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Volume 11, Number 11 November 2001 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice American History Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Hunting/Fishing Shelf Woodworking Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Business Shelf Artbook Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Travel Shelf Literary Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Military Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Sports Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Death & Dying Shelf
Railroading Shelf Mystery Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Computer Shelf Artbook Shelf Gardening Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Architecture Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Fiction Shelf World History Shelf Biography Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Audiobook Shelf Musicbook Shelf
Journalism Shelf Archaeology Shelf Astronomy Shelf
Library Video/DVD Shelf Native American Shelf Nautical Shelf
Library CD Music Shelf Humor Shelf Feng Shui Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Library Science Shelf Women's Studies Shelf
Education Shelf Parenting Shelf Psychology Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Civil War Shelf International Studies Shelf
Self Help Shelf Photography Shelf Poetry Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf    



Reviewer's Choice

I'm Getting Married, Now What?!
Andrea Rotondo Hospidor
Silver Lining Books
122 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10011
076072654X $14.95 1-212-633-3220

In I'm Getting Married, Now What?!, Andrea Hospidor takes the reader through all the steps of planning the ideal wedding. The text is clear and beautifully enhanced with illustrations helping the reader to find the right wedding style for them; set a time line and create a budget, cope with caterers and photographers, buy just the right wedding dress, plan the ceremony that they want, have a perfect wedding day, book a memorable honeymoon, and much, much more. If you or someone you love has announced their engagement, then the next thing to do is to read Andrea Hospidor's I'm Getting Married, Now What?!

Me: A Personal Journey
Journals Unlimited, Inc.
4151 Two Mile Road, Bay City, MI 48706
No ISBN $19.95 journalsunlimited.com

One of Journals Unlimited outstanding "Write It Down!" series, Me: A Personal Journey is and ideal approach to learning how to keep a journal or diary for anyone old enough to write. Each page has simple prompts on one side of the page (date/day/time, weather, news and events, "I am excited about", "I am concerned about"; "Physically & mentally I feel"; What I learned today; People/things that brightened my day"; "What I did to brighten someone else's day"; and "Goals/ideas for a better tomorrow"; and a lined full-page for note making on the other side. Highly recommended for aspiring journalists and diarists ranging from kids to senior citizens, Me: A Personal Journey is a simple a great way to record and organize thoughts, experiences and events for later reflection or the benefit of posterity.

Sacred Sites Of Wisconsin
John-Brian Paprock
Teresa Peneguy Paprock
Trails Media Group Inc.
P.O. Box 317, Black Earth, WI 53515
1931599017 $18.95 1-800-236-8088

In Sacred Sites Of Wisconsin, John-Brian and Teresa Paprock effectively collaborate to profile over 400 places around the state of Wisconsin that are known for worship and pilgrimage, ranging from churches, temples, and synagogues to cemeteries, effigy mounds, and retreat centers. Each location has its history described, along with what makes it sacred and all the information a traveler will need to find and enjoy it, such as contact hours, location, and phone number. Sacred Sites Of Wisconsin contains nearly 80 photographs of its many destinations, and maps of each reason. A superb reference for anyone seeking to take a spiritual journey within Wisconsin, no Wisconsin community library state reference collection would be complete with the inclusion of John-Brian and Teresa Paprock's Sacred Sites Of Wisconsin.

Community Action At Work
Elizabeth Brand
Total Action Against Poverty
P.O. Box 2868, Roanoke, VA 24001
$TBA (ISBN) $19.00

Community Action At Work: TAP's Thirty-Year War On Poverty is a sobering look at the brutal battle against ruthless economic forces and low standards of living, as waged by the organization Total Action Against Poverty (TAP), which is headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia. TAP has endeavored to educate children, feed the homeless, leverage millions of dollars of economic assistance, initiated economic development, and much more to improve the quality of life for countless at-risk people. Community Action At Work is the detailed story of TAP, documenting their 30-year growth under the guidance of Cabell Brand, a businessman from Salem who was not content to earn money just for himself - he actively persuaded local governments to take advantage of federal anti-poverty legislation as early as 1965. Recommended as more than a fascinating history, but also as a model and guide for other charities that seek to actively combat the roots of poverty.

The Little Book Of John Deere
Don Macmillan
Voyageur Press
123 North Second Street
Stillwater, MN 55082-50002
0896585778 $14.95 1-800-888-9653

Enhanced with an informative foreword by Don Macmillan, The Little Book Of John Deere is a small, delightful gift book featuring both color and historical black-and-white photographs of the most popular tractor in America. The captions are written with an eye for detail, and the abbreviated time lines complement the pictures. The Little Book Of John Deere is a charming book to just browse through and an ideal gift for anyone with a personal or nostalgic interest in tractors.

Private Investigation Strategies And Techniques
Angela Woodhull
Loompanics Unlimited
Box 1197, Port Townsend, WA 98368
1559502142 $15.95 1-800-380-2230

Written by an expert, streetwise, professional private investigator with a Ph.D. in Psychology, Private Investigation Strategies And Techniques presents a variety of intricate, real-life case histories that Ms. Angela Woodhull solved and the methods she used to solve them, from checking courthouse records, databases, and rap sheets to interrogating folks on the street under a good pretext. From unfaithful spouses to vengeful ex-employees to process serving and more, Ms. Woodhull has seen it all and she'll tell you what qualities you need to handle the private investigation field. Private Investigation Strategies And Techniques is more than just another "how-to" manual; it is also a compelling read and a glimpse into the twists of the human mind that proves utterly fascinating, even for those of us who prefer far different careers.

The Savvy Woman's Guide To Owning A Home
Kitty Werner
RSBPress
PO Box 876, Waitsfield, Vermont 05673
0971035601 $14.95 kittywerner.com

Kitty Werner's The Savvy Woman's Guide To Owning A Home: How To Care For, Improve And Maintain Your Home is a charming, energetic, informative, and extraordinarily practical guide to the hundreds of minor pitfalls and dilemmas that come with being a homeowner. From how to prepare for emergencies, to which tools you should keep on hand, to how to evaluate insurance, The Savvy Woman's Guide To Owning A Home covers it all in clear language easily understandable by the non-specialist reader. The Savvy Woman's Guide To Owning A Home is indeed so straightforward and packed with useful information that by no means should it truly be confined to the female gender - any male homeowner who is inexperienced in matters of upkeep should consider this guide as well. Very highly recommended.

Dreaming Of Cockaigne
Herman Pleij
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, NY, NY 10023-7015
0231117027 $35.00 1-800-944-8648

Written by a professional lecturer of Dutch historical literature, Herman Pleij's Dreaming Of Cockaigne: Medieval Fantasies Of The Perfect Life is a meticulously researched and superbly presented history of the medieval fantasy paradise of Cockaigne, a dream world noticeably more accessible than the more exclusive heavenly afterlife. Ably translated into English by Diane Webb, this compendium of actual stories and artwork provide rich reference for the legend of Cockaigne; black and white illustrations add depth to Dreaming Of Cockaigne's extensive historical account of the myths people held. Numerous appendixes, a bibliography, and an index round out this scholarly, comprehensive, and strongly recommended study.

Neighbor Law
Cora Jordan, Attorney
Nolo Press
950 Parker, Berkeley, CA 94710
0-87337-650-1 $26.95 www.nolo.com

From handling water issues and overhanging trees to problems with neighboring businesses and vague boundary lines, professional attorney Cora Jordan's Neighbor Law provides an updated edition of a classic title which outlines neighbor rights and responsibilities, from zoning and nuisance scenarios to starting a petition. Excellent, practical advice.

Other Side Of The World
William Eddy
Enfield Publishing
PO Box 699 Enfield, NH 03748
0970895100 $27.00

Other Side Of The World is a compellng anthology of essays and stories which invite readers to consider human relationships to nature, with a blend of travel surveys of other cultures and different perceptions of how humans live with nature. The reflections make for light but perceptive reading.

Atoms Of Language
Mark Baker
Basic Books
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
0-465-00521-7 $28.00 1-800-242-7737

Atoms Of Language provides an unusual scientific survey of the world's languages, examining the elements human language holds in common around the world, and the theory first proposed by linguist Noam Chomsky that languages abide by a common set of rules. Baker postulates a new 'periodic table of language' in an intriguing breakthrough blend of linguistics and science.

French Sound Structure
Douglas C. Walker
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
1552380335 $35.00 1-800-565-3770

French Sound Structure comes packaged with a CD and provides travelers with a comprehensive description of the correct pronunciation of modern Standard French, including details on regional and social variation and phonological changes which are apparent in modern French. Any studying French as well as seeking to use the language will find this an effective, important guide.

Wild Berries Of The West
Betty Derig & Margaret C. Fuller
Mountain Press Publishing Company
Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
0878424334 $16.00 1-800-234-5308

Mimi Osborne illustrates Wild Berries Of The West, a comprehensive, "user friendly" guide to over a hundred berries and fruits of the western U.S. Color photos pack a guide which includes tips on both medicinal and culinary use, Native American lore, and berry history and cultivation. An excellent, practical reference.

Computers, Pattern, Chaos And Beauty
Clifford A. Pickover
Dover Publications
31 E. 2nd St., Mineola, NY 11501
0-486-41709-3 $16.95 1-800-223-3130

In Computers, Pattern, Chaos And Beauty, Clifford Pickover focuses on how theories of fractals and chaos lead to computer-generated graphics - and how graphics in computers have connections to the unseen world. From how data is processed and displayed to patterns present in complicated data, this provides both artists and scientists with an intriguing set of concepts.

Tuttle Publishing
153 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109
1-800-526-2778

Two connected, intriguing new Haiku titles from Tuttle Publishing will delight followers of haiku verse. Lonnie Hull Dupoint's Haiku Box (1-58290-030-2, $24.95) provides a kit to encourage haiku writing, from a 60-page book which outlines the rules and demonstrates the basics of haiku to exercises, a journal, and inspirational 'word tiles' to start the process. Yuzuru Miura's Classic Haiku (1682-4, $14.95) provides traditional classics by masters such as Basho and Buson along with those from recognized contemporary haiku writers. The result is a lovely package worthy of gift-giving to anyone and everyone who enjoys the discipline and imagery of Haiku verse.



The American History Shelf

All The Horses That He'd Rode
Charlie Hunt
Dageforde Publishing
122 South 29th Street, Lincoln, NE 68510
1886225699 $49.95 dageforde.com

All The Horses That He'd Rode is a spellbinding display of paintings and poetry by Charlie Hunt. Each superbly crafted, full-color painting illustrates a corresponding poem, and the two media combine to present a nostalgic look at life and history in the American Old West. All The Horses That He'd Rode is a truly captivating book to read and savor, which preserves the spirit and symbol of a chapter of American history that continues to this day. Out in the West a man's handshake's his bond./His word's still accepted as true./The cowboy, the horse and the old Longhorn cow/Are a part of the red, white an' blue.

Wheel Boats On The Missouri
Richard Jensen d& James Hutchins, eds.
Montana Historical Society Press
Box 201201, Helena, MT 59620-1201
0917298691 $39.95 1-800-243-9900

Wheel Boats On The Missouri: The Journals And Documents Of The Atkinson-O'fallon Expedition 1824-1826 is an archival reference showcasing a specialized slice of early American frontier history - as reflected by the original words of the wheel boat men who were directed by President James Monroe to negotiate peace treaties with Native American tribes along the Missouri River. The resulting use of 475 infantry soldiers, "gunboat diplomacy," and man-powered wheel boats across a 3,000 mile expedition is meticulously detailed among numerous primary references. Journals dealing with daily life, navigation difficulties, American Indian cultures and political negotiations provide an amazing glimpse into army life in an America of almost two centuries past. Wheel Boats On The Missouri is an impressive work of scholarship and a strongly recommended addition to academic and community library American history reading lists and reference collections.

Polk's Army
Richard Bruce Winders
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843
1585441627 $17.95 1-800-826-8911

Historian Richard Winder's Polk's Army is a closely detailed, meticulously researched, scholarly and engaging presentation of the daily life of American soldiers who fought in the Mexican War, drawn from a vast amalgamation of diaries, journals, and reminiscences. Polk's Army goes further to connect the army to the society from which it was drawn, and portrays a military undertaking that was a unilaterally shared experience for all ranks and walks of American soldiers, despite their differences in background or politics. Illustrated with some black-and-white historical photographs and drawings, Polk's Army is a superb, in-depth reference for anyone with a vested interest in learning more about a war that forever changed the physical shape and political future of the United States of America.

News Of The Plains And Rockies 1803-1865
David A. White, compiler
The Arthur H. Clark Company
PO Box 14707, Spokane, WA 99214
0870622315 $400.00 1-800-842-9286

News Of The Plains And Rockies, 1803-1865: Original Narratives Of Overland Travel And Adventure Selected From The Wagner-camp And Becker Bibliography is the eighth volume in an outstanding series dedicated to western historical studies. David White is compiler and editor of this remarkable volume which includes a profusion of maps, tables, and facsimiles. In addition to an informative Preface and Afterword, the text is enhanced with appendices on travel rates, "Afoot in the Black Rock Desert", and "Wagons Over the Plains and Rockies". Presented with an impressive degree of scholarship and painstaking historical research, News Of The Plains And Rockies 1803-1865 is an essential, core reference title for college and university level American western history and academic studies collections.

Best of Times
Haynes Johnson
Harcourt
15 East 26th St., New York NY 10010
0-15-100445-5 $27.00 1-800-543-1918

This informative survey of American history during the Clinton era provides an account of the many social, political and technological changes which took place during his administration. From newspaper scandals and headlines to the latest scientific discoveries, Best of Times provides a thorough coverage of eight years of contemporary U.S. events.

Across The Top Of The World
James P. Delgado
Checkmark Books/Facts on File
11 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10001
0816041245 $35.00 1-800-322-8755

Wondrously illustrated with photographs, artwork, and maps, James Delgado's Across the Top Of The World: The Quest For The Northwest Passage tells of the courageous yet ultimately doomed search for a Northwest Passage across the North American continent. From the Frobisher party in 1547 to the first successful navigation in 1903-6, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police schooner that set the stage for modern exploration using icebreakers, this historical volume portrays the pain, the toll, the struggle, and the quest of man vs. nature in absolute detail. The narrative text is exhaustively researched and so detailed as to metaphorically transport the reader along with the famous journeys. Across The Top Of The World is enthusiastically recommended public library American history collections and for anyone with a keen interest in this fascinating part of American history.

SR Books
104 Greenhill Ave. Wilmington DE 19805
1-800-772-8937

These two new arrivals are notable references for anyone studying American history and culture. Benson Tong and Regan Lutz's Human Tradition In The American West (0-8420-2861-7, $19.95) helps explain the changing cultural and social relationships of the early American West, using individual biographies to consider a region which often challenges easy answers. Chapters uses these biographies to examine a range of lives and experiences of the times. Howard Jones' Crucible Of Power (2918-4, $37.95) is an essential history of American foreign relations from 1897 to modern times, and should be considered a mainstay of any serious history and political science collection. It surveys America's growth from an emerging power in the 1890s to its dominance in modern global events, considering wartime and peacetime events and measures.

Families of Fortune
Alexis Gregory
The Vendome Press
1370 Ave. of the Americas, NY NY 10019
0865651809 $35.00 1-888-330-8477

The American Gilded Age (1870-1929) and the wealthy few businessmen who profited exorbitantly from it is royally portrayed in Families Of Fortune: Life In The Gilded Age, a beauteous book lavishly illustrated on virtually every page with artwork, photographs, and images of how the nouveau rich of that era made and spent their fortunes. The straightforward text contains an immense wealth of economic and historical information, concerning how a few famous "robber barron" families (a questionable term, since they technically weren't breaking laws against theft and certainly were not blood aristocracy) amassed such incredible fortunes, as well as how they ultimately spent those fortunes. Families Of Fortune is truly a combination of art, economics, and historical storytelling; highly recommended for anyone with a keen interest in the lifestyles of the rich and famous of the Gilded Age.

Pearl Harbor Story
Major General H. D. Russell
Mercer University Press
6316 Peake Road, Macon, GA 31210
0865547696 $19.00 1-800-634-2378

Pearl Harbor Story is the fascinating and informative memoir of Major General H. D. Russell, who was a member of the U.S. Army Pearl Harbor Investigation Board, an entity that completed its work in October 1944. Major Russell dictated his recollections in early 1946, shortly after finishing six years of active duty in the Army and returning to civilian life. Major Russell's memoir is at last being published with consent of the general's heirs. His first-person account lends an urgent, up-close and unforgettable insider's view to events that shaped history. Major Russell's personal anger with the attack and with attempts to veil the essence of what was truly happening afterward shows clearly throughout. The official report's conclusion that U.S. government officials knew little or nothing about the likelihood of a Japanese attack are starkly challenged by the dissenting opinion of a knowledgeable investigator. Pearl Harbor Story is a must-read for anyone who wants more than just a surface verdict of a singular event that changed world history.



The Philosophy Shelf

Teaching Socrates To Dance
Rene Greenwood
Psychoesthetics Press
Box 6721, Longmont, CO 80501
0-9627322-1-4 $19.95

Lay readers interested in philosophy will find Rene Greenwood's Teaching Socrates To Dance an intriguing blend of science, philosophy, and linguistics. Elements of time recognition and artistic pursuits are embraced by Grenwood, who challenges Chomsky's grammar set and replaces it with a new 'transactive grammar' based on language and music. College-level linguistics students, in particular, will relish the ideas.



The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

A View From A Tall Hill
Terry Wieland
Thorn Tree Press
N7453 Country Road QQ
Prescott, WI 54021
0-9701313-1-3 $44.95

A View From A Tall Hill is an outstanding, unique selection for any avid reader of safari hunting material in general and for those already familiar with Robert Ruark's safari writings in particular. Ruark was an author, columnist, and hunter in the latter 20th century: though his career lasted less than fifteen years, he traveled extensively throughout Africa and produced newspaper reports which enlightened the world. His biography covers the man, his work, and the special attractions of hunting in Africa. Lively and revealing.

Heartsblood
David Peterson
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-1148
1559637617 $24.95 1-800-828-1302

In Heartsblood: Hunting, Spirituality, And Wildness In America, author, editor, and wilderness expert David Peterson provides the reader with an informed, intensely personal, candid, and occasionally unsettling exploration on the subject of hunting in American culture. Petersen documents his observations with compelling first-person hunting narratives, as he also draws upon philosophy, evolutionary theory, biology, and scholarly studies on hunters and the "hunting culture". Hunting issues are as topical as today's newspaper headlines. Heartsblood is a welcome and very highly recommended contribution to familial, environmental, and political dialogues over the role of hunters and hunting in our lives, culture, and society for both good and ill.

Wisconsin Blue-Ribbon Trout Streams
R. Chris Halla
Frank Amato Publications
P.O. Box 82112, Portland, Oregon 97282
1571881611 $24.95 amatobooks.com

Chris Halla's Wisconsin Blue-Ribbon Trout Streams: Fly Patterns, Fly Plates, Hatch Chart, Sources & Resources is filled with beautiful, full-color photographs depicting Wisconsin wilderness, the fish that can be caught within it, and the many techniques, methods, and tips for doing so. The text delves into meticulous detail about numerous different streams in a variety of counties, and how to maximize your ability to bring home a successful catch or a prizewinning great fish from each fishing area. Wisconsin Blue-Ribbon Trout Streams is the perfect guide for anyone planning a fishing trip in the Wisconsin area, and highly recommended for regional fishing enthusiasts of all tastes and inclinations.



The Woodworking Shelf

Jigs & Fixtures Bible
R.J. DeCristoforo
Popular Woodworking
1547 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207
1-55870-563-5 $24.99

Woodworkers who already have basic skills will find this 'bible' of information is packed with advanced ideas for better woodworking results. From reviewing the most important tools for a woodshop to overcoming the effects of warping and using jigs which can cut circles and bowls, Jigs & Fixtures Bible provides woodworkers with practical applications for getting the most out of projects and tools.

Woodturning Techniques
Mike Darlow
Fox Chapel Publishing
1970 Broad St, East Petersburg, PA 17520
1565231481 $24.95 carvingworld.com

Woodturning Techniques is the third book in Mike Darlow's woodturning series, and its extremely detailed text as well as its numerous full-color, close-up illustrations of woodturning techniques do not disappoint. Gluing, Tool Grinding, Spindle Turning, Cupchuck Turning, Faceplate Turning, Bowl Turning, and Threading are all discussed in highly precise language ideal for the professional or dedicated amateur determined to master this artistic and practical woodworking craft. Woodturning Techniques is a superb instructional manual, a first-rate reference, and highly recommended for any personal or professional woodworking reference collection. Also recommended are the first two woodworking books in this outstanding series, The Fundamentals Of Woodturning, and Woodturning Methods.



The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Mystics, Masters, Saints & Sages
Robert Ullman
Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman
Conari Press
2550 - 9th St. #101, Berkeley, CA 94710
1-57324-507-0 $16.95 1-800-685-9595

Mystics, Masters, Saints & Sages gathers stories of enlightenment and includes them under one cover, traversing spiritual traditions to include accounts from Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic, Jewish and other disciplines. The holy experiences of saints and master teachers which led to their awakening make for inspirational reading packed with quotes and biographical as well as spiritual insight.

The Paradoxical Commandments
Kent M. Keith
Inner Ocean Publishing
Jane Wesman Public Relations (publicity)
P.O. Box 1239
Makawao, Maui, HI 96768-1239
1930722052 $15.95 innerocean.com

Ever since the 1960s, Kent Keith has doggedly insisted that despite the insanity that seems to consume the world, people can still act honorably and change things for the better. He calls his manifesto the "Paradoxical Commandments," and the very first commandment states: People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway! Commandment number two asserts: If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway! Now Keith's Paradoxical Commandments are presented with more detailed explanations, insights into the foibles of human nature, and the uplifting conviction that doing good for its own sake is the right, best, and happiest way to live. The Paradoxical Commandments: Finding Personal Meaning In A Crazy World is aptly divided into three parts: It's a Crazy World; The Paradoxical Commandments; and Living the Paradoxical Life. Each part offers a little more insight into the world we live in, and how to make it a better place. Every few pages features a short proverb of kindly wisdom, such as "Who you are and how you live are more important than who remembers what you did." Highly recommended for students of ethics and spirituality, as well as the non-specialist general reader in search of self-improvement and personal insight.

Quantum Change
William Miller & Janet C'de Baca
Guilford Press
72 Spring St., New York NY 10012
1-57230-505-3 $15.95 1-800-365-7006

Sudden insights can transform lives: the psychologist authors were longtime scholars and teachers of self-improvement when they noticed life-changing realizations among their clients. An ad requesting similar experiences from others resulted in a flood of stories of unexpected transformation, and Quantum Change blends psychology with spiritual insights in considering these changes.

The Mind Of The Universe
Mariano Artigas
Templeton Foundation Press
Five Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 120
100 Matsonford Road, Radnor, PA 19087
1890151548 $16.95 1-800-621-8476

Written by the professor of natural science and dean of Ecclesiastical Faculty at the University of Navarra (Pamplona, Spain), Mariano Artigas' The Mind Of The Universe: Understanding Science And Religion is a unique volume that dares to question the widespread assumption that science and religion are utterly irreconcilable. Examining both the ethical implications of scientific values and the plausibility of naturalistic and theistic viewpoints, The Mind Of The Universe seeks to find a center ground and an ultimate meaning for scientific progress. Highly recommended for students of science/religion reconciliation issues, The Mind Of The Universe is an erudite, literate, informed presentation on matters both physical and spiritual.

Hazeldon Press
Center City, MN 55012-0176

Three excellent inspiration guides will make fine gifts for the holiday season. Marilyn Mason's Igniting The Spirit At Work (1-56838-741-5) packs in wise advice. Unlike other 'books of sayings', this one provides a page of not just daily reflections, but case history examples of motivating changes which affected productivity and work. Karen Casey's Timeless Wisdom (736-9, $16.00) provides daily meditations for inspiration on a more general, healing level. Quotes from various sources provide the one-line impetus for the book's reflections. Melody Beattie's Language Of Letting Go (735-0, $29.95) provides a two-volume gift set of popular meditations which also offer daily affirmations and messages of hope. The second volume More Language Of Letting Go adds impact. All are excellent.

Remember This My Children
Noah benShea
Maxit Publishing
1900 Ave. of the Stars, Suite 2410
Los Angeles, CA 90067
0970017456 $27.00 maxitpublishing.com

Noah benShea's Remember This My Children is a very highly recommended, life-affirming, and inspiring book of love, hope, and solidarity between generations. Over seventy color photographs of children and adults are complemented by more than one hundred short vignettes of wisdom, patience, and giving thanks. Remember This My Children is a treasure to look through, and a simply wonderful gift for any family.



The Business Shelf

Global Brains
Gary Ferraro
Intercultural Associates
337 W. 7th St., Charlotte, NC 28202
0-9712388-0-4 $24.95

Can modern business owners and managers operate in the connected global economy of this century? Global Brains covers the knowledge base and competencies needed for global competition, discussing cultural values, communication basics, and understanding global values systems. An excellent survey of the common barriers to global business relationships.

PowerTools For Women In Business
Aliza Sherman
Entrepreneur Press
2445 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92614
1891984322 $24.95 smallbizbooks.com

Aliza Sherman's PowerTools For Women In Business is an enthusiastic, can-do optimistic guide that teaches women how to best take advantage of their own strengths and personalities to succeed in the business world. PowerTools For Women In Business is about keeping professional and personal lives in harmonious balance, never sacrificing one at the expense of another, when for women especially they tend to become all too intertwined. Personally imposed barriers to success, and emotional obstacles such as guilt or unease wielding power can be confronted and conquered. Very highly recommended reading for any female executive, especially one who is relatively new to the cutthroat, male-dominated, complex and demanding world of business!

Our Separate Ways
Ella Bell & Stella Nkomo
Harvard Business School Press
300 N. Beacon St., Watertown, MA 02472
1-57851-277-8 $29.95

Our Separate Ways examines differences between black and white women's trials and triumphs as they rose in the business world; but it's much more than an account of experiences. Eight years of research contributed to and formed the foundation for this coverage, which blends in-depth case histories with profiles of insights gained on race, gender, and economics. Our Separate Ways is an invaluable title.

Freedom And Accountability At Work
Peter Koestenbaum & Peter Block
Jossey-Bass
350 Sansome St. San Francisco CA 94104
0787955949 $29.95 1-800-225-5945

Organizations and work environments are often more focussed on how to control and predict behavior than how to understand it, but Freedom And Accountability At Work: Applying Philosophic Insight To The Real World provides a different focus on the leadership and workplace role which blends a philosophical examination of behaviors and skills with keys to applying such thoughts to effective management. Chapters include a healthy dose of psychology as they consider these issues.

How To Sell And Manage In Tough Times And Tough Markets
Tom Reilly
Motivation Press
171 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd.
Chesterfield, MO 63005
0944448224 $14.95 tomreillytraining.com

In rough times, approximately 25% of businesses fail, 70% survive, and 5% thrive. Since 1854, the United States has had thirty-two economic downturns, and all signs indicate that the cyclical economy is here to stay. Marketing expert Tom Reilly's How To Sell And Manage In Tough Times And Tough Markets is a sobering, critical appraisal of how to become part of the 5% that thrives during the inevitable downturns of the market, and how to best adapt to a cyclical economy rather than be crushed whenever it rolls over you. Practical, self-reliant advice to help executives focus on finding a solution rather than worry about blame fills How To Sell And Manage In Tough Times And Tough Markets. Very strongly recommended for any entrepreneurs, salespeople, and corporate managers, who plan to profitably stay in business.

The Power Of Positive Thinking In Business
Scott W. Ventrella
The Free Press
1230 Ave. of the Americas, NY NY 10020
0743212371 $24.00 www.simonsays.com

Scott Ventrella's The Power Of Positive Thinking In Business: 10 Traits For Maximum Results was written as an antidote to the gossip, griping, and negative impediments to team effort that undermines productivity and costs U.S. companies about three billion dollars a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When the bottom line suffers from negative thinking, so do all the countless individuals who depend upon the business in question. The Power Of Positive Thinking In Business is a careful, easy-to-understand guide to adopting a healthy, optimistic attitude for positive action and successful payoffs. From stimulating creativity to fostering an environment of trust, The Power Of Positive Thinking In Business is an excellent reference for increasing workplace productivity, and ultimately, saving a great deal of money.

Bodacious!
Mary Foley & Martha Finney
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0-8144-7131-5 $24.00 1-800-250-5308

AOL insider Foley experienced vast changes in her life as she moved from a customer service job at a computer company to heading the exploding AOL company. Bodacious! is both an autobiography of her experiences and a behind-the-scenes examination of AOL's start-up process and what it means to be a businesswoman in today's corporations. Included here are tips on how women can take control of the corporate world.

Crown Business
299 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10171
1-800-726-0600

Roger Blackwell's Customers Rule! (0-609-60865-7, $27.50) tells why the e-commerce business thrill is over, and how adaptable business structures may take advantage of these changes in customer buying habits. The Internet has proven to be not a revolutionary retail changer but an adjunct to traditional retail marketing approaches, and this explains how companies may profit from changes, using case history analyses to pinpoint blended strategies which work. Craig Gordon's Off The Record (60779-0, $24.95) presents the investor's secrets for discovering great stocks which are underrated or misunderstood by the majority of Wall Street investors. Most don't know how to thoroughly research such stocks and by the time knowledge becomes public, it's too late to profit. This provides many practical keys to such initial analysis.

Electronic Commerce
Hossein Bidgoli
Academic Press
525 B Street, Suite 1900
San Diego, California 92101-4495
0120959771 $79.95 academicpress.com

Hossein Bidgoli's Electronic Commerce: Principles and Practice is a comprehensive reference and analysis of a phenomenon that has globally revolutionized economics as we know it: e-commerce, the buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet, potentially to anywhere in the world. Among the many specific issues addressed by this fantastic guide are marketing and advertising on the World Wide Web, security issues, legal and tax issues, and how to build a successful e-commerce site. Projects and exercises to test your understanding conclude each chapter. The text's wording is straightforward, deliberately geared toward people who have had little or no experience with the Internet, and clear enough for the lay person to easily understand; anyone with a little spare time can use Electronic Commerce to teach themselves the same basic knowledge offered in entry-level seminars for hundreds of dollars of tuition. Electronic Commerce covers everything except how to create a webpage in HTML or write programs with specific computer languages/softwares, and is an invaluable, basic primer for anyone who is new to the art and skill of doing business over the Internet!



The Artbook Shelf

Clay: A Studio Handbook
Vince Pitelka
The American Ceramic Society
735 Ceramic Place, Westerville OH 43081
1574980904 $40.00 www.ceramics.org

Vince Pitelka's Clay: A Studio Handbook is a comprehensive, highly detailed manual on all the myriad ways to create and enjoy clay sculpture, from hand-building to potter's wheels to kiln firing and glazes, to exhibiting and marketing finished works. Written in sensible language easily understandable to the lay reader or novice hobbyist, yet covering all the material a professional needs to know, Clay: A Studio Handbook is the perfect guide for anyone with an interest in learning or improving their clay craftsmanship, whether for fun or for profit. Black-and-white photographs and drawings visually model the many styles and techniques presented, making them easy to imitate. Clay: A Studio Handbook is strongly recommended for anyone with a yearning to create three-dimensional art.

In The Company Of Stone
Dan Snow
Artisan
708 Broadway, New York Ny 10003
1-57965-183-6 $35.00 1-800-722-7202

In The Company Of Stone isn't just a landscaper's book, but deserves a spot on the art shelf as a survey of the art involved in building the stone wall. From Snow's own experiences working in stone to the various alternative designs offered by stone wall structures, In The Company Of Stone pairs black and white photos by Peter Mauss with the author/artist's reflections.

Wings Of Twilight
Michael Kaluta
NBM
555 - 8th Ave. #1202, NY, NY 10018
1561632767 $24.95 nbmpublishing.com

Kaluta is one of comic art's most revered artists, providing a blend of graphic color images and fantasy covers and designs which are rich in texture and packed with content. It's especially pleasing to find all of his images under one cover, from sketches and work from his comics to full-page color presentations - many never seen before. Both prior fans and newcomers will find Wings Of Twilight captivating.

Atlas Of Egyptian Art
Emile Prisse d'Avennes
The American University in Cairo Press
420 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10018-2729
9774245849 $44.50 www.aucpress.com

Atlas Of Egyptian Art was originally authored and illustrated by Emile Prisse d'Avennes, one of the first and most mysterious modern pioneers of Egyptology, who lived during the 1800's. The informative text withstands the test of time, and the amazing 150 color reproductions of Egyptian art and artifacts are truly a wonder to behold. The artistic skill of Emile Prisse d'Avennes has preserved images even though some of the original works were later lost. These were the first reliable, accurate drawings of ancient Egyptian art made available to the non-specialist general readers in the West. A fascinating and beautiful book, and a "must" for anyone with an interest in the clean, classical simplicity of Egyptian art!

Designer's Survival Manual
Poppy Evans
How Design Books/F&W Publications
1507 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45207
1-58180-125-4 $32.99 1-800-289-0963

Graphic designers will appreciate an approach which covers the basics of how to survive in the profession. From obtaining strong copy and locating the right illustrator for the job to producing professional-quality photos and preparing digital files, this covers all the details necessary to build professional working relationships with writers, illustrators, Web technicians and others. An essential reference.

Las Vegas With Love
Dorothy Rice
Glen House Communications
Box 3663, Beverly Hills, CA 90210-0666
0918269040 $85.00 1-310-475-4236

Las Vegas With Love is a lavishly beautiful, full-color collection of 256 original watercolor paintings by artist Dorothy Rice. Ms. Rice has provided commentary notes on most of her paintings, which bring to life the vibrant energy of the Las Vegas area in an unforgettable impression. Her ever-so-slightly abstract, signature style is so unique that she is one of the only Americans ever invited to create a mural in Mexico, a nation well-known for its tradition of murals. Las Vegas With Love is an exemplary and highly recommended showcase of her work, as well as a wondrous artistic showcase featuring the best and most memorable facets of the amazing city Ms. Rice has wonderfully captured upon the canvas.

An Intelligent Person's Guide To Modern Art
Stephen Farthing
Duckworth Publishing
22841 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles, VA 20166
0715629441 $21.50 www.ducknet.co.uk

An Intelligent Person's Guide To Modern Art is the latest book in the "An Intelligent Person's Guide To..." series by Duckworth Publishing, which includes volumes on Ethics, Philosophy, Modern Culture, and many more topics. In this informative survey and critique, artist and author Stephen Farthing argues that professional art is its own worst enemy, as many artists create what he considers "tabloid art" that panders to the lowest common denominator. Calling for artists to take control of publicity rather than let it control them, An Intelligent Person's Guide To Modern Art holds back nothing, as I offers a fiery, determined look at the triumphs and foibles of the artistic world today. An Intelligent Person's Guide To Modern Art is a refreshingly candid and highly thought-provoking, persuasive manifesto, enhanced with a four-page insert of black-and-white photographs. Highly recommended for students of modern art, as well as art history and theory.

Japan At The Dawn Of The Modern Age
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
295 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115-5523
0-87846-620-7 $40.00

Japan At The Dawn Of The Modern Age is a specialty item which is recommended for any collection concentrating on Japanese art. Woodblock prints from the Meiji era are presented in a series of over 90 color illustrations which go beyond the traditional perception of Japanese subjects as gardens and geishas. These prints depicted current events and were painted in vivid colors, and Japan At The Dawn Of The Modern Age captures their vibrant spirit, along with history essential to understanding their meaning.



The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Collecting Classic Bolt Action Military Rifles
Paul S. Scarlata
Andrew Mowbray Inc.
P.O. Box 460, Lincoln, RI 02865
0197218965 $39.95 1-800-999-4697

Paul Scarlata's Collecting Classic Bolt Action Military Rifles contains a truly staggering amount of information about these historical firearms, aptly illustrated throughout with numerous black and white photographs. From Mausers to Springfields, spotting imitations to test firing to sources for surplus rifles, Collecting Classic Bolt Action Military Rifles is an encyclopedic volume with authoritative answers to every conceivable question in practical, meticulous language. The definitive book for straight information on rifles throughout history, Collecting Classic Bolt Action Military Rifles an essential and highly recommended reference for rifle collectors and gun enthusiasts!

Krause Publications
700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001
1-800-258-0929

Two excellent basic identification and value guides are recommended for the reference shelves of home and public libraries. Elizabeth Stephan's O'Brien's Collecting Toys, 10th Edition (0-87349-242-0, $28.95) is a weighty price guide which could well be used as a price 'bible' for toy collectibles. Anticipate only a handful of color photos mid-book: the meat of the title lies in its black and white photos throughout and more particularly its over 50,000 items categorized for quick reference and provided with the latest values. The publishers of Gun Digest's 2002 Sporting Knives (266-8, $21.95) is edited by Joe Kertzman and provides an in-depth coverage to the latest knives and accessories, from sporting knives to collector knives. Black and white photos accompany not just prices, but detailed information on the background history of knives and knife making companies. Both are fine references.

Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
1-800-626-5420

Pottery collectors will welcome two weighty identification and value updates from this publisher. Carl Gibbs Jr.'s Metlox Potteries (1-57432-224-9, $29.95) appears in its second edition to revise prices and add to the wealth of color photos and values for these pottery types. Craig Nissen and Margaret and Bob Hanson's McCoy Pottery V. 3 (252-4, $24.95) provides a reference to collecting and valuing the complete Floraline series, with over 100 original pages packing in details. Both are excellent for the pottery collector. Schroeder's Collectible Toys Antique To Modern (259-1, $17.95) appears in an updated 2002 edition to provide the latest identification and values of over 20,000 collectible toys. White black and white photos pepper the presentation, it's the updated prices and quick alpha organization which provide the meat. Ronald John's Vintage Era Of Golf Club Collectibles (264-8, $29.95) is packed with color photos of golf clubs. From the identification of early steel shafts to putters and utility irons, the photos contribute immensely to the identification process.



The Health/Medicine Shelf

Eating Disorders Sourcebook
Dawn Matthews, Editor
Omnigraphics
615 Griswold, Detroit, MI 48226
0-7808-0335-3 $78.00 1-800-234-134

Each year millions are diagnosed with eating disorders: Eating Disorders Sourcebook provides a basic references to these disorders and is meant as a sourcebook for any lay person trying to cope with the illness. From symptoms of different disorders and treatment options to recovery statistics, this gathers articles from government agencies, professional groups and periodicals and packs in details.

Marijuana Medicine
Christian Ratsch
Inner Traditions
One Park St., Rochester, VT 05767
0-89281-933-2 $24.95 1-800-246-8648

Marijuana Medicine provides a visual record of cannabis growing and its role in medicinal applications around the world, from Asian healing traditions to applications in Latin American and Indian folk medicine. Anthropology blends with medicine in this survey of how marijuana is used around the world.

Body Of Knowledge
Steve Giegerich
Scribner
1230 Avenue of Americas, NY, NY 10020
0-684-86207-7 $24.00 1-800-223-2336

Most students finish any experimentation with physiology with a high school biology course: Body Of Knowledge focuses on four medical students who enter an anatomy class in which they must dissect a human cadaver. Narration of these students' school lives and challenges blend with personal histories and accounts of what it takes to dissect a human body in this revealing account.

Junk Science Judo
Steven J. Milloy
Cato Institute Press
1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington DC 20001
1-930865-12-0 $18.95

Every day American readers are given scare stories about health issues in news accounts based on some statistics and little analysis. Many accounts are circulated by special interest groups or lawyers. Milloy's background in law and health lends to his ability to point out the fallacies of 'junk science' and tips on how the average reader can separate junk science from real science.

An Angel At My Side
Frances M. Schindler
Writers Club Press/iUniverse.com
5220 S 16th, Ste. 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595175996 $14.95 www.iuniverse.com

An Angel At My Side: Surviving Leukemia through Love is the powerful, life-affirming testimony of author Frances Schindler, who had been twice diagnosed with leukemia and confronted her tremendous personal battle for recovery with courage, honesty, and humor. Schindler attributes her victory over cancer to faith, an upbeat, optimistic attitude, and the kindness of an angel of her own. This gentle, positive, candid, and highly recommended memoir concludes with a short list of support group resources and alternative therapies in addition to aggressive medical treatment, and is enhanced with a handful of black-and-white photographs.

The Cancer Breakthrough You've Never Heard Of
Richard A. Evans, MD
Texas Cancer Center
1011 Augusta Dr., Suite 210
Houston, TX 77057-2015
0-9708664-0-2 $16.95

For a hundred years surgeons have believed every last cancer cell must be removed to cure the disease, yet scientific research may point to other ways of curing cancer. The Cancer Breakthrough You've Never Heard Of makes a case for conservative surgery and treatments, explaining terms for lay readers and explaining second opinions from advocates of limited surgery. Influences on decision treatments are all surveyed.



The Travel Shelf

The Air Traveler's Survival Guide
A. Frank Steward
Impact Publications
9104 Manassas Dr. Suite N
Manassas Park, VA 20111
1-57023-171-0 $14.95

The Air Traveler's Survival Guide appeared after September 11th so readers may be anticipating a different focus, but this provides an intriguing collection of stories of personalities and experiences in-flight which range from humorous to serious. From airport security and in-flight health to upgrading seats, flying standby, and minimizing jet lag, this provides many practical details of safe and efficient flying, pre-September 2001.

Ulysses Press
Box 3440, Berkeley, CA 94703-3440
$15.95 Each 1-800-377-2542

Two new 'Hidden' travel guides provide the traveler with good destination-oriented reference material: plenty of information with which to design a journey. Kurt Repanshek's Salt Lake City And Beyond (1-56975-272-9) includes coverage of the projected 2002 Winter Olympic games as it outlines outdoor adventures and byways within and beyond Salt Lake City. Catherine O'Neal's Hidden Belize (256-6, $15.95) offers insights on secluded lodges in the rainforests, sightseeing wonders, lodging, dining and more. From prime birdwatching spots to relics, this is packed with details.

Hidden Walks In The East Bay & Marin
Stephen Altschuler
Great West Books
Box 1028, Lafayette, CA 94549
0-944220-11-8 $15.95

Older towns and cities of the East Bay offer history and nature: Hidden Walks In The East Bay & Marin provides selected walks through lesser-known urban environments which contain many surprises, from waterfalls to stunning homes which blend with the scenery. Descriptions of each walk include terrain, sightseeing and difficulty levels, along with small maps.

Mountain Bike! Southern Utah
Michael McCoy
Menasha Ridge Press
Box 43673, Birmingham, Alabama 35243
0897323149 $15.95 1-800-962-0973

Now available in an updated and expanded Second Edition, Michael McCoy's Mountain Bike! Southern Utah: A Guide To The Classic Trails is a superbly presented regional guide packed cover to cover with detailed information about the sweeping deserts and amazing red rock vistas of its locale. Black and white maps of a variety of different trails, from short jaunts to extended cross-country tours, guide the mountain biker through wondrous natural landscapes. From safety tips to elevation topography to a comprehensive index, Mountain Bike! Southern Utah is an invaluable, core reference for any Utah-area biker with a keen and active interest in this energetic pastime.

A Traveller's Wine Guide To Italy
Stephen Hobley
Interlink Books
46 Crosby St., Northampton, MA 01060
1566564093 $19.95 interlinkbooks.com

Now in an updated, revised and expanded third edition, Stephen Hobley's A Traveller's Wine Guide To Italy is an indispensable guide for the wine loving tourist to the sunny climes of Italy. Enhanced with "user friendly" maps, the text is informative, definitive, reliable, and ideal for anyone wanting to visit wineries, wine fairs, and take tours of the wine growing vineyards of the Italian countryside. Hundreds of wineries that welcome visitors are listed, along with essential contact information such as addresses, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address and websites, opening times, and more. If you enjoy the diversity and splendor of Italian wines and are planning a trip to Italy, take along your own personal copy of Stephen Hobley's A Traveller's Wine Guide To Italy to help you plan and achieve a truly memorable itinerary.



The Literary Shelf

Discovering The World
Thomas Jeffrey Vasseur
Mercer University Press
6316 Peake Road, Macon, Georgia 31210
0865547181 $25.00 www.mupress.org

Thomas Vasseur's Discovering The World: Collected Stories is an outstanding anthology of thirteen stories set in the disappearing rural South, the New South, and the grand world at large. Variety spices the tales, from a little boy who discovers the wonder of flight to the rocky relationship between a German woman who has immigrated to the Deep South and her troubled teenage daughter. In the title novella, a "Southern Native" and a veteran of the Vietnam War travel to an island in Fiji to repair a damaged sailboat. A common theme of looking within the self unites all the tales, which take a hard look at America's class structure and at human spirituality. Thomas Vasseur's stories are as original and thought-provoking as they are highly recommended.

Complete Essays, V. 3
Aldous Huxley
Ivan R. Dee
1332 North Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1-56663-347-8 $35.00 1-800-462-6420

This third volume of Huxley's complete essays will appeal to a college collection which already has the first two volumes and anticipates collecting the entire six: this volume covers 1930-35 and collects his observations of the social and political trends of those years. Important essays and articles provide rich, seasoned commentary on history and modern times.

The Left-Hand Marriage
Leigh Buchanan Bienen
Ontario Review Press
W.W. Norton & Co., dist.
9 Honey Book Dr., Princeton, NJ 08540
086538102X $23.95 1-800-233-4830

Although she has had her short fiction published in such prestigious literary publications as the TriQuarterly, The Mississippi Review, Ontario Review, and The O. Henry Awards, The Left-Hand Marriage is Leigh Bienen's debut anthology showcasing her work as a truly gifted writer and in possession of powerful narrative abilities. Aptly serving to introduce the reading public to a major literary talent, the stories comprising The Left-Hand Marriage include: My Life as a West African Gray Parrot; To China; The Circus Comes to Kampala; After Chekhov; We Are All Africans; The First Secretary; My Mothers' Lovers; He Was a Big Boy, Still Is; Technician; and the title piece, The Left-Hand Marriage.

Great American Paperback
Richard A. Lupoff
Collectors Press
Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
1888054506 $60.00

Great American Paperback covers the history and rise of pulp fiction, from its experimental appearance in 1938 to the growth of an industry which reached its heyday from the 1940s-1960s. Beautiful covers from all genres of pulp paperbacks are reproduced in full color in a title which presents the history and archives of the best of these paperbacks. An outstanding, beautiful coverage in a keepsake collector's edition.

The Aquarium
Tomoko Taniguchi
CPM Manga
250 West 57th St. #317, NY, NY 10107
1-56219-943-9 $15.95

Any interested in graphic novels in general or Japanese manga in particular will find this new graphic novel inviting: it's the second to be published in the new line of girls' and women's manga graphic novels and provides the story of a young girl who fails the exam for high school and seeks solace at an aquarium.



The Interior Design Shelf

Decorating With Architectural Trimwork
Jay Silber
Creative Homeowner
Box 38, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
1580110789 $19.95 1-800-631-7795

Interior trimwork expert Jay Silber's Decorating With Architectural Trimwork is a full-color, "user friendly" guide, extensively illustrated with step-by-step photographs, which while enable anyone to personally add beauty and elegance to their home. From how to install trimwork like a professional, to cutting and fitting perfect corner joints, to designing and installing crown molding, Decorating With Architectural Trimwork is the ideal how-to manual for the job. The text is very straightforward, written so that the lay reader will have no confusion, and the pictures clearly illustrate what tools are needed for each job and how they are best used. Decorating With Architectural Trimwork is a "must" for any do-it-yourself enthusiast who wants to use trim to add to the aesthetic interior design value to their home!

French Influences
Betty Lou Phillips
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1-58685-080-6, $39.95 1-800-748-5439

Homeowners who would duplicate the French idea of design and atmosphere will find this an intriguing blend of lavish color photos and discussions of how French ambiance is added to a room. From resources used to achieve changes to the four key elements of interior design and the influences deemed particularly French, Betty Lou Phillips' French Influences is packed with commendable insights.



The Needlecraft Shelf

American Quilters Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.aqsquilt.com

Five intriguing new quilting titles are different from most published. Susan Stein's Double Wedding Ring Quilts (1-57432-771-2, $19.95) covers the interlocking circles which make these quilts so appealing. From wallhangings and panels to full quilts, this provides instructions for 24 projects based on the double ring concept. Gorgeous color photos abound. Dianne S. Hire's Oxymorons (754-2, $18.95) focuses on logical quilt designs, presenting contradictions in title, technique and design. This isn't a 'how to' title as much as a display of unique and unusual quilting approaches which includes interviews with the designers and insights on their perspectives. Packed with color and quilt displays which are anything but traditional. Bethany Reynolds' Stack-A-Whackier Quilts (776-3, $21.95) provides a simple guide to layering and cutting multiple quilt pieces, with twelve new patterns showing how just three methods can lead to a wide variation in styles and presentations. Color photos accompany patterns and instructions. Those with experience will relish Gail Garber's Stellar Journeys (1-57432-775-5, $19.95), presenting flying geese and star quilts themes based on the Mariner's Compass Star projects. Color photos abound, as well as templates and easy instructions. Joan Shay's Petal Play (770-4, $21.95) covers three-dimensional flowers which can be appliqued to fabric. The idea is to use these to finish fabric edges: these washable, wearable flowers will embellish quilts and other types of projects and are provided in a book of 20 patterns. The American Quilters Society's 2001 Wall Calendar (768-2, $8.95) provides monthly images which placed in quilt shows and contests. A wide variety of quilts packed with color make this an excellent gift for quilters. Rod Buffington's Double Vision (782-8, $16.95) pairs an exhibition of quilts and paintings with comments by the quilters on their works. Leading artists present their finest works.

C&T Publishing
1651 Challenge Dr., Concord, CA 94520
1-800-284-1114

Three excellent basic guides provide fine step-by-step projects for aspiring crafts workers. Kristen Dibbs' Machine Embroidery And More (162-9, $23.95) presents ten complete projects from quilts and clothing to home decorations. All begin with border prints and overlay fabrics and focus on machine embroidery techniques for embellishments. Wendy Hill's Two-For-One Foundation Piecing (169-6, $23.95) tells how to make easy, reversible foundation-pieced quilts and accessories using different color schemes and coordinating fabrics. Seven complete example projects will get the quilter started. Alex Anderson's Start Quilting (167-X, $12.95) appears in its second edition to provide first-time quilters with very simple projects which guarantee success. Small projects geared to newcomers provide satisfying results.



The Social Issues Shelf

The American West
Suzan Campbell
Western Edge Press
126 Candelario St., Santa Fe, NM 87501
1-889921-14-9 $34.95

The Rockwell Museum in New York exhibits fine collections of western and Native American art, and Suzan Campbell's The American West is a superb collection representing some of the highlights of their holdings. Notable artists who captured the American west are explored in a fine catalog packed with color images.

Dealing With Human Rights
Martha Meijer, Editor
Kumarian Press
1294 Blue Hills Avenue
Bloomfield, CT 06002
1565491289 $21.95 www.kpbooks.com

Asian and Western views of human rights contrast sharply in Dealing With Human Rights: Asian And Western Views on the Value of Human Rights, a title which considers the practical application of human rights issues. Chapters contain essays for four Asian and four European authors who reflect their different cultures and ideas on enforcing human rights in international relations.



The Military Shelf

San Diego's Navy
Bruce Linder
Naval Institute Press
2062 General Highway
Annapolis, MD 21401-6780
1-55750-531-4 $45.00 1-800-233-8764

This illustrated history of the California coastal navy will intrigue any with a special affection for either Southern California or the Navy: San Diego's Navy provides over a hundred fifty years of maritime history and traces a relationship between the city and the navy which began during the opening days of the Mexican War and continues to modern times. Anticipate many black and white photos, a centerfold of color photos, and much detail on San Diego.

First World Flight
Spencer Lane
US Press
1803 Lindbergh Lane
Daytona Beach, FL 32128
0-9710110-0-1 $27.95

Early American pilot Billy Mitchell's accomplishments don't end with a single flight: he assembled the world's largest air armada and led it to victory during the first World War, among many other achievements. He was a general who believed only successful world flight could save the American Air Force from destruction by politicians, and he helped foster a new era in American aviation history, almost single-handedly. First World Flight is his story. Highly recommended.

MiG Alley To Mu Ghia Pass
Cecil G. Foster with David K. Vaughan
McFarland & Company Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
0786409959 $24.95 1-800-253-2187

MiG Alley To Mu Ghia Pass: Memoirs of A Korean War Ace is the military memoir of Cecil Foster, a young man born into poverty and hardship, and who joined the Army Air Force in 1943 as a private, eventually retiring in 1975 as a lieutenant colonel. Foster served a multitude of tasks during his Air Force career, but perhaps the most outstanding and remarkable part of his autobiographical history was his service as a high-scoring ace pilot in the aerial battles of the Korean War. Foster's record of nine destroyed MiGs earned him 12th place on a list of 38 aces. Each of the aircraft he destroyed was shot down in a section of airspace called "MiG Alley," which runs along the Yalu River that separates North Korea from China. MiG Alley Mu Ghia Pass is an involving, personal look into one of the countless people who have staked their lives to serve and protect the United States of America. Highly recommended for students of military aviation history in general, and the Korean War in particular.

Encyclopedia Of World War II Spies
Peter Kross
Barricade Books
185 Bridge Plaza N. #308-A
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
1569801711 $24.95 barricadebooks.com

Encyclopedia Of World War II Spies provides a lively A-Z encyclopedia of underground spies and traitors who contributed to either prolonging conflict or achieving victory during World War 2. From Pearl Harbor to battles in Germany, this includes both an in-depth biographical sketch of individuals and remarks on historical events, tying the two together.

The Emperor's Codes
Michael Smith
Arcade
141 Fifth Avenue, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10010
1-55970-568-X $26.95 1-800-759-0190

Plenty of titles have focussed on the breaking of the Nazis' 'enigma' cipher by codebreakers; but this focus on Allied codebreakers who worked on Japanese codes provides many insights on a little-discussed subject, considering how Japan's codes were broken and how the codebreakers actually worked. This focus on both the Japan codes and the cipher breakers themselves provides a much-needed, well-rounded examination and fills in much world history.

Boeing F/A-18 Hornet
Brad Elward
Specialty Press
11605 Kost Dam Road
North Branch, MN 55056
1580070418 $16.95 1-800-895-4585

The thirty-first volume in Specialty Press' outstanding "WarbirdTech" series, Brad Elward's Boeing F/A-18 Hornet is an exciting, in-depth, profusely illustrated look at a military airplane type that is especially unique because it can be piloted to fight or bomb. In addition to the origin and history of the Hornet, Boeing F/A-18 Hornet also covers this aircraft's deadly weaponry, as well as exhaustive details of its system and that of the Super Hornet OpEval. The YF-17/F-18 prototype models to the Hornet are also scrutinized. A great reference for any aviation buffs with interest in this fascinating fighter plane.

Battle At The 38th Parallel
Joseph E. Gonsalves
Hellgate Press
Box 3727, Central Park, OR 97502-0032
1555715524 $18.95 1-800-228-2275

Battle At The 38th Parallel: Surviving The Peace Talks At Panmunjom is an eyewitness account of what the Korean War was like from April 1952 to July 1953 when violent and bloody battles took place resulting in the peace talks of Panmunjom which ultimately concluded into a truce that divided Korean between the Communist North and the Democratic South. It was to be a division manned for the next five decades by American troops with the help of United Nation allies. Battle At The 38th Parallel is a superb contribution to the history of what is sometimes referred to as "The Forgotten War". Joseph Gonsalves gives modern readers a vivid perspective on what it was like to spend eleven months on the front lines fighting with the 17th Infantry Regiment, manning an outpost line of the 7th Division, and draws upon original research at the National Archives, extensive interviews with participants, in addition to his own personal recollections. Battle At The 38th Parallel is a very welcome addition to any academic or community library military studies collection.

Managing Diversity In The Military
Mickey R. Dansby, eds., et al.
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers - The State University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854
0765800462 $49.95 1-800-446-9323

Mickey R. Dansby, James B. Stewart, and Schuyler C. Webb effectively collaborate to edit Managing Diversity In The Military: Research Perspectives From The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, a compilation of twenty-four lengthy, critical essays of a subject that inevitably arouses heated debate: issues of diversity in the United States military, and how to best resolve often widely conflicting opinions. Managing Diversity In The Military is divided into five main sections, which address issues from diversifying military leadership to gender integration/sexual harassment to race and military discipline. A scholarly, academic examination of a highly complicated subject fraught with human complexities, Managing Diversity In The Military is essential reading for anyone directly affected by or interested in this key managerial issue affecting the readiness and performance capabilities of the United States armed forces today.

Reader's Companion To Military History
Robert Cowley & Geoffrey Parker, Eds.
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116-3764
0-618-12742-9 $20.00 1-800-225-3362

Reader's Companion To Military History provides an encyclopedia of warfare from the early Persian Wars to modern times, providing almost six hundred articles detailing major battles, commanders, theories, weapons and strategies. Articles come from military historians, biographers and journalists and provide an excellent set of insights.



The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Speaking And Writing Well
Kathy Alba, Ph.D.
Thatch Tree
2250 N. Rock Rd. #118-169
Wichita, KS 67226
0970990901 $16.95

Speaking And Writing Well isn't another basic guide to grammar: it's a guide to improving grammar to help in job success. Chapters include a healthy dose of humor as they tackle the elements separating correct and incorrect speech and writing. Fun bear photos peppered throughout add comic relief to a very serious, readable guide.

How To Start And Produce A Magazine Or Newsletter
Gordon Woolf
The Worsley Press
c/o FAP Books Inc.
PO Box 540, Gainesville, FL 32602-0540
1875750150 $19.95 worsleypress.com

Now in an updated and expanded third edition, Gordon Woolf's How To Start And Produce A Magazine Or Newsletter is the best instructional guide for aspiring publishers of a magazine or newsletter available today. Drawing upon his more than thirty years of professional experience in magazine and newsletter publication, Woolf covers all aspects of the process from determining what kind of magazine or newsletter to publish, what is meant by "copy", and producing a publication, to the publishing options and alternatives of photocopying; small offset printing; illustrations; layout and design; paste up; computer productions; the e-zine; the economics of publishing; distribution; the legal ramifications of publishing; and more. If you are contemplating publishing a magazine or newsletter, in print or on the Internet, then begin with a thorough reading of Gordon Woolf's How To Start And Produce A Magazine Or Newsletter.



The Sports Shelf

Doubles Tennis Tactics Video
Louis Cayer
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
0736040056 $24.95 1-800-747-4457

Covering the most effective patterns for team strategy, serving, receiving, poaching, movement, and positioning, the Doubles Tennis Tactics Video is an ideal instructional for serious doubles tennis players, especially for those with an interest in tournament play. Louis Cayer draws upon his years of experience and expertise as a top doubles tennis coach to present effective strategies and drills for doubles play, illustrated with footage of Davis and Federation Cup play. Cayer analyzes the footage for the viewer, then presents drills anyone can utilize to perfect and incorporate these pro- tennis patterns within their own recreational tennis play. Doubles Tennis Tactics Video is a strongly recommended addition to any personal or physical education department reference collection.

The Wildest Ride
Joe Menzer
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
0-7432-0507-3 $24.00 1-800-223-2336

This history of Nascar will involve any who enjoy books about auto racing: The Wildest Ride charts the phenomenal growth of the NASCAR racing circuit, the underlying politics behind its rise, and the key drivers who have both dominated the sport and made it a high profile event.

Monterey Trail Runner's Guide
Jeffrey Van Middlebrook
Wilderness Press
1200 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1306
0899972810 $9.95 1-800-443-7227

Monterey Trail Runner's Guide is an excellent and superbly presented "where to" book for anyone with interest in outdoor exercise and the picturesque Monterey Peninsula. Veteran runner Jeffrey Van Middlebook aptly describes seventeen gorgeous trail runs, all the better to encourage fellow runners to escape the noisy, smog-laden cities and experience nature while staying fit. Four Monterey Peninsula parks are highlighted: Point Lobos State Reserve, Jacks Peak County Park, Mission Trail Park, and the Garland Ranch Regional Preserve. With its locator map and general terrain descriptions for each park or reserve, and augmented with tips on weather and trail conditions, parking information, mileage, difficulty ratings, and directions to the trail head, the Monterrey Trail Runner's Guide is very highly recommended for outdoor running and jogging enthusiasts with endurance!

On Snooker
Mordecai Richler
The Lyons Press
123 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
1-58574-179-5 $22.95 1-800-836-0510

In On Snooker, Mordecai Richler here considers his love of the snooker game and his observations of the men and women who share his enthusiasm. Enjoy a blend of autobiography and game insights which examines snooker tables from Canada to Dublin, in a lively first person expose of memorable characters and games.

At The Altar Of Speed
Leigh Montville
Doubleday
1540 Broadway, New York NY 10036
0-385-50363-6 $24.95 1-800-726-0600

At The Altar Of Speed provides a tribute to Dale Earnhardt, a race car driver who died in February, charting his early involvement with race cars, his rise to the top, and his relationships with friends and fellow drivers. Montville's interviews with peers and friends provides an excellent survey of the man's life and achievements.

I Remember Paul "Bear" Bryant
Al Browning
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Drive
Nashville, Tennessee 37211
158182159X $18.95 1-888-439-2665

Paul "Bear" Bryant was a football coach rightly beloved by fans of the Alabama Crimson Tide, for his team won six national championships, thirteen Southeastern Conference titles, and twenty-four consecutive appearances in bowl games from 1959 through 1982. Those who knew him best continue to love him, and Al Browning's I Remember Paul "Bear" Bryant is heartfelt testimony to that love. Dozens of his friends and acquaintances, from former football players to childhood friends to family to opponents on the field reminisce in their own words the man they knew. I Remember Paul "Bear" Bryant tells of a master of reverse psychology; a steely disciplinarian; and a truly kind human being beneath the tough-as-nails exterior. Paul Bryant has moved on from this life, but he will not be forgotten. Recommended for anyone who would wish a glimpse into the life of one of the greatest football coaches who ever lived.

Hogan
Curt Sampson
Rutledge Hill Press
P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
1558538674 $24.99 rutledgehillpress.com

Now available in an updated edition which has expanded to include a brand new chapter, Hogan is a very highly recommended biography of Ben Hogan, one of the greatest professional golfers in history. Ben was a man known to practice until his hands bled, and who deliberately used equipment without logos despite the wealth he could have gained by contracting such de facto advertising deals with corporations. Ben has been a mystery to many, a hero to some, and a golfing legend to be remembered for generations to come. Hogan is very highly recommended and inspiring reading for professional golf enthusiasts in general, and nostalgic Ben Hogan fans in particular.



The Christian Studies Shelf

Sifted But Saved
Robin Hardy
Broadman & Holman Publishers
127 - 9th Ave. North, Nashville TN 37234
0-805402425-3 $14.99 1-800-448-8403

The author unearthed a small book of sermons at a Goodwill: its date was 1925, but the sermons provided basic timeless advised based on Biblical events. From doing good to unity and the gospel's methods, Sifted But Saved will appeal to any Christian reader.

Faith Has Its Reasons
Kenneth D. Boa & Robert M. Bowman Jr.
NavPress
7899 Lexington Dr., Suite 201
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
1576831434 $29.00 1-800-366-7788

Kenneth Boa and Robert Bowman's Faith Has Its Reasons: An Integrative Approach To Defending Christianity articulately and persuasively defends the faith against many questions that so many people have leveled upon it, from "Why should we believe in the Bible?" and "How do we know that God exists?" to "If God does exist, why does He permit evil?" and "Why should I believe what Christians claim about Jesus?" Steadfast and dedicated, Faith Has Its Reasons uses conversations between hypothetical questioners of faith to better illustrate its core principles. Extensively researched, and offering countless other resources for further study with regard to each theological challenge, Faith Has Its Reasons is a "must-read" for anyone seeking a powerfully argued case for faith in God and Christianity.

Taize: That Little Springtime
Vision Video
P.O. Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490
1563645041 $14.99 1-800-523-0226

Taize: That Little Springtime is a 26-minute color documentary of the 80 men from a variety of backgrounds who form the ecumenical community of Taize located in the Burgundy region of France. They spend their days in Bible study and prayer composed of Scripture readings, silence, and the famous Taize music. Taize: That Little Springtime features the wisdom and reflection of the Taize mission founder Brother Roger and several other Taize brothers. A fascinating and informative look at the heart of a spiritual enclave.

An Invitation To Christian Yoga
Nancy Roth
Cowley Publications
28 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111
1561011967 $14.95 1-800-225-1534

An Invitation To Christian Yoga provides an informed and "user friendly" introduction to the practice of hatha yoga as a source of spiritual well-being in a format compatible to a Christian discipline of prayer and exercises. The text is wonderfully enhanced with helpful illustrations in simple line drawings with Nancy Roth (an Episcopal priest) providing a short biblical text, often drawn from the Psalms, accompany each exercise as a basis for Christian mediation. Whether a novice beginner or an experienced yoga practitioner, An Invitation To Christian Yoga will prove invaluable, practical, inspiring reading, and is especially recommended for anyone who is recovering from an illness or insure, or is less limber than they once were due to the aging process.

Prayers Through The Seasons
Reverend Debora Kaiser-Cross
Radiant River Press
1258 Willowgate Lane
St. Charles, IL 60174
0971102007 $34.95 1-630-587-2512

114 stunning, full color nature photographs illustrate fifty-three Christian prayers in The Reverend Debora Kaiser-Cross' superbly presented Prayers For The Seasons: An Inspirational Collection Of Christian Prayers And Nature Photography. The beauty of her memorable and inspiring photographs is matched only in the devout sincerity of the accompanying devotionals. Prayers Through The Seasons is meant not just to be read, but to be meditated upon. This is a highly recommended gift book selection for any nature-lover and within a Christian perspective.

Inviting God In
Joyce Rupp
Ave Maria Press
P.O. Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
0877939586 $12.95 1-800-282-1865

Joyce Rupp's Inviting God In: Scriptural Reflections And Prayers Throughout The Year is a collection of scriptural reflections and prayers to encourage readers to remember to stop and pray. It's so easy to get surrounded by the chaos of everyday life and forget that God is always there, waiting to be let in. Inviting God In is a thoughtful and recommended spiritual reminder to carry worship and love in one's heart.

Dark Salutations
Riggins R. Earl, Jr.
Trinity Press International
4775 Linglestown Road
Harrisburg, PA 17112
1563383586 $28.00 1-800-877-0012

Dark Salutations: Ritual, God, And Greetings In The African American Community is a unique, in-depth analysis of the connection between greetings among the African-American community, and the desire to be treated as equal siblings in the family of God. Author Riggins Earl, a professor of Ethics and Theology at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, examines the light/dark poetic metaphors found in the salutational speech of African-American men and women, and compares it to prophetic and priestly nature in the religious and moral conscience of African-Americans. Dark Salutations is an eye-opening, thought-provoking look at a seemingly ordinary part of African-American life.

Madonnas
Kyra Belan
Parkstone Press/IPG, dist.
22841 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles, VA 20166
1859957935 $55.00 parkstone-online.com

Kyra Belan's Madonnas: From Medieval To Modern is a truly stunning, full-color book that reproduces more than 200 artworks of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Christ, and widely revered symbol of both Christianity and motherhood. Accompanying Belan provides an informative commentary text informing the reader of the context of each artwork, the name of the artist, and countless other relevant factors that affected the Virgin's enduring presence in paintings, murals, and sculptures, up to the present day. A truly beautiful artbook, Madonnas: From Medieval To Modern is enthusiastically recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of Christian art in general, and portrayals of the Blessed Virgin Mary in particular.



The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Love Is A Four-Legged Word
Robert Leeds
Epic Publishing
8814 Big Bluff Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89148-1418
0-9674025-2-2 $24.95

Pet owners and animal lovers will find plenty to enjoy in Love Is A Four-Legged Word, the story of animal lovers around the world. The authors lost their pet and set out to build a system which would care for pets. Love Is A Four-Legged Word tells of a pet lover's belief in their system and how a dream was built.

The Prairie Dog
Russell A. Graves
Texas Tech University Press
Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79410
0896724557 $19.95 1-800-832-4042

Vividly illustrated with more than 100 color photographs, The Prairie Dog: Sentinel Of The Plains also contains highly informative text about the nature of these gregarious rodents, and how they function in the prairie ecology, from aerating the soil with their burrows to controlling invasive types of vegetation with their grazing. The delightful illustrations show the prairie dog's natural exuberance and social life, but the text warns that human poisoning and extermination has vastly reduced the prairie dog's numbers to the point where the species could be at risk. The Prairie Dog is very highly recommended for anyone with an interest in prairie ecology.

Tao Of Equus
Linda Kohanov
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1-57731-182-5 $24.95 1-800-972-6657

Writer and equine therapist Kohanov explores questions of horse psyche, spirituality, and connections with human emotions in Tao Of Equus, an intriguing guide, which considers the behavioral nuances of horses and people alike. Mind/body awareness takes a new turn within Kohanov's detailed examination of equine habits and psychology.



The Death & Dying Shelf

Ethan Chronicles
Marsha Willis
Cassidy Books
Box 9723, Denver, CO 80209-9723
0-9707194-3-4 $14.95

A woman and her family struggle to regain meaning in life after the death of a 21-year-old son in a preventable accident. Ethan Chronicles is more than an autobiographical chronicle of one family's suffering: it provides insights into the court systems, justice, and tragedy.

End Of The Twins
Saul Diskin
The Overlook Press
386 West Broadway, NY, NY 10012
1-58567-163-0 $26.95 1-800-473-1312

What is it like to lose a twin? Diskin's brother had leukemia: Saul observed his slow decline and death and End Of The Twins reflects on his experiences and on the special nature of twins. Insights into the brothers' closeness and ties are followed by explorations of what it means to survive such a close loved one's death. Moving and engrossing.

Infinite Thread
Alexandra Kennedy
Beyond Words Publishing
20827 N.W. Cornell Rd. #500
Hillsboro, OR 97124
1-58270-046-X, $14.95

A new and truly excellent title from Beyond Words Publishing is a very highly recommended self-help mental health pick for anyone dealing with the issues of death and dying. Ideal for the non-specialist general reader, Alexandra Kennedy's Infinite Thread provides invaluable tips on how to handle the loss of a loved one by using active imagination, letters, and dialogue to heal past relationships. From dreams of those who have died to communication routines, Infinite Thread blends case histories with practical advice in a remarkably "reader friendly" and memorable presented text.



The Railroading Shelf

Union Pacific Trilogy
Pentrex
Box 94911, Pasadena, CA 91109
1-56342-089-9 $19.95 1-800-959-9333

Three rare historical train films will especially delight railroading buffs in general and fans of the Union Pacific in particular. Presenting films produced by the railroad during the 1960s and 1980s (two are quite short 10-minute features depicting routes and scenery; one is over half an hour long and presents a view of UP in the mid-1960s) the Union Pacifi Trilogy is packed with bright action shots and plenty of history on the UP system.



The Mystery Shelf

The Big Switch
Jack Bludis
Design Image
231 South Frontage Road, Suite 17
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
1891946102 $15.95 1-630-789-9013

Jack Bludis' The Big Switch is a new, dark, and riveting mystery set in early 1950s, era of the Hollywood B-grade movies. Brian Kane is a hard-boiled private eye who must unravel the scheme behind the deaths of starlets, while toughing it out among the seamy underside of show business and the wrong side of the law. The Big Switch a dizzyingly fast-paced read, filled with action and surprises.

Dashiell Hammett
Steven Marcus, editor
The Library of America
14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
1931082006 $35.00 1-212-308-3360

Dashiell Hammett was the celebrated author and experienced detective who has been acclaimed as the father of the American hardboiled crime novel. This anthology of his work proves him to be a master of short stories as well. His tales, originally written for pulp magazines such as Black Mask in the 1920's and 1930's, drew upon the realities of American streets and American speech to create adventures felt and sounded truly real. This comprehensive collection from the original texts as they appeared in the pulps is free of the cuts and revisions imposed by later editors. In addition to 24 stories, Dashiell Hammett: Crime Stories And Other Writings also contains essays and an early version of Hammett's novel "The Thin Man." Dashiell Hammett: Crime Stories And Other Writings is an undeniable "must" for any mystery buff!

The Impossibly
Laird Hunt
Coffee House Press
27 North 4th Street, Suite 400
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401-1718
1566891175 $23.95 coffeehousepress.org

The Impossibly is a stunning debut novel by Laird Hunt that is dark, contradictory, and utterly compelling. When The Impossibly's anonymous narrator bungles an assignment for his shadowy employers, everyone and everything in his life turns around to double cross him or stand by him. The narrator must navigate an unnamed European city, unraveling the mystery and enlisting the reader as a detective in order to identify the assassins that seek to exterminate him. Dry, deadpan prose characterizes this fascinating, original mystery.



The Health/Medicine Shelf

My Friend, You Are Legally Blind
Charles Champlin
John Daniel & Company
Box 21922, Santa Barabra, CA 93121
1-880284-48-0 $8.95 1-800-662-8351

Writer Champlin's struggles with macular degeneration are here provided on a personal level, which reveals not only medical facts about the condition, but its effects upon a sighted person. Surprisingly good humor pervades a title which provides a personal view of the disease.

Your Genetic Destiny
Aubrey Milunsky, MD
Perseus Publishing
11 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
0738203777 $27.50 1-800-242-7737

This informed family health guide discusses the health implications of genetic disorders in a family history, drawing on the latest research and findings to discuss genetic predispositions to common ailments, tests available for identification, and when to seek genetic counseling. Your Genetic Destiny is an excellent and informative guide to the latest findings about how genetics influence health.

The Couple's Guide To Fertility
Gary Berger, MD, et.al.
Broadway Books
1540 Broadway, 18th floor
New York, NY, 10036
0-7679-0548-2 $17.95 1-800-726-0600

Now in its third edition, The Couple's Guide To Fertility has been completely revised and updated to represent the latest scientific findings to help infertile couples become parents. Research on genetics, fertility drugs, and the latest minimally invasive surgeries to correct infertility problems are all discussed in great depth, but with attention to lay audiences. A comprehensive, valuable, "reader friendly" guide.

Autogenic Training
Micah Sadigh, Ph.D.
Haworth Press
10 Alice Street
Binghamton, NY 13904
0-7890-1256-1 $24.95 1-800-429-6784

Dr. Micah Sadigh provides a comprehensive guide to autogenic training's uses in treating fibromyalgia and chronic conditions, revealing the healing technique which is the only mind-body technique with origins in medical research. Chapters explain and explore methods of stress management, meditative exercises for self-awareness, and the medical benefits of managing chronic pain with autogenic training.

Guide To Diabetes
Christopher Saudek, et.al.
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
080186657X $21.50 1-800-537-5487

An excellent basic reference and a recommended pick for both public and school libraries, the large print edition of Dr. Christopher Saudek, et.al.'s Guide To Diabetes assures that audiences who need it will be able to read it. From handling psychological problems to dealing with daily maintenance routines, this is packed with practical information. The large print edition of Dr. Cassel's will reach a wide audience and will prove a listing contribution to libraries. All eye disorders and health issues are covered here, with treatment options and symptoms thoroughly surveyed in an easy-to-understand manner. Highly recommended.

Natural Medicine First Aid Remedies
Stephanie Marohn
Hampton Roads
1125 Stoney Ridge Rd.
Charlottesville, VA 22902
1-57174-218-2 $22.95 1-800-766-8009

Consumer seeking a solid home health guide to natural remedies will find here a virtual 'bible' of information from how to treat burns and cramps to handling a toothache or nail problems. Each condition outlines several alternative treatment choices, from oils and flower essences to food therapy, herbal medicine and nutritional substitutes.



The Computer Shelf

The Invisible Web
Chris Sherman & Gary Price
Information Today
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
0-910965-51-X $29.95 1-800-300-9868

As much as eighty percent of the authoritative information accessible over the Net doesn't appear on the popular search engines: so how can individuals access databases from universities, libraries, associations, and government agencies? The Invisible Web introduces over 1,000 major information sites and provides tips on how to search them. From vital statistics to public records and academic collections, The Invisible Web packs in rich sources.

Pure ASP.NET
Robert Lair & Jason Lefebvre
Macmillan Computer
067232069X $44.99

Pure ASP.NET -- A Code-Intensive Premium Reference is a premium reference for Active Server Pages development in the new Microsoft .NET Framework. Pure Active Server Pages.NET is comprised of 3 parts. Part I Conceptual Reference is a fast-paced primer that covers ASP.NET fundamentals and concepts. Part II Techniques Reference presents a wealth of well-commented, commercial-quality code illustrating a compendium of practical applications for ASP.NET concepts. Examples are presented in both Visual Basic and C# to appeal to a wide variety of programmers. Part III Syntax and Object Reference contains detailed coverage of .NET Namespaces such as System.Web and System.Data that are invaluable to ASP.NET developers, as well as Visual Basic and C# language references. User Level: Intermediate-Advanced, 900pp.

Programming Linux Games
Loki Software Inc. with John R. Hall
Linux Journal Press/No Starch Press
555 De Haro Street, Suite 250
San Francisco, CA 94107
1886411492 $39.95 www.nostarch.com

Programming Linux Games: Building Multimedia Applications with SDL, Open AL(tm), and Other APIs is a comprehensive, superbly presented, in-depth guide to creating games that Linux users all over the world can enjoy. Especial focus is concentrated upon the Simple DirectMedia Layer tool. Written by the gaming gurus of Loki Software, Programming Linux Games is meant to be the ultimate resource, containing everything from how to use SDL to build a scrolling game engine with environmental audio and embedded scripting, to building a multiplayer game with TCP/IP sockets, to successfully distributing your game to the Linux user community. Programming Linux Games is an absolute "must" for anyone with an interest in creating or working with brand new Linux games!

Web Content Management
Russell Nakano
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
75 Arlington Street, Suite 300
Boston, MA 02116
0201657821 $39.99 www.awl.com

Co-founder of Interwoven, Inc., the market leader in web content infrastructure solutions, Russell Nakano draws upon his many years of expertise and experience to write a truly "user friendly" instructional guide for business managers and web practitioners seeking to create effective (and profitable) websites in Web Content Management: A Collaborative Approach. Aspiring web masters will learn the development principles allowing a website to be effectively entrepreneurial; proven ways to organize an enterprise website; website versioning including concurrent changes and templating; work area/staging area developmental paradigms; distinguishing source files from generated files; work flow and approval patterns for website innovation; handling multiple web initiatives; integrating web systems with databases, template systems, document management systems, deployment and backup systems; and trends in content managements now and in the future. Web Content Management is a strongly recommended title for anyone charged with responsibility for the development and operation of an entrepreneurial website of any kind or category.

XML, XSLT, Java, and JSP
Westy Rockwell
New Riders
c/oPearson Technology Group
201 West 103rd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46290-1097
0735710899 $49.99 newriders.com

Westy Rockwell's XML, XSLT, Java, and JSP is a practical, user frienedly, hands-on experience in building web applications based on XML and Java technologies. XML, XSLT, Java, and JSP's unique format takes the reader through the process of building a web chat project, using the extremely popular open-source tools from the Apache Software Foundation, namely Jakarta Tomcat, Apache Xerces and Apache Xalan. In addition, XML, XSLT, Java, and JSP provides the user with some invaluable, new and provocative techniques for XML storage using Java objects. XML, XSLT, Java, and JSP is strongly recommended for all web application developers! 768 pp.

Computer Desktop Encyclopedia
Alan Freedman
Osborne/McGraw-Hill
2600 Tenth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0072193069 $49.99 1-800-722-4726

Now in a comprehensive, expanded and up-to-date ninth edition, Alan Freedman's Computer Desktop Encyclopedia useful reference text and CD-ROM package contains more than 10,000 terms and explanations - spanning a multitude of computer-related topics. More than a collection of definitions, the Computer Desktop Encyclopedia is a unique and practical reference which includes clear, detailed descriptions and illustrations of both basic and cutting-edge topics, and is a must-have for all computer professionals, students, teachers, and technicians alike. The Computer Desktop Encyclopedia includes clearly presented and "reader friendly" explanations of all the latest devices, operating systems, Internet-related technologies and acronyms. 1136 pp.

Murach's Beginning Java 2
Andrea Steelman
Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.
2560 West Shaw Lane, Suite 101
Fresno, CA 93711-2765
189077412X $49.50 1-800-221-5528

With its clear, direct, well organized text, Murach's Beginning Java 2 is the ideal "how to" introduction to Java 2 for the novice user. Covering versions 1.3 and 1.4, Murach's Beginning Java 2 covers all of the basics and by the end of chapter 6 beginners will be able to design, code, and test business programs on their own. From that point forward, all the Java skills are taught and will turn even the most neophyte user into a skilled and practiced professional handling applications, applets, I/O files, JDBC, threads, and coding for everyday functions. The text is enhanced with syntax, examples, and guidelines, making it an immensely useful and very highly recommended reference for Java users.

J2EE Unleashed
Joe Bambara & Paul Allen, et al.
Sams Publishing
c/oPearson Technology Group
201 West 103rd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46290-1097
0672321807 $59.99 pearsonptg.com

J2EE Unleashed presents techniques and examples for building applications based on the Java 2 Enterprise Edition development model. The goal of J2EE Unleashed is not to teach the J2EE specification but to illustrate the best practices for developing J2EE applications. J2EE Unleashed will cover the most commonly used J2EE API's as well as migration techniques that can be used to port a J2EE application from one platform to another. J2EE Unleashed will discuss all of these platforms with an emphasis on the SilverStream application server, which is J2EE compliant and certified for Windows and several UNIX platforms. Moreover, the book will illustrate how a J2EE application can interface with most SQL based DBMS platforms including ORACLE, INFORMIX, Microsoft SQL Server 7, SYBASE, IBM DB2 as well as others. 844pp

Advanced Macromedia ColdFusion 5 Application Development
Ben Forta, et al.
Que
c/oPearson Technology Group
201 West 103rd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46290-1097
0789725851 $49.99 pearsonptg.com

Much of Advanced Macromedia ColdFusion 5 Application Development will be a discussion of technologies and ideas with examples to demonstrate specific techniques. Advanced Macromedia ColdFusion 5 Application Development will also contain case studies to illustrate real-world examples of specific topics. ColdFusion 5 is a massive upgrade, and it adds lots of new features, including some designed specifically for advanced and power users. Advanced Macromedia ColdFusion 5 Application Development will address these issues and technologies, including: using clustering and fail-over technologies to ensure server uptime, using the new archive and restore features. server monitor and benchmarking, creating secure applications and integrating with existing security system, extending ColdFusion using COM/DCOM, CORBA, and the ColdFusion C and Delphi API's, using the Java integration options, customizing and modifying the client environment, writing custom tags and functions, ISP ColdFusion hosting issues, and working with XML and XSL. User Level: Advanced, 600pp

Practical Algorithms For 3D Computer Graphics
R. Stuart Ferguson
A. K. Peters Ltd.
63 South Avenue
Natick, MA 01760-4626
1568811543 $49.00 www.akpeters.com

In Practical Algorithms For 3D Computer Graphics, computer animation expert Stuart Ferguson has compiled a superbly presented compendium of tools for creating a complete suite of programs for 3D computer animation, modeling, and image synthesis. After a comprehensive introduction to basic principles and key concepts regarding 3D computer graphics, Practical Algorithms For 3D Computer Graphics goes on to provide useful, practical algorithms (and code) for plugin and game engine developers. Featured are real-time 3D graphics for Windows including sample programs in OpenGI and Direct 3D, as well as an accompanying CD-ROM with sample programs. Practical Algorithms For 3D Computer Graphics is a superb introduction to, and continuingly useful reference work for, anyone involved with the development of computer games, movie animation, and graphics programming.

Publisher 2000 For Windows
Gillian Hall
Peachpit Press, Inc.
1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710
0201354624 $17.99 1-800-283-9444

Publisher 2000 For Windows is the most user friendly, inexpensive, quickest way for novice users to learn Publisher. The test is enhanced with pictures guiding the reader through the software with clear, practical, easily assimilated instructions on what to do. Publisher 2000 For Windows is also an ideal reference text allowing the reader to look up precisely what is needed and then directly apply it to the task at hand. Publisher 2000 For Windows is very highly recommended for both beginner and intermediate level practitioners.



The Artbook Shelf

Red Grooms: The Graphic Work
Red Grooms
Abrams
100 - 5th Ave., New York NY 10011
0-8109-6733-2 $75.00 1-800-759-0190

With its powerful introduction by Walter Knestric, childhood friend and owner of the definitive Grooms print archive, and an essay by critic Vincent Katz, this powerful collection both accompanies a traveling exhibition and stands alone as a fine catalog of Red Grooms' graphic achievements. Full-page color photos display print styles certain to be familiar to many.

Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St. #510, New York NY 10010
1-800-492-2808

Paul Harris' Producing Your Own Showcase (1-58115-088-1, $18.95) provides a winning examination of the theater and performing arts, explaining the legal and practical issues of producing theater and providing tools for actors, directors, and would-be production managers. From tips on skills needed to produce to assessing performances and gaining funding, this provides solid advice from seasoned pros. Rena Shagan's Booking & Tour Management For The Performing Arts (095-4, $19.95) tells how to turn a booking into a tour, how to set up the budgets and target prospects, and how to arrange everything from transport to payday schedules. Chapters on what presenters need from artists make the essential link between artist and businessman.



The Gardening Shelf

Shovel It
Eva Shaw
Writeriffic Publishing Group
Box 524, Carlsbad, CA 92018-0524
0970575807 $15.95 1-866-244-9047

In Shovel It: Nature's Health Plan, educator, gardener, and expert on recovery from life-changing ordeals Eva Shaw offers a blend of cutting-edge medical research and timeless gardening secrets. The result is a wonderfully effective, fun, soul-and-body satisfying approach to gardening that will lift and ease the spirt, amplify physical and emotional health, and enhance one of the most creative, rewarding, and life-affirming avocations available to men and women -- working in the garden.

Timber Press
133 S.W. 2nd Ave., #450
Portland, OR 97204-3527
1-800-327-5680

Edward Anderson's Cactus Family (0-88192-498-9, $99.95) is an outstanding volume for any who have more than a casual interest in cacti: over 700 pages provides the first in-depth treatment since the early 1900s work by Britton and Rose, providing an encyclopedia of genres, creating descriptions for each, and including illustrations in its scientific reference. The color photos are clear and excellent. John Sutton's Plantfinder's Guide To Daisies (497-0, $34.95) focuses on members of the daisy family, considering their characteristics, colors, and variety. An A-Z organization makes it easy to reference specific daisies, while information provides guidelines from growing to identification. The third edition of J.D. Vertrees' Japanese Maples (501-2, $49.95) has been revised and expanded by Peter Gregory to reflect recent changes in plant naming. About 100 new cultivated varieties have also been added, updating a range of details about Japanese maples. All have specialty appeal to botanical reference collections.

A Brief History Of Gardening
Neil Fairbairn
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South 10th St., Emmaus, PA 18098
0875968635 $30.00 www.rodale.com

Spanning six continents and thousands of years of human history, Neil Fairbairn's A Brief History Of Gardening provides the reader with a superbly researched, written and presented history of the human practice of growing plants for food and pleasure. Enhanced with 350 illustrations, the text also features a time line to guide the reader through eras of agricultural trends and places events and movements within an easily identifiable context of human history. The short essays address a wide spectrum of subjects from what the Japanese noel "Tale of Genji" tells us about Japanese flower fetishes, to how herbalist healers were targeted in the Salem witch trials, to what the "Kama Sutra" has to say about gardening. A Brief History Of Gardening is highly recommended for anyone who has ever enjoyed the feel of working the earth to bring forth a crop, or labored in a grove or vineyard for the season's harvest, or simply shopped in nursery for seeds, plants or bulbs for their household garden.



The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Children Of The Grove
Robert Halmo
1st Books Library
2511 W. Third St., Bloomington IN 47404
075962318X $16.95 1-800-839-8640

Elder Earth, having been reborn of a powerful magic, is now on the brink of another "Changing of the Age". Earthrage and Living Shadow are poisoning the land, while the magical power of "glimmer" is diminishing. Ruhvaurog, the Ancient Enemy, is held bound in Mithymuriel (the land of spirit beyond the mortal realm) but his being is reforming as he seeks to rebirth himself in the mortal world. Only the two Great Stewards, Aor and Einaele, can oppose him -- but they have been apart for nearly a thousand years and each has set in motion plans that may differ in purpose with unexpected and cataclysmic results. Robert Halmo's richly woven fantasy novel Children Of The Grove debuts the "Lords of Darkness, Lords of Light" series and is enthusiastically recommended to fans of the high fantasy genre. Children Of The Grove is also available in paperback (0759623171, $11.95).

Martian Knightlife
James P. Hogan
Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
0-671-31844-6 $22.00

Blend a detective story with a science fiction plot set in the future and you have Martian Knightlife, a fine mix which pairs strong characterization, mystery, and hard science. A gallant 'knight' is called upon to save relics and a man's credit alike. Add a touch of humor and a dose of romance and you have a plot which is lively and fun.

Art Of Richard Powers
Jane Frank
Paper Tiger/Sterling Publishing Co.
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016-8810
1-85585-890-8 $29.95 1-800-805-5489

This highly recommended introduction covering the life of the artist Richard Power opens to a full-page color-embellished survey of 120 of the artist's fantasy images and contributions to the world of paperback illustrative art. An outstanding survey of images is created in an excellent keepsake edition for fans of science fiction and fantasy art.

Selected Novels Of Eric Frank Russell: Entities
Eric Frank Russell
NESFA
Box 809, Framingham, MA 01701-0203
1-886778-33-7 $29.00

Selected Novels Of Eric Frank Russell: Entities provides the complete novels of Wasp, Sinister Barrier, Call Him Dead, Next Of Kin and Sentinels Of Space plus three bonus short stories. Russell specializes in plots which blend humor with psychological insights. From a battle which will decide the destiny of the human race to a telepath's struggles with microscopic life, these novels offer twists and perspectives not seen in modern science fiction. Highly recommended both for newcomers and prior fans of Russell's hard to find works.

Fall Of Neskaya
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Deborah J. Ross
DAW Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0-7564-0034-1 $24.95

Fans of the Darkover stories will find Fall Of Neskaya to be a new, refreshing and exciting addition to the Darkover Universe of Marion Zimmer Bradley. A teen nobleman's son with strong psychic powers leaves home and political struggles to embark on a new life - only to find both his upbringing and his powers conflict with his future path. Book One of the 'Clingfire' trilogy: be forewarned, Fall Of Neskaya will prove hard to put down.

Ace Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
1-800-847-5515

William Dietz's Deathday (0-441-00857-7, $22.95) is a step past War of the Worlds, telling what happens after aliens take over the planet and enslave the human race. Small pockets of survivors still maintain the struggle against the impossible as they learn secrets about the aliens which may help in their battles. Ursula LeGuin's The Telling (00863-1, $13.95) adds to her Hainish cycle of stories and is especially recommended for prior readers of her tales. Aka has been changed by technology and its citizens strictly controlled, but a group of wild outcasts threatens the social structure in this intriguing tale.

Golden Gryphon Press
3002 Perkins Rd., Urbana, IL 61802

Two powerful new releases are highly recommended gift picks for the discriminating science fiction reader who seeks literature as much as adventure. Paul Di Filippo's Strange Trades (1-930846-05-3, $24.95) provides an unusual collection of eleven stories which empathize the moral and spiritual realms of employment and jobs. A range of odd circumstances evolve on various job sites, from a corporation which cares about people over products - with a sinister overtone - to a doctor's search for personal gain from his position. Warren Rocheele's The Wild Boy (04-5, $22.95) is more surreal and less straightforward, with a healthy dose of complexity spicing the story of a human raised and owned by Lindauzi aliens. It's sometimes difficult to discern who is the animal and whom the intelligence in this intriguing story of a boy who learns a strange fact about his race's past. Both are very different, involving presentations worthy of attention and commendation.



The Architecture Shelf

Living Homes
Thomas J. Elpel
HOPS Press
12 Quartz St., Pony, MT 59747-0697
1-892784-09-2 $25.00 hollowtop.com

Thomas Elpel's Living Homes is an invaluable reference on the concept of integrated design and construction that will appeal to anyone remodeling their home as well as to new home builders, though the latter group will be more interested in the ground-up building approach offered her. From the planning process to designing an energy-efficient result, Living Homes provides construction and how-to tips the home do-it-yourselfer will appreciate.



The Cookbook Shelf

Vegetarian Cooking For Dummies
Suzanne Havala, M.S., R.D.
Hungry Minds
909 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
076455350X $19.99 1-800-434-3422

Vegetarian Cooking For Dummies is the ideal "starter" book for anyone wishing to convert to a vegetarian culinary lifestyle. Fun and easy, the recipes are enhanced with superb color photographs and instructions that are simple, straightforward, and consistently reliable. In addition to a wealth of wonderful recipes, the novice vegetarian is also treated to a "reader friendly" guide to vegetarian basics, a description of the vegetarian kitchen, the tools and techniques of vegetarian basics, and some very good "tips, tricks and techniques" for adapting recipes to a vegetarian format. There is an invaluable section offering ten reasons to cook vegetarian, ten practical vegetarian cookbooks, ten helpful websites; and ten online sources of ingredients; as well as a metric conversion guide, an index, and book registration information. From dips, spreads, and soups to salads, entrees, and side dishes, to breads, rolls and desserts, Vegetarian Cooking For Dummies is an enthusiastically recommended reference for vegetarian dining from the ordinary family meal to the extraordinary holiday event menu.

If Kallimos Had A Chef
Debra Stark
VanderWyk & Burnham
PO Box 2789, Acton, MA 01720-6789
1889242152 $14.95 1-800-789-7916

Debra Stark's If Kallimos Had A Chef: Natural Recipes For A Natural World offers more than two hundred recipes for all the food groups, but with only natural ingredients in menu item preparations. From Mom's Bread; Zucchini Potage; Polenta Pie; and Indian Chicken; to Mediterranean Fish Soup with White Beans; Tongol Tuna Salad; Barley with Russian Walnut Sauce and Colored Peppers; and Sweet Potato Pie, If Kallimos Had A Chef offers a culinary wealth of delicious recipes to suit every occasion and satisfy any palate.

Quick Desserts
Cyndi Duncan & Georgie Patrick
C & G Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 5199, Greeley, CO 80634-0103
0970025319 $14.95 1-800-925-3177

Showcasing more than 150 tasty and "kitchen cook friendly" desserts, Cyndi Duncan and Georgie Patrick's Quick Desserts also offers helpful "Foot" notes, easy-to-follow directions for even the most novice chef, and splendid little shortcuts to help time stressed cooks preapre mouthweatering desserts for any kind of menu from daily family dining to special celebratory events. From Hawaiian Pineapple Cake; Mock Tiramisu; and Peppermint Parfaits; to Apple Dumplings; Fluffy Peanut Butter Pie, and Chocolate Mint Freeze, Quick Desserts will prove to be an instant family favorite dessert planning reference. Highly recommended for parents wanting to teach their daughters (and sons!) the joys and culinary pleasures of cooking in the family kitchen.

Nitty Gritty/Bristol
Box 1737, San Leandro, Ca 94577
$8.95 each 1-800-346-4889

Three simple guides will appeal to beginners who don't need color photos: just easy instructions. David DiResta and Joanne Foran's Sensational Skillet (1-55867-261-3) focuses on stir-fries and sautes which range from broccoli and cheese stuffed veal cutlets to a lemon chicken vegetable stir-fry. Loaded with varied ideas. Sandra Rudloff's Rotisserie Oven Cooking (267-2) requires a rotisserie oven and presents over a hundred inviting recipes. The section covering large cuts of meat on the rotisserie is particularly revealing. Catherine Pagano Fulde's Cooking On The Indoor Grill (266-4) reveals dishes which can be cooked indoors on the modern built-in grills of many stoves. Again, variety blends with simplicity to produce some wonderful, varied dishes. All are recommended picks.

The Best Of The Best And More
The Best of the Best Publishing Ltd.
c/o Stewart House Publishing
1180 Medical Court, Suite A
Carmel, IN 46012
0969042574 $24.95 1-866-574-6873

The Best Of The Best And More is a splendid compilation of recipes drawn from more than twenty-three years of culinary publishing and experience. There are recipes for muffing, breds and burnches; beverages; appetizers; salads and dressings; soups; pizza, pockets and wraps; pasta; veggies; fish, seafood and chicken; lamb, pork and beef; cookies, squares, and candies; and all manner of desserts. From Baguette Sticks; Buffalo Chicken Wings; and Barber's Best Chili; to Greek Ribs; Pavlova (New Zealand's national dessert); and Pumpkin Cheesecake, The Best Of The Best And More is an ideal addition to any kitchen cookbook collection. Beautifully illustrated with full-color photography.

Mediterranean Vegetables
Clifford A. Wright
Harvard Common Press/NBN, dist.
535 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
155832196-9 $29.95 1-888-657-3755

Clifford Wright's Mediterranean Vegetables truly lives up to its title in offering more than two hundred delicious and inspiring recipes drawn from the such diverse Mediterranean bordering nations and regions as Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, North Africa, and the Middle East. From Umak od Hren sa Jabukom (Horseradish and Apple Sauce); Harisa (Hot Chile Paste); and Spinaci alla Genovese (Genoa-Style Spinach); to Yogurtin Salgam (Fried Turnips with Yogurt); Ardi shawki Maqli bi'l-Taratur (Fried Artichokes with Tartur Sauce); and Potage au Cresson (Watercress Soup); Mediterranean Vegetables is an ideal addition to the regional recipe cookbook shelves of anyone who enjoys culinary enhancements of daily meals or party menus.



The Fiction Shelf

Burning Down The House
Lev Raphael
Walker & Company
435 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0-8027-3365-4 $24.95 1-800-289-2553

Nick's fascination for an unusual, possibly dangerous woman leads to an encounter with a university mob and a possible murder attempt. Nick is convinced the attempt is real, and in helping his new friend he finds himself the target of harassment and danger. Many unexpected moments.

Generous Helpings
John M. Daniel
Shoreline Press
Box 3562, Santa Barbara, CA 93130
1-885375-08-5 $12.00

California is the setting, disasters the theme from the Rodney King riots to earthquakes and storms in a set of stories which bring to life those who survive by helping one another. While urban confrontations are a part of these tales, so is the kindness of strangers in a diverse collection. Great reading!

The Grand Complication
Allen Kurzweil
Theia/Hyperion
77 West 66th Street, NY, NY 10023-6298
0786866039 $24.95 TheiaBooks.com

The genesis for Allen Kurzweil's thriller that is The Grand Complication lies within a true story told to the author, of a stolen pocket watch masterpiece made by Abraham-Louis Breguet, a French-Swiss craftsman of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. To learn the history of the missing watch, author Kurzweil spent five years of research and travel, from a private museum in Jerusalem to Switzerland, Paris, and the Isle of Man. Filled with passion, drama, intrigue, and danger, The Grand Complications follows protagonist Alexander Short, who through a series of crises gets involved in a trail of clues that point to the missing watch, though the complications of his relationships and the motives of the one who hired him hover ominously. Meticulously researched, yet brought to vibrant life with rapturous imagination, The Grand Complication is not to be missed.

Blue Last
Martha Grimes
Viking Press
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0-670-03004-X $24.95 1-800-847-5515

Richard Jury doesn't want to think about the war that killed his parents and his childhood, but when Mickey asks for his investigative help after two skeletons are unearthed during the excavation of a bomb site, Jury finds himself investigating a pub, a bomb, and his own past. Complex and absorbing.

To Swim Across the World
Frances Park and Ginger Park
Talk Miramax Books
77 West 66th Street, NY, NY 10023
0786867337 $21.95 1-212-641-3552

To Swim Across The World is the fictional tale told by Frances Park and Ginger Park -- the real-life daughters of a star-crossed Korean couple who fell in love in the wake of the Korean War. A woman from the North and a man from the South found each other even as their nation was torn in two. Written in a lilting, lyrical style, To Swim Across The World is a story of personal heartache and courage, amidst the stark reality of a nation divided. Highly recommended.

The Cost Of Doing Business
John S. Tarlton
Bridge Works Publishing
Box 1798, Bridgehampton, NY 11932
1882593421 $22.95 1-631-537-3418

John Tarlton's The Cost Of Doing Business is the story of a divorced single mother, caught in a web of patriarchal intrigue within the Louisiana oil industry. Seeking to balance the demands of her job with the needs of her 12-year-old son and her recently widowed father, she becomes entangled in a singularly bitter and dangerous controversy. As her father and son read the ancient Greek myths together, she learns what it means to be a hero in the modern day. The Cost Of Doing Business is a compelling, character-driven story.

Embers
Sandor Marai
Knopf
299 Park Avenue, NY, NY 10171
0-375-40756-1 $21.00 1-800-726-0600

Set in a castle in Hungary, this tells of a forty-year reunion between old friends, of the stories and evasions which emerge, and of a stag hunt of the past whose repercussions still have the power to affect their future. Strong dialogue and character in this moving novel.

The Gold Of El Negro
Michael C. Haley
Poncha Press
Box 280, Morrison, CO 80465-0280
0970186215 $6.99 1-888-350-1445

Former Virginia slave Gabe is searching for his white aristocrat half-brother, a missing family fortune, romance, and a new identity as a free man in Michael Haley's riveting western novel The Gold Of El Negro. Gabe experiences the cultures of the American Southwest and encounters constant challenges in the post-civil war New Mexico Territory of the 1880s. Also very highly recommended is Michael Haley's previous western, Durango Gold (0970186207, $6.99)

The Trial Of Davy Crockett
Fletcher Rhoden
Trafford Publishing
Suite 6E, 2333 Government Street
Victoria BC V8T 4P4 Canada
1552127338 $12.95 1-888-232-4444

The Trial Of Davy Crockett is a speculative fiction novella. Author Fletcher Rhoden questions whether Davy Crockett was truly killed during the battle for the Alamo - or whether he was captured and executed by the Mexicans. The Trial Of Davy Crockett presents a hypothetical dialogue between Crockett and Generalissimo Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, which collide in an articulate, wry, thought-provoking, and no-holds-barred verbal conflict regarding the Texian Revolution and America's unrestrained expansionism. Neither Crockett or Santa Anna is stereotyped in the roles of hero or villain; their opposing points of view are given a clear and fair hearing, for all to see and judge for themselves. Based entirely on the facts of the revolution, The Trial Of Davy Crockett is a "must" for Texas history buffs and not to be missed.

Blood & Iron
Harry Turtledove
Ballantine/Del Rey
1540 Broadway
New York NY 10036
0-345-40565-X $27.95 1-800-726-0600

Be forewarned: Blood & Iron is Book 1 of a projected series. It falls somewhere in the realm of science fiction and alternative history, in a world where war has erupted twice between the U.S. and the Confederacy. A newfound war explodes worldwide, drawing in other nations and bringing a more fragile peace as socialists rise to power in the U.S. Enthusiasts of political fiction and science fiction alike will find these settings detailed.

Souvenir Of Cold Springs
Kitty Burns Florey
Counterpoint Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
1582431531 $25.00 1-800-242-7737

Margaret Neal is a junior at Harvard who, after a disastrous liaison with unfortunate consequences drops out of school. She tries to raise money for a ticket to California by appealing to her Aunt Nell Kerwin, an ex-school teacher who lives in the old family home with only a cat for company. When Aunt Nell replies to Margaret's plea for help she encloses as a gift an odd but cherished souvenir that weaves in and out of the story as a series of crucial truths about the family's haunted and troubled history is revealed, bit by bit. Author Kitty Florey uses interlocking narratives to peel away layers of a larger story of painful events that arose from one impulsive act buried deep in the family's past and which resulted in generations of misconceptions, rationalizations, and outright lies. The reader is taken back through the 20th century to see how this family (and any family) is a rich accumulation of events that built one upon another into a complex, intergenerational fabric of stories, traditions, and secrets. In the final epilogue, Aunt Nell ruminates on the past and antipathies the future, thereby bringing the novel back to the present and a completely satisfying reorientation for the reader. Souvenir Of Cold Springs is a unique and sophisticated novel that engages the reader's attention and just won't let go from first page to last.



The World History Shelf

Rome In Late Antiquity
Bertrand Lancon
Routledge
29 West 35th St., NY, NY 10001-2299
0415929768 $22.95 1-800-634-7064

Ably Translated by Antonia Nevill and with an introduction and guide to further reading by Mark Humphries, Bertrand Lancon's Rome In Late Antiquity: Everyday Life And Urban Change, AD 312-609 surveys Roman life from the third to the seventh centuries AD, from the Rome's acknowledge position as the center of Western Civilization, the greatest city in the world, and whose vast revenues supplied its huge populations with food, wine, and at least one hundred days of spectacular entertainment each year. When Pope Gregory died in Rome in 604, Rome had become a Papal power, the center of Western Christianity, the pantheon had been transformed into a church, and the city had experienced both Gothic and Vandal incursions of great violence and rapacity. Lancon's superbly presented history also covers changes in sexuality, the role of women, education, the family, calendars of games and festivals, the role of the Senate, the rise of the papacy, and more. Rome In Late Antiquity is a splendid work of impeccable scholarship that is to be commended to all academic reading lists and reference collections in the study of Roman history.

Encyclopedia Of The Wars Of The Roses
John A. Wagner
ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
1851093583 $75.00 1-800-368-6868

Arranged in an A to Z format, John Wagner's Encyclopedia Of The Wars Of The Roses is a superbly presented survey of the war that took place by rival factions for the English Throne in the second half of the 15th Century. The House of York fought against the House of Lancaster in a conflict that ebbed and flowed for ten decades before achieving a final resolution. Here are all the personalities, events, politics, issues, and battles that comprised this historic and often bloody conflict from the 1460 Act of Accord, Richard III, and Henry VI, to the 1461 Battle of Mortimer's Cross, the Neville-Percy Feud, and the Tower of London. John Wagner's Encyclopedia Of The Wars Of The Roses is an impressive, very highly recommended, single volume reference that covers the socioeconomic dimensions of the conflict as well as the military aspects of this era of English history.

Ancient Egypt Before Writing
Alicia Meza
Dorrance Publishing Company
643 Smithfield St., Pittsburgh, Pa 15222
0-8059-4970-4 $13.00 1-800-788-7654

The Nile Valley was fertile not only for crops, but for fostering minds and advancements. Ancient Egypt Before Writing details how a simple system evolved from counting to hieroglyphs. Ancient Egypt Before Writing's slim appearance contrasts with an in-depth presentation on how culture and intellect emerged.

Historical Atlas Of The North Pacific Ocean
Derek Hayes
Sasquatch Books
615 - 2nd Ave. #260
Seattle, WA 98104-2200
1-57061-311-7 $40.00 1-800-775-0817

A stunning set of color maps packs Historical Atlas Of The North Pacific Ocean, a wonderfully presented title which details over 500 years of discovery and exploration in the North Pacific ocean, tracing changing understanding of the North Pacific and the expeditions which led to each map's creation. Historical Atlas Of The North Pacific Ocean is a very fine and highly recommended supplement to any history class, and will prove a lasting and invaluable library reference.



The Biography Shelf

Hollywood Migraine
Ray Greene
Merlin Publishing
16 Upper Pembroke St.
Dublin 2, Ireland
1-903582-00-8 $15.95

This autobiography covers a decade in the life of Boxoffice Magazine: a period during which Greene had access to the top names of Hollywood, from actors to executives. 1990s Hollywood history is revealed from an insider's viewpoint, providing articles of both personal reflections and encounters with industry leaders.

Farther Than Any Man
Martin Dugard
Pocket Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, NY, NY 10020
0-7434-0068-2 $25.95 1-800-223-2336

This biography of the explorer and seafarer Cook tells of a man who never even saw the sea in his early years. Once he did, he moved from a farm boy to captain of the Royal Navy, leading historic journeys which opened up new worlds. Farther Than Any Man examines both Captain Cook's life and the politics of his times, combining history and biography in a fascinating account of exploration and discovery - both personal and historic.

Never Tell Mommy
Jackie E.
Charles Publishing
1308 Stewart Street, Oceanside, CA 92054
0912880104 $25.00 1-888-601-8399

Never Tell Mommy is an intensely personal and candid memoir that tells of pressure, resistance, misery, courage, and triumph through a childhood in a dysfunctional family with a sexually abusive father. Fifty years later, author Jackie E. shares the wisdom of learning to accepting the past as part of the self, rather than be haunted by it consider it an enemy. Never Tell Mommy is ultimately a tale of hope, written to show that even those who suffer unspeakable childhood trauma can live fulfilling lives. Highly recommended.



The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Captain Of My Ship, Master Of My Soul
F. Holmes Atwater
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
1125 Stoney Ridge Road
Charlottesville, VA 22902
1571742476 $21.95 www.hrpub.com

Captain Of My Ship, Master Of My Soul: Living With Guidance is the book and CD-ROM memoir of the truly remarkable author F. Holmes Atwater, whose life and military career as a clairvoyant counterspy led to the inception of a singular remote-viewing surveillance program. The CD-ROM that comes with this 226 page, trade paper book contains four declassified and redacted documents, as well as audio recordings and transcripts of his spiritual journeys beyond the limits of the physical body. Captain Of My Ship, Master Of My Soul is a deeply thought-provoking, metaphysical book about the voyages of consciousness and the inexplicable forces that govern human life.

Astrology On The Job
Carolyn Reynolds
Contemporary Books
Two Penn Plaza, NY, NY 10121
0-7373-0552-5 $15.95 1-800-722-4726

Astrology On The Job isn't just another astrology book; it's one with a particular focus on sun signs and personality types, and how to apply an understanding of astrology to the work environment. Chapters cover how sun and moon signs affect communication, and how to use astrology to aid in overcoming conflict on the job.

Stargate Conspiracy
Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince
Berkley Books
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0-425-17658-4 $15.00 1-800-847-5515

Readers of exposes on extraterrestrial life and conspiracies will find Stargate Conspiracy an unusual title which tells of a group of respected individuals who believe the ancient Egyptian gods are real extraterrestrials who will return to earth. Chapters make the case for this position based on assessment of evidence.

Earth Mother Magic
Judika Illes
Fair Winds Press
c/o Rockport Publishers
33 Commercial St., Gloucester MA 01930
1931412650 $16.95 www.rockpub.com

In Earth Mother Magic: Ancient Spells For Modern Belles, psychic practitioner, Tarot card reader, aromatherapist, and educator Judika Illes shows how to enhance psychic powers while increasing physical beauty, welcome personal spirit guides and allies, discover the best time for everything from starting a diet to celebrating a wedding, as well as mastering the basic techniques of divination. Drawing upon the lore of traditional Earth knowledge, readers will learn which flower added to the bath brings added respect; what to hang over a bed to evoke beautiful dreams or enhance romance; "money mantras"; candle rituals, dream pillows, love potions, and more. Earth Mother Magic is enthusiastically recommended to students of metaphysics, New Age studies, and divination practitioners.

Pictures Of Personality
John Lopker
Typology
8306 Wilshire Boulevard, #7045
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
0970581009 $25.00

Pictures Of Personality: Guide To The Four Human Natures is an illustrated and informative introduction which presents the reader with an informed understanding of inborn personality differences within a context of Jungian psychology. The "reader friendly" text is enhanced with more than two hundred color illustrations, a glossary, and an index. Pictures Of Personality is enthusiastically recommended reading for students of Jungian psychology, metaphysics, and human nature.



The Audiobook Shelf

The Time Machine
H.G. Wells
Monterey Soundworks
566 St. Charles Dr.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
1-56994-535-7 $16.95 1-800-424-2593

The St. Charles Players provide a full-cast dramatization of Wells' classic story of a time machine which travels to an unusual, alien future. The result brings alive a story which has received much print coverage and some single narrations, but without the high drama of this presentation.

Wiley Audio/Penton Overseas
2470 Impala Dr., Carlsbad, CA 92008
1-800-748-5804

Four fine audio presentations are recommended picks for listeners of nonfiction and self-help titles. James Schiro edits Memos To The President (1-56015-847-6, $21.95), a collection of insights from the nation's top CEOs who share their insights and techniques for running large, powerful organizations with the leader of the U.S. Listeners learn how management basics can apply to top-level presidential decision-making processes. Michael McFadden's reading is strong. Dr. Charles Schaefer and Theresa Digeronimo's Ages & Stages (845-X, $21.95) provides parents with a guide to the child's psychological development from birth through age 10. Five major areas of emotional health are revealed in clear sets of insights. Kate Reading's narration is clear and precise. Janice Levine and Howard Markman's Why Do Fools Fall In Love? (848-4, $18.95) is narrated by Margaruerite Gavin and Lloyd James and explores the myths and realities of building successful relationships. David Bunnell and Richard Luecke's Ebay Phenomenon (842-5, $18.95) enjoys an excellent, clear narration by Chris Ryan as it surveys the history of ebay and its online innovations. All are fine listener's choices.

Gift Of Healing, Gift Of Sleeping
Greg Barrette
Unity Books
1901 NW Blue Parkway
Unity Village, MO 64065-0001
Cat. #782 $9.95 1-800-669-0282

This guided meditation provides two meditations: Side 1 provides a focus on healing, Side 2 on sleeping. Listeners who want spoken, soft meditations conducive to imagery and relaxation will find this a compelling presentation.

Blackstone Audio
Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
1-800-729-2665

As more car players feature cds, books on cd become more desirable. These presentations are some top picks from one of the few audio publishers producing books on cd in any great quantity. Ronald Takaki's Double Victory (0-7861-9708-0, $56.00) enjoys Edward Lewis' excellent clear style as it traces multicultural struggles and victories during wartime in World War II. The 3-minute tracking allows for easy bookmarking to this strong history. Ed Greenwood's Kingless Land (9707-2, $88.00) is narrated by Nadia May and presents a Band of Four novel which requires no special familiarity with predecessors in order to prove inviting. A peaceful valley fallen into tyranny needs a band of four adventurers to rescue it. Susan Marshall's How To Grow A Backbone (0709-9, $48.00) presents an excellent, clear reading by Anna Fields as it tells of ten strategies for gaining power at work. Business consultant Marshall tells how to succeed through assertive behavior. Robert Lowe's Improvisation, Inc. (9695-5, $64.00) is narrated by Edward Lewis and tells of how to use spontaneous behavior to engage people and groups in memorable dialogue. Rosemary Sutcliff's Shining Company (9726-9, $56.00) was written for young adults but the narration by Johanna Ward will reach many an adult audience, telling of a Welsh chieftain's son's involvement with invaders of his land. Selma Eichler's Murder Can Spoil Your Appetite (9697-1, $64.00) receives veteran narrator Barbara Rosenblat's fine voice as it presents a Desiree Shapiro mystery revolving around a pudgy private eye's involvement with a powerful crime boss. Fine unabridged action and high drama to these cds.

The Hound Of The Baskervilles
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Scenario Productions
831 Glencairn Avenue, Suite 276
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6B 2A4
http://www.scenarioproductions.com
1894003268 $18.99

The first in Scenario Productions' "The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes" series and taken from the Archives of CBC Radio, this superbly presented radio adventure theater production of The Hound Of The Baskervilles is a multicast presentation of a classic Sherlock Holmes story. This two audio cassette audio book has a two hour running time and is enhanced with music and sound effects for the perfect "theater of the mind" listening experience. This radio theater production of The Hound Of The Baskervilles is enthusiastically recommended for all Sherlock Holmes fans and would make a very popular addition to school and community library audio book collections.

Los Angeles Theater Works
681 Venice Boulevard
Venice, CA 90291
1-800-708-8863 www.latw.org

Full-cast audio production plays by this company bring a new dimension of drama to the audio listening experience, choosing stories which translate well to the listening format. N. Richard Nash's The Rainmaker, for example (1-58081-207-4, $22.95) provides a dramatic story of a farm starved for water and a spinster daughter starved for love. Arthur Miller's classic The Crucible (204-X, $22.95) comes alive as the story of 17th century witch hunts and a community's involvement mirrors some of the hysteria of groups today. If you think Carson McCuller's Member Of The Wedding (206-6, $22.95) was memorable in book form, just wait until you her this powerful story dramatized by a full cast. Frankie's coming of age comes alive even more than in print. Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband (215-5, $24.95) pairs a love story with observations of London society. Classics, especially, lend to the idea of full-cast treatment and this set of recommendations should not be missed.

Little Evil Things: Volume V
Frank Macchia & Tracy London
Little Evil Things
1801 North Lima St., Burbank, CA 91505
littleevilthings.com $15.98 1-877-545-3845

Little Evil Things: Volume V is the fifth and final volume of an award-winning series of audio horror anthologies on CD and features a modern music accompaniment. The music that complements these short thrillers was specifically composed to the actors' performances, resulting in a high-energy, pulse-pounding, spine-tingling audio experience. Volume V features five tales, from a world with its information superhighway out of control to a fossil brought to rampaging life. Recommended for fantasy/horror fans ages thirteen and older, Little Evil Things: Volume V is a delightfully malevolent, highly recommended addition to any Halloween or horror audiobook collection.

Time Warner Audio
1271 Avenue of Americas, NY, NY 10020
1-800-759-0190

These are excellent leisure listening choices. Nicholas Sparks' Bend In The Road comes both abridged (read by John Bedford Lloyd, 1-58621-176-5, $25.98) and unabridged (narrated by L.J. Ganser, 178-1, $39.98). Each narrator lends spark and solid dramatic flair to this story of a man who must build a new life - and romance - years after his wife is killed in an accident. Barely learning to love again, a secret threatens his newfound romance. Jerry Jenkins' Hometown Legend (187-0, $24.98) receives veteran Frank Muller's seasoned and smooth style as it tells of the return of a former football coach to a small town. His team becomes involved in a last-ditch effort in this story of change and confrontations. Claudia Kennedy's Generally Speaking (175-7, $24.98) provides Lieutenant General Kennedy's memoir of her experiences in the US Army. Kennedy is the first woman promoted to three-star general, and she here recounts her duties and Army experiences. The Dalai Lama's An Open Heart (199-4, $17.98) provides a fine set of insights on how to practice compassion in everyday life. Nicholas Vreeland's narration is warm and captures the essence of the Dalai Lama's words. Christopher Whitcomb's Cold Zero (181-1, $24.98) provides an insider's account of life inside the FBI and its Hostage Rescue Team. From his life as a civilian through FBI experiences and in the HRT, the author relates his own discoveries of how the system operates. Oral Hershiser and Robert Wolgemuth's Between The Lines (180-3, $24.98) receives Hershiser's own narrative style and an unabridged presentation as it tells of his approach to baseball. Fans of the spot will thrill to his insights and how they apply to life. Jack Welch's Jack appears both abridged (172-2, $25.98) narrated by the author and unabridged (174-9) narrated by Mike Barnicle: the CEO here explores how his 20 years as head of General Electric has established him as a major business leader. Humor blends with anecdotes and business insights.

Highbridge Audio
1000 Westgate Dr., St. Paul, MN 55114
1-800-847-5515

This publisher's books on tape and cd provide a wide range of fiction and nonfiction listening experiences. On cd: Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, And Steel (1-56511-514-7, $29.95) presents a lively reading by Grover Gardner and an excellent history which considers why Eurasians conquered, displaced and decimated Native Americans, Australians, and others. But why didn't these peoples make similar conquests? This details environmental factors responsible for patterns of conquest. Steve Chandler narrates 50 Ways To Create Great Relationships (499-X, $22.95), telling how to build great relationships based on support and sharing processes. Louis Menand's Metaphysical Club (542-2, $34.95) explores the story of ideas and how they evolved in America. Henry Leyva's style brings this exploration to life. Robert Greene's Art Of Seduction (521-X, $26.95) pairs Jeff David's strong narrative style with the story of civilization's greatest seducers over time. Seduction is a form of power: this outlines how it's used. Robert Morgan's This Rock (504-X, $34.95) receives a dual narration by Rosemary Alexander and Robert Clotworthy: a technique which brings to life this story of very different Appalachian brothers who struggle against each others and their 1920s world. A shy man discovers new purpose in life which threatens to change all their lives. On cassette tape: Christopher Anderson's Diana's Boys (533-3, $18.95) comes alive under Derek Partridge's reading, telling of the lives of Princess Diana's sons after their mother's death. Garrison Keillor and Roy Blount, Jr. narrate Mark Twain's A Murder, A Mystery And A Marriage (505-8, $18.95), telling of a mythical town in Missouri and a humble farmer determined to marry his daughter to the town's wealthy man. Keillor's novel Lake Wobegon Summer 1956 (500-7, $29.95) presents funny reflections on small town life. Here a teen finds his calling as a writer - and revenge within the typewriter. All are excellent.

Brilliance Corporation
Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1-800-854-7859

This month's special audio focus is on Brilliance Audio, a publisher producing exceptional leisure listening materials through the use of strong narrators and popular modern authors. Dick Hill's veteran voice brings live Kurt Weinzel's novel Lit Life (1-58788-402-X, $24.95), a funny debut story of the perils of being a writer. Patrick Davis' The Colonel (416-X, $19.95) pairs Robert Lawrence's actor-seasoned voice with the story of a former army investigator who comes out of retirement to locate a killer. J.D. Robb's Immortal In Death (101-2, $24.95) pairs Susan Ericksen's dramatic flair with the story of a model who is murdered. Ridley Pearson's Parallel Lies (366-X, $24.95) also benefits from Dick Hill's seasoned smooth style as it tells of a man who decides to bring down a railroad company responsible for the death of his wife and kids. Luanne Rice's Summer Light (419-4, $24.95) pairs Laural Merlington's strong professional background with a love story of a woman who builds an unusual family. Marcia Muller's Point Deception (473-9, $19.95) also benefits from Merlington's voice and a dual narration with Ray Gautreau brings the story to life, assuming the emphasis and drama of a play as it tells of unsolved past murders and present threats. Russell Andrews' Icarus (458-5, $24.95) receives a rendition by a classically trained stage actor, Patrick Girard Lawlor, as it tells of a restaurant accident and a mysterious friend's involvement. Jacqueline Susann's Shadow Of The Dolls (482-8, $19.95) is really written by Rae Lawrence, who extrapolates on Susann's setting and spices it with Melanie Ewbank's strong narrative style. Susanne's notes for her sequel come to life under Lawrence's hand as the story resumes in the late 1980s. Lee Child's Echo Burning (371-6, $24.95) tells of Jack, a hitchhiker who is picked up by a woman whose husband is a monster. Dick Hill again spices the results. Nora Roberts' Dance Upon The Air (223-X, $19.95) enjoys Sandra Burr's strong voiceover abilities as it blends history with romance. A oman flees an abusive husband. Sara Paretsky's Total Recall (391-0, $24.95) also benefits from Burr's reading as it presents a new P.I. Warshawski story of Nazi victims and refugee threats. J.D. Robb's Seduction In Death (683-9, $24.95) receives Susan Ericksen's stage and TV style as it tells of Eve, who searches for a seductive killer. Jack DuBrul's Pandora's Curse (713-4, $24.95) receives J. Charles' smooth style as it tells of a geologist's dangerous find and the international intrigue which results in an evil plot. Carsten Stroud's Black Water Transit (718-5, $24.95) enjoys Bruce Reizen's lively style and voice as it tells of a businessman whose son is a criminal. Stephen Coonts' America (555-7, $24.95) pairs John Kenneth's smooth and clear style with the story of a nation under attack from her own nuclear subs. Ethan Black's Dead Were Strangers 737-1, $24.95) receives James Daniels' Chicago acting background and voice as it tells of a charismatic NYC detective and a dangerous killer. Tami Hoag's Still Waters (628-6, $24.95) receives Joyce Bean's smooth style as it tells of a murdered man and a woman's terror. Dorothy Benton Frank's Plantation (978-1, $24.95) is a cut out of the ordinary, with its smooth narration by Susie Breck paired with a touch of comedy and romance set in a family's troubled estate. Perri O'Shaughnessy's Writ Of Execution (453-4, $24.95) enjoys veteran Merling's voice in a story of a female attorney involved in murder and high-stakes gambling cases. Val McDermid's Killing The Shadows (626-X, $24.95) receives michael Page's professional theater background as it presents the story of a killer and the professor who tracks him with the aid of computers. Alice Hoffman's Blue Diary (256-6, $24.95) receives Joyce Bean's smooth style and tells of a man who runs from his past and changes his family forever. Terry Brooks' Wizard At Large (377-5, $24.95) receives veteran Hill's excellent dramatic flair as it tells of a half-able wizard's thwarted spell. Sara Paretsky's Bitter Medicine (527-1, $24.9) receives Sandra Burr's experienced narrative style and presents another V.I. Warshawski story in which a friend's baby's birth turns into a malpractice case. Jill Marie Landis' Summer Moon (618-9, $24.95) enjoys Kathy Garver's stage and TV background, evident in her narration of this story of a rancher who seeks a wife. Various notable authors from J.D. Robb to J.A. Jance contribute to a 'serial novel' collaboration Naked Came The Phoenix (575-1, $19.95), narrated by Susan Ericksen and telling of a health spa owner's murder. Greg Iles' Dead Sleep (476-3, $24.95) is enlivened by Susie Breck, who adds drama to the story of a woman hunting her sister's killer. Robert Crais' Hostage (502-6, $24.95) receives the author's own voice as it presents a thriller of a LAPD SWAT unit member and his family's murder. John Saul's excellent Manhattan Hunt Club (571-9, $32.95) appears unabridged with David Daqust spearheading the exceptional, tense narration of this dark story of a secret society under Manhattan. An innocent man is convicted of a brutal crime in which a prestigious secret club is involved. Anne Perry's Funeral In Blue (741-X, $24.95) provides the story of a husband and wife who struggle to save a friend accused of murder. David Colacci's voice brings the story alive. Terry brooks' Tangle Box (379-1, $24.95) receives yet another Dick Hill veteran treatment as it tells of a former lawyer's new involvement with an evil from another world. The stories are outstanding, carefully selected picks; the narrators either veterans or readers with exceptional skills and dramatic embellishments, and the listening experience perfect for leisure listeners seeking quality abridged presentations.



The Musicbook Shelf

September In The Rain
Peter J. Levinson
Billboard Books/Watson-Guptill
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0-8230-7672-5 $21.95 1-800-451-1741

Few may recall Nelson Riddle, but he produced the music which made Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and other vocalists famous. Peter Levinson's September In The Rain is based on over two hundred personal interviews with Riddle's friends and family and discusses his life and many contributions.

Heifetz As I Knew Him
Ayke Agus
Amadeus Press
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450
Portland, Oregon 97204-3527
157467062X $24.95 amadeuspress.com

Jascha Heifetz, sometimes called "The Violinist of the Century," is remembered in the pages of Heifetz As I Knew Him, written by his violin student and close companion for the last fifteen years of his life, Ayke Agus. Heifetz imparted to her not only his musical and artistic legacy, but also his personal beliefs and idiosyncracies, charging "Now, you make sure that you do not forget to put all this in the book you are going to write after I am gone." Ms. Agus fulfils this wish splendidly in Heifetz As I Knew Him, and absorbing, intimate, enthusiastically recommended look into the life, times, and thoughts of a genuine twentieth century musical genius.

Santorella Publications, Ltd.
13 Pleasant Ave., Danvers, MA 01923
1-877-600-0049

Santorella Publications is a reliable source for all manner of "how to" instructional books for a wide spectrum of musical instruments. The scope of their outstanding publications for students and musicians includes introductions on some of the more unusual instruments. Of special merit and note are three of their newest releases: How To Play The Harmonica: Method & Songbook For Diatronic Harmonicas (TS135, $9.95); How To Play The Accordion: Method & Songbook (TS194, $9.95); and How To Play The Bagpipe: Method & Songbook (TS94, $9.95). Each of these instructionals for beginner students is comprised of sheet music for popular pieces particularly suited to their specific instrument. Harmonica players are treated to 22 songs from Shenandoah to Silent Night. Edited by Gary Dahl, the Accordion begins with "Basic Music Theory" followed by 24 selections ranging from Drink To Me With Thine Eyes to The Dipsy Doodle Polka. Bagpipers are also provided with a "Basic Music Theory" section followed by a roster of tunes that range from Blue Bells of Scotland and Highland Laddie to The High Road to Linton and The Pride of Scotland.



The Journalism Shelf

Talk Straight Listen Carefully
M. L. Stein and Susan F. Paterno
Iowa State University Press
2121 South State St, Ames, Iowa 50014
0813818389 $36.95 1-800-862-6657

Talk Straight Listen Carefully: The Art Of Interviewing is an extensive, articulate guide for both print and broadcast students and journalists. Packed with far more than the standard interviewing tips, it includes strategies for obtaining hard-to-get interviews, perspectives on interview-related ethical questions, and methods for getting the most out of recalcitrant sources. Author M. L. Stein has more than 30 years experience as a journalist, author, and educator, while author Susan Paterno directs the journalism program at Chapman University in Southern California; their combined wisdom and expertise shows through, making Talk Straight Listen Carefully a "must" for anyone learning the craft of journalism.



The Archaeology Shelf

Ruins And Rivals
James E. Snead
The University of Arizona Press
355 South Euclid, Suite. 103
Tucson, AZ 85719
0816521387 $35.00 uapress.arizona.edu

James Snead's Ruins And Rivals: The Making Of Southwest Archaeology presents the story of archaeology in the Southwest from the 1890s to the 1920s. Two major research traditions are scrutinized and compared - expeditions sent from major eastern museums, and those supported by archaeological societies based in the Southwest. Ruins And Rivals reveals how competition between institutions and those who espouse them has shaped modern Southwest archaeology. Eastern "museum men" and Western boosters all used archaeology for the approval of wealthy patrons, the advancement of their careers, and even their own personal glory sometimes at the expense of others. Ruins And Rivals is fascinating as a look into the foibles of the human psyche, as well as into the history of the Southwest. Highly recommended.



The Astronomy Shelf

Celestial Treasury
Marc Lachieze-Rey
Jean-Pierre Luminet
Cambridge University Press
40 West 20th Street, NY, NY 10011-4211
0521800404 $59.95 1-800-872-7423

Celestial Treasury: From The Music Of The Spheres To The Conquest Of Space is an impressive coffee-table book surveying the history of man's exploration of the stars. The informative and engaging text is wonderfully enhanced with 380 full-color illustrations as the reader is treated to a full spectrum history of astronomy from antiquity down to the present day. Along the way such questions are addressed as how philosophers and scientists approach explaining the order that governs celestial motions; how geometers and artists measure and map the skies; when and how the Earth came into being; who inhabits the heaves; and more. Celestial Treasury is especially recommended as a "Memorial Gift" acquisition for both academic and community library astronomy and history of science collections.



The Library Video/DVD Shelf

Anne Frank
Disney Educational Productions
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-6307
68E72VL00 $TBA Education.Disney.com

A brilliantly produced, superbly acted, 3 hour and 15 minute mini-series, Anne Frank stars Hanna Taylor-Gordon as Anne; Ben Kingsley as Otto Frank, her father; and Lili Taylor as Miep Gies, one of the people who helped to hide the Frank family from The Nazis during World War II. This oustanding video trilogy follows Anne as she grows from a child in pre-war Europe, to a young woman in a severly restricted environment, and then powerfully concludes with a portrayal of the daily brutality of life in the Auschwitz concentration camp. The production values are superb, the story is vivid, memorable, and historically accurate. Anne Frank is a strongly recommended addition to community library collections, and (with parental and teacher approval and supervision) for use with older children and adolescents.

Korean War In Color
Goldhil Home Media International
411 Video Information (publicity)
137 East Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 207
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
1585655716 $29.95 1-800-250-8760

From 1950 to 1953, American soldiers fought bloody battles on the Korean peninsula when communist North Korean forces sought to overthrow the Korean government. The initial South Korean, American, and United Nations military forces met with great success against the North Korean troops until community China entered into the conflict. The result was a series of battles that almost dislodged the anti-communist military alliance from the Peninsula until General MacArthur was able to rally the troops and push the Chinese and North Koreans back to the 38th parallel when a truce was finally negotiated which effectively divided the country into the Communist North and the Non-Communist South. Drawing upon newly-releases, formerly classified footage, and from collections of photos provided by Korean War veterans who were surrounded by the stench of death on the front lines, the true horror and torment of this "forgotten war" showcases the American military struggle is effectively presented in this unique two volume, 90 minute video set. Korean War In Color is a strongly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library collections.

The Burns & Allen Collection
Bridgestone Multimedia
c/o Alpha Omega Publications
300 North McKemy Avenue
Chandler, AZ 84226-2618
156371287 $19.95 1-800-523-0988

Bridgestone's two volume video boxed set, The Burns & Allen Collection, showcases the comedic talents of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen as revealed in episodes of their early television series. Both of these video volumes have a running time of 180 minutes, are black & white, and feature six Burns & Allen episodes (included "Hollywood Parade" which starred George Burns and the Andrews Sisters). The Burns & Allen Collection will prove to be an inexpensive and greatly appreciated addition to any community library video collection, and is a nostalgic "must see" for all Burns & Allen fans.

Notting Hill
Universal Studios Home Video
10 Universal City Plaza, Suite 700
Universal City, CA 91608
0783258399 $TBA

Notting Hill is the brightly written, superbly acted, and magnificently produced comedy of a travel bookstore owner who meets a movie star. This two hour, four minute film stars Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant under the apt direction of Roger Mitchell. Now available in a DVD format, viewers are treated not only to one of the best comedy films of recent years, but a wealth of "Bonus Materials" that include Hugh Grant movie tips, music videos, "The Travel Book", photograph montages, theatrical trailers, and more! Notting Hill is an enthusiastically recommended acquisition for community library video/DVD collections, as a "must" for Julia Roberts fans! This and all other Universal Home Videos can be easily accessed for home or community library acquistion online: http://homevideo.universalstudios.com/hv_flash.html

The Tom Whittaker Story
Janson Video, Inc.
88 Semmens Road
Harrington Park, NJ 07640
1568390831 $19.95 www.janson.com

The Tom Whittaker Story: One Step At A Time is a one-hour video documentary on 49 year-old amputee Tom Whittaker's record-breaking 1998 climb to the summit of Mount Everest. Missing his right foot and kneecap, this was Whittaker's third attempt at the "holy grail" of mountaineering. Stephen Janson and M.D. Morgan showcase for viewers this remarkable and arduous achievement, including exclusive footage shot throughout Whittaker's incredible and difficult ascent to one of the highest points on Planet Earth. Here shown are the repeated failures and setbacks, frayed nerves and time constraints, all concluding with one last effort leading to a dramatic and triumphant conclusion. The Tom Whittaker Story is highly recommended viewing for anyone with an interest in mountaineering, as well as inspiring for those with a disability seeking to explore and experience all that life has to offer.

Viking Sword
Hank Reinhardt
Paladin Press
PO Box 1307, Boulder, CO 80306
VHS $44.95 1-800-466-6868

Hank Reinhardt is an experienced and knowledgeable expert who has devoted more than 50 years to researching how swords, shields, pikes and spears were actually used in real combat. What most people know (or think they know) about edged weapon combat comes from Hollywood movies and is totally inaccurate. Viking Sword is an outstanding, 45 minute instructional video of Reinhardt demonstrating (with the assistance of dramatic sword wielding demonstrations) how edged weapon combats really took place during the Viking age. These combat examples include sword on sword, sword and shield with no armor, sword and shield with mail hauberks; sword and shield with full chain mail armor. Viking Sword is an essential, strongly recommended reference and instructional video for students of historical swordsman ship and armed combat, including members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, as well as writers of historical novels and film makers seeking authenticity in their combat sequences.

The Legacy
Media Magic
411 Video Information (publicity)
152 Islip Avenue, #16, Islip, NY 117511
VHS $19.95 1-631-277-5300

The Legacy: Sex, Lies And A Side Of Fries is an hilarious and biting 25 minute political satire showcasing the fun and folly of Bill Clinton, twice-elected president of the United States. This superbly presented parody of the president's sexcapades is enhanced with brilliant and irreverent lyrics performed by "Bubba and The Bubbettes". The Legacy is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys great political satire in general -- and the parodied escapades of the often notorious and occasionally infamous Bill Clinton presidency in particular.

The Missiles Of October
MPI Home Video
16101 S. 108th Ave Orland Park IL 60462
DVD6324 $14.98 1-800-777-2223

The Missiles Of October is the superbly written, produced, and acted movie based on the thirteen days in October, 1962, when the world poised on the brink of an international nuclear conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union over the Russian attempt to base missiles with nuclear warheads on the island of Cuba, fifty miles of the coast of America. A brilliantly docudrama, The Missiles Of October takes the viewer behind the scenes in the Oval Office John Kennedy and his advisors struggled with the political and military decisions that they were compelled to make. This is a very highly recommended addition to any high-school or community library DVD/Video collection.

Jack Nicklaus
Steeplechase Entertainment
411 Video Information (publicity)
4872 Topanga Canyon Blvd., #347
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
CAT #1892 $24.95 1-818-992-0295

Jack Nicklaus: His March Through The Majors showcases the inspiring life and spectacular career of Jack Nicklaus, a premier champion in the game of golf. Viewers are treated to footage of Nicklaus' four major championships and record-breaking 18 titles won over a forty year career. This outstanding visual presentation is enhanced and augmented with informative interviews with Jack's wife Barbara, his son, Jack Nicklaus II, and a range of contemporaries from Arnold Palmer to Lee Trevino. Also available in a VHS video cassette ($19.95), Jack Nicklaus: His March Through The Majors is enthusiastically recommended viewing for anyone who has ever thrilled to a Jack Nicklaus performance on the greens.



The Native American Shelf

Native American Oral Traditions
Larry Evers & Barre Toelken, editors
Utah State University Press
7800 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322
0874214157 $19.95 1-800-239-9974

Native American Oral Traditions: Collaboration And Interpretation is an impressive collection of seven sets of intercultural authors, who present oral Native American stores with insightful commentary that adds perspective and discovery to these already fascinating stories. This body of oral literature, all of which comes from the American West, has been passed down through centuries and includes material from tribal sources ranging from the Yupik in the Arctic to the Yaqui in the Sonora Desert. Highly recommended for Native American Studies reading lists and reference collections.

Power And Place
Vine Deloria Jr. & Daniel R. Wildcat
Fulcrum Publishing
16100 Table Mountain Parkway, #300
Golden, Colorado 80403
155591859X $17.95 1-800-992-2908

In Power And Place: Indian Education In America, Vine Deloria, Jr. (a Standing Rock Sioux, history professor, and former executive director of the National Congress of American Indians) effectively collaborates with Daniel Wildcat (a Yuchi member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, co-director of the Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center, and American Indian Studies faculty member at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas) to examine a range of pertinent issues facing Native American students as they progress through school systems, colleges, and move on into the professions. The philosophic, practical, and visionary aspects of contemporary Native American educational experiences are laid out in an impressive collection of sixteen essays. Power And Place is concise reference that is especially recommended for Native American Studies reference collections, as well as reading lists for those directly involved with American Education Studies as related to Native American experiences and concerns.

Growing Up Native In Alaska
Alexandria J. McClanahan
The CIRI Foundation
2600 Cordova Street, Suite 206
Anchorage, Alaska, 99503
1578331145 $19.95 1-800-764-3382

Alexandria McClanahan's Growing Up Native In Alaska is an honest, candid, compendium of straightforward discourse by twenty-seven Alaskan Natives about what their cultures and traditions mean to them today. Each interviewed person explains their individual history and perspective in his or her own words. Growing Up Native In Alaska is a truly fascinating, informative, straight to the root account, and very highly recommended for anyone interested in contemporary Native American lifestyles and culture.

They Sang For Horses
LaVerne Harrell Clark
University Press of Colorado
PO Box 849, Niwot, CO 80544
0870814966 $26.95 1-800-627-7377

In a newly revised edition enhanced with a new epilogue and photographs, LaVerne Clark's They Sang For Horses: The Impact Of The Horse On Navajo & Apache Folklore, is a fascinating and informative study of how the acquisition of the horse transformed the mythology and cosmology of the southwestern Native American cultures of the Navajo and Apache. Chapters include: The Acquisition of the Horse; The Gift of the Gods; The Magic and Ritual of the Raid for Horses; The People's Ways for Keeping Horses Holy; The Horse's Powers Over the People's Health; The Horse's Role in Folk Customs and Other Ceremonies. A strongly recommended addition for any academic or community library Native American Studies reading list or reference collection, They Sang For Horses also features an extensive bibliography for further readings, as well as a "user friendly" index.

Ancient Modocs Of California And Oregon
Carrol B. Howe
Binford & Mort Publishing
5245-C N.E. Elam Young Parkway
Hillsboro, OR 97124
0832303380 $14.95 1-503-884-4960

Ancient Modocs Of California And Oregon is the culmination of author Carrol Howe's 45 years of dedicated exploration and research into the ancient inhabitants of North America. Howe's search for new discoveries finally led him to California and Southeast Oregon. Extensive black-and-white photographs, accompanied by detailed commentary reveal the treasures he found. Ancient Modocs Of California And Oregon is superbly written and presented, investigative and analytic book and highly recommended for Native American reading lists and reference collections, as well as the non-specialist general reader with an interest in North America's first human inhabitants.



The Nautical Shelf

Cruising In Seraffyn
Lin Pardey & Larry Pardey
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
1929214049 $21.95 1-800-736-4509

Now available in a brand new 25th anniversary edition, Lin and Larry Pardey's Cruising in Seraffyn now sports a new introduction, "Anyone Can Go Cruising," and a new appendix, "Affordable, Attainable Dreams." Cruising In Seraffyn is an exciting, detailed cruising guide with a 16-page spread of full-color photos, making it an adventurous reference for nautical buffs and armchair travelers alike. With its decades of sailor's wisdom and inspirational prose, Cruising In Seraffyn is very highly recommended reading for anyone interested in setting sail for pleasure.

Bonnie Dahl's Superior Way
Bonnie Dahl
Lake Superior Port Cities Inc.
PO Box 16417, Duluth, MN 55816-0417
0942235495 $39.95 1-888-244-5253

Now in a completely updated and expanded third edition, Bonnie Dahl's Superior Way continues to be the premier cruising guide to Lake Superior for recreational sailors and their onboard guests. A definitive and detailed guide to cruising Lake Superior, this superbly presented guide offers more than 350 new GPS Waypoints, information on improved harbor passages,. as well as new marinas and anchorages. Enhanced with more than 300 diagrams, charts and tables, this "user friendly" volume is spiral bound allowing it to be laid out flat next to the helm. If you are planning a cruise anywhere on Lake Michigan, whether as an afternoon's outing or for an extended vacation, begin your preparations and planned itinerary with acquiring your own copy of Bonnie Dahl's Superior Way!



The Library CD Music Shelf

All Around Me
Loren Gold
Anagram Records/ParasRecordings
826 South Victory Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502
PGI/AR 8004 $TBA parasrecording.com

All Around Me is a flawlessly produced collection of fourteen original compositions, each showcasing the musical talents of Loren Gold. These "New Age" pieces are as technically impressive as they are enjoyable to experience. The selections include Cascade; Falling; The Magic Mirror; All Around Me; Jake's Dream; Snow; A Son for Nancy; Midnight Blue; The Morning After; Sounds of the Mersey; Snow Revisited; Searching; and Until Tomorrow. Very highly recommended listening.

Future Asian Beat
SWARAJ
Time Square Records
c/o Silva Screen Records America
1600 Broadway, Suite 910, NY NY 10119
TSQD 9021 $TBA www.silvascreen.com

SWARAJ's Future Asian Beat is a unique compilation of thirteen compositions blending eastern breaks, twisted tablatronica, and funky Asia beats. A unique sound arising from future beats and electronics, Future Asian Beats is recommended for the musically sophisticated and features Homelands; Shobha Rock; Bionic Beats; Bang; Real Wild Child; I Love You; Jaani Jaan; Absent Minded; Pollution; Non-Violence; Rama Communication; How Much Reality Can You Take? and The Seven Heads Of Propaganda.

Spiritual! Spiritual!
B-Tribe
Higher Octave Music
Luck Media & Marketing (publicity)
8900 Olympic Bl. Beverly Hills CA 90211
HOMCD 10920 $TBA luckmedia.com

B-Tribe's Spiritual! Spiritual! offers a very special listening experience that includes and blends the dramatic flamenco guitar and ambient synthesizer tonalities with moody and wordless vocals. Highly recommended, Spiritual! Spiritual! includes Intro (2:48); Adagio in G-Minor (4:11); La Guitarra (4:28); Sketches of St. Antoni (4:52); Las Salinas (5:44); Es Vedra (4:55); Matador De Sa Pena (5:33); Reprise: Spiritual (1:55); Sunset in St. Carlos (5:49); She Moves Through The Fair (5:00); The Sun (3:05); and the title piece, Spiritual! Spiritual! (6:55).

Journey Of The Celts
Will Millar & Paul Horn
Chacra Alternative Music Inc.
3155 Halpern
Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada, H4S 1P5
CHACD 056 $TBA 1-510-528-0860

In Journey Of The Celts, Will Millar and Paul Horn successfully collaborative to produce a superb, 47 minute compilation of ethnic music that portrays the dramatic story of the Irish exodus to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Featured are traditional Irish whistles, fiddle, harp, Uillean pipes and hammered dulcimer, along with banjo, guitar, cello, drums, flute, and a "Didjeridoo". Journey Of The Celts features Passing Of The Gael (7:27); Farewell To Erin (6:48); Their Spirit Unbroken (3:30); Ships Are Sailing (3:44); A Fighting Race (5:37); Music Box Memories (4:57); Iron Paddies (4:08); Distant Horizons (7:00); and Island Of Tears (3:36).

House Of Guitars
Ed Gerhard
Virtue Records
Creative Service Company (publicity)
Box 158 Center Strafford NH 03815-0158
VRD 1925 $TBA www.edgarhard.com

House Of Guitars showcases the impressive and world-class acoustic guitar skills of Ed Gerhard. Throughout each composition, the sound is one of distinction and features several acoustic guitars at once in singing harmonies and intertwining ensembles. Very highly recommended listening for acoustic guitars enthusiasts, the selections include: Promised Land (4:45); Poor Wayfaring Stranger (5:59); Try To Stay (5:35); Because Of You, This (5:34); I Will (2:44); Shallow Brown (5:52); Farther Along (3:51); I Just Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes (4:10); Let It Be Me (4:09); Junk (2:03); and Promised Land - Reprise (2:19).



The Humor Shelf

The Lower You Ride, The Cooler You Are
Hector Cantu & Carlos Castellanos
Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111
0740718401 $10.95 1-800-851-8923

The Lower You Ride, The Cooler You Are is the first collection of the Baldo syndicated comic strip by the collaborative efforts of writer Hector Cantu and illustrator Carlos Castellanos, and which appears in over 100 newspapers across the U.S.A. This hilarious anthology of the newspaper comic strip mixes Latino culture and the ridiculous foibles that haunt every teenager's life as it follows 15-year-old Baldo with his wild imagination, his yearning to date the prettiest girl in school, and his love of soccer and cars. The Lower You Ride, The Cooler You Are is enthusiastically recommended for an entertaining good time.

The Root Of All Evil
Iliad
O'Reilly & Associates
101 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596001932 $12.95 1-800-998-9938

Iliad's The Root Of All Evil is the third and latest compilation of the online mega hit comic strip, "User Friendly". The "User Friendly" comic strip holds no sacred cows, but pokes particular humor at the world of online techies, harried customer support service staff, Internet computer game addicts, narcissistic sales staff, and computer programmers who secretly plot world domination. There is a reason why one million readers in more than a hundred nations (including Israel, Brazil, Iceland, New Zealand, and Greece) have logged into Userfriendly.org to follow "User Friendly" comics. The reason is that "User Friendly" is side-splitting funny, even - or especially - for those of us who have lagged behind a bit in the wake of the technical revolution. The Root Of All Evil is a fresh breath of originality, guaranteed hilarious, and absolutely, positively, not to be missed. Highly, wholeheartedly, enthusiastically recommended!



The Feng Shui Shelf

Feng Shui Tarot
Peter Paul Connolly & Eileen Connolly
U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
179 Ludlow St. Stamford, CT 06902
FGS78 $16.00 1-800-544-2637

Peter and Eileen Connolly have artfully collaborated to produce a tarot deck that superbly combines the traditional elements of tarot divination with an ancient Chinese spiritual wisdom embodying the principles of Form School Feng Shui (balancing environment, surroundings, materials, and colors). This unique tarot deck is based on the Feng Shui philosophy that a "chi" or flow of energy can be directed in certain ways by the optimal placement of large or small items to balance yin and yang, thereby creating a more favorable environment for people living or working in a particular space. With its beautiful images inspired by Feng Shui symbols and Chinese art enhancing the tarot experience, Feng Shui Tarot is a very highly recommended addition students of metaphysics in general, and to any tarot reader's collection in particular.

Find Balance & Harmony
Kathryn Mickle
Wellness Institute for Research
411 Video Information (publicity)
2430 Nassau Ln, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33312
VHS $24.95 thewellnessinstitute.com

In Find Balance & Harmony: A Feng Shui Tour, Kathryn Mickle provides the viewer with a 60 minute presentation on the basic principles of Feng Shui and their application for creating better relationships, improved health, and an enhanced prosperity. Viewers are taken on a tour of a private residence used as an example of applied Feng Shui through the rearrangement of furniture, how those rearrangements conform to nature, and how they will affect the lives and well-being of the household residents. All of the principles are readily applicable to the viewer's own home and physical surroundings. Find Balance & Harmony is highly recommended viewing for all students of Feng Shui and its practical application in daily life.

Feng Shui And The Tango In Twelve Easy Lessons
Ralph DeAmicis & Lahni DeAmicis
Cuore Libre Publishing
P.O. Box 728 Bryn Athyn, PA 19009
1931163030 $15.95 1-888-998-2665

Thoughtfully illustrated with simple, black-and-white brush-style minimalist drawings, Ralph and Lahni DeAmicis' Feng Shui And The Tango In Twelve Easy Lessons is an amalgam of American-style Feng Shui, uniquely adapted from the ancient Chinese practice by incorporating Western design tradition, ergonomics, color theory, and human psychology. An insightful guide to renovating one's daily environment, and specifically written to help the reader improve his or her living environment, and an invaluable aid for creating designs to better support goals and dreams, Feng Shui And The Tango In Twelve Easy Lessons covers everything except for actual illustrated Tango dance steps and is a highly recommended and much appreciated addition to any Feng Shui reading list or reference collection.



The Money/Finance Shelf

Family Finance
Ann Douglas & Elizabeth Lewin
Dearborn Trade
155 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606
079314356X $16.95 1-800-621-9621

In Family Finance, Ann Douglas and Elizabeth Lewin have capably collaborated to offer n essential, practical, "reader friendly" instructional manual on all aspects of managing personal finances. Readers will learn how to keep their spending under control, how to start a fund to secure their family's future; how to plan for a child's educational expenses; how to maximize retirement investments; even how to raise money-smart, finance-wise children. The authors draw upon their own extensive experience and expertise in addition to the input and experiences of fifty parents to show even the most novice financial manager how to take control of their money, their credit, their future plans and their present lives.



The Library Science Shelf

Teaming With Opportunity
Lesley S. J. Farmer
Libraries Unlimited
Box 6633, Englewood, CO 80155-6633
1563088789 $32.50 1-800-237-6124

Superbly developed and presented by Lesley Farmer (Coordinator of Library Media Teacher Services Credential Program and Associate Professor of Library Media Technology at California State University, Long Beach) Teaming With Opportunity: Media Programs, Community, Constituencies, And Technology is a remarkable guide written on the premise that people who specialize in media within the educational community must work with a broad variety of allies in order to truly promote learning to their maximum ability. Teaming With Opportunity is all about building coalitions and holding them together despite conflicting interpersonal forces that tend to undercut harmony and pull people apart. The ultimate goal is to better enhance the school library's media center and improve the opportunities for students to learn; with that desire firmly in mind, the sky is the limit. Teaming With Opportunity is an adventurous yet practical guide, which provides more than mere theory; there is also hands-on, step-by-step guidance for teaming up with school members, families, universities, libraries, community agencies, professional organizations, and businesses. The clear language and detailed case studies make Teaming With Opportunity a "must" for librarians seeking to make a good student media center even better!

Using The Internet As A Reference Tool
Michael Sauers
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 Varick Street New York, NY 10013
1555704174 $45.00 neal-schuman.com

Using The Internet As A Reference Tool: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians is a guide written specifically for librarians, and clearly illustrates how the Internet has permanently changed reference services by maximizing the availability of all types of information to previously unimaginable heights. Among the things Using The Internet As A Reference Tool teaches are how to use the Internet to vastly improve any library's ability to provide up-to-date information concerning any number of questions, how to evaluate both print and internet sources, techniques for handling complicated reference questions, and strategies for looking up a quick answer when there is no time to spare. A practical, resourceful, highly recommended "how to" guide.



The Women's Studies Shelf

Mother Jones
Elliott J. Gorn
Hill & Wang/Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
0809070936 $27.00 1-888-330-8477

This biography recalls early American radicalism and the efforts of Mary Jones, a force in the early labor movement. She traveled throughout the country lobbying for civil rights, labor laws and basic worker's rights: her career, life, and long-ranging effects on American labor are recounted in a lively coverage. Mother Jones is a highly recommended addition to Women's Studies and Labor History reading lists and reference collections.

The Seven Aspects Of Sisterhood
Debra J. Gawrych
Common Boundaries
P.O. Box 39445, Greensboro, NC 27238
http://www.commonboundaries.com
0971064601 $22.50

It is fitting that a portion of the proceeds for Debra Gawrych's The Seven Aspects of Sisterhood: Empowering Women Through Self-Discovery go to Breast Cancer Research Expedition Inspiration (www.expeditioninspiration.org) and the Women's World Bank (www.swwb.org), for the purpose of The Seven Aspects of Sisterhood was written to help women help themselves to lead better, fuller lives. Gawrych shows women how to analyze their own personalities against the seven archetypal models of Warrior, Scholar, King, Priest, Server, Storyteller, and Artisan; armed with new self-knowledge, one is ready to better understand and react to the many trials that daily life has in store. The Seven Aspects Of Sisterhood teaches the reader how to discover courage, act rather than react, resolve conflict, and find one's center in a turbulent, unbalanced world. Very highly recommended reading for women of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances.

Putting Women In Place
Mona Domosh & Joni Seager
Guilford Publishers
72 Spring Street, NY, NY 10012
1-57230-668-8 $18.95 1-800-365-7006

Feminist geographers attempt to make sense of the world in Putting Women In Place, an excellent title which considers why men and women work in different jobs and in different manners. From notions of men and women's roles and careers to issues of gender in the workplace and working women's history, Putting Women In Place provides an intriguing set of discussions which blend social insight with historical facts.

Complete Conditioning For The Female Athlete
Bob O'Connor, et al.
Wish Publishing
PO Box 10337, Terre Haute, IN 47801
1930546475 $18.95 wishpublishing.com

Bob O'Connor (retired professor of health and physical education and a licensed psychologist); Kari Fasting (one of the world's top experts in issues related to women and sport); Diane Dahm (instructor and consultant in the Mayo Medical School Department of Orthopedics); and Christine Wells (former university teacher of exercise physiology and kinesiology currently working in the medical field) combine their considerable years of experience and expertise to provide readers with an accurately titled Complete Conditioning For The Female Athlete: A Guide For Coaches & Athletes. Different sports make different demands on the human body, the things that a tennis player calls upon her body to do are different from the demands a ballerina or a swimmer makes upon theirs. Here is an invaluable, indispensable, and comprehensive resource that includes information on muscle types and fibers, plyometrics, aerobic training, over training, flexibility, speed, injuries, nutrition, stress, harassment, mental condition, and more -- directly relevant to women athletes at any point of their physical development and performance levels. No physical education department, professional sports team, or woman athlete's personal reference library can afford to be without a copy of Complete Conditioning For The Female Athlete.



The Education Shelf

Dealing With Difficult Teachers
Todd Whitaker
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West, Larchmont NY 10538
1883001625 $29.95 eyeoneducation.com

In Dealing With Difficult Teachers, education administrator Todd Whitaker draws upon his many years of professional experience and expertise to provide school superintendents and building principles with non-confrontational and guilt-free strategies for handling teachers with performance and personality issues. This compendium on practical and effective advice addresses teachers who gossip in the teacher's lounge; who consistently dismiss any new idea; who send excessive numbers of students to the principal's office for disciplinary reasons; who undermine administrative efforts toward school improvement; as well as those who negatively influence other teaching and student services staff members school. Dealing With Difficult Teachers is an essential addition to educational administration reference collections and "must" reading for anyone charged with supervisory responsibilities for classroom instructors and teaching staff morale.

Connecting Reading And Writing In The Intermediate Grades
Diane M. Cohle & Wendy Towle
International Reading Association
PO Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714-8139
087207296-7 $15.95 www.reading.org

Diane Cohle and Wendy Towle effectively collaborate in Connecting Reading And Writing In The Intermediate Grades: A Workshop Approach to adapt and provide a primary-grade workshop to the needs of a language arts program for grades 3 through 5. The goal is to offer educators an effective framework for providing instruction to meet the needs of all learners within a classroom setting, while instilling a lifelong love of reading and writing in their students. Specific chapters are devoted to explain the use of the workshop format; setting up the workshop, record keeping and assessment; the workshop in action; and focus lessons. Some "Final Thoughts" are presented, along with an appendix of sample assessment and record-keeping forms, and a list of references for further study. Connecting Reading And Writing In The Intermediate Grades is a highly recommended, 75 page book that will prove to be an invaluable addition to any personal or professional in-service training reference collection for classroom instruction in the allied fields of reading and writing at the grade school level.

The Results Fieldbook
Mike Schmoker
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
0871205211 $24.95 1-800-933-2723

Mike Schmoker's The Results Fieldbook: Practical Strategies From Dramatically Improved Schools is a no-hold-barred primer for improving schools, and helping to upgrade student achievement in reading, math, and more. The detailed, practically history of how five school systems triumphed over obstacles to better serve their students with verified results is clearly presented, with careful commentary on how these successes can best be duplicated. Concentrating on the central practices of teamwork and planning for measurable goals, The Results Fieldbook is a superb guide for any teacher or school system who wants to improve their learning environment - and measure the results!

Keep 'em Reading Bulletin Boards
Ben De Soto, illustrator
Upstart Books
PO Box 800
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0800
157950065X $16.95 1-800-558-2110

Keep 'em Reading Bulletin Boards: Year-Round Designs For The Library And Classroom is a remarkably easy to use book of bulletin boards to promote reading among children from kindergarten through grade 8. Each bulletin board pattern shows friendly creatures enjoying books, such as a smiling monkey who reads while hanging from his tail. The 20 suggested patterns include boards for everyday use and boards for seasonal occasions, and these patterns can be mixed and matched as needed. With many large and small pieces designed to be easily traced, display recommendations, and suggested activities to help get children thinking, Keep 'em Reading Bulletin Boards is a superb addition to any elementary school library reference shelf.

The Plagiarism Handbook
Robert A. Harris
Pyrczak Publishing
Box 39731, Los Angeles, CA 90039
1-884585-35-3 $19.95

Plagiarism is flourishing with the Internet and other student efforts to copy term papers and works - The Plagiarism Handbook combines with the problems of students unknowingly plagiarizing because they aren't aware of citation rules and forms. Chapters outline strategies for preventing, detecting and handling plagiarism, considering academic issues, sources commonly plagiarized, and making assignments constructed to prevent plagiarism. An intriguing study.



The Parenting Shelf

The Everything Baby's First Food Book
Janet Mason Tarlov
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor
Avon, MA 02322
1580625126 $12.95 1-800-872-5627

In an ideal format for new parents, Janet Tarlov's The Everything Baby's First Food Book clearly and carefully provides reliable, "user friendly" information on a wide variety of relevant issues including breast-feeding vs. bottle feeding; identifying food allergies; avoiding foods that can make baby uncomfortable or sick; how to deal with a baby who refuses to eat; deciphering nutrition labels; feeding baby on trips or in restaurants; and much, much more. The Everything Baby's First Food Book is an invaluable, highly recommended compendium of advice and instruction for parents seeking to feed their baby from birth through the toddler years with a healthy, nutritious, and tasty diet at home or on the go.

The Inside-Out Sleep Game
Patti Teel
Dream Flight Productions
PMB 457, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
603736-7 $TBA 1-888-992-4200

With The Inside-Out Sleep Game, songwriter/performer Patti Teel has created a unique and very highly recommended album of music and advice specific to the needs of children troubled and worried about the events of the day to the point that it impairs their ability to achieve a restful sleep at night. Listening to this remarkable CD will enable children to relax while focusing on their bodies and feelings as part of their bedtime routine through progressive relaxation, creative visualization, and a focus on slow relaxed breathing. The Inside-Out Sleep Game is strongly recommended for parents concerned that their children be well rested and learn to cope with the inevitable emotional and mental stresses of the world their children are now growing up in.

They Say My Kid's Gifted, Now What?
F. Richard Olenchak
Prufrock Press
P.O. Box 8813, Waco, Texas 76714-8813
1882664442 $19.95 www.prufrock.com

Richard Olenchak's They Say My Kid's Gifted, Now What?: Ideas For Parents For Understanding And Working With Schools is a brief guide and advisory for parents with gifted children, which offers ideas and suggestions to help parents work with schools to help a gifted child grow to his or her best potential. From school bureaucracy to the nature of gifted/talented programs, They Say My Kid's Gifted, Now What? offers an over view in clear, straightforward, "reader friendly" language, and its message is concise enough to prepare parents quickly for the school semesters to come. They Say My Kid's Gifted, Now What? is a very highly recommended starter book for any gifted child's parent who is unfamiliar with schools and how to best work with them.

A Single Woman's Parenting Journey
Carla Curtis
TRC Communications
P.O. Box 478, Streamwood, IL 60107
0970941803 $11.95 1-630-540-0531

Carla Curtis' A Single Woman's Parenting Journey: Survival Tidbits is an inspirational, single mother's guide to balancing her Christian faith, parenting, job responsibilities, and all the other endless demands she is faced with on a day to day basis. Quotations from the Bible as well as personal stories and practical advice are incorporated into this self-help guide, with chapters that focus upon how to Put God First, Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself, Set Your Goals, and Love and Pamper Yourself. With examples drawn from real life, suggestions for support systems, and prayers for single parents, A Single Woman's Parenting Journey is a highly recommended reading for the single mother with a Christian orientation.

Kids And Money
Jayne A. Pearl
Bloomberg Press
P.O. Box 888, Princeton, NJ 08542-0888
1576600645 $12.95 1-800-388-2749

Jayne Pearl's Kids And Money: Giving Them The Savvy To Succeed Financially is a thoughtful, easy-to-understand, well-written parental guide to a the sticky conundrum of teaching children from age 4 to 18 on how to be responsible with their money. Various money-related milestones, from allowances and first jobs to credit cards and college, are all carefully navigated with frank, friendly wisdom. Tougher issues such as shoplifting, gambling, and overspending are also discussed, with practical advice for the wide gamut of family money situations. In an increasingly modern society where a few clicks of the computer mouse can drain one's credit card account as fast as electrical information can travel, money savvy is more important than ever, making Kids And Money a "must" for any parent whose children aren't already majoring in finance.



The Psychology Shelf

The Heart Of Development: Adolescence
Mark McConville & Gordon Wheeler, eds
The Analytic Press
10 Industrial Avenue
Mahwah, NJ 07430
088163350X $29.95 1-800-926-6579

The Heart Of Development: Adolescence is the second volume in the "Great Approaches To Working With Children, Adolescents And Their Worlds" series, and aptly edited by the collaborative efforts of Mark McConville and Gordon Wheeler. Adolescence is an extensive guide to the Gestalt model of working with children, adolescents, and their families. The applications presented herein range among settings from the clinical office to the family and schools. Creative new ideas and effective interventions are described for those who practice every school and method of psychology. The Heart Of Development: Adolescence is an enlightening read and recommended for students of psychology and therapists who work with adolescent youth and their families.

Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, And Behaviors
Albert Ellis
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228
1-57392-879-8 $26.00 1-800-421-0351

The founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy here provides an updated description of the main principles and practices of his therapy in an in-depth survey which emphasizes the importance of cognition in psychological disturbances. From revisions to his original ideas to the practical applications of REBT in treating specific disorders, Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, And Behaviors is filled with applications and advice.

Freud, Jung, & Spiritual Psychology
Rudolf Steiner
Anthroposophic Press
Box 799, Great Barrington, MA 01230
0880104929 $14.95 www.anthropress.org

Freud, Jung, & Spiritual Psychology: Selected Lectures by Rudolf Steiner is an acclaimed collection of informative and insightful lectures that he gave during the early twentieth century. Bearing the test of time, Steiner's examinations remain highly relevant to modern psychoanalysis and spirituality. Among Steiner's claims are that, because Freud did not recognize spirit, his way of thinking excluded the experience of the human soul. From reflections upon the threefold structure of human consciousness to musings on the depth of the soul, Freud, Jung, & Spiritual Psychology is a unique and highly recommended psychological perspective of the meeting of mind and spirit.



The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Answers
Dalai Lama & Jose Cabezon
Snow Lion Publications
Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14850
1-55939-162-6 $12.95 1-800-950-0313

In India it has become the tradition for the Dalai Lama to spend several days giving teachings to Buddhists from all over the world in an informal discussion group manner. Answers gathers the fruits of his discussions with Western Buddhists, pairing questions and answers in a format which lends to leisure browsing. Answers is an important and core contribution to Buddhist studies and reference collections.

The Legend Of The Great Stupa
Padmasambhava & Yeshe Tsogyal
Dharma Publishing
2425 Hillside Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704
0913546038 $12.95 1-800-873-4276

Ably translated from the original Tibetan by Keith Dowman, The Legend Of The Great Stupa: The Life Story Of The Lotus Born Guru is a concise yet insightful biography by Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsongyal of Buddhist Guru Padmasambhava and his work in establishing the Dharma of Tibet. Illustrated with stylistic black-and-white drawings and filled with the wisdom that comes from eschewing excessive ties to mere material possessions, The Legend Of The Great Stupa is a transforming read that forces the reader to look inside his or her own spirit. Recommended for anyone with an interest in studying Tibetan Buddhist culture.

At The Eleventh Hour
Susan Carol Stone
Present Perfect Books
Box 1212, Lake Junaluska, NC 28745
0963078453 $14.00

At The Eleventh Hour: Caring For My Dying Mother is author Susan Stone's own story, when the cancer diagnosis of her mother caused her to interrupt her life in a Buddhist monastery to cope with the reality of her mother's impending death. Closeness, loss, sadness and renewal are the hallmarks of this introspective yet warm book. Written with strength, poignant memory, and keen awareness of karma, At The Eleventh Hour is singularly affirming and highly recommended reading for students of Buddhism with respect to issues of death and dying, as well as anyone attempting to cope with the aging and infirmities of their parent's final days.

Gates To Buddhist Practice
Chagdud Tulku
Padma Publishing
P.O. Box 279, Junction City, CA 96048
1881847314 $16.95 1-877-479-6129

Now available in a newly revised edition, Chagdud Tulku's Gates To Buddhist Practice: Essential Teachings Of A Tibetan Master offers the reader a firm grounding in Buddhist principles, illustrated with many anecdotes from the Tulku's native home of Tibet. Tulku is a meditation master, artist, and healer who has continued to travel and teach in both the East and the West; the questions he encountered while teaching form the basis to the revisions of this new edition. Gates to Buddhist Practice is a sobering, thoughtful, inspiring presentation that covers numerous aspects of Buddhism in depth, from karma and Bodhicitta to preparing oneself for death. Strongly recommended for Buddhist Studies reading lists and reference collections.



The Civil War Studies Shelf

Prang's Civil War Pictures
Harold Holzer, Editor
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Ave., Bronx, NY 10458
0-8232-2118-0 $50.00 1-800-247-6553

Prang's Civil War Pictures gathers the complete battle chromos of Louis Prang under one cover for the first time, creating an outstanding documentation of the original works of art which inspired Prang's prints. Pictures and accompanying background text provide fine insights and descriptions for both newcomers to Prang's works and those with some prior familiarity with Prang, but not his models.

From The Pen Of A She-Rebel
Gordon A. Cotton
University of South Carolina Press
937 Assembly Street, 8th Floor
Columbia, SC 29208
1570033560 $21.95 1-800-768-2500

Historian Gordon Cotton's From The Pen Of A She-Rebel: The Civil War Diary Of Emilie Riley McKinly is the fascinating and informative story of Ms. McKinly, told in her own words, as she and her rural Southern neighbors witnessed the depredations of the Civil War. What made Ms. McKinly unique was that she was a Yankee by background, yet she personally embodied deep sympathy for her Confederate neighbors. Extensively annotated vignettes bring to life the travails of living under Union occupation, and paint a vivid picture of a corner of America that was uprooted and changed forever by the surge of history. An epilogue provides as much historical closure as is available concerning Ms. McKinly and her neighbors after the war. From The Pen Of A She-Rebel is a unique and welcome addition to the growing body of Civil War literature available for readers and students today.

On Campaign With The Army Of The Potomac
Stephen W. Sears, editor
Cooper Square Press/NBN, dist.
150 Fifth Avenue, Suite 911
New York, NY 10011
0815410301 $29.95 1-800-462-6420

Ably edited by Stephen Sears, On Campaign With The Army Of The Potomac: The Civil War Journal Of Theodore Ayrault Dodge is the compelling and informative memoir of Theodore Doge (1842-1909) who joined the Union Army at the age of 19 and kept a running "journal-type account" of wis battlefield experiences. He was a lieutenant colonel in the Army of the Potomac's 101st, and later transferred to the 199th New York infantry regiment. He saw action at the Seven Days' Battle, Second Bull Run, and Chancellorsville, ending his journal and fighting career on the bloody field of Gettysburg. He was wounded three times -- once slightly, once seriously, and then losing a leg. On Campaign With The Army Of The Potomac is a remarkably vivid memoir of military life that is a welcome and much appreciated contribution to the growing library of Civil War studies.

A Southern Boy In Blue
Kenneth W. Noe, editor
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
1572331267 $18.00 1-865-974-3321

What most people don't realize is that of the more than 100,000 Southerners who fought on the side of the Union in the American Civil War, some 40,000 were Tennesseans, coming principally from the Appalachian counties of East Tennessee. A Southern Boy In Blue: The Memoir Of Marcus Woodcock, 9th Kentucky Infantry (U.S.A.) is the candid, intimate, and vividly related autobiographical story of one of them who was not yet nineteen when the war broke out. Marcus joined the 9th Kentucky Infantry. A bout of measles kept him from the battle of Shiloh, but then he went on to see action at Stones River, Chickamuagua, Missionary Ridge, and more. Marcus wrote his memoir in 1865, and his descriptions of battles, camp life, and the politics of the time open up an authoritative and informative "window in time" that will be read with interest by academia as well as the non-specialist Civil War military buff.



The International Studies Shelf

Women In Muslim Family Law
John Esposito & Natana DeLong-Bas
Syracuse University Press
621 Skytop Rd. #110
Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
0-8156-2908-7 $19.95 1-800-365-8929

Women In Muslim Family Law appears in its second edition to update information on family law reforms throughout the Middle East and Asia, presenting new insights on the diverse interpretations of Muslim family law in the region and including expanded sections handling key issues in Muslim religious and social life. Invaluable and timely.

Tibet
Marion Elliot
Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road
North Pomfret, VT 05053-0257
1570761728 $24.95 1-800-423-4525

Part of the 'global crafts' series, Marion Elliot's Tibet deserves ongoing recommendation as an excellent blend of projects, instructions, and insights on world design. These projects are centered around Tibetan culture and provide full-page color photos to reveal Tibetan interior design.



The Self Help Shelf

Intimacy In Action
Rev. Jerome Stefaniak
Stav Stefaniak, MSW, LMSW-ACP
Inner Awakenings/Brockton Publishing
11306 Overbrook, Houston, TX 77077
1887918396 $16.95 1-800-968-7065

Intimacy In Action: Relationships That Feed The Soul is a compelling psychological and spiritual look at the problems, external and internal, that complicate human relationships and how to bridge one's heart toward healing. Rev. Stefaniak combines the science of human psychology and spiritual faith in God to offer his guidance. Intimacy In Action has words of wisdom for those who fall for the same type of partner over and over despite their attempts to find someone different; those who frequently get in the repeated arguments that accomplish nothing; and those who find that relationships drive them crazy. Intimacy In Action is an extraordinarily insightful guide for anyone who wants to understand more about the wonders of being in a relationship, and what makes a successful relationship tick.

Phoenix Rising
Anthony J. Schwarz
Phoenix Group
P.O. Box 20536, San Jose, CA 95160
0970874707 $15.95 1-888-934-7755

Tony Schwarz's Phoenix Rising: 12 Golden Keys To Unlock Your Depression is an informative, effective, step-by-step process and self-help guide to becoming "the director of your own recovery" from depression. Golden Key principal number one is "Discover a Higher Power that Makes Sense To You," and the other Golden Key principles range from "Form Your Own Professional Support Team" to "Perform Physical and Spiritual Exercises Every Day." Numerous appendixes offer information and flesh out a variety of mental health issues related to depression, from contact information to selected mental health organizations to the twelve steps of Co-Dependents Anonymous. An index allows for easy reference. Phoenix Rising is a powerful and recommended guide with a message of hope for those undergoing bleak travails.



The Photography Shelf

Africa: Photography
Art Wolfe, photographer
Michelle A. Gilders, essays
Wildlands Press
Alice Acheson (publicity)
1944 1st Avenue South
Seattle, Washington 98134
0967591813 $75.00 1-800-788-3123

Featuring a foreword by Jane Goodall of chimpanzee research fame, Africa: Photography is tremendous, spectacular display of truly lush, wondrous color photographs of natural wildlands and wildlife taken by Art Wolfe. A few pictures of African tribes people are also to be found amidst captures of lions, elephants, monkeys, pelicans, and so much more. Natural splendor abounds in this captivating gallery, and the highly informative text commentary adds depth and understanding to the many eye-catching images. With a foreword by Jane Goodall and an informative text by Michelle Gilders, Africa is enthusiastically recommended for armchair travelers, nature lovers, and anyone with an interest in the majestic splendor and majesty of the African wildlands.

David Bailey: Chasing Rainbows
Robin Muir
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
0500542414 $60.00 1-800-233-4830

David Bailey, who is probably Britain's best known photographer, especially for his "beauty" photographs of the world's most famous models. David Bailey: Chasing Rainbows is an impressive and memorable photographic compilation with over 150 color illustrations, showcasing Bailey's life's work from the 1960s to the present. Amazing, bold camera artistry that captures a memory of the moment abounds in this stunning, visual album.



The Poetry Shelf

Night And Light And The Half-Light
Henry George Fischer
Pocahontas Press
Drawer F, Blacksburg, VA 24063-1020
$6.00 1-800-446-0467

Night And Light And The Half-Light is a new collection of poems by Henry George Fischer, who is Curator Emeritus of Egyptian Art at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Filled with literary and mythological allusions from Baudelaire to de Sade, these erudite verses combine wry humor with a holistic understanding of light, darkness, and their twilight mixture. Divided in three phases as the title suggests, Night And Light And The Half-Light is a compelling work that yearns to be read aloud, the better to savor the audible sensation of the subtle themes within.

Licking The Bones Dry
Susan Love Fitts
Fantasia
63 W. Ruskin Dr., Montgomery TX 77356
0971271305 $14.95

Fitts writes with an observational, deeply personal style which blends her own feelings with fine images in Licking The Bones Dry. When I arrive in my cumulonimbus/robe and release my thunderhead, things/begin to happen in your house. She is perhaps at her best when writing in the third person: it's here that her metaphors and observational skills move away from the deeply personal to interact fully with her environment: A mist of light shines through the window/on the slats of books making their home/on his shelves.



The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

The Indie Producer's Handbook
Myrl A. Schreibman
Lone Eagle Publishing Company
c/o iFilm Corporation
1024 N. Orange Dr. Hollywood CA 90038
1580650376 $21.95 1-800-815-0503

A film professor and administrator at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Myrl Schreibman draws upon his many years of experience and expertise in The Indie Producer's Handbook: Creative Productions From A To Z as he walks the reader step by step through organizing and creating a film, from pre-production through delivery to an audience. Written in language the lay reader can easily understand, The Indie Producer's Handbook instructs the reader in a wide assortment of producer skills, tactics, and wisdom not to mention vocabulary. Case examples and side notes of countless individual situations flesh out this highly detailed guide and instruction manual. The Indie Producer's Handbook is strongly recommended reading for anyone aspiring produce an independent film project.

Raindance Writers' Lab
Elliot Grove
Focal Press/Butterworth-Heinemann
225 Wildwood Avenue
Woburn, MA 01801-2041
0240516362 $24.95 focalpress.com

Raindance Writers' Lab: Write + Sell The Hot Screenplay is a book and CD-ROM created to speed aspiring screenplay writers to critical and financial success. Written from the ground up by Elliot Grove (Founder and Director of the Raindance Film Festival), Raindance Writers' Lab starts with the most basic tenets of how to create a screenplay and how to secure rights to true-life stories, offers extensive advice on how to properly tell a good, captivating story, and concludes with perhaps the most critical lessons of how to pitch a story and secure a deal. The CD-ROM files require Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or higher, and also contain MP3/MPEG-1 audio clips and video interviews that require a media player (Windows Media Player or Macintosh Quicktime recommended). Final Draft demo software is also included on the CD-ROM. Raindance Writers' Lab is an excellent technical how-to source, and highly recommended for film students and aspiring script writers with an interest in writing a commercially viable screenplay.

Reel Bad Arabs
Jack G. Shaheen
Olive Branch Press
c/o Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby St., Northampton MA 01060
1566563887 $25.00 interlinkbooks.com

The overwhelming majority of Arabic people around the world are peaceful, law-abiding citizens, but you'd never deduce that from their consistently, overwhelmingly villainous portrayal in the nearly one thousand Hollywood movies analyzed by Jack Shahenn (Professor Emeritus of Mass Communications at Southern Illinois University) in Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies A People, a sharp and acerbic look at negative movie stereotypes of an entire ethnicity. Meticulously taking apart the origins of these stereotypes in cinema's earliest days, Reel Bad Arabs pursues the recurring theme of vilifying the unfamiliar up to the present day. Starkly relevant, soberly honest, and highly recommended for students of popular culture, the film industry, and sociology, as well as the non-specialist general reader with an interest in today's political and cultural problems of distinguishing Arab terrorists from non-terrorists.

If Chins Could Kill
Bruce Campbell
Thomas Dunne Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
0312242646 $23.95 1-888-330-8477

If Chins Could Kill: Confessions Of A B Movie Actor was energetically written by Bruce Campbell, "King of the B Movies," in his own words. You will find no pretensions or high-grand society airs here; Campbell candidly dishes out the raw deal straight, with irreverent humor and biting verve. Black and white photographs with witty, quotable captions pepper this tremendously entertaining autobiography. If you've ever enjoyed (or at least tolerated) a B-movie, then If Chins Could Kill is a "must-read" for the growing legions of Bruce Campbell fans!!

A Life On Stage
Jacob Adler
Applause Books
211 West 71st Street, NY, NY 10023
155783458X $18.95 1-800-798-7787

Translated with commentary by Lulla Rosenfeld, and enhanced with an informative introduction by Stella Adler, A Life On The Stage: A Memoir is esteemed Yiddish actor Jacob Adler (1855-1926) self-written autobiography. Acclaimed during his own lifetime as one of the great actors of his day, a time now more than seven decades gone. This candid and engaging memoir was originally composed and published in Yiddish and provides the reader with a kind of "window in time" to discover what life was like in the Yiddish theater and on Broadway. From his years with a troupe of Yiddish folk singers and theatrical productions in Odessa, to his journey to America and performances at the Union Theater on Lower Broadway, we are treated to a memoir that is as much a tribute to the development of the Yiddish theater in Russia, England, and America, as it is a compelling and highly recommended social history as lived through by a most remarkable and memorable man.

Whose Improv is it Anyway?
Amy E. Seham
University Press of Mississippi
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, MS 39211-6492
157806340X $46.00 1-800-737-7788

Amy Seham is an assistant professor of theater and dance at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota and a former artistic director of Performance Studio in New Haven, as well as Free Shakespeare n the Green in New Haven and Stamford. In Whose Improv Is It Anyway? Beyond Second City, Professor Seham provides an enthralling history of improvisational comedy in America, from Chicago's Compass Players in the 1950's to the enduring Saturday Night Live, to the modern-day low-budget/high-ratings hit TV show Whose Line is it Anyway? This history of improv treats the reader to backstage glimpses and artistic techniques galore. Also available in paperback (1578063418, $18.00) Whose Improv Is It Anyway is enthusiastically recommended for any fan of improv comedy, as well as any aspiring improv comedian!


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