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MBR Bookwatch

Volume 4, Number 11 November 2005 Home | MBW Index

Table of Contents

Donovan's Bookshelf Harold's Bookshelf Klausner's Bookshelf

Laurel's Bookshelf Shelley's Bookshelf Shirley's Bookshelf

Vicki's Bookshelf

Donovan's Bookshelf
The Labours of Hercules
Agatha Christie
Audio Editions
1572704578 $31.95 www.audiopartners.com

Hugh Fraser, narrator of the other Christie mysteries in Audio Editons' Hercule Poirot mystery set, again brings to life another Poirot drama: this one narrating twelve classic short cases in the modern world which will correspond to the twelve labours of Hercules, before Poirot retires. Again, high drama compliments mystery in yet another set of mysteries.

Audio Editions
Auburn, CA 95604
www.audiopartners.com

John Mortimer's RUMPLE AND THE PENGE BUNGALOW MURDERS (1572704748, $27.95) enjoys an excellent performance by Bill Wallis, who has worked on more than 200 radio productions and plays, and who brings this latest Rumpole barrister drama to life. Here Rumpole faces the case which introduced him to his wife-to-be 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', when as a young defense lawyer he defends a young man accused of shooting his father. Two more excellent Agatha Christie murder mysteries add to and enhance the Christie routines. PIROT'S EARLY CASES (1572704721, $31.95) enjoys a co-reading by David Suchet and Hugh Fraser as it presents 18 complete Hercule Poirot mysteries. Each short story provides a classic Christie mystery case reflecting the early days of Poirot's crime-solving expertise. Christie's PARTNERS IN CRIME (1572704713, $29.95) receives James Warwick's smooth and dramatic style as it presents a Tommy & Tuppence mystery revolving around the two's involvement in an international detective agency. Amateur private detective Tommy's impersonations of great detectives' methods helps him breeze through cases in this excellent set of mysteries.

The Encyclopedia of Game Machines
Winnie Forster
GamePlan Books
Diessener Str. 30, 86919 Uttig, Germany
3009153594 $TBA www.game-machines.co.uk

Every game computer and console ever made from the USA, Japan and Europe along with software are featured here, from Sega and Atari to Apple and Nintendo. Here are 500 machines, 600 pictures, background history, technical specs and discussions of variants and successors which go way beyond mere listing of equipment, probing the evolution and advancements of game programmers and the impetus for changes. Consoles, handhelds and home computers from 1972-2005 are featured: any with an interest should consider this reference a standard foundation for an understanding of the industry.

Who Will Comfort Toffle?
Tove Jansson
Sort Of Books
Box 18678, London NW3 2FL, Penguin, Dist.
0953522792 8.99 Brit. pounds

Fans of Jansson's beloved Moomin stories may have missed this picture book and will delight in the little story of Moomin Valley. Sophie Hannah provides the English version of the story of poor Toffle, who has grown quite lonely living alone. A rhyming tale with quite some detail tells of Toffle's journey and discovery of love.

Sort Of Books/Penguin
Box 18678, London NW3 2FL, UK
L6.99 Each www.penguin.com

Three wonderful new armchair readers are highly recommended picks. Chris Stewart's DRIVING OVER LEMONS: AN OPTIMIST IN ANDALUCIA (0953522709) presents the author, an 'eternal optimist' who provides a funny running account of misadventures in Spain. From his running of a peasant farm there to his encounters with New Age travelers and ex-pats, farming blends with cultural observation in an enchanting blend of memoir, travelogue and farming encounters. His A PARROT IN THE PEPPER TREE (095352275X) provides a sequel, continuing the story of his farm life as they clash with a misanthropic parrot who immerses himself in their life - and faces a threat to their valley from a proposed dam project. Cultural insights blend with autobiography. Kathleen Jamie's FINDINGS (0954221745) observes Scotland and provides themes of natural history, the outdoors, and travels through the region. It may be hard to neatly categorize her journeys - but they make for a compelling armchair read and bring modern Scotland alive for readers.

The Essential Dalai Lama
Rajiv Mehrotra
Viking Press
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0670034444 $24.95 www.penguin.com

THE ESSENTIAL DALAI LAMA: HIS IMPORTANT TEACHINGS should be required reading for any who would receive an easier synthesis of his beliefs than wading through his some-fifty books on spirituality. THE ESSENTIAL DALAI LAMA gathers the best of his writings on everything from spirituality and meditation to ideas of self and suffering. From the foundations of Buddhism and karma to modern ethics and social change, this is an excellent one-stop source for understanding some of the Dalai Lama's most basic philosophical and spiritual insights.

Lovesick Blues
Paul Hemphill
Viking Press
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0670034142 $23.95 www.penguin.com

Hank Williams, famous country singer, died alone, drunk, and suffering in 1953 in the back of his car on New Year's Day: Paul Hemphill journeys through Hank's life and times in a biographical which covers his hard life and the influence it had on his music. This isn't the first biography of the country music singer - but it's the most precise, surveying how elements from his background helped him write songs which proved outstanding. Some of author Hemphill's similar experiences lend a sympathetic insider's view lacking in other coverages, making LOVESICK BLUES an exceptional title which stands out from any other.

Grave Sight
Charlaine Harris
Berkley Prime Crime
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0425205681 $23.95 www.penguin.com

Harper specializes in finding dead people: her psychic abilities give her the rare talent of sensing the final location of a person who has died, making her a detective's dream resource. Unfortunately, it also makes her dangerous, and her brother Tolliver serves as her manager and bodyguard. GRAVE SIGHT tells of a small Ozark town with a missing teen and more than its share of secrets to keep. Small town hostility may keep Harper from the truth in this tense thriller, packed with powerful characterization, twists and turns.

Ace Books
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Another fine vampire fantasy appears to join others in 'The Vampire Files' set by P.N. Elrod's SONG IN THE DARK (0441013236, $24.95): here one private eye-nightwalker Jack Fleming returns to find himself in the middle of a war when his act of vengeance attracts the attention of New York bosses who decide to go up against him. And his very vampire powers are working against him as his own thirst for human blood becomes impossible to control. Swift action and satisfying vampire plots make SONG IN THE DARK another excellent continuation, which may also be appreciated by newcomers to the series. S.M. Stirling's THE PROTECTOR'S WAR (0451460464, $24.95) is set eight years after a Change has made technology inoperable around the world - and survivors are starting to band together to rebuild society. Set in Oregon, THE PROTECTOR'S WAR tells of one former pilot Michael Havel's Bearkiller warriors and their struggle against a medieval scholar who rules the Protectorate - by enslaving civilians. Military high drama at its best set in an end-of-the-world scenario.

Complete Idiot's Guide To Successful Outsourcing
Gene Marks
Alpha/Penguin
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
1592573703 $19.95 www.idiotsguides.com

It's been in all the newspapers that big business is saving money by outsourcing jobs to others outside the company: so how can this affect your business? Learn about the pros and cons of having employees internally vs. externally in THE COMPLTE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL OUTSOURCING, which not only covers pros and cons, but discusses exactly how to develop an outsourcing relationship. From reducing costs with freelancers to managing outsource companies outside of the US, this is a terrific business resource packed with information not found elsewhere.

Complete Idiot's Guide To Buying Foreclosures
Bobbi Dempsey & Todd Beitler
Alpha/Penguin
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
1592573959 $18.95 www.idiotsguides.com

An increasing number of foreclosed properties is offering lucrative bargains to real estate investors - but how can an investor locate, finance, purchase and sell such property? There are risks and riches to be understood which are unique to foreclosures, and COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO BUYING FORECLOSURES is the one title which covers them all - and which promises investors can avoid costly mistakes.

Complete Idiot's Guide to Growing Your Business With Google
Dave Taylor
Alpha/Penguin
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
1592573967 $19.95 www.idiotsguides.com

A strong online image is critical to a successful web site, and so it's important to thoroughly understand how the Google web search engine makes its choices. Enter THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO GROWING YOUR BUSINESS WITH GOOGLE, packed with strategic plans, insights on how Google's search engine works, and how to make money with it. From building a good business site which works well with Google's search qualities to developing solid content and marketing wisely, this is a 'must' for any serious online business.

Island at the End Of the World
Steven Roger Fischer
Reaktion Books Ltd.
79 Farringdon Road, London, EC1M, 3JU, UK
1861892454 $24.95 www.reaktionbooks.co.uk

Easter Island was a South Sea paradise when the first Polynesian settlers landed there around AD 700: here is the first history of the island told by a writer familiar with its peoples and story. As Easter Island is becoming more of a tourist destination, seeing some 20,000 visitors in 2001, its background and attractions are even more relevant today, and ISLAND AT THE END OF THE WORLD: THE TURBULENT HISTORY OF EASTER ISLAND is one of the few to provide travelers with these insights.

The Prefabricated Home
Colin Davies
Reaktion Books
79 Farrington Road, London 3C1M 1JU, England
1861892438 $29.00 www.reaktionbooks.co.uk

Architects need to change their attitudes towards design, turning from an individual client/site-based approach to addressing the needs of market sectors and buildings which need to be adaptable to fit any site. Architects are good at designing prefabricated house prototypes, but fail when it comes to volume production with its very different needs. Author Colin Davies is an architectural professor and here covers the history and practical needs of volume production for prefabricated structures, making THE PREFABRICATED HOME an important reference for any college-level collection strong in contemporary architecture.

Footprint Books
6 Riverside Court, Lower Bristol Road, Bath, BA2 3DZ, UK
$11.95 Each www.footprintbooks.com

When Footprint says 'pocket sized', they mean pocket-sized: three 4x6 handbooks easily fit into even a coat pocket and provide maximum 'take along tote' power for destination visitors who don't wish to pack a big guidebook, yet wish for the power a larger guide holes. Frances Kellett's CAPE TOWN (190477721X) covers the best sights and where to sleep, eat and drink on South Africa's Cape. Color photos even pepper the guide - unusual in such a small size - and present clear, attractive Cape Town scenes to compliment in-depth sightseeing and travel tips for the area. Ditto Matthew Gardner and Alison Bigg's VANCOUVER (1903471656) and Katie Anderson's NEW YORK (10-3471931): each provides an easy organization with at-a-glance sections on bars and nightclubs, regional interests, shopping, and sightseeing.

Shire Publications Ltd.
Cromwell House, Church St.
Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire HI27 9AA UK
www.shirebooks.co.uk

Collectors and historians interested in cartography will relish Alan G. Hodgkiss's introduction to the history and aspects of early mapmaking DISCOVERING ANTIQUE MAPS (0747803072 $14.00): a survey which delves into map design and decorative treatment as well as early forms of printed maps and surveys and specialized local and marine cartography. While history buffs will be the likely readers, any would-be map collector should also start here. Pat Earnshaw's THE IDENTIFICATION OF LACE (0747802378, L10.99) is a 'must' for any who would identify and list antique lace from around the world. Chapters survey points for identification, major types of lace, construction and more. An excellent, in-depth guide packed with black and white photos follows the history and methodology of lace-making.

DIY: The Rise Of Low-Fi Culture
Amy Spencer
Marion Boyars
24 Lacy Road, London, SW15 1NL
0714531057 $17.95 www.marionboyars.co.uk

Since the 1990s hundreds of small press magazines, independent music artists, and media has been produced by individuals in reaction to the failures of mainstream media, resulting in a 'low-fi' culture of homemade and self-produced alternatives. "DIY: The Rise Of Low-Fi Culture" explores these alternative channels, interviewing key writers, promoters, musicians and others involved in radical alternative movements and publishing. From content and ethical questions to DIY distribution challenges, these interviews are key to understanding the alternative industry as a whole.

Yogya Silver
Pienke W.H. Kal
KIT Publishers
Box 95001, Netherlands
9068321838 $25.00 www.kit.nl/publishers

YOGYA SILVER: RENEWAL OF A JAVANESE HANDICRFT is one of the few detailed studies to consider the history and production of this type of silverware, developed in Indonesia centuries ago. The craft went a vast change in the early 20th century, and this catalog reveals the styles and decoration of Yogya in this period, surveying its underlying history and influences and profiling pieces from famous collections. While black and white photos pepper the collection, it's the history and survey of this art which is the meat of an important guide.

Ship Models in Glass
Peter Hille & Barry Young
Brown, Soon & Ferguson Ltd.
4-10 Darnley Street, Glasgow G41 WSD
0851746764 $TBA www.skipper.co.uk

Any avid craftsman who has wanted clear directions on how to put ships into bottles can't do without SHIP MODELS IN GLASS: A BOTTLE SHIPWRIGHT'S HANDBOOK: it's packed with clear techniques and hints, was originally printed in German in 1994, and here is updated and translated, including over 300 drawings and illustrations for both newcomers and experienced ship modelers. Here are details on how to put the ship in bottles, globes, light bulbs and more; how to manufacture specialty items for the projects, handling drills, files, glues, and other tools, and handling stands and embellishments. Four projects are also included to reinforce all the advice and lessons. An exceptional reference, SHIP MODELS IN GLASS includes everything needed for a successful model project.

Hesperus Press
Trafalgar Square, Dist.
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, N. Pomfret, VT 05053
www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com

Continuing the tradition of publishing under-considered literary works by notable classic writers, three more titles are recommended library picks. Novelist Emile Zola's THE DREAM (1843911140, $16.00)) tells of a girl raised in a house of purity who is fascinated by the dream life of saints. Real life has something tougher in mind for her than lifelong innocence, however. Christina Rossetti's COMMONPLACE (1843911191, $13.00) tells of a spinster who is charged with awaiting her lost father's return from sea while her two sisters enjoy romance and a carefree life. Catherine's quest for love in the face of her long-standing family obligation leads her down some unusual roads. Katherine Mansfield's PRELUDE (1843914077, $13.00) tells of a large family, love, and a household which appears idyllic but has dangerous undercurrents behind its fa�ade of peace. Fans of Jane Austen will find all three of these novels similar in focus and literary style.

Human Genome Sourcebook
Tara Acharya & Neeraja Sankaran
Greenwood Press
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
1573565296 $85.00 1-800-225-5800 www.greenwood.com

Don't look for yet another book about the Human Genome Project, though of course it's mentioned - HUMAN GENOME SOURCEBOOK is much more, discussing what constitutes the human genome, what genes do when they are acting properly and what happens when they're damaged. And even better, it's written with non-specialists in mind: details are inclusive but not so technical the average lay person can't understand, and while it offers extensive in-depth details and chapters in everything from terms and concepts to diseases, its function as an understandable overview isn't lost. A 'must' for any high school or college collection and perfect for public library holdings, as well.

The Computer Industry
Jeffrey R. Yost
Greenwood Press
PO Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
0313328447 $49.95 1-800-225-5800 www.greenwood.com

Hard to believe today, but computers were once a military and scientific tool of a select minority of government and scientific elites in the 1940s: now it's a part of everyday life. THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY provides an excellent survey of the computer in American industry, considering the economic, social, political and historical influences on its evolution up to modern times. From punch cards to the first digital computer companies, Yost provides a clear explanation of the changes and the computer's quick evolution for students of technological or social history.

Albert Einstein: A Biography
Alice Calaprice and Trevor Lipscombe
Greenwood Press
PO Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
0313330808 $29.95 1-800-225-5800 www.greenwood.com

Many biographies have been written about Einstein; so why the need for yet another? ALBERT EINSTEIN: A BIOGRAPHY focuses on the man as much as his science, considering his human weaknesses, his charm, sense of humor, and life. From his troubled marriages and family life to his rise to international fame and fight for world peace, ALBERT EINSTEIN offers both depth and a lively presentation to make it hard to put down.

Understanding American Business Jargon
W. Davis Folsom
Greenwood Press
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0313334501 $79.95 www.greenwood.com

The second edition of UNDERSTANDING AMERICAN BUSINESS JARGON: A DICTIONARY is the perfect reference for a college-level business school: it surveys the link between business and culture which spills over into business terms and language, it provides an A-Z dictionary of terms and phrases which covers not only definitions but basic concepts, and it uses the terms in context, many with quotes from popular press. An excellent library reference.

Architecture of England, Scotland and Wales
Nigel R. Jones
Greenwood Press
Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
0313318506 $49.95 www.greenwood.com

Part of the 'Reference Guides to National Architecture' series, ARCHITECTURE OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES is a recommended pick for college-level specialty collections studying British architectural styles from ancient to modern times. Here are 75 entries on palaces, castles, bridges, churches and more: both public and private places which represent some of the classic, familiar features of British design. Appendices list entries by location, architectural style and architect for added research value.

Encyclopedia of Racism In the United States
Pyong Gap Min
Greenwood Press
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 07881
0313332495 $249.95, 3 Vols, www.greenwood.com

College-level collections with strong holdings in racism studies and ethnic issues would do well to make the 3-volume reference edited by Pyong Gap Min, ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RACISM IN THE UNITED STATES, a mainstay of any collection. Racism has been in the country since inception and American history is filled with accounts: more than 450 essay entries cover not just terms and key people, but organizations, movements, incidents, forums, law and more. Advanced high school holdings will also want to consider including it as a reference: there's plenty of bibliographic material and a solid organization which lends to its being a at-a-glance reference or the source for papers.

'Greenwood Biographies' titles
Greenwood Press
Box 5007. Westport, CT 06881-5007
$29.95 Each www.greenwood.com

Two outstanding biographies in Greenwood's series are highly recommended picks for any high school to college-level library - and many a public library - holding. Meg Greene's JANE GOODALL (0313331391) tells of a woman always fascinated with animals, who researched chimps under anthropologist Louis Leakey and became a major researcher in the wild. From a timeline of life events to a survey of her conservation contributions, JANE GOODALL is exceptional. Speaking of Leakey, make sure to supplement any Goodall study with Mary Bowman-Kruhm's THE LEAKEYS (0313329850): it tells of the husband/wife team who would turn decades of fieldwork into challenging answers bout some of the mysteries of human origins. The family's achievements as a whole are covered in chapters which survey their contributions and controversies.

Greenwood Press
Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
www.greenwood.com

Greenwood's publications include a wealth of college-level references on literature both modern and traditional, and these are some top picks. Sanford Sternlicht's MASTERPIECES OF MODERN BRITISH AND IRISH DRAMA (0313333238, $45.00) provides an overview of Modernist literature as well as 10 British/Irish dramatic masterpieces which illustrate it. A historical introduction leads to analysis of plots, discussions of major themes in plays, and a greater understanding of the Modernist influence in British and Irish works. For its American counterpart, choose Susan C.W. Abbotson's MASTERPIECES OF 20TH-CENTURY AMERICAN DRAMA (0313332231, $45.00): each chapter is devoted to a particular work, analyzing such classics as Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town', Arthur Miller's 'Crucible', and Edward Albee's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' Each analysis not only summaries the plots, themes and characters, but gives historical background on setting and plot and includes a biography and critical overview. Joan Lord Hall's A WINTER'S TALE: A GUIDE TO THE PLAY (0313328188, $75.00) joins others in the 'Greenwood Guides to Shakespeare' series in narrowing the focus to one of Shakespeare's most unusual plays. The play blended tragedy and comedy and is still much-discussed in both high school and college classrooms: Hall's analysis is a 'must' supplement to the play and lends to classroom discussion of themes, characters and Shakespeare's intentions. Kirstin Olsen's COOKING WITH JANE AUSTEN (0313334633, $55.00) is a notable, different ' Feasting with Fiction' addition which shows how Austen drew upon her domestic experience to color her works. Readers of Austen know food is central to her novels: COOKING WITH JANE AUSTEN packs in not only recipes for the dishes featured in her works, but discusses their background, appearance in her writings, and importance to her times. A compelling, unique coverage. Richard T. Gray, Ruth V. Gorss, et.al.'s A FRANZ KAFKA ENCYCLOPEDIA (0313303754, $125.00) is a 'must' reference for any college-level colletion including Kafka studies: over 800 alphabetically arranged entries cover his works, characters, themes, and times. Many of the detailed entries include further bibliographic references, making A FRANZ KAFKA ENCYCLOPEDIA invaluable to in-depth papers. Teachers, parents, and any who would present literature to young adults will want to make FROM HINTON TO HAMLET, 2ND EDITION: BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE AND THE CLASSICS by Susan K. Herz and Donald R. Gallo (0313324522, $39.95) part of their required reading. The second revised, expanded edition provides educators with thematic groupings built upon recent young adult literature which can be used as popular bridges to less-popular classic writings. The goal is to help teens become readers and confident critics of what they read: the pairing of required classics and young adult literature around themes enables educators to make important connections. Victoria Boynton and Jo Malin edit ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WOMEN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY (0313327378, $249.95), a 2-volume reference recommended for college-level collections strong in women's studies. The literary contributions of women across cultures as well as through the ages are revealed in a reference which juxtaposes literary and historical events with women's lives, considering writings from letters and memoirs to life narratives and autobiographical fiction. The result is an excellent, detailed reference packed with almost 200 entries contributed by over 130 experts. Bernard K. Duffy and Richard W. Leeman edit AMERICAN VOICES: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CONTEMPROARY ORATORS (0313327904, $125.00), which follows the critical moments, issues, and writings of modern American speakers through the decades. Each entry covers both speaker and speech, providing historical background, biographical information, and insights on the orator's major speeches and their impact. As a survey of modern American speakers, it's a recommended pick for college-level collections. Melissa Simpson's FLANNERY O'CONNOR: A BIOGRAPHY (03332990, $29.95) deserves a place in any serious college-level O'Connor collection: it provides a survey of her life, her writings, and her influence as a Southern writer. The timeline and bibliography of books, articles and sources will aid vastly in student research, while the chapters surveying her publications and influences will help readers of O'Conner's works understand her approach. Nicole Howard's THE BOOK: THE LIFE STORY OF A TECHNOLOGY (031333028X, $45.00) surveys the fine art of the printed book, providing a review of the history of its development over the centuries and around the world, discussing early books and their differences from later productions, and reviewing all the technical skills needed to produce a book right up to modern times.

Greenwood Press
PO Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
1-800-225-5800 www.greenwood.com

Any college-level collection strong on European studies will want to have Dieter K. Buse's reference THE REGIONS OF GERMANY: A REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE HISTORY AND CULTURE (031332400X, $59.95) at hand: it provides an overview of the 16 federal states which make up the reunified Germany, offering details on not just geography and history, but recent political, social, and economic changes. In having both the history of each state and the current issues under one cover, any studying modern Germany receive a well-rounded overview complete with maps, photos, and timelines. Also important to any college-level European holding is Meg Lota Brown and Kari Boyd McBride's WOMEN'S ROLES IN THE RENAISSNCE (0313322104, $59.95), joining others in Greenwood's 'Women's Roles Through History' series in offering a rich account of the lives of women and girls of the times. A range of sources provide narrative topical chapters on everything from education and daily life to women in politics, religion, the arts and more, providing period illustrations to round out the offerings. African holdings will welcome a new addition to Greenwood's 'Histories of the Modern Nations' in Roger S. Gocking's THE HISTORY OF GHANA (0313318948, $45.00), a historical review of the country from precolonial to modern times. Few other books on Africa allow such depth and detail for Ghana, making HISTORY OF GHANA an important survey which many will find intriguing. James E. Lindsay's DAILY LIFE IN THE MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC WORLD (0313322708, $49.95) will reach into many a high school holding as it covers Islam's expansion across Europe and the daily lives of those who lived in medieval times under Islamic rule. From major issues in Islamic history from politics to religion to Muslim interactions with other peoples, DAILY LIFE IN THE MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC WORLD is an important history indeed.

Sounding the Trumpet
Richard J. Tofel
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566635108 $25.00 1-800-462-6420 www.ivanrdee.com

Exclusive conversations with Theodore Sorensen, John F. Kennedy's aide and chief speechwriter, contribute substance and insights to SOUNDING THE TRUMPET: THE MAKING OF JOHN F. KENNEDY'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. Kennedy's inaugural address was applauded as one of the best American political documents of its times: even half a century later it's still noted as exceptional. SOUNDING THE TRUMPET provides many hitherto-unavailable insights into the making of the speech and is essential to understanding one of the most endearing documents in modern American history.

Raceday
Max Watman
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted Street, Chicago IL 60622-2694
1566636086 $24.95 1-800-462-6420 www.ivanrdee.com

If horse racing is your favor, RACE DAY: A SPOT ON THE RAIL is the perfect bet: it takes you to the best American tracks to meet the horses and their most memorable races. A 'you are there' style narrates the attraction and adventure of a variety of racing days, including plenty of quotes from participants for added interest. An easy, compelling read for horse racing fans who wish for something off-season.

Fool's Paradise
Stewart Justman
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566636280 $27.50 1-800-462-6420 www.ivanrdee.com

How did pop psychology evolve, what are its promises and pitfalls, and how did self-help gurus become trade names in American culture through pop psychology's advancement? FOOL'S PARADISE: THE UNREAL WORLD OF POP PSYCHOLOGY considers the evolution and influence of pop psychology in society, examining the rhetoric of self-help, its systems of support, and its illusions. Common principles of pop psychology hold radical implications for changing social norms - as they have in past - and essayist Justman provides a passionate examination of its foundations and dangers.

Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1-800-462-6420 www.ivanrdee.com

Two important books offer some important historical and social insights. Richard M. Fried's THE MAN EVERYBODY KNEW: BRUCE BARTON AND THE MAKING OF MODERN AMERICA (1566636639, $27.50) tells of the cultural icon of the mid-20th century: an ad man, writer, president's friend and author of the best-selling THE MAN NOBODY KNOWS. Despite his many achievements few know his name today: history professor Fried remedies this omission, telling of his life and times and his influence on modern culture. Marta Petreu's AN INFAMOUS PAST: E.M. CIORAN AND THE RISE OF FACISM IN ROMANIA (1566636078, $30.00) provides a biography of the renowned Romanian-French nihlist philosopher E.N. Cioran, a 20th century thinker seduced by fascism whose relationship with political extremists was to affect his life and work. His problems in Romania and Europe in the 1930s and 40s and his support of Hitler and Lenin uses documentary evidence to trace the evolution of his sentiments. A vivid social and political memoir is created.

The Spooky Smells Of Halloween
Mary Man-Kong
Golden Books
0375832858 $8.99 www.goldenbooks.com

This 'scratch and sniff' title will appeal to home readers as well as school collections, providing the story of Sammy, excited about his upcoming Halloween party. The pages of 'scratch and sniff' are very vivid and realistic as they accompany the story of party preparations and traditions.

Bridge to Understanding
Chong-Moon Lee Center
Asian Art Museum of SF
Civil Center, San Francisco CA
0939117193 $29.00

"Bridge To Understanding: The Art And Architecture Of San Francisco's Asian Art Museum-chong-moon Lee Center For Asian Art And Culture" pays homage to the Spring 2003 opening of one of the most extensive collections of Asian art in the world, moved into a historic re-designed building. Both building and holdings are showcased in a fine exploration of the museum's history, its new home's renovation and historical significance, and detailed analysis of the rich works of the Asian museum. A 'must' for college-level libraries strong on museum art holdings in general and Asian collections in particular.

Videogames in the Beginning
Ralph H. Baer
Rolenta Press
PO Box 1365, Springfield, NJ 07081
0964384817 $29.99 www.rolentapress.com

Before Sony Playstation or Xbox there was the Magnavox Odyssey, the first home videogame console - but six years before even that, in 1966, a TV engineer named Ralph Baer began the industry at a bus stop. VIDEOGAMES IN THE BEGINNING, by the inventor of the genre, presents the story of his invention, the creation and evolution of the industry as a whole, his venture into other electronic toys, and his latest pioneering work in digital imagery. Game players receive an in-depth survey on the making, politics, and marketing of games which is packed with illustrations and history: it's a 'must' for any who would understand the origins of the industry.

Entertainment Power Players
Dackeyia Q. Sterling
Key West Publishing
5042 Wilshire, #343, Los Angeles, CA 90036
0967903610 $39.95 www.entertainmentpower.com

Are you or would you like to work in TV, film or the music industry? Then you simply must have ENTERTAINMENT POWER PLAYERS EDITION 2: an updated directory holding over 5,000 company contacts, ads, and information. Recording institutes, audio workshops, music networks and associations, foundations, alliances, specialty groups, and theater circuits have addresses, phones, and web site information at the ready. There are also film labs, consortiums, and both national and regional distribution companies. Any library strong in film reference, especially college-level collections but also many a public library holding, will find ENTERTAINMENT POWERV PLAYERS 2ND EDITION indispensable.

Tea and Chinese Culture
Ling Wang
Long River Press
San Francisco, CA 94080
1592650252 $19.95 www.longriverpress.com

Tea in philosophy, religion and Chinese culture is celebrated in a lovely review of tea's folklore, appearance in Chinese art and culture, and more in TEA AND CHINESE CULTURE. Chapters cover both traditional and modern tea ceremonies and celebrations, review tea's importance in Chinese philosophy and life through the ages, and its deep philosophical influence and roots. Lovely color illustrations throughout provide plenty of visual embellishment, from art works to modern scenarios, and enhances the assessment of tea's cultural and historic influence on Chinese culture.

Globe Pequot Press, Dist.
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
www.globepequot.com

These excellent guides are fine take-along totes for any who would plan a get-away and have just the right handbook to do it with. Susan Luraschi edits PARIS HOTELS (190197054X, $17.95), joining others in Alastair Sawday's 'Special Places to Stay' series in culling the best from Paris, whether it be traditional or modern settings or places which reflect Paris culture. Small color photos of rooms accompany each listing, which includes at-a-glance details on price, types of rooms, meal costs and other amenities, along with a paragraph of in-depth atmosphere description. A very handy take-along tote which covers the city's best. Catharina Day's IRELAND (1860118658, $19.95) provides a Cadogan guide which lends to walking tours, revising a classic to include updates on the six hundred-plus accommodations, eight hundred-plus restaurant recommendations, maps and color photos. Many have roots in Ireland: an added attraction is a newly expanded section on how to trace Irish ancestors. Jan Friedman's ECCENTRIC CALIFORNIA (1841621269, $19.95) appears in its first edition to cover some of the state's odder attractions. From strange cuisine and odd festivals to a funny toilet seat store and a bed and breakfast filled with authentic wild animals, ECCENTRIC CALIFORNIA is a 'must' for not just visitors, but residents who may not realize how truly odd their state is.

Access Everything: Colorado
Craig Kennedy & Andrea Jehn
Fulcrum Publishing
16100 Table Mountain Parkway, #300, Golden CO 80403
1555915345 $15.95 www.fulcrum-books.com

An extensive collection of outdoor adventures accessible to those with disabilities are presented in ACCESS EVERYTHING: COLORADO, which demonstrates that the disabled can still have adventures ranging from nonskiing activities at Vail to summer camps with kids with disabilities. Packed with many outdoors, accessible ideas for all ages and all disabilities.

Commonwealth Editions
266 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
www.commonwealtheditions.com

Visitors to New England will find these titles excellent travel prep guides, providing background history and vignettes lending to either armchair reading or take-along atmosphere. Jeremy D'Entremont's THE LIGHTHOUSES OF CONNECTICUT (1889833703, $14.95) provides a satisfying collection of lighthouse stories, from a ghost story to background history of lighthouse keeper courage, rescues, and more. Black and white photos and quotes from source material articles accompany lively vignettes of history which are perfect for any Connecticut lighthouse visitor. Martha's Vineyard is a popular tourist destination, and Everett S. Allen's MARTHA'S VINEYARD: AN ELEGY (1933212179, $17.95) is the best place to start for any who would learn about the island's history and past. In recounting his childhood on the island, Allen re-creates a bygone era and provides a lovely background survey of islander experiences. BOSTON'S SOUTH SHORE (1889833770, $27.95) provides lovely color photos by Greg Derr, showcasing the many historical sites which make the area so attractive for visitors and capturing the small-town atmosphere of many small communities along the way. A lovely visual treat for any who would experience Boston's South Shore.

Random House Audio
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com/audio

Random House provides an excellent set of audios on cd and cassettes for leisure listeners, and some new arrivals are particularly recommended. Cassette listeners will relish Tess Gerritsen's VANISH (073931615X, $25.00), a spicy story narrated by Anne Heche with Flyana Kadushin and telling of a pregnant homicide detective who finds herself in danger during a hostage crisis. Robert Baer's SEE NO EVIL (0739324136, $14.99) is narrated by the author and provides the true story of a ground soldier in the CIA's war on terrorism. Baer tells of his career running agents in the Middle East - and provides insights on how terrorists work. Bret Easton Ellis' LUNAR PARK (0739321781, $39.95) enjoys a reading by James van Der Beek, who lends a swift and rousing voice to this story of a wealthy novelist who finds his life shattered in a few days when he glimpses a fictional character driving a car identical to a family car, and oddities transform his life. Mounting horror is gripping under Van Der Beek's voice in this fine audio story. Tom Robbins' WILD DUCKS FLYING BACKWARD (0739321757, $29.95) receives Oscar-nominee Debra Winger's excellent style and clear voice as it tells provides a mix of Robbins titles, from several short stories and some unpublished poems to a nonfiction assessment of America. Robbins' short writings especially lend to the audio format. Karin slaughter's FAITHLESS (0739322508, $27.50) enjoys Francie Swift's strong and memorable vocal style, telling of a victim buried alive in Georgia then murdered, and a couple who stumble on the body and become obsessed with finding the killer. Wonderful suspense comes alive in audio.

Highbridge Audio
33 S. Sixth St., CC-2205, Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.highbridgeaudio.com

If you haven't read Charles C. Mann's 1491 (1565119789, $34.95) because the book form seems too weighty, don't miss the audio edition: abridged on 9 cds and narrated by Peter Johnson, it provides a fascinating nonfiction alternate view of early American roots and history and is even more gripping as an audio listen, allowing listeners to absorb more of the many facts than printed word seems to readily offer. Mitch Cullin's A SLIGHT TRICK OF THE MIND (1565119509, $29.95) receives a fine reading by Simon Jones and tells of a retired Sherlock Holmes, now over 90 years old, who lives in a remote farmhouse where his intellect is failing. Holmes' hidden past and unacknowledged love comes to light in the unlikely age of Hiroshima in this realistic novel of a classic character's failings in old age. Ed McBain's FIDDLERS (1565119894, $26.95) receives an excellent, dramatic narration by Charles Stransky as it provides the latest 87th Precinct detective story revolving around random targets shot by the same man. It's up to the detectives to locate the common denominator between these strangers, before someone is shot again. Two new 'Captain Underhill' mysteries performed by the Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater are powerful plays with all the full-cast drama of old radio thrillers. CAPTAIN UNDERHILL UNCOILS THE MYSTERY (1565119514, $22.95) tells of a retired police captain and his sidekick who face two adventures: a dangerous whirlpool sucks them in after a kidnapping and threatens their relaxing vacation, and a lethal cobra near a school challenges Captain Underhill's greatest skills. CAPTAIN UNERHILL UNMASKS THE MURDERER (1565119592, $22.95) presents two more thrillers: one in which Captain faces a strange will with deadly side-effects, and one in which the same legacy has placed a strongbox into the wrong hands, leading Underhill literally under a hill to a crypt. Both are outstanding thrillers, very highly recommended for listeners who want all the drama of an old radio show.

Berlitz Spanish audio courses
www.berlitzpublishing.com

Two excellent Spanish courses from Berlitz will appeal to students who have time as well as learners in a hurry. For the latter, choose SPANISH GUARANTEED (981-246-622-3, $19.95): it lends to teaching everyday Spanish used in common situations and on 4 audio cds, it lends to quick learning: no reading or writing is required, so you can listen in the car and elsewhere. Each cd has a specific set of lessons: CD 1 covers the basics: numbers, telling time, ordering food; CD2 covers shopping, job and family; CD3 covers directions and days of the week; CD 4 covers shopping for clothes. When you're past the need for an immersion course and want something detailed, choose the 14-cd package in SPANISH ALL-IN-ONE (981-246-676-2, $59.95): here is a boxed set of short lessons packed with practical learning tips and colloquial expressions offering a flexible, in-depth learning routine for busy students. SPANISH ALL-IN-ONE extends the lessons of SPANISH GUARANTEED to offer more depth and detail, more cds, and a foundation of basic vocabulary and phrases enlivened by music.

O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472
www.oreilly.com

O'Reilly's astonishing volume of expert-authored computer books continues, with some special winners this month. Simon St. Laurent and Michael Fitzgerald's XML POCKET REFERENCE 3RD EDITION (0596100507, $9.95) has been updated to cover Schema - but retains its exceptional portability ('pocket size' in this case truly means pocket-sized for purse or coat pocket; not for briefcase), xs code definitions complete with examples, and quick but clear explanations which cover elements, attributes, usage and more. Ellen Siever, et.al.'s LINUX IN A NUTSHELL: A DESKTOP QUICK REFERENCE (0596009305, $44.95) appears in its updated fifth edition covering virtually anything a Linux programmer would need, from basic programming and network commands to quick references for bash, ksh, gawk and more, package management, bootloaders, and command-line utilities. All material has been tested in Fedora, Novell and Debian systems, assuring the contents really work in real-time situations. Damien Stolarz's CAR PC HACKS: TIPS & TOOLS FOR GEEKING YOUR RIDE (0596008716, $24.95) is geared to the personal compuetr used in the car. How? Well, iPods can provide entire music collections on hard drive, video enthusiasts can not provide on-demand systems for passengers (hopefully the driver isn't partaking while on the road), and webcams and MP3 file sharing between cars is now available. Here are tips and tutorials for installing, configuring, and considering all the options of an in-car computer system. Photoshop users should consider Deke McClelland's ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2 ONE-ON-ONE (0596100965, $39.95) a powerful learning tool second only to in-person instruction: a series of self-paced tutorials allows learners to work at their own speed, more than 2 hours of video instruction on an accompanying DVD presents the authors' key lesson concepts and applications, and there are plenty of tips on adding that extra finishing touch to projects which smack of 'pro style'. Add quizzes and real-world project examples and you have a winner by a trainer with 0 years experience in the program. Jack D. Herrington's PODCASTING HACKS: TIPS & TOOLS FOR BLOGGING OUT LOUD (0596100663, $24.95) explains everything about the medium for newcomers who may have heard the term but know little about the method. Here are all the basics of hardware and software, from choosing a microphone and recording in a car or on the street to reducing noise, adding music, adding music and sound effects to shows for a blog, or making a home studio. Coverge reaches from the single person podcast up to a full radio drama style, and includes podcasts by email, interviewing, and more.

Photoshop CS2 Killer Tips
Scott Kelby & Felix Nelson
New Riders
1249 - 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0321330633 $29.99 www.newriders.com

There are plenty of CS2 titles on the market now, but PHOTOSHOP CS2 KILLER TIPS: THE HOTETST COLLECTION OF COOL TIPS ANDH IDDEN SECRETS OF ADOBE PHOTOSHOP comes with a difference: it holds noting but tips, it's written by industry insiders with professionals with acknowledged status using Photoshop efficiently and quickly, and it comes packed with color screen examples on every page. Bright color. Clear screens. And clear, killer tips on streamlining and making the most of the program.

Peachpit/Adobe/New Riders
1249 - 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.peachpit.com

Peachpit's computer guides are solid presentations geared to both novice and advanced users, covering a range of programs and applications both general and specific. Steve Krug's DON'T MAKE ME THINK: A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO WEB USABILITY (0321344758, $35.00), for example, appears in an updated edition to add three new chapters to its common-sense approach to using the web. Who, after all, uses a web site? Bosses, clients, and marketing managers often don't consider this idea enough, constructing web sites which work at a disadvantage: DON'T MAKE ME THINK takes the consumer/user's point of view, with chapters using real-world examples from Amazon.com to browsing and search engine work to show why things work and why they don't. Bart G. Farkas' SECRETS OF PODCASTING: AUDIO BLOGGING FOR THE MASSES (0321369297, $19.99) tells how to download and enjoy podcasts with MP3 players, and includes plenty of basic advice on audio editing, recording, and distributing a podcast. Both beginners and advanced users receive tutorials on everything from selecting equipment to creating a podcast which flows and works well. Photoshop CS2 users will want to keep Save Cross' THE PHOTOSHOP CS2 HELP DESK BOOK (0321337042, $34.99) close at hand: it's the closest thing to a personal help desk, incorporates tried, tested plans from senior developer Dave Cross, and tells how to understand warning dialogv boxes, how to create flexible documents using layers and masks, and how to customize the program and its various settings. Plenty of color photo screen shot examples pack virtually every page, while common glitches and problems are the focus of practical chapters. Ben Willmore's ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2 STUDIO TECHNIQUES (0321321898, $50.00) offer a guide to mastering the basics of CS2, and is a recommended pick for both beginners and those who have some background with previous Photoshop versions. Learn more than just what the tools are and how to use them: learn 'why' beyond the program's features, covering the basics of which image-editing eatures work best and why they should be chosen over others. A companion cd offers supplements and practice images to the tutorials. Bart G. Farkas' SECRETS OF PODCASTING:AUDIO BLOGGING FOR THE MASSES (0321369297,$19.99) tells how to download podcasts with an MP3 player, how to create script and use digital recording devices, how to legally play music on a podcast, and more. Tutorials show how to use podcasts on both Windows and Macs, how to distribute a podcast even if you're not a programmer or computer whiz, and how to use software to create exceptional productions. An outstanding guide. Adobe CS2 users won't want to miss Sharon Steuer's ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS2 WOW! BOOK: TIPS, TRICKS AND TECHNIQUES FROM 100 TOP ILLUSTRATOR ARTISTS (0321320468, $49.99): it has been fully revised to include the latest tips and tricks from over a hundred top illustrator artists. Here are lessons paired with galleries, chaptesr for working with special effects as well as the basic masking system and fills, tips on new blending and mesh, Live Paint and Zen, tips on colorizing, and more. An outstanding guide for any who would use Adobe Illustrator CS2. The second edition of Robin Williams and John Tollett's THE NON-DESIGNER'S WEB BOOK: AN EASY GUIDE TO CREATING, DESIGNING, AND POSTING YOUR OWN WEB SITE (0201710382, $34.99) covers all the basics, right down to how to use the web and search for information. Once these basics are covered chapters delve into theories of web design and its difference from print, basic design principles, how and when to use graphics and images, and more. Discussions are supplemented by clear web page examples and contrasts in full color to show exactly what differentiates a superior website, and why.

Host Integrity Monitoring Using Osiris and Samhain
Brain Wotring & Bruce Potter
Syngress
800 Hingham Street, Rockland, MA 02370
1597490180 $44.95 www.syngress.com

Any involved in computer security know that preventing attacks and preserving host integrity is an important aspect of system management: but how does one monitor incidences and assess integrity? HOST INTEGRITY MONITORING USING OSIRIS AND SAMHAIN comes from an Osiris creator and Shmoo group member and tells how to identify successful attacks and remedy the problems they cause. Administrators learn how to reduce false positives, monitor the whole networked environment, and program ion defenses to mitigate attacks using a system which is packed with technical examples, code, and solutions which address the big picture.

Other People's Treasures
Anthony Ravenscroft
Fenris Brothers
PO Box 8756, Santa Fe NM 87504-8756
189019541 $16.95 www.crossquarter.com

Almost anyone can 'open' a bookstore online participating in Amazon.com's Marketplace - but what does it take to REALLY become a successful merchant? OTHER PEOPLE'S TREASIRES: SELLING BOOKS & CDS ON AMAZON.COM is one of the few primers to focus on this area, going beyond 'how to list' and 'how to price' to address such issues as how to provide superior customer service, set higher prices and offer better books, mail cheaply yet quick, and understand the discounts and sales statistisc. It's here where OTHER PEOPLE'S TREASURES really shines: Ravenscroft takes a realistic approach in calculating where profit happens and how it might not happen, pointing out how sellers can assess each book for maximum profits and discard those which are a waste to list, such as big, heavy books with small mark-ups. An essential 'bible' for any new seller who wants to readily understand the Amazon way of doing business.

Cisco Press
800 E. 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240
www.ciscopress.com

Four important computer guides are recommended picks for technical and college-level library collections, providing many solid reference details. Catherine Paquet and Warren Saxe's BUSINESS CASE FOR NETWORK SECURITY: ADVOCACY, GOVERNANCE, AND ROI (1587201216, $39.95) tells of how to understand both the costs and return on investment for network security solutions. Networking professionals and businessmen alike receive a coverage which covers the latest facts on network security and attacks - and in a language the general business reader can readily understand. From capital expenditures and variable costs such as maintenance to calculating security policies and their pros and cons, THE BUSINESS CASE FOR NETWORK SECURITY is an essential guide. David Hucaby's CISCO ASA AND PIX FIREWALL HANDBOOK (1587051583, $60.00) provides a thorough coverage for the msot common features of the popular Cisco firewall security solutions. It's the first to probe the Cisco ASA and PIX version 7 security appliances, and is directed to programmers and network engineers who will quickly come to understand firewall managers, load balancing, verification systems and more. For a lighter, quicker focus, choose Greg Abelar's SECURING YOUR BUSINESS WITH CISCO ASA AND PIX FIREWALLS (1587052148, $40.00): it provides an easily-used reference which simplifies configuration and management processes, providing a focus on how to use Cisco's ASDM, which provides monitoring and automated security management. Firewalls are essential for any business - and SECURING YOUR BUSINESS WITH CISCO ASA AND PIX FIREWALLS is essential. Krishna Sankar, et.al.'s CISCO WIRELESS LAN SECURITY: EXPERT GUIDANCE FOR SECURING YOUR 802.11 NETWORKS (1587051540, $55.00) provides solid practices for using wireless LAN technology in a security environment, offering a set of LAN standards which can protect an entire network. From exploring the basics of wireless security issues to designing and implementing WLAN security systems, this is the Cisco item of choice for any serious dministrator or engineer.

Sybex
1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501
www.sybex.com

Three outstanding new computer guides are highly recommended picks. George Omura's JUST ENOUGH AUTOCAD 2006 (0782143970, $24.99) comes from an award-winning Autocad author who has developed a basic reference for students to learn AutoCAD techniques easily. Both newcomers to the program and those with some background seeking a quick reference will find JUST ENOUGH AUTOCAD 2006 a fine guide to creating, editing, and modeling with AutoCAD's many features. Add or edit notes and dimensions, extract hidden data, create and assign layers and much more. EBay sellers who bemoan the often-fuzzy photos many sellers maintain will look for improvement after reading Dan Gookin and Robert Birnbach's EBAY PHOTOS THAT SELL: TAKING GREAT PRODUCT SHOTS FOR EBAY AND BEYOND (0782143811, $29.99). A good photo can mean the difference between a winning bid and no bids - and EBAY PHOTOS THAT SELL teaches the basic ebay salesperson how to create professional-quality product photos with little more than a basic digital camera and a few tricks. From basic rules of taking photos to editing properly, sizing them for the Web, and adding watermarks, this is the standard 'bible' for any ebay seller. Tim Grey's PHOTOSHOP CS2 WORKFLOW: THE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDE (0782143962, $39.99) tells photographers how to establish a simple workflow to enhance imagination and productivity. Here are streamlining tips for adjusting and editing images, altering techniques, and more, geared to all levels of digital photographers who wish to repair, tone, and enhance a digital photo. Clear instructions and exceptional graphics make for a winning guide which focuses on technique as much as technicalities.

Charles River Media
10 Downer Avenue, Hingham, MA 02043
www.charlesriver.com

Three excellent learning guides are recommended picks for advanced computer users. Duane J. Jarc's LEARNING JAVA THROUGH APPLICATIONS: A GRAPHICAL APPROACH (1684503769, $59.95) emphasizes Java's graphic capabilities and the user interfaces which come with them. Complete Java programs are presented in order of increasing complexity, from geometric programs to puzzles and games, to teach students basic Java programming language and applications. The latest features of Java 5.0 are surveyed for each project, with chapters using capstone programs involving graphics to introduce features. An excellent programmer's reference. Roger T. Stevens' CREATING FRACTALS (1584504234, $49.95) includes a fractal-generating program on the accompanying cd-rom as it provides a description of the math and characteristics of fractals and demonstrates how to produce them. The program runs on Windows systems and helps readers understand how fractals are created. An excellent introduction to the fractal concept and its applications, including math basics. Christian Gross' OPEN SOURCE FOR WINDOWS ADMINISTRATORS (1584503475, $49.95) is written with MS Windows administrators in mind and introduces them to Open Source applications which can save time and money. Open Source applications can be as basic as email or web content programs, or as complex as spreadsheets and anti-spam routines: administrators can use any of these to streamline business operations and perform more efficiently, and discussions of the options include documentation quality assessments, installation and use, and common problem solving techniques. The Open Source materials are meant to compliment Windows programs.

Hip Hop Matters
S. Craig Watkins
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108-2892
0807009822 $24.95 www.beacon.org

This is no casual coverage, but a semi-scholarly history of how hip hop evolved and changed its inventors, artists, producers and even influenced politics and social mores over the decades. Hip hop began in the late 1970s and has seen a explosive rise in popularity since, affecting not just the music industry but the ad industry, education system, and black culture as a whole. From its extremes to the battles fought over hip hop music across the board, HIP HOP MATTERS: POLITICS, POP CULTURE, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR THE SOUL OF A MOVEMENT is essential for any who would understand the music and its influences.

I Got the Show Right Here
Cy Feuer with Ken Gross
Applause Books
19 West 21st Street, New York NY 10010
1557836582 $16.95 www.applausepub.com

The producer of Guys & Dolls and other Broadway hits here tells his story of how his post-war association with Ernie Martin lead him to become a legendary Broadway musical producer with a series of smash hit productions. Feur signed 17-year-old Julie Andrews for her Broadway debut, his first five musicals were hits, and he moved quickly from obscurity to fame. I GOT THE SHOW RIGHT HERE: THE AMAZING, TRUE STORY OF HOW AN OBSCURE BROOKLYN HORN PLAYER BECAME THE LAST GREAT BROADWAY SHOWMAN is a hit, too.

Singing a New Tune
John Kenneth Muir
Applause Books
19 West.21st Street, New York NY 10010
1557836108 $24.95 www.applausepub.com

College-level students of the film musical will want to make SIGNING A NEW TUNE: THE REBIRTH OF THE MODERN FILM MUSICAL FROM EVITA TO DE-LOVELY AND BEYOND essential to understanding the new film musical. Critics around the world have claimed the movie music is a dead art form - but though it no longer commands the center of media attention, it's by no means dead, as film expert John Kenneth Muir presents in his story of the film musical from the early 1990s to modern times. Over a dozen musical films from the last decade are analyzed to explain how artists have interpreted and imbibed such musicals with new life, using psychology, sexuality, and more to revive the art form. Interviews with notable directors and screenwriters round out the analysis, providing a through, critical review of the state of the modern film musical - and it's likely fate and changes over the next decades.

Talkin' to Myself
Michael Taft
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
0415973783 $24.95 www.routledge-ny.com

Avid fans of blues music who want more depth than just another review of major artists or songs will find TALKIN' TO MYSELF: BLUES LYRICS, 1921-1942 an important study; especially for college-level papers. Blues lyrics are a unique form of Afro-American poetry, a means of communication of feelings, and hold many insights. TALKIN' TO MYSELF includes over 2000 songs transcribed directly from the original recordings organized in an A-Z arrangement by author names. And if it sounds familiar, it's because this is a revised edition of the classic BLUES LYRIC POETRY: AN ANTHOLOGY and provides an excellent gathering and analysis of work by over three hundred singers. Particularly useful when listening to the actual recordings, which might otherwise prove difficult to truly understand.

Billboard Books/Watson-Guptill
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
www.watsonguptill.com

For a solid history of black music's influence on white culture, look no further than Kevin Phinney's SOULED AMERICAN: HOW BLACK MUSIC TRANSFORMED WHITE CULTURE (0823084043, $29.95): it narrows the focus to whites have have been fascinated with the performances and styles of Afro-Americans over the centuries, and provides chapters of social history and music culture which argues that no form of American music is ethnically pure, but represents variations and changes on the musical competition between blacks and whites in this country. From early plantation hollers to rap music and jazz, Phinney covers the co-evolution of a range of black music styles - and each style's influence on white American style. A fascinating, scholarly coverage. Michael Leonard edits THE BILLBOARD ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE GUITAR HANDBOOK: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MAKING MUSIC ON THE GUITAR (0823082636, $24.95): a guide for beginners and advanced musicians who wish to learn about the guitar, from basic playing styles to how to improve one's technique. An expert tutor covers fundamentals, discusses acoustic and electric guitars and their various options, considers musical guitar styles from around the world, and adds maintenance and repair tips along with his technical insights on the instrument. In short, virtually anything needed to produce music on the guitar is packed into a handbook rich in visuals, from photos of players to illustrations of chords. Very highly recommended. Howard Mandel edits BILLBOARD ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF JAZZ & BLUES: INTERNET LINKS TO SONGS & ARTISTS. There have been many changes to the music in the 20th and 21st centuries, and BILLBOARD ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA traces these changes, offering detailed biographies of the major artists, a decade organizational structure to help readers keep track of influences and changes, surveys of musical styles and sub-genres, and discussing key tracks and recordings of each. Hundreds of photos compliment an extensive in-depth survey written by a team of experts: it may look lie a thick coffee table addition, but there's much more between its covers than photographic fluff.

The Savvy Studio Owner
John Shirley & Dr. Richard Strasser
Backbeat Books
600 Harrison, San Francisco CA 94107
0879308400 $19.95 www.backbeatbooks.com

Want to run a professional sound-recording studio? You shouldn't begin without THE ASVVY STUDIO OWNER: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO SETTING UP AND RUNNING YOUR OWN RECORDING STUDIO in hand. Virtually everything you need to know about the venture is here, from small studios producing one-off projects to larger studios for larger ventures. Financing, hardware - even government regulations and marketing are packed into a guide covering both large-picture concerns and smaller technical concerns such as audio interfacing, ventilation and copyright registration.

In the Right Direction, 3rd Edition.
Samuel D. Gilleylen
Future Mix Publications
PO Box 181356, Memphis, TN 38181
0972304207 $24.99 www.FutureMix.biz

If you want to begin a record label to release your own cd or a selection of hand-picked special works, then IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION is for you. It's been a best-seller on the internet for over three years, and provides beginners with everything they need to know to promote and develop an indie music effort. From determining whether one's sound has commercial potential to understanding how bar codes, pressing plants, distribution, and royalties work, pages of step-by-step instruction presume no prior knowledge of the recording industry and thus prove especially accessible to beginners. Industry trends, differences between past and present approaches to production and marketing, and more keep IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION contemporary and packed with the latest insights.

The Monkees
Andrew Sandoval
Thunder Bay Press
5880 Oberlin Drive, San Diego, CA 92121
1592233724 $19.95 www.thunderbaybooks.com

It's hard to believe it's the 40th anniversary of the pop group The Monkees - but THE MONKEES: THE DAY-BY-DAY STORY OF THE 60S TV POP SENSATION says it's so, and expert Andrew Sandoval knows everything there is to know about the group and its individual members. From recording sessions and concerts to their films and encounters with musicians of their times, add a host of black and white photos packed throughout and interviews with each group member and you have an exciting re-creation of the Monkees' cult attraction and appeal which will make for a fine memory book for any fan.

Poisoned Pen Press
6962 East 1st Street, #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com

Three excellent, very different mysteries are powerful picks. James Sallis' DRIVE (1590581814, $19.95) tells of one Driver, an odd fellow with two very different jobs: stunt driving for movies by day, driving for criminals at night. A double-cross brings him into the world of murder and attempted murder. Frederick Ramsay's SECRETS (1590581881, $24.95) tells of a murder at a church, a bishop's exile, a gossiping secretary's murder, and one Blake Fisher, who becomes a suspect. Two murders and the FBI in town will wreck the lives of not just the suspect, but the town sheriff in this fast-paced mystery. Libby Fischer Hellmann's A SHOT TO DIE FOR (1590581857, $24.95) provides the fourth title in the Ellie Foreman mystery series: while newcomers may dive right in, familiarity with the prior mysteries will make this one even more satisfying. Ellie befriends a woman who has been abandoned at a highway rest stop; but when her newfound friend is shot dead shortly thereafter, Ellie reluctantly decides to return to sleuthing to find out what happens. When a second shooting happens, she's drawn into a prominent family's dangerous secret. Swift intrigue and quick action mark a dramatic series of events.

The Humanure Handbook
Joseph Jenkins
Chelsea Green, Dist.
PO Box 607, Grove City PA 16127
9780964425835 $25.00 www.joseph-jenkins.com

Despite all the books on manure and how to use it, human manure composting is not covered elsewhere, making THE HUMANURE HANDBOOK: A GUIDE TO COMPOSTING HUMAN MANURE a fine reference for any who would learn these basics. Now in its 3rd edition, THE HUMANURE HANDBOOK covers all the basics of human waste management, from septic systems to commercial composting toilets, sewers, and more. A history of various composting methods, science, and problems is accompanied by a healthy dose of humor plus a solid foundation of science into pathogens, pros and cons of competing systems, and more. If you're an avid composter, there's nothing like this on the market.

Edible Forest Gardens, Volume 1: Vision & Theory
Dave Jacke with Eric Toensmeier
Chelsea Green
PO Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
1931498792 $75.00 www.chelseagreen.com

Don't expect the usual light gardening guide reading, Volume 1 of EDIBLE FOREST GARDENS: ECOLOGICAL VISION AND THEORY FOR TEMPERATE CLIMATE PERMACULTURE packs in serious surveys of the ancient practice of forest gardening, which offers homeowners and gardeners a new way of viewing modern home landscaping and nature. Useful plants can be blended to supply daily needs, the land can be 'untamed' to return support to healthy populations of plant and animal species. Years of experience goes into EDIBLE FOREST GARDENS; this first volume provides a review of the ecological and cultural foundations for recognizing forest gardening as a viable ecological alternative in modern North America. Dave Jacke runs his own ecological design firm consulting on permaculture and landscapes around the world; his co-author Eric Toensmeier founded the former Perennial Vegetable Seed Company and has worked with the New England Small Farm Institute. A highly recommended pick; especially for college-level and serious collections on permaculture and horticulture.

Stretching in the Office
Bob Anderson
Shelter Publications
PO Box 279, Bolinas, CA 94924
0936070293 $11.95 www.shelterpub.com

Bob Anderson is a stretching authority: his book combines 20 stretching routines with hundreds of combinations and best of all - it can be done all day long in the office, whether seated, at the copy machine, on the phone and more. There are more general stretching books on the market: but how many of them link stretches to everyday office routines - and include a cd of software to remind you to stretch? Black and white step-by-step illustrations accompany written directions.

Septic System Owner's Manual
Lloyd Kahn, Blair Allen, Julie Jones
Shelter Publications
PO Box 279, Bolinas, CA 94924
0936072020X $17.95 www.shelterpub.com

Other books have been written about septic systems for rural homeowners; but few offer the clarify and line drawings of THE SEPTIC SYSTEM OWNER'S MANUAL, with Peter Aschwanden's cartoons and illustrations lending to the effort. From understanding various degrees of septic system failure to greywater recycling, composting toilets, and alternative septic and drainage arrangements, THE SEPTIC SYSTEM OWNER'S MANUAL is the only guide any rural owner needs.

Green Profit on Retailing
Rick Blanchette & Jayne VanderVelde
Ball Publishing
335 North River Street, Batavia, IL 60510
188305222X $32.95 www.ballpublishing.com

Any handling plants, whether it be a garden center, a florist or a supermarket, need to know the display, marketing, and management information presented in GREEN PROFIT ON RETAILING: it's presented by editors who gather industry trends and information from around the world, it charts plant popularity, care, and tips, and it presents selected informational articles from Green Profit Magazine which covers both retail and mail order worlds alike. From staying a step ahead of the competition to handling different kinds of plants, GREEN PROFIT ON RETAILING is packed with practical, tested advice unique to the plant industry.

Anyone Can Landscape!
Joel M. Lerner
Ball Publishing
335 North River Street, Batavia, IL 60510
1883052270 $34.95 www.ballpublishing.com

Columnist Joel Lerner may work for the Washington Post, but he also has over forty years of landscape experience, and here tells how to do it yourself; from the initial budgeting and drafting project plans to locating appropriate plants, designing for disabled access or security, incorporating a design into a deck or patio, and more. Far more detail is shared in the process than you will find in your usual landscape guide for consumers: chapters pack in hundreds of tips, narrow the focus whenever needed - such as treating entryways separately from walls and pathways - and pack in charts, color illustrations, and diagrams. Even wildflower meadows and theme landscapes are included. If only one landscape guide can be purchased, it should be this weighty 'bible': nothing is omitted!

The Home Energy Diet
Paul Scheckel
New Society Publishers
Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC VOR 1XO, Canada
0865715300 $18.95 www.amazon.com

With rising energy costs, homeowners are beginning to consider home energy efficiency: but how can a home best be assessed for efficiency? It's easier to choose new appliances than to retrofit an older home - and HOME ENERGY DIET: HOW TO SAVE MONEY BY MAKING YOUR HOUSE ENERGY SMART tells how to make these assessments. From full appliances to electricity usage, healing and air systems, and more, consumers learn how to assess their home for efficiency.

Building Your Home
Carol Smith
BuilderBooks.com
1201 - 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005-2800
0867186046 $24.95

Carol Smith has over 30 years experience working with builders and their customers and knows all about the building process, making BUILDING YOUR HOME: AN INSIDER'S GUIDE, 2ND EDITION one of the best references available to any who plan on working with a builder. Smith wants potential home buyers to understand the entire, complicated process of building a home: from understanding home owner association requirements and construction sequences to design, inspections, and important paperwork, all aspects are thoroughly covered.

How Hard Can It Be?
Mag Ruffman
Beyond Words
20827 NW Cornell Road, #500, Hillsboro, OR 97124-9808
1582701350 $16.95 www.beyondword.com

Can a woman repair a home? Yes, especially if she has Ruffman's HOW HARD CAN IT BE? ANY WOMAN CAN DO ANYTHING WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS in hand. Sound familiar? Ruffman is television's 'home improvement lady', and uses humor and facts to allow female listeners access to the world of home repairs. How does the color of a TV show translate to book format? The use of step-by-step photos throughout makes tasks easy, from outdoor maintenance and systems upgrades to projects ranging from picture-hanging to installing lattice.

Reunion Solutions Press
PO Box 999, Niwot, CO 80544
www.ReunionSolutions.com

Three excellent books by Dina C. Carson and Risa J. Johnson provide reunion planners and partiers with plenty of planning detail. Any who regularly entertain, whether it be for parties or fundraisers, anniversaries or get-togethers, will find CELEBRATION SOLUTIONS (0972497560, $26.95) an excellent guide: it advocates theme party plans with many ideas for different types of functions, from work-related corporate parties to luncheons, graduations, proms and more, and it covers everything from ambiance and colors to suggestions for invitations, decorations, menus and entertainment - right down to souvenirs and party favors. Each celebration also receives fund raising tips in addition to all the other details, lest the occasion be geared to raising funds for charities or other. The weighty REUNION SOLUTIONS (0972497595, $26.95) tells how to do more than organize a simple reunion: it covers all the basics from setting up a committee and choosing location to managing crowds, money, coming up with fresh new themes, and more. All details down to memory books and souvenirs - including publicizing the event - are covered in a guide which also uses the Internet to advantage, from making a web site to posting memories. If you think all the details are easy, think again: there's over 500 pages to the main book - and a sequel, REUNION SOLUTIONS PLANNER (0972497587, $24.95), which compiles all instructions into a series of checklists, task planners, and ledger-type record-keeping which make it easy to organize. Contracts are even a part of the event planning stage. The whole package is unbeatable and highly recommended for any who regularly plan events and wish to be more organized.

Turn Off Your Mind
Gary Lachman
Disinformation
163 - 3rd Avenue, #108, New York NY 10003
0971394237 $19.95 www.disinfo.com

How did the 1960s world of peace, love and spirituality end in violence? How did the rise of occulists affect the downfall of the peace movement? TURN OFF YOUR MIND; THE MYSTIC SIXTIES AND THE DARK SIDE OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS tells of the revival of the occult during the 1960s, how it caught and changed the hippie movement, and how it injected a dark side into the era which created some of the occult influences reaching into today: horror films, dark fantasy writings, witchcraft, UFO beliefs and more. From the atmosphere of splendor to drugs, excesses, and both heroic quests and dark failures, TURN OFF YOUR MIND is packed with history and examples which follows the dark undercurrents and influences of the times. An important set of insights which links key players of the era to their spiritual and mystic influences.

Testament: The Bible Odyssey
Philip Law, Ed.
Continuum
15 E. 26th Street, New York, NY 10010
0826477348 $19.95 www.continuumbooks.com

Many folks want to read the Bible, but few actually read more than a few chapters: TESTAMENT: THE BIBLE ODYSSEY provides the epic sentiments and verse of the Bible without the parts that make it cumbersome to understand. It reads like fiction with high drama and fair, but without the Bible's ponderous language - and it preserves both story line and basic teachings, making it easier for followers to understand. A fine adjunct to Bible studies.

The Dragon Slayer With a Heavy Heart
Marcia Powers
Wilshire Book Company
12015 Sherman Road, N. Hollywood, CA 91605-3781
0879804505 $12.00 www.mpowers.com

Find happiness and serenity even under the most adversarial of conditions in a self-help guide which advocates the Serenity Prayer and teaches how to apply it to daily living. The story of Duke the Dragon Slayer, who has a heavy heart with troubles and becomes desperate to lighten it, serves as the example for readers who would learn from the answers he finds. The dragon story holds plenty of insights about how to find happiness in everyday living.

New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com

Three very different, recommended guides are new from this publisher. J. Krishnamurti's LIFE AHEAD: ON LEARNING AND THE SEARCH FOR MEANING (1577315170, $13.95) comes from a master philosopher and religious figure and tells how to apply a philosophy of learning from Indian tradition to daily living in the Western world. From understanding feelings of contempt and superiority to the quality of real affection and the evolution of ambition and understanding, quiet peace and gentle understanding are fostered. Marta Williams' BEYOND WORDS: TALKING WITH ANIMALS AND NATURE (1577314921, $14.95) also advocates peace and understanding, though it comes from a very different source: an animal communicator who specializes in teaching others how to better understand and talk with animals. Stories of human connections with animals and nature supply the foundation for understanding and the basics of interspecies communication. Tony Stromberg's photos are the center and highlight of SPIRIT HORSES (1577314999, $40.00), a stunning blend of photographic strength and spirituality which captures the horse throughout. A hundred and forty horse portraits survey both wild and domestic horses, are accompanied by quotes from teachers and writers exploring equine wisdom and its connections with spirituality, and provides a powerful visual celebration.

Merlin's Magick
Joshua Free
Crossquarter Publishing Group
PO Box 23749, Santa Fe, NM 87502
1890109517 $19.95 www.crossquarter.com

Any who look into the magickal world and lifestyles realizes there are many specific books on the topic: it's thus refreshing to acknowledge that MERLYN'S MAGICK: THE WIZARD'S SECRET NOTEBOOKS holds no such narrow focus, is willing to admit other systems are valid, and provides students with a more general overview of magickal theory than others can offer. Newcomers to magick, in particular, will find MERLYN'S MAGICK offers a synthesis of information and detail which is essential for beginners, presenting the mythos of tarot, Golden Dawn, Enochian magic, Druids and more in a guide which explains what foundations must be learned before moving to others.

Atraid Press
405 Moseley Street, Jefferson, TX 75657
www.atriadpress.com

Two fine ghost books are highly recommended picks for any interested in quality ghost productions - something rare on the market these days, as the horror genre has largely taken over the idea. Kriss Stephens' FEAR: A GHOST HUNTER' STORY (0974039446, $17.95) presents the experiences of the author, a paranormal investigator and professional photographer who worked on MVT's 'Fear' show finding locations and providing research. Her first-person accounts of her ghostly encounters range from observations of spirit writings, fogs, chills and haunts to her own physical sensations and explorations of a range of buildings, from old houses and abandoned structures to cemeteries. Black and white photos are liberally peppered throughout - and quite clear - as Stephens provides riveting stories of her ghostly encounters which go beyond trying to prove their reality to describe their impact and appearance. Want to duplicate her experiences? Try Mitchel Whitington's suggestions in A GHOST IN MY SUITCASE: A GUIDE TO HAUNTED TRAVEL IN AMERICA (0974039454, $18.95), which presents a range of accessible haunted locales where visitors might be lucky enough to meet the haunts. Descriptions of haunts and the legends behind them accompany black and white photos and the author's own description of his visit. Each book goes beyond the usual ghostly account in providing smooth-flowing, literary reading and an excellent 'you are there' feel.

Launch It!
Molly Miller-Davidson, Joanne Stone-Geier & Michael Levinson
HarperCollins
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
0060819243 $21.95 www.harpercollins.com

If you have good ideas but no idea how to translate them into marketable, successful products - then LAUNCH IT: HOW TO TURN GOOD IDEAS INTO GREAT PRODUCTS THAT SELL is the book for you. Product and trend gurus Molly Miller-Davidson, JoAnne Stone-Geier and product designer Michael Levinson provide their expertise in considering each stage of product development and marketing, from idea to market success. Where other books narrow the approach to one part alone, LAUNCH IT! Follows the entire process - and packs in the contacts and resources needed to make it happen and avoid costly errors.

The Soul of Christianity
Huston Smith
HarperSanFrancisco
353 Sacramento Street, #500, San Francisco CA 94111-3653
006079478X $22.95 www.harpersf.com

Dr. Huston Smith's writings inspire people around the world, and even became the focus of a PBS series with Bill Moyers. Today he's 86 years old, has written over 12 books on world religions, and provides a new examination of the Christian story and faith. THE SOUL OF CHRISTIANITY: RESTORING THE GREAT TRADITION takes a close look at modern society, morals, and spirituality with an eye to using stories and personal anecdotes to reveal how the teachings of Christianity remain relevant in a modern secular world. From problems of biblical literalism to the mistakes of modern secularists, Smith provides a real analysis and connection to modern Christianity.

The Truth Book
Joy Castro
Arcade Publishing
1559707879 $25.00 www.arcadepub.com

Any who have had experience with Jehovah's Witnesses will find THE TRUTH BOOK: ESCAPING A CHILDHOOD OF ABUSE AMONG JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES to be eye-opening. Author Joy Castro was adopted as a baby and raised as a devout Jehovah's Witness: she was told to always tell the truth and studied a religious text which reinforced the faith. When her parents divorced after her father was excommunicated from the congregation for smoking, her mother married a church brother who proved to be a savage abuser at home. Forbidden to see their father, the kids are abused and battered with knowledge of their mother and church alike, until Joy reaches out to her father and plans an escape. A gripping memoir of religion, abuse, and recovery.

Indivisible By Two
Nancy L. Segal
Harvard University Press
79 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
0674019334 $24.95 www.hup.harvard.edu

Author Nancy Segal is Professor of Psychology of the Twin Studies center at CSU Fullerton: her professional career has been devoted to the study of identical and fraternal twins, and INDIVISIBLE BY TWO: LIVES OF EXTRAORDINARY TWINS reflects this long history, following up on her ENTWINED LIVES to reveal the lives of 10 sets of twins, one set of triplets and a set of quads. From twins raised apart and their remarkable connections to others who found their differences equally remarkable, INDIVISIBLE BY TWO provides some interesting insights on not only the psychology of twins, but the possibilities and problems inherent in artificial human cloning. From shared memories and experiences to shared reactions, this is packed with riveting case histories.

Port in the Storm
Cole A. Giller, MD, PhD
LifeLine Press/Regnery
1 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20091
0895261324 $16.95 www.lifelinepress.com

Ever had to make a medical decision which would affect your life? Which would change it for better or for worse? Plenty of guides advise getting second opinions and weighing pros and cons - but how does one actually make a medical decision and live to tell about it? PORT IN THE STORM tells how: from identifying tradeoffs and pros and cons to locating reliable data and studies on the Web and interpreting numbers. Chapters also discuss peer pressure, belief systems, and managing doctor advice with an eye to identifying where a doctor can help and when to use his advice to add to the mix of data.

Just a Little Too Thin
Michael Strober, Ph.D. & Meg Shneider, MA, LMSW
Da Capo Life Long
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0738210188 $25.00 www.amazon.com

Ordinarily JUST A LITTLE TOO THIN: HOW TO PULL YOUR CHILD BACK FROM THE BRINK OF AN EATING DISORDER would have been featured in our Children's Bookwatch issue - but since such disorders can affect kids into adulthood, and can prove quite stubborn to control, it's featured here for its wider-ranging applications. Anyone who is dieting can go too far - and JUST A LITTLE TOO THIN helps recognize how far is too far. Chapters survey differences between dieting and eating disorders, survey underlying emotional disorders governing self-image, and provide important guidelines for control and help. The family's role and situation in the calorie-counting process factors into chapters packed with practical insights.

Syndrome W
Harriette R. Mogul, MD
M. Evans
216 E. 49 Street, New York NY 10017
159077048X $21.95 www.mevans.com

One day in mid-life you find the pounds are going on and just won't come off, whether it be with diet or exercise: those old routines just aren't effective anymore. Why? Learn about 'syndrome w' in mid-life: a medical disorder which is common to women in their 30s-60s and stems from an abnormality in insulin levels. Dr. Mogul discovered the condition and designed its cure, and here shows how it can be diagnosed and reversed. Many a mid-life woman will be relieved to learn they can lose weight and keep it off, with a few simple adjustments - though the blood tests for diagnosis are anything but simple.

Strength Training On the Ball
Colleen Craig
Healing Arts Press
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
1694770115 $18.00 www.InnerTraditions.com

Combining the exercise ball with the flexibility of Pilates-based strength training is an unusual approach to exercise, but strength training on the ball provides an optimal program for combining the two well-recognized exercise approaches, and offers many step-by-step instructions for routines which are realistic and easy. Photos and step-by-step instructions help exercises achieve their goals, provide specialized strength-training workouts for recovery from injury as well as toning, and are recommended picks for both beginners and advanced trainers.

The Sacred Power of Huna
Rima A. Morrell, Ph.D.
Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
1594770093 $16.95 www.InnerTraditions.com

When author Rima Morrell visited Hawaii as a young anthropology student she found the system of ancient Hawaiian wisdom, Huna, to be compelling, offering her insights into responsibility and how people create their own reality. Her studies in Hawaii contribute to the SACRED POWER OF HUNA: SPIRITUALITY AND SHAMANISM IN HAWAII, which provides not just spiritual insights, but plenty of insights into Hawaiian culture as well. From an understanding of how the unconscious operates in both Freudian and outside of Freudian realms to how the classic Hawaiian hula dance draws in spiritual force and connections, THE SACRED POWER OF HUNA provides plenty of in-depth observations.

Golden Gryphon Press
3002 Perkins Road, Urbana, IL 61802
www.goldengryphon.com

Golden Gryphon's high-quality productions result in picks which can be recommended across the board, and their latest publications are no exception. George Alec Effinger's LIVE! FROM PLANET EARTH (1930846320, $25.95) provides over twenty short pieces by fellow writers and editors who knew Effinger quite well. Each provides a commentary about their selection which includes insights into how it was written: with the commentary based on personal knowledge of Effinger, each note offers more depth and insight than your usual introduction. As for the short stories - they're written across the decades and provide numerous focuses. Gregory Frost's ATTACK OF THE JAZZ GIANTS AND OTHER STORIES (1930846347, $25.95) also provides a powerful short story collection: this crossing history and alternative history to examine monsters both psychic and real, and to introduce the reader to a set of dream worlds which make you think about wonder and human efforts in the face of the impossible. William F. Nolan's WILD GALAXY (1930846312, $25.95) comes from the author of LOGAN'S RUN and gathers nineteen stories which represent a wide range of his numerous award-winning works. From alien rock stars and human groupies to robot emotions and a future where drugged states are equated with safety, WILD GALAXY is, indeed, a wild ride. Richard Bowes' FROM THE FILES OF THE TIME RANGERS (1930846355, $24.95) provides a novel of time travel and alternate worlds - and we've saved the best for last, here. Blend gods of mythology with contemporary settings and three young runaways who become hardened Time Rangers and you have a fast-paced plot which introduces new ideas with skill and ease and slips complex settings into a story line powered by solid characterization. All are powerful, excellent reads.

Red Jacket Press
www.redjacketpress.com

If you're seeking high-quality, deluxe reprints of solid science fiction classics to build a new collection or replace aging paperbacks, Red Jacket Press titles are for you: they are slipcased, they are solid, and they only pick the top-notch writers' works - plus, they are surprisingly affordable. Seabury Quinn's ROADS (097488958X, $29.95) provides a facsimile reproduction of the 1948 first edition as it re-imagines Santa Claus as a wonderous figure and a supreme example of selflessness. Virgil Finlay's illustrations spice a story line which remains as engrossing now as upon its first appearance. Almost every solid sci fi fan willrecognize Wilmar Shiras's CHILDREN OF THE ATOM (0974889504, $39.95) as a classic: it first appeared in 1953 by Gnome Press and is also a facsimile reproduction of the original, telling of a group of gifted children who are super-intelligent, all hiding the fact from adults - and all born as the result of an atomic explosion. One Dr. Welles discovers their existence and presses them into an experimental new school to harness their abilities, but can the rest of the world handle them? C.L. Moore's JUDGMENT NIGHT (0974889512, $39.95) also reprints a 1952 original from Gone: this one providing five different short stories set on five different worlds. These have been gathered from Astounding Science Fiction: they represent some of Moore's own favorites. Got a science fiction buff who 'has everything'? Give them any one of these as keepsake treasures.

Baen Books
PO Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com

Each month Baen provides fans of military and action science fiction with some very satisfying, adventure-filled reads. These latest publications are especially diverse and enthralling. John Dalmas' THE SECOND COMING (1416509035, $7.99) is set 2,000 years after Jesus when the world is ripe for a second coming - in the midst of a terrorist/media-ridden age. Can the second coming be led by a black Canadian software genius who surrounds himself with media consultants and security? Leo Frankowski and Dave Grossman's KREN OF THE MITCHEGAI (1416509028, $7.99) tells of virtual reality mercenaries who face a species whose biology has made them evil. The adults eat the kids, their culture has no family life, and they take pleasure from torture - and they're expanding across the universe. What kind of hero can battle this super-enemy? William H. Keith's RETIEF'S PEACE (1416509003, $25.00) takes a setting by Keith Laumer and moves to a new level with it: here a Peace Movement is actually a plot by the warlike Krll to get Terrans off of a planet to leave it for their conquest. Retief has to thwart them - even if it means he's drummed out of the Corps which is his life, to do so. Harry Turtledove's THE TIME OF TROUBLES II (1416508996, $26.00) provides two complete Vedessos novels under one cover. In THE THOUSAND CITIES, Abrivard is to destroy a mighty empire at the wishes of his king: but how can he when his warriors are already on the defense from said kingdom's own attack? Wizards and magic complicate the battles unless he can master a spell. VIDESSO BESIEGED follows, in which war again is the objective thwarted; this time by weather. Can the Videssos military win? Andre Norton is with us no longer but her books live on in such classics of MASKS OF THE OUTCASTS (1416509011, $24.00) tells of two dangerous planets and two outcasts: one accused of murder, one who lives with a scarred face. Add mysterious ruins, aliens, and an offer for two new lives and you have a superb, fast-paced story which will appeal to newcomers and asa solid re-read for old-time fans. David Weber's OLD SOLDIERS (1416508988, $26.00) also takes a story created by Keith Laumer and expands upon it: this telling of a sole survivor of battle who hadn't wanted to be one. A Bolo commander's guilt over her survival and a Bolo who had belonged to another must serve together again in a war against the final enclave of humanity - and they must learn to heal and share, if they are to win.

Galileo's Children
Gardner Dozois, Editor
Pyr/Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591023157 $25.00 www.pyrsf.com

The battle of science against superstition is at the forefront of science fiction, not just hard science books - and there are many different fronts and stories which reflect this struggle Enter GALILEO'S CHILDREN: TALES OF SCIENCE VS. SUPERSTITION, which offers some of the best of these shorts by Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Silverberg, and many big-name authors. From fantasy worlds to alternate history to new kinds of fighters for science and freedom, GALILEO'S CHILDREN presents a satisfying, diverse spread of plots and talents.

KP Books
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
www.krausebooks.com

Antique hunters who love to hit estate seas and flea markets each weekend just can't go hunting without the updated 4th edition of Warman's Flea Market Price Guide by Ellen T. Schroy, Editor (0896891593 $21.99) , the industry standard price guide for items commonly found at such venues. No, it doesn't have the glitzy color of other price guides - but it does feature almost 500 pages of pricing info, comes packed with clear black and white photos which lend to identification, and includes a quick A-Z reference which makes it easy to obtain at-a-glance price details. Keep it in the car: you can't go wrong. Ditto Warman's 101 GREATEST BABY BOOMER TOYS (0896892204, $24.99), which packs in over three hundred color photos of the selected top popular toys of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. From Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots to TV character toys and theme toys, an emphasis on background history of the toy's development and popularity proves just as valuable as the prices.

Collector Books
PO Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
www.collectorbooks.com

Other toy car books on the market often narrow the feature to specific manufacturers or types of cars; such as die-cast: but if it's one 'bible' packed with info you wish, make it the second edition of Dana Johnson's TOY CAR COLLECTOR'S GUIDE (1574324586 $24.95), which packs in identification and values tips for all kinds of cars, from diecast and metal to miniatures. While primarily serving as a price guide, TOY CAR COLLECTOR'S GUIDE also includes small color photos to aid in identification. Linda Crowsey's COLLECTOR'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MADAME ALEXANDER DOLLS 1948-1965 (1574324446, $24.95) provides identification and values paired with good-sized color photos of each featured doll - and special notes, such as 'missing headpiece' or clothes descriptions. These notes help collectors get a sense for what makes each doll valuable, what photos are missing details, and what features enhance a doll's appearance. A good, solid guide.

Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com

These excellent specialty collector's guides are a 'must' for any professional antique dealer and seller. Barbara Wood and Robert Doares' OLD LIMOGES: HAVILAND PORCELAIN DESIGN AND D�COR 1945-65 (0764323113, $59.95) provides a very specific collector's guide which contributes to scholarship on French ceramics overall. This study of first-production Haviland design blends over four hundred color illustrations with history and insights from unpublished documents from archives in both France and America. From close-ups of handle drawings to photos of entire sets, OLD LIMOGES is a specialty collector's 'bible'. Georgeanna H. Greer's AMERICAN STONEWARES: THE ART & CRAFT OF UTILITARIAN POTTERS, 4TH EDITION (0764322478, $49.95) has been revised to include a revamped price guide; but it doesn't just present the usual focus on stoneware collectibles - it surveys the entire art and craft of potters, covering the history and technology of pottery production and including over 300 black and white photos and 16 color plates throughout. Even glazes are thoroughly covered, surveying the four major forms used on American Stonewares. Both of these are specialty items - and both are unparalleled in the industry, making them a 'must' for any serious collector.

Dearborn
30 South Wacker Drive, #2500, Chicago, IL 60606-7481
www.dearborn.com

Two new guides to real estate investing demonstrate methods and how to make money. Carolyn Janik's MAKING MONEY IN REAL ESTATE: HOW TO START OUT ON THE ROAD TO FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE WITH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY (1419517511, $18.95) appears in its updated third edition to provide a wealth of advice on how to use real estate to make profits. Many know the concept but few know how to invest successfully - that's where MAKING MONEY IN REAL ESTATE comes in, reviewing investment reasons, strategy, attributes needed for success, and valuation. Pros and cons are addresses, leverage concerns surveyed, and secrets to improve negotiation skills covered in a resource collection of tips from professionals. George F. Donohue's REAL ESTATE DEALMAKING: A PROPERTY INVESTOR'S GUIDE TO NEGOTIATING (1419520202, $19.95) narrows the focus even further, discussing negotiating deals to improve profits and motivate all players to maximum advantage. The focus is on creating win-win situations for all economic cycles and types of property: chapters include checklists, worksheets, sample scenarios from real situations, and more. Both are highly recommended as basic picks for any novice real estate investor who would become seasoned without attending the school of hard knocks.

The Millionaire Real Estate Investor
Gary Keller, Dave Jenks, Jay Papasan
McGraw-Hill
Two Penn Plaza, New York NY 10121-2298
0071446370, $21.95 www.books.mcgraw-hill.com

The collected wisdom and advice of over 100 millionaire investors who gained their financial wealth through real estate is gathered under one cover for any who would understand investment myths and realities. From developing a team of hand-picked pros who will help millionaire business grow to proven strategies for building net worth and developing criteria for identifying good investments, THE MILLIONAIRE REAL ESTATE INVESTOR gives a lot of knowledge under one cover.

McGraw-Hill
Two Penn Plaza, New York NY 10121-2298
www.books.mcgraw-hill.com

Two excellent titles are highly recommended picks and standard home health library acquisitions. David Nathan Mdand Linda Delahanty MS's BEATING DIABETES: THE FIRST COMPLETE PROGRAM CLINICALLY PROVEN TO DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE YOUR GLUCOSE TOLERANCE (0071438319, $24.95) comes from Harvard Medical School experts, so it's not just a passing fancy but a proven routine. Based on scientific studies, BEATING DIABETES provides a lifestyle change-focussed program which advocates beating the condition without drugs. There's evidence that diet and exercise alone doesn't work - but this includes modest lifestyle changes, tips on emotional health and movement-oriented routines, and more. An intriguing, hopeful new way of viewing diabetes management. Carolyn Kaelin MD, MPH works with Francesca Coltrera in LIVING THROUGH BREAST CANCER: WHAT A HARVARD DOCTOR AND SURVIVOR WANTS YOU TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING THE BEST CARE WHILE PRESERVING YOUR SELF-IMAGE (0071444637, $22.95). Chapters cover all the basics, from understanding the diagnosis and making informed decisions on treatments to undertaking strength training and understanding and coping with treatment aftermaths. Avoid the common pitfalls of wigs, learn where pain usually hits after surgery, and much more in a title which tackles topics not often addressed even in the many, many competing books on the subject.

Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org

Whatever your definition of success might be, it is sure helped by a lifetime of good everyday habits - and PERSONAL BRILLIANCE MASTERING THE EVERYDAY HABITS THAT CREATE A LIFETIME OF SUCCESS (0814408389 $21.95) examines these habits, from developing focus and taking advantage of curiosity to taking initiative. Turn these four basic attributes into routines through author Jim Canterucci's practical, fun exercises which can be incorporated into any daily routine. Maybe it's leadership which is desired: learn from the military in William A. Cohen, Ph.D. and Major General's SECRETS OF SPECIAL OPS LEADERSHIP: DARE THE IMPOSSIBLE, ACHIEVE THE EXTRAORDINARY (0814408400, $24.00). Special ops are uniquely trained fighting forces designed to beat the odds: their principles of speed, purpose, repetition and simplicity makes them special - and translates well to business. Inspire employees to work at peak performance and adopt the special ops strategies to the competitive world of business using a title which offers realistic options for creating 'business commandos'. Especially when you go UP AGAINST THE WAL-MARTS (Don Taylor & Jeanne Smalling Archer,0814473008, $17.95). Small business can proper in the face of Wal-Mart, but it'll take business savvy and re-organization: that's the message of UP AGAINST THE WAL-MARTS: HOW YOUR BUSINESS CAN PROSPER IN THE SHADOW OF THE RETAIL GIANTS. Attract and organize a winning staff, gauge customer satisfaction, use promotions to advantage and more: chapters tell how to adjust attitude for exceptional customer service results. Rick Mathieson's BRANDING UNBOUND (0814472877, $24.95) discusses the future of advertising, sales and the brand experience in the new wireless world. Audiences are becoming increasingly inured to ads - requiring more ads to get the point across, it seems. They're not tuning out so much as choosing which messages they wish to tune in - and leading companies are already choosing wireless to view buying patterns and market to the most likely customers. Exclusive, inightful questions and answers follow the process of marketing in the wireless world, and its basic differences. Mobility will change the brand experience - and BRANDING UNBOUND tells how to go with the wireless flow.

Thinking for a Living
Thomas H. Davenport
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
1591394236 $27.50 www.HBSPress.org

Knowledge management and process innovation expert Thomas Davenport argues many companies don't maximize their knowledge works' talents because they try one or two avenues of management - which often fail. THINKING FOR A LIVING: HOW TO GET BETTER PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS FROM KNOWLEDGE WORKERS discusses the psychology of the knowledge worker and how it differs from the motivations and attitudes of other workers. The savvy manager would do well to understand this psychology - especially what motivates the knowledge worker to excel: it may mean the difference between company success and failure.

Your Rights at Work
Richard C. Busse
Sourcebooks
PO Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567-4410
1572485051 $14.95 www.SphinxLegal.com www.sourcebooks.com

There are so many workplace rules - and so many changes- that it's important employees have a practical guide to the latest legal rights - as in YOUR RIGHTS AT WORK: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKPLACE LAW - AND HOW TO USE IT TO PROTECT YOUR JOB. Employers, too, shouldn't miss the roundup of detail, which covers everything from age discrimination and harassment on the job to denied health benefits, missed promotions, overtime pay, family leave and COBRA, and more.

Project Management Jump Start
Kim Heldman, PMP
Sybex/Harbour Light Press
1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501
0782136001 $24.99 www.harborlightpress.com www.sybex.com

Prepare for a project management career quickly with PROJECT MANAGEMENT JUMP START: THE BEST FIRST STEP TOWARD A CAREER IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT, covering all the basics of what makes a successful project manager. Such a manager creates schedules, works within budgets, works with department managers, and communications with and organized people: PROJECT MANAGEMENT JUMP START's chapters cover all these tasks and more, including PMI's revised Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). From defining constraints to requesting proposals, this second edition includes all the latest project management facts.

Nail the Cover Letter
Ron & Caryl Krannish, Ph.Ds
Impact Publications
9104-N Manassas Drive, Manassas Park, VA 20111-5211
1570232342 $17.95 www.impactpublications.com

Deserving of ongoing recommendation is a wonderful guide to creating powerful cover letters NAIL THE COVER LETTER: GREAT TIPS FOR CREATING DYNAMITE COVER LETTERS. Contrary to popular belief, the resume isn't the first eye-catcher: it's the quality and content of the cover letter. This letter alone can make or break an employment opportunity - and NAIL THE COVER LETTER narrows the focus to key tested elements which earn acceptance.

Now What Do I Do?
Jan Cannon, Ph.D.
Capital Books
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1931868999 $18.95 www.capital-books.com

Women who find themselves mid-life and at a career or home turning point will find NOW WHAT DO I DO? THE WOMAN'S GUIDE TO A NEW CAREER to be essential to considering all the remaining options in life. From finding a new job to beginning a business, returning to school or volunteering, women receive a primer on how to link talents to goals, and how to learn the basics of business connections, from networking to putting together a strategy for success.

Mike French Publishing
1619 Front Street, Lynden, WA 98264
www.greenweenies.com

Ever wonder how to understand business jargon - especially if you're new to the business world? Then pick up a copy of GREEN WEENIES AND DUE DILIGENCE: INSIDER BUSINESS JARGON - RAW, SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FUNNY by Ron Sturgeon. It comes in two versions: unabridged with over 1200 terms (0971703116, $28.95) and abridged with over 650 terms (no ISBN). Any who would readily understand business jargon receive A-Z coverage, definitions, and usage examples. Add a lively dose of humor and plenty of web site references to the Weenies site for backup and more information and you have a wonderful, unique presentation.

Prep Publishing
1110 Hay Street, Fayettesville, NC 28305
www.prep-pub.com

Three excellent new guides don't just provide the usual coverage on how to write a resume - they provide industry-specific resume examples, industry-specific tips and cautions, and industry-specific winning strategies based on real-world resumes. The new, revised edition of Anne McKinney, MBA's GOVERNMENT JOB APPLICATIONS AND FEDERAL RESUMES (1885288115, $25.00) presents actual tools used by real job hunters - including federal resumes, key forms, and postal applications. Details on how to complete the forms makes for a fine guide for any potential government worker. Her REAL-RESUMES FOR MEDICAL JOBS (188528814X, $16.95) isn't as weighty, but it's very specific to the medical industry, teaching a foundation of medical industry resume writing which is easy to tailor and customize to special needs. It's easy to review these real resumes for style, format, and impact; while cover letters demonstrate how to support the resume with a hard-hitting summary. REAL-RESUMES FOR COMPUTER JOBS (1885288085, $16.95) gathers real resumes which gained computer jobs of all kinds. Since many technical types aren't writers, this comes as a special gift: select a winning format, plug in your background specs, and away you go. It's that easy - with REAL RESUMES in hand.

Michael Wiese Productions
11288 Ventura Boulevard, #621, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com

Three new film books are outstanding picks. Pamela Douglas' WRITING THE TV DRAMA SERIES (1932907068, $24.95) tells professionals how to succeed in TV drama writing, gathering the tips of Hollywood insiders to tell how to break into drama writing for television. To learn the basics, first you have to learn what makes TV drama successful: examples from popular shows come from the experts who work in the field and provide plenty of tips and humor from Hollywood's top producers and practicing TV writers. Marisa D'Vari's CREATING CHARACTERS: LET THEM WHISPER THEIR SECRETS (0941188973, $26.95) narrows the focus even further, providing a set of techniques to create exciting characters based on the More-Personality system for developing characterization based on the Enneagram. The system offers an emphasis on brainstorming and understanding personality styles and mixes, and tells how to use meditation and other techniques to summon characters from 'magical places' to come alive. A very different, lively survey. Jeremy Vineyard's SETTING UP YOUR SHOTS: GREAT CAMERA MOVES EVERY FILMMAKER SHOULD KNOW (0941188636, $19.95) provides a reference on visual storytelling techniques for directors, film students, home video makers or anyone who wants further insights on how pro-style movies are put together. This isn't just a formula: examples from classic and new films, from budget to big screen, pepper a survey of how camera set-ups work, how styles are developed for film, and how a camera's moves can interpret action and drama. Plenty of black and white illustration accompanies descriptions of jargon and typical camera moves. Very highly recommended.

Hattie McDaniel
Jill Watts
Amistad
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
0060514906 $27.95 www.amistadbooks.com

Hollywood pioneer Hattie McDaniel's name may not be well known outside of Hollywood history circles; but that's about to change with her biography HARRIE MCDANIEL: BLACK AMBITION, WHITE HOLLYWOOD, an expose not only of McDaniel's life and achievements, but her far-reaching influence on racial relationships in Hollywood's white world. Don't know Hattie? You might remember her for her performance as Mammy in 'Gone with the Wind', which won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and lead blacks to hope Hollywood was ready for more developed black characters in film. Despite her success, racist Hollywood was a tough nut to crack - and McDaniel's achievements helped make that first crack.

Mummy Dearest
Ron Beckett & Jerry Conlogue
Lyons Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1592285449 $24.95 www.LyonsPress.com

You may think MUMMY DEAREST sounds familiar: it's the name of a popular National Geographic channel show too, and the authors here recount their behind-the-scenes adventures traveling around in a converted Charles Chips van unlocking world mummy secrets. Their show resurrected the link between mummy studies and how cultures handled death and life: MUMMY DEAREST blends humor with science and travelogue to chart the authors' fascination with mummies and the stories they tell.

The Creative Professional
Howard J. Blumenthal
Emmis Books
1700 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45206
1578602459 $14.95 www.emmisbooks.com

Creative folk are valuable at work - but their creative thinking capabilities can also make them the most troublesome to handle in a corporate atmosphere. THE CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL shows how such workers can learn to recognize opportunities to work within the system. From considering freelance options versus working for a company to working with different people and handling laws affecting creative work, THE CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL: A GUIDE FOR THE BUSINESS WORLD addresses many different aspects of professional conduct and survival.

Secrets to Standup Success
Sandi C. Shore
Emmis Books
1700 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45206
1578601606 $17.99 www.emmisbooks.com

How can a book impart the secrets of standup comedy? Easy: by pairing creative writing exercises, targeted comedy 'workouts' to hone skills, visual exercises and more to enhance the creative spirit of the would-be comedian. Sandi shore spent eight years as director and general manager of the Comedy Stores in Honolulu and on the West Coast before moving into workshops for standup comics and public speakers: her SECRETS TO STANDUP SUCCESS: A COMPLETE STEP-BY-STEP WORKBOOK comes from her successful teachings and tells how to understand tricks of the trade leading to successful routines.

Total Directing
Tom Kingdon
Silman-James Press
1181 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
1879505711 $29.95 www.amazon.com

Want a book which borders on a college-level text in its depth and coverage of the technical aspects of screen directing for actor/directors? Choose TOTAL DIRECTING: INTEGRATING CAMERA AND PERFORMANCE IN FILM AND TELEVISION for a 'classroom in a book': it covers everything from screenplay analysis and working with a production team to auditioning, working through the rehearsal process, blocking camera and actor moves: everything needed to successfully direct a production from start to finish. Even the pitfalls of over-directing are covered in this extensive guide: a highly recommended pick for any would-be director.

Comcasted
Joseph N. DiStefano
Camino Books
PO Box 59026, Philadelphia, PA 19102
0940159821 $24.95 www.caminobooks.com

Take an investigative reporter/author like Joseph DiStefano and set him on the TV industry and you have a survey of the TV and cable industry which focuses on the rise of Comcast, its founder, and its dangerous associations. From founder Ralph Robert's early efforts in the business world and his investment in cable to his legendary son and the takeovers they would foster, COMCASTED: HOW RALPH AND BRIAN ROBERTS TOOK OVER AMERICA'S TV, ONE DEAL AT A TIME is an investigative survey at its best, revealing the inner politics and workings of the TV cable industry.

San Francisco's Bayview Hunter's Point
Tricia O'Brien
Arcadia Publications
420 Wando Park Blvd. , Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
0738530077 $19.99 www.amazon.com

At long last comes a history of a San Francisco neighborhood which has been largely neglected in larger overviews of the city - and it comes from Tricia O'Brien, whose Irish family has lived in the Bayview for several generations. Any who know the area today may be hard pressed to consider cows once walked up the now-busy Third Street, or sheep were herded on Innes Avenue - yet the area was once very rural, and the source of much of San Francisco's food. More so than most other neighborhood books on the city, SAN FRANCISCO'S BAYVIEW HUNTER'S POINT is an essential purchase for any who would receive the full flavor of the city's rural days

Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
www.arcadiapublishing.com

Arcadia's regional titles never fail to amaze and delight: they go to great lengths to gather vintage photos from private as well as public collections, they group these photos around neighborhoods to provide an unparalleled local history of an area within a region or city, and they provide high-quality commentary which provides as much background as possible. New California titles include Katherine J. Rinehart's PETALUMA: A HISTORY IN ARCHITECTURE (0738530042, $19.99), which packs in the historic photos of early commercial and residential buildings and comes from a historian who has been actively researching and advocating for the preservation of Petaluma's historic structures for over a decade; Greta Dutcher and Stephen Rowland's ALAMEDA (0738530395, $19.99) tells of a town which began as a grass and beach peninsula adjacent to Oakland and became a major shipping port when a tidal canal made it an island; Lorri Ungaretti's SAN FRANCISCO'S RICHMOND DISTRICT (0738530530, $19.99) comes from a San Francisco historian and tour guide who has gathered vintage Richmond District photos from its early sand dune days to its modern non-rural family housing; and Walter Vielbaum, et.al.'s SAN FRANCISCO'S INTERURBAN TO SAN MATEO (0738530085, $19.99) is best of all covering the early electric commuter rail line of yesterday which rivals the BART system of today. Arcadia's achievements in California history would be remarkable enough - but the company is even more amazing when you consider there are several publishing branches producing an equal amount of high-quality regional titles in areas across the country - such as Frank Cheney and Anthony M. Sammarco's TROLLEYS UNDER THE HUB (9752409077, $19.99), gathering photos to document the history of Boston's Green Line to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the country's first subway system. From the first trolley to emerge under the Boston Common in 1897 to modern times, longtime transport historian Frank Cheney provides thorough documentation in a visual display which provides unsually clear vintage black and white photos throughout. As Arcadia identifies and produces books on many neighborhoods which don't receive the in-depth attention they deserve elsewhere, it's performing a valuable public service - and attracting a wide audience of fans. Regional libraries will find them invaluable.

Mining California: An Ecological History
Andrew C. Isenberg
Hill & Wang/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York NY 10003
0809095351 $27.00 www.fsgbooks.com

Plenty has been written about the gold mining years in California - but none from this perspective, which discusses ecological results of the gold rush. Between 1849 and 1874 almost a billion dollars in gold was mined in California, promoting American industrialization and producing a heavy toll on the environment. From tons of poison washed into California's rivers to overall logging and other resource exploitation, MINING CALIFORNIA: AN ECOLOGICAL HISTORY provides a set of economic, social and business insights into the gold rush's lasting effects on California's environment.

The Wicked West
Sherry Monahan
Rio Nuevo Publishers
451 N. Bonita Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85745
1887896740 $15.95 www.rionuevo.com

Plenty of books cover just about everything you think of on Western history: so why the need for THE WICKED WEST: BOOZERS, CRUISERS, GAMBLERS, AND MORE? Because the story is here largely told through eyewitness accounts and memoirs of both men and women who lived through the times, blending an unusually colorful account with plenty of social insights from the times themselves. The source material is well drawn into the overall history, making for a smooth and lively read.

Tinkering
Kathleen Fanz
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4011
0812238818 $35.00 www.upenn.edu/prenpress

In the first decades of motor travel, between 1900 and 1940, Americans were buying autos in record numbers, and their price was coming down rapidly - and as prices fell, consumers now able to afford a car adapted their autos in different manners. TINKERING: CONSUMERS REINVENT THE EARLY AUTOMOBILE traces these homespun inventors, covering their achievements, their reasons for changing the car, and their ingenuity. From corporate documents to serial fiction, TINKERING uses a variety of sources to document influences on early inventors as well as profiles of their changes.

American Babel
Clifford J. Doerksen
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4011
0812238710 $34.95 www.upenn.edu.pennpress

AMERICAN BABEL: ROGUE RADIO BROADCASTERS OF THE JAZZ AGE provides an important alternative history which refutes the popular notion that the quick commercialization of the airways was a coup from mercenary corporations. Instead, Doerksen considers the influence and rise of the independent radio station - whose audiences had no aversion to broadcast advertising, which interspersed jazz and popular songs for publishers with ads. It was these little independents who paved the way for the standard of ads on radio and who promoted with alternative musical programming and alternate ad methods. An intriguing blend of music and ad history, AMERICAN BABEL uses archives and source materials to examine stations, radio personalities, and their social influence.

Recasting The Machine Age
Howard P. Segal
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
1558494812 $34.95 www.umass.edu/umpress

The history of Henry Ford's efforts to shift from a central car production facility to nearly twenty decentralized, small-scale plants within a sixty-mile radius of the Ford headquarters in Dearborn makes for an intriguing study blending business and social history. The idea was to use modern technology at a smaller scale - and Ford's idea worked, with all nineteen village industries saving their communities from decline. These experiments provide important social and cultural insights, explored here for college-level students.

Masters of Chaos
Linda Robinson
Public Affairs
250 West 57th Street, #1321, New York NY 10107
1586483528 $14.00 www.publicaffairsbooks.com

Army Special Forces operations have been much in the news - but how much does the average American know about how the Special Forces operates? War reporter author Linda Robinson traveled with these forces on the frontlines and interviewed them at their home bases: missions of commandos in different counties are revealed in a unique insider's coverage of how the US Army's Special Forces operate.

An Army: Its Role & Rule
Muhammad Ayub
RoseDog Books
701 Smithfield Street, 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3906
0805995943 $36.00 www.rosedogbookstore.com

Muhammad Ayub's history of the Pakistan Army from 1947-1999, AN ARMY: ITS ROLE & RULE, provides a powerful history by a Battalion Commander who worked both in the Army and later as a civilian. His survey of the Pakistan Army charts its many changes under Indian and independent rule, charts the influences and actions of officers and commanders, and provides discussions of changing military strategy. An in-depth coverage, AN ARMY comes packed with maps, black and white illustrations, and both political and biographical depth.

Politics of Transnational Minorities
Razmig B. Shirinian
RoseDog Books
701 Smithfield Street, 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3906
0805997563 $19.00 www.rosedogbookstore.com

College-level readers will find Dr. Razmig Shirinian's background as a political science teacher lends to a scholarly assessment of social welfare and international collaborative arrangements in POLITICS OF TRANSNATIONAL MINORITIES: SOCIAL WELFARE AND HUMAN SETTLEMENTS. Under study here are relationships between different minority groups, from Kurds, Palestinians and Armenians in diaspora to different regimes. A detailed study political science students will appreciate.

Uniforms Exposed
Jennifer Craik
Berg
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
1859738982 $79.95 www.bergpublishers.com

This isn't just a survey of military uniforms, but an analysis of the uniform overall, from military to schools to fetishes. How does the requirement of a uniform impart underlying messages on how to act - and how others should respond to the uniform? UNIFORMS EXPOSED: FROM CONFIRMITY TO TRANSGRESSION provides a well-rounded survey of the uniform's underlying importance and psychological impact.

The Generals
J.L. Granastein
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, NW, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
1552381765 $24.95 www.uofcpress.com

The Canadian Army's senior commanders in World War II are the focus of THE GENERALS, a classic Canadian military history guide which serves as the foundation study of Canadian military actions during the Second World War. Originally published in 1993, THE GENERALS remains the o

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