Charcuterie
Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn
W. W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
0393058298 $35.00 1-800-233-4830
Relatively few cookbooks cover all the basics of charcuterie, which involve curing: that's why the comprehensive Charcuterie: The Craft Of Salting, Smoking And Curing is so important for any serious cook or cookbook collection. It reflects the author's passion for these techniques of preservation and provides the only comprehensive book on the topic, including all the classic charcuterie recipes for sausages, poultry, and meats under one cover, offering contemporary techniques expanding on traditional concepts, and making the art accessible to the average home cook. No color photos, but the focus here is on instruction and recipes, not glitz - and Charcuterie's importance doesn't lack for color.
Us And Them
David Berreby
Little, Brown
1271 Avenue of Americas, NY, NY 10020
0316090301 $26.95 twbookmark.com
Us And Them: Understanding Your Tribal Mind isn't the New Age title it sounds to be: it's a survey of how science addresses issues of group identity, using new findings from anthropology to neuroscience to discuss the 'tribal sense' and how it manifests in human affairs. Us And Them defines this sense in both a scientific and cultural perspective, from how those from different cultural roots gain reputations for performance and group reactions to how a sense of place in society affects health, cultural manipulation, and more. A 'must' for any who would understanding group psychology, social and cultural influence, and more.
The Furrow And Us
Walter Thomas Jack
University Press of America
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
076183317X $19.95 univpress.com
A work of careful, articulate scholarship, The Furrow And Us: Essays On Soil And Sentiment, authored by Walter Thomas Jack and edited by Zachary Michael Jack (Assistant Professor of English at North Central College and fourth generation Iowa farmer's son), is an informed and informative guide to the intricacies that are the everyday work life of the experienced farmer. The Furrow And Us features essays pertaining to organic farming, the "Plowman's Folly" and the till versus no-till debate which changed the face of agriculture in American history. The Furrow And Us is a highly recommended read for the ecologist, soil conservationists, practicing farmers, and students of the agriculture and agronomy.
Reading Early American Handwriting
Kip Sperry
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
080630846X $29.99 1-800-296-6687
Reading Early American Handwriting is a self-teaching tool designed to help genealogists and historians read and understand the handwriting found in documents commonly used for genealogical research. Chapters describe techniques for reading early American documents, offer samples of alphabets and letter forms, and define terms and abbreviations often found in early American wills, deeds, church records, and the like. The latter half of Reading Early American Handwriting is devoted to nearly one hundred authentic examples of early American records for the reader to practice analyzing, complete with the author's transcription on the facing page. An excellent and easy-to-use resource sure to quickly familiarize the reader with the nuances of early American handwriting.
Saskatchewan: Uncommon Views
John Conway
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
088864454X $29.95 uap.ualberta.ca
Saskatchewan: Uncommon Views is a stunning, full-color photographic gallery of Saskatchewan's countryside. Only the barest minimum of commentary supplements this collection of stunning images of grasses, open parklands, crop fields, prairie, snowfields, hills and more. A truly beautiful collection that instills a great appreciation for the wide open spaces of nature in the reader. Award-winning photographer John Conway proves his exquisite gift in this superb compilation particularly for those who appreciate the majesty of landscape photography.
A Thousand Pieces Of Paradise
Lynne Heasley
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress
0299213900 $34.95 1-800-621-2736
Written by the assistant professor of history and environmental studies at Western Michigan University, A Thousand Pieces Of Paradise: Landscape And Property In The Kickapoo Valley is an ecological history of property in one of Wisconsin's most famous regions, the Kickapoo Valley. Monitoring the development of Kickapoo property uses and debates through history, from problems of soil erosion and conservation to the rise of local communities including Amish settlements, to modern changes such as the nearly (but not quite) completed La Farge dam, the negotiation process over the rights to deer hunting on the land, and the return of the Ho-Chunk. Extensively researched and carefully documented, A Thousand Pieces Of Paradise is thoroughly accessible to lay readers and scholars alike, and searches past history of Kickapoo Valley's rural ecosystems in hope of offering accurate future predictions of and solutions to future problems for Kickapoo Valley and other lands like it.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Practical DV Filmmaking
Russell Evans
Focal Press
200 Wheeler Road, Burlington, MA 01803
0240516575 $29.99 www.amazon.com
A very highly recommended instruction guide and reference work for filmmaking students and aspiring filmmakers, Practical DV Filmmaking by Russel Evans (Film, Video and Multimedia Lecturer, internet broadcasting advisor and freelance writer on video production) is an informed and informative guide to minimal-budget film making, including all of the diverse "tricks of the trade" involved in the production a marketable film. Enhanced with an accompanying CD, Practical DV Filmmaking is sure to enable even the most novice filmmaker to attain a mastery of the filmmaking process for the low-budget end of the entertainment or documentary market.
Cornell Woolrich From Pulp Noir To Film Noir
Thomas C. Renzi
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
078642351X $35.00 1-800-253-2187
Cornell Woolrich From Pulp Noir To Film Noir is an in-depth examination of pulp writer Cornell Woolrich, who wildly popular in the 1930s and 1940s and the single most adapted writer for films of the noir period. Featuring a detailed analysis of twenty-two of Woolrich's novels and short stories, as well as thirty films adapted from these stories, a discussion of how Woolrich's style and themes influenced the noir genre, as well as a biographical sketch of Woolrich and a handful of black-and-white stills from Woolrich's noir classics, Cornell Woolrich From Pulp Noir is a "must-read" for anyone interested in the evolution of the film noir concept in pulp and film. An excellent presented, meticulously researched, and highly readable scrutiny of the enormous impact one man had on a writing and film genre, Cornell Woolrich From Pulp Noir is a recommended addition to academic Cinema History and Literary studies collections.
The International Studies Shelf
Nation-Building
Francis Fukuyama, editor
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu
0801883350 $21.95 1-800-537-5487
Nation-Building: Beyond Afghanistan And Iraq is an anthology of essays by highly esteemed academics, political analysts, and skilled practitioners regarding the American experience with nation-building, from historical roots to modern-day issues. Examining the present cases of building Afghanistan and Iraq into nations in the context of reconstruction efforts in other areas of the world, including Japan, Latin America, and the Balkans, these writings particularly question the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq as an example of poor planning. A valuable resource filled with critical reflection and evaluation and offering valuable suggestions to reduce future mistakes and costs in human lives, Nation-Building is a sober testimony and very highly recommended.
The Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Side-Drifting For Steelhead
JD Richey & Fred Cantaoi
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
1571883509 $15.95 amatobooks.com
Side-Drifting For Steelhead is a one-of-a-kind fishing guide that informs the reader of a controversial form of fishing for steelhead, the best way to catch a steelhead in the steelhead rivers running throughout the Pacific Northwest, California, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho, and the Great Lakes. J.D. Richey (a renowned side-drifting fisherman and guide) and co-author Fred Contaoi tactfully work in unison to produce a most descriptive, "user friendly" instructional guide to all aspects of the side-drifting method for steelhead. Strongly recommended for steelhead anglers from the most experienced to the novice beginner, Side-Drifting For Steelhead is an instructional guide book for personal and community library fishing reference collections.
Publishers Design Group
PO Box 37, Roseville, CA 95678
www.publishersdesign.com
Fishermen who travel to hot spots will find these exceptional destination-oriented guides to fishing all the game fish species in the best locations possible. Rene Limeres and Gunnar Pedersen's Alaska Fishing: The Ultimate Angler's Guide, Deluxe 3rd Edition (1929170114, $34.95) is a 'must' for any angler planning a journey to Alaska. All species, all methods, and all areas throughout Alaska - over 300 of them - are covered along with plenty of charts, illustrations, species and access notes, and much more. If California's the destination you can't go wrong with Ken Jones' Pier Fishing In California: The Complete Coast And Bay Guide, 2nd Edition (1929170092, $29.95): it packs in over 500 pages of comprehensive information on over a hundred California piers perfect for fishing, from the Delta to Long Beach, and covers species, conditions, fishing tips, history, and facilities. Both aren't for the casual fisherman as much as for the avid angler who plans a trip around the best fishing holes.
The Judaic Studies Shelf
Performing Israel's Faith
Jacob Neusner
Baylor University Press
PO Box 97363, Waco, TX 76798
1932792252 $24.95 baylorpress.com
Jacob Neusner (Research Professor of Theology and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard College) authored the seminal and scholastically credible study Performing Israel's Faith: Narrative And Law In Rabbinic Theology. Performing Israel's Faith informs the reader regarding the Aggadah (the Jewish narrative) and the Halakha (the Jewish law) that is necessary to attain an actual understanding of theological concepts. Performing Israel's Faith is very highly recommended reading for students of the Judaic Studies.
The Jewish Music Companion
Velvel Pasternak
Tara Publications
29 Derby Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516
www.jewishmusic.com
1928918247 $34.95 1-800-827-2400
Written by ethnomusicologist Velvel Pasternak, The Jewish Music Companion: Historical Overview, Personalities, Annotated Folksongs is a fascinating tour of Jewish folksongs, musical traditions, great figures in Jewish music, and much more. Black-and-white photographs and short pieces of music script illustrate this highly accessible guide to readers of all backgrounds. An accompanying music CD features 14 selections covering a broad variety of Jewish folksongs. Enthusiastically recommended as a reference for music students or simply for the music lovers' pleasure of familiarizing oneself with the syncopations of a venerable tradition.
Shanghai Remembered
Berl Falbaum
Momentum Books
117 W Third St, Royal Oak, MI 48067
1879094738 $27.95 1-800-758-1870
Shanghai Remembered: Stories Of Jews Who Escaped To Shanghai From Nazi Europe is an competently compiled, organized and edited documentation of the Jewish escapees by Berl Falbaum. Shanghai Remembered favorably depicts the individual stories of many Jewish refugees and their journey in unfamiliar territory as a result of the Nazi empowerment during and before the second World War. As a strong recommendation to all scholars of Jewish history, as well as students of World War II in general, Shanghai Remembered is to be given high praise for its outstanding content and a strong recommendation for inclusion into academic and community library 20th Century History and Judaic Studies collections.
Jewish Life In The Industrial Promised Land 1855-2005
Nora Faires & Nancy Hanflik
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5202
0870137719 $29.95 msupress.msu.edu
Nora Faires (Associate Professor of History) and Nancy Hanflik (Co-Curator of the Sloan Museum exhibition "A Century of Jewish Life in Flint") deftly collaborate to present Jewish Life In The Industrial Promised Land 1855-2005, an examination of the history of Jewish families and daily life in Flint, Michigan, an industrial boomtown famous for its decay into rustbelt poverty when General Motors slashes jobs and closed plants. The Jewish community of Flint was comprised of many strains, including immigrants from a variety of nations; collectively, they were not invested directly in the automobile-driven economy but rather worked as storekeepers, entrepreneurs, and professionals; and they were affected as severely as everyone else when General Motors' closings caused the local economy to crumble. Black- and-white photographs illustrate this detailed chronicle of all aspects of an enduring and faithful community.
Living Torah
Elaine Rose Glickman, editor
URJ Press
633 Third Avenue, NY, NY 10017-6778
www.urjpress.com
0807409162 $27.95 1-888-489-8242
Living Torah: Selections From Seven Years Of Torat Chayim compiles more than 180 of the best writings about the Torah from the web site www.urj.org/torah of the Union for Reform Judaism. Each writing examines an parashah of the Torah from a wide variety of different perspectives; also included are summaries of each parashah including holiday parashiyot, introductory essays on Torah study and the Reform calendar and Torah reading cycle, and more. Compiled by ordained rabbi and Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters Elaine Rose Glickman, Living Torah is a contemporary study that sheds new perspectives upon ancient sacred text.
Jewish High Society In Old Regime Berlin
Deborah Hertz
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Ave, Syracuse, NY 13210
SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu
0815629559 $24.95 1-800-365-8929
European history professor Deborah Hertz presents Jewish High Society In Old Regime Berlin, a definitive examination of upper-class Jews in Berlin during the latter half of the 1700's and the first half of the 1800's. Focusing especially upon the salons and those who attended them, Jewish High Society In Old Regime Berlin draws upon statistics, anecdotes, historical references and biographies, and is illustrates with occasional black-and-white diagrams or photographs. Evenhandedly examining the lives of both men and women, Jewish High Society In Old Regime Berlin is smoothly written and highly readable to historians and lay people alike.
Rowman & Littlefield
15200 NBN Way, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214
www.rowmanlittlefield.com
Alan Levenson's anthology Thinkers: An Introduction To Modern Jewish Thinkers (0742546071 $24.95) has long been a recommended pick for college-level students and adults learning Jewish issues, and appears again in an updated second edition to provide Judaica and philosophy issues to modern audiences. Levenson's introduction to varieties of Jewish thinking in the modern world provides an important sourcebook of ideas on modern Jewish life and lends to discussion and reflection. Kabbalah: The Mystic Quest In Judaism by David Ariel (0742545644, $17.95) is the first book to provide an intellectual focus on Kabbalah, providing a scholarly study of Jewish mysticism suitable for the nonspecialist as well as the Jewish thinker. People outside the Jewish faith are exploring concepts of Kabbalah and applying them to life situations, so this revised edition represents the perfect study for all faiths to provide a focus on academic scholarship and understanding Jewish mysticism. From basic concepts of the divine world in the Kabbalah to the influences of Greek and other philosophies, Kabbalah: The Mystic Quest In Judaism is packed with memorable insights.
The Last Album
Ann Weiss
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
0827607849 $40.00 www.jewishpub.org
The updated, expanded edition of The Last Album: Eyes From The Ashes Of Auschwitz- Birkenau is out, and no less hard-hitting than the original. These black and white photos were not supposed to reach the world: the Nazi order to destroy all personal photos brought to each concentration camp was meant to destroy memories as much as evidence. Despite this mandate, author Weiss uncovered an archive of over 2,400 photos brought to Auschwitz by Jewish deportees across Europe - photos hidden and saved, at great risk to their owners. These photos accompany a traveling exhibition which is making its way around the world, presenting over 400 of these photos and how the deportees arrived at Auschwitz - and how Weiss came to discover them and to research their roots. A 'must' for any serious Jewish history collection - and many a general interest holding, as well.
Nurturing Faith
Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
Merkos Publications
291 Kingston Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11213
0826607381 $12.95 kehotonline.com
The latest addition to the Kehot Publication Society's "Chasidic Heritage Series", Nurturing Faith: A Landmark Discourse By The Lubavitcher Rebbe was originally delivered in 1981. Rabbi Schneerson was a true leader of his community and a man who inspired his follower so serve G-d with passion under all circumstances, from times of oppression and hardship, to times of complacency and prosperity. The central message is the importance a leader plays in facilitating such a level of faith under any and all societal conditions. Indeed, a leader not only nurtures the faith of his people, but that faith is powerful not because it is an abstraction, but a catalyst leading to action -- and action leads to the strengthening both the individual and the community. A welcome and seminal addition to Judaic Studies in general, and Chasidic Studies in particular, Nurturing Faith is ably translated and annotated by Rabbi Yosef Marcus, and is enhanced with additional annotation by Rabbi Ari Sollish.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Published!
Mary Montague Sikes et al
Book Waves
PO Box 182, West Point, VA 23181
0976983206 $14.95 www.bookwaves.net
Published!: Now Sell It!: A "How To" Book For Authors By Authors is an informed and informative guide compiled by the experienced and expert book publicity and marketing team of Mary Montague Sikes, Jean C. Keating, Mildred H. B. Roberson, E. R. Kallus and Joseph Guion. Published! will substantively help any novice (and even the seasoned writer) all along the process of publishing, marketing and advertising their book whether self-published, published by an independent press, or by a major publishing company. Deftly co-authored by an exceptionally knowledgeable team, Published! is a very highly recommended read for all writers, published or anyone aspiring to become a successfully published author.
Author 101
Rick Frishman & Robyn Spizman
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor, Avon, MA 02322
www.adamsmedia.com
1593374127 $12.95 1-800-872-5627
The collaboration of publicist Rick Frishman and award-winning author Robyn Freedman Spizman, Author 101: Bestselling Book Proposals is a true "insider's guide" for authors seeking to sell what they write in today's complex and competitive publishing marketplace. A "great idea" for a book is not enough; to get publishers to take notice, prospective authors need a top-quality book proposal. Author 101 covers the basics of query letters and formulating proposals, and delves in-depth about specific details such as promotion plans, discerning the market for one's book, and perhaps most valuably, what agents and publishers hate the most (including "writers who say how much they liked other books", "writers who call constantly, are demanding, and don't hang up", and "writers who constantly tinker"). A "must-read", no-nonsense primer for publishing success and professional conduct, with the absolute highest recommendation for novice writers.
How To Write A Successful Book Proposal In 8 Days Or Less
Patricia L. Fry
Matilija Press
323 East Matilija Street, Suite 110, Ojai, CA 93023
0961264292 $12.99 matilijapress.com
How To Write A Successful Book Proposal In 8 Days Or Less by successful author Patricia L. Fry is a definitive, "user-friendly" guide, which is especially recommended to writers trying to attract a publisher for their manuscript. Written in a easy-to-follow format, How To Write A Successful Book Proposal In 8 Days Or Less includes the simple ten-step lesson that educates the reader on how to write a complete book proposal, locate and approach publishers, evaluate fee-based POD publishers, choose a title that will sell, build promotion into the book, sell yourself in the "about the author" section, organize the chapter outline, promote the book outside of bookstores, make book signings successful, and write a more successful, marketable book. How To Write A Successful Book Proposal is an invaluable addition to any novice author's reference shelf and has much to commended to even experienced and published writers as well.
Publishing Gems
Brent Sampson
Outskirts Press
10940 South Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
1932672850 $9.99 outskirtspress.com
Publishing Gems: Insider Information For The Self-Publishing Writer by Brent Sampson (Founder and CEO of Outskirts Press) is an ideal read for writers who have finished their manuscript, and have the desire to pursue publication. Readers will be enlightened as Sampson presents five justified reasons that Publishing Gems will assist in writers becoming published, The information is presented in list format for easy reference, ranging from plotting, to production. Publishing Gems offers practical advice at every stage of the publishing process, Insider information from a seasoned publishing professional will help novice authors avoid common mistakes. Publishing Gems merits high praise and is justifiably recommended to dedicated authors aspiring to be published. Also strongly recommended for writing/publishing reference collections from Outskirts Press is Self-Publishing: Simplified (1598000810, $5.95), an ultimate guide to every aspect of self-publication.
The Writer's Little Helper
James V. Smith Jr.
Writer's Digest Press/F&W, dist.
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
1582974225 $19.99 writersdigest.com
From time-saving tips to insights on how a believable dialogue is created and how a compelling pace is maintained, The Writer's Little Helper: Everything You Need To Know To Write Better And Get Published packs in specific tips and references for writers of fiction who wish to improve their style and quality of work. The format here is unique: it especially lends to browsers who just wish to hone in on a particular area of interest or improvement: checklists, boxed outlines and notes, the use of color bullets and more allow for quick, breezy reference. An exceptional guide for any who would absorb the foundations of good writing solid and who would hone improvement routines.
The Business Shelf
Dearborn
30 S. Wacker Dr. Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606-7481
www.dearborn.com
Event marketers often come up against impossible budget constrictions when planning an event, but organizations can reach their sales goals if they use a blend of brand recognition, lead generation and thought leadership: that's the message in Allison Saget's The Event Marketing Handbook: Beyond Logistics & Planning (1419515063, $22.95). Chapters tell how to integrate events into a marketing plan, generate leads before, during and after an event, and maximize budgets. Allison Saget is an experienced marketer and uses her background to provide answers to common event questions, from reaching target audiences to organizing a program. Dearborn's new 'On the Road' series by Sheryn Garrett offers both young adults and adults a fine introductory set of roadmaps to life's common financial crossroads and obstacles. Starting Out (1419-50004X, $15.95) introduces newcomers to the world of adulthood, from how to establish and manage credit to managing debt, buying one's first car and home, and more. Speaking of which, Buying A Home (1419500465, $15.95) narrows it down to the home-buying world; from how to decide between a condo or single-family home to understanding payment options, the process of finding and paying for a home, and dealing with agents and owners alike. Getting Married (1419500473, $15.95) rounds out the information with a financial focus on the marriage process. From merging different styles of budgeting and understanding the financial changes marriage will bring to handling taxes as a married couple, purchasing insurance to protect the family and planning for retirement, all issues common to marriage are surveyed. These make fine primers for any who would avoid the common pitfalls of financial life.
Take Command
Kelly Perdew
Regnery Publishing
1 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
1596980001 $24.95 www.regnery.com
Military leadership principles translate well to business environments, and Take Command: 10 Leadership Principles I Learned In The Miliary And Put To Work For Donald Trump tells where Trump apprentice Perdew got his ideas. Perdew wrote the book to show corporate America what leadership skills come with veterans - and to show transitioning military personnel they can make it in a civilian business world. But there are plenty of lessons here from military leaders who turned businesses into stellar achievements, and contributors to Take Command come from all walks of business.
The Marketing Plan Workbook
John Westwood
Kogan Page USA
22883 Quicksilver Dr, Sterling, VA 20166
www.styluspub.com
074944178X $35.00 1-800-232-0223
Written by a sales and marketing professional with a lifetime of experience, John Westwood's The Marketing Plan Workbook is a guide to principles and practical methods of marketing planning. Chapters cover how to conduct a marketing audit, setting reasonable marketing objectives, advertising and sales promotion, budgets and income statements, writing and presenting a plan, and much more. Charts and graphs illustrate the points, and periodic exercises offer opportunities for the reader to reinforce his or her understanding. A "must-have" educational resource for marketing students, and a valuable refresher course for working professionals.
Legal Forms For Starting & Running A Small Business
Attorney Fred S. Steingold
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
0873379713 $29.99 1-800-955-4775
Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, Legal Forms For Starting & Running A Small Business is a comprehensive resource packed with forms for getting a business off the ground, borrowing money, hiring employees, creating contracts, buying or leasing space, and much more. Legal Forms For Starting & Running A Small Business balances its wealth of reproducible documents with straightforward "how-to" instructions and advice, a new checklist to help first-timers, and an accompanying Windows and Mac compatible CD-ROM makes printing out the forms a breeze. An easy-to-use "must-have" for small business owners and managers everywhere. Also very strongly recommended are Nolo's two companion titles in their simply outstanding business instructional guide series: The Small Business Start-Up Kit: 3rd Edition (1413300405, $24.99) and Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn: 2nd Edition Updated for 2006 (1413303749, $34.99).
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
www.hbspress.org
Knowledge workers are innovators and often driving forces of a company's product line and services: they are IT specialists and planners and you rely on them in your business: but are they delivering as much as they can? Knowledge management expert Thomas Davenport argues many companies don't maximize their productivity because they apply rigid management formulas to their workforce. His Thinking For A Living: How To Get Better Performance And Results From Knowledge Workers (1591394236 $27.50) identifies four major categories of knowledge workers and provides a format for matching each category with management strategies which encourage optimum performance. Karen Berman and Joe Knight's Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide To Knowing What The Numbers Really Mean (1591397642, $24.95) tells managers just how to use financial data to make decisions, and how to select and apply the right analytical tools and resources for the decision-making process. The basics of finance are covered along with insights on where financials some from, how they influence decisions different ways when used with different formulas and purposes, and how they can be biased. The authors have trained thousands of managers and employees in the course of their business: their expertise lends to plenty of insights here.
Complete Idiot's Guide To Starting & Running A Coffee Bar
Susan Gilbert, et.al.
Alpha/Penguin
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
1592574068 $16.95 idiotsguides.com
There's plenty of money to be made in the coffee business and if your dream is to get out there and run a coffee bar, you're in luck: Complete Idiot's Guide To Starting & Running A Coffee Bar provides all the basics on how to do so. From what it's really like to run a coffee bar to legal issues, sales, shop equipment choices, kitchen layout and more, much of the book is very specific to the coffee industry and provides a wealth of specific business advice.
The Creative Professional
Howard J. Blumenthal
Emmis Books
1700 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45206
1578602459 $14.95 emmisbooks.com
The Creative Professional: A Survival Guide For The Business World is a handy book for unconventional thinkers in all walks of business. Chapters address how to apply one's personal assets and ways of thinking for maximum profit; the advantages and disadvantages of working for oneself vs. working for a company; the nuances of the creative process; overcoming such obstacles as lack of time, poor people skills, bad reactions to criticism, or negative habits; laws affecting creative work in general and intellectual property in particular; and much more. A valuable resource especially for workers in creative fields such as writing or graphics design, as well as for businesspeople who have the knack for inventing unusual situations to common problems.
Two new fifth editions of popular 'home-based business' guides from Globe Pequot Press promise success in operating a business from home. Denise Vivaldo's Catering Business (0762738782) shares the caterer/author's experiences running her own business from her kitchen. From estimating start-up costs and finding clients to outfitting a kitchen profitably, chapters cover everything form CD-ROM recipe books to culinary web sites and specialty planning, showing how to avoid common mistakes, using portion size charts, and more. Plenty of fill-in charts make it easy to plan. Owen D. Dell's Landscaping Business (0762738812) does the same for a landscaping operation, showing how to purchase tools, estimate costs and price services, and how to use the internet's resources to help market services. The step-by-step approach blending with the latest Internet resources make Landscaping Business easy to absorb. Both are excellent specialized home business guides, specific enough to win over more general books on small business management.
CIO Wisdom II
Phillip Laplante & Thomas Costello
Prentice Hall Press
One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
0131855891 $44.99 www.phptr.com
Real-world CIOs working in IT leadership positions know best what works, and their collective wisdom in CIO Wisdom II: More Best Practices offers solutions not only for IT professionals, but for any involved in business systems management. CIO Wisdom II can be used as both a business and computer classroom text and as a IT professional's reference: it covers everything from quantifying software return on investment to understanding how successful IT outsourcing works and how to secure IT facilities. A highly recommended pick based on practical experience in the IT management world.
Small Time Operator
Bernard B. Kamoroff, CPA
Bell Springs Publishing
PO Box 1240, Willits, CA 95490
0917510224 $17.95 www.bellsprings.com
It's been used as a text in over 100 schools, and has been adopted by four book clubs - and it's in it's 30th updated editing, making Small Time Operator: How To Start Your Own Business, Keep Your Books, Pay Your Taxes, And Stay Out Of Trouble something of an exception in the world of business books, which tends to be ever-changing. Any in small business must have Small Time Operator: it provides plenty of worksheets and packs in very basic information, assuming no prior knowledge of business routines. Its information has been fully revised and updated, but its simplicity and direct approach hasn't changed, assuring Small Time Operator will remain as current to this decade of entrepreneurs as it has been for years.
The Poetry Shelf
The World Always Knew
Diamond Crystal Hayes
American Literary Press
8019 Belair Road, Route 10, Baltimore, MD 21236
www.americanliterarypress.com
1561678333 $9.95 1-800-873-2003
The World Always Knew is the highly intimate and philosophical poetry of the talented and able Diamond Crystal Hayes. Uncut: For to me.../you are an uncut diamond/sitting still in the surface of the earth,/which only beautify itself/and its surroundings.//It gives a shine that no one else can give/or have a clue how it starts or ends.//Everything that passes you by glows/as if higher power touched it.//The smile that comes with all that you give,/no one can afford the price or the cost.
Parallel Play
Stephen Burt
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
www.graywolfpress.org
1555974376 $14.00 1-651-641-0077
The term "parallel play" in childhood development refers to when two children are placed together yet play separately, without interacting. Parallel Play is an anthology of poetry reflecting on the tendency adults, lovers, friends, travelers, and others withdrawn into their personal existences, sometimes influencing one another but not necessarily acknowledging one another. The variant styles of free verse meander across the intricacies of human consciousness, even - or especially - when wholly self-absorbed. A haunting scrutiny of isolation, whether by need, choice, or accident. Over Long Island: A swept rock garden. With an enormous rake / The lines of pebbles - roofs - have been made clear: / Their parallels leave rivulets, and bare / Calm soil along one edge, the Sound. Severe, / Like any rock garden in winter; so try to make // Its scale, its thumbprint creeks and springtail lakes / Bespeak / Not how smooth stones or snowflakes look alike / But what they thought they found when they came here: / Clean sidewalks. "Freedom from want. Freedom from fear."
White Sea
Cleopatra Mathis
Sarabande Books
2234 Dundee Road, Suite 200, Louisville, KY 40205
www.sarabandebooks.org
1932511172 $13.95 1-800-283-3572
White Sea is an elegant body of poetry that lingers on the tenuous connections between the living world and the hereafter, by award-winning poet Cleopatra Mathis. The varied free verse expresses emotion, human will in the face of endless entropy, respect for the sincerity of animals, and quiet contemplation of the serenity of death. An unforgettable and haunting collection. In Woods: Blind, I was nowhere inside, / drawn past the verge of woods / in the fallen night, blank / haze hanging / a hand over my eyes. / Blind night, no moon / white as a shout, a startled / shake to keep me / out of woods - no owl this time / sweeping before me. Fall's quiet / old now: the waving leaves, the fine / flying needles of the pines / dead and given to ground. / Every outline had filled in, / paid back its black / refusal, and I almost didn't see. / I was walking the silencing woods / when wilds woke, took hold / to turn me, something far and fast / lit the dark way back.
The Beautiful Lesson Of The I
Frances Bret
Utah State University Press
78 Old Marin Hill, Logan, UT 843227800
0874216168 $15.95 usu.edu/usupress.com
A highly recommend read, Frances Brent presents an intriguing collection of her greatest poems in The Beautiful Lesson Of The I. In this deftly written body of verse, the reader will find words of compelling guidance, thought evoking wisdom, and an intricate map of Frances Brets' encouraging mind. Undo: I drew a finger through the air with its memory objects--/there's nothing/but there is. I lean-ed the gray word/against the wall with the clock//and the dark compositions of Prohibition and Desire,/space between thought going off/and coming back--//Undo--/choppy feelings of the heart--/so much hope/as the bubble floats.
On Borrowed Time
Naomi Goodman
Fithan Press
PO Box 2790, McKinley, CA 95519
1564744515 $12.00 danielpublishing.com
Strongly recommended reading, On Borrowed Time: Poems Of Two Centuries is the eclectic and highly praised work of Naomi Goodman. This compilation of Goodman's poetry is the very definition of life and the persistence of death, therein. For Later Friendship: One needs to know the references/Who? Where? When?/What?/Even Which? as in the/Journalism leads./Old friends know:/We can talk of our dead/With pleasure and nostalgia,/With those who were witnesses./They Understand./New friends ask:/Explaining, explaining is hard.
Myths Of Electricity
Keven Meaux
Texas Review Press
English Dept, Sam Houston State Univ.
Huntsville, TX 77341-2146
1881515737 $8.95 www.amazon.com
Very strongly recommended and iconoclastic, Myths Of Electricity an intuitive and insightful assemble of Kevin Meaux's highly praised and eclectic poetry. As Myths Of Electricity covers many varying subjects throughout the selective poems of Kevin Meaux, readers will feel the passion of the poet. The Young Magician And His Wife (after a photograph of the author's parents, newly married): If one can believe such things,/the afternoon blushes/with summer's articulate brilliance/as my dad levitates my mom.//His hands are poised inches above her,/His eyes are close in concentration/as if this were no trick/but a delicate task.//She's weightless and smiling./Between her back and the ground/there is nothing but sunlight.//They're too young/to know what they're doing./Soon she will settle into soft grass/or it will rise to meet her./And so he concentrates/on his hands, his wife,/the bright sunlight.
Highly recommended to the general reader and poetry lover for its clever indulgence into the English language, Blue Feast is an eloquent collection of poems from the intimate collection of Shawna Lemay, taking deep examination of motherhood, marriage, and the prosaic nature of everyday life. Lemay deftly carries the engagement of the mundane by latently writing of profoundly personal truths and histories. This Joy That Hovers Within: There is this joy that hovers within./ I'm ashamed to say I hardly own it.//All the other flotsam/in this whirlwind of my own making/am I intimate with.//I won't own joy.//But I know that in the early mornings/it moves closer/needing only strong coffee/a long gaze into darkness/one dangling thought/containing no words, no words at all.
Starred Wire
Ange Mlinko
Coffee House Press
27 N. Fourth St., Minneapolis, MN 55401
www.coffeehousepress.org
1566891779 $15.00 1-800-283-3572
Starred Wire is a collection of poetry written to the beat of a different drummer. Taking liberties with rhymes, anagrams, puns, palindromes, free-verse, stream-of-consciousness, and other techniques, each work has a different natural rhythm, and all leave a vibrant imprint on the senses. Poems to provoke impetuous inspiration, Starred Wire is a delightfully unpredictable experience. Everything's Carousing: Even the Baroque gets lost in it. / Grass vests the dirt lest wind, twanging the skyscrapers // that merely sleeve the elevators, as we go sleeveless / except for the atmosphere, file it under "oceans." // Recalling the equations derived for ballistics- / aiming cannonballs is not like squaring lintels, // and skyscrapers are all lintel. / There isn't a straight line amidst all these that never meet; // I will write away for it. A sound that breaks / "the record and the tie with the most singles in a season." // Sparrows petulantly, like petals, adding subtracting / to crumb-strewn cafe tables, then boarding the ferries.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
The Dog Bible
Kristin Mehus-Roe, editor
Bowtie Press
3 Burroughs, Irvine, CA 92618
1931993343 $24.95 bowtiepress.com
For a single-volume, weighty reference by dog experts, don't miss Dog Bible: The Definitive Source For All Things Dog. Well over two hundred breeds are covered, but it isn't all about dogs: fifty careers with dogs are also included in this manual of health remedies, emergency solutions, grooming hints and training tips. Each dog's definitive overview includes country of origin, alternate names, and characteristics, while chapters covering life with a dog, dog-friendly rental housing, and more cover all the issues likely to arise under dog ownership. Especially recommended as a library foundation pick.
The New Better Behavior In Dogs
William E. Campbell
Alpine Publications
PO Box 7027, Loveland, CO 80537
1577790189 $TBA www.alpinepub.com
Pet owners who face dilemmas in handling or training dogs will find plenty of answers in The New Better Behavior In Dogs: A Guide To Solving All Your Dog Problems. The focus here is upon understanding the dog's psyche and needs; from what factors influence successful training routines to what causes a dog to misbehave. Various types of behavior from aggression towards babies and adults to digging and jumping on people are handled in chapters which survey all aspects of dog psychology: an invaluable guide, especially for new owners.
Work Wonders
Tom Lonsdale
Dogwise Publishing
Box 2778, Wenatchee, WA 98807-2778
www.dogwisepublishing.com
0975717405 $12.95 1-800-776-2665
Tom Lonsdale's impressive mastery and complete knowledge of dogs and their true desires emerges from the pages of Work Wonders: Feed Your Dogs Raw Meaty Bones. This is the complete and "user-friendly" informational guide for any dog owner and the care they should take for the diet and overall healthy upkeep for their gratefully cherished canine companion. As an insightful and informative guide to the reader, Work Wonders is a confident recommendation for all dog owners, and a "must-read" if our canine friends are likely to stay with us for a long companionable road ahead.
Wild Belfast
Robert Scott
Blackstaff Press/Dufour Editions
Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.blackstaffpress.com
0856407623 $29.95 dufoureditions.com
Wild Belfast: On Safari In The City is an amazing book: a city guide which covers all the wildlife of the city, from insects to birds and mammals. From inner city parks and gardens to adjacent area meadows, wetlands and woods, Wild Belfast offers a simply astounding, rich survey of all the creatures which live in the region - and how best to see them. Packed with color photos and natural history, this is one of the most amazing books available - we can only hope other urban areas will receive such insights. Very highly recommended indeed; even if you never visit Belfast and know little of the area, but are passionate about wildlife and natural history.
The Amphibians And Reptiles Of El Salvador
Gunther Kohler, et al.
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
www.krieger-publishing.com
1575242524 $49.50 1-800-724-0025
Collaboratively written especially for herpetologists and other professionals in the field by the team of Gunther Kohler, Milan Vesely and Eli Greenbaum, The Amphibians And Reptiles Of El Salvador covers 130 species representing 88 genera and 30 families. Each species is listed with a partial synonymy, its total geographic distribution, ecological distribution in El Salvador, a short description of its morphology, natural history and taxonomic comments, its conservation status, and a list of Salvadoran specimens examined and their locality data. Distribution maps and color photographs of each species add a keen visual touch, combined with dichotomous keys for identification in both English and Spanish, to make The Amphibians And Reptiles Of El Salvador an excellent resource especially for identifying herpetofauna specimens.
Willow Creek Press
PO Box 147, Minocqua, WI 54548
Three appealing books are visual treats and would make wonderful gifts for dog lovers. Bad To The Bone: Celebrating Good Times And Bad Behavior! (159543-2388, $14.95) is a hilarious collection of wise reflections on behavior - paired with often-funny dog photos for philosophical reflection. From reflections on misbehaving and growing older - paired with a photo of a dog drinking from a toilet - to vignettes on nosing through trash. E. Donnall Thomas Jr.'s My Kingdom For A Lab! Life With The Hunting Labrador Retriever (1595432450, $19.50) provides descriptive essays and stories culled from the author's decades of experience with the lab breed. Natural history, hunting insights and reflections on labs during hunting season make for a fine hunter's handbook. Tom Davis' Why Goldens Do That: A Collection Of Curious Golden Retriever Behaviors (159543248, $15.95) celebrates the golden retriever, from its shedding hair and nice expression to their habits. Expect no weighty treatise here: Why Goldens Do That is a light celebration pairing lovely color photos with its insights on the breed and its loveable peculiarities. If your animal companion is a Golden Retriever, then this is the book for you!
The Fiction Shelf
Fire On Mount Maggiore
John Parras
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
www.utpress.org
1572334452 $32.95 1-800-621-2736
Based on events in the author's life while fighting forest fires in Italy, Fire On Mount Maggiore is a novel about a firefighter plagued with survivor's guilt after a terrible blaze slaughters five men in his brigade. Caught amid rumors and suspicions of flawed firefighting operations, corruption in the management of state lands, serial arson, and influence of the criminal underworld, he embarks upon an exploration into the conspiracy. Winner of the 2004 Peter Taylor Prize for the Novel, Fire On Mount Maggiore blends the realism of firsthand experience with a suspenseful saga of adventure, danger, and a glimpse into the darkness of men's hearts. Highly recommended.
Dreams Or Reality
Susan Shaw
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA)
Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
1846170974 $32.50 1-800-955-9659
Dreams Or Reality is the complete and unabridged large-print hardcover novel about a teenager in the permissive 1960's who grows up into a confused young woman. Experiencing an abusive marriage and bearing three children, she convinces herself that material possessions are the most crucial component to obtaining happiness. Yet even though she obtains all the possessions she desires, her world continues to crumble, until she is forced to make life- changing decisions about what is truly valuable in her life. A compelling story about the insufficiency of money alone and the endless quest to find meaning.
Between The Flowers
Harriette Simpson Arnow
Michigan State University
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5202
087013759X $24.95 www.msupress.com
Between The Flowers by Harriette Simpson Arnow is an intuitive depiction of the cultural themes that dictate the lives of modern life, the appeal to traveling and the actualities of residing in a traditional community regardless of global positioning. Intriguing for its theme, Between The Flowers is an inspired and inspiring work of the earlier, realist based writings, informing the reader of the latent differences between men and women, and the difficulties in communication between them in both the artificial and traditional gender community. To be given high praise for its fundamental structure, storyline and content, Between The Flowers is strongly recommended to the literature enthusiast, particularly those in study of the realist mentality and influence.
ISIS Publishing Ltd.
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA)
Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
1-800-955-9659 www.amazon.com
Three large-print hardcover novels published by ISIS are a welcome addition to public libraries or the personal collections of visually limited readers. Heidi by Johanna Spyri (0753174596, $32.50) is a flawless translation of the timeless classic about a young girl whose spreads kindness and brings out the goodness in others' hearts. The power of miracles worked through human compassion is a theme that resonates profoundly into the modern day. After Midnight by Susan Sallis (0753174-677, $32.50) is a mystery surrounding the past of a woman, her cousins, and the mysterious stranger who comes in their midst, all tied to an old railway coach in the forest that once witnessed the blooming of first love. Sex And Other Changes by David Nobbs (0753174693, $32.50) a wry and dramatic novel about a happily married couple, Nick and Alison... until one day Nick reveals that he wants to become Nicole, and Alison, though shocked, supports him because she wants to become Alan. Can both partners in a marriage change sex and preserve their marriage? How will their children and the rest of their family adapt? An unforgettable "what-if" exploration of the dynamics of gender relationships. All three novels are highly recommended.
Solomon's Wisdom & Other Stories
Roberta Kalechofsky
Micah Publications, Inc.
255 Humphrey Street, Marblehead, MA 01945-1645
0916288056 $15.00 micahbooks.com
Solomon's Wisdom & Other Stories is an anthology of ten historical fiction stories grounded in Middle Ages, biblical, and Jewish themes. Author Roberta Kalechofsky further broadens the implications of the stories, laying additional significance and drawing out new interpretations; for example, in the title story "Solomon's Wisdom", the two women who claim the same baby symbolize Judea and the northern tribes, who are rebelling against Solomon and his cravings for glory that overrule their need for justice. A profound reinterpretation of classic parables, that will leave readers of all backgrounds musing upon its implications.
Crazy Quilt
Paula Paul
University Of New Mexico Press
PO Box 25061, Albuquerque, NM 87125-0061
082633704x $15.95 www.unmpress.com
Crazy Quilt by Paula Paul is the entertaining, original and engaging story of Flora Adams, a cancer patient who, in the midst of a recuperation leave, stumbles upon an old man who becomes both an annoyance and an infatuation to her. Readers will be delighted as author and former journalist Paula Paul's intricate plot and an amusing spectra of characters ranging from Jillian, a young punk-rocker, to James Willie, the Texas town's sheriff. Enthusiastically recommended reading, Crazy Quilt is superbly crafted, fun and entertaining novel.
Winter Passage
Paul Raymond Cote and Constantina Mitchell
Behler Publications
22365 El Toro Road, #135, Lake Forest, CA 92630
www.behlerpublications.com
1933016191 $14.95 1-800-830-2913
Winter Passage is co-authored by Paul Raymond Cote and Constantina Mitchell. The result of their talented collaboration is a brilliant novel depicting the lives of an heir to a Quebec City mansion and the demented history of the young and damaged woman he encounters when first arriving to the New World from his home in Europe. Winter Passage elegantly combines history and highly personal drama to produce a modern masterpiece of the colonial era. Well written for an ultimately superb read, Winter Passage is a confidently recommended and entertaining from beginning to end.
A Thread Of Gold
R. Reed Johnson
Western Reflections Publishing
219 Main Street, Montrose, CO 81401
www.westernreflectionspub.com
1932738126 $19.95 1-800-993-4490
A Thread Of Gold: A Three Century Search For A Colorado Gold Bonanza is the fictional and historical interpretation of a three century, three state tale of three brothers searching for an ultimate gold reservoir. In the midst of their search, however, the three brothers find themselves in various significant landmarks of the old western era. Although fictional, A Thread Of Gold provides an interesting and informative history of western America's history which is highly recommended for students of American history. A Thread Of Gold is a very educational as well as highly entertaining read and quite appropriate for personal, school, and community library collections.
The Travel Shelf
Mark Twain On Travel
Terry Mort, editor
The Lyons Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437-0480
1592288065 $24.95 globepequot.com
Writer Mark Twain is best known for his children's adventure books and his spirited humor, but Mark Twain On Travel offers a different set of insights, gathering under one cover his travel experiences and writings and revealing his colorful encounters with characters around the world. These spirited literary pieces are powerful travel observations which come from a range of publications and sources and together provide an excellent survey of Twain's wit and wisdom.
Diamond Valley Publishers
89 Lower Manzanita, Markleeville, CA 96120
www.trailblazertravelbooks.com
If you're an outdoors-oriented visitor heading to Hawaii and look forward to snorkeling and hiking, don't go without packing these two 'Trailblazer' Hawaii handbooks from Jerry & Janine Sprout, who have explored the islands together. Oahu Trailblazer (0967007283, $15.95) and Maui Trailblazer (0967007240, $15.95) each offer revised new editions and pack in over a hundred hikes, strolls, snorkeling beaches and reefs, and kayak destinations. Maps, photos, resource links, and top pick highlights make these excellent 'must have' references.
Roadside Giants
Brian & Sarah Butko
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Rd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
www.stackpolebooks.com
0811732282 $14.95 1-717-796-0411
Readers can discover the eccentric tendencies of American roadways in Roadside Giants co-authored by Brian and Sarah Butko. Roadside Giants is the fun travel guide to exploring the roadside intricacies and oddities of American culture, applying "an-easy-to use" map of America's giants with enhanced with full color pictures, aspect dimensions, address and location and a brief history for each of the dozens of featured places. Roadside Giants is very highly recommended, particularly to the parents of family looking for a fun and interesting travel idea.
Liquid Mexico: Festive Spirits, Tequila Culture, & The Infamous Worm is a 'must' for any who love Mexico: it examines the locales, festivities and history surrounding Mexican drinks, using specific beverage as cultural indicators for exploring Mexican heritage. Chapters blend in the authors' travel experiences throughout Mexico in chapters which range from 'Margarita' and 'Beers' to 'Sangrita'. An inspired blend of travelogue and cultural insight makes for lively reading indeed.
Travelers' Tales
853 Alma St., Palo Alto, CA 94301
www.travelerstales.com
You won't get caught with your pants down without any good travel humor to read if you pick up Doug Lansky's laugh-filled collection There's No Toilet Paper On The Road Less Traveled (1932361-278, $14.95): it provides a hilarious set of stories from wacky, strange adventures of travel gone wrong around the world. From a dead 'peace duck' attached to a car which brings attention and respect where ever it roams to a journey to Disney World which proves less than magical, here's the perfect light-hearted take- along tote for vacation. Lisa Back edits Her Fork In The Road: Women Celebrate Food And Travel (1932361294, $16.95): a collection of quite literary travel journeys by such notables as Isabel Allende, M.F.K. Fisher and more. An affection for travel and culinary history will lend to a set of journeys of international food discoveries providing a blend of vivid writing and fine culinary insights. Sean O'Reilly, James O'Reilly and Larry Habegger edit 30 Days In The South Pacific: True Stories Of Escape To Paradise (193236126X, $14.95), a set of searches for paradise. From a drag review in Samoa to a search for a modern cult in Vanuatu and a scuba dive to the former nuclear blast site Bikini atoll, unique journeys of discovery and adventure are provided with first-person observation and some doses of humor - and always with a lively hand.
Hidden British Columbia
Eric Lucas
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley, CA 94703
1569754497 $18.95 ulyssespress.com
Take a vacation and blend in some active sports or activities and you have an 'adventure getaway' of the type Ulysses Press specializes in - and one out of the ordinary, as its 'Hidden' series covers. Websites, walking tours, scenic drives, and both weekend and extended getaways are covered in Hidden British Columbia, which specializes in byways and lesser-known attractions and which deserves ongoing recommendation as a top travel choice for the region. From Fan Tan Alley, Canada's narrowest street, to tiny cafes, Hidden British Columbia provides a quality travel experience to any heading to the region, and makes for a perfect tote as well as a at-home planner.
Two excellent take-along totes are nearly pocket-sized, yet packed with details. W.C. McRae and Judy Jewell's Zion & Bryce (1566918766, $16.95) focus on Utah's two wonderful parks but also include sections on nearby Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches parks. A handy at-a-glance map on the back places all in perspective, while pages of detail cover everything from accommodations to day trips and overnight camping in each park. Accommodations are broken down by price ranges, hiking trails and scenic drives are outlined, and tips on making the most of each park's unique scenic attractions keep Zion & Bryce useful. Philip Goldsmith's Northern California Wine Country (1566918804, $16.95) blends the author's firsthand experiences with the region with plenty of practical travel trips for getting the most from the wineries and vineyards of California. Maps and small black and white photos accompany specific details on each winery's special offerings, from Napa and Sonoma counties down to Santa Clara. Discussions include nearby accommodations, divided by price range for quick and easy planning.
Along Florida's Expressways
Dave Hunter
Mile Oak Publishing
c/o KSB Promotions
55 Honey Creek NE, Ada, MI 49301-9768
1896819451 $23.95 kbspromotions.com
Along Florida's Expressways by Dave Hunter is an exclusive and precise look into the "public knowledge" navigation of Florida, intending to bring ease to the traveler or newcomer of the interstates and bigger cities of the Sun State. Enhanced with a 25 miles-per-page full-colored strip maps, Along Florida's Expressways provides the reader with and easy-to-use and helpful guide through and around Florida. Highly recommended, Along Florida's Expressways is an excellent trip-guide and recourse for anyone aspiring to move to, or vacation in Florida.
Lonely Planet
150 Linden St., Oakland, Ca 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com
Destination travelers who want comprehensive yet compact take-along guides for planning while at home or abroad will welcome Lonely Planet's newest additions, which pack in specifics and update details for the latest travel information. Lindsay Brown's East Coast Australia (1740597834, $22.99) tells how to cruise, walk, cycle, surf and experience Australia's lesser-traveled East Coast. Chapters discuss both major cities and the countryside but always focus on uniquely Australian experiences, providing maps, colorful photos, and plenty of specifics on accommodations and travel. Co-authors John Noble and Susan Forsyth's Belize (1740-59519X, $18.99) does the same for the little South American country which holds both wild animals and ruins as attractions. From beachside to jungle lodging, touring islands to studying Maya culture and antiquities, Belize provides independent travelers with plenty of choices and the information to achieve goals. David Andrew's Watching Wildlife: Galapagos Islands (1741042097, $24.99) tells where to find wildlife when visiting the Galapagos. Wildlife photos display them, background information on animal behavior is provided, and tips on planning a trip and taking the best equipment for all kinds of wildlife viewing specific to the island environment make Watching Wildlife: Galapagos Islands a fine planner.
Quick Escapes San Francisco
Karen Misuraca
Insider's Guide
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
0762738871 $15.95 InsidersGuide.com
San Francisco-bound visitors who wish travel tips for weekend excursions will find plenty beyond the city limits, especially with Quick Escapes in hand. This sixth newly revised, updated edition of Quick Escapes San Francisco provides the latest information on such getaways, taking a day-by-day approach to each recommended destination to include where to eat meals, what to enjoy during the day and evening, and recommended seasonal attractions. Quick Escapes San Francisco is a fine, take-along tote for visitors and new residents alike.
The Whistler Book
Jack Christie
Greystone Books/Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebec Street, #201, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
1553650905 $24.95 www.amazon.com
Jack Christie is a Tourism B.C. Media Award winner and a long-time travel writer who is especially passionate about British Columbia, so it's no surprise a wonderful guide to the wilderness area of Whistler comes from his experienced hand. From hiking and snow sports to fishing, rafting and nature viewing, here are trail highlights, maps, photos, and all the access information you'll need to enjoy the Whistler region of British Columbia. Activities for active adults and kids alike make The Whistler Book An All-Season Outdoor Guide a top pick for destination-bound visitors.
Yellowstone To Yukon
Florian Schulz
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way #201, Seattle, WA 98134
www.mountaineersbooks.org
0898869897 $34.95 www.amazon.com
200 color images of the landscape and its plant, animal and human inhabitants in the Yellowstone region make Yellowstone To Yukon: Freedom To Roam a prized coffee table addition which reflects the author's ten years of journeying through Yellowstone's wonders. As if the full-page, striking color images weren't enough, original essays by noted biologists and conservationists were commissioned for this collection, including contributions by David Suzuki and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The proposed Yellowstone to Yukon conservation program is the focus: chapters provide visual emphasis on the region's wonders to accompany written surveys of a model of diversity and conservation excellence. A highly recommended pick for not just coffee tables, but libraries serious about conservation efforts.
The True Adventure Shelf
Cry From The Deep
Ramsey Flynn
Harper
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
006093641X $14.95 harpercollins.com
For a riveting moment-by-moment re-enactment of the sinking of the Soviet sub Kursk and its dramatic rescue, don't miss Cry From The Deep: The Sinking Of The Kursk, The Submarine Disaster That Riveted The World And Put The New Russia To The Ultimate Test. In 2000 the giant nuclear sub sank and over a hundred men struggled to survive as the Russian Navy failed to acknowledge their plight. The Russian government rebuffed attempts at rescue and this account reveals the deceptions and conspiracies which revolved around the disaster.
The Last Gentleman Adventurer
Edward Beauclerk Maurice
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116
0618517510 $25.00 www.hmco.com
At sixteen author Edward Beauclerk Maurice signed up with the Hudson's Bay Company and ended up at an isolated trading post in the Canadian Arctic, where he learned from the locals how to survive its harsh environment. The Last Gentleman Adventurer: Coming Of Age In The Arctic tells how he became immersed in Inuit culture, revealing his slow coming of age in a remote, harsh world and his evolution from a idealistic boy to a man who helps his Inuit friends when an epidemic threatens. A fine adventure survey of his first years in the Arctic and how the remote world captivated him.
Pioneers Of The Pacific
Nigel Rigby, et al.
University of Alaska Press
PO Box 656240, Fairbanks, AK 99775
1889963763 $26.95 www.amazon.com
Expeditions of adventure didn't end with the demise of Captain Cook in 1780: further expeditions were soon dispatched, but too few accounts provide general-interest readers with their specifics. Six of Cook's successors and their Pacific journeys are revealed in Pioneers Of The Pacific: Voyages Of Exploratio, 1787-1810 through the collaborative efforts of Nigel Rigby, Pieter van der Merwe and Lyn Williams. Illustrations in color from a range of international sources accompany biographical and adventure sketches of the six early explorers who continued Cook's legacy and considers their lasting impact, from Arthur Philip, the founder of the first British colony in Australia, to Alejandro Malaspina, whose Spanish expedition's achievements were overshadowed by his later disgrace.
Hemingway's Hurricane
Phil Scott
McGraw-Hill
2 Penn Plaza, NY, NY 10121-2298
www.internationalmarine.com
0071453326 $24.95 www.amazon.com
The great Florida hurricane of 1935 came as no surprise - in Key West Ernest Hemingway had enough warning to secure his boat and house against the storm - yet superintendents in three nearby government work camps did almost nothing to evacuate the men in their charge. Phil Scott details these days of calamity when the Keys were hit by one of the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S: Hemingway's Hurricane: The Great Florida Keys Storm Of 1935 uses eyewitness accounts to detail these days of calamity and reconstruct the events in each camp as the hurricane made landfall. The probe of the underlying problems involved in evacuation procedures holds plenty of drama and meaning for today's residents.
The Music Shelf
Jazz Consciousness
Paul Austerlitz
Wesleyan University Press
215 Long Lane, Middletown, CT 06459
www.wesleyan.edu/wespress
0819567825 $24.95 1-800-421-1561
Ethnomusicologist and skilled jazz musician Paul Austerlitz presents Jazz Consciousness: Music, Race, And Humanity is a passionate and persuasive essay postulating the core thesis that jazz and the worldview connected to it embodies an inclusive aspect, reaching beyond its African-American base to connect with all of humanity. Written from a scholarly perspective as well as that of a jazz player and music lover, Jazz Consciousness explores the widespread influence of jazz in music of the United States, The Dominican Republic, and Finland, among other nations as well as the immense contributions of individuals such as Milford Graves and Mario Bauza. An extensively researched and persuasively written accounting of the psychological power of a widely beloved form of music.
Singing In The Saddle
Douglas B. Green
Vanderbilt University Press
VU Station B 351813, Nashville, TN 37235-1813
www.vanderbiltuniversitypress.com
0826515061 $24.95 1-800-627-7377
Now in paperback is the entertaining and unique history of western music from vaudeville to modern times in Singing In The Saddle: The History Of The Singing Cowboy. Author Douglas Green is himself a singing cowboy and so his personal experience with the topic lends more insights into this history of the singing cowboy, helping analyze studio systems which made them famous, the role of local and national country music stations in playing their music, and the cultural and musical phenomenon of individual stars of the genre. With its blend of biographical sketches and music history coupled with vintage black and white photos, Singing In The Saddle is an excellent survey.
Rock & Roll Archaeologist
Peter Blecha
Sasquatch Books
119 S. Main St., #400, Seattle, WA 98104
1570614431 $16.95 sasquatchbooks.com
Author Peter Blecha is an obsessive music collector and former senior curator of the Experience Music Project: he's spent his lifetime haunting used record shops and antique stores to track down rarities and instruments played by rock's greatest icon, and here provides a lively blend of music history and first- person adventure in the search for elusive music memorabilia. Rock & Roll Archaeologist documents his transition from fanatic to recognized artifact expert in the field, and makes for an inviting, fun read.
Dylan
Mojo Magazine/Mark Blake, editor
DK
375 Hudson, New York NY 10014
0756617189 $30.00 www.dk.com
Bob Dylan's music reflected an entire generation's hopes and dreams and he's received extensive treatment in coverages which continue to this day, but Mojo's survey in Dylan: Visions, Portraits, And Back Pages is something different: a collection of powerful writings from the world's best rock journalists from Mojo magazine who work together to provide a comprehensive set of insights on his life. Stories behind songs and albums pair with previously unseen photos to shed new light on his personality and music. The vintage photos and stories are outstanding presentations, packed with color and life.
Billboard Books/Watson-Guptill
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
www.wgpub.com
Two outstanding new music titles are top picks for readers of music history. Nadine Cohodas' Queen: The Life And Music Of Dinah Washington (0823084477, $19.95) provides a gorgeous biographical survey of not only jazz/blues/pop singer Dinah Washington's life, but the music atmosphere of her times. Chapters survey her rise to stardom, her musical changes between jazz, blues and pop genres, and her outlook on life, based on extensive family interviews and newly uncovered documents. A 'must' for Dinah Washington fans. Debra DeSalvo's The Language Of The Blues: From Alcorub To Zuzu (082-3083896, $16.95) is essential reading for any who would understand blues references and the origins and meanings of blues terms. Author and musician Debra DeSalvo researched lyrics, traced them through obscure archives and references, and interviewed blues artists: the result is an outstanding survey.
Wicked Messenger
Mike Marqusee
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Avenue, New York, NY 10013
1583226869 $16.95 sevenstories.com
Wicked Messenger: Bob Dylan And The 1960s represents a revised, expanded edition of the 2003 hardcover Chimes Of Freedom, and is a recommended pick for Dylan fans and especially newcomers who missed Chimes and here will enjoy the benefit of a new chapter on his 2004 memoir and his 2003 film. Wicked Messenger shows that Dylan didn't turn away from his famous political music but instead changed the style of his message to address changing politics. In providing a concurrent social survey of the atmosphere of the U.S. during the 1960s, Wicked Messenger draws some important connections between Dylan's musical approach, its message, and how and why it affected his times.
Two outstanding DVD performances are top picks for any fan of classical music who wishes to capture the life performance feel in their living room. Nobilis Trio (HL0331682) presents a trio whose repertoire ranges from traditional to jazz. The trio has between widely recognized as one of the most exciting new trios, blending the power of violin, cello and piano with a precision which shines in DVD treatment, and their DVD provides the trio in concert along with an interview. The Elkina Piano Duo (HL00331684) are identical twins who have played together since the age of five. Their award-winning performances have earned them acclaim throughout Europe and the U.S. and this DVD performance captures the highlights of several performances, including an interview with Irina and Julia Elkina. In pairing interviews with performances, The Classical Hour At Steinway Hall creates a compelling, memorable viewing and listening experience. The Steinway Collection: Paintings Of Great Composers (1574671154, $22.00) holds gorgeous works available to the public for the first time, celebrating these classical composers through paintings by noted American artists and essays contributed by music critic James Gibbons Huneker. Steinway and Sons commissioned American artists to specially create paintings which would evoke musical connections: each full-page painting reproduction is accompanied by a lovely treatise celebrating each classical composer's works and style. M. Owen Lee's Great Instrumental Works: Unlocking The Masters (1574671170, $27.95) includes two full-length Naxos classical cds to accompany commentary on the works of some 50 selected composers. Biography blends well with critical assessment and even a dose of analyst/priest Father M. Owen Lee's humor, creating a lovely and unique survey which will make the perfect introduction for newcomers to classical music - and a good re-assessment for long-time fans.
African American Music
Mellonee V. Burnim
Portia K Maultsby
Routledge
270 Madison Ave., New York NY 10016
www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com
0415941385 $35.00 www.amazon.com
Co-edited by Mellonee V. Burnim and Portia K. Maultsby for a college-level introduction perfect for classroom text use or library reference, you can't go wrong with African American Music: An Introduction - it gathers thirty essays by leading scholars to survey major Afro-American musical genres both sacred and secular over the extent of American history, uses studies from both ethnographic fieldwork and recordings, and adds biography, photos and illustrations, and references which bring the scholarly focus to life. The blend of scholarly research, field research and cultural observation makes African American Music: An Introduction the perfect text for study.
The Golden Moment
Keith Hatschek
Backbeat Books
600 Harrison, San Francisco, CA 94107
0879308664 $19.95 backbeatbooks.com
Plenty of musician's books will tell you how to record - but will they make recording an art rather than a science, and will they help all kinds of musicians, from classical to rock, understand how hit recordings work? Learn from the engineering wizards themselves in The Golden Moment: Recording Secrets From The Pros, which gathers the collective knowledge of 50 seasoned pros under one cover. From new trends in high-resolution digital audio and podcasts to setting up an effective home studio and getting the most from equipment, dedicated musicians won't want to be without their very own copy of The Golden Moment: Recording Secrets From The Pros.
Tommy Dorsey
Peter J. Levinson
Da Capo Press
11 Cambridge Ctr, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306811111 $27.50 dacapopress.com
Celebrating the centennial of Dorsey's birth is Tommy Dorsey: Livin' In A Great Big Way, a biography reaching through the hype to provide a definitive account of the jazz icon. New research and interviews with fellow musicians provides depth and insights into the musician's eccentric lifestyle and destructive behavior. His volatile personality often led to both career launches and career crises, and this is the first biography in more than thirty years, providing insights into the Big Band era's most notable star.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Starship: Mutiny
Mike Resnick
PYR/Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-9827
www.prometheusbooks.com
1591023378 $25.00 www.amazon.com
Fans of military space opera will relish another new Mike Resnick title packed with action and adventure; this revolving around a starship's fight in a galactic war, where its crew is made up of novices and new recruits. A captain's willingness to follow the wrong orders leads Cole to take command of the ship and win a major battle; but despite his success his mutiny cannot be condoned and he is brought to trial on a 'done deal' arrangement. Politics and military might clash - as do personalities - in Starship: Mutiny.
Baen Books
PO Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com
John Ring's Emerald Sea (1416509208, $7.99) is set in the future, where the world ends the moment the council which controls the Net goes to war. It's Duke's duty to make contact with the merfolk who might side against the fascist dictators of New Destiny - but he discovers they might have plans of their own in this excellent sequel to There Will Be Dragons, which stands well alone. Steve White's Demon's Gate (1416509226, $7.99) tells of an heir to the throne who runs into his old mentor, long presumed dead, and learns that demons are returning to the world. His discovery will lead him to join forces with an effort to thwart the evil plans of a deadly gang of non-humans. James P. Hogan's Castrophes, Chaos & Convolutions (1416509219, $7.99) provides a fine collection of hard science fiction articles, from the complicated logic of a human backup copy gone awry to the paradox of a designed society determined not to be led by design. His description of how his tales came to be written, along with suspenseful stories, makes for a powerful gathering. Leo Frankowski's Conrad's Lady (1416509194, $25.00) presents a time-travel adventure: Conrad's journey back to 13th century Poland leads the history buff to recall its fate, so he sets out to turn Poland into a world power by introducing democratic ideas and advanced technology - with complicated results. Harry Turtledove's Bridge Of The Separator (1416509186, $24.00) tells of a holy man who is cousin of an empire's ruler. When civil war breaks out, he flees for his life - and discovers his curses have power to kill. It's a revelation which will change his life, religion, philosophy and spark his ultimate confrontation with evil. Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill's Music To My Sorrow (1416509178, $26.00) returns Eric Banyan to a new adventure: here he must again rescue his young brother Magnus - this time from his own parents. His battle leads him to the evangelist Billy Fairchild, whom he finds is the tool of evil elves who feed off human sorrow. Bill Fawcett and Bria Thomsen edit Masters Of Fantasy (1416509275, $7.99), packing in short stories by some of the best writers of modern times, from David Weber and David Drake to Michael Resnick and Jody Lynn Nye. These are new adventures from popular series titles and provide genre fans with exciting new stories. Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint and Dave Freer's new Wizard Of Karres (1416509267, $7.99) appears in paper to return the Witches and a wizard to new action. A captain's troubles involve a plague, political space intrigue, and a traveling interstellar circus. Dave Grossman and Leo Frankowski's The Two-Space War (1416509283, $7.99) is set six hundred years in the future and tells of a ship facing danger across enemy lands. A captain faces invasion with creative new solutions. Steve White's Blood Of The Heroes (1416509240, $24.00) tells of one Jason, tired of academic time-travel life and ready for adventure on one last expedition. Trapped in the Aegean Bronze Age, Jason discovers more than he planned on knowing about the origins of his own Greek ancestors. John Ringo's Princess Of Wands (1416609232, $25.00) begins a new series: so be prepared for multiple volumes. Barbara is a homemaker in a small town and has the perfect family and life until her determination to take a weekend off results in a dangerous rendezvous with a homicide detective. Add a swamp mystery filled with fantasy and you have some unusual protagonists. Timothy Zahn's Blackcollar (1416509259, $25.00) tells of legendary warriors who may be Earth's last hope. Allen was too young to remember when the Earth was not a conquered planet - but even he knows the legend of the blackcollar guerilla warriors, and his underground mission to locate one of the last units may be Earth's last hope for freedom. All are fast-paced adventures with strong protagonists.
One For Sorrow, Two For Joy
Clive Woodall
Ace Books/Berkeley Publishing
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0441013023 $14.00 www.penguin.com
Any who enjoyed Watership Down and similar animal-based fantasies will relish One For Sorrow, Two For Joy, which provides an epic story of animal courage and adventure. Tyranny and freedom in the bird world come alive in a moving story of magpie/crow alliances and the struggle of smaller birds to survive. It's up to the Great Owl to fight nest by nest for freedom.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Druidry Handbook
John Michael Greer
Red Wheel/Weiser
368 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.redwheelweiser.com
1578633540 $19.95 1-800-423-7087
Written by a student of occult traditions and nature spirituality of 25 years' experience, The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted In The Living Earth is a straightforward manual of traditional British Druid practice. Chapters discuss druid traditions in the contemporary world, the three triads of druid philosophy, and the different paths of initiation into druid followings: the earth path, the sun path, and the moon path. From a practical outline to planting trees, to lists of druidic symbols with their pronunciations and definitions, to step-by-step instructions in druidic ceremonies, The Druidry Handbook is a solid reference for anyone seeking to practice or simply learn about this ancient spiritual tradition.
Oracles Of The Dead
Robert Temple
Destiny/Inner Traditions
PO Box 388, Rochester, VT 05767
1594770859 $19.95 innertraditions.com
Many methods of predicting the future, from tarot to runes and the I Ching, can be traced to ancient cultures, and in Oracles Of The Dead: Ancient Techniques For Predicting The Future, Robert Temple surveys the Greek and Roman traditions and techniques which have carried these methods to modern times. The ancient belief in the Oracle of the Dead is considered as Temple examples mysteries associated with Delphi and other world oracles and considers different world oracular systems.
Use the CD-ROM accompanying Maritha Pottenger & Kris Brandt Riske, M.A.'s book Mapping Your Travels & Relocation (0738706655 $19.95) to help select a new place to live in the new seventh volume in the 'Astrology Made Easy series Mapping Your Travels & Relocation: Finding The Best Place For You. The CD-ROM calculates and interprets your potential in these new locales, while the book adds chapters which surveys changing signs and planets and how they affect romance, moving, career and new places. Any serious about astrology will find Mapping Your Travels an outstanding tool for making the right moves. For a fine and different tarot set, look at Sandra Tabatha Cicero's Babylonian Tarot (073-8707163, $29.95), an original design and concept based on ancient Babylonia, perhaps the root of Western magical traditions. Here is the only tarot deck based on the Babylonian mythos, holding the traditional zodiacal, elementary and planetary associations with some added embellishments. An accompanying guidebook provides detailed card insights and instructions.
Civil War Ghost Stories
Angus Konstam
Thunder Bay Press
5880 Oberlin Dr., San Diego, CA 92121
www.advantagebooksonline.com
1592234828 $19.95 www.amazon.com
Take the modern ghost story format and add American Civil War history and you have Angus Konstam's Civil War Ghost Stories, a blend which will appeal to two distinct audiences: ghost story enthusiasts and Civil War buffs. Are there really ghosts of the war? The nation is haunted by the conflict and sightings of said ghosts are limited neither to North nor South. Chapters use the chronology of the war to survey accompanying ghost stories, and provide accompanying photos of artifacts and photos of famous haunted locations along the way.
Learning Astrology
Damian Sharp
Red Wheel /Weiser Book Publishers
368 Congress Street, Fourth Floor, Boston, MA 02210
1578692986 $18.95 redwheelweiser.com
Astronomy expert Damian Sharp presents the ultimate guide for aspiring astrologers with Learning Astrology: An Astrology Book For Beginners. An expertly written textbook on the subject, Learning Astrology is divided into two major sections: "Surveying the Horoscopic Skyscape" and "The Planets in the Signs, Houses, and in Aspect, 91". An easy-to-follow and thoroughly "user-friendly" introductory exploration into the vast and intricate world of astrology, readers will follow the text with ease as Sharp's informed and completely accessible writing style ably presents instructive explanations of all the diverse steps to be taken in becoming a knowledgeable and competent astronomer. Very strongly recommended for the beginning novice Learning Astrology is a welcome addition to Metaphysical Studies reference collections in general and the study of astrology in particular.
Radical Knowing
Christian de Quincey
Park Street Press/Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
1594770794 $18.95 innertraditions.com
Radical Knowing: Understanding Consciousness Through Relationship by Christian de Quincey (Professor of Consciousness Studies, John F. Kennedy University) is an impressive philosophical study of the metaphysical and scientific arguments with the generally termed belief that relationships are introduced after the self of every individual, saying that it is actually the self that might identify with a collective or shared conscious. Radical Knowing is an insightful mixture of psychological and metaphysical studies. As a superb read of considerable philosophical depth, Radical Knowing is a very highly recommended book for students of the mind, science and psychological theories unique and diverse in their orientation.
The Native American Shelf
Pictures Bring Us Messages
Alison K. Brown & Laura Peers
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
www.utppublishing.com
0802048919 $29.95 1-800-565-9523
Pictures Bring Us Messages: Photographs And Histories by Alison K. Brown and Laura Peers with members of the Kainai Nation is a combination of black-and-white photographs, research, history, records of ethics and cultural protocols and more about the way of life of the Kanai Nation of Native Americans. The authors interviewed over two dozen members of the Kanai Nation in 2001 and 2002 and have made every effort to balance their focused research with full respect of the traditions and perspectives of the Kanai people in this scholarly and serious-minded text that is nonetheless accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Spanning history, anthropology, and modern-day social issues, Pictures Bring Us Messages is an enthusiastically recommended contribution to Native American studies shelves.
Arapaho Historical Traditions
Paul Moss, storyteller
Andrew Cowell & Alonzo Moss, Sr., eds.
University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John's College, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M5
www.umanitoba.ca/uofmpress
0887556833 $48.00 1-800-565-9523
Told by respected Arapaho storyteller and ceremonial leader Paul Moss (1911-1995), and edited by Co-Chair of the Northern Arapaho Language and Culture Commission Alonzo Moss Sr. and linguistics professor Andrew Cowell, Arapaho Historical Traditions presents stories of Arapaho oral tradition in English for the first time. The stories are presented line by line in both their original Arapaho and in English, with extensive notes, grammatical information, and a glossary to help the reader follow the mechanics of the translation if desired. The stories include tales of horse- stealing, capture and escape, friendly encounters between tribes, diplomacy, battle, and conflict with the U.S. A superb primary source of Arapaho history, tradition, and culture, and a welcome addition to college library and Native American studies shelves.
Native American Weapons
Colin F. Taylor
University of Oklahoma Press
4100 28th Ave, NW, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
0806137169 $16.47 1-800-627-7377
In Native American Weapons, well over a hundred color photos and illustrations provide an important, detailed survey of weapons made and used by Native Americans from Mexico to the US, ancient to modern times. Accompanying these photos and drawings are clear surveys and explanations of both the weapons and their roles in tribal culture and systems. A recommended pick for both military history and Native American collections.
The Photography Shelf
Patagonia
Tim Hauf
Tim Hauf Photography
PO Box 1241, Kingston, WA 98346
www.timhaufphotography.com
0972074333 $27.50 www.amazon.com
Patagonia: Wild Land At The End Of The Earth appeared in 2004 but deserves ongoing mention as a solid recommendation pairing Conger Beasley Jr.'s text with Tim Hauf's stunning photography of a little-explored wild world. It's sparsely settled and still largely wild, appealing to an unusual brand of traveler captivated by rugged wilderness conditions. But you don't have to be such a traveler with Patagonia: Wild Land At The End Of The Earth in hand: all the seasonal wonders of the region are captured for armchair travelers in a gorgeous, stunning presentation which remains among the view to visually tame Patagonia.
The Sports Shelf
Softball Fundamentals
Rick Noren
Human Kinetics
PO Box 5076 Champaign IL 61825-5076
0736055843 $15.95 humankinetics.com
Highly recommended to parents an their athletically inclined children, Softball Fundamentals: A Better Way To Learn The Basics, is an excellent instructional reference. In Softball Fundamentals, the author Rick Noren ensures the inclusion of all necessary information on every aspect of the game. The chapters comprising this thoroughly "user friendly" instructional guide and reference include: Throwing, Catching, Fielding Fly Balls, Fielding Ground Balls, Playing Catcher, Pitching, Hitting, Bunting and Slap Hitting, Baserunning, Sliding, Offensive Tactics, and Defensive Tactics. Softball Fundamentals is a core addition to any personal, athletic department, or community library Sports/Athletics softball reference collection.
Cross-Country Skiing
Steve Hindman
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Kickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134
www.mountaineersbooks.org
0898868629 $19.95 www.amazon.com
Aspiring skiers will love Cross-Country Skiing: Building Skills For Fun And Fitness: it joins others in Mountaineers' 'Outdoor Expert' series, providing a long-time PSIA instructor's techniques using step-by-step photos and learning activities to back instruction. Common problems receive sidebars of easily-accessed information, while technique is surveyed for different terrain and snow conditions. Cross-Cross-Country Skiing: Building Skills For Fun And Fitness: isn't just about technique, though: it includes games, health concerns, and tips on selecting skis and clothing. An excellent comprehensive primer on enjoying the snow via skis.
In Life, First You Kick Ass
Mike Ditka & Rick Telander
Sports Publishing L.L.C.
804 North Neil Street, Suite 100, Champaign, IL 61820
www.SportsPublishingLLC.com
1582619778 $24.95 1-877-424-2665
In Life, First You Kick Ass: Reflections On The 1985 Bears And Wisdom From Da Coach is classic Mike Ditka sharing his memories of the 1985 Chicago Bears and Super Bowl XX. With the assistance of sports columnist Rick Telander, Ditka is able to bring the reader into the locker room and out onto the field for one of the most memorable seasons the Bears ever had -- with one of the most memorable coaches the game has ever seen. A very highly recommended addition to any personal or community library American football history collection, no true Bears fan can miss out on reading what Mike Ditka has to say In Life, First You Kick Ass: Reflections On The 1985 Bears And Wisdom From Da Coach
Counsel In The Crease
Robert O. Swados
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
1591023556 $25.00 www.amazon.com
Hockey fans who are avid followers of the sport will surely recognize the name of Robert O. Swados, who has been a league owner, executive, and franchise builder in the professional hockey world for over forth years. Counsel In The Crease: A Big League Player In The Hockey Wars provides a strong memoir of his encounters with coaches, players, and owners alike, describing the many changes he's observed in the sport since his initial involvement in the 1960s, and his up and down years with the National Hockey League. A lively set of insights on the sports world as a whole makes Counsel In The Crease a highly recommended pick indeed.
Modern Fencing
Clovis Deladrier
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
www.paladin-press.com
1581604566 $35.00 1-800-392-2400
Any undertaking fencing should have Modern Fencing: A Comprehensive Manual For The Foil, The Epee, The Sabre as a basic 'bible' of information: it's not casual overview but a very detailed, in-depth 'lesson plan' on how to use the three basic weapons of fencing. First published in 1948, Modern Fencing served as a basic training manual for students of the U.S. Naval Academy and holds lessons in all three weapons - the foil, epee, and sabre. It's long been out of print and should be considered a 'must' for any fencing student.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Nicholas
Jeremy Seal
Bloomsbury
175 - 5th Ave., New York NY 10010
1582344191 $24.95 bloomsburyusa.com
Nicholas: The Epic Journey From Saint To Santa Claus arrived too late for more timely holiday mention but still provides a fascinating biographical and spiritual account which readers will enjoy year-round. The rise of Santa Claus from his origins in Byzantine Turkey to his modern jolly friend of children image is followed in a survey of religious worship and changes around the world. The author's own travelogue in search of Nicholas' spirit and bones makes for a passionate, lively study.
Seasons Of Devotion
Philip Law, Compiler
Continuum
15 E. 26th St. #1703, NY, NY 10010
0826480454 $29.95 continuumbooks.com
There's a Bible reading and prayer for every day of the year in Seasons Of Devotion, a 365-day series of religious meditations compiled by Philip Law. Each 1-page meditation takes a Biblical event or story and adds reflective quotes and insights. A brief Bible reading and Christian prayer for each day of the year covers not just Bible passages but authors and themes who lend to supplemental bibliographic study. Perfect for daily meditations.
Geography Of Religion
Susan Tyler Hitchcock & John L. Esposito
National Geographic Books
1145 - 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688
www.nationalgeographic.com
0792273133 $40.00 www.amazon.com
National Geographic's lovely Geography Of Religion: Where God Lives, Where Pilgrims Walk opens with a bang - an introduction by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter the Rev. Mpho Tutu - and continues to present astounding detail and revelations all the way to the Epilogue by His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself. Here are 200 illustrating ranging from photos and examples of sacred art from around the world to maps, discussions of great leaders and faiths of the five great religions, and a timeline of events following their spread around the world. A gorgeous blend of history, culture, and religious insight.
The Library CD Music Shelf
Proibido Cochilar
Cabruera
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
216 West Allen Street, Suite 137, Bloomington, IN 47403
CD $18.95 www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Proibido Cochilar: Sambas For Sleepless Nights is the latest album of the band Cabruera, an exciting mix of rock, jazz, funk, rap, reggae, and "drum 'n' bass", all with an underscored samba beat. Offering a fast-paced new take on Brazilian music, Proibido Cochilar is a feast for the senses, saturated with rhythms that charge the listener's pulse. An auditory glimpse into Brazil's underground musical culture, Proibido Cochilar is rollicking great music whether for an everyday pick-me-up jolt or all-night party dancing.
The Literary Shelf
Ancient Epic Poetry
Charles Rowan Beye
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1000 Brown Street, Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084
0865166072 $35.00 www.bolchazy.com
Distinguished Professor of Classics Emeritus Charles Rowan Beye presents Ancient Epic Poetry: Homer, Apollonius, Virgil With A Chapter On The Gilgamesh Poems, an informative and interpretive introduction to classic epic poetry written for readers of all backgrounds including students, non-specialists, and scholars. Now in an expanded second edition with a new preface, a new chapter about the mythic figure of Gilgamesh, and an updated appendix of further reading, Ancient Epic Poetry familiarizes readers with history, tradition, backgrounds, philosophies, and much more pertinent to a more thorough understanding of ancient epic works. Highly recommended, especially for college library and classical poetry reference and literary criticism shelves.
The Enamoured Knight
Douglas Glover
Dalkey Archive Press
ISU Campus Box 8905, Normal, IL 61790-8905
1564784045 $14.95 dalkeyarchive.com
A strongly recommended read, The Enamoured Knight by Douglas Glover is a creative literary treatment of Cervantes' classic novel "Don Quixote". Among the chapters of The Enamoured Knight, the reader will find numerous additional pages of analysis and perspectives on the many angles and possible meanings of Cervantes' metaphors in what is arguably one of the most important classics of western literature. The Enamoured Knight opens new doors to the four-hundred-year old complex literary masterpiece, "Don Quixote" and is very highly recommended reading, especially for students of Spanish literature.
No Other Life
Gary Young
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145 Berkeley, CA 94709
159714004X $13.95 heydaybooks.com
No Other Life diligently gathers into a single volume the three books written by Gary Young and includes "Days"; "Braver Deeds" and "If He Had". No Other Life is a creatively compiled union of Gary Young's greatest and most meaningful poetry and prose. A highly recommended read any and all poetry and lyrical prose enthusiasts who appreciate these literary artforms. I had never seen her so angry, and her rage revealed a measure of love I had missed. There were many times she might have hurt me that way and didn't. p. 50
Encyclopedia Of The Harlem Literary Renaissance
Lois Brown
Facts on File Inc.
132 W. 31st St., 17th Fl., NY, NY 10001
081604967X $65.00 www.factsonfile.com
The Harlem Renaissance was a broad movement of the 1920s and 30s in America which involved all genres of the arts in a vivid spurt of creative growth, and charting the literary movement's works and major players is Encyclopedia Of The Harlem Literary Renaissance: The Essential Guide To The Lives And Works Of The Harlem Renaissance Writers. Over six hundred A-Z entries detail the history of the movement and explain how the writer and their works helped influence and change the face of American literary achievement. From historical studies to literary criticism, primary source materials and quotes throughout make the Encyclopedia Of The Harlem Literary Renaissance an important mainstay for either high school or college-level literary holdings.
The Computer Shelf
Syngress
800 Hingham St., Rockland, MA 01270
www.syngress.com
What do phishers gain from their techniques, and how do they steal identities, passwords, and information? Learn to identify the three classes of security attacks, how phishers scour the net for valid email addresses to attack, and how they are able to exploit computer vulnerabilities with Lane James's Phishing Exposed (159749030X $49.95), which will interest programmers, network administrators and legal officers alike. Chapters expose attacks then probe the world of organized phishing gangs and operations to show how phishers operate, and how you can protect your system. Rob Amini, et.al.'s How To Cheat At Designing Security For A W2k3 Server Network (1597492434, $39.95) is directed to the manager in a medium-sized network environment who understands design flaws may often be overlooked for the sake of speed. Get up and running quicker with this security guide, which tells how to create quick logical network designs, physical designs for IPSec and secure DNSA implementations, access control strategies for data, and more. The focus on designing secure systems shows managers how to implement a successful network design with the minimum of flaws. Dr. Eric Cole and Sandra Ring's Insider Threat: Protecting The Enterprise From Sabotage, Spying, And Theft (15-97490482, $34.95) explains how insider attacks often occur within organizations themselves, showing risk facts, methods, and how to recognize the first signs of an insider conspiracy routine. Learn how technology can thwart such attacks, define an acceptable level of loss in the process, and learn how to screen new hires and protect intellectual property assets with a guide which focuses on corporate data theft and its prevention.
O'Reilly Publishers
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
www.o'reilly.com
Wei-Meng Lee's Visual Basic 2005 Jumpstart: Make Your Move From VB6 To VB 2005 (059610071X, $14.95) is for any who would upgrade to VB 2005: it covers all the reasons why an upgrade is a great idea now, supports these reasons with code examples and three complete projects, and covers web applications from scratch, Windows applications, and more. Phillip J. Windley's Digital Identity: Unmasking Identity Management Architecture (IMA) (0596008783, $34.95) discusses the need and applications of a secure computer operating environment, telling how businesses can provide such security so customers, employees and suppliers can all enjoy flexibility without compromises. Windley's references to ATM security provide professionals with ideas on how security planning can enhance business efforts, and draws upon the author's experience as CTO of iMall for real examples of digital identity security processes in action. Michael Havey's Essential Business Process Modeling (0596008430, $44.95) provides a technical focus on BPM languages and approaches. Business process modeling enables technical experts to communicate and collaborate in building applications: it examines protocol, standards, theory, and real-world applications, covering both design applications and choices. Glenn Honiball's Commercial Photoshop Retouching In The Studio (059600849X, $44.95) has some heavy competition on the market in the many Photoshop guides for both beginning and advanced users - but it still stands out for its focus on professional retouching techniques, written by a pro with 20 years of experience. Most competitors offer little in the way of discussions of problems and real-world situations in retouching; the magic and uniqueness of Commercial Photoshop Retouching In The Studio lies in its focus on professional crafting solutions. Jesse Vincent, et. al.'s RT Essentials (0596006683, $34.95) covers a ticketing system to handle a typical business's customer service and vendor inquiries. One of RT's original core developers co-writers RT Essential, providing a guide which covers everything from initial installation and maintenance requirements to customization options and contributing code to RT.
The Middle Eastern Studies Shelf
A Companion To The History Of The Middle East
Youssef M. Choueiri, editor
Blackwell Publishing
350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148-5020
www.blackwellpublishing.com
1405106816 $124.95 www.amazon.com
College-level collections with either in-depth or general world history holdings will want to be certain the latest addition to the Blackwell Companions to World History title A Companion To The History Of The Middle East is acquired. It holds nearly thirty newly commissioned essays by leading international scholars and separates the region into four political units: Iran, Turkey, Israel and the Arab world, focusing on contemporary history but including enough background for chronological insights. From different institutions and nationalisms to the rise of political and religious beliefs in the region, A Companion To The History Of The Middle East holds the depth which makes it attractive to advanced students, yet the background which lends to an introductory reading. A highly recommended, basic pick for Mideast Studies collections.
Middle East Conflict Almanac
Tom & Sara Pendergast; Ralph Zerbonia
Thomson Gale
27500 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535
078769455X $165.00 www.thomson.com
College-level holdings strong in Middle Eastern history will find this 3-book reference almanac set a fine scholarly addition. The three books allow for breakdowns of themes and in-depth examinations: Primary Sources surveys all the influential documents relating to conflict in the region and are divided into seven thematically arranged chapters to help students locate official documents, resolutions, documents relating to peace, war and state establishment, and more. Almanac discusses events and conflicts since the end of World War 2, exploring the roots of religious conflicts and power sifts in the region and providing articles which survey roots of discord and political interactions. Biographies provides detailed biographical essays on nearly thirty of the most influential figures in the region, including those from 1918 to modern times and covering both their ideas and influences and their impact on the region as a whole. An outstanding reference.
Encyclopedia Of The Palestinians
Philip Mattar, editor
Facts on File Inc.
132 W. 31st Street, New York NY 10001
0816057648 $90.00 factsonfile.com
The first edition of Encyclopedia Of The Palestinians appeared in 2000 and there have been vast changes in the region since, prompting the need for this substantively revised edition, which offers new entries about these recent developments. Articles have all been updated, photos of important leaders and events added, and fifty key documents included. Encyclopedia Of The Palestinians provides depth and detail on Palestine history and issues, making it a recommended pick for general-interest college-level history holdings, as well.
A People's History Of Iraq
Iiario Salucci
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 606018
1931859140 $12.00 haymarketbooks.org
Any high school or college-level student studying Middle East issues will want to have A People's History Of Iraq: it holds nearly two hundred pages of a critical analysis of the Iraqi Communist Party and its contribution to Iraq, and is essential for any critical review of the nation's politics and history. Iraqis have a detailed background which has been largely ignored by the media, making A People's History Of Iraq an essential consideration.
The Art Shelf
Marine Painter's Guide
Jack Coggins
Dover Publications, Inc.
31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, NY 11501
www.doverpublications.com
0486449742 $14.95 1-800-223-3130
Experienced maritime artist and teacher Jack Coggins presents Marine Painter's Guide, a self-teaching tool written especially for beginning to intermediate painters. Chapters cover such common maritime painting subjects as hulls, masts and rigging, sails, water, skies, freighters and tugs, docks, gulls, and people, as well as giving a wealth of technical do's and don'ts. Painters who have difficulty capturing the subtle nuances of perspective, composition, and water reflections will find Marine Painter's Guide particularly helpful. 127 black-and-white illustrations, many of which show sketches of complex ship riggings in careful detail, and 11 illustrations in full color round out this "must- have" how-to guide for creating realistic and emotionally moving works of maritime art.
The Art And Character Of Nutcrackers
Arlene Wagner
Collectors Press, Inc.
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
www.collectorspress.com
1933112085 $60.00 1-800-423-1848
The Art And Character Of Nutcrackers is an artbook of nutcrackers as crafted throughout human history, from simple and utilitarian devices to whimsical novelties resembling toy soldiers to beautiful works of art, and even provocative nutcrackers fashioned in the semblance of nude women. The text offers a brief survey of the creation, evolution, and use of nutcrackers, yet the majority of The Art And Character Of Nutcrackers is devoted to full-color photography of the nutcrackers themselves. Each photo bears a caption that lists the nutcracker's name, origin, composition, and approximate dimensions. The Art And Character Of Nutcrackers is not a price guide, yet it is a truly gorgeous resource for collectors and casual browsers alike, and a wonderful way to visually experience an artistic marriage of practical function and aesthetic value.
American Decorative Arts
Gerald W.R. Ward, et al
Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Ave, Boston MA 02115
0878466983 $19.95 mfa-publications.org
Co-written by Gerald W.R. Ward, Nonie Gadsded, and Kelly L'Ecuyer, American Decorative Arts features over 100 carefully selected masterpieces of furniture, silver, glass, ceramics, base metals, basketry and sculpture from one of the world's preeminent collections; The Museum of Fine Arts. With an intricate layout, American Decorative Arts is presented in an encyclopedic, with features inclusive of significant pieces from a wide geographic area and all time periods. Strongly recommended for appreciators of the high-arts, as well as academic and public library reference collections.
Pure Sea Glass
Richard LaMotte
Chesapeake Seaglass Publishing
PO Box 156, Chestertown, MD 21620
0975324608 $34.95 pureseaglass.com
Winner of the Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Award, Pure Sea Glass: Discovering Nature's Vanishing Gems is a beautiful tour for collectors, beachcombers, and nature enthusiasts. Over 150 photographs of the natural treasures include numerous samples of collected sea glass and artworks created from sea glass, while chapters cover where and how to find sea glass, its many types and colors, appraising its rarity, a history of sea glass, and much more. A truly unique and beautiful artbook, written by an experienced sea glass collector and retailer and photographed by a master.
Ed Ruscha
Richard D. Marshall
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th fl, NY, NY 10014
0714845485 $39.95 www.phaidon.com
Ed Ruscha is a vast gallery of photographer and artist Ed Ruscha's (b. 1937) works. Centering around the popular and often mercantile culture of his Los Angeles home, Ruscha's creations often focus on blending text with art - such as the word "Vanish" spread against a red background fading to black near the top. An avant-garde modern art edge distinguishes this monograph, with many works featuring a crisp and sharp outline or stylized arrangements of text that appear practically 21st century rather than 20th. Very little written text intersperses the monograph; independent curator and critic Richard D. Marshall offers insightful reflections upon Ruscha's creations, but the majority of Ed Ruscha is devoted entirely to the artworks themselves in all their visual and colorful splendor. A dashing contribution to modern and forward-thinking artbook shelves.
Yoshitoshi's Strange Tales
John Stevenson
Hotei Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9074822711 $95.00 1-800-232-0223
Yoshitoshi's Strange Tales is an artbook of woodblock prints by Taiso Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), one of the most popular Japanese woodblock artists of his time, especially well-known for his works concerning supernatural events, ghosts, monsters, and animal transformations. Focusing particularly upon two series of Yoshitoshi's woodblock prints that illustrated the fantastic world of the transformed, Yoshitoshi's Strange Tales pairs a full-page color image of each selected print with a page-long description of the print's history, and a brief summary of the folk story that the print illustrates, written by Asian art expert John Stevenson. An esoteric and eye-catching addition to artbook shelves, and especially recommended for connoisseurs of 19th-century Japanese art.
Marketing And Buying Fine Art Online
Marques Vickers
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St., #510, New York NY 10010
1581154267 $19.95 www.allworth.com
Marketing And Buying Fine Art Online walks artists, resellers and gallery owner alike through the process of understanding what's online, how it's promoted, and how to understand and profit from the selling network. From setting up an effective web site to promote sales to locating artists reference resources, art fairs and workshops, and auctions online, it's packed with unique advice specific to the fine art market.
North Light Books/F&W, dist.
4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.artistsnetwork.com
Judi Watanabe, Alison Eads and Laurie Dewberry's Retro Mania! (1581807465, $17.99) is a craft title to delight the eye: over sixty cards, party decorations, and scrapbook layouts demonstrate the retro style from the 1940s through the 70s, suggesting flashy ideas for themes and offering 'recipes' for success which include explicit directions on card stock and types, gift boxes and cans to make, and more. An excellent display of fun projects tied with ideas for entertainment and gift-giving. Jean Grastorf's Pouring Light: Layering Transparent Watercolor (1581806051, $28.99) advocates pouring watercolor to achieve radiant results. It's a technique which involves balancing the free flow of watercolor on wet paper, which sounds complicated and iffy - but not under artist instructor Jean Grastorf's hand. From the unique requirements involved in pouring colors to understanding the role of light in the watercolor medium, Pouring Light is filled with tips, pages packed with color examples, and wonderful artist insights.
The Audiobook Shelf
The Hitler Book
Henrik Eberle & Matthias Uhl
Tantor Media
114 Mill Rock Road East, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
1400102030 $39.99 www.tantor.com
Ably read by Michael Prichard, The Hitler Book: The Secret Dossier Prepared For Stalin From The Interrogations Of Hitler's Personal Aides [unabridged], co-written by Henrick Eberle and Matthias Uhl is their interpretation of a book written by Joseph Stalin in reflection of his most respected and worthy opponent, Adolf Hitler. The two young historians, Henrick Eberle and Matthias Uhl discovered the only known replication of the original documentation written by Joseph Stalin. The Hitler Book reveals some fascinating information on the personal lives and intentions of the two dictators. A seminal work on the subject, The Hitler Book is highly praised and confidently recommended listening for all students of history, particularly to those most intrigued by World War II.
Dean & Me
Jerry Lewis
Books on Tape, Inc.
400 Hahn Road, Westminister, MD 21157
www.library.booksontape.com
1415924775 $81.00 1-800-733-3000
With the assistance of James Kaplan, Jerry Lewis has written a candid memoir of his complex relationship with Dean Martin raging from their first accidentally meeting in New York, through their budding friendship and first appearances as a comedic duo, through their fascinating experiences as nightclub entertainers in an era where the nightclubs and the Las Vegas casinos were under the pervasive influence of organized crime, their breaking into the movies, their radio and television work, their eventual breakup after ten years of performing together, their ultimate reconciliation after several years of animus and separation, Dean Martin's death, and reflections by Jerry Lewis on how his partner (whom he called "Paul") so dramatically influenced his life. There are a great many surprises to be encountered, from Dean Martin's superb comedic skills that made him more than just a straight man for his high energy companion on stage, to how Martin's first big recording breakthrough came about, to the problematic impact Hal Wallis had upon their careers, to their extracurricular activities and family life. Superbly narrated by Stephen Hoye, this audiobook edition of Dean & Me: A Love Story is a "must" for anyone who has enjoyed the antics and entertainment of one of America's most successful comedic team-ups of the twentieth century. 6 cassettes, running time: 8 hours, 42 minutes. Dean & Me is also available in a 7 disc CD format (1415924783, $99.00) and in a Large Print hardcover edition(0739-325515, $28.95)
Random House Audio
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com/audio
Sue Grafton's S Is For Silence (07393-23067, $26.95) receives Tony Award-winning narrator Judy Kaye's evocative, warm voice as it tells of a daughter who seeks solace and closure in the disappearance of her mother over thirty years later. Her investigation into her mother's disappearance will awaken old, threatening ghosts in this excellent drama. P.D. James' The Lighthouse (0739323334, $44.95) receives Charles Keating's award-winning dramatic flairs, which is the perfect voice of choice to explore a complicated murder mystery revolving around one commander Adam Dalgleish, who is called upon to solve a politically-charged murder. Add a touch of romance and you have a convincing, moving story indeed. Dean Koontz's Forever Odd (0739315595, $44.95) receives an excellent narration by Broadway actor David Aaron Baker as it tells of one Odd Thomas, who lives in a small desert town and communicates with the dead. His involvement on both sides of the divide between life and death leads to a missing persons case involving a childhood friend and deadly realization of a new force emerging. Greg Behrendt and Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt's It's Called A Breakup Because It's Broken: The Smart Girl's Breakup Buddy (0739321846, $21.95) is read by the authors, a comedian and a record executive husband/wife who provide a smart, funny set of insights into surviving a breakup. Turn a breakup into a break-over with this healthy dose of insight and fun. Arthur Golden's Memoirs Of A Geisha (0739324217, $24.95) is now a major motion picture and Elaina Erika Davis provides a fiery reading to bring the Japanese world to life from Golden's novel. From a girl's virginity up for bid to how women are trained to control powerful men, Memoirs Of A Geisha holds more than a light dose of reality. Naomi Moriyama narrates Japanese Women Don't Get Old Or Fat: Secrets Of My Mother's Tokyo Kitchen (0739325124, $27.50), which explores her own insights into leading a successful lifestyle with enduring health and beauty Japanese women are known for. Moriyamagrew up in Tokyo where food is prized and here brings the traditional secrets of Japanese home-style cooking and weight management to life in an audio exploration which will delight any concerned with weight management and longevity. Truman Capote's Summer Crossing (0739332716, $22.95) enjoys an unabridged reading by actress Cassandra Campbell, whose voice-over talents lend drama and fine tone to the story of a young socialite in New York just after World War II who is left on her own for the summer. A secret affair turns serious and Grady must make some hard decisions. All are excellent listens.
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1-800-854-7859 brillianceaudio.com
These new audios are wonderful leisure choices for audiences who want solid readers paired with tested, true plots. Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley's Return (1593558937, $21.95) is a romance fueled by veteran Sandra Burr's reading as it tells of a shattered romance and faith. Add a newborn baby, a father who isn't aware of his impending new
