The Wedding
Paul Atterbury & Hilary Kay
David & Charles
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
0715322168 $12.99 1-800-726-9966 www.fwpublications.com www.davidandcharles.co.uk
Over a hundred years of wedding photos celebrate the vows and provides a range of 'big day' images, from innovative shots using luxury cars and settings to 1940s weddings during wartime and to military personnel. Changing looks, styles, and backgrounds past to present are portrayed in a lovely and appealing set of images: the perfect gift for the soon-to-be-married.
Grant Wood's Studio
Jane C. Milosch, editor
Prestel
175 - 5th Avenue, #402, New York NY 10010
3791333259 $45.00 www.prestel.com
For an in-depth survey of Grant Wood's works, choose GRANT WOOD'S STUDIO: BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICAN GOTHIC. Numerous contributors enhance details on both his better-known and lesser-known works, enhancing some 98 color photos with a historic background pinpointing his success as a painter and designer. The object here is two-fold: to gather and contrast both well known and more obscure works for a fuller representation of his talents, and to capture his intentions and achievements: a successful catalog of his works results, recommended for any serious Grant Woods collection or college-level art library.
Playing Cards
Mark Batty, Publisher
6050 Boulevard East, #2H, West New York, NJ 07093
0976224526 $24.95 www.markbattypublisher.com
Ira Pearlstein provides a fine introduction and Buzz Poole the running commentary to the gorgeous and unusual PLAYING CARDS, a fun and artistic collection of playing card shapes, designs, artistic movements, and design changes. From animal cards with geometric approaches similar to art deco to cards filled with Dutch cultural images from World war I and bizarre quirky cards, PLAYING CARDS is for any who love card games and art.
Masks and Masking
Gary Edson
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786421185 $45.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com
For over 20,000 years masking has been a mark of advanced cultures: the mask has been a cultural phenomenon, a social phenomenon, and an artistic representation. MASKS AND MASKING: FACES OF TRADITION AND BELIEF WORLDWIDE could have been reviewed in our cultural insights section but deserves mention here for the many who view masks as art works alone. Discussions range from surveys of masks as communicators and expressions in societies to masks as communal and spiritual symbols. Black and white mask representations peppered throughout add to a scholarly survey of the role and changing meaning of masks in world beliefs. The result is a set of invaluable observations of masks and their underlying roles in societies, and will provide artists with an invaluable set of cultural and social insights with which to better understand the overall meaning and importance of masks around the world.
Brush
Daniel Rozensztroch & Shiri Slavin
Pointed Leaf Press
1100 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10028
0972766154 $29.95 www.pointedleafpress.com
Brushes relate a history of social roles and changes in concepts of beauty and hygiene, and the workers and designers who invent brushes often include innovative or artistic flairs which aren't fully appreciated. BRUSHES provides pages packed with brush pictures, descriptions of different types of brushes and their purposes, and insights on design and art. Marc Schwartz's gorgeous photos accompany text by Laurence Salmon and research by Stefania Di Petrillo in an outstanding presentation which is a recommended winner for any art library; particularly those interested in everyday art and design.
The Art & Character of Nutcrackers
Arlene Wagner
Collectors Press
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
1933112085 $60.00 www.collectorspress.com
Nutcrackers have a long history, moving from simple utilitarian designs to works of art which have achieved notoriety and acclaim - and here to document all the changing trends in construction and artistry is THE ART & CHARACTER OF NUTCRACKERS. Color photos pack every page and contrast a wide range of nutcrackers. Discussions of different woods utilized by artisans, changing styles around the world, and different materials utilized make for an exciting display perfect for collectors and artists alike.
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, adventure, and 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 Amazonas 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.
TeNeues Publishing
16 W. 22nd Street, New York NY 10010
www.teneues.com
Two outstanding books provide specialized architecture holdings with beautiful color surveys. Martin Kunz's COOL RESTAURANTS SAN FRANCISCO (3823790675, $16.95) surveys the interiors of San Francisco's best restaurants, focusing on design options and providing well over a hundred color photos - and recipes - from some of the city's most notable establishments. Full-page color photos capture these establishments at their finest. Peter Delius' AIRLINE DESIGN (3832790551, $24.95) includes lovely color photos by Jacek Slaski, photo editor and gallery owner in Berlin, as it covers airline design trends using a pictorial approach to all aspects of design, from cabin to tableware. Both are specialized, but especially suitable for college-level specialty art holdings.
The Making of a Terrorist
James J.F. Forest
Praeger Security International
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
027598544X $300.00/set www.praeger.com
THE MAKING OF A TERRORIST: RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND ROOT CAUSES surpasses all other lighter treatments on the topic, providing the depth which makes it highly recommendable to security collections, military libraries, and more. Three weighty volumes thoroughly cover the topic. VOLUME 1: RECRUITMENT delves into techniques of education and recruitment in terrorist organizations, from recruiting from prisons and young people to locating those with unresolved trauma, fundamentalist belief systems, and the military. Chapters delve into the world history of such recruitment tactics. VOLUME 2: TRAINING surveys different terrorist training and indoctrination methods around the world, considering elements of charismatic leadership, teaching inductees how to prepare for death in the cause, and surveying the methods of different terrorist training groups and camps around the world. VOLUME 3: ROOT CAUSES examines politics, attitudes toward democracy and other institutions, from religious sources of violence to how an idealistic ideology is fostered and promoted. From myths and traditions to differences between how terrorist wars are made, history and theory blend. This set is an invaluable 'must' for any seeking more depth and detail than the usual casual reviews of problems and theories.
Cosmos and Psyche
Richard Tarnas
Viking Press
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
0670032921 $29.95 www.penguin.com
Cultural historian Richard Tarnas' previous PASSION OF THE WESTERN MIND offered a fine survey of Western spirit: COSMOS AND PSYCHE takes it a step further, relying on thirty years of research to draw a direct connection between planetary movements and patterns of human experience. One might be tempted to think this is pop science - but Tarnas provides extensive scientific and historical links throughout and offers many new insights into connections between science and religion which deserve discussion.
ESRI
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100
www.esri.com
Any collection involved in GIS systems and computer mapping must have Wilpen L. Gorr & Kristen S. Kurland's GIS TUTORIAL: WORKBOOK FOR ARCVIEW 9 (1589481275 $69.95) at hand: it's an outstanding tutorial with a cd which provides essential insights to the GIS industry standard ArcView program, surveying all aspects of how the program operates and navigates. The workbook approach lends particularly well to either classroom assignments or individual paced studies, promising a lasting reference which covers all the basics of how ArcView operates - including the traps and tricks. 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'.
Ask an Agent
Margaret Emory
Watson-Guptill
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0823087956 $16.95 www.watsonguptill.com
If you're an aspiring actor who's looking for an agent, don't go on the hunt until you've absorbed the tips in ASK AN AGENT; EVERYTHING ACTORS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AGENTS. It's tough love in a book: a candid discussion of the world of agents, what they can do, what they can't do, and the pitfalls and successes of dealing with one. Chapters discuss how agents 'sell' actors under their charge, what doors are open to them which are closed to the individual actor - and what happens when things go wrong in the relationship. A 'must' for any aspiring actor.
Arcadia has two California regional guides which are outstanding picks and 'musts' for any serious California history collection. Tricia O'Brien's SAN FRANCISCO'S BAYVIEW HUNTER'S POINT (0738530077, $19.99) is unique in many ways: very few California or San Francisco books even mention the Bayview area so it stands out from the beginning, and author O'Brien's Irish-Italian-Portuguese roots lend a unique personal facet to her coverage: her Irish grandmother had to keep her engagement with the Italian-Portuguese boy next door a secret from their families who would view the couple as a 'mixed race' couple, so they met on Bayview's Third Street to court. Their engagement, radical in their day, actually reflected the growing mixed ethnicity of Bayview and not only represents the neighborhood but influenced Tricia O'Brien's research, which brings some truly rare photos to life from many private collections. You won't find anything even remotely like SAN FRANCISCO'S BAYVIEW HUNTERS POINT in print - take it from a native. The Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society's HEALDSBURG (0738530601, $19.99) tells of the Northern Sonoma County city founded in 1857 when gold seeker Heald laid out a central plaza to serve as the community center. In 2007 the city will celebrate its 150th birthday: vintage photos captures the years in-between, showing the town's changed from a small farm town to a wine country destination. History comes to life in vintage shots of the town, its notable events and culture, and individuals alike.
Talk to the Hand
Lynne Truss
Gotham Books
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014-3658
15923401716 $20.00 www.penguin.com
Is lack of courtesy a problem in the world? Lynne Truss doesn't provide your usual etiquette book in TALK TO THE HAND: THE UTTER BLOODY RUDENESS OF THE WORLD TODAY, OR SIX GOOD REASONS TO STAY HOME AND BOLT THE DOOR: she analyzes six areas in which interactions and communications with strangers seem to be getting more unpleasant, adds a healthy dose of humor into the mix, and pairs lively case history news reports with insights on the social and culture sources of growing bad habits. A lively probe into the cultural, social, literary and political roots of rudeness.
Weasel Words
Paul Wasserman & Don Hausrath
Captial Books Inc.
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1933102071 $20.00 www.capital-books.com
'Doublespeak' takes on all forms of meaning and leads to evasions, distortions, and misleading terms: help stamp out the problem by consulting WEASEL WORDS: THE DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN DOUBLESPEAK. Here's a survey of A-Z euphemisms, misnomers, and ideas which ranges from 'on task' and 'Patriot Act' to 'market timing' and 'extremist'. What makes them 'weasel words'? Read the definitions and examples here and find out.
Federal Street Press
25-13 Old Kings Highway North #277, Darien, CT 06820
www.federalstreetpress.com
Three outstanding new desk references prove that computers haven't taken over the handy desktop dictionary yet. Mirriam-Webster's WEBSTER'S NEW EXPLORER STUDENT DICTIONARY NEW EDITION (1892859955, $10.98) isn't just for students: it's for any who want an easy, quick definition dictionary. Purple color-coded tabs make it quick to locate an A-Z section, while definitions include pronunciation, variant spellings, main entry words and more. Crossword puzzle users will relish WEBSTER'S NEW EXPLORER CROSSWORD PUZZLE DICTIONARY, 2ND EDITION (1892857947, $10.98): it's been completely revised and expanded, comes in a handsome hardcover durable binding, and defines some of the most commonly used words in crossword puzzles. The deluxe edition of WEBSTER'S FAMILY SPANISH-ENGLISH DICTIONARY (189285098X, $12.98) is a fine presentation suitable for gift-giving, with its speckled blue edges and ribbon marker built-in. Spanish to English and English to Spanish features Latin American Spanish and American English for over 80,000 words and phrases, including special sections on Spanish grammar and verbs. All are outstanding library reference picks: more affordable and durable than most competitors.
The Science Shelf
An Acre of Glass
J.B. Zirker
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4319
0801882346 $30.00 www.press.jhu.edu
Astronomers have long endeavored to understand the universe and its construction by using telescopes to make new discovers. AN ACRE OF GLASS describes the history of telescope technology and how recent innovations have led to a leap forward in astronomical discovery. AN ACRE OF GLASS: A HISTORY AND FORECAST OF THE TELESCOPE reveals how telescope technology lead directly to these new findings - and new questions. Chapters often read with the drama of fiction, documenting the discoveries and endeavors of individuals involved in astronomical science and research. An excellent guide to how modern astronomy has been pushed by telescope advancement.
A History of Space Exploration And Its Future
Tim Furniss
Mercury Books
20 Bloomsbury Street, London, England, WC1B 3JH
19046681511 $25.00 www.internationalpubmarket.com
The story of space exploration and its future comes to life in a visual treat which follows space technology and discoveries from the first rocket in 1926 to modern times. Each technological advancement is linked to both space exploration advancement and, in turn, to other effects on human achievement. The vintage and contemporary photos, charts, and visuals provide a powerful timeline of events which lend to leisure browsing and interest, backed by facts suitable for reports.
Deep Sky Objects
David H. levy
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591023610 $20.00 www.prometheusbooks.com
David Levy is a veteran comet discoverer - one of the most successful discoverers in history - and wants others to share in his personal achievement and joy in locating unusual deep sky objects. You don't have to live in the country to be able to observe distant objects: DEEP SKY OBJECTS: THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST FROM FOUR DECADES OF COMET CHASING can count city-dwellers among its astronomy fans, providing positions, magnitudes, history and best observation times to accompany a running commentary of the author's discoveries and excitement about his findings. It's this excitement which makes DEEP SKY OBJECTS unique in the world of amateur astronomy titles, pairing specifics on how and what to observe with a veteran comet chaser's exciting discoveries.
The Politically Incorrect Guide To Science
Tom Bethell
Regnery Publishing
1 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
089526031X $19.95 www.regnery.com
From the dangers inherent in the 'good chemistry' of homeopathy to the idea of nuclear power as a 'green' cause or the lack of successes from generic engineering, science myths and controversies are revealed in a lively set of discussions refuting many liberal notions in THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO SCIENCE. Notions of politically correct science, how they evolved, and in particular how they are changed by the nature of scientific discovery and social sentiment make for an intriguing, absorbing title highly recommended for general interest reading.
Ancient Astronomy
Clive Ruggles
ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
1851094776 $85.00 www.abc-clio.com
Clive Ruggles is professor of archaeoastronomy at the University of Leicester and has published numerous astronomy works in past: his ANCIENT ASTRONOMY: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COSMOLOGIES AND MYTH provides over 200 A-Z entries in an updated collection of world case studies revolving around themes ranging from calendars and space/time concepts to key issues of assessing evidence. Jargon-free explanations, discussions of problematic issues, bibliographic references and history and observations make for a reference recommended to a wide audience, from high school through college.
The Cultural Issues Shelf
Forgotten Faces
Ronald William Horne
Personal Genesis Publishing
110 Pacific Ave. #204, San Francisco CA 94111
0974739529 $49.95 www.personalgenesispublishing.com
Galleys and unfinished titles typically aren't mentioned here but keep an eye out for the finished version of FORGOTTEN FACES: A WINDOW NTO OUR IMMIGRANT PAST: it's a unique coverage of photo-ceramic memorial grave portraits and provides an outstanding survey of memorial portraiture as its own art form. This could have been mentioned under our art review section but is featured here for its important cultural insights as well: California immigrant history comes to life in an outstanding visual and written survey of a unique art and memorial form which should not be missed.
The Humor Shelf
Redneck Extreme Mobile Home Makeover
Jeff Foxworthy
Rutledge Hill Press
PO Box 14100, Nashville, TN 37214
1401602258 $14.99 www.rutledgehillpress.com
Jeff Foxworthy continues his wildly successful and hilarious 'redneck' jokes with a new presentation even more effective than many of his others, REDNECK EXTREME MOBILE HOME MAKEOVER - complete with plastic flamingo on the cover. These are more 'you might be a redneck if' jokes, providing home-oriented comments many will relish and not a few will recognize.
The Big Book of Bush Cartoons
Daryl Cagle & Brian Fairrington
Que Publishing
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789734702 $14.95 1-800-428-5331 www.pearsoned.com www.quepublishing.com
If you wish a whimsical history of the Bush presidency, choose THE BIG BOOK OF BUSH CARTOONS! THE HISTORY OF THE BUSH PRESIDENCY IN CARTOONS! Editorial cartoons gained from the best political cartoonists contribute a diversity of drawing, perspective and focus in revealing the history of Bush's interactions around the world, from his initial hanging chad election to the war in Iraq. Black and white cartoons are as large as a full page, while others are four to a page: all provide fun commentary those with a sense of humor and interest in social and political issues will appreciate.
The Audiobook Shelf
A Treasure Worth Seeking
Sandra Brown
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1593559860 $26.95 www.brillianceaudo.com
Veteran narrator Joyce Bean spices A TREASURE WORTH SEEKING: a thought-provoking audio story of Erin, who has searched for the brother she'd never known and at last finds some clues to his whereabouts - only to find herself confronting family lies, secrets, and even new romance. Her love and discoveries about her family will shake her world and change her life in a moving romance which comes alive in audio under Bean's practiced voice.
Simon & Schuster Audio
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
www.simonsays.com
Annie Proulx's short story BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (0743550102, $9.95) is proving a controversial blockbuster hit across the country and has already won Golden Globe awards and film awards: now a powerful audio performance presents, unabridged, her classic story of cowboys who fall in love. Campbell Scott provides a warm and sensitive voice to bring to life the tale. Anthony Swofford's JARHEAD: A MARINE'S CHRONICLE OF THE GULF WAR AND OTHER BATTLES (0743550919, $29.95) receives a warm reading by the author himself, who tells about military life in the Marines. Swofford was sent to the Gulf in 1990 for the first war: he considers here what it means to be a soldier, an American, and a man. Dr. Phil McGraw's LOVE SMART (0743551893, $29.95) is also narrated by the author and provides advice to any dissatisfied with their love life. The focus is on how to obtain a committed relationship: LOVE SMART discusses everything from where to go to meet such people to how to rekindle a love gone awry. There's somebody for everyone: LOVE SMART tells how to get on the road to find that special person.
Audio Renaissance
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
1-800-221-7945 www.audiorenaissance.com
James McManus' PHYSICAL: AN AMERICAN CHECKUP (1593978731, $29.95) tells of an American who gets a checkup at the Mayo Clinic and confronts both modern preventative medicine and his own mortality, as a result. A bonus interview with the author accompanies a strong reading by Patrick Frederic as it tells of facing mortality - with humor. Rita Emmett's THE PROCRASTINATOR'S HANDBOOK: MASTERING THE ART OF DOING IT NOW (1593978472, $19.95) comes from a professional speaker on the topic whose clients include AT&T, Mercedes-Benz and more. Emmett is herself a recovering procrastinator: she provides insights on triggers, behavioral needs, and modification routines that work. An excellent pick for any who suffer from procrastination and wish routines to reform. Greg Rucka's PERFECT DARK: INITIAL VECOR (1593978820, $29.95) continues the saga featured in the Xbox game PERFECT DARK ZERO: this narrated deftly by Orlach Cassidy with Scott Sowers as it tells of a future world in which corporations control everything and use their own military forces to fight each other without public knowledge. Joanna Dark is an ex-bounty hunter who has seen this war for herself: she finds herself in the center of a conflict which brings her face to face with corporate and personal evil in this riveting thriller, which comes deftly to new life in a powerful audio format.
Clipper Audio is based in the UK and produces wonderful audio cd listens which feature strong British narrators, solid plots, and library-durable audio cd cases. John Harvey's CUTTING EDGE (14190344234, $119.75) pairs solid narrator Ron Keith's smooth and British voice with the story of Dr. Fletcher, who is attacked finishing work at his hospital and who faces long-term disability from an assailant who could attack again - and does. Stephen Booth's BLIND TO THE BONES (1419353837, $119.75) receives Christopher Kay's excellent style and ability to capture the tension surround the story of a village slowly being murdered off. The parents of a missing student are working to re-open a long-closed case - and investigations are showing an entire village is in danger. Alan Titchmarsh's ROSIE (1419353864, $89.75) receives a strong narration by the author himself as he tells of a grandmother arrested and one Nick Robertson's efforts to cope with two warring parents and a defiant grandmother. LOVE AND DEVOTION by Erica James (1419335057, $119.75) enjoys the lively and moving voice of Jilly Bond as it tells of families, love and loss from the viewpoint of middle-aged Harriet, who thinks she has the perfect life until her only sister is killed in a car crash. David Lodge's AUTHOR, AUTHOR (1419353950, $119.75) receives veteran narrator Christopher Kay's smooth telling: perfect for setting the scene in 1915, where a dying authors life and fame is revealed, from his friendship with Punch artist George Du Maruier to his concern with the failure of his books to sell. The author: Henry James. All are powerful productions, lending to the rigors and challenges of library acquisition.
The Biography Shelf
The Privacy War
Ron Felber
Croce Publishing Group LLC
PO Box 339, Montvale, NJ 07645
0971953899 $16.95 www.crocepublishing.com
The biography of Neil Gallagher, one of the most promising young members of Congress in the 1960s whose rise to power unraveled as later years revealed links to the mob and J. Edgar Hoover's war against privacy makes for an engrossing story of not just one politician's rise and fall, but the underlying power struggles, politics and influences which led to pressures against Fourth Amendment rights. A revealing blend of biography and political history.
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.
Stephen Decatur
Robert J. Allison
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
1558494928 $34.95 1-800-488-1144 www.umass.edu/umpress
Stephen Decatur became the youngest man ever to serve as a captain in the U.S. Navy, at age 25, in the late 1700s: he led many to victor and created for himself a legend of bravery and literacy alike. STEPHEN DECATUR: AMERICAN NAVAL HERO, 1779-1820 comes from a historian who recounts both Decatur's achievements and life and naval history and politics of his times, covering the early years of the new young republic and showing how Decatur helped direct naval policy and politics in the new nation. A highly recommended biographical pick for any fan of early Republic history in general and naval history in particular.
Pointed Leaf Press
1100 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10028
www.pointedleafpress.com
Peter Schifando and Jean H. Mathison's CLASS ACT: WILLIAM HAINES, LEGENDARY HOLLYWOOD DECORATOR (0972766146, $95.00) tells of talent contest winner William Haines, who came to Hollywood in 1922 and appeared in over twenty films as a leading many to many famous stars, then recreated himself as a decorator using many of his costars as clients. Haines developed a unique style over a 40-year period, designing elite homes and producing notable designs for business leaders, socialites and arts patrons. Pack in photos in both black and white and color - many of which haven't seen print previously - with a survey by members of the Haines firm and you have an authoritative, in-depth expose which will prove an outstanding pick for any collection of Hollywood history or interior design arts. Suzanne Slesin's OVER THE TOP: HELENA RUBINSTEIN EXTRAORDINARY STYLE: BEAUTY ART FASHION DESIGN (1972766103, $75.00) reviews the achievements of a pioneer leader in the cosmetics industry celebrated for not just her line of cosmetics but her art collecting, home decoration and appreciation of the arts. Sixteen short essays by experts accompany four hundred images to trace the life of Helena Rubinstein, following her flair for interior decoration, her interest in collecting the works of artists as they began their ascent, and her fine collections. More so than any other coverage, OVER THE TOP captures the multi-faceted interests and personality of a woman whose tastes often ran against trends - then created new ones.
The Philosophy Shelf
Hip Hop & Philosophy
Derrick Darby & Tommie Shelby, Eds.
Open Court Publishing
140 S. Dearborn Avenue, #1450, Chicago, IL 60603
0812695895 $17.95 www.opencourtbooks.com
Philosophy sounds like dry, ancient wisdom to modern youth - but it takes a different, more contemporary approach when led by hip-hop fans who have studied the pursuit of wisdom and come up with contemporary associations. HIP HOP & PHILOSOPHY: RHYME 2 REASON pairs great philosophers and their works to rap classics by Lauryn Hill, OutKast and others to show rap can help uncover the meaning of such philosophers as Plato. A delightful, fun presentation invites young college students to understand underlying meanings in both ancient and modern texts.
The Architecture Shelf
Wood Houses
Auroa Cuito
Te Neues
16 W. 22nd St., New York NY 10010
3832790764 $24.95 www.teneues.com
WOOD HOUSES provides a simple focus on a selection of houses made from wood - not just on the exterior, but right down to kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms. Aurora Cuito is a Spanish architect who has also worked for design firms in New York: her focus on wood provides a focus on its many applications and purposes, packing full-page color interior and exterior shots with comments on design and space planning.
Winter House
Charlotte Moss
Clarkson Potter
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
1400054389 $50.00 www.randomhouse.com
Interior designer Charlotte Moss focuses on how to change a home to a warm retreat using her own winter house as an example: WINTER HOUSE is thus both a review of her designs and a survey of what makes a winter house more accommodating. There are spaces for all purposes, from family gatherings to private rooms for reflection: a room-by-room survey is accompanied by organization and design tips, reflections on innovations and 'little luxuries' adaptable to any environment, and plenty of entertainment ideas. Color photos pack nearly every page and accompany the author's examples of what makes a 'winter home' style.
The Survival Guide: Home Remodeling
Diane Plesset, ASID, CBD/CKD, CCIDC
Design and Publishing
12042 SE Sunnyside Rd. Box 480, Clackamas, OR 97015
0972962700 $34.95 www.dp-design.com
The price tag is hefty but this remodeling book comes direct from experience: the author offers remodeling seminars to homeowners and her vast knowledge combines with 'homeowner horror stories' to provide money-saving and mistake-avoiding ideas in THE SURVIVAL GUIDE: HOME REMODELING: PLESSET'S PRINCIPLES FOR AN ALMOST-PERFECT PROJECT. Janis Emerson provides black and white line drawings to accompany guidelines, worksheets, and chapters which clearly outline pro and con considerations every step of the away, from selecting a stove to shopping for products and understanding product information specs. Initial design talks, lighting, spouts, fixtures - not one nail is left for speculation.
Home Work
Lloyd Kahn
Shelter Publications
PO Box 279, Bolinas, CA 94924
0936070331 $26.95 www.shelterpub.com
HOME WORK: HANDBUILT SHELTER represents over thirty years of gathering photos and details about builders around the world; so don't expect a hasty compilation of alternate design here. It represents the sequel to Kahn's best-selling SHELTER, published in 1973, and packs in over a thousand photos and over 300 drawings illustrating hand-made buildings ranging from a Japanese stilt house accessible only by cable across a river to an African stone house. The survey of unique hand-built homes around the world is a joy to behind, contrasting a diversity in design and presentation which comes not from the professional architect's casebook but, many times, from the amateur builders themselves. Very highly recommended for any collection strong in builder's books and design idea books - or even international travel and cultures.
Ralph Adams Cram: An Architect's Four Quests
Douglass Shand-Tucci
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
1558494898 $49.95 1-800-488-1144 www.umass.edu.umpress
Any college-level student of architecture should know the name of American architect Ralph Adams Cram - and any familiar with his work should consider RALPH ADAMS CRAM: ARCHITECT'S FOUR QUESTS a definitive work covering his life and achievements. His later career is the focus, following the prior acclaimed study of his earlier years in BOSTON BOHEMIA, 1881-1900: his most important commissions, his rivalry with partner Goodhue, and his leading influences from Roosevelt to Adams and Ayn Rand are surveyed, bringing all this together under themes which divides his career into four lifelong 'quests': medieval, modernist, American and ecumenical.
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Ave., New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
Three outstanding architecture books are highly recommended references for any college-level collection expanding their architecture holdings. Peter Buchanan's TEN SHADES OF GREEN: ARCHITECTURE AND THE NATURAL WORLD (0393731898, $24.95) centers on ten buildings which illustrate how environmental responsibility influences modern architectural pursuits. Peter Buchanan is a curator and critic: his choices reflect designs which blend environmental responsibility with design excellence, showing how such a focus provides architects with new, innovative ideas. Judy A. Juracek's ARCHITECTURAL SURFACES: DETAILS FOR ARTISTS, ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS (0393730794, $95.00) comes with a cd-rom and provides students and professional practitioners alike with a new addition to the 'Surfaces' series. Hundreds of different architectural features are portrayed in well over a thousand color photos which capture details and provide a subject organization for quick, easy reference. Professionals and students alike will appreciate the illustrated glossary of technical terms, and the wealth of illustration packs four to six good-sized photos on almost every page. Brian Hayes' INFRASTRUCTURE: A FIELD GUIDE TO THE INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPE (0393058879, $49.95) blends Hayes' own striking color photos with a guide exploring al major 'ecosystems' of the modern industrial world. It covers all kinds of objects, from railroad tracks and antenna towers to power lines, satellite dishes and more: manufactured items which permeate the human urban landscape to such a degree that they are part of our lives. Chapters discuss romance, geometric design, function and art alike.
2006 National Concrete & Masonry Estimator
Dan Atcheson
Craftsman Book Company
8058 Corte del Cedro, Carlsbad, CA 92011
1572181575 $54.00 www.craftsman-book.com
Estimate labor hours and material costs for all kinds of concrete and masonry work with the 2006 NATIONAL CONCRETE & MASONRY ESTIMATOR: a cd/book package filled with tips on how to produce quick, accurate cost estimates. Contractors are well aware that estimations can use up hours of bidding time: here it's advised the material lists be developed only when the contract is obtained - and chapters provide all the formulas necessary to produce quick calculations based on the latest prices. Author Dan Atcheson is the son of an architect who began his career as a teen, working at most of the construction trades until he added estimating to his skills. Chapters for each projected job divide into columns figures for labor, materials, and units and provide a manual which can easily be used as a company price book. Very highly recommended - and the interactive cd is set up to make expert to Quickbooks a snap, too!
The Gardening Shelf
Bay Area Gardening
Barbara J. Euser, editor
Solas House
853 Alma Street, Palo Alto, Ca 94301
1933261308 $18.95 www.travelerstales.com
Local master gardeners lend their insights on the peculiarities and special needs of California Bay Area gardens in BAY AREA GARDENING: 64 PRACTICAL ESSAYS BY MASTER GARDENERS. The San Francisco Bay Area's unique attributes, from mild climate and microclimates to changing soils, lends to a diverse gardening environment in turn: these essays are critical to understanding the Bay Area's special needs and should be on the reading lists and in the libraries of any local gardener.
The Woodworking Shelf
Building Real Furniture For Everyday Life
Chris Gleason
Popular Woodworking/F&W, dist.
4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1558707603 $24.99 www.popularwoodworking.com
Build functional, stylish furniture the easy way with BUILDING REAL FURNITURE FOR EVERYDAY USE: 14 PROJECTS YOU CAN MAKE IN A DAY. Here are pages packed with step-by-step color photos of each project, cutting lists in sidebar for easy quick reference, tips on everything from grain orientation and project drawing to hardware and supplies, and more. An outstanding project guide for do-it-yourself home woodworkers who would produce professional-quality results with a minimum of effort.
The Homemaker's Shelf
Laundry
Cheryl Mendelson
Scribner
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
0743271459 $25.00 1-800-223-2336 www.simonsays.com
It's surprising to see a book entirely devoted to housekeeping and one might wonder what could be said about laundry which could occupy an entire book on the topic; but LAUNDRY: THE HOME COMFORTS BOOK OF CARING FOR CLOTHES AND LINENS actually holds many surprises. For one thing, it culls from the bestselling HOME COMFORTS newly revised, updated information on caring for cloth, from bedding and baby clothes to vintage linens. Details cover such specifics as when to disregard labels, how to remove stains, and how to properly store fabrics. Chapters also cover all kinds of care: ironing, folding, and washing. Homemakers will find LAUNDRY an invaluable reference.
The Real Estate Shelf
Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide
Attorney Stephen Fishman
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, Ca 94710
1413304214 $34.99 www.nolo.com
Landlords know the main benefit of owning residential rental property is the many tax deductions which stem from such ownership, covering everything from improvements to expenses. This second edition has been updated to reflect the latest tax information and numbers: it covers everything from how to keep tax records and supporting documentation to deducting losses. Maximize profits and stay legal: keep EVERY LANDLORD'S TAX DEDUCTION GUIDE's latest edition on your desk.
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
Two excellent guides to real estate investing are essential picks for any venturing into the field. Steve Berges' THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO INVESTING IN FORECLOSURES (08144782885, $17.95) explains that with foreclosures at an all-time high, there's a wealth of prime properties available for picking in a hot market - both residential and commercial - at fine value. It all sounds easy - but there's a host of pitfalls along the wall, which are reviewed carefully in THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO INVESTING IN FORECLOSURES. Chapters discuss pitfalls and opportunities alike and provide invaluable insights. Michael c. Thomsett's REAL ESTATE INVESTOR'S POCKET CALCULATOR: SIMPLE WAYS TO COMPUTER CASHFLOW, VALUE, RETURN, AND OTHER KEY FINANCIAL MEASUREMENTS (0814472966, $17.95) finally places in the investor's hands the same tools real estate agents use to calculate yield, values, taxable income and operating expenses. All different types of value are revealed in chapters which cover everything from acceleration techniques and methods for reducing interest to ways of maximizing investment returns. Worksheets, tables and charts provide clarity and all the formulas needed to succeed. Very highly recommended as an essential, basic pick any real estate investor should keep at hand.
Condo Living
Robert Meisner, Esq.
Momentum Books
2145 Crooks Road, #208, Troy, MI 48084
1879094746 $24.95 www.momentumbooks.com
Whether you're thinking of buying a condo or selling one, you need CONDO LIVING: A SURVIVAL GUIDE TO BUYING, OWNER AND SELLING A CONDOMINIUM: it's a primer by an attorney with over thirty years experience of practicing community association law, and covers just about everything to know about condo ownership. From common developer and association practices to differences between simple conflicts and real problems, CONDO LIVING covers everything you need to know in advance about condo rules and regulations.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
The Body Noble
Derek Noble & Carol Colman
John Wiley & Sons
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
0471724181 $24.95 www.wiley.com
Derek Noble is star of the show URBAN FITNESS TV and imparts the foundations of his popular Hollywood exercise fitness routines here in THE BODY NOBLE: 20 MINUTES TO A HOT BODY WITH HOLLYWOOD'S COOLEST TRAINER. His is a simple, quick method for obtaining a fit body for even the busiest exercises, providing a 'lifestyle plan' which blends all components of fitness - muscle toning, stretching and cardio - in a series of routines which add visualization techniques to help boost effectiveness. Black and white photos pepper the exercises, but it's his in-depth survey of how to blend exercise into daily life which makes THE BODY NOBLE an exceptional guide.
Diabetes Danger
Walter M. Bortz II, MD
Select Books
1 Union Square West, Suite 909, New York City, NY 10003
1590791037 $21.95 www.selectbooks.com
200 million Americans are at risk for diabetes thanks to modern lifestyle and genetic makeup that nearly guarantee they will contract the disease - and doctors don't always prescribe the best treatment for it. DIABETES DANGER: WHAT 200 MILLION AMERICANS AT RISK NEED TO KNOW surveys the danger, addressing symptoms of pre-diabetes, considering problems before and after diagnosis, and showing how to get the most out of exercise and medicine. The idea is to both prevent it and control it: DIABETES DANGER helps with both.
The Diabetes Carbohydrate & Fat Gram Guide, 3rd Edition
Lea Ann Holzmeister, RD, CDE
American Diabetes Association
1701 N. Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
158040247X $14.95 www.diabetes.org
The third edition of this essential diabetic's reference is on the market and registered dietitian Holzmeister has put together more nutritional information listings not only carbs, fat and calories, but additional details for nearly 7,000 listings. How to keep such listings easy to access? A quick set of charts provides at-a- glance details on serving sizes, nutrient data and ideas for both generic and packages products - this edition including international and ethnic foods - a growing part of supermarket choices, and thus an essential addition here. Organized by food type - pies, ethnic foods, fast foods and frozen packaged foods - THE DIABETES CARBOHYDRATE & FAT GRAM GUIDE promises quick, easy reference.
Lessons from Joan
Eric R. Kingson
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13244-5160
0815608381 $19.95 www.SyracuseUnviersityPress.syr.edu
Eric's wife Joan was diagnosed with cancer and despite her near-perfect record of eating well and exercising right - and her medical background which should have lent to learn diagnosis - she struggled with cancer and the medical system alike. LESSONS FROM JOAN: LIVING AND LOVING WITH CANCER, A HUSBAND'S STORY offers far more than the usual memoir, however: its most valuable contribution lies in its lessons on how to navigate the medical system, how to obtain results in the face of obstacles, and how families can endure both diagnosis and treatment. This powerful story holds many lessons and much advice for any facing similar struggles, and is a high recommended pick.
The Road to a Healthy Heart Runs Through the Kitchen
Joseph C. Piscatella
Workman Publishing Company
708 Broadway, New York NY 10003-9555
0761135189 $14.95 www.workman.com
THE ROAD TO A HEALTHY HEART provides cardiac patients and their loved ones with a step-by-step guide to cooking which links culinary issues with health and heart connections, and represents a complete revision of the classic DON'T EAT YOUR HEART OUT COOKBOOK - a revision some ten years in the making. The Piscatella diet is at the heart of the matter and while 300 recipes pack THE ROAD TO A HEALTHY HEART, plenty of details on diet and nutrition are included too. A 'must' for any serious about health.
Health Reference Series
Omnigraphics
615 Griswold Street, Detroit, MI 48226
$78.00 each www.omnigraphics.com
Two excellent health reference resources are picks any college-level collection will want to include. Ivy Alexander edits the second updated edition of the URINARY TRACT AND KIDNEY DISEASES AND DISORDERS SOURCEBOOK (0780807502), which helps lay readers understand symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options and physiology of common diseases and disorders. From benign kidney stones to urinary tract and prostate disorders, all conditions receive clear explanation. Sandra J. Judd edits the new first edition HEPATITIS SOURCEBOOK (0780807499), which offers basic consumer information on all the different types of hepatitis. Risk factors, prevention, transmission, and more offer tips for coping with chronic treatments and discussions of typical challenges. Both are packed with detail and information suitable for general-interest public library reference holdings. The second edition of Amy L. Sutton's DERMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS SOURCEBOOK (0780807952, $78.00) is filled with basic consumer guidelines and health facts for all kinds of conditions affecting not just skin but nails and hair. From birthmarks and skin injuries to hair loss and disorders, chapters provide all the basics on how to maintain healthy skin and hair and how to handle symptoms and aging effects.
The Psychology Shelf
The Worry Cure
Robert J. Leahy, Ph.D.
Harmony/Crown
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
13400097657 $24.95 www.randomhouse.com
Understand and combat your tendency to worry too much with THE WORRY CURE: SEVEN STEPS TO STOP WORRY FROM STOPPING YOU. Everyone worries - but if it seems to be taking over your life and happiness, it's time for THE WORRY CURE, which offers real-world tools to reverse worry and separate unproductive from productive worry. Identify common thinking distortions, focus on the core issue of worries, and understand when it makes sense to worry and when to accept reality with tips from a therapist who has spent the last quarter century helping patients conquer anxiety and depression.
The Women's Studies Shelf
Still Going Strong
Janet Amalia Weinberg, Ed.
Haworth Press
10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580
0789028719 $22.95 www.HaworthPress.com
Does life go downhill after 50? Not if you read this collection of memoirs and stories STILL GOING STRONG: MEMOIRS, STORIES AND POEMS ABOUT GREAT OLDER WOMEN. Here are lessons for aging gracefully in an anthology which celebrates older women and how they continue to have adventures, enjoy romances, and live well. Over forty contributors provide powerful testimonies, mostly first-person.
The Cookbook Shelf
The California Wine Country Diet
Haven Logan, Ph.D.
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Ave., Sanger, CA 93657
1884956483 $25.00 www.quilldriverbooks.com
Make wellness and weight management a pleasure not a trial through the latest diet book to advocate a different program, CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY DIET: THE INDULGENT APPROACH TO MANAGING YOUR WEIGHT. Recipes come from some of the state's most renowned chefs and provide a blend of nutritionally appealing dishes with meal plans you can live with. Learn to eat seasonally, locally, and diversely using a diet which is appealing and diverse.
Kosher for the Clueless But Curious
Shimon Apisdorf
Leviathan Press
25 Hooks Lane Suite 202, Baltimore, MD 21208
1881927318 $23.95 www.leviathanpress.com
If you think 'kosher' is some kind of antique Jewish tradition or confusing in its dietary requirements, you've come to the right place in deciding to inspect KOSHER FOR THE CLUELESS BUT CURIOUS: A FUN, FACT-FILLED, AND SPIRITUAL GUIDE TO AL THINGS KOSHER. A 24-page color cookbook is included, but the heart of the title lies in its myths, facts, and discussions of what makes kosher foods. Packed with Talmud references, FDA support, references to nutrition and health, and Jewish tradition, KOSHER FOR THE CLUELESS BUT CURIOUS is recommended for a wide audience; from those who keep kosher out of habit to those outside the Jewish religion who wish to understand. Very highly recommended: an exceptional, unusual read.
Fast Cooking in a Slow Cooker
JoAnn Rachor
Family Health Publications
8777 Musgrove Highway, Sunfield, MI 48890
187826269 $14.95 www.familyhealthpub.com
There are plenty of slow cooker cookbooks on the market; but only a few vegetarian guides: JoAnn Rachor's FAST COOKING IN A SLOW COOKER EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR: A SLOW COOKER VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK focuses on the heart of vegetarian cookery - entrees and vegetable dishes - with a bow to breads and desserts - and will delight any who always look for appropriate vegetarian main dishes. From vegetable lasagna and a lentil loaf to a eggplant garlic bake, dishes are accompanied by color photos and clear charts of ingredients; plus an unusual format which offers conversions for smaller to larger recipes with yields from 3 to 6 cups. These features make for an outstanding reference especially recommended for home cooks, with lay-flat spiral binding.
William Morrow
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
www.harpercollins.com
Morrow's cookbooks are consistently solid picks and are recommended for both specialty cookbook holdings and general-interest public library collections. Three recent publications are special mentions for all collections. Jennifer McLagan's BONES: RECIPES, HISTORY, & LORE (0060585374, $34.95) covers all the basics about bones and their important role in flavoring. People may opt for boneless chicken, fish and cutlets - but anything cooked with bone in has more flavor, and BONES provides receipts for cooking everything with bones. Each chapters includes stocks, soups, ribs, legs and more; but most of the dishes are easy enough for the most basic home cook to duplicate. Traditional dishes move to innovative and international influences in each chapter, and while color photos do pepper the presentation, the meat of BONES lies in its recipes that celebrate and bring out the best in bone flavorings. Susan Herrmann Loomis' COOKING AT HOME ON RUE TATIN (0060758171, $24.95) comes from a cookbook author and pro chef who surveys French home cooking. Classic French techniques and dishes meld with international cuisine in a title which also takes the busy cook into account. From a simple Braised Fennel and Chicken with Artichoke to Leek and Bacon Quiche and Mackerel with Dandelion Greens, this is packed with innovations and basics alike. Eileen Goudge's SOMETHING WARM FROM THE OVEN (0060740418, $24.95) represents the author's debut as a cookbook author - but she's no newcomer to publishing; she has eleven popular novels to her name. She discusses the sum of the techniques and tricks she's absorbed over the years, blending basic information with the best recipes from her personal collection and adding some inspiring stories from her family baking adventures. Pecan-Cranberry Pie, Raspberry Marzipan Cheesecake, and Cherry-Cream Cheese Bread are only a few of the delights in SOMETHING WARM FROM THE OVEN: BAKING MEMORIES, MAKING MEMORIES.
Creative Cost Cutting
Douglas Robert Brown
Atlantic Publishing Company
1210 SW 23rd Place, Ocala, FL 34474-7014
0190627614 $79.95 1-800-814-1132 www.atlantic-pub.com
Remove the mystery from restaurant operations and understand how a professional kitchen succeeds and where it fails with THE FOOD SERVICE MANAGER'S GUIDE TO CREATIVE COST CUTTING, a guide to simple ways to save a food service operation from bleeding money. Thousands of practical insider techniques and tips come from successful professional operations around the world and cover all the basics. It's a tiny percentage which makes the difference between a profitable establishment and one out of business: it's good to have a practical step-by-step guide to reducing costs in food, beverage, operations and labor alike. A 'must' for any serious professional restaurant or cookbook collection.
Hershey
Michael D'Antonio
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York NY 10020
0743264096 $25.00 www.simonandschuster.com
Milton S. Hershey's dreams of wealth and success came true in the candy empire he built; yet few realize his poor beginnings, the business innovations he fostered which contributed to his success, and his utopian ideals which led him to create an idyllic town and a legacy. HERSHEY: MILTON S. HERSHEY'S EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF WEALTH, EMPIRE, AND UTOPIAN DREAMS represents the first full- length study of the successful business leader, exploring his ambitions, his dreams, and his socially conscious outlook on life. It looks like a chocolate empire biography, but HERSHEY actually is a story of one man's vision - and it will delight both food fans and business readers alike.
Perfect Party Food
Diane Phillips
Harvard Common Press
535 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118
1558322604 $24.95 1-888-657-3755 www.harvardcommonpress.com
Entertainment needn't translate to the host being trapped in the kitchen: PERFECT PARTY FOOD is designed to bring the host with the guests and provides menu, decorating and cooking suggestions to this purpose. From producing quick vegetarian side dishes to whipping up a Chicken with Eggplant and Gorgonzola, Italian Style Pot Roast, and Honey-Ginger Pork Satay to Roasted Spicy Asian Sweet Potatoes, PERFECT PARTY FOOD comes packed with 'signature dishes' the entire family will also enjoy.
There are a number of cocktail books on the market now, but with Sarah Ford, Editor's THE COCKTAIL BIBLE (1552856852 $19.95) you have a greater choice than moist - over 600 recipes - along with special mixing tips, techniques, and variations on themes. Color photos on each page accompany color-coded sidebars of detail and make for an excellent reference for a multitude of beverages which are shaken, stirred or on the rocks. Jurgen Gothe's DISCCOOKERY: THE DISCDRIVE 20TH ANNIVERSARY COOKBOOK (1552857565, $19.95) provides a celebration of food, wine and music alike, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the CBC Radio Two program 'DiscDrive' with a cookbook of recipes gathered from Jurgen's own files and those of his radio listeners. Here are some truly unique dishes not to be found elsewhere, from Fiery Prawns with Iced Orange Muscat to Margaritaville Chicken and Sausage in Bondage, these winners are easy to produce. Celia Brooks Brown's ENTERTAINING VEGETARIANS (1552856860, $24.95) pairs lovely color photos by Ja Baldwin with a satisfying focus on a range of vegetarian dishes for parties, appetizers, and main courses. From brunch and outdoor cookery to sit-down dinners, the chapters in ENTERTAINING VEGETARIANS largely address what is the real challenge in vegetarian cooking - main courses and appetizers - with a bow to desserts. Ross Dobson's CHINATOWN SWEET SOUR SPICY SALTY (1552856933, $24.95) shares the author's long-time passion for Chinese cookery, offering a spicy variety of Chinese fare ranging from jasmine tea ice cream to a spicy Salt and Pepper Potatoes, Tofu with Soy and Ginger, and Hoisin Chicken. Gorgeous color photos for each dish compliment a satisfying blend of traditional standards and new innovations. Very highly recommended indeed. Jo McAuley's PANINI (1552856879, $12.95) surveys the grilled Italian sandwich which is becoming so popular in bistros and delis in North America. You'd think panini sounds too exotic to produce at home, but quite the opposite: McAuley demonstrates it's the perfect sanwich for producing in a home kitchen and packs her cookbook with recipes for vegetarian, meat, and even dessert sandwiches to prove it. Color photos face nearly every page and encourage cooks to sample.
Oxmoor House
PO Box 2262, rmingham AL 35201-2262
$34.95 each www.southernliving.com
Two outstanding new cookbooks from the magazine Southern Living are highly recommended picks for any seeking tested cookbook collections of favorites. OUR READERS TOP-RATED RECIPES (0848730542) is compiled and edited by Jane Gentry and provides popular dishes which have been chosen as reader favorites time and again. From a classic Fried Pork Chops with Cream Gravy to Quick Quesadillas and Potato Cobb Salad, these range from Southern dishes to internationally-influenced originals. COOKING LIGHT ANNUAL RECIPES 2006 (0848730127) gathers a year's worth of Cooking Light Magazine dishes, from Spicy Pickled Beans and Breakfast Sausage Casserole to a Chicken Broccoli Casserole. A centerfold of color photos enhances sidebars of information and a appealing primer on dishes which have been 'lightened' for the new year. Both are outstanding recommendations.
Ocean Friendly Cuisine
James O. Fraioli
Willow Creek Press
PO Box 147, Minocqua, WI 54548
159543061X $35.00 www.willowcreekpress.com
Access to fresh seafood is a 'must' for complete appreciation of OCEAN FRIENDLY CUISINE: SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD RCIPES FROM THE WORLD'S FINEST CHEFS - but those with such access will find here an exceptional guide which explains different seafood available to cooks. The Monterey Bay Aquarium endorses the contents of a guide to how seafood is harvested and how chefs prepare dishes cooked with seafood from fish farms. Each dish has been designed by a leading chef - and each explores the possibilities of seafood. Color sidebars of information comment on environmental status of each fish while introductions and color photos provide discussions of the ecology and nature of each: a perfect - and unusual - compliment to the gourmet dishes.
Duncan Baird Publishers
Castle House, 6th Flr, 75-76 Wells Street, London W1T 3QH, UK
$19.95 Each www.dbponline.co.uk
Lay-flat binding with spine lettering lends to both cooking and shelving ease in two excellent collections by noted British cookbook author Anne Sheasby, each holding 365 recipes for a year's worth of dishes. THE BIG BOOK OF SAUCES (1844831868) profiles both sweet and savory sauces for each day of the year, accompanying the recipes with serving tips and variation ideas. Her BIG BOOK OF BREAD (1844831930) accomplishes the same for bread, which can be made either in a bread machine or by hand. Gluten, wheat and yeast-free breads and recipes for those on restricted diets pack a book filled with color photos of finished products. Both are wonderful home references.
Wine Appreciation Guild, dist.
360 Swift Ave. Unit 30-40, S. San Francisco, CA 94080
www.wineappreciation.com
Two outstanding wine guides are 'musts' for any comprehensive wine library reference collection, whether it be a home library or a public lending institution strong in wine reference books. Michael Cooper's WINE ATLAS OF NEW ZEALAND (1869589211) is the first wine atlas dedicated just to New Zealand - a nation becoming known world-wide for its high quality wines. Michael Cooper has over 25 years experience researching and writing on his subject and is the perfect professional choice for producing a guide which reviews the nation's climate, soils, ten wine-making regions, and nearly 300 wine companies. Add color photos of labels, countryside and productions throughout and you have an important basic reference. Phyllis hands and Dave Hughes' NEW WORLD OF WINE FROM THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN WINE INDUSTRY (0958424721) adds to some of the few volumes on the market covering South African winery production, providing a more comprehensive and technical discussion than most. It's not a light survey of wineries, but an overview of viticulture and oenology in the country blending color photos with discussions of the physiology and distribution of South Africa's various varieties. South Africa's wine industry has been over three hundred years in the making but is only lately receiving its deserved world attention, and this comprehensive study, which includes interviews with local and international wine experts, is a solid starting place for understanding the country's wines and regions.
The Liquid Kitchen
Hayden Wood
Murdoch Books UK
Erico House, 6th Floor North, Putney, London SW15 2TG, UK
1740455525 L14.99
THE LIQUID KITCHEN: PARTY DRINKS joins a growing number of books covering mixed drinks; but what sets this part is its author, who has won Best Drinks Book in the World 2004 and other awards - and the innovative new drinks he's designed just for parties. Color photos and reflections on competitions, mixed drink winners and more accompany easy recipes any party cook will find appealing and different. From a Honey Nectarine Martini to a 'Solar' variation on a Bronx cocktail, THE LIQUID KITCHEN's recipes won't be in any other cocktail guide.
ACP Books
54 Park Street, Sydney, Australia, NWS 2001
www.acpbooks.com.au
Two outstanding culinary collections from Australia Woman's Weekly take pamphlet form and are the perfect, bright introductions to topics for cooks who want quick, easy recipes, a pamphlet-like presentation and many color photos. PARTY FOOD (18563963677, L2.50) presents many internationally-influenced finger foods and party treats ranging from Spicy Potato Pakoras with Coriander Raita to Curry Puffs, Garlic and Blue Cheese Tartlets, and many more. CASSEROLES (1863964142, L5.99) provides a more modern approach to casseroles, adding plenty of international influences from Asia and the Middle East and using the one-pot dish concept to bring them all together. From an unusual Maple Flavored Pork Belly with Pecans to Sweet and Sour Tamarind Pork, CASSEROLES offers plenty above and beyond your usual dish - and all with color photos.
Cooking Curries
Jane Lawson
Thunder Bay Press
5880 Oberlin Drive, San Diego, CA 92121-4794
1592235344 $14.95 www.thunderbaybooks.com
There are so many curry cookbooks already on the market today - most from India - that one might wonder at the need for yet another primer on the subject, but COOKING CURRIES offers a different focus which shows curry can be more than a hot or spicy dish, providing recipes for sweet and sour dishes alike, creating variations on traditional curry flavors, and adding new ingredients to encourage cooks to experiment. Author Lawson has over twenty years experience as a professional chef: COOKING CURRIES reflects this background well, adding historical and cultural notes to the recipes and discussing how different international influences have altered curry dishes.
Let's Fondu!
Susan Lukens
Nodin Press
530 North Third Street, #120, Minneapolis, MN 55401
1932472304 $14.95 www.nodinpress.com
Any owner of a fondu pot is usually aware of the more common cheese fondu: LET'S FONDU offers an expanded range of recipes for the fondu and describes a variety of meats and vegetables which also lend to fondu pot cookery. Lay-flat plastic binding helps cooks use this in action, while lovely color photos of dishes by Jerry Stebbins offer inviting finished results on a fondu fork. An excellent gathering fondu cooks will relish.
Vines: Buyer's Guide To Canadian Wine, 4th Edition
Walter Sendzik & Christopher Waters
Vines Publishing
159 York Street, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 6E9, Canada
0973449012 $16.95 www.vinesmag.com
Any buyer of Canadian wine can't be without VINES: BUYER'S GUIDE TO CANADIAN WINE: it bills itself as the 'ultimate guide to wines from Canada', and in this it won't disappoint. Canadian wines are becoming increasingly accessible in the US: VINES features reviews which help buyers understand the Canadian wine offerings, with chapters organized by grape providing both an overview of that grape in the Canadian wine scene and a survey of specific winery offerings which are outstanding and notable. Discussions focus on educating buyers as to the quality and range of Canadian's best.
Lake Isle Press Inc.
16 West 32nd Street, #10-B, New York NY 10001
www.lakeislepress.com
You've probably seen Rachel Ray on television if you watch cooking shows at all: she's the one with the New York accent and the flair for dramatic demonstration. Two very accessible new titles provide her recipes and methods to non-TV audiences. GUY FOOD (1801105213, $12.95) provides 30 meals which have 'guy appeal', from easy dishes with big flavors to meals for dates, game nights or bachelor nights. Chili, grilled halibut tacos, quick chicken curry and barbecued salmon all are super-quick, appealing dishes guys can whip up in a hurry. COMFORT FOOD (189110523X, $12.95) uses the same 'Top 30 30-minute meals' format for comfort food: it provides a range of dishes from an Italian-style Mac n Cheese with sweet sausage and mushrooms to Lemon-Scented Broccoli and Creamy Corn, stuffed Monte Cristo sandwiches with bacon, cranberry sauce, ham, turkey and cheese, and focuses on dishes which are quick to produce with ingredients common found in the kitchen. What if you're cooking just for yourself? Try the completely revised edition of Toni Lydecker's SERVES ONE: SIMPLE MEALS TO SAVOR HWEN YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN (1891105140, $16.95). The tendency is to revert to canned, boxed or fast food when you're alone - or to eat leftovers of the same food for weeks. SERVES ONE presents over a hundred fast bite- sized meals which quick quickly. First build a staples shelf from canned goods and condiments. Then, think small on perishables, shopping for a few days only. Then use SERVES ONE to whip up gourmet delights. Color photos mid-book add to the excitement and appeal.
Living in the Raw Gourmet
Rose Lee Calabro
Book Publishing Company
Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
1570671761 $19.95
Learn how to prepare raw and living food with a book which covers fresh foods 'still growing'. This can be as fresh as a handful of berries eaten soon after picking, or uncooked vegetables. Within 24-48 hours after picking food loses much of its freshness: LIVING IN THE RAW GOURMET tells how to set up a living and raw food kitchen and work with recipes which maximize the kitchen's emphasis on preserving living food qualities.
Chakra Tonics
Elise Marie Collins
Conari/Red Wheel/Weiser
368 Congress St., 4th Flr, Boston, MA 02210
www.redwheelweiser.com
1573242500 $9.95
CHAKRA TONICS: ESSENTIAL ELIXIRS FOR THE MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT could also have been featured in our Spirituality section but is reviewed here for its broader appeal to audiences interested in juices, shakes, smoothies and drinks which have healing and beneficial properties as well as taste appeal. From a Fig Shake with cinnamon believed to help diabetics to a high vitamin C Hibiscus Shake, drinks are very easy to make up with a minimum of specialty ingredients and CHAKRA TONICS organizes recipes by health benefit for easy consultation.
Charlemagne's Tablecloth
Nichola Fletcher
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Ave., New York NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
0312340680 $24.95
Plenty of history cookbooks have been written on early dining, but CHARLEMAGNE'S TABLECLOTH: A PIQUANT HISTORY OF FEASTING goes a step further than most, narrowing the focus to the feast or banquet tradition and surveying a history of grand dinners through the ages - both successes and failures. Ceremonies accompanying such feasts around the world are surveyed, explanations of great feasting purposes and operations revealed, and special ingredients. A 'must' for any who would understand the history of elaborate feasts.
Graceland's Table
Ellen Rolfes w/Elvis Presley Enterprises
Rutledge Hill Press
Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.rutledgehillpress.com
140160207X $19.99
If you could invite Elvis Presley to share a home-cooked meal, what would you serve? This question was asked of thousands of Presley fans: their answers constitute GRACELAND'S TABLE: RECIPES FIT FOR THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL. Color photos of completed dishes pepper a guide which provides wonderful down-home dishes by fans and friends. It's the only cookbook produced with the cooperation of Elvis Presley Enterprises and his 400 fan clubs worldwide, and it includes outdoor picnic treats as well as cold-winter soups and dishes. A fun book for any Elvis fan.
The Literary Shelf
Bibliotopia
Steven Gilbar
David R. Godine
9 Hamilton Place, Boston, MA 03452
1567922953 $22.95 www.godine.com
Any who love books will relish this collection of literary trivia: a gathering of obscure book-related facts, definitions, lists, quotes and more which span the history of books from their invention to modern times. From the history and evolution of book companies and authors to reading lists and top works, BIBLIOTOPIA: OR, MR. GILBAR'S BOOK OF BOOKS & CATCH-ALL OF LITERARY FACTS & CURIOSITIES invites leisure browsing.
Brown Gumshoes
Ralph E. Rodriguez
University of Texas Press
PO Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
0292712553 $17.95 www.utexaspress.com
Combine detective fiction themes with Chicana/o identity discussions and a scholarly theme and you have an excellent blend of crime survey and the Latin culture in BROWN GUMSHOES: DETECTIVE FICTION AND THE SEARCH FOR CHICANA/O IDENTITY. Popular fiction can hold cultural observations which are often overlooked in the academic world: BROWN GUMSHOES examines the image and world of Latin minority groups in detective fiction and represents the first comprehensive study of Chicano/a detective fiction, considering contributions by authors and themes which reveal underlying trends and political and social sentiments.
Regional Americana
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Complete Idiot's Guide to Copywriter's Words & Phrases
Kathy Kleidermacher
Alpha/Penguin
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
1592574254 $16.95 www.idiotsguides.com
How can writers and copywriters find new words and phrases to break out of old ways of describing? COPYWRITER'S WORDS AND PHRASES is the answer: it's a reference offerings thousands of words and phrases arranged under over 200 keywords, and coverings synonyms, phrases, expressions, metaphors and more. Related words and phrases, connections and expressions and more provide an easy method of picking up new words to apply to common endeavors.
The Write-Brain Workbook
Bonnie Neubauer
Writer's Digest Books/F&W, dist.
4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1582973555 $19.99 www.writersdigest.com
Writers seeking something more stimulating than a mere subject stimulation guide will welcome THE WRITE-BRAIN WORKBOOK: 366 EXERCISES TO LIBERATE YOUR WRITING. Playful and thought-provoking exercises range from finishing half-completed stories and filling in imagination blanks to using memories as a springboard to writing. THE WRITE-BRAIN WORKBOOK would initially seem inappropriate for libraries as it encourages filling in the blanks - but the color-coded pages make it somewhat difficult and lend to fill-ins elsewhere on white paper, and may make WRITE-BRAIN WORKBOOK a strong library lending tool.
Behind the Mystery
Stuart Kaminsky
Hot House
760 Cushing Highway, Cohasset, MA 02025
0975524526 $29.95 www.hothousepress.com
Start Kaminsky is an award-winning mystery writer himself, and is in the perfect position to introduce his fellow mystery writer friends to audiences in BEHIND THE MYSTERY: TOP MYSTERY WRITERS INTERVIEWED. Working with professional photographer Laurie Roberts, who captures images of these writers in their home settings, Kaminsky provides insights into the personal lives and inspirations of Sue Grafton, Donald Westlake, Faye Kellerman, Lisa Scottoline and other modern notable authors who have made major impacts on the genre. Mystery fans will relish the charming black and white shots and Kaminsky's probe into family, friends and perspectives on mystery writing.
The Photography Shelf
Golden Gate
Richard Misrach
Aperture Foundation
547 West 27th Street, New York NY 10001
1931788510 $50.00 www.aperture.org
In 1997 photographer Richard Misrach began photographing San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge at all hours of day and night, creating a year-round workbook of seasonal bridge views: GODEN GATE is his catalog which packs in over eighty images culled from a series of over seven hundred shots. Full-page color displays provide a wealth of mostly-distant bridge images set against changing skylines and backgrounds. Weather plays a large part in these captivating images - but so does history, and art historian T.J. Clark adds an essay which provides background information on Misrach's interests and approaches, with geographer Richard Walker adding commentary on geography and viewpoint. The result is an artistic catalog with appeal not only to any California resident but to any interested in Bridges or architectural art.
Margaret Bourke-White: The Early Work, 1922-1930
Ronald E. Ostman & Harry Littell
David R. Godine
9 Hamilton Place, Boston, MA 02108
1567922996 $19.95 www.godine.com
Margaret Bourke-White was a leading photojournalist whose work for Fortune, among others, celebrated the machine age and whose later work for Life featured more of an interest in humanitarian concerns. MARGARET BOURKE-WHITE: THE EARLY WORK, 1992-1930 provides a new gathering with a focus on her earliest work, when she was an amateur. Her first photos were still lifes and images more characteristic of her times rather than her talents: one can see the transitions to her personal style in the photos made from 1928-30, and it's also notable that the some eighty photos reproduced here have seldom been seen outside their archives. A 'must' for any in-depth art library.
Young America: The Daguerreotypes of Southworth & Hawes
Grant B. Romer & Brian Wallis, editors,.
Steidl International Center Photography
1114 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10036
386521066X $120.00 www.icp.org
From 1845 to 1862 Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes maintained a famous photography studio, using the most famous personalities of their times as subjects and also capturing on film some of the most notable of events and places. Their focus was fine art photography rather than simple portraiture, and their daguerreotypes thus captured more than factual images alone, adding touches which captured historic and cultural elements. YOUNG AMERICA accompanies an exhibition of the same name and packs in over a hundred color reproductions plus nearly 2,000 black and white illustrations. Editor Grant Romer is Director of the Advanced Program in Photography Conservation at George Eastman House, and Brian Wallis is Director of Exhibitions and Chief Curator at the International Center of Photography: together these scholars create not just a catalog, but a historical survey of the daguerreotype process and Southworth and Hawes' influences on photographic achievement as a whole. The wealth of images packed into the book alone would make it a highly recommended pick; the focus on daguerreotype history and Southworth and Hawes' lasting achievements make it essential for any serious art collection.
Twin Palms Publishers
PO Box 10229, Santa Fe NM 87504-1022
www.twinpalms.com
Three gorgeous art titles are highly recommended picks for art library holdings. Jeff Burton's THE OTHER PLACE (1931885346, $75.00) provides an extraordinary set of images by one who has worked in the porn industry for almost twenty years. Portraits of men and women are graphic and often startling in subject and arrangement, yet little staging effort is artificially inserted. THE OTHER PLACE represents the first collection of his works and is a blend of documentary and art piece. Amy Adler's YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER (1931885370, $75.00) uses glossy cibachrome prints of pastel drawings to demonstrate the extent to which images - and their impact - can be manipulated by the artist. An oversized presentation may prove a shelving challenge but lends to eye-catching display: librarians working in specialty art library holdings will find YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER packed with life-size pastel re-workings of photographs which blend cartoon facets with real life with intriguing results. Lise Sarfati's THE NEW LIFE (1931885451, $75.00) appears in a limited autographed edition to appeal to any interested in photos of young 20-something men and women. From stark background home settings to striking poses or faces, THE NEW LIFE makes you take second and third looks at individuals and their settings, without including the angst or oddities of a Diane Arbus-like approach. Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary is what THE NEW LIFE is all about.
The Dance Shelf
Ballet 101
Robert Greskovic
Limelight Editions
c/o Hal Leonard Corp
7777 West Bluemound Road, Milwaukee, WI 53213
0879103256 $16.95 www.limelighteditions.com
Noted dance writer and critic Robert Greskovic's handbook is a recommended pick for any who would understand ballet; especially for newcomers to dance. BALLET 101: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO LEARNING AND LOVING THE BALLET isn't just an overview of dance: it's a full history of ballet in general, using specific performances to outline key players, techniques, ballet positions, and notable performances and videos alike. Thirty years of background both as a watcher and behind the scenes lends to a critical yet lively commentary on the art and perceptions of performers and audiences alike.
The Dance
Tango
Robert Farris Thompson
Pantheon Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0375409319 $28.50 www.randomhouse.com
Robert Farris Thompson is a Yale art historian who here tackles not art but the artistically-defined world of tango, the dance of the past hundred years which evolved from 19th century European and even African origins to come to Hollywood. His isn't just a musical, dance or art expose: it embraces anthropology, religion, philosophy and more as it seeks an in-depth understanding of not just the dance but its cultural expression in TANGO: THE ART HISTORY OF LOVE. A gorgeous survey of a much-revealed form of expression.
Diary of a Dancer
Elinor Carucci
Steidlmack
Dustere Strasse 4, D-37073 Gottingen, Germany
3865211550 $50.00
Author Elinor Carucci, herself an immigrant, has been a Middle Eastern dancer for years, and her photographic tribute DIARY OF A DANCER comes from a period of three years in which she performed primarily around New York City, dancing for all ethnic communities and in places ranging from fancy restaurants to sleazy bars. An oblong presentation captures her dances onstage and provides an excellent selection of behind-the-scenes shots as well, portraying the people
The Military Shelf
Military Life
Thomas W. Britt, Carl A. Castro & Amy B. Adler, editors
Praeger International
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275983013 $300.00/set www.praeger.com
The four volumes of MILITARY LIFE: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SERVING IN PEACE AND CONFLICT are a powerful addition to any military collection, with each volume providing in-depth details on military performance, stress, family relationships and internal culture. MILITARY PERFORMANCE tackles a range of issues from decision-making and command structure to military morale, group cohesion, and responses to terrorism. OPERATIONAL STRESS surveys combat stress, captivity issues, the role of military chaplains and mental prowess under combat conditions. THE MILITARY FAMILY considers spouses, single parents, and dual-military marriages as chapters focus on research relating to typical conflicts. MILITARY CULTURE is a broad-ranging examination which surveys everything from the changing role of women in the military to issues of courage, quality of life among personnel, life under wartime conditions, and more. Each volume provides a scholarly analysis backed by research and reference notes, includes extensive quotes from journalist and research source materials, and analyze rationales, assumptions, and changing experience. An essential set for any serious military collection.
A War Against Truth
Paul William Roberts
Raincoast Books
9050 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6P 6E5
1551928191 $24.95 www.raincoast.com
Canadian report Paul William Roberts spent three decades covering the Middle East and was one of the few journalist6 to have interviewed Saddam Husseun, so he knows Iraq better than those newly there - and he was in Baghdad when the bombs fell. A WAR AGAINST TRUTH: AN INTIMATE ACCOUNT OF THE INVASION OF IRAQ is thus much more than an outsider's report: it's a detailed first-person moment-by- moment account of politics, personalities and history by one who has spent most of his adult life learning and absorbing. An excellent non-American, non-Middle-East perspective is developed.
Potomac Books
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.potomacbooksinc.com
Richard F. Miller's A CARRIER AT WAR: ON BOARD THE USS KITTY HAWK IN THE IRAQ WAR (1574889605 $26.95) isn't just another overview of military events, but a narrowed focus on individual officers, sailors and shipboard morale during a mission which paralleled the events leading to the Iraq War. The Kitty Hawk was one of the lead elements in the 'shock and awe' campaign: the author remained with the carrier through the hostilities and interviewed the ship's captain, chaplain, doctors, and more, even visiting the brig. His review of life aboard a carrier at war is vivid and personal. Mark D. Mandeles' THE FUTURE OF WAR: ORGANZIATIONS AS WEAPONS (1574886312, $24.00) provides an analytical, college-level defense study adding to the 'Issues in 21st Century Warfare' series with a study on the radical technological changes which have reshaped the face of US military strategy in this century. It'll require a consequent restructuring of defense to fully take advantage of these newfound capabilities, Mandeles argues in an original study of factors which change military strengths. Peter L. Hahn's CRISIS AND CROSSFIRE: THE UNITED STATES AND THE MIDDLE EAST SINCE 1945 (157488820X, $21.95) joins the 'Issues in the History of American Foreign Relations' studies in examining the history of U.S. encounters with the Middle East since 1945. Primary-source documents serve as the foundation of a survey of intentions, politics, diplomacy, and underlying influences on encounters in a text perfect for classroom adaptation. Jonathan W. Jordan's LONE STAR NAVY: TEXAS, THE FIGHT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO, AND THE SHAPING OF THE AMERICAN WEST (157488512X, $35.00) analyzes the role played by a fleet of wooden warships who in the 1830s led a revolt by transplanted Americans against Texas' rulers in Mexico City. The 'fleet' was bought on credit and sent overseas by an improvised band of revolutionaries, basically saving Texas from Mexico, and accomplishing it on a shoestring. The navy went on to become the focal point of various clashes: LONE STAR NAVY is packed with action and insights on a little-covered group. Mark D. Mandeles' THE FUTURE OF WAR: ORGANIZATIONS AS WEAPONS (1574886304, $48.00) is especially recommended as a college-level classroom pick, providing a detailed analysis of the improvement of concepts and weapons which have changed warfare. Most argue these new technologies have fostered US military might while technological developments in other fields will continue this trend; but THE FUTURE OF WAR goes beyond such discussion in considering the changing role of the military structure itself in integrating these forces into actual combat strategy improvements. The resulting conclusion: the key to future military strength lies more in changing the military's internal structure and responsiveness than in simply adding new technologies to its arsenal.
Warriors from the Deep
Eric Micheletti
Histoire & Collections
SA Au Capital de 182 938, 82, 5, Avenue de la Republique, F-77541 Paris Cedex 11, France
http://books.stonebooks.com (US distributor)
2913903843 $44.95 www.amazon.com
Simply outstanding is Eric Michelett's WARRIORS FROM THE DEEP: THE EXTRAORDINARY HISTORY OF THE COMBAT SWIMMERS. Packed with full-page color photos and close-ups, the story of three combat swimmer units - the Italian Arditi Incursori, the German Kampfschwimmer, and the French combat swimmers who carried out operations from the 60s to modern times - receives in-depth detail and attention. Both methodology, individual and unit prowess and effectiveness, and surveys of main operations over the decades make for chapters which cover missions, military might, and courage. From the 'human torpedo' to underwater combats, combat swimmers play important roles during war which until now have rarely been covered in detail. WARRIORS FROM THE DEEP is a 'must' for any serious military collection: its scope and historical review is unparalleled.
Born on the 4th of July
Ron Kovic
Akashic Books
PO Box 1456, New York NY 10009
1888451785 $14.95 www.akashicbooks.com
Ron Kovic served in Vietnam in an initially unquestioning tour of duty which ended in a terrible wounding and many new questions about the war: BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY provides the Vietnam vet's experiences and coming of age during the war, capturing in vivid language his evolution from a patriotic athlete to a soldier, then an anti-war activist. From ridicule and the hardening of soldiers in basic training to field fighting and disability, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY provides a 'you are there' intimacy few others accomplish.
Pen & Sword Books Ltd.
Casemate, dist.
47 Church Street, Barnsley, S. Yorkshire, UK, S70 2AS
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
Peter Caygill's PHANTOM FROM THE COCKPIT: FLYING THE LEGEND (1844152251, $34.41) is a fine survey of the F-4 Phantom: one of the most notable aircraft in the air force during the 1960s and 70s. While Caygill's overview provides excellent depth and detail on the plane's roles during these years, particular attention is given to its role in the Royal Air Force, with chapters documenting the special challenges of a new model of the Phantom as it moved from being a carrier-based attack craft to a land- based air force vehicle. Vintage black and white photos provide a centerfold of action and plane detail. Martin W. Bowman's STRATOFORTRESS: THE STORY OF THE B-52 (1844152340, $50.00) covers the Boeing Stratofortress, another highly notable US craft which was introduced in the late 1950s. It's been updated numerous times over the decades, and chapters follow its evolving design, concept, different models, and history, including source material accounts from pilots and military men who flew the plane in battles. Accompany the history and battle survey are many original photos taken aboard B-52 during a recent visit by the author to their American base, with details on production versions polished models.
Americans at War
John Resch, Editor
Thomson-Gale
27500 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535
0028658078 $531.25/set www.gale.com
Both high school and college-level history collections as well as specialty libraries will consider the four- volume set AMERICANS AT WAR: SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND THE HOMEFRONT to be an essential acquisition: each volume packs in an A-Z encyclopedic reference with sidebars of information and plenty of bibliographic references for further reading. From the battle histories of historical monuments such as Bunker Hill to the history and symbolism of various flags, occupation patterns during the Civil War and their lasting effects, medicine during World War I, and sports during World War II, each volume in the series tackles major social and cultural developments of different wartime experiences, reaching deep into the heart of war's effects at home. Highly recommended.
Gold Warriors
Sterling & Peggy Seagrave
Verso
180 Varick Street, New York NY 10014-4606
1844675319 $16.00 www.versobooks.com
The scandal of 'Yamashita's gold' and America's secret recovery of it lends a fast pace and novel-like drama to GOLD WARRIORS: AMERICA'S SECRET RECOVERY OF YAMASHITA'S GOLD - yet it's all factual information. The CIA collaborated with the underworld in various counties to use large quantities of looted treasure to find covert CIA activity: the Seagraves, authors and journalists, here provide an expose which takes their reputations on uncovering the intrigue and political and military manipulation of the gold, which has gone on for over fifty years. An incredible drama comes to light.
A People's History of the Civil War
David Williams
The New Press
38 Greene Street, New York NY 10003
1595580182 $29.95 www.thenewpress.com
There are so many general and special-interest coverages of the Civil War in print that one might wonder at the need for yet another; but historian David Williams takes a different tactic in A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR: STRUGGLES FOR THE MEANING OF FREEDOM. It's the first overall account written through the eyes of ordinary people: soldiers, slaves, women, draft resisters, Native Americans and more, and it uses first-person testimony and anecdotes to bring to life the daily war experience as both urban and rural laborers fought for different needs: economic rights, women's rights, slave's rights, and Native American rights. It is these varied, different interests and purpose which meld to form the real history of the Civil War and why participants had a stake in more than slavery issues.
A Most Damnable Invention
Stephen R. Bowan
Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010-7848
031232913X $23.95 www.stmartins.com
The age of explosives, which heralded the more sophisticated warfare choices of modern times, began in the mid-1800s with the inventions of one Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, whose discovery of dynamite made possible industrial changes and explosives. A MOST DAMNABLE INVENTION: DYNAMITE, NITRATES, AND THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD surveys the many changes the discovery of dynamite brought to the world; from the environmental damage it caused to the wealth it brought to its inventor, whose remorseful conscience led him to leave his estate to the establishment of the prizes which bear his name today. Nitrates were next on the list of discoveries, fostered by German scientist Fritz Haber whose breakthrough prolonged the First World War and helped triple the population of the world. No understanding of warfare or civilization's advancement would be complete without A MOST DAMNABLE INVENTION: DYNAMITE, NITRATES, AND THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD in hand.
Soldiers in Revolt
David Cortright
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
1931859272 $16.00 www.haymarketbooks.org
Students of the Vietnam War have many, many histories and analyses to choose from: now SOLDIERS IN REVOLT: GI RESISTANCE DURING THE VIETNAM WAR provides yet another angle, and is the first to explore in depth the process of organized opposition and resistance that undermined U.S. military attacks. It was a uniquely American movement at home and abroad which helped bring the war to an end: SOLDIERS IN REVOLT focuses on the rebellion WITHIN the U.S. military, from front lines to stateside.
The Mexican War
David S. Heidler & Jeanne T. Heidler
Greenwood Press
PO Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
0313327920 $45.00 www.greenwood.com
The U.S. went to war with Mexico in the spring of 1846: by fall of 1947 American soldiers were in Mexico City. The Mexican War both ended a series of escalating encounters between the two nations and began a series of events which held important changes for both countries, and THE MEXICAN WAR details both pre- and post-war concerns and issues, offering a blend of biographical sketches of key leaders and fighters along with maps, images, a timeline of events, and discussions which utilize primary documents. A 'must' for any comprehensive American history collection; especially at the college level.
To the Bitter End
Rolf Hinze
Helion & Company Ltd.
26 Willow Road, Solihull, W. Midlands, UK, B91 1UE
1874622361 $59.95 www.helion.co.uk
TO THE BITTER END: THE FINAL BATTLES OF ARMY GROUPS NORTH UKRAINE, A, CENTRE, EASTERN FRONT 1944-45 is a specialty item no military library should be without: the author was born in 1922 in Eastern Germany and joined in 1939, following the Campaign in the West in 1940 and attending military academy. He served in Russia and spent much of the war as a forward observation officer, participating in the advances of 1942 and 42. His account isn't an autobiography, as one might expect, but a detailed military analysis of strategy, events, and leadership, including maps and discussions of Soviet advances. An outstanding, in-depth and very particular history evolves.
Going Overboard
Sarah Smiley
New American Library
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0451216679 $22.95 www.penguin.com
Author Sarah Smiley was no stranger to military life: she was a former Navy brat who knew all about deployment and military importance - but nonetheless her routines and perspective were challenged when her husband was unexpectedly deployed, testing her resolve and her life. How Sarah coped with her husband away is related with humor, irony and insights in her autobiography GOVING OVERBOARD: THE MISADVENTURES OF A MILITARY WIFE - and will provide wives in similar circumstances with many insights and strategies.
Encyclopedia of World War 1
Spencer C. Tucker, Editor
ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
1851094202 $485.00/set www.abc-clio.com
Specialty collections at the high school or college level as well as those seeking one high-quality comprehensive reference on the topic of World War 1 will want to make the definitive ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WORLD WAR 1: A POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND MILITARY HISTORY the acquisition of choice. Tucker's guide embraces all three facets where competitors examine one or another, guiding readers through these facets using a blend of the standard A-Z encyclopedia listings of people, places, and events and a set of in-depth details which sometimes takes several pages of description. Add vintage black and white photos, extensive lists of references for further reading and research, and an attention to background history in each listing and you have an overview far more detailed in scope - and more useful to reports - than your usual single-volume reference on the topic. Very highly recommended.
The American History Shelf
Buffalo Bill's America
Louis S. Warren
Alfred Knopf
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0375412166 $30.00 www.randomhouse.com
William Cody was the most famous American of his times, renowned as a Pony Express rider, soldier, buffalo hunter and overall hero - but his creation of the Wild West show, a traveling company of cowboys and Indians which toured North American and Europe for over thirty years, solidified his importance and his name. BUFFALO BILL'S AMERICA: WILLIAM CODY AND THE WILD WEST SHOW provides the most detailed critical biography of Cody to appear in over forty years, considering his showmanship, his achievements, and the controversies which swirled around his life, both during time and into modern times. Chapters use source material references and quotes but maintain a lively style which lends to appeal by leisure audiences as well as students of American history.
They Walked to Freedom
Kenneth M. Hare
Spotlight Press
c/o Sports Publishing L.L.C.
804 North Neil St., Suite 100, Champaign, IL 61820
1596700106 $24.95 1-877-424-2665 www.SportsPublishingLLC.com
In the early 1950s Rosa Parks became active in civil rights, and Martin Luther King Jr. fostered the yearlong Montgomery bus boycott which forced the end of segregation not just in transit but in the country in general. THEY WALKED TO FREEDOM; THE STORY OF THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT, 1955-56 tells of these efforts in this, the 50th anniversary of Parks' act of civil disobedience. Paired with stunning vintage archival photos from the Montgomery Advertiser and authored by the editor of the Advertiser's editorial page, THEY WALKED TO FREEDOM is truly a fitting tribute.
Commonwealth Editions
266 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01905
www.commonwealtheditions.com
Edward Rowe Snow has produced many accounts of New England maritime history, making his name as a historian of the coast: his LIGHTHOUSES OF NEW ENGLAND first appeared in 1945, was updated in 1973, and returns to print to provide newcomers with a rich history of over fifty of the region's lighthouses. This edition (1933212209 $14.95) adds modern lighthouse expert Jeremy D'Entremont's annotations to Snow's chapters which brings details about each lighthouse up to date. Black and white photos enhance a lively reading style perfect for lighthouse fans and regional New England history buffs. D. Brenton Simons' WITCHES, RAKES, AND ROGUES: TRUE STORIES OF SCAM, SCANDAL, MURDER AND MAYHEM IN BOSTON, 1630-1775 (0889833541, $24.95) could also have been featured in our 'true crime' column but is featured here for its special interest to Massachusetts residents and history buffs. Bostonians of the colonial period may have been Puritans but they had their own sins and scandals, and historians Brenton Simons dug deep into Boston's records to reveal a wealth of true crime tales from murder and bigamy to black sheep. Bostonians will find it engrossing reading.
Sharks in the Desert
John L. Smith
Barricade Books
185 Bridge Plaza North, #308A, Ft. Lee, NJ 07024
1569802742 $24.95 www.barricadebooks.com
The complete saga of Las Vegas from its early roots with the mob to modern corporate times is presented in a lively history of the city's real rulers in SHARKS IN THE DESERT: THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND CURRENT KINGS OF LAS VEGAS. Many made their fortunes developing the casino business the city is most famous for today - but many myths have surrounded their activities - myths which columnist Smith dispels in an investigative history which tracked mobsters and their connections to the city's rich and monied.
Grand Excursion
Steven J. Keillor
AHSP Press
PO Box 100, Afton, MN 55001
1890434639 $28.00 www.aftonpress.com
1850s America comes to life in historian Steven J. Keillor's re-creation of the celebration of the completion of the first railroad to reach the Mississippi River, which involved invitations to hundreds of notables to travel by rail to Illinois, and from there by steamboat to Minnesota - at the railroad's expense. The expedition was a great success and yet underlying the celebration were political overtones setting the stage for the Civil War. Excursionist accounts blend with social, economic, political and cultural insights to provide a fascinating account of adventure and discovery.
Gold Rush Saints
Kenneth N. Owens
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069-8216
0806136812 $19.95 www.amazon.com
From 1846-1857 Mormons shaped events in California: they were the first American settlers of San Francisco. Narrative history blends with documentary accounts on California Mormon history: first-person accounts of early pioneers provide new insights on gold rush history and experiences. Chapters survey social and political controversies of the time between Mormons and between Mormons and other groups, examine the roles they played in settling California and overcoming the state's isolation, and include insights from the pioneers themselves. An excellent addition to California history.
The Computer Shelf
Thomson Delmar Learning
c/o Charles River Media
10 Downer Avenue, Hingham, MA 02043
www.charlesriver.com
Ed Moyle and Diana Kelley's CRYPTOGRAPHIC LIBRARIES FOR DEVELOPERS (1584504099, $49.95) is a winning guide for developers seeking a tutorial on how to write and deploy applications requiring cryptography. The five common cryptography libraries are surveyed in a title which teaches which ones are best for different projects based on platform, language and regulatory requirements, offering software writers plenty of examples and explanations. Ben Long and Sonja Schenk's DIGITAL FILMMAKING HANDBOOK THIRD EDITION (1584504382, $49.95) pairs a fine DVD packed with project files, film clips and tutorials with an updated, revised edition of a best-selling guide to new digital video technologies. Chapters have all been revised to cover the latest hardware and software configurations and new exercises provide help with everything from writing to production. Black and white screen shots and examples throughout make DIGITAL FILMMAKING HANDBOOK a one-step resource. Bryan Bergeron's DEVELOPING SERIOUS GAMES (1584504447, $44.95) provides game developers with a practical manual exploring serious games: military, academic, medical and training games, to be specific. With the wealth of titles focusing on pleasure games, it's good to see a developer's guide which explains business concepts, tools which can be applied to real-world challenges and concepts, and discusses major differences between entertainment and educational gaming. Students and developers alike will find it a fine practical 'how-to' guide teaching concepts ranging from locating funding sources for such games to choosing game shells and marketing finished products. Vladimir Silva's GRID COMPUTING FOR DEVELOPERS (1584504242, $49.95) tells of a promising new technology, exploring the evolution of Grid computing from early distributed computing ideas to its modern environment. From de facto standards for Grid computing to development guides for Grid services, commodity Grid kits for Java and Perl, and source code samples, A DEVELOPER'S GUIDE TO GRID COMPUTING is perfet for computer scientists who want a head start on the next generation of IT Grid computing. Wolfgang Engel edits SHADER X4: ADVANCED RENDERING TECHNIQUES (1584504250, $59.95), a toolbox of advanced graphics hardware and software techniques for any student of graphics programming. SHADER X4 especially lends to classroom use, with its articles covering everything from interlaced rendering and fog volume issues to real-time environment mapping and Shader subsystems. While the coverage can help novices, it's especially noted for advanced graphics programmers who will relish the equations, charts, and more technical discussions.
Charles River Media
10 Downer Avenue, Hingham, MA 02043
www.charlesriver.com
Eric Bruno's JAVA MESSAGING (1584504188, $44.95) explores different ways of messaging using Java software, from JavaBean events and JMS to SOAP. Web programmers receive all the basics to using these features, tips on how and why to use each feature and when to choose something else, how to combine features, and more. The basics of Java communication processes are revealed in chapters which form 'classes' to link related information in a logical progression. An excellent, basic foundation for Java users. Photoshop users will find two excellent guides highly recommended picks. Colin Smith's COMPLETE PHOTOSHOP CS2 FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS (1584504625, $39.95) provides tutorials covering all the new features of CS2. It's designed and written for digital photographers and provides all the basics to organizing, enhancing and touching up images, and includes start-to-finish instructions for everything. Add five video files from PhotoshopCafe and screen shots and photos in full color throughout and you have a digital photographer's dream reference. More advanced Photoshop user will relish Stephen Burns' ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP CS2 TRICKERY & FX (1584504471, $39.95), which focuses on the artistic side of Photoshop in chapters which tell how to blend artistic objectives with its tools. A basic skill level is assumed and builds upon these basics with chapters which tell how to use such advanced, enhanced features as the Camera Raw interface, exposure merge program, and special effects. Chapters are packed with photos in full color showing before-and-after touchup examples and demos of Photoshop CS2's amazing new features. David McAmis' CRYSTAL REPORTS XI FOR DEVELOPERS (1584504110, $49.95) explores a powerful software tool which turns raw data into corporate information. Applications developers receive clear direction on how to begin with Crystal Reports, with plenty of examples on how to develop professional-quality reports from integrating data sources, and how to add advanced features needed to analyze them. A companion CD-OM even includes all the needed source code.
MacDesign Out of the Box
Andrew Shalat
Pearson Education
1249 - 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0321375742 $29.99 www.peachpit.com
If you had no reference for the Mac, would you be able to design your way out of a crisis using Mac tools alone? You would if you also had MACDESIGN OUT OF THE BOX, a guide to using the basic design tools already laded with the Mac, from iLife to Safari. Chapters organized by different goal - printing, web design, video and movies - make it easy to link the tool to the objective, while color screen shots, sidebars of information, and step-by-step detail make for an excellent, easy guide.
Quickbooks 2006: The Official Guide
Kathy Ivens
McGraw Osborne
2100 Powell St., 10th Floor, Emeryville, CA 94608
007226232X $29.99 www.osborne.com
Easily learn Quickbooks features, from basic to more advanced business asks, and tailor Quickbooks 2006 for different uses with QUICKBOOKS 2006: THE OFFICIAL GUIDE. Here's a lesson plan geared to quick customization of forms and purposes, from running payroll and tracking accounts receivable to using budget tools and online banking. Black and white screen shots on every page lend to a format which can be used for either methodical course study or quick browsing reference.
Cisco Press
800 E. 96th St., Indianapolis, IN 46240
www.ciscopress.com
IP network pros won't want to be without Kok-Keong Lee and Fung Lim, Beng-Hui-Ong's BUILDING RESILIENT IP NETWORKS (1587052156, $55.00): it provides a wealth of detail on meting the challenge of building an IP network which is flexible, which remains up all the time, and which can be easily maintained and attack-resistant. Chapters examine misconceptions about availability, issues, and protocol limitations, teaching improvements, changes, and how the IP network's modules interact with one another. Both enterprise and service provider customers will find it pertains to them. Kevin Wallace's VOICE OVER IP FIRST-STEP (1587201569, $29.95) joins others in the 'first step' series in providing a basic introduction to IP telephony services. You don't need to be a programmer or even a computer whiz to understand the basics as presented here: whether you're a home user interested in lowering a monthly phone bill or a business person using data networks, chapters provide real-world applications using case studies throughout, no prior IP telephony experience is required to learn the basics here. And networking instructor Kevin Wallace knows how to cover them easily.
Raw 101
Jon Canfield
Sybex, Inc.
989 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103
0782144322 $24.99 1-800-227-2346 www.sybex.com
Any Photoshop or Photoshop Elements owner interested in making the most of the digital RAW capture will appreciate RAW 101: BETTER IMAGES WITH PHOTOSHOP & PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS. It's the first introductory manual on using Adobe Camera Raw and covers all aspects of its use in CS2 and Elements 3, providing step-by-step examples packed with color screen shots and photo examples throughout. Learn how to correct details, fix balance, eliminate noise and gain the best from your RAW files.
Apress
2560 - 9th Street, #219, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.apress.com
Four new titles are top picks for advanced computer users who want in-depth guides worthy of programmer- level abilities. Ryan Aselson and Nathaniel T. Schutta's FOUNDATIONS OF AJAX (1590595823, $39.99) is for professional web developers and comes from two professional Web developers who have worked with Ajax and realizes its potentials. Ajax lends perfectly to programmer endeavors because it's built on existing Web technologies already familiar to programmers: HTML, Javascript and CSS, and it can be used with one's favorite server-side language choice. So what's left to review? FOUNDATIONS OF AJAX discusses how to blend Ajax into new or existing web applications, providing developers' experiences in such application blends. Chapters provide code, screen shots, and plenty of examples to cover a range of such blends. Thomas Kyte's EXPERT ORACLE DATABASE ARCHITECTURE: 9I AND 10G PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES AND SOLUTIONS (1590595300, $49.99) is first in a two-book series which is meant to completely explore and define the Oracle database. Expert Kyte is an industry professional who develops such software at the Oracle Corporation itself: he's selected what he believes to be the most important Oracle architecture features and teaches these features using case history proof-by- example explanations. Chapters have fully revised and expanded the architecture-related sections from his pdf EXPERT ONE-ON-ONE ORACLE and added new material, and focuses entirely on 9I and 10g architecture. A cd-rom in back rounds out the offerings with more examples and information. Jonathan Lewis' COST-BASED ORACLE FUNDAMENTALS (1590596366, $49.99) is for any Oracle programmer frustrated by indexing. Optimizers often do something other than intended, even with the best execution plan in place: when this happens, the cost-based optimizer can prove most frustrating. This is first in a projected three-part series to describe commonly used parts of the model, what the optimizer does with statistics, and why things go wrong. From selectivity issues an bitmap indexes to histograms and cardinality, COST-BASED ORACLE FUNDAMENTALS reveals the common pitfalls in optimizer usage and how to overcome or avoid them. Matthew MacDonald and Mario Szpuszta's PRO ASP.NET 2.0 IN C# 2005 (1590594967, $59.99) covers the next major development in web development circles: the ASP.NET 2.0 version which uses the same technical foundations as ASP.NET 1.X but adds many more high-level features. So many more that many of the tools for building a dynamic web portal and controls have been completely revamped. You needn't re-learn C# in the process: all that's needed is the nuts and bolts of how to use the advanced features of 2.0 to build sophisticated websites - and that's what PRO ASP.NET 2.0 IN C# 2005 delivers, with chapters presuming prior experience in both C# and ASP.NET and building upon this knowledge. Professional developers will appreciate the example-rich discussions of data controls, files and streams, forms, cryptography, and Javascript applications.
Configuring Check Point NGX VPN-1/FireWall-1
Robert Stephens, et.al.
Syngress
800 Hingham Road, Rockland MA 02370
1597490318 $49.95 www.syngress.com
Any familiar with prior versions of Check Point's firewall program and newcomers to CheckPoint alike will find CONFIGURING CHECK POINT NGX VPN-1/FIREWALL-1 an important overview of all the new features in NGX. From working with the SmartView Tracker tool and understanding how a Check Point VPN-1 Pro Gateway administrator evolves to work into network security to handling authentication and integrity issues globally, everything from building the platform to licensing is covered in detail. An excellent survey of all the enhanced features and changes.
Pogue Press/O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastapol, CA 95472
www.missingmanuals.com
There are so many Photoshop books on the market already that one might wonder about the need for yet another; especially as it's a relatively basic primer on the program which covers how the tools and commands work - something intrinsic to competing Photoshop guides. Barbara Brundage 's PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4: THE MISSING MANUAL (0596101589 $39.95) is different, however: among the differences are color screen shots and photo examples to help illustrate these basics, a focus on timesaving techniques which reveal both the power and simplicity of the program, artists' tricks for touching up and changing photos, and more. This is truly the 'manual that should have been in the box' and is especially recommended for any who've just purchased Photoshop Elements 4 and wish to get a running head-start on learning its features. Matthew MacDonald's CREATING WEB SITES: THE MISSING MANUAL (0596008422, $29.95) is for any who want to create a slick web site without the programming savvy of being a web guru. CRETING WEB SITES covers everything from choosing a place on the Web and picking and buying a domain name to choosing a hosting firm, uploading files, and creating the site using pre-built tools ranging from PayPal shopping carts to Google. Sophisticated appearances such as cascading style sheets are also covered, as well as JavaScript: CREATING WEB SITES tells how to use these sophisticated tools easily to incorporate powerful features without extensive programmer's background. A 'must' for any who would create a web site without a college degree in programming. Geoff Coffey and Susan Prosser's FILEMAKER PRO 8: THE MISSING MANUAL (0596005792, $34.95) covers everything from database creation and using templates to streamline FileMaker efforts to considering the program's layout tools, calculation formulas, and translating databases for the Web. From beginner to advanced topics, FILEMAKER PRO 8 covers it all using easy language, black and white screen shot examples on almost every page, and plenty of modeling examples.
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastapol, CA 95472
www.oreilly.com
O'Reilly's growing and extensive computer book reference library offers a difference from many computer book publishers: their simple language allows for a larger audience from beginners to more advanced users in the subjects, and their numerous examples and chatty tones offer real-life applications to pair with program insights. Scott MacHaffie's PALM & TREO HACKS: TIPS & TOOLS FOR MASTERING YOUR HANDHELD (059610054X, $24.95), for example, covers more than the basic and well-known calendar and address book features commonly used by Palm owners: it tells how to tweak the Palm's settings, customize third-party replacements for its applications, play games, and use custom ringtones and weblog postings. A 'must' for any who have the basics down and want to go further. Speaking of going further, BEYOND JAVA by Bruce A. Tate (0596100949, $24.95) pushes Java to its limits, assessing what Java has accomplished, why it's been a powerful tools, and where it is inflexible. Java users with programming background will be particularly intrigued by discussion of how political forces are driving the Java platform toward unnecessary complexity - and the chapters examining Java's competitors and how they can do better. Arnold Robbins' UNIX IN A NUTSHELL, 4TH EDITION (0596100299, $34.95) defines what UNIX means in a changing world where there is no standard-bearer, covering common parts of the leading Unix-like operating systems, how to understand and locate commands which work across versions, and how to use tools which have become a 'part' of Unix even though they don't ship with the operating system, from CVs and GNU Make to GDB, curl and wget. UNIX operating system users simply must have this reference. Paul Bausch's YAHOO! HACKS: TIPS & TOOLS FOR LIVING ON THE WEB FRONTIER (0596009453, $24.95) tells how to personalize and use Yahoo! In new ways, from using keyword shortcuts and advanced syntax to get more from search queries to customizing Yahoo! Mail, using its blogging features and file share programs, and even building appications using Yahoo! web services. Everything there is to know about customizing and tweaking Yahoo! Is in this book. Dave Mabe's BLACKBERRY HACKS: TIPS & TOOLS FOR YOUR MOBILE OFFICE (0495101155, $24.95) is for Blackberry communication device users who want to do more with its built-in applications. From monitoring the Blackberry Enterprise Server and creating web sites just for Blackberry users to working with office documents and sending faxes, BLACKBERRY HACKS covers all possible uses. Chris Kohler's RETRO GAMING HACKS: TIPS & TOOLS FOR PLAYING THE CLASSICS (0596009178, $29.95) tells how to emulate classic games on cell phones to computers, how to locate vintage game hardware, how to convert gaming tools, and how to write your own retro-style games in various programs. From playing old games on original hardware or making conversions, RETRO GAMING HACKS is for avid gamers who want to tweak the experience.
Peachpit Press/New Riders
1249 8th Street, Berkeley, Ca 94710
www.peachpit.com
Three outstanding Photoshop guides take very different approaches to the program and offer users an array of tools. Simplest of all is Jack Davis' ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2 ONE-CLICK WOW! (0321246446, $29.99), which is based on a cd-rom which packs in over 900 of the time-saving enhancement solutions contained in the workbook ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2 ONE-CLICK WOW! From working with the shapes gallery and tinting photos to WOW custom overlays for framing and their differences, ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2 users will find the WOW manual packed with important tools for quick, pro results. Digital photographers will find Scott Kelby's THE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS BOOK FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS (0735713928, $29.99) focuses on two facets: the program's capabilities and the digital photographer's techniques. It shows 'how to do it' through examples and specific tips on choosing settings: then it tells why these settings work over other choices. Kelby edits Photoshop User magazine and trains thousands of digital photographers: their questions and experiences form the foundation of a training manual which comes packed with step-by-step color photo examples to demonstrate how altered photos differ depending on techniques. Katrin Eismann and Wayne Palmer's third edition of PHOTOSHOP RESTORATION & RETOUCHING (0321316274, $49.99) narrows the focus to just retouching and restoration techniques, which is the heart of the Photoshop experience. The original book has been extensively updated and revised to cover all the important features in the latest Adobe Photoshop CS2, while the same step-by-step instructions cover tools, techniques, and results used by designers, restoration studios, and professional glamour photographers. New example images illustrate the tutorials while chapters cover such practical basics as how to rescue damaged heirloom originals suffering from cracks, tears and missing images, and how to change photos into works of art through tinting. All these are excellent coverages Photoshop owners must have as basic references. Dan Cederolm's BULLETPROOF WEB DESIGN (0321346939, $39.99) goes beyond visual appeal, telling how to build a web site adaptable to a range of situations to reach the widest possible audience. These dual focuses contribute to chapters which outlines strategies for building lasting designs which are flexible, readable, and use-controlled. BULLETPROOF WEB DESIGN does more than 'tell': it 'shows' through a series of before-and-after examples which take 'unbulletproof' designs and transforms them through make-overs using XHTML and CSS. Recommended for web builders who know code and aren't afraid to use it.
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro #250, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.nostarch.com
Tony Bove's JUST SAY NO TO MICROSOFT: HOW TO DITCH MICROSOFT AND WHY IT'S NOT AS HARD AS YOU THINK (159327964X, $24.95) is for any who have doubts about Microsoft's products and patches. Introductory chapters cover all its flaws and move on to explain how one's PC can be liberated from Microsoft products entirely. Chapters provide background history of Microsoft, detail its practices which have discouraged innovation and competition, and explains how competing operating systems work and how users can obtain and use these systems. Finally: a clear history and explanation of Microsoft's pitfalls and how to overcome them - by switching to an alternative that works. Brian D. Eubanks' WICKED COOL JAVA: CODE BITS, OPEN-SOURCE LIBRARIES, AND PROJECT IDEAS (1593270615, $29.95) is for Java coders who want to tweak and streamline the code they use. Here's an idea sourcebook offering over a hundred tips, examples and project ideas, from working with Semantic Web and converting a non-XML text structure using a parser generator to working with open-source class libraries and reusuing codes based on free Java projects. Essential for any experienced Java programmer who wants more.
Ship It!
Jared Richardson & William Gwaltney Jr.
Pragmatic Bookshelf
9650 Strickland Road, Suite 103-255, Raleigh, NC 27615
0974514047 $29.95 www.pragmaticprogrammer.com
SHIP IT! A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE PROJECTS is for any developer who wo
