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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 13, Number 9 September 2003 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Martial Arts Shelf Education Shelf
Business Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf American History Shelf
Biography Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Parenting Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Philosophy Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Political Science Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Musicbook Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Computer Shelf Poetry Shelf
Fiction Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Library Video/DVD Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Human Sexuality Shelf Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf
World History Shelf Gardening Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Architecture Shelf Library Reference Shelf Literary Shelf
International Studies Shelf Photography Shelf Interior Design Shelf
Library Audiobook Shelf Cookbook Shelf Artbook Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Archaeology Shelf Psychology Shelf
Holocaust Studies Shelf Science Shelf Gaming Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Native American Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf Economics Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf Aviation Shelf Travel Shelf
Civil War Shelf Sports Shelf Railroading Shelf
Military Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Criminology Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf Law/Justice Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

The Best In Tent Camping: Wisconsin
Johnny Molloy
Menasha Ridge Press, Inc.
Globe Pequot Press, dist.
PO Box 43673, Birmingham, AL 35243
0897325419 $14.95 1-800-243-0495

Compiled and organized by outdoor writer Johnny Molloy, The Best In Tent Camping: Wisconsin is a straightforward, Wisconsin oriented, information travel guide designed especially for campers who prefer quiet and serenity in their outdoor surroundings. Ratings for beauty, low noise, privacy, security, space, and cleanliness characterize each presented Wisconsin site, along with key contact information, and detailed instructions for getting there. The Best In Tent Camping: Wisconsin is an excellent and very highly recommended resource for tent campers looking to take in the natural splendor of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin's Weather And Climate
Joseph M. Moran & Edward J. Hopkins
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Madison, WI 53711
www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress
0299171841 $24.95 1-800-621-2736

The collaborative effort of Joseph M. Moran (Barbara Hauxhurst Cofrin Professor of Natural Sciences (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay) and Edward J. Hopkins (Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madi-son), Wisconsin's Weather And Climate is an informed and informative survey and examination of Wisconsin and its weather patterns through millions of years of history. From how modern-day science uses weather balloons, radar and satellites to monitor changes; to a sweeping view of the changes that have come across the land; Wisconsin's Weather And Climate is a fascinating read, highly recommended for students of meteorology, as well as being completely accessible for non-specialist general readers with an interest in Wisconsin weather history and the impact weather has had on Wisconsin ranging from advances in snow-making technology to the decline of the Great Lakes ice industry.

Making Books By Hand
Mary McCarthy & Philip Manna
Rockport Publishers, Inc.
33 Commercial St, Gloucester, MA 01930
1564966755 $16.99 www.rockpub.com

The collaborative effort of self-employed book artist Mary McCarthy and educator/writer Philip Manna, Making Books By Hand: A Step-By-Step Guide is a direct, to-the-point, "user friendly" instructional guide to the art and craft of creating beautiful and useful scrapbooks, photo albums, diaries, blank books, and more. Full-color photographs illustrate each part of the process of crafting accordion art books, photo albums, box books, scrolls, etc. Making Books By Hand is commended as being first-rate guidebook for those interested in cultivating their skill in a unique and satisfying hobby, or who want to make exceptional and memorable gifts for friends and loved ones.

A B Sea
Jack Lagan
Sheridan House Inc.
145 Palisade St, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
157409159X $19.95 1-888-743-7425

A B Sea: A Loose-Footed Lexicon by writer and experienced navigator Jack Lagan is a straightforward, "user friendly" lexicon of common nautical terms used by 21st century seafarers. Ranging from "abaft" to "yardarm", A B Sea is an authoritative reference and a definitive resource which is written in highly accessible terms for non-specialist general readers of all skill and experience levels as they embark upon the adventurous world of sailing the seas (as well as boating the rivers and lakes of the world)!

The Hero And The Sea
Donald H. Mills
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1000 Brown Street, Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084
0865165084 $29.00 www.bolchazy.com

The Hero And The Sea: Patterns Of Chaos In Ancient Myth by classical languages expert and educator Donald H. Mills is a literate, scholarly, and illuminatingly insightful analysis of great battles against watery chaos in such enduring mythological tales as "Gilgamesh", "Iliad", "Odyssey", and parts of the Old Testament. Addressing common patterns and themes, as well as the modern view of chaos and cosmology, The Hero And The Sea is an informed and informative comparative analysis that brings together chaos theory and literary interpretation into a uniquely insightful quest for deeper meaning. A very highly recommended addition to both personal reading lists and academic library collections, The Hero And The Sea is enhanced with extensive Notes, a Bibliography, and an Index.

The Pirates And The Mouse
Bob Levin
Fantagraphic Books
7563 Lake City Way, NE, Seattle, WA 98115
156097530X $24.00 1-800-657-1100

Ably researched and written by Bob Levin (an experienced essayist for "The Comics Journal"), The Pirates And The Mouse: Disney's War Against The Counterculture is the intrinsically fascinating and little-known story of a group of rogue cartoonists led by Dan O'Neill (the youngest syndicated cartoonist in American newspaper history), who waged a countercultural war of pictures against the Disney Corporation by portraying Disney characters engaging in un-Disney like behavior. In response, Disney executives brought forth a massive lawsuit against these unapproved cartoonists for copyright infringement. The Pirates And The Mouse traces a complex and tangled personal, legal, and cultural saga ranging from O'Neill's bitterness against the censorship that cost him a job, to contemporary corporate politics, issues of intellectual property rights and social commentary, and more. The Pirates And The Mouse is a "must-read" for anyone concerned with such issues as artistic freedom, copyright law, as well as readers seeking to learn more about the oft-unspoken and somewhat darker side of the corporate Disney.

My World & Globe
Ira Wolfman & Paul Meisel
Workman Publishing Company
708 Broadway, 6th Fl, NY, NY 10003
0761130691 $13.95 workman.com

Not recommended for library lending but perfect for homeschooling or parents is the My World & Globe kit for ages 6 and up. An 18" custom inflatable globe is printed with basic features, a stand displays it, and over a hundred reusable stickers accompany a 64-page introduction to world geography. Maps, pictures and projects pack this colorful and "kid friendly" guide.

Yin Yu Tang
Nancy Berliner
Charles Tuttle
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarndon, VT 05759-9436
0804834873 $34.95 tuttlepublishing.com

The Yin Yu Tang House has become a public example of an ancient Chinese home as it resides as a permanent exhibit at the Salem, MA Essex Museum. Yin Yu Tang tells of the story behind the house and its creation, examining both Chinese history and architectural traditions in the process of exploring how Chinese family life evolved around this traditional home. Berliner is curator of Chinese art at the Essex Museum and is in the perfect position to consider the lives and traditions revolving around this classic structure.

Speak Up, Speak Out And Be Heard
Jeremy Holcomb
Loompanics Unlimited
PO Box 1197, Port Townsend, WA 98368
155950238X $14.95 loompanics.com

Speak Up, Speak Out And Be Heard is an effective primer on how to effectively organize a successful protest. Individual chapters adroitly examine the intentions and evolution of a protest, the importance of having clear goals when going about organizing marches, pickets, boycotts, and other protest projects which work; personal risk assessment; and things that hurt protests. The focus on both effective and non-effective methods of inducing change through various protest structures makes for an important guide for any concerned with social issues and publicity.

Zambelli
Gianni DeVincent Hayes, Ph.D.
Paul S. Eriksson, Publisher
PO Box 125, Forest Dale, VT 05745
0839792999 $24.95 1-802-247-4210

Zambelli: The First Family Of Fireworks is the success story of one of America's most successful immigrant families and its flourishing business so closely associated with major American holidays and celebratory events. Tracing the Italian roots of the Zambelli family, as well as the prestige and beauty of their colorful displays during traditional and holiday celebrations, Zambelli: The First Family Of Fireworks is an engaging, informative, and entertaining success story which is especially recommended reading for fireworks buffs.

Dover Publications, Inc.
31 East 2nd St, Mineola, NY 11501
1-800-223-3130 www.amazon.com

Speaking of history, Dover is not remiss in presenting an excellent line of history classics and reprints. Colonel Frank Haskell's Battle Of Gettysburg (0486427617, $6.95) provides a soldier's first-hand account of the bloody three-day battle a classic recommended for any student or scholar of Civil War history; Eric Sloane's American Barns And Covered Bridges (0486425-614, $8.95) tells of different types of construction and classic results, accompanied by his line drawings of the barns and bridges; George Bellows' Vibrant Metropolis (0486423042, $10.95) presents over eighty lithographs, selected by Carol Grafton, in an exciting original Dover text presenting some of his finest works. Ida Tarbell's History Of The Standard Oil Company (0486428214, $14.95) is edited by David Chalmers to appear in a briefer reprint of the larger classic: students of American business will find this an intriguing survey of values and one company's standards. Uffa Fox's Sailing, Seamanship And Yacht Construction (0486423-299, $24.95) tells of building racing dinghies and canoes. Fox was the 'father' of modern sailing boats: his illustrations and ideas provide plenty of technical and historical background. J.G. Pangborn's Golden Age Of The Steam Locomotive (0486-428249, $21.95) presents over two hundred classic illustrations as it provides its record of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's exhibit in 1893 in Chicago. Railroad pioneering history appears in a fine unabridged republication of a classic which originally appeared in 1894. Dover's line of health titles tends to focus heavily on alternative and homeopathic medicines and history Li Shih-Chen's Chinese Medicinal Herbs (048642801X, $21.95) provides a modern edition of a classic 16th century manual of herbal applications. This originally served as the roots of modern-day holistic practices and will prove an important addition for any interested in the history and herbal applications of Chinese lore. All are excellent titles already tested by time and deserving of a lasting spo in an active lending library's collection.


The Martial Arts Shelf

YMAA
4354 Washington St., Boston, MA 02131
1-800-669-8892 www.amazon.com

Two exciting new martial arts books from this publisher provide in-depth descriptions and techniques for fans of the genre. Martial artists Al Arsenault and Joe Faulise's Chin Na In Ground Fighting (1886-969663, $29.95) covers techniques useful for all martial arts styles. Chin Na is the art of Chinese Kung Fu and is part of many non-Chinese styles as well: Arsenault and Faulise demonstrate the use of joint locks, pressure points, and other techniques for actual fighting encounters. From the general history of Chin Na and the science behind it fighting techniques, this proves an invaluable guide. John Loupos' Exploring Tai Chi (1886969424, $20.95) provides a series of modern views on the topic, helping students understand the framework of Tai Chi training and its underlying physical and psychological impact. From discussions on empowerment techniques to what to expect from a training course, and how to assess its impact and usefulness, this makes for a valuable contemporary assessment.


The Education Shelf

Growing Up Writing
Connie C. Dierking & Sherra Ann Jones
Maupin House
PO Box 90148, Gainesville, FL 32607
www.maupinhouse.com
0929895711 $19.95 1-800-524-0634

Collaboratively developed and compiled by Connie Campbell Dierking and Sherra Ann Jones, Growing Up Writing: Mini-lessons For Emergent And Beginning Writers presents fifty-nine abbreviated lessons especially designed and intended for the kindergarten classroom. From teaching young folks to write their first journal, to audience and conference etiquette, to print awareness, learning how to make a brainstorm list, using transition words, describing feelings with all five senses, and more, Growing Up Writing is a superbly organized and idea-packed resource which is very highly recommended for classroom teachers, and ideal for use by home schoolers in developing writing skills with young children.

Leadership Capacity For Lasting School Improvement
Linda Lambert
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
0871207788 $23.95 1-800-933-2723

Leadership Capacity For Lasting School Improvement by Linda Lambert (Professor Emeritus and Founder of the Center for Educational Leadership at California State University - Heyward), brings together real-life experiences and the experience-based wisdom of educators around the world to present and illustrate the five major prerequisites for high leadership capacity, as well as offering in-depth advice on the complex task of leading an education institution. Individual chapters directly address the changing role of the principle, parents as leaders, district leadership, major participation patterns and more, in this excellent and highly informative resource ideal for anyone charged with a role of leadership responsibility in the corridors of academia.

Teaching Information Literacy
Joanna M. Burkhardt, et al.
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
0838908543 $35.00 www.ala.org

The collaborative effort of Joanna M. Burkhardt (Associate Professor and Head Librarian, University of Rhode Island, Providence), Mary C. MacDonald (Assistant Professor, Library Reference Unit, University of Rhode Island, Kingston), and Andree J. Rathemacher (Assistant Professor, Library Reference Unit, University of Rhode Island, Kingston), Teaching Information Literacy: 35 Practical, Standards-Based Exercises For College Students is a professional level resource and supplement to study-skills improvement curriculum (or self-instruction for the highly motivated) for college-level students seeking to hone their skill in efficiently ferreting out the necessary information for research papers and projects. From issues specific to the Information Age and the Web, to the basics of sorting through books, periodicals, indexes, and more, Teaching Information Literacy is an practical and confidently recommended instructional manual with exercises that reinforce its information.

How To Develop A Professional Portfolio
Dorothy M. Campbell, et al.
Pearson/Allyn and Bacon
75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116
0205393411 $27.00 www.amazon.com

The collaborative effort of Dorothy M. Campbell, Pamela Bondi Cignetti, Beverly J. Melenzyer, Diane H. Nettles, and Richard M. Wyman Jr., and now in an updated third edition, How To Develop A Professional Portfolio: A Manual For Teachers is a "user friendly" guide to creating an classroom educator's portfolio - "an organized, goal-driven documentation of your professional growth and achieved competence in the complex act called teaching" - for use in interviews and the furtherance of a career in teaching. Individual chapters cogently address the organization and format of portfolios; the option of an electronic portfolio; the full potential of portfolios in the ongoing process of one's career, and more. How To Develop A Professional Portfolio is an invaluable resource for novice teachers seeking their first professional assignment, as well as experienced educators seeking advancement, or having to re-establishing themselves professionally after downsizes, transfers, promotions, resettlement, or re-entry into teaching after a period of absence from the field.

Authors In The Classroom
Alma Flor Ada & F. Isabel Campoy
Allyn & Bacon
75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116
0205351395 $35.00 1-617-848-7320

Collaboratively written by Alma Flor Ada (Director of the Center for Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, University of San Francisco) and F. Isabel Campoy (a children's books author and language acquisition expert), Authors In The Classroom: A Transformative Education Process is an unusually well written and organized educational guide aimed expressly at classroom teachers seeking to improve their own writing skills. Enthusiastically promoting creative literacy among students, teachers, and parents alike, Authors In The Classroom creatively and informatively explores means for educators to hone their own writing talents, as well as encouraging the students to live up to their fullest potential. An excellent, reflective, "user friendly" guide, Authors In The Classroom is an invaluable contribution to academic Education Studies reference collections.


The Business Shelf

Creating A Successful Craft Business
Rogene Robbins & Robert Robbins
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St., Suite 510, NY, NY 10010
1581152779 $19.95 1-800-491-2808

Craftsmen may want to profit from their skills but many lack the business acumen to make their art profitable. Enter the Robbins, who show how to evaluate business opportunities, develop proper pricing and marketing formulas for success, and promote and sell products in a variety of mediums, from wholesale to the Web. More a business book than an art guide, Creating A Successful Craft Business focuses on the particular nuts and bolts which are essential to a craft business's success.

AMA Handbook of E-Learning
George Piskurich, Editor
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0814407218 $55.00 www.amazon.com

AMA Handbook of E-Learning features essays by the author and almost thirty world experts on workplace learning, addressing all questions and concerns that organizations may have on e-learning. Experts were asked over twenty questions chosen from a survey of practitioners who were asked about the concerns. Each expert answered several questions ranging from technical problems to expect in the e-learning environment to what the right blend of e-learning and software is. An essential guide for any who want to incorporate an e-learning strategy into their organization or education.

Building & Running A Successful Research Business
Mary Ellen Bates
Information Today
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford NJ 08055
0910965625 $29.95 1-800-300-9868

This "user friendly" handbook on how to launch, manage and grow an independent research firm covers everything needed to organize and run a business. Independent information professional Mary Ellen Bates covers everything from analyzing one's ability to run such a venture to managing and locating clients, promoting the business, and using online information sources to foster success. Building & Running A Successful Research Business is an important guide to a little-known area of the business world which is experiencing vast changes and upswing.

Success In Store
Geoffrey Heard & Gordon Woolf
The Worsley Press
c/o FAP Books Inc.
PO Box 540, Gainesville, FL 32602
www.worsleypress.com/successinstore/
1875750185 $29.95 www.frpbooks.com

Authoritatively co-written by marketing consultant Geoffrey Heard and experienced convenience store owner Gordon Woolf, Success In Store is a practical, "nuts-and-bolts", no-nonsense guide to acquiring and running a retail business, whether personally established or purchased from another. Individual chapters deftly address ways to promote one's store, basic information on day-to-day business operations, making the most of the internet, and a great deal more. A wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques make Success In Store indispensable reading for anyone seriously considering retail business as a career.

Deal Engines
Robert E. Hall
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
0393324672 $14.95 www.wwnorton.com

Capably written by Robert E. Hall (a professor of economics and experienced consultant who has served Napster, Apple, Oracle, and Microsoft among other companies), Deal Engines presents the basic principles of auctions, stock markets, and e-markets. A no-nonsense, "reader friendly" guide explaining complex financial transactions and institutions in plain terms, Deal Engines cogently addresses the mechanics of exchanges, procurement auctions, posted prices, patents and copyrights, and a lot more. A knowledgeable and unbiased look at all aspects of the makings of the business deal, Deal Engines is an ideal introduction for the non-specialist general reader and has much of value to offer even those with some practical experience in buying and selling through these diverse venues.

Business Statistics On The Web
Paula Berinstein
CyberAge Books
c/o Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055
091096565X $29.95 1-800-300-9868

Business Statistics On The Web: Find Them Fast - At Little Or No Cost by Paula Berinstein (Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Product Strategy of Paula Hollywood, Inc., a software company specializing in 3D character animation products) is a straightforward search guide to extracting the needed financial information from the Internet with a minimum of wasted time and computer search related hassle. Real-world examples; a wealth of practical and experienced based tips, tricks, and techniques for evaluating, organizing, and presenting statistics; as well as invaluable insights from the author's extensive personal and professional experience as a researcher and entrepreneur, make Business Statistics On The Web a "must-have" which is especially recommended reading for the technologically challenged Internet-based data gatherer.

Emotionally Charged Learning
Eric Schiffer
Seven Locks Press
PO Box 25689, Santa Ana, CA 92799
0971695822 $17.95 1-800-354-5348

Emotionally Charged Learning by Eric Schiffer (Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Trainingscape, a corporate leadership development firm) is an authoritative guide to successfully using motivational and visionary techniques in order to accelerate the learning process and enhance the loyalty of employees, as well as facilitating greater success in a knowledge and entertainment-based economy. Individual chapters cogently address such issues as applying modern marketing techniques to entertainment and learning, the roles of music and television in the learning process, e-learning, and a great deal more. Emotionally Charged Learning is recommended as being an excellent and "user friendly" tool for improving business teaching and training techniques.

The Marketing Manager's Handbook
Eric Gagnon
Internet Media
200 Winchester St., Warrenton, VA 20186
1884640044 $47.95 sellyourproduct.com

Authoritatively written by Eric Gagon (President of GAA, a successful marketing, product development, and professional development consulting firm), The Marketing Manager's Handbook presents practical and proven marketing techniques for business-to-business, trade, industrial, and high technology markets. Step-by-step guidelines, extensive examples and illustrations, warnings of common pitfalls, and more, fill the pages of this exhaustive and very highly recommended "how-to" primer, reference, and resource guide for anyone charged with sales and marketing managerial duties and responsibilities for operation ranging from a small localized operation right up to an international conglomerate.

Pricing Web Services: 3rd Edition
Robert C. Brenner
Brenner Information Group
Box 721000, San Diego, CA 92172-1000
www.brennerbooks.com
1930199317 $29.95 1-800-811-4337

Expertly written by Robert C. Brenner (an experienced periodical author with an especial expertise on market trends in pricing), Pricing Web Services: How To Determine What You Should Charge is a practical, accessible, informative, authoritative, straightforward guide to pricing the whole range of web services in a fair, marketable, and profitable manner. Explaining cost-based, competition-based, and market-based pricing; a wealth of pricing strategies, tips, tricks and techniques for bidding and negotiating; by-the-numbers methodologies, and more, Pricing Web Services is an invaluable "must-read" for anyone contemplating or starting a web-service business -- as well as an invaluable primer for anyone seeking to contract for services.

Revival Of The Fittest
Donald N. Sull
Harvard Business School Publishing
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
1578519934 $29.95 www.HBSPress.org

Expertly written by Donald N. Sull (Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School), Revival Of The Fittest: Why Good Companies Go Bad And How Great Managers Remake Them informatively examines why successful businesses so often fail, and the means by which such sinking corporations can be turned around. Warning against the tendency toward "active inertia" (relying so heavily on methods that have worked in the past that one fails to adapt in time to changes in the market, customer base, or general surroundings), Revival Of The Fittest focuses upon the crucial importance of picking the right person for the job, the common pitfalls ("seven deadly sins") of attempting to transform companies, and a great deal more. Revival Of The Fittest is commended as being an excellent assessment that addresses both the preventions and the cures for corporate adversities.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Acting From A Spiritual Perspective
Kathryn Marie Bild
Smith & Kraus, Inc.
PO Box 127, Lyme, NH 03768
1575252945 $16.95 1-800-895-4331

Acting From A Spiritual Perspective: Your Art, Your Business, Your Calling by writer, director, acting, theatrical coach, and Grammy Award-winning producer Kathryn Marie Bild distills her many years of experience and expertise (she lectures on Stanislavski and Strasberg, coaches acting privately, and teaches acting and directing at the New York Film Academy) into a thoroughly "user friendly" instructional guide for aspiring actors and actresses with a specific focus on the importance of integrating spiritual values and emotional attitudes into their work upon the stage or in front of cameras. Acting From A Spiritual Perspective is a welcome and valued addition to any personal, professional, or school theatrical department or community theater reference collection and supplemental reading list.

The World War II Combat Film
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan University Press
110 Mount Vernon Street, Middletown, CT 06459-0433
0819566233 $22.95 1-800-421-1561

Knowledgeably written by Jeanine Basinger (Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies, Wesleyan University), The World War II Combat Film: Anatomy Of A Genre is a close and detailed study of an entire class of movies (over 1,000 films in total), pertaining to World War II. Originally published in 1986, The World War II Combat Film has now been completely updated and significantly expanded. Enhanced with a thorough filmography, The World War II Combat Film is especially recommended for military movie buffs and an invaluable addition to academic Cinematic Studies and Film History reference collections.


The American History Shelf

How We Have Changed
Rick Phalen
Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.
1000 Burmaster St., Gretna, LA 70053
1589801105 $22.00 1-800-843-1724

Compiled by Rick Phalen, How We Have Changed: America Since 1950 collects and presents informative interviews with forty-five prominent journalists, public figures, Vietnam veterans and historians concerning the drastic ways in which America and its culture have changed. From the repercussions of civil rights riots; to the legacies of the Vietnam War and Watergate; to the proliferation of television and rock-n-roll; and with a special note as to how the September 11th attacks altered America forever, How We Have Changed: America Since 1950 is absorbing, insightful, and very highly recommended for its diversity of viewpoints.

The Taming Of The Wilderness
Leon F. Hesser
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
www.1stbooks.com
1403374953 $26.50 1-800-839-8640

Accessibly written by Leon F. Hesser (an expert in Agricultural Economics who is also a direct descendant of pioneers who worked to transform Indiana's wilderness into commercial farmlands in the nineteenth century), The Taming Of The Wilderness: Indiana's Transition From Indian Hunting Grounds To Hoosier Farmland: 1800 To 1875 is an informed and informative account of how settlement reworked the landscape itself. Organized in three major sections: 1800-1825: Living with the Wilderness (subsistence living under primitive conditions); 1825-1850: Bridling the Wilderness (canals and steamboats facilitate trade); and 1850-1875: A Wilderness Vanquished (railroads dramatically change commerce and the environment), The Taming Of The Wilderness presents both original research enhanced by previously unpublished firsthand narratives of what pioneer farming life was like, and also presents a special attention to how Native Americans were removed from Indiana's land by brute force. The Taming Of The Wilderness is a welcome and very highly recommended contribution to Indiana state history reference shelves, as well as inherently absorbing study for non-specialist general readers because of Leon Hesser's obvious skills at providing vivid, narrative style descriptions.

Marching In Time
Phyllis Hall Haislip
The Dietz Press
930 Winfield Road, Petersburg, VA 23803-4748
www.dietzpress.com
0875171206 $18.95 1-800-391-6833

Marching In Time: The Colonial Williamsburg Fife And Drum Corps by writer and historian Phyllis Hall Haislip, is an engaging historical showcasing of a performance tradition of Virginian history from colonial times down to the present day. Filling the pages this informed and informative specialized and highly recommended work of American regional history is an engaging text enhanced with occasional color photography. Marching In Time successfully showcases the spirit and activities of those who continue the colonial music and patriotic spirit of the public march.

Tenting On The Plains
Elizabeth B. Custer
The Narrative Press
PO Box 2487, Santa Barbara, CA 93120
1589762290 $18.95 narrativepress.com

Originally published in 1887, Tenting On The Plains is the highly recommended and well respected chronicle that Elizabeth Custer wrote describing a journey she took with her husband, General George A. Custer. The chronicle ranges from when General Custer left the Army of the Potomac in 1865 and traveled through Texas, New Orleans, and on to the western frontier. Elizabeth Custer's perspective and writings significantly helped magnify Custer's legend and fame in the eyes of the people at the time, and offers a unique view of the daily routine of life in the frontier military, as well as offering contemporary readers eye-opening descriptions of yesteryear actions, conflicts, and frontier history.

Big Bad Bodie
James Watson & Doug Brodie
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
0738840041 $21.99 xlibris.com

The collaborative effort of James Watson and Doug Brodie, Big Bad Bodie: High Sierra Ghost Town is the history of a Western ghost town of the 19th and 20th centuries, as compiled from newspapers, personal testimony, research in the Bodie area of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and more. Black-and-white photographs complement the primary sources that compile an accurate and memorable picture of what life in Bodie was really like. Big Bad Bodie is a welcome addition to Western American History Studies collections and would well serve as a template for specialized "yesteryear" histories of other western communities as well.


The Biography Shelf

Momentum
Pete Vordenberg
Out Your Backdoor Press
4686 Meridian Rd. Williamston MI 48895
1892590565 $17.95 jp@glpbooks.com

Momentum: Chasing The Olympic Dream is the 191-page autobiography of two-time Olympian, National Champion, and current US Ski Team Coach Pete Vordenberg. A frequent and popular contributor to ski magazines, Vordenberg ably narrates his life in skiing from his youthful efforts to his adult accomplishments around the world. More than a simple chronicle of obstacles and accomplishments, Momentum: Chasing The Olympic Dream is an engaging read that covers Vordenberg's attitudes, aspirations, and motivations. Adeptly written with personal candor and a flair for narration, this engaging personal memoir is informative, entertaining, and occasionally inspiring. If you've ever strapped on a pair skis and dreamed of Olympic Gold, then you will want to read Pete Vordenberg's Momentum: Chasing The Olympic Dream!

Anna Wickham
Jennifer Vaughan Jones
Madison Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
156833253X $26.95 1-800-462-6420

Anna Wickham: A Poet's Daring Life by Jennifer Vaughan Jones (Viterbo University) is an informed and informative biography of the trailblazing female poet Anna Wickham (1883-1947). When Anna's husband felt threatened by her poetry, he had her committed against her will to a mental hospital. Yet it was within those restrictive and alien confines that Anna was stimulated to write eighty moving poems, and find the strength to flourish as a literary creator. Anna eventually separated from her husband and found an (unfortunately unrequited) love for Natalie Clifford Barney, a lesbian American millionaire. Anna Wickham: A Poet's Daring Life is a simply fascinating biographical study and presentation enhanced with exclusive interviews with members of Anna Wickham's family and a newly discovered written correspondence.

The Ghost Of Scootertrash Past
Mark Tiger Edmonds
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama
Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
193198204X $14.95 www.uwa.edu

The Ghost Of Scootertrash Past: Memories & Rants Of A Longrider is the personal testimony, stories, rants, and insights of Mark Tiger Edmonds, a motorcycling professor who cruises the road with a Scrabble game and Oreo cookies in his motorcycle's saddle bags. A flavorful, unique, and often surprising memoir of dirt roads, Zen and the art of motorcycle riding, the hazards of camping, and so much more, The Ghost Of Scootertrash Past is a thoroughly attention engaging read and recommended for motorcycle buffs and Americana enthusiasts.

Sartre
Bernard-Henri Levy
Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
074563009X $29.95 1-781-388-8200

Sartre: The Philosopher Of The Twentieth Century is an impressively researched biography by French provocateur Bernard-Henri Levy of Sarte, the famous French novelist whose existential works held up a mirror to reflect the confusion of the twentieth century. Presenting the events of Sartre's life that worked to shape his intellectual and political views; Sartre's fascinat-ion with Freud and psychoanalysis; and the enduring qualities of literature, Sartre: The Philosopher Of The Twentieth Century is a very highly recommended addition to 20th Century Philosophy Studies in general, and insightful, essential reading for students of Sartre's life, thoughts, and works in particular.

Maria Callas
Robert Levine
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc.
151 West 19th Street, NY, NY 10011
1579122833 $24.99 1-800-722-7202

Maria Callas: A Musical Biography is a gloriously presented biography of stellar opera performer Maria Callas. Indeed, "La Divina", as she was called is quite possibly the greatest operatic soprano of the 20th century. The travails of her personal life, as well as her impressive public career, are painstakingly chronicles by internationally known music writer Robert Levine. Over 100 rare black & white photographs, and two full-length music CD's, nicely round out this superb tribute and testimony of a grand woman's life and career. Maria Callas: A Musical Biography is a "must" for the legions of Maria Callas fans and admirers.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Power Of Kabbalah
Yehuda Berg
Jodere Group, Inc.
Box 910147, San Diego, CA 92191-0147
158872008X $17.95 www.jodere.com

Ordained Rabbi Yehuda Berg presents The Power Of Kabbalah, an informed and informative instructional guide to the promise and fulfillment in the spiritual guidelines of Kabbalah. A transformative portrayal of ancient teachings that reaches out to the heights of joy and purpose, pointing out actions that anyone can take today to chart a course for a higher future, The Power Of Kabalah offers a profound and insightful testimony regarding the utilization of this ancient and arcane metaphysical wisdom in promoting growth and self-improvement.

The Witch's Familiar
Raven Grimassi
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
0738703397 $12.95 llewellyn.com

Informatively written by Raven Grimassi (a Wiccan teacher and practitioner of magical systems with thirty years' experience), The Witch's Familiar: Spiritual Partnerships For Successful Magic focuses upon how to call an appropriate kindred companion to aid in spellwork, ritual, the protection of one's home, and more. Physical, astral, and spiritual familiars, the proper choice of a name, vitalizing one's spellcraft, and learning how to release one's familiar when its work or existence on the physical plane is complete, are all discussed in this accessible, involving, "user friendly", and highly recommended advisory.

Voices Of Light
Nancy Lee
Chrysalis Books
c/o The Swedenborg Foundation
320 N Church St, West Chester, PA 19380
087785307X $15.95 swedenborg.com

Voices Of Light: Conversations On The New Spirituality With Nancy Lee is a compilation of fourteen interviews from popular radio hostess Nancy Lee's program "Lights On." Frank conversations on the deep topics of prayer, visualization, spiritual healing, angelic guidance, science, and more fill the pages of this candid, insightful, highly recommended collection offering the reader a multitude of informative and inspiring perspectives upon the metaphysical complexities and mysteries of life, faith, and the soul.


The Parenting Shelf

Liberation's Children
Kay S. Hymowitz
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60622
1566634954 $24.95 www.amazon.com

There are plenty of child-rearing advice books on the market: what sets Liberation's Children apart is its incorporation of cultural values, symbols and ideas into its consideration of the forces and influences which shape future generations. Reports go beyond the usual focus on common developmental stages to describe how adults teach the basics of modern American culture, and how it changes the nature of modern American children. A very different set of insights which parents will appreciate.

The Resilient Family
Paul W. Power & Arthur Dell Orto
Sorin Books
Box 1006, Notre Dame, IN 46556-1006
1893732665 $12.95 sorinbooks.com

The Resilient Family: Living With Your Child's Illness Or Disability by rehabilitation counseling experts Paul W. Power & Arthur Dell Orto, is a practical, "reader friendly" instructional guide for families in crisis, addressing immediate and long-term problems, including the means to work with and overcome them. The Resilient Family expertly and accessibly addresses such issues as how to handle stress, the process of working with professionals, successful means of coping with crises, and more. The Resilient Family is a general yet highly useful resource for balancing both emotional and physical difficulties and especially recommended reading for families having children with long-term special needs.

One In A Million
Julie Moss Scandora
Hara Publishing Group, Inc.
PO Box 19732, Seattle, WA 98109
0971072469 $14.95 1-425-775-7868

One In A Million: Bringing Out What Is Wondrous In Your Child Through Trust, Understanding, And Respect is a unique parenting instructional designed to assist parents in bringing out the best in their children, and teaching them respect, discipline, and trust while maintaining a fair understanding and balance of responsibilities. A compendium of down-to-earth wisdom and experienced-based advice from author and mother Julie Scandora's personal family life adds a true-to-life touch to this practical and highly accessible advice book which is particular recommended for parents, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers.

Growing Up With Epilepsy
Lynn Blackburn, Ph.D.
Demos Medical Publishing
386 Park Ave. So, #201, NY, NY 10016
1888799749 $19.95 1-800-532-8663

Parents who must deal with the daily unpredictability of seizures and the side effects of medication often find it confusing to understand what to expect. Growing Up With Epilepsy will appeal to busy parents who want a quick reference guide: information is organized in a manner easy to look up, chapters discuss social and behavioral as well as psychological concerns and issues, and parents receive basic tools to help their kids through all manner of concerns. An important tool for everyday living.

The Complete Resource Book For Toddlers And Twos
Pam Schiller
Gryphon House
PO Box 207, Beltsville, MD 20704
0876592876 $34.95 1-800-638-0928

Compiled and written by early childhood consultant Pam Schiller, The Complete Resource Book For Toddlers And Twos is a vast, "parent friendly", and very highly recommended compilation of nursery rhymes, songs, games that enhance spatial concepts, fun ways to celebrate the seasons, and more. Showcasing over 2,000 educational ideas and activities which are ideally suited for toddlers aged 12-36 months, The Complete Resource Book For Toddlers And Twos is accessibly organized into daily plans and presented in a straightforward manner for parents, family members, babysitters and educators everywhere.

Grandparenting
Godfrey Harris
The Americas Group
9200 Sunset Blvd., Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA 90069
0935047387 $16.95 americasgroup.com

Grandparenting: How To Meet Its Responsibilities by Godfrey Harris is a straightforward, no-nonsense, large-print, "reader friendly" introduction to the challenges and rewards of being a grandparent. Emphasizing situational solutions, Grandparenting presents numerous single-page examples of techniques that can readily and effectively be utilized to deal with difficult situations, and make often time limited grandparent/grandchild encounters as personally rewarding as possible. Grandparenting is a very highly recommended compendium of practical advice for grandparents of all circumstances and familial backgrounds.

Adventures In Tandem Nursing
Hilary Flower
La Leche League International
1400 N. Meacham Road, Schaumburg IL 60173-4048
0912500972 $14.95 lalecheleague.org

Adventures In Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding During Pregnancy And Beyond by Hilary Flower is a comprehensive, definitive, "reader friendly" instructional resource offering everything expectant mothers need to know about breastfeeding, including its pros and cons, dealing with discomforts, dealing with disapproval, adopting a second nurseling, proper nutrition while breastfeeding, illustrative mothers' stories, and more. A solid, exhaustive, balanced, and readily accessible resource, Adventures In Tandem Nursing is very highly recommended reading -- especially to new and soon-to-be parents considering breastfeeding, as well as those who are presently breastfeeding older infants and toddlers.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

After The E.R.
Anna M. Lamont
Dorrance Publishing
701 Smithfield St., 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3906
0805959548 $15.00 1-800-788-7654

After The E.R. is a compilaton of short stories, each of which depict the aftermath of tragedy ranging from diagnoses of cancer to sudden tragedies. Anna M. Lamont is a retired licensed practical nurse: her background and experiences have led to short stories which offer concrete examples of tragedy and coping methods.

Cancer Sourcebook
Karen Bellenir
Omnigraphics
615 Griswold St., Detroit, MI 48226
0780806336 $78.00 1-800-234-1340

This fourth revised edition the Cancer Sourcebook provides consumers with a wealth of information on the major forms and stages of cancer, from blood cell, skin and bone cancers to the latest treatments, identifying and reducing cancer risks, and strategies for coping with diagnosis and treatment. This weighty guide provides details specific to many different forms of cancer and is a recommended reference for any health library.

The Humpty Dumpty Syndrome
Harry S. Oxenhandler, M.D.
Master's Plan Publishing
2727 NW Ninth St., Corvallis, OR 97330
www.mastersplanpublishing.com
0972773606 $23.95 www.amazon.com

Informatively written by Harry S. Oxenhandler (a medical doctor skilled in the treatment of chronic pain), The Humpty Dumpty Syndrome: Life Yourself From Back Pain Without Drugs Or Surgery cogently advises readers on how they can effectively combat chronic back pain. Addressing the problems of pelvic tilt/short leg syndrome and how they can easily be corrected; side effects of "lift" therapy, recommended exercises; and a great deal more, The Humpty Dumpty Syndrome is recommended as a "must-read" do-it-yourself reference for anyone suffering the ill effects of chronic back pain.

Hair Loss Answers
Peter J. Panagotacos, M.D.
Card Publishing
3450 Sacramento Street #405, San Francisco, CA 94118
1932428348 $19.95 www.hairdoc.com

Knowledgeably written by Doctor Pater J. Panagotacos (a certified dermatologist whose specialty is hair restoration), Hair Loss Answers offers the reader a compilation of straight facts about the causes and treatments of hair loss, including cosmetic treatments, surgical restoration, follicular unit micrografting, cons and false "snake oil" remedies, and much, much more. A down-to-earth resource presenting solid information, Hair Loss Answers is very highly recommended reading for anyone concerned with hair loss and restoration.

The Buck Stops Nowhere
Kathleen O'Connor
Hara Publishing Group
PO Box 19732, Seattle, WA 98109
1887542043 $13.95 1-425-775-7868

The newly updated secondly edition of The Buck Stops Nowhere: Why America's Health Care Is All Dollars And No Sense by skilled and experienced analyst Kathleen O'Connor is a sharply insightful and critically important wake-up call identifying the manifold flaws in America's health care industry, and the problems that beset the struggle for affordable, high-quality health care. Individual chapters knowledgeably cover the real core mechanics of why some people get insurance and other people don't; the greed that interferes with efforts for quality coverage; the rapid changes besetting the industry that must be addressed quickly in view of the looming Baby Boom Generation's advancement into Senior Citizenry, and so much more. An excellent overview of a compelling modern-day issue that directly affects all Americans, The Buck Stops Nowhere should be required reading for any citizen and all politicians having to grapple with our present and rapidly worsening national health care crisis.

Help! My Underwear Is Shrinking!
Jo Ann Hattner, et al.
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22311
1580401791 $14.95 www.diabetes.org

Jo Ann Hattner (national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association), Ann M. Coulston (1998-99 past president of the American Dietetic Association); and Mike Goodkind (former Associated Press writer and editor at the Stanford University Medical Center for more than twenty years) successfully collaborated to write Help! My Underwear Is Shrinking!, which is a quite straightforward, "reader friendly" instructional guide especially intended for diabetics on the critically important subject of weight-management and good nutrition. Personal testimony; advice on working exercise into one's daily routine; tips, tricks, and techniques for maintaining healthy eating habits in all social settings, and much, much more fill the pages of this excellent guide which is very highly recommended reading for anyone with diabetes or a family history of diabetes.


The Philosophy Shelf

Paradoxes Of Free Will
Gunther S. Stent
American Philosophical Society
104 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3387
0871699265 $24.00 amphilsoc.org

Paradoxes Of Free Will by Gunther S. Stent (Winner of the 2002 John Frederick Lewis Award), is an intelligently yet accessibly written look at the ancient dilemma of free will, as pondered by thinkers at the dawn of recorded civilization down to the philosophers and scientists of the modern era. Backed by an impressive scholarship, Stent has created a thoughtful, involving, and highly recommended presentation of a basic question which is at the very core of Western philosophy and Judeao-Christian theology.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

The Creel: McKenzie River
Roderick Haig-Brown
Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
PO Box 82112, Portland, Oregon 97282
1571882766 $24.95 amatobooks.com

Now in its 40th anniversary edition, The Creel: Mckenzie River by The Fly Fishers Club of Oregon is an invaluable and "user friendly" guide for anglers aspiring to the joys of flyfishing for trout in the great McKenzie stream of the state of Oregon. Black-and-white photographs, anecdotes, memoirs, tips for avid fishers, and more make The Creel: McKenzie River an indispensable, enthusiastically recommended resource to create and enjoy a vivid and distinctive flyfishing experience.


The Political Science Shelf

Directory Of American Presidents
Woodside House
PO Box 750217, Forest Hills, NY 11375
0971235309 $9.00 woodsidehouse.net

Directory Of American Presidents is a "user friendly" resource listing basic data about the wives, children, parents, birth and death dates, party, term, education, religion, and notable events of the 43 American Presidents ranging from George Washington to George Walker Bush. An excellent quick-lookup book, brief, simple, and very easy-to-use, the Directory Of American Presidents is a welcome and recommended addition to community and school library American History and Political Science collections.

Bush-Giuliani 2004 And Other Liberal Nightmares
Bob Wilder
Elderberry Drive
1393 Old Homestead Drive, 2nd floor, Oakland, OR 97462-9506
1930859600 $19.95 elderberrypress.com

Expertly written by Bob Wilder (a professional journalist with 40 years of experience), Bush-Giuliani 2004 And Other Liberal Nightmares is a vivid and charged presentation of political views and forecasts. Brief yet forceful vignettes address the author's views on "The Exodus Of Democrats", "The 'New' Al Gore", "Bonnie And Clodhopper Clinton", terrorism, gun control, and more. A thought-provoking manifesto and a timely wake-up call warning against gradual encroachments to personal freedoms, Bush-Giuliani 2004 And Other Liberal Nightmares is recommended reading for political activists on the Right and on the Left.

Grassroots Governance?
Donald I. Ray & P. S. Reddy
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
1552380807 $49.95 1-800-565-3770

Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Grassroots Governance?: Chiefs In Africa And The Afro-Caribbean is a collection of scholarly writings by Donald I. Ray (Professor of Political Science, University of Calgary) and P. S. Reddy (Professor in the School of Governance, University of Durban-Westville, Durban, South Africa) showcases contributions by a diverse series of learned authors and specialists concerning traditional leadership and local government in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. Touching upon postcolonial studies, anthropology, cultural studies, and more, these informed and informative essays deftly examine traditional leaders, authority systems, public views, and land rights, while offering a wealth of studious insights into cultural leadership. Case studies drawn from Ghana, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Jamaica, and more flesh out this intricate, scholarly, and very strongly recommended contribution to International Studies, Political Science and African Cultural Studies reference collections and reading lists.

The Rise And Fall
Of The White Republic
Alexander Saxton
Verso
180 Varick Street, NY, NY 10014-4606
1859844677 $23.00 versobooks.com

The Rise And Fall Of The White Republic by Alexander Saxton (Professor of History, University of California - Los Angeles) is a ground-breaking and scholarly examination of class politics and mass culture in America during the nineteenth century. Studying National Republicans, the Whigs, the Jacksonian Press, the ideological forces involved in the formation of modern America, and so much more, The Rise And Fall Of The White Republic is an impressive and informative contribution exploring politics, philosophy, and the roots of cultural and governmental interaction which is strongly recommended for inclusion in American Political Science and American History reference shelves and reading lists.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

War And Religion
James W. Rice, Ed.D.
Vantage Press, Inc.
516 West 34th St., NY, NY 10001
0533143942 $8.95 1-212-736-1767

War And Religion: A Handbook For Everyman by educator James W. Rice is a soul searching treatise that strives to explain why devastating conflicts have been waged between people who believe in the same God, and even share the same dogmatic roots. Surveying the beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, and presenting basic information about each faith, as well as insights into major and wars involving these religions laid out in completely accessible layman's terms, War And Religion is a thoughtful and succinctly written primer which is especially recommended for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in issues of faith and conflict.

Talking With Nature/Journey Into Nature
Michael J. Roads
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1932073051 $16.95 1-800-972-6657

Michael Roads began to stop and listen to the sounds of nature and discovered a healing, nurturing power in the process, with a series of visions leading him to communicate with nature by associating his senses with the natural object. Talking With Nature/Journey Into Nature offers a reader describing his experiences and his surrealistic bonding with the environment, and is a recommended pick for any who seek to understand associations between spirituality and nature.

How Long O Lord?
Maurine Tobin & Robert Tobin, editors
Cowley Publications
907 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
1561012149 $16.95 www.cowley.org

Collaboratively compiled by Maurine and Robert Tobin, How Long O Lord? is an impressive anthology of writings by Christians, Jews, and Muslims concerning the need for a just peace in Israel and Palestine. Confronting commonly held assumptions, examining all sides of the issues and attempting to untangle a complex web of conflict, power struggle, and the desperate search for hope, How Long O Lord? an unforgettable and highly recommended compilation offering understanding into a deadly, enduring, multifaceted conflict.

World Religions In America
Jacob Neusner, editor
Westminster John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396
066422475X $22.95 wjkacademic.com

Now in an updated third edition, World Religions In America compiled and edited by Jacob Neusner (Research Professor of Religion and Theology and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Theology, Bard College), collects essays from numerous educated authors offering informed and informative perspectives into the diverse religions that are practiced in the multifaceted nation of the United States. From Native American religions to Orthodox Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism and others, World Religions In America offers a unique dual viewpoint and comparison that examines each faith both abroad and in the States. World Religions In America is a scholarly and very highly recommended presentation especially for Religious Studies reference shelves.

Men And Women Of The Bible
Nancy M. Tischler
Greenwood Press
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0313317143 $59.95 greenwood.com

Compiled by Nancy M. Tischler (Professor Emerita of English and the Humanities, Penn State University), Men And Women Of The Bible: A Reader's Guide is an 267-page, encyclopedia-style, alphabetical reference that lists the men and women mentioned in the Bible, including the etymology of their names, a synopsis of their story according to the Biblical account, and the historical context of their lives in the Old Testament and New Testament eras. An excellent resource for quick and easy lookup when studying the Bible, written succinctly and highly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Men And Women Of The Bible is very highly recommended for personal, ecclesiastical, academic, and community library Biblical Studies reference collections.

The Wisdom-Teachings Of Nisargadatta Maharaj
Matthew Greenblatt
Inner Directions Foundation
PO Box 130070, Carlsbad, CA 92013
1878019201 $16.95 InnerDirections.org

Compiled and organized by Matthew Greenblatt, The Wisdom-Teachings Of Nisargadatta Maharaj: A Visual Journey presents short quotes and simple statements of insight of highly respected Bombay sage and family man Nisargadatta Maharaj. Expressive black/white photographs showcase the man himself alongside his memorable words, including quotes such as "If you live life without expectations, the feeling of 'mineness' will automatically fall off" and "Clarity and love are naturally present. They are the nature of Consciousness. It is not you who impart them." The Wisdom-Teachings Of Nisargadatta Maharaj is a welcome and highly prized contribution to World Faith Religion/Spirituality reference collections and Meditation Studies reading lists.

Bible Dreams: The Spiritual Quest
Seymour Rossel
S.P.I. Books
99 Spring Street, 3rd FL, NY, NY 10012
1561719390 $23.95 www.spibooks.com

Engagingly and informatively written by Seymour Rossel (a Reform rabbi with many years of experience giving lectures and teaching workshops on the Bible and dreams), Bible Dreams: The Spiritual Quest is a thoughtful and thought-provoking guide intended for Christians, Jews, and anyone else seeking to better understand and acquire a heightened spiritual awareness. Individual chapters cogently address how dreams in the Bible affect human destinies, the wisdom that lies in classic scriptural parables, the potential for healing and transformation through faith, and much, much more. A deeply spiritual outreaching, Bible Dreams: The Spiritual Quest is enthusiastically commended to the attention of non-specialist general readers with an interest in religion, spirituality, metaphysics, and the Bible.

From Historian To Dissident
Bruce N. Westergren, editor
Signature Books
564 West 400 North, Salt Lake City, UT 84116-3411
1560850434 $24.95 1-800-356-5687

Skillfully edited by free-lance research historian Bruce Westergren, From Historian To Dissident: The Book Of John Whitmer presents the earliest commissioned history of Mormonism, spanning the years 1831 to 1844, and penned by John Whitmer, a man who placed his faith in the fledgling Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, yet came to distrust its leadership and was excommunicated in 1838. His record of the church itself, and the people who practiced and spread the faith, is quite highly detailed; at some points the language and wording of 150 years past becomes difficult to follow, and for this an adept editing and sidenotes by Westergren are of great aid for contemporary readers. This firsthand perspective is very highly recommended for anyone with a keen interest in the early history of the Mormon Church.


The Musicbook Shelf

More Than Meets The Ear
Gilbert R. Fischer
University Press of America, Inc.
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
0761817514 $62.00 1-800-462-6420

More Than Meets The Ear: A Study Of The Semantics Of Music by retired professor of philosophy Gilbert R. Fischer is an extensively detailed and scholastically rigorous college-level study of music as fine art. From symbols and semiotics in music; to classical piano works of Beethoven and others as literature; to sources of tension and music, More Than Meets The Ear is welcome contribution to Music Appreciation Studies collections, as well as a "must-read" for advanced students of music seeking to discern the power of meaningful expression and emotion in within the notes.

Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs Of All Time
Martin Popoff
ECW Press
2120 Queen St. E. #200, Toronto, Ontario M4E 1E2, Canada
1550225308 $19.95 www.amazon.com

Fans of heavy metal music who seek a definitive guide to albums and songs will find Martin Popoff's Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs Of All Time to be an important key to the genre, compiling the results of a massive worldwide poll and including entries which feature a quote from one of the band's artists, shots of rare singles covers, and listings by song, band, album, year and country. Descriptions of the music are both personal and critical and provide important keys to understanding the genre.

Musical Improvisation, Heidegger, And The Liturgy
Andrew Cyprian Love
The Edwin Mellen Press
PO Box 450, Lewiston, NY 14092-0450
0773467262 $119.95 mellenpress.com

Musical Improvisation, Heidegger, And The Liturgy: A Journey To The Heart Of Hope by Andrew Cyprian Love (a Benedictine monk of Glenstal Abbey), is a informed and informative study of musical interpretation, especially in a liturgical context. Insightful writings concerning music and metaphysics; music and proto- or pre-natal existence; the improvisation and fundamental hope of "Dasein"; liturgy and Christian hope; and a great deal more fill the pages of this theological and in-depth interpretation which is an especially recommended resource for advanced scholars of music appreciation within a liturgical context.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Building Bridges
Claire Baptiste
SterlingHouse Publisher, Inc.
440 Friday Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15209
www.sterlinghousepublisher.com
1563152584 $11.95 1-888-542-2665

Deftly written by Claire Baptiste, Building Bridges is the tense and suspensful saga of Michelle Madras -- a woman at odds with her father. Michelle dreams of pursuing art, while her father demands that she take part in the family business. Yet when Michelle's father is found murdered, everything in her life changes as an investigation targets her and her brother. Michelle must search for the truth to save herself, her family, and the corporation before it is too late in this skillfully told, superbly plotted mystery.

Dirty Pool
Steve Brewer
World Wide Mystery
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, ON, Canada, M3B 3K9
0373264623 $5.99 www.amazonc.om

Dirty Pool by Steve Brewer is a gritty, two-fisted mystery in the tradition of Mike Hammer and Mickey Spillane. Hard-boiled and street savvy private eye Bubba Mabry gets a seemingly slick and easy moneymaker case - drop of a ransom for the kidnaping of the pampered, rebellious, skinhead son of a multimillionaire. But when both the money and the kidnaped individual disappear, Bubba is stiffed his tip - unless he can locate the boy, meaning that he's earned the claim to the ransom himself. Imminent family problems in the form of his own pain-in-the-neck father coming to visit won't stop Bubba from pursuing the prize in this raw, real, murderously enjoyable novel.

Adventures Of Samuel Blackthorne
Scott Emerson
Simon & Schuster
1230 Ave. of Americas, NY, NY 10020
0689858612 $15.95 1-800-223-2336

This delightful mystery is intended for young adult readers but is reviewed here for its ability to interest all age groups. Take a Yorkshire terrier investigator who is a master of deductive reasoning ala Sherlock Holmes, add some animals who come to him for help, and throw in a complex tale of deceit which involves high-ranking city officials and you have Adventures Of Samuel Blackthorne, a satisfyingly different and witty mystery.

The Hunt
Jan Neuharth
Paper Chase Farms Publishing Group
Phenix & Phenix (publicity)
PO Box 448, Middleburg, VA 20118
0972950303 $24.95 paperchasefarms.com

The Hunt by Jan Neuhart is an thoroughly enthralling, superbly crafted mystery novel of a successful lawyer and horseman who is framed for a vicious double murder. Doug Cummings is forced to race against time to find the culprit and protect his loved ones when even his own attorney doesn't believe his innocence! Very highly recommended reading for the mystery/suspense enthusiast, The Hunt presents life in the upper crust as far less idyllic than would first appear, with hidden jealousies and resentments steaming beneath the tranquil atmosphere. Involving to the very last page.

A Picture Of Guilt
Libby Fischer Hellman
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave. #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
1590580737 $24.95 1-800-421-3976

Chicago filmmaker Ellie finds herself involved in the murder trial of a dock worker whose girlfriend has been killed in A Picture Of Guilt, a story of a video project gone awry. Her discovery of evidence which could acquit him involves her in a dangerous plot in this fast-paced investigative piece which tells of a young filmmaker's eye for clues. Solid characterization makes this a winner.

Ashes
Kenzo Kitakata
Vertical, Inc.
257 Park Avenue South, 8th fl., New York, NY 10010
1932234020 $23.95 vertical-inc.com

Superbly translated into English by Emi Shimokawa, Ashes is a gritty, hard-boiled mystery written by Kenzo Kitakata, a Japanese author who is so popular in his native Japan that not one of his more than one hundred novels has ever gone out of print! Presenting the mind and thoughts of a middle-aged gangster in Tokyo's multilayered underworld, Ashes depicts yakuza (Japanese mafia) life with a unique understanding and edge-of-your seat reality. Highly recommended reading for mystery/suspense enthusiasts, Ashes clearly documents Kenzo Kitakata as a world class literary talent.

Grave Circle
David D. Nolta
Quality Words In Print
Box 2704, Costa Mesa, CA 92628-2704
0971316023 $21.95 qwipbooks.com

Grave Circle by David D. Nolta is an "Ivory Tower Mystery" featuring Hiawatha Musing and Antigone Musing, two perceptive, eccentric, and sibling college professors who apply their mutually complementary gifts of reason and intuition to solve a quite puzzling murder mystery. Set in a simple college town in Massachusetts, Virginia Vanderlyn was an infamously adulterous wife who turns up dead. Its falls to "Hi" and "Tig" to ferret out the deviously ruthless killer amidst the victim's many rivals and enemies. A superbly crafted novel of hidden secrets and bloodthirsty vendettas cloaked in the veil of academia and dotted with a remarkable cast of characters, Grave Circle showcases David Nolta as a literary master of the Mystery/Suspense genre and will leave readers looking eagerly toward their next encounter with these unique and memorable sibling professorial sleuths!

Black-Irish Setter
Bill Stackhouse
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595270638 $16.95 www.iuniverse.com

Written by experienced playwright and scriptwriter Bill Stackhouse, Black-Irish Setter is an attention engaging mystery starring a most unlikely heroine. Caitlin O'Rourke is a former Italian professional volleyball player who prematurely retired due to a blown-out knee, is bitter, depressed, and rather unsure of her future. Caitlin rescues a damsel in distress only to have murder strikes down her charge. Caitlin burns with the determination to track down the killer and learn the motive. An unpredictable and original tale of suspense, Black-Irish Setter confirms Bill Stackhouse as a skilled and original writer -- and leave his readers waiting enthusiastically for his next Caitlin O'Rourke mystery!

In The Depths Of Shadows
Jay Waitkus
The National Writers Press
S. J. Miller Communications (publicity)
3140 South Peoria Street, #294, Aurora, Colorado 80014
0881001309 $24.95 nationalwriters.com

The debut mystery novel of former journalist Jay Waitkus, In The Depths Of Shadows is a brutal suspense story of an unflappable police detectives racing to stop a brutal serial killer. An intricate and deftly woven story of morbid torture and vicious murder, a woman with a hidden past, and the hideous darkness of the human spirit at its worst, In The Depths Of Shadows is a superbly crafted, vividly written, riveting read from beginning to end. Jay Waitkus is an author of considerably skill and storytelling energy who has clearly established himself as an expert in the Mystery/Suspense genre.

Berkley Prime Crime
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
1-800-847-5515 www.amazon.com

Simon Brett's Murder In The Museum (0425190439, $22.95) tells of a celebrated writer whose work remains largely out of print leaving Bracketts House broke, unless a biography covering the author's life can be produced without rattling too many skeletons. Add the spectre of murder and Carole and Jude have their hands full in an investigation which promises too many enemies. Jean Swanson and Dean James' Dick Francis Companion (0425181871, $14.00) includes an exclusive interview with Dick Francis as it explores the mysteries and horse racing stories which have made him famous. From plot summaries to profiles of characters, this is packed with intrigue and action insights which prior fans will relish.


The Computer Shelf

Hacking The Xbox
Andrew "Bunnie" Huang
No Starch Press
555 De Haro Street, #250, San Francisco, CA 94107
1593270291 $24.99 www.nostarch.com

Hacking The Xbox: An Introduction To Reverse Engineering is, quite literally, the book that Microsoft (makers of the popular Xbox video game console) does not want you to read. Individual chapters comprehensively addresses in depth how to modify this gaming console for one's own ends, from physically opening it (and voiding the Microsoft warranty) to installing a blue LED, replacing a broken power supply, reverse engineering Xbox security, developing software for the Xbox on Xbox-Linux, soldering techniques, debugging tips, and much, much more. A knowledgeable and technically detailed instructional, Hacking The Xbox offers specific, authoritative, accessible information about reverse engineering a specific device, as well as basic principles that can be generalized to other reverse engineering hardware projects.

Five Core Metrics
Lawrence H. Putnam & Ware Myers
Dorset House Publishing
353 West 12th Street, NY, NY 10014
0932633552 $49.95 dorsethouse.com

Collaboratively written by Lawrence H. Putnam (President of the software management consulting firm Quantitative Software Management) and Ware Myers (a professional independent consultant and contributing editor of "Computer" and "IEEE Software"), Five Core Metrics: The Intelligence Behind Successful Software Management is a "reader friendly" instructional how-to guide to utilizing the reliable development processes and techniques that help software managers efficiently allocate limited resources and carefully track progress, ensuring optimum quality software with a minimum of wasted effort. Five core metrics of Time, Effort, Size, Reliability, and Process Productivity are introduced as a means to measure and adjust ongoing processes to constantly changing real-world conditions. An exceptional business guide in its field, Five Core Metrics is highly recommended reading for anyone charged with the responsibility of using and creating software projects using or incorporating metric measurements.

Honeypots: Tracking Hackers
Lance Spitzner
Addison-Wesley Professional
c/o Pearson Technology Group
75 Arlington St, #300, Boston, MA 02116
0321108957 $44.99 awprofessional.com

Honeypots: Tracking Hackers By Lance Spitzner (Senior Security Architect for Sun Microsystems, Inc.) is an advanced computer science text to understanding and making use of "honeypots" (technological systems specifically designed to be compromised by online attackers) as burglar alarms, incident response systems, or tools for gathering information about hackers in order to better guard the security of one's compter data. Technical know-how, advanced theory, guidance from three legal experts, and more fill the pages of this excellent and very strongly recommended resource for anyone invested with cyber security responsibilities. An accompanying CD-ROM contains white papers, source code, and data captures of real attacks to facilitate the deployment of honeypot solutions to serious computer problems.

Sams
201 West 103rd St, Indianapolis IN 46290
www.mcp.com www.amazon.com

There are two new additions to the computer reference shelf for intermediate to advanced level uses from Sams which are highly recommended as being particularly "user friendly" and comprehensive. Matthew Pizzi's Macromedia Dreamweaver MX Unleashed (0672324466, $49.99, 1032 pp.) is the latest version of Macromedia Dreamweaver and showcases a diverse range of sophisticated Web development tools that simply are not covered as fully and completely in many of the beginning to intermediate-level instructional manuals currently published. Dreamweaver MX Unleashed delves into the many new and powerful features that allows developers to create quite sophisticated Web applications and is filled from cover to cover with tips, tricks, and techniques offering effective strategies for designing, managing, and developing sites utilizing Dreamweaver. Now in a fully updated and quite significantly expanded fourth edition, Sam's Maximum Security (067232-4598, $49.99, 976 pp.) provides comprehensive, platform-by-platform coverage of security issues, including clear and reader friendly descriptions of the most common techniques hackers use to penetrate systems. Providing a wealth of techniques and steps to protect their systems, Maximum Security provides invaluable information for security administrators and anyone else with a vested interested in computer and network security.

How To Do Everything With Adobe Acrobat 6.0
Doug Sahlin
Osborne/McGraw-Hill
2100 Powell Street, Emeryville, CA 94608
0072229462 $24.99 1-800-722-4726

From simple memos to interactive forms, How To Do Everything With Adobe Acrobat 6.0 shows why Acrobat is the tool for any electronic publishing task - including projects that require multimedia. How To Do Everything With Adobe Acrobat 6.0 will help its reader master the many different components and purposes for creating and publishing documents for electronic distribution. 512 pages


The Poetry Shelf

Think
C. G. Ferrel
Acheulean Publishing
BookMasters, Inc. (publicity)
PO Box 6166, Rock Island, IL 61204
0972968407 $14.95 atlasbooks.com

Think is a work of 85 brief yet inspiring original poems, written by C. G. Ferrel with a power of immediate captivation. A motivational read enthusiastically recommended for browsing anywhere, anytime. Final Truth: When you sit/In silence,/In the light/Of final truth.//Then you/Shall have the answers,/To the questions/Of your youth!

A Rage Of Intelligence
Paul Bussan
PSB Publishing
288 Willow Street, New Haven, CT 06511
0972688404 $24.95

The debut work of Paul Bussan, A Rage Of Intelligence is an impressive work of poetry offering brief yet impressionable free-verse selections that leave an indelible imagery upon the mind's eye. Describing small aspects of life and fleeting moments in a way to bring the transcendental out of the mundane, this work is highly recommended. Between The Lines: Those old time pros/Drank all night/But still they got their hits./Before the game/They ran their laps/Around the field/To sweat the poisons out,/Then showered, changed,/And made it to the batter's box/In time for their first pitch.

The Flesh Procession
Suzanne Burns
Bleak House Books
PO Box 8573, Madison, WI 53708
0970409877 $14.00 bleakhousebooks.com

Poetry which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize are included within The Flesh Procession, a determined and inspirational collection of brief yet impacting free-verse poems by Suzanne Burns. Vivid, sometimes shocking images impress upon the mind pictures of unflinching and sometimes brutal truths, of good, evil, and the selfishness of human nature. Blonde boy with St. Vinnie cardigans, / like you expected canonization too soon, / an X Generation saint / both fallen and glorified, / rock-n-roll throne abdicated / by a lonely trigger / and a full syringe.

Autumn Solstice
Natalia Zaretsky
Windsong Publishing Div.
RBC Publishing Co., Inc.
PO Box 1330, Elk Grove, CA 95759
www.inessazaretsky.com/natalia
0972154760 $14.95

Autumn Solstice presents selected free-verse poems from the principled and successful author Natalia Zaretsky, a Jewish woman who, despite her well-to-do life, left her home country of Russia because she could not tolerate local anti-Semitic sentiment. Poignant and profound, her words communicate the expression and yearning of the human spirit. Maybe I am not the best mother in the world, / but I am many things for you, aren't I? / You fly on wings of art, poetry and music / that I used to feed you in your young cocoon. / Do you see yourself, my heart? / You are me - just a better version.

Life With Sam
Elizabeth Hall Hutner, poet
Simeon Hutner, photographer
CavanKerry Press
6 Horizon Road #2901, Fort Lee NJ 07024
0970718659 $14.00 cavankerrypress.org

Superbly enhanced with photography by Simeon Hutner, Life With Sam is the free-verse poetic celebration by Elizabeth Hall Hutner of a little boy's life, death, and remembrance. This blending of heartfulet verses and memorable photographs embrace the life and joy one so young brought to the life of his mother, during his all too brief brief stay with her. Today, I Went Right To His Grave. / I Put Down The Flowers, And Looked / At The Boxwoods Sam's Stepfather / Has Planted On Each Side Of The Stone. / I Held The New Baby In My Arms, / And I Cried As I Read Sam's Name.

Joy
Fran Parker, poet
M. Matteson Smith, artist
TarPar Ltd.
1202 Harding Avenue, Kinston, NC 28501
0933193130 $18.00 1-252-523-5369

Joy is a poetry book featuring captivating verse by Fran Parker and beautiful, full-color translucent page overlays of flowers, hummingbirds, and tranquil scenes by M. Matteson Smith. The illustrations wonderfully embellish the impressively memorable poetry with visual and verbal images that can be lifted into the mind's eye for anyone desiring to contemplate the lyrical messages so deftly portrayed and displayed. Joy is a highly enjoyable read for a simple and enduring relaxation of the spirit. Now, over my shoulder / I recall "might have beens" / So, cancel those schedules, grab your / suitcases and go. To heck with it all! / IT'S TOMORROW YOU KNOW!

Christening The Dancer
John Amen
Uccelli Press
Marketing Matters (publicity)
PO Box 85394, Seattle, WA 98145-1394
0972323104 $11.95 uccellipress.com

Christening The Dancer is an original, sometimes surreal, always energetic and expressive collection of imaginative poetry by John Amen. Taking leave of what is generally perceived as common and expected, Christening The Dancer reaches out past sanity, daily routine, and normal patterns to explode in a cavalcade of illuminating excitement. Here In Sodom: A witch doctor raps in monosyllables/while the flame heats the spoon/and a disgraced soprano shatters glass.//In fallout shelters, we celebrate/abnegations and abdications;/each day we go bankrupt and horde a fortune.//Light has to be imported;/death is exiled; in the metal sky,/gods lean forward, shattered but curious.


The Fiction Shelf

The House Of Windjammer
V.A. Richardson
Bloomsbury
175 5th Ave., New York NY 10010
1582348111 $17.95 bloomsbury.com

In 1636 Europe faces a world fascination with tulips while the Windhammer family faces ruin and the loss of its entire trading fleet. It's up to young Adam, heir to the house, to save his family's fortune from the evil banker Van Halsen and a corrupt uncle. Obsession and business challenges make a dangerous pair in this compelling story of a young heir's determination to save his family fortune.

Grasslands
Michael Hetherton
Coteau Books
c/o Fitzhenry & Whiteside
195 Allstate Parkway, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 4T8
1550502247 $16.95 coteaubooks.com

Grasslands is an impressive anthology of original stories by Michael Hetherton about alienation, private misery, and distant longing. Stranded teenagers, folks struggling to find meaning in their lives in absence of religious faith, and life amidst the spirit of the prairie landscape itself fill the pages of this timeless, poignant, literate, and highly recommended collection.

Konfidenz
Ariel Dorfman
Dalkey Archive Press
ISU Campus Box 8905 Normal, IL 61790
156478293X $13.50 dalkeyarchive.com

A distinguished work of Latin-American literature written by Ariel Dorfman (who was exiled from his native Chile after the 1973 coup), Konfidenz is an absorbing story, told almost entirely through dialogue, of a woman best with telephone calls from a mysterious stranger who appears to know everything about her -- including her reasons for fleeing her homeland and the peril she and those close to her are in. Konfidenz is recommended as a tense, gripping, literate, attention engaging, and multifaceted novel.

A Guide To The Perplexed
Gilad Atzmon
Serpent's Tail
255 West 108th St., #9D1, NY, NY 10025
1852428260 $14.00 serpentstail.com

Deftly written by Gilad Atzmon, A Guide To The Perplexed is a dark novel set in the near future. The year is 2052, and the state of Israel has become defunct, -- and most of its surviving former citizenry are overseas refugees. The story of one Gunther Wunker is revealed -- a man who became anti-Zionist and founded the "Peepology" intellectual discipline with its roots in the exile's position as voyeur. A reflective and fearless critical look at the evils of ethnic cleansing and the looming threat of dystopia, A Guide To The Perplexed is one of those vivid, apocalyptic glimpses of an all too possible future.

The Anomalies
Joey Goebel
MacAdam/Cage Publishing
820 16th Street, Suite 331, Denver, Colorado 80202
193156129X $22.00 1-303-753-7565

The Anomalies by Joey Goebel is a catchy novel about five odd nonconformists who come together to make rock music in a humdrum, conformity-driven nook of the Midwest. A ghetto dweller with dreams of stardom, a sex-crazed eighty-year-old, an eight-year-old who hates the entire world, an Iraqi who loves Americans even though he fought them in the Gulf War, and a high-minded Satan-worshiping young woman, form a bizarre yet tensile bond that takes them on a quest to tour the world, sharing both their dreams and their music. The Anomalies is recommended as an original, involving, wonderfully written and somewhat quirky tale.

Prodigal Child
E. David Moulton
Moomin Books
Box 81084, Charleston, SC 29416-1084
0972669345 $23.95 MoominBooks.com

Set in England on the rough, crime-ridden streets of the East End of London during and after the 1950's, Prodigal Child by E. David Moulton is the story of a talented young singer and songwriter, growing up in the post-war world. A absorbing tale of incorporating and amalgamating American jazz, rock-n-roll, and the blues into one's heart and soul, of opportunities pursued and lost; and quirks of fate and treasured memories. Prodigal Child clearly documents David Moulton as a skilled and engaging novelist.

People Like Ourselves
Pamela Jooste
Doubleday/Trafalgar Square
N. Pomfret, VT 05053
0385601484 $19.95 1-800-423-4525

Julie's prized position in South African high society is threatened when her husband, a serial adulterer, receives a visit from an ex-wife who is coming to visit Nelson Mandela. With People Like Ourselves, Pamela Jooste presents a stunning survey of modern African society in South Africa and the concerns of a family shaken by scandal and change.

The Joint Venture
Gilbert D. Visconti
Voyageur Publishing Co., Inc.
Box 121001, Nashville, TN 37212-1001
0929146042 $21.95 1-800-888-9653

The Joint Venture by Gilbert D. Visconti is the author's debut novel international intrigue. Italy struggles with international terrorism, and a pair of Boston attorneys become drawn into a deadly web of ruthless figures and desperate killers. A terrible puzzle must be solved, and quickly, before time runs out for the population at large in this exciting and action-packed read. The Joint Venture is an attention engaging and highly recommended read from first page to last, as well as documenting Gilbert Visconti as a writer of considerable literary skill and a master storyteller.

Vanished Glory
Connie Lynne Smith
American Book Publishing
PO Box 65624, Salt Lake City, UT 84165
1589820800 $19.95 american-book.com

Beginning in the 1700's, and spanning eras up through the World Wars, Vanished Glory: A Family In America by Connie Lynne Smith is a impressively written historical novel that traces the roots, struggles, victories, and heartbreak of a family with roots in American soil since its colonial days when the Irish patriarch escaped English tyranny for life in the New World. A resounding tale of legacies handed through the generations and challenges defining each new decade, Vanished Glory is a wonderful and highly commended reading experience which documents Connie Lynne Smith as storyteller of talented originality.

Quest For Life
Barbara Rothe Merin
Costal Villages Press
PO Box 6300, Beaufort, SC 29903
1882943171 $14.95 coastal-villages.com

Quest For Life by Barbara Rothe Merin is an original and impressively crafted novel of family tragedy and renewal. A blended family suffers the loss of a son, which tragedy threatens to tear the marriage apart at the expense of the surviving children. An emotionally moving account of harrowing grief, surprise revelation, and learning to live with grief, Quest For Life is high recommended, emotionally satisfying reading, and clearly documents Barbara Rothe Merin as an literarily gifted author.

The Magic Formula
Michael J. Roads
SilverRoads Publishing
3029 Prospect Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115
097291451X $12.95 1-216-588-0099

Michael J. Roads' The Magic Formula is an impressive novel imbued with a deeper meaning than is offered by most simple works of fictional storytelling. Indeed, The Magic Formula offers readers everywhere an illustrated and exampled means to deal with their own personal difficulties. Following a group of childhood friends who meet every ten years, and learn that their lives are distressingly bleak, The Magic Formula narrates transformation when a mystical teacher comes and offers a way each person in the circle can greatly change his or her life. A profound moral parable of transformation, written and shared as a gift to all who read it, The Magical Formula is original and highly recommended reading.

Schopenhauer's Telescope
Gerard Donovan
Counterpoint/Perseus
387 Park Avenue South, NY NY 10016
1582432236 $25.00 1-800-242-7737

Schopenhauer's Telescope blends a love story set during the war with a tale of perspective and irony. The novel opens upon an unnamed European village during civil war, and moves slowly to a moving, chilling tale of violence and danger. The slow build-up of plot and poetic language blend with subtleties and insights to make this an exceptional literary read.

Dark Side Of The Moon
Tami Parrington
Flying Dolphin Press
1620 S. Friendswood Drive, No. 195, Friendswood, TX 77546
www.FlyingDolphinPress.com
1593040024 $10.95

Dark Side Of The Moon by Tami Parrington is the story of Kia Lambert, an idealistic and newly hired female assistant to the massively famous and popular musician Gabriel Evans. But when the musician's fabulous life starts to crumble apart, all Kia's imagined solutions fall to ruin and she must ultimately learn that sometimes one must allow a loved one to fall and fail. Dark Side Of The Moon is commended as a powerful and entertaining saga of transcendence, bitter wisdom, and learning to accept harsh realities.


The Jobs/Career Shelf

Gareth Gardner Company
2545 Sandbourne Ln, Herndon, VA 20171
www.amazon.com

Four new publications from this company are directed to a wide age range and are recommended picks for any searching for jobs in the arts and media. Christina Edwards' Finding New Media Jobs Online (1589650131, $19.95) tells how to locate local, statewide and international resource listings and opportunities, how to locate online career resources tailored for a particular objective in media, and how to post effective listings on sites. Details include analysis of site traffic, strategies for finding employment on the internet, and understanding how online recruiting differs from traditional. The "Career Diary" titles ($14.95 each) are invaluable keys to understanding jobs available in the arts: each offers behind-the-scenes tips from industry pros, and each provides an in-depth 30-day examination of the job and its requirements. Sue Riedl's Career Diary Of An Animation Producer (1589650115) presents 30 days at a small animation company in Toronto. A variety of animation projects take place in that time frame, with each project presenting a different challenge. The role of the producer and others is explored in a title which moves from the beginning concept to the final production and its expenses. Joseph Daniels' Career Diary Of An Animation Studio Producer (1589650107) tells of the author's experiences at Blak Boxx Computer Graphics. The diary introduces his career path and his current responsibilities and training process, including illustrations and production photos to explore what it's like to be the owner and operator of a small computer graphics studio. Those considering educational opportunities will want to consult her Finding Money For School Online (1589650123, $19.95): it uses the computer to help students locate funds to get an education. All are excellent guides for both newcomers to the arts and to those seeking career moves.


The Library Video/DVD Shelf

Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
1-800-543-3764 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Nanga Parbat/Naked Mountain (156029-9547) is a 57 minute, full color, documentary video showcasing one of the newest accomplishments of mountain geology, the study of Nanga Parbat, the largest, ninth highest, and most rapidly growing mountain in the world. Situated in the bleak beauty of the far western end of the Himalayas in the Kohistani region of Northern Pakistan, geologists drawn from all over the world have focused on the apparent anomalies that this titanic mountain presented. This outstanding video follows these scientists through their individual and collaborative researches to understanding the unique phenomena of this mountain's development -- and in the process add a whole new chapter of our understanding of the role rivers can play in the growth as well as erosion. Exotic Terrane (1560294388) is a 27 minute, full color, documentary video showcasing and illustrating what is meant by the geologic term "exotic terrane", that is, a group of rocks, a fragment of a formation, that attaches itself to a tectonic plate and ends up at a new site often thousands of miles and totally out of place from its origins. The focus is on unique rock formations in the Hells Canyon region on the Oregon-Idaho border. In the process, viewers will receive an informed and informative perspective of the tectonic activity along the Pacific coast. Both Naga Parbat/Naked Mountain and Exotic Terrane are superbly produced, visually stunning, "viewer friendly' documentaries that are enthusiastically recommended for community library science video collections and school classroom curriculum supplementation.

MPI Home Video
16101 South 108th Avenue, Orland Park, IL 60462
1-800-777-2223 www.mpimedia.com

Four outstanding DVDs showcasing the satiric wit and biting humor of stand-up comedian George Carlin are now available for personal and community library collections. Originally produced as HBO comedy specialist, You Are All Diseased (DVD7519, $19.98); George's Best Stuff (DVD7516, $19.98); What Am I Doing In New Jersey? (DVD7509, $19.98); and Back In Town (DVD7514, $19.98) are classic Carlin performances as he provides non-stop sociopolitical commentary including many of his classic routines that continue to be as timely, scathingly accurate, and iconoclastically funny today. An absolute "must" for the legions of George Carlin fans, You Are All Diseased; Back In Town; What Am I Doing In New Jersey?; and George's Best Stuff will serve as a prefect introduction for a whole new generation to the wit, wisdom, and wicked whimsey of one of America's finest stand-up comedians.

Dancetime Publications
#5 Broadway, Kentfield, CA 94904-1506
www.DancetimePublications.com

Two outstanding instructional DVD's are newly released from Dancetime Publications and form the "500 Years of Social Dance" series. Volume I: 15th - 19th Centuries (0966207483, $44.95) offers a comprehensive resource guide comprised of 233 Instructional Texts. Volume II: 20th Century (0966207491, $44.95) is a dedicated resource offering 193 instructional texts and 221 film references. Performed beautifully by the Dance Through Time dancers, each of these 45 minute DVDs span the entire recorded span and spectrum of western dance ranginf rom Renaissance nobility, Baroque extravagance, Regency refinement, and Victorian romant-icism, to the 20th century American explosive diversity of dance from the Tango, Jittebug, and Rhumba, to Rock-n-Roll, Disco, Break Dancing, and Country Western. Taken together, these two superbly produced, performed, presented, and recorded DVDs comprise a complete course in western dance and would be a welcome addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library collections.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

The Pleasures Of Bibliophily
Nicolas Barker, editor
Oak Knoll Press
310 Delaware St., New Castle, DE 19720
1584560975 $59.95 www.oakknoll.com

Compiled and edited by Nicholas Barker (Editor of "The Book Collector" for the past 37 years), The Pleasures Of Bibliophily: Fifty Years Of The Book Collector is an impressive anthology of classic articles chosen from the first fifty years of "The Book Collector", a periodical that first appeared in 1952 and which has clearly established itself as an influential journal in a specialized and enduringly popular field. Black-and-white photographs enhance the selected essays, which portray some of the greatest and most eccentric book collectors; delves the histories of unique and rare books; and offers both wit and insight into a superbly produced and original compendium that is enthusiastically recommended for all dedicted bibliophiles and avid book collectors.

Krause Publishers
700 E State St., Iola, WI 54990
1-800-258-0929 www.amazon.com

Two important catalogs of world coins and paper money are essential for avid collectors who continually consult references for the latest guides. Neil Shafer and George Cuhaj edit Volume 3 of World Paper Money (0873495918, $45.00), which appears in its 9th updated edition to cover current values for over 11,500 notes. In addition to black and white photos all the paper money listed, there are notes on note-issuing authorities, signature charts, and a selection of color plates. This volume covers modern issues from 1961 onward, making for a particularly important guide for collectors of modern paper money. Chester Krause and Clifford Mishler's 2004 World Coins (0873495934, $54.99) is an even more extensive volume covering 1901 to present in a 31st edition featuring over 48,000 full-size black and white illustrations and an expanded selection of listings which go into the 21st century. This is a virtual bible of coin details which is a 'must' for any avid collector, deserving a place alongside the Paper Money issue.

The Collector's Encyclopedia Of Buttons
Sally C. Luscomb
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
0764318152 $24.95 1-610-593-1777

Compiled and written by Sally C. Luscomb (the co-publisher of "Just Buttons" magazine for a 35-year run), The Collector's Encyclopedia Of Buttons is now in a fully updated and significantly expanded reference which presents more than 3,000 collectible and classic buttons from across all time periods, materials, and manufacturers. The Collector's Encyclopedia Of Buttons features entries that cover everything from abalone buttons, to work-clothes buttons, and zodiac buttons. Straightforward, highly accessible writing and enhanced black-and-white photographs, The Collector's Encyclopedia Of Buttons is a one-of-a-kind resource for professional dealers and dedicated collectors.

Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
1-800-626-5420 www.amazon.com

These new titles provide avid collectors with important updated reference guides which serve as both price guides and as identification tools. Dave Leopard's Rubber Toy Vehicles (1574323326, $19.95) is packed with clear small color photos of rubber toy vehicles and comes complete with company histories and values. John Kolbeck and Russell Lewis's Captain John's Fishing Tackle Price Guide (157-4323202, $19.95) holds important reference keys to understanding fishing tackle prices, offering a main section of prices organized by brand, models, and series. While there is a small section of color photos, the value of this book lies in its reference material for the avid collector already family with fishing tackle, who just needs a guide to the latest values. Tom Felt and Elaine & Rich Stoer's Glass Candlestick Book V. 2 (1574323237, $24.95) is a 'must' for any who would identify and value candlesticks from Fostoria to Jefferson. Black and white and color photos accompany company histories, keys to understanding glass candlestick values and rating systems, and manufacture. Milbra Long and Emily Seate's Fostoria Value Guide (1574323210, $19.95) is not for those seeking a wealth of color photos, though some are sprinkled throughout: this is a value guide which keeps the collector updated on the latest values for Fostoria pieces, and is an excellent reference for any who would follow changing Fostoria values. All of these Collector Books titles are important collector's guides and very highly recommended.


The Human Sexuality Shelf

May I Kiss You?
Michael J. Domitrz
Awareness Publications
KSB Promotions (publicity)
Box 20906, Greenfield WI 53220-0906
www.awarenesspublications.com
0972928200 $15.95 1-800-329-9650

May I Kiss You? by Michael J. Domitrz is a sexuality, and awareness guide focusing on the complex contemporary issues surrounding dating, intimacy, and above all, the importance of asking first. Stressing the importance of coming to a mutual understanding concerning the most private moments, and with a firm view of the problems of sexual assault and harassment, May I Kiss You? has the very highest recommendation for all anyone of any age who seeks to pursue a romantic relationship -- and should be readily available in every high-school, college, and community library in the country.

The Kissing Cure
Ruth McConnell
Graphics Management Press
10520 Ohio Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024
1882383249 $22.95 1-310-475-2988

The Kissing Cure by licenced clinical psychology Ruth McConnell is a "user friendly", full-color, detailed guide to improving personal kissing skills for pleasure and romance. In-depth instructions for lip techniques, popular kiss styles, practice strategies and tips for making the most of the real thing fill the pages of this thorough, unique, superbly presented how-to book for anyone (of any age!) looking to spice up their love life.


The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf

Sea Changes
Linda Grant De Pauw
Peacock Press of Pasadena
20 Granada, Pasadena, MD 21122-2708
1594110018 $14.95 1-410-437-5379

Linda Grant De Pauw's Sea Changes is her second science fiction novel featuring Lieutenant Maggie Steele, an intrepid heroine of a navy without gender prejudice, with officers who have earned their rank in a meritocracy, and a time caught up in a just yet dire space war for the sake of species survival. A raucous and thoroughly entertaining narrative of adventure, sexual tension, Sea Changes is also an original work of surprising, emotional hidden depths of character is a tautly woven story of science fiction adventure. Also very highly recommended is the first science fiction exploit of Lieutenant Maggie Steele: Baptism Of Fire (Minerva Center, 096348950X, $14.95).

ROC Books
375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014
1-800-847-5515 www.amazon.com

S.L. Viehl's Blade Dancer (04514592601, $22.95) tells of an athlete on a future Earth a professional who is not quite human and therefore is despised by humans when her true heritage is revealed. Her search for others like her will take them all to a school of assassins to become killers. A gripping, unusual story with twists at every corner of its fast-paced plot. Jim Butcher's Death Masks (0451459407, $6.99) blends an investigative tale with a vampire story, telling of a practicing professional wizard who finds himself in a duel with a vampire's champion. Caught in the middle of a war between vampires and wizards, Harry finds himself battling both in an intriguing blend of paranormal investigation and psychic conflict. S.L. Viehl's Eternity Row (0451458915, $6.99) presents a Stardoc story which adds to an ongoing saga: newcomers to the series will find the diverse characters and aliens potentially confusing at first, but the strong characterization of the protagonist, doctor Cherijo, as she faces a mischievous daughter and a host of aliens with medical problems, makes it easy to absorb and the story line soon proves too engrossing to put down. Very highly recommended.

Road To Middle-Earth
Tom Shippey
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley St., Boston MA 02116-3764
0618257608 $13.00 1-800-225-3362

Road To Middle-Earth appears for the first time in paperwork in a revised, expanded edition and is considered one of the foundations in Tolkein research. It studies the literary roots of his fiction, examining the originating myths of his works, and considers some of his lesser-known works as well as his Lord of the Rings and Hobbit titles. Scholars and the general reading public alike will find Road To Middle-Earth an inviting study.

Ace Books/Berkeley
375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014
1-800-847-5515 www.amazon.com

Bruce Balfour's Digital Dead (0441010-849, $6.99) is best enjoyed as a sequel to his exciting Forge of Mars: here Tau and his girlfriend are involved in a plot to control the electronic backups of people's personalities. A new company's promise of eternal life is threatened when Tau and Kate uncover a conspiracy surrounding the company and its operations. Fast-paced action and intrigue ranges from Mars to Russia in a novel which does stand alone successfully, but will also provoke newcomers into turning to Forge Of Mars for more action. Christopher Golden's Gathering Dark (0441010814, $6.99) will please any interested in supernatural fantasy. With barriers between human and paranormal worlds broken down, Peter a powerful mage vampire becomes the human world's salvation, much as it hates what he stands for, in this absorbing dark drama. Charles Storss' Singularity Sky (0441010725, $23.95) depicts life in the 21st century which has been changed by warp travel and the creation of an independent artificial intelligence. Humankind is spread across space as a result but one isolated world rejects the technology which brought their ancestors there, only to find themselves in need of a high-tech fix to a virus. Fine, unusual action evolves in this fast-paced story.

Golden Gryphon
3002 Perkins Rd., Urbana, IL 61802
www.amazon.com

Two new titles are highly recommended picks for fans of quality science fiction writings. George Alec Effinger's Budayeen Nights (1930846193, $24.95) tells of various worlds: a walled city in the sand where Islam meets intrigue and investigative works, a future in which a young girl's visions of different futures center around her encounter with a rapist, and a wife invited to lure her husband with a younger version of herself. These short stories are exciting movable feasts of imagination, each offering an unexpected twist of plot. Nancy Kress' Nothing Human (1930846185, $26.95) tells of a special message brought just to 13-year-olds in New York, which tells them a mysterious 'pribir' are coming a mystery until their arrival. Add social issues, a dying Earth, and the decision of whether humankind should ultimately prevail through genetic engineering albeit not quite human and you have a story line which is riveting and packed with interest. Both are highly recommended picks.

Baen Books
1230 Ave. of Americas, NY, NY 10020
1-800-223-2336 www.amazon.com

Colonists who move onto a resource-lacking world find they must live in tunnels of solid gold but still are the poorest in the universe, until they send out mercenaries who fight in symbiosis with an intelligent computer in Leo Frankowski and Dave Grossman's The War With Earth (0743436156, $24.00) One such fighter discovers the truth about his missions: his fights have all taken place in virtual reality, the war has been faked, and a real war is looming which demands personal action rather than cyberspace sparring. An intriguing blend of politics and action results. Hal Colebatch's Man-Kzin Wars X: Wunder War (0743436199, $21.00) recounts a decades-long saga of humankind's battle for their first colonized planet Wunderland. Larry Niven created the idea; Colebatch takes it and runs well with it in a fast-paced plot. Rosemary Edghill and Mercedes Lackey's Mad Maudlin (0743471-431, $25.00) tells of a bard finally about to graduate from Julliard and enter the Real World, leaving his magician problems behind. But a trip to visit his parents brings him back into conflict with the world of magic, and his Bardic apprentice faces a New York demon which could change Eric's life in this fast-paced fantasy. Prior introduction to Lackey's 'Bedlam's Bard' series will lead to a faster appreciation for this ongoing saga, but is not required.

Scribner
1230 Ave. of Americas, NY, NY 10020
1-800-223-2336 www.amazon.com

Robin Furth's Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Concordance V. 1 (0743252-071, $15.00) covers books 1-IV in his Dark Tower series, providing the definitive guide to the first four volumes of the series in anticipation of the appearance of Volume V: Wolves Of The Calla. This covers the characters, plot, background, and magical places of the series, providing plenty of reference material and access to readers familiar with the series and for newcomers who need a grounding in the complex settings. Fans anticipating the release of Volume V, Wolves Of The Calla (10880418568) should look for this on November 4th: it contineus the journey of Roland, Eddie, Susannah and gang as they come to the farming town of Calla Bryn Sturgis, blessed by sets of twins but facing packs of hellish riders each generation who steal one of each twin and return them ruined. Can the gunslingers help rid the town of their curse without ruining their blessings?

DAW Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
1-800-847-5515 www.amazon.com

Janis Ian and Mike Resnick's Stars (075-6401771, $23.95) is a unique endeavor which provides original stories based on the songs of co-author Janis Ian. This is a result of Ian's love of the genre, her email work with science fiction author Resnick, and her personal interactions with authors whose works have affected her own writings. Her invitation to her mentors to produce works for this collection result in original contributions by top genre masters, from Orson Scott Card to Gregory Benford and Spider Robinson. A high-quality anthology. Kristen Britain's First Rider's Call (0756402093, $24.95) tells of one Karigan, a merchant's daughter who agrees to become a magical messenger for her country and who finds her commitment goes beyond a promise to a dying man. Caught up in a world of magic and dangers, she is tainted by wild magic and tries to finish her schooling and join her father's business, until the duty of a messenger calls her. Swift action in this fantasy.


The World History Shelf

The Medieval World
Peter Linehan & Janet L. Nelson, editors
Routledge
29 West 35th Street, NY, NY 10001
041530234X $39.95 www.routledge.com

Expertly compiled and co-edited by Peter Linehan (Fellow and Dean of St. John's College, Cambridge, England) and Janet L. Nelson (Professor of Medieval History at King's College, London, England), The Medieval World gathers a wealth of informed and informative essays contributed from a wide and diverse variety of educated and articulate scholars concerning such topics as identity, "What the Crusades meant to Europe"; power and power structures; "The King's Counsellors' two Faces: a Portuguese perspective"; elites, organizations, and groups, and much, much more. A wide-ranging and erudite, 745-page compendium, The Medieval World is written and recommended for college-level Medieval Studies reading lists and World History reference shelves.

The Balkan Wars
Andre Gerolymatos
Basic Books/Perseus, dist.
387 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016
0465027326 $17.00 basicbooks.com

The Balkan Wars: Conquest, Revolution, And Retributions From The Ottoman Era To The Twentieth Century And Beyond by Andre Gerolymatos (Chair of Hellenic Studies, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada) is an intensely detailed chronology of bloodshed and territorial strife in the Balkans, ranging from the excesses and outrages of Ottoman era to the genocides of the twentieth century including the recent brutalities of "ethnic cleansing". Focusing primarily on the clashes between different ethnic groups over land (sea battles, according to the author, deserve separate and more detailed treatment), The Balkan Wars strives not only to present a straightforward account of a history free from exaggeration or myth making, and also answers core questions about the roots of the wars and ethnic violence that have habitually plagued the people of this land. The Balkan Wars is very highly recommended reading and an impressive contribution to European History Studies.

Sovereignty And Authenticity
Prasenjit Duara
Rowman & Littlefield
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
0742525775 $49.95 1-800-462-6420

Sovereignty And Authenticity: Manchukuo And The East Asian Modern by Prasenjit Duara (Professor of History and East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago), is a technical and advanced study of imperialism, nationalism, modernity, tradition, government, and exploitation with an especial and illustrative focus on Manchukuo, the Japanese puppet state in northeast China that lasted from 1932 to 1945. Extensively researched and annotated, this critical and scholarly discourse delves both into the nuanced intricacies of history and the fascinating mass psychology mechanisms of society and government, Sovereignty And Authenticity is an impressive and strongly recommended work of World War II era history.

Culture And International History
Jessica C. E. Gienow-Hecht
Frank Schumacher
Berghahn Books
604 West 115th Street, NY, NY 10025
1571813829 $75.00 1-800-540-8663

Collaboratively compiled and expertly edited by Jessica C. E. Gienow-Hecht (Lecturer in the Program in History and Literature at Harvard University) and Frank Schumacher (Assistant Professor of North American History, University of Erfurt, Germany) as part of the Berghahn Books "Explorations in Culture and International History" series, Culture And International History brings together a wide range of diverse perspectives from seventeen scholars in Europe and the United States in order to examine the impact culture has had on the historic interplay between individuals and nations. From strategies of cultural representation since the nineteenth century; to cultural transmission through exchange scholars; to criticisms of intercultural transfer, and more, Culture And International History is a strongly recommended addition to academic International Studies and World History Studies reference collections, as it offers the reader an impressive, scholarly, seminal, thoughtful, and thought-provoking series of observations, assessments, and interpretations.

Doomsayers
Susan Juster
University of Pennsylvania Press
4200 Pine Street, 3rd floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4011
0812237323 $39.95 1-800-445-9880

In Doomsayers: Anglo-American Prophecy In The Age Of Revolution, Susan Juster (Associate Professor of History at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor), provides a perceptive and informative survey of the apocalyptic prophets of the 1790's and early 1800's. Visionaries (or perhaps simply deluded individuals), used the era's budding proliferation of newspapers, corresponding societies, penny pamphlets, voluntary associations and more to spread their predictions and prophecies. The foretellings of several hundred men and women in Britain and North America are deftly reviewed to give a general impression of how doomsayers' stories were formed, challenged, tested, and often ultimately discarded. Presenting the struggle between would-be prophets and their critics as part of a larger shift in societal norms in the age, Doomsayers is a thought-provoking, meticulously researched, accessibly presented and highly recommended account of an historically influential social and cultural phenomena.


The Gardening Shelf

Native Plants For High-Elevation Western Gardens
Janice Busco
Fulcrum Publishing
16100 Table Mountain Parkway, #300, Golden, Colorado 80403
1555914756 $29.95 1-800-992-2908

Native Plants For High-Elevation Western Gardens by horticulturalist Janice Busco and Nancy R. Morin (Executive Director of The Arboretum at Flagstaff, Arizona) is an informed and informative guide to native plants which is especially appropriate for gardeners and horticulturalists who live in regions of the American West at altitudes of 4,000 to 12,000 feet above sea level and higher. Offering basic information, advice for growing and nurturing, and enhanced with full-color photographs of 150 plants selected especially for their low-maintenance requirements and popularity, Native Plants For High-Elevation Western Gardens is an authoritative and practical catalogue which is especially recommended for high-altitude gardeners who need reliable information and advice on selecting what to plant.


The Needlecraft Shelf

SimpleChic
Jil Eaton
Breckling Press
124 North York Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126
0972121811 $24.95 brecklingpress.com

Internationally acclaimed knitwear designer Jil Eaton presents superb, easy-to-follow knitting design ideas and instructions in SimpleChic: Designer Knits, SuperQuick! Full-color photographs, simple diagrams, and down-to-earth techniques and advice show the reader how to create warm, outgoing, and wonderful knits for friends, family, gift-giving and more. SimpleChic is a hip and enjoyable resource and reference which is enthusiastically recommended for knitters and needlecrafters everywhere.

American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.aqsquilt.com www.amazon.com

These new releases are attractive, inviting productions recommended for avid quilters. The Wall Calendar 2004 (1574328-220, $9.95) picks a new pattern for each month and pairs these varied, gorgeous quilt patterns with large block boxes suitable for writing in. The result is a practical gift for any quilter; a perfect early Xmas pick. Brenda Manges Papadakis' Dear Hannah (1574328271, $25.95) contains over a hundred block patterns set off with 48 unique border triangles and four corner blocks. Pair this project-oriented guide with a chatty collection of almost thirty letters to granddaughter Hannah and you have a blend of quilting history and patterns which are truly inspirational production. Karen Combs's Floral Illusions For Quilters (1574328212, $24.95) provides a dozen quilt projects which combine designs with senses of motion and bright floral patterns. Easy techniques abound, along with easily-followed charts for cutting and color pairing, and a number of block setting alternates to provide options and contrast. Anita Shackelford's Three-dimensional Applique & Embroidery Embellishment (1574328239, $24.95) provides a gathering of techniques for today's album quilt, with almost fifty applique patterns promoting unique album quilt styles through a blend of quilting and easy embroidery. Color photos of finished productions accompany a survey of techniques particular to the album quilt project. All are excellent project guides quilters will appreciate.

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

Two excellent new titles provide fine original projects for quilters. Gai Perry's 24 Quilted Gems (1-57120-211-0, $29.95) offers twenty-four fun quilt projects which use scraps and fabric alternatives to create exciting variations on traditional designs. The easy instructions tell how to use patterned pieces in geometric arrangements to create fresh and unusual quilts. Jan Rapacz's Teddy Ebar Redwor (1-57120-221-8, $14.95) tells how to create teddy bears in the vintage redwork tradition. Bear patterns for children's quilts make this an endearing collection of ideas and projects.


The Architecture/Construcition Shelf

Illustrated Guide To The International Plumbing & Fuel Gas Codes
Howard C. Massey
Craftsman Book Company
PO Box 6500, Carlsbad, CA 92018
1572181206 $37.00 craftsman-book.com

Accessibly written by Howard C. Massey (a master plumber with over 30 years of experience), Illustrated Guide To The International Plumbing & Fuel Gas Codes is a solid manual developed expressly to make the new 2003 international pumbling and fuel gas codes understandable to everyone. Extensive instructions, diagrams, self-test questions and answers, clarify the complexities of vent systems, sanitary drainage systems, hot water supply systems, gas piping, and a great deal more. A direct, no-nonsense resource, Illustrated Guide To The International Plumbing & Fuel Gas Codes is an authoritative reference confidently recommended for anyone involved in home plumbing installation or repair.

Home Remodeler's 2003 Costbook
Home Builder Press
c/o Craftsman Book Company
6058 Corte del Cedro, Carlsbad CA 92009
1557014159 $61.95 craftsman-book.com

Now in its ninth edition, Home Remodeler's 2003 Costbook presents up-to-date cost data for home remodeling utilizing unit prices that itemize all building components. The price charts and tables offer easy-to-look-up information suitable for assembling precise estimates and bids, checking costs, and more. An excellent and exceptionally well organized reference (which comes with a free CD-ROM of construction dictionary & estimation software) Home Remodeler's 2003 Costbook is an invaluable and core addition to professional contractor reference collections. Also highly recommended are the companion references: Home Builder's Costbook (1557014140, $61.95); Remodeling 2003 Costbook (1557014132, $86.95); and General Construction 2003 Costbook (1557014108, $86.95).

Contractor's Guide To Change Orders
Andrew M. Civitello, Jr.
William D. Locher, J.D.
Prentice Hall Press
240 Frisch Court, Paramus, NJ 07652
0130425958 $89.95 www.phdirect.com

Knowledgeably written by Andrew M. Civiteloo Jr. (a professional construction project manager and a senior law firm partner) and enhanced with additional material by William D. Ocher (Senior Partner with Gibbs, Giden, Locher & Turner, and specializing in the construction industry contract law for more than twenty years), Contractor's Guide To Change Orders is a definitive resource that will substantially assist professional contractors in ending money-siphoning contract disputes and staying profitable in their construction projects. Real-life example cases, advice on using the change order practice to one's advantage, the importance of presentation, and other invaluable instructions fill the pages of this first-rate guide which is useful both for self-teaching about the change order process, or as an on-the-spot reference resource during contract negotiations or challenges.


The Library Reference Shelf

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Merriam-Webster Inc.
PO Box 281, Springfield, MA 01102
0877798095 $25.95 www.m-w.com

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: 11th Edition is a new and expanded dictionary of the English language. This eleventh edition features 10,000 new words from all fields of knowledge; comprises 165,000 entries; and presents a total of 225,000 definitions, including more than 40,000 usage examples, 7,500 phrases and idioms clarified, and more. An accompanying CD-ROM can be installed in Windows or a Macintosh for easy searchable access, and a free one-year subscription to premium web site Dictionary services is included. An absolutely first-rate, easy-to-use and high-quality basic resource, the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary is a "must" for personal, professional, school, and library dictionary reference collections.

Webster's New Explorer Dictionary Of Synonyms & Antonyms
Federal Street Press
c/o Merriam-Webster Inc.
PO Box 281, Springfield, MA 01102
www.federalstreetpress.com
1892859475 $8.98 www.m-w.com

Featuring more than 4,800 entries fill Webster's New Explorer Dictionary Of Synonyms & Antonyms was developed and published in cooperation with the editors of Merriam-Webster. A handy resource especially for students and professional writers seeking to identify which word best suits a particular occasion, or needing to distinguish between the subtle nuances of similar words such as "severe, stern, austere, ascetic", Webster's New Explorer Dictionary Of Synonyms & Antonyms is enthusiastically recommended for being an extremely clear and easy-to-follow reference specifically organized for quick lookup reference and use.


The Literary Shelf

Heroines
Mary Riso
Baker Books
Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0801064287 $11.99 bakerbooks.com

Heroines: The Lives Of Great Literary Characters And What They Have To Teach Us by Mary Riso offers a close and articulate reading of great heroines from literary classics, including Natasha in "War And Peace"; Jane in "Jane Eyre"; Mary in "The Secret Garden"; Lucie in "A Tale Of Two Cities"; and others. Recommended as a vivid, erudite, and exquisitely presented literary study, Heroines is a welcome addition to Women's Studies and Literary Studies supplemental reading lists.

Ultimate Unofficial Guide To The Mysteries Of Harry Potter
Galadriel Waters
Wizarding World Press
8926 N. Greenwood Avenue, Vault 133, Niles, IL 60714
0972393617 $24.95 1-800-729-6423

Ably written by Galadriel Waters with the assistance of Professor Astre Mithrandir, Ultimate Unofficial Guide To The Mysteries Of Harry Potter is an unauthorized fan publication analyzing the first four books of J. K. Rowling's tremendously successful "Harry Potter" series, searching for mysterious secrets, foreshadowings, extrapolations for future plot developments, and much, much more. Story spoilers, character insights, hidden meanings revealed and a true appreciation for the depth of Rowling's talent abound in this fun literary companion guide for anyone of any age or background who has closely pondered this popular series of a young magician in training, his friends, his teachers, and his foes.


The International Studies Shelf

Reconciliation In The Asia-Pacific
Yoichi Funabashi
United States Institute of Peace Press
1200 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036
1929223471 $19.95 www.usip.org

Compiled and edited by Yoichi Funabashi (one of Japan's most influential journalists), Reconciliation In The Asia-Pacific collects viewpoints of seven authors from the Asia-Pacific region regarding reconciliation in the wake of historic and wartime atrocities so horrific that their ill effects reverberate in human hearts and minds generations later. Feelings and change in Korea, Japan, China, Cambodia, East Timor, Australia and Taiwan are all thoughtfully examined with a dual eye on the ideal and the practical when it comes to the hope of human beings learning to forgive and get along. Reconciliation In The Asia-Pacific is timely and recommended reading for businessmen and governmental policy makers having to deal with the cultures and politics throughout Asia and the Pacific.


The Photography Shelf

Water Music
Marjorie Ryerson
The University of Michigan Press
PO Box 1104, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1104
0472113380 $35.00 1-734-764-4388

Water Music is a gorgeous, full-color visual showcase and celebration of water, the substance on Earth that gives life. Marjorie Ryerson's truly splendid color photography combines wonderfully with insightful poetry, thoughtful vignettes, and music from sixty-six diverse and talented musicians from around the world. Simply put, Water Music is a stunning and unique coffee-table volume which justifiably deserves inclusion into the personal, professional, academic, and community library Photography and Music Appreciation collections.


The Interior Design Shelf

Mary Gilliatt's Complete Room By Room Decorating Guide
Mary Gilliatt & Andreas von Einsiedel
Watson Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0823029700 $35.00 1-800-451-1741

Mary Gilliatt's Complete Room By Room Decorating Guide is a captivating interior decorations guide which offers both amateur and professional interior designers a wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques for sprucing up and adding unique individual touches to every corner of the home. Full-color photographs taken by Andreas von Einsiedel of breathtaking ideas, styles and color schemes fit well with Mary Gilliatt's thoughtful and inventive advice stressing balance and attention to detail. Mary Gilliatt's Complete Room By Room Decorating Guide is a thoughtful and thought-provoking contribution to Interior Design reference collections and reading lists.


The Library Audiobook Shelf

The Kingless Land
Ed Greenwood
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969, Ashland, OR 97520
www.blackstoneaudio.com
Z2803 $88.00 1-800-729-2665

Four adventurers are thrown together by circumstance, necessity and adversity in The Kingless Land, Ed Greenwood's terrific adventure fantasy novel set in Aglirta, a once great kingdom that has now devolved into tyranny, lawlessness, and darkness. The quartet of adventurers includes a warrior, a thief, a healer, and the lady sorceress Embra Silvertree who must recover the Dwaerindim stones in order to awaken the Sleeping King, restoring him to his throne and thereby freeing kingdom from the grip of an endless cycle of grim conflict. Expertly narrated by Nadia May, The Kingless Land is an unabridged, eleven CD collection of pure listening pleasure which is especially commended to the attention of Fantasy Adventure fans. Enthusiastically recommended for community library audiobook collections, The Kingless Land is also available in an audiocassette format (2803, $62.95).

History Of The Conquest Of Mexico
W. H. Prescott
Naxos AudioBooks
416 Mary Lindsay Polk Drive, Suite 509, Franklin, TN 37067
962634282X $26.98 1-877-629-6723

Skillfully narrated by Kerry Shale, History Of The Conquest Of Mexico is the abridged audiobook version of a classic history by W. H. Prescott of how in 1519, Hernando Cortes came to Mexico and discovered a flourishing empire of complicated artistic, political, and religious systems -- as well as brutal and excessive system of imperial dominance and human sacrifice. With a handful of men, Cortes succeeded in demolishing the Aztecs and their allies, claiming the whole territory for Spain. An welcome addition to school and community library audiobook collections, History Of The Conquest Of Mexico is amazing, informative, and totally absorbing. 4 CDS, 4 hours and 49 minutes.

Time Warner Audio
135 W. 50th St., New York NY 10020
1-800-759-0190 www.amazon.com

These audios provide fine listening for any interested in solid leisure reads and engrossing narrators. Still Life With Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (1586215043, $25.98) pairs Rene Auberjonis' solid TV voice and career with the compelling story of a small Kansas town where a ghastly murder has taken place. What appears to be a one-time affair turns into a serial killer mystery in this gripping story of an isolated town forced to give up its secrets. On CD format is James Patterson's When The Wind Blows (1586215-213, $31.98), pairing Blair Brown's powerful narrative style with the story of a talented vet who comes across a deadly discovery in the woods near her house a discovery which will change her life. Also enjoy the unabridged story The Lake House by James Patterson (1586214993, $29.98), spiced with a dual narration by Hope Davis and Stephen Lang as it tells of six unusual children whose strange talents tie them together and pit them against a terrible evil force. Expect plenty of twists and turns heightened by the audio narrative style. Kate White's A Body To Die For (1586215051, $25.98) is read by the author/actress herself as it tells of a tired reporter who looks forward to a rural Massachusetts vacation, only to find a murder investigation awaits her talents. T.D. Jakes' Cover Girls (1586215132, $25.98) enjoys Pamela Tyson's smooth voice and studied acting abilities as it tells of career women and those who have dedicated their lives to faith. Four very different women find their faith dictates their paths in life and their hard choices in these compelling accounts. Faye Kellerman's Street Dreams (1586215116, $25.98) receives actress Nancy McKeon's excellent talent for the dramatic as it tells of an LAPD officer who rescues a newborn, hunts for the mother, and finds herself on the dangerous streets of a dark city. Walter Mosley's Fear Itself (1586215086, $29.98) receives Don Cheadle's accomplished stage and film voice which heightens the drama and action in this story of Paris, an investiator who is running for his life and finds himself tangled with one of the wealthiest women in Los Angeles. Candace Bushnell's Trading Up (1586216704, $25.98) pairs Mira Sorvino's warm voice and actress background with the story of Janey, who wants to be on top, until she finds there is such a thing as too much money. All are wonderfully narrated, compelling listens and very highly recommended picks for community library collections.

A Place Of Hiding
Elizabeth George
Books On Tape Inc.
Box 25122, Santa Ana, CA 92799-5122
www.library.booksontape.com
0736694862 $117.00 1-800-541-5525

Superbly narrated by Donada Peters, A Place Of Hiding is the technically flawless, unabridged audiobook version of an expressively narrated, disturbing murder mystery by Elizabeth George. A forensic scientist Simon St. James and his wife Deborah come to an rather isolated island in the English Channel searching for the truth concerning who ferociously killed the island's wealthiest benefactor and why. But probing the secrets, shames, lies and more surrounding the family and associates of a very wealthy man can prove hazardous to one's health in this raptly captivating deftly written and highly recommended work of mystery and suspense. 16 cassettes, approximately 24 hours.

Looking For Chet Baker
Bill Moody
Dark City Books
1325 West 1st Avenue, Suite A, Spokane, WA 99201
www.darkcitybooks.com
0964413825 $34.95 1-509-747-7416

Chillingly read by the author Bill Moody and enthusiastically recommended for community library audiobook collections, Looking For Chet Baker is an superbly recorded mystery revolving around the unsolved death of a legendary trumpeter Chet Baker who fell (or was pushed) from the window of an Amsterdam hotel in 1988. The intrepid yet physically and mentally recovering Evan Horne must come to the aid of a missing colleague who was working on a biography of the late Mr. Baker - and so becomes entrapped in web of hidden schemes in this saga that will keep the listener raptly engaged to the very end. 6 cassettes, 9 hours.

Pirot Investigates
Agatha Christie
Audio Editions/Audio Partners
1133 High Street, Auburn, CA 95603
1572703202 $25.95 audiopartners.com

Eleven new cases involving the careful Belgian detective who operates in a Holmes-type atmosphere of deduction will delight fans of Hercule Poirot with 11 complete, unabridged new mysteries narrated by captivating narrator David Suchet. An emphasis on diverse plots keeps these mysteries moving.

The Footprints Of God
Greg Iles
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1590865960 $24.95 1-800-854-7859

The Footprints Of God by Greg Iles is a thrilling tale of murder, mistrust, danger, pursuit, and a miracle in the waiting. A team of top scientists works day and night to create a supercomputer with infinitely greater power than the human brain, yet when the genius running the project begins to decree murder, it is up to the project's ethicist and the woman psychiatrist he trusts with his disturbing premonitions to uncover the truth about Trinity before the terrible end. Grippingly narrated by Dick Hill, The Footprints Of God is an all-too-plausible tales of the near future. Abridged, 4 cassettes, 6 hours.

Recorded Books
270 Skipjack, Prince Frederick MD 20678
1-800-638-1304 www.recordedbooks.com

This publisher's excellent unabridged recordings are highly recommended picks for audio listeners who prefer unabridged recordings. Robin Cook's Seizure (14025-28450, $124.00) pairs veteran narrator George Guidall with the thrilling plot surrounding a passinate senator's opposition to cloning and biotechnology. When he learns he has Parkinson's Disease, he volunteers to become a guinea pig for a powerful new technology. Janet Evanovich's To The Nines (1402543581, $89.00) enjoys actress C.J. Critt's smooth and passionate voice: a fine accompaniment to the Stephanie Plum stories of sleuthing. Here Stephanie is on her way to Las Vegas on the trail of a bail-jumper, only to find herself the hunted. Critt's compelling narrative style brings this story to life. Laura Moriarty's Center Of Everything (14025-48168, $116.00) features narrator Julie Dretzin, a New York actress who lends a solid and compelling voice to the story of a young math prodigy's coming of age in small-town Kansas. Lawrence Sanders' Mcnally's Dare (1402559267, $78.00) is actually created by author Vinent Lardo, who relies on McNally's character and popular mystery series to embellish on the story of Lance, who has inherited a fortune and the problem of a guest murdered during a party. Add narrator Richard Davidson's professional and smooth voice and you have a mystery which is truly compelling. The Clipper Audio imprint provides highly recommended British authors and plots, paired with British narrators, and will please any who desire a strong British accent to their listening. Robert Rankin's Hollow Chocolate Bunnies Of The Apocalypse (140257063, $82.00) is narrated by Rankin himself as it tells of a big city facing a killer on the loose. Chris Ryan's best-selling thriller Hit List (140251634, $99.00) enjoys Gordon Griffin's swift and evocative voice as it tells of a former SAS member who tries to make a new life, only to find an attempted kidnapping involves him back in the world of espionage. Priscilla Masters' Disturbing Ground (18419-7711X, $82.0) blends Siriol Jenkin's clear voice with the story of a doctor's return to her Welsh valley home as a village GP, facing a strange murder. Daniel Easterman's Judas Testament (140257098, $146.00) enjoys Graham Padden's gripping voice as it tells of an ancient scroll which threatens the foundations of the Christian Church. Its author is Jesus himself and the Vatican fights to suppress its truth. Juanita McMahon narrates Liz Jensen's War Crimes For The Home (1402-56873, $47.00), telling of an old, forgetful woman living out her life in an old folks home and facing memories of younger years, war and romance and a mystery which is only now starting to be solved.


The Cookbook Shelf

Russel Wright's Menu Cookbook
Ann Wright & Mindy Heiferling
Gibbs Smith, Publishing
PO 667, Layton, Utah 84041
1586852817 $29.95 1-801-544-9800

Russel Wright's Menu Cookbook: A Guide To Easier Entertaining is a cookbook guide filled from cover to cover with easy-to-create recipes, each of which is suitable for holiday occasions or simple everyday dining ranging from Dragon Rock Dinner (Beef Stew with Green Apples; Mashed Potatoes and Turnips; Endive and Watercress Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette; Shelley Boris's Chocolate Pots de Creme - serves 6) to Sunday Supper (Chicken Baked in Cream on a Bed of Watercress; Roasted Portobello Mushrooms and Scallions; Buttered Egg Noodles; Warm Gingerbread - serves 8). Luscious full-color photographs and step-by-step instructions enhance this mouth-watering, highly recommended, minimalist cooking guide, which offers preparation tips and techniques for everything from cherry pudding to a full-course, eight-person Christmas buffet.

Fine Filipino Food
Karen Hulene Bartell
Hippocrene Books
171 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016
0781809649 $24.95 1-718-454-2366

There are surprisingly few cookbooks covering Filipino food on the market and new titles are few and far between, which would make the appearance of this guide an unusual event in and of itself but its attention to recipes gathered during the author's travels to the Philippines makes Fine Filipino Food exceptional even in its genre. Each classic dish is accompanied by a small history of its origins, plus a variety of variations on the theme. Thus you have classics such as Adobo which go beyond the usual Chicken Adobo to include such dishes as Cinnamon-Garlic Beef Adobo and Lumpias which include Pork and Shrimp with Lemongrass and Garlic Shrimp and Bamboo Egg Rolls. Dishes are easy to make too no color photos, but this doesn't need them.

Cleaning And Preparing Gamefish
Monte Burch
The Lyons Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1585744867 $19.95 1-800-836-0510

Cleaning And Preparing Gamefish: Step-by-Step Instructions, From Water To Table by expert outdoorsman and writer Monte Burch is a straightforward, "user friendly" instructional manual dedicated to the skills of turning freshly caught fish into tasty food. Meticulous directions, black-and-white photographs, and diagrams teach the reader how to prepare freshwater fish, saltwater fish, turtles, frogs, eels, crawfish, freshwater shellfish, and alligators, preserve fish, cook fish, keep nutrition and safety in mind, and much more. A superbly organized chapter of recipes ranging from Basic Fish Dip to Easy Campfire Trout rounds out this superb and very highly recommended culinary guide.

The Best Of Gourmet
The Editors of Gourmet Magazine
Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th fl, NY, NY 10019
1400060575 $35.00 1-800-726-0600

Drawing from the pages Gourmet, of one of America's premiere cooking magazines, The Best Of Gourmet Featuring The Flavors Of San Francisco is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal, professional, culinary school, or community library cookbook collection. Superbly enhanced with more than a hundred full-color photographs, The Best Of Gourmet clearly lives up to its title as it showcases dozens of menus featuring more than 350 "kitchen friendly" recipes ranging from Coconut Shrimp with Tamarind Ginger Sauce; Pearl Couscous with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes; and Asparagus Soup with Parmesan Custards; to Sicilian-Style Pasta with Sardines; Peanut Sesame Noodles; and Coffee Granita with Sambuca Cream and Chocolate Shavings.

Heirloom Recipes
Jennifer Saltiel, editor
Rutledge Hill Press
Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000
140160045X $19.99 1-800-251-4000

Compiled and edited by Jennifer Saltiel (freelance writer, cookbook author, and Director of Parent Soup and the Food Channel for iVillage - a women's media company and popular source for women's information online), Heirloom Recipes: Best-Loved Recipes From Generation To Generation is a compendium of time-tested recipes that formed culinary bonds from generation to generation. From Nancy's Charleston Pickled Shrimp; Red Wine Pot Roast; Heirloom Rice and Sausages; and Grandma Rosella's Potato Kugel; to Grandma Shoemaker's Cranberry Relish; Fresh Corn Salad; Banana Oat Squares; and My Grandmother's Lemon Meringue Pie, Heirloom Recipes is a welcome and appreciatively recommended addition to family cookbook collections and will serve to introduce contemporary cooks to a diverse and delicious culinary heritage!

Magnolias Uptown/Down South Southern Cuisine
Donald Barickman
Wyrick & Company
284-A Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401
0941711315 $19.95 1-800-277-1259

Created by Donald Barickman for the Charleston based Magnolias Uptown/Down South restaurant (and enhanced with color photography by Tom Eckerle), Magnolias Uptown/Down South Southern Cuisine showcases 99 superbly presented recipes ranging from Parmesan Fried Oysters with a Roasted Garlic Dip; Pan-Fried Chicken Livers with Caramelized Onions, Country Ham and Red-Eye Gravy; Magnolias' Grilled Chicken Salad with Caramelized Onions, Lemon Vinaigrette and Fresh Parmesan Over Mixed Greens; and Grilled Salmon Filet with Dill Butter Over Creamy White Grits; to Salt and Pepper Fried Shrimp; Magnolias' Steamed Petite Clams with Fresh Tomatoes, White Wine, Garlic and Basil; Pork Bar-B-Que Sandwich with Mustard Slaw and Sweet Pepper Relish; and Magnolias' Baked Creams with Orange Custard Sauce, Chef Barickman's unusual interpretations of traditional Charleston and Lowcountry dishes makes for truly inspired dining.

Prevention's Decadent Desserts For Diabetics
Regina Ragone
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
1579547001 $16.95 www.rodale.com

In Prevention's Decadent Desserts For Diabetics, Regina Ragone draws upon her professional experience and expertise as the Food Editor for Prevention Magazine to present 125 desserts that are as delicious as they are "diabetic friendly". From Coconut Cream Bundt Cake; Pear and Cranberry Crisp; Apple Crumble with Toasted-Oat Topping; and Chocolate Mousse; to Spiced Molasses Cookies; Lemon Bars; Coffee Cup Souffles; and Strawberry Shortcakes, Prevention's Decadent Desserts For Diabetics showcases individual dishes that are made with wholesome ingredients (no sugar substitutes or artificial ingredients are needed) and come with a complete nutritional analysis. Enhanced with colorful photography, each selection comprising this very highly recommended addition to the cookbook collection of anyone having to deal with diabetes is thoroughly "kitchen cook friendly" with easy-to-understand directions.

In The Sweet Kitchen
Regan Daley
Artisan
708 Broadway, NY, NY 10003-9555
1579652085 $35.00 www.workman.com

Compiled and organized by professional pastry chef Regan Daley, In The Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Baker's Companion showcases more than 150 superbly presented recipes. Enhanced with sixteen pages of four color photographs, as well as chapters dedicated to "Tools and Techniques" of baking, the ingredients associated with baking, and an informative section on dedicated to flavourings, In The Sweet Kitchen offers savory fare ranging from cakes and tea cakes, pies and tarts, cookies and bars, custards, puddings and Moussses, to ice creams and other frozen desserts, fruit desserts, quick breads, sweet yeast breads and fritters, garnishes, sauces, and basic recipes adaptable for any occasion. In The Sweet Kitchen is a cornerstone addition to any "kitchen cook friendly" cookbook collection!

Easy Beans
Trish Ross
Big Bean Publishing
1508 Mariners Walk, Suite 201, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6J 4X9
www.easybeans.cookbook.com
0969816235 $12.95 1-604-733-9355

Now in a new and expanded second edition, Easy Beans: Fast And Delicious Bean, Pea, And Lentil Recipes has been enhanced with nutritional analysis and more than twenty new and delicious recipes. From Seafood Minestrone; Tapenade Baguette; and Texas Chicken Salad; to Quick Spicy Sausage Stew; Bean Counter's Medley; and Caribbean Rice, Easy Beans is a true legume lover's delight and a welcome addition to any kitchen cookbook collection!

The Frantic Family Cookbook
Leanne Ely
Champion Press, Ltd.
4308 Blueberry Road, Fredonia, WI 53021
1891400541, $14.95 championpress.com

The Frantic Family Cookbook was compiled by food columnist Leanne Ely to specifically meet the needs of over worked and time-limited family cooks. From Fragrant Lemon Chicken and Potatoes; Clean Out The Crisper Vegetable Soup; and Spanakopita Quiche; to Whole Wheat Sweet Scones; Spice 'Em Up Hash Browns; and Breakfast Puffs, The Frantic Family Cookbook is an ideal cookbook reference which is enhanced with cogent and extensive advice on feeding a frantic family nutritiously and inexpensively.

Maida Heatter's Book Of Great Desserts
Maida Heatter
Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64111
0836278615 $26.95 www.amazon.com

Inducted into the James Beard Foundation Cookbook Hall of Fame, Maida Heatter's Book Of Great Desserts is an impressive compendium of wonderful recipes for topping off any meal wether it be ordinary daily dining with the family, special celebratory occasions, or when the urge for something delicious when our sweet tooth beckons. From Palm Beach Chocolate Tube Cake; Buttermilk Spice Cake; New Orleans Oatmeal Cookies; and Swedish Dream Cookies; to Pineapple and Strawberries Creole; Apricot Sherbet; Ice Box Rice Pudding; and Pots de Creme au Chocolat, Maida Heatter's Book Of Great Desserts fully lives up to its title and clearly documents why Maida Heatter has won nearly every honor possible for a writer of cookbooks.

Pike Place Market Cookbook
Braiden Rex-Johnson
Sasquatch Books
119 S. Main St., #400, Seattle, WA 98104
1570613192 $18.95 sasquatchbooks.com

The Pike Place Market is one of Seattle's best and beloved fine dining restaurants. Braiden Rex-Johnson has assembled more than 130 recipes from that culinary landmark in this newly revised and expanded edition of the Pike Place Market Cookbook. From Beet Salad with Fresh Basil Dressing; Korean Beef Barbecue (Bulgogi); and Cornish Game Hens with Raspberry Gravy; to Roast King Salmon with Pinot Noir Mustard Sauce; Blackberry Mousse with Lemon Madeleines; and Ice Berry Spice Tea, the Pike Place Market Cookbook is a culinary showcase of fine dining suitable for any and all occasions!

Fish & Shellfish Grilled & Smoked
Karen Adler & Judith M. Fertig
Harvard Common Press
535 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118
www.harvardcommonpress.com
1558321810 $15.95 www.amazon.com

The collaborative effort of Karen Adler and Judith Fertig, Fish & Shellfish Grilled & Smoked is a superbly organized and presented compendium of three hundred fish and shellfish recipes that are nothing short of mouth-watering and appetite satisfying! From Stir-Grilled Fish Tacos; Swordfish Steaks with Pineapple Salsa; Grilled Caribbean Prawns on Tropical Fruit Planks; and Pecan-Planked Catfish; to Smoked Scallops with Citrus Vinaigrette; Amaretto-Basted Walleye; Vietnamese-Style Grilled Tilapia; and Grilled Haddock Hoagies with Cob-Smoked Cheddar and Fresh Tomatoes, Fish & Shellfish Grilled & Smoked recipes span the simply to the exotic. Enhanced with a wealth of cooking tips and an impressive section of dips and sauces, Fish & Shellfish Grilled & Smoked is a perfect and welcome addition to any seafood lover's personal cookbook collection.

Vegan Microwave Cookbook
Chef Nancy Berkoff, R.D.
The Vegetarian Resource Group
PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203
0931411262 $17.00 www.vrg.org

The Vegan Microwave Cookbook is a compilation of delicious vegetarian recipes that take full advantage of the meal preparation time-saving qualities of the family microwave oven. Enhanced with helpful advice such as: "Converting Traditional Recipes to the Microwave"; "If You Can Boil Water, You Can Cook with a Microwave"; Microwave Baking and Desserts; "Curries and Casseroles"; "Microwave Breakfasts"; as well as "Suggestions and Recipes for Holidays, Parties, and Entertaining", Vegan Microwave Cookbook is thoroughly "user friendly". There's even a section on what to do with leftovers! With recipes ranging from Graham Cracker Molasses Bread; Vegan Kishka; Soy Sauce Broccoli with Garlic and Hazelnuts; and Green Steamed Kohlrabi; to Creamy Pumpkin Soup; Moscow Tea; Double Stuffed Green and Purple Potatoes; and Passover Toffee, the Vegan Microwave Cookbook will make a welcome and appreciated addition to any personal or community library vegetarian cookbook collection.

Traditions
The Junior League of Little Rock
FRP Books
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
0960672419 $18.95 www.frpbooks.com

Traditions: A Taste Of The Good Life showcases recipes contributed by the members of The Junior League of Little Rock and honors the culinary heritage of this American community. In addition to chapters on Appetizers, Soups, Sandwiches, Breads, Salads, Dressings, Vegetables, Eggs, Cheese, Pasta, Fish, Shellfish, Poultry, Game, and Meats, there are wonderful sections on Sauces & Accompaniments; Beverages; and even dishes "On The Light Side". From Olive Bread Ring; Robert's Duck Salad Spread; Savory Sour Cream Cornish Hens; and Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Artichokes; to Gourmet Oyster Loaf; Grandmother's Casseroled Duck; Veal Scallops with Avocado; and My Mother's Sour Cream Sugared Nuts, Traditions would make a treasured inclusion for any family cookbook shelf.

Cooking Wild Game & Fish Southern Style
Billy Joe Cross
FRP Books
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
0967776201 $19.95 www.frpbooks.com

In compiling the hundreds of specialized recipes comprising Cooking Wild Game & Fish Southern Style, culinary expert Billy Joe Cross draws upon a lifetime of experience in preparing wild game. From Roast Leg of Venison; Baked Squirrel; and Wild Goose with Sour Cream and Mushrooms; to Steamed Bass with Cheese Sauce; Hot Pepper Jelly; and Microwave Pralines, Cooking Wild Game & Fish Southern Style showcases an incredibly diverse variety of unusual dishes that would please the palate of any gourmet and satisfy the appetite of hunter, angler, or wild edibles harvester.

Capital Celebrations
The Junior League of Washington
FRP Books
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
0964944413 $24.95 www.frpbooks.com

Beautifully enhanced with color photography, Capital Celebrations is a very highly recommended compendium of easy to prepare recipes nicely organized into chapters on Appetizers, Brunch & Breads, Salads and Soups, Seafood, Poultry and Meats, Pasta and Pizza, Vegetables, and Desserts. There is even a wonderful section dedicated to "Cooking with Children". From Meatballs in Cranberry Sauce; Roasted Corn and Wild Mushroom Salad; and Shrimp in Cajun Red Gravy; to Chicken and Artichoke Casserole; Green Beans and Cashews; and Coconut Pound Cake, Capital Celebrations has dishes suitable for all occasions and dining events.

Oil & Vinegar
The Junior League of Tulsa
FRP Books
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
0960436804 $24.95 www.frpbooks.com

Nicely illustrated with full-page color photography, Oil & Vinegar is comprised of the best of more than two thousand recipes that were submitted by members of the Junior League of Tulsa, Oklahoma. From Coconut Shrimp; Strawberry Butter; and Beef Salad with Asparagus and Broccoli; to Seared Sesame-Coated Salmon Sandwich; Veal Scaloppine in Lemon Sauce; and Cold Ginger Souffle, Oil & Vinegar is a truly superb cookbook compendium that would grace any personal or community library cookbook collection.

Of The People
Wright Museum
FRP Books
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
0966787307 $21.95 www.frpbooks.com

The collaborative effort of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and FRP Books, Of The People: An African American Cooking Experience is a unique compilation of recipes stemming from traditional African-American cuisines. The recipes are arranged in sections dedicated to: Africa: The African Memory; Caribbean and South America: The Diaspora; Africans in America: Survival of the Spirit; African Americans: An Imperfect Union; and "The Future: The Struggle for Low-Fat Empowerment. From Chinchin (Sweet Dough Balls); to Kelewele (Spicy Fried Plantain); Curried Chicken Rasta-Style; and Gumbo File; to Fried Pies; Crab Cakes; Baking Powder Dumplings; and Baked Ham with Piquant Orange Sauce, Of The People offers a welcome and diverse bounty of easy-to-prepare recipes that would enhance any dining occasion from the celebratory to the ordinary.

Bay Tables
The Junior Leage of Mobile
FRP Books
2451 Atrium Way, Nashville, TN 37214
0960305432 $24.95 www.frpbooks.com

Bay Tables showcases some three hundred kitchen tested culinary compositions donated by members of the Junior League of Mobile, Alabama. From Peach Julips; Blue Cheese Souffles; Grilled Corn with Shallot Thyme Butter; Roasted Vegetable Pizza; and Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushrooms and Fresh Vegetables; to Pork Tenderloins with Caramelized Pears and Brandy Cream Sauce; Oysters Johnny Reb; and Lemon Buttermilk Ice Cream, Bay Tables offers a wealth of highly recommended, consistently delicious, appetite satisfying fare that would please even the most discriminating gourmet -- and yet are completely "kitchen cook friendly" to prepare and serve.


The Artbook Shelf

The Paintings Of Alice Dalton Brown
April Kingsley
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, Manchester, VT 05254
1555952070 $50.00 hudsonhills.com

The Paintings Of Alice Dalton Brown is a truly gorgeous, 131-page coffee-table artbook depicting the immensely popular and vibrant paintings of a truly talented female artist. Some black-and-white images as well as numerous full-color renditions of timeless paintings of homes, emptiness, natural beauty seen through windows, and more are accompanied by thoughtful commentary and informing insights into the depths of the presented works. A distinctive, domicile-oriented presentation, The Paintings Of Alice Dalton Brown is a very highly recommended and significant addition to academic and community library Art History collections.

The Abuse Of Beauty
Arthur C. Danto
Open Court Publishing Company
332 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60604
0812695402 $19.95 opencourtbooks.com

Expertly written by Arthur C. Danto (art critic of "The Nation" magazine and Emeritus Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy at Column University), The Abuse Of Beauty: Aesthetics And The Concept Of Art is an intriguing and thoughtful study of the role of beauty in art. A century ago, art strived for beauty above all; yet in the modern day, an overly beautiful work of art may even be downgraded by critics for that very reason. Individual chapters cogently address the issues of internal and external beauty in art; the intersection of beauty and politics; the beautiful and the sublime within the concept and execution of art, and a great deal more in this intellectually stimulating and enthusiastically recommended discourse as to how art is viewed within the contexts of the past, the present, and the future.

The Spitz Master
Gregory T. Clark
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
0892367121 $19.95 www.getty.edu

The Spitz Master: A Parisian Book Of Hours examines a classic work of literary art, created in Paris around 1420 by a team of illuminators including one inventive soul now called "The Spitz Master". Art history professor and scholar Gregory T. Clark informatively introduces and provides a "reader friendly" examination of the history and significance of this work, while black-and-white as well as color photographs showcase pages drawn from the classic work in all their individual and collective glory. The Spitz Master is especially recommended for academic Art History collections.

Nine Famous Artists Your Children Will Love
Michael Napoliello Jr.
Literary Press
c/o Seven Locks Press
PO Box 25689, Santa Ana, CA 92799
0971695849 $19.95 1-800-354-5348

Written in collaboration with the Pasadena Museum of California Art, Michael Napoliello's Nine Famous Artists Your Children Will Love: An Art Discovery Primer & Handbook For Parents And Their Children is an engaging and informed introduction to appreciating wonderful abstract and modern artworks by distinguished creators. The nine artists presented are Alexander Calder, Red Grooms, Wassily Kandinsky, Fernand Leger, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miro, Claes Oldenburg, Jackson Pollock, and David Smith. Full-color photographs of memorable pieces are presented with biographical notes on the artists, ideas for activities to share with children, questions to ask and discuss, insights into the heart and soul of the creations, and more. An excellent art appreciation guide, Nine Famous Artists Your Children Will Love is most especially commended to the attention of parents and grandparents wanting to instill an appreciation of modern art into the minds and lives of their children and grandchildren.

Audubon Art Prints
Bill Steiner
University of South Carolina Press
937 Assembly St, Carolina Plaza, 8th Fl, Columbia, SC 29208
1570035032 $59.95 1-800-768-2500

Compiled by field ecologist and veteran bird-watcher Bill Steiner, Audubon Art Prints: A Collector's Guide To Every Edition is a first-rate guide to the many distinctive avian prints and paintings of John James Audubon (1785-1851). The informative and scholarly text definitively recounts what these great works of art have sold for, as well as the stories behind the creation of the individual artworks. A superb resource for collectors and an indispensable addition to academic American Art History reference collections, Audubon Art Prints is a superbly organized and very strongly recommended presentation enhanced with twenty-two color illustrations and fifty-five halftones.


The Social Issues Shelf

Behind The Gates
Setha Low
Routledge
29 West 35th Street, NY, NY 10001
0415944384 $26.00 routledge-ny.com

Expertly researched and informatively written by Setha Low (Professor of Anthropology and Environmental Psychology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York), Behind The Gates: Life, Security, And The Pursuit Of Happiness In Fortress America is an impressive and scholarly study of the gated communities phenomena. The gated commu-nity is the fastest-growing form of housing in the United States. Individual chapters address the origin of the gated community; its emphases on safety and fear of crime; as well as a means of enhancing property values, and promoting insularity -- yet the ironic results are that gated communities are statistically no safer than the suburbs in general. A fascinating social study, and very highly recommended reading for anyone seriously concerned about the trend toward gated communities or seriously considering moving to one, Behind The Gates is a welcome and original contribution to American Urban Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Growing America
David A. Kidd
Lantern Books
One Union Square West, Suite 201, New York, NY 10003
1590560302 $17.00 lanternbooks.com

Growing America: The Story Of A Grassroots Activist is both a personal memoir, and a stirring call to action, presenting the life and work social activist David A. Kidd, a man who dedicated himself to nonviolence, civic involvement, exercising an individual's power to keep communities vibrant and healthy, and much, much more. Stressing the importance of voting, standing up to be counted, using personal influence and power to aid the development and applications of peaceable solutions to both local and global problems, Growing America is very highly recommended reading, especially for anyone involved or contemplating involvement as a social activist in the world today.


The Archaeology Shelf

Twelve Millennia
James L. Theler & Robert F. Boszhardt
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242
0877458472 $27.95 1-800-621-2736

James L. Theler (Professor of Archaeology, Department of Sociology and Archaeology, University of Wisconsin La Crosse) and Robert F. Boszhardt (Associate Director of the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - La Crosse) are veteran archaeologists with more than twenty years experience in the field. Twelve Millennia: Archaeology Of The Upper Mississippi River Valley is a collaboratively written and thoroughly engaging overview of the Driftless region of the Upper Mississippi River Valley, featuring its ecological evolution throughout prehistory, as well as catalogs of animal remains and Native American rock art that can be found in the valley today. An excellent guide for vacationers and amateur archaeologists wanting background information for an area that roughly extends from Dubuque, Iowa to Red Wing, Minnesota, Twelve Millennia is a welcome and scholarly contribution to regional academic Archeology Studies reference collections and student reading lists.


The Psychology Shelf

Archetype Revisited
Anthony Stevens
Inner City Books
PO Box 1271, Station Q, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4T 2P4
www.innercitybooks.net
1894574060 $30.00 1-416-927-0355

Insightfully written by Anthony Stevens (a Jungian analyst, and psychiatrist of 30 years' experience), Archetype Revisited: An Updated Natural History Of The Self is now in a greatly expanded and updated edition. Dr. Stevens provides Jungian students and scholars with a thorough exploration and stimulating study of the connections between archetypes of the fields of ethology and sociobiology, while addressing archetypes in practice such as the family, the mother, the father, masculine and feminine images and more. Archetype Revisited is a worthy and welcome contribution to Jungian Studies reading lists and reference collections.


The Holocaust Studies Shelf

Holocaust Justice
Michael J. Bazyler
New York University Press
838 Broadway, 3rd floor, NY, NY 10003
0814799035 $34.95 www.nyupress.org

Holocaust Justice: The Battle For Restitution In America's Courts by Michael J. Bazyler (Professor of Law, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, California, and Fellow at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC) is a definitive analytical study of how the American courts and system of justice were used to address the mass-scale theft initiated by the Holocaust, which not only exterminated six billion Jews but also stole hundreds of billions in wealth and possessions from its Jewish victims. Since the end of World War II, this mass theft was further perpetrated and exacerbated by Swiss banks that refused to give the families of Holocaust survivors their due; Italian, Swiss, and German insurance policies that refused to pay on prewar policies; wrangling in the courts concerning art looted by the Nazis in wartime Europe, and more. An original and core addition to Holocaust Studies reference collections, Holocaust Justice is a thoughtful, informative, detailed, authoritative study of the ongoing battle for justice stretching decades after Nazi genocide was ended by the Allies along with the rest of the Third Reich.


The Science Shelf

Biocosm
James N. Gardner
Inner Ocean Publishing, Inc.
Box 1239, Makawao Maui HI 96768-1239
1930722265 $29.95 innerocean.com

Biocosm: The New Scientific Theory Of Evolution - Intelligent Life Is The Architect Of The Universe by accomplished science essayist James N. Gardner presents a fascinating hypothesis of how our seemingly "bio-friendly" universe began and what is perceived to be its ultimate destiny. Gardner's "Selfish Biocosm" theory suggests that life and intelligence did not emerge from random Darwinian selection and environmentally deterministic chance, but from a cycle of cosmic creation, evolution, death, and rebirth. Interlinking life itself and universal architecture, fusing biology and cosmology, and more, Biocosm is an absorbing, iconoclastic, and inspirationally presented theory that is recommended as being both thoughtful and thought-provoking.

Principles Of Human Nutrition
Martin Eastwood
Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
0632058110 $99.99 1-800-216-2522

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Principles Of Human Nutrition is a informatively detailed textbook ably compiled and written by Martin Eastwood, a respected expert of nutritional sciences. Individual chapters address how to calculate how much food a community eats; discerning the nutritional status of an individual; the process of eating, digestion, and metabolism, and so much more. A superbly organized, extensively detailed, definitive and scholarly text, Principles Of Human Nutrition is ideal for college course introductory studies, or as supplemental resource by health professionals and non-specialist general readers seeking a better understanding of basic human nutrition.

The Problem Of Information
Douglas Raber
The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.scarecrowpres.com
0810845687 $29.95 1-800-462-6420

Authoritatively written by Douglas Raber (Associate Professor at the School of Information Science, University of Tennessee - Knoxville), The Problem Of Information: An Introduction To The Information Science is a scholarly but highly accessible text deftly discussing a range of research issues such as paradigms, physical metaphors, cognitive metaphors, information as social phenomena, and more. The Problem Of Information is particularly recommended for inclusion with Library Science and Information Science reference collections because of its expertly detailed presentation of critical meta-issues concerning texts and references of all subjects.

Gut Flora, Nutrition, Immunity And Health
Roy Fuller & Gabriela Perdigon, editors
Iowa State Press
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.iowastatepress.com
1405100001 $128.99 1-800-216-2522

Compiled and edited by Roy Fuller Reading (a United Kingdom-based consultant in gut microecology) and Gabriela Perdigon Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy of Tucuman University, Argentina), Gut Flora, Nutrition, Immunity And Health offers an up-to-date scholarly examination of the interrelationship between nutrition, gut microecology, immunology, and health. Collecting contributions from a wide diversity of international experts in the scientific field, individual chapters definitively examine the basics of intestinal microflora; the health benefits of probiotics and prebiotics; immune activation versus hyporesponsiveness and tolerance in the gut; the role of nutrition and immunity in the aged; management of food allergies, and more. Gut Flora, Nutrition, Immunity And Health is a detailed, in-depth, college-level text which is very highly recommended, especially for academic and professional Nutrition and Health Studies reference collections.

Engines, Energy, And Entropy
John B. Fenn
Global View Publishing
PO Box 111384, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
0966081382 $29.95 1-888-LCMS

Deftly and accessibly written by John B. Fenn (Research Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and the winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry), Engines, Energy, And Entropy: A Thermodynamics Primer is a basic, nontechnical introduction to the laws of physics that draws upon the reader's everyday experience to illustrate and solve simple problems and equations. An excellent, easy-to-follow beginner's resource, superb text for self-instruction or for refreshing an awareness after a few seasons away from campus, Engines, Energy, And Entropy is a suitable for the non-specialist general reader as well as a recommended supplemental reader for chemistry students at the university level.


The Gaming Shelf

The Art Of Bisguier
Arthur Bisguier with Newton Berry
3rd Millennium Press
PO Box 702, Hazel Crest, IL 60429
0974015601 $22.95

The Art Of Bisguier presents 82 fully annotated games by chess grandmaster Arthur Bisguier. An absorbing, case-by-case study of his greatest chess matches, The Art Of Bisguier is especially recommended for dedicated chess players who seek to broaden their skills and learn from an expert, as well as those who simply wish to reenact classic tests of mental chess discipline for the fun of it.

Nimzo-Indian Kasparov Variation
Chris Ward
Everyman Chess/Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437-0480
1857443101 $19.95 everymanchess.com

Nimzo-Indian Kasparov Variation by chess grandmaster and former British Champion Chris Ward is an advanced guide designed for experienced chess players. Nimzo-Indian Kasparov Variation presents diverse ambitious ways in which to contest the Nimzo-Indian defense, based upon the strategies the legendary Garry Kasparov used in his World Championship games against Anatoly Karpov. With its detailed and technical examples, enhanced with tactics scrutinized for both sides, Nimzo-Indian Kasparov Variation is a superb addition to serious chess player reading lists and reference shelves.

The Rifter, Issue 23
Wayne Smith, editor
Palladium Books
12455 Universal Drive, Taylor, MI 48180
1574570897 $9.95 palladiumbooks.com

The 23rd issue of The Rifter is a role-gaming tool series of supplements intended for both Game Masters and dedicated role game players. Intended for creating believable scenarios in any of the fascinating "Rifts" multiverses (which range from science fiction, to fantasy, to exotic mixtures of cultures, and even physical laws), Issue 23 offers new ideas for creating spell casting swordsman player characters that are fully balanced and ready to game; tips concerning modern army combat rules to add realism to war-torn role game settings; optional and unofficial source material to add an extra kick and flourish to game play, and much more. An informative and entertaining enhancement filled with creative ideas, The Rifter: Issue 23 is an essential addition to serious game player reference collections.


The Self-Help Shelf

Play As If Your Life Depends On It
Frank Forencich
Go Animal
9112 32nd Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98115
0972335803 $20.00 www.goanimal.com

Knowledgeably written by Frank Forencich (a scholar of biology, martial arts, fitness, and massage), Play As If Your Life Depends On It: Functional Exercise And Living For Homo Sapiens deftly examines the role of physical fitness within an evolutionary context, and offers the readers ways in which fitness in exercise or play can be integrated into their personal life, as well as providing motivational inspiration with enthusiasm and a display of the emotional, physical, and wellness rewards in embracing exercise. Play As If Your Life Depends On It is a thoughtful and thought-provoking, and accessibly engaging analytical survey which is especially recommended for non-specialist general readers, as well as a welcome contribution to Physical Fitness reference collections and reading lists.

Hollywood Endings And How To Get One
Linda Flanders
Llumina Press
772246, Coral Springs, FL 33077-2246
193204759X $11.95 www.llumina.com

In Hollywood Endings And How To Get One, former San Francisco police detective and current educational video producer Linda Flanders has created and crafted a original self-help instructional guide to creating the life one desires. Drawing upon lessons from inspirational films such as "Dances With Wolves", "National Velvet", "Die Hard", and "The Color Purple", Hollywood Endings And How To Get One emphasizes the importance of letting go of guilt and shame, eliminating the qualities one does not want in oneself, learning to forgive, the need for faith, strengthening the link between body and mind, and more. An excellent self-help guide that is thoroughly "reader friendly" and particularly speaks to movie buffs, Hollywood Endings And How To Get One is especially commended for self-improvement personal reading lists and community library Self-Help reference collections.

From Dweeb To Adonis
Peter H. McCusker
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
1403384541 $17.50 www.1stbooks.com

From Dweeb To Adonis: The Complete Guide To Manly Excellence by Peter H. McCusker is a self-help guide written especially for men, and about improving one's life through honing one's self-esteem, intellect, appearance, health, love life, and sex life. Examining the impacts that one's upbringing and childhood have on learning how to play the game of life, From Dweeb To Adonis offers some rather iconclastic advice (such as trying cigarettes or other unhealthy practices only once), yet overall offers an in-depth view in the factors that contribute to the formulation of personality, habits, routine, and all aspects of daily life as well as how that life can be improved. From Dweeb To Adonis is an original, "user friendly" advisory which is quite well written, and a commendable addition to self-help, self-improvement reading lists for a male readership.

Presence And Perception
Dr. James M. Costello
C7 Publishing
5309 Jon Dodson Drive, Agoura Hills, CA 91301
0972602518 $19.95 C7Publishing.com

Skilled speaker and consultant Dr. James M. Costello (Founder of "Presence Engineering", a program specifically designed to generate the mindset and energy of success), Presence And Perception: Creating The Energy Of Success is a thoroughly "user friendly" self-help guide to creating a strong, impacting, and magnetic personal and physical presence whether on the job or pursuing personal relationships. From subtle adjustments to one's posture and facial expression to promote positive gain, to creating confidence and controlling tension, Presence And Perception is a highly recommended addition to any self-help, self-improvement reading list.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

All About The Labrador Retriever
Robert J. Berndt & Richard L. Myers
Alpine Publications, Inc.
PO Box 7027, Loveland, CO 80537
1577790421 $19.95 1-800-777-7257

The collaborative effort by Labrador Retriever experts Robert J. Berndt and Richard L. Myers, All About The Labrador Retriever is an all-encompassing guide for hunters, pet owners, and show exhibitors who seek to learn more about caring for and bringing the best out of this loyal canine breed's potential. Individual chapters address the Labrador Retriever's personality, responsible dog care, the breed history of the Hall of Fame, and more. Black-and-white photographs enhance this practical guide recommended for Labrador Retriever owners and dog lovers everywhere.

Birding In Central And Western New York
Norman E. Wolfe
Footprint Press
PO Box 645, Fishers, NY 14453
1930480008 $16.95 footprintpress.com

Compiled and expertly written by dedicated ornithologist Norman E. Wolfe, Birding In Central And Western New York offers bird lovers an excellent and diverse variety of trails and water routes for seeing birds in the New York area. Maps, detailed instructions and landmarks, tips on where to go to find specific species of birds, basic keys for bird identification, and more make Birding In Central And Western New York a first-rate and confidently recommended guide for New York area bird watching enthusiasts.

Desert Lizards
Randall L. Gray
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
www.krieger-publishing.com
1575241609 $27.50 1-800-724-0025

Accessibly written by expert wildlife biologist Randall L. Gray (with contributions by herpetologist Dan McCarron and zoologist Tim Tytle), Desert Lizards: Captive Husbandry And Propagation is a detailed and "reader friendly" guide to keeping a wide variety of desert lizards in captivity and overseeing their reproduction under diverse circumstances. 60 color photographs and 14 tables enhance a wealth of practical information concerning the taxonomy, natural history, reproduction, feeding habits, and ways to simulate a desert environment for spiny-tailed lizards, horned lizards, chuckawallas, desert iguanas, colored lizards, and geckos. An excellent, authoritative and straightforward resource, Desert Lizards is very highly recommended for anyone considering the responsibility of caring for a captive desert lizard.


The Native American Shelf

Hancock House Publishers
1431 Harrison Ave., Blaine, WA 98230
1-800-938-1114 hancockhouse.com

Native American cultures have long provided inspiration and admiration within the general art community and have made important contributions to 20th Century American art history. Now Robert E. Stanley Sr. has written and illustrated two "coloring books" that are unique, inexpensive, and very highly recommended titles for anyone with an interest in Native American Studies in general, and Native American art in particular. Northwest Native Arts: Creative Colors 1 (0888395329, $5.95) is comprised of 32 pages of designs including The Wolf; The Eagle; The Killer Whale; The Raven, and others which can be colored using pen, pencil, crayon, or paint. and Northwest Native Arts: Creative Colors 2 (0888395337, $4.95) offers 24 additional pages of such designs, and while Native American traditional design colors were red and black (and occasionally blue or turquoise blue), any color or combination of colors can be used.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Start Your Own Self-Publishing Business
Rob Adams and Terry Adams
Entrepreneur Press
2445 McCabe Way, Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92614-6244
1891984829 $14.95 smallbizbooks.com

The collaborative effort of Rob Adams and Terry Adams, Start Your Own Self-Publishing Business: Your Step-By-Step Guide To Success is a no-nonsense instructional guide to the nuts and bolts of getting a self-publishing business off the ground. Individual chapters clearly outline outsourcing options, the potential of e-publishing, identifying one's target market, dealing with taxes when creating a publishing house, bookkeeping and production costs, advertising and marketing, and more. This is a truly first-rate primer for anyone seriously considering entering the highly competitive, exceptionally volatile, and technologically evolving world of self-publishing.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Everyday Consciousness And Buddha-Awakening
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, author
Susanne Schefczyk, translator and editor
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
1559391707 $14.95 snowlionpub.com

Everyday Consciousness And Buddha-Awakening is an introduction to Buddhist psychology and meditation. Written by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (a prominent teacher of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism), and skillfully translated into English and edited for a contemporary readership by Susanne Schefczyk, the accessible text covers the six collections of consciousness, the five types of primordial awareness, the basics of pursuing meditation to balance the elements of the body, and more. An excellent and confidently recommended guide primarily intended for those new to Buddhist Studies, Everyday Consciousness And Buddha-Awakening is complex enough to offer considerable insights for those with some experience in following the manifold path of Buddhism.

Buddhist Tantra
Reginald A. Ray
Sounds True Audio
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
1591790174 $89.95 1-800-333-9185

A very highly recommended contribution to Buddhist Studies collections, Buddhist Tantra: Teachings And Practices For Touching Enlightenment With The Body by Reginald A. Ray (Professor of Buddhist Studies, Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado) provides students of Buddhist philosophy and practice with an informed and informative introduction to the Tantra and why enlightenment begins within the physical body. Professor Ray cogently explains the three "turnings" of Buddhist wisdom; the role of sexuality and desire in tantric practice; how realized teachers reveal the nature of the human mind; and meditations for ground the body in "the seat of awareness". Also accessibly covered are the Buddhist saints and what we can learn from them, masculine and feminine energy channels; a guided practice to connect with the earth as a sentient source of equanimity and calm. All this and more comprise a superbly recorded and thoroughly listener friendly audiobook which is enhanced for Buddhist Studies with eighteen sessions of thoughtful and effective guidance focused on the Buddhist tantra.

Beyond Words
Julia Lawless & Judith Allan
Element
c/o HarperCollins Publishing
1350 Ave of the Americas, NY, NY 10019
0007116772 $22.95 1-800-242-7737

Co-written by Julia Lawless and Julia Lawless (practitioners of Dzogchen and conductors of Dzogchen numerous retreats since 1980), Beyond Words: Dzogchen Made Simple is an impressively accessible introduction to the Buddha's teachings, guru yoga and transmission, visions, Tibetan Buddhism as it has been received in the West, and more. Using everyday language to communicate complex precepts of mind and being, Beyond Words is very highly recommended for acclimatizing oneself to the basics of Dzogchen Tibetan Buddhism and an invaluable, core addition to personal studies reading lists and academic Buddhist Studies reference collections.


The Economics Shelf

Confronting Globalization
Timothy A. Wise, et al.
Kumarian Press, Inc.
1294 Blue Hills Av, Bloomfield CT 06002
1565491637 $25.95 www.kpbooks.com

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Timothy A. Wise, Hilda Salazar and Laura Carlsen, Confronting Globalization: Economic Integration And Popular Resistance In Mexico presents informed and informative essays from a variety of expert contributors pondering diverse labor, agricultural, and environmental issues within the context of contemporary globalization. Looking at the social and environmental costs that globalization extracts upon Mexico's land and people; exploring grassroots searches for alternate paths; and ranging from sweatshop workers' struggles for basic labor rights to the efforts of corn farmers to keep the influx imported grain from forcing them off their land, Confronting Globalization is very highly recommended reading for students of international economics, social activists, and governmental trade policy makers.

Critical Issues In International Financial Reform
Albert Berry & Gustavo Indart, editors
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854
0765801779 $49.95 1-888-999-6778

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Albert Berry Professor of Economics, University of Toronto) and Gustavo Indart Special Lecturer of Economics and Coordinator of the Program on Latin American and the Caribbean, University of Toronto), Critical Issues In International Financial Reform offers a variety of learned essays by distinguished economists that informatively analyze the weaknesses of current international financial systems and practices. From an overview of capital flows to Latin America in the 1990s, to financial liberalization in Canada, to bank crisis resolution in developing countries, Critical Issues In International Financial Reform is an expertly written collage of diverse and insightful viewpoints which is confidently recommended for inclusion in International Economics Studies reference collections and reading lists.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Judge Dredd: The Judge Child Quest
John Wagner et al.
Titan Books Ltd.
144 Southwark Street, London, England, SE1 0UP
www.titanpublishinggroup.com
1840236515 $24.95 www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of John Wagner and Alan Grant with Brian Bolland, Mike McMahon and Ron Smith, Judge Dredd: The Judge Child Quest is a hardcover, black-and-white, graphic novel compilation of classic stories drawn from the popular British sci-fi comic "2000 AD" depicting the fantastic adventures of a lawman in a futuristic dystopia where the law is mercilessly dispensed by absolute "Judges" -- and life means little among the vicious, backbiting, selfish and often slovenly citizenry. A wry social commentary as well as an exciting, action-packed classic of science fiction adventure, Judge Dredd: The Judge Child Quest is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library graphic novel collections.

Daily Delirium
M. Prado
NBM Press
555 8th Avenue, #1202, NY, NY 10018
1561633348 $25.95 nbmpublishing.com

Daily Delirium by M. Prado is the graphic novel comprising a complete collection of loopy gags, many of which have been seen in issues of "Heavy Metal" magazine. Created by the designer of the "Men in Black" animated series among his other claims to fame, Prado's original brand of surreal, funny, fascinating, and humorous Daily Delirium is not to be missed by his legions of fans and admirers.

Flame Of Recca
Nobuyuki Anzai
Viz Communications Inc.
655 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94107
1591160669 $9.95 1-800-394-3042

Flame Of Recca is volume one of an action-packed, adventurous manga (Japanese graphic novel) saga by Nobuyuki Anzai about a young high school man with mysterious, fiery powers who yearns to become a true ninja. He befriends a gentle woman with healing powers, and vows to be her protector - but not only do male and female rivals pose their threats, a dangerous, deathless woman has targeted our hero, for he may be the only one who can release her from immortality! Flame Of Recca is enthusiastically recommended as an upbeat, fast-paced and totally fun read.


The Aviation Shelf

Sticks & Wires & Cloth
Anne Hopkins
Trailing Edge Publishing
PO Box 69250, Tucson, AZ 85737
0972001506 $26.95 www.TEBooks.com

Sticks & Wires & Cloth by Anne Hopkins is the personal story of a woman who pursued her dream to fly in a 1929-design biplane. Replete with study, preparation, and firsthand memories of the wind in one's face and one braves the sky, Sticks & Wires & Cloth is an invigorating and involving testimony recommended for aviation buffs and armchair travelers, offering the most vivid impressions of biplane flying experience to be had without actually climbing into one and taking off. Sticks & Wires & Cloth is a unique and welcome addition to any personal or community library Aviation Studies collection.

The Flying Book
David Blatner
Greystone Books/Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebeck Street, Suite 201, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
1550549928 $26.95 1-800-367-9692

The Flying Book: Everything You've Ever Wondered About Flying On Airplanes by David Blatner is a straightfoward, "reader friendly", highly enjoyable, educational survey of aviation which accessibly explains in lay terms everything from how airplanes work, to air turbulence, to what goes on behind cockpit doors, to dealing with stress and fear, to building airplanes, to a brief history of powered flight, and more. A fun and rewarding read for all ages, The Flying Book is most especially recommended for nervous first-time flyers, as well as inquisitive young (and not-so-young!) minds who want to know more about the modern mechanical miracle of aviation.


The Travel Shelf

The Creaky Traveler
Warren Rovetch
Sentient Publications
113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
www.sentientpublications.com
097107867X $15.95 www.amazon.com

The Creaky Traveler In The North West Highlands Of Scotland by experienced world traveler Warren Rovetch is a personal memoir and engaging travelogue of Britain's coastal wilderness. Penned with insight, charm, and vibrant impressions of culture, natural beauty, and the unique feel of the land itself, The Creaky Traveler is a very highly recommended, expressive, and readable Scottish Highlands guide for vacationers and armchair travelers alike.

Boston Harbor Islands
Ken Mallory
DownEast Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843-0679
0892725915 $12.95 1-207-594-9544

Compiled and edited by Ken Mallory (Director of Publications, New England Aquarium, Boston), Boston Harbor Islands: National Park Area is a beautiful and impressively informative introduction to the national park islands of Boston Harbor. Featuring lavish full-color photographs, at-a-glance capsule information concerning access, description, facilities, special interests, and agencies of each island, and inviting, easy-to-follow narration of each island, Boston Harbor Islands: National Park Area is a joy for armchair travelers, and an excellent introduction for anyone looking to spend quality vacation time in the national park areas of Boston Harbor Islands.

African Safari Journal
Mark W. Nolting
Global Travel Publishers, Inc.
5353 N. Federal Highway, Suite 300, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308
0939895080 $16.95 1-800-882-9453

African Safari Journal is an excellent companion to appreciate and record the once-in-a-lifetime experiences offered by an exciting African safari as it combines a wildlife/botany guide; a simple language phrase book with phonetics in Swahili, Shona, Tswana, Zulu, and French; a trip organizer; a map directory; a journal for writing personal thoughts and observations, and so much more. A first-rate, extremely useful, "user friendly" resource, consulting guide, and souvenir for lasting memories, African Safari Journal is enthusiastically recommended for anyone planning a trip to the Dark Continent!

The Great Allegheny Passage Companion
Bill Metzger
The Local History Company
112 North Woodland Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
097118352X $19.95 1-888-362-0789

The Great Allegheny Passage Companion: Guide To History And Heritage Along The Trail by writer, editor, map maker, and enthusiastic bicyclist Bill Metzger is a detailed, mile-by-mail guidebook to the Allegheny Passage Trail. Especially written for bikers, hikers, rail buffs, armchair travelers and the non-specialist general reader interested in learning more about the colorful past of the great state of Pennsylvania, The Great Allegheny Passage Companion is replete with extensive historical anecdotes for every leg of the journey distinguishing this especial guide. Nicely enhanced with a profusion of black-and-white photographs, maps, and solid travel advice, The Great Allegheny Passage Companion is an invaluable travel planning resource and reference for anyone seeking to fully experience what the Allegheny Passage has to offer the contemporary traveler.

Ticket To Everywhere
Dave Hoekstra
Lake Claremont Press
4650 No. Rockwell St, Chicago, IL 60625
1893121119 $15.95 lakeclaremont.com

Compiled and written by travel writer and columnist Dave Hoekstra, Ticket To Everywhere: The Best Detours Of Travel Column collects the "Detours" travel columns since 1995 from the "Chicago Sun-Times" Sunday travel section. Presenting sixty-six of the most exciting and fun road trip explorations all along the Midwest and Route 66 byways, Ticket To Everywhere is replete with history, lore, anecdotes, witty asides, black-and-white photographs, and more. A must-have for road trip buffs, Ticket To Everywhere is a welcome and appreciated contribution to personal and community library Travel Guide and Travelog collections!

Diving Off The Beaten Track
Bob Burgess
Aqua Quest Publications, Inc.
Box 700, Locust Valley, NY 11560-0700
1881652033 $18.95 1-516-759-0476

Informatively written by veteran diver and journalist Bob Burgess, Diving Off The Beaten Track is an engaging travelogue showcasing superb diving locations in the Bahamas, the Caymans, Belize, and Bay Islands. Full-color photographs wonderfully enhanced Burgess' engaging narration making Diving Off The Beaten Track superbly fascinating reading for armchair travelers as well as an invaluable Caribbean travel planning guide for avid divers.

Weekending In New England
Betsy Wittemann
The Countryman Press
PO Box 748, Woodstock, Vermont 05091
0881505226 $19.95 countrymanpress.com

Authoritatively written by Betsy Whittemann (a travel article and guidebook specialist of more than 25 years experience), Weekending In New England: 22 Complete Getaways To Pursue Your Passions is a "user friendly" travel guide which is packed from cover to cover with contact information, descriptions, and reviews of prime lodgings, restaurants, and regional attractions. From antiquing excursions and simply exploring local history, to enjoying the natural beauty of lakeside and riverside retreats, Weekending In New England is usefully enhanced with black-and-white photographs, price information, and is characterized with an especial eye for detail which distinguishes this first-rate guide as a planning resource for anyone spending vacation time in the New England area.


The Civil War Shelf

When The Smoke Cleared At Gettysburg
George Sheldon
Cumberland House Publishing, Inc.
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37211
www.cumberlandhouse.com
1581823436 $16.95 www.amazon.com

When The Smoke Cleared At Gettysburg: The Tragic Aftermath Of The Bloodiest Battle Of The Civil War by newspaper correspondent and author George Sheldon, presents objective overview of the aftermath of one of the American Civil War's most important battles, including firsthand, personal accounts of the Gettysburg townspeople, as well as the soldiers, reporters, doctors and others who had to deal with burying the dead, tending the wounded, and rebuilding a place shattered by war. A poignant and profoundly vivid narrative, When The Smoke Cleared At Gettysburg: The Tragic Aftermath Of The Bloodiest Battle Of The Civil War is an original, "reader friendly", and very highly recommended addition to the growing library of Civil War Studies.

Madness, Malingering & Malfeasance
R. Gregory Lande
Brassey, Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles, VA 20166
1574883526 $27.95 1-800-775-2518

A work of considerable and original Civil War research by R. Gregory Lande (Director of Professional Services of the William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute, Columbia, South Carolina), Madness, Malingering & Malfeasance: The Transformation Of Psychiatry And The Law In The Civil War Era is a sophisticated and original study of how the medical and legal professions and the American government struggled to contain military insubordination, substance abuse, and crime in the Civil War era. From the law's viewpoint of alcohol use; to life in Civil War era prison; to effective and unsuccessful strategies of treatment and control; as well as commentary on what today's medical and legal professionals can learn from them, Madness, Malingering & Malfeasance is a unique and very highly recommended addition Civil War Studies reading lists and reference collections.

Southerners In Blue
Don Umphrey
Quarry Press
PO Box 181736, Dallas, TX 75218
www.quarrypressbooks.com
0971495815 $29.95 1-214-327-2538

Southerners In Blue: They Defied The Confederacy is the reconstruction of a true story from former journalist Don Umphrey's great-grandfather's written memoirs which Umphrey has correlated with numerous other documents. Southerners In Blue is the true and little known story of individuals who lived in the South yet balked at Confederate rule in the Civil War era. Describing ruthless hostilities neighbor inflicted upon neighbor for being sympathetic to Union or Confederate causes, Southerners In Blue is at once both disturbing as it reveals a hidden and horrific side of the war that tore America in two. As gut-wrenching as the battlefield carnage, Southerners In Blue is a unique, exceptionally well written and welcome addition to academic Civil War reference library collections and very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of Civil War buffs.

Gracie's Alabama Volunteers
John Michael Burton
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster St., Gretna, LA 70053
1589801164 $23.00 1-800-843-1724

Skillfully written by John Michael Burton (a Vietnam Veteran and member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans with experience reenacting the Civil War), Gracie's Alabama Volunteers: The History Of The Fifty-Ninth Alabama Volunteer Regiment is a close and detailed study of a Confederate unit which was filled with volunteers ranging in age from sixteen to sixty. Many of the men were illiterate; very few of them owned slaves; and the entire regiment would face harsh conditions and the loss of its dynamic general before the war came to a close. Gracie's Alabama Volunteers is a vivid and strongly recommended Civil War history that brings the experiences, battles and hardships of these Confederate frontline soldiers the welcome attention of a contemporary readership.

With Fire And Sword
Thomas A. DeBlack
The University of Arkansas Press
McIlroy House, 201 Ozark Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72701
1557287392 $18.95 1-800-626-0090

Thoughtfully written by Thomas A. DeBlack (Associate Professor of History, Arkansas Tech University), With Fire And Sword: Arkansas, 1861-1874 provides a scholarly examination of just how the events of the Civil War and the Reconstruction so heavily devastated the state of Arkansas, its population and its economy, that this southern state was never to fully regained the level of prosperity it had enjoyed prior to the war. A candid and detailed retracing of crucial decisions, their interplay, and their lasting legacy, With Fire And Sword is a welcome contribution to the growing library of Civil War literature and Reconstruction Era reference collections and reading lists.


The Sports Shelf

The Giants And The Dodgers
Andrew Goldblatt
McFarland & Company, Inc.
PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786416408 $29.95 1-800-253-2187

The Giants And The Dodgers: Four Cities, Two Teams, One Rivalry by baseball enthusiast Andrew Goldblatt (Administrative Specialist in the Office of Risk Management, University of California - Berkeley) is the informed and definitive account of these two great baseball teams and their legendary players from the teams' origins in the 1840s down to the present day. A thoroughly enjoyable and enlivening read for Giants and Dodgers fans alike, The Giants And The Dodgers is an unique and exciting, era-by-era analysis which filled from cover to cover with anecdotes.

Stoked! A History Of Surf Culture
Drew Kampion
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
1586852132 $39.95 1-800-748-5439

Now in a new and expanded edition, Stoked! A History Of Surf Culture by writer, photographer, and surfing expert Drew Kampion (who was also a former editor of "Surfer," "Surfing," "Wind Surf" and "Wind Tracks" magazines) is an informative, adventurous, visually oriented historical survey of a wildly popular sport -- and the people who embraced and developed it. Gorgeous full-color photographs stir visions of wind and wave, while the accessible text traces the love, lore, and sometimes tragedy of this exciting pastime down through the years. Stoked! is enthusiastically recommended -- especially for surfing enthusiasts!

Road To Canton
Marcus Allen with Matt Fulks
Sports Publishing Inc.
804 North Nell, Suite 100, Champaign, IL 61820
www.SportsPublishingLLC.com
158261721X $24.95 1-877-807-6034

Road To Canton is the exciting sports biography of Marcus Allen, who set his sights on his boyhood dream of earning a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and defied critics to earn eleven seasons with the Raiders, an NFL Most Valuable Player award, five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, and finally the achievement of his lasting dream with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Gorgeous color photography illustrates this vivid and exciting life story which is highly recommended reading for football fans of all ages.

The Book Of Rowing
D. C. Churbuck
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
1585673803 $22.95 1-800-743-1312

Now in an new and completely updated edition, The Book Of Rowing by rowing expert D. C. Churbuck presents just about everything any aspiring rower wanting to successfully engaging in this strenuous yet highly enjoyable sport and pastime needs to know. From sculling to off-the-water workouts to rowing clubs, international rowing, the Harvard-Yale Regatta and more, The Book Of Rowing is thoroughly "reader friendly" and enhanced with a bibliography, a glossary, a list of rowing teams and organizations, more than 60 black-and-white photographs, a list of races and regattas and more. The Book Of Rowing is a superbly organized and presented resource for rowers of all skill and experience levels -- and highly recommended reading for rowing enthusiasts past and present!


The Railroading Shelf

Orphan Road
Kurt E. Armbruster
Washington State University Press
Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
0874221862 $29.95 1-800-354-7360

Compiled, organized, and written by Puget Sound railroad expert Kurt E. Armbruster, Orphan Road: The Railroad Comes To Seattle, 1853-1911 is an impressive and in-depth railroading Seattle, Washington, and the growth of its railways, economic struggle, urban aspirations, colorful historic figures and more. An adventurous history for railway buffs, Armbruster's informed and informative text is very finely illustrated throughout with many black and white photographs, presenting and enhancing a story as educational as it is fun to read. Orphan Road is a welcome and unique contribution to Railroading History collections and reading lists.


The Military Shelf

Marine Corps Tank Battles In Korea
Oscar Gilbert
Casemate
2114 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083
1932033130 $34.95 1-610-853-9131

Authoritatively and capably written by Oscar Gilbert (a Marine artilleryman and an NCO instructor in the Marine Corps Reserve), Marine Corps Tank Battles In Korea is a powerful and unflinchingly honest oral history of the armored conflict of the Korean War. Insights as to how tanks were deployed on the battlefield, close studies of the war's major battles, anecdotal testimonies, black-and-white photographs, and much, much more fill the pages of this even-handed, in-depth, detailed, specialized, strongly recommended military history of the Korean War.

Through These Portals
Wayne C. MacGregor, Jr.
Washington State University Press
Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
0874222559 $21.95 1-800-354-7360

Wayne C. MacGregor Jr. is a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army 77th infantry division. Through These Portals: A Pacific War Saga is MacGregor's personal memoir of service in the U.S. Army during the Pacific campaigns, where he fought alongside the Navy and Marine Corps. Informative remembrances of the dire hardships of the Great Depression, background the values, attitudes, and morals that sustained the American troops who were thrust into lethal confrontation with the highly trained, combat savvy, ideologically fanatical, and sometimes suicidal Japanese soldiers. Also available in a hardcover edition (0874222567, $35.00), and a very highly recommended addition to World War II Military History collections, Through These Portals vividly captures both dramatic events and the grind of daily life as American soldiers struggled and often forfeited their lives in a war in the Pacific Theatre.

Ubique!
Charmion Chaplin-Thomas, et al.
General Store Publishing House
PO Box 28, 1694B Burnstown Road, Burnstown, Ontario, Canada K0J 1G0
1894263804 $19.95 1-800-465-6072

The collaborative effort of Charmion Chaplin-Thomas, Vic Johnson, and Bill Rawling, Ubique! Canadian Military Engineers: A Century Of Service is a bilingual tribute, in both English and French, to the proud accomplishments and intelligent contributions of Canada's military engineers. Black-and-white photographs enhance a thoroughly descriptive overview of the Canadian Engineer Corps since its formation in 1903, and its enduring mission to ensure that Canadian soldiers could live, fight, and serve in all terrains. Ubique! is enthusiastically recommend as being a distinctive and informative survey offering insight into a specialized aspect of Canadian military history.

An Eyewitness History Of World War II
Carl J. Schneider & Dorothy Schneider
Checkmark Books/Facts On File
132 West 31st St., 17th fl, NY, NY 10001
0816044856 $21.95 www.factsonfile.com

The latest title in the outstanding "Eyewitness History" series from Checkmark Books, An Eyewitness History Of World War II is the collaborative effort of historians and educators Carl J. Schneider and Dorothy Schneider which presents primary sources and references along with scholarly observations of World War II and the events that led up to it -- as well as its immediate aftermath. Hundreds of letters, speeches, newspaper articles allow for an informative diversity of close-up perspectives of this terrible war with severe global repercussions. An Eyewitness History Of World War II is highly recommended reading and a welcome contribution school and community library World War II Military Studies reference collections.

The French Air Service
War Chronology 1914-1918
Frank W. Bailey & Christophe Cony
Grub Street
c/o Seven Hills Book Distributors
1531 Tremont St., Cincinnati, OH 45214
1902304349 $49.95 www.amazon.com

The collaborative effort of military historian Frank W. Bailey and French aviation history expert Christophe Cony, The French Air Service War Chronology 1914-1918 is not a narrative-style history, but rather an extensive reference listing all the claims and losses of the French fighter force on a day-to-day basis. Previously unpublished black-and-white photographs add a visual touch to the extensive and exhaustive tables that succinctly summarize the day-to-day lives and deaths of brave fighters and flyers. A meticulously researched and detailed resource, The French Air Service War Chronology 1914-1918 is an original, definitive, and very strongly recommended contribution to World War I Military Aviation History library reference collections.


The Money/Finance Shelf

The Everything Wills & Estate Planning Book
Kimberley A. Colgate
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322
158062880X $14.95 everything.com

The Everything Wills & Estate Planning Book by Kimberley A. Colgate (a former full-time law professor and operator of a private law practice), is a highly accessible resource for specifically designed and written for non-specialist general readers wanting to plan and ensure their financial future for themselves, their families, and their beneficiaries. Sample wills, trusts, and legal documents, advice for selecting the best candidate for a child guardian, tips for choosing the right lawyer, and a wealth of need-to-know legal wisdom in down-to-earth terms, make The Everything Wills & Estate Planning Book a thoroughly "user friendly" and highly recommended resource to be carefully read before visiting an expensive attorney.

DIY Portfolio Management
Lyle Wilkinson
Select Publishing
PO Box 3182, Wailuku, HI 96793-3182
www.diyportfoliomanagement.com
097283950X $29.99

Lyle Wilkinson discovered that his stock brokers's interests and his own interests as an investor in the stock market weren't always the same. DIY Portfolio Management is a solid do-it-yourself guide by Wilkinson to managing your own investment nest egg to your own best advantage. Individual chapters address reversion strategy, stock picking, market timing, paper trading, portfolio management issues such as risk and cycles, and much more. Presenting significantly complex financial matters in straightforward, accessible language, DIY Portfolio Management is very highly recommended reading, both for those determined to take complete charge of their own portfolio as well as those who just want to learn a little more about how the whole process works.

Investing Under Fire
Alan R. Ackerman, editor
Bloomberg Press
400 College Road East, Princeton, NJ 08542-0888
www.bloomberg.com/books
1576601374 $27.95 1-877-388-2749

Edited by global market strategist and foreign affairs expert Alan R. Ackerman, Investing Under Fire: Winning Strategies From The Masters For Bulls, Bears, And The Bewildered authoritatively presents expert testimony from financial experts concerning the hazards and opportunities awaiting investors in the constantly changing present and future. From biotech; to the Chinese market; to available legal recourses; to examples of what investors should look for when reading between the lines of an annual report, Investing Under Fire is an especially recommended "inside scoop" of thoughtful extrapolations and solidly practical advice for those who are somewhat experienced with investing, yet are seeking to learn more of the increasingly complex and volatile financial and global markets.

Your 401(k) Handbook
Mark L. Schawnbeck
Your Money Press
PO Box 10153, Arlington, VA 22210
www.yourmoneypress.com
0972748326 $16.99 1-888-654-4015

Current for 2003, Your 401(k) Handbook is an invaluable and "user friendly" instructional guide to investment decisions for employees which authoritatively covers the basic fiscal rules for taking charge of one's 401(k) plan and making personal savings grow. From basic rules such as "diversify" and "ignore fads" to the advantages of a 401(k) including flexibility and tax deferment of contributions to learning how to evaluate investment options and view how they are doing and much more, Your 401(k) Handbook is an extensively detailed financial handbook written especially to be accessible to non-specialist general readers of all experience levels ranging from the novice to the more experienced wage earner in the constantly changing world of finance.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems
Marjorie M. Holland, et al.
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., #300, Washington, DC 20009-1148
1559639296 $30.00 islandpress.org

The collaborative editorial effort of Marjorie M. Holland (Director of the Center for Water and Wetland Resources, University of Mississippi - Oxford); Elizabeth R. Blood (Research Scientist at the J. W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton, Georgia); and Lawrence R. Shaffer (Biology Instructor, Northwest Mississippi Community College and Adjunct Faculty Member, Department of Biology, University of Mississippi), Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems: A Web Of Connections is a informed and informative collection of erudite essays from diverse authors and specialists studying the problems that beset freshwater ecosystems and addressing the means to deal with the thorny issues concerning environmental preservation. From regional water strategies; to the history of wetlands laws; to wetland restoration and forestry, Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems is an excellent and timely collection which is especially recommended for inclusion into academic and governmental Environmental Studies reference collections -- especially for those wanting to directly address contemporary Freshwater Systems remedial and restoration issues.


The Criminology Shelf

Gangsters And Outlaws Of The 1930s
Richard Owen & James Owen
White Mane Publishing Company, Inc.
PO Box 708, Shippensburg, PA 17257
1572492759 $29.95 1-888-948-6263

The collaborative effort of Richard Owen and James Owen, Gangsters And Outlaws Of The 1930s: Landmarks Of The Public Enemy Era is a visually oriented, photographic showcase of famous sites, buildings, monuments and more which are related to a famous era of 20th century American crime, violence, bloodshed, and scandals which once rocked the nation. A black-and-white photograph of each landmark is accompanied with a brief description of the story behind the landmark's fame, making Gangsters And Outlaws Of The 1930s an informative and entertaining "tour book" of the darker side of a yesteryear America.

Encyclopedia Of Murder & Violent Crime
Eric Hickey, editor
Sage Publications, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
076192437X $125.00 www.sagepub.com

More than 200 entries comprise the Encyclopedia Of Murder & Violent Crime, which presents the latest research and insight into the nature of society's deepest ills and worst perpetrators. Under the skilled editorship of criminal psychology expert Eric Hickey (Adjunct Professor for Fresno City College and the California School of Professional Psychology), more than 100 experts in the fields of criminology, criminal justice, psychology, sociology, and anthropology contribute to this scholarly and sober resource, featuring topics that range from "aggression" and "cults"; to "juvenile crime", "kidnaping", "sex crimes", "vigilantism", and more. The Encyclopedia Of Murder & Violent Crime is a highly recommended addition to academic library reference collections in the field of Criminology.

Robbers Of The Rails
John J. Koblas
North Star Press of St. Cloud
PO Box 451, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0451
0878391932 $16.95 1-888-820-1636

Superbly written by John J. Koblas (whose work on Jesse James has been filmed as a documentary by the Old West Society), Robbers Of The Rails: The Sontag Boys Of Minnesota is a gritty, in-depth, informative look at the harsh Minnesota frontier and a pair of brothers who robbed and terrorized trains in the post-Civil War era throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California. A narrative history of their crimes, their ill-gotten gains, and the relentless pursuit of the law, is enhanced with highly descriptive characterizations of ruthless and terrifying figures of the late 1800's. Robbers Of The Rails is recommended for Western History Studies and 19th Century Criminology Studies reference collections and reading lists.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

The Jews Of Kaifeng, China
Xu Xin
KTAV Publishing House, Inc.
930 Newark Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07306
0881257915 $29.50 1-201-963-9524

The Jews Of Kaifeng, China: History, Culture, And Religion by Ux Xin (Nanjing University) examines the indigenous Jewish community that lived in the city of Kaifeng in northeastern China. Far removed from the rest of the world, the Kaifeng Jews gradually adopted Chinese customs into their traditional way of life, and intermarried with the non-Jewish populace, so that eventually their descendants were almost completely assimilated. A truly fascinating and extensively researched historical study, The Jews Of Kaifeng is a unique and very welcome contribution to Judaic Studies reference shelves and supplemental reading lists.

Passover
Dr. Ron Wolfson
Jewish Lights Publishing
PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
1580231748 $19.95 1-800-962-4544

Now in an expanded second edition, Passover is a comprehensive guide by Ron Wolfson (William and Freda Fingherhut Assistant Professor of Education, Director of the Whizin Center for the Jewish Future, and Vice President of the University of Judaism in Los Angeles), to the history and celebration of this Jewish holiday and time for remembrance. From how to prepare traditional Passover food to step-by-step instructions to learning the rituals, prayers, and blessings, to songs and prayers in English and Hebrew with clear transliterations, and much, much more, Passover is both a highly accessible instructional guide and a meditative contemplation regarding the personal meaning Passover has for the many who celebrate it. Passover is a very highly recommended contribution to personal, familial, and community library Judaic Studies reference collections.


The Law/Justice Shelf

The Young Lawyer's Guide To Money And Power
William Shears
Secret Guide Publishing
4714 Ballard Avenue, NW #312, Seattle, WA 98107-4850
0974074179 $19.95 secretguide.com

The Young Lawyer's Guide To Money And Power addresses in candid terms a great many of the things that aren't necessarily taught in law school, yet are essential to a successful career, including how to adopt appropriate dress, speech, and behavior, learning to combat with words, impressing and captivating the client, taking charge of one's business life, and more. A "go-getter" self-help guide to pursuing success in the highly competitive legal field and highly recommended reading for novice attorneys fresh from law school .

No culture can prosper, no society can remain intellectually free unless the citizenry values literacy and the arts above and beyond simple commercial exploitation.


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


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