The Japanese Spa
Akhiko Seki & Elizabeth Heilman Brooke
Tuttle
364 Innovation Drive, N. Clarendon, VT 05759
080483671X $26.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com
Perfect for inspiration to any who either wish to visit Japan or model a home redecoration after Japanese tradition, THE JAPANESE SPA: A GUIDE TO JAPAN'S FINEST RYOKAN AND ONSEN provides a color survey of lovely Japanese spas.
Designing Residential Wilderness
Programs for Adults
Michael Day & Ellen Petrick
Krieger Publishing
Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
1575242613 $29.50 www.kriegerpublishing.com
Joining others in the 'Professional Practices' series is a fine guide to creating a residential adult education experience in wilderness areas which links residential living challenges to natural environment challenges. Chapters offer ideas for tailoring educational programs to the wilderness backdrop, showing how to organize and conduct events, work with program instructors, use journaling and program evaluation techniques, and more.
Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge
Vernon L. Trevathan, Editor
ISA
67 Alexander Drive , Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
1556179847 $109.00 www.isa.org
If you're working anywhere in the field of automation, you need this reference: it's the updated second edition of the popular Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge, and it packs in writings from nearly thirty leading experts in the field on such diverse subjects as control system documentation, motion control pros and cons, system and network security issues, and more. Students seeking to pass the CAP exam as well as field engineers will find it an essential reference filled with discussions linked to real-life needs and situations.
Geographic Information Systems Demystified
Stephen R. Galati
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
158053533X $89.00 www.artechhouse.com
GIS isn't your usual software product-based system: it's used on engineering, mapping and other projects to blend geographic data with business analytic tools, and it uses demographics to promote both business decisions and geographic information management alike. Most GIS titles focus on the geography end, so it's refreshing to see an analysis which focuses equally on business applications of GIS results and strategies, coming with the authority of a member of the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, American Geophysical Union, and the New York City Chapter of Geographic Information Systems and Mapping Operations.
Prisoner of Trebekistan
Bob Harris
Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
0307339564 $23.95 www.randomhouse.com
Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy! Details Bob Harris' journey through the TV game show, from his initial problems passing the audition test to competing in tournaments and playing on stage. Bob began as a stand-up comic with an obsolete engineering degree and some knowledge of the liberal arts: an unlikely candidate for becoming a top Jeopardy winner. But his study sessions paid off, launching him into the world of Jeopardy and revealing hidden tactics and memory techniques that worked wonders revealed here, for others who would learn from the Jeopardy experience.
Luhmann Explained
Hans-Georg Modeller
Open Court
140 S. Dearborn Avenue, Suite 1350, Chicago, IL 60603
0812694333 $25.95 www.opencourtbooks.com
College-level collections strong in philosophy will appreciate this blend of philosophy and sociology, which considers systems, society, and Niklas Luhmann's sociological theories in particular, which departs from many competing concepts in explaining how economics and mass media evolve. From biology to philosophy and other genres, LUHMANN EXPLAINED analyzes the fundamentals of world society and its logical systems. College-level students will find it a challenging, exciting read.
Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build
David & Jeanie Stiles
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1586857800 $19.95 www.gibbs-smith.com
Plenty of home handyman titles include kids' playhouses as an aside to a larger garden project; but where else will you find a construction kit entirely devoted to such? Here's something the average 'do it yourself' worker with kids can easily and affordably accomplish and as an added take, it offers 'themes' for playhouses and treehouses, too. The entire family is encouraged to work together on these projects; not just the husband making them wonderful picks for families who would join forces to get the job done. Step-by-step easy directions are accompanied by diagrams, patterns and photos throughout.
Ancient Agriculture
Gabriel Alonso de Herrera
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1423601203 $29.95 www.gibbs-smith.com
It'd be tempting to place this survey under 'Home and Garden' for this review but really, ANCIENT AGRICULTURE: ROOTS AND APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABLE FARMING deserves so much more. It'll reach an audience of farmers, gardeners, and history buffs with the first English translation of Obra de Agricultura, offering an early agricultural instruction manual originally written in Spain in 1513 and holding importance for modern times. Here are insights into traditional farming techniques of the Moors before their expulsion from Spain: techniques which hold surprising relevance to modern farmers facing global warming and water shortages.
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
www.bkconnection.com
Robert W. Fuller's ALL RISE: SOMEBODIES, NOBODIES, AND THE POLITICS OF DIGNITY (1576753859, $22.95) identifies rankism and abuse of powers which comes with elevated ranks. Rather than focusing on the typical abuse of bosses, it analyzes low rank, high rank, and how professional and political costs lend to rankism and obstacles to business and political arenas alike. While this might seem to be a political book about democratic principles, many of its features can apply equally to the business arena and is thus reviewed here as a special recommendation to managers and businesses. David C. Korten's THE GREAT TURNING: FROM EMPIRE TO EARTH COMMUNITY (1887208070, $27.95) comes from the author whose bestselling WHEN CORPORATIONS RULED THE WORLD reached a wide audience. Here Korten considers the nature of the global corporate economy and its pros and cons, examining the destructive power of a global resistance movement which opposed the centralization of power. Corporate consolidation, Korten argues, is equal to the idea of 'Empire' in the past: the organization of society through violence and intimidation and THE GREAT TURNING provides both a history of the idea and manifestations of empire and a survey of democratic alternatives.
Our Planet
Nicholas Hulot
Abrams
115 W. 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
0810955342 $55.00 www.abramsbooks.com
Eight biological ecosystems of the Earth are described in full here, but with a difference: an oversized presentation and vivid full-page color photos are as much the emphasis as natural history text, lending to a format which will please coffee table collectors of fine art and photography as much as natural history readers. OUR PLANET: A CELEBRATION OF BIODIVERSITY gathers a striking abundance of close-up images of flora and fauna alike, presenting gorgeous shots which are extraordinarily artistic and well detailed. While the natural history explanations are very well done, it's the vivid color photos which makes for a unique, highly recommended top pick.
House of Plenty
Carol Dawson and Carol Johnston
University of Texas Press
Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
0292705651 $21.00 www.utexaspress.com
HOUSE OF PLENTY: THE RISE, FALL, AND REVIVAL OF LUBY'S CAFETERIAS might at first glance seem a limited regional survey; but in fact it will reach to any interested in business history in general and small business and local history in particular. Luby's experienced phenomenal growth and became a favorite family restaurant during the post-World War II decades, evolving from the dream of a broken man to a cafeteria empire with revenues second only to McDonald's. This excellent survey reveals the specifics of the company's success and how it ultimately failed.
Anatomy of a Chopper
Doug Mitchel
Krause Publications
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
0896892662 $34.99 www.fwpubs.com
Doug Mitchel has already photographed and chronicled other books on the topic of motorcycles and bicycles and if his name sounds familiar, it's because it also appears on articles he's contributed to Hot Rod Bikes, Harley Women, and others. Here full-page color photos of selected choppers supplement discussions of design choices, specs, and features, including reviews of specialty makers who prefer unusual clients. Descriptions are as exact as tank making methods for unique designs, unusual powerful cycle systems by custom makers, and survey of companies on the cutting edge of chopper production. It's a chopper fan's dream guide.
The Secret Life of Numbers
George G. Szpiro
Joseph Henry/National Academies Press
500 5th Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
0309096588 $24.95 www.jhpress.org
How does math research apply to everyday life, and what is the history and process of the math discipline as a whole? The Secret Life of Numbers: 50 Easy Pieces on How Mathematicians Work and Think covers the daily work of the math world, from developing theories and testing logic to unsolved problems and individuals whose applications contributed to solutions. Using case histories as foundations, THE SECRET LIFE OF NUMBERS provides a fine survey of the processes of mathematical questioning.
K2: The Price of Conquest
Lino Lacedelli & Giovanni Cenacchi
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat way Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134
1594850305 $16.95 www.mountaineersbooks.org
One of the major mysteries in mountaineering is what happened to the 1954 expedition, when a agreed-upon base camp was moved, forcing author Lino Lacedelli to reach the summit without rendezvousing with their teammates. Accusations of conspiracy and plots ran amok here, more than fifty years later, Lacdedelli breaks silence to provide his own version of events, with documentary mountaineer Giovanni Cenacchi providing an excellent focus.
Treasures of the Spanish Main
John Christopher Fine
Lyons Press
Guilford, CT 06437
1592287603 $29.95 www.LyonsPress.com
Treasures of the Spanish Main: Shipwrecked Galleons in the New World tells of gold, treasure, and fleets which promised riches to divers who would unearth them. It's a history of the ships who sailed the 'Golden Highway' laden with gold and it uses both historical record and the diving explorations of modern treasure hunters to spice its story of pirates, wrecks, and history. An excellent adventure evolves.
Gently Down the Stream
Matt Weinstein & Luke Barber
Berkley/Perigee
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
039953282X $19.95 www.penguin.com
GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM: 4 UNFORGETTABLE KEYS TO SUCCESS tells how to reduce stress, encourage joy in others, and enhance self-esteem and motivation to affect all walks of life. Using the classic song as a metaphor, the authors present the foundations of their successful seminar work to audiences interested in increasing harmony for personal and business success.
Static
Amy Goodman & David Goodman
Hyperion
77 W. 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
1401302939 $23.95 www.Hyperionbooks.com
Two popular journalists one investigative, the other working in radio and TV provide a new book exposing propaganda which has replaced uncensored public communications in STATIC: GOVERNMENT LIARS, MEDIA CHEERLEADERS, AND THE PEOPLE WHO FIGHT BACK. Major media issues are revealed, myths and lies exposed, and stories of thwarted protestors presented to show how the American media has damaged democracy by distorting and hiding the truth. General-interest colleges to colleges strong in media studies will want this.
Legal Forms for Everyone
Carl W. Battle
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St. #510, New York, NY 10010
1581154518 $24.95 www.allworth.com
The fifth updated edition of LEGAL FORMS FOR EVERYONE offers over forty such forms on an accompanying cd-rom and packs in forms essential to a range of everyday legal issues, from preparing an estate and buying a home to leasing property, handling an easy divorce, and more. More than just a collection of forms, however, Legal Forms for Everyone also outlines the pros and cons of using them, providing instructions key to avoiding legal disputes and complexities. An excellent reference, this should be on the shelves of every consumer!
The Homework Myth
Alfie Kohn
Da Capo Press/Perseus
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9738219854 $24.00 www.dacapopress.com
THE HOMEWORK MYTH: WHY OUR KIDS GET TOO MUCH OF A BAD THING offers a challenge to the modern idea that homework is a good thing, offering plenty of evidence to show it holds few benefits and many problems, using the latest research findings to support the idea homework fails to promote student achievement. Chapters explain the rationale behind both homework assignments and its failures, documenting supporting data and also analyzing why educators are ignoring this data. Parents will find this an important survey.
Uncivilized Beasts and Shameless Hellions
John F. Burnett
Rodale Press
733 Third Avenue 15th Floor, New York, NY 10017-3204
1594863040 $24.95 www.rodale.com
Uncivilized Beasts and Shameless Hellions: Travels with an NPR Correspondent comes from a radio journalist who has witnessed and covered some of the most important news events of our times. Even if you've seen his reports, you'll find much news in Uncivilized Beasts: insights which due to time constraints could not be expanded upon, copy from notebooks which never saw publication, bizarre encounters, and more. While his is a personal account of encounters and travels, it also provides cultural and social reflections and important first-person observations. A top, recommended pick any library will find popular with patrons, whether they be public library patrons or high school or college students.
Write for Mathematics
Andrew Rothstein, Evelyn Rothstein, Gerald Lauber
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
1412939941 $39.95 www.corwinpress.com
If students are invited to write about math, their own skills levels improves: that's the message in WRITE FOR MATHEMATICS, SECOND EDITION which offers writing strategies students can use to better understand math concepts. Ten writing strategies are accompanied by teacher directions for incorporating them into curriculum and studies, applications which coincide with NCTM standards, and a number of reproducible templates. The blend of writing examples and emphasis on thought assures students receive an excellent link between concept and written word.
Washington Engineered
Vincent Lee-Thorp
Noble House/American Literary Press
8019 Belair Road #10, Baltimore, MD 21236
1561679402 $26.95 americanliterarypress.com
Between 1740 and modern times much engineering was done in Washington, D.C.: engineering work which was to change the face not only of the nation's capital, but of perspectives on engineering across the U.S. and into Europe, creating the technology that led to the Industrial Revolution. WASHINGTON ENGINEERED draws parallels between engineering and the arts and sciences, surveying projects, providing a healthy dose of Washington DC society history and politics, and surveying other notable engineers who fostered the advancement of engineering as a whole. An excellent blend of biography and history makes for an account recommendable to public as well as college-level libraries.
Brainiac
Ken Jennings
Villard Books
c/o Random House Trade Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
1400064457 $24.95 www.randomhouse.com
If the name of author Ken Jennings sounds vaguely familiar and you've viewed the TV game show Jeopardy recently, you'll recognize he was the greatest champion in the show's history and BRAINIAC: ADVENTURES IN THE CURIOUS, COMPETITIVE, COMPULSIVE WORLD OF TRIVIA BUFFS takes a journey into the author's two years of winning. Jennings held a long-time love of trivia from childhood on and apparently he's not alone. BRAINIAC documents similar trivia enthusiasts which form almost a subculture, touring trivia 'hotspots' across the country from college quiz-bowl games to Publishers and annual marathon contests. Expect a healthy dose of humor blended with observations of how and why trivia buffs exist!
The Library Shelf
Exploring the Bancroft Library
Charles B. Faulhaber & Stephen Vincent, Editors
Signature Books
564 W. 400 North, Salt Lake City, UT 84116-3411
1893663191 $39.95 www.signaturebooks.com
What is the Bancroft Library? Only one of the foremost research institutions in the world, founded in 1860 by a California bookseller who personally gathered some of the richest source materials on the American West. And all this is covered in EXPLORING THE BANCROFT LIBRARY: THE CENTENNIAL GUIDE TO ITS EXTRAORDINARY HISTORY, SPECTACULAR SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, RESEARCH PLEASURES, ITS AMAZING FUTURE, AND HOW IT ALL WORKS. The book celebrates the Bancroft's collection of over 100 years, surveying the treasures for the general public and providing a close examination of how its holdings are acquired and saved. Chapters by individual curators cover the approaches and holdings in depth and detail, and when you add in the numerous color photos, the effect is unsurpassed.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Where to Retire
John Howells
Globe Pequot Press
Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437-0480
0762740655 $17.95 www.globepequot.com
If you're looking for a good, affordable place to retire different than the area you know and live in, take a look at WHERE TO RETIRE: AMERICA'S BEST AND MOST AFFORDABLE PLACES. It outlines affordable places across the country, including not just cost of living insights but assessments of medical care, recreation opportunities, weather, social life, and more. Some states receive their own in-depth coverage; others are included with nearby areas. The concerns raised both pro and con are essential for any solid understanding particular to retiree budgets.
Atlantic Publishing Group
1210 SW 23rd Place, Ocala, FL 34474
Jamaine Burrell's COMPLETE GUIDE TO INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE TAX LIENS & DEEDS (0910627738, $21.95) tells how to make a profit by purchasing tax lien instruments from local governments instruments which yield high rates of return. These investments can outpace stock market performance and real estate investments alike if they are handled correctly; and that's where COMPLETE GUIDE TO INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE TAX LIENS & DEEDS comes into play. Chapters provide everything you need to know to invest, understand liabilities and potential pitfalls, and make wise decisions with rich outcomes. Steven D. Fischer's THE REAL ESTATE INVESTOR'S HANDBOOK: THE COMPLETE GUIDE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL INVESTOR (091062769X, $24.95) is for beginners as well as industry pros, sellers and buyers alike. It's a primer covering the latest innovative ideas in real estate investing, using case studies from successful experts to cover all the basics. Or pick Susan Smith Alvis' HOW TO BUY REAL ESTATE WITHOUT A DOWN PAYMENT IN ANY MARKET: INSIDER SECRETS FROM THE EXPERTS WHO DO IT EVERY DAY (0910627673, $21.95), an explanation of 'no down payment' sources, strategies, and pros and cons. A simple formula is provided even for beginners or those with no credit or little money. Hundreds of successful real estate investors who have used such a strategy have been interviewed to provide all the basics here. Rene V. Richards' HOW TO BUY AND/OR SELL A SMALL BUSINESS FOR MAXIMUM PROFIT: A STEP BY STEP GUIDE (0910627533, $24.95) is for the novice businessman who would either buy or sell a small business. From finding a business and raising capital to buy it to evaluating its financials, using brokers, and conducting due diligence, this is an item of choice for either side. Atlantic's THE FRANCHISE HANDBOOK: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO ALL ASPECTS OF BUYING, SELLING OR INVESTING IN A FRANCHISE (0910627541, $39.95) is an excellent resource for prospective franchisees and franchisers: again, both sides are treated to definitive 'how to' tips on structuring a franchise system to make the most of a profitable idea. From managing daily operations and securing financing to legal agreements and cost controls, this reference is a 'must' for any who would become involved, whether in promoting a franchise or buying into one.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Silk Road to Ruin
Ted Rall
NBM
40 Exchange Place #1308, New York, NY 10005
1561634549 $22.95 www.nbmpublishing.com
At a publisher's party an editor asked his newest staff writer to pitch him an idea for the wildest adventure travel piece he could think of and Ted Rall proposed a setting in post-soviet Central Asia. His drive along the Silk Road from Beijing to Istanbul, sans benefit of research and set plans, results in a blend of graphic novel images and text descriptions which works together for vivid insights in Silk Road to Ruin. This could've been featured in our Travel section but should reach far beyond the usual travel audience, with its inclusion of excellent graphic novel elements throughout.
The Humor Shelf
The Redneck Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree
Jeff Foxworthy
Rutledge Hill press
Box 141000., Nashville, TN 37214
1401602304 $9.99 www.rutledgehillpress.com
If you're a Foxworthy fan of 'redneck humor', don't miss his latest collection The Redneck Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree: its diminutive stature may make it harder to find on shelves, but its one-page insights on 'you might be a redneck if' focuses on funny family connections and makes for an especially strong family gift for the holidays or Father's Day.
Andrews & McMeel
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111-7701
www.amuniversal.com
The latest batch of cartoon collections features the best of strips from today's most popular syndicated writers, and shouldn't be missed. Jim Toomey's PLANET OF THE HAIRLESS BEACH APES (0740760564, $10.95) presents more Sherman's Lagoon features: if you don't already know, Sherman's Lagoon is a microcosm of human society. Here sharks covet over species, vie for attention, and are big, dumb, and funny. Joined by a host of seaside friends, Sherman contemplates the ironies of the Hairless Beach Apes and life in general. Any family with a teen will readily recognize the attitudes presented in the latest Zits Sketchbook 11: ARE WE OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY YET? (0740761994, $10.95). Black and white strips from the feature focus on family relationships, with young Jeremy demonstrating impatience as a form of affection for his loving yet beleaguered parents. Lynn Johnston's SHE'S TURNING INTO ONE OF THEM! (0740758152, $10.95) also features a teen a girl newly entering teenhood in a funny collection of Patterson cartoons covering April's transition to teenhood. Stephan Pastis' PEARLS BEFORE SWINE: LIONS AND TIGERS AND CROCS, OH MY! (0740761552, $16.95) holds the second 'Pearls Before Swine' collection, providing another wonderful annotated gathering of misanthropic mishaps following the Pastis formula for success. Color and black and white strips abound in large-size pages easy on the eye. All are wonderful picks for either long-time fans who may've missed some of the regular strips in the daily paper, or for newcomers who will find much to admire here.
The Children's Shelf
The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside
Cynthia von Buhler
Houghton Mifflin Company
222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116
0618563148 $16.00 www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
Ages 2-5 will love this very different book of friendship and trust, which tells the true story of an author who befriends a stray cat who won't budge from her porch. Cynthia von Buhler slow years of friendship and revamping of her cat's comfortable porch home leads to a relationship, a book, and family involvements. A rich, different kind of story reads like fiction but is based on a true story.
The Social Issues Shelf
Take Steps with a Purpose
Eric M. Latham
Walk About America
15120 Industrial Park Road, Bristol, VA 24202
1424307600 $34.95 www.walkaboutamerica.com
The price tag's high for a standard-sized paperback, but any collection strong in cancer history, medicine, or social issues will find it important: it's a memoir of how the author walked across the country to raise money for cancer research, and packs a surprising number of color photos into the account. His accounts of people he meets along the way aren't just from the medical world, but from average citizens and their struggles. An important, inspirational journey invites readers to join in the battle against cancer.
The Courage of Our Convictions
Gary Hart
Times Books
175 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010
0805081011 $22.00 www.henryholt.com
The Democrats have lost the last two presidential elections and have also been the minority in Congress: while they're calling for changes, they haven't the power to lead them in. THE COURAGE OF OUR CONVICTIONS: A MANIFESTO FOR DEMOCRATS calls for the party to redefine itself, to clarify its principles and stand behind them, ridding itself of the division and controversy which have contributed to its demise. Any interested in building Democratic strengths and re-learning principles that differentiate it from Republican ideals must have this.
Not a Genuine Black Man
Brian Copeland
Hyperion
77 W. 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
1401302335 $22.95 www.hyperionbooks.com
Brian Copeland regularly receives hate mail attacking his black roots: as a stand-up comedian, his approach led to success and to question the principles of others of his race. His autobiography examines his childhood traumas, his troubles growing up in one of the most racist suburbs in America, and his rise to fame despite struggle only to be confronted by others claiming he had abandoned his black principles. NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN OR, HOW I CLAIMED MY PIECE OF GROUND IN THE LILY-WHITE SUBURBS should serve as an inspiration for any black reader.
The Age of Fallibility
George Soros
Public Affairs
250 West 57th St. Suite 1321, New York, NY 10107
1586483595 $24.00 www.publicaffairsbooks.com
What are the errors in thinking in our current 'war on terror'? To receive an exacting analysis, try George Soros' THE AGE OF FALLIBILITY: CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR ON TERROR. His analysis pinpoints ways in which the country has lost its direction and some of its values in pursuing such a campaign, analyzing the Bush administration's approach and public sentiments alike. A hard-hitting survey for any interested in the current state of American thinking.
The Moral Center
David Callahan
Harcourt Inc.
0151011516 $24.00 www.harcourtbooks.com
THE MORAL CENTER: HOW WE CAN RECLAIM OUR COUNTRY FROM DIE-HARD EXTREMISTS, ROGUE CORPORATIONS, HOLLYWOOD HACKS, AND PRETEND PATRIOTS argues that underlying concerns such as eroding values, and the rise of greed, are the real problems neither party is addressing in political campaigns. A new vision and strategy is needed based on acknowledgment of this underlying erosion: one provided in THE MORAL CENTER, which argues for change in the face of polarized differences which paralyze both parties and reduce effective strategies.
The Human Experiment
Jane Pynter
Thunder's Mouth Press
245 W. 17th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10011
156025775X $26.95 www.thundersmouth.com
It's the 15th anniversary of the Biosphere 2 experiment, when eight individuals sealed themselves into a 2-acre desert building to survive without any help from the outside world and here one crewmember shares what life was like behind the glass. It was designed to be a mini version of Biosphere 1, and was a self-contained ecosystem which could be viewed either as a prototype for a space habitat or a small version of Planet Earth experiences. The author helped design the experiment, lived it, and walked away from it in the end: her account holds insights for us all.
No One is Illegal
Justin Akers Chacon & Mike Davis
Haymarket Books
Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
1931859353 $14.00 www.haymarketbooks.org
Anti-immigration vigilantes have their own racist behaviors, fostering ideas which range from the notion illegal immigration patterns are a national crisis to the idea of immigrant impact on American culture and jobs. History and analysis shows quite the opposite a history and analysis presented here in NO ONE IS ILLEGAL: FIGHTING RACISM AND STATE VIOLENCE ON THE BORDER. Essential reading for any involved in immigration rights or issues.
The New Americans
Michael Barone
Regnery Publishing
1 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
1596980265 $16.95 www.regnery.com
Is the visionary Melting Pot of American society an idealized image of the past, as white populations shrink and minorities grow? Not so, says political historian and author Michael Barone: his THE NEW AMERICANS: HOW THE MELTING POT CAN WORK AGAIN maintains that in fact the idealized vision has seldom been true. Immigrants have long been a part of U.S. history, and chapters here survey this history to draw important comparisons and contrasts between immigrant populations past and present. The special issues of Latinos, blacks, Italians, Jews and the Irish hold lessons for today's new waves, and chapters provide the in-depth focus needed for these groups.
Looking Beyond the Highway
Claudette Stager & Martha Carver
University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
1572334673 www.utpress.org 1-800-621-2736
Any interested in Southern history, culture and social issues must take a look at Looking Beyond the Highway: Dixie Roads and Culture. It follows the Dixie Highway from southern Illinois to Florida with essays which cover a wide swatch of the South and a range of Southern subjects, from the rise and fall of brick highways to changing styles in Southern hotels, architecture, and music and the arts. A fine survey of evolving Southern culture lends plenty of insights into social and political influences along the way.
Hip Hop Culture
Emmett G. Price III
ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
1851098674 $85.00 www.abc-clio.com
Hip hop began as an alternative street lingo but has swept the world to become a dominant, lasting social force rather than just another musical fad and HIP HOP CULTURE documents the sweeping progress of the movement as a whole, providing a narrative history pairing photos of hiphop styles and peoples with a glossary of terms, a bibliography of associated resources, and an analysis of the most influential songs of the movement. Chapters thus blend biographical sketches with an overall attention to cultural change to make this essential reading for any student of the movement.
Revel with a Cause
Stephen E. Kercher
University of Chicago Press
1427 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
0226431649 $35.00 www.press.uchicago.edu 1-800-621-2736
Early liberal satirists helped oppose the nation's leaders and their policies, providing an alternative to political conservatism during the 1950s and 60s: REVEL WITH A CAUSE focuses on the use of comedy and satire to prove alternative commentary and nonconforming ideas to the public. College-level students of media studies or American social issues will find it a fine survey of the uses of comedy and satire in the political and social arena.
Islam: The Basics
Colin Turner
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
041534106X $17.95 www.routledge-ny.com
While ISLAM: THE BASICS joins others in the basics series, it's a powerful stand-alone pick for any collection, college-level, high school or public library, providing all the basics on key areas from the Koran and women in Islam to key dates, ideas, and Islam culture. From social life and practice to spirituality, ISLAM: THE BASICS provides a solid foundation for understanding.
Encyclopedia of Human Development
Neil J. Salkind, Editor
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
1412904757 $495.00 www.sagepublications.com
College-level collections on human development must have this 3-volume set ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, which brings together social, psychological and physical sciences and provides an analysis of the changing world of the human condition associated with aging. Cross-disciplinary coverage comes from experts in different fields and entries cover classic studies, theories, and research. Essays provide coverage of specific phases of development, while concluding summaries offer bibliographic references for added reading. The set will be a useful reference for any student of psychology or social development.
Urban Nightmares
Steve Macek
University of Minnesota Press
111 3rd Avenue South #290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
081664361X $22.95 www.upress.umn.edu
College-level collections strong in urban studies will welcome the survey teacher Steve Macek offers up in URBAN NIGHTMARES: THE MEDIA, THE RIGHT, AND THE MORAL PANIC OVER THE CITY. Its chapters survey issues of urban blight, crime, and hopelessness, drawing links between these conditions and the media, which has validated the right-wing analysis of the urban crisis through news and TV reports. Is the media biased against cities?
Mad Sheep
Linda Faillace
Chelsea Green
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
1933392096 $25.00 www.chelseagreen.com
In 2001 after months of surveillance and harassment armed federal agents seized a flock of some 100 organically-raised dairy sheep. One might think this an isolated incident, but MAD SHEEP: THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE USDA'S WAR ON A FAMILY FARM holds implications for farming and food distribution channels as a whole. USDA chief Linda Detweiler claimed the imported sheep had been exposed to a disease, but the flock's owners here, the authors weren't about to let the judgement pass silently: they weren't just farmers but scientists, and demonstrated the impossibility of their sheep being infected. And then the fight really begins documented here in eye-opening pages of detail.
Liberty & Learning
Robert C. Enlow & Lenore T. Ealy, Eds.
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
1930865864 $11.95 www.cato.org
In 1955 Milton Friedman wrote 'The Role of Government in Education', little knowing his essay would promote and begin the modern 'school choice' movement. In it he argued there was no justification for the government's operation of schools and his essay here is reconsidered fifty years later, gathering writings form the nation's top educators to consider its merit in modern times. Colleges strong in education studies must have this.
Screwed
Thom Hartmann
Berrett Koehler
235 Montgomery st. #650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
1576754146 $22.95 www.bkconnection.com
SCREWED: THE UNDECLARED WAR AGAINST THE MIDDLE CLASS AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT comes from an Air America Radio talk show host who argues that the American middle class is nearly extinct. As the middle class sector is intrinsic to the health of any democracy, this spells danger to our society as a whole and Hartmann provides a discussion which both analyzes the roots of the American middle class and threats to its existence, but related issues of business law, equal opportunity, and living standards. His intriguing survey also offers a solution.
Scandal
Lanny Davis
Palgrave Macmillan
175 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010-7848
1403974950 $24.95 www.palgrave-usa.com
In the late 90s the author was special Counsel to President Clinton and was offered a ringside seat to the inner sanctum of the political process: SCANDAL: HOW 'GOTCHA' POLITICS IS DESTROYING AMERICA offers damning details on all parties as it surveys the evolving 'scandal culture' affecting political elections and decisions. From Watergate to modern times, the scandal machine has revved up: SCANDAL documents exactly how it has evolved, the ideas underlying party manipulation of the political system, and different paradigms of change.
The Looming Tower
Lawrence Wright
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
037541486X $27.95 www.aaknopf.com 1-800-726-0600
THE LOOMING TOWER: AL-QAEDA AND THE ROAD TO 9/11 joins a host of other books on the topic, with a difference: it offers a wide-ranging narrative history of events leading to 9/11 with an eye to documenting terrorist plans, Western intelligence failures, and world-wide involvements. Wright spent five years researching and conducting interviews throughout the Middle East, Europe and the U.S., going beyond simple archive reconstruction to examine events through the interwoven lives of two al-Qaeda leaders, the FBI's counterterrorism chief, and the former head of Saudi intelligence. By using these lives as a foundation for facts, THE LOOMING TOWER probes far deeper into motivation and history than competing titles.
Six Arguments for A Greener Diet
Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D.
Center for Science in Public Interest
1875 Connecticut Avenue, #300, Washington, DC 20009-5728
0893290491 $14.95 www.cspinet.org
Scientific studies maintain that eating more plant foods and less animal products can lead to years of better health: a diet which also results in less pollution and impact on the environment, too. For those who would still argue the facts, SIX ARGUMENTS draws more direct links between dietary choices and environmental and health issues, with chapters providing step-by-step proofs on how meat-loaded diets lead to ill health and environmental degradation. While the theme isn't new, it's the reasoned and exact, science-based point-by-point six arguments which are clearer than more general surveys of the issues involved.
The Biography Shelf
Dark Hero of the Information Age
Flo Conway & Jim Siegelman
Basic Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
0465013716 $17.95 www.basicbooks.com
Dark Hero of the Information Age: In Search of Nortbert Wiener the Father of Cybernetics tells of an ex-child prodigy and MIT mathematician who founded cybernetics and then spent the rest of his life warning the world of the consequences of the new technologies he helped foster. Surprisingly, his works and his warnings are relatively unknown today despite the fact many of his concerns and predictions came true. Dark Hero of the Information Age recounts his life and discoveries and the consequences of his discoveries.
The Bridge Builder
Beverly Rybarz
Wakefield Press
1 The Parade West, Kent Town, South Australia 5067
1862546592 www.wakefieldpress.com www.amazon.com
In 1951 the author was 21 when she arrived in New Guinea to live with her new husband. Festooned in pearls, she soon found a world filled with snakes in the ceiling, spiders as big as dinner plates, and cultural challenges galore but it was her involvement with Pole Stan Rybarz which led to her journey into the jungles of New Guinea to construct roads and bridges. Plenty of cultural insights meld with an autobiography of adventure which will engross any reader.
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World
John Wood
Collins/HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
006223207X $25.95 www.harpercollins.com
For almost ten years the author was one of the 1990s tech stars who 'had it all' at one of the best companies in the world, Microsoft. He had the corporate luxuries, big paycheck, and more but something was missing: something discovered on a trip to Nepal that would inspire him to give up all his luxuries. Similar to THREE CUPS OF TEA, he left career and U.S.A. to enter the world of building schools across the developing world: this is the story of how he did it and why.
Madame Chiang Kai-Shek
Laura Tyson Li
Atlantic Monthly Press
841 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0871139332 $30.00 www.groveatlantic.com
It's surprising to note that this is the first biography of one of the most politically influential women of modern times, but MADAME CHIANG KAI-SHEK: CHINA'S ETERNAL FIRST LADY remains the only title to provide the complete story of a woman who seized unofficial and official power during China's civil war. Her position against Chinese Communism and her diplomatic relations affected decades of Chinese-American relations, so this book is key to a thorough understanding of not just the woman, but Chinese politics and influences in particular.
Reclaiming the Sky
Tom Murphy
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
0814409091 $21.95 www.amacombooks.org
These personal stories of aviation employees whose lives changed after September 11th, 2001 makes for an outstanding collection of memories of those who acted courageously and behind the scenes. RECLAIMING THE SKY: 9/11 AND THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE MEN ND WOMEN WHO KEPT AMERICA FLYING offers stories of professionals who were on duty on that day: it makes for a passionate, involving set of experiences of ordinary individuals placed in unusual situations calling for action.
Twice Born
Betty Jean Lifton
Other Press LLC
2 Park Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10016
1590512448 $15.95 www.otherpress.com
The author's written several books on the psychology of the adopted, but here provides her own autobiographical experience, telling of a life where adoptees were still kept in the dark about their identification. As an adult she not only identified with orphans left behind by American soldiers in Japan and Vietnam; she embarked on her own journey to discover the forbidden knowledge of her own adoptive parents and her roots. TWICE BORN: MEMORIES OF AN ADOPTED DAUGHTER traces her journey and feelings.
The Librettist of Venice
Rodney Bolt
Bloomsbury
175 5th Avenue Suite 300, New York, NY 10010
1596911182 $29.95 www.bloomsburyusa.com
Lorenzo Da Ponte was an early Venetian librettist well known in the late 1700s: he was Mozart's poet, Casanova's friend, and would serve as librettist of three of his friend Mozart's most controversial operas. He went on to become the first professor of Italian at Columbia University: THE LIBRETTIST OF VENICE traces a varied, involving life but also provides a fine history and set of social insights of his times, recreating the politics and world of early Vienna through the changing career of a remarkable man. Engrossing.
The Lost: A Search For Six Million
Daniel Mendelsohn
HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
0060542977 $27.95 www.harpercollins.com
The author grew up in a family haunted by the disappearance of six relatives during the Holocaust: as an adult, his discovery of letters written to his grandfather in 1939 sent him on a journey to locate the remaining eyewitness to his relatives' last days: a journey which would lead him across four continents and back to the small Ukrainian town of his family's origins. Much of THE LOST reads with the drama of fiction, but it's not: it's the author's own struggle to solve a mystery intrinsic not only to his own past, but to the world of immigrant Jews and Holocaust survivors alike.
The Robin Hood Handbook
Mike Dixon-Kennedy
Sutton
Phoenix Mill, Thrupp, Stroud, Glos UK GL5 2BU
075093977X $24.95 www.suttonpublishing.co.uk www.amazon.com
Most treatments of Robin Hood are light, semi-fantasy coverages for younger ages, so it's important to note that THE ROBIN HOOD HANDBOOK: THE OUTLAW IN HISTORY, MYTH AND LEGEND is far different, covering not only many true-life biographical details, but rounding out biography with a social and political history of his times. Original research by a long-time mythology researcher enhances the story of Robin Hood, reconstructed from myths, films, folklore, place-names, ballads and more.
The Sea Captain's Wife
Martha Hodes
W.W. Norton
500 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10110
0393052264 $24.95 www.wwnorton.com
THE SEA CAPTAIN'S WIFE: A TRUE STORY OF LOVE, RACE, AND WAR IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY tells of an ordinary New England working-class white woman who in 1869 decided to marry a black sea captain from the West Indies. The unexpected occurred: she went from a poor Yankee widow of a Confederate soldier to a genteel lady in an elite colored family in the Caribbean. Over five hundred family letters along with census records and local histories were used to reconstruct her story here, and comes form a history professor who lends historical authenticity and the drama and characterization of fiction to THE SEA CAPTAIN'S WIFE, making it a biography hard to put down.
Madame Tussaud: A Life in Wax
Kate Berridge
William Morrow/HarperCollins
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
0060528478 $25.95 www.harpercollins.com
If the name of Madame Tussaud sounds familiar, just think of the House of Wax to get the association: House of Wax museums exist across the country and even in London and Asia and her name is on each museum marquee. Despite this, relatively little has been written about her life, until now: writer Kate Berridge uses Tussaud's memoirs, British and French historical archives, and interviews with her descendants to reconstruct her life and times from birth to her business associations. She was the first to bring art and entertainment to newfound middle-class and working-class groups and her influence extended far beyond the wax museum cult, as MADAME TUSSAUD: A LIFE IN WAX proves.
The Music Shelf
This Business of Songwriting
Jason Blume
Watson-Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0823077594 $24.95 www.watsonguptill.com
This Business of Songwriting: A Practical Guide to Doing Business as a Songwriter may look like just another book on the topic but it's the first to cover the basics of music publishing as a whole; not just how to write a song. From approaching songwriting as a business, building the appropriate structure of understanding contracts, licensing, and income generation, to gaining alternative venues of distribution such as Internet and live performances, details on copyright, competitions, performances, and supporting organizations offer up invaluable insider details essential to serious songwriters.
Guitar: An American Life
Tim Brookes
Grove Press
841 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0802142583 $14.00 www.groveatlantic.com
When author Tim Brookes' beloved guitar was accidentally destroyed, his journey for a new one led him to the Vermont rural workshop of a master guitar maker and further on the road to explore the power of the guitar in American culture. Thus GUITAR: AN AMERICAN LIFE is really two stories in one: an autobiography of the author's own affection for the instrument, and a history of the guitar's construction and importance in this country. One would expect this to be dense and hard-hitting but it's not; it's lively and very readable perhaps it's the blend of travelogue and journeying into the process, but it's a winner.
Platinum Blonde
Deborah Harry
Andre Deutsch/Trafalgar Square
Box 257, N. Pomfret, VT 05053
0233001530 $12.50 www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com
Written with the singer's authorization, PLATINUM BLONDE is a biographical sketch of Debbie Harry, who reflected New York attitude and punk sentiments primarily during the 1980s. As PLATINUM BLONDE reveals, she actually influenced the movement from the late 60s to modern times, with her group Blondie creating a lasting sensation on the scene. Any fan of Blondie must read about its dynamic leader's life and many other musical facets.
One O'Clock Jump
Douglas Henry Daniels
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108-2892
0807071366 $27.95 www.beacon.org
ONE O'CLOCK JUMP: THE UNFORGETTABLE HISTORY OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY BLUE DEVILS offers up a wealth of detail on a legendary jazz band from Oklahoma City. They went through many changes from 1923 to 1933, but their legacy has been under-stated until this book, so any avid fan of jazz may know of them, but only in passing. ONE O'CLOCK JUMP fills the gaps, using interviews with the six surviving Blue Devils and others and supplementing these with newspaper accounts of performances and government records. The result is rich reporting and jazz music history which cannot be ignored.
Ten Minute Masters
Music Tech Magazine
PC Publishing/O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy, Sebastopol, CA 95472
187077504X $17.95
From explanations of music theories to new technological advancements and protocols in music recording, TEN MINUTE MASTERS will appeal to both newcomers and experienced musicians alike, explaining the latest advancements as they affect sound, recording, and music mixing.
Acoustic Design for
The Home Studio
Mitch Gallagher
Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
159863285X $19.99 www.courseptr.com
It used to be that musicians went to a professional studio to make recordings; but with all the advancements in computer and recording technology, such a studio is affordable for the home and ACOUSTIC DESIGN FOR THE HOME STUDIO tells how to make a room perfect for the recording sound desired. Tips on how to sound-proof a home or project studio tell how to use an existing room, whether it be garage or bedroom, and provide diagrams, photos of revamped rooms, and tips on getting the most from such a project.
Music Production
Michael Zager
Scarecrow Press
4501 Forbes #200, Lanham, MD 20706
0810857049 $50.00 www.scarecrowpress.com
Music production requires a knowledge of art, technology and business alike, and the college-level guide MUSIC PRODUCTION: A MANUAL FOR PRODUCERS, COMPOSERS, ARRANGERS, AND STUDENTS guides readers through the music production process, explaining all that's needed to know about producing classical, pop, and even film or music video recordings. An accompanying cd of exercises reinforces lessons on composition, songwriting, and arrangement and comes from a music professor with strong credentials and experience.
Great Rock Drummers of the Sixties Revised
Bob Cianci
Hal Leonard
19 W. 21st St. #201, New York, NY 10010
0634099256 $19.95 www.halleonard.com
Now in its second printing, the classic survey GREAT ROCK DRUMMERS OF THE SIXTIES provides a history of the era's best rock drummers and drumming and here is reissued in its original form with added revised data updating drummer biographies to modern times. All notable drummers of the era, both famous and lesser-knowns, are included in chapters which review tours, notable achievements, pack in plenty of vintage black and white photos, and chart the rise of rock groups.
Laurel Canyon
Michael Walker
Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003
0571211496 $25.00 www.fsgbooks.com
Dozens of hits central to rock and roll's evolution in the 1960s emerged from an artists' colony in the Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon, fostering a sound which became standard for rock groups around the country yet few coverages mention the connection between Laurel Canyon and the emerging talents. Journalist Michel Walker tells of the key musical figures from this community who fostered innovative changes to the way music was made: chapters include new, modern interviews with Graham Nash, Gail Zappa, and other groupies and musicians with direct connection to Laurel Canyon, making for a documentation essential to understanding the 1960s and 70s sounds in LAUREL CANYON: THE INSIDE STORY OF ROCK AND ROLL'S LEGENDARY NEIGHBORHOOD.
The Spirituality Shelf
The Visionary State
Erik Davis
Chronicle Books
85 2nd Street, San Francisco CA 94105
0811848353 $40.00 www.chroniclebooks.com
California has a reputation for the diverse and eccentric: a reputation which extends into the spiritual realm as well, and THE VISIONARY STATE: A JOURNEY THROUGH CALIFORNIA'S SPIRITUAL LANDSCAPE PRESENTS COLOR PHOTOS BY Michael Rauner to accompany a historical and social survey of California's alternative spirituality communities. From theme parks and alternatives to conventional churches to Buddhist areas and visions of the Virgin, THE VISIONARY STATE is packed with images and ideas reflecting the individuals and spiritual movements that make up California.
A Secular Faith
Darryl Hart
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566635764 $26.95 www.ivanrdee.com
A SECULAR FAITH: WHY CHRISTIANITY FAVORS THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE outlines the foundations of a long-standing argument and the divide between religious and secular America, which has been particularly pointed over the last few decades. Can Christianity be used for political and social ends? A SECULAR FAITH questions this approach and provides documentation of political and religious rivalries over the years.
Concerning the Spiritual in Art
Wassilly Kadinsky
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-5597
0878467025 $24.95 www.mfa-publications.org
Wassilly Kadinsky was a 20th century painter and his CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL IN ART provides a blend of philosophical, spiritual and artistic reflection as it examines the premises and presence of spirituality in art. This new edition is a recommended pick not just for art students of modernism, but for readers of spiritual works: it includes letters between Kadinsky and Sadler, unpublished prose poems, and a fine attention to artistic reflection and analysis.
The Elements of Prayer
Joe B. Jewell
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1577315472 $15.00 www.newworldlibrary.com
Author Joe Jewell was a Methodist pastor for over twenty years: the most common question he got was 'what is prayer and how does one pray?' The answers are in THE ELEMENTS OF PRAYER: LEARNING TO PRAY IN REAL LIFE, which offers up ten rules of prayer from composition and structure to approach. Both religious and literary guidelines are followed in a structured survey of prayer options and possibilities.
West of Jesus
Steven Kotler
Bloomsbury USA
175 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010
1596910518 $23.95 www.bloomsburyusa.com
What could link surfing with spirituality? Journalist Steven Kotler's title blends memoir with insights into both surfing and God and tells of a point in time where he loses his perfect life and embarks on a search for 'the Conductor'. His mystical experiences along the way are revealed in a survey that considers neuroscience, the sport of surfing, and the nature of spirituality alike. The blend of topics, from travel discovery to personal insights, make for a stimulating, involving story.
Water from the Well
Anne Roiphe
William Morrow
10 E. 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
0060737964 $24.95 www.harpercollins.com
WATER FROM THE WELL: SARAH, REBEKAH, RACHEL AND LEAH focuses on the true stories of four Biblical women whose influence on the early stories of the Bible will reach not just Christians but Jewish and Muslim faiths. Texts of different religions, from the Torah and prayer books to the Bible, are utilized in Roiphe's study of the women's personalities, struggles, and interactions with God. A blend of anthropology, religious study and folklore has been culled to build a foundation of knowledge based on known facts and source materials in this outstanding study.
HarperSanFrancisco
353 Sacramento St. #500, San Francisco CA 94111
www.harpersf.com
Douglas Willard's THE GREAT OMISSION: RECLAIMING JESUS'S ESSENTIAL TEACHINGS ON DISCIPLESHIP (0060882433, $23.95) draws a distinction between Jesus' last command to 'make disciples of all nations' and the difference between a 'disciple' and a 'Christian'. It's this misunderstanding, according to Christian thinker Willard, which has been the church's 'great omission', and he seeks to clarify and rectify this misunderstanding through analysis of New Testament lifestyles and teachings, and ideas on how Christians can remain faithful without applying their understanding of the Kingdom of God to all life. An intriguing discussion emerges of definitions and understandings gone awry. Barbara Brown Taylor's LEAVING CHURCH: A MEMOIR OF FAITH (0060771747, $23.95) tells of the author's dream of becoming the pastor of her own small congregation after nine years serving on the staff of a large Atlanta church a dream which was to lead to her realization that she might have to leave the church to serve more effectively. LEAVING CHURCH follows her spiritual journey, providing in the course of the trip many insights on the pressures on spiritual leaders.
Jesus Mean and Wild
Mark Galli
Baker Books
Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0801012848 $17.99 www.bakerbooks.com
The modern church has long portrayed Jesus as meek and nice but Mark Galli, editor of Christianity Today, offers up a new interpretation of Jesus as he's presented in Mark's Gospel, revealing a militant Christ. Biblical history, stories of saints, and discussions portray a deeper personality and purpose: one which may not be as safe and smooth, but which is ultimately more challenging and revealing.
The Bible and Other Faiths
Ida Glaser
InterVarsity Press
Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
0830833110 $18.00 www.ivpress.com
The Bible and Other Faiths: Christian Responsibility in a World of Religions comes from a theologian who argues something different from many Christian treatises: that an understanding of other religions and their effects is essential. Chapters survey how God interacts with different religions, how Christians should respond to the God concepts of these other religions, and how to understand the world and concepts inherent in the texts of other faiths. An intriguing survey.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
On the Line
Robert Viagas, et.al.
Limelight/Amadeus Press
512 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
0879103361 $20.00 www.limelighteditions.com
The Broadway hit A Chorus Line is returning to Times Square in a major revival this fall and ON THE LINE: THE CREATION OF 'A CHORUS LINE' provides an oral history from the nineteen original cast members who recall how they become involved with the project, how it evolved from workshops, and how it made many of them lasting successes in their fields. Robert Viagas collaborated with original cast members Baayork Lee and Thommie Walsh to provide this memoir, which is a 'must' for any prior or present fans of the Broadway musical production. Many insider's views here can't be found elsewhere.
Finding Lost: The Unofficial Guide
Nikki Stafford
ECW Press
2120 Queen Street East #200, Toronto, Ontario, CA M4E 1E2
1550227437 $17.95 www.ecwpress.com
If you're a fan of the popular TV show LOST, you can't be without this unofficial guide to the seasons: it's the only book to provide an episode-by-episode commentary, with chapters offering background, insider clues, surveys of its history and philosophical reflections, and more. Original air dates, flashback scenes, guests casts all the information is here, along with show-by-show synopses.
'Til the Fat Girl Sings
Sharon Wheatley
Adams Media
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322
1593375433 $14.95 www.adamsmedia.com
This could've been featured in our Biography section, but is reviewed here for its insights on how a Broadway star made it big despite her lifetime weight problem. Sharon Wheatley weighed over two hundred pounds by high school, but never stopped dreaming of a career on Broadway. Her journey and reach for leading roles would take her to the top and 'TIL THE FAT GIRL SINGS: FROM AN OVERWEIGHT NOBODY TO A BROADWAY SOMEBODY A MEMOIR tells how.
Making Short Films
Jim Piper
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St. #510, New York, NY 10010
1581154445 $24.95 www.allworth.com
Plenty of books give all the basics of how to make a film of any size but MAKING SHORT FILMS goes a step further in also surveying the purpose and problems involved. From whether or not to write a script and how to develop it to composing shots, using editing programs on computers, and creating special effects, there are plenty of tips paired with hands-on application projects perfect for newcomers. The DVD in back offers thirty completed short films by students and beginners, for further inspiration and example.
The Computer Shelf
CSS: The Missing Manual
David Sawyer McFarland
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596526873 $34.99 www.oreilly.com
Cascading style sheets are the heart of some of the most popular web sites but getting them to work with HTML can be frustrating. That's why CSS: THE MISSING MANUAL is so important a pick: it provides an introduction to both HTML and CSS interactions, offering up an experienced web designer's strategies for overcoming obstacles and finding the heart of CSS strengths and options. Over a hundred pages of tutorial exercises offer a real-world opportunity to see how tested web pages work and how to implement advanced functions. A top pick.
Teaching Web Search Skills
Greg R. Notess
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055
1573872679 $29.50 www.informationtoday.com
If you're teaching web searching techniques, you shouldn't be without this book and if you're a web searcher seeking the best approaches, run don't walk to the shelves which hold TEACHING WEB SEARCH SKILLS: TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES OF TOP TRAINERS. Here are tips from the best Internet searchers, going beyond the usual basics on how to conduct a basic search and probing the methods that narrow results and get the best results. From image searches and usenet to understanding search engine pros and cons and overcoming these limitations, teachers in particular and searchers in general receive many specifics.
Collada
Remi Arnaud & Mark C Barnes
AK Peters Ltd
888 Worcester Street #230, Wellesley, MA 02482
1568812876 $49.00 www.akpeters.com
COLLADA: SAILING THE GULF OF 3D DIGITAL CONTENT CREATION is for any game developer beyond the novice stage: it discusses the pros, cons, applications and future of a bold new technology for creating games, and comes from a joint industry effort focusing on effective 3D interaction in game developments. The Collada initiative surveys the history and especially the applications of the 3D industry tool, offering up a basic guide to the Collada 1.4 specifications and reviewing foundation concepts, tools, and applications and design. It's simply a 'must' for any serious game developer.
Real-Time Volume Graphics
Klaus Engel, et.al.
AK Peters Ltd
888 Worcester Sreet #230, Wellesley, MA 02482
1568812663 $64.00 www.akpeters.com
Any developer who would work with volume graphics needs this basic text, which provides an introduction to texture-based volume rendering methods, techniques, and optimization routines. Even code examples are included within the examples and technical discussions of generating images from 3D scalar data. It's an advanced computer and game developer's primer important for any comprehensive collection.
PHP Cookbook
David Sklar & Adam Trachtenberg
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol CA 95472
0596101015 $44.99 www.oreilly.com
Web developers might already know PHP, but this updated second edition of a classic still remains an important desk reference to solving common problems and coding obstacles. PHP is used on millions of web sites today, so its depth and applications hold many possibilities for confusion as well as opportunities for optimization choices. PHP COOKBOOK covers all angles, from processing XML and obtaining solutions to common applications problems to working with JavaScript interactions. Any professional PHP user needs this.
Implementing Lean Software Development
Mary & Tom Poppendieck
Addison-Wesley
75 Arlington Street, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02116
0321437381 $39.99 www.awprofessional.com 1-800-428-5331
Software engineers and any interested in agile software development will appreciate this gathering of lean principles and techniques which shows how to develop and implement Lean software development through a series of applied lessons. A highly recommended addition to personal and professional computer reference collections, here are surveys of agile practices, tips on driving quality through discipline and feedback, examples on how to write less code, and more.
Design for Trustworthy Software
Bijay K. Jayaswal & Peter Patton
Prentice Hall Press
c/o Berkley Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
0131872508 $64.99 www.prenhallprofessional.com
College-level students of quality assurance will welcome this integrated approach to software quality issues, which tells how to prevent bugs in implementation rather than discovering them after. Case examples of DFTS technology include FMEA, QFD and more, and provide a blend of theory, applications, and exercises designed to test student knowledge. Classrooms in particular will find it excellent. Its authors are a CEO of a quality assurance company and a chairman of a consulting group, and professor.
Google Hacks
Rael Dornfest, et.al.
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596527063 $24.99 www.oreilly.com
Almost anyone who uses a computer knows that Google is a superior search engine but do you know it also offers ways to organize and manipulate that information? The updated third edition of GOOGLE HACKS: TIPS & TOOLS FOR FINDING AND USING THE WORLD'S INFORMATION tells how, with chapters covering not just search techniques or advanced search strategies, but what to do with the information once it's found. From building a customized Google map for your web site to handling RSS feeds, news listings, blogs, and even using Gmail as an external hard drive, GOOGLE HACKS comes packed with usage tips not to be found elsewhere.
Ruby on Rails
Bruce A. Tate & Curt Hibbs
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596101325 $29.99 www.oreilly.com
RUBY ON RAILS: UP AND RUNNING covers all the specs for building applications that are geared to real-world needs, from using templates to develop HTML views to modeling relationships between tables in a database and using Ruby's Test: Unit framework to test applications. Web developers will find this a simple yet specific guide to Ruby's strengths.
The History Highway, 4th edition
Dennis Trinkle & Scott Merriman, Eds
ME Sharpe
80 Business Park Drive, Armonk, NY 10504
0765616319 $39.95 www.mesharpe.com
This updated, revised 4th edition provides high school and college-level students with an updated, modern guide to the latest Internet resources, revising the history sites on the Net and including an expanded, updated cd-rom to cover the latest details on over 3,000 web sites, US, European and World history, and more. What makes this more valuable than just surfing for the same information is the doublecheck of each site by experts in their fields to assure high quality of materials and presentation. Ten new chapters here also handle environmental and business history, immigration and oral history, and futurism. And these are more than just web addresses: each comes with a synopsis of what's covered, making it possible to be specific in searches and saving lots of time in the process.
Hacking Web Services
Sheeraj Shah
Charles River/Thomson
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1584504803 $49.95 www.charlesriver.com
The development of web services is growing, along with security issues relating to web sites and their management and HACKING WEB SERVICES is a recommended pick for any concerned with ongoing security issues. Intermediate to advanced security pros and developers receive a detailed look at the foundations and tools for web services security, from the evolution and historical background of their development to using the latest open source tools and techniques. From common vulnerabilities and built-in problems to handling commercial loss, HACKING WEB SERVICES also includes a cd-rom for maximum detail.
Working Smart in Adobe Photoshop CS2
Conrad Chavez
Adobe Press
1249 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0321335392 $39.99 www.adobepress.com
Photoshop offers up many tools designed to save users time and effort, including keyboard shortcuts and its latest CS2 version offers even more customization options. That's why you need Working Smart in Adobe Photoshop CS2 on hand to take advantage of the latest and best options: it covers everything from configuring hardware to using the software's advanced layer options, tools, and templates. It covers all the basics of streamlining and producing shortcuts for common tasks and tells how to work more efficiently with Photoshop's many powerful options.
Santa Shops on eBay
Marsha Collier
Wiley Publishing
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
0470047089 $16.99 www.wiley.com
Marsha Collier is a recognized authority on eBay business, putting her daughter through college on profits form her ebay business and giving seminars on the topic, and her SANTA SHOPS ON EBAY: HOW TO FIND DEALS, GET ORGANIZED, AND GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF TIME is a timely 'must' for any who would shop safely, target searches, and uncover the best shopping sites. Chapters cover everything from understanding values and making wise decisions on spending to checking current prices. Sidebars of special tips supplement item-specific chapters on electronics, food, and more.
Project Management with The IBM Rational Unified Process
R. Dennis Gibbs
IBM Press
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
0321336399 $39.99 www.ibmpressbooks.com
Any computer user contemplating managing software projects with the IBM Rational Unified Process must have Project Management with The IBM Rational Unified Process: it comes from an author with plenty of background in the system and reviews the program through the entire development cycle, from initial planning to final regular maintenance. Don't think projects have to be large to use this, either: small and medium-sized projects will benefit, as well. All the instructions needed to understand the basics and progressive steps are included, here.
Ubuntu Linux for Non-Geeks
Rickford Grant
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro #250, San Francisco CA 94107
1593271182 $34.95 www.nostarch.com
Ubuntu provides an African-based user-friendly name paired with a user-friendly system for any who want to use Linux but have been foiled by its complexities, before. Pair Ubuntu Linux with an author who is dedicated to teaching this easy Linux version through a series of step-by-step projects geared to real-world applications and you have a fine survey which reviews applications not for the usual advanced computer user, but for neophytes who own a home PC and want to learn how to install free applications, connect to the Internet, and watch DVDs, among other popular tasks. A refreshing, welcome change from the developer-oriented complex Linux guides on the market.
Beginning SharePoint With Excel
Gini Courter & Annette Marquis
Apress
2560 - 9th St. #219, Berkeley, CA 94710
1590596900 $39.99 www.apress.com
Excel users who want to work with SharePoint's special features will find Beginning SharePoint
With Excel the perfect starting point: it's the first to focus exclusively on SharePoint and how it interacts with Excel, and one of the few to use real-world business problems and applications as examples. Chapters use charts, gray sidebars of details, and scales along with assigned 'projects' as examples to get users accustomed to SharePoint's strengths.
Agile Principles, Patterns And Practices in C#
Robert C. Martin & Micah Martin
Prentice Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0131857258 $59.99 www.prenhallprofessional.com/martinseries
Advanced developers will benefit from a book which packs in case studies to illustrate C# development and design routines, and will also appreciate the smooth move from UML models to C# code, which flow between initial logic and explanation to actual applications and upward migrations of skills levels. C# as well as Visual Basic or Java programmers will find the progressive, technical lessons and applications an important key to understanding the foundations of agile software principles and shared strengths.
Both beginners and more advanced users will find plenty to applaud with these excellent new titles. David Reynolds' VISUAL QUICKSTART GUIDE: .MAC WITH IWEB, 2ND EDITION (0321442288, $21.99) teaches .Mac using a picture-oriented visual approach. This means sample screen shots on nearly every page in black and white to accompany a progressive step-by-step lesson plan on .Mac which can serve equally well as an introduction and as a refresher course. Dave Cross' PHOTOSHOP FINISHING TOUCHES (0321441664, $39.99) doesn't cover the basics of producing pro-quality images - that's already much covered in competing titles but focuses on the finishing touches which range from frames and artistic additions to lighting and color adjustments and background enhancements. Learn how to use special effects in an easy manner with a title which offers up a visual table of contents, examples in full color which also explore elements of black and white tweaking and interactions with color photos, extracting and creating unusual borders, and more. Dan Saffer's DESIGNING FOR INTERACTION: CREATING SMART APPLICATIONS AND CLEVER DEVICES (0321432061, $40.00) covers the history, theory and application of 'interaction design': finding applications and designs which work harmoniously with products and services. So what does this have to do with computers? Interaction design blends applied art with computer savvy to show how both work together to provide solid practices, laws and rules which translate to superior design choices. Chapters survey digital icons, interactive prototypes, seamless faceless interfaces and more. Simply outstanding, coming from a webmaster and interactive media expert.
Javascript: The Definitive Guide
David Flanagan
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596101996 $49.99 www.oreilly.com
The fifth edition of JAVASCRIPT: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE has been completely revised and expanded to cover the Web 2.0 applications, yet retains the same attention to real-life problem solving which made the preceding editions so popular. Here are chapters on how to understand and modify the scripting used by web browsers, tips on developing client shortcuts for streamlining operations, and a section of core reference documents for all aspects of Javascript 1.5 and ECMAScript version 3. An outstanding reference.
Ajax user guides
Prentice-Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.prenticehallprofessional.com
Two fine Ajax user guides will delight programmers interested in the foundations of a powerful program which can create superior web pages. AJAX: CREATING WEB PAGES WITH ASYNCHRONOUS JAVASCRIPT AND XML by Edmond Woychowsky (0132272679, $44.99) is for web programmers who want to make the most of Ajax's processing powers. From understanding and using back-end code to developing Ajax libraries for code re-use and reference and linking elements with attributes and descriptions, here's an easily-understood, basic guide to not just Ajax, but other open source technologies and how they interact, from Firefox to MySQL. Joshua Eichorn's UNDERSTANDING AJAX: USING JAVASCRIPT TO CREATE RICH INTERNET APPLICATIONS (0132216353, $39.99) comes form a teacher of code and provides web programmers with advanced Ajax applications using XSLT, JSON, and more. Here are custom solutions advanced Ajax users will appreciate, coming form an author with over six years' experience maintaining Ajax systems and libraries. From using AJAX information libraries to building a trouble ticket system, here are all the basics and reference details advanced users will appreciate.
USB Mass Storage
Jan Axelson
Lakeview Research
5310 Chinook Lane, Madison, WI 43704
1931448043 $29.95 www.lvr.com
Learn how to design devices with embedded hosts and share information with USB hosts with USB Mass Storage: Designing and Programming Devices and Embedded Hosts. From handling commands and data errors to interface specs, manipulating FAT file systems, and more, USB MASS STORAGE provides project managers and developers with all the basics on using industry standard commands, controllers, and ports.
Deliver First Class Web Sites
Shirley Kaiser
Sitepoint
424 Smith Street Collingwood, VIC Australia 3066
0975841904 $39.95 www.sitepoint.com
Learn how to tailor high-quality web sites through others' experiences with Deliver First Class Web Sites, a collection of 'best practice' insights from not just the author's own design background, but from other notables in the field. Checklists for design, usability, accessibility and more touch upon all the common flaws of website design and how to overcome them, offering 101 checklists for circumventing common problems.
The Military Shelf
The Castro Obsession
Don Bohning
Potomac Books
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166-2012
1574886762 $19.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com
THE CASTRO OBSESSION: U.S. COVERT OPERATIONS AGAINST CUBA, 1959-1965 covers a range of actions which constituted a secret war against Castro at the height of the Cold War. No small measure, it was one of the most sustained, expensive and useless military campaigns in history and chapters coming from the research of a former Latin American editor for the Miami Herald document the efforts, which go beyond most newspaper reports. A shocking, intriguing expose.
Breeding Bin Ladens
Zachary Shore
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
0801885051 $25.00 www.press.jhu.edu
BREEDING BIN LADENS: AMERICA, ISLAM AND THE FUTURE OF EUROPE covers the heart of terrorist activity: in the communities which foster and harbor Muslim militants: Europe itself. Here is associate professor Zachary Shore's argument that the growing ambivalence of Europe's Muslim community poses risks to international security and national alliances, and that Europe's failure to integrate its Muslim communities are leading to breeding grounds for terrorist activities. Interviews with Muslims living across Europe document the problems and outline possible solutions.
Why Secret Intelligence Fails
Michael A. Turner
Potomac Books
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
1574888919 $18.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com
Yes, this title's been in print before, and here appears in a newly revised edition to revisit the many problems that continue to plague U.S. intelligence efforts. In the aftermath of 9/11 Why Secret Intelligence Fails is even more important to consider: it pinpoints problems in intelligence routines and information analysis and its chapters on analytic snafus and changing intelligence focus and priorities are particularly revealing.
Ghosts of War
Jeff Belanger
New Page Books
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564148890 $14.99 www.newpagebooks.com
Ghosts of War: Restless Spirits of Soldiers, Spies, and Saboteurs could have been featured in our New Age section but is covered here for its interest to any involved in military history and spirituality. Wartime history is revealed through modern-day legends and ghost sightings, run through the filter of historical fact. Its survey of lingering impressions at battle sites, military fortifications, and even relics should not be missed.
Twice Armed
R. Alan King
Zenith/MBI Publishing
380 Jackson Street #200, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
0760323860 $24.95 www.zenithpress.com
TWICE ARMED: AN AMERICAN SOLDIER'S BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS IN IRAQ is for any American reader who would understand, from an insider's perspective, the magnitude of the military and social fighting taking place in modern Iraq. Author King is a war fighter and soldier who negotiated with numerous sheiks and clerics, earning their trust. He captured or accepted the surrender of nearly a dozen of the most-wanted Iraqi personalities from Saddam's regime, and yet was willing to practice the customs of the region so he could gain the people's trust. A riveting story evolves of his years of duty.
God's Terrorists
Charles Allen
Da Capo Press/Perseus
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306815222 $26.95 www.dacapopress.com
GOD'S TERRORISTS: THE WAHHABI CULT NAD THE HIDDEN ROOTS OF MODERN JIHAD provides a history of the reform movement of al-Wahhab and his followers, who in the 18th century sought to restore Islamic purity. So what does this early history of the Wahhabi sect hold in meaning for modern readers? Plenty: it follows a sect that spread throughout the region and whose concepts today form the foundation for modern extremists. His history isn't filled with solutions, but it is filled with understanding of past events, key to understanding modern jihad.
The American Aircraft Factory in World War II
Bill Yenne
Zenith Press/MBI
380 Jackson #200, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
0760323003 $40.00 www.mbipublishing.com
There are plenty of visual treatments of the battles of World War II, but relatively few covering the underlying military support systems at home. The American Aircraft Factory in World War II fills this gap, covering the history, work, and production efforts of military aircraft factories across the country that contributed greatly to the success of soldiers. This was a major manufacturing shift which changed the business and military face of America: chapters document the production of fighters by manufacturers using new and converted factories alike, and even pack in fifty unusual color photos new to print, here. An eye-catching, outstanding production results.
The History of Browning Firearms
David Miller
Lyons Press
Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
159228910X $24.95 www.LyonsPress.com
The History of Browning Firearms uses a visual approach to capture the history of one John Browning's contributions to gunsmithing and shows that Browning's efforts, important as they were, reflected a strong family interest in gunsmithing innovation. Chapters tell how Browning inherited the family business and patented unique productions that were to change the design and manufacture of guns decades later. From a general company history to surveys of special innovations, any gun owner must have this.
The Dunces of Doomsday
Paul L. Williams
WND Books/Cumberland House
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
1581825293 $24.95 www.wndbooks.com
THE DUNCES OF DOOMSDAY: 10 BLUNDERS THAT GAVE RISE TO RADICAL ISLAM, TERRORIST REGIMES AND THE THREAT OF AN AMERICAN HIROSHIMA is no general treasure but hones in on ten major errors which have left security holes in the United States. Former FBI consultant Williams documents the history of these blunders, including the underlying belief that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance, and provides keys to how to cap the dangers if we act quickly enough.
Purdue University Press
509 Harrison St./SCCE, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2025
1557534187 $34.95 www.purdueuniversitypress.com
Joining the 'Advanced in Homeland Security' college-level set is Sandra F. Amass 's Volume 1, The Science of Homeland Security, which will serve as the perfect introduction to college-level courses discussing communication strategies, physical security, strategy modeling techniques, technical elements of risk and likelihood. Anticipate essays that include statistical formulas and references, in-depth analysis of risk factors and responses, and scientific analysis of bioterrorist threats and more. Volume 2, GUIDING FUTURE HOMELAND SECURITY POLICY: DIRECTIONS FOR SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY (1557534187) is just as detailed and scientific, analyzing the future of homeland security directions based on scientific logic and probable directions. Both are essential for any college-level analysis of homeland security issues.
Counterterrorism Strategies
Yonah Alexander
Potomac Books
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166-2012
1597970182 $48.00 www.potomacbooksinc.com
Counterterrorism Strategies: Successes and Failure of Six Nations is more than another focus on 9/11: it embraces a broad sweep of counterterrorism issues and measures around the world, with contributors answering four major questions of different country perceptions of the threat, different governmental actions and policies, and counterterrorism performance records of individual nations. The result culls down a series of 'best of' practices and provides the keys to influences on their development and progress. A 'must' for any college-level military or social history holding.
Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South #806, New York, NY 10016
www.ospreypublishing.com
Darren Fa & Clive Finlayson's THE FORTIFICATIONS OF GIBRALTER 1068-1945 (1846030161, $16.95) offers up one of the most extensive histories of fortifications we've seen. Why Gibralter? Because its fortifications cover some ten centuries of history, and offers the most extensive museum archives and holdings of records to survey in depth. Steven J. Zaloga's GERMAN PANZERS; 1914-18 (1841769452, $15.95) covers the German Army's active tank program of the first war a program which overcame design flaws and strategy issues to battle directly with British tanks. An outstanding survey of struggles and technology results in this analysis. Clayton K.S. Chun's DEFENDING SPACE: US ANTI-SATELLITE WARFARE AND SPACE WEAPONRY (1846030390, $16.95) explores the design and development of US military space systems past and present, covering everything from early warning devices and delivery systems to prediction tools and targeting systems. It's an intriguing survey of space weaponry development and history key to any understanding of modern military systems. Greg VanWyngarden's EARLY GERMAN ACES OF WORLD WAR 1 (1841769975, $20.95) joins others in the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces series, offering a comprehensive history of the early German fighters of the Fokker Eindecker monoplane and the legendary aces who flew it. These early fighters created some of the first tactics of the German aviation division, and their strategies and battle contributions receive in-depth analysis, here. John Weal's JAGDGESCHWADER 51 'MOLDERS' (1846030455, $22.95) offers up a combat history of a renowned fighter and bomber unit which has, surprisingly, not had detailed historical coverage before. From the early pilots and their tactics to the planes themselves, JAGDGESCHWADER 51 'MOLDERS' fills in the depth and detail needed for any thorough coverage of military aviation history. All are top picks for specialized military holdings.
Helion & Company Ltd.
26 Willow Road, Solihull, W. Midlands UK B91 1UE
www.helion.co.uk www.amazon.com
Evgeniy Mariinskiy's RED STAR AIRACOBRA: MEMOIRS OF A SOVIET FIGHTER ACE 1941-45 (1874622787, $49.95) tells of a Soviet air fighter ace and hero who shot down twenty enemy plains during world War II and was himself shot down not once, but several times. His memoir provides an soldier's eye view of the Eastern Front, surveying the fighting forces and tactics of the Red Army and providing a 'you are there' set of battle experiences. His first-hand experiences and accounts of battle engagements provide enlightening details on what it meant to participate in Soviet battle. Alexander V. Pyl'cyn's PENALTY STRIKE: THE MEMOIRS OF A RED ARMY PENAL COMPANY COMMANDER, 1943-45 (1874622639, $49.95) is also essential reading for any who would understand the WW2 experience from the Soviet participant's viewpoint: again a participant's vivid memories are plumbed: this time from a company commander's viewpoint. The author and his unit participated in the 1944 soviet summer offensive program and the final assault on Berlin: his accounts of penal companies and battalions offer vivid insights into the foundations of a penal battalion's operations. Both are essential for any researching the Soviet military experience during the second world war.
Collateral Damage
Paul R. Kimmel & Chris Stout, Eds
Praeger
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275988260 www.praeger.com
COLLATERAL DAMAGE: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF AMERICA'S WAR ON TERRORISM goes beyond other books which focus on terrorist tactics to consider the long-term psychological impact of terrorism on this country. From the increased stereotyping of and prejudice against foreigners in general and Arabs in particular to increases in domestic hate crimes and depression, militancy and anger, COLLATERAL DAMAGE examines national reactions to terrorism as a whole and is essential for any in-depth college-level military or social science collection.
FLASHBACK: POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, SUICIDE, AND THE LESSONS OF WAR comes from the author's own experience of marrying a young Vietnam vet who eventually killed himself. He suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder that at the time was little known: while today it's better known, Coleman here has made it her personal mission to portray techniques for battling the disorder, turning a research project into a series of applied strategies essential for any military family. Case histories of other experiences blend with damning evidence of the government's failure to properly respond to and treat the disorder.
Greenhill Books/MBI Publishing
380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
www.greenhillbooks.com
August Kubizek's THE YOUNG HITLER I KNEW (1853676942, $29.95) is an extraordinary memoir by a man who actually met Hitler in 1904 while they were both competing for a space at the opera. Their mutual passion for music created a friendship, and a roommate situation and lends a personal and unique eye to explaining Hitler's character at the time. Most biographies begin with Hitler's rise to power: THE YOUNG HITLER I KNEW is a 'must' for any who would delve into the roots of his personality. Peter G. Tsouras edits HITLER TRIUMPHANT: ALTERNATE DECISIONS OF WORLD WAR II (1853676993, $29.95) provides another alternate history 'what if' collection of scenarios, this using Hitler's decisions and key changing points during the war to provide a more scholarly survey of how different circumstances could have altered the outcomes and given Hitler victory. Most such coverages come from a science fiction viewpoint but here the analysis of battle strategy and military might makes for a top pick for military readers seeking more than fantasy speculation.
Imaginary Weapons
Sharon Weinberger
Nation Books
245 West 17th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10011
1560258497 $26.00 www.avalonpub.com
Susan Weinberger is a defense journalist and first heard about isomer weapons at a casual defense briefing in Washington a device no bigger than a hand grenade with the punch of a nuclear weapon. Her investigation into one lone device led to insights on everything from weapons development strategies to particular weapon concepts in the works in IMAGINARY WEAPONS: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE PENTAGON'S SCIENTIFIC UNDERWORLD. Most are considered 'fringe science' possibilities now but the government's embracing of such concepts holds vast military applications and promises many changes, so IMAGINARY WEAPONS is more than idea alone.
Iwo Jima
Eric Hammel
Zenith Press/MBI Publishing
380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
0760325200 $40.00 www.zenithbooks.com
Plenty of books have been written on one of the bloodiest wars Americans have ever encountered, but none hold the visual impact of IWO JIMA, which pairs vintage black and white photos with a 'you are there' history of events during the battle, during which hundreds of rockets and bombs hit virtually any spot on the island. Eric Hammel is a military historian who has collected many previously unpublished photos of Marines in action and combat: IWO JIMA is a historically significant, major release and a 'must' for any serious military collection.
Strike Beyond Top Gun
Rick Llinares
Zenith Press/MBI Publishing
380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
0760325251 $34.95 www.zenithbooks.com
In 1996 the U.S. military moved its Top Gun Navy weapons school to Fallan, joining others in a new command center to help create a top-notch air combat training school backed by all military branches. Strike Beyond Top Gun traces the history of the NSAWC, from early combat operations to the idea of creating the Top Gun school. Various missions, changing fighter model choices, and academy training routines are presented along with gorgeous full-color photos on every page of planes against scenic backdrops. The blend of military and aircraft history is detailed and will even attract more general-interest audiences.
Casual readers might wonder at an entire book devoted to one division of the military but the 82nd consisted of particularly notable, courageous parachute jumpers whose contributions to battle made their names famous, and thus 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION: 1917-2005's history chronicles some of the most known names in U.S. air battle history. Intended as a memorial album as well as a history, 82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION backs in hundreds of vintage black and white photos and captures ceremonies of honor, parachutists in the field, battles, and memorials alike. A 'must' for any in-depth U.S. military history holding.
The Judaic Studies Shelf
Never Despair
Gerhart M. Riegner
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566636965 $35.00 www.ivanrdee.com
In 194 a counsel in the Geneva office of the World Jewish Congress sent the first notice of the 'Final Solution' affecting Jewish peoples in Europe it was known as the Riegner Telegram and while it was a pivotal point in his career, it by far wasn't the only memorable point in his life. This biography surveys the life of a middle-class Jewish family in Germany and tells how Riegner fled Hitler's rise and worked for the World Jewish Congress all his life thereafter, sponsoring many key programs. Any interested in Jewish history in general will find NEVER DESPAIR: SIXTY YEARS IN THE SERVICE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE NAD THE CAUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS to be essential reading.
Hebrew Illuminations
Adam Rhine
Sounds True
Box 8010, Boulder, CO 80306-8010
1591793459 $29.95 www.soundstrue.com
Adam Rhine's Judaic art can be found on many mediums; from calendars and cards to magazine covers and commercial products. HEBREW ILLUMINATIONS is the first place to bring his diverse portfolio together in one place, providing over forty images in full color. Each full-page color image is accompanied by a facing page containing history, Judaic cultural insights, and the artist's own reflections on sources of inspiration and his personal life. Any interested in Judaic art in general and Rhine's works in particular must have this!
Questions Christians Ask the Rabbi
Rabbi Ron Isaacs
KTAV Publishing
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
0881259241 $22.95 www.ktav.com
Why do Jews believe in Heaven and Hell, what are the origins of the Sukkot festival, and who was the last Jewish prophet? Use these and other questions to better understand Jewish sentiments and history in an easier format than most with Questions Christians Ask the Rabbi, which serves as a bridge between two faiths and outlines clearly differences and similarities.
The Art Shelf
After Lewis & Clark
Gary Allen Hood
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
0806199598 $24.95 www.oupress.com
AFTER LEWIS & CLARK: THE FORCES OF CHANGE, 1806-1871 may look like another history coverage, but it's much more: it features over sixty drawings, paintings and prints from the Gilcrease Museum in Oklahoma, and the works of artists who accompanied the explorers to capture history in the making. Early landscapes, pivotal moments, and the works of notable American artists are presented in full color to display forts, Native Americans, and countryside alike.
The Best American Comics
Harvey Pekar, Guest Ed
Houghton Mifflin
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
0618718745 $22.00 www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
While The Best American Comics represents the newest addition to a best-selling 'best' series, it's a fine pick for any interested in all kinds of comics, whether they be newspaper, magazine, or pamphlets, and stands well alone for all kinds of readers. Harvey Pekar, guest editor, has written graphic novels and created an Oscar-nominated film, while the series editor Anne Elizabeth Moore has numerous editing awards to her name. Black and white and color comics alike are profiled from all kinds of artistic sources.
Tiffany By Design
Nina Gray
Schiffer
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764324845 $19.95 www.schifferbooks.com
Eight color photos do more than display Tiffany lamps, as other titles do: they have been polled from thousands of lamps with hundreds of designs to show the differences in shade patterns and complexity. A lovely display of colors and patterns is accompanied by clear description and artistic and collector value insights. "Tiffany By Design" is an outstanding reference and a welcome addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Antiques & Collectibles reference collections.
Pen & Ink With Watercolor
George Olson
North Light Books/F&W Publications
4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1581807546 $19.99 www.fwpubs.com
Learn how to draw using a crow quill pen and India ink, and through the instruction of an artist who shows not just pen and ink techniques, but how to enhance these with watercolor. Most books on the topic provide an overview of a daunting array of artists' tools; but this uses a minimum of specialized equipment and offers up an easy program for getting started in inking and watercolor. Exercises teach the basics and provide twelve step-by-step illustrated demonstrations covering landscapes, interiors, nature and architecture alike.
The Best of Draw! V. 2
Bret Blevins, et.al.
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
1893905586 $17.95 www.twomorrows.com
If you missed the sold-out issues to DRAW! Numbers 3 and 4, now's your chance to scoop up the highlights in the collection of lessons in The Best of Draw! V. 2. It provides tutorials and interviews with some of the top names in graphic art, covering everything from penciling and inking techniques to composing action figures and coloring. Black and white and color examples throughout enhance and reinforce the lessons.
Selling Art 101
Robert Regis Dvorak
ArtNetwork
Box 1360, Nevada City, CA 95959
0940899868 $22.95 www.artmarketing.com
SELLING ART 101: THE ART OF CREATIVE SELLING deserves ongoing recommendation as one of the few art marketing titles to cover all the details needed to sell art. What differentiates this from other 'how to sell titles'? Chapters cover studio selling, topics specific to appealing to art buyers, taking notes during conversations discussing needs, and more, offering sidebars of first-person insights to supplement art-specific selling ideas.
Celebrating Freedom: The Art of Willie Birch
David S. Reubin & Leslie King-Hammond
Hudson Hills Press
Box 205, Manchester, VT 05254-9911
1555952658 $50.00 www.hudsonhills.com
Willie Birch has captured the New Orleans atmosphere through his art since 1997, documenting the Afro-American culture with large drawings that capture people, culture, dress codes and everyday habits. This monograph features his works in full color, offering a full page for each picture and adding commentary as well as an interview with the artist. The works are from 1968-2004 and accompany a traveling exhibition but since the show probably won't reach many, this catalog offers up the next best thing: a rich compendium of images representative of Birch's style.
Soviet Textiles: Designing The Modern Utopia
Pamela Jill Kachurin
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-5597
0878467033 $24.95 www.mfa.org
Between 1927 and 1933 a rare experiment in textile making took place in the Soviet Union, with political changes encouraging a group of designers to create thematic textile designs which mass-produced symbols of modernity for the average person - symbols intended to encourage the ideal soviet citizen idea. While the experiment failed, the artistic results of the idea linger in bold and different designs now chronicled in SOVIET TEXTILES. Color photos of textiles accompany social, political and artistic history.
Media Facades
Ag4 Mediatecture Company
DAAB
7 E. 14 St. Suite 17-Z, New York, NY 10003
3937718974 $29.95 www.daab-online.com
How can media faηade concepts translate to LEDs and be useful for business art purposes? MEDIA FACADES delves into the topic, providing both a technical and social survey of media facades and backing the printed word with a cd of pictures and movies of media facades. From interactive and reactive programming choices to examples of architectural strengths, this bilingual (no English) survey provides an excellent introduction for college-level students.
Drawing & Painting Fantasy Landscapes & Cityscapes
Rob Alexander
Barron's
250 Wireless Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764132601 $21.99 www.barronseduc.com
Fantasy enthusiasts and artists who would create their own cities and worlds will learn much from Rob Alexander, a working illustrator who has moved between games and collectible card game markets to magazine art. He's known for his fantasy and science fiction works as well as for landscapes and fine art, and Drawing & Painting Fantasy Landscapes & Cityscapes combines all his talents, packing in color examples throughout to help with fine drawings of fine art works. An outstanding 'how to' guide any aspiring fantasy artist can learn from.
Green Design
Buzz Poole, Editor
Mark Batty, Publisher
202 W. 40th, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10018-1504
0976224585 $34.95 www.markbattypublisher.com
Recycled art and green games, toys, fabrics, energy and more are revealed in a range of images and ideas gracing GREEN DESIGN, a survey which crosses categories and could be recommended not just for those involved in the arts, but for consumers and energy-conscious homeowners as well. Here are designs which promote and teach sustainability in all areas: designs which candidly assess common problems of 'green' design and in many cases offer solutions. Color photos of products accompany explanations of what makes them 'greener' than their competitors.
Alaska Native Art
Susan W. Fair
University of Alaska Press
Box 856240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
1889963798 $65.00 www.uaf.edu
ALASKA NATIVE ART: TRADITION, INNOVATION, CONTINUITY examines and presents the best of Native Alaska artists of modern times, covering beadwork and jewelry, basketry, and skin sewing examples from a range of Alaskan Native cultures and traditions. Color photos of both artists and works accompany rich discussions that survey not just techniques but cultural history and artist perspective, making ALASKA NATIVE ART one of the best on its topic.
Art Nouveau Ironwork
Federico Santi & John Gacher
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310-9717
0764324365 $49.95 www.schifferbooks.com
ART NOUVEAU IRONWORK OF AUSTRIA AND HUNGARY uses some five hundred color photos to capture the rich examples of Art Nouveau ironwork to be found in an array of business and residential districts throughout Budapest and Vienna. These display balconies, lanterns, gates, doorways and more, providing not only artistic color shots but explaining the details, decorations, and embellishments of the ironwork objects. An excellent history and an outstanding survey of ironwork art covers a region given little attention elsewhere.
My Love Affair With Modern Art
Katharine Kuh
Avis Berman, Editor
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010
1559707690 $27.50 www.arcadepub.com
In the 1930s interest in modern art was low but Katharine Kuh opened a gallery in Chicago anyway, exhibiting many then-obscure artists form Paul Klee to Ansel Adams and Marc Chagall. Her passion for modern art fostered their careers and led to a world-wide revitalization of interest, documented here in a blend of modern art history and autobiography. Her friend Avis Berman, a art historian, edited her writings for this book after Kuh's death: it provides a moving memoir of a life in the art world at a time when her artists' visionary works weren't widely recognized.
The Painted Desert
Scott Thybony
University of Arizona Press
355 S. Euclid Avenue #103, Tucson, AZ 85719
0816524807 $14.95 www.uapress.arizona.edu
Arizona's Painted Desert area is not only overlooked by most tourists because of its inhospitable terrain and difficulty of access, but has received relatively little mention so any who would understand the region must have THE PAINTED DESERT: LAND OF WIND AND STONE in their collection. Black and white photos of the landscape by David Edwards accompany a first-person survey of the author and photographer's encounters in the area.
Indian Painting
Joan Cummins
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
0878467041 $50.00 www.mfapublications.org
Over a hundred examples of Indian painting history and styles, in full color, grace the pages of INDIAN PAINTING FROM CAVE TEMPLES TO THE COLONIAL PERIOD, a far-reaching survey of illustrations selected for their ability to reach the non-artist, non-Indian-specialist viewer. A history of Indian painting styles and trends covers scriptures, music-inspired images, and historical renditions while full-page color selections liberally dose almost every page. Over a hundred works from the MFA's holdings make for an exceptional presentation.
Explorations Along an Imaginary Coastline
Martha Casanave
Hudson Hills Press
Box 205, Manchester, VT 05254-9911
155595278X www.hudsonhills.com
Martha Casanave had always been an indoor photographer before this book, living on the central California coast among landscape photographer friends and colleagues. She shot indoor portraits of friends and people until six years ago she was invited to take her camera to the ocean, beginning a long-term love affair with the coastline, here reflected in a series of black and white photos. The full-page black and white studies capture artistic elements of the coastline and are a pick for any college-level art collection strong in landscape works.
Prestel
900 Broadway #603, New York, NY 10003
www.prestel.com
Ruth Hanisch's ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! ARCHITECTURE AND FASHION (3791335219) draws designers and architects under one cover to survey their influences on retail merchandising. Fashion stores are the focus here, with pages of interior color photos accompanied by essays delving into the new functions and new display requirements of modern buildings, which often houses fashion showroom, haute couture salon, and design studios alike. Fashion manufacturing can be dirty and need special surroundings, too: fashion's varying and changing needs are the focus. Oliver Herwig and Florian Helzherr's DREAM WORLDS: ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENT (3791332201) offers up the concept of architecture as entertainment within itself, surveying a history of such architectural entertainments from ancient Rome to future visions. From entertainment-housing structures and malls to entire entertainment cities such as Las Vegas, chapters cover resorts, theme parks, amusement centers and more.
The Domestic Architecture of Benjamin Henry Latrobe
Michael W. Fazio & Patrick A. Snadon
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
0801881048 $75.00 www.press.jhu.edu
College-level architectural collections serious about their in-depth coverage will want to look at the weighty The Domestic Architecture of Benjamin Henry Latrobe. It catalogs all of Latrobe's domestic commissions from interiors to exteriors, and even includes analysis of his training and career in both England and Europe, his design principles, and his methods. Analytical essays accompany sketches and vintage black and white photos, surveying changes in his thinking and approach, considering his contemporaries and influences, and examining the preservation of his structures. A comprehensive 'must' for any serious college-level architectural history holding.
The Native American Shelf
Social Life in Northwest Alaska
Ernest S. Burch, Jr.
University of Alaska Press
Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
188996378X $65.00 www.uaf.edu/uspress
Any college-level collection strong in Alaskan cultural insights must have Social Life in Northwest Alaska: The Structure of Inupiaq Eskimo Nations. It provides the third, completing volume in a series on the early contact period Inupiaq Eskimos of the region, and covers virtually every subject of importance to anthropological research of a hunter-gatherer society. Chapters survey economics, roles, politics and more and provide plenty of depth and detail in a remarkable survey.
Migrations
Marjorie Devon, Editor
University of New Mexico Press
MSC04 2820, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
0826337694 $24.95 www.unmpress.com
MIGRATIONS: NEW DIRECTIONS IN NATIVE AMERICAN ART provides a selection of pieces by six new emerging Native American artists featured in a 2002 Migrations exhibition, with essays by three scholars exploring the evolution and history of the field as a whole. Many titles focus on prior representations of Native lives: too few on the new Native artists and their explorations, so Migrations is both an essential exhibit and stands well alone as an important survey.
Native American Fetishes, 2nd Edition
Kay Whittle
Schiffer
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764325167 $14.95 www.schifferbooks.com
What makes a Native American fetish a fetish or not? What is the history of such guardian tokens? Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Native American Fetishes, isn't just for collectors of such: it's for any enthusiast of Native American history and culture, exploring the fetishes carved by artists from the Southwest Pueblos and linking pictures and text to cover not just collector's items, but the cultural and artistic implications of fetish production. Enhanced with a revised price guide "Native American Fetishes will prove invaluable for collectors.
Taking Charge
George Pierre Castile
University of Arizona Press
355 S. Euclid Avenue #103, Tucson, AZ 85719
0816525420 $35.00 www.uapress.arizona.edu
TAKING CHARGE: NATIVE AMERICAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND FEDERAL INDIAN POLICY, 1975-1993 provides a sequel to the author's TO SHOW HEART, but no familiarity with the prior book is needed to appreciate this survey, which focuses on the Indian Self-Determination Act of 1875. TO SHOW HEART analyzed the act and its results through 1975: TAKING CHARGE continues the survey since, offering a blend of analysis and historical developments and using unpublished presidential papers and other archives for its foundation of events. An excellent guide any college-level Native American library should have.
History of the Cherokee Indians
Emmet Starr
Genealogical Publishing
3600 Clipper Mill, #260, Baltimore, MD 21211-1953
0806317299 $60.00 www.genealogicalpub.com
HISTORY OF THE CHEROKEE INDIANS: THEIR LEGENDS AND FOLK LORE surveys not just the genealogy of the Cherokee and their intermarriages with whites, but their history, culture, myths, and legal resolutions affecting the tribe. Source materials come from recorded documents, different government archives, and more and provide a comprehensive, technical survey perfect for the avid follower of Cherokee traditions and history.
The Science Shelf
Bones Rocks and Stars
Chris Turney
Macmillan
175 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010
1403985995 $24.95 www.amazon.com
How does dating affect authenticity in identifying relics and linking historical facts? Eleven chapters each focus on a famous dating controversy, examining the procedures of dating, common methods used to date everything from tree rings to astronomical bodies, and common problems which involve dating. Discrepancies in evidence, forgeries, and misinterpretations are all covered in BONES, ROCKS AND STARS: THE SCIENCE OF WHEN THINGS HAPPENED, an essential pick for college-level collections strong in scientific inquiry.
After the Dinosaurs
Donald R. Prothero
Indiana University Press
601 N. Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
0253347335 $39.95 http://iupress.indiana.edu
AFTER THE DINOSAURS: THE AGE OF MAMMALS finally takes the focus off the dinosaur and into the next era: an age where Earth was inhabited by an array of strange creatures, from huge hornless rhinos to an elephant-like hoofed mammal. Family trees of evolutionary species and discussions of evidence blends with an analysis of climate change and other environmental influences on the age of mammals for college-level audiences and collections strong in science history.
A Meaningful World
Benjamin Wiker & Jonathan Witt
InterVarsity Press
Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
0830827994 $18.00 www.ivpress.com
Modern philosophy would have it that the world is meaningless: disputing this contention is A MEANINGFUL WORLD: HOW THE ARTS AND SCIENCES REVEAL THE GENIUS OF NATURE, examining the purpose in life and the universe. Very highly recommended reading, co-authors Benjamin Wiker and Jonathan Witt provide informative and illustrative examples from literary sources, the sciences, and the arts alike which are then blended to support an argument that the universe has importance beyond human endeavors.
Seeking the Sacred Raven
Mark Jerome Walters
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009
1559630906 $24.95 www.islandpress.org
Seeking the Sacred Raven: Politics and Extinction on a Hawaiian Island tells not only how one species has reached the edge of extinction, but more importantly details the ironies and problems of those who worked to protect it instead contributing to factors leading to its demise. It's these lessons of what goes awry in the best plans that form the wealth of information in SEEKING THE SACRED RAVEN, setting it apart from books which chronicle threats without documenting the specific steps leading directly to extinction.
Understanding Environmental Policy
Steven Cohen
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
0231135378 $26.50 www.columbia.edu/cu/cup
College-level students of environmental science will find Understanding Environmental Policy a scholarly, detailed analysis of the structure of such policy development around the world. Cohen uses his background as a director of the Master of Public Administration program in Environmental Science to analyze not just scientific policy development, but its global political ramifications and influences, with chapters surveying policy implementation, political issues, regulation strategy approaches, and much more. Political science students especially those working on the global scale will also find it invaluable.
The Mobius Strip
Clifford Pickover
Thunder's Mouth Press
245 W. 17th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10011-5300
1560258268 $24.95 www.avalonpub.com
The mobius strip a continuous loop with only one side and one edge was popularized by the illustrations of M.C. Escher, yet few know of its history and the evolution of its concept. Drive Clifford Pickover here provides a lively survey of the strip from the mid-1800s when Drive Mobius described it, to its influence in the fields of math, science, engineering, and the arts. It's more than a concept: it offers up new methods of thinking and discussions here include related shapes and ideas as well.
Walking Zero
Chet Raymo
Walker & Company
175 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010
0802714943 $22.95 www.walkerbooks.com
Author Chet Raymo is a physicist and astronomer, and his WALKING ZERO: DISCOVERING COSMIC SPACE AND TIME ALONG THE PRIME MERIDIAN focuses on the history of the prime meridian and its impact on scientific luminaries throughout the ages. Raymo walks across southeastern England in the course of a journey probing not just history and astronomy, but geology: this lively discourse will appeal not just to students of science, but to general-interest readers.
Handbook of Toxic Plants of North America
George E. Burrows & Ronald Tyrl
Blackwell Publishing
Box 570, Ames, IA 50010-0570
0813807115 $89.99 www.blackwellprofessional.com
The hefty price tag of this paperback may limit it to college-level collections, but there it's appropriate and important for any collection strong in environmental science, veterinary science, agricultural science or botany. The organ or body system affected by the plant poison serves as a point of reference here, with chapters organized with vets, livestock owners and students in mind. Each coverage begins with the system and moves to an explanation of the toxic plants that can affect it. Color photos of each plant round out the details. An invaluable reference.
Plant Conservation: An Ecosystem Approach
Alan Hamilton & Patrick Hamilton
Earthscan/Stylus Publishing
Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1844070832 $45.00 www.earthscan.co.uk
College-level botany courses will welcome PLANT CONSERVATION: AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH, which is the latest addition to the 'People and Plants' series but stands well on its own as a survey of plant management history. From threats to plants and management strategies to community plant projects and social and political plant policies, any interested in plant conservation will find it important.
The Origins of Modern Environmental Thought
J.E. De Steiguer
University of Arizona Press
355 S. Euclid Avenue Suite 103, Tucson, AZ 85719
0816524610 $24.95 www.uapress.arizona.edu
Blends of environmental, science and philosophical thinking aren't usual, but here they come together to provide a satisfying survey of the earliest philosophies which provided the foundation of environmentalism. From social and economic influences in a post-war America which created the modern environmental movement to the development of 'land ethics' and economic foundations, THE ORIGINS OF MODERN ENVIRONMENTAL THOUGHT is a recommended college-level pick for any collection strong in science or social science.
Shifting and Rearranging
Carsten Reinhardt
Science History Publications
P.O. Box 1240, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562-1240
088135354X $49.95 www.shpusa.com
Chemistry is not the evolving, smooth science it is perceived as today: in the second half of the 20th century it actually went through a large transformation in which the solid chemical substance idea changed to an abstract structure, with the chemical reaction supplemented by physical methods and the chemist replaced by technical measurement devices. Physical methods were the heart of this change and SHIFTING AND REARRANGING: PHYSICAL METHODS AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF MODERN CHEMISTRY documents this process, contributing an excellent college-level survey essential for any in-depth science collection.
The Business Shelf
Risk Intelligence
David Apgar
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
1591399548 $29.95 www.hbspress.org
If you view risk management as a field fit only for technical specialists in the subject, this book is for you. It 's directed to the executive who would use risk management givens and unknowns to make better business decisions: chapters directed to this audience explain how to identify knowable and unknowns, how to uncover facts to turn unknowns into knowns, and how to assess which risks are learnable and changeable. It's an excellent guide executives need to know about.
