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Library Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 6 June 2012 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Reference Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Psychology Shelf Military Shelf
Business Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Social Issues Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Biography Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Computer Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Sports Shelf Parenting Shelf Education Shelf
Art Shelf Economic Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Library Science Shelf Large Print Shelf Photography Shelf
Science Shelf Literary Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Political Science Shelf Autism Shelf Language Studies Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf Dance Shelf
Fashion Shelf Humor Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

What We Talk About When We Talk About War
Noah Richler
Goose Lane Editions
500 Beverbrook Court, Suite 330
Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5X4
9780864926227, $24.95, www.gooselane.com

War was once a distant memory for this generation, but it now seems to be a persistent state. "What We Talk About When We Talk About War" discusses the far reaching impacts of war. Author Noah Richler writes from a Canadian perspective, focusing on their support of America's conflict in Afghanistan. Concerned that Canada is losing its role as a nation that only went to war to force peace, Richler writes of the challenges Canada will face with that identity and what sits in her future. "What We Talk About When We Talk About War" is much recommended read for those who want to understand the impact of war on the home front, with overtones that can apply to any modern industrialized nation.

American Copia
Javier O. Huerta
Arte Publico Press
University of Houston
4902 Gulf Fwy, Bldg 19, Rm 100
Houston, TX 77204-2004
9781558857483, $14.95, www.artepublicopress.com

A second chance is all too often taken for granted. "American Copia: An Immigrant Epic" discusses the struggles of the immigrant in today's society. Author Javier O. Huerta presents his own journey to citizen, offering a perspective of society of a people looking up, and the struggles that come with immigrant culture. "American Copia" is a fine assortment of essays, poetry, and much more, offering a clear view of a world few truly understand.


The Reference Shelf

The Lincoln Library Of Essential Information, fourth edition
Timothy L. Gall & Susan Bevan Gall, editors
Lincoln Library Press
812 Huron Road East, Suite 401
Cleveland, OH 44115-1172
9780912168227, $249.00, www.thelincolnlibrary.com

Now in an updated and expanded fourth edition, "The Lincoln Library Of Essential Information" is a single volume, 2112-page compendium of information enhanced with the inclusion of 1251 illustrations, 167 tables, and a two year online access to the Lincoln Library information database. Accessibly organized into major sections for Education, Language & Logic; Literature; Arts, Entertainment & Sports; History; Government; Physical Sciences; Biological Sciences; Social Sciences; Architecture, Engineering, Business & Law, "The Lincoln Library Of Essential Information" is further enhanced with the inclusion of a comprehensive index. It's interesting to note that the name comes as an homage to Abraham Lincoln with respect to the values of self-education. A core reference work that is strongly recommended for school, community, and academic library collections, "The Lincoln Library Of Essential Information" will also prove invaluable as a supplement for home schooling curriculum development, as well as a self-study and educational reference work for non-specialist general readers seeking to expand their minds and knowledge base.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Climate Wars
Harald Welzer
Polity
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.blackwellpublishing.com
9780745651453, $25.00, www.amazon.com

While accepted by a dominant majority of the scientific community, the very concept of man-made climate change has been (and continues to be) anathema to whole segments of the general population. Translated into politics, this public disbelief in climate change has stalled governmental measures to address the impending disasters related to changes in climate brought about by human industrial, agricultural, and technological activities. But those changes are here and will only be exacerbated in the coming decades resulting in conflicts and struggles over potable water and other natural but dwindling resources. Those conflicts already include incidents of genocide (ethnic cleansing), civil wars in Third World countries, dramatic refugee migrations, social/economic collapses, and increasingly radical political movements world wide. That is the focus of Harald Welzer's "Climate Wars", a 288-page analytical and predictive study and project on the impact climate change will have on human societies. Of special note are Harald Welzer's two chapters on 'What Can and Cannot Be Done'. Translated into English by Patrick Camiller, "Climate Wars" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone with concerns over the impact of climate change upon their lives, their families, their communities, their country.

Last Call at the Oasis
Karl Weber, editor
Public Affairs Books
250 West 57th Street, #1321
New York, NY 10107
9781586489786, $15.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

The world's population's demands for potable water may overpower its supply. "Last Call at the Oasis: The Global Water Crisis and Where We Go From Here" discusses the growing problem that may be water scarcity and how water access may become a very much vital issue in coming years. Karl Weber edits a compilation of many thinkers, scientists, environmentalists, politicians, and more as they offer insight on this growing crisis and how water scarcity will become a very real threat. With concern mixed in with optimism for a better solution, "Last Call at the Oasis" is a strong pick for environmental issues and studies collection and for readers who want to understand the importance of water in coming years.

World Environmental History
William H. McNeill and collaborators
Berkshire Publishing Group
120-122 Castle Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230-1506
9781933782966, $29.95, www.berkshirepublishing.com

Man's domain over the world is unrivaled, so the interactions of man with the environment cannot be ignored. "World Environmental History" is a collaboration from many thinkers and writers, covering the impact that humanity has had with the environment all throughout history, from ancient times to the industrial revolution to the modern era. They also touch on the impact that natural disasters have also wreaked havoc on the world and has changed the world's climate and environment. "World Environmental History" is a strong addition to any world geological history or environmental studies collection, highly recommended.


The Cookbook Shelf

Grill This, Not That!
David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding
Rodale Press
733 Third Avenue, NY, NY 10017
www.rodalepress.com
9781609618223, $19.99, www.amazon.com

A compact, 368-page compendium that is the collaborative work of David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, "Grill This, Not That!" combines an instruction manual for backyard grilling with a culinary wealth of grilling recipes that range from appetizers, snacks and small bites, to salads, vegetables, burgers and sandwiches, pizza, poultry, red meat, fish and seafood, and even desserts! Profusely illustrated with full color photographs of finished dishes, "Grill This, Not That!" offers a cornucopia of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, nutritious fare that ranges from Artichoke Pesto Pizzas; Tandoori Chicken; Classic Baby Back Ribs; and Stuffed Flank Steak; to Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter; Grilled Meatballs with Smoky Tomato Sauce; Vietnamese-Style Chicken Wings; and Grilled Banana Splits. With grilling season upon us, "Grill This, Not That!" is very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Great Food Fast
Bob Warden
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
www.quailridge.com
9781934193792, $24.95, www.amazon.com

For today's kitchen cook, time is of the essence -- so is the desire to prepare dishes that are nutritious, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, while simultaneously quick and easy to prepare. That's why food enthusiast Bob Warden's "Great Food Fast" will prove to be as popular as it is indispensable for today's family chefs! Utilizing the pressure cooker, the thoroughly 'user friendly' illustrated recipes range from Rosemary Pot Roast; Cheeseburger Macaroni; Buffalo Chicken Strips; and Tender Poached Salmon; to Cajun Crab Risotto; Creamy Succotash; Traditional Minestrone Soup; and Mango Shortcake. Enhanced with a suggested Pantry List and Cooking Time Charts, "Great Food Fast" is an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Everyday Cooking With The Halogen Oven
Paul Brodel & Carol Beckerman
Sellers Publishing
161 John Roberts Road
South Portland, ME 04106
www.makefun.com
9781416206927, $18.95, www.amazon.com

A halogen oven is a modern invention that is also referred to as an infrared or convection oven. It is similar to a crockpot in that it is used almost exclusively for one pot meals but has the added advantage of being able to bake, broil, saute, steam, fry, and even grill -- all on the kitchen counter top. Powered by en electric cord plugged into an ordinary wall socket, require significantly less power than a conventional oven. Its advantage over a microwave oven is that it can brown foods perfectly, resulting in foods with a perfectly cooked interior and a crisp, attractive exterior. The collaborative work of culinary enthusiasts Paul Brodel and Carol Beckerman, "Everyday Cooking With The Halogen Oven" beautifully showcases 80 recipes specifically designed to take full advantage of a halogen oven. Superbly illustrated in full color the dishes range from Bacon Bagels; Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa; Moroccan-Spiced Butterfly Quail; and Pesto-Crusted Cod; to Grilled Asparagus Wrapped in Parma Ham; Creamy Spinach Casserole; and even Popcorn! Informed and informative, "Everyday Cooking With The Halogen Oven" is enhanced with clear instructions on its use, care, and specialized cooking techniques making it very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library specialty cookbook collections.


The Psychology Shelf

You've Earned Your Doctorate in Psychology... Now What?
Elizabeth M. Morgan & R. Eric Landrum
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433811456, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Sometimes it seems that getting an education is harder than getting a job. Especially in a field as crowded as that of psychology. That's why "You've Earned Your Doctorate in Psychology . Now What?: Securing a Job As an Academic or Professional Psychologist" is so timely and timeless. Drawing upon their many years of experience and expertise, Elizabeth M. Morgan (Assistant Professor of Psychology, Boise State University) and R. Eric Landrum (Professor of Psychology, Boise State University) have effectively collaborated to compile a 244-page instruction manual to enable newly minted psychologists to successfully transfer from graduate student academia into employment in their chosen field. Beginning with an overview of workforce trends in the field of psychology, "You've Earned Your Doctorate in Psychology... Now What?" goes on to cover the importance of a well crafted cover letter; preparing a 'curriculum vitae'; the role of research and teaching statements, as well as a teaching portfolio; securing letters of recommendation; preparing for screening interviews; dealing with on-site interviews and job-related talks; and being a candidate for a professional position. Enhanced with the inclusion of an appendix on 'Negotiating and Deciding Among Multiple Offers'; extensive references, and a comprehensive index, "You've Earned Your Doctorate in Psychology... Now What?" will prove an invaluable instruction manual and should be a part of every college and university Psychology Department and academic library reference collections.

Emerging Methods In Psychology
Emily Abbey & Seth Surgan, editors
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
www.transactionpub.com
9781412842785, $49.95, www.amazon.com

The newest addition to Transaction Publishers' outstanding 'History and Theory of Psychology' series, "Emerging Methods in Psychology" has as the focus of its contributors the ways in which psychology as a discipline has created and continues to develop new methods and understandings that move it into a set of social engineering tools expanding into new areas and multiplicities of social knowledge. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of Emily Abbey (Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology, Ramapo College, New Jersey), and Seth Surgan (Assistant Professor of Psychology, Worcester State University, Massachusetts), "Emerging Methods In Psychology" is a 214-page compendium showcasing six articles ranging from 'Using Diaries and Self-Writings as Data in Psychological Research'; to 'A Dismantled Jigsaw: Making Sense of the Complex Intertwinement of Theory, Phenomena, and Methods'; to 'Researching Scientific Modeling: Language, the Missing Artifact'. Of special note is 'General Conclusions: Coming Closer to the Phenomenon: Better Understanding the Process of Human Meaning-Making', the concluding chapter by penned by the editors themselves. Informed, informative, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, "Emerging Methods In Psychology" is highly recommended professional and academic library Contemporary Psychology reference collections, as well as reading lists for psychology students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in contemporary advances in the field of psychology.


The Military Shelf

The Encyclopedia Of War
Gordon Martel, editor
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com
9781405190374, $950.00, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by academician and historian Gordon Martel (Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Northern British Columbia and Adjunct Professor at the University of Victoria), "The Encyclopedia Of War" is a five volume, 3142 page descriptive history of war everywhere and anywhere around the globe, and ranging from antiquity down to the present day. Individual entries provide detailed descriptions and analysis of military developments, people, ideas, and technologies of conflict, as well as their social, cultural, political, and economic impact upon their times and peoples. A masterpiece of meticulous scholarship, superbly organized, impressively comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Encyclopedia Of War" is an essential core addition to personal, academic, and community library Military History and World History reference collections.


The Business Shelf

The Organizational Alignment Handbook
H. James Harrington & Frank Voehl
CRC Press
Suite 300
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW
Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781439877326, $49.95, www.amazon.com

Organization is the key to effective and profitable business ventures. Co-authored by H. James Harrington (Chief Executive Officer for the Harrington Institute) and Frank Voehl (Director of Process Innovation at Nova Southeastern University), "The Organizational Alignment Handbook: A Catalyst for Performance Acceleration" is a superbly written and presented, 282-page compendium that begins with an overview of the necessity, value, and challenges of organizational alignment; the proceeds with chapters on alignment considerations, methodology, strategic planning, processes and networks, structure design, staffing considerations, system design rewards, implementation -- including outcomes and outsourcing. Enhanced with appendices providing definitions and abbreviations; some of the 1100+ improvement tools; and a comprehensive index, "The Organizational Alignment Handbook: A Catalyst for Performance Acceleration" is informed and informative reading that should be considered essential for anyone in corporate management charged with organizational development responsibilities.

Entrepreneurship
Robert A. Baron
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781781000397, $39.95, www.amazon.com

The foundational basis for capitalism as a viable economic system is the concept of 'entrepreneur'. An entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. "Entrepreneurship: An Evidence-Based Guide" by Robert A. Baron (Spears Chair of Entrepreneurship, Spears School of Business, Oklahoma State University) is a 240-page compendium organized into three major sections: The Foundations of Entrepreneurship; The Practice of Entrepreneurship; and Entrepreneurship Without Boundaries. Deftly written, superbly presented, and highly recommended for community and academic library Business Studies collections, "Entrepreneurship: An Evidence-Based Guide" is ideal for use as a classroom textbook or as a primer for non-specialist general readers with an interest in entrepreneurship.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Monkey Wrench
Terri Thayer
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive
Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
9780738731261, $14.95, www.midnightinkbooks.com

Saving the shop is difficult enough already, but dealing with a murder just makes everything harder. "Monkey Wrench" is a novel from Terri Thayer as she presents a story of Dewey Pellicano's quilt shop which seems to be struggling in its day to day operations. But when people start to die and Dewey's Twittering tactic places blame on her. A twirling story of social media and quilting, "Monkey Wrench" is a strong pick for mystery novel collections, highly recommended.


The Fiction Shelf

The Palm House
Tarek Eltayeb
American University in Cairo Press
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-2729
www.aucpress.com
9789774164828, $24.95, www.amazon.com

One of the signal hallmarks of a well crafted novel is its ability to draw the reader out of his or her mundane world and into the storybook universe and into the lives of the fictional characters created by the author. That is clearly the case with Tarek Eltayeb's modern Arabic novel "The Palm House". To briefly summarize the story: After coming to Vienna from Sudan to win a better life for himself, Hamza struggles to escape from the margins of society and the stigma of the immigrant. Following several years of hardship, his fortunes begin to change when he meets Sandra, a young Austrian woman, who shows him the Palm House. In this famous Viennese greenhouse, the frost of Hamza's heart begins to thaw, and he slowly opens himself to Sandra, revealing his bitter yet beautiful past in Sudan and beyond. Deftly translated into English by Kareem James Abu-Zeid, this American University in Cairo Press edition wonderfully showcases Eltayeb's storytelling skills which, in addition to his original and unique imagination, also draws upon elements of Sudanese folk traditions. Highly recommended and entertaining reading, "The Palm House" is an ideal summer read and a popular addition to community and academic library international contemporary fiction collections.

By the Light of the Silvery Moon
Tricia Goyer
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719
Uhrichsville, OH 44683
9781616265519, $12.99, www.barbourbooks.com

Tragedy may strike at any time in our lives, and our power to stop it feels so limited. "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" is a novel set aboard the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. Amelia, facing a new life and a reunited family in America, is also drawn by potential love on the other side of the Atlantic. As the ship sails across the ocean, Amelia meets many on the ship, including Quentin, a man with out much in the way of luck. As tragedy draws closer, Amelia must make many decisions. "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" is a strong pick for historical romance collections looking for something with a touch of faith.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Protect and Enhance Your Estate
Robert A. Esperti, Renno L. Peterson, David K. Cahoone
The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
9780071787895, $30.00, www.books.mcgraw-hill.com

The legal jungle around the estate can be quite difficult to traverse. "Protect and Enhance Your Estate: Definitive Strategies for Estate and Wealth Planning" is a guide for those who want to better manage their estate for their families future generations more wisely and smartly. Covering recent adjustments in estate law dealing with disability, living wills, long term planning for health and life insurance. "Protect and Enhance Your Estate" is a strong pick for anyone who wants to better be prepared to deal with the legal jungle pitfalls.


The Social Issues Shelf

Civic Empowerment In An Age Of Corporate Greed
Edward C. Lorenz
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
www.msupress.msu.edu
9781611860252, $39.95, www.amazon.com

As evidenced by the increasing 99% movement, we are living in a new and corporate age of Robber Barron Capitalism. That's why "Civic Empowerment In An Age Of Corporate Greed" by Edward C. Lorenz (Reid-Knox Professor of History, Professor of Political Science, and Director of the Public Affairs Institute, Alma College, Michigan) offers such an important and timely descriptive and analytical examination of civic engagement with respect to the kind of unethical and even criminal corporate activity that has resulted in the pollution, contamination, and economic disaster on local, regional, and national scales. Using 'real world' examples arising from seven contaminated Superfund sites, food contamination scandals, financial manipulation debacles, and the organized public efforts to compel corporate interests to reform, readers will find Professor Lorenz's "Civic Empowerment In An Age Of Corporate Greed" to be informed, informative, a model of seminal research, and an instructive guide for both public and private reform efforts -- including an applicable 'blueprint' for communities having to deal with governmental indifference and corporate obfuscation. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' from beginning to end, "Civic Empowerment In An Age Of Corporate Greed" is highly recommended for community and academic library collections, as well as to the attention of non-specialist general readers with an interest in curbing corporate corruption in our politics, in our environment, and in our economy.

Harvest the Wind
Philip Warburg
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108-2892
9780807001073, $27.95, www.beacon.org

Wind blows all over the planet every day, and embracing that energy could hold much potential. "Harvest the Wind: America's Journey to Jobs, Energy Independence, and Climate Stability" explores the potential of wind power, using the windy plains that blow over the Midwest and the potential of harvesting that energy for a greater future for America, freeing it of their dependence on foreign oil. Bringing a realistic view of wind's future, its opposition, and the rough road it has ahead to make a difference, "Harvest the Wind" is a fine read on the potential of wind power, very much recommended.

Strap Hanger
Taras Grescoe
Times Books
c/o Henry Holt & Company
175 - 5th Avenue, Suite 400
New York, NY 10010-7725
9780805091731, $25.00, www.henryholt.com

Public transportation fills a need for many. "Strap Hanger: Saving Our Cities and Ourselves from the Automobile" discusses the place of public transportation and the problems it faces in modern America. Studying the public transportation system in various massive cities all over the world, and seeking to convey an understanding for the future of public transportation and the benefits it can bring to society. "Strap Hanger" is a strong addition to community library social issues collection.


The American History Shelf

Degrees of Allegiance
Petra DeWitt
Ohio University Press
The Ridges, Building 19
Athens, OH 45701
9780821420034 $49.95 www.ohioswallow.com

Degrees of Allegiance: Harassment and Loyalty in Missouri's German-American Community during World War I is a close study of what German-Americans living in Missouri experienced during the First World War, an event that created a strong anti-German cultural backlash in America. Although historians have long posited that the First World War virtually extinguished German culture in America, author and teacher Petra DeWitt reveals evidence that German-Americans in Missouri fared significantly better than other German-Americans. Even so, Missouri's German-Americans still had to cope with accusations of disloyalty, as well as rifts within the German-American community. Notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this thoughtful and well-researched scrutiny; Degrees of Allegiance is especially recommended for college library American History shelves.

Congress and the Crisis of the 1850s
Paul Finkelman and Donald R. Kennon, editors
Ohio University Press
The Ridges, Building 19
Athens, OH 45701
9780821419779 $49.95 www.ohioswallow.com

Congress and the Crisis of the 1850s is an anthology of scholarly essays by learned authors, examining the dire and bitterly divided state that America was in from 1848 to 1861, the years immediately prior to Civil War. American territory acquired from Mexico drastically expanded the nation's size, but also kindled conflict, as Southerners established slavery in these territories. The Compromise of 1850 was a severe fugitive slave law that increased tensions between the North and the South - even those Northerners who supported the law to preserve the Union despised being forced into the role of slave catchers. In the 1857 Dred Scott case, the Supreme Court held that all bans on slavery in the territories were unconstitutional; yet Northern whites, free blacks, and escaped slaves fiercely resisted the 1850 fugitive slave law. The divide was so bitter that members of Congress carried weapons, and one representative, Preston Brooks notoriously brutalized Senator Charles Sumner with a cane, almost killing him. This is the extreme climate that once polarized America; political leadership failed on a spectacular level, but was failure the only option? Individual essays include "Politics, Patronage, and Public Policy: The Compromise of 1850", "Dred, Panic, War: How a Slave Case Triggered Financial Crisis and Civil Disunion", "'Hit Him Again': The Caning of Charles Sumner", and much more. Congress and the Crisis of the 1850s is an excellent and highly recommended addition to public and college library American History collections.

Up the Winds and Over the Tetons
Marlene Deahl Merrill and Daniel D. Merrill
University of New Mexico Press
1312 Basehart Road SE
Albuquerque NM 87106-4363
9780826350978 $34.95 www.unmpress.com

Up the Winds and Over the Tetons: Journal Entries and Images from the 1860 Raynolds Expedition is a primary source of the last sizeable government-sponsored survey of the American West before the Civil War that was the Raynolds Expedition, beginning in 1859. In addition to the previously unpublished daily journal that Captain William F. Raynolds kept of the trip from their winter lodgings near (present-day) Glenrock, Wyoming to the Three Forks of the Missouri in southwestern Montana, Up the Winds and Over the Tetons also includes an epilogue, and appendices offering Raynolds' published report of his activities on May 31, 1860, and a preliminary report of Raynolds and his Topographical Engineers on the Yellow Stone Expedition as of October 5, 1860. A handful of vintage black-and-white drawings (including reproductions of works by expedition artists Anton Schonborn and James Hutton) and photographs enhance Raynolds' up-close and hands-on testimony of struggling against a harsh potentially deadly snowy climate, struggling to get horses and supplies across the fierce Snake River, and even intra-party conflict. Up the Winds and Over the Tetons is an excellent addition to public and college library American History collections.

The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents
David L. Holmes
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive
Athens, GA, 30602-4901
9780820338620, $29.95, www.ugapress.org

Faith remains an important topic in a president, even as the world grows more secular. "The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents" chronicles the past sixty years of the presidency, from Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama. The issues surrounding the faith of the President has been a point of pride for some, but often a cause of scandal such as son of Jehovah's Witnesses Dwight Eisenhower, the acceptance of a Catholic president, even more modern issues such as Jeremiah Wright and Obama. "The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents" is a must for history and politics collections.


The World History Shelf

Familia and Household in the Medieval Atlantic World
Benjamin T. Hudson
ACMRS
Arizona State University
PO Box 874402,Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
9780866984409, $55.00, www.amazon.com

The newest addition to the Penn State Medieval Studies series, and compiled by academician and historian Benjamin T. Hudson (Professor of History and Medieval Studies, Pennsylvania State University), "Familia and Household in the Medieval Atlantic Province" is a 214-page compendium of nine erudite essays by nine academic contributors addressing the theme of family studies within the context of medieval Atlantic studies. Thematically relevant subjects include the use and importance of genealogy, the artificial family, literary images of kinship, the political ramifications of family ties, the domestic family organization and structure in medieval European culture. A model of meticulous scholarship throughout, "Familia and Household in the Medieval Atlantic Province" is enhanced with the inclusion of a selected bibliography. Informed and informative, "Familia and Household in the Medieval Atlantic Province" is a seminal body of work and a strongly recommended addition to academic library Medieval Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

A European Memory?
Matgorzata Pakier & Bo Strath, editors
Berghahn Books
150 Broadway, Suite 812, NY, NY 10038
www.berghahnbooks.com
9780857454300, $37.95, www.berghahnbooks.com

Despite the successful example of the United States of America, all attempts at creating a 'United States of Europe', complete with a common foreign policy and economic policy, has been decisively defeated by populace of the individual European countries. Why? That is the focus and purpose of "A European Memory?: Contested Histories and Politics of Remembrance", a 372-page descriptive and analytical history of Europe's complex and divisive past. Co-edited by academicians Matgorzata Pakier (Assistant Professor, Institute of Sociology, Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities) and Bo Strath (Academy of Finland Distinguished Professor of Nordic, European and World History, Helsinki University), the "A European Memory?" deftly organizes articles by twenty-one learned contributors and ranges from Jan-Werner Muller's 'On European Memory: Some Conceptual and Normative Remarks'; to Stefan Berger's 'Remembering the Second World War in Western Europe'; to Arfon Rees' 'Managing the History of the Past in the Former Communist States'; to Konrad H. Jarausch's 'Nightmares or Daydreams?: A Postscript on the Europeanization of Memories'. An anthology of impressive and seminal scholarly research, "A European Memory?" is a welcome addition to the Berghahn Books' outstanding 'Studies in Contemporary European History' series and highly recommended for academic library European History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Africa: The Lost Decades
Samuel Decalo
Florida Academic Press
PO Box 357425, Gainesville, FL 32635
9781890357320, $24.95, www.floridaacademicpress.com

Africa is a vast continent, but is all too often shuffled under one banner by the uneducated. "Africa: The Lost Decades" is cultural guide to the many nations of Africa and their recent history over the past few decades. Noted scholar Samuel Decalo provides an insightful breakdown of the nations among the civil unrest that has unfortunately defined the continent in recent times. "Africa: The Lost Decades" is a good reference for those intrigued by the modern state of the continent, very much recommended.

Iraq in Turmoil
Cdr. Youssef H. Aboul-Enein
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781612510774, $26.95, www.navalinstitute.org

In the cradle of civilization, people have never known peace for long. "Iraq in Turmoil: Historical Perspectives of Dr. Ali Al-Wardi, From the Ottoman Empire to King Feisal" is a historical exploration of Iraq faced with constant change at the turn of the twentieth century. Navy man Youssef H. Abul-Enein focuses on the work of Dr. Ali Wardi about the period and the influence that the British had on the region in the aftermath of World War I. "Iraq in Turmoil" is a strong addition to world history collections, very much recommended.

Animals as Domesticates
Juliet Clutton-Brock
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611860283, $44.95, www.msupress.msu.edu

Man was wise enough to embrace the power of its fellow creature in shaping his own world. "Animals as Domesticates: A World View Through History" is a far reaching historical look at the impact of domesticated animal has had on both human and animal history. Taking studies from many fields such as archeology and anthropology as well as molecular biology and archaezoology, Juliet Clutton-Brock presents an insightful delve into history, providing a fascinating study of the relationship between man and animal. With black and white photography all through out, "Animals as Domesticates" is a strong pick for history and animal studies collections.

Setting the Truth Free
Julieann Campbell
Liberties Press
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781907593376, $24.95, www.libertiespress.com

People should not let their governments commit sin against them freely. "Setting the Truth Free: The Inside Story of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign" discusses the pursuits for answers concerning the 1972 killings of citizens by the British Army. Julieann Campbell seeks to explore the search for truth, and how the memory still remains strong forty years after the events take place. A driven story of people facing off against the establishment, "Setting the Truth Free" is a strong pick for history and social issues collections, highly recommended.

Reclaiming Basque
Jacqueline Urla
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166
Reno, NV, 89557-0166
978874178753, $45.00, www.unpress.nevada.edu

Although usually stuffed into a catch all banner of Spain, Basque is its own culture and language, with roots older than its neighbors. "Reclaiming Basque: Language, Nation, and Cultural Activism" discusses the revival of Basque activism and how they the people of the culture are contributing in their own way for autonomy and to be recognized as their own. "Reclaiming Basque" is an excellent study of a culture that seeks its own voice, free from the banners of France and Spain.


The Biography Shelf

Martyr To Freedom, second edition
Zachary J. Martin
Hamilton Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.rlpgbooks.com
9780761854227, $21.99, www.amazon.com

A 19th century Atlantic coastal trader and abolitionist, Captain Daniel Drayton attempted to transport seventy-seven fugitive slaves to freedom in the North aboard his ship the Pearl. Arriving in New Bedford, Massachusetts in the summer of 1857, Captain Drayton committed suicide. Now in an updated second edition, "Martyr to Freedom: The Life and Death of Captain Daniel Drayton" by Zachary J. Martin (Adjunct Professor of History, Roger Williams University, Salem State University, and Bristol Community College), seeks to reconstruct the life and the reasons for his death of this obscure but remarkable man. A work of seminal and meticulous scholarship, "Martyr To Freedom" is informed, informative, and a highly recommended contribution to academic library 19th Century American History and American Biography collections.

Thea's Song
Charlene Smith & John Feister
Orbis Books
PO Box 308
Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759628, $18.00, www.orbisbooks.com

The battle for equality is fought on many fronts. "Thea's Song: The Life of Thea Bowman" tells the story of the civil rights era through faithful Thea Bowman, who joined an all white convent as a black woman and sought to bring about equality and fight prejudice in the process, before facing an early death due to cancer's power. "Thea's Song" is a strong pick for biography collections focusing on the Civil Rights era and those who tried to make a difference.

William D. Pawley
Anthony R. Carrozza
Potomac Books, Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166-2012
9781597977142, $34.95, www.potomacbooksinc.com

Some men don't accept excellence in merely a single field. "William D. Pawley: The Extraordinary Life of the Adventurer, Entrepreneur, and Diplomat Who Cofounded the Flying Tigers" is a biography of William Pawley, who through his own fortune made himself a millionaire and from that wealth brought many changes in the world. Bringing fighter pilots to China through a volunteer program, he also served a diplomat to South America, and participated in the Cold War in many unique ways. "William D. Pawley" is a fascinating life story of a unique individual that has earned his own little bit in history, very much recommended reading.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Dark Directions
Kendall R. Phillips
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806
Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809330959, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Benefiting from the advances in computer generated imagery, special effects, and gifted storytelling, the modern horror film continues to have a significant impact upon popular culture under the administrations of gifted directors. In "Dark Directions: Romero, Craven, Carpenter, and the Modern Horror Film", academician and author Kendall R. Phillips (Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Syracuse University) provides an analytical survey of the work of three of the American film industries most influential directors in horror films today: John Carpenter; Wes Craven; and George Romero. Enhanced with the inclusion of a filmography, extensive footnotes, selected bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Dark Directions: Romero, Craven, Carpenter, and the Modern Horror Film" is an informative, seminal study and a welcome addition to academic library Cinematic History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Stolen Images
Raoul Peck
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street
New York, NY 10013
9781609803933, $24.95, www.sevenstories.com

The voice of much of the southern hemisphere of the world is not heard too often. "Stolen Images" is four screenplays from Raoul Peck, a man who has studied in his native Haiti, focusing on the issues of his home country but the issues of the African continent as well. Four of his films, Lumumba, Haitian Corner, Lumumba: Death of a Prophet, and the Man by the Shore are presented in complete screenplay here, offering easy access to the words and message within the films. "Stolen Images" is a fine addition to any international film studies collection, highly recommended.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Birdkeepers' Guides: Parrotlets
Nikki Moustaki
T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, Third & Union Avenue
Neptune City, NJ 07753
9780793814817 $12.95 www.tfh.com

Beautifully illustrated with full-color photography on almost every page, The Birdkeepers' Guides: Parrotlets lives up to its title with no-nonsense, user-friendly instructions. Parrotlets (a.k.a. "pocket parrots") are small, gregarious bird species that have a great deal in common with parrots but tend to be roughly the size of a budgie. Since they are social birds, they can be quite affectionate to their human owners, but also require a sizeable amount of attention and maintenance. "If you can't pay much attention to your parrotlet, consider getting him or her a birdy companion - only another parrotlet - do not try to mix this bird with any non-parrotlet species or you may come home to find that one of your birds has flown to heaven, to put it nicely." Chapters cover proper feeding and grooming of parrotlets, keeping them healthy, and even training them! The Birdkeepers' Guides: Parrotlets is an absolute must-have for anyone considering owning this tiny, colorful birds as pets; even bird lovers who are not looking for a new pet will find its gorgeous photography a joy to page through. Highly recommended.

The Rabbit Book
Samantha Johnson
Voyageur Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760339473, $17.99, www.voyageurpress.com

Cute, fuzzy, and occasionally tasty. "The Rabbit Book: A Guide to Raising and Showing Rabbits" is a guide for those who want to know everything they need to know about keeping and raising rabbits, whether they be for pets, show animals, or meat. From keeping a good environment for the creature, health concerns, and much more, "The Rabbit Book" is an excellent resource that shouldn't be overlooked, highly recommended.


The Computer Shelf

The Universal Computer
Martin Davis
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781466505193, $29.95, www.amazon.com

There is an entire generation that has grown up with the personal computer. The continuous rapid advancements in technology mean the obsolescence of computers roughly every 4 to 5 years. "The Universal Computer: The Road from Leibniz to Turing" by Martin Davis is a 240-page history of the computer beginning with the mathematics of Leibniz in the 17th century and continues through the pioneer work of successive mathematicians Boole, Frege, Cantor, Hilbert, Godel, and finally Turing's analysis of algorithmic processes laying the foundation for a machine that could be programmed to carry out mathematical processes. "The Universal Computer" is the story of failures as well as successes along the road to achieving modern computers which would forever change the world as they knew it. Of special note is Professors discussion on the achievement of the IBM Watson on Jeopardy and its impact upon the public. Deftly written, informed and informative work of impressive scholarship, "The Universal Computer" is a superb history and a welcome addition to personal, community, and academic library collections.

Computer Graphics, Theory and Practice
Jonas Gomes, Luiz Velho, Mario Costa Sousa
CRC Press
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
270 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
9781568815800, $89.95, www.garlandscience.com

Getting graphics out of modern technology has quickly evolved into an artistry all its own. "Computer Graphics: Theory and Practice" is a scholarly guide to the modern science of computer graphics. Jonas Gomes, Luiz Velho, and Mario Costa Sousa combine their expertise in demonstrating the knowledge needed to excel at computer graphics, including the fundamentals of calculus and limited algebra. Teaching the ideals needed to apply mathematics to the field of computer graphics, the technology needed, as well as chapters dealing with colors, lighting, modeling, and much more, the trio also provide many exercises to practice the lessons learned within the book and grant access to additional resources for readers to learn further in excelling at computer graphics. "Computer Graphics: Theory and Practice" is a strong pick for community and college library technology collections, highly recommended.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Zombie Parents
Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449409739 $12.99 www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Zombie Parents and Other Hopes For a More Perfect World is the latest anthology of "Zits" newspaper cartoons (and the fifteenth "Zits Sketchbook" collection featuring a handful of rough sketch originals of certain comics interspersed with the funnies). "Zits" chronicles the proud(?) parents of teenager Jeremy, as well as his friends and his girlfriend, and gets its zeitgeist from humor that reflects the times - from Jeremy's cell phone text obsessions to the fallout when his parents stumble across the "full access" version of Jeremy's Facebook page on his unattended laptop. "'Jeremy got a traffic ticket?? I didn't know he liked jazz! Who is that girl he's kissing? We didn't know any of this!' 'Reading your kid's facebook page is like meeting him for the first time all over again.' 'Who gave him permission to have a life?'" The titular Zombie Parents strips are especially hilarious, showing Jeremy's imaginative speculations of how his life might be better if his parents were flesh-eating undead monstrosities - at least there would be no pressure to be home at mealtime! Zombie Parents is in black-and-white with color Sunday strips, and its off-the-wall art style hits just the right blend between caricature and pure fancy. Best of all, Zombie Parents is just plain funny from cover to cover, and highly recommended.

Atomic Comics
Ferenc Morton Szasz
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166
Reno, NV, 89557-0166
www.unpress.nevada.edu
9780874178746, $34.95, www.amazon.com

"Atomic Comics: Cartoonists Confront the Nuclear World" by Ferenc Morton Szasz (Regents Professor of History, University of New Mexico), is an descriptive analysis and history of the impact the 'atomic age' has had upon popular culture in terms of comic books, newspaper comic strips, and cartoons. One of the benefits of this popularizing media was to inform the general public of many of the political, economic, scientific, and potential hazards issues arising from advances in nuclear technologies. The use of the 'superhero' and science fiction characters beginning with Buck Rogers and Flash Gorden, aided in the development of a nuclear age vocabulary and the popularizing of the positive potential of nuclear energy. A highly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library 20th Century American History collections "Atomic Comics: Cartoonists Confront the Nuclear World" is a seminal work identifying the perspective that cartoonists brought to nuclear issues that was to prove enduringly influential upon public opinion -- an influence that continues be felt to this very day.

The Mighty Alice
Richard Thompson
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449410223, $12.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Bringing back charm and mischievousness to the funny pages, "The Mighty Alice" is a compilation from Richard Thompson, multi-award winning cartoonist. His work Cul De Sac, following the titular Alice and her family as they the challenges of everyday life and the curious ideals of young Alice. "The Mighty Alice" is presented in full color, and a treat for those looking for a new cartoon strip that evokes the memories of Calvin and Hobbes.


The Sports Shelf

Complete Triathlon Guide
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450412605, $21.95, www.HumanKinetics.com

A triathlon is a major test of endurance, and just completing it can be quite difficult. "Complete Triathlon Guide" is a guide for those who want to train for this test of fitness that combines the endurance tests of swimming, biking, and running to get better times and complete the event more successfully. With advice from those who have made their name with triathlon success, "Complete Triathlon Guide" is a strong pick for fitness and sports collection, a must have for those thinking of delving into this ultimate test of endurance.


The Parenting Shelf

365 Things Every New Mom Should Know
Linda Danis
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North
Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736923828, $12.99, www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Motherhood is a load of new responsibility, and can prove quite overwhelming. "365 Things Every New Mom Should Know: A Daily Guide to Loving and Nurturing Your Child" is an advisory for new mothers as Linda Danis advises with faith for mothers who can be overwhelmed being responsible for another life. For keeping the slef and the baby healthy and keeping one's life together, dealing with siblings, and much more, "365 Things Every New Mom Should Know" is well worth considering for Christian mothers who can often have no clue where to even start.

Transforming Behavior
Mary N. Cook
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624
Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598572162, $69.95, www.brookespublishing.com

Some behavior isn't appropriate, and dissuading it early is key to success. "Transforming Behavior: Training Parents & Kids Together" is a guide to behavioral issues as they apply to young students of the 8-12 range, and what parents and teachers can do. Issues surround empathy, communication, assertive nature, and other problems that often young people face, "Transforming Behavior" is a strong pick for educational and school age psychological collections.


The Education Shelf

Welcome to Storytime!
Rob Reid
Upstart Books
c/o Highsmith Press
PO Box 5210
Janesville, WI 53547-5210
9781602130593 $15.95 www.highsmith.com

Children's literature instructor Rob Reid presents Welcome to Storytime! The Art of Story Program Planning, a flat-spined guide to hosting story program written especially to aid teachers and librarians in sharing their love of books with children in grades PK-1. Welcome to Storytime! includes recommendations for selecting the best picturebooks; creating fingerplays and song lyrics; tips, tricks, and techniques for a successful program (from discipline suggestions to aways to avoid burnout and recommendations for the program area), and a host of sample programs and lesson plans. "For the occasional child who is very disruptive, you need to discuss the problem with the parent or childcare provider after the program... The parents may have to sit in during the program with the child on their laps, or even keep the child from attending the program for a few months until the child has matured a bit and is ready to behave." Welcome to Storytime" is an excellent, hands-on, user-friendly resource, and highly recommended to education and childcare professionals alike.

Empowering Teen Peers to Prevent Bullying
Arthur M. Horne & Collaborators
Research Press
PO Box 9177
Champaign, IL 61826
9780878226641, $39.95, www.researchpress.com

Bullying's effects seem to be more grim than ever. "Empowering Teen Peers to Prevent Bullying: The Bully Busters Program for High School" is a guide to encouraging teens against and to prevent bullying, in today's era where cruelty often extends to off school grounds dealing with cyber-bullying and the tragic effects bullying sometimes has. "Empowering Teen Peers to Prevent Bullying" is a strong pick for educational and social issues collections.

Critical Perspectives In Canadian Music Education
Carol A. Beynon & Karl K. Veblen, editors
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
www.wlupress.wlu.ca
9781554583669, $39.95, www.amazon.com

The teaching of music in Canadian schools is an important part of curriculums in grade schools, high schools, colleges, universities, and community cultural groups. The collaborative editorial selections of music education advocate Carol A. Beynon and academician Karl K. Veblen, "Critical Perspectives In Canadian Music Education" is a 230-page compendium comprised of thirteen informed, informative, expert contributions that range from Betty Hanley's 'The Roots of Canadian Music Education'; to Carol Beynon's 'Looking Back at Choral Music Education in Canada'; to Kari Veblen's 'Community Music Making'; to Betty Ann Younker's 'Focusing on Critical Practice and Insights in the Music Teacher Education Curriculum'. Of special note are the insights into the distinctly Canadian cultural and historical factors that have shaped and influenced music education. A collective work of impressive seminal scholarship, "Critical Perspectives In Canadian Music Education" is a unique and strongly recommended addition to academic library World Music History collections in general, and Canadian Music History collections in particular.


The Art Shelf

Sculpting The Earth
Strijdom van der Merwe
Protea
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781869194857, $41.95, www.amazon.com

One of the newest evolutions of human creativity is the deliberate sculpting of land, utilizing natural elements of earth, stone, and flora, to create works of art that can be as enduring or ephemeral as the elements that comprise them. Foremost among the new generation of land artists is Strijdom van der Merwe. "Sculpting the Earth: Artistic Interventions with the Landscape" is a beautifully illustrated, 200-page compendium of full color photography showcasing his creations drawn from the last fifteen years of his work. Each photograph is accompanied by a succinct commentary and the year in which the art was done, making "Sculpting the Earth" a unique and highly prized addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library 20th Contemporary Art collections.

Elevating Western American Art
Thomas Brent Smith, editor
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
97809147387, $24.95, www.oupress.com

With the vast plains ahead of them, artists took it to heart and created a style all their own. "Elevating Western American Art: Developing an Institute in the Cultural Capital of the Rockies" analyzes the large range of art held in Denver's Art Museum providing a comprehensive study of the art styles that have defined the American west. Presented in full color, it presents a wide range of works in many styles from paintings to weaving to woodcuts, from the westward expansion to today. "Elevating Western American Art" is a strong addition to art collections, highly recommended.


The Economic Studies Shelf

A Short History Of Ethics And Economics: The Greeks
James E. Alvey
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781847202017, $99.95, www.amazon.com

Economic activities without an ethical framework lead to such fiscal disasters as almost brought down the world's economy in 2008 -- and continue to threaten the financial stability of America and of the European Union. That's why "A Short History Of Ethics And Economics: The Greeks" by James E. Alvey (Senior Lecturer, Massey University, New Zealand, and Research Fellow, International Christian university, Japan) is so timely and so timeless. A 200-page compendium of meticulous scholarship which lays out the emergence and decline of the ethical tradition of economics and framing the crisis of modern economics, Professor Alvey showcases the thought and teaching of four Greek philosophers of antiquity: Socrates, Xenophon, Plato, and Aristotle. Of special note is the opening chapters providing a thoughtful introduction to the political economy of Ancient Greece and the concluding chapter featuring Professor Alvey's insightful conclusions. Enhanced with extensive references and a comprehensive index, "A Short History Of Ethics And Economics: The Greeks" is informed, informative, and highly recommended for professional and academic library Ethical Studies and History of Economics reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

99 to 1
Chuck Collins
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609945923, $14.95, www.bkconnection.com

Wealth inequality has far more impact than most know. "99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality is Wrecking the World and What We Can Do About It" analyzes the wide gap in wealth in the world and the damage it is causing to society. Advising on what can be done to create a more balanced economic system that offers something for everyone, "99 to 1" is an intriguing break down of current economic issues and the solution to them that may be possible to be reached.

Appalachian Legacy
James P. Ziliak, editor
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-2188
9780815722144, $34.95, www.brookings.edu

The war on poverty is one with mixed results indeed. "Appalachian Legacy: Economic Opportunity After the War on Poverty" discusses the impact of the declaration of the war on poverty in 1964 by Lyndon Baines Johnson. Many policies have been passed, and many thinkers come together under editor James P. Ziliak discussing the progress that resides there and the problems that remain there in the future. Discussing why Appalachia remains a strong focus of study for the region, "Appalachian Legacy" is a scholarly discussion of these vital issues and their impact on the future of the region as well as America as a whole.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Understanding Each Other After 9-11
Kirk Heriot
Lost Coast Press
155 Cypress St., Fort Bragg, CA 95437
9781882897988, $29.95, www.cypresshouse.com

With a lack of understanding comes fear. "Understanding Each Other After 9-11: What Everyone Should Know About the Religions of the World" discusses the wide array of faiths that make up the world and how the lack of understanding on the world stage is leading to problems in the modern dialogue between peoples and nations. Discussing the major faiths of the world in great detail, Dr. Kirk Heriot hopes to dispel the otherness that so often is fallen back upon in our world. "Understanding Each Other After 9-11" is a strong pick for world culture collections and international issues collections.

The Interfaith Alternative
Steven Greenbaum
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865717053, $14.95, www.newsociety.com

Every faith has something to add to the bigger picture of spirituality in our lives. "The Interfaith Alternative: Embracing Spiritual Diversity" discusses the unifying tents of faith, and how to embrace all faiths and try to mend the bridges that the many faiths have with one another, all over the world. Discussing unity and encouraging how better bonds can be formed, "The Interfaith Alternative" is a must for those who want to mend the wounds of faith and encourage greater community between all of mankind.


The Library Science Shelf

The Librarian's Guide to Negotiation
Beth Ashmore, Jill E. Grogg, and Jeff Weddle
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874281, $49.50, www.infotoday.com

The advancement of technology has vastly changed the role of the librarian. "The Librarian's Guide to Negotiation: Winning Strategies for the Digital Age" discusses the librarian as negotiator, facing adversaries in vendors, for funding, patrons, and even among their own staff. A librarian that knows how to get their library's needs addressed is one that is off to having a successful library. For those librarians who want to best deal with problems and conflicts comprehensively and effectively in the digital age, "The Librarian's Guide to Negotiation" is a sage and much recommended pick for library science reference collections.

Picture Books for Children
Mary Northrup
ALA Editions
50 East Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
9780838911440, $50.00, www.alastore.ala.org

Picturebooks are the first step to inspiring a love of reading in children. "Picture books for Children: Fiction, Folktales, and Poetry" is a guide for librarians who want to better increase their repertoire of children's books in their library as Mary Northrup outlines the best children's picturebooks in their many sub-genres. From storybooks for children, books meant for read-along, books for families, and many others, This illustrated guide gives librarians a list of books by genre, with authors, age ranges, ISBNs, and much more. "Picture Books for Children" is a must for library science reference collections.


The Large Print Shelf

Guns of Justice
Hal Johns
Dales
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230
West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781842628881, $23.99, www.ulverscroftusa.com

Running is only a temporary solution, but it takes quite the determination to stand against falsehood. "Guns of Justice" is a large print Western from Hal Johns, following the tale of Des Willard, a man wrongfully accused of a murder of a Sheriff. Facing him is overwhelming eye witness testimony. With few allies willing to associate with a believed murderer, clearing his name won't be easy, but he's up to the task. "Guns of Justice" is a top pick for those with a love for westerns, very much recommended.


The Photography Shelf

Picturing Algeria
Pierre Bourdieu
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, NY, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231148429, $27.50, www.amazon.com

From 1954 to 1962, Algeria was racked with a war of nationalism as it sought to break free of French rule. Stationed in Algeria, Pierre Bourdieu was a soldier in the French army. During his service he took thousands of photographs documenting the people and war-time conditions. In doing so, Bourdieu became sympathetic to the Algerians and their cause. It was also the genesis for his creating a new ethnographic/sociological approach to explaining French colonial aggression and the ability of a poverty-stricken popular to oppose it. "Picturing Algeria" is a 248-page compendium that showcases 130 of Bourdieu's photographs along with key excerpts from his writings. Enhanced with a 2001 interview with Bourdieu in which he talks directly about his experiences, as well as his unique role in developing photography as a tool for social inquiry, and the necessity to become involved in a troubled world, "Picturing Algeria" is a seminal work that is strongly recommended reading and an invaluable addition to academic library collections.

The River Shannon
Aiveen Cooper
The Collins Press
c/o DuFour Press
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781848891074, $44.95, www.collinspress.ie

Civilization grows around rivers. "The River Shannon: A Journey Down Ireland's Longest River" discusses the River Shannon, which runs throughout the country, as Aiveen Cooper travels its lengths and collects the stories of the river, of its history of great mythology and Vikings to its modern culture and people who have called it home for centuries. Covered cover to cover in full color photographs, "The River Shannon" is a must for any world culture and photography collections, highly recommended.

Blue Highways Revisited
Edgar I. Ailor III
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard
Columbia, MO 65201
9780826219695, $34.95, www.umsystem.edu/upress

The roads that crisscross America, far from the cities, are a stoic memory of the past. "Blue Highways Revisited" is a collection of follow-up photography from Edgar I. Ailor III, who takes the influences of the original collection of photographs capturing the serenity and unique nature of the backroads all throughout America by William Least Heat-Moon in 1978, and presents a modern take on the route. In thirty five years, much has changed and much has not. Presented in full color, "Blue Highways Revisited" is an excellent analysis of backroads culture and America in general, making an excellent pick for American history and coffee table photography book collections.


The Science Shelf

Evolution in a Toxic World
Emily Monosson
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-1148
9781597269766, $35.00, www.islandpress.org

Biology is literally the study of life - but part of the study of life is how it dies. "Evolution in a Toxic World: How Life Responds to Chemical Threats" discusses the toxicity that occurs in everyday life and how biology has formed an arms race of its own, as environmental toxicologist Emily Monosson presents a long biological history of life's responses to threats that sought to end it. An intriguing look into the captivating and fascinating history of life and its drive to live, "Evolution in a Toxic World" is a grade-A addition to science and biology community and college library collections.

Planet Rock Doc
Elsa Kirsten Peters
Washington State University Press
PO Box 645910
Pullman, WA 99165-5910
9780874223101, $22.95, www.wsupress.wsu.edu

What's beneath us is millions of years of history. "Planet Rock Doc: Nuggets from Explorations of the Natural World" is a collection of essays written by Dr. Elsa Kirsten Peters, a lifelong lover of science who shares her love of science with her reader as she shares columns discussing many topics within science and alongside scientific thought. "Planet Rock Doc" is a strong read for anyone who wants a dose of scientific thought and theory to really make them think critically about the world around us, highly recommended.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Why Do We All Love Dr. Seuss?
Lois Einhorn
Robert D. Reed Publishers
PO Box 1992
1380 Face Rock Drive
Bandon, OR 97411
9781934759585, $11.95, www.rdrpublishers.com

What makes a children's author legendary? "Why Do We All Love Dr. Seuss?: Discovering the Mystery and Magic of an Icon" discusses the methods of the beloved Doctor and how the writer and artist with a skill at rhyming gained a permanent place in popular culture surrounding his children's books that many grew up on, and are now sharing with their own children. "Why Do We All Love Dr. Seuss?" is a fine discussion of the author and his lasting work, very much recommended.

Orpheus
Ann Wroe
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
9781590207789, $26.95, www.overlookpress.com

The legend of Orpheus captivates many who study classical history. "Orpheus: The Song of Life" is literary historian Ann Wroe's own study of the man and the myth he has birthed over thousands of years, influencing even modern writers, proving to many to be a long standing creative force, with connections to many other ancient works. "Orpheus" is a choice addition to any literary studies or world history collections, highly recommended.


The Poetry Shelf

Collected Poems of Lenore Kandel
Lenore Kandel
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
9781583943724, $35.00, www.northatlanticbooks.com

Daring to break cultural norms with her work, Lenore Kandel has become quite the legend in the poetry world. "Collected Poems of Lenore Kandel" is a poetry collection compiling the best of the late poet's work as she attacked the ideals of her era and continued pushing her original style all throughout her life. "Collected Poems of Lenore Kandel" is an ideal addition to any literary poetry collection, highly recommended. "Angel": the eye sees what the mind expects/when the mind releases expectation/vision perceives/perception varies as the eye varies/as the mind varies/moving through Moebius infinity/until recognitions collide.

We Lit the Lamps Ourselves
Andrea Potos
Salmon Poetry
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781907056925, $21.95, www.dufoureditions.com

Light is needed to function in the world, but who brings the light. "We Lit the Lamps Ourselves" is an anthology of poetry from Andrea Potos, who channels the works of past women writers, taking the path they lit and continuing it onwards herself. With a strong sense of spirit, "We Lit the Lamp Ourselves" is a solid anthology for poetry fans, not to be overlooked. "Two Emilys": Who can say what happens to a woman alone in her room,/with sheer white drapes trembling in air/rushing invisibly over her letters to the world,//or, when she leaves the walls behind her, deskbox propped under arm,/mastiff sniffing the ground at her side,/the fierce countenance of the crags,/the wind's holler making translations in her body.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Boomercise
David Pargman
Fitness Information Technology
West Virginia University
262 Coliseum, WVU-PE, PO Box 6116
Morgantown, WV 26506-6116
www.fitinfotech.com
9781935412328, $16.95, www.amazon.com

In "Boomercise: Exercising as You Age", David Parman draws upon his personal experience and professional acumen to write a 260-page instruction manual on safe and effective physical exercises for the once 'baby boomers' who are now become senior citizens. Beginning with what exercise is important for aging boomers, Professor Parman goes on to address issues associated with exercise, wellness, health, and illness; the importance of good nutrition; the psychological benefits of exercise; avoiding injury while exercising; the value of persistence; as well as selecting and setting appropriate exercise goals. Enhanced with a glossary, references, and an index, "Boomercise: Exercising as You Age" is thoroughly 'user friendly', practical, and even inspiring, making it very highly recommended for personal and community library Health & Fitness collections.

Reclaiming Your Life After Diagnosis
Kim Thiboldeaux
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, STE 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781936661763, $16.95, www.benbellabooks.com

A cancer diagnosis can all too often seem like a death sentence. "Reclaiming Your Life After Diagnosis" is an inspirational read for those who have recently received the horrifying diagnosis. Kim Thiboldeaux discusses how to find one's life once more, how to embrace the cancer support industry, and how to better meet one's needs in times of turmoil. "Reclaiming Your Life After Diagnosis" is a must read for those who have recently received the diagnosis or for those who know of a loved one who has.

The Insider's Guide to Egg Donation
Wendie Wilson-Miller & Erika Napoletano
Demos Medical Publishing
11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10036
9781936303304, $16.95, www.demoshealth.com

The demands for human eggs remain quite high in the modern era. "The Insider's Guide to Egg Donation: A Compassionate and Comprehensive Guide for All Parents-to-Be" explores the egg donation process from the egg donors to the women who need the assistance to realize their dreams of motherhood. From recent developments in the process, fertility treatments, and finding the right agency, "The Insider's Guide to Egg Donation" is a strong consideration for those who exploring their options for their family's future.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Tips, Tools, & Techniques
Georgia Kemp Caraway
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336
Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574414516, $14.95, www.unt.edu/untpress

Heirlooms become heirlooms with their age, and with age, comes a certain fragility. "Tips, Tools, & Techniques: To Care for Antiques, Collectibles, and Other Treasures" is an advisory guide for those who are in charge of managing aging heirlooms of their family which may be hundreds of years old, or possibly older. With care advice as well as collectible and monetary information on trading collectibles and antiques, "Tips, Tools, & Techniques" is a must for anyone dealing in older antiques and collectibles who wants tips on doing it more effectively.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Barn Quilts
Suzi Parron
Swallow Press
c/o Ohio University Press
The Ridges, Building 19
Athens, OH 45701
9780804011389, $29.95, www.ohioswallow.com

Quilts have become much more than simple fabrics for much of America. "Barn Quilts: and the American Quilt Trail Movement" is a cultural analysis of quilting all throughout North America and the impact of the movement has had since it first got moving back in 2001. With full color photographs all throughout, "Barn Quilts" is a strong pick for those fascinated by American and Canadian quilts, looking for inspiration for their own designs and much more, making it a choice addition to any needlework or hobbyist collection.


The Political Science Shelf

Open Source Intelligence in a Networked World
Anthony Olcott
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704, NY, NY 10038
www.continuumbooks.com
9781441166081, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Intelligence in the world of governments and corporations means 'information'. The kind of information that lets you know what your opponents or competitors are up to. There are two general categories of intelligence: overt or open, and covert or clandestine. In "Open Source Intelligence in a Networked World" Anthony Olcott draws upon his many years of experience and expertise as a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Intelligence, as an Officer in Residence at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, as the Director of National Intelligence's Open Source Center, as Senior Analyst in the Emerging Media Group, and as an Expert Analyst covering Russia and Central Asia, to provide an instructive study on how information or intelligence can be gleaned from the profusion of public and often freely available sources such as magazines, journals, internet web sites and databases, 'think tank' white papers, and all manner of published books. Enhanced with an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index, "Open Source Intelligence in a Networked World" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone engaged in governmental or corporate intelligence gathering, as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in the politics and processes of intelligence gathering from public sources.


The Autism Shelf

Siblings of Children with Autism
Sandra L. Harris, Ph.D., Beth A. Glasberg, Ph.D.
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
9781606130742, $21.95, www.woodbinehouse.com

A sibling can be a powerful and positive force in one's life. "Siblings of Children with Autism: A Guide for Families" discusses the impacts that a child with autism and their sibling can have on one another. For parents of such a group, it includes advice for dealing with responsibility, misunderstandings that may go on between them, and how to better educate children. "Siblings of Children with Autism" is a strong read for parents, very much recommended reading.


The Language Studies Shelf

Caesar
Hans-Friedrich Mueller
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
www.bolchazy.com
9780865167520, $37.00, www.amazon.com

Written by Hans-Friedrich Mueller and edited by Donald Sprague, "Caesar: Selections from his Commentarii De Bello Gallico" is a 414-page compendium presenting unadapted Latin passages from the Commentarii De Bello Gallico: Book 1.1 7; Book 4.24 35 and the first sentence of Chapter 36; Book 5.24 48; Book 6.13 20 and the English of Books 1, 6, and 7. "Caesar" Selections from his Commentarii De Bello Gallico" includes all the required English and Latin selections from Caesar's De Bello Gallico for the 2012-2013 AP* Curriculum. Features: Introduction includes historical context, an overview of the Roman army, and Caesar as General, Politician, and Writer Latin text accompanied by same-page notes (grammatical, literary, historical, contextual) Of special note is the 'same-page' running vocabulary, the 'pull-out' vocabulary, and the complete Latin-English glossary. Enhanced with the inclusion of an online grammatical appendix, a select bibliography, eight newly-created maps, 19 black-and-white illustrations, and an appendix (Figures of Speech), "Caesar Selections from his Commentarii De Bello Gallico" is an ideal, 'student friendly' text book and curriculum supplement for personal and academic library Latin Language Studies reference collections and instructional reading lists.


The Self-Help Shelf

Clutter Busting Your Life
Brooks Palmer
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way
Novato, CA 94949
9781608680795, $14.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

One needs a clear mind to see through to the future they want out of their life. "Clutter Busting Your Life: Clearing Physical and Emotional Clutter to Reconnect With Yourself and Others" is an inspirational book from Brooks Palmer as he advises readers on how to clear out the clutter in one's life, and in more than a physical way, citing lingering attachments to the past that often hold us back. "Clutter Busting Your Life" is a fine addition to any motivational collection for those who want to see a clear road to a better future.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Finding A Way To The Heart
Robin Jarvis Brownlie & Valerie J. Korinek
University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John's College
Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M5
9780887557324, $31.95, www.uofmpress.ca

Canadian issues of race and gender are the subject of "Finding a Way to the Heart: Feminist Writings on Aboriginal and Women's History in Canada", a 280-page compendium of erudite essays by twelve scholar's whose contributions range from Jennifer S.H. Brown's 'All These Stories About Women: Many Tender Ties and a New Fur Trade History'; to Katrina Srigley's 'I am a proud Anishinaabekwe: Issues of Identity and Status in Northern Ontario after Bill C-31'. All of these essays are seminal works that have been deftly edited by the collaborative effort of academicians Robin Jarvis Brownlie and Valerie J. Korinek. The result is an informed and informative body of work that is a valued contribution to, and highly recommended for, academic library Canadian History, Ethnic Studies, and Women's Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Audiobook Shelf

CyberSafety for Families
Paul O'Briant
Discipleship Resources
130 East Washington Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
9780881775921 $35.00 www.upperroom.com

Although author Paul O'Briant speaks from a devout Christian perspective, his audiobook CyberSafety for Families is a practical and invaluable kit that families of all faiths would do well to study at length. In today's internet-dominated world, it's more important than ever for parents to educate their children and teens about online safety - from the basics of never giving out personal information, to realizing that anything on the internet is "written in ink" (anything uploaded online is capable of turning up in someone's Google search 20 or 50 years later), to protecting oneself from viruses and scam artists, and much more. Computers, cellphones, video games, and social networking sites are all covered; CyberSafety for Families also includes teaching plans, handouts, and a slide presentation to drill its essential safety procedures in classroom-style lessons. (All print materials are in pdf format and need Adobe Acrobat Reader to be viewed; however, CyberSafety for Families is compatible with both the Mac and the PC). CyberSafety for Families is absolutely essential addition to not only every public library every family household, and an absolutely invaluable resource for teaching one's children important safety topics that may or may not be fully covered in public school. Highly recommended.

The Pickwick Papers
Charles Dickens, author
David Timson, narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843795551 $137.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Superbly performed by BBC Radio Drama veteran David Timson, The Pickwick Papers is an unabridged audiobook adaptation of Charles Dickens' debut novel, now justly recognized as a classic. Set in England shortly before the advent of the railroad, The Pickwick Papers follows the upper-class Mr. Pickwick and his caustically comedic cockney servant Sam Weller, as they travel the nation in search of adventure and learning. From comic moments such as the Eatanswill election and the trial of Mrs. Bardell vs. Pickwick to the stark atrocity that was debtors prison, The Pickwick Papers is a superb rendition of Dickens' grand and thoroughly engaging adventure. The Pickwick Papers is worthy of the highest recommendation for public library audiobook collections, and as a special gift for audiobook lovers who especially enjoy great literary treasures. 25 CDs, 32 hours 13 min.

Bram Stoker Dracula
Adapted by Charles Morey
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard
Venice, CA 90291
9781580818322 $25.95 www.latw.org

Performed by a full cast of talented actors, Bram Stoker Dracula is audiobook adaptation of Bram Stoker's legendary horror novel that solidified the vampire Dracula's immortal role in popular culture. The monster Dracula has come to Victorian London with a cargo of his native Transylvanian soil, and preys without remorse upon helpless victims; only one man, Dr. Van Helsing, is courageous and clever enough to defy Dracula's murderous rampage. Van Helsing's crusade will ultimately lead him to brave the vampire's lair with one of the only weapons that can inflict lasting harm - a wooden stake! An extraordinary adaptation worthy of the timeless legend, Bram Stoker Dracula is an absolute must-have for vampire and horror fans, and the perfect gift for any reader of vampire fiction who has yet to connect with their favored genre's roots. 2 CDs, 1 hour 48 min.

Wildflower Hill
Kimberley Freeman, author
Caroline Lee, narrator
Bolinda Publishing
186 S Long Swamp Rd
Jackson, ME 04921
9781743108604 $24.99 www.bolinda.com

Wildflower Hill is an unabridged audiobook adaptation of Kimberley Freeman's novel that charts the parallels in the lives between women in different eras. In 1920s Glasgow, eighteen-year-old Beattie Blaxland and her married lover Henry incite the ire of their families when Blaxland becomes pregnant; they venture to Australia in search of a new life, unaware of the hardships that await. In 2009 London, the ballerina Lydia Blaxland-Hunter is struggling with a rough patch in her career; when she returns to visit her Australian home, she learns that her beloved and recently passed-on grandmother Beattie Blaxland has left her Tasmanian property. An unfolding saga of discovery, awakening, love, seduction, and learning to adapt to the towering challenges of daily life, Wildflower Hill is a thoughtful and highly recommended audiobook, superbly performed by award-winning actress Caroline Lee. 13 CDs, 10 hours 35 min.

My Extraordinary Ordinary Life
Sissy Spacek with Maryanne Vollers
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401326241 $39.99 www.hyperionbooks.com

My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is the unabridged audiobook rendition of the memoir of Academy Award-winning actress Sissy Spacek, read by Spacek herself. From the lessons of her incredible parents, who taught her to reach for her dreams, to surviving the heartbreak of family tragedy, and the labor of building her professional career from the ground up in New York. Yet at the peak of her career, she and her family chose to abandon big-city life and move to a farm in rural Virginia. My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is a thought-provoking journey, as much about life's simple pleasures as it is about overcoming challenges, and highly recommended. 9 CDs, 10 hours.

The Real Crash
Peter D. Schiff, author
Oliver Wyman, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427226693 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

The unabridged audiobook adaptation of The Real Crash: How to Save Yourself and Your Country is a stark wake-up call by author, investment broker, financial commentator, recurring CNBC and Fox News guest Peter D. Schiff (also known as the host of the radio show and podcast "The Peter Schiff Show"). Schiff warns his fellow Americans that the next bubble destined to burst and kick off a horrendous market crash will be a government-inflated bubble - too much government spending and a mountain of amassed debt is fast reaching the breaking point, with dire economic implications for everyone. The Real Crash examines not only how America got into this mess, but also proposes a bold plan for getting out of it: Schiff advocates extreme government cuts including the elimination of entire agencies, an end to expensive foreign military escapades, the termination of mortgage interest or student loan deductions, and the abandonment of useless drug wars and moral hazard-inducing bank bailouts. Perhaps most controversial, Schiff proposes that America should declare bankruptcy, default on its debts, and rebuild itself from square one! Though the listener might not agree with Schiff's more draconian proposals, his call to take immediate action against a mounting debt that threatens our children's future deserves to be heeded, and his recommendations for protecting one's family against the next bubble-induced recession are quite welcome. Highly recommended. 10 CDs, 13 hours.

The Stonecutter
Camilla Lackberg, author
Steven T. Murray, translator
David Thorn, narrator
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781615735501 $39.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com

Adeptly translated into English by Steven T. Murray and smoothly performed by David Thorn, The Stonecutter is an unabridged audiobook rendition of Swedish author Camilla Lackberg's suspenseful murder mystery. Set in the remote tourist resort town of Fjallbacka, The Stonecutter opens with discovery of a murdered little girl, and follows local detective Patrick Hedstrom in his grim quest for justice. Hedstrom is himself a soon-to-be father, and wrestles with the difficulty of probing the past of a victim who died far too young, and her grief-stricken family. The darkness that Hedstrom uncovers may well tarnish Fjallbacka forever - but to allow the perpetrator of the heinous crime to remain unpunished would surely be even worse! The Stonecutter is a gripping novel of the dark side of human nature, unforgettable to the very end. 14 CDs, 17 hours.


The Library CD Shelf

Love Travels
Julie Reiber
Privately Published
c/o Dan Fortune (publicity)
$12.99 CD / $9.99 MP3 www.juliereiber.com www.cdbaby.com

Love Travels is the debut solo music CD by singer and actress Julie Reiber, currently playing the role of Marion in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" on Broadway. Consisting of a blend of original songs and beloved musical theater tunes by a variety of composers, Love Travels has the binding theme of the emotion, beauty, and power of love itself. A glowing, vibrant performance that soothes the soul and lifts up the spirit, Love Travels is highly recommended. The tracks are "I Got Love", "Knocks Me Off My Feet", "Little Green", "When You're Around", "Through the Mountain", "Still Hurting", "Walk On By", "Back To You", "Let Him Fly", "Be My Love", "Stay", "There's a Way", "Hold Out, Hold Up, Hold On", and "Bonus Track - Defying Gravity".

To Carmen with Love
Shawnn Monteiro
www.shawnnmonteiro.com
Whaling City Sound
1310 Tucker Road, No. Dartmouth, MA 02747
Mixed Media (publicity)
20 Lockmere Road, Cranston, RI 02910
$15.00 www.mixedmediapromo.com www.whalingcitysound.com

Shawnn Monteiro offers tribute the wonderful and all-too-overlooked jazz singer Carmen McRae in To Carmen with Love, a soulfully beautiful album. Monteiro sings in the same style as McRae once did, accompanied by a spare three-piece band; the songs are carefully selected from among McRae's personal favorites. To Carmen with Love is a joy to experience for fans of jazz, and highly recommended. The tracks are "Old Devil Moon" (9:46), "Yesterdays" (6:18), "I Concentrate On You" (5:20), "Old Black Magic" (4:20), "You're Looking At Me" (5:51), "Mean To Me" (3:50), "Come In From The Rain" (3:38), "Miss Brown (to you)" (3:36), "Speak Low" (4:37), "Nice Work" (3:40), "I Have The Feeling I've Been Here Before" (6:39), and "Nature Boy" (6:25).


The Library DVD Shelf

Money & Medicine
a film by Roger Weisberg
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
$295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Winner of the Remi Award in the WorldFest at Houston, Money & Medicine is a documentary that scrutinizes one of the reasons American health care costs are skyrocketing out of control - overtreatment. The health care field is rife with moral, ethical, and financial dilemmas, that manifest as radically different rates in which certain expensive treatments (that just might be unnecessary!) are performed across the country. For example, some states have a much higher incidence of elective Cesarean Section deliveries than others, even though the procedure is a major surgery with significant risks. Money & Medicine also examines heartbreaking end-of-life choices, including the modern tendency to prolong the deaths of people whose severe organ failure means that it is almost impossible for them to recover. Other controversies arise over cancer screenings; should women start getting mammograms at age 40 or 50, given that the procedure has a small amount of risk? How aggressively should men screen for and treat prostate cancer, especially when surgically removing an anomaly that is statistically likely to be nonfatal can have lifelong negative side effects such as impotence or incontinence? There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but as health care costs continue to soar, these crucial questions and related problems concerning the phenomenon of overtreatment need to be faced head-on. Perhaps Money & Medicine's most important lesson lies in its emphasis on the importance of peer review and the group pooling of information among medical professionals; when doctors share what they know among themselves and collect aggregate data, they are better empowered to help their patients make difficult, life-changing decisions. Highly recommended. 83 min.

This is Civilization
Matthew Collings, host
Athena
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598288162 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

A modern update of BBC's notable 1969 series "Civilization", This is Civilization is a four-part documentary on two DVDs that explores what art has to say about humanity throughout the centuries. Spotlighting on masterpieces ranging from ancient Greek sculpture and the temples of Egypt to the geometric patterns of mosques, the fiery art of the French Revolution, pioneers of modern art such as Picasso and Pollack, and even the stinging indictments of commercialized pop culture crafted by Chinese artist and photographer Wang Qingsong. A grand showcase of artistic masterpieces, This is Civilization is the next best thing to attending museums in person, further enriched by host Matthew Collings extensive commentary on the rich interplay between art and human culture. Bonus features include a 12-page viewer's guide peppered with articles, and biographies of profiled artists, This is Civilization is an absolute must-see for art lovers, and highly recommended for public library DVD collections. 2 DVDs, 192 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Programmed To Be Fat?
A documentary from Dreamfilm
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772160 $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for public performance, Programmed To Be Fat? observes that first-world nations with a modern American lifestyle have populations that are heavier than ever. Is this entirely due to unhealthy diet and exercise habits? Programmed To Be Fat? explores the research that multiple scientists have done implying that man-made chemicals might have compounded the obesity epidemic. Could exposure to certain chemicals in the womb result in children who are genetically programmed to be fatter? Experiments with lab mice seem to indicate as much. The chemical BPA, which can be absorbed through the skin simply from handling printed receipts or ingested by drinking/eating from certain plastic containers, has been linked to weight gain, and is extraordinarily prevalent in our modern culture. Programmed To Be Fat? raises disturbing but vital questions about whether our current procedures for testing the safety of chemicals are comprehensive enough (especially when new chemicals seem to be "innocent until proven guilty"), and is highly recommended. 45 min., SDH captions.

Monroe Series 1
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287868 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

Monroe Series 1 is a collection on DVD of the British drama following Dr. Gabriel Monroe (played by James Nesbitt, known for his work in "Murphy's Law"), a witty neurosurgical genius with a strong sense of right and wrong, and a maverick penchant for arrogantly defying the rules. An outrage to his colleagues, a terror to his interns, and yet a savior to his patients, Monroe and the rest of his surgical team must navigate thorny challenges in their personal lives as well as challenging life-or-death cases in their professional work. The extra twists of tight plotting and dry, unforgettable British humor cement "Monroe" as an absolute "must-see" for fans of medical drama! 6 episodes on 2 DVDs, 274 min., 16:9 widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Biophilic Design
a documentary by Stephen R. Kellert & Bill Finnegan
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772101 $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for public performance, Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life is a documentary that explores the intrinsic value of incorporating elements of nature and natural life into human living, working, and educational environments. "Green" architecture, which often allows spaces for living trees or even ecosystems, is not only environmentally friendly but also refreshing to the body and soul. Patients in hospitals with biophilic design recover more quickly and have less stress; workers in environments with biophilic design enjoy themselves more and find it easier to concentrate; and students in schools with biophilic design can benefit from whole new ways of learning that teach them about the value of nature. A thought-provoking study brimming with invaluable ideas especially for architects, policy makers, and interior designers, Biophilic Design is highly recommended. 60 min., SDH captioned.


The Dance Shelf

The Basse Dance Handbook
David Wilson
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, Hillsdale, NY 12529
www.pendragonpress.com
9781876471609, $84.00, www.amazon.com

The newest addition to the outstanding Pendragon Press 'Wendy Hilton Dance & Music' series, "The Basse Dance Handbook, Text and Context: Seventeen Original Sources" transcribed and compiled by the late David Wilson and with informed commentary by Veronique Daniels, stands unique in the annals of academia. This 311-page compendium comprises major chapters providing an introduction and summary, addresses the social context of the French Basse Dance, provides a review of the sources, and offers informed conclusions on the structure of the Basse Dance, observations on other contemporary French dance forms, and comparison with fifteenth-century Italian Bassadanza. Enhanced with appendices on its name, instructions on its performance, 'The French Basse Dance in Art', and 'Two Contracts', as well as a bibliography and an Index, "The Basse Dance Handbook" is a seminal work of superb scholarship and a core addition to academic library European Dance History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Fashion Shelf

Costume and Fashion, A Concise History, fifth edition
James Laver, author
Thames & Hudson Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780500204122 $24.95 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

"Costume and Fashion, A Concise History" is presented in a new fifth edition with a new chapter by Amy de la Haye called Fashion in the Twenty-First Century which takes account of not only modern fashion trends and design but also the impact of the virtual shopping world, e-commerce, online advertising and sales, related blogs and sites, etc. A stunning total of 348 illustrations, 85 in color, present fashion design images through history. "Costume and Fashion" is a costume and dress Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, indispensable to the student of costume design, fashion history, or theater production costumer. The relationship between fashion history and art history is frequently explored in both illustrations and discussion. "Costume and Fashion, A Concise History" covers known Western costume history in 11 brief chapters with scintillating clarity and brevity. No fashion library should lack this gem of a thumbnail documentary of Western clothing and accessories trends.


The Humor Shelf

Prizewinning Political Cartoons 2012 Edition
Dean P. Turnbloom, editor
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street
Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455616114 $19.95 www.pelicanpub.com

Prizewinning Political Cartoons 2012 Edition is packed cover to cover with political cartoons that have earned a variety of prestigious awards - from the Pulitzer Prize and the National Headliner Awards to the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, and more. A sizeable number of the cartoons are printed in color as well! Perhaps the most striking is "The Path to Hope" excerpt, which is different from the usual set of cartoon gags in that they tell of children living in poverty an struggling to succeed. "It is not unusual for families living in poverty to discourage family members from seeking upward mobility. Pursuing an education can be viewed as a rejection of the family. Parents also fear that a child's success would sever their relationship. In reality, however, upward mobility by one member of the family can help the rest of the family break the cycle of poverty." Vivid, powerful, sometimes uncomfortable, but always thought-provoking and often with a wicked sense of humor, Prizewinning Political Cartoons 2012 Edition is worthy of the highest recommendation.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Wild Ink
Victoria Hanley
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781593638641, $17.95, www.amazon.com

The young adult market is a primary source of revenue for the publishing industry and requires aspiring authors creating fiction and non-fiction works for a YA audience to be able communicate and connect with their audience if their books are to be successful in a highly competitive marketplace that includes school and community librarians, booksellers, and the adolescent to young adult reading public. "Wild Ink: Success Secrets to Writing and Publishing for the Young Adult Market" by successful YA novelist Victoria Hanley is a 302-page instruction manual that will prove indispensable to writers as she descriptively discusses the special needs of the YA genre, tips on staying inspired when writing for this specialized audience, as well as avoiding common mistakes when writing for teens. Of special note are the provision of writing exercises to hone skills necessary to capture the interest of teen readers, interviews with YA authors, bloggers, editors, and agents within the YA genre, and self-editing techniques appropriate for the YA genre. Of special note is Victoria Hanley's observations on dealing with rejection and time constraints. Informed, practical, and offering a wealth of superbly presented constructive information, "Wild Ink" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone seeking to write for a YA readership.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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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