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Volume 13, Number 2 February 2003 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Language Studies Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Architecture Shelf American History Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Military Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Computer Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Art Shelf International Studies Shelf
Parenting Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf Literary Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf World History Shelf Library Video/DVD Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Fiction Shelf Gardening Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Education Shelf Library CD Music Shelf
Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf Biography Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Native American Shelf Martial Arts Shelf Poetry Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Travel Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Political Science Shelf Archaeology Shelf Musicbook Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Railroading Shelf Law/Justice Shelf
Science/Technology Shelf Social Issues Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Psychology Shelf Sports Shelf Business Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Lives Of The Mind
Roger Kimball
Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
1332 North Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60622
1566634792 $28.95 1-800-462-6420

The use and abuse of intelligence is covered in Lives Of The Mind, a lively and highly recommended discourse blending philosophy, psychology, science and social criticism. Intelligence can be abused and used, and the love of ideas and language can be detrimental at times: individual chapters probe the work of intellectual psychologists and philosophers examining the nature of intelligence.

New Dictionary Of Cultural Literacy
E.D. Hirsch, Jr., et.al.
Houghton Mifflin
215 park Ave. South, NY, NY 10003
0618226478 $29.95 1-800-225-3362

New Dictionary Of Cultural Literacy provides a basic, working knowledge of cultural changes and literary topics which range from concepts of the digital divide and Kwanzaa to pheromones, spam, and different cultural icons which have changed over the centuries. Chapters are organized by general topic (world history, American history, politics, psychology and sociology) and provide an A-Z reference for each chapter. Browsers and students alike will find it handy.

Bad Press
Laura Ward
Barron's
250 Wireless Rd., Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764155393 $14.95 1-800-645-3476

Quotes from the most devastating critical reviews ever, probes historical magazines to provide the nastiest and funniest reviews ever comprise the pagers of Bad Press. From Henry Van Dyke's quick assessment of jazz music ("Jazz: music invented for the torture of imbeciles") to Samuel Johnson's candid assessment of cucumbers ("A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing.")

Why Terrorism Works
Alan Dershowitz
Yale University Press
Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040
0300097662 $24.95 1-800-987-7323

Why Terrorism Works joins the flood of new books addressing problems of terrorism in America, here outlining steps which must be taken to protect the country while maintaining freedom. Chapters argue that global terrorism is largely of our own making, and he provides a series of specific, controversial steps which disagree with many conventional perceptions of how to manage terrorism.

The Man Who Changed How Boys And Toys Were Made
Bruce Watson
Viking Press
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0670031348 $24.95 1-800-847-5515

A.C. Gilbert wore many hats: athlete, magician, and self-made millionaire but he made his money by creating the Erector set toy back in 1913, making an invention which changed how boys played. The Man Who Changed How Boys And Toys Were Made isn't just a biography of an inventor; it examines how toys help avert or discharge childhood violence, how high-tech toys may serve a different purpose, and differences between how both sexes play.

Concealed Carry
Wiley Clapp
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle-IPB2, Boulder, CO 80301
1581603673 $25.00 1-800-392-2400

Concealed Carry: The Shooter's Guide To Selecting Handguns by firearms authority Wiley Clapp is a straightforward, accurate, no-nonsense guide to the practical matter of choosing and legally carrying a concealed handgun. Discussing the various attributes of handguns ranging from small automatics to large revolvers, and enhanced throughout with black-and-white photographs, Concealed Carry is a highly practical and methodical guide which is especially recommended to the non-specialist general reader with an interest in lawfully acquiring a handgun for personal protection and/or recreation.

Coincidence Or Destiny?
Phil Cousineau
Conari Press
300 Monte Vista #192 Oakland CA 94611
157324824X $16.95 1-800-685-9595

Coincidence Or Destiny? gathers over eighty stories of coincidence or synchronicity, gathered from the lives of both ordinary people and well-known scholars to illustrate how chance and meaningful coincidences can change lives. Syncronicities can offer sense from random events and can provide a sense of destiny and explanation: this collection of first-person insights is revealing.

Genius
Harold Bloom
Warner Books
1271 Avenue of Americas, NY, NY 10020
0446527173 $35.95 1-800-759-0190

Genius provides an enlightening blend of examples from over a hundred creative minds, illustrating the concept of creativity and genius and considering the elements which comprise the trait. From the Bible through modern times, the author provides many links between his geniuses and the ways they have influenced each other. A fascinating history which crosses genres to expose underlying influences.

Sake & Santori
Joseph Campbell
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1577312368 $22.95 1-800-972-6657

Sake & Santori is the fifth volume in a series of collected works of philosopher/spiritualist Joseph Campbell and focuses upon his cultural and spiritual interactions with Japan during his 1950s Asian journey. The changing social and political world of Japan come to life in a a set of entries relating Campbell's discourses with Japanese from all walks of life.

Spying With Maps
Mark Monmonier
University of Chicago Press
1427 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637-2954
0226534278 $25.00 1-800-621-2736

Spying With Maps: Surveillance Technologies And The Future Of Privacy blends an examination of surveillance technologies with a discussion of the nature and future of privacy in a world which is becoming increasingly open to spy apparatus. Spying With Maps could have been featured in our chapter on social issues, but is reviewed here for its intriguing examination of the science of spying, from using geographic data and satellite imagery to location tracking devices.

Wisconsin Quilts
Ellen Kort & Stewart Wolfe
Howell Press
1713-2D Allied Lane, Charlottesville, VA 22903
1574271180 $34.95 howellpress.com

The collaborative effort of author Ellen Kort and photographer Stewart Wolfe, Wisconsin Quilts: Stories In The Stitches is a full-color photographic showcase of nearly one hundred exceptional quilts by Wisconsin needlecrafters, each with its own unique story concerning its creation and the woman who made it. Tying into the years of the Civil War, coping with disease, reflecting political upheavals and the New Deal programs, the stories of these quilts are as fascinating to read as the quilts themselves are beautiful to see. Wisconsin Quilts is very highly recommended for needelcraft and quilting enthusiasts, as well as students of Wisconsin history and culture.

In Quest Of Lost Worlds
Count Byron de Prorok
Adventures Unlimited Press
One Adventure Place, Kempton, IL 60946
www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com
0932813569 $16.95 1-800-718-4514

In Quest Of Lost Worlds: Journey To Algeria, Ethiopia, Yucatan And Beyond is the rousing memoir and self-described journey of Count Byron de Prorok, an Anglo-Hungarian archaeologist and explorer who researched occult subjects and visited a wide variety of fascinating sites with metaphysical implications during the 1920s and 1930s. From his uncovering of the tomb of the Queen of the Tuaregs Tin Hinan, to his dedicated search for King Solomon's mines, In Quest Of Lost Worlds showcases amazing adventures, reveals ancient legends, and relate what were occasionally quite perilous discoveries. Enhanced with twenty-four pages of special illustrations, In Quest Of Lost Worlds is very highly recommended reading for students of archaeology, metaphysics, and anyone who enjoys great true life adventures!


The Language Studies Shelf

Bryson's Dictionary Of Troublesome Words
Bill Bryson
Broadway Books
1540 Broadway, New York NY 10036
0767910427 $19.95 1-800-726-0600

The English language is filled with quirks and puzzles: copy editor Bryson here provides a guide to avoiding the traps and snares of the language. His A-Z dictionary outlines some of the more common problems involved in using ordinary words such as 'either', future', or 'may well be'. Bryson's Dictionary Of Troublesome Words is another browser's joyride for the proper pursuit of English.

Translator Self-Training Arabic
Morry Sofer
Schreiber Publishing
PO Box 4193, Rockville, Maryland 20849
www.schreiberpublishing.com
1887563741 $69.00 1-800-822-3213

Translator Self-Training Arabic: A Practical Course In Technical Translation by Morry Sofer is an ideal, "user friendly" do-it-yourself guide to improving translation skills in eight easy lessons where the focus is on news, law, medicine, business, finances, and daily life. The first part concentrates on "Arabic Into English"; the second part is "English Into Arabic". Translator Self-Training Arabic is enhanced with information on Internet sites for translators, sources of translation work, Arabic technical dictionaries, and translator self-evaluation. Additionally there are invaluable appendices devoted to "Requisites for Professional Translators"; "Translation Techniques"; "Translator's Self-Evaluation"; "Arabic Technical Dictionaries"; "Sources for Translation Work"; and "Computers, Translation, and the Internet". Also very highly recommended are the other volumes in the outstanding "Translator Self-Training" series which include Chinese (1887563709, $69.00); Italian (1887563733, $69.00); Japanese (1887563695, $69.00); Portuguese (1887563717, $69.00); and Russian (1887563725, $69.00)

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10016-4314
0198604572 $150.00 1-800-451-7556

Now in a new fifth edition, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary is an in-depth, two-volume set handsomely packaged within a cardboard box and provides the latest in dictionary terms, including new cultural and political terms including jargon and some slang. The English language is always expanding and changing, and this adds 3,500 new words in its updated edition. Nothing has been left out, but a cleaner text design allows more information to fit in nearly the same package as the 4th edition. A "must" for serious reference collections at the high school level through public libraries.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Helen M. Stevens' World Of Embroidery
Helen M. Stevens
David & Charles Publishers
North Pomfret, VT 05053
0715309773 $29.99 www.amazon.com

Helen M. Stevens' World Of Embroidery is the fifth collection of famed needlecrafter Helen M. Stevens' masterful and enchanting works of embroidery. Gorgeous, full-color photographs showcase her superb stitching craft, along with detailed descriptions of the natural flora and fauna that inspire her works. Helen M. Stevens' World Of Embroidery is a joy to page through, and especially recommended reading for embroidery practitioners in search of inspiration for their own needlecrafting efforts.

American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.aqsquilt.com www.amazon.com

Two titles provide inspiration variations on traditional quilting patterns and techniques. Bobbie Aug and Sharon Newman's Quilt Blocks X 9 (1574327992, $19.95) presents twelve quilts which use the nine-block arrangement to create various block patterns. From fabric combinations to embracing different backgrounds, this packs in templates, easy directions, and an approach which lends to experimentation. Anita Shackelford's Infinite Feathers Quilting Designs (1574327984, $25.95) provides the basics of creating quilt designs which fit in the blocks and borders of a quilt. From different types of patterns and designs and their transfer to over a hundred feather designs in different sizes, this provides easy step-by-step instructions quilters will appreciate.

Basic Applique
Cindy Walter & Gail Baker Rowe
Krause Publications
700 East State St, Iola, WI 54990-0001
0873493478 $21.95 1-800-258-0929

Collaboratively compiled and presented by needlecraft and quilting experts Cindy Walter & Gail Baker Rowe, Basic Applique: 1930s Quilt Patterns Created With Traditional And Contemporary Techniques showcases the fine art of applique from cutting to quilting. Featuring lovely patterns and easy-to-follow directions (illustrated with hundreds of photographs) for making sixteen beautiful quilts, even the most novice quilter will be able to create memorable quilts to grace any home. Basic Applique is a welcome and much appreciated contribution to the growing library of needlecraft references in general, and quilting manuals in particular.

C&T Publishing
PO Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549
1-800-284-1114 www.amazon.com

Two quilter's guides provide very different approaches to the art. Lerlene Nevaril's Hidden Block Quilts (1571201793, $24.95) tells how to locate new designs in the block quilt style, making repeat-block quilts more interesting. Change patches in traditional blocks and you have new variations which are appealing and exciting. Jean Wells and Lawry Thorn's Four Seasons In Flannel (1571201785, $27.95) combine outdoor designs and embroidery with flannel and wool to make for useful projects quick to finish and brightly different. Chapters are grouped by season and provide step-by-step construction tips. Both are intriguing new titles.

Martingale Company
20205 144th Avenue NW, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
1-800-426-3126 www.amazon.com

Four fine, new quilter's guides provide a range of projects and approaches tailored for both beginning and intermediate quilters. Beth Merrill Kovich and Retta Warehime's Snuggle Up (1564774643, $19.95) surveys eight lap quilt projects using traditional patterns and quick-stitch techniques for fast, easy results. Pamela Lindquist's Sweet Dreams (1564774287, $18.95) tells how to create reversible quilts and coordinates for maximum effect. Tips on accessories for finished quilts are added. Judy Hopkins' Triangle-Free Quilts (156477 3930, $26.95) uses only squares, rectangles and strips to produce its eighteen featured quilt projects, which range from wall and crib quilts to full-sized bed quilts. Terri Nussbaum's Quick-Change Quilts (1564774317, $19.95) surveys twelve quilts created from six patterns. Why make a copy when you can create your own from existing patterns? This shows how to alter colors and rotate blocks for maximum effect. A fine guide to versatility in pattern choice. All are fine quilter's project choices.


The Architecture Shelf

The Wood Design Awards 2002
Don Griffith, editor
Tuns Press
Dalhousie University, PO Box 1000, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3J 2X4
0929112490 $22.95 tunspress.dal.ca

Compiled and edited by architectural expert Don Griffith, The Wood Design Awards 2002 features fifteen buildings from across the United States and Canada which incorporate a commendable diversity of wood design elements. Ranging from the cottonwood branches of the Kansas Plains Wedding Chapel, to the multiple curved panel roof of the Gilmore Skytrain Station, The Wood Design Awards 2002 highlights and showcases architectural styles and structures that employ wood as a key design component, and illustrates a multiplicity of applications which will admirably serve as a source of inspiration to architectural designers, educators, and students. The Wood Design Awards 2002 is a very welcome and highly recommended addition to professional and academic Architectural Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Frank Gehry
Jason Miller
MetroBooks
c/o Friedman/Fairfax Publishers
230 Fifth Ave., Suite 700, NY, NY 10001
158663674X $12.98 1-800-367-9692

Compiled and written by architectural expert and writer Jason Miller, Frank Gehry is a truly gorgeous, full-color photographic showcase of Gehry's avant-garde architecture, ranging from the Schnabel Residence in Brentwood, California; to the Nationale-Nederlanden Building in Prague, Czech Republic; to the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington. An impressive coffee-table book offering beautiful, panoramic captures of architectural genius in both form and function, Frank Gehry epitomizes the life and work of its title architect largely through image accompanied by brief captions, backgrounded with a few short essays enhancing the majesty of the structures themselves. Frank Gehry is a welcome and highly recommended addition to professional, academic, and community library Architectural Studies reference collections.

The Solar House
Daniel D. Chiras
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
1931498121 $29.95 1-800-639-4099

The Solar House: Passive Heating And Cooling by global environmental issues expert Daniel D. Chiras is an "user friendly" architectural guide to choosing and implementing an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly backup heating system, and thereby making any dwelling both cost-effective and naturally heated and/or air conditioned. Black-and-white sketches clearly illustrate the detailed walk-throughs about the basics of passive solar heating, passive cooling, assessing the performance of one's energy system and much more. An excellent guide for embracing ecology-friendly living, The Solar House is especially recommended as a do-it-yourself home reference for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in making their personal home as comfortable and environmentally friendly as possible.

Design Culture In Liverpool 1880-1914
Christopher Crouch
Liverpool University Press/ISBS, dist.
5824 N.E. Hassalo Street, Portland, OR 97213-3644
0853238847 $59.95 1-800-944-6190

Design Culture In Liverpool 1880-1914: The Origins Of The Liverpool School Of Architecture by Christopher Crouch (Lecturer, School of Visual Arts, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia) surveys the development of an architectural design ideology unique to the British city of Liverpool that took its own distinctive directions quite apart from those commonly ensconced in both British and American architectural trends and developments. After an informative and extensive introduction, the text is nicely organized into seven chapters covering the styling and ideology of the arts and crafts in Liverpool; the university and cultural origins of the Liverpool School of Architecture and Applied Art; the inauguration and evolution of an Integrated Course within the university architectural curriculum; "Liverpool, the United States and the Beaux Arts Vision"; the influence of Charles Reilly; and the role and impact of the "Town Planning Review". Enhanced with a select bibliography and a quite useful index, Design Culture In Liverpool 1880-1914 is a welcome, scholarly, and much appreciated contribution to academic History of Architecture reference collections and architectural design study lists.


The American History Shelf

California Firsts
Teri David Greenberg
Camino Books
PO Box 59026, Philadelphia, PA 19102
0940159619 $9.95 www.amazon.com

What would Americans do without California? The state was the birthplace of the Frisbee, Barbie Dolls, and canned tuna, among others. California Firsts: The Famous, Infamous, and Quirky of the Golden State charts the odd and fun innovations and innovators of the state, blending black and white vintage photos with a lively coverage of the state's achievements. A fine leisure choice.

Cultivating California
David Vaught
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4319
0801871123 $45.00 1-800-537-5487

Students of California history and agricultural development will find Cultivating California an intriguing story of growers, specialty crops, and labor developments in the state from 1875-1920, revealing how politicians, growers, and organizations interacted in the process of cultivating California's crops. Labor relations and agricultural development planning are all accessibly revealed in the course of this involving account.

Larding The Lean Earth
Steven Stoll
Hill & Wang
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
0809064316 $30.00 1-888-330-8477

Farming occupied the majority of American pursuits in the 19th century, tied up most of the nation's capital, and occupied the thoughts of farmers and politicians alike. Before expansion into the West could succeed, conservation of land and resources would have to be taken into account: Larding The Lean Earth points out that the debate over natural resource management began in the 1820s and pitted farmers against plantation owners in a conflict which would affect westward expansion processes as a whole.

Voices Unbound
Lucindy Willis
Scholarly Resources
104 Greenhill Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19805-1987
0842028153 $19.95 1-800-772-8937

Plenty of titles have followed the lives and achievements of male intellectuals: Voices Unbound gathers biographies and writings of twelve selected American women intellectuals, examining how these women rose above their peers to contribute to scholarly thought, and discussing the blatant omission of women from intellectual studies and circles. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Margaret Mead, Susan Sontag and others are heralded in these pages.

Historic Buildings Of The French Quarter
Lloyd Vogt
Pelican Publishing
Box 3110, Gretna, LA 70054-3110
156554997X $23.95 1-800-843-1724

The New Orleans' historic French Quarter was founded in 1718 by the French, moved to Spanish control, and was home to generations of occupants who built grand ballrooms, courtyards, and Spanish structures. Historic Buildings Of The French Quarter uses black and white line drawings to blend history with architectural insights, illustrating building types and styles of different eras and profiling some sixty representative buildings. Students of either regional history or architectural history will find it revealing.

Gateway To Alta California
Harry W. Crosby
Sunbelt Publications, Inc.
1250 Fayette Street, El Cajon, CA 92020-1511
093265357X $39.95 sunbeltpub.com

Gateway To Alta California: The Expedition To San Diego, 1769 by writer, photographer, and historian Harry W. Crosby is the story of the first land journey to San Diego undertaken by Europeans in 1769. Crosby draws upon original sources such as the journals of Padre Juan Crespi, Joseph deCanizares (Captain Rivera's official scribe), Padre Junipero Serra, and Gaspar de Portola, as well as recreating the overland trek himself (literally on foot and muleback) to map out the original and historic route that went through the then unexplored, unknown, desolate wilderness of northern Baja California to found the community of San Diego. A strongly recommended addition to California Historical Studies reference collections, Gateway To Alta California also lists the names of the Hispanic members of this historic expedition party.

Last Train To Paradise
Les Standiford
Crown
299 Park Avenue, New York NY 10171
0609607480 $24.00 1-800-726-0600

One man held an incredible vision: to build a railroad which crossed over a hundred miles of water. That man was Henry Flagler, and the railroad connected Key West to the Florida mainland. Last Train To Paradise provides an engrossing account of an impossible vision and how it was brought to life by one man's determination. A dramatic tone makes this most acceptable to leisure readers as well as fans of rail history.

See The Ozarks
Leland & Crystal Payton
Lens & Pen Press
4067 S. Franklin, Springfield, MO 65807
0967392519 $24.95 beautifulozarks.com

Collaboratively compiled, written and presented by photographer Leland Payton and travel writer Crystal Payton, See The Ozarks: The Touristic Image is an engaging and impressive showcase of tourism-related advertisements and memorabilia that have lured travelers to the Ozarks since before the era of the horseless carriage. Full-color photographs and insightful narrative concerning the appeal of the Ozarks as a vacation spot then and now fill the pages of this highly recommended treasure trove of American regional and advertising history.

The Century In Food
Beverly Bundy
Collectors Press, Inc.
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
1888054670 $35.00 1-800-423-1848

The Century In Food: America's Fads And Favorites begins a culinary history of America in 1900, a time when most of the cooking was done in fireplaces and a slim figure was considered a mark of ill health. Author Beverly Bundy (Food Editor at The Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper) proceeds to provide a fascinating and informative survey of the inventions, innovations, and evolutions in American food preparation, culinary tastes, and a steadily expanding roster of recipe ingredients available to Americans whether eating at home or dining out. Although there are a wealth of featured and illustrative recipes, The Century In Food is more than just one more cookbook, it is also an informed and highly entertaining history of American culinary culture spread out over ten decades and enhanced with 400 full-color images. The Century In Food is highly recommended reading for both students of American Popular Culture and cookbook enthusiasts.

Measuring America
Andro Linklater
Walker & Company
435 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0802713963 $26.00 1-800-289-2553

In Measuring America, Andro Linklater exposes one of the untold stories in American history: how the land survey which spread across the country created a structure of land ownership unique in history, linking the wild frontier to the settlers who would tame it. Linklater's story of how the American Customary System of measurement came to be founded during this effort makes for fascinating reading.

Raising La Belle
Mark G. Mitchell
Eakin Press
Drawer 90159, Austin, TX 78709-0159
1571687033 $10.95 www.eakinpress.com

The sailing ship La Belle was used in the 1600's in the beleaguered Fort St. Louis settlement's attempt to escape. But when the La Belle sank, the ship's occupants found themselves stranded, and then threatened by hostile Indians. Chapters detailing the history of the colony and the ship alternate with the modern account of the finding and recovering of the long-sunken ship and its artifacts. In 1995, the Texas Historical Commission discovered the sunken La Belle, and set to work extracting it and its cargo. The result of their labors and the amazing preserved relics of history fill the pages of this fascinating, informative, and highly recommended account, enhanced with black-and-white artwork.

Rosie's Mom
Carrie Brown
Northeastern University Press
360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
1555535356 $35.00 1-800-666-2211

In Rosie's Mom: Forgotten Women Workers Of The First World War by cultural historian and freelance curator Carrie Brown recovers the nearly forgotten contribution made by women in the American workforce during the years of World War I. They helped assemble the biplanes, shaped and filled the cartridges, made the gas masks, and worked in the factories to supply America's war production needs. The women were crucial elements in the American wartime economy and efforts, trained in technical fields and working in hazardous industries (where their presence helped significantly in the adoption of new worker health and safety measures), their presence and experience were also critically important to buttress the Women's Suffrage movement and the eventual passage of an amendment to the American constitution providing women the right to vote. An informed and informative text is very nicely illustrated with historical photographs, making Rosie's Mom a welcome and seminal contribution to 20th Century American History and Women's Studies reference collections and reading lists.

Origin Of The American Revolution: 1759-1766
Bernhard Knollenberg
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Suite 300, Indianapolis, Indiana 46250-1684
0865973822 $28.00 www.amazon.com

The first of a two-part history, Origin Of The American Revolution: 1759-1766 is a cohesive and solid tracing of the events in history leading up to America's revolt and independence. First published a generation ago, and out of print for more than thirty years, Origin Of The American Revolution: 1759-1766 remains as focused, exacting, and to the point today as it was then, with author Bernhard Knollenberg being impressively skilled at tracing political and economic events that made a struggle for independence inevitable. Edited by Bernard W. Sheehan, Origin Of The American Revolution: 1759-1766 is a scholarly, well-constructed and strongly recommended account.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Hollywood Creative Directory
Hollywood Creative Directory
1024 North Orange Drive, Hollywood, CA 90038
1928936229 $59.95 1-800-815-0503

Now in a new, fully updated and expanded 47th edition, the Hollywood Creative Directory: Winter/Spring 2003 continues to be justifably acclaimed as the preeminent resource for contact information regarding studios and networks, film and television executives, production companies, independent producers, television shows and staffs, as well as projects in development. Cross referenced by name functions as kind of a phone book to Hollywood with over 10,000 entertainment industry professionals, and their companies, the Hollywood Creative Directory is an invaluable, indispensable resource and a very highly recommended addition to all personal, professional, academic, and community library Theatre/Cinema Studies & Resources reference shelves.

Meriwether Publishing
Box 7110, Colorado Springs, CO 80933
1-800-937-5297 meriwether.com

Two new and highly recommended guides to acting will provide both teen and adult drama students with many inspirational fundamentals. Tim McDonough's Acting Narrative Speeches: The Actor As Storyteller (1566080762, $19.95) defines four critical essentials of how actors learn to add drama to speech, from understanding the story and conflict to layering opposite energies. Chapters and examples bring these concepts to life. Roger Ellis capably edits New International Plays For Young Audiences: Plays Of Cultural Conflict (1566080819, $19.95), providing a new anthology of complete and current plays reflecting globalization and cultural conflict. Both are inviting choices for serious drama students.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

A Witch's Grimoire
Gavin & Yvonne Frost
Prentice Hall Press
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0735203261 $14.00 1-800-631-8571

Two leading authorities in the occult provide in A Witch's Grimoire, a revised, updated collection which examines the secret codes, symbols and charms which are the foundation of white magic. Individual chapters describe how these amulets and spells can relate to a positive daily life, and provide new charts and artwork in this new and highly recommended edition.

New Page Books
3 Tice Rd., Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1-800-227-3371 www.amazon.com

These guides to magic and mysticism are recommended picks for audiences interested in metaphysical techniques and insights. Marion Weinstein's revised Positive Magic (1564146375, $14.99) provides a completely new version of a classic, updating Wiccan history, tools and techniques. Chapters explore new territory, from channeling to spirit contact, and will serve as a strong introduction to new age concepts. Gerina Dunwich's A Witch's Guide To Ghosts And The Supernatural (1564146162, $14.99) blends the supernatural with Wiccan insights. Dunwich has seen and communicated with her share of ghosts, and has lived in a number of haunted houses: chapters tell how to communicate with spirits, interpret their messages, and how to investigate a haunting. Ashleen O'Gaea's Raising Witches (156414 6316, $13.99) is an unusual guide to raising children in the Wiccan faith; the first book to provide Wiccan parents with the means of teaching their beliefs. A Wiccan curriculum for each of the five age groups from infancy to teens shows parents how to weave Wiccan concepts into daily experiences. Lady Sabrina's Celebrating Wiccan Spirituality (156414593X, $14.99) covers spells, sacred rites, and folklore for each day of the year, providing both Wiccan newcomers and practitioners with the spells and folklore useful to celebrating days and seasons. Pagan holidays are charted and history revealed, here.

The Triple Goddess Tarot
Isha Lerner
Bear & Company
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
1879181940 $35.00 1-800-246-8648

Blend a package of a 248-page color book with over thirty color divination cards focusing on the Sacred Feminine through the Holy Trinity and you have The Triple Goddess Tarota, a powerful set which includes twenty-two Major Arcana cards plus four original Alchemy Cards in beautiful designs. An excellent, unusual gift selection.

Magic Mushrooms In Religion And Alchemy
Clark Heinrich
Park Street Press
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
0892819979 $19.95 1-800-246-8648

Heinrich's illustrated exploration of the use of psychoactive mushrooms in Magic Mushrooms In Religion And Alchemy, reveals their role in connecting with the spirit and god making for an involving survey of both the history of mushroom use and its purposes in Vedic and Puranic religions through modern Judaism and Christianity. The conclusion: in many religions these mushrooms have served as gateways to teach spiritual concepts.

Death Is An Illusion
Else Byskov
Paragon House
2700 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55114
1557788138 $16.95 paragonhouse.com

Death Is An Illusion: A Logical Explanation Based On Martinus' Worldview by educator, translator, and interpreter ElseByskov is an extensive study of the metaphysical philosophy and spiritual teachings of 20th century Danish mystic Martinus, including the principles of karma and reincarnation, the consciousness of God, cyclic principles, transformation of the sexual poles, the power of prayer, and much more. A straightforward, well-written rendering of complex ideas in uncomplicated prose, Death Is An Illusion is especially commended to the attention of non-specialist general readers and students with an interest in contemporary mysticism, spirituality, philosophy, religion, and metaphysics.


The Military Shelf

Ichi Ban Outfit
E. Gerald Pires
Elderberry Press
1393 Old Homestead Drive, Second floor, Oakland, Oregon 97462-9506
1930859392 $29.95 elderberrypress.com

Ichi Ban Outfit is the story of SCARWAF (Special Category Army with Air Force), a unit which existed in the United States military from 1949 to 1956. Focusing in particular on the 474th Signal Aviation Construction Company, a SCARWAF unit assigned to the Far East Command with its home base in Japan, Ichi Ban Outfit follows construction crews who worked, often under extreme and dangerous conditions, with a tremendous pride and determination. The men who served in this unit, and their views of Japan as it emerged from the post-World War II American military occupation, as well as the course of the Korean War, are all presented in this fascinating, highly recommended, informatively insightful contribution to twentieth century American military history.

The Gatling Gun Notebook
James B. Hughes
Andrew Mowbray, Inc.
Box 571716, Houston, TX 77257-1716
0917218949 $23.00 1-800-999-4697

Compiled by James B. Hughes from contemporary sources, The Gatling Gun Notebook: A Collection Of Data And Illustrations is an impressive compendium of black-and-white illustrations and basic factual data about the incredible variety of gatling guns, from their first appearance in 1862, down to 1917 when the last U.S. government manual for the Gatling was printed. Ten gatling gun makers in five countries are extensively covered, and virtually every page features a drawing, diagram, or photograph, with most of them being about century old. The succinct and informative text entries provide invaluable background to each illustration, as well as technical specifications about the gatling gun in question. Simply put, The Gatling Gun Notebook is enthusiastically recommended as being a unique and fascinating resource for firearm and American military history buffs.

Foxtrot Ridge
Mark W. Woodruff
Vandamere Press
PO Box 17446, Clearwater, FL 33762
0918339588 $24.95 1-727-556-0950

Foxtrot Ridge: A Battle Remembered by Mark W. Woodruff (Senior Navy Psychologist at Fleet Base West in Western Australia) is the true and accurate story of a battalion of men who fought in the Vietnam War, and recalls in vivid detail a May, 1968 battle that was neither special nor unique; only one of many in a long and terrible conflict. Graphic in its detail, offering testimony from individuals who were there and faced death itself, not just on that day but on many days, one after the other, Foxtrot Ridge is a moving account and a candid look at the face of war itself and a highly prized addition to the growing library of Vietnam War histories, and combatant memoirs.

American Ex-Prisoners Of War Of World War II: Volume 1
Jeffrey W. Peristere
Medallion Publishing Co.
1220 Broadway, New York, NY 10001
0972282807 $TBA 1-212-629-0858

Illustrated with over 150 photographs of more than sixty ex-POW's, American Ex-Prisoners Of War Of World War II is the first volume of a planned series of recollections and matter-of-fact biographical narratives showcasing the experiences of Americans taken captive by German and Japanese armed forces during the course of World War II in the European and Pacific Theaters. Personal testimony, sometimes detailing unspeakable horror, courage, death, survival, and endurance are all featured in this compelling and vivid account. American Ex-Prisoners Of War Of World War II is a unique and welcome contribution to the growing library of World War II military biographies.

Not Mentioned In Despatches...
Spencer Fitz-Gibbon
The Lutterworth Press/Parkwest Pub.
451 Communipaw Av, Jersey City NJ 07304
0718830164 $30.00 parkwestpubs.com

Meticulously researched and deftly written by military expert and historian Spencer Fitz-Gibbon, Not Mentioned In Despatches...: The History And Mythology Of The Battle Of Goose Green is an informed and informative analysis of the decisive British victory at Goose Green over the Argentinean forces in the 1982 "Falklands War". Examining incorrect beliefs that have been distorted to the proportion of myth, as well as presenting the specific dynamics of the battle itself in minute detail as it actually unfolded, Not Mentioned In Despatches... is an exhaustive, critical, and carefully presented survey and analysis taking the reader beneath the surface of what has been said in previous military histories and commentaries, in order to better understand what really happened.

Titan II
David K. Stumpf
The University of Arkansas Press
201 Ozark, Fayetteville, AR 72701
1557286019 $49.00 1-800-626-0090

Compiled and written by David K. Stumpf (Associate Research Scientist, University of Arizona), Titan II: A History of a Cold War Missile Program is the informed and informative story of the intercontinental ballistic missile program developed by the United States military in the 1950s and 1960s. Each missile was designed to carry a single nuclear warhead, used liquid fuel propellants, and was stored (and launched from) hardened underground silos. The missile sites were based in Arkansas, Arizona, and Kansas facilities, and then were finally deactivated in the early 1980s. Based on a wide range of sources including engineer and airmen interviews and memoirs, declassified government documents, and other public materials, and enhanced with more than 170 drawings and photographs (most of which have never been previously published), Titan II is a definitive, strongly recommended, technological history of a deterrent weapons system that for more than 20 years successfully defended America from nuclear attack.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Rocky Mountain Futures
Jill S. Baron, editor
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, #300, Washington, DC 20009
1559639547 $32.50 www.islandpress.org

Capably edited by Jill S. Baron (Ecosystem Ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University, Fort Collins), and enhanced with an informative four-page Foreword by Paul R. Ehrlich (Bing Professor of Population Studies and President of the Center for Conservation Biology, Department of Biological Science, Stanford University), Rocky Mountain Futures: An Ecological Perspective is a sober and comprehensive survey of the tremendous impact human influence has had on the Rocky Mountain ecosystems. Featuring case studies, cascading effects, human-driven changes and more, this seminal and authoritative compilation of researched essays by educated authors paints an accurate and documented picture of an ecology being pushed beyond its limits, and then offers succinct, practical, and occasionally inspired ideas on what to do about it before it's too late. Rocky Mountain Futures is an essential, fundamentally critical addition to any personal, professional, governmental, organizational, academic, or community library Environmental Studies reference collection and supplemental reading list.

Killing Me Softly
Eddie J. Girdner and Jack Smith
Monthly Review Press
122 West 27th Street, NY, NY 10001
1583670831 $16.95 monthlyreview.org

Collaboratively researched and written by Eddie J. Girdner (Professor of International Relations, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey) and Jack Smith (Professor of English and Philosophy, North Central Missouri College), Killing Me Softly: Toxic Waste, Corporate Profit, And The Struggle For Environmental Justice is a gritty, realistic, pull-no-punches survey and expose of the toxic waste industry and its relentless expansion. Stressing the need for environmental justice in a society that tends to consider the homes of poor people to be "not sufficiently polluted", Killing Me Softly is a much-needed and clarion call for the importance of conservation, ecological responsibility, environmental protections, and corporate/governmental reforms in the modern age.


The Computer Shelf

PC Help Desk In A Book
Mark Edward Soper
Que Publishing
201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290-1097
0789727560 $29.99 www.mcp.com

When your personal computer suffer from buggy Windows installations, has bad cable connections, is plagued with mismanaged system resources, viruses, and/or slow Internet connections, don't be quick to toss it out! With a little knowledgeable care, your dysfunctional computer could with the help of Mark Soper's PC Help Desk In A Book: The Do-it-Yourself Guide To PC Troubleshooting and Repair, become useful again. Using a unique, medical dictionary approach, PC Help Desk In A Book walks users through the symptoms to diagnose and treat the problem. End-users will be armed to perform cost-effective upgrades, repair fouled Windows installations, and squeeze out a little more performance from a slow Internet connection in lieu of purchasing a new computer. 576 pp., User Level Beginner-to-Intermediate

Java P2P Unleashed
Robert Flenner, et al.
Sams Publishing
201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290-1097
0672323990 $49.99 www.mcp.com

Peer-to-peer (P2P) has progressed from a curiosity to a serious opportunity for businesses to move beyond the costs and limitations of traditional client-server based computing. With a choice of several new, maturing technologies, Java developers need a single source to explain the benefits of each technology and help them see how to fit the P2P "pieces" together - both in building new systems and integrating with existing ones. Java P2P Unleashed: With JXTA, Web Services, XML, Jini, JavaSpaces, and J2EE starts with a discussion of the P2P architecture, referencing similarities with existing, familiar systems while previewing several types of P2P applications. Java P2P Unleashed explains how to plan ahead for security, routing, performance and other issues when developing a P2P application. Each Java P2P technology is approached from a P2P perspective, focusing on implementation concerns Java developers will face while using them. The last section includes several large-scale examples of different P2P applications - managing content, building communities, integrating services, routing messages, and using intelligent agents to gather information. The final chapter looks ahead to future developments in Java P2P technologies, including the use of J2ME. Java P2P Unleashed is confidently recommended for Intermediate to Advanced level users. 752 pages.

Learn To Program With C++
John Smiley
Osborne/McGraw-Hill
2600 Tenth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0072225351 $29.99 www.osborne.com

Learn To Program With C++ by John Smiley (Computer Science Professor at Penn State University), is a straightforward "reader friendly" introduction especially written for beginners to the art and skill of programming in the C++ language. No prior programming experience is required to quickly grasp these basic, easy-to-understand lessons which are enhanced with questions and exercises. Functions, inheritance, errors and error handling, classes and creating objects, and more are covered in this superbly presented and highly recommended introductory primer.

McGraw-Hill Book Company
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
1-800-722-4726 www.amazon.com

Two new outstanding instructional reference and resource titles are essential, core additions to any dedicated Windows XP collection. Windows XP Home Edition: The Complete Reference, collaborative written by Margaret Levine-Young & John R. Levine (0072226641; 960 pages; $39.99), provides comprehensive coverage of Windows XP Home Edition. Readers will learn how to competently set up and configure XP on a PC or laptop, work with multimedia applications, connect to the Internet, optimize the system for maximum performance, and much more. In Windows XP Professional Security by computer experts Chris Weber and Gary Bahadur(0072226021; 448 pages; $49.99), offers insider tips on how to deploy XP securely, manage it for ongoing security, and configure security policies effectively. Windows XP Professional Security also provides effective and practical policies as well as accessible problem-solving techniques and methodologies for penetration testing and incident response.

NET Multithreading
Alan L. Dennis
Manning Publications Co.
209 Bruce Park Ave Greenwich CT 06830
1930110545 $34.95 www.manning.com

.NET Multithreading by Alan L. Dennis (a computer consultant and instructor of programming at the University of Phoenix Online) is an authoritative and "learner friendly" guide to performing multithreading applications with C# .NET or VB.NET. Presuming familiarity with core computer programming basics, the informed and informative text does not require any prior knowledge or experience in multithreading. Individual chapters address the life cycles of threads, how to concurrently control them, the ThreadPool class, delegates and exceptions, multithreading in J#, and a great deal more. To put it simply, .NET Multithreading is a first-rate resource for anyone looking to improve their software's performance through multithreading, and without having to invest too much time and energy in learning the mechanics of doing so.

Osborne/McGraw-Hill
2600 Tenth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
1-800-722-4726 www.amazon.com

Two superbly presented instructional and reference manuals devoted to protecting online websites and databases from hackers are both highly recommended additions to any dedicated computer security reference collection. Hacking Exposed Web Applications: Web Application Security Secrets & Solutions by Joel Scambray and Mike Shema (007222438X; 416 pages; $49.99) explains how to defend against the latest Web-based attacks by understanding the hacker's methods and thought processes. Computer security experts Scambray and Shema show how intruders gather information, acquire targets, identify weak spots, gain control, and cover their tracks. After cataloging the greatest threats Web applications face and explaining in detail how they work, Hacking Exposed Web Applications then teaches how to prevent these attacks. The Anti-Hacker Tool Kit collaboratively written by Keith J. Jones, Mike Shema and Bradley C. Johnson (0072222824; 744 pages; $59.99) shows users how, through proper use and configuration of key security tools, they will be able to investigate and resolve existing problems within a network infrastructure with precision and a minimum of fuss. Written by experienced security professionals, Hacking Exposed Web Applications provides comprehensive and completely accessible coverage of the most important and up-to-date security tools in use today, explaining their function, and showing how to use each tool effectively through in-depth implementation examples and case studies.

Personal Web Sites
Joe Shepter
Rockport Publishers Inc.
33 Commercial Street, Gloucester, MA 01930-5089
1564968634 $40.00 www.rockpub.com

In Personal Web Sites, author Joe Shepter has compiled the first dedicated study of the role personal websites are playing in the phenomenal growth of the world wide web. Providing a critical examination of web designs showcasing the personal work of more than twenty-five of the top web designers at work today, the reader is provided with superb visuals, an insightful text, informed and informative interviews, and invaluable insights into how web designers get their inspirations. A highly recommended addition to personal and professional Computer Studies and Graphic Design reference collections and reading lists, Personal Web Sites also wonderfully illustrates how private webspace is utilized as a proving ground for future commercial projects.

New Riders
201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290-1097
www.newriders.com

To new and thoroughly "user friendly" computer instruction and manuals are essential additions to Cold Fushion reference collections. Inside ColdFusion MX by Cold Fushion experts John Cummings and Neil Ross (0735713049, $49.99) covers the main issues in moving to the new version of ColdFusion and explains the creation of real-world ColdFusion applications
from the ground up. Concepts are taught by authors who are still "in the trenches," developing and managing ColdFusion applications daily. The authors discuss the new CF Administration, integration with existing IDE's, recent language extensions, and the planning and development of ColdFusion applications under the new CF architecture. ColdFusion MX: From Static To Dynamic In 10 Steps by Barry Moore(0735712964, $35.00) is recommended for the professional web developer who is new to ColdFusion, this book opens with a case study of a web site and how it can be improved using ColdFusion. It then progresses through 10 stages of upgrade by giving theory, examples, and hands-on instruction for creating a dynamic site using such features as a data-driven catalog, search page, and shopping cart.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Every Heart Attack Is Preventable
Michael Mogadam, MD
New American Library
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0451207769 $13.95 1-800-847-5515

Here's a plan for a diet which is tailored for those with heart attack risk factors, from hypertension and high cholesterol to diabetes. The bulk of Every Heart Attack Is Preventable consists of ratings of foods which are proven to help heart strength: tables chart food scores and draw important links between these scores and heart health.

How Linda Died
Frank Davey
ECW Press
2120 Queen St. E. #200, Toronto, Ontario M4E 1E2, Canada
1550224972 $15.95 www.amazon.com

How Linda Died recounts the author's wife's decline and death from a brain tumor, through the recording of moment-by-moment observations of a struggle for life in the face of insurmountable odds. From the daily challenges of remembering phone numbers to dealing with other life stresses and grief, How Linda Died is a moving account.

American Diabetes Association Complete Guide To Diabetes
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580401619 $29.95 www.diabetes.org

Now in a completely revised, updated and expanded third edition, American Diabetes Association Complete Guide To Diabetes offers comprehensive and reliable information on preventing diabetes-based complications, achieving blood sugar control, handling diabetes-related emergencies, using a meter, using insulin pumps, the role of nutrition and exercise in diabetes management, sexuality and diabetes, coping with diabetes-imposed limitations, even family life, travel, insurance, and pregnancy as they are affected by diabetes. An essential, seminal, and strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library reference collections, the American Diabetes Association Complete Guide To Diabetes is both "reader friendly" and invaluable in its provision of the best of self-care techniques and the latest medical breakthrough information. No matter what type of diabetes, American Diabetes Association Complete Guide To Diabetes will prove to be of extraordinary value in answering any and all diabetes-related questions, situations, and conditions.

Surviving With Heart
Darrell Trout & Ellen Welch
Fulcrum Publishing
16100 Table Mountain Parkway #300, Golden, CO 80403
155591201X $18.95 1-800-992-2908

Surviving With Heart provides detailed information on heart disease, which kills men and women daily. From determining risk factors and identifying initial symptoms to working with a medical team and managing treatment options, Surviving With Heart provides quite a bit of depth and information and includes caregiver concerns and advice along with tips for patients. An invaluable guide.

Pursuit Of Oblivion
Richard Davenport-Hines
W.W. Norton & Company
500 5th Ave., New York NY 10110
0393051897 $29.95 1-800-233-4830

Pursuit Of Oblivion takes an historical approach to considering the traditional and changing use of illicit drugs around the world, pursuing a survey of five centuries of drug trade and showing how narcotics changed from untested medicine to pleasure tools. Social, political and cultural history blend in a treatment suitable for high school on up.

Omnigraphics
615 Griswold St., Detroit, MI 48226
1-800-234-1340 www.amazon.com

Two new additions to the expanding Omnigraphics "Health Reference" series provide the latest, updated health information for libraries seeking comprehensive coverages. Joyce Brennfleck Shannon edits the second edition of Sports Injuries Sourcebook (0780806042, $78.00), offering the latest treatment options for common injuries related to sports. From a survey of injuries related to specific sports to facts about rehabilitation and recovery, chapters are packed with important details. Jenni Lynn Colson's Emergency Medical Services Sourcebook (0780804201, $78.00) appears in its first new edition to profile emergency situations, from medical and household emergencies to emergencies away from home and overall disaster preparedness. Chapters tell how the EMT team works, who to call for help, and patient's rights and issues in emergency medicine. Both are recommended picks for growing health library collections.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Taking Back Islam
Michael Wolfe, Editor
Rodale Press
400 S. 10th St., Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
1579546552 $21.95 www.rodale.com

American Muslims reclaim their faith and pride in Islamic roots in Taking Back Islam, a unique compilation which gathers American voices from the vanguard of Muslim faith. Here devout believers talk of their religion, Islam's basic beliefs, and messages of tolerance and peace in the Qur'an which are central to their beliefs.

The Heart Of Islam
Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Harper San Francisco
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
0060099240 $22.95 1-800-272-7737

For a more in-depth look at the underlying values of Islam and its lessons for humanity as a whole, Seyyed Nasr's intellectual analysis presented in The Heart Of Islam, offers a focus on the spiritual and social values of Islam: peace, compassion, and social justice. Islamic scripture and traditional sources are probed, counterparts in other faiths are contrasted, and Nasr challenges others to understand Muslim society and beliefs including his own people.

Brasseys Inc.
Box 960, Herndon, VA 20172-0960
1-800-775-2518 www.amazon.com

On September 11th forces incited and dictated by bin Laden attacked the U.S.: while much has been written about the event and the attacker, little has revealed the motives of bin Laden and his supporters. Anonymous' Through Our Enemies' Eyes (1574885529 $29.95) provides a focus on what extremists have said and done, and examines their impact on the Muslim world. From his personality and philosophy to his leadership strategies, bin Laden's method of social control is examined and thoughtfully considered. Robert Van de Weyer's The Shared Well (1574885642, $21.95) is also an important guide to understanding underlying motivations: it offers a concise guide to the history of relations between Islam and the West, offering some contrasting, positive views of how Islam and Western cultures have enriched each other. Both offer many different insights.

Islam Unveiled
Robert Spencer
Encounter Books
655 Third Street, #330, San Francisco CA 94107
1893554589 $24.95 1-800-786-3839

Islam Unveiled examines the relationship between Islamic fundamentalism and mainstream Islam, the focus on jihad and violence, and why Muslims persist in their treatment of women and polygamy. From the grim human rights record of Islamic nations to why science and high culture died out in Islamic countries, Islam Unveiled provides a critical probe of Islamic societies.

Slavery In The Islamic Middle East
Shaun E. Marmon, editor
Markus Wiener Publishers
231 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
1558761691 $16.95 markuswiener.com

Compiled and edited by Shaun E. Marmon, Slavery In The Islamic Middle East is an impressive and informative selection of scholarly essays examining the institution of slavery as recognized and regulated by Islamic law, and as incorporated into Muslim societies well into the modern day. Looking at military slavery in Islam in the pre-modern period, the connection between skin color and slavery, a memoir portraying a raw and real look at victims of the African slave trade, and more, Slavery In The Islamic Middle East is a welcome and invaluable addition to Middle Eastern History and Islamic Studies reference shelves and reading lists.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Everything Dog Training And Tricks Books
Gerilyn J. Bielakiewicz
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322
1580626661 $14.95 1-800-872-5627

The Everything Dog Training And Tricks Books by experienced dog trainer Gerilyn Bielakiewicz (cofounder of Canine University) is a thoroughly "user friendly" and enthusiastically recommended instructional guide to turning even the most mischievous and high spirited dog into a well-behaved canine companion. Clear and invaluable information will enable the reader to control their dog's unwanted behaviors, including successfully dealing with housebreaking, introductions, the use of a clicker, and walking on a leash. The Everything Dog Training And Tricks Books also provides clear information on teaching a dog such tricks as getting the phone, "kissing", pushing a baby carriage, waving and "high five". Enhanced with dozens of photographs, The Everything Dog Training And Tricks Books offers a wealth of training tips, tricks, and techniques that will solve virtually any behavior issue and have any dog and owner team playing games and having fun together.

Animal Chronicles: An Odyssey
John Behrman, M.D.
Rainbow Books, Inc.
Box 430, Highland City, FL 33846-0430
1568250746 $9.95 1-863-648-4420

Deftly written by John Behrman (who, as a child, was not allowed any pets), Animal Chronicles: An Odyssey is the thoughtful story of himself and his wife - a pet-loving married couple who care for Dalmatians, lizards, birds, turtles, cats, and even a rare and amazing Zebronkey. Personal anecdotes, stories of animal behavior, solid advice about medical conditions and treatments for sick pets, and above all an enduring joy for sharing time with beloved creature companions permeate this gentle and memorable account. Animal Chronicles is recommended reading for anyone who has every enjoyed the companionship of another species.

Birding Across North America
Philip Keenan
Timber Press
133 SW 2nd Ave. #450, Portland, OR 97204-3527
0881925284 $29.95 1-800-327-5680

Birding Across North America: A Naturalist's Observations could be called a memoir of birding years, but it also holds plenty of practical details unique to the field guide, and description common to the travelogue. It may be hard to properly categorize this title, but any who love birds will find it most accessible. Individual chapters cover migration, reflections on domestic cats and wild birds, and basic elements of birdwatching in the East. A fascinating, revealing guide.

Mindful Horsemanship
Cheryl Kimball
Carriage House Publishing
223 Silver Street, Middleton, NH 03887
0967004713 $22.95 1-866-290-0670

Mindful Horsemanship: Increasing Your Awareness One Day At A Time by freelance writer and horse expert Cheryl Kimball is a superbly presented compendium of 366 contemplative quotations concerning the search for better horsemanship, self-improvement in general, and a love for mankind's dedicated and hardworking equine companions. There is an appropriate quote for every day of the year, with a brief interpretation particularly geared toward horsemanship. Highly recommended for non-specialist general readers who have a love and admiration for the horse, Mindful Horsemanship should be a core addition to any personal, riding stable, or community library Horsemanship Studies collection.

Horse Tales For The Soul: 3 Volumes
Bonnie Marlewski-Probert
K&B Products
PO Box 1502, PMB 214, Red Bluff CA 96080
1-800-700-5096 TheCompletePet.com

Bonnie Marlewski-Probert is a nationally recognized equestrian authority and horsewoman who was professionally trained in Hunt Seat and Western riding disciplines. Hooked on horses at the age of eight, horses and riding have been her life-long passion. Capably edited by Susan Strafford, each of three volumes comprising Bonnie Marlewski-Probert's outstanding series, Horse Tales For The Soul, contain 40 original stories submitted by horse lovers from around the world and is divided into chapters highlighting life lessons such as gratitude, overcoming adversity, appreciation, etc. Entertaining, thoughtful and thought-provoking, this outstanding and enthusiastically recommended horse-lover's trilogy includes: Horse Tales For The Soul: Volume 1 (0964641815X, $19.95); Horse Tales For The Soul: Volume 2 (0964618168, $19.95); Horse Tales For The Soul: Volume 3 (0964618184, $19.95).

Horned Lizards
Jane Manaster
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
0896724956 $15.95 1-800-832-4042

Now in a newly revised and expanded edition, Horned Lizards by freelance writer and Austin, Texas-based historian Jane Manaster is an informed and informative guide to a fascinating group of Southwestern lizards, who are colloquially referred to as "horny toads", and who posses a very special and distinctive place in both Old West folklore and Native American mythology. The history, biology, habitat, and life cycles of these amazing creatures is accessibly surveyed, as well as contemporary conservation efforts seeking to preserve this threatened species. Black-and-white photographs and a brief inset section of color plates enhance this enjoyable and highly recommended contribution to wildlife and natural history studies.

Firefly Books Ltd.
4 Daybreak Lane, Westport, CT 06880
1-800-387-5085 www.amazon.com

Two natural history encyclopedias are recommended picks for a wide audience, from high school to public school libraries seeking colorful references with fine detail. Tim Halliday and Kraig Adler edit Reptiles And Amphibians (1552976130, $40.00) providing unique insights into two different groups of animals and providing the latest reference information on them. A series of core entries forms the foundation for defining these animals, with special features and photo stories presenting topics of interest. Color photos and art packs this and Christopher O'Toole's Insects And Spiders (1552976122, $40.00), a companion volume which accomplishes the same for the insect world. Both are exceptional works, highly recommended and brilliant in both color and layout.


The Art Shelf

Projection Art For Kids
Linda Buckingham
Hartley & Marks Publishers
PO Box 147, Point Roberts, WA 98281
0881791970 $14.95 1-800-277-5887

A unique and very highly recommended addition to any family, art department, or community library Art Instruction reference collection, Projection Art For Kids: Murals & Painting Projects For Kids Of All Ages by self-described "talent-free" artist Linda Buckingham is a compendium of twenty-one projects ranging from small-scale designs to full-scale wall murals that kids aged 10 and older can make on the wall of a nursery, daycare, classroom, or bedroom. Buckingham's projection technique will enable children to utilize a favorite photograph, slide, drawing, painting, clip art, cartoon, or logo in the creation of a memorable and eye-pleasing, imagination-engaging work of art.

Doug Lindstrand's Alaska Sketchbook
Doug Lindstrand
Fox Chapel Publishing Co. Inc.
1970 Broad St, East Petersburg, PA 17520
1565231422 $25.00 carvingworld.com

Doug Lindstrand's Alaska Sketchbook: An Artist's Guide To The People And Wildlife Of America's Last Frontier is a compendium of hundreds of field sketches, studio drawings and photographs celebrating Alaskan frontiersmen, birds, and animals. The text includes a kind of diary kept by Lindstrand as a journal of his wanderings and contacts with the people and wildlife of this northern clime in which he has been photographing and sketching for the last 30 years. Doug Lindstrand's Alaska Sketchbook is a very welcome and much appreciated contribution to both Art Studies and Natural History collections.

Painting In The Middle East
Ann Zwicker Kerr
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13244-5160
0815607520 $49.95 1-800-365-8929

Painting In The Middle East by Ann Zwicker Kerr (Coordinator of the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Enrichment Program, University of California - Los Angeles) is a full-color compilation of watercolors and photographs combined with an engaging and informative text that bring life to the author's love of the Middle East, and reflect upon her travels and experiences in the varied middle eastern landscape from the 1950's down to the present day. Extensive commentaries and personal memoir-based observations add a very special depth to the hidden history behind the soothing, gentle, and vibrant pictures showcased in this memorable body of art.

My Dear Stieglitz
James Timothy Voorhies
University of South Carolina Press
937 Assembly Street, 8th Floor, Columbia, SC 29208
1570034788 $39.95 1-800-768-2500

Compiled and edited by art historian and expert James Timothy Voorhies, My Dear Stieglitz: Letters Of Marsden Hartley And Alfred Stieglitz 1912-1915 is an informative and intrinsically interesting collection of previously unpublished correspondence between America artist Marsden Hartley and avant-garde impresario, editor, and photographer Alfred Stieglitz chronicling Hartley's three year European sojourn before and just at the inception of World War I. The letters begin with Hartley's 1912 arrival in Paris and provides invaluable commentary on Gertrude Stein's salons, the paintings of Picasso, Cezanne, and Matisse, and his encounters with many of the leading lights of the European world of artists, art dealers, and gallery owners. Hartley continues in 1913 to write an informative correspondence about the Expressionist artists and art trends that he encountered in Germany. This amazing body of correspondence concludes with Hartley's late 1915 return to an America seasoned by the influx of pre-war modern art. My Dear Stieglitz is a welcome and invaluable contribution to 20th Century Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The International Studies Shelf

The High Cost Of Peace
Yossef Bodansky
Prima Publishing
3000 Lava Ridge Court, #100, Roseville, CA 95661
0761535799 $27.95 1-800-632-8676

Three US administrations have tired to negotiate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, with no real luck. The High Cost Of Peace charts policy mishaps, dangerous accords, and the lasting legacy of a peace process which has only succeeded in heightening the troubles. Diverse chapters show how this process has left the U.S. vulnerable to terrorist threat, and consider how changes might be made.

Caucasus Chronicles
Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos
Gomidas Institute
PO Box 208, Princeton, NJ 08542-0208
1884630057 $29.95 www.amazon.com

Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, the author of Caucasus Chronicles: Nation-Building And Diplomacy In Armenia, 1993-1994, was appointed Greek ambassador to the newly independent Armenia in 1993, entering the country as an ambassador at a pivotal moment when world powers were just starting to struggle for a new world created by the collapse of the Cold War. Caucasus Chronicles provides a survey of nation-building and diplomatic processes in the newly independent Armenia from 1993-94, providing excellent first-person insights.

Pakistan Eye Of The Storm
Owen Bennett Jones
Yale University Press
Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040
0300097603 $29.95 1-800-987-7323

Pakistan's turbulent history and military rule is treated to a scholarly and in-depth analysis which describes many of the problems of modern Pakistan with an eye to probing their historical roots. Jones assesses regional conflict and influence within the country and provides an important, scholarly assessment of Pakistan's underlying foundations. College-level readers will find it involving.

Pakistan In The Shadow Of Jihad And Afghanistan
Mary Anne Weaver
Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
0374228949 $24.00 1-888-330-8477

Pakistan is both a terrorist haven, a den of corruption, and the probable battlefront of Islamic terrorists. This report considers its pivotal role in world politics, blending a history of the country through two decades of eyewitness reporting with portraits of its leaders. An excellent source for seeking an understanding of modern Pakistan.

Culture And Customs Of Egypt
Molefi Kete Asante
Greenwood Press
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0313317402 $44.95 greenwood.com

Part of the "Culture And Customs Of Africa" series, Culture And Customs Of Egypt by Molefi KeteAsante (Professor, Department of African American Studies, Temple University) is a straightforward and reader accessible look at daily life in modern Egypt, including its people, history, religion, art, food, social customs and much, much more. Written in a plain, easy-to-understand prose that is ideal for students and non-specialist general readers alike, Culture And Customs Of Egypt is an enriching presentation and survey of a great nation Middle East nation which is very highly recommended reading for tourists, vacationers, armchair travelers, and anyone else who wants or needs to know the basics of life, culture, society, and religion in Egypt today.


The Parenting Shelf

Educating Your Gifted Child
Vicki Caruana
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
1581343566 $12.99 1-800-323-3890

Educating Your Gifted Child by Vicki Caruana is a thoroughly user-friendly resource for parents of gifted children, dispelling common myths about parenting and about especially gifted/talented children, offering stories drawn from true-life experience, sharing encouragement for those having a responsibility to raise a talented or gifted child, and presenting very practical advice on gifted children's academic, emotional, and social needs. Covering preschool through college and challenges on the job, and specifically written for parents who work closely with the public school system, as well as homeschooling parents, Educating Your Gifted Child provides an excellent and informative starting point.

The Breastfeeding Answer Book
La Leche League International, Inc.
Box 4079, Schaumburg, IL 60168-4079
0912500921 $68.00 lalecheleague.org

Now in a newly revised, updated, and expanded third edition, The Breastfeeding Answer Book from the La Leche League International is a thorough and "mother friendly" guide to everything a woman needs to know about breastfeeding, from positioning the baby, to how to wean their infant at the right time, to dealing with possible difficulties such as newborn jaundice. Published with a spiral binding so that it can lay open flat when the reader is busy with both hands, The Breastfeeding Answer Book is an exhaustive, thorough, accessible, reliable, highly recommended resource for all new mothers seeking to successfully breastfeed their babies.

DaddyBank
Gregory K. Brough, CPA
Candlelight Media Group, Inc.
PO Box 970072, Orem, UT 84097-0072
www.candlelightmedia.com
0970915136 $12.95 www.amazon.com

DaddyBank: How to Teach Your Child to Handle Money & Avoid Its Pitfalls by Gregory K. Brough (father of three and experienced financial consultant) is an impressively "parental friendly" and highly recommended guide written especially to help fathers and mothers to educate their children about fiscal responsibility. In a world where credit card companies encourage excessive spending and hefty interest payments, where inflation goes ever up, and the stock market is as trustworthy as quicksand, young people need now more than ever to learn smart money tactics ranging from the simple process of spending less than one earns, to comprehending how compound interest and financial investment returns work.

Character Links
Margaret Prien, et al.
Paw Impressions Press
405 El Camino Real, Suite 120, Menlo Park, CA 94025
www.pawimpressions.com
0967309506 $49.95 www.amazon.com

Character Links is a compilation by Margaret Prien of educational stories and activities specifically designed to teach children ages 3 to 8 about character qualities and values. Simple lesson plans collaboratively illustrated by Kaja Rebane and Kevin English, feature charming animal characters enhancing imaginative and effective ideas for instruction about the virtues of honesty, imagination, empathy, self-discipline, perseverance, integrity, and more. Character Links is to be confidently commended as being a truly first-rate, "user friendly" resource for parents, educators, and home schoolers.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Antisemitism
Marvin Perry & Frederick M. Schweitzer
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10010
0312165617 $35.00 1-888-330-8477

Collaboratively researched and written by historian Marvin Perry and Frederick M. Schweitzer (Director of the Manhattan College Holocaust Resource Center), Antisemitism: Myth And Hate From Antiquity To The Present is an extensive and informative survey and analysis of anti-Semitic myths that have been perpetrated for generations, and which range from Biblical times down to the twentieth century and into the present day. Antisemitism reveals how these lies, exaggerations, untruths, and cultural myths about Jewish people have been used for centuries to justify and fuel unspeakable brutality and genocidal murder against an entire race and faith. A scholarly study of hate-based, mind-twisting perversions and lies from the fabricated stories of Jews ritually sacrificing Christian children to modern-day Holocaust denials, Antisemitism should be found upon the Judaic Studies shelves of every college and community library in the country.

A Prophet For Our Time
Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum, author
Judith H. Banki and Eugene J. Fisher, eds
Fordham University Press
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458
0823222306 $45.00 www.amazon.com

Collaboratively assembled and edited by Judith H. Banki (Director of Special Programs at the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding in New York City) and Eugene J. Fisher (Executive Secretary of the Secretariat for Catholic-Jewish Relations of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops), A Prophet For Our Time is an impressive anthology of writings by Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum, an activist and organizer who is well-known for his work in striving for religious understanding of human rights and the inter-faith promotion of tolerance over bigotry. Rabbi Tanenbaum's examinations of Christian-Jewish relations, Black-Jewish relations, the moral legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., how the traditional Catholic Passion Play has fostered anti-Semitism down through history, and much, much more are knowledgeably presented in this thought-provoking and highly accessible collection, filled from cover to cover with a wealth of wisdom recommended for readers of all faiths and denominational backgrounds.

Talks And Tales, Volume 12
Merkos Publications
291 Kingston Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11213
0826600034 $180.00 (entire series) 1-877-463-7567

Talks And Tales Volume 12: 1974-1977 is part of an impressive and highly recommended 16-volume set of books that reprints (with deference to layout) the 48-year run of a classic and much beloved magazine geared toward Jewish children. Inspirational stories, black and white illustrations, ancient history and the current events of the times are all captured in these pages filled with the history, memory, and visions of an earlier generation.

The Tragedy Of Zionism
Bernard Avishai
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St. #510, NY, NY 10010
1581152582 $16.95 1-800-491-2808

Political Zionism's revolutionary past continues to haunt and effect Israeli democracy and struggles with its neighbors today. Chapters provide a history of Zionism, conflicts, and the underlying concepts which fostered its growth in the 1930s and threaten its continued existence today. The Tragedy Of Zionism, offers a thoughtful and thought-provoking coverage of a sensitive but timely issue bermane to Judaic and American support for the beleaguered Israeli people.

Jewish Identity In Modern Israel
Naftali Rothenberg & Eliezer Schweid
Urim Publications
c/o Lambda Publications, Inc.
3709 13th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11218
9657108365 $22.00 urimpublications.com

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Rabbi Naftali Rothenberg (Senior Fellow at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute) and Eliezer Schweid (Professor of Jewish Philosophy, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Jewish Identity In Modern Israel: Proceedings On Secular Judaism And Democracy is an impressive and informative collection of articles by a variety of different writers, each offering distinct viewpoints and delivered in the conferences of the Framework for Contemporary Jewish Thought and Identity at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. Some contributors are Jewish; some are Arab, and many are authors, educators, MKs or Rabbis. Fluidly translated into English, these articles address the goals of teaching Judaism to secular Jews, how education should be presented in a Jewish and Democratic state, being an Arab Citizen in a Jewish and Democratic state (including doubts and misgivings), and much, much more. A strongly recommended addition to Judaic Studies reference collections and academic reading lists, Jewish Identity In Modern Israel offers the reader a compendium of well-written and thought-provoking selections.

Danger! Three Jewish Peoples
Avraham Avi-Hai
Shengold Publishers Inc.
18 West 45th St., New York, NY 10036
0884001644 $20.00 www.amazon.com

Danger! Three Jewish Peoples by Jerusalem-based economic consultant Avraham Avi-hai is a warning cry. It looks square-on at the modern-day phenomenon of three distinct types of emerging Judaism: the new and comparatively secular life-style of Israeli Jews, whose daily existence is shaped profoundly by the realities of conflict and war; American Jews, who are losing the old ties of common language and communal religious life; and the ultra-orthodox Jews who tend to exist isolated and in fear of change. These trends, if they continue, could lead to permanent and absolute schisms among the Jews of the world. Danger! Three Jewish Peoples calls for an immediate debate, mediation, and rethinking about Judaism and the Jewish way of life -- nothing less than the culture, future, and faith of Jews all over the world is at stake. A powerful and thought-provoking read, Danger! Three Jewish Peoples is a highly recommended addition to contemporary Judaic Studies reference collections and reading lists.

Making A Successful Jewish Interfaith Marriage
Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky
Jewish Lights Publishing
PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
1580231705 $16.95 jewishlights.com

In Making A Successful Jewish Interfaith Marriage: The Jewish Outreach Institute Guide To Opportunities, Challenges And Resources, Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky (with the assistance of Joan Peterson Littman) has written is a thoroughly "user friendly" guide filled from cover to cover with solid, practical advice for couples, husbands and wives, family members, and others involved in an interfaith relationship where one of the partners is Jewish. From balancing spiritual conflicts, to deciding how the children are to be raised, to the option of conversion, Making A Successful Jewish Interfaith Marriage is a superbly written, highly accessible, strongly recommended, and invaluable contribution to Judaic Studies and Interfaith Family Studies.

Jewish U
Scott Aaron
UAHC Press
633 Third Avenue, NY, NY 10017-6778
0807407909 $9.95 www.uahcpress.com

Jewish U: A Contemporary Guide For The Jewish College Student by Rabbi Scott Aaron (Director of Education at The Bandesi-Bardin Institute) is an indispensable and reliable reference for families and students wanting to enroll in a college or university where they can explore and practice their Judaic faith and heritage. Jewish U covers a variety of pertinent issues including: preparing to leave the parental home; living in a dorm; celebrating High Holy Days away from the family; honoring Shabbat; making friends and preparing for exams (from a Jewish perspective); reconnecting with family and friends during school breaks; the value of a college education and the selection of a major; the ethics of sexual intimacy; the obligation of responsibility; campus-based Passover celebrations; dealing with death while away from home; Shavuot and theological inquiries; even summer jobs and social action. Jewish U is an invaluable, strongly recommended, thoroughly "reader friendly" guide for any college bound student from a Jewish home.

The Jewish Tradition, Sexuality And Procreation
Lewis D. Soloman
University Press of America
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
0761822283 $34.00 1-800-462-6420

The Jewish Tradition, Sexuality And Procreation by Judaic Studies scholar Lewis D. Solomon is an extensive, erudite, and meticulous survey and analysis of Jewish traditions throughout the centuries and how they apply to such issues as human sexuality, marriage, love, homosexuality, procreation, as well as the latest advances in human cloning and genetic selection in offspring. A work of impressive scholarship combining and contrasting secular sciences with Jewish history and cannon, The Jewish Tradition, Sexuality And Procreation offers solid, well-researched, highly recommended grounds for thought-provoking discussions and enlightening contemplations.


The Literary Shelf

The Sunday Of Fiction
Peter Schulman
Purdue University Press
1207 South Campus Courts - E, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1207
1557532516 $49.95 thepress.purdue.edu

The Sunday Of Fiction: The Modern French Eccentric by Peter Schulman (Assistant Professor of French, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia) focuses upon the contemporary "eccentric" hero and his rebellion against a conformist world as portrayed in twentieth-century French literature. The evolution of what constitutes "eccentric" since the 19th century, eccentricities in the Universe itself, decadence in eccentricity, and more, are scrutinized in this scholarly and insightful analysis, which looks at authors such as Raymond Queneau, Jean Echenoz, Jean-Philippe Toussaint, and filmmakers such as Jacques Tati and Pierre Etaix. The Sunday Of Fiction is an impressive and seminal contribution to French Literature Studies and French Cinematic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Miscellaneous Writings
H. P. Lovecraft
Arkham House Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 546, Sauk City, WI 53583
0870541684 $29.95 arkhamhouse.com

Miscellaneous Writings is an extensive and impressive collection of works by the famous and ground-breaking horror author H. P. Lovecraft, who is perhaps best known for creating Great Cthullu and other primordial cosmic entities. This volume compiles Lovecraft's little-known letters, essays, short stories, and much more spreading the gamut from nonfiction to personal to instructional to commentaries on social issues. To put it plainly, this Arkham House edition of H.P. Lovecrafts' Miscellaneous Writings is a mandatory addition to the reading list of dedicated Lovecraft fans and scholars who would learn more about this enigmatic and influential author through his erudite and deftly penned correspondences and writings.

The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter
Lana A. Whited, editor
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Blvd, Columbia, MO 65201
0826214436 $34.95 1-800-828-1894

Compiled and edited by Lana A. Whited (Professor of English, Ferrum College, Virginia), The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter: Perspectives On A Literary Phenomenon is an extensive analysis of J.K. Rowling's immensely popular and widely acclaimed Harry Potter series of fantasy novels. Originally intended for young adults, this fantasy series proved fascinating, exciting, and complex enough to attract readers of all ages and backgrounds. The scholarly essays here assembled are from a wide variety of authors and discuss Harry Potter's roots in folklore, its connection to gender issues, literary comparisons and archetypes, and much, much more. A highly scholarly and insightful text, offering new perceptions on beloved favorites, The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter is a welcome addition to Literary Criticism reference collections and highly recommended for scholars and non-specialist general readers who enjoy J.K. Rowling's original, intricate, (and continuing to expand) cannon of deftly written and increasingly influential fantasy.

Farce
Jessica Milner Davis
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers - The State University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854
0765808870 $19.95 1-888-999-6778

Farce by Jessica Milner Davies (Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Co-coordinator of the Australasian Humour Scholars Network, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) is a college-level work of scholarship and criticism specifically examining the literary genre of the farce. Jessica Davis classifies traditional farce-plots, studies the role of characterization and timing, as well as presenting the history and accepted rules of the farce. General themes incorporated into many a farce include such issues as revenge, coincidence, and rebellion. All these and more are studied from all sides in this intriguing analysis. Farce is a welcome and uniquely recommended contribution to both Literary Criticism and Cultural Studies reference collections and supplementary reading lists.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

The Wonder of American Toys 1920-1950
Charles Dee Sharp
Collectors Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 230986, Portland, Oregon 97281
1888054700 $49.95 1-800-423-1848

The Wonder Of American Toys 1920-1950 by dedicated toy collector and expert Charles Dee Sharp is a beautifully illustrated, full-color photographic showcase of vintage American toys. From toy cars and airplanes; to Popeye figures and Buck Rogers paraphernalia; to science sets and baseball games; each individual toy is featured with an illustration and a very brief caption. An extraordinary range of objects of childhood memories, The Wonder Of American Toys 1920-1950 is a nostalgic and enthusiastically recommendation for toy collectors and 20th Century American Popular Culture reference collections.

Cameos Old & New
Anna M. Miller, G.G.
GemStone Press
PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
0943763363 $19.95 gemstonepress.com

Now in an updated and expanded third edition, Cameos Old & New by Anna M. Miller is an extensive, reliable, 312-page guide to cameo jewelry which includes its history, where to find the cameos, how to separate cameos of synthetic materials from ones of genuine precious stone, as well as a quality ranking system for appraising the worth of cameos. Expansively illustrated with both black-and-white color photography, Cameos Old And New is a superbly organized and presented introductory guide ideal for both dedicated collectors and interested art connoisseurs seeking to learn more about these fascinating family treasures.

Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
1-800-626-5420 www.amazon.com

This publisher's expanding collection of references to specific collections provides excellent color photos and updated price guides collectors will find invaluable. Gene & Cathy Forence's Glassware Pattern Identification Guide V. III (1574323156, $19.95) provides essential color photos tailored and grouped for easy identification for glassware from 1900 through the 1960s. Pattern names and makers are easy to identify with these clear shots. Volume 1 of The Glass Candlestick Book by Tom Felt and Elaine & Rich Stoer (1574323008, $24.95) covers a range of makers and items, with smaller photos accompany precise details on manufacturers and current selling prices. Margaret and Ken Whitmyer's Fenton Art Glass (1574322990, $29.95) appears in its second updated edition to provide a complete catalog of the various styles and shapes of Fenton productions. Daniel J. Fox's Arrowheads Of The Central Great Plains (1574322702, $19.95) is quite a specific guide which may find primary interest in regional libraries of the area, but any arrowhead hunter who appreciates this regional focus will find the clear color photos and detailed descriptions essential. Betty Sisk's Mt. Washington Art Glass (1574323067, $49.95) includes Webb Burmese glass in its identification and value guide, packing in clear and inviting color photos of the expensive pieces. All will provide collectors with specific, important references to prices and history.


The World History Shelf

The Freemasons
Jasper Ridley
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Avenue, 8th Fl., NY, NY 10010
1559706015 $27.95 1-800-759-0190

The Freemasons: A History Of The World's Most Powerful Secret Society by historian and biographer Jasper Ridley is an meticulously researched and intensely fascinating history of The Freemasons. Perhaps the most powerful and pervasive of the known secret societies, the Freemasons had a profound impact on the establishment and rise of the United states throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Tracing the origins of the Freemasons as well as surveying their movement in Britain, the United States, Jasper Ridley adroitly blends his exhaustive research with shrewd insight. The result is an outstanding and highly recommended contribution to our understanding of the Freemasons, their history, purposes, and role in western society.

"Society Must Be Defended"
Michel Foucault
Picador
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
0312203187 $26.00 picadorusa.com

Capably and collaboratively edited by Mauro Bertani and Allesandro Fontana, "Society Must Be Defended" is a collection of French philosopher and historian Michel Foucault's eleven lectures given at the College de France from 1975 to 1976, and which are ably translated into English for an American readership by David Macey. Offering an unusually insightful perspective and wisdom on a wide variety of educational topics ranging from the origin of feudalism, to the functions and domains of racism, to Hobbes' ideas on war and sovereignty, and a great deal more, "Society Must Be Defended" is a very thought-provoking and instructive collection from a uniquely informed and informative point of view. As Michel Foucault writes about this compilation of his views: "The role of history will, then, be to show that laws deceive, that kings wear masks, that power creates illusions, and that historians tell lies. This will not, then, be a history of continuity, but a history of deciphering, the detection of the secret, the outwitting of the ruse, and the reappropriation of a knowledge that has been distorted or buried. It will decipher a truth that has been sealed".

Jerusalem
Lee I. Levine
The Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19103
0827607210 $39.95 www.jewishpub.org

Jerusalem: Portrait Of The City In The Second Temple Period (538 B.C.E. - 70 C.E.) by Professor Lee I Levine (Department of History and the Institute of Archeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem) is a superbly written, organized and presented historical and archaeological survey of just about all that modern study and science have gathered about Jerusalem, its temples, and the historiography and archaeologically based evidence that points to how people once lived and worshiped there. A welcome and very strongly recommended addition to World History, Biblical Archaeology, and Judaic Studies reference shelves, Jerusalem: Portrait Of The City In The Second Temple Period (538B.C.E. - 70 C.E.) is a straightforward, accessible text which is enhanced throughout with black-and-white photographs.

Empire Of Dust
David C. Jones
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
1552380858 $29.95 uofcpress.com

Empire Of Dust: Settling And Abandoning The Prairie Dry Belt by David C. Jones (Professor of History, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is an impressive compendium of Canadian agricultural history. Tracing the inevitable result of over-expansion in towns such as Alderson, Alberta, Empire Of Dust is a real-life cautionary tale of the dangers of depleting the land to the point where it can no longer nourish the livestock and the people. Carefully researched, engagingly presented, and, enhanced with black-and-white photography, Empire Of Dust is very highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to Agricultural Studies and Canadian History reference collections.

Captain Cook
Vanessa Collingridge
The Lyons Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1585747254 $24.95 1-800-836-0510

This superbly presented history charts all of Cook's voyages of exploration; from his mapping of the Pacific Islands and travels through Antarctica to discoveries of New Hebrides and Australia. His many adventures receive lively coverage in a title which explains how Cook changed the Western map of the world and reveals that he was not the first to do so. An involving re-examination of Cook's achievements.


The Library Video/DVD Shelf

The Greatest Journeys On Earth
Home Video Publishing
c/o Janson Associates
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
$24.95 each www.janson.com

The Greatest Journeys On Earth is an impressive series of thirteen 48-minute, full-color, video documentaries which take the viewer to some of the most beautiful places on earth. Each journey takes the viewer well beyond the unusual cliches of ordinary travelogs. Instead, we are treated to a visual tour through the geography, history, architecture, culture, celebrations, leisure activities, and gastronomy of the people and places visited. Enhanced with informative interviews, each program investigates the history and progress of some particular aspect of the economic life of the particular country visited. This outstanding produced and very highly recommended travel series includes: Venice: Journeys Through the Glass (20124); Greece: Journeys to the Gods (20126); Austria: Journeys Through the Salt Mines (20128); Canada: Journeys Through the Rockies (20130); California: Journeys of the Adventurers (20132); Ireland, Great Britain & Brittany: Journeys of the Celtic Legends (20134); Japan: Journeys on the Tokaido (20136); France: Journeys of the Sun King (20138); Peru: Journeys to the Golden Cities (20140); Quebec: The Journeys of the Trappers; England: The Journeys of Charles Dickens (20144); Spain: Journeys Through the Land of the Builders (20146); and South Africa: Journeys of the Freedom Songs (20148).

Sgt. Bilko
Universal Studios Home Video
10 Universal City Plaza, Suite 700, Universal City, CA 91608
#20279 $14.98 www.amazon.com

Comedian Steve Martin plays the infamous Sgt. Ernie Bilko who heads up a lively entrepreneurial crew of the sorriest solders ever to work in an army base motor pool. Based on the classic television comedy series, Sgt. Bilko is a superbly written, hilarious and lively entertainment of perfectly (and not-quite-so-perfectly) planned and executed scams, the best and greatest of which will either save or doom the continued existence of Fort Baxter. Ideal for personal and community library collections, Sgt. Bilko is a thoroughly family friendly, full-color, live-action, 1 hour 35 minute, highly recommended comedy in a DVD format allowing for English, Spanish, or French languages, as well as the option caption subtitles.

Lost Empires
Goldhil Home Media International
137 East Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 207, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
VHS $119.95 1-800-250-8760

Lost Empires is a superbly performed and presented, six volume, boxed set, Masterpiece Theatre production of J.B. Priestley's profoundly entertaining novel set against a background of pre-World War I British musical halls. Enhanced with extravagant musical numbers (filmed in authentic music halls located throughout Britain), the story follows the adventures of Richard Herncastle, a young man who upon the death of his parents, is hired by his uncle Nick Ollanton to join the uncle's successful stage magician act on the musical hall circuit. With World War I looming in the very near future, Richard encounters a whole new world of actors, comedians, musicians, dancers, jugglers, backstage hands, impresarios, agents, and rooming house folk who specifically cater to the theatrical crowd. Lost Empires is a coming of age story with Richard meeting both femme fatales and the girl of his dreams. It is a story of romance, passion, the suffragette movement, a murder mystery, and more -- all set perfectly against a wonderfully accurate backdrop of costuming, scenery, railroad trains, and those wonderful old music halls. Lost Empires is an enthusiastically recommended addition to community library video collections and certain to become an instant favorite with library patrons.

A Tribe Of His Own
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
VHS $TBA 1-800-543-3764

A Tribe Of His Own: The Journalism Of P. Sainath is a detailed look inside the work and philosophies of one of India's most dedicated journalists. Sainath has spent the better part of his professional career carefully and accurately documenting the daily lives and struggles of India's poorest people, the Dalits. A Tribe Of His Own is an informed and informative documentary recounting his work, and features several of his published stories. The film also shows Sainath teaching novice journalists and explaining his ideas of what journalism could and should be. A Tribe Of His Own is an intriguing educational tool, useful for both journalism students and veterans of the business. This outstanding film documentary is also an invaluable and recommended addition to Journalism School reference collections and International Journalism curriculum supplementation.

The History Of Ancient Egypt
Bob Brier
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100
Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
#350 $399.95 www.teach12.com

The History Of Ancient Egypt is an impressive, 48 lecture series by Egyptologist Bob Brier given in the form of video-taped lectures which are occasionally illustrated with on-screen graphics and illustrations. Professor Brier covers 3,200 years of Egyptian history, beginning with the first emergence of humans in the Nile valley where they existed for thousands of years with only the simple hand axe as a tool. With the emergence of agriculture, Egypt began to take form along the banks of the river Nile and became the longest lasting identifiable civilization the world has ever known. Professor Brier articulately and engagingly covers a chronological history of the Egyptian pharaohs, with occasional "side trips" to discuss a variety of related subjects such as the Napoleon expedition to Egypt, the Egyptian language (viewers will actually learn how to write their names in Egyptian!), the evolution of pyramid building, the Valley of the Kings, how mummies were made, ancient Egyptian magic, and more. The course is organized into four volumes of three videos for a total of twelve video tapes in all. Each individual video holds four 30-minute lectures. Professor Brier's style of presentation is an impressive as it is engaging, and combines the skills of a master teacher with an encyclopedia knowledge of his subject. The History Of Ancient Egypt is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any academic or community library collection. With the provision of an accompanying course guide, this series is ideal for a high-school honors curriculum. The History Of Ancient Egypt is also available in and Audio CD format ($359.95).


The Cookbook Shelf

The Picayune's Creole Cook Book
Dover Publications, Inc.
31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, NY 11501
0486423247 $16.95 1-800-223-3130

The reprint of this classic cookbook shouldn't be missed: The Picayune's Creole Cook Book reproduces the second, 1901 edition in its entirety, returning to print a classic which preserved traditional creole cooking upon the brink of its extinction. Introductions explain history and recipes alike. No photos, but those interested in Creole history and culture won't miss them.

DK
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.dk.com www.amazon.com

Two fine new titles are worthy of mention both as personal acquisitions and as gift choices. Plenty of books have been written on sushi: try Kimiko Barber and Hiroki Takemura's Sushi Taste And Techniques (0789489163, $20.00) for a more comprehensive guide than most. Chapters pack pages with photos of both whole fish and completed sushi morsels, while the blends of fusion flavors in special dishes such as Crabmeat, chili and lime sushi should not be missed. The fusion techniques are appealing. Jill Norman's Herbs And Spices (0789489392, $30.00) provides a comprehensive, illustrated guide to over a hundred herbs and spices, categorizing them by aroma and taste, adding lavish photos of plants and appearances of cooking ingredients, and providing cooks with not just definitions, but hints of world usage patterns. Add a selection of representative recipes and you have a winning presentation, packed with color and insights.

Grandma's Farm Country Cookbook
Martha Engstrom
Voyageur Press, Inc.
PO Box 338, Stillwater, MN 55082
0896583171 $16.95 1-800-888-9653

Grandma's Farm Country Cookbook is a compilation by Martha Engstrom of more than 400 "blue-ribbon" recipes for the country-style kitchen and covers everything from relishes, to salads, to the secrets of successful deep-fat frying. In addition, useful advice for preparing various types of food items and a culinary wealth of practical tips, tricks, and techniques for cooks of all skill and experience levels make Grandma's Farm Country Cookbook a first-rate resource for preparing delicious meals. From Swedish Limpa Rye Bread; Ham and Sour Cream Casserole; and Corn Fritters with Bacon; to Cream Fig Pudding; Nectar Raisin Cake; and Rhubarb Meringue Pie, Grandma's Farm Country Cookbook is a true culinary classic and a highly recommended addition to any kitchen cookbook shelf.

The Blue Willow Inn Cookbook
Jane Stern & Michael Stern
Rutledge Hill Press
Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000
1558539913 $19.99 1-800-251-4000

The Blue Willow Inn (owned and operated by Louis and Billie Van Dyke) is located in Social Circle, Georgia, and is about as southern as you can get, having been voted the best small-town restaurant in the South by the readers of "Southern Living" magazine. In The Blue Willow Inn Cookbook, regional food experts Jane and Michael Stern have collaboratively compiled a culinary wealth of recipes for drinks, breads, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, side dishes, main courses, and desserts -- plus occasional anecdotes drawn from the history and patronage of the Blue Willow Inn. From Angel Biscuits; Spinach Cornbread; Sugared Pecans; and Fried Green Tomatoes; to Baked Pineapple Casserole; Orange Pecan Glazed Chicken and Wild Rice; Banana Pudding; and Coca-Cola Cake with Broiled Peanut Butter Frosting, The Blue Willow Inn Cookbook is a perfect celebration of Southern dining and a wonderful addition to any kitchen cookbook collection.

The New England Cookbook
Brooke Dojny
The Harvard Common Press/NBN, dist.
535 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
155832139X $21.95 1-888-657-3755

The New England Cookbook Is Brooke Dojny's compilation of 350 outstanding recipes characterizing and showcasing the flavor, culture, and hearth of New England cuisine. From Nor'easter Baked Fish Chowder Soup; Grilled Squid Salad a la Al Forno; Vermont-Style Country Ham Bake with Cider Jelly Glaze; and Lamb Souvlaki with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce; to Rustic Rhubarb Raspberry Tart; Roasted Cod Fillets with a Garlic-Prosciutto Topping; and Best Maine Blueberry Pie, each individual dish featured offers its own unique, easy-to-prepare, mouth-watering, taste-tested, appetite-pleasing delight!

The Complete Venison Cookbook
Harold W. Webster, Jr.
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
0937552704 $19.95 1-800-864-1082

To put it simply, The Complete Venison Cookbook compiled and written by venison expert Harold Webster is the most accessible, "kitchen friendly", definitive, and reliable resource for the preparation of deer and elk meat available today. Webster begins with basic recipes suitable for home and camp, and goes on to present venison based dishes that would be appropriate for even the most elegant dining and celebratory occasions. From Classic French Venison Pate; Venison Braised with Fried Almonds and Black Pepper; New England Venison Heart in Wine and Mustard Sauce; and Grilled Venison Flank Steak, Onion and Bell Pepper Sandwiches; to Venison with Curry & Applesauce; Southwestern Venison Sausage; Venison and Vegetable Pie; and Blender Venison Salad, The Complete Venison Cookbook offers more than 700 venison recipes. Enhanced with chapters on breads, desserts, drinks, punches, and lagniappe, The Complete Venison Cookbook is an indispensable addition to any dedicated deer hunter's cookbook collection.

Eating Light Eating Right
Shauna Ratner & Frances Johnson
Whitecap Books/Graphic Arts Center
351 Lynn Avenue, North Vancouver, BC V7J 2C4
1552852776 $12.95 1-888-980-9852

Collaboratively compiled and presented by dietitians Shauna Ratner & Frances Johnson, Eating Light Eating Right: Simple Recipes For A Healthy Life is a highly recommended compendium of simple-to-prepare recipes that are as delicious as they are nutritious. From Herbed Pita Crisps; Salmon and Vegetable Soup; Chicken & Nectarine Stir-Fry; and Penne with Vegetables and Sun-Dried Tomatoes; to Bulgur Bean Chili; Apple Cinnamon Loaf; Couscous with Mushrooms; and Phyllo Tarts with Blueberries, these"heart friendly" and palate-pleasing dishes will grace any table and enhance any meal.

Sake Pure + Simple
Griffith Frost & John Gauntner
Stone Bridge Press
PO Box 8208, Berkeley, CA 94707
1880656744 $9.95 stonebridge.com

Collaboratively researched and written by Griffith Frost and John Gautner, and now in a thoroughly updated and newly revised edition, Sake: Pure + Simple is a true connoisseur's guide to the Japanese alcoholic beverage of sake. Sharing how to taste the difference between varieties of this traditional beverage, locations of the best sake bars and shops in North America, how sake is made, how to properly store sake at home, and poetic "sake conversation" and "sake moments" and other elements of sake lore, Sake Pure + Simple is a unique and superbly presented reference for anyone seeking to expand their palate and their dining experience.

Cranberry Cooking For All Seasons
Nancy Cappelloni
Spinner Publications
164 William St., New Bedford, MA 02740
0932027717 $19.00 spinnerpub.com

The cranberry is a distinctive part of American culinary history. Not only colorful, beautiful and tasty, the cranberry is an excellent source of Vitamin C, devoid of fat or cholesterol, low in calories and sodium, and relatively high in fiber. In Cranberry Cooking For All Seasons, Nancy Cappelloni has assembled a superbly illustrated cornucopia of 125 outstanding recipes showcasing cranberries. From Cranberry Maple Syrup; Nantucket Roast Loin of Pork with Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing; Sauteed Chicken with Cranberries and Apple Cider Reduction, and Cranberry Orange Raisin Walnut Conserve; to Pork Chops with Simmered Cranberries; Roast Saddle of Venison with Cranberry Essence and Celery Root Puree; Cranberry Tangerine Loaf Cakes; and Shaker Cranberry Pie, Cranberry Cooking For All Seasons will prove to be a truly "family favorite" addition to any kitchen cookbook collection!

Traditions
The Junior League of Little Rock
c/o FRP Books
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
0960672419 $18.95 www.frpbooks.com

Traditions: A Taste Of The Good Life is a collection of outstanding family recipes from offered up by the members of The Junior League of Little Rock. A great many of these family favorites trace back many generations. From Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms; Sangria Southern; Greek Rice Soup; Ice Box Ginger Muffins; and Marinated Artichoke Salad; to Green Beans with Egg Sauce; Batter Fried Oysters; Red Wine Quail; Stuffed Mexican Meat Loaf; and Fresh Fig Cake with Butter Pecan Frosting, Traditions offers a cornucopia of memorable dishes and dining that will delight any palate and satisfy any appetite.

Notably Nashville
The Junior League of Nashville
c/o FRP Books
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
0971838100 $28.95 www.frpbooks.com

The collaborative effort of the Junior League of Nashville, Notably Nashville: A Medley Of Tastes And Traditions is a compendium of superbly presented recipes, cooking tips, recipe histories, and a collage of the people, places and events that have justifiably proclaimed this Tennessee city as the "Athens of the South". From Black-Eyed Pea Dip; Beer Batter Bread; Marinated Strawberry Chicken Salad; and Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes and Basil; to Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Peppers; Wild Duck Gumbo; Grilled Brown Sugar Salmon; Creamy Chicken Enchiladas; and Chocolate Fondue, Notably Nashville is wonderfully illustrated, "kitchen cook friendly", and enthusiastically recommended!

Because Flavor Is Everything
Victoria Gourmet
c/o FRP Books
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
0972321500 $17.95 www.frpbooks.com

Simply put, Because Flavor Is Everything: Recipes With Victoria Taylor's Seasonings is an outstanding collection of culinary delights that would grace any table and be appropriate for any meal from ordinary family dining to holiday and special occasion celebrations. There is a wealth of "kitchen cook friendly" recipes for dips, breads, spreads, butters; appetizers, hors d'oeuvres; soups, salads, sandwiches; side dishes; chicken, vegetarian, and pasta dishes; seafood entrees; and main dishes. Of special note is the section devoted to "Fall Holiday Favorites". From Spicy Cheddar-Chive Rounds with Victoria Taylor's New Orleans Seasoning; Layered Nacho Salad with Victoria Taylor's Texas Red Seasoning; and Chunky Chicken Chili with Victoria Taylor's Kansas City Seasoning; to Lemon Flounder with Victoria Taylor's Seafood Seasoning; Shallot and Cognac Glazed Tenderloin with Victoria Taylor's Peppermill Mix; and Quick Apple Parmesan Stuffing with Victoria Taylor's Holiday Seasoning, Because Flavor Is Everything demonstrates and documents a very special and highly recommended addition to any discerning kitchen cookbook reference shelf.

A Taste Of Turkey
Nur Ilkin & Sheilah Kaufman
Hippocrene Books, Inc.
171 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016
0781809487 $24.95 www.amazon.com

Nur Ilkin (native born Turkey who learned the secrets of Turkish cooking from her grandmother) and Sheilah Kauman (traveling cooking instructor, food writer, lecturer, and author of 24 cookbooks) effectively collaborate to create a memorable cornucopia of traditional ethnic recipes in A Taste Of Turkish Cuisine. From Zeytinyagli Yer Elmasi (Jerusalem Artichokes with Vegetables); Sarmisakli Cevizli Yogurt (Yogurt Spread/Dip with Garlic, Dill, and Walnuts); and Zebzeli Tavuklu Pilav (Chicken, Green Beans, and Rice with Saffron); to Etli Yaprak Dolma (Grape Leaves Stuffed with Meat and Rice); Patlicanli Pilav (Eggplant with Rice); Zeytinyagli Bakla (Fresh Fava Beans in Olive Oil); and Su Muhallebisi (Mastic Pudding in Rose Syrup), A Taste Of Turkey is an impressive and very strongly recommended addition to any personal or professional ethnic cookbook collection!


The Fiction Shelf

The Killing Kind
John Connolly
Atria Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, NY, NY 10020
0743453344 $25.00 www.amazon.com

The body of Grace, a Ph.D. candidate, is discovered on a Maine back road and nobody believes it was suicide but when a mass grave is found nearby, the single murderer idea becomes an investigation into a wider mystery in this thriller of a religious group's connections to vengeance and death.

The System
Terry Waghorn & Ken Blanchard
Perseus Publishing
11 Cambridge Ctr, Cambridge, MA 02142
0738207918 $19.95 1-800-242-7737

The System: A Story Of Intrigue And Market Domination by Terry Waghorn and Ken Blanchard joins the genre of business novels with a new twist, adding intrigue and plotting to the cauldron. Tim Hunt and David Atkins must come up with a plan to save an old-economy business due for a hostile takeover. It soon becomes apparent someone will literally kill for this opportunity; for the business could unleash a powerful Web service which will revolutionize the Internet, and many out there would murder to stop it. Intriguing, gripping, and packed with business reality.

Horizons West
Harold G. Ross
Sunflower University Press
PO Box 1009, Manhattan, KS 66505
0897452607 $14.95 1-800-258-1232

Set in America during the Civil War (and with a side look at Scotland), Horizons West by Harold G. Ross is the story of the Ross clan being caught in the national rift that precipitated years of blood and misery, turning brother against brother over questions of ideas, idealism, loyalties and politics. Written with a distinctively Old West flavor, and deftly presenting a harsh and tragic view of America's internal conflict, Horizons West is a powerful, emotional, compelling, original, and highly recommended narrative to anyone who enjoys the kind of historical novel that simply grips the reader's total attention from first page to last.

Baudolino
Umberto Eco
Harcourt
15 E. 26th St., New York NY 10010
0151006903 $27.00 1-800-543-1918

Set in 1204 in the kingdom of Byzantine, this tells of Baudolino, who saves several from death at the hands of crusading warriors through Constantinople, and whose gifts for learning languages and telling tall tales earns him a journey in search of a legendary priest-king in a mysterious land. A fine story of change and discovery set against a believable historical backdrop.

The Boys From Kalamazoo
T. J. Johnston
Burd Street Press/White Mane Pub.
Box 152, Shippensburg, PA 17257-0152
1572492694 $29.95 1-888-948-6263

Set in 1862 during the American Civil War, The Boys from Kalamazoo by t. J. Johnston is a fictional account of the famous Kalamazoo Sharpshooters. Lending a vibrant freshness to a yesteryear world of American history peopled with the heroes, villains, ordinary soldiers, and citizenry who fought and died in the toils and turmoils of a bloody civil war, The Boys From Kalamazoo is entertaining, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and quite vivid in its portrayal of a war-torn America.

Harlot Red
Carole Buchan & Kate Pullinger, editors
Serpent's Tail
255 W. 108th St., #9D1, NY, NY 10025
1852428155 $14.00 1-800-283-3572

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Carole Buchan and Kate Pullinger, Harlot Red is an impressive collection showcasing twelve winning short stories (drawn from more than 900 submissions) from the 2001 Asham Literary Trust's third bi-annual competition of short stories by female authors. As a result, twelve eclectic and unique woman writers present their literarily adroit, intrinsically fascinating and engagingly varied takes on life in this compelling and diverse anthology of contemporary literature.

True Grit
Charles Portis
The Overlook Press
One Overlook Dr., Woodstock, NY 12498
1585673692 $13.95 overlookpress.com

First published in 1968, set in the American frontier during the 1870's, and the basis for one of the most popular western films John Wayne ever made, True Grit is an adventurous novel about Mattie, a young woman determined to avenge her father's death. She convinces one-eyed, fat-bellied, seemingly disreputable U. S. Marshall "Rooster" Cogburn, to accompany her on a journey where they will confront outlaws and worse tracking the murderous gang into dangerous Indian Territory in pursuit of her mission of retribution. A raw saga of character and determination embodying the spirit of the traditional Western, True Grit is an archetypal and highly recommended western.


The Gardening Shelf

Triggerplants
Douglas Darnowski
Rosenberg/Parkwest Publications
451 Communipaw Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07304
1877058033 $16.00 parkwestpubs.com

Triggerplants is the first title to provide a comprehensive examination of carnivorous plants which are based in Australia, but enjoying a widening audience of fans around the world. Chapters focus on triggerplants in different parts of Australia, blending color photos with explanations of how these carnivorous plants work.

Amaryllis
Starr Ockenga
Clarkson Potter
299 Park Avenue, New York NY 10171
0609608819 $20.00 1-800-726-0600

This specialized gardening guide provides a set of full-color photos of different varieties of amaryllis, and represents the author's world journey in an effort to acquire as many varieties as amaryllis as she could. She grew each plant herself, documenting its growth pattern, blooms, and demise: Amaryllis is thus far more than a picturebook, providing gardeners with invaluable, practical growing tips.

Botanica's Organic Gardening
Dr. Judyth McLeod
Laurel Glen Publishing
5880 Oberlin Dr,, San Diego, CA 92121
1571458182 $24.95 laurelglenbooks.com

Botanica's Organic Gardening: The Healthy Way To Live And Grow is an exhaustive, 608-page compendium of information, instruction, and advice specifically written to be completely accessible to organic gardeners of all skill and experience levels. Each page is densely packed with richly detailed information. A superbly organized and handy resource which is enhanced with a wealth of beautiful, full-color photographs, Botanica's Organic Gardening is very highly recommended for its coverage which includes everything from the basics of organic gardening to an extensive encyclopedia of edible plants.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Guide To The Bodhisattva's Way Of Life
Shantideva
Tharpa Publications
PO Box 430, Glen Spey, NY, NY 12737
0948006889 $14.95 www.tharpa.com

Guide To The Bodhisattva's Way Of Life: A Buddhist Poem For Today presents the classic 8th century poem by Shantideva in a thoroughly reader accessible and elegantly translated English text which was transcribed under the guidance of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. The poem itself offers wisdom in the art of balancing altruism with personal happiness and self-satisfaction. Shantideva's Guide To The Bodhisattva's Way Of Life is a core recommendation for dedicated Buddhist Studies collections and reading lists.

Essential Practice
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
1559391812 $15.95 SnowLionPub.com

Essential Practice is a compilation of lectures and teachings about Kamalashila's "Stages of Meditation in the Middle Way School," and a stepping stone to better understanding the mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism. Written by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (tutor to H.H. the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa) who is an honored teacher of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, and skillfully translated into English by Jules B. Levinson (an expert in Buddhist studies, an educator at Naropa University, and employed by the Light of Berotsana Translation Group), Essential Practice presents an incomparable wisdom on the methodology and means of meditation, as well as the ways in which to bring oneself to the transcendence of selfless behavior. Essential Practice is confidently recommended as a welcome and invaluable addition Tibetan Buddhist Studies reading lists and reference shelves.

Ordinary Enlightenment
Charles Luk, translator and editor
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Ave Boston MA 02115
1570629714 $15.95 www.shambhala.com

Translated into English and deftly edited for contemporary readers by life-long student of Buddhism Charles Luk, Ordinary Enlightenment: A Translation Of The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra presents the enduring story of Mahayana Buddhism and Zen, about a householder named Vimalakirti who balances a worldly life with the way of the Bodhisattva. Explanatory notes and a glossary complement this classic, scholarly resource, which is very highly recommended for Buddhist Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra
Tripitaka Master Hua, commentator
Buddhist Text Translation Society
1777 Murchison Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010-4504
0881393169 $18.00 www.bttsonline.org

The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra is an impressive and "reader accessible" English translation of the fundamental text of Ch'an Buddhism encompassing the life and teachings of Master Hui Neng, the Great Master the Sixth Patriarch, as penned by one of his disciples. Effectively rendered into English by the Buddhist Text Translation Society, and enhanced with commentary by Triptaka Master Hua (an orthodox Buddhist leader), The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra presents a Buddhist text transcribed past the language barrier by Buddhists in behalf of a western readership, in order to better spread wisdom and understanding among men and women of all faiths. Highly recommended reading, The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra is an especially recommended contribution to Buddhist Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Education Shelf

When You Have A Visually Impaired Student In Your Classroom
Donna McNear & Iris Torres
Susan J. Spungin, consulting editor
AFB Press
Suite 300, 11 Penn Plaza, NY, NY 10001
0891283935 $9.95 1-800-232-3044

When You Have A Visually Impaired Student In Your Classroom is an informed and informative guidebook written especially for teachers, and published by the American Foundation for the Blind. Chapters. The contributors cogently address how to effectively work with a visually impaired student, how such students can work in the classroom, special devices that can be used to facilitate learning for visually impaired students, and much, much more. With the increasing emphasis on mainstreaming visually impaired children whenever possible, When You Have A Visually Impaired Student In Your Classroom is very highly recommended as being an excellent, up-to-date primer and resource.

Reading For Understanding
Ruth Schoenbach, et al.
Jossey-Bass
989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
0814138675 $21.00 josseybass.com

Ruth Schoenbach, Cynthia Greenleaf, Christine Cziko, and Lori Hurwitz written by educational experts Ruth Schoenbach, Cynthia Greenleaf, Christine Cziko, and Lori Hurwitz, Reading For Understanding: A Guide To Improving Reading In Middle And High School Classrooms is specifically designed to assist classroom instructors to help middle and high school students who are experienced difficulties in reading and understanding academic texts. Reading For Understanding describes a successful approach to helping these students to improve their literacy across all subject areas, and in doing so, to boost their literacy, engagement, and achievement levels. "User friendly" and enhanced with effective and engaging classroom lessons and exercises, Reading For Understanding is an important and highly recommended addition to personal and professional Educational Studies reference collections and reading lists.

When They Don't All Speak English
Pat Rigg and Virginia G. Allen, editors
National Council of Teachers of English
1111 Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801
0814156932 $16.95 1-800-369-6283

Collaboratively compiled and edited by educators Pat Rigg (American Language and Literacy, Tucson) and Virginia G. Allen (The Ohio State University), When They Don't All Speak English: Integrating The Esl Student Into The Regular Classroom presents a variety of essays by nine experienced and knowledgeable contributors concerning the practical realities of teaching in a traditional classroom when only some of the students speak English as a first language. Addressing such topics as the language experience approach, using literature to support language acquisition, the cognitive academic language learning approach, helping ESL high school students achieve success, and much more, When They Don't All Speak English is very highly recommended for all teachers who are working with English As A Second Language (ESL) students.

The Student Evaluation Standards
Arlen R. Gullickson, Chair
Corwin Press/Sage Publications
2455 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks CA 91320
0761946632 $29.95 1-805-499-9734

The Student Evaluation Standards: How To Improve Evaluations Of Students is the production of The Joint Committee On Standards for Educational Evaluation under the chairmanship of Arlen R. Gullickson. Presenting twenty-eight standards for assessing evaluation practices in elementary and secondary classrooms, with each standard being broken down into four essential attributes of sound evaluation, along with definitions, guidelines, common errors, supportive documents, and illustrative case studies, The Student Evaluation Standards is a recommended and seminal reference which competently and accessibly address the issues of Propriety Standards (protecting individual rights); Utility Standards (ensuring that evaluations are timely, informative, and influential); Feasibility Standards (recognizing "real-world" dynamics and environmental influences); and Accuracy standards (determining whether an evaluation has produced sound information). These standards have been approved by the American National Standards Institute and were developed with assistance from members of sixteen professional educational societies and associations.

Changing Attitudes
Vincent Ryan Ruggiero
Allyn and Bacon
160 Gould Street, Needham Heights, MA 02194
0205269729 $29.00 1-800-278-3525

Changing Attitudes: A Strategy For Motivating Students To Learn by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero (a pioneer in the teaching of creative and critical thinking who is currently President of Mind Power, Inc.) is a useful and sensible guide for classroom teachers to helping and getting through to their students who are scholastically impeded with negative attitudes toward school, schoolwork, and teachers. Individual chapters focus upon how to identify negative attitudes, how to show students to express their attitudes as ideas, and how to help students learn to analyze these ideas for themselves. One example is learning to replace the harmful idea of "Whoever disagrees with me commits an offense against me" to "Disagreement is not necessarily personal. It can be exclusively about the idea in question, and in that case no offense is committed." Changing Attitudes is also very highly recommended for parents who are attempting to teach their own children the basics of sound reasoning and critical thinking, as well as formal classroom educators.

Teaching Strategic Processes in Reading
Janice F. Almasi
The Guilford Press
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
1572308060 $28.00 www.guilford.com

Teaching Strategic Processes In Reading by Janice F. Almasi (Associate Professor in the Department of Learning and Instruction, Graduate School of Education, The State University of New York at Buffalo) is the latest volume in the outstanding Guilford Press "Solving Problems In The Teaching Of Literacy" series. Professor Almasi focuses on helping children become thoughtful, independent readers able to flexibly utilize a spectrum of reading strategies for comprehension and word recognition. Professor Almasi presents research-based explanations and guidelines for developing a comprehensive, "user friendly" strategy instruction model for classroom teachers in grades K-8. A very highly recommended addition to Educational Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists, Teaching Strategic Processes In Reading is enhanced with case studies and sample lessons, lists of recommended student texts, excerpts from teacher journals and portfolios, reproducible learning activities, graphic organizers, and assessment tools.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Centennial Composers Collection
Beegie Adair & Will Friedwald
Green Hill Productions
c/o Spring Hill Music Group, Inc.
2021 Richard Jones Road, Suite 180, Nashville, TN 37215
GHD5298 $69.99 greenhillmusic.com

Centennial Composers Collection is an impressive set of six music CDS featuring 75 songs showcasing the enduring talents of great American composers, including George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Richard Rodgers, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, and Hoagy Carmichael. All of the recorded works are deftly performed by the skilled jazz pianist Beegie Adair. These enduring musical classics are brought to vivid life and enhanced with informed and informative liner notes, biographies, and commentary by Will Friedwald in this outstanding collection which enthusiastically recommended for jazz connoisseurs and would make an admirable and popular addition to any music school or community library collection.


The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf

Baen Books
PO Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
1-800-223-2336 www.amazon.com

Two new titles provide the usual good hard science fiction hand of Charles Sheffield's talents. Resurgence (0743435672, $24.00) tells of an interstellar troubleshooter who is trying to relax after solving a big cosmic mystery only to find his reputation and past comes to haunt him. A wave of cosmic destruction is taking out entire stellar systems, and it's up to Rebka to find out why. Swift action and drama. Sheffield's Between The Strokes Of Night (0743435680, $15.00) is set in the year 27,698AD, when mankind has fled an extinct earth to face the Immortals, beings who have super-powers and who control the lives of ordinary mortals. A small group decides to confront this race and encounters further mysteries in their journey.

Voyage Of The Majestic And Other Tales Daryl Reiley
Xulon Press
11350 Random Hills Road, Suite 800, Fairfax, VA 22030
1591602629 $11.99 1-866-909-2665

Voyage Of The Majestic And Other Tales is an impressive anthology of deftly written stories by Daryl Reiley embodying fantastical high seas adventure, forbidden magical arts, complex social and moral issues, within intrinsically original, entertaining tales -- one of which is (Arlo's Prayer) is a true story based on the author's having to cope with a condition of galactosemia. An engrossing read that brings life to a world as real and multidimensional as our own, the individual stories showcased in this highly recommended collection include: The Dark Knight; Arlo's Prayer; Introduction to Voyage of The Majestic; Voyage of The Majestic; The Two Pathways; Handel's Redemption; The Halfling's Forbidden Art; Kerdith The Wanderer; Revelations of the Clouds; and Butterfly.

Eyes Of An Eagle
S. A. Gorden
Taconite Runes
42302 Chase Lake Road, Deer River, MN 56636
0971947139 $16.50 www.amazon.com

Eyes Of An Eagle is a fascinating and original work of science fiction in which Daniel Karpinen, a textbook and magazine editor, discovers the mathematical key to controlling gravity. What Daniel has learned brings both great change and great danger, as well as evoking mystical forces beyond his immediate comprehension which propel him on an inner journey tracing the ways of his ancestors. Highly recommended reading for "science oriented" science fiction enthusiasts, Eyes Of An Eagle is an impressively profound (even spiritual), compelling, and entertaining story from first page to last.

Priestess Of Avalon
Marion Zimmer Bradley
ROC Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0451458621 $15.95 1-800-847-5515

A British princess with close magical ties to Avalon falls in love with a Roman officer and finds herself banished from the one kingdom which has accepted her in this moving story, which needs no prior familiarity with Bradley's Avalon setting and characters to prove riveting. Helena's journey from her beloved spiritual home takes her into the heart of Roman worlds and politics, where she will see her son become Emperor and her role a challenge to both kingdoms. Hard to put down.

Veniss Underground
Jeff Vandermeer
Prime Books, Inc.
PO Box 36503, Canton, Ohio 44735
1894815645 $15.00 primebooks.net

Deftly written in a quite distinctive prose style by Jeff Vandermeer , Veniss Underground is a science fiction saga set on a future Earth covered with deserts, the result of overpopulation and ecological disaster. As humanity slowly loses touch with advanced technology, it is discovered that biological engineering is being used by a mysterious scientist named Quinn toward unknown ends. That's when three unsuspecting people find themselves drawn into the scientist's web of biological engineering in this dark, often disturbing dystopia in what is known as "Veniss Underground". Due to be released to the reading public in April, 2003, Veniss Underground will be also be available as a 240-page mass market paperback (189481 5440, $5.99).

Eden-459
Martin J. Stab
GMA Publishing
Newburgh, Indiana 47640
1592680070 $16.00 www.amazon.com

Inspired by author Martin J. Stab's personal UFO sightings, Eden-459 is a thoroughly "reader friendly" science fiction yarn about the creation of an international space station, along with a space ship which can carry astronauts on a one-way mission to a new planet. Alien infiltration on Earth, and plots of destruction for the trailblazing mission, lead to murder, murmurs of mutiny, and worse aboard the space faring vessel, -- all the while, a great asteroid is threatening to obliterate the Earth. An exciting adventure that stretches past cosmic limits, Eden-459 is recommended reading for any science fiction buff.


The Biography Shelf

Clausewitz
Roger Parkinson
Cooper Square Press/NBN, dist.
200 Park Avenue South, Suite 1109, New York, NY 10003-1503
www.coopersquarepress.com
0815412339 $17.95 1-800-462-6420

Clausewitz: A Biography by biographer Roger Parkinson relates the life and work of German officer and military theorist Carl Phillip Gottleib von Clausewitz (1780-1831) who is perhaps best known for his historic contribution to military studies titled "On War." Scrutinizing Clausewitz's life and ideas in the keenest detail, Clausewitz: A Biography is a classic and highly scholarly study of military theory, as well as a straightforward and very strongly recommended presentation of a great leader's life.

Inventing Norman Cantor
Norman F. Cantor
ACMRS
c/o Arizona State University
PO Box 872508, Tempe, AZ 85287-2508
http://www.asu.edu/clas/acmrs/mrts
0866982930 $28.95 1-480-727-6503

Inventing Norman Cantor: Confessions Of A Medievalist by Norman F. Cantor (one of America's foremost medieval historians and a leading contributor to Medieval scholarship) combines personal autobiography with experienced-based insights into the field of Medieval Studies from 1948 to 2001, as seen through the prism of his own academic career. Humorous anecdotes, wry observations, insights into academia, and more abound in this involving and informative memoir. The sequel to his very popular book Inventing The Middle Ages, and deftly organized into seven major sections (The Last Roundup; British Humanism; The Culmination of the Old Culture; Troubled University and the New Culture; Leadership and Power; Writing and Teaching; Knowing More About Academe), Inventing Norman Cantor is a superlative read and a welcome addition to Medieval Studies and Academic Biography collections and reading lists.

Charles Darwin
Cyril Aydon
Carroll & Graf Publishers
c/o Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.
161 William St., 16th fl., NY, NY 10038
0786710470 $26.00 carrollandgraf.com

Biographer Cyril Aydon drew upon a lifetime's interest in Charles Darwin and his work to write Charles Darwin: The Naturalist Who Started A Scientific Revolution. The result is a fascinating and informative biography of the famed author of "The Origin of Species" and "The Descent of Man". It was Charles Darwin whose theories of evolution (and whose proposal that the descendants of primordial primates could, over thousands or millions of years, eventually become men through the process of natural selection) would change forever how human beings think of themselves and understand their own genesis. This accurate and engagingly written biographical account blends an overview of natural science with the events of Darwin's life before, during, and after the publication of his trailblazing scientific treatises. Charles Darwin is a very highly recommended study of a truly great man whose trailblazing contribution to biological science is still a substantial part of public debate and controversy today between religious creationists who deny, and the scientific community which supports, Darwin's concept of human evolutionary development.

Coming About
Susan Tyler Hitchcock
Sheridan House
145 Palisade St., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
1574091352 $14.95 sheridanhouse.com

Coming About: A Family Passage At Sea is the memoir of Susan Tyler Hitchcock, a wife and mother of two young children. Feeling the demands of daily life slowly pulling all of the members of her family apart from one another, the Hitchcock's embarked upon a nine-month, 3,500 mile Caribbean sea voyage in order to reconnect and discover more about the world. Highly recommended reading, Coming About biographically chronicles their adventures and life experiences with a vivid and engaging honesty which includes internal contemplations on the values of marriage, family, and togetherness.

Inside Out
Alexandra Stein
North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.
PO Box 451, St. Cloud, MN 56302
0878391878 $16.95 1-888-820-1636

Inside Out: A Memoir Of Entering And Breaking Out Of A Minneapolis Political Cult is the true, compelling, and personal testimony of Alexandra Stein, an intelligent, sensible woman who was lured into a secretive and exploitative political cult called the O. A cautionary tale of corruption run rampant, the dangerous psychology of insulated groups, and the spiraling demands for money and more that cults and the psychopathic, sociopathic, charismatic leaders can exact from their unwitting members, Inside Out is a gripping read and a solid warning of the downside of human nature.

The Iron Butterfly
Doris Colmes
Publish America
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
159129472X $21.95 publishamerica.com

A Jewish woman's journey through life in the twentieth century is revealed in The Iron Butterfly: A Trip Through The Twentieth Century, the moving and candid memoir of Doris Colmes. This compelling autobiography includes an escape from the Holocaust, a sexual assault, a stint of homelessness, a cycle of jobs, marriage, and more. An instructive and personal story of her triumphs, sufferings, and hard-earned lessons, Doril Colmes' The Iron Butterfly is thoughtful, thought-provoking, and highly recommended.


The Audiobook Shelf

Fever
Katherine Sutcliffe
Books on Tape
Box 25122, Santa Anna, CA 92799-5122
0736680799 $72.00 1-800-541-5525

Set in the bayous of the American South, Fever is an intense romance by Katherine Sutcliffe which centers on Juliette Broussard, a destitute young woman picked plucked from an isolated convent school by her godfather Max Hollinsworth and assigned to marry Tylor, his heir to a run-down sugar cane plantation. Katherine comes to a an emotional and destiny laden crossroads when Chantz Boudreaux (who is Max's illegitimate son) who is the plantation's overseer, saves her from drowning in the Mississippi and falls in love with her. A smoky story of passion, lust, and the effort to rebuild something worth sharing, Fever is superbly narrated by Anna Fields. Nine 90 minute cassettes; Unabridged.

Bitter Creek
Carter Swart
Americana Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 11546, Albuquerque, NM 87192
1588070352 $25.00 1-888-883-8203

Set in the American Dakota territory during the 1886 drought, Carter Swart's Bitter Creek is a compelling novel of escalating tension and blood feud between stockmen and homesteaders, as cattle die and control of the river becomes central to a brutal dispute involving at first fists, then guns. Only one man has the skill in negotiation to prevent all-out war, but he himself has given up the gun! A dramatic and exciting epic of the Old West, Bitter Creek is deftly narrated by Alan Zimmerman and highly recommended, thoroughly entertainting listening. 4 cassettes, 360 minutes.

Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1-800-854-7859 www.amazon.com

These leisure audios excel in dramatic readers paired with fast-paced plots and notable authors. Tracie Peterson's Shadows Of The Canyon (1590866835, $17.95), for example, provides romance enthusiasts with a captivating historical novel centering around a Harvey Girl resort worker who finds her parents the focus of an investigation. Heartache and romance blend in this drama, spiced with veteran Sandra Burr's narration. Linda Nichols' Not A Sparrow Falls (159086 7270, $17.95) receives Joyce Bean's smooth and television-honed voice as it tells of a young woman on the wrong side of the law, and tired of running. Jack DuBrul's River Of Ruin (1590863593, $24.95) enjoys J. Charles' 40+ years in professional theater, which enlivens a reading of a high school friend's favor and a maze of assassins and underground espionage. P. T. Deutermann's Darkside (1590861124, $24.95) is brought to life by veteran Dick Hill's notably golden voice as it tells of a U.S. Naval Academy mishap with some bizarre twists. John Case's The Eighth Day (1590862317, $24.95) also enjoys Hill's smooth voice as it tells of a struggling PI who takes on an easy, profitable case only to find himself immersed in a conspiracy. Greg Iles' Mortal Fear (1590861272, $24.95) receives Jay O. Sanders' smooth and strong voice as it tells of Harper, who has become prime suspect in a set of bizarre serial killings. J.D. Robb's Conspiracy In Death (159086 4429, $24.95) enjoys Susan Ericksen's performance-oriented dramatic voice as it tells of a serial killer who plays cat-and-mouse with a dedicated female lieutenant. Christine Kling's Surface Tension (15908 65103, $24.95) enjoys Laural Merlington's professional acting background, which translates to a smooth rendition of a debut novel involving a sassy new sleuth and a tugboat captain. Joel Rosenberg's Last Jihad (159086628X, $19.95) receives Dick Hill's exceptional voice as it tells of a Wall Street strategist turned politician who faces the terrorist forces of Hussein personally. All are exceptional leisure lisens, highly recommended.

Oasis Audio
289 S. Main Pl, Carol Stream, IL 60188
1-800-323-2500

Four new titles provide intriguing leisure choices and lessons for those who would find inspiration in their listening choices. Robert Whitlow's The Sacrifice (185926 0309, $22.99) tells of an attorney who returns to his hometown only to find himself defending a man accused of a racially-motivated shooting. Add a tense relationship and personal strife and you have a thought-provoking plot considering ethics and values as well as life changes. Dr. Don Colbert's Bible Cure For Weight Loss & Muscle Gain (1859260414, $7.99) provides an unusual combination of Biblical guidelines blending with the latest medical research to show how to handle weight loss with a blend of diet and exercise. God wants you to be heathy, and here's how to blend two approaches. His Toxic Relief (1859260422, $19.99) also offers an alternative weight loss program based on the premise that overeating and lack of energy are results of a toxic battle waged within the human body. Many are tired and always ill: this promotes a program of juice fasting to cleanse the body of toxins and regain health. Tim LaHaye's How To Be Happy Though Married (1859260252, $17.99) advises couples in trouble to turn to the Bible for advice. This updates a classic of advice, exploring six keys to marital happiness, which include spiritual insights. All are involving listens.

Time Warner Audiobooks
1271 Ave. of the Americas, NY NY 10020
1-800-759-0190 www.amazon.com

Two more additions to the expanding Rich Dad's Advisors audiobook CD series on how to get wealth and maintain it provide two more approaches to becoming rich. Dolf de Roos's Real Estate Riches (1586214632, $24.98) tells how to recognize deals, how to increase a property's value without spending much money, and how to create passive income using the bank's money. Packed with savvy insights. Diane Kennedy's CPA background comes to life in Loopholes Of The Rich (1586214624, $24.98), which tells how to control how much tax you pay, when you pay it, and how to understand the basics rules of the IRS. Both will appeal to any who want specific guides to generating and maintaining wealth.

Audio Renaissance
5858 Wilshire Blvd., #200, LA, CA 90036
1-800-266-2834 www.amazon.com

These new arrivals to the expanding, impressive publishing list of Audio Renaissance arrived too late for more timely holiday mention, but deserve ongoing and year-round attention. Augusten Burroughs' Running With Scissors (155927 8676, $32.00) receives the author's own smooth and seasoned voice as it presents his memoir of a boy whose mother gave him away to be raised by her crazy psychiatrist. At the age of 12 the author found himself living in squalor: his account is both harrowing and funny. Alice McDermott's Child Of My Heart (1559277688, $38.00) enjoys a spirited reading by Sheryl Bernstein who brings to life this story of a child of older parents raised among the rich, who works with children and animals. Daisy's coming of age and search for a place in her world brings her encounters with memorable individuals in this saga. Janet Evanovich's Visions Of Sugar Plums (1559277726, $22.00) receives Lorelei King's smooth voice as it provides a pre-holiday mystery revolving around Stephanie Plum's new beau a stranger who walks into her home and life to help her tackle some mysteries. Donna Van Liere's The Christmas Shoes (155927 7750, $22.00) receives Paul Michael's winning style and voice as it provides a tale of a successful attorney whose drive for success has alienated him from family and friends. A chance Christmas meeting changes his life in this story of faith and friendships. Al and Tipper Gore's Joined At The Heart (1559277653, $30.00) presents a reading by the two of them exploring the changing nature of the American family and their own family dynamics. Their insights into pressures on the typical contemporary family includes short memoirs and explorations of communication issues in this thoughtful collection.

August House
PO Box 3223, Little Rock, AR 72203
$14.95 each 1-800-284-8784

The new line of single audio compact disc stories from August House will appeal to a wide audience; but particularly those who enjoy good stories and yarns. Donald Davis' four collections, for example, bring the best of this Appalachian storyteller's repertoire to the public ear with Going To Grandma's (90874836859), A Room Of My Own (90874836891), Friends Come Back (90874836832), and Mama Learns To Drive (90874836875). Each provides memoirs from the author's life, blending values-oriented lessons with humor and reflection. Humor is also a mainstay of Bobby Norfolk's style of story-telling, as Norfolk Tales (90874836956) and Why Mosquitoes Buzz In People's Ears (90874836956) illustrate. His blend of world folk stories and delightful humor will appeal to those interested in traditional African tales as well as short stories in general. Kathryn Tucker Windham's stories come to life in Women To Remember (90874836913) and At Home With My Daddy's Stories (90874836921), recalling family interactions and stories with roots in the author's Southern heritage. These are excellent regional folk story-telling traditions which listeners will find rich in depth.

Audio Editions
1133 High Street, Auburn, CA 95603
www.audiopartners.com

Alfred Lansing's Endurance audio CD (1572702907, $29.95), powered by British actor Tim Pigott-Smith, brings to life the story of Polar explorer Ernest Shackleton, who enabled almost thirty men to survive for over a year on the Antarctic seas in 1915. Diary excerpts and interviews with the men contribute to an account which comes to life in audio format. Rosemary Leach brings to life yet another Agatha Christie Miss Marple mystery, Sleeping Murder (1572702850, $29.95). Here Miss Marple tackles a case involving a newlywed's newly haunted house which provides unwelcome portraits of murder. Invigorating suspense is brought to life by Leach's experienced voice. P.G. Wodehouse's My Man Jeeves (1572702869, $21.95) pairs actor Martin Jarvis' smooth rendition and background in Jeeves materials with five complete Jeeves stories about the quietly comic valet. A fine introduction even newcomers will relish.

Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
1-800-729-2665 blackstoneaudio.com

Blackstone Audiobook specializes in offering complete and unabridged narrations of outstanding titles, both contemporary and classic. Two particularly recommended additions to any community library audiobook collections include G.A Henty's historical novel, For The Temple (P2958, $62.95) in which John of Gamala does his best to defend God's temple at Jerusalem by from the legions of the Roman general Titus. The a surprising result of his efforts (which includes hand-to-hand combat with Titus) is the forging of a relationship with the Roman leader that lasts even after the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem. William Sutherland provides a superbly delivered narration in this 13 hour audiocassette edition. The Land Of Oz is the sequel to L. Frank Baum's more famously known The Wizard Of Oz and is a delightful account of the further adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman -- and introduces The Highly Magnified Woggle-Bug, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Animated Saw-Horse, and the Gump. Delightfully narrated by Anna Fields, The Land Of Oz runs about 5 1/2 hours and is available in an audiotape edition (P2964, $32.95) and an CD format (ZP2964, $40.00). School and community Audio/Visual Materials librarians are encouraged to send for the free Blackstone Audiobooks catalogs and monthly mailings for a complete roster of available fiction and non-fiction, adult and juvenile audiobook titles in either audiocassette, CD, or MP3-CD formats.


The Native American Shelf

Blackfoot Physics
F. David Peat
Phanes Press
PO Box 6114, Grand Rapids, MI 49516
1890482838 $16.95 www.phanes.com

Blackfoot Physics: A Journey Into The Native American Universe is a melding of anthropology, history, metaphysics, cosmology, and quantum theory. Written by F. David Peat (a theoretical physicist who has also studied Native American ceremonies and traditions such as the Blackfoot Sun Dance), Blackfoot Physics strives to bridge the gap between diverse understandings of the universe, while crafting parallels between science and spirituality. A unique and original work of insight, Blackfoot Physics in a unique and strongly recommended contribution to Metaphysical Philosophy and Native American Studies.

William Bartram On The Southeastern Indians
Gregory A. Waselkov & Kathryn Braund
University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0255
0803262051 $25.00 1-800-755-1105

Collaboratively compiled, edited, and notated by Gregory A. Waselkov (Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Archaeological Studies, University of South Alabama) and Kathryn E. Holland Brand (Associate Professor of History, Auburn University), William Bartram On The Southeastern Indians is comprised of the writings and observations first published in 1791 by William Bartram regarding flora, fauna, and the Native American Creeks, Seminoles, and Cherokee that he encountered while touring the American Southeast. This scholarly edition is enhanced for contemporary readers with illustrations, notes, a bibliography, an index, and an informative chapter devoted to the significance of William Bartram's writings in anthropological studies of 18th century southeastern Native American cultures. William Bartram On The Southeastern Indians is a core addition to personal, professional, and academic Native American Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.

Arctic Justice
Shelagh D. Grant
McGill-Queen's University Press
3430 McTavish Street, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 1X9
0773523375 $34.95 1-800-387-0141

Meticulously researched and informatively presented by Shelagh D. Grant (Adjunct Professor of History and Canadian Studies, Trent University), Arctic Justice: On Trial For Murder, Pond Inlet, 1923 is the true and accurate historical account of how the Canadian government asserted its power and control in the High Arctic. When an unwise trapper threatened to kill the sled dogs of a Baffin Island Inuit group, the natives followed the Inuit customary law that individuals who threaten the community must be killed, -- and then executed him. For the first time, Canadian law authorities put the individual Inuit who carried out the sentence and two accomplices of his on trial for murder in a move, argues the author, that was not meant to bring justice to the Inuit community, but rather to establish Canadian sovereignty over the Arctic. A fascinating and carefully detailed account of law, history, politics, and the erosion of Native American sovereignty, Arctic Justice is an original and very highly recommended contribution to Native American Studies and Canadian History reference collections.

Struggle For The Land
Ward Churchill
City Lights Books
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
0872864146 $19.95 www.citylights.com

Long out of print, this new edition of Ward Churchill's Struggle For The Land: Native North American Resistance To Genocide, Ecocide And Colonization is an impressive and very highly recommended collection of fiery essays that will give the contemporary reader pause concerning the American government's systematic exploitation of the land and elimination of the Native American peoples who have inhabited it, and the bittersweet results of the Native American attempts to defend the land from defoliation, strip-mining, and other destructive depredation of the 19th and 20th centuries. An extensive detailed collection of essays chronicling such events as the Lakota struggle for the Black Hills, an acute perspective on the Navajo-Hopi land dispute, a stringent presentation of the American Indian diaspora, and more, make Struggle For The Land a core addition to community and academic Native American Studies collections.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Mugai Ryu
Darrell Max Craig
YMAA Publication Center
4354 Washington St, Boston, MA, 02131
1886969183 $22.95 1-800-669-8892

Darrell Max Craig is a student of Karate under Sensei Z. Shimbuku, and holder of a 6th Dan in Karate & Jujitsu, a 5th Dan in Kobudo & Kendo, and a 4th Dan in Iaido, Judo & Aikido. In Mugai Ryu: The Classical Samurai Art Of Drawing The Sword Craig has compiled and written a single volume, 314-page presentation (with illustrations) history of the Samurai code of Bushido. In doing so, Craig draws upon his personal encounters with the descendants of famous samurai of the past to accurately depict the many rituals of the Samurai sword, including how these swords were made, cared for, and tested. Very highly recommended reading for martial arts students and aspiring swordsmen, Mugai Ryu provides the reader with complete instructions for more than twenty traditional sword-drawing techniques and sparring routines, including the "one cut" techniques of the ancient Samurai of feudal era Japan.

Xingyiquan
Lian, Shou-Yu & Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publications
4354 Washington St, Boston, MA, 02131
0940871416 $26.95 1-800-669-8892

Xingyiquan: Theory, Applications, Fighting Tactics And Spirit showcases one of the best known of the Chinese internal martial arts. Originated by Marshal Yeuh Fei (a famous general of the Chinese Song Dynasty), xingyi means "Shape Mind" and quan means "Fist" or "Style", and the marital arts combination called xingyiquan derives its name from an imitation of the movements and inner characteristics of twelve animals. Enhanced with two sequences with many of their martial applications, as well as the famous fight set "Ann Shenn Pau", Xingyiquan is a single volume, highly recommended instructional presentation of traditional xingyiquan training methods (including a discussion of xingyiquan theories and principles derived from many of the ancient poems and songs) which is ideal for martial arts students and practitioners at all levels of experience.


The Poetry Shelf

The Owl Question
Faith Shearin
Utah State University Press
1151 E. 700 N., Logan, UT 84322-7800
0874214459 $15.95 1-800-239-9974

Winner of the May Swenson poetry award, The Owl Question by Faith Shearin is a unique collection of brief yet evocative verse, featuring a foreword by Mark Doty (an international poet and the appointed judge for the 2002 May Swenson Award). Examining adolescence, nature, femininity, parenthood, daily life, and more, these inspirational and deftly written verses often carry a down-to-earth, narrative-event tone. My father, in middle age, falls in love with a dog./He who kicked dogs in anger when I was a child,/who liked his comb always on the same shelf,/who drank martinis to make his mind quiet./He who worked and worked/- his shirts/wrapped in plastic, his heart ironed/like a collar./He who - like many men -/ loved his children but thought the money/he made for them was more important/than the rough tweed of his presence.

The Selected Levis
Larry Levis
University of Pittsburgh Press
3400 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260
0822957930 $16.95 www.pitt.edu/~press

Now in a newly revised edition that includes verses from "Elegy", Larry Levis' (1946-1996) final collection of poetry, The Selected Levis, gathers inspirational and moving verse whose lyrical, picturesque wording evokes an atmosphere all its own -- sometimes beautiful, sometimes bleak and dark. But some things are not possible on the earth./And that is why people make poems about the dead./And the dead watch over them, until they are finished:/Until their hands feel like glass on the page,/And snow collects in the blind eyes of statues.

Tickets For A Prayer Wheel
Annie Dillard
Wesleyan University Press
110 Mount Vernon Street, Middletown, CT 06459-0433
0819565369 $12.95 1-800-421-1561

Annie Dillard's Tickets For A Prayer Wheel is an impressive and highly recommended collection of lucid poetry, elegantly written in free verse, concerning the mundane, the natural, and the mystical. Matter-of-fact narrative gives way to descriptive elegance of brevity in this inspirational work. Deciduous trees/have dominion. But look on bark;/molds make fruiting bodies/out of air. Winner/take all. Grab/a handle. Earth/rolls down like dolphins dive,/headlong to dark.

Arabian Love Poems
Nizar Kabbani
Lynne Rienner Publishers
1800 30th Street, Suite 314, Boulder, CO 80301
0894108816 $16.95 www.rienner.com

Collaboratively translated into English by Bassam K. Frangieh and Clementina R. Brown, Arabian Love Poems showcases the poetry and verse of Syrian born Nizar Kabbani (1923-1998). Kabbani's poetry is direct, spontaneous, musical, and drew upon the language of everyday life. Each poem is presented in a bilingual text of Arabic and English in this superbly presented edition which will well serve to introduce an American readership to one of the finest 20th Century poets of the Middle East. When I wrote your name/On the notebook of roses/I knew/All the illiterate,/All the sick and impotent men/Would stand against me./When I decided to kill the last Caliph,/To announce/The establishment of a state of love/Crowning you as its queen,/I knew/Only the birds/Would sing of the revolution with me.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Quarterback Your Investment Plan
Eamonn "Ed" Nohilly
Personal Finance Publishing
PO Box 55130, Riverside, CA 92517
0967624991 $19.95 1-866-799-9902

Quarterback Your Investment Plan: The Basics For Beginners by financial planner and insurance expert Eamonn "Ed" Nohilly is a straightforward financial guide written specifically for beginners seeking to understanding and balance their investment risks with feasible rewards in today's ever-changing and volatile economy. Ideal for readers with little or no previous backgrounding in the world of finance, individual chapters cover how to understand economic news better, taking advantage of tax shelter plans, different types of life insurance, the role of money market securities and savings accounts, and much, much more. Quarterback Your Investment Plan is a strongly recommended and first-rate primer for investment planning for both short term and long term investment goals.

A Concise Guide To Getting Grants For Nonprofit Organizations
Mark Guyer
Kroshka Books
c/o Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
400 Oser Avenue, Suite1600, Hauppauge, NY 11788
1590330870 $19.50 novapublishers.com

Mark Guyer draws upon his more than fifteen years of professional experience as a grant writer to author A Concise Guide To Getting Grants For Nonprofit Organizations. This brief, 124-page, information-packed survey of the do's and don'ts of writing effective grant requests also includes useful Internet sites for grant seekers, explores other fund-raising options, and a great deal more. A Concise Guide To Getting Grants For Nonprofit Organizations is a straightforward, practical, "user friendly", how-to resource which is especially recommended to anyone charged with the responsibility of obtaining governmental or private sector grants in support of their nonprofit organization or group.

Simply Essential Funeral Planning Kit
Don S. Cochrane
SelfCounsel Press
1704 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
1551803828 $11.95 1-800-663-3007

In writing Simply Essential Funeral Planning Kit, author Don S. Cochrane draws upon his fifty years of professional assisting people as a funeral director, counselor, educator, and administrator. Specifically designed and written for the non-specialist general reader, Cochrane provides step-by-step instructions for funeral arrangements for oneself, a friend, or a family member. All of the pertinent details are clearly and accessibly discussed including the three phases of a funeral; the different types of services available; the availability of professional assistance; the costs involved; documenting information for the family; as well as the emotional, cultural, and legal considerations relevant to a memorable funeral service. Enhanced with an accompanying computer disk containing the forms referred to in the book, Simply Essential Funeral Planning Kit is a strongly recommended addition to community library collections, and an invaluable guide for anyone charged with the responsibility of funeral arrangements for others, -- or who want to make their wishes known for their own funeral service when their time comes.


The Travel Shelf

Touring East Coast Wine Country
Marguerite Thomas
Berkshire House Publishers/NBN, dist.
480 Pleasant St., Lee, MA 01238
1581570570 $18.95 1-800-321-8526

Compiled and written by travel writer and cookbook author Marguerite Thomas, Touring East Coast Wine Country: A Guide To The Finest Wineries offers the reader a wealth of reliable information concerning lodgings, touring programs, fine restaurant dining, trivia details of specific interest to the vacationer and wine connoisseur looking to enjoy a relaxing and engaging trip along New England, New York State, the Mid-Atlantic States or Virginia. A welcome and highly recommended trip and travel planning resource, black-and-white photographs enhance this succinctly presented guidebook.

Sacred Places: North America
Brad Olsen
Consortium of Collective Consciousness Publishing
134 Dakota #102, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
1888729090 $17.95 www.bradolsen.com

Compiled and written by Brad Olsen (Editor, World Explorer), Sacred Places: North America offers the reader 108 spiritual destinations throughout North America, ranging from the Salt Lake Temple of Utah, to the Ellis Medicine Wheel of Alberta in Canada, to the Garden of the Gods in Hawaii, to the birthplace of Martin Luther King. Black-and-white photographs, succinct descriptions, advice for traveling, combine to make Sacred Places: North America a revealing, useful, and enthusiastically recommended guide for the vacationer seeking to fulfill their spiritual as well as their recreational yearnings.

The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation
Steven M. Barrett
The Intrepid Traveler
PO Box 531, Branford, CT 06405
1887140433 $14.95 intrepidtraveler.com

The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation by Steven M. Barrett is a handy and practical guide to making the most of personal and family vacations to various theme parks comprising Disney World in Orlando, Florida, including Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, The Magic Kingdom, Pleasure Island, Downtown Disney, Blizzard Beach & Typhoon Lagoon. Special features include "Hidden Mickeys", tips for taking memorable photographs, fun and unusual things for repeat visitors to enjoy, and "at-a-glance" ratings from more than seventy Disney World sit-down restaurants (plus tips for being seated with minimal waits). From advice on what to bring and where to eat; to knowing which attractions and rides have minimal waits and which are least crowded at certain times of year; to two-day touring planes, extensive park-specific information and much, much more, The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation is an ideal planning guide, and most especially recommended for vacationing parents with young children in tow!

Watch It Made In The U.S.A.
Karen Axelrod & Bruce Brumberg
Avalon Travel Publishing
1400 65th Street, Suite 250, Emeryville, CA 94608
1566914310 $19.95 www.factorytour.com

Collaboratively researched and written by the husband & wife team of Karen Axelrod and Bruce Brumberg, Watch It Made In The U.S.A.: A Visitor's Guide To The Companies That Make Your Favorite Products is a unique and very highly recommended travel guide featuring more than 300 fully updated and contemporary factory tours and corporate visitor centers and exhibitions from Dole in Hawaii, to the Jelly Belly Center in Wisconsin, to Cruzan Rum in the U.S. Virgin Islands. From product exhibits ranging from the Jell-O Gallery in New York to the Kool-Aid "Discover the Dream" in Nebraska, Watch It Made In The U.S.A. offers colorful descriptions of the tours, admission fees (which are often free!), days and hours of accessibility, age and group requirements, disabled access, and more. This newly revised and expanded edition includes a Caribbean section as well as information when there are other nearby attractions to the showcased factor and exhibit sites.

Along Interstate 75
Dave Hunter
Mile Oak Publishing, Inc.
Suite 81, 20 Mineola Road East, Mississauga, ON, Canada L5G 4N9
1896819303 $21.95 1-800-431-1579

Now in an completely updated eleventh edition, Along Interstate 75 compiled by travel expert Dave Hunter is a veritable treasure trove of "local knowledge" and "insider information" regarding tourist attractions, stops, restaurants, facilities, and so much more to be found along Interstate Highway 75 which stretches from Detroit, Michigan down to the Florida Border. Along Interstate 75 earned a "Certificate of Merit" from Writer's Digest (as well as several other recognitions) by being packed from cover to cover with color maps, capsule summaries of where each exit leads, historical trivia, and sightseeing information. Along Interstate 75 is a first-rate "must-have" travel guide for anyone interested in enjoying a truly memorable Interstate 75 road trip!

Venice In Context
Robert Wayne
Independent International Travel, LLC
201 Swanton Way, Decatur, GA 30030
0972022872 $29.95 europeincontext.com

Compiled and written by Robert Wayne, Venice In Context is a very different kind of travel guide -- one that comes with its own audio CD offering detailed tours of Venice narrated by Joel Godard, along with an informative text enhanced with a profusion of full-color photographs showcasing Venetian landmarks and beautiful artwork. Venice In Context is an evocative and superbly conceptualized travel and tourist guide, not just for the practical realities of planning one's trip, but also for those armchair travelers, as well as destination-undecided vacationers who would like to see and hear a grand portrait of this illustrious city before committing themselves. While the principle recommended is as a travel guide, Venice In Context is also a unique and welcome supplement for studies of Venetian history, art, and architecture.

Africa's Top Wildlife Countries
Mark W. Nolting
Global Travel Publishers
KSB Promotions (publicity)
5353 N. Federal Hwy. #300, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
www.AfricanAdventure.com
0939895102 $19.95 1-800-882-9453

Now in its revised and expanded sixth edition, Africa's Top Wildlife Countries by Mark W. Nolting (who has spend more than twenty years personally exploring and researching the African continent) is a thorough and "user friendly" instructional guidebook to making the most of an African safari. Specific sections are devoted to each nation and cover top-rated or first-class accommodations, professional tours, and ecologically-friendly visits enabling the traveler to see and experience a wide variety of amazing and exotic wildlife. Enhanced with an extensively detailed planner offering the latest information on the best times to visit, what to pack, and which tours offer the most service, Africa's Top Wildlife Countries is enthusiastically recommended for anyone planning to embark on a "once-in-a-lifetime" safari adventure of their own.

Exploring South Carolina's Islands
Terrance Zepke
Pineapple Press, Inc.
PO Box 3889, Sarasota, FL 34230
1561642592 $9.95 pineapplepress.com

Researched, compiled and written by writer/photographer Torrance Zepke, Exploring South Carolina's Islands is a complete, descriptive and thoroughly "user friendly' travel guide for vacationers and day-tripping travelers seeking to learn more about the history and attractions of the islands off the South Carolina coast. Examining a host of small and unique coastal paradises, with information on parks, tours, centers, lodging, dining, recreation, and much, much more, Exploring South Carolina's Islands is a unique, focused and detailed guide which is especially recommended for those looking to relax and have fun along the South Carolina coast.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Professional Home Inspection Results
Richard Lee Burgess
Procor Edison Publications
12906 Briarwest Circle, Houston, TX 77077
www.procoredison.com
0971361002 $69.95 1-800-724-2630

Written by Richard Lee Burgess with contributions by Phillip Stojanik, Professional Home Inspection Results: A Complete Source Of Reference For Aspiring And Practicing Home Inspectors is a 252-page compendium of information on how to effectively and competently conduct a home inspection. This "how-to" manual includes the inspection of structural systems; electrical systems; plumbing systems; heat, ventilation, and air conditioning; appliances; swimming pools; as well as wells and septic systems. Also covered are wood-destroying insect infestation, miscellaneous optional inspections, marketing and contracts, ethics and standards of practice. Enhanced with a comprehensive glossary, a universal field form, and reporting-language samples, Professional Home Inspection Results is an ideal instructional reference for aspiring and practicing housing inspectors -- and homeowners and/or buyers wanting to insure adequate and reliable inspection reports upon which to base their own decisions.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Bare Your Soul
Angela Watrous, editor
Seal Press
c/o Avalon Publishing Group Inc.
161 William St., 16th Fl., NY, NY 10038
158005076X $16.95 www.sealpress.com

Compiled and edited by freelance writer Angela Watrous, Bare Your Soul: The Thinking Girl's Guide To Enlightenment is an impressive collection of brief yet moving and insightful essays by various female authors, about their journeys toward religious understanding and the embrace of spirituality. Different tales address the diverse religions that the contributors have chosen to follow, ranging from Islam, to Catholicism, to Judaism, to Zen Buddhism. A moving and inspirational selection of thought-provoking testimonials, Bare Your Soul is thoughtful and thought-provoking.

Women In Higher Education
Ana Aleman and Kristen Renn, editors
ABC-CLIO, Inc.
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
1576076148 $85.00 www.abc-clio.com

Compiled and edited by Ana M. Martinez Aleman (Assistant Professor of Education in the Higher Education Program at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College) and Kristen A. Renn (Assistant Professor in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education Program at Michigan State University) , Women In Higher Education: An Encyclopedia is an impressive, 635-page social and historical survey women's colleges, female professors, demographic trends connected to race and gender in higher education, and much more. An exhaustively researched collection of essays by a wide variety of learned contributors, Women In Higher Education offers a solid baseline of information and facts from which to build a better future for women everywhere looking to pursue a degree. Organized into sections specifically addressing "Historical and Cultural Contexts"; "Gender Theory and the Academy"; "Feminism in the Academy"; "Women in Curriculum"; "Women and Higher Education Policy"; "Women Students"; "Women Faculty"; "Women Administrators"; and "Women Employees", Women In Higher Education is additionally enhanced with two appendices ("Women's Studies Research Resources" and "Colleges Identifying Themselves as Women's Colleges"); an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index. Women In Higher Education is an essential, seminal, indispensable contribution to both Education Studies and Women's Studies reference collections.

The Woman's Book Of Positive Quotations
Leslie Ann Gibson, editor
Fairview Press
2450 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454
1577491238 $18.95 fairviewpress.org

Compiled and arranged by Leslie Ann Gibson, The Woman's Book Of Positive Quotations is a collection of 7,341 spiritual, inspirational, upbeat and meaningful quotes by a wide variety of respected women, ranging from Teresa of Avila, to Virginia Woolf, Doris Day, Margaret Thatcher, Susan B. Anthony, and many more. Organized under 62 general subjects and 703 subconcepts, The Woman's Book Of Positive Quotations is indexed by author for easy reference. An uplifting joy to simply page through at random, and a veritable treasure trove of imminently practical advice ("The attributes of a great lady may still be found in the rule of the four S's: Sincerity, Simplicity, Sympathy, and Serenity.") The Woman's Book Of Positive Quotations" is whole heartedly recommended for self-help, self-improvement reading lists, as well as Women's Studies supplemental reference collections.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Mayflies: Top To Bottom
Shane Stalcup
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
1571882421 $29.95 amatobooks.com

In Mayflies: Top To Bottom, Shane Stalcup draws upon his more than twenty years of commercial expertise in tying flies for anglers around the world to show trout fishermen how to tie an effective, lifelike mayfly lure that will prove irresistible to their favorite game fish. Full-color photography superbly illustrates each expert innovative fly tying technique and project. An informed and informative discussion of fly tying materials and practices make Mayflies: Top To Bottom (also available in a Spiral Hardbound edition: 157188243X, $39.95) an indispensable and enthusiastically recommended addition to any dedicated angler's reference shelf.


The Philosophy Shelf

Masters & Disciples
Hal Sarf, Ph.D.
Regent Press
6020-A Adeline, Oakland, CA 94608
1587900319 $18.00 www.regentpress.net

Masters & Disciples by independent scholar and philosopher Hal Sarf, is an imposing and erudite study of the teacher-pupil relationship and the dynamics involved with the process of passing on knowledge. From masters as teachers, to masters as saviors, and students as apprentices, seekers, disciples, as well as the transcendence of creative revisionism when the student becomes the master, Masters & Disciples is a impressive, original, thoughtful and thought-provoking work that especially examines profound historical figures such as Jesus Christ, Bernstein, and Nietzche. Masters & Disciples is a very strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, or academic Philosophical Studies and Education Studies reference collection and supplemental reading list.

Rituals Of The Way
Paul Rakita Goldin
Open Court Publishing Company
PO Box 300, Peru, IL 61354-0300
0812694007 $26.95 opencourtbooks.com

Rituals Of The Way: The Philosophy Of Xunzi by Paul Rakita Goldin (Assistant Professor of Chinese Thought, University of Pennsylvania) is an original study of Chinese philosophy in general, and Confucian dilemmas, as addressed by classic Xunzi text, attributed to and named after the philosopher Xun Kuang (ca. 310-ca. 210 B.C.), in particular. Individual chapters look at what the wisdom of this ancient text offers concerning self-cultivation, the mind, the nature of Heaven, ritual and music, language and "The Way". Numerous excerpts, presented both in the original Chinese and in English translation, are quoted in this interpretational work which deeply profound and highly recommended, especially for students of Chinese philosophy.


The Political Science Shelf

The Opposition Presidency
David A. Crockett
Texas A&M University Press
Drawer C, College Station, TX 77843
1585441570 $39.95 1-800-826-8911

The Opposition Presidency: Leadership & The Constraints Of History by David A. Crockett (Assistant Professor of Political Science, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas) is an insightful 286-page treatise (including Notes, Bibliography, and Index) surveying and examining American Presidents throughout U.S. history as "opposition leaders." Focusing especially on Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton, but generalizing to others as well, The Opposition Presidency studies political balances, these presidents' attempts to push their agendas (often past a Congress or Senate of the opposite political party), and a great deal more. An intriguing and scholarly study, The Opposition Presidency is especially recommended for Political Science reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Scandal Proof
G. Calvin Mackenzie & Michael Hafken
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
0815754035 $16.95 www.brookings.edu

Written by G. Calvin Mackenzie (Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professor of American Government at Colby College and an Adviser to the Brookings Presidential Appointee Initiative) with the assistance of Michael Hafken (Research Analyst at the Brookings Institution), Scandal Proof: Do Ethics Laws Make Government Ethical? offers an insightful analysis of the laws designed to regulate the ethical behavior of the federal government from 1961 (when President Kennedy signed Executive Order 10930), down to modern-day executive orders by Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. These efforts to "scandal-proof" government have been costly to finance in terms of taxpayer dollars, yet they have they been successful? Examining their real impact on how things are done, and presenting the question of whether there are better ways to bring more honesty to Washington government, Scandal Proof is a thoughtfully written account and highly recommended for students of Ethics and Political Science.


The Archaeology Shelf

The Lost World Of Pompeii
Colin Amery & Brian Curran, Jr.
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
0892366877 $45.00 1-310-440-6795

Collaboratively written and presented by Colin Amery (Directory of the World Monuments Fund in Britain) and Brian Curran, Jr. (West Coast Consultant for the World Monuments Fund), and enhanced by the photography of Chris Caldicott, The Lost World Of Pompeii is a lavishly illustrated history, filled from cover to cover with full-color photographs, showcasing what history and archaeology can tell us of the ancient Roman seaside community and culture of Pompeii that suffered sudden oblivion from the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. An erudite text combines with revealing artworks and the results of archaeological excavation to make The Lost World Of Pompeii a truly immersive, informative, and enthusiastically recommended reading experience.


The Musicbook Shelf

Reed All About It
Bob Bernotas
Boptism Music Publishing
916 Union St., 2-C, Brooklyn, NY 11215
0972618503 $18.00 www.boptism.com

In Reed All About It, jazz journalist and historian Bob Bernotas has compiled an impressive array of articles, portraits, interviews, and more featuring a vast variety of great reed and jazz musicians. Reed All About It showcases the wisdom and joy for life of such notable jazz talents and greats as James Moody, Frank Foster, Johnny Griffin, George Coleman, Joe Lovano, and numerous others. A highly enjoyable vignette selection especially for jazz fans, Reed All About It is highly recommended and a welcome addition to any personal, community library, or academic Jazz History and American Music reference collection or supplemental reading list.

The Piano Handbook
Carl Humphries
Backbeat Books
600 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
0879307277 $29.95 backbeatbooks.com

The Piano Handbook: A Complete Guide For Mastering Piano by pianist, composers, and music journalist Carl Humphries is a straightforward, "user friendly" tutorial for mastering the art of piano playing. An erudite text (illustrated with both black-and-white and color photographs) deftly detail various styles of play ranging from romantic, to classical, to jazz, rock, blues, and more, as well as technical matters such as hand positions, pedaling, tonal balance, chord progressions, etc. The Piano Handbook is enhanced with an accompanying music CD which has tracks relating to 69 different exercises. Highly recommended to piano players of all skill and experience levels seeking to improve, The Piano Handbook is designed in a spiral bound format which will conveniently lay open flat while practicing music.

Sonic Cool
Joe S. Harrington
Hal Leonard Corporation
151 W. 46th St., 8th floor, NY, NY 10036
0634028618 $24.95 1-800-637-2852

Compiled and written by music writer and historian Joe S. Harrington, Sonic Cool: The Life & Death Of Rock 'n' Roll is an impressive and detailed 595-page history of the rock 'n' roll music phenomenon. Smoothly penned and excitingly told, Sonic Cool presents the matter-of-fact rise and fall of the music style's popularity in a manner that reads like more like an enjoyable novel than a pedantic music school textbook. Sonic Cool is a sometimes funny, sometimes insightful, and always fascinating saga which is very highly recommended for all rock music buffs and students of 20th Century American Popular Culture.

The Sounds Of People And Places
George O. Carney
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
0742517438 $37.95 1-800-462-6240

Now in its fourth edition, The Sounds Of People And Places compiled and edited by George O. Carney (Regents Professor of Geography, Oklahoma State University) is an impressive and informative compilation of original and learned essays considering the geography of American music. Focusing on country, classical, blues, bop, and other musical styles, these various treatises carefully and cogently examine the connection between geographical place and the evolution of musical; musical iconography; regional musical influences; and much, much more. A fascinating and unique study, The Sounds Of People And Places is enthusiastically recommended reading for the devoted student of American music in all of its regional and stylistic diversity.

The Clash
Marcus Gray
Hal Leonard Corporation
151 W. 46th St., 8th fl., NY, NY 10036
063404673X $18.95 1-646-562-5880

Now in a revised and updated edition, Marcus Gray's The Clash: Return Of The Last Gang In Town is the informed and informative biographical history of "The Clash," one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands in the decades following the sensational Sixties. Following the individual band members' travails through basements, rehearsals, and street busking, to their wild popularity on the stadiums, the participation in radical politics, and their semi-legendary celebrity mythology, The Clash is an involving, well-researched, meticulously written, and inviting account offering a genuine, behind-the-scenes look at what it is to be a rock 'n' roller in general, and a member of "The Clash" in particular.


The Genealogy Shelf

The Book of Irish Families Great & Small
Michael C. O'Laughlin
Irish Geneaological Foundation
PO Box 7575, Kansas City, MO 64116
0940134098 $36.00 www.Irishroots.com

Now in an expanded and updated third edition, The Book Of Irish Families Great & Small by genealogy expert Michael C. O'Laughlin (Editor of the monthly "Journal of Irish Families) is a solid and accessibly presented genealogical reference based upon ancient and modern manuscripts. Offering 20,000 Irish family names, 700 illustrated coats of arms, ancient maps and illustrations, step-by-step guides for tracing Irish family roots, and so much more, The Book Of Irish Families Great & Small is a first-rate and enthusiastically recommended reference for any dedicated genealogist or aspiring family historian seeking to track down their Irish roots.


The Railroading Shelf

Western Train Adventures
Mark McLaughlin
Mic Mac Publishing
PO Box 483, Carnelian Bay, CA 96140
0965720241 $18.95 micmacmedia.com

Western Train Adventures: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly by Mark McLaughlin is a superbly written and presented collection of railroading oriented, action-packed, true adventure stories showcasing the "Iron Horse" in the American West. The historical incidents portrayed include: The "Yankee Princess": Virginia & Truckee Railroad; Murder at Boulder Creek; Short Line to Paradise; Robert Louis Stevenson: Riding the Rails for Love; The Great Verdi Train Robbery; Curse on the "City of San Francisco"; McGlashan's Midnight Ride & Vision for Winter Sports; Cape Horn Caper: California's First Train Heist - Almost!; and Stephanie Taylor - An Artist's Profile. Enhanced with historic photographs, Western Train Adventures is informative, entertaining and very strongly recommended reading for railroad history buffs of all ages!

Rio Grande Through The Rockies
Mike Danneman
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187
0890243654 $21.95 1-800-533-6644

Rio Grande Through The Rockies by railroading enthusiast Mike Danneman is a superbly presented black-and-white photographic celebration of passenger and freight trains of the Rio Grande. Over 100 stunning images selected from the David P. Morgan Memorial Library of the Kalmbach Publishing Company bring these great trains and scenic landscapes to life. Brief captions enhance the captivating pictures. Also very highly recommended for railroad buffs is a companion title in this outstanding "Classic Trains: The Golden Years of Railroading" series from Kalmbach: The Pennsylvania Railroad: Under Wire (0890246173; $21.95) by William D. Middleton.


The Law/Justice Shelf

Know Your Legal Rights
Kiplinger Books
1729 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006
0938721852 $17.95 www.kiplinger.com

Written by the editors of "Kiplinger's Personal Finance", Know Your Legal Rights is a solidly organized and accessibly presented reference ideal for the non-specialist general reader wanting to learn how to safeguard their legal rights, their family members, their personal finances and property, and more. Armed with a competent and basic knowledge of American law and judicial system, Know Your Legal Writes covers a spectrum of issues ranging from protecting oneself from liability in an accident, to dealing with insurance companies, to keeping up-to-date on the tax code, our civil rights regarding search and seizure, pension and social security rights, etc. Know Your Legal Rights is very highly recommended for the general public and small business owners, and should be made readily available to the general reading publicity through the collections of every community library system in the country.

Everyday Law Made E-Z
Alice K. Helm, LL.B., J.D., editor
Made E-Z Products, Inc.
384 South Military Trail, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
1563825252 $24.95 www.MadeE-Z.com

Compiled and edited by judicial expert Alice K. Helm, Everyday Law Made E-Z is an exhaustively researched and accessibly presented guide to American legal matters applicable to non-specialist general readers and everyday life situations. Individual chapters cogently address laws dealing with marriage, divorce, child custody, immigration, civil rights, making a will, slander and libel, loans, motor vehicle matters, the basics of criminal law, and more. Everyday Law Made E-Z is a strongly recommended, up-to-date resource for answering common legal questions.

African American Classics In Criminology & Criminal Justice
Shaun L. Gabbidon, et al.
Sage Publications, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
0761924337 $41.95 www.sagepub.com

Collectively compiled and edited by Shaun L. Gabbidon, Helen Taylor Greene, and Evernetta D. Young, African American Classics In Criminology & Criminal Justice is a selection of twenty-three crucial articles focused upon criminology and criminal justice from a distinctively African-American perspective. The rather impressive list of contributors include such outstanding scholars as W.E.B. Du Bois, Lee Brown, Elijah Anderson. Eruditely written, persuasively worded, and weathering the test of time, these writings here assembled are a very strongly recommended supplement to both Black Studies and Criminal Justice reference collections and reading lists.

Behind The Walls
Jorge Antonio Renaud
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
1574411527 $29.95 unt.edu/untpress

Holding a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Sam Houston State University, Jorge Antonio Renaud is also journalist, the former editor of the ECHO (the Texas Prison newspaper), and a convicted felon serving time for armed robbery. Jorge drew from his own life experiences to write Behind The Walls, a practical, no-nonsense guide written specifically for friends and family members of Texas prison inmates. Offering basic information about the Texas prison system, the daily lives of prisoners, the importance of family contact to perpetuate hope for a better life outside of prison, and an objective expose of the system itself, make Behind The Walls compelling reading for far more than just its target audience. This is also an invaluable, experience-based, and articulate contribution to twin fields of criminology and penology.


The Science/Technology Shelf

The Nobel Scientists
George Thomas Kurian
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228
1573929271 $75.00 1-800-421-0351

This biographical encyclopedia will interest college-level libraries, providing a strong set of profiles of over four hundred scientists who've won the Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, or medicine. Entries provide basic bibliographic information along with details on the scientist's career and other achievements. An excellent reference.

Math And Science Across Cultures
Maurice Bazin, et al.
The New Press
450 West 41st, NY, NY 10036
1565845412 $19.95 thenewpress.com

Collaboratively compiled and written by Maurice Bazin, Modesto Tamez, and the Exploratorium Teacher Institute, Math And Science Across Cultures: Activities And Investigations From The Exploratorium is specifically designed to enable teachers and parents to make science and math both relevant and interesting to children through the use of hands-on activities drawn from different cultural traditions. While construction the Cuica (a Brazilian instrument used during Carnaval) students can investigate and learn about the science of sound. Through the use of "Sona" (Southwestern African sand drawings), students will re-enact ancient storytelling traditions the use complex, interwoven patterns which reflect basic mathematical principles. From counting like an Egyptian, to decoding like a Mayan, to drawing like a Tchwokee, Math And Science Across Cultures will entertainingly and informatively engage children in the discoveries, innovations, and creative explores of cultures from around the globe. Highly recommended as a traditional classroom curriculum supplement, Math And Science Across Cultures is also ideal for use in a homeschooling environment.

Biology: Understanding Life
Sandra Alters
Jones and Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
0763708372 $67.95 www.jbpub.com

Now in an updated and expanded third edition, Biology: Understanding Life by Sandra Alters is an impressively organized and presented instructional text which is adaptable to high school or college curriculums, and is eminently suitable for classroom work, home schooling, or for independent study. Color photos enhance a clear and precise text which includes exercises and a solid coverage spanning a wide variety of topics including human genetics, development before birth, evolution issues, the nervous system, senses and hormones, and a great deal more, making Biology: Understanding Life an essential and highly recommended reference and teaching tool.

The Copepodologist's Cabinet
David M. Damkaer
American Philosophical Society
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
0871692406 $60.00 amphilsoc.org

The Copepodologist's Cabinet: A Biographical And Bibliographical History by zoologist and oceanographer David M. Damkaer is an exhaustive, scholarly, and in-depth text dedicated to the history of the scientific study copepod crustaceans - some free-living, some parasitic, all fascinating within their unique link in the natural ecosystem. These remarkable invertebrates have been scrutinized since the time of Aristotle, and this lavish 300-page illustrated compendium gathers together under one cover the facts and history of this remarkable life form which have been passed down through the ages among biologists. The Copepodologist's Cabinet is an informed and informative contribution which is especially recommended for professional and academic invertebrate zoology reference collections.

Invitation To Anthropology
Luke Eric Lassiter
AltaMira Press
1630 North Main Street, #367, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
0759103100 $24.95 altamirapress.com

Invitation To Anthropology by Luke Eric Lassiter (Associate Professor of Anthropology, Ball State University) is an accessibly presented introductory text to the science of cultural anthropology, written especially for students considering this field of scholarship as a part of their overall academic studies. Individual chapters address the study how human cultures are shaped, beginning with the meaning of ethnography, and then moving on to issues of adaptation throughout history, gender issues, the role of family and kinship, the role of religion, and much, much more. Ideal for non-specialist general readers with a passing curiosity on the subject, Invitation To Anthropology is confidently recommended as being a quite practical, well-researched and solid beginning manual to this diverse and fascinating field.

Microbes And Society
I. Edward Alcamo
Jones & Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
0763714305 $74.95 www.jbpub.com

Microbes And Society: An Introduction To Microbiology by Edward Alcamo (Professor of Microbiology, State University of New York - Farmingdale) is a superbly organized and illustrated basic textbook introducing the reader to the complex and rapidly evolving science of microbiology which includes bacteria, viruses, protists, and fungi. Of special and particular interest are the chapters devoted to microbial genetics and the controlling of microbes. The role and influence of microbes in human affairs is given meticulous attention including the relationship of microbes to food and food safety; microbial DNA; biotechnology and industry; microbes in agriculture and in the environment; disease and resistance; viral diseases from AIDS to Zoster; and bacterial diseases in humans. Microbes And Society is an ideal classroom text and a highly recommended addition to school and community library microbiology science reference collections.

The Eureka! Moment
Rupert Lee
Routledge
29 W. 35th St., NY, NY 10001-2299
0415939410 $25.00 1-800-634-7064

One hundred key discoveries of 20th century science are covered in a title which examines over a hundred years of progress. In 1900 there were no antibiotics, no radios, and no knowledge of Pluto, for example. The Eureka! Moment provides a short review of the 100 top discoveries in every field of science, using a lively tone which will lend to browsing by many a non-scientist.

Water Science And Engineering
Savely L. Polevoy, D.Sc.
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
www.krieger-publishing.com
1575242133 $69.50 1-800-724-0025

Water Science And Engineering is a straightforward, cross-discipline, graduate-level text by hydrogeologist and hydrologic cycle expert Savely L. Polevoy concerning water's properties and behavior, it molecular structure, fluid mechanics, the global processes related to water, water's role in the evolution of life, and much, much more. Intensely detailed and technical, aptly researched and expertly instructing the reader in all aspects of hydrology, Water Science And Engineering is a first-rate reference and teaching tool for aspiring engineers and scientists in water-related fields.

Materials And Design
Mike Ashby & Kara Johnson
Butterworth-Heinemann
225 Wildwood Ave, Woburn, MA 01801
0750655542 $49.99 www.bh.com

Collaboratively written by Mike Ashby (Professor, Engineering Department, Cambridge University) and design materials expert Kara Johnson, Materials And Design: The Art And Science Of Material Selection In Product Design is a thoroughly "user friendly" instructional guide to the scientific and systematic crafting of products from a variety of materials. Individual chapters address multidimensional issues, shaping joints and surfaces, rules of thumb for selecting certain materials over others, and much more in express, college-level detail. Enhanced throughout with full color photography and numerous illustrations, Materials And Design is strongly recommended as an extensive, superbly organized and presented, instructional resource and professional level reference.

Reflections On The Foundations Of Mathematics
Wilfried Sieg, et al.
Association for Symbolic Logic
c/o A. K. Peters, Ltd.
63 South Ave., Natick, MA 01760-4626
1568811705 $45.00 www.akpeters.com

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Wilfried Sieg, Richard Sommer, and Carolyn Talcott, Reflections On The Foundations Of Mathematics: Essays In Honor Of Solomon Feferman is a scholarly, college-level text consisting of contributions by a number of learned authors about the complex and fascinating realm of mathematical logic and which were presented at a symposium honoring Solomon Feferman at his 70th birthday. Divided into sections concerning theoretic analysis, logic and computation, self-applicative theories, and philosophy of modern mathematical and logic thought, Reflections On The Foundations Of Mathematics, which is also available in a hardcover edition (1568811691; $95.00), is expressly recommended for advanced students and academics in the field, and is filled with a wealth of extensive equations and examples outlining the theories and discussions.


The Social Issues Shelf

The New Rulers Of The World
John Pilger
Verso
180 Varick Street, NY, NY 10014-4606
185984393X $19.00 versobooks.com

The New Rulers Of The World by British journalist John Pilger is a stringent and articulate denunciation of globalization, calling it a "myth", and categorizing it as a contemporary facade for American and Western European imperialism. Expanding the original message of the television film by the same name, The New Rulers Of The World insightfully examines the suffering and death that the World Bank allegedly levied upon Indonesia; the ill results of the decade-long embargo on Iraq; reflections on the hypocrisy behind Australia's Olympics and its continued subjugation of Aboriginals, and much, much more. A fiery, passionate, thought-provoking account, The New Rulers Of The World is highly recommended reading for students of International Economics, International Relations, and Contemporary Social Issues as exemplified and exacerbated by the phenomenon of corporate and governmental globalization.

Teaching & Learning Peace
William M. Timpson
Atwood Publishing
2710 Atwood Ave., Madison, WI 53704
www.atwoodpublishing.com
1891859447 $21.95 1-888-242-87101

Teaching & Learning Peace by educator and peace advocate William M. Timpson is a scholarly, education-oriented instructional guide to the teaching of nonviolent and peaceful means for conflict resolution. Individual chapters cogently address the fostering the right classroom environment for learning peace; promoting and actions in alignment with ethical values (especially by example); instructional strategies (including multi-modal delivery and experiential learning); and much, much more. Teaching & Learning Peace is commended as being an exceptional guide, -- especially for professors and parents concerned about educating the next generation in the ways of nonviolence.

Biopiracy
Vandana Shiva
South End Press
7 Brookline St., #1, Cambridge MA 02139
0896085554 $13.00 southendpress.org

Biopiracy by physicist, ecologist, and environmental activist Vandana Shiva is a harsh but perceptive survey and analysis of the expansion of population pressures on the environment, and more importantly, the technological advances which have been made and which seemingly have begun to dominate and shape life itself, as well as the process by which life is generated. A timely and critically important contribution to environmental policy discussions, Biopiracy is recommended as a sharp warning cry of alarm at where humanity's current tendency to pollute and put the dollar first can lead, as well as the damage that modern trends have down to traditional ways of life, -- especially among native peoples.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The ABCs of Writing for Children
Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff, editor
Quill Driver Books/Word Dancer Press
1831 Industrial Way, #101, Sanger, CA 93657
1884956289 $16.95 1-800-497-4909

Compiled and edited by Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff, The ABCs Of Writing For Children features the experience and advice of 114 children's authors and illstrators on the art, business, and craft of writing books for young readers preschool through highschool. Invaluable and very highly recommended reading for anyone who aspires to write or illustrate children's literature, The ABCs Of Writing For Children combines "how to" advice with journal-like information on what a children's book writer and/or illustrator's life is like. All of the essential aspects and elements of researching, writing, rewriting, submissions, rejections, and getting published are covered in a thoroughly "reader friendly", 352-page text which is enhnaced with an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index.

A Writer's Guide To Powerful Paragraphs
Victor C. Pellegrino
Maui arThoughts Company
PO Box 967, Wailuku, HI 96793-0967
0945045050 $18.95 booksmaui.com

A Writer's Guide To Powerful Paragraphs by Victor C. Pellegrino is a straightforward, easy-to-understand how-to guide to improving the quality of one's writing, one paragraph at a time. Aspiring writers are provided with thirty different but effective ways to organize and write competent paragraphs, including paragraphs focused on chronology, physical or process analysis, classification, enumeration, cause and effect, dialogue, anecdotes, introductions, conclusions, transitions, and a great deal more. Highly recommended and quite "user friendly", A Writer's Guide To Powerful Paragraphs is a superbly organized and presented supplement for aspiring authors of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels ranging from the high school novice, through community college and university level writing assignments, to professional contract and free-lance authors.

The Ultimate Creative Writing Partner Dramatica Pro
Dramatica
150 E. Olive Avenue, Suite 203, Burbank, CA 91502-1849
$269.99 1-818-843-6557

Now in version 4.0 for both Windows and Macintosh, The Ultimate Creative Writing Partner Dramatica Pro is an impressively thorough and exhaustively compressive software created and designed to specifically aid writers of all skill and experience levels, ranging from the aspiring novice to seasoned and published professional. Tools to improve plot structure, scene creation, visualize characters, apply different story modes, and much, much more offer a wealth of insight and a "user friendly" means of keeping track of drafts and details. A superb reference and working tool for any writer, The Ultimate Creative Writing Partner Dramatica Pro is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh and offers a complete and enthusiastically recommended step-by-step writing system which will enhance any literary effort whether it be personal or commercial.


The Psychology Shelf

Adolescent Psychiatry, Volume 26
Lois T. Flaherty, editor
The Analytic Press, Inc.
101 West Street, Hillsdale, NJ 07642
0881633321 $57.50 analyticpress.com

The twenty-sixth volume of "The Annals of the American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry" (first launched in 1971), Adolescent Psychiatry is the latest collection of peer papers and scholarly contributions exploring, challenging, and discovering new ideas concerning the working of children's and young adults' minds. A diverse selection of insightful essays by a variety of learned authors cover such topics as the minds and lives of male homosexual adolescents; community interventions for reducing youth violence; therapy for inpatient and outpatient suicidal adolescents; matters pertaining to ADHD and Conduct Disorders; and much, much more. A fascinating compendium delving into the latest thoughts and wisdom concerning young minds and psyches, Adolescent Psychiatry is a seminal contribution to professional and academic research library collections.

Grieving Mental Illness
Virginia Lafond
University of Toronto Press
2250 Military Rd., Tonawanda, NY 14150
0802085326 $17.95 1-800-565-9523

Now in a newly revised and expanded second edition, Grieving Mental Illness: A Guide For Patients And Their Caregivers by mental health practitioner Virginia Lafond is an informed and informative guide to coping with the onset of mental illness in a friend, loved one, or family member. From dealing with the overpowering emotions of grief, anger, and fear; to answering frequently asked questions; Grieving Mental Illness is a "reader friendly" and strongly recommended introduction for non-specialist general readers faced with the unique challenges that mental illness brings to themselves and to their charges.

Hypnosis And Suggestibility
Clark L. Hull, Ph.D.
Crown House Publishing Limited
4 Berkeley St., Norwalk, CT 06850
1899836934 $44.95 1-203-852-9504

First printed in 1933, Hypnosis And Suggestibility: An Experimental Approach by Clark L. Hull (1884-1952) is a classic work in the annals of psychology and describes the rigorous scientific experimental methods which helped establish the behavioral view of hypnosis as an exact science. Long out of print, and now made available by CrownHouse Publishing Limited, Hypnosis And Suggestibility is especially recommended for personal and academic reference collections as being a studious, extensively detailed, college-level text that transcends the test of time.


The Sports Shelf

Tales From The Miami Dolphins
Garo Yepremian & Skip Clayton
Sports Publishing, LLC
804 N. Nell, #100, Champaign, IL 61820
1582615500 $19.95 1-877-807-6034

Collaboratively compiled and written by Dolphin football player Garo Yepremian Garo Yepremian and sports broadcaster and author Skip Clayton, Tales From The Miami Dolphins: A Collection Of The Greatest Dolphins Stories Ever Told! is a "must read" collection of true stories that take Dolphin fans behind the scenes with locker room episodes, road travel events, and team camaraderie experiences as the individual players dealt with pre- and post-1973 Superbowl challenges within and outside the world of professional football. Enhanced with a wealth of black-and-white photography, Tales From The Miami Dolphins is one terrific read!

Traditional Lead Climbing
Heidi Pesterfield
Wilderness Press
1200 Fifth St, Berkeley, CA 94710-1306
0899972551 $17.95 1-800-443-7227

Traditional Lead Climbing: Surviving The Learning Years by mountain and rock climbing expert Heidi Pesterfield is a basic instructional guide designed for the intermediate level outdoor climber with limited knowledge of how to lead a climbing team. Included are step-by-step descriptions of equipment, rope management, and techniques illustrated by photography and cartoons. Enhanced with the experiences and comments of world-class climbers showcased in sidebars to the "user friendly" text, Traditional Lead Climbing is an indispensable, even life-saving, instructional guide that should be mandatory reading for anyone aspiring to become a lead climber in the exciting but dangerous sport of rock and mountain climbing.

Running & Breathing
Justin O'Brien, Ph.D.
Yes International Publishers
1317 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105-2602
0936663294 $14.95 yespublishers.com

Running & Breathing by running expert and wellness pioneer Justin O'Brien (Adjunct Faculty, University of Saint Thomas, Saint Paul and The University of Saint Mary, Minneapolis, and Preceptor, Institute of the Himalayan Tradition), is a supplemental resource highly recommended for runners everywhere, as it covers the dynamics of running and controlling one's breathing through yoga techniques (as well as other aspects) in order to get the best out of a physical workout. A highly practical, health-conscious wellness guide, Running & Breathing is also highly recommended reading for anyone seeking to run, walk, bicycle, or engage in any other extended physical activity requiring breath control for optimum performance and benefit.


The Business Shelf

Logistics And Fulfillment For e-Business
Janice Reynolds
CMP Books
1601 West 23rd Street, Suite 200, Lawrence, KS 66046
1578200741 $39.95 cmpbooks.com

Logistics And Fulfillment For e-Business: A Practical Guide To Mastering Back Office Functions For Online Commerce is a straightforward instructional manual to the basic logistics of designing, managing, and running an efficient model for profitable e-commerce regardless of the product or service being offered. From outsourcing technology; to dealing profitably with shipping costs (including the pros and cons of USPS versus other package shippers); to handling customer relations in e-Business; and much, much more, Logistics And Fulfillment For e-Business is a handy, user friendly, "how-to" reference with invaluable, practical advice for any merchant or entrepreneur setting up an e-storefront to supplement (or replace) a traditional brick-and-mortar based commercial operation.

Expand The Pie
Grande Lum, et al.
Castle Pacific Publishing Company
1301 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
096538697X $17.95 castlepacific.com

Collaboratively written by professional business negotiators Grande Lum, Irma Tyler-Wood and Anthony Wanis-St. John, Expand The Pie: How To Create More Value In Any Negotiation is a straightforward and "user friendly" guide to improving one's skill at negotiation and bargaining. Individual chapters cogently address the importance of abandoning preconceptions and readying oneself before approaching the negotiation table; the 4D process (Design, Dig, Develop and Decide) to see discussion through to closure; using objective standards; and much more. An excellent self-help guide useful in both business and daily life, Expand The Pie is especially recommended for those new to negotiating business contracts.

Successful Business Planning In 30 Days
Peter J. Patsula
Patsula Media
PO Box 388, Ashland, OH 44805
www.smallbusinesstown.com
0967840228 $22.95

Now in an newly updated and expanded second edition, Successful Business Planning In 30 Days: A Step-By-Step Guide For Writing A Business Plan And Starting Your Own Business by Peter J. Patsula is concise, "reader friendly", and contains all the information needed to craft a comprehensive business plan for any type of entrepreneurial activity with a 30 day time frame. There is even a section showing how to create a min-business "one day" play in a single afternoon. Successful Business Planning In 30 Days offers more than 200 educational and motivational quotations and 33 specific tips for making a profit. Enhanced with time-saving worksheets and checklists, and a sample business plan prototype, Successful Business Planning In 30 Days is highly recommended to anyone charged with developing a company mission statement, marketing strategy, or financial breakdown.

Class Acts
Mary Mitchell
M. Evans & Company/NBN, dist.
216 East 49 St., NY, NY 10017-1502
0871319799 $21.95 1-800-462-6420

Class Acts by business etiquette authority and consultant Mary Mitchell is a straightforward, "reader friendly" guide to using good manners, etiquette, and positive relationships to improve business efficiency, profitability, and the lowering of daily stress levels while on the job. From the importance of accountability, forgiveness, and trustworthiness; to improving communication skills; to handling disagreement in the most effective manner (always disagree in private if possible, and carefully watch one's tone of voice while disapproving); to coping with the challenges of cyberspace; to knowing better than to pursue a workplace romance (or if one must, to pursue it with caution and close awareness of the other party's feelings), Class Acts emphasizes that it is the creation of good and enduring relationships which, in the end, are fundamental to the establishing of a good and profitable business climate.

The writing, publishing, and reading of books has been the hallmark of every enduring civilization known to recorded history. It is when the books are neglected, discarded, or burned that civilizations crumble.


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