|
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
Home / Internet
Bookwatch |
Internet Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
The Young Adult's Guide to Identity Theft
Myra Faye Turner
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
www.atlantic-pub.com
9781620232385, $34.95, Library Binding, 189pp, www.amazon.com
It's not a subject taught in high schools or colleges. Nevertheless, the sooner young men and
women learn how to avoid identity theft, the better. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says
that as many as one in every eight adults and one in every four households has been victimized
by identity thieves in the past five years. To make matters even worse, if you end up a victim of
identity theft, it can take years to clean up the mess. Being young is about starting a life and
having opportunities, not dealing with scammers and identity theft. In the age of the Internet,
fraud is a serious risk that we all face. "The Young Adult's Guide to Identity Theft: A
Step-By-Step Guide to Stopping Scammers" provides the young adult reader with all of the
information they need to stop these serious problems in a conversational, and sometimes
humorous, tone. From teaching teens what identity fraud is to identifying the warning signs "The
Young Adult's Guide to Identity Theft" shows what to look for when buying that anything online,
including identifying which websites should not be trusted. "The Young Adult's Guide to Identity
Theft" also provides a step-by-step guide to recovering one's identity in case it has actually been
stolen. To avoid being a victim of identity theft, the first step needed to take is to arm ourselves
with the knowledge contained in the pages of "The Young Adult's Guide to Identity Theft" to
protect men and women of any age before it ever happens. An absolutely 'must' for highschool,
community, college, and university library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Young
Adult's Guide to Identity Theft" is also available in a paperback edition (9781620231791,
$19.95) and in a Kindle format ($13.42).
Teenagers with ADD, ADHD & Executive Function Deficits, third edition
Chris A. Zeigler Dendy
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817
www.woodbinehouse.com
9781606132814, $26.95, PB, 362pp, www.amazon.com
In "Teenagers with ADD, ADHD & Executive Function Deficits: A Guide for Parents and
Professionals", seasoned expert and veteran parent, Chris Zeigler Dendy looks at key areas
(academics, dating, driving, socializing, and greater independence) that make adolescence
potentially more difficult for kids with ADD, ADHD, or executive function deficits. This newly
updated and expanded third edition is refreshed with indispensable information on the latest
DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, research, education strategies and laws, and technology use.
"Teenagers with ADD, ADHD & Executive Function Deficits" also offers a thorough
explanation of executive function deficits and their impact on teens' ability to focus, prioritize,
and plan. Zeigler shows parents and educators how to support and advocate for teens using a
combination of medications, behavior and academic interventions and accommodations, ADHD
education, and exercise. Armed with the extensive and up-to-date information and strategies
comprising "Teenagers with ADD, ADHD & Executive Function Deficits", parents, educators,
and therapists can be proactive, working together with teens to build resilience and a hopeful
future. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Teenagers with ADD,
ADHD & Executive Function Deficits" is unreservedly recommended for professional, school
district, and academic library Teacher Education collections in general, and Special Education
supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
The Story of the Predestined Pilgrim and His Brother Reprobate
Christopher C. Lund, translator
ACMRS
Arizona State University
PO Box 874402, Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
https://acmrs.org/publications/catalog/story-predestined-pilgrim-and-his-brother-reprobate
9780866985444, $55.00, HC, 140pp, www.amazon.com
"The Story of the Predestined Pilgrim and His Brother Reprobate" is an expert and deftly
accomplished English translation by academician Christopher C. Lund of a salvation allegory
written in the hinterland of Brazil in 1682 by the Jesuit Father Alexandre de Gusmao. Generally,
it served the pedagogical purposes of his order, being translated twice into Spanish (1696 and
1815), and specifically for use in his mission boarding school in Belem da Cachoeira. Its
narrative follows the evolution of the two protagonists, Predestined and Reprobate, as they travel
from Egypt toward the New Jerusalem. It examines the vicissitudes of their encounters with the
personifications of virtues and vices. It culminates, perhaps, with the mystical benevolence of
Charity. A magnificent example of 17th century literature, "The Story of the Predestined Pilgrim
and His Brother Reprobate" is unreservedly recommended for college and university library
Baroque Literature collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Glorious Times
Tom Benjey
University of Montana Press
University of Montana, Corbin Hall 147, Missoula, MT 59812
http://www.umt.edu/umpress
c/o Farcountry Press (distribution)
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9780990974895, $18.95, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com
"Glorious Times: Adventures of the Craighead Naturalists" by Tom Benjey tells the fascinating,
true, and important story of an American clan of Scots-Irish that settled in the early 1700s in
Pennsylvania. From this clan came an astonishing number exceptional people, many of whom
dedicated their lives to the study and conservation of nature. "Glorious Times" even poses the
question as to whether this family had a special "Naturalist DNA" in their genetic heritage.
"Glorious Times" covers many generations, but appropriately focuses most attention on the
famous siblings Frank Jr., John, and Jean (Craighead George). It is interesting to note that in
2009 it was Dr. David Masland suggested Benjey write a book about his lifelong friends, the
Craigheads. Benjey's initial investigation convinced him that this was indeed an extraordinary
family. Impressively informed and informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Glorious Times" will prove to be of immense attraction to readers with an interest
in the history of environmentalism and conservation in America -- and will prove to be of
enduring value for both community and academic library American Biography collections in
general, and Environmental/Conservation supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Vintage Trailer Voyeur
Victoria Ocken
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764351280, $34.99, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Readers will be taking a fanciful journey into the world of vintage camping trailers through the
stories of their owners in Victoria Ocken's "Vintage Trailer Voyeur: A Peek Inside the Unique
Custom Trailer Culture". Featuring almost 400 photos, "Vintage Trailer Voyeur" offer a unique
look at the rare, the unique, the coveted, and the just plain adorable. "Vintage Trailer Voyeur"
features a vintage trailer rally, visits an all-girls camp, and checks out the decor of these jewels
on-the-road trailers that range from original birch paneling, chenille bedspreads, and a
period-perfect Dixie stove, to a "Sharkstream" trailer-as-art-installation. Anyone with the
conviction that trailers deserve to be loved and lived in will enjoy exploring the possibilities as
they search for, renovate, or simply dream of living in their own little piece of history. An
inherently fascinating and impressively informative read from cover to cover, "Vintage Trailer
Voyeur" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library collections, and
should be considered a "must" for anyone who has ever enjoyed a trailer of their own out on the
open road.
Toybox Time Machine
Marty Baumann
IDW Publishing
2765 Truxtun Road, San Diego, CA 92106
www.idwpublishing.com
9781631409073, $29.99, HC, 164pp, www.amazon.com
Marty Baumann is an illustrator, graphic artist, and production designer. He has contributed to
some of the most popular, Oscar-winning animated films of all time. With "Toybox Time
Machine: A Catalog of the Coolest Toys Never Made" he recaptures an innocent era of boundless
commercial creativity in a beautifully illustrated tome featuring some of the greatest toys that
were never made -- but the world would have been a better place if they had. "Toybox Time
Machine" is also a tribute to the unbridled imaginations and madcap design and illustrative skills
of the toy creators who drew inspiration from the robots, movie monsters, comic books and
military men that kids adored, as well as the limitless possibilities of the space age. Showcased in
catalogs, comics, trading cards, drug store and department store displays, somehow these
geniuses knew what we wanted before we did. Baumann has drawn inspiration from these
incredible creators and extrapolated on those outlandish and appealing ideas, developing and
illustrating an amazing array of fictional toys that reflect that optimistic era. A delight to simply
browse through, "Toybox Time Machine" is original, entertaining, and basically a nostalgic 'wish
list' for what never was but might have been. Thoroughly entertaining from cover to cover,
"Toybox Time Machine" is enthusiastically and unreservedly recommended for personal and
community library collections.
Winnie & George
Allison Murphy
Mercier Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781781174708, $24.99, PB, 351pp, www.amazon.com
"Winnie & George: An Unlikely Union" by biography Allison Murphy is the true and previously
untold story of forbidden love in Belfast. Winnie and George were opposites in every way, in the
already divisive age of Ireland, in the early 20th century. Yet, for all their differences, what they
shared was a passion for fairness and the rights of the working class. It was this cause which
ultimately brought them into each other's lives and helped form this very unlikely union that
would last a lifetime, despite opposition from both their families. Allison Murphy, (an award
winning Belfast teacher), was introduced to George's story by her mother-in-law, who nursed him
in his last days, and who encouraged Allison to research the background and tell his story.
Allison took on the challenge and has set the story of these two remarkable characters in the
context of their time, tracing them through letters and documents and imagining conversations
that would have happened. An inherently fascinating and skillfully crafted read from beginning
to end, "Winnie & George" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and
community library Biography collections. It should be noted that "Winnie & George" is also
available in a Kindle format ($12.99).
101 Amazing Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar
Susan Branson
Familius
1254 Commerce Way, Sanger, CA 93657
www.familius.com
9781945547140 $12.99 amazon.com
101 Amazing Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar lives up to its title as a handy compendium of
practical (and often unexpected!) uses for humble apple cider vinegar. From acne treatment to
relieving muscle pain after intense exercise to eliminating cat urine odor, killing weeds, or
crafting a simple fruit fly trap, 101 Amazing Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar is a handy resource
for getting the most out of an inexpensive home remedy! Also highly recommended is "101
Amazing Uses for Ginger" (9781945547126, $12.99).
The Tattoo Dictionary
Trent Aitken-Smith
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781784721770, $20.00, www.octopusbooksusa.com
The Tattoo Dictionary: An A-Z Guide to the Secret Language of Tattoos is illustrated by Ashley
Tyson, whose full-page black and white tattoo illustrations support the in-depth research that
explores the meanings behind some 200 popular tattoos. These include tribal images, Mexican
skills, barbed wire, snakes, and other popular tattoo art, with each entry describing the initial
origins of the image and its modern meaning. The result will interest any with a prior affection
for tattoo art, who want more historical background on commonly-used images.
The Homeowner's Shelf
Greywater, Green Landscape
Laura Allen
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612128399, $16.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Greywater is all wastewater generated in households or office buildings from streams without
fecal contamination, i.e. all streams except for the wastewater from toilets. Sources of greywater
include, e.g. sinks, showers, baths, clothes washing machines or dish washers. As greywater
contains fewer pathogens than domestic wastewater, it is generally safer to handle and easier to
treat and reuse onsite for toilet flushing, landscape or crop irrigation, and other non-potable uses.
Now with "Greywater, Green Landscape: How to Install Simple Water-Saving Irrigation Systems
in Your Yard", ordinary homeowners can keep a lawn and garden lush without wasting resources
by capturing and recycling the greywater that drains from sinks, showers, and washing machines.
This accessible, illustrated and detailed instructional guide walks you through each step of
planning for and installing a variety of greywater systems, including laundry-to-landscape and
branched drain gravity-fed systems. After identifying greywater sources in the home and
estimating flow rate, the reader will learn to pinpoint where to redirect the wastewater for the
greatest benefit. No matter which system you decide to build, "Greywater, Green Landscape" will
provide the information for do-it-yourself construction, or have the confidence to hire a
professional. While very highly recommended, especially for community library collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Greywater, Green Landscape" is also available in
a Kindle format ($9.99).
The Science Shelf
Geoinformatics for Marine and Coastal Management
Darius Bartlett & Louis Celliers, editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781498731546, $139.95, HC, 444pp, www.amazon.com
Geoinformatics is the science and the technology which develops and uses information science
infrastructure to address the problems of geography, cartography, geosciences locations and
related branches of science and engineering. Collaborative compiled and co-edited by Darius
Bartlett (Department of Geography, University College Cork, Ireland) and Louis Celliers
(Coastal Systems Research Group, Natural Resources and the Environment Business Unit),
"Geoinformatics for Marine and Coastal Management" is comprised of sixteen erudite,
informative articles by experts in the field that collectively will provide a timely and valuable
assessment of the current state of the art in applying geoinformatics tools and methods to
management of marine areas. The focus throughout is on the cutting-edge coverage of a wide
spectrum of activities/topics that constitute the complex socio-ecological system of sustainable
coastal management. "Geoinformatics for Marine and Coastal Management" presents a
comprehensive overview of the field, covering key issues and debates, and specific case studies
illustrating real-world applications of the technology. A follow up to the previous two books on
Marine and Coastal GIS, and based on the CoastGIS 2015 Conference, "Geoinformatics for
Marine and Coastal Management" will be a useful addition and value to coastal zone managers --
and should be considered a critically important and core addition to professional, college, and
university library Environmental Studies collections in general, and Marine/Coastal Management
supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Geoinformatics for Marine and Coastal Management"
is also available in a Kindle format ($132.95).
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
A Purely Private Matter
Darcie Wilde
Berkley Prime Crime
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425262380, $15.00, www.penguin.com
Fans of history and mystery will welcome this Rosalind Thorne mystery which blends the two in
fine tale set in Regency London's wealthy circles, which are rocked by scandal and deception.
This is the second book in the series set in 19th-century London, but it is both a nice stand-alone
and a solid supportive effort for the first book and any who like the atmosphere of Jane Austin.
Poison, pregnancy, and threats permeate the highest of circles in this excellent story.
When It Grows Dark
Jorn Lier Horst, author
Anne Bruce, translator
Sandstone Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781910985489, $16.00, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
William Wisting is a earnest policeman and the new father of twins. After a brutal robbery,
Wisting finds himself edged off the investigation by more experienced officers, but soon he is on
another case that is not only unsolved but has not even been recognized as a murder when in a
dilapidated and abandoned barn, a forgotten, bullet-riddled car is found. How long has it been
there? Where is the driver? "When It Grows Dark" is a deftly crafted, multilayered mystery that
showcases author Jorn Lier Horst's genuine master of the genre. Aptly translated into English by
Anne Bruce, "When It Grows Dark" is an inherently fascinating and compelling read from cover
to cover and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated
mystery buffs that "When It Grows Dark" is also available in a Kindle format ($4.99).
Undertow
R. M. Greenaway
Dundrun
c/o The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
www.dundurn.com
9781459735583, $17.99, PB, 424pp, www.amazon.com
Last summer the inlet waters washed an unnamed woman's body onto the rocks of North
Vancouver's Neptune shipyards. When RCMP Constable Cal Dion returns home after a year's
absence, he finds the case still open and grown cold. While Dion works to fit back in and put
closure to the Jane Doe drowning case, newly relocated Constable Dave Leith is learning to cope
with his first big-city posting. But they have bigger concerns: Why would anyone beat up a
young electrician, then track down his wife and baby girl to finish them off? It is a motiveless
and haunting killing that leaves behind one small witness and a handful of cryptic clues. And
who battered and asphyxiated a wealthy nightclub owner in his own garage? A case of home
invasion, by the looks of it. But Leith has a less abstract set of suspects to deal with: the victim's
business partner and his strange little clan. The North Vancouver General Investigations Section
is put to the test, with two files to solve, one tragic cold case, and Dion seemingly lost at sea. The
second volume of author R. M. Greenaway's outstanding new 'B.C. Blues Crime Novel' series,
"Undertow" is a deftly written and inherently compelling read from cover to cover. While
unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be
noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Undertow" is also available
in a Kindle format ($5.38).
Pursued
Lisa Harris
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800728564, $25.99, HC, 322pp, www.amazon.com
After a plane crash, Nikki Boyd and the Missing Persons Task Force race to find a key witness in
a high profile case before she is permanently silenced when a woman who was sitting right next
to her is nowhere to be found and whose very presence on that downed plane is being denied.
Once again author Lisa Harris demonstrates her absolute mastery of the genre and an impressive
ability to compel her readers rapt attention from beginning to end. An absolutely riveting read,
"Pursued" is very highly recommended and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to
community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of dedicated
mystery buffs it should be noted that "Pursued" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780800724207, $15.99) and in a Kindle format ($8.53).
To Hell On A Fast Horse
Peter Brandvold
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432833015, $25.95, HC, 386pp, www.amazon.com
"To Hell On A Fast Horse: A Western Duo" features two bounty hunter Lou Prophet stories
under one cover. In 'The Devil's Ambush' Prophet and his sometime-sideick, sometime-love
Louisa Bonaventure are lured to an old and abandoned cavalry outpost in southest Colorado
where they are ambushed and Louisa is badly wounded. Prophet tracks down the seven
nightriders responsible with pure and bloody vengeance on his mind. In "Bring Me The Head Of
Chaz Savidge!' Prophet and Louisa have to deal with competing bounty hunters as they track the
notorious killer and rapist Chaz Savidge from the Dakota Territory to Denver. But along the way
their most dangerous enemy is a young, grief-stricken pioneer widow whose husband and lover
lie dead on her cabin floor! Author Peter Brandvold is an acknowledged master of the western
genre and "To Hell On A Fast Horse" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to
community library Western Fiction collections -- and a 'must read' for the legions of Peter
Brandvold fans!
Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love
James Runcie
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781632867940, $28.00, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
It is May 1971 and the Cambridgeshire countryside is bursting into summer. Attending to his
paternal duties, Archdeacon Sidney Chambers is walking in the woods with his daughter Anna
and their aging Labrador, Byron, when they stumble upon a body. Beside the dead man lies a
basket of wild flowers, all poisonous. And so it is that Sidney is thrust into another murder
investigation, entering a world of hippies, folk singers, and psychedelic plants, where love
triangles and permissive behavior seem to hide something darker. The sixth book in the James
Runcie's much-loved Granchester Mystery series, full-time priest and part-time detective Sidney
Chambers plunges back into sleuthing when he discovers that body in a bluebell wood. "Sidney
Chambers and the Persistence of Love" is another "must read" title for all dedicated mystery
buffs from the pen of a true master of the genre. While certain to be an enduringly popular
addition to community Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love" is also available in paperback edition
(9781632867957, $17.00) and in a Kindle format ($9.99).
The Devil's Country
Harry Hunsicker
Thomas & Mercer
9781503941908, $15.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Former Texas Ranger Arlo Baines didn't come to the tiny West Texas town of Piedra Springs to
cause trouble. After his wife and children were murdered, Arlo just wants to be left alone.
Moving from place to place seems to be the only thing that eases the pain of his family's violent
end. But a chance encounter outside a bar forces him to rescue a terrified woman and her children
from mysterious attackers. When the woman turns up murdered the next day (her children
missing) Arlo becomes the primary suspect in exactly the same type of crime he is trying
desperately to forget. Haunted by the fate of his family, and with the police questioning the
existence of the dead woman's children, Arlo decides it's his duty to find them. The question is,
just how deep will he have to sink into the dusty secrets of Piedra Springs to save them and clear
his name? An inherently riveting read from cover to cover, "The Devil's Country" documents
author Harry Hunsicker's complete mastery of the western genre and a novelist of considerable
talent who is able to compel his reader's complete attention with an unpredictable storyline
replete with unexpected twists and surprising turns. While very highly recommended, especially
for community library Western Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of dedicated western novel fans that "The Devil's Country" is also available in a Kindle
format ($4.99).
I Found You
Lisa Jewell
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781501154591, $26.00, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com
In a windswept British seaside town, single mom Alice Lake finds a man sitting on the beach
outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, and no idea how he got there. Against her better
judgment, she invites him inside. Meanwhile, in a suburb of London, twenty-one-year-old Lily
Monrose has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from
work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell
her that her husband never existed. Twenty-three years earlier, Gray and Kirsty are teenagers on a
summer holiday with their parents. Their annual trip to the quaint seaside town is passing by
uneventfully, until an enigmatic young man starts paying extra attention to Kirsty. Something
about him makes Gray uncomfortable - and it's not just that he's playing the role of protective
older brother. Two decades of secrets, a missing husband, and a man with no memory are at the
heart of "I Found You", still another brilliantly crafted new novel by Lisa Jewell. While very
highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should
be noted for personal reading lists that "I Found You" is also available in a Kindle format
($12.99).
The Death of a Century
Daniel Robinson
Arcade Publishing
www.arcadepub.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781628725391, $24.99, HC, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Set in Greenwich, Connecticut, 1922, "The Death of a Century" by novelist Daniel Robinson is
the absorbing story of newspaper man Joe Henry who finds himself the primary suspect when his
friend, fellow reporter Wynton Gresham, is murdered. Both were veterans of French battles
during WWI -- the war that was supposed to end all wars. Unanswered questions pile up in the
wake of a violent night: Gresham lies dead in his home, a manuscript he had just completed has
gone missing, three Frenchmen lay dead in a car accident less than a mile from Gresham's home,
and a trunk full of Gresham's clothes lay neatly packed in his bedroom. Hours after his friend's
death, Henry discovers in Gresham's desk drawer a one-way ticket reserved in his friend's name
aboard a steamer ship to France. The ticket is dated for the next day. Henry steals away under
Gresham's identity, escaping the heated interrogation of the town sheriff, to Paris in the roaring
20s. In the City of Light he becomes a hunted man. To clear his name he must find the man
responsible for his friend's murder, while evading his own, and discover the deadly secret
revealed in the lost manuscript. In the process, with the help of other broken veteran expats of
Hemingway's Lost Generation living in Paris, he finds hope in a world irrevocably altered by
war. An impressively engaging, deftly crafted, thoroughly entertaining read from beginning to
end, "The Death of a Century" is very highly recommended, especially for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Death of a
Century" is also available in a paperback edition (9781628727555, $14.99) and in a Kindle
format ($14.18).
Spine Damage
Sharon St. Geroge
Camel Press
PO Box 70515, Seattle, WA 98127
www.camelpress.com
9781603815819, $16.95, PB, 328pp, www.amazon.com
Paulo Ferrara is a young Portuguese man who lies comatose in the Intensive Care Unit of
Timbergate Medical Center. He had been shot in the spine. The neurosurgeon who would
normally be in charge of his care has left town to attend to an injured daughter, and the only other
neurosurgeon, the rude and egotistical Dr. Godfrey Carver, is about to be suspended for not
completing his continuing education requirements. The unpleasant duty of ensuring that the staff
obey the rules lies with Aimee Machado, the medical center's forensic librarian and Continuing
Education Coordinator. Aimee and her pilot boyfriend Nick live together on her grandparents'
llama farm. While dealing with Dr. Carver, Aimee learns the circumstances of Paulo's injury and
enlists Nick's help. Aimee is half Asian and half Portuguese, and her parents live on Faial, one of
the Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal. Faial is the closest neighbor to Pico, home of Paulo
and his family. Paulo came to rural Northern California in search of his fifteen-year-old sister
Liliana, who vanished two weeks ago. Nick's wealthy employer Buck Sawyer takes an interest in
the girl's plight as well, especially when they learn that she left the Azores on a superyacht. Not
only is Buck a yacht owner, but he is also on a crusade against drug trafficking, and Paulo and
Liliana have clearly stumbled onto a criminal operation of some kind. The trail leads Aimee and
Nick from Timbergate, to the Azores, to San Francisco. Paulo's condition is deteriorating, and he
might never be able to explain what got him shot. Can Aimee, her brother Harry, and Nick
unravel the mystery in time to save Liliana? In "Spine Damage", author Sharon St. George once
again demonstrates her mastery of the genre with this fourth title in her outstanding 'Aimee
Machado Mystery' series. While unreservedly recommended for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated
mystery buffs in general, and Sharon St. George fans in particular, that "Spine Damage" is also
available in a Kindle format ($4.95).
Murder on the Red River
Marcie R. Rendon
Cinco Puntos Press
701 Texas, El Paso, Texas 79901
www.cincopuntos.com
9781941026526, $15.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Cash and Sheriff Wheaton make for a strange partnership. He pulled her from her mother's
wrecked car when she was three. He's kept an eye out for her ever since. It's a tough place to live
in northern Minnesota along the Red River. Cash navigated through foster homes, and at thirteen
was working farms. She's tough as nails, five feet two inches in height, wears blue jeans, a blue
jean jacket, smokes Marlboros, drinks Bud Longnecks. She makes her living driving truck, and
plays pool on the side. While Wheaton is big lawman type, of Scandinavian stock, but with
darker skin than most. Wheaton wants Cash to take hold of her life and get into Junior College.
So there they are together, staring at the dead Indian lying in the field. Soon Cash was dreaming
the dead man's cheap house on the Red Lake Reservation, mother and kids waiting. She has that
kind of power. That's the place to start looking. There's a long and dangerous way to go to find
the men who killed him. Plus there's Jim, the married white guy. And Longbraids, the Indian guy
headed for Minneapolis to join the American Indian Movement. With an impressive attention to
background detail in "Murder on the Red River", author Marcie R. Rendon is an enrolled
member of the White Earth Anishinabe Nation and a gifted novelist with a genuine flair for
originality, memorably drawn characters, and a master of the genre. While "Murder on the Red
River" is especially recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should
be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Murder on the Red River"
is also available in a Kindle format ($10.42).
Calamity at the Continental Club
Colleen J. Shogan
Camel Press
PO Box 70515, Seattle, WA 98127
www.camelpress.com
9781603813358, $15.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
The Mayflower Society is about to hold its annual meeting at Washington D.C.'s swanky
gathering place for the elite, the Continental Club. That means Kit Marshall's upper-crust future
in-laws, Buffy and Winston Hollingsworth, are coming for a visit. Annoyed that Kit has not set a
date to marry Doug, Buffy wants her to commit to a high society wedding at the club. Kit, though
chief of staff for a congresswoman, feels uncomfortable with Buffy and Winston's crowd. Kit
receives an unexpected reprieve in the form of murder. En route to her morning jog, she
encounters the corpse of the leader of the Mayflower Society, conservative multimedia tycoon
Grayson Bancroft. On the security cameras, no one was seen entering or leaving the club, which
means the culprit had to be an overnight guest. Little love was lost on Bancroft, but the police
have their prime suspect: Doug's father. Buffy and Winston, formerly disdainful of Kit's
sleuthing, urge her to investigate. With her future in-laws' freedom and reputations at stake, Kit
sets out once again to solve a murder mystery, this time aided by her fiance Doug in addition to
her friends Meg and Trevor and her dog Clarence. Her search for clues will take her from the
club to the Smithsonian Museum, the National Archives, and Mount Vernon. The third novel in
Colleen Shogan's outstanding 'Whodunit' series, "Calamity at the Continental Club" once again
reveals her genuine mastery of the genre. A consistently compelling and entertaining read from
cover to cover, "Calamity at the Continental Club" is unreservedly recommended to the attention
of dedicated mystery buffs and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community
library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Bound by Mystery
Diane D. DiBiase, editor
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
9781464208324, $18.95, PB, 450pp, www.amazon.com
In celebration of their 20th anniversary, Poisoned Pen Press commissioned original short stories
from thirty-five of its authors, both past and present. The result is "Bound by Mystery:
Celebrating 20 Years of Poisoned Pen Press", an anthology celebrates Poisoned Pen Press
authors in terms of their talent, and their diversity. Some have chosen to feature characters
well-established within their own series protagonists, supporting cast, and even one
villain-turned-hero. Others have gone in totally different directions, inventing new characters and
going dark or cozy for the first time, with chilling and delightful results. Yet as different as these
authors and their stories are, they all share a common passion for finely crafted tales of crime and
murder. One of the very best mystery/suspense anthologies in the last few years, "Bound by
Mystery" is a tour-de-force and an absolute 'must' for any and all dedicated mystery buffs. Also
available in a Kindle format ($6.99), "Bound by Mystery" is unreservedly and enthusiastically
recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
The Christian Studies Shelf
The Ecumenism of Beauty
Timothy Verdon, editor
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
www.paracletepress.com
9781612619248, $28.99, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by Timothy Verson (Burke Professor of Art History, Stanford University
Florence Center and Director of the Museo dell-Opera del Duomon, Florence, Italy) the
contributors to "The Ecumenism of Beauty" share the belief that in this visual age, beauty and art
can bridge differences. "The Ecumenism of Beauty" is comprised of seven major essays from
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant artists, scholars, clergy and theologians exploring
beauty as a means to unify the body of Christ. The occasion of the Reformation commemoration
year offers a time to reflect on the rich artistic heritage shared by all Christians and an
opportunity to learn from other traditions. Impressively informative and inherently thoughtful
and thought-provoking, "The Ecumenism of Beauty" is an extraordinary volume that is very
highly recommended for church, community, and academic library Ecumenical Christian
collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Ecumenism
of Beauty" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
Welcome to College, second edition
Jonathan Morrow
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825444883, $21.99, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com
One of the most important reasons for attending college is for students to determine what they
will do with their life. In college, whether they realize it or not, students will answer that question
every day with each decision. All of the new friends and new experiences of higher education
will shape their future. It's critical that students know how to handle college before they're in the
thick of it. Now in a newly updated and revised second edition, "Welcome to College: A
Christ-Follower's Guide for the Journey" by Jonathan Morrow addresses questions that arise
during these formative academic years such as: How do you grow spiritually?; How do you
manage your time to both study well and have fun?; Is all truth relative?; Are there good reasons
to be a Christian?; As a Christian, how should you view issues like dating and sex? Of special
note is the chapter on Christianity, homosexuality, and the Bible. Grounded that is grounded in
both Morrow's own extensive experience and in biblical truths. "Welcome to College" is
comprised of quick, easy-to-read chapters and excellent advice. While very highly recommended
to all college and university bound members of the Christian community (regardless of
denominational affiliations), it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Welcome to
College" is also available in a Kindle format ($17.74).
Unsinkable Faith
Tracie Miles
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.cookministries.com
9780781414364, $16.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
For many people, remaining optimistic and feeling positive about themselves and their lives is a
constant battle -- especially when circumstances are difficult and life is hard. For others,
negativity is something that only sneaks up from time to time, yet still wreaks havoc in their
hearts. Regardless of the root causes, once pessimistic thoughts permeate our minds, our feelings
and emotions begin to control us instead of us controlling them. Eventually it doesn't seem
possible to stay positive, happy, and full of joy, and negative thought patterns shake our faith,
causing us to sink emotionally, mentally, and spiritually over time. But it doesn't have to be that
way. Despite what storms roll in, hearts anchored in God don't sink. When we change the way we
think, we can change the way we feel and live, even if our circumstances remain the same.
Intentionally embracing the opportunity to experience a transformed heart and a renewed mind
opens the door for a changed life, because a positive mind will always lead to a more positive
life. In "Unsinkable Faith: God-Filled Strategies to Transform the Way You Think, Feel, and
Live", author and Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker Tracie Miles offers hope for women who
struggle with negativity. Each individual chapter deftly explores personal stories, showing how
women were able to rise above their circumstances by transforming and renewing their minds.
Informative and thoughtful, inspired and inspiring, "Unsinkable Faith" is a life-enhancing,
faith-affirming read from cover to cover and highly recommended reading for all members of the
Christian community regardless of denominational affiliation. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Unsinkable Faith" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
Daniel Rudd: Calling a Church to Justice
Gary B. Agee
The Liturgical Press
2950 Saint John's Road, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
9780814645253, $14.95, PB, 138pp, www.amazon.com
In May of 1890, The Christian Solider, an African American newspaper, identified the Catholic
journalist and activist Daniel Arthur Rudd as the "greatest negro Catholic in America". Yet many
Catholics today are unaware of Rudd's efforts to bring about positive social change during the
early decades of the Jim Crow era. In "Daniel Rudd: Calling a Church to Justice", Church of God
pastor Gary Agee (who teaches church history for the School of Theology and Christian Ministry
at Anderson University, Indian) offers a compelling look at the life and work of this visionary
who found inspiration in his Catholic faith to fight for the principles of liberty and justice. Born
into slavery, Rudd achieved success early on as the publisher of the American Catholic Tribune,
one of the most successful black newspapers of its era, and as the founder of the National Black
Catholic Congress. Even as Rudd urged his fellow black Catholics to maintain their spiritual
home within the fold of the Catholic Church, he called on that same church to live up what he
believed to be her cardinal teaching, "the Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of Man." Rudd's
hopeful spirit lives on today in the important work of the National Black Catholic Congress, as it
carries forward his pursuit of social justice. This informed and informative account of the man
and his mission is particularly and especially recommended reading for all members of the
Catholic community and is also available in a Kindle format ($11.99).
Becoming Like a Child
Jerome W. Berryman
Church Publishing Incorporated
www.churchpublishing.org
9780819233233, $30.00, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
In "Becoming Like a Child: The Curiosity of Maturity beyond the Norm", Jerome W. Berryman
(who is the founder of Godly Play and Senior Fellow of the Center for the Theology of
Childhood) invites the reader into a creative process that explores what it means to be spiritually
mature, starting with Jesus' injunction to 'become like a child'. What does this mean at the literal
level? the figurative level? the mystical level? the ethical level? The structure of the process of
this study parallels the organization and the structure of Christian worship, as well as the arc of
life itself. The steps on this journey begin when we enter, and the world of childlike maturity
opens to us as we respond with inarticulate wonder and gratitude. Berryman includes stories and
examples from his long career working with children ages 2 to 18, adding to the warmth and
appeal to "Becoming Like a Child". Exceptionally well written, impressively organized and
presented, inspired and inspiring, "Becoming Like a Child" is highly recommended for all
members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliation. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Becoming Like a Child" is also available in a Kindle format
($27.00).
The Judaic Studies Shelf
Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen
Yechiel Frish & Yedidya HaCohen
Urim Publications
c/o Lambda Publishers
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655242539, $39.95, HC, 334pp, www.amazon.com
Although mainly known as the chief rabbi of Haifa, Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, born in the year
1927, has lived an intriguing life, playing an important role in the establishment of the state of
Israel. As the son of Rabbi David Cohen (1887-1972), the legendary Nazirite of Jerusalem, Rabbi
Cohen grew up among some of Israel's greatest rabbis. Destined to become a Nazirite until the
age of sixteen, Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen studied under the influence of Rav Kook. During the
1948 War of Independence, Rabbi Cohen fought to defend the Old City of Jerusalem, until he
was severely wounded and taken to Jordan as a prisoner of war. After his return he became Chief
Rabbi of the Israel Air Force, and then governed as the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem with Teddy
Kollek. Rabbi Cohen served as the Chief Rabbi of Haifa and President of their rabbinical courts
for 36 years. The details of his achievements and captivating life in this biography are further
encapsulated in excerpts of his diary, which include vivid details of the battles he fought in and
his imprisonment in Jordan. The biographers, Rabbi Yedidya HaCohen is a disciple of Rabbi
Shear Yashuv Cohen, from whom he received rabbinical ordination. While Prof. Yechiel Frish is
the President of Michlelet Shaanan (Shaanan College), a religious teachers training college
established in 1951 near Haifa, Israel. "Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen: Between War and Peace" is
an informed, comprehensive, and ultimately inspiring read from beginning to end and very highly
recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library
collections.
Carmel College in the Kopul Era
Rabbi Dr. Chaim Simons
Urim Publications
c/o Lambda Publishers
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655242362, $39.95, PB, 680pp, www.amazon.com
In 1947, Rabbi Kopul Rosen, a graduate of the Mir Yeshivah and the then Principal Rabbi of the
British Federation of Synagogues, began to develop his dream of establishing a residential boys
school which would combine the ideals of the British Public School with the study and practice
of traditional Judaism. As a result, Carmel College was born. Despite financial problems and
administrative obstacles, Rabbi Rosen succeeded remarkably well with his project. "Carmel
College in the Kopul Era: A History of Carmel College September 1948-March 1962" by Rabbi
Dr. Chaim Simons is the detailed and comprehensive story of Carmel College during that time.
Impressively informed and informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented,
enhanced for scholars with the inclusion of a five page bibliography, a four page index of names
associated with Carmel College, and a section of color photos, "Carmel College in the Kopul
Era" is a very highly recommended addition to academic library 20th History Judaic Educational
History collections in general, and Carmel College History supplemental studies reading lists in
particular.
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
Emptiness: A Practical Guide for Meditators
Guy Armstrong
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
www.wisdompubs.org
9781614293637, $29.95, HC, 328pp, www.amazon.com
Guy Armstrong has been leading insight meditation retreats since 1984 in the U.S., Europe, and
Australia. His training included living as a monk for a year in the Thai forest lineage. Guy is a
member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council and a guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation
Society. Within "Emptiness: A Practical Guide for Meditators", he draws upon his many years of
experience and expertise to makes difficult Buddhist topics easy to understand, weaving together
Theravada and Mahayana teachings on emptiness to show how we can liberate our minds and
manifest compassion in our lives. Enhanced with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, a
two page list of Acknowledgements, a two page listing of Sources and Abbreviations, twelve
pages of Notes, a six page Glossary of Pali and Sanskrit Words, and a twenty page Index,
"Emptiness: A Practical Guide for Meditators" is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, making it an ideal and valued addition to community and academic library
Buddhism collections in general, and Buddhist Mediation supplemental studies lists in particular.
It should be noted for Buddhism students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
Buddhist mediation, that "Emptiness: A Practical Guide for Meditators" is also available in a
Kindle format ($17.99).
Boundless Heart
Christina Feldman
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
www.shambhala.com
9781611803730, $16.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Compassion, kindness, equanimity, and joy are not only the fruits of the awakened life but also
the path to it: attitudes of mind that can be cultivated by anyone willing to set the intention for
doing so. In the pages of "Boundless Heart: The Buddha's Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy,
and Equanimity", Christina Feldman (a prominent teacher in the Insight Meditation world in the
US and the UK, one of the Guiding Teachers of the Insight Meditation Society, Barre, MA, and
who is also cofounder of Gaia House in the UK) shows how these ennobling qualities that are
known in Buddhism as the brahma viharas (sublime abodes) or the Four Immeasurables, are far
more than simply the "feel-good" states they are sometimes mistaken for. If we pursue them
sincerely as spiritual practice, they work together, complementing and enhancing each other, to
lead us to the kind of awakening that we are compelled to share with others. Thus through the
practice of the brahma viharas we can become participants in the healing and liberation of our
world. Informative, thoughtful, insightful, inspiring, "Boundless Heart" is impressively 'reader
friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, making it very highly
recommended for personal, community, and academic library Buddhist Studies collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Boundless Heart" is also available in a Kindle
format ($12.99) and in a complete and unabridged audio book edition (Brilliance Audio,
9781543601343, $9.99, MP3 Una).
The Poetry Shelf
The Mountains Within: Poems of the Wild
Garth Gilchrist
Regent Press
2747 Regent St., Berkeley, CA 94705
9781587903540 $19.95 www.regentpress.net
Showcasing the free verse poetry of Garth Gilchrist, "The Mountains Within: Poems of the Wild"
is enhanced with the inclusion of 36 beautifully colored photographic images. In a modern world
where our days are increasingly cramped, digital, media-driven, virtual, unrelentingly stimulating
and stressful for young and old alike, we forget about nature as a part of ourselves and we lose
something essential to our humanity. The poetry of Garth Gilchrist will bring back that reflective
sensitivity to the importance of nature to our well being as humans. Enduringly memorable, "The
Mountains Within: Poems of the Wild" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community,
and academic library Contemporary American Poetry collections. 'To Now': A spruce awaits /
lifting to wind, steady in snow / life in roots // A babe suckles / milk flowing out of some / deep
source // In winter's depth / I draw from a clear / hidden spring
The Business Shelf
Listening Deeply, second edition
Howard F. Stein
University of Missouri Press
113 Heinkel Bldg., 201 S. 7th St., Columbia, MO 65211
www.umsystem.edu/upress
9780826221247, $45.00, HC, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Listening deeply is the foundation of all effective organizational management, research, and
consulting. Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded second edition, "Listening Deeply:
An Approach to Understanding and Consulting in Organizational Culture" by Howard F. Stein
(who currently serves as a facilitator at the American Indian Diabetes Prevention Center) deftly
explores the many aspects of attentive listening through storytelling and includes examples of
organizational case studies. In Stein's professional practice, listening deeply is an attitude evoked
by the psychoanalytic concept of hovering attention -- a careful attending to the person or group
one is trying to help and an equally careful attending to how one is hearing these others. The
listener's own feelings are as crucially diagnostic as what the consultant observes in other people.
This new edition of "Listening Deeply" fully updates historical context, theory, method, and
organizational stories. A psychodynamic orientation informs much of 'Listening Deeply" and the
language Stein uses is direct. His lessons are useful to the manager in any kind of organization,
as well as practitioners of psychology, sociology, business management, medicine, and
education. Well written, organized and presented, "Listening Deeply" is an extraordinary work of
exceptional scholarship and very highly recommended for corporate, community, and academic
library Business Management collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be
noted for students, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Listening Deeply" is also available in a Kindle format ($32.88).
Who Knew?: It's All About You
Richard F. Libin
Automotive Profit Builders, Inc.
PO Box 2011, Natick, MA 01760
www.richardlibin.com
www. who-knew.com
9780692789353, $14.99, PB, 180pp, www.amazon.com
The selling of goods and/or services is a basic building block of civilization in general, and
capitalism as an economic system in particular. Selling is an essential skill. Poor behavior and
bad consumer experiences, however, have created negative stereotypes of commercial
salespeople. And, because business schools and universities avoid teaching students how to sell,
many sales professionals don't understand how to sell and are not trained or qualified. This only
perpetuates bad experiences and the negative stereotypes. All this can be changed by a carefully
reading of "Who Knew?: It's All About You" by president of APB and business management
expert Richard F. Libin. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, of special
note are the chapters on What Does the Brand Stand For?; First Impressions Aren't Everything;
Avoiding Culture Shock; Do You Want Customers or Clients?; and Feedback -- The Silver
Bullet. Also available in a Kindle format ($14.99), "Who Knew?: It's All About You" is very
highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, corporate, and academic
library Business Management instructional reference collections.
Get Organized. Get Focused. Get Moving.
Cynthia Kyriazis
Incorgnito Publishing Press
300 E. Bellevue Drive Ste 208, Pasadena, CA 91101
http://www.incorgnitobooks.com
9781944589073, $12.95, PB, 166pp, www.amazon.com
In the pages of "Get Organized. Get Focused. Get Moving.", national productivity coach,
strategist, and trainer Cynthia Kyriazis shares with the best organization and time-management
principles of her 25-year professional career. From small business owners to Fortune 500
companies, these principles are proven, effective, and most importantly, applicable to your life,
work, and business. Kyriazis also provides coaching and instruction on how to build the
foundation for time-management success: Getting Organized. Once the reader will have mastered
this formerly 'easier-said-than-done' principle, their time and newly found focus will facilitate the
building of the things they really want to be successful at: goal-setting, prioritizing, scheduling,
communications, and delegating, to name a few. Exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, "Get Organized. Get Focused. Get Moving." is a seminal and critically important read
for both corporate executives and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Get Organized. Get Focused. Get Moving." is also
available in a Kindle format ($5.99).
The Self-Help Shelf
7 Mindsets of Success
Sten Morgan
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781683503026, $29.95, HC, 152pp, www.amazon.com
In "7 Mindsets of Success: What You Really Need to Do to Achieve Rapid, Top-Level Success"
by financial investment advisor Sten Morgan, readers will not only explore topics like embracing
discomfort, healthy conflict, time management, perspective, safety nets, and future self, but the
intrinsic motivation behind their success. They will learn secrets and steps that are easily
overlooked in business today. They will weigh the cost of their success and ask themselves, "Am
I willing to do everything it takes?" Morgan's underlying messages is that success could be as
easy as changing your mindset to see your business or job differently, and in turn, see the world
differently -- that there are seven psychological mindsets that will unlock success for his readers.
Extraordinarily 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "7 Mindsets
of Success" will prove to be an enduringly valued and appreciated addition to community,
corporate, and academic library Business Management and Self-Help collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists of business students and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "7 Mindsets of Success" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781683503019, $16.95) and in a Kindle format ($7.99).
The Dog's Guide to Your Happiness
Gary McDaniel & Sharon Massen
Lumina Media
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781621871682, $19.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
How do we define happiness in a world where people regularly feel rushed, stressed, and
overwhelmed by the daily demands of life? In "The Dog's Guide to Your Happiness: Seven
Secrets for a Better Life from Man's Best Friend" authors Garry McDaniel and Sharon Massen
collaborate to suggest that we look to our canine companions to learn what happiness is really
about. Based on their research and insights, as well as real-life stories about dogs and their
people, "The Dog's Guide to Your Happiness" is an informative guide that explores seven
essential traits for happiness through the eyes of our trusted furry friends including: The value of
loyalty in our personal and business relationships; Canine communication tactics - namely,
vocalizations, body language, and eye contact -- and a discussion on interpersonal
communication; The lost art of play and why it is important for people (and dogs) of all ages;
The unconditional love that dogs bestow on their humans and how it applies to our relationships
with other people; How an unwillingness to forgive others holds us back, and why dogs are able
to "forgive and forget"; How to nurture an optimistic outlook on life's ups and downs; A dog's
approach to life balance and why a lack of balance is detrimental to emotional health; Exercises,
charts, and worksheets to guide readers in self-exploration through applying the principles set
forth in each chapter; Suggestions and activities to help readers attain the seven secrets of
happiness. Extraordinary, original, and thoroughly 'reader friendly in organization and
presentation, "The Dog's Guide to Your Happiness" is very highly recommended, especially for
community library Self-Help and Pets/Wildlife collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Dog's Guide to Your Happiness" is also available in a Kindle format
($12.91).
The Political Science Shelf
Campaign Crossroads
Andrew E. Stoner
Indiana Historical Society Press
450 W Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
http://www.indianahistory.org
9780871954022, $29.95, HC, 622pp, www.amazon.com
"Campaign Crossroads: Presidential Politics in Indiana from Lincoln to Obama" by Andrew E.
Stoner (an Indiana native, and an Assistant Professor of Public Relations in the Department of
Communication Studies at California State University, Sacramento), is an historical survey of the
varied, sometimes important, sometimes irrelevant, but always interesting presidential campaign
cycles in Indiana history. By taking in the influences of technology, transportation and
communication itself, the reader will see an evolution in the political process that is not only
altogether Hoosier, but also altogether American in its quality and importance. Using a narrative,
qualitative history approach with a mix of primary and secondary sources, "Campaign
Crossroads" examines not only the rhetoric of presidents and presidential hopefuls as they have
crossed Indiana, but also the nature of campaigns and their impact on Indiana communities.
"Campaign Crossroads" reveals that while Indiana enjoyed the position of being a battleground
state for the better part of a century from the 1870s until the 1960s, it has also been ignored,
dismissed, and on occasion created some of the most unexpected political drama America has to
offer. Of particular importance is the role of Indiana newspapers the state flush with hometown
papers of all political persuasions in communities big and small and the role of railroads and
other transportation, as well as technology have played in shaping how campaigns occur.
Interestingly, despite the advances, even recent examples exist as in the 2008 Democratic
primary in which no technology can replace the value of retail politics of candidates out directly
asking Hoosiers for their vote. "Campaign Crossroads" also addresses the coverage of Indiana
media, particularly historic newspapers, which have diversely affected the campaigns of the
dozens of men and one woman who have sought the presidency between 1860 and 2008. The
newspaper accounts provide a valuable framework in which to consider the campaigns, and when
combined with the words presidents and candidates have used to reach voters, a rich account is
available to readers. An impressive model of seminal research and scholarship, extraordinarily
informed and informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Campaign Crossroads" is a critically important addition to community and academic library
American Political History collections in general, and Indiana Political History supplemental
studies reading lists in particular.
Young People, Citizenship and Political Participation
Mark Chou, et al.
Rowman & Littlefield
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781783489930, $120.00, HC, 162pp, www.amazon.com
"Young People, Citizenship and Political Participation: Combating Civic Deficit?" is the
collaborative work of four academicians in the field of political science: Mark Chou (Associate
Professor of Politics at the Australian Catholic University), Jean-Paul Gagnon (Assistant
Professor of Politics at the University of Canberra, Catherine Hartung (Lecturer in Education
Studies at the University of Otago), and Lesley Pruitt (Senior Lecturer in Politics and
International Relations at Monash University). While political voter studies and opinion polls
often seem to reflect that young people ages 18 to 30 are disengaged from political institutions,
distrustful of politicians, and disillusioned about democracy, "Young People, Citizenship and
Political Participation" challenges these political stereotypes by asking whether young people
have been contributing to or rectifying our civic deficit. In particular, this informed and
informative study carefully examines the role of civics education in addressing the so-called
crisis of democracy. Turning away from conventional suggestions often advocated by politicians
and educators that offer civics education as the solution, "Young People, Citizenship and
Political Participation" advances an alternate approach to civics that clearly acknowledges the
increasingly diverse ways in which young people are both engaging and disengaging politically.
While very highly recommended as a critically important addition to both community and
academic library Political Science collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Young People,
Citizenship and Political Participation" is also available in a paperback edition (9781783489954,
$39.95) and in a Kindle format ($37.95).
Promise and Peril
Will R. Jordan, editor
Mercer University Press
1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 31207-0001
www.mupress.org
9780881466195, $24.00, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by Will R. Jordan (Associate Professor of Political Science at Mercer
University) "Promise and Peril" includes eight essays that were first presented at the 2015 A.V.
Elliott Conference on Great Books and Ideas, the eighth annual conference sponsored by Mercer
University's Thomas C. and Ramona E. McDonald Center for America's Founding Principles.
Together, these essays explore the idea of republicanism across the history of political thought,
focusing especially on the challenges and dilemmas endemic to popular government including
such questions as: How do we balance the pursuit of private interests with the common good?;
To what extent can leadership and statesmanship be made compatible with the ideas of equality
and popular sovereignty?; How do we deal with the perennial threat of factions, or with the
potential for popular passion to overwhelm rational deliberation?; What do citizens need to
know, and what characteristics must they have, in order to exercise responsibly the power to
govern themselves and others?; To what extent, and under what conditions, is freedom
compatible with equality?; How do we keep republican citizens from becoming mere subjects?.
All of these questions, and more, receive extended treatment that is divided into three sections:
the first examines ancient republicanism as articulated chiefly by Aristotle and Plutarch; the
second turns to modern theories of republicanism and the writings of Michel de Montaigne, John
Locke, and Francis Hutcheson; the third considers Alexis de Tocqueville and his landmark study,
"Democracy in America". Very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic
library Political Science collections and supplemental studies lists, all of the essays comprising
"Promise and Peril" are written to be of use to both scholars and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject.
Election 2016: Democracy in Disarray
Sandra Lee Stuart & Aaron Jaffe
Barricade Books
2037 Lemoine Ave., Suite 362, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
www.barricadebooks.com
9781569808108, $19.95, PB, 250pp, www.amazon.com
When people look back at the 2016 Election, they will use many words to describe it. Among
them will not be "decorous," "thoughtful," "reasoned," and "civil". The campaign, at times, has
seemed as if it was waged in an alternate cartoon universe. It's hard to imagine Dwight
Eisenhower or Abraham Lincoln boasting in a public forum about the size of their genitals. We
have had a candidate being labeled "Lucifer in the Flesh" and the love child of Joe McCarthy and
Dracula. And an ultra-conservative billionaire who has contributed ridiculous amounts of money
to right-wingers saying a Democrat might make a better president than the Republican choices.
This has been all part of the craziness and unseemliness that has the rest of the world wondering
if we have collectively lost our sanity. A thoughtful and thought-provoking study of an
undeniably successful national political campaign for the presidency that was 'bloated with
bombastry, bigotry, and blatant lies', "Election 2016: Democracy in Disarray" offers a detailed
depiction of the campaign while also skewering those that need the pomposity punctured. In a
nation already suffering 'buyer's remorse', "Election 2016: Democracy in Disarray" is a timely
and highly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community and academic
library Contemporary Political Science collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be
noted that "Election 2016: Democracy in Disarray" is also available in a Kindle format
($9.99).
Worshiping Power
Peter Gelderloos
AK Press
370 Ryan Avenue, #100, Chico, CA 95973
www.akpress.org
9781849352642, $16.98, PB, 286pp, www.amazon.com
In "Worshiping Power: An Anarchist View of Early State Formation", Peter Gelderloos (an
anarchist writer originally from Virginia) argues that Americans need to stop thinking of the
State as a potential vehicle for emancipation. From its origins, the State has never been anything
other than a tool to accumulate power. "Worshiping Power" is an innovative and partisan study
of human social complexity cuts through in-adequate theories of early state formation to uncover
social practices and institutions that have stifled egalitarian forms of self-organization throughout
history. Just as importantly, "Worshiping Power" shows that the difficulties and consequences of
state formation are not relegated to prehistory. Despite a ubiquity that renders them almost
invisible today, states are constantly trying to augment their power, and all are closer to the brink
of collapse than they would like to let on. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Worshiping Power" is an original and highly recommended study and should be a
part of every community and academic library Political Science collection in general, and
Anarchy supplemental studies reading list. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Worshiping
Power" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.97).
The Fiction Shelf
A Twisted Vengeance
Candace Robb
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781681774527, $25.95, www.pegasusbooks.com
A Twisted Vengeance is set in 1399, an era when York is facing civil war, Eleanor's return after
the death of her husband is met with suspicion, and her daughter Kate finds her intention of
staying away from her mother's issues only brings them in closer proximity to her life. When
she's forced to investigate matters, she encounters a brutal murder and a threat that seems tied to
the turbulent politics of her world, threatening to immerse Kate and her charges in everything
they've worked hard to avoid. A fine blend of murder mystery and history makes for a compelling
story that's hard to put down.
Molly and the Cat Cafe
Melissa Daley
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250118769, $25.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
When two-year-old tabby, Molly, loses her beloved owner, her world falls apart. Re-homed with
three cat-hating dogs, she decides to take matters into her own paws and embarks on a grueling
journey to the nearest town. As Molly walks the cobbled streets of Stourton, she begins to lose all
hope of finding a home until one day she is welcomed into the warmth by caring cafe owner,
Debbie. Like Molly, Debbie is also an outsider and, with a daughter to care for, she is desperate
to turn around the struggling cafe. But a local battle axe is on the warpath and she is determined
to keep out newcomers, especially four-legged ones. It looks as if Debbie will have to choose
between the cafe and Molly. Yet the solution to their problems may not be as far away as they
think. Will Debbie and Molly be able to turn their fortunes around to launch the Cotswolds' first
Cat Cafe? A deftly crafted and wonderfully entertaining read from beginning to end, "Molly and
the Cat Cafe" is a 'must' for all cat lovers. While this charming and original novel is very highly
recommended, especially for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Molly and the Cat Cafe" is also available in a Kindle format
($12.99).
Death Comes Easy
Will Black
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444831962, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 240pp, www.amazon.com
When Mitch Evans is ambushed, he manages to turn the tables on his attacker, wounding him
and demanding an explanation. His would-be bushwhacker is merely a working cowboy named
Cal who had become a pawn his Bar JWM ranch foreman Latham Parry. Mitch and Cal become
friends in the fight against Parry and his gunmen. For Mitch's brother Brad owns the Bar-B
ranch, and Parry is responsible for the horrific death of Brad and his family. Not only does Parry
hope to seize the reins of the Bar JWM, but also aims to take over the Bar-B spread through
murdering anyone and everyone that stands in his way. Author Will Black is a consummate
master of the western genre and "Death Comes Easy" is his latest riveting work. With its large
print format, this Linford Western Library edition is especially recommended for community
library collections and the personal reading lists of all dedicated western novel enthusiasts.
Dawn's Early Light
Elswyth Thane
Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781613738122, $11.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Colonial Williamsburg comes alive in the Elswyth Thane's historical novel that centers around
four major characters: the Aristrocratic St. John Sprague who becomes George Washington's
aide; Regina Greensleeves who is a Virginia beauty spoiled by a season in London; Julian Day, a
young schoolmaster who arrives from England on the eve of the war and initially thinks of
himself as a Tory; and Tibby Mawes one of Julian Day's less fortunate pupils, saddled with an
alcoholic father and an indigent mother. "Dawn's Early Light" also includes such revolutionary
war heros as Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette, Greene, Patrick Henry, Francis Marion, and the
rest of that brilliant galaxy playing their roles not as historical figures but as men. "Dawn's Early
Light" incorporates Kalb's gallant death under a cavalry charge at Camden, the swamp-encircled
camp which was Marion's stronghold on the Peedee, as well as the cat-and-mouse game between
Cornwallis and Lafayette which ended in Cornwallis's unlucky stand at Yorktown. While
"Dawn's Early Light" is highly recommended for inclusion into community library Historical
Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in a
Kindle format ($2.99).
Yankee Stranger
Elswyth Thane
Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781613738160, $11.99, PB, 328pp, www.amazon.com
1860s Williamsburg, Virginia, is the setting for "Yankee Stranger" and features characters who
are the descendants of those in the Thane's first novel, "Dawn's Early Light", including
Grandmother Day who was 16 when Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown and is now 95. Once,
she can remember, it was Massachusetts that was threatening to secede instead of South
Carolina. And when she was a girl they never seemed to think much about Yankees, one way or
the other. But when a Yankee comes to Williamsburg in the tense autumn of 1860 and red-haired
Eden Day falls heels over head in love with him, her great grandmother takes the long view -
besides, she likes him herself. The story moves from Williamsburg to Richmond to Washington
and back again during the dreadful years between Fort Sumter and Appomattox. In addition to
the fictitious characters, Jeb Stuart and General Lee, Pickett, Magruder, and Stonewall Jackson
are all seen through the eyes of the men who followed them into battle. A deftly crafted
combination of action and romance played in a vividly recreated world that is a now long
vanished yesteryear, "Yankee Stranger" is a consistently compelling read that is unfailingly
entertaining from beginning to end. Also available for personal reading lists in a Kindle format
($7.99), "Yankee Stranger" is unreservedly recommended for community library Historical
Fiction collections.
A Fragile Hope
Cynthia Ruchti
Abingdon Press
2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.
PO Box 280988, Nashville, TN 37228-0988
www.abingdonpress.com
9781426791505, $14.99, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Josiah Chamberlain's life's work revolves around repairing other people's marriages. When his
own is threatened by his wife's unexplained distance, and then threatened further when she's
unexpectedly plunged into an unending fog, Josiah finds his expertise, quick wit and clever quips
are no match for a relationship that is clearly broken. Feeling betrayed, confused, and
ill-equipped for a crisis this crippling, he reexamines everything he knows about the fragility of
hope and the strength of his faith and love. Love seems to have failed him. Will what's left of his
faith fail him, too? Or will it be the one thing that holds him together and sears through the
impenetrable wall that separates them? "A Fragile Hope" showcases author Cynthia Ruchti's
genuine flair for deftly created and memorable characters involved in a multilayered story of
unexpected twists and turns that are inherently compelling and provide a thoroughly entertaining
read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended for community library General
Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Fragile Hope" is also
available in a Kindle format ($9.81). Librarians should be aware that "A Fragile Hope" is
available in a large print edition as well (Thorndike Press, 9781432841706, $39.99).
A Minor Fall
Price Ainsworth
SelectBooks, Inc.
87 Walker Street, Suite B1, New York City, NY 10013
www.selectbooks.com
9781590794098, $24.95, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Davy Jessie seems to have everything going for him. He's a young personal injury lawyer
working at a top Houston law firm. He has won a few cases on his own and has had the
opportunity to work closely with the firm's flashy senior partner, Tim Sullivan, who is a simply
brilliant lawyer. His undeniable gift for delivering an elegant turn of phrase, coupled with his bon
vivant lifestyle, make him the center of attention wherever he goes. He's a man of the world who
travels through life with near-mystifying facility. His charisma, command, and poise make him a
role model for everything that an aspiring attorney should want in life -- at least in the
impressionable young minds of the junior associates who are all too willing to overlook his
glaring flaws. Is Davy Jessie also about to fall under his hypnotic spell? As Jessie's orbit draws
nearer to Sullivan's shining star, the inalterable forces of tragedy are set in motion. The two men
will ultimately be set at odds while Jessie's family, career, and life careen into a downward spiral.
Original, deftly crafted, and thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end, "A Minor Fall"
reveals author and trial lawyer Price Ainsworth's genuine flair as a novelist. While very highly
recommended, especially for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "A Minor Fall" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
The Path of the Wind
James A. Misko
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757004445, $17.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Miles Foster is a newly minted teacher who dreams of getting a teaching job in the highly
respected and financially stable Portland, Oregon school system where everything is available,
and where he and his wife call home. But the only opening for his talents is in a remote lumber
mill town in central Oregon, two hundred miles away. It is a poor school with forty students, and
is controlled by a jealous superintendent and school board who tolerate no thinking outside the
box and who conspire to destroy his teaching career. Miles must find a way to educate students
who have been passed along regardless of what they learned, and defeat the damaging control of
the school board and superintendent without losing his marriage or his job, or both. A thoroughly
entertaining and compelling read from beginning to end, "The Path of the Wind" clearly
showcases author James Misko's undeniably flair for originality and deftly crafted storytelling.
While also available for personal reading lists in a Kindle format ($10.99), "The Path of the
Wind" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections.
Under a Sardinian Sky
Sara Alexander
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496706362, $15.00, PB, 416pp, www.amazon.com
In 1952, Simius is a busy Sardinian town surrounded by fertile farms and orchards. Carmela
Chirigoni, a farmer's daughter and talented seamstress, is engaged to Franco, son of the area's
wealthiest family. Everyone agrees it's a good match. But Carmela's growing doubts about
Franco's possessiveness are magnified when she meets Captain Joe Kavanagh. Joe, an American
officer stationed at a local army base, is charismatic, intelligent, and married. Hired as his
interpreter, Carmela resolves to ignore her feelings, knowing that any future together must bring
upheaval and heartache to both families. Mina is a London-based travel writer, and the enigmatic
silence surrounding her aunt Carmela has become a personal obsession. Carmela disappeared
from her Italian hometown long ago and is mentioned only in fragments and whispers. Mina has
resisted prying, respectful of her family's Sardinian reserve. But now, with her mother battling
cancer, it's time to learn the truth. As Mina follows the threads of Carmela's life to uncover her
fate, she will discover a past still deeply alive in the present, revealing a story of hope, sacrifice,
and extraordinary love. Sara Alexander is a gifted novelist whose "Under a Sardinian Sky"
reveals her mastery of the Romance Suspense genre. While certain to be an enduringly popular
addition to community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Under a Sardinian Sky" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99). Librarians should be aware
that there is also a large print edition of "Under a Sardinian Sky" (Thorndike Press,
9781432840464, $30.99).
Besieged
A. J. Tata
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496706638, $25.00, HC, 344pp, www.amazon.com
"Besieged" by A. J. Tata is a deftly crafted novel that starts with the unthinkable -- a school under
siege, a shooter in the classroom. This is a nightmare scenario that has become all too common in
today's United States. But this time, former Delta Captain Jake Mahegan is there when it
happens. Checking in on the schoolteacher daughter of a colleague, Mahegan finds himself face
to face with a merciless gunman rigged as a suicide bomber. Without warning, the school is
attacked from the outside as well -- all hell breaks loose. The teacher shoots the gunman,
Mahegan is knocked unconscious, and a twelve-year-old autistic girl named Misha is kidnaped.
When the smoke clears, Mahegan is left with a long list of unanswered questions -- and a deeply
personal mission to rescue Misha. Racing against the clock, his search will take him from the
tech-fueled think-tanks of a North Carolina factory to the top-secret nerve centers of embedded
Iranian agents. It's all part of a bigger, darker conspiracy that's taking domestic terrorism to a
whole new level. And it's up to Mahegan to stop what could be the most devastating attack in
U.S. history. A simply riveting read from cover to cover, "Besieged" is strongly and unreservedly
recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Besieged" is also available in a paperback edition (Pinnacle, 9780786039517, $9.99) and in a
Kindle format ($2.99).
Land of Wolves
T. J. Turner
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608092024, $26.95, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
T. J. Turner's deftly crafted novel, "Land of Wolves", finds Joseph Foster with Molly settling into
a new-found life in the hills of Tennessee. But Abraham Lincoln's former bodyguard, the man
who saved the President's life, cannot escape the Consortium as they come roaring back, killing
his mother, abducting his daughter -- all to coerce his Congressional testimony on their behalf.
Instead, Joseph and Molly strike the Consortium in their own safe haven of New York City. In a
Bonnie an unexpected twist, they rob from the Consortium to draw out their leader -- the
infamous General Dorsey. But the hidden plan reveals more than they counted on, exposing the
true intention to steal the Black Hills and the gold underneath from the Lakota Sioux. "Land of
Wolves" is an inherently fascinating, compelling, and fully entertaining read from cover to cover.
While unreservedly recommended, especially for community library General Fiction collections,
it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Land of Wolves" is also available in a Kindle
format ($9.99).
The Parenting Shelf
Lord, Have Mercy
Ellen Miller
Tyndale Momentum
c/o Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496419378, $14.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
While motherhood is often a hysterical ride of pure joy, it can also hold some of the most
mind-numbing, heartbreaking, and sacrificial moments of a woman's life. In "Lord, Have Mercy:
Help and Hope for Moms on Their Last Nerve", author Ellen Miller specifically writes to moms
who could use a good laugh (and sometimes a good cry) as they live through the trials and
triumphs of parenting in the 21st century. All-too-real, always honest, and often hilarious, each
devotional is filled with personal stories to remind mothers that God is with them in both the big
and small moments of motherhood, but most especially when the children are getting on their last
nerve! Written with practical insight, profound empathy, appreciated humor, and ultimate
inspiration, "Lord, Have Mercy" is wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommended, especially
for community library Parenting instructional reference collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Lord, Have Mercy" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
The Money/Finance Shelf
How to Profit from the Next Bull Market
Alan Dustin
Dundurn
c/o The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
www.dundurn.com
9781459737495, $24.99, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Whether you're a seasoned investor or just joining the game, "How to Profit from the Next Bull
Market" by experienced financial advisor Alan Dustin will teach you valuable skills and secrets
to investing and succeeding in the Canadian stock market. Dustin shows how technical analysis
will reliably forecast when to buy and sell with certainty, interpret and understand a company's
financial statements with ease, master seven proven strategies that will protect you from losing
money in the market today, and how understanding market cycles can be used to predict the
future. "How to Profit from the Next Bull Market" shows how to research, select, and manage
their own stock portfolios using easily accessible resources, and provides an analysis of twenty
Canadian and American companies that have demonstrated their financial strength, staying
power, and incredible rates of return over repeated market cycles. Offering an honest, candid, and
understandable approach to investing, "How to Profit from the Next Bull Market" will serve
Canadian investors well for the rest of their lives. While highly recommended for personal and
academic library Money/Finance, it should be noted that "How to Profit from the Next Bull
Market" is also available in a Kindle format ($4.99).
The Cookbook Shelf
The World's Best Superfoods
Lonely Planet Food
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com
9781786574022, $14.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Each of the 66 recipes showcased in "The World's Best Superfoods" includes easy-to-use
instructions and is beautifully illustrated with full color photography, as well as including an
'origins' section detailing how that particular dish has evolved. There are also tasting notes that
explain how best to sample each dish (whether that's at dawn by a Vietnamese street stall, or in
the zen calm of a Japanese tea ceremony) to truly give you a flavor of the place and help you reap
the benefits of sampling nutritious superfood in its natural habitat. An absolutely fascinating little
volume to browse through and inspiring to plan menus with, "The World's Best Superfoods" is
very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It
should be noted that "The World's Best Superfoods" is also available in a Kindle format
($9.68).
The China Study Family Cookbook
Del Sroufe
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Suite 400, Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781944648114, $19.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled by Chef Del Sroufe, "The China Study Family Cookbook" is a beautifully illustrated,
family-friendly cookbook showcases one hundred easy to prepare, palate pleasing, and nutritious
recipes for every mealtime occasion including breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. There are recipes
for sides and sauces, salads, salads, sandwiches, soups, entrees, casseroles, and desserts. Of
special note is the opening section 'Getting Started' the covers such issues as Easing the
Transition to a Plant-Based Diet, Cooking at Every Age, Kitchen Safety, Tips for New Cooks,
and Nutritional Value. A delight to browse through and inspiring to plan menus with, "The China
Study Family Cookbook" is an enthusiastically and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.
Ducksoup: The Wisdom of Simple Cooking
Clare Lattin & Tom Hill
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781452161792, $35.00, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com
"Ducksoup: The Wisdom of Simple Cooking" is the debut cookbook from Clare Lattin and Tom
Hill, who are the chefs of London's popular restaurant Ducksoup. Deftly organized into seven
chapters, "Ducksoup" takes the family kitchen cook through the restaurants "clean" cooking
philosophy and shares the inspiration for the restaurant, from international travels to growing up
in England, as well as Clare and Tom's essentials for a stocked larder. The recipes are organized
by cooking method, and range from Pan-roasted Carrots, Goat's Milk Yogurt & Za'atar; Spring
Vegetable Fritters, Cucumber Yogurt & Curry Leaves; Shaved Squash, Feta, Cumin & Mint; and
Angel Hair Pasta, Sage, Rosemary & Parmesan; to Orzo Pasta, Spicy Tomato Sauce & Feta; Salt
Cod, Tomato & Olive Oil; Lamb Chops, Cumin & Garlic Yogurt; Summer Zucchini,
Orecchiette, Parmesan & Oregano; and Poached Rhubarb, Creme Fraiche Ice Cream & Hazelnut
Crumb. Featuring informative essays on creating the full dining experience, such as assembling a
successful charcuterie platter, selecting music, how to present dishes, and the case for
biodynamic wine, "Ducksoup" captures the fun and excitement of one of London's most exciting
restaurants and allows even the most novice of family cooks to recreate the experience of elegant
restaurant dining at home. While enthusiastically and unreservedly recommended for personal,
family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Ducksoup: The
Wisdom of Simple Cooking" is also available in a Kindle format ($13.19).
Plenty: Good Uncomplicated Food
Diana Henry
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784723002, $29.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Kitchen cooks browsing through the pages of Diana Henry's "Plenty: Good Uncomplicated Food"
will discover how to cook well, eat deliciously and produce plenty, all while saving money,
reducing waste and availing of local resources. "Plenty" is a culinary compendium about creating
great, satisfying meals without being extravagant or spending a fortune. By planning ahead,
shopping carefully, using value cuts, cooking seasonally and making the most of left-overs,
James Beard Award-Winning food writer Diana Henry shows that less can be more and flavor
still plentiful. "Plenty: Good Uncomplicated Food" is packed with 300 beautifully illustrated
recipes drawn from around the world. Of special note is the section on using less expensive cuts
of meat will to create mealtime favorites such as Roast Pork Shoulder with Baked Squash and
Braised Lamb Shanks. There are also great ideas for using the best value fish, from Baked
Mackerel on Potatoes with Thyme, Onions and Lemon to Fish Pie with Leek Mash. Leftovers are
also at the heart of "Plenty: Good Uncomplicated Food" offering an abundance of ideas for
transforming roasts and other big family meals, for example taking what's left of a simple Roast
Chicken and turning it into a fabulous Greek Chicken, Pumpkin, Feta Pie. A simple pleasure to
browse through and inspiring to plan menus with, "Plenty: Good Uncomplicated Food" is
strongly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.
Sweet, Savory, and Free
Debbie Adler
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Suite 400, Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781944648046, $19.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Debbie Adler is the owner of the nationally renown, allergy-free, vegan, gluten-free and sugar-
free bakery Sweet Debbie's Organic Cupcakes in Los Angeles. In "Sweet, Savory, and Free:
Insanely Delicious Plant-Based Recipes without Any of the Top 8 Food Allergens" she draws
upon her years of experience and expertise to create a compendium of recipes for dishes that are
as palate pleasing as they are delicious, nutritious, and specifically crafted for anyone having to
avoid the top eight food allergens. Beautifully and profusely illustrated in full color, the recipes
range from Raspberry Hemp Pancakes; Spicy Tortilla Soup; Cajun Wild Mushroom Ristto; and
Lo Mein with Brown Sauce; to Spinach & Basil Dumplings; Rainbow Quinoa & Portobello
Pilaf; Rye Bread Focaccia; and Caramel Macchaiato Sandwich Cookies, "Sweet, Savory, and
Free" is an extraordinary culinary compendium that will prove to be an enduringly popular
addition to personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should
be noted that "Sweet, Savory, and Free" is also available in a Kindle format ($11.99).
Savage Salads
Davide Del Gatto & Kristina Gustafsson
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
9781423644927, $19.99 HC, $12.99 Kindle, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Davide Del Gatto is a chef, from Naples, Italy. He began working in restaurants when he moved
to London in 2001. Kristina Gustaffson is a former restaurant manager and food enthusiast from
Sweden. Together, with Davide Del Gatto, they run the Savage Salads stall in Soho, London,
serving fresh gourmet salads to hundreds of adoring fans. In "Savage Salads: Fierce Flavors,
Filling Power-Ups" the both draw upon their years of experience and expertise to showcase more
than 50 salad recipes as well as 20 dressings and dips. Beautifully and profusely illustrated
throughout, "Savage Salads" has something for everyone, from the quinoa enthusiast to the
dedicated carnivore with recipes ranging from Mustard Marinated Pork Fillet, Couscous,
Caramelized Grapes, Radicchio, Crackling, Cilantro; to Ricotta and Raisin Stuffed Zucchini
Flowers, Watercress, Black Sesame Seeds; and White Crab, chilli Oil, Avocado, Red Onion,
Lime, Chives; to Grilled Halloumi, Golden Beetroot, Orange, Red Chard, Walnuts; and Warm
Goat Cheese, Lentils, Pear, Golden Raisins, Chicory. Of special note are the recipes for
Watercress Mayonnaise; Tarragon Dressing; Orange and Honey Dressing; and Basil-Infused Oil.
Unique and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Savage Salads"
is especially recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook
collections.
Taste of Home Brownies & Bars
Editors at Taste of Home
c/o Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
44 South Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601
www.rdtradepublishing.com
9781617656064, $15.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
No matter what the occasion, brownies and bars are universally popular as handheld treats and
after meal desserts. Exceptionally well organized and presented by Catherine Cassidy and her
editorial staff at 'Taste of Home', this dedicated culinary compendium showcases 263 homemade
brownies and bars that are certain to please any palate and enhance any dining occasion. Of
special note is the chapter devoted to speedy sweets and a "5-Ingredient" icon helping even the
most novice of time-stressed kitchen cooks to expertly whip up a favorite even when the kitchen
clock is ticking. A "Freeze It" icon even spotlights those snacks the hold up in the freezer!
Baking a sweet sensation has never been easier. Beautifully and profusely illustrated from cover
to cover, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from Frosted Banana Bars; Swedish
Raspberry Almond Bars; Caramel Brownies; and Irish Butterscotch Bars; to Nutty Cheesecake
Squares; Frosted Peanut Butter Bars; Strawberry Almondine; Fudge Brownie Pie; and
Cherry-Coconut Chocolate Torte. An enormous pleasure to simply browse through, "Taste of
Home Brownies & Bars" is ideal for planning dessert menus with and will prove to be an
extraordinarily popular addition to personal, family, professional, and community library
cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Taste of Home Brownies & Bars" is also available
in a Kindle format ($11.99).
The Savvy Cook
Izy Hossack
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784722708, $19.99, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
The recipes collected and showcased by Izy Hossack in "The Savvy Cook" were specifically
selected for those cooking for themselves for the first time, as well as for anyone who wants the
weekly budget to go a bit further without sacrificing flavor. Although many of the recipes are
gluten-free and/or vegan, "The Savvy Cook" is not about health fads, "antioxidants" or obscure
ingredients; it's about honest, nourishing and delicious cooking that will result in palate pleasing,
appetite satisfying, 'kitchen cook friendly' meals for any and all dining occasions. With recipes
ranging from profusely illustrated recipes ranging from Scrambled Chick Pea Tacos with Peach
Salsa; Sweet Miso Eggplant & Walnut Salad; Lazy Potato Hash with Kale, Pesto & Eggs; to
Easy Summer Pasta; Stir-Fry Quinoa, Pea & Broccoli; Oaty Snack Cake; and Easy Freezer
Chocolate Chip Cookies, "The Savvy Cook" is a delight to browse through and practical for
planning menus with. Other features include proposed menu plans, as well as effective ways to
cut down on meat and giving last-night's leftovers a make-over. While very highly recommended
for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "The
Savvy Cook" is also available in a Kindle format ($6.99).
Aquafabulous!
Rebecca Coleman
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
www.robertrose.ca
9780778805649, $19.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Rebecca Coleman is a food blogger (Cooking by Laptop) and she works primarily with small
businesses, arts and non-profit organizations to help them to create social media marketing plans.
In "Aquafabulous!: 100+ Egg-Free Vegan Recipes Using Aquafaba" she has compiled a unique
culinary compendium of recipes based on Aquafaba which is the water that's drained off
neutral-colored beans like chickpeas, white beans and cannellini beans. Vegans have had limited
choices when it came to baked goods. The existing substitutes did not have the chemical
properties of eggs which made them integral for binding and leavening. But now there is the
perfect substitute and it's aquafaba. And it's blown open the world of vegan baking. It's proof that
you can go egg-free and still enjoy delicious recipes. The general rule of thumb is 3 tbsp of
aquafaba equals one egg. The protein in aquafaba, when mixed with some sugar and a pinch of
cream of tartar, perfectly simulates egg whites. Neutral in taste, you don't have to worry about
your dishes tasting beany. The recipes comprising "Aquafabulous!" range from a Red Pepper and
Cheese Omelet, to Pasta with Cashew Chickpea Alfredo Sauce, to Meatless Loaf with Miso
Gravy, to French Macarons. Beautifully illustrated with full color photography, "Aquafabulous!"
is an impressive collection of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying recipes, that will be appreciated
by vegans and anyone who has an allergy to dairy and eggs.
Fairy House Cooking
Liza Gardner Walsh
Down East Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781608936410, $16.95, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Following up on her popular Fairy House and Fairy Garden handbooks, Liza Gardner Walsh
presents a new dimension in fairy-themed cooking activities with Fairy House Cooking: Simple
Scrumptious Recipes & Fairy Party Fun!" A distinctly delightful culinary compendium, "Fairy
House Cooking " is comprised of delicious recipes ranging from pretty fairy muffins, to tiny
confetti cookies, to candied violets, and many more. There are also recipes for tiny snacks meant
for fairies, and fun recipes for treats to leave out for the animal friends of fairies. Complementing
the recipes are fun sidebars of fairy lore and guides for hosting fairy-themed teas and birthday
parties. Simple steps and easy-to-follow recipes will help kids and their parents make yummy
food for parties, friends, or just for fun. Original, unique, beautifully illustrated, and thoroughly
'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Fairy House Cooking" will prove to be an
enduringly popular addition to family and community library cookbook collections.
Cook Lively!
Laura-Jane Koers
Lifelong Books / Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738219677, $24.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Canadian Laura-Jane Koers is a food writer, stylist, and photographer and the blogger behind
TheRawtarian.com, one of the most popular raw vegan communities online. She also hosts the
Raw Food Podcast on iTunes. In "Cook Lively!: 100 Quick and Easy Plant-Based Recipes for
High Energy, Glowing Skin, and Vibrant Living - Using 10 Ingredients or Less" she showcases
thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' dishes that are palate pleasing, as they are appetite satisfying.
Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, the "Cook Lively! recipes range from Simply
Chocolate Milk the Easy Way; Neapolitan Chia Pudding with Raspberry Cashew Cream;
Spiced-Right Yam Wedges with Paprika and Garlic Powder; and Cheesy Burrito Bowl with
Black Beans and Chopped Tomatoes; to Rich Strawberry Cheesecake with Pecan Crust; Black
Bean Cookies with Vanilla and Cinnamon; Golden Baked Bananas with Coconut Oil; and
Smooth Almond Butter. Of special note is the section offering a Gran, Lentil & Sprout Guide.
While unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for personal, family, and community
library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Cook Lively!" is also available in a Kindle
format ($15.99).
A Farmgirl's Table
Jessica Robinson
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
9781423642183, $24.99 HC, $9.99 Kindle, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Jessica Robinson is a New England farmgirl who was raised on a small Connecticut farm and
then found herself transplanted to a small farm in Graham, North Carolina, shares in "A
Farmgirl's Table" heartwarming stories and personal advice along with a bushel of new recipes
for using produce from the garden or farmers market, stocking a pantry with canned goods,
making homemade bread and traditional family recipes, and entertaining guests at get-togethers
with recipes for lemonades and drinks, salads, hearty main courses, pies, cakes, and more.
Profusely illustrated and showcasing recipes for dishes ranging from Red Velvet Marble Cake;
Raspberry-Apricot Jam; Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta; and Peach Sweet Tea; to Country-Style
Meatloaf; Farmhouse Sourdough Bread; Lemon-Blueberry Scones; and Strawberry Lemonade,
"A Farmgirl's Table" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and
community library collections. Of special note is culinary author Jessica Robinson's popular
blog: Carolina Farmhouse Kitchen.
Bites on a Board
Anni Daulter
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
9781423645740, $24.99, HC, 176pp, www.amazon.com
In her beautifully illustrated cookbook "Bites on a Board", food stylist Anni Daulter shows
creative hosts how to make the most of their boards and serving platters with dishes that range
from classic charcuterie boards with prosciutto, olives, and roasted figs to luscious dessert boards
with mini cheesecakes and red-wine ice-cream bites. Comprised of rustic, trendy, pickled, and
even culturally-inspired boards and recipes, "Bites on a Board" reveals that the last thing any
kitchen cook will want to do when finished cooking is put away the cutting board! While very
highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should
be noted that "Bites on a Board" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Kitchen Table Tarot
Melissa Cynova
Llewellyn Publications
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
www.llewellyn.com
9780738750774, $16.99, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
From the early ages of 14, Melissa Cynova has been sitting down with friends and neighbors who
are curious about the tarot. She's heard all the questions and misconceptions that can confuse
newcomers (and sometimes more experienced readers, too). Drawing upon her many years of
experience and expertise, "Mellisa has now written "Kitchen Table Tarot" as an instructional
guide and reference for anyone looking for no-nonsense lessons with a warm, friendly, and
knowledgeable teacher. Readers will benefit from Melissa's sharing of straightforward guidance
on decks, spreads, card meanings, and symbols. Filled with real-life examples and personal
explanations of what it's like to read the cards, "Kitchen Table Tarot" tells it like it is and
provides the information even the most novice of tarot readers will need to use their decks with
confidence. Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, thoroughly 'user friendly' in
organization and presentation, "Kitchen Table Tarot" is a complete course of training in the use
of the tarot under one cover. While very highly recommended for personal, community, and
academic library Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and Tarot supplemental studies
reading lists in particular, it should be noted that "Kitchen Table Tarot" is also available in a
Kindle format ($9.99).
Fortune Telling by Tarot Cards
Sasha Fenton
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
65 Parker St., Ste. 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.hrpub.com
9781571747679, $16.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Knowing how to interpret tarot cards can enable us to understand ourselves and others better and
be able to accurately predict what's going to happen in the future. "Fortune Telling by Tarot
Cards" by professional astrologer, palmist, and tarot card reader Sasha Fenton is an accessible
and easy guide that teaches how to use the tarot. Fenton's guidelines combined with the reader's
intuition makes using the cards easy and fun. She provides the meaning of each card and
suggestions for spreads that can be used for a variety of purposes -- from focusing on the
consequences of a particular situation to resolving a particular question to providing clarity on
personal relationships. She also shows us how to link the cards together in a life narrative.
Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Fortune Telling by Tarot Cards" is
an ideal instruction manual and guide for novice tarot readers and is very highly recommended
for personal, community, and academic library Metaphysical Science collections in general, and
Tarot Cards supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Origins of the Sphinx
Robert M. Schoch & Robert Bauval
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620555255, $24.95, PB, 528pp, www.amazon.com
New research and evidence that the Sphinx is thousands of years older than previously thought.
In "Origins of the Sphinx: Celestial Guardian of Pre-Pharaonic Civilization" Robert M. Schoch
(a tenured faculty member at Boston University who earned his doctorate in geology and
geophysics at Yale University, and is known for his research on the Sphinx), contrasts what
Egyptologists claim about the Sphinx with historical accounts and new research including
reanalysis of seismic studies and updates to Schoch's water weathering research and Bauval's
Orion Correlation Theory. Professor Schoch also examines how the Sphinx is contemporaneous
with Gobekli Tepe, aligned with the constellation Leo, and was recarved during the Old
Kingdom era of Egypt. Of special note is the revelation that the Sphinx was built during the
actual historical Golden Age of ancient Egypt, the period known in legend as Zep Tepi.
Impressively informed and informative, exceptionally thoughtful and thought-provoking,
thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Origins of the Sphinx" is enhanced
with illustrations, the inclusion of a twelve page Bibliography, an eleven page Index, and a one
page listing of Books Of Related Interest. While very highly recommended for both community
and academic library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Origins of the Sphinx" is also
available in a Kindle format ($12.99).
The Needlecraft Shelf
The Fussy Cut Sampler
Nichole Ramirez & Elisabeth Woo
Lucky Spool Media
www.luckyspool.com
c/o The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781940655222, $27.95, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com
A favorite part of quilting for many needlecrafters is fussy cutting -- and it usually involves
figuring out how to enhance an interesting quilt block by framing a favorite element in
most-loved fabrics! With "The Fussy Cut Sampler: 48 Quilt Blocks from Your Favorite Fabrics"
by quilting experts Nichole Ramirez and Elisabeth Wood, fussy cutting becomes more than just
showing a single design. By following along with how Nichole and Elisabeth create drastically
different samplers from each of their 48 unique patchwork blocks, quilt makers will see how
those same 9'' blocks can easily be adapted to your own personal taste. Compare their blocks (and
their samplers!) side by side, aspiring quilters will be inspired to use the fabrics they love to
create their own sampler blocks. "The Fussy Cut Sampler shows how to navigate those pesky
stripes, how to work with either a limited palette or an eclectic scrappy one, and how to
incorporate improvisational piecing to fussy cut even the smallest parts of anyone's favorite
designs. "The Fussy Cut Sampler" reveals the endless possibilities in a fabric stash and quilters
simply won't be able to resist creating a fussy-cut sampler all their own. Beautifully illustrated
and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Fussy Cut Sampler" is very
highly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft collections in
general, and Quilt Making supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Pin Loom Weaving to Go
Margaret Stump
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811716130, $17.95, PB, 120pp, www.amazon.com
Expert weaver Margaret Stump draws upon her more than forty years of experience and expertise
to provide step-by-step instructions for 25 portable pin loom weaving projects in "Pin Loom
Weaving to Go". Palm-sized weaving looms go anywhere and make just about anything
imaginable ranging from fashionable wrist cuffs to full-sized blankets. Featured are elegant
wraps, a fun fox bag, an American flag blanket, pillows, pins, stylish scarves, and more. With
beginning weavers in mind, "Pin Loom Weaving to Go" walks aspiring needlecrafters through
how to weave on a 2" and 4" loom. Once knowing how to make a basic square and connect
pieces, pin loom weavers will be well on their way to making any of these specific projects. "Pin
Loom Weaving to Go" divides the projects into those that use a 2", 4", adjustable fine-gauge, and
even a pot holder loom, and those that combine pieces from different looms, so it is easy to find a
project and get started. "Pin Loom Weaving to Go" includes all the basics of pin loom weaving,
beginning and medium level projects can be made on the go, simple weaving techniques for
portable looms, instructions for making a simple 2" loom, and projects for standard 2" and 4"
looms, as well as potholder looms and knitting looms. Unique and thoroughly 'user friendly' in
organization and presentation, "Pin Loom Weaving to Go" is very highly recommended for
community library Needlecraft collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Pin
Loom Weaving to Go" is also available in a Kindle format ($16.99).
Little Loom Weaving
Andreia Gomes
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
www.ulyssespress.com
9781612436630, $16.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Andreia Gomes is a self-taught weaver, creative thinker, compulsive maker and interior stylist.
Her work has been featured in CYL Collective, Makers Movement, Future Positive, Koel
Magazine, A Montra/The Window and more. In "Little Loom Weaving: Quick and Clever
Projects for Creating Adorable Stuff " she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to
present a beautifully and profusely illustrated instruction manual covering everything needed to
create trendy and timeless woven pieces on a small, portable loom. Packed with step-by-step
'user friendly' instructions, "Little Loom Weaving" covers such techniques as: Tabby Weave;
Looping; Hemstitch; Open Slit; Rya Knot; and Soumak. Aspiring weavers will enjoy a range of
projects that include: Wall Hangings; Bracelets; Pillows; Keychains; Recycled Materials; and
Planters. While "Little Loom Weaving" is very highly recommended for personal and community
library Needlecraft instructional reference collections, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of aspiring little loom weavers that it is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
Two fine books should be in any avid quilter's collection, packing in a wide range of quilting
projects and offering keys to producing standout quilts. That Patchwork Place's The Big Book of
Strip Quilts: Start with Strips to Make 60 Stunning Quilts (9781604688542, $27.99) tells how to
cut strips from a stash or use precuts to make fine strip quilt patterns, and explores projects that
range from wall hangings and baby quilts to bed-sized quilts. Various designers contribute their
ideas to this collection, which means that styles are satisfyingly diverse and beginners and
experienced quilts alike receive a good diversity of choices and results. Full-page color photos of
the quilts accompany materials lists, step-by-step instructions, and visually illustrated keys to
making blocks from strips. Polly Minick and Laurie Simpson's Blue & White: Living with
Textiles You Love (9781604688689, $34.99) isn't a needlework guide per say, but a key to
incorporating textiles into interior decorating strategies. Because needleworkers face additional
challenges in this department, beyond constructing their works, it's especially recommended for
this audience who may have needlework design strategies well in hand, but now need advice on
how to incorporate textiles and fibers into the home. Color and style in American folk art are
discussed as part of the focus on American hooked rugs, quilts, and other blue and white themes
that can easily translate to a warm incorporation into a home's style. The focus on blue and white
colors narrows the field and allows for specific references and recommendations that impart the
basics of home interior design into the needleworker's world. Both are wonderful additions
highly recommended for any needlework collection.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Halcyon Fairy Book
T. Kingfisher, author
Sheila Perry, editor
NESFA Press
PO Box 809, Framingham, MA 01701
www.nesfapress.com
9781610373265, $30.00, HC, 380pp, www.amazon.com
Written by Ursula Vernon under the pen name of T. Kingfisher, and deftly compiled and edited
by Sheila Perry, "The Halcyon Fairy Book" is a wonderfully original and entertaining collection
of wry and insightful comments on traditional fairy tales, that first appeared in the T. Kingfisher
blog, along with Ursula's first collection of fairy-tale inspired original work, Toad Words, that
was previously only available as a self-published eBook. A truly extraordinary, inherently
fascinating, unfailingly entertaining read from beginning to end, "The Halcyon Fairy Book" is
unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated Fantasy Fiction fans, and is
certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy
collections.
The Bones of the Past
Craig A. Munro
Inkshares
99 Linden Street, Oakland, CA 94607
https://www.inkshares.com
9781942645337, $16.99, PB, 450pp, www.amazon.com
The Night Guard walk the streets of the old kingdom of Bialta seeking out threats that are beyond
the abilities of the common soldier. As a girl changed into something "other" and on the hunt for
human souls, Nial is one such threat. Salt, a sailor recently rescued by the Night Guard, has been
inducted into their ranks. He's a quick study, but as new threats multiply all around them, will he
have what it takes to survive? Bialta is not alone in its woes. Sacral, a city that vanished in the
distant past, has reappeared where it once stood at the heart of the Wastes. Like many of Sacral's
people, Maura is content living a quiet life, ignoring the outside world. But she finds herself
desperately fighting to save her home as war comes to the city returned. Meanwhile, across the
Great Desert, creatures are stirring. Carver, the last living master of the magic known as
fleshcarving, has won the support of the tyrant of Tolrahk Esal. Together they will unleash his
twisted creations to sweep across the land and forever disrupt the balance of power. "The Bones
of the Past" is epic tale in which armies march, demons feed, and deities unleash their powers on
a world that will never be the same. Author Craig Munro demonstrates originality and a genuine
flair for deftly crafted fantasy action/adventure, making "The Bones of the Past" a very highly
recommended addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. For the
personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fans it should be noted that "The Bones of the Past" is
also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl
Paige McKenzie
Weinstein Books
250 West 57th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10107
www.weinsteinbooks.com
9781602862982, $17.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Is Sunshine Griffith who she thinks she is? Now that her powers are fully awakened, and having barely survived an abyss full of demons, Sunshine must figure out who-or what-has been organizing the forces of darkness against her. Thanks to her brainiac boyfriend, Nolan, they not only unearth that Sunshine's death would trigger a calamitous event, but that all civilization depends on her survival. So when an unexpected event unleashes a fierce war between the luiseach and the demon army, Sunshine will learn a shocking truth about herself. Can she bring herself to make the ultimate sacrifice to save humankind? The third and final volume of Paige McKenzie's outstanding fantasy action/adventure trilogy will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99). Also highly recommended are the first two books in the trilogy, "The Haunting of Sunshine Girl" and "The Awakening of Sunshine Girl".
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Insane Consequences
D.J. Jaffe
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633882911, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com
Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill provides a critical
consideration of America's failing mental health system and comes from a critic who identifies
why, despite large budgets, the mentally ill in this country continue to fall through the cracks.
Jaffe maintains that the mental health industry and government is to blame for creating situations
that focus on and document improvements on those only lightly disturbed while leaving in limbo
those who suffer from severe disorders. Industry and government documents, science studies, and
insights from the author's thirty-plus years in mental health contribute to a damning survey from
the MentalIllnessPolicy.org executive director.
Living Well on the Road
Linden Schaffer
Rowman & Littlefield
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781442262102, $18.95, PB, 296pp, www.amazon.com
"Living Well on the Road: Health and Wellness for Travelers" by Linden Schaffer (a wellness
travel expert, consultant, and founder of the first wellness travel company, Pravassa) was
specifically written for men and women who find themselves stressed out, eating badly, skipping
the gym, sleeping with a phone rather than a partner, as well as experiencing brain fog and lack
of focus. Schaffer herself was an overworked, stressed out, on-the-go professional who was able
to find the time to refocus, to recharge, and to recommit to wellness on the road. Now she is
sharing her secrets, identifying the obstacles that keep us from experiencing true wellness and,
with scientifically backed-data, showing how we too can learn to embrace wellness, recommit to
the things that help us feel more energized, more focused, and more mindful of those activities in
which we engage. "Living Well on the Road" is especially recommended to the attention of
readers seeking identify those areas of their life that need recharging, and will bring greater
awareness to those in search of a way to find wellness, happiness, and overall well-being through
busy days. Whether on the road, in the office, or at home, "Living Well on the Road" will
provide information and insight into ways that will dramatically improve mental focus and
physical wellness. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Living Well on
the Road" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and
academic library Health/Medicine collections. It should be noted that "Living Well on the Road"
is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
The Untold History of Healing
Wolf D. Storl
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623170936, $24.95, PB, 344pp, www.amazon.com
"The Untold History of Healing: Plant Lore and Medicinal Magic from the Stone Age to Present"
by anthropologist, ethnobotanist and international natural horticulture advocate Wolf Strol takes
the reader on a exciting, expansive journey of the history of medicine from the Stone Age to
modern times, explaining that Western medicine has its true origins in the healing lore of
Paleolithic hunters and gatherers, herding nomads, and the early sedentary farmers rather than in
the academic tradition of doctors and pharmacists. This absorbing history of medicine takes the
reader on a sweeping journey from the Stone Age to modern times, showing that Western
medicine has its origins not only in the academic tradition of doctors and pharmacists, but in the
healing lore of Paleolithic hunters and gatherers, herding nomads, and the early sedentary
farmers. "The Untold History of Healing" vividly describes the many ways that ancient peoples
have used the plants in their immediate environment, along with handed-down knowledge and
traditions, to treat the variety of ailments they encountered in daily life. A truly impressive,
informative, and deftly presented work of seminal scholarship, "The Untold History of Healing"
is exceptionally well organized and is highly recommended for both scholars and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject. While unreservedly recommended for both
community and academic library Health/Medicine collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Untold History of Healing" is also available in a Kindle format
($15.99).
The Crafts Shelf
The Absolute Beginners Guide: Jewelry Making with Resin
Theresa D. Abelew
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
www.kalmbachstore.com
9781627004022, $21.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Theresa D. Abelew is the Editorial Associate for Art Jewelry magazine. She sells her work in
galleries and fairs and can be found on Pinterest and Etsy (her shop is 2 Dog Studios). With "The
Absolute Beginners Guide: Jewelry Making with Resin" she draws upon her years of experience
and expertise to offer 20 projects that go beyond simple resin pourings. Aspiring resin jewelry
makers will learn to fold and form resin into lightweight and dramatic cuffs, layer colored resin
into dimensional pendants, embed bits of wood, metal, or wire into unusual rings, and so much
more. Each individual project includes clear, profusely illustrated, and easy-to-follow
instructions with step-by-step instructional color photographs that are perfect for beginners new
to the material. The focus is on the resin elements, but instructions and suggestions are included
to complete each necklace, bracelet, ring, earring, and cuff. The techniques are simple enough for
beginners to master and the results sophisticated enough to wear anywhere. An ideal instruction
guide, "The Absolute Beginners Guide: Jewelry Making with Resin" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, and community library crafts collections in general, and
jewelry making supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
The Railroading Shelf
Great Western Star Class Locomotives
Laurence Waters
Pen & Sword Books
47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, S702AS
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473871021, $50.00, HC, 152pp, www.amazon.com
Designed by G.J. Churchward, no. 40 was constructed at Swindon in April 1906\. It was
Swindons first 4 cylinder simple engine and was the forerunner of Churchwards famous 4
cylinder Star Class 4-6-0s. Initially built as a 4-4-2 Atlantic, no. 40 was named North Star in
September 1906, rebuilt as a 4-6-0 in 1909, and renumbered 4000 in 1913. Including no. 40, the
Star class eventually numbered seventy-three locomotives, all built at Swindon in batches
between 1906 and 1923. In service the Stars proved to be both free-running and reliable
locomotives, and for many years were used to haul the Great Westerns top link services,
including the world-famous Cornish Riviera Express. The introduction of the Collett Castle
Class 4-6-0s in 1923, and the King Class 4-6-0s in 1927, saw the Stars relegated to secondary
passenger, freight and parcels services. A number of Stars were rebuilt by Collett as Castles,
including the prototype no. 4000 North Star, but the remaining Stars continued to give good
service. At Nationalisation in 1948, no less than forty-seven of these fine locomotives passed into
Western Region ownership, the last example, no. 4056 Princess Margaret, being withdrawn in
October 1957. In "Great Western Star Class Locomotives", Laurence Waters (Honorary Photo
Archivist of the Great Western Trust at the Didcot Railway Centre) deftly charts the history of
the class from the prototype, right through to the final workings in October 1957. Using many
previously unpublished photographs from the Great Western Trust photographic collection,
accompanied by informative captions, every member of the Class is illustrated. "Great Western
Star Class Locomotives" will have special appeal to those interested in the history of Great
Western locomotive development as well as dedicated railroad modelers. Impressively
informative and profusely illustrated form cover to cover, "Great Western Star Class
Locomotives" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and
academic library Railroading History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Great Western Star Class Locomotives" is also available in a Kindle format ($30.00).
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
The Count of Monte Cristo
Original novel by Alexandre Dumas
Story adaptation by Crystal S. Chan
Art by Nokman Poon
Udon Entertainment
www.udonentertainment.com
Morpheus Publishing
www.morpheuspublishing.com
9781927925614 $17.99 amazon.com
Part of the "Manga Classics" series adapting great works of literature to graphic novel format
with manga-style black-and-white artwork, The Count of Monte Cristo brings to life Alexandre
Dumas' timeless tale of revenge and moral dilemmas, set in post-Napoleonic France. (Alexandre
Dumas is also well-known for writing "The Three Musketeers" and its sequels, among other
novels.) In The Count of Monte Cristo, protagonist Edmond Dantes was once a young man about
to achieve success and marry the love his life, when three nefarious villains betrayed him, and
condemned him to prison for no crime. A combination of miraculous fortune and unyielding
determination enabled Dantes to escape, acquire wealth, and return under a new identity as The
Count of Monte Cristo. The Count of Monte Cristo's burning drive is to bring kindness to his
former friends - and revenge upon his enemies! But what of the children of the Count's enemies?
Is it truly just to take vengeance even if innocents may suffer from it? Although this one-volume
graphic novel adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo necessarily abridges the lengthy original
to a degree, extreme pains have been taken to preserve the saga's core and spirit. The Count of
Monte Cristo is an excellent way for a new generation of readers to discover (or re-experience!)
Dumas' masterpiece, and is highly recommended for high school and public library
collections.
The Jungle Book
Original anthology by Rudyard Kipling
Story adaptation by Crystal S. Chan
Art by Julien Choy
Udon Entertainment
www.udonentertainment.com
Morpheus Publishing
www.morpheuspublishing.com
9781772940190 $17.99 amazon.com
Part of the "Manga Classics" series adapting great works of literature to graphic novel format
with manga-style black-and-white artwork, The Jungle Book is a rendition of Rudyard Kipling's
classic, animal-themed anthology for readers of all ages. Three stories are about Mowgli, a
human boy raised by wolves and caught between two worlds. The other four stories are "Rikki-
Tikki-Tavi", about a heroic mongoose's deadly battle with a snake family, "Toomai of the
Elephants", about a young boy's unique connection with the proud and loyal elephants that serve
the East Indian government, "The White Seal", about a seal who desperately searches for a refuge
safe from the cruel depredations of man, and "Her Majesty's Servants", about various animals
pressed into military service. Kipling's timeless poems are also incorporated into these lively
tales. The Jungle Book is a great way to introduce a new generation of animal lovers to Kipling's
classics, and is highly recommended for both public and school library graphic novel
collections.
The Far Side of the Moon
Written by Alex Irvine
Illustrated by Ben Bishop
Tilbury House, Publishers
12 Starr Street, Thomaston, ME 04861
www.tilburyhouse.com
9780884484523 $16.95 hc / $8.95 Kindle amazon.com
The Far Side of the Moon is a black-and-white nonfiction graphic novel about astronaut Michael
Collins and the historic Apollo 11 moon-landing mission of 1969. The stark, visually striking
artwork captures the loneliness and dangers of space travel. Readers of all ages will find The Far
Side of the Moon a captivating and inspirational true story not only of scientific history, but also
of human fortitude and ingenuity. Highly recommended, especially for high school and public
library graphic novel collections.
Princeless: Raven the Pirate Princess, Book 3
Action Lab Entertainment
www.actionlabcomics.com
9781632291400 $14.99 pbk / $5.99 Kindle amazon.com
Set in the fantastic world of "Princeless", where women are often (by necessity or by their own
will) as fierce and daring adventurers as men, Princeless: Raven the Pirate Princess - Two Boys,
Five Girls and Three Love Stories continues the full-color, graphic novel saga of Raven, a pirate
princess determined to take back the inheritance stolen by her violent brothers. But Ximena, one
of Raven's female crew members, has suffered an injury that may yet be fatal. Raven tries to get
medical help from the Island of Free Women, but its legendary healer hates pirates with a
passion! Two Boys, Five Girls and Three Love Stories lives up to its title with self-contained,
flashback legends and love stories that interconnect with the present-day dilemma. And there
might just be a budding love between Raven and Ximena - if Ximena doesn't die, and if Raven
doesn't chicken out! Princeless: Raven the Pirate Princess, Book 3 is a no-holds-barred adventure
for readers ages nine to ninety, highly recommended.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap / Phantom Hourglass Legendary Edition
Akira Himekawa
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
www.viz.com
9781421589626 $17.99 amazon.com
Consisting of a single omnibus volume, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap / Phantom
Hourglass Legendary Edition retells the stories of two beloved Legend of Zelda video games in black-
and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) format. Both games are part of the classic "Wind
Waker" lineage featuring cartoon-style graphics (to the extent that their rendition of the hero Link
has been informally dubbed "Toon Link"), and the free-flowing art style perfectly captures the
games' visual aesthetics. The two stories have a timeless, fairy-tale fantasy quality that will
appeal to readers of all ages. Each follows young Link on a journey to battle an evil force
plaguing the land... or the sea! A smattering of concept art and a brief "behind-the-scenes"
glimpse into the creation of other Legend of Zelda manga round out this treasure for fans of the
series.
Dragonball Super 1
Story by Akira Toriyama
Art by Toyotarou
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
9781421592541 $9.99 www.viz.com
Set after the hero Goku's epic quest to defeat the evil Boo, Dragonball Super 1 is a new black-
and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) adventure crafted by Akira Toiryama and brought to
life with Toyotarou's dynamic artwork. Goku's peaceful days are interrupted by a new danger -
the God of Destruction, Beerus, who threatens to annihilate Earth unless provided with sufficient
entertainment! Can Goku revive the legendary "Super Sayan God" before Beerus destroys the
planet out of boredom? An action-packed saga of power that literally transcends the universe,
Dragonball Super 1 is a "must" especially for fans of the series.
Immortal Hounds 4
Ryo Yasohachi
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993872 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com
Immortal Hounds 4 continues the surreal, postmodern saga set in a world where all human beings
naturally resurrect from death. Resurrection is the perfect cure for every possible injury or illness,
except one: Resurrection Deficiency Syndrome, or RDS. RDS permanently takes away a person's
ability to resurrect, and often is not discovered until too late. The "vectors" who knowingly
spread RDS - supposedly by getting their victims to fall in love with them - effectively act as
serial killers in a world of immortals! Vectors come from another world, spread RDS to earn
"points" to buy immortality, and receive protection from "Escape Artists" when they are caught.
In Immortal Hounds 4, the conflict between Detective Shin'ichi Kenzaki (whose sister was
murdered by a vector) and Rin Kazama (a skilled Escape Artist) comes to a crucial turning point,
during Rin's risky attempt to rescue the vector Snow White. More is also revealed about Rin's
master, the mysterious Mama, and Rin's own blood-soaked history. Immortal Hounds is highly
recommended for mature readers ages 16+, due to scenes of violence.
Devils' Line 6
Ryo Hanada
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993919 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com
Devils' Line 6 continues the black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) set in a world
where a fraction of the human population are "devils" or "vampires". Though devils appear like
ordinary humans at first glance, they are far stronger and more agile, and arousal or exposure to
human blood can drive them into a frenzy that causes them to kill or rape. A mysterious
organization known as the CCC is trying to incite and escalate fear of devils, and to further their
cause, the CCC will kill both humans and devils without remorse. The half-devil police officer
Anzai and his associates have acquired leverage over members of the CCC, including Seven,
who originally joined the CCC because a devil raped and murdered her mother. Volume 6
explores Seven's tragic past in-depth, and Anzai's suppressed memories bubble to the surface
with a surprising revelation. Devils' Line is a fascinating examination of the dark side of
humanity, highly recommended for readers age 13+ due to mature themes and some scenes of
graphic violence.
Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure
Joe R. Lansdale, author
Sam Glanzman, illustrator
IDW Publishing
2765 Truxtun Road, San Diego, CA 92106
www.idwpublishing.com
9781631409943, $19.99, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com
In a tale of hope set amidst the hyper violence of America's 19th century, this new edition of
"Red Range" tells the tale of Red Mask, a tough as nails vigilante who rides to fight the tragic
racism of a Klan-dominated Texas. This simply outstanding western action/adventure story also
entails a bit of 'Hollow Earth' science fiction. Written by multiple Bram Stoker Award winner Joe
Lansdale and illustrated by Golden Age comic book master and Sam Glanzman, this outstanding
and inherently compelling graphic novel (in color for the first time) includes an informative
Introduction by Mojo Press' Richard Klaw and an Afterword by Stephen R. Bissette. As a bonus,
this edition of "Red Range" includes a little-seen story by Glanzman, "I Could Eat a Horse!" A
gripping and starkly presented tale of savage vengeance, stone cold justice, "Red Range" is an
extraordinary and highly recommended story that is especially to any and all graphic novel fans.
It should be noted that "Red Range" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
Love: The Dinosaur
Frederic Brremaud and Federico Bertolucci
Magnetic Press
www.magnetic-press.com
9781942367369 $17.99 amazon.com
Fourth in the "Love" series of color graphic novels about wildlife, "Love: The Dinosaur" is
visually stunning, wordless, realistically drawn saga. No single dinosaur is the sole focus of
Love: The Dinosaur; species that appear include Bambiraptor Feinbergi, Dimetrodon, Triceratops
Horridus, the flying Cnetochasma, and the indomitable Tyrannosaurus Rex. Every day is a
struggle to survive in the prehistoric era, especially for smaller dinosaurs who are at constant risk
of being trampled or eaten! A lavish, immersive saga of predators and prey in their natural
habitat, Love: The Dinosaur is a "must-read" for dinosaur fans of all ages. Highly
recommended.
Hero-A-Go-Go!
Michael Eury
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781605490731, $36.95, www.amazon.com
Hero-A-Go-Go! Campy Comic Books, Crimefighters & Culture of the Swinging Sixties
discusses the 'camp age' of comics, when puns, sexuality, and the political and social atmosphere
of the 1960s came to life to be reflected in comics. Former DC Comics editor Michael Eury
examines particular characters from a range of comics, includes interviews with artists, actors,
and personalities involved in the superhero subculture both in print and on screen, and packs his
presentation with a wealth of color and black and white images of comics and insights from those
who lived the era. From focuses on Bill Mumy from Lost in Space to Irwin Allen's impact on
sci-fi, this will neatly reach beyond the comics crowd to appeal to the interests of anyone
interested in how the culture of the 1960s translated to crimefighting and hero figures of the
times.
The Audiobook Shelf
Aesop's Fables with Colin Hay
Tom Graves
www.authortomgraves.com
Devault-Graves Digital Editions
www.devault-gravesagency.com
9781942531241, $6.66 audiobook
9781942531234, $9.95 ebook
Almost anyone who has read a book well knows of the classic Aesop's Fables, one of the
cornerstones of parables and moral fables - but the audio production of these tales is unexpected
and delightful enough to make it a recommendation beyond its intended 6 to 11-year-old age
group. The power of Aesop's fables might seem to speak for themselves in print version; but the
audio needed this extra boost to attract listeners of all ages, and one of the special delights here is
Hay's ability to dramatize his reading while lending an accent that flavors the story without being
unintelligibly thick. Many an adult will want to listen, because lessons such as a parent/child
encounter with greed in 'The Boy and the Jar of Peanuts' may have been forgotten by many an
adult over the years. Their lovely resurrection here, in a powerful audio, makes for a winning
production recommended for all ages. (It should also be noted that the ebook format contains
lovely illustrations throughout, many in full color, that perfectly capture both the antique feel of
Aesop's works and the sentiments of each story.)
A Generation of Sociopaths
Bruce Cannon Gibney
Hachette Audio
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
9781478945291, $35.00, www.hachetteaudio.com
A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America enjoys an unabridged
reading by Wayne Pyle as it provides a controversial discussion of antisocial leaders in America
and shows how Boomers' self-indulgence eroded American values. This discussion comes not
from a radical left activist, but from a former partner in a leading venture capital firm who
considers the policies and perceptions that have lead Boomers to capitalize on future generations.
Anyone interested in the consequences of Boomer activities must listen to this
thought-provoking, absorbing indictment of not individuals, but an entire generation.
Thinking Machines
Luke Dormehl, author
Read by Gus Brown
Highbridge Audiobooks
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
www.highbridgeaudio.com
9781681684314 $29.99 amazon.com
Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Thinking Machines is the unabridged
audiobook rendition of technology journalist Luke Dormehl's history of artificial intelligence
(AI), the guiding force behind modern machines and programs from video games to fitness
trackers to smartphones. An extraordinary glimpse into the workings of everyday miracles, and a
premonition of how machines capable of unprecedented learning might change the future,
Thinking Machines is utterly fascinating. Highly recommended, especially for public and college
library audiobook collections! 7 CDs, 8.25 hours.
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Jules Verne
Read by Bill Homewood
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
9781781980095 $47.98 CD / $31.00 download
Part of the Naxos "Complete Classics" series of unabridged works of literature transformed into
audiobook format, Journey to the Centre of the Earth brings to life Jules Verne's classic, sci-fi
saga of exploration and discovery, set during the mid 1800's. Read aloud by the experienced and
talented television actor Bill Homewood, Journey to the Centre of the Earth follows the brilliant
Professor Liedenbrock, his reluctant nephew Axel, and their bold Icelandic guide Hans into the
depths of the Earth via volcanic tunnels. As Axel finds himself amid increasingly beautiful,
foreign, and potentially savage landscapes underneath the Earth's surface, he fears that he may
never escape alive to see his beloved fiance again! Journey to the Centre of the Earth is a sublime
way to experience a timeless classic, and is highly recommended especially for public library
audiobook collections. 7 CDs, 8 hours 35 min. 09 sec.
Beauty and the Beast
Disney
Blackstone Audiobooks
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781504752582, $19.95, CD, www.amazon.com
Belle wants more out of life than the small provincial town of Villeneuve can offer. There she
stands out from the crowd with her unique point of view, her strong-willed independence, and
her love of books. She longs for travel and adventure, for a life as exciting as the stories she
reads. But when Belle's beloved father is taken prisoner by a beast in an enchanted castle, her
path is forever changed. Risking her freedom and her future, she takes her father's place, secretly
vowing to escape. But as she learns more about the Beast and his mysterious castle, Belle realizes
that there may be more to his story (and her own) than she ever could have imagined. Superbly
narrated by Jenna Augen, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of Disney's "Beauty
and the Beast" is an extraordinary, memorable, entertaining, and highly recommended addition to
personal, family, school, and community library audio book collections.
The Midas Legacy: A Novel
Andy McDermott, author
Read by Gildart Jackson
HighBridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781681684758 $49.99 https://highbridgeaudio.com
Superbly performed Gildart Jackson, by The Midas Legacy is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a globe-spanning thriller. Discovering the fabled city of Atlantis was just the beginning for Nina Wilde and her ex-SAS husband Eddie Chase; for the sake of humankind, they must race against implacable enemies to uncover the truth about the legend of King Midas. Extraordinary and captivating, The Midas Legacy is highly recommended for action-intrigue connoisseurs. 17 CDs, 20.5 hours.
Enchanted Islands
Allison Amend, author
Performed by Dina Pearlman
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
$9.99 www.brillianceaudio.com
Enchanted Islands is an unabridged MP3 audiobook (plays on MP3-CD enabled players or
transfers to portable devices) of a novel following Frances Frankowski, a woman who came of
age at the beginning of the twentieth century, only to suffer bitter betrayal from her closest
female friend. As she approaches middle age, she works as a secretary for the Office of Naval
Intelligence, where she meets Ainslie Conway, an intelligence operator ten years younger. The
two are arranged to be married and carry out an operation in the Galapagos Islands. Though their
new home is beautiful, it surrounds them with daunting wildlife and unfriendly neighbors. Yet
the greatest threat does not lie without; it lies within, amid the secrets each of them harbors. A
complex, interpersonal saga, Enchanted Islands will keep the listener captivated to the very end.
1 MP3 CD, 11 hours.
The Library CD Shelf
92 Years Young: Jammin' at the Gibbs House
Terry Gibbs
Whaling City Sound
1310 Tucker Road, No. Dartmouth, MA 02747
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos (distribution)
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
$12.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com
Long-lived vibraphonist and jazz icon Terry Gibbs presents 92 Years Young: Jammin' at the
Gibbs House, and album proving that age is irrelevant to celebrating the joy of music!
Accompanied by his son Gerry on drums, Mike Gurrola on bass, and John Campbell on piano,
Terry Gibbs vibraphone playing is as vivacious as ever. 92 Years Young: Jammin' at the Gibbs
House is a "must" for jazz connoisseurs, and highly recommended for public library music
collections! The tracks are "Back Home In Indiana" (4:33), "Yesterdays" (5:29), "The Shadow of
Your Smile" (5:41), "What's New?" (4:36), "Take the 'A' Train" (5:18), "Blues for Hamp" (6:24),
"I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (6:51), "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" (6:30),
"Autumn Leaves" (6:38), "Yardbird Suite" (3:23), "All the Things You Are" (7:28), "Just Some
G Minor Blues" (5:21), "Imagination" (4:46), "Here It Is" (4:04) and "Closing Remarks"
(0:20).
Shifting Sands
Lynn Tredeau
www.lynntredeau.com
Privately Published
$12.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Shifting Sands is the fourth solo piano album by award-winning music artist Lynn Tredeau.
Inspiration for the individual songs range from witnessing a wildfire burn (at once both
destructive and preparing the land for new growth), to the yearning to return home during one's
journey, to experiencing the last, cherished moments of a loved one's life before parting forever.
Shifting Sands is an evocative album with sublime, windswept beauty, highly recommended. The
tracks are "Lost in Familiar Surroundings" (4:43), "Shifting Sands" (3:46), "Warm Embrace"
(3:16), "Dance of the Unknown" (3:46), "Looking to Lowman" (3:53), "Travel Me Home" (4:48),
"Life at Four" (3:06), "To Breathe at Last" (4:28), "The Last Mile" (3:45), "Oasis" (3:12),
"Whispers of Hope" (4:07), and "If Ever in My Life" (3:34).
Part of a Kindly Plan
Nathan Speir
www.nathanspeir.com
Neptic Music
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Part of a Kindly Plan is the ninth instrumental album by music artist Nathan Speir, and features
primarily acoustic instruments including acoustic piano, steel and nylon; string acoustic guitars;
wooden flute; cello; harmonica; rain-stick and singing bowls. (A couple tunes involve
synthesizer to replicate a string-section). The result is a glowing, ambient river of mellifluous
dreams. Part of a Kindly Plan is a pleasure to experience, and highly recommended for
instrumental music connoisseurs. The tracks are "Hued Embowment" (6:10), "As We Turn"
(3:55), "Good Seasons" (4:35), "A Taste of Solace" (4:59), "Open Ranges" (6:02), "Passing
Charcoal Clouds" (3:08), "Serenity In This House" (4:58), "Praxis" (5:25), "Familiar Orbits"
(7:00), and "Breathing On The Shore" (8:55).
Nightfall London
Rick Sparks
www.ricksparksmusic.net
Privately Published
$9.99 CD / $7.99 download cdbaby.com
Nightfall London is a beautiful new age album designed to aid relaxation with its tranquil piano
music, gently arranged with synthesizer to add layers and depth. Some electronic keyboards and
individual string instruments, flutes, chimes, and choirs enrich this restful, revitalizing collection,
highly recommended especially when winding down after a long day. The tracks are "Across the
River" (5:25), "Nightfall London" (4:58), "Little Angel" (3:08), "First Love" (4:28), "Tokyo
Rain" (4:29), "Beyond the Stars" (4:03), "In the Bleak Midwinter" (4:19), "Hearts As One"
(4:29), "Highland Rose" (4:58), and "Evening Prayer" (5:28).
Open Sea / Mar Abierto
Jenny and the Mexicats
Mexciat Records
www.jennyandmexicats.com
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com
Open Sea / Mar Abierto is a music CD by Jenny and the Mexicats, featuring lively, original
songs in both Spanish and English. Freely mixing elements of jazz, rockabilly, folk, flamenco,
and reggae. A flamboyant celebration open to all, Open Sea / Mar Abierto is as rich and
boundless as the ocean, and a vivacious treat for international music connoisseurs. The tracks are
"La Primera Desperada", "Boxes", "Born in the City", "Aprendimos", "La Diabla", "ApliFire",
"Lion", "Ausencia", "Fantasmas", "Canela y Azabache", "Tanto Tiempo", "Under my Skin", and
"Why Why".
Wood and Strings
John Stein and Dave Zinno
Whaling City Sound
1310 Tucker Road, No. Dartmouth, MA 02747
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos (distribution)
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
$14.99 http://johnstein.com
Wood and Strings is a jazz album featuring an unusual duet for the genre - guitar paired with
bass, played by John Stein and Dave Zinno. An adventurous leap forward in harmony,
experimentation, and conversational interplay between instruments, Wood and Strings is unique,
exciting, and highly recommended. The tracks are "I Remember You" (4:17), "Modinha" (4:44),
"Up and at 'Em" (3:21), "Out of Nowhere" (5:37), "Switch-a-roo" (5:45, "Sarlat" (4:40), "Labor
of Love "(4:51), "Estate" (4:46), "Song for Now" (6:01), "But Beautiful" (5:51), "Beatrice"
(4:53), "Birk's Works" (5:42), "Til There Was You" (6:19), and "When Lights are Low"
(4:48).
duende libre
duende libre
Privately Published
duendelibre.rockpaperscissors.biz
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
This self-titled debut album of Latin music trio duende libre (Alex Chasey on piano and
keyboards, Farko Dosumov providing electric bass and voice, and Jeff "Bongo" Busch on drums
and percussion) is a liberating mix of creativity, community, and collective expression. Rich and
resounding, duende libre is an up-and-coming wonder highly recommended especially to
connoisseurs of the genre seeking bold, fresh new talent. The tracks are "Rio Pescadores" (6:09),
"Forgotten Well" (5:51), "Michel" (5:42), "Funkination" (6:59), "Razzle Dazzle" (4:39),
"Sevilla" (8:00), "Moon Waltz" (5:43), "For the Rekkerd" (4:20), "Salif" (4:42), "Still" (8:37),
and "Sinister Minister" (6:41).
The Library DVD Shelf
Midwest Heartland: Theodore Roosevelt to The Homestead Act
Bennet Watt HD Productions, Inc.
13021 - 244th Avenue SE, Issaquah, WA 98027
9781604902129 $24.95 www.Bennett-Watt.com
Part of the "Discoveries ... America National Parks" series of high-definition video essays,
Midwest Heartland: Theodore Roosevelt to The Homestead Act is a beautifully filmed tour of
national parks and highlights throughout the American Midwest. From Theodore Roosevelt
National Park in North Dakota, to Isle Royale National Park in Michigan, to Apostle Islands
National Lakeshore in Wisconsin, Grand Portage National Monument in Minnesota, Tallgrass
Prairie National Preserve in Kansas and much more, Midwest Heartland is a captivating tour of
sites rich in both historical importance and natural splendor. Highly recommended for armchair
travellers and prospective tourists alike! 56 min.
A Matter of Time
Featuring Kathryn Calder
Directed by Casey Cohen
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
A Matter of Time is a nonfiction documentary about keyboardist Kathryn Calder, known both for
her solo work and her role in the Canadian indie-rock group the New Pornographers. Yet while
she is touring with her band, she learns the heartbreaking news that her mother Lynn has been
diagnosed with ALS, a progressive, paralyzing and terminal illness requiring full-time care.
Kathryn decides to be her mother's primary caregiver during their final months together. A
Matter of Time is about the bond between mother and daughter, a shared love of music, and
learning to say goodbye. Profound and powerful, A Matter of Time is highly recommended for
public library DVD collections and personal viewing lists. Bonus materials include two live
Kathryn Calder performances, Kathryn's "ALS ice bucket challenge", and more. 85 min., optional
English subtitles.
Maiko: Dancing Child
A documentary by Ase Svenheim Drivenes
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
Maiko: Dancing Child is a documentary about the demanding occupation of Maiko Nishino, a
prima ballerina for the Norwegian National Ballet. Maiko has put years of training and
dedication into dancing, ever since she was 14 and her mother sold their house and car to send
her to the most prestigious dancing academies in Europe. But now Maiko is 32, and younger
newcomers with talent are competing for her position. Then Maiko decides to start a family, a
choice that could place her professional career in jeopardy. Maiko: Dancing Child is a candid,
extraordinary true-life story, highly recommended especially for the words of wisdom that Maiko
herself has to offer to women of all walks of life. 70 min.
Jeff Miracola's Fantasy Art Workshop: Oil Painting Techniques
Three Points Publishing
PO Box 210861, Milwaukee, WI 53221
threepointspublishing.com
$49.95 www.fantasyartworkshop.com
Jeff Miracola's Fantasy Art Workshop: Oil Painting Techniques is a four-disc DVD set for artists
of all skill and experience levels, from beginner to hobbyist to professional. Miracola's
impressive credentials from his 22 years of experience include illustrations for properties such as
"Dungeons & Dragons", "World of Warcraft", "Star Wars", "Planescape", "Shadowrun", "Magic:
The Gathering", among numerous others. Viewers will witness Miracola's oil painting process in
detail, as he creates the image of a majestic dragon and answers questions from start to finish.
Topics covered include thumbnail drawing, final sketch, color study, solvents and mediums,
underpainting, glazing, varnishing, safety, cleaning brushes, wet-on-wet painting, and much
more. Highly recommended! 4 DVDs, 6 hours 49 min.
Tai Chi for Body and Mind Fitness
Traditional Yang Style Tai Chi with Pat Akers
White Crane Productions
9781684183647 $34.95 www.whitecranevideo.com
Hosted by traditional Yang style Tai Chi instructor Pat Akers, Tai Chi for Body and Mind Fitness
is a DVD designed for both beginner and advanced students of the art. Featuring step-by-step
instructions, front and rear demonstrations of every tai chi movement, advice for improved
balance and posture, tips especially for individuals with physical limitations, and more, Tai Chi
for Body and Mind Fitness is an excellent addition to fitness DVD collections and a great way to
learn Tai Chi for benefits in health and mental focus. Highly recommended! 2 DVDs, 283
min.
Beginner Qigong for Women
Daisy Lee, instructor
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
$29.95 each www.ymaa.com
Two DVDs in the Beginner Qigong for Women series demystify the ancient practice of qigong
(energy cultivation) for health, stress relief, and improved quality of life. Both feature Radiant
Lotus Women's Qigong, a practice crafted by instructor Daisy Lee after years of study with
several qigong masters, and intended especially to support women's wellness. The movements
can be performed while sitting or standing. "Radiant Lotus Healing Qigong Exercises with Daisy
Lee" is a one-hour lesson that includes shaking and cupping to bolster immunity; self-massage to
release stagnant qi; Tibetan vibrational sound healing; and more. "Radiant Lotus Medical Qigong
Forms with Daisy Lee" is a one-hour lesson that covers balancing movement; anti-aging
exercises; a bonus section on acupressure points for health and longevity; and more. Both DVDs
are a user-friendly introduction to the benefits of Qigong, and especially recommended for health
and fitness DVD collections.
Golden Years: Armed and Elderly
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$29.99 www.acornonline.com
Golden Years: Armed and Elderly is a feature-length British drama-comedy about an elderly
couple pushed by injustice to embark on a criminal heist. The financial industry stole their
pensions, so to make ends meet, they decide to steal their pensions back and help their
impoverished friends! High-stakes humor laces this exciting "revenge of the retied" adventure!
Bonus features include interviews with the cast and crew (15 min). 1 DVD, 96 min. plus bonus,
SDH subtitles.
Wentworth Season 3
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$59.99 www.acornonline.com
Wentworth Season 3 continues the acclaimed Australian television drama set in the confines of a
women's prison. Prisoner Bea Smith (played by Danielle Cormack), sentenced to life without
parole, asserts herself as the dominant alpha among the inmates; with the aid of both prisoners
and officers, she wages a cunning war against the cruel governor Joan "The Freak" Ferguson
(played by Pamela Rabe). But the conflict has damaging repercussions that neither strong-willed
woman could have anticipated! A gritty, tense story of hard choices and moral dilemmas,
"Wentworth" is a "must-see" for connoisseurs of Australian drama. Bonus materials include 44
min. of behind-the-scenes featurettes and a photo gallery. 12 episodes on 4 DVDs, 580 min plus
bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles.
The Social Issues Shelf
Fighting the Death Penalty
Eugene G. Wanger
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
www.msupress.msu.edu
9781611862317, $39.95, HC, 300pp, www.amazon.com
Michigan is the only state in the country that has a death penalty prohibition in its constitution,
and in "Fighting the Death Penalty: A Fifty-Year Journey of Argument and Persuasion" by
lawyer and longtime opponent of capital punishment Eugene G. Wanger presents a series of
compelling arguments for its abolition. The forty pieces comprising "in "Fighting the Death
Penalty" are writings created or used by Wanger, who penned the prohibition clause regarding
the death penalty, during his fifty years as a death penalty abolitionist. Wanger's extraordinary
background in forensics, law, and political activity as constitutional convention delegate and
co-chairman of the Michigan Committee Against Capital Punishment has produced this
remarkable collection. "Fighting the Death Penalty" is not only a fifty-year history of the anti -
death penalty argument in America, it also is a detailed and challenging example of how the
argument against capital punishment may be successfully made. An inherently thoughtful and
thought-provoking read from beginning to end, "Fighting the Death Penalty" is very highly
recommended for both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Fighting the Death Penalty" is also available in a Kindle format ($31.95).
The Technology Shelf
A Practical Guide to EMC Engineering
Levent Sevgi
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
9781630813833, $159.00, www.artechhouse.com
A Practical Guide to EMC Engineering explores the basics of EMC engineering and
electromagnetics, considering both design and marketing aspects and various EMC tests,
measurements, and basic electrical engineering applications. Different circuit models, antennas,
noise analysis, and EMC testing devices are contrasted in chapters filled with graphs, charts,
equations, and technical support. Electrical engineering collections will consider this a 'must
have' reference for any in-depth review of EMC Engineering basics.
The ABCs of Fiber Optic Communication
Sudhir Warier
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630814144, $149.00, HC, 322pp, www.amazon.com
"The ABCs of Fiber Optic Communication" by Sudhir Warier (Principle Mentor at Cognitio) is
unique and practical handbook providing the conceptual framework and troubleshooting tactics
related to the manufacturing, selection, and installation of modern photonic networks, including
optical fiber plants, optical transceivers, test and measurement equipment, and network
architecture of SDH, OTN, IP/MPLS, FTTx networks, and PON. This resource includes the
latest technological advancements and industry applications while covering the entire fiber
ecosystem from installation to troubleshooting including the use of common tools like LPM
(laser source and power meter) to overcome common issues related to optical patching and fiber
plants and also discusses the use of specialized tools including the optical time domain
reflectometer (OTDR) for issues with fiber plants and locating fiber breaks. Readers will gain an
understanding of the architecture of core TDM, IP, and Optical Access Networks including PON.
Specific methodologies are explored for assessing OTN, DWDM, IT/MPLS, Optical Access
Networks - PON/GPON or FTTx networks. Key parameters that influence the choice of fiber
based on the network and application type are discussed. Exceptionally well organized,
presented, and unreservedly recommended for both professional and academic library
collections, "The ABCs of Fiber Optic Communication" also provides an overview of the current
and future developments in optical fibers, interfaces, transceivers and backbone networks.
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients
David A. Fields
www.davidafields.com/winclients
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781683501640, $18.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
It's a stark and surprising fact that most solo consultants and boutique consulting firms are
perpetually within six months of bankruptcy due to the sputtering unreliability of their new
business engines. The problem, according to international consulting expert David A. Fields, is
twofold: 1) lack of a consistent, proven plan, and 2) fundamental misunderstanding about what
clients want in a consultant. Fields, who has helped hundreds of consultants and boutique firms
worldwide build lucrative, sustainable practices, replaces the typical consultant's mindset of
emphasizing expertise and differentiated processes with a focus on building relationships,
engendering trust, and solving clients' existing problems. In "The Irresistible Consultant's Guide
to Winning Clients: Six Steps to Unlimited Clients and Financial Freedom", Fields synthesizes
his decades of experience into a step-by-step approach to winning more projects from more
clients at higher fees. From nuts-and-bolts business advice and tactics to a deeply insightful
breakdown of the human side of a very human profession, Fields delivers a comprehensive
guidebook that is at once highly approachable and satisfyingly detailed. Comprehensive,
practical, informed and informative, "The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients" is
unreservedly recommended for corporate, community, and academic library Business
Management instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists
of aspiring or practicing business consultants, as well as non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients" is also
available in a Kindle format ($7.99).
Reinvention Roadmap
Liz Ryan
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Suite 400, Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781942952688, $19.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
The underlying message of Liz Ryan in "Reinvention Roadmap: Break the Rules to Get the Job
You Want and Career You Deserve" is that traditional job-search approaches just don't work
anymore, and the days of trusting your career to your employer are long over. The
new-millennium workplace requires all of us to rewrite the rules and start treating our careers
like we're running a business - which means understanding the markets for our talents, knowing
our value, and looking out over the horizon to plot our paths going forward. A former Fortune
500 HR SVP and the world's most widely read workplace thought leader, Ryan understands the
recruiting system as only an insider can, and she shows how to stay focused on goals and
distinguish oneself from masses of competing job seekers. "Reinvention Roadmap" offers new
tools, such as a "Pain Letter" and your "Human-Voiced Resume" to land not just any job, but a
job that celebrates the readers' own unique talents and takes them to the level where they want to
be. Whether entering the workplace or looking to switch careers, with the help of "Reinvention
Roadmap" anyone can get the perfect job if they step off the beaten path and follow the
approaches insiders use to gain access to the best positions. Colorful, fun, irreverent, and a
deeply practical guide to getting the job you want and building the career of your dreams,
"Reinvention Roadmap" is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, making
it very highly recommended for community and academic library Jobs/Careers instructional
reference collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Reinvention Roadmap" is
also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
The Computer Shelf
Computer Graphics Programming in OpenGL with Java
V. Scott Gordon & John Clevenger
Mercury Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781683920274, $64.95, HC, 346pp, www.amazon.com
The collaborative work of computer experts and California State Univeristy academicians V.
Scott Gordon and John Clevenger, and appropriate for both the computer science undergraduate
course in 3D graphics programming using OpenGL and for professionals who are interested in
mastering 3D graphics skills, "Computer Graphics Programming in OpenGL with Java" has been
specifically designed in a 4-color, "teach-yourself" format with numerous examples that the
reader can run just as presented. "Computer Graphics Programming in OpenGL with Java" is
unique because it teaches OpenGL programming in Java, using JOGL - a standard Java
"wrapper" for OpenGL's native C calls. Enhanced with the inclusion of companion files with
source code and images, "Computer Graphics Programming in OpenGL with Java" is
impressively 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, making it very highly recommended
for personal, professional, community and academic library Computer Science collections. For
the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject it should be noted that "Computer Graphics Programming in OpenGL with Java" is also
available in a Kindle format ($39.95).
The Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf
The Wildcrafted Cocktail
Ellen Zachos
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612127422, $18.95, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Unique and profusely illustrated, "The Wildcrafted Cocktail: Make Your Own Foraged Syrups,
Bitters, Infusions, and Garnishes; Includes Recipes for 45 One-of-a-Kind Mixed Drinks" by Ellen
Zachos (who teaches mixology workshops for bartenders and a longtime instructor at the New
York Botanical Garden) combines the popular local-foods movement and craft cocktail scene to
show just how easy it is to make delicious, one-of-a-kind mixed drinks with common flowers,
berries, roots, and leaves that can be found along roadsides or in a backyard. An experienced
foraging expert, Ellen Zachos has compiled recipes for more than 50 garnishes, syrups, infusions,
juices, and bitters, including Quick Pickled Daylily Buds, Rose Hip Syrup, and
Chanterelle-infused Rum. With "The Wildcrafted Cocktail" anyone can incorporate their own
handcrafted components into 45 surprising and delightful cocktails ranging from Stinger in the
Rye, to Don't Sass Me, to Tree-tini, and more. While very highly recommended, especially for
community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"The Wildcrafted Cocktail" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
The Gaming Shelf
Tricky Trivia Party Games
Birke Duncan
Northwest Folklore
PO Box 253, Poulsbo, WA 98370
9780971058231, $9.99, PB, 60pp, www.amazon.com
The word 'trivia' refers to bits of information, often of little importance, and are the basis of
popular general information-based games at home and in such public places as bars and pubs.
"Tricky Trivia Party Games" is a 60 page compilation of game-worthy trivia assembled by
author, folklorist, historian, dramatist and magician Birke Duncan. A thoroughly fun read in its
own right, "Tricky Trivia Party Games" touches upon miscellaneous facts arising from movies,
television shows, sports, politics, and more. Enhanced with the inclusion of a suggested list of
Recommended Readings and a Selected Bibliography, "Tricky Trivia Party Games" is an ideal
and highly recommended addition to community and academic library trivia reference
collections, as well as the personal reading lists of anyone wanting to conduct a trivia contest of
their own -- or simply improve their own performance at trivia contests at their favorite watering
hole.
The Sports Shelf
1001 NASCAR Facts
John Close
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613253106, $24.95, PB, 376pp, www.amazon.com
Stock car racing has its origins with moonshine runners during the Prohibition era. For nearly 70
years, NASCAR has been the premier sanctioning body for organized Stock Car Racing in the
United States. During that time, the sport has grown from a Southern, regional series to a global
brand with its races telecast in more than 100 countries around the world. In "1001 NASCAR
Facts", NASCAR journalist, author, team member, race-day Spotter, and fan John Close details
the earliest races of the 20th Century that laid the groundwork for the formation of NASCAR
through today's modern events at mega-race stadiums across the country. Presented in an
easy-to-read decade-by-decade "Fact Format," "1001 NASCAR Facts" allows you to learning
about the Cars (and Trucks), Personalities, Tracks, and Milestones of NASCAR, America's most
popular and attended form of motorsports at your own pace. Enhanced with the inclusion of
dozens of rare and informative photos that take you from the famed "Beach Course" at Daytona
to the high banks of today's NASCAR tracks, "1001 NASCAR Facts" is a must read for any
NASCAR, Stock Car Racing, and American Motorsports fan and will prove to be an enduringly
popular addition for both community and academic library Automotive History collections in
general, and NASCAR History supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
St. Louis Cardinals Where Have You Gone?, revised edition
Rob Rains with Keith Schildroth
Sports Publishing
www.sportspubbooks.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781683580300 $19.99 hc / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com
Now in a newly updated and revised edition, St. Louis Cardinals Where Have You Gone?
chronicles the lives of legendary baseball stars who were once part of the St. Louis Cardinals
team. From All-Star catcher Ted Simmons, to 2011 NLDS hero Skip Schumaker, to 2014
Basball Hall of Fame inductee Tony La Russa and many more, here's the true-life scoop about
what dozens of star Cardinals players have been up to! Occasional black-and-white photographs
round out this anthology of brief yet intriguing biographies, especially recommended for
Cardinals fans.
The Interior Design Shelf
Creative Living Country
Chloe Grimshaw, author
Luke White, photographer
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500519097, $35.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
The countryside has always been a breath of fresh air for those trapped in the urban jungle. With
a greater appetite for "authentic" experiences, working practices, and creative inspiration,
metropolitan talents are setting up studios far from the madding crowd. Combining a more
relaxed lifestyle with budding entrepreneurship, and capturing it all on social media, a new
generation of young creatives is redefining "country living". In "Creative Living Country", Chloe
Grimshaw (who writes frequently on style and interiors for London's leading newspapers and
lifestyle magazine) celebrates this new approach to a quintessentially British shelter: the country
cottage, as envisioned by a new breed of artists and creatives from photographers to textile
designers, from ceramicists to musicians who make their homes, work, and lifestyle away from
the city lights. Looking at twenty-five houses across the United Kingdom, Chloe Grimshaw and
Luke White provide a glimpse into a broad range of truly original country homes. From the hills
of the Lake District to the moors of Scotland, the unique landscapes that make up the British
experience take on new meaning in the hands of these creative pioneers and provide inspiration
for all of us, no matter where we live. Enhanced with the inclusion of more than 500 full color
photographs, "Creative Living Country" is an inherently informative and fascinating study that
will prove to be enduringly popular addition to professional, community, and academic library
Interior Design collections in general, and supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
New Bathroom Idea Book
Jamie Gold
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781631864056, $21.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
The bathroom continues to be one area of the house that homeowners are willing to spend money
on. This all-new edition of the Taunton Press "Bathroom Idea Book" (a virtual designer's
notebook of ideas, inspiration, and information) will be a homeowner's first step in turning a
dream bath into a real one, whether it's new construction or a remodel. Author Jamie Gold (is a
Certified Kitchen Designer and Certified Aging in Place Specialist in the greater San Diego area)
draws upon his years of experience and expertise in this lavishly illustrated (325 photos and 15
illustrations) edition of the "New Bathroom Idea Book" to provide design options for all areas of
the bathroom, ranging from vanities and countertops, to fixtures, flooring, and finish details.
Up-to-the-minute information on new trends like digital integration in the bathroom, new
materials that mimic natural materials, accessibility and aging-in-place options, and code changes
that mandate water and energy conservation make this new edition of "New Bathroom Idea
Book" is the practical go-to resource for all things bathroom. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in
organization and presentation, "New Bathroom Idea Book" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and academic library Interior Design reference collections in
general, and Bathroom Remodeling supplemental studies lists in particular.
The Biography Shelf
Over the Hills and Far Away
Matthew Dennison
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681773506, $27.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Featuring 8 pages of color illustrations and inspired by the twenty-three Beatrix Potter "tales",
biographer Matthew Dennison takes a selection of quotations from Potter's stories and uses them
to explore her multi-faceted life and character in "Over the Hills and Far Away: The Life of
Beatrix Potter". Presented is the personal story of a repressed Victorian daughter; thwarted lover;
artistic genius; formidable countrywoman. They chart Potter's transformation from a young girl
with a love of animals and fairy tales into a best-selling author and canny businesswoman, so
deeply unusual for the Victorian era in which she grew up. Embellished with photographs of
Potter's life and her own illustrations, this biography will delight anyone who has been touched
by Beatrix Potter's work. Enthusiastically recommended for community and academic library
biography collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of her legions of fans
interested in knowing the real-life animals behind Mrs. Tiggy Winkle, Jemima Puddle duck, and
of course, Peter Rabbit, it should be noted that "Over the Hills and Far Away: The Life of Beatrix
Potter" is also available in a Kindle format ($14.16).
Major General Israel Putnam
Robert Ernest Hubbard
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9781476664538, $35.00, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
A colorful figure of 18th-century America, Israel Putnam (1718-1790) played a key role in both
the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. In 1758 he barely escaped from being
burned alive by Mohawk warriors. He later commanded a force of 500 men who were
shipwrecked off the coast of Cuba. It was he who reportedly gave the command "Don't fire until
you see the whites of their eyes" at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Detailing Putnam's close
relationships with Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, and John and Abigail Adams, "Major
General Israel Putnam: Hero of the American Revolution" by Robert Ernest Hubbard (who is a
retired professor from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut, an adjunct faculty
member in the college's Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program, and who has long been
webmaster for web sites on General Israel Putnam) is the first full-length biography of Putnam in
more than a century and re-examines the life of a revolutionary whose seniority in the
Continental Army was second only to that of George Washington. A product of outstanding
scholarship and impressively well written, organized and presented, "Major General Israel
Putnam" is a basic and core addition to both community and academic library American History,
American Biography, and American Revolution War collections and supplemental studies
reading lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers that "Major
General Israel Putnam" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).
Mickey Rooney: A Show Business Life
James A. MacEachern
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9780786496396, $35.00, PB, 270pp, www.amazon.com
Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule, Jr.; September 23, 1920 - April 6, 2014) was one of
Hollywood's most prolific and long-lived stars, with film credits spanning the silent and CGI
eras. Despite his Broadway acclaim and gift for character acting, he is remembered mainly for his
comedies and tumultuous personal life. Most biographies have focused on these, neglecting his
long and varied career, which was marked by sharp declines and meteoric comebacks. Drawing
on interviews with coworkers, "Mickey Rooney: A Show Business Life" is an inherently
fascinating and impressively informative biography by James A. MacEachern that reveals
Rooney as a skilled actor who settled for less in an industry that relegated him to lesser roles, and
built a body of work admired by audiences and actors alike. Simply stated, "Mickey Rooney: A
Show Business Life" is a 'must-read' for the legions of Mickey Rooney fans, and no community
or academic library American Biography or Hollywood History collections would be complete
with a copy of this extraordinary biography in their collection.
John Ringo: King of the Cowboys
David Johnson
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574416725 $19.95 pbk / $11.99 Kindle amazon.com
John Ringo: King of the Cowboys is the fascinating biography of Western gunman John Ringo,
best known for backing the Cowboys against the Earps in Tombstone. His life reads like a pulp
fiction western - he was embroiled in blood fueds during his youth in post-Reconstruction Texas
and during the Mason County "Hoo Doo" War; he was part of a shootout with Victorio's raiders
in New Mexico; he championed Democratic ranchers against the Earp brothers and Doc
Holliday; and in the end, he died in the Arizona desert to mysterious circumstances. Extensive
notes and an index enrich this in-depth chronicle, written with scholarly precision yet thoroughly
accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Highly recommended, especially for public and college
library biography shelves.
A Witness to History
Janet M. Neugebauer, author
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
www.ttupress.org
9780896729889, $45.00, HC, 576pp, www.amazon.com
"A Witness to History: George H. Mahon, West Texas Congressman" by Janet M. Neugebauer
(Deputy Director of the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University) is the story of a man
who went to Congress in 1935, when the House Committee on Appropriations still allocated a
small amount of money to buy military horses. Forty-four years later, when Congressman Mahon
retired as Chairman of that same committee, the committee was debating funds to purchase a
bomber capable of traveling at 2,000 miles an hour. With a career spanning nearly a half
century-including almost the entire Cold War, Mahon grew from a West Texas country lawyer to
one of the most powerful men in the US House of Representatives, serving twenty-two
consecutive terms from 1935-1978. During his time in Congress, Mahon worked easily with the
giants of government, enjoying the friendship and confidence of seven of the eight presidents
with whom he served. He worked just as comfortably with his constituents in the Nineteenth
Congressional District of Texas. Mahon served on several Congressional committees, but it is
through his service on the House Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Defense
Appropriations that he had the greatest national impact. He often bragged that under his
leadership the Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations was the most non-partisan committee in
Congress. Mahon led the subcommittee with a strong but gentle hand that earned him the respect
of all who served with him. An extraordinary, comprehensive, informed and informative political
biography that is impressively well organized and presented, "A Witness to History" is enhanced
with illustrations, fifty-two pages of Notes, a twenty page Bibliography, and a twenty-three page
Index, making is a very highly recommended addition to community and academic library
Biography and Political Science collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Graham Barnett
James L. Coffey, Russell M. Drake, John T. Barnett
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574416671, $29.95, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com
Graham Barnett was killed in Rankin, Texas, on December 6, 1931. His death brought an end to
a storied career, but not an end to the legends that claimed he was a gunman, a hired pistolero on
both sides of the border, a Texas Ranger known for questionable shootings in Company B under
Captain Fox, a deputy sheriff, a bootlegger, and a possible "fixer" for both law enforcement and
outlaw organizations. In real life he was a good cowboy, who provided for his family the best
way he could, and who did so by slipping seamlessly between the law enforcement community
and the world of illegal liquor traffickers. Stories say he killed unnumbered men on the border,
but he stood trial only twice and was acquitted both times. Barnett lived in the twentieth century
but carried with him many of the attitudes of old frontier Texas. Among those beliefs was that if
there were problems, a man dealt with them directly and forcefully with a gun. His penchant to
settle a score with gunplay brought him into confrontation with Sheriff W. C. Fowler, a former
friend, who shot Barnett with the latter's own submachine gun on loan. One contemporary
summed it up best: "Officers in West Texas got the best sleep they had had in twenty years that
Sunday night after Fowler killed Graham." A simply riveting, comprehensively detailed, and
definitive account that is enhanced with the inclusion of illustrations, fifty-four pages of
Endnotes; an eight page Bibliography; and a ten page Index, by the team of James L. Coffey (a
former education consultant who worked with school districts in West Texas and lives in San
Angelo, Texas), Russell M. Drake (a journalist who worked in Texas and California), and John
T. Barnett (who is Graham Barnett's grandson), "Graham Barnett: A Dangerous Man" is very
highly recommended for community and academic library American Biography collections in
general, and the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in true life stories of real Texas
gunfighters.
The Travel Shelf
Yucatan Peninsula
Liza Prado and Gary Chandler
Moon Handbooks
c/o Avalon Travel
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.moon.com
9781631214103 $23.99 pbk / $14.99 Kindle amazon.com
Part of the "Moon Handbooks" series of top-rate travel guides, Yucatan Peninsula is packed with
maps, color photographs, and a propensity of information about the Yucatan Peninsula in
southeastern Mexico. From the opportunity to explore Maya ruins, to the best spots for diving
and snorkeling, to wildlife tours, sunny beaches, safety tips, and more. "Beware of any taxi driver
who tries to convince you that the hotel you're going to is closed, roach infested, flooded, burned
down, has no running water... As sincere as the driver might seem, he is more often that not
retaliating against hotels that refuse to pay a finder's fee... You may have to be firm, but insist
that your driver take you to the hotel of your choice. Your best option is to call ahead for a room
reservation, which also serves to confirm that the hotel actually is open and operational."
Yucatan Peninsula is a "must-have" for anyone traveling to this gorgeous region for business or
pleasure, highly recommended.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Make a Zine, third edition
Joe Biel with Bill Brent
Microcosm Publishing
2752 N Williams Avenue, Portland, OR 97227
https://microcosmpublishing.com
9781621067337, $9.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
In this new third edition of Microcosm's popular do-it-yourself guide to publishing an
"underground" magazine, author Joe Biel draws upon his years of experience and expertise in the
field to update the information provided in the first edition to address zine making in today's
digital and social-media-obsessed world. Covering all the bases for beginners, "Make a Zine:
Start Your Own Underground Publishing Revolution" covers more advanced topics like Creative
Commons licenses, legality, and economic sustainability. Illustrated by a variety of artists and
cartoonists, "Make a Zine" addresses independent comic book publishing, with a solid and
comprehensive chapter by punk illustrator Fly (Slug and Lettuce, Peops). Part history lesson, part
how-to guide, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Make a Zine"
should be considered a 'must read' by anyone considering trying their hand at publishing a
magazine or comic book.
The Story You Need to Tell
Sandra Marinella, MA, MEd
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608684830, $17.95, PB, 328pp, www.amazon.com
In the pages of "The Story You Need to Tell: Writing to Heal from Trauma, Illness, or Loss",
Sandra Marinella draws upon her many years of experience and expertise as a writing instructor
who has taught thousands of students and fellow educators and presented hundreds of workshops
to veterans, educators, and cancer patients to provide a practical and inspiring guide to
transformational personal storytelling. "The Story You Need to Tell" features riveting true stories
illustrating Marinella's methods for understanding, telling, and editing personal stories in ways
that foster resilience and renewal. She also shares her own experience of using journaling and
expressive writing to navigate challenges including breast cancer and postpartum depression.
Each of the writing techniques, prompts, and exercises she presents helps us "to unravel the knot
inside and to make sense of loss". Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation,
"The Story You Need to Tell" is especially commended for community and academic library
Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It
should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"The Story You Need to Tell" is also available in a Kindle format ($10.97).
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
105 Five-Minute Plays for Study and Performance
John Capecci & Irene Ziegler, editors
Smith & Kraus Publishers
177 Lyme Road, Lyme NH 03755-6610
www.smithandkraus.com
9781575259109, $24.95, PB, 524pp, www.amazon.com
A five-minute play can be as entertaining as any two-hour production. "105 Five-Minute Plays
for Study and Performance" is a compendium of 105 theatrical gems that are perfect for
classroom study or a rollicking performance evening. these short and succinct theatrical works
offer rich, complete worlds that are alternately lyrical, narrative, concrete and abstract. Some
pack a wallop with powerful images while others use crackling dialogue to quickly establish
character and motivation some move at the speed of light. Others freeze moments fo calm
meditation. Still others capture historic moments, dream states or slapstick absurdity. Along with
contemporary works by both new and established playwrights, editors Capecci and Ziegler have
gathered historical examples-such as those of the Italian Futurists and an early playlist by
Thornton Wilder-and they offer useful tips for the study and performance of these brief and
bright works. "105 Five-Minute Plays for Study and Performance" is an ideal and highly
recommended addition to school drama department, community theatre group, community and
academic library Theatrical Studies collections.
The Education Shelf
From Staff Room to Classroom, second edition
Robin J. Fogarty and Brian M. Pete
Corwin Literacy
c/o Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781506358277, $27.00, www.corwin.com
The second updated edition of From Staff Room to Classroom: A Guide for Planning and
Coaching Professional Development covers the basics of staff development and strategies for
translating new information to classroom use, and covers some six methods of supporting
teachers as they take content learned during professional development and apply it to student
needs. From how professional learning processes may be updated using new technologies to how
such opportunities can be designed and fostered, this focus on professional development should
be in the hands of any educator looking to better encourage teacher growth and its incorporation
into better classroom and learning experiences.
Mentor Texts, second edition
Lynne R. Dorfman & Rose Cappelli
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781625311313, $37.33, PB, 382pp, www.amazon.com
The collaborative work of independent literacy consultant Rose Cappelli (who is active in the
Keystone State Reading Association and her local reading council) and Lynne R. Dorfman (who
teaches graduate level courses at Arcadia University and works as an independent literacy
consultant), and now in a fully updated second edition, "Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing
Through Children's Literature, K-6" includes brand-new "Your Turn Lessons", section built
around the gradual release of responsibility model, offering suggestions for demonstrations and
shared or guided writing. Reflection is emphasized as a necessary component to understanding
why mentor authors chose certain strategies, literary devices, sentence structures, and words.
New children's book titles are featured in each chapter and as part of a carefully curated and
annotated Treasure Chest. At the end of each chapter there is a "Think About It - Talk About It -
Write About It" section which invites reflection and conversation with colleagues. "Mentor
Texts" is organized around the characteristics of good writing of focus, content, organization,
style, and conventions. Written, organized and presented in a friendly and conversational style,
employing numerous anecdotes to help teachers visualize the process, and offer strategies that
can be immediately implemented in the classroom, "Mentor Texts" is a practical resource that
demonstrates the power of learning to read like writers -- making it a critically important, core
addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections and
supplemental studies reading lists.
Veterinary Medical Education
Jennifer L. Hodgson & Jacquelyn M. Pelzer
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
9781119125006, $99.99, PB, 656pp, www.amazon.com
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Jennifer L. Hodgson (Associate Dean for Professional
Programs at the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg,
Virginia) and Jacquelyn M. Pelzer (Director of Admissions and Student Services at the Virginia
Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia) "Veterinary
Medical Education: A Practical Guide" is a complete and comprehensive resource of
fundamental information on key areas of veterinary education. "Veterinary Medical Education"
provides a practical guide to the key principles of veterinary medical education; takes a
real-world approach, with concrete guidance for teaching veterinary skills and knowledge; covers
all aspects of designing and implementing a veterinary curriculum; emphasizes key points and
helpful tips; and offers a veterinary-specific resource for any veterinary educator worldwide.
Comprised of 38 informed and informative articles by experts in the field of veterinary
education, "Veterinary Medical Education" is organized into seven major sections (The
Curriculum; Learning and Teaching Strategies; Learning Opportunities; Assessing the Student;
Assessing the Program; Teaching and Assessing Professional Competencies; The Educational
Environment), as well as including a listing of the contributors and their credentials and a
thirteen page Index. An ideal and exhaustive resource, "Veterinary Medical Education: A
Practical Guide" is very highly recommended for college and university veterinary school
libraries. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Veterinary Medical Education: A Practical Guide" is also available in a Kindle
format ($59.99).
College 101, revised edition
Julie Zeilinger
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618216267 $14.95 amazon.com
Now in a revised edition, College 101: A Girl's Guide to Freshman Year lives up to its title as a
no-nonsense compendium of practical advice. Chapters address the practical ramifications of
debt, balancing academics with daily life, staying healthy both physically and emotionally, and
much more. "I'm constantly astonished by how many young women I know who, although they
have taken out loans, are barely educated about the types of loans they're saddled with and how
those loans can and will impact them in the future... their financial decision could lead to
delaying motherhood, could put undue strain on their romantic relationships, could sentence
them to night after night of watching 60 Minutes on their parents' couches into their 30s."
Although College 101 is written especially for girls, young men shouldn't consider it forbidden
knowledge - college is a tough enough, and costly enough, that students of both genders need all
the help preparing for it that they can get! Highly recommended.
Colleges That Create Futures, second edition
Robert Franek
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.PrincetonReview.com
9780451487834 $14.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com
Now in an updated second edition, Colleges That Create Futures is a solid guide to selecting the
college that will best launch one's future career. Entries for each college cover career services,
internship support, student group activity, alumni satisfaction, noteworthy facilities and
programs, and more. As college tuition continues to revise, and "return on investment" becomes
more and more important, Colleges That Create Futures is absolutely invaluable and
indispensable!
The Philosophy Shelf
The Philosophy of Umberto Eco
Sara C. Beardsworth & Randall E. Auxier, editors
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601
www.opencourtbooks.com
9780812699623, $189.95, HC, 920pp, www.amazon.com
The late Umberto Eco (5 January 1932 - 19 February 2016) was an Italian novelist, literary critic,
philosopher, semiotician, and university professor. Compiled and edited by the team of Sara G.
Beardsworth (Associate Professor and Editor of the Library of Living Philosophers, Department
of Philosophy, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale) and Randall E. Auxier (Professor of
Philosophy at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale), "The Philosophy of Umberto Eco" is
the newest addition to the outstanding Library of Living Philosophers series. Umberto Eco's
works are well known in the humanities, with both his philosophical and literary works being
translated into fifteen or more languages. Eco is a founder of modern semiotics and widely
known for his work in the philosophy of language and aesthetics. He is also a leading figure in
the emergence of postmodern literature, and is associated with cultural and mass communication
studies. His writings cover topics such as advertising, television, and children's literature as well
as philosophical questions bearing on truth, reality, cognition, language, and literature. The
critical essays comprising this memorial volume cover the full range of this output. "The
Philosophy of Umberto Eco" will have wide appeal not only because of its interdisciplinary
nature but also because of Eco's famous "high and low" approach, which is deeply scholarly in
conception and very accessible in outcome. Of special note is the short essay "Why Philosophy?"
which is exemplary in this regard and will appeal to scholars for its wit and to high school
students for its intelligibility. Simply stated, now community or academic library's Contemporary
Philosophy collections will be considered comprehensive or complete without the inclusion of
"The Philosophy of Umberto Eco". It should be noted for students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "The Philosophy of Umberto Eco" is also available as
an eTextbook (9780812699623, $189.95 Trade; Amazon.com $122.70).
The LGBT Studies Shelf
Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History, 2nd ed.
Lelia J. Rupp & Susan K. Freeman, editors
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299313043, $29.95, PB, 408pp, www.amazon.com
Now in an updated and expanded second edition, "Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History" is an extraordinary and seminal study that fills an
important niche in understanding and appreciating American cultural and political history.
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Lelia J. Rupp and Susan K. Freeman, this
groundbreaking study is comprised of twenty-eight erudite, insightful, and informative essays
that are deftly organized into three major sections: The Challenge of Teaching Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender History; Topics in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History;
Discovery and Interpretation of lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History. Exceptionally
well organized and presented, "Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and
Transgender History" includes a list of the contributors and their credentials, as well as a thirteen
page index. While very highly recommended as a critically important addition to both
community and academic library LGBTQ collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it
should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History" is also
available in a Kindle format ($14.99).
The Photography Shelf
Dancers in Motion
Susan Michal
Amherst Media, Inc.
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
www.amherstmedia.com
9781682032046, $29.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
"Dancers in Motion: The Art and Technique of Dance Photography" by award-winning
photographer Susan Michael is a collection of breath taking images that showcase the essence of
the dancer's gesture. These images combine Susan's love of visual storytelling and the compelling
subject to produce studying visual images, by capturing the beauty of the physical body in
motion. When Susan photographs dancers she fully captures their movement and tension.
"Dancers in Motion" will also teach the reader how to direct and work with dancers. It will also
provide usefully practical advice on the workspace and the equipment needed to get the most out
of every dance session. The posing examples provided will spark the reader's creativity and
passion for photographing dancers and inspire ideas for working with dance schools as well as
advanced dancers. "Dancers in Motion" answers questions and will enthuse the reader into
working and producing images in the field of dance photography. While very highly and
enthusiastically recommended for both community and academic library Photography
collections, it should be noted for aspiring professionals and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "Dancers in Motion" is also available in a Kindle format
($9.99).
From Italy to the North End
Anthony V. Riccio
Excelsior Editions
c/o State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
www.sunypress.edu
9781438466996, $34.95, HC, 193pp, www.amazon.com
As a young boy, Anthony V. Riccio listened to his grandparents' stories of life in the small Italian
villages where they had grown up and which they had left in order to emigrate to the United
States. In the early 1970s, he traveled to those villages (Alvignano and Sippiciano) and elsewhere
in Italy, taking photographs of a way of life that had persisted for centuries and meeting the
relatives who had stayed behind. Several years later, he found himself in Boston's North End,
again with camera in hand, photographing an Italian American immigrant neighborhood that was
fast succumbing to the forces of gentrification. In a race against time, Riccio photographed the
neighborhood and its residents, capturing images of street life, religious festivals, and colorful
storefronts along with cellar winemaking sessions, rooftop gardens, and the stark interiors of
cold-water flats. Taken together, the photographs compiled and showcased in "From Italy to the
North End: Photographs, 1972-1982" documents the arc of the Italian American experience on
both sides of the Atlantic. Even as they forged new identities and new communities in the United
States, Italian American immigrants kept many of their Old World traditions alive in their New
World enclaves. Although elevators have replaced walkups and fancy Italian restaurants and
upscale boutiques have replaced mom-and-pop storefronts, the "old neighborhood" and its Italian
village roots survive in these historic photographs. Featuring an informative Foreword by James
Pasto, and organized into three major sections (Part 1 - Italy, 1972-1975; Part 2 - The North End
of Boston, 1979-1982; Part 3 - Stories and Reflections), "From Italy to the North End" is an
extraordinary body of work and a very highly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and academic library Photography collections.
Badlands Impressions
Chuck Haney, photographer
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560375791, $12.95, PB, 80pp, www.amazon.com
To photographer Chuck Haney, the badlands of North America's high plains are a photographer's
paradise and spiritual places that touch the soul. In these striking, arid landscapes, the only
constant is change and erosion is king. Here, water and wind are nature's artists and historians,
sculpting haunting landforms of sandstone and clay, and recounting the land's prehistory in layers
of ancient sediments studded with fossils and bones. Packed from cover to cover with 83 striking
color photographs, "Badlands Impressions" truly captures the rugged terrain of these harsh and
beautiful landscapes. In a journey spanning multiple states, including Kansas, Montana,
Nebraska and North and South Dakota, "Badlands Impressions" will transport readers to the very
best scenery the Badlands have to offer. Highlights include visits to Badlands National Park,
Makoshika State Park in Montana, Little Missouri National Grasslands, Theodore Roosevelt
National Park, and more! An immensely pleasurable browse for the armchair traveler, and a
'must' for Badlands geography enthusiasts, the breathtakingly beautiful images by Chuck Haney
are informatively captioned by journalist Dick Kettlewell. The result of this impressive
collaboration is a visual study that is especially recommended for personal, community, and
academic library Contemporary American Photography collections.
Jerry Dantzic: Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill
Jerry Dantzic, photographer
Grayson Dantzic, author
Zadie Smith, contributor
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500544655, $40.00, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
In 1957, New York photojournalist Jerry Dantzic spent time with the iconic singer Billie Holiday
during a week-long run of performances at the Newark, New Jersey, nightclub Sugar Hill. The
resulting images offer a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of Billie with her family, friends, and her
pet chihuahua, Pepe; playing with her godchild (son of her autobiography's coauthor, William
Dufty); washing dishes at the Duftys' home; walking the streets of Newark; in her hotel room;
waiting backstage or having a drink in front of the stage; and performing. The years and the
struggles seem to vanish when she sings; her face lights up. Later that same year, Dantzic
photographed her in color at the second New York Jazz Festival at Randall's Island. Only a
handful of the photographs in "Jerry Dantzic: Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill" have ever been
published. In her informative reflections, Zadie Smith evokes Lady Day herself and shows us
what she sees as she inhabits these images and reveals what she is thinking. Comprising 90 b/w
photographs, "Jerry Dantzic: Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill" is an inherently fascinating and
impressive portrayal of one of America's truly outstanding and influential African American
female performers of the 20th Century. Simply stated, "Jerry Dantzic: Billie Holiday at Sugar
Hill" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library
Photography collections -- and a 'must' for all dedicated Billie Holiday fans.
The Anthropology Shelf
Road Through Time
Mary Soderstrom
University of Regina Press
University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4S 0A2
www.uofrpress.ca
9780889774773, $22.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Accessible and entertaining, Mary Soderstrom begins "Road Through Time: The Story of
Humanity on the Move" with the story of how anatomically modern humans left Africa to
populate the world. She then carries us along the Silk Road in central Asia, and tells of roads
built for war in Persia, the Andes, and the Roman Empire. She then sails across the seas, and
introduces the first railways, all before plunking us down in the middle of a massive, modern
freeway. "Road Through Time" closes with a view from the end of the road, literally and
figuratively: asking, can we meet the challenges presented by a mode of travel dependent on
hydrocarbons, or will we decline, as so many civilizations have in the past? With by an author
with a genuine flair for storytelling, "Road Through Time" is an inherently fascinating,
entertaining, and informative read from cover to cover. Certain to be an enduringly popular
addition to community and academic library Anthropology & History collections, "Road Through
Time" is especially commended to the attention of non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the global history of humanity.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Detector Dog
Pam Mackinnon
Hubble & Hattie
www.hubbleandhattie.com
9781845849634, $17.99, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Pam Mackinnon has been a professional dog trainer for almost 30 years. As a drug detector dog
handler with HM Customs & Excise, Pam has used canine companions to conduct searches all
over the UK, from oil rigs to cruise ships, postal depots to airports and vehicles to houses.
Combining her detection skills with her work as a dog training and behavior consultant, Pam
developed the UK's most successful scent work training program that teaches all dogs to become
detector dogs. In "Detector Dog: A Talking Dogs Scentwork Manual" Pam draws upon her nearly
three decades of experience and expertise to take the reader through each stage of scent work,
beginning with introducing the dog to a specific scent, through starter searches, and on to
advanced work, indoors and out. Aided by illustrations and full color photographs of many
different breeds at work, "Detector Dog" is thoroughly 'user friendly' step-by-step instruction
manual that will open up a whole new world of activities readers and their own canine
companions can enjoy together. Impressively informative and profusely illustrated, "Detector
Dog" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library
Pets/Wildlife collections in general, and Dog Training supplemental studies reading lists in
particular.
The Art Shelf
Why Draw?
Joachim Homann, et al.
DelMonico Books
c/o Prestel Publishing
900 Broadway, Suite 603, New York, NY 10003
www.prestel.com
9783791356068, $60.00, HC, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled by Joachim Homman (Curator of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art), with
commentaries by twenty knowledgeable contributors, "Why Draw?: 500 Years of Drawings and
Watercolors from Bowdoin College" presents historic and contemporary selections from one of
the nation's oldest collections of drawings. This richly illustrated and highly engaging volume
explores the significance and pleasures found in tracing movements of the hand on paper by
asking the question Why Draw? An intimate art form, drawing offers a direct connection to one's
imagination; a means of exercising the eye, brain, and the hand; and a way to spark new ideas
and resolve pictorial challenges. "Why Draw?" features more than 100 exceptional drawings,
pastels, watercolors, and collages from the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, which has been
collecting drawings since the 1811 bequest of James Bowdoin III. The works exemplify what
compels artists to draw and thus illustrate the ongoing relevance of drawing as the most
foundational artistic practice. Gathered here for the first time in this extraordinary study, the
range, quality, and uniqueness of the drawings will captivate anyone interested in drawing as an
art form. Reproduced in gorgeous color illustrations, works from Peter Paul Rubens to Mary
Cassatt, Ed Ruscha, and Jim Dine are accompanied by brief commentary. Statements from
acclaimed contemporary artists, leading curators, and distinguished scholars provide insights into
the creative process. "Why Draw?" grants personal access to this singular, evolving collection
and will appeal to art lovers everywhere. Simply stated, "Why Draw?" will prove to be an
enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library
American Art History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
A Reservoir of Ideas
Glyn Davies
Paul Holberton Publishing
https://www.paulholberton.com
c/o Casemate (distribution)
9781911300168, $65.00, HC, 292pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by Glyn Davies (curator of medieval sculpture at the Victoria and Albert
Museum), "A Reservoir of Ideas: Essays in Honour of Paul Williamson" is an impressive
collection of over twenty fully illustrated articles covers an array of medieval topics, with a
particular emphasis on sculpture. The contributors are all friends and colleagues of Paul
Williamson, and, drawn from the United Kingdom, Europe, and the united States, are all
prominent experts in their different fields. The wide range of subjects covered includes ivories,
wood carvings, alabaster, architectural sculpture, caskets, reliquaries, and questions of imagery
and iconography. With a full scholarly apparatus, "A Reservoir of Ideas" is an invaluable and
beautifully illustrated reference work. An invaluable reference for students, scholars, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the history of sculpture and medieval art, "A
Reservoir is an impressively instructional, illuminating, and celebratory tribute to the leading
scholar and curator Paul Williamson who was formerly Keeper of Sculpture, Metalwork,
Ceramics & Glass at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Exceptional, original, informed and
informative, "A Reservoir of Ideas" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and
academic library Medieval Art History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Gardening Shelf
Urban Flowers
Carolyn Dunster, author
Jason Ingram, photography
Frances Lincoln Publishers
www.franceslincoln.com
c/o Quarto Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9780711238626, $29.99, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Creating color and interest in a small urban garden by growing a range of flowers and other
decorative plants brings with it many rewards for the home gardening enthusiast. In "Urban
Flowers: Creating Abundance in a Small City Garden), Carolyn Dunster (who trained in floristry
with Jane Packer and now works as a florist and planting designer, running her business, Urban
Flowers, from her home in north London) shows what to grow and how to use a gardeners' own
blooms, leaves and berries in a range of indoor displays and hand-tied bouquets. Locally-grown
flowers in season is a significant and welcome trend in floristry and "Urban Flowers" is an ideal
instructional guide and manual for aspiring gardens living in an urban environment. Profusely
and beautifully illustrated throughout, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Urban Flowers" is very highly recommended for community and academic library
Gardening/Horoticultural instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of dedicated home gardeners that "Urban Flowers" is also available in a Kindle
format ($19.37).
The American History Shelf
Civil War Pharmacy: A History, second edition
Michael A. Flannery
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809335923 $34.50 pbk / $29.49 Kindle amazon.com
Now in an updated second edition, Civil War Pharmacy: A History is a scholarly chronicle of the
rise of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. Once concentrated almost entirely in Philadelphia, the
industry embarked on a nationwide expanse after the war. Civil War Pharmacy explores how this
field of medicine gained traction and popularity; how large-scale manufacture and dispensation
of drugs became feasible during and after the war; and much more. The second edition
particularly focuses upon societal involvement in providing and distributing medical drugs, both
among the Union and Confederate sides of the Civil War. Expertly researched, and enhanced
with extensive notes, Civil War Pharmacy: A History is highly recommended especially for
public and college library American History collections.
The Civil War Shelf
The Cavalries at Stones River
Dennis W. Belcher
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9781476665368, $39.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
At the Civil War Battle of Stones River, General David Stanley's Union cavalry repeatedly
fought General Joseph Wheeler's Confederate cavalry. The campaign saw some of the most
desperately fought mounted engagements in the Civil War's Western Theater and marked the end
of the Southern cavalry's dominance in Tennessee. "The Cavalries at Stones River: An Analytical
History" by Civil War historian Dennis Belcher is a comprehensively detailed history that
describes the events leading up to the battle and the key actions, including the December 31
attack by Wheeler's cavalry, the Union counterattack, the repulse of General John Wharton by the
1st Michigan Engineers and Wheeler's daring raid on the rear of Williams Rosecrans' army. Of
special note is Belcher's informative reassessment of the actions of General John Pegram's
cavalry brigade. Enhanced with twenty-two pages of Notes, a ten page Bibliography, and a six
page Index, "The Cavalries at Stones River" is an inherently fascinating read and very highly
recommended for both community and academic library Civil War History collections, as well as
the personal reading lists of all dedicated Civil War buffs.
The Military Shelf
Call Sign: Lightning
Scott Messmore
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
9780811715850 $29.95 pbk / $15.65 Kindle amazon.com
Call Sign: Lightning is a vivid history of the U.S. Marine Corps' Air Naval Gunfire Liaison
Companies, also known as ANGLICOs. Small squads of these Marines infiltrate deep behind
enemy lines to identify targets and direct fire from aircraft, ground artillery, and naval guns.
Their dangerous task requires them to be the best of the best. Call Sign: Lightening examines
their earliest origins in the Pacific theater of World War II, their effective establishment in Korea,
and their participation in operations in Vietnam, Beirut, Grenada, and Desert Storm. Author and
former ANGLICO member Scott Messmore seamlessly weaves testimony from his own
experiences, journalistic reporting, and historical narrative into this immensely fascinating
chronicle. Call Sign is highly recommended especially for public and college library military
history collections, as well as personal reading lists.
Blitzkrieg: From the Ground Up
Niklas Zetterling
Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612004600, $32.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
A comprehensively detailed work of definitive scholarship, "Blitzkrieg: From the Ground Up" by
Niklas Zetterling (a military historian and researcher at the Swedish Defense College) is an
examination of the German Blitzkrieg operations from Poland to Operation Barbarossa, as
experienced by junior commanders and enlisted men, exploring why they were so successful. The
successes of the German Blitzkrieg in 1939 - 41 were as surprising as they were swift. Allied
decision-makers wanted to discover the secret to German success quickly, even though only
partial, incomplete information was available to them. The false conclusions drawn became
myths about the Blitzkrieg that have lingered for decades. It has been argued that German
victories in the early part of the war rested less upon newly developed tanks and aircraft and
more on German military traditions: rather than creating a new way of war based on new
technology, the Germans fitted the new weapons into their existing ideas on warfare. These
doctrines focused on independent action, initiative, flexibility, decentralized decision-making and
mobility. The conduct of German soldiers, particularly the lower-ranking men, on the battlefield
was at the core of the concept and German victories rested upon the quality of the small combat
units. "Blitzkrieg: From the Ground Up" focuses on the experience of the enlisted men and junior
officers in the Blitzkrieg operations in Poland, Norway, Western Europe and Russia. Using
accounts previously unpublished in English, "Blitzkrieg: From the Ground Up" explores how
they operated, for example how a company commander led his tanks, how a crew worked
together inside a tank, and the role of the repair services. These narratives are fitted into a
broader perspective to give the reader a better understanding of why the Germans were so
successful in 1939 - 41. Enhanced with the inclusion of twenty-two pages of Notes, an eight page
Bibliography, and a five page Index of Place Names, "Blitzkrieg: From the Ground Up" is an
extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community and academic library World War
II Military History collections. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "Blitzkrieg: From the Ground Up" is also available in a Kindle
format ($9.99).
Camouflage at War
Martin J. Dougherty
Chartwell Books
Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9780785835097, $17.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Profusely illustrated with informative commentary, "Camouflage at War: An Illustrated Guide
from 1914 to the Present Day" explores uniforms, military vehicles and buildings from World
War I to the present day. From a dummy tank in North Africa in World War II to the different
uniforms of Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front soldiers to zebra-striped dazzle ships in the north
Atlantic to today's digital pixelated pattern uniforms used by US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan,
"Camouflage at War" is a wide-ranging examination of the developments and wrong turns in
military camouflage all around the world. Although this was military work, the inspiration often
came from the natural world and the designers were civilian artists. As we move further into the
21st century, the use of camouflage is changing. Straightforward visual camouflage is less
important for aircraft as they can be picked up by heat sensors, so the task becomes to create
non-visual camouflage, deflect radar signals and reduce their signature. New technology is being
developed to project live images on to bodies, so that they appear invisible. From uniforms to
tanks, from ships to aircraft to military buildings disguised as civilian ones, "Camouflage at War"
is an expert account of how different countries have sought to hide their forces in plain view for
the past century. An impressively informed and informative history that is exceptionally well
organized and presented, "Camouflage at War" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended
addition community and academic library Military History & Technology collections, as well as
the personal reading lists of dedicated military history buffs.
The Economic Studies Shelf
The Debt of the Living
Elettra Stimilli, author
Arianna Bove, translator
State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
www.sunypress.edu
9781438464152, $85.00, HC, 199pp, www.amazon.com
In "The Debt of the Living: Ascesis and Capitalism", Elettra Stimilli (Research Fellow of
Theoretical Philosophy at Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy.) returns to the Max Webber
idea of restraint as ascesis (the exercise of self-discipline) by analyzing theological and
philosophical understandings of debt drawn from a range of figures, including Saint Paul,
Schmitt and Agamben, Benjamin and Marx, Nietzsche and Freud, and Foucault. Central to this
analysis is the logic of "profit for profit's sake", which is an aspect of Weber's work that Stimilli
believes has been given insufficient attention. Following Foucault, Stimilli identifies this as the
original mechanism of a capitalist dispositif that feeds not on a goal-directed rationality, but on
the self-determining character of human agency. Ascesis is fundamental not because it is
characterized by renunciation, but because the self-discipline it imposes converts the properly
human quality of action without a predetermined goal into a lack, a fault, or a state of guilt: a
debt that cannot be settled. Stimilli argues that this lack, which is impossible to fill, should be
seen as the basis of the economy of hedonism and consumption that has governed global
economies in recent years and as the premise of the current economy of debt. An extraordinary
and impressive work of original and seminal scholarship, "The Debt of the Living: Ascesis and
Capitalism" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Economics
collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Debt
of the Living: Ascesis and Capitalism" is also available in a Kindle format ($68.00).
Household Spending, 21st edition
LLC New Strategist Press, author
Editorial Staff at New Strategist Press, editor
New Strategist Press
106 North Dunton Avenue, East Patchogue, NY 11772
www.newstrategist.com
9781940308951, $149.00, HC, 612pp, www.amazon.com
This all-new and completely updated 21st edition of "Household Spending: Who Spends How
Much on What" reveals who spends and the products and services they buy. Included in this 21st
edition is a look at the spending recovery of 2014 as well as the long decline from the
peak-spending year of 2006 to the post-Great Recession low of 2013. This unique resource gives
corporate executives and economists dollar-for-dollar answers to the questions: Who buys? What
do they buy? How much do they spend? It also provides market shares and spending indexes.
Based on unpublished data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2014 Consumer
Expenditure Survey "Household Spending" is comprised of data that examines how much
American households spend on hundreds of products and services by the demographics that
count: age, income, household type, region of residence, race and Hispanic origin, and
educational attainment. The individual products and services are organized into chapters on
apparel; entertainment; financial products; food and alcohol; gifts; household operations; shelter
and utilities; personal care, reading, education, and tobacco; and transportation. A part of the
New Strategist Press 'American Money' series, "Household Spending is critically and
unreservedly recommended for corporate, governmental, college, and university Contemporary
Economics collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Music Shelf
Recording Unhinged
Sylvia Massy with Chris Johnson
Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonardbooks.com
9781495011276, $29.99, HC, 258pp, www.amazon.com
Sylvia Massy has been producing, engineering, and mixing popular music for decades. With the
help of Chris Johnson, Massy draws upon her years of experience and expertise to writ
"Recording Unhinged: Creative and Unconventional Music Recording Techniques" so that
aspiring musicians can "unlearn" safe record-making, discarding fixed notions about how music
should be recorded and explore techniques that fall outside the norm and yield emotionally
powerful, incredibly personal, gut-wrenching, and even scary recordings. "Recording Unhinged"
is features stories, tips, recipes, photos, advice, diagrams, exercises, illustrations, and jokes that
are unique to Massy's approach and will not be found in any other instructional manual.
"Recording Unhinged" also contains many eye-popping illustrations by Sylvia herself, bringing
real and imaginary recording situations to life. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful
and thought-provoking, "Recording Unhinged" is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, making it an ideal and appreciated addition to personal reading lists, and a core
addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Music Technology
collections.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Voices of Victory
Catherine Ritch
CRM Books
PO Box 935, Indian Trail, NC 28079
9781933341415 $18.95 www.ciridmus.com
Thoroughly accessible to scholars and lay readers alike, Voices of Victory examines the lives of
Native Americans whose mastery of their native language - once strictly forbidden on pain of
punishment at boarding school - formed the basis of coded messages in World War II. An initial
group of 29 Native American men, expanded to approximately 420 by the war's end, aided the
Allies in the Pacific Theater, saving the lives of countless soldiers and enabling them to gain
ground. Voices of Victory emphasizes the personal and individual experiences of the Code
Talkers, in their own words whenever possible. "Perhaps it was a combination of experiencing
the value of education firsthand - by being proficient in both Navajo and English, and seeing
where language skills could take one in the world - that led [former Code Talker] Draper to
devoting his life to keeping his native language alive. After returning home from the war and
finding his peace, Draper began to teach the Navajo language to high schoolers, and then to all
ages, all the way through college." Voices of Victory is an excellent resource for public, high
school, and college library collections, highly recommended.
Lines Drawn upon the Water
Karl S. Hele, editor
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
wlupress.wlu.ca
9781554584871, $39.99, PB, 378pp, www.amazon.com
The First Nations who have lived in the Great Lakes watershed have been strongly influenced by
the imposition of colonial and national boundaries there. The knowledgeably compiled and deftly
edited by Karl S. Hele (who is a member of the Garden River First Nation community of
Anishinaabeg, as well as an Associate Professor and the Director of First Peoples Studies at
Concordia University), the twelve essays comprising "Lines Drawn upon the Water: First
Nations and the Great Lakes Borders and Borderlands" examine the impact of the
Canadian/American border on indigenous communities, with reference to national efforts to
enforce the boundary and the determination of local groups to pursue their interests and define
themselves. Although both governments regard the border as clearly defined, local communities
continue to contest the artificial divisions imposed by the international boundary and define
spatial and human relationships in the borderlands in their own terms. The debate is often cast in
terms of Canada's failure to recognize the 1794 Jay Treaty's confirmation of Native rights to
transport goods into Canada, but ultimately the issue concerns the larger struggle of First Nations
to force recognition of their people's rights to move freely across the border in search of
economic and social independence. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and
thought-provoking, "Lines Drawn upon the Water" is a model of contemporary scholarship and
enhanced with the inclusion of seventy-four pages of Notes, a thirty-two page Biblibliography, a
three page listing of contributors and their credentials, and a ten page Index -- making it an
unreservedly and critically important addition to community and academic library Native
American/Indigenous Peoples reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Nature of Empires and the Empires of Nature
Karl S. Hele, editor
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
wlupress.wlu.ca
9781554583287, $85.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by Karl S. Hele (a member of the Garden River First Nation community of
Anishinaabeg, is an associate professor and the director of First Peoples Studies at Concordia
University) and drawing on themes from John MacKenzie's Empires of Nature and the Nature of
Empires (1997), "The Nature of Empires and the Empires of Nature: Indigenous Peoples and the
Great Lakes Environment" explores, from Indigenous or Indigenous-influenced perspectives, the
power of nature and the attempts by empires (United States, Canada, and Britain) to control it.
"The Nature of Empires and the Empires of Nature" also examines contemporary threats to First
Nations communities from ongoing political, environmental, and social issues, and the efforts to
confront and eliminate these threats to peoples and the environment. It becomes apparent that
empire, despite its manifestations of power, cannot control or discipline humans and nature.
Taken collectively, the fifteen erudite and informative essays suggest new ways of looking at the
Great Lakes watershed and the peoples and empires contained within it. A volume of
impressively presented scholarship, "The Nature of Empires and the Empires of Nature" includes
a thirty-two page Bibliography, a four page listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a
thirteen page Index. While very highly recommended for community and academic library Native
American/Indigenous People collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Nature of
Empires and the Empires of Nature" is also available in a paperback edition (978-1554584888,
$39.99) and in a Kindle format ($49.95).
The Library Science Shelf
Fundamentals of Library Supervision, third edition
Beth McNeil
Neal-Shuman Publishers
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838915547 $59.00 amazon.com
Now in an updated third edition, Fundamentals of Library Supervision is an instructional guide
written by Beth McNeil (professor and dean of the library, Iowa State University) focusing on
everyday, real-world problems that challenge library managers. Chapters discuss how to
efficiently interview, hire, train, and manage individual workers; how to deal with group
dynamics and foster teamwork; safety concerns; communication skills; inclusiveness and
diversity; and much more. "Allow people to express risky ideas without immediately shooting
them down. Saying 'Let me play devil's advocate' is the surest way to cut creative thinking off at
the knees because it sets a negative tone." Fundamentals of Library Supervision is a "must-read"
for anyone working their way toward a managerial career in library science, and an excellent
"refresher course" for professionals in the field.
The Women's Studies Shelf
Fairly Equal
Linda Silver Dranoff
Second Story Press
20 Maud Street, Suite 401, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5V 2M5
http://secondstorypress.ca
9781772600223, $24.95, PB, 376pp, www.amazon.com
In "Fairly Equal: Lawyering the Feminist Revolution", lawyer, activist, and former Chatelaine
legal columnist Linda Silver Dranoff details her trailblazing journey from a traditional 1950s
childhood to the battlegrounds of the courts of law and the halls of power where she and a
generation of women lawyers, supporting a larger feminist movement, championed the rights of
Canadian women and families. Through a combination of memoir and social history, Dranoff
brings to life the struggles around family law, pay and employment equity, violence against
women, abortion rights, childcare, pension rights, political engagement, public policy, and access
to legal justice. From backroom battles to public and private protest, the stories are inspiring --
and reflect a sisterhood and solidarity that ensures that the many hard-won gains of the feminist
movement will be maintained and expanded for the next generation of women. Exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, "Fairly Equal" is very highly recommended, especially for
community and academic library Women's Studies and Contemporary American Biography
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Fairly Equal" is also available in a
Kindle format ($16.99).
The Literary Studies Shelf
Saving the World Through Science Fiction
Michael R. Page
McFarland
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9781476663098, $35.00, PB, 296pp, www.amazon.com
One of the major figures in science fiction for more than sixty years, James Gunn has been
instrumental in making the genre one of the most vibrant and engaging areas of literary
scholarship. His genre history Alternate Worlds and his The Road to Science Fiction anthologies
introduced countless readers to science fiction. He founded the Gunn Center for the Study of
Science Fiction in 1982. But Gunn has also been one of the genre's leading writers. His classic
novels Star Bridge (with Jack Williamson), The Joy Makers, The Immortals and The Listeners
helped shape the field. Now in his nineties, he remains a prominent voice. His forthcoming novel
is Transformation. Drawing on materials from Gunn's archives and personal interviews with him,
"Saving the World Through Science Fiction" by Michael R. Page is the first and groundbreaking
study to examine the life, career and writing of this science fiction grandmaster. Enhanced with
the inclusion of an informative Foreword (Science Fiction's Dad) by Christopher McKitterick,
eight pages of Chapter Notes, a four page Bibliography, and a eleven page Index, "Saving the
World Through Science Fiction" is unreservedly recommended for both community and
academic library Contemporary American Literature Studies collections. For the personal reading
lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject it should be
noted that "Saving the World Through Science Fiction" is also available in a Kindle format
($18.99).
The Agriculture Shelf
Growing a Revolution
David R. Montgomery
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
97803935608328, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com
Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life belongs in agriculture, science, and social
issues collection alike as it discusses regenerative agriculture that builds soil health while
offering financial benefits to farmers. Soil degradation has already ruined much of the world's
croplands and threatened both environmental and political circles. This book surveys the use of
chemical fertilizers around the world, food shortages which have sparked revolutions and riots,
and common myths about modern agricultural practices.
The Terrorism Studies Shelf
Anatomy of Terror
Ali Soufan
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393241174, $27.95, www.wwnorton.com
Anatomy of Terror: From the Death of Bin Laden to the Rise of the Islamic State isn't just about
ISIS, as so many terrorist discussions focus on, but upon the rise of other jihadi armies loyal to
Al Qaeda, and appears on the sixth anniversary of bin Laden's death to present a former FBI
special agent's review of the rise of the organization's structure and attacks since that time.
Chapters survey both bin Laden's vision of an Islamic force in the world and the new realities of
various nations seeing a rise in such forces on their own shores. From biographical sketches of
individuals who would become leaders in this new arena to Syrian wars, camp inmates, and other
influences on jihadi popularity and evolution, this is a wide-ranging, in-depth survey that
combines research with the author's own inside experiences, and should be on the reading lists of
any interested in the rise of terrorist forces around the world.
The Autism Shelf
How to Start, Carry On and End Conversations
Paul Jordan
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781785922459, $14.95, www.jkp.com
Readers in social situations who are on the autism spectrum will find this simple collection of
scripts a fine guide to conversational etiquette and approaches which belays the notion that
conversation is an inherent skill that can't be taught. Chapters explain how to interpret everyday
social situations at school or in other group settings and provide a simple connection between a
little over sixty simple words and scripts that help readers understand how conversations evolve
and how they are structured. The result should be in any collection strong in autism skills
approaches.
Autism in My Family
Sandra Tucker
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781785927072, $19.95, www.jkp.com
Although Autism in My Family: A Journal for Siblings of Children with ASD is intended for
ages 8-12, it's recommended here because many an adult will wish to review this journal and its
strategies. An interactive workbook introduces autism using simple language directed to
non-autistic siblings and encouraging them to better understand the feelings and perceptions of
those on the autism spectrum. Thoughts, games, writing, and photography and other visual
exercises encourage a high degree of emotional connection and better understanding and is
especially recommended as a tool the entire family can utilize to open dialogue.
The Genealogy Shelf
Evidence Explained, third edition
Elizabeth Shown Mills
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806320175, $59.95, HC, 892pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded third edition, "Evidence Explained: Citing
History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace", by genealogist Elizabeth Shown Mills (an
award-winning historical writer with decades of research experience in public and private records
of many Western nations) is justifiably considered by genealogy professionals as the definitive
guide to the citation and analysis of historical sources. It is a genealogy research guide so
thorough that it leaves nothing to chance. Yet advances in genealogy and history research,
changes at major repositories and online information providers, and the ever-evolving electronic
world have generated new citation and analysis challenges for genealogy researchers. While
countless websites now suggest ways to identify their offerings, few of those address the
analytical needs of a researcher concerned with the nature and provenance of web material,
whose numerous incarnations and transformations often affect the reliability of their content.
Added to this newly revised third edition is: a QuickStart Guide; and expanded 3x3 Evidence
Analysis Process Model; Expanded coverage for genetic citations; Expanded coverage of layered
citations. As with the previous two editions, "Evidence Explained" also covers the latest concepts
in evidence analysis; coverage of latest media and delivery systems; expanded glossary; handling
of cached materials at Wayback Machine and elsewhere; privacy standards for genetic research;
updates in National Archives citations after changes at NARA and TNG; updates for major
online providers after acquisitions and mergers; when to cite DOIs vs. URLs; when to cite Stable
URLs vs. paths and keywords; the 4 Basic Rules for citing websites; and a great many other
issues raised by users of past editions. Comprehensive, reliably informative, thoroughly 'reader
friendly' in organization and presentation, "Evidence Explained" is an indispensable and core
addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Genealogy
Instructional Reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for
students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in genealogy that "Evidence
Explained" is also available in a Kindle format ($32.95).
Tips & Quips for the Family Historian
Elizabeth Shown Mills & Ruth Brossette Lennon
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806320410, $14.95, HC, 173pp, www.amazon.com
"Tips & Quips for the Family Historian" is an inherently compelling compendium bon mots and
wise words for everyone who pursues genealogy as a hobby or a profession. The sayings and
writings assembled by the genealogical team of Elizabeth Mills and Ruth Lennon here are
divided into some 86 categories relevant to both aspiring or seasoned genealogists. The
categories range from Analysis, Ethnic Research, and Genetic Genealogy, to the Internet, Land,
and Names; and from Photographs, Plagiarism, and Proof, to Research, Sources, and Tax
Records. It's easy to find just the quip you need from the book's detailed table of contents, or you
can search the author index or consult the glossary of key words at the back. Thoroughly and
impressively 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Tips & Quips for the Family
Historian" is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for personal, professional,
community, and academic library Genealogy collections and supplemental studies reading
lists.
The Aviation Shelf
Aviation Records in the Jet Age
William A. Flanagan, Lt. Col, USAF (Ret.)
Specialty Press
99 Spring Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10012
www.specialtypress.com
9781580072304, $39.95, www.cartechbooks.com
Aviators have focused on breaking flight records for as long as new planes have been invented,
and Aviation Records in the Jet Age: The Planes and Technologies Behind the Breakthroughs is
a fine documentary of jet-age efforts, documenting national and international competitions and
famous record-breaking flights from World War II onward. Chapters packed with vintage black
and white and contemporary color photos throughout accompany maps, portraits of aviators,
close-ups of planes on the ground and in the air, and discussions that survey speed and altitude
records set in a range of environmental and political conditions. The result is a beautifully done
aviation history chronicle that could almost be a coffee table addition, but holds far more detail
and history than a visual production alone.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design