Hobby Farm
Carol Ekarius
Hobby Farm Press/Bowtie
3 Burroughs, Irvine, CA 92618
1931993599 $24.95 bowtiepress.com
Many urban dwellers long to live in the country and dream of owning a small farm: if you're one of them, try Hobby Farm: Living Your Rural Dream For Pleasure And Profit. Author Carol Ekarius' own extensive years of farm dwelling lend to a guide which tells how to not only choose and live on a farm, but how to make some money at the endeavor. From gardening the land and handling farm animals to handling the seasons, predators, and more, Hobby Farm, packed with color photos and insights, covers far more ground than competing farm guides for urban dwellers.
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
www.creativehomeowner.com
Two excellent new titles are fine recommendations for crafts seeking something different; especially those in need of quick projects. Flora Roberts' Crazy Quilting In A Weekend: 25 Home Decor Projects That You Can Make In No Time (1580-112412, $19.95) offers designs which use the 'crazy style' to create quick quilts, throws, pillows and more. Color photos, templates and patterns, and plenty of illustration lend to the projects and promise speed results suitable for all kinds of practical home applications, from decorative throws to laundry bags. Sharon Ross & Else Kinkead's Decorative Painting & Faux Finishes (1580111793, $19.95) could have been featured in our 'homeowner's helpers' section but deserves mention here for its special attraction to crafters who enjoy working with paint. Over 300 color photos offer plenty of tips on how to work with different types of paint, color schemes, and how to prepare surfaces. Different methods, from ragging to antique and basic stippling and creating a parchment effect using newsprint, are covered in plenty of detail.
All Fishermen Are Liars
Linda Greenlaw
Hyperion
77 W. 66th Avenue, NY, NY 10023-6298
0786888784 $14.00 1-800-759-0190
If it's a salty yarn you hunger for, you can't go wrong with swordfishing boat captain Linda Greenlaw's latest adventure All Fishermen Are Liars: True Adventures At Sea. Her sea stories are true and involve both death-defying and some funny challenges of professional sailors - from surviving a shipwreck by swimming 10 hours in a hurricane to using rock music as a tuna lure. Marine science, diving adventure, boat regulations and management and more blend with riveting adventure tales.
Rebuilt
Michael Chorost
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116
www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
0618378294 $24.00 1-800-225-3362
Author Michael Chrost become a cyborg in 2001, when his new ear was booted up. Born hard of hearing, he became completely deaf in his thirties - and chose to have a computer surgically embedded in his skull to artificially restore his hearing. Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human provides an intriguing autobiography of not only restored hearing, but new associations with machine as a result of silicon and flesh joining, resulting in newfound social issues and ethical concerns.
Chasing The Rodeo
W.K. Stratton
Harcourt
15 East 26th St., New York NY 10010
0151010722 $25.00 www.harcourt.com
Rodeo's roots may be in the primitive West of the past, but today it's prime-time TV material, even while steeped in tradition, filled with pros and tours. Journalist W.K. Stratton followed the pro rodeo circuit for one year, exploring the history of chutes to its current popularity and uncovering myths and realities alike. His findings about the people and politics of today's rodeo make for lively reading in Chasing The Rodeo: On Wild Rides And Big Dreams, Broken Hearts And Broken Bones, And One Man's Search For The West. A spirited account of today's wild riders.
How To Restore Classical Farmall Tractors
Tharran E. Gaines
Voyageur Press
PO Box 338, Stillwater, MN 55082
www.voyageurpress.com
0896580571 $29.95 1-800-888-9653
Any with an interest in antique tractors and restoring machinery will find most important the step-by-step guide to rebuilding Farmall tractors by Tharran E. Gaines, How To Restore Classic Farmall Tractors: The Ltimate Do-It-Yourself Guide To Rebuilding And Restoring. This isn't just an overview: detailed instructions include everything from engine repair and diesel system overhaul to troubleshooting hydraulics, parts fabrication, electrical system overhauls, and axle repairs. Plenty of black and white photos throughout assure clear understanding every step of the way.
Chanel
Amy De La Haye & Shelley Tobin
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
www.overlookpress.com
0879516399 $29.95 1-800-743-1312
Chanel: The Couturiere At Work is a lovely survey of fashion icon Coco Chanel and her innovative fashion ideas, and belongs in any collection boasting a focus on fashion. Her style is examined in depth; from her first early creations in the early 20th century through her design changes over the decades and her creations through the House of Chanel. Loaded with black and white and color examples from all the periods, Chanel The Couturiere At Work is a 'must' for any serious fashion collection.
New Page Books
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
www.newpagebooks.com
It's surprising to note Reiki was introduced to the West little more than 20 years ago, because it's so rapidly grown from a small circle of practitioners to a discipline practiced around the world. Dr. Laxmi Paula Horan's Exploring Reiki: 108 Questions And Answers (1564148238 $13.99) uses the question/answer format to answer many common questions about Reiki, from how to identify a suitable practitioner to when is the best time to practice Reiki and what happens to those practicing in the long term. An excellent introduction for newcomers written by a doctor who has been practicing and teaching Reiki worldwide since the mid-1980s. Lihua wang, L.A.c.'s Chinese Home Remedies: Harnessing Ancient Wisdom For Self-Healing (1564148084, $17.99) presents over a thousand remedies blending traditional Chinese medicine with ancient folk remedies. From apple slices used to relieve itchy skin to curing a hangover - or preventing one - and dealing with depression, an A-Z organization makes it easy to locate a common condition, while 'do and don't do' cautions, food remedies, exercises, Chinese herbs and tips on when to see a doctor make each listing valuable. A recommended pick.
I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight
Margaret Cho
Riverhead Books
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
1573223190 $23.95 www.penguin.com
Margaret Cho is known for her hard-hitting comedy routines and indeed comedy is part of I Have Chosen To Stay And Fight - but underlying this comedy is a serious survey of right, wrong, and what's worth fighting for. Cho's commitment to fighting the politics of disillusionment lends to chapters which tell of her own experiences of oppression, both racial and political, and her friendship with a man on death row. A lively survey of justice, injustice, and politics.
An Unreasonable Woman
Diane Wilson
Chelsea Green
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
www.chelseagreen.com
1931498881 $27.50 1-800-639-4099
Shrimp boat captains, polluters, and a forty-one year old female fourth-generation shrimper come together in the dramatic story of a showdown between one woman and one of the nation's worst polluters in the blend of autobiography and adventure of An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story Of Shrimpers Politicos Polluters And The Fight For Seadrift, Texas. Texas leaders applauded the giant company's plans for a massive new plant: Wilson took her fight to the courts and the street alike an effort to save her small town, meeting with scorn and death threats along the way - and breaking the law in her fight to preserve the local shrimper industry. An Unreasonable Woman is gripping.
Real Style
Sam Saboura
Clarkson Potter
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
1400097711 $17.95 1-800-726-0600
Most 'makeovers' seem to start with women who have many unique attributes to build upon - leaving the rest of the popular out. Sam Saboura's dressed famous celebrities and women on his 'Extreme Makeover' TV show: his insider tips can apply to everyday women too, and Sam Saboura's Real Style shows how. Illustrations pack a guide which offers insights into how style is achieved, providing advice for all body types - and the logic behind style. An exceptional guide.
Alpha Books/Penguin
800 E. 96th St., Indianapolis, IN 46240
www.idiotsguides.com
Two fine 'Complete Idiot's Guide' titles are fine introductions recommended for beginners who wish for simple explanations anyone can understand. The third edition of Patrick Wolff's Chess (15925-73169, $16.95) comes from a two-time U.S. Chess Champion so you'd think it would presume knowledge and be complex in approach: not so. Chess offers easy instructions for learning the basics rules and moves, presents beginners with strategies that work, and includes diagrams to make understanding come quicker. It's the book of choice for bare-bones newcomers - as is Carole Ann Camp's Sewing Illustrated (1592571549, $16.95), which does the same for new sewers unused to modern machines. All kinds of sewing and no-sew projects are included along with tips on understanding patterns, choosing needles and thread, sewing common hems, zippers and seams, and more. Both lend well to newcomers.
Shattered Air
Bob Madgic
Burford Books
32 Morris Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081
1580801307 $24.95 burfordbooks.com
In 1985 five hikers in California's Yosemite National Park made climbing the famous Half Done their goal even when a storm began to amass. By nightfall a lightening strike would kill two, three would be gravely wounded, and a midnight helicopter rescue would be in the making. Recklessness and tragedy permeate Shattered Air: A True Account Of Catastrophe And Courage On Yosemite's Half Dome. It's a climber's nightmare come true.
The Great Gypsy Moth War
Robert J. Spear
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
www.umpress.usmass.edu
1558494790 $34.95 1-800-488-1144
The release of the gypsy moth in North America prompted a series of circumstances which brought Massachusetts into a decade-long war against the insect, here recounted in The Great Gypsy Moth War: A History Of The First Campaign In Massachusetts To Eradicate The Gypsy Moth, 1890-1901. From the early influences on the campaign when entomologists were fascinated by the alien invader to growing frustrations with its tenacity and a series of political and social interventions which affected the fight, The Great Gypsy Moth War is as much a story of Massachusetts politics as of gypsy moth facts.
Glitter & Greed
Janine Roberts
Disinformation
163 - 3rd Avenue, #108, NY, NY 10003
0971394296 $22.95 www.disinfo.com
Glitter & Greed: The Secret World Of The Diamond Cartel is no casual journalist study: author and human rights activist Roberts has been studying and writing on DeBeers and its diamond cartel affiliates for over twenty years, has made documentary films, and here reveals everything these television films edited out. Roberts went undercover into some of De Beers's richest diamond mining operations in Africa, discovering hidden deposits, the low cost of mining diamonds, and the cruel treatment of black mineworkers - and she traveled to Canada to learn how a diamond price-fixing cartel operated, and to Russia to learn of the world's biggest diamond mine. Glitter & Greed is an important expose.
Farm Kid
Justin Isherwood
Badger Books Inc.
PO Box 192, Oregon, WI 53575
www.badgerbooks.com
1932542159 $16.95 1-800-928-2372
A fifth-generation, Plover Wisconsin potato farmer, and author of many a short stories and books on rural life, Justin Isherwood continues his gentle, humor laced stories in Farm Kid: Tales Of Growing Up In Rural America. The reader is treated to sixty-three wonderfully told and entertaining short stories that have the full flavor of a yarn that evokes memories and nostalgia in equal proportions. These are original stories that provide little "windows in time" revealing the romance, spirit, adventure, insights, and occasional frustrations of growing up on a farm. A true delight, Farm Kid is the perfect book for a browsy afternoon and will prove a popular addition to any family or community library collection. Also very highly recommended are Justin Isherwood's previous short story collections: The Book Of Plough; Christmas Stories & The Story Chair; and The Farm West Of Mars.
Presentations
Carolyne Roehm
Broadway Books
1745 Broadway, New York, NY, 10036
www.broadwaybooks.com
0767921127 $29.95, 1-800-726-0600
Filled with more than two hundred eye-catching, full-color photographs, Presentations: A Passion For Gift Wrapping is a wonderful sourcebook of ideas for creative and attractive gift wrapping. From tips for ideal contrast in wrapping paper, to suggestions for matching ribbons to patterns, to unique touches and themes ranging from poker wrapping to seasonal styles to country picnic basket style and more, Presentations is simply a joy to page through. A superb resource of inspiration for wrapping holiday or birthday gifts in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
Women's Wisconsin
Genevieve G. McBride, editor
Wisconsin Historical Society
c/o University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress
0870203614 $37.95, 1-800-621-2736
Women's Wisconsin: From Native Matriarchies To The New Millennium is an anthology of essays by learned historians as well as primary sources such as letters, reminiscences, oral histories, articles and more previously published over numerous decades in the "Wisconsin Magazine of History." An impressive compendium of women's contributions to Wisconsin history, Women's Wisconsin covers the lives of the first women in Wisconsin, the frontier era, statehood, women's organizations, women's involvement in the war effort during World War II and much more. Many sections feature extensive notes or citations. As enjoyable for lay readers as it is informative, Women's Wisconsin is an excellent contribution to both library and private history shelves, and a valuable resource for state history teachers.
Living And Working In America
Steve Mills
How To Books
c/o Parkwest Publications
PO Box 310251, Miami, FL 33231-0251
1857039130 $24.75 parkwestpubs.com
Living And Working In America: The Complete Guide To Studying, Working Or Living In The USA by Steve Mills (David Bruce Centre for American Studies, Keele University) is an invaluable compendium of information and advice for anyone seeking to live and work in the United States. Mills covers every aspect from visas and immigration laws, to employment eligibility and education opportunities, healthy care and accommodations, transportation and lodging, even cultural considerations and expectations. Comprehensive, "user friendly", and providing a wealth of contacts, resources, and more, Living And Working In America should be considered "must reading" for anyone contemplating a trip to a post 9/11 America, or who are newly arrived and seeking to acclimate themselves and make their stay a profitable and successful one whether its just for a limited time -- or the rest of their lives.
The Body Art Shelf
The World Of Tattoo
Maarten Hesselt van Dinter
KIT Publishing/Stylus Publishing, dist.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9068321927 $80.00 1-800-232-0223
Tattoos are an ever-increasing part of modern life and more tattoo books are being published as a result: but none quite so extensive or detailed as The World Of Tattoo: An Illustrated History, which focuses on world tattoo culture and traditions. With sections divided by area of the world and packed with pages of color photos, it's easy to focus study on one region - and with World Of Tattoo's focus on history and cultural insights, there's much more going on than just a photo display alone. Highly recommended not just for modern audiences interested in tattoo, but for any college-level collection strong in cultural references.
Spiritual Tattoo
John A. Rush
Frog, Ltd.
c/o North Atlantic Books
PO Box 12327, Berkeley, CA 94712
1583941177 $17.95 1-800-337-2665
Works of body art have traditionally reflected rites of passage, served as group identifiers, and made people confirm to a cultural code and social standard outsiders rarely understand, so it's timely that cultural anthropologist John Rush examines different processes and procedures of radical physical alternations in different cultures, from branding to tattooing and self-inflicted pain. Spiritual and social concerns are gathered into a history which is gruesome at times, but always revealing.
The Computer Shelf
Inspired 3D Advanced Ridding And Deformations
Brad Clark, John Hood, Joe Harkins
Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1592001165 $49.99 www.courseptr.com
Maya users might already be familiar with the concept of rigging - but any needing a 'course in a book' to develop skills in Maya rigging will find this insider's look at real-world problems to be invaluable, especially if you're already learned from the prior Inspired 3D Character Setup. In-depth explanations and plenty of real-world examples of character rigs, high-res models and more pack in color screen shot samples and illustration. Scripts, functions and polishing results fine-tune an excellent guide for Maya users.
Novell Netware 6.5 CNA Exam Cram 2
Ed Tittel
Que Publishing
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96h Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
0789727870 $34.99 1-800-428-5331
The Certified Novell Administrator (CNA) certification is the first step toward becoming Novell certified. To pass this critically important exam, aspiring Novell administrators need to surround themselves with the most accessible, comprehensive, exam-focused materials available today. That's where the 504-page instruction and reference book Novell Netware 6.5 CNA Exam Cram 2 by Novell expert Ed Tittle comes in. The aspiring Novell administrator will be able to focus his or her knowledge with this superbly organized guide, which emphasizes the learning topics of the CNA exam and closely follows the exam objectives. Step-by-step lessons offer the no-nonsense, straight-forward information needed to pass the exam. Novell Netware 6.5 CNA Exam Cram 2 is accompanied by a CD-ROM that features a fully customizable PrepLogic practice test engine with a detailed score report.
Novell Open Enterprise Server Administrator's Handbook
Jeffrey Harris
Sams Publishing
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96h Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
0672327481 $49.99 1-800-428-5331
The Novell Open Enterprise Server Administrator's Handbook: Netware Edition by Novell and Netware expert Jeffrey Harris comprehensively and accessibly covers all of the major components and features of Open Enterprise Server (OES) on the NetWare platform. This impressive and confidently recommended 600-page instructional reference book will help Novell users to understand how to integrate the benefits of OES in an existing environment. With a brief but informative introduction to the concepts necessary to introduce the diverse features, Novell users will focus on the implementation of OES on the NetWare platform.
If you'd like to learn the basics without taking an actual courses, three 'Personal Trainer' guides go beyond nuts and bolts, exploring how the computer user can become advanced and skilled. XP users will discover Windows XP Personal Trainer (0596008627, $29.95) provides a training manual for all levels of user, covering everything from customizing the taskbar to playing and customizing DVD options. What makes this excel over others is the attention to sample screens on every page, alternate methods of doing shortcuts, and much, much more. Whether you're browsing or looking for answers, Windows XP Personal Trainer Works On All Levels. Ditto Excel 2003 Personal Trainer (059-6008538, $29.95), which explores the basics of formatting a worksheet, creating and working with charts and managing worksheets, and making lists, and Powerpoint 2003 Personal Trainer (0596008-554, $29.95), which explores graphics, organization charts, graphics and more. Each book concludes with lesson overviews but the real value here lies in the visual display and color sidebars which make quick referencing a snap.
The Translucent Revolution
Arjuna Ardagh
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
1577314689 $16.95 1-800-972-6657
For those who dream of changing the world - or, at least making a difference - here's Arujuna Ardagh's coverage to demonstrate just how ordinary people are achieving such goals. From a greater sense of joy and purpose an artist finds through creation to trance states which connect sense of self with creation, The Translucent Revolution covers spiritual and social consciousness - and connections between the two.
The Business Shelf
Resonant Leadership
Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
www.HBSPress.org
1591395631 $25.95 1-800-668-6780
Organizational Behavior and Human Resources professor Richard Boyatzis and Co-chair of Teleos Leadership Institute Annie McKee present Resonant Leadership, a guide to the three key elements - mindfulness, hope, and compassion - that are critical to enabling renewal and stability in great leaders. Emphasizing the importance of balance so as to avoid burnout and the precipitation of failure due to exhaustion and excessive stress, Resonant Leadership is an optimistic yet serious-minded discourse about what it takes to be a leader in an increasingly pressurized world. A highly accessible guide filled with examples and plain common sense.
5-D Leadership
Scott Campbell & Ellen Samiec
Davies-Black Publishing
3803 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
www.daviesblack.com
0891061975 $27.95 1-800-624-1765
Internationally recognized consultant Scott Campbell and leadership development specialist Ellen Samiec, cofounders and directors of the Toronto-based leadership development and coaching consortium 5-D Leadership, present 5-D Leadership: Key Dimensions For Leading In The Real World, a self-instructional resource for improving one's capabilities in the five dimensions of leadership: Commanding/Taking Charge, Visioning/Pointing the Way, Enrolling/Getting Buy-In, Relating/Creating Harmony, and Coaching/Devel-oping People. Chapters cover the importance of knowing oneself and one's abilities inside and out, identifying contextual dynamics, leveraging one's strengths, and more. Written in no-nonsense language with an abundance of examples taken from everyday events, 5-D Leadership is a valuable tool for practicing and prospective managers to hone their skills.
Your First Business Plan
Joseph Covello & Brian Hazelgren
Sourcebooks Inc.
PO Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567-4410
www.sourcebooks.com
1402204124 $14.95 1-800-432-7444
Here's a section-by-section analysis of how to create a business plan, from developing a management team and making financial projections and setting goals to promoting a product or service, understanding economic cycles and industry influences, and assessing competition. Add over a hundred 'success questions' and three sample business plans to the discussion and you have a template for success.
From Kitchen To Market
Stephen F. Hall
Dearborn
30 South Wacker Drive, #2500, Chicago, IL 60606-7481
0793199972 $28.95 www.dearborn.com
The gourmet food industry is perfect for entry-level food distribution in this country: it lends to testing new products, it doesn't require large start-up investment, and it's a fast-growing industry. To enter, consult Food Marketing International president Stephen F. Hall's latest 4th edition of From Kitchen To Market: Selling Your Gourmet Food Specialty: it outlines and analyzes all kinds of food marketing opportunities for small cottage industries new to the business, discussing everything from building a product's concept using trade shows, brokers, and more. A 'must' for any newcomer cook who would market a product.
Business And Legal Forms For Crafts
Tad Crawford
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St. #510, New York NY 10010
1581154135 $29.95 www.allworth.com
Craftspeople need a variety of business and legal forms to organize and promote their work - and it doesn't matter if you're an amateur or a neo-pro. That's where Business And Legal Forms, in its newly revised second edition, comes in handy: 30 forms on a CD-ROM are accompanied by discussions of contract negotiations, rights, royalties, invoicing and more. A 'must' for any who would sell - and protect - their crafts.
Copy This!
Paul Orfalea & Ann Marsh
Workman
708 Broadway, NY, NY 10003-9555
www.workman.com
0761137777 $23.95 1-800-722-7202
How did an ADD dyslexic build one of the best brand-named companies - Kinko's - in America? Copy This is both an inspiring personal story of using obstacles to build success and the story of how a huge corporate success was built from a 100-square-foot copy shop to a $1.5 billion-a-year company. Both personal achievement and business insights make Copy This a compelling read - and when you add Paul Orfalea's infectious humor, it's a real winner.
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
Most companies believe they can save a fortune by outsourcing jobs overseas, making them more competitive in the long run - but how much outsourcing and cheap labor is too much, and how can the line be drawn between keeping jobs at home and keeping competitive? Two experts on economic policy and outsourcing, Ron Hira & Anil Hira , in Outsourcing America (0814408680, $22.00), narrow down the ten major reasons employers send jobs overseas, examining the impact outsourcing is having on career and education trends around the world. Paul Falcone's 2600 Phrases For Effective Performance Reviews: Ready-To-Use Words And Phrases That Really Get Results (0814472826, $10.95) comes from a Human Resources Director who tells HR professionals how to give good performance reviews. Just what makes a good performance review? There are 25 commonly rated performance factors plus job-specific parameters for sales, customer service and other areas: any who create job descriptions and development plans will consider 2600 Phrases For Effective Performance Reviews an essential management tool and reference.
Job Hopper
Ayun Halliday
Seal Press/Avalon Publishing Group
1400 65th St, #250, Emeryville, CA 94608
www.sealpress.com
1580051308 $14.95 1-800-788-3123
As an aspiring actress author Ayun Halliday wished to keep her business commitments and work life flexible: her Job Hopper: The Checkered Career Of A Down-market Dilettante provides both a funny and thought-provoking review of these many jobs which avoided regular paychecks, hard work, and a dress code. This could have appeared under 'humor', but any involved in business and the work world will especially appreciate Halliday's humor, and will find Job Hopper packed with funny realism.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Witchcraft: Rebirth Of The Old Religion
Raymond Buckland
Llewellyn
2143 Woodale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
www.llewellyn.com
0738706221 $24.95 1-800-843-6666
Now on DVD is Raymond Buckland's excellent documentary on Witchcraft and Wicca, exploring the basic beliefs and practices of modern Wiccans on a DVD which includes video commentary with Raymond Buckland and directors, Buckland's update on Wicca, deleted scenes and outtakes, and more.
Forbidden History
J. Douglas Kenyon, Editor
Bear & Company/Inner Traditions
Box 388, Rochester, VT 05767-0388
www.innertraditions.com
1591430453 $18.00 1-800-246-8648
Forty-two essays chosen from the bimonthly journal Atlantis Rising offer positions from key philosophers, spiritualists, scientists and more on alternative history and ancient mysteries. Material gathered for the presentations support challenges to both Darwinism and Creationism, building on the works of various authors to present the latest theories about Atlantis, the pyramids, extraterrestrial influences, and more. The best articles contrast theories of others in their fields and provide thought-provoking discussions of new age ideas. An intriguing survey.
Amulets, Talismans & Magical Jewelry
Barbara Black Koltuv
Nicolas-Hays/Red Wheel/Weiser
PO Box 1126, Berwick, ME 03901
0892541172 $24.95 nicolashays.com
Beautifully illustrated with color photography, Amulets, Talismans & Magical Jewelry: A Way To The Unseen, Ever- Present, Almighty God by clinical psychologist and Jungian analyst Barbara Black Koltuv focuses upon the creation, use, and meaning of objects invested with magical or spiritual powers as reflected in the Hebrew scriptures, rituals and beliefs. These items range from glass beads for protection against the evil eye, to the mezuzah found on door frames, to the hamsa (five fingered hand), engraved pendants, tiny boxes containing special prayers, Aaron's breastplate, the knots on the prayer shawl, the teffilin, henna hand and foot painting, amulets from the Sefer Raziel that protect newborn infants from evil forces, and so much more. Amulets, Talismans & Magical Jewelry is a welcome and informative contribution to personal and academic library New Age, Metaphysical, and Judaic Studies reference collections.
The Music Shelf
People And Pianos
Theodore E. Steinway & Bruce Stevens
Amadeus Press
512 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
157467112X $30.00 amadeuspress.com
First written in 1953, People And Pianos is a chronicle of the history of Steinway & Sons, an institution famous for creating great pianos. The original edition was a memento to commemorate the company's 100-year anniversary; now a new edition is made available to the public, filled cover-to-cover with vintage black-and-white photographs and illustrations as well as an update by Bruce Stevens that continues the saga of Steinway & Sons to the present day. Personal reminiscences on maestros such as Ignace Jan Paderewski, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Josef Hofmann, Glenn Gould, Rudolf Serkin, Dame Myra Hess, and Arthur Rubinstein by Henry Z. Steinway, the last family member to be involved in the business, are included. A remarkable narrative, especially recommended for piano enthusiasts interested in knowing the inner details of an institution that took upon itself the task of creating great and complex musical instruments.
Writing Dylan
Larry David Smith
Praeger
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275982459 $49.95 www.praeger.com
Writing Dylan: The Songs Of A Lonesome Traveler provides a comprehensive, college-level study of Dylan's work, blending biography with music history and style analysis to consider how the image of Dylan was crafted by the real Bob Zimmerman. Both Dylan fans and students of modern music culture will find Writing Dylan more analytical and serious than most, using a song-by-song analysis to explore the lasting social and cultural implications of Dylan's works.
These very different music studies are recommended picks for either public or college-level collections, providing a strong assembly of articles covering the history and social impact of music. James E. Perone's Woodstock: An Encyclopedia Of The Music And Art Fair (0313330673, $69.95) opens with a survey of the most popular festivals of the 1960s and 70s, providing a framework for assessment of the organization, events and circumstances of such festivals before moving on to chapters devoted exclusively to facets of Woodstock. From an assessment of the music itself, from rock to world music influences, to chapters covering key religious and social figures, set lists, recordings and films, and all aspects of Woodstock's musical and cultural influences are revealed. Scott Yanow's Jazz: A Regional Exploration (0313328714, $75.00) joins others in Greenwood's 'Guides to American Roots Music' series, surveying different eras and philosophies of jazz and providing regional profiles of key jazz movements and leaders in the process. Jazz is an intrinsic part of American culture, and Jazz: A Regional Exploration explores the many incarnations and personalities of jazz in the music and social life of America. William H. Young and Nancy K. Young's Music Of The Great Depression (0313332304, $55.00) joins others in the 'American History Through Music' series, considering American history and the different styles of music which have influenced it. Different genres and styles of music are analyzed through this history of the Depression years, from jazz to folk and classical, Broadway to popular music. Biographical sketches of influential musicians of the times are included, but the most intriguing aspects of Music Of The Great Depression cover music trends and how they developed.
The Economics Shelf
Greenspan's Fraud
Ravi Batra
Palgrave Macmillan
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
www.palgrave.com
1403968594 $24.95 1-888-330-8477
While many would applaud Greenspan for holding together the economy through interest rate manipulation, Ravi Batra isn't one of his fans, as Greenspan's Fraud: How Two Decades Of His Policies Have Undermined The Global Economy reveals. Two decades of Greenspan choices and strategy are analyzed in a biting analysis of the views and policies promoted by Greenspan. His policies have entrenched the rich, protected big business, and made the American middle class suffer: flawed economic assumptions and the global negatives of his policies are revealed.
Field Guide To The Global Economy
Sarah Anderson & John Cavanagh
The New Press
36 Greene Street, New York NY 10013
www.thenewpress.com
1565849566 $17.95 1-800-233-4830
The updated, expanded new edition of the Field Guide To The Global Economy presents the latest facts key to helping students and general audiences understand the elements of the changing international economy, and is a 'must' for any who would keep up with change. Charts, graphs and cartoons aid in understanding the latest trends, from the outsourcing of US jobs to the influence of big chains around the world. To add authority, this is published in conjunction with the Institute for policy Studies based in Washington DC and explains how global institutions affect not just monetary policies, but social and economic situations around the world.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Putting Your Passion Into Print
Arielle Eckstut & David Henry Sterry
Workman Publishing
708 Broadway, NY, NY 10003-9555
0761131221 $14.95 www.workman.com
Become a successfully published author whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction with the aid of Putting Your Passion Into Print, which begins with a writer's idea and follows it into print. From putting together a compelling book proposal and considering an agent to meeting editors, understanding royalty payment realities, and more, the nuts and bolts of the publishing industry are fully explored.
Say What You Mean!
R.L. Trask
David Godine
PO Box 450, Jaffrey, NH 03452
1567922635 $25.95 www.godine.com
Plenty of books cover English usage and style - but linguist R.L. Trask's is more specific and entertaining than most, imparting the laws for writing simple sentences and influential works using a blend of blunt observation and an A-Z format of key words designed to help reader polish and edit their words. Say What You Mean: A Troubleshooter's Guide To English Style & Usage first appeared in England in 2001 and has become a 'bible' of information for journalists, writers, and any who need to know more about English usage.
Inner Drives
Pamela Jaye Smith
Michael Wiese Productions
11288 Ventura Boulevard, #621, Studio City, CA 91604
1932907033 $26.95 www.mwp.com
There are some basic principles to writing good characters into novels and dramas and with them the aspiring screenwriter or novelist can produce powerful, three-dimension figures. Inner Drives: How To Write & Create Characters Using The Eight Classic Centers Of Motivation surveys these principles from the world of mythology, using plenty of examples teamed with exercises to help writers structure characters, devise subplots, make logical connections and more. Chapters discuss 'inner drive centers', link art and writing to New Age concepts, and survey archetypes and classic examples.
Blockbuster Plots
Martha Alderson, M.A.
Illusion Press
704 Blossom Hill Road, #146, Los Gatos, Ca 95032
1877809195 $25.00 illusionpress.com
Confused about the basics of building a plot in a story? Martha Alderson's narrowed focus on how to produce a superior one applies to novels, memoirs and nonfiction alike, using scenes by contemporary writers from Twain to London to show how to create logical and substantial plots. Visual representation of scenes is the focus of a step-by-step workbook packed with tips on everything from character development and depth of story line to action and theme clarification. Any writer seeking to produce not just acceptable but superior works must have this guide.
The 2006 updated Writer's Markets have hit the stands, and whether you're a library catering to would-be authors and writers or a writer needing constant reference for new jobs, they are 'must' purchases both individually and collectively, representing industry-standard writer's guides which will receive repeated value and attention throughout the year. The weighty 2006 Writer'' Market (1582973946, $29.99) appears in its 85th annual edition, completely revised and updated to include over 600 new listings for book publishers, magazines, trade journals and more. Not only do new listings expand the size, but exclusive interviews with agents and publishing professionals add value to listings which include small and large press listings for paying sources. For more clearly defined sources, choose either the 2006 Poet's Market (1582974004, $24.99), holding over 200 new listings to its 1,800 listings for presses, journals, workshops and contests, the 2006 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market (1582973970, $24.99), with its 200 new listings, or the 2006 Children's Writer's And Illustrator's Market (15829734020, $24.99), appearing in its 18th updated edition featuring over 800 listings total. And don't forget the 2006 Guide To Literary Agents (1582973997, $24.99), with over 500 listings to its 15th revised edition covering all kinds of agencies, agents, and special promoter contacts. All are cornerstones of any serious collection.
The Needlecraft Shelf
The Knitting Experience Book 3: Color
Sally Melville
XRX Books
c/o Independent Publishers Group (dist.)
814 North Franklin St., Chicago, IL 60610
1933064021 $24.95 1-800-888-4741
The Knitting Experience Book 3: Color is a hands-on guide to knitting eye-catching creations, from jackets and scarves to afghans, line-stitch placemats, and much more. Skillfully using color in one's knitted creations is the primary focus, yet The Knitting Experience Book 3 offers plenty of step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and explanations to be readily accessible to the beginning knitter. Chapters go into detail on how to create simple and not-so-simple stripes in knitting, balancing two colors, creating panels, pictures and plaids, fixing common mistakes, and more. Each of the many suggested projects is displayed with a wealth of step-by-step photographs as well as pictures of the finished product, all in full color. An extensive glossary and discussion of basic knitting skills-at-a- glance round out this superb reference for knitters of all skill and experience levels.
Stemmer House
2627 Caves Rd., Owings Mills, MD 21117
www.stemmer.com
Don't expect bright color from Stemmer House's 'International Design Library' collections (aside from attractive covers), but do expect a host of ethnic-specific, quite useful pattern designs which can be used as templates for a range of craft projects. Caren Caraway's Eastern Woodland Indian Designs (0880450576, $6.95) presents the tribal art of the Indians of the northeastern US and eastern Canada, with plants and animals the feature of artistic expression, Rebecca McKillip's Celtic Designs (0916144755, $7.95) surveys Celtic patterns from ancient Celtic artists who blended patterns with features of the natural and manmade world like, and the more extensive African Designs Of The Congo, Nigeria, The Cameroons And The Guinea Coast by Caren Caraway (0880450932, $17.95) comes packed with tribal masks and designs divided by different sections of Africa. All patterns and designs are in black and white; most are full-page representations, lending to easy reproduction and plenty of detail.
Sterling
387 Park Ave South, NY, NY 10016
Two excellent crafter's guides are recommended picks for knitters and beaders alike. Andrea Shackleton and Gayle Shackleton's Great Knitted Gifts (140271-3231, $19.95) present knitting designs which lend to gifts for all ages. They've created their own stylish designs which are accompanied by a color graph to make reproduction a snap and virtually foolproof, and provide projects which feature bold colors, florals, geometrics and more. Kim Ballor's Fashion Beading (1402715-269, $24.95) comes from a working bead artist who shares her beading techniques with beginners. Beautiful color photos of finished pieces accompany tips on 50 selected projects which are both quick to complete and professional in appearance. Bracelets, necklaces, chains and earrings all have a variety of styles and colors to attract a wide audience.
The Quilter's Recipe Book
Celia Eddy
Barrons Educational
250 Wireless Blvd, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764129554 $24.95 barronseduc.com
Making a quilt is like baking a cake: the best choice for beginners are clear directions, ingredients lists, and templates which simplify projects - all of which are accompanied by gorgeous color photos of 100 finished results in The Quilter's Recipe Book: All The Ingredients You Need To Create Over 100 Fabulous Quilts. A large introductory section covering tools and techniques surveys both equipment and special options such as applique, while the second half of Quilter's Recipe Book focuses on quilt projects. From cutting blocks and varying squares to handling shapes, this is the perfect book to begin with.
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.AmericanQuilter.com
Eileen Jahnke Trestain's Dating Fabrics 2: A Color Guide 1950-2000 (1574328-832, $25.95) deserves repeated mention as an outstanding survey of both original and reproduction fabrics of the period. Here you can find over 1,000 fabric swatches from the 1950s through the 1990s from everyday clothing, discussions of quilting and clothing trends, and groupings of fabric prints sorted by date and color which lend to easy identification. Spiral binding for lay-flat reference makes for an excellent, practical guide quilters will appreciate. Sally Saulmon's Traditional Two Block Quilts (1574328867, $22.95) teaches how to create secondary designs and unique results by placing classic quilt blocks in new contemporary settings. From creating illusions to mixing colors with applique, Traditional Two Block Quilts is packed with color examples and assembly and cutting diagrams and instructions perfect for all levels. Both are highly recommended picks.
Krause Publications
700 E. State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
Nancy Zieman is the nation's most recognized sewing expert, teaching both beginners and advanced embroiderers: her Machine Embroidery With Confidence: A Beginner's Guide (0873498577, $21.99) covers all the basics for newcomers to the idea, from the basics of embroidering a design to using templates, embroidering for kitchen and bath, and more. Any who wish to embark upon machine embroidery projects would do well to begin here: the color photos and diagrams do an excellent job of rounding out written instruction. Chris Malone's Kitchen Stitchin' (0873499441, $21.99) is a 'must' for any who want to use home sewing projects to dress up a kitchen or dining room with coordinating décor. This isn't just for quilters, either: quilting, hooking, ribbonwork, beading and more are utilized in the process, full-size patterns are included in fifty featured projects, and bright color photos throughout of finished projects at table add appeal. Jane Davis' Felted Crochet (087349-8879, $22.99) tells of using traditional crochet to produce a 'felted' feel. 30 featured felted crochet projects cover everything from bags and pillows to bowls and throws, and even provide quick, practical projects, such as slippers, which can be finished in an afternoon. Barbara Randle's More Crazy Quilting With Attitude (0873499751, $23.99) features fourteen crazy quilted projects, nearly two hundred color photos, full-size patterns, and 20 projects in a featured gallery of ideas. Materials lists tend to be very basic, innovations are suggested and encouraged at each project step, and instructions reflect the artist/author's own goals in creating each piece. Jan Eaton's The Cross-Stitch Motif Bible (0896891461, $29.99) provides cross stitch fans with an outstanding gathering of over 1000 cross stitch motif charts for blending into samplers, cards, and full-sized projects. Presented in a lay-flat spiral-bound hard format with spine lettering, the durable and practical guide comes packed with step-by-step illustrated instructions on basic technique and materials. With its lovely full-color presentation and ideas, Cross-Stitch Motif Bible is a real winner, offering charts by Carol and John Woodcock. Jinks McGrath's Jeweler's Directory Of Decorative Finishes (0896891933, $24.99) provides jewelers and metalcraft students with an excellent guide to the basics: tools, materials and techniques for jewelry. Samples demonstrate both basic instruction and variation possibilities as chapters cover sand casting, enameling, engraving, inlay, etching and more. Very highly recommended indeed.
Martingale Company
20205 - 144th Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com
Jane Snedden Peever's More Crocheted Aran Sweaters (1564775909, $24.95) provides a sequel to her popular Crocheted Aran Sweaters, providing a wealth of more Aran-style designs with new stitch patterns. Thirteen sweaters and vests are created with the look of knitting cables and moss stitches, plus some crochet patterns. The stitches guide helps make professional, polished results from even the most basic beginner efforts, while the styles are contemporary and appealing. Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks (1564775704, $24.95) is not your usual small selection of sock patterns: it covers everything from yarn types and gauges to different stitch patterns and offers nearly 1,000 variations on knitting themes to create unique, original designs. Patterns lend to choosing a favorite needle size and method, while customization instructions for women, men and children and plenty of color photos throughout make it easy to produce good-fitting results rather than the usual 'one size fits all' productions of competing titles.
Moon Over Mountain
2 Public Ave., Montrose, PA 18801-1220
www.QuiltTownUSA.com
Three lovely quilter's guides particularly lend to beginners with short project lists, large-size patterns, and very simple instructions. Mary Koval's Mary's Favorite Blue And White Quilts (1885588658, $16.95), for example, comes from one who has been buying and selling antique quilts for years: here are 9 patterns and step-by-step directions for specific blue and white quilts which are accompanied by large, color photos of each for inspiration. The Keystone Quilters' Classic Quilts (1885588666, $16.95) features 8 quilts with clear instructions and photos and a variety of styles. Each quilt has a very different look, and is made with modern fabrics. Christine Meunier's A Few Of My Favorite Miniature Quilts: 10 Patterns For Colorful Minis (1885588674, $16.95) provides patterns for 10 miniature quilts. These small quilts allow beginners to become familiar with new techniques and colors without risking lots of fabric and time in the process. The focus on different techniques from piecing to fusible applique also makes Miniature Quilts stand out as an exceptional learning tool.
Comprehensive Dyeing Guide
Maryanne Lincoln
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Rd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
1881982432 $17.95 .stackpolebooks.com
Anyone involved in rug hooking or wool work will find learning to dye wool is the next logical step to producing unique results - and one of the most essential parts of making finished products outstanding. Colorist Maryanne Lincoln has written articles on dyeing for over 10 years: her lesson formulas appeared bi-monthly for over 10 years in Rug Hooking magazine, and are gathered here in a reference explaining each step. Any involved in wool dyeing should consider the Comprehensive Dyeing Guide to be an essential reference which is packed with color images and coverage of a wide variety of methods.
Machine Embroidery With Confidence
Nancy Zieman
KP Books
700 East State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001
www.fwpubs.com
0873498577 $21.99 1-800-289-0963
Sewing expert Nancy Zieman presents Machine Embroidery With Confidence, a practical guide that walks embroiderers of all skill and experience levels through tips, tricks, and techniques of machine embroidery. Chapters cover differences between types of machines, using software to transmit designs, how to apply stabilizers and tools, the proper steps for a novice to get started, and advanced projects including embellishments for denim, ideal items for babies, decorations for fishing gear, and more. Full-color diagrams and photographs throughout illustrate this "user friendly" and very highly recommended guide.
Cozy Crochet Kit
Melissa Leapman
Chronicle Books
85 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94105
www.chroniclebooks.com
0811845613 $22.95 1-800-722-6657
Want an inviting crochet kit which goes beyond the usual spiral-bound book format? Based on the book Cozy Crochet, here's a wonderful gift book pairing a book with basic crochet techniques with five different-sized crochet hooks, yarn for several projects, and over twenty patterns printed on lightweight cards for easy viewing. Cozy Crochet Kit is the perfect gift for a beginner.
American Quilters Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.AmericanQuilter.com
There's always a host of new titles from American Quilters for those who love to quilt, and these new arrivals are some special winners. Frieda L. Anderson's Fun, Fast Fusies (1574328883, $19.95) show how to make the most of easy fusing methods to create lovely wall hangings. Use the author's color-coded patterns to get the hang of how to mix different pieces to appropriate fabrics, with almost a dozen projects illustrating fusing use and using step-by-step photos for using and making quick-fused binding. Faye Labanaris' Applique Rose Garden (1574328840, $22.95) offers 48 blocks featuring 12 different block patterns plus a border pattern for roses. Rose and quilt enthusiasts will find especially appealing this survey of dimensional effects in applique, rose embellishments, and more. Helen Squire's Helen's Mix And Match Quilting Patterns (1574328875, $22.95) offers over a hundred patterns which can be used for either hand or professional quilting machine sewing: something most quilt books don't do. Add secondary designs for creating multiple repeats of patterns and nearly 40 placement diagrams outlining various border and corner designs and you have a lovely pattern-packed guide to quilting versatility. Bobbie A. Aug & Sharon Newman with Paul C. Kopp create Calico Man: The Manny Kopp Fabric Collection (1574328948, $25.95) which profiles a huge, rare collection of over 1,300 swatches from Kopp's fabric holdings. Paired with a biography of Kopp's life and an overall survey of early American and vintage fabrics from 1830 to 1925, CALICO MAN is intriguing and revealing.
The World History Shelf
The Quest For The Lost Roman Legions
J. A. S. (Tony) Clunn
Savas Beatie
Casemate Publishing, dist.
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.casematepublishing.com
1932714081 $37.50 savasbeatie.com
Arminius was a Roman-trained German warrior who although adopted and subsequently knighted by the Romans, was determined to stop Rome's advance east beyond the Rhine River in the 9th century A.D.. Three roman legions and their auxiliary troops under command of Publius Quinctilius Varus were to die singly and by the hundreds over several days in a carefully planned ambush led by Arminius and his forces drawn from the tribes of Germans east of the Rhine River. When the conflict was over, Rome had suffered it single worst military defeat since the time of Hannibal and Roman expansion into Germany was brought to a permanent halt. The Quest For The Lost Roman Legions: Discovering The Varus Battlefield is the engagingly written and thoroughly "reader friendly" presented story of the search by Tony Clunn into an investigation as to the actual location of the more than two thousand year old conflict that was so pivotal a point in European history. In the course of his archaeological study Clunn discovered a large number of Roman coins in the late 1980s, which was followed by a veritable flood of thousands of other artifacts (including weapons and human remains), the result of which has been the total rewriting of German national history. A work of impressive originality and enhanced with maps, photographs, a keyword glossary, geographic references, a bibliography, and index, and more, The Quest For The Lost Roman Legions is a seminal contribution to the field of Roman History and a wonderfully entertaining and informative read from first page to last.
A Much Recorded War
Frederick Sharf, et.al.
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
www.mfa.org
0878466924 $24.95 1-800-338-2665
A Much Recorded War: The Russo-Japanese War In History And Imagery could just as easily have been featured in our 'Art' review section: it's that packed with lovely woodblock prints, postcard reproductions, and other visuals which represented the first fully reported struggle. It's featured here so that no history student or student of Japanese or Russian history will miss the lovely blend of art and history represented here in full color. From photography's evidence during the war and how news filtered to the West to the lasting impact of visual images and chosen perspectives, A Much Recorded War is an exceptional testimony to both art and reporting.
The Last Expedition
Daniel Liebowitz, MD & Charles Pearson
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Ave., New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
0393059030 $25.95 1-800-233-4830
In 1867 explorer and adventurer Henry Morton Stanley went on a mission to rescue Emin Pasha, last remaining lieutenant of General Gordon and presiding governor of Equatoria, the southern-most province of Egypt's Sudan. An Islamic jihad and tribal warfare had isolated him. Stanley's expedition was a risky venture at best; but even the most pessimistic could not have predicated the disasters which would take them a year to reach Emim Pasha. From the journey to the controversy it provoked in Europe 3 years later, The Last Expedition: Stanley's Mad Journey Through The Congo is riveting, impossible, and entirely true.
Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY NY 10003
www.fsgbooks.com
Two outstanding histories are highly recommended picks for all levels of library: from college holdings to public libraries. Thomas L. Friedman's The World Is Flat: A Brief History Of The Twenty-First Century (0374292884, $27.50) is an important survey of modern times, easily explaining complex foreign policy issues, economics, and how the 'flattening' of the world happened at the beginning of the 21st century. Growing links between nations have resulted in an increased pace for societies around the world: has it gotten too fast for stable social and political adjustment to keep up? If you want to live in the 21st century, better read this discussion to understand why life seems to be moving so quickly. Giles Milton's White Gold (0374-289352, $25.00) tells of one Thomas Pellow and Islam's million white slaves in the 18th century. Pellow and his fellow seamen were captured by Barbary corsairs: a network of Islamic slave traders who had declared war on Christendom and who had been attacking European countries and enslaving thousands of Europeans. Pellow was one of the few who survived to tell his tale, witnessing the imperial court and the plight of fellow slaves alike. Unpublished letters and manuscripts written by slaves contribute to a fast-paced account which reads with the drama of fiction and the facts of nonfiction.
The Criminology Shelf
Wicked Deeds
James O'Kane
Transaction Press
Rutgers State University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway NJ 08854
0765802899 $34.95 transactionpub.com
Most Americans would believe homicide is a random act by a madman: chaotic and disorganized: Wicked Deeds: Murder In America shows otherwise, demonstrating that it's predictable, that its victims and assailants have traceable patterns of activities, and that murder's motives can be anticipated. Criminal homicide is defined differently from other types of killings both legal and illegal, such as suicide or terrorism, and the focus on criminal homicide enables readers to understand its difference from other types of murder. College-level students of criminology will find this an essential read.
Five Ways Patricia Can Kill Her Husband
Leo Zaibert
Open Court
PO Box 330, Peru, IL 61354
0812695763 $34.95 opencourtbooks.com
Why is blame passed in society, and what dictates culpability and responsibility? An intriguing blend of philosophy and social issues blends in Five Ways Patricia Can Kill Her Husband: A Theory Of Intentionality And Blame. Philosophers have touched upon theories of blame: Professor Zaibert provides more than a touch: he reviews the entire history of theories of culpability and their errors, discusses issues surrounding negligent behavior, and provides a logical analysis of blame and past theories. An important guide.
Hot Property
Pat Chaote
Alfred A. Knopf
1745 Broadway, 17th fl., NY, NY 10019
0375402128 $26.95 1-800-726-0600
Hot Property: The Stealing Of Ideas In An Age Of Globalization is especially recommended for its ethical, moral and wide-ranging social issues application. The problem of pirating and counterfeiting has been magnified with online availability making it a cinch to steal artistic and scientific creations: a habit which is draining our core economy, maintains author Pat Choate. Hot Property provides both a history of intellectual property conflicts and copyright, and a link between copyright issues and a healthy American economy.
Murder By The Bay
Charles F. Adams
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Ave., Sanger, CA 93657
www.quilldriverbooks.com
1884995462 $14.95 1-800-497-4909
Murder has a long history in San Francisco; and not just ordinary murder, either. The murders featured in Murder By The Bay: Historic Homicide In And About The City Of San Francisco involve politicians, colorful social figures, and even movie comedians. Chapters cover some of the biggest murders the city has experienced with an eye to exploring how these murders changed city policies and culture. From the Montgomery Street killing of a newspaper editor in 1956 to the trial of Dan White, former city supervisor who killed the mayor in more recent times, Murder By The Bay is a lively expose.
The Cookbook Shelf
500 Cookies
Philippa Vanstone
Ronnie Sellers Productions
81 West Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
1569065926 $14.95 1-800-625-3386
500 Cookies: The Only Cookie Compendium You'll Ever Need is a compact-sized hardcover cookbook of almost every cookie type imaginable. From Scottish Shortbread to Fruit & Nut Refrigerator Cookies, Fortune Cookies, Vanilla Crescents, and much more, the recipes include "base recipes" and flavor-filled variants for a jamboree of cookie variety. Easy-to-use, and featuring color photographs throughout, 500 Cookies is a "must-have" for anyone who enjoys diversity in dessert!
The Storm Gourmet
Daphne Nikolopoulos
Pineapple Press, Inc.
PO Box 3889, Sarasota, FL 34230-3889
www.pineapple.com
1561643343 $9.95 1-800-746-3275
The Storm Gourmet: A Guide To Creating Extraordinary Meals Without Electricity is a unique cookbook to creating nutritious gourmet meals without a heat source or refrigeration. A valuable resource for when power is down, when one is without a refrigerator, or simply when one wants to use less energy, The Storm Gourmet is packed with shopping lists for the ideal emergency pantry, more than 70 recipes using nonperishable and shelf-stable food items, suggested menus for balanced meals, a guide to growing a storm-proof herb garden, and tips for weathering storms. Dishes to prepare include Greek-style Bean Salad, Savory Ham with Dijon Cream, Black Forest Tarts, Mock Sangria, and much more. An index for quick and easy reference complements this excellent guide to living healthy and well under simple conditions.
Weber's Real Grilling
Jamie Purviance
Weber/Sunset Publishing Corporation
80 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025
0376020466 $24.95 1-800-643-8030
Featuring over 200 recipes each with a color photograph, Weber's Real Grilling is a gorgeous grilling cookbook that emphasizes simplicity and fun. In addition to step-by-step recipes, Weber's Real Grilling is packed with tips, tricks, and techniques from safety precautions for meat preparation (including a chart that compares USDA temperature recommendations with those of professional chefs for cooking meat rare to well-done) and basic instructions for using charcoal, lighting a gas grill, and the tools every griller should own. Recipes range from Grilled Shrimp Cocktail to Hot Tenderloin Sandwiches, Tandoori-Style Chicken Kabobs, Acorn Squash, Red Chile Rice, Pineapple Sundae with Caramel and Toasted Almond Brittle and much more. An index rounds out this highly recommended cookbook for grillers of all skill and experience levels.
The Enlightened Kitchen
Mari Fujii
Kodansha America, Inc.
575 Lexington Av, 23rd fl, NY NY 10022
www.kodansha-intl.com
4770024932 $24.95 1-800-451-7556
Written by the wife of a Buddhist monk who has taught temple cuisine for over twenty years, The Enlightened Kitchen: Fresh Vegetable Dishes From The Temples Of Japan is a cookbook of the traditional fare that has its roots in Japan's Buddhist temples. Emphasizing natural and healthy ingredients such as fresh seasonal vegetables, and the staples of grains, and tofu, these creations are simple and elegant delights, delicious without undue extravagance. All recipes are animal-free, making The Enlightened Kitchen especially ideal for vegetarians and vegans. Full-color photographs throughout and straightforward instructions clearly show the reader how to prepare such mouth- watering delicacies as Shiitake Mushrooms Stuffed with Tofu, Sushi Rolls (prepared entirely without fish), Buckwheat Crepes, Kenchin Style Vegetable Soup, and much more. Highly recommended.
Matzoh Ball Gumbo
Marcie Cohen Ferris
University of North Carolina Press
PO Box 2288, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
0807829781 $29.95, 1-800-848-6224
Nine-tenths Jewish American history, one-tenth cookbook, Matzoh Ball Gumbo: Culinary Tales Of The Jewish South combines tales of growing up and growing old in a Southern Jewish family with vintage black-and-white photographs and mouth-watering recipes. Delights such as Camp Blue Star Claremont Salad, Mimah's Cheesecake, Caper Sauce Fish and more supplement this lengthy and engaging history with a homestyle perspective. Exhaustive research and an index for quick and easy topic or recipe lookup round out this leisurely reading delight.
Don't Panic - Dinner's In The Freezer
Susie Martinez, et al.
Fleming H. Revell
c/o Baker Book House
Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0800730550 $14.99 bakerbooks.com
The collaborative effort of Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell and Bonnie Garcia, Don't Panic - Dinner's In The Freezer: Great Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead is more than a cookbook - it's a guide to healthy and succulent home-tested alternatives to commercial microwave dinners and fast food. All of the recipes are designed to be prepared in quantity and frozen ahead of time, for a simpler lifestyle that saves both money and time. An introduction walks readers through the basics of the "Don't Panic" method of shopping for, cooking and freezing meals in advance, and recipes include South of the Border Queso, Old-Time Beef Stew, Beef Pita Tacos, Frozen Fruit Salad, and more. Ingredient lists offer recommended amounts to create servings for 3, 6, or 9 people, allowing great flexibility in quantities prepared. Don't Panic - Dinner's In The Freezer is an excellent cookbook for families in today's hectic world.
The Tsunami Restaurant Cookbook
Ben Smith
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053
www.pelicanpub.com
1589802829 $25.00, 1-800-843-1724
The Tsunami Restaurant Cookbook: A Wave Of Flavors Inspired By The Pacific Rim is a collection of nearly 150 recipes based on or inspired by the Pacific Rim cuisine. Chef Ben Smith shares his culinary creations in a simple, easy-to-understand style; each recipe features step-by- step instructions and a full color photograph of the dish. From Tuna Sashimi to Spicy Shrimp Salad to Miso-Marinated Pork Tenderloin, Mango Curd Tart and more, The Tsunami Restaurant Cookbook offers a veritable feast of island flavor.
The New Southwest Cookbook
Carolyn Niethammer
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
1887896783 $17.95 www.rionuevo.com
Master cook, wild-food expert, and award-winning author Carolyn Niethammer presents The New Southwest Cookbook, a recipe guide to recent innovations in Southwest cuisine. Sample dishes bursting with original flavor include Anasazi Bean-Dip Boats, Tequila and Citrus-Grilled Chicken with Mesquite Honey, Crayfish-Corn Risotto, Pumpkin Flan, and much more. A brief introductory guide to basic Southwest ingredients, an index for quick and easy lookup, and a short list of recommended restaurants and resorts round out this tempting and flavorful compendium.
Everybody Loves Pizza
Penny Pollack & Jeff Ruby
Emmis Books
1700 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45206
1578602181 $19.95, emmisbooks.com
Beautifully illustrated with color photography throughout, Everybody Loves Pizza is part cookbook, part restaurant guide, and part trivia fun book all about the delicious and popular food of pizza! Chapters look at the origin of pizza in Italy and its evolution in American culture, featuring recipes from expert chefs, from Barbecue Chicken Pizza to Prosciutto Pear Pizza, Rosemary Red Onion Pizza, and much more. A directory of 500 top-notch pizzerias in the United States fills out the best locations for traveling gourmets to visit rounds out this "must-have" book of fun-facts and mouth-watering kitchen ideas for pizza aficionados everywhere.
Juice Power
Teoorah B. N. Shaleahk
Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
1570671680 $9.95 www.bookpubco.com
The concentrated nutrients, phytochemicals, and antioxidants in fruit and vegetable juices are vital to human healthy and well-being. Juice Power is a slim, 256-page compendium of information and recipes for the inclusion of juice drinks into our daily diets and menus. Each recipes is accompanied by a description of the most significant nutrients it contains, providing the basis in science as to how and why these recipes work as they do. Also included are recipes for fruit medleys that are as delicious as they are health inducing. From Fruity Ice Cream Soy Shake; to Pick-Me-Up Coconut Date Shake; to Cucumber Lemonade; to Banana Moon; to eight different vegetable combos, Juice Power will soon become a "family friendly favorite" addition to any and all kitchen cookbook collections.
The Everything Cooking For Two Cookbook
David Poran
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield St, 2nd fl, Avon, MA 02322
www.adamsmedia.com
1593373708 $14.95 1-800-872-5627
Written by a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, The Everything Cooking For Two Cookbook features 300 recipes for making relaxing, romantic recipes for two people that do not create immense portions or require an excess of kitchen time. Mouth-watering recipes such as Japanese Spicy Tuna Tartar, Mustard-Crusted Filet Mignon, Easiest Scalloped Potatoes Ever, Oven-Roasted Baby Artichokes, Mexican Hot Chocolate Float and more combine flavor, variety and convenience. A brief introduction will prime novice cooks in the basics of kitchen equipment, and an index allows for quick and easy lookup of favorite recipes. The Everything Cooking For Two Cookbook is an excellent and practical meal preparation guide which is ideal for couples.
Tofumania
Brita Housez
Marlowe & Company
c/o Avalon Publishing Group
245 West 17th St, 11th fl, NY, NY 10011
1569243433 $15.95, 1-800-788-3123
Tofumania: 120 Easy Recipes For The Dishes You Love - With The Added Benefits Of Tofu is a cookbook that shows the reader how to make beloved favorite recipes lower in calories and cholesterol and healthier by including or substituting tofu. From Tofu Fruit Shakes and French Toast to Salmon Mousse, Seafood Chowder, Mushroom and Tofu Medley, Turkey Stuffing, Cream Cheese Tofu Icing and more, the collection includes both favorite standby foods and inventive creations. Some main dishes are meatless; others include seafood or red meat. Tofumania is an easy-to-follow all-purpose cookbook for the health-conscious gourmet.
Shaken
Jane Lawson
Laurel Glen/Advantage Pub. Group
5880 Oberlain Dr, San Diego, CA 92121
1592233414 $24.95 laurelglenbooks.com
Shaken: 250 Classic Cocktails With A Twist appeared some time ago, but deserves ongoing mention as an excellent and in-depth cocktail guide for any who want to create something different from standard cocktails. Here are 250 recipes for coladas, fizzes, martinis, punches and more: both traditional and modern blends. Shaken provides a rich variety: paired with gorgeous color photos throughout, it's an inspiration for any who find cocktails appealing.
The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia
Tom Stevenson
DK
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0756613248 $55.00 www.dk.com
If only one wine reference encyclopedia is to be purchased, The Southeby's Wine Encyclopedia: The Classic Reference To The Wines Of The World should surely be a strong contender: it's now in its 4th edition, has been fully updated, and is the only single volume that maps and provides in-depth details about every wine-growing region from traditional to new - including those of emerging areas. Each region receives an analysis of appellations, taste and quality, winning producers, and offerings. Add rating systems, small color photos of labels and vineyard descriptions and you have a real winner.
Meredith Books
$19.95 www.meredithbooks.com
Mouth-watering recipes which are NOT 'from scratch'? It seems impossible that 'fast food' and 'mouth-watering' can be equated, but Sandra Lee has done it - and produced two cookbooks to reinforce her strategy. Semi-Homemade Cooking (069-6226855) introduces the idea of producing foods which seem time-consuming but only take a fraction of the time. How? By blending 70% store-bought ingredients with 30% fresh foods to produce the taste of homemade. Open with a Raspberry Sake, move to a Crabby Bisque of condensed crab bisque enhanced with heavy cream and crabmeat, then use the slow cooker to produce Chinese Braised Short Ribs or Southern Pulled Pork - or top it off with Cinnamon Buns made from frozen white bread dough enhanced with spices, sugar, and butter. Lest you think the enhanced recipes are a fluke - or wish for more - turn to Semi-Homemade Cooking 2 (0696227150), which packs in even more dishes. Storebought soup mixes, seasoning packets, frozen pastries and canned fillings are all blended with fresh ingredients to produce polished results.
The Italian Mama's Kitchen
Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi
Thunder Bay Press/Advantage Pub.
5880 Oberlain Dr., San Diego, CA 92121
1592234119 $12.95 thunderbaybooks.com
If it's authentic home-style Italian food which is desired, enjoy a hundred Tuscan country favorites from Mama Caldesi and family in The Italian Mama's Kitchen: Authentic Homestyle Recipes. Color photos appear on facing pages of recipes for many of the dishes, with Polenta, Tuna in Tomatoes, Hare Ragu and Pasta with Forgotten Cheeses presenting some lovely classics alongside lesser-known dishes. Especially recommended for beginners who want an easy, solid, authentic guide.
The Urban Picnic
John Burns & Elisabeth Caton
Arsenal Pulp Press
200, 341 Walter Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 2W9, Canada
1551521555 $21.95 arsenalpulp.com
Urban picnics are a trend and following right along is The Urban Picnic, a cookbook designed to inspire both cooks and kitchen novices to introduce the 'urban picnic' concept into their lives. A history of the picnic, accounts from across the centuries, and musings on picnic appeal compliment over 200 recipes suitable for picnic foods: salads, sandwich spreads, portable pies, muffins and much more. Expands upon and provides fine insights into modern picnic food options - which are many.
The Culinary Herpetologist
Ernest A. Liner
Bibliomania!
PO Box 58355, Salt Lake City, UT 84158
1932871055 $37.00 www.HerpLit.com
Author Ernest Liner has pursued a lifelong study of herpetology in Louisiana and across the southwest from Texas to Costa Rica: he spent many field trips gathering preserved materials, discovered many new species, and even cooking the catches. The Culinary Herpetologist is surely unique in the cookbook world: its main ingredients are alligators, turtles, and frogs - and no other cookbook is on the market so closely devoted to the cooking techniques, dishes, and sauces which blend best with these main ingredients. From Oyster Sauce Frog Legs to Wine Baked Alligator Fillets and Snapping Turtle in a Pot seasoned with basil and onion, these are some unique and delicious dishes. Very highly recommended as a unique culinary addition for a specialty or comprehensive general collection.
Most mushroom cookbooks on the market focus on only a few common varieties found in your everyday market, especially button mushrooms: not so Mimi Brodeur's Mushroom Cookbook: Recipes For White & Exotic Varieties. From appetizers to soups and main dishes, recipes blend in all kinds of mushrooms - and an index makes it easy to locate dishes for specific kinds of mushrooms. Herbed Veal Roast with Exotic Mushrooms and Cheesy Portabella Mushroom Sandwich are only a few of the dishes which are unusual and appealing. Color photos might have added even more attention to finished dishes, but the instructions are very clear and easy to follow.
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
www.quailridge.com
Two fine 'best of' compilations gather top recipes from a variety of cookbook sources to create top-notch collections of some of the cream of the crop. The Best Of The Best From Pennsylvania Cookbook (093-755247X, $16.95), for example, culls from over seventy leading cookbooks in the state to present such tested popular dishes as Crunchy Yams with pecans and brown sugar/cinnamon, Soft Pretzels which lends to child participation in cooking, and Chicken Celeste with carrots, raising, pineapple and more. The plastic spiral binding lends to lay-flat kitchen use. Best Of The Best From America Cookbook (1893062716, $29.95) by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley represents the authors' travels across the country evaluating thousands of regional recipes. The result: over four hundred winners from over 2,600 cookbooks across the country. Arranged by state and including a centerfold of color photos charting their journey, Best Of The Best From America Cookbook includes such winners as St. Louis Favorite Salad with lettuces, artichokes, onion, and more; New Mexican Green Chile Pinwheels, and Oklahoma Pecan Pie. No color photos of finished dishes in either book; but most recipes are so simple, photos aren't needed.
Pampered Chef
Doris Christopher
Doubleday/Currency
0385515359 $24.95 currencybooks.com
In 1980 author Doris Christopher, former home economist and teacher, wanted to return to the workforce after raising her children: she began selling high-quality kitchen tools through cooking demonstrations and began her company, The Pampered Chef, from her basement. Twenty-five years later it's a corporation specializing in kitchen shows - and The Pampered Chef: The Story Of One Of America's Most Beloved Companies tells of how she became a culinary industry success. Insights on how the company expanded and handled its challenges provide entrepreneurs and cooks alike with much inspiration.
Hey, Leslie! What's Cooking?
Leslie Bailey
River City Publishing
1719 Mulberry St, Montgomery AL 36106
1579660533 $28.95 www.amazon.com
Leslie Bailey has many popular dishes coveted at her Silver Spoon Café, so fans as well as newcomers will be delighted to enjoy some of her favorites in the lovely Hey Leslie! What's Cooking culinary guide. From Wild Rice with Fruit and Nuts to Sesame Chicken Strips and Spaghetti Salad, Bailey provides some wonderful innovations and here shares them for home cooks. Very highly recommended: a treasure among cookbooks, packed with innovations and appeal.
How to Cook Like a Jewish Grandmother
Marla Brooks
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053
www.pelicanpub.com
1589802152 $15.95 1-800-843-1724
How to Cook Like a Jewish Grandmother: Old-Fashioned Jewish Recipes is a cookbook focused on plain, old-fashioned taste. Recipes do not include any modern nutritional guidelines or calorie counts; they focus on creating food that is pleasing to the palate, in accordance with the principle that "You don't have to be a Jewish grandmother to cook like one." Recipes are straightforward, using easily available ingredients and spelled out with simple instructions. Sample dishes include Fried Salami and Eggs, Grandma's Pickled Cucumbers and Onions, Betty's Tater Dogs, Heartwarming Baked Apples, Matzo Meal Fried Chicken, and more. An excellent cookbook for making comfort, homecoming, celebration or just plain family supper dishes.
Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban
Glenn Lindgren, et al.
Gibbs Smith Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
158685433X $29.95 1-800-748-5439
Cuban food ranges from tamales to complex paellas and simple Cuban sandwiches - and Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban is the collective effort of Glenn Lindgren, Raul Musiby and Jorge Castillo and features them all: 100 Cuban recipes with Miami twists. The authors have experimented with their unique dishes for twenty years, refining restaurant samplings and home cooking: from Cuban split Pea Soup enhanced with green pepper and cumin to Picadillo with Potatoes - a garlic, olive, vinegar and wine infused ground beef dish, Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban is packed with delicious ideas.
The Kitchen Answer Book
Hank Rubin
Capital Books Inc
International Publishers Mktg., dist.
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1892123746 $22.95 capital-books.com
Here's another kitchen answer 'bible' which also excels in an organization lending to speedy referencing: The Kitchen Answerbook: Answers To All Of Your Kitchen And Cooking Questions. Hank Rubin has several decades of experience as an executive chef, restaurant owner and food writer: it's these years of experience which lend to basic answers to common cook's problems; from how to tell if a melon is ripe to what kinds of woods are good for smoking meats, and how to quickly thaw a chicken. An organization by type of food - eggs, dairy, seafood, poultry - makes these answers easy to uncover in a crisis.
The Storm Gourmet
Daphne Nikolopoulos
Pineapple Press
PO Box 3889, Sarasota, FL 34230
1561643343 $9.95 pineapplepress.com
Daphne Nikolopoulos' The Storm Gourmet: A Guide To Creating Extraordinary Meals Without Electricity should be on the shelves of anyone who lives in an area of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, or any naturally active region of the country: it's the item of choice for any who would cook without power. Make up an emergency pantry in advance, then follow over seventy recipes which rely on nonperishable and shelf-stable food items. Hoe up a storm-proof herb garden and make sure the essentials - such as a can opener - are easily accessible, then cook up Dijon Potato Salad, Minted Pineapple Ham and more using The Storm Gourmet's very simple recipes. No photos - but the easy dishes don't need 'em.
The Greek Mama's Kitchen
Sofia Larrinua-Craxton
Thunder Bay Press
c/o Advantage Publishers Group
5880 Oberlin Drive, San Diego, CA 92121
www.thunderbaybooks.com
1592234216 $12.95 1-800-788-3123
Like other companion volumes in the "Mama's Kitchen" series, The Greek Mama's Kitchen: Authentic Homestyle Recipes presents classic family recipes handed down through generations along with anecdotes of matronly cooking wisdom, such as "Kitchen life is controlled by the seasons - create dishes from whatever vegetables are available that day" and "For that sweet, mellow flavor of the best pepper salads, you need to first roast (or scorch) the peppers." Recipes such as Fried Cheese, Roast Quail in Grape Leaves, Vanilla Custard Pies and many more capture the essence of traditional flavors, and are presented with extensive, explicit instructions along with a introduction to the nature of the dish and when is best to serve it. A handful of color photographs round out this value-priced compendium.
Harmony On The Palate
Shari Darling
Whitecap Books, Ltd.
351 Lynn Avenue, North Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7J 2C4
www.whitecap.ca
1552857018 $24.95 1-888-980-9852
Harmony On The Palate: Matching Simple Recipes To Everyday Wine Styles is the perfect introduction for aspiring kitchen cooks wanting to offer meals for all occasions where the etiquette of wines and menus match, and dining occasions are made memorable with cuisines being enhanced with their attendant beverages. Shari Darling devotes her considerable experience and expertise (she is a contributor to "Food & Beverage International" magazine) to layout "breakthrough principles" of food and wine pairings in a true celebration of multicultural cuisines, abetted by easy cooking techniques and the use of fresh ingredients. Harmony On The Palate ranges from Caviar on Potato Crisps (with Brut or Extra-Sec Sparkling Wine); to Tuscan White Bean Bruschetta (with Chardonnay); to Mayan Hot and Sour Chicken Soup (with Off-Dry Riesling); to Olive-Crusted Red Snapper (with Cabernet Sauvignon). The recipes are thoroughly "kitchen cook friendly" and the wine-goes-with-what charts are accessibly informative. If you want the best "how to" instructive cookbook on matching wines with foods, then add Harmony On The Palate to your own kitchen cookbook collection!
The Nautical Shelf
The Last Voyage Of The Lucette
Douglas Robertson
Sheridan House Inc.
145 Palisade St., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
www.sheridanhouse.com
1574092065 $23.95 1-888-743-7425
The Last Voyage Of The Lucette is the complete and previously untold true story of an event first described by the author's father, Dougal Robertson, in "Survive the Savage Sea." Here, the son interweaves his own perspective - he was eighteen years old at the time - with the original narrative of a harrowing nautical voyage. In January 1971, the Robertson family set sail from England in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe; eighteen months later in the middle of the Pacific, their 43-foot schooner Lucette was holed by killer whales and sank. Four adults and two children survived for 38 days adrift in a survival raft, then a 9-foot dinghy, until a Japanese fishing vessel rescued them. A gripping narrative of survival, and especially, the difficulties of getting along together in extremely cramped quarters and desperate conditions. A handful of black-and-white and color photographs illustrate this amazing story of family togetherness under the most unusual and trying situations.
100 Problems In Celestial Navigation
Leonard Gray
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
www.paracay.com
0939837331 $19.95 1-800-736-4509
Even in a world with accurate and cheap GPS receivers, traditional navigation with a sextant, an almanac, and a book of tables is still an important skill - sometimes batteries go dead or electronic devices fail, especially in salt air! Written by experienced navigator Leonard Gray, 100 Problems In Celestial Navigation: Self Contained - With Answers is a compendium of realistic navigation problems, including excerpts of all required Nautical Almanac pages and sight-reduction tables, complete with answers and explanations. These problems cover all regularly encountered navigation situations, as well as those that are only occasionally used and often forgotten, such as backsight, shooting and unknown body, finding Venus in daylight, and storm avoidance. A superb manual for safely practicing and honing one's navigational skills.
Cruising French Waterways, 4th Edition
Hugh McKnight
Sheridan House
145 Palisade St., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
www.sheridanhouse.com
1574092103 $39.95 1-888-743-7425
Cruising French Waterways first appeared in 1984 and has become the leading guide to the network of rivers and canals across France, winning the Thomas Cook Guide Book Award and covering not just boating, but developments and facilities, shops and restaurants, and even wine regions. This illustrated 4th edition revised and updates all details, covering all the recently restored routes and including license requirements and more. Packed with lock-by-lock descriptions and scenic overviews, Cruising French Waterways is a 'must' for any boater bound for France.
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.navalinstitute.org
Two intriguing references will hold interest outside the naval press they originate from, reaching out to any interested in naval language and decoding. Deborah W. Cutler and Thomas J. Cutler's Dictionary Of Naval Abbreviations (1591141524, $26.95) translates and defines many brief, common forms of naval communications which professional sailors may readily understand, but others may miss. Even staff briefings are filled with such abbreviations and special terminology, and any who regularly need to understand naval proceedings would do well to keep Dictionary Of Naval Abbreviations as a translator's reference. It and its companion Dictionary Of Naval Terms are written for Navy neophytes who have a need to understand the language of their new profession - and for outsiders such as journalists. A solid, recommended library reference. J.V. Bone's A Brief History Of Cryptology (1591140-846, $26.95) provides more than just a history of cryptography communications: it covers how it affects our daily lives; from secure financial transactions and communications to common cryptologic secrets. Boone provides a historical review of technological developments in cryptology and computers, covering major achievements and activities across the field. His is a lively account which may come from a military intelligence background, but which avoids the confusing jargon common in cryptology explanations.
The Psychology Shelf
A Brief Tour Of Human Consciousness
V.S. Ramachandran
PI Press
1185 Avenue of Americas, NY, NY 10011
0131486861 $23.95 www.pipress.net
Why do some people claim to see colors in numbers, or feel pain in amputated limbs? The puzzling world of human consciousness is probed in Brief Tour Of Human Consciousness by Dr. Ramachandran, director of the Center for Brain and Cognition, who provides a neurologist's approach to understanding the human brain and perceptions, from textures in smells and sounds in sights to seeing colors in numbers or shapes.
Mental Health Disorders Sourcebook
Karen Bellenir
Omnigraphics
615 Griswold Street, Detroit, MI 48226
0780807472 $78.00 omnigraphics.com
The third updated edition of Mental Health Disorders Sourcebook is needed due to the rapidly changing research and treatment options in this field. General readers learn all the latest facts about mental health conditions and control, from anxiety and impulse disorders, personality and psychotic disorders, and different associated illnesses to working within the health care system. Kids are included in chapters which consider both traditional and alternative mental health care treatments.
What's Your Poison?
Kirven Blount
Collectors Press
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
www.collectorspress.com
1933112026 $14.95 1-800-423-1848
Students of business and entrepreneurial readers will appreciate the focus and examples of advertising of addictive products during the 1940s-60s, psychology students will find it of interest, collectors of memorabilia will find the color reproductions excellent, and art students will appreciate the ad insights. In short, a wide audience will find much color and plenty of examples of addictive advertising's various approaches and appeal in What's Your Poison? Addictive Advertising Of The '40s-'60s.
The American History Shelf
Junius And Joseph
Robert S. Wicks & Fred R. Foister
Utah State University Press
7800 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322
www.usu.edu/usupress
0874216087 $24.95 1-800-239-9974
The founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (commonly referred to as the Mormon church), Joseph Smith was always a controversial figure. Considered by his followers to be a prophet of God charged with the mission of re-establishing His church and people on earth, he established Nauvoo, Illinois, a militia, and was deeply involved in the politics of the day. At the time of his death in 1844 at the hands of a mob who attacked and killed him while he was under arrest in a Illinois jail, Joseph Smith was also an active candidate for president of the United States. In Junius And Joseph: Presidential Politics And The Assassination Of The First Mormon Prophet, historians and co-authors Robert S. Wicks and Fred R. Foister lay out a persuasive case that the death of Joseph Smith was no random act of mob violence, but a carefully planned and orchestrated political assassination to prevent Smith's election to the nation's highest office -- the presidency. Key individuals engaged in the conspiracy, as well as those who took part in the assault on Carthage jail are identified. Evidence that the lethal effort to remove the Mormon leader from political power through his assassination extended to include prominent Whig politicians as well as the Democratic governor of Illinois. Also available in a hardcover edition (087-4216079, $45.95) Junius And Joseph is a seminal, ground breaking work of truly impressive scholarship, and critically important reading for students of Mormon Studies and American Political History Studies.
Minnesota Grit
John Koblas
North Star Press of St. Cloud
PO Box 451, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0451
0878392157 $12.95 1-888-820-1636
Minnesota Grit is the remarkable true story of Northfield, Minnesota, and how its ordinary citizens mobilized to break a notorious gang of robbers. When the James-Younger Gang tried to rob Northfield's bank, the citizenry turned against them so fast that two members of the outlaws were killed moments later, and ultimately only Jesse and Frank James escaped the posses, their power broken for the rest of history. Painstakingly researched, and illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs, Minnesota Grit tells the true tale with rousing intensity and accuracy, including the story of the "Magnificent Seven" who captured the Younger Brothers at Hanska Slough. An exciting portrayal of a legendary episode in American history.
Strategies Of Containment
John Lewis Gaddis
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com
019517447X $18.95 1-800-451-7556
Now in a revised edition, Strategies Of Containment: A Critical Appraisal Of American National Security Policy During The Cold War is a revised and expanded edition of Bancroft Prize winner and Cold War expert John Lewis Gaddis' classic on understanding the history of containment as a policy, its role in bringing the Cold War to an end, and its possible value or pitfalls in the future. Originally published during the Regan presidency when the Soviet Union was still a superpower, Strategies Of Containment includes a greatly expanded chapter on Reagan, Gorbachev, and the completion of containment, as well as a new epilogue. A welcome scrutiny of history with the advantage of post-Cold War hindsight.
San Francisco Is Burning
Dennis Smith
Viking Press
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
www.penguinputnam.com
0670034428 $25.00 1-800-847-5515
Author Dennis Smith is a firefighting historian who here examines the fires which devastated 1906 San Francisco as much as the earthquake. At first one may wonder at the need for yet another 1906 history - but the firefighter focus is special, allowing for a narrowed focus on how the fire spread, the heroism of the San Francisco firemen, and the efforts of ordinary citizens to save the city. San Francisco Is Burning: The Untold Story Of The 1906 Earthquake And Fires thus offers much information not seen elsewhere, and a unique perspective.
American Freemasons
Mark A. Tabbert
New York University Press
838 Broadway, 3rd fl., NY, NY 10003
www.nyupress.org
0814782922 $29.95 1-800-996-6987
Books on Freemasonry often adopt a spiritual edge which lands them in spirituality sections: not so American Freemasons: Three Centuries Of Building Communities, which considers not only the symbols and rituals of Freemasons, but its Scottish origins, changed role in American society from the revolution to modern times, and reasons why it attracted men over the decades. The society has been shrouded in mystery but its members have included some of the most notable figures in American society: American Freemasons provides many insights into why.
Dam!
John Warfield Simpson
Pantheon
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.pantheonbooks.com
0375422315 $28.50 1-800-726-0600
After the great earthquake and fire of 1906, San Francisco was in desperate need of a reliable water source - and proposals were made to dam the Tuolumne River and transform the Hetch Hetchy Valley into a giant hydro-electric supply for the city. Others protested the changes to the environment. The two groups sparked one of the biggest controversies in American environmental history, and Dam! Water, Power, Politics And Preservation In Hetch Hetchy And Yosemite National Park charts the conflicts and eventual resolution, from changing attitudes towards growth and water issues to the American public's evolving interest in preservation. A lively account of controversial battles which continue into modern times.
The Architecture Shelf
Midwestern Inspired Home Designs
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
1580112749 $12.95 ultimateplans.com
Midwestern Inspired Home Designs showcases 275 home plans with over 175 color photographs, 180 full color renderings, and text summaries with highlights. Helpful "Smart Tips" on everything from landscaping to creating a media room, advice on design and decorating, and instructions for easy ordering by phone or online allow Midwestern Inspired Home Designs to double as both a source of inspiration and as a catalog for homeowners or homeowners-to-be to choose a cozy look tailored to their individual desires. All of the house plans have a comfortable and gentle Midwest charm, including a sharply angled roof so that heavy snowfalls will not place too great a load on the house's ceiling. An excellent browsing resource and highly recommended for professional and academic Architectural collections.
Green House
Alanna Stang & Christopher Hawthorne
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
www.papress.com
1568984812 $45.00 1-800-722-6657
Any home builder who would learn better ways to fit a home within a landscape or ecological environment would do well to consult The Green House: New Directions In Sustainable Architecture first: from tropics to urban jungles and arid Arizona deserts, the authors have traveled around the world studying sustainable or 'green' homes to determine which fit best into their environments. Over twenty residences are featured: the best of those which not only fit into their surroundings and are sustainable, but are also the best places to live. Color photos, blueprints and design specs, and comments on the unique features of each offer plenty of opportunity for learning what makes a home 'sustainable' and 'green'.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
The Goldsteins' Wellness & Longevity Program
Robert S. Goldstein & Susan J. Goldstein
T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, 3rd & Union Avenue, Neptune City, NJ 07753
www.tfh.com
0793805457 $19.95 1-800-631-2188
Holistic veterinarian of 30 years' experience Robert Goldstein and "Earth Animal" retail outlet founder Susan Goldstein present The Goldsteins' Wellness & Longevity Program: Natural Care For Dogs And Cats, an integrative health book that bring together the best of holistic and conventional veterinary practices for readers to follow for the sake of companion animals. Designed to boost the immune system and aid in disease prevention for pets, the easy-to- follow program includes natural preventatives and healing modalities for common conditions, and guidelines for when to vaccinate and when not to (vaccination can cause pregnant animals may reject their unborn litters; anesthetized animals may vomit and choke). The Gold-steins' Wellness & Longevity Program cannot replace the diagnosis, advice, or care of a veterinarian, but it is packed cover to cover with tips for naturally preserving and prolonging animal health.
Alpine Publications
225 South Madison Avenue, Loveland, CO 80537-7002
www.alpinepub.com
Clarice Rutherford and David H. Neil's How To Raise A Puppy You Can Live With (1577790766, $11.95) appears in its 4th revised, updated edition to provide the latest research and facts on puppy raising. Puppies often go through critical learning periods and what the breeder or owner does or does not do can affect trainability for the rest of their lives. How To Raise A Puppy You Can Live With covers these essential first seven weeks of training as a puppy adapts to family life, from socialization and domestication processes to later training. Peter Green & Mario Migliorini's New Secrets Of Successful Show Dog Handling (1577790200, $19.95) tells how to successfully exhibit purebred dogs. From early training for the ring to developing a special ring strategy and understanding ring and show procedures and etiquette, any potential dog show attendee - especially beginners - will find here a wealth of information based on tricks of the trade and success, written by two very successful professional handlers and trainers.
Remembering To Breathe
Willard Bailey
Infinity Publishing
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041-1413
www.buybooksontheweb.com
0741418606 $24.95
How do dog obedience competitions work? Willard Bailey provides a fine survey of dog obedience competition in Remembering To Breathe: Inside Dog Obedience Competition. A blend of first person memoir and experiences in the world of the American Kennel Club dog obedience routines, this is a fine guide which covers everything from ethics and training philosophies to OTCH points and bad apples in obedience training. An intriguing insider's story, spirited and revealing.
Scaredy Dog!
Ali Brown, M.Ed., CPDT
Tenacacia Press
925 N. Arch Street, Allentown, PA 18104
www.greatcompanions.info
0976641402 $19.95
Aggressive puppy or dog behaviors can be frightening when uncontrollable, but there's hope for the 'reactive dog', as Ali Brown displays in Scaredy Dog! Understanding And Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog. Tips from dog pros, vets, and even homeopathic applications are reviewed and assessed, with chapters offering explicit tips on conditioning methods which work. From leash and crate work and training management to using clickers and treats, all the basics of dog rehabilitation are surveyed for pros and cons.
National Geographic Books
1145 - 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688
www.ngs.org
Philip Caputo's Ghosts Of Tsavo: Stalking The Mystery Lions Of East Africa (0792263626, $27.00) blends travelogue with nature in telling of the author's journey to Kenya's Tsavo National Park on foot with his guides, then in companionship with two scientists who seek close encounters with the big cats. Are the maneless lions found in Tsavo a subspecies of African lion, and a missing link? These lions are especially fierce, and the blend of science and adventure here makes for a riveting read. Robert Winkler's Going Wild: Adventures With Birds In The Suburban Wilderness (0792261682, $16.00) presents the experiences of a veteran birder and nature writer who observes literally hundreds of birds from within a few miles of his suburban Connecticut home. Funny encounters, intriguing observations and natural history blend in a whimsical yet educational gathering of birding wisdom and lore which makes for light, delightful reading. Mel Baughman compiles and edits National Geographic Reference Atlas To The Birds Of North America (0792233735, $35.00), which is much more than your usual take-along handbook of species. With over 700 maps, essays by 20 leading experts, cross-referencing tools, and color photos combined with extensive natural history facts, this is one of the best references on any home or library shelf. Species field notes are quite detailed, descriptions delve into feeding behavior as well as appearance and habits, and vocalization and breeding ranges are detailed along with status and conservation. Very highly recommended indeed: it stands out above all its competitors.
Handbook Of Applied Dog Behavior And Training, Volume 3
Steven R. Lindsay
Blackwell Publishing
2121 State Avenue, Ames, IA 50014
www.blackwellprofessional.com
0813807387 $99.99 www.amazon.com
The weighty price tag might limit this title to all but the most serious pet library holding, while its nearly 800 pages of information will appeal to professionals rather than casual owners - but any serious dog trainer will find Handbook Of Applied Dog Behavior And Training V. 3: Procedures And Protocols essential. It's all here: from reducing compulsive licking and canine aggression to different types of dominance issues and impulsive aggression behavior.
Dogfolk Enterprises
17195 SW Division, Aloha, OR 97007
www.dogfolk.com
Two dog training guides offer very specific insights into training and development routines, and are recommended picks. Pat Hastings and Erin Ann Rouse edit Another Piece Of The Puzzle: Puppy Development (0967841429, $12.95), showing the importance of evaluating litters to determine each puppy's lifestyle needs and temperament. There are developmental stages which pros use to assess and evaluate a puppy's potentials, and these are revealed in a guide which will appeal to a range of owners; from neo-pros and breeders to the average new puppy. owner. Raising clicker litters, single litters, and placing a puppy appropriately are all covered in detail. The revised edition of Pat Hastings and Erin Ann Rouse's Tricks Of The Trade: From Best Intentions To Best In Show (0967841437, $31.95) expands information for any active in purebred dogs, discussing judging, effective breeding, rearing a show dog, training, nutrition, grooming and presentation. There are many insider tricks and tips included, all gained from the author's experiences, and practical reviews which are absolutely essential to successful showing. Tricks Of The Trade is a must for any serious dog show competitor; especially newcomers.
Healthy Pet Manual
Deborah Straw
Healing Arts Press/Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
1594770573 $14.95 InnerTraditions.com
When author Deborah Straw lost four animals to cancer, she became frustrated enough about the lack of information about the disease to investigate - and The Healthy Pet Manual: A Guide To The Prevention And Treatment Of Cancer is the result. Pet owners may not realize cancer is the number one killer of most domestic animals: this revised, expanded edition of Why Is Cancer Killing Our Pets includes the latest research and preventative measures owners can take, from watching food to understanding how vaccines may influence cancer developments in pets. A 'must' for any pet owner.
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
Horse riders have some wonderful guides to choose from thanks to Storey Publishing, and two recent titles are especially noteworthy. Rhonda Hart Poe's Trail Riding: Train, Prepare, Pack Up And Hit The Trail (1580175600, $19.95) covers all the basics of working with a trail horse; from checking a horse's reliability and habits to understanding what to carry, where to go, and how to prevent common problems. Everything from toxic trailside plants to unacceptable horse trail habits is covered, with tips including recommended North American trails and environmentally sensitive camping strategies. Everything the rider/camper could hope for. Heather Smith Thomas' The Horse Conformation Handbook (1580175589, $22.95) is for those who would show their horse, focusing on conformation and fitness and how it relates to function and a horse's overall a desirable attributes. A discussion of equine anatomy leads to an overview of ideas of conformation and how to evaluate a horse. Author Thomas has worked with and written about horses for over forty years: whether you're buying a horse, showing one, or training your eye to spot problems, The Horse Conformation Handbook is a fine reference.
The Interior Design Shelf
Fabrics & Wallpapers For Historic Buildings
Jane C. Nylander & Richard C. Nylander
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
0471706558 $45.00, 1-800-225-5945
Fabrics & Wallpapers For Historic Buildings is a new hardcover edition compiling the previously published references "Fabrics for Historic Buildings" and "Wallpapers for Historic Buildings". An immense catalog of patterns appearing from 1700 to 1900, Fabrics & Wallpapers For Historic Buildings include more than 600 fabric types and patterns, more than 1,000 authentically reproduced wallpaper designs, new information on twentieth-century fabrics, useful advice, and much more. The many illustrations are in black-and-white but have exquisite detail. A superb reference for historic and periodic consultation and inspiration.
Inside The Not So Big House
Sarah Susanka & Marc Vassallo
The Taunton Press
63 South Main St., Newtown, CT 06470
1561586811 $34.95, 1-800-477-8727
Best-selling author of "The Not So Big House" Sarah Susanka teams up with architectural design writer Marc Vassallo to present Inside The Not So Big House, an interior decorating guide that explores both the tangible and intangible that add life, character, and aesthetic appeal to the inside of a home. From evoking the "Classic Cottage Simplicity" atmosphere to "Texas Tuscan", and more, chapters cover a wide assortment of moods as well as more general tips such as how to define space with light and how to evoke a serene atmosphere on a budget. Easy-to-follow instructions, tips, tricks and techniques for organizing space, and gorgeous full-color photographs on every page make this a vivid and expressive sourcebook of inexpensive ideas for both amateurs and professionals to make a home look great.
Traditional Style Kitchens
Melissa Cardona
Schiffer
4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310
0764322850 $19.95 schifferbooks.com
Traditional kitchen styles blend modern amenities with historic elements to feature both practical cooking arrangements and stylish décor - and what better place to integrate the two purposes than with a look at Melissa Cordona's Traditional Style Kitchens: Modern Designs Inspired By The Past. From artifacts and decorations to built-ins popular in past eras and blends of antique design touches to modern settings, color photos and plenty of completed designs provide homeowners with many new options.
North Light Books
4700 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.artistsnetwork.com
These craft titles advocate professional-quality do-it-yourself techniques to embellish a home, and teach a range of skills using bright step-by-step photos and polished results. Patrick Daly's Professional Faux Finishes Made Easy (1581806019, $24.99) uses lesson plans to cover all kinds of home finishes, from Venetian decorating to cabinet makeovers, using faux suede and wood graining, and more. Author Patrick Daly is a professional faux finisher and has painted the homes of actors to sports figures across the country: his pro techniques are now available to all. Colette George's Fresh Ideas In Decoupage (1581806558, $22.99) tells how to create home accents with decorative accessories. Use paper, ribbons, and pictures to create vintage accents, blend images into backgrounds, and translate styles, such as retro, to decoupage projects with the help of a project-oriented example guide of over 25 suggestions. Jodie Bushman's 450 Decorative Borders You Can Paint (1581806914, $24.99) covers borders for a range of quick projects. From scrapbook page borders to borders on large objects, walls, edges and corners, instructions tell how to create, transfer and fill in hundreds of borders. Diane Trierweiler's Handpainted Tiles For Your Home (1581806-418, $24.99) covers over 20 projects for changing ordinary ceramic floor and ceiling tiles into colorful accents. Backsplash accents, trivets, trays, tin wall packets and more are covered in a gathering of design ideas for all styles. No previous tile painting experience is needed to produce polished results, thanks to these projects.
Emmis Books
1700 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45206
www.emmisbooks.com
"Country Sampler Decorating Ideas" is a how-to magazine packing in tips for sewing projects, budget makeovers, and stylish projects, so expect a healthy dose of both color and budget-conscious projects when you take a look at their two lovely interior design concept books, which stem from magazine winners. Walls That Wow: 75 Ideas For Exciting Room Makeovers (1578602246, $19.99) shows how to use textures, stencils, patterns and other pro techniques to brighten up any wall surface. Make a wall look like brushed stone, or use collages or splatter to create unusual patterns, with the help of an idea guide packed with detail. Furniture Fix-ups: 75 Easy Ideas For Fresh New Looks (1578602254, $19.99) shows how to revitalize old furniture or flea market finds. From faux-etching glass to color blocking a mirror or producing a stencil pattern on old furniture, Furniture Fix-Ups comes packed with color and innovative ideas for all types of furniture.
The Photography Shelf
Western Fences
David R. Stoecklein
Stoecklein Publishing
PO Box 856, Ketchum, Idaho 83340
www.drsphoto.net
1933192011 $35.00 1-208-726-5191
Western Fences is a full color, photographic gallery of fences across the American West, from entrance gates to close-ups of fence posts and wire to panoramic views of shipping corals from the sky. The role of the fence in the life of modern-day cowboys and ranchers is discussed in very brief text segments introducing the gallery of images, many of which were shot at sunrise or sunset to capture nature's light and glory as well as the purpose of man-made works in the desert. The emotional power of Stoecklein's images and their ability to capture the spirit of the West distinguish this remarkable collection, highly recommended for photography shelves.
Outhouses
Holly L. Bollinger
MBI Publishing Company
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
www.mbipublishing.com
0760321345 $19.95 1-800-458-0454
Showcasing the work of photographers Nick Cedar, William G. Simmonds and Jim Umhoefer, Outhouses by Holly L. Bollinger is a photographic and historical reflection upon the role that the once-necessary outhouse has played in the human past. Once thought of as a place of unpleasant odors and lack of comfort, they are now esteemed as hallmarks of the simple life, and a bygone age when America's ancestors lived closer to the land. In addition to more than 100 full color photographs of a wide variety of outdoor privies nestled amid breathtaking scenery, Outhouses includes a written overview of what life was like before indoor plumbing, with poems, songs, and humorous tidbits about the outhouse's place in American folklore. A one-of-a-kind presentation of an oft-overlooked aspect of pioneer and pre-industrial daily life.
Amherst Media
PO Box 586, Buffalo, NY 14226]
www.AmherstMedia.com
Bill Hurter's The Best Of Photographic Lighting: Techniques And Images For Digital Photographers (1584281685, $34.95) is a winner: it provides pros with techniques guaranteed to produce flawless lighting effects, helping photographers understanding the science of light, how it affects photography results, and how to make the most of both studio and location shots. The photos are truly stunning - and the explanations on options and how they were sifted to gain superior results is educational and very specific. Deborah Lynn Ferro's Artistic Techniques With Adobe Photoshop And Corel Painter: A Guide For Photographers (1584261650, $34.95) tells how to master digital imaging to get the most from Photoshop. From hand coloring black and white or sepia images to building collages, using filters, and blending text and images, color images are used as examples of technique. An outstanding basic guide; especially recommended for beginners.
Ansel Adams
Karen E. Haas & Rebecca A. Senf
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
www.mfa-publications.org
0878466940 $40.00 1-800-338-2665
With all the books on the market about Ansel Adams' life and photos, one might wonder at the need for yet another: what makes Karen Hass and Rebecca Senf's Ansel Adams different from all the rest? For one, document and unpublished letters form the foundation for the text, which covers his influence on 20th century American photography and his collaborative efforts. Adams was primarily a commercial photographer who sold his work to make a living: his various personas and different projects and objectives receive wider coverage here than in other photo collections.
The Astronomy Shelf
Deep Sky Observer's Guide
Neil Bone
Firefly Books
155 E. 34th Street, #5B, NY, NY 10016
1554070244 $14.95 fireflybooks.com
Amateur astronomers who want a guide to deep sky observations will find Neil Bone's Deep Sky Observer's Guide reflects the fact that no longer are such observations limited to large-size equipment in university settings. Discussions of how to locate such objects accompany assessments of the capabilities of typical amateur binoculars and telescopes for such observing. An excellent sky-watcher's guide, Deep Sky Observer's Guide comes complete with small color photos and tips on what is needed for each observation.
Stargazer
Fred Watson
Da Capo Press
11 Cambridge Ctr., Cambridge MA 02142
www.perseusbooks.com
0306814323 $24.95 1-800-242-7737
At the heart of any astronomical discussion is the telescope, which brought the science to life; so at the heart of any school or public library holding including astrology should be Fred Watson's Stargazer: The Life And Times Of The Telescope, a satisfying blend of history and science which charts the telescope's invention, evolution, importance, and modern abilities. Dr. Watson is Astronomer-in-Charge of the Anglo-Australian Observatory in Australia, responsible for the scientific output of the country's largest optical telescope: this survey Stargazer provides a pleasing modern history.
The Biography Shelf
Mapmaker's Eye
Jack Nisbet
WSU Press
Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
www.wsupress.wsu.edu
0874222850 $29.95 1-800-354-7360
Mapmaker's Eye is the amazing biographical chronicle of the adventures of David Thompson, a Canadian fur trader, explorer, and cartographer respected as a hero in Canada yet largely unknown in the United States. From 1801 to 1812, Thompson established two effective trade routs across the Rocky Mountains in Canada and surveyed the 1,250 mile course of the Columbia River. Following his exploration days he transformed the mathematical notations from his dozens of journal notebooks into the first accurate maps of the northwest quadrant of North America. Some of his mapwork was even used by the Lewis and Clark expedition. Award-winning author Jack Nisbet presents Thompson's story in detail yet fully accessible to lay readers, along with a handful of black-and-white and color illustrations. Amazing epic tale of a life rich with discovery and analysis.
May O'Donnell: Modern Dance Pioneer
Marian Horosko
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
www.upf.com
0813028574 $21.00, 1-800-226-3822
May O'Donnell: Modern Dance Pioneer is a biography of May O'Donnell (1906-2004), one of the Martha Graham Contemporary Dance Company's most successful soloists during its early days. O'Donnell's skill, self-confidence, and choreography technique enabled her to create her own roles in such well-known Graham works as "Appalachian Spring" and "Herodidade". She was the first American to create dances of musical abstraction, a prestigious teacher, and had an eventful sixty-year career. This true-life story of O'Donnell's extraordinary accomplishments is supplemented with black-and-white photographs, as well as the first available intermediate-class syllabus of O'Donnell's technique. An eye-opening look into dance through the decades and the life story of a talented professional.
Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading
Maureen Corrigan
Random House
0375504257 $24.95 randomhouse.com
If the name of author Maureen Corrigan sounds familiar, it's because she's spent sixteen years hosting NPR's 'Fresh Air' book show, and writing of mysteries in The Washington Post. Her memoir isn't just for prior fans, however - though Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding And Losing Myself In Books might earn her many a new fan. It covers the books and authors who have influenced her own life and love of reading, and follows her life through her love of books, from childhood to an adult life as a book critic. A fine survey of not only exceptional books but their underlying themes.
Bookless In Baghdad
Sasha Tharoor
Arcade
1559707577 $25.00 www.arcadepub.com
It's hard to easily categorize Bookless In Baghdad: Reflections On Writing And Writers: it's not a literary expose, it's not entirely a memoir/autobiography, and it's not entirely a cultural reflection on Iraq and India - yet, it's got elements of all the above. You'll receive more of an appreciation for literacy and reading learning what Iraqis go through just to get a book, and how selling their own books can make the difference between dinner or hunger. Tharoor examines his own childhood with books in India - and he reflects on the literary figures which that country reveres. Forty essays provide a range of insights on the literary world outside the West - and they're fascinating revelations.
Dudley Moore: An Intimate Portrait
Rena Fruchter
Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053
www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com
0091900808 $14.00 1-800-423-4525
Dudley Moore was an actor, a comedian, and the husband to a perfectionist wife: he left a promising career in jazz piano to become a comedian, then an actor - and his personal life was fraught with illness and trials. Prior fans of Moore who are fami
