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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 12, Number 10 October 2002 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Education Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Gardening Shelf Native American Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Artbook Shelf Biography Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Architecture Shelf
Railroading Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Psychology Shelf International Studies Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Criminology Shelf Photography Shelf
Martial Arts Shelf Nature/Ecology Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Nautical Shelf Business Shelf Computer Shelf
Literary Shelf Parenting Shelf Fiction Shelf
Library Science Shelf Sports Shelf World History Shelf
Library Audio Shelf Library Video Shelf Library CD Music Shelf
Travel Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Musicbook Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Gaming Shelf Military Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf American History Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf Cookbook Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

The Plowman And His Daughter
Lila Gatlin, Ph.D.
Azlan Press
PO Box 327, Newton, KS 67114-0327
0971264708 $12.98 www.lilagatlin.com

The Plowman And His Daughter: Sharing The Spirit Of Simple Wisdom by Lila Gatlin is an inspirational tribute to Henry Krause, this educated author's beloved father, and of Henry's very special gift for perceiving and embracing the blessings of God on Earth. The Plowman And His Daughter is a highly recommended, moving, poignant chronicle of human life and spiritual rapture.

101 Things To Do On The Wisconsin Great River Road
Norm Rogers & Chris Dinesen Rogers
McVicker Press
PO Box 10581, Peoria, IL 61612-0581
http://www.OneHundredAndOne.com
0972150803 $9.99 1-309-682-5416

The "great river" is the Mississippi River that provides the western border of Wisconsin. This 250 mile stretch of the river showcases spectacular scenery. Beginning in the north at Prescott, and continuing down to Potosi in the south, there is a superb highway running down along side which is called the "Great River Road". Norm Rogers and Chris Dinesen Rogers have collaborated to produce for the traveler or vacationer traveling along this highway system a highly recommended and very portable compendium of 101 suggestions of things to do and see. Designed with one specific suggestion per page, each entry also includes a specific and relevant fact. If you are planning a day-trip or an extended weekend along Wisconsin's share of the Great River Road, then begin planning your itinerary by browsing through the pages of Norm and Chris Rogers' 101 Things To Do On The Wisconsin Great River Road!

The Big Idea
Suri Duitch, et al.
Center For An Urban Future
120 Wall Street, 20th Fl., NY, NY 10005
0971868700 $14.00 www.nycfuture.org

Written by Suri Duitch with the assistance of Kathleen McGowan and Carl Vogel, The Big Idea: A Step-By-Step Guide To Creating Effective Policy Repots is offers a candid explanation of the processes used by City Limits Community Information Service and their Center for an Urban Future program to advocate and bring about positive social change. Combining wisdom, journalistic integrity, and professional how-to presentation savvy to get one's message across, The Big Idea is an excellent instructional reference guide recommended to anyone charged with the responsibility for publicizing community problems and influencing public opinion.

A Field Guide For Families
Jane Yousey
Life Design Publishing
PO Box 617, Niantic, CT 06357
0971656606 $15.95 lifedesigncoach.com

A Field Guide For Families: How To Assist Your Older Loved Ones When You Don't Live Next Door is a sound, "reader friendly", and practical resource for family members who may be spread out over large areas, and find that the problems of transportation and distance impede the ability to take care of an older loved one who needs assistance. Offering insights into the physical and mental changes that come with aging, and specifically addressing the questions of what can cause mental confusion in an aging parent; helping an elderly love one change negative attitudes to positive ones; memory loss; when it no longer safe to drive; problems with scheduled medication; and the prevention of falling, A Field Guide For Families is very highly recommended for its practical advice on the diverse dilemmas of dealing with deteriorating loved ones.

Stewed, Screwed & Tattooed
Madame Chinchilla
Isadore Press
PO Box 1225, Mendocino, CA 95460
0960260013 $20.00 triangletattoo.com

Madame Chinchilla's Stewed, Screwed & Tattooed is a unique treatise on the history, practice, and art of tattooing, whether in the military, prisons, tribal rituals, or far-off lands. Enhanced with illustrations from the C.W. Eldridge Tattoo Archive and the Triangle Museum, Stewed, Screwed & Tattooed balances its unique history with fascinating vignettes ranging from the ethics of responsible tattooing, to dealing with modern-day social stigma attached to tattooing, to a variety of amazing and colorful tattooing anecdotes. Stewed, Screwed & Tattooed is very highly recommended reading, especially for anyone considering a tattoo of their own.

Gangs And Their Tattoos
Bill Valentine
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
1581600992 $25.00 1-800-392-2400

In Gangs And Their Tattoos: Identifying Gangbangers On The Street And In Prison, Bill Valentine draws upon his twenty years of experience as a line office for the Nevada Department of Prisons to create an informed and informative reference presenting an overview of street and prison gangs, including their history, structure and common tactics, as well as their 'official' codes of conduct. Also included are street and prison gang signs, code words, and most especially, their various skin tattoos associated as associated with each gang. Illustrations, sketches, and photographs vividly show sample gang tattoos, while the text carefully notes the origin of the most common symbols. Gangs And Their Tattoos is an accurate and very strongly recommended reference for law enforcement, sociologists, youth workers, and anyone else with an personal or professional interest in contemporary gang cultures in or out of prison.

September 11, 2001
Thomas T. Noland Jr., editor
DAJ Publishing
PO Box 549, Louisville, KY 40201-0549
http://www.StoriesFrom55Broad.com
0971804214 $24.95 1-866-487-8552

Compiled and edited by Thomas T. Noland, September 11, 2001: Stories From 55 Broad Street is an unforgettable collection of anecdotes from eyewitnesses to the horror and aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Profound, meaningful, raw, and real, September 11, 2001: Stories From 55 Broad Street is an utterly unforgettable collection and a highly recommended addition to school and community library systems.

Mewingham Manor
Edwina Von Stetina
Greenwich Workshop Press
PO Box 875, Shelton, CT 06484
http://www.greenwichworkshop.com
0867130822 $19.95 1-203-925-0131

Capably written and wonderfully illustrated by Edwina Von Stetina, Mewingham Manor: Observations On A Curious New Species is a delightful fantasy picture book showcasing the "natural history" and life cycle of a delightful imaginary species of butterfly-winged cats. Warm color illustrations and gentle, memorable text bring these remarkable flying kittens to life. Mewingham Manor is highly recommended and would make an impressive Memorial Fund acquisition choice for any community library collection.

Before Amelia
Eileen F. Lebow
Brassey's Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Dr, Dulles, VA 20166
1574884824 $26.95 brasseysinc.com

Before Amelia: Women Pilots In The Early Days Of Aviation by Eileen F. Lebow offers the reader an engaging glimpse into the earliest days of the very first flying machines, and the dozens of female pilots who made aviation history before the famous Amelia Earhart. Starting with Raymonde de Laroche, a French woman who became the first licensed female pilot in 1910, and profiling numerous other international female pilots, Before Amelia is a welcome contribution to both Women Studies and Aviation History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

This Old John Deere
Michael Dregni, editor
Voyageur Press
PO Box 338, Stillwater, MN 55082
0896584410 $29.95 voyageurpress.com

Deftly edited by Michael Dregni and illustrated throughout with excellent color photography, This Old John Deere: A Treasury Of Vintage Tractors And Family Farm Memories is a wonderful celebration of John Deere tractors throughout the years and their roles on family farms across America. This Old John Deere offers a simple, plain-speech overview of the tractors' service throughout American 20th century agricultural history complements this remarkable visual tribute. This Old John Deere is a perfect giftbook selection for tractor enthusiasts and a wonderful addition to community library collections.

Reporting Back
Lillian Ross
Counterpoint Press
387 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016
1582431094 $25.00 www.amazon.com

Author Lillian Ross has been writing for the New Yorker for half a century, creating profiles and essays which have won her an audience of admirers. Reporting Back questions the attributes which contribute to good reporting and good journalism, with Ross' years of experience backing pieces which blend humor with sharp observation. Journalism students will find this revealing.

Feel Our Freedom
Alisa Hauser Kraft & Jon Lowenstein
High Tide Press
3650 West 183rd St, Homewood IL 60430
1892696207 $27.95 hightidepress.com

Feel Our Freedom: Communities And Connections For People With Developmental Disabilities is an emotional and moving portrait of the lives of more than forty adults living with developmental disabilities. Revealing and insightful full-page, black-and-white photographs by Jon Lowenstein combine with Alisa Hauser Kraft's brief yet involving text descriptions of human lives, coping, survival, and joy. Feel Our Freedom is a highly recommended addition to personal and community library collections.

Fences & Retaining Walls
William McElroy
Craftsman Book Company
PO Box 6500, Carlsbad, CA 92008
0934041539 $23.25 1-800-829-8123

Fences & Retaining Walls by construction industry veteran and expert Bill McElroy is an extremely practical, "user friendly" manual for building professional quality boundary markers and retaining structures including picket and chain fences. McElroy covers fundamental aspects of fencing and wall building including gates, wiring and plumbing in retaining walls, rock walls, and much more. A by-the-numbers guide, Fences & Retaining Walls also covers safety considerations, cost estimation, keeping track of accounts and paperwork while building, as well as dozens of invaluable tips, tricks, and techniques for building sturdy, long-lasting works.

The Everything Candlemaking Book
M. J. Abadie
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322
1580626238 $12.95 adamsmedia.com

M.J. Abadie's The Everything Candlemaking Book lives up to its name with all the facts, how-to instructions, tips, safety precautions, and much more needed to embark on the creative and satisfying art of making one's own candles whether just for fun or for practical use. From the history of candlemaking, to step-by-step instructions on getting started, to making candles for holidays and special occasions, to using intricate techniques such as applique to ornament candles, to recommendations for tools and supplies, to using unique containers, to incorporating candles into rituals, to adding scents and other personal touches, The Everything Candlemaking Book is a first-rate instructional reference for anyone ready to roll up their sleeves and enjoy a unique and rewarding activity.

Who's Who In Egyptian Mythology
Anthony S. Mercatante
Robert Steven Bianchi
MetroBooks
230 Fifth Ave., Suite 700, NY, NY 10001
1586636111 $7.98 1-800-367-9692

Now in a revised and updated second edition, Who's Who In Egyptian Mythology compiled and co-authored by Antony S. Mercatante and Robert Steven Bianchi presents the Egyptian pantheon and a compendium of related topics, historical personages, and themes pertinent to it in and arranged in an alphabetical order, and an encyclopedia-style, from Akhenaten to Zehuti (another name for Thoth). A most fascinating reference filled cover to cover with condensed myths, history, and archaeological discoveries, Who's Who In Egyptian Mythology is a highly recommended addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library Egyptology reference collection.

Day Of The Dead In Mexico
Mary J. Andrade
La Oferta Review
1376 N. Fourth St., San Jose, CA 95112
0966587642 $28.95 www.laoferta.com

Day Of The Dead In Mexico: Through The Eyes Of The Soul is a remarkable and highly recommended bilingual English/Spanish introduction to the history and tradition of the Day of the Dead celebration as practiced throughout Mexico. Enhanced throughout with color photography, Day Of The Dead In Mexico provides extensive and detailed information about how the Mexican people remember and honor their lost loved ones combined with gorgeous color photographs bring this memorable cultural festival to light.

Original Innocence
Dr. Mark T. Holmes
Cauldron Press
145 North Woodburn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049
0972318836 $15.95 drmarkholmes.com

Original Innocence: The Nature Of The Soul is an anthology of illustrative stories that attempt to fuse a recognition of the divine through the medium of parables which transcend individual religious faiths. From Zoroaster battling Lucifer to Jesus Christ teaching new souls about the use of energy and consciousness, these imaginative tales and thought-provoking dialogues shed a unique light on monotheistic doctrine in a highly accessible fashion, especially for the non-specialist general reader.

The Zen Of Ziggy
Tom Wilson
Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64111
0740723243 $10.95 ziggyzone.com

The Zen Of Ziggy is the latest collection of single-panel (and the occasional Sunday sequence) comics about a little bald guy, the pets he adores, and his constant struggle to catch any sort of break in life. Perpetually faced with TV shows that have given up any pretense of disguising their lack of merit; park birds who criticize his taste in low-quality popcorn; psychoanalysts who offer reassurances about "page fright"; and a great deal more, Ziggy's cheerful good humor and ability to survive the little mishaps that innately resemble those that everyone has encountered before at one time or another, lending a wry and universal empathy to this gentle, highly enjoyable and entertaining compilation.

The Complete Beginner's Woodcarving Workbook
Mary Duke Guldan
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
Box 7948, Lancaster, PA 17604
156523085X $9.95 1-800-457-9112

The Complete Beginner's Woodcarving Workbook combines basic lessons in the art of woodworking, with 10 ready-to-use patterns for projects, enhanced with over 200 illustrations and diagrams for step-by-step techniques to release the shape and soul of art from its wooden cocoon. The Complete Beginner's Woodcarving Workbook truly lives up to its title as being a superb introduction specifically designed for the novice woodworker in practicing an entertaining and creative hobby.

Voices From Vietnam
Charlene Edwards
Journeys
PO Box 610260, Bayside, NY 11361
0971402035 $25.00 vnvoicers@aol.com

Written and photographed by Charlene Edwards, Voices From Vietnam is an informative history, a compelling photographic odyssey, and an emotionally moving testimonial to the tragedies and triumphs of Americans and Vietnamese tangled together in a bitter and lethal civil war. Voices From Vietnam presents a memorable selection of anecdotes about all the human beings whose lives were marked and forever changed by the Vietnam War. The history of this terrible war, its lasting impact and human struggles to survive and grow in its aftermath make Voices From Vietnam unforgettable and strongly reading -- especially because the storm clouds of war are once again gathering.

Adultery: Facing Its Reality
William F. Mitchell, Jr.
Eagle's Nest Publications
PO Box 8735, Endwell, NY 13762-8735
1586841386 $19.95 Eaglesnestpub.com

Adultery: Facing Its Reality is written by experienced private investigator William F. Mitchell Jr. for the purpose of helping men and women of all ages and backgrounds who find themselves victimized by the adultery of their spouses, and can often find no tangible and thematically appropriate help in their personal and marital crisis. Mitchell offers a unique and "real world" based compendium of advice about the "warning signs of adultery", how to satisfy a "need to know"; how to resolve issues of adultery even before they start; how to "adultery proof" a marriage; and when adultery has occurred, how to save a marriage. Adultery: Facing Its Reality is one of those self-help books that we never want to have need of -- but will find invaluable when we do.


The Education Shelf

Real Life University
Michael McMyne & Nicole Amare
Premium Press America
PO Box 159015, Nashville, TN 37215
188765447X $14.95 1-800-891-7323

Real Life University: Mastering The Maze by Michael McMyne (one of America's youngest motivational speakers) and experienced university educator Nicole Amare, is a truly "user friendly" guide to helping students increase their academic and social success at college. Individual chapters aptly address the importance of staying focused on objectives, good study habits, looking ahead to the future and possible careers, and a great deal more. Real Life University is highly recommended as an excellent supplementary and preparatory book for high-school seniors anticipating college life, as well as university enrolled students who are currently struggling for their own academic and personal success.

Essential Elements Of Effective Discipline
C. M. Charles
Allyn & Bacon
75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116
0201729482 $17.00 ablongman.com

Essential Elements Of Effective Discipline by C. M. Charles provides an informed and informative examination and analysis of the difficulties of instilling responsible, positive discipline within young people. Written specifically for teachers who need to keep order in the classroom, yet also applicable to parents and other supervisors of school-age children, Essential Elements Of Effective Discipline covers building working relationships, understanding the types and causes of misbehavior, addressing the causes and directly preventing misbehavior, and much more. Essential Elements Of Effective Discipline is a "must-read" for anyone charged with the responsibility of classroom instruction.

Leading Every Day
Joyce Kaser, et al.
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Rd., Thousand Oaks CA 1320
076194513X $29.95 1-800-818-7243

Collaboratively written by education experts Joyce Kaser, Susan Mundry, Katherine E. Stiles, and Susan Loucks-Horsley, Leading Every Day: 124 Actions For Effective Leadership is a unique and "user friendly" guidebook written especially for administrators and teachers. Offering a wealth of tips, tricks, techniques, as well as practical and applicable advice in a day-by-day absorption format which is aptly complemented by daily reflections and space for personal notes, Leading Every Day is recommended as an excellent supplementary resource offering sound advice and solid practices.

The Urban School
Ray C. Rist
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854
0765809389 $29.95 1-888-999-6778

Now featuring a new introduction by education policy expert Ray C. Rist , The Urban School: A Factory For Failure is a chilling study of how inner-city public schools help to reinforce class distinctions from a very early age. With an emphasis upon how kindergarten, first grade, and second grade force young children into social tier structures, and consequently are particularly harsh and handicapping to the poorest members of the population, The Urban School is a timely and much needed wake-up call to a educational policy and contemporary social problem that urgently needs to be addressed across the country and in every urban school district.

A Field Of Dreams
Peggy O'Neill, et al.
Utah State University Press
78 Old Marin Hill, Logan, UT 84322
0874214408 $26.95 1-800-239-9974

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Peggy O'Neill (Communication Department, Loyola College, Maryland), Angela Crow (Assistant Professor, Georgia Southern University), and Larry W. Burton (Chair of the Department of Writing and Linguistics, Georgia Southern University), A Field Of Dreams: Independent Writing Programs And The Future Of Composition Studies is an impressive selection of seventeen scholarly essays studying the existence and future of independent writing programs and composition studies in American colleges today. From the unique challenges of such courses, to their implications on national literacy and debating challenges against these programs, A Field Of Dreams is a thoughtful and highly recommended compilation examining critically important facets of the present and future of higher education.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

2003 Sporting Knives
Joe Kertzman, Editor
Krause Publications
700 East State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001
087349430X $22.95 1-800-258-0929

From folding knives and pocket knives to military knives and knives which are small swords, this newly updated and expanded edition of 2003 Sporting Knives provides a clear guide to knives for outdoor enthusiasts who use sporting knives. Knife experts provide articles and reviews of the newest and most useful commercial sporting knives on the market, while catalogs of prices and sources add to the details on their use. An indispensable guide for not only collectors, but outdoorsmen.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Dead Midnight
Marcia Muller
Mysterious Press
1271 Ave. of Americas, NY NY 10020
089296765X $24.95 1-800-759-0190

San Francisco P.I. Sharon McCone returns: this time with the personal crisis of her brother's suicide to cope with in the midst of the usual crime scenes at work. A seemingly straightforward case to occupy her mind turns into a puzzling investigation of a talented young man's suicide. Excellent drama and swift action provide satisfying plots.

Hot Stones Cold Death
Barbara Fleming
Silver Maple Publications
P.O. Box 846, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387-0846
http://www.silvermaplepublications.com
0970897006 $14.99 1-937-767-8830

Barbara Fleming's Hot Stones Cold Death is an outstanding mystery novel featuring Lieutenant Matthew Alexander, a homicide detective who must follow the theft of a prized necklace from the Smithsonian's gem collection and identify a ruthless murderer. Faced with walls of stony denial and mistrust, Matthew Alexander must navigate uncooperative witnesses and mounting danger to uncover the crux of the matter before it's too late. Hot Stones Cold Death is a deftly written, thoroughly exciting, cover-to-cover pulse-pounding thriller of a read.

Tournament Of Blood
Michael Jecks
Headline/Trafalgar Square, dist.
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053-0257
0747266123 $9.95 1-800-423-4525

This medieval mystery tells of a planned tournament to be hosted by Lord Hugh in 1322. A month before the planned event a man who whom knights are indebted is found murdered, and it's up to Sir Baldwin and his friend Bailiff Simon to complete preparations and investigate a possibly widereaching, sinister plan. Fine tension against a solid historical backdrop.

Lilac Moon
Shelly Frome
Shangri-La Publications
#3 Coburn Hill Road, Warren Center, PA 18851-0065
0971949654 $22.50 http://shangri-la.0catch.com

Shelly Frome's Lilac Moon is a compelling mystery novel set in the remote Connecticut countryside. A female reporter's investigation of an actress' near-death experience leads to a thickening conspiracy, murder, and a tangled web of lies. Lilac Moon is a highly recommended and involving saga of trickery, deception, and homicidal intent lurking in the shadows.

Cold Logic
C. J. R. Casewit
Metropolis Ink
5629 Windstone, Cave Creek, AZ 85331
0958054347 $15.95 metropolisink.com

Cold Logic by C. J. R. Caseit is an involving, complex, high-strung, deftly written novel of suspense, blackmail, murder, and a software company suffering security breaches with disastrous and multiplying consequences. A modern-day cautionary tale of technology and death, Cold Logic is highly recommended reading with its deft portrayals of a powerful Silicon Valley elite engaging in dark plots and cyberspace mayhem.

Berkley Prime Crime
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014

Two excellent mysteries provide fans of the genre with satisfyingly fast-paced drama. Lawrence Block, et.al.'s Murder In The Family (0425183351, $24.95) packs in high-profile mystery writers whose new presentations have not seen print elsewhere. Mary Higgins Clark probes a father's motivation for revenge, Susan Isaacs presents a chilling portrait of a family which should not be in business, and Dorothy Davis tells of a letter which transforms lives in this excellent collection. Simon Brett's novel, Torso In The Town (0425185028, $22.95), tells of a historic village, newcomers, and a mummified torso which turns the party into a morgue. The mystery involves all in a complicated search for the killer.


The Gardening Shelf

Begonias
Mike Stevens
Firefly Books Ltd.
4 Daybreak Lane, Westport, CT 06880
1552975525 $22.95 1-800-387-5085

North American gardeners who want to learn about begonias now receive all the information in Begonias, a book devoted to this one plant alone. From its history and key discoveries to its culture and propagation, Begonias packs in details on how to handle and successfully grow a variety of begonias.

Natural Landscaping
John Diekelmann & Robert Schuster
The University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711
0299173240 $24.95 1-800-621-2736

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Natural Landscaping: Designing With Native Plant Communities by licensed architect and landscaping authority John Diekelmann and natural plan restoration expert Robert Schuster is a fascinating, "user friendly" instructional guide on basic landscaping principles, as well as cogent, authoritative advice on how to restore wetlands and introduce native plant species for wetlands, grasslands, forests, and more. Black-and-white photographs as well as an inset section of color plates wonderfully illustrate this meticulous, fact-filled, professional quality, highly recommended "how-to" guide for anyone aspiring to enhance or restore native plant communities.

Advanced Home Gardening
Miranda Smith
Creative Homeowner Press
Box 38, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
1580110738 $24.95 1-800-631-7795

Advanced Home Gardening: Cutting-Edge Growing Techniques For Gardeners is expert gardener and gardening instructor Miranda Smith is a beautifully presented and informative gardening guide enhanced with over 800 color photographs and illustrations. Featuring detailed instructions about growing flowers, vegetables, herbs, fruits, and just about anything one desires using expert means of raising the healthiest plants and coaxing the highest yield, Advanced Home Gardening is a solid, practical, "user friendly" reference covering everything from plant pests and hardiness zones to exposure requirements, blooming seasons, and propagation information. A first-class guide for the serious-minded home gardener, Advanced Home Gardening is enthusiastically recommended for personal and community library gardening reference collections.

Science And The Garden
David S. Ingram, et al.
Iowa State Press
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
0632053089 $27.99 1-800-216-2522

Collaboratively compiled and edited by David S. Ingram (Master, St. Catherine's College, University of Cambridge, UK), Daphne Vince-Prue (Retired Lecturer, University of Reading and the first to develop the potted Chrysanthemum), and Peter J. Gregory (University of Reading), Science And The Garden: The Scientific Basis Of Horticultural Practice is an advanced resource of chemical, biological, and highly practical information about how science can directly affect one's garden. Individual chapters deal with the full range of relative issues including soil fertility, taxonomy, seasons and weather, the scientific repercussions of gardening in a greenhouse environment, and more. Familiarity with basic chemistry and other branches of agriculture-related science is very helpful, but not absolutely required for the non-specialist general reader to get the most out of Science And The Garden, one of the most educational and informative introductions to horticultural practices available today.

Guests In Your Garden
Michele Davidson
Arsenal Pulp Press
103 - 1014 Homer Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 2W9
1551520974 $10.95 arsenalpulp.com

Enhanced with illustrations by Eve Corbel, Guests In Your Garden: Facts & Folklore About Bugs, Slugs, And Other Garden Creatures by experienced gardener Michele Davidson is a superbly organized and presented compendium of useful and descriptive information about all the insects that are a normal part of the gardening experience including: ants, bees, wasps, cockroaches, termites, beetles, moths, butterflies, caterpillars, damselflies, dragonflies, mayflies, praying mantids, grasshoppers, crickets, walking sticks, thrips, earwigs, fleas, flies, mosquitoes, craneflies, fruit flies, centipedes, millipedes, slugs, snails, earthworms, leeches, waterbugs, aphids, scale, spittlebugs, cicadas, mealybugs, sowbugs, spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks. Guests In Your Garden is an enthusiastically recommended and highly informative contribution to any personal or community library gardening and/or horticultural studies reference shelf.

The Gardener's Guide To Growing Daylilies
Diana Grenfell
Timber Press
133 SW Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland, Oregon 97204
0881925365 $19.95 timberpress.com

Spotlighted with gorgeous color photographs, The Gardener's Guide To Growing Daylilies by gardening expert Diana Grenfell (Co-founder of the British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society) is a solid "how-to" instructional reference book for even the most novice gardening with an eye for these beautiful late-summer flowers. Individual chapters definitively cover the different species and hybrids of Daylilies, garden uses, provide a wealth of meticulous cultivation advice, and so much more. A strongly recommended addition to personal and community library gardening and horticultural reference collections and supplemental reading lists, The Gardener's Guide To Growing Daylilies is as gorgeous to page through as it is useful to refer from.


The Native American Shelf

They Say The Wind Is Red
Jacqueline Anderson Matte
NewSouth Books
PO Box 1588, Montgomery, AL 36102
1588380793 $19.95 newsouthbooks.com

Now in a newly revised edition which include a resource guide for Southeastern Indian genealogy, They Say The Wind Red: The Alabama Choctaw Lost In Their Own Land, by Jacqueline Anderson Matte (who testified as an expert witness before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Hearings for federal recognition of the Alabama Choctaw) is a compelling and accurate history of those Choctaw Indians who successfully remained in Alabama, when other southeastern Indian tribes were compelled to relocate to the American West during the 1830s. The Alabama Choctaw were a small band of Native Americans who were often mistaken as being either blacks or cajun, and who stayed in the swamps and pine woods of Mobile and Washington counties in spite of federal government's efforts to remove them. An invaluable addition to the growing library of Native American Studies, They Say The Wind Is Red is very highly recommended history of pride, love of land, danger, and a people's determination to endure and preserve their way of life in spite of severe and enduring hardships.

Sacagawea Speaks
Joyce Badgley Hunsaker
TwoDot
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1585920797 $27.50 globe-pequot.com

Sacagawea Speaks: Beyond The Shining Mountains With Lewis & Clark by historical interpreter and story teller Joyce Badgley Hunsaker is a superbly illustrated coffee-table book that combines extensive historical research, eye-witness history, participant journal entries, and more in order to present the story of Sacagawea, the Native American woman who traveled alongside the famous Lewis and Clark expedition. Stunning color photography of landscapes and historical artifacts, timelines, Shoshoni vocabulary, and much more round out this beautiful and absorbing preservation of a piece of American exploratory history as showcased from the truly unique perspective of a Native American woman.

Inuit Art
Ingo Hessel & Dietr Hessel
Douglas & McIntyre
201-2323 Quebeck Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
1550548298 $35.00 1-800-367-9692

Inuit Art: An Introduction by Ingo Hessel (Inuit art consultant and former Special Projects Officer and Coordinator of the Canadian Inuit Art Information Centre of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs for the Canadian government), is wonderfully enhanced with the full color photography of Dieter Hessel. Inuit Art covers its subject matter from an historical, cultural, and aesthetic perspective beginning with the roots of Inuit art in prehistoric times, through the arrival of Europeans and their influence on Inuit art beginning in the sixteenth century, down to the mid-twentieth century when Inuit art began attracting a world wide audience. Of special interest is Ingo Hessel's informative discussion of the techniques and materials employed by Inuit artisans in the creations of their unique and distinctive work. Inuit Art is an impressive, superbly presented and welcome contribution to the growing library of Native American Studies in general, and Inuit art history in particular.

On The Trail To Wounded Knee
Guy Le Querrec
The Lyons Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1585745332 $35.00 lyonspress.com

Guy Le Querrec's On The Trail To Wounded Knee: The Big Foot Memorial Ride is an impressive photographic memorial of one of the most brutal and tragic massacres of Native Americans in recorded American history. In 1990, the one hundredth anniversary of the long journey and eventual slaughter of Chief Big Foot and most of his tribe, members of the Sioux nation retraced the journey in honor of those who suffered and died. Photographer Guy Le Querrec followed the trail with them, and captured these powerful black-and-white images. Vignettes and quotes from history are interspersed with this moving, visual testimony of the long forced march that has since become a symbol of American genocide.

The Good Path
Thomas Peacock & Marlene Wisuri
Afton Historical Society Press
PO Box 100, Afton, Minnesota 55001
1890434531 $17.95 aftonpress.com

The Good Path is an enthusiastically recommended activity book for children which celebrates Ojibwe Native American heritage. Written for kids of all cultures to enjoy while learning about Ojibwe customs and culture, The Good Path offers Ojibwe history, meditations, and activities such as writing poetry and stories, drawing maps, playing memory games, drawing and painting pictures, and more. Full-color photographs illustrate this remarkable and unique guide to learning about Ojibwe culture through creative a variety of fun and informative activities.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Hand-Rearing Wild And Domestic Mammals
Laurie J. Gage, DVM
Iowa State University Press
2121 State Avenue, Ames, IA 50014-8300
0813826837 $59.99 1-800-862-6657

Hand-Rearing Wild And Domestic Mammals by veterinarian Laurie J. Gage, DVM and drawing from expert contributions from more than thirty veterinary technicians, wildlife specialists and practicing veterinarians from around the globe is a solid, scholarly, exhaustively researched and detailed how-to manual for hand-rearing a wide variety of mammals, from commonplace pets to farm animals such as foals, piglets, and llamas, to unusual species such as walruses, sloths, and exotic felines. Extensive instructions, information on crafting nutritional formulas, feeding schedules, vaccinations, special needs, and much more make Hand-Rearing Wild And Domestic animals an indispensable, professional, superbly organized and accessible reference for zookeepers, wildlife managers, ranchers, and anyone else with the responsibility raising wild or domestic animals from birth through weaning.

Dogs Through History
Maxwell Riddle
Denlinger's Publishers, Ltd.
c/o Alpine Publications, Inc.
225 South Madison Avenue, Loveland, CO 80537
087714124X $14.95 1-800-777-7257

Accessibly written for the non-specialist general reader by Maxwell Riddle (Founder of the Ravenna Kennel Club and experienced judge of countless dog shows), Dogs Through History is an informative and fascinating look at the role of man's best friend down through the centuries. Black-and-white photographs showing dogs in ancient art illustrate this scholarly and definitive history from the domestication of the dog as a hunting companion and family defender, to how people viewed canines in China, Tibet, Japan, India, Africa, Scandinavia, and many other nations over the centuries. Highly recommended for dog lovers eager to know more about the worldwide saga of their beloved pets, Dogs Through History is an important and welcome addition to any personal, academic, or community library Pets & Wildlife reference collection and supplemental reading list.

Dolphins, Myths, & Transformation
Ryan DeMares, Ph.D.
The Dolphin Institute Press
PO Box 1093, Boulder, Colorado 80306-1093
0972010106 $15.95 1-720-771-9963

Dolphins, Myths, & Transformation by Ryan DeMares (the first person to hold a doctorate in Interspecies Communication) is an informed and informative exploration of the relationship between humans and dolphins, both at the levels of individual consciousness and global interaction. Ms. DeMares provides the reader with a spiritual and soulful reflection on the bonds between two remarkably different yet ultimately interlinked species. Written to be completely accessible to the non-specialist general reader, Ryan DeMares' Dolphins, Myths, & Transformation is a unique and very welcome contribution to the scholarly study of human-animal communications and relationships.


The Artbook Shelf

Bright Earth
Philip Ball
Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003
0374116792 $30.00 1-800-242-7737

In Bright Earth, science writer Philip Ball presents a fine guide that examines the practical side of art throughout history. From its gains from technological advancements to cultural influences on art directions, Bright Earth surveys how color is invented, reinvented, and presented. A literary, absorbing work.

Juan Munoz
Neal Benezra, et al.
The Art Institute of Chicago
111 So. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603
0865591903 $24.95 1-312-443-3600

Produced by the collaborative efforts of art experts Neal Benezra, Olga M. Viso, Michael Brenson, and Paul Schimmel, Juan Munoz is an astounding companion to the exhibition of Munoz's remarkable, three-dimensional art on exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden of the Smithsonian Institution. Black-and-white and color photographs abound in this lavish work, featuring extensive and informative essays that look deep into the heart and soul of the sculptures, figures, and prints. Juan Munoz is highly recommended as a rare treat for the both the eyes and the artistic intellect.

Degas And The Dance
Jill DeVonyar & Richard Kendall
Harry N. Abrams
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
0810932822 $49.95 abramsbooks.com

Collaboratively produced by independent curator and ballet instructor Jill DeVonyar and art historian Richard Kendall, Degas And The Dance is a gorgeous volume filled cover to cover with spectacular color photographs of art and sculpture celebrating the dance, particularly ballet, as created by 19th century artist Edgar Degas. An insightful text provides informative commentary about the man called "the painter of dancers", and his body of work, enriches this vivid presentation of pieces that blend realism with occasional softening or abstracting elements. Degas And The Dance is enthusiastically recommended as being beautiful book just to page through, and a "must" for anyone who appreciates the immortal art of Edgar Degas.

Create Greeting Cards With Glass Painting Techniques
Joan Dale
Parkwest Publications
451 Communipaw Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07304
1870586395 $22.99 parkwestpubs.com

By considering the many creative ideas and following the simple step-by-step instructions that comprise Joan Dale's Create Greeting Cards With Glass Painting Techniques, even the most novice reader can create vibrant, colorful designs with personalized greeting cards using effective glass painting techniques. Each of the card making projects comes with its own full size template. Dale also shows how to utilize glitter, beads, ribbons, and other decorations for additional enhancements. Highly recommended for the do-it-yourself enthusiast, there are greeting card projects for every occasion are to be found here including birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, Valentine, Easter, Christmas, New Year, Halloween, Fathers Day and Mother's Day, as well as cards for good luck, bon voyage, a new home, a new baby, and all purpose blank cards.

Impressions Of Light
George T. M. Shakelford, et al.
MFA Publications
c/o Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
0878466475 $35.00 1-800-338-2665

Impressions Of Light: The French Landscape From Corot To Monet is a lavishly, richly, spectaculrly beautifully, illustrated art history showcasing one hundred years of French art and 56 French artists. Included area wealth of rare and unusual monotypes by Degas, three states of a softground etching by Pissarro, and numerous illustrative works by lesser-known by equally significant contemporaries. Of particular interest is the attention paid to intersecting developments in French art from the Barbizon school through post-Impressionism. Enhanced with more than 80 paintings and 70 works on paper drawn from the MFA collections, showcasing the French landscape through painting, prints, and photography, Impressions Of Light deftly explores individual artists' perceptions as well as the manifold ways that influenced each other. Also available in a hardcover edition (0878466460, $65.00), Impressions Of Light will prove to be a welcome and much appreciated contribution to Art History collections in general, and 19th Century French landscape art and photography in particular.

Insurgent Images
Paul Buhle & Mike Alewitz
Monthly Review Press
122 West 27th Street, NY, NY 10001
1583670343 $27.95 monthlyreview.org

Insurgent Images: The Agitprop Murals Of Mike Alewitz by muralist and labor activist Mike Alewitz in collaboration with historian and academician Paul Buhle presents a vibrant, full-color presentation of the vivid and powerfully themed mural artworks done by Alewitz, an outspoken labor activist since the 1940s. Presenting a strong political theme of worker's rights and solidarity, capturing the imagination with its outspoken message, and offered alongside a sensible commentary that places pieces in context to the labor and humanitarian issues they illustrated, Insurgent Images is a stunning collection of art created to serve showcase and advance the cause of worker and human rights.


The Biography Shelf

Saladin
Stanley Lane-Poole
Cooper Square Press
150 Fifth Ave., Suite 817, NY, NY 10011
0815412347 $18.95 1-800-462-6420

Written by the late British historian Stanley Lane-Pools (1854-1931), Saladin: All-powerful Sultan And The Uniter Of Islam is an informed and informative biography of the great warrior, statesman, and faithful believer in Islam, Salah ad-Din ibn Ayyub, more commonly known as Saladin (A.D. 1138-1193). From his early years in a Kurdish military family to the beginning of his military service at age fourteen, to his conquest of Jerusalem marked by an unprecedentedly humane treatment of the citizens within, to his belief and application of civilized justice, Saladin: All-powerful Sultan And The Uniter Of Islam is the life story of a truly unique leader who deservedly earned his legendary status both in the West as well as throughout Islam.

Rocky Marciano
Russell Sullivan
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820
0252027639 $34.95 1-800-545-4703

Rocky Marciano: The Rock Of His Times by biographer Russell Sullivan, is an insightful and deftly written biographical story of a legendary figure in twentieth-century boxing. The invincible Rocky Marciano, a second-generation Italian-American active in a sport dominated by African-Americans, never lost a single one of his 49 heavyweight bouts up to when he quit the ring in 1956. An in-close study of the man's life which includes his flaws as well as his virtues, Rocky Marciano: The Rock Of His Times is a thoroughly researched, accessibly written, and highly recommended addition to community library Biography and American Sports History collections, and a "must read" for anyone who ever thrilled to a Marciano heavyweight bout.

A Country Doctor's Casebook
Roger A. MacDonald, M.D.
Minnesota Historical Society Press
Claire Kirch (publicity)
345 Kellogg Blvd., West, St. Paul, MN 55102-1906
0873514300 $19.95 1-800-647-7827

A Country Doctor's Casebook: Tales From The North Woods is an anthology of autobiographical stories by Dr. Roger A. MacDonald, a physician who has served the people living in a remote region of northern Minnesota during the years after World War II. Vignettes of sickness, compassion, feuds, dangers, births and deaths make A Country Doctor's Casebook unforgettable and very highly recommended reading.

A Trio Of Lies
Frank Barry
Pikes Peak Publishing
2130 Hollowbrook, #100, Colorado Springs, CO
0971965404 $16.99 1-719-590-7007

Frank Barry's A Trio Of Lies is the true-life memoir of an Italian family's struggle to adapt and survive in America. Deftly and candidly written with compelling emotion A Trio Of Lies spans most of the twentieth century and concludes with an eye toward the future. A Trio Of Lies is a highly recommended and intimately personal saga of human striving, weaknesses, and endurance that although specific to the D'Alessandro family, is universal in its relevance for all American families living in today's uncertain economic, social, and political climate.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
Toby Young
Da Capo Press
Goldberg McDuffie (publicity)
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142
030681188X $24.00 1-800-242-7737

How To Lose Friends And Alienate People by Toby Young is a wry, tongue-in-cheek memoir of a British journalist with an attitude who came to New York in 1995 and saw his personal life and professional efforts fall apart. Fired from Vanity Fair magazine, banned from the most fashionable bar in the city, unable to get a date, and even rejected by the local AA group, Toby's journey through numerous different and bizarre jobs makes for simply irresistible reading that is literary equivalent to watching a multi-car chain-reaction interstate highway pileup in slow motion.

Redemption Of The Shattered
Bob Livingstone LCSW
Privately Published
205 East 3rd Avenue, Suite 207, San Mateo, CA 94401
1591130859 $13.95 boblivingstone.com

Written and published by Bob Livingstone, Redemption Of The Shattered: A Teenager's Healing Journey Through Sandtray Therapy is a compelling blend of candid memoir with personal spiritual testimony. Here recounted is Livingstone's individual experiences and the near devastating pain of coping with the early loss of his father. Redemption Of The Shattered is highly recommended as a profound and engaging voyage of self-discovery, insight, and the recovery from familial grief.

Lessons From The Porch
Ed Poole
STEC Publishing
Jenkins Group Inc. (publicity)
PO Box 3972, Naperville, IL 60567-3972
0972074007 $22.95 1-630-844-5528

Lessons From The Porch: A Gathering Place For Telling Our Stories is Ed Pools's thoughtful memoir of life's lessons, which he shares with endearing charm and good-natured heart. A thoughtful journey and an engaging reminiscence of what it means to socialize and cultivate true friendships, the burden of life's hardships, and what it means to persevere and search for purpose, Lessons From The Porch is enthusiastically recommended as being a most enjoyable, thoughtful, and thought-provoking read.

The Abbey Up The Hill
Carol Bonomo
Morehouse Publishing
PO Box 1321, Harrisburg, PA 17105
0819219126 $16.95 1-800-877-0012

The Abbey Up The Hill: A Year In The Life Of A Monastic Day-Tripper by lobbyist and speech writer Carol Bonomo is her personal memoir and testimony as a recovering alcoholic and depicts her compelling quest for spiritual enlightenment. It was her restless search for a spiritual home which brought her into contact with the Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church, Alcoholics Anonymous, as well as an attempt to become a lay associate of the Franciscans, and then, at last, to a Benedictine abbey where she found her spiritual home, a state of acceptance, and a hard won wealth of personal insight. The Abbey Up The Hill is recommended as an emotionally moving, sometimes humorous, occasionally poignant saga presented with a reverent love and a spirit of appreciation.

Profile Of An Americanized Danube Swabian Ethnically Cleansed Under Tito
Jacob Steigerwald
Morris Publishing
3212 East Highway 30 Kearney NE 68847
0961550546 $29.95 1-800-650-7888

Profile Of An Americanized Danube Swabian Ethnically Cleansed Under Tito is Jacob Steigerwald's autobiography that also recounts the story of the indigenous Germans in Yugoslavia who stayed behind after the end of World War II. More than 51,000 of these individuals perished in misguided partisan responses to Nazi atrocities in which the victims took no part. A highly recommended contribution to East Central European history, as well as a compelling memoir, Profile Of An Americanized Danube Swabian Ethnically Cleansed Under Tito offers profound and personal examination the dark side of human nature and the emptiness of vengeance directed solely along ethnic lines, as well as accounts of Jacob's experiences in the American Midwest, and a stint in the American army.

Astor Piazzolla: A Memoir
Natalio Gorin
Amadeus Press
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland, Oregon 97204-3527
1574670662 $34.95 amadeuspress.com

Superbly translated, annotated, and expanded by Fernando Gonzalez (who as a music critic for The Miami Herald and The Boston Globe reported extensively on Astor Piazzolla's career), Astor Piazzolla: A Memoir by journalist Natalio Gorin (Astor Piazzola's friend from their first meeting in 1971 until Piazzolla's death in 1992) is an unforgettable remembrance of the brilliant tango musician and composer Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), whose work was so unique that he even dared to create some tangos that were not for dancing. Astor Piazzolla offers the reader a fascinating glimpse into a musical genius' life, times, and inspirations and is brilliantly presented biography as well as being an impressive contribution to Music History studies.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Grant Writing
Patrick W. Miller, Ph.D.
Patrick W. Miller and Associates
9235 Greenwood Ave, Munster, IN 46321
0967327954 $39.95 pwmilleronline.com

Now in a substantially revised and thoroughly updated second edition, Grant Writing: Strategies For Developing Winning Proposals by Patrick W. Miller (a national grant reviewer and panel leader for the United States Department of Education) is an superbly presented, comprehensive, highly accessible resource for crafting eye-catching, professional-quality grant applications. Individual chapters address how to quickly and efficiently gather the necessary information, writing and editing concise and persuasive text, properly preparing a budget, what should be done after the submission is made, and much more. Especially recommended for the non-specialist general reader, Grant Writing's eight chapters of clear methods for developing grant applications is enhanced with 75 illustrations and examples, 130 review questions designed to stimulate mastering the information, 13 exercises on proposal writing and budget development, 95 quick reference glossary terms, and contemporary resources (including web sites). This is a "must-have" resource for the novice grant writer as well as being an invaluable continuing reference work for even the more experienced grant writing applicant.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Beginner's Guide To Flytying
Chris Mann & Terry Griffiths
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, Oregon 97282
1571881840 $15.95 amatobooks.com

Collaboratively created by professional graphic designer, flyfisherman and flytyer Chris Mann and Terry Griffiths (editor of "The Flydresser" magazine), Beginner's Guide To Flytying offers easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for twelve versatile and popular fly patterns. Enhanced throughout with full color illustrations (many of which were created with the enhanced graphics of computer-generated drawings), Beginner's Guide To Flytying offers both extensive basic instruction and very specific advice each of its twelve fly patterns, from Black Pennell to Duck's Dun. Beginner's Guide To Flytying is an especially excellent and "user friendly" introduction to the art and craft of flytying, and very highly recommended for novice fly fishers.

Duck Hunting On The Fox
Stephen M. Miller
Prairie Oak Press
PO Box 317, Black Earth, WI 53515
1931599130 $24.95 trailsbooks.com

Illustrated with gorgeous black-and-white color photographs and the occasional painting, Duck Hunting on the Fox: Hunting & Decoy-Carving Traditions by duck hunter and decoy maker Stephen M. Miller is a wonderful celebration of the pastime of duck hunting with decoys and other techniques along the Fox River of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Miller deftly demonstrates his love of the sport and vividly recounts his experiences hunting ducks on the Fox since the 1930s. Duck Hunting On The Fox is enthusiastically recommended as an engaging collection of anecdotes about the joy of waterfowling, and would make an excellent giftbook for those who truly love the sport.


The Architecture Shelf

Architecture Canada 2002
Stephen Parcell, editor
Tuns Press
PO Box 1000, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J 2X4
0929112482 $24.50 tunspress.dal.ca

Architecture Canada 2002 is a remarkable tour de force of Canadian Architecture, illustrated with full-color photographs, simplified diagrams and layouts, and rich descriptive text. Avant-garde building construction and design to evoke emotion and wonder makes Architecture Canada 2002 a most inviting volume to peruse or draw inspiration from. Architecture Canada 2002 is a welcome and very highly recommended contribution to professional and academic Architectural Studies reference collections.

How To Build A House
Larry Haun, et al.
The Taunton Press
PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
1561585327 $24.95 www.taunton.com

Written by Larry Haun with the assistance of Vincent Laurence and Tim Snyder, How To Build A House is a solid, practical, "user friendly" guide to the basics of building a serviceable home. Individual chapters address everything from obtaining building permits to design and planning, foundations, insulation, and much more. Color photographs, sound advice, tips, tricks, techniques and straightforward instructions fill this highly recommended reference for prospective homebuilders and remodelers everywhere.

Bungalow Plans
Christian Gladu & Christen Gladu
Gibbs Smith
PO Box 667, Layton, Utah 84041
1586851470 $24.95 www.amazon.com

Profusely illustrated with simple yet methodical diagrams and gorgeous color photography, Bungalow Plans by bungalow development experts Christian and Christen Gladu (owners of the Bungalow Company, Bend, Oregon) is an impressive collection of twenty-five bungalow plans from top-class designers. Bungalow Plans is an enthusiastically recommended, beautifully presented showcase of practical, efficient, and "people friendly" homes in this distinctive architectural style.

Patterns Of Homes
Max Jacobson, et al.
The Taunton Press
63 South Main St., Newtown, CT 06470
1561585335 $34.95 1-800-283-7252

Compiled by architects Max Jacobson, Murray Silverstein, and Barbara Winslow, Patterns Of Home: The Ten Essentials Of Enduring Design offers a fascinating and very highly recommended plethora of aesthetically pleasing home designs, shapes, and patterns, each of which are vividly illustrated with color photographs and a descriptive text. From roofing that is both a visual delight and eminently practical for one's climate, to designing a natural flow through rooms, to optimizing lighting effects and more, Patterns Of Home combines architecture and interior design in creative, insightful, and timeless ways.


The Railroading Shelf

Santa Fe: The Chief Way
Robert Strein, et al.
University of New Mexico Press
1720 Lomas Blvd., NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1591
093720670-9 $24.95 1-800-249-7737

In Santa Fe: The Chief Way, railroading enthusiasts Robert Strein, John Vaughan, and C. Fenton Richards Jr. collaborate to present an informative and totally engaging presentation of the famed Santa Fe railroad, and its legendary"Chief" locomotives that powered the trains along the New Mexico terrains. Blending historic photography with period advertisements, and thematic artwork, Santa Fe: The Chief Way is a welcome and much appreciate contribution to any American railroading history collection. Also available in a hardcover format (0937206717, $39.95), Santa Fe: The Chief Way is an ideal giftbook for railroad buffs as well.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Women's Health Solutions
Gary Null
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
158322419X $19.95 sevenstories.com

Women's Health Solutions by Gary Null is a 606-page compendium of health information especially written for women. Emphasizing alternative approaches such as acupuncture, biofeedback, colonics, herbal therapy, homeopathy, massage therapy, reflexology and much more, Women's Health Solutions also contains practical, easy-to-understand information about everything from varieties of birth control, to food allergies, to osteoporosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and varicose veins. A solid and handy reference, written in plain and accessible language for the non-specialist general reader, Women's Health Solutions is very highly recommended for personal and community library Health and Medicine collections.

Whole-Body Dentistry
Mark A. Breiner, D.D.S.
Quantum Health Press
PO Box 1637, Fairfield, CT 06432
0967844304 $19.95 www.WholeBodyDentistry.com

Whole-Body Dentistry: Discover The Missing Piece To Better Health by dental surgeon Mark A. Briener provides a unique education specifically written for the non-specialist general reader into how dental health affects the health of one's whole body, and ranges from the option of alternative treatments to avoid unpleasant side effects from root canals or amalgam fillings, to how to guard against the degradation of periodontal disease, to speculations on the future of dentistry. Whole-Body Dentistry is a very highly recommended and accessible instructional reference for health-conscious minded individuals looking to take the best care of all parts of their body. It should also be compulsory reading for all students of dentistry.

Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too!
Melanie R. Jordan
Sun Lover Publishing
26895 Aliso Creek Road, Ste. B-156, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-5301
1591131774 $14.95 http://www.healthyeatingcoach.com

Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too! by health, fitness, and food safety expert Melanie R. Jordan is a practical, straightforward, "reader friendly" guide to balancing a healthy overall diet with a limited yet delectable amount of indulgence in luxuries -- such as the American cheeseburger. From grocery shopping with an eye for health, to learning how to effectively maintain one's ideal weight, Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too! is practical, informative, quality of life enhancing reading for the health-conscious.

Free Meds
Tracey Brown, Ph.D.
Nook Publishers
6700 Jefferson Paige Road, #349, Shreveport, LA 71119
http://www.NookPublishers.com
0938339125 $49.95 1-318-525-9446

Compiled, written and edited by pharmaceutical research expert Tracey Brown, Free Meds: Pharmaceutical Companies' Best Kept Secret is an extremely useful, money saving, and practical guide to qualifying for free medicine. It offers over 60 forms in loose-leaf, three-ring binder format so that one can easily detach and photocopy the desired application to qualify for a particular free medication. A straightforward, "user friendly" guide with the precision of a flow chart to finding what free or low-cost medications one may qualify for and sending out the appropriate form, Free Meds is very highly recommended for hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, senior citizen organizations, churches, as well as the non-specialist general reading looking for an effective way to cut down on their high medical costs.

Love Is Ageless
Jessica Bryan
Lompico Creek Press
PO Box 1403, Felton, CA 95018-1403
0961931116 $14.95 loveisageless.com

Jessica Bryan's Love Is Ageless: Stories About Alzheimer's Disease is a touching and memorable collection of stories and poetry representing people's experiences with Alzheimer's disease and the slow tragedy of losing a loved one. Focusing on the bond that make people human and bring them together, Love Is Ageless is a warm, heartfelt, moving collection filled with emotion and spirit -- and highly recommended reading for anyone whose life and family has been touched by this particular affliction.


The Social Issues Shelf

Fatal Freedom
Thomas Szasz
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Ave, Syracuse, NY 13210
0815607555 $19.95 1-800-365-8929

Fatal Freedom: The Ethics And Politics Of Suicide by Thomas Szasz (Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, State University of New York Health Science Center, Syracuse) is a thoughtful and persuasively written defense of the individual's right to voluntarily choose the time and manner of their own death. Criticizing the inhumanity of the established legal and medical policy prohibiting suicide for any reason allows extensive and widespread suffering, Fatal Freedom also reveals how suicide has been viewed down through the ages alongside other social practices about which public perception has changed. Very strongly recommended for academic and community library social issues collections in general, and psychology/health reference sections in particular, Fatal Freedom presents an emphatic presentation not to be ignored.

Lost Ground
Randy Albelda & Ann Withorn, editors
South End Press
7 Brookline St, #1, Cambridge, MA 02139
0896086585 $18.00 southendpress.org

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Randy Albelda (Economics, University of Massachusetts) and Ann Withorn (Social Policy, University of Massachusetts), Lost Ground: Welfare Reform, Poverty, And Beyond is a scholarly selection of impressive essays by a variety of learned authors on topics relating to American welfare policy. From the effects of globalization on the current system, to fallacies of welfare-to-work policies, to issues of the rights of women and people of color, Lost Ground covers a very wide area of controversial issues often conveniently ignored by today's too-eager politics. Lost Ground is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to academic reference collections and reading lists in the area of American social policy in general, and welfare reform in particular.

Protecting The American Homeland
Michael E. O'Hanlon, et. al.
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
0815706510 $14.95 www.brookings.edu

Protecting The American Homeland: A Preliminary Analysis is a methodical and highly serious account, collaboratively written by a team of Brooking scholars (Michael E. O'Hanlon; Peter R. Orszag; Ivo H. Daalder; I. M. Destler; David L. Gunter; Robert E. Litan; James B. Steinberg), laying out a four-tiered plan to support the efforts of the Bush administration and Congress to ensure America's security from terrorist attack. Offering suggestions such as increasing federal spending on homeland security to $45 billion, and then upgrading the authority of the director of the Office of Homeland Security rather than create a new superagency, Protecting The American Homeland is a well-thought out and welcome contribution to the current national dialogue as it offers an important perspective for our post-911 national security needs.

Uncivil Wars
David Horowitz
Encounter Books
665 Third Street, Suite 330, San Francisco, CA 94107-1951
1893554449 $21.95 encounterbooks.com

Uncivil Wars: The Controversy Over Reparations For Slavery by biographer and social historian David Horowitz is a powerful and persuasively written examination of the hot-button political issue of federal monetary reparations to the descendants of African-American slaves. Horowitz notes that the vast majority of non-black Americans today are not descended from slave owners; indeed, many are immigrants, or the children or grandchildren of immigrants, who became Americans long after the end of slavery. Furthermore, contemporary African-Americans as a whole are far wealthier than numerous Africans living in third-world countries today. Uncivil Wars rigorously scrutinizes the idea of reparations with careful reasoning, and is an invaluable contribution to the national dialogue over a pressing (and recurring) social issue arising from the African-American community.

Laboring Below The Line
Frank Munger, editor
Russell Sage Foundation
112 East 64th Street, NY, NY 10021
0871546175 $42.50 1-800-688-2877

Compiled and edited by Frank Munger (Professor of Law and Adjunct Professor of Sociology, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY), Laboring Below the Line: The New Ethnography Of Poverty, Ow-Wage Work, And Survival In The Global Economy is an impressive and informative selection of learned and scholarly essays examining the lives of America's working poor, dispelling myths and striving to portray an accurate glimpse of low-wage workers, the positive and negative consequences of attempts at welfare reform, and even lives of those who work for the telemarketing industry. Laboring Below The Line is strongly recommended for its insightful and scholarly compilation of studies offering real insights and practical information on which to base current and future economic policy.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Digital Filmmaking 101
Dale Newton & John Gaspard
Michael Wiese Productions
11288 Ventura Blvd., Suite 821, Studio City, CA 91604
0941188337 $24.95 www.mwp.com

Collaboratively written by film production experts Dale Newton and John Gaspard, Digital Filmmaking 101: An Essential Guide To Producing Low Budget Movies is a highly practical and informative guide to the creation of low-budget movies utilizing innovative film making technologies and the personal computer. From how to handle digital video equipment, to scripting and casting, production and distribution, to working the film festival circuit, Digital Filmmaking 101 is a superbly organized and presented resource recommended for all aspiring student and independent filmmakers.

Single-Camera Video Production
Robert B. Musburger
Focal Press
225 Wildwood Ave., Woburn, MA 01801
0240804767 $26.99 1-781-904-2500

Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, Single-Camera Video Production by Robert B. Musburger (Associate Professor, School of Communication, University of Houston), is a straightforward and highly recommended guide based upon the author's many years of practical field experience to planning, shooting, and editing video productions shot on location with essentially one camera at the filmmaker's disposal. An excellent resource for student filmmakers, Single-Camera Video Production offers a wealth of technical detail on audio signals, the scanning system, digital signal standards, camera controls, microphone types, and more, including sound advice on the social side of shooting film such as directing talent.

Movement For Actors
Nicole Potter, editor
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, #210, New York, NY 10010
1581152337 $19.95 1-800-491-2808

Compiled and edited by Nichole Potter (Adjunct Professor, Theater Department, Marymount Manhattan College), Movement For Actors is a comprehensive guide to the physical skills needed for effective performance on both the stage and the screen. Individual chapters address everything from the Feldenkrais Method, to Shakespearean dance, to biomechanics in this must-have for serious aspiring actors. All of the major methods are surveyed including the Alexander Technique, the Feldenkrais Method, and the Laban Movement Analysis. No highschool drama department, college theatrical department, or community theater group should be without a reference copy of Movement For Actors in their acting/performance studies reference collections.

Transatlantic Crossings
Sarah Street
Continuum
370 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017
082641396X $24.95 1-800-561-7704

Transatlantic Crossings: Rethinking British Cinema by Sarah Street (Reader in Screen Studies, University of Bristol, England), is a meticulously researched and scholarly study of the distribution and showing of British films in America, from the 1920s to the present day. From the hurdles filmmakers had to leap in order to compete with the allure of Hollywood, to case studies of breakout successful favorites such as "Goldfinger" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral", Transatlantic Crossings is a simply fascinating and well documented history which is very highly recommended for film buffs and students of American/British cinematic history. Transatlantic Crossings is also available in hardcover (0826413951, $79.95).


The Psychology Shelf

The Hydra's Tale: Imagining Disgust
Robert Rawdon Wilson
The University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
0888643683 $34.95 ualberta.ca/~uap

The Hydra's Tale: Imagining Disgust by Robert Rawdon Wilson (Professor Emeritus, Department of English, University of Alberta) is an informed and informative psychological and philosophical study of the experience of disgust: its origin, effect on human behavior, its use as a survival response, and much, much more. Carefully thought out and deftly written so as to be accessible for both scholars and non-specialist general readers alike, The Hydra's Tale is a truly fascinating and recommended look into a human emotion that most people strive to avoid, but inevitably experience within the context of their personal lives.


The International Studies Shelf

Cultures in Conflict: The Viet Nam War
Robert E. Vadas
Greenwood Press
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0313316163 $44.95 greenwood.com

Cultures In Conflict: The Viet Nam War by Robert E. Vadas (Associate Professor, Department of Education, State University of New York, Potsdam) is a scholarly discussion and an informative retrospective of the Vietnam War, especially in terms of its long-lasting policy and cultural repercussions in both America and Vietnam. Highly recommended as being a broad-minded, fair-handed study of the forces shaping the war and the scars left behind in their wake, Cultures In Conflict is enhanced for both scholarship and the non-specialist general reader with appendixes offering the text of Ho Chi Minh's declaration of independence and his letter to President Harry S Truman.

Mass Uprisings In The USSR
Vladimir A. Kozlov
M. E. Sharpe
80 Business Park Dr., Armonk, NY 10504
0765606682 $26.95 1-800-541-6563

Mass Uprisings In The USSR: Protest and Rebellion In The Post-Stalin Years by Vladimir A. Kozlove (Deputy Director of the State Archive and the Center for Research and Publication of Documents of the Russian Federation) is a carefully researched and amazingly candid history of incidents of mass unrest in the USSR after the era of Stalin. Most of these protests were not emphatically anti-communist, but rather resistance to liberal reforms and/or manifestations of public fear that new policy changes would have deleterious repercussions upon the status quo. A candidly revealing presentation of a heretofore hidden side of Russian events during the 1950s and 60s, Mass Uprisings In The USSR is also available in a hardcover edition (0765606674, $68.95) and is very highly recommended for Russian History academic reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Guerrilla Radio
Matthew Collin
Thunder's Mouth Press/Nation Books
c/o Avalon Publishing Group
161 William St., 16th Fl., NY, NY 10038
1560254041 $14.95 1-800-788-3123

Guerrilla Radio by Matthew Collin (London Editor of "The Big Issue") is the incredible but true story of the Serbian pirate radio station B92. This was an unlicensed radio broadcast station which began in the late 1980's for the simple purpose of playing music, but it quickly evolved into become an outspoken voice against the genocidal Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic. A powerful story of people's refusal to be silenced, culminating with the eventual end of Milosevic's regime in October 2000, Guerilla Radio is a strongly recommended and revealing example of the determination of human will and spirit against all efforts to shut it down, disrupt its broadcasts, and otherwise silence an underground resistance to an horrific tyranny.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Anatomy Of A Life Possessed
Maria Ferrara Pema
Winner Episode Press
PO Box 1530, New York, NY 10021-0093
0971922152 $19.95 1-212-980-3733

Anatomy Of A Life Possessed is the personal memoir and testimony of Maria Ferrara Pema, a woman who was possessed and tortured by a Catholic priest for 27 years. Anatomy Of A Life Possessed is a graphic, disturbing memoir that hides no secrets and spares no sharpness in its accusations. With today's focus on pastoral pedophilia, it is an unhappy and overlooked truth that most sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and exploitation by priests is perpetrated against their female parishioners -- and always has been. Anatomy Of A Life Possessed is raw, severe, and unforgettable reading.

The Kali Guide
Stelli Munnis
Zenprint
345 Forest Avenue, #202, Palo Alto, CA 94301
0971408505 $29.95 www.zenprint.net

The Kali Guide by self-help expert and publisher Stelli Munnis is an extensive guide of resources designed especially for women. From legal services; health centers; political caucuses; and professional associations; to art galleries; anti-violence associations; and intuitive healers, The Kali Guide lists hundreds of addresses, phone numbers, descriptions, and vital information about people, places, and vital truths of use to all aspects of a woman's life. The Kali Guide is a very highly recommended resource and a core addition to personal, academic, and community Self-Help, Women's Studies, and Women's Issues reference collections.

Losers, Creeps, Jerks, And Weirdos
Cynthia P. Cerny
HRH Classics
PO Box 261393, Highlands Ranch, CO 80163-1393
0972146318 $19.95 HRHClassics.com

In Losers, Creeps, Jerks, And Weirdos: A Dating Story, Cynthia Cerny draws upon her personal life ranging from her 20s to early 40s an in the process, candidly reveals the usually frustrating, often heart-wrenching, sometimes bizarre and recurrently exhausting experience of dating. Laced with humor, fifteen of the seventeen anecdotal stories take the reader upon a different date and introduces a roster of liars, cheats, egomaniacs, geezers, phobics, and the desperate. Losers, Creeps, Jerks, And Weirdos is recommended reading for anyone who has ever waited by the phone or searched for Mr. Right.


The Criminology Shelf

Behind Bars: Surviving Prison
Jeffrey Ian Ross & Stephen C. Richards
Alpha Books
201 West 103rd St, Indianapolis IN 46290
0028643518 $14.95 1-800-382-3419

Collaboratively written by Jeffrey ian Ross (Assistant Professor, Division of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Social Policy, University of Baltimore, Maryland) and Stephen C. Richards (Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology, Northern Kentucky university), Behind Bars: Surviving Prison is a solidly written, reality oriented treatise on what it takes to protect oneself and survive arrest and jail or prison time. Highly factual, drawn from the experience of inmates (it is interesting to note that Jeffrey Ross worked for more than three years at a correctional facility, while Stephen Richards spent eleven years in federal custody which includes time spent in a maximum-security prison), and warning strongly against common mistakes such talking to the police or paying too much of the attorney's fee in advance, Behind Bars also addresses how to guard oneself against psychological drudgery and physical violence. A sober, eye-opening account especially for anyone personally under the threat of having to serve time.


The Photography Shelf

Napa Valley: A View From Above
Charles Feil & Ernest Rose
VFA Publishing
7 Lincoln Ave., Scarborough, ME 04074
0971406707 $30.00 http://www.viewsfromabove.com

Napa Valley: A View From Above By Charles Feil And Ernest Rose is a full-color photographic celebration of the renowned wine-making Napa Valley of California. Sweeping aerial views dominate the lavish expanse of this remarkable book; few captions interrupt the majesty of the images themselves. Napa Valley: A View From Above is an enthusiastically recommended sky-high feast for the eyes of Napa Valley's natural and cultivated wonders.

The Irish
Sean Sexton & Christine Kinealy
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10110
0500510970 $40.00 1-800-233-4830

The collaborative effort of Sean Sexton (who has been collecting historic photographs of Ireland for thirty years) and Irish historian Christine Kinealy, The Irish: A Photohistory 1840-1940 is an incredible compendium of black-and-white period photographs showcasing Irish individuals, Irish culture, and Irish history. The first photographs are from 1840, a year after the discovery of the photographic process became publicized. These still images vividly capture the desperation and death that marked the Great Potato Famine, severe struggles over land rights and politics, the impact of modernization, and much more, up through approximately 1939 and the beginning of the second world war. The text presents an informative and straightforward account of Irish history, and lends the insight of scholarship to the vividly emotional photographs. The Irish is very highly recommended for personal and community library collections.

Kakuma - Turkana
Daniel Cheng Yang
Pangaea
226 Wheeler Street South, Saint Paul, MN 55105
1929165501 $32.95 1-651-690-3320

Featuring a Foreword by the Dalai Lama, Kakuma - Turkana: Dueling Struggles, Africa's Forgotten Peoples by Daniel Cheng Yang offers the nonspecialist general reader a profound interesting photographic journal of the struggles of the indigenous peoples of northwest Kenya. The emotional and unforgettable black-and-white photographs capture the harsh reality of life in lands with highly limited resources in an unforgettable compendium of images and commentary. Kakuma - Turkana is highly recommended photo-documentary for African Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Reefs And Rain Forests
Murray S. Kaufman
Reefs And Rain Forests Publications
Alice B. Acheson (publicity)
608 North Sierra Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
0971065500 $49.95 murraykaufman.com

Reefs And Rain Forests by Murray S. Kaufman is a stunningly beautiful compilation of full-color nature photography. Very little text or captions get in the way of the natural and visual splendor of full-page photographs of exotic reef life, fantastic tropical birds and insects, lush rainforests, and much more. Brief photographer's notes at the end round out the story behind these incredible images. Reefs And Rain Forests is highly recommended as a magnificent example of nature photography and would make a superb Memorial Fund acquisition for school or community library collections.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Complete Conditioning For Martial Arts
Sean Cochran
Human Kinetics
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736002502 $15.95 1-800-747-4457

Complete Conditioning For Martial Arts by certified strength and conditioning specialist and black belt holder Sean Cochrane is a solid, "user friendly" guide to stretching exercises and training techniques to build the strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, speed, and agility that, in turn, can be applied to improve one's command of martial arts. Black-and-white photographs along with helpful text, warnings of health hazards and art-specific advice characterize this highly recommended addition to personal and professional Martial Arts reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Chinese Tui Na Massage
Xiangcai Xu
YMAA Publication Center
4354 Washington St., Boston, MD 02131
1886969043 $16.95 1-800-669-8892

Chinese Tui Na Massage: The Essential Guide To Treating Injuries, Improving Health & Balancing Qi is a straightforward teaching guide by Xiangcai Xu to the ancient art of Tui Na massage. An excellent, technically detailed reference, Chinese Tui Na Massa introduces an eastern physical therapy, which is a preventive health care regime utilizing acupoints, common Tui Na manipulations, and the practice of using Tui Na to treat a wide spectrum of diseases and conditions ranging from colds and headaches, to carpal tunnel syndrome and acute lumbar sprain. Chinese Tui Na Massage is a highly recommended addition to Eastern Medicine and Martial Arts reference collections and reading lists.


The Nature/Ecology Shelf

The Wild Out Your Window
Sy Montgomery
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, Maine 04843-0679
0892725753 $15.95 downeastbooks.com

The Wild Out Your Window: Exploring Nature Near At Hand is a wonderful and highly recommended collection of fifty essays by naturalist and Sy Montgomery, most of which originally appeared in the Boston Globe column "Nature Journal," in which Sy invites the reader to share in a season-by-season exploration of the wonders of nature. Insightful, poignant, filled with reverence and wonder for the splendor of the world, The Wild Out Your Window is a "must read" for both armchair travelers and active nature enthusiasts.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Succeeding At Jewish Education
Joseph Reimer
The Jewish Publication Society
1930 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
0827606230 $24.95 1-800-234-3151

Succeeding At Jewish Education was written by ethnographer Joseph Reimer in response to the problems that increased present day social mobility and contemporary demands upon children's time have for Jewish parents trying to teach their children about their religious and cultural heritage. The synagogues are often called upon to supplement children's education; Succeeding At Jewish Education studies how one synagogue rose to the challenge with exceptional religious education programs. Succeeding At Jewish Education is highly recommended as an insightful, deftly worded, and thoroughly "parent friendly" examination at the struggle to maintain family roots from one generation to the next.

Conservative Judaism
Neil Gillman
Behrman House
235 Watchung Av, West Orange NJ 07052
0874415470 $19.95 1-800-221-2755

Compiled by Neil Gillman (Aaron Rabinowitz and Simon H. Rifkind Associate Professor of Jewish Philosophy, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America), Conservative Judaism: The New Century is a informed and informative collection of anecdotes, testimonies, black-and-white photographs, and more covering the history of Conservative Judaism, its interaction with the Reform and Orthodox branches of Judaism, its influence within the nation of Israel, and a great deal more. A highly recommended addition to personal and academic Judaic Studies reference collection and supplemental reading lists, Conservative Judaism is a welcome and extensive history and combined with individual insights providing as thorough an answer as possible to the difficult question, "What does it mean to be a Conservative Jew?"


The Nautical Shelf

Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations For The Aspiring Professional Sailor
G. Andy Chase
Cornell Maritime Press
PO Box 456, Centreville, MD 21617
087033493X $35.00 1-800-638-7641

Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations For The Aspiring Professional Sailor by G. Andy Chase is a no-nonsense, technically comprehensive and detailed "how-to" instructional and reference manual that covers sail vessel operations in extensive depth and detail. Individual chapters instruct the reader in trim and balance, basic sail maneuvers, keeping the ship stable, rules and regulations, and much more. A core addition to any Nautical Studies reference collection, Auxiliary Sail Vessel Operations For The Aspiring Professional Sailor is especially recommended for anyone with a serious interest in sailing and seeking to improve their nautical skills and abilities.


The Business Shelf

Small Business Accounting Simplified
Daniel Sitarz, attorney-at-law
Nova Publishing Company
c/o National Book Network
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
0935755918 $22.95 1-800-462-6420

Small Business Accounting Simplified by experienced business attorney Daniel Sitarz is a "must" for the non-specialist general reader determined to be their own boss, yet unfamiliar with how to be their own accountant. Packed from cover to cover with sage advice, clear instructions, helpful checklists, as well as "user friendly" forms ranging from ledger sheets and expense records, to profit/loss statements, inventory record keeping and tax preparation records, that can be readily photocopied for everything from invoices to balance sheets, payroll records, inventory records and much more, Small Business Accounting Simplified is an absolutely indispensable, accessible instructional reference to understanding and managing a small business accounting system.

The Entrepreneur's Guide To Equity Compensation
Foundation for Enterprise Development
Beyster Institute
7911 Herschel Avenue, Suite 402, La Jolla, CA 92037
0966407741 $35.00 beysterinstitute.org

Now in an fully updated third edition, The Entrepreneur's Guide To Equity Compensation from the Foundation for Enterprise Development provides an excellent and highly recommended introduction to the hows, whys, and wherefores of employee ownership, as well as how empowered employees can help build a cutting-edge, proactive organization. Individual chapters address both individual-based and company-wide stock plans, savings plans that can hold employer stocks, crucial issues that can interfere with success, and much, much more. A recommended primer for any employer, for The Entrepreneur's Guide To Equity Compensation costs far less than what an unwise stock options decision would impose upon a corporate bottom line!

Nobody's Fool
A. B. Jacobs
Tableau Publishing
Box 3362, Dana Point, CA 92629-8362
0965629252 $17.95 http://www.tableaupublishing.com

Nobody's Fool: A Skeptic's Guide to Prosperity by experienced entrepreneur A. B. Jacobs is a practical, "user friendly" guide to financial ways and means written expressly for the benefit of non-specialist general readers. Individual chapters address the truth about Social Security, effective approaches to maintaining one's health, need-to-know information on mutual funds, and much, much more. Nobody's Fool is recommended as being a highly useful guide to the diverse pitfalls of the modern financial world.

Creating Shareholder Wealth
Dan Peter
American Book Publishing
325 East 2400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
1589820193 $24.95 american-book.com

Creating Shareholder Wealth by business consultant Dan Peter is an informed and informative business guide that focuses on ways to make a business more efficient and viable. From helping employees to embrace positive changes, to applying new measurement tools to accurately assess corporate health, to creating useful and practical organizational strategies, Creating Shareholder Wealth is filled cover to cover with a wealth of practical and applicable tips, tricks, and techniques which would be especially useful to executives. Creating Shareholder Wealth is highly recommended reading for anyone charged with the responsibility of improving their company's bottom line -- and shareholder value.

Feeding The Media Beast
Mark Mathis
Purdue University Press
1207 South Campus Courts E, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1207
1557532478 $24.95 thepress.purdue.edu

Feeding The Media Beast: An Easy Recipe for Great Publicity by Fortune 500 media consultant Mark Mathis is a straightforward and "user friendly" guide to getting good press in good quantities. Each chapter delineates a "rule" to be followed for maximum advantage when dealing with the world of journalism, ranging from "The Rule of Repetition" and "The Rule of Timing", to "The Rule of Preparation" and "The Rule of Ego". Feeding The Media Beast is very highly recommended as being a solid "must-read" for anyone charged with publicity/promotion responsibilities for effectively communicating with the media.

The Spirituality Of Success
Vincent M. Roazzi
Brown Books
16200 North Dallas Parkway, Suite 225, Dallas, TX 75248
http://www.spiritualityofsuccess.com
0970698879 $16.95 1-800-211-4261

The Spirituality Of Success: Getting Rich With Integrity by millionaire author and entrepreneur Vincent M. Roazzi is a unique business book offering insights and advice to the achievement of success through a combination of the right formula and a state of mind not entrapped by false expectations. Individual chapters address both the emotional and the behavioral barriers to success, as well as the balancing the effort required to succeed with practical and moral considerations. The Spirituality Of Success is recommended as being a highly motivational and inspirationally charged self-help entrepreneurial guide.

The Management Mind Field
Tony Paradiso
NYK Publishing
PO Box 148, Amherst, NH 03031
0971742936 $19.95 www.amazon.com

The Management Mind Field: Avoiding The Pitfalls Of Corporate Politics by business columnist and corporate culture expert Tony Paradiso is a "user friendly" introduction and guide to succeeding in the complex world of corporate politics. This is a very candid, no-nonsense assessment of diverse pitfalls to avoid when pursuing a high-level business career. From a no-holds-barred evaluation of why so many dot-com businesses failed (for one thing, too few of them put "making money" as a priority over name recognition, number of web hits and advertising) to things to watch out for among the senior staff (such as carpetbagging behavior at past companies or selling stock options as soon as they vest) to successfully navigating turbulent office politics, The Management Mind Field is an excellent, straightforward instructional and reference guide which is especially recommended to the newly promoted, or anyone just beginning to learn the ins and outs of corporate management and corporate culture.


The Computer Shelf

Java Management Extensions
J. Steven Perry
O'Reilly & Associates
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596002459 $34.95 www.oreilly.com

Java Management Extensions by Java expert J. Steven Perry is a superbly organized and written reference and instructional resource to managing Java applications with JMX. Individual chapters address standard, dynamic, model, and open MBeans, dynamic loading, the monitoring class and timer service, and much more. A practical study of JMX architecture as well as a thoroughly "user friendly" how-to guide for technical managers, Java Management Extensions is an exceptionally useful and straightforward manual.

Secure XML
Donald E. Eastlake III & Kitty Niles
Addison-Wesley
75 Arlington St, #300, Boston, MA 02116
0201756056 $44.99 awprofessional.com

Collaboratively written by Donald Eastlake (Co-chair of the joint IETF/W3C XML Digital Signature working group) and freelance technical writer Kitty Niles, Secure XML: The New Syntax for Signatures and Encryption is a solid, accessible, step-by-step guide to the processes for encrypting and ensuring security of XML applications. Individual chapters competently address canonicalization and authentication, encryption, cryptographic and non-cryptographic algorithms, and much, much more. Highly recommended for advanced XML users, Secure XML is a comprehensive, technically proficient, and detailed instructional resource and reference filled from cover to cover with extensive discussion and practical examples.

Final Cut Pro3 Editing Workshop
Tom Wolsky
CMP Books
1601 West 23rd Street, Suite 200, Lawrence, KS 66046
1578201187 $49.95 cmpbooks.com

Now in an expanded and updated second edition, Final Cut Pro3 Editing Workshop by computer expert Tom Wolsky offers the definitive instructional reference into using Final Cut Pro3 for editing and manipulating digital video in service to multimedia projects. The thirteen tutorials comprising Final Cut Pro3 Editing Workshop offers deftly presented instructions for system set-up to ensure smooth operations; getting material into FCP and organizing it; editing to build and trim a particular sequence of shots; using Realtime OfflineRT, and QuickView; adding transitions (including FXScript DVE's); working with audio, split edits, back-timing, and level control; advanced editing techniques (including rhythm and timing); FCP and Photoshop titling; color correction, image animation, special effects filters; compositing for project enhancement; and outputting material. Enhanced with an accompanying CD-ROM, Final Cut Pro3 Editing Workshop is an enthusiastically recommended for personal and professional instructional and reference collections, complete in one volume, do-it-yourself workshop in book form.

Illustrator 10 For Windows & Macintosh Elaine Weinmann & Peter Lourekas
Peachpit Press
1249 Eighth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
020177321X $24.99 1-800-283-9444

Collaboratively written by computer experts Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas, Illustrator 10 For Windows & Macintosh is a no-nonsense, "user friendly" instructional guide to teaching oneself Illustrator 10. Taking a highly visual rather than textual approach to demonstrating basic and advanced techniques, this superbly organized guide supplements its pictures and sample demonstration artworks with extensive step-by-step, where-to-click, instructions to using each possible tool. Illustrator 10 For Windows & Macintosh is a "must-have" reference for all Illustrator 10 beginner through intermediate level users.

Final Cut Pro 3 & DVD Studio Pro Handbook
Adam Watkins
Charles River Media
20 Downer Ave., #3, Hingham MA 02043
1584502002 $44.95 1-800-382-8505

Final Cut Pro 3 & DVD Studio Pro Handbook by Adam Watkins (Director of Computer Arts, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas) is a straightforward user manual and self-teaching guide to making the most of the Final Cut Pro 3 and DVD Studio Pro computer softwares for editing and delivering computer animation. Covering everything from technical specifications, to step-by-step how-to instructions, Final Cut Pro 3 & DVD Studio Pro Handbook is an excellent resource which is especially recommended for novice digital editors who seek to take full advantage of these fine softwares to produce work to professional standards of excellence.

Flash MX FreeHand 10
Brad Kozak
Macromedia Press
1249 Eighth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0201775026 $44.99 macromedia.com

Flash MX FreeHand 10: Advanced Training from the Source by computer expert Brad Kozak is a solid and "user friendly" reference and self-teaching tool for learning how to use the Flash MX and FreeHand 10 computer software drawing tools. Embracing a "learn by doing" approach to graphical design, individual chapters address a variety of practical projects ranging from animating a simple logo to designing a sophisticated multimedia website. An accompanying multi-platform CD-ROM includes basic tools for completing sample projects. Flash MX FreeHand 10 is very highly recommended for aspiring computer graphic artists with an interest in learning this handy and open-ended drawing software.

Networks Design And Management
Steven T. Karris
Orchard Publications
39510 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont, CA 94538
0970951140 $49.95 http://www.orchardpublications.com

Networks Design And Management by registered professional engineer and academician Steven T. Karris is an excellent resource written especially for students and working professionals who need to absorb the latest on state-of-the-art orientation regarding networking devices quickly and efficiently. Individual chapters address networking basics, the OSI model and IEEE standards, protocols and interfaces, ethernet networking, LAN connection devices, remote monitoring, and much more along with true/false, multiple choice, and other self-test problems to reinforce the reader's self-teaching. Networks Design And Management is clearly recommended as being a first-rate instructional reference and guide.

Embedded Systems & Computer Architecture
Graham Wilson
Newnes/Butterworth-Heinemann
225 Wildwood Ave., Woburn, MA 01801
0750650648 $56.95 www.bh.com

Embedded Systems & Computer Architecture by computer design and microprocessor systems instructor Graham Wilson is a combination instruction book and CD-ROM created to be an effective, informative, highly recommended introduction to microprocessors and computer architecture for electronics undergraduate courses. The text offers straightforward instruction with numerous programming examples, while the CD-ROM includes interactive animations of digital circuits and an integrated development system. a graphical simulator of a microprocessor allows the reader to create and test his or her own designs in this excellent self-teaching tool, supplementary reference, or course backbone text.

Visual Basic Programmer's Guide To The .NET Framework Class Library
Lars Powers & Mike Snell
Sams Publishing
201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290-1097
0672322323 $64.99 www.mcp.com

Visual Basic experts Lars Powers and Mike Snell effective collaborate in the Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the .NET Framework Class Library to instruct intermediat to advanced level users on a full range of issues including: delineating and define the pieces of .NET; explaining how/why .NET was conceived and what this means to VB6/Windows DNA developers; how to execute Windows programming using the .NET namespaces; position the .NET namespaces within the context of the reader's project; how to make architecture decisions when using .NET namespaces; as well as details about the construction of Web Services and how they programmatically communicate with each other. Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the .NET Framework Class Library is enhanced further with call-outs and highlighted sections will illustrate concepts by relating previous VB6/Windows DNA best practices with the new .NET approach. 1152 pages. User Level: Intermediate-Advanced. Highly Recommended.

Osborne/McGraw-Hill
2600 Tenth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
1-800-722-4726 www.amazon.com

Joseph Phillips' IT Project Management: On Track From Start To Finish (0072223499; 504 pages; $50.00) is an authoritative yet readable guide that covers the principles of management, budgeting, and leadership of IT projects and professionals. Includes tips how to keep the IT team motivated and address challenges--including changing business needs, budget restrictions, technical barriers, and even office politics. Contains handy worksheets and project files on CD-ROM. Catherine Creary's Network+ All-In-One Lab Manual (0072195223; 336 pages; $29.99) is packed from cover to cover with 40 plus hands-on exercises focusing on networking concepts, along with step-by-step instructions. Inside, readers will find practical advice and detailed guidelines for working with major networking components, protocols, and connections. These two "user friendly" additions to the growing library of instructional computer references from Osborn/McGraw-Hill will very soon prove to be invaluable for both novice and experienced users.

Photoshop Type Effects Visual Encyclopedia
Roger Pring
New Riders
201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290-1097
0735711909 $45.00 newriders.com

The Photoshop Type Effects Visual Encyclopedia is a non-linear tutorial and a visual reference, which walks users step-by-step with complete details for designing professional level type effects. The interior design is crafted to work exclusively as a reference/tutorial book on type design. Photoshop Type Effects Visual Encyclopedia is organized into two general parts: an introduction full of context; and the actual encyclopedia, with rich illustrations of what each effect looks like, how to create the effects, and how to do your own variations of the effect. Each page is easy to follow, yet packed with information.


The Literary Shelf

Talking With Poets
Harry Thomas, editor
Handsel Books
c/o Other Press
307 Seventh Ave., #1807, NY, NY 10001
1590510186 $22.00 www.otherpress.com

Compiled and edited by Harry Thomas, Talking With Poets comprises unique selection of interviews with five very different, but highly notable poets: Robert Pinsky, Seamus Heaney, Philip Levine, Michael Hofmann, and David Ferry. A deep and moving examination into lives, motivations, and how life experiences flow into written words on the page, Talking With Poets is an enthusiastically recommended look into what goes into the making of elegant and expressive verse, and of these five men who are particularly gifted in such creations.

Understanding William H. Gass
H. L. Hix
University of South Carolina Press
937 Assembly Street, 8th Floor, Columbia, SC 29208
1570034729 $29.95 1-800-768-2500

Understanding William H. Gass by poet and author H. L. Hix is a very thoughtful, informative, scholarly guide to the novels, short stories, novellas, and essays of William H. Gass, an American writer and philosopher with a keen grasp of ethical dilemmas and the lasting effects of childhood "hurts." A scholarly and meticulous discourse on the work of a very intelligent and expressive author, Understanding William H. Gass is very highly recommended for academic Literary Criticism and Philosophy collections, as well as "must" reading for students of the life and work of William H. Gass.

Please Tell Me If The Grass Is Greener
Joylynn M. Jossel
End of the Rainbow Projects
PO Box 298238, Columbus, OH 43229
0970672608 $9.95 JoylynnJossel.com

Please Tell Me If The Grass Is Greener is an impressive collection of seven very brief, yet quite moving, short stories by Joylynn M. Jossel, an African-American writer with a very special gift for conceptualizing and presenting the essence of the human dilemma. Humor, harsh choices, pathos and the struggle for perfection fill these memorable and highly recommended tales. The individual stories include Even Snowflakes Have Flaws; Eyes Like Mine; Sweet Potato Pie; What Goes Around; Nothin' Worse Than An Unmade Bed; Daddy's Little Girl; and You Ever Seen A Grown Man Cry.

Guido Cavalcanti
Maria Luisa Ardizzone
University of Toronto Press
2250 Military Rd., Tonawanda, NY 14150
0802035914 $55.00 1-800-565-9523

Guido Cavalcanti: The Other Middle Ages by Maria Luisa Ardizzone (Department of Italian Studies, New York University) presents a fascinating and scholarly examination of the life and work of the renowned Italian poet of the late thirteenth century, Guido Cavalcanti, who is especially his famously complex poem "Donna me prega". An meticulously researched study placing Cavalcanti's work within the context of the intellectual history of the European era, as well as comparing Cavalcanti and his work with that of Dante, Guido Cavalcanti is a highly recommended addition to Italian literary studies collections as it offers an fresh and innovative reading of a truly classic poetry that transcends centuries.

Acts Of Worship
Yukio Mishima
Kodansha America
575 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10022
4770028938 $17.00 1-800-451-7556

Acts Of Worship: Seven Stories is an anthology of short stories by the internationally famous Japanese author Yukio Mishima, who is perhaps most notorious for his dramatic ritual suicide in 1970. Flawlessly translated into English by John Bester, the short stories include: Fountains in the Rain; Raisin Bread; Sword; Sea and Sunset; Cigarette; Martyrdom; and the title piece, Act of Worship, and bespeak the rigid mentality of one born and rigorously raised in the traditions of the samurai caste, long after the era of the samurai. Written with biting insight, sharp ruthlessness and a keen eye for just how much (or how little) human life is worth, Acts Of Worship documents Yukio Mishima as having been an undeniably strong and articulate voice in Japan's modern literary tradition.

The Field Of Life And Death & Tales Of Hulun River
Xiao Hong, author
Howard Goldblatt, translator
Cheng & Tsui Company
25 West Street, Boston, MA 02111-1213
0887273920 $22.95 1-800-554-1963

The Field Of Life And Death & Tales Of Hulun River is a revised edition of Howard Goldblatt's excellent translation of two classic works by Chinese author Xiao Hong (1911-1942), China's first feminist novelist. The ravages of poverty, war, and Japanese imperialism are unflinchingly portrayed in this memorable and vivid work. Highly recommended for personal and academic literary and Asian Studies collections, Lu Xun's original preface (in translation), a new translator's preface, and a revised introduction by Howard Goldblatt set apart this edition of eye-opening stories about the hardships faced by peasants of rural China.


The Parenting Shelf

Parenting The Hurt Child
Gregory C. Keck & Regina M. Kupecky
Pinon Press
Box 35007, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
1576833143 $22.00 www.pinon.org

Parenting The Hurt Child: Helping Adoptive Families Heal And Grow by Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio's found Gregory C. Keck and Regina M. Kupecky (who works with children having attachment disorders at the Center) is a practical, informative, and "parent friendly" guide to how time, patience, and love can help adopted children heal from past trauma. Individual chapters offer true stories of people who have adopted and been adopted, sound psychological advice, and warnings of oft-used parental techniques that invite failure, such as deprivation without limits, grounding (it's far better to establish that a child needs to get daily permission to stay out late in the first place), and rewards without judicious measurement. Parenting The Hurt Child is a strongly recommended instruction reference for anyone charged with the responsibility of parenting an adopted or foster care child with a traumatic history of emotional neglect or physical abuse.

Difficult Teens
Robert Meadows & Joan H. Blacher
Meadow Oaks Press
260 Maple Court, Suite 118, Ventura, CA 93003
097173450X $13.95 1-805-529-6134

Collaboratively written by Robert J. Meadows (Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Director of the graduate Program of Public Policy, California Lutheran University) and John H. Blacher (licensed marriage, family therapist and educational psychologist in private practice), Difficult Teens: A Parent's Guide For Coping is a solidly written and "parent friendly" guide to dealing with troubled teenagers who are rebellious, failing in school, or at risk for antisocial behavior. Extensively researched, offering perceptive and practical insights into why teens misbehave and positive parental responses, Difficult Teens is written in direct, no-nonsense terms which are accessible to any concerned parent. Difficult Teens is a superbly presented and highly recommended resource for an parent faced with having to deal with a problematic adolescent.

The Survival Guide For Parents Of Gifted Kids
Sally Yahnke Walker, Ph.D.
Free Spirit Publishing
217 Fifth Avenue North, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1299
1575421119 $14.95 www.freespirit.com

Now in a substantially revised & updated edition, The Survival Guide For Parents Of Gifted Kids: How To Understand, Live With, And Stick Up For Your Gifted Child by parental consultant, educator and gifted children advocate Sally Yahnke Walker is a straightforward, sensible guide to parenting and advocating in behalf of a gifted child, especially when dealing with local schools and school boards. Individual chapters address discovering and living with gifted talents, handling problems such as sensitivity and a smart mouth, and working for improvement in the local school curriculum. The Survival Guide For Parents Of Gifted Kids is highly recommended for non-specialist general readers as being an excellent primer for parents of exceptional children everywhere.

Kid-Friendly Parenting With Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Children
Daria Medwid & Denise C. Weston
Clerc Books/Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
1563680319 $29.95 1-800-621-2736

Collaboratively written by child and family therapists Daria Medwid and Denise Chapman Weston, Kid-Friendly Parenting With Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Children: A Treasury Of Fun Activities Toward Better Behavior is a first-rate, "user friendly" resource for parents of hearing-impaired offspring. Individual chapters address a range of key parenting issues including dealing with school problems, overactivity, cultivating social skills, the importance of setting limits, unique difficulties in communicating, and much, much more. Kid-Friendly Parenting With Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Children is very highly recommended reading, for parents and anyone else working with hearing-impaired young people.

Essential Guide To Children's Books And Their Creators
Anita Silvey, Editor
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116
0618190821 $17.00 www.amazon.com

Essential Guide To Children's Books And Their Creators is a recommended pick for any parent or teacher who wants a comprehensive survey of contemporary children's literature. A single volume of recommendations covers the best books and authors for children the ones which are tested as making the most impression on kids. Over 100 new essays include newcomers from Harry Potter to Lemony Snicket, along with the latest publishing trends for kids.


The Fiction Shelf

That's The Way Love Goes
Daryl C. Diggs
Dianum Entertainment
244 Fifth Av. #B204, NY NY 10001-7604
0972028005 $13.95 darylcdiggs.com

Daryl C. Diggs' debut novel, That's The Way Love Goes, is comic, zesty, and hip. Donavin Jackson is a devastatingly handsome black man and his sensual end-of-summer love affair with Jasmine DeRoche, a very sexy black woman. But when Donavin has to travel out of state in order to pursue a college degree, the strain of a long-distance relationship wears upon them both. Their struggle to understand and trust one another is a touching and memorable story, laced with the occasional red-hot zingers!

Long Time Gone
Richard Sanford
Dome Press
15100 S East 38th Street, Suite 863, Bellevue, WA 98006
1401029787 $25.95 www.domepress.com

Richard Sanford's Long Time Gone is a superbly written novel set in America's turbulent year of 1968. The search for a missing heir involves an unlikely cast, from the ghost of a best friend to a Buddhist from Detroit, to a girl-woman soulmate. A fictional memoir to the revolutionary changes of a bygone era, Long Time Gone is an enthralling and highly recommended tale, just the kind of novel that is so easy to pick up and so hard to put down!

Aviatrix
Don Oakley
Eyrie Press
PO Box 805, Gainesville, VA 20156-0805
0961946547 $26.50 www.amazon.com

Aviatrix is an original and highly recommended novel by Don Oakly about Harriet Quinlan, a woman determined to become the first licensed female aviator in 1911 America. Romantic entanglement, the pursuit of dreams, a true love of flying, framed against an extensively accurate picture of just how dangerous those first, early flights were, combine in this incredible read with a tragic twist.

Atmosphere
Michael Laimo
Delirium Books
PO Box 338, North Webster, IN 46555
1929653352 $45.00 deliriumbooks.com

Atmosphere by Michael Laimo is a dark and horrific novel of a retiring police detective who is drawn into a mysterious morass of occult horror. A creepy, bone-chilling, read-with-the-lights-on story of hidden deceits and a bizarre device called "atmosphere" that keeps a person alive despite extreme mutilation, Atmosphere is a suspenseful and gripping saga from first page to the last.

Knopf
299 Park Avenue, NY, NY 10171

Three fine novels provide varied plots and are unified by drama which proves hard to put down. Ethan Hawke's Ash Wednesday (037541326X, $22.95) provides a moving story of love and renewal with the story of a man AWOL from the army who joins his pregnant girlfriend on a journey across America. In the process of getting to know their country they get to know each other and form the bonds which will make a strong family. Richard Russo's The Whore's Child (0375411682, $24.00) provides a satisfying collection of short stories about diverse personalities; from a jaded Hollywood moviemaker's romance of the past to a child's cross-country escape and a man's reflections on lost opportunities caused by romance. Deborah Larsen's The White (0375413596, $22.00) assumes the voice of a 1758 girl who was stolen by a Shawnee raiding party from her home in Pennsylvania. From the brutal deaths of her white family to her involvement with her captors, this paints a graphic portrait of a young girl who survives under impossible odds.

The White Palazzo
Ellen Cooney
Coffee House Press
27 N. Fourth St., Minneapolis MN 55401
1566891345 $14.00 1-800-283-3572

The White Palazzo by Ellen Cooney is a superbly crafted novel of two women who discover one another, in a journey that leads to lesbian love, abiding faith in one another, and a free-spirited road trip that opens the soul. A combination romance, folk tale, humor novel, and poignant reflection on destiny, The White Palazzo offers a unique and enthralling reading experience from cover to cover.

Every Man Must Build A Home
L. A. Heberlein
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama, Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
0942979923 $14.00 www.uwa.edu

Every Man Must Build A Home is a novel written L. A. Heberlein and set against the background of American in the 1970s. The storyline follows a variety of self- and outwardly-destructive individuals, ranging from an arsonist, to a lover who cannot maintain a steady relationship, to a musical group who intensifies the entropy of the Universe. Wry, dark, and paradoxical, Every Man Must Build A Home is a highly recommended blend of sharp-toothed satire with the author's unique (albeit occasionally twisted) and unforgettable humor.

Power Steering
R. J. Howard
Elderberry Press
1393 Old Homestead Drive, 2nd fl., Oakland, Oregon 97462-9506
1930859295 $29.95 elderberrypress.com

Power Steering: My Years As A Senior Peer Counselor by R. J. Howard is the highly recommended and fictionalized memoir of a volunteer peer counselor, styled specifically to protect the privacy of people involved. Based on the author's own story of her experiences as a volunteer and advocate for America's senior citizens, Power Steering is written with emotion, heart, depth, and sharp awareness of the shortcomings of modern-day nursing and care facilities.

Wild Blue Yonder
William Price Fox
Crane Hill Publishers
3608 Clairmont Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35222
1575871971 $24.95 1-800-841-2682

Wild Blue Yonder is a superbly written, semi-autobiographical novel by William Price Fox which is set in 1943 South Carolina, and is about Earl Edge, a 16-year-old truant and small town trouble maker who sees no way out of his problems than to lie about his age and join the air force. Wild Blue Yonder is highly recommended as a coming of age saga told largely in the form of the protagonist's journal entries of change, hardship, the loss of friends, and surviving the perils of World War II.

Inua
Bob Cherry
One Eyed Press
272 Road 6RT, Cody, Wyoming 82414
0966543017 $18.50 one-eyed-press.com

Inua is a dramatic novel by Bob Cherry about Chena and Nick, a young Native Alaskan couple who return to their bush village after having pursued a higher education. As Chena earns a measure of political power and works to reclaim rights to the land, her husband Nick is haunted by a dark secret that manifests in sessions of alcohol abuse and in the horrific designs that work their way into his wood carvings. Inua is recommended as a tragic, poignant, memorable tale of drifting apart, and the consequences of losing touch with one's home culture.

The Boxer
Jurek Becker
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Avenue, 8th Fl., NY, NY 10010
1559706155 $24.95 1-800-759-0190

Skillfully written by Jurek Becker, the Heinrich-Mann and Charles Veillon prizewinning author of "Jacob the Liar," The Boxer is the literary rendition of a Holocaust survivor's tale. It is the story of Aron Blank, a man who lost his wife to the Nazi concentration camps and became who separated from his two-year-old son. After the war, Aron's quest to find his son, redeem their bond, and make a life for themselves in East Berlin is a haunting tale of turmoil, post-traumatic adjustment, and an unforgettable portrait of Jewish life in postwar Germany. Highly recommended reading.

Getting Sentimental Over You
Roger Karshner
Noble Porter Press
36-851 Palm View Road, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
0963414747 $20.00 1-760-770-6076

Set in Cincinnati during the summer of 1942, Roger Karshner's splendidly crafted novel, Getting Sentimental Over You, is a nostalgic story of a love found on the top deck of the "Island Queen," an old boat chugging slowly down the Ohio River. Getting Sentimental Over You is a highly recommended and original work of innocence, growth, and unrequited love set against a background of World War II's earliest days.

New Orleans Nocturne
Jillian McCade
St. Crispin's Press
244 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
0971063214 $25.95 stcrispinpress.com

Adroitly written by Jillian McCade, New Orleans Nocturne is a compelling novel of pathos, obsession, and inner human depths. Julia Grant is a woman who fled to the festive city to escape her past, only to find it gradually catching up with her, permeating her new life and her new friends, while a wise yet reserved voodoo mamba named Sister Lula watches it all. New Orleans Nocturne is highly recommended as an original, darkly twisted, deeply satisfying story.

Swallowed Up In Victory (fiction)
Lee Passarella
Burd Street Press
c/o White Mane Publishing Company
Box 708, Shippensburg, PA 17257-0708
1572493011 $19.95 1-888-948-6263

Written with a meticulous attention to its historical background and context, Lee Passarella's Swallowed Up In Victory: A Civil War Narrative Petersburg, 1864-1865 is an engrossing novel of the final year of the American Civil War, centering on the bloody attacks waged on Petersburg through the surrender at Appomattox. The letters and journal entries of a group of fictitious people swept up by the turmoil of war make for a unique story that feels as real and vivid as if the writings had been rescued from forgotten family records. A compelling Civil War story, Swallowed Up In Victory is enthusiastically recommended for historical fiction readers in general, and Civil War history buffs in particular.

Sea Room
Norman G. Gautreau
MacAdam/Cage Publishing
155 Sansome Street, Suite 620, San Francisco, CA 94104
1931561079 $25.00 macadamcage.com

Norman G. Gautreau's debut novel Sea Room takes place during and after the devastation of World War II. The Dupuys are simple family living on the Maine seacoast must bid farewell Gil Dupuy, a passionate young man who enlists to serve his country, while his wife, son, and parents pull together on the home front. Sea Room is very highly recommended as an engaging and original story of bitter truths, hanging on despite increasingly harsh conditions, and holding on to hope and dreams in the wake of despair.

Long Pig
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