Ganong
David Folster
Goose Lane Editions
500 Beverbrook Court, Suite 330, Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5X4
0864924801, $24.95 www.gooselane.com 1-888-926-8377
James and Gilbert Ganong opened their grocery story in 1873 and found that candy was a best selling, motivating them to invent what would eventually be more than 1100 different kinds of chocolates and confections, making them one of the world's leading candy-makers. "Ganong: A Sweet History Of Chocolate" is a wonderfully illustrated and fascinatingly presented history of the Ganong family and their business from its humble beginnings in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada, down to its present international status as a unique niche candy-maker in a world dominated by super-sized conglomerates. For the past 133 years, Ganong's chocolates have earned a number of 'firsts' that include the first All-Day Sucker, the five-cent chocolate nut bar, and that Maritime Christmas favorite – the Chicken Bone. They were the first company in Canada to use the heart-shaped chocolate box, first for Christmas, and then for Valentine's Day. Profusely illustrated throughout, "Ganong: A Sweet History Of Chocolate" is an inherently fascinating account of five generations of Ganongs who have worked in the family factory (still located in St. Stephen) and enthusiastically recommended reading!
Vandamere Press
P.O. Box 149, Saint Petersburg, FL 33731
www.vandamere.com
Andy J. Byers' THE IMPERFECT SPY: THE INSIDE STORY OF A CONVICTED SPY (0918339669, $24.95) offers the biography of one George Trofimoff, an American civil servant convicted in 2001 of spying throughout the Cold War for the Soviet Union. Plenty of insights on Russian/U.S. relations of the times permeates his story as it follows his early years living as a Russian refuge in pre-World War II Germany to his American citizenship and progress through the intelligence community. It's this progressive attention to changing social times paired with insights on an evolving life and evolving beliefs leading to espionage choices which makes THE IMPERFECT SPY so compelling a read. Philip Bigler's IN HONORED GLORY: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY: THE FINAL POST (0918339677, $16.95) comes from a historian and educator who covers the history and future of the Arlington National Cemetery in a new updated fourth edition survey. What is contained here is expanded coverage of ceremonial units, and the impact of modern war outcomes – including the war on terrorism – on the cemetery's institution. IN HONORED GLORY, as an insider's view and survey, makes for an important historical guide to internment and honor alike.
Time at War
Nicholas Mosley
Dalkey Archive Press
ISU Campus Pox 8905, Normal, IL 61790-8905
1564784568 $12.95 www.dalkeyarchive.com
Time at War is the autobiographical account of award-winning author Nicholas Mosley's service during World War II. Born in London, Mosley chose to enlist in the military at the age of twenty, to improve the status of his family name while his father was imprisoned by the government as an alleged security risk. Mosley served on the bloody Italian front, was once rescued from death by one of his men, and witnessed the devastation of war firsthand; but it was a war he knew had to be fought, and it kindled a sense of purpose in him that had eluded him during peacetime. A powerful true story about coming of age and learning to define oneself, as surely as it is a no-holds-barred firsthand account of the terrors and challenges of the European Theater of World War II, Time at War is highly recommended.
Any Damn Fool Can Be A Farmer
Bob Knopes
Archenell Publishing
9607 Laurel Oak Place, Fairfax Station, VA 22039
0976814609 $12.95 archenell@cox.net 1-703-690-2039
Bob Knopes' biography, "Any Damn Fool Can Be A Farmer: Growing Up On A Wisconsin Farm" covers the first nineteen years of his life growing up on a dairy farm just a couple of miles north of Janesville, Wisconsin. Beginning with a description of a fire that destroyed all the buildings on the farm when he was just six months old, Knopes goes on to describe farm activities and how as a young boy on a family dairy farm, he took on more and more of the tasks required in dairy farming as he grew older. Of special note is the background family information on how his Irish and German grandparents came to settle in Wisconsin and how innovations in dairy farming machinery and technology impacted life on a Wisconsin farm in the first half of the twentieth century. "Any Damn Fool Can Be A Farmer" is informative, engaging, and highly recommended reading as Knopes presents a personal account of the joys and trials arising from life on a family farm. Not only every Wisconsin community library should have "Any Damn Fool Can Be A Farmer", but academic libraries should add this superbly written work as a part of their 20th Century American History, Agricultural History, and American Biography collections.
Trilogy Moments
Joseph S. Spence, Sr.; Sheila M. Parrish-Spence; Jonathan Clarence Parrish Spence
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
12605 West North Avenue, Brookfield, WI 53005 (author)
1424152496 $19.95 www.publishamerica.com
The collaborative work of Joseph S. Spence, Sr.; his wife Sheila M. Parrish-Spence; and their teenage son, Jonathan Clarence Parrish Spence, "Trilogy Moments For The Mind, Body, And Soul" is an unusual compendium of 'Epulaeryu Poetry', a new form of poetry that is inspired by, and draws metaphors from 'succulent cuisines from home cooking to exotic dishes and drinks', while blending spirituality, tranquility and self-awareness for life's diverse and unpredictable journey. A lovely volume of deftly written verse, each of which is accompanied by a brief commentary, "Trilogy Moments" is extraordinary reading and a strongly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American Poetry collections. "Prayers for Poets": To all poets and writers who have read my poetry and prose/I appreciate your support and the love extended as I compose/You may be from countries like England, Jamaica, the US or Italy/However, I have made you a part of my extended family//I know that there are some poets in great distress/natural disasters have affected them and have taken their best/Loss of many lives I hope not, but some are living with less/In their loss of possessions and loved ones there is stress//God I implore you to lift up their minds, bodies and souls/Only you can bring back their joy and mold them to be whole/To be in your light in a struggle and all are striving as you know/Grant them all your grace as they reckon with nature's ugly blow.
The Seasons Of Grief
Debra Butler & Paisley Woodside
Guest Cottage
PO Box 848, Woodruff, WI 54568
978-1930596658 $14.95 www.theguestcottage.com 1-800-333-8122
"I lost a marriage and found a home./I lost a father and found a heritage./I lost a job and found a life purpose./I lost a Son, but found myself and eternity." With the assistance of Pailsey Woodside, Deb Butler has compiled a small 125-page pocket book of personal observations, journal commentaries, and poetry that helped her to deal with the tragic loss of her son. "The Seasons of Grief: What Nature Can Teach Us About Loss" is nicely illustrated throughout with the color photography of Jane Winkler, whose images are drawn from the beauty and tranquility of the outdoors. Living in Minocqua, Wisconsin, Deb provides life coaching, counseling and transformational guidance augmented by her expertise in Transpersonal Psychology. Of special note is Deb's 'Fall Visualizations: A Daily Practice', a step-by-step example of cultivating a coping mechanism for experiencing and resolving deeply felt emotions. "The Seasons Of Grief" is an ideal gift for anyone having to deal with the loss of a loved one and in need of the healing properties of nature in appreciating that life is 'cyclical and unpredictable, full and possible'.
The International Studies Shelf
Borders and Bridges
Stewart Brewer
Praeger
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275982041 $49.95 www.praeger.com
BORDERS AND BRIDGES: A HISTORY OF US-LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS is required college-level reading for any who would approach the modern dilemmas of border protection armed with a historical approach. Here the changing relationship between the U.S. and Latin America is examined over the decades with an attention to US/Latin American collaboration and changing social and political interrelationships. From competition between differing political systems to changing military approaches, BORDERS AND BRIDGES is a 'must' for any in-depth analysis.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Beauty by Nature
Brigitte Mars
Healthy Living Publications
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
1570671931 $19.95 1-888-260-8458
Herbalist and natural medicine expert Brigitte Mars presents Beauty by Nature, a guide for improving one's appearance with aromatherapy, essential oils, herb facials, massage, yoga postures, improved diet, and other methods that are not only good for the body, but also good for the environment. Covering all aspects of external body care, from natural remedies to treat acne, dry or oily skin, and prevent wrinkles to keeping one's eyes healthy, applying beneficial natural deodorants and fragrances, keeping teeth and nails in good condition and much more. Beauty by Nature is a guide for everyone, men as well as women, young and old alike. Its emphasis on avoiding high-sugar, over-processed diet or harsh drug and chemical remedies in favor of more unprocessed foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, and natural or herbal options is a welcome supplement to personal health and self-care reference shelves.
The New Medicine Book
Ronald Blumer & Muffie Meyer
Atlas Books
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
097782991X $14.95 www.atlasbooks.com 1-800-BOOKLOG
Co-written by documentary film makers Ronald Blumer and Muffie Meyer to accompany their popular Public Television series 'The New Medicine' (hosted by Dana Reeve, the widow of Christopher Reave prior to her own death), This 120-page paperback features in-depth interviews with physicians and academicians drawn from leading medical schools and medical clinics from across the country. Here is a methodical and informative presentation of what medical science has discovered with respect to the influence our mental and emotional state has upon our physical health. "The New Medicine" presents a compelling case for physicians treating the whole person with an illness, and not just the illness alone, if true healing is to occur with maximum efficiency and efficacy. "The New Medicine" is very highly recommended reading for all members of the medical community and is especially accessible for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in their own health and well-being.
Regaining Bladder Control
Rebecca G. Rogers, MD, et. al.
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591024161 $22.00 www.prometheusbooks.com
REGAINING BLADDER CONTROL: WHAT EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW covers a very treatable and very common problem. Many women may know of it – but few know that urinary incontinence is very treatable: there are both behavioral changes and exercises that improve the continence of eight in ten women.
The "I Hate To Exercise" Book
Charlotte hayes
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580402534, $14.95 www.diabetes.org 1-800-342-2383
One of the most difficult life-style changes that the newly diagnosed diabetic must deal with is that of proper, regular exercise. Exercise, along with an appropriate diet, blood sugar level monitoring, and medications, is an essential part of diabetes self-care. Exercise also helps the diabetic cope with this life-time disability both emotionally and physically. Now the American Diabetes Association has published a newly expanded and updated second edition of "The 'I Hate To Exercise' Book" by Charlotte Hayes, a nutrition and fitness consultant who has specialized in diabetes management and education for the last seventeen years. Readers will discover how to ease their way into more daily physical activity; build an active lifestyle based on their own daily routines; create fun low-impact walking programs; set realistic exercise goals, chart them, and so much more. Just beginning with five minutes a day, even the most sedentary diabetic will be able to lift their mood, lighten their weight, burn calories while building muscle, reduce stress levels, acquire more energy, look and feel great, and acquire the motivation to pursue their diabetic self-care practices with a growing satisfaction. "The 'Hate To Exercise" Book" should be considered 'must' reading for anyone diagnosed with diabetes who finds the thought of daily exercise intimidating or unappealing.
ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines
American College of Sports Medicine
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
0736051538 $52.00 www.HumanKinetics.com 1-800-747-4457
Now in a newly revised third edition incorporating most current information from the American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines is a straightforward explanation of the proper standards and guidelines to follow in creating and operating health and fitness facilities. ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines covers all aspects of facility management, recommendations concerning technological advances such as automated external defibrillators, ACSM position statements and information from "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing an Prescription (2006)", and much more. The appendices and supplements outweigh the main text, offering everything from dimensions and markings for pools and courts or fields to illumination requirements for different competitive levels of indoor tennis play to sample preventive maintenance schedules for various types of equipment. An absolute "must-have" for anyone responsible for fitness facilities, from private gyms to community, school, workplace, hotel, and spa facilities.
The Schatz Technique
Bernard Schatz, P.T.
Ascara Publishing
536 Pantops Center, #105, Charlottesville, VI 22911
0977470717 $34.95 www.theschatztechnique.com
Written by expert physical therapist Bernard Schatz, The Schatz Technique: Loving Touch Can Change the World and Reverse Chronic Pain is an extensive discussion of chronic pain caused by contracted tissues that press on nerves, and means to treat it. A disclaimer at the beginning of the Schatz Technique instructs chronic pain sufferers to visit a doctor first; even though doctors are not always trained to diagnose or treat soft tissue dysfunction, they are skilled at detecting other medical problems, from vertebral fractures to various disease processes, that are beyond the scope of The Schatz Technique. The Schatz Technique is different from massage, or massage therapy; the focus is upon exploring tight, contracted fibrotic tissue with the aid of a proper lotion, and gradually coaxing the intense knot of dysfunctional tissue to normalize - to be fully effective, a session usually needs to last at least two hours. The Schatz Technique offers chapters specific to arthritic pain, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, ear pain, knee pain, "logger's hand", neck pain, rotator cuff syndrome, sprained ankle, tennis elbow, and many other types. Perhaps most valuable of all, The Schatz Technique gives detailed instructions for treating one's own pain with the power of one's own touch - no drugs or surgery, given that a doctor has already ruled out causes for which drugs or surgery are the best cure. An utterly invaluable self-treatment aid for anyone who has been given the runaround by the medical establishment while seeking help for pain, and highly recommended for massage and physical therapists seeking to expand their repertoire of healing techniques.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Science and the Soul
Dudley C. Gould
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55113
1557788596 $19.95 www.paragonhouse.com
After the loss of his wife, author Dudley C. Gould sought to understand the mystery of what happens to the soul after death. The result of his labors is Science and the Soul: What We Can Know, a comprehensive review of scientific evidence and religious literature dealing with what comes after death. Chapters explore human understanding of out-of-body experiences, energies and electricity, and quantum mechanics in relation to the human spirit. An assembly of quotes by famous thinkers about existence after death rounds out this contemplative and serious-minded inquiry.
The Afterlife of Leslie Stringfellow
Stephen Chism
The University of Arkansas Press
McIlroy House, 201 Ozark Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72701
096351525X $14.95 www.uapress.com 1-800-626-0090
The Afterlife of Leslie Stringfellow: A Nineteenth-Century Southern Family's Experiences with Spiritualism is the true story of a well-educated, nineteenth-century family's contact with their deceased son Leslie Stringfellow. Over the course of fifteen years, their connection to the beyond through seance messages and "automatic writing" guided their actions in the recovery of an inheritance and the adoption of an orphan girl who grew up to be an active suffragist and newspaper editor. Stringfellow also described his personal afterlife and a detailed survey of the geography of paradise. In 191, Stringfellow's mother and her adopted daughter contacted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, who urged them to publish their manuscript and even proposed and experiment concerning his own deceased son, Kingsley Doyle, who was killed in World War I. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs round out this compilation of extensive research including some letters published for the first time. A "must-have" for metaphysical studies shelves concerned with what comes after death.
Lessons From The Light
Kenneth Ring
Red Wheel/Weiser
368 Congress Street, 4th floor, Boston, MA 02210
1930491115 $16.95 www.redwheelweiser.com 1-800-423-7087
The 'Near-Death Experience' is the subject of television fiction, family folklore, and considerable scientific research. "Lessons From The Light: What We Can Learn From The Near-Death Experience" by Kenneth Ring (Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of Connecticut, and co-founder of the International Association of Near-Death Studies) provides an analytical overview of the phenomena known as a 'Near Death Experience'. This newest edition features an extensive foreword by Caroline Myss in addition to the original 1998 foreword by Bruce Greyson. After an extended introduction, 'Living and Dying in the Light of the Near-Death Experience', Professor Ring organizes his material into fourteen distinctive chapters that include 'Journeys to the Light', 'Eyeless Vision: Near-Death Experiences in the Blind'; 'They Come by Light: Healing Gifts and the Near-Death Experience'; and 'Crossing Over into the Light'. Enhanced with notes, references, two appendices ('Bibliography on NDE Literature' and 'Resource Suggestions'), and a comprehensive index, "Lessons From The Light" is a work of impressive and articulate scholarship, making it a seminal contribution to Near-Death studies and an important addition to professional and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
Anna-Marie Ferguson's THE LLEWELLYN TAROT offers up something different in the way of Tarot card sets: a deck which is based on the medieval world of the Welsh and which offers insights into a mystic Celtic world as well as Tarot. A 78-card, full color deck accompanies the lovely 288-page book and golden beaded brocade tarot bag for the cards, making this a lovely gift set recommendation. Laurie Faria Stolarz's books are literally enchanting, so it's a treat to see them offered in a unified set in THE BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES COLLECTION (0738709883, $29.95). Here are her signature Wiccan guides RED IS FOR REMEMBRANCE, SILVER IS FOR SECRETS, WHITE IS FOR MAGIC, BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES packaged in a handsome boxed set for durability and easy consultation. Both sets are top picks for gifts.
The Military Shelf
French Strategic And Tactical Bombardment Forces Of World War I
Rene Martel
Scarecrow Press
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
081085662X $60.00 www.scarecrowpress.com 1-800-462-6420
An impressive body of work, "French Strategic And Tactical Bombardment Forces Of World War I" is an outstanding military history by the team of Rene Martel, Allen Suddaby, and Steven Suddaby. Rene Martel (who served as an observer/bombardier during the conflict) brings a particular expertise to this historical and analytical survey of a particular facet of French military history – the use of aerial bombardment against German forces during World War I. This 461-page study showcases pioneering French efforts in the technology and tactics of bombing enemy forces from the air including the development of aerial bombs, bomb-dropping mechanisms, bombsights, intelligence-based targeting packages, formation flying, night flying and navigation, long-range fighter escorts, and aerial photography for bomb damage assessment. Detailing the men and accomplishments in the rapid evolution of effective aerial bombardment, "French Strategic And Tactical Bombardment Forces Of World War I" is a seminal contribution to academic library Military Studies and Aviation History reference collections.
Dances in Deep Shadows
Michael Occleshaw
Carroll & Graf
245 West 17th Street, 11th Floor, New York NY 10011
0786717890 $26.00 www.carrollandgraf.com
DANCES IN DEEP SHADOWS: THE CLANDESTINE WAR IN RUSSIA 1917-20 provides the setting of 1917 Russia, when a Bolshevik coup set the stage for socialism and vanished a capitalist structure in the country – but it goes beyond most facts in examining the underlying influence and sentiments of the Bolsheviks, who used an alliance with Germany to protect their regime and destroy the opposition to their plans. DANCES IN DEEP SHADOWS goes beyond most histories of the era to examine the complex, interconnected political interactions of Russia with other countries, adding in new information to reveal elements of espionage, subterfuge and manipulation. When added into the picture, these elements go farther than most in explaining the rise of socialism in the country.
Uniforms of the German Soldier
Alejandro M. de Quesada
Greenhill Books
c/o MBI, Distributors
380 Jackson Street Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
1853677086 $34.95 www.mbipublishing.com
If the title sounds familiar, it's because the author's already done one on the topic covering another era: Uniforms of the German Soldier's subtitle is 'An Illustrated History from 1870 to the end of World War I', adding to the information by packing in black and white photos, military history, and uniform specifics for the time period. Even more importantly, contrasts between German uniforms and those of their opposition allows for excellent insights and analysis.
The Eastern Front
Steve Crawford
Potomac Books, Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166-2012
1597970115 $19.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com 1-800-775-2518
On June 22, 1941, preceded by a massive artillery and aerial bombardment along the entire 2,000-mile border, three million German troops and their allies, along with 3,330 tanks, smashed into the Soviet Union in a military campaign that Adolph Hitler thought would be over in just four months. Four years later, thirty-five million Soviets and five million Germans had been killed in a campaign left the western USSR, Eastern Europe, and German itself, with a gutted landscape, and millions of civilians homeless. "The Eastern Front Day By Day, 1941-45" is a photographic chronology that includes key battles on land, at sea, and in the air, including the great encirclement engagements of 1941 at Minsk, Smolensk, Kieve, Leningrad, Stalingrad, Kursk, and Operation Bagration. Featuring sidebars on all the principle commanders who led the German and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front, as well as the events that occurred on both sides and influenced the war (including the SS and Einsatzgruppen murder squads), the technological advances in planes, tanks, rocket launchers, and more, "The Eastern Front" is a succinct, profusely illustrated, month-by-month historical overview that is as informed and informative, as it is engaging and recommended for personal, academic, and community library Military History reference collections in general, and World War II Eastern Front supplemental reading lists in particular.
Made In America, Sold In the Nam, second edition
Rick Ritter & Paul Richards, editors
Loving Healing Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
1932690247 $27.95 www.LoveHealing.com
Now in its second edition, "Made In America, Sold In the Nam" is co-compiled and collaboratively edited by Rick Ritter & the late Paul Richards who have assembled personal commentaries and stories by men and women who found themselves involved in the brutal realities of the Viet Nam War and its aftermath. These are intensely candid stories dealing with the wounds and scars, anger and guilt, lies and fears, mental, emotional and physical stresses that sometimes lingered for years, long after the war was over and they were home. A critically important addition to personal, academic and community library Military Studies and Veteran's Issues reference collections, "Made In America, Sold In the Nam" is the second title in the 'Reflections of History' series from Modern History Press and is a unique contribution to our understanding of how extraordinary circumstances impact ordinary men and women, some of whom eventual learn to deal – while others are eventually destroyed – by their experiences and their memories. This is a timely and relevant contribution to our current national dialogue in view of a whole new generation of American youth who are engaged in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq today. Also very highly recommended reading is the first title in this outstanding series, "My Tour In Hell: A Marine's Battle With Combat Trauma" by David W. Powell.
The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Schiffer Books
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
Schiffer's extensive catalog of specialty collector's books provides audiences with excellent reference guides to specialty items not covered elsewhere. Jo and Bob Sanford and Barbara & Jim Payne's THE ARTISTIC GLASSWARE OF DALZELL, GILMORE, AND LEIGHTON (076432523X, $39.95) pairs collector history with the latest price guide for these specialty pieces, providing notes as specific as commentary on patterns to accompany a history of makers and production lines. Nicholas Zumbulyadis's MEISSEN'S BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN (0764324829, $49.95) packs well over 300 color photos of dining services, vases and more created by the Meissen porcelain manufactory, displaying pieces from rare, early 19th century museum pieces to 19th century easily-found plates. A history of porcelain painting accompanies the values and survey of pieces available. ROCK POSTERS OF JIM PHILLIPS (0764325310, $29.95) provides a 30-year retrospective of rock posters by Phillips, surveying the artist's life and times and following his career from early posters through present times. His computer painted posters as well as his classic rock art signature style is displayed in gorgeous full-page color reproductions paired with biographical and historical perspectives. Stuart Schneider's THE WORLD OF FLUORESCENT MINERALS (0764325442, $29.95) provides a lovely, color photo laden guide of different fluorescent minerals found around the world and displayed in both daylight and ultraviolet light. Nearly a thousand color photos pack descriptions which include both geological information and facts and a price guide of values. It's unusual to find a collector's guide to minerals let alone the rarer fluorescent minerals, making this a valuable reference. Marshall Ketchum's revised, expanded second edition of FREDERICK CARDER'S STEUBEN GLASS: GUIDE TO SHAKES, NUMBERS, COLORS, FINISHES, AND VALUES (076432411X, $29.95) is a 'must' for any collector, offering a new edition which can be used with other books displaying Carder's Steuben glass productions. A cross referencing system links the line drawings of shapes to be found in Paul Gardner's THE GLASS OF FREDERICK CARDER with auction records and references to photos in the nine books cited here: the result is an invaluable index and cross-linked reference Steuben collectors will find essential. Dean Six, Susie Metzler and Michael Johnson's AMERICAN MACHINE-MADE MARBLES (0764324640, $29.95) packs in nearly six hundred color images ranging from historical photos of marble-making factories to products and packages from a wide range of makers to accompany a survey of marble making in America and lists and photos of marbles and their values. This book was nearly forty years in the making, including interviews with over a hundred individuals and references and index packed with specifics marble collectors will want. Desire Smith's FUN HANDBAGS (0764324934, $29.95) comes in an unusual presentation of a paperback with a handbag handle, making the book itself look like the fine handbags it depicts. The attention to values, design, manufacturers and history makes for an important guide. All are top references collectors will want.
The Hunting/Fishing Shelf
The Master Angler
Phil Rabideau
Hancock House Publishers
1431 Harrison Avenue, Blaine, WA 98230-5005
0888395612 $14.95 www.hancockhouse.com 1-800-938-1114
A master angler in his own right, Phil Rabideau has been fishing the waters of North America for over seventy years and in "The Master Angler: Using Color Technology To Catch More Fish", draws upon his seven decades of experience and expertise to take all the 'hit-and-miss' guesswork out of lure selection. Beginning with a presentation on the physiology of fish and fish behavior, "The Master Angler" lays out the attributes of the lure and the factors in lure selection that will minimize, if not eliminate, the trial-and-error choice which lure to use for which breed of fish and in what kind of waters. This little compendium outlines both the art and science of lure selection with a very special focus on the role of color. Simply put, "The Master Angler" with its profusely illustrated and 'fisherman friendly' instructional text is a 'must read' for any dedicated fishing enthusiast.
Floating Alaska!
Don Crane
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
157188338X $15.95 www.amatobooks.com
"Floating Alaska!: Planning Self-Guided Fishing Expeditions" is an enthusiastically recommended, step-by-step planning guide for a do-it-yourself excursion to fishing the waters of Alaska. Expert angler and trip-planner Don Crane covers such issues as preparing for the trip, the appropriate gear to include, camping, food, fishing, the wildlife, resources, services, and a great deal more. Practical, comprehensive, 'user friendly', "Floating Alaska!" will insure a productive, inexpensive, well organized, and thoroughly enjoyable fishing trip to Alaska. Incidently, much of Crane's sage advice and practical instructions would apply to planning a fishing trip to anywhere else in the country!
The American Rifle
Major Townsend Whelen
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
9781581605136 $30.00 www.paladin-press.com
THE AMERICAN RIFLE: A TREATISE, A TEXT BOOK, AND A BOOK OF PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE USE OF THE RIFLE represents twenty-five years of study and work from a soldier, hunter and naturalist who by the 1920s was a renowned expert on military and hunting rifles. It's written for riflemen and any with such must have this, which covers everything from maintenance and care to shooting tactics and common mistakes. A 'foundation' title any weapons library must have.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Dream Angus
Alexander McCall Smith
Canongate
841 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
1841958239 $18.00 www.groveatlantic.com
Medical law professor and prolific author of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series Alexander McCall Smith presents Dream Angus, a fantastic modern-day novel with roots in Celtic lore. Angus is the Celtic god of love, youth, and beauty who distributes dreams at night and inspires love in all who behold him. Yet he loves only the beautiful Caer; his search for her weaves him in and out of mortal dreams. Dream Angus consists of five fables that tell of Angus' quest, penned with insight, wonder, eros, and the mesmerizing rapture of dreams that connect with reality. A buoyant and sensuously enjoyable fantasy.
Pyr
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.pyrsf.com
Justina Robson's MAPPA MUNDI (1591024919, $15.00) provides engrossing action in telling of a medical nanotechnology advancement which affects psychologist Natalie's research, suddenly catapulted into a sinister mind control project. FBI science specialist Jude is searching for a genius – and getting too close to the truth. The two will find their lives entwined when the Mapa Mundi project reaches a dangerous new level in this engrossing fast-paced plot recommended for any fan of hard science fiction. Marin Sketchley's second book of his 'Structure' series, THE DESTINY MASK (1591024390, $15.00), is a pick for prior fans of THE AFFINITY TRAP and offers a new space opera story telling of twin sons who have grown up ignorant of their parentage, raised apart – and both believing they're the rightful heir to a royal household. Politics and controversy erupt when the inevitable happens, changing a world in a sweeping epic of satisfying high drama. Mike Resnick's NEW DREAMS FOR OLD (1591024412, $15.00) is a diverse short story collection which challenges the notion that science fiction collections can be dry and predictable. Here are funny stories juxtaposed with hard science, novellas that have previously been available only to members of the Science Fiction Book Club, and ten Hugo nominees. The author's introduction to each story which describes its inspirational foundations makes for a particularly notable feature of a diverse, satisfying collection demonstrating Resnick's prowess.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Victorian Lace Today
Jane Sowerby
XRX Books
c/o Independent Publishers Group
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
1933064072 $29.95 www.xix-inc.com www.ipgbook.com 1-800-888-4741
Deftly edited by Elaine Rowley and enhanced by the photography of Alexis Xenakis, "Victorian Lace Today" by needlecraft expert Jane Sowerby blends the history, mystery, and hands-on techniques of Victorian era lace. From the beginning of lace patterns from basic edgings, to the sophistication of lace patterns employed with the making of scarves, shawls, capes, and fichus, "Victorian Lace Today" offers comprehensive descriptions of the tools and techniques of lace knitting suitable for the beginning novice, with sufficient expertise and information to interest the more experienced knitter. A profusely illustrated compendium of vintage ideas and patterns, "Victorian Lace Today" is a confidently recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft reference collections.
Knitting Loves Crochet
Candi Jensen
Storey Publishing
210 MassMoca Way, North Adams, MA 02147
1580178421 $18.95 www.storey.com
Candi Jensen's projects are designed to highlight the pairing of knitting and crocheting: arts usually kept apart in their own books. From embellishments from the world of crochet to finished sweaters and clothing to knitted products with crochet bands and embellishments incorporated into the design, KNITTING LOVES CROCHET pairs up the best of both worlds.
Complete Knitting
Creative Homeowner Press
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
1580112919, $24.95 www.creativehomeowner.com 1-800-631-7795
"Complete Knitting: Techniques & Projects" from the 'Home Arts' series by Creative Homeowner Press is an ideal knitting project instructional workbook that is spiral bound inside a covered spine so that it lays down open and flat for the convenience of the knitter. Step-by-step profusely illustrated instructions for knitting twenty five one-of-a-kind garments, accessories, and home accents (including knits for babies and children), result in a comprehensive course in all the knitting basics along with the essential tools and techniques required for successful knitting. Of special note is the 'Stitch Library', the practical advice on correcting knitting mistakes, a knitting glossary, a list of abbreviations, and recommended sources for knitting supplies. "Complete Knitting" is especially recommended for the novice beginner, but has much of value for even the more experienced needle crafter.
The Poetry Shelf
Through The Ages
Michaela Sefler
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
1424102510 $19.95 www.publishamerica.com
The poetry of Michaela Sefler draws inspiration from the ancient Qabala, biblical scripture, and the phenomena of creation to express a compelling desire for knowledge, wisdom, transcendence, unity, and completion. Carefully crafted and skillfully expressed, "Through The Ages" is a superbly presented and enthusiastically recommended compendium of inspirational poetry that can be enjoyed over and over again. 'My Legacy': My legacy outlived,/my triumph outlasted,/my vows outweighted;/yet my days are numbered./My head crowned,/my struggles told./my story written;/and my oaths remain./I live on;/I survive;/my oaths take root,/and strengthen each day./Today I see,/my hopes take form,/but not forgetting,/your wanting soul.
Born in Utopia
Carmen Firan, editor
Talisman House
PO Box 3157, Jersey City, NJ 07303-3157
1584980508 $27.95
Edited by skilled translator and poet Carmen Firan, Born in Utopia: An Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Romanian Poetry is an omnibus assembly of poetry by dozens of Romanian authors. All poems are sublimely translated into English; some are from the years of the tyrannical regime of Nicolae Ceausescu, others are during the cultural proliferation that followed. A one-of-a-kind treasury of Romanian pride and literary art. "The Flower-Eater": You arrived with sixteen gladioli / to pay respects to the dead. / Under my gaze, the colors live / a secret life. / For food we need only / beauty on a plate. // In the morning: saffron. / For lunch: violets with mussels. / In the evening: pollen from sixteen gladioli. // Food is love as yet unborn. / On the table, among your flowers, / the body of the Lord, / offering itself eternally to all.
American Religious Poems
Harold Bloom
The Library of America
14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
193108274X $40.00 www.loa.org
American Religious Poems is a collection of classic American religious poems by an immense variety of authors, covering all stages of America's history and spiritual legacy. Notes, an index, a source list, and an invaluable Reader's Guide complement the poems themselves, which have been carefully selected for their intergenerational appeal. A worthy cross-section of American faith through the centuries as expressed in poetic literature, from classical narrative poems to spirituals and anonymous hymns. "God": I followed and breathed in silence. / What of its task is beheld? / My feeding thee has lent all / Which broke the current thread breeze / That kept the sprout of pregnant seas / Of weathered promising call. / The filling shades he only changes, / Tells the logos, its unearned dew / Not to feed, as if from cages, / His cloak that perfumes fragrant hew; / What of all the bulging mountains, / Sordid earth and rotting clays? / If then sense is suction fountains, / That same thought is but its ways.
Fun Being Me
Jack Wiler
CavanKerry Press
6 Horizon Road No. 2901, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
0972304592 $16.00 www.cavankerrypress.org
AIDS survivor Jack Wiler speaks of his struggle against the virus in Fun Being Me, a work of poetry that also embraces such diverse topics as what it is like to practically die and live again, money, the working life, sex, and the final reality of death. The easygoing, free-verse style treats serious topics with Everyman-style candor. A descriptive chronicle of all the daily and sometimes trivial nuances of life amid the omnipresent, harrowing threat of life's ending. "Sick of Being Sick": I was lying on my back for a month, oh I would get up / to piss or puke, but I mostly / lay and watched tv and / slept and ate. / A skeleton draped with / a ready-made shroud. // Then I began to move about. / To stir as it were in the world. / I might sit in my little white chair / in the shower or move / out to the living room / to receive a reluctant guest / or shuffle out to the / van from the AIDS center / to see a doctor or a nurse.
Terrestrial Music
John Bradley
Curbstone Press
321 Jackson Street, Willimantic, CT 06226
1931896283 $13.95 www.curbstone.org
Prize-winning poet John Bradley presents Terrestrial Music, a collection of poems inspired by Pablo Neruda, Thomas McGrath, Muriel Rukeyeser, and Martin Espada. The haunting stanzas, which range from free-verse to narration approaching stream-of-consciousness, deals with the severities of social injustice, mankind's brutal impact on nature, and the power of the earth as part of the human identity - if only humankind can learn to recognize this and change its destructive ways before all is lost. "Terrestrial Music/2": I want to sleep / until we float / out of our skins / catch / on the maple's / wet leaves / dripping / onto the sleepless earth.
The Rise And Fall Of The Mind
Michael Cook
Author House
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
152 East 94th Street, #6D, New York, NY 10128 (author)
1425933009 $14.99 www.authorhouse.com 1-800-280-7715
"The Rise And Fall of Mind" is a 104-page collection of superbly written and highly recommended poetry by Michael Cook where each poem ranges in length fro six words to one and a half pages. The forms of the poems range from sonnets, villanelles, and pantoums, to haiku, ballad, and free verse. Witty, articulate, epigrammatic, humourous, touching, occasionally grimly descriptive, each carefully crafted verse is a masterfully presented use of language to convey emotions, ideas, contexts, and world we live in. "Pollution": There is a stench of dead fish from the lake./The children are in up to their necks,/wading sweetly through glittering white bellies/that dot the grimy waters. As the day rolls on/the waves slowly fling the dead and dying/up on the beach, where the flies wait.//My feet dig into the sand/come up with two cigarette butts./Impossible to escape a globe of trash and garbage./Breathing the air, we are one with it,/with the rotting fish, the hungry flies,/the dying earth and the bloodshot skies.
The Springs Of Creve Coeur
Martie Marshall
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
215 SW 13th Street, Apt. 106, Grand Rapids, MN 55744 (author)
1424104688 $14.95 www.publishamerica.com
"The Springs of Creve Coeur" is the fifth book of verse by Minnesota poet, novelist and free-lance writer Martie Marshall. Distinctive, distinguished, and documenting Marshall as a master wordsmith, these are poems that use words the way a skilled artist uses the colors of his pallette, or a musician the notes of his music, to convey images to the mind's eye of the viewer. 'The Great Ones': The great ones were stubborn./Hearts breaking, they turned away/when the iron doors of the critics/swung shut in their faces; then/walked back to their easels/or writing desks or claviers/and allowed the tears/before they rescued their/fiery visions of truth/which art only is–/or it is not. The sad/asylums welcomed the prostrate ones/until they could speak again./And they hauled reluctant Time/into their green souls' kingdom.
The Museum of Natural History
Julie Gamberg
Lynx House Books
c/o Eastern Washington University Press
705 West 1st Avenue, Spokane, WA 99201
1597660132 $14.95 1-800-508-9095
Winner of the 2005 Blue Lynx Prize for poetry, Julie Gamberg's "The Museum Of Natural History" is a slender, 62-page book of truly elegant and highly recommended verse. This is the kind of poetry that lingers on the mind with the kind of satisfaction so often sought, but so rarely found, in contemporary American poetry. 'Poison Oak': I may have gotten a touch/of poison oak hiking in low heels/on sharp rock. Sometimes//these decisions are impossible–/avoid the brush or avoid the edge./You brought wild mule's ear to punctuate/our talk, and said words such as It's already too late//that calcified like tooth./Your sunburn peels loiter at my house. How/you could have forgotten them//I have no idea. It's like the way you aks/Who's your daddy and I don't know/what the fuck you're talking about. My legs itch. Your peeling skin amasses.
The Republic of Poetry
Martin Espada
W. W. Norton Company Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
0393062562 $23.95 www.wwnorton.com
The eighth poetry collection by editor, translator, creative writing teacher, and award-winning poet Martin Espada, The Republic of Poetry speaks to the collective power of history, imagination, miracles, justice, and redemption. The first part of the anthology consists of poems speaking to the heart of Chile, once under the harsh heel of the 1973 military coup, now growing as a democracy; the second part is a series of elegies written to poets; and the third and final part consists of powerful anti-war poetry. Written with passion, and scorn toward tyrants, The Republic of Poetry is an unforgettable, immersive experience and highly rewarding reading. "Black Islands (for Dario)": At Isla Negra, / between Neruda's tomb / and the anchor in the garden, / a man with stonecutter's hands / lifted up his boy of five / so the boy's eyes could search mine. / The boy's eyes were black olives. / "Son," the father said, "this is a poet, / like Pablo Neruda." / The boy's eyes were black glass. / "My son is called Dario, for the poet of Nicaragua," / the father said. / The boy's eyes were black stones. / The boy said nothing, / searching my face for poetry, / searching my eyes for his own eyes. / The boy's eyes were black islands.
The Architecture Of Language
Quincy Troupe
Coffee House Press
27 North Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401
1566891906 $15.00 www.coffeehousepress.org 1-800-283-3572
Quincy Troupe's enthusiastically recommended poetry comprising "The Architecture Of Language" is in the tradition of such American luminaries as Walt Whitman and has as a principle focus how diverse ethnic cultural histories have contributed to and helped to influence America. Troupe draws his inspiration from such diverse elements as art, music, literature, politics, and even sports in verse that is free from cliched rhetoric and staid constructions, infusing his images with energy, vibrancy, and lyrical phrasing. 'The Signatures of Time': binding signatures of time are fading footprints/tracking across wind blown desert floors,//newspapers whipping down cold, empty streets/split apart, become wings sailing light stingrays/swimming through wash of an emerald sea,//history is moments gleaned from unsorted stacks/holding facts, voices steamed clean as mussels/on a plat, disintegrating on worn tapes,/splintering on spools in old tape recorders,//like photos fading out in yellowing newspapers
The Miniature Room
Rebecca Dunham
Truman State University Press
100 East Normal Street, Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
1931112622 $15.95 http://tsup.truman.edu 1-800-916-6802
A beautifully published and enthusiastically recommended collection of poetry by Rebecca Dunham, "The Miniature Room" showcases a true poetic talent and skilled wordsmith able to lyrically evoke detailed images that include an impressive diversity of concepts and a full range of emotional responses. 'The Tempest': Clouds orchard the sky, dangle/flush globes overhead. The storm/has not passed. There is no/rest, I know, just my son's cry//splintering the silence. A flash/both serpentine & bright./If sleep's slick waters could slip/their banks & cover me//like a sheet. If the telephones, tea/kettle, even the raspong green/sofa's slipcovered twill could be/quieted. Below the water's purled//surface, a stillness pours. Please./This, the uninhabited moment.
Everything Preserved
Landis Everson
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
1555974538 $15.00 www.graywolfpress.org 1-651-641-0077
"Everything Preserved" is a collection of poems by Landis Everson which were composed between 1955 and 1960, then supplemented by poems written between 2003 and 2005. A significant figure of the Berkeley Renaissance in the 1940s and 1950s, Everson was one of those who rebelled agists the strictures of formalism in bringing his word painted images to paper. Receiving the Emily Dickinson First Book Award from the Poetry Foundation, "Everything Preserved" is highly recommended and rewarding reading and an important addition to academic library American Poetry Studies reference collections. 'Landscape with Deer': The forest I step in has to be imaginary./Can you imagine me following you otherwise,/me a non-trail blazer? Even the deer/large-eyed, tawny with twitching tails/were misplaced from the zoo. Do you//wonder, when you hear the mountains/in my speech that I'll never penetrate those trees/because they have become real to me,/and why I shake so in retreat/fearing the snowdrifts, the avalanches, the/broken landscapes that have made you unreachable, a fable to tell to deer/before thy learn old ways to be wild.
Only the Senses Sleep
Wayne Miller
Western Michigan University
1903 Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5331
1930974655 $14.00 www.wmich.edu
Award-winning poet Wayne Miller presents Only the Senses Sleep, a compilation of free-verse poems revolving around the theme of night. From the quiet that pervades a nighttime apartment to silent snowfalls and the ferocity of an ice storm, Only the Senses Sleep sublimely captures a wide range of environmental experiences in the dark that pervade the corners of human consciousness. "November Wind": Immured here / by infinitely minute and endlessly exact details - // Air ink-rolls the water, where far off / a trawler's anchored by a cloudlike net. // A curtain blows through a window, / gray (damp) along the bottom lace. // Cars in the street like hollowed cells, / their passengers naming certain stops // arrivals. To name these arrivals - / a ship, a curtain a face - your soul trailing // like a net. The ice wind cuts through. / Yes, to speak it now, and thus absolve it // like a read word. Or else there's no wind, / just the whipping of your shirt.
Tokyo Butter
Thylias Moss
Persea Books
853 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0892553197 $24.00
Whiting Writer's Award-winning author and professor of poetics (University of Michigan) Thylias Moss presents Tokyo Butter, a free-verse compilation of poetry written to help make sense of the death of her beloved cousin and friend, Deirdre. Tokyo Butter is far from an elegy or a memorial; reaching beyond traditional limitations, it seeks remnants of Deirdre's life, passion, and essence in news stories, arcane tidbits of science, balloon warfare, and Internet search engines, among other places. A work of utmost sincerity about the resonating impressions of humanity, Tokyo Butter is a one-of-a-kind tribute to character and genius. "The Culture of Reena and the Bear (Before the Bear: derived from a theory of gravy)": (The neckline and hem of Reena's gown / were trimmed with real hummingbirds / [just a few tiny pins in the outspread wings / - she could feel the racing unison / that the tiny hearts fell into] and actual orchids. / The beak closest to it tried to extract nectar / from the small cleft - the suprasternal notch - / at the bottom of her perfumed throat) // (Bees drew near; live jewels from the garden.)
The Humor Shelf
Wry Harvest
Chris Lamb, editor
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
0253218721 $17.95 http://iupress.indiana.edu
Edited by Associate Professor of Communication (College of Charleston) Chris Lamb, Wry Harvest: An Anthology of Midwest Humor is an anthology of some of the best and funniest stories from authors ranging from Mark Twain and Don Marquis to Erma Bombeck and Garrison Keillor. Most mirth-inducing anecdotes and tall tales are only a few pages long; each is sure to bring a smile to the face of city slicker and country dweller alike. A hands-down perfect giftbook for anyone who likes a laugh and has hearty respect for Midwest culture.
Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111-7701
www.amuniversal.com
Andrews McMeel's collections of syndicated cartoons will be readily recognizable items to any who like to follow newspaper funnies: they gather the best of recent panels and strips and one huge advantage is that you have them all under one cover – something any comics fan will appreciate. Glenn and Gary McCoy's THE FLYING MCCOYS: HIGH MOM! COMICS FOR A BOLD NEW WORLD (0740760440, $10.95) offers many hilarious moments which take the form of black and white panels of social commentary and humor. From vampires to yard sales and funny bullet-proof vests, THE FLYING MCCOYS holds something for everyone. Guy & Rodd's BREVITY (0740760424, $10.95) also offers up powerful one-panel strips: these featuring a somewhat simplified drawing type but one packed with biting commentary and tongue-in-cheek humor. A level of sophistication will lend to appreciation of these zany revelations. The 11th Zits cartoon strip sketchbook is out in Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman's ARE WE OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY YET? (0740761994, $10.95), which is a top recommendation for any family with a teen in residence. Parents will readily recognize their teen's attitude and angst in this hilarious collection of the latest black and white strips. Darrin Bell's ANOTHER STEREOTYPE BITES THE DUST (0740760416, $10.95) is an excellent Candorville strip best suited for urban dwellers who will readily recognize and appreciate the urban settings and issues such as poverty, racism, and street savvy. Social commentary is the strong point of this powerful collection. All are top picks for public lending libraries in particular.
The Cookbook Shelf
The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook
Amrita Sondhi
Arsenal Pulp Press
1014 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 2W9
1551522047 $22.95 www.arsenalpulp.com
"The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook: Healthful, Healing Recipes for Life" by Amrita Sondhi is a compendium of 250 culinary recipes showcasing Indian cuisine. These delicious dishes are provided with clear and 'kitchen cook friendly' instructions for turning out meals that are as nutritious as they are palate pleasing. Of special note are the included appendices: 'Seasons of the Year', "Menu Plans', Cleanses', 'Yoga Poses for the Doshas', 'Alternative Ayurvedic Therapies', and 'Food Guidlines for Basic Constitutional Types'. From Fresh Fruit Salad with Yogurt & Flax Seeds; to Vegetable Samosas; to Tea Party Channa Bateta, to Cinnamon & Sweet Warm Almond Milk, "The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook" will make a welcome and impressive addition to personal and community cookbook collections – and prove to be of very special interest for dedicated students of Indian cooking, holistic health, yoga, and Ayurvidics.
Nuts: Pistachio, Pecan & Pinon
Gwin Grogan Grimes
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
1887896872 $12.95 www.rionuevo.com
The lowly nut is not only a terrific source of tasty nutrition, it is a surprisingly versatile ingredient in a number of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, culinary dishes that would grace any table and add to any dining occasion. "Nuts: Pistachio, Pecan & Pinon" by professional food writer and former restaurant reviewer Gwin Grogan Grimes specifically focuses on three western nuts: the smooth pistachio, the woodsy pecan, and the mild but flavorful pinon. Fifty flavorful, easy-to-do, step-by-step recipes truly showcase what these three nuts can do. From a Bleu-Pistachio Cheese Spread; to a Toasted Pecan and Asparagus Pasta; to a Pinon-Garlic Spinach, "Nuts" offers a unique and welcome contribution to personal and community library gourmet cookbook collections! Also very highly recommended from Nio Nuevo Publishers are the other seven cookbooks comprising their 'Cook West' series: "Citrus Essentials; Elegant Olive; Chile Aphrodisia; Cilantro Secrets; Gorgeous Garlic; Absolutely Avocado; and !Mole!.
Happy Holidays From The Diva Of Do-Ahead
Diane Phillips
Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
155832321X $14.95 www.harvardcommonpress.com 1-888-657-3755
In "Happy Holidays From The Diva Of Do-Ahead: A Year Of Feasts To Celebrate With Family And Friends", author, chef, and caterer, Diane Phillips draws upon her more than twenty years of professional experience and expertise to compile a compendium of recipes and ideas for twelve full holiday menus for superbly prepared gourmet meals. Each individual meal menu is broken down into step-by-step preparations that can be easily accomplished in manageable stages days, weeks, and even a month or more ahead of time – all without sacrificing quality in appearance, nutrition or taste! For each menu "Happy Holidays From The Diva Of Do-Ahead" provides the kitchen cook with a helpful countdown, a list of items to have on hand, instructions on economically finding what is needed, as well as 'Diva Tips' on substitutions, decorating and presentation. From a New Year's Eve Party and a Morning-After Brunch, to Memorial Day Picnic, to a Halloween party for All Ages, "Happy Holidays From The Diva Of Do-Ahead" is a unique, 'user friendly', and welcome addition to any family or community library cookbook collection!
Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban
Three Guys
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1423600630 $29.95 www.gibbs-smith.com
If you've seen the Three Guys in their past cookbook THREE GUYS FROM MIAMI COOK CUBAN, you'll find their sequel equally fun: an easy guide to preparing both classic Cuban and innovative Cuban cuisine for everything from grill recipes and sides to soups and main courses. Here are all the dishes stemming from some twenty years of Three Guys parties, suitable for families and parties alike, paired with color photos. As an introduction to Cuban home cuisine it's a fine and colorful presentation encouraging successful results even from novice cooks.
The Cork Jester's Guide To Wine
Jennifer Rosen
Clerisy Press
1700 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45206
1578602777 $14.95
Award-winning wine writer Jennifer Rosen presents The Cork Jester's Guide To Wine: An Entertaining Companion For Tasting It, Ordering It, and Enjoying It, a thoroughly accessible guide to the joy of savoring fine wine for readers of all culinary backgrounds. From how to recognize and distinguish the basic characteristics of wine, to important considerations when storing wine, to how to read and recognize what the nuances of the label say about a potential wine choice and much more, The Cork Jester's Guide To Wine offers savvy advice with wry insights topped off with chuckle-inducing tidbits. An excellent and enthusiastically recommended giftbook for wine lovers of all seasons.
Savoring Appetizers
Chuck Williams
Oxmoor House
c/o Leisure Arts, Inc.
5701 Ranch Drive, Little Rock, AR 772223-963
0848731409, $24.95 www.leisurearts.com 1-800-643-8030
Impressively illustrated throughout with full-color photography of finished dishes, the newest William-Sonoma cookbook, "Savoring Appetizers" offers a culinary cornucopia of palate-pleasing, appetite satisfying, meal-time celebrating, kitchen-cook friendly, step-by-step recipes for a wealth of appetizers for any and all occasions. Drawn from cuisines around the world, the recipes are grouped by regional areas: North America, Asia, France, and The Mediterranean. From Hot-Pepper Jelly Turnovers; Mushroom Empanadas; Yam Dumplings with Corn and Cinnamon; Steamed Shrimp with Soy-Chile Sauce; and Grilled Minced Beef Rolled in La-Lot Leaves; to Veal pate with Dried Apricots and Hazelnuts; Olive and Anchovy Choux Puffs; Salt Cod Fritters; Fried Stuffed Zucchini Flowers; and Black Cabbage Brushcetta, these are elegant little dishes that would grace any family meal, dinner party, or celebratory occasion. A simple delight just to browse through, "Savoring Appetizers" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections!
Sharing Mountain Recipes
Randi L. Levin
The Muffin Lady Inc.
1532 Yankee Creek Road, Evergreen, CO 80439
0974500828, $28.95 www.themuffinlady.com
"Sharing Mountain Recipes: The Muffin Lady's Everyday Favorites" by Randi Levin (aka The Muffin Lady) showcases a compendium of nutritious, delicious, and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes of easily prepared dishes ranging from breakfast favorites to special occasion treats. Ingredient supplements for special dietary needs are provided in addition to diverse tips for cooking and backing that will prove especially helpful for the novice chef. With recipes ranging from Dreamy Cheese Mashed Potatoes; Lemon Poppy Muffins; Berry Baked French Toast; and Sunshine Salad; to Sweet Poultry Kabobs; Seafood Au Gratin; Fried Bananas; Butter Cream filled Coffeecake. Of special note is the two pages devoted to 'A Few Favorite Submarine Sandwiches", the chapter on 'The Accessories of Foods', and unique recipe cited as being 'The Gourmet Mash for the Elder Horse'. There's even a poem to 'The Alligator Pear'. Enhanced with a 'Cooking Language Conversions' page, a U.S. to Metric Conversions chart, an a detailed index, "Sharing Mountain Recipes" is a welcome and recommended addition to any and all personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections!
Mexican Light
Kris Rudolph
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
1574412183, $17.95 www.unt.edu/untpress 1-800-826-8911
"Mexican Light: Healthy Cuisine For Today's Cook" by Kris Rudolph (owner of the El Buen Cafe in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico), is a bi-lingual cookbook that features a compendium of fifty delicious recipes that are presented side-by-side on facing pages with Spanish on the left and English on the right The focus is on pre-Columbian Mexican cuisine that was low in fat and high in fiber and vitamins. Ranging from appetizers to after-dinner refreshers, each palate pleasing, appetite satisfying dish not only includes the ingredients and the preparation instructions, but the number of calories, amounts of total fat and saturated fat, grams of carbohydrates, and amount of fiber. Low-fat and low-carbohydrate alternatives 9as well as ways to vary the degree of spiciness) are also provided. From Chayote and Chile Poblano Soup; Green Salad with Jicama, Manco, and Cucumber; and Chicken with Tomatillo Cilantro Salsa; to Beef in Avocado Salsa; Cauliflower with Spicy Tomatoes; and Amaranth Water, "Mexican Light" is an ideal and highly recommended culinary resource for diet conscious kitchen cooks wanting their friends and family to eat healthy while eating Mexican.
Authentic Recipes From Santa Fe
Dave DeWitt & Nancy Gerlach
Periplus
c/o Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
0794602894, $12.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com
Featuring a profusion of impressive photography by Eduardo Fuss, "Authentic Recipes From Santa Fe" is co-authored by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach who have compiled and edited a cornucopia of culinary dishes from some of the top restaurants in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Beginning with an introduction to food in Santa Fe; a description of the Santa Fe kitchen, a guide to chiles; and a listing of authentic Santa Fe ingredients; a section devoted to Sauces and Salsas; and the basics of taco or tostada shells, pickled red onions; and safron rice. Of special note are the instructions on the proper preparation methods for making do-it-yourself Chile Rellenos and homemade Tamales. The 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes are grouped by Appetizers; Soups and Stews; Main Dishes, Vegetables and Rice, Breads, Desserts, and Drinks. From Grilled Swordfish Tacos (Mark Kiffin, Coyote Cafe); to Grilled Steaks with Chimayo, Chile and Cumin (Came Asada); to Empanaditas with Apricot Peca Filling, "Authentic Recipes From Santa Fe" truly lives up to its title and is strongly recommended for the family cookbook shelf and community library cookbook collections.
Wandering & Feasting
Mary Houser Caditz
WSU Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
0874221382, $22.95 www.wsupress.wsu.edu 1-800-354-7360
Compiled and organized by Mary Houser Caditz, "Wandering & Feasting: A Washington Cookbook" offers more than two hundred tempting and tasty dishes reflecting the culinary heritage of Washington State. Spiral bound so as to lay flat upon the kitchen table or counter, "Wandering & Feasting is a regional collection organizing dishes from the Olympic Peninsula (Halibut with Macadamia Nut Crust; Whole Baked Salmon with Medley of Three Dill Sauces; Filet of Sole Turbans with Shrimp Sauce), Southwest Washington (Individual Salmon Wellingtons with Dijon Cream Sauce; Cream of Carrot Soup with Marsala; Chocolate Hazelnut Decadence with Rum Cream), North Puget Sound and San Juan Islands (Dungeness Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps; Strawberries in Raspberry Sauce with Orange Cream; Easy Apple Raisin Chutney), Puget Sound (Fried Calamari in Beer Batter; Cheese Puffs with Smoked Salmon Filling; Steamed Clams with Tomatoes and Herbs), Cascades (Flank Steak with Blue Cheese, Mushroom and Sun-dried Tomato Stuffing; Baked Pears in Apple cider and Cinnamon; Trout with Chive Cream Sauce), Central Washington (Beef on Skewers with Peanut Sauce; Spinach Salad with Apples and Ginger Vinaigrette; Minted Cantaloupe Soup), and the Inland Empire (Venison with Juniper Berry Sauce; Bulgar Wheat Pilaf with Mushrooms; Asparagus napoleons with Orange Hollandaise Sauce). Occasionally illustrated with historical photography, and featuring appendices that include 'Basic Recipes', 'Low-Fat Suggestions', Glossary, 'Selected Bibliography', and an Index, "Wandering & Feasting" is an ideal and strongly recommended addition to any personal and family cookbook collection.
The Very Best Salmon Cookbook
John Nicholas
Nitty Gritty Cookbooks
c/o Bristol Publishing Enterprises, Inc.
2714 McCone Avenue, Hayward, CA 94545
1558673210, $8.95 1-800-346-4889
Salmon is a superb source for many vitamins and beneficial fish oil. But salmon is best when fresh, properly stored, and expertly prepared. "The Very Best Salmon Cookbook" is a specialty cookbook which focuses on how to buy good salmon, details the various types of smoked salmon, offers easy-to-follow instructions for smoking salmon at home, as well as how to best freeze and glaze salmon. "The Very Best Salmon Cookbook" also offers more than 60'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, salmon dishes that range from appetizers (Smoked Salmon Corncakes; Cold Salmon Moose) to entrees (Creamed Salmon Casserole; Salmon fillets in Horseradish-Ginger Crust). Of special note are the recipes for classic sauces for Salmon, including Tartar Sauce, Hollandaise, Bechamel, and Rew Wine Sauce. If you like salmon, then "The Very Best Salmon Cookbook" is the do-it-yourself salmon cookbook for you!
The Music Shelf
Skydog
Randy Poe
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Corporation
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
0879308915 $24.95 www.backbeatbooks.com 1-800-637-2852
Author and Grammy nominee Randy Poe offers a smoothly written, extensively detailed biography of rock music icon Duane Allman in Skydog: The Duane Allman Story. Covering Allman's life from his childhood fascination with music to his efforts to master the slide guitar, his recognition as an A-list player and his creation of the Southern Rock genre, to his tragic death at the young age of 24. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate life story, complemented by a discography of Allman's work with his own bands and on other artist's recordings, as well as snapshot summaries of the continuing lives and careers of Allman's friends and bandrates. A top-notch, involving biography of a truly passionate music maker.
The Future of Modern Music
James L. McHard
Iconic Press
PO Box 510355, Livonia, Michigan 48151
0977819507 $18.00 www.futureofmodernmusic.com
Freelance composer, lecturer, and music history author James McHard presents The Future of Modern Music, a guide written for music lovers of all backgrounds - including the general public, music educators, and the students today who will be the composers of tomorrow. The Future of Modern Music looks at dramatic recent changes in composition through biographical snapshots of composers such as Iannis Xenakis, Luigi Nono, Julio Estrada and many more, over ninety total; each portrayal examines the new musical ideas that shaped the composer's works. Many of the composers studied have never been scrutinized before in a single, concise text; The Future of Modern Music remedies the oversight, allowing the reader to gain an effective cross-perspective and overview of the artists worldwide who are transforming the soundscape daily.
I Was There When It Happened
Marshall Grant with Chris Zar
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
1581825102 $24.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com
Country music readers who can't get enough about Johnny Cash despite the many books and autobiographies on the market will relish I Was There When It Happened: My Life With Johnny Cash. Here's a focus that delves deeper than the usual Cash coverage, examining his life with a special focus on the evolution of and influences upon his musical style. Accompanying this focus is a survey of those who helped him attain success along the way, from fellow musicians to those who recorded his works. From Grant's initial introduction to Cash to his tenure as Cash's long-time bassist, this is insider writing at its best.
The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook
Wayne Erbsen
Native Ground Books & Music
109 Bell Road, Asheville, NC 28805-1521
1883206529, $19.95 www.nativeground.com 1-800-752-2656
Compiled and edited by Southern Appalachian music instructor and historian Wayne Erbsen, "The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook" presents 172 pages of lyrics, music, history, and chords to over one hundred bluegrass gospel classics. Enhanced with the inclusion of more than one hundred vintage photographs, "The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook" presents information on the roots of gospel music, a 'painless' gospel music theory, instructions on choosing the right key, and how to operate a Capo. Of special note is 'Harmony 101', as well as tips on singing lead, tenor, baritone and bass. Featuring such wonderfully well known classics as 'Amazing Grace', 'Are You Washed in the Blood', and 'The Old Rugged Cross', to such lesser known gems as 'I Am a Pilgrim', 'Little Moses', and 'Who Will Sing for Me?', "The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook" is a simply wonderful and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American Music History reference collections.
Destination Chicago Jazz
Sandor Demlinger & John Steiner
Arcadia Publishing Inc.
3047 North Lincoln Avenue, Suite 410, Chicago, IL 60657
0738523054, $34.99 www.arcadiapublishing.com 1-888-313-2665
Jazz is the authentically original music of America that has spread out to achieve a world wide popularity. While most people know about the roots of Jazz in the New Orleans and Harlem, not so widely recognized is that Chicago was and is another bastion of jazz music in America. "Destination Chicago Jazz", co-authored by documentary photographer Sandor Deminger and jazz scholar, historian, collector, and owner of Paramount Records, John Steiner (1908-2000), presents an impressive pictorial overview of the jazz music and jazz musicians that made 'The Windy City' a significant contributor to the musical genre. From Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong, to Muggy Spanier and Benny Goodman, we are provided with a virtual and visual tour-de-force that includes the world-famous theatres and clubs that made Chicago's South Side a Mecca for jazz enthusiasts, as well as the cultural influence jazz came to have on the city's North and West sides as well. Enhanced with more than 300 photographic images, "Destination Chicago Jazz"presents more than fifty years of Chicago's jazz history and is a welcome, enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American Music reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
The Art Shelf
Adam Van Doren
Samuel G. White
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, 74-2 Union Street, Manchester, VT 05254
1555952720 $55.00 www.hudsonhills.com
Enhanced with informed and informative essays by Avis Berman (a former director of the Pennsylvania Academy of fine Arts and Adjunct Associate Professor of hart History at Temple University, Philadelphia) and art historian Avis Berman, "Adam Van Doren" is a coffee table artbook and monograph by Samuel G. White (Fellow of the American institute of Architects and Adjunct Professor of Fine Arts at new York University) showcasing the watercolor paintings of Adam Van Doren. Working in the classical tradition, Van Doren's distinctive drawings are drawn from twenty years of his career and document him as an accomplished colorist with a particular affinity for architectural elements such as domes, corbels, caryatids, bays, oriels, cornices, medallions, entablatures, pediments, and other aspects of architectural distinction, shape and texture. This particular edition includes plates of Van Doren's work in Rome, Venice, Paris and New York. Enhanced with a detailed chronology of his career, a list of selected exhibitions of his work, 'Selected Collections' and 'Selected Bibliography', "Adam Van Doren" is a seminal study and a strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic library Art & Architecture reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
Charles Munch Dreaming In Color
Charles Munch
Trails Books
923 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703
1879483963 $19.95 www.trailsbooks.com 1-800-236-8088
Charles Munch is a Wisconsin artist whose paintings have as their themes imaginary landscapes in which humans, animals, and the elements combine in iconic and mysterious ways. "Charles Munch Dreaming In Color: Paintings 1971-2006" draws from a retrospective exhibit at the Fairfield Center for Contemporary Art in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and showcases the best of his work. Enhanced with an informed and informative essays by Jody Clowes and Richard Ely, and featuring full color reproductions of sixty of his best paintings, "Charles Munch Dreaming In Color" is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library 20th Century American Art History collections.
Visual Shock
Michael Kammen
Alfred A. Knopf
1400041295 $35.00 www.aaknopf.com
Art and architectural aspirations have long aroused disputes among artists, scholars and the common citizen over the appropriateness of paintings, memorials and monuments: for the first time these debates are surveyed in VISUAL SHOCK: A HISTORY OF ART CONTROVERSIES IN AMERICAN CULTURE. Here are the social and political disputes which have taken place from the 1830s to modern times, with central themes and relationships including questions on the types of art appropriate for a democratic society, and how to assess and possibly regulate its appearance. Changes in policies, opinions, and conflicts between trustees of the arts and the general public are chronicled in chapters surveying the wild world of art history. An outstanding survey.
Edgar Degas: The Last Landscapes
Ann Dumas, et.al.
Merrell
1858943434 $29.95 www.merrellpublishers.com
There have been so many books on the market covering the life and works of Degas that we're almost hesitant to recommend yet another, but what makes Edgar Degas: The Last Landscapes stand out from the crowd is its in-depth focus on a surprisingly little-known aspect of his work: his scenery of northern France and the small town of his childhood. Here he experimented with painting and print-making techniques and used his sketchbook drawings to integrate landscape painting into his more notable works. A hundred works by Degas provides a new focus on this aspect of his vision and influence.
The Imprint of Place
David P. Becker
Down East Books
P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843-0679
0892727187 $35.00 www.downeastbooks.com
While THE IMPRINT OF PLACE: MAINE PRINTMAKING 1800-2005 would initially seem to be of very narrow regional interest, in reality it deserves a place in the holdings of any art library collection strong in printmaking representations. It represents a catalog celebrating some 200 years of printmaking with a large collaborative fine-arts project embracing a series of exhibitions and education programs, and as such provides the first chronological survey of the subject, standing as well alone as it does with the exhibit.
David C. Driskell
Julie L. McGree
Pomegranate Communications, Inc.
PO Box 808022, Petaluma, CA 94975-8022
978-0-7649-3747-7, $45,00 www.pomegranate.com 1-800-227-1428
Awarded the National Humanities Medal for his contributions to American public life, "David C. Driskell: Artist And Scholar" surveys nearly fifty years of Driskell's artistry, scholarship, humanitarianism, creativity and vision, as well as his work as an artist, teacher, curator, collector, and diplomat. Simply stated, there is no one who has done more to establish the study of African American art within the canon of American art scholarship that David Driskell. Now teacher, researcher and art historian Julie L. McGree (specializing in modern and contemporary visual culture of Africa and the African diaspora and who has spent more than a decade teaching art history at Bowdoin College, Bunswick, Maine) has created a showcase of more than 200 full-color and b/w images featuring Driskell's work and life – including personal photographs of Driskell, his family, friends, and associates. More than 50 years of Driskell's paintings, drawings, prints, and collages are represented, along with an insightfully informative text providing background and biography. "David C. Driskell: Artist And Scholar" is an enthusiastically recommended and substantive addition to academic library African American Studies and American Art History reference collections.
Romare Bearden
Sally Price & Richard Price
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
0812239482, $49.95 www.upenn.edu/pennpress 1-800-537-5487
"Romare Bearden: The Caribbean Dimension", co-authored by Sally Price and her husband Richard (both of whom are professor of American Studies, Anthropology, and History at the College of William and Mary in Virginia) showcases the life and work of the African American artist Romare Bearden (1911-1988) and his Caribbean work during his last twenty years with its themes of 'enchanted places and lush forest settings for sensuous female nudes. Also included is his 'Carnival' series revealing through an artist's eye the quintessential nature of this annual Caribbean celebration. Best known for his paintings and collages of jazz and the rural South, Bearden's work was postumously recognized with an exhibition at the national Gallery of Art in 2003. Enhanced with the inclusion of 130 paintings, as well as a profusion of photographs of Bearden and his friends, "Romare Bearden" also incorporates poet Derek Walcott and writer Albuert Murray's critical assessments of Bearden's enduring legacy, along with the thoughts of such luminaries as James Baldwin, Alvin Alley, and Ralph Ellison. Simply stated, no serious academic library American Art History collection can be considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of "Romare Bearden: The Caribbean Dimension".
The Audiobook Shelf
The Few
Alex Kershaw
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1423315901 $34.95 www.brillianceaudio.com
If you like military history but find audio's high drama more compelling than the written word, then Scott Brick's reading of THE FEW is for you: he drives home the story of the American pilots who helped save Britain, surveying the Americans who battled to keep the country free. At the end of five years, just one would still be alive. High drama spices an outstanding narrative style.
The Edge of Darkness
Tim LaHaye and Bob Phillips
Random House Audio
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0739331981 $27.95 www.randomhouse.com/audio
Book 4 of the 'Babylon Rising' series requires prior familiarity with the series for smooth entry into this story, with its vivid reading by Paul Michael and its new installment which blends a conspiracy with Biblical interpretation and drama. Here Michael Murphy's quest leads to a revelation that one of the Bible's most dangerous prophecies is about to come true. It's hard to stop listening to this riveting thriller: prior fans won't be disappointed!
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Drawing Dead
Rick Gadziola
ECW Press
2120 Queen Street East, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4E 1E2
1550227386 $24.95
Written by private investigator Rick Gadziola, Drawing Dead: A Jake Morgan Mystery is the story of a poker-dealing ex-cop who just can't seem to win. Unexpectedly thrust in the center of a lethal conflict between dirty cops, he tries to help Vice squad member Laura Bulloch stay alive. As attempts on his life mushroom, he tries to walk away from the bloodshed, but an unshakable antagonist trails him and will not be denied. A dark, suspenseful, at times outright wicked murder mystery, sure to captivate enthusiasts of the genre.
In the Breath of God: Mendez II
Edward Hancock II
Publish America
PO Box 1476, Gilmer, TX 75644
1424113776 $19.95 www.publishamerica.com
The literal meaning of the Hebrew phrase commonly translated as "Let there be light" is "Light in me, Be!" - as if God breathed light into the world, just as He breathed life into man. In the spirit of this metaphor, Texas native Edward Hancock II presents In The Breath of God: Mendez II, a mystery novel about a man brought back from the brink of death by the inexplicable power of Heaven. Lieutenant Alex Mendez and his wife Detective Lisa Mendez become privy to the hidden possibilities of a secret old as time itself, hidden in the innocent soul of their four-year-old daughter. At the same time, a string of terrible homicides shocks the small east Texas community in which they live, and the prime suspect is the most unlikely of candidates - a seventeen-year-old boy with spina bifida. Biblical allusions crisscross this dogged and intricate story of personal demons, suffering, and the quest for answers; In the Breath of God is an attention-seizing read, skillfully plotted and executed from first page to last.
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 East First Avenue #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
Claudia Bishop and Don Bruns' A MERRY BAND OF MURDERERS (1590583019, $24.95) packs an original mystery anthology with both stories and songs (songs re on an accompanying cd, featuring performances by the authors), pairing the skills of some thirteen mystery writers with a format to include an original story from each and an original musical composition themed around their contribution. Here are tales of mystery, suspense, noir and more from the likes of Jeffrey Deaver, Bill Moody and editors Bishop and Bruns themselves, offering up a diverse, multi-faceted set. John M. Daniel's VANITY FIRE (1590583221, $24.95) tells of a publishing firm which burns to the ground, leaving a body and a total loss. For Guy, it's the end of a career and a lover – and possibly the beginning of a new career and encounters with two strippers. It's a Faustian arrangement that blends the irony and terror of murder with a pact that could rescue or condemn Guy in this excellent mystery. Public libraries will find these very different, involving picks for discriminating patrons looking for more than your usual whodunnit plot.
The St. Paul Conspiracy
Roger Stelljes
North Star Press Of St. Cloud
PO Box 451 St. Cloud, MN 56302
0878392343 $24.95
The St. Paul Conspiracy is a gritty murder mystery about a serial killer who has been terrorizing and slaying blue-collar working women of University Avenue of St. Paul, Minnesota. Thirty-two-year-old, fourth-generation homicide detective Michael McKenzie "Mac" McRyan becomes involved in a complex murder investigation with repercussions far beyond an ordinary serial killer case - national and political security concerns lie at the root of this tangled, fast-paced crime novel. Rendering its setting of historic St. Paul, Minnesota in exquisite detail, The St. Paul Conspiracy renders a manhunt that is much more than it seems with colorful flair and a knack for savvy dialogue.
The Railroading Shelf
Steam Trains
James P. Bell
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, Saint Paul MN 55101
0760322678 $34.95 www.voyageurpress.com
There have been numerous train books published over the decades, but steam trains too seldom receive their own coverages apart from the general train genre – making STEAM TRAINS: A MODERN VIEW OF YESTERDAY'S RAILROADS most notable and a recommended pick for general-interest public library lending collections. The author is also a photographer here, so is not limited to vintage or collection holdings: his lovely black and white photos capture the antiques in their modern activities, while 23 profiles explores the trains' unique characteristics, the places which still run and maintain them to date, and passenger experiences along the way. Simply outstanding – not to be missed by any collection train buffs frequent.
The Civil War Shelf
On the Skirmish Line Behind a Friendly Tree
Stacy Dale Allen, editor
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
1560373229 $19.95 www.farcountrypress.com 1-800-821-3874
On the Skirmish Line Behind a Friendly Tree is personal memoir of Civil War veteran William Royal Oake, who left his family farm in Iowa to fight for the Union at the young age of eighteen. He fought in twenty major battles, was captured and incarcerated as a prisoner of war, and suffered injury during the course of his service. When he turned sixty-nine, he penned his experiences at length, from the day he volunteered for the army to the day he returned home, hardened from the brutal realities of his service. On the Skirmish Line Behind a Friendly Tree is his collected writings as discovered by his family eighty years after his death, and they offer a one-of-a-kind literate, thoughtful, serious-minded insider's view of the terrible war. Black-and-white photographs and extensive clarifying notes by editor Stacy Dale Allen enhance this invaluable primary source and welcome addition to Civil War studies and testimony shelves.
Thunder From a Clear Sky
Ray Mulesky
iUniverse, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
1583483004 $12.95 www.thunderfromaclearsky.com www.iuniverse.com
Written by Ray Mulesky, Thunder From a Clear Sky is the breathtaking true story of Confederate cavalry officer Adam "Stovepipe" Johnson, who led the first Confederate raid across the Mason-Dixon Line to seize the river-port community of Newburgh, Indiana during the American Civil War. Not a shot was fired. A highly accessible true story of how an ordinary man proved capable of a military master stroke, and the fallout thereafter when the territory he claimed was retaken by Union troops. A welcome contribution to Civil War and military history shelves.
The Travel Shelf
The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook
Andrew Doughty
Wizard Publications
PO Box 991, Lihue, HI 96766-0991
0971727953 $15.95 www.wizardpub.com
Now in an updated sixth edition, The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed is an advertising-free, in-depth guide to the "Garden Island" of Hawaii. Packed with full-color photography throughout, The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook covers the top sights, popular activities from golfing to parasailing, skydiving, snorkeling, whale watching and more, and recommendations on where to dine and where to stay. Maps, testimonies from firsthand experience, safety tips and an index for easy reference round out this enthusiastically recommended guide for anyone seeking to get the most out of a visit to sunny Kauai.
A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland
Tom Richards
Storylines Entertainment Ltd.
Irish Books and Media Inc
1433 Franklin Avenue East, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2101
0955021200 $17.95 www.irishbook.com
Written by Tom Richards, an American who has lived in Ireland since 1982, A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland: A Funny, Insightful Book for Those Wanting to Survive Ireland Like the Irish Do lives up to its title with equal doses of practical advice, tips for coping with culture shock, and mirthful humor. A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland is not a tourist guide per se, and doesn't have the many maps, hotel and restaurant recommendations, etc. that guides meant for vacationers do. Instead, A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland is a text-heavy account of how to purchase a place to live in Ireland, how to seek a career or become an entrepreneur, how to live frugally, an introduction to Irish holidays, a short dictionary of Irish slang and phrases (English and Gaelic are both official languages of Ireland, and nearly everyone there speaks English, so the language barrier is less of a problem for an expatriate), and plenty of sensible advice such as "Despite Everything You'll be Criticized [by both Americans and Irish!] so Get Used to It". An absolute "must-have" for everyone considering living abroad in Ireland.
Cuba
Brendan Sainsbury
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
174059746X, $21.99 www.lonelyplanet.com 1-800-275-8555
Long off-limits to American businesses and tourists, Cuba is now beginning to reemerge as a desirable destination for both. Brendan Sainsbury provides a superbly written and organized 520-page travel guide and manual to what Cuba has to offer. From the secrets of salsa to the rhythms of the mambo, from recommended places to see and suggested places to eat, Cuba is massively infused with 'traveler friendly' descriptions, directions, maps, history, culture and customs. Seasonal events and celebrations are chartered along with day tripper itineraries. Of special note are the sections devoted to Language and a Glossary. If you are contemplating a trip to Cuba, begin your planning with "Cuba", Brendan Sainsbury's informed and indispensable travel guide to this island destination.
The Economics Shelf
The Collected Works Of Armen A. Alchian
Armen A. Alchian
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
0865976376, $15.00 www.libertyfund.org 1-800-955-8335
Armen A. Alchian is Professor Emeritus of Economics at UCLA and in the course of his long and accomplished career helped to found several schools of economic thought, being justifiably considered by his peers to be one of the most influential voices in the areas of market structure, property rights, and the theory of the firm. Complete in two volumes, "The Collected Works Of Armen A. Alchian" is professionally edited and provided with an informative introduction by Daniel K. Benjamin who drew upon Professor Alchian's most important essays, articles, editorials, and lectures to provide a comprehensive and detailed record of this thought on a broad range of topics in the field of economics. Volume One focuses upon the economic themes of "Choice and Cost Under Certainty"; Volume Two deals with "Property Rights and Economic Behavior" issues. "The Collected Works Of Armen A. Alchian: Volumes 1 & 2" is also available in a hardcover edition (0865976368, $30.00), and very strongly recommended for professional and academic library Economics Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Let Us Be Perfectly Clear
Paul Hornschemeier
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way, NE, Seattle, WA 98115
1560977523, $19.95 www.fantagraphics.com 1-800-657-1100
"Let Us Be Perfectly Clear" is an anthology of Paul Hornschemeier's short stories illustrated in full color and demonstrating his distinctive artistic approach to the graphic novel techniques of story-telling. "Let Us Be Perfectly Clear" is designed as a 'flip book' with one side (Perfectly Clear) featuring comedic work while the reverse side (Let Us Be) offers stories which are decidedly morose. A product of the underground comix movement, Hornschemeir's storytelling talents are thoroughly documented. Long out of print, these stories are derived from a variety of sources which include his own self-published 'Forlorn Funnies', as well as independent magazines and papers. "Let us Be Perfectly Clear" is especially recommended for its appeal to devotees of the avant garde graphic novel and the counter-culture underground comic.
The Crafts Shelf
Smart Soapmaking
Anne L. Watson
Shepard Publications
1102 Olympia Avenue NE, #18, Olympia, WA 98506
0938497421 $15.00 www.shepardpub.com
"Smart Soapmaking" is a simple, 'user friendly', step-by-step, quick, safe and reliable instructional guide to making handmade soap the traditional way. After debunking myths about soap and soapmaking, Anne Watson goes on to explain just what soap is and what it consists of, the equipment needed to make it at home, and a methodical process for making soap from preparation to clean-up. Of special note are the variations on basic soap recipes that include two 'all-veggie grocery store soap recipes; a grocery store shortening soap; a non-veggie grocer store soap; an olive palm soap; Aaron's Hazelnut Soap; an almond facial soap, and Anne's Longer-Lasting Soap. "Smart Soapmaking" goes on to show how to design a soap, shaping a bar of soap, and packaging soap. Of special note is the section answering frequently asked questions. In addition to a resource list and an index, author and expert soap maker Anne Watson also offers 'A Few Final Thoughts'. An ideal manual that is as fun as it is informative, "Smart Soapmaking" is a must for anyone who would like to try their hand at this traditional craft!
Bead
Elizabeth Bower
Thunder Bay Press
c/o Advantage Publishers Group
5880 Oberlin Drive, San Diego, CA 92121
1592236901, $12.95 www.thunderbaybooks.com 1-800-788-3123
Beautifully illustrated throughout with photographic images of exquisite beaded jewelry, Elizabeth Bower's "Beads: Handmade Style" offers an impressive compendium of projects, each with their own materials list and step-by-step instructions. "Beads" offers a series of truly 'user friendly' beading projects that include jeweled gift-wrapping, chain necklaces, clip-on earrings, beaded flowers, evening bags, drop cluster earrings, beaded tablecloths, brooches, holiday decorations, belts, shoe jewelry, cuffs, a lantern candle holder, tassels, and a beaded curtain. A marvelous compendium of beading projects, "Bead: Handmade Style" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal or community library Crafts reference collection.
Discover Beading
Lesley Weiss
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
0871162393, $19.95 www.kalmbachbooks.com 1-800-533-6644
Drawn from 'Bead & Button' and 'BeadStyle' magazines, "Discover Beading: Stringing, Wirework, Knotting" is an impressive and highly recommended collection of projects using basic, beginner-friendly beading techniques to create stunning bracelets, lovely necklaces, striking earrings, macrame chokers, and more. Ideal for the novice beader, specific attention is directed to detail and an emphasis on using high-quality materials is stressed. "Discover Beading" is especially and specifically recommended for the novice craft maker wanting clear, illustrated, step-by-step instructions which will ultimate serve to prepare them to take on ever more elaborate beading-based jewelry making projects. Also very highly recommended for crafts enthusiasts is Kalmbach's "Polymer Pizzazz: 27 Great Polymer Clay Jewelry Projects" (0871162369, $19.95)
The American History Shelf
Seven Superstorms of the Northeast
James Lincoln Turner
Down the Shore Publishing
Box 3100, Harvey Cedars, New Jersey, 08008
0945582951 $32.00
Teacher and weather writer James Lincoln Turner presents Seven Superstorms of the Northeast And Other Blizzards, Hurricanes & Tempests, an in-depth survey of some of America's most severe and dramatic superstorms during the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. From The Blizzard of 1888 to The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950, each of the seven superstorms profiled (plus two massive hurricanes in August 1893) are described in both meteorological and human terms. Vintage black-and-white photographs throughout Seven Superstorms of the Northeast add an extra immersive touch to this captivating true chronicle of the beauty, majesty, and ruthless appetite for destruction of nature's strongest storms, accessible to lay readers and weather science experts alike.
Broken Trust
Samuel P. King & Randall W. Roth
University of Hawaii Press
2840 Kolowalu Street, Honolulu, HI 96822
www.uhpress.hawaii.edu 1-888-847-7377
082483044X $26.00 www.brokentrustbook.com
Written by district court judge Samuel P. King and law teacher Randall W. Roth, Broken Trust: Greed, Mismanagement & Political Manipulation at America's Largest Charitable Trust is the true story of greed, corruption, and mismanagement that plagued the "nation's wealthiest charity" according to the Wall Street Journal circa 1995 - the Bishop Estate, legacy of Hawaiian Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who created the trust to maintain the educational institution of Kamehamea Schools and therefore benefit the children of Hawaii. In August 1997, four respected leaders of the native Hawaiian community and a professor of trust law publically accused the Bishop Estate's trustees with gross incompetence and severe trust abuse, to the point of being criminal, in a statement titled "Broken Trust". Now Broken Trust: Greed, Mismanagement & Political Manipulation gathers never-before-public information concerning the entire sordid matter, especially highlighting how corruption flourished in the legislature, courts, and legal profession, and how the media and the native Hawaiian community neglected to take a stand against it - virtually the opposite; the community would often be coaxed into protesting attempts to reform the trust or limit the power of the trustees. Broken Trust is not only a case study, but also offers larger lessons about the dangers of unchecked power and civil responsibility, and is very highly recommended reading for American and Hawaiian history shelves in public, college, and private libraries alike.
A Chicago Tavern
Rick Kogan
Lake Claremont Press
PO Box 25291, Chicago IL 60625
1893121496 $10.00 www.lakeclaremont.com
WGN radio personality and Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Kogan presents A Chicago Tavern: A Goat, A Curse, and the American Dream, the true story of a baby goat who fell off a truck in 1934, hobbled into a tavern owned by Greek immigrant William Sianis, and became a Chicago icon. Known as The Billy Goat Inn, Sianis' tavern gained a lasting reputation as the leisure pub of choice for newspaper reporters, policemen, politicians, and more. But did Billy put a jinx on the Cubs? After Billy and one of his goats were prohibited from entering Wrigley Field during the 1945 World Series, the Cubs eventually lost to Detroit - and kept on losing. Today the single tavern has become a prosperous chain of seven, including one in Washington, D.C.; A Chicago Tavern acutely on the folklore, daily life, humorous anecdotes, and more revolving around the classy establishment that started the legend. Numerous vintage black-and-white photographs add a you-are-there touch to this history of a beloved Chicago hangout.
Latino Minnesota
Leigh Roethke
Afton Historical Society Press
PO Box 100, Afton, MN 55001
1890434736, $24.00 www.aftonpress.com 1-800-436-8443
The upper-Midwest American state of Minnesota is principally noted for its waves of immigrants from Norway, Sweden, and Germany. What is not so well known are the waves of Spanish speaking immigrants that came north from Mexico, Central and South America to settle in the 'land of a thousand lakes'. Minnesota historian Leigh Roethke has traced Minnesota's vibrant, diverse, and growing Latino communities which, since around 1910, have provided the principal and core labor group for Minnesota's agricultural, food processing, manufacturing, and service industries. Profusely illustrated throughout and highly recommended for personal, academic, and community library American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "Latino Minnesota" is the story of individual and collective Latino accomplishments and contributions to Minnesota's increasingly diverse popular and popular culture. Here is the story of Latino settlement, cultural and political injustices, and the strength that arises from community, history, and hard work.
The American Colonization Society
Allan Yarema
The University Press of America
c/o The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
0761833595 $19.95 www.univpress.com 1-800-462-6420
Written by Assistant Professor of History (Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas) Allan Yarema, The American Colonization Society is the true story of a major social movement that originated in the 1800's and gained increasing support in the United States. Growing in the 1820's and 30's, waning in the 40's, and regaining strength in the 50's when slavery polarized the nation, the American Colonization Society movement stumbled in its initial goal of colonizing free blacks and its efforts to encourage voluntary and gradual emancipation. A chronicle of the Society's organization, purpose, growth, and the factors that led to its ultimate failure in dealing with the existence of slavery in a would-be democracy, The American Colonization Society is a scholarly, well-researched, and welcome addition to American History and black studies reference shelves.
Corvette: America's Sports Car–Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow by Jerry Burton (founding editor of 'Corvette Quarterly' and one of the Corvette's most knowledgeable historians) is a 320-page history of one of the most popular of America's sports cars at home and abroad. Profusely illustrated with 700 images (500 of them in full color), readers will learn of how the corvette was conceived and its 50+ years of evolution and performance. Featured are exclusive interviews with many of the engineers and designers who defied conventional wisdom in creating a unique American automobile in terms of its design, engineering and racing performance. From its groundbreaking technologies to its impact on popular culture, the corvette set the standard for automotive freedom, speed, power, and fun. Jerry Burton's "Corvette" is an impressively detailed and informative reference and a strongly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Automotive History collections.
Volkswagen: History To Hobby
Bob Cropsey
Jersey Classic Publishing
75 Locust Avenue, Wallington, NJ 07057
0976526107, $24.99 www.JerseyClassic.com
"Volkswagen: History To Hobby" by Volkswagen enthusiast and expert Bob Cropsey is a celebration of the history of the little German car that was to signal the invasion of small, fuel efficient, economical automobiles who were to profoundly influence the automotive choices of a major section of the American public from the day they were first introduced down to the present. Nicely illustrated with black-and-white photos, along with the occasional VW cartoon, "Volkswagen: History To Hobby" includes 550 historical VW dates; some 402 VW magazine ads; 50 VW television commercials; 65 fun hobby facts about the VW; 40 movies starring VWs; 100 'Herbie The Love Bug' movie and book facts; 470 VW owner personalized license plates; year to year changes of the VW Beetle since 1945; the great VW buses beginning in 1949; and so very many more 'infobits' about these wonderfully distinctive cars and the company that made them. If you ever owned a VW, then you will definitely want to read Bob Cropsey's "Volkswagen: History To Hobby"!
The Education Shelf
Not Just Test Scores
Bob Paton
Outreach Publications
1219 - 77th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11228
0975522906 $19.95 www.notjusttestscores.com
One of the political techniques employed by Republican neo-cons these past six years has been to make up positive sounding names for some of their most blatantly special interest serving, insidiously community denigrating, personal freedoms restricting, "bait-and-switch" legislation. A perfect example of this is the so-called 'No Child Left Behind' federal education initiative that was allegedly intended to raise the general level of academic competence of all school children, but has instead wrecked havoc on public America's school systems – most especially, the funds strapped inner city schools and rural school districts across the country. Bob Paton is an experienced and dedicated teacher who has ripped back the layers of political chicanery to reveal the often tragic consequences that have resulted from the ham-fisted federal policies imposed upon the states, who in turn, impose them on the school districts, who in their turn impose them upon the classroom teachers who, in order to meet scholastic improvement quotas and deadlines, 'teach the test' instead of getting at the root causes of scholastic underachievement. To put it simply, "Not Just Test Scores: Safeguarding Our Children From Failure" should be 'must reading' for every concerned parent, teacher, administrator, and politician in this country. Not just for its accuracy in portraying what's gone wrong with the 'No Child Left Behind' generated policies and practices, but for it's sage advice and recommendations of how to solve the problems plaguing our failed and failing public school systems around the country.
Atwood Publishing
PO Box 3185, Madison, WI 53704-0185
1-888-242-7101 www.atwoodpublishing.com
To enhance the chances of ultimate success, parents and their young adult children must collaborate, coordinate, and work together to help the student plan and pursue their college and university goals in preparation for there eventual careers. Atwood Publishing has now provided parents and students with two invaluable guides toward these mutual aspirations: The College To Career Road Map: A Four-Year Guide To Finding Your Path, Student Edition" (978-1-891859-66-3 $17.95) and "The College To Career Road Map: A Four-Yar Guide To Coaching Your Student, Parent Edition". The team of Teres Corey Blanck, Peter Vogt, and Judith Anderson collaborate to help parents and students to make the most of each level of a four-year collegiate experience in higher education: Freshman (a time of exploration); Sophomore (including both academic and experiential activities); Junior (with an emphasis on accessible experiences); Senior (with a special focus on graduation and post-collegiate employment). A special feature of the student edition are all the opportunities to record thoughts, experiences and plans during the four year experience of a college or university education. A truly matched pair of instructional guides, both of these outstanding and informative resources are recommended for maximum coordination between a parent and their student to help insure ultimate success both academically, socially, and in terms of establishing a satisfying post-collegiate career.
Workplace Learning
Robert W. Rowden, Ph.D.
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
1575242680 $26.50 www.krieger-publishing.com 1-800-724-0025
Author Robert W. Rowden, Ph.D., applies his numerous credentials, including his service to Mercer University-Atlanta as an Associate Professor of Human Resources/Management, in Workplace Learning: Principles and Practice, an in-depth exploration of learning in the workplace written especially for HRD practitioners and adult educators in the dynamic modern world. Designed to help trainers and adult educators of all experience levels develop workplaces that foster learning, Workplace Learning covers environmental factors, individual and group dimensions of workplace learning, how to move from training to workplace learning, the future of workplace learning, and more. A point-by-point analysis that combines theory with gathered data and years of practical experience, Workplace Learning is a useful resource especially for trainers and adult educators in fields such as computer science and cutting-edge medicine, that are constantly being reinvented and transformed by the latest modern discoveries.
Teaching Adolescent Writers
Kelly Gallagher
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B, Portland, ME 04101-3451
1571104224, $20.00 www.stenhouse.com 1-800-988-9812
In "Teaching Adolescent Writers", author and academician Kelly Gallagher draws upon his many years of expertise as a full-time English teacher at Magnolia High School in Anaheim, California, to show novice classroom instructors how to teach their students to write effectively. Gallagher offers classroom tested strategies for helping teachers to understand the importance of teaching writing, motivate their students to develop and improve their writing skills, model effective writing using the teacher's own compositions and real-world texts, provide alternatives and choice within the framework of a rigorous curriculum, help their students recognize the importance of purpose and audience with respect to their writing efforts, and how to assess essays in ways that produce better writing performance. Infused with humor and enhanced with illustrative anecdotes, "Teaching Adolescent Writers" is an ideal addition to college and university curriculums for aspiring English teachers.
Assessing Organizational Performance in Higher Education
Barbara A. Miller, Ph.D.
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
111 River Street, 4th floor, Hoboken, NJ 07030
0787986402 $40.00 www.josseybass.com
Written by college and university organizational development consultant Barbara A. Miller, Assessing Organizational Performance in Higher Education is a guide especially for leaders in higher education, offering a tested and proven model for integrating and expanding assessment practices that give a genuinely accurate picture of organizational successes, strengths, and weaknesses. Chapters discuss both internal and external elements in organizations as systems, practical assessment methods and terminology, how to define and measure organizational performance, how to create and maintain reliable assessment programs, and more. Black-and-white charts and tables help clarify the points and procedures spelled out in straightforward, readily accessible terms, in this excellent resource for garnering the necessary information to optimize institutional educational performance.
Time To Write
Robert E. Myers
Good Year Books
PO Box 91858, Tucson, AZ 85752-1858
1596470739, $16.95 www.goodyearbooks.com 1-888-511-1530
Designed as a curriculum supplement for grades 5 to 8, "Time To Write" by Robert Myers is comprised of forty-three standards-based lessons for developing children's creative writing skills. Those skill sets include the use of synonyms, alliterations, descriptions, paragraphs, making advertisements, letter to the editor, writing limericks, haikus, cinquain, research reports, non-fiction narratives, essays, anecdotes, character sketches, humorous speech, the short story, and crafting the dramatic incident. These 'kid friendly' exercises will help students ages 10 to 14 to become progressively more involved and expert with their writing efforts. Enhanced with Teacher Notes for each lesson and student warm-up activities, "Time To Write" is especially commended as a resource to help classroom teachers with their lesson plans. Also very highly recommended for elementary school and home schooling curriculum resources are two other outstanding titles from Good year Books: "Write Away!: 140 Writing Prompts For Grades 4-6" (1596470879, $19.95) and "Moe's Cafe: 48 Decidedly Different Creative Writing Prompts" for grades 6 to 12 (1596470887, $14.95).
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
The Writing Game
W. A. Harbinson
BookSurge Publishing
1419644378 $19.99 www.waharbinson.eu.com www.booksurge.com 1-886-308-6235
W. A. Harbinson's "The Writing Game: Recollections Of An Occasional Bestselling Author" isn't simply another instruction manual on how to write better or how to get published. It is instead, a candid autobiographical account of being a professional writer with more than thirty years of experience at making a living in the highly competitive and volatile publishing industry. That experience includes the writing of more than fifty novels, as well as a wealth of short stories, magazine articles, screenplay adaptations, and radio plays. This is a graphic and detailed account of living a life and pursuing a career fraught with the possibilities of artistic and financial failure. Enhanced with superbly articulated accounts of his dealings with editors, other authors, and showbusiness celebrities, "The Writing Game" is as entertaining as it is engaging, and a 'must read' memoir for anyone who contemplates embarking upon a professional writing career for themselves.
Cite It Right
Julia Johns & Sarah Silvia
Source Aid
1284 A Main Street, Osterville, MA 02655
0977195708 $26.99 www.sourceaid.com
Now in an updated second edition, Cite It Right: The Source Aid Guide to Citation, Research, and Avoiding Plagiarism is a guide written especially for students and researchers. Cite It Right spells out exactly how to give credit where credit is due in circles where being "by the book" in one's references and citations is absolutely critical to earning good grades, furthering one's career, creating a professional-quality paper, and avoiding even the slightest possibility of unintentional plagiarism. Chapters briefly refresh the reader about the basics of researching and writing papers, but the four main chapters of Cite It Right are particularly devoted to the express guidelines required by four different professional organizations: the Modern Language Association, the American Psychological Association, Chicago Manual of Style, and Council of Science Editors. Though not sponsored or endorsed by any of these groups, Cite It Right meticulously spells out each group's precise format guidelines, including their individual terminologies, specific examples, and the format expected for different types of citations. A "must-have" for anyone preparing a scholarly work, especially if for one of these big four writing styles.
Wabi Sabi for Writers
Richard R. Powell
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor, Avon, MA 02322
1593375964 $12.95 www.adamsmedia.com 1-800-872-5627
Wabi Sabi for Writers is a philosophical source of inspiration for intermediate to advanced writers. Author Richard Powell, who studied at the Kootenay School of Writing under such acclaimed authors as Margaret Atwood and David McFadden, Wabi Sabi for Writers emphasizes that while perfection is great to strive for, the struggle to create flawless beauty is in essence a false idea in an imperfect universe - absolute "perfection" is impossible, yet imperfection contains within its own sense of timeless beauty. Written in a soothing style of narrative flow, Wabi Sabi for Writers applies ancient Japanese aesthetic to modern practical principles and suggestions, and is filled cover to cover with tips, tricks, and techniques for improving one's writing production rate. From the value of personally experiencing and connecting with nature, to applying the concept of "yugen" in hinting at depths below the surface and engaging the conscious mind to puzzle over the unseen, Wabi Sabi for Writers is an invaluable and inspirational tool for promoting personal fulfillment as well as improved quality in one's writing.
Rewriting
Joseph Harris
Utah State University
7800 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-7800
0874216427 $19.95 www.usu.edu/uspress
Written by Duke University Writing Program director Joseph Harris, Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts is a guide written especially for college students and professionals seeking to refine their academic writing technique. Leaning away from the static ideas of thesis, support and structure and toward a more naturally flowing and dynamic writing style, Rewriting challenges the reader to think of writing an adaptive, social activity and shape one's written intellectual opinions and discussions accordingly. Presented strategies for coaxing a more persuasive and intuitive tone into one's logical academic written arguments include forwarding (taking words, images, or ideas from text and putting them to use in new contexts), countering (suggesting different ways of thinking rather than simple nullification of a given ideal), and much more. Recommended for intermediate to advanced academic writers for its solid recommendations to make prose more readable, immersive, thought-provoking and natural-sounding.
Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace
Sarah Bolme
Crest Publications
PO Box 481022, Charlotte, NC 28269
0972554653 $17.99 www.marketingchristianbooks.com
Written by Sarah Bolme, the co-founder and director of Christian Small Publishers Association, Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace is a straightforward guide for publishers, self-publishers and authors seeking to promote quality books specifically among Christians. Chapters discuss basic steps such as securing distribution and garnering book reviews, how to connect with Christian retail stores and churches, harnessing the power of the Internet, reaching out to special markets such as the Christian homeschool market, eBooks, and markets for Spanish-language Christian books, and much more. Contact information and URLs for stores and websites enhances this experience-tested, high-quality "how to" guide. An absolute "must-have" for anyone involved in marketing Christian books, though the general tips, tricks, and techniques will prove useful for marketing mainstream books as well.
The Well-Fed Self-Publisher
Peter Bowerman
Fanlove Publishing
3713 Stonewall Circle, Atlanta, GA 30339
0967059860 $19.95
Award-winning author and self-publishing expert Peter Bowerman explains how to do-it-yourself publish and earn a solid living in The Well-Fed Self-Publisher, a how-to guide that especially focuses upon the steps of the process and how to maximize profits. Self-publishing can potentially be much more lucrative than landing a publisher, since publishers all too frequently come with meager royalty rates, a typical 18-24 month wait to publication, the loss of book rights, and minimal or nonexistent help with marketing. The Well-Fed Self-Publisher covers how to develop a "marketing mindset", find reviewers willing to spread book publicity, get in the big bookstore chains, build a cash-generating website, minimize dependence on the unreliable mainstream media, filter through the print-on-demand hype, and much more. A "must-have" for anyone considering self-publishing as a career.
The Judaic Studies Shelf
Masters of the World
Rabbi Yonatan Kolatch
KTAV Publishing House Inc.
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
0881259365 $35.00 www.ktav.com
Written by Rabbi Yonatan Kolatch, Masters of the World: Traditional Jewish Bible Commentary from the First Through Tenth Centuries, Volume 1 is an extensive exploration of traditional Jewish Bible commentary. Devoting each weekly Torah portion to the exclusive commentary of a different individual scholar, Masters of the World allows the reader to become familiar with a wide variety of commentators through presenting a significant portion of each one's work. This first volume presents the work of commentators Chazal, Targumim, Zohar, R. Saadia Gaon, the Spanish linguists and the Ba'alei Masorah in chronological order, with forthcoming volumes to represent others. Extensive notes and an index round out this rigorous and scholarly compendium of Judaic theological discussion, especially recommended for religious, Judaic, and Biblical studies shelves.
