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Library Bookwatch

Volume 3, Number 3 March 2008 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Military Shelf Library DVD Shelf Dance Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Travel Shelf Fashion Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Interior Design Shelf Art Shelf
Architecture Shelf Education Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library Science Shelf Gardening Shelf Native American Shelf
Photography Shelf Railroading Shelf Gaming Shelf
World History Shelf Poetry Shelf Music Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf American History Shelf Science Shelf
Biography Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Study Smarter, Not Harder
Kevin Paul, MA
Self-Counsel Press Inc.
1704 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
9781551807416, $17.95 www.self-counsel.com 1-800-663-3007

Now in an updated second edition marking the tenth anniversary of its publication, Study Smarter, Not Harder is a straightforward self-teaching guide to expanding one's memory, firing up one's brain, and learning the tips, tricks, and techniques to study with maximum effectiveness and minimum time expenditure. From learning the art of study reading (which is very different from "speed reading"!), to the importance being aware of one's own alertness cycle and the point of mental diminishing returns, harnessing the #1 study skill of the ability to focus, and more, Study Smarter, Not Harder absolutely lives up to its title. Highly recommended not only for high school and college students, but also anyone preparing for a new career.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Princess Ai: Rumors from the Other Side
Tokyopop
5900 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 2000, Los Angeles, CA 90036
c/o Viz Communications Inc.
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
9781427808226, $9.99 www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042

Princess Ai: Rumors from the Other Side is an anthology of twelve short manga-style stories by a diversity of international authors, each offering a different take on the characters of the popular "Princess Ai" manga series about a winged girl with a virtually magical singing voice, and the young man who falls in love with her. The art styles range from wondrously beautiful to humorously comedic, and the themes tend to be romantic with a touch of bittersweet wistfulness. Recommended for readers 13 or older due to mild gore, moderately mature language and non-sexual/nondescript nudity, Princess Ai is ultimately a heart-touching complement to an emotionally moving romantic series.

Neon Genesis Evangelion Angelic Days: Volume 6
Fumino Hayashi
Viz Communications Inc.
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
9781413903621, $9.99 www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042

Intended for readers age thirteen to adult, the sixth and final volume of Neon Genesis Evangelion Angelic Days concludes Fumino Hayashi's alternate-universe take on the popular Japanese animated show and its characters with an array of short stories set at varying times in the characters' lives. Though the world of Angelic Days is less bleak than that of the anime, and its protagonists are less dysfunctional than their psychologically traumatized anime versions, they still have their own personal demons to confront. On-again off-again couple Misato and Kaji have to ask themselves just how they came to drift apart; Ritsuko Akagi grapples with her love for a man who can never love her in return; Hikari and Toji try to make a long-distance relationship work; and Shinji and Asuka face an uncertain future. Angelic Days eschews dramatic mecha battles or mystical confrontations for the complexities of relationships and everyday growing up, yet is all the more fitting a finale for it. Also highly recommended are Neon Genesis Evangelion Angelic Days volumes 1-5.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

150 Best Jobs For A Better World
Laurence Shatkin, et al.
JIST Publishing
8902 Otis Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46216-1033
9781593574765, $16.95 www.jist.com 1-800-648-5478

For more and more people today, it's not enough to simply have a job in order to pay the bills, that job must also contribute to making the world a better place to live in and to pass on to our children. Based on governmental research data and part of the 'Best Jobs' series from JIST Publishing, "150 Best Jobs For A Better World" is the collaborative project of career counselor and expert Laurence Shatkin in cooperation with the editorial staff of JIST Publishing, a premier publishing house that specializes in publishing descriptive guidebooks in the field of jobs and careers. "150 Best Jobs For A Better World" lives up to its title as a compendium of the one hundred 'best jobs' characterized by their pay rates, growth potential, and 'most available' openings. These descriptive job entries are organized according to interests, education, earnings, compatible personality types, and more. Each job entry also provides details about what can be earned, what the responsibilities are, what training is required, what skills are needed to qualify, and what working conditions are to be expected. Replete with charts, the jobs themselves are organized alphabetical for easy access by the reader. A core and essential addition to both job center and community library Job & Career reference collections, the only recommendation for the next edition of "150 Best Jobs For A Better World" is to make it 151 and thereby allowing for the inclusion of the occupation of Book Reviewer to this roster of desirable jobs for a better world!

NCLEX-PN
Barbara J. Irwin, Patricia A. Yock, Judith A. Burckhardt
Kaplan Publishing
1 Liberty Plaza, 24th floor, New York, NY 10006
9781427796813, $25.00 www.kaplanpublishing.com 1-800-223-2336

Nursing is one line of work that can't be outsourced to another country, that is a 'growth industry' as the American population ages, and is both constantly demanding and in constant demand. But to be a nurse takes more than graduating from nursing school -- it also requires being able to pass a nursing licence examination and becoming certified. For those aspiring nurses who wish to become licenced Practical Nurses, Kaplan Publishing's "NCLEX-PN; Strategies For The Practical Nursing Licensing Exam - 2009 Edition" offers a compilation of practical, effective test-taking tools to substantial and successful aid aspiring nurses to pass their licencing exams. The collaborative work of Barbara J. Irwin (National Curriculum Director for Nursing Programs at Kaplan, Inc.), Patricia A. Yock (formerly the Director of the Practical Nursing Program at Front Range Community College), and Judith A. Burckhardt (Executive Director of Nursing, Kaplan Inc.), "NCLEX-PN" offers 145 exam-style questions; detailed answer explanations; complete review of all question formats; up-to-date information on the latest test plan; critical thinking strategies; and an online practice resource. "NCLEX-PN" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' test exam preparation manual and strongly recommended for any nursing student preparing for their Practical Nurse licencing test.


The Military Shelf

Naval Firepower
Norman Friedman
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591145554, $69.95 www.navalinstitute.org 1-800-233-8764

Battleships are floating platforms for artillery barrages that often proved key and essential components of successful ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore military engagements. They were also to prove vulnerable to submarine and air attacks. Now the combat history and gunnery capability of these massive ships of war is fully explored in "Naval Firepower: Battleship Guns And Gunnery In The Dreadnaught Era" by naval historian and analysts Norman Friedman. The focus is on the guns that made battleships the lords of the sea in their heyday. Replete with historic black-and-white photographs of these ships, and a profusion of interior drawings depicting aspects of the guns and their munitions, "Naval Firepower" begins with notes on the units of measurement, abbreviations, and an informative introduction, followed by chapters on gunnery problems, range-keeping, shooting and hitting, tactics used in 1904 to 1914, the impact of World War I on battleship operations and developments during the years of 1914 to 1918, the era between the two wars, battleship gunnery during World War II, battles ships of the German navy, the Us navy and the US Navy at War, as well as chapters on the battleships of the Japanese, French, Italian, and Russian navies. Of special note is the appendices on "Propellants, Guns, Shells and Armour". Enhanced with extensive notes, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index, "Naval Firepower" is a model of military scholarship and a very highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Military History and Naval History reference collections.

Historic Photos of World War II: Volume 2
Bob Duncan
Turner Publishing Company
200 - 4th Avenue North, Suite 950, Nashville, TN 37219
9781596524224, $39.95 www.turnerpublishing.com

Compiled, edited, and captioned by Bob Duncan (County Historian and Director of the Maury County Archives, Columbia, Tennessee), " Historic Photos of World War II: Volume 2 -- Pearl Harbor to Japan" is a coffee-table book style compendium of full-page black-and-white historic photos of battle scenes from the Pacific Theatre. Visually documenting one of the epic saga's of the twentieth century, this photos were drawn from both public archives and private collections. Collectively they depict the struggle, sacrifice, and horrors of war in the Pacific. They also document the courage, resolve, and determination of the American soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen who fought a determined, aggressive, and relentless enemy to liberate the captive peoples of the Pacific nations free from their Japanese overlords. "Historic Photos of World War II: Volume 2" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Military History, Photography, and 20th Century History reference collections. Also very highly recommended is Bob Duncan's earlier work, "Historic Photos of World War II: Volume 1 -- North Africa to Germany" (Turner Publishing, 2007).

Vietnam Zippos
Sherry Buchanan
University of Chicago Press
1427 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
9780226078281, $25.00 www.press.uchicago.edu/presswide/ 1-800-621-2736

The Vietnam War had many facets for those who served in that theatre of military combat from 1965 to 1973. One of the unique memorabilia associated with the conflict were the Zippo brand cigarette lighters that were ubiquitous among the American troops. Drawing from the collection of Bradford Edwards, Sherry Buchanan (an independent scholar, author, and expert on both Asian and Vietnamese contemporary art, history and culture) has created "Vietnam Zippos", a volume of images of Zippo brand lighters used and personalized by members of the American armed forces. Zippos lighters were visible associated with the burning of grass huts as part of search-and-destroy missions, they were used as engraved symbols of social protest, and often became a kind of talisman for American GIs during their hazardous tours of duty in that increasingly unpopular conflict. Beginning with a Timeline that begins in 1965 and ends in 1990 (when Vietnam Zippos were sold to tourists at Saigon Street Stalls), "Vietnam Zippos" is a fascinating and specialized military cultural history that is a unique and recommended contribution to the growing library of Vietnam War histories, biographies, and scholarly studies.

Intrepid Warriors
Colonel Bernd Horn, editor
The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
University of Toronto Press (distribution)
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
9781550027112, $39.95 www.dundurn.com www.utppublishing.com

Colonel Bernd Horn presents Intrepid Warriors: Perspectives on Canadian Military Leaders, an anthology of essays by diverse authors, profiling notable Canadian military commanders. Especial attention is paid to those who distinguished themselves amid the dangerous fog of war. Offering insights into successful leadership styles, approaches, and behaviors, as well as emphasizing how crucial a courageous leader is to a successful military outcome, Intrepid Warriors is a first-rate survey of character elements vital to military command as well as of heroic individuals.


The Library DVD Shelf

Pride and Prejudice: The Special Edition
Directed by Simon Langton
Starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle
A&E/WGBH
c/o SSA Public Relations
16027 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 206, Encino, CA 91436
0767038266, $39.95 www.AandE.com www.pbs.org ellen_dockser@wgbh.org

Pride and Prejudice: The Special Edition is a 2-DVD set of the Arts & Entertainment movie adaptation of Jane Austen's classic romantic comedy - a novel that has never gone out of print. Directed by Simon Langton, also known for his work in "Upstairs, Downstairs", Pride and Prejudice follows the passionate and strong-willed Elizabeth Bennet, one of five unmarried daughters living in the countryside of 19th century England. In an era when a securing a wealthy or powerful marriage is the primary task of a young woman, Elizabeth's headstrong independence threatens her family's stability; her romantic sparring with Darcy forms the heart of this sweeping tale. Now digitally remastered for improved picture and sound quality, presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) for the first time in the U.S., and including extras such as a behind-the-scenes featurette and a collectible 8-page booklet, Pride and Prejudice: The Special Edition is the definitive media representation of a romance that transcends its setting.

Foyle's War: Set 4
Acorn Media Group
801 Roeder Road, Suite 700, Silver Spring, MD 20910
AMP-9462, $59.99 www.acornmedia.com 1-800-949-8670

The fourth volume of the acclaimed British mystery series "Foyle's War", the continuing story of police detective Christopher Foyle (admirably portrayed by Michael Kitchen) plays out in the English countryside and coastal village against the background of World War II during the years 1942 and 1943. Four episodes comprise this boxed set and confront Foyle with crimes of home-grown violence, opportunism, and murder arising from historically accurate by often overlooked homefront issues such as endemic gambling, bootleg alcohol, women in the workforce, and experiments in biological warfare. As with all BBC productions, there is meticulous attention paid to background detail, costuming, and plot points. Superbly enacted, these are fascinating and entertaining mysteries which play fair with the viewer from beginning to end. One word of caution -- be sure to view the four episodes (Invasion; Bad Blood; Bleak Midwinter; Casualties Of War) in their proper order because of the recurrences of some support characters. For those new to this simply outstanding series, they will be driven to seek out and watch the previous three boxed set volumes of "Foyle's War".

Dragons and Rings
Steve Mitchell
Reality Entertainment
PO Box 91, Foresthill, CA 95631
DVD, $24.95 www.reality-entertainment.com

Dragons and Rings is an absorbing DVD tour of metaphysical mysteries ranging from ancient stone monuments to dragon lore, crop circles, UFOs, and more. Did an elder human race have sophisticated access to inter-dimensional reality hundreds of thousands of years ago? Are we alone in the universe, or are other civilizations just beyond our fingertips? Enhanced with the spiritual music of Soul Path and other Reality Entertainment artists, this delving into quantum theory and paranormal phenomena is sure to intrigue and delight occult studies enthusiasts. 75 minutes, color.

Jeff Cooper's Defensive Pistolcraft Tape Series
Jeff Cooper
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
805966053738, $59.95 www.paladin-press.com 1-800-392-2400

Jeff Cooper's Defensive Pistolcraft Tape Series collects all four volumes of instructional videos (originally produced in 1986) by Jeff Cooper, a.k.a. "The father of modern defensive pistolcraft", into a two-DVD set packaged in one economical case. Volume 1: Defensive Pistol Handling delineates the five elements of practical shooting and the four safety rules of firearm handling; Volume 2: Pistol Readiness Marksmanship instructs the viewer in the basics of making one's pistol ready, dry-firing, and shooting positions, loading techniques, malfunction clearance, "reading your target", and more; Volume 3: Mindset discusses confronting psychological obstructions to defensive pistol use; and Volume 4: Ammo: Power of the Pistol provides information about pistol caliber, ammunition choice, and stopping power. A highly recommended plain-talk tutorial; though firearm design has evolved since the 1980's, the psychological issues involved in using one for self-defense are as pertinent today as they were then, making Jeff Cooper's Defensive Pistolcraft Tape Series an absolute "must-have" for anyone who would responsibly use a handheld gun for self-defense. 2 DVDs, 200 minutes.

The American Ruling Class
John Kirby, et al.
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
DVD $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com 1-800-543-3764

Offering unique insights into modern American class structure, "The American Ruling Class" is an informative, compelling, and strongly recommended examination of how an elite American oligarchy, an integrated political and economic superstructure perpetuates itself, how it recruits its initiates, how it stays in control of American governmental, educational, and commercial organizations, and how it influences the American 'body politic' to abide by the interests of the ruling class -- even when they run counter to the middle class, the working class, and the underclass. Featured are interviews with an impressive roster of notable men and women, including Robert B. Altman, James A. Baker II, Bill Bradly, Harold Brown, Hodding Carter III, William T. Coleman Jr., Walter Cronkite, Barbara Ehrenreich, Vartan Gregorian, Doug Henwood, Mike Medavoy, Joseph S. Nyre., John Perkins, Samuel Peabody, Pete Seeger, Lawrence H. Summres, Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr., William Howard Taft IV, Kurt Vonnegut, and Howard Zinn. We follow two bright young men, one of whom takes the corporate road to success while the other one considers doing something more altruistic and self-fulfilling. Each is guided by Lewis Lapham as they are introduced to the 'movers and shakers', the American equivalent of 'powers behind the throne' who collectively determine the course of American political and economic policies at the highest levels of responsibility -- along with a few cultural watchdogs and commentators like folksong singer and political activist Pete Seeger. Dramatic, superbly produced and directed, thoughtful and thought provoking, "The American Ruling Class" offers a candor rarely glimpsed by ordinary citizens into who really calls the shots in America during these opening years and decades of the 21st Century.

Love*Com The Movie
Kitaji Ishikawa, director
Viz Media
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
1934244090, $24.98 www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042

Based on the manga by Aya Nakahara, Love*Com The Movie is a subtitled Japanese high school romance movie following the unusually tall Risa Koizumi. She feels humiliated about her height when compared to Atsushi Otani, the shortest guy in class; both Risa and Atsushi have bad past experiences of being rejected because of their respective heights. Yet as their friendship develops, their feelings for one another start to grow - is it possible to overcome past hurt and insecurity in the genesis of a new relationship? A host of special features including original Japanese trailers and some amusing short films round out this feel-good love story. 100 minutes, color, Japanese language with English subtitles.

Excellent Cadavers
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
FRF-913065D, $29.99 www.firstrunfeatures.com

"Excellent Cadavers" is how the bodies of Mafia-assassinated prosecutors, judges, and other members of Italian and Sicilian society were referred to when the judicial killings began in the 1970s. Based upon the book by Italian-American author Alexander Stille and drawing upon the work of Sicilian photojournalist Letizia Battaglia, this superbly produced and presented 92 minute documentary chronicles the efforts of two courageous Italian prosecutors whose work in the 1980s to expose and imprison the leadership and the membership of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra ultimately led to the 'Maxi-Trials' held in Palermo in a heavily-protected underground bunker the size of a football filed where hundreds of Mafia defendants, ranging from street soldiers to Dons, were tried and convicted. "Excellent Cadavers" is an informed and informative, making it 'must viewing' for academicians, criminologists, and the general public with an interest in organized crime generally, and the Sicilian Cosa Nostra in particular.

Razor Fitness
947 Hamilton Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.razorfitness.com www.jenniferkries.com www.411videoinfo.com

Two new DVDs by dancer, choreographer, Pilates teacher, and yoga practitioner Jennifer Kries presents two excellent DVDs worthy of inclusion in any fitness buff's DVD library. New Body! Pilates Beginner Mat Workout (1595524134,, $14.99, 45 min.) offers easy-to-follow instructions for the Pilates novice. The only equipment needed is a suitable Pilates mat for the 35 minute main workout, and a simple "magic circle" Pilates aid for the ten-minute total body toning bonus section. New Body! Pilates Beginner Mat Workout is a great way to get started reaping the rewards of regular Pilates exercises: improved core strength, fitness, flexibility, posture, and much more. Yin Yoga (1595524126,, $14.99, 75 min.) offers three complete yoga workouts that emphasize stretching and mind-body attunement. Shot in high definition yet compatible with regular DVD players, Yin Yoga is an ideal enhancement to traditional heating yoga that sculpts body muscles, because Yin Yoga focuses upon going deeper within oneself to tap the calming power of stillness. A quiet, gentle resource for cultivating inner peace and perfect for cooling down after more intense physical workouts.

Confessions of an Event Planner
Dena Marie Modica
Learning ZoneXPress
PO Box 1022, Owatonna, MN 55060
1571756361, $79.95 www.learningzoneexpress.com 1-888-455-7003

Confessions of an Event Planner is a simple DVD introduction to the career of being an event planner, ideal for showing to school students. Intended for viewers in grade 6 and up (including adults!), Confessions of an Event Planner reveals the business world of Dena Marie Modica, Director of Sales and Marketing for Solera Restaurant and Event Center, via interviews and behind-the scenes footage. Topics covered include the necessary education and training to get into the business, the salary range for the career, long-term career outlook, types of event planners that exist, pros and cons of the job, and more. Enthusiastically recommended for public library collections as well as high school Career Day DVD showings.

JTV Productions
PO Box 1367, Orem, UT 84059
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.JTVfitness.com www.411videoinfo.com

Registered nurse, professional fitness model, and Exercise Physiology expert Kristy Rowberry presents two DVD workouts designed to strengthen the body and get in shape. "Kristy's Body Toning" ($19.99, 70 min.) is a low impact regimen created especially to reshape and sculpt one's body. Divided into nine workouts focusing on warming up, lunges, push ups, inner thighs, abdominals, crossover, upper body, outer thighs and glutes, and glutes and hamstrings, Kristy's Body Toning is an excellent addition to personal fitness libraries, requiring no equipment beyond a simple floor mat. "Kristy's Cardio Combat" ($19.99, 60 min.) is a high-intensity aerobic workout that blends energetic cardio training and kickboxing moves into a fun and fat-burning experience. No equipment is required. Kristy's infectious enthusiasm carries both DVDs, making them worthy additions to any fitness buff's DVD library.

Women's Health Perfect Body Workout
Amy Dixon
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
9780766234000, $14.98 www.rodale.com 1-800-527-8200

Women's Health Perfect Body Workout with Amy Dixon is a solid fitness DVD designed especially to help women burn calories with high energy cardio moves based on various sports, strength training to the tone the body, core moves to improve the abs, and a bonus yoga athletic stretch segment. The only required equipment is a few inexpensive items: 5-pound hand weights, floor mat, towel, and remote control. Led by L.A.-based celebrity trainer and "Women's Health" magazine contributing editor Amy Dixon, Women's Health Perfect Body Workout lives up to its title and is an excellent addition to any woman's DVD workout regimen. 69 minutes, color.

Pearl Diver
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
9781569944226, $24.95 www.montereymedia.com 1-800-424-2593

Winner of Best Feature Film at the East Lansing Film Festival among a host of other festival awards, Pearl Diver is a DVD that blends elements of a family drama with a tragic murder mystery. When two sisters lose their mother to murder, the loss haunts them for twenty years - until a farming accident uncovers the sense of trauma they have kept hidden since that horrific night. Yet hope can be found in facing the truth despite its most terrible realities, in this singularly powerful, emotionally moving feature. 97 minutes.

Perception
A film by Irving Schwartz
Empire Pictures
c/o First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
www.empirepicturesusa.com info@empirepicturesusa.com
DVD $26.98 www.firstrunfeatures.com

"Coyote Ugly" actress Piper Perabo stars as Jen Marshall in the DVD Perception, a dramatic movie following the troubled Jen when she moves back to New York City from Los Angeles. Her temperamental personality alienates those who try hardest to become close to her; yet after suffering a traumatic event she yearns to bring the very people she spurned back into her life. When is friendship too far gone to reclaim? Deceptive reality itself can be recipe for disaster in this taut and profound reflection on human isolation in the twenty-first century. 102 minutes, color.

Marathon Challenge
WGBH Boston Video
c/o SSA Public Relations (publicity)
16027 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 206, Encino, CA 91436
9781593757946, $19.95 www.ssapr.com shop.wgbh.org

As seen on public television, Marathon Challenge is a special from the educational program NOVA following thirteen ordinary men and women who give their all to complete Boston's greatest test of stamina and endurance: the 26-mile Boston Marathon. But how does an ordinary, sedentary person get in shape for such a grueling competition? Thirteen individuals devote themselves to a nine-month regimen designed specifically for preparing for the Boston Marathon, in this true-life saga of human drama that also explores the scientific biomechanics of fitness. What happens to the hearts and muscles of couch potatoes who transform themselves into long-distance runners, and what risks do they face in the process? An amazing documentary of the trials, tribulations, and wonders experienced by rookie athletes, enhanced by special DVD features such as printable material for educators, closed captioning, and described video for the visually impaired. 54 minutes, color.

Core Rhythms Dance Exercise Program: Starter Pack
Jaana Kunitz and Julia Powers
DanceSport Videos, LLC
9323 Stevens Rd. Suite A, Santee, CA 92071
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
DVD $39.95 www.CoreRhythms.com

Core Rhythms Dance Exercise Program: Starter Pack is an economically priced four-DVD workout set with bonus Kick Start DVD, featuring exercise routines created by international dance champions Jaana Kunitz and Julia Powers. The award-winning interactive Kick Start DVD has a slower tempo and instructs the user in the three basic moves of the workout; the 45-minute Full Workout DVD shows every dance step from the front and back and offers an easy-to-use Help button for quickly calling up tips; the Quick Workout DVD packs a useful Merengue and Samba workout into a 20 minutes; the Latin Dance Made Easy DVD introduces the viewer to the basic steps for Salsa, Merengue and Rumba suitable for use in dance clubs; and The Great Eating Guide DVD offers a seven-day menu with healthy tips on which foods to enjoy and which to avoid. Offering both work on core muscle groups and a solid cardio workout, Core Rhythms Dance Exercise Program: Starter Pack is just what any new aficionado of Latin Dance can use to turn his or her passion into pounds shed!

Kirov Ballet
V.I.E.W. Video
34 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
0803022039, $19.98 www.view.com 212-674-5550

Kirov Ballet: Classic Ballet Night Mixed Program captures an evening of live performances by the stars of the world-renowned Kirov Ballet Company, as they perform the highlight scenes of the most famous classic ballet dances. A celebration of the "Soviet Style" of ballet, which focuses acutely upon technique, elegance, and classical tradition, Kirov Ballet is a treasury further enhanced with a wealth of bonus features, such as biographies of the performers and a bonus video performance. An unforgettable gallery of highlights, as performed by one of the best troupes in existence. 88 minutes.

10 Minute Solution Fat Blasting Latin Dance Mix
Stella Sandoval
Anchor Bay Entertainment
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
DVD $14.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com

A worthy addition to the much-needed "10 Minute Solution" DVD exercise series for busy women (and men!), 10 Minute Solution Fat Blasting Latin Dance Mix offers a medley of Latin dance workouts, each ten minutes long. These 10-minute routines can be done individually or successively in any combination; they are "Fat Burning Cha Cha", "Salsa Slim Down", "Hot Cardio Mix", "Merengue Grooves", and "Tango Toning Twist". Led by Stella Sandoval, a fitness professional of 17 years experience, 10 Minute Solution Fat Blasting Latin Dance Mix is especially recommended for the workout libraries of anyone who finds themselves tapping a toe to catchy Latin rhythms. 54 minutes, color.


The Dance Shelf

Gotta Tango
Alberto Paz & Valorie Hart
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9780736056304, $27.95 www.HumanKinetics.com 1-800-747-4457

The Tango was a slightly salacious dance that had its origins in the barrios of Argentina and went on to achieve widespread popularity in the dance halls of Europe and America in the early decades of the 20th Century -- a popularity in ball room dancing that persists to this day. Profusely illustrated and with an accompanying DVD, "Gotta Tango: Argentine Tango Anywhere, Anytime" is the collaborative work of Tango experts and instructors Albert Paz and Valorie Hart. Offering (quite literally) a step-by-step instruction guide, "Gotta Tango" is the ideal do-it-yourself manual for men and women wanting to master and then excel in their performance of this Latin American dancing tradition. All of the concepts, techniques, flourishes and flairs associated with the Tango are covered in depth and in detail. This book/DVD combination is the perfect format and forum for instruction for the novice dancer (as well as a perfect brush up resource for even experienced Tango dancers coming back to the dance after an absence) and is enthusiastically recommended for personal, dance school, and community library instructional reference collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

Viva Chocolate!
Marilyn Noble
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
9781933855103, $12.95 www.rionuevo.com

If there's anything that unites boys and girls, men and women from every walk of life into enthusiastic agreement it is a love of chocolate in all of its forms and formats. What might not be so well known is that in addition to being the basis for chocolate, the cocoa plant is utilized as a source of flavoring for a great many of the dishes associated with the traditional cuisines of Central America, Mexico, and the American Southwest. Part of the outstanding 'Cook West' series from Rio Nuevo Publishers, "Viva Chocolate!" by chocolateer Marilyn Noble is a compendium of fifty very special recipes based upon the qualities of chocolate and range from simple indulgences to 'decadent desserts'. From Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Orange Marmalade Sauce; to Chocolate Pear Cake; to Chocolate Zabaglione Crepes with Cherry Port Reduction; to Traditional Mexican Hot Chocolate, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes comprising "Viva Chocolate!" will grace any dining occasion and satisfy the palate of all true chocolate connoisseurs. Nicely illustrated with full color photographs of completed dishes, featuring an informatively useful chapter on 'The Basics' for novice chefs, and enhanced with the addition of two appendices ('Working with Chocolate' and 'Resources', "Viva Chocolate!" is enthusiastically recommended for both personal and community library specialty cookbook collections.

The Nut Gourmet
Zel Allen
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
9781570671913, $19.95 www.thefarm.org/businesses/bpc.html 1-800-695-2241

Nuts come in an incredible variety and are to be found as integral elements of every ethnic cuisine on the planet this side of the Eskimos. "The Nut Gourmet: Nourishing Nuts For Every Occasion" by Zel Allen is an amazing compilation of recipes that incorporate nuts in appetizers, breakfast dishes, soups, salads, main dishes, grains and legumes, sauces, sandwiches, vegetable dishes, relishes and condiments, spreads and dips, smoothies and beverages, desserts and confections. Beginning with a roster of great advice for the novice kitchen cook about the health benefits of nuts, buying and storing nuts, tips and tricks with their use, nut measurement equivalents, and 'The Nutcracker's Toolbox', "The Nut Gourmet" goes on to feature simply wonderful recipes that range from Pistachio Pea Pate; Poppy Seed Dressing; Sesame Nut Patties; and African Peanut Soup; to Raisin Walnut Bread; Cheezy Tofu Spread with Pine Nuts; Nutty No-Bake Pie Crust; and Very Berry Parfait with Macadamia Nuts. Enhanced for the novice with the color photography illustrations and the inclusion of a glossary, a resources list, and nutrition tables for nuts, "The Nut Gourmet" is an ideal and enthusiastically recommended specialty addition to personal and community library cookbook collections.

The Farmer's Wife Comfort Food Cookbook
Lela Nargi
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101
9780760329245, $14.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

Life without the occasional consumption of 'comfort food' would be a difficult proposition even at the best of times. From 1911 to 1939 the Minnesota based magazine 'The Farmer's Wife' focused on the lives of hard-working rural women and offered its readers sound advice for carrying out their various farm and household tasks -- including the feeding of their families. Now more than 300 of the very best and most popular of those recipes have been compiled and edited by Lela Nargi in a spiral bound cookbook (allowing it to rest openly on a kitchen counter or table) allowing modern home-makers to replicate the meals that graced the dining tables of their grandmothers. After an informative chapter on 'How To Use This Book--Read This First' and 'A Few Basics', the recipes are organized into chapters specific to Light Fare - Sandwiches and Snacks; Soups; Egg Dishes; Cheese Dishes; Noodles and Rice; Stews and Casseroles; Meat and Fish; Vegetables; Sweets; and Drinks'. An Index allows for the quick and easy location of individual recipes and menu building. With occasional black-and-white illustrations from the original pages of the magazine, the menus and recipes range from Tomato Toast; Baked Creole Rice; Lemon Carrots; and Meat Pie; to Corn Pudding; Oven Fried Potatoes; Squash and Apple Casserole; and Honey Cheese Crumb Pie. One especially nice touch is that each recipe carries the date of the magazine issue in which it appeared. A thoroughly delightful volume for browsing, "The Farmer's Wife Comfort Food Cookbook" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library kitchen cookbook collections!

Norene's Healthy Kitchen
Norene Gilletz
Whitecap Books
20 Maud Street, Suite 306, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5V 2M5
Lisa Ekus Public Relations (publicity)
57 North Street, Hatfield, MA 01038
9781552858028, $29.95 www.whitecap.ca

Being healthy and staying that way is a perennial concern for us all. In addition to exercise and good sanitary practices, to ward off illness, to minimize the impact of illness when it occurs, and to recover as rapidly as possible from injuries of any kind, good nutrition cannot be overemphasized. "Norene's Healthy Kitchen: Eat Your Way To Good Health" by culinary consultant, cooking teacher, food lecturer, and freelance food writer Norene Gilletz (who is also one of Canada's leading kosher cookbook authors), is a compendium of more than six hundred recipes, each of which is guaranteed to be as kitchen cook friendly as it is nutritious and delicious. This is a 511-page volume of superbly presented recipes for everything from appetizers to dessert. Of special note is the first part 'Things You Want to Know' addressing such issues as the Glycemic Index, mail-planning tips for diabetics, the use of salt and salt substitutes, food storage tips, kitchen equipment, grilling, food safety, pan sizes and conversion, substitutions for both cooking and baking, and basic 'Nutritional Analysis' tips. From a Curried Carrot and Cashew Soup; to a Spicy Steakhouse Salmon; to Chicken Fajitas; to Sugar-Free Meringue Cookies, "Norene's Healthy Kitchen" is an ideal and highly recommended addition to the cookbook collections for anyone concerned with kosher dining, weight-loss management, diabetes, smart-carb diets, and glycemic indices.


The Travel Shelf

Hidden Coast Of California
Ray Riegert
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
9781569755952, $19.95 www.ulyssespress.com 1-800-377-2542

There are enduring reasons why California has been a premier tourist destination for more than a hundred years. A compact, easily portable, 550-page travel guide specifically focused on its Pacific shoreline communities and environs, "Hidden Coast Of California" by travel expert Ray Riegert is a superbly organized and comprehensive compendium of information that includes recommended historic inns, scenic drives, beaches and parks, weekend getaways, prospecting opportunities for gems and precious metals, and even whale-watching! Covering the sights and recreational opportunities of San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Francisco, and Mendocino, "Hidden Coast Of California" is illustrated with occasional maps, peppered with traveler tips, provides an 'Outdoor Adventure Symbols' chart for ease of use, and so much more. Of special note is the opening chapter covering a variety of issues ranging from California coast geology, Native Americans, coastal plant life, animals (both on land and in the ocean), a calendar of events, visitor centers, traveling with children, disabled and senior travelers, women traveling alone, foreign travelers, camping, permits and more. Now in an expanded and updated eleventh edition, "Hidden Coast Of California" is the ideal resource for planning itineraries and for taking maximum advantage of what California has to offer travelers and vacationers along it's spectacular coastline. Also very highly recommended for both personal and community Travel Guide reference collections is Ray Riegert's companion book from Ulysses Press: "Hidden Southern California: 10th Edition" (9781569755396, $19.95).


The Fashion Shelf

As Seen In Vogue
Daniel Delis Hill
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896726161, $36.95 www.ttup.ttu.edu 1-800-832-4042

No fashion magazine was more popular or had a larger impact upon the clothing styles of American women than 'Vogue'. Part of the Texas Tech University Press 'Costume Society of American' series, "As Seen In Vogue: A Century Of American Fashion In Advertising" by fashion expert and historian Daniel Delis Hill has drawn from this seminal fashion periodical's more than 600 fashion adds for a century-long overview beginning with the magazine's founding in 1893 through ten decades to 1993. Superbly illustrated throughout with black-and-white photos of advertisements showcasing the changes in fashion styles and the growing sophistication of the American Fashion Industry down through the years, "As Seen In Vogue" also discusses and documents the evolution witnessed within its pages of the evolution in American fashion, American society, and American culture. A fascinating and specialized history, "As Seen In Vogue" is a seminal and unique work of scholarship that makes it a critically important, informed and informative contribution recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections and American Fashion History supplemental reading lists.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Venomous Animals Of The World
Steve Backshall
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9780801888335, $35.00 www.press.jhu.edu 1-800-537-5487

Every year people are attacked by animals whose bite carries poison that can cripple and kill. While these creatures (including snakes, spiders, marine life, mammals, amphibians, frogs, birds, and centipedes) are justifiably to be feared and respected, they can also be inherently fascinating for the beauty, their lifestyle, and their contributions to the ecosystems and habitats where they dwell. A coffee table style book that is impressively illustrated throughout with full color photography, "Venomous Animals Of The World" by naturalist, adventure, wildlife expert, and conservationist Steve Backshall provides the non-specialist general reader with a descriptive account of more than sixty animals whose toxins are the most lethal and evolved in response to the need to both attack and defend within the animal kingdom. Informed and informative, "Venomous Animals Of The World" offers such observations as poisons being classified ingested toxins while venoms are injected toxins; the pharmaceutical industry has been able to use animal toxins as the basis for many beneficial drugs; and so much more. With the cited animals being presented and organized according to being found in Europe, North American, Latin America, Africa, Australasia, and Asia, and enhanced with a concluding chapter on 'The Future for Venomous Wildlife', a bibliography for further study, appendices, and an index, "Venomous Animals Of The World" is a welcome and recommended addition to school and community library Pets & Wildlife reference collections and Wildlife Studies supplemental reading lists.


The Interior Design Shelf

Glass House
C. J. Petersen
Hearst Books
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
9781588165053, $50.00 www.sterlingpublishing.com 1-800-805-5489

Simply stated, windows can make or mar the interior design of any home or office. Part of the 'House Beautiful' series of interior design manuals and references, "Glass House: The Art Of decorating With Light" by interior design expert C. J. Petersen is a beautifully illustrated, superbly organized, and articulately presented instruction manual that will provide non-specialist general readers with a sound grounding in design basics when it comes to utilizing and maximizing windows to provide the element of light to increase the attractiveness of individual rooms. An invaluable compendium of practical advice, tips, tricks and techniques, "Glass House covers everything from using bay windows to open up small kitchens; to using a cast glass banister insert as an element of sophistication for an otherwise ordinary architectural feature; to pairing door panes with transoms to brighten confined entry halls; to the use of skylights over kitchen work areas for added illumination; to utilizing glass blocks for shower enclosures; to choosing French doors for their architectural design flare; and so much more. Of special note are the illustrated sections covering art glasswork techniques ranging from sandblasting, to fusing, to beveling. A thoroughly 'user friendly' manual of superbly illustrated ideas and examples, "Glass House" is an enthusiastically recommended and practical addition to personal, professional, and community library Interior Design reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Art Shelf

The Jesuits And The Arts 1540-1773
John. W. O'Malley, S.J., Gauvin Alexander Bailey, Giovanni Sale, S.J.
Saint Joseph's University Press
5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131-1395
0916101525, $70.00 www.sju.edu/sjupress/

The Jesuit Order of the Roman Catholic church are well known for their missionary work and their theological contributions to Catholicism. Less well known is the Jesuit contribution to western art as patrons and cultural emissaries. Now to acknowledge, describe, and evaluate the Jesuit legacy to the arts is the coffee-table style compendium of information and examples compiled, edited, captioned, and with commentary by the team of John W. O'Malley, S.J.; Gauvin Alexander Bailey, and Giovanni Sale, S.J., "The Jesuits And The Arts 1540-1773" is a 477-page art history providing an informed and informative historical overview of the subject. Enhanced with more than 476 full color, high resolutions images of Jesuit buildings, paintings, sculpture, theatrical sets, and music from around the world, scholars and non-specialist readers alike will be able to learn from the twelve essays (some of them translated into English for the first time) of leading specialists throughout Europe, the United States, and South America of the contributions individual Jesuits and the Jesuit Order have made with respect to the design and construction of church architecture, their commissions of paintings and sculptures, their contributions to music, and their conflicts within and without in the pursuit of artistic excellence and a distinctive Jesuit style. Providing a seminal body of specialized history, "The Jesuits And The Arts 1540-1773" is an important and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and ecclesiastical Art History, Jesuit Studies, and Catholic Church History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Manuel Neri: The Figure In Relief
Bruce Nixon
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, 74-2 Union Street, Manchester, VT 05254
1883124255, $65.00 www.hudsonhills.com

Next to art being drawn upon cave walls, sculpture is the oldest enduring art form known to man. Manuel Neri is a master of this particular medium of artistic expression and in "Manuel Neri: The Figure In Relief" by Bruce Nixon (an independent scholar and former editor-in-chief of 'Artweek', a monthly art newspaper based in California) has compiled and provides captioning and commentary for a colorful survey of the relief sculptures and related drawings of this complex sculptor, drawn from more than twenty-five years of work beginning with his earliest figures created in the 1950s and 1960s. Neri's ability to create and depict the figural form in a variety of media ranging from plaster and clay to bronze and marble documents him as a master sculptor in a tradition that stretches back for centuries. "Manuel Neri: The Figure In Relief" is a welcome and seminal addition to Art History collections in general, and 20th Century Sculpture reference collections in particular.


The Architecture Shelf

The Big Book Of Home Plans
Hanley Wood
One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005
1931131368, $12.95 www.hanleywood.com 1-877-447-5450

A residential house is the homeowner's single largest investment and, optimally, should suit the homeowner's personal style, needs, preferences, and geographic realities of the landscape upon which it rests. The diversity of styles and designs for homes is essentially limited only by the imaginations of the architects. "The big Book Of Home Plans" showcases more than five hundred of the most impressive home designs available today and range across an impressive variety of styles and landscape designs. Each home is presented with single succinctly descriptive paragraph, a color photograph of the finished structure, architectural floor plans, an 'info block' naming such things style, square footages, numbers of bedrooms, bathrooms, with, depth, and foundation (when there is a basement). Of special note is the inclusion of an online search address. The individual house plans are nicely organized into Starter Homes (up to 1,999 square feet); Move-Up Homes (between 2,000 and 2,999 square feet); Family Homes (between 3000 and 3,999 square feet); and Luxury Homes (over 4,000 square feet). The final section is devoted to Outdoor Living (landscape plans). Enhanced with 'Order Your Plans Today' instructional advice and directions (including qualifying for a $600 rebate on Home Plans), "The Big Book Of Home Plans" is perfect for browsing through by aspiring homeowners seeking to secure just the right kind of architecturally designed home for them -- and will prove invaluable reference and resource for architects, building contractors, real estate professionals as well.

An Architectural Guidebook to Portland
Bart King
Oregon State University Press
101 Waldo Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-6407
9780870711916, $22.95 http://oregonstate.edu/dept/press 1-800-426-3797

Now in an updated and expanded second edition reflecting Portland's growth in the twenty-first century, An Architectural Guidebook to Portland is teacher Bart King's guide to the amazing buildings that distinguish Portland, Oregon as a place worthy of sightseeing. From 19th-century cast-iron front buildings to the Old Town and Chinatown to the breathtaking downtown bridges and much more, An Architectural Guidebook to Portland is sure to intrigue architecture enthusiasts, Portland tourists, and armchair travelers alike. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this blend of historic preservation and history vignettes, which features over 250 separate entries.


The Education Shelf

The Mountain Men
Steve Boga
High Noon Books
c/o Academic Therapy Publications
20 Commercial Boulevard, Novato, CA 94949-6191
#8401-X, $19.95 www.atpub.com 1-800-422-7249

High Noon Books specializes in providing classroom teachers with high-interest, low-vocabulary reading materials specifically designed to appeal to students ages 9 and older who are reluctant readers due to either a lack of reading skills or a psychological aversion to reading based upon past experiences in a classroom setting. "The Mountain Men" is five volume series of novels based upon the lives of real people and were written specifically for just such reluctant readers by Steve Boga that will prove especially popular and of interest to male students. Each handy paperback title is devoted to a particular historic character associated with the explorers and trappers who labored in the American West and became legends in popular western lore. The titles comprising this outstanding series include Jed Smith: California the Hard Way (seeking to reach California through desert storms and burning thirst), Jim Bridger: The Last Mountain Man (a daring trip up the Missouri River), Abe Moss: A Winter in the Rockies (fighting off wolves and surviving a Rocky Mountain snow storm), Joe Meek Becomes a Mountain Man (alone in the mountains and surviving by sheer courage and wit), and John Colter (who as a teenager talked himself into being allowed to join the Lewis and Clark expedition). Mixing historical details with action and adventure, "The Mountain Men" is a very strongly recommended addition to school library collections and remedial reading instruction curriculums.

Informal Learning and Field Trips
Leah M. Melber, Ph.D.
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781412949804, $27.95 www.corwinpress.com 1-800-818-7243

Written by veteran educator and current assistant professor Leah M. Melber, Ph.D., Informal Learning and Field Trips: Engaging Students in Standards-Based Experiences Across the K-5 Curriculum is a solid resource for educators and professionals to helping their helping K-5 students get the most out of a field trap. Chapters cover learning-centered activities for subjects ranging from language arts to math, science, social studies and fine art; guidelines for developing classroom activities that correspond with the field trip; ways to support English Language Learners and special education students; tips for bringing museum-type activities to the classroom when a trip is not possible; and much more. Step-by-step procedures, a wealth of resources, and solid wisdom garnered from hands-on practical experience make for an invaluable supplement to any K-5 teacher's reference collection.


The Audiobook Shelf

How I Spent My Summer Holidays
W.O. Mitchell, author and narrator
BTC Audio Books
c/o Goose Lane Editions
500 Beverbrook Court, Suite 330, Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5X4
9780864924759, $29.95 www.gooselane.com 1-888-926-8377

Read aloud by Canadian author and CBC Radio personality W.O. Mitchell, How I Spent My Summer Holidays is an abridged coming-of-age audiobook with grim and serious overtones. When twelve-year-old Hugh spends his summer in a small prairie town, he and his friends discover a secret cave housing an escaped "mental hospital" patient. They form a connection with the hidden rum-runner and former war hero; yet when events take a murderous turn, Hugh must leave his childhood behind forever. An engaging prairie novel, perfectly captured just as it was originally broadcast on CBC Radio, and highly recommended. 3 hours, 3 CDs.

Undulation Exercises
Anita Boser, LMP, CHP
Vital Self, Inc.
c/o Atlas Books (distribution)
30 Amberwood Pkwy., Ashland, OH 44805
9780979617911, $29.95 www.undulationexercises.com 425-765-2713

Undulation Exercises is a 4 CD audiobook featuring step-by-step exercises designed to improve flexibility and fluidity of the spine, as well as relieve pain and help mobility, in as little as 10 minutes a day or less. Disc 1 teaches the listener what undulation is, why it works, and how to use it for optimum results; disc 2 offers beginning exercises to stimulate inactive muscles; disc 3 has intermediate exercises ideal for developing one's core; and disc 4 has advanced mastery level exercises. A total of 52 exercises comprise this excellent fitness supplement, self-published by author Antia Boser, LMP, CHP, enthusiastically recommended for listeners of all experience and fitness levels. 4 CDs, 4 1/2 hours.

Love Only Once
Johanna Lindsey, author
Laural Merlington, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781423350873, $29.95 www.brillianceaudio.com 1-800-854-7859

Love Only Once: A Malory Novel is the unabridged audiobook presentation of bestselling author Johanna Lindsey's passionate romance novel. Regina Ashton, niece to Lord Edward and Lady Charlotte Malory and blessed with her family line's sumptuous beauty, has been abducted by the handsome, golden-haired rogue Nicholas Eden. Enraged by her kidnapping, yet also inflamed with passion for Nicholas, Regina's determination to make him pay with his heart and wed her - yet Nicholas' willingness to love has been hurt by a painful hidden secret in his past. A steamy tale of love, desire, entrancement and clashing wills. 7 CDs, 8 hours.

A Miracle of Catfish
Larry Brown, author
Tom Stechschulte, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781428160590, $123.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

A Miracle of Catfish is an unabridged audiobook presentation of a countryside novel by Larry Brown, which he completed and sent to his editor shortly before his unfortunate death in 2004. Young Jimmy feels alienated from his cold and distant father, and tries to find a friend in next-door neighbor Cortez who has started to truck in catfish for his new pond. But Cortez is plagued with a tangled mess of difficulties: his contentious daughter has a son with Tourette's; his farm hand might be a murderer; and he keeps a terrible secret hidden away in the barn. Additional notes on the story's ending are included, in this modern-day classic that continues Brown's traditional themes of coping with isolation and loneliness, as narrated and performed by professional actor Tom Stechschulte. 15 CDs, 17 1/2 hours.

How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped for Good
Gillian Riley, author
Jerome Pride, narrator
Bolinda Publishing, Inc.
48 Oxford Woods, Falmouth, ME 04105-3401
9781921334948, $84.95 www.bolinda.com 1-888-235-2019

Now in a fully revised and updated edition, How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped for Good is the complete and unabridged audiobook version of a straightforward guide to quitting the expensive and health-destroying addiction that is cigarette smoking - without losing weight! Read by award-nominated narrator Jerome Pride, and featuring tracks every five minutes for easy bookmarking, How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped for Good walks the listener through the facts surrounding tobacco addiction, and walks him or her through a simple, tested, effective quitting procedure. Tips and tricks for dealing with moments of stress or boredom when one is most tempted to smoke (or overeat!) distinguish this excellent guide to quite literally improving one's health. 5 CDs, 5 hours 20 min.


The Library Science Shelf

Beyond Picture Books
Barbara Barstow, Judith Riggle, Leslie Molnar
Libraries Unlimited
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9781591585459, $75.00 www.greenwood.com www.lu.com

One of the primary tasks of teachers, librarians, and parents is to facilitate the transition of young children from picture books to more sophisticated reading materials so that reading skills can continue to expand and improve. Now in a thoroughly updated and expanded third edition, "Beyond Picture Books: Subject Access To Best Books For Beginning Readers" continues to be the ideal reference for developing reading lists and library collections that will encourage independent reading skills in children ages 5 to 8. The collaborative efforts of Barbara Barstow (the retired Head of Youth Services, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Ohio), Judith Riggle storyteller, former children's librarian, and retired director of the Avon Lake Public Library (Ohio), and Leslie Molnar (Youth Services Assistant Manager and Selection head at Cuyahoga County Public Library and former chair of the Association for Library Service to the Children's Notable Children's Books Committee), "Beyond Picture Books" is a 645-page compendium packed from cover to cover with succinctly descriptive entries of recommended titles. Beginning with a brief preface laying out the selection criteria used, followed by the history of the Gesisel award and a listing of the winners for 2006 and 2007, and a roster of 200 titles currently in print and deemed especially outstanding, "Beyond Picture Books" provides a 116-page Subject Guide; 402-pages of Annotated Bibliography; a 30-page Title Index; a 30-page Illustrator Index; and concludes with a 34-page Series Index. Clearly, "Beyond Picture Books" is an essential and comprehensive addition to school and community Children's Literature reference collections for librarians, classroom teachers, and parents working with children preschool through third grade.

Building Digital Libraries
Terry Reese & Kyle Banerjee
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038-4512
9781555706173, $75.00 www.neal-schuman.com 1-866-672-6657

School and community libraries are now an integral part of the telecommunication revolution that is exemplified by the now ubiquitous presence of internet informational resources and online databases. "Building Digital Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual For Libraries" is co-authored by Terry Reese (Digital Production Unit Head for Oregon State University Libraries) and Kyle Banerjee (Digital Services Program Manager for the Orbis Cascade Alliance in Eugene Oregon and a key architect of Oregon State's electronic documents repository) who draw upon their many years of experience and expertise to provide librarians and staff members with a detailed, organized, non-technical instruction guide through every step of the process for creating, organizing, and maintaining local repositories of information, records, and other forms of data. Covering the fundamental basics as well as the logistics of designing, constructing, and maintaining digital products using in-house content, all of the relevant tools, approaches, and third-party resource technologies are addressed, along with the role of metadata and standards, sharing data, systems operability, digital rights management, and more. A complete single volume manual, "Building Digital Libraries" is a welcome and strongly recommended reference for inclusion into Library Science curriculums and library staff on-site training programs.


The Gardening Shelf

Shade
Keith Wiley
Timber Press
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204-3527
9780881928952, $19.95 www.timberpress.com 1-800-327-5680

Almost every gardener in every horticultural zone must deal with the problems and possibilities of growing plants under shade or semi-shade conditions. "Shade: Ideas And Inspirations For Shady Gardens" by horticulturist and garden designer Keith Wiley provides a profusely illustrated compilation of shade tolerant plants and gardening ideas that can transform any shaded garden into a visual paradise of flourishing plant life. "Shade" covers the full spectrum of garden shade conditions from dappled to partial to full shading in every size of garden plot. All of the characteristics of shade loving plants are addressed, along with how to use them with companions to create striking designs. Also addressed are the practicalities of preparing, planting and maintaining a shade garden. Enhanced with a directory of shad-loving plants, and drawing upon his many years of experience and expertise, Keith Wiley's "Shade" is a complete and comprehensive single volume reference that is as 'user friendly' as it is innovative and inspiring. No personal, horticultural department, plant nursery, or community library Gardening Reference collection should be without a copy of Keith Wiley's "Shade"!


The Native American Shelf

Art From Fort Marion
Joyce M. Szabo
Publicity Department
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806138831, $49.95 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

The prisoner-of-war confinement of American plains Indians within a Florida military prison is one of the lesser known incidents of 19th century struggle between Native Americans and the expanded United States. Compiled with commentary by Joyce M. Szabo (Professor of Art History, University of New Mexico), "Art From Fort Marion: The Silberman Collection" offers superbly reproduced full color Native American images depicting traditional life events and prison experiences of Cheyenne and Kiowa prisoners of war confined at Fort Marion, Florida, during the 1870s. The 120 color images are drawn from the Silberman Collection and provides vivid depictions through art and photography of the living conditions and survival strategies the Native Americans (taken from the wide-open southern plains of the American West) to their confinement in the humid environs of Florida. A comprehensive, scholarly, analytical, informed and informed presentation, "Art From Fort Marion" showcases a singularly unique visual art form of Native American expression and is very strongly recommended for personal, academic, and community library Native American History and Native American Art reference collections and reading lists.


The Photography Shelf

The Sadness Of Men
Philip Perkis
The Quantuck Lane Press
c/o W.W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9781593720346, $45.00 www.quantucklanepress.com

Featuring an informative introduction by art critic Max Kozloff, "The Sadness Of Men" is a 280-page compendium showcasing a fifty-year retrospective of the black-and-white photography Philip Perkins -- a gifted photographer whose work is little known outside professional circles within which he is greatly respected for his ability to capture memorable images through a camera's lens with his artist's eye. The images are 125 duotone photographs taken primarily throughout Mexico, New York, Turkey, and Israel, and range from an image of a solitary figure suspended from a crane above Coney Island, to a black road in a stark white landscape, to dogs barking in the streets of Las Juntas. An impressive body of work and especially recommended to students of photography and aspiring visual artists, "The Sadness Of Men" will aptly serve to bring a talented and heretofore obscure world-class photographer to the attention of a whole new generation of appreciative viewers.


The Railroading Shelf

Chicagoland Commuter Railroads
Patrick C. Dorin & Andrew T. Roth
Iconografix
PO Box 446, Hudson, WI 54016
9781583881903, $32.95 www.iconografixinc.com 1-800-289-3504

Commuter railroads have been a key element to the grow and prosperity of American Midwestern cities for the more than a century. Co authored by railroad experts Patrick C. Dorin (Superior, Wisconsin) and Andrew T. roth (Belvidere, Illinois), "Chicagoland Commuter Railroads: Metra & Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District" is a profusely illustrated history of suburban rail passenger train services that played a critically important role in the grow of the Chicago Metro area. Beginning with a succinct review of the various commuter services that crisscrossed Chicago and its suburbs before the development of the Regional Transit Authority, "Chicagoland Commuter Railroads" continues with providing detailed information about the routes, train frequency, passenger numbers, and physical equipment associated with the commuter railroad. While most of the illustrations are historical black-and-white photographs, of special note is the Color Photo Gallery wonderfully showcasing individual commuter trains. A welcome and seminal contribution to Railroading reference collections in general, and Midwestern Commuter Train History in particular, "Chicagoland Commuter Railroads" is especially recommended for academic and community reference collections, as well as the private collections of railroading enthusiasts and history buffs.


The Gaming Shelf

The Basics Of Winning Poker
Avery Cardoza
Cardoza Publishing
5473 South Eastern Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89119
1580421962, $4.95 www.cardozapub.com 1-800-577-9467

Avery Cardoza is one of the best poker players to every game along the Vegas Strip. He is also the publisher of one of the most impressive and 'user friendly' series of instructional books readily available to aspiring poker players. Beginning with "The Basics Of Winning Poker" readers will be able to quickly and competently acquire a basic knowledge of playing all the primary variations of the world's most popular card game including Hold'em, 7-Card Stud, Draw Poker, Omaha, and more. Readers are also instructed in the basics concerning cash games, tournaments, and online poker strategies, including betting, payoffs, and winning play strategies. Offering a quick and easy guide to the basic rules of play, "The Basics Of Winning Poker" also covers home games, cardroom play, and casino games. Of special note is what Cardoza has to advice novice poker players about money management strategies. Enhanced with illustrations and examples, as well as a Poker Glossary, "The Basics Of Winning Poker" provides virtually all of the information anyone would need to sit down at a game and have a great (and profitable) time. Also very highly recommended is Avery Cardoza's companion titles "The Basics Of Winning Hold'em Poker" (1580421644, $4.95) which specifically focuses on Limit and No Limit play for the most popular version of the game seen on television and played at such world class tournament events.


The World History Shelf

Holy Vikings
Carl Phelpstead
Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies
Arizona State University
PO Box 872508, Tempe, AZ 85287-2508
www.asu.edu/clas/acmrs/publications/mrts/catalo.html
9780866983884, $46.00 mrts@asu.edu

Meticulously researched and informatively presented, "Holy Vikings: Saints' Lives In The Old Icelandic Kings' Sagas" by academician and historian Carl Phelpstead (Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Cardiff University) provides an informed and articulate biographical survey and history of the royal saints recorded in the Old Icelandic kings' sagas which were felt by church scholars and prelates to be improperly secular or profane and not 'proper' recordings of the saint's lives. "Holy Vikings" makes an impressive and persuasive argument that the theoretical concepts first developed by Mikhail Bakhtin provide modern scholars and academia with fresh, perceptive, and defensible insights into the role of hagiography with respect to traditional Icelandic saga-writing, and involve varied generic conventions in order to depict the Viking aristocracy and kings as 'holy' or 'sacred' in their eras. After an informed introduction to the texts that form the basis for the discussion, specific chapters address the genre of Icelandic sagas, as well as three of the major sagas themselves. Of special note is the chapter on 'Saints' Lives and Saga Origins', followed by Professor Phelpstead's conclusions on the subject matter addressed. Enhanced with Abbreviations, a Bibliography, and an Index, "Holy Vikings" is a seminal and significant contribution to Viking Studies and Icelandic History reference collections and reading lists. Also very highly recommended from Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies for these academic library collections and translated into English by Robert E. Bjork is "A Viking Slave's Sage: Jan Fridegard's Trilogy of Novels about the Viking Age - Land of Wooden Gods, People of the Dawn, and Sacrificial Smoke" (9780866983754, $43.00).

The Bolsheviks in Power
Alexander Rabinowitch
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
9780253349439, $34.95 www.iupress.indiana.edu 1-800-842-6796

Written by Russian and Soviet historian Alexander Rabinowitch (Professor Emeritus of History, Indiana University Bloomington), The Bolsheviks in Power: The First Year of Soviet Rule in Petrograd is an in-depth historiography of the Bolshevik Party's first year in power after the revolution of November, 1917 that so profoundly affected Soviet history and politics throughout the twentieth century. The Bolsheviks in Power denies the entrenched view that the party's severe ideology immediately changed the Soviet political system into one of brutal authoritarianism; rather, it is revealed that the Bolsheviks struggled to hold on to power amidst a sea of political, social, economic, and military crises, causing the oppressive regime that rose from it to appear virtually ad hoc. Issues discussed include the swift decline and fall of moderate Bolsheviks; the creation of the ruthless Cheka, the Bolshevik-Left SR alliance, and much more. Enthusiastically recommended as an addition to college library world history shelves.


The Poetry Shelf

Corinna A-Maying the Apocalypse
Darcie Dennigan
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823228577, $18.95 www.fordhampress.com 1-800-247-6553

Prizewinning poet Darcie Dennigan presents Corinna A-Maying the Apocalypse, an anthology of original, free-verse works given to a diversity of rhythms, structures, and syntax, often giving a glimpse of the world through eyes ranging from those of a tremulous child to haunted people to clam diggers and much more. At times darker realities such as violence against women are touched upon. An evocative, at times gut-wrenching collection. "Orienteering in the Land of the New Pirates": The New Pirates are men who, as infants, / told their moms Keep your milk and went and suckled gas pumps. // In towns of peril and experience, were the twelve-year olds / shrugging It's an island all around and no water. // Coming home to dark houses to moms saying, Baby / they turned our lights off. // ConEd turned their lights off. And ConEd turned / their stove off, turned their heat off. And Citgo / sucked the gas from their car. Citgo sucked back the gas from the car as they drove."


The Music Shelf

Messiaen's Contemplations of Covenant and Incarnation
Siglind Bruhn
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, Hillsdale, NY 12529
9781576471296, $36.00 www.pendragonpress.com 1-518-325-6100

German-born Musicologist and concert pianist Siglind Bruhn presents Messiaen's Contemplations of Covenant and Incarnation: Musical Symbols of Faith in the Two Great Piano Cycles of the 1940s, a scholarly, hermeneutic analysis of two spiritually motivated instrumental compositions by renowned composer Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992): "Visions de l'Amen" for two pianos (1943) and "Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jesus" for piano solo (1944). Part one offers the main aspects of Messiaen's Catholic religious environment, while parts two and three meticulously dissect the movements in both pieces, as well as their thematic material, structure, and musical as well as spiritual function. A perfect melding of theology and musical criticism (as opposed to literary criticism).


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

A Truthful Heart
Jeffrey Hopkins
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559392907, $14.95 www.SnowLionPub.com 1-800-950-0313

Written by Jeffrey Hopkins, who served as the interpreter for the Dalai Lama for a decade, and featuring a foreword by the Dalai Lama himself, A Truthful Heart: Buddhist Practices for Connecting with Others is a guide to developing a more compassionate outlook, and therefore improve one's ability to project love and accomplish positive endeavors. Chapters guide the reader in using Buddhist meditations (including the Dalai Lama's favorite!) and visualizations, as well as offering vignettes from the author's own life. A welcome resource not only for Buddhist practitioners and those curious about the faith, but also for any reader regardless of religion seeking surcease from anger and pain, and desiring an increase of love and compassion within the world at large.


The American History Shelf

Welfare and Charity in the Antebellum South
Timothy James Lockley
University Press of Florida
University of Florida, 15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813031736, $59.95 www.upf.com 1-800-226-3822

Welfare and Charity in the Antebellum South is a scholarly examination of public welfare efforts in the American South prior to the Civil War, and a much-needed counterbalance to studies of such issues during the period that tend to focus upon the urban centers of the North. In the nineteenth century, private acts of charity were almost exclusively meted out to whites, ranging from the founding of state-supported schools, orphanages, and health care to food relief efforts. Because of these charitable works, the poor whites of the south had less resentment of the rich, and as a group they were more willing to risk their lives in military service along with the rich slaveholders as the Civil War threatened. Welfare and Charity in the Antebellum South includes careful comparisons between the upper and lower South, between urban and rural areas, and between welfare efforts in the South and the North, as well as correcting the myth that Northern charity was more widespread. A welcome addition to American History shelves and reference collections, especially recommended for college libraries.


The Science Shelf

The Papers of Joseph Henry, Volume 12: Cumulative Index
Kathleen W. Dorman, editor
Science History Publications
PO Box 1240, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562-1240
0881353914, $49.95 www.shpusa.com

The Papers of Joseph Henry, Volume 12: Cumulative Index is the final volume in the exhaustive "Papers of Joseph Henry" reference series, which collects the many original writings of Joseph Henry when he made a scientific name for himself in the 1800's and established the Smithsonian Institution, and survived the Civil War, all while advocating the virtues of philanthropy, history, and scientific thinking. As a cumulative index, Volume 12 consists entirely of 300+ pages of alphabetical entries, each listing in which pages of what volumes a given topic appears. An extremely handy and easy-to-use reference, Volume 12 is a must-have for libraries, universities, and private scholars who already possess volumes 1-11 of this seminal series.


The Biography Shelf

Tracy W. McGregor
Philip P. Mason
Wayne State University Press
The Leonard N. Simons Building, 5959 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202-3489
9780814333761, $49.95 http://wsupress.wayne.edu 1-800-978-7323

Tracy W. McGregor: Humanitarian, Philanthropist, and Detroit Civic Leader is the biography of the charitable Tracy W. McGregor, whose positive influence (and that of his wife, Kathryn Whitney McGregor) on Detroit from 1890 to the 1930s continues today amid public buildings and the workings of a charitable foundation. The McGregors avoided newspaper interviews or public exposure as much as possible; Tracy W. McGregor: Humanitarian, Philanthropist, and Detroit Civic Leader pieces together information about the couple from the archival collections of a variety of Michigan universities and libraries, as well as the Library of Congress. From McGregor's successful political campaigns to reform political, judicial, and educational institutions to their establishment of mental health, correctional, and health care facilities and more, Tracy W. McGregor: Humanitarian, Philanthropist, and Detroit Civic Leader is a worthy tribute to a man who was determined to make Detroit a better place to live.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Secret of Divine Civilization
'Abdu'l-Baha, author
Marzieh Gail, translator in consultation with Ali-Kuli Khan
Baha'i Publishing
2427 Bond Street, University Park, IL 60466-3101
9781931847513, $10.00 www.BahaiBooksUSA.com 1-800-705-4925

The Secret of Divine Civilization is the classic Baha'i religious text written by 'Abdu'l-Baha, literally "Servant of the Glory", the title accepted by the 'Abbas Effendi (1844-1921), the eldest son and appointed successor of Baha'u'llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha'i faith. Imprisoned since age nine, 'Abdu'l-Baha spent his life largely incarcerated or in exile with his father due to the will of the Ottoman Empire. Encapsulating a lifetime of devotion to Baha'u'llah's teachings, The Secret of Divine Civilization embodies the Baha'i Faith and its creeds that there is one God, one human race, and one evolving religion. Presented in an affordable and compact paperback size, The Secret of Divine Civilization is an absolute "must-read" for anyone seeking to learn more about the roots and core essence of the Baha'i Faith.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Principles of Transgender Medicine and Surgery
Randi Ettner, Stan Monstrey, A. Evan Eyler, editors
The Haworth Press, Inc.
10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580
9780789032683, $89.95 www.HaworthPress.com 1-800-429-6784

Principles of Transgender Medicine and Surgery is a scholarly medical text assembled from meticulously didactic essays by a wide variety of authors. Each chapter focuses upon a different aspect of transgender medical care, from "The Etiology of Transsexualism" to "Mental Health Issues", "Reproduction and Fertility Issues for Transpeople", "Surgery: Male-to-Female Patient", "Surgery: Female-to-Male Patient", and much more. A highly technical resource written especially for medical professionals in the field, Principles of Transgender Medicine and Surgery lives up to its title and is an absolute "must-have" for anyone in the practice.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Before the Thunder Rolls
Dale Beaver
Judson Press
PO Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
9780817015213, $13.00 www.judsonpress.com 1-800-458-3766

The true-life testimony of former Motor Racing Outreach chaplain Dale Beaver, Before the Thunder Rolls: Devotions for NASCAR Fans is part retrospective memoir, part devotional. Beaver offers spiritual insights, as well as enthralling true anecdotes about individual races and crew members including Dale Jarrett, Ward Burton, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Jimmy Spencer and more. "The electricity in the race day air is more than addictive - it is downright hypnotic! Typically I rise early on those mornings to gather a group of television production workers for a predawn devotion and prayer service... For a few moments we recognize God's presence with us, pray for each other, and read a portion of Holy Scripture." 'Pit Notes' at the close of each chapter ask the reader hard questions and offer ways in which to open one's soul more fully to God. An abiding expression of deepest faith, and also a respectful tribute to the many people who make NASCAR possible.


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