Return to home
page Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
Home / California Bookwatch

California Bookwatch

Volume 9, Number 3 March 2014 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Economic Studies Shelf Art Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Architecture Shelf Photography Shelf
Biography Shelf Political Science Shelf Technology Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Journalism Shelf Computer Shelf
Education Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Music Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Cookbook Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Self-Help Shelf American History Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Military Shelf Women's Issues Shelf Native American Studies Shelf
Business Shelf Science Shelf Psychology Shelf
Criminology Shelf Martial Arts Shelf Social Issues Shelf
California Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Chasing Shackleton
Tim Jarvis
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780062282736, $35.00, www.harpercollins.com

Chasing Shackleton: Recreating the World's Greatest Journey of Survival is a recommendation for history and true adventure libraries and readers and is set in 2013, when the author, an explorer himself, set out to re-enact Shackleton's boat voyage and crossing of the South Georgia interior. No-one else had previously completed Shackleton's journey using traditional gear from the man's own era: the author and his crew of six documented their journey and images pack this account of the original voyage and its modern recreation. The result is an outstanding survey, highly recommended for any who like spirited adventure reads.

Tricycles, Quadricycles and Light Cars
Aldo Carrer
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764343476, $59.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Tricycles, Quadricycles and Light Cars: A Forgotten History 1894-1907 uses vintage photos to help trace the evolution of motor, steam and electric powered vehicles from 1894-1907, documenting vehicles produced in the U.S. and Europe and capturing the achievements of bikers and manufacturers alike. Chapters offer both small and large-sized photos on oversized pages designed to capture the nuances of the vehicles while captions provide keys to understanding the pictures, whether they be portraits of racing tricycles or light car dealerships. With its many lovely surveys of discussions of the interconnected history of various kinds of cycles and cars, this is a pleasing and unique history and a 'must' for any transportation collection!


The Economic Studies Shelf

The Economics of Electricity Markets
Pippo Ranci and Guido Cervigni
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9780857933959, $120.00, www.e-elgar.com

The Economics of Electricity Markets: Theory and Policy provides an analysis of the critical issues involved in electricity markets and assesses alternate electricity arrangements in Europe and the U.S., and is a strong recommendation for any collection strong in electricity trading, production, and social and political concerns attached to this industry. A range of issues from real-time power markets to alternatives to congestion management make for a college-level in-depth examination that offers researchers and students of advanced energy economics a basic primer on all the issues involved in energy regulation and dissemination. With charts and graphs illustrating topics ranging from bidding incentives to assessing market power, this is a solid pick for any interested in energy management.

The Economic Organization, expanded edition
Frank Hyneman Knight
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
9781412851787, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

The Economic Organization is a pick for college-level economics collections and reprints, in a new expanded edition, a classic on economic theory which first appeared in the 1930s in America. It served as the foundation for the price theory revolution and also served as a basic introduction to the ideas of supply, demand and distribution as well as an analysis of the price mechanism in market organization. This edition includes a new introduction by Ross B. Emmett and expands upon the capital theory of the original, and is a 'must' for any college-level business and economics collection.

Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Economics I Learned from Online Dating
Paul Oyer
Harvard Business Review Press
c/o Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422191651, $25.00, www.hbr.org/books

Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Economics I Learned from Online Dating comes from an economist who uses modern romance to offer insights on dating and economics alike, drawing unusual connections between behaviors behind dating patterns and those behind business approaches. Online dating stories and statistics blend with business examples throughout in a discussion which shows how online dating can be viewed as another market, and why economics tools can successfully be applied to it. The result is a solid explanation of how economic basics affect daily lives beyond the business world: a solid pick for any business or social issues collection and for many a general-interest reader; even those with little prior business background.


The Art Shelf

Tattoo Road Trip: The Best of Oregon
Bob Baxter and Mary Gardner
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764344528, $80.00, www.schifferbooks.com

Tattoo Road Trip: The Best of Oregon provides a fine guide from a couple who selected forty-four of the best tattoo shops out of hundreds in their home state, then spent three months on the road visiting each, interviewing the owners, and photographing their best clients and works. The result is an addition to the expanding 'Tattoo Road Trip' series of books that features regional tattoo artists, and provides a combination of travelogue and artistic encounters. Any interested in tattoo art will find this a fine survey that packs in eye-opening, winning tattoos in an exceptional guide for any tattoo fan.

Keyhole Cuties
Celeste Giuliano
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764345729, $45.00, www.schifferpublishing.com

KEYHOLE CUTIES features the pinup art of Celeste Giuliano, who developed a style of photography that covers the classic look of pinups from girl illustrators from World War II. From lighting and posing to studio techniques, this shows the process of how women were changed to pin-up models, and offers her first definitive collection on the subject. Over a hundred color portraits are provided in an oversized catalog filled with insights on pinup beauty, making this a wonderful addition to any arts collection strong in pinup modeling history.

Fifty Typefaces That Changed the World
Design Museum and John L. Waters
Conran
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781840916294, $20.00, www.octopuspublishing.com

Fifty Typefaces That Changed the World examines the 50 most influential fonts that can be used in advertising and manufacture, and considers the evolution of type and its changing choices from early Rome to modern times. Packed with typeface examples, their applications, and discussions of their special controversies and challenges, Fifty Typefaces That Changed the World is both lively and specific and is a recommendation for any arts library where type is of interest.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Blue Future
Maude Barlow
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10013
9781595589477, $26.95, www.thenewpress.com

BLUE FUTURE: PROTECTING WATER FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET FOREVER comes from a water activist who has long covered the battle for water supply management and ownership, charting the international movement to reclaim water as a public property. This book covers key principles that work in such an environment, considering the key players involved in the human rights struggles for water and providing solution to common water management problems. Stories of resistance from marginalized communities and government policies that help both people and the planet are supported by research into water issues of today and tomorrow, making this a powerful survey of policies, laws, and human issues involved in water rights.


The Architecture Shelf

Small Thoughts and Projects
Carl Turner Architects
Artifice
www.artificebooksonline.com
9781908967374, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Small Thoughts and Projects is all about size, capturing the process of architectural renderings of small-size, small-scale projects and incorporating the dialogues, challenges and special insights of small projects into an overall discussion of the use of space. Projects based on the concept of 'small' range from urban stores and houses to suburban structures. Each project receives extensive notes on main discussions, the four principles of legibility, flexibility, durability and affordability, and concepts linking design with space management. The result is a lively discussion of varied projects and circumstances, perfect for any student of design or architecture.


The Photography Shelf

Mastering Photoshop Layers
Juergen Gulbins
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781937538279, $44.95, www.rockynook.com

Mastering Photoshop Layers: A Photographer's Guide covers one of the key elements of the program: layers, which allows for image editing and can create special effects as well. Layers also allow for nondestructive editing of an original image - but newcomers to Photoshop often neglect choosing layers because it seems too complicated. This book is entirely devoted to using layers and comes packed with step-by-step instructions and color illustrations throughout. From handling multiple layers and blending them to using layer masks and filters, this covers all techniques from beginning to advanced and includes screen shots and specifics for any Photoshop user at any level, making this a 'must' for those who would take advantage of the program's advanced features.

Location Lighting Handbook for Portrait Photographers
Stephanie Zettl and Peter Zettl
Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
9781608955947, $27.95, www.amherstmedia.com

Any who would design professional portraits on location will find this a powerful guide to evaluating existing light and using simple flash units and other tools to achieve professional, polished results. From modifying natural light to making exposure decisions and balancing color, this provides an outstanding survey of technical specifications and keys to better photography, complimenting all with numerous color photo 'before and after' images throughout. Over 200 photos accompany a survey highly recommended for any who would achieve better portrait results!


The Biography Shelf

The Death of Santini
Pat Conroy
Nan A. Talese
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780385530903, $28.95, www.nanatalese.com

The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son provides a fine memoir of the author and his father, who was the inspiration for The Great Santini. Conroy's father was a marine fighter pilot and often cruel and violent, so Pat hated his father long before he knew the meaning of the world. He was oldest of seven children in a military family always on the move, and his observations of his father's behavior and its toll on the family led to his ultimate success as a writer. This story of personal and family struggles is a testimony to how even life's worst beginnings can result in positive change, and is a 'must' for both fans of Conroy's writings and those interested in how people overcome adversity to rise to new heights.

Dirty Rocker Boys
Bobbie Brown
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., NY, NY 10020
9781476734705, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Dirty Rocker Boys: Love and Lust on the Sunset Strip comes from the star of the music video for Warrant's 'Cherry Pie', and offers Hollywood encounters of love, sex and revenge that amount to a lusty, emotion-packed saga of a beauty queen's move to Hollywood and her various romances. Her memoir offers exposes about stars, discussions of her controversial marriage and divorce to Warrant, insights on various relationships to other famous people, and includes her addiction to meth. Hers is a rare woman's viewpoint of the sordid side of Hollywood's famous Sunset Strip, and offers a memoir packed with action, adventure, and squalid affairs. A 'must' for any interested in steamy Hollywood action.

Out of the Woods
Lynn Darling
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061710247, $25.99, www.harpercollins.com

Out of the Woods: A Memoir of Wayfinding provides an engrossing story of the author's midlife experience that begins when she sends her only child off to college and finds her decades of role as a mother coming to a close. She relocates from New York to a small house in rural Vermont seeking answers about how to live the remaining years of her life - and embarks on a journey of self-discovery that lead to both the woods and new perceptions of the world at large. When isolation turns to serious illness, she must test her newfound revelations in a deeper, more personal way than ever before. Readers will find this an engrossing memoir of being lost and found again, and will find this a read that's hard to put down.

Badluck Way
Bryce Andrews
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
9781476710839, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Badluck Way: A Year on the Ragged Edge of the West provides a memoir of a young man and a wolf in the rugged world of southwest Montana, where twenty thousand acres of rangeland create an isolated series of mountain ranges and valleys. Here predators roam - and here a cattle rancher faces challenges when wolves suddenly begin killing the ranch's cattle. The back-and-forth between man and predator and one young man's struggles to survive and protect his livestock make for a gripping saga of the West and its special challenges, and will prove a fine memoir for any who enjoy stories of ranch work and Western atmosphere.

A Million Steps
Kurt Koontz
Kurt Koontz, Publisher
www.kurtkoontz.com
9780615852938, $15.95, www.amazon.com

A MILLION STEPS tells of the author's 490-mile walking trip on the historic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in Spain, and is a pick for any who like accounts of true adventure and self-examination. Koontz found his internal adventures as challenging as his journey, and A MILLION STEPS recounts both, following his struggles with love and addiction and his encounters with fellow pilgrims on the road from around the world. It's a fine and vivid diary of a journey and its lasting impact, and it's a top recommendation for a range of collections, from those interested in travel and spirituality to others strong in autobiography and self-examination.

Unremarried Widow
Artis Henderson
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., NY, NY 10020
9781451649284, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

UNREMARRIED WIDOW tells of twenty-six-year-old Artis Henderson's husband Miles, who died in Iraq after only six months of marriage. This is the story of how she rebuilt her life after her loss, from the first military notifications to her attempts at finding new love. It's a saga about heartbreak and loss, it's about reaching a new understanding of life, and it considers the challenges of military life and how tragedy ties everything together. The result is a poignant, moving memoir perfect for any collection strong in either military experience or autobiography.


The Political Science Shelf

Eleventh Hour
David M. Shafie
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
9781603449540, $40.00, www.tamupress.com

Eleventh Hour: The Politics of Policy Initiatives in Presidential Transitions comes from a political scientist who analyzes how and why five presidents have made big changes at the end of their administrations, showing how these strategies bypass Congress and use the executive branch's authority. Chapters analyze transcripts of speeches, staff memos, and records from the Clinton, Reagan, Bush and Carter libraries and supplement in-depth interviews the author conducted with administration personnel. The result is a powerful blend of research and insider information that offers keys to understanding presidential powers and their changes over the decades.

Barry Goldwater and the Remaking of the American Political Landscape
Elizabeth Tandy Shermer, Editor
University of Arizona Press
355 South Euclid Avenue, Suite 103
Tucson, AZ 85719-6654
9781816521098, $55.00, www.uapress.arizona.edu

Barry Goldwater and the Remaking of the American Political Landscape offers a fine survey of Goldwater's impact on American politics and society and provides a set of essays that reconsiders this legacy. They focus on the life, times and impact of the conservative politician and consider issues related to his campaigns and achievements, such as the evolving relationship between conservatives and elite business groups, media interactions with politicians, and Goldwater's new brand of conservatism. The result is a fine survey that is a 'must' for any college-level collection strong in conservative political history in general and Goldwater in particular.

National Security Through a Cockeyed Lens
Steve A. Yetiv
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421411255, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

National Security Through a Cockeyed Lens is a pick for college-level political science collections and uses four decades of the author's psychological, historical and political science research to consider key problems in current leadership processes. Five U.S. national security episodes since 1979 are used to illustrate these failures, revealing how a dozen cognitive biases have influenced U.S. national security policies. By identifying a primary bias in each episode and changing perception versus reality, this provides an American foreign policy expert's survey of security studies and new methods of analyzing and understanding international politics. Highly recommended for any college-level political science collection!

A Living Spirit of Revolt
Ziga Vodovnik
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604865233, $18.95, www.pmpress.org

A Living Spirit of Revolt: The Infrapolitics of Anarchism provides a history of anarchism with a startling message: today anarchism is the only revolution left in the world. Vodovnik's writings consider the natural anarchism in daily lives, why it isn't present in many places, and why the history of anarchism has been largely lost. From currents of anarchism and a review of its logic over the years to its incarnations around the world, A Living Spirit of Revolt provides a detailed and absorbing social and political survey that is key to understanding the foundations and history of anarchism. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any political studies collection strong in social history and analysis of revolutionary trends.


The Technology Shelf

Modern Engine Blueprinting Techniques
Mike Mavrigian
CarTech
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
9781613250471, $29.95, www.cartechbooks.com

Modern Engine Blueprinting Techniques is a 'must' reference for any who would build high-performance engines blueprinted to exact tolerances, and comes from an expert engine builder who provides in-depth, step-by-step coverage of the topic. From measuring and machining within precise specifications to fitting parts together, optimizing designs and ordering and working with custom parts, this comes packed with color photos of parts and processes and is very specific in its instructions. Also included are insights on parts costs and their history and how affordability can be built into the process. The result is a powerful survey, highly recommended for any working with engines.

Reflectarry Antennas
Jafar Shaker, et.al.
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
9781608074990, $159.00, www.artechhouse.com

Reflectarry Antennas: Analysis, Design, Fabrication, and Measurement provides design guidelines and resources for any engineering collection strong in antenna engineering, and offers both an introduction to the field of reflectarray antennas and the latest research surround them. From their comparisons with convention reflector antennas to applications of new technology in the field, chapters combine charts, graphs, and technical discussions of conductor loss, couplings, beam shaping and more with insights on how these antennas can better operate. The result is a solid reference for any advanced engineering collection.


The Genealogy Shelf

Sustainable Genealogy
Richard Hite
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
9780806319827, $18.95, www.genealogicalpublishing.com

Sustainable Genealogy: Separating Fact from Fiction in Family Legends is a slim primer but it offers important tips on how to avoid the common problems many family historians encounter, and provides a collection of case studies that show how to identify and overcome these issues. From recognizing when identical surnames are from different histories to recognizing when death certificates can be wrong, knowing how ancestors' middle names can differ from family names, and identifying problems in associating family names with nobility, this is a solid discussion of the common challenges of amateur genealogical research and will appeal to any embarking on the process.


The Journalism Shelf

Sensationalism
David B. Sachsman and David W. Bulla, Editors
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
9781412851718, $49.95, www.transactionpub.com

Sensationalism: Murder, Mayhem, Mudslinging, Scandals, and Disasters in 19th-Century Reporting provides a fine survey considering the history and presence of sensationalism in the press: how it's defined, how it evolved, and its past and present impact on news delivery and choices. It comes from a social scientist and a communication history expert who combine forces to point out how news sensationalism is defined. Stories offer details on the use of drama, rhetoric, and why and how news readers are attracted to stories.


The Computer Shelf

Python and HDF5
Andrew Collette
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449367831, $29.99, www.oreilly.com

Python and HDF5: Unlocking Scientific Data offers hands-on experience using HDF5 for storing scientific data in Python, and is a specific survey that tells how to set up and create effective HDF5 files. From working with datasets to creating self-describing files and using HDF5's various systems, this is a fine survey for scientists and programmers looking to use Python in conjunction with a science-oriented program. Plenty of general titles offer basic introductions to Python but this science-specific title is just the ticket for any who would use HDF5's complimentary features to get up to speed in Python!

Ubuntu Unleashed, 2014 edition
Matthew Helmke
Sams
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780672336935, $49.99, www.informit.com/sams

Ubuntu Unleashed appears in a new 2014 edition to cover 13.10 and 14.04, and includes a DVD with Ubuntu 13.10. From how to configure and customize the program to basic applications, administration features, and using Ubuntu's kernals, remote access, email and more, this covers all the new options for managing many servers and using virtualization, and is a special pick for Ubuntu users who want to get up and running with the latest version and all its special features. Black and white screen shots throughout accompany step-by-step instructions linked to real-world applications, making this a 'must' for users who have specific business needs.

Cisco: A Beginner's Guide, fifth edition
Toby J. Velte, PhD and Anthony T. Velte
McGraw Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor, New York, NY 10020
9780071812313, $50.00, www.mhprofessional.com

Cisco: A Beginner's Guide is for any computer user strong in networking in general and Cisco technologies in particular, and covers the latest solutions in an updated fifth edition that provides step-by-step details on how to design, build and manage custom Cisco-based networks. From configuring hardware and using IOS commands to tips geared for Cisco certification exams, this updated edition covers all the latest Cisco systems and covers everything form migrating to a private cloud to delivering a Cisco enterprise network. Charts, graphs and black and white illustrations throughout streamline the learning process and make this a pick any network engineer will relish.

Node.js the Right Way
Jim R. Wilson
Pragmatic Programmers
2831 Eldorado Parkway, #103-381, Frisco, TX 75033-7438
9781937785734, $17.00, www.pragprog.com

Node.js the Right Way: Practical, Server-Side JavaScript That Scales provides a fine tutorial-based book that teaches the basics of getting up to speed on Node.js, and provides chapters that connect code with applications and typical jobs. Examples on setting up jobs and files accompany keys to understanding common errors, fixing common problems, and testing programs. Programmers receive the basics in a survey that takes each Node.js segment and clear explains it in a way that links the learning process to real-world applications, making this a powerful learning tool for classrooms and home programmers alike.

Development with the Force.com Platform, third edition
Jason Ouellette
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780321949165, $49.99, www.informit.com/aw

Development with the Force.com Platform appears in its third updated edition and packs in new code, technical discussions of the latest Force.com releases, and new best practices for building and testing high-quality Force.com solutions. New coverage includes streaming, support for Web MVC frameworks, security and analytics, and more, with code examples throughout providing programmers with specific, clear references and development paths - including creating smartphone and tablet-friendly apps. The result is a recommendation for any programmer building Web or mobile applications who wants a specific survey on Force.com's latest features.

Samsung Galaxy Tabs for Dummies
Dan Gookin
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
http://www.dummies.com
9781118772942, $24.99, www.wiley.com

Samsung Galaxy Tabs for Dummies is an excellent, all-in-one survey of the Samsung Galaxy tablet and how best to use it, and provides newcomers to both the Galaxy and tablets with specifics on how to work with the tablet format. From the basics of customizing settings, using the tablet to video chat, text and browse the web, and how to integrate apps for games, music and books, this is a comprehensive guide that's a fine winner for any new user of the Galaxy in particular or tablets in general.


The Education Shelf

Physical Education for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Michelle Grenier, Editor
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450419734, $29.00, www.humankinetics.com

Physical Education for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Comprehensive Approach provides a fine collection of strategies and tools to help physical education teachers design curriculum that includes kids with autism spectrum disorders. From helping develop student skills to solutions for inclusion and teaching ASD students physical education skills, this is packed with important keys to success, including activities, discussions of common challenges, and helpful hints and modifications for standard program activities. Add black and white photos throughout and you have a winning, highly recommended survey educators will appreciate!

Mathematics, The Common Core, & RTI
Dolores Burton and John Kappenberg
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781452258379, $34.95, www.corwin.com

Mathematics, The Common Core, & RTI offers a fine guide that blends the basics of the Common Core and RTI into a single resource of strategies for serving all students. It offers real-world scenarios based on actual school-based issues, it includes classroom-ready work samples and connections to online references, and it covers all kinds of future educational policy changes that teachers will want to know about. Many titles offer focus on Common Core and RTI: few combine the two into one easy text that addresses math issues of both. Math teachers will find this a 'must have' reference.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Boot Camp Therapy
Robert Taibbi
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393708233, $24.95, www.wwnorton.com

Boot Camp Therapy: Brief, Action-Oriented Clinical Approaches to Anxiety, Anger, & Depression is for any psychology collection strong in therapy skills and refutes the current focus on brief therapy skills. It's for clinicians who are interested in helping clients overcome past issues and move into healthier future paths, and it's designed to help therapists provide the tools that can overcome barriers of anger and depression. Aspiring psychologists receive chapters covering core concepts, their applications throughout the treatment program, and discussions of treatment goals and tasks useful throughout the treatment time. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any therapist who wants new ideas for clinical approaches.

Herbs for Healthy Aging
David Hoffmann, FNIMH, AHG
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620552216, $19.95, www.healingartspress.com

Herbs for Healthy Aging provides a fine guide for any alternative health collection and comes from a medical herbalist who surveys how to retain body vitality during the aging process. Herbal treatments to restore and protect each of the body's major systems compliment discussions of these systems, common ailments, and how herbs provide a safe alternative to the side effects of synthetic drugs. Over 150 such herbs are explored in a guide that includes dosages, preparation methods, and insights on safe holistic treatments that promote overall good health. The result is a guide especially recommended for any collection strong in aging concerns and holistic approaches to better health.

Current Practice Guidelines in Primary Care
Joseph S. Esherick, et.al.
McGraw Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor, NY, NY 10020
www.mhprofessional.com
9780071818247, $20.00, www.mcgrawhillmedical.com

Current Practice Guidelines in Primary Care provides a fine survey of guidelines for some sixty common outpatient conditions, and offers quick reference to the latest screening and management guidelines gleaned from both medical and scientific sources and government agencies. These guidelines are accompanied by algorithms for clinical decisions and website addresses for government agencies and professional societies. The result includes updates to all topics, some thirty new topics, and key insights of particular interest to nursing students, nurse practitioners, and any health professional assisting a physician.

CBT to Help Young People with Asperger's Syndrome
Tony Attwood, PhD and Michelle Garnett, PhD
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849054126, $35.00, www.jkp.com

CBT to Help Young People with Asperger's Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder) to Understand and Express Affection: A Manual for Professionals provides a fine CBT program for those who work with ASD youths, and is a recommendation for any who want to help young people learn appropriate ways of expression and communication. This program comes from two clinical psychologists who have long worked with autism spectrum disorders: chapters are packed with worksheets offering everything from social story building activities to writing compliments for specific people and rating one's experiences with others. The result is a fine guide highly recommended for educators, parents and clinicians alike.

Living Safely, Aging Well
Dorothy A. Drago, M.P.H.
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421411521, $16.95, www.press.jhu.edu

Living Safely, Aging Well: A Guide to Preventing Injuries at Home is an excellent health guide that describes the types of injuries that commonly happen at home, and how to prevent them. From falls to burns and asphyxia, this takes a room-by room approach to pointing out potential hazards, and covers now only the obvious but special problems for those with Alzheimer's disease and those with existing health conditions. From pouring gas with safety in mind to planning menus for those at risk of choking, this is a top reference for any who would live well.

A Song Just for Me
Mary Kiki Wilcox
Fithian Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel Publishers
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
9781564745569, $12.00, www.danielpublishing.com

A Song Just for Me - Stirred by Music to Conversation and Compassion tells of the author's experiences volunteering in the Health Center of her senior community introducing recorded music to the residents in Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Facilities. The residents listen either as a group or individually and the music she shares ranges from classical to popular and show tunes, with residents talking about the music and showing positive interaction skills as a result of this shared listening process. Readers learn about these positive results and how Mary shares the music through stories of her experiences, and will find this an inspirational pick for a similar approach blending music with pain management and other health issue approaches.


The Music Shelf

Hollywood Studio Musicians
Robert R. Faulkner
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
9781412852531, $24.95, www.transactionpub.com

Hollywood Studio Musicians: Their Work and Careers in the Recording Industry is for any collection strong in entertainment and music recording history and culture, and was originally published in 1971 as the first in-depth analysis of the careers of production personnel in Hollywood. It considers the interaction between film and music scoring in the Hollywood scene, using the careers and work of musicians as a focal point for examining how artists adjust to making it in Hollywood's culture. This new edition remains key to any sociology or music or entertainment collection and returns the classic to new eyes, revealing how Faulkner's logic remains the basis for numerous analytical models decades later, and is a 'must' for music and film collections alike.

Guitar Effects Pedals: The Practical Handbook
Dave Hunter
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonardbooks.com
9781617131011, $29.99, www.backbeatbooks.com

Guitar Effects Pedals: The Practical Handbook provides an updated, expanded version to the basic guide and explores the entire booming pedal market for musicians who want to know more about reverb, overdrive, manual vibrato and much more. From pedal designers who provide their own insights on the use and art to how even battery choices affect sound, this book surveys old and new pedals and provides both a history of their development and use with ways to create special effects. A cover-mounted CD holding some 100 recorded sound samples of effects pedals makes for an excellent survey, enhancing an updated edition that adds more profiles of modern pedal makers and many changes in their manufacture, making this a 'must' for any music reference collection.

The Way of Taiko, second edition
Heidi Varian
Stone Bridge Press
PO Box 8208, Berkeley, CA 94707
9781611720129, $19.95, www.stonebridge.com

The second updated edition of The Way of Taiko is for any interested in taiko drumming and its practice, and comes from the San Francisco Taiko Dojo in a new edition to celebrate the dojo's 45th anniversary. Here taiko drumming history blends with discussions of instruments, approaches to taiko, reflections on taiko players and performances, and much more. First published in 2005, this update adds color photos, a new preface by the author, and many updates that lend to an outstanding survey of taiko's approach and appeal.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Screenwriting Behind Enemy Lines
John Schimmel
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781615931675, $26.95, www.mwp.com

Screenwriting Behind Enemy Lines is for any performing arts or film holding and covers the basics about what producers and financiers seek in a screenplay, and how that screenplay is translated in film and stage. This comes from a studio executive and producer who offers behind-the-scenes insights into exactly how a screenwriting effort is translated, revealing how screenwriting works and doesn't work. Chapters analyze specific scenes, consider what makes plays work well, and provide tips on how a screenplay effort can be polished to move from ordinary to superior. The result is a top recommendation for any aspiring screenwriter who wants more than generalizations about exactly what qualities differentiate a top-quality effort from one that's just ordinary.

The American City in the Cinema
James A. Clapp
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
9781412851480, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

The American City in the Cinema is a recommendation for college students interested in urban studies and film studies alike, and provides a probe of the relationship between cinema and the city. Research considers how cinema evolved in urban, rural and suburban areas across the country and how its choice of subjects reflected cultural and social changes in America as a whole. The focus on social, political and cultural change as reflected in film choices and representation makes for a vivid consideration of both cinema and American evolution in a pick recommended for college-level students of either discipline.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Painted Applique: A New Approach
Linda M. Poole
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604601091, $24.95, www.americanquilter.com

Painted Applique: A New Approach provides a fine guide to designing lovely fabric pieces with applique and paint, and provides the author's 15 original design projects that use a combination of both. Step-by-step instructions compliment color photos and patterns that leave nothing to guesswork, while discussions of trim options, designing backgrounds, and two applique techniques offer all the detail needed for newcomers to get up and running in painted applique. The result is a top pick for any newcomer to applique, and a recommendation for any needleworker's reference collection.

A Paper-Pieced Garden
Maaike Bakker and Francoise Maarse
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604682658, $26.99, www.shopmartingale.com

A Paper-Pieced Garden: 27 Mix-and-Match Blocks Plus Unique Quilts provides a fine survey on blending blocks into quilts featuring flowers and garden topics, and teaches the basics of paper piecing, machine applique and free-motion quilting in the process of providing season, bright projects for year-round projects. A photo gallery includes ideas for expanding these themes, while tips on block and quilt assembly accompany step-by-step color photos throughout. The result is an outstanding survey recommended for any who would use projects to learn paper-piecing techniques.

Creative Makers: Simple Sewing with Lola Nova
Alexandra Smith
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845336981, $19.99, www.octopuspublishing.com

Creative Makers: Simple Sewing with Lola Nova comes from an Oregon craft blogger who, under her alias of Lola Nova, has created a book packed with original projects that use basic sewing skills to make gifts and home accessories alike. Step-by-step instructions for beginners provide the basics of sewing even as they cover appealing projects, while lovely photos by Yuki Sugiura help beginners envision the fruits of their labors. The result is a wonderful, creative and inspirational book highly recommended for any who want to learn basic skills and apply them to professional-looking projects.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Mykonos After Midnight
Jeffrey Siger
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781464201813, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

Mykonos After Midnight provides a fine Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis mystery and tells of the transformation of a poor Aegean island into a tourist mecca. While the Mykonian people generally celebrate their newfound wealth, some aren't happy about the transformation of their poor, sleepy town and when murder strikes, secrets and intrigue come into play that draw Greek special crimes head Andreas in a confusing plot that draws in cultural experience and dangers alike. Time is running out and Andreas seems no closer to solving the riddle: if he can't, a region's tourism may collapse. Any interested in international plots and murder will find this an intriguing mystery!

Mr. Monk Gets on Board
Hy Conrad
Obsidian Mysteries
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451240958, $23.95, www.penguin.com

Mr. Monk returns with another hit book, is based on a hit TV series, and here offers a host of changes when Natalie completes her P.I. license and effectively becomes Monk's boss. Add in a cruise ship which turns business into a murder investigation, an illicit affair, and a breakout of vandalism on board the ship and Mr. Monk Gets on Board evolves into a tense murder mystery packed with intrigue, twists of plot, and the irrepressible character of Mr. Monk which will particularly appeal to fans of the TV show and prior books.

Eggs in a Casket
Laura Childs
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425255582, $25.95, www.penguin.com

Eggs in a Casket provides a new Cackleberry Club mystery: this one revolving around the owners of a cafe who are helping a cemetery prepare for its 150th anniversary celebration - until the body of an ex-prison warden is discovered over a new grave. In a small town this translates to chaos: the fact that everyone knew the victim - and his secrets - well makes for too many suspects and too much intrigue in this gripping new mystery story, recommended for any mystery fan.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

How to... Collected Articles from BSAVA Companion
Mark Goodfellow, editor
BSAVA
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781905319503, $75.00, www.wiley.com

From emergency patients to animal management, this collection of veterinary articles offers appeal to any practicing vet or student clinician, and comes from the British Small Animal Veterinary Association's writings. Here are discussions of how to get the best liver samples, performing a CSF tap and contraindications, handling tumors, and much more, with articles addressing many common challenges of animal handling and health. From ectoparasite treatments for dogs and cats to smelly ear and clinical determinations of cancerous conditions, this is packed with color photos, graphs and question-and-answer formats on treatment options and is a 'must' for any vet's reference collection.

Antimicrobial Therapy in Veterinary Medicine, fifth edition
Steeve Giguere, et.al., Editors
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780470963029, $149.99, www.wiley.com

Antimicrobial Therapy in Veterinary Medicine appears in its fifth updated edition to provide a substantially revised, comprehensive reference on veterinary antimicrobial drug use, and reflects the latest (and many) changes in the field. Coverage of nearly all kinds of antimicrobials involved in animal health are presented in chapters that cover the basics of such therapy, classes of antimicrobial agents, drug use in different animal species, and an entirely new chapter on zoo animals. The latest resources are provided along with coverage of dosages, tables, and photos throughout. Each chapter also offers a bibliography for further reading, discussions of clinical applications, and much more. The result is a solid textbook highly recommended for any veterinary reference library.


The Cookbook Shelf

Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2014
Cooking Light Magazine
Oxmoor House
c/o Time Inc.
3000 University Center Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612-6408
9780848739898, $34.95, www.oxmoorhouse.com

Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2014 has done it again: taken all the recipes from the past year of Cooking Light magazine, bound them into a sturdy hardcover packing in over 750 recipes that feature international influences, and using the latest nutrition science to provide family-oriented meals. From daily dinners to holidays, this is loaded with appealing color photos throughout and offers recipes for dishes such as Blackened Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette, Chicken Parmesan with Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce, and Lamb and Red Pepper Pita Sandwiches. From its highlighted 'ready in' minutes count to shopping lists, game plans for advance prep, and 'secrets' to better results, this is a 'must' winner for any who would not only learn how to cook light, but do it up in style and with ease!

Chocolat
Eric Landlard
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845337889, $24.99, www.octopuspublishing.com

CHOCOLATE: SEDUCTIVE RECIPES FOR BAKED GOODS, DESSERTS, TRUFFLES AND OTHER TREATS appeared last Fall but deserves ongoing mention as a 'must' for any who love chocolate. It comes from a Master Patissier who was taught how to make and work with chocolate at a young age, so it represents decades of his experience - as well as a volume packed with tried, tested original recipes. With color photos, clear directions, and many a chocolate celebration you won't find elsewhere, this is a unique and detailed guide recommended for any avid chocolate cook!

The Complete Book of Juicing
Dr. Michael T. Murray
Clarkson Potter Publishers
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780385345712, $14.99, www.clarksonpotter.com

The Complete Book of Juicing: Your Delicious Guide to Youthful Vitality has been revised and updated and packs in over 150 fresh juice recipes to accompany new guidelines for using juice as medicine, for weight loss, and as a health aid. It's based on the latest reputable science studies and includes details on vegetable and fruit nutritional benefits, how raw juice holds additional healing opportunities, and provides some fifty new recipes on incorporating fresh juice into a diet. The result is a fine guide for any interested in raw juice and its connection to health.

Weeknight Wonders
Ellie Krieger
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9781118409497, $29.99, www.hmhbooks.com

Weeknight Wonders: Delicious Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less provides a collection of the author's favorite recipes that are easy to fix even after a workday, and is a fine pick for busy cooks who still want to produce healthy meals from scratch. From one-skillet and one-pot meals to soups, stews, and dishes elegant enough for entertaining, this pairs color photos with very easy dishes that require a minimum of preparation to prove successful. Any interested in a quick cookbook of superior dishes will find this a winner!

Weight Watchers What to Cook Now
Weight Watchers
St. Martins Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
1250044545, $29.99, www.stmartins.com

Some 300 recipes for any who would cook meals that embrace light ingredients and are appealing for the whole family make this latest Weight Watchers collection a winner. Here are new recipes that include nutritional information and PointsPlus values for those on the program, along with tips and tricks for cooks looking for foolproof results. There are no dry, dull recipes here: from Maple Raisin Bran Muffins to Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting, this is packed with appealing, different recipes that don't sound like 'diet food', along with eye-catching color photos to invite cooks to try out the dishes.

The Sardinian Cookbook
Viktorija Todorovska
Surrey Books
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841475, $22.95, www.agatepublishing.com

The Sardinian Cookbook focuses on a small island in the Mediterranean and provides many dishes classic to and unique to the area, making this an outstanding survey recommended for any interested in international cuisines. From a Braised Chicken with Myrtle and Red Wine to Potatoes with Fennel and Capers, this is packed with dishes you won't find elsewhere and includes full-page color photos to accompany nearly every dish. Directions are often easy while there's a minimum of specialty ingredients, making this a fine pick for any interested in Mediterranean cuisine in general and the little-covered island of Sardinia in particular.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Ancient Giants Who Ruled America
Richard J. Dewhurst
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591431718, $20.00, www.bearandcompanybooks.com

The Ancient Giants Who Ruled America: The Missing Skeletons and the Great Smithsonian Cover-Up uses some 400 years of newspaper articles and photos, eyewitness stories, historical records and archives, and field reports to support the idea that North America was once ruled by an advanced race of giants, and is a pick for any new age and alternative archaeology holding. It pinpoints the Smithsonian as the source of repressing evidence for over 150 years, it documents how this evidence has emerged only to consistently be buried, and it demonstrates how this suppression effort began shortly after the Civil War. The result is an eye-opening document that's a 'must' for any who want an alternative history focus.

The Power of Chakras
Susan Shumsky, DD
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601632906, $16.99, www.newpagebooks.com

The Power of Chakras: Unlock Your 7 Energy Centers for Healing, Happiness, and Transformation replaces the previous edition Exploring Chakras and provides an updated new edition of an award-winning book. The author has taught thousands of people meditation, yoga and prayer techniques for decades of work, and founded Divine Revelation, a technology for testing intuition. The Power of Chakras here delves into the human energy field and how it can be identified, understood, and exercised to maximum benefit. The result is a powerful reference for any interested in new age reading and references specific to understanding chakras.


The Self-Help Shelf

Your Life Calling
Jane Pauley
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
9781476733760, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

YOUR LIFE CALLING: REIMAGINING THE REST OF YOUR LIFE comes from a television show host who profiled over twenty individuals over 50 whose personal reinvention offers messages of hope and change for those newly entering their middle years. More than inspirational biographies, these accounts are here used as examples for creating a reinvention that is filled with practical wisdom on how to tackle the 'new you', how to undertake a total makeover, and how to identify and follow a life's passion. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any looking to recreate their life.

The Happiest Life
Hugh Hewitt
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9781595555786, $19.99, www.thomasnelson.com

The Happiest Life: Seven Gifts, Seven Givers, and the Secret to Genuine Happiness provides a new book from a syndicated radio host and outlines seven gifts and givers that bring real happiness in a tough world. It uses anecdotes from the author's professional career interviewing celebrities and historical figures and it considers the framework of not only what happiness is, but how to achieve a truly happy life. The result is a powerful survey filled with inspiration and bright, positive accounts certain to appeal to a wide audience!

The Power of a Half Hour
Tommy Barnett
WaterBrook Press
c/o Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
9780307731845, $22.99, www.waterbrookmultnomah.com

The Power of a Half Hour: Take Back Your Life Thirty Minutes at a Time maintains that every half an hour in a day is a resource that can make a big difference, and it shares personal stories based on both life and Biblical principles to help readers become motivated to achieve more. It advocates a 30-minute focus on all aspects of life and it encourages readers to examine both spiritual development and personal goals, blending faith with personal aspiration to achieve the highest goals. The result is a survey designed to empower readers, offering strategies, goals, and techniques for achieving them. Highly recommended for both spirituality and general-interest collections!

The Desire Map
Danielle LaPorte
Sounds True
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
9781622032518, $22.00, www.soundstrue.com

THE DESIRE MAP: A GUIDE TO CREATING GOALS WITH SOUL is all about aspirations and hopes and how the usual plan of creating objectives and 'bucket lists' fail to acknowledge the underlying feeling at the heart of these goals. Chapters advocate developing a clearer view of how to become clearer on what we want to feel from life first, before setting goals. They offer a method for seeking and finding that clarity, understanding its implications and applications to life, and using it to make better decisions. With chapters linking goals to soul, this is a fine approach for any who would better link goals to real-world emotions.

On Being Human: An Operator's Manual
David V. White
Meaningful Life Books
9780615770987, $12.95 http://ameaningfullife.org

On Being Human: An Operator's Manual is all about facing the challenge of living a fulfilling life, and covers issues that have challenged the author's own life. It moves between a wider discussion of how people make decisions that determine outcome and their lives and how values are formed to how to discover one's own purpose in life, and it comes from a businessman and civil leader, not your usual new age guru. On Being Human is intended as an easy examination of culture, traditions and decision-making processes, and it teaches how to form better relationships in the course of exploring what it means to evolve as a human being. The result is both an autobiography and a road map for others on the path of self-development, and is recommended for new age and self-help collections alike.


The American History Shelf

Shooting Arrows & Slinging Mud
James E. Mueller
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806143989, $29.95, www.oupress.com

Shooting Arrows & Slinging Mud: Custer, the press, and the Little Bighorn provides a fine survey of Little Bighorn and how it was portrayed, offering an analysis of newspaper coverage of the battle and how it sparked debates on U.S. government policies and Indian relations. This uses period newspapers and analysis to explore the methods and techniques of this coverage, analyzing the events that happened and how myths arose surrounding the Little Bighorn. Journalists of the times were not biased against the Indians, Mueller maintains, and actually did a good job of describing the battle. How myths arose and spread is one of the themes of a history that will appeal to college-level journalism students, American and Native American history collections alike.

Making Rocky Mountain National Park
Jerry J. Frank
University Press of Kansas
2501 West 15th Street, Lawrence, KS 66049
9780700619320, $34.95, www.kansaspress.ku.edu

Making Rocky Mountain National Park: The Environmental History of an American Treasure reveals much about how the National Park Service came to be, and provides chapters identifying and analyzing the changing history of this concept. Any college-level collection strong in national park preservation will find this a detailed analysis of not just the history going into the making of Rocky Mountain, but of the evolving concept and influences upon the park as a whole. The result is a powerful survey packed with events and evolutionary processes of environmental management systems: a 'must' for any studying the formation of environmental protections in this country!

The Handy African American History Answer Book
Jessie Carney Smith
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
9781578594528, $21.95, www.visibleink.com

The Handy African American History Answer Book is a recommendation for any who want to understand the history of black Americans, and provides a lively format that discusses the range of African American culture and experience. Events from the arts, business, civil rights, politics and religion and science blend into a profile of trail-blazers and revolutionary changes, with trivia powering the presentation and making for a browser's delight for history buffs and trivia fans alike. The result is a fine recommendation for any student of African American history who wants a lively, inviting format.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Mars, Inc.
Ben Bova
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781451639346, $25.00, www.baen.com

Mars, Inc.: The Billionaire's Club centers on Art Thrasher, a man with the vision of sending humans to Mars. Where the government has failed, Big Business might pick up - and Thrasher has a plan to unite billionaires in a dream - people addicted to profits. It will take all of his efforts to manipulate business and politics to assemble a rocket packed with scientists and those who would journey to Mars - and to make it a business proposal to boot. Mars, Inc. is filled with political and business intrigue and engrossing moments, and is a fine pick for any science fiction enthusiast.

Pillar to the Sky
William R. Forstchen
TOR Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765334381, $25.99, www.tor-forge.com

Pillar to the Sky provides a powerful story about a failing Earth and the efforts of four people to prevent global chaos - though building a space elevator that will make space flight affordable and fast. These four people have an obsession with this approach, a vision that involves mining the sun's power for limitless energy, and the determination to overcome everything in their way to achieve their goals. But there are a host of struggles along the way, and the stakes involve humanity's very survival: against such a backdrop can the promise of space overcome the failures of humanity? A fine saga of struggle and achievement makes for a powerful story packed with satisfying twists and turns of plot.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Tipping Sacred Cows
Betty Chasse
Atria/Beyond Words
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas,New York, NY 10020
9781582704609, $15.00, www.beyondword.com

Tipping Sacred Cows: The Uplifting Story of Spilt Milk and Finding Your Own Spiritual Path in a Hectic World is an exploration of spirituality and meaning, and uses the concept of sacred cows and their presence in our lives to explore negativity, how life sours, and how to tip a 'sacred cow' to create a better life. New age, spirituality and self-help collections alike will benefit from a blend of autobiography and exploration that discusses the challenges of being better - and how to overcome obstacles to success. From recovering from self-doubt to handling judgment and change, this is an outstanding inspirational read recommended for a wide audience.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Giving Up God... to Find God
Kerry Walters
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781626980426, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Giving Up God... to Find God: Breaking Free of Idolatry provides a concise look at how 'false gods' can mask the search for the one real God, and describes different types of idols prevalent in our modern times. The 'true God' is one of love and mystery and contrasts with other forms of god which are not real: from personal gods to Sunday School renditions, this probes instances of conversion, addresses the real and unreal qualities of an experience with God, and focuses on the characteristics of idolatries. The result is a fine survey, highly recommended for any spirituality student.

Baptists in Early North America
William H. Brackney with Charles K. Hartman, Editors
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207-0001
9780861464399, $60.00, www.mupress.org

Baptists in Early North America Volume 1: Swansea, Massachusetts is the first volume to appear in the series and provides college-level students of American and spiritual history and genealogy with a survey packed with rare source material original records exploring the history and theology of a transplanted congregation. From colonial community religion and its evolution to Baptist experiences and concerns, this scholarly volume packs in original seventeenth- and eighteenth-century record and manuscript material and pairs this with an overall historical record of the region and its various peoples. Volume 1 covers the period 1649 to 1844, the oldest surviving record of a Baptist congregation in North America, and provides key documents scholars will need in order to understand the evolution not just of Baptist doctrine, but the region as a whole. Any scholarly religious history or American history holding will find this a treasure trove of key documents.

What is Biblical Theology?
James M. Hamilton Jr.
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
9781433537714, $12.99, www.crossway.org

What is Biblical Theology? A Guide to the Bible's Story, Symbolism, and Patterns provides a fine survey of how the Bible is read and how the biblical writers actually created a narrative reflecting a different world view. Here key patterns and concepts are used to consider the overall Bible's history, with chapters designed to link Scripture messages with the progression of religious and spiritual ideas. The result is a solid survey recommended for any Bible student.

Handbook of Roman Catholic Moral Terms
James T. Bretzke, SJ
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781626160033, $24.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Handbook of Roman Catholic Moral Terms is a pick for any interested in catholic moral theology and history, and provides an introduction to the logic of official Roman Catholic ethics. Over 800 moral terms provide history, definitions, and illustrations of how they are used in Catholic traditions, and provide scholarly discussions that place Catholic concerns in modern context. Any studying Catholic theology will find this a fine resource, perfect for research and scholarly applications and filled with source materials and references.

Seeing the Voice of God
Laura Harris Smith
Chosen Books
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780800795689, $14.99, www.chosenbooks.com

Seeing the Voice of God offers insights into night dreams and day visions and connects these to the science behind spiritual experience. As such it's a pick to any who would receive a guide to hearing God through dreams and visions. From learning how to identify if what they see is God to studying common types of dreams for evidence of God and understanding biblical dreams and dream symbols, this comprehensive guide goes far beyond your usual spiritual or scientific probe into dreams, discussing everything from dream symbols (in a dictionary with over 1,000 biblical definitions) to the best smartphone apps for sleep cycles. The result is a powerful survey recommended for any spirituality reader.


The Audiobook Shelf

Critical Mass
Sara Paretsky
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781480531987, $36.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

Critical Mass receives a fine performance by Susan Ericksen, who brings to life another A.V.I. Warshawski novel of intrigue and mystery. Here a close friend's childhood playmate is in danger, so V.I. is the logical person to help. The only trouble is: the daughter is immersed in a web of secrets and intrigue dating back to the world struggles to develop the first atomic bomb: old secrets closely guarded. Anything can happen - even murder - and V.I. finds her life changed and challenged by a series of event that tests even her own investigative skills. A satisfying thriller of international intrigue emerges, perfectly gripping in its audio version.

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion
Fannie Flagg
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780739354018, $40.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

Mrs. Sookie Poole has just married off the last daughter and is looking forward to a free life: there's only her mother to take care of now. But one day Sookie discovers a secret about her mother's past - one that shakes her firm belief in her life - and one that leads her to embark on a cross-country journey in search of answers. The author narrates her own engrossing saga, lending high drama and insights into a fine audio that will delight fans of Flagg's popular Fried Green Tomatoes and other stories of discovery.

Love Sense
Dr. Sue Johynson
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781478925248, $30.00, www.hachetteaudio.com

LOVE SENSE; THE REVOLUTIONARY NEW SCIENCE OF ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS is unabridged, read by the author, and provides a spicy and compelling survey that considers how romantic love is, in fact, an attachment bond and emotional interaction that helps buffer life's slings and arrows. It reflects the new science of emotional bonding and it focuses on the tools that can help relationships grow, presenting three basic strategies for handling bonding with all its problems and possibilities. The advantage of an audio format is that it holds a much more compelling atmosphere than print alone could provide; particularly when discussing emotional connections. Here the audio shines, making LOVE SENSE a top pick for any consumer's audio collection.


The Military Shelf

French Guardsman Versus Russian Jaeger
Laurence Spring
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
9781782003625, $18.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

French Guardsman Versus Russian Jaeger 1812-14 provides a fine survey of the Russian Jaeger regiments and how they clashed with Napoleon's Young Guard during the campaigns of 1812-14, and is a pick for any early military history collection. Analysis blends with first-hand accounts, artwork, and accounts of strategies illustrated with clear maps, while chapters offer discussions of weapons, dress and how history has in the past made false references to events. The result is a fine history recommended for military and French history collections alike.

Honor and Betrayal
Patrick Robinson
Da Capo Press
44 Farnsworth Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02210
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306823081, $26.99, www.dacapopress.com

Honor and Betrayal: The Untold Story of the Navy SEALs Who Captured the "Butcher of Fallujah - and the Shameful Ordeal They Later Endured offers new details on the raid, the truth behind the terrorist's capture and treatment, and an explanation of how emerging accusations involved three brave men in a court martial designed to address the issues of their actions. It covers the military's determination to make these men examples despite the mountain of evidence to the contrary, it discusses the process of court martial proceedings, and it explores issues of prisoner abuse, terrorism and SEAL actions in a hard-hitting survey highly recommended for any military collection.


The Women's Issues Shelf

The Big Lie
Tanya Selvaratnam
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616148454, $19.95, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Big Lie: Motherhood, Feminism, and the Reality of the Biological Clock blends the author's personal experience with health and fertility with an examination of how women have been led to believe that their quest for family AND a career can lead to juggling both. This 'have it all' attitude has resulted in a lot of stress and unhappiness: how can women and men make better choices? Selvaratnam's journey serves as a foundation for a much wider examination of choice and managing options, and should be on the shelf of any women's issues collection.


The Native American Studies Shelf

Warrior Nations
Roger L. Nichols
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806143828, $19.95, www.oupress.com

WARRIOR NATIONS: THE UNITED STATES AND INDIAN PEOPLES provides a powerful survey documenting eight of the wars that occurred between the 1780s and 1877, explaining what began each conflict and how they were connected. In detailing encounters between the states and Native Americans, he also chronicles the process of how all-out war grew from small-scale local conflicts, pinpoint how interracial violence often lead to greater involvements on all side. American pioneers hated and feared Indians, while Indians became armed camps in response. No leader could prevent the violence what emerged when the two groups met. These conflicts should be considered as wars of U.S. aggression in history: this book places them in their proper perspective.


The Business Shelf

Practicing Positive Leadership
Kim Cameron
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609949723, $18.95, www.bkconnection.com

Practicing Positive Leadership: Tools and Techniques That Create Extraordinary Results provides a fine guide outlining the basic principles that differentiate extraordinary organizations from those which are just successful. His previous book, Positive Leadership, identified four strategies key to this exceptional presentation: this book focuses on specific tactics for their implementation, building on the prior lessons but adding practical paths to delivery and better results. The result is a solid recommendation for any business collection; especially those seeing popularity with Positive Leadership's introduction of the subject.

Mastering the Art of Quitting
Peg Streep and Alan Bernstein, LSCW
Da Capo Press
44 Farnsworth Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02210
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738216546, $24.99, www.dacapopress.com

Mastering the Art of Quitting: Why it Matters in Life, Love, and Work argues that most successful people are able to distance themselves from unproductive goals and create better ones, and it uses the latest research in business and psychology to examine why people persist on futile paths and how to identify and separate from unproductive goals. The emotions of quitting and moving on are examined in chapters that help readers identify their own quitting style, with questionnaires leading readers to create new goals. Personal stories round out the presentation, which will spill over from business circles to cover the same behaviors in relationships, hobbies and home life.

Tweet Naked
Scott Levy
Entrepreneur Press
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10121-2298
9781599185156, $19.95, www.entrepreneurpress.com

Tweet Naked: A Bare-All Social Media Strategy for Boosting Your Brand and Your Business tells how to use social media to best advantage for business pursuits using tweets and posts, and teaches the basics of creating relevant context that invites new customers and readers. Facts about business, revenue, and social media offer the basics of how to use Pinterest, Facebook and more and what to know before you launch a social media campaign. From handling and retweeting negative responses to building a consistent brand and considering new ways to engage people through postings, this is packed with specifics perfect for any interested in building a practical social media strategy.

Quick And Nimble
Adam Bryant
Times Books
c/o Henry Holt & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 400, New York, NY 10010-7725
9780805097016, $26.00, www.henryholt.com

Quick And Nimble: Lessons from Leading CEOs on How to Create a Culture of Innovation identifies the biggest influence on corporate culture and offers real-world examples that reflect the combined achievements and insights of such notable modern business leaders as Angie Hicks of Angie's List and Steve Case of Revolution. While the companies and their approaches to success seem very different, common approaches link them and are explored here in chapters outlining the basics of how company structures can be flexible enough to attract the best employees and process the biggest innovations. The result is a powerful pick for any business leader or entrepreneur who would consider a company restructuring.

An Asperger Leader's Guide to Living and Leading Change
Rosalind A. Bergemann
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849054713, $29.95, www.jkp.com

An Asperger Leader's Guide to Living and Leading Change is written by a business leader with Asperger syndrome, and offers a guide to coping with the workplace that will help AS people handle change and leadership challenges. Chapters explore how the typical business cycle of change affects leaders with AS, and offer skills for leading change and helping prepare staff for change. Any AS leader will find this filled with strategies specifically tailored to their needs and will find discussions of skills to be useful in any work leadership role.


The Science Shelf

The Physics of War
Barry Parker
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616148034, $25.95, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Physics of War [From Arrows to Atoms] is a recommendation for science and military collections alike, and provides a fine survey considering the lives of the scientific innovators who used physics to create some of the weapons of war that changed battlefield strategies and results. From Leonardo da Vinci to modern times, this links physics discoveries and applications to military purposes, and examines how physics transformed lives and perspectives. With its scientific specifics, this is a 'must' for any collection interested in linking science discoveries to military advances.

The Monkey's Voyage
Alan de Queiroz
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465020515, $27.99, www.basicbooks.com

THE MONKEY'S VOYAGE: HOW IMPROBABLE JOURNEYS SHAPED THE HISTORY OF LIFE discusses closely related species and how they can be found even on landmasses separated by oceans. How did they come to exist oceans apart? This survey presents a radical new view of fragmented distributions and how they came to be, from plants and amphibians to mammals, and provides a lively discussion of the concept of oceanic dispersal and geographic challenges. The narrative combines human history with natural history and packs in pages of detailed focus on different species and how they evolved, making for a highly recommended, compelling read perfect for natural history and general-interest readers alike!

The Map Turtle and Sawback Atlas
Peter V. Lindeman
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806144061, $45.00, www.oupress.com

The Map Turtle and Sawback Atlas: Ecology, Evolution, Distribution, and Conservation covers the entire biology of a little-known genus and provides turtle scientists and scholarly natural history collections with a fine guide to the map turtles and sawbacks found around the country. The habitats, diet, and natural history of each species is covered in a reference packed with insights on species designations, conservation status, popular management, habitats and more. The result is a 'must' for any collection strong in turtle natural history.

Neutrino Hunters
Ray Jayawardhana
Farrar Straus Giroux
18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780374229531, $27.00, www.fsgbooks.com

Neutrino Hunters: The Thrilling Chase for a Ghostly particle to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe comes from an astrophysicist and science writer who tells of the neutrino's discovery, providing both science and a biography of scientists involved in research. With this dual focus, NEUTRINO HUNTERS becomes a fine portrait of how experiments are conducted, theories proven, and how scientists investigate events. The result is a solid survey recommended for lay scientists and collections for readers of popular science who want a good dose of human interest thrown into their scientific discussions.


The Psychology Shelf

Brainstorm
Daniel J. Siegel, MD
Jeremy P. Tarcher
c/o Penguin Group, USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014-3657
www.tarcherbooks.com
9781585429356, $27.95, www.penguin.com

BRAINSTORM; THE POWER AND PURPOSE OF THE TEENAGE BRAIN comes from a neuropsychiatrist who helps parents understand teen brain processes and is based on the latest research in interpersonal neurobiology. Where other books may discuss overall brain science, this one narrows the focus to teen behavior and relationships and is directed to parents who want to better understand their teen. From popular myths about how teens behave and react to brain changes and how to understand their development, this is a top pick recommended for any parenting collection.

Survival of the Nicest
Stefan Klein
The Experiment
9781615190904, $24.95, www.theexperimentpublishing.com

Survival of the Nicest: How Altruism Made Us Human and Why It Pays to Get Along could have been featured in our science section, but is reviewed here because no psychology reader should miss this discussion of the basics of altruism. This book maintains that real happiness lies in the happiness of others, and it provides a fine survey of selflessness and happiness that is packed with insights on human history, evolution, and how altruism operates in today's world. It's a fine account filled with insights on a little-covered survival mechanism and it will provide much food for thought!


The Criminology Shelf

A Serial Killer in Nazi Berlin
Scott Andrew Selby
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780425264140, $26.95, www.penguin.com

A SERIAL KILLER IN NAZI BERLIN: THE CHILLING TRUE STORY OF THE S-BAHN MURDERER tells of the pursuit of a killer in Berlin during World War II, and provides a powerful true crime story of how wartime conditions masked a murderer's actions. During Allied attacks on Berlin the city was under total blackout - and women alone after dark were the perfect prey for Ogorzow, who moved from terrorizing women to raping and killing them. His focus was on trains, and though the Nazi party tried to censor accounts of his attacks, the women of Berlin soon lived in constant fear. It was up to the head of the Berlin police's serious crimes division to hunt down a clever killer operating under optimum killing conditions fostered by the chaos of war - and saga is deftly captured in a compelling story perfect for true crime and World War II collections alike.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Tai Chi Qigong
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594392689, $20.95, www.ymaa.com

Tai Chi Qigong: The Internal Foundation of Tai Chi Chuan teaches exercises that can improve tai chi skills and health for seniors, and is a pick for sports and health collections alike. The focus with qigong is on a method for increasing and circulating body energy: this book is for those who know basic tai chi forms and newcomers alike, and offers short, easy qigong exercises designed to help practitioners regulate body, breathing and intention. The result is a solid pick for any tai chi practitioner.


The Social Issues Shelf

How to Make Trouble and Influence People
Ian McIntyre, et.al.
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604865950, $24.95, www.pmpress.org

How to Make Trouble and Influence People: Pranks, Protests, Graffiti & Political Mischief-Making from Across Australia focuses on Australia's history of radical activity and presents some 500 stories of resistance and revolts, from creative street art and guerilla theatre to banner drops. Twelve key Australian activists were interviewed for the making of this book and some 300 images record their actions and the subjects of their protests. Humor, art, and social resistance combine in an unusual survey that is lively and revealing for any interested in not just Australia's social milieu, but the finer art of public protest.


The California Shelf

Yosemite Past and Present
I-Ting Chiang & Suzanne Silverthorn
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764343513, $24.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Yosemite Past and Present combines a photographic tribute of the national park with notes on its evolution, and is a top reference for any collection strong on national parks in general and Yosemite in particular. Pages packed with color capture Yosemite's many wonders, while accompanying information deftly captures its history in a format accessible to any armchair reader looking for a colorful celebration of the park.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com

Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design