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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 14, Number 6 June 2004 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Travel Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Musicbook Shelf Biography Shelf Computer Shelf
Science Shelf Business Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Language Studies Shelf
Metaphysical Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Parenting Shelf
Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf Cookbook Shelf Artbook Shelf
Gardening Shelf Library CD Music Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Library Video/DVD Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Fiction Shelf Nautical Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Sports Shelf Psychology Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Automotive Shelf Environmental Shelf Native American Shelf
Education Shelf Woodworking Shelf Architecture Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Martial Arts Shelf Women's Studies Shelf
Hunting/Fishing Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Criminology Shelf
Political Science Shelf Railroading Shelf Interior Design Shelf
Photography Shelf Civil War Shelf Economics Shelf
Islamic Studies Shelf Philosophy Shelf Gaming Shelf
Military Shelf Poetry Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Scrolling Forward
David M. Levy
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10010
1559705531 $24.95 (hardcover)
1559706481 $13.95 (paperback
1-800-759-0190 www.arcadepub.com

The changing face of documents and images in the digital age is considered in a title which covers all kinds of documents and the changes they face from the digital world; from recipes and letters to business memos and other writings. Is the book doomed? Is paper to disappear? Scrolling Forward: Making Sense Of Documents In The Digital Age by David M. Levy examines documents of all kinds as they relate to culture, history and technological changes.

Headwraps
Georgia Scott
Public Affairs
250 W. 57th St., #1321, NY, NY 10107
1586481096 $35.00 1-877-782-1234

Scott traveled around the world assessing headwraps of different cultures: while her book is a specialty item recommended for collections featuring in-depth cultural histories, Headwraps should not be missed by any who are interested in clothing and ethnic history. Chapters consider why women cover their heads, who wears headwraps, and the world history of the habit. Beautiful color photos accompany her travels to countries around the world. A unique, highly recommended work.

Dover Publications
31 E. 2nd St., Mineola, NY 11501
1-800-223-3130 www.amazon.com

Two new titles will provide aspiring artists with clear tips and techniques. Diana Stanley's Anatomy For Artists (0486429-814, $7.95) teaches the essentials of anatomical rendering, with numerous illustrations and instructions covering key aspects of anatomy an artist would find useful. This republishes a 1951 classic. John Montroll's Dollar Bill Origami (0486429-822, $14.95) shows how to create models from dollar bills rather than traditional origami paper. Over 37 figures and objects can be made by folding money, from swords to eagles. Both are intriguing coverages.

Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
1-800-537-5487 www.press.jhu.edu

Two excellent social issue examinations are top recommended picks from this publisher. Rayvon Fouche's Black Inventors In The Age Of Segregation: Granville T. Woods, Lewis H. Latimer, And Shelby J. Davidson (0801873193, $34.95) refutes the common notion that inventors were lone geniuses who worked in relative isolation in the late 19th-early 20th century world. Most indeed developed their ideas within industrial organizations that supported their experiments: for blacks, this meant real challenges in working on innovative designs while breaking social barriers. Fouche here uses the lives and works of Granville Woods, Lewis Latimer and Shelby Davidson to detail the social frustrations underlying their research. Mabel Berezin and Martin Schain's Europe Without Borders: Remapping Territory, Citizenship, And Identity In A Transnational Age (0801874378, $19.95) gathers leading experts in sociology, political science, psychology, geology and other friends to consider changing identity and societies in Europe since the creation of the European Union in 1992. The range of disciplines will please college-level readers studying modern European events.

Garth Gardner Company
2545 Sandbourne Ln, Herndon VA 20171
1-866-464-2736 www.gogardner.com

Three fine titles on computer graphics, animation and finding money for school, and should be part of any serious arts library holding. Gareth Gardner edits Computer Graphics And Animation Dictionary (15-89650050, $24.95), a guide to the language of computer graphics providing short definitions of production terms used by professionals in the industry. Acronyms are included, terms related to software, and any serious student will find this an essential reference. Gardner also edits Film, Video & TV Dictionary (1589650-069, $24.95), giving definitions of production terms and jargons. These entries go into quite some depth and detail when needed, and provides explanations applicable to production efforts. Christina Edwards' Finding Money For School Online (1589650123, $19.95) promises leads to grants and scholarships for all students. From locating scholarships and professional organizations to getting into the right school, this is packed with practical applications.

The Blue Piano And Other Stories
Carol Montparker
Amadeus Press
512 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
1574670875 $24.95 amadeuspress.com

The Blue Piano is the third book by musician Carol Montparker, providing thirty-one short stories covering musicianship and adventures in the music world. It's hard to easily categorize Blue Piano: the stories represent very real insights into the music world and sensibility, yet contain the passion and vivid descriptions of fiction. Suffice it to say that musicians in general and pianists in particular will relish these lyrical first-person insights.

America From The Air
Wolfgang Langewiesche
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
0801878195 $21.95 1-800-537-5487

Collaboratively edited and with introductions by Drake Hokanson and Carol Kratz, America From The Air: An Aviator's Story is the memoir of Wolfgang Langewiesche, a German-born test pilot, writer, and editor famous for his series of classic books that describe his adopted home of America from the sky. America From The Air collects selections from his classic accounts, "I'll Take The High Road" and "A Flier's World", first published in 1939 and 1951 respectively. Both give a talented perception of the physical sensation of flying, seeing small farms, deserted seashores, busy railway lines, and the general awe and wonder of lookind down from on high. An engrossing read for anyone truly curious about what it feels like to fly, encompassing memories of America through time and the author's own true passion for aviation.

Body Massage For Holistic Therapists
Francesca Gould
Nelson Thornes Ltd./ISBS, dist.
920 NE 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
0748776540 $20.95 www.isbs.com

In Body Massage For Holistic Therapists, Francesca Gould draws upon her years of experience and expertise as a teacher of holistic massage and beauty therapy in Bristol to provide the reader with comprehensive, step-by-step instructions in a practical, workbook approach with illustrative photography throughout. In addition to tasks designed to assist therapy massage students to build a portfolio of evidence, and multiple-choice questions intended to help them with licensing or certification exam preparations, Body Massage For Holistic Therapists is thoroughly "user friendly" and an invaluable guide which can be confidently recommended to anyone seeking to expand and improve their knowledge base and "hands on" abilities with respect to body massage. Also very highly recommended are Francesca Gould's earlier holistic medicine titles: Aromatherapy For Holistic Therapists (0748771026); Anatomy And Physiology For Holistic Therapists (0748758-429); and Indian Head Massage (074876-559X).

Introduction To Leisure Services
Richard Kraus, et al.
Sagamore Publishing
804 North Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820
www.sagamorepub.com
1571674829 $44.95 1-800-327-5557

Introduction To Leisure Services: Career Perspectives is the collaborative effort of Richard Kraus, Elisabeth Barber, and Ira Shapiro. With opening chapters covering recreation and leisure in American life and the organized leisure-service system in place today, Introduction To Leisure Services goes on to descriptively address public recreation, park and leisure-service agencies; non-profit, volunteer oriented, leisure-service agencies; commercial recreation businesses; armed forces and employee-service programs; campus and private-membership recreation; therapeutic recreation services; contemporary sports management; travel, tourism and hospitality; and career perspectives in leisure-service agencies. Enhanced with a bibliography, an author/subject index, and two appendices ("Listing of Organizations and Societies" and "Suggested Class Assignments and Student Projects"), Introduction To Leisure Services: Career Perspectives is an enthusiastically recommended addition to academic library collections and an ideal textbook for Leisure, Sports & Recreational Services curriculums.

Wisconsin
Zane Williams & Mark Lefebvre
Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co.
PO Box 10306, Portland, OR 97296-0306
1558684042 $39.95 1-800-452-3032

The effective collaboration of freelance photographer and Wisconsin native Zane Williams and essayist Mark Lefebvre (Senior Director for the Medical School at the University of Wisconsin Foundation), Wisconsin is a coffee table book showcasing Williams' full-color visual imagery of the Badger State's natural, human, and architectural landscapes. This wonderful photographic compendium is superbly enhanced with the inclusion of Lefebvre's three informed and informative essays emphasis the state's land, history, and culture. Additionally, Wisconsin is enriched for the reader with interspersed passages from the writings of such established Wisconsin figures as August Derleth, George Vukelich, Owen J. Gromme, and Robert E. Gard. No community or academic library's "Wisconsin Studies" collection can be considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of Williams and Lefebvre's Wisconsin!

Biking Wisconsin
Steven Johnson
Trails Books
PO Box 317, Black Earth, WI 53515
www.trailsmediagroup.com
1931599343 $19.95 1-800-236-8088

Biking Wisconsin: 50 Great Road And Trail Rides by native Wisconsin biking enthusiast Steve Johnson showcases fifty wonderful excursions that are enthusiastically and uniformly recommended to dedicated cyclists living in or visiting the Badger State. The well defined and nicely described routes include Great Lakes shore tours, big city bike trails, cycling routes through Wisconsin's rolling hills, farm country, and woodlands. Enhanced with listings of Wisconsin bike shops and clubs, bicycling-related websites, safety tips, easy-to-read maps, detailed narrative trip information, and even money saving bike buying tips, Biking Wisconsin will prove to be a valued and indispensable planning guide for exploring what Wisconsin has to offer the dedicated biker!

Roadside Geology Of Wisconsin
Robert H. Dott, Jr. & John W. Attig
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399, Missoula, Montana 59806
087842492X $20.00 1-800-234-5308

Roadside Geology Of Wisconsin is a travel guide written for casual vacationers and geology enthusiasts alike to exploring and marveling at the wonders of the glacier-changed landscape that has seen billions of years. Extensive maps and directions to visible geological highlights in more than 60 state, county, and city parks make Roadside Geology Of Wisconsin an easy-to-follow, adventurous, informative, and entertaining guide. A highly enjoyable and educational supplement for Wisconsin road trips and family outings.

The Fate Of Family Farming
Ronald Jager
University Press of New England
23 South Main Str., Hanover, NH 03755
1584650265 $26.00 1-800-421-1561

Former philosophy professor Ronald Jager presents The Fate Of Family Farming: Variations On An American Idea, a thoughtful examination of the history and future of the American family farm as a concept and as a way of life. Exploring both the ideals of "agrarianism" and the practical realities of agribusiness, as well as anecdotal portraits of present-day maple syrup, eggs and corn, milk, and apple farms, and a candid assessment of ever-changing farm technology, The Fate Of Family Farming lives up to its title by offering not only an in-depth portrait of the American farm today but also well-reasoned projections for the American farm of the future, for good or for ill. Very highly recommended reading for anyone concerned with the seeming demise of the family farm in the face of the global phenomena of agribusiness.

Eldercare
Thomas M. Cassidy
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
0882822462 $14.95 1-800-533-7978

Now in an updated and expanded third edition, Elder Care: What To Look For, What To Look Out For! by Thomas M. Cassidy (formerly the Senior Special Investigator, New York State Attorney General's Office) is a must-read for anyone facing hard choices about the care of elderly relatives or associates. Offering stark warnings to guard against all-too-common fraud or maltreatment, chapters also cover such matters as long-term care insurance, assisted-living facilities, legal issues, health issues, nursing homes and hospices, and much more. A no-nonsense, extremely informative resource especially for lay readers in this day and age of a booming senior population.

Dietary Fibre
N.G. Asp, et al.
American Assoc. of Cereal Chemists
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097
9076998329 $88.00 www.aaccnet.org

Dietary Fibre: Bio-Active Carbohydrates For Food And Feed is a collobrative work edited by expert scientists N. G. Asp, J. Miller, Jones, G. Schaaafsma, and J. W. van der Kamp. In high technical and professional detail, it describes the scientific definitions, health claims, technological analysis and methods, results of experimental studies and much more concerning dietary fibre in the human diet and digestion, and extensively discussiong modern health issues and claims concerning the types and amounts of fibre that should be consumed. A superbly researched and extensively detailed textbook and reference, Dietary Fibre is confidently recommended for students and professionals, as well as academic library Health, Medicine, and Nutrition Studies collections.


The Travel Shelf

The Best In Tent Camping: Colorado
Johnny Molloy
Menasha Ridge Press
2204 First Avenue South, Suite 102, Birmingham, AL 35233
0897325648 $14.95 menasharidge.com

Now in its third edition, The Best In Tent Camping: Colorado a companion guide especially for people who relish the outdoors, free from electronics, RV's, and other compromises to enjoying natural splendor. Guiding the reading among profiled Colorado campgrounds rated for beauty, security, management, noise, spaciousness, and cleanliness, The Best In Tent Camping: Colorado includes practical tips, descriptions, detailed maps, a listing of available facilities and contact information for each camp, and much more. A superb guide and a "must-have" for anyone determined to experience the wilds of Colorado for themselves.

Hunter Publishing
130 Campus Drive, Edison, NJ 08818
www.hunterpublishing.com

Two excellent additions to the Adventure Guide series provide outdoors-oriented travelers with guides packed with detail, from where to stay and eat, to where to shop for local crafts and how to enjoy historic sites. Tina Neylon's Ireland (15884-33676, $18.99) covers a range of Irish travel delights, from horseback excursions and walking to surfing and cycling trips. Vivien Lougheed's Bolivia (158843365X, $19.99) surveys the wildlife and outdoors opportunities of a country which ranges from tropical Amazonian jungle to high plains deserts. Hiking and viewing opportunities blend with cultural insights. Each are highly recommended picks.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Stitch n Bitch
Debbie Stoller
Workman Publishers
708 Broadway, NY, NY 10003-9555
0761128182 $13.95 www.workman.com

Techniques, patterns, and easy steps for the modern knitter are profiled in the zany and appealing Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook. Here are 40 new patterns, tips on how to start a knitting group, very basic insights on how to knit and what equipment and patterns are needed, and more. The chatty and zany approach circumvents the usual dry knitting approach and traditional applications and will appeal to newer, younger audiences.

Beyond Stitch & Bitch
Afi-Odelia Scruggs
Beyond Words Publishing
20827 NW Cornell Rd. #500, Hillsboro, OR 97124
1582701032 $12.95 beyondword.com

Beyond Stitch & Bitch isn't just another how to knit' book: it's a gathering of informed and informative of essays writing about the craft, hobby and joy of knitting and exploring the emotional and spiritual satisfactions of knitters. As such, Beyond Stitch & Bitch makes the perfect inspiration gift for that beginning knitter with a needlecraft oriented self-help focus to life.

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

The American Quilter's Society's catalog rapidly expands with the new quilting sessions from this season, bringing a gorgeous selection of projects and presentations to life. Recommended for advance 2005 purchase is Klaudeen Hansen and Annette Baker's Quilt Art 2005 Engagement Calendar (1574328409, $12.95): the spiral-bound calendar keeps weekly spreads in book form with plenty of room for appointment, blending practicality with text which accompanies a featured quilt - including reproduction instructions. Quilting expert Janie Donaldson's Add-A-Line Continued: More Continuous Quiltign Patterns (1574328484, $24.95) provides over sixty patterns to appeal to hand and longarm machine quilters alike. The designs promote color-coded progressive quilting innovations. Quiltmaking Legacy (1574328441, $29.95) by Georgia Bonesteel provides a TV show hostess' easily-reproduced patterns for both blocks and beginning quilt landscapes and other projects. The very simple projects present a photo and large pattern with easy directions, making Quiltmaking Legacy especially appropriate for beginners. Fran Morgan's Fabric Cafe: Thrill Of Chenille (1574328476, $18.95) narrows the focus to chenille-embellished quilts. Some quilting background is recommended for the easy absorption of this range of instructions on chenille applications. The American Quilter Society's own museum presents Monkey Wrench: New Quilts From An Old Favorite (1574328417, $21.95), profiling seventeen winners and finalists in the annual museum quilting contest based on the Monkey Wrench design. Patterns and tips accompany the winning artists' biographies and color photos of their winning holdings. All are wonderful, colorful presentations.

Foolproof Curves
Barbara Barber
C&T Publishing
PO Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549
1571202285 $29.95 www.amazon.com

In Foolproof Curves, needlecraft expert Barbara Barber simplifies the quilter's task of producing curved seams, updating her prior out-of-print title Really Sharp Piecing and showing how to use foundation piecing to make accurate curved designs. This covers sample projects and her latest methods for creating curved piece appearances without piecing a curve. Beginners will find these projects most accessible.

Black Threads
Kyra Hicks
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786413743 $38.50 mcfarlandpub.com

A million Afro-Americans are quilters, and some believe recent studies of oral histories telling of their quilting roots have inspired more black women to take up the art. Hicks provides the first comprehensive guide to Afro-American quilt history and modern practice and serves as a reference to the subject, recommended especially for college-level holdings. Black Threads: An African American Quilting Sourcebook compiled by Kyra Hicks includes over 1,700 bibliographic references covering exhibit catalogs, books, newspapers, films, speeches and more -- and offers primary research conducted by Hicks on the Internet usage of Afro-American quilters. Black Threads will prove to be a unique and invaluable guide.

Quilting Basics
Celia Eddy
Barrons
250 Wireless Rd., Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764155954 $22.95 barronsedu.com

While the last ten years has seen a vast rise in the popularity of quilting, many beginning and advanced quilters will readily admit they lack some of the basic techniques necessary to the art, or have become too used to a limited number of quilting approaches. Enter Celia Eddy's Quilting Basics, which provides step-by-step coverage of key quilting skills all beginners should know; plus a range of quilting designs and explanations lending to advanced quilting knowledge. The beautiful color photos of both techniques and finished products makes Quilting Basics a highly recommended pick indeed.

A Beader's Reference
Jane Davis
Krause Publications
700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001
0873495543 $24.99 www.krause.com

Over 200 beadwork graphics and designs, photos, and project ideas contribute to a comprehensive reference for both beginners and beadworkers alike. From large and small beadwork projects to finishing fringes and edgings, each project is accompanied by a graph, instructions, and numerous resources. The color photos of completed results are exquisite embellishments. A Beader's Reference is a unique and highly recommended addition to any dedicated craftmaker or needlecrafter's reference collection.

Needleturn Applique Made Easy
Robyn Pandolph
Landauer
12251 Maffit Road, Cumming, IA 50061
www.landauercorp.net
1890621692 $19.95 1-515-287.2144

In Needleturn Applique Made Easy, applique expert Robyn Pandolph features a new "Sentimental Journey" fabric collection; a six block quilt pattern (My Favorite Things) which teaches the reader ten needleturn applique techniques; and applique projects with favorite images including folk art heart wallhangings, sachets, and towel trims; pillow shams and border trims romanced with the moon and stars; a trio of nesting boxes framed with birds; and an oversized appliqued with butterflies and a curious cat. Enhanced with complete "how-to" instructions illustrated with photographs and complete design images with accurate diagrams, illustrations, and materials list, Needleturn Applique Made Easy is a thoroughly "user friendly" addition to any dedicated needlecrafter's personal reference book collection.


The Musicbook Shelf

This Old Guitar
Margaret Aldrich & Michael Dregni, Eds.
Voyageur Press
PO Box 338, Stillwater, MN 55082
www.voyageurpress.com
0896586316 $29.95 www.amazon.com

The guitar changed the face of American music and pop culture across the board, and the stories gathered by Margaret Aldrich and Michael Dregni in This Old Guitar celebrates the first guitars and famous guitars which influenced history. This Old Guitar gathers stories from music journalists and historians, adds quotes from notable guitarists, and is simply packed with period artwork and current photos in both black and white and eye-catching color. Highly recommended.

His Song
Elizabeth Rosenthal
Billboard Books
c/o Watson Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0823088928 $19.95 1-800-451-1741

His Song: The Musical Journey Of Elton John is a biography by an Elton John fan, for Elton John fans. Chronicling his tours, exploring the depths of his music, dissecting the ebbs and flows of his career, and observing crucial events of his life such as his "coming out" as first a bisexual and then a gay man, offering a candid look at his failings including addiction to drugs, alcohol, bulimia, and sex, as well as his achievements including a rewriting of "Candle in the Wind" which begame the biggest selling single in music history, His Song is a full-fledged biography and a "must-read" for anyone truly fascinated by this great musician's turbulent life.

Ever After
Barry Singer
Applause Books
151 W. 46th Street, New York NY 10036
1557835292 $26.95 applausepub.com

Are these indeed the last years of musical theater history? That's the question Barry Singer tackles in his Ever After, a show-by-show history and critical assessment of the last 25 years of musical productions. Singer has been a writer and interviewer for the New York Times on the topic, and Ever After represents his extensive background in musical theatre reporting. Singer has interviewed almost all the significant names in today's musical theater, and Ever After leaves no stone unturned in its quest for a solid assessment of the present and future of modern musical productions.

Ike Turner: King Of Rhythm
John Collis
The Do Not Press/Dufour Editions
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
1904316247 $22.95 thedonotpress.com

When soul musician Ike Turner was nineteen, his band traveled to Memphis and predated Chuck Berry's auto songs with the winning Rocket 88. His musical achievements and life sky-rocketed afterwards, and John Collins tracks Turner's evolution and achievement in his fine biography Ike Turner: King Of Rhythm. Myths are considered and realities profiled in an excellent presentation.

Soul on Soul
Tammy L. Kernodle
Northeastern University Press
360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
1555536069 $30.00 nupress.neu.edu

Fans of soul music in general and the efforts of pianist/composer Mary Lou Williams in particular will not want to miss Soul On Soul, an in-depth biography of the jazz musician's life and achievements. Williams pioneered some of the most beloved styles in jazz music, writing for Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and almost all the jazz greats' of her time: Soul On Soul blends biographical insights with background on performances, recordings, and the evolution of jazz music.

Ring Of Fire
Brian Mansfield
Rutledge Hill Press
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
1401601375 $14.99 www.amazon.com

Brian Mansfield's Ring Of Fire isn't just another biography of country singer Johnny Cash many of these have been produced already but a celebration of his music. Included are tributes from fellow musicians and black and white photos by Les Leverett, who captured Cash moments on film for over thirty years. A music cd in back adds a touch of elegance to Ring Of Fire: though it can't compete with the many Cash cd compilations on the market, it's the perfect conclusion.

Making It In The Music Business
Lee Wilson
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St., New York NY 10010
1581153171 $19.95 1-800-491-2808

This updated edition of Making It In The Music Business for performers and songwriters covers all the basics of music industry relations and includes new sections on how to start and run a band, and how to protect copyrights and work with music lawyers. As much a business reference as a how to' guide for musicians, Making It In The Music Business offers a healthy dose of concrete business facts about how the music industry works and musicians with a dose of concrete savvy will find its advice invaluable and practical.

Ramblin' Man
Ed Cray
W.W. Norton & Company
500 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
0393047598 $29.95 www.wwnorton.com

The music of folk singer Woody Guthrie's works lives on in Ed Cray's Ramblin' Man: a biography which charts his coming of age, his many associations with influential musicians of the times, and his shows and stage presentations. Unlike other biographies, Ramblin' Man takes a personal approach and presents a you are there' feel to discussions of notable moments in Guthrie's life, offers from booking agents, and stage appearances. Ramblin' Man reads with all the passion and drama of the novel but is a solid factual review of Woody Guthrie's inherently fascinating life and times.

Living The Rock 'N Roll Dream
Buzz Cason
Hal Leonard Corporation
7777 West Bluemound Road, Milwaukee, WI 53213
0634066722 $22.95 halleonard.com

Living The Rock 'n Roll Dream: The Adventures Of Buzz Cason is the autobiography of musician and award-winning hit songwriter Buzz Cason, founder of the Casuals, the first rock band in Nashville. A dazzling true story about the popular music trade Cason embraced for fifty years, shedding light on his career and offering an inside peek at the early days of rock 'n roll. A treasure for rock 'n roll fans looking to experience a primary account of the origins of their wildly popular music, and especially for those who have thrilled to Cason's outstanding talent.

When Music Resists Meaning
Herbert Brun (Arun Chandra, editor)
Wesleyan University Press
110 Mt Vernon St, Middletown, CT 06459
0819566705 $27.95 1-800-421-1561

Also available in a hardcover edition (0819566691, $70.00) and deftly edited by Arun Chanra, When Music Resists Meaning: The Major Writings Of Herbert Brun is an anthology of essays by electronic and computer music pioneer Herbert Brun (1918-2000). Delving into such questions as the social functions of "composer" and "listener", the use of "time" in art, how "communication" hastens the end of new thoughts, creative rebirth and reformation, and much more, these lectures offer valuable insights into the composition process for experts and non-professionals alike. An accompanying CD ably presents Brun's own musical works, in this thoughtful resource for any 20th century musician or music historian, especially those with a keen interest in modern music's evolution through the media of computers and electronics.


The Biography Shelf

Emma Spaulding Bryant
Ruth Douglas Currie, editor
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
082322273X $75.00 1-800-247-6553

Deftly compiled and edited with narrative by Ruth Douglas Currie (Professor of History and Political Science, Warren Wilson College, Asheville, North Carolina), Emma Spaulding Bryant Civil War Bride, Carpetbagger's Wife, Ardent Feminist - Letters And Diaries 1860-1900 is an extraordinary biographical collection of correspondence and writings that detail the life of a woman of faith, integrity, and high moral principles, who learned the hard way to become self-sufficient during years when her husband's demanding political career brought about long periods of separation. Her eloquence deftly reveals her experiences with poverty and hardship, as well as her own political passion and championing of the agendas of women's rights and temperance. A revealing portrait of late nineteenth and early twentieth century America, as surely as it is the captivating tale of a strong-willed, outspoken woman's life.

Blinded By Love
Monique Houde
Modero Books
43-H Meadow Pond Drive, Leominster, MA 01453
0974868906 $14.95 opcweb.com/choices

More than just an autobiography of a woman who fell for the wrong man, Blinded By Love is a real-life account of Monique Houde, who explains how she fell into the trap of an abusive relationship, how she allowed herself to ignore danger in hopes of finding real love, and how she handled her abusive situations. Any reader concerned about domestic violence issues will find Blinded By Love a riveting autobiographical account of how one woman overcame her dangerous addictions to a violent man.

Joseph Smith
Dan Vogel
Signature Books
564 W. 400 N., Salt Lake City, UT 84116
www.signaturebooks.com
1560851791 $39.95 1-800-356-5687

Joseph Smith: The Making Of A Prophet is a new, 738-page, definitive biography of the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly referred to as the Mormons). Biographer Dan Vogel draws upon his many years of expertise in Mormon history and painstaking research to provide contemporary readers with an informed and informative biographical portrait of the family background, personal and public life, controversies and accomplished of a most unique and remarkable man of the 19th century American frontier. Scholarly, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking, Joseph Smith: The Making Of A Prophet is highly recommended reading and an essential, core addition to any Mormon History Studies reference collection or reading list.

Guns And Roses
Rose Keefe
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
www.cumberlandhouse.com
1581823789 $16.95 1-888-439-2665

Guns And Roses is the riveting true story of ruthless, colorful, and reigning gangster Dean O'Banion, known as "Chicago's Arch Killer" and the "Boss of the 42nd and 43rd Wards" before Al Capone seized the dubious title of underworld kingpin. Drawn from information compiled from police and court documents, contemporary news accounts, interviews with O'Banion's friends and associates, and more, Guns And Roses sheds light on the harsh story of Irish-Sicilian clashes on the North Side circa 1890-1910, and the turmoil-strewn relationship between O'Banion and Capone himself during their war for supremacy. A thrilling, expertly researched and presented life story.


The Computer Shelf

Murach's C#
Joel Murach & Doug Lowe
Mike Murach & Associates
3848 West Gettysburg, Suite 101, Fresno, CA 93722-7801
1890774227 $49.50 1-800-221-5528

Computer software experts Joel Murach and Doug Lowe collaborate in Murach's C# in order to provide their readers with a superbly organized and thoroughly "user friendly', 750-page course on using C# programming. Readers will learn how to utilize C# and Visual Studio to design, code, and test Windows applications; handle dates, strings, arrays, loops, and collections; use structured exception handling; validate user input to prevent common exceptions; the use of object-oriented programming in considerable depth, an d so much more. Of special note is the five-chapter section dedicated to database processing using ADO.NET. Enhanced with model applications, end-of-chapter exercises; and a "paired pages" format; Murach's C# is confidently recommended as one of the very best resource and instructional manuals on C# available today.

Introduction To Computer Graphics
H. Bungartz, M. Griebel, and C. Zenger
Charles River Media
20 Downer Ave, #3 Hingham, MA 02043
www.charlesriver.com
1584503327 $49.95 1-800-382-8505

Now in its second edition, Introduction To Computer Graphics is an instructional text to the science and art of programming computer graphics, from the basics of generating images on a screen to fundamentals such as transformations, rudimentary shapes, and representations of grays and colors to means for modeling three-dimensional objects, ray tracing, radiosity, visualization, specific applications of mapping techniques, and much more. With countless diagrams and illustrations, an overview of graphical software and languages such as OpenGL, an appendix of problem sets to practice the described techniques, and much more, Introduction To Computer Graphics is a quality reference, resource, and teaching tool whether for formal computer graphics classes or self-study.

PCI Bus Demystified
Doug Abbot
Newnes/Elsevier Academic Press
525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495
0750677392 $49.95 newnespress.com

Now in its second edition with new coverage of PCI-X 2.0, PCI Bus Demystified is an expertly written text meant for hardware and software designers alike, explaining all aspects of the peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, which is the most established bus system used to connect the various elements of today's high-performance computer systems. Including PCI electric specifications, numerous design examples, and beginning and advanced topics such signal groups and types, the arbitration process, plug and play configuration, electrical and mechanical features unique to PCI-X, and much more, PCI Bus Demystified is an excellent resource, classroom text and self-teaching tool.

Using Audition
Ron Dabbs
CMP Media LLC
4601 West 6th Street, Suite B, Lawrence, KS 66049
157820240X $44.95 cmpbooks.com

Written by the founder of the Musicians' Technical Workshop, Using Audition is a solid, user-friendly how-to guide to using Audition version 1.5 to edit digital video and audio multimedia. Screenshots and explicit instructions cover basic installation, recording and microphone techniques, editing tracks and adding effects, using multitrack recording, MIDI files, and ReWire to enhance tracks, mixing and mastering for Compact Disc and Surround Sound, analyzing audio content to resolve problems, and much more. A hands on, go-to learning experience, self-teaching instructional and useful reference intended for users ranging from beginner to advanced, Using Audition also comes with a CD-ROM filled with files for use in the text's step-by-step tutorials.

Osborne/McGraw-Hill
2100 Powell Street, Emeryville, CA 94608
1-800-722-4726 www.amazon.com

The collaborative effort of computer security experts Roberta Bragg, Mark Rhodes-Ousley, & Keith Strassberg, Network Security: The Complete Reference (0072226978; 928 pages; $59.99) comprehensively and accessibly teaches end-to-end network security concepts and techniques, and includes detailed information on just how to design a truly comprehensive and effective security defense model. Plus, Network Security: The Complete Reference discloses how to develop and deploy computer, personnel, and physical security policies, how to design and manage authentication and authorization methods, and much more. Intrusion Detection & Prevention (0072229543; 500 pages; $39.99) by the expert team of Carl Endorf, Eugene Schultz, & Jim Mellander shows exactly how to implement top intrusion detection products into real-world networked environments. Intrusion Detection & Prevention methodically covers the most popular intrusion detection tools including Internet Security Systems' Black ICE & RealSecure, Cisco Systems' Secure IDS, Computer Associates' eTrust, Entercept, and the open source Snort tool. Both of these outstanding titles are confidently recommended and would be of special value as introductions to novice computer users with a need for system security.

Linux for Non-Geeks
Rickford Grant
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro St., San Francisco CA 94107
1593270348 $34.95 www.nostarch.com

Rickford Grant's hands-on beginner's guide to Linux, Linux For Non-Geeks, comes with a cd and provides all the basics to understand a free operating system which can do everything Windows can, and more. Linux has typically been a system computer savvy individuals used: Linux For Non-Geeks points out the ease of using Linux and provides a basic guide keyed to a series of projects for using it. The accompanying cd provides a complete version of Linux along with free software instructionals. Very highly recommended.


The Science Shelf

Einstein Defiant
Edmund Blair Bolles
Joseph Henry Press
500 Fifth St, NW, Washington, DC 20001
0309089980 $27.95 www.nas.edu

Einstein Defiant: Genius Versus Genius In The Quantum Revolution is the true story of the conflict between reknowned physicist and genius Albert Einstein, and the pragmatic physicist and expert Niels Bohr, concerning quantum mechanics. Bohr embraced the new theory that centered about unpredictibility, while Einstein's dismay at the thought of God playing "dice with the universe" is well known to this day. Both great scientific thinkers earned Nobel Prizes on the same day, and both shared a lasting and critical debate in lecture halls from Sweden to Japan, with nothing less than human understanding of how the Universe works at stake. A captivating, meticulous account of the history of scientific discovery, theory, extrapolation, and the intellectual human beings who spearheaded opposing schools of thought.

Feeling the Heat
Jim Motavalli, Editor
Routledge
29 W. 35th St., NY, NY 10001-2299
www.routledge-ny.com
0415946565 $17.95 1-800-634-7064

One would anticipate a discourse on climatic change to be a dry, scientific presentation relatively weighty for lay readers: not so with compiled and editor Jim Montavalli's Feeling the Heat: Dispatches from the Frontlines of Climate Change, which provides articles written by articulate contributors drawn from the front lines of the world's hot spots' where serious climate shifts are already in progress. From a 2003 European heatwave which killed 10,000 in France alone to the rising of the sea level in California, Feeling The Heat provides a set of thought-provoking, chilling facts.

Encyclopedia Of Optical Engineering
Ronald G. Driggers, editor
Marcel Dekker, Inc.
270 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10016-0602
0824709403 $1,500.00 www.dekker.com

Knowledgeably compiled, expertly organized, and deftly edited by Ronald G. Driggers (Chief of the Electro-optics and Photonics Division of the Army Research Laboratory), this Marcel Dekker edition of the Encyclopedia Of Optical Engineering: The Premiere Guide To Optics is a three volume resource which draws upon the expertise and insights of distinguished professional from around the world to provide up-to-date information on the nature and utilization of optics ranging astronomy to x-rays. Included is seminal and cutting edge information that includes digital image enhancement, biological modeling, biomedical spectroscopy, ocean optics, and more. From target detection, image restoration, holography, and lens design, to fiber optic sources, optical biopsy, radiometry, classification and codes, the encyc-lopedic treatment of every aspect of optics is covered in accessible detail. Enhancing this unique reference work is an online version with quarterly updates, links to bibliographic citations, full-color illustrations, and customized content views. The Encyclopedia Of Optical Engineering is an essential, core addition to academic, corporate, and professional library reference collections.

The Hype About Hydrogen
Joseph J. Romm
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Ave. NW #300, Washington, DC 20078-8944
155963703X $25.00 islandpress.org

Can hydrogen solve our energy and environmental problems? Some claim emission-free hydrogen fuel sells will solve the environmental crisis: author Joseph J. Romm says otherwise, explaining why hydrogen isn't the quick fix touted, and arguing that hydrogen's promise will not be realized until the long term. Politics and economics blends with social and environmental analysis to provide a scientific and social survey of hydrogen in The Hype About Hydrogen: Fact And Fiction In The Race To Save The Climate.

Experimentation In Mathematics
Jonathan Borwein, et al.
A. K. Peters Ltd.
63 South Ave., Natick, MA 01760-4626
1568811365 $49.00 www.akpeters.com

The collaboration of Jonathan Borwein, David Bailey, and Roland Girgensohn, Experimentation In Mathematics: Computational Paths To Discovery is a scholarly, college and graduate-studies text discussing the role of computer-based experimental research in the formulation of new hypotheses. Extensive equations, advanced numerical techniques, and mathematical experiments explained in meticulous, step-by-step detail reveal the "new paradigm" in mathematic research, in this solid text especially for expert students and field professionals in cutting-edge mathematical studies.

Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228
1-800-421-0351 prometheusbooks.com

Two new math guides provide an excellent journey through the world of mathematics. Jefferson Hane Weaver's The Math Explorer: A Journey Through The Beauty Of Mathematics (1591021375, $21.00) provides a layperson's introduction to numbers, explaining and inviting readers to sample topics. Five historical profiles review the life and works of Descartes, Kepler, Galileo and Newton, while the biographies serve to examine the modern foundations of math. Alfred Posamentier's Math Charmers: Tantalizing Tidbits For The Mind (1591020670, $20.00) tells adults how to turn their kids on to math, and reminds readers of the underlying beauty of math and its solutions. Designed as a combat to math phobias, this guide tells how to make math intriguing and fun.


The Business Shelf

A Survival Guide To Working With Humans
Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D.
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814472052 $15.00 amacombooks.com

Gini Scott's A Survival Guide For Working With Humans: Dealing With Whiners, Back-Stabbers, Know-It-Alls, And Other Difficult People highlights specific problems and uses case history examples to show how they were effectively solved. Short, practical recipes for handling difficult people on the job, ranging from a tyrannical boss to sensitive colleagues and plain incompetents, provide anyone in the business world with a host of tips to problem-solving troubled relationships. All levels of workers will find A Survival Guide For Working With Humans to be an invaluable reference.

Knowledge Management Lessons Learned
Michael Koenig & T. Kanti Srikantaiah
Information Today
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
1573871818 $44.50 infotoday.com

Examinations of critical success factors in product management, analysis of common pitfalls in knowledge management endeavors, and practical applications of knowledge management concepts are packed into Michael Koenig and T. Kanti Srikantaiah's Knowledge Management Lessons Learned: What Works And What Doesn't, a business reference which is a recommended pick for college-level students. The focus on what works and what doesn't, paired with the nuts-and-bolts experiences and demonstrations of researchers and businesspeople, makes for an important contribution in the field.

Sprout!
Alan Vengel & Greg Wright
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
1576752070 $19.95 bkconnection.com

In Sprout!: Everything I Need To Know About Sales I Learned From My Garden, Alan Vengel (consultant, speaker, and educator in management training and organizational development) and Greg Wright (San Diego based business consult) collaborative in using the garden and gardening as a model to illustrate easy and practical ways for sales professionals and managers to generate peer support and motivation. Job burnout rates in professional sales is very high, as a result, the loss of employee talent, experience, and the consequent expenditures for rehiring and re-training replacements is a corrosively expensive drain on the corporate bottom line -- not to mention the emotional toll burnout represents in devastating so many men and women in their careers as sales professionals. By adhering to the "user friendly" steps outlined, explained, and illustrated in Sprout!, salespeople can beat "career blues" and successfully continue in their chosen profession with renewed vigor and appreciation. Very highly recommended reading!

The Six Sigma Path To Leadership
David H. Treichler & Ronald Carmichael
Quality Press/ASQ
600 North Plankinton Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3005
0873896157 $45.00 www.asq.org

Knowledgeably and deftly written by David H. Treichler (Master Expert at Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems) with the assistance of Ronald D. Carmichael (Senior Manager for the Raytheon Company electronic Systems Group), The Six Sigma Path To Leadership: Observations From The Trenches is recommended as an informed and informative support guide for corporate managers seeking to improve company efficiencies, reduce errors, and increase bottom-line profits. Enhanced with a wealth of illustrative examples of what works and what doesn't, and showcasing lessons learned from hundreds of non-traditional applications and specific Six Sigma projects, The Six Sigma Path To Leadership is strongly recommended reading regardless of whether the reader is a novice to management or has worked their way up to senior level management positions of global responsibility.

Leading The Professionals
Geoff Smith
Kogan Page USA
Stylus Publishing, dist.
525 South 4th Street, #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
0749439963 $35.00 1-800-232-0223

Written by a specialist in designing, managing, and implementing programs for leaders, Leading The Professionals: How To Inspire & Motivate Professional Service Teams a solid guide to the sometimes tricky task of directing a firm's top talents. Many professionals prefer to do things their own way, and resist being directed or working as part of a team - whether they are highly qualified, creatives, knowledge workers, or conceptualists, it is often the human tendency to rely on one's own expertise first that can hinder as much as it helps. Leading The Professionals emphasizes that the key to dealing with talent is the "light touch" - encouraging and supporting rather than being overbearing and controlling. A practical guide to getting the job done, featuring sensible advice and numerous anecdotes to illustrate its practical human resource management principles.

Effective Advertising
Gerard J. Tellis
Sage Publications, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
0761922539 $34.95 sagepub.com

Effective Advertising: Understanding When, How And Why Advertising Works is an absolute must-read for professional and aspiring advertisers and marketers. It very candidly and straightforwardly presents the theories, principles, and techniquest of advertising, including findings from marketing studies in the late twentieth century concerning advertising intensity, elasticity, frequency, content, and more. As fascinating for lay people seeking to learn more about the commercials that bombard daily life as it is for students and professionals making a living spreading word of their products, Effective Advertising is a thorough, no-nonsense explanation of the nuts and bolts of how messages can be spread and leave a mark on human psychology.

Strategic Thinking
Bill Birnbaum
Douglas Mountain Publishing
PO Box 2216, Costa Mesa, CA 92628
1932632131 $16.95 douglasmountain.com

Skilled strategy consultant Bill Birnbaum presents Strategic Thinking: A Four Piece Puzzle, a handy and easy-to-follow guide for managers and planners concerning basic business concerns. From adapting to the product life cycle in a market (such as by anticipating the inevitable decline in demand for most new products and compensating by introducting a new product as the old one decreases in popularity) to getting the best out of one's people, to judiciously applying the "80-20 rule" (i.e. 20% of the input is usually responsible for 80% of the output, and total output can be significantly improved by focusing on that 20% - but the rule is not an absolute), to learning how to focus on a few objectives and get them done right, Strategic Thinking is an overall winner written in straightforward, accessible terms. Recommended for business managers and decision makers of all skill and experience levels.


The American History Shelf

Liberty And Order
Lance Banning, editor
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pinte Trail, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
0865974187 $12.00 www.libertyfund.org

Compiled and edited by Lance Banning (Professor of History, University of Kentucky), Liberty And Order: The First American Party Struggle presents representatives of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist factions expounding in their own words their divergent philosophies, visions, and concerns -- differences that would give birth to a system of American political parties which was originally unexpected and unforeseen by the Founding Fathers and the United States Constitution. Liberty And Order provides significant insights and backgrounding into such historical issues as the development of the Bill of Rights; the impact of the French Revolution and the War of 1812 upon American civil liberties and foreign policy; and the primal foundations of what we recognize today as the American political economy. Liberty And Order is a seminal contribution to school and community library American Political History collections.

The Frozen-Water Trade
Gavin Weightman
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th St., NY, NY 10023-6298
www.hyperionbooks.com
0786886404 $13.95 1-800-759-0190

In 1806 the brig Favorite left Boston bound for Martinique packed with large chunks of ice cut from a frozen lake: the first venture of a Boston entrepreneur who believed he could make a fortune selling ice to people in the tropics. Despite ridicule and hardship, Tudor made his fortune and founded a huge industry in the process: The Frozen-Water Trade: A True Story provides a lively discourse on his accomplishments. The Frozen-Water Trade is the impressive and informative story of that early 19th century adventerous entrepreneur.

The Amish Schools Of Indiana
Stephen Harroff
Purdue University Press
1207 South Campus Courts, Bldg. E, West Lafayette, IN 47907
1557532931 $34.95 1-800-933-9637

The Amish Schools Of Indiana: Faith In Education is a close look at Indiana Amish schools from the early 1950s to the twenty-first century. Examining how Amish settlements actively undertook a movement to open their own schools that would provide them with more influence over the education and socialization of their children, and the effectiveness of these institutions in allowing Amish communities and faith to survive the changes of generations, The Amish Schools Of Indiana is a crucial, meticulously researched and studiously presented example of the critical link between educational foundations and societal stability.

New York University Press
838 Broadway, NY, NY 10003
1-800-996-6987 www.nyupress.org

Part of the New York University Press "Critical America" series, Jules Lobel's Success Without Victory: Lost Legal Battles And The Long Road To Justice In America (0814751121, 32.95) documents lost legal battles and the road to justice in America. Lobel views the drive to win in American culture, analyses the price of success, and suggests lessons be learned from legal and political activists who have advocated losing causes in court, only to make long-term impressions and differences in American society as a result. Selected court cases outline his contentions. Elena Tajima Creef's Imaging Japanese America: The Visual Construction Of Citizenship, Nation, And The Body (081-4716229, $19.00) is a recommended pick for college-level Asian studies readers: it begins with the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II and supplements photos with insights on how American popular culture viewed Japanese-Americans. An intriguing cultural analysis.

Mississippi Escapade
Paul C. Larson & Pamela Allen Larson
Afton Historical Society Press
PO Box 100, Afton, MN 55001
1890434647 $17.95 www.aftonpress.com

Enhanced with more than one hundred color and b/w illustrations, Mississippi Escapade: Reliving The Grand Excursion Of 1854 is a superbly organized and presented documentation and celebration of an 1854 journey by a group of notable and fashionable people which brought worldwide attention to what was then America's western and wilderness frontier. Ten years in the making, Grand Excursion 2004 proved to be a catalyst from significant and grandiose civic improvements in more than forty Upper Mississippi communities, including Minneapolis and St. Paul. Of special note will be the largest steamboat flotilla in a hundred years that will travel the Mississippi from the Quad Cities to the Twin Cities from June 25 to July 5, 2004. A highly entertaining and informative work which is especially suited to school and community library American History collections, co-authors Paul Clifford Larson and Pamela Allen Larson are to be commended for their collaborative expertise and excellence.

The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10013
1-800-233-4830 www.thenewpress.com

David Cole's Enemy Aliens (1565848004, $24.95) is a powerful testimony to the challenged freedoms which have taken place since 9/11. The rapid emergence of double standards in the war on terrorism is explored in a hard-hitting title which documents statistics about those being held prison without civil liberties rights, and the prevalence of ethnicity-based detentions justified as security measures. A thought-provoking study of civil rights challenged. Nicely illustrated with the photography of Joseph Rodriguez, New Americans (156584792X, $25.00) by Ruben Martinez recounts the dramatic journeys of seven new immigrant families to America, and their settling in this country; from an Asian couple from the computer industry of India to a Mexican family working meatpacking plants in Kansas. Excellent stories of survival and cultural adjustment evolve.

Sacrificed At The Alamo
Richard Bruce Winders
State House Press
PO Box 15247, Austin, TX 78761
1880510804 $24.95 1-800-421-3378

Volume three in the Military History of Texas Series, Sacrificed At The Alamo: Tragedy And Triumph In The Texas Revolution is a solid account written and presented by Richard Winders, historian and curator of the Alamo today. An extensive reconstruction of historical battles, motives, and actions, drawing upon a wealth of primary sources as well as a critical study of military science principles as they were applied to history in the making, Sacrificed At The Alamo concludes with the stringent claim that it was bickering within the Texas rebel forces that ultimately doomed those slaughtered at the Alamo and Goliad, as surely as the Mexican centralist forces who did the actual killing. A meticulous, highly readable account and a welcome contribution to American and Texas history shelves. Also recommended are the previous volumes of the Military History of Texas Series, The Finishing Stroke: Texans In The 1864 Tennessee Campaign and The Wings Of Change: The Army Air Force Experience In Texas During World War II.

Prairie Power
Robbie Lieberman
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Blvd, Columbia, MO 65201
082621522X $44.95 1-800-828-1894

Prairie Power: Voices Of 1960s Midwestern Student Protest is an anthology of oral histories from former student radicals of the University of Missouri, the University of Kansas, and Southern Illinois University. Directly challenging the stereotype of prairie power activists as "long-haired, dope-smoking anarchists" who brought about the downfall of Students for a Democratic Society, Prairie Power explores lasting student activist contributions to the New Left, and delves into the histories of national SDS leaders, the local midwestern activists who often felt they were on their own, and the stories of the grassroots activists. Building upon the testimonies of individuals to present a cohesive whole, Prairie Power is a welcome contribution to understanding the dynamics of 60's student protests and influence and its effect upon the nation for generations to come.

Eighteen Minutes
Stephen L. Moore
Republic of Texas Press
c/o Rowman & Littlefield
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com (NBN, dist.)
1589070097 $24.95 1-800-462-6420

Written by a sixth generation Texan and a descendant of fighters who themselves battled for Texas independence, Eighteen Minutes: The Battle Of San Jacinto And The Texas Independence Campaign is an extensive retelling of the critical battle that established Texas as the Lone Star Republic, independent from Mexico. Drawing directly from and telling its story through the words of over 120 Texan and Mexican soldiers, Eighteen Minutes follows the actions of General Sam Houston and his Texas volunteers from one week after the fall of the Alamo to his victory at San Jacinto. Eighteen Minutes is an exhaustively researched, superbly written military history, laying out the brief yet utterly decisive battle in minute detail.

Wagons West
Frank McLynn
Grove Press
841 Broadway, N, NY 10003-4793
0802117317 $32.50 1-800-788-3122

Wagons West: The Epic Story Of America's Overland Trails compiles original diaries and memoirs of pioneers along with other resources to paint a vivid picture of an era in United States history, from 1840 to 1849, between the time of the fur trappers and the gold rush when pioneers dared to brave the elements to settle land. Sparing no details of risks and horrors, Wagons West tells of disaster as well as success, from the fiasco of the Donner party to the tragedy that beset the Mormon treks. An amazing true account that practically transports the reader through time, and a welcome contribution to American and pioneer history shelves.


The World History Shelf

The Vikings
Magnus Magnusson
Tempus Publishing/Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, N. Pomfret, VT 05053
0752426990 $15.95 1-800-423-4525

The Viking people hold a solid place in the history of the West, and Magnus Magnusson's study of them presents a lively discourse in The Vikings of a people who were both pillagers and raiders and great pioneers and traders. The Vikings is a 'must' for any college-level personal or academic library Viking Studies or World History collection.

Struggle For Liberation
George Alevizakis
American Literary Press
8019 Belair Rd., Baltimore, MD 21236
www.americanliterarypress.com
1561678260 $15.95 1-800-873-2003

Greece from 1941-45 is the focus, along with the life of author George Alevizakis in Struggle For Liberation. George was sixteen when the German attacked his Crete birthplace. His adventures and experiences in the Greek underground working to fight the Nazis makes for an involving, eye-opening and revealing autobiographical story in Struggle For Liberation.

Public History
James Gardner & PeterLaPaglia, eds
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
1575242443 $52.50 1-800-724-0025

Public History: Essays From The Field provides twenty-six essays by a variety of learned authors, discussing the varieties of work in which public historians are engaged in today and the places in which they practice. From contract historians who serve as consultants, to film and media producers who bring history to the big screen, to museum curators, educators, policy advisors, and the roles of state historical agencies, historical parks, historic houses and buildings, and much more, Public History offers a composite glimpse of how records of the past fuel the present in hope of paving a way to a more knowledgeable future.

Chinese Silk
Shelagh Vainker
Rutgers University Press
100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8099
www.rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
0813534461 $39.95 1-732-445-7762

Chinese Silk: A Cultural History by Shelagh Vainker (Assistant Keeper of Eastern Art, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England) is a detailed history of silk in China ranging from its Neolithic origins down to the twentieth century. Relating the use of Chinese silk to other decorative arts, and drawing extensively from archaeology, paintings, poems, and other texts, Vainker traces the role of silk in Chinese history, trade, religion, and literature. Chinese Silk is an impressive and seminal work of outstanding scholarship, would make a superb choice as a community library Memorial Fund acquisition, as well as an essential, core addition to academic library Cultural History collections.

The Great Pictorial History Of World Crime
Jay Robert Nash
History, Inc.
Scarecrow Press, dist.
810 D. Skokie Blvd., Wilmette, IL 60091
1928831206 $250.00 www.rowman.com

The result of ten years of painstaking research which has subsequently been distilled into a two-volume work of seminal importance by compiler and editor Jay Robert Nash, The Great Pictorial History Of World Crime offers a vividly narrative text of profiling the faces of crime around the world and is enhanced with more than 2,500 illustrations, an annotated index of approximately 10,000 entries, and a true crime bibliography of more than 12,000 entries. Alphabetically organized, Volume I ranges from Assassination; Bigamy; Burglary; Cannibalism; and Drugs, to Fraud, Gangs, Gangsters & Organized Crime; and Kidnapping. Volume II ranges from Celebrity Slayings; Mass Murder; Serial Killers; Unsolved Homicides; Piracy; Robbery; Secret Criminal Societies; and Terrorism. Drawing from local, national, and international archives, police and intelligence agencies, museums and historical societies, as well as Nash's own vast private collection, The Great Pictorial History Of World Crime is quite justifiably recognized as the standard reference work in the very specialized field of historical research dedicated to crime and the criminal. This is a unique and strongly recommended acquisition for personal, academic and community library World History and Criminology Studies reference collections.

High River And The Times
Paul Voisey
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
0888644116 $29.95 www.uap.ualberta.ca

High River And The Times: An Alberta Community And Its Weekly Newspaper 1905-1966 is the true story of a small-town and its weekly newspaper "High River Times". An enjoyable and informative excursion through six decades of change, including two world wars, and the relationship the small newspaper had in recording, articulating, and defending local attitudes, activities, and aspirations, High River And The Times is an aptly researched an endearling presented tour through an era gone by, but not long past.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Men's Health Concerns Sourcebook
Robert McNally, editor
Omnigraphics
615 Griswold St., Detroit, MI 48226
0780806719 $78.00 omnigraphics.com

Yet another winner in the ongoing Health Reference series for consumers, Men's Health Concerns Sourcebook: Basic Consumer Health Information About The Medical And Mental Concerns Of Men, Including Theories About The Shorter Male Lifespan, the leading causes packs in the latest research and details on men's health, from statistics on health concerns and mortality to why men fall victim to accidents and chronic diseases. Chapters cover the latest in disease and death research relating to lifestyle issues and offers new findings in how to meet men's key health challenges. The Men's Health Concerns Sourcebook sounds technical but it is a very accessible reference for non-specialist general readers and consumers.

New Workout
John Laurie & Bum Lee
Van der Plas Publications
1282 - 7th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
1892495449 $18.95 www.vanderplas.net

Written by co-founders of the Human Resistance Trainers Association, New Workout: Human Resistance Training - Dynamic Strength Training Without Equip-ment is a guidebook for personal trainers, casual fitness seekers, and anyone seeking to improve their strength or stamina that focuses upon strength training that uses human muscles to provide the resistance and counter force rather than external weights. Extensive black-and-white photographs illustrate the simple techniques, suitable for gym or home, especially for building up muscle groups. An explicit, expertly written, easy-to-follow guide to self-improvement without the necessity of expensive equipment.

Hair Loss Answers
Peter J. Panagotacos, M.D.
Card Publishing
3450 Sacramento St. #405, San Francisco CA 94118-1914
1932428348 $19.95 cardpublishing.com

As an aging population of males (and some females!) considers the slow erosion of hair, Dr. Peter Panagotacos presents a sourcebook from a determatologist turned hair restorationist, backing analysis of hair restoration options with a medical license. Hair Loss Answers By The Hair Doc surveys all kinds of causes, effects and treatment options applicable to different types of hair loss. Discussions of the most effective treatments supplement obvious scams and treatment failures, making for an intriguing guide.

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

Three new guides provide consumers for quick facts and clear information on common diseases. Dr. Wayne Kepron's Cystic Fibrosis (1552977404, $14.95) explores the latest facts and findings on the disease, from managing symptoms and complications to considering lung transplants. Chapters even include preparations for death. Dr. David Grimes' Parkinson's (1552978907) explains the differences between Parkinson's and lookalike' conditions, considers the latest gene therapies and treatments, and includes a fine section on drug side effects. Dr. Rob Myers' Heart Disease (1552979261) provides the latest insights on risk factors, early warning signs, and new treatments. All are fine consumer-oriented guides.

Migraine And Other Headaches
William B. Young, MD
Stephen Silberstein, MD
Demos Publishing
386 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016
1932603034 $19.95 www.amazon.com

Drs. William Young and Stephen Silberstein's Migraine And Other Headaches is not as casual as most on the topic: it provides a medically-based analysis of the causes of different types of headaches, defines different migraine experiences, and differentiates between severe headache, tension headache, and migraine. While the reading in Migraine And Other Headaches isn't as easy as some self-help guides on the topic, the focus on uncovering the source of symptoms and various treatment options makes this medical handbook an excellent guide for sufferers seeking better care or more information.

How To Lose Weight And Gain Money
Vivien Schapera & Drew Logan
Four Winds Press, LLC
7445 Fourwinds Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45242-5912
www.loseweightgainmoney.com
0970980957 $15.00 1-513-542-4400

How To Lose Weight And Gain Money: A Program For Putting Your Life In Order is the collaborative effort of psychologist Vivien S. Schapera (a practicing Alexander Teacher and Energy Healer with more than twenty years experience) and Drew A. Logan (freelance teacher, personal financial consultant, and volunteer for non-profit organizations). Schapera and Logan show the reader just how to go about successfully reversing the downward spiral of weight gain and the erosion of financial assets which are an all to common pairing for men and women these days. This unusual compilation addressing money management and weight gain management reveal just how critical both areas are to developing a productive, healthy, balanced life. How To Lose Weight And Gain Money is thoughtful and thought-provoking -- and an invaluable addition to any personal self-help, self-improvement reading list!


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

A Third Face
Samuel Fuller
Applause Books
151 West 46th Street, NY, NY 10036
1557836272 $18.95 www.amazon.com

A Third Face: My Tale Of Writing, Fighting, And Filmmaking by Samuel Fuller (with the posthumous and collaborative assistance of his wife Christa Lang Fuller and longtime friend Jerome Henry Rudes) features a Foreword by Martin Scorsese and and presents the reader with an autobiographical account of one of Hollywood's most prolific and independent writer/director/producers. The late Samuel Fuller (1911-1997) made 29 tough, gritty films from 1949 to 1989. His film "Park Row" was inspired by his years in the New York newspaper business. His years of service in the army during World War II provided material for his films "The Big Red One", "The Steel Helmet", and "Merrill's Marauders. From "Pickup on South Street" and "Underworld U.S.A.", to "Shock Corridor" and White Dog", A Third Face provides the story behind the films and the man who created them. A Third Face is highly recommended and inherently fascinating reading for film buffs and students of 20th Century American Cinema.

The Alamo
Frank Thompson
Newmarket Press
18 East 48th Street, New York, NY 10017
www.newmarketpress.com
1557046077 $29.95 1-800-669-3903

Featuring more than 125 full color photographs, Frank Thompson's The Alamo: The Illustrated Story Of The Epic Film is an amazing tour of "The Alamo", from director John Lee Hancock, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, and more. "The Alamo" was the first theatric film about the brutal battle in over 40 years; The Alamo: The Illustrated Story Of The Epic Film includes a point-by-point summary of historical events, an extensive tour of casting, costuming, historical recreations and set design, the full movie script, and more. A treasure for cinema buffs especially, and the perfect companion volume to anyone who enjoys and appreciates the power "The Alamo"movie has had in bringing history to life.

Independent Filmmaker's Manual
Eden H. Wurmfeld & Nicole S. Laloggia
Focal Press
200 Wheeler Road, Burlington, MA 01803
0240805852 $44.95 www.focalpress.com

Now in an updated and expanded second edition and nicely enhanced with an accompanying CD-ROM, the IFP/Los Angeles Independent Filmmaker's Manual is the collaborative work of independent film producer Eden Wurmfeld and Nicole Shay Laloggia (Professor of Production at the North Carolina School of the Arts). As "user friendly" as it is comprehensive, the Independent Filmmaker's Manual covers every aspect of film production including preparations, the script, financing, breaking down a script for shooting, scheduling, budgeting, pre-production, production, post-production, film festivals, and film distribution. With it's Resource Guide appendix, glossary, and index, the Independent Filmmaker's Manual is a complete and comprehensive "how to" instructional text and a highly recommended addition to film school reference collections and aspiring independent film producer reading lists.

Film Direction Cinematic Motion
Steven D. Katz
Michael Wiese Productions
1209 West Howe St., Seattle, WA 98119
www.mwp.com
0941188906 $27.95 1-800-833-5738

Now in an updated second edition, Film Directing Cinematic Motion is an extensive how-to manual especially for aspiring and practicing directors to fine-tuning the art of creating a personal camera style, piecing together extended sequence shots, make the most of digital technology for visualization and script breakdown, and much more. Including interactive online 3D storyboards for hands-on practice, Film Directing Cinematic Motion is extremely down-to-earth in its presentation, offering direct Q & A with an expert, extremely detailed situational examples, frame-by-frame diagrams to illustrate complex points, and much more. Highly recommended for anyone involved in the field, whether amateur or professional.

Barron's
250 Wireless Rd., Hauppauge, NY 11788
www.barronseduc.com

Two must purchase' acquisitions will enhance film library holdings and are ongoing, recommended picks. A-Z 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (0764157-019, $35.00) is a weighty reference edited by Steven Jay Schneider and outlining the best movies and what elements contribute to their high recommendation. From casts, plots and little-known facts to black and white clips from the pictures, the handy A-Z 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die is a recommended pick for cinema students and film buff alike. Emily King's Century Of Movie Posters (0746155997, $39.95), in contrast, covers movie poster art from silent to art house works, following the development of the movie poster as an art form from its roots in the 1900s to modern times. A chronological arrangement in Century Of Movie Posters examines four key areas of cinema history and highlights the most influential posters and designers of their times. Packed with color photos throughout, this is eye candy at its best.

Reelpolitik II
Beverly Merrill Kelley
Rowman & Littlefield
4501 Forbes Blvd., Lanham MD 20706
0742530418 $24.95 www.amazon.com

Political ideologies in 1950s and 1960s film are the topic of Beverly Merrill Kelley's Reelpolitik II, a discussion of political figures in film and how they fostered mythology and changes. From discussions of fascism and antifascism sentiments in movies of the times to Cold War, isolationism and interventionism in specific selected films, Reelpolitik II is simply outstanding.

Four-Star Movies
Gail Kinn & Jim Piazza
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 W. 19th Street, New York NY 10011
1579123155 $39.95 1-800-967-5630

Narrow the film world to the top 101 choices of all times, pack in the color shots from these recommended films, and include cast and credits and critical quotes about the movie and you have a pictorial representation of the greats in Gail Kinn and Jim Piazza's Four-Star Movies which will serve as both a film guide and a handsome coffee table addition. Four-Star Movies is quite simply as fine a reference as it is a visual ad for quality classic films.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Poisoned Pen Press
6962 East 1st Ave, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com

Three new mysteries will delight readers with a blend of historical settings and vivid twists of plot. Beverle Graves Myers' Interrupted Aria (1590581113, $24.95) is told through the perceptions of one Tito Amato, an 18th century castrato soprano in the Venetian opera who finds himself involved in an operatic murder on his home turf. The juxtaposition of family troubles and efforts to reconcile the past provide a pleasing contrast to the mystery plot. Mary Reed and Eric Mayer's Five For Silver (1590581121, $24.95) is set in Constantinople during the plague, telling of a murder which takes place in the midst of mass deaths. Five For Silver's John the Eunuch mystery blends excellent historical setting with a fast-paced, very different plot. Keith Miles' Honolulu Play-off (1590580710, $24.95) tells of a man who flies to Hawaii to be best man at his pal's wedding, only to find murder awaits his arrival. His efforts to solve the murder and avenge an old friend leads to the unexpected possibility of not one but two killers at large. All are satisfying, very different mysteries which feature superior depth, characterization, and plot changes. Highly recommended.

River Deep
Priscilla Masters
Allison & Busby, Ltd.
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Dr, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
0749006536 $25.95 www.amazon.com

River Deep is a simmering mystery, set in a seemingly peaceful town in England. But a terrible murder has committed, of a man who cannot be positively identified - and with another man gone missing. A female coroner must question her instincts concerning the death, before more crime is unleashed upon the defenseless village in this tense page-turner.

The Cat Who Talked Turkey
Lilian Jackson Braun
G.P. Putnam's Sons
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0399151079 $23.95 www.penguin.com

Lilian Jackson Braun's latest offering in her Cat Who ' mystery series will reach both prior and new fans with the ongoing investigations of one James Qwilleran and feline pals Koko and Yum Yum. Here the manager of Qwill's estate decides to invest in re-building a small town's bookstore: an event which proceeds happily until murder strikes. It's up to Qwill and his band of feline investigators to uncover the perp and his connection to doomed bookstores.

Death In The Age Of Steam
Mel Bradshaw
RendezVous Press
1005-3266 Young Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4N 3P6
www.rendezvouspress.com
1894917006 $18.95 1-877-730-9052

Set in Toronto in 1856, when rapid industrialization callously brushed aside human sentiments, Death In The Age Of Steam by Mel Bradshaw is carefully crafting and rather dashing novel of passion, mystery, murder, and tragedy. A prominent politician dies and his daughter vanishes, yet only one man - a former suiter of the daughter's who could never forget her despite her marriage to another man - persists in asking questions. The Victorian setting gives way to a tangled world, seemingly inhospitable and bereft of love or caring, yet for the one man whose heart drives him to search, answers may well be found at the cost of mortal peril. A captivating, romantic tale with hidden twists.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Religion Book
Jim Willis
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Rd. #414, Canton MI 48187
0780807227 $52.00 www.visibleink.com

If it's a comprehensive, encyclopedic view of key religious figures, prophets, deities and places which is needed, Jim Willis' The Religion Book is the book for you. Nearly 300 entries gather facts to help students and readers understand common religious topics, from Celtic Druids and Native American spirituality to Greek gods, Judaism, and India religions. The Religion Book is recommended as an essential overall library reference.

Pink Beams Of Light From The God In The Gutter
Gabriel McKee
University Press of America
4501 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, MD 20706
0761826734 $22.00 www.univpress.com

Gabriel McKee's Pink Beams Of Light From The God In The Gutter is especially recommended to the attention of avid fans of Philip K. Dick's work in speculative fiction, as well as any the non-specialist general reader interested in religion. This a short but probing analysis of Philip Dick's works by Gabriel McKee deftly explores theology as reflected, discussed and represented by Dick. Science science fiction reveals texts that can be justifiably considered as religious but can religion be science fiction'? An intriguing, scholarly, and highly recommended discussion evolves in Pink Beams.

Holy Spirit Mother
Walesia Robinson Cates, M.D.
Catesco Press
SJ Miller (publicity)
Box 703, Glenn Dale, MD 20769-2023
www.catesco.org
0974452602 $19.95 1-800-276-8101

Written by a board certified Emergency Medicine physician who in her medical practice has seen the worst that human beings can do to one another, Holy Spirit Mother: Discover Concealed Bible Truths For Healing Family, Marriage And Gender Relations! is an eye-opening response to the modern erosion of the family unit. Advancing the bold postulate that the family unit mirrors the image of the God family, in which the Holy Trinity eoncompasses God the Father and the Son of God in masculine while the Holy Spirit God is feminine, and that the family is complete when male and female are both present, Holy Spirit Mother draws upon Gospel writings, enduring faith, and personal revelation to offer inspiration and a passionate defense against the perceived war that Satan wages upon the family today. A provocative yet charged account driven by the author's passion to share inspiration, hope, and a positive vision of God's love.

Eternal Wellness
Carol Lawson & Robert Lawson, Eds.
Chrysalis Books
c/o Swedenborg Foundation
320 N Church St, West Chester, PA 19380
0877852340 $14.95 swedenborg.com

Wellness both spiritual and physical is explored in Eternal Wellness, a discussion of spiritual wellsprings and a pointer for enlightenment. Surveying which spiritual practices are best, Eternal Wellness provides a road map for assessing and contrasting these practices, telling how to achieve a balance between too much and too little.

Voicing The Ineffable
Siglind Bruhn
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, 52 White Hill Lane, Hillsdale, NY 12529
157647089X $54.00 1-518-325-6100

Voicing The Ineffable: Musical Representations Of Religious Experience is a collection of eleven essays exploring the connection between music and religion, from the Middle Ages to the Secular Age. Some musical notation is interspersed with the scholarly discussions, in this complex text. Essays include "Eschatological Aspects Of Music," "Time And Divine Providence In Mozart", "Of Spain And Sin: A Glance At Wolf's Spaniches Liederbuch", and much more. A highly technical anthology that delves deeply into the mechanics of music as well as theological discussions of spirituality and expression, and a welcome contribution to theological studies and spiritual music reading lists.

The Gnostic Gospel Of St. Thomas
Tau Malachi
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
0738704997 $17.95 www.llewellyn.com

Author Tau Malachi applies his experience from thirty years' active practice of Gnostic Christianity and the Kaballah to The Gnostic Gospel Of St. Thomas: Meditations On The Mystical Teachings, a close study and exploration of what is perhaps the most well known of the "lost" gospels of the early Christian Bible. Pursuing the gnostic approach to the Christian faith, which emphasizes the sacredness of the never-ending quest for knowledge and wisdom, The Gnostic Gospel Of St. Thomas offers a fresh perspective into the secrets of Christ's resurrection, the true role of St. Mary Magdalene in the early church, and more, as it examines each verse in the scripture as a means for daily spiritual contemplation. A complex yet devotional analysis.


The Language Studies Shelf

Mastering Spanish
Global Access Marketing
Penton Overseas
2470 Impala Dr., Carlsbad, CA 92008
www.pentonoverseas.com
159125289X $29.95 www.amazon.com

Mastering Spanish from Penton Overseas isn't your usual language tape set: it's designed to offer destination-bound travelers quick keys to understanding, it includes a designer cd travel case for take-along toting on the trip, and includes U-print listening guides along with its 10 audio cds. Beginners will relish recordings by professional native speakers, a format which blends immersion with basic conversational and vocabulary building skills, and a format which lends to driving or walking. The Mastering Spanish set is recommended for travelers above others.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Limitless Mind
Russell Targ
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1577314131 $14.95 newworldlibrary.com

A blending of science and spirituality is achieved in Russell Targ's Limitless Mind: A Guide To Remote Viewing And Transformation Of Consciousness, a deftly written guide to remote-viewing which allows people to receive and broadcast information, connecting their consciousness across space and time. In other words, psychic abilities are explored here; from distant healing to precognition and new ways of seeing.

Grimoire For The Apprentice Wizard
Oberon Zell-Ravenheart
New Page Books/Career Press
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564147118 $18.99 newpagebooks.com

Definitions of wizardry', witchcraft, grimoire', and insights into apprentice wizardry are contained in Oberon Zell-Ravenheart's Grimoire For The Apprentice Wizard: a guide which is targeted towards teen boys exploring wizardry concepts and practices. The male-oriented focus provides important differentiations between wizardry and witchcraft definitions, pointing out their differences and areas of overlap and emphasizing Wizardry as a field of secular studies. Add contributions by notable genre writers Raven Grimassi, Jesse Wolf Hardin and others and you have an authoritative, different exploration in Grimoire For The Apprentice Wizard.

Inner Traditions International
PO Box 388, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com

Ross Heaven's Vodou Shaman (0892811-34X, $16.95) presents a very specific guide focusing on Haitian healing and power rituals. Heaven is an initiate of Haitian Vodou, and provides a rare insider's viewpoint of not only the healing practices, but their applicability to modern living. Hands-on exercises round out the presentation. Jay Weidner and Vincent Bridges' Mysteries Of The Great Cross Of Hendaye (0892811084X, $22.95) is an in-depth discussion of the alchemical transformation of basic metal into gold, based on the work of 20th century alchemist Fulcanelli. Coded into an obscure monument in France is the date of the apocalypse, they maintain: chapters examine alchemy's connection with the projected end days. Claudia Muller-Ebeling, et.al.'s Witchcraft Medicine (08928119715, $24.95) blends history with practical applications of plant healing and shamanic practices. Witch medicine is wild medicine, blending mythology, personal spirituality and plant knowledge for a body/mind/spirituality healing approach. The anthropologist/art historian author works collaboratively with Christian Ratsch, an ethno-pharmacologist and anthropologist, and Wolf-Dieter Storl, a cultural anthropologist and ethnobotanist, to provide a rich set of fascinating discussions.

Spells For The Solitary Witch
Eileen Holland
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
368 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
1578632943 $16.95 redwheelweiser.com

Written by a solitary witch and Wiccan priestess herself, Spells For The Solitary Witch is a simple walkthrough of ways to release hidden power for health, wellness, emotional enrichiment, and environmental harmony. Chapters discuss magick and its applications in love, life enhancement, and problem solving, as well as magickal candle gardens, tea potions, and more. Detailed instructions, specific incantations, detailed how-to's down to where one can easily obtain sesame oil or Tiger Balm, and much more make Spells For The Solitary Witch ideal for novice and experienced spellcasters alike.

Reality
Peter Kingsley
The Golden Sufi Center Publishing
PO Box 428, Inverness, CA 94937-0428
1890350095 $19.95 www.godensufi.org

In Reality, author Peter Kingsley addresses the necessity of discerning what is "real" in the chaos and uncertainty that afflict the contemporary lives of ordinary men and women. Reality presents the story of Parmendides and Empedocles (ancient masters of wisdom who laid the foundation for our present Western culture some 2500 years ago) revealing how their teachings had been distorted, suppressed, and forgotten -- until now. Kingsley's text is direct and accessible as he guides the reader gently but deeply into a body of remarkable teachers which addresses everything from healing to cosmology -- while expanding an awareness of what is real and timeless in human life. Reality is a unique and enthusiastically recommended contribution to Metaphysical Studies collections and a welcome addition to supplementary Philosophy reading lists as well!


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Bernese Mountain Dog
Bernd Guenter
Doral Publishing/NBN, dist.
2501 West Behrend Drive, #43, Phoenix, AZ 85027-4148
0974540730 $59.95 www.doralpub.com

The Bernese Mountain Dog: A Dog Of Destiny by Bernd Guenter (a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and the World Dog Press Association) is so much more than just a simple coffeetable book of wonderful photographs showcasing a specialized canine breed. The superbly presented and "user friendly" text commences with an introduction and history of the breed, then addresses the "Bernese Mountain Dog Standard". Then their are entire chapters devoted to puppyhood, the adolescent Berner, the adult Berner, showing the Berne (European Style), breeding the Berner, and health issues (including veterinarian selection, vaccinations, deworming, experternal parasites, and specific health problems affecting the breed). Enhanced with appendices for Breed Standards; Useful Addresses; Bibliography; and List of Abbreviations, The Bernese Mountain Dog is comprehensive, exceptionally well written, superbly illustrated throughout, and a "must" addition for the reading list and reference shelf for anyone who's canine companion is the Bernese mountain dog.

Notes On Feline Internal Medicine
Kit Sturgess
Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.blackwellpublishing.com
0632033991 $39.99 1-800-216-2522

Notes On Feline Internal Medicine is a detailed reference designed especially for practicing veterinarians and veterinary students to have quick and easy access to look up the most up-to-date information for feline internal medical conditions and treatments. From breed-related diseases, to conditions affecting each feline organ system, pediatric-specific information, and much more, Notes On Feline Internal Medicine is expertly organized by categorizing major conditions into clinical signs, diagnostic approaches, definitive tests to diagnose maladies, and recommended treatment. An in-depth, no-nonsense resource.

The Bugman On Bugs
Richard Fagerlund & Johnna Strange
University of New Mexico Press
1720 Lomas Blvd., NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1591
082633363X $14.95 1-800-249-7737

The Bugman On Bugs: Understanding Household Pests And The Environment presents the practical wisdom of a board certified entomologist concerning dealing with common pests such as cockroaches, ants, flies, spiders, fleas, bed bugs, termites, and more. A simple, basic guide for the lay reader with bug problems, The Bugman On Bugs does not go into excessive detail but simply offers solid advice, including tips when a bug problem can be dealt with on one's own and when one should call a professional. Also highly recommend is the previous volume in this series, "Ask the Bugman."

The Newfoundland
JoAnn Riley
Alpine Publications
PO Box 7027, Loveland, CO 80537
1577790618 $19.95 1-800-777-7257

The Newfoundland dog breed is hallmarked not only by their large size, but with a gentle, sweet, fun disposition. The Newfoundland is a wonderful family pet and are willing workers and playful companions. In The Newfoundland: Gentle Giant, author JoAnn Riley draws upon her many years of experience and expertise with the breed to provide a superbly organized and presented guidebook to the selection, history, and descriptive standards of the Newfoundland. The information provided ranges from puppyhood to adulthood. Of special interest are the chapters devoted to grooming and enjoyable activities that Newfoundlands can engage in with their human companions. Other chapters are dedicated to the Newfoundland Club of America; breeding and whelping, and dealing with the inevitable loss of older Newfoundland "family members" when their time finally comes to a conclusion. The Newfoundland: Gentle Giant is confidently recommended to anyone contemplating having or who already enjoys the company of a Newfoundland.


The Parenting Shelf

The Ten Keys To Helping Your Child Grow Up With Diabetes
Tim Wysocki, Ph.D.
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580401864 $14.95 www.diabetes.org

Now in its second edition with updates on carb counting, insulin pumps, and type 2 diabetes in children, The Ten Keys To Helping Your Child Grow Up With Diabetes by Tim Wysocki is a "must-read" resource for parents and caretakers of diabetic young ones. Published by the American Diabetes Association, The Ten Keys To Helping Your Child Grow Up With Diabetes presents the basics of the special responsibility of supervising diabetic children while teaching them to look after their own health, focusing on such issues as emotional coping, family communication and sharing of diabetes responsibilities, problem solving, social skills, school adjustment, relating to health professionals, managing stress and much more. This is a superb guide that emphases parent-child interaction to best promote good health and good habits for children of any age who are having to cope with diabetes.

Child Safety 101
Benny Mares
Unlimited Publishing, LLC
1701 Broadway, #146, Vancouver, WA 98663
www.unlimitedpublishing.com
1588320995 $12.99 1-800-218-8877

Written by a retired Los Angeles Police Officer, Child Safety 101: 101+ Safety Tips For Protecting Your Child is an must-read for all parents. Child Safety 101 emphasizes in simple terms how to teach children from a very young age how to protect themselves - for example, that they should run from any unfamiliar adult trying to entice them into a vehicle, that they should scream if someone (stranger or acquaintance) tries to forcibly take them somewhere, that they should never answer telephone surveys or tell callers that "no one is at home". Sample "what-if" games useful for teaching very young children what to do are suggested. Furthermore, Child Safety 101 never ceases to warn against the perils of leaving children unsupervised, or in the care of individuals who have not passed a careful background check. The critical importance of self-esteem, the buddy system, specific rules and instructions for children to follow in a wide variety of situations and much more is repeatedly stressed in this vital guide worthy of the absolute highest recommendation.

Keeping Your Grandkids Alive Till Their Ungrateful Parents Arrive
Walter Roark
Clearing Skies Press
4002 Dunbarton Way, Roswell, GA 30075
0970793723 $15.95 clearingskies.com

Keeping Your Grandkids Alive Till Their Ungrateful Parents Arrive is a humorous guidebook written especially for grandparents. Though it offers practical tips, it is at least as much a mirthful celebration of the joys and perils of coping with rambunctuous young ones as it is an advice guide. A most entertaining read covering everything from "spoiling" children to dealing with the great outdoors, so called "grand-stay etiquette" for visiting, and much more. A treat to share and an excellent giftbook for especially for proud granddads.

The Best Things Parents Do
Susan Isaacs Kohl
The Conari Press
368 Congress Street, 4th floor, Boston, MA 02210
www.redwheelweiser.com
1573249025 $14.95 1-800-423-7087

Written by Susan Isaacs Kohl (a preschool director, teacher, parent eduator, and single parent of 30 years' experience), The Best Things Parents Do: You're Doing A Better Job Than You Think You Are is an uplifting self-help guide to nurturing self-sufficiency, high expectations, optimism, and emotional well-being in oneself and one's children. Positive, uplifting chapters guide the reader through means to reinforce family connections and sharing. An upbeat self-help guide filled with positive, can-do advice.


The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf

The Snowtear Wars
Scot R. Stone
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
1413712452 $29.95 1-877-333-7422

In distant lands, beyond the great and misty Sarapin Sea, lies the fertile kingdom of Yawrana. A dire prophecy is about to unfold with the arrival of a small group of Zonack voyagers aboard the gallant flying ship "Star Gazer". The Elders, visionaries and prophets of Yawrana warn of downfall and destruction as the two civilizations meet. Oreus Blak is one of the eight members aboard the visiting ship and discovers that he is the key to the dire prophecy's outcome. Within days of their arrival a deadly illness befalls several members of the Yawranan Royal Court. All parties present fall under suspicion, including the voyagers themselves. The only known cure lies within the limitless healing powers of an ancient flower referred to as the "snowtear". Having no other choice, Oreus must gain the trust of the Yarans and embark upon a perilous quest to retrieve the protected snowtears. Ahead of him lies many an inherent dangers -- including the mythic warrior race known only as the Lazul. The Snowtear Wars debuts the fantasy action/adventure five volume series "The Chimes Of Yawrana, and novelist Scot Stone's abilities as a storyteller will leave the reader looking eagerly toward the next thrilling installment!

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

Two new features are powerful sci fi/fantasy/horror blends from an exceptional small press publisher who focuses on powerful authors and plots. Joe Lansdale's Bumper Crop (193084624X, $24.95) is especially recommended for fans of the horror genre: short stories here showcase some of Lansdale's best tales many of which are out of print and blend macabre humor with stories of haunts, nightmares, and strange supernatural folk. Charles Stross' Atrocity Archives (19308-46258, $24.95) posits the world of one Alan Turning, the Father of Modern Computer Science who here completes a theorem which will transform his world and change history. From a new take on a second world war which spills into an alternate universe to detective investigations and espionage, Atrocity Archives has all the marks of an action novel spiced with science fiction.

Ace Books
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
www.penguinputnam.com

Ace Books publishers a steady selection of quality science fiction and fantasy, and these most recent picks are among its strongest. Will Hubbell's Sea Of Time (0441011438, $6.50) is a sequel to his Cretaceous Sea time travel story but needs no prior introduction to prove gripping to newcomers. Constance, a time traveler, finds herself at odds with two very different future time travelers as she seeks to alter history and re-unite with her murdered husband. Lynn Abbey's Taking Time (0441011535, $6.50) presents a very different female time traveler: Emma, whose personal powers can save those under curses. Here she's aiding a family to break free of destructive cycles. Louise Marley's Child Goddess (0441011365, $23.95) presents the dilemma faced by a priest of the Order of Mary Magdalene, who encounters children on another world who do not age. Isabel's battles on behalf of a child at the mercy of a determined scientific community make Child Goddess outstanding. Ian MacLeod's Light Ages (0441011497, $14.00) blends a sword-and-sorcery saga with a Victorian setting in telling of a child who already knows what magic his future has in store. Ian Graham's new novel Monument (044101-1357, $14.00) tells of a drunk and a vagrant who has a jaded view of the world until a young priest saves him from the streets and involves him with an artifact which will change the world. Fans of vampire stories will relish Jeanne Cavelos' collection The Many Faces Of Van Helsing (0441011705, $14.95) presenting stories by Christopher Golden, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and other notables. The figure of Abraham Van Helsing was first introduced in Stoker's classic Dracula, and here is an ultimate adversary of the vampire. Charlene Harris' Dead To The World (0441011675, $19.95) is also a recommended pick for vampire enthusiasts: a small-town cocktail waitress in Louisiana who can read minds discovers an old vampire pal with amnesia and trouble evolves.

Roc
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
www.penguinputnam.com

Three new ROC books promise to hold wide appeal to fans of the genre. Vonda McIntyre's skills edit the latest Nebula Awards Showcase 2004 (0451459571, $14.95), offering superior works by Ursula LeGuin, Jack McDevitt, and more. Each work includes commentary on its author by fellow notables in the field from Frederick Pohl to James Gunn, making Nebula Awards Showcase 2004 a consistently superior presentation. Dan Chernenko's latest novel Chernagor Pirates (0451459-563, $14.95) is the second book in Chernenko's 'Scepter Of Mercy' series it takes place 400 years ago and revolves around a kingdom trying to locate its greatest lost talisman, the Scepter of Mercy. Readers who enjoy science fiction based around political conflict will find Chernagor Pirates a very fast-paced adventure. Dennis McKiernan's Red Slippers (0451459768, $23.95) returns to the kingdom of Mithgar which he featured in early titles, providing short stories based on the Mithgar setting. From a thief whose lust for jewels brings a terrible demise to a liar trapped in a burning tomb, Red Slippers is fantasy adventure at its best.

DAW Books
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
www.dawbooks.com

Julie Czerneda's Survival (0756401801, $23.95) is a rare blend of hard science fiction and exceptional characterization. Biologist author Julie Czerneda creates unusually believable aliens in her stores, and this first novel in a projected series 'Species Imperative' is no exception, building entire races and moving scenarios as it tells of an Earth scientist caught in interspecies struggles. Tanya Huff's Smoke And Shadows (0756401836, $23.95) builds on her prior 'Blood' series, but requires no prior familiarity to prove immediately accessible by newcomers. Street kid Tony has a new career in Vancouver's TV industry as a production assistant: it all seems fairly straightforward until Tony begins sensing shadows on the set which seem to hold a life and destiny of their own. Add touches of humor to the fast-paced drama and you have a winning thriller.

Baen Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, NY NY 10020
www.baen.com

Baen Books has proved a consistent industry publisher, producing alternate history and fantasy two of its strongest genres and adding a healthy dose of hard science fiction. Anne McCaffrey joins S.N. Stirling to present The City And The Ship (074347189X, $25.00), another addition to the intelligent spaceship 'brain ship' concept which provides to sequels to one of McCaffrey's most popular novels: City Who Fought and Ship Avenged. Having these two sequels under one cover will delight fans who appreciate the accessibility of McCaffrey's 'Ship' stories. Andre Norton's Gods And Androids (0743488172, $24.00) presents two very different individuals: a confused man who may prove an android who's being held as a prisoner away from his possible kingdom, and a confused modern archaeologist suffering from a time travel nightmare. Two very different prisoners blend their talents and problems in Norton's latest thriller. John Dalmas' Second Coming (0743488164, $24.00) provides a novel hard to easily categorize: here the Second Coming takes the form of a black Canadian software genius who surrounds himself with media consultants and businessmen. His teachings on karma and ethics may change his world in Dalmas' startlingly original take on the Second Coming. Leo Frankowski and Dave Grossman's Kren Of The Mitchegai (0743471822, $24.00) blends a virtual reality setting with the story of involuntary colonists who rescue their planet by becoming revolutionary mercenaries. Here they face the Mitchegai, a biologically evil species threatening human space. The premise is riveting. John Ringo and Linda Evans' Road To Damascus (0743-471873, $25.00) returns Keith Laumer's Bolos to new action. An impossible war machine which cannot stop is caught between ethics and duty when he faces a small boy who won't let him pass. The world constructed by Ringo and Evans from a story fragment by Keith Laumer is nothing short of outstanding. Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis' 1634: Galileo Affair (0743488156, $25.00) continues Flint and Dennis' alernate history set in the 1600s. Galileo Affair is set in the 30 Years War period where a United States of Europe is forged by the 20th century West Virginians who have been hurled into the past. Readers of alternate history politics will find plenty to admire here.


The Cookbook Shelf

Colonial Virginia's Cooking Dynasty
Katharine E. Harbury
University of South Carolina Press
1600 Hampton Street, 5th floor, Columbia, SC 29208
157003513X $59.95 1-800-768-2500

Colonial Virginia's Cooking Dynasty presents two cookbooks from eighteenth-century Virginia. One is an anonymous work dating from 1700; the other is the 1739-1743 cookbook of Jane Bolling Randolph, a desecendant of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Editor and historical archaeology expert Katharine Harbury offers introductions and analyses of the cookbooks themselves, and links these enduring works to the 1824 classic "The Virginia House-wife" by Mary Randolph. A comprehensive and in-depth portrait that reveals much in the evolution of cookbooks and housekeeping instructionals, at once both nostalgic and containing a wealth of information that remains quite practical throughout the centuries. A "must-have" especially for cookbook collectors.

Wild Sweets
Dominique Duby & Cindy Duby
Douglas & McIntyre
201-2323 Quebeck Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
1550549871 $39.95 1-800-367-9692

Wild Sweets is a coffee-table style cookbook of dessert creations that are based upon wild ingredients and delight the senses in their unique taste, texture, and visual appeal. Full-color, full-page photographs illustrate delicacies that transcent the level of common treats into works of three-dimensional, perishable yet sublime art. Descriptive prose recipes, extensive instructions concerning such processes as fermentation, plating, and the art of presentation, tips on safely acquiring wild ingredients, and much more fill this sumptuous feast for all the senses. Highly recommended delicacies include Red Curry Squash Flan with Gnocchi and Coconut Curry Foam; Wheat Berry Pudding with Candied Black Olives; Icewine Gelee with Coconut Milk Sabayon and Pumpkin Seed Croquant, and so much more. A superb resource for the absolute finest in light, elegant, and exquisite faire.

Hippocrene Books
171 Madison Ave., New York NY 10016
www.hippocrenebooks.com

Two new presentations join the expanding ethnic focus of Hippocrene's fine cookbooks and are recommended picks; especially for sage cooks who seek something different. Mary Amabile Palmer's Cucina Di Calabria (0781810507, $18.95) offers nearly 200 recipes with something for all levels of cook, from basic Tomato Sauce with Two Cheeses to Grilled Chicken Marinated in Lemon and Capers. Recipes stem from Palmer's Southern Italian roots and focus on family innovations and dishes from the region. Annabel Jacksons Taste Of Macau (0781810221, $18.95) is especially recommended for its unusual topic: Portugese cuisine ala China. Taste Of Macau is the first to focus on the Portugese/Asian cuisine of Macau and opens with a fine history of Portugese/Asian cooking, followed by over sixty recipes. Color photos throughout make for a real winner.

Everyday Vegan
Jeani-Rose Atchison
North Atlantic Books
PO Box 12327, Berkeley, CA 94712
www.northatlanticbooks.com
155643376X $22.50 www.amazon.com

Compiled by an expert health and cooking counselor Jeani-Rose Atchison, Everyday Vegan: 300 Recipes For Healthful Eating is a high-spirited, healthy-living cookbook featuring meat and animal-product free recipes for all occasions, and much more - facts concerning food groups, advice concerning the deleterious effects of pesticides, genetically engineered, and irradiated foods, and food philosophy. Recipes include mouth-watering dishes such as Gingered Butternut Squash Soup, Asparagus Flan, Lettuce-Wrapped Tempeh Meatballs, and so many more. A first-rate resource for creative and health-conscious vegan chefs.

1,001 Low-Carb Recipes For Life
Sue Spitler, editor
Surrey Books
230 East Ohio Street, Suite 120, Chicago, IL 60611
1572840617 $19.95 surreybooks.com

Ably compiled and deftly edited by Sue Spitler, 1,001 Low-Carb Recipes For Life is a healthy anthology of delicious, kitchen- tested low-carbohydrate recipes for the weight- and health-conscious. Dishes all types, from breakfasts and breads to soups, poultry, meats, seafood, vegetables and side dishes, salads, snacks, pizza, and desserts are presented with simple, straightforward instructions. A brief introduction offers some quick pointers on low-carb diets and calculating net carbs and the glycemic index, but the majority of 1,001 Low-Carb Recipes For Life is devoted to the recipes themselves. Each recipe also features a sidebar informing the cook of its net carbohydrates, calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, protein, and carbohydrates per serving. Very highly recommended for carb-counters everywhere -- as well as anyone else with an interested in keeping an eye on their overall caloric intake as part of a general health regimen.

Food Art
John Gargone
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen PA 19310
0764319604 $19.95 schifferbooks.com

John Gargone's Food Art isn't for the quick cook who wants to produce garnishes in seconds: it's for the cook who wants a variety of truly elegant food garnishes to produce from scratch, from carved vegetable art to meat and vegetable displays and more. Yes, it's easy to do but it won't be accomplished in seconds. FOOD ART's step-by-step color photos throughout provide exceptional embellishment on the techniques and fine art of carving and making garnishes.

Country Scrapple
William Woys Weaver
Stackpole Books
45067 Ritter Rd Mechanicsburg PA 17055
081170064X $19.95 stackpolebooks.com

Whether the reader has had Philadelphia scrapple once, twice or never, Country Scrapple's survey of an American tradition and its history and recipes is unparalleled in the cookbook world. Food historian William Woys Weaver provides a surprising look at the long and European-rooted foundations of Scrapple, adding a wide variety of Scrapple recipes from around the world. Fans of American culinary traditions and history will find Country Scrapple a lively, easy read which is nicely supplemented with excellent dishes.

Recipes Of The Stars
Leo Pearlstein
Hollywood Circle Press
PO Box 48051, Los Angeles, CA 90048
0971130620 $14.95 celebritystew.com

Written by the "King of Culinary Public Relations" Leo Pearlstein, Recipes Of The Stars: Eating Like Hollywood Royalty presents 100 favorite dishes among celebrities, each connected to a popular figure (photography and brief career profile included) and all tested by Pearlstein's extended staff of home economists and chefs. Simple instructions make these mouth-wateringly fabulous treats of the elite easy to create and enjoy in the privacy of one's home. Recipes Of The Stars is a simply superb way to add spice to one's recipe shelf. Also very highly recommended is Leo Pearlstein's justifiably acclaimed Celebrity Stew.

Oh My Stars!
Junior League of Roanoke Valley
c/o FRP
PO Box 305142, Nashville, TN 37230
096794970X $24.95 1-800-358-0560

Oh My Stars!: Recipes That Shine is the collaborative effort of the members of The Junior League Of Roanoke Valley, Virginia and offer cookbook connoisseurs a superb compendium of culinary delights that would grace any table and enhance any formal or informal dining occasion. Visually enriched with a wealth of full color photography, the recipes range from Simmered Mushrooms Bourguignonne; Chilled Tomato Soup with Avocado Cream; Veal Piccata with Capers and Pine Nuts; and Virginia Trout Meuniere; to Cabbage and Potatoes with Tomatoes and Smoked Cheese; Herbed Sour Cream Muffins; Pepper Jack Cheese and Herb Souffle; and Frosted Brown Sugar Pound Cake. Kitchen cooks and dedicated cookbook browsers will fully appreciated the cooking tips and anecdotes that regularly appear throughout this enthusiastically recommended addition to family cookbook collections.

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

Chronicle's ongoing cookbook publications provide a wide range of books for all levels of cooks; from beginners to advanced chefs. Corby Kummer's Pleasures Of Slow Food (0811833798, $40.00) isn't just another 'crockpot cookbook': it explores the history of the slow food movement as a whole, adds stunning color photos by Susie Cushner, and travels the world surveying 'slow food' traditions and recipes. Here slow food is explored as a concept and lifestyle, not just as a cooking utensil, and chapters from world chefs provide a wide range of dishes which are cooked slowly, tastefully and well. Kathryn Kleinman's Birthday Cakes (08118-40190, $24.95) packs in over 50 color photos as it covers birthday memories from renowned chefs from James Beard and Jim Fobel to Julia Child. Cooks who enjoy detailed recipes and fancy results will relish Birthday Cakes, which blends the memories and recipes of celebrated bakers. Paulette Mitchell's A Beautiful Bowl Of Soup (0811835286, $19.95) uses a vegetarian focus to explore sixty meatless soups and stews from around the world. The focus here is on international dishes which offer different taste treats, from fruity and sweet dessert soups to vegan and ethnic dishes. A soup-lover's delight. Diane Morgan's Midnight Munchies (0811835340, $16.95) is the perfect item of choice for busy cooks who find themselves seeking quick midnight snacks. Quite simple but elegant snacks are featured in Midnight Munchies, from sugar-coated grapes and Mexican-spiced popcorn to recipes for indulging when love is lost or heartbreak is imminent. Morgan's humor and informative commentary throughout are fine accompaniments to recipes. All these are exceptional cookbooks, worthy of any culinary or public library collection.

101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker
Stephanie Ashcraft & Janet Eyring
Gibbs Smith
PO Box 667 , Layton UT 84041
1586853171 $9.95 1-800-748-5439

Ashcroft and Eyring's dishes are simply outstanding in their simplicity and originality, offering very simple slow cooker recipes with a minimum of fuss and ingredients. A Lemonade Chicken is made with frozen thawed lemonade for example; a Beef Stroganoff is spiced with cream of mushroom soup, and pork chops are braised in the cooker with bottled barbecue sauce for intense flavors. A lovely, recommended pick.

The Garden Of Eating
Rachel Albert-Matesz & Don Matesz
Planetary Press
PO Box 97040, Phoenix, AZ 85060-7040
0964126710 $29.95 1-602-840-4556

The Garden Of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet And Cookbook is a 600-page compendium of 250 "family friendly", grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free recipes showcasing just how good taste and good nutrition are wonderfully compatible. Rachel Albert-Matesz draws upon her more than 18 years of experience as a freelance food and health writer, cooking instructor, and healthy cooking-coach to collaborate with her husband Don Matesz (who is himself a freelance food and health writer) to provide sound advice and up-to-date information on the uses of a specially designed diet for optimal health. Among the many benefits to the use of fruits, vegetables, and wild or grass-fed animal products, are body fat reduction and long-term weight control; clear complexion and a more youthful skin; improved immunity to dietary deficiency linked diseases; good digestion and elimination; reduced food cravings; lifelong vitality, even healthier smarter children. Enhanced with sample menus, prep lists, cooking secrets, and fourth special occasion menus, The Garden Of Eating will prove to be a life-enhanced addition to any dedicated cookbook collection for the health conscious kitchen cook!

From Bangkok To Bali In 30 Minutes
Theresa Volpe Laursen & Byron Laursen
The Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
www.harvardcommonpress.com
1558322353 $14.95 1-888-657-3755

From Bangkok To Bali In 30 Minutes: 175 Fast And Easy Recipes With The Lush, Tropical Flavors Of Southeast Asia is the collaborative effort of Theresa Volpe Laursen and Byron Laursen. This exciting compilation of exotic dishes ranges from Vietnamese-Style Iced Coffee; Balinese Star Fruit, Papaya, and Pink Grapefruit Salad with Avocado Dressing; and Fried Spring Rolls Filipino Style; to Bangkok-to-Bali Burgers with Grilled Onions; Laotian-Style Stir-Fried Shrimp with Crispy Lemon Grass; and Filipino-Style Potatoes Adobo. Exceptionally "kitchen cook friendly", From Bangkok To Bali In 30 Minutes is especially recommended for both its culinary diversity and ethnic meal-time authenticity.

The Wholesome Oven
Patricia Leslie
Regent Press
6020-A Adeline, Oakland, CA 4608
1587900599 $16.00 regentpress.com

The second volume of a four cookbook series dedicated to baking without the use of dairy products or eggs, The Wholesome Oven: Book Two - Muffins, Coffee Cakes & Other Quick Breads is a 140-page, thoroughly "kitchen cook friendly", compendium of recipes that arising from a concern for showcasing the benefits of eliminating dairy and eggs from a even a vegetarian diet. From Carrot Cake Muffins; Banana Bread; Crumb-Topped Coffee Cake; and Gingerbread; to Raisin Maple Loaf; Vanilla Sauce; Celtic Soda Bread; Tomato Biscuits; and Chocolate Scones; these are recipes which keep the use of unrefined sugar and liquid canola oil to a minimum. Enhanced with preparation techniques, a guide to natural ingredients, and even a list of source companies, The Wholesome Oven: Muffins, Coffee Cakes & Other Quick Breads will make a welcome and appreciated contribution to any vegetarian (or non-vegtarian!) cookbook collection.

Loader's Game Publications
(Wimmer Cookbooks - 1-800-548-2537)
PO Box 1615, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066
1-724-779-8320 www.barnes&noble.com

The husband and wife team of Steve and Gale Loder have collaborated to publish three of the best wild game cookbook trilogy on the market today. Quality Venison: Homemade Recipes & Homespun Deer Tales (0966228405, $14.95) is now in its fourth printing and is organized into three major sections: "Venison How-To Guide covering everything from taxidermists and mounting, to skinning the deer, taking care of venison meat from the field to processing. The second section is devoted to "Homemade Recipes" including grilling venison, as well as cooking venison in Italian, Crockery, Traditional styles, and concluding with some Loder Family Favorites. Quality Venison is rounded out with "Homespun Deer Tales" that will entertain anyone who has ever taken to woods or fields in search of deer. Quality Venison II: All New Recipes And Deer Tales Too (0966228413, $14.95) is the second volume of this outstanding series and showcases 150 "cook's style" venison recipes including two new recipe categories: "Let's Cook The 'Other' Wild Game" and "Appetizers and Side Dishes". Twenty-eight original hunting stories round out this superbly organized wild game cookbook. Quality Venison III (0966228421, $14.95) concludes this specialized cookbook trilogy with 100 new recipes for diverse kinds of wild game and includes a new and additional recipe category for appetizers and side dishes designed to complement wild game entrees. This third installment also concludes with wonderful tales drawn from outdoor writers from across the country -- several of which also include a special recipe of their own. The "Quality Venison" wild game cookbook series is a confidently recommended addition to any cookbook collection where the chef and the family respects the lives and contributions of wild game in our great environmental "circle of life".


The Artbook Shelf

Picasso: Style & Meaning
Elizabeth Cowling
Phaidon Press Inc.
180 Varick St., 14th fl., NY, NY 10014
0714842931 $49.95 www.amazon.com

Enhanced with 507 color and 119 b/w illustrations, Picasso: Style And Meaning by Elizabeth Cowling (Professor of Art History, University of Edinburgh, and Curator of the "Picasso: Sculptor/Painter" Tate Galley exhibition in London, 1994), is a 704-page compendium on the groundbreaking and seminally influential art of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Picasso's career is divided into distinct and distinctive periods: Blue, Rose, Negro, Cubist, Neoclassical, Surrealists, etc. One of the interesting discussions is survey of his detractors that felt Picasso suffered from a stylistic inconsistency arising from a lack of artistic sincerity, while Picasso's supporters see the extensive range of styles as a documentation of his status as an unfettered artistic genius. Elizabeth Cowling maintains that Picasso came to equate stylistic consistency with sterility, and that in drawing freely upon the work of other artists, he sought to emulate the formal and emotional range of a stage actor who can adopt different persona at will. Picasso apparently shared his contemporaries' suspicion of literary themes and gradually reduced his subject matter to a handful of standardized motifs -- but utilized a vast array of different and differing styles as his principle means of communicating ideas and feeling through his images. The winner of the 2003 British Academy Book Prize, Picasso: Style & Meaning is "must" reading for Picasso enthusiasts, and a welcome contribution to academic and community library Art History collections.

Call Of The Mountains
Larry Len Peterson
Settlers West Galleries
6420 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson AZ 85718
0963564277 $32.95 settlerswest.com

Larry Len Peterson's artistic presentation Call Of The Mountains focuses on the artists of Glacier National Park, pairing full-page color reproductions of paintings and ad art with in-depth reviews of the artists' lives and viewpoints. The dual focus on artist inspiration and output makes for a well-rounded title which outlines the beauty of Glacier Park as well as surveying the artists which have captured this beauty on paper.

Woodland Reflections
Jo Ortel
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress
0299193101 $60.00 1-800-621-2736

Written by Jo Ortel (an associate professor of art history and recipient of the James R. Underkofler award for excellence in undergraduate teaching), Woodland Reflections: The Art Of Truman Lowe is an artbook featuring the abstract wooden sculpture and other works of native american artist Truman Lowe, whose bold and original creations set him apart. An extensive philosphical commentary ranging from reflections upon native traditions and cultural survival through art to education and identity, the distinctions between art and craft, and much more adds a thoughtful dimension to the captivating gallery of full-color photographs of Lowe's eye-catching creations. A most welcome addition to avante-garde and Native American artbook collections.

Pots Of Promise
Cheryl R. Ganz & Margaret Strobel, eds
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6903
0252071972 $30.00 press.uillinois.edu

Pots Of Promise: Mexicans And Pottery At Hull-House 1920-40 is the result of the painstaking editorial efforts of Cherly R. Ganz (curator nd desingers of the "Pots of Promise: Mexicans, Reformers, and the Hull-House Kilns" exhibition for the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum) and Vicki L. Ruiz (Professor of History and Chicano/Latino studies, University of California - Irvine) to provide contemporary readers with an descritive survey and history of the pottery program at the commercial Hull-House Kilns during the 1920s and the 1930s with a particular emphasis on the Mexican communit in the Hull-House 'colonia" -- Chicago's largets Mexican settlement. Enhanced with 131 color and b/w photographs, as well as four informative essays; Pots Of Promise launches the Latinos in Chicago and the Midest" series from the University of Illinois Press and will prove to be a welcome addition to American Latino Studies and Art History Studies library collections and supplemental reading lists.

Art Theory
Robert Williams
Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.blackwellpublishing.com
1405107073 $29.95 1-800-216-2522

Accessibly written by Robert Williams (Associate Professor of Art History at the University of California), Art Theory: An Historical Introduction is an impressive work of very sound scholarship offering the reader a straightforward introduction, informative discussion, and insightful evaluation of Western thought concerning art ranging from the beginning of history, down to the modern day. An intellectual analysis which is completely accessible to non-specialist general readers but treating its subject with the depth worty of a serious student, Art Theory presents its focus upon the periods of "Antiquity and the Middle Ages", "The Early Modern Period", "The Enlightenment", "The Nineteenth Century", "The Early Twentieth Century", and "Postmodernism". A relatively small amount of black-and-white and a few color illustrations add a special visual touch to the serious and evolving ideas concerning art and its role in society throughout the centures. A most welcome contribution to academic library Art History reference shelves and reading lists.

Art Of The Senses
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
www.mfa-publications.org
0878466592 $50.00 1-800-338-2665

Full color photographs on virtually every page show the grand splendor of African artworks, with each piece having a paragraph of commentary unto itself in Art Of The Senses: African Masterpieces From The Teel Collection, which showcases the varied pieces of the Teel set for the first time. A thoughtful discussion of how art aficionados today view African creations, as well as how Western labels have been applied to such works throughout the ages for good or ill, the cultural context of these expressions, and much more rounds out this incredible and highly recommended artbook for public libraries or any connoisseur's personal library.

How To Identify Prints
Bamber Gascoigne
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10110-0017
0500284806 $34.95 1-800-233-4830

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, How To Identify Prints: A Complete Guide To Manual And Mechanical Processes From Woodcut To Inkjet is a superb reference and self-teaching tool for discerning between manual prints, process prints, and screenprints/non-prints, whether the print in question is monochrome or color, and whether it is relief, intaglio, or planographic. 272 illustrations, 40 of which are in color, highlight the meticulous attention to detail in this excellent manual, which also covers essential aspects of printing history and the craft of printmaking. This new addition is revised with insights concerning how increasingly sophisticated yet inexpensive cheap printing processes such as quality inkjet and laser prints affect the process of identifying and evaluating printed images. A "must-read" for anyone collecting authentic prints or pursuing a career involving the identification of prints.


The Gardening Shelf

The Weather-Resilient Garden
Charles W.G. Smith
Storey Publications
210 Mass Moca Way N Adams MA 02147
1580175163 $19.95 www.storey.com

From hail and ice to summer droughts, gardens can face daunting seasonal survival challenges. Enter gardening expert Charles Smith's Weather-resilient Garden: a "user friendly" guide to planting a garden tough enough to withstand almost any kind of weather change. Blend an encyclopedia of 100 hardy plants with expert advice on how to organize a garden for inclement weather and you have a solid key to a lasting, beautiful garden.

The Organic Home Garden
Patrick Lima
Firefly Books
155 E. 34th St. #5B, New York NY 10016
1552979245 $19.95 fireflybooks.com

Newcomers to organic gardening will find Patrick Lima's Organic Home Garden an excellent, basic introduction which covers fresh and healthy foods and how to grow them with a minimum of additives. From selecting hardy varieties of seeds and seedlings to choosing appropriate compost and controlling pests and diseases through non-chemical means, Organic Home Garden is packed with charts, drawings, and even recipes.

Timber Press Inc.
133 SW 2nd Ave, Portland, OR 97204
www.timberpress.com

Two excellent titles are highly recommended picks for any in-depth gardening library. Susan Hill and Susan Narizny compile The Plant Locator Western Region (0881926337, $19.95), listing over 50,000 plants and nurseries which carry them. The Plant Locator is the third updated edition and has been vastly expanded and updated with nursery listings in 14 western States including Hawaii and British Columbia. Gardeners having troubles tracking down that elusive variety will welcome the latest edition of The Plant Locator Western Region: an excellent reference. Jennifer Trehane's Blueberries, Cranberries And Other Vacciniums (0881926159, $29.95) packs in technical growing advice about growing these varieties and more. The entire Vaccinium genus holds more than 400 species worldwide: her guide covers resources and details for ornamentals as well as fruits.

How To Attract Birds To Your Garden
Derwent May
Robson Books
Parkwest Publications, dist.
PO Box 20261, NY, NY 10025-1512
1861054394 $23.00 www.amazon.com

There are many methods for attracting birds to a garden: How To Attract Birds To Your Garden by aviary gardening expert Derwent May covers all kinds of garden birds, their feeding needs and ranges, and discussions of the flowers, trees and shrubs which attract them. Add a chatty tone and explanations of why some methods are better than others and you have an easily-understood guide, spiced with illustrations by Peter Brown.

The Window Box Gardening Book
Anne M. Halpin
Quarry Books/Rockport Publishers Inc.
33 Commercial Street, Gloucester, MA 01930-5089
1592530591 $9.99 rockpub.com

The Window Box Gardening Book: An Inspirational And Practical Guide is a straightforward instructional to window box gardening, which involves little labor, makes greenery a part of the home environment, and promotes the enjoyment and pleasure of gardening to city and country dwellers alike. Full-color photographs illustrate the straightforward text that covers everything from selecting the right containers and plants, to three classic styles of window box gardening, tips on preparing for seasonal changes, extensive instructions and troubleshooting tips, and much more. A beautiful and handy guide that even the most novice plant grower can appreciate.

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

Two new plant guides offer extensive reference details to any aspiring gardener. The revised, updated new edition of the American Horticultural Society's Great Plant Guide (0756603153, $18.00) is truly an outstanding achievement. A fat but genuinely pocket-sized guide contains 3,000 recommended plants, color photos, and an A-Z format for quick consultation. Add at-a-glance charts of required conditions and you have a reference which is useful and colorful. South-eastern gardeners won't want to miss the Society's Southeast Smartgarden Regional Guide (0789494-949, $30.00), a reference to over 3,000 plants which grow well in the Southeast. With literally thousands of color photos accompanied by step-by-step gardening sequences and techniques, this is packed with fine detail.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Sanctuary
Carlos Nakai
Canyon Records
3131 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85017
www.canyonrecords.com

The traditional Carlos Nakai flute playing in Sanctuary takes two forms: pieces rendered on the bass cedar flute, and those presented on the standard flute. Either way, Nakai's classic sounds, flawless performances, and nature-oriented inspirations remain familiar, haunting, and very highly recommended presentations.

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

Putumayo World Music began in 1993 with a goal to introduce newcomers to the music of other cultures: today its compilations are renowned for both diversity and their ability to keep traditional roots alive while blending in modern influences and sounds. For this Focus, we narrow the examination to some of Putumayo's newer African music cds. The latest Women Of Africa (PUT233-2) holds songs by the notable Angelique Kidjo, Tarika and Dorothy Masuka, but blends in lesser-known women from across the continent, from Judith Sephuma to Nawal of Comoros. Some of these individuals, such as Sephuma, are rising stars in their own countries and here provide the opportunity for a new international audience. Not to be missed is the new Afro-Portugese Odyssey (PUT204-2) compilation with its unusual focus on the musics from former Portugese colonies of Africa. From Bidinte and Dulce Neves to Mabulu, these Portugese-African musicians provide an extraordinary range of styles and approaches to music linked by the combined Portugese and African roots. The vocals in both these collections are outstanding, but what makes each unique is Putumayo's attention to weaving selected musics and musicians so that transitions between the songs are logical and melodic rather than jarring. Oliver Mtukudzi's new cd Vhunze Moto (PUT199-2) reached #5 on Billboard's World Music Chart, and it's easy to see why: this collection of his fabulous singing and playing offers an outstanding blend of vocals and guitar works, presenting songs of South African social conscience. His Collection (PUT214-2) is the latest, accompanying a U.S. tour and gathering some of his best works from his previous six albums. This actually is the best introduction one could have to Mtukudzi's sound and diversity, as it features some of his best-known works. If it's authentic African music accessible to lay audience you wish for your library collection, don't leave these out: they'll be much-lended and highly appreciated.

World Music Network
6 Abbeville Mews, 88 Clapham Park Road, London, SW4 7BX, UK
www.worldmusic.net

World Music Network's cds focus on musics and musicians of many countries, providing compilations which blend in new sounds, but retain the rootsy backgrounds of their origins. Ethiopia (RGNET 1124) provides urban pop from the 'golden age' of Ethiopian music in the 1960s to modern times, choosing a diversity of works by Wallias Band, Yared Tefera, Aster Aweke and more. While the blend of electric and urban pop sounds may startle those anticipating traditional works, compiler Francis Falceto has carefully screened and chosen these works to profile the best of diverse modern trends in thecountry. Gypsy melodies meet American jazz in Gypsy Swing (RGNET 1138): a focus on the traditional jazz style pioneered by Django Reinhardt which continues to this day. From the original efforts of early Gypsy Swing musicians to French and German participants who continue their contributions into modern times, this profiles not only Django himself, but Moreno Trio, Quinettte Du Hot Club de France, and many more. Kenya (RGNET 1137) offers a fast-paced, hard-hitting connection of benga music from that country: a pop style which has been infused with new sounds from R&B and other international influences. Here works reflect a diverse sampling of styles from classical benga to new taarab innovations. Argentina is another 'rough guide' which moves from traditional to modern, beginning with tango and moving to chacerera and other styles. Most listeners associate Argentina with tango music alone: this compilation demonstrates there is a wide range of musical styles within the country which move far beyond the traditional tango sound. Recommended picks, all.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

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

Six excellent new collector guides provide readers with solid histories, identification and value guides specific to different collection goals. Larry Koon's Stickley Brothers Furniture (1574323695, $24.95) comes packed with color photos and measurements, as well as detailed descriptions of each furniture piece and its variations. Pottery collectors simply won't want to miss Chad Lage's Pictorial Guide To Pottery & Porcelain Marks (157432361X, $29.95): the subject is essential to proper notation or identification of pottery and porcelain pieces and as such this guide can be used across the board to help identify a range of makers and works. Color photos pack in detail and offer clear identification insights. Bill Edwards and Mike Carwile's Standard Encyclopedia Of Carnival Glass (157432375X, $29.95) appears in its 9th updated edition to include the same attention to clear color photos and the latest prices of carnival glass pieces. Each detailed presentation includes an assessment of the piece and its history and attributes. Accompany this colorful guide is the more bare-bones Price Guide, 14th Edition (1574323768, $9.95), a pamphlet-like pre-sentation lacking photographic embellishment but including color-coded price panels. Bobbie Aug and Gerald Roy's Antique Quilts & Textiles (1574323741, $24.95) provides a price guide to functional cloths, from pieced quilts and comforters to clothing. Plenty of color plates provide clear pictures of cloth 'comforts' while descriptions begin with an introduction in each chapter and move to histories of each cloth style and type. Carrie and Jerry Domitz's Encyclopedia Of Paden City Glass (1574323601, $29.95) is a specialized collector's title not to be missed: it includes history, measurements, collection questions and of course plenty of color photos of featured pieces, along with the latest prices. All are excellent, specialized collector's books.


The Genealogy Shelf

Planting Your Family Tree Online
Cyndi Howells
Rutledge Hill Press
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
1401600220 $19.99 1-800-251-4000

So you've used the reference guides to build a substantial family tree, and you've located photos and documents but still have questions: where to next? Use Cyndi Howells' reference Planting Your Family Tree Online to create a family history web site the entire family can enjoy. From locating an appropriate web hosting service to planning and maintaining a family history web site, this provides a core group of tips based on the genealogist author/web site owner's own hard-learned lessons. Another information-packed, 'not to be missed' reference.

Genealogical Publishing Co.
1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202
www.genealogical.com

If it's family tree research you're seeking for a strong library collection, don't miss these standard references which are designed to appeal to a wide audience of both beginners and professional genealogists. John Philip Colletta, Ph.D.'s Finding Italian Roots, 2nd Edition (08063-17418, $14.95) first appeared in 1993 and has been thoroughly revised for this latest presentation. From accessing and interpreting the records available for tracking Italian ancestors and recording their stories to locating key sources of records and civil and religious resources, Finding Italian Roots is packed with specific tips unique to Italian roots. For a weighter, wider-ranging and more comprehensive reference, the standard two-volume Cyndi's List (0806316780, $89.95) by Cyndi Howells is unparalleled and widely acknowledged as an industry 'standard'. Cyndi's List provides a print gateway to the virtual world of Internet genealogy, providing over 70,000 links listed on over 430 individual web sites. Why have a print version when the search is to be conducted online? Because it saves the researcher many hours, helping to prepare in advance for a fruitful online session. These extraordinary references simply should not be missed.


The Library Video/DVD Shelf

Pilates Sculpt
Michelle Dozois & Tracy York
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Andrea Blain (publicity)
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
www.collagevideo.com/breakthru
SV12594 $9.99 1-800-546-1949

Featuring instructors Michelle Dozois (co-owner of Breakthru Fitness), and Tracy York (an internationally known fitness professional and trainer of instructors), Pilates Sculpt is a 55-minute, full-color video workout featuring hand weight training and Pilates exercises to strengthen the body, tone the muscles. Designed to give serious exercisers the maximum impact in a minimum amount of time, Pilates Sculpt (which is also available in a $14.98 DVD format) will make an enthusiastic and energetic addition to any community library exercise video reference collection or individual fitness program supplement.

Ease Into Pilates
Katrina Fitness
Janson Media
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
1568391323 $19.95 www.janson.com

Ease Into Pilates is a step-by-step, 34-minute, full color, DVD introduction to a physical fitness program that emphasizes using multiple muscles simultaneously, and which was first introduced in the early 1900s by Joseph H. Pilates. Now popular for its health, flexibility, and workout benefits, Pilates is accessible to all ages and fitness levels. Katrina Fitness (aka Katrina Stachowski), AFAA certified fitness instructor of twelve years, takes the viewer on a guided tour through basic Pilates workouts and techniques, including segments devoted to warm-up, strength, abs/back, and relaxation/cool down. Each segment is approximately 10 minutes in length and can be done separately or combined all together to easily accommodate individual needs. Nothing more than a thin Pilates or Yoga mat is needed to take full advantage of Ease Into Pilates.

Gentle Touch Infant Massage
Natural Journeys
c/o Goldhil Home Media International
411 Video Information (publicity)
137 East Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 207, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
www.Naturaljourneys.com
1585658286 $19.95 1-800-737-1825

Gentle Touch Infant Massage is a wonderfully produced and presented, 48-minute, full-color, highly recommended, tutorial video on the art of infant massage, a parent/baby activity which can be used to nurture, communicate, and bond with one's baby, as well as strengthen the parent-child connection, all while bringing about medical, therapeutical, emotional, and developmental benefits. A gentle, step-by-step instructional that anyone can follow, Gentle Touch Infant Massage is charming to see and easy to learn from, featuring simple progressive routines that encourage acquiring the skill of infant massage at one's own pace.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Final Confession Of Mabel Stark
Robert Hough
Bolinda Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 307, Shelton, CT 06484
1740932897 $88.00 www.bolinda.com

Written by a finalist for the 2002 Commonwealth Writer Prize and the 2002 Trillium Award, The Final Confession Of Mabel Stark is the fictional autobiography of Mabel Stark, a female tiger trainer known as the "Mae West of tiger taming". A star attraction for the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey circus, married five times, and living a live filled with courage, tragedy, adventure, and daring, The Final Confession Of Mabel Stark opens with its hero at the age of 80, about to lose her job and longing to confess, including admitting to "the worst thing one person can do to another." Rapturously read aloud by Betty Bobbitt, winner of two acting awards from the Television Society of Australia for her work in the hit series "The Prisoner" over five years, The Final Confession Of Mabel Stark escorts the listener in an exciting and most extraordinary woman's life.

Realizing The Power Of Now
Eckhart Tolle
Sounds True
PO Box 8010, Boulder, CO 80306
1591790719 $69.95 soundstrue.com

Realizing The Power Of Now is a 6 CD audiobook in which counselor and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle provides the listener with an wonderfully articulate and insightful presentation on transcending the finite world to touch our tree essence which has "no form, not time, nd no name". Eckart Tolle deftly addresses the use of our "inner body" as an anchor to the Now; the cultivation of "pure awareness" moments; the power inherent in the simple act of noticing; the liberation of laughter; nature as a bridge to the divine; dissolving our "pain-body" with the light of consciousness; finding the peace underlying personal loss; separating our "life situation" from our life; and so much more. This 7 hour, 30 minute, flawless recorded presentation by Eckhart Tolle is as life affirming as it is highly recommended.

Audio Editions
www.audiopartners.com

Three excellent new audio cds are highly recommended picks for fans of masterful mystery writing: the unabridged cd presentations lose nothing in editing and are riveting. Rex Stout's Fer-De-Lance (16727-03881, $29.95) receives veteran narrator Michael Prichard's compelling voice, in keeping with prior Nero Wolfe mystery audios, and will provide listeners and prior fans with a smooth survey of Wolfe mysteries. This is the first mystery from Stout and Fer-De-Lance revolves around a deadly snake and clever murders. Donald Westlake's Road To Ruin (1572704039, $34.95) benefits from William DuFris' distinguished voice and award-winning performance as one of audio's best-known and most beloved narrators as it tells of John Dortmunder's investigation of a corrupt CEO. Humor and action provide a satisfying blend of high drama and fun. Agatha Christie's Secret Of Chimneys (1572703873, $29.95) receives veteran Hugh Fraser's involving voice as it delivers one Count Stylptich's memoirs and a murder which results from them. It's up to Anthony Cade to see why his delivery resulted in death, and Secret Of Chimneys does not disappoint the listener and Agatha Christie fan.

Loud And Clear
Anna Quindlen
Random House Audio
www.randomhouse.com/audio
0739309293 $27.50 www.amazon.com

Anna Quindlen is one of America's best-known novelists and a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, so it's no mystery her Loud And Clear commentary on American society and life would translate well to audio, with her exceptional upbeat style and personal voice. Recommended for prior fans of Quindlen's writings who here will find her voice brings her perspectives on American culture to life.

To The Nines
Janet Evanovich
Audio Renaissance
175 5th Ave., New York NY 10010
1559277777 $37.95 stmartinspress.com

Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, has made author Janet Evanovich her own fortune and good name, and To The Nines pairs another excellent listen with the talents of Lorelei King to bring alive the latest story. To The Nines tells of a cousin who has posted bail on an illegal immigrant who promptly disappears. It's up to Stephanie to locate a missing man: in true Plum form, things get complicated rather quickly in a satisfying series of mystery twists and turns, brought alive in the audio format.

The Lonely Men
Louis L'Amour
Books On Tape, Inc.
PO Box 25122, Santa Ana, CA 92799
0736695788 $36.00 1-800-541-5525

Another thrilling installment in Louis L'Amour's outstanding western series "The Sacketts", The Lonely Men finds that Tell Sackett's nephew has been kidnapped by the Apaches. Accompanied by John J. Battles, Spanish Murphy, and the half-breed Tampico, Tell makes his way to the Aaches' Sierra Madre stronghold. But then all is not as it seems and their could be more against him than just the Apaches! Superbly narrated by David Strathairn, this flawlessly produced and recorded audiobook edition is complete and unabridged and consists of four 90 minute cassettes in a sturdy plastic shell that makes it an ideal acquition for community library audiobook collections.

Brilliance Corporation
www.brillianceaudio.com

Brilliance Corporation's extraordinary monthly publications keep expanding a high-quality, growing list pairing notable authors with fine narrators. Cassette listeners always have an excellent new selection to look forward to. Among the latest recommended picks in audio cassete: Olivia Goldsmith's Dumping Billy (1593558112, $24.95), with Bernadette Quigley's Broadway background and high drama adding to the story of a Brooklyn bar owner with a penchant for dumping women; Anne Perry's excellent mystery Shifting Tide (1593557817, $24.95), spurred on by David Colacci's experienced and smooth voice as it tells of William Monk's investigation of a London wharf dark side mystery; P.J. Tracy's Live Bait (1590866230, $24.95), with Buck Schirner's dramatic inflections bringing to life the nail-bitter of two Minneapolis detectives who investigate a torrent of murders; Nancy Taylor Rosenberg's Sulivan's Law (1593553455, $24.95), with Sandra Burr's veteran and dramatic voice adding to the thriller of a probation officer's supervision of a convicted killer and psychotic; David Lindsey's Face Of The Assassin (1593557876, $24.95), with veteran Dick Hill adding his dramatic, smooth narrative style to the story of a forensic artist who tackles a Mexican mystery; Loren Estleman's Retro (1593554087, $19.95), enjoying actor Mel Foster's excellent style as it tells of a Detroit detective's trouble trying to keep a deathbed wish. CD listeners do not lack for excellent titles in both fiction and nonfiction, either. Stephen Coonts' Deep Black Biowar (159355396X, $24.95) simply can't be beat, what with the powerful narrative style of reader J. Charles and the classic Coonts thriller style: this revolving around a world-renowned scientist who has vanished from his home along with a dangerous germ warfare secret. Brilliance Corporation's nonfiction on cd abounds and expands with the addition of Stephen Mansfield's Faith Of George W. Bush (1593559224, $26.95), with J. Charles highlighting the 'faith-based' presidency of Bush; Karen Hughes'Ten Minutes From Normal (1593558074, $29.95), receiving the author and Robert Hughes' vivid styles as it explores the insights of a woman who has worked beside George W. Bush for many years; Jen Abbas' Generation Ex (1593558198, $19.95), with Sandra Burr powerhousing the eye-opening exploration of the lives of now-adult children of divorced parents. Research, interviews and personal stories gathered her thoroughly discuss the effects of divorce on identity even into adulthood. Henry and Richard Blackaby's Called To Be God's Leader (1593555016, $19.95) receives J. Charles' excellent style as it surveys lessons from the life of Joshua and provides an analysis religious listeners will relish.

Clipper Audio/Recorded Books
270 Skipjack Rd., Prince Frederick, MD 20678
www.recordedbooks.com

Clipper Audio specializes in British dramas and narrators and provides an excellent line of new thrillers for American listening: all in unabridged, library-quality lending cases. Adam Baron's Hold Back The Night (1841977306, $72.00) receives Gordon Griffin's excellent and tense narrative style which heights the thriller of an ex-policeman turned P.I. investigating a teen runaway's murder. Daniel Easterman's Day Of Wrath (184197742X, $82.00) receives Gerry O'Brian's thrilling voice and style which adds to an Irish man of god's mission to fulfill the Scriptures ala technical weaponry. David Hewson's A Season For The Dead (1841977489, $82.00) receives Sean Baker's gripping vocals as it presents the first in an Italian crime series set in Rome, revolving around one Sara Farnese's startling confrontation in a Vatican library. Colin Bateman's Horse With My Name (1841977772, $47.00) simply can't be beat when paired with solid narrator Gerard Ban-Lavery's smooth style. Ex-journalist Dan Starkey is stuck in Belfast with a disastrous life until a quirky Internet horseracing gossip involves him in a new mystery. Bernard Knight's Tinner's Corpse (1841977322, $72.00) not only receives Paul Matthews' gripping style: it includes an unusual interview with the author as it presents another Crowner John mystery: this revolving around the murder of a tin miner. Deon Meyer's Dead At Daybreak (1841977446, $82.00) receives Saul Reichlin's smooth style and gripping voice, enhancing the story of a South African antiques dealer murdered with an assault rifle and leaving behind few clues. It's up to ex-cop Van Heerden to solve the mystery with only seven days leeway! All are excellent thrillers.


The Fiction Shelf

The Swallows Of Kabul
Yasmina Khadra
Nan Talese/Doubleday
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0385510012 $18.95 www.nanatalese.com

Set in Kabul with the Taliban in charge, Yasmina Khadra presents the lives of two couples: one a family of wealthy shopkeepers destroyed by the Taliban, and the other a prison keeper who believes in the Taliban ideology and struggles to keep his faith. Islamic passion, religion and social issues come to life in The Swallows Of Kabul: there are very few novels which explore this region of the world and the poetic, literary style of Khadra's will find a home with many American readers.

House of Bones
Dale Bailey
Signet Books
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0451210794 $6.99 www.penguin.com

Dreamland was abandoned years ago and has been semi-demolished before its demise is halted by a rich man with an agenda for investigating its legendary history of violence. Accompanied by an unlikely crew of strangers hired to join him, he soon discovers Dreamland's supernatural links refuse to be probed, and that his search has brought the supernatural monster to deadly new life. House of Bones is a gripping story of suspense.

Chopin's Move
Jean Echenoz
Dalkey Archive Press
ISU Campus Box 8905, Normal, IL 61790-8905
1564783340 $12.95 dalkeyarchive.com

Chopin's Move is an intriguing novel following Chopin, an entomologist and reluctant secret agent; Oswald, a foreign-affairs employee who mysteriously vanishes; Ozwald's wife Suzy, whose relations with Chopin enmesh her within a shroud of deceit; and more colorful, neurotic, off-kilter or ever-so-slightly screwy individuals. Written with a keen tongue-in-cheek taste for wry humor and nuances of detail, Chopin's Move is a distinguished narrative with twists that keep on coming.

Sweet Prince
Douglas Brode
Florida Academic Press
PO Box 540, Gainesville, FL 32602-0540
1890357103 $34.95 1-352-332-5104

Written by a playwright, film historian, and working journalist, Sweet Prince: The Passion Of Hamlet a historical fiction novel offering a unique take on Hamlet, the prince of Denmark who provided Shakespeare with the basis for one of his greatest tragedies. However, unlike Shakespeare's classic, Sweet Prince also accurately portrays North Europe as it was during the early Renaissance, and through this setting offers a distinctive portrait of the climate, circumstances, and challenges affecting Hamlet. Closely intertwined with the dilemmas of history, Sweet Prince is highly recommended for anyone seeking to explore another side of a great classic.

Carnegie Mellon University Press
4902 Forbes Ave. Box 21, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3799
1-800-666-2211 www.amazon.com

Two new titles provide literary short fiction designed to appeal to a wide audience. Keith Banner's Smallest People Alive (0887484263, $16.95) focuses on people and situations often ignored by other fiction writers. The title story was awarded an O. Henry Prize and tells of two boyhood friends one recovering from a suicide attempt, the other trying to help. The focus on these and other individuals in conflict brings an atmosphere of struggle seldom seen in short fiction works. Rachel Perry's How To Fly (0887484271, $16.95) explore what is extraordinary about everyday living. A surrealistic, lyrical investigation evolves in short stories which question and reveal the influences which shape people.

That Darn Squid God
Nick Pollotta & James Clay
Wildside Press
PO Box 301, Holicong, PA 18928-0301
1592240976 $24.95 wildsidepress.com

Set in Victorian England in the year 1881, That Darn Squid God is an hilarious parody of the otherworldly mythos of H. P. Lovecraft, strewn with delightful trappings of mystery and magic. Two British explorers must race against time before a prehistoric squid god rises again to destroy the world, which would after all be a ghastly inconvenience. Tongue-and-cheek humor and a fresh and fast-paced narrative style set apart That Darn Squid God as a fantastically funny end-of-the-world ride.

Incident At Pittston Crossing
C. Burton Nelson
Helm Publishing
3923 Seward Ave., Rockford, IL 61108
0972301100 $22.95 1-815-398-4660

Incident At Pittston Crossing: A Civil War Adventure is a novel based upon events of history. The commander of a single company of 1,000 Union infantry must confront a 10,000 man Confedrate invasion force charged with sacking a Northern city and withdrawing before an adequate defense can be raised. A hair-raising and dramatic saga of the horrors of war and the individuals who put their lives on the line to defend what they held dear, Incident At Pittston Crossing brings its sweeping tale to life with vivid language and unforgettable portrayals of human beings thrust in the hardest of times, and often called to make the ultimate sacrifice.

A Short Time In Luxembourg
Anne-Therese Macdonald
Gardenia Press
501 Kenwood Drive, Round Lake Park, IL 60073-3027
www.gardeningpress.com
0972930485 $16.95 1-866-861-9443

A Short Time In Luxembourg is Anne-Therese Macdonalds debut novel and tells an original and thoroughly reader engaging story of lost loves and blind ambitions. Anna Haggarty has reached the pinnacle of her academic career, is enduring a loveless marriage to a plagiarizing professor, and if that weren't enough, must deal with a troubled son chaining her to the past. Then Jules Randal (a musician she met twenty years earlier while traveling in Luxembourg) shows up with a free spirit, self-assured determination, and a book of poetry they had once shared. Anna's loyalties are testing and her social prejudices are unmasked, as she must make decisions that will affect the rest of her life. A Short Time In Luxembourg is a skillfully woven novel that clearly documents Anne-Theresa Macdonald as a very gifted storyteller and will leave her readers looking eagerly toward her next effort.


The Nautical Shelf

Fitting Out Your Boat
Michael Naujok
Sheridan House Inc.
145 Palisade St., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
www.sheridanhouse.com
1574091859 $29.95 1-888-743-7425

Expert mechanical engineer Michael Naujok presents Fitting Out Your Boat In Fibreglass Or Wood, a plainly written reference for sailors and boat owners striving to renovate their prized vessel. Explicit color photographs on every page and step-by-step walkthrough instructions cover everything from insulation and interior linings to treating the keel of a wooden yacht to repairing a teak deck, underwater sections and bilges, and much more. A thorough, extensive, highly practical "must-have" for anyone contemplating sinking time, effort, and money into boat refurbishing.


The Social Issues Shelf

Why Worry About The Gradual Loss Of Our Liberties?
David L. Wood
Elderberry Press
1720 Old Homestead Drive, 2nd Floor, Oakland, Oregon 97462-9506
1930859791 $19.95 elderberrypress.com

Highly recommended reading for students of Economics and Political Science, Why Worry About The Gradual Loss Of Our Liberties?: What We All Must Know About True Capitalism And Creeping Socialism by David L. Wood is not about civil liberties per se; but rather, it is a political and economic treatise which embraces the success at Capitalism and blares a strongly needed "wake up" call demanding acknowledgment of socialism's failures. Decrying socialism's support as largely unwarranted and due to mental indoctrination, Why Worry About The Gradual Loss Of Our Liberties? is a quite sharply worded yet passionately thoughtful defense of capitalist economics and a public policy manifesto.

The Looting Of Social Security
Allen W. Smith
Caroll & Graf/Avalon Pub. Group
245 W. 17th St., 11th fl., NY, NY 10011
0786712813 $14.00 www.amazon.com

In The Looting Of Social Security: How The Government Is Draining America's Retirement Account, author Allen W. Smith draws upon his background in economics to reveal how ever single penny generated by the 1983 Social Security tax increase (specifically intended to deal with the anticipated social security financial shortfalls when the "babyboom" generation reaches retirement age) has been spent in a scandal that will make the Enron and Worlcom debacles look like a day at the beach. This wholesale pillaging of the Social Security Trust Fund is an horrific fraud that is the complicit result of actions taken by Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and collaborative members of the federal congress. Smith reveals what the disastrous impact of these cavalier practices will have on the retirement experiences for millions of Baby Boomers unless immediate and draconian actions are taken to abort the looting and restore fiscal soundness to this soon-to-be bankrupt fund. If you are a member of the baby boom generation, then you need to read Allen Smith's The Looting Of Social Security -- and do it before the November presidential elections come around again.


The Sports Shelf

Paths To Glory
Mark L. Armour & Daniel R. Levitt
Brassey, Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Dr, Dulles, VA 20166
1574888056 $18.95 1-800-775-2518

Paths To Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way is a close study of how championship baseball teams came to be assembled. Focusing on both teams as a whole and the stories of great individual players, and also with an intriguing spotlight on stellar teams expected to win that didn't, Paths To Glory delves into extensive statistical research as well as logic, speculation, and wisdom from the players and coaches themselves to offer a composite portrait into what truly makes a winning team tick. A "must-read" for professional baseball fans and anyone seeking to learn team-building tips from the pros.

Good As Gold
Frank White with Matt Fulks
Sports Publishing Inc.
804 North Neil, Champaign, IL 61820
www.SportsPublishingLLC.com
1582617414 $19.95 1-877-807-6034

Written by Frank White, an African-American expert player who first reached the major leagues with the Kansas City Royals in 1973, Good As Gold: Techniques For Fundamental Baseball is a solid instructional book written for players of all levels of skill and experience. Coverning defense, hitting, running, throwing, the psychological side to baseball, and much more, Good As Gold combines explicit instructions with a wealth of black-and-white photographs to accurately demonstrate its advice and techniques. A superb manual, training tool, and self-teaching guide for anyone seeking to undertake the sport or improve their skill.

Damn Senators
Mark Gauvreau Judge
Encounter Books
605 Third Street, Suite 330, San Francisco, CA 94107-1951
1893554708 $16.95 encounterbooks.com

Written by the grandson of the legendary first baseman of the old Washington Senators, Joe Judge, Damn Senators is a nostalgic telling of how the Senators with Joe Judge achieved their first and only World Series championship in 1924. A drama filled with history, legends, and profiles of great baseball figures of history, Damn Senators combines an introspective personal tale with a portrait of the riveting pressure of playing in the big leagues three-quarters of a century ago. A thoroughly engaging read and highly recommended -- especially for baseball fans.

Baseball And Philosophy
Eric Bronson, editor
Open Court Publishing Company
332 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60604-4434
0812695569 $17.95 1-800-815-2280

Compiled and edited by Eric Bronson, and enhanced with an informative Foreword by Bill Littlefield, Baseball And Philosophy: Thinking Outside The Batter's Box is an impressive, 352-page anthology of essays contributed by 31 contributors exploring some of the deeper questions and lessons baseball has to offer with respect to the American identity and universal human fulfillment. Addressing such unique considerations as whether or not the Intentional Walk is unethical; can superstition make a player better; do Cubs fans teach us about religious faith; does chance decide who wins the World Series; why baseball is the only American industry exempt from federal anti-trust laws; what the U.S. Supreme Court could learn from umpiring ball games; and a great deal more. Baseball And Philosophy is uniquely and enthusiastically recommended to the attention of two seemingly diverse readerships: baseball enthusiasts and philosophy students.


The Psychology Shelf

Mass Trauma And Violence
Nancy Boyd Webb, editor
Guilford Publications, Inc.
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
www.guilford.com
1572309768 $40.00 1-800-365-7006

Ably edited by Nancy Boyd Webb (University Distinguished Professor of Social Work and registered play therapy supervisor), Mass Trauma And Violence: Helping Families And Children Cope is a deeply serious and comprehensive resource of essays concerning a wealth of ways to help children and families deal with community violence, war, and terrorist attacks. With detailed case examples, the wisdom of expert contributors, and candid discussion ranging from music therapy and sandplay art, dealing with cultural resistance to mental health services, issues concerning the modalities, timing, and treatment of traumatized children and adolescents, and much more. A much needed and welcome cutting-edge contribution to psychology and social work reference shelves.

Behavior Genetics Principles
Lisabeth Fisher DiLalla, editor
American Psychological Association
750 First St., NE, Washington, DC 20002
1591470838 $59.95 www.apa.org/books

Knowledgeably compiled and professionally edited by psychologist and academician Lisabeth DiLalla (Associate Professor, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University) Behavior Genetics Principles: Perspectives In Development, Personality, And Psychopathology is a compilation of contributions by experts in the field of behavior genetic research. Behavior Genetics Principles is a superbly organized and presented introduction to the cause/effect connections between genes, personality development, and the frontiers of research into genetically based psychopathologies. Behavior Genetics Principles is a seminal work and strongly recommended for academic library collections and supplemental reading lists in the fields of genetics and human behavior.

The Texture Treatment
Herbert J. Schlesinger
The Analytic Press
101 West Street, Hillsdale, NJ 07642
0881633828 $55.00 analyticpress.com

The Texture Treatment: On The Matter Of Psychoanalytic Technique is a quite straightforward instructional written especially to help students and practitioners better understand the theory, principles, and execution of psychoanalytic technique. Knowledgeably written by Herbert J. Schlesinger (a clinical professor of psychology in psychiatry), The Texture Treatment covers transference and countertransference, theraputic activities, the role of regression in psychoanalysis, the optimum to strive for in a theraputic relationship, the cons and pros of questioning, and much more. A highly recommended supplementary reference and a welcome addition to psychology reading lists that meticulously and clearly walks the reader through the dimensions and unique applications of various techniques and approaches.

Understanding Dissociative Disorders
Marlene E. Hunter, MD
Crown House Publishing Limited
4 Berkeley Street, Norwalk, CT 06850
www.CHPUS.com
1904424244 $37.50 1-203-852-9504

Marlene Hunter is an expert physician and a past president of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation. In Understanding Dissociative Disorders: A Guide For Family Physicians And Health Care Professionals Dr. Hunter presented a serious account written specifically for family physicians and mental health professionals, but which is also quite relevant to anyone who has suffered from or knows a loved one with dissociative disorders. Covering what can and cannot be done to help patients, how best to talk to them, how to help individuals and their families come to terms with the disorder, and much more. A straightforward account covering all aspects of the "psychotheraputic minefield" including post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, comorbid states associated with dissociation, body-image and eating disorders, sleep disturbances, sexual dysfunction, and much more, Understanding Dissociative Disorders is a highly recommended reference and resource and a welcome addition to psychology and psychiatry reading lists.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

To Touch The Divine
Merkos Publications
291 Kingston Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11213
0826604943 $19.00 kehotonline.com

To Touch The Divine: A Jewish Mysticism Primer is a selection of essays by Rabbis, scholars, and teachers that strive to answer the questions: What is Jewish Mysticism? How does it differ from other forms of Mysticism? Offering the thoughts presented in some of the papers delivered to the International Symposium on Jewish Mysticism held in London, England, To Touch The Devine postulates that Jewish Mysticism is an integral part of the Jewish experience, and the writings offered include "The Mystical Meaning of Shabbat", "Jewish Value Systems", "Jewish Mysticism: Just Another Cult?" and much more. A thoughtful, well-reasoned, sober study and a top-notch recommendation for Jewish theological studies shelves and reading lists.

The Gurs Haggadah
Bella Gutterman & Naomi Morgenstern
Devora Publishing/Pitsopany Press
40 East 78th St., #16D, NY, NY 10021
www.devorapublishing.com
1930143338 $21.95 www.yadvashem.org

In 1941, the Jewish prisoners held for deporation and eventual execution by the Nazis in the southwestern French Gurs Detention Camp decided to hold a Seder on Pasover (the Jewish "Holiday of Freedom") in order to assert their own inner sense of freedom from the terror of horrific oppression. Collaboratively compiled and edited by Bella Gutterman (Director of Publications for Yad Vashem - the oldest Holocaust Museum in the world), with the material assistance of Naomi Morgenstern, The Gurs Haggadah: Passover In Perdition recounts this remarkable event which served to reawaken the national pride which the Nazis and their Vichy allies had sought to obliterate. Enhanced with a profusion of historical photographs, and featuring a facsimile of the actual Haggaddah recreated from memory and used in the camp, The Gurs Haggadah is a welcome and seminally important contribution to the growing library of Holocaust Studies.

Understanding The Talmud
Jacob Neusner
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306-6316
0881257397 $24.95 www.ktav.com

Also available in a hardcover edition (0881257362, $39.50), Understanding The Talmud: A Dialogic Approach is a remarkable guide to Talmud study that focuses upon a defining attribute of the Judaic holy text - it is linguisticially brief despite its embrace of transcendent ideas, using only a few questions to demonstrate a truth that broadly encompases the material and the metaphysical. An assortment of examples focus upon different aspects of the Talmud's questions that explore responsibility, intentionality, belief, actions, and philosophy. Written by an expert and seasoned theologian, Understanding The Talmud is an extensive and highly recomended study guide for advanced students and practitioners of Judaism who are striving to comprehend the Talmud's message through application and demonstration.


The Automotive Shelf

Mustang Legends
Peter Eagan, et al.
Voyageur Press
PO Box 338, Stillwater, MN 55082
0896580466 $29.95 voyageurpress.com

The Ford Mustang has been an American automotive icon and and an enduring symbol of road freedom from its original debut down to the present day. Mustang Legends: The Power, The Performance, The Passion is a visual and historically informative tribute to one of the most popular American cars to ever roll off a Detroit assembly line. Enhanced with more than a hundred full color photographs, and truly great stories contributed by Peter Egan, Allan Girdler, Brad Bowling, Jerry Heasley, and others, Mustang Legends is a "must" for American automotive enthusiasts in general, and anyone who has ever sat behind the wheel of one of these fabulous cars -- or wanted to!


The Environmental Studies Shelf

On The Brink
Dave Dempsey
Michigan State University Press
Suite 25, Manly Miles Building, 1405 South Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI 48823-5202
0870137050 $24.95 msupress.msu.edu

Written by Dave Dempsey (an environmental policy teacher of Michigan State University who served by President Bill Clinton's appointment on the Great Lakes Fishery Commission), On The Brink: The Great Lakes In The 21st Century is a clarion wake-up call to the dangers the Great Lakes ecosystem face today. Summarizing a history of the Great Lakes' environmental exploitation and gradual recovery, and blending in thoughts on the poetry, folklore, inspiratioon derived from the Great Lakes as well as citizen action to preserve them, On The Brink brings true environmental history to life in an exciting manner that challenges the reader to get involved and join the fight to protect a national treasure.

Passions And Patience
Karen Roberts & Tim Hauf
Gaia & Friends
Milton Kahan Associates (publicity)
464 Meadowbrook Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
0974644919 $19.95 www.amazon.com

Passions And Patience: Fostering Earth's Future Through Unlikely Partnerships by environmental activist Karen Roberts and professional photographer Tim Hauf is dedicated to inspiring men and women to protect the planet, conserve neighboring wildlife, and renew hope in the cause of promoting and defending environmental improvement and protection issues. A collection of stories of unexpected partnerships such as that of the Shell Oil company with DaimlerBenz to produce hydrogen fuel in Iceland, and the collaboration between hunters and artists working together to save the ducks, Passions And Patience is a welcome and very highly recommended addition to personal, school, and library Environmental Issues reference collections and supplemental reading lists. Passions And Patience is also available in a hardcover edition (097-4644927, $29.95).


The Native American Shelf

The New Warriors
R. David Edmunds, editor
University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street, Lincoln, NE 68588
www.bisonbooks.com
0803267517 $16.95 1-800-755-1105

The New Warriors: Native American Leaders Since 1900 is an anthology of essays portraying twentieth century Native American leaders from a diversity of tribes, and professions, including Menominee political activist Ada Deer, Kaw U.S. Senator Charles Curtis, Crow orator and reservation superintendent Robert Yellowtail, and many more. A black-and-white photograph of each individual accompanies the succinct, educational, and highly accessible text of modern day heroes, visionaries, and organizers championing their brethren today.

"The Utes Must Go!"
Peter R. Decker
Fulcrum Publishing
16100 Table Mountain Parkway, #300, Golden, Colorado 80403
1555914659 $17.95 1-800-992-2908

Written by Peter R. Decker (Professor of History and Public Policy at Duke University), "The Utes Must Go!": American Expansion And The Removal Of A People encompasses three centuries of Ute Indian history, as it chronicles the involuntary removal of the Ute Indians from Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Its title drawn from a newspaper advertisement championing the removal of Utes in the Denver Tribune, "The Utes Must Go!" is a powerful true drama of a proud people who suffered from pioneer settlement and racisim, and who also experienced tragedy from misguided intentions, such as Indian Agent Nathan Meeker's ill-fated attempt to turn Indian hunters into farmers, which brought about tragedy at Milk Creek in 1879. A colorful and detailed account, offering glimpses into figure thats made their mark on history such as Colorado Governor Frederick Pitkin, General William T. Sherman, newspaperman Horace Greeley, and much more. A well-researched, fact-filled, and undeniably attention-gripping in its depiction of raw territorial and colonial greed.

Navajo Ceremonial Baskets
Georgiana Kennedy Simpson
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
1570671184 $19.95 1-800-695-2241

Navajo Ceremonial Baskets: Sacred Symbols Sacred Space explores the importance of the cerimonial basket in Navajo culture. Including a wealth of gorgeous color photographs throughout, portraits of award-winning basket weavers and their creations, involved interviews with Navajo medicine men, enjoyable tales of legendary heroic figures who played a role in the origin of baskets, straightforward information from everything concerning etiquette and safekeeping of ceremonial baskets to techniques for making tight-sealing woven water jars, and much more, Navajo Ceremonial Baskets is a welcome, informative, and enjoyable addition to Native American culture collections.

The Crow Indians
Robert H. Lowie
University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0255
0803280270 $17.95 1-800-755-1105

First published in 1935, and written by one of the most respected American anthropologists of the twentieth century, The Crow Indians is a classic, brief, and highly accessible introduction to Crow Indian culture, challenges, everyday life, traditions, and much more during the early nineteenth-century. Memorable anecdotes of individual Crow such as Grayboll the great visionary and Yellow-brow the gifted storyteller embellish the more general information drawn from the author's thorough fieldwork and interviews from 1907 to 1931. This superbly presented edition of a classic resource is very highly recommended for inclusion on Native American Studies reading lists and acadmeic library reference shelves, now offers a thoughtful introduction by Phenocia Bauerle, a member of the Crow Nation and the editor of The Way Of The Warrior.

Stories Of The Crow People To The American Indian
Lucy Thompson
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
0930588479 $14.95 heydaybooks.com

First published in 1916, To The American Indian: Reminiscences Of A Yurok Woman is the autobiographical narrative of a pure-blooded aristocrat of the Yurok Indians, and one of the few firsthand accounts of Native American life and culture written by a female. Author Lucy Thompson did not present her story to anthropologists or the press; instead she took it on herself to write her own tale, out of concern for the survival of her people and her customs, and worry that their story would not be told. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, To The American Indian offers a revealing and timeless portrait of Yurok life in the nineteenth century that only a firsthand viewpoint can provide.


The Education Shelf

Meeting Standards Through Integrated Curriculum
Susan M. Drake & Rebecca C. Burns
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
0871208407 $24.95 1-800-933-2723

Meeting Standards Through Integrated Curriculum is a guidebook created in response to the unfortunate tendency K-12 schools have encountered to adopt a narrow curriculum that places severe boundaries on the scope of what students are taught, under the mistaken belief that this is the best way to achieve higher standards. Meeting Standards Through Integrated Curriculum offers an approach to improve the quality of grade school education without sacrificing depth. The KNOW/DO/BE framework at the heart of the discussion embraces rigor and relevance alike in the K-12 curriculum. Drawn from extensive research as well as real-life experiences of teachers who have successfully integrated their curricula, Meeting Standards Through Integrated Curriculum is a combination of vision, how-to instructions, extensive questions and answers, trouble shooting tips, multi-disciplinary models, and more. The is a very welcome and timely contribution to education reference shelves.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About College
Boyce Watkins
Blue Boy Publishing Company
PO Box 691, Camillus, NY 13031-0691
0974263206 $TBA boycewatkins.com

Written by an African-American who, as an 18-year-old father, himself had to work his way through an often unfriendly higher education system to earn BA and BS degrees with highest honors, Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About College: A Guide For Minority Students is a no-nonsense primer for high school graduates. Although it is written especially for minorities and people of color, in highly accessible no-nonsense vernacular, its solid wisdom is vital to all prospective college students. Basic, non-judgemental advice ranging from choosing the right college for oneself to how to deal with an unplanned pregnancy to facing the challenges of an academic environment head-on and much more fill the pages of this practical guide that does not preach, proselytize, or talk down to the reader in any way. Highly recommended.


The Woodworking Shelf

Making Wooden Baskets On Your Scroll Saw
John A. Nelson & William Guimond
Fox Chapel Publishing
1970 Broad St., E. Petersburg, PA 17520
www.foxchapelpublishing.com
1565232348 $12.95 1-800-457-9112

Now in an expanded second edition, Making Wooden Baskets On Your Scroll Saw by woodworking experts John A. Nelson and William Guimond reveal just how simple and straightforward it is to create custom wooden baskets on the scroll saw. Showcasing wonderful projects with nicely illustrated, step-by-step instructions from start to finish, even the most novice woodworker can turn out professional quality market baskets, oval baskets, round baskets, square baskets, tissue boxes, candy dishes, jewelry boxes, and more. Also very highly recommended for the woodworking reference shelf are two related "how to" titles Scroll Saw Basketweave Projects (15652310312, $9.95) and Scroll Saw Workbook: 2nd Edition (1565232070, $14.95). Dedicated woodworkers should send for the free Fox Chapel catalog listing all of their titles!


The Architecture Shelf

The Big Book Of Small House Designs
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street, NY, NY 10011
1579123651 $14.95 1-800-722-7202

The Big Book Of Small House Designs assembles over 500 black-and-white drawings displaying all aspects of 75 small homes of a wide variety of styles. Drawn from several competitions held among architects and designers to create the best, most liveable and affordable home possible within a limited amount of space, The Big Book Of Small House Designs expands its idea into a wealth of environmentally aware plans that involve such tactics as vaulted ceilings, vertical space, single-story or split-level format, and much more. Designs ranging from traditional to avant-garde make The Big Book Of Small House Designs a superb catalogue of ideas for anyone considering building an economically sized dwelling whether for personal use or as part of a continuing desire to improve one's skills and awareness in the architectural professions.

The Ruins Of The Most Beautiful Monuments Of Greece
Julien-David Le Roy
Getty Trust Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, #500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
0892366699 $60.00 www.getty.edu

First published in its fully expended edition in 1770, The Ruins Of The Most Beautiful Monuments Of Greece is now presented for contemporary readers and translated into English complete with its incredible engravings. Combining architectural history, archaeological report, travelogue observations, and more, The Ruins Of The Most Beautiful Monuments Of Greece offers a truly timeless perspective upon the wonders of an era gone by and the lasting influence Greek architecture construction has had on the modern day. The extensive texts, numerous annotations, and overall lasting focus and respect for the once great and eternally remembered edifices it honors, The Ruins Of The Most Beautiful Monuments Of Greece is a welcome and lasting classical addition to Architectural History shelves and Hellenic Studies collections.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Samye: A Pilgrimage To The Birthplace Of Tibetan Buddhism
Mikel Dunham
Jodere Group, Inc.
Box 910147, San Diego, CA 92191-0147
1588720837 $45.00 www.jodere.com

Samye: A Pilgrimage To The Birthplace Of Tibetan Buddhism is a tribute to an ancient Tibetan buddhist monastery, first founded in 770, that receives pilgrimages to this day. A truly beautiful presentation offering full-color, full-page photographs of people and great Buddhist artworks on almost every page, Samye: A Pilgrimage To The Birthplace Of Tibetan Buddhism. A brief and simple overview of the history of Samye interweaves with the captivating images, in this utterly compelling coffee table book that strives to impart the next closest thing to experiencing Samye short of traveling there and seeing it firsthand. Highly recommended.


The Martial Arts Shelf

The Way Of Kendo & Kenjitsu
Darrell Max Craig
YMAA Publications
4354 Washington St., Boston, MA 02131
www.ymaa.com
1594390029 $22.95 1-800-669-8892

Knowledgeably written by Darrell Max Craig (a renowned martial arts expert and film choreographer with a 6th Dan in Kendo, Karate, and Jujitsu, 5th dan in Iaido and Kobudo, and a 4th Dan in Judo and Aikido), The Way Of Kendo & Kenjitsu: Soul Of The Samurai combines the author's personal life experiences, philosophy concerning the way of the sword as has been practiced in Japan since ancient times, diagrams and carefully worded descriptions of techniques, movements forms, and exercises relating to historical as well as sport kendo, and much more. From extensive guidelines to using basic equipment, to a reflection on the tradition of the samurai and his swords, to information concerning the collection, care and upkeep of swords as well as martial arts training regimens, The Way Of Kendo & Kenjitsu is a holistic introduction and highly recommended for anyone fascinated by what it means to better one's skill with the Japanese blade.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Diamonds, Pearls & Stones
Health Communications, Inc.
Booth Media Group (publicity)
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
075730155X $9.95 1-800-441-5569

Diamonds, Pearls & Stones: Jewels Of Wisdom For Young Women From Extraordinary Women Of The World a collection of inspirational viginettes, comforting thoughts, and practical advice from a wide variety of famous, learned, and respected individuals for women in today's increasingly complex and moble society. Sage wisdom concerning everything from finding a career to getting married, having children, ending a relationship, dealing with sexual issues or overpowering emotions, and much more fills this compact, delightful, ideal gift. "Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got." -Janis Joplin, singer


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Super Slam!
Chuck Adams
Ihunt! Communications
Box 1148, Chanhassen, MN 55317-1148
0972132112 $24.955 1-866-8373135

Super Slam!: Adventures With North American Big Game is a narrative of expert bowhunter Chuck Adams' experiences with game animals ranging from Black Bears to Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Lions, Canada Moose and much more. A thrilling true-life narrative of braving weather, terrain, natural hazards, and more to test one's skill against the wiles of wildlife, Super Slam! an enjoyable, brisk-paced read for armchair travelers, dedicated hunters, and anyone wondering what it is truly like to stalk game without a gun.

Fly Fishing The Striper Surf
Frank Daignault
Burford Books/NBN, dist.
PO Box 388, Short Hills, NJ 07078
158080120X $16.95 burfordbooks.com

Written by a striped bass fly-fisher with decades of experience, Fly Fishing The Striper Surf is a solid, thorough, how-to reference to the nuts and bolts of catching stripers, for fishers of all skill and experience ranges. From finding stripers, to how to handle equipment, the psychology of fishing, choosing water and being mindful of topography, the natural history of striped bass, learning from challenges, and much more, Fly Fishing The Striper Surf is a seasoned, down-to-earth, highly readable and practical guide. A "must-have" for any novice or dedicated fisherman looking to improve their striped bass catch.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

How To Write A Children's Picture Book
Eve Heidi Bine-Stock
E & E Publishing
1001 Bridgeway, No. 227, Sausalito, CA 94965
www.EandEGroup.com/Publishing
0971989885 $18.95

How To Write A Children's Picture Book focuses especially upon structure as the key to creating a memorable and entertaining treasure for children to read, share, and learn from. Distinguishing between picturebooks and picture storybooks, and closely examining such enduring children's classics as "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Where The Wild Things Are", How To Write A Children's Picture Book is a highly useful and focused guide that dissects the nuts and bolts of writing with a keen eye toward higher achievement and quality. A "must-have" for any aspiring children's picturebook writer.

Get Paid To Write
Thomas A. Williams
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
www.sentienpublications.com
1591810124 $18.95 1-303-443-2188

Thomas A. Williams' Get Paid To Write: The No-Nonsense Guide To Freelance Writing is part of the rather consistently impressive Sentient Publications "The Culture Tools Series". An extremely practical self-starter career guide packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for selling articles to magazines, newspapers, and websites, or even writing a book, Get Paid To Write covers everything from the basic facts of freelance to learning what magazine editors want just from reading a copy, using the query system to one's advantage, success secrets, getting an agent if needed, dealing with the possibility of idea theft, writing especially for business, building one's professional reputation, and much more. A highly recommended "must-have" for anyone contemplating a writing career.

UPI Stylebook And Guide To Newswriting
Bruce Cook, et al.
Capital Books, Inc.
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172
www.capital-books.com
1931868581 $20.99 1-800-758-3756

Now in a fully updated fourth edition, UPI Stylebook And Guide To Newswriting is the collaborative effort of Bruce Cook, Harold Martin, and the Editors of UPI. A no-nonsense, professional style manual, UPI Stylebook And Guide To Newswriting features both basic and advanced techniques for the craft of writing for print, broadcast, or television news, with specific information concerning everything from covering the white house or other governmental agencies to science writing, business journalism, foreign correspondence, the law of libel, codes of ethics, and much more. Highly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, the solid information and even warnings (for example, journalists can and have been taken to court for gathering news information in private homes without the owner's consent - even if they were permitted entry by the police). An absolute "must-have" resource manual for anyone considering or pursuing a career in journalistic writing.


The Criminology Shelf

Cruel Justice
Joe Domanick
University of California Press
2120 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720
0520205944 $24.95 www.ucpress.edu

Cruel Justice: Three Strikes And The Politics Of Crime is a no-holds-barred look at the rise of the "three strikes" law in California, first instituted in 1994 in the wake of the media-followed murders of Kimber Reynolds and Polly Klaas. The vagaries and utter ruthlessness of the law have resulted in 25 year to life prison sentences for not only violent offenders, but countless individuals convinced of nonviolent crimes such as petty theft or serving as an alleged lookout for a $20 drug deal. The utterly brutal and disproportionate punishmet meted out to nonviolent offenders has caused the even the family of Polly Klaas to speak out openly against the law; yet it remains entrenched, and political interests resist every effort to amend it to apply only to "serious" or "violent" offenses. A stark and disturbing account of a very real and ongoing law that is causing tremendous impact in the state of California today. Highly recommended.

They Said It Was Murder
Brenton Butler
Vanquish Publishing, Inc.
Box 16717, Jacksonville, FL 32245-6717
www.vanquishpublishing.com
0972654402 $18.95

They Said It Was Murder is the harrowing true story of Brenton Butler, a fifteen-year-old black man innocently accused of a brutal murder. When he agreed to cooperate with the police, he was falsely identified for the crime, and beaten into confessing. What followed was a nightmare of trial, imprisonment, and eventual exoneration when the truth of how the police and authorities utterly bungled the case came to light. The story that formed the basis of an Oscar-winning documentary is related in thorough detail, by the innocent accused himself. A shocking and severe true story of a travesty of justice, and a stark wake-up call to the deficiences in America's law enforcement system.


The Political Science Shelf

The Best Lawyer In A One-Lawyer Town
Dale Bumpers
The University of Arkansas Press
McIlroy House, 201 Ozark Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72701
1557287732 $19.95 1-800-626-0090

The Best Lawyer In A One-Lawyer Town is the personal and professional memoir of a dedicated politician, who grew up in the poverty of Depression-era Arkansas yet went on to contribute to his nation and now recounts his life with a wry twist of humor. Humble beginnings, southern charm, family dedication, and a drive to serve pervade the pages of this genuinely witty and warmly related reminiscence. A truly enjoyable autobiographical life story as well as an inside look at the gusty drive to enter and succeed in the fickle worlds of law and politics, The Best Lawyer In A One-Lawyer Town is as entertaining as it is informative.

Get Out The Vote!
Donald P. Green & Alan S. Gerber
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036-2188
0815732694 $14.95 1-800-275-1447

Also available in a hardcover edition (0815732686, $42.95), Get Out The Vote!: How To Increase Voter Turnout is a no-nonsense guide for anyone striving to mobilize voters. Written by two professors of political science and experts on political campaigns, elections, and research methodology, Get Out The Vote! covers such motivating means as door-to-door canvassing, leaflets, direct mail, phone banks, electronic mail, and more. Written to be as useful for non-specialist general readers striving to motivate a grass-roots political campaign as well as a seminal instruction guide to political experts planning to win a large-scale race, Get Out The Vote! offers a wealth of solid, easy-to-understand wisdom straight from the horse's mouth.


The Railroading Shelf

Basic Trackwork For Model Railroaders
Jeff Wilson
Kalmbach Publishing Company
PO Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187
http://kalmbachbooks.com
0890244375 $19.95 1-800-533-6644

Basic Trackwork For Model Railroaders: The Complete Photo Guide by model railroading enthusiast Jeff Wilson is a "user friendly", highly recommended, step-by-step walk-through for model railroading hobbyists especially focusing on creating realistic, functional, and appealing track layouts. A wealth of color photographs complement the straightforward instructional text, making Basic Trackwork For Model Railroaders an easy to follow guidebook and resource. A track-buyer's guide is included, along with a wealth of information especially concerning necessary measurements and scale.

Conrail
Timothy Scott Doherty & Brian Solomon
MBI Publishing Company
380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101
076031425X $34.95 1-800-826-6600

Throughout its 25 year history, Conrail was a freight line connecting most of the America's northeast's major cities and was especially noteworthy for clean locomotives, tight schedules, and heavy freight trains. The latest addition to the outstanding "MBI Railroad Color History" series, Conrail is the collaborative work of railroad enthusiasts Timothy Doherty and Brian Solomon. Profusely enhanced with color photography throughout, this well researched and deftly presented history is informed and informative reading, and an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Railroading History collection.


The Interior Design Shelf

Fresh Cuts
Edwina von Gal
Artisan
708 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
1579652662 $18.95 1-800-722-7202

Fresh Cuts: Unexpected Arrangements With Branches, Buds, And Blooms is a marvelous interior decorating guide focusing on the vibrant touch that flowers and flora can bring to any setting. Full-color photographs spotlight a wide variety of decorative and pleasant plants; the bulk of Fresh Cuts devotes two-page spreads featuring color schemes and arragement patterns that smoothly incorporate leaves, berries, cuttings, even seed pods into the overal gestalt of one's home sweet home. A joy to page through and a wonderful source of ideas for sprucing up or setting at east one's domicile.

Mountain Style
Mary Whitesides
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1586854429 $19.95 gibbs-smith.com

Mary Whitesides draws upon her years of experience and expertise as an interior designer to showcase high-tech, cowboy, rustic country, and regional provincial oriented designs for mountain homes, that are truly spectacular -- and enhanced for the reader with spectacular full-color photography. Of special interest is a remarkable chapter devoted to the creation of truly gorgeous gardens suitable for cool climates and rock soils. There is also a complete resource guide of artisans, manufacturers, and designers which will prove invaluable for anyone seeking to create, modify, or re-design their own mountain home. Mountain Style is simply wonderful browsing.

City Living
Sharne Algotsson
Rockport Publishers
33 Commercial St., Gloucester MA 01930
1564964787 $30.00 www.rockpub.com

Gorgeous color photography showcases urban interiors drawn from international domestic dwellings ranging from New York, Paris, Milan, and Bangkok, to Tokyo, Brussels, Miami, Rome, and Marrakech in City Living: Creative Urban Design Ideas For The New Urban Homes by interior designer and urban stylist Sharne Algotsson . Visually impressive, City Living well serves as a source of practical inspiration, features inventive and stylish interiors, offers imaginative ideas for creating versatile living and working spaces, provides resourceful guidelines for maximizing available space, and presents inventive solutions stretching the very boundaries of urban interior design and decoration. City Living is a seminal and welcome addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Interior Design reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Photography Shelf

Bound For Glory
Paul Hendrickson
Henry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 W. 18th Street, 5th fl., NY, NY 10011
0810943484 $35.00 abramsbooks.com

The Farm Security Administration and the Office of War Information photographically recorded American life in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The very best of the photographic images taken in full color have been selected for presentation to a new generation of Americans in Bound For Glory: America In Color 1939-43. Featuring an informed and informative introduction by Paul Hendrickson, these photos taken from the FSA/OWI Collection in the Library of Congress document a yesteryear America that ranges from 32 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Here chronicled and showcased are scenes from the the American countryside and city, farms and factories; Americans at work and at play. This coffee table book is an impresive memorial tribute to pioneering work in color photography and a welcome addition to any personal, academic, or profession photography book collection.


The Civil War Shelf

Rebels At The Gate
W. Hunter Lesser
Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139, Naperville, IL 60563
1570717478 $24.95 sourcebooks.com

Written by an archaeologist and historical interpreter of twenty years' experience, Rebels At The Gate: Lee And Mcclellan On The Front Line Of A Nation Divided is a study and evocative presentation of the earliest days of the American Civil War. Presenting a portrait of the fundamental issues and charasmatic personalities so strong that the result was a nation polarized. When Virginia Unionists formed the new state of West Virginia to sustain President Lincoln's war effort and block Confederate control of the territory and a key point of access to the North, Union and Confederate troops led by George McClellan and Robert E. Lee respectively were pit in a severe campaign that set the stage for the long years of bloodshed to come. A gripping and involving narrative of a turbulent time in American history.


The Economics Shelf

Financial Supervision In Europe
Jeroen J.M. Kremers, et al.
Edward Elgar Publishing
136 West Street, Suite 202, Northampton, MA 01060-3711
1840649313 $85.00 1-800-390-3149

Collaboratively compiled and edited by expert and educated economists Jeroen J.M. Kremers, Dirk Schoenmaker, and Peter J. Wierts, Financial Supervision In Europe is a college level debate and discussion of the repercussions of financial market integration and the structure of financial supervision in the Eurpoean Union. Questioning whether a European system of supervisors might have deleterious long-term effects upon international financial markets, and postulating that, as integration continues, a reform of the organizational structure of the supervision in Europe may become needed, Financial Supervision In Europe backs its arguments with a wealth of data, proposals to facilitate better models, examination of the incentives for national supervisory authorities to monitor cross-border matters, and much more. Highly recommended for advanced economics students, lecturers, researchers, and professionals in the world of banking and finance seeking to broaden their understanding and perceptions.

The Doha Round And Financial Services Negotiations
Sydney J. Key
AEI
1150 Seventeenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
0844741825 $15.00 www.aei.org

Part of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research's "AEI Studies on Services Trade Negotiations" series, The Doha Round And Financial Services Negotiations by Sydney J. Key (Federal Reserve Board Division of International Finaces, Washington, D.C.) is a close study analyzing the involvement of the World Trade Organization and the effects of the General Agreement on Trade in Services upon the liberalization and regulation of the financial services sector. The Doha Round And Financial Services Negotiations covers topics such as e-finance, the three "pillars" of liberalization (national treatment and market access, nondiscriminatory structural barriers, and freedom of capital movements), the repercussions of and pertaining to foreign direct investement, meta-rules that are crucial to developing and applying sound rules to financial systems, and much more. A scholarly and technical treatise, written especially for advanced economics students and field professionals.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Slavery On The Frontiers Of Islam
Paul Lovejoy, editor
Markus Wiener
231 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08542
1558763287 $68.95 markusweiner.com

The high price tag of Slavery On The Frontiers Of Islam will limit its acquisition to all but the most dedicated of multicultural and Islamic Studies collections; but a college-level readership will find these informed, informative, and strongly recommended essays will provide them with exceptionally important insights into the political and religious issues in the Sudan. Slave studies usually consider trans-Atlantic slavery or slavery in Islamic nations as separate phenomenon: compiled and edited by Paul Lovejoy, Slavery On The Frontiers Of Islam deftly incorporates similar questions on each under one cover, and goes on to provide intriguing comparisons and analysis.


The Philosophy Shelf

After The Terror
Ted Honderich
McGill-Queen's University Press
3430 McTavish Street, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 1X9
0773527346 $15.95 1-800-387-0141

Now in a newly expanded and revised edition, After The Terror questions what terrorism tells us about our moral obligations. Postulating that the harsh realities of terrorism pit a "morality of humanity" that emphasizes sympathy and generosity against conventional, unreflective morality, After The Terror explores the philosophical side of what to do, and revises philosophical principles to better explain human actions that are ruthless to the point of inexplicable. More a call for a discussion of ideas and foundations than a direct exhortation for political action, After The Terror is nevertheless a "must-read" for anyone struggling to make sense of the September 11th attacks or like occurences of terrorism.

God And Atom
Louis C. Martin, MD
Psyquest.org
PO Box 541148, Omaha, NE 68154-1148
0974849707 $24.95 www.psyquest.org

God And Atom is an impressively erudite philosophical treatise on the seeming conflicts between science, modern-day learning, and religion that has its roots in humankind's worldview 2,000 years ago or more. Author Louis C. Martin states flat-out that "Let's face it, we know a lot more today about the world and how it works than we did back then." Seeking to reconcile Christian thought and devout religious convictions with modern discoveries, God And Atom delves into the Pope's recent apology to Galileo, the debate surrounding creationism, biological and cultural evolution, and the metaphysical postulate that requires an uncaused origin of the universe - which can only be defined as God. A rational, well thought-out, and persuasively debated account, as accessible to lay readers as it is to theologians, philosophers and scholars.


The Gaming Shelf

How Good Is Your Pot-Limit Hold'em?
Stewart Reuben
D&B Publishing
PO Box 18, Hassocks, West Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 9WR, England
190446808X $17.95 dandbpublishing.com

How Good Is Your Pot-Limit Hold'em? is a handy and straightforward guide to Pot-limit hold'em, a poker variant characterized by big bets that can spring out of nowhere, as well as opportunities for bold bluffs and counter-bluffs, which has become wildly popular from coast to coast in recent decades. Written by an experienced pot-limit player, How Good Is Your Pot-Limit Hold'em? offers not only basic introductory and "how-to" play instructions, but also advanced concepts and strategies for various hands, and some complex math to better gauge one's odds during play. An accompanying CD-ROM rounds out this excellent primer for those interested in learning more about this exciting style of gambling.

The Two Knights Defence
Jan Pinski
Everyman Chess/Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
www.everymancess.com
1857442830 $19.95 1-800-243-0495

The Britian-based Everyman Chess is one of the premire publishers of instructional books for chess and very highly respected by anyone who is serious about the game. The Two Knights Defence by International Chess Master Jan Pinski is an extensive and exhaustive dissection of one of the trickiest gambits and counter gambits in the game. Example games with black-and-white diagrams clearly depict the tactics for both Black and White in this expert-level guide especially for seasoned chess players seeking to expand their understanding of the game.


The Military Shelf

The Fighting First
Flint Whitlock
Westview Press/Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.westviewpress.com
081334218X $27.50 1-800-242-7737

The Fighting First: The Untold Story Of The Big Red One On D-Day is the untold story of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division's role in the D-Day invasion of France at Normandy. Drawing upon official records, interviews, unpublished memoirs of veterans, author and former U.S. army officer Flint Whitlock paints a crucial and unforgettable portrait of the storming of the beachhead, as well as their deadly battles in France, Belgium and Germany itself. Black-and-white photographs intersperse a personal touch to this often harrowing, but ultimately inspirational true story of immeasurable courage in dire times.

My Love, My Life
Dianne Collier
Creative Bound Inc.
151 Tansley Drive, Box 424, Carp, Ontario, Canada, K0A 1L0
0921165838 $19.95 mylovemylife.ca

Written by a long-recognized contributor to the military community whose tireless labor has included serving as a founding director of CFB Petawawa's Military Family Resource Centre, My Love, My Life: An Inside Look At The Lives Of Those Who Love And Support Our Military Men And Women is a special tribute to military spouses worldwide that deals with the heartbreak of separation and the fear of losing one's loved ones forever to their terrifying yet necessary duty. Filled with anecdotes of military spouses and family members in their own words, My Love, My Life is emotional, meaningful, and a highly recommended experience and giftbook that offers a unique picture to those unfamiliar with the life challenges of a military spouse, and cameraderie to those who understand such challenges all to well.

The Bedford Boys
Alex Kershaw
Da Capo Press/Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooks.com
0306813556 $14.95 1-800-242-7737

The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice is the true story of twenty-two sons from rural Bedford, Virginia who lost their lives in the devastating battlefields of D-Day and the campaign thereafter. Soberly describing the true story that inspired the hit movie "Saving Private Ryan", The Bedford Boys recounts memories of the fallen, the family and friends they left behind, and the small town hit immensely hard by their sacrfice. An inset section of black-and-white photographs embellishes this carefully researched and straightforwardly presented account. A worthy tribute not only to those from Bedford who perished during World War II, but to all who died defending their country.

American Raiders
Wolfgang W. E. Samuel
University Press of Mississippi
3825 Ridgewood Rd., Jackson, MS 39211
www.upress.state.ms.us
1578066492 $20.00 1-800-737-7788

American Raiders: The Race To Capture The Luftwaffe's Secrets is the true story of the bitter race to seize German military secrets in aviation, including the nuts and bolts behind buzz bombs, V-2s, and the first jet fighters, after the close of World War II. Two bold American Army Air Forces colonels set out to regain America's technological edge from the world-class scientists that were the Nazi's "intellectual capital", and so began a race to conquer the mysteries of air, space, sound and speed before the Soviet Union could. A captivating true account, exciting and highly accessible to lay readers, and a "must-have" for American military aviation history reference shelves.

The Battle Of The Atlantic
Andrew Williams
Basic Books/Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.basicbooks.com
0465091563 $17.95 1-800-242-7737

The Battle Of The Atlantic: The Allies' Submarine Fight Against Hitler's Gray Wolves Of The Sea is the thrilling true story of a battle waged beneath the waves in which Hitler's U-boats strived to starve Britain into submission. Drawing upon exclusive interviews with survivors on both sides of the war, including some from former U-boat members, historian and documetary producer Andrew Williams offers a fascinating account of the deadly standoff, meticulously detailing the perils faced by all involved. An expertly researched, superbly presented and greatly welcome contribution to nautical and military history reference shelves.

Seven Stars
Nicholas Evan Sarantakes, editor
Texas A&M University Press
Drawer C, College Station, TX 77843
www.tamu.edu/upress
1585442941 $29.95 1-800-826-8911

Seven Stars collects the battle diaries of two starkly different generals from the World War II battles fought at Okinawa. Lieutenant General Buckner was a straight laced, clockwork-precision type who preferred to use artillery and tanks to reduce entrenched positions, while General Stilwell was a short-tempered outsider who disdained set-piece battles in favor of maneuver. In addition to presenting disparate views of history in each man's own words, editor Nicholas Sarantakes offers informed and informative explanations of crucial events referred to in the battle diaries, as well as glossaries of main characters and military terms. A welcome addition to military reference shelves and primary reference sources of the Pacific battles of World War II, and utterly involving for scholars of military science and lay readers alike, Seven Stars is very highly recommended reading for students of 20th Century Military History.


The Poetry Shelf

Walking The Path Of Grief
Anne L. Lanier
TFG Press
244 Madison Ave., #254, NY, NY 10016
www.thefloatinggalley.com
0974352187 $9.50 1-877-822-2500

Walking The Path Of Grief is an impressive work of free-verse poetry that chronicles the long, hard road of shock to mourning to healing in the wake of the author's personal losses. A sad look into the devastating tolls of death and sickness, and the terrible but inevitable destiny of losing family members, spouses, friends, and loved ones. Black-and-white photographs of natural landscapes illustrate the quiet thoughts of coming to turn with the cycles of life in this unforgettable and highly recommended collection. As I Walk This Path: As I walk this path, / I know I'm not alone. / Many have gone before me. / And many are yet to come. / Though the journey is an inward one, / There is a love that holds us close. / There is a strength inside of us. / There is a knowing deep within, / That teaches us how to walk this path.

A Life With Cats
Gayle Watson
City Life Books
PO Box 371136, Denver, CO 80237
0974686018 $15.95 citylifebooks.com

In A Life With Cats: Poems Of Felines, Fat, And Family, Gayle Watson introduces the reader to a compendium of poetry that arose from coping with the loss of her mother and inheriting the care of Lovey and Millie -- her mother's two cats. This is a volume of poetry that will be read with recognition and appreciation by anyone with a feline companion as a part of their own home life -- or who has experienced the loss of a love one. Who Has Them?: So who ended up with the cats?/I know this is a silly thing to worry about, but who took the kitties?/What happened to Lovey & Mille?/ Did you find a good home for the cats?/Were Lovey and Millie kept together?/ You realize, they're sisters.

Dark Encounters In Mid Air
William Hollis
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 NW 15th St., Gainesville, FL 32611
0974830402 $24.95 www.upf.com

Enhanced with the photography of Andrea Baldeck, Dark Encounters In Mid Air: New Poems by William Hollis is a marriage of free-verse original poetry and starkly gripping black-and-white images, that combine to bring a human insight into aspects of life, twists of memory, legends, ordinary comforts and the thrill of discovery through such activities as reading or sharing. Drawing upon common shared experience with a literary twist and a flare for insight, Dark Encounters In Mid Air is a soulful, reflective, and inspirational portrait of life itself. Pilgrimage: If I listen I can hear a voice from there, / a wind, a song that linger among dry walls, / that makes me wonder if it's broken breath / or just a wind through broken windows, / a panting from years it takes to climb / a trail where blood has stained the rocks...

The Winter Of Remarkable Oranges
Boyd Warren Chubbs
Breakwater Books Ltd.
PO Box 2188, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, A1C 6E6
1550812084 $19.95 breakwater.nf.net

The Winter Of Remarkable Oranges is an anthology of free-verse poetry, sometimes rhyming and sometimes not, illustrated with dramatic, black-and-white images that evoke thoughts of Salvadore Dali's genius. The verses are singularly expressive, setting a scene in detail and asking provocative questions as well as delving into wistful reflection. A Winter's Night: To say that one is less or one is more / is to lose both peace and war // ... // Regimes will burn / for the slaughtering of dreams / Supplanters, too, cede to dagger and dust / like conquistadors, lifting the brutal as light, / become rust

Where books are banned, where books are burned, where books are neither respected nor respectable, civilization crumbles and the savages are triumphant.


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Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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