and unusual story in CRASHING THE BORDERS: HOW BASKETBALL WON THE WORLD AND LOST ITS SOUL AT HOME: it tells how talented players from around the world are playing at a level which challenges American pros, and how the sport is simultaneously facing a troubled image on its own home turf. Relations between players and fans are at a low point, TV ratings for NBA games are on the decline, and basketball fan Harvey Araton, sports columnist for the New York Times, here traces the problem to the greed of those who would exploit the game and thus weaken it. Fans will find this a hard-hitting account that pulls no punches.
Beyond the Lion's Den
Ken Shamrock & Erich Krauss
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Dr., N. Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
0804836590 $29.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com
Ken Shamrock is a legendary martial artist and fighting champion best known perhaps for his WWF superstar fame: there's no better place to learn about his competitions and the stories behind them than in his autobiographical BEYOND THE LION'S DEN: THE LIFE, THE FIGHTS, THE TECHNIQUES. Packed with color photos throughout, BEYOND THE LION'S DEN captures not just the high points of Shamrock's career, but provides plenty of movement-by-movement discussions of basic fighting techniques which lend to martial arts lessons.
The Homeowner's Shelf
Hannah's Art of Home Life
Hannah Keeley
Capital Books Inc.
Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1931868824 $17.95 www.capital-books.com
Author Hannah Keeley is the founder of a line of baby spa products, the publisher of an online family magazine, and holds a degree in psychology as well as home-schooling six kids. Her HANNAH'S ART OF HOME: MANAGING YOUR HOME AROUND YOUR PERSONALITY offers a personality test linked to home atmosphere. Learn how the test relates to clutter, organizational patterns, cleaning and decorating choices in a handbook which offers de-cluttering, cleaning, organization and decorating hints for every room of the house.
The Complete Clutter Solution
Good Housekeeping
Hearst
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
1588164535 $19.95 www.sterling.com 1-800-805-5489
If your house organization is perpetually 'clutter' mode and you lack the organizational skills to do anything but clean up once or twice a year, THE COMPLETE CLUTTER SOLUTION: ORGANIZE YOUR HOME FOR GOOD is for you. A room-by-room guide broken down into zones shows not only how to de-clutter, but how much time will be involved. Involve other family members in maintaining the structure created in THE COMPLETE CLUTTER SOLUTION and benefit from discussions of organizational bins, hangers and other special tips in a fine guide to eliminating clutter through creating convenient storage alternatives.
The Urban Loft
Martin Myers
Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd.
121 Harvard Ave. #2, Allston, MA 02134
1550418394 $24.95 www.fitzhenry.ca
Loft dwellers who dream of living in a loft and who have to start from scratch will appreciate THE URBAN LOFT: CREATING A DREAM SPACE IN THE CITY: it will appeal to architects, renovators, designers or the builder or re-builder and provides both tips on how to build a loft and advice on what not to do. Chapters consider the construction and organization of the loft environment and provide plenty of details on what works, what doesn't, and why.
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
Douglas Keister's COURTYARDS: INTIMATE OUTDOOR SPACES (1586855409 $39.95) takes a rare look at the function, definition and purpose of a courtyard surveying courtyards around the world which grace both home and public establishment. Courtyards can be adapted to both large and small spaces, vary in greenery, stonework, and lighting, and are perfect additions for homeowners seeking to remodel with style. Turn a backyard into a courtyard setting or consider many options through the phone color exhibition of photographer Keister, paired with text which considers design options and successful examples. Paula Baker-Laporte & Robert Laporte's ECO NEST: CREATING SUSTAINABLE SANCTUARIES OF CLAY, STRAW, AND TIMBER (158685691X, $24.95) surveys and contrasts different methods of green building which avoid the typical troubles of conventional building methods, from pollution and chemical usage to inefficient synthetic insulation. From design details to take advantage of solar energy to choices in lighting, entryways, and architectural design, ten selected 'dream homes' are presented. Full-page color photos of interiors and exteriors compliment design plans and first-person insights by the owner-builders on what makes each home a work of art and an ecologically sustainable structure.
Home Enlightenment
Annie B. Bond
Rodale Press
400 10th St., Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
1579548113 $27.95 www.rodale.com
If 'home' means more to you than a roof over your head, and you seek to create a nurturing, toxin-free atmosphere and lifestyle within its walls, then HOME ENLIGHTENMENT is for you: it provides an encyclopedia of natural living which covers everything from animal dander and water management to lighting, fire, mercury concerns, laundry and fabric health, and more. It's rare to see a guide on home systems so attentive to overall health concerns: HOME ENLIGHTENMENT's wide-ranging details on creating and maintaining a healthy environment makes it a unique, top pick.
Got Sun? Go Solar
Rex A. Ewing & Doug Pratt
PixyJack Press
Box 149, Masonville, CO 80541
0965809870 $18.95
Are you connected to the grid but seeking independence from high energy bills? Looking to harness solar and wind power? Plenty of other books have surveyed the benefits of renewable energy or systems; but this is one of the few to add simplicity into the formula to make it possible for novices to convert. Chapters tell how to power an existing grid-tied home with renewable sources and how to make the conversion at minimum expense. From understanding a home's big energy wasters and how to contemplate either doing without or doing with less to sizing a system, obtaining permits for installations, and considering the pros and cons of manufacturers, GOT SUN? GO SOLAR is a winning guide: specific where others just generalize.
Complete Guide to Building Your Home For Less
Michael Conroy
Betterway
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
1558707697 $19.99 www.fwpublications.com 1-800-726-9966
Builder and author Michael Conroy has built many a home for only $43 per square foot: half the national average; and his secrets of construction point the way for similar savings for owner/builders in THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BUILDING YOUR HOME FOR LESS. From choosing economical materials and simplifying floor plans to buying undervalued land and learning how to follow building codes, this book is the item of choice for any who would do some of the work themselves and understand where to trim costs without trimming quality.
Condominiums
Frank J. La Mar
Windstorm Creative
Box 28, Port Orchard, WA 98366
1590920368 $9.99 www.windstormcreative.com
People just starting out and those seeking to downsize and reduce homeowner maintenance often opt for condos as less expensive options: before you sign on the dotted line, be aware of the pros and cons through CONDOMINIUMS: THE PROS AND CONS OF OWNERSHIP. From their rules, restrictions and resale/marketability potentials to repairs, damage, and governing board rules, CONDOMINIUMS: THE PROS AND CONS OF OWNERSHIP covers it all using simple language any potential buyer will readily understand, making it essential and highly recommended reading for anyone considering acquiring a condominium for their residence.
The Gardening Shelf
The Complete Houseplant Survival Guide
Barbara Pleasant
Storey
210 Mass MoCa Way, N. Adams, MA 01247
1580175694 $24.95 www.storey.com
So many houseplant guides glut the market that it may initially seem difficult to see the need for yet another but here's something different, offering color photos, a plant ID guide to help those who receive 'mystery houseplants' as gifts, details on low-maintenance plants, and an A-Z of care basics for quick and easy access. Brighter and more detailed than most, THE COMPLETE HOUSEPLANT SURVIVAL GUIDE helps buyers choose the plant which is perfect for environment and care demands.
Fields of Plenty
Michael Ableman
Chronicle Books
85 2nd St., San Francisco, CA 94105
0811842231 $35.00 www.chroniclebooks.com
American agriculture is being re-created and re-defined by farmers and the people who grow our food, and Michael Ableman's journey to different farms blends a memoir of a farmer and photographer with a travelogue of his survey of others who are making a difference in the food world from across America. The different visions and experiences of farmers blend with discussions of politics, growing, and even with recipes for using fresh produce, making FIELDS OF PLENTY an abundant gathering of crop wisdom and agricultural insights. Scholarly enough for college-level collections on agricultural studies yet accessible enough for public library holdings, FIELD OF PLENTY: A FARMER'S JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF REAL FOOD AND THE PEOPLE WHO GROW IT is an excellent pick indeed.
All Flesh is Grass
Gene Logsdon
Swallow
c/o Ohio University Press
Scott Quadrangle, #226, Athens, OH 45701
0804010692 $18.95 www.ohio.edu/oupress 1-800-621-2736
ALL FLESH IS GRASS: THE PLEASURES AND PROMISES OF PASTURE FARMING is for any interested in American agriculture's history and directions. Author Gene Logsdon believes pastoral farming is a solution for a stressed agricultural system, and explains different techniques and practices past and present which hold the potential for changing and benefitting farming. His own experience as a 'contrary farmer' on his small-scale farm provides a foundation of experience for his tips.
The Interior Design Shelf
Interior Desecrations
James Lileks
Three Rivers Press
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, New York, NY 10019-4305
0307238725 $18.00 www.crownpublishing.com 1-800-726-0600
The worst of 1970s interior decoration ideas is gathered from magazines, books and pamphlets to prove the era was a grim design period indeed, making INTERIOR DESECRATIONS: HIDEOUS HOMES FROM THE HORRIBLE 70S an example of what bad taste can look like. From overwhelming 'green crap' to candid assessments of bad style ("I have this horrible vision: it's day one of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's exile in America, and this is where they put him up."), INTERIOR DESECRATIONS is a winning commentary on poor taste.
Dream Homes
Andreas von Einsiedel & Johanna Thornycroft
Merrell
49 W. 24th St., 8th Floor, New York NY 10010
1858942977 $39.95 www.merrellpublishers.com
For an outstanding sourcebook of interiors which stand out from the many, DREAM HOMES: 100 INSPIRATIONAL INTERIORS is an exceptional purchase recommended for any discriminating art library strong in interior design titles. No single style represents a 'dream home': it can be Mediterranean, Californian, Asian or a blend. A hundred examples of perfection in all areas are culled from homes of all styles from around the world, presenting the work of the planet's most talented interior designers. There are over 800 lovely color photos of these spaces, plus in-depth explanations by design expert Johanna Thornycroft, which explains how each home was created or transformed. A rich, gorgeous presentation of many examples.
Spectacular Walls!
Jeanine Dostal
North Light Books
c/o F&W Publications
4700 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236
1581807279 $24.99 www.artistsnetwork.com
By adding texture and embellishments to walls you can have spectacular results both original and tasteful as well as artistic and you needn't be a painter to achieve this. SPECTACULAR WALLS: CREATIVE EFFECTS USING TEXTURE, EMBELLISHMENT AND PAINT shows how, using a step-by-step visual approach and covering everything from materials and supplies to have on hand to tips on using paint, coating, drawing and preparations. Oversized pages and many color photos make for a winning display, making SPECTACULAR WALLS a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal and community library do-it-yourself home improvement reference collections.
Nearly thirty step-by-step home projects are outlined in over a hundred color photos and provide a more relaxed approach to developing a home style. Don't expect a major guide to repainting the place: it's a decorator's handbook which uses plenty of easy embellishments for its enhancements, from turning vintage hats into unique lampshades to using a wall purse to help organize. Quimby's COLOR, CREATE, DECORATE: CREATIVE, FRESH IDEAS & DECORATING TECHNIQUES advocates exploring outside the color world norm and taking risks to develop unique style and advises on how to make it work.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Pocket Idiot's Guide Reverse Mortgages
Jennifer A. Pokorny
Alpha
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
1592573770 $9.95 www.idiotsguides.com
If you want to supplement retirement income a reverse mortgage seems a good option, many say: but how exactly is the right one obtained? Learn how reverse mortgages work with POCKET IDIOT'S GUIDE TO REVERSE MORTGAGES, which explains all the basics using simple language and an easy at-a-glance pocket format. From different kinds of mortgages such as conversion mortgages to understanding property appraisals, if you want an easy explanation of all the options, this one's for you.
Profit from Your Vacation Dream Home
Dearborn Trade
30 S. Wacker Dr. #2500, Chicago, IL 60606-7481
1419506919 $19.95 www.dearborn.com
Owners of a home who dream of owning a second home for vacation purposes might have thought of the possibility as a dream for the rich, but PROFIT FROM YOUR VACATION HOME DREAM: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO A SAVVY FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT tells otherwise: it holds the potential of being a wise move on several fronts, and provides the basics on how such a home can pay for itself when not in use by its owners. From how to rent a vacation home to a formula for successful vacation home ownership, this tells how to evaluate properties, weigh pros and cons, determine what's needed to break even on the investment, and even how to work with property management companies.
The Social Issues Shelf
Gone Tomorrow
Heather Rogers
New Press
38 Greene St., New York NY 10013
1565848799 $23.95 www.thenewpress.com
The U.S. is the top producer of garbage on the planet, generating 30% of the world's trash and throwing out 1600 pounds per American per year but what happens to garbage after it's in the trash? GONE TOMORROW: THE HIDDEN LIFE OF GARBAGE focuses on the answers to this question, providing journalist Heather Rogers' history of rubbish handling from the 1800s to modern times and reviewing the politics and social issues revolving around trash management policies. Technological transformations affected the nature and quantity of household garbage, postwar innovations handled more volume, and industry changes changed the nature and motivation of cartels handling garbage: GONE TOMORROW explores all these facets and more.
Drunk the Night Before
Marty Roth
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Ave. South #290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
0816643970 $29.95 www.upress.umn.edu
College-level students of social and health issues will find DRUNK THE NIGHT BEFORE: AN ANATOMY OF INTOXICATION provides a strong cultural history of convivial drinking before the idea of drink as an addiction overcame alcohol's reputation as a creative and even a spiritual force. DRUNK THE NIGHT BEFORE focuses on the overall human history of drink from ancient times to the 20th century, following its treatment in the arts, religion, and through society. Alcohol holds a mixed history, being viewed as both miracle potion and as a poison: DRUNK THE NIGHT BEFORE reveals both aspects of alcohol's history.
Spoken Here
Mark Abley
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116
0618565833 $14.00 www.hmco.com
It's difficult to know where best to review SPOKEN HERE: TRAVELS AMONG THREATENED LANGUAGES: as a travelogue it holds much to attract leisure armchair traveler audiences; as a linguistics coverage it invites the attention of college-level English majors. Both audiences will find Mark Abely's survey of the world's endangered tongues to be revealing, with chapters moving from the Arctic Circle through North America to Australia as Abley visits the exotic locales which harbor fading languages and reveals the lives of their last speakers. An intriguing survey.
Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited From Slavery
Anne Farrow, Joel Lang & Jenifer Frank
Ballantine Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0345467825 $25.95 www.ballantinebooks.com
If you think you know American history and the history of slavery quite well, think again: COMPLICITY: HOW THE NORTH PROMOTED, PROLONGED, AND PROFITED FROM SLAVERY will challenge almost every belief you've held and introduce many starting new thoughts. The truth is, the history of slavery has been rewritten since the Civil War: whitewashed and glossed over. The North's shameful secrets come fully to light in COMPLICITY, which proves the North's own economic structure was as dependent on slavery profits as the South. This startling expose is a 'must' for any definitive American history collection, whether it be for a high school or college library or for a public library collection.
The Spoken Word Revolution
Mark Eleveld, Ed.
Media Fusion
c/o Sourcebooks
Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567-4410
1402202466 $16.95 www.sourcebooks.com
Poetry has moved into a new world, as THE SPOKEN WORD REVOLUTION (SLAM, HIP HOP & THE POETRY OF A NEW GENERATION) reveals. An audio cd accompanying written word captures some of the nuances of this world, focusing on the power of poetry performed out loud around the world. From new styles such as slam and Taos to poems by Regie Gibson, Viggo Mortensen and Saul Williams, be ready to learn about radical new styles of spoken word which blend poetry with social insights.
Suntanning in 20th Century America
Kerry Segrave
McFarland & Company
Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786423943 $35.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com
The suntan was considered a mark of the lower class for hundreds of years but was resurrected in America as a fad in the 1920s and remains popular today. While the myth remains that the evolution of the tanning trend had its source in fashion, it in fact was lauded by doctors as a panacea for all kinds of ailments until the dangers of overexposure became known. Any interested in the social, fashion or medical history of sun tanning in America will find Kerry Segrave provides an intriguing history and plenty of vintage black and white photos to add interest.
Dressing Renaissance Florence
Carole Collier Frick
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218-4319
0801882648 $25.00 www.press.jhu.edu
It's surprising to note that professor Carole Collier Frick's DRESSING RENAISSANCE FLORENCE: FAMILIES, FORTUNES AND FINE CLOTHING is the first in-depth study of the Renaissance fashion industry. Here are insights into the social and political meaning of clothing in Florence, with black and white photos throughout displaying changing styles and fashion innovations, visual impressions and how family fortunes were invested in wardrobes. A fascinating college-level study, recommended for any collection strong in fashion or Renaissance history.
The Argumentative Indian
Amartya Sen
Farrar, Straus, Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003
0374105839 $26.00 www.fsgbooks.com
Any interested in Indian history or culture will find THE ARGUMENTATIVE INDIAN: WRITINGS ON INDIAN HISTORY, CULTURE AND IDENTITY is essential to understanding the culture, customs, viewpoints and identity of modern India. It considers India's rich long argumentative tradition, its traditions of skepticism and questioning, and its philosophies from ancient to modern times. Any interested in Indian tradition who would understand its spirituality, culture, literature or politics must understand its argumentative tradition: no better in-depth coverage is available than THE ARGUMENTATIVE INDIAN.
We Changed the World
Sidney Pike
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Ave. #7, St. Paul, MN 55113-2619
1557788553 $24.95 www.paragonhouse.com
The introduction of CNN's 24-hour cable news channel in 1980 changed the world of television, with satellite and cable providing a strong competitive alternative to tradition TV and author Sidney pike was in the middle of the revolution, here explored in his WE CHANGED THE WORLD: MEMOIRS OF A CNN SATELLITE PIONEER. Pike met with media and government leaders around the world trying to sell CNN programming, and was an early pioneer for the global television channels we know today. His memoir provides a first-person review of obstacles, achievements, challenges, and a rapidly-changing industry under transition to this day.
Students have told stories about their daily university lives and often created legends surrounding campus experiences: unique and intriguing is CAMPUS LEGENDS: A HANDBOOK, which surveys legends ranging from pure fantasy to theories of professor relationships, pranks, rituals and other folklore. While it may prove an unusual handbook for the general collection, any college-level collection strong in folktales will find it refreshingly different and worthy of acquisition.
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
Any who would understand Islam's history and culture must have a copy of Andrew G. Bostom, MD, Editor 's THE LEGACY OF JIHAD: ISLAMIC HOLY WAR AND THE FATE OF NON-MUSLIMS (1591023076 $28.00): it provides a weighty, comprehensive coverage of Muslim theological and juridical texts, eyewitness historical accounts by both Muslims and non-Muslims, and essays by scholars analyzing militaristic jihad imposed on non-Muslims. History, cultural and religious insights blend in a scholarly, college-level survey of jihad's origins, enactment, and purposes. Very highly recommended: a cut above any competing title in depth and coverage. Top journalists speak out about changing civil liberties and media reporting in Kristian Borjesson's collection FEET TO THE FIRE: THE MEDIA AFTER 9/11 (1591023432, $25.00). Borjesson's expose INTO THE BUZZSAW revealed efforts to quash the public's right to know the truth; her FEET TO THE FIRE here provides conversations with top journalists and news executives about the media companies, the Bush administration, war coverage and more. Each interviews presents details from national security and intelligence reporters, world news journalists, and others who provide different views of how truths are hidden since 9/11.
The Greatest Generation Grows Up
Kriste Lindenmeyer
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566636604 $27.50 www.ivanrdee.com
American childhood in the 1930s became a government policy ideal which was reinforced by cultural changes during the Great Depression, and represented the first period of time in which the federal government provided a legal definition of childhood dependency as extending from birth through age seventeen. Any studying children's rights or American childhood will want to make THE GREATEST GENERATION GROWS UP: AMERICAN CHILDHOOD IN THE 1930S a part of their reading reference collection: it details social and political forces which shaped, defined and created new interpretations of childhood and dependency.
My Love Affair With the French
Fannie Lillian Miles Bellamy
Dorrance
701 Smithfield, 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3906
0805966463 $23.00 www.dorrance.com
Fannie Bellamy grew up in rural Virginia under segregation and discovered some deep bonds with France and the French people early on in life: her account tells of her journey from rural Virginia to college and on to travels to France in search of the French tradition. A lively first-person account of a fine adventure., "My Love Affair With The French" is a thoroughly engaging, inherently fascinating, superbly written memoir and highly recommended for community library American Biography collections.
Messages to the World
Bruce Lawrence
Verso
180 Varick St., New York NY 10014-4606
1844670457 $16.95 www.versobooks.com
Osama Bin Laden's statements have been widely covered in TV and radio in bits and pieces; but they haven't been gathered together under one cover before; so to receive a unified presentation of all his admonitions, turn to MESSAGES TO THE WORLD: THE STATEMENTS OF OSAMA BIN LADEN. Statements issued in his name over the last ten years are here newly translated from the Arabic and annotated with a critical introduction by editor Lawrence, an Islamic scholar, which adds historical, political and religious context to the statements. Any who want insights on Bin Laden's thoughts and viewpoint must have MESSAGES TO THE WORLD.
Smartbomb
Heather Chaplin & Aaron Ruby
Algonquin Books
127 Kingston Dr. #105, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
1565123468 $24.95 www.algonquin.com
The video game industry is big money these days, powered by a blend of computer geeks and business mavericks who have turned it into a big business and SMARTBOMB: THE QUEST FOR ART, ENTERTAINMENT, AND BIG BUCKS IN THE VIDEOGAME REVOLUTION traces the history of how this country become involved in video games. Authors Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby went on a five-year investigation into the history and technology of the video game explosion, gaining access to design labs and business meetings alike: SMARTBOMB examines both individuals and trends in a survey of models, legends, and achievement.
Hunger
Sharman Apt Russell
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Publishing Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
0465071635 $23.95 www.basicbooks.com 1-800-242-7737
HUNGER: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY could also have been featured in our Health section but is reviewed here for its important history into the nature and culture of hunger, from the fasting saints of early Christianity to modern political statements. Hunger can inspire and heal, or it can kill: chapters consider the spiritual, health, and historical and cultural aspects of human hunger to consider its impact throughout human history and events.
Flight Capital
David Heenan
Davies-Black Publishing
1055 Joaquin Rd. #200, Mountain View, CA 94043
0891062025 $24.95 www.daviesblack.com
For centuries the talented and intelligent around the world flocked to the U.S., which attracted immigrants with strong skills: today more than half the Ph.D.s working here are foreign born as are half the scientists, and others. And, they are leaving to return home. FLIGHT CAPITAL: THE ALARMING EXODUS OF AMERICA'S BEST AND BRIGHTEST charts this flight, analyzing why they are leaving and what it means for America's future. FLIGHT CAPITAL also goes beyond focus on American impact to consider world trends and world impact in foreign nations, examining the initiatives other countries use to lure top talent away from the US, and how our own immigration restrictions have affected replacement efforts. Blend in case history examples of professionals who have left the US to return to their native lands and you have a thought-provoking study essential to understanding the future of immigrant talent in this nation.
Affluenza
John DeGraff, David Wann & Thomas Naylor
Berrett-Koehler
235 Montgomery St. #650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
1576753573 $17.95 www.bkconnection.com
The second edition of AFFLUENZA: THE ALL-CONSUMING EPIDEMIC will reach new audiences who might have missed one of the best nonfiction title nominees of 2001, providing updated details and healthy alternatives to the consumer oriented 'epidemic' of modern times. From shopaholics and bankruptcies to those seeking meaning in material goods, AFFLUENZA details the process of recovery from physical and cultural clutter, and offers both personal and political remedies for the problem. History, facts and insights are pointed and revealing messages addressing the modern condition.
Alaska's Hidden Wars
Otis Hays, Jr.
University of Alaska Press
Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
188996364X $19.95 www.uaf.edu/uapress
On the eve of World War II Japan, the US and the Soviet Union collided in the North Pacific and ALASKA'S HIDDEN WARS: SECRET CAMPAIGNS ON THE NORTH PACIFIC RIM charts these conflicts for the first time, revealing not minor skirmishes but major campaigns which pitted Americans against the Japanese well before Pearl Harbor. ALASKA'S HIDDEN WARS tells of Japanese raids, American campaigns, and two years of air raids and bombardments in Alaska during the war. Newly declassified archives allows the story to final come to light!
Freedom of Assembly
Stephen F. Rohde
Facts on File
132 W. 31st St., 17th Floor, New York NY 10001
0816056633 $35.00 www.factsonfile.com
The right of people to peaceably assemble and to petition the government was granted in the First Amendment, and are most exercised by strikes, meetings or picketers: the history of this freedom, its challenges, and its major issues are traced in a new 'American Rights' addition surveying the civil right, its history, controversies, and virtual and actual assembly in modern times on the web. Maps, graphs, a chronology and source materials provide both adults and young adults with an excellent historical overview.
My China Eye
Israel Epstein
Long River Press
360 Swift Avenue, #48, South San Francisco, CA 94080
1592650422 $24.95 www.longriverpress.com
Journalist and war correspondent Israel Epstein's memoir spans over eighty years and offers his eyewitness account of some of the most turbulent years of this century. While MY CHINA EYE: MEMOIRS OF A JEW AND A JOURNALIST could have been featured in our more general 'biography' column, it's reviewed here for its importance as a revealing narrative by a Western journalist who experienced the Chinese Communist Revolution firsthand from its beginning. Epstein grew up in Tianjin and was exposed to social issues and left-wing movements in China at an early age. During the 1930s and 40s he reported from China and Hong Kong; during the war he was in the front lines reporting on China's War of Resistance against Japan. His dramatic account of history in the making shouldn't be missed.
Ecovillages
Jan Martin Bang
New Society Publishers
Box 189, Gabriola Island BC, V0R 1X0 Canada
0865715386 $24.95 www.newsociety.com
There's long been a movement towards living in community with others as an alternative to the nuclear family model, but in modern times 'ecovillages' have emerged around the world, adding attention to sustainability and social interactions to the model. ECOVILLAGES explores these developments, opening with a history of the movement and progressing to include a practical manual for planning and maintaining a sustainable community using permaculture as a foundation. From house design and building options to farming and handling sewage and energy sources, ECOVILLAGES is packed with practical applications; not just theory.
The Game
Neil Strauss
Regan Books
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
0060554738 $29.95 www.reganbooks.com
Two years ago author Strauss, a writer for the Rolling Stone and New York Times, decided to investigate an exciting underground community: an international network of men devoted to the art of seduction. They weren't rich, they weren't criminals or unduly attractive but they had success with even the most remote woman, and had a scientific set of rules which dictated their successful moves. THE GAME: PENETRATING THE SECRET SOCIETY OF PICK-UP ARTISTS is more than just an expose of an underground community: it tells of Strauss' own experiments as a single male with little personal success with women himself, and of his undercover life for two years as he works to master the Game successfully. But THE GAME isn't autobiography either: it reveals the secrets of the Game, why its strategies work, and what women can learn from the tricks pick-up artists commonly use on women.
Bat Boy Lives!
David Perel & Editors of Weekly World News
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016-8810
1402728239 $12.95 1-800-805-5489
It's hard to easily categorize BAT BOY LIVES!: it's a humor title which also is based on the Weekly World News gossip publication's impossible, sensationalist headlines and it provides tongue-in-cheek commentary on celebrities, culture, politics, alien abductions and more within its pages of 'impossible events'. Black and white photos blend with 'truths' to make for a zany presentation indeed.
We Are Iran
Nasrin Alavi
Soft Skull Press
55 Washington St. #804, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Publishers Group West, distributor
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
1933368055 $15.95 www.pgw.com 1-800-788-3123
Any who would understand the people and culture of Iran must read WE ARE IRAN: THE PERSONAL BLOGS: it gathers the country's Internet diaries and translates them from Farsi to provide quite a different view of the ordinary people's sentiments and experiences. Much of what comes to the U.S. in newspapers comes from reporters or politicians: WE ARE IRAN comes from the people in particular, from an educated, youthful, literate segment of the country which doesn't condone Islamic fundamentalism and which is eager to embrace a new era. Supplementing these blogs is commentary on these people and their concerns, providing the background and cultural insight necessary to appreciate the voices and their place in modern Iranian society.
I Hid It Under the Sheets
Gerald Eskenazi
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Blvd., Columbia, MO 65201
082621620X $29.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress 1-800-828-1894
For author Gerald Eskenazi and his peers, the radio days of the 1930s through the early 1950s in America had solid impact on his generation and was a major force shaping American minds. I HID IT UNDER THE SHEETS: GROWING UP WITH RADIO captures the culture and memories of these radio programs, providing Eskenazi's personal anecdotes about the radio shows which so moved him and combining these with interviews of radio personalities of the times. What evolves is not just autobiography but a personal history of radio's approaches and impact on a generation of listeners.
When Elephants Fly
Carol Batrus
Fulcrum Publishing
16100 Table Mtn Parkway #300, Golden, CO 80403
1555915655 $15.95 www.fulcrum-books.com
South Africa was far removed from everything businesswoman executive Carol Batrus knew: so what led her to move from her high-powered, successful job on Wall Street to the heart of Zululand to help the tribe's economic development? WHEN ELEPHANTS FLY: ONE WOMAN'S JOURNEY FROM WALL STREET TO ZULULAND is a moving memoir of her journey, which was to help the tribe economically without destroying the environment. Her decision and journey is inspiring and provides plenty of insights into South African and local environmental issues.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Woken Furies
Richard K. Morgan
DelRey Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0345479718 $24.95 www.randomhouse.com
Richard Morgan's prior 'Takeshi Kovacs' 25th century adventures have gained him an audience of fans, so his latest WOKEN FURIES is sure to see both old fans and new readers. Death is meaningless in Morgan's world, but mystery, revenge and love are still forces to keep even a detective on his toes. Add a strange holy man and a world which blends virtual worlds with reality and you have a fast-paced story with many unexpected twists and turns: a satisfying read, indeed.
Mirrormask
Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean
HarperCollins
1340 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10019-4703
0060821094 $16.99
Helena has been raised in a family of circus performers and dreams of a normal life until haunting music leads her far from home to a magical world where her real life is stolen. Her only hope is to rescue her new home from a threat if she can. MirrorMask is a film: Gaiman's story here pairs with artist/director Dave McKean to provide a blend of novella and art, supplemented by images from the film. An appealing, visually vivid format is presented.
Spectrum 12 : The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art
Cathy Fenner & Arnie Fenner, Eds.
Underwood Books
Box 1919, Nevada City, Ca 95959
1887424946 $29.95 www.underwoodbooks.com
Any interested in science fiction and fantasy art will find all the masters represented here, from Michael Whelan and Brad Holland to Linda Bergkvist and Daren Bader. Each artist's works are rendered in full color and includes contact information plus notes on clients, medium, and picture size. A jury selected the 2005 Spectrum winners, surveying over 4,000 works both individually and in light of overall fantasy artist accomplishment to cull the best: the result is a winning pick of top winners any involved in fantasy art will find compelling and superior.
Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baenbooks.com
John Ringo and Michael Z. Williamson's THE HERO (1416509143, $7.99) tells of a warrior species conditioned to be incapable of killing, which manipulates humans until humans fight back. Now the Darhel and humans find themselves on a race to prevent an alien artifact from falling to the wrong hands, with a deadly sniper with killing abilities facing a team unable to kill. Jack L. Chalker's TWILIGHT AT THE WELL OF SOULS (141650916X, $7.99) tells of a rift in space which is fast approaching the Well World: and if Well World is destroyed, the universe would vanish too. Despite the threat concerns about war on the planet still dominate, and it's up to two souls to save the universe, if the natives don't kill them first. James H. Schmidtz's THE WITCHES OF KARRES (14165091151, $7.99) tells of a captain unlikely in love and business who hopes for salvation from a battered starship's entrepreneurial finds. When Captain Pausert frees three slave children from their masters, he finds himself in trouble with his fiance, his world, and on the wrong side of many all because of three innocent-looking little girls who are in fact witches. Swift action and drama evolves. Chris Dolley's RESONANCE (1416598127, $24.00) takes an old saying against stepping on cracks and adds new meaning when cracks in paving stones set the resonance that keeps everything harmonious and stepping on them sets the universe out of sync. Graham Smith finds the world changed overnight when a resonance project changes the nature of reality and virtual reality in the gripping RESONANCE. William Mark Simmons' HABEAS CORPSES (1416509135, $22.00) continues the story of one Christopher, who becomes infected with one of two viruses that change the living into the undead. Hunted for his mutated blood by both humans and vampires, he faces assassins, a sexy vampire bodyguard, a werewolf lover's problems, and more in a fast-paced story of genetic manipulation and evil. David Weber's AT ALL COSTS (1416509119, $26.00) tells of a disastrous war with the Republic of Haven disastrous for the Star Kingdom of Manticore, where an admiral lady and duchess is outnumbered by a new fleet. Politics and interstellar war come to life in a politically charged account of royalty and danger.
End of the Beginning
Harry Turtledove
NAL
c/o New American Library
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
0451216687 $25.95 www.penguin.com
Turtledove specializes in alternative history scenarios and END OF THE BEGINNING is one of his best: it's set during WWII, with the Japanese following up on a successful occupation of Hawaii. A puppet king sits on the throne and American POWs are enslaved but on the mainland the U.S. military is working to drive back the enemy. A realistic story of a very different WWII atmosphere evolves.
The World History Shelf
Dufour Editions
Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
www.dufoureditions.com
Ulster has been at the center of conflicts between Ireland and Britain for centuries: that's why a book such as Jonathan Bardon's A HISTORY OF ULSTER (085640764X $36.95) is so important to understanding the origins of conflicts. Nine thousand years of social, political and economic changes from the Viking invasions to modern times are documented in a title first published in 1992 and here updated to add events since. A 'must' for any collection serious about Irish history. Sean Beecher's CORK 365: A DAY-BY-DAY MISCELLANY OF CORK HISTORY (1903464927, $21.95) is also a recommended pick for Irish fans: it's a personal selection of history, humorous events, and cultural insights set in diary form from January to December with a historical insight per page. The organization lends to leisure browsing and casual enjoyment, and fun. Brian Lalor's THE IRISH ROUND TOWER: ORIGINS AND ARCHITECTURE EXPLORED (1903464773, $32.95) may be a specialty item, but any with an interest in the unique round towers which survive in Ireland today must have this book. There are about 70 such towers scattered across the countryside and represent the only form of architecture which is unique to Ireland alone. There's little available on the subject, making this illustrated study, with its black and white photos, drawings, and extensive social and architectural history, an essential reference indeed.
Aztecs & Conquistadores
John Pohl & Charles M. Robinson III
Osprey Publishing
2427 Bond St., University Park, IL 60466
1841769347 $24.95 www.ospreypublishing.com
Any student of early Spanish history or Aztec history must take a look at AZTECS & CONQUISTADORES: THE SPANISH INVASION & THE COLLAPSE OF THE AZTEC EMPIRE, which surveys the impact the Spanish conquests had on world history. The focus here is upon the military might of Cortes, the training and experience of men on both sides of the conflict, and the major battles that subdued the Aztecs. Color maps, illustrations and charts throughout enhance the survey and provide exact explanations and insights suitable for both high school and college level history students.
Pictorial Victorians
Julia Thomas
Ohio University Press
Scott Quadrangle, #226, Athens, OH 45701
0821415913 $44.95 www.ohiou.edu/oupress
It's difficult to easily categorize PICTORIAL VICTORIANS: THE INSCRIPTION OF VALUES IN WORD AND IMAGE. Its focus on illustration and narrative painting, two of the most popular Victorian-era genres, would seem to place PICTORIAL VICTORIANS in our art section but we're reviewing it here for its important historical and cultural insights. Julia Thomas is a lecturer at the Centre for Critical and Cultural Theory in Wales: her survey of the interplay between word and image and how it relates to Victorian ideals and ideas of self make for an important, college-level study which will hold broad appeal for both art libraries and any history collection strong on Victorian history.
Lost Worlds
Michael Bywater
Granta
c/o Trafalgar Square, distributor
Box 257, N. Pomfret, VT 05053
1862077983 $25.00 www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com
People, civilizations, and even works of art and cities vanish, leaving human culture to be defined as much by their absence as their presence. LOST WORLDS: WHAT HAVE WE LOST, AND WHERE DID IT GO charts these missing curiosities of the past, using extensive quotes from source materials in its catalog of loss. From lost ideas and languages to icons of civilization, LOST WORLDS takes a journey through history to examine the impact of the past. An inherently fascinating, informative, thoughtful, thought-provoking , and highly recommended read!
The History of Venezuela
H. Michael Tarver & Julia C. Frederick
Greenwood Press
Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
0-313335257 $45.00 www.greenwood.com
Adding to Greenwood's 'Histories of the Modern Nations' series is the important HISTORY OF VENEZUELA, a survey of the nation from its foundations as a Spanish colony for 300 years to its succession of military dictatorships to modern times. Students at the high school and college levels as well will find HISTORY OF VENEZUELA an excellent overview that considers the entirety of the nation's history, economy, and political influences. Perfect as an introduction to the nation, and packed with facts useful for reports.
Mirage
Aileen Keating
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591023467 $28.00 www.prometheusbooks.com
Any studying Middle East history or culture, particularly those at the college level, will find the weighty 560-page MIRAGE: POWER, POLITICS, AND THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF ARABIAN OIL to be a methodical and important survey of the discovery, development and use of Middle Eastern oil. From the history of discoveries and the reasons reserves in some countries went untapped for decades to the role of one New Zealander Frank Holmes in discovering and revealing these new sources, MIRAGE delves into the background and uses the author's original research from archives around the world in its in-depth revelation which even includes maps, photos, and a 'who's who' of key people. An in-depth, essential pick for any collection solid in Middle Eastern studies and issues.
Cities
John Reader
Atlantic Monthly Press
841 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0871138980 $26.00 www.groveatlantic.com
With a subject as broad in scope and as potentially weighty as 'cities', one would think a book of the same name would cover over 500 pages and be detrimental to leisure browsing: not so: CITIES is a lively and vigorous revelation of how cities evolved, what made them thrive or decline, and how they transformed themselves to cultural centers over the centuries. Contrary to popular belief, cities actually fostered the growth of farming and hold a symbiotic and close relationship with the countryside and trade routes: Reader provides a map of changes and the social, political and economic connections between cities and country around the world. The lively format makes for an exceptional coverage which lends particularly well to leisure reading.
The Political Science Shelf
America's Constitution
Akhil Reed Amar
Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
1400062624 $29.95 www.randomhouse.com 1-800-726-0600
Akhil Reed Amar is a constitutional-law scholar and here provides a history and review of America's founding document, explaining not just what it says and how it came about but why. From the influence of existing American legal texts of the time which helped create the 'master plan' of Constitutional content to issues of what parts should be unamendable and challenges to its laws, AMERICA'S CONSTITUTION: A BIOGRAPHY charts the emerging personality and structure of the Constitution's very premises. A 'must' for any college-level collection serious about political science and American history.
The American History Shelf
The Missing Corpse
Wayne Fanebust
Praeger
99 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275987620 $44.95 www.praeger.com
Alexander Stewart was 'The Merchant Prince of Manhattan' in early New York whose name was famous for another reason after his death: the robbing of his grave set off one of the biggest investigations in the city's history and was recounted by Mark Twain and others. THE MISSING CORPSE: GRAVE ROBBING A GILDED AGE TYCOON details the circumstances of the grave robbing, the many theories which abounded at the time, likely events, and its social impact. An excellent blend of true crime, early New York history and culture, and science makes THE MISSING CORPSE a detailed, involving study.
New Art City
Jed Perl
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
1400041317 $35.00 www.aaknopf.com 1-800-726-0600
Plenty of art books have been written about New York; but NEW ART CITY: MANHATTAN AT MID-CENTURY is a cut above them all, offering a fine panoramic view of 20th century New York art and culture by an influential art critic of our times. From the artist's studio to coffeehouses, bohemian neighborhoods around the city, and changing attitudes on traditional versus modern art, the pulse and soul of the Manhattan art community is captured in an exciting expose of the undercurrents of its influences.
American Christmases
Joanne Martell
John F. Blair
1406 Plaza Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27103
0895873192 $24.95 www.blairpub.com
Changing festivals and traditions of Christmas are celebrated in a warm survey of Christmas customs in AMERICAN CHRISTMASES: FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS OF HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS FROM EARLY DAYS TO MODERN TIMES. Here are letters, memoirs, notes and reflections on the season, with a range of contributions moving from immigrant memories and experiences to passages from famous Americans from Daniel Boone who describes his Christmas spent as an Indian captive to a woman's Christmas with the Confederate Army during the Civil War. A lovely, diverse collection.
Joining others in the 'Reference Guides to National Architecture' series is an important survey of Spanish architectural heritage, ARCHITECTURE OF SPAIN. It covers all regions of Spain, examines almost seventy of the country's key landmarks, and includes history as well as appraisal of style, architectures, renovation efforts, and cultural insights. Recommended for either students of art, Spanish history, or would-be travelers to Spain holding a special interest in architectural heritage.
50 Great Adventures
Jonathan Lee
Prestel
900 Broadway #603, New York NY 10003
3791334344 $29.95 www.prestel-usa.com
Fifty buildings from around the world are explored through their creators, offering a blend of buildings and biographical sketches which lend to an appreciation of why architecture is created. 50 GREAT ADVENTURES: EXTRAORDINARY PLACES AND THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT THEM packs in over two hundred color illustrations and provides both a history of the creation's place in architecture and a survey of how it has affected its community. A welcome and recommended addition to professional and academic library Architectural Studies collections, this as an architectural guide, a travel guide, or a survey of architectural inspirations: it fits all categories.
Princeton Architectural Press
37 E 7th St., New York NY 10003
www.papress.com
Innovative textiles offer some of the most intriguing design options today, but few design or textile coverages discuss extreme textiles in depth. Matilda McQuaid 's EXTREME TEXTILES: DESIGNING FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE (156898507X $45.00) surveys engineered fabrics and their radical uses, from cardiac constraint socks to airbags and transportation textiles. Even buildings use these extreme textiles in construction, and EXTREME TEXTILES surveys all these uses in a blend of startling full-page illustrations and discussions of fiber properties, performance standards, and unique uses. Whether it's architecture or art, students at the college level will find EXTREME TEXTILES both accessible and detailed. Amy Weinstein's ONCE UPON A TIME: ILLUSTRATIONS FROM FAIRYTALES, FABLES, PRIMERS, POP-UPS AND OTHER CHILDREN'S BOOKS (1568985649, $35.00) is based upon an art exhibition of the same name and uses colorful images from Victorian-era illustrated books by Ellen Liman and her husband Arthur to provide a review of striking art objects and the rise of children's literature. Exquisite full-page color plates - some on double-page spreads liberally accent descriptions which include story plot summaries and commentary. A treasure for any who love old-fashioned children's books. Donald Albrecht's THE MYTHIC CITY (1568985622, $40.00) provides Samuel Gottscho's photos taken from 1925-40, packing in pages of black and white shots of interiors and exteriors alike, from famous structures to those lesser-known but with classic architectural styles. Accompany an exhibition THE MYTHIC CITY, these bold 1930s images capture a bygone era in nearly 200 images from the Battery to Harlem. Martin Venezky's IT IS BEAUTIFUL THEN GONE (1568984561, $40.00) provides an unusual artistic approach: Venezky hones 'Slow Design', using raw materials and old design tools of collage and cut-and-paste to create an artwork which will intentionally age and decay over time. By this process, Martin Venezky maintains, the art evolves and changes and the artist develops a closer connection with the tool over the machine. IT IS BEAUTIFUL THEN GONE provides his commercial design work plus new graphics created just for this book: some 700 images in all.
The Art Shelf
Pop
Mark Francis, Editor; Hal Foster, Survey
Phaidon Press
180 Varick St., 14th Floor, New York NY 10014
0714843636 $75.00 www.phaidon.com
Mark Francis is a London curator and writer, Hal Foster a Townsend Martin Professor of Art and Archaeology at Princeton: the two combine forces in POP. Pop described art, film, photography and architectural design from the 1950s through the 50s, which used mass media and mass production as inspiration. Other histories have presented Pop art as an isolated form: POP surveys all its various forms around the world, providing a rich key to the art and influences of artists from Warhol to Sigmar Polke. Full-page black and white and color examples appear throughout, but it's the rich, in-depth art and cultural survey which sets POP aside from any other.
The Education of A Graphic Designer, 2nd Edition
Steven Heller
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St., New York NY 10010
1581154313 $24.95 www.allworth.com
Why purchase this newly published second edition of THE EDUCATION OF A GRAPHIC DESIGNER when you already own the a first edition? Because it's more than an just a minor update: forty new essays discussing a range of the latest graphic design topics, from web construction and digital media, have been added to this second edition, where top designers and educators speak of both theory and applications. College-level undergrad and grad students will find EDUCATION OF A GRAPHIC DESIGNER an essential survey of major practices and ideas within the graphic design industry: a survey that is simply not to be missed by any dedicated and professional graphic designer.
Snow Painting
Rosemary Reed
Publishers Design Group
Box 37, Roseville, CA 95678
1929170157 $32.95 www.publishersdesign.com
SNOW PAINTING: CHINESE BRUSH PAINTING is a gorgeous presentation providing artists with all the fundamentals needed to produce Chinese-style brush paintings. From a survey of inks, stones, and brushes to a treatise on basic color, paper, observing and understanding how snow is depicted in art, and a step-by-step approach to subject definition, materials, and effects, SNOW PAINTING is packed with detail ranging from bird observation to stylistic guidelines. Simply lovely and well detailed.
The Blaue Reiter Almanac
Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc, Editors
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115-5597
0878467009 $22.50 www.mfa.org
The Blaue Reiter art movement began in 1911, founded by the same two young painters who here edit THE BLAUE REITER ALMANAC: it blended international culture with European avant-garde and THE BLAUE REITER ALMANAC provides essays long unavailable in English. This documentary edition is edited by Klaus Lankheit and blends art history and a survey of moments with black and white illustrations and Blaue Reiter philosophy. A 'must' for any who would understand the premises and foundation history of the Blaue Reiter movement.
New Directions in Jewellery
Jivan Astflack, Caroline Broadhead & Paul Derrez
Black Dog Publishing
Unit 4.04 Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High St., London E1 6JJ UK
1904772196 $39.95 www.bdpworld.com
Over 80 jewelry makers who are creating radical new designs, blending textiles with sculpture, are changing the way jewelry is made and presented, and NEW DIRECTIONS IN JEWELLERY discusses these changes in essays which profile artists and their approaches. Distinguishing design paths, examples of various designs which defy the usual geometric and material choices, and commentary on artist and fashion statements make NEW DIRECTIONS IN JEWELLERY an excellent survey of the latest trends in style and jewelry creation. Informed and informative, NEW DIRECTIONS IN JEWELLERY is a 'must' for any college-level or professional reference collection strong in modern art and jewelry.
Fantastic Realms
V. Shane
Impact
c/o F&W Publications
4700 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 452326
1581806825 $19.99 www.fwpubs.com
If you like to draw and enjoy fantasy, then V. Shane's FANTASTIC REALMS: DRAW FANTASY CHARACTERS, CREATURES AND SETTINGS is for you. Packed with both step-by-step inlay illustrations of close-ups for drawing hands, inking approaches, and capturing action and color drawings of full finished products, FANTASTIC REALMS offers everything from coloring keys and notes on texturing and shading to using variety and bar sweeps to give an atmosphere to movement.
North Light Books
c/o F&W Publications
4700 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.artistsnetwork.com
Judi Watanabe, Alison Eads and Laurie Dewberry's RETRO MANIA! (1581807465, $17.99) is a craft title to delight the eye: over sixty cards, party decorations, and scrapbook layouts demonstrate the retro style from the 1940s through the 70s, suggesting flashy ideas for themes and offering 'recipes' for success which include explicit directions on card stock and types, gift boxes and cans to make, and more. An excellent display of fun projects tied with ideas for entertainment and gift-giving. Jean Grastorf's POURING LIGHT: LAYERING TRANSPARENT WATERCOLOR (1581806051, $28.99) advocates pouring watercolor to achieve radiant results. It's a technique which involves balancing the free flow of watercolor on wet paper, which sounds complicated and iffy but not under artist instructor Jean Grastorf's hand. From the unique requirements involved in pouring colors to understanding the role of light in the watercolor medium, POURING LIGHT is filled with tips, pages packed with color examples, and wonderful artist insights.
Contemporary Clay
Joe Earle
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115-5597
0878466967 $24.95 www.mfa.org
Over fifty works by modern clay artists are profiled in CONTEMPORARY CLAY: JAPANESE CERAMICS FOR THE NEW CENTURY, a catalog which follows the most innovative of Japanese ceramists. Puts range from porcelains with Chinese inspirations from the past to contemporary modern designs and provide a survey of different uses of modern forms, along with artist reactions to the new clay works. Each artist receives a full page photo and a facing page describing training and the evolution of repertoire and direction, making CONTEMPORARY CLAY an outstanding presentation recommended for art library collections.
World on Sunday
Nicholson Baker & Margaret Brentano
Bullfinch Press
c/o Little, Brown & Company
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
0821261932 $50.00 www.bullfinchpress.com 1-800-759-0190
Joseph Pulitzer's New York WORLD flourished at the turn of the 20th century and grew from a modern daily paper to a sensationalist publication packed with striking colorful art, from photos to cartoons and drawings. THE WORLD ON SUNDAY gathers over a hundred of the best from WORLD and places them in an oversized presentation to display their color on single and double-page spreads. A chronological arrangement lends to a fine sequence of reproductions tracing editorial and news highlights of the times, while colorful commentary accompanies the pieces and provides the necessary background for appreciation by all audiences. THE WORLD ON SUNDAY: GRAPHIC ART IN JOSEPH PULITZER'S NEWSPAPER (1898-1911) is a top pick not just for art or newspaper library holdings, but for general-interest collections as well: it captures the art, craft and style of a bygone era and is a lush example of newspaper history at its finest.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
No Applause-Just Throw Money
Trav S.D.
Faber & Faber
c/o Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York NY 10003
0571211925 $25.00 www.fsgbooks.com 1-888-330-8477
From 1881 to 1932 vaudeville was the center of American show business, and modern-day vaudevillian Trav S.D. details its history and impact from early to modern times in a survey which traces the big names of vaudeville and the attraction and representation of its shows. Vaudeville was the first major American equal opportunity employer, and it allowed even immigrants easy access to American culture: chapters trace major players, acts, and influences.
King Kong
Ray Morton
Applause Books
19 W. 21st St., New York NY 10010
1557836698 $19.95 www.applausepub.com
Fans of the legendary 1933 monster will relish the first book to detail the making of all seven feature films about Kong in KING KONG; THE HISTORY OF A MOVIE ICON. From how the character was first created and developed to the sequence of films which starred Kong and produced a host of variants and spoofs, including reviews of the Kongs that never made it to screen, KING KONG packs in vintage duotone and color photos from movies, ads and scene shots to accompany a survey of everything from the masks and making of the films to their marketing.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Fantagraphic Books
7563 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
www.fantagraphics.com
Two excellent graphic accounts are top picks and recommended for any library collection strong in graphic novels or graphic illustration. Barry Windsor-Smith's THE FREEBOOTERS (1560976624, $29.95) details in full color throughout the exploits of one Axus the Great, a hero past his prime who can't just enjoy a lazy retirement, but must fight to save a city and possibly the world from a monster. 'The Freebooters' was one of three comics series which appeared in author Windsor-Smith's own 1990s magazine STORYTELLER; its resurrection here adds over 80 new pages of story and art and makes it a powerful companion to his YOUNG GODS & FRIENDS, as well as a strong stand-alone story. Fans of Dennis the Menace, a strip still running in many syndicated papers, will appreciate the autobiography of Hank Ketcham in THE MERCHANT OF DENNIS (1560976802, $24.95), a black and white cartoon-filled account of Ketcham's journey from a college dropout Depression child to a famous illustrator whose dream of drawing for Walt Disney led him to his own career as a successful cartoonist. THE MERCHANT OF DENNIS traces Ketcham's life and also offers plenty of insights into the evolution of Dennis the Menace, making this a keeper for any Dennis fan.
The Photography Shelf
Picture Taker
Ken Elkins
University of Alabama Press
Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
0817314784 $35.00 www.uapress.ua.edu
Photojournalists abound, but Ken Elkins stands out from the crowd: he retired in 2000 and is still taking pictures, as chief photographer for the Anniston Star. PICTURE TAKER gathers photos celebrating his 42-year career, presenting a hundred black and white photos from his many images. Many of the rural scenes he's captured are gone, so PICTURE TAKER celebrates more than Elkins: it captures a bygone world and provides many portraits of rural folk and regions which have changed. Elkins focused on his native Alabama, capturing mostly the poor: PICTURE TAKER: PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEN ELKINS pays tribute to these people as much as to Elkins' talents.
Wood, Wind and Water
Anne T. Converse & Carolyn M. Ford
Anne Converse Photography
Box 209, Marion, MA 02738
0971403007 $55.00 www.annetconverse.com
One of the most beautiful photography books covering sailing and boating remains a unique classic deserving of ongoing mention and recommendation even several years after its publication. The Opera House Cup Race is one of the best classic yacht regattas, and Anne T. Converse's lovely photos capture the highlights in WOOD, WIND AND WATER: A STORY OF THE OPERA HOUSE CUP RACE OF NANTUCKET. Full-page color photos in an oversized presentation provide the dramatic action of the race in full swing, while Carolyn M. Ford synthesizes the peak moments of several years into a single tribute. An outstanding presentation deserves ongoing recommendation for both art and nautical collections.
Amphoto
Watson Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
www.watsonguptill.com
Two lovely photographic collections are recommended picks for any collection gathering photos of nudes. Pascal Baetens' HEAVENLY BEAUTIES (0917439838, $40.00) presents the Belgian photographer's nudes: though Baeten also produces in portrait and fashion photography, the narrowed focus on his black and white nudes provides a focus on techniques and subtleties of both indoor and outdoor nude portraits. Petter Hegre's 100 NAKED GIRLS (0817452974, $40.00) provides his sixth book of photos and continues to develop the photographer's 'new nudes' style: real people captured in color in authentic situations. In avoiding the usual Hollywood image in favor of authenticity, these nudes stand out for strikingly different approaches and poses. Very highly recommended: an exceptional production and a 'must' for any serious college-level photography or art school collection.
Walking the Bible: A Photographic Journey
Bruce Feiler
William Morrow
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
0060799048 $32.50 www.harpercollins.com
WALKING THE BIBLE: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY could also have been featured in our Spirituality section: it's reviewed here for its striking photo impact so that artists don't miss the value of its presentation. It's a companion volume to the new PBS series on its way: in 2004 Feiler reprised the 10,000 mile walk through the Middle East deserts which led to his WALKING THE BIBLE. This photographic odyssey blends stunning photos many taken by Feiler with a survey of Biblical places and landscapes. A striking visual panorama, not to be missed.
Sybex
1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501
www.sybex.com
Two excellent Photoshop guides are reviewed here rather than in our 'Computer' section for their exceptionally strong links between photography and computer manipulation. Start with Ellen Anon and Tim Grey's PHOTOSHOP FOR NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS (0782144276, $49.99): it provides a workbook approach for photographers which tell how to optimize an image in camera, then how to use Photoshop to tweak and refine that image. The narrowed emphasis on nature photographer allows for customization of light, patterns, special effects and explores which are usual nature photo challenges. Tim Grey's PHOTOSHOP CS2 WORKFLOW: THE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDE (0782143962, $39.99) helps photographers establish a workflow complimentary to using Photoshop in efforts. For many the process of image manipulation on the computer overshadows the actual photographic capture itself: PHOTOSHOP CS2 WORKFLOW tells how to prioritize image optimization processes, how to organize and sort digital images, and how to use Photoshop's advanced features quickly and efficiently. Both are highly recommended photography tools any Photoshop owner should have at hand.
Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo, NY 14226
www.AmherstMedia.com
Professionals needing tips to enhance photographic efforts as well as those entering the world of professional production will find these excellent new Amherst Media titles provide important tips from real-life situations. Kevin Kubota's DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY BOOT CAMP: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS (1584281693, $34.95) comes packed with instructions on everything from working with digital images and maximizing camera settings based on a camera's unique attributes to retouching, image enhancements, and presenting images to maximum professional advantage for sales. Packed with not only color photo examples but color screen shots, DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY BOOT CAMP covers all the basics and streamlines them. Bill Hurter's BEST OF PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING (1584281685, $34.95) covers all the basics of light and how it affects photography. From selecting artificial lights and modifiers to working with natural light and window light, both indoor and outdoor lights and setups for adding color and dimension are covered, with examples in full color from a wide range of photographers. Diagrams of light projection blend with color image examples some full-page and many specific tips. Supplement this with Bill Hurter's GROUP PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY HANDBOOK (1584281596, $34.95), which narrows the focus to the special demands a group portrait requires. Images from over forty top portrait photographers also enhance this presentation of techniques that digital and film photographers alike can use. From using levels to pose large groups to coordinating apparel and posing special groups, there are plenty of insights. Speaking of posing, two guides cover this topic exclusively. Norman Phillips' PROFESSIONAL POSING TECHNIQUES FOR WEDDING AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS (1584281707, $34.95) shows how to pose men, women and children alike, focusing on the shared goals of a good pose and discussing what sets a good pose apart from a bad one. From standing, seated and floor poses to resolving common posing problems, it's packed with plenty of color photo examples. Bill Hurter's PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDE TO POSING (158428126X, $29.95) talks about 'cutting edge' posing, reviewing the basics and then going on to tell how to choose a pose which will best flatter the client. Well over a hundred color images demonstrate these 'beyond the ordinary' pose choices in action, featuring techniques for all types of portraiture and including details n corrective posing. All are very basic references any professional photographer or aspiring pro needs to have. Pose them then sell 'em with the aid of Jeff and Kathleen Hawkins' PROFESSIONAL MARKETING & SELLING TECHNIQUES FOR DIGITAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS (1584281804, $34.95), which appears in its second updated edition to cover all the basics of selling wedding photos, from identifying a target market and a specific demographic within that market to using bridal shows, networking, and internet marketing techniques to best advantage. Wedding photographers can not only gain but can increase sales and even pros will find many income-producing tips here. Photoshop owners will find very useful Maurice Hamilton's BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES WITH ADOBE PHOTOSHOP (1584281731, $34.95), a fine guide to producing black and white photos through digital manipulation. From taking black and white shots and editing them for professional results to optimizing the conversion to black and white and using Photoshop's special features to aid in the finishing process, black and white photographers now have a guide to how those polished results are produced. Bill Hurter's THE BEST OF FAMILY PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY: PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUES AND IMAGES (1584281685, $34.95) shows how to pose and shoot to produce a to-notch family portrait, whether using indoor or outdoor settings. From understanding the basics of equipment selection to posing techniques so everyone looks good, group arrangements for appealing compositions, and working with children, chapters cover everything from subject dress and things to avoid to the importance of the 'rule of third' in image composition. If you're regularly shooting at night or under low-light conditions you must have Peter Cope's NIGHT AND LOW-LIGHT TECHNIQUES FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY (158428174X, $34.95) close at hand: it discusses how color is changed by low light, how sunsets and sunrises photography differently, and how to capture lightning, moons, cityscapes, fireworks and more. Both camera and software techniques are covered in an excellent primer with plenty of color photo examples. Lou Jacobs Jr.'s HOW TO START AND OPERATE A DIGITAL PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO (1584281715, $39.95) covers everything the photographer needs to put together a profitable studio, from purchasing studio equipment and determining the best strategy for proofing and presenting images to establishing food marketing plans. With fundamentals of business savvy blending into the specifics of operating a photography studio, complete with color photos and notes on successful images, this is a real winner. Jeff Smith's CORRECTIVE
