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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 22, Number 8 August 2012 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Photography Shelf
Education Shelf Travel Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf DVD-ROM Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Business Shelf Music Shelf
Gardening Shelf Cookbook Shelf Computer Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Science Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Military Shelf Architecture Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Nautical Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
International Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf Law/Justice Shelf
Technology Shelf Sports Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
Biography Shelf Native American Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Memoir Shelf Woodworking Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Civil War Shelf Relationship Shelf
Wine Shelf Self-Help Shelf Poetry Shelf
Crafts Shelf Art Shelf Jewelry Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Gaming Shelf Economic Studies Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Jobs/Career Shelf Parenting Shelf
Autism Shelf Language Studies Shelf Psychology Shelf
Archaeology Shelf Aviation Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Library Science Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Wisconsin Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Ethics: Beyond War's End
Eric Patterson, editor
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781589018884, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Jus post bellum (Latin for "Justice after war") deals with the termination phase of war. The concept is the need for rules to end wars completely and fairly. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Eric Patterson (who also provides an informative Introduction and Conclusion), "Ethics Beyond War's End" is comprised of ten thoughtful and thought-provoking contributions on the subject of how to bring warring factions together after the conflict is over. Especially when faced with the realities associated with protracted conflicts, recurring war, failed or failing states, or genocide and war crimes. The necessity to create frameworks establishing an enduring peace that is both pragmatic and moral is underscored in our modern era with conflicts marked by ethnic cleansing, religious bigotries, tribal feuds, and transitions from established dictatorships to fledgling democracies. A body of superbly presented scholarship, "Ethics: Beyond War's End" is highly recommended reading and an outstanding contribution academic library reference collections.

Countering Displacements
Daniel Coleman, Erin Goheen Glanville, Wafaa Hasan & Agnes Kramer-Hamstra, editors
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9780888645920 $34.95 www.uap.ualberta.ca

Countering Displacements: The Creativity and Resilience of Indigenous and Refugee-ed Peoples is an anthology of scholarly essays examining and drawing parallels between displaced populations, including indigenous peoples, refugees, and diasporic peoples worldwide. The primary focus is not upon the victimization or suffering of displaced peoples, but rather their resilience and adaptation to drastic change. Individual writings include "Israel's Wall, Displacement, and Palestinian Resistance in the West Bank", "Mapping Manipur", "Creativity as a Form of Resilience in Forced Migration" and more. A handful of black-and-white photographs, an extensive list of cited works, and an index round out this thoughtful and strongly humanitarian collection, highly recommended especially for college library anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies collections.

The State of Nonprofit America, second edition
Lester M. Salamon, editor
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-2188
9780815703303, $36.95, www.brookings.edu

Nonprofits dedicate themselves wholly to a greater goal. "The State of Nonprofit America" is a scholarly investigation of non-profit organizations throughout the country and their struggles to make an impact in society. But as America faces greater divisiveness and a rough economy, Nonprofit companies suffer as well. This second edition is completely updated to discuss modern issues and the future of nonprofit organizations. "The State of Nonprofit America" is a fine addition to any business or social issues collections.

The Land Grabbers
Fred Pearce
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108-2892
9780807003244, $27.95, www.beacon.org

With vast natural resources becoming more valuable than ever, the ideas of ownership become more and more central. "The Land Grabbers: The New Fight Over Who Owns the Earth" explores the rush for claiming the world as the billionaires and superpowers of the world are fighting for the planet against each other as the billions without millions struggle to get by. A strong concern for the future of the world and its people, "The Land Grabbers" is a strongly recommended pick for environmental and social issues collections in community and college library collections.

Fuel on the Fire
Greg Muttitt
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10013
9781595588050, $28.95, www.thenewpress.com

The Iraq War is one that is not fully understood by many. "Fuel on the Fire: Oil and Politics in Occupied Iraq" tries to get to the purpose of this conflict that had public opinion from all those involved wanting it to end very quickly. Exploring the interests of American and British oil companies and how they may have been pushing the war and lead to a problematic conflict, and may yet lead to more with many Arabic revolutions. "Fuel on the Fire" is an intriguing dissection of the Iraq War and the influences that have lead to it and may lead to it again.

Rural Wit & Wisdom
Jerry Apps, author
Steve Apps, photographer
Fulcrum Publishing
4690 Table Mountain Drive, Suite 100
Golden, Colorado 80403
9781555916015 $14.95 www.fulcrum-books.com

Rural Wit & Wisdom: Time-Honored Values from the Heartland lives up to its title with vignettes, quotable quotes, folk wisdom, and glimpses into contemporary rural life. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this assembly of idiom definitions ("Don't muddy the water" means "when things are going okay, leave them alone"), philosophies ("Be careful before tossing an old idea aside - especially if the old idea involves values and beliefs, such as accepting those different from us, caring for the needy, and loving the land"), practical tips ("Plant tomatoes in a different place each year. By doing this you can help to control tomato blight and other tomato diseases,"), and general advice ("Worrying that your neighbor is achieving more than you prevents you from doing your best.") Rural Wit & Wisdom: Time-Honored Values from the Heartland is an ideal giftbook, as enjoyable to browse as it is edifying. Highly recommended.

An Immigrant's Journey to the West
Yu-long Ling
University of Indianapolis Press
1400 East Hanna Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46227
9781880938805, $29.95, www.uindy.edu/universitypress

Confucianism creates much of the base of Chinese thought, but these ideas crossover to western thought more than many would believe. "An Immigrant's Journey to the West: Confucianism & Americanism" is a personal memoir and discussion of philosophy from Yu-long Ling, as he shares his journey to America and how his upbringing in China and Taiwan has shifted his views of American culture, bringing a new perspective on the culture. "An Immigrant's Journey to the West" is a fine and much recommended addition to memoir and philosophy collections.

Writing & Healing
Pamela Post-Ferrante
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
5-22 46th Ave, Ste 200
Long Island City, NY 11101
9781578264223, $35.00, www.hatherleighpress.com

Beating cancer is like finding a second chance at life. "Writing & Healing: A Mindful Guide for Cancer Survivors" is a spiritual guide to finding worth anew after escaping the weight of cancer. Advising survivors to help create their own environment of healing and worth around themselves, and empower themselves to share their stories with others. Enhanced with full color imagery throughout and meditative CD included, "Writing & Healing" is an inspirational pick for anyone who wants to affirm their life after cancer.

A Sanctuary of Trees
Gene Logsdon
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603584012, $19.95, www.chelseagreen.com

Trees are vital to humanity, no matter how much we may deny it. "A Sanctuary of Trees: Beechnuts, Birdsongs, Baseball Bats, and Benedictions" is a collection of musings surrounding the arboreal plant life that surrounds us, as Gene Logdon focuses on the life lived next to the woods and their place in putting our lives together. "A Sanctuary of Trees" is a strongly recommended pick for environmental history and memoir collections, highly recommended.

The Hunt for KSM
Terry McDermott and Josh Meyer
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780316186599, $27.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

THE HUNT FOR KSM: INSIDE THE PURSUIT AND TAKEDOWN OF THE REAL 9/11 MASTERMIND, KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED offers access to key sources who have never spoken publicly, jihadis and member of KSM's own network, and tells the story of the real mastermind behind 9/11. It offers the first comprehensive, insider's account of the search for KSM and what happened after he was captured, and is a fine true-life survey of international intrigue and should be in the collections of any library strong in terrorist exposes.

Buried in the Sky
Peter Zucerkman and Amanda Padoan
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393979883, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

BURIED IN THE SKY: THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE SHERPA CLIMBERS ON K2'S DEADLIEST DAY follows one fateful climb and reads like a novel but packs suspense and gripping true-life adventure into the story of the tragic 2008 climb of K2 when eleven climbers died. Most climbing accounts come from the Western climbers themselves, so it's refreshing to find a coverage by the high-altitude workers themselves: the ones who scout routes, tie the lines, and guide the climbers. Very highly recommended!

What Philosophy Can Tell You About Your Lover
Sharon M. Kaye, Editor
Open Court
70 East Lake Street #300, Chicago IL 60601
9780812697636, $19.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

What Philosophy Can Tell You About Your Lover is third in a 'What Can Philosophy Tell You?' series, and gathers the insights of over twenty philosophers from different persuasions and background who provide their insights into love and philosophy. It's filled with philosophical and romantic connections and offers studied yet lively discussions perfect for high school teachers seeking to show students why philosophy is a relevant art in today's world.

This is How
Augusten Burroughs
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110-7848
9780312563554, $24.99, www.stmartins.com

THIS IS HOW is a survival guide for any who would survive life's slings and arrows; from overcoming shyness and grief to handling disease, aging and more. Ten years ago Augusten Burroughs provided the classic RUNNING WITH SCISSORS, a hilarious account of his crazy childhood. A decade later he returns with a self-help book that blends humor with challenging observations people can use to face their deepest fears - and come out on top. It offers no platitudes or easy solutions, admits that some of life's problems are insurmountable, and provides a series of candid observations on everything from why positive thinking is dishonest and harmful to how to understand weight perception. It's a 'must' for any general lending library.

Harvest of a Decade: Disraelia and Other Essays
Walter Laqueur
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842327, $39.95, www.transaction-pub.com

Harvest of a Decade: Disraelia and Other Essays provides a selection of essays written by a European liberal and offers a range of cultural observations and topics that comment on censorship, judgment, political pressures and more. A decade's worth of the author's reflections at the turn of the 21st century provides his insights into changing cultural and political climates, and makes for a fine presentation suitable for college-level collections studying essays in social and intellectual reflection.

The Enlightened Cyclist
BikeSnobNYC
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452105000, $16.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

The Enlightened Cyclist: Commuter Angst, Dangerous Drivers, and Other Obstacles on the Path to Two-Wheeled Transcendence follows up on the best-selling BIKE SNOB and is a special recommendation for readers of this prior guide, covering the basics of becoming a better bike commuter and handling the slings and arrows flung from the non-biking community. The author is a Brooklyn-based cyclist and writer who casts cynicism and politics to the wind and surveys everything from cycling challenges in an urban setting to handling the requirements of work and transport in the inner city. A 'must' for any collection strong in cycling politics and social issues.

Force Decisions
Rory Miller
YMAA Publications
Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894
9781594392436, $18.95, www.ymaa.com

FORCE DECISIONS: A CITIZENS GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING HOW POLICE DETERMINE APPROPRIATE USE OF FORCE offers wide-reaching details to all kinds of collections, from those strong in police force actions and social issues to collections that include coverage of citizen rights. It questions the premise that violence is always wrong and whether those who do violence are different from all others, and it reveals how the police officer judges the need for and types of force needed to act in the name of peace. From Force Law and Force Policy discussions to the realities of a police force acting in a violent society, this is a special recommendation for any law enforcement as well as many a citizen action collection.

Unflappable
Ragini Elizabeth Michaels
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781573244893, $16.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

UNFLAPPABLE: 6 STEPS TO STAYING HAPPY, CENTERED, AND PEACEFUL NO MATTER WHAT offers a key to staying unflappable, and that key is to embrace the idea of paradox and understand the role it plays in daily life. The author has worked with hundreds of corporate executives and individuals struggling with behavioral change, and here provides a fine survey that provides a six-step process to achieving a peaceful, more accepting mindset with which to face life's challenges.

American Windmills
T. Lindsay Baker
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman OK 73069
9780806142494, $24.99, www.oupress.com

American Windmills: An Album of Historic Photographs comes from an author who has written about wind power for twenty-five years, and gathers an album of striking images - some 200 of them - captured by windmill photographer B.H. "Tex" Burdick and rescued from the corporate archives of windmill manufacturers. The photos show the windmill manufacturing and use process across the country on everything from farms to railroads and in urban areas, and provides an overview of windmills in urban life. Very highly recommended for any American wind energy or history collection.

China Airborne
James Fallows
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780375422119, $25.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

CHINA AIRBORNE follows the latest developments in China: the building of new airports which represent more than two-thirds of the new airports under construction today. Chinese airlines expect to triple their fleet size over the nest decade, have plans to commit to an aerospace movement, and want to move to manufacturing planes. The idea is to use these expansions to modernize and innovate in other industries as well, and CHINA AIRBORNE provides a powerful survey of the effort and its effects upon Chinese workers and society. A fine pick for any collection strong in Chinese culture and social issues.

The Thing You Think You Cannot Do
Dr. Gordon Livingston
Da Capo Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738215525, $19.99, www.dacapopress.com

The Thing You Think You Cannot Do: Thirty Truths about Fear and Courage probes the face of fear and how it has evolved from a primal impulse for survival to a modern compulsion to avoid failure and humiliation, and shows how fear can become debilitating - and what to do about it. Chapters probe different kinds of fears, share both his own story of struggle and those of others, and provides an analysis of the fear impulse and how it can lead to finding an even better source of strength: courage. An inspiration guide, this is a pick for any general lending collection.

Campaign Boot Camp 2.0
Christine Pelosi
Berrett-Koehler
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609945169, $19.95, www.bkpub.com

Campaign Boot Camp 2.0 provides leadership lessons from the campaign experiences of over forty public figures and packs in tips for any who want to run for office or win a public policy issue. It comes form her leadership "boot camps" conducted in over thirty American states, and offers basic training in new edition that updates profiles of political leaders, considers the influence of social media and the Internet in the process, and explores woman candidates' experiences. The result is a 'must' for any concerned about setting and meeting campaign goals.

Head Shot
G. Paul Chambers
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145613, $18.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Books, films, commentary, discussion and just about any conspiracy theory imaginable has about analyzed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as much as can be done: so what can HEAD SHOT: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE JFK ASSASSINATION tell us that's different? It comes from an experimental physicist for the US Navy who here provides an analysis that shows the commonly accepted view of the assassination is scientifically flawed. Chapters provide evidence for a second murder weapon, use science to identify multiple shooters, and provides a new paperback edition with a new preface and postscript discussing additional points since the book's original hardcover appearance in 2010. A 'must' for any holding strong in JFK details.

You Are What You Wear
Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738215204, $16.00, www.dacapopress.com

Collections strong in fashion or psychology will find YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR: WHAT YOUR CLOTHES REVEAL ABOUT YOU provides fine insights into how wardrobe choices reflect life perspectives and inner emotions. Nine shopping complaints and wardrobe mistakes are introduced by case history examples gained from the author's patient files, offering keys to understanding style choices and underlying psychology. Treatment plans include fashion and psychological remedies in a survey readers will find insightful and engrossing.

Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle
Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachbooks.com

Nealay Patel's Jewelry for the New Romantic: Unexpected Techniques with Crystals and Beading Wire (9780881164278, $19.95) provides jewelry makers with Edwardian-style pieces of modern jewelry that feature bare beading wire and crystals, and is a pick for any learner who wants to move to the next step in jewelry-making. It provides techniques easy for beginners that result in pieces that are sophisticated designs: some 10 jewelry sets with accompanying illustrations and instructions come with good-sized color photos and sidebars of materials for quick, successful projects perfect for any crafter's collection. Aaron Skinner's Essential Skills for Scale Modelers (9780890247914, $21.95) builds on the basics of modeling and provides the basics needed to build, paint, weather and display models. From spray-painting and applying decals to using metal finishes and improving upon an older kit, this is simply packed with step-by-step photos offering foolproof advice, and is a 'must' for any scale modeler seeking to acquire basic skills.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

FranklinCovey Style Guide, fifth edition
Stephen R. Covey
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780133090390, $49.99, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded fifth edition, "FranklinCovey Style Guide: For Business and Technical Communication" is a 448-page instructional compendium on creating and presenting written materials ranging from correspondence, to memos, resumes, meeting minutes, mission statements, reports, and more. Offering an alphabetically ordered extensive reference glossary from abbreviations to writing and revising, "Style Guide" is enhanced with an equally extensive section of 'Model Documents'. Informed, informative, and exceptionally 'user friendly', "Style Guide" is highly recommended as a curriculum textbook and would prove to be an invaluable instructional resource and reference for anyone having to communicate with words and images for any purpose or in any venue.

A Year of Writing Dangerously
Barbara Abercrombie
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781608680511, $16.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

A Year of Writing Dangerously: 365 Days of Inspiration and Encouragement is a set of affirmations and insights for any writer who wants to make the time and effort to become serious about writing, and offers keys to setting up a writing practice and getting writing done. From setting up an inviting space to combating negativity from within and without, this packs in exercises and advice on writing and is a powerful how-to guide for any aspiring writer.

Reading Letters: Designing for Legibility
Sofie Beier
BIS Publishers
Het Sieraad, Postjesweg 1
1057 DT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
9789063692711, $49.00, www.bispublishers.com

Reading Letters: Designing for Legibility is a pick for any collection appealing to type designers, and covers the basics of assessing the optimal typeface for different projects. Chapters provide plenty of eye-catching insights into type and its applications under different conditions, showing graphic and type designers how to make logical, useful and even artistic choices. A 'must' for any collection catering to printers, graphic designers, or type designers.


The Photography Shelf

She
Lise Sarfati
Twin Palms Publishers
PO Box 10229, Santa Fe, NM 87504
www.twinpalms.com
9781936611003, $75.00, www.amazon.com

Modeled after a family photography album whose captions and context have been lost so that all that is left for the browser are the photographic images of several women within the context of rooms and streets. "She" is a coffee table book of color photos, each of which could evoke a story within the mind and eye of the viewer. Lise Sarfati is clearly a master photographer able to capture ordinary female images and convert them into an extraordinary body of work in this 120-page compendium. Of special note is the bilingual (French/English) commentary that at the end of this volume and serves as a kind of extended 'Afterword'. "She" is highly recommended as a seminal contribution to personal, professional, and academic 20th Century Photography reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Sony Alpha Nex-7
David D. Busch
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place
Stamford, CT 06902
978113597452, $29.99, www.courseptr.com

Sony Alpha Nex-7 comes from a best-selling digital camera author who provides a powerful key to one of the most innovative cameras in Sony's line. It covers all the basics, from working with autofocus modes and shutter speeds to flash, advanced shooting including HDTV movie making, and more, and covers the mechanics, art and operations of good photography during the process. The step-by-step coverage paired with color photo examples throughout assure that David Busch's latest presentation keeps the same high quality that has earned him top ratings for previous camera manuals.


The Education Shelf

How to Handle Difficult Parents
Suzanne Capek Tingley
Prufrock Press
5926 Balcones Drive, Suite 220
Austin, TX 78731
9781503639587, $16.95, www.prufrock.com

"How to Handle Difficult Parents: Proven Solutions for Teachers" is a practical, disciplined organized response to the need for teachers to develop special coping skills to deal with many varieties of Difficult Parents. It is odd to realize that this is a skill area that is crucial to the ongoing success and perhaps even the survival of a dedicated teacher, but the evidence is quite convincing. Written with a light touch and a practical, humorous-tinged approach to problem solving, "How To Handel Difficult Parents" has something for every classic problem faced by teachers dealing with difficult parents. Most effective of all, the techniques are all illustrated with line by line suggested examples of teacher/parent dialogue, allowing the reader to sometimes choose what might be the most effective response for the situation. "How to Handle Difficult Parents" deals with a crucial component of quality education delivery, and if nothing else, it will provide a relieving laugh or two to the belabored education professional.

Evidence-Based Teaching For Higher Education
Beth M. Schwartz & Regan A. R. Gurung, editors
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433811722, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of Beth M. Schwartz (Catherine Ehrman Thoresen and William E. Thoresen Professor of Psychology, Randolph College, Lynchburg, Virginia) and Regan A. R. Gurung (Ben J. and Joyce Rosenberg Professor of Human Development and Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay), "Evidence-Based Teaching For Higher Education" is a 168-page compendium comprised of eight contributions by outstanding scholars and focusing upon university level instructors and teachers selecting and implementing techniques and tools specifically designed to maximize the student learning experience. "Evidence-Based Teaching For Higher Education" includes consideration ranging from teacher-student rapport; online teaching; the utilization of blogs, podcasting, wikis technologies; experience-based teaching such as internships, teaching and research assistantships, in-class research projects; student study habits, etc. Of special note are the articles 'Building Rapport in the Classroom'; and 'Selection of Textbooks or Readings for Your Course'. Informed, informative, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, "Evidence-Based Teaching For Higher Education" is very highly recommended for college level classroom teachers and a seminal contribution to academic library Education Studies reference collections.

Funner Grammar
Sandra Wilde
Heinemann
PO Box 6926
Portsmouth, NH 03802-6926
9780325013923 $25.00 www.heinemann.com

Sandra Wilde (Professor of Curriculum and Teaching at Hunter College, City University of New York) presents Funner Grammar: Fresh Ways to Teach Usage, Language, and Writing Conventions, a resource for teachers charged with helping students in grades 3-8 improve their English literacy and writing skills. Packed with innovative approaches to capture students' attention and help them internalize better communication skills, Funner Grammar includes coverage of verb tenses, sentence complexity, word usage issues, kid-friendly linguistics, and much more. "At the Whole Foods supermarket chain, there are check-out lines for those with '10 items or fewer,' where most other stores use [10 items or] less. But I'd never bother talking about this distinction with children, because it's on its way out. If you're tempted to try to enforce your own pet language peeves on students, even though their usages are becoming the norm, think about those teachers 50 years ago who insisted on 'shall'. Why fight a losing battle? Why should your idiosyncratic preferences be more valid than those of the majority of the users of English?" Funner Grammar is a top-quality supplemental resource, worthy of the highest recommendation for not only grade school educators, but also parents and tutors interested in helping children improve their grasp of English language skills.

Young Children & Technology
Amy Shillady & Leah Schoenberg Muccio
National Association for the Education of Young Children
1313 L Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005-4101
9781928896869, $14.00, www.naeyc.org

Technology is opening doors for children earlier than ever. "Young Children and Technology" is a guide to the applications of technology can have for very young children in helping them succeed on many more levels in their life. With plenty of information to consider for those who want to consider more ideas and more options for young children using recent developments in technology, "Young Children and Technology" is a must for any educational reference collection focusing on the early years.

200 Essential Preschool Activities
Julienne M. Olson
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court
St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605541044, $19.95, www.redleafpress.org

The formative years are the best time to learn more out of life. "200 Essential Preschool Activities" is an early childhood education reference guide for preschool teachers who are looking to help their young students get the most they can out of this vital period in education. From building important social skills, promoting thinking, arts, crafts, good play, and much more, the book proves to be a must for any rookie teacher who wants to keep the activities flowing. Each entry includes a list of necessary bits and pieces to make it work, instructions, and how to take it further. "200 Essential Preschool Activities" is an enthusiastically recommended pick for preschool education reference collections.

The Lowering Of Higher Education In America
Jackson Toby
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
www.transactionpub.com
9781412846240, $24.95, www.amazon.com

The cultural ideal is that every student should go to college in preparation for both gainful employment and personal fulfillment. It is also the common assumption that there is sufficient financial resources through student loans, grants, and scholarships to pay for a college education for those students aspiring to a university degree. Unfortunately the reality is quite different. "The Lowering of Higher Education in America: Why Student Loans Should Be Based on Credit Worthiness" is a 228-page compendium in which academician and author Jackson Toby (Professor Emeritus of Sociology) asserts that not every high school graduate is automatically entitled to attend college if they or their parents lack the necessary financial means to do so. Professor Toby assess the flaws in the federal financial aid programs that do not take into consideration a students academic qualifications, but only their financial needs. The result is a 'dumbing down' of college admission standards of admission and expectations, accompanied by very high rate of college dropouts of academically ill prepared or performing financial aid students. Controversial, culturally iconoclastic, yet very well researched and argued, "The Lowering of Higher Education in America: Why Student Loans Should Be Based on Credit Worthiness" is a valued contribution to today's national debate over the financing of higher education and is especially recommended to the attention of governmental and university policy makers.

The SAPRpbis Manual
Bridget Walker & Douglas Cheney
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624
Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598571707, $40.00, www.brookespublishing.com

A well-behaved and orderly school is one that learns better. "The SAPRpbis Manual: A Team-Based Approach to Implementing Effective Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports" explores how to create a positive reinforcing environment for one's school. The SAPRpbis - The Self Assessment and Program Review for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, has been called an excellent way to measure and improve a school's harmony, improving the learning environment and creating powerful relationships. "The SAPRpbis Manual" is a strongly recommended pick for educational reference collections aimed at guidance counselors and other individuals who take charge of school behavior.

Cautionary Tales: Strategy Lessons from Struggling Colleges
Alice W. Brown, et.al.
Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive
Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781579227807, $37.50, www.styluspub.com

Cautionary Tales: Strategy Lessons from Struggling Colleges uses a case study approach to analyze the different experiences of colleges that have struggled with major issues affecting their survival, and is a fine collection of narrative examples of struggle and closure that will greatly supplement any education collection strong in educational trends and prescriptions for health. Chapters present six carefully researched case histories, analyzing decisions, actions, and their impact, and provide administrators and educators alike with insights into the influences upon success or failure. An outstanding survey!

Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com

Vicky Giouroukakis and Maureen Connolly's Getting to the Core of English Language Arts Grades 6-12 (9781452218816, $38.95) offers teachers keys to revamping a secondary English Language Arts curriculum to reflect the Common Core State Standards, and is a 'must' for any who would build connections between curriculum and the standards for diverse student groups. From linking lessons to technology and service learning to collaboration ideas for connecting via technology with colleagues beyond the school, this provides a step-by-step guide to the best approach for handling standards-based lessons, and includes reproducible handouts. Teachers will find this a worthy pick indeed! Digital Learning for All, Now: A School Leader's Guide for 1:1 on a Budget by Jonathan P. Costa (9781452220055, $34.95) offers educators field-tested strategies for affordable technology in the schools, from integrating open source into classroom objectives to using new technologies to optimize student learning. Discussions pair patterns of student learning with digital processes and provide keys to bridging gaps between the two, making DIGITAL LEARNING a fine recommendation for schools looking to merge learning objectives with affordable digital opportunities. Peter M. Dewitt's Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students (9781452205908, $25.95) is a recommendation for teachers and parents who want to assure that LGBT students receive equal and fair attention in the school setting. It demonstrates how to create an inclusive school setting for all students and focuses on ways in which LBGT students can achieve the most from a school setting, and how parents and administrators can assure a safe and supportive learning environment in the process. Parents and Professionals Partnering for Children With Disabilities: A Dance That Matters by Janice M. Fialka, et.al. (9781412966399, $27.95) focuses on forging parent/professional relationships surrounding children with disabilities, and uses humor and pointed observation from real-world scenarios to discuss the need for dialogue, flexibility and interaction when addressing special needs. Chapters document this relationship between the two with an eye to exposing needed adjustments to make the entire process work. Teach Reading, Not Testing: Best Practice in an Age of Accountability by Liz Hollingworth and Hilleary Drake (9781412997737, $28.95) addresses issues of helping students prepare for high-stakes testing by showing teachers how to meld instruction with the latest standards for optimum testing results. High stakes testing is at the heart of a primer that provides a teacher-friendly key to adjusting or revamping instruction to align more closely with standards-based testing requirements. Carol Burris and Delia Garrity's Opening the Common Core: How to Bring ALL Students to College and Career Readiness (9781452226231, $34.95) provides standards-based model lessons to teachers who want to boost the numbers on students who successfully complete four-year programs. It shows how to use the new CCSS standards as a starting point for improving and enhancing the curriculum overall, and uses a blend of critical thinking and equity and teacher support to show how best to tweak an existing system. Developing Mindful Students, Skillful Thinkers, Thoughtful Schools by Martin Bouncristiani and Patricia Bouncristiani (9781452220147, $34.95) shows school leaders how to build a tools to encourage student creativity, and blends research from various sources to teach the basics of adapting traditional learning to modern classrooms and modern teaching requirements. Chapters show how thinking students evolve, and provide guidelines to assuring creativity and optimal progression in today's classroom. Leading the Common Core State Standards: From Common Sense to Common Practice by Cheryl A. Dunkle (9781452203928, $34.95) is a step-by-step guide to overcoming typical barriers to the Common Core State Standards, and probes the Common Core's relationship to leadership and teaching as a whole. Chapters provide teachers and administrators with keys to understanding the Common Core, and provide specific, clear guidelines for any seeking analysis of the Common Core's applications. E. Caroline Wylie, et.al.'s IMPROVING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICE TO EMPOWER STUDENT LEARNING (9781412997010, $31.95) provides teachers with a powerful survey that asks teachers three basic questions about where students are headed, where are they now, and how to bridge the gap between the two. It encourages teachers to select a specific aspect of formative assessment to investigate and explore personal practice, and provides a study guide that can be used by teachers to improve overall teacher assessment practices as a whole. Creating Standards-Based Integrated Curriculum: The Common Core State Standards Edition by Susan M. Drake (9781452218809, $36.95) provides the author's seventh book on the topic of curriculum integration, and is packed with information covering the Common Core Standards and how their requirements can be integrated into the classroom experience. Teachers receive specifics and will find this suitable for all kinds of real-world applications. THE NEW SCHOOL MANAGEMENT BY WANDERING AROUND by William A. Streshly, Susan Penny Gray and Larry E. Frase (9781412996044) provides insights on managing a school by wandering around, is based on the original work by Frase and Hetzel, and provides administrators with specific tips on exactly how to 'wander around' with more purpose. Twenty research studies document this management by wandering around process, from its rituals to its results, and offers a blend of proven results and a flexible organization to leadership as a whole. A 'must' for any who would improve their school leadership roles. Robert J. Garmston with Valerie von Frank's UNLOCKING GROUP POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE SCHOOLS (9781412998895, $29.56) tells how great groups contribute to outstanding schools, and tells how schools can develop a group culture ranging from working committees to grade-level and department teams. It outlines the basic guidelines that differentiate an active, powerful group from an ineffectual one, teaches basics of organizing effective meetings and setting clear shared goals, and provides keys to developing a better group outcome. All are highly recommended for any educator's collection.


The Travel Shelf

Discover USA
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street
Oakland CA 94607
9781742200019 $27.99 www.lonelyplanet.com

Lonely Planet continues their distinguished line of top-quality travel guides with Discover USA, an excellent, easy-to-use reference for vacationers interested in the best of the best tourist destinations of America. Divided into sections focusing on New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Boston & New England, New Orleans & the South, Florida, The Grand Canyon & the Southwest, The Pacific Northwest, California, and "The Best of the Rest" (with notes on Hawaii, Alaska, the Rocky Mountains, Texas, Philadelphia, Niagara Falls, and Mount Rushmore), Discover USA is packed with suggested itineraries, user-friendly maps, recommended restaurants, "need-to-know" information and advance planning tips, and much more. Packed with color photographs throughout, Discover USA lives up to its title and is highly recommended for both foreign travelers and Americans interested in cross-country sightseeing!

Discovering Totem Poles
Aldona Jonaitis
Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebec Street, Suite 201
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
9781926812854, $19.95, www.douglas-mcintyre.com

The totem pole is an icon of Pacific Northwest Native American art. "Discovering Totem Poles" is a full color guide to the totem pole exhibits throughout the region, touching on their cultural meaning and their artistic attraction, and how to better understand these sculptures as a tourist. Presented in full color and with plenty of information all throughout, "Discovering Totem Poles" is a strongly recommended pick cultural and travel collections, not to be overlooked.

Canadian Battlefields 1915-1918
Terry Copp, Matt Symes, and Nick Lachance
Clare Hitchens
LCMSDS Press
c/o Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781926804118 $32.99 wlupress.wlu.ca

Canadian Battlefields 1915-1918: A Visitor's Guide is an ideal resource for planning a travel itinerary that allows one to see firsthand Canadian World War I battlefield sites on Europe's Western Front. Illustrated with maps and color photographs throughout, along with historical renditions of how the battles at each site played out, Canadian Battlefields 1915-1918 is a choice pick for armchair travelers and military history enthusiasts as well as tourists. Highly recommended.

Switzerland
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street
Oakland CA 94607
97817411795844, $22.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

Gorgeous natural beauty combined with history make Switzerland an ideal vacation destination. "Switzerland" is a travel guide from Lonely Planet, filled with maps of the country and with extensive coverage of the things to do within the country, from within to cities to the countless trails that go throughout the country and its mountain ranges. "Switzerland" is a strong addition to any travel collection, and for personal choice of one soon going to Switzerland.

Moon: Coastal Oregon
W.C. McRae & Judy Jewell
Moon Handbooks
1700 - 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781612381602, $16.99, www.moon.com

Moon Coastal Oregon offers maps, itineraries, and suggestions for making the most of a coastal road trip to Oregon, from camping and hiking to foraging and enjoying the beaches. Here are restaurants, accommodations and more, including coverage of everything from bakeries to the best hiking opportunities - all under one cover in a tote planner that will make it easy to make the most of coastal Oregon's sights and attractions.

Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street
Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

Any who would visit the nation's national parks will find Danny Palmerlee, et.al.'s DISCOVER USA'S BEST NATIONAL PARKS (9781742204918, $24.99) to be a fine survey of itineraries and recommendations for the top national parks in the country - some 27 of them. By providing a narrowed focus, more information is packed into the coverage; from easy maps and surveys of highlights to itineraries and color photos throughout. From camping to nearby attractions and amenities, Discover USA's Best National Parks places all details in a title easy to tote, study, and plan from. Andy Symington and Fran Parnell's FINLAND (9781741795820, $24.99) is a fine take-along tote and travel planner exploring how to get the most from an independent journey to Finland. 3 months of research from two expert authors contribute to a collection of insights packed with small maps, travel ideas, and much more. Nick Ray, et.al.'s CAMBODIA (9781741794571, $22.99) offers a detailed guide to Cambodia in an updated 7th edition of the country that covers urban and rural attractions alike. Here's a guide that moves form temples to parks, that considers Cambodia's peoples and cultural attractions as well as its human and natural history, and which is unequalled in its take-along tote attractions.


The Audiobook Shelf

Bad Little Falls
Paul Doiron, author
www.pauldoiron.com
Henry Levya, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427221308 $34.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Bad Little Falls is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of award-winning author Paul Doiron's thrilling novel about the ruthless side of men and nature. When Maine game warden Mike Bowditch is sent to a remote site on the border with Canada, a severe blizzard is the least of his problems. Sent into the wilderness on a rescue mission, he discovers evidence of murder, with the killer or killers still at large! Outnumbered and outgunned, the only one he can ask for help is the multitalented bush pilot Charley Stevens - but in the meantime Bowditch must use his head and his will to survive the ravages of both a winter storm and remorseless smugglers. Brought to life by Henry Leyva's talented storytelling, Bad Little Falls is a choice pick for suspense fans, and highly recommended. 7 CDs, 9 hours.

Molly Bloom's Soliloquy from Ulysses
James Joyce, author
Marcella Riordan, narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843796244 $17.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Molly Bloom's Soliloquy from Ulysses is the audiobook rendition of an extended excerpt from Joyce's classic novel "Ulysses". Molly Bloom's internal monologue, in which the passionately amorous and sexually adventurous woman mediates on her many, vigorous infidelities while lying next to her sleeping husband, is perhaps the most famous passage of Joyce's novel. Veteran theater performer and award-winning radio actress Marcella Riordan brings to life Molly's convoluted and sometimes difficult narrative, in this unabridged adaptation (although only this audiobook features only the soliloquy, and not the rest of "Ulysses"). Molly Bloom's Soliloquy is highly recommended for fans Joyce's widely popular works. 2 CDs, 2 hours 24 min.

The Great Escape
Susan Elizabeth Phillips, author
Shannon Cochran, narrator
Harper Audio
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062189400 $39.99 www.harpercollins.com

The Great Escape is the unabridged audiobook rendition of award-winning romance writer Susan Elizabeth Phillips' novel of a privileged woman, Lucy Jorik, who falls hard for the bad boy - in this case, a temperamental stranger with no sense of manners, riding on a mangled motorcycle. Her "great escape" with the mysterious man takes her to Great Lakes beach house. As her sudden departure prompts an all-out search, she must use what little time she has to figure out her heart and her destiny - although her rough-as-nails partner-in-evasion seems to defy any and all interpretation! The Great Escape seduces the listener into an escape of their own, and is a choice pick for romance connoisseurs. 12 CDs, 13 1/2 hours.

Devil's Peak
Deon Meyer, author
Simon Vance, narrator
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781611748062 $39.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com

Devil's Peak is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of South African crime writer Deon Meyer's intense saga of three flawed, driven individuals. A former soldier loses his son to a gas station shootout and takes up arms against any who would prey upon children; an alcoholic detective has been given a family ultimatum to dry out even as he searches for an unknown killer; and a sex worker struggles to find a path to a better life for herself and her child - at any price. Knife-edge suspense delineates the thin line between justice and revenge, murder and retribution, in this gripping audio experience superbly performed by Booklist's 2008 "Voice of Choice" reader Simon Vance. Highly recommended. 10 CDs, 12 1/2 hours.

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachetteaudio.com

James Patterson & Maxine Paetro's 11TH HOUR (9781607884651, $34.98) is spiced by January LaVoy's background in television and stage, a dramatic combination that makes her voice the perfect choice for narrating this powerful story of a pregnant detective investigating the discovery of severed heads in a movie star's garden. This unabridged production is a powerful story that captures reader attention from the first moment, offering powerful insights on a movie star who might be a serial killer and making for a riveting listen hard to 'pause'. Any mystery audio holding will consider this a winning addition! Ed Falco's THE FAMILY CORLEONE (9781611134483, $29.98) offers a new novel based on Mario Puzo's famous Godfather series and is presented here unabridged on 12 CDs narrated by the smooth and evocative voice of Bobby Cannavale, nominated for a Tony Award for his winning performance. This new prequel to The Godfather offers insights on 1933 New York where the crime families are on the rise, and one Vito Corleone faces changes in his family's future. All the brilliance and high drama of The Godfather comes to life in this moving story! David Baldacci's THE INNOCENT (9781607885733, $29.98) receives a powerful dual narration by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy, an author/actor and actress who together bring to life a gripping saga of international intrigue, espionage, and Robie, a hired killer who suddenly refuses to kill. His involvement with a runaway who turns out to be something more will change his life in this gripping saga. Joel Osteen's YOUR WORDS HOLD A MIRACLE: THE POWER OF SPEAKING GOD'S WORD (9781611134285, $24.98) receives a reading by Dr. Paul Osteen who brings to life the late John Osteen's words and vision. At some time in life you'll need a miracle from God, and John Osteen maintains that this miracle is in the Bible. It shows how to take the Bible and translate its messages to daily living and actions, and makes for an inspirational audio for any spiritual collection. Christopher Buckley's THEY EAT PUPPIES, DON'T THEY? (9781611134261, $29.98) receives a fine reading by actor Robert Petkoff, who has appeared in film and many productions, and who lends his theatrical voice to a fine novel revolving around Washington lobbying, a top-secret weapons system, and one Bird, who teams up with a sexy woman to rouse the American public against the Chinese. The result is an international dance that keeps readers listening and involved as relationships between individuals and governments move to heart-stopping new levels. David E. Sanger's CONFRONT AND CONCEAL: OBAMA'S SECRET WARS AND SURPRISING USE OF AMERICAN POWER (9780307990471, $50.00) receives a masterful reading by Robertson Dean in an unabridged production that documents words of the chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times, and provides listeners with a picture of an administration that came in with a bang and since has struggled with international decisions. It provides powerful behind-the-scenes reflections contrasting ideals with harsh reality and surveys the struggles of the president and his administration in a candid assessment recommended for any general collection.

Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com

Ed McBain's KILLER'S CHOICE (9781455872022, $19.99) pairs veteran narrator Dick Hill's smooth and seasoned voice with the riveting story of a woman murdered in a liquor store, an event which involves the 87th Precinct into her secret lives and dangerous associations. Tension comes well to life in this solid audio thriller, recommended for old fans and newcomers of the 87th Precinct mysteries alike. McBain's LADY KILLER (9781455872060, $19.99) also receives a fine performance by Hill, who tells of a mysteries threatening letter which claims an unknown writer will murder an unnamed woman in twelve hours - unless the Precinct can get there first. Exquisite tension springs to life in this audio. Dale Brown and Jim DeFelice's NERVE CENTER (9781455862009, $14.99) benefits from Christopher Lane's seasoned voice, which has narrated over 100 audiobooks, and provides a thriller centered around a man who must salvage a key experimental program that merges electronic data with a pilot's natural senses. A dangerous game evolves in this gripping thriller which comes alive in audio. Ted Bell's PHANTOM (9781441891341, $38.99) provides a fine performance by an Emmy award winning narrator who has worked with over 45 films, and who here lends a powerful and smooth voice to the story of havoc at an American theme park, a pilot who loses control of his plane, and more. The disappearance of an artificial intelligence expert involves Hawke and former inspector Ambrose Congreve to discover connections between some bizarre events across the country and makes for a gripping novel of intrigue that comes alive in audio.


The Library CD Shelf

Between 2 Worlds
Elikeh
www.elikeh.net
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz

The eight-member Washington DC-based Afropop band Elikeh presents Between 2 Worlds, an album fueld by the burning intensity of percussive drumbeats, the flowing cadence of reggae, and the soulful inspiration of funk and blues. A cross-cultural fusion of African diaspora musical traditions, Between 2 Worlds is grounded in the roots of struggle and survival, and as thought-provoking as it is motivational. Highly recommended. The tracks are "No Vision" (3:36), "Know Who You Are" (4:58), "Alonye (ft Vieux Farka Toure)" (4:27), "Olesafrica (Ojah Awake)" (5:04), "Fly to the Sky" (3:55), "Foot Soldier" (3:49), "Eh Wee" (4:55), "Let Them Talk" (4:58), "Nye'n Mind Na Wo (ft John Kadlecik)" (4:55), and "Nye Dji" (3:20).


The Library DVD Shelf

Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772152 $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for public performance, Heist: Who Stole the American Dream? And How We Can Get It Back is a politically charged documentary about the causes of the American economic crisis, and the forces that continue to depress the wages and living conditions of working and middle class citizens. Heist reveals how four decades of deregulation, job outsourcing, and tax policies that shift the public burden away from corporations and the wealthy to the poor and middle class, have squeezed the American public. Live footage of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and a call to get involved politically to change disastrous public policies distinguish this sharp wake-up call to Americans everywhere, especially those who are struggling the hardest to survive. 76 min. (58 min. and 22 min. versions are also playable from the DVD), SDH captions.

War in the Mind
A film by Judy Jackson
Paul Gross, narrator
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772195 $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for public performance, War in the Mind is a documentary about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the harmful psychological legacy of having the harrowing events of battle burned into one's mind. PTSD may affect up to 15% of all soldiers; it can lead to crushing depression and the breakup of families, or cause those who suffer it to turn to drug addiction or even suicide. War in the Mind also features Senator and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Romeo Dallaire, who has publically spoken out about PTSD including how his personal experience with it drove him to attempt suicide. The tremendous problem of soldier suicide, which currently claims the lives of more soldiers than actual battle, is also examined at length. The good news is that suicide can be prevented with intervention and effective treatment. War in the Mind also examines a UBC/Royal Canadian Legion program designed especially to help soldiers recover from the violence and pain burned into their brains. Extras include an eleven-minute "6 months later Q&A". War in the Mind is worthy of the highest recommendation, especially for public library collections. 64 min., SDH captions.

We Are Not Ghosts
a film by Mark Dworkin & Melissa Young
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
193777225X $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Fifty years ago, Detroit was a nerve center of the auto industry - and when the industry fell on hard times, so did the city as a whole, marred by a morass of ills stemming from sudden, mass unemployment. Many departed the city, but others did not want to leave the home city they loved. We Are Not Ghosts is a documentary about modern-day people working to rebuild and reinvent Detroit for a post-industrial economy in the postmodern world. Here are true stories of community businesspeople, place-based schools, spoken-word artists, and urban communities seeking to redefine their connections and adapt to the challenges of the future. Licensed for public performance, We Are Not Ghosts is a vision of hope and sustainability, and highly recommended for public and classroom viewing as well as for library documentary collections. 52 min, SDH captions.

The Sinking of the Laconia
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287974 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

Nominated for the BAFTA award, The Sinking of the Laconia is the complete miniseries dramatization of the true story of the RMS Laconia, a ship torpedoed by the Germans in 1942 during the battle for the Atlantic. The Laconia carried more than 2,000 passengers, many of them civilians; their life-and-death struggle is the stuff of legends. Featuring an outstanding international cast, The Sinking of the Laconia is an extraordinary and gripping drama, highly recommended. Bonus materials include a 29 min. documentary featurette "The Sinking of the Laconia: Survivors' Stories". 2 DVDs, 171 min. plus bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Megacities
Hosted by Andrew Marr
Athena
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
www.athenalearning.com
9781598288476 $34.99 www.acornonline.com

Megacities is a striking documentary about five of the world's best-known megacities - defined as metropolis communities that have more than 10 million inhabitants. BBC journalist Andrew Marr takes the viewer to visit one of the oldest megacities (London, UK); the fastest growing (Dhaka, Bangladesh); the largest (Tokyo, Japan); one of the most dangerous (Mexico City, Mexico); and one that just might be the new world capital (Shanghai, China). From the struggle to balance sustainability with convenience, to the ongoing threats of crime and social problems, to the incredible network of innovation and confluence of human talent these gigantic cities represent, Megacities is striking in its vivid portrayal of both the light and dark sides of modern human civilization. A bonus 12-page viewer's guide rounds out this excellent film, highly recommended especially for public and community library DVD collections.

Mythos The Complete Series
Joseph Campbell, lecturer
Hosted by Susan Sarandon
Athena
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
www.athenalearning.com
9781598288216 $99.99 www.acornonline.com

Hosted by Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon, Mythos The Complete Series collects the speaking tour that Joseph Campbell embarked upon in his latter years, presented in the order and manner that Campell intended, with enhanced images and minimal editing. Originally seen on PBS, Mythos The Complete Series discusses the origin of a human consciousness that distinguishes us from animals, the evolution of mythology and symbols, mythic themes universally common in the East (particularly Asia) and the modern-day West, and much more. A 12-page viewer's guide with a never-before-published essay by Campbell rounds out this extraordinary compilation. An extraordinary exploration into forces of the mind that express themselves in ways that transcend generations and even human cultures, Mythos The Complete Series is highly recommended especially for public and college library DVD collections. 15 episodes on 6 DVDs (grouped into Mythos I, II, and II), 14 hours, fullscreen. Mythos I & II have closed-captioning; Mythos III has SDH subtitles.

Master Qi and The Monkey King
A film by Alan Govenar
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213
New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Master Qi and The Monkey King is an extraordinary documentary chronicling the life and work of star Peking Opera actress Qi Shu Fang. Excerpts from Qi's performances, backstage moments, interviews, dazzling displays of martial arts, and diverting moments of humor pepper this captivating tour de force of a grand cultural tradition. Master Qi and The Monkey King strives to bridge the dearth of understanding between nations and cultures, and the spectacular efforts of Qi and her fellow performers is amazing to behold. A bonus photo gallery, biographies of performers and filmmakers, and more round out this amazing showcase, highly recommended especially for public and community library DVD collections. 81 min.

The Forsyte Saga Collection
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598288711 $79.99 www.acornonline.com

Originally shown on "Masterpiece Theater", The Forsyte Saga Collection gathers two complete British drama series on DVD adapting John Galsworthy's widely popular novels about a family at a crossroads, divided by greed, adultery, and the lust for revenge. Set in the late Victorian era through the 1920s, The Forsyte Saga Collection follows two generations of the Forsyte family and its tragedies, jealousies, and star-crossed love affairs. Riveting and sometimes shocking, The Forsyte Saga Collection is a choice pick for fans of classic television, highly recommended. Bonus features include a 20 min. making-of featurette, photo galleries, a John Galsworthy biography and booklist, and cast biographies and filmographies. 5 DVDs, 702 min., widescreen, English subtitles for series 2.

Tim Winton's Cloudstreet
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598288483 $49.99 www.acornonline.com

Tim Winton's Cloudstreet is the DVD adaptation of the bestselling Australian novel "Cloudstreet", about two rural families in Perth 1943-1963, who struggle with the repercussions of hardship and tragedy. The two families are almost diametric opposites - the Lambs toil hard and pray harder, in spite of the calamity that has befallen them, while the Pickles' problems stem as much from their own misguided decisions as from the vagaries of fate. Superbly performed by its ensemble cast, Tim Winton's Cloudstreet is odyssey of finding strength in common ground, and forging ties that can weather the fiercest of storms; bonus features include a wealth of behind-the-scenes segments. Highly recommended, although sensitive viewers should be aware that there are some scenes with disturbing images or coarse language. 6 episodes on 2 DVDs plus bonus feature DVD, 365 min. plus 101 min. of bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Injustice
Created by Anthony Horowitz
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598288254 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

Injustice is a harrowing, five-part British crime thriller that will keep the viewer fascinated to the very end. Blending elements of the legal drama, police procedure, mystery, and suspense genres, Injustice follows disillusioned defense barrister William Travers, who is called out of retirement to defend an old comrade from a homicide charge. But the further the case progresses, the more sinister elements appear, until the specter of death hangs over his neighborhood and he becomes a target of investigation! Injustice is not for the faint of heart, due to scenes of violence, strong language, and disturbing images. A bonus photo gallery enhances this excellent, tightly crime story. 5 episodes on 2 DVDs, 223 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.

St. Louis Steam Celebration
Pentrex
2652 East Walnut St.
Pasadena, CA 91107
1563423170 $29.95 www.pentrex.com

St. Louis Steam Celebration (2 hours) is a DVD capturing the greatest steam event of 1990, during which four of America's largest steam locomotives came to Union Station in Saint Louis, Missouri for the NRHS convention. Six camera crews from the railroad documentary specialists of Pentrex covered the Cotton Belt 819, the Frisco 1522, the Norfolk & Western 1218, and the Union Pacific 844, and the captivating activities of the grand celebration, including convention excursions across beautiful countryside. St. Louis Steam Celebration is truly the next best thing to riding the greatest and most venerable steam locomotives in person, and highly recommended especially for railroading enthusiasts. Also choice picks for railroad buffs are "Santa Fe 3751: The Restoration" (1563423235, $29.95, 1 hour), the true story of how the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society spent ten years and thousands of man-hours to restore a historic steam locomotive and return her to the rails, and "Santa Fe 3751: Return to Steam" (1563423030, $29.95, 1 hour), a DVD displaying the successful maiden voyage of this beautifully restored locomotive, in honor of the 99th anniversary of the original train's debut. All three Pentrex DVDs are in full color with standard definition 4x3 format and hi-fi sound and narration.


The DVD-ROM Shelf

Adobe InDesign CS6 Learn by Video
Presented by Kelly McCathran
Adobe Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321840691 $64.99 www.mcp.com

Created and approved by Adobe Press, Adobe InDesign CS6 Learn by Video is a solid training video on DVD-ROM, ideal for self-teaching and polishing one's building block skills with the program Adobe InDesign CS6. Adobe Certified Expert Kelly McCathran guides the student through using the program to create basic text and image layouts as well as advanced features. The course includes tips, tricks and techniques on how to use Adaptive Design Tools (which allow layouts to be adjusted to look their best on a variety of page sizes, orientations, or devices); applying colors to maximum effect; high-end text handling; book features; dynamic content; and much more. An accompanying 48-page booklet in full color complements this superb DVD-ROM, packed with over 8 hours of professional-quality instruction. A top-notch resource for anyone interested in using Adobe InDesign CS6 for cost-effective self-publishing.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Unexplained!
Jerome Clark
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
9781578593446, $22.95, www.visibleinkpress.com

There are many unsolved mysteries of the world which just beg us to ask more questions. "Unexplained!: Strange Sightings, Incredible Occurrences, and Puzzling Physical Phenomena" is a collection of mysterious events throughout the world and of the world's mythology that lead to unexplained occurrences. From the unusual nature of vanishing things in the Bermuda Triangle, UFOs, to more unknown aberrations, "Unexplained!" is a strongly recommended addition to metaphysical and mythology and legend collections.

Myths of Light
Joseph Campbell
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato CA 94949
9781608681099, $14.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

MYTHS OF LIGHT: EASTERN METAPHORS OF THE ETERNAL explores the basic principle that underlies all Eastern religion from Jainism to Buddhism: the concept of the World Soul. Chapters survey the author's study of world religions, the core interconnecting mythologies and philosophies of the East, and uses examples and stories to bring them alive, offering insights in an easy, enlightening mode perfect for any new age collection seeking an easy introduction to the interconnecting spiritual forces of Eastern perceptions.

The Lost Worlds of Ancient America
Frank Joseph
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601632043, $15.99, www.newpagebooks.com

The Lost Worlds of Ancient America: Compelling Evidence of Ancient Immigrants, Lost Technologies, and Places of Power blends new archaeological finds that confirm America was visited and influenced by visitors from Europe and the Near East perhaps thousands of years before 1492, and provides a powerful survey of prehistory that documents such finds as a 3,000-year-old Phoenician altar in Los Angeles, a Templar Tower in Rhode Island, and ancient highways in West Virginia. It comes from the editor-in-chief of the magazine Ancient American and offers a fascinating alternative saga of prehistory perfect for new age and history holdings alike.

New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
www.newpagebooks.com

James O'Kon's THE LOST SECRETS OF MAYA TECHNOLOGY (9781601632074, $21.99) comes from an author, lecturer and award-winning structural engineer who in 1995 discovered a massive, lost landmark of Maya engineering, the long span suspension bridge in Mexico. Now considered to be the longest bridge of its times, this had been overlooked by scientists who had studied the site for more than a century - and this offers the author's first-person discovery and documents the methods he used to examine and provide the existence of the bridge. It documents his exploration and his contributions to the understanding of early Maya engineering technology, and makes for a fascinating history for new age, archaeology and world history holdings as well as many an engineering collection. Nick Redfern's THE PYRAMIDS AND THE PENTAGON: THE GOVERNMENT'S TOP SECRET PURSUIT OF MYSTICAL RELICS, ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS, AND LOST CIVILIZATIONS (9781601632067, $15.99) offers up the secret, classified files of the U.S. Government in a detailed study of how and why government agencies have, for decades, taken an interest in archaeological, historical and religious puzzles, and offers new data and documents to show how the U.S. military continues to hide many startling facts. From the CIA's secret files on Noah's Ark to Army documents about the Egyptian Pyramids constructed by levitation and claims of nuclear warfare in ancient India, this is a startling collection that seeks to prove secrets are being closely held in government vaults, that will change everything we believe about human and world history. New age collections will find this an exceptional presentation. Richard M. Dolan and Bryce Zabel's A.D. AFTER DISCLOSURE: WHEN THE GOVERNMENT FINALLY REVEALS THE TRUTH ABOUT ALIEN CONTACT (9781601632227, $16.99) is the first non-fiction survey to describe a world after the government finally admits contact with alien civilizations has been made. It comes from a historian and researcher and a journalist who predict radical change after such an official acknowledgment, is backed by their study of alien contact, and offers various projects surrounding the demise of UFO secrecy. A thought-provoking, well done book considers social and political changes and describes massive revolutionary transitions.


The Business Shelf

Theft By Employees
Douglas C. Landa & Henry C. Landa
The Film Instruction Company of America
5928 West Michigan Street
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
0931974321, $19.50, www.ficoa.biz/theft.htm

Theft by an employee can range from the pocketing of a few desk supplies to the embezzlement of company funds. It is a chronic and pervasive problem that all companies and corporations will inevitably encounter sooner or later. "Theft By Employees" is a kind of instruction manual specifically designed by Douglas and Henry Landa for small to medium sized businesses which will enable the owners and managers with methods of detection and prevention of employee theft by dishonest workers. Organized into four major sections (Detection; Security; Prevention; and 'Officers), "Theft By Employees" is enhanced throughout with 'real world' anecdotes illustrating both problems and countermeasures. Offering a wealth of practical and thoroughly 'user friendly' advice, "Theft By Employees" is very highly recommended reading for all small business owners.

Management, Administration, Supervision And Bureaucracy
Douglas C. Landa & Henry C. Landa
The Film Instruction Company of America
5928 West Michigan Street
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
093197433X, $29.50, www.ficoa.biz/theft.htm

The collaborative effort of Douglas C. Landa and Henry C. Landa, "Management, Administration, Supervision And Bureaucracy" is a do-it-yourself instruction manual for anyone who aspires to or has just been hired on in a management, administrative, or supervisory position of responsibility in a business or governmental agency. Organized into four major sections, "Management, Administration, Supervision And Bureaucracy" offers a wealth of insights ranging from 'management vs. leadership'; the conducting of meetings; public relations; general rules of personal administrative performance; budgets and the budgeting process; leadership styles; bargaining, negotiating, and compromise; self-promotion; and so much more. Enhanced with seventeen appendices; a bibliography; a glossary; and a comprehensive index, "Management, Administration, Supervision And Bureaucracy" is very strongly recommended reading for anyone charged with administrative or supervisory responsibilities at all corporate or governmental levels.

Project Management for Profit
Joe Knight, Roger Thomas, & Brad Angus
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way
Boston, MA 02163
9781422144176, $25.00, http://hbr.org/books

Avoiding the pitfalls of bad management may be the only thing one needs to stay in the black. "Project Management for Profit: A Failsafe Guide to Keeping Projects on Track and On Budget" is a guide to more comprehensive business management and success in one's field due to better understanding a budget - in terms of money, time, and other factors. With practical advice and wisdom on overcoming many obstacles one may not even realize are there, "Project Management for Profit" is a strong and highly recommended pick for business and reference collections.

Principles of Management
Dr. B. S. Moshal
Global Professional Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9781906403492, $65.00, www.styluspub.com

Good management is universal, no matter what field a business person works in. "Principles of Management" is an advisory guide from Dr. B. S. Moshal as he engages the readers with the fundamental universal ideas of good management. Encouraging would be managers to better understand the process, organization, strategy, modern management, leadership, and the importance of communication on any level. "Principles of Management" is a strongly recommended addition to any business education reference collection, not to be overlooked.

The New Geography of Jobs
Enrico Moretti
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
9780547750118, $28.00, www.hmhbooks.com

THE NEW GEOGRAPHY OF JOBS comes from a rising young economist who considers innovation and success, and where to find them in America. It reveals a "new geography of jobs" that centers around certain cities or regions based on redistribution of American jobs and populations, and it provides keys to understanding how new innovation jobs and non-innovation jobs are created and how workers who support 'idea creators' also benefit from the surge. The challenge will be supporting and maintaining this job growth - and THE NEW GEOGRAPHY OF JOBS discusses both the pros and cons of this brave new world.

Amacom
1601 Broadway
New York NY 10019-7420
www.amacombooks.org

Micah Solomon's HIGH-TECH, HIGH-TOUCH CUSTOMER SERVICE: INSPIRE TIMELESS LOYALTY IN THE DEMANDING NEW WORLD OF SOCIAL COMMERCE (9780814417904, $23.00) helps business leaders and customer service managers alike and offers keys to changing consumer expectations and how to stay ahead of the expectation game. The focus here is on using technology in business to reach customers on an emotional level: chapters offer keys to using technology to better advantage to anticipate - and meet - customer needs and expectations. A fine survey for any collection catering to business managers! Dan Seidman's THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF INFLUENCE: MASTER THE ONE SKILL EVERY SALES PRO NEEDS (9780814417263, $17.95) reveals how influencing a sale occurs at a level just below the buyer's awareness - and it provides a series of strategies that appeal to subconscious decisions to buy. Insights from psychology and behavioral science blend in a program that links these findings to better selling techniques by hooking into a buyer's motivation pattern, and shows professional salespeople who to identify ten of the most common different types of buyers. A 'must' for any collection strong in sales approaches. Ira G. Asherman's NEGOTIATION AT WORK: MAXIMIZE YOUR TEAM'S SKILLS WITH 60 HIGH-IMPACT ACTIVITIES (9780814431900, $34.95) offers keys to help managers and trainers make the most of work negotiations, and provides a collection of affordable, effective interactive exercises that cover all components of negotiation. Grouped by topic, each exercise includes goals and a step-by-step procedure for leaders to follow, along with additional reading and notes. Business collections interested in negotiation and teamwork will find this an excellent choice. Chris Komisarjevsky's THE POWER OF REPUTATION: STRENGTHEN THE ASSET THAT WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOUR CAREER (9780814417973, $22.00) discusses the importance of reputation as an asset with a tangible exchange value, and helps readers learn how to creative a positive result by building a reputation others will believe and invest in. From understanding self-value and its perception to engaging others and building responsibilities and rewards based on reputation, this is a choice for any career-building collection. PERSUASIVE BUSINESS PROPOSALS: WRITING TO WIN MORE CUSTOMERS, CLIENTS AND CONTRACTS (9780814417850, $19.95) explains how to create compelling messages and proposals that dovetail neatly with prospect's needs, and appears in an updated new edition including more questions to qualify opportunities, ways to strengthen summaries and presentations, guidelines for blending proof with a proposal, and tips for renewal contacts. The result is key to producing winning proposals and offers step-by-step instruction to achieve these goals. Steven J. Koprince's THE SMALL-BUSINESS GUIDE TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS (9780814431931, $29.95) tells how to comply with rules and regulations for government contracts and is a key acquisition for any business collection where working with the government is involved. Government contracts come with many strings attached, from requirements to restrictions - and ignorance of these requirements is no excuse. Small business owners need this survey, which covers all the basics of selling to the government, and comes from an attorney specializing in government contracts and small business.


The Music Shelf

Let Fury Have the Hour
Antonio D'Ambrosio, Editor
Nation Books
116 East 16th Street, 8th Floor, NY, NY 10003
9781568587196, $17.99, www.nationbooks.org

LET FURY HAVE THE HOUR: JOE STRUMMER, PUNK, AND THE MOVEMENT THAT SHOOK THE WORLD belongs in any popular music holding and tells of citizen artist Joe Strummer, a member of the punk rock group the Clash and an instigator of a movement that composed some of the most powerful rebel music of the last century. Strummer converted punk rock from its reactionary roots to a movement of world citizenship, and this gathers original writing, interviews, essays and visual art to document the evolution of this movement. Pieces by Billy Bragg, Lester Bangs, and others make for a powerful saga indeed!

Nickelback: Here and Now
Alfred Publishing
0739088246, $19.99, www.alfred.com

Nickelback: Here and Now provides a fine guitar tab songbook covering the rock group's best works, and provides keys to playing and singing eleven of their songs, from Bottoms Up and Midnight Queen to Holding on to Heaven. Fans will appreciate having a guitar tab book that allows them to reproduce the group's songs, and rock music collections will find this a popular pick!


The Gardening Shelf

Earth Perfect?
Annette Giesecke & Naomi Jacobs
Artifice Books on Architecture
c/o Black Dog Publishing London UK
10A Acton Street, London, WC1X 9NG, UK
http://www.blackdogonline.com
9781907317750, $39.95, www.amazon.com

The collaborative editorial work of Annette Giesecke (Professor of Classics and Chair of Ancient
Greek and Roman Studies at the University of Delaware). and Naomi Jacobs (Professor of English and Chair of the English Department at the University of Maine), "Earth Perfect?: Nature, Utopia and the Garden" is a 240-page, wonderfully illustrated compendium providing the reader with a descriptive analysis on the relationship between human beings and the culturally diverse concepts of the garden. Comprised of eighteen informed and informative essays by experts in the fields, "Earth Perfect?" is deftly organized into six major sections: Being in Nature; Inscribing the Garden; Green House; The Garden Politic; Economies of the Garden; and How Shall We Garden?. Of special note is Douglas W. Tallamy's essay 'Achieving Ecological Utopia in the Garden'. Thoughtful and thought-provoking throughout, "Earth Perfect?" is a seminal work of impressive scholarship throughout and a welcome, highly recommended addition to academic library reference collections.

Homegrown Harvest
Rita Pelczar, Editor-in-Chief
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781845336637, $19.99, www.octopusbooks.co.uk

HOMEGROWN HARVEST: A SEASON-BY-SEASON GUIDE TO A SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN GARDEN is compiled by a noted gardening expert and explains both beginning and advanced concepts involved in creating a sustainable kitchen garden. From preparing soil and using non-toxic methods to fine-tuning a planting scheme and designing a garden, this is packed with color photos, sidebars of at-a-glance information, and details perfect for the gardener who wants specific how-to insights.


The Cookbook Shelf

Vegeterranean: Italian Vegetable Cooking
Malu Simoes da Cunha & Alberto Musacchio
Earth Aware Editions
PO Box 3088
San Rafael, CA 94912
9781608870790 $40.00 www.earthawareeditions.com

The kitchens of Umbria's widely savored Country House Montali present Vegeterranean: Italian Vegetable Cooking is a treasury of quality vegetarian dishes in the flavorful style of Italy and the Mediterranean region. Vegeterranean proves that meat is not required to experience the sumptuous staples and flavors of the region, offering appetizing vegetarian renditions of Italian classics such as calzone, ravioli, gnocchi, and lasagna. Tips, tricks, and techniques for creating homemade sauces, stocks, and pesto complement the wide assortment of recipes illustrated with fabulous full-color, full-page photographs. Vegeterranean: Italian Vegetable Cooking is a "must-have" for vegetarian gourmets everywhere!

Vegan for the Holidays
Zel Allen
Book Publishing Company
P.O. Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
9781570672842, $19.95, www.bookpubco.com

"Vegan for the Holidays" is an inspired collection of vegan recipes for traditional celebration feasts, such as Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Day. While many other delightful, non-vegan foods are associated with these times, it is extremely thoughtful to present this festive collection for many family cooks who will entertain guests and family members with vegan preferences. Recipes are organized in chapters by holiday, with lists of ingredients on the left and numbered, step-by-step directions on the right of each page. Colorful, enticing photos of prepared dishes orchestrate the chapters. Introductory notes describe some of the special uses of each dish, and some of its special attractions as well. Every chapter is loaded with imaginative vegan recipes for soups, salads, desserts, and main dishes and sides. here are some of the outstanding recipes, all clearly and simply presented: Butternut, Squash, Beet, and Apple Soup, Pomegranate-Apple Salad with Ginger and Mint, and Pistachio and Sweet Pea Torte with Roasted Tomato Aioli, all for Thanksgiving vegan menus. For Christmas holiday feasts, there are recipes for Christmas Carrot Wreath, Savory Chickpea Yule Log, Wild Rice and Chestnut Pilaf, and tomato-Pine Nut Pie with Sweet Potato and Nut Crust, not to mention Pistachio Paradise Cookies and Spiced Cranberry Nog. Hanukkah brings recipes for Sweet and Sour Cabbage Borscht, Carrot and Sweet Potato Tzimmes, and Potato Latkes with Tofu Sour Cream and Applesauce. The Tofu Sour Cream recipe is also useful for many purposes. Delicious, exotic Kwanzaa recipes include African Pumpkin Stew, Jamaican Rice and Peas, and the familiar Hoppin' John, black-eyed peas updated with vegan touches and a little extra spice and heat. Tempting New Year's recipes include the innovative Tempeh Bacon-Stuffed Mushrooms, Sweet Potato Puffs, and new Year Logs in Spicy Pecan Gremolata. To summarize, "Vegan for the Holidays" is a cooks proof that there need be no stinting or deprivation in preparation of a glorious vegan feast for the holidays!

Barefoot and In the Kitchen
Ashley Rowe
Microcosm Publishing
636 SE 11th Ave., Portland, OR 97214
9781934620557, $8.95, www.microcosmpublishing.com

"Barefoot and In the Kitchen: Vegan Recipes for You" is a down-to -earth, practical collection of personally developed vegan recipes for both the uninitiated and the experienced vegan. The author describes herself as arriving at her veganism through a Punk values related approach to living that stresses personal responsibility for all self care in ways consistent with environmental and earth ethics. Along the way, she developed some quite tasty, gourmet alternatives to less healthy, non-vegan fare. "Barefoot and In the Kitchen" is her latest installment of creative recipe sharing, part of an ongoing effort and dialogue (see notes about the "Barefoot" zine which started this trend). What is really great about "Barefoot and in the Kitchen" is not only the easy and delicious recipes for homemade vegan foods, but also the encouraging notes of introduction to each recipe as well as the overall positive, empowering attitude of the delightfully witty author. It takes all the scary challenge out of the idea of veganism and makes it something any one of us could attempt. Here are some of the fun recipe titles, which are clearly and humorously presented, with lists of ingredients first and paragraph style directions after. For main dishes, there is Broccoli Rice Au Gratin, Amazing Meaty Lasagna, Stuffed Shells (really sounds yummy, pasta shells with a garlic/tofu stuffing and a creamy and tomato sauce), Three Bean Chili With Veggies, Savory Maple Glazed Baked Tofu, and Stuffed Acorn Squash (filled with a mixture of brown and wild rice, vegetable broth, walnuts and cranberries). For dazzling side dishes, there are recipes for Quinoa Salad with Lemon Shallot Dressing, Tzatziki, Caramelized Roasted Carrots, and Garlicky Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Kale, yum. For desserts or treats, there are recipes for Chocolate Walnut Fudge, Zucchini Bread, and Perfect Pancakes with Berry Compote. For anyone who has flirted with the idea of cooking vegan style, here is the perfect encouraging basic cookbook. Chock full of helpful hints, bits of spice and growth encouraging experiences, illustrated with little cartoon self portraits and comics, "Barefoot and in the Kitchen" is a great solution to educating the non-vegan cook and consumer. It belongs on every college students gift list, and some others as well.

The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook
Rick Rodgers & Heather Maclean
Running Press News
c/o Persea Books Group
2300 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
9780762445738, $20.00, www.runningpress.com

The "The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook: More than 100 Retro Recipes for the Modern Cook" is a delightful retro cookbook for fans of Sixties cuisine and style. Embellished with retro 60's style modern illustrations and colorful full page photos of completed recipes, "The Mad.... Sixties Cookbook" offers its readers both a look back at an earlier style of cooking and entertaining and a look forward to modern reinterpretations of vintage fare and presentation for sampling. There are organized menus for 60's style dinner parties with decoration and presentation suggestions as well as other tips and tricks to gain authenticity for the planned event. History and trivia notes abound, and for those who are itching to sample some of these 60's delights, "The Mad....Sixties Cookbook" is the perfect key to unlock past delights for present joy and consumption. Chapters are organized by meal course recipes, such as Food to Drink By: Appetizers and Hors D'oeuvres, Vichyssoise, Iceberg, and Aspic.. Oh My! Soups, Salads and Sandwiches, Company Food: Main Courses, Best Supporting Players: Vegetable and Side Dishes, Showstoppers: Desserts, and Executive Cocktails. Forget your prejudices against 60's convenience foods and dive into this extremely appealing cookbook for a very positive experience of authentic, delicious 60's cuisine. From Oysters Rockefeller to Tomato and Shrimp Aspic, from Vichyssoise to Beef Wellington, from the Stacked Salmon and Egg Salad Sandwich to the Ultimate Meat Loaf, these recipes are guaranteed to please the pickiest palate. So jazz up your cultural/retro cuisine awareness with a mad adventure of home entertainment cooking from the 60's and taste some memories along the way.

Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2012
Kate Heddings, editor
Courtney Waddell Eckersley, art director
Imagine Publishing
c/o Charlesbridge
85 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472
9781932624410, $32.95, www.charlesbridge.com

"Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2012: An Entire Year of Recipes" is a fabulous, imaginative collection of over 700 tested gourmet recipes from the pages of the trend-setting, epicurean magazine of the same name. Drawing on the talents of multiple chef stars of international fame, "Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2012" is easily the top contender for best assortment of wonderful new flavor adventures. A feast for the senses, this collection is filled with cutting edge food adventures, with fabulous wine pairing suggestions, illustrated by multiple stunning color photographs of attractively presented dishes and sides. Recipes abound in all categories from salads, soups and pasta to meats, fish, vegetables breads and desserts, with a special nod to breakfast and brunch and potatoes, grains and beans. There are even added recipes for cakes, cookies, and special drinks, plus a recipe index, measurement guide, and a five page list of contributors. Some highlighted recipes include Apple Muesli with Goji Berries, Polenta-Crusted Fish Cakes with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Curried Spaghetti Squash and Chickpea Toasts, Spiced Leg of Lamb with Olives, Apricots and Lemons (to be served with a "decadent, berry-rich Italian red: 2008 Alois Lageder Merlot"), White Bean and Ham Stew, and Israeli Couscous and Tomato Salad with Arugula Pesto. Many are the talented chefs who have helped create this astounding collection, which is fit to grace any serious food and wine lover's bookshelf.

Country Cooking, City Style
Edna 'Ma' Bragg, author
Oceola Bragg, editor
Woodley Books, LLC
555 String St., Suite 605
Bethlehem, PA 18018
http://woodleybooks.com
9780978647254 $26.00 Southerncooking.blogspot.com

Edna 'Ma' Bragg was raised in the Mississippi, and brought time-honored culinary traditions with her to Manhattan, where she worked as a cook and later an expert caterer. Country Cooking, City Style gathers a wealth of her most popular recipes, along with her anecdotes, insights, and reminiscences of particularly memorable culinary presentations. The result is a cookbook that is as much of a pleasure to browse as it is a resource of time-honored favorite dishes such as Country Ham, Salmon Mousse with Green Sauce, Endive Salad, Apple Brown Betty, and more. Highly recommended for especially gourmets and connoisseurs of homestyle American cooking!

Salt to Honey
Junior League of Salt Lake City, Inc.
Favorite Recipes Press
2451 Atrium Way
Nashville, TN 37214
9780961697235 $27.95 www.frpbooks.com

Salt to Honey: Recipes for Great Gatherings lives up to its title with a wealth of recipes that are simple to make, yet worthy of a gourmet and ideal for serving at gatherings. From "Polenta Pesto Squares" to "Spicy Coconut Soup", "Chicken Stir-Fry Lettuce Cups", "Butternut Squash Gratin", "Yogurt Chocolate Cake", and more, Salt to Honey offers new twists on old favorites with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. A handful of color photographs illustrates this user-friendly anthology of mouth-watering, home-style artisan cooking, highly recommended for home chefs of all skill and experience levels.

101 Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
Gooseberry Patch
2500 Farmers Dr., #110
Columbus, OH 43235
9781612810850, $14.95, www.gooseberrypatch.com

As the day starts, there are plenty of recipes to embrace the most out of each morning. "101 Breakfast & Brunch Recipes" is a comprehensive collection of many recipes for the first half of the day, getting the most out of many traditional and hearty breakfast food ingredients. With full color photographs and easy to follow instructions all throughout, "101 Breakfast & Brunch Recipes" is a strongly recommended pick for general cookbook collections.

Checkered Flag Cooking
Kent Whitaker
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123
Brandon, MS 39043
1893062767 $16.95 www.quailridge.com

Spiral-bound to lay flat for easy reference, Checkered Flag Cooking is a compendium of recipes ideal for those who especially love to take part in tailgating and observe the thrills of motorsports. In addition to popular favorite dishes such as "Oven-Style Beef Ribs", "Chicken Salad Wraps", "Cajun Butter Grilled Shrimp", "Deep-Fried Twinkies" and more, Checkered Flag Cooking is packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for enhancing the tailgating experience. Profiles and black-and-white photos of drivers, crew members, fans, and officials as well as a quick introduction to "must-know" racing terminology and a guide to racing flags round out this user-friendly recipe resource.

Boozy Brunch
Peter Joseph
Taylor Trade
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781589796782, $16.95, www.rlpgbooks.com

Drinking before the evening doesn't make one a drunk if you show the right tastes. "Boozy Brunch: The Quintessential Guide to Daytime Drinking" is a bartending guide from Peter Joseph as he presents a daytime array of alcoholic beverages one can create for a bit of classy daytime drinking, bringing variations into coffee and tea, in addition to fruit and vegetable mixes as well. "Boozy Brunch" is a strong addition to any cookbook or general bartending collection.

Zuppe
Mona Talbott
The Little Bookroom
435 Hudson St, Suite 300, New York NY 10014
9781892145970, $18.95, www.littlebookroom.com

ZUPPE: SOUPS FROM THE KITCHEN OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY IN ROME is second in a series of cookbooks that gather favorite dishes served in the American Academy in Rom, and is a 'must' for any who would enjoy easy recipes paired with color photos throughout. The book is small in size but large in presentation, pairing Annie Schlechter's color photos with dishes such as Minestra Verdissima (Very Green Spring Vegetable Soup) and Nettle and Bean Soup. Especially recommended for any Italian cookery collection!

The Sugar Cube
Kir Jensen, et.al.
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452101262, $24.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

THE SUGAR CUBE is a small pink food cart in Portland that serves up unique sweets, from twisted Toll House Cookies to Highway to Heaven cupcakes and Vanilla Bean Risotto. The flavor and taste combinations are often unexpected, and provide a kick to sugar that ordinary desserts don't have. Any who want desserts with a difference will find THE SUGAR CUBE laden with tested recipes, colorful photos, and insights on how sugar can achieve new heights. A fine pick for any interested in new dessert approaches!

Back to Baking
Anna Olson
Whitecap Books
195 Allstate Parkway
Markham, ON, Canada, L3R 4T8
9781770500631, $40.00, www.whitecap.ca

BACK TO BAKING: 200 TIMELESS RECIPES TO BAKE, SHARE AND ENJOY comes from a Food Network Canada chef who hosted several successful series (Sugar, Fresh and Bake With), and who here provides her seventh cookbook in BACK T0 BAKING. The focus is on making treats that sync with a balanced diet, which means making desserts from scratch and including adjustments for food intolerances and allergies. Her step-by-step instructions include color images for any complicated techniques and encourage novices to become adventurous. There are many surprises here not featured elsewhere: among them, an Earl Grey Chiffon Cake with Maple Meringue Frosting (yes, it's made with Earl Grey tea!), a Springtime Lemon Wedding Cake with Fondant, and Classic Fruit Flan. Yum!

Cake Pops
Helen Attridge & Abby Foy
Spruce
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781846014024, $12.99, www.octopus.com

CAKE POPS features fine color photos by Lis Parsons and is packed with easy to follow recipes for creating fun cake pops at home. It's cake on a stick, with the fun of lollipops combined with cake snacks. The book offers basic recipes for making a vanilla cake and frostings that can be adapted to other flavors, and uses visual guides to tell how to make the balls, dip them, and decorate them. 28 designs for all occasions make this a great introduction to the new fad, perfect for general lending libraries.

Grilling Vegan Style
John Schlimm
Da Capo
c/o Perseus Books Group
44 Farnsworth St., 3rd Floor, Boston MA 02210
9780738215723, $20.00, www.dacapopress.com

GRILLING VEGAN STYLE: 125 FIRED-UP RECIPES TO TURN EVERY BITE INTO A BACKYARD BBQ is a pick for veggie lovers who want grill-friendly dishes that everyone can enjoy, and shares foods ranging from a Pineapple Teriyaki to a Mexican Tortilla Burger and Tex-Mex Tempeh. Cocktails, family-friendly drinks, and sides accompany dishes meant to make the most of the grill in a title recommended for any vegetarian or vegan cook.

John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

James Villas's FROM THE GROUND UP (9780470571651, $22.99) provides a fine focus on ground meat recipes and gathers some 200 recipes for everything from burgers to crab cakes and British meat pies to American meatloaf. Packed with color, cooking insights, and fun ground beef facts and reflections, FROM THE GROUND UP is filled with flavor and appealing, easy ground beef dishes both standard and gourmet, and is a pick for any culinary collection. Mark Bittman's LEAFY GREENS: AN A-Z GUIDE TO 30 TYPES OF GREENS PLUS MORE THAN 120 RECIPES (9781118093870, $18.99) covers everything from mustard greens and radicchio to kale and Swiss chard, and offers a new re-release of a classic guide to some thirty common kinds of greens. It comes from a food writer with much experience and provides over a hundred savory recipes along with over sixty illustrations to help readers quickly identify different types of greens. A fine recommendation for any who want to expand their cooking knowledge of greens.

150 Best Cupcake Recipes
Julie Hasson
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778802907, $19.95, www.robertrose.ca

150 Best Cupcake Recipes comes packed with easy, appealing recipes for cupcakes and frostings and provides a new edition with a new, bright cover, interior redesign, plus 25 bonus vegan recipes in a new chapter. It comes loaded with color photos and decorating tips for all kinds of cupcakes, a glossary of ingredients, and includes both simple and more complex-sounding cupcake recipes in a fine guide for any general dessert cookery holding.

The Naked Foods Cookbook
Margaret Floyd & James Barry
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
9781608823185, $21.95, www.newharbinger.com

The Naked Foods Cookbook: The Whole-Foods, Healthy-Fats, Gluten-Free Guide to Losing Weight & Feeling Great tells how to put together 'naked' foods: nutrient-dense, additive-free whole foods - to lose weight and improve health. It is packed with flavor and different ingredients and approaches to traditional fare, from a noodle-less lasagna to nut-crusted pesto chicken and a shaved fennel, pear and gorgonzola salad. Black and white small photos pepper a fine survey that makes the most of the 'naked food' approach to nutrition.


The Computer Shelf

The GIS Guide To Public Domain Data
Joseph J. Kerski & Jill Clark
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100
www.esri.com/esripress
9781589482449, $49.95, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of geographer, cartographer Joseph J. Kerski and expert technical author Jill Clark, "GIS Guide to Public Domain Data" focuses upon providing GIS users with specific and detailed instructional information on sources for and policies concerning access to and the use of spatial data available as public domain information. This 372-page compendium is methodically organized into ten major sections: spacial data and the public domain; spatial data models, vector data, and data quality; raster data and privacy issues; the true cost of, and local access to, spatial data; national and state data portals and metadata standards; international spatial data infrastructures; putting public domain spatial data to work; public domain data on the cloud; the future of public domain data in GIS. A seminal and comprehensive work, "The GIS Guide To Public Domain Data" is a highly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library GIS instructional reference and research collections.

C# 5.0 Pocket Reference
Joseph Albahari & Ben Albahari
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449320171 $14.99 www.oreilly.com

Twenty-year veteran programmer Joseph Albahari and former Microsoft program manager Ben Albahari present C# 5.0 Pocket Reference, a compact, conveniently-sized resource for C# 5.0 programmers of all skill and experience levels. Plain-spoken text and C# 5.0 examples on virtually every page demonstrate all of C# 5.0's fundamentals; an assortment of advanced topics such as operator overloading, type constraints, iterators, lambda expressions, etc.; a grounding in LINQ; dynamic binding and the new asynchronous functions in C# 5.0; warnings against unsafe code and pointers; custom attributes; XML documentation; and much more. Programmers may be familiar with the authors' more exhaustive reference "C# 5.0 in a Nutshell" (9781449320102, $49.99), a lengthy and thoroughly comprehensive resource concerning the language; at a slim 212 pages with an index, C# 5.0 Pocket Reference succinctly distills the key elements of its expansive brother tome into a slender, easy-to-carry-and-use format.

The Artist's Guide to GIMP, second edition
Michael J. Hammel
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street
San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593274146, $39.95, www.nostarch.com

GIMP is a free open source image editor that is just as capable as Photoshop. "The Artist's Guide to GIMP: Creative Techniques for Photographers, Artists, and Designers" is a comprehensive how to use manual surrounding the Photoshop alternative, understanding its unique interface and getting the most out of the program. Designed to grant plenty of advice for users of any skill level with the program or other image editors, "The Artist's Guide to GIMP" is a must for anyone who is looking to learn photo and image editing on a budget.

In Design CS6
Olav Martin Kvern, David Blatner, and Bob Bringhurst
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321834614, $59.99, www.mcp.com

Publishing was once a newspaper... then magazines... and now it is a whole slew of media. "Adobe In Design CS6: Industrial-Strength Publishing Techniques" is a comprehensive how to manual for greater success in design using InDesign CS6. Outlining the many details and options that the program offers, illustration and design professionals Olav Martin Kvern, David Blatner, and Bob Bringhurst come together to offer plenty of useful tricks to create effective and professional quality work with the program, discussing the importance of everything from typeface to color selection. For anyone who wants to better understand the value of good publishing techniques, "Adobe In Design CS6" is a must for technology and art design community and college library collections.

Contractor's Guide To QuickBooks 2012
Karen Mitchell & Craig Savage
Craftsman Book Company
6058 Corte del Cedro, Carlsbad, CA 92009
www.craftsman-book.com
9781572182721, $58.50, www.amazon.com

QuickBooks is the preferred and most widely used accounting software utilized in the construction industry because of its superior and 'user friendly' features for such routine office paperwork as writing checks, tracking bank balances, invoicing, generating profit and loss statements, writing payroll checks, tracking job costs, paying suppliers and subcontractors, estimating project costs, and so much more. "Contractor's Guide To QuickBooks 2012" is a complete course and manual for using QuickBooks and takes the reader through step-by-step instructions for setting up and implementing the process for all office bookkeeping needs in a reliable accounting system. Nicely illustrated, comprehensive, replete with duplicatable examples, and with the added value of free downloads, "Contractor's Guide To QuickBooks 2012" is the ideal introduction to all the financial tools required to run a profitable contracting operation regardless of its size and scope.

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012
Ross Mistry and Stacia Misner
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com
9780735665156, $14.99, www.microsoft.com

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 offers a first look at data management and BI capabilities and is a 'must' reference for any who would get up and running with SQL Server 2012. Two experts who have worked with the product from beta to release provide all the basics from setting up a database and managing applications to scalability, programmability and business intelligence services. From analysis to reporting, this is a pick for any collection strong in SQL Server applications.

Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
www.pragprog.com

Stuart Halloway and Aaron Bedra's PROGRAMMING CLOJURE (9781934356869, $35.00) appears in its second updated edition to provide A significant update to the classic book on Clojure. It covers all the new features in Clojure 1.3, features entirely rewritten and re-orgnaized chapters covering new Clojure concepts. And teaches how to build powerful programs. Charts, diagrams, code examples, and step-by-step coverage of expressions and applications make this a powerful survey for any programmer working with Clojure. John Athayde and Bruce Williams' THE RAILS VIEW: CREATE A BEAUTIFUL AND MAINTAINABLE USER EXPERIENCE (9781934356876, $35.00) is edited by Brian P. Hogan and tells how to use HTML5 to build solid layouts, then manage the whole creation using Rails 3.1. Programmers receive keys to managing code and creating easy user interfaces in a book that tells how to pair an application with tools for mobile audiences by creating structured views that enhance the user's experience. Very highly recommended for programmers who wish to get the most from Rails!

John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Jeremy Osborn & the AGI Creative Team's ADOBE DREAMWEAVER CS6 DIGITAL CLASSROOM (9781118124093, $49.99) teaches everything needed to set up Dreamweaver CS6 and use its layout tools to create and maintain websites, and is a 'must' for any web designer who would incorporate Dreamweaver CS6 into the equation. It's a full-color, step-by-step tutorial accompanied by video training on a companion DVD and provides a powerful training package that covers everything from elementary-level basic set-up and use to designing HTML5 web pages for mobile devices. 17 lessons offer easy step-by-step coverage of all the keys to successful application of Dreamweaver CS6. Jason Tyler works with Will Verduzco in XDA DEVELOPERS' ANDROID HACKER'S TOOLKIT: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ROOTING, ROMS AND THEMING (9781119951384, $34.99), and is an excellent pick for any collection strong in mobile app development. It teaches how to take control of an Android-based smartphone or tablet regardless of brand name, offering tools for backing up apps and systems, modifying a device's ROMs or flash ROMs from other devices, and helping an Android perform the latest tricks. Any Android owner who wants to tinker with his device must have this guide.

O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com

Chris Grover's ADOBE EDGE PREVIEW 5: THE MISSING MANUAL (9781449330309, $24.99) offers the basics on how Adobe Edge Preview 5 operates, how to use it to create and import graphics, and how to make it interactive and understand how HTML and CSS documents work. It's a basic primer designed to cover all the basics including customization processes, and it's packed with web design basics key to successfully using Adobe multimedia tools - even for those with no prior programming abilities. Tom White's HADOOP: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE (9781449311520, $49.99) is for any collection strong in programming languages and provides a key to using Hadoop to solve specific problems. This updated third edition covers the recent changes to Hadoop, including material on the new MapReduce API and tips on common pitfalls and advanced features for writing MapReduce programs. Packed with analysis, data processing insights, and keys to understanding Hadoop cluster and cloud operations alike, this is a 'must' for any serious programming reference library.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Women's Work
Pamela A. Parmal
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
9780878467785 $40.00 www.mfa-publications.org

Featuring dozens of full-color photographs of striking needlecraft projects (and the occasional vintage artwork or portrait), Women's Work: Embroidery in Colonial Boston discusses both the artistic and the economic sides of women's needlework in the colonial era. Needlework pushed the silk trade, and provided jobs for women who earned money selling supplies, drawing patterns, or teaching the craft to young girls. Focusing especially on the life stories and embroidered creations of six women in Boston, Women's Work is an astonishingly beautiful and descriptive window into a form of creative expression that enlivened the difficult and challenging lives of American pioneers. Needlecraft lovers of all walks of life, will thoroughly enjoy browsing Women's Work from cover to cover, and American cultural historians will find it informative and invaluable. Women's Work is highly recommended especially for college library collections.

The Sewing Workshop
Linda Lee
Sixth&Spring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013
9781936096404, $17.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

"The Sewing Workshop: Learn to Sew with 30+ Easy, Pattern-Free Projects" is a color-photo illustrated practical beginner's guide to home machine sewing, with full directions for over 30 pattern-free sewing projects. "The Sewing Workshop" is a complete beginner's sewing guide, with chapters on fabric basics, measuring and marking (includes instructions for making and enlarging a pattern), laying out fabric, cutting, sewing with a machine and by hand, constructing a seam (including zipper insertion instructions), sewing a hem, special elements, pressing and finishing. In addition, there are instructions for 30 creative sewing projects for assorted home accents, bags and totes, and wearable clothing items. All projects are clearly described and photo illustrated, with a list of notions and supplies, page references for relevant techniques, and clearly described step by step instructions. Some of the crafted sewing project include a tube top, a fabric pin or brooch, a handsome courier bag, a fringed pillow, and a trimmed napkin. Language and instructions are quite easy to understand, and all photos are colorful and clear and inspiring. For a new set of creative sewing project ideas, or for a novice sewing machine owner, "The Sewing Workshop" is a practical, attractive, non-threatening beginners manual with lots of creative, fun project ideas that are clearly presented and explained.

Temari Techniques
Barbara B. Suess
Breckling Press
283 Michigan Street
Elmhurst, IL 60126
9781933308326 $29.95 www.brecklingpress.com

Illustrated with step-by-step diagrams and captivating color photography throughout, Temari Techniques: A Visual Guide to Making Japanese Embroidered Thread Balls is an extraordinary, how-to guide to the craft of creating brilliant and decorative thread balls in the Japanese artistic tradition. Temari Techniques is written for prospective needlecrafters of all skill and experience levels, walking the reader through the process from making the ball's core, stitching and wrapping methods, and tips, tricks, and techniques for challenging designs. The sheer variety of stitches discussed (including a stitching guide especially for left-handers!) distinguishes this "must-have" guide for any needlecrafters curious to try something different. Also highly recommended are author Barbara B. Suess' previous craft guides, "Japanese Temari" and "Japanese Kimekomi".

Needleturn Applique
Angela Lawrence
Landauer Corporation
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726173 $27.95 www.landauercorp.com

Illustrated throughout with full-color photography of its step-by-step instructions, Needleturn Applique: The Basics & Beyond is a hands-on guide to needleturn applique, complete with nine sample projects. An accompanying packet of full-size, ready-to-use patterns complements the easy-to-follow directions for preparing applique shapes and learning applique stitches. Needleturn Applique: The Basics & Beyond is highly recommended for needlecrafters everywhere who are interested in trying their hands at this beautiful, advanced variant of their craft.

Magical Materials to Weave
Lotte Dalgaard
Trafalgar Square Press
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road
North Pomfret, VT 05033
9781570765285, $24.95, www.trafalgarbooks.com

MAGICAL MATERIALS TO WEAVE: BLENDING TRADITIONAL & INNOVATIVE YARNS is for weavers who want to learn new techniques to blend traditional with high-tech yarns on multi-shaft looms to create unique material blends, and comes from a respected weaver who worked for over 10 years developing her own hand-loomed fabric. Chapters provide a new style and approach to loom-formed textiles and provides a guidebook that is supplemented with a list of yarn suppliers, a shrinkage chart, and numerous photos and diagrams throughout. A unique 'most' any serious weaver needs.

Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE
Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com

Kathy Brown's MORE TAKES 5 QUILTS: 16 NEW QUICK AND EASY PROJECTS (9781604681376, $24.99) is especially recommended for fans of Kathy Brown's prior TAKE 5, and offers new quilt patterns and details on quilts that can be made from just five fabrics. The latest fabrics are integrated into a range of designs for some lovely projects based on traditional quilt patterns using a very easy approach. Newcomers and seasoned quilters alike will find this a treasure trove! Cheryl Lynch's SEW EMBELLISHED! ARTISTIC LITTLE QUILTS, PERSONALIZED WITH EASY TECHNIQUES (9781604681475, $24.99) provides small projects packed with techniques and ideas and includes eight step-by-step projects for creating a focus using photos, applique, and more. It teaches how to use embellishments to personalize the entire production, and is a treasure trove of easy and fun designs! Kay Mackenzie's SCRAP-APPLIQUE PLAYGROUND: TURN QUILTING SCRAPS INTO FUN APPLIQUE FABRICS (9781604681390, $22.99) teaches the basics of how to fuse and patch strips and scraps to make a whimsical applique design for a quilt, and provides eight patterns for quilters of all skill levels. These are step-by-step instructions that leave nothing to guesswork, and are accompanied by color photos and patterns throughout in a fine presentation for any newcomer to working with quilting scraps or applique. Nancy Mahoney's KALEIDOSCOPE PAPER PIECING: 10 DYNAMIC QUILT DESIGNS (9781604680621, $24.99) offers ten new paper-piecing designs and teaches how to make complex-looking quilts using step-by-step instructions paired with the patterns presented herein. This is a Kaleidoscope quilt theme guide that features eight shapes to form a unique block, and pairs lovely full-page patterns and photos with clear directions even beginners can easily duplicate.


The Science Shelf

The Universal Computer, revised edition
Martin Davis
CRC Press
Suite 300
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781466505193 $29.95 www.crcpress.com

Now in a revised edition with added insights concerning Konrad Zuse, the success of the IBM Watson on the game show "Jeopardy", and more, The Universal Computer: The Road from Leibniz to Turing is an extraordinary study of computational pioneers who ultimately transformed the modern world. Beginning with Leibniz in the 17th century, The Universal Computer explores the contributions of mathematicians, logical thinkers, and innovators such as Boole, Frege, Cantor, Hilbert, Godel, and Turing, and their revolutionary discoveries. Author Martin Davis draws on his expertise in the fields of logic and computational theory research to present the early history of computers with academic rigor. The Universal Computer is highly recommended especially for college library computer science shelves, and an exceptional pick for any reader who is curious about the lives and efforts of great thinkers.

Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments
Robert Bruce Thompson & Barbara Fritchman Thompson
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449396596, $34.99, www.oreilly.com

Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments teaches how to master the microscope, build and observe microcosms, explore photosynthesis, investigate genetics and much more, and offers hands-on introduction to some 30 educational experiments that can be conducted at home. Middle to high school students and many an adult DIY science person will find this an inviting collection packed with fun experiments and ideas.

The Book of Universes
John D. Barrow
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
978039334311, $16.95, www.wwnorton.com

The Book of Universes: Exploring the Limits of the Cosmos considers whether our universe is one of an infinite number of universes and alternate versions of us all, and comes from a Cambridge professor of mathematics who considers the evolution of cosmology and cosmological thought. It considers the development of our knowledge about our universe and surveys the rise and fall of theories and ideas that have led to Einstein's famous theories - and it considers the physics and math supporting these contentions in a fine tour geared to general-interest, non-scientist readers. An excellent recommendation for any general science holding!

Inventing Iron Man
E. Paul Zehr
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
9781421402260, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

INVENTING IRON MAN: THE POSSIBILITY OF A HUMAN MACHINE uses the Iron Man figure from Marvel Comics and the concept of mechanized armor to consider the technology and science that would be involved in constructing such a suit of armor similar to the Iron Man science fiction story. It uses scientific principles to consider how Iron Man's suit operates and grants super-powers to the wearer, analyzes the feats Iron Man performed, and looks at brain-machine interfaces and neuroscience alike, making for a fine pick for science fiction and science holdings alike.

A Sanctuary of Trees
Gene Logsdon
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603584012, $19.95, www.chelseagreen.com

A SANCTUARY OF TREES: BEECHNUTS, BIRDSONGS, BASEBALL BATS, AND BENEDICTIONS uses the author's own home groves in Ohio to provide a history of trees back to the native Americans and early Europeans, then provides an overview of his experiences living with trees of different regions. Discussions of woods, forest groves, and lessons about the multiple uses and attributes of trees make for a fine and literary reflection that embraces natural history, botany, and philosophy alike, and is a pick for any collection strong in literary and scientific nature reflection.

Swell: A Year of Waves
Evan Slater
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452105932, $29.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

Swell: A Year of Waves isn't about surfing: it's about the different kinds of waves that exist and the swells that produce them. The science of four different kinds of swells from different corners of the globe is covered in essays that are accompanied by gorgeous color photos peppered throughout, while discussions focus on the creation, effects and impacts of these waves at sea and when they hit land, around the world. SWELL deserves ongoing recommendation as a fine guide of interest to scientists and surfers alike, packed with specific water information perfect for browsers, general readers and surfers alike!

Destination Mars
Rod Pyle
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst NY 14228-2119
9781616145897, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

DESTINATION MARS: NEW EXPLORATIONS OF THE RED PLANET comes from a science writer and documentary producer who considers the latest projects being developed around the world to visit Mars, and is a 'must' for any collection strong in astronomy. It describes various missions involving Mars, provides a basic introduction to the planet's geology and history, and includes the latest findings from remote observations on Mars, including places on Earth conducting experiments under conditions that duplicate the hostile conditions on the red planet. Firsthand interviews with some of the leading experts on Mars lend to a comprehensive and enthusiastic coverage recommended for any astronomy or general-interest science collection.

Quantum Man
Lawrence M. Krauss
W.W. Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393340655, $15.95, www.wwnorton.com

QUANTUM MAN: RICHARD FEYNMAN'S LIFE IN SCIENCE comes from a theoretical physicist who provides a fine biography of a lively genius whose methods of investigation would change the world of science. His systematic, different approach to examining scientific problems tells of a man who early on ignored convention and developed his own successful approaches to problem-solving. Throughout his career his findings would continue to challenge and redefine physics and science - and QUANTUM MAN traces both his contributions and the underlying influences on his way of thinking. Any general science holding will find this a lively, inviting read!

The Day the World Discovered the Sun
Mark Anderson
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306820380, $26.00, www.dacapopress.com

THE DAY THE WORLD DISCOVERED THE SUN: AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF SCIENTIFIC ADVENTURE AND THE RACE TO TRACK THE TRANSIT OF VENUS shares stories of the three most important Venus transit voyages in history: journeys that would ultimately result in making longitude measurements at sea more accurate, resulting in an increase in exploration of the world. It provides a history that includes an analysis of methods used by astronomers to calculate solar distance using methods from the Venus transit, and it offers plenty of detail on the last transit of our lifetimes, the 2012 Venus transit. A fine guide for any interested in astronomy's link to mankind's development.


The Social Issues Shelf

Child Maltreatment Research, Policy, and Practice for the Next Decade
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309254427, $46.00, www.amazon.com

From 'shaken baby syndrome', to physical abuse, to emotional abuse, to sexual exploitation, the maltreatment of children is a chronic problem in America and the basis for a great deal of governmental legislation and medical services. The collaborative effort of the Youth and Families Board on Children; the Institute of Medicine; the National Research Council, and the editorial team of Steve Olson and Clare Stroud, "Child Maltreatment Research, Policy, and Practice for the Next Decade: Workshop Summary" is a 203 page compendium composed of workshop presentations covering a diversity of relevant social issues including the recognition and assessment of child maltreatment, social trends and child maltreatment trends, causes and consequences of child maltreatment, the prevention of child maltreatment, the design and delivery of services to maltreated children, and so much more. An impressive body of work, "Child Maltreatment Research, Policy, and Practice for the Next Decade: Workshop Summary" is an especially recommended contribution to professional and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Future Primitive Revisited
John Zerzan
Feral House
1240 W Sims Way #124
Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781936239290, $15.00, www.feralhouse.com

Could the answer for the future of humanity lie in its deep past? "Future Primitive Revisited" is an exploration of future primitivism by John Zerzan as he explores this philosophy that tries to turn the tide against growing consumerism and over consumption and turning back to the primal needs for a more comprehensive knowledge that blends the ideas and knowledge of the modern day with the freedom of a simpler life. "Future Primitive Revisited" is a strongly recommended addition to social issues collections.

Resilience
Andrew Zolli & Ann Marie Healy
The Free Press
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451683806, $26.00, www.simonsays.com

Few things irrevocably break. What leads to recovery? "Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back" explores this concept on a vast scale, as Andrew Zolli & Ann Marie Healy explore the tendency for people, communities, and nations to stand up against adversity and struggles that are came back from time and time again. A multi-level analysis of sociology, psychology, interpersonal relationships, Zolli and Healy present an intriguing and much recommended addition to social issues collections. "Resilience" is a scholarly and core addition to any community library collection.

Digital Vertigo
Andrew Keen
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780312624989, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

DIGITAL VERTIGO: HOW TODAY'S ONLINE SOCIAL REVOLUTION IS DIVIDING, DIMINISHING, AND DISORIENTING US argues that social media transformation is weakening and dividing us rather than establishing a new era of interconnectedness, and it provides a powerful assessment that social media is the most wrenching cultural transformation since the industrial revolution - without the success. Chapters probe the underlying hollowness of most social networks and virtual worlds and draw important connections between electronic associations and the fading of community and friendship. Any social issues collection should have this analysis.

Rebuild the Dream
Van Jones
Nation Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781568587141, $25.99, www.nationbooks.org

REBUILD THE DREAM COMES FROM THE FORMER Special Advisor to the Obama administration and proposes a different approach to restoring American faith in democracy and revitalizing the American Dream. It blends a reflection on Van Jones' personal journey to the White House with his experiences once there, his assessment of the state of our political system and economy, and maintains that positive change requires two sources of leadership: the Obama administration and the progressive movement itself. He questions how Americans could build a better outcome for the future - and offers keys to empowering change.

Degrees of Inequality
Ann L. Mullen
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421405742, $30.00, www.press.jhu.edu

Degrees of Inequality: Culture, Class, and Gender in American Higher Education is a recommendation for social issues and education collections alike, and offers a scholarly assessment of the presence and tone of inequality in American higher education. The author interviewed students from Yale and Southern Connecticut University and found the students' college choices were strongly linked to social background and gender: Yale students were encouraged to view their education as an enriching process, while Southern students perceived their education as a path to better employment. Interviews with some 100 students at both institutions reveal glaring inequalities in the educational process as a whole.

The Last Myth
Mathew Barrett Gross and Mel Gilles
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145736, $18.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

THE LAST MYTH: WHAT THE RISE OF APOCALYPTIC THINKING TELLS US ABOUT AMERICA explores why apocalyptic beliefs are surging in the American mainstream today, using a history of apocalyptic thought of the past to survey recent trends in such ideas. Psychology, social and cultural analysis, and history blend in a survey that identifies how perceptions of impending doomsday limit our abilities to effectively confront global realities. A fine survey for any social issues collection!


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

For Love of Cats
Animal Rescue League
Landauer Corporation
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726135 $21.95 www.landauercorp.com

Compiled from the combined knowledge of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, For Love of Cats is a guide for prospective kitten or cat owners, illustrated with full color photographs on almost every page, over 200 in total. Although For Love of Cats emphasizes the benefits of adopting a shelter animal, need-to-know information for choosing a pet from a breeder is also included. Chapters walk the reader through housebreaking kittens and solving litter box problems (one of the advantages of adopting an older cat from a shelter is that they will very likely already be acclimated to using a litter box), teaching children how to handle cats or kittens, how to introduce a new cat to other pets, keeping one's cat safe, and much more. "Never travel with your cat loose in the car. Cats can get under your feet and can cause visual or movement issues. Be sure to travel with your cat safely in a cat carrier... For longer distances, use a large dog crate and include a litter box, cat bed, toys, food and water." For Love of Cats is a top-quality pet owner's manual, and cat lovers everywhere will enjoy perusing its beautiful color photographs and heartwarming true stories of cats adopted from shelters.

City of Ravens
Boria Sax
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
9781590207772, $22.00, www.overlookpress.com

The raven has proven a fascinating creature since mankind laid eyes on it. "City of Ravens: London, The Tower, and Its Famous Birds" analyzes the place of the Raven in world culture, where it has been both feared and revered, having an unusual place in mythology, as author Boria Sax presents a fascinating delve into the raven and its relation to humanity, with a special focus on the legends of the Tower of London. "City of Ravens" is a must for anyone curious about the curious bird, very much highly recommended.

Fluid Therapy for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses
Charlotte Donohoe
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780813814841, $49.99, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

Fluid Therapy for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses provides veterinary support staff with key details on fluid therapy and covers everything from placement to monitoring of intravenous fluid therapies and possible complications. It's designed for easy use and covers the basics, supporting nursing information with a companion website reviewing questions and answers and providing even more illustrations. Technicians and any administering fluid therapy to animals will find this a powerful presentation and a 'must' vet's reference.

Falling for Eli
Nancy Shulins
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738215273, $15.99, www.dacapopress.com

FALLING FOR ELI: HOW I LOST HEART, THEN GAINED HOPE THROUGH THE LOVE OF A SINGULAR HORSE is a 'must' for any collection strong in true-life horse stories, and provides the memoir of a woman who endured a series of failed fertility treatments until she suffered crippling depression. A casual invitation to learn to ride a horse - one of her long-standing dreams - leads to her acquisition of her own horse Eli - and her slow acceptance of a new dream. Any collection strong in general-interest pet and autobiography accounts will relish this moving, inspiring story.


The Military Shelf

My Life in the Service
Staff Sergeant Jack E. Bates
Compiled by Wayne N. Horton
Heritage Books
100 Railroad Ave, Suite 104
Westminster, Maryland 21157-4826
9780788453892 $25.00 www.heritagebooks.com

My Life in the Service: The World War II Diary (October 7, 1944 - October 14, 1945) of Staff Sergeant Jack E. Bates is the day-by-day primary source written by a member of America's 2nd Squadron, 22nd Bombardment Group of the Fifth Air Force. Jack E. Bates called Horseheads, New York home, volunteered (allegedly) for the infantry in 1944, then transferred to the Army Air Corp. He trained as an armor gunner, was sent to Australia, and served in the Pacific theater until the end of the war. Most daily entries are fairly brief, taking up no more than a paragraph, but Bates was not one to waste words. Vintage black-and-white photographs pepper this candid and captivating firsthand account of bombing missions, daily life, and more. "Dec. 28, 44 - Didn't get it fixed again so at 4 p.m. we took off with a 408th crew and came back to Anguar late that night. Was even on the mission list tomorrow but someone had crossed my name off. They sure don't plan on giving me a rest. If I go on many missions like the last two they'll be putting me to rest I'm afraid." Compiler Wayne N. Horton has added a wealth of clarifying footnotes and an index to round out this excellent, accessible, and highly recommended snapshot of one airman's perspective of World War II.

M4 Sherman Tank Owners' Workshop Manual
Pat Ware
Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760342947, $28.00, www.zenithpress.com

M4 Sherman Tank Owners' Workshop Manual uses archive images and photos of restored tanks to cover the M4's development, variants, and differences between the models. Experiences of men who used the tanks in combat supplement the entire story of the Sherman's design and overall development in a powerful account that includes Sherman ownership today and keys to buying, insuring and driving one. Military and hobbyist collections alike will find this engrossing!

Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
www.ospreypublishing.com

Dr. Raffaele D'Amato's ROMAN CENTURIONS 31 BC-AD 500 (9781849087957, $17.95) is for any early military history holding and represents the second volume of a two-part study probing the weapons, role and impact of the Roman Centurion soldier during the five centuries of the Roman Empire's greatest years. Color artwork packs a probe written by an authority on the era and offers a range of new approaches to the appearance and role of the early centurions. Any early military history collection needs this. Stephen Bull's FROM D-DAY TO VICTORY WITH THE MEN AND MACHINES THAT WON THE WAR (97811849088381, $25.95) is written by a military historian but uses the expertise of others as well, including interviews from surviving veterans, to provide a fine official tie-in to the British Cannel 4 series. It's a book and documentary using a different approach to examine the experience of Europe during World War II, and provides myth-busting tests to supplement accounts of the campaign to liberate Europe in a fascinating, different take on events. Clayton K.S. Chun, PhD's THE PHILIPPINES 1941-42 (9781849096097, $19.95) provides #238 in Osprey's 'Campaign' series, and focuses on the Philippine Islands, one of only two major US bases in the Pacific. The Japanese considered capture of the Philippines essential for its efforts and intended to invade and occupy them during its five-month campaign, stifled by General MacArthur, a hero of World War I. This powerful focus allows for an in-depth coverage of all events during the Philippines campaign. Gordon L. Rottman's TUNNEL RAT IN VIETNAM (9781849087834, $18.95) provides book number 161 in Osprey's 'Warrior' series, which seeks to provide insights into the daily lives of history's fighting men and women. It focuses on the training, tactics and experiences of Vietnam's 'tunnel rats', documenting how tunnels served as hiding places for soldiers and ammunition alike, and showing how the Free World Forces had 'cleared' the area only to have the Viet Cong emerge from tunnels to continue their actions. The personal accounts of those who served the role of rousting these tunnel inhabitants is revealed in a powerful survey recommended for any military holding strong in Vietnam history. Ian Gardner's DELIVER US FROM DARKNESS: THE UNTOLD STORY OF 3RD BATTALION/506TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT DURING MARKET GARDEN (9781849087179, $27.95) explains how the 101st Airborne Division parachuted into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. Their mission was to secure the main highway that passed through Eindhoven to facilitate the advance of the Second British Army towards Arnheim. Any World War II military historian will find this an intense and narrowed survey of a single airborne battalion's experience - an experience which many said rivaled the hell of Normandy. A powerful survey indeed. Ken Ford's RUN THE GAUNTLET - THE CHANNEL DASH 1942 (9781849085700, $18.95) tells of three of the major ships of the German surface fleet that stormed out of the harbor at Brest on their way to Germany, facing everything the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy could muster. This vivid account of a running battle that ultimately brought humiliation to the British provides a fine moment-by-moment survey and is a pick for any World War II holding. Joining others in Osprey's 'Combat Aircraft' series is Jonathan Bernstein's P-47 THUNDERBOLT UNITS OF THE TWELFTH AIR FORCE (9781849086721, $22.95), a fine account of the P-47 Thunderbolt that became the main US fighter-bomber of World war II. The focus on this plane includes technical and military battle details alike, following its missions in the Twelfth Air Force and considering its tactical air involvements. Almost nothing has been written on the Twelfth Air Force fighter-bomber operations, making this focus a 'must'. Edward Young's B-24 LIBERATOR VS. K1-43 'OSCAR': CHINA AND BURMA 1943 (9781849087025, $17.95) is number 41 in Osprey's 'Duel' series, which provides riveting accounts of machines of war pitted against each other and the combatants who operated them. Historic combats are a key to the series and this addition focuses on the combats within the Chinese and Burmese arenas, discussing plane superiorities and tactics, Japanese and German fighter pilots who exploited machine weaknesses, and the inability of Japanese fighters to produce heavier fighters in enough quantities to make a difference in combat outcomes. A powerful survey for any military history or aircraft collection! Robert Forczyk's RED CHRISTMAS - THE TATSINKAYA AIRFIELD RAID 1942 (9781849085861, $18.95) tells of a December 1942 event in which the 24th Tank Corps seized the Tatsinskaya airfield on Christmas Eve. The Soviet tankers eventually found themselves isolated and out of fuel behind German lines, but accomplished their mission of severely disrupting the airlift to Stalingrad. This is first in the armor-only RAID titles and serves the added attraction of being the first in English about the raid - making it a powerful addition to any comprehensive military library. Rene Chartrand's FORTS OF THE WAR OF 1812 (9781849085762, $18.95) adds to Osprey's 'Fortress' series which provides histories of key fortresses and military defensive strategies surrounding them. This covers the modern fortifications built by the US Corps of Engineers to protect some of the main port cities during the War of 1812, and arrives for the 200th anniversary of this war to cover many fortifications widely visited today in both the US and Canada. It's a powerful addition to any US or military history holding. David Nicolle's THE FALL OF ENGLISH FRANCE 1449-53 (9781849086165, $19.95) adds to Osprey's 'Campaign' series and covers the fall of English France during the Hundred Years War in medieval Europe. It rounds out other coverages in the Osprey series and provides a fine narrowed focus on the battles of Formigny and Castillon high represented a change in how warfare was perceived and fought, and is a pick for any collection strong in medieval European history. David Fletcher's THE ROLLS-ROYCE ARMOURED CAR (9781849085809, $17.95) provides #189 in Osprey's 'New Vanguard' series, which explores the design and operation of military machinery. It focuses on the first Rolls Royce armored car, a privately owned vehicle fitted with a machine-gun and some armor plating in France, used by the Royal Naval Air service in 1914 and sparking the creation of more Rolls-Royce armored cars throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It's a fascinating history of a vehicle used from 1914 to the 1950s that served in conflicts around the world, and will interest auto history as well as military history buffs.


The Architecture Shelf

Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling
Erika Esptein
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781608071395, $129.00, www.amazon.com

The process of creating and managing building data during a building's life cycle is called 'Building Information Modeling' or BIM. In "Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling", architect Erika Epstein explains how BIM works and the changing role of architects within the contemporary building industry. "Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling" covers interoperability and open standards, knowledge sharing, data gathering, a BIM software suite, implementation planning, and project workflow. Comprehensive, illustrated, featuring 'real world' examples from around the globe, and enhanced with a comprehensive index, "Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling" is a valued contribution that is strongly recommended for professional and academic library Contemporary Architecture reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Florence: Art And Architecture
Antonio Paolucci
H. F. Ullmann
c/o 60 Cycle Media Relations LLC
38 High Avenue, 4th floor office
Nyack, New York 10960
978384800081, $29.99, www.amazon.com

Florence was a center of economic, political, and cultural influence in Medieval and Renaissance Italy. With "Florence: Art And Architecture", academician Antonio Paolucci introduces a 528-page compendium on the art and architectural history of Florence over a period of five centuries. Profusely and beautifully illustrated with more than five hundred photographs, readers are treated to a tour-de-force excursion that is organized into five major sections: Medieval Florence; From Gothic To Renaissance; The Cinquecento; The Court Art of the last of the Medici; Neo-Classical, the Academy and the 'Reform'. Magnificent images accompanied by succinct descriptive commentaries, makes "Florence: Art And Architecture" a masterpiece of scholarship as well as a welcome (and inexpensive!) addition to personal, school, academic, and community library European Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists. Also very highly recommended is the companion volume "Venice: The Golden Centuries" (9783848000135, $29.95).

Veiling Architecture
Ahmed Abdel-Gawad
American University in Cairo Press
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-2729
9789774164873 $22.95 www.aucpress.com

Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photography and architectural drawings, Veiling Architecture: Decoration of Domestic Buildings in Upper Egypt, 1672-1950 examines the extraordinary architectural art of surviving Egyptian domestic buildings from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Islamic architecture expert Ahmed Abdel-Gawad writes an insightful and intensely descriptive commentary of the history, form, function, and aesthetics of these striking decorations, complementing the captivatingly patterned images. Veiling Architecture is a superb addition to college library architecture shelves, highly recommended.

Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Charlottenhof, Potsdam-Sanssouci: Opus 12
Reinhard Gorner, photographer
Edition Axel Menges
c/o National Book Network
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9783930698127, $49.00, www.amazon.com

"Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Charlottenhof, Potsdam-Sanssouci: Opus 12" is a 68-page, hardcover volume showcasing the landscape, exteriors, and interiors of a 19th century Prussian palace. The superb full color photography of Reinhard Gorner is nicely enhanced with succinct and numbered bilingual (German/English) captions. Of special note is the informative bilingual introduction by Heinz Schonemann. "Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Charlottenhof, Potsdam-Sanssouci: Opus 12" is a very highly recommended and appreciated contribution to the growing library of 18th Century European Architectural studies.

Law for Architects
Robert F. Herrmann and Attorneys at Menaker & Herrmann LLP
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393733457, $35.00, www.wwnorton.com

LAW FOR ARCHITECTS; WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW is for any working in architecture and design and discusses the arena where construction and design encounter the legal system. It's intended as an introduction for newcomers and covers everything from why it's important to obtain and keep a license to handling written agreements between architectural firms and clients, making sure insurance is correct, organizing a firm, and even transferring ownership within a company. It covers all the basics an architectural firm or individual will need to know when conducting business in the industry, and is a 'must' for legal and
architecture collections alike.

Embedded Commissioning of Building Systems
Omer Akin
Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
9781608071470, $129.00, www.artechhouse.com

Embedded Commissioning of Building Systems covers AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) approaches to conducting building performance assessments that incorporate embedded commissioning as the approach to effective building evaluation, and is a pick for any architectural or engineering reference collection. It reviews emerging approaches with ECx, covering the latest technology, building code trends, data access and exchange standards and providing details on the latest research findings on wearable computers, sensor networks, field tools and more. Professionals and students alike will find this a powerful coverage.

Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com

SUBSTRATE SURFACE PREPARATION HANDBOOK by Max Robertson (9781608072132, $99.00) is a recommended reference for any college-level engineering collection and provides practitioners with a complete survey of the maintenance methods and equipment available to the field of substrate surface preparation. Keys to processing new material come from tested methods rather than trial and error, and provides discussion of everything from optics to semiconductor de-lamination and deconstruction. Any professional high-technology collection needs this! PASSIVE RF COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY: MATERIALS, TECHNIQUES, AND APPLICATIONS by Guoan Wang and Bo Pan provides professionals with a solid understanding of smart passive RF components, and is a pick for engineers and any in the field who seek a reference on how to apply these materials and techniques to design a range of RF passive components from chips to metamaterial-based passives. Chapters pack in over 145 black and white diagrams and illustrations in the process of explaining the technology, making for a powerful, key reference for any engineering holding.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Yield
Bryan K. Johnson
Bedside Books
14510 Big Basin Way #155
Saratoga Village, CA 95070
9781589826816, $24.95, www.american-book.com

Humanity has the power to end itself, and everything on the planet. "Yield" is the first entry into Bryan K. Johnson's Armageddia series, exploring the aftermath of humanity's lust for self-destruction and the struggles to breath life back into a shattered world once more. "Yield" is a strong pick for those seeking a touch of post-apocalyptic fiction, highly recommended.

The Other Log of Phileas Fogg
Philip Jose Farmer
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857689641, $9.95, www.titanbooks.com

The Other Log of Phileas Fogg comes from a publisher who is providing new editions of Farmer's classic Wold Newton and Grandmaster series, beginning with THE OTHER LOG OF PHILEAS FOGG from his Wold Newton stories. When a powerful teleportation device falls into enemy hands, secret agent Fogg embarks on a world struggle to save his immortal race for annihilation, encountering his rival Captain Nemo - and getting in the way of a secret alien war in the process.

Redshirts
John Scalzi
TOR Books
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780765316998, $24.99, www.tor.com

REDSHIRTS tells of one Ensign Andrew Dahl, who has just been assigned to the flagship Intrepid in the year 2456, working in the ship's xenobiology lab with the chance to serve on "Away Missions" with starship officers. It's his dream job - until Andrew discovers all missions involve lethal confrontations with aliens that the ship's officers always survive. His probe into these circumstances reveals a dangerous secret and provides new opportunities in this gripping saga!


The Nautical Shelf

Uncommon Warriors
Ken W. Sayers
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591147602 $34.95 www.navalinstitute.org

Uncommon Warriors: 200 Years of the Most Unusual American Naval Vessels is a captivating look at the U.S. Navy's most unusual vessels, designed expressly to serve specialized roles and atypical missions. These are not the standard carriers, submarines, cruisers, or destroyers; they are classified as auxiliary (AG) and miscellaneous (IX) vessels, and sometimes their appearance of function can seem strange indeed. From the "Glomar Explorer", a secret CIA ship that dredged up part of a sunken Soviet ballistic missile submarine, to the "Deal", a cargo ship that transformed into a pirate radio station, Uncommon Warriors gives individual histories, specifications, and black-and-white illustrations of more than forty vessels, as well as providing brief directory listings of four hundred more. A bibliography and a ship name index round out this excellent and thoroughly accessible glimpse of a little-known side of the U.S. Navy.

Gone to the Sea
Herb McCormick
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780939837946, $16.95, www.paracay.com

GONE TO THE SEA: AN ANTHOLOGY comes from a sailing writer who has detailed his world sailing adventures for over thirty years. This is an anthology of his best articles and first-person accounts of sailing, and gathers the highlights and moments of over 75,000 offshore miles and journeys. Any who would read a nautical adventure in all its hair-raising, 'you are there' glory will find this collection of vignettes a powerful account perfect for any true adventure or nautical collection!

Marine Medicine, second edition
Eric C. Weiss, MD & Michael Jacobs, MD
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201
Seattle, WA 98134-1161
9781594856600, $15.95, www.mountaineersbooks.org

The second updated edition of MARINE MEDICINE provides a comprehensive, must-have pocket guide and should accompany any emergency first-aid kit. In fact, it was originally created from the international reference book Wilderness and Travel Medicine and is included in the first-aid kits sold worldwide by Adventure Medical Kits. The second updated edition has been thoroughly revised to include new 2011 American Heart Association CPR guidelines, updated treatment of injuries and illness, reviews of new products for treating trauma, solar injury, and more - anything the sailor might encounter. A 'must' for any kind of boat and any kind of sailing experience.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Alliances For Obesity Prevention
Institute of Medicine
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309224727, $29.00, www.amazon.com

Obesity in American has never been more pervasive among all age levels of the populace. A combination of acknowledged factors include chronic lack of exercise and the modern 'fast foods' and convenience pre-packaged foods oriented diets. "Alliances For Obesity Prevention: Finding Common Ground" is a compilation of the papers presented at the October 2011 workshop sponsored by the Institute of Medicine exploring opportunities and advantages for join activities by diverse groups with the common goal of improving public health. A seminal contribution, "Alliances For Obesity Prevention" should be a part of academic and professional Health & Medicine reference collections. Also very highly recommended from the Institute of Medicine on the subject of obesity is "Accelerating Progress In Obesity Prevention: Solving The Weight Of The Nation" (9780309221542, $49.00).

Adverse Effects of Vaccines
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
www.national-academies.org
9780309214353 $79.95 www.nap.edu

Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality is an exhaustive, scholarly review of the scientific and biological evidence of harmful side effects of specific vaccines covered by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. The individual vaccines scrutinized in-depth (with an entire chapter devoted to each) are measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine; varicella virus vaccine; influenza vaccine; hepatitis A vaccine; hepatitis B vaccine; human papillomavirus vaccine; diphtheria toxoid-, tetanus toxoid-, and acellular pertussis-containing vaccines; and meningococcal vaccine (as well as the injection-related adversities of administering vaccines). A host of appendices supplements the findings with a glossary, literature of search strategy, causality conclusion tables, references, and more. Although unsuitable for lay readers due to its immense technical detail, Adverse Effects of Vaccines is the resource of choice for professionals in the field, institutional researchers, and graduate-level college library collections. Highly recommended.

The Yoga Back Book
Stella Weller
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
665 Third Street, Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94107
9781573245760, $19.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

With a healthful emphasis on preventive back care practices and gentle yoga stretches and exercise techniques, "The Yoga Back Book: The Natural Solution to Freedom from Pain" is a perfect owner's manual for good back care practices. Whether the concern is existing back pain issues or problems or prevention of these and good maintenance of the back, "The Yoga Back Book" has substantial, practical, therapeutic advice that can be easily understood and implemented. Referring to these exercises and practices as tools, the author states "These tools include information on how the vertebral (spinal) column is constructed, how to use it intelligently, and how to care for it through a sensible balance of appropriate exercises, relaxation and sound nutrition (p. viii)." Supplemented by black and white diagrams and photographs of models exercising or demonstrating positions, subsequent chapters, provide further information about body moves, warming up and cooling down, diet, back exercises, abdominal support, strong legs for a strong back, relaxing for freedom from pain, and further special needs back care, such as for pregnancy, fibromyalgia, sports, driving, and more. There are simple illustrated instructions and lessons on how to sit, stand, bend, lie down, and get up without stressing the back. "The Yoga Back Book" provides a thumbnail back care manual for both the general population and the professional health care practitioners. This is an invaluable self care book for all adults.

What Went Wrong
Nicholas J. Gonzalez, M.D.
New Spring Press
PO Box 200, New York, NY 10156
9780982196533 $39.95 www.newspringpress.com

What Went Wrong: The Truth Behind the Clinical Trial of the Enzyme Treatment of Cancer excoriates the horrendous mismanagement and subsequent cover-up of a National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health clinical trial to study author Nicholas J. Gonzalez, M.D.'s nutritional treatment methods for patients diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. The project was approved in 1998, but beset with incompetent meddling: oncologists discouraged patient participation and pressed those where admitted to change to conventional therapy, and the Principal Investigator repeatedly gave approval to patients who did not meet entry requirements or who were incapable of following the unsupervised, self-administered regimen. As a result, the National Institutes of Health to conclude in 2005 that so few patients had followed their therapy that the data was essentially meaningless. The therapy was not properly evaluated or analyzed despite years of so-called research, depriving future cancer patients accurate information about all their treatment options. What Went Wrong is a striking case study of a scientific study gone terribly awry, and highly recommended for science and medical professionals as well as for concerned laypeople.

Writings on Medicine
Georges Canguilhem
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L
Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823234325, $20.00, www.fordhampress.com

Healing is a complicated field, and as much time researching and writing about it is spent than truly practicing the art. "Writings on Medicine" is a collection of essays from French philosopher and physician Georges Canguilhem, who wrote of many topics of medicine, including an introduction to the man and his writings from translators Stefanos Geroulanos and Todd Meyers. For those who want insight on science and philosophy in the field of medicine, "Writings on Medicine" is a strong addition college library essay collections. Also from Fordham in Philosophy and essays is "Stanley Cavell & The Education of Grownups" (9780823234745, $20.00), an excellent addition to any American philosophy collection.

Lower Blood Pressure Without Drugs
Roger Mason
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road
Garden City Park, NY 11040
9780757003660, $9.95, www.squareonepublishers.com

Hypertension is a herald for many other problems. "Lower Blood Pressure Without Drugs: Curing Your Hypertension Naturally" is an advisory guide for those who want to fight their own high blood pressure using good diet and exercise, with tips tailored to just this problem. With plenty of practical advice and wisdom for living well and more effectively in one's own life, "Lower Blood Pressure" is a fine addition to general health and wellness collections.

Navigating the Realities of Prostate Cancer
Craig T. Pynn
Demos Medical Publishing
11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10036
9781936303359, $18.95, www.demosmedpub.com

Prostate cancer becomes a very real fear as a man enters middle age. "Navigating the Realities of Prostate Cancer: One Man's Life-Changing Diagnosis" is a memoir from Craig T. Pynn as he shares his story of overcoming the difficulties of prostate cancer and dealing with the very real problems that come with it. With a positive outlook, he presents the strength to overcome these challenges, and a better future for those who may deal with the disease. "Navigating the Realities of Prostate Cancer" is a must-read especially for those who may be facing a similar diagnosis.

The Better End
Dan Morhaim, MD
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421404189, $18.95, www.press.jhu.edu

The Better End: Surviving (and Dying) on Your Own Terms in Today's Modern Medical World offers assessments, hope and inspiration for better end-of-life decisions, and is a pick for any health collection. It comes from a practicing physician and a Maryland state legislator and guides patients on everything from creating a living will to making a set of advance directives, and considers new medical advancements and options and how they relate to end-of-life decision-making. A 'must' for any general consumer health holding!

Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu

Jeremy A Geene and Elizabeth Siegel Watkins edit PRESCRIBED: WRITING, FILLING, USING, AND ABUSING THE PRESCRIPTION IN MODERN AMERICA (9781421405070, $30.00), a social and medical history of the prescription process that documents what is deemed prescribable, how it's regulated and prescribed, and why some classes of drugs are over-the-counter. Chapters document the history of prescriptions and examine drugs individually, as classes, and as reflections of social structure in a powerful guide that should be in any basic health collection. Another winning survey is Joseph November's BIOMEDICAL COMPUTING: DIGITIZING LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES (9781421404684, $60.00), a college-level reference joining others in the 'The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science' series and considering the history of how computers first appeared in research labs and doctor's offices. It considers the process by which biology was computerized and its lasting impact on research, and offers an assessment of how computerization changed the life sciences and even fed back into new computer software designs based on biological research needs. A fine pick for medical, science and computer collections alike.

Eye Care Sourcebook, fourth edition
Sandra J. Judd, Editor
Omnigraphics
155 W. Congress, Suite 200, Detroit, MI 48226
9780780812284, $95.00, www.omnigraphics.com

The fourth updated edition of EYE CARE SOURCEBOOK is a winner and provides basic information about common vision and eye-related problems and how they are diagnosed and treated. From cataracts to glaucoma and diabetes-related eye conditions, this describes both congenital and hereditary disorders that affect vision, infections, injuries and more, and provides tips for preventing eye injuries and treating emergencies. A 'must have' reference for any consumer health library.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Image Comics
George Khoury
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781893905719, $34.95, www.amazon.com

For a great many decades the comic book industry was dominated by two giant corporate publishers: Marvel & DC. Then a new publisher emerged to successfully challenge them -- Image Comics. Their stories were edgier, their artists among the most skilled in the field, and their appeal to the reading public included adults as well as teens. The collaborative work of Image icons George Khoury, Jim Lee, Erik Larsen and Todd McFarlane, "Image Comics: The Road To Independence" is a profusely illustrated 280-page compendium showcasing the company's seven founding artists, its management team, and its roster of associates. Of special note is the concluding chapter showcasing perhaps the most influential artist and storyteller in the modern comic book/graphic novel industry -- Jack Kirby. Informed and informative, "Image Comics: The Road To Independence" will prove to be a fascinating read for the legions of Image Comics fans and prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, academic, and community library collections.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye V. 1
James Roberts, et.al.
IDW Publishing
5080 Santa Fe St., San Diego CA 92109
9781613772355, $19.99, www.idwpublishing.com

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye V. 1 comes from the team behind LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS and provides an epic graphic cartoon saga in which the Transformer team journeys to the end of the universe on a quest that could change - or destroy - them. Also included here is the one-shot story DEATH OF OPTIMUS PRIME. Just in time for summer, this is a recommended read for any Transformers fan who just can't get enough.


The Fiction Shelf

Freeman
Leonard Pitts
Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street
Evanston, IL 60202
9781932841640, $16.00, www.agatepublishing.com

A chance to return home, no matter the consequences. "Freeman" is set in the post-Civil War South as Sam Freeman, an ex-slave who had fought in the Union Army after fleeing his servitude decades prior, decides to return to his homeland and look for the family he left behind. But tensions are high following this period, and his search will not be easy, and sees that slavery is not an evil that will go quietly, even after a war had abolished it. "Freeman" is a strongly recommended work of historical fiction, highly recommended.

The Last Temple
Hank Hanegraaf & Sigmund Brouwer
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9780842384469, $13.99, www.tyndale.com

The Roman legion offered much for its loyal soldiers. "The Last Temple" is a historical novel set surrounding the resistance of Judea against the power of Rome. The Temple of Judea lies in the balance, and former warrior and gladiator Vitas is forced to continue to fight, with his deserved rest eluding him. With Christian connections throughout, "The Last Temple" is a riveting and much recommended pick for Christian historical fiction collections.

Boleto
Alyson Hagy
Graywolf Press
250 Third Avenue North, Suite 600
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781555976125, $24.00, www.graywolfpress.org

When your future lies heavily on one thing and one thing alone, you go all in. "Boleto" is a novel from Alyson Hagy, following Wyoming horse trainer Will Testerman who throws his life savings at a quarter horse, and on that horse, embarks on a challenging run through it all. "Boleto" is a riveting novel for those who love horses and want a classically inspired tale of the New West and its growing pains, recommended.

The Winds and the Waves
Dean Hughes
Deseret Books
PO Box 30178
Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0178
9781609070588, $24.95, www.deseretbook.com

A chance at something greater often seems endlessly alluring. "The Winds and the Waves" is the first entry into the 'Come to Zion' series from Dean Hughes, telling of tenant farmer Will Lewis, stuck going nowhere in 1840s England. A preacher and apostle of a newly emerging church offers him a chance to break from this rut, but such an endeavor won't come easily. "The Winds and the Waves" is a fine and much recommended pick for those seeking Mormon-driven fiction that touches on the history of the church.

Wanted: Elevator Man
Joseph G. Peterson
Northern Illinois University Press
2280 Bethany Road
DeKalb, IL 60115
9780875806778, $14.00, www.niupress.niu.edu

Life often doesn't pan out as we had hoped it would. "Wanted: Elevator Man" is a novel following the rut that Eliot Barnes Jr. faces in his life, having the best set up he could hope for only to be stuck without much hope and aspiration in spite of his education and roots. A story of coping with expectations proving to be a lie in one's life, "Wanted: Elevator Man" is a literary addition to any contemporary fiction collection, highly recommended.

Inukshuk
Gregory Spatz
Bellevue Literary Press
c/o Dept. of Medicine
NYU School of Medicine
550 First Ave., OBV 612
New York, NY 10016
9781934137420, $14.95, http://blpress.org

Fantasy is where we retreat when reality is not tolerable. "Inukshuk" is a novel following father and son combo John ad Thomas Franklin as they withdraw to a Northern Canadian town, trying to cope with a mother and wife who abandoned them. Exploring the history surrounding a historical explorer's own endeavors, Gregory Spatz puts together a book of facing life's crises and overcoming them. "Inukshuk" is an entertaining and much recommended pick for general fiction collections.

Creed
Michael Chavez
Quest
3520 Avenue H, Nederland, TX 77627
9781619290532, $17.95, www.regalcrest.biz

It is devastating to finally shirk the pain of one's past only to be dragged back into it. "Creed" is a novel from Michael Chavez, following the struggles of young Theo Jaquez as he pulls himself out of his rough life, but as a friend is dragged into it, he must go back into his past life to learn why, and to be true to his fading friend. "Creed" is a riveting novel of corruption, politics, terrorism, and the value of friendship.

Skip Rock Shallows
Jan Watson
Tyndale House
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414339146, $12.99, www.tyndalehouse.com

SKIP ROCK SHALLOWS is a lovely story of a woman who has just graduated from medical school and is on her way to an internship in the coal camp of Skip Rock, Kentucky. Her beau doesn't understand why she would choose to move to a backwater town - but Lilly is drawn to the people of Skip Rock, believes she can help - and finds herself facing prejudice and trouble. When she saves the life of a young miner she begins to earn their respect in this fine story of a woman's coming of age and her slow
understanding of her self and her purpose.

150 Pounds
Kate Rockland
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312576011, $24.99, www.stmartins.com

150 POUNDS: A NOVEL OF WAISTS AND MEASURES provides an entertaining new novel that tells of Alexis and Shoshana, who have successful blogs that provide followers with their insights on nutrition tips and weight-related topics. The two couldn't be more different in their personalities and approaches to nutrition: one is a perfectionist; the other lives a life full of indulgences. When they meet on the set of Oprah, their lives begin to change and their evolving friendship will bring changes to their families and lives in this fine saga of weight loss and perspective.

Anno Dracula: The Bloody Red Baron
Kim Newman
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857680846, $14.95, www.titanbooks.com

Anno Dracula: The Bloody Red Baron offers a follow-up to the bestselling Victorian novel ANNO DRACULA and is packed with literary and historical figures from the early 20th century, providing the second novel in a vampire-tinged series of the War of the Great Powers in Europe between living and undead. It's set in 1918 where Dracula commands the armies of Germany and Austria-Hungary, and provides an added bonus: a long new novella VAMPIRE ROMANCE, set in the 1920s between the events of THE BLOODY RED BARON and the third novel in the series, DRACULA CA CHA CHA. New annotations from Kim Newman and a film version outline rounds out the offering and makes for a 'must' for any collection strong in vampire themes.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Writ of Mandamus
Rick Robinson
Headline Books, Inc.
PO Box 52, Terra Alta, WV 26764
9780938467427,$ 19.95, www.headlinebooks.com

The corruption of Washington is an always growing threat. "Writ of Mandamus" is another entry into political fiction from Rick Robinson, who has gotten much acclaim for his works of independent fiction, bringing readers another fast paced thriller of a man facing the deep seated corruption of government. "Writ of Mandamus" is worth considering for those in love with political suspense.

Falling Glass
Adrian McKinty
Serpent's Tail
3A Exmouth House
Pine Street, London, England, EC1R 0JH
c/o Meryl Zegarek Public Relations
255 West 108th Street, Suite 901
New York, NY 10025
9781846687839, $14.95, www.serpentstail.com

One final job and being set for life can make anything truly tempting. "Falling Glass" follows Killian, a man who has made his life straddling the lines of legality. When a powerful man offers him a massive contract to find his ex-wife and children who have been running from him. Killian soon learns that money isn't everything and he has to let a contract go for the sake of his conscious, and the forfeit may be his life. "Falling Glass" is a fine novel for those seeking crime fiction thrillers, highly recommended.

Run to Ground
D. P. Lyle
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G
Longboat Key, FL 34228
9781608090570, $25.95, www.oceanviewpub.com

Rage is a powerful force, but it can't solve many problems. "Run to Ground" is a mystery thriller following Dub Walker, a forensic and criminal behavior expert as he tries to hunt down the missing to a murder and other heinous crimes, which may be against their own blood. With a few allies, he tries to crack some light on this case and he may find even more shocking things on the way down. "Run to Ground" is a fine pick for general fiction thriller/mystery collections, highly recommended.

Death Comes Silently
Carolyn Hart
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
978045124705, $24.95, www.penguin.com

DEATH COMES SILENTLY provides a new 'Death on Demand' mystery and is the 21st novel in the series. Here Annie, owner of the mystery bookstore Death on Demand, is enthusiastic about hosting a book signing with a local author, but asks her friend to take her place since she has to be at her shop. When her friend is brutally murdered, Annie uncovers the evidence leading to a killer in town - and another riveting 'death on demand' story is created, recommended for newcomers and old fans alike.

Obsidian Mystery
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

There's no better summer reading than picking up a satisfying mystery, and two releases are special recommendations for avid mystery fans. Denise Swanson's LITTLE SHOP OF HOMICIDE: A DEVEREAUX'S DIME STORE MYSTERY (9780451236180, $7.99) is the first in a new series and features five-and-dime store owner Devereaux Sinclair, who faces a gripping murder with unidentifiable suspects and the promise of more murders unless solutions can be found. Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain's MURDER, SHE WROTE: SKATING ON THIN ICE (9780451236289, $7.99) joins others in the series and offers a paperback reprint of mystery revolving around the death of a figure skater. Fierce competition and murderous suspects are everywhere in this saga, packed with satisfying twists and turns of plot.

Driven
James Sallis
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781464200106, $19.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

DRIVEN is a fine sequel to the prior novel DRIVE and is especially recommended for those who enjoyed the noir fiction approach of DRIVE - including those who appreciated the film version. Readers left off with Driver's murder of Bernie Rose, the only man who he ever mourned, and DRIVEN reveals his new identity as one Paul West, who has a successful business and a fiancee. When she is killed during an attack, Driver returns to life to find out the truth about her murder in this riveting story, a 'must' for any collection that saw popularity with DRIVE.


The International Studies Shelf

Outlier States
Robert S. Litwak
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421408125, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

When some countries refuse to play by the rules, there are many approaches to handle it. "Outlier States: American Strategies to Change, Contain, or Engage Regimes" discusses America's foreign policy when it comes to 'Outlier States' as dubbed by the Obama administration, or perhaps better known as rogue states under the W. Bush administration. Iran and North Korea are common examples of these states, and the approaches to bring them into the relatively harmonious international community has proven difficult. "Outlier States" is a fine and much recommended read for international studies collections.

Israel and the United States
Robert O. Friedman
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344942, $45.00, www.westviewpress.com

ISRAEL AND THE UNITED STATES: SIX DECADES OF US-ISRAELI RELATIONS considers the many long-standing ties that have historically connected Israel since its birth, and offers essays from a mix of Israeli and U.S. scholars from a range of political perspectives. Its focus on foreign policy offers a close inspection of the changing relationship between the two nations, right up to the present Obama administration, making this a powerful survey for any college-level political studies holding.

The Arab Uprising
Marc Lynch
Public Affairs Books
250 West 57th Street, #1321
New York, NY 10107
9781610390842, $26.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

THE ARAB UPRISING: THE UNFINISHED REVOLUTIONS OF THE NEW MIDDLE EAST offers an insider's guide to the political and social changes behind events that brought down the governments of Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia, and argues that the uncertain future of dictatorial governments in the region is actually less interesting than the ongoing rise of a socially and politically empowered Arab populace. Lynch was the first in media to define these new uprisings as the "Arab Spring", and considers the history and influence of interlocking revolts and the movement toward Arab mobilization across the region. A powerful survey, this is a recommended pick for any serious Middle East history and politics holding.

Hamas
Paola Caridi
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
9781609803827, $24.95, www.sevenstories.com

HAMAS: FROM RESISTANCE TO GOVERNMENT comes from an Italian journalist and historian who offers an account of how conditions in the Middle East led to the organization and rise of Hamas, and considers Palestinian history and the evolution of a movement that became embroiled in two causes: to resist an oppressor and to provide support to refugees. Years of research and interviews with the residents of Gaza and leaders of Hamas covers the history of Gaza in a survey highly recommended for any collection strong in Middle East politics and social issues.

Qatar: A Modern History
Allen J. Fromherz
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589019102, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Qatar: A Modern History considers the role Qatar plays in the Middle East arena, showing how it differs from other Gulf states, its growing influence in the region, and how its economic and social history creates a unique country that has become an unheralded economic superpower in the area. It's one of the fastest-growing countries in the area and thus holds powerful social, economic and political impact for the entire region, making Qatar: A Modern History a 'must' for any serious Middle East holding.


The Political Science Shelf

The Performance Of Politics
Jeffrey C. Alexander
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780199926435, $24.95, www.amazon.com

It was an unprecedented thing. That an African-American would run for the presidency of the United States of America -- and win! Barack Obama made more than just political history; he also personified cultural changes that were decades in the making. The focus of Jeffrey C. Alexander's 384-page compendium, "The Performance of Politics: Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power" is a descriptive analysis of the landmark 2008 campaign from a sociological as well as a political perspective. An extraordinary work of extraordinary scholarship, "The Performance of Politics: Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power" is a welcome addition to the growing library of 21st Century American political literature and a 'must' for academic library Political Science reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Political Handbook For Small And Local Government Operations
Douglas C. Landa & Henry C. Landa
The Film Instruction Company of America
5928 West Michigan Street
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
0931974305, $69.50, www.ficoa.biz/theft.htm

There are a lot of 'how to' books on getting elected political office, but very few (if any!) instruction manuals on how to effectively govern after being elected or appointed to a responsible political position -- especially in local government. That's why "The Political Handbook For Small And Local Government Operations" by Douglas C. Landa and Henry C. Landa will prove to be welcome reading for anyone who finds themselves with newly elected responsibilities. "The Political Handbook For Small And Local Government Operations" is an instruction manual on how to become organized and efficient; offers a wealth of 'tips, tricks & techniques' with respect to being a candidate and running for office; provides basic information relevant to leadership and management; keeping informed and up-to-date through self-study, as well as the value of self-improvement. Of special note is the emphasis on what positions in a political or governmental systems should descriptively be. Thoroughly 'user friendly', comprehensive, informed and informative, "The Political Handbook For Small And Local Government Operations" should be considered a 'must' for anyone aspiring to (or newly elected to) governmental responsibility in any and all areas of local governmental service.

Ronald Reagan's Wisdom for the Twenty-First Century
Commentary by John E. Wade II & Daniel P. Agatino
Edited by Charlotte Livingston
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street
Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455617067 $12.95 www.pelicanpub.com

Ronald Reagan's Wisdom for the Twenty-First Century collects invaluable and insightful quotations from America's widely beloved former President, enhanced with commentary by television producer John E. Wade and attorney Daniel P. Agatino. Each page features a different, thought-provoking quotation, as relevant today as it was decades ago, such as "Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again." Ronald Reagan's Wisdom for the Twenty-First Century lives up to its title and is a highly recommended browse.

Stuff 'n Nonsense
Harry H. Bash
Inkwater Press
6750 SW Franklin Street, Suite A
Portland, OR 97223-2542
9781592996636, $19.95, www.inkwaterpress.com

The world of politics can rarely be taken seriously any longer. "Stuff 'n Nonsense: A Hodge-Podge of Whimsical, Sober & Politically Incorrect Musings" is a collection of ramblings and political musings from Harry H. Bash, who provides his insights on the modern political climate and the failings of many in politics, mocking all sides for losing their way and turning it all into a political circus. "Stuff 'n Nonsense" is worth considering for those seeking offbeat political commentary, recommended.

Democrips and Rebloodicans
Jesse Ventura
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
9781616084486, $24.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

America's political parties seem more concerned with battling each other than truly helping the people. "Democrips and Rebloodicans: No More Gangs in Government" is protest and call to arms against what he believes to be a corrupt two party system in America. Former Independent Minnesota Governor and NAVY Seal Jesse Ventura brings his views to the table, calling for a break in the oligarchy, a party-free political system, and various reforms for the American people. "Democrips and Rebloodicans" is well worth considering for fans of the governor's loose cannon take on politics, recommended.

What Really Happened
Rielle Hunter
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781937856403, $24.95, www.benbellabooks.com

John Edwards was once a revered politician, who was on the cusp of the vice presidency, but his secrets could not be evaded forever. "What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, and Me" explores the headline making affair between the former senator and Rielle Hunter. After Edwards failed bid for the presidency in 2008, his unfaithful extramarital affair was brought to light, which changed everything about his place and political career. "What Really Happened" is a strongly recommended pick for those who want Hunter's perspective on the affair and another perspective on Edwards.

Promoting Democracy Abroad
Peter Burnell
Transaction Publishers
300 McGaw Drive, Edison NJ 08837
9781412818421, $49.95, www.transactionpub.com

Promoting Democracy Abroad: Policy and Performance covers a movement that involves academia, business and popular media as well as political circles, and offers chapters assessing the differences between and connections of promoting democracy to advocating human rights and good governance practices. An industry has arisen around democratic assistance, but there's still disturbing questions about the future of democracy promotion - and this book addresses the questions, outlook, and applications of democratic process on an international scale. High school to college-level collections strong in political participation and international politics will find this thought-provoking.

Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue
Boulder CO 80301
www.westviewpress.com

The seventh updated edition of William E. Rosenbach, et.al.'s CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN LEADERSHIP (9780813345574, $33.00) deserves ongoing recommendation for any college-level collection seeking an interdisciplinary survey of leadership from top scholars. 18 new essays and two revised original contributions enhance a complete revamp of this collection of essays that consider leadership issues as they relate to psychology, social science, religion and even the military. Leadership components receive close analysis in a title recommended for political science and business holdings alike. The second updated edition of H. George Frederickson, et.al.'s THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THEORY PRIMER (9780813345765, $38.00) also deserves ongoing recommendation as a fine addition to any political science collection, offering new material to update public administration topics, from the rise of reporting as a means of accountability to the evolution of network theory and new psychological/biological behavioral research. Political science collections will consider this a fine survey promising lasting value.


The Law/Justice Shelf

8 Ways to Avoid Probate, ninth edition
Mary Randolph, J.D.
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413317107, $21.99, www.nolo.com

The ninth updated edition of 8 Ways to Avoid Probate provides readers with solid advice on easy methods that can skip the probate process, from naming payable-on-death beneficiaries for financial accounts and owning property jointly to creating living trusts and more. It's been completely updated to include the latest estate laws and gift tax rules, and offers a focus on the transfer-on-death deeds which are now available in more states. From personal property such as autos to home ownership and bank accounts, this covers all kinds of transfers and includes case history examples throughout in a recommendation for any general lending library.


The Technology Shelf

Android Phones for Dummies
Dan Gookin
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118169520, $24.99, www.wiley.com

Android Phones for Dummies provides a fine survey of handheld devices and hardware involved in the Android smartphone, and offers all the basics for newcomers, from learning basic phone operations and setting up a Google account to making and receiving calls, setting ringtones, texting and video chat, and more. Step-by-step examples accompany sidebars of information and plenty of illustrations designed for both serious study and at-a-glance referencing, making this a fine guide for any Android phone owner.


The Sports Shelf

Running for Women
Jason R. Karp, PhD. & Carolyn S. Smith, MD
Human Kinetics
1607 North Market Street
P.O. Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825
9781450404679, $17.95, www.humankinetics.com

"Running for Women: Your Complete Guide for a Lifetime of Running" is a compact women's running manual, with chapters on physiology, training, and health and wellness specifically oriented to women. Relying on documented research compiled since the modern evolution of competitive women's running in the late 60's, coauthors Drs. Karp and Smith present pertinent information on the impact of the menstrual cycle, suggestions for how to train during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause, effective workouts for endurance, speed and strength, preventing knee (and other running related) injuries, avoiding eating disorders, osteoporosis and menstrual irregularities, and how to use sex differences to your advantage when running competitively. "Running for Women" is a practical, detailed training guidebook, with many specific photo illustrated exercises, positions, and techniques for female runners. In addition to its substantial clinical contributions to the science of women's running, "Running for Women" has an interesting side focus on the development and history of women's running. In the appendix, a chapter titled Evolution of Women's Competitive Running" traces the history of female running from the ancient Greek runner, Atalanta, to running records set in the 2000's. It is of interest to note that modern women's running has evolved since 1928, essentially. Women were not allowed to compete in marathons until almost the end of the 1960's, interestingly. For a grounded approach to lifetime running practices, women runners and their coaches and supports will find "Running for Women" a very valuable resource.

Essential Bicycle Maintenance & Repair
Daimeon Shanks
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450507076, $19.95, www.HumanKinetics.com

Bicycling is healthy and through exercise. "Essential Bicycle Maintenance & Repair" is a comprehensive compilation of many problems that occur in bicycles and how to meet them effectively to keep one's bike working correctly and smoothly for years to come. With advice that applies for ideal situations with the right tools or repairs that can be done on the fly to get the bike home, "Essential Bicycle Maintenance & Repair" is a strongly recommended pick for anyone who keeps and regularly uses a bicycle.

Barbaric Sport
Marc Perelman
Verso
20 Jay Street, 10th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201-8346
9781833678594, $14.95, www.versobooks.com

The good will of sport seems to be taking a backseat to ulterior motives. "Barbaric Sport: A Global Plague" explores the hypocrisy behind the Olympics, as author Marc Perelman examines the exploitation of international sport which is being used as a political power play and leading to various abuses rather than a good old fashioned competition. Criticizing the impact of the games especially in context of the 2008 Shanghai games and into history of the 1936 Berlin games, "Barbaric Sport" is a strongly recommended addition to social and international issues collections with many intriguing points throughout.

The Greatest Phillies Clubs of All Time
Ken Bingham
Camino Books
PO Box 59026, Philadelphia, PA 19102
9781933822372, $17.95, www.caminobooks.com

The Phillies bear the towns name and bear the hearts of the baseball fans of the city. "The Greatest Phillies Clubs of All Time" discusses the history of their team and their greatest lineups that made their sharp impact on the league and their drives to find more and more success including their World Series success in 2008. "The Greatest Phillies Clubs of All Time" is a strong pick for any fan of the team and baseball in general.

Eat & Run
Scott Jurek with Steve Friedman
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547569659, $26.00, www.hmhbooks.com

EAT & RUN: MY UNLIKELY JOURNEY TO ULTRAMARATHON GREATNESS comes from an author who for nearly two decades has been a dominant force in the growing sport of ultrarunning. In 1999, as an unknown, he took the lead of a 100-mile Western States Endurance Run - and won the race seven years in a row. This autobiography covers his life and career and will serve as an inspiring account for any runner who dreams of breaking records and building endurance and a competitive edge.

Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
www.humankinetics.com

G. Gregory Haff and Charles Dumke's Laboratory Manual for Exercise Physiology With Web Resource (9780736084130, $65.00) is designed for undergrad students and offers a basic review of all the testing methods used for assessing human performance and wellness. It provides a workbook manual of 15 labs embracing nearly fifty activities for assessing screening processes and provides step-by-step instructions for each lab activity. Special binding allows the book to lay flat on a lab table, while web resources and question sets allow for extra online support and review of basic exercise physiology concepts. A 'must' for any college-level exercise physiology collection. The Strength Training Anatomy Workout II by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill (9781450419895, $24.95) considers the most effective exercises in strength training and offers literally hundreds of color photos to accompany some 60 exercises and a number of programmed workouts. The focus is on serious muscle development, and includes specific programs for systematically developing muscle mass and targeting specific muscle groups. A fine trainer's presentation, this should be in any strength training collection!


The Martial Arts Shelf

The Internal Structure of Cloud Hands
Robert Tangora
Blue Snake Books
c/o North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
9781583944486, $17.95, www.northatlanticbooks.com

Many martial arts practices are more than just punches and kicks. "The Internal Structure of Cloud Hands: A Gateway to Advanced T'ai Chi Practice" is an advisory guide to the aspect of Cloud Hands in the art of T'ai Chi, bringing the most energy out of these postures and bringing the most out of this concept of T'ai Chi, gaining a greater understanding of how it all flows together. "The Internal Structure of Cloud Hands" is a fine addition to martial arts and health collections, highly recommended.

Taekwondo: Defense Against Weapons
Grandmaster Kim, Bok Man
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781549392276, $34.95, www.ymaa.com

Taekwondo: Defense Against Weapons was originally published in 1979 and has been updated here to include a more user-friendly design as it provides basic defense techniques as taught to military and law enforcement officials. It comes from one of the original founders of modern taekwondo and moves beyond explanations of techniques to also cover practical applications of the martial art for self-defense against armed or unarmed opponents, teaching beginners how to build techniques to advance their training and offering advanced students with expanded skills sets. A 'must' for any martial arts collection looking to move beyond simple basic skills.


The Biography Shelf

Sean Connery
Christopher Bray
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, Fifth Floor
New York, NY 10004
9781605983455, $15.95, www.pegasusbooks.us

A legend of acting, Sean Connery has been a unique figure through it all. "Sean Connery" is a biography on the man from Christopher Bray, who explores the troubled nature of the actor who wasn't full on pleased with his own success. Becoming an icon of Britain and cinema as Bond and gaining over a million a film, "Sean Connery" looks into a man who didn't quite fully understand his own popularity and the intriguing human being behind it all.

Paint and Canvas
Rachel Berenson Perry
Indiana Historical Society
450 W. Ohio St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
9780871952950, $17.95, www.indianahistory.org

The pursuit of art rarely goes the way the artist envisions it. "Paint and Canvas" is a biography of Indiana painter Theodore Clement Steele by art historian Rachel Berenson Perry. Covering Steele's life journey from a field worker who found his own way into an artistic career, who was also known for speaking on the topic and bringing greater thought and spreading arts education through America. Known for his many portraits of prominent Americans, "Paint and Canvas" is a strong addition to any Indiana focused history collection as well as any art history collection.

He Rode with Butch and Sundance
Mark T. Smokov
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336
Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574414707 $29.95 www.unt.edu/untpress

He Rode with Butch and Sundance is an in-depth biography of notorious Old West outlaw Harvey Alexander Logan, better known by his alias Kid Curry. Originally a cowboy, Logan was forced to flee to Wyoming after a vicious conflict with a neighbor rancher. He undertook cattle rustling, and eventually started robbing banks and trains as a member - then leader - of the infamous Wild Bunch. Logan was often portrayed as a ruthless killer with little intellect, but how much truth lies within the stories? Author and magazine contributor Mark T. Smokov draws upon research to closely examine Logan's history. While Logan certainly never hesitated to kill when threatened by a posse or by policemen, his bloodthirsty reputation may well have been exaggerated; when he was brought to trial, he was charged with forging and passing stolen banknotes rather than murder and train robbery (due to lack of evidence). Endnotes, a bibliography, and an index round out this thoughtful and evenhanded portrait of a legendary criminal.

Father's Day
Buzz Bissinger
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547816562, $26.00, www.hmhbooks.com

FATHER'S DAY: A JOURNEY INTO THE MIND AND HEART OF MY EXTRAORDINARY SON tells of twin sons born three minutes and a world apart. The older one is a grad student, while his brother has spent his life in special schools. Zach is a savant - facing serious intellectual defects but also packed with talent. FATHER'S DAY isn't about the holiday: it's about taking what comes and seeing the gold in the challenges and controversies of life. It follows the evolving father and son relationship between Zach and Buzz, considers what it means to be 'normal', and includes lessons Zach teaches Buzz. A powerful story of parenthood and achievement, this should be on the desk of any father, any time of year.


The Native American Shelf

The Ethnohistory of the Chowchilla Yokuts
Robert Fletcher Manlove, Ph.D., author
Craven Street Books
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 S. Mary St., Fresno, CA 93721
9781610351485, $19.91, www.CravenStreetBooks.com

"The Ethnohistory of the Chowchilla Yokuts" is a groundbreaking treatise that defines and traces the documentable history of the Chowchilla Yokut tribe of Central California from the 1800's and their earliest known origins to the present. It is the first serious, researched scholarly work to attempt to do so. Containing valuable detailed information about the Chowchilla Yokuts' hunter-gatherer life style in the dual environment of California valley flatland and Sierra foothills, "The Ethnohistory of the Chowchilla Yokuts" provides a wide angle lens view of the vast and traumatic changes endured by this tribe from the time of the Spanish predation, beginning in the 1700's and 1800's. Incredible stories of enforced slavery, rape, enforced subsistence living situations, disease and malnutrition and inhumane treatment are substantiated. Incredibly, the surviving Chowchilla developed a spirit of resistance that marked them as potentially dangerous savages to be feared during this dreadful period. They also used an innate ability to submerge and hide within their landscape, to some extent. From the transformation of the Chowchilla into warriors to the epidemics, American invasion, gold rush, Mariposa war, the beginning through the demise of treaties and reservations, missionaries and boarding schools, the Rancherias and Indian Reorganization Act to the complicated rancheria termination and reinstatement, expulsion from the Picayune Rancheria, and finally the present day major goal and issue for the Chowchilla, which is Federal recognition of the distinct tribe, all aspects of Chowchilla Yokut cultural history are decisively investigated and presented without prejudice. Further enriched by an assortment of black and white historical photographs of period Chowchilla in their native territories, "The Ethnohistory of the Chowchilla Yokuts" is therefore a crucially important creditable work of California Native American scholarship, with far reaching potential impact.

American Indians and the Mass Media
Meta G. Carstarphen and John P. Sanchez, editors
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142340, $24.95, www.oupress.com

American Indians and the Mass Media details changing interactions between Indians and the media and provide history and contemporary practices involved in Native American image and representation. These are historical studies that consider treatment of Indians in America's first newspaper, in Life magazine's images, in early Cherokee newspapers, and in syndicated feature stories of Elmo Scott Watson, with chapters addressing contemporary issues such as movies and TV programs that are running contrary to popular images of the "movie Indian" of the past. The result is a solid exploration of mainstream American media's impact on the Indians and the evolution of counter forces reflecting authentic tribal voices in modern media settings. A fine recommendation for Native and journalism collections alike.


The American History Shelf

Buying America from the Indians
Blake A. Watson
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806142449 $45.00 www.oupress.com

Buying America from the Indians: Johnson v. McIntosh and the History of Native Land Rights is a scholarly, in-depth study of the long-term repercussions of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Johnson v. McIntosh, which determined the legal principles that directly determine American Indian property rights. In the decision, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote for the majority that the "discovery" of America assigned "exclusive title to those who made it" - in other words, no Indian tribe owned the land that they thought they did. Chapters focus heavily on how this impacted the Piankeshaw Indians who had deeded their land twice (once to speculators in 1775, and later to the United States by Treaty), and place the ruling in the environmental and historical context of its time, with particular note to how speculative ventures in Native lands influenced the French & Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the ratification of the Articles of Confederation. A final segment discusses the long-term historical legacy of the Johnson v. McIntosh ruling, which is taught as axiomatic for property title and ownership in the United States, but condemned by the United Nations as a justification for the displacement and genocide of the Indians. Author Blake A. Watson (Professor of Law, University of Dayton) concludes with a rationale of why and how the United States should formally recant the discovery doctrine of Johnson v. McIntosh. Copious notes, a bibliography, and an index enhance this excellent addition to the American History, Legal Studies, and Native American Studies shelves of college and graduate school libraries.

Ho! For the Black Hills
Paul L. Hedren
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive
Pierre, SC 57501-2217
9780984650507, $18.95, www.sdshspress.com

The chance at riches sends people westward, and may provoke war itself. "Ho! For the Black Hills: Captain Jack Crawford Reports the Black Hills Gold Rush and the Great Sioux War" is a delve into South Dakotan history as author Paul L. Hedren focuses on Jack Crawford and his contributions to the expeditions into the black hills and the conflicts with the Sioux Nation. Focusing on the challenges laid before Crawford and granting a vivid picture of the era, "Ho! For the Black Hills" is a must for any American history collection focusing on South Dakota and the Old West expansions.

Louisiana: The First 300 Years
Joan B. Garvey and Mary Lou Widmer
Garmer Press, Inc.
320 New Orleans Hammond Way
New Orleans, LA 70124
9781455617449 $19.95

Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Louisiana: The First 300 Years is a captivating history of the American state of Louisiana, from the land's formation and the Indian civilizations that once dwelt there; to its status as French and Spanish territory, to a colony, to a privately owned company, to a state of the Union; to the harrowing toll of the American Civil War; to a bitter legal battle between Huey P. Long and the Standard Oil Company; and much more. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations enhance this solid overview of the state's development and its rich historical and cultural heritage. Louisiana: The First 300 Years is enthusiastically recommended for both public and college library American History collections.

Museums, Monuments, And National Parks
Denise D. Meringolo
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
www.umass.edu/umpress
9781558499409, $26.95, www.amazon.com

Beginning in the 1970s, public history underwent a rapid expansion. So much so that in some quarters it was thought to be a new branch of historical inquiry. In "Museums, Monuments, and National Parks: Toward a New Genealogy of Public History", author and historian Denise D. Meringolo (Associate Professor of History and Directory of Public History, University of Maryland) effectively documents that the dedicated involvement of the federal government in developing, collecting, preserving, and making available historical documents to scholarship and the general public began in 19th Century and was given a significant and special emphasis in the programs of the Natonal Park Service History program and select WPA projects during the 1930s. Informed and informative, "Museums, Monuments, and National Parks: Toward a New Genealogy of Public History" is a work of seminal scholarship and a welcome addition to academic library American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The World History Shelf

Ninja Attack!, revised edition
Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt, authors
Yutaka Kondo, illustrator
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive
North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9784805312186 $15.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com

Now in a revised, full-color edition with sixteen additional pages Ninja Attack! True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws is a fascinating look at who Japan's legendary "ninja" really were, and their exploits throughout history. The heart of the compendium are brief, biographical sketches of legendary spies, assassins, warriors, criminals, and the lords who commanded them. Lively illustrations pepper this engaging collection, which is written especially for lay readers who are curious to know who ninja really were, beyond the confines of star-studded Hollywood action movies. "Ninja didn't harbor a blind allegiance to traditional weaponry. They were, in fact, at the forefront of the military technology of their day. Already innovators in explosives, firearms, and communication systems, a sixteenth-century ninja would undoubtedly have been overjoyed with a modern pair of night-vision goggles or a high-powered sniper rifle." A final section explaining the tools once used by ninja, as well as famous locations connected to ninja, rounds out this resourceful, user-friendly guide. Ninja Attack! is especially recommended not only to curious lay readers, but also as a ground zero reference for anyone and everyone interested in writing their own, fantastic stories about ninja! Also highly recommended to readers intrigued by Japanese history, culture, and mythology are the authors' two other books in the "Attack" series, "Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide" (9784805312193, $15.95) and "Yurei Attack! The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide" (9784805312148, $15.95).

A Lover's Quarrel With The Past
Ranjan Ghosh
Berghahn Books
150 Broadway, Suite 812
New York, NY 10038
www.berghahnbooks.com
9780857454843, $70.00, www.amazon.com

"A Lover's Quarrel With the Past: Romance Representation Reading" by Ranjan Ghosh is the latest addition to Berghahan Books' acclaimed historical cultures studies series 'Making Sense of History'. This 224-page compendium focuses upon the relationship between history and theory as impacted by academia, politics, and cultural bias. Of special note are author Ranjan Ghosh's commentary on the ethics of historians and the ethics of historical studies. Enhanced with an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index, "A Lover's Quarrel With The Past" is informed, informative, thoughtful and thought provoking, making it a highly recommended study for academicians and non-professional general readers with an interest in history and the representation of history.

The Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902
G. D. Scholtz
Protea Boekhuis
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781919825120, $16.95, www.amazon.com

The First Anglo-Boer War (1880 - 1881), was a rebellion of Boers (farmers) against British rule in the Transvaal that re-established their independence. The Second War (1899 - 1902), by contrast, was a lengthy war involving large numbers of troops from many British possessions, which ended with the conversion of the Boer republics into British colonies (with a promise of limited zelf-bestuur). These colonies later formed part of the Union of South Africa. The British fought directly against the Transvaal and the Oranje Vrijstaat, defeating their forces first in open warfare and then in a long and bitter guerrilla campaign. British losses were high due to both disease and combat. The policies of "scorched earth" and civilian internment in concentration camps (adopted by the British to prevent support for the farmers/Boer commando campaign) ravaged the civilian populations in the Transvaal and the Oranje Vrijstaat. "The Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902" is a 460-page account of the conflict enhanced period photography and strategic maps by author G. D. Scholtz. Informed and informative, "The Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902" is especially recommended for personal and academic library World History collections. Also very highly recommended for students of the Boer War is Louis Changuion's "Silence of the Guns: The History of the Long Toms of the Anglo-Boer War" (Protea Boekhuis, 9781919825502, $39.00).

Japan Emerging
Karl F. Friday
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344836, $49.00, www.westviewpress.com

JAPAN EMERGING: PREMODERN HISTORY TO 1850 provides a powerful survey of the changes modern Japan has experienced, and offers original essays by leading authorities on major themes and issues experienced by Japan from prehistory to modern times. Experts in all fields of pre-history contribute to the overall survey that provides a strong focus on how and why Japanese political, social and economic life evolved. Each section identifies key questions and issues, making for a fine pick for any college collection looking for a primer to supplement classroom discussions.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Fishing Secrets from Florida's East Coast
Ron Presley
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813039756, $22.50, www.upf.com

Fishermen know that to succeed in an area, you have to know the territory. "Fishing Secrets from Florida's East Coast" is a fishing guide for those who want to make the most of their fishing troop onto Florida's coasts. Ron Presley advises any fisher person who wants to make the most of their trip to Florida's Atlantic coast, finding fish in both water types. "Fishing Secrets from Florida's East Coast" is a must for any American regional fishing library collection, highly recommended.

Productive Trout Flies for Unorthodox Prey
Jeff Morgan
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112
Portland, OR 97282
9781571884268, $29.95, www.amatobooks.com

When you're going for the unusual, you need something unusual. "Productive Trout Flies for Unorthodox Prey: Ecology & Imitation" is a fishing guide for those who want to find something a bit different for their fishing needs, as Jeff Morgan presents a full color guide to catching the more unusual fish that one will face while fishing, with these 'oddball' lures that can catch the harder to find trout. "Productive Trout Flies for Unorthodox Prey" is a strong pick for those enthusiastic about fishing and want to catch more than the run of the mill trout, bass, and carp.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Introducing the Old Testament
Tremper Longman III
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310291480, $14.99, www.zondervan.com

The Old Testament is a strong piece of history contained within the Bible, and is often overlooked in many Christian discussions. "Introducing the Old Testament: A Short Guide to its History and Message" is an analysis of the Old Testament and its place in the modern discussion of the Bible and its truths to be applied to the New Testament and its gospels. "Introducing the Old Testament" is a fine addition to Christian and religious studies collections, highly recommended.

The Complete Life of Krishna
Vanamali
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street
Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774751, $24.95, www.innertraditions.com

Krishna is a major component of any Hindu's faith. "The Complete Life of Krishna: Based on the Earliest Oral Traditions and the Sacred Scriptures" seeks to delve into the legends and history of the Hindu oral tradition to tell his story more completely and comprehensively. Scholarly and insightful on the meanings of these legends, "The Complete Life of Krishna" is a strongly recommended pick for religious history collections focusing on Hinduism and eastern religions.

The Mystery of Individuality
Mark Perry
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive
Bloomington, IN 47401
9781936597130 $24.95 www.worldwisdom.com

The Mystery of Individuality: Grandeur and Delusion of the Human Condition examines what distinguishes humans as individuals in twelve chapters that explore spirituality, psychology, sociology, love, and the appreciation of sacred art. Complex social issues including leadership, justice, politics, and crime are also discussed in relation to the essence of human beings as creations in the image of God. If God deliberately created humans with individual personalities, then are the unique traits of personhood are part of our divine essence, even though our frames are destined to return to dust. "Authority derives from Truth, we have said, and certitude is the substance of competence. Now there can be no certitude without perfect objectivity and perfect objectivity presupposes utter humility. In turn, poverty before God means simplicity of soul; and, likewise, simplicity entails transparence of soul cleansed of individualistic arbitrariness; only then can God's light shine unobstructed and only then can it guide, infallibly so." The Mystery of Individuality is a thoughtful, contemplative, and complex work, especially recommended for spirituality shelves.

Jesus, Buddha, Krishna & Lao Tzu
Richard Hooper
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.hrpub.com
9781571746801, $18.95, www.amazon.com

All of the major religions and philosophies deal with commonly encountered human conditions, questions, and aspirations. What Richard Hooper has accomplished with "Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings" is the create a 200-page compendium in which quotes and citations on an impressively diverse series of subjects by four major figures in the history of religion and philosophy are laid out side by side. The subjects range from The Self; to Love and Compassion; to Enlightenment and Liberation; to Death and Immortality; and more. Of special note is the appendix article 'Did Jesus Travel to Tibet?'. Inspired and inspiring, thoughtful and thought-provoking, and a welcome addition to both academic, church, and community library collections, "Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings" offers a unique perspective and is enthusiastically recommended to the attention of seminary students, clergy, philosophers, academicians, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in world religions and philosophies.

Where Is Your Final Destination
David Pitt
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.hayhouse.com
9781452543857, $23.95, www.amazon.com

"Where Is Your Final Destination" by David Pitt is a 56-page workbook the utilizes poetry, graphics, puzzles, scriptural citations, and more to guide people along a do-it-yourself journey of personal spiritual growth. Thoroughly engaging, inspired and inspiring, "Where Is Your Final Destination" offers a 'user friendly' approach that will prove to be both thoughtful and thought-provoking. "Where Is Your Final Destination" is highly recommended for those who aspiring to be spiritually more mature within the context of their daily lives.

Live Your Divinity
Adamus Saint-Germain
Weiser Publishers
c/o Red Wheel, Conari, Weiser
65 Parker Avenue, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
9781578635245, $16.95, www.crimsoncircle.com

Our own greatness lies there for us to embrace. "Live Your Divinity: Inspiration for New Consciousness" is a study of spiritual insight and places in our own soul, encouraging readers to find their own call and awakening in their lives on many levels. With strong and devoted messages to consider, Adamus Saint-Germain presents plenty to ponder for those seeking the next level of spirituality in their lives. "Live Your Divinity" is a must for spiritual collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

God In Our Midst
Daniel R. Hyde
Reformation Press
c/o Ligonier Ministries
400 Technology Park
Lake Mary, FL 32746-6229
www.ligonier.org
9781567692815, $18.00, www.amazon.com

There is a wealth of Old Testament scriptures, especially those dealing with the tabernacle and its attendant priesthood) foretelling the coming and mission of a messiah that subsequent history would identify as Jesus the Christ. "God In Our Midst: The Tabernacle And Our Relationship With God" by Daniel R. Hyde (A graduate of Westminster Seminary California and Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and currently Pastor of Oceanside United Reformed Church in Carlsbad, California) is a 272-page compendium of theological research, discourse, and expert commentary demonstrating the central importance of Jesus Christ within the context of the entire canonical biblical narrative. Organized into seventeen specific chapters focusing specifically upon the Exodus narrative detailing the Tabernacle, "God In Our Midst" is enhanced with an appendix (Preaching the Pentateuch), extensive footnotes, a scripture index and a subject index, making it a welcome and seminal work of theological scholarship and a prized addition to seminary and academic library Christian Studies and Biblical Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Jesus Lives
Sarah Young
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.thomasnelson.com
9781400320943, $15.99, www.amazon.com

Inspired and inspiring, "Jesus Lives: Seeing His Love in Your Life" by Sarah Young is a compact 368-page compendium of biblical scriptures and succinct commentaries on a diverse spectrum of subjects from a Christian perspective ranging from Adversity; Endurance; Heaven; and Prayer; to Forgiveness; Self-Control; Victorious Living; and Worship. Written as a companion to Sarah Young's early work, "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence" (9781591451884, $15.99), "Jesus Lives" offers a wealth of inspiration, solace, and day-to-day comfort, making it worthy of being highly recommended to the attention of all Christians regardless of their denominational affiliation.

Enough
Will Davis Jr.
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 E Fulton
Ada, MI 49301
9780800720025, $13.99, www.revellbooks.com

More is not always more, against everything popular culture tells us. "Enough: Finding More by Living with Less" is a guide to making the most out of what we have out of our life, and using Christian faith to make the most out of the simplistic nature of our lives and find greater meaning out of it all. "Enough" is a powerful read for those who don't got much but think that's more than enough for a worthy life in the eyes of God.

Onesimus Our Brother
Matthew V. Johnson & Collaborators
Fortress Press
P.O. Box 1209
Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
9780800663414, $39.00, http://fortresspress.com

The Bible is from a distant era, and its words on slavery are not entirely clear to many readers. "Onesimus Our Brother: Reading Religion, Race, and Culture in Philemon" is an entry into Fortress Press's critical analysis of the book of Paul. Matthew V. Johnson and his collaborating editors come together and provide a discussion that focuses on the concepts of racism and slaveholding, and how interpretations of the Gospel of Paul have been used to justify both throughout history. "Onesimus Our Brother" is a strongly recommended pick for Christian and religious studies collections, not to be missed.

Please Pass the Faith
Elsie H. R. Rempel
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue
Scottsdale, PA 15683-1999
9780836196429, $12.99, www.heraldpress.com

A grandparent can pass unique ideas and wisdom to the next generation. "Please Pass the Faith: The Art of Spiritual Grandparenting" is a thoughtful guide for faithful grandparents who want to reach out to the younger generation and present Christian spirit and wisdom for them to carry with themselves for a lifetime, and doing one's duty as an elder in their life. "Please Pass the Faith" is a strongly recommended pick for spirituality and parenting collections.

And the Life of the World to Come
John F. Craghan
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500
Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814634134, $9.95, www.litpress.org

Faith should challenge one to think. "And the Life of the World to Come: Reflections on Biblical Notions of Heaven" is an inspirational and faithful read from John F. Cragham as he presents an exploration of the ultimate destination of the Christian, exploring what the Bible truly says about Heaven. "And the Life of the World to Come" is an insightful and much recommended pick for those seeking a spirited pick that provokes much to ponder on the nature of Heaven.

Better Than Babylon
Thomas G. Casey
Paulist Press
997 MacArthur Boulevard
Mahwah, NJ 07430
9780809147700, $16.95, www.paulistpress.com

Babylon has a huge place in mythology, and it has a place in our pursuits of a greater culture. "Better Than Babylon: A New Vision for Western Culture" is a cultural and Christian exploration of the soul of the world and how Revered Thomas G. Casey believes our world has become dominated by the superficial that shields us from what truly matters in our place with faith and God. "Better Than Babylon" is a strongly recommended pick for cultural and religious collections.

We Have Found Mercy!
Christoph Cardinal Schonborn
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339
Fort Collins, CO 80522
1586174150, $14.50, www.ignatius.com

God has proven quite wrathful, but he is also very much merciful. "We Have Found Mercy: The Mystery of God's Merciful Love" is a theological discussion surrounding God's mercy from a Catholic perspective, compiled by the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schonborn. Drawing on scripture and the event's God's eternal mercy, the tradition, and the push for justice within it, "We Have Found Mercy" is a core addition to any modern theological collection focusing on contemporary Catholic writings.

God is Always There
Kathleen Atkinson
Liguori Publications
1 Liguori Drive, Liguori, MO 63057-9999
9780764821585, $12.99, www.liguori.org

There are times when god can seem so distant. "God is Always There: Psalms for Every Moment" is a collection of psalms for readers to take to heart throughout life's many obstacles, as Kathleen Atkinson presents powerful and poignant reading for spiritual individuals. "God is Always There" is a strong addition to any Christian reference collection focusing on prayers and reflections, highly recommended.

Exploring Prosperity Preaching
Debra J. Mumford
Judson Press
PO Box 851
Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
9780817017088, $15.99, www.judsonpress.com

Prosperity is an important part of modern life, but what place does it have in faith? "Exploring Prosperity Preaching: Biblical Health, Wealth, and Wisdom" delves into the ideals of prosperity in regards to faith. Debra Mumford, PhD and Associate Professor of Homiletics, presents her own study of these ideas and their place in the church, with a focus on African American congregations. "Exploring Prosperity Preaching" is well worth considering for ministers and Christians in general challenged by their own ideas of prosperity.

Has Grace Been Abused?
Dywen Lauren
Westbow Press
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200
Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
9781449730451, $13.99, www.westbowpress.com

God's grace is a wonderful thing, but like all things, it can be sadly exploited. "Has Grace Been Abused?" is a spiritual exploration of the ideal of grace in today's world, as Dywen Lauren, a woman of both the corporate and spiritual worlds, as she explores the failing of grace and its place in our world, and where it is being abused. "Has Grace Been Abused?" is a strongly recommended pick for Christian inspirational collections, not to be overlooked.


The Memoir Shelf

Proving Ground
W. David Tarver
Cypress House
155 Cypress Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
9781789384927, $18.95, www.davidtarver.com

To delve into business head first is often a hell of a gamble. "Proving Ground" is a memoir from David Tarver, as he recounts his decision to jump from a certain career in a major electronics company to form Telecom Analysis Systems, a move that made him a millionaire. Telling his journey of business from a garage, the obstacles he faced due to race, and the length a good idea can go, "Proving Ground" is an uplifting business memoir, very much recommended.

In the Center of the Fire
James Wasserman
Ibis Press
PO Box 540206
Lake Worth, FL 33454-0206
9780892542017, $35.00, www.ibispress.net

The search for knowledge can often take you into avenues one truly does not fully understand. "In the Center of the Fire: A Memoir of the Occult 1966-1989" is a memoir from James Wasserman as he explores the history surrounding the delves into the occult and spirituality by many thinkers throughout this two decade period and the things learned in this unusual aside from the normal stories of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll of the era. "In the Center of the Fire" is an insightful and curious spin of the pursuits of higher consciousness and the strange side effects within.

The Wilderness Within
Daniel L. Dustin
Sagamore Publishing
1807 N. Federal Dr., Urbana, IL 61801
9781571676948, $39.95, www.sagamorepub.com

Leisure is our time truly unfettered from life. "The Wilderness Within: Reflections on Leisure and Life" explores the spirituality of leisure through the memoir of Daniel L. Dustin, who touches on his own exploration of what it means to be free and understand the meaning of his life. As he tells his story, he offers much to ponder for readers about their own lives and where they are going with it. "The Wilderness Within" is a must for general memoir collections, especially those with a strong spiritual and motivational aspect.

My Sweety
Karen R. Hurd
Western Reflections Publishing Company
951 N. Highway, 149
PO Box 1149, Lake City, CO 81235
9781932738995, $21.95, www.westernreflectionspublishing.com

There can be a natural bond between people and the animals around them. "My Sweety: The Heartache of Loving a Deer" is a memoir from Karen R. Hurd, as she recounts her friendship with a deer in lake City, Colorodo who she had named Sweety, and the problems that come with keeping a deer as a pet and its clash with local laws. "My Sweety" is a unique story of a love for animals, highly recommended.

Chasing Dreams
Matthew Chance
Westbow Press
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200
Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
9781449731717, $11.95, www.westbowpress.com

One should always be clawing to improve themselves in their life. "Chasing Dreams: A College Student's Pursuit of Destiny" is an inspirational work of self-improvement from Matthew Chance as he explores the ideas of constant self-improvement and grace throughout one's life, using his faith and drive to push himself ever forward. With plenty to consider, "Chasing Dreams" is a strong addition to Christian motivational memoir shelves.


The Woodworking Shelf

Whittlin' Whistles
Rick Wiebe
Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary
Fresno, CA 93721-9875
97816110350395, $12.95, www.woodworkerslibrary.com

A knife can be part of a musical experience. "Whittlin' Whistles: How to Make Music With Your Pocket Knife" is a guide to whittling whistles for those who want to create a large array of woodwind instruments for personal use or for hobby, as Rick Wiebe uses his long time experience with the hobby in outlining how to make well balanced whistles, with full color diagrams all throughout. "Whittlin' Whistles" is a strong pick for any woodworking hobbyist, highly recommended.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Climate And Conservation
Jodi a. Hilty, et al.
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-1148
www.islandpress.org
9781610911719, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Climate change is beginning to pass a tipping point and impact dramatically upon the planet necessitating human responses to deal with developments ranging from rising sea levels, to increasing severity of droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other natural hazards relating to climatic impacts. "Climate and Conservation: Landscape and Seascape Science, Planning, and Action" is a 392-page compendium of descriptive information and data that will prove indispensable in efforts to craft and implement scientifically sound conservation principles, procedures, and processes to deal with these sometimes dramatic changes in global climate patterns. Comprised of twenty-two informed and informative contributions by experts in their respective fields, "Climate And Conservation" is a seminal body of work and a critically important addition to professional and academic library Environmental Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Changing Business From the Inside Out
Timothy J. Mohin
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609946401, $24.95, www.bkconnection.com

Good things can be done form the inside out. "Changing Business From the Inside Out: A Treehugger's Guide to Working In Corporations" is a career guide for those who have a strong affinity for environmental issues but often find themselves in such a career that may put themselves at odds with those beliefs. Advising people in corporate business how to steer their companies to more responsible directions, "Changing Business From the Inside Out" is a must for the environmentally conscious corporate worker, highly recommended.

Imperiled Life
Javier Sethness-Castro
AK Press
3500 Parkdale Avenue, Building 1, #A28
Baltimore, MD 21211
9781849351058, $12.00, www.akpress.org

The world seems to be on a collision course with disaster. "Imperiled Life: Revolution against Climate Catastrophe" is an anarchist perspective on the growing climate crisis and the lack of action taken by capitalist governments, and the heavy impact that will be felt. An intriguing perspective that blends environmental issues with politics, "Imperiled Life" is a strongly recommended addition to political and environmental studies collections.


The Civil War Shelf

The Civil War in Missouri
Louis S. Gerteis
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard
Columbia, MO 65201
9780826219725 $29.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress

Louis S. Gerteis (Professor of History, University of Missouri-St. Louis) presents The Civil War in Missouri: A Military History, a scholarly, in-depth study of Missouri's role in the American Civil War. Gerteis especially focuses upon the conventional battles of the war, rather than the guerilla struggles and skirmishes that all too often define popular perceptions of Missouri's involvement. The truth was that Missouri was a strategic area, and control of the territory was vital to maintaining supply lines and winning the war - which is why the Confederacy sought to keep the Ozarks as a northern border, and why Lincoln recognized the importance of driving rebel troops out of the state. A handful of black-and-white photographs, notes, and an index round out this excellent close scrutiny, highly recommended especially for college library reference shelves and Civil War buff reading lists.

The Maps Of Antietam
Bradley M. Gottfried
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611210866, $39.95, www.amazon.com

The Civil War battle of Antietam (including the Battle of South Mountain) took place on September 2 through 20, 1862. It was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the civil war. With "The Maps of Antietam: An Atlas of the Antietam (Sharpsburg) Campaign", civil war historian Bradley M. Gottfried has created a 360-page compendium of 124 original, full page, colored maps of the conflict along with historically descriptive commentary. Ideal as a guide for visitors, civil war reenactors, and civil war scholars, "The Maps of Antietam: An Atlas of the Antietam (Sharpsburg) Campaign" is a unique and welcome contribution to growing library of American Civil War reference materials, and an ideal addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections.

New Beford's Civil War
Earl F. Mulderink III
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L
Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823243341 $55.00 www.fordhampress.com

Earl F. Mulderink III (Professor of History, Southern Utah University) presents New Bedford's Civil War, a close scrutiny of the social, political, economic, and military history of New Bedford, Massachusetts during the nineteenth century, with especial emphases on its involvement in the American Civil War as well as the city's black community, soldiers, and veterans. Chapters explore how mobilization for war transformed New Bedford as part of the Union's home front; New Bedford volunteers who served in the Civil War, whaling and manufacturing in wartime New Bedford, the post-Civil War era, and more. Extensively researched, and supported with an exhaustive array of notes, New Bedford's Civil War is a comprehensive examination and especially recommended for college library American History and Civil War reference shelves.

The Tenth Minnesota Volunteers
Michael A. Eggleston
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
9780786465934, $40.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

Some are conscripted, but those who join willingly may have the extra drive to succeed. "The Tenth Minnesota Volunteers: 1862-1865" focuses on the 10th Minnesota volunteer regiment who contributed to helping the northern front of the conflict, who had to turn their attention away from the confederacy to deal with a Sioux uprising. Their contributions are often unsung in many histories, but Michael A. Eggleston brings their duties to light. "The Tenth Minnesota Volunteers" is a must for history and Civil War collections.


The Relationship Shelf

Don't Say I Do!
Orna Gadish, MSC
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669
Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823829 $14.95 www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

Don't Say I Do! Why Women Should Stay Single offers a postmodern point of view to women's relationship choices. Intended as an antidote to cultural pressures that push women to marry, or to stay in unhappy marriage, Don't Say I Do! informs women about the positive values of remaining single. Being single gives women more time and focus to pursue career paths, cultivate friendships, or simply enjoy their lives; marriage is not necessary to "complete" a woman. Don't Say I Do! also explores the benefits of living together with a significant other rather than marrying, or even "Living Apart Together" relationships in which each member has his or her own home and finances. There is a wealth of advice concerning finances and practicalities for women considering divorce or the single life, although most of it is fairly broad and general. Single parenthood is also discussed, as are in vitro fertilization options for women who wish to become pregnant without a partner. Interspersed with the encouragement and plain-terms information are brief, true-life anecdotes of women who chose nontraditional single lives, and why. Don't Say I Do! glosses over the economic, physical, and emotional hardships of raising one or more children as a single parent, but remains a valuable counterpoint to our culture's push for marriage above all else - even when it may not be in the woman's best interests, and especially when it's to the wrong man.


The Wine Shelf

The Homebuilt Winery
Steve Hughes
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603429900, $19.95, www.storey.com

Good wine is something many seek, but few know how to attain. "The Homebuilt Winery: 43 Projects for Building and Using Winemaking Equipment" is a read from Steve Hughes as he seeks to expand the reader's knowledge of techniques to make a homemade wine making practice that works and delivers quality. Projects throughout focus on everything from the bottling process, storage, to the wine itself. "The Homebuilt Winery" is a must for anyone who wants to try their own hand at winemaking, highly recommended.


The Self-Help Shelf

Butterflies & Sweaty Palms
Judy Apps
Crown House Publishing
6 Trowbridge Drive Suite 5
Bethel, CT 06801
9781845907365, $29.95, www.CHPUS.com

Confidence goes far in one's life. "Butterflies & Sweaty Palms: 25 Sure-Fire Ways to Speak and Present with Confidence" is an inspirational read from Judy Apps as she advises readers on how to gain confidence in their speaking and confidence on many levels. From making sure you're always there physically and mentally, doing something new, and much more, "Butterflies & Sweaty Palms" is a strong pick for general inspirational collections, highly recommended.

Healing the Angry Brain
Ronald Potter-Efron
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
9781608821334, $16.95, www.newharbinger.com

Anger affects us in many ways, and controlling it is key to greater happiness in life. "Healing the Angry-Brain: How Understanding the Way Your Brain Works Can Help You Control Anger & Aggression" is a self-help guide from Ronald Potter Efron as he presents an exploration of anger management and how to better control one's emotions to better flourish in life. "Healing the Angry-Brain" is a strongly recommended addition to self-help collections, highly recommended.

Extreme Intuitive Makeover
Anne Deidre
Maven Mark Books
2625 S. Greeley St. Suite 201
Milwaukee, WI 53207
9781595981783, $18.95, www.henschelHAUSbooks.com

Intuition is within all of us, it just needs to be unlocked. "Extreme Intuitive Makeover: 55 Keys to Health, Wealth, and Happiness" is an inspirational book from Anne Deidre who touches on the intuition to understanding our world, our selves, and achieve greater success in our lives in the process. With plenty to consider for a better future, "Extreme Intuitive Makeover" is a strongly recommended addition to any inspirational book collection. Also from Maven Mark Books in the inspirational genre is "Set Yourself Free: Reon Schutte's 10 Principles to Break Out of Your Personal Prison Through the Power of Choice" (9781595981523, $14.95), advising readers on how to stop being the jailer that prevents their lives from truly flourishing.

The Wisdom of the Healing Wound
David Knighton
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757415619, $14.95, www.hcibooks.com

Our pain is mostly in our minds. "The Wisdom of the Healing Wound: A New View on Why We Hurt & How We Can Cure Even the Deepest Physical and Emotional Wounds" is an inspirational work, as David Knighton advises readers how to keep their spirits high, and use an injury, be it emotional or physical, and use it as a catalyst for greater health out of life. "The Wisdom of the Healing Wound" is ideal for spirituality and self-help collections.

Stage Climbing
Michael S. Broder
MPA Publications
1420 Locust Street, Suite 7G
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9781889577395, $19.95, www.drmichaelbroder.com

One's own potential can be reached, but it may take some effort. "Stage Climbing: The Shortest Path to Your Highest Potential" is an inspirational read from Michael S. Broder as he seeks to help readers find their own wisdom, know what they truly want out of life, build relationships that matter, and find one's own engine of success. "Stage Climbing" is a much recommended pick for those who want to move to the next level of their life.

Comeback
Rick McDaniel
Westbow Press
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200
Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
9781449741266, $11.95, www.westbowpress.com

Faith can give you the power to withstand the worst of life's abuses. "Comeback: Overcoming the Setbacks in Your Life" is a Christian driven read as he advises readers to evaluate the setbacks one faces and how to use the traditional and practical faith to let one not be deterred, and surge forward in life. "Comeback" is a strongly recommended addition to any self-help and Christian collection.

Recovering the Self
Debra Kelly, author
Ernest Dempsey, editor
Loving Healing Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
9781615991617, $11.95, www.higherpowerfoundation.com

Healing is a long process at times, and often seems like something that will never truly come. "Recovering the Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing" is a periodical from the people at Loving Healing Press, who present a series of writings designed to help those who are trying to face down life's pain succeed and flourish at a higher level. "Recovering the Self" is a choice and much recommended addition to self-help and spirituality collections.


The Poetry Shelf

Liveaboard
Emily Wall
Salmon Poetry
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781907056970, $21.95, www.dufoureditions.com

Life at sea can make the world a very different place. "Liveaboard" is an assortment of poetry from Emily Wall, who draws from her experiences living on a large sailboat for four years of her life, interpreting a different view of human nature. "Liveaboard" is a strongly recommended addition to any contemporary poetry collection. "Living in the City": My hands/these strange birds --/at night I dream they take/off and owl through some/foreign place of soil and branches/satiating themselves --//then I wake, and here they lie/folded and warm on my belly//flexing slightly, as if soothing/back one wild, damp feather.

Wayworn Wooden Floors
Mark Lavorato
Porcupine's Quill
68 Main St., PO Box 160
Erin, Ontario Canada N0B 1T0
9780889843516, $16.95, www.porcupinesquill.ca

Poetry is an attempt to share the purest essence of our life in the form of text. "Wayworn Wooden Floors" is Mark Lavorato's collection of poetry as he touches on the many aspects of life and living through the essence of his work, with a down to earth and thoughtful touch on many topics on the matter. "Wayworn Wooden Floors" is insightful and much recommended addition to many a modern poetry collection. "Where He Put Them": Isn't it strange how light collects,/gathers in the quietest puddles,/inside the shoes of someone/who is gone?

Not Finding Wittgenstein
J S Harry
Bloodaxe Books
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781852249285, $26.95, www.dufoureditions.com

As we explore the world, we learn much, and much more that we don't understand. "Not Finding Wittgenstein" is a collection of poetry from J. S. Harry, an Australian poetry who uses the icon of Peter Henry Lepus, a world traveling rabbit who speaks with many figures in recent histories for different perspectives. "Not Finding Wittgenstein" is a riveting addition to general international poetry collections. "A Suspension?": Clifta is not pleased with Peter./She has begun to doubt/if he will EVER help her/to leave Iraq. He notices/she spends more & more time/racing after tiny ants./At first he thought /she was playing games with them/but she sprang at him so crossly/when he tried to come closer/to question her//that he decided not.


The Crafts Shelf

The Book of Blacksmithing
Michael Cardiff
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle
Boulder, CO 80301
9781610045773, $16.00, www.paladin-press.com

The skill of the blacksmith is still a highly useful one. "The Book of Blacksmithing" is an advisory guide for those who want to delve into the art of blacksmithing and how to use it more effectively in one's day to day life, creating and repairing useful objects through it all. Also touching on the artistic side of working with hot iron and the fulfillment that can come from its practice, "The Book of Blacksmithing" is a must for those who want to embrace a historical skill that is still very much useful to this day.

A Field Guide to Alpine Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains
Halle Flygare
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219
Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
9781550175530, $7.95, www.harbourpublishing.com

The flowers of the Rocky Mountains are varied as they are wonderful. "A Field Guide to Alpine Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains" is a full color eightfold pamphlet designed to be used a field guide for nature lovers who live or will soon find themselves in the fields surrounding the Rocky Mountain region. With a water resistant construction, Halle Flygare presents a comprehensive reference no lover of flora should be without. "A Field Guide to Alpine Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains" is strongly recommended.


The Art Shelf

Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct
Adam Duncan Harris, editor
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806143002 $49.95 hc
9780806143019 $29.95 pbk www.oupress.com

Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct is a breathtaking compendium of the work of wildlife artist Robert Kuhn (1920-2007), known for his generosity in mentoring other artists as well as his devotion to capturing portraits of animals (especially mammals) in their wild habit. Rare black-and-white sketches as well as vivid full-color reproductions of Kuhn's most captivating works fill this artbook, which also features an exhaustive commentary describing the events of Kuhn's life and the inspirations behind his pieces. Any nature lover will be immediately struck by Kuhn's realistic style, whether drawing an otter turning within water, a rabbit fleeing its would-be predator at full speed, or a cougar on the prowl. Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct is a treasury that invites comparison to John Audubon's classic works of avian art, and worthy of the highest recommendation.

Van Gogh To Kandinsky
Richard Thomson, et al.
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500238912, $60.00, www.amazon.com

Emerging from the European art world of the late 19th and early 20th century was the 'symbolist' movement lead by such artists as Gauguin, Van Gogh, Munch, Modrian, Kandinsky, Hammershot, Hodler, Khnopff, Gallen-Kallela, and others. Enhanced with informed and informative essays by leading experts in the history of landscape painting. "Van Gogh to Kandinsky: Symbolist Landscape in Europe 1880-1910" is a beautifully illustrated, 208-page compendium showcasing a veritable history of landscape paintings reflecting the best and most influential works of their kind around the them of poetic expressions and interpretations of nature. The collaborative work of Richard Thomason (Watson Gordon Professor of Fine Art, University of Edinburgh), Rodolphe Rapetti (General Curator of Heritage and Associate Researcher, Institut National de L'Historie de l'Art, Paris), Frances Fowle, Senior Lecturer in the History of Art, University of Edinburgh and Senior Curator, Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh), Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff (Curator of Exhibitions, Ateneum Art Museum, Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki), and Nienke Bakker (Curator of Exhibitions, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam), "Van Gogh To Kandinsky" is a work of impressive and comprehensive scholarship, a compelling read for academicians and non-specialist general readers with an interest in art history, and a critically essential addition to personal, academic, and community library European Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Tuhituhi
Laurence Simmons
Otago University Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9781877578175, $60.00, www.amazon.com

The history of art is also occasional a history of high adventure. Such is the case of the 18th Century English painter William Hodges (1744-1797) who hired onto the crew of Captain James Cook's for Cook's second voyage to explore the Pacific Ocean. Hodges was able to create a wealth of remarkable sketches and paintings of the exotic locals visited on that historic voyage. In "Tuhituhi: William Hodges, Cook's Painter in the South Pacific", author Laurence Simmons has researched and written a 364-page analytical history of the artwork produced by Hodges on the voyage. Enhanced with full color illustrations throughout, as well as copious footnotes, an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Tuhituhi: William Hodges, Cook's Painter in the South Pacific" is a welcome and seminal addition to academic library 18th Century Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

A Mine of Beauty
Anna O. Marley and Linda S. Ferbe, authors
William Trost Richards, artist
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, 3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
c/o National Book Network (distribution)
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781555953829 $40.00 www.hudsonhills.com

A Mine of Beauty: Landscapes by William Trost Richards is striking, full-color compendium of works by nineteenth-century landscape artist William Trost Richards. Two brief essays introduce readers to the evolution of early American landscape painting and Richards' career, but the majority of A Mine of Beauty is devoted to the paintings themselves, one for each page. Crafted in a strongly realistic style, Richards' extraordinary artwork of both natural landscapes and human dwellings is stirring to behold. A Mine of Beauty is a joy to experience, and highly recommended especially for art connoisseurs and library collections.

Paula Rego: The Complete Graphic Work, second edition
T.G. Rosenthal
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500093689 $125.00 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Now in an updated and expanded second edition with reproductions of Rego's artwork in tritone and color, Paula Rego: The Complete Graphic Work is a gigantic, coffee-table compendium of an extraordinary female artist's creations over the course of her lifetime. Featuring 637 illustrations, 160 in color and 477 in tritone, Paula Rego: The Complete Graphic Work is primarily devoted to prints of Rego's art, complemented with contextual essays by T.G. Rosenthal. Rego's sense of dark humor, complex narratives, intricacies of the human condition, observations of the harmful side of sexuality and family dynamics, and more stand out boldly from the pages of this definitive collection, highly recommended especially for art shelves and college library collections.

Adam & Eve in the Art of Samuel Bak
Essay by Lawrence L. Langer
Pucker Art Publications
c/o Syracuse University Press (distribution)
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110
Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
9781879985254 $50.00 www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu

Adam & Eve in the Art of Samuel Bak is a captivating artbook showcasing Samuel Bak's series of paintings extending the Biblical parable of Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman who were expelled from the Garden of Eden for eating the Fruit of Knowledge. In the paintings, Adam and Eve adapt to their harsh new lives in a variety of guises - they appear in impoverished shtetls, as members of the prosperous European middle-class, victims threatened by the onslaught of the Holocaust, and more. Their efforts to forge their own path are always haunted by the overshadowing presence of the Fruit of Knowledge that kickstarted their ongoing struggle. Adam & Eve in the Art of Samuel Bak is primarily devoted to stunning, full-color renditions of Bak's striking artworks, complemented an accompanying essay by veteran art critic and Lawrence L. Langer (well known for six previous volumes in which he collaborated with Samuel Bak on painting and commentary). Adam & Eve in the Art of Samuel Bak is highly recommended especially for personal and college library art shelves.

Art in a Hairshirt
Amy Goldin
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
3556 Main Street
Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953423, $19.95, www.hudsonhills.com

Understanding art is not something everyone gets. "Art in a Hairshirt" is a collection of essays from the famed art critic whose work over the last twelve years of her life gained her much acclaim and thought in the last twelve years of her life. Compiling these essays and her thought on the direction of art during this period, "Art in a Hairshirt" is a fine compilation of art criticism for those who want to better understand the genre.

When Art Really Works
Andy Pankhurst & Lucinda Hawksley
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764147883, $14.99, www.barronseduc.com

The essence of art is what many continually pursue and many more never truly understand. "When Art Really Works" is a discussion of what brings artworks past that barrier and takes them to that next level of work. Delving through history and the great works all through it all, Andy Pankhurst & Lucinda Hawksley investigate great works from religion, classics, erotica, and everywhere else. "When Art Really Works" is a must for those who want a deeper understanding of art and what it truly means, highly recommended.

Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved
Stuart M. Frank
David R. Godine, Publisher
PO Box 450, Jaffrey, NH 03452
9781567924527, $65.00, www.godine.com

Although use of ivory and whalebone has fallen out of fashion, the art of the past still remains. "Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved: Scrimshaw in the New Bedford Whaling Museum" explores the creatures used using these modernly condemned items and their unique creations as a piece of history. With full color photography all throughout, Stuart M. Frank creates a detailed history of these creations, their origins, and their creators. A choice pick for those seeking a bit of artistic history for their coffee table, "Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved" is very much recommended.


The Jewelry Shelf

Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry
Ray Hemachandra
Lark Crafts
c/o Sterling Publishing
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
9781454703167 $27.95 www.larkcrafts.com

Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry lives up to its title with striking, full-color photography of five hundred captivating beaded jewelry pieces by modern crafters. From multipart necklaces to modern-art style creations to subtle depth in color and pattern, this beadworks are sure to dazzle, amaze, and inspire. Each photographed piece has a brief caption listing its physical dimensions, components, and methods of creation. Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry is a sheer visual joy to browse and savor, and a reservoir of creative inspiration for beaded jewelry artists everywhere.

Metal Clay & Color
Mary Wohlgemuth
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle
Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164414, $21.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

There's more than gold and silver in jewelry. "Metal, Clay, & Color: Inventive Techniques from 20 Jewelry Designers" is a do it yourself jewelry crafter's guide to embracing the many methods to adding color to their ensemble above and beyond the traditional ideas. From using naturally colored materials to using pencils and other color devices to force the way, "Metal, Clay, & Color" is filled with full color artwork throughout and makes for a strong and solidly recommended read not to be overlooked. Also from Kalmbach for do-it-yourself Jewelry collections is "Creative Beading Vol.7" (9780871164827, $29.95), filled with ways to use beads to add more depth to one's creations.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

The Beauty Of The Real
Mick LaSalle
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
www.sup.org
9780804768542, $24.95, www.amazon.com

It could well be argued that American cinema has been negligent in its treatment of its actresses. Not so French cinema. "The Beauty of the Real: What Hollywood Can Learn from Contemporary French Actresses" by Mick LaSalle (film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and Hearst Newspapers) is a 248-page compendium showcasing a number of French actresses who remarkable talents and bodies of work provide valued insights into the nature of womanhood and the inevitable vicissitudes of life. These are actresses who screen stories and performances compel others to reflect upon a wide range of life-centric issues. Of special note are the profiles of French actresses based upon personal interviews and critiques of their films by LaSalle. Not to be missed is the appendices on 'How to See French Films in the United States'. "The Beauty of the Real: What Hollywood Can Learn from Contemporary French Actresses" is a welcome and unique contribution to the growing body of Cinematic Studies Literature.

A New History of Documentary Film, second edition
Betsy A. McLane
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704
New York, NY 10038
newhistoryofdocumentaryfilm2.continuumbooks.com
9781441124579 $34.95 www.continuumbooks.com

Now in an updated second edition with additional material on Experimental Documentary, Visual Anthropology, and Environmental/Nature films, A New History of Documentary Film is a scholarly, chronological evaluation of how documentary media has changed through the decades. A handful of black-and-white photographs (plus a few color plates) illustrate this extraordinary compendium that shines a spotlight on little-known pioneers in filmmaking as well as offering a solid overview of the medium, from the twenties, to the tumult of two world wars, to the postmodern era. An index rounds out this excellent resource for media studies courses, and fascinating browse for lay readers interested in learning more about nonfiction films throughout history.

Theater 61 Press
2373 Broadway, Suite 802
NY, NY 10024
www.theater61press.com

Before he was the last president of Czechoslovakia (1989 - 1992) and the first president of the Czech Republic (1993 - 2003), the late Vaclav Havel (5 October 1936 - 18 December 2011) was an award winning Czech playwright, essayist and poet. Havel wrote more than 20 plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally. Now Theater 61 Press has published English translations of his most representative plays. This outstanding series consists of "The Memo" (9977019756, $14.95, 200 pp.); "The Vanek Plays" (0977019772, $14.95, 224 pp.); "Leaving" (0977019780, $14.95, 158 pp.); "The Pig or Vaclav Havel's Hunt for a Pig" (0977019799, $14.95, 106 pp.); and "The Increased Difficulty of Concentration" (9780977019762, $14.95, 148 pp.). From metaphysical farce, to veiled political commentary, to existential moral dilemmas, these are superbly translated editions that document the literary (and infer the political) genius of Vaclav Havel.


The Gaming Shelf

Caro's Book Of Poker Tells
Mike Caro
Cardoza Publishing
5473 South Eastern Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89119
www.cardozapub.com
9781580420822, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Mike Cardoza is widely recognized as a world class poker player and a prolific author of instructional books on the game. One of his very best is "Caro's Book of Poker Tells: The Psychology and Body Language of Poker", a 320-page compendium that is packed from cover to cover with a wealth of 'real world' information on how players can use the power of observation to decode what other players are doing, including the range of hands they are playing and when they might be bluffing. Enhanced throughout with photographic illustrations and play-by-play examples, Mike Caro shows aspiring poker players how to interpret body language based 'tells' including subtle shrugs, sighs, shaky hands, eye contact, throat pulsation, chip handling, conversation patterns, 'stare downs', and a great many more. A true classic that is an absolute 'must' for amateur and professional players alike, "Caro's Book of Poker Tells: The Psychology and Body Language of Poker" will prove to be of enduring value. Aspiring poker players would be well advised to visit the Cardoza Publishing web site (www.cardozapub.com) for a complete list of Mike Caro instructional poker titles.

Championship 107 Hold'em Tournament Hands
T. J. Cloutier & Tom McEvoy
Cardoza Publishing
5473 South Eastern Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89119
www.cardozapub.com
9781580422680, $19.95, www.amazon.com

One of the 'grand old men of poker', T. J. Cloutier is in the Poker Hall of Fame, winner of six WSOP bracelets, was twice voted Player of the Year, and has the distinction of winning more titles in no-limit and pot-limit hold than any other professional in the field. Another seasoned professional, Tom McEvoy is the winner of four WSOP gold bracelets (including the World Championship), as well as the 2009 WSOP Champion of Champions event, and the first player to ever win a PPT championship and a WSOP Main Event Championship. Together, Cloutier and McEvoy have collaborated to write "Championship 107 Hold'em Tournament Hands: A Hand-by-Hand Guide to Winning Hold'em Tournaments!", a 320-page compendium composed of illustrations and step-by-step explanations of outstanding poker tournament hands by outstanding tournament poker players. Aspiring poker players seeking to improve their play will learn how to play all important hold-em hands from preflop to the river card. They'll also be instructed in how to use strategic play for maximum profit and how specific World Series of Poker champions played key hands in WSOP tournament 'do-or-die' situations. Of special note is 'Agony and Ecstasy at the Final Table: A Conversation with T. J. Cloutier'. Simply stated, "Championship 107 Hold'em Tournament Hands: A Hand-by-Hand Guide to Winning Hold'em Tournaments!" is informed, informative, and should be considered mandatory reading for anyone seeking to win their way to a tournament championship of their own!


The Economic Studies Shelf

The Economists' Voice 2.0
Aaron S. Edlin & Joseph E. Stiglitz, editors
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231160148, $27.95, www.amazon.com

It might have taken the worst collapse of the U.S. economy since the Great Depression, but economics has now been at the forefront of the daily news and the centerpiece of our national political discussions. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of Aaron S. Edlin and Joseph E. Stiglitz, "The Economists' Voice: Top Economists Take On Today's Problems" has assembled 32 informed and informative essays from leading economists across a diversity of economic issues ranging from health care reform; financial market regulatory reform; financial crisis and bailouts; and innovations in policy and business. Insightful, thoughtful, thought-provoking, "The Economists' Voice 2.0" should be considered mandatory reading for economics students, professionals, corporate and governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in contemporary economic issues.

The Great Divergence
Timothy Noah
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781608196333 $25.00 www.bloomsbury.com

Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, The Great Divergence: America's Growing Inequality Crisis and What We Can Do About It is a close examination of why the inequality in Americans' incomes has drastically accelerated in recent years. Today, the top 1 percent of Americans control over one-fifth of the nation's wealth, a trend that seems to be increasing with no end in sight. The result is an increasing divide between the nation's rich and poor, with harmful long-term consequences. The Great Divergence explores the reasons behind this growing inequality (such as the stagnation of wage growth relative to inflation; the decline of unions; the rise of globalization, automation, and outsourcing; non-progressive sales and payroll taxes that place the majority of their burden upon the poor; and more), why it is an immediate threat to the American Dream, and what can be done to alleviate the situation. "In the past, productivity increases meant prosperity for everyone. Now they mean prosperity only for the wealthy... That seems a dangerous situation. When ordinary people have nothing to gain from the fruits of their labors even in times of economic growth, the only motivation they have to perform is fear of destitution. In earlier times such conditions bred radicalism. Today it seems to breed a corrosive resentment of the meritocratic elite, whose most visible and recognizable representatives inhabit the upper reaches of U.S. government, and especially the White House." Recommended remedies include raising taxes on the wealthy, expanding government payrolls, importing more skilled labor through immigration, universalizing preschool, imposing price controls on colleges and universities, reregulating wall street, and more. The Great Divergence is a "must-read" for any concerned about this dramatic socio-economic trend in modern America, and highly recommended.

The Business of Black Power
Laura Warren Hill & Julia Rabig, editors
University of Rochester Press
668 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14472
www.urpress.com
9781580464406, $29.95, www.amazon.com

What began as a Black Power movement for political equality and social reform, also evolved to include the business community and economic issues. "The Business of Black Power: Community Development, Capitalism, and Corporate Responsibility in Postwar America" is a 354-page compendium comprised of seminal essays by ten scholars providing insightful analysis of the complex interactions and engagements of a Black Power agenda and the business community with economic, political, and social goals of the African American citizenry. The rise of Black entrepreneurship, the grassroots experiments in economic development ventures, the creation of inner-city markets, development strategies, and more are presented with copious notes and citations. "The Business of Black Power: Community Development, Capitalism, and Corporate Responsibility in Postwar America" is a seminal work that is an especially recommended contribution to academic library Black Studies and Economic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Taylor Rule
Evan F. Koenig, Robert Leeson, George A. Kahn
Hoover Institution Press
434 Galvez Mall, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6010
9780817914042, $34.95, www.hooverpress.org

Economics is a difficult science, built on top of the enigma of human nature. "The Taylor Rule: and the Transformation of Monetary Policy" explores the works of John Taylor as they tried to present rules and laws on economic concepts such as price settings, wages, inflation, resources, and much more, with mixed success on the ideas behind his studies. Analyzing the rule's impact on economic studies and policy decisions in the past few decades. "The Taylor Rule" is a scholarly take on economics, very much recommended reading and addition to community and college economics collections.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Like a Yeti Catching Marmots
Pema Tsewang, Shastri
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street
Somerville, MA 02144
9781614290001, $15.95, www.wisdompubs.org

A little bit of wisdom can go a long way in our lives. "Like a Yeti Catching Marmots: A Little Treasury of Tibetan Proverbs" is a rapid-fire collection of simple proverbs and wisdom, drawing from traditional Buddhist and Tibetan thought presenting much ideals throughout. "Like a Yeti Catching Marmots" is an insightful bite sized pieces of spirituality, highly recommended.


The Jobs/Career Shelf

Attaining an Academic Appointment
Bill McHenry, S. Kent Butler, & Jim McHenry
Atwood Publishing
PO Box 3185, Madison, WI 537004-0185
9781891859885, $27.95, www.atwoodpublishing.com

Getting the job can sometimes prove as difficult as getting the education. "Attaining an Academic Appointment" is an academic career guide for those who are looking to get appointed and hired by academic committees. With advice on making one's credentials known, how to find potential job prospects, and making a good impression, "Attaining an Academic Appointment" is a strongly recommended pick for general career collections, especially those focusing on academia.


The Parenting Shelf

How Behavioral Optometry Can Unlock Your Child's Potential
Joel H. Warshowsky
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849058810, $19.95, www.jkp.com

Vision can influence one's life more than they know. "How Behavioral Optometry Can Unlock Your Child's Potential: Identifying and Overcoming Blocks to Concentration, Self-Esteem and School Success with Vision Therapy" is a guide to the impact that vision problems can have on a child's behavior and how to understand and face these problems with a young child and help their perception and help them learn more effectively and live younger and happier lives. "How Behavioral Optometry Can Unlock Your Child's Potential" is a strong pick for educational and behavioral therapy collections, very much recommended.


The Autism Shelf

Simple Strategies That Work!
Brenda Smith Myles, Diane Adreon, & Dena Gitlitz
Autism Asperger Publishing Company
PO Box 23173
Shawne Mission, KS 66283-0173
1931282994, $23.95, www.asperger.net

Having a level of autism or Asperger syndrome isn't a sentence to a lack of education. "Simple Strategies That Work!: Helpful Hints for All Educators of Students with Asperger Syndrome, High-Functioning Autism, and Related Disabilities" explores how to help those with these mental differences succeed in an educational environment with activities and exercises to help retain focus, keep oneself calm, and communicate effectively. "Simple Strategies That Work!" is much recommended for any parent of an autistic or Asperger afflicted child.


The Language Studies Shelf

Borrowed Tongues
Eva C. Karpinski
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
978155458357, $39.95, wlupress.wlu.ca

A translation is more than just placing a work in another language. "Borrowed Tongues: Life Writing, Migration, and Translation" is a scholarly analysis of translations between languages as Eva C. Karpinski explores the bridges between language and culture that are exposed by translating works. A feminist look at language across languages and what can be determined from these observations, "Borrowed Tongues" is a strongly recommended pick for literary criticism and studies collections for community and college library collections.


The Psychology Shelf

Personality
Henry Kellerman
American Mental Health Foundation
PO Box 3, Riverdale, NY 10471-0003
9781590563533, $25.00, www.amazon.com

The usual explanations for how a person's personality develops is some combination of 'nurture and nature', that is, the influence and experiences with other people combined with genetic factors -- beginning with gender. In "Personality: How it Forms", author and psychologist Henry Kellerman focuses upon the psychology involved with personality development and personhood formation. Twelve distinctive styles or categories of human personality are identified and illustrated through case examples. Of special note is Kellerman's commentary on the role of emotions such as anger are an organizing principle for personality development and maintenance. Enhanced with an extensive glossary, "Personality: How it Forms" is especially recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in personality development.

All We Have to Fear
Allan V. Horwitz, PhD and Jerome C. Wakefield, PhD, DSW
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4314
9780199793754 $29.95 www.oup.com/us

All We Have to Fear: Psychiatry's Transformation of Natural Anxieties into Mental Disorders is a sharp criticism of modern trends in psychology and psychiatry to classify human anxieties as "disorders". Should fear of public speaking, meeting new people, or even fear of spiders truly be considered "anxiety disorders"? To what extend should natural anxiousness be medicalized, and could so-called "anxiety disorders" be the product of conflicts between humans and their modern, fast-paced environments? All We Have to Fear warns against the inherent problems of redefining what is considered "normal" for human beings; chapters include a historic overview of anxiety disorders, a harsh critique of the DSM diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders, and a particular focus on post-traumatic stress disorder. "Individuals suffering the often extreme emotional effects of confronting extraordinary traumas deserve social support and any therapeutic help that may be beneficial. However, the psychiatric diagnosis of PTSD, which classifies some individuals' struggles with traumatic experiences as psychotic disorders, raises a number of difficult questions about the boundaries between normality and pathology... What does a 'normal' response to traumas look like?" All We Have To Fear is an invaluable and thought-provoking contribution to ongoing debates on how to best diagnose and help people in need, and is highly recommended especially for college and graduate school psychology collections, as well as for professionals in the field.

Almost a Psychopath
Ronald Schouten, MD & James Silver, JD
Hazelden Foundation
PO Box 11
Center City, MN 55012-0011
9781616491024, $14.95, www.hazelden.org

Sociopaths are defined by their lack of empathy. "Almost a Psychopath: Do I(or Does Someone I Know) Have a Problem with Manipulation and Lack of Empathy" is a discussion of the psychopath and how to better understand them and define their mental illness. Exploring the traits that may be notes of those with these disorders, including how to reach out and interact with them on many levels. "Almost a Psychopath" is a powerful read for those who want to better understand this mental illness and how to work with such individuals.


The Archaeology Shelf

Archaeology of the Southwest, third edition
Linda S. Cordell and Maxine E. McBrinn
Left Coast Press, Inc.
1630 North Main Street, #400
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
9781598746754 $45.00 www.LCoastPress.com

Now in its third edition updated with the latest in research findings and the current debates about their meaning, as well as increased coverage of the Paleoindian period, Archaic period, and the Casas Grandes phenomenon, Archaeology of the Southwest is a comprehensive textbook suitable for advanced undergraduate or graduate level study. Authors Lida S. Cordell (Senior Scholar at the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe) and Maxine E. McBrinn (Southwest archaeology Affiliate Faculty at Metropolitan State College of Denver) discuss the natural environments and useful tools, methods, and theory for Southwest archaeology before launching into a historical phase-by-phase parsing of cultural evidence and discoveries that Southwest archaeology has unearthed. "A common southwestern pattern is the depopulation of limited areas, such as a small valley and perhaps its adjacent uplands... In some places, such as the Muddy and Virgin River valleys, ancient farmers settled where agriculture is not practiced today, despite modern farming technology. In other places, as in much of the upland Kayenta area, they established agricultural communities in areas that are now marginal for dry farming. With even minor decreases in rainfall, farming in these areas became untenable, and people moved away." Archaeology of the Southwest is the go-to pick for college-level study, whether independently or part of a course, and highly recommended.

The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel
William G. Dever
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802867018 $25.00 www.eerdmans.com

Syro-Palestinian archaeology expert of fifty years' field experience William G. Dever presents The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel: Where Archaeology and the Bible Intersect, a compendium of the latest archaeological findings and evidence to extrapolate the societies, livelihoods, and culture of the ancient Israelites. Of particular fascination is comparisons of archaeological data to biblical data, including situations where one may appear to contradict the other, and advocates "separation of faith from history." "Judaism, in its Reform manifestation at least, has long since made its peace with such an accommodation. And other non-Christian religions were never so dependent on forced, particularistic historical readings in the first place. Genuine religion should be more about ortho-practice, moral earnestness, than orthodoxy. And if it survives, it will have to be." Copious black-and-white diagrams of archaeological sites intersperse this detailed, scholarly resource (enhanced with a bibliography and name index) that will prove especially valuable to archaeologists and college library reference shelves.

Newly-Discovered Statues from Giza 1990-2009
Zahi Hawass
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4314
9789777045872 $39.50 www.oup.com/us

Illustrated with striking full-color photography throughout, Newly-Discovered Statues from Giza 1990-2009 showcases the extraordinary discovery of numerous unique statues from the cemeteries of Egyptian pyramid builders (as well as the causeway of the Khafre, the south pyramid of Menkaure, and Kafr el-Gebel) during the excavations of Dr. Zahi Awass from 1990 to 2009. Hawass recounts the story behind each piece, including a detailed verbal description to complement the photographs, translations of any inscriptions, where the statue was discovered, efforts to date the state, and historical and cultural insights into the statue's pose. For example, with regard to the statue of a kneeling female miller, Hawass mentions, "It has been suggested that these statues represent servants performing work related to food preparation, which was considered necessary for the deceased's afterlife, and also to assist with any work required by the deceased (Roehrig, 1988, 90). However, we should not apply the term 'servant' to all of these statues because they may frequently represent the wife, daughters, or other relatives of the deceased." Brimming with striking relics that reveal the artistic talents of ancient Egyptians, Newly-Discovered Statues from Giza 1990-2009 is an absolute "must-have" for college library Egyptology collections, and as enjoyable for lay readers to browse through as it is informative for professionals in the fields of archaeology and anthropology.


The Aviation Shelf

Landing in Las Vegas
Daniel K. Bubb
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166
Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874178722 $34.95 www.unpress.nevada.edu

Landing in Las Vegas: Commercial Aviation and the Making of a Tourist City is a modern history of how commercial aviation arose in Las Vegas, becoming a crucial support feature of the city's transformation into a tourism haven. First emerging in 1926, the fledgling aviation industry benefited from the invention of the passenger jet in 1960, government financing, and laws and regulations designed especially to make air travel safer. Although Landing in Las Vegas focuses primarily upon the evolution of air travel in the titular city, chapters also explore and extrapolate the ramifications of commercial airways upon the American West as a whole, taming great distances and interconnecting people in business and leisure like never before. Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Landing in Las Vegas is highly recommended especially for public and college library aviation history collections.


The Philosophy Shelf

Truth And Values
Jamie Tappenden, et al.
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
www.uofcpress.com
9780919491342, $34.95, www.amazon.com

A well respected and influential academician, Hanz Herberger is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Toronto. In his honor, the editorial team of Jamie Tappenden, Achille Varzi and William Seager, have collaborated to create a 190-page compendium comprised of six outstanding and original essays on philosophy by Isaac Levi, Calvin Normore, Jamie Tappenden, Alasdair Urquhart, Achille Varzi, and Steven Yablo. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Truth and Values: Essays for Hans Herzberger" is a fitting tribute to Professor Herberger and a masterpiece of collective scholarship, making it a highly recommended addition to academic library Contemporary Philosophy reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Library Science Shelf

Cloud Computing For Libraries
Marshall Breeding
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9781555707859, $59.95, www.amazon.com

What began with the introduction of desktop computers has evolved to the cutting edge technology of 'cloud computing'. Written specifically as an instruction manual for library administrators and staff members, "Cloud Computing for Libraries" is a succinct 134 page instructional compendium specifically designed to enable libraries to shift from owning and operating local servers to establishing web-based services. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Cloud Computing for Libraries" provides the practical information and 'real world' advice required to to take full advantage of what cloud computing can provide including examples of how to initiate suitable projects by taking advantage of free services offered by top cloud services providers. Replete with examples include using cloud-based supplemental storage, Google's suite of apps, Amazon's S3 and EC2 services to power a library website, and DuraCloud to host an online library media collection, "Cloud Computing for Libraries" will prove to be an indispensable guide and a welcome addition to community, academic, corporate, and governmental library systems.

A Book Sale How-To Guide
Pat Ditzler & Joann Dumas
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838910740, $40.00, www.amazon.com

All library systems depend upon a part of their financing to be derived from the sale of books. These books are usually a combination of donated books from library patrons and culls from library shelves. Often library book sales are staffed 'Friends of the Library' groups. Sometimes (especially with reference to academic large municipal and academic libraries) they are run by library staff members with the help of volunteers. Fortunately for novices charged with the responsibility of putting on a library book sale there is a superbly written instruction manual by the collaborative team of veteran book sale managers Pat Ditzler and Joann Dumas. "A Book Sale How-To Guide: More Money, Less Stress" is their 97-page instruction manual that covers every aspect of preparing for, putting on, and finishing up a book sale. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "A Book Sale How-To Guide" covers getting book donations, choosing an appropriate site to hold the book sale, creating a committee to put on the book sale, recruiting (and keeping!) volunteers to work the book sale, categorizing and organizing book sale donations, pricing the books to be offered for sale, publicizing the book sale event, setting up and cleaning up the sale, and keeping records of the book sales. Of special note is the chapter dedicated to 'Encore! Encore!: Other Book Sale Opportunities'. Enhanced with appendices providing resource information, rating the condition of books, collectible books, and prices guide resources, "A Book Sale How-To Guide" should be on the library reference shelf of every school, community, academic system, and 'Friends of the Library' organization.

User Studies For Digital Library Development
Milena Dobreva, Andy O'Dwyer, Pierluigi Feliciati
Facet Publishing
7 Ridgmount Street, London, England, WC1E 7AE
http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781856047654, $48.95, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of Milena Dobreva (Senior Researcher at CDLR, University of Strathclyde), Andy O'Dwyer (who has been with the BBC since 1986 applying technical solutions to the long term preservation of broadcast material and has managed several European collaborative projects providing online access to parts of the BBC's newly digitized content), and Pierluigi Feliciati (Researcher in the University of Macerata, Italy), "User Studies For Digital Library Development" is a 192-page compendium focusing on the makeup and diverse methods of user studies with respect to digital libraries. "User Studies For Digital Library Development" is a descriptive and instructional guide to methods ranging from surveys, questionnaires, and expert evaluation, to eye tracking, deep log analysis, personae, and ethnographic studies. Of special note are the informative commentaries on the evaluation of digital libraries, digital preservation, social media, the shift to mobile devices, and ethics. "User Studies For Digital Library Development" describes specific types of institutions, including libraries, archives, museums, audiovisual collections, and art collections, while providing thematically appropriate examples of the commonly encountered questions and various identifying actions of special interest to information professionals. "User Studies For Digital Library Development" is especially recommended to the attention of community, academic, corporate, and governmental library staff members assigned the responsibility for the development, design, or support of digital library services.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Feminist Rhetorical Resilience
Elizabeth A. Flynn, et al.
Utah State University Press
7800 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322
www.USUPress.org
9780874218787, $29.95, www.amazon.com

The editorial collaboration of Elizabeth A Flynn, Patricia Sotirin and Ann Brady, "Feminist Rhetorical Resilience" is a 268-page compendium comprised of seven essays arising from papers submitted to the Fifth Biennial International Feminism and Rhetoric Conference. A unique contribution to the growing library of feminist literature, "Feminist Rhetorical Resilience" offers a useful conceptual framework for feminist rhetoric and an intellectually vigorous conception of 'resilience' within a feminist context. Erudite, scholarly, informed, informative, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, "Feminist Rhetorical Resilience" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal and academic library Feminist Studies and Language Arts Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Saints and Scholars
Stuart McWilliams, editor
Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781843843030, $99.00, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Stuart McWilliams (Newby Trust Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh), "Saints and Scholars: New Perspectives on Anglo-Saxon Literature and Culture in Honour of Hugh Magennis" is a 272-page compendium comprised of scholarly and erudite essays by academicians with an especial expertise in medieval poetry, literature, and culture. Additionally there are two poems: 'The Honey Vision' by Medbh McGuckian and 'The Scholar' by Ciaran Carson. Of special note is Ivan Herbison's 'Hugh Magennis: A Bibliography, 1981-2011'. Enhanced with a comprehensive index and a 'Tabula Gratulatoria', "Saints and Scholars: New Perspectives on Anglo-Saxon Literature and Culture in Honour of Hugh Magennis" is an informed and informative anthology which is recommended as a seminal contribution to academic library Medieval Literature reference collections and Medieval Studies supplemental reading lists.


The Wisconsin Shelf

Midwest Majesty: Silos of Wisconsin
Jack Tackman
Little Creek Press
c/o Kristin Mitchell Design, LLC
5341 Sunny Ridge Road
Mineral Point, WI 53565
9780984924530 $28.95 www.littlecreekpress.com

Midwest Majesty: Silos of Wisconsin lives up to its title with a vast collection of striking, full-color photographs of the vast variety of silos that can be found across Wisconsin. Silos made of fieldstone, wood, brick, block, glazed tile, or concrete pepper the pages, and each is paired with a commentary vignette about how it was built or used. True tales from the farmers who relied on these faithful silos pepper this thoroughly enjoyable blend of history, trivia, and agricultural architecture. Highly recommended, especially for any who enjoy virtual tours of Wisconsin's rural landscape.

A Farm in Wisconsin
Richard Quinney
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor
Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780983517405, $35.00, www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress

Wisconsin's farms are plentiful and curious. "A Farm in Wisconsin" tells the history of one of these farms, that had its birth in 1868 and grew into a behemoth of a farm 160 acres in size. A family's story is told in the process, offering a generational look at rural Wisconsin and its impact and history on the development of the state. With black and white photography throughout, "A Farm in Wisconsin" is a fine and much recommended read for those intrigued by Wisconsin's fascinating history.

Poles in Wisconsin
Susan Gibson Mikos
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street
Madison, WI 53575
9780870204227, $9.95, www.wisconsinhistory.org

Many peoples of Europe came to America and saw many challenges for different cultures. "Poles in Wisconsin" is a historical look at the Polish peoples journey to Wisconsin in the 1870s, and the clash they faced competing with the German and Scandinavian peoples who had already claimed the state as their own. Working hard to make their impact, "Poles in Wisconsin" is a much recommended cultural history, not to be missed.

Building Taliesin
Ron McCrea
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870206061, $35.00. www.amazon.com

Frank Lloyd Wright is an iconic American architect whose combination home and studio, Taliesin, is one of his most renown and original constructions. "Building Taliesin: Frank Lloyd Wright's Home of Love and Loss" by Ron McCrea and published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press is a profusely illustrated, 240 page history of both the building and the people who are most closely associated with it. What unfolds is a story of both architectural triumph and personal tragedy. "Building Taliesin: Frank Lloyd Wright's Home of Love and Loss" is both informed and informative, making it especially recommended reading for students of the life and work of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd.
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
www.arcadiapublishing.com

Arcadia Publishing specializes in producing photograph-based histories of local communities in their simply outstanding 'Images of America' series. Three contributions specific to Wisconsin should be especially highlighted for the Badger State's community, academic, and history society libraries. "Waunakee And Westport" (9780738591742, $21.99); "Two Rivers" (9780738588711, $21.99); and "Langlade County" (9780738588636, $21.99). Compiled by Katie Brenner, "Waunakee And Westport" is a 127-page compendium of 19th and early 20th century photographs with captions this Wisconsin community and its residents organized along the themes of farming, the railroad, businesses, churches, schools, and houses. Of special note are the chapters specific to 'People' and 'Community'. The team of Patrick J. Ganon and Cassandra Ganon Kronforst showcase the Wisconsin community of "Two Rivers" in a 127-page compilation of superbly reproduced and captioned 18th and 19th century photos. "Langlade County" is a pictorial celebration of the history of Wisconsin's "Langlade County" compiled and edited by Richard Klatte Prestor and Joseph Hermolin. Of special note in this 'Great North Woods' county are the several Native American tribes that are photographically represented. Each of these three historically impressive works are informed, informative, and highly recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in Wisconsin history.


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


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