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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 14, Number 7 July 2004 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Travel Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Archaeology Shelf Business Shelf Gardening Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Parenting Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Computer Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf
Biography Shelf American History Shelf Music Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Nautical Shelf Metaphysical Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Library Science Shelf Psychology Shelf
Poetry Shelf Economics Shelf Library CD Music Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Library Video/DVD Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Photography Shelf Art Shelf Architecture Shelf
Sports Shelf Women's Issues Shelf International Studies Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Literary Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Railroading Shelf
Jobs/Careers Shelf Political Science Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Criminology Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Education Shelf
Judiac Studies Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf Native American Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Fishing Shelf Military Shelf
Fiction Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Sopranos and Philosophy
Richard Greene & Peter Vernezze, Eds.
Open Court Publishing Company
PO Box 300, Peru, IL 61354-0300
0812695585 $17.95 www.amazon.com

Philosophers who are fans of the popular television series "Sopranos" would seem an odd mix, but Sopranos And Philosophy: I Kill Therefore I Am provides an essay collection, compiled and edited by Richard Greene and Peter Vernezze, which probes not only the show and the personalities of its actors, but the underlying philosophy and attraction of the mafia family. Sopranos and Philosophy is an intriguing and informative survey of ethical judgment and philosophy.

Booknotes: On American Character
Brian Lamb
Public Affairs
250 W. 57th St. #1321, NY, NY 10107
www.publicaffairsbooks.com
1586482327 $29.95 www.amazon.com

The weekly program "Booknotes" is the flagship of the C-SPAN cable television network's book programming and has been popular viewing for over 15 years: its interviews have been the basis for three best-selling books already. Here CEO and host Brian Lamb provides a new and enthusiastically recommended collection of nearly eighty interviews with contemporary nonfiction writers in Booknotes: On American Character, exploring the politics and modern issues shaping the nation.

Satellite Imagery For the Masses
Harold Hough
Loompanics Unlimited
Box 1197, Port Townsend, WA 98368
1559502401 $20.00 loompanics. com

If you've thought of satellite imagery as a scientific tool alone, think again: anyone who can see the business or personal applications of satellite imagery can use Satellite Imagery For the Masses, an invaluable guide to understand the new avail-ability of commercial satellite imagery and its applications. From computer games which accurately portray international landscape settings, to legal evidence, engineering and historical applications, author Harold Hough deftly explores the rapidly expanding world of the affordable satellite and how all manner of consumers and workers can profit satellite imagery technology.

One Person At A Time
Adam Hildebrand
Brookline Books
PO Box 1209, Brookline, MA 02445
1571290931 $22.95 brooklinebooks.com

Citizen advocacy is a community enterprise which arranges relationships between competent citizens and those socially devalued because of a physical or mental impairment, and Adam Hildebrand's One Person At A Time explores the benefits of this approach. Accounts of Citizen Advocacy relationships are told by advocates and describe the ups and downs of their experiences.

Classic Origami
Michael G. LaFosse
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
0804835284 $14.95 www.amazon.com

Package a 64-page book that introduces basic folding techniques with easily-followed instructions for 45 beginner's projects and 98 sheets of folding paper in a range of colors and patterns, and you have the perfect introductory gift item in Michael LaFosse's Classic Origami. The competitors just offer books with diagrams, whereas this entire program provides eye-catching projects and all the tools necessary to achieve them.

Audio Anecdotes
Ken Greenebaum & Ronen Barzel, eds.
A. K. Peters Ltd.
888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482
1568811047 $65.00 www.akpeters.com

Audio Anecdotes: Tools, Tips, And Techniques For Digital Audio is an anthology of essays by a wide variety of expert authors concerning the exciting field of digital audio, lessons that can be learned from its past, discoveries directly applicable in the present, and anticipation of new changes in the future. Cutting-edge, practical, advice-filled instructionals include "Timbre Trees: Integrating Sounds and Images", "RampTest: Quantifying Audio Performance", "Designing a Movie for Sound", "Perceivable Auditory Latencies" and much more. A highly recommended supplementary educational text for anyone pursuing or involved in a career in the digital audio field, Audio Anecdotes is clearly an excellent addition to career-themed professional libraries as well as audio technology and technical reference shelves.

Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com

Tina Skinner's Gingerbread Gems (0764-31971X, $19.95) is a specialized title recommended for students of Victorian architecture and architectural studies: it highlights the unique Victorian structures of Cape May, in New Jersey, and provides a reference to summer cottages and homes located in the southern cape. Stunning color photos depict gingerbread wonders to rival San Francisco in Gingerbread Gems. Jim Phillips' Surf Skate And Rock Art (0764319272, $29.95) provides a collection of graphic art representing 40 years of Jim Phillips' free-lance and fine art, from posters to logos and cartoons, ads and comics. Color art presentations pack every page and provide an excellent overview of Jim Phillips' many achievements. Highly recommended.

Bicycle Vaction Guide
Doug Shidell & Vicky Vogels
Little Transport Press
4401 Grand Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409
097466250X $18.95 littletransport.com

Bicycle Vaction Guide: Minnesota And Wisconsin a resource packed with everything the avid cyclist needs to know to plan a local vacation on two wheels. Packed with colorful maps, lodging information, suggested vacation activities, directions, recommendations, contact information, trail descriptions, and much more, Bicycle Vaction Guide is set up to let the reader pick and choose what places he or she wants to visit most by pedal. An excellent and up-to-date vacation guide.

Cartographica Extraordinaire
David Rumsey & Edith M. Punt
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100
1589480449 $79.95 www.esri.com

The impressively collaborative work of David Rumsey (President of Cartography Associates, a San Francisco-based digital publishing company, and Director of Luna Imaging, a provider of enterprise software for online image collections) and Edith M. Punt (professional cartographer and recipient of the 1996 National Geographic Award in Cartography), Cartographica Extraordinaire: The Historical Map Transformed is a 160-page, hardcover, coffee-table book printed on archival paper which showcases how technology has literally transformed the restoration, re-creation and reproduction of historical maps. The specific focus is upon maps (and the people who made them) that reflect American history and ranges from a 1736 atlas depicting California as an island, to a Civil War era "bird's-eye" view of military positions on the southeastern seaboard. This is an outstanding and representative collection drawn from the David Rumsey Map Collection and illustrates early American history from a uniquely geographic perspective. With it's informed and informative text, Cartographica Extraordinaire is clearly recommended for inclusion into professional, academic and community library Cartography Studies or American History collections. Indeed, Cartographica Extraordinaire would make an excellent selection for a truly unique Library Memorial Fund acquisition.

The Border Guide
Robert Keats
Self-Counsel Press, Inc.
1704 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225
www.self-counsel.com
1551805723 $19.95 1-877-877-6490

There are three million Canadian citizens living in the United States (often traveling back and forth across the border), with almost two millions Canadians visiting Florida each years. Many Canadians and Americans incorrectly assume that the laws governing investment, taxation, and immigration are the same in both countries. They are not. And that's why The Border Guide: A Canadian's Guide To Living, Working, And Investing In The United States is such a timely and necessary book recommended to the attention of all Canadians coming into the United States for reasons of work, education, travel, investment, or residence. Thoroughly "user friendly", The Border Guide will help anyone from getting disadvantaged by the fluctuations between Canadian and American currency; quality for old-age and social security benefits on either side of the border; obtain the best that the Canadian and US medical systems have to offer; receive Canadian pensions in the US almost tax free; even how to buy a retirement home and deduct the mortgage interest from Canadian tax returns. All these and so much more make The Border Guide a "must" read for US bound Canadians!

Bombs And Bandwidth
Robert Latham, Editor
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10013
1565848624 $17.95 1-800-233-4830

Information technology has become central to how governments, terrorists and social movements organize and conduct themselves, changing traditional concepts of privacy, surveillance, and security. In Bombs And Bandwidth: The Emerging Relationship Between Information Technology And Security, Robert Latham gathers and edits essays which stem from a project of the Social Science Research Council, assembling leading scholars across disciplines to explore the new IT-related environment and its threats. A fine examination.

Vital Statistics Of The United States 2004
Helmut & Christopher Wendel, editors
Bernan Press
4611-F Assembly Dr., Lanham MD 20706
www.bernanpress.com
0890597405 $95.00 1-800-865-3457

Vital Statistics Of The United States: Births, Life Expectancy, Deaths, And Selected Health Data, First Edition, 2004 is a single-volume source of key vital statistics with historical coverage going back as far as 1940 for many time series. This newest addition to the Bernan Press "U.S. DataBook Series" also includes valuable information on disabilities, ambulatory and inpatient care, non-fatal cancer incidence, and the use of addictive substances. No medical school, governmental medical policy department, health insurance, academic or community library reference collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of this debut edition of Vital Statistics Of The United States.

Lighthouses Of The South
Elinor DeWire & Daniel E. Dempster
Voyageur Press
123 North Second Street, Stillwater, MN 55082-5002
www.voyageurpress.com
0896586030 $29.95 1-800-837-2210

Lighthouses Of The South: Your Guide To The Lighthouses Of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, And Florida by lighthouse enthusiast and expert Elinor DeWire is part of the outstanding "A Pictorial Discover Guide" series from Voyageur Press. Superbly enriched with the color photography of Daniel Dempster whose images rise to the level of museum quality art, wonderfully enhanced Elinor DeWire's informed and informative text. No lighthouse enthusiast's personal reference collection can be con-sidered either complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of Elinor DeWire and Daniel Dempster's collaborative compendium, Lighthouses Of The South. Also very highly recommended for lighthouse enthusiasts are Elinor DeWire's Lighthouses Of The Mid-Atlantic Coast and Daniel Dempster's Lighthouses Of The Great Lakes.


The Travel Shelf

A City of Gardens
Barbara Seeber
Capital Books
Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1931868409 $20.00 capital-books.com

Judy Karpinski's photos and Karen Thompson's illustrations enhance Barbara Seeber's A City Of Gardens, an impressively informative surveying of public gardens in and around Washington D.C. Any who live on the East Coast will find City Of Gardens to be an excellent destination-oriented guide which invites gardeners and tourists to enjoy the city's garden wonders. Notes on rare plants, old trees, and more pinpoint what makes each destination special.

Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley, CA 947803
www.ulyssespress.com

As part of the outstanding 'Weekend Adventure Getaways' series from Ulysses Press, Richard Harris presents two excellent California weekend destination guides with his Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, Santa Cruz (1569753857, $14.95) and Yosemite Tahoe (1569753849, $14.95). Each appears in a fine new first edition to cover a range of outdoor adventure-oriented activities, from golfing to biking, camping, and hiking. Lee Foster's black and white photos throughout add interest and vigor to guides which cover everything from recreation to nightlife, recommended eating establishments, and more. Perfect choices for destination-oriented travelers.

Kings Canyon National Park
Mike White
Wilderness Press
1200 5th St., Berkeley, CA 94710
0899973353 $19.95 wildernesspress.com

Hikers and backpacks seeking to enjoy one of California's remoter and lesser-used parks will relish Mike White's Kings Canyon National Park: it offers tips on hiking trips of all lengths, from a quarter-mile stroll to a 42-mile trek, it surveys the best vista points and campsites within the park, and includes insider's tips on swimming holes and wildflowers. The inclusion of recommended side trips and trailhead descriptions along with topographical small maps makes Kings Canyon National Park a highly recommended choice.

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles
Paul Gerald
Ridge Press
2204 First Avenue South, Suite 102
Birmingham, AL 35233
www.menasharidge.com
0897325710 $15.95 1-205-322-0439

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles by hiking expert and travel writer Paul Gerald showcases a full sixty superbly developed trails within an hour's drive of Portland, Oregon. These are enthusiastically recommended excursions that offer mountain views, forest solitudes, magnificent waterfalls, and wonderful ocean beaches. From flower-filled meadows on Saddle Mountain to a spectacular view of Multnomah Falls (the highest in the state), 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles is additionally enhanced with a list of hikes appropriate for children, ideal for wildlife watching, impressive for multi-use, seclusion, and local history.

Caucasus
Nicholas Griffin
University of Chicago Press
1427 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637-2954
0226308596 $16.00 press.uchicago.edu

Historical facts blend with a travelogue narrative recounting Nicholas Griffin's personal journey through the region in his vividly written Caucasus, an informed and informative examination of the clash of cultures and ancient to modern conflicts inherent in this strife torn area. From headlines about the Chechen insurgency, to the terrain and everyday life of the Caucasus peoples, Nicholas Griffin's Caucasus is not to be missed.

Patagonia: Land of Giants
Alejandro Winograd & Daniel Rivademar
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Ave. NW #300
Washington, D.C. 20009-1148
987204421X $49.95 islandpress.com

Take a range of coffee-table-quality, vivid color photos (ala Daniel Rivademar), add an excellent history and commentary by Alejandro Winograd, and package it in a lively overview of its history and people and you have the compelling Patagonia: Land Of Giants. Few titles have referred to this remote land in depth, much less focused on the ongoing ecological and environmental issues affecting the region. A generous display of color illustration and coverage of indigenous plants, birds, mammals and so much more make Patagonia: Land Of Giants far more than just another pretty coffee table overview title.

Arcadia Publishing
3047 North Lincoln Avenue, Suite 410, Chicago, IL 60657
www.arcadiapublishing.com

Arcadia Publishing's expanding and inviting line of local history titles in their impressively produced 'Images of America' series moves forward with the addition of three new gems. Frederica Merrell and Mira Latoszek's Seattle's Beacon Hill (0738528617, $19.99) tells the story of residents and businesses of Seattle's Beacon Hill area, including extensive history and vintage photos which predate World War II. These archived works blend with first-person recollections and local color to achieve a degree of intimacy the more general travel title won't touch. Kathleen Manning and Jim Dickson's San Francisco's Ocean Beach (0738528579, $19.99) covers the seaside area of San Francisco: an area often passed by in competing history or travel guides. Again, over 200 vintage black and white photos blends with an intimate survey of the neighborhood's history to showcase not just landmarks, but the local people and businesses of Ocean Beach. Lorri Ungaretti's San Francisco's Sunset District (90738528625, $19.99) is especially applauded because the Sunset has little tourist appeal compared to the rest of the city and until now has been given short rift in the attentions of other guides. Sunset historian and tour guide Ungaretti takes readers from the early dune days of the neighborhood to its rise as one of the more desirable living areas today. These titles are especially recommended gift picks for local residents interested in neighborhood history.

Vintage San Francisco
Moulin Studios
Welcome Books
6 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
0941807312 $16.95 welcomebooks.biz

Moulin Studios' Vintage San Francisco is not just another city travel guide: it's a survey of the city's history and culture using artistic and dramatic black and white photos taken by three generations of photographers from Moulin Studios. There's more, however: quotes and observations from San Francisco literary figures and commentators spice revealing insights and offer solid and often humorous reflections on the city's notorious history. Vintage San Francisco is an excellent overview and a fine gift choice.

The Edinburgh Visitor Guide
Colin Baxter, photographer
Oyster Press
Graphic Arts Center Publishing, dist.
KSB Promotions (publicity)
1004 Commercial Avenue, PMB 155, Anacortes, WA 98221
193257302X $12.95 www.amazon.com

Enhanced with 66 four-color photographs, maps, and indexes, The Edinburgh Visitor Guide is an impressive travel guide which blends tradition and innovation as it showcases Edinburgh's medieval Old Town confusion of stone and spires with her Georgian New Town's ordered symmetry. The side-by-side contrasts of magnificent historic buildings with striking modern structures offers the visitor novel array of architectural delights. Additionally, The Edinburgh Visitor Guide provides a wealth of city history ranging from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, along with great museums, quaint shops, centuries-old pubs, and contemporary restaurants. If you are planning a trip that will include Edinburgh, Scotland, then be sure to take along your own personal copy of The Edinburgh Visitor Guide!

Ancient Ireland
Robert Emmet Meagher
Elizabeth Parker Neave
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby St., Northampton, MA 01060
156656526X $22.00 interlinkbooks.com

Gorgeous color photography illustrates Ancient Ireland: An Explorer's Guide, which leads both the prospective tourist and the armchair traveler on itineraries following landmarks from prehistoric times to medieval ages. Maps, extensive descriptions, lodging recommendations, and inviting background information on the sites that allow one to view Ireland as it has been through the ages of time distinguish this handy, "must-have" for Irish history buffs planning to travel and see the land's wonders for themselves.

The Irish Landscape
Charles Hepworth Holland
Dunedin Academic Press/ISBS, dist.
5824 NE Hassalo St, Portland, OR 97213
190376520X $36.00 1-800-944-6190

Full-color photographs fill the pages of The Irish Landscape: A Scenery To Celebrate, a guide to the magnificent natural sites of the whole island of Ireland. Author and former professor of geology and mineralogy Charles Holland describes the breathtaking scenery and tells the scientifc story of why the land looks the way it does today in a manner that will engage lay readers and fellow scientists alike. Especially recommended for armchair travelers, The Irish Landscape Surely The Next Best Thing To Traveling To Ireland and viewing its beauty firsthand.

The Great Minnesota Touring Book
Thomas Huhti
Trails Books/Wisconsin Trails
PO Box 317, Black Earth, WI 53515-0317
www.trailsbooks.com
193159936X $21.95 1-800-236-8088

The Great Minnesota Touring Book: 30 Spectacular Auto Trips by Thomas Huhti is a superbly organized and presented traveler's guide to planning a personal or family road trip vacation among Minnesota's most scenic, historical, or exciting places. The offered tours span all parts of this great state. Enhanced with maps, explicit directions that make mention of every single turnoff in every detail, trivia about the sights to see while en route, and so much more, The Great Minnesota Touring Book is a thorough, handy, and welcome resource and reference for self-directed tours.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

First Do No Harm
Ira E. Williams, M.D.
Corinthian Books
PO Box 1898, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29465
1929175396 $24.95 corinthianbooks.com

In the modern-day America, twice as many people are killed by medical error as die in traffic accidents. Dr. Ira E. Williams, a medical professional and oral surgeon of 40 years' experience, warns of the many failings of today's system of medical practice regulation in First, Do No Harm: The Cure For Medical Malpractice. Addressing the skyrocketing cost of malpractice lawsuits, the questionable validity of relying upon the courts and the legal profession to set standards for medicine, the limitations of peer review, and stressing that medical negligence is not just the work of a few "bad apples" but a pathology that can affect any doctor, as all medical practitioners are themselves fallible human beings, First, Do No Harm is a rivet-ing revelation of a severe social problem. First, Do No Harm goes beyond pointing out the injury, however; it offers viable strategies for improving national health care, including drawing from the positive examples in veteran's hospitals and promoting increased self-regulation. An absolute "must-read" for anyone involved in the medical industry today, whether as a practitioner or a patient.

Pathways To Nursing
Dennis C. Tucker & Paula Craig
Information Today
143 Old Marlton Pike, Meford, NJ 08055
www.infotoday.com
1573871923 $24.95 1-800-300-9868

The collaborative effort of author and librarian science expert Dennis C. Tucker and Paula Craig (E-Learning Coordinator for Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha, Qatar), Pathways To Nursing: A Guide To Library And Online Research In Nursing And Allied Health provides nursing students and medical paraprofessionals with a practical "how to" guide to doing their research utilizing the techniques and resources of the internet. Concluding with a listing of the most important print and online resources in the fields of nursing and health, Pathways To Nursing is an indispensable addition to professional, academic (especially Nursing School), and public library Health & Medicine library reference collections.

Milk
Stuart Patton
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
0765802104 $34.95 1-888-999-6778

Knowledgeably written by a professor emeritus of food science, Milk: Its Remarkable Contribution To Human Health And Well-Being is a scientifically researched and presented response to modern-day claims downplaying or even attacking the health of milk as a food. Unashamedly pro-dairy consumption, Milk backs its fervent emphasis upon the importance of regularly consuming dairy products as part of a balanced diet with research, statistics, and modern scientific wisdom on everything from the nutritional benefits to the flavor of milk. Directly addressing and rebutting animal rights activist advocacy against milk - to the extent of comparing the animal rights advocacy movement to that of a religious movement driven by faith rather than reason - Milk may be passionate in its own advocacy yet its defense of a widely useful, inexpensive, and nutritious foodstuff seems to clearly be needed in the wake of so many media attacks against it.

Brave New World Of Health Care
Richard D. Lamm
Fulcrum Publishing
16100 Table Mountain Parkway #300, Golden, CO 80403
1555915108 $12.95 fulcrum-books.com

Health care is a 'fiscal black hole' according to former Governor Richard Lamm in his controversial new book, Brave New World Of Health Care, which points out that for all the money spent, Americans are no healthier than nations which spend far less. Take the increase in life expectancy and combine it with the rapid advancement of expensive technology and you have a formula for disaster which Governor Lamm addresses in this stirring and informative title.

Pregnancy And Birth Sourcebook
Amy L. Sutton, Editor
Omnigraphics
615 Griswold Street, Detroit, MI 48226
0780806727 $78.00 omnigraphics.com

The second updated edition of a basic consumer guide on pregnancy and birth will appeal to public and school reference collections strong in medicine and women's health. Pregnancy And Birth Sourcebook's consumer-oriented medical guide provides articles on everything from fertility and pregnancy complications to labor, delivery and beyond. From screening and treatment procedures to high-risk pregnancy issues, Pregnancy And Birth Sourcebook deserves a spot on any medical reference shelf.

American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
www.diabetes.org

The ADA keeps putting out titles which focus on essential quality of life issues for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics, as evidenced by two recent arrivals with wide-ranging interest for diabetics of both types. Their pocket-sized Field Guide To Type 2 Diabetes (1580401945, $14.95) appears in a pocket-sized oblong software which is meant to serve as a 'compass' to navigate the confusing diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. From checklists and 'road maps' of recovery to fellow diabetic's accounts and the benefits of exercise and medications, Field Guide To Type 2 Diabetes provides a fine resource covering everything from initial diagnosis to common complications. Leslie Daweson, MSc's How To Save Up To $3000 A Year On Your Diabetes Costs 1580401694, $8.95) finally addresses concerns for diabetics on limited budgets, offering ways to cut food costs without sacrificing nutrition, chapters on how to obtain discount prescription drugs through mail, the Internet, and drug companies, and tips on sources of low-cost or free health care. Since many diabetics are entering their senior or older years, How To Save Up To $3000 A Year On Your Diabetes Costs offers a compelling strategy for savings which should not be missed.

Medicinal Plants Of The World
Ben-Erik Van Wyk & Michael Wink
Timber Press
133 S.W. 2nd Avenue, #450, Portland, OR 97204-3527
0881926027 $39.95 timberpress.com

The collaborative effort of Ben-Erik Van Wyk and Michael Wink,Medicinal Plants Of The World isn't just another casual listing of plants and their homeopathic applications: it's an in-depth, scientifically accurate, superbly presented, seminal survey and guide to the best-known medicinal plants and describes over three hundred plants and relatives with short descriptions, geographic origins, therapeutic category, historical and modern uses, and active ingredients. Add 700 color photos to help identification and a checklist of the top 900 plants listed by scientific and common name and you have a reference that health care professionals will relish and refer to time and time again.


The Archaeology Shelf

Secrets Of The Maya
Archaeology Magazine
Hatherleigh Press
5-11 46th Avenue, Suite 200, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.hatherlieghpress.com
1578261708 $15.95 1-800-528-2550

In Secrets Of The Maya, the editorial staff of Archaeology Magazine collaborate to provide an informed and informative survey of what we have learned about ancient Mayan culture to date. The Maya (located in the rain forests of Central America) were long thought to be devout, peace-loving peasants guided by gentle priest-kings, but recent finds have exposed the Mayans as a complex, sophisticated urban society ruled by egomanical kings who waged incessant warfare and turned powerful kingdoms into vast empires. Human sacrifice was common, as were elaborate trading relationships, agricultural techniques, astronomical observations, and the creation of the only system of writing native to the Americas. Secrets Of The Maya should be a very high-priority addition to academic and community library Central American Archaeological Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Business Shelf

The Merry Baker Of Riga
Boris Zemitzov
Stanford Oak Press
PO Box 30349, Bethesda, MD 20824
0974711608 $14.95 stanfordoak.com

Author Boris Zemitzov decided to establish a Western-style bakery in Latvia in 1992, just after the collapse of the Soviet Union, despite having only business savvy and no cultural ties to the country. The Merry Baker Of Riga recounts Zemitzov's trials and experiences creating the bakery from a decrepit baker plant and training Soviet-trained bakers. The result is an entertianing and informative blend of travelogue and business title offering rare insights into the trials and experiences of developing a retail business overseas.

Buyways
Catherine Gudis
Routledge
29 West 35th St., New York NY 10001
0415934559 $22.00 routledge-ny.com

Catherine Gudis' Buyways is a unique and intrinsically fascinating history of the advertising billboard industry in America. Of immense value for the academic study of American business history, Buyways is also highly recommended reding for travelers and non-specialist general readers interested in wayside advertising and highway history. From legal battles between environmentalists and business interests, to the involvement of artists and behvioral scientists in billboard presentation and design, Buyways provides an intriguing, original, seminal history of travel routes and advertising format choices.

Lean Enterprise
William Levinson & Raymond Rerick
Quality Press/ASQ
Box 3005, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3005
0873895320 $35.00 www.asq.org

Co-written by an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, Reliability Engineer, Quality Manager, and Quality Auditor with a leader in manufacturing, Lean Enterprise: A Synergistic Approach To Minimizing Waste is a very practical guide to streamlining one's business, especially with regard to making manufacturing more efficient. Emphasizing that "lean" does not necessarily mean downsizing, Lean Enterprise applies its principles to identify wasted effort, investment, and bureaucracy, and delves into tips, tricks, and techniques in extensive detail, from the good and the bad of batch processing to synchronous flow manufacturing, the theory of constraints, supply chain management, and much more. Lean Enterprise is a "must-read" for any manager or business professional in the manufacturing field looking to cut costs and improve performance.

Integrity Matters
James F. Bracher & Daniel E. Halloran
Torchlight Publishing/NBN, dist.
776 - 10th St., Imperial Beach, CA 91932
www.integritymatters.com
1887089039 $23.95 1-800-462-6420

The collaborative work of James F. Bracher (Founder and Chairman of Dimension Five Consultants and creator of the Bracher Center for Integrity in Leadership) and Daniel E. Halloran (veteran of a forty year career in international leadership positions with Motorola), Integrity Matters is endorsed by more than seventy corporate leaders for its provision of insightful guidance on one of the most critical issues facing the business community in a post-Enron era. Deliberately written in a concise, conversational style, Integrity Matters deftly examines the current state of integrity in the corporate world and show-cases just why this quality of conduct is at the core of successful business -- and even more importantly, how to go about restoring integrity after it has been compromised by others. Integrity Matters should be mandatory reading for anyone holding a position of local, national, or international corporate responsibility.

TLC At Work
Donna Dunning
Davies-Black Publishing
3803 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
0891061924 $22.95 1-800-624-1765

Written by certified human resource professional and award-winning author and consultant Donna Dunning, TLC At Work invests heavily in the concepts of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory and Dunning's twenty years of experience. "TLC" stands for "Training, Leading, and Coaching", in this excellent guide especially for human resource professionals and people seeking to improve their performance at work. Chapters address how to build relationships and establish credibility, rapport, and trust, how to facilitate development, enhancing the five basic workplace competencies of self-responsibility, communication, mindfulness, productivity, and proactivity, and more. Of especial interest is the recommendations for using coaching to help people who think and react in very different ways learn to balance and effectively fine-tune their gut responses to a given situation. A highly recommended and superbly useful guidebook; though intended for business use, its principles are also directly applicable to volunteers coordinating or managing smaller projects such as a community theater production or a charity drive.

58 1/2 Ways To Improvise In Training
Paul Z. Jackson
Crown House Publishing Ltd.
PO Box 2223, Williston, VT 05495-2223
1904424147 $24.95 www.CHPUS.com

58 1/2 Ways To Improvise In Training is an anthology of games and activities especially designed to create an environment of active improvisation, experimentation, imagination, and energy. Physical and verbal activities alike serve as icebreakers and means to shake people out of their morning doldrums, whether for a team meeting or workshop training session. Each activity is presented with a recommended number of participants, estimated time, and a star rating indicating how focuses that activity is on bringing out a high energy level, individual strengths, team coordination, or visual, verbal, and physical skills. Instructions for the trainer to say aloud to the participants, sidecoach recommendations, debriefing questions to ask of the participants after the activity, and suggested variations or developments for each activity make 58 1/2 Ways To Improvise In Training easy to understand and apply to immediate practical use. An extraordinarily handy warm-up and focus guide for bringing the best out of groups of people.

Heads Up
Kenneth G. McGee
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way , Boston, MA 02163
www.HBSPress.org
1591392993 $29.95 1-800-668-6780

Written by the group vice-president of Gartner, Inc., a research and advisory firm, Heads Up: How To Anticipae Business Surprises And Seize Opportunities First is a no-nonsense advice guide to business managers everywhere. Emphasizing that the key is being keenly aware of what is going on in the present day, and that business disasters seldom come without any kind of warning, Heads Up walks the reader through a practical methodology to paying attention of the circumstances around oneself and navigating the choppy and changeable seas of opportunity, risk, and surprise, suspected, or surmounted events. Heads Up is a highly recommended and practical guide to raising entrepreneurial and corporate awareness.

Two Sides To Every Coin
Naomi Black
DNJ Books
PO Box 621848, Littleton, CO 80162
0975361805 $15.95 DNJbooks@aol.com

Finally: a guide which comes from an author's knowledge of the retail industry and daily dealings with troublesome customers! Naomi Black's Two Sides To Every Coin is provocatively subtitled "The Customer Isn't Always Right!" and cogently explains why. Accounts of retail complaints and resolutions pinpoint when the consumer is right and when fair is fair. Two Sides To Every Coin offers guidelines for assessment and problem solving at the retail level, and any involved in customer service will consider it both eye-opening, entertaining and educational (and all too true!).


The Gardening Shelf

Weedless Gardening
Lee Reich
Workman Publishing
708 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0761116966 $8.95 www.workman.com

Horticultural expert Lee Reich's primary focus is on gardening like Mother Nature, without the yearly digging and working of soil which are touted in competing gardening guides. As such, his low-impact Weedless Gardening will have a very special appeal to those gardeners who wish to employ alternate methods of cultivation which focus on cover crops, drip systems, and other weed-discouraging methods.

Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, N. Pomfret, VT 05053
www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com

Two new titles from this publisher provide gardeners with excellent plant guides. Matthew Biggs, John Cushnie and others gather articles for BBC's Gardener's Question Time Plant Chooser (185626-5153, $35.00), a guide to achieving the best year-round plant varieties. 700 species and many more varieties have been selected for their ability to flourish in temperate gardens in the northern hemisphere: each entry provides plant's preferred soil, flowering season, hardiness, and an explanation of why the author believes their personal favorite is a good garden addition. Jim Keeling's Flowerpots (1570762-732, $29.95) isn't just another general guide to flowerpot planting: it offers a seasonal approach to pots, is seasonally arranged, and tells how to structure pots for all four seasons. Advice on pruning, feeding and container pros and cons is based on Jim Keeling's personal English-style cottage gardens and is illustrated with lovely color photos by Andrew Lawson.

The Grand Masters Of Maine Gardening
Jane Lamb
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843-0679
www.downeastbooks.com
0892726377 $30.00 1-800-685-7962

The Grand Masters Of Main Gardening: And Some Of Their Disciples by horticultural and gardening expert Jane Lamb reveals and showcases "tips, tricks and techniques" applied by Maine's premier gardeners. Additionally, Lamb includes a veritable compendium of advice drawn from more than twenty years of interviews with Maine's most outstanding gardeners, horticultural pioneers, and landscape architects. Here is a compendium based upon decades of experience in making things grow in Maine soil and with Maine climates. Also included is a fascinating tour through exquisite private gardens, specialized nurseries and popular public gardens. Enhanced with almost seventy impressive full-color photographs, The Grand Masters Of Maine Gardening is a "must" for regional gardeners in the North East, but will also prove to be of immense interest to dedicated horticulturists and gardening enthusiasts anywhere else in the country.

Compendium Of Ornamental Palm Diseases And Disorders
M. L. Elliott, et al.
APS Press
c/o American Phytopathological Society
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097
www.shopapspress.org
0890543143 $49.00 1-800-328-7560

Enhanced with 237 color images and 4 black/white illustrations, Compendium Of Ornamental Palm Diseases And Disorders is the collaborative work of horticultural experts M.L. Elliott, T.K. Broschat, J.Y. Uchida, and G.W. Simone. The section on "Diseases" is alphabetically organized with each of the succinct entries covers symptomology; causal organisms; occurrence and specifies effective; diagnostic techniques; as well as prevention and treatment. The section on "Physiological Disorders" is similarly laid out and covers everything from Albinism, Cold Injury, Herbicide Toxicity, and Lightning Injury, to Potassium Deficiency; Powerline Decline; Root Suffocation; Water Stress; and more. An exceptional and strongly recommended addition to professional and academic gardening and horticultural reference library collections, Compendium Of Orna-mental Palm Diseases And Disorders is enhanced with thirteen appendices including "Common names of some palm taxa". Also very highly recommended from APS Press is the companion title, Diseases And Disorders Of Ornamental Palms (0890541191, $49.00).

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Perennials
Ellen Phillips & C. Colston Burrell
Rodale Press
33 East Minor St., Emmaus, PA 18098
0875968996 $22.95 www.rodalestore.com

Collaboratively written and organized by gardening experts Ellen Phillips and Colston Burrell is a 712-page compendium offering up everything there is to know about the cultivation of perennials. Organized into three major sections: Designing the Perennial Garden; Growing Perennials; and The Perennial Encyclopedia, Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Perennials is additionally enhanced with lists of suggested readings and resources, as well as an index. An ideal instructional reference for the novice gardener, Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Perennials offers up a wealth of information that will prove to be of substantial and enduring usefulness to even the seasoned and experienced gardener and horticulturist.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverside, NY 10471
www.baen.com

Three new action-packed winners are strong picks from this prolific publisher. Charles Sheffield's Between The Strokes Of Night (0743488245, $7.99) takes place in the 21st century, where only a handful of humans remains alive after disaster. Mankind has encountered the Immortals beings who can live forever, travel light years, and who control the existence of others and it's up to a small colony to find and challenge the Immortals' domination. A free cd comes with David Weber's Wind Rider's Oath (0743488210, $26.00), providing further embellishment for a story revolving around raiders, barbarians, and a Horse Stealer's son who faces hostility and an entire army. Wizards and conflicts emerge powerfully in every chapter. John Dalmas' Regiment: A Trilogy (0743-488237, $25.00) takes place on a soldier planet which specializes in exporting fighters mystic warriors who are irresistible in battle. The opportunity to train non-Tyss warriors in the mysterious battle ways becomes an opportunity for survival when the Confederation faces invaders from another galaxy. A gripping story of military conflicts emerges.

Shadowmancer
G.P. Taylor
Putnam
345 Hudson, New York NY 10014
0399242562 $16.99 www.penguin.com

G.P. Taylor's Shadowmancer is taking the U.K. by storm, and Americans will surely find out why when they begin to absorb this fantasy of a victor determined to obtain a weapon so powerful it will control the world. His sorcerer abilities will insure he wins unless young Ralph, Thomas and Kate can face down his powers of darkness. Shadowmancer should appeal equally to advanced young adult and adult audiences.

The Lone Drow
R. A. Salvatore
Wizards of the Coast
PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707
0786932287 $7.99 www.wizards.com

Book One of R.A. Salvatore's "The Hunter's Blade" trilogy, The Lone Drow is the story of Drizzi Do'Urden who is the bane of the orc hordes still ravaging the North. Cut off, alone, convinced that everything he ever valued has been destroyed and all that's left is to kill until there are no enemies left, the reader is carried along on an expertly crafted action/adventure fantasy tale that is replete with memorable characters, dire situations, vividly drawn backgrounds, and horrific battles. But the novice reader should be forewarned! Reading The Lone Drow will send you to seek out all of R. A. Salvatore's earlier books -- and leave you looking urgently toward the next installment of this thrilling fantasy series.

Ace Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Alastair Reynolds' Absolution Gap (0441-011586, $24.95) is the concluding novel of the Revelation Space trilogy: as such, it's recommended for prior fans who wish the conclusion to a top-notch, gripping saga. Ancient killing machines have been awakened to descend upon humanity, prompting the involvement of an avenging angel and a ragtag colony of refugees. She comes across the savior of Mankind but is she something worse? A gripping and unexpected conclusion keeps the imagination fired. Isaac Asimov's Robot Dreams (0441011837, $14.00) arrives just in time to coincide with the movie release of I, ROBOT (July 16th), and gathers over twenty of his short stories spanning his fiction from the 1940s to the 1980s. Included here is one of the tales which the film is based upon as well as others exploring the future of technology and humanity alike.

Cities
Peter Crowther, Editor
Four Walls Eight Windows
39 West 14th Street, #503, NY NY 10011
1568583044 $17.00 www.4w8w.com

Compiled and edited by Peter Crowther, Cities consists of four fantasy novellas by China Mieville, Michael Moorcock, Paul DiFilippo and Geoff Ryman provide different scenarios of man's future. Mieville tells of a London overrun and destroyed by anti-human reflections living in mirrors; Moorcock's title is set in post-post-9/11 New York, Di Filippo is set in a city which literally straddles the line between Heaven and Hell, and Ryman's V.A.O. provides a funny mystery set in a future retirement home. All of these outstanding short stories are involving reflections on possible future worlds.

Golden Gryphon Press
3002 Perkins Rd., Urbana, IL 61802
www.goldengryphon.com

Two outstanding new titles from this high-quality small press publisher join others in the recommended picks from Golden Gryphon. Ian R. MacLeod's Breathmoss And Other Exhalations (1930846266, $24.95) is not easily categorized: it's a blend of literary science fiction, fantasy and horror short stories which tell of community, romance, scientific discovery and ethics. Very different themes and tales tackle social dilemmas and scientific challenges alike. Jeff Vandermeer's Secret Life (193-0846274, $24.95) returns to the world of Ambergris previously explored in City Of Saints And Madmen, providing five stories along with a new story written for this volume alone. From a world changed by intelligent creations of Mankind to a story set in early Peru, Vandermeer has handpicked over twenty tales reflecting a diverse concern over the human condition. Both are powerful collections.

TOR Books
175 5th Ave., New York NY 10110
www.tor.com

Two exciting new science fiction titles are highly recommended picks for hard science fiction readers looking for strong plots and characterization. Rudy Rucker's Frek And The Elixer (0765310589, $27.95) will delight even the most hardened reader seldom surprised by twists of plot: set a thousand years in the future, it tells of a teen misfit who finds a flying saucer in his bedroom and a mandate to help save his world. Rucker's sense of humor shines in this story of a reluctant young hero and an alien determined to make him one against his own desires. A hilarious, fun odyssey peppered with Rucker's hard science bent, Frek And The Elixer is a highly recommend pick. Neal Asher's fantsy novel The Skinner (07653-07375, $26.95) tells of three unlikely visitors to a distant ocean world: a spy for an alien group mind, a woman on a quest for the meaning of life, and a dead man on a vendetta he can't give up. Combined the very different goals of three very different individuals and you have an action-packed story which is complex yet hard to put down, in The Skinner.


The Parenting Shelf

Hearing Is Believing
Elisa Medhus, MD
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1577314271 $14.95 newworldlibrary.com

Words can make or break a child's efforts, and effective communication with kids involves choosing them carefully. Parents interested in better interaction with kids will find Hearing Is Believing deftly blends humor with fun insights as it pinpoints common phrases and words which can inadvertently provide the wrong message. An important set of considerations on underlying teachings.

The New Language Of Toys
Sue Schwartz
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817
www.woodbinehouse.com
1890627488 $18.95 1-800-843-7323

Now in a substantially revised and updated third edition, The New Language Of Toys: Teaching Communication Skills To Children With Special Needs by Sue Schwartz workshop presenter and developer of the Parent Infant Program in the Programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in the Montgomery County, Maryland Public Schools) is an informed and informative instructional guide which is enthusiastically recommended for parents and teachers seeking to teach language skills to children from birth to age six through utilizing toys to evoke verbal interactions. Enhanced with new photographs (including a full-color insert) showing specific toys that families may already own, can make at home, or which can be easily purchased, The New Language Of Toys also offers an extensive resource section listing dozens of toy companies, related books, and thematically appropriate organizations. If you are working with preschool children to develop their facility with language skills, the give The New Language Of Toys a very careful reading.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Monkey Wrench
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
1574328417 $21.95 www.aqsquilt.com

Monkey Wrench: New Quilts From An Old Favorite offers inspirational suggestions and insights from seventeen winners and finalists of the annual museum of the American Quilter's Society contest. Especially focusing on new patterns and applications that make the most of the classic favorite monkey wrench quilting block, Monkey Wrench: New Quilts From An Old Favorite combines full-color photographs with artistic insights for a superbly inventive and highly recommended needlecraft resource.

Interweave Press
201 E. 4th St., Loveland, CO 80537-5655
www.interweave.com

Interweave's excellent, practical applications for knitters, needleworkers and quilters alike appear in durable bindings and their latest three new arrivals are highly recommended picks for lending libraries and individual collections. Deb Menz's Colorworks (1931499470, $24.95) provides all crafters with a basic guide to color and using colors in crafts projects. Many crafters fear combining the wrong colors and ruining a work in progress: Menz's Colorworks takes away this fear, applying color theory on a practical level to efforts ranging from knitting and spinning to weaving, embroidery, beadwork and collage. From color descriptions and contrasts to complimentary colors and color relationships, Colorworks is a crafter's 'Bible'. Caroline Birkett's Hand Knits For The Home (1931499586, $28.95) goes beyond most clothing-oriented knitting guides, offering over twenty exciting designs to enhance an interior design home project. Projects include bath mats, cushion covers and throws, hot water bottle covers and more. Step-by-step color photos illustrates Hand Knits For The Home, allowing it accessibility by beginners. Piecework Magazine presents a facsimile edition in its Volume 10, Weldon's Practical Needlework (1931499489, $30.00), packed with black and white shots and projects ranging from crochet and knitting to point lace and leather work. Nearly 400 vintage engravings make Weldon's Practical Needlework a memorable acquisition. Sue Dove's Painting With Stitches (193149956X, $24.95) tells how to create freestyle embroidery by hand, with Dove's woven-tapestry background and textile knowledge enhancing a beginner's guide to using simple stitches and hand drawings. Painting With Stitches encourages projects using the color and composition techniques of paintings, providing a host of development ideas. All are excellent guides.

Martingale & Company
20205 144th Ave. NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com

Pauline Turner's Crocheted Lace (15647-75763, $24.95) tells how to make delicate lace patterns with a crochet hook. This approach demonstrates that the most popular styles of crochet lace Irish crochet, central star and filet translate well to crochet and many types of projects, from globes to table runners. Crocheted Lace is not to be missed by any who crochet and seek diverse applications of basic crochet methods. Joan Hanson's Sensational Settings (1564775216, $22.95) appears in a revised, updated edition for a new generation of quilters and tells how to turn a stack of blocks into a lively quilt. 80 inspirational settings blend with new details on how to design quilts with computers, and how to apply solutions to common problems such as working with different-sized or odd-numbered blocks. The color throughout makes for a striking visual enhancement to Sensational Settings.

C&T Publishing
1651 Challenge Dr., Concord, CA 94520
www.ctpub.com

C&T Publishing's excellent quilting and sewing arts titles should form the backbone of any serious sewer's library, and these newest arrivals are tops on the list of recommended picks. Sew News, et.al.'s All About Machine Arts (1571202277, $29.95) packs in everything needed to know about machine sewing, from using machines and considering their versatile applications to using machines for embroidery, lacemaking and more. Basic techniques are accompanied by color photos in a visual treat of a reference. Becky Gholdsmith and Linda Jenkins' Applique Delights (1571202293, $24.95) presents 50 new whimsical appliqu‚ designs which can be used in both block patterns and quilt projects. Tips on using fusible webbing and hand appliqu‚ techniques make Applique Delights a wonderful reference. Sally Collins' Borders, Bindings & Edges (1571202331, $27.95) covers a wide range of quilt edgings and borders, from piped finishes to scalloping and pieced border variations. The step-by-step examples are clear and easily followed. Cyndy Lyle Rymer edits Photo Fun (1571202765, $17.95), a rare guide to using Hewlett-Packard inkjet printing techniques to create fabric using photos. Even beginning computer users and quilters will find Photo Fun a simple process, offering basics on how to take good photos and successful incorporate them into a quilting project. Jan Bode Smiley's Focus On Batiks (157-1202307, $24.95) sets off traditional batik fabrics with mix-and-match other commercial fabrics for maximum results. Learn to batik your own fabric or use available batik patterns more effectively in a quilt design with Jan Smiley's basic guide leading the way. All are excellent, colorful guides.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Till the Cows Come Home
Judy Clemens
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 East First Avenue, #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
1590580826 $24.95 www.amazon.com

A sexy, tough dairy farmer with an eye for investigation attacks clues left behind to a farming community struck by plague in Judy Clemens' unusual Till The Cows Come Home. Mystery fans will find plenty to thrill them in this hard-hitting first novel which comes to life with powerful characterization and unusual plots and sub-plots.

O'Brien's Desk
Ona Russell
Sunstone Press
Gulotta Communications (publicity)
PO Box 2321, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2321
0865344167 $28.95 1-800-243-5644

Set in the 1920's, O'Brien's Desk is a historical mystery based on true events. When one of Ohio's most well-known judges fathers his first and only child, a blackmailer precipitates a chain of events resulting in the judge's near-fatal breakdown. The judge's most trusted friend and colleague, Sarah Kaufman, must unravel the clues behind the machinations. Confronted at every turn by polarized forces ranging from progressive reform vs. political corruption to racial tolerance set against sanctioned bigotry, she learns that the secret of the judge's success lay in balancing and compromising between these forces... a role that eventually made him a target, and now she is next. A thrilling, suspense-filled, and vibrantly told novel.


The Computer Shelf

Illustrator CS For Windows & Macintosh
Elaine Weinmann & Peter Lourekas
Peachpit Press
1249 Eighth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0321199553 $24.99 www.peachpit.com

Ideal for the beginning novice and strongly recommended for those with intermediate level skills with Illustrator software, Illustrator CS For Windows & Macintosh is the collaborative work of experts Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas. Part of the simply outstanding computer software oriented "Visual QuickStart Guide" series from Peachpit Press, Illustrator CS For Windows & Macintosh provides a visual and easy-to-assimilate approach to learning Illustrator as the pictured images guide the reader through the software showing just what to do at each step of the way. Illustrator CS For Windows & Macintosh will also continue to be of immense value as a working reference.

Windows Server Hacks
Mitch Tulloch
O'Reilly Media, Inc.
90 Sherman Street, Cambridge, MA 02140
www.oreilly.com
0596006470 $24.95 1-800-998-9938

Managing a Windows based system is almost always problematic for even the most experienced manager team. Enter Mitch Tulloch's Windows Server Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools which specifically focuses upon scripts and other tools that will make any and all Windows server maximize its utility while minimizing managerial resources to keep it operational and on-line. This 357-page compendium of tips, tricks and techniques is wonderfully well organized so as to have solutions and explanations at the beck and call of even the most novice Windows system user. Confidently recommended, Windows Server Hacks is a seminal and invaluable reference shelf addition.

Computer Security
Thomas C. Greene
Apress
2560 Ninth St., #219, Berkeley, CA 94710
1590593162 $39.99 www.apress.com

It seems like every few weeks there are fresh announcements of invasions by computer viruses, worms, identity thefts, spam scams, and other unwanted (often destructive) incursion attempts through the internet. Computer Security For The Home And Small Office by computer security expert Thomas C. Greene is as timely as it is up-to-date and "user friendly". The informed and informative text is organized into seven chapters: Introducing the Dark Side; Vectors; Social Engineering; From Newbie to Power User; Treasure Hunt: The Open-Source Escape Hatch; Trust Nothing, Fear Nothing. Enhanced with a glossary, and appendices on "Procedures, Processes, and Ports" and "Online Resources", Computer Security For The Home And Small Office is a compendium of immediately applicable information presented with a minimum of jargon so that even the most novice of beginners can take steps to insure against the successful invasion of their privacy; protect their systems and databases from exterior corruption; and defend against any form of attack or unwanted intrusion. Every personal, professional, corporate, and community library system should have on hand a reference copy of Thomas Greene's Computer Security For The Home And Small Office.

Computer Networking First-Step
Wendell Odom
Cisco Press/Pearson Technology Group
201 W. 103rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46290
1587201011 $24.95 www.ciscopress.com

Computer Networking First-Step by Wendell Odom (Senior Instructor, Skyline Advanced Technologies Services) is an ideal introduction into the phenomena and usages of networking for personal or professional purposes. Novices computer networking will learn basic networking terminology; understanding how information is routed on the internet from computer to computer and place to place; explore internet connectivity; find out how to best protect a network-linked computer from intrusion; and how to build local-area networks (LANs). Enhanced with illustrative line drawings, the text is thoroughly "learner friendly" and very highly recommended.

The J2EE Architect's Handbook
Derek C. Ashmore
DVT Press
34 Yorktown Center, PMB 400, Lombard, IL 60148
0972954899 $34.95 www.dvtpress.com

In The J2EE Architect's Handbook : How To Be A Successful Technical Architect For J2EE Applications, Derek Ashmore draws upon his more than fifteen years of experience as a technical architect, consultant, and J2EE expert to show a new generation of software developers how to design and build J2EE applications that will be on-time and on-budget. Readers will learn how to design easily maintained J2EE applications; apply commonly used design patterns effectively; identify and address application architectural issues before they hinder the development team; avoid common mistakes known to derail project budgets and timelines; guide the development team through the design and construction process; set up effective procedures and guidelines to enhanced stability and decrease error reports; document and communicate the application design to target the development team's work; identify and address application architectural issues; and effectively estimate needed resources and project timeline. To put it simply, The J2EE Architect's Handbook can justifiably be considered to be the "bible" for J2EE based application designers and project managers.

How To Fail At Software Development
Arhtur Griffith
Anchor Point Books
65050 Holly Lane, Anchor Point, Alaska, 99556
www.anchorpointbooks.com
0974550302 $24.95 1-907-235-1028

How To Fail At Software Development: The Most Common Causes Of Project Failure is a no-nonsense outline of the most common causes of software project failures. Presenting the most common mistakes and how to avoid them, as well as case stories of fascinating disasters and what can be learned, examples of time-consuming performance tests virtually guaranteed not to find bugs, bureaucratic rules that seem helpful but in reality will stymie software development, and much more, How To Fail At Software Development is an absolute "must-read" for amateur and professional programmers alike, and especially their managers. A fascinating, down-to-earth assessment of very real problems and reasons why anywhere from one third to ninety percent of software projects are doomed.

Ethereal Packet Sniffing
Angela Orebaugh, et al.
Syngress Publishing
800 Hingham St., Rockland, MA 02370
1932266828 $49.95 www.syngress.com

The latest contribution of Jay Beale's Open Source Security Series, Ethereal Packet Sniffing is the first reference book to cover the "packet sniffer" security tool that has become widely used among network administrators. Individual chapters of Ethereal Packet Sniffing cover installing and using Ethereal: Network Protocol Analyzer in Unix, Linux, or Windows, filters, associated other programs that come packaged with Ethereal such as Tethereal and Editcap, integrating Ethereal with other sniffers, developing Ethereal and its design tools, and much more. An easy-to-use resource filled with screenshots, sample code, and step-by-step examples and instructions. An accompanying CD contains Ethereal itself, including installation, reference, and packet capture files, complete with a 1 year upgrade buyer protection plan, making Ethereal Packet Sniffing more than just a supplementary guide; it's computer software with a far more exhaustive starter guide than any tiny little owner's manual can offer.

Easy Digital Home Movies
Jake Ludington
Que Publishing
c/o Pearson Technology Group
201 W. 103rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46290
0789731142; $19.99; www.mcp.com

In Easy Digital Home Movies, computer expert Jake Ludington provides able, step-by-step instruction in just how to go about making flawless home movies with just a camcorder and a PC. Ludington utilizes a visual, four-color approach that is completely accessible to even the most novice student. Easy Digital Home Movies provides illustrative and detailed instruction on how to capture and edit home movies, how to e-mail movies, how to stream movies on the Web, and even how to transfer movies to DVD for later viewing. If you want to get into the fascinating and creatively rewarding field of digital movie making, then Jake Ludington's Easy Digital Home Movies is the ideal instructional reference book for you!

Game Programming Gems 4
Andrew Kirmse, editor
Charles River Media
20 Downer Avenue, Hingham, MA 02043
www.charlesriver.com
1584502959 $69.95 1-800-382-8505

Featuring contributions from expert, professional game developers, Game Programming Gems 4 is an in-depth and recommended reference and resource filled cover to cover with essays, each covering everything from general programming and debugging to mathematics, physics, aritifical intelligence issues, graphics, network and multiplayer concerns, audio, and so much more. Game Programming Gems 4 is not a standard instructional textbook; rather, it is a supplementary guide packed with the latest cutting-edge insights to creating quality games - most code is written in C++, but some Java and Python are also represented. A "must-have" compendium of insight, discoveries, tips, tricks, and techniques for every serious game programmer's library. An accompanying Windows CD-ROM contains source code, listings, and demos to complement the articles and essays.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

An Interpretation Of The Qur'an
Majid Fakhry, translator
New York University Press
Washington Square, NY, NY 10003
0814727247 $19.95 1-800-996-6987

Approved by the Al-Azhar University, An Interpretation Of The Qur'an is a bilingual English and Arabic version of the Islamic holy text, the Qur'an. This translation, compiled by university professor Majid Fakhry and assisted by the late Mahmud Zayid, focuses upon presenting the Qur'an in "plain terms" English, as closely accurate to the original meaning as possible, while correcting some misconceptions from previous English translations and offering brief explanatory notes considering controversial or confusion portions. A handy index allows for quick lookup of assorted topics; however, An Interpretation Of The Qur'an focuses primarily upon the holy text itself, with very little extraneous material aside from an introduction that very briefly surveys the history of the Qur'an.

The Road To Al-Qaeda
Montasser Al-Zayyat
Pluto Press
c/o Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Dr, Sterling VA 20166
0745321755 $19.95 1-703-996-1039

Also available in a hardcover edition (0745321763, $65.00) The Road To Al-Qaeda: The Story Of Bin Laden's Right-hand Man by Montasser Al-Zayyat is the biography of one of the world's most-wanted terrorists -- Ayman al-Zawahiri. An Egyptian, Ayman was identified as the man to take over the leadership of Al-Qaeda after the death or incapacitation of Osama bin Laden. Since the September 11 attacks, Ayman is also the reputed architect of the Riyadh bombings in Saudi Arabia. Enhanced with an extensive introduction from the distinguished Islamic scholar Ibrahim M. Abu-Rabi, The Road To Al-Qaeda provides western readers with critically important insights into the tensions between violent and non-violent factions within radical Islamist movements. No contemporary Islamic Studies collection can be considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of The Road To Al-Qaeda.


The Biography Shelf

Joan Of Arc
Stephen W. Richey
Praeger Publishers
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275981037 $34.95 www.praeger.com

Joan Of Arc: The Warrior Saint by freelance researcher and biographer Stephen W. Richey offers an informed and unique presentation of the life and accomplishments of the "warrior maid" who successfully led the French against the British, only to be betrayed into the hands of the enemy and ultimately burned at the stake for heresy. Richey draws upon eyewitness accounts from Joan's military colleagues as well as his own military experience to reveal not just what Joan was able to accomplish in the brief course of her military service, but to just how she accomplished what she did on the battlefields of Medieval France. Joan Of Arc: The Warrior Saint is one of the very best biographies of this most singular young woman written to date.

What I Learned On The Ranch
James Bruce Frazier
McWhiney Foundation Press
PO Box 637, McMurry Station, Abilene, TX 79697
1893114430 $18.00 1-325-793-4682

It was during the years of the Great Depression that Jim Frazier spent what he feels were the best years of his childhood on the Cross Ell Ranch, just west of Big Spring, Texas. What I Learned On The Ranch And Other Stories From A West Texas Childhood is a compilation of stories that he told to his children, and to his grandchildren, and then to his great-grandchildren. Jim Frazier died in 1989 at the age of 65, but his stories have been preserved for future generations to enjoy, along with his genuine and natural gift for storytelling. What I Learned On The Ranch is simply wonderful reading from start to finish, from first page to last.

Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life
Ray Harryhausen & Tony Dalton
Billboard Books/Watson Guptill
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0823084027 $55.00 watsonguptill.com

This classic survey of animator and science fiction artist Harryhausen's life was first released in the UK to much acclaim: it arrives here to spellbind American audiences who host a penchant for science fiction film, exploring Harryhausen's magic from very early to modern films. Ray Bradbury provides a moving foreword to a survey of sixty years bringing inanimate objects to life: hundreds of black and white and color photos, many previously unpublished, from Harryhausen's personal archive, makes Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life is a 'must' for any Harryhausen fan.

Winfield Scott And The Profession Of Arms
Allan Peskin
The Kent State University Press
PO Box 5190, Kent, OH 44240-0001
www.kentstateuniversitypress.com
0873387740 $49.00 1-800-247-6553

Winfield Scott And The Profession Of Arms is the true story of Winfield Scott (1786-1866), who is perhaps best known for his role in bringing professionalism to the U.S. Army during his long military career (1807-61). He served his duty as general in the War of 1812, commanded U.S. forces in the final campaign of their war with Mexico, and was the general in chief at the beginning of the Civil War. History professor emeritus Allan Peskin draws upon research in the National Archives to unearth a comprehensive portrait of General Scott as a visionary managerial officer, who anticipated drastic changes in technology and business principles for the military and adapted in response. An in-depth, balanced biography of a remarkable figure and his lasting legacy.

Deadly Farce
Robert M. Lichtman & Ronald D. Cohen
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak St, Champaign, IL 61820
0252028864 $27.00 1-800-545-4703

Deadly Farce: Harvey Matusow And The Informer System In The Mccarthy Era is the fascinating story of Harvey Matusow, a Communist party member turned undercover FBI informer who served as a leading witness for the goverment during the histrionics of the McCarthy era. His shocking testimony, which included claims that Communists fostered loose sex, tried to infiltrate the Boy Scouts, and taught politically charged Mother Goose rhymes to children, escalated as he named over 200 people as Communists and became a prosecutorial witness against them in major criminal cases. Eventually he presented a sensational recantation of his testimony in 1955, and he himself was prosecuted for perjury - for the recantation, not his original testimony. Deadly Farce: Harvey Matusow And The Informer System In The Mccarthy Era an eye-opening biographical account of one man's role in McCarthy-era history, and his legacy concerning how government informers are treated and regulated to this day.

The Dust Diaries
Owen Sheers
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116
www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
0618164642 $23.00 www.amazon.com

At a family reunion poet Owen Sheers heard the story of obscure relative Arthur Cripps, who turned from poetry to missionary work in Africa and became a powerful local figure. Cripps' passion for preserving indigenous ways ostracized him from his peers and led to a revolt against colonial injustice, exiling Cripps from the Anglican Church. Sheers' investigation of his relative led him from Oxford to Zimbabwe in an effort to re-trace Arthur Cripps' life and experiences.

The Cowboy And The Senorita
Howard Kazanjian & Chriss Enss
Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
0762730536 $19.95 GlobePequot.com

The Cowboy And The Senorita provides fans of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with a new, authorized biography based on the contributions of the Rogers family, who share their inside story of the two. From Dale's determination to be a singer despite her position as a teen single mother to Roy's first wife's death and his struggles raising three children alone, Cowboy And The Senorita packs in black and white photos and high drama to re-create the special challenges and lives of the two.

Knopf/Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th fl., NY, NY 10019
www.aknopf.com

Two powerful biographies reveal history at its best and are highly recommended picks. Kenneth Silverman's Lightning Man (0375401288, $35.00) is an in-depth biographical survey of the life of Samuel Morse, a prolific painter, pioneer photographer, and inventor of the telegraph. While chapters focus on the evolution of the telegraph's invention, Lightning Man also provides a strong survey of Morse's background and self-depreciating attitude, providing many eye-opening revelations into the life of a troubled American genius. David Price's Love And Hate In Jamestown (0375415416, $25.95) offers a dual probe of John Smith, Pocahontas, and a new nation's rise. Period letters and chronicles serve as source materials for a focus on the financing and settlement of Jamestown, the tough daily lives of British men and women charged with locating a route to the Orient, and relationships between settlers and natives. A fascinating, multi-faceted history evolves.

Cowboy Princess
Cheryl Rogers-Barnett
Taylor Publishing Company
c/o Rowman & Littlefield
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
158979026X $24.95 1-800-462-6420

Cowboy Princess: Life With My Parents Roy Rogers And Dale Evans is Cheryl Rogers-Barnett's true story of growing up as the daughter of "the King of Cowboys" and "the Queen of the West", whose popular exploits on movies and TV captivated the nation. Joy, the gruelling demands of the entertainment industry, the terrible loss of three siblings, and the lively personalities of those who shared their lives with Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and Cheryl Rogers-Barnett fill this highly readable and personal account. Highly recommended for fans of Roy Rogers and the western movies of yesteryear.


The American History Shelf

Chaining The Hudson
Lincoln Diamant
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Ave, Bronx, NY 10458
www.fordham.edu
0823223396 $17.00 1-800-247-6553

Hudson Valley historian Lincoln Diamant presents Chaining The Hudson: The Fight For The River In The American Revolution, a fascinating history and narration of the naval battles of the American Revolutionary War that were fought along the Hudson River. Especially focussing upon the incredible five-year blockade of the Royal Navy, and grounded firmly in the logs, diaries, personal letters, and other rare historical documents and primary sources, Chaining The Hudson is a vivid account of a standoff that made history, which practically transports the reader to see history in the making. Informative and highly recommended reading.

Divided We Fall
Peter Kellman
TheApex Press
777 United Nations Plaza, Suite 3C, New York, NY 10017
www.cipa-apex.org
1891843230 $29.95 1-800-316-2739

Written by a political organizer, strike strategies, and health and safety educator, Divided We Fall: The Story Of The Paperworkers' Union And The Future Of Labor is fascinating and lesson-filled true story of the struggle of the Paperworkers' Union to improve the living and working conditions of its members. Especially focusing upon the 1987 strike in which over 1,150 union members participated, and which was ultimately lost, Divided We Fall tells of the need for a social movement to bring together working classes, the uphill battle for justice in the workplace, human foibles and follies, the notion of collective rights, and much more. A passionate yet expertly researched account of unionized human efforts and the lessons that can be learned from them.

President Kennedy Has Been Shot
Newseum, et.al.
Sourcebooks
1935 Brookdale Road, Suite 139, Naperville, IL 60563
1402201583 $29.95 sourcebooks.com

On November 22, 1963 President Kennedy was assassinated: this collection of images and memories assembled by Newseum (an interactive museum of news), recounts the four days in November which began with his death and charted the nation's confusion and agony. The addition of an audio cd with actual broadcasts accompanies eyewitness accounts, pictures and a unique 'you are there' impression contributed by the numerous news accounts and stories throughout. An excellent survey.


The Music Shelf

The Private Music Instruction Manual
Rebecca Osborn
Trafford Publishing
2333 Government Street, Suite 6E, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8T 4P4
www.trafford.com
1412025311 $34.95 1-866-638-6884

With The Private Music Instruction Manual; A Guide For The Independent Music Educator, author Rebecca Osborn draws upon her many years of experience and expertise as an adjunct college music professor and owner of three private music studies to write an informed and informative guidebook specifically for musicians and music instructors who want to teach students in a profitable private practice but are not familiar with or knowledgeable about setting up a music instruction business enterprise. Rebecca Osborne provides a wealth of invaluable, professional, effectively organized and presented instructions on establishing and maintaining a music teaching business and shows what to expect professional, personally, and financially from independent music instruction. If you want to make money teaching other how to play any kind of music instrument, then you need to give a careful (and profitable!) reading to Rebecca Osborn's The Private Music Instruction Manual!

Chattanooga Choo Choo
Richard Grudens
Celebrity Profiles Publishing
PO Box 344, Stony Brook, NY 11790
www.richardgrudens.com
157579277X $21.95 1-631-862-8555

In honor of the 100th anniversary of Glenn Miller's life, and the 60th anniversary of his disappearance over the English Channel, music biographer Richard Grudens presents Chattanooga Choo Choo: The Life And Times Of The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, a collection of true stories, interviews, over 150 black-and-white photographs, and more all presenting the successes, failurs, ups and downs of the most popular musical organization in the American history of show business. Following Miller's legendary career up to his tragic loss, and then going on to relate viewpoints and stories from many associated musicians, songwriters, arrangers, vocalists, and so much more, Chattanooga Choo Choo is packed cover to cover with facts, trivia, and insider perspectives. A gracious foreward by Kathryn Crosby rounds out this quality legacy highly recommended for fans of Glenn Miller's longstanding contribution to orchestra.

Alternative Strings
Julie Lyonn Lieberman
Amadeus Press
512 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
1574670891 $24.95 halleonard.com

Written by expert music teacher Julie Lyonn Lieberman, whose programs have aired on National Public Radio, Alternative Strings: The New Curriculum is a resource book especially for stringed instrument music teachers that emphasizes learning to play popular contemporary music as well as the great classics. Chapters address the nuances of fiddle, blues, jazz, pop, and world styles for strings, and an accompanying audio CD demonstrates the work of a wide variety of string players and clinicians. An excellent supplement to the music instruction or even self-instruction of any string player.

Absolute Beginner's Guide To iPod And iTunes
Brad Miser
Pearson Higher Education
c/o Pearson Technology Group
201 W. 103rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46290
0789731770; $18.95; www.mcp.com

Comprehensive, "user friendly", and superbly organized, The Absolute Beginner's Guide to iPod and iTunes quite literally provides neophytes with easy access to all the informtion any dedicated music fan could possible need in order to get the most out of this new wave of digital music tools whether utilizing a Windows or Mac platform. From the basics of audio CDs, to advanced customizing of music on an iPod, Brad Miser's The Absolute Beginner's Guide to iPod and iTunes nicely equips even those who have never explored digital audio to master their digital music using these tools. If you have an iPod or iTunes, then this 408-page compendium is the ultimate reference for you!


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Making The Perfect Pitch
Katharine Sands
The Writer Books/Kalmbach Pub.
KSB Promotions (publicity)
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187
www.writermag.com
0871162067 $18.95 1-888-533-6644

If you are a writer who seeks to be published by an established major press, then you are going to need the services of a good literary agent. The problem is that acquire the services of a really good literary agents, a writer cannot simply go out and hire one. The best agents must be persuaded by the writer to take him or her on as a client -- and that requires a considerable body of information and effort. Enter Katharine Sands' Making The Perfect Pitch: How To Catch A Literary Agent's Eye, a strongly recommended, "hands-on" instructional guide revealing all the elements and practicalities of crafting a successful pitch. Making The Perfect Pitch is composed of forty insightful articles from top literary agents and other authorities in the publishing field, providing everything any aspiring author needs to know in order to get themselves an agent who will, in turn, sell the publishers on accepting the manuscript for publication.

Publishing Confidential
Paul B. Brown
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814472265 $14.95 amacombooks.org

What does it take to land a nonfiction book deal? Plenty of titles tell how to write a nonfiction book, but Paul B. Brown's Publishing Confidential: The Insider's Guide to What It Really Takes to Land a Nonfiction Book Deal expertly addresses the nuts and bolts of editorial decision-making processes. Brown supplements his own wry humor and insights from his own experience with notes from his editor Ellen Kadin, who blends his text with her own editorial comments and observations. The result is a writer's guide to publisher decision-making processes.


The Nautical Shelf

Black Bart Roberts
Terry Breverton
Pelican Publishing
PO Box 3110, Gretna, LA 70054
1589802330 $14.95 pelicanpub.com

Everyone's heard of pirates Captain Kidd and Blackbeard but history buffs may be amazed to learn these famous pirates only took about thirty ships between them, whereas Black Bart Roberts alone took more than four hundred ships in a brief period of time. Terry Breverton's Black Bart Roberts is 'must' reading for any interested in pirates and American nautical history: first-hand accounts, court documents, and maps accompany a fascinating bit of piratical history on the high seas.

Heavy Weather Tactics
Earl Hinz
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
www.paracay.com
0939837374 $19.95 1-800-736-4509

Now in an updated second edition, Heavy Weather Tactics: Using Sea Anchors And Drogues is a straightforward reference and guidebook for anyone charged with the responsibility of sailing a yacht or motor vessel out of sight of land. Covering how deep water and coastal waves behave, how to deploy a sea anchor or drogue, what size drag device is needed for different types of vessels, how to create a quick makeshift sea anchor if needed, and much more, Heavy Weather Tactics is highly recommended for its straightforward, no-nonsense style of presenting very solid information. A superb presentation from a seasoned author who has traveled over 40,000 sea miles in racing and cruising boats.

The Submarine: A History
Thomas Parrish
Viking Press
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0670033138 $29.95 penguinputnam.com

Thomas Parrish's weighty coverage in The Submarine: A History revolves around three key themes: the functional operations of submarines, their history, and their personnel. Add a focus on how the submarine affected the history of the world, from early invention to modern times, and you have a history which covers both the submarine in particular and water navigation in general.

Cook
Nicholas Thomas
Walker & Company
104 5th Avenue, New York NY 10011
0802714129 $28.00 walkerbooks.com

Nicholas Thomas' Cook is no light coverage of historical hightligts, but a seriously informed and informative biographical recounting of the famous ocean voyageur of the 1700s. This is an in-depth result of twenty years' of meticulous research into Pacific history, culture and art. Captain Cook's voyages were to re-defined the known shape of the globe and introduced Europe to new peoples, new animals, and formerly unknown geographical boundaries. Thomas' Cook provides a new generaton of readers with both the positive aspects of Captain Cook's discoveries and the negatives surrounding his impact on native peoples he encountered in the name of king and country.

There Be No Dragons
Reese Palley
Sheridan House
145 Palisade St., Dodds Ferry, NY 10522
1574091832 $16.50 sheridanhouse.com

There Be No Dragons: How To Cross A Big Ocean In A Small Sailboat is the story of how Reese Palley (a self-admitted marginally skilled sailor) managed to safely complete a fifteen-year circumnavigation of the globe in a very small sailboat. Among other insightful bits of nautical wisdom, readers (and aspiring sailors seeking to launch out into their own nautical adventuring around the world) will learn that its actually safer to sail out into the ocean than to hug the coast lines; that even a rank amateur having only the sketches information can succeed if his small boat is sturdy, his confidence is strong, and he gives a careful reading to Reese Palley's There Be No Dragons with its combination of easily learned skills, identified necessary equipment, and advice for safe sailing.

Chesapeake Bay Buyboats
Larry S. Chowning
Tidewater Publishers
c/o Cornell Maritime Press
PO Box 456, Centreville, MD 21617
0870335537 $34.95 1-800-638-7641

Buyboats may be little known outside of the Chesapeake region, but they are an intrinsic part of Chesapeake's history, evolving from sailing schooners and log canoes to provide both sail and conversion boats to families and small-time operators in the region. For years the boatwork was done with hand tools from scratch: Larry Chowning's Chesapeake Bay Buyboats provides an in-depth history and coverage and adds black and white photos of vintage and modern buyboats alike.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Tarot And Other Meditation Decks
Emily E. Auger
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786416742 $39.95 mcfarlandpub.com

There are literally hundreds of tarot books on the market today: so what makes Emily Auger's Tarot And Other Meditation Decks stand out from the lot? Hundreds of new Tarot decks which have been produced just in this century; many based on the singular structure and images of Arthur Waite and artist Pamela Smith's 1910 deck. Emily Auger provides a unique and specialized art history which analyzes these modern decks as they relate to conventional art styles and movements in the overall art world, covering topics from typology to theory and tracing changes in deck presentation. An unusual, fascinating, seminal, and very highly recommended history evolves.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Shooting Star Comics Anthology #4
Shooting Star Comics
5665 Hwy. 9, Suite 103-140, Alpharetta, GA 30004
$4.95 www.shootingstarcomics.com

Shooting Star Comics Anthology #4 features a cross-selection of enjoyable black-and-white independent comic book tales, most drawing from the larger-than life superhero genre but with a humorous twist, unusual setting, or thought provoking theme. From an ordinary man trapped in the body of a superhero woman, to an African-American governor who must come to terms with the passing of a racist vigilante who once saved his life, to the tortures Prometheus went through as punishment for protecting puny mortals from Zeus' wrath, and much more, Shooting Star Comics Anthology #4 delivers quality entertainment in a deceptively brief story bites.

NBM Publishing
555 8th Ave., #1202, NY, NY 10018
www.nbmpublishing.com

Two excellent graphic novels are highly recommended picks, adapting classic writings to the compelling graphic novel format. Pursuing a new vein is NBM's ComicsLit importing, adapting the works of famous poets; the latest to the series being The Adapted Victor Hugo (1561633909, $17.95). The color graphic comics go far in bringing alive one of the greats of French literature, highlighting poetry ranging from anti-war messages to romantic sonnets. Another classic come to life with the graphic novel format is Craig Russell's illustrations of Oscar Wilde's Fairy Tales (1561633917, $15.95): here presenting The Devoted Friend and The Nightingale And The Rose. Again, the pages of comics and color invites the non-classics-reader to enjoy the magic in the original authors' stories. Both are recommended volumes.

Mythology
Chip Kidd & Geoff Spear
Pantheon/Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th fl., NY, NY 10019
www.pantheonbooks.com
0375422404 $35.00 1-800-726-0600

The colorful DC comic art of Alex Ross is profiled by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear in their striking Mythology, bringing together the best comics of the Justice League members represented by Alex Ross, one of the foremost DC comics illustrators of modern times. Ross has often been called the 'Norman Rockwell of comics' and Mythology packs in color full-page shots of his dynamic art, blending with Kidd's design talents to bring to life highlights from some of Ross' most memorable stories. Add an exclusive, original Batman-Superman story written by Kidd and painted by Ross and you have a keepsake not to be missed.


The Library Science Shelf

Developing Success
Margaret Oldroyd, editor
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038-4512
1856044785 $95.00 neal-schuman.com

Developing Success: Academic Library Staff For Future is a manual of ideas and recommendations especially for those charged with the management of academic libraries concerning human resources issues. Collecting essays from a variety of learned and experienced authors, Developing Success looks to learn from experience and provide solid strategies for the future, especially in the modern day and age with an increasing prevalence of digital technology. Essays presented include "Life learning at work: staff development for the flexible workforce", "Delivering staff development using a virtual learning environment", "Rethinking professional competence for the networked environment", and much more. A thoughtfully reasoned and presented expert resource.


The Psychology Shelf

Psychotropic Drugs And The Elderly
Joel Sadavoy, MD, FRCP(C)
W.W. Norton & Company
500 5th Avenue, NY NY 10019-0145
0393703754 $65.00 www.wwnorton.com

Geriatric psychopharmacology is a rapidly growing field with many changes affecting drug statistics, efficiency and prescriptions: that's why Dr. Joel Sadavoy's Psychotropic Drugs And The Elderly Fast Facts will prove so essential to medical library holdings. The purpose is to provide readers with a clinical guide, with a depth of knowledge necessary for specialized geriatric psychiatric therapy. Dr. Sadavoy's extensive background in geriatric psychiatric lends to a title steeped in the latest research and drug applications.

The Fabric Of Autism
Judith Bluestone
The Handle Institute
1300 Dexter Avenue North, #110, Seattle, WA 98109
0972023518 $17.95 www.handle.org

The Fabric Of Autism: Weaving Threads Into A Cogent Theory combines informative clinical work with a moving personal memoir to illustrate and illuminate the humanity that is typically masked by autistic behavior. Advocate, teacher, therapist, lecturer, and author Judith Bluestone (who created the Holistic Approach to NeuroDevelopment and Learning Efficiency) personally triumphed over the challenges of autism. From an informative introduction to neuroscientific research, to explanations of developmental processes, to a survey of clinical outcomes to identify the probable causes of autism, The Fabric Of Autism is a perfect introduction for parents, caregivers, and teachers of autistic children.


The Poetry Shelf

No No The Saddest
Alan Bern
Fithian Press
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
www.danielpublishing.com
1564744337 $12.00 1-800-662-8351

No No The Saddest: Poems is a moving work of free-verse poetry that reflects upon great tragedy. Author Alan Bern lost his wife to a ruptured aneurysm that left her permanently brain damaged. She gave birth a healthy son three months after the trauma, and died four years later without knowing that she had brought a child into the world. A moving and poignant collection of coping with the loss of a loved one streched out over the long, terrible course of years. Ode to the Nursing Home: To leave you is to kill you, / To leave you is to leave you with Hades, / and he will soon hurt you. / To leave you is to hurt you / directly on your flat heart, / still spinning, flagrante.


The Economics Shelf

Consequences Of Creating A Market Economy
Kathryn Anderson & Richard Pomfret
Edward Elgar Publishing
136 West Street, Suite 202, Northampton, MA 01060-3711
www.e-elgar.co.uk
1843761696 $80.00 1-800-390-3149

Consequences Of Creating A Market Economy: Evidence From Household Surveys In Central Asia collects household survey data from five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan - each put forth some effort toward creating a market economy before the breakup of the USSR in late 1991. Each nation began with similar conditions, yet pursued a different economic strategy after receiving independence. The resulting data concerning living standards, winners and losers in the transition to a market economy, the influence of national policies and other systemic factors, women's issues in the new labor market, and much more helps paint a revealing picture of the economic challenges facing struggling nations today. Evaluations of the statistical data do have a high level of complexity and involve calculus; Conseq-uences Of Creating A Market Economy is unquestionably meant for advanced students and scholars. A revealing, insightful text, highly recommended.

Is The Market Moral?
Rebecca M. Blank & William McGurn
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036-2188
www.brookings.edu
0815710216 $16.95 1-800-275-1447

The collaboration of Rebecca M. Blank (Dean of the Gerald R.FordSchool of Public Policy and Professor of Economics, University of Michigan) and William McGurn (Chief Editorial Writer, Wall Street Journal), Is The Market Moral?: A Dialogue On Religion, Economics & Justice is a literate discussion of serious issues of economic equality, efficiency, productivity, and social justice. The contrasting views of two strong-willed, intelligent, faithful, and astutely reasoned individuals - one a "cultural Protestant", the other a Roman Catholic, both concerned with issues of morality and human feedom to choose as surely as technical problems of supply and demand. Add in drastic changes wrought by increased globalization in today's world, and the evaluations followed by direct and personally addressed rebuttals in Is The Market Moral? take on an ever-growing sense of direct contemporary relevance, even urgency.

Controlling Currency Mismatches In Emerging Markets
Morris Goldstein & Philip Turner
Institute for International Economics
1750 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036-1903
0881323608 $23.95 www.iie.com

In Controlling Currency Mismatches In Emerging Markets, Morris Goldstein (Dennis Weatherstone Senior Fellow at IIE) and Philip Turner (Head of the Secretariat Group in the Monetary and Economics Department, Bank for International Settlements) collaborate in revealing and dealing with past and present weaknesses in economic policies and institutions in contemporary and emerging markets around the globe. But more than a simply litany of flawed policies and economic ills, the authors present an effective and practical plan of action to control currency mismatches through a managed floating currency regime, an inflation targeting regime for monetary policy, regular publication of data on currency mismatches at the sectoral and economy wide levels, stepped up supervision and monitoring of currency mismatches in banks and in the loan customers, changes in official safety nets and in IMF policy conditionality, implementation of more prudent debt and reserve management policies in emerging economies, and a higher priority with respect to developing domestic bond markets, hedging instruments, and reduced barriers respecting foreign-owned banks within emerging economies. Informed and informative, Controlling Currency Mismatches In Emerging Markets is a sold work of seminal research and strongly recommended reading for policy makers with respect to international economic issues.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Foologic Control
Christopher Rogers, et al.
CSR Productions
1901-B Ford Street, Austin, TX 87804
CD $TBA www.csrentertainment.com

Produced by Christopher Rogers, engineered by Mark McCain II, mastered by Tony Giusti, and with art direction by Manny Munz, Foologic Control offers a unique, inherently interesting, series of ten pieces of original music that is enthusiastically recommended -- especially for those with an avant garde interest in the contempory!

Piano Nights
Armik
Bolero Records
18653 Venture Boulevard, Suite 314, Tarzana, CA 91356
www.bolero-records.com
BOL7106 $14.99 1-818-888-1059

Armik is a prodigal musician who at the age of seven pawned his watch for a classical guitar. Over the course of the past twenty years Armik acquired a broader understanding of guitar music and in the process becoming a producer and arranger, as well as a superb performer. Piano Nights is an impressive showcase of Armik's talent in th euse of the flamenco guitar. The ten pieces composing this enthusiastically recommended CD album include: Red Roses; Caliente; Afternoon in Venice; Flames of Passion; Fairytale Moon; Thinking of You; Rossa Nova; Rainy Sundays; Dreams; and the title number, Piano Nights.

Reflections
Miriam Makeba
Heads Up International
Rock Papers Scissors (publicity)
23309 Commerce Park Road, Cleveland, OH 44122
HUCD3087 $17.98 www.headsup.com

Reflections showcases the clearly impressive vocal talent of one of South Africa's true musical treasures -- Miriam Makeba. Released in celebration of the end of Apartheid, Reflections is the newest title in the outstanding "Heads Up Africa" series and offers true tour-de-force performances that are as diverse as they are entertaining. The thirteen pieces comprising this highly recommended CD album include: Iyaguduza; Pata Pata; Comme Une Symphonie D'Amour; Mas Que Nada; Click Song; African Convention; I'm In Love with Spring; Xica Da Silva; Love Tastes Like Strawberries; I Shall Sing; Quit It; Ring Bell; and Where Are You Going?

Putumayo World Music
411 Lafayette St., 4th fl, NY, NY 10003
www.putumayo.com

If it's Latin music you seek, in a form which offers diversity of styles and an attention to listenable music, don't miss the fine selections presented by Putumayo World Music in their numerous Latin cds. First, for a basic introduction the entire family can enjoy, take a look at Latin Playground English/Spanish Activity Kit (1587590603): the kit blends a full-length CD with an associated activity guide and Passport Journal, encouraging kids and parents with sing-along lyrics and translations, songs from 8 Latin countries, and a variety of activities and art projects. Then, get your feet wet with more depth. Salsa Around The World (1587590727) is a good starting point to realizing salsa doesn't just come from Latin nations: Putumayo has gone the unusual route of including salsa styles and variations from Scotland, Italy, Greece and other nations: the result is a much deeper understanding of what makes the salsa rhythm unique even as it moves around the world. Latinas: Women Of Latin America provides an excellent representation of the diverse styles and cultures of such modern and notable women as Mercedes Sosa an Argentinian legend and Susana Baca a modern Peruvian singer. For insights on new directions in Latin music, choose between Mo Vida! (1587590107), a hip dance party blend of salsa and Latin groove by such notables as Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca or Los Mocosos, Latin Groove which blends hip-hop and electronica suitable for dance with salsa and Cuban styles ala Sidestepper and Supatone, or our personal favorite just-released Nuevo Latino, an exceptionally diverse gathering of contemporary young artists exploring new directions in Latin sounds. Putumayo has done an especially careful job of synthesizing the foundations of Latin beats with styles which are enjoyable to a wide audience: thus Nuevo Latino is a highly recommended, most accessible listen for any who would move from traditional Latin beats to modern Latin compositions. Putumayo doesn't miss country-specific Latin collections, either: Brazlian Groove and Festa Brasil both explore Brasilian artists with a difference: Groove focuses on traditional samba and bossa nova blends with soul and electronica with contributions by Marcello and Electro Coco, among others, paving the way; while Festa reveals Brazilian reggae and forro party music from contributors such as Ivete Sangalo and Gal Costa. Other areas of focus include Puerto Rico (1587590-123) where bomba, plena, and son are explored by Eddie Palmeiri, Atabal and others, and Mexico (1587590387), where romantic Mexican boleros and sones are presented by Los Lobos, La Calca, and many more. It's the diversity of these collections which makes them such exceptional picks: that, and an attention to creating smooth segways and harmonious mixes which go perfectly together. Highly recommended: a 'must' for an in-depth Latin cd collection, for beginning or experienced Latin listeners.

Canyon Records
3131 W Clarendon Av, Phoenix AZ 85017
www.canyonrecords.com

Two new releases are strong Native American music picks recommended for collections seeking lasting titles. For a definitive collection of Native flute player Nakai's magic, choose Best Of Nakai: In Beauty, We Return, commemorating twenty years of Native flute sounds. The best of Nakai's recordings are gathered from thirteen of his albums and provide both solo flute and collaborations with other ethnic artists. William Eaton Ensemble's first double album for Canyon appears with Sparks And Embers, containing over two hours of new music highlighting the diversity of Eaton's unique instruments, from guitar and pan pipes to violin, flute and percussion. Both are very highly recommended picks; especially for personal, academic, and community librry holdings seeking high-quality Native American representations.

Let Me Make Music In Your Life
Cynthia Hart
Hartsong Publishing
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
CH4575 $15.00 1-719-548-9872

Let Me Make Music In Your Life is a superbly produced CD album composed of a diverse variety of love songs, some to another person, others to a former lover, a child, someone now gone, a Supreme Being, the world in general, and mystical places in particular. The simply wonderful lyrics and song stylings of Cynthia Hart include Lemurian Dreamer (6:23); Atlantis (6:17); Time to Let You Go (4:11); Power of Your Love (5:38); To Where You Are (4:01); Love of Mine (4:24); This Moment Here (4:59); You Are Loved Come Home (7:44); and the title piece, Let Me Make Music In Your Life (4:32).

50 Years of Yodeling
Janet McBride
Privately Published
Two CDS $35.00, Order: John Ingram
1501 Wheatfield Ct., Mesquite, TX 85149

Janet McBride has been dubbed the 'queen of yodel' and has been featured in the recently-reviewed Bart Plantegna title Yodel Ay-ee-oooo; but it isn't until you've heard this 2-cd set that you get a real feel for the extent of her talents. The cd set is a chronological presentation of McBride's yodeling career: with it you can hear a definite transition from her early years and yodeling style to her explorations of more complicated yodels and materials. The set will primarily appeal to prior fans of either country music or yodeling, but its exceptional recordings particularly the later, more complex yodel examples will prove of interest to a wide audience and the uniqueness of the topic makes it a primary recommendation for music library holdings.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Journals Of Eleanor Druse
Eleanor Druse
Books On Tape, Inc.
Box 25122, Santa Ana, CA 92799-5122
www.booksontape.com
1415901422 $36.00 1-800-541-5525

Narrated by the author, The Journals Of Eleanor Druse: My Investigation Of The Kingdom Hospital Incident is the true story of a female spiritualist. Drawn to a Maine hospital built upon a site where, in 1869, a textile mill burned down killing dozens of workers including child laborers, Eleanor Druse pretended to be ill in order to search for the ghost of a young girl and root out the presence of an ancient evil. A suspenseful look at tragedy and how its negative ripples can carry over space and time, The Journals Of Eleanor Druse is literally haunting to listen to and highly recommended. Four 1 1/2 hour audio cassettes.

Nail The Job Interview!
Caryl Krannich & Ron Krannich
Listen & Live Audio
PO Box 817, Roseland, NJ 07068
www.listenandlive.com
LL115 $19.95 1-800-653-9400

Ably narrated by stage and film performer Richard Rohan, Nail The Job Interview!: 101 Dynamite Answers To Interview Questions distills into a 2 CD, 2.5 hour compilation of tips, advice, and solutions by Caryl and Ron Krannich to every aspect of the job interview process from preparation to follow-up. Listeners will learn how to avoid making seventeen common interview errors, apply thirty-two key principles to any job interview, develop persuasive responses to 101 specific questions, communicate positive nonverbal messages, handle behavioral questions with confidence, and, in turn, ask key questions about the job and the prospective employer. If you are entering (or re-entering!) today's competitive job market, then give a very careful listen to Caryl & Ron Krannich's Nail The Job Interview!

Jane Eyre
California Artists Radio Theatre
Oasis Audio
289 South Main Place, Carol Stream, IL 60188-2425
158926326X $17.99 oasisaudio.com

Adapted and directed by Peggy Webber, and enhanced with music by Kenneth Stange, this full cast audio production of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel of a young woman's triumph over extremely difficult and mysterious circumstances is a flawlessly recorded production that provides the listener with a true "theatre of the mind" experience. This Oasis Audio edition of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre will make a welcome and popular addition to any school or community library audiobook collection.

Lord Of Chaos
Robert Jordan
New Millennium
301 North Canon Drive, Suite 214, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
www.NewMillenniumPress.com
No ISBN $16.95 www.nmaudio.com

Book Six of Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" series, Lord Of Chaos is a two cassette, 2.75 hour, digitally mastered, abridged audiobook that continues the story of Rand al'Thor and his struggle to unite the nations for the Last Battle when the Dark One will break free into the world to spring the snares laid by the immortal forsaken to the detriment of an unwary humankind. Robert Jordan is an accomplished and original author whose popularity increases with every title he writes. Highly recommended, this flawless audiobook production is enhanced with the narrative talent of Mark Rolston.

Who Killed Angelique?
Emma Darcy
Bolinda Audio Books
PO Box 307, Shelton, CT 06484
1740930886 $72.00 www.bolinda.com

Someone has murdered beautiful international model Angelique Lanci with a hail of merciless bullets. Angelique had instigated infidelities, been the source of salacious gossip, had engaged in betrayals, and was prone to jealousy. Despised and envied by many others, she still did not deserve to be gunned down in her own home. Enter K.C. Gordon, a successful romance author turned detective who is determined to wade through Angelique's assembled family members, past and present acquaintances, business associates and ex-lovers to discover the truth about who killed Angelique. Stephanie Daniel's dramatic narration makes Emma Darcy's superbly crafted and unabridged mystery come to life in a true "theatre of the mind" performance which is very highly recommended, especially for community library audiobook collections. 9 CDs, 9 hours 50 minutes.

The Stone Carvers
Jane Urquhart
BTC Audiobooks/Goose Lane Editions
469 King Street, Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 1E5
086492366X $24.95 www.gooseland.com

The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart tells the story of two long-estranged siblings and a visionary 19th Century German priest, and an obsessive sculptor by the name of Walter Allward. Klara Becker (the granddaughter of a master carver), is a seamstress haunted by a love affair cut short by World War I and the frequent disappearances of her brother Tilman. After a number of years Klara and Tilman find themselves involved with Walter Allward's ambitious war memorial at Vimy, France. This highly recommended, deftly abridged, flawlessly recorded, CD audiobook is brilliantly narrated by Nicky Guadagni who does full justice to Jane Urquhart's panoramic novel whose stories and characters sweep across three countries and two centuries.


The Library Video/DVD Shelf

Windsurfing Encyclopedia
MVC
411 Video Information (publicity)
2100 Webster Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94115
www.mvcvideodvd.com
DVD $19.95 1-877-743-7373

The Windsurfing Encyclopedia was shot on location in Maui, Hawaii; the San Francisco Bay Area; Paris; and the Canary Islands. It features the two-time overall Windsurfing World Champion Kevin Pritchard and his brother Matt (who holds a World Title in freestyle windsurfing). Two of the most colorful windsurfers on the World Tour, Scott Fenton and Phil McCain, are also features. Insight into the sport and its equipment is provided by windsurfing sail maker Barry Spanier. Of special intrest is the history of windsurfing narrated by James Drake (considered the inventor of modern windsurfing). Windsurfing is all about beauty and action, and the Windsurfing Encyclopedia does full DVD justice to the subject. This is a "must" for anyone who has ever windsurfed the sea and sky -- or wanted to!

Schumann's Lost Romance
Bullfrog Films
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
www.bullfrogfilms.com
1560297263 $TBA 1-800-543-3764

Schumann's Lost Romance is a 51 minute video presenting viewers of all ages with a musical detective story in which cellist Steven Isserlis investigates the intrigues of the final years of Robert Schumann and his wife, Clara. Isserlis' passion about Schumann fires his quest throughout Germany to retrace the master's footsteps. Along the way he performs some of Schumann's most beautiful works with his friends Joshua Bell, Christoph Eschenbvach, and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonic Bremen. Interwoven with this personal journey are dramatic vignettes that shed light on the relationship between Robert and Clara over the last ten years of the composer's troubled life. A work that is entertaining, informative, and beautifully photographed, Schumann's Lost Romance is a confidently recommended addition to any school or community library's video collection.

Mount Kailash: Return To Tibet
Paul Horn
Janson Media
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
#20172 $24.95 www.janson.com

Mount Kailash: Return To Tibet is a one-hour Documentary and the sequel to Paul Horn's earlier travel film "Journey Inside Tibet". This newly released DVD from Janson Media documents musician Paul Horn's return pilgrimage to one of the most spiritual and remote places in the world which (according to four Eastern religions) is the spiritual center of the universe. Beautifully filmed, Mount Kailash: Return To Tibet is embedded with a timely and timeless message about overcoming obstacles, enduring against the odds, and getting in touch with a simpler, quieter lifestyle. Hosted and narrated by Kris Kristofferson, this original and strongly recommended DVD includes the two complete one-hour, Paul Horn documentary films ("Journey Inside Tibet" and "Mt. Kailash: Return To Tibet"), as well as a number of bonus features including the featurette "Behind the Music of Mt. Kailash".

Islands In The Stream
Monterey Video
566 St. Charles Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
www.montereymedia.com
#325762 $19.95 1-800-424-2593

Islands In The Stream showcases the near incredible surfing talents of Donovan Franenreiter, Hawaiian-borne Tamayo Perry, the very highly skilled Mark Healey, among other expert surfers. We are treated to the beautifully magnificent waves of Tahiti and the filming skills of Wes Brown and T. J. Barrack have produced a true classic that will proudly (and aptly) be compared such surfing movie classics as The Endless Summer; The Endless Summer II; and The Endless Summer Revisited. Enhanced with surfer bios and a "Rest In Peace" music video, this is a wonderful addition to any personal or community library DVD collection, no dedicated surfing enthusiast should miss seeing Islands In The Stream.

Wine Fundamentals
Dobri Kiprove
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
DVD $24.95 winefundamentals.com

Wine Fundamentals is a DVD presentation that functions as a complete introduction and demystification to the subject of wine. Specific chapters are devoted to the history of wine, "Wine 101", the flavors of wine, wine tasting, labels, buying wine, navigating the Wine List, serving wine, aging and storing wine, making wine, wine and health, food and wine, and more. Special features on this impressively informative DVD include quick tips for ordering wine in French, Italian, and American restaurants, as well as at business dinners; Wine Friendly Recipes; Wine Glossary; and a selection of Wine Web Links. Ideal for the novice wishing to acquire a working sophistication of wines, Wine Fundamentals is a strongly recommended means to acquire basic information leading to a life-long expertise.

The Winemakers
Lands End Productions
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
DVD $24.95 landsendproductions.com

The Winemakers: California - Liquid Gold is a beautifully presented 43 minute history of winemaking in the grape fields of California from the first attempts in the early 1900s, to a phenomenal resurgence in the 1970s, down to the present day world wide reputation for excellence. Interviews with various winemakers reveal a justifiable pride in the colorful history of their vineyards and labels that bear their names and family reputations. Very highly recommended viewing for wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs, The Winemakers: California - Liquid Gold is the first installment of what promises to be a truly outstanding series that is informed, informative, and entertaining.

Understanding Literature
Just The Facts
Goldhil Home Media
411 Video Information (publicity)
137 East Thousand Oaks Blvd., 2nd floor, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
www.goldhil.com
VHS $79.95 1-800-250-8760

Understanding Literature is a 3-volume video boxed set in the "Just The Facts series seeking to reveal the exciting world of literature. Each 30-minute, full color video focuses upon a distinctive area of literature. The Elements Of Fiction escorts viers through the fundamentals of fiction as illustrated by the prolific works of Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, and other greats. English professors explore diverse plots and the characters that inhabit them, showcasing methods, styles, and the significance of fiction and thereby encourage the viewers to a greater understanding and appreciation for what fiction has to offer. The Elements Of Drama focuses upon dialogue and narrative; soliloquy; plot elements; character distinction; conflicts and conflict resolution so germane to all great plays. The illustrative focus is upon the life and works of the most famous playwright in the English language -- William Shakespeare. The Elements Of Poetry defines what is meant by meter, rhyme, simile, metaphor, and figurative language. Here displayed is how and why the art of poetry can relay ideas and feelings unencumbered by the restraints of a story or a play. Ideal for homeschooling curriculums, each individual video can be obtained for $29.00 each, but the strong recommendation for all personal, school and community library collections is to acquire the complete Understanding Literature boxed set.

Brazilian Dance Workout
Vanessa Isaac
Hip Brazil
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 90645, Santa Barbara, Ca 93190
DVD $19.95 www.hipbrazil.com

In Brazilian Dance Workout, Brazilian performer and instructor takes the viewer through a 60-minute dance-based exercise routine that is a great fun way to burn off calories and tone body muscles through fun, exhilarating dances with their stimulating rhythms of the Samba, Axe, Afro, Frevo, and Samba Reggae. From effective warm-up routines to the necessary cool down session, Brazilian Dance Workout is a superbly presented and highly recommended addition to any personal or professional exercise regimen.

Stong Bones Yoga
Christine Dormaier
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.strongbones.com
0972367705 $19.95 1-800-847-6553

Very highly recommended, Strong Bones Yoga is a full-color, sixty minute exercise video in which yoga teacher and certified yoga therapist Christine Dormaier combines yoga and strength training suitable and appropriate for men and women of all ages. These are three 20-minute, "follow-along" exercises that build bone density, help prevent osteoporosis, increase overall strength without adding bulk, improve balance, enhance coordination, develop flexibility, and increase energy. Strong Bones Yoga demonstrates traditional postures as well as alternative and adpative postures for those with limited movement due to illness, age, injury or other physical conditions.

Cinderella Ballet
Sergei Prokofiev
VIEW Video
34 East 23rd Street, NY, NY 10010
0803022018 $TBA www.view.com

A superbly performed and highly recommended ballet in three acts, Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella Ballet is an impressive production by the Berlin Comic Opera Ballet and features the talents of Hannelor Bey and Roland Gatwick. Based on the universally famous Cinderella fairy tale by 17th century poet Charles Perrault, the Prokofiev musical score (written in 1945) was a perfect addition to a ballet that had been performed for over 150 years. In this filmed version, Hannelore Bey dances the role of Cinderella and Roland Gatwick creates a memorable Prince. Decor, costumes, lighting, choreography all combine to produce a simply wonderful experience which is now available to a whole new generation of viewers through the superior format of DVD.

Aerobic Dance Workouts With Debra Bono!
Body Be Good
PO Box 997, Maywood, NJ 07607
DVD $35.00 www.bodybgood.com

Enthusiastically recommended, Aerobic Dance Workouts With Debra Bono! is comprised of aerobic exercise expert Debra Bono's two aerobic expercise workout videos: African Dance Workout and 3 Flavors Aerobic Dance Workout. African Dance Workout offers a 7 minute warm-up, followed by 49 miniutes of special aerobics based on African dance movements, and concluding with a 3 minute cool down, with a 5 minute program addressing the uppderbody. The fitness/aerobics level of difficulty is classified ast Intermediat/Advanced. 3 Flavors Aerobic Dance Workout: African, Latin, Hip-Hop is a total 74 minute aeroibc workout featuring a 5 minute warm-up, 3 aerobic worksts of 20 minutes each to Afrioocan, Latin, and Hip-hop rhythms, and a 4 minute cool down. The level of difficulty is classified as Beginner/Intermeidate. Also very highly recommended and readily available are Debra Bono's two additional exercise videos: Afro-Caribbean Step (Intermediate, $19.95) and More Afro-Caribbean Step Dance Explosion (Intermediate to Advanced, $19.95).

Atomic Rulers Of The World
Alpha Video
c/o Collectables Records Corp.
PO Box 35, Narberth, PA 19072-0035
DVD $6.98 1-800-446-6426 oldies.com

The Emerald planetary high council discovers a secret plot launched by the rogue nation of Mirapolia to distribute atomic weapons across the world with the intent of either ruling the planet -- or destroying it! Enter the superhero Starman who task it is to defeat the Mirpolians and remove their deadly menace. Drawn from the popular Japanese television series of the 1960s, Atomic Rulers Of The World is a full-color, 71 minute, full-length feature film in a DVD format that combines martial arts action and science fiction action/adventure that is wonderfully camp entertainment for audiences today. Atomic Rulers Of The World is very highly recommended for SciFi fans and community library Video/DVD collections.

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes
MPI Media Group
16101 South 108th Avenue, Orland Park, IL 60467
DVD 7581 $19.98 www.mpimedia.com

Also available in a video format (MP 7581, $16.98) The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes was the second in a series of fourteen Sherlock Holmes movies that were made from 1939 to 1946 and starred Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. John H. Watson. The film was based on a play by William Gillette and set in the London of the 1890s (future films in the series would be set in the 1930s through 1940s). This classic film is about an equally classic confrontation between Sherlock and his arch enemy, Professor Moriarty. Ida Lupino portrays the young woman who has received a death threat, this along with a warning that the fabled emerald "Star of Delphi" will be stolen upon its arrival in England launch us into a clever and complicated mystery that does full justice to the legendary detective. Also very highly recommended for personal and community library DVD collections are the other Sherlock Holmes films ($19.98 each) from MPI including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound Of The Baskervilles; Sherlock Holmes: The House Of Fear; Sherlock Holmes In The Pearl Of Death; Sherlock Holmes In The Spiderwoman; Sherlock Holmes: The Scarlet Claw; Sherlock Holmes: The Woman In Green; Sherlock Holmes: Dressed To Kill; Sherlock Holmes: Terror By Night; Sherlock Holmes In Pursuit To Algiers.

Tales Of The City
Armistead Maupin
Acorn Media
801 Roeder Road, Suite 700, Silver Spring, MD 20910
1569385424 $59.95 acornmedia.com

It's the 70s in San Francisco and midwesterner Mary Ann Singleton has just arrived for a visit and soon decides to stay. But once she's moved into a funky apartment house and meets a cast of memorable characters in search of love across the whole spectrum of what San Francisco has to offer, does Mary Ann realize that she's come a long way from her Cleveland roots. This DVD edition of the Peabody Award-winning PBS miniseries is augmented for the home viewer with an audio commentary track by author Armistead Daupin, Director Alastair Reid, and stars Olympia Dukakis, Laura Linney and Barbara Garrick; behind-the-scenes location and rehearsal footage; Maupin's biography and booklist; cast biographers; and a full-color insert with an introduction by Armistead Maupin, production notes by Producer Alan Poul, as well as filming locations and landmarks. This complete and unabridged, 6-episode, 3 disk collections is recommended for mature viewers.


The Cookbook Shelf

Robert Rose Books/Firefly, dist.
4 Daybreak Lane, Westport, CT 06880
1-800-387-5085 www.fireflybooks.com

Four new guides provide easy introductions to healthy cooking and recipes which will prove lasting family favorites. Byron Ayanoglu's 125 Best Vegetarian Recipes (077880089X, $18.95) uses an international flair to survey vegetarian dishes which are both appealing and easy to make. Nearly half are also vegan-friendly, marked with a vegan icon, and will represent a treasure trove for vegans who typically find very limited choices in vegetarian cookbooks. Soups and main dishes focus on vegetables spiced with interesting flavors. Lynn Roblin's 500 Best Healthy Recipes (0778800946, $19.95) suffers from a generic-sounding title, but packs within a vast selection of dishes meant to complement a healthy lifestyle, accompanied by nutritionist Roblin's own analysis. Appetizers to desserts and everything in-between are the focus here. George Geary's 126 Best Biscuit Mix Recipes (0778800873, $18.95) tells how to use a basic biscuit mix to create main course dishes as well as desserts, from chili and layered Irish stews to scones, cobblers and more. Geary has tested these dishes and adds his own notes and commentary to each dish. Suneeta Vaswani's Easy Indian Cooking (0778800881, $18.95) pre-sents novices with over a hundred easy dishes for starting out an exploration of Indian cooking, adapting recipes from throughout India to make them easy on American cooks and tastes. Access to only a few basic spices now readily available in most American markets will provide access to a new world of flavor when cooks try out Easy Indian Cooking's very basic introduction. All are recommended picks.

HarperCollins
10E. 53rd Street, New York NY 10022
www.harpercollins.com

Patricia Wells' Provence Cookbook (006-0507829, $29.95) features almost two hundred recipes reflecting Wells' long-time ties to Provence culinary traditions. Nearly a hundred of her black and white photos of Provence's peoples and places accompany recipes ranging from Roasted Chicken Stuffed with Rice and Figs to a beef White Wine Daube. Fergus Henderson's The Whole Beast (0060585366, $19.95) has long been a sought-after classic in other countries, and is finally available for the first time in the U.S. Henderson promotes 'nose to tail' eating of the entire 'beast', putting literally every part of the animal to use in dishes which range from Boiled Belly and Lentils to Poached Salted Duck Legs. The Whole Beast is a recommended pick for cooks who want specialty items done well. Anya Von Bremzen's Greatest Dishes! (0060197315, $27.50) reflects the author's world-wide travels in search of the best dishes. Von Bremzen's travelogue blends with dishes ranging from the 'perfect hummus' and classic Bolognese Lasagne al Forno to French Onion Soup. Especially recommended for cooks new to international cuisine and cooking.

El Farol
Chef James Campbell Caruso
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
1586851012 $29.95 1-800-748-5439

El Farol: Tapas And Spanish Cuisine features more than one hundred recipes from Santa Fe's oldest restaurant and cantina, El Farol, which is famous for its award-winning cuisine. Blending the culinary traditions of New Mexico with flavors from Mediterranean, Spanish, and Latin American cooking, El Farol combines practical instructions with spectacular full-color photographs to showcase some of the finest restaurant-quality preparations imagineable, from Aguacate (Crispy Fried Avocado) to Shrimp Escabeche with Black Olives and Mint, Pulpo Asado (Grilled Octopus), and so much more. El Farol is a lavish and superbly presented resource for creating extravagant, memorable dishes with cross-cultural zest.

Chronicle Books
85 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94105
www.chroniclebooks.com

It's rare that a 'pocket guide' is truly pocket-sized these days; but you can't get much handier than Kit Shan Li's Dim Sum: A Pocket Guide (0811841782, $7.95). Li's little paperback almost fits into the palm of your hand certainly, into any average purse and offers pages of large-sized color photos of dim sum dishes with titles in Chinese and descriptions in English. Truly pocket-sized and an invaluable reference for any who regularly dine in Chinatown. Janet Fletcher's Four Seasons Pasta (0811839087, $19.95) promotes seasonal pasta dishes, providing over fifty recipes pairing pasta with seasonal vegetables. Italian roots are the influence for dishes such as Pasta with Green Bell Peppers and Tomatoes, Pumpkin Ravioli with Fried Sage, and Penne with Mustard Greens and Ricotta. If it's quick cooking you're seeking, try Joie Warner's Take A Tin Of Tuna (081-1835421, $19.95), which turns out recipes for everything from appetizers to main courses using a simple can of tuna. There's the usual tuna noodle casserole and Tuscan Soup, alongside the unusual Tuna Wontons with Plum Sauce and Spicy Mexican Tuna, Black Bean and Tomato Salad. Take A Tin Of Tuna is packed with innovations and quick dishes which look luxurious. Charity Ferreira's Ice Cream Treats (0811841022, $16.95) tells how to turn a carton of ice cream into a special dessert, whether it be a cake or a pie. With store-bought convenience as a base, Ice Cream Treats can turn any home cook into a chef.

Famous Faces, Famous Places, Famous Food
Victoria Brooks
Greatest Escapes Publishing
318 Homer St., Suite C, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 2V2
096861373X $22.95 GreatestEscapes.com

Great authors have always left their mark on their landscapes, and Victoria Brooks' Famous Faces, Famous Paces, Famous Food surveys the diverse lives, travels and culinary pleasures of a select, notable group, ranging from Sir Arthur C. Clarke and Ernest Hemingway, to Bob Marley and Robert James Waller. The deft blending of armchair travel, literary insights and 98 recipes from the kitchens of landmark hotels associated with the famous figures herein make Famous Faces, Famous Places, & Famous Food stand out from the crowd and very highly recommended.

Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
www.harvardcommonpress.com

Debbie Moose's Deviled Eggs (1558322-728, $12.95) should be a standby for any cook who loves the deviled egg appetizer dish: 50 recipes accompanied by fine color photos provides all kinds of unusual mixtures and presentation choices up to and including a Devil's Food Chocolate Egg! Simply outstanding: a 'must' for entertainers seeking something different. Fred Thompson's Crazy For Crab (1558322-663, $19.95) is packed with practical information, stories and photos along with recipes for at-home crab eaters who want to enjoy crab outside of a restaurant. Recipes for all kinds of crab varieties make for a very specific title which outshines more general books which treat all crabs alike. Both of these are highly recommended picks for discriminating cooks. The Harvard Common Press is one of today's most innovative and reliable publishers of cookbooks. Send for their free catalog for a complete listing of their titles.


The Photography Shelf

Americans In Kodachrome
Guy Stricherz
Twin Palms Publishers
Box 10229, Santa Fe, NM 87504-1022
1931885087 $60.00 www.twinpalms.com

Photographer Guy Stricherz lets his color pictures do the talking, presenting full-page shots in an oversized presentation which contain only a line of description and date for identifier. The effect of the white-bordered presentations in Americans In Kodachrome is to draw the viewer's eye to the picture and its underlying background and implications, more than the descriptive word. From farmers with squash in a Virginia field to participants at a Rhode Island river party in 1956 or a Hawaiian beauty contest line-up in 1958, the range of ethnic groups, communities and experiences represented in Americans In Kodacrome is eye-catching and spirited.

Twins
Mary Ellen Mark
Aperture
20 E. 23rd St., New York NY 100110
1931788197 $50.00 www.aperture.org

Artist/author Mary Ellen Mark spent two consecutive years setting up a studio on the site of the Twinsburg, Ohio 'twin days' festival', inviting twins to be photographed: Twins provides a collection of startling images which succeed in presenting subtle differences as well as startling similarities between twins. The multicultural representation of twins as well as the inclusion of which twin is older by how many minutes makes these full-page black and white photos exceptional works of art and study.

Creative Canine Photography
Larry Allen
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St. #510, NY, NY 10010
158115321X $24.95 www.allworth.com

Creative Canine Photography is showcases expert photographic work from an award-winning animal photographer Larry Allan. Creative Canine Photography provides plenty of practical tips to successful canine photography, from capturing expressions and using correct lighting to avoiding red-eye and getting detailed exposures for all-white or all-black fur. Color photos throughout Creative Canine Photography illustrate all concepts.


The Art Shelf

How To Identify Prints
Bamber Gascoigne
Thames & Hudson
500 5th Ave., New York NY 10110
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
0500284806 $34.95 www.amazon.com

Back in print and updated in a new paperback edition is Bambar Gascoigne's classic How To Identify Prints, first published in 1986 and enjoying ongoing acclaim as an essential resource for any involved in identifying prints, whether they be woodcuts, lithos, or etchings. Some ninety techniques manual and mechanical alike are described to round out an accompanying history of prints. A lasting, classic work essential to any art library and many a general library reference collection.

Hugh Lauter Levin Associates
9 Burr Road, Westport, CT 06880
www.HLLA.com

Two exceptional specialty volumes expand this art publisher's choice representations and are recommended picks. Christo and Jeanne-Claude's The Gates (0883630-036, $25.00) provides vivid black and white and color shots of Christo and artist wife Jeanne-Claude's vision of over 7,500 gates, 16 feet high each, following the edges of Central Park's 23 miles of footpaths. The saffron-colored fabric panels are meant to both enhance the park's beauty and reflect the artists' ongoing fascination for fabric embellishments of wildlands. As their Gates project is as tem-porary as most of their works, The Gates will prove a lasting visual tribute to a vast, expansive project. Ireland's Treasures by Peter Harbison (0883638304, $75.00) covers 5,000 years of artistic expression: while its price tag and narrowed focus may lend it to art reference collections alone, Ireland's Treasures will also be a favored pick by any Irish cultural collection. A range of media from stonework and metalwork to painting and architecture reflect Irish artists and craftspeople from prehistoric to modern time, making IRELAND'S TREASURES one of the most expansive coverages in print. Both are unique, recommended picks.

TeNeues
16 West 22nd Street, NY, NY 10010
www.teneues.com

Andreas Bitesnich's Nudes (382385559X, $TBA) may not appeal to the general library holding, but any art library with figure portrait studies will want to consider Bitesnich's Nudes an essential guide. Black and white photos of artistic male and female nudes and couples interacting vary from close-up shots to full-body portraits but the most intriguing juxtapose the nude form with unusual angles. Pierre Thomas Karkau's Models Secret (382384-5551, $TBA), focuses on models both nude and semi-clothed. From beach and indoor scenes to scanty clothing displays, Models Secret offers a wide range of models and poses and an oversized presentation to highlight the results. Both of these outstanding titles are very highly recommended picks for personal, professional, and academic library holdings.

North Light/F&W Publications
4700 East Galbriath Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.artistsnetwork.com

North Light's exceptional 'how to' guides provide aspiring artists and painters with the foundations for successful, professional results. Marie Browning's Inspired By The Garden (1581804342, $22.99) outlines 16 handcrafted projects inspired by gardening which can be used indoors or outside. A handmade garden journal, painted tin field vase, and decorated Tuscan ceramic planter are only a few of the bright projects Marie Browning presents using step-by-step color photos. Sherry Nelson, M.D.A.'s Painting Garden Animals (158180427X, $24.99) tells how to paint endearing garden animals with realistic details and techniques lending to a beginner's efforts. Step-by-step demonstrations and color reference photos tell how to capture the realistic look of animals in a range of projects, making Painting Garden Animals most accessible to non-artists. Sharon Hamilton, M.D.A's Lush & Lively Flowers You Can Paint (1581804431, $24.99) uses ten step-by-step projects to illustrate the basics to painting realistic-looking flowers, leaves and foliage. Sharon Hamilton fosters a two-stage approach to painting florals and her techniques will appeal to both beginners and painters with some experience. Mary Jo McGraw's Vintage Greeting Cards (158180413X, $23.99) presents the skills of a rubber stamp artist and card maker who tells how to create handmade cards which look like antique heirlooms. The fourteen techniques McGraw teaches are used to make 23 cards, with each project featuring easily-find vintage papers, old family photos, foil, buttons and more.

Come Walk With Me
Dorris Curtis
University of Arkansas Press
201 Ozark Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72701
1557287643 $39.95 www.amazon.com

Having retired from a forty year teaching career, Dorris Curtis began painting at the age of 65. Her work has been exhibited in Chicago and Washington, DC, and she has been a guest on the acclaimed PBS series "American Art Forum". Recently, Dorris donated her entire art collection to the University of Central Arkansas. For those unfamiliar with her work, there is now published Come Walk With Me: The Art Of Dorris Curtis which is enhanced with an informed and informative introduction by Robert Cochran and showcases an extraordinary talent comparable to the legendary Grandma Moses -- whose example provided Dorris with the inspiration to first put color to canvas in 1973. Come Walk With Me will prove to be a welcome and much appreciated contribution to any personal, school art department, and community library American Art History collections.

Victorian Approaches To Religion As Reflected In The Art Of The Pre-Raphaelites
Eva Peteri
Akademiai Kiado Budapest/ISBS, dist.
920 NE 58th Av #300, Portland OR 97213
9630580381 $25.00 1-503-287-3093

The core of the Pre-Raphaelite movement consisted of the dogmatic art critic John Ruskin, moralist artist-preacher William Holman Hunt; intuitive poet-painter Gabriel Rossetti, Conscientious realist and popular sentimentalist John Everett Millais. The were very different men, but they were all typically Victorian and had large followings among the public. Victorian Approaches To Religion As Reflected In The Art Of The Pre-Raphaelites surveys their religious ideas and use of biblical imagery to provide insights into the religious concerns of their era. This was a time of passionate sectarian debates, the spreading of agnosticism, new Bible-interpretations affected by (and sometimes generated by) scientific discoveries, and repeated attempts to reconcile religious beliefs with the growing phenomena of secularization at the end of the century. Victorian Approaches To Religion As Reflected In The Art Of The Pre-Raphaelites is a remarkable and strongly recommended work of impressive and original scholarship which would grace any 19th Art History academic library collection or supplemental studies reading list.

The Arts Of Fire
Catherine Hess, editor
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
089236758X $39.95 1-800-223-3431

Compiled and deftly edited by Catherine Hess (Associate Curator of Sculpture, Getty Museum), The Arts Of Fire: Islamic Influences On Glass And Ceramics Of The Italian Renaissance is informationally enhanced by the contributions of George Saliba (Professor of Arabic and Islamic Science, Columbia University) and Linda Komaroff (curator of Islamic Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Graced with a map, 61 color images and 17 b/w illustrations, The Arts Of Fire showcases luxury glass and ceramic objects made by Italian artists and craftsmen during the 15th and 16th centuries -- an era considered to be a high point in Renaissance art. What's less well known is that none of these wonderful creations would have been possible without the introduction of the technological and formal advances in the art and production of glass and ceramic ware imported into Italy from contacts within the Islamic East where they were originally developed and practiced. Also available in a hardcover edition (0892367571, $65.00), The Arts Of Fire is a superb and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic Art History reference collections, The Arts Of Fire is a joy to simply page through and will leave the reader wondering what other treasures the Getty Museum has within its collections.


The Architecture Shelf

The Sea Ranch
Donlyn Lyndon & Jim Alinder
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th Street, NY, NY 100003
1568983867 $65.00 www.papress.com

Essays by Donald Canty and Lawrence Halprin accompany beautiful black and white and color shots of California's architectural wonders of the coast which comprise the exclusive Sea Ranch community of homes. Ecologically inspired planning and innovative architectural dreams and designs went into the formation of the California's Sea Ranch community, which sprawls across several thousand acres of land. This could easily have been a picture presentation alone, but the fine house-by-house considerations of design, plan, and history makes it much more, and The Sea Ranch will be revered by architectural reference collections in art libraries.

The Ultimate Book Of Home Plans
Creative Homeowner
Box 38, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
www.creativehomeowner.com
1580111866 $12.95 1-800-631-7795

The Ultimate Book Of Home Plans showcases more than 600 home plans in full color. These architectural masterpieces were created by top architects and designers from every section of the country. Enhanced with more than 500 color photos and 300 full-color renderings, The Ultimate Book Of Home Plans is enhanced further with dozens of "Smart Tips", special sections on home design and decorating, as well as quick-and-easy ordering information via phone or online. No personal, professional, academic library Architectural Studies collection can be considered comprehensive without the inclusion of this outstanding edition of The Ultimate Book Of Home Plans!

Dover Publications Inc.
31 E. 2nd St., Mineola, NY 11501
www.doverpublications.com

Students of architecture who are studying house designs of the 1920s and 1930s in America will find two references invaluable: Sears' House Designs Of The Thirties (0486429946, $11.95) and Radford's House Designs Of The Twenties (0486-429938, $11.95). Each republishes catalogs of house designs, includes styles and room layouts for different family and economic needs, and each serves as an invaluable reference for both architectural study and restoration purposes.


The Sports Shelf

Youth Baseball Hitting Fundamentals
Ed Garretson
American Literary Press
8019 Blair Rd. #10, Baltimore, MD 21236
www.americanliterarypress.com
1561677965 $14.95 www.amazon.com

Youth Baseball Hitting Fundamentals is a slim, 45-page paperback. This coach's guide to baseball offers up Ed Garretson's 20 years of personal experience coaching youth baseball and combines these years of practical experience with a detailed knowledge enhanced with illustrated figures and diagrams for teaching young players, making for an important set of basic fundamentals vital for the success of any dedicated team effort.

Hot Potato
Bob Kuska
University of Virginia Press
Box 400318, Charlottesville, VA 22904
www.upress.virginia.edu
0813922631 $24.95 1-800-831-3406

When one Edwin Henderson, a Harvard-educated African American physical education teacher was introduced to basketball in Washington DC in 1907, he envisioned it as a method of organizing black athletes to allow them to excel at northern while colleges. In sports, he reasoned, blacks would get a fair chance to succeed. Hot Potato details the birth and rise of black amateur basketball in America, examines college basketball and the origins of the CIAA, and surveys the rise of black professional athletes. A truly outstanding sports history evolves.

Reforming Sports Before The Clock Runs Out
Bruce B. Svare
Sports Reform Press
c/o Bordalice Publishing, Inc.
218 Murray Ave., Delmar, NY 12054
www.bordalicepublishing.com
0966632362 $19.95 1-518-439-7284

Reforming Sports Before The Clock Runs Out: One Man's Journey Through Our Runaway Sports Culture by Bruce Svare (Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, State University of New York - Albany) is an expose of what has gone wrong in the areas of youth, amateur, high school, and collegiate sports today. The father of two athletes, a college professor, a coach, and a sports administrator, Svare deftly examines the failings of what comprises our contemporary sports culture including the unhealthy emphasis upon early specialization and the professionalization of young athletes; the promotion of winning at any cost with an attendant decline in sportsmanship; elevated violence and misbehavior on the parts of athletes, coaches, parents, and fans; the favoritism afforded very costly competitive sports that only serve a small number of young people with our school systems, and so much more. If you are a concerned parent, educator, or athletic events policy maker, then you need to give a careful and thoughtful reading to Reforming Sports Before The Clock Runs Out.

Volleyball Skills & Drills
Jim Bertoli
Wish Publishing
PO Box 10337, Terre Haute, IN 47801
1930546661 $14.95 wishpublishing.com

Jim Bertoli draws upon a highly successful and extensive volleyball coaching career to write Volleyball Skills & Drills, a comprehensive instruction manual for developing all of the skills of volleyball as a competitive sport. The drills provided will help other coaches handle specific situations that will inevitable occur with the teams. Showcasing some one hundred specific drills, Volleyball Skills & Drills also addresses the relevant issues of defensive systems, conditioning, and game strategies. A very highly recommended manual for anyone charged with the responsibility of coaching a volleyball team, Volleyball Skills & Drills is enhanced with definitions of terminology, key phrases, and more than eighty illustrative diagrams.

The Complete Guide To Paintball
Jerry Braun, et al.
Hatherliegh Press
5-22 46th Avenue, Suite 200, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.hatherleighpress.com
1578261732 $21.95 1-718-786-5338

Now in an updated, expanded, and illustrated third edition, The Complete Guide To Paintball can justifiably be considered as the "bible" of one of the country's most popular personal competition sporting activities. This is a virtual encyclopedia of expert advice and information on the rules, equipment, clothing, safety, tactics, fields, and every other aspect of the game. If you are a participant (or soon to be one) in this exciting and challenging game where you shoot (and get shot at with) a paint-filled gelatin capsule from an air-powered "marker" gun at a velocity of 300 feet per second, then you will need your very own copy of The Complete Guide To Paintball!


The Women's Issues Shelf

Baby Boom Bachelorette
Patsy Stagner
JPS Publishing
PO Box 540272, Grand Prairie, TX 75054
0966492447 $16.95

Single baby-boomers re-entering the world of over-forty dating will find Patsy Stagner's Baby Boom Bachelorette a unique guide charting the different world of midlife dating. From assessing 'baggage' and whom to date to locating bachelors and getting noticed, Stagner provides many candid tips based on practical real-world experience.

Free, Fearless Female
Willow Creek Press
PO Box 147, Minocqua, WI 54548
1572238852 $14.95 willowcreekpress.com

Willow Creek Press' little inspirational book is for the independent modern woman who needs some fun words of empowerment paired with fun animal photos. Free, Fearless Female isn't just another tired book of inspirational sayings: the comedy pairing of funny animal photos and quotes from notable women gives it a fun flavor missing from competitiors.

What Not To Wear
Trinny Woodall & Susannah Constantine
Riverhead Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguinputnam.com
1573223573 $15.00 www.amazon.com

Learn about personal style and dressing for a less-than-perfect body shape with the aid of two 'life coaches' who point out it's just as important to understand What Not To Wear than fashion trends. Color photos point out styles which can make fat arms look bigger, short legs look shorter, and big butts look larger and are accompanied by contrasting photos which point out the highlights of different styles and why they work. A fun, revealing guide more practical than most general "how to dress" books.

The Perfect Sister
Marcia Millman
Harcourt
15 E. 26th Street, New York NY 10010
0151008957 $25.00 HarcourtBooks.com

Sisters are a complicated relationship: though they may grow up together, their personalities and perspectives may be totally different. Author Marcia Millman spent hundreds of hours interviewing sisters to examine how their bonds were formed and how they changed throughout life: Perfect Sister considers what makes adult sisters close or not and how sister sibling bonds and rifts form.


The International Studies Shelf

Losing The New China
Ethan Gutmann
Encounter Books
665 - 3rd St, #300, S.F., CA 94107
189355483X $25.95 1-800-786-3839

Losing The New Chinca: A Story Of American Commerce, Desire And Betrayal is both a personal memoir and testimony to escalating American submission to greed. True stories of bribery, pandering to the interests of Big Brother, and a corporate mentality that brings popular hatred of the U.S. both at home and abroad. A dark and shocking wake-up call to failure of morals and conscience upon the part of American businesses overseas.

Songye Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo
Nkamany Kabamba
Aglob Publishing
1001 North Federal Highway South 319, Hallandale, FL 33009
1594270074 $14.95 aglobpublishing.com

Songye Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo: A Legacy To Remember examines the history and culture of the Songye people of Africa and the modern-day African nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Including poems of oral remembrance, a brief history of the Songye from prehistory to the modern day, and addressing issues of the difficulty of maintaining democratic standards (for example, it takes the average person 20 minutes to cast their vote under the current system), Songye Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo is a rich, outstandingly relevant and welcome addition to African culture and studies shelves.


The Money/Finance Shelf

101 Tax Saving Ideas
Julie Welch & Randy Gardner
Wealth Builders Press, LLC
800 West 47th Street, Suite 430, Kansas City, MO 64112
0963973460 $19.95 1-800-410-1829

The collaborative and highly recommended work of Julie Welch (Director of the Tax Services for the Kansas City based CPA firm Meara, King & Company) and Randy Gardner (Professor of Taxation and Director of the Personal Financial Planning Program, University of Missouri, Kansas City), 101 Tax Saving Ideas is a compendium of invaluable tips on reducing personal and small business derived income taxes, and provides timely, up-to-date information on education planning, fringe benefits, investments, itemized deductions, Roth IRAs, small business, and retirement planning issues as they are effected by the tax codes. All of the 2003 changes that will affect this years tax preparations are covered, from individual income taxes rates being lowered retroactively to January 2003; child tax credit being increased to $1,000; and special tax breaks for military families; to annual IRA contribution limits being gradually increased to $5,000; 401(k) elective deferral amounts being increased gradually to $15,000.

Successful Real Estate Investing
Robert Shemin
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
www.wiley.com/business
0471453978 $16.95 1-800-225-5945

Successful Real Estate Investing: How To Avoid The 75 Most Costly Mistakes Every Investor Makes lists many common errors in judgement that real estate buyers make - mistakes that can be horrifically costly when investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into property. From relying on what people tell you instead of what they actually do, to overspending on rehab projects, to failing to review one's finances, progress, and overall activity at least once a week (a comon business problem) and much more, Successful Real Estate Investing charts critical pitfalls to avoid. Appendices offer means to find great real estate deals, top 10 common mistakes complete with lists for the reader to write in, six basic rules of negotiation such as "never mention a number unless you absolutely have to" and "get it in writing", and much more. A superb supplementary resource for savvy investors seeking to learn the easy way - from other people's mistakes rather than one's own.

The ABCs Of IPOs
Robert Anthony Chechile
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
0595311180 $22.95 1-877-823-9235

Investor and stockbroker Robet Anthony Chechile shares his wisdom and experience in The ABCs Of IPOs: Investment Strategies And Tactics For New Issue Securities, which carefully teaches the reader about an intial public offerings (IPO), as well as other new issue securities that are sought by investors who seek to make money at a much faster rate than can be done in other investment venues. But at what risk? The ABCs Of IPOs covers typical IPO market price behavior, different types of securities offered to the public, basic rules and regulations, financial evaluation techniques, rule-of- thumb guidelines, tactical maneuvers to maximize profits or minimize losses, and much more. A solid advice guide that takes practical realities and necessities into account, and written in plain terms directly accessible to the lay reader.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

ABC For Book Collectors
John Carter
Oak Knoll Press
310 Delaware St, New Castle, DE 19720
www.oakknoll.com
1584561122 $29.95 1-800-996-2556

Written by bibliographer John Carter (1905-1975), and originally published in 1952, this 232-page compendium of information and insights has long been considered the "how-to bible" for dedicated antiquarians, bibliophiles, and specialty lib-rarians with respect to locating, evaluating, and acquiring rare and out-of-print titles. Now in a completely revised, expanded, and re-set eighth edition, the ABC For Book Collectors is additionally enhanced with an informative introduction by Nicolas Barker (a personal friend of the late John Carter and the man who is responsible for the updates and revisions of this eighth edition). Among the subject authoritatively covered (and arranged in more than 490 alphabetically presented entries) are technical terms used in book collecting and bibliography; auctions, book conditions, facsimiles and fakes, "points", rarity, and more. This new addition provides up-to-date information on web-based book collecting (including eBay sales). The ABC For Book Collectors is a seminal and essential reference shelf component for dealers and collectors, and will prove of immense interest to authors, publishers, librarians, bibliophiles, bibliographers, and reviewers as well!

2004 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards
Bob Lemke, Editor
Krause Publications
700 E. State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
0873497031 $39.99 www.krause.com

If you're an avid collector of baseball cards seeking a definitive, weighty valuation guide offering comprehensive coverage from 1867 to modern times, don't miss the extensively updated, expanded 2004 Standard Catalog Of Baseball Cards, edited by Bob Lemke. While the heart of this thirteenth edition of the "bible" of baseball card collecting lies in its supstantial pages of detailed valuations, there are also over 12,000 clear black and white photos and over 11,000 sets of cards listed, from team issues to postcards.

Dolls Of The Art Deco Era
Susanna Oroyan
C&T Publications
PO Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549
1571202234 $29.95 www.amazon.com

In Dolls Of The Art Deco Era, dollmaker Oroyan provides a survey of the history, makers and collectible items of the art deco era, providing both a step-by-step set of instructions for reproducing the style of doll popular in the era and covering the history of dollmaking during the era, and restoration techniques after. Packed with ideas crafts and collectors alike will appreciate.

Pearl Buying Guide
Renee Newman GG
International Jewelry Publications
Box 13384, Los Angeles, CA 90013-0384
www.reneenewman.com
0929975359 $19.95 1-626-282-3781

Initially published in 1992, and now in a completely updated and expanded fourth edition, Pearl Buying Guide: How To Evaluate, Identify And Select Pearls & Pearl Jewelry is a handy, no-nonsense guide to purchasing quality pearl jewelry at an appropriate price. Written in plain terms accessible to the lay reader, and filled with color photographs, Pearl Buying Guide presents the wisdom and experience of a professional gemologist in its simple instructions on how to tell a fake pearl from a real one, how to select high quality pearls, how to compare pearls and prices, and much more. An absolute "must-read" for any consumer determined to invest his or her hard-earned money in fine pearl adornments.


The Literary Shelf

Forms Of Poetry
Travis Lyon
Tealemon Publications
3881 Windover Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15668
0975292307 $19.99 1-724-325-2490

In Forms Of Poetry, Travis Lyon provides students of poetry with a new approach to understanding the set structures of lyrical poetry nd provide an all-encompassing guide to the patterning of various poem types. It is through a comprehensive understanding and a deft incorporation of these patterns into their own literary work that poets and authors of all disciplines can enhance the quality and originality of their work. No mere "poetic dictionary", Forms Of Poetry organizes its text into specific cultural group sections providing unique insights into cultural significance, origin, and pronunciation of poem types. Enhanced with a convenient page index, explanatory sections of statistics, comprehensive notes, consistent patterns and diagrams, original examples, and a unique difficulty rating system providing each poem type with equal consideration, Forms Of Poetry is recommended to the attention of poets at all skill levels from novice beginner to seasoned professional.

The Ocean Was Salt
Loretta Cobb
Livingston Press
Department of Langauges and Literature
UWA Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
1931982260 $14.95 www.uwa.edu

Loretta Cobb is Founder and Director Emeritus of The Harbert Writing Center at the University of Montevallo. The Ocean Was Salt is a compilation of the best of her short stories and clearly documents her literary talent and abilities. The subject matter and tone of her stories are original and diverse. Also available in a hardcover edition (1931982252, $25.00), this impressive anthology features Before We Crawled to Tears; And the Word Was God; That Fall; The Darling Buds of May; Feeling Salty; Seeing It Through; Things Visible and Invisible; Belle's Balls; Out; and Moving. Small gems of contemporary literature, these are the kinds of stories that instantly engage their readers attention from beginning to end.

Dickens And The Social Order
Myron Magnet
ISI Books
Box 4431, Wilmington, DE 19807-0431
www.isibooks.org
193223635X $15.00 1-800-526-7022

Also available in a hardcover edition (1932236376, $25.00), Dickens And The Social Order evaluates four of Dickens' early novels - Nicholas Nickelby, Barnaby Rudge, American Notes, and Martin Chuzzlewit - and derives from them Dickens' social philosophy. Presenting the affirmation that Dickens in fact held a surprisingly traditional wordview, as a champion of authority, customs, and accepted mannerly behavior, Dickens And The Social Order progressively reveals Dickens as a solid pragmatist, who considered practical realities first and utopian dreams in a far lesser light than others would claim. Astutely written and solidly argued, Dickens And The Social Order is a welcome addition to classical literary criticism shelves.

The Library Of Leonard And Virginia Woolf
Julia King & Laila Miletic-Vejzovic, eds.
Washington State University Press
Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
0874222702 $45.00 wsupress.wsu.edu

The Library Of Leonard And Virginia Woolf: A Short-Title Catalog is a straightforward listing of the books within the personal library of Leonard and Virginia Woolf from their residences in Londan and Rodmell, England. Virginia Woolf is a well-known and widely studied contributor to modern English literature; The Library Of Leonard And Virginia Woolf informs the browser of which titles she chose to keep for her collection, from inherited books to titled given to her for review, and gifts from friends. Listing all the titles along with author, publisher, copyright date, information regarding anyone who has inscribed the book, and more, The Library Of Leonard And Virginia Woolf is primarily a catalog especially meant for use by scholars, sporting only a brief introduction to offset the dry yet precise alphabetical entries.

The Undergraduate's Companion To English Renaissance Writers And Their Web Sites
Steven K. Galbraith
Libraries Unlimited
c/o Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
1591581400 $29.95 greenwood.com

The Undergraduate's Companion To English Renaissance Writers And Their Web Sites is a simple research guide for twenty-first century students of English Renaissance writing. It features a wide list of authors in alphabetical order, and each listing contains a list of web sites with brief descriptions, the titles of biographies and literary criticism works about the author, as well as basic information concerning relevant journals, bibliographies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, or handbooks. An excellent and easy-to-use reference for finding key references.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Sustainable Kitchen
Stu Stein, et al.
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC, Canads, V05 1X0
www.newsociety.com
086571505X $22.95 1-800-567-6772

Stu Stein and Mary Hinds are acclaimed chefs and co-owners of The Peerless Restaurant in southern Oregon. Together with Judith H. Dern, they have collaborated in The Sustainable Kitchen: Passionate Cooking Inspired By Farms, Forests And Oceans, a compilation of fresh, seasonal, flavorful, original, and thoroughly "kitchen cook friendly" recipes. Enhanced with 75 color and b/w photos, these delicious recipes range from Asparagus Custard; Three Oyster Stew; Heirloom Tomato Salad with Grilled Red Torpedo Onions and Pesto Vinaigrette; and Slow Roasted Ivory King Salmon with a Ragout of Mushrooms, Spinach and Fingerling Potatoes; to Sage Rubbed Leg of Pork with Apple-Fennel Pan Sauce; Root Vegetable and Onion Marmalade Pave; Chocolate Peppermint Brownie; and Honey Tangerine-Meringue Tartlet with Grand Marnier Pastry Cream and Berry Coulis. The Sustainable Kitchen will prove to be a welcome and appreciated addition to any kitchen cookbook collection!

New Hampshire: From Farm To Kitchen
Helen Brody
Hippocrene Books
171 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016
0781810213 $18.95 hippocrenebooks.com

Compiled and organized by Helen Brody, New Hampshire: From Farm To Kitchen showcases 30 New Hampshire farm profiles and 118 recipes, along with menus for traditional state events and a resource section which will enable even the most novice kitchen cook to locate the necessary ingredients and products to executive these thoroughly "user friendly" dishes. From Nama's Fudge Custard; Grain of Fresh Berries with Maple Sugar Glaze; Lamb Sausage Hors d'Oeuvres with Red Wine and Honey Sauce; and Chicken Baked in Tequila and Lime; to Anadama Bread; Lamb Patties with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce; and Black Currant Jelly, New Hampshire: From Farm To Kitchen is a diverse and delectable compendium of outstanding regional recipes direct from New Hampshire's working farms and family kitchens.

The Tomato Festival Cookbook
Lawrence Davis-Hollander
Storey Publishing
Workman Publishing Company, dist.
210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
1580174981 $16.95 www.storey.com

Compiled and organized by Lawrence Davis-Hollander (Founder and Director of the Eastern Native Seed Conservancy), The Tomato Festival Cookbook showcases 150 recipes each of which focuses upon culinary creations featuring heirloom tomatoes as a principal ingredient. Along with the "kitchen friendly" recipes, The Tomato Festival Cookbook offers informed advice on selecting the very best heirloom tomatoes, reveals how to grow great-tasting tomatoes in your own garden, provides historical tomato lore, as well as profiles of notable tomato growers and thematically appropriate regional festivals. From Tomato and Corn Salsa; Stuffed Mussels with Tomatoes and Almonds; Spicy Tomato Cocktails; and Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad; to Robert Gurvich's Pizza with Fresh Tomato Sauce; Spanish-Style Fish with Tomatoes and Potatoes; Tomato Jam Tart; and Tomato-Rice Casserole with Poblanos, Beef, and Melted Cheese, The Tomato Festival Cookbook will prove to a welcome and much appreciated addition to any tomato lover's personal cookbook collection!

Easy Menus For Dining In
Better Homes and Gardens
Meredith Books
1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50336
0696217155 $29.95 1-800-678-8091

When its from the pages of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, you know that a recipe is something truly special. Easy Menus For Dining In is a superbly presented compendium of just such recipes, organized into sixteen themed chapters with "mix-and-match" recipes to create complete menus for any dining occasion, the busy kitchen cook is also provided with "make-ahead" directions; time planners for each menu; as well as wine and food pairing suggestions. Enhanced with visually impressive photography, a glossary of cooking terms; and helpful information that will help even the most novice kitchen cooks hone their preparatory skills, Easy Menus For Dining In will quickly prove a kitchen cookbook collection favorite with such dishes as Sage-Brushed Cowboy Steak; Amaretto Plum Galettes; Pasta with Bolognese Sauce; Curried Vegetable Stew; and Baked Maple Custard!

Fine Dining Mississippi Style
John M. Bailey
Quail Ridge Books
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
www.quailridge.com
1893062554 $29.95 1-800-343-1583

Fine Dining Mississippi Style: Signature Recipes From Mississippi's Restaurants And Bed & Breakfast Inns is a simply superb regional cookbook that would grace any kitchen cookbook collections. Showcasing more than 350 recipes that range from the quick & easy to the delightfully gourmet, John M. Bailey compiled and organized according to various regions of the state, these dishes that are the pride of 81 of the finest chefs working in the restaurants and inns for which Mississippi is so well known to their discerning clientele. From Country French Bread and Butter Pudding; Boneless Cajun Barbeque Ribs; Cane Syrup Vinaigrette; and Spanish Red Bean and Yuca Soup; to Shrimp and Artichoke Chimichanga with Goat Cheese Sauce; Scallops in Tequila, Citrus and Chile Dressing; Butternut Squash Cheesecake; and Smoked Portobello Salad with Mixed Greens and Balsamic Vinaigrette, Fine Dining Mississippi Style is one culinary compendium that fully lives up to the promise of fine dining!

Celebrate Highlands
The Laurel Garden Club
FRP
PO Box 305142, Nashville, TN 37230
097216460X $19.95 1-800-358-0560

Celebrate Highlands: Recipes And Remembrance combines recipe contribution from members of the Laurel Garden Club of Highlands, North Carolina with anecdotal memories and stories that make Celebrate Highlands a quite unique and very enthusiastically recommended cookbook. From Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms; Southwestern Bean Salad; and Exotic Chicken with Thai Sauce; to Lemon Ice Cream; Cheddar Chili Cheesecake; and Blue Cheese Torte with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pesto; Celebrate Highlands offers a wonderfully diversified compilation of "kitchen friendly" recipes that even the most novice of family cooks can accomplish with confidence.

Fresh From The Valley
The Junior League of Yakima
FRP
PO Box 305142, Nashville, TN 37230
097216460X $19.95 1-800-358-0560

Fresh From The Valley: A Harvest Of Recipes From The Junior League Of Yakima is a splendidly organized and presented book of recipes that will grace family dining all year long. With recipes divided into Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter sections, Fresh From The Valley is enhanced with special sections on Washington Apples; Herbs and Spices; Wines and Cheeses; Sponsors; Contributors; and an Index. From Fresh Tomato and Sweet Onion Salsa; Spinach and Artichoke Dip in Bread Bowl; and Mexican Appetizer Cheese Cake; to Marinated Mushrooms; Eastern Washington Rack of Lamb; Hawaiian Chicken and Pears; and Hot Apple Tea; are a brief introductory sampling of what Fresh From The Valley has to offer the family chef!

America Celebrates Columbus
The Junior League of Columbus
FRP
PO Box 305142, Nashville, TN 37230
0961362111 $24.95 1-800-358-0560

With menus provided in each section comprising this culinary sequel to the Junior League of Columbus' America Discovers Columbus cookbook, America Celebrates Columbus is a superb compendium of "bountiful harvest" recipes that are as easy-to-prepare and kitchen friendly as they are nutritious and delicious. Of special note is that portion of this outstanding cookbook dedicated to teatime at the Kelton House. From Miniature Lavender Cheesecakes; Black-Eyed Pea Salsa; Green Salad with Jiacama and Orange Poppy Seed Dressing; and Kelton House Chicken Divan; to Salmon Tetrazzini; Barbecued Green Beans; Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Pancakes; Chili Pecan Biscuits; and Red Velvet Cake with Mock Whipped Frosting, American Celebrates Columbus will prove a seminal favorite for any family or community library cookbook collection.

Cookie Dough Delights
Camilla V. Saulsbury
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
www.cumberlandhouse.com
1581823932 $16.95 1-615-832-1171

In Cookie Dough Delights, cookie baking expert Camilla Saulsbury showcases more than 150 delicious cookies, bars, and other treats, each of which is made from refrigerated cookie dough! These thoroughly "kitchen cook friendly" recipes range from Peanut Buttery Chocolate Chip-Loaded Cowboy Cookies; Cardamom Currant Tea Cookies; Ginger Lime Biscotti; and Italian Cheesecake Bars; to Lemon Tassies; Viennese Almond-Filled Cookie Tart; Cookie Tiramisu; and Deep-Dish Chocolate-Chip Pecan Pie. Of special note is the section entirely devoted to frostings! Feel like making some terrific cookies the easy way? Then get hold of a copy of Camillia Saulsbury's Cookie Dough Delights!


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Directing 101
Ernest Pintoff, M.F.A.
Michael Wiese Productions
1209 West Howe St, Seattle, WA 98119
0941188671 $16.95 1-800-833-5738

Written by an Oscar-winning filmmaker who has taught at USC and UCLA film schools, Directing 101 is a basic primer in all aspects of directing - from acquiring quality material to budgets and financing, casting and communicating with actors, production planning, filming techniques, blocking and staging, special concerns for directing shorts, commercials, or music videos, and much more. A well-thought-out presentation offering real-world experience and perspective, written in language any layman can understand with an in-depth glossary to help those unfamiliar with common industry terms. Directing 101 is so straightforward that it is enthusiastically, wholeheartedly recommended to anyone considering, studying for, or actively pursuing a directing vocation.

The Unseen Force
John Kenneth Muir
Applause Theatre & Cinema Books
c/o Hal Leonard Corporation
151 West 46th St., 8th fl., NY, NY 10036
1557836078 $18.95 applausepub.com

The Unseen Force: The Films Of Sam Raimi provide a behind-the-scenes, movie-by-movie survey of the career and work of innovative film director Sam Raimi. He made his debut in 1982 at the age of 23 with the independent horror film "The Evil Dead" which was so successful Raimi went on to direct two sequels. Included by film expert John Muir are more than thirty firsthand accounts and interviews with filmmakers that have worked with Raimi, from the cinematographers who shot the early films, to the producers, screenwriters, actors, special effects technicians, and music score composers who collaborated to make his films the stuff of box office legend and the focus of a devoted following of dedicated fans. The Unseen Force is a welcome and greatly appreciated contribution to the annals of filmmaking and filmmaker histories.

Van Helsing
Stephen Sommers
Newmarket Press
18 East 48th Street, New York, NY 10017
155704628X $19.95 newmarketpress.com

Also available in a hardcover edition (1557046298, $29.95), Van Helsing: The Making Of The Legend is a highly recommended accompaniment to the new film Universal starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale, written and directed by Stephen Sommers, and produced by Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay. This marvelous work showcases more than 140 film stills, concept sketches, line drawings, set designs, monster make-up, and spectacular special effects. Of this original treatment of the character first made famous in Bram Stoker's 19th century novel Dracula, has been revised and revisited as a legendary monster hunter as a renegade outlaw confronted not only by Dracula and his three brides, but Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man, and a legion of other icons drawn form the archive of classic Universal film studio monsters.

Career Opportunities In The Film Industry
Fred Yager & Jan Yager
Checkmark Books/Facts on File
132 West 31st Street, NY, NY 10001
0816048630 $18.95 www.factsonfile.com

You don't have to live in Hollywood to work in the film industry even though a large part of moviemaking is based in and around Los Angeles. Independent film (and even an ever increasing number of studio productions) are made "on location" around the country and around the world. Career Opportunities In The Film Industry is an essential reference for anyone considering the prospects for employment in this globe-spanning industry. Thematically organized into sixteen sections, the more than 75 jobs range from screenwriter, Stuntperson, Storyboard Artist, Production Assistant, and color timer, to auditor, gaffer, film critic, boom operator, music supervisor, caterer, and dialect coach. Informed and informative, each job descript-ion is succinct and comprehensive. Also available in a hardcover edition (0816048622, $49.50), Career Opportunities In The Film Industry is enhanced with the inclusion of a glossary, bibliography, various appendices, and an index.

Making Great Television
Dee LaDuke
Garth Gardner Company Publishing
5107 - 13th St NW, Washington, DC 20011
1589650182 $24.95 1-866-464-2736

Dee LaDuke has now completed her fourth season on the UPN series "Girlfriends" where she served as Executive Producer, and is currently Consulting Producer. She has co-created and produced a number of pilots for UPN, and was the Supervising Producer for the hit series "Designing Women. In Making Great Television: Four Essential Ingredients, LaDuke draws upon her years of experience and expertise to help aspiring television scriptwriters and producers a formula comprised of four essential ingredients common to all successful television series: Immediacy; The Mirror; Character; and Time. This formula applies to comedy, drama, half-hour programs or multiple episode miniseries. Making Great Television is not only recommended for aspiring professionals, but will prove to be of immense intrinsic interest to dedicated television fans as well.


The Railroading Shelf

Rods Down And Dropped Fires
Richard P. Bessette
RTN Press LLC
PO Box 2333, Orland Park, IL 60462
0974797006 $59.95 www.rtnpress.com

Rods Down And Dropped Fires: Illinois Central And The Steam Age In Perspective by railroading enthusiast and historian Richard Bessette is a 608-page compendium showcasing the history of the Illinois Central railroad. Enhanced with more than 1,000 black-and-white photographs, Rods Down And Dropped Fires is documentary history that is informed and informative, and very highly accessible for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in Midwestern railroading history. Enthusiastically recommended reading, Rods Down And Dropped Fires would aptly serve as an example for other railroad historians on just how a definitive documentary of steam locomotive enterprises should be done!

Steam To Spokne - SP&S 700
Pentrex
2652 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91107
www.pentrex.com
#SPS700DVD $29.95 1-800-950-9333

Having been put on inactive display in Portland, Oregon, for many years, The Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 steam locomotive was brought back into action for the purpose of a fabulous excursion on its home rails in April 2001. This "Queen of Steam" fairly dazzled her passengers and on attending photographers as this 4-8-4 Northern-type locomotive pulled 18 cars through the Columbia River Gorge and the rolling wheat fields and pine forests of Washington. Also available in a video tape format (#SPS700, $29.95), Steam To Spokane - SP&S 700 is a 60-minute, full color, narrated, DVD recording of that wonderful railroading excursion. Also very highly recommended is another new railroading DVD from Pentrex: Virginian & Ohio: Afton Division Finale (#VOAD-DVD, $29.95)

Getting Started With Lego Trains
Jacob H. McKee
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro St., San Francisco CA 94107
1593270062 $14.95 www.nostarch.com

Jacob McKee's Getting Started With Lego Trains will prove to have immense appeal as a 'how-to' titler for the weekend hobbyst as it involves setting up Lego train systems. There's also plenty of historical background packed into the instructions which will delight both Lego builders and collectors. From surveys of different types of locomotives, cars and tracks for Lego trains to layouts and maintenance tips, Getting To Know Lego Trains is a delight to browse through and a "must" for dedicated Lego enthusiasts of all ages.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

How To Love The Job You Hate
Jane Boucher
Beagle Bay Books
3040 June Meadows Rd, Reno, NV 89509
0967959101 $17.95 www.beaglebay.com

How To Love The Job You Hate: Job Satisfaction For The 21st Century by business consultant Jane Boucher is especially recommended for anyone dissatisfied with the conditions or circumstances of their employment, unhappy with the nature of their job or the limitations of their career options. How To Love The Job You Hate features twelve ways to renew enthusiasm and satisfaction with your job; three key strategies to get along with irritating bosses; eight effective methods for coping with difficult co-workers; five ways to deal with dysfunctional corporate cultures; more than twenty specific techniques for handling job loss, leaving a bad job, and deciding just when to strike out on your own. Of specific value for employers and managers is the section devoted to retaining good workers. How To Love The Job You Hate is an invaluable addition personal, corporate, or community library reference collections.

Living The Dream
Melanie Mulhall
Dragonheart Publishing, LLC
1093 E. 3rd Ave., Broomfield, CO 80020
0972329501 $26.95 thedragonheart.com

Living The Dream: A Guidebook For Job Seekers And Career Explorers takes a holistic approach to job hunting and career options consideration. Enhanced with an accompanied CD, Living The Dream will help the readers to discover what impassions them; provide sound and practical guidance as well as help to retain their personal "humanness" in the process of job seeking; harness the power of Universal Principle and develop a successful resume; remove discomfort from the task of networking; marshal spiritual resources and provide a kind of shamanic view of career and live. A very different kind of job hunting manual, Living The Dream is original and very highly recommended for anyone entertaining or re-entering the job market.


The Political Science Shelf

The Words We Live By
Linda R. Monk
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th St., NY, NY 10023-6298
www.hyperionbooks.com
0786886206 $23.95 1-800-759-0190

To put it simply but emphatically, The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide To The Constitution by Linda R. Monk should be in every school and community library collection in America. Divided into two major sections (Part I: The Constitution Of The United States; Part II: Amendments To The Constitution Of The United States), the highly readable, easy to assimilate text is enhanced with occasion b/w photography. From high-school students fulfilling school assignments about the Constitution, to adults wanting to refresh themselves with respect to national issues of controversy with reference to Constitutional rights and responsibilities (especially with issues arising from the current "War on Terrorism" and "The Patriot Act"), The Words We Live By is perfectly suited as an informed and informative reference.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Postcards From The Pug Bus
Phil Maggitti
Doral Publishing, Inc.
2501 West Behrend Drive, #43, Phoenix, AZ 85027-4148
www.doralpub.com
094487598X $16.95 1-800-633-5385

Postcards From The Pug Bus: The Continuing Adventures Of A Pug Dog Owner is the heart-touching and witty memoir of an animal lover who has shared his life with cats, dogs, and especially warm-personality, playful pug dogs. Humor, mischief, excitement, and some mayhem are the lot of a truly devoted dog owner, and the anecdotes of Postcards From The Pug Bus are sure to resonate among pet and puppy owners everywhere. A charming giftbook and a delight to read.

The Panther Chameleon
Gary W. Ferguson, et al.
Krieger Publishing Company
Box 9542 , Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
www.krieger-publishing.com
1575241943 $35.50 1-800-724-0025

The collaborative effort of Gary W. Ferguson (Professor of Biology, Texas Christian University), herpetology expert James B. Murphy, Jean-Baptiste Ramanamanjato (Fauna Bidiversity Officer,QIT Madagascar Minerals, Fort Dauphin, Madagascar), and Achille P. Raselimanana (Program Biodiversity Officer, World Wildlife Fund, Madagascar), The Panther Chameleon: Color Variation, Natural History, Conservation, And Captive Management is an in-depth scientific reference and resource to all aspects of this species of chameleon. 69 stunning color photographs illustrate this technical reference with information on everything from thermal biology and social behavior to proper nutrition, conservation issues, necessary housing and environmental considerations for captive chameleons, reproductive and breeding issues, and much more. Charts of highly specific color variations as described on a 360-degree color wheel distinguish The Panther Chameleon as the guidebook of choice for truly serious herpetologists. A highly recommended work for anyone involved in the captive husbandry of panther chameleons, especially since it draws directly upon the senior author's own management of a multigeneration captive colony.

Dog Book
Emily Eve Weinstein
Beau Soleil Publishing
945 Fourth Avenue, Suite 200A, Huntington, WA 25701
0974627917 $14.50 weinsteinart.com

Also available in a hardcover edition (0974627909 $18.50), Dog Book by animal welfare advocate Emily Weinstein is the story of her having adopted a new dog from the local animal shelter who proved to be companionable, protective, perceptive, active, and fun to be with. Dog Book reveals how desperate is the need for canine foster homes, and the necessity of making a life-time commitment to canine adoptees (all to often puppies are return to shelters because they are not house-trained, prove to be inconvenient, chew things up, etc.); and shaving an adopted dog spayed or neutered. Wonderfully illustrated throughout by Emily Weinstein's artwork, Dog Book is one of those titles that should be a part of every community library's Pets & Wildlife collections.

The Raccoon Next Door
Gary Bogue
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
1890771716 $16.95 heydaybooks.com

Nicely enhanced with the occasional black and white illustrations and drawings of Chuck Todd, The Raccoon Next Door: Getting Along With Urban Wildlife by Gary Bogue (former curator at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Walnut Creek, California) is a compilation of information and advice for people who live in urban and suburban areas and find themselves dealing with animals and birds. From the right way to attract and feed hummingbirds, to dealing with the nocturnal intrusions of raccoons, as well as the appearance of predators such as the coyote and the mountain lion. The Raccoon Next Door is a compendium of practicality ranging from how to remove the smell of skunk from a household pet, to sizing up a neighborhood in terms of what critters might be encountered, to "wild neighbors of the future". Whether you are an nature lover seeking to live in harmony with all manner of wildlife, or an urban curmudgeon wanting only to avoid things that creep or crawl or fly, The Raccoon Next Door is the perfect "how to" book for you!


The Criminology Shelf

How To Stop A Stalker
Detective Mike Proctor
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
1591020913 $14.95 1-800-421-0351

A few other books on the market discuss stalking and martial arts routines: How To Stop A Stalker differs in its author's background Mike Proctor is a veteran detective and its approach, which shows how to collect evidence and get the justice system on your side to thwart a stalker's overtures. You can deter unwelcome advances and put the stalker behind bars if they continue: How To Stop A Stalker tells how.

Giantkillers
Henry Scammell
Atlantic Monthly Press
841 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
087113909X $25.00 graveatlantic.com

Giantkillers: The Team And The Law That Help Whistle-Blowers Recover America's Stolen Billions by freelance writer Henry Scammell is an informed and informative history of the "False Claims Act" from its legislative origins during the American Civil War as a way to halt the sale of lame horses and worthless gunpowder to the Union Army, down to the present day hallmarked by major corporate frauds on an Enron or Worldcom scale. Illustrative cases include a landmark Medicare fraud case against HCA (which resulted in a fine of 1.7 billion dollars being paid to the federal government); a fraud case against National Health Laboratories that led to the government recovering more than $800 million from the medical lab industry; a $59.5 million settlement by GE for scamming the Pentagon and Israeli air force; the Salomon Smith Barney banking scandals that collectively paid more than $200 million for illegally skimming huge profits from municipal bond deals; and more. Giantkillers is a highly recommended revelation of corporate greed, reckless power, and personal integrity.

Becoming A Model Warden
Clemens Bartollas
American Correctional Association
4380 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, MD 20706
www.aca.org
1569912041 $35.00 1-800-222-5646

Becoming A Model Warden: Striving For Excellence focuses upon the issues and concerns of being a prison warden. After an informative introduction by Clemens Bartollas, the individual chapters include: an examination of significant wardens of the past and the commonalities and contrasts of their leadership styles; the changing approaches to correctional administration; reforms in the Minnesota prison system; "Frank Wood: A Proactive and principled Warden with a Humane Touch"; preparations for proactive wardens; the role of integrity; staff development; "The Art of Thriving in Correctional Leadership"; establishing and maintaining humane prison conditions; and "Correctional Administration and the Future". Rounded out with a section of references and a "user friendly" index, Becoming A Model Warden is very strongly recommended reading -- especially for those charged with responsibilities for managing penal conditions on any level of incarceration from local jails, to state prisons, to federal penitentiaries.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

American Religious Traditions
Richard E. Wentz
Fortress Press
100 Fifth Street, Suite 700, Minneapolis, MN 55402-1210
0800636163 $30.00 fortresspress.com

The fully revised edition of Department of Religious Studies of Arizona State University founder Richard Wentz, American Religious Traditions covers a vast array of religious traditions in America, each with its own history - from Native American traditions to Lutheran tradition, Roman Catholic tradition, the Jewish tradition, African American traditions, Funda-mentalist and Neo-Evangelical traditions, and much more. A survey that provides historical overviews and solid summaries of basic faiths and practices, American Religious Traditions is an excellent wide-ranging and quick-start introduction and reference. An accompanying CD-ROM includes the full text of the book for easy computer reference and searches, chapter summaries, discussion questions, web resources, and more.

God Speaks Again
Kenneth E. Bowers
Baha'i Publishing
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22883 Quicksilver Dr, Sterling, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
1931847126 $16.95 1-800-758-3756

Written by a member of the national governing body of the Bahais of the United States, and a prime mover behind a multi-million campaign to introduce Bahai beliefs and practice to millions of Americans, God Speaks Again: An Introduction To The Baha'i Faith is simple presentation of Bahai tenets for readers of all religious and cultural backgrounds. Explaining the origins of the Bahai way through the teachings of the prophet Bahaullah (1817-1892), whom Bahai worldwide regard as the Messenger for God for the modern day, God Speaks Again presents Bahaullah's vision that there is but one religion and that all messengers of God, from Abraham and Zoroaster to Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad, have progressively revealed its true nature. Exploring the ramifactions of a single, unfolding Divine plan, hampered not by the tireless work of God's messengers but rather by the failings of human beings who are the source of religious divisions and prejudice, God Speaks Again is an absolute "must-read" for better understanding the Bahai faith and its spiritual message.


The Education Shelf

Counseling Today's Secondary Students
Kenneth Hitchner & Anne Tifft-Hitchner
Jossey-Bass
989 Market St., San Francisco CA 94103
0787966983 $34.95 www.josseybass.com

The collaboration of experienced and expert education specialists Kenneth Hitchner and Anne Tifft-Hitchner, Counseling Today's Secondary Students: Practical Strategies, Techniques & Materials For The School Counselor is a 319-page compendium of information and resources that include ready-to-apply techniques, activities, and tools for the specific purpose of assisting junior and senior high school counselors to do a more effective job of guiding and counseling their students to identify and achieve their personal and educational goals. The informed and informative text is organized into four principle sections: Educational Development; Personal and Social Development; Post-Secondary Educational Development; and Career Development.

What Great Teachers Do Differently
Todd Whitaker
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West, Larchmont NY 10538
1930556691 $29.95 eyeoneducation.com

In What Great Teachers Do Differently: 14 Things That Matter Most, education expert Todd Whitaker informatively describes the diverse beliefs, various behaviors, spectrum of attitudes, and varieties of interactions that combine to form the fabric of life in the very best of our classrooms and schools. The focuses is upon those specific things that consistently successful classroom teachers do that their less successful colleagues do not. A specialist in the areas of staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness, Professor Whitaker (Indian State University) writes with an easy accessibility that will be greatly appreciated by time-stressed student teachers and practicing classroom instructors. Of special note is the distillation in the final section showcasing a listing of the fourteen things that matter most in providing successful instruction within the context of any private or public school classroom, preschool through graduate school.

Vocabulary Instruction
James Baumann & Edward KIame'enui
Guilford Publications
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
1572309326 $28.00 www.guilford.com

The collaborative effort of James F. Baumann (Professor of Reading Education, University of Georgia) and Edward J. Kame'enui (Director of the Institute for the Development of Educational Achievement, College of Education, University of Oregon), Vocabulary Instruction: Research To Practice is the newest title in the outstanding "Solving Problems in the Teaching of Literacy" series from Guilford Publications. Focusing upon student vocabulary development, this compendium of research-based approaches provides current findings in the areas of effective classroom curriculum strategies for increasing vocabularies through the teaching of specific word meanings, strategies for learning new words independently, opportunities for word and language play, and developing a lifelong appreciation for words, their meanings, and their usages. Enhanced with illustrative classroom examples, Vocabulary Instruction can well serve as a primary text for aspiring teachers, as well as informative supplemental reading for practicing classroom instructors developing curriculums for any grade level of instruction.

Image To Word
Kathleen Walsh-Piper
Scarecrow Press
4501 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, MD 20706
0810843072 $43.95 1-800-462-6420

Experienced teacher and museum director Kathleen Walsh-Piper presents Image To Word: Art And Creative Writing, an educational resource that focuses upon how to use great works of art, including painting, sculpture, decoration, and more, to enhance creative writing skills. From exploring basic skills of writing (point of view, stream of consciousness, description, monologue, poetry, etc.) to expounding upon the limits of the imagination, Image To Word combines sample cases with stimulating exercises, and is a welcome self-teaching resource as well as a fine addition to creative writing educator's reference shelves.

Contested Policy
Guadalupe San Miguel, Jr.
University of North Texas Press
www.unti.edu/untpress
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
1574411713 $21.95 1-800-826-8911

History professor Guadalupe San Miguel Jr. presents Contested Policy: The Rise And Fall Of Federal Bilingual Education In The United States 1960-2001, a straightforward evaluation of federal bilingual education policy from 1960 to 2001, especially focusing upon the years after 1978 when bilingual policy became the subject of heated debate. Examining the opposing points of view, particularly in a pro-assimilations versus anti-assimilation camps, Contested Policy traces the history of bilingual education legislation, up to the modern day with the passage of English-only legislative rules. An extensively annotated bibliography rounds out this excellent and evenhanded historical reference.

The Cooper Hill College Application Essay Bible
Rosette Liberman, editor
Cooper Hill Press
1440 Whalley Avenue, #232, New Haven, CT 06515-1144
0970111312 $23.95 www.cooperhill.com

Expertly compiled and organized by experienced educator Rosette Liberman, The Cooper Hill College Application Essay Bible is a unique anthology comprised of eighty essays complemented by a structured analysis that teaches college applicants how to best present their academic and personal strengths most favorably and memorably. Direct, practical, laced with occasional humor, The Cooper Hill College Application Essay Bible will lead readers in a step-by-step process that begins with the selection of a topic and continues through the process to the final "do's and don'ts" of the college application essay. Enhanced with indices listing essays by topic and by the 80 colleges and universities that have accepted the writers, The Cooper Hill College Application Essay Bible is a seminal and cornerstone addition to the highschool guidance counselor's reference shelf and strongly recommended for anyone seeking to apply for admission to American colleges and universities.

Best Teaching Practices For Reaching All Learners
Randi Stone
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
0761931821 $29.95 CorwinPress.com

Randi Stone surveyed forty-five award-winning K-12 classroom teachers drawn from around the country and focusing upon what they do and how they do it in order to successfully reach all of their students in classrooms that are characterized by large enrollments of students mixed ability and learning styles. What makes Best Teaching Practices For Reaching All Learners: What Award-Winning Classroom Teachers Do stand out from the usual compilations of classroom instruction "tips, tricks & techniques" the provision of names, postal addresses, and email addresses of the teachers who shared their education and curriculum strategies with Randi Stone. Readers will find content strategies for differentiating social studies, reaching reluctant readers, teaching mathphobic learners, reaching at-risk and special learners with autism, ADHD, poverty, and more. Regardless of the subject area of instruction or the make-up of a given classroom, Best Teaching Practices For Reaching All Learners will live up to its title and become a favored reference for any teacher, whether in a private or public, rural or urban, Preschool through High School school setting.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

The Jewish Women Of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp
Rochelle G. Saidel
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
029919860X $29.95 1-800-621-2736

The Jewish Women Of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp by Rochelle G. Saidel (Founder and Director of the Remember the Women Institute in New York and Senior Scientific Research at the Center for the Study of Women and Gender, University of Sao Paulo) is an impressive and seminal contribution to the growing library of Holocaust Studies with its focus upon the fate of Jewish women imprisoned in the infamous Nazi concentration camp of Ravensbruck which was located about 50 miles north of Berlin. Originally designed for 5,000 women, it held six times this number and was the site for the Nazi's methodical program of extermination through slave labor, torture, starvation, shooting, lethal injection, medical experimentation, and gassing. Between 1939 and 1945, some 132, 000 women from twenty- three countries were imprisoned and in addition to the Jews, also included political prisoners, Jehovah's Witnesses, gypsies, prostitutes, lesbians, criminals, and prisoners of war. Only 15,000 women survived by the end of the war (3,000 of them in the camp itself when it was overrun by the Soviet Army on April 30, 1945 -- the rest had been taken to Sweden by the Red Cross, while the remaining women survived a last ditch "death march" by the Nazi's fleeing the advancing Russian troops). Drawing upon interviews and unpublished testimonies from more than sixty survivors in the United States, Israel, Europe, Brazil, and Canada -- as well as documents, oral histories, and historic photography, The Jewish Women Of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp is a memorable and informative compilation of collective and individual portraits of these women and the suffering they endured. Very Highly Recommended.

Creating Lively Passover Seders
David Arnow, Ph.D.
Jewish Lights Publishing
PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
www.jewishlights.com
1580231845 $24.99 1-800-962-4544

Creating Lively Passover Seders: A Sourcebook Of Engaging Tales, Texts & Activities encourages fresh perspectives and engaging dialogue with regard to reading the Haggadah and celebrating Passover. Written to promote familiarity with the Exodus story, offer insight into the historical background, and bring about increased understanding and enjoyment of the Passover celebration, Creating Lively Passover Seders is both a superb personal reference and a quality companion to planning an unforgettable yearly tradition.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Buddha Eye
Frederick Franck, editor
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
0941532593 $19.95 worldwisdom.com

The Buddha Eye: An Anthology Of The Kyoto School And Its Contemporaries is a collection of essays written by a variety of Japanese authors for "The Eastern Buddhist", a spiritual and influential journal first founded in 1921. The nuances of thought and understanding become clear through the use of thoughtful prose and moving poetry; the ability of outstanding individual contributors to explain Zen in a manner that makes sense to Western ears is almost unparalleled in Buddhist literature today. The essays include "What is the 'I'?", "God, Emptiness, and the True Self", "The Great Path of Absolute Other-Power", and much more. Very highly recommended.

The Four Immeasurables
B. Alan Wallace
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
www.snowlionpub.com
1559392096 $15.95 1-800-950-0313

Knowledgeably written by an instructor in Tibetan Buddhist theory and practice who trained for many years in monasteries in India and Switzerland, The Four Immeasurables: Cultivating A Boundless Heart is an inspirational collection of guided meditations, and reflections upon the "Four Immeasurables" (cultivation of loving kind-ness, compassion, equanimity, and empathic joy) that touch upon the lives of readers of all faiths. A deeply spiritual discussion offering a gateway to applying the wisdom found in Buddhist faith and practice to dilemmas of daily reality.


The Native American Shelf

Hear Me, My Chiefs!
L. V. McWhorter
Caxton Press
312 Main Street, Caldwell, ID 83605
0870043102 $19.95 caxtonpress.com

L. V. McWhorter's work first came to the notice of those interested in Native American Studies with the 1940 publication of Yellow Wolf: His Own Story, an outstanding first-person account of a warrior named who fought in the 1877 Nez Perce War. This compelled McWhorter to go deeper into his researches on the history and legends of the Nez Perce people. He died in 1944 before completing his manuscript for Hear Me, My Chiefs!: Nez Perce Legend & History. It was left to his son, V. O. McWhorter to organize his father's voluminous materials with the staff invaluable assistance of the State College of Washington at Pullman (which subsequently became Washington State University). That posthumous collaboration was published in 1952. Long out of print, the Caxton Press has now brought out Hear Me, My Chiefs! in a new addition for a new generation of readers. Simply put, no personal or academic Native American Studies library collection can be considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of a copy of L. V. McWhorter's masterpiece of Native American history, Hear Me, My Chiefs!: Nez Perce Legends & History.

Ethnology Of The Yuchi Indians
Frank G. Speck
University of Nebraska Press
233 No. 8th St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0255
0803293135 $29.95 nebraskapress.com

The Yuchis, a Native American people originating in the southeastern United States, were forcibly relocated to the Indian Territory (along with their neighboring Native American tribes) in the 1830s. More than seventy years later, much of their traditional way of life still survived into the early 1900s and was observed and recorded by anthropologist Frank G. Speck (1881-1950) during the years 1904 to 1908. Speck documented numerous facets of Yuchi culture, including language, subsistence practices, decorative arts, domestic architecture, clothing, religious beliefs and rituals, healing practices, mythology, music, social and political organizations, warfare, games, and life transition rituals and customs from birth to burial. Ethnology Of The Yuchi Indians remains as a seminal introduction to the history and the culture of this Native American peoples and is a welcome and renewed addition to the library of Native American Studies.

The Seminole Wars
John Missall & Mary Lou Missall
University Press of Florida
15 NW 15th St., Gainesville, FL 32611
www.upf.com
0813027152 $29.95 1-800-226-3822

There were actually three wars between armed forces of the United States government and the Seminole Indian tribes of Florida. The first was led by General Andrew Jackson in 1817 and was a facet of the attempt by Americans to acquire Florida from Spain by force of arms. The second of the Seminole Wars raged over seven years and resulted in the deaths of more than 1,500 soldiers and the forced removal of more than 3,000 Seminole Indians from Florida -- along the deaths of hundreds (perhaps thousands - the true number is unknown) of others. The third and last of the Seminole Indian Wars took place in 1858 when the country was on the eve of the Civil War and was an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to remove the final remnants of the Seminole Nations from their homes and hunting grounds within in the Florida Everglades. In The Seminole Wars: America's Longest Indian Conflict, historians John and May Lou (they serve on the board of directors of the Seminole Wars Historic Foundation) draw upon diaries, military reports, and archival newspapers to reveal new aspects and impacts of the Seminole Wars upon the relationships between the three conflicts, the pre-Civil War issues of slavery, as well as the then prevalent attitudes toward Native Americans, and the political/military attempts to establish national security. The Seminole Wars is an impressively informative contribution and a welcome addition to 19th Century American History Studies and Native American Studies reading lists and library reference collections.

Hunted Like A Wolf
Milton Meltzer
Pineapple Press, Inc.
Box 3889, Sarasota, FL 34230-3889
156164305X $16.95 1-800-746-3275

Drawing its title from a Seminole's leader words in 1842, "I have been hunted like a wolf and now I am about to be sent away like a dog", Hunted Like A Wolf: The Story Of The Seminole War is the riveting true account of the costliest of America's Indian Wars, in terms of both money and human life. Award-winning author Milton Meltzer tells of a desperate struggle by a vastly outnumbered people attempting to retain the land they lived upon. The Second Seminole War was also as much of war over slavery as it was over territory, for living among the Seminole were black men and women - some runaway slaves, some free - ready to lay their lives on the line for those they considered to be brothers. Thoroughly researched, and written in plain terms directly accessible to the lay reader, Hunted Like A Wolf examines not only the events of the war, but its legacy, and the motives of those who pushed so hard for it. Hunted Like A Wolf maintains as much impartiality as it can when describing lynchings, the raw greed for land, the desire to enslave black people, and the funneling of national wealth into the coffers of a state's private militia. In the end, Hunted Like A Wolf proclaims that the Seminole wars - which ultimately removed the vast majority of Seminoles from their ancestral lands, and instilled a pattern of ruthlessness that would poison American government for an era to come - stemmed directly from, in the words of American senators, "A continuous desire to exploit and expropriate Indian land and physical resources and a self-righteous intolerance of tribal communities and cultural differences." Highly recommended.

The American Indian Warrior Today
J. Boyd MorningStorm
Sunflower University Press
PO Box 1009, Manhattan, KS 66505-1009
www.sunflower-univ-press.org
0897452704 $17.95 1-800-258-1232

Written by a Native American veteran, The American Indian Warrior Today: Native Americans In Modern U.S. Warfare tells the storires of individual Native Americans who have taken up arms in the modern day, in service to the military. Black-and-white photographs illustrate the sober, real-life accounts, framed in context with brief essays that view aspects of the long history of the Native American warrior tradition and how such traditions reflect upon what it means to be a soldier today. An involving, serious look at military life as a Native American and connections to past roots stretching back untold thousands of years.


The Social Issues Shelf

Employment Relations In The United States
Raymond Hogler
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks CA 91320
0761926542 $42.95 www.sagepub.com

An impressive work of meticulous scholarship, Employment Relations In The United States: Law, Policy, And Practice provides students with an historical background and context leading to an understanding of how the American system of the organized labor movement developed and just how it differs from system in other industrialized nations. Author Raymond Hogler presents an informed discussion on individual employment rights (including protection from discrimination), and covers current labor policy issues ranging from the minimum wage and the growth of a contingent workforce, to privatizing retirement. Of special interest is Hogler's unique historical and evolutionary oriented explanation of the developmental history and nature of employment relations. Highly recommended reading -- especially for students of American employment relations and labor history.

Saving Social Security
Peter A. Diamond & Peter R. Orszag
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036-2188
0815718381 $32.95 1-800-275-1447

Written by the chair of the board of the National Academy of Social Insurance and a former special assistant to the president for economic policy during the Clinton administration, Saving Social Security: A Balanced Approach Proposes a reform plan for America's social security system that would save it from both its financial problems and those who would do away with it. Focusing on means that promote long-term balance and sustainable solvency, while protecting the program's benefits for the disabled, low earners, widows, and young survivors. Exhaustively researched and deeply entrenched in practical issues and mathematical calculations, Saving Social Security is a highly recommended ray of hope against a looming national crisis.


The Fishing Shelf

A Fisherman's Guide To Maine
Kevin Tracewski
Countrysport Press
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
www.countrysportpress.com
0892725966 $19.95 1-800-685-7962

With each individual chapter including a profile of a local angling personality who is an expert on that particular region, A Fisherman's Guide To Maine covers eight distinct fishing regions including: Southern Maine; Rangeley Lakes Regions; Kennebec River; Moosehead Lake Region; Down East; Penobscot River; North Woods; and Aroostook County. A lifelong fisherman and biologist/entomologist, Kevin Tracewski reveals not only the best places to fish, but how to get to them, as well as what techniques and tackle to use. If you have an opportunity to fish the waters of Maine, then pack along a copy of A Fisherman's Guide To Maine to help you plan a successful and challenging itinerary.


The Military Shelf

Dien Bien Phu 1954
David Stone
Brassey's (Castemate Publishers, dist.)
22841 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles VA 20166
1857533720 $19.95 1-800-775-2518

The latest title in Brassey's outstanding "Battles in Focus" series, Dein Bien Phu 1954 focuses upon one of the most significant post-World War II defeats that the French military experienced. An epic conflict between the French and the nationalist forces of the Viet Minh, the conflict began in November 1953 and ended in May 1954 with the collapse and capture of the last garrison outpost held by French forces, setting the stage for their expulsion and directly paving the way for the Americas who intervene in the Vietnamese civil war on the side of the South Vietnamese government. Definitively informed and informative, Dein Bien Phu 1954 is a seminal addition the growing library of 20th Century Military History in general, and the Vietnam conflict in particular.

Messerschmitt Bf 109E
Hans-Heiri Stapfer
Squadron/Signal Publications
1115 Crowley Drive, Carrollton, TX 75011-5010
0897474740 $TBA 1-972-242-1485

Number 34 in the outstanding "Walk Around" series from Squadron/Signal Publications, Messerschmitt Bf 109E is of photographical enhanced and informative text that is as informative as it is fascinating to page through. Hans-Heiri Stapher's informative text provides an informational framework detailing every aspect of this World War II German military aviation workhorse. Profusely illustrated with both color and black/white historical photography, Messerschmitt Bf 109E is an impressive and well received contribution to the growing library of World War II Military Aviation reference works.


The Fiction Shelf

Matrix Dreams & Other Stories
James C. Glass
Fairwood Press
5203 Quincy Ave, SE, Auburn WA 98092
097465731X $17.99 fairwoodpress.com

Award-winning author James C. Glass presents Matrix Dreams & Other Stories, a science fiction and fantasy anthology filled with ghosts, aliens, hidden terrors, and disturbing cruelties of human and nonhuman nature alike. Time travel, human conflict, disturbing dreams and much more lace the pages of unforgettable stories such as "War Machine", "The Trial of Heinrich Volger", "Honeymoon Hotel" and much more. The brevity of such tales make them perfect for a quick nighttime read before bed... assuming the reader is not overly susceptible to nightmares.

Seven Laurels
Linda Busby Parker
Southeast Missouri State Univ. Press
One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
0972430474 $19.00 www.amazon.com

Winner of the James Jones First Novel Award, Seven Laurels is the story of a black man, Brewster McAtee, and his daily effort to earn a living as a skilled carpenter in 1950's Alabama - an era that saw the beginning of the end of legal segregation in America, as well as a change in long-standing American assumptions and prejudices about race. A tense, story of having to deal with changes, tension, and murderous hositility that is far greater than the will of any one individual, Seven Laurels is a real page-turner of a novel that keeps the reader hooked to the end.

The older I get the more I appreciate the gift of literacy. I look about me in the world and see that those who can read with ease and enjoyment tend to be successful in what ever they set themselves to do. To be illiterate, or to feel reading is a burdensome chore best avoided whenever possible, appears insure a life of intellectual impoverishment -- no matter how much money is made.


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