Historical Dictionary of Human Rights and Humanitarian Organizations: 2nd Edition
Robert F. Gorman and Edward S. Mihalkanin
Scarecrow Press
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9780810855489, $85.00 www.scarecrowpress.com 1-800-462-6420
Political Science Professor Robert F. Gorman and Assistant Political Science Professor Edward S. Mihalkanin present Historical Dictionary of Human Rights and Humanitarian Organizations, now in a complete revised and updated second edition. Historical Dictionary of Human Rights and Humanitarian Organizations is a comprehensive reference of alphabetically arranged, cross-referenced entries describing private, governmental, national, and international human rights organizations; significant people and events in the history of human rights movements; critical treaties in history; and much more. A chronology, appendices, black-and-white photographs, and a bibliography round out this ideal reference for college library shelves and students of human rights and international politics.
Apocalypse 2012
Lawrence E. Joseph
Morgan Road Books
1745 Broadway, 22-2, New York NY 10019
9780767924474, $23.95 www.morganroadbooks.com
From earthquakes and tsunamis to an increase in category 5 hurricanes, the indications are there to support predictions of how the world will end – and that the end could be near. APOCALYPSE 2012: A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION INTO CIVILIZATION'S END comes from a journalist who pinpoints 2012 as the year of ultimate doom for the human race – based on a blend of ancient records, including a Mayan calendar which ceases its forecasts in 2012, and Eastern and Western religions which point to this year as the end of time. Add scientific insights into the data, including NASA data which shows 2012 as marking a maximum in cyclic sunspot activity – and you have a survey hard to ignore.
'The World's Greatest' Poster Book titles
Voyageur Press
Galtier Plaza,, Suite 300, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
$9.95 Each www.voyageurpress.com
All ages will appreciate these poster books, which offer a blend of full-page color photos and a back page of facts. HORSE POSTER BOOK (0760330158) covers over forty horses, from Arabians and Morgans to Appaloosas. JOHN DEERE TRACTOR POSTER BOOK (0760330166) features over forty posters of various models from early to modern. All are bright and pull out easily: while these won't be recommended for the rigors of library lending, they will make perfect gift choices for any specialty enthusiast of either horses of tractors.
The Thriving Library
Marylaine Block
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055
9781573872775, $39.50 www.infotoday.com
Public librarians seeking a tried-and-tested guide to strategies used to gain community support and funding will find THE THRIVING LIBRARY: SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES FOR CHALLENGING TIMES an important pick. Any collection catering to library administrators will find plenty of rich detail here, from strategies for promoting youth services and community partnership projects to marketing approaches, web blogs and sites, and more. Projects are described in the practitioners' own words and use examples from annual reports, programs, and more. Any collection catering to librarians will want this – as will the libraries considering it for both lending and institutional reference.
Merrell Publishers Limited
49 West 24th Street, 8th floor, New York, NY 10010
www.merrellpublishers.com
Susan Davidson edits ART IN AMERICA: 300 YEARS OF INNOVATION (1858943949, $69.95), a fine survey of the major movements in America art which will be a top pick not just for college-level art libraries, but for any collection strong in American art history, even down to the high school range. From pop art to expressionism and landscape artists, here are works – some 250 – reproduced in full color by a range of artists. The historical division into six major periods from colonial times to modern times offers a far wider range than most American art titles, and makes for a fine, definitive catalog. Robert Elwall's EVOCATIONS OF PLACE: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF EDWIN SMITH (1858943736, $75.00) surveys one of Britain's finest photographers: while his name is lesser known here, it's the first major study of Smith's work in over twenty years, making it a recommendation for any specialty college-level art library strong in world photographers. Smith emphasized historic architecture, landscapes and gardens and died in 1971: nearly two hundred illustrations here include rarely seen images plus previously unpublished correspondence, making for a fitting tribute to the photographer's talents.
A Thousand Names for Joy
Byron Katie with Stephen Mitchell
Harmony Books
c/o Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307339232, $24.95 www.randomhouse.com
A THOUSAND NAMES FOR JOY: LIVING IN HARMONY WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE encourages a discovery of freedom and comes from an author expert in questioning the underlying roots of suffering who works with Stephen Mitchell, the translator of the Tao Te Ching, who uses excerpts from that text as a stimulus to talk about issues of life and death and fulfillment. An undercurrent of joy runs through A THOUSAND NAMES FOR JOY, which offers up descriptions of a self-realized, 'awakened mind' and the paths for achieving this. First-person vignettes blend with spiritual and social insights for a fine survey.
The Culture Of Al Jazeera
Mohamed Zayani & Sofiane Sahraoui
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786429615, $35.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com 1-800-253-2187
"The Culture Of Al Jazeera: Inside An Arab Media Giant" by Mohamed Zayani (Associate Professor of Critical Theory, American University of Sharjah, UAE) and Sofiane Sahraoui (Associate professor of Management Information Systems, American University of Sharjah, UAE) is the history of what has emerged as a significant television news source for the Islamic world. Al Jazeera is a satellite news channel that began in the mid-1990s when the emir of Qatar conceived the idea of using a television station to project a progressive image for his small Arabian/Persian gulf state. Coincidentally at the time a short-lived partnership between the BBC and a Saudi company had left a group of BBC-trained Arab journalists and broadcasters unemployed and available. The outcome of this confluence was the creation and emergence of Al Jazeera which would quickly evolve from an obscure regional news broadcaster to a multi-channel, multi-lingual, multi-service global enterprise with a dominant influence in the Mideast. More than a simple history, "The Culture Of Al Jazeera" also provides an in-depth examination of the culture, workings, and challenges of a unique media organization and addresses the question as to whether Al Jazeera is simple a transitory fad benefitting from a rising aspiration for free speech in the Middle East, or a new medium who success can be sustained by its organizational culture and model. A work of seminal scholarship, "The Culture Of Al Jazeera" is particularly and confidently recommended for academic library reference collections in the areas of International Studies, Journalism, Middle East Studies, and Media Studies.
Distributed Art Publishers
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
www.daab-online.com 1-800-338-2665
JEAN-MARIE MASSAUD (9783937718880, $32.95) is a pick for any contemporary arts collection strong in modern interior design artists. JEAN-MARIE MASSAUD explores the striking, unique forms, functions and inspirations of the urban architect, juxtaposing color photos of structures with cut-away drawings of interiors. The approach allows for a full appreciation of Massaud's approaches and logic. MATALI CRASSET (9783937718897, $32.95) is even more striking, blending full-page photos of interiors with several selected angle shots per page, and accompanying this colorful expose with five-language one-paragraph summaries of the structure and its unique attributes. These are perfect choices for art libraries specializing in modern architectural interior design.
Merrell Publishing
49 West 24th Street, 8th floor, New York, NY 10010
www.merrellpublishers.com
Francine Prose's WOMEN WHO WRITE (1858943752, $24.95) gathers images and profiles of many important women writers from the Middle Ages to modern times. These are some of the major figures in women's literature: Mary Wollstonecraft, George Sand and even Toni Morrison – all of whom created ground-breaking works that affected genres. Biography and literary criticism blend with black and white and color images throughout which range from photos of each author to reproductions of covers and illustrative artwork, making for a fine catalog inviting general-interest attention to a topic more commonly given too much detail and regulated to college-level collections alone. Joe Houston's OPTIC NERVE: PERCEPTUAL ART OF THE 1960s (1858943892, $49.95) covers 'Op Art' or the fine art of perceptual abstraction, and is published to accompany the first major exhibition of Op Art in over twenty years. More than just a catalog of some 250 works by key Op Artists in the field, though – packing in color images on nearly every page – OPTIC NERVE also provides a critical and biographical foundation for reference, making it a pick art libraries will want. Hilary Ballon and Kenneth T. Jackson edit ROBERT MOSES AND THE MODERN CITY: THE TRANSFORMATION OF NEW YORK (0393732061, $50.00), which offers a new look at legendary architect Robert Moses, who reshaped the skyline of New York City. Readers familiar with New York will readily recognize some of his major contributions from the Lincoln Center to the Cross Bronx Expressway – so it's surprising to note this is the first major publication since the 1974 biography THE POWER BROKER appeared – and ROBERT MOSES AND THE MODERN CITY: THE TRANSFORMATION OF NEW YORK comes packed with photos that his biography doesn't provide. Far from hastening the demise of New York, this book shows how his works strengthened the central city and brought it into modern times, altering road systems and creating an urban design plan to foster changes. Plenty of detailed history surround the photos and descriptions of each project's special challenges, making this a top pick not just for New York libraries, but for any college-level art or urban planning collection.
Evaluating the Science and Ethics of Research on Humans
Dennis J. Mazur, MD, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
0801885124, $23.00 www.press.jhu.edu
Biomedical research on humans is key to medical discovery, but when health and lives are at risk, ethical practice becomes the top priority. That's why committees are formed to oversee and regulate such research – IRBs, institutional review boards – and this guide is for new and veteran members or IRBs to help review the major points and issues. College-level holdings strong in medical and research issues or medical ethics will want this review, which surveys scientific protocols, informed consent, and offers both summaries and checklists throughout, based on the author's thirty years of research experience.
Parks Directory Of The United States
Darren L. Smith & Kay Gill, editors
Omnigraphics, Inc.
615 Griswold, Suite 1400, Detroit, MI 48226
9780780809321, $195.00 www.omnigraphics.com 1-800-234-1340
Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded fifth edition, the Omnigraphics' "Parks Directory Of The United States" has been collaboratively compiled, organized and co-edited by Darren L. Smith and Kay Gill. Covering more than five thousand national and state parks, the "Parks Directory Of The United States" also includes a wealth of other designated recreational, scenic and historic areas in both the United States and Canada. Also included such recreational areas, historic sites, battlefields, monuments, forests, preserves, memorials, seashores, trails, urban parks, and other miscellaneous recreational areas which are administered by federal land agencies and state park departments. Additionally, more than three hundred park and conservation organizations are listed with descriptive information. Of special interest are the identification of job and career opportunities with the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and the Fish & Wildlife Service; volunteer opportunities at national parks and federally protected lands; national park and protected lands entrance pass programs; the National Scenic Byways Program which covers all ninety-nine National Scenic Byways and the twenty-seven All-American Roads. The entries provide website addresses, each park's general location and directions from the nearest highway, and fifty state maps with parks located. A massive, informative, and superbly organized, 'user friendly', 1,100 page specialized reference, "Parks Directory Of The United States" should be a standard addition to every college, university, and community library reference collection in the country.
The Photography Shelf
The National Road
Clarence Carvell
Noble House
c/o American Literary Press
8019 Belair Road, Suite 10, Baltimore, MD 21236
9781561679522, $19.95 www.americanliterarypress.com 1-800-873-2003
"The National Road.. a photographic journey" is a compilation of photographs with captions by master printmaker, academician and lecturer Clarence Carvell. "The National Road" offers a visual celebration of what is to be found along U.S. Route 40 by the traveler. The black-and-white photography showcases the sights and sites of towns and villages revealing very special perspectives of American history and an American yesteryear that is all but forgotten by the advancing decades. This 104-page hardcover photographic study is especially recommended for academic and community library American Photography and American History reference collections and would well serve as a template for similar historic studies of other regional American road systems.
Picturing The Past
Jay D. Vogt, Stephen C. Rogers, Scott Myers
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
0974919578, $29.95 www.sdshspress.com
The third volume of the South Dakota State Historical Press 'Historical Preservation' series, "Picturing The Past" is a compilation of seventy-eight vividly dramatic, black-and-white photographs of various buildings and places taken by professional photographer Scott Myers and which are provided with historical context by Jay D. Vogt and Stephen C. Rogers. Showcasing the architecture and scenes tangible associated with life on the Great Plains, "Picturing The Past" is a welcome memorial and tribute to an American yesteryear of hard work, high hopes, and pioneering history. Indeed, "Picturing The Past" is so well done that it could readily serve as a template for similar photographic studies for other American regional history projects.
Welcome to Oz
Vincent Versace
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
1249 – 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0735714002, $44.99 www.newriders.com
WELCOME TO OZ: A CINEMATIC APPROACH TO DIGITAL STILL PHOTOGRAPHY WITH PHOTOSHOP comes from a master fine art photographer who spent his career teaching perception and how to translate it into exceptional images. WELCOME TO OZ tells how to adapt workflow to the image, offering tips on how to locate such images, harvest them for maximum results, and how to create black and white prints without leaving the RGB color space. Any collection strong in Photoshop or photography books must have this: it creates a different perspective and approach to using Photoshop which relies as much on perceiving image potentials as on manipulating them.
The Audiobook Shelf
The Devil Who Tamed Her
Johanna Lindsey, author
Laural Merlington, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781423327790, $36.95 www.brillianceaudio.com 1-800-854-7859
Bestselling author Johanna Lindsey presents The Devil Who Tamed Her, now in audiobook form. The sharp-tongued beauty Ophelia Reid has a cruel talent for starting and spreading rumors; in order to escape marriage to a future marquis, she applies her skill at scandal to sabotage him. The marquis' friend, Raphael Locke dares to meet the marquis in a bet to tame the wild beauty and turn her into a suitable match. Given the go-ahead by Ophelia's parents, he commandeers her coach and takes her (chaperoned, naturally) to the countryside, where he strives to teach her the wrong of her ways. Yet as he learns more about her, and considers her side of the story, he begins to question himself, questions that turn to pangs of the heart when Ophelia re-enters society looking to marry. Read aloud by professional theater and voice work actress Lural Merlington, The Devil Who Tamed Her is a sweeping romance novel of strong wills, tempestuous passions and forceful personalities, sure to please fans of Lindsey's prior works. 8 CDs, approximately 9 hours.
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Harriet Jacobs, author
Nikki Giovanni, narrator
MasterBuy Audiobooks
20 Vesey Street, Suite 401, New York, NY 10007
9780974208824, $59.95 1-212-217-0977
As poignant and powerful today as it was when originally published in 1851, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is the unabridged audiobook autobiography of author Harriet Ann Jacobs (who used the pseudonym Linda Brent), who was born an African-American slave in 1813 and willed as property to the infant daughter of Dr. Flint, a man determined to sexually possess her. As his cruelty and brutality mounted, threatening her children, she took flight with help from the white and black friends of her free grandmother. She hid in the uninsulated attic crawl space of her grandmother's house for seven years before the opportunity to escape to freedom came; but even in the North, the threat of being kidnapped or recaptured remained. A stark, true portrait of life as a slave, in her own words, compellingly narrated by celebrated poet Nikki Giovanni. 8 CDs, approximately 10 hours.
The Alibi Club
Francine Mathes
Tantor Media, Inc.
114 Mill Rock Road East, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
1400133131, $69.99 www.tantor.com 1-877-782-6867
In a notorious after-hours joint called the Alibi Club a man named Philip Stilwell dies in a sex game gone wrong. His murder is part of a web of lies, passions, and espionage -- all connected to a desperate attempt to keep a new and deadly atomic weapon out of the hands of the Germans during the early years of World War II. Four women find themselves trying to smuggle a brilliant scientist and his nuclear research away from the Nazis. Superbly narrated by Ellen Archer, "The Alibi Club" by Francine Mathews is a deftly written historical espionage thriller that combines fiction and facts arising from an obscure but real-life incident from the war. Enthusiastically recommended listening for mystery/suspense fans, "The Alibi Club" is a complete and unabridged nine hour audiobook in a library edition that makes it an ideal acquisition for community library collections. "The Alibi Club" is also available in a trade edition (1400103134, $34.99, 8 CDs) and an MP3 format (1400153130, $24.99, 1 CD).
Blooding at Great Meadows
Alan Axelrod, author
David Drummond, narrator
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
9780786168668, $72.00 www.BlackstoneAudio.com 1-800-729-2665
Written by historian and creative consultant to television documentaries David Drummond, Blooding at Great Meadows is the unabridged audiobook version of the true story of George Washington long before he was the leader of the American Revolution and father of our country. Blooding at Great Meadows examines George Washington as a twenty-two year-old lieutenant colonel, who led four hundred American militiamen against a larger, more experienced French army and paid a steep price for the effort. Washington lost a third of his men, and the Battle of Great Meadows ignited the French and Indian War. In the crucible, Washington forged his intellect, his tactical skill, and his spirituality, all of which would be put to test in the future. Read by David Drummond, Blooding at Great Meadows is an amazing scrutiny of life-shaping events in a legendary national leader, highly recommended. 7 CDs, 9 hours.
The Good Guy
Dean Koontz, author
Richard Ferrone, narrator
Books On Tape, Inc.
400 Hahn, Westminister, MD 21157
9781415936351, $110.00 www.booksontape.com 1-800-541-5525
The Good Guy is an unabridged audiobook of Dean Koontz's suspenseful novel. When ordinary bar patron Timothy Carrier is mistaken for the wrong person - a hired killer - he is given ten thousand dollars and the photography of a woman marked for death. Shortly thereafter the assassin he was mistaken for sits next to him, mistaking him for the client, and Tim thinks on his feet, saying "I've had a change of heart. You get ten thousand - for doing nothing. Call it a no-kill fee." Following the apparent assassin out of the tavern, Tim discovers that the assassin is a cop! The relentless intrigue deepen in this extraordinary mystery, and the race to protect an innocent life from a ruthless murderer is on. Tim must discover his inner resources and the quality that can transform an ordinary man into a hero - into The Good Guy. Chillingly read by Richard Ferrone, The Good Guy is an audiobook to keep the listener on the edge of their seat to the very end. 8 CDs, 9 hours 18 minutes.
Never Better
Garrison Keillor
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220, Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781598870947, $24.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com 1-800-755-8532
Never Better: Stories from Lake Wobegon is a compilation of ten new stories from live radio broadcasts of "A Prairie Home Companion", the popular, gently humorous show by Garrison Keillor. From the mighty effort of the girls' volleyball team to the migration of turtles to a reflection upon 2006 Christmas and how the most hardcore of traditionalists seem to be children, listening to Never Better is a truly heartwarming experience, sure to stir up fond memories of home and hearth. Highly recommended. 2 CDs, 2 1/4 hours.
Play Dead: A Novel
David Rosenfelt, author
Grover Gardner, narrator
Listen & Live Audio
PO Box 817, Roseland, NJ 07068
9781593160975, $29.95 www.listenandlive.com 1-800-653-9400
Novel and screenplay author David Rosenfelt presents Play Dead: A Novel, now in a complete and unabridged audiobook version narrated by award-winning voice actor Grover Gardner. Attorney Andy Carpenter is a golden retriever's best friend, and when he dares to appeal a golden retriever's death sentence, he discovers that the gentle dog is a key witness to a murder from five years ago. Andy must put his legal knowledge and persuasive oratory to the test in order to convince a disbelieving judge to accept canine testimony and free an innocent man from jail. At the root of the mystery is a threat to both dog and man, in this sensationally suspenseful audiobook especially recommended for golden retriever aficionados. 6 CDs, 8 hours.
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com 1-800-854-7859
Nora Roberts' BORN IN SHAME (1423332741, $29.95) and BORN IN ICE (1423332725, $29.95) are powerful components of the 'Born in' trilogy: both receive the fine voice of Irish narrator Faicre Douglas. BORN IN ICE is the second book, telling of one Brianna Concannon who runs a bed and breakfast and hides her heart from the world – until mystery writer Grayson Thane form America arrives to break her self-imposed isolation. BORN IN SHAME tells of Shannon Bodine, a graphic artist whose live revolves around a prestigious New York City job. She, too, has no time for romance – but when she learns the identity of her real father, she journeys back to Ireland, there to meet both a new family and a possible romance. These are fine romance novels perfect for any audio collection where patrons choose romances. Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus' DEDICATION (142334023X, $34.95) receives Ashley West's fine background as a New York actress starring in off-Broadway fame, with a voice which lends passion and excitement to this story of Kate, whose ex-boyfriend is a famous musician – famous for his songs about Kate. Their reunion will lead Kate to confront her past at last. Paula Wall's THE WILDE WOMEN (1596000848, $34.95) receives veteran Susan Ericksen's smooth voice and stage and screen background as it tells of sisters who have a taste for mischief and bad men. When one sister cheats with another's man, trouble begins which will lead to changes and danger. Eric Jerome's DICKEY (1596000139, $36.95) receives veteran actor Dion Graham's experienced and lively voice as it tells of one Gideon, part of a jet-setter world dominated by women, money and danger. Revenge and contract killing are part of a world motivated by women – until two mysterious strangers lead him to face his destiny. Steven Callahan's ADRIFT: 76 DAYS LOST AT SEA (1423336429, $29.95) is narrated in the author's own voice which lends a gripping high drama to the true story of a shipwreck and survival at sea. ADRIFT was an astonishing memoir in book form: in audio it brings to life every chilling moment of experience in a harrowing, gripping tale.
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com 1-800-854-7859
Sandra Brown's BEST KEPT SECRETS (1423324838, $38.95) receives veteran Dick Hill's skilled narrative style which pairs well with the vivid story of Alexandra, an attorney who sets out to avenge her mother's scandalous death. She's narrowed the suspects to one of three powerful men – each charming and reclusive about his past. Her investigations will probe at the heart of not only their lives, but her own past and her mother's realities which all come to life in a dramatic audio account. Elizabeth Lowell's FORGET ME NOT (1423323912, $34.95) receives veteran Laural Merlington's strong professional acting voice and background as it tells of Alana Reeves, whose amnesia masks a terrible tragedy in her past. A man has now appeared to shake loose those memories – he's arrived to make Alana see truths and heal – and she finds herself compelled to follow him to the darkest corners of her heart in this warm romance. Book eight of the 'Pilgrims of Rayne' series by D.J. MacHale, PENDRAGON (1597372935, $29.95) receives William Dufris' long-time background as a London audio narrator, lending a strong voice and personality to the ongoing saga of Bobby Pendragon, recommended for prior series fans and audio listeners. Here Bobby arrives on a tropical paradise world to uncover clues about the world's happy nature – until he discovers that happiness actually hides oblivion. The leaders are keeping a terrible secret from their people – and a healthy dose of subplots and action keeps PENDRAGON moving quickly to satisfying twists and turns of plot. Kate White's LETHALLY BLOND (1423334493, $34.95) receives Renee Raudman's fine acting voice and background performing on film, television, radio and stage as it tells of sleuth Bailey Weggins, crime journalist who finds herself involved in a dangerous search for a vanished actor. Her probe will take her in the middle of a dangerous story where she finds herself also in danger – just as she's struggling with a crush. Deepak Chopra's BUDDHA: A STORY OF ENLIGHTENMENT (1423312260, $34.95) is read by the charismatic author and new age leader himself and provides a biography of a young prince who abandoned his inheritance to discover his spiritual nature. Buddha is seen today as an icon of peace, but his life story was filled with conflict – and comes to life here, in a vivid listen. Ken Follett's EYE OF THE NEEDLE (1423328612, $38.95) receives a lively full cast reading with all the life of a radio show, and tells of an enemy spy who holds the key to the ultimate Nazi victory. Only an isolated Englishwoman's love stands in his way in this vivid story of war, romance and drama. Debbie Macomber's BACK ON BLOSSOM STREET (1423305116, $36.95) tells of a new flower shop packed not only with blossoms, but romances gone awry, friendships between women, and more. It's at Lydia's knitting class that solutions evolve – and veteran Laural Merlington's professional background spices these vivid accounts. David Morrell's SCAVENGER (1423329872, $34.95) receives veteran classically trained stage actor Patrick G. Lawlor's vivid reading style, which brings to life the high-tech hunt for a 100-year-old time capsule – a hunt spiced by fear and danger. Any interested in audio stories of high intrigue and danger will love the drama here. Dale Brown's STRIKE FORCE (1423324277, $39.95) benefits from Christopher Lane's extensive experience narrating over a hundred audiobooks, which lends a high drama and action to this story of the battle for control of Iran – which begins in space. With the setting of an Iranian civil war affected by top-secret U.S. space plans, military and political tensions escalate in a vivid story of a Middle East on fire. All these are excellent leisure listening audio picks.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Mosaic Applique
Lorraine Carthew
American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781574329155, $22.95 www.americanquilter.com
Ten patterns for mosaics ranging from a cat to a dragonfly or a flower come with three pull-out pattern sheets, fabric tips, and details on applique techniques, fused borders and more. MOSAIC APPLIQUE is a fine choice for quilters who want to add applique designs to quilting projects: it comes from an Australian quilters who has designed her own fashions and who here provides easy steps to unique creations. Quilters seeking an introduction to mosaic techniques will find this an easy, eye-catching pick.
Quilting a Patchwork Garden
Lynette Jensen
Landauer Books
3100 NW 101st Street, Urbandale, IA 50322
9781890621629, $27.95 www.landauercorp.com
Sixteen quilts, pillows and interior embellishments presented in the project guide QUILTING A PATCHWORK GARDEN are inspired by garden settings and provide all levels of quilters with easy step-by-step instructions, color photos, and inspiring new ideas designed by the author for Thimbleberries. From full-sized patterns and familiar blocks to innovations on seasonal themes, QUILTING A PATCHWORK GARDEN is a top pick.
Martingale & Company
20205 - 144th Avenue, NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale.com 1-800-426-3126
Jenny Wilding Cardon's The Little Box of Baby Quilts (9781564776990, $22.95 ) is a set of project cards that can be used to produce inspirational and quick designs for boys and girls. These are portable cards in a box, each holding step-by-step directions, a color photo and templates, and even an introduction to basic techniques for beginners. The quilts use a blend of quick piecing and easy applique techniques. While not appropriate for library lending, they are perfect for the quilter who wants a quick, take-along inspirational project card. Knitters seeking to move to the next level of experience will welcome Rebecca Lennox's KNITTING BEYOND THE BASICS (9781564777416, $27.95), a set of skill-building lessons linked to contemporary projects. Some seventeen projects build upon foundation knowledge and pair patterns and color photos with step-by-step directions for quick and easy learning. Cheryl Potter's SPECIAL LITTLE KNITS FROM JUST ONE SKEIN (9781564777195, $29.95) holds a range of ideas which can be made with just one skein of yarn – from scarves to shrugs, cover-ups, ponchettes and more. Color photos accompany step-by-step instructions and with the focus on temporary styling, knitters will find a range of ideas perfect for not just gift-giving, but for using up leftovers and small stashes of yarn.
Compiled, edited and arranged by quilting expert Sherrye Landrum, "Basic Quilting: All The Skills And Tools You Need To Get Started" is a fundamental introduction and instruction manual on quilting specifically designed for the novice beginner. Aspiring quilters are provided with expert and seasoned advice on choosing fabrics, batting, backing, thread, and quilt designs. Complete, illustrated, and methodical instructions are given for specific 'novice friendly' projects such as creating a pot holder, making a tote bag, quilting a table runner, and more. With expert contributions by Charlene Atkinson and photographs by Alan Wycheck, "Basic Quilting" is an ideal, spiral bound, instructional manual for anyone aspiring to acquire the basics of quilting that launch them into the creative and valued needlecraft hobby of quilting.
Martingale Company
20205 – 144th Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com
Jennifer Rounds and Catherine Comyns' A DOZEN ROSES: BEAUTIFUL QUILTS AND PILLOWS (9781564776891, $26.95) offers a range of quilt project ideas based on roses, from a sampler or a baby quilt to entire coverlets and matching pillows. Full-page patterns color photos of finished projects, and rose lore embellish a step-by-step guide to materials, cutting, and assembly. Volume 2 of CREATIVE QUILT COLLECTION FROM THAT PATCHWORK PLACE (9781564777737, $24.95) offers eighteen designs culled from the latest That Patchwork Place books to create a synthesis of new and old techniques and styles. From wall displays to lap quilts, strip piecing to applique, and specialty weaves and finishing techniques, here's a primer packed with variety and ideas. Sherrill Kahn's CREATIVE EMBELLISHMENTS FOR PAPER, JEWELRY, FABRIC AND MORE (9781564776167, $27.95) tells how to identify and use dozens of embellishments made from paper, fabric, plastic, clay and more to blend into crafts projects. These can be used for quilts, clothing, journals and a range of crafts ideas, even down to small wall hangings and greeting cards, and offer excellent, easy step-by-step instructions paired with color photos throughout. All are top picks any needlework library will want.
American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.aqsquilt.com
Marie Monteith Sturmer's PAINT A QUILT PATTERNS (9781574329209, $22.95) focuses on stencils and how they can be adapted for applique, embroidery, scrapbooking and other projects. Over sixty stencil patterns are shown in nearly thirty quilt and home decoration projects, can be scaled up or down as needed for size, and are accompanied by full-page color photos of application results. The result will delight any who have wanted to incorporate stencils into a quilting project. Janet Jones Worley's QUILTS FOR ICE CREAM LOVERS (9781574329254, $21.95) provides patterns and ideas for ten quilts based on the author's love of ice cream, making for a fun companion to her prior chocolate theme. From party hats to fat quarter sundaes, QUILTS FOR ICE CREAM LOVERS is packed with innovative designs easy to piece or applique, and celebrates color and patterns. Pam Clarke's QUILTING INSIDE THE LINES: MACHINE & FRAME QUILTING (9781574329223, $24.95) provides insider tips and tricks for using different quilting machines for markless quilting projects. From practicing basic shapes such as swirl, leaf, loop and feather to free-motion quilting, this blend of workbook and sketchpad uses arrows and simple dots to teach how to create and fill blocks and borders with minimal marking. Over a hundred great ideas invites the quilter to try new ideas. Pepper Cory's QUILTING PATTERN COLLECTION (9781574329285, $24.95) is actually a collection of best-selling patterns from QUILTING DESIGNS FROM THE AMISH and QUILTING DESIGNS FROM ANTIQUE QUILTS, completely redrawn and compiled into this new collection. Over six dozen such designs have been resized to make for easier enlargements, reductions and scanning, while tips on how to blend these patterns into continuous lines, using stencils, and more offer both hand and machine quilters a range of options and ideas – and some twenty new designs, too. These are all top choices for any serious quilter or quilting collection.
The Art of Landscape Quilting
Nancy Zieman and Natalie Sewell
Krause Publications
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
9780896893146, $24.99 www.fwpublications.com
Landscape quilting techniques have their own demands and special tricks, and here to bring them all to light is The Art of Landscape Quilting, a guide to choosing fabrics, designing, cutting, and painting fabric. Over fifty quilts from the authors' own collections are used to provide directions on producing landscape designs, from ten simple scenes to get started to how-to directions on adding structural elements and customizing results. Color photos throughout make it easy to produce notable polished results with this book as a guideline.
Knit & Crochet Combined: Best of Both Worlds
Monette Lassiter Satterfield
Kalmbach Publishing Company
P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9780871162403, $19.95 www.kalmbach.com
There are plenty of books on knitting and crochet on the market and seldom do the two meet: except in Knit & Crochet Combined: Best of Both Worlds. Here are some 15 patterns which combine the two methods to produce unique clothing and accessories, offering step-by-step instructions, color photos, and tips which lend to both beginner and advanced users. From a 'basics' guide to materials and stitches to step-by-step directions for blending crochet and knitting styles, KNIT & CROCHET COMBINED is packed with original, new ideas for blending both and any needlework collection will find it a unique, popular pick.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
The Drama Teacher's Survival Guide
Margaret F. Johnson
Meriwether Publishing
Box 7710, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7710
1566081416, $19.95 www.meriwether.com
Both experienced and beginning drama directors have easy, experience-backed tips on directing from THE DRAMA TEACHER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE: A COMPLETE TOOL KIT FOR THEATRE ARTS. When this book says 'complete' it means it: collections strong in drama will appreciate the range of tips from instructions on organizing tryouts – complete with tryout sheets – to blocking out rehearsals, technical aspects of scene set-up, tips on locating costumes, and more. It's a 'must' for any library which caters to actors or drama teachers.
The Comedy Group Book
Diz White
Smith & Kraus Publishers
76 Ayer Road, North Stratford, NH 03590
9781575254524, $15.95 1-800-895-4331
Award-winning playwright and actress Diz White presents The Comedy Group Book, a practical, step-by-step guide to getting a comedy group off the ground and running. Chapters discuss not only how to perform comedy with panache and charisma, but also how to make money at it - from staying on a tight budget to the power of effective publicity to forming a legal business and obtaining start-up funding and more. Featuring a foreword by Ian Abercrombie (a.k.a. Mr. Pitt of television's "Seinfeld"), The Comedy Group Book is an absolute "must-have" for anyone seeking to professionalize their laugh-getting routine. "Avoid elaborate plots and too much exposition in the story structure of your shows. Don't lose the audience in the first ten minutes because of this. Set up the premise, the characters, and their goal as economically as possible. Do this in as visual a way as you can, and use minimal dialogue. Then cut to the chase and bring on the comedy business as quickly as you can."
The Art of Video Production
Leonard Shyles
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781412916752, $64.95 www.sagepublications.com
College-level libraries strong in video production techniques and teachings will find The Art of Video Production serves two purposes: as a classroom text it will offer a thorough grounding in the principles and skills of video production, and as a library reference it teaches not only how to make superior television programs, but how to juxtapose content and values and how to understand what makes for a superior production. Interviews with industry professionals offer analysis and concepts which can be used in all phases of production.
The Business Shelf
High Performance Business Strategy
Ap Eigenhuis & Rob van Dijk
Kogan Page USA
525 South 4th Street, #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
9780749450137, $70.00 www.koganpage.com 1-800-232-0223
Specifically co-written and designed as an instruction guide for senior management on identifying and analyzing weak points in their business operations and addressing problems associated with staff and business performance by Ap Eigenhuis (a former Senio Vice President of Human Resources at Unilever and founder of Applico HR Consultancy) and managerial consultant Rober van Dik, "High Performance Business Strategy: Inspiring Success Through Effective Human Resource Management" offers guidance on creating individualized programs employing proven managements strategies and techniques to enhance productivity and performance. Based on illustrative real0-world examples, corporate business managers will learn how to create higher levels of employee engagement and commitment, build effective work teams, compelling communicate their vision and values; coach for improved management and team performance; and create a corporate climate conducive to organizational achievement and success. "High Performance Business Strategy" is very strongly recommended reading for MBA students in general, and corporate managers seeking to improve their company's performance in particular.
Fun Works
Leslie Yerkes
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery St,, Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
1576754081, $19.95 www.bkconnection.com
FUN WORKS: CREATING PLACES WERE PEOPLE LOVE TO WORK appears in its second updated, expanded edition to explore connections between work and fun. The original book detailed how eleven different companies blended fun into the course of business for improved results: this revised second edition includes follow-up interviews with all the companies in the first edition to see how they have maintained a fun environment in the face of recession, 911, and natural disaster alike. All the original eleven companies featured have continued to thrive – largely because of their 'fun and work' atmosphere – and business libraries will appreciate a book which documents a series of real-life success stories.
Your Gut is Still Not Smarter Than Your Head
Kevin Clancy and Peter Krieg
John Wiley Publishers
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
9780471979937, $29.95 www.wiley.com
YOUR GUT IS STILL NOT SMARTER THAN YOUR HEAD: HOW DISCIPLINED, FACT-BASED MARKETING CAN DRIVE EXTRAORDINARY GROWTH AND PROFITS considers and refutes one of the basics of marketing: the idea of the 'gut instinct' driving innovation. Marketing consultants Kevin Clancy and Peter Krieg here explain how to consider more disciplined, accountable marketing approaches that quantify the 'gut instinct' with measurable facts and analytical tools. Case studies and real-world data blend in a survey of how disciplined marketing beats gut-only thinking and planning, making this a pick for any collection catering to managers.
The Myths of Innovation
Scott Berkun
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596527055, $24.99 www.oreilly.com
How do you know whether a hot new technology will succeed or fail? How does a new technology or commodity enter the mainstream? These and other questions essential to producing thoughtful marketing decisions and approaches are considered in The Myths of Innovation, a history of innovations and how they became successful. Examples come from the history of technology, business and the arts and tell how knowledge converts to commodities. Business managers will find this an important key to understanding and business libraries will find it a popular contemporary approach and pick.
Creative Careers in Photography
Michael Heron
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, Suite 510, New York NY 10010
1581154690, $19.95 www.allworth.com
From fine art photographer to stock agent, architectural photography and more, here's a guide for any photographer who would make a career out of their pleasure. From teaching to becoming a technician or even an equipment retailers, chapters in Creative Careers in Photography: Making a Living With or Without a Camera discuss all the pros and cons of career choices within and alongside the photography industry. Photo tips are also included for further hands-on detail, making this a reference pick for any collection strong in photography and careers choices.
Bullying Bosses: A Survivor's Guide
Robert Mueller, JD
Bullying Bosses.Com
Box 410238, San Francisco CA 94141-0238
9780976829300, $17.50 www.bullyingbosses.com
Plenty of books offer up analysis of managers' bullying behavior and a few include tips on overcoming such individuals – but BULLYING BOSSES: A SURVIVOR'S GUIDE goes step further, discussing underlying politics, political strategy and actions which can help protect against bullying bosses who challenge employees. From building a case to make management see the problem to gathering forces and eliminating isolationist tactics at work, BULLYING BOSSES tells how to overcome a bad situation and is a recommended pick for any serious business book collection.
Lower Your Taxes – Big Time!
Sandy Botkin, CPA, Esq.
McGraw-Hill
2 Penn Plaza, New York NY 10121
007147868X, $18.95 www.mhprofessional.com
The 2007-08 edition of LOWER YOUR TAXES-BIG TIME! Has been named one of the best tax guides for small businesses, so any library catering to small business owners seeking only a few select guides must have this reference. It comes from a CPA and former IRS attorney, has been updated to include the latest tax laws and changes, and covers everything from travel and home business expenses to taking advantage of fringe benefits and 'IRS bulletproofing' them to survive any auditor's eye. From income shifting and car expenses to considering the best corporate structure for a business, LOWER YOUR TAXES-BIG TIME is easy to understand and structured to take full, legal advantage of deductions often missed by small business owners.
Coolhunting
Peter Gloor & Scott Cooper
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814473865, $24.95 www.amacombooks.org
COOLHUNTING: CHASING DOWN THE NEXT BIG THING is a key to identifying and capitalizing on trends, and is a reference any serious business library will find contemporary and important in its topic and approach. What is cool? Businesses receives tips on identifying what is presently cool and what desires will evolve from present trends. Chapters show how to identify new ideas which will spark new trends, from identifying people responsible for such ideas to anticipating and building a business model around it. Businesses seeking to capitalize on 'cool' ideas will want this.
Make Your Contacts Count
Anne Baber and Lynne Wayman
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814474020, $14.95 www.amacombooks.org
Meeting and keeping a network of contacts to further a career is a basic tip for any upward-bound businessperson – but few titles spell out exactly how to achieve this goal. MAKE YOUR CONTACTS COUNT: NETWORKING KNOW-HOW FOR BUSINESS AND CAREER SUCCESS offers business libraries and upward-bound career seekers step-by-step tips for creating, cultivating and using networking opportunities. From professional memberships and networking events to checklists and questionnaires for fine tuning, this updated edition offers new case studies and expanded advice on how to use business networks. A 'must' for any library catering to business readers.
122 Ways to Build Teams, 2nd Edition
Carol Searce
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781412944595, $29.95 www.corwinpress.com
While the second updated edition of 122 Ways to Build Teams is written with schools in mind, it's reviewed here in our 'Business Books' area for its wealth of information suitable for any team-building endeavor. From designing an initial agenda and creating productive team-building conferencing to codes of conduct, unearthing leaders within teams, and using processes in classroom and teaching settings, 122 WAYS TO BUILD TEAMS is a 'must' for not just schools, but for any serious business pursuit.
The Complete Guide to Securing Your Own U.S. Patent
Jamaine Burrell
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34474-7014
9780910627054, $29.95 www.atlantic-pub.com
Any law or business library needs The Complete Guide to Securing Your Own U.S. Patent: A Step-by-Step Road Map to Protect Your Ideas and Inventions. It comes with a companion cd-rom and packs in details on patenting inventions, translates law to layman's terms, and is written for inventors who want to save on legal fees by following the process themselves. From establishing copyright and doing a search of records to applying for the patent and protecting it, this is a top, easy reference which public, law and business libraries alike will find important.
Don't Take the Last Donut
Judith Bowman
Career Press
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564149293, $19.99 www.careerpress.com
DON'T TAKE THE LAST DONUT: NEW RULES OF BUSINESS ETIQUETTE is an important pick for any who would understand the protocols of business, from making a proper business introduction and creating a good first impression to handling small talk, conferences, and email. It's an important pick for any business library and also for any college-level library where students are entering the work world for the first time, covering all the latest basics of business etiquette and standards.
Private Label Strategy
Nirmalya Kumar and Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
1422101673, $35.00 www.HBSPress.org 1-800-668-6780
Marketing professors Nirmalya Kumar and Jan-Benedict E.M. Private Label Strategy: How to Meet the Store Brand Challenge, a tell-it-like-it-is expose of how the old days of packaging generic brands in white wrapping and black lettering have passed. Today, the once-powerful brand manufacturers find themselves in direct competition for shelf space with the chains that are their biggest customers, like Tesco and Wal-Mart. Too many companies are still building their strategies around outdated myths that Private Label Strategy debunks. Chapters of Private Label Strategy cover how to compete on price with private labels, how to compete on quality with premium store brands, how to use private labels to maximize retailer profitability, how to cultivate innovation, and much more. "The financial community, of course, presses companies to be specific on the anticipated numbers because it makes the work of the analysts easier. But it may not be wise to play along with this game. For example, Nestle has a policy of not promising specific financial targets but instead articulating its strategy and letting analysts do the work of computing the expected numbers." An absolute "must-read" for anyone involved in branding responsibilities or branding strategy.
The Taboos of Leadership
Anthony F. Smith
Jossey-Bass, Inc.
989 Market Street, 5th floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
978-0-7879-9582-9, $24.95 www.josseybass.com 1-800-225-5945
"The Taboos Of Leadership: The 10 Secrets No One Will Tell Your About Leaders And What They Really Think" by Anthony F. Smith (co-founder and managing director of the Leadership Research Institute -- one of the nation's leading management consulting firms specializing in leadership development and assessment) identifies three principle areas of leadership skills and behaviors that are not usually open to discussion. These are 'taboos' of persuasion, position, person and range from the double standards of leaders, leadership by charisma, the political aspects of leadership, the leadership qualities of women, the existence of favoritism and nepotism with respect to leadership, manipulation by leadership, and the role of credibility in establishing and maintaining leadership. Articulate, informative, superbly organized and presented, "The Taboos Of Leadership" is very strongly recommended reading for anyone holding or being considered for a leadership role in an organization, agency, or business whether in the private or the public sector.
Competing on Analytics
Thomas H. Davenport
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422103326, $29.95 www.HBSPress.org
Business information can and should be used to outthink rivals, and there's no better way to outthink them than by using analytics to make decisions. COMPETING ON ANALYTICS: THE NEW SCIENCE OF WINNING argues that leading companies do more than just gather data – they are building company strategies around it by using analytics – sophisticated statistical analysis and predictive modeling supported by information technology. This book covers all the basics of using analytics to foster business and is a pick for any serious business library.
Manager's Guide to Improving Workplace Performance
Roger Chevalier
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814474187, $19.95 www.amacombooks.org
What separates good managers from ordinary ones is their ability to work with employees to fix problems and boost productivity, and Manager's Guide to Improving Workplace Performance is right up the alley of any who would move to this higher next level in management, creating a step-by-step approach to handling employees for optimum results. From using coaching tools and applying the Situational Leadership Model to team members to handling individuals, Manager's Guide to Improving Workplace Performance helps managers identify problems and pair them with tested solutions, making this a pick for both practicing managers and any business library catering to them.
Brandjam
Marc Gobe
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, Suite 510, New York NY 10010
1581154682, $24.95 www.allworth.com
Brands today must shift from commodity status to associations with emotion and inspiration – thus 'brandjamming', a metaphor Marc Gobe uses to support the idea that brands which succeed best connect with culture and emotions. Chapters tell how to encourage collaboration, innovation and intuition to support 'brandjamming', drawing on the author's vast experience as CEO of one of the world's top ten brand image creation firms. College-level students of business will find this real-world perspective goes beyond theory to create a foundation of standards and basics essential to re-vamping the brand association process, making BRANDJAM: HUMANIZING BRANDS THROUGH EMOTIONAL DESIGN a top pick.
Nolo's Quick LLC, 4th Edition
Attorney Anthony Mancuso
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
1413305652, $29.99 www.nolo.com
Most in business have learned the term 'limited liability company' – but few know what this means, let alone how to tailor a business as a LLC and to understand if and when such a structure would apply. NOLO'S QUICK LLC, 4TH EDITION provides all the basics to operating an LLC, from choosing different structures and understanding differences between a LLC and a corporation to handling legal and tax paperwork. The result is an excellent manual
essential not only to business owners, but to business libraries seeking an easy yet comprehensive reference.
The Military Shelf
The General and His Daughter
Barbara Gavin Fauntleroy
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823226870, $27.95 www.fordhampress.com 1-800-247-6553
THE GENERAL AND HIS DAUGHTER: THE WARTIME LETTERS OF GENERAL JAMES M. GAVIN TO HIS DAUGHTER BARBARA provides an excellent portrait of the American experience in World War II, telling of a commander who at the age of 37 became the 82nd Parachute Infantry's commanding general, and the youngest to become a major general since the Civil War. His letters were written from the field to his nine-year-old daughter Barbara and provide plenty of 'you are there' insights into the realities of combat. It's a 'must' for any serious, in-depth World War II collection, especially libraries specializing in memoirs and writings from participants.
Sinking the Rising Sun
William E. Davis
Zenith Press
c/o MBI Publishing Company
380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
076032946X, $25.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454
SINKING THE RISING SUN: DOG FIGHTING AND DIVE BOMBING IN WORLD WAR II comes from a Navy fighter pilot and is a pick recommended for any World War II specialty library specializing in memoirs and first-person experiences. Bombing experiences over the Pacific are recounted by one whose squadron shot down nearly two hundred enemy planes while losing only two of their on in aerial combat. A gripping memoir.
The Day of Islam
Paul L. Williams
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, New York NY 14228-2197
9781591025085, $25.00 www.prometheusbooks.com
THE DAY OF ISLAM: THE ANNIHILATION OF AMERICA AND THE WESTERN WORLD comes from an investigative reporter whose prior books on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda have probed the foundations of terrorism. This broader, wider-ranging survey reveals the potential for nuclear terrorism on US soil and connections between Al Qaeda and organized crime and illegal immigrants, providing new insights on terrorism in Pakistan and other countries and probing the radical Muslim dream of seeing the Western world collapse as part of Allah's plan. An eye-opening, frightening survey evolves which is a recommended pick for any library strong in terrorist investigations.
Gatekeeper: Memoirs of a CIA Polygraph Examiner
John F. Sullivan
Potomac Books Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166-2012
9781597970457, $27.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com 1-800-775-2518
Author John Sullivan was a polygraph examiner for over thirty years, conducting more such tests than anyone in the history of the CIA's program. What makes his story exceptional is his explanations of how lie detectors are used to identify unsuitable applicants, possible foreign agents, and others guilty of misconduct from harming the Agency. His methods, the psychology behind polygraph testing and results, and the tests which enabled Sullivan to uncover double agents, applicants with criminal backgrounds, and more makes for exciting case histories and also offers military libraries insights into the CIA's internal workings and quality control measures. An intriguing, unusual survey which moves beyond 'memoir' status to examine the foundations of CIA quality and strengths.
Amongst Immortals Raging: Gettysburg's Third Day Begins
Marshall Conyers
Pelican Publishing
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053
9781589804685, $19.95 www.pelicanpub.com
AMONGST IMMORTALS isn't your usual military history, but a collection of prose poems written to capture the third day of Gettysburg. All poems are written in the first person in the midst of battle, using impressions of the minds of leaders and soldiers to bring the Gettysburg experience home. A unique approach and recommendation for any Civil War library.
Combating Proliferation
Jason D. Ellis & Geoffrey D. Kiefer
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
0801886260, $25.00 www.press.jhu.edu 1-800-537-5487
Many social and political challenges are involved in combating proliferation of weapons, from analyzing intelligence data for accuracy to understanding how technology transfers and how security policies are directed and implemented. COMBATING PROLIFERATION: STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE & SECURITY POLICY comes from two specialists who analyze trends in the collection and applications of intelligence data, providing hard-hitting chapters questioning the accuracy of both data and methods used to compile and scrutinize it. Both college-level military and political science holdings will find this a key addition promoting understanding, debate, and classroom discussions.
Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South, Suite 806, New York NY 10016
www.ospreypublishing.com
Gordon L. Rottman's SOVIET FIELD FORTIFICATIONS 1941-45 (9781846031168, $16.95) tells of one of the largest Soviet defensive operations in history, which embraced fortifications in forests, swamps and cities alike. From trenches and bunkers to weaponry positions, SOVIET FIELD FORTIFICATIONS is a pick for any serious, in depth military collection. David Fletcher's BRITISH MARK IV TANK (9781846030826, $15.95) tells of the Mark IV tank which worked against the Germans from 1917 to the end of World War I. It charts the first tank-versus-tank actions against the Germans, British technology, and displays rare footage of the Mark IVs used against the Allies. An excellent addition to any serious, in-depth World War I collection. Gregory Foremont-Barnes' THE INDIAN MUTINY 1857-58 (9781846032097, $14.95) adds to the 'Essential Histories' multi-volume history of war which focuses on war as seen from political, cultural and individual perspectives alike. In the mid-19th century India was the focus of Britain's international and commercial power – its most important colony – but in 1857 there was open rebellion. First-hand source material and the latest research explains why the armies rose up against Britain, strategies used on both sides, and more. D. Nicolle, J. Haldon and S. Turnbull's THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE: THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST OF BYZANTIUM (9781846032004, $24.95) is a pick for any collection strong in early history, particular of the Roman Empire era. It follows the fall of the Roman Empire in general and Byzantium's eight-century struggle for survival. Constantine's powerful central city and its amazing wall system fell to the Turks during a massive siege train against the city, which held out for four months until Turkish artillery succeeded in destroying it. It's a powerful survey not to be missed. SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA 1864: ATLANTIC TO SAVANNAH by David Smith (9781846030352, $18.95) tells of a grueling march – nearly three hundred miles – in which the army lived off the land and destroyed all war-making capabilities of the enemy. Photos, maps, and art examines the major participants, strategies, and campaigns of the last months of the Civil War, making for a top pick for any military collection strong in Civil War history.
Field Marshal Von Manstein: The Janus Head/A Portrait
Marcel Stein
Helion & Company Ltd.
26 Willow Road, Solihull, West Midlands B91 1UE
1906033021, $59.95 www.helion.co.uk www.amazon.com
Military libraries strong in World War II history, particularly in profiling German military personalities, probably already have casual coverage and mention of von Manstein, largely considered the most outstanding German high commander of the war – but no complete biography of him has appeared in print until now, making Field Marshal Von Manstein: The Janus Head/A Portrait an unparalleled 'must' for any serious military holding. From his political and military achievements to his inhumane policies in Russia and active participation in Jewish slaughters, this book outlines the contradictions in Manstein's psyche and analyzes both his military and philosophical might. A 'must' for any collection going beyond casual World War II analysis.
Navy: An Illustrated History
Chester G. Hearn
Zenith Press
c/o MBI Publishing Company
380 Jackson Street, Saint Paul, MN 55101-3885
0760329729, $29.95 www.mbipublishing.com
In 1775 a new Congress formed what would evolve into one of the world's greatest military organizations: the US Navy – and NAVY: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY celebrates this, using paintings, photos, and maps to trace the evolution of the Navy during the wars it fought. Both black and white and color illustrations, from photos to artistic representations, make NAVY an excellent survey – and it comes from a military historian who has already written several Navy history books. It's an excellent choice for any military library and for any general-interest collection seeking an accessible, lively format documenting Navy strengths and evolution.
America's Fighting Admirals
William Tuohy
Zenith Press
c/o MBI Publishing Company
Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
0760329850, $25.95 www.zenithpress.com 1-800-458-0454
The American naval actions of the second world war were some of the most dramatic in the history of sea warfare, taking place over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans alike with an admiral overseeing each action and battle. The battles are here described from the perspective of American admirals who fought them and comes from a World War II navy veteran who not only covers all major campaigns and admiral leaders, but analyzes strategy and decision-making challenges during battle. Serious World War II military collections, particularly those with strong naval history sections, need AMERICA'S FIGHTING ADMIRALS: WINNING THE WAR AT SEA IN WORLD WAR II.
Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South Suite 806, New York NY 10016
www.ospreypublishing.com
US AIRBORNE DIVISIONS IN THE ETO 1944-45 (9781846031182, $23.95) joins others in the 'Battle Orders' series, discussing the mechanics and operations involved in delivering entire divisions to battlefields behind enemy lines via parachute and glider. Chapters survey the organization and operational history of these units throughout the war from 1944-45, charting their missions, details of their deployment and equipment, and military strategies alike. Two new to the 'Elite' series surveying elite forces and units are Richard Doherty's THE BRITISH RECONNAISSANCE CORPS IN WORLD WAR II (9781846031229, $17.95) and Gordon L. Rottman's VIETNAM AIRMOBILE WARFARE TACTICS (9781846031366, $17.95). BRITISH RECONNAISSANCE provides a history of the combat service and organizational structure of the 'Recce' Corps whose units provided mobile support to the British infantry divisions during the war. They were the forerunners of the battle, locating enemies, screening flanks, and engaging in early battle: chapters survey their strategies and battles and include rare photos from private collections. VIETNAM AIRMOBILE WARFARE TACTICS comes from an Army veteran of Vietnam and explores the equipment and capabilities of the US Army and Marine Corps helicopter and air units during the war. The narrowed focus allows for a thorough exploration of the machinery and methods used in Vietnam and is essential for any serious history covering the Vietnam War. The 'Osprey Aircraft of the Aces' series expands with John Weal's MORE BF 109 ACES OF THE RUSSIAN FRONT (9781846031779, $20.95) which considers the achievements of individual pilots of the BF 109: some 120 of them. The majority of these pilots have been largely forgotten as individuals: MORE BF 109 ACES OF THE RUSSIAN FRONT chronicles their achievements and returns their many amazing victories to the public eye. Douglas C. Dildy's DENMARK AND NORWAY 1940: HITLER'S BOLDEST OPERATION (9781846031175, $18.95) tells of an assault which represented the first joint air-land-and-sea campaign in the history of warfare, and thus marked a turning point not just in one battle, but in military strategy as a whole. The campaign led to Winston Churchill's appointment as British Prime Minister and was a key event beyond the ordinary: as such this history needs a place in any serious World War II or general military bookshelf. New to the 'Men-at-Arms' series is Ron Field's US INFANTRY IN THE INDIAN WARS 1865-91 (9781841769059, $15.95), a survey of the US infantry on the frontier, differing from the usual focus on the US Cavalry. From their daily lives and challenges to key battles, US INFANTRY IN THE INDIAN WARS follows not just strategy or biographies, but the uniforms, equipment and organization of the Infantry forces as a whole. The Fortress imprint title MEDIEVAL RUSSIAN FORTRESSES AD 862-1480 by Konstantin S. Nossov (9781846030932, $16.95) covers a myriad of Russian fortifications which revolutionized fortification-building strategies. From the history of medieval Russian fortresses from their first appearance to their evolution through the 14th century both in Russia and abroad, MEDIEVAL RUSSIAN FORTRESSES will enhance any military or Russian history collection. Dr. Kaveh Farrokh's SHADOWS IN THE DESERT: ANCIENT PERSIA AT WAR (9781846031083, $29.95) will please specialty collections strong in early Persian history or military history. It is unique in that it comes not from a Western perspective but from an academic of Iranian descent who has produced a nonpolitical, complete history of pre-Islamic Iran. Photos display artifacts, weapons and sites while military reconstructions blend in Islamic history and cultural heritage to make for one of the most authoritative histories of the Persian empires to see recent print: a 'must' for any serious college-level collection. Warren Thompson's F-117 STEALTH FIGHTER UNITS OF OPERATION DESERT STORM (9781846031823, $20.95) provides a fine survey of the F-117, developed by Lockheed with Stealth technology to take place as a key component of Operation Desert Shield. Military collections strong on aviation and recent military history will find this a fine blend of pilot experiences and memoirs and technical information juxtaposed by color photos throughout. Nic Fields' ANCIENT GREEK WARSHIP 500-322 BC (9781846030741, $15.95) is for any holding strong in early Greek or military history: it follows the design, development and history of warfare in ancient Greece with a focus analyzing the most potent battleship of its time. Color photos of artifacts and landscape enhance and capture the history. Brett Green's MODELING THE MESSERSCHMITT BF 109F AND EARLY G SERIES (9781846031137, $18.95) adds to Osprey's 'Modelling' series, this focusing on modeling one of the most recognizable fighter aircraft in history. Five different builds across the scales provide material for both beginning and expert modelers and is a 'must' for collections specializing in World War II models.
The Computer Shelf
Designing BSD Rootkits
Joseph Kong
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro #250, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781593271428, $29.95 www.nostarch.com
Collections strong in web design and programmer's guides know that rootkits have a negative image – but DESIGNING BSD ROOTKITS provides all the information on how to overcome any bad image and problems to develop effective rootkits under the FreeBSD operating system. This instructional is actually a tutorial, so it may also be used in programming classes: it explains how to maintain root access and how to hack Free BSD, using many examples which assume no prior kernel-hacking knowledge. Code is described, analyzed, and linked to real-world scenarios for maximum understanding, making for a perfect programmer's guide.
SOA Using Java Web Servers
Mark D. Hansen
Prentice Hall
One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
0130449687, $49.99 www.prenhallprofessional.com
College-level and professional collections strong in Java web programming will find SOA Using Java Web Servers an important reference: it's for advanced users and offers a hands-on guide to complementing web services and Service Oriented Architecture. Chapters cover best-practice design ideas and the latest code samples, explaining mapping strategies and SOA integration processes, surveying packaging and deploying web services components, and including code solutions for common development issues. No SOA collection should be without it!
Addison Wesley
75 Arlington Street, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02116
www.awprofessional.com 1-800-428-5331
Tim Boudreau, Jaroslav Tulach, and Geertjan Wielenga's RICH CLIENT PROGRAMMING: PLUGGING INTO THE NETBEANS PLATFORM (0132354802, $49.99 )covers the open-source NetBeans Platform, which can be used to build rich client applications – and it's the first guide for NetBeans IDE 5.0, so no serious Java programming collection should be without it. Java developers receive a guide to advanced NetBeans module development, using proven real-world ideas for building reliable desktop software. From how to create complete rich client applications using the platform to handling plugins, no serious developer's library should be without RICH CLIENT PROGRAMMING. Paul C. Brown's SUCCEEDING WITH SOA: REALIZING BUSINESS VALUE THROUGH TOTAL ARCHITECTURE (0321508912, $32.50) is for any information technology library beyond the beginner's level. Both business and computer collections receive a definitive guide to service-oriented architectures and how they may be understood and implemented. With an emphasis on reasons for common failures, the author draws important connections business managers and IT architects need to know for optimum results. Perfect for setting realistic goals in the business/IT environment.
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
www.oreilly.com
XML programmers and database users will find Priscilla Walmsley's XQUERY (0596006349, $49.99 ) a specific, valuable reference which is based on the Xquery 1.0 standards and which offers a basic tutorial on specifications and programming with the query language base. Query writers should have some knowledge of XML basics to use this, and can quickly progress into the 'advanced' category using an overview and tour of Xquery which includes guidelines for working with different types of data and an A-Z reference to the program's functions. Sasha Pachev's UNDERSTANDING MYSQL INTERNALS: DISCOVERING AND IMPROVING A GREAT DATABASE (0596009577, $49.99) provides clear insights into one of the most popular open source codes on the market. It comes from a former member of the MySQL development team, so offers the author's own insights into the program's creation and use, covering everything from communication protocols between client and server to the parser and optimizer that execute SQL commands, advantages and disadvantages of using threads, and more technical insights. Chris Grover, Matthew MacDonald and E.A. Vander Veer's Office 2007: The Missing Manual (0596514220, $34.99) covers the latest, extensive upgrade to the Microsoft Office, Suite: an extensive revamp which makes this 0FFICE 2007: THE MISSING MANUAL a 'must' even for owners of previous Office editions. The basics of Word, Exel, PowerPoint and Access are covered, from the beginnings of navigation using new tools to the basics of working with Word document layouts, Excel spreadsheets, presentations using PowerPoint, and Access' enhanced database capabilities. Serious computer libraries will find these valuable references.
Illustrated Windows Vista Guided Tour
Maran Graphics
Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1598633201, $24.99 www.courseptr.com
From learning how to use Vista's basic programs such as Photo Gallery and Media Player to working on a network and customizing components, Illustrated Windows Vista Guided Tour offers up an intensely visual style to simplify instructions. This means full color on every page, plenty of screen shots and examples, and a step-by-step tutorial which can't be beat. Any general computer library seeking solid, eye-catching Vista references needs this.
Jboss Seam: Simplicity and Power Beyond Java EE
Michael Yuan and Thomas Heute
Prentice Hall
One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
0131347969, $39.99 www.prenhallprofessional.com
Jboss Seam blends EJB 3.0 and JSF components under one framework: for Java developers this means an easier tool for taking full advantage of Java EE web development routines – and for libraries catering to professional Java programmers, it means a top pick which goes further than the Java EE platform itself. From integrating web and data components and pages to creating AJAX and custom UI components and optimizing Jboss Seam, Jboss Seam: Simplicity and Power Beyond Java EE is the item of choice for any serious Java EE programmer.
Simple Computer Transfer and Backup
CA, with Eric Geier and Jim Geier
Wiley Publishing
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256
9780470068533, $24.99 www.wiley.com
Transfer to a new PC without using passwords, preferences or even photos with this book/software packages which can help link an old PC's information directly to a new one. A free copy of the CA Desktop DNA Migrator is included along with instructions on transferring data and a Wizard interface which makes such instructions a snap. From migrating data to backing up files, troubleshooting, and handling a network system, SIMPLE COMPUTER TRANSFER AND BACKUP is a manual no computer user should be without.
Ajax on Java
Steven Douglas Olson
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596101872, $29.99 www.oreilly.com
Web programmers working with Java will appreciate this guide, which tells how to make a Java web application more responsive and dynamic by incorporating new Ajaxian features, from suggestion lists and drag-and-drop modes to producing third-party tag libraries and using Ajax with Struts. The idea is to streamline operations and use Java developer backgrounds to understand Ajax's strengths: AJAX ON JAVA is the place to begin the process, and is a pick for any library strong in web programming topics in general and Java in particular.
Hot-Wiring Your Creative Process
Curt Cloninger
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321350243, $40.00 www.newriders.com 1-800-428-5331
HOT-WIRING YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS: STRATEGIES FOR PRINT AND NEW MEDIA DESIGNERS tells how to recognize and believe in creativity, using inspiration past and present to evaluate work, develop new experimental applications for standard tasks, and more. Any designer who would streamline creativity and develop more efficient work habits will find HOT-WIRING YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS comes packed with tips on how to put into practice an array of creative techniques.
Scaling Software Agility
Dean Leffingwell
Addison-Wesley
75 Arlington Street, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02116
0321458192, $42.99 www.awprofessional.com 1-800-428-5331
Agile development practices involving bringing products to market quicker, making it easier to adapt to the rapid changes consumers bring to the software environment, and SCALING SOFTWARE AGILITY: BEST PRACTICES FOR LARGE ENTERPRISES is a key to understanding effective agile methods and how they translate in a business environment. Developers, testers and QA personnel, including managers, will find this an excellent survey of best practices which will prove advanced software libraries with a foundation for understanding the methods and importance of agile routines.
Murach's Java SE 6
Joel Murach & Andrea Steelman
Mike Murach & Associates
3484 West Gettysburg, Suite 101, Fresno, CA 93722
9781890774424, $52.50 www.murach.com 1-800-221-5528
A complete and 'user friendly' instruction manual, "Murach's Java SE 6" is a core textbook that allows the reader to learn the kinds of real-world Java skills they will need in their daily job, and master these skills at their own pace. An 'object-oriented' instructional, "Murach's Java SE 6" will teach the Java student the practical use of business classes, inheritance, and interfaces. As a GUI programming manual, "Murach's Java SE 6" explains how to develop graphical user interfaces which will efficiently handle events and validate data. In the area of data-access, "Murach's Java SE 6" takes the Java student through a step-by-step process on how to develop 3-tier, object-oriented, database applications on a professional level. An illustrated, methodical, comprehensive instruction manual that will prove invaluable for the novice and experienced Java user alike, "Murach's Java SE 6" is a substantial and very strongly recommended student instructional manual and professional reference guide for the Java user.
The Real Estate Shelf
How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year
Susan Smith Alvis
Atlantic Publishing Group Inc.
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34474-7014
9781601380418, $24.95 www.atlantic-pub.com
Real estate agents who are newly licensed can't afford to miss this guide, which surveys the successful strategies of top seller and creates a business plan from these strategies. Any who want to learn how to begin a real estate business will find plenty of material from agents' personal experiences, paired with lessons from the author's own viewpoint. From handling competition and gaining referrals to setting up Internet marketing and keeping clients close by mailing out reminder cards, any business library catering to real estate agent clientele needs this.
Real Estate Disasters
Tammy Frosch Esponge
Adaly Publishing
1615 Ellerslie Ave., LaPlace, LA 70068
9780978917814, $15.99
Written by New Orleans resident and certified apartment manager Tammy Frosch Esponge, Real Estate Disasters: A Post Katrina Survival Guide for Housing, Property and Insurance Catastrophes is a vivid window of insight into the bureaucratic screw-ups, hurdles, and other problems plaguing New Orleans housing, property, and insurance owners after Hurricane Katrina - and also a spotlight on the positive efforts individuals and communities have infused in an attempt to rebuild what was lost. At times rueful, at times practical, and always informative, Real Estate Disasters examines problems from the viewpoints of both apartment owners and apartment tenants, and searches for solutions as well as pointing out problems. "Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts proposed that landlords be obliged to hire around-the-clock security if they were accepting federal housing subsidies... apart from the obvious issue that his proposal would tend to stigmatize all people on welfare as criminals, it seemed to us that there was every likelihood that the demands the councilman was making on landlords would just encourage those landlords to stop accepting federal vouchers." An absolute "must-read" for anyone dealing with housing, property, or insurance issues in today's New Orleans, and an insightful resource when preparing or coping with the fallout from property disaster anywhere else in America.
Renting Your Recreational Property for Profit
Heather Bayer
Self-Counsel Press Inc.
1704 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
9781551807331, $15.95 www.self-counsel.com 1-800-663-3007
Written by Heather Bayer (CEO of CottageLINK Rental Management, a cottage rental agency based in Ontario, Canada) Renting Your Recreational Property for Profit is a practical guide to generating income through renting one's vacation home. Accessible to all readers regardless of their individual familiarity with real estate, Renting Your Recreational Property for Profit covers how to market one's vacation home, how to manage property oneself, rental management agencies, a guest guide, and much more. "Once you have a website up and running, you may receive unsolicited calls from a newspaper's advertising department offering highly discounted rates for a series of ads. Before being tempted, figure out how many weeks' rental you would have to sell in order to pay for that advertising - that is, what it takes to recoup the money." An accompanying Windows-compatible CD-ROM filled with templates, worksheets, checklists, and spreadsheets rounds out this handy and useful resource.
The Psychology Shelf
Freud's Wizard
Brenda Maddox
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Books Groups
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306815559, $26.00 www.dacapopress.com
FREUD'S WIZARD: ERNEST JONES AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF PSYCHOANALYSIS discusses Freud's disciple and colleague who brought the international psychoanalytic movement to London and fostered its spread to the U.S. With so many books considering both Freud's life and theory, it's satisfying to find an adjunct which details a contemporary who had a dramatic impact both on Freud's personal life and in the promotion of his theories. FREUD'S WIZARD is essential for any college-level or general-interest collection that already houses biographies and discussions of Freud: it considers the history and evolution of early psychoanalysis and the man who vastly contributed to Freud's theory's promotion.
Almost Human
Lee Gutkind
W.W. Norton
500 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
0393058670, $25.95 www.wwnorton.com
At the cutting edge of science and technology are discussions over what constitutes a human being, and what elements of humanity may translate into robot functions. ALMOST HUMAN: MAKING ROBOTS THINK is part of this discussion, reflecting the author's investigation into the realm of robotic developments and science and its concurrent search for a language to talk to machines and enable machine/human communications. While ALMOST HUMAN could also have been reviewed in our science section, it's featured here for its challenging insights into the thinking process and how it differs between machine and human.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
10 Steps To Better Living With Diabetes
Ginger Kanzer-Lewis
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
9781580402590, $16.95 www.diabetes.org 1-800-342-2383
A past president of the American Diabetes Association, Ginger Kanzer-Lewis draws upon her more than twenty-five years of experience instructing health care professionals how to teach their patients how to control their condition of diabetes while continuing to enjoy their lives in writing "10 Steps To Better Living With Diabetes". Diabetics must monitor their blood sugar levels, exercise every day, eat healthy, and take their medications properly if they are to enjoy a high quality of life despite their disability which, if left ignored and untreated, could prove life threatening. "10 Steps To Better Living With Diabetes" is characterized by offering solid information in a jargon-free text that makes it ideal for the non-specialist general reader seeking to help themselves and/or a loved one to get the most out of what life has to offer by taking proper care of their diabetic condition. Also very highly recommended for personal and community library Health & Medicine reference collections is "The Diabetes Dictionary: What Every Personal With Diabetes Needs To Know" (9781580402521, $5.95) from the American Diabetes Association providing succinct definitions for more than five hundred terms and concepts (including common abbreviations and acronyms) associated with diabetes.
Cerebrum 2007
The Dana Foundation
Dana Press
900 – 15th Street N.W., Washington DC 20005
9781932594249, $14.95 www.dana.org
Both science and health collections at the college level will benefit highly from The Dana Foundation's CEREBRUM: EMERGING IDEAS IN BRAIN SCIENCE, a compendium of brain research in a yearly anthology representing how prominent neuroscientists and others react to new discoveries about the brain. It's drawn from Cerebrum's Web edition and brings together experts who use lay language to discuss biology, ethics, science, and contemporary issues ranging from hidden memories to issues of understanding 'sin'. An excellent survey, CEREBRUM 2007 will find a place on the shelves of any serious college-level health or science collection.
Ethical Issues in Dementia Care
Julian C. Hughes and Clive Baldwin
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, #400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1843103575, $29.95 www.jkp.com
ETHICAL ISSUES IN DEMENTIA CARE: MAKING DIFFICULT DECISIONS is a recommendation for any college-level collection specializing in nursing or health care. It considers the various decisions that are common to caretakers and family members, telling how to handle different perspectives and situations and covering both conscience and patterns of professional ethics and practices. An excellent survey which uses real-life scenarios to analyze the heart of ethical issues in dementia care.
The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome
Tony Attwood
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Box 960, Herndon, VA 20172-0960
1843104954, $35.00 www.jkp.com
Usually books on Asperger's Syndrome address the diagnosis and options for children: The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome broadens the field, using case studies and personal accounts from the author's own clinical experience to cover both adults and children, and all symptoms of the syndrome. From causes and diagnosis to differences in social interactions, perception, and mental health issues, The Complete Guide goes far beyond the usual Asperger's approach and is a 'must' for any serious health reference collection.
The New Rules of Posture
Mary Bond
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
1594771243, $18.95 www.healingartspress.com
THE NEW RULES OF POSTURE: HOW TO SIT, STAND, AND MOVE IN THE MODERN WORLD addresses a common health problem: poor posture. New to Mary Bond's approach is a focus on postural changes combined with attitude realization: it comes from her background as a dancer and a Structural Integration practitioner who teaches movement, and it draws on over thirty years of experience to show how habit and emotional factors contribute to unhealthy posture. Both new age and general-interest public lending libraries will find the focus on health, exercise and ergonomics to be a fine coverage.
The Sun Farmer
Michael McCarthy
Ivan R. Dee
1332 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566637007, $24.95 www.ivanrdee.com
THE SUN FARMER: THE TORY OF A SHOCKING ACCIDENT, A MEDICAL MIRACLE, AND A FAMILY'S LIFE-AND-DEATH DECISION tells of an Illinois farmer so badly burned in a tractor accident that only his feet were untouched – a tragedy which brought his wife a difficult decision: to allow him to die, or allow doctors to enshroud him in a cocoon of artificial skin. Included in this memoir are insights on the world's first artificial skin, its applications in trauma cases, and the short- and long-term consequences of the accident. THE SUN FARMER charts one family's decisions, course of action, and efforts to survive disaster and is a moving survey any general-interest lending library will want.
Sugar Shock
Connie Bennett, CHHC, with Stephen T. Sinatra, MD
Berkeley Books
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
9780425213575, $14.95 www.penguin.com
Eating sugars and carbs can bring on obesity and diabetes – but these are only two problems associated with sugars and carbs: others include heart disease, fatigue, and even mood swings. Author Connie Bennett is a former sugar addict who learned of sugar's other dangers the hard way – and who has been free of her addiction to sweets and simple carbs since 1998. Her journalist background blends with a doctor'' insights to chart all the dangers in SUGAR SHOCK! HOW SWEETS AND SIMPLE CARBS CAN DERAIL YOUR LIFE – AND HOW YOU CAN GET BACK ON TRACK. A fine addition not just for health libraries, but for any general-interest collection.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Gareth J. Parry, MB, CHB, FRACP and Joel Steinberg, MD, PhD
Demos
386 Park Avenue South, Suite 301, New York NY 10016
1932603565, $19.95 www.demosmedpub.com
Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system, resulting in symptoms ranging from tingling and weakness to paralysis. GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME: FROM DIAGNOSIS TO RECOVERY is co-authored by a survivor of the condition and covers everything from early symptoms and treatment options to diagnostic methods and prognosis. From rehabilitation to acute care and coming home again, GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME is a 'must' for any serious health library.
Cause of Death
Stephen D. Cohle, MD and Tobin T. Buhk
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781591024477, $26.00 www.prometheusbooks.com
CAUSE OF DEATH: FORENSIC FILES OF A MEDICAL EXAMINER isn't just for college-level students of forensic medicine: it's a pick for any interested in forensic investigations, which will include many a legal reference collection as well as public library patrons. Chapters from a veteran medical examiner and forensic pathologist document the case histories and real-life challenges of autopsies, pairing detailed autopsy notes with insights on victims, murder methods and more. Perfect not only for health libraries but for law libraries and general-interest collections.
Encyclopedia Of Healing & Aging
Kyriakos S. Markides, editor
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
97814129909495, $125.00 www.sagepub.com 1-800-818-7243
The aging of the baby-boomer generation has propelled geriatric medicine to a priority as 'old age' issues become dominate in terms of personal and national priorities. Compiled, organized and edited by Kyriakos S. Markides (University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas), "Encyclopedia Of Healing & Aging" is a single 650-page volume of alphabetically presented resources and information covering researches and data on health and aging. More than 230 entries cover the biological, psychological, social, and even economic aspects of health and aging, including their impact upon and within the health care system. Of special emphasis is the focus on geriatrics with respect to syndromes and common diseases associated with the aging process. "Encyclopedia Of Healing & Aging" is an up-to-date reference on a spectrum of aging issues ranging from acute illness, Alzheimers, bereavement, and economic dependency, to health care costs, health promotions, hospice care, long-term care, medications, public policy, quality of live, and widowhood. Included are discussions on landmark studies in aging, as well as such key programs as Social Security, Meals on Wheels, and Medicaid/Medicare. All of the relevant disciplines are represented along with their contributions in gerontology, epidemiology, sociology, medicine, and public policy. International in scope, "Encyclopedia Of Healing & Aging" surveys health and aging issues from Mexico and Canada, as well as Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. A comprehensive and comprehensive work of impressive scholarship, "Encyclopedia Of Healing & Aging" is as accessible to the non-specialized general reader with an interest in health and aging issues, as it is invaluable for students and professionals working in these fields. "Encyclopedia Of Healing & Aging" is an important and core addition to professional, academic, governmental, and community library Health & Aging reference collections.
Omnigraphics
615 Griswold Street, Detroit, MI 48226
www.omnigraphics.com
Sooner or later most consumers will have foot problems, and to explain the latest research into podiatry health is Ivy L. Alexander, Editor's Podiatry Sourcebook, 2nd Edition (9780780809444, $78.00), a revised sourcebook perfect for both health libraries and general-interest lending collections. The bones, joints, and muscles of the foot are surveyed in easily-accessed chapters which covering everything from conditions relating to growth to foot deformities, neuromuscular diseases, swelling of the joints, and more. Joyce Brennenfleck Shannon's EATING DISORDERS SOURCEBOOK (9780780809482) appears in its second updated edition to cover the basics of eating disorders and their treatment. From bulimia and binge eating to anorexia, EATING DISORDERS SOURCEBOOK outlines the problem, therapies, physical and psychological effects – and includes chapters on healthy ways of controlling weight. These are basic health references any health or general library needs.
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.healingartspress.com
Robert J. Green Jr.'s NATURAL THERAPIES FOR EMPHYSEMA AND COPD: RELIEF AND HEALING FOR CHRONIC PULMONARY DISORDERS (1594771634, $14.95) shows that alternative holistic therapies from herbs to homeopathy offer relief in coping with COPD's symptoms – and can be blended into the author's comprehensive treatment program, presented here. From dietary changes and nutritional supplements to exercises from aerobics to yoga, a range of alternative therapies are brought into play in a survey alternative health libraries will want. David Winston and Steven Maimes' ADAPTOGENS: HERBS FOR STRENGTH, STAMINA AND STRESS RELIEF (1594771588, $18.95) will appeal into the general interest public library realm with a fine general guide to health, nutrition, and the potentials of nontoxic herbs to help the body 'adapt' to influences which causes fatigue and stress-related disorders. From a historical survey of the uses of these herbs around the world to medical explanations of why and how they work, ADAPTOGENS is a guide many a general lending library needs.
The Interior Design Shelf
The Pantry
Catherine Seiberling Pond
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423600046, $16.95 www.gibbs-smith.com 1-800-748-5439
"The Pantry: Its History And Modern Uses" by author, architectural historian, and former house museum manager Catherine Seiberling Pond is a beautifully illustrated history of how the nature of the 19th century pantry began to change and evolve in the 20th and 21st centuries as American homemakers began to cook more, bake more, buy more, and stockpile more just as architects were designing and building homes that did not have pantries. The result was that 'big-box' items that once would have been stored in a pantry were now regulated to the garage. "The Pantry" offers cogent and persuasive arguments why the pantry should be restored to the contemporary American home as both a functional and an esthetic design element in keeping with the socio-economic and design changes that have affected and shaped the American home which ranges in style from Victorian to 20th Century, and from the great estate to the modern dwelling. While the use of the pantry has evolved, it continues to be an interesting, utilitarian space the combines nostalgia with cutting edge modern ideas for the family kitchen. "The Pantry" also covers what to put in one, food storage solutions, the selections of materials, design and layout, display, decor tips, and more. Of special note is the chapter dedicated to 'Pantries Open to the Public'. Informed and informative reading, "The Pantry" is particularly recommended to the attention of architects, home remodelers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the developmental history of the American home.
Russell Versaci's CREATING A NEW OLD HOUSE: YESTERDAY'S CHARACTER FOR TODAY'S HOME (9781561587926, $24.95 ) is for any who want the best of both worlds: the conveniences of modern styling with the look of yesterday. Interior and exterior shots of example houses accompany in-depth discussions of particular projects, remodeling challenges, pros and cons, how conversions were scaled and designed, and more. From diagrams of proportions and interior layout to surveys of construction options, CREATING A NEW OLD HOUSE will add to any lending collection already strong in home renovation, remodeling, and options. Marc Vassallo's THE BAREFOOT HOME (1561588075, $30.00) features over twenty house styles which reflect the modern inclination to go barefoot in the house and to live an informal lifestyle. These are homes connected to the outdoors, filled with light, and which make casual living easy: from making a house smaller to heat it more efficiently to considering what style elements lend to a feeling of 'casual', THE BAREFOOT HOME: DRESSED-DOWN DESIGN FOR CASUAL LIVING is packed with ideas. Sarah Nettleton's THE SIMPLE HOME: THE LUXURY OF ENOUGH (9781561588312, $40.00) defines the concept of a 'simple home' and offers interior design tips to achieving satisfaction from a basic home design. This involves eliminating non-essentials and practicing restraint: six avenues to achieving a 'greener' lifestyle from this approach blends full-page color photos with comments on designs which refine and simplify the home – perfect for new students of interior design and homeowners contemplating reconstruction.
The Art Shelf
The Uffizi Gallery Museum
Alexandra Bonfante-Warren
Hugh Lauter Levin Associates
9 Burr Road, Westport, CT 06880
0883635127, $75.00 1-203-227-6422
The Uffizi Gallery is Europe's first and oldest museum founded in 1546 when Cosimo I, the Medici due of Tuscany, envisioned bringing Florence's administrative and judicial entities and most powerful guilds under a single roof. The Uffizi Gallery houses two outstanding collections: The Galleria with masterpiece paintings dating from the 13th to the 19th century (as well as great works of sculpture from classical antiquity); and the Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe, a collection comprised of almost 120,000 drawings and prints. "The Uffizi Gallery Museum" is the story of these impressive collections and is superbly illustrated with more than 300 full-color illustrations combined with an informed and informative text. This is a showcase of the Renaissance that took place in Florence, Italy and has proved to be influential as a resource and example for every generation of artists from its inception down to the present day. No serious academic or community library Art History collection can be considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of a copy of "The Uffizi Gallery Museum" by Alexandra Bonfante-Warren.
The Art And Architecture Of Persia
Giovanni Curatola & Gianroberto Scarcia
Abbeville Press
137 Varick Street, Suite 504, New York, NY 10019-1105
9780789209207, $95.00 www.abbeville.com 1-800-343-4499
The collaborative work of Giovanni Curatola (Professor of Islamic Archeology and Art History at the University of Undine) and Gianroberto Scarcia (Professor of Arabic-Islamic Culture History at the University of Venice), "The Art And Architecture Of Persia" is a comprehensive and superbly presented introduction that is as informed and informative as it is visual enhanced with the inclusion of 217 illustrations (188 of which are in full color). Covering both pre- and post-Islamic Persian art, this thoroughly 'reader friendly' coffee table art book traces the artistic develop of ancient Persia and its influence throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. "The Art And Architecture Of Persia" commences with the Achaemenids and the Sasanian (who dominated pre-Islamic Persia) and proceeds down through the centuries covering each successive phase of Persia's traditional traditions. From the needlecraft arts, to metalurgy, to pottery, to monuments, memorials, temples, mosques, and palaces, "The Art And Architecture Of Persia" offers a stunningly beautiful tour of an incredible complex and extended culture. Also very highly recommended for both academic and community library collections is a related title edited by Giovanni Curatola, "The Art And Architecture of Mesopotamia" (9780-7892-0921-4, $95.00, Abbeville Press).
Shine Hanga
Barryh Till
Pomegranate Communications, Inc.
PO Box 808022, Petaluma, CA 94975-8022
9788764940392, $24.95 www.pomegranate.com 1-800-227-1428
from the late 19th through mid-twentieth century, the 'shin hanga' or new print movement flourished in Japan under the influence of Watanabe Shozaburo (1885-1962). This novel and distinctive art form employed a traditional production system that combined the efforts of artists with those of carvers, printers, and publishers who came together to form 'studio teams' to create wood block prints that often included Kabuki actor portraits, landscapes, birds, flowers, and other natural themes familiar to the Japanese. "Shin Hanga: the New Print Movement Of Japan" is a superbly illustrated history of the 'shin hanga' movement while showcasing works by its principal artists. Featuring more than one hundred full color images combined with an impressively informed and informative text, "Shin Hanga" by Barry Till (Curator of Asian Art at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a seminal work and very strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Art History and Japanese Popular Culture reference collections.
Michael Taylor: A Geometry Of Meaning
Robert C. Morgan, et al.
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, 74-2 Union Street, Manchester, VT 05254
National Books Network (distributor)
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
1555952623, $60.00 www.hudsonhills.com www.nbnbooks.com 1-800-462-6420
With an informed and informative text provided by art critic Robert C. Morgan (Adjunct Professor of Fine Arts at Pratt Institute in New York City), Tina Oldknow (Curator of Modern Glass at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, and William Warmus (former curator of the Corning Museum of Glass and a past editor of 'Glass' magazine), "Michael Taylor: A Geometry Of Meaning" showcases the work and creativity of one of American's true pioneers in glass art. Known for both his technical skills in a demanding artistic medium and his ability to imbue his objects with a kind of metaphysical geometry, this superbly illustrated coffee-table art book covers a body of work that spans 35 years of artistic creativity and excellence. Combining stunningly visual color plates with incisive essays, along with a detailed discussion with Taylor about his prodigious accomplishments (all carried out while he also had an impressive academic career as Professor and Chair of the Glass Department in the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology), "Michael Taylor: A Geometry Of Meaning" is a fitting and highly deserved addition to the American Art History reference collections of academic libraries in general, and the supplemental reading lists for students of Glass Art Studies in particular.
The Silk Road And Beyond
Karen Manchester, editor
The Art Institute Of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603-6110
Yale University Press
PO Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040
9780300124286, $30.00 www.yalebooks.com 1-800-987-7323 1-312-443-3600
A collaborative project of The Art Institute of Chicago and the Yale University Press, "The Silk Road And Beyond: Travel, Trad, and Transformation" is expertly edited by Karen Manchester and features a two-page colored map illustrating the land and sea routes between Europe and Asia from 200 BCE to 1500 CE. Of special note are the icon symbols identifying the locations of ancient cities and archaeological sites of interest. An informed and informative essay by Milo C. Beach introduces readers to the history of the Silk Road and the way in which is fostered a two-way flow of goods, styles, and ideas between East and West. Also featured in "The Silk Road And Beyond" is a conversation between Chicago Art Institute present and director James Cuno and renowned cellist Yo-Yo Mar as they discuss the Silk Road as a metaphor for the circulation of ideas, motifs, and techniques both visual and musical. An extended and beautifully illustrated catalogue section features fascinating entries on forty objects in the Art Institute's collection ranging from ancient Chinese tomb figures to the works of contemporary artists including Lalla Essaydi. "The Silk Road And Beyond" is a beautifully crafted and presented history that would make a fine addition to personal, academic, and community library Art and History reference collections.
Art Office 2nd Edition
Constance Smith & Sue Viders
ArtNetwork
Box 1360, Nevada City, CA 95959
9780940899285, $14.95 www.artmarketing.com
The second updated edition of ART OFFICE packs in some eighty business forms, charts, sample letters and legal documents relating to either established or upcoming artists, helping them get organized and helping to reduce the paperwork involved in an art business. ART OFFICE packs in all the resources needed, from marketing plans and show planners to pricing worksheets, bills of sale, competition records and target market charts. An excellent study recommended for practicing artists at all levels.
Sticker City: Paper Graffiti Art
Claudia Walde
Thames & Hudson
500 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
050028668X, $24.95 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
Graffiti has its poster board roots on city walls, typically – but this worldwide survey documents a new trend: paper works glued to city surfaces. The author is a graffiti artist who traveled around the world surveying street art: some eighty artists' works are profiled in over 7,000 examples of this new 'paper art graffiti, providing both a historical survey and insights into the special demands of the new 'adhesive art' medium. Any art library holding will find this an excellent and unique acquisition.
The Hobby Shelf
Detailing Freight Cars
Jeff Wilson
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780890246917, $19.95 www.kalmbachbooks.com 1-800-533-6644
The Kalmbach Publishing Company is a premier publisher of books for model railroading enthusiasts. The newest addition to their 'Model Railroader' series of 'how to' guides is Jeff Wilson's "Detailing Freight Cars". Enhanced with more than two hundred color photographs and informative diagrams, this instruction manual will prove indispensable to hobbyists wanting to add realism and character to their model railroading layouts. With clear and profusely illustrated step-by-step instructions, model railroaders will learn how to add break and underbody details to their freight cars, upgrade couplers and trucks, weathering and painting their freight cars, use accurate decals for placards and markings, replace running boards and body details, and even make realistic freight loads. The techniques featured apply to model railroad layouts in all scales. "Detailing Freight Cars" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any dedicated model railroad buffs personal reference collection.
The Biography Shelf
When Grownups Play at War
Ilona Flutsztejn-Gruda, author
Sarah Cummins, translator
Sumach Press
1415 Bathurst Street, Suite 202, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5R 3H8
9781894549431, $9.95 www.sumachpress.com
When Grownups Play at War is the true-life childhood memoir of author Ilona Flutsztejn-Gruda, a survivor of World War II in Europe. She was nine years old, a Jew living in Poland, when the German planes began to drop their bombs. Her experiences of terrible horror, desperation, surviving on little, witnessing both the kindness and the murderousness of strangers, have been fluently translated into English by Sarah Cummins. She survived in part by escaping to the Soviet Union with her family, only to witness Communist cruelty and paranoia replace Nazi genocide after the close of the war - even prisoners of war liberated from German concentration camps were at risk for being sent to prison camps in Siberia. A telling story of hardship and coming of age amid ruthlessly trying times, highly recommended.
Inside Intermarriage
Jim Keen
URJ Press
633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6778
9780807409664, $15.95 www.urjpress.com 1-888-489-8242
Written by Jim Keen, a Christian father committed to helping his Jewish wife raise Jewish children, Inside Intermarriage: A Christian Partner's Perspective on Raising a Jewish Family is a one-of-a-kind testimony about the unique dynamics of interfaith love, matrimony, and child-rearing. "A friend of mine recently asked me how I decided to give this 'gift' [the decision to raise the children Jewish] to my wife. She wanted to know what were the factors that made this the right choice. I had a hard time answering that one. I finally said that, technically speaking, there wasn't one thing per se that did it. Nothing forced us to decide one way or the other. The only criterion that we had was that we both had to be happy with the resolution. There is no right or wrong answer." Chapters address the author's experience as an outsider to his wife's culture, well-treated but still a "non-Jew", learning to make family connections at the Jewish Community Center, difficult choices during family celebrations of the holidays, particularly in the ubiquitously marketed Christmas season, and much more. "Fortunately, Bonnie's stepmother offered us a refreshing bit of wisdom. She said, 'One day out of the year isn't going to make or break their Jewish identity. It's how you raise your kids as Jews the other 364 days that counts." A fascinating testimony in its own right, and enthusiastically recommended reading for anyone contemplating interfaith marriage or especially interfaith parenting.
Facing the Night
Ned Rorem
Shoemaker & Hoard, Publishers
1400 65th Street, Suite 250, Emeryville, CA 94608
9781593760885, $25.00 www.shoemakerhoard.com
Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ned Rorem, Facing the Night: A Diary (1999-2005) and Musical Writings is the latest installment of Rorem's musings on his life in his own words. An eclectic anthology of musings day by day, Facing the covers how Rorem, a gay man, had to cope with the terrible loss of Jim Holmes, his companion of thirty-two years. Overwhelmed with grief, he searched for the path to continue in an ever-turning world, even has his eightieth birthday was celebrated nationwide with concerts and programs as is often done for celebrities. Facing the Night's topics range from the profound matters of life itself, to discussions of nuances in efforts to translate works, to reflections on the myriad dimensions of music and much more. "Music has nothing to do with intelligence, or even with culture - or how do you account for so many educated intellectuals, including major creative writers and painters like Kafka and Picasso, being tone-deaf? Nor does music improve us so much as make us more of what we already are - or how do you account for Nero fiddling while Rome burns, or Nazis playing Beethoven quartets to drown the prisoners' screams? Music is not morality, and many a miraculous musician, starting with Wagner, is no better than he should be. To use music as therapy is to belittle the composer." Highly recommended and eminently readable, a few vignettes at a time or all at once.
Elena Poniatowska: An Intimate Biography
Michael K. Schuessler
University of Arizona Press
355 South Euclid Avenue, Suite 103, Tucson, AZ 85719-6654
9780816525010, $19.95 www.uapress.arizona.edu 1-800-426-3797
Elena Poniatowska: An Intimate Biography is an amazing window into the life and work of socially conscious writer Elena Poniatowska, a descendant of the last king of Poland, whose voice is best known in Mexico but deserves to be known everywhere else. Written by Poniatowska's friend of fifteen years Michael K. Schuessler, Elena Poniatowska: An Intimate Biography draws upon numerous interviews to reveal a multiplicity of perspectives - from fellow writers, literary critics, her nanny, her mother, and herself - upon Poniatowska's remarkable life and works. 40 black-and-white photographs, an annotated bibliography of Poniatowska's writings including those translated into English and those yet to be translated, and an index round out this "must-have" companion to any college library or literature shelf featuring Poniatowska's work.
Adorno in America
David Jenemann
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
9780816648092, $22.95 www.upress.umn.edu
Written by David Jenemann (assistant professor of English, University of Vermont) Adorno in America is a biography of German philosopher and cultural critic Theodor W. Adorno (1903-1969), who lived in exile in the United States from 1938 to 1953. Drawing upon Adorno's theories and archival materials ranging from Adorno's unpublished writings to FBI files, Jenemann reveals Adorno's experiences in New York and Los Angeles, and proffers not only the Adorno's story, but an evolving perspective on the rise of mass culture and consumerism. An exalting portrait of Adorno as a defender of intellectual democracy, as well as an intriguing portrait of mid-twentieth century cultural shifts, Adorno in America is highly recommended for philosophy and cultural criticism shelves as well as biography shelves.
Distinguished Service
Thomas C. Reeves
Marquette University Press
PO Box 3141, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3141
9780874620177, $45.00 www.marquette.edu/mupress
Written by retired history teacher Thomas C. Reeves, Distinguished Service: The Life of Wisconsin Governor Walter J. Kohler, Jr. is an in-depth, studious biography of Walter J. Kohler, Jr. (1904-76) who served as Wisconsin's governor during the mid-twentieth century. Distinguished Service spares no detail, from its recounting of Kohler's genealogy to the meticulous analysis of his life and gubernatorial service to its contemplation of his legacy. An inset section of black-and-white photographic plates and an index complement this scholarly account, especially recommended for public library and biography shelves.
William Randolph Hearst
Ben Protecter
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016-4314
9780195325348, $30.00 www.oup.com
WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST: THE LATER YEARS, 1911-1951 presents the second volume in a biography series which follows Hearst's life, and is a pick for college-level holdings which already have the first volume, as well as for college-level collections strong in media or journalism history. It surveys how Hearst built an empire of newspapers in nineteen of the largest cities in the U.S., and how his final forty years strengthened his hold. Previously unavailable letters and manuscripts, along with Hearst's own powerful political editorials, make for a powerful testimony not just to Hearst's life, but to the evolution of the newspaper as a whole, and its political impact on American lives.
The Immortal Marilyn
John DeVito and Frank Tropea
Scarecrow Press
4501 Forbes Boulevard #200, Lanham, MD 20706
0810858665, $35.00 www.scarecrowpress.com
Marilyn Monroe appeared in barely thirty movies but quickly became a silver screen star: so many books have been written about her life and times it would seem overkill to have yet another – but what makes THE IMMORTAL MARILYN: THE DEPICTION OF AN ICON unique is a focus on her various representations in the performing arts from the 1950s to modern times. Four different modes are identified: each is explored in a series of individual works which reflect her persona, history and image and consider how that image has been supported through fact and fiction. Don't expect your usual light treatment for general-interest audiences: this is scholarly, college-level material perfect for college-level drama and acting collections, especially those with history holdings.
Laughing in the Dark
Chonda Pierce
Howard Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781582296418, $17.99 www.howardpublishing.com
Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian's Journey Through Depression is the true story of comedian, Christian, and depression survivor Chonda Pierce, in her own words. Pierce recovered with help from close friends, therapy, and a Zoloft prescription; she candidly shares her story as affirmation that "depression" is neither shameful nor a sign of faltering faith. Though the author's abiding faith in God is quite evident, Laughing in the Dark is intended for readers of all belief systems. "When your mind has been captivated by the dark for a long time and you finally experience some healing - whether instantaneously through an act of God or gradually through the gift of medicine - you feel liberated... But there's more work to be done. It's like having any other serious, debilitating injury. You're excited when you make it through all the surgeries, but you still have to battle through rehabilitation in order to learn to walk, talk, and feed yourself again." Highly recommended, especially for the personal shelves and reading lists of anyone suffering depression or their friends and families.
Placing the Academy
Jennifer Sinor & Rona Kaufman, editors
Utah State University Press
7800 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-7800
9780874216578, $34.95 www.usu.edu/usupress
Placing the Academy: Essays on Landscape, Work, and Identity is an anthology of memoir essays by a diversity of learned authors reflecting upon their experiences as teachers, students, and young adults experiencing the rites of passage. Essays include "On Frogs, Poems and Teaching at a Rural Community College", "The Blind Teaching the Blind: The Academic as Naturalist, or Not", "Levittown Breeds Anarchists! Film at 11" and much more. At times broadly insightful, at times intensely personal, these vignettes offer a unique, soul-satisfying glimpse of the universal quest to pass on human knowledge, and all the myriad ways in which dedicating one's career to that quest can touch one's life.
Stolen Beauty
Amy Madden
Syren Book Company
5120 Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis, MN 55416
9780929636740, $14.95 www.syrenbooks.com
Stolen Beauty: Healing the Scars of Child Abuse is the true-life memoir of Amy
