 |
Book Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Reviewer's
Bookwatch |
Reviewer's Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
The Heart's Gift
Jodi Davis
Beaver's Pond Press
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 216, Edina, MN 55439
www.BeaversPondPress
1592980066 $24.95 1-952-829-8818
Robert O. Barclay
Reviewer
The Heart's Gift is divided into two parts. Part one is taken from a diary with almost daily entries.
The first is August 1, 1980. It opens with the announcement that "today is my ninth anniversary.
It seems an appropriate day to begin this diary. I am pregnant. This is my third pregnancy and if it
progresses without incident I will deliver my third child in late March or early April. I speak with
reserved excitement, because once again I am cramping and spotting - which puts me in the high
risk category." She has good reason to worry. The pregnancy does not progress well, and when
her daughter Jill is born in the tenth month on April 3, 1981 the heartache begins. The baby is
born with a severe congenital heart malformation from which no child has ever survived. The
entries after that take the reader through an emotional roller coaster of exhaustion and
disappointment. Jill requires constant care and is often in great pain. At the end of a year the
doctors determine that they have to try to correct the heart defect, but warn Jodi that no child has
yet survived this sort of surgery. Jill dies afterwards in recovery.
The second half of the story deals with the impact of Jill's death on her mother's life after this
traumatic loss. Her marriage dissolves; Jodi moves her family into a smaller home and begins her
quest to find out who she is and what she wants from her life. The entries here are more like a
journal and they are spaced weeks, months, even years apart. Jodi returns to school to do
graduate work, where she begins building a highly successful career in the business world. The
Heart's Gift is a difficult read. Those who have not lost a child cannot fully appreciate how
devastating that kind of tragedy can be. I happened to be a member of that awful club and I can
tell you that there isn't any way to describe how it feels to outlive one of your own children.
There are parts, however, which will give the reader some real insight into how such emotional
trauma can change your life. After her divorce, the author moves on to a quest for independence,
changing careers several times and taking up relationships with several different men all of which
for various reasons fail. I kept hoping she would find a decent partner who could love and respect
her and bring her some happiness. The author also makes a stab at finding some deeper spiritual
meaning in her life. Personally having lost one of my own children, it seems impossible to
understand what happened or to survive that ordeal without a firm spiritual foundation. Though
there were lots of clues, I'm not sure if she ever made that connection. I would also have liked a
more definitive ending. Perhaps she could have added an epilogue that would have summarized
the lessons she had learned.
Having said that, the work is sharp and intelligent; Jill is both a painful challenge and a sweet
delight. Her short life is full of meaning, and certainly will touch the heart of any reader. This is a
very personal account and the author has shown great courage in sharing it with strangers who
may or may not come to understand the depth of her ordeal. But whatever your experience, you
can certainly learn from Jodi Davis' story. I give it four out of five stars.
Another Vietnam, Pictures of the War From the Other Side
Tim Page
Doug Niven & Chris Riley, editors
Henry Allen, forward
National Geographic Society
ISBN 0792264657 $50.00 239 pages
B.A. Brittingham, Reviewer
conscribo@yahoo.com (lonescribe@hotmail.com)
Another Vietnam the very title resonates, having been, during the past thirty years, both a peace
slogan and a shopworn phrase meaning "count us out." In the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion we
are hearing and certainly fearing the heavy implications it bears. The possibility that the
recent war on terrorism, with its rising post-action body count of American soldiers, may result in
multiple quagmires reminiscent of Vietnam has made it into a mantra.
However, the Another of the title is about the other side (North Vietnam) and how it viewed and
captured on film, the story of the mid-twentieth century Indochina conflict. Does it make sense to
go back after three decades? If we are to believe George Santayana's warning, "Those who cannot
remember the past are condemned to fulfill it", then it not only makes sense, it is absolute
necessity.
Author Tim Page, a British combat photographer who co-edited the award-winning book,
Requiem, explains the purpose of Another Vietnam. "This is a tome of resurrection It is the
unveiling of a perspective on a period of shared history, a point of view that we in the West had
not really understood."
The book opens with Doug Niven's story of his early 1990s search for Vietnam era negatives, an
occasional old picture, and the cameramen themselves. An outline of photography in Vietnam
dating back to the 1840s follows. Although the earliest photos were family pictures, the growth of
photography was spurred by that region's cycle of aggression-repression-revolution. (Before
French rule and American incursion, Vietnam spent centuries under China's thumb.) Ho Chi Minh,
father of Vietnam's independence movement, had worked, as a young man, in a Paris portrait
studio. His awareness of "the power of the photographic image" undoubtedly influenced his
decision to have a pictorial record of the events that were just beginning in 1945.
Propaganda is an integral aspect of any war. In no conflict was this more pronounced than
Vietnam. Much of what was shot by Western photographers played either to the American street
protestors who wanted instant peace, or to the Washington politicos anxious to justify the
expenditure of men, money and mat‚riel. North Vietnam, of course, had its own agenda, which
was promoted through pictures displaying the power and persistence of its people.
Some shots were staged, but others could not have been. In particular, there is the photo of a
single guerrilla paddling a small boat in the Mekong Delta. As far as the eye can see (which in this
case is to a distant mountain range) the landscape resembles Mount St. Helens after its 1980
explosion. There is not a single living plant or tree in what had once been a thriving mangrove
forest destroyed by US defoliants. This was both a military maneuver and a morale buster since
the Vietnamese have great respect for such forests. Today, the Saigon River watershed remains
toxic, a consequence of the chemicals in Agents White, Blue and Orange.
Many photos did not make it back to Hanoi. Photographer Dinh Dang Dinh lost one hundred rolls
of film six months work during a B-52 bombing raid. In most cases, film was so scarce that
cameramen guarded itthe waysoldiersprotected ammunition. Often developed under the
"darkroom" of a midnight sky and with the crudest of chemicals and equipment, film that did
reach Hanoi was sometimes out-dated by subsequent events. And, if the images were used, their
outlet was limited to non-aligned or Communist block countries.
Looking at them now, one can only speculate as to whether they might have decisively swayed
opinion in the America of the 60s and 70s. The photographers and the populace of North Vietnam
were willing to endure enormous hardship, adversity on a level that had no parallel in Western
society. What could we have learned about these people if we had seen the picture of woven
baskets containing small mounds of dirt passed along a line of peasants as the infamous tunnels
were excavated by hand? Might we have recognized that, lacking our firepower, they became
geniuses at hiding things from our bombs supplies, weapons, tunnels, themselves? Even roads
and bridges could disappear beneath their clever camouflage.
Above all the North Vietnamese possessed that most enduring trait and one we in the
Occidental world have yet to fully learn that of patience. In the end, they outlasted us. We do
not have to agree with their political beliefs to be appalled at the cost of this victory: 3,000,000
combined soldier and civilian lives.
This is a splendid, superbly written book that belongs in any personal or public library where the
objectivity derived from multiple sources is an essential concern. It is filled with gritty, black and
white photos shot by determined men under horrendous conditions. One does not need color to
see blood. Or fear. Or tenacity.
We would do well to look closely at it in the light of our 21st century excursions into war.
Another Vietnam bears a subliminal message: that we often overestimate our technological
prowess and underestimate the shrewdness of our adversaries.
Miranda And Starlight
Janet Muirhead Hill
Illustrated by Pat Lehmkuhl
Raven Publishing
Norris, Montana
ISBN:0971416109 $7.95 U.S. $9.95 CA
Franci McMahon
Reviewer
Horses and kids in a Montana setting? Right up my alley as a horsewoman living in Montana.
Miranda and Starlight, an early middle-grade novel, first in a series, appears targeted for eight to
twelve year olds. The main character is a fifth grade student. The cover design, illustrations
throughout and large, easy-to-read print make this an inviting book.
Miranda, displaced often by her mother's lifestyle, now lives with her grandparents in a small town
in Montana. Her father is absent and unknown. Miranda is a lonely girl, but as the school year
opens along with the book, she makes a new friend and on the same day falls in love with a young
black stallion, naming him Starlight. When the horse is injured the owner plans to have him
destroyed. Mr. Taylor, the owner of both the horse and the stables where much of the action
takes place, is the villain. Always angry and shouting, for some reason he delays destruction of
Starlight for days. Miranda tries to save Starlight while dreaming of owning him someday.
A subplot is well done of a boy who is afraid of horses, who struggles with overcoming his fear.
His parents have bought him a lovely mare and he pretends he is unafraid. When his parents enter
him in a horse show without consulting him, Miranda tries to help. I've seen parents like this
shouting at their crying children from the rail at shows.
The pace flows along, never stalling out, with plenty of action. There's good suspense at the end
of each chapter to keep the reader wanting to know what happens next. This reviewer was happy
to see that the point of view remained with Miranda and events which did not happen in front of
her were related to her. Hill's use of language, while rough in some places, was clear, plain and
showed the story in a very accessible way. Her belivable and liberal use of dialog moved the story
along. I would have liked a stronger sense of place, coming away with a feeling this could have
been Kansas.
As a horsewoman I had trouble with this kid jumping on a two-year old untrained stallion, no
bridle or saddle, in an open pasture, which she did on a dare in the first chapter. This would make
Miranda very ignorant about horses or very stupid. Yet we are supposed to believe that she's
knowledgeable. And she does it again leading to a life threatening injury to the horse which she
supposedly is in love with. I've done some pretty dumb things in my life around horses but this
was never one of them.
The other problem I have with Miranda's character is her deceitfulness when it comes to adults.
Hill has done an excellent job of showing Miranda's mother as an unfit flake, which is why
Miranda is living with two loving grandparents. The phone calls between Mother and Daughter
were heart wrenching. So, I understand why she doesn't trust adults, yet the constant lies made
this character difficult to like.
An excellent scene with the grandparents creates an opportunity for Miranda to grow. The closing
pages are tender and warm.
With its flaws I recommend this book and look forward to the sequel, Starlight's Courage.
My Last Remains
Jill (first name only)
Denlinger's Publishers
www.thebookden.com
ISBN: 0877147728 $8.95
Martin M. Tucker
Reviewer
My Last Remains is a true memoir of a girl raised by mentally ill parents in a bizarre and abusive
world. She tries to get help from her high school counselor and from social services, but the
results are weird and twisted. The book shows what can happen to children of the mentally ill. It
is riveting and disturbing. It also has been called inspirational because a child had to rescue
herself.
Beyond Velikovsky: The History Of A Public Controversy
Henry H. Bauer
University of Illinois Press Urbanna and Chicago
ISBN: 025201104X $19.95
Maurice A. Williams
Reviewer
Immanuel Velikovsky wrote three books in the 50's and 60's that forever changed our perception
of the Solar System. I remember them. I was in the Air Force when I read them. They certainly
made an impression on me. Velikovsky, well educated and erudite, but a psychiatrist rather than
an astronomer or a geologist, challenged the opinions held by the scientific community. He tried
to prove that Venus once had an erratic orbit that caused it to almost collide with Earth, then
almost collide with Mars, causing Mars to almost collide with Earth. He appealed directly to the
untrained general reader, like myself, bypassing the specialists. His opinions were significantly
different from those that were then accepted. His writing was so articulate that his books became
best sellers. However, his methods so offended the specialists that some of them tried to ban
publication of his books.
The brash action of those who tried to ban his books shocked many people, especially students
preparing for careers in the physical sciences. Later, NASA exploration of the Solar System
confirmed some of Velikovsky's opinions. Because of both events, Immanuel Velikovsky gained
worldwide fame, a nemesis for those who opposed him and an inspiration for those who believed
him.
Henry Bauer, almost fifty years later wrote "Beyond Velikovsky: The History of a Public
Controversy." Bauer used quotations, letters, excerpts from articles and ventured his own
opinions He thought his book was open-minded and fair to Velikovsky, but Bauer makes several
statements that show even he shares the same bias the scientific community had fifty years earlier.
Velikovsky offended scientists, even Bauer, by bypassing standard procedure of publishing one
thesis at a time (for the scientific community), get an opinion from them and then publish another
thesis. Velikovsky bypassed the scientific community and, in effect, upstaged them in their own
field. Bauer states "In this house (of knowledge) that astronomers knew so well, there was a door
of possible catastrophe that they never noticed. Velikovsky did the most infuriating thing in the
world. He, a stranger, walked through this door. The animosities run deep.
I have seen Velikovsky belittled in many scientific books, and yet, much of what he claimed
turned out to be correct. Bauer wrote to set the record straight. Bauer is a professor of chemistry
and scientific studies and author of many scientific papers. He is well qualified to speak for the
scientific community. In spite of Bauer's own hard feelings, his book presents a thorough account
of the controversy about Velikovsky where the reader can see what was said, what was done, and
the still lingering criticism of Velikovsky. This book is well worth reading to get the facts. Other
books of interest are "Cataclysm!: Compelling Evidence of a Cosmic Catastrophe in 9500 B.C."
by Drs. D.S. Allan and J.B. Delair, ISBN: 1879181428 and "Pharaohs and Kings: A Biblical
Quest" by David H' Rohl, ISBN: 051770315. Both books are modern reworking of some of the
challenges Velikovsky brought up. and, not surprisingly, none of the authors are sympathetic to
Velikovsky.
Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First
Shel Horowitz
AWM Books
P.O. Box 1164, Northampton, MA 01061
http://www.PrincipledProfit.com
ISBN 0961466669 $17.50 1-413-586-2388
Peter Hupalo
Reviewer
Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First by Shel Horowitz advocates that companies
should market ethically and honestly, not only because it's the right thing to do, but because it
creates the most long-term success for a company by building customer loyalty.
Horowitz says companies should follow the principles of quality, honesty, and integrity. He
writes, "Create value for others in everything you do. ... You help yourself best when you're
helping others."
Principled Profit tells us that many years ago, Arthur Anderson, an accountant struggling to build
a new accounting firm, was pressured by a client to overlook accounting irregularities. Even
though Anderson faced a cash-flow crunch due to an upcoming payroll, he refused to compromise
his integrity. He'd rather lose the client than misrepresent a company's financial statements to
mislead investors.
Seventy years later, corporate greed and the willingness to turn a blind eye to similar accounting
irregularities at Enron, led to the complete downfall of the company Arthur Anderson
founded.
Horowitz says companies that try to duck their responsibilities, hide their mistakes, and mislead
consumers are eventually punished. Companies that market unethically and fail to deliver quality
are in a perpetual hunt for new customers, have little repeat business, and have few referrals.
Quoting a Nortel study, Horowitz writes: "a mere 5% increase in customer retention can translate
to as much as a 75% increase in profitability." We learn it's about five times more expensive to
find a new customer than to keep an existing one.
Horowitz says customer acquisition costs vary depending upon the product. For example, we
learn that amazon.com had a customer acquisition cost of only $7 by 2000; an online travel
discounter might have a customer acquisition cost of $8.66; and a mortgage firm might have a
customer acquisition cost as high as $700.
For a typical firm, a Gartner study suggests that it costs $280 to acquire a new customer and
about $57 to retain a current customer. Horowitz concludes that companies selling a product
priced at $100 probably lose money on new customer acquisition and make money on repeat
customers. Thus, if they are to survive, small businesses should work diligently to build repeat
business.
Horowitz writes: "By failing to deliver a positive experience to the customer, you're pretty much
assured that he or she will go elsewhere... and tell friends and colleagues to do the same."
Horowitz says some "sales jerks" argue that the only way to be successful is to be aggressive in
cold calling that success is a numbers game, the more people you call, the more sales you'll
make. Horowitz shows this philosophy is flawed, because it fails to build goodwill and repeat
sales.
Horowitz writes: "I never make cold calls. I create marketing that has the prospect calling me.
When I get the phone call...they're already convinced that I can help them." Horowitz owns
Accurate Writing & More (www.accuratewriting.com) which creates publicity releases and other
documents for clients. (Horowitz writes press releases for many authors and small book
publishers and is highly respected in the small press community.)
Though he receives business from 80% of the prospects calling him, Horowitz says most of his
business comes from repeat clients who find that his press releases can be six times more effective
than their company's in-house press releases.
Horowitz writes: "Since my primary customer-retention strategy is to deliver superior work, at an
affordable price, and within a reasonable time, my cost to keep an existing client is close to
zero."
Other suggestions from Principled Profit:
* Don't view business as a competition for scarce resources. Rather, see things from a viewpoint
of abundance and learn to work with your competition rather than against it. Consider exchanging
referrals and subcontracting work when it benefits everybody.
* Consider using e-mail discussion lists to promote your services to people who might be
interested. But, don't use spam. Spam destroys credibility.
* Profile your best customers and figure out how to find more just like them. Don't try to sell your
products or services to those who don't need them.
* Network with organizations that serve your customer base and become a preferred or endorsed
supplier.
* Ask prospects: "What is the biggest problem you face?" And, then, listen. If you can't offer a
great solution, turn down the business.
Horowitz says knowing when to say "No" to business is important. If the job would compromise
quality, integrity, or honesty, you should turn it down.
For example, Horowitz points out you should turn down business if:
* You don't offer an appropriate solution (honesty).
* You don't have enough time to do the job well (quality).
* You find the job morally distasteful (integrity).
Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First by Shel Horowitz is a great marketing book
for small business owners who are looking for a better way to build a long-term business.
Justice: The Mike Amato Detective Series
Lou Campanozzi
1st Books
2595 Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404 USA
1-800-839-8640 (Toll Free)
1-812-339-6554 (Fax)
1410737942 $22.50 www.1stbooks.com
Phillip Tomasso III
Reviewer
Mystery author, Lou Campanozzi first introduced Lieutenant Mike Amato in The Killing Cards, a
fast paced thriller about a serial killer leaving playing cards on the bodies of the victims. He
brought the detective back in Ground Lions, an action packed mystery that starts with the body of
a young man found in the parking lot behind a catholic high school. Before he passed away in
2002, Campanozzi was able to complete his last manuscript, Justice.
Someone is murdering kids in Rochester, New York. The bodies, when found, are arranged as if
part of a showcase on display. The investigation is long and intense. For months Lieutenant Mike
Amato and his team of investigators work more than twelve hours a day, seven days a week,
aching to catch the killer and to put a stop to the murders.
The stress and nightmares from seeing the results of such horrible crimes is eating away at the
entire police department. And when it looks like all hope is lost, a lead in the case comes through.
After apprehending the killer and getting a sworn confession from the monster, the killer's
attorney gets the matter thrown out of court on a technicality.
The killer has a story to tell. So once out on the streets, the only way he can see to continue to try
and get his story heard is by returning to his old nasty and evil ways. The killing starts again. This
time when the police go after him, dangerous questions run through their minds. They are over
cautious. They don't want to risk messing up a second time, and risk having the killer set free
again. But what can they do to make sure the killer doesn't slip through the judicial cracks a
second time?
The heart pounding and intense police procedural is his finest book. It can easily stand up against
books by legends such as Ed McBain, Robert Parker and Lawrence Block. It contains emotional
and raw courtroom drama parallel to any book written by Scott Turrow or Steve Martini.
Campanozzi out did himself with Justice. Thanks to his daughter and the rest of his family, Justice
has been published. However, I wish he were here to reap the just rewards of such a fine and
memorable crime novel.
Guns of August
Barbara Tuchman
Ballantine Books
ISBN 034538623X, $15.00
Raja Krishnan, Reviewer
raja_krishnan1975@hotmail.com
I have read many historical fiction books such as Colleen Mccullough's First Man in Rome series,
the Alexander the Great Trilogy by Valerio Manfredi, Tides of War and Gates of Fire by Steven
Pressfield. All these books and more have made me a fan of history. Like other history
aficionados, I have also enjoyed watching television documentaries on various time periods in
history shown on PBS, the A&E, and History channels. Though, as many other casual history
admirers, the one thing I was never motivated to do was to go to the non-fiction sections of a
bookstore or a library and buy or check-out a book on history. This was due to the belief that a
history book had to be dry and without energy or passion. A book that I happened to read
recently all but showed me wrong regarding my previous views on history books. The reader of
this article may ask, why I picked up a history book now after all these years. A good question
indeed. The answer is that it was a suggested extended reading option from a Western Civilization
course. I decided to take the risk and invest my own spare time to read this book. Well without
further delay and added suspense let me move to the point of this article, and that is the Guns of
August.
The Guns of August, written by Barbara Tuchman, 1963 Pulitzer prize winning non-fiction book
is a wonderful book describing the events of the first month of World War I. The Guns of August
is a great example of how history should be done and depicts history with beautiful literature.
Mrs. Tuchman captures the readers right off the bat in the first chapter with her description of
King Edward's funeral. She creatively weaves in the background to the impending catastrophe of
World War I by describing all of the royalty and dignitaries that are present at the funeral parade.
The first paragraph in the first chapter is well written and representative of her literary skills.
So gorgeous was the spectacle on the May morning of 1910 when nine kings rode in the funeral
of Edward VII of England ..After them came five heirs apparent, fourty more imperial or royal
highnesses, seven queens-four dowager and three regnant The muffled tongue of Big Ben
tolled nine by the clock as the cortege left the palace, but on history's clock it was sunset, and the
sun of the old world was setting in a dying blaze of splendor never to be seen again.
Mrs. Tuchman does not imagine or use her creativity in figuring out what was on the minds of
people, she instead tells the reader exactly what the historical figure said or if she does not know
she tells the reader so. She conveys the private emotions and the thoughts experienced by the
great minds during that tense first month of the war, quoting from sources such as memoirs and
autobiographies. Her ability to inject quotations from sources while maintaining her fluid prose
style is amazing. She uses her creativity and imagination in weaving the facts together in a story.
Last but not least what adds to the reading experience is the author's cunning ability to show
connectivity between historical people and events. One of the great scenes in the book is depicted
when King Albert makes his speech declaring that Belgium will not surrender to Germany.
Meanwhile looking on is his son, who later as King Leopold III surrenders to German forces in
1940. Although at times some of the descriptions of the troop movements could seem tedious
reading, the author provides detailed maps and studying these maps for a few minutes gave me a
good understanding of the military strategies.
Based on my overall wonderful experience of reading the Guns of August, I would recommend it
as a must read for all those casual history lovers who have always awed at the thought of picking
up a history book. Although it is a book focusing on the first month of World War I, in my
opinion it is a good book to be read in introductory Western Civilization courses to make the
students aware of how creative writing history can be. This may at least inspire more students to
read more history books, and then maybe a few of those would go on to become the next great
Barbara Tuchman. For now, at least for a casual lover of history such as myself I will settle myself
with the conclusion that reading a history book can be lots of fun.
The Queen of Peace Room
Magie Dominic
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
http://www.wlu.ca/~wwwpress/wlup.html
75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3C5
(519) 884-0710 ext. 6124.
ISBN: 0889204179 $19.95 Paper
Timothy E. McMahon, M.S., Reviewer
tim@mcmahonco.com
Resting in my hands is a slender book. Its cover has a black matte finish that is pleasing to the
touch and a picture crafted by the author that effortlessly holds my attention. This book, its cover,
the paper used to embrace what will become some of the most illuminative words I have read in a
long while, and the graceful artwork therein, all form a package that is difficult to release. I hold
this book for a long while then manage to put it down only to return to hold it again later. I know
about the subject matter that resides between the covers of this work because its author Magie
Dominic wrote to me about the narrative that lives there. I know she writes with an eloquence to
which I am unaccustomed. I also know that once I begin to read what I know will be an intense
autobiographical chronicle; I won't be able to stop. Maybe its because I do know what's there
that I hesitate to begin. Yes. And that's why I hold on to this small, beautiful book but have a
hard time starting the journey.
When I do begin to read The Queen of Peace Room I am immediately rewarded. The prose is
solid, it's beautiful, and it's satiating. Make no mistake, this story is disturbing but its telling is
done with such a light touch that I barely feel the sting until I put it down. Then it won't leave my
mind.
I grew up in a world so radically different from Magie Dominic's that I find myself having to
catch my breath as I try and place myself inside of her world inside of her being. Tucked
between the covers of this willowy book is a narrative so immense it's just barely contained by the
fine matte jacket surrounding the work. The things that go to make up this life I can only
imagine.
She was a victim of sexual abuse at the age of seven or eight at the hands of a metaphorical
Cyclopes. Like Polyphemus from Homer's Odyssey, Dominic's tormentor was fond of warm,
moist, human flesh. Greedily he gorged himself on a child's mind, body, and dignity. The beast's
hideous glass eye perched on the family car's dashboard watched impassively as a child became
prey. An unblinking witness to a horror no human should ever endure.
In the 1960s, she was stalked, beaten, and raped by an unknown assailant. She plunged into a
deep depression and attempted suicide only to be comforted by a mother who made it clear that
all of this trauma had absolutely no place in public discussion no place ruining the family's
Christmas.
The Queen of Peace Room unfolds, as Magie Dominic unfolds, during an eight-day retreat in a
place safe from the intruding world surrounded by the love of kindred spirits and the hushed
quietude of nature. In a deeply personal and inviting tone, Magie takes us into the deepest folds of
her life. She leads us through a wilderness of pain, humiliation, death and finally to a serene place
where a harnessed field meets a wild meadow. Here, at this locus in time and space we see the
transformation of Magie Dominic from whatever she may have been in the past, to an exquisite
though solitary butterfly resting in the stillness on a tall blade of grass: whole, complete, and
good.
The Queen of Peace Room is expansive life writing. The tragedy bound in this tale is epic. Yet,
there is affirmation in Magie Dominic and in her story. The refusal of one human soul to let go of
its dignity, its absolute unwillingness to surrender, is genuinely heroic. Reading this made me
cherish the brutal privilege of being human like the one who wrote this story. Like the one who
lives this life.
The Parrot Who Owns Me: The Story of a Relationship
Joanna Burger
Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN: 0375760253, $13.95, May 2002, 272 pages.
Viveka Neveln
Reviewer
In this memoir, Dr. Burger uses her extensive knowledge and lifelong interest in all things avian to
create an intense bond with a remarkable Red-lored Amazon parrot called Tiko. In the process,
she discovers things about herself, animal behavior, and humanity's place in nature that challenge
her previous conceptions and just might challenge yours, too.
Dr. Burger and her husband adopt Tiko after his previous owners pass away. Because parrots
bond with their owners and live a long time, it takes a lot of time and patience to build a
relationship with one, especially one that is already attached to someone else. When Dr. Burger
takes on the challenge of caring for Tiko, she unconsciously approaches him as any other pet.
Once she learns who owns who, she is rewarded by a rich relationship with the willful but loving
bird.
As a biologist, living with a parrot allows Dr. Burger to gain insights into the complex world of
birds and their behavior. Sometimes her observations of Tiko even influence the direction of her
professional research. Dr. Burger's human side also learns a thing or two from Tiko. For example,
once Dr. Burger notes, "Tiko has taught me, a sometimes headstrong and often ferociously
independent woman, the importance of interdependence, the importance of taking care, and the
importance of being cared for."
Dr. Burger clearly illustrates a world that is rich in colors, sounds, and sensations unfamiliar to
anyone who has never handled a parrot. The author enables the reader to clearly imagine
everything from plumage hues to Tiko's various vocalizations (whispers to wall-penetrating
screeches) to the bird's claws clutching a shoulder. Also, Dr. Burger skillfully explains necessary
scientific terminology and concepts without seeming to talk down. However, at times the
narrative strays a tad too far into ornithology, tempting the reader to skim ahead to the admittedly
more interesting story of Tiko and his antics.
This book will enchant any animal lover, particularly those partial to birds. Anyone contemplating
acquiring a parrot definitely should read this book first! The Parrot Who Owns Me brings the
avian world up close and personal, offering a bird's eye view of our place in the grand scheme of
things. Overall, a well-written and worthwhile read.
Christy's Bookshelf
Fatal Flaw
William Lashner
William Morrow
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY
212-207-7860
ISBN #0060508167 $24.95
William Lashner is a graduate of the New York University School of Law and served as a trial
attorney in the criminal division of the United States Justice Department. Fatal Flaw is Lashner's
third published book as well as third entry in the Victor Carl series.
Victor Carl is a somewhat seedy criminal defense lawyer who is not above manipulating the legal
system. Victor receives a call late one night from an old law school classmate, Guy Forrest,
claiming that he has found the body of his fiancee in the house they share together. When Victor
arrives, he finds Guy outside, naked and inconsolable, with a gun beside him. Inside, Guy's
fiancee, Hailey Prouix, is dead, having been shot through the heart.
Guy, who abandoned his wife, family, and prestigious job for Hailey, swears he did not kill her,
although all the evidence points to him as the murderer. Guy asks Victor to defend him and Victor
agrees. Not because he believes his friend is innocent, but because Victor had also been in love
with Hailey and wants to see to it that his friend is convicted for her murder.
Victor's resolve to see his friend in prison begins to falter when he discovers secrets Hailey had
kept hidden from him. He begins to investigate Hailey's past, intuiting that will lead him to the
truth as to who actually murdered her. He hires private investigator Phil Skink to travel with him
to West Virginia, where Hailey is from, to try to unravel the secrets from her past and find the
person who shot Hailey.
Victor Carl is a jaded, somewhat desperate man who fell hopelessly in love with Hailey, a femme
fatale if there ever was one. His grief over her death propels him to first try to have his client
convicted of murder, then to diligently dig into his lover's past, placing his own life in danger. The
investigator, Phil Skink, is a masterpiece: a man with a face that would stop a clock, who dresses
in brown suits, wears a fedora, and talks like a gangster from the 30's. The interplay between Carl
and Skink is sharp-tongued, chiseled, and testosterone-driven, yet the two play off one another in
a fun, and sometimes comedic, way. The murdered Hailey does not seem worthy of the obsessive
love both Carl and Guy had for her, but once her past is revealed, she becomes a more
conciliatory character.
Lashner has a real jewel with Fatal Flaw. He provides his reader with a fast-paced story filled with
witty dialogue, characters full of flaws but with depth, and gritty action. The courtroom drama is
among the best to be written in a good while. The plot twists are, for the most part, predictable,
but the final twist will not be expected. Although there are more books than ever being written
about lawyers by lawyers, this book transcends the somewhat tired genre. Lashner is a writer with
a unique voice who has found his place in the literary field and will undoubtedly move on to
best-seller status.
Last To Die
James Grippando
Harper Collins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
ISBN# 0060005556 $23.95 1-217-207-7000
It is interesting to note that author James Grippando was a trial lawyer for twelve years and at one
point was a former litigation partner in Janet Reno's esteemed Florida law firm. Last year,
Grippando launched a new series featuring Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck, who was
introduced in this author's blockbuster debut novel, The Pardon. Since then, Grippando has
published Beyond Suspicion followed by Last to Die, the latest in the Swyteck series.
Sally Fenning was young, beautiful, and very rich, but did not want to live. Her daughter had been
murdered five years before by a man who was stalking Sally and the killer was never found. When
Sally is murdered, she leaves behind a will in which she names six heirs to her 46 million dollar
estate, the catch being that the money will not be disbursed until all of the heirs but one are
dead.
Tatum Knight is the older brother of Jack Swyteck's best friend, Theo Knight. Tatum is also a
former contract killer who claims to have changed. Sally met with Tatum two weeks before her
death in hopes of hiring him to kill her, although Tatum claims he turned down her offer. When
she is murdered, Tatum hires Jack to represent him, since he was named in Sally's will as one of
the six beneficiaries to her estate.
Almost immediately, the heirs begin feuding among themselves and in court, then are murdered
one by one. Jack and his best friend, Theo, explore who could be behind Sally's murder, hoping to
clear Tatum of the suspicion around him, which leads them to a closer look at the death of Sally's
daughter five years before. Their investigation takes them to Africa, where Sally's surviving sister
Rene lives. Rene is a pediatrician who helps free African children forced into child slavery.
In this installment of the series, Jack Swyteck is now divorced and living alone. He has joined the
Big Brothers organization and is surrogate parent to eight-year-old Nate, son of Jack's legal
assistant, Kelsey. The relationship between Jack and Nate is warm and sweet, and will be
appreciated by readers who are parents. Although Grippando left an unresolved issue with the
previous Swyteck novel, Last to Die provides an ending that isn't so conflictual.
Grippando reveals a very real, tragic world situation: child slavery in Africa, where thousands of
children are forced to labor in cocoa fields. However, he balances this dark subject against the
lighter, comedic relationship between Jack and Theo. Theo is a former death-row inmate whom
Jack proved innocent through DNA testing, and the bond that exists between the two men proves
to be stronger than the familial bond between Theo and Tatum.
Grippando writes with a Southern voice and sense of humor readers will enjoy. Although the plot
is full of twists and turns, it isn't so convoluted it cannot be followed with ease. Grippando is
proving himself to be a mainstay in the legal thriller arena and each book seems to entrench him
further in a genre that became more interesting once he put Swyteck to paper.
Poison Blonde
Loren D. Estleman
Forge
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.tor.com
ISBN# 0765304473 $24.95 1-212-388-0100
Author Loren D. Estleman has proven himself to be a prolific writer, having written over fifty
novels to date. Estleman has won three Shamus Awards for his Amos Walker novels, four Golden
Spur Awards for his Western fiction, and three Western Heritage Awards. His latest novel, Poison
Blond, is the seventeenth installment in Estleman's signature detective series featuring cynical,
gritty private investigator Amos Walker.
In Poison Blonde, Amos Walker's latest case finds him entangled with gangsters in the music
industry and a client who is a former revolutionary. Walker is hired by Latina singer Gilia
Cristobel to find the woman who has accused Gilia of stealing her identity in order to remain in
America. This woman had been blackmailing Gilia and threatened that if payment was not
received, after three months, she would go to the police with information concerning Gilia's true
identity. The extortionist has not kept her appointment to collect the money in over two months
and the third month is quickly approaching. Gilia fears the police will turn her over to INS once
they learn who she is and she will be forced to return to her native country, where she is wanted
for murder.
Walker comes face-to-face with a former nemesis, Hector Matador, who is now Gilia's business
manager. Walker and Matador have a conflictual history together. Walker's testimony caused the
incarceration of Matadaor years before for first-degree murder. Matador is now out on parole and
the two men share a mutual hatred. Matador hinders Walker's investigation by having him tailed
as he seeks to find the woman blackmailing Gilia. If that isn't bad enough, a slimy photographer
from a tabloid is also trailing Walker in an effort to snap pictures of Gilia and him together. While
Walker tries to track down the missing extortionist, he begins to investigate the death of the
woman Gilia is accused of murdering, leading him to the Lincoln Question.
Walker is one among several private investigators being written today: cynical and jaded with an
attitude. A man who has more enemies than friends, lives alone in an unpretentious style, and
drives a rattletrap of a car. Estleman's style of delivery is hard-boiled and sharp-witted, which is
highly entertaining. The Lincoln Question, once explained, is quite interesting. The plot is
uncomplicated and can be followed with ease. There are two distinct mysteries within the book:
who actually killed the woman Gilia has been accused of murdering, and the whereabouts of the
woman who had been blackmailing Gilia. Neither is very complicated and each quite easy to
figure out. All in all, an average novel made more interesting by the author's unique prose.
Christy Tillery French
Reviewer
Cindy Lynn's Bookshelf
Flight -- 100 Years of Aviation
Dorling Kindersley
DK Publishing, Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN: 0-7894-8910-4 $50.00 www.dk.com
To hold this over sized hard cover is in itself an experience. It's very heavy...it's not something
you can lean back and read in bed. It needs to be large...this book covers aviation in all its aspects
over a space of a hundred years from the prehistory of flight to the future. Created in association
with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, it's packed with beautiful pictures and
interesting information. This is not an encyclopedia...you won't find every plane listed in sections,
but you'll find representations of many, many types of aircraft, discussed in the order they appear
in the various sections.
As I mentioned, it starts at the beginning. "Age of Pioneers" covers early ideas, including
Leonardo da Vinci's long, bat like wings, which are echoed in Otto Lilienthal's 1890's glider
design. We are given a detailed portrait of Orville and Wilbur Wright, which includes several
pictures from the time, as well as those beautiful, close up pictures of real models that you love to
see in a D&K book, labeled carefully so that you understand what parts are what. The Wrights
aren't the only ones we hear about. We also briefly meet the first European to make a flight,
Alberto Santos-Dumont, Gabriel and Charles Vision, who established the world's first airplane
factory, and Glenn Curtis, who helped design the first aircrafts controlled by ailerons. It goes on
to discuss the growth of Aviation into a craze that possessed the imaginations of people from all
walks of life. We get to see the Bleriot X1 Monoplane close up, with even better looks at the
three-cylinder motorcycle engine and the open cockpit. The dangers of aviation and its often
tragic consequences and the invention of seaplanes are also covered, as well as the inevitable: the
beginnings of research into aviation's war time applications. Which segues perfectly into the next
chapter: "Aircraft Go To War".
Here is where we see the beginnings of warplanes. At first, airplanes were nothing more than
carriages that took observers or high rankling officers around. Soon they became the guardians of
the ground troops below, or a tool for a reconnaissance. One of my favorite planes from this
section is the Rumpler Taube...and indeed, this Austrian plane was very dove like, from its swept
back wins to its flat, fan like tail. The two old time photos they show, one from beneath and one
from the ground behind it, make it look beautifully bird like. Soon we are introduced to "Knights
of the Air", where we read about the nefarious masters of the dogfight. Zeppelins and bombers
round out the section.
"The Golden Age" introduces us to some remarkable women in flight, such as the tragic African
American pilot Bessie Coleman. We continue on to commercial flight. In today's world, it's hard
to believe that there was ever a time when the idea of a non-stop flight across the US would be
remarkable, but the first flight inn 1923 was just one example of people's desire to go farther,
breaking records as fast as they were thought of. The first passenger aircraft are also discussed.
The thing I enjoyed the most, I think, was learning about the flying boats, which were an
ingenious solution to taking passengers to places less civilized. Of course, no golden age ever
lasts, and soon interwar aircraft are developed, and come in very useful, as we see in the next
chapter.
"Battle for the Skies" details the development of aviation over the period of WWII, covering all
major battles and innovations. I can see why these planes are still so popular today, sleek,
beautiful, and terrible all at once. The next chapter, "Cold War, Hot War" shows how the military
applications have continued to grow and develop, introducing us to the early helicopters and jets,
taking us through the wars these newest additions were soon to be tested in. We leave war in
favor of space travel, and finally end up at the chapter called "Shrinking World", which is more
about the state of passenger Flight today and in the future. An illustrated glossary ends it all up
perfectly.
To sum it up, this book is delicious. The text is authoritative and well written, giving someone
(me) whose whole aviation experience is one plane flight and a few movies a very round,
complete education on all aspects. They cover personalities as well as planes, and I feel like I have
a good grasp of the excitement of the early years, what flight used to be like for passengers, and
how aviation has been absolutely critical in the patterns of warfare. For those with a pretty full
aviation shelf, this would still be a good buy, because I'm sure it has something you may not know
about, and because the pictures are just wonderful. There are tons of rarities, from this nifty
picture of a group of men standing on their bicycle seats in order to see over a fence at a plane
taking flight, and rare early war pictures. There are also pages and pages of plane pictures,
showing all the important planes for that time. There are probably a few planes they don't
mention, but I felt that the majority are probably represented. The D&K trademark "let's take a
close look and label the parts for you" method is often employed, but subtly so as not to ruin what
you're looking at. They enrich the experience, teaching me things like, where the oil coolers are,
or what kind of propeller I'm looking at.
Definitely a wonderful addition to any aviation lover...or would be aviation lover's collection.
Little Bitty Lies
Mary Kaye Andrews
Harper Collins
10 53rd East Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0060199598 $24.95
"I'm gone. Mama's all paid up at the nursing home. Tell Erin I'll call when I'm settled. You're a
good woman, and I'm sorry things didn't work out. Sincerely, A. Parker McGowan."
And with this note, written on the back of a junk mail envelope, Mary Bliss's pretty, well ordered
life is over. As she looks through the wreckage of her life, she finds that every dime for the past
several months, even the money put aside for their teen age daughter Erin's last year at a
prestigious private school, is gone. Up to her eyes in debt and not one, but two, mortgage
companies (since Parker had gone and refinanced their home behind their back) about to come
down on her, her stocks liquefied, her savings cleaned out. In short, Parker ran away, making sure
to leave them in the worst lurch possible. On top of that, Mary Bliss has to deal with a daughter
whose secret life is making her nasty and rebellious towards her mother, a mother in law who
hates her, and a private detective who keeps skulking around at inconvenient moments. Mary
Bliss wants Parker dead...and with the help of her dear friend Katherine, whose going through her
own divorce troubles, she will. Well, not really. Just where it counts...on paper, which will allow
her to pay off her debts when she cashes in his insurance policy. Mary Bliss and Katherine are far
from the shadowy, conniving type of people who could pull this off...and so, even when it looks
like they're successful, you know some sort of trouble is brewing just around the corner.
In this "everything that can go wrong will go wrong" comedy, Andrews manages to recapture
much of the gossipy well meaning charm of her previous book, Savannah Blues. Watching Mary
Bliss try to reinvent herself is actually, in some ways, the main point of the book. Even when she
does things that you think are patently foolish, figuring if she just came clean the law would be on
her side, you can't help but admire her courage. She has, after all, been sheltered all her life. All
she knows about life outside her little circle is from neighborhood gossip and TV. So if the tacts
she takes seem a little on the high end of drama, then she comes by it honestly.
There is also a great deal of background dish in the book. The people of this small, well to do
section have love lives and marriages that would work well in a soap opera, but Andrew's point is
still clearly seen. She uses these diverse relationships as satire, showing us strange, densely
tangled affaires that are sometimes as depressing as they are funny.
Light, romantic and funny, this book would make for perfect beach time reading.
Cindy Lynn Speer
Reviewer
Fortenberry's Bookshelf
Digging Up the Past: An Introduction to Archaeological Excavation
John Collis
Sutton Publishing, Ltd.
www.suttonpublishing.co.uk
$29.95 183 pp. ISBN: 0750927372
My first love as a young child was dinosaurs. This quickly progressed into a general love of
archaeology and history, especially in those early years anything about mummies, pyramids, and
the mysterious Mayans. I admit it, I'm a longtime Doc Savage fan. Modern moviegoers will
recognize him in his lesser incarnation as Indiana Jones. Anyway, throughout my childhood I
wanted to become an archaeologist and it was only through a series of unfortunate events that this
did not occur. But I'm a damn fine armchair archaeologist, if I do say so myself. Which is exactly
why I love John Collis' new book, Digging Up the Past. He's accomplished something rare,
writing a manual on archaeology detailed and nuanced enough for the most advanced expert and
yet general enough to comprehend for all of us. This is a tough assignment for any science, much
less one as hands-on and microscopically expansive as archaeology. Collis succeeds with flying
colors.
Some of his concepts and techniques and new and innovative approaches to an old science. Of
course a lot of his core work is as old as the science itself, but his fusion of styles and decades of
experience make this a dynamic guidebook for archaeologists. Though he is a European Iron Age
expert, in a field as diverse as the entire history of humanity, he knows his limitations and freely
admits his strengths and weaknesses. He has a congenial style which doesn't preach or bore, is
personable and accessible, and most importantly of all brings you right into the field and makes
you long to get your hands dirty. I dream of working under someone as knowledgeable and kind
as this professor.
The book is thorough and covers all aspects of archaeology: old and new paradigms of the
science; tools; record-keeping; site processing and mapping; digging, cleaning, and sampling;
contextual analysis; stratigraphy; etc. He details things such as processing stone and wooden
structures, pits,ditches, and banks, or proper trench and hole coring on location. It is very clear
and very detailed, showing various tricks of the trade as well as common and advances mistakes.
He draws from his own vast experience both digging and teaching for over 40 years to give
personal examples throughout for all possible situations. The book is heavily illustrated with
charts, graphs, and photos of actual digs to highlight each topic. Yet somehow, quite amazingly
actually, considering the ground covered, he brings it in under 200 pages, including the
bibliography. Concise, clear, thorough. What more could any student of archaeological
excavations want? I assume this book will become an informative foundation text in universities
worldwide. Great work, Professor Collis. When can I join you with my trowel?
Updike: America's Man of Letters
William Pritchard
Steerforth Press
P.O. Box 70, South Royalton, Vermont 05068
www.steerforth.com
$27.00; 351 pp. ISBN: 158642002X.
My hat is off. I make a bow to Mr. Pritchard. He's written a wonderful study of John Updike, one
of my own and America's favorite authors. Updike: America's Man and Letters is the new
standard study on one of our greatest living masters. This is a very quiet, controlled examination
of a very quiet, controlled man. Or, as we say in the business, yeah, whatever, so did you actually
READ it? When you read Updike in depth, just like this commentary, you break through the
surface to find, lo and behold, much like spirituality itself, he is multilayered, multifaceted, and
seemingly bottomless. It is a plunge into an ocean. The deeper you go the more there is, and yet
the clarity of vision begins to fail as the pressure begins to build so that you sense more than see
the overwhelming enormity of it all. So you descend into the abyss, absorbing infinity through the
skin, if you will, until finally you either return to the surface to gasp the lighter air of your smaller
life or asphyxiate in the twilight of those vast soulful depths. I mean that in a good Cousteauan
way, of course. Squeak, squeak, Flipper. Nevertheless, Pritchard has some how managed to build
a submarine and chart these unfathomable Updikean depths. It is quite an accomplishment.
Before Pritchard my hands done favorite study of Updike was Elizabeth Tallent's Married Men
and Magic Tricks John Updike's Erotic Heroes. Her book, more a collection of essays, was brief
and not all inclusive, yet it did capture wholly the spirit of his work, the sheer joyous artistry and
lyrical magic of his prose. It is a tribute of a book more than a detailed textual study. It remains a
shining example of superb artistry and poetic prose play. But recently there have been several new
works on Updike, all of merit, especially the collection edited by James Yerkes, John Updike and
Religion: The Sense of the Sacred and the Motions of Grace, and this one by Pritchard. Both of
these latter books have attempted something other critical studies have by and large shied away
from: excavation of the soul of Updike, not just surface commentary on the texts. I have to give
high marks to them both.
Pritchard's Updike is a thorough study of his writings: novels, poetry, short fiction, prose, and
criticisms. It is also a solid rebuke of his naysayers, who sometimes have something of a point
perhaps and other times, such as with David Foster Wallace, utterly bewilder me. In the jealous
rages by Wallace recorded here, such as "Has the son of a bitch ever had one unpublished
thought?" (p229), we move from bemused spectator of critical jousting to outright self-pity and
embarrassment for the poor lad. To be fair we see him call Updike, Roth, Mailer, and Bellow all
"manifestly second-rate," so I guess he is an equal opportunity hater. But you have to feel sorry
for any writer who angrily dismisses such giants after his first blush of success. But Pritchard
never attacks them directly but rather counters with a grace worthy of Sun Tzu; that is, he merely
goes about his business of presenting the facts and Updike emerges from the smoke of the fray as
a monumental author of amazing vigor and talent who far outshines his contemporaries. The
amazing thing is, Updike not only dominates as a novelist, but also as a critic and poet. This is
quite a feat. But so is the ability to cast a wide enough net to capture and study with clarity all
these multiple aspects of such a great artist. Not only the primary texts, but articles, reviews,
essays, and interviews (including the beloved Charlie Rose), have all been put under the
microscope. Pritchard should be commended, if simply for nothing more than coherently studying
such a deep and vast subject. It takes a brilliant and expansive mind simply to keep up, much less
examine in detail someone as prolific and talented as Updike. But furthermore, he has done so
with dignity and a conservative conciseness which is in itself a tribute to Updike, because Updike's
own criticism often distills a great author's oeuvre down to a kernel within a few pages. Updike:
American Man of Letters is a welcome addition to my library on great American novelists.
What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News.
Eric Alterman
Basic Books
$25.00 ISBN: 0465001769
Eric Alterman, a brilliant author who has among his numerous credentials also won both the
George Orwell Award and the Stephen Crane Literary Award, has provided an essential service to
the country: he has chronicled the truth. More than just reject the eternal and usually hysterical
Republican claims that all the media and government are controlled by liberals, he refutes them
and proves it by using their own words against them. What Liberal Media? is an endless litany of
sad journalism, hard facts, and hateful quotes-- sometimes downright scary ones. The harmful
things the "liberal" media says and does about liberals is, well, it has to be experienced to be
believed. Which is why the continuing Republican tirades about "liberal" control grows more
ludicrous by the day. Listen to any channel for more than a minute and you will hear, yet again,
the Clintons smeared and called liars (even if they have no connection whatsoever with the subject
matter at hand) and all "liberal" policies either sneered at or outright called traitorous and
immoral. But hey, in our Orwellian world, who ever said truth matters? It obviously doesn't,
which is why President Bush established an official government disinformation agency, not unlike
1984's doublespeak Ministry of Truth, solely for distorting the truth.
Some of the guffawful moments of the book involve the 2000 selection and how Gore was
portrayed. Objective reporting included, as we all witnessed, endless days and months of jokes
about his clothing (even the better of the TV talk show hosts, Chris Matthews, is noted here for
repeating the same comments about a button-down suit Gore wore for five nights straight), but
never his substance and policies. In one telling example we see how the character assassination
extended deep into Gore's childhood, with the Washington Post claiming Gore was "prone to
tattling" as a seven-year-old boy, and that he had a "compulsion to adhere to the expected order,"
that is follow the rules, in school and at home. This is seen as wrong and somehow pertinent to a
man who had served a lifetime in Congress and was eight years the Vice President. These types of
attacks were proof of his illegibility to be president, whereas, as the world knows, even though
George W. Bush was an admitted and convicted alcoholic and cocaine user up until he took over
as Governor of Texas, these "past youthful indiscretions" were off-limit to even discuss, much less
investigate or weigh as a matter of character. His biography could start only with his campaign. In
one more ludicrous example, and sadly every page is full of them in this book, it is noted that the
sage and respected McLaughlin Group actually had a panel one night debating whether Bill
Clinton was Satan. That's right, a serious-minded group of educated adults purported to be
experts and intellectuals were debating on television if Clinton were the devil. Our national media
has fallen this far.
What Liberal Media? is a damning book that leaves no doubts as to just how extreme our media
has become. The Left is virtually nonexistent and the Right have nowhere to hide in this book,
since their own words abound. They are not attacked with innuendo and slander. These are just
cold facts and hot quotes that really hurt. This book should put to rest the entire "liberal media"
fable fostered by the Republicans. But of course it will not. As he quotes Honore de Balzac,
journalism is "a hell, a sink of iniquity, lies and betrayals that no one can pass through, or emerge
from uncorrupted...." The sad thing is, there are a few honest journalists left and a few honest
publishers, but with the current loosening of restrictions of big business monopolies, those are
doomed to extinction as well. He quotes Robert Entman, "To become sophisticated citizens,
Americans need high-quality, independent journalism..." and goes further to reiterate some of the
reasons we need a First Amendment, to protect truth. As he noted about the Catholic pedophile
priests scandal, one of the first things the church did was blame it all on the reporters who broke
the story. Cardinal law, that paragon of virtue himself, said, "By all means we call down God's
power on the media...." How sad it is that the independent media is vanishing and only the
powerful corporations get a voice. The media, as it is fully dominated by fewer and fewer
companies like the Murdocracy, will become more and more skewed towards one voice. Today
that corporate voice is Republican. That has nothing to do with American.
Genetic Engineering
Lisa Yount, editor
Part of the Current Controversies Series
Greenhaven Press
10911 Technology Place, San Diego, CA 92127
ISBN: 0737711248 $33.70
I wrote my first paper on the looming ethical dilemma facing the world with the startling advances
in genetic engineering following the Wittgenstein International Philosophy Symposium in Austria,
1989. Of course, back then we were predicting, albeit perhaps through SF vision, things that have
now been far surpassed. But the advances of science and the accumulation of knowledge are
exponential and so regardless of how far we have already come, our forthcoming discoveries will
explode tomorrow in comparison. With things endlessly speeding up, it is vital that we debate the
ethical implications of what we are doing, what we will be doing, and what we should be
doing.
Greenhaven's Current Controversies series tackles many of today's greatest subjects of debate,
including genetics. Genetic Engineering, edited by Lisa Yount, is a record of an important
argument. Like all the books in this series, it posits proponents on each subject against one
another in a series of Yes/No essays. In this volume we cover the ethics of genetic engineering on
humans and animals, food and farming, and ask the most important questions: is it beneficial to
humanity and should it be more closely regulated. The are extremely important questions that hold
the future of the human race in their answers. The nature and possibilities of genetic engineering is
a good thing to investigate and debate. I am glad Yount has done a good job compiling the
opposition to present all sides of the argument.
Besides the fascinating essays, there is a helpful glossary for the common reader, plus index,
bibliography, and a listing of organizations and websites concerned with genetic engineering. The
book is user friendly, with large titles and subtitles (these on almost every single page to make for
topical browsing ease), plus easy-to-read clear text, with highlighted sidebar quotes pulled from
the text on each page. Since these are generally the most powerful or disturbing lines of the
moment in each essay, the quotes are perfect to grab and pull in readers. There was a nice
selection of contributors from a variety of backgrounds, from politician to scientist to columnist,
in order to give the widest range of opinion (though one of the loudest Nay critics, Jeremy Rifkin,
appears a few times. I do wish they could have found other voices for a heightened variety of
arguments, though one might suppose perhaps he was the best or only Nay on those topics.) If
there must be a complaint made, it is that one, the book is geared toward the average citizen and
leaves off most technical scientific details (but it is a social dialogue not a science manual, so this
is understandable); two, the book and essays are somewhat short. I realize it is an endless debate
and cannot be thousands of pages long, but I also sometimes felt the essays were too short and
could have had more meat on their bones. But, this is an overview of a Current Controversy, so it
is exactly what it should be. Kudos to Greenhaven Press for their continued excellence in
presenting the best materials and debates on the best topics, whether literary, political, or
scientific. I love their series. Genetic Engineering is the perfect introduction to the debate
currently raging in our society on this very important topic.
Handbook of Egyptian Mythology
Geraldine Pinch
Part of the Handbooks of World Mythology series
ABC-CLIO, Inc.
130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA, 93116-1911, USA
ISBN: 1576072428 $65.00
ISBN (ebook): 1576077632
Geraldine Pinch has written the best guidebook to ancient Egyptian mythology I have ever read.
Handbook of Egyptian Mythology is not merely wonderful and well-done, it is exceedingly
thorough. The introductory essay alone is 56 pages, for example. Plus we have the usual index,
complimented by chapter notes and bibliographical sources, following something quite unique: an
entire chapter devoted to annotated print and non-print resources for Egyptian myths, both in
foreign languages and English translations. Here Pinch has provided lists of everything from
books (literary and reference) to articles, translations, videos, web sites, and CD-Roms. When
someone can collect ancient Egyptian atlases, lexicons, archaeological and theological studies,
Sax Rohmer and Elizabeth Peters mysteries, with Norman Mailer and Robert Graves, well then,
you have my attention. I love comprehensive studies.
Handbook of Egyptian Mythology is divided into three major sections: intro and indexes;
chronology and time lines; and deities, themes, concepts. The timelines and chronology show not
only the linear dynasties and accepted historical timelines of Egyptology in general, but delve into
the theological timelines of the myths themselves. This enables us to understand how the myths
evolved and borrowed from or built upon each other over time. We can see where certain schools
of religion competed with each other or where certain myths and gods waxed and waned over
time. This also lets us unravel the sometimes confusing plethora of stories about certain gods,
such as the murder of Osiris. By far the largest section of he book is the encyclopedic style listing
of gods and other ancient Egyptian concepts pertinent to their mythology. This is a concise yet
expansive listing, because it briefly covers the well-known and virtually unheard of gods and
goddesses equally, and thus is the most useful resource I have encountered on this subject to date.
It is easy to use and comprehend plus has the bonus of additional references and further readings
noted at the end of each individual entry. I believe it to be extremely informative to common
reader or expert alike. Especially, I note as an author of fiction interested in writing on the
subject, it will be invaluable as a research tool. I am unsure how Pinch compiled such a detailed
study as this on a topic as rich and deep without losing the readers in a swamp of hieroglyphs and
arcane phraseology, but she did. Legible, thorough comprehension... my hat is off. Perhaps, like
Osiris before her, Pinch will be judged as one who is a "possessor of maat" for her work
here.
Handbook of Egyptian Mythology is part of ABC-CLIO's Handbooks of World Mythology series.
It is well-written, well-researched, and illustrated throughout with pictures, maps, and charts. It is
an attractive, yet very lightweight hard bound edition that is perfect for carrying on the go with
your studies. Unlike some historical volumes of the past, this one won't break your back while
ensconced in your book bag. Pinch's writing and the Handbook's production is so attractive, I
cannot wait to browse the rest of the series.
MJays Financial Management Guide: A Simple Guide To Managing Your Finances
Mary J. Butler
MJays Investments & Publishing
Box 773, Bowman, SC 92018, USA
www.mjaysinvestments.com
$9.00, 92 pp. ISBN: 0970987501
MJays Financial Management Guide is exactly what it says it is: a simple guide to managing your
finances. Where was this guide when I was growing up? It is bare-boned and dead easy to use.
Mary J. Butler, the author, wastes not a word, and yet covers it all. This guide leaves nothing out,
from preparing budgets and savings to low and high risk investments, retirement, trusts, estate
planning etc. It has a simple mission: educate you and prepare you for managing your finances. It
succeeds.
Mrs. Butler, an accountant and financial manager, knows what she is talking about. She writes
clearly, concisely, and spells it out in black and white for the layman. She is even kind enough to
have chapter one be nothing more than a glossary of financial terms for the uninitiated. Whether
you are 18 or 80, she has something for you and has an uncanny ability to cut through the jungle
of information and get to the heart of the matter. She declares her purpose is to "educate,
educate, educate" and she does so. She makes a good teacher as she is able to distill the tens of
thousands of arcane pages of governmental policy into a 90 page no-nonsense guide to finances.
It is quite an accomplishment and my "couldn't find finances with both hands" hat is off. I can see
why this book was recognized by Writer's Digest. It delivers.
Of course, we all wish Mrs. Butler could just do our finances for us. But barring that, well, at
least we have her book. Of course mine may become so bedraggled from multiple readings that I'll
have to go buy a new one. Then again, that's just one more example of Mrs. Butler's financial
genius, now isn't it?
The "Read My Lips" Cookbook: A Culinary Journey of Memorable Meals
Robert Swiatek
Infinity Publishing
519 West Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA 19041-1413
www.infinitypublishing.com
$14.95, ISBN: 0741413337
Robert Swiatek has managed to cook up a memorable collection of anecdotes and recipes. The
"Read My Lips" Cookbook is personable, humorous, and easy-to-use. This is not your average
cookbook, however. The book is many things at once: cookbook, travelogue, and biography.
Swiatek provides 56 separate main menus, complete with main course and desert recipes,
alongside party menus and other cooking trivia, while recounting his travels around the country
over the years bumbling through the haves and have-nots of life. His personal stories are often
very funny, intriguing, sometimes aww, but always memorable and really liven up what could
have been yet another mind-numbing collection of recipes without a point. His subtitle (which is
far better than his title, to be honest) hits the nail on the head: A Culinary Journey of Memorable
Meals. The memorable part is two-fold. Yes, the recipes are for great food which will be
memorable to us once cooked and eaten; but the real joy is reading his stories about how, where,
and when he discovered these dishes. There are real gems inside this book.
The Read My Lips Cookbook places fast, inexpensive, yet healthy meals at your fingertips. But
you may find you linger over the tales or the memories they invoke in you. I am from the South
and found myself smiling at Swiatek's recounting of his first trips into the South. A native of New
York, he traveled to Florida. Growing up in Mississippi near New Orleans, I can only imagine
what it must be like to experience Southern cooking for the first time. When I lived in Baltimore
the tastes were completely different, much more bland in every way (excluding their very
wonderful Old Bay seasoning on crabs), even though Baltimore is sometimes still considered a
"Southern" city. So I can only imagine how the South must shock a non-native with its rich foods
and heavy spices. Swiatek is also very honest. He says what he likes and dislikes, what works and
what doesn't. In one part he recounts how he made a beef curry that he really didn't like, even
though his guests did, and so has never made one since. He likes his chicken curry, but not the
beef. That takes guts to say in a cookbook. But the honesty is much appreciated and makes you
realize he believes in his meals. These aren't page fillers or standardized junk that he doesn't care
about. It is all personal.
If I have a complaint about the book it is that it isn't beefy enough (couldn't pass up the curry
pun). Yes, I realize it is 200 pages and shouldn't become a massive tome. But the little tastes of
tales I read really were enjoyable and mere snacks. They make me want much more and I wish he
would have elaborated on a lot of the stories. But that might overbalance the book away from
cookbook too heavily into travelogue and biography, so the balance is probably best as is.
Besides, like any good cook knows, you give them a taste and not a feast to keep them coming
back for more.
Thomas Fortenberry
Reviewer
Gorden's Bookshelf
Lust At Sea
Jay Lawrence and Harry Neptune
Renaissance E Books
P.O. Box 1432, Northampton, MA 01060
www.renebooks.com
ISBN : 1588731820 $4.00 electronic download
'Lust at Sea' is a satire. It spoofs everything from 'Murder on the Orient Express' to 'Moby Dick.'
If you like tongue-in-cheek stories that poke fun at political correctness, sex, drugs, alcohol, and
classic literature, you will like 'Lust at Sea'.
In a drunken blackout, Harry Neptune proposes and marries Miss Jay Lawrence. They fly to Las
Vegas and marry at the Chapel of Celestial Bliss by the Fairly Irreverent Pastor Von Schlong. The
inebriated couple are the one millionth couple to be wed at the Chapel of Celestial Bliss and win a
Caribbean cruise. When a murder occurs on the cruise, Harry and Jan go about finding the killer
or killers. Intoxicated, they stumble from one sexual debauchery to the next collecting clues and
information about the passengers and crew aboard the good ship Caribbean Conch. For Harry and
Jan, the mystery isn't in the murder. The mystery is where to find the next drink and who will be
the next partner in bed.
'Lust at Sea' is not a true murder mystery but a parody of life and classic tales. 'Lust at Sea' is a
guilty pleasure that is read for its titillation alone. With a ship captain by the name of Ahab and an
ex-husband called Will Boner, you know the authors will do anything for a laugh.
Chasing the Dime
Michael Connelly
Little, Brown and Company
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0316153915 $25.95 371 pages
Michael Connelly writes the seemingly simple hard edge detective mysteries. The easy reading
hides a complex and well crafted story. Only a few authors today write such a straightforward
action thriller that is filled with layers.
Henry Pierce pugs in his new phone and receives a call asking for Lilly? Intrigued, he does a little
checking and finds out the missing Lilly works as an escort. Something pulls the straight laced
chemist turned company founder into looking for Lilly. Soon the dark side of society engulfs him
with violence and murder. Before he has a chance to understand what is happening to him, he
becomes the police's chief suspect and a victim of forces he can't find. The search for Lilly
threatens to destroy him but stopping is something he is unable to do.
'Chasing the Dime' is one of the finest thrillers written today. It is a perfectly balanced action
mystery with each passage delivering a blow until you stagger to the last page. It is simply one of
the best novels of the year.
Fire Ice
Clive Cussler with Paul Kemprecos
Berkley Books
Berkley Publishing Group, division of Penguin Group Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN : 0425190641 $7.99
Cussler made his writing fame with a series of historical action adventure novels using the leading
man Dirk Pitt. When he teamed up with Kemprecos, they developed a nearly identical story with
Kurt Austin in the leading role. The stories have the same basic form and action with the
exception that Kurt is less of a rogue than Dirk. This softens the story. You do miss the rakish
Dirk, whose personality fits the action adventure genre better, but the stories are a little less over
the edge adding a touch more believability to the storyline.
'Fire Ice' grabs you and doesn't let go. By the end of the third chapter, you have read about an
escape attempt by part of the Tsar's family during the 1918 Russian Revolution, the hijacking of a
US nuclear submarine, a tidal wave hitting the coast of Maine, and a reporter being shot at by
Cossacks on the Black Sea coast. Kurt has only a few days to find out what is going on before a
mad man, claiming to be heir to the tsarist throne of Russia, tries to overthrow the Russian
government and flood a major American city with a manmade tsunami.
'Fire Ice' is a better than average adventure novel. It lacks the hard edge of the Dirk Pitt stories
but it more than matches the standard adventure novels found on the shelves today. It is a great
story to take for a day on the beach or a long weekend. 'Fire Ice' is pure escapism, which it
delivers with a non-stop adrenalin rush.
S.A. Gorden
Reviewer
Harold's Bookshelf
Cardinal Rules of Advocacy
Douglas S. Lavine
National Institute for Trial Advocacy
Notre Dame Law School
Notre Dame, IN 46556
ISBN: 155681769X $55.95
Persuasive argumentation is a critical point of trial advocacy. Even the best legal argument with
the most solid logic is useless if it can't be used to persuade the judge or jury to your position.
"Cardinal Rules of Advocacy" presents the fundamental principles of persuasion in a clear and
easy to understand format. Some of the most important rules are making sure that you understand
your audience, tailoring your argument toward that specific audience, establish and enhance
credibility, thinking creatively before the trial, total preparation, reframing the issues, and
answering and posing questions. Chapter three is an excellent analysis of creative thinking for
presenting your case, fallacies, and appeals to emotions. This provides a good solid basis for an
argument which when coupled with the credibility and reframing the position produces a
persuasive communication. This is a highly recommended read for anyone who needs to persuade
others.
Guide to Buying Vitamins and Supplements
Tod Cooperman, M.D., William Obermeyer, Ph.D., and Densie Webb, R.D., Ph.D.
ConsumerLab.com, LLC
333 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605
ISBN: 0972969705 $TBA
There are a lot of guides to Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbal preparations on the market today.
What makes "Guide to Buying Vitamins and Supplements" different? For each vitamin, mineral,
or herb they gathered samples from multiple brands and put them through a rigorous laboratory
analysis. Results of the analysis included products that contained toxic chemicals, had no
measurable quantity of the active ingredient, had more of the active ingredient than the acceptable
safe levels, and many other surprises. Although many brands were often tested only the ones that
passed the laboratory analysis are listed. This is the only place that I have ever seen a listing of
product brand names that pass laboratory analysis. Without this guide you really don't know what
you are getting when you buy vitamins and supplements. This is a highly recommended read that
should be on the shelves of anyone who purchases vitamins and supplements.
Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology
Henry Chesbrough
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
ISBN: 1578518377 $35.00
In the field of technology change appears to occur at an ever increasing rate. Through innovation
in research and development new breakthroughs occur, new products are brought to market, sales
brings in money to fund research and the cycle goes on and on. At least this is the way that it is
generally thought to occur. In reality hostile takeovers, IPO bids and the like keep interrupting the
cycle. Companies refuse to look outside of themselves for innovative ideas or the application of
their technology to new ventures. So the system is actually a closed cycle within the company
instead of an open one the embraces the value of processes, people, and others outside of the
company.
Business innovations create potential but do not have value in and of themselves. It is the business
model that turns innovation into profits. We have all seen inferior products bypass superior ones
because of a better business model. Unfortunately for the consumer, it is not at all
uncommon.
So, the business model itself defines the profit received from an innovation. Why? Because the
business model is the single most important factor in determining a suitable market for the
innovation, costs, profit margins, and competitive position. The business model determines
whether the company will take advantage of all opportunities including those outside itself or just
utilize those opportunities that they can produce internally. The authors detail several case studies
that point out the difference between closed and open innovation and the results of each very
clearly.
The finishing touch to the book is that it clearly details the path to open innovation and how to
move a company from a closed mindset to an open one. This is a highly recommended read for
anyone wanting to take advantage of technology to increase their profits.
Financial Planning Made E-Z
Hunter Hardy
Made E-Z Products
384 South Military Trail, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
ISBN: 156382549X $14.95
If you ever wanted a basic education in finance but did not know where to turn then "Financial
Planning Made E-Z" may be just what you need. Areas covered include controlling debt, reducing
insurance costs, reducing your taxes, protecting your estate, working with the stock market, and
retirement planning. Although it is a fairly thin book for the subject matter, the author does an
excellent job of hitting all the most important points of basic finance. This is a recommended book
for anyone wanting to get a basic understanding of all the general areas of financial planning.
Complete Earthly Woman: Embrace Life's Lessons and Celebrate Personal Triumph
Genie O'Malley
Sonra Enterprises
211 N. Mt. Shasta Blvd., #200, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067
ISBN: 0972298002 $14.95
Many women are at their wit's end trying to raise a family, compete in the job market, and
generally deal with all the problems and responsibilities of day to day living without losing
theirself in the process. That is where "Complete Earthly Woman" comes to the rescue. Within the
covers you will find forty invocations to help you find your way to personal fulfillment, Whether it
is a need to embrace forgiveness, inner healing, or peace with your past, it is all discussed in the
book. If I had to sum up this book in just a couple of words it would be don't exhaust yourself,
exhalt yourself. It is sure to bring hope to many women who are completely exhausted fighting
the cares and woes of life and want to embrace fulfillment with life. "Complete Earthly Woman" is
a recommended read.
Stories of Jesus (Baby Bible Board Books Collection #1)
Edward and Sarah Bolme
Crest Publishers
PO Box 3195, Renton, WA 98056
ISBN: 0972554645 $23.99
Pages: approx. 20 per book
Ages: about one to three years with 6 or 7 year older kids able to read them theirself
The "Stories of Jesus" collection is four small board books featuring Bible stories about Jesus.
Each of the books covers one of the following stories; "Jesus Feeds the People", "Jesus Heals a
Little Girl", "Jesus Helps a Blind Man", and "Jesus Stops a Storm". At the end of each story is an
appropriate Bible verse and reference. These are sturdy books built to put up with the abuse of
very young children. At about five inches by five inches they are small enough for little hands.
These are highly recommended for Christian homes with small children, church libraries, and
Christian preschools.
Uncoupling: Lessons on Reconfiguring an Intimate Relationship
Brenda Woolner
Windshift Press
PO Box 7-5, Thetis Island, BC Canada V0R 2Y0
ISBN: 096896379X $TBA
"Uncoupling" is the story of the lessons learned by author Brenda Woolner after her marriage
ended. After being a couple for so long the process of undoing that relationship, or uncoupling, is
a very difficult one. In the book she presents thirty-one lessons, some difficult, some mostly a
matter of reframing, some more emotional, all necessary steps in the process of recovering
yourself as a competent and happy individual. "Uncoupling" is a recommended book for those
going through the process of divorce or trying to recover from a particularly painful divorce.
Winning Without Losing Your Way: Character Centered Leadership
Rebecca Barnett
Winning Your Way, Inc.
PO Box 657, Bowling Green, KY
ISBN: 1932203168 $TBA
In "Winning Without Losing Your Way" author Rebecca Barnett draws a parallel between the
lessons she learned through the philosophy of judo and character-based leadership. One of the
more interesting parts of the book is a discussion of the business and family values of different
generations and how that affects their view of success. Rebecca points out very clearly that the
obligation to carry character-based leadership throughout the company is the responsibility of
individuals; of you and I. Written in both a philosophical and motivational style, "Winning
Without Losing Your Way" is a recommended read for anyone interested in developing a
character-centered philosophy that pervades their entire lifestyle.
The Irresistible Growth Enterprise
Donald Mitchell, Carol Coles
Stylus Publishing, LLC
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166
ISBN: 1579220266 $27.50
Most businesses tend to grow for a while and then hit a point where they stall. "The Irresistible
Growth Enterprise" focuses on how to get past a stall and use various growth enhancing
techniques to get started again. The various things discussed in this book that cause a business to
stall include Irresistible Force Stalls, the Directionless Stall (Where are we going and how do we
get there?), the Wishful Thinking Stall (That's not the way I thought it would be), the
Helplessness Stall (What do we do now?), the Defensiveness Stall, the Independence Stall (We
can do it all), the Overoptimization Stall, the Cover-up Stall, and the Underestimation Stall. The
second part deals with Irresistible Force Management, how to determine the forces that affect
your company, how to use them to develop a best practice scenario, and how to monitor results.
There are many good management books on the market today. Very few cover the problem of
why a business enterprise stops growing and what to do about it to the extent that this one does.
Because of this extended coverage of an often overlooked or marginalized area this is a
recommended read for anyone wishing to jumpstart a stalled business or keep from getting into a
business stall.
Writing and Developing Your College Textbook
Mary Ellen Lepionka
Atlantic Path Publishing
PO Box 1556, Gloucester, MA 01931-1556
ISBN: 0972816402 $24.00
There are many books available on writing, publishing, and marketing your book. However, if you
are preparing a book that you intend to be adopted by a college as a textbook, then most of those
other books are of minimal value. The writing, publishing and acceptance of a college textbook is
a unique undertaking. "Writing and Developing Your College Textbook" walks the potential
author through the process of publishing your textbook.
The text takes you through the unique prerequisites for getting a publisher interested in your
college textbook, use of an author team, knowing the market, the prospectus, and book outline.
Then it walks you through the signing process and negotiating an agreement, book development,
reaching your audience, creation of chapter apparatus, and all the various other details that must
be attended to in order for your textbook to be successful. This is easily the single best book I
have seen for the collegiate publishing market and a recommended read for anyone wishing to
produce a college textbook.
How to Teach Your Baby to Read
Glenn Doman and Janet Doman
The Gentle Revolution Press
810 Gleneagles Court, Suite 305, Towson, MD 21286 USA
ISBN: 1591170087 $16.95
If you want to have a viable future where you can reach your full potential one of the single most
valuable skills you can acquire is solid reading ability. "How to Teach Your Baby to Read" walks
parents through a program for teaching the very young (even less than a year) how to recognize
words and read. Needless to say, they use the method of learning to recognize whole words by
sight and know what they mean. You will find educators that decry this system as well as those
who embrace it. While there are strong opinions on both sides and I am no expert on the pros and
cons of word recognition vs. phonetic, the bottom line seems to be that your child does learn to
read.
The techniques are clearly explained in detail and easy for any parent to follow along and apply.
With regular practice in a fun environment children learn the words easily and are soon on their
way. This does require involvement by the parents and a time commitment. However, the time
commitment is minimal considering the results achieved. This is a highly recommended book for
anyone wanting to give their kids a big jump on schooling or who are home schooling.
Taming Technology: You Can Control the Beast
Brian J. Nichelson, Ph.D.
Cameo Publications, LLC
PO Box 8006, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938
ISBN: 0971573964 $15.95
In six short chapters Brian Nichelson, Ph.D. discusses the problem of technology and provides a
simple step-by-step process that can be used to get the results you need. From simple problems
like not knowing how to reset your computer clock to complex purchase decisions the same steps
can be used to consistently get to the best answer. One of the problems that I deal with on a
regular basis is a total lack of knowledge among sales people and technologists. One tells you that
you need to connect your computer to a cable modem and then share off your computer to allow
others in your organization to share access to the Internet. Another says you have to install a
gateway server and another says a router. One says a software firewall is sufficient another says
only a hardware firewall provides real protection, and another says you really need both.
Technology can be overwhelming to the average user and sometimes even to the initiated. With
everyone telling you something different or just the need to find out how to do something, this
process can be followed to get to the best result. While the process seemed second nature to me, I
realize that it is probably because I have been deeply involved in technology for many years. For
the confused or concerned that need a workable strategy to resolve technology related issues this
is a recommended read.
The Storykeepers Collection Volume 1: Breakout, Raging Waters, Catacomb Rescue
Zonderkidz
Zondervan Publishing
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN: 03107056916 $TBA
Format: DVD
Ages: 5 - 12
The Storykeepers Collection on DVD features three animated stories on each DVD. The
animation is very well done with bright vibrant colors and an excellent sound track. The storyline
moves quickly and keeps children interested. It is a highly recommended collection.
In "Breakout" we are introduced to the baker Ben who tells stories of Jesus during the time of
Nero. Of course, this requires him and his family to keep out of site of the Roman soldiers. With
this as the backdrop we are introduced to Cyrus who is rescued by Ben and the orphans Ben and
his wife care for. It is a tough time deciding who to trust and who not to trust. In this episode Ben
tells the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, Zacchaeus and Jairus' daughter.
In "Raging Waters" we are treated to a problem where Nero gets one of the stories of Jesus. Not
only does he get the story but he also captures Zak!. Now Ben and the children must rescue Zak
and get the story back so it can be shared with the people for whom it was intended. With a
daring rescue and an exciting ride through the Roman aquaducts it easily keeps kids on the edge
of the seat. The Bible stories in this episode are about John the Baptist, Jesus calming the Sea of
Galilee, and the healing of the demon possessed man (very well done, getting the story across
without scaring little children with the idea of demon possession).
The final episode in this collection is the "Catacomb Rescue". Trying to stop the Christians, Nero
closes down all the ways into Rome so Ben's friend and storyteller, Ephraim can't get out. How
will they be able to get out and spread the stories of Jesus? The only way is through the
catacombs underneath the city. In a tense moment they are forced to make a decision between
escaping or saving the life of a Roman soldier trying to capture them.
The Bible stories in this episode are the story of the Good Samaritan, the sower, and the
unforgiving servant.
The Storykeepers Collection Volume 2: Ready, Aim, Fire, Sink or Swim, Starlight Escape
Zonderkidz
Zondervan Publishing
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530Copyright: 2002
ISBN: 0310705924 $TBA
Format: DVD
Ages: 5 - 12
The Storykeepers Collection on DVD features three animated stories on each DVD. The
animation is very well done with bright vibrant colors and an excellent sound track. The storyline
moves quickly and keeps children interested. It is a highly recommended collection.
In "Ready, Aim, Fire" Nero decides to put up a new building in Rome. The problem is that the
area already has a lot of homes in it. So, he decides to burn the older building to the ground to
make room for his building. Ben, the children, and other Christians must put out the fire and
escape before they are harmed. The Bible stories in this episode are the story of blind Bartimeaus
and healing a man's withered hand, and Jesus' teachings on children.
In "Sink of Swim" Ben and the crew search aboard a Roman slave ship for Justin's father. Stuck in
the galley when the ship leaves port they end up working on the ship. If rough seas are not
enough, they even have to deal with an attacking rebel slave ship. Sharing their faith and talents
they befriend the slaves and tell them stories of Jesus.
The Bible stories in this episode include the house built upon the rock, healing the paralyzed man,
and the Pharisee and the sinner.
The final episode, "Starlight Escape" is the adventures that Ben and the family have while trying
to get to a secret meeting. This episode covers the birth of Jesus, the Wise Men, and the escape of
Joseph and Mary to Egypt to avoid Herod. With the usual suspense when a Roman soldier
approaches their wagon, it keeps the interest going all the way to the end.
The Storykeepers Collection Volume 3: Roar in the Night, Captured, and Trapped
Zonderkidz
Zondervan Publishing
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN: 0310705932 $TBA
Format: DVD
Ages: 5 - 12
The Storykeepers Collection on DVD features three animated stories on each DVD. The
animation is very well done with bright vibrant colors and an excellent sound track. The storyline
moves quickly and keeps children interested. It is a highly recommended collection.
In the first episode of this collection two lion cubs on their way to be trained in the Coliseum
escape from their cage and are lost in the city. Marcus finds them and becomes their friend. Of
course, Nero is not happy about losing the cubs and tries to find them. What will they do? They
can't give the cubs back to Nero and they can't keep them. A plan finally comes together and they
find an answer but it won't be easy.
The Bible stories in this episode are the parable of the lost sheep, the healing of the deaf-mute,
and the widow's mite.
In "Captured" Cyrus becomes the slave of a wealthy businessman who wants to show off his
circus talents. Cyrus is treated very well and soon comes to be strongly tempted by the attention
of his new friends. What he doesn't know is that they are planning a slave revolt and he is soon
caught up in the middle. What will happen to him now?
The Bible stories in this episode are healing the Centurion's servant and the prodigal son.
"Trapped" is the final episode in this collection. Tacitus has a real problem. He is a Roman Soldier
who works in Nero's elite guard. Tacitus is also a Christian. For his birthday, Nero has made a
statue of himself and is demanding that everyone bow down and worship it. When Tacitus will not
do it he is thrown into prison and given one last opportunity to worship Nero or die. What will he
do? How will he escape? Ben and the children finally come up with a daring plan.
The Bible stories in this episode are when Jesus' transfiguration on the mountain, Jesus' entry into
Jerusalem, and the story of the evil tenants of the vineyard.
Spinal Manipulation Made Simple: A Manual of Soft Tissue Techniques
Jeffrey Maitland
North Atlantic Books
PO Box 12327, Berkeley, CA 94712
ISBN: 1556433522 $20.00
Most people are familiar with the spinal manipulations of Chiropractors and Osteopaths but most
are unfamiliar with somatic techniques and how they differ. Instead of quick movements to
"adjust" the back, it involves slower techniques designed to help the body to realign the vertebrae
correctly using its own natural actions and reactions. Jeffrey Maitland has thoroughly researched
the area of spinal manipulation and with the help of Chiropractors, Osteopaths, and Rolfers has
put together this text on techniques that can be understood by anyone. The book is designed for
those who want a better understanding of their back, how different problems originate, and how
to resolve those problems. This does not mean that you will never need to see an Osteopath or
Chiropractor, but you may be able to resolve many basic problems yourself. Of course you can't
work on your own back and so the techniques better enable you to help others. These are simple,
slow, safe, body aware techniques and that makes this a highly recommended book for anyone
who wants to understand the back, how it works, and how to live with theirs or those who want
to add additional techniques to their knowledge base.
If I'd Known Then What I Know Now
J. R. Parrish
Cypress House
155 Cypress Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
ISBN: 1879384493 $12.95
They say that the best way to learn to do anything is to learn at the feet of people who have done
it before. This way you learn all the tips and tricks and all the mistakes that can be avoided.
Author J. R. Parrish was raised in a house on a dirt street in Macon, Georgia. From these humble
beginnings he watched successful people and applied the rules of life that he learned from them.
Using these techniques he went from being a milkman to being a millionaire. Mr. Parrish did not
have a college education or any other of the advantages we commonly think of as necessary for
success. What he did have was this set of success secrets that he had garnered from other
successful men. Mr. Parrish attributes his success to following these secrets of finance, business,
investing, career, dating, marriage, school, and relationships.
The book is organized into five different age groups so the advice is appropriate for the priorities
of that age. This is a highly recommended book for everyone. I will be sure to be giving copies
away as appropriate graduation gifts for high school and college students.
A History of England from the Tudors to the Stuarts
Professor: Robert Bucholz
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
$TBA Format: CD, Audio, DVD, VHS
If you have ever wanted to get a concise, well organized education on the history of England
through the Tudors and the Stuarts you can't go wrong with this course. With detailed
information on the people, the politics, tradition, religion, and how all of it interacted to create a
major world power, nothing is left uncovered. Difficult and confusing relationships are laid bare
so you can easily follow along.
Unlike so many courses that quickly gloss over the day-to-day life of the time in favor of getting
to the lives of the royals, this course breathes life into the period at all levels. The royals, servants,
clerics and every other member of society are all examined so closely that they almost seem to
come to life. Professor Bucholz has an ability to make the listener feel for the concerns of the
people as they try desperately to make a living as tenant farmers, the protestants as they clash
with the Catholic church and vice versa, the king as he is pressured to have an heir even if the
queen is barren, and just about everyone else. You find yourself championing one position only to
be lead around to understand the opposite view and suddenly championing their side. The equal
treatment of all sides provides a clear understanding of all points of view.
Some of the areas covered by the lectures include The Land and Its People, Establishment of the
Tudor Dynasty, King Henry, Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth, Private Life of the Elite and of the
Commoners, Order and Disorder, Towns, Trade, and Colonization, Establishing the Stuart
Dynasty, Religion and Local Control, The Civil Wars, Cromwellian England, The Popish Plot and
Exclusion, Catholic Restoration, King William's War, Queen Anne, and a Hanoverian
Epilogue.
This is an extensive lecture series from a professor who obviously enjoys the subject area and it
shows. When you are done you will be able to take all those bits and pieces of English history that
you learned in school and put them into a consistent whole where you can understand what
happened and why. "A History of England from the Tudors to the Stuarts" is a very highly
recommended purchase for anyone interested in English history.
Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets
Steven M. Barrett
The Intrepid Traveler
PO Box 531, Branford, CT 06405
ISBN: 1887140441 $11.95
If you think there's nothing to do at Disney World except ride the same old rides and stand in the
same old lines then author Steven Barrett has a surprise for you. It seems that all around Disney
World there are lots of "hidden" Mickeys. From classic front profiles to side profiles they are
everywhere. For example, one of the ones you would never suspect is the shadow cast on the
ground from the railing in front of Cinderellas's castle. Hidden in maps, shadows, well placed
stones, or even table settings, once you get the hang of it you are sure to find lots of them. Some
of the ones in the book are a bit of a stretch and others are obvious once you know it. Once you
start looking for them you wonder why you've never noticed things the place setting in the
Haunted Mansion that makes a classic Mickey with the dinner dish and two side dishes for ears. I
even found a couple that were pretty easy to spot but not in the book (like a key against the wall
in Mickey's House).
Not only is the book a great guide on finding the hidden Mickeys but if you follow the suggested
itinerary it really minimizes the wait times in line. Mr. Barrett has done an excellent job of
suggesting how to go from ride to ride and the book is well worth the price just for that
information. We waited only 20 minutes in the longest line and generally waited less than ten.
In summary, it is a great twist on visiting Disney World, Epcot, MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom
and other Disney attractions and a recommended purchase for anyone heading to a Florida Disney
location.
Cardinal Rules of Advocacy
Douglas S. Lavine
National Institute for Trial Advocacy
Notre Dame Law School
Notre Dame, IN 46556
ISBN: 155681769X $55.95
Persuasive argumentation is a critical point of trial advocacy. Even the best legal argument with
the most solid logic is useless if it can't be used to persuade the judge or jury to your position.
"Cardinal Rules of Advocacy" presents the fundamental principles of persuasion in a clear and
easy to understand format. Some of the most important rules are making sure that you understand
your audience, tailoring your argument toward that specific audience, establish and enhance
credibility, thinking creatively before the trial, total preparation, reframing the issues, and
answering and posing questions. Chapter three is an excellent analysis of creative thinking for
presenting your case, fallacies, and appeals to emotions. This provides a good solid basis for an
argument which when coupled with the credibility and reframing the position produces a
persuasive communication. This is a highly recommended read for anyone who needs to persuade
others.
The Art of Persuasion
Forrest Watson, Ph.D.
Emerald Ink Publishing
9700 Almeda Genoa #502, Houston, TX 77075
ISBN: 1885373465 $19.95
"The Art of Persuasion" is specifically geared toward sales persuasion. Although most of the
information could be used in other situations where you find the need to influence others this is
not the primary focus. On the other hand, if you want to be a better sales person, if you want
customer loyalty and satisfaction, if you want to prevent "buyers remorse", or find yourself in
need of any other sales related influencing techniques this may be just what you are looking
for.
The book is laid out like a workbook so you can practice what you are learning. It has one of the
best sections I have seen on building rapport and choosing words that the other person can
quickly identify with. It also has a fine section on how to elicit the appropriate information from
the prospect in order to help them get the value they need from a purchase.
"The Art of Persuasion" is well organized and presents the information in an easy to understand,
and more importantly easy to implement manner. It is a recommended purchase for anyone in the
sales related field.
Harold McFarland
Reviewer
Harwood's Bookshelf
Mortalism: Readings on the Meaning of Life
Peter Heinegg, editor
Prometheus
ISBN 1591020425 $23.00
Mortalism, defined as acceptance of the reality that there is no pie in the sky when you die, that
what you see is what you get, "has been the burden of almost the entire Old Testament." (p. 9)
In the words of a popular British comedian: "Not many people know that." Certainly organized
religion intentionally suppresses the reality that the entire Tanakh, or Old Testament, with the
exception of five books by Pharisees, was written by henotheists who believed in the existence of
many gods, but did not believe in life after death. Yet having made what should have been his
most telling point, Heinegg limits his chapter on the Bible to less than five pages. While he cites a
Torah passage showing that its author saw Abraham's death at 175 as the absolute end of his
existence, he limited his biblical quotes to Job and Ecclesiastes apparently unaware that all
Sadducee authors rejected the new-fangled afterlife concept introduced into Judaism by osmosis
from Zoroastrianism.
Heinegg acknowledges that the earliest book written by an afterlifer was Daniel, which he
correctly dates to the second century BCE, but of the Sadducee books he says, "they likely come
from some time after the Exile (587-538 B.C.E.)" In fact all Sadducee books were written later
than 250 BCE, but since all Jews were doctrinal Sadducees until the genesis of the Pharisees, the
accurate dating of Daniel is more relevant. Of all Sadducee books Proverbs, I Maccabees, Job,
Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus, Song of Songs, Wisdom, 1 Esdras the most definitive line is the one
Heinegg does quote, Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 (p. 20), "For the living know that they will die, but the
dead know nothing, and they have no more reward; but the memory of them is lost. Their love
and their hate and their envy have already perished, and they have no more for ever any share in
all that is done under the sun."
Heinegg's failure to quote the Sadducees and their biblical predecessors at greater length is
unfortunate, because the poets he does quote, from Homer to Shakespeare and beyond, may well
have been mortalists, but the excerpts by no means make that clear. Even Andrew Marvell's To
His Coy Mistress, while deploring rejection of pleasure in the here-and-now, carries no
implication that life after death is a fantasy. Of Marcus Aurelius, Heinegg declares (p. 57) that
"much of what he says is perfectly consistent with mortalism." True, but it is also not inconsistent
with the fear that perhaps death was not the end of existence.
If Heinegg was trying to show that mortalism was the prominent philosophy of generations of
major thinkers, I have to conclude that, while he may be right, his attempt to prove the point is a
dismal failure. Except as a possible text for a survey course in world literature, this book serves
no useful purpose whatsoever.
The Jesus The Jews Never Knew: Sepher Toldoth Yeshu and the Quest of the Historical Jesus In
Jewish Sources
Frank R. Zindler
American Atheist Press
P.O. Box 5733, Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733
ISBN 1578849160 $20.00
Zindler's introduction, in which he summarized the evidence that, "We can be certain that the
miracle-working Jesus described in the New Testament never existed," struck me as kicking a
dead horse. Other than the unlearned masses, only the most mindless, braindead, fundamentalist,
incurable moral cowards continue to believe that the Jesus who performed the impossibilities
described in the gospels was something other than a literary creation plagiarized from myths that
were already 3,000 years old in the year dot. And I resent Zindler's description of historians
whose examination of the evidence led them to conclude that the Jesus myths were grafted onto
the biography of a historical nobody, historians at least as competent as Zindler, as "apologists." I
would like nothing better than to agree that there was no historical Jesus, even a figurehead whom
Paul of Tarsus conscripted as the posthumous Anointed One of a gentile religion that the
conscripted Jew would have repudiated. But historians attach more significance to negative
evidence than do persons trained in some other discipline. The testimony of the earliest Christian
apologists, and even the gospels, shows Jesus to have been such an unattractive person, basically
a stunted, misshapen psychopath who proclaimed a war of independence and lost, that no
mythmaker in his right mind would have invented such a monster, at least not as a hero. (see A
Humanist in the Bible Belt, pp. 72-74)
But that is a minor point. Competent biblical scholars are almost evenly divided on the question of
whether there was ever an executed Jewish rebel known as Jesus the Nazirite (not "of Nazareth"),
and Zindler's siding with the no-such-person school is far from indefensible. And Zindler's
examination of alleged references to Jesus in Josephus and other early non-Christian writers is
detailed and thorough.
Zindler similarly does a thorough job of demolishing the pretence that passages in the Talmud
support the existence of a historical Jesus, although he goes beyond the evidence when he
contends that references to "Ben Pandera" did not refer to Jesus. He shows that such passages
post-date the virgin-birth interpolations in the gospels, and as reactions to such myths, do not
constitute independent corroboration of anything but the existence of Christian beliefs not
necessarily related to a real person. But he seems unaware that huios pantheros (son of a panther)
was a transparent pun on huios parthenos (son of a virgin), a strong indication that Ben Pandera
was intended to mean Jesus. (see Mythology's Last Gods, p. 330) And while recognizing that the
Talmud mentioned two Jesuses, he does not reach the conclusion that those entries, being written
long afterward, confused the execution of Jesus the Nazirite by Pontius Pilatus with the execution
of Jesus the Essene by Alexander Jannaeus, and imagined that they were the same man. (MLG,
pp. 232, 246)
In a forty-page chapter that he considerately identifies as an "Excursus," Zindler demolishes the
pretence that Talmudic references to "Balaam" refer to Jesus, an exercise comparable to using a
sledgehammer to squash an ant. I had not previously encountered such a hypothesis. In fact I
interpret the name "Balaam" in Revelation 2:14 as a reference to Paul. (MLG, p. 318)
Zindler reports (p. 268) that, when American Atheist Press reprinted Foote and Wheeler's 1885
translation of the Sepher Toldoth Yeshu, Madelyn Murray O'Hair's introduction stated that,
"American Atheist Press was flooded with angry letters and telephone calls from Jewish listeners
who denied that the Toldoth was a Jewish work at all, insisting that it was instead a medieval
Christian forgery." Since the definitive refutation of that hypothesis is that the Toldoth was
quoted by Tertullian, Origen and Jerome, clearly fundamentalist Jews are as unteachable as
fundamentalist Christians. Zindler shows that the Toldoth, like Christian doctrine, was an evolving
compilation that ended up quite different from the way it had begun. As early as the seventh or
eighth century there was already a Toldoth Minor, an abridgement that Zindler does not include in
his appendices. The Toldoth Proper is included in two versions, one of which dates Jesus to the
time of Tiberias, and the other to the time of Jannaeus.
The Toldoth Yeshu is best described as an anti-gospel, an unauthorized biography of the Christian
figurehead written before he was deified in the fourth gospel. Its author was a Jewish satirist who,
unlike the gospel authors, neither wanted nor expected anyone to mistake it for
nonfiction although Talmud authors did exactly that. It is more imaginative and absurd than the
synoptic gospels, but not more so than Christian documents that did not make it into the Christian
cannon, such as the Acts of Peter. To persons who do not grasp that it was satire, written to
ridicule the ridiculous, it certainly seems viciously anti-Christian. One can therefore understand
why modern Jews would like to believe it was the same kind of Christian forgery as the Protocols
of the Elders of Zion. But it was not.
The Jesus the Jews Never Knew started out as a reprinting of Toldoth Yeshu, but by the time
Zindler had completed the research necessary to write a meaningful introduction, it had evolved
into the most complete analysis of the evidence for the historicity of Jesus currently available. It
can be recommended to both persons who agree with Zindler's conclusions, and those who accept
my finding that there really was a historical Jesus, a nobody who did nothing, who was promoted
into a somebody by Paul and a miracle worker by the anonymous author of Mark, and was finally
deified by the anonymous author of John. And it can be ignored by theologians at their peril.
Did Adam And Eve Have Navels? Debunking Pseudoscience
Martin Gardner
Norton & Co
500 Fifth Avenue, NY 10110
ISBN 0-393-04963-9 $14.95
I have never encountered a book by Martin Gardner I didn't like. Nonetheless, I continue to have
a problem with his inability to look at religion with the same skeptical eye that enables him to
reach only conclusions compatible with the evidence in every other contrary-to-fact belief system.
But if long-time friends could not satisfy him that gods and other metaphysical concepts are just
as dependent on the veracity of a fantasy novel that says the earth is flat and donkeys can talk, as
the anti-science hogwash such as creationism that he does reject, perhaps it cannot be done.
Among the religious absurdities that Gardner demolishes, in addition to the hardcore creationists'
rationalization of a retroactive creation by a god that planted false evidence of a very old universe,
are Intelligent Design, reincarnation, and the Star of Bethlehem. Gardner cites the conjunction of
Jupiter and Venus in 2 BCE as the most credible candidate for the latter. But he recognizes the
reality that, "Surely the simplest explanation of Matthew's account is that both the Star and the
Magi belong among the many gospel legends that have no factual basis." (p. 46) On ID and
reincarnation, he settles for citing the definitive debunkings previously published.
Gardner's belief in an undefined but nonetheless imaginary playmate called "God" prevents him
from recognizing Stephen Jay Gould's delusion that science and religion are Non-Overlapping
Magisteria (NOMA) that can somehow both be true as bovine excrement. NOMA is already
showing signs of destroying Gould's reputation for competence and rationality that it took him
years to build. I can only pray to the Great Pumpkin, the Tooth Fairy, and all the host of Cloud
Cuckoo Land, that Gardner's clinging to a "God" theory does not have the same effect. For like
NOMA, "God" is not merely incompatible with everything else its proponent has ever written; it is
internally inconsistent. For if, as Gardner agrees, there is no Intelligent Design, no divine
intervention, and no immortal soul capable of surviving physical death so that it can be reborn in
another body, what is there left for "God" to do? Asked why God was not mentioned in his
works, Laplace informed Napoleon, "I have no need for that hypothesis." Since he has never used
it to bolster any other conclusion, I suggest that neither has Gardner.
"We know from polls how ignorant the general public is about science. Almost half of all adults in
the United States believe in astrology and in angels and demons, and that we are being observed
by aliens in UFOs who frequently abduct humans. More than half believe that evolution is an
unverified theory . I found that the evidence for evolution was as overwhelming as the 'theory'
that the earth goes around the sun." (pp. 2-3) When whole populations can remain that ignorant in
the face of the information given to them by persons of the stature of Martin Gardner, Isaac
Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen Jay Gould, and the publishers of the journals in which these
essays first appeared, the human race's chances of surviving the attempted anthropocide of the
enforcers of ignorance do not look promising.
Gardner devotes a whole chapter to the attempts to harness a kind of perpetual motion called
Zero Point Energy by Harold Puttoff, whose past endorsements of Scientology, Uri Geller,
remote viewing, Helena Blavatsky, Annie Besant, and using precognition to win at roulette, give
other cranks a bad name. The analogy that comes to mind is using a sledgehammer to crush an
ant. His chapter on Sigmund Freud may prove more useful, since belief in that ridiculous quack's
masturbation fantasies is crumbling far too slowly.
As with Gardner's previous essay collections, not every chapter will interest every reader. I have
long considered Puttoff a dead issue that refuses to get itself buried. Only undiminishing anger at
his Barnum-like ability to find new marks to finance his alleged research into discredited nonsense
kept me reading the whole chapter. The reflexology and urine therapy chapters I barely skimmed.
Such pseudomedicine is quackery. End of discussion. (That is also Gardner's conclusion, in case
anyone is wondering.)
"Northern blacks scored higher on Army Air Force intelligence tests than southern whites." (pp.
8-9) While that information confirms a hypothesis I put forth in The Beloved Disciple and the
House of Hippo (pp. 307-309), not until I saw it here was I aware that my theorizing was
established fact.
In his chapter, "Is Cannibalism a Myth?" Gardner gives a cautious endorsement to a theory of
anthropology first widely disseminated in a book by William Arens in 1979, that cultural
cannibalism does not exist today and has never existed in the past. He concludes, "Not being an
anthropologist, I hesitate to take sides in this acrimonious controversy, though my sympathies at
the moment are with Arens." (p. 141) I interpret the myth of Tantalus as preserving a distorted
memory of a Greek king who fed the flesh of a sacred king, that only priestesses were permitted
to eat, to non-initiates. But as Arens agrees, specialized circumstances led to aberrant behavior. In
principle, my sympathies are also with Arens.
I must correct a minor but not insignificant error in Gardner's chapter on the Wandering Jew. The
Christian gospels reported Jesus as saying, "There are some standing here, which shall not taste
death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (p. 274, not identified as such, but
presumably the King James Version) After demonstrating in spades that that unfulfillable
prophecy triggered the Wandering Jew myth, Gardner states (p. 281), "that the Galilean carpenter
turned preacher did indeed believe that he would soon return to earth in glory, but was mistaken."
Jesus indeed believed that his prophecy would be fulfilled in a matter of weeks at the outside, but
not that it would involve any "return to earth." He did not predict any second coming, since he
was incapable of believing that he could ever die, certainly not before he had overthrown the
Roman occupation and been crowned king of an independent Judea. And the following chapter,
on the alleged Second Coming, may be the unanswerable proof that persons who continue to
forecast a second coming on even an approximate date are not sparking on all neurons..
The chapter about a paper by a physicist, published by a "leading journal of cultural studies" (p.
144), that was written as a hoax to demonstrate that such publications had no ability to recognize
blatant gibberish, would have provided the final proof if any were needed that the disciplines
known as social sciences, typified by "postmodernism" and sociobiology, have as much validity as
tealeaf reading.
In his chapter on the Internet, Gardner quotes from H. G. Wells' World Brain. He writes (p. 156)
"We can forgive Wells for not anticipating computers. Change 'projector' to 'computer' in the
above passage and Wells's vision is surprisingly accurate." Then in what I consider the most
optimistic note in the whole book, he writes, "Great efforts have been squandered in the past on
research that duplicated work done years before but which was unknown to the rediscoverers.
Today, such wasteful duplications are unlikely to occur because scientists can turn on search
engines and quickly track down previously published reports." What is so promising about that
trend, assuming that it continues as Gardner foresees, is that the evidence that has disproven
religion for a century and a half will eventually be brought together on the Internet in such
quantity and quality that all but the most intransigent incurables will find it impossible to ignore.
There will always be incurables, but the overwhelming majority of religion addicts are simply
ignorant of the evidence. The Internet may make it impossible to maintain the delusion that such
ignorance is unintentional. (No criticism of Gardner should be inferred here. Belief in "God" does
not constitute belief in religion, and only the latter has been the cause of ninety percent of all
man-made evil for at least three thousand years.)
Gardner ends his book with philosophical speculations on "Science and the Unknowable." On the
question of whether, if the human race still exists in 100 million years, it will know everything
there is to know, he echoes the conclusion of Hugo Gernsback, (p. 310), "The human race will be
just as far from the end of knowledge as we are now."
The Bible Fraud
Tony Bushby
Joshua Books
sales@joshuabooks.com
ISBN 0957900716 $16.00
According to Tony Bushby, the Christian religion began with the illegitimate birth in Rome of
Yeshu'a and his twin brother Judas to Mariamne Herod. If that theory sounds familiar, it is
because it was plagiarized from Robert Graves' novel, King Jesus. In historical novels, the most
improbable speculation is legitimate, provided only that it is not known beyond doubt that this is
not what really happened. On that basis, Graves book cannot be faulted. But as a theory of
history, no biblical scholar has ever taken Graves' imaginings seriously, for the logical reason that
there is no evidence whatsoever to support them.
Now Tony Bushby has followed the precedent set by Joseph Smith, who found an unpublished
historical novel by Solomon Spalding and rewrote it into the semblance of nonfiction under the
name, The Book of Mormon. Bushby has rewritten Graves' undisciplined fantasizing as an alleged
reconstruction of real events. Other analogies that come to mind are Emmanuel Velikovsky, Eric
von D„niken, and The Chariots of Ezekiel, that all tried to pass off mushroom fantasies as
reality.
This book is unmitigated drivel.
William Harwood
Reviewer
Henrietta's Bookshelf
Honor Bound
Sandra Brown
Thorndike Press
PO Box 159, Thorndike, ME 04486
ISBN 0786242051 $31.95
Lucas Greywolf is a dark-skinned half-breed in prison for a crime some say he didn't commit with
only a short time to go before he is released. Upon learning that his grandfather is dying, he asks
permission to visit the old man. This request is denied, so he decides to escape and go anyway, to
pay his last respects to the man who had raised him from birth.
Aislinn Andrews is a blue-eyed blonde middle-class Anglo who owns her own photo studio and
lives alone in a condo just outside Scottsdale, Arizona. She comes home one night to find Lucas
Greywolf in her kitchen, raiding her refrigerator.
The relationship between these two dissimilar characters and the significant others in their lives is
skillfully explored by Sandra Brown in Honor Bound, a novel she wrote in 1986 under the
pseudonym Erin St. Clair.
Lucas commandeers Aislinn's car and takes her with him as hostage. They are mostly hostile
toward each other. She keeps trying to escape; he keeps threatening her with bodily harm. At the
same time, however, they are physically attracted to each other, and both have a hard time
resisting the proverbial urge to merge as they make their way through the desert to their final
destination, a hogan on the reservation where Lucas joins his mother, Alice Greywolf, and Dr.
Gene Dexter in comforting the old man during his last hours.
Aislinn is touched by this family affair and begins to soften her attitude toward Lucas. After the
old man dies, Lucas climbs a nearby mountain to mourn and vent his emotions Indian-style.
Aislinn follows to comfort him, and they end up on the ground in an orgy of pure lust - an event
neither of them will forget anytime soon. The thrill doesn't last long, though, because the law has
come to take Lucas back to prison.
After his release from prison ten months later, Lucas visits Aislinn and discovers that he has
fathered a child. At first, he demands full custody, but when Aislinn refuses, he suggests marriage
instead. Aislinn doesn't like that idea, either, because she doesn't think it would be in her best
interest or the child's. She changes her mind, though, after her stuffed-shirt parents declare that
they will never accept the child.
"Do you still want me to marry you?"
"For our son's sake, yes."
"Will you be a good, loving father to Tony?"
"I swear it."
"And to me? What kind of husband can I expect you to be?"
"You are the mother of my son. I'll treat you with the respect that deserves."
"You have frightened me on numerous occasions. I don't want to live in fear of you."
"I would never harm you. I swear it on the body of my grandfather, Joseph Greywolf."
"All right, Lucas Greywolf, I'll marry you."
The struggle of these two central characters to understand themselves and each other and to deal
with their unique situation in which they find themselves is what makes this book work. Without
it, Honor Bound would be just another romance featuring torrid love scenes. But this is no
ordinary love story. Lucas and Aislinn come from different worlds and have misguided notions of
what life is like 'on the other side'. The more they get to know each other, the more they realize
that 'those people' are just as human as they are, with all that that entails. Some reviewers have
said that Lucas teaches Aislinn about honor and love, but I think Aislinn teaches Lucas just as
much as he teaches her.
May There Be a Road
Louis L'Amour
Random House Large Print
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN: 0375431071 $16.95
By the time he died in 1988, Louis L'Amour had published ninety novels, 23 short story
collections, two works of non-fiction, a memoir, and a book of poetry. After he died, his family
published two more short story collections containing both unpublished and previously published
works written fairly early in his career.
May There Be a Road was published in 2001, and includes the following short stories:
Friend of a Hero
May There Be a Road
Fighter's Fiasco
The Cactus Kid
Making It the Hard Way
The Hand of Kuan-yin
Red Butte Showdown
The Ghost Fighter
Wings over Brazil
The Vanished Blonde
There's also an Afterword by Beau L'Amour, which contains background information on some of
the stories plus personal comments on his father's writing career, and a brief biography at the end
of the book.
Only two stories - Red Butte Showdown and The Cactus Kid - are westerns in true L'Amour
tradition. The others utilize a variety of settings from the jungles of Brazil (Wings Over Brazil) to
the mountains of Tibet (May There Be a Road) to contemporary California (Friend of a Hero and
The Vanished Blonde). Three are about the prizefighting game - Fighter's Fiasco, Making It The
Hard Way, and The Ghost Fighter - and one (The Hand of Kuan-yin) is about a private detective
in Hawaii. All are excellent examples of L'Amour's legendary storytelling technique: create some
believable characters, put them into some kind of troubled situation, add appropriate background
information, then wrap it all up in a series of hard-hitting action scenes.
L'Amour's writing style is crisp and clear, and always directly on point. His characters all know
right from wrong, good always triumphs over evil, and crime really doesn't pay. These basic moral
values are not preached, but flow naturally from the narrative as L'Amour moves his readers from
one scene to the next and on to the climax of each story.
The longer, more exotic stories are the best, in my opinion, because L'Amour takes more time to
describe the physical settings, develop more complicated plots and create more interesting
characters. My favorite is, of course, the title story, May There Be a Road, and I wish it had been
the first story in the book. It is an exciting tale of Tibetan peasants resisting Chinese aggression
and might have made a great movie had it been published at the time it was written in 1960.
May There Be a Road is a good book for anyone interested in Louis L'Amour. A good beginning
for beginners who may never have heard of him, a nostalgic look back for faithful fans. It might
have been even better if the publishers had annotated the Table of Contents with brief publication
notes. This would have been useful for readers wishing to track changes in L'Amour's writing
style chronologically.
Henrietta K. Thomas
Reviewer
Hodgins' Bookshelf
The Penguin Man
Harvey Sawler
General Store Publishing House
Box 28, 1694B, Burnstown Road, Burnstown, ON, K0J 1G0 Canada
ISBN 1894263413 price Can.$24.95; 291 pp.
This third-person story, although set in Massachusetts, USA, was written and published by
Canadians. As there seems no compelling sociological or literary reason for that split, my guess is
that economics had something to do with it. In raw statistical terms and disregarding contrasts in
reading habits or the like, the US market is about nine times the Canadian one; hence, I presume,
the pitch for American interest. I may however be quite mistaken, given that no US price is stated
on the book.
"The Penguin Man" isn't divided into formally labelled chapters, but rather by boldface subtitles
scattered through the text. Perhaps the technique may be called "experimental writing" - often
considered a Good Thing - but I find it no improvement. It's easy to know which direction to turn
pages, when you know you want Chapter 14 but find you're at Chapter 12. How does it help you
reach the "Pee Stains" section, though, if you find yourself at "A Kitchen Party"? Nor is there a
Table of Contents.
For a time I wondered whether "The Penguin Man" (no relation to the publisher) might be
classifiable as capital-L Literature, but in my admittedly inexpert opinion, by a fairly narrow
margin it misses owing to a slow accumulation in memory of minor errors and infelicitous
phrases. More attentive editing might have cured such perceived "faults", but it's possible that
being described as a Literary work might have been the kiss of death for the book's sales,
academic prose not being very popular.
It takes a rather long time for the title "Penguin Man" character to appear. Meantime we are
entertained by people not connected with penguins, but by a specific address: 4 Fenwick Terrace,
Lowell, Mass.
Sawler writes, "Fenwick Terrace occupied half a city block, a long, two-story, ten-unit shared
wall brick structure, one in a series of plain row tenements that were built at the heart of `God's
Holy Acre,' as it was known, serving originally as boarding houses for mid-nineteenth-century
Irish labourers, who were among the first to work in Lowell's mills."
That complex sentence is part of a six-page Prologue featuring a working-class family of
McCarthys who inhabited that dwelling until the witty, but drink sodden, ultimately hopeless pater
familias runs away from his wife and children in December 1941. The date places the described
events about two weeks after Pearl Harbor, although that notable attack isn't mentioned. (This
and such Canadian spellings as "labourers" seem the chief factors revealing the story as not fully
American; by Pearl Harbor, Canadians had been at war for 2 1/4 years and bad war news was
"normal".)
Then comes Part I - 1974, a far longer (80 pages) narrative. A different but again dismal Roman
Catholic Irish family now lives at the given address, although fairly soon the scene shifts to a
neighbouring town of Dracut, at the edge of which grandmother C.J. runs a tumbledown
speakeasy, where nearly anything violent and/or illegal may occur.
Again there are some very rough edges. The new story is generally reminiscent of the late Al
Capp's cartoon series, "Li'l Abner", which was set in hillbilly Dogpatch. The tale's bootlegging,
speakeasy-owning, boozy grandmother C.J. is compared in the book itself to Capp's "Mammy
Yokum" character, without the hat and corncob pipe (C.J. favours cigarettes.) Under her
influence there's entirely too much boozing, mayhem, and unprotected non-marital sex - her
excuse being that, as a young girl, she'd been extensively abused for sex by her own father.
We meet three "Yokum"-style generations, most of them more or less promiscuous women
although with the exception of sweetly innocent, tragic five-year old Kathleen who, nonetheless,
is subjected to endless foul (that is, obscene - there's little profanity) language by her elders.
The male exceptions are Myles, a pre-adolescent boy who is C.J.'s grandson and Kathleen's
brother; and his Uncle Sully (short for Sullivan), again a heavy drinker who calls his '67 luxury car
"Jack the Cadillac". Sully is rather a ne'er-do-well, an ex-con who likes nothing better than
swilling multiple beers while driving. Nonetheless he is a kindly soul, probably the best of the bad
lot of adults whom Sawler imagines in Part I.
Myles chances to earn the enmity of his wild-eyed, sadistic, often drunken, and supposedly crazed
but above all crafty and violent grandmother; he experiences such punishments by her as being
driven to the other end of town, forced out into the night wearing only a t-shirt, and left to fend
for himself; being thrust into an unfamiliar, horrifyingly pitch-dark cellar under threats that "the
man under the stairs" would come and get him; and having his balls squeezed to enforce
compliance with the hag's orders (her favourite tactic against women being hair-pulling, whereas
ear-pinching/pulling works for her on both genders).
Thus the boy is dreadfully - in fact criminally, were it not for the grand-dame's probable success in
entering an insanity plea - abused, and his sisters fare little better, but somehow C.J. gets away
with that behaviour as well as with her illicit alcohol-centred enterprise.
It's unclear to me why there should have been "bootlegging", in view of the dictionary definitions
that it is (a) the smuggling of alcohol, or (b) its illegal production and sale. Prohibition had not
returned to the States; there was no shortage of domestic alcohol. What granny C.J. in fact did
suits neither of the foregoing definitions, for she was legally buying booze at a local outlet and
reselling it - no doubt at marked up prices - from and within her rackety, rickety, smoky, often
overcrowded, always unsavoury kitchen.
Given that legal saloons also existed, why on earth would anyone choose to hoist the same drinks
in C.J.'s filthy kitchen? Possibly for the ambience and the company or, in some cases, to get
service outside the legal drinking hours; perhaps also to escape detection by concerned family
members; even to enjoy the self-destructive feeling of dangerous living. The freedom to drink,
smoke, and curse as hard as you liked, to be as dissipated as you might wish, must have attracted
some. Many combinations of such factors were possible, indeed likely, among a diverse
clientele.
At all events, C.J. finally pushed Myles a step too far, and the story takes a disastrous turn as Part
I draws to an end.
Amid the foregoing horror there has however been a flickering portent of better things to come. A
potential love interest has developed for Myles, still too young for deep emotional attachments
though both he and his lonely young miss now are. His present life could scarcely be worse, but
here at least shines a ray of hope for the future. It seems however to disappear, like so much else,
in the disaster mentioned above.
Part II - 1977 begins with Myles as an inmate of the Massachusetts Correctional Institute (MCI)
Shirley Complex. He is sometimes visited by a priest, but little good does that do a boy whose
past experiences have taught him to loathe priests on sight. At the age of 12, then, Myles seems a
hardened jailbird. Even kindly Uncle Sully has trouble drawing him out.
I've been trying not to reveal key aspects of the story, but the ice is growing thinner and thinner
under me. As we're not yet one-third through the book, though, ending my summation here
should indicate the sort of book this is, while leaving the greater part of it untold.
No, I have not suppressed identification of the title "Penguin Man". He simply has not yet been
introduced by the novel's author.
About Sawler, we learn at the back of this book that he "began as a writer and journalist". Given
the absence of references to other books, "The Penguin Man" would appear to be his first
(published) novel. The work proves he can bring it off with considerable style, though, and one
hopes he will continue to do so - as he may well have done in the two years since this volume's
publication, in fact. These days, getting one's first book published can be among the most difficult
achievements imaginable, but a single success may open the door reasonably wide to
follow-ups.
It's an eye-opener to see a quasi-American work being published by General Store Publishing
House, which I'd mistakenly thought still to be a regional Ottawa Valley publisher, albeit with
additional lines of military works and publications on other topics, including even cookbooks.
Neither Massachusetts nor Sawler's home turf of Atlantic Canada lies near Ottawa Valley
territory, after all; I place Burnstown, Ont. and Lowell, Mass. about 520 km or 325 mi. apart, as
the crow flies.
One needs to keep up to date, though. In its Website, GSPH now clearly states it has transcended
its former limits, with something like 500 works now published. My error!
"Humans" - Book Two of a science-fiction trilogy, 'The Neanderthal Parallax'
Robert J. Sawyer
Tor Books
Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue, New York
ISBN 0312876912; US$24.95, Can$34.95; 384 pp. incl. author notes
Apologies to those who may be adversely affected by the unavailability (to me) for review
purposes of "Hominids", the first book of this trilogy. Yet although it reveals a flaw in the system,
it's probably not unusual for a reader to begin with a middle book in a series such as this. When a
reviewer happens to do the same, then, there is the advantage of discovering how well or
otherwise the previous volume(s) are summed up, by way of scene-setting to "bring the new
reader up to speed".
In this book, the uninitiated reader's introduction to its naturally somewhat bizarre "science
fiction" subject matter strikes me as quite casual, comparable to leaving him or her to pick up the
threads of a film that's already been in progress for some time before one's arrival at the theatre.
However, much of the tale occurs in reasonably familiar settings that probably won't bewilder
readers of enough sophistication to imagine, say, the Northern Ontario largely-industrial town of
Sudbury.
Author Sawyer postulates two closely similar realities. One is our own Earth, inhabited by six
billion modern humans; the other is a planet that's home to only 185 million Neanderthal people of
roughly equal intelligence to our own. Those others have however practised eugenics by
"purging" their gene pool at some time apparently long past, ridding themselves specifically of
dangerous and violent tendencies. Theirs is a planet virtually without strife, in sharp contrast to
ours.
Their home environment also is much less polluted than ours, in part because its inhabitants' large
noses are much more sensitive than ours, making them abhor stench-producing activities. They
thus have a far clearer night sky, strongly illuminated by their version of the aurora borealis -
although Northern Canada, apparently including the Sudbury region, also has vast quantities of
clear air (or so says the book).
"Neanderthal" is German for the Neander Valley, a site near Du"sseldorf where, in 1856, the
remains of an early hominid were found. Note: the German "Thal" = the Scandinavian "dal" = the
English dale, vale, or valley.
That other world and ours separated, around 40,000 years ago, as geographical and geological
duplicates, so that the "same" places can be picked out on the maps of both, although such place
pairs have different names - e.g., with our Africa corresponding to The Neanderthal World's
"Ranilass". (Although landmasses and locations around the globe(s) may be identically constituted
yet differently named, by some incredible coincidence both planets appear to be named "Earth".)
However, the two populations involved have behaved differently - not surprisingly, for they are of
two separate although related species - and have had different impacts on the two separate
globes.
The degree of likeness between the planets is remarkable. For instance on both, the skull of an
early hominid named Lucy has been found; nonetheless, our Lucy's skull has suffered more
erosional damage than the other has, perhaps as an indirect result of the differing behaviours of
Homo sapiens, on one the hand, and of Homo neanderthalensis, on the other.
It appears in the early parts of "Humans" that the new link opened between those parallel worlds
(in fact, between parallel universes which CONTAIN those worlds - but these concepts emerge
only slowly and sporadically) was established in the first volume, "Hominids". From the human
perspective that linkage, or "portal" as the Neanderthalers put it, involves the Sudbury Neutrino
Observatory, a scientific facility located deep in the workings of Sudbury's Creighton nickel mine;
at least, that is where the first Neanderthaler accidentally arrived in "Hominids", on the occasion
of the portal's first, surprise opening. In the process, he has nearly drowned in a great research
tank of heavy water or deuterium oxide.
Neutrinos are tiny subatomic particles whose study requires an absolutely immaculate
environment shielded by very deep burial to screen out stray particles and manifestations which
might only confuse test results. Deep burial is where the mine comes in.
At the opposite end of the link or portal, in their home planet the Neanderthal society likewise has
its connection deeply buried in a nickel mine of its own.
Without having read "Hominids", my original guess was that interplanetary transportation must be
by neutrinos, postulated to work rather like the "Beam me up, Scotty" process in "Star Trek".
However, we learn on page 30 that the portal has been opened and is controlled by the
Neanderthalers by means of their highly advanced "quantum computer". It appears that their
computer, aided by others it controls in still other parallel universes, creates and controls the
process, not a clutch of mindless subatomic particles. (I perceive a sort of oxymoron here, for
"universe" means "all existing things", and "all" means ALL. It's simple; there just cannot be more
than one true universe. If Sawyer had instead said "parallel galaxies", no such logical objection
would have arisen.)
In at least some ways, then, the imagined Neanderthal culture (or at least their technology) is in
advance of ours; moreover, each person carries an embedded Companion, somewhat analogous to
the latest wireless electronic devices that we thus far have been shrunk only to pocket size, but
Companions have almost unlimited memory capacities.
In fact Sawyer's other planet seems rather utopian if overly regulated, but perhaps that's a
common tendency in works of science fiction; I haven't studied enough of them to say.
Is the Neanderthal practice of eugenics "evil", though? It doesn't seem to have had any but
positive results, in any case. For instance, long ago one war was fought on their planet, but none
since. Then, a total of something over 700 people were killed, which we have managed vastly to
exceed, doing so time after time after time. Even a single-ship sinking or the like can cost that
order of lives.
Also, Neanderthalers can now roam anyplace unarmed and unworried. Thus, in this book, they
are enormously shocked, dismayed and amazed when Ponter, their first to reach our Earth, is shot
and seriously injured on a sidewalk of New York, during a diplomatic visit to UN
Headquarters.
How, then, do they hold their population in check in the absence of the life wastage caused by
war and violent crime? You might say it's all done at the source of their fertility. Although they
have sex, pregnancies result only at ten-year intervals.
Cultural contrasts between these different, if related, hominid species from separate planets are, of
course, both numerous and notable. As further examples, Neanderthalers count their ages by
so-called generations, perhaps after some unstated event; for instance, accidental explorer Ponter
Boddit is of the 145th generation, and so he may say of himself, "I'm a 145." (Also, where we
speak of elapsed time in years, the Neanderthaler does so in months - possibly the lunar month,
with a hint that on that other planet a month may mean 25 days. Moreover, the closest equivalent
to our hours is their "daytenth", of unstated duration by our measures.)
The Neanderthal "generation" refers to the carefully managed 10-year breeding cycle as already
mentioned, in which sisters who are now 8 and 18 years old are reckoned to be a "generation"
apart; there is no implication that the elder "begat" the younger, as in our usage of the word,
"generation".
Whatever the event at the beginning of that age reckoning system, then, it must have occurred
only 1450 years before Ponter's birth - and because our onetime Neanderthal neighbours on this
planet have been extinct for much longer than that, such an event occurred long after our two
Earths are postulated to have separated.
In "Hominids", the Sawyer trilogy's first volume, the chunkily crude-looking, hairy, Neanderthal
male scientist, Ponter, has met and been mutually attracted to the graceful, smooth-skinned
Human (or, in Neanderthalese, the "Gliksin") female scientist, Mary - although their acquaintance
has all too soon been interrupted before the second volume's commencement, as a result of
Ponter's recall to his own reality by his manager (see further, below). The fact that Ponter and
Mary have had no real tryst seems sheer accident.
Mary might have had difficulty with a fact we eventually learn, that each Neanderthaler pairs with
both a man-mate and a woman-mate. In this second volume she already seems "cool with it",
though, not being poached upon, but actually being the poacher.
Ponter is thus bisexual. Even in his heterosexual phase, moreover, he has a woman-mate more or
less awaiting him on his home planet. For all that, he and Mary seem to have a real thing going for
each other.
We meet other Neanderthalers too, of course, e.g. the "personality sculptor" who plays the role of
Ponter's psychiatrist, mentor and manager. One cannot however call him Ponter's "father
confessor"; Neanderthalers, as imagined here, have no indigenous concept of God, and no
religion. It's not that they're atheists or agnostics by choice or conviction, but they just have never
experienced a revelation, a need, or even a thought of any Supreme Being - another of the many
cultural difference mentioned earlier. Yet when Ponter purposely revisits our earth (his first arrival
here in "Hominids" was accidental) in this second volume, Ponter and his new friend Mary
discover that difference between them. Ponter is now forced to take a doubting, de-facto atheistic
position which Mary slowly wears down.
The real, prehistoric Neanderthalers whose remains have been discovered on Earth were
obviously Earth-creatures, Du"sseldorf being very much a part of terra firma or the palpable
world we inhabit today. The process by which those other hominids are supposed to have "hived
off" in a separate world whilst their kind died out here is unclear, but after all, "science fiction" is
still fiction, even when it's not good science.
A moderately plausible explanation of the remarkable new abilities imagined for Neanderthalers,
last seen on our planet in the Old Stone Age when their society was likely as crude as any, may
exist in this trilogy's first volume, "Hominids", which might devote up to 350 pages to the making
of its case. Perhaps, then, only by first finding and reading "Hominids" can you avoid
puzzlement.
The first-volume contact between those representatives of different worlds was however quite
physical, as evidenced on page 24 by, "... her [Mary's] mitochondrial DNA studies that had
proven Ponter Boddit was indeed a Neanderthal." Speaking of mitochondria, one might wish to
be a microbiologist or geneticist to understand this book's scientific jargon at one point, but stick
to it; that section won't last forever.
Samuel Coleridge wrote of a "willing suspension of disbelief ... which constitutes poetic faith"
that's essential to happy reading. True, such "willing suspension" is vital in differing degrees to
ALL fiction - but surely never more so than in sci-fi (also shortened to s.f.).
It may help the prospective reader to know how the two hominid species very quickly learn to
converse together, even though the English language poses significant difficulties for Neanderthal
pronunciation - they can scarcely get their tongues around some of our everyday sounds. (For
instance, they botch the name "Mary".) It hinges not so much on Neanderthal brainpower and
vocalics as on those embedded, vast-memoried Companion devices, which can download entire
encyclopaedias and other reference works with ease. Often using their external speakers, those
devices actually do most of the talking and dispense remarkable medical advice when Ponter is
shot.
Especially at the beginning, extensive passages printed in italics indicate narrative and dialogue in
Neanderthalese. This treatment isn't consistent, though. The 4 1/2 page Prologue is essentially all
in italics having the aforementioned signification. Chapter Two, though, has only about two pages
in italics, followed by about 7 1/2 pages of otherwise similar content, printed in standard typeface.
Chapter Three begins with less than 1/2 page of italics followed by about 9 1/2 pages of standard.
Leaping nearly to the book's end, though, Chapter 40 returns to the technique of printing the
entire Neanderthal content, about 6 1/2 pages, in italic. All this is easily enough read, but avoid
equating typefaces with the speech of hominid species, if you hope to avoid confusion.
Sawyer's Acknowledgements, around unnumbered pages 7 & 8, indicate background research that
seems impressive enough. The references made there and in "About the Author,", pp. 383-384,
indicate important connections on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, but readers who expect
this to be just another horn-blowing exercise for our American friends are in for a surprise.
This work's "extraterrestrials", including not only Ponter Boddit but also Tukana Prat, the newly
appointed Neanderthal ambassadors to our newly discovered world, travel from the deep nickel
mine in their version of Canada to arrive in our version of it. There they are received and
welcomed by Canadians. Necessarily being examined by a Canadian doctor, and so forth. They
enjoy a dinner of prime Alberta beef, travel to Ottawa to meet the Prime Minister and to be
reconfirmed as Canadian citizens (but this time of our world) ...
However, they do subsequently get shot at during a diplomatic visit to the States. To do the
publishers justice, they let this happen somewhere not unduly far from their own Manhattan
offices!
After seriously injuring Ponter, the gunman's second shot goes wide of Tukana, the middle-aged
woman ambassador from the other world. As he flees, she, guided by the smell of his gun despite
the intervening crowd, in an amazing display of physical prowess runs him down and kills him
with her bare hands.
Of course a terrific diplomatic crisis ensues, but among other factors to consider, there's her
Canadian citizenship ...
If I seem to tell too much of this story, I do so to paint its real character. Moreover, I have
mentioned just bits and pieces of the contents of the first 17 chapters, and there follow 23 more.
Clearly, then, much has yet to be. With the aid of Coleridge, I doubt you'll be disappointed with
the other 90% of the tale not revealed above.
Pete Hodgins Sr.
Reviewer
Lori's Bookshelf
Lorimal's Chalice
Jane Fletcher
Fortitude Press
P.O. Box 41, Melbourne, FL. 32902
www.fortitudepress.com
ISBN:0971815062 $18.99
Tevi is the oldest daughter of Red, who in turn is the daughter of the Queen of Storenseg. In this
matrilineal society, the women are the warriors and the men are small, weak, and serve in roles as
housekeepers, babysitters, and servants. Tevi does not belong. She is awkward not good with a
sword or any type of weapon and the leaders of Storenseg do not believe she possesses any
useful leadership skills. Her younger sister, Laff, is far better suited for power and ruling.
Unfortunately, Tevi makes the mistake of revealing feelings for a woman, and in this profoundly
heterosexist society, that is cause for death or exile. Like the ugly duckling, Tevi is a disgrace in
the eyes of all her people.
Rather than sentence her own granddaughter to death, the Queen sends Tevi on an impossible
mission to recover a chalice stolen under odd circumstances. In anguish, the 19-year-old woman
embarks upon a journey to other lands. In classic Quest form, Tevi goes out in the world and this
is when the fun starts. While learning new skills and finding talents she didn't know she had, she
encounters wayfarers, sorcerers, enchanted castles, witches, wild animals, dwarves, and
magic and Jemeryl, who is a young Sorceress who not only saves Tevi from a terrible fate, but
also proves critical in the search for the stolen chalice. As it turns out, Tevi's quest has much
further reaching ramifications than anyone back in Storenseg ever imagined.
A mesmerizing read, LORIMAL'S CHALICE is a tour-de-force packed with adventure, ordeals,
complex twists and turns, and the internal introspection of appealing characters. The author writes
effortlessly, handling the size and scope of the book with ease. Not since the fantasy works of
Elizabeth Moon and Lynn Flewelling have I been so thoroughly engrossed in a tale. This is
knockout fiction, tantalizingly told, and beautifully packaged. I highly recommend it.
Affinity
Sarah Waters
Riverhead Books of Penguin Putnam, Inc.
375 Hudson St., New York, N.y. 10014
$14.00 ISBN: 1573228737
A story with gothic atmosphere, AFFINITY is set in 1875 London. The narrator, Miss Margaret
Prior, is an upper class woman on the verge of turning 30, and when we become acquainted with
her, she is making her first visit to Millbank Prison. She is to be the Lady Visitor someone who
comes to visit and motivate the pathetic denizens locked up for everything from petty crimes and
prostitution to murder. Very quickly she becomes compulsively interested in a young woman,
Selina Dawes, a spiritualist and medium in jail for harming a young girl and for involvement in the
death of her benefactress.
Miss Prior's elaborate descriptions of Millbank, the incarcerated women, and her daily life at home
soon reveal that she, too, is locked in her own private prison from which she has no way to
escape. She's already had one "nervous" episode nearly resulting in her death. This followed the
betrayal of a woman with whom she was smitten and the death of her dearly beloved father. She is
a woman locked in a world with social mores that do not allow her to be herself nor even to
know who her real Self is. Only Selina has managed to introduce a little magic into her life.
With each passing week, the story builds in intensity as Miss Prior visits the dismal Millbank and
attempts to see Selina Dawes as often as possible. Though she fights it, little by little, she
surrenders to her feelings for the other woman. Will Selina manage to escape and will Miss Prior
assist? Is the young woman truly innocent and wrongly convicted? We get clues from periodic
diary entries made by Selina, but the mystery of the spiritualist's past is not revealed until the
end.
AFFINITY has a feel much like the gothic novels of old, and the style and tone made me wonder
if Waters could possibly be the spiritual daughter of Emily Bront‰ and Mary Shelley. The story's
impact quietly creeps up on the reader until the surprising denouement, which, though it seems to
come out of the blue, I realized I should have seen coming. I found myself thinking of this novel
and Miss Prior's horrendous predicament for weeks. AFFINITY leaves a mark.
Dead And Blonde
Jean Marcy
New Victoria Publishers
$10.95 ISBN: 0934678987
The second offering in the Meg Darcy P.I. series picks up where CEMETERY MURDERS left
off. Darcy gets a late night call from enigmatic police detective Sarah Lindstrom and learns that
the cop's ex has been murdered in Lindstrom's home in Lindstrom's bed with a baseball bat.
Darcy takes her in for the night. The normally unflappable and distant Lindstrom is stunned and
disbelieving. She is a suspect and it's personal, too, so she is not allowed to work with the police
on the case. Because of this, she does something totally unexpected and asks Darcy to help
investigate the case.
The course of the investigation reveals that Lindstrom and Darcy are both in danger, so the
grieving cop grudgingly allows Darcy to stay at her house. The combination of stress and anguish
makes for a taut and fearful situation for both women as they seek the killer.
Meg's wit and longing shine in this installment of the series. It gets bogged down in the
relationship angst once or twice in the middle, but very quickly regains steam and takes the reader
to a satisfying and slightly unexpected resolution.
Lori L. Lake
Reviewer
Magdalena's Bookshelf
Pilates For Every Body
Denise Austin
Rodale Press
A$30.00
You can't have missed the hype about Pilates. Everyone seems to be talking about it, and various
permeations are appearing in gym classes, on TV commercials, books, videos, and CDs. Despite
the recent hoo ha, Pilates isn't new. It was invented by gymnast and physiotherapist Joseph Pilates
more than 80 years ago as a rehabilitation treatment for injured WWI soldiers. Since then it has
been popular with dancers for its focus on lengthening muscles and strengthening the abdomen
and back. Pilates recent popularity is probably nothing more than a simple comeback as people
discover how effective it is, and how fast it is to do perfect for the modern busy lifestyle.
The latest take on Pilates is by fitness supremo Denise Austin. Austin has starred in over 35
videos, she has her own television series, and is one of the most recognisable names in fitness in
the USA. Pilates for Everyody is her own very accessible guide, and is fun to read and easy to
follow. Throughout the book are "Dine-eology" messages or soundbites with little essential bits of
information to think about such as "In Pilates, we are creating long, lean-looking muscles not
big, bulky muscles." (34) There are also plenty of diagrams, photographs, and an awful lot of
information. For a total Pilates workout, the book offers two plans a beginners programme for
those who are overweight, out of shape, or who have a medical condition requiring gentle
exercise, and a complete programme. Both are characteristically quick, requiring only 20 minutes
for the beginners programme and 30 for the complete one. There is also a 10 minute series of
warmup and cooldown stretches. Each exercise specifies exactly what muscles are being worked,
the benefits, and some of Austin's own pointers and is illustrated with a photo. At the end of each
program is an "at a glance" overview which can be used once you are familiar with the
exercises.
If you aren't looking for a complete programme, but just want to concentrate on a specific body
problem, there are also four 10 minute routines which cater just for things like "hip, thigh and
butt" areas, upper body areas, abdomen area (although all of Pilates targets the abdomen), and the
back, along with two five minute routines, one for the legs, and one using a balance ball. Even the
busiest person can spare 5 minute a day, so there really is no excuse at all for not taking on board
some of Austin's modified Pilates and getting your body into shape. I've been doing the 5 minute
routine for quite a while now, and it really does help tighten your muscles especially those
flabby post-pregnancy abdomen ones something I really needed help with. Five minutes is about
all my kids will allow me to have at this point in their young lives, and I can vouch for its
effectiveness, especially if you also do something for your cardiovascular fitness like take a 30
minute walk 3-4 times a week. You can also mix and match the plans so you don't get bored,
although personally I prefer the almost habit like quality of doing the same thing each day.
The final part of the book looks at completely making yourself over, and provides a very sensible
and easy to follow eating plan, some cardio programmes, and a positive thinking programme. The
eating plan focuses on health rather than excessive calorie counting, and includes information
about serving sizes, food categories, and provides three calorie plans, and a 7 day menu. Although
personally I don't believe in dieting, Austin's "eating plan for life" is very good, and contains some
excellent advice on making sure that you eat well in general the basis for health and good body
weight.
The book concludes with an all-inclusive "try it out" 3-week Pilates programme, including a
selected range of 10 exercises, two stretches, a pointer of the week, a walk of the week, and a
food tip of the week. There is also a personal diary you can use for the three weeks to record
what you eat, tick off your sessions, record your results, and thoughts. It's a very good
motivational tool. If you want an enthusiastic guide to Pilates, or are just looking to do a total
physical overall, you couldn't ask for a better guide than Austin. She certainly "walks the talk" as
they say. Her book is thorough without being overly complex, and her positive and down to earth
approach to fitness will have you following her example. No wonder she is so popular. The
combination of Austin and Pilates makes this book very compelling. If it isn't already a bestseller it
soon will be.
The Promised Land
Ruhama Veltfort
Milkweed Editions
1998, hc, 310pgs, rrp usd $23.95
ISBN 1571310223
Ruhama Veltfort's debut novel The Promised Land traverses a wide terrain. Moving from the
Jewish streets of Polish Przemysl in 1824, across the Atlantic ocean to New Orleans, and then
across the US in unchartered Indian country to California during the pioneer era, the novel
explores big concepts like exile, love, faith, and the notion of what it means to create a home. The
book breaks a few "first novel" rules and does it well. Our two guides each have their own voice
and each voice differs signficantly. Chana is in the first person the thin and impoverished
daughter of a woman known as the village witch. Yitzhak is in the 3rd person, the intense lanky
Rebbe who marries Chana and leads a small band of family and disciples across his country,
continent, ocean and across the USA. The book is part historical and religious epic adventure, and
part pioneering family saga.
Veltfort has published two books of poetry, and her poetic training shows in the way she carefully
builds her characters, focusing on their inner worlds and perceptions, and tesing out a number of
tensions. The reader feels the strain that both Yitzhak and Chana feel as they try to create a
wholly new life while maintaining their religious traditions. Veltfort's scholarship is faultless, and
she provides significant and realistic detail on the spoken languages, the religious and social
customs, from the setting and clothing to the types of traditions, foods, rituals, and prayers which
are used in this now lost world of the Orthodox Polish shtetl.
Switching voice throughout the book could have been jarring and tricky in a lesser writer's hands,
but Veltfort manages the transitions smoothly. The chapters alternate between Yitzhak and
Chana, and follow each other closely in time and place, although sometimes there are time based
overlaps. These overlapping chapters add depth to the story as we view scenes from two separate
angles, and work because they move in sync. Although the story follows this Jewish family, and
focuses very minutely on their customs, prayers, and beliefs, there is never any confirmation that
Yitzhak is anything other than an intense young man. While the novel slouches slightly towards
magic realism, the double voice enables the reader to maintain enough of a distance to create a
tension. It is quite possible that Yitzhak is a visionary. It is equally possible that he is either
deluded, or just masking his natural spirituality and adventurousness with a kind of overarching
religiousness. This tension helps drive the novel forward.
Other characters like the Yitzhak's odd rhyming twin Feigl, her intense husband Asher, the fiddler
Chaim Loeb, the unlikely disciple Mo, the robber baron type Cohn, or the sharp Madame Estella
also add colour. Estella's callousness towards her slaves, and the issues of emancipation, the war
for Mexico, and the pioneer expansion westward are also plot points which help add interest to
the story. The book is the story of a particular passage, and a particular people during a particular
time and place, but it is also an internal journal, as Yitzhak and Chana become exiles, leaving a
country which is rapidly changing and try to find a new home and sense of place. The book is true
to the Orthodox Jewish customs, taking the reader through many Sabbath celebrations, and
quoting whole prayers, its strength is in the mystical, spirituality of the main character's vision,
rather than their religious rituals:
"But it was exquisite to lie under this tree. It was worth the mosquitoes. From across the meadow
came the sound of spectral voices, singing in harmony. They sang in a strange language, not even
Polish, an alien forbidden sound. Each note seemed to hold the light of the entire creation,
ha'Olem. Yitzhak shuddered with delight and fear. He rolled onto his stomach, pressing himself
against the warm ground, feeling himself melt into the centre of the world, as the voices of those
goyische angels floated around him." (17)
Later too, Yitzhak achieves a similar sense if ecstasy during a fundamentalist Christian revival
meeting, and is shocked when he finally notices that the "brethren" are singing about Jesus. There
are other touches of mysticism, such as Yitzhak's occasional power to heal the dying, and his
uncontrollable desire to speak the forbidden name of his god.
"this song was new, he had never heard it until it burst from him, until he pronounced the
unpronounceable name "YaHuVeh God is one!" (230)
Chana too dabbles on the edge of a mystical ecstasy, albeit a more earthy female one which works
as a kind of mirror to Yitzhak's:
"From dawn every day until the long after the sun set, we worked over those gigantic, fragrant,
boiling kettles. There were mountains of cucumbers to be peeled and sliced, peas to shell, long
green beans to cut, deep red tomatoes. And baskets and baskets of fruits to be peeled, pitted, cut,
boiled. When I closed my eyes for a minute, the steam from the kettles became the mist over the
sea, and I would see again that expanse, feel the rocking of the ship, and the openness of the sky."
(133)
After such close concentration and small motions in the early part of the story, the ending tends to
move forward in too much of a rush and Chana's last chapter (20) covers so much ground that it
functions more as an epilogue than a natural part of the story. One wonders whether this could
have made a good sequel, leaving the ending more open, although I suppose readers tend to like
resolution. A sequel from Chaya's daughter's perspective perhaps is a natural follow up. In any
case, this is an engrossing and very well written book. At one point in the book Yitzhak tells his
small band of disciples and his wife a story: "The tzaddik knew the secret of bringing together the
inner and outer worlds " The same could be said of Veltfort.
Magdalena Ball, Reviewer
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html
Marya's Bookshelf
A Long Way
Katherine Ayers
Illustrated by Tricia Tusa
Candlewick
2067 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140-1338
076361047X, $15.99, www.candlewick.com
It all begins when something, an unknown something, arrives in a box. The little girl and her
mother wrap the something up. It is going to be a present for grandmother and the little girl is so
very excited to give the present to grandmother "Can I take this to Grandma's house now?" she
asks. Of course it is an awfully "long way", right across the road, but the little girl will manage it.
In fact she knows how she will do the task. What follows are a series of adventures which involve
the box that the gift came in. First the box is a car, then it is a boat, then it is a plane, and finally it
manifests itself as a subway. The author clearly understands the joys and endless possibilities of a
cardboard box. As any child, parent or teacher will know, a cardboard box can be turned into all
sorts of wondrous things. Seeing the imagination of the little girl at work is both funny and
touching, and the illustrator has succeeded in injecting her watercolor, ink and gouache pictures
with the enthusiasm and joy that is found in young.
Annie Rose is my Little Sister
Shirley Hughes
Candlewick
2067 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140-1338
0763619590, $15.99, www.candlewick.com
Annie Rose is a little girl, she is a little sister and like all little sisters she wants her big brother to
play with her, to read to her, and to share his friends with her. The little boy who is telling us
about Annie Rose is delightfully honest about Annie Rose and we can quickly see that though she
can be very exasperating at times, he loves her very much indeed. The little boy knows all her
funny ways, the games she plays and what she likes to do. He is ready to admit that she is good at
playing but he also offers up the information that he finds it "very annoying" that she "always
wants to play with my toys. She seems to like them better than her own." With her signature
illustrations Shirley Hughes has created yet another wonderful book about childhood and the
doings of children. She seems to be able to understand all the things that are important to a small
child and puts them together in such a way that we have a complete and rounded picture of a
certain child's small, very important, little world. There are the toys and books, best friends, daisy
chains, trips to the beach, temper tantrums, and all those significant things that make up the daily
happenings in a child's life.
Sally and the Limpet
Simon James
Candlewick
2067 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140-1338
0763617156, $10.99, www.candlewick.com
Sally is a little girl who is enjoying a quiet time paddling in and exploring a rock pool at the
seaside. It is in this pool that she finds a very pretty limpet shell. The only problem with the shell
is that it is still very much occupied by a limpet. When Sally forces the limpet off the rock it lives
on it sticks very firmly to her finger. No matter what Sally, or her dad, or her brother, or a doctor,
does, the limpet will not let go of her finger. It is very clear that all these people have no idea how
to get the limpet off Sally's finger and the author conveys, very subtly, how utterly useless their
efforts are. It is only Sally who has the sense to see what the solution to the problem is, and it is
she who does in fact get the limpet to let her go. Not only that, but she makes sure she takes care
of the limpet once it is free which makes us like and admire her all the more. This is a delightful
case of a child being able to solve a problem all by herself, even when the grownups have failed to
do so. The cheerful ink and watercolor illustrations found throughout the book convey both the
beauty of the seaside and the large, bumbling ineptness of the grownups.
Willow at Christmas
Camilla Ashforth
Candlewick
2067 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140-1338
0763618500, $12.00, www.candlewick.com
Willow is a small bear who lives on Paradise Farm. Here he takes care of the animals, who are his
friends. It is winter time and Willow is waiting for the first snowfall. He is at last rewarded in
Christmas Eve. Soon, he and Little Pink Pig are going about the farm doing their chores and
making sure that all the animals are warm and comfortable. Then the fun begins as they begin their
Christmas preparations. In the delightfully soft, warm hues of her watercolor paintings, Camilla
Ashforth has created yet another charming Willow book which will delight all Willow fans and
teddy bear lovers alike. We are invited into the coziness of Willow's house as he and Little Pink
Pig decorate it, and are carried outdoors as they look for their perfect Christmas tree in the
woods. Short and simple pieces of text accompany the beautiful views into Willow's world. A
gem of a book to be read many times over in the days leading up to Christmas.
Rodzina
Karen Cushman
Houghton Mifflin
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
0618133518, $16.00, 1800-225-3362, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
Rodzina has seen the face of tragedy several times over, and now it seems as if hope has really
turned its back on this homely immigrant from Poland. Rodzina and many other orphaned children
of all ages are being shipped out of Chicago on a train. They are going west to find new homes
and new lives. It was believed by the powers that be of the time that working on farms as farm
laborers would be good for these orphans from the cities. Rodzina and many of the other orphans
see this change in their circumstances as a sentence to a life of slavery, and needless to say
Rodzina would rather live in an orphanage or even on the streets, rather than face an existence in
a strange place where she has to work in the fields from sun up to sun down day after day. Bitter,
sharp, and angry, Rodzina isolates herself from everyone else on the train as it clatters west. At
each town that the train stops at, a few more of the orphans find homes until Rodzina is the only
one left, alone and unwanted. Carefully researched, this is a book which tells the story of a time
when orphans were considered to be people who were not to be trusted, and who were often
treated little better than slaves or beasts of burden. It was not uncommon for orphans to have
their teeth and limbs examined by prospective 'parents' at the time of 'adoption' to determine their
worthiness as potential farm hands. With the skill and finesse that we have come to expect from
Karen Cushman, she weaves a rich and powerful tale of self discovery, and ultimately, hope. The
reader will find a detailed history of the Orphan Train and other similar efforts to "rehabilitate'
orphaned and unwanted children in the back of the book. Karen Cushman has received great
acclaim for her historical novels being awarded a Newbery Honor for "Catherine, Called Birdy"
and the Newbery Medal for "The Midwife's Apprentice."
Diary of a Wombat
Jackie French
Illustrated by Bruce Whatley
Houghton Mifflin
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
0618381368, $14.00, 1800-225-3362, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
If you think your life is boring you should take a look at the life of a wombat. It would seem that
a lot of sleep grass eating is involved and very little else. For the wombat in this story, very little
changes until the wombat gets some neighbors. These neighbors are humans and as the story
develops we find out that the humans are truly generous and patient people, almost to a fault. The
wombat decides that her neighbor's possessions are hers to use as she wishes. What happens are a
series of funny and delightful events involving doormats, carrots, trash cans, and a lot of damaged
property. Told from the point of view of the wombat in the form of a diary it is hard not to laugh
at this sleepy creature's activities and yet not groan at the same time when she causes yet more
chaos in the lives of the ever tolerant human neighbors. With the simplest of text the author has
created a character that is both loveable and exasperating. In deliciously soft colors the illustrator
carries us through every part of the wombat's day so that we can experience it just as if we were
there ourselves. He also manages to put a little tilt on the smile and look in the eye of this
determined animal which suggests there is more to the character of this burrowing marsupial than
meets the eye.
Rhyolite: The True Story of a Ghost Town
Diane Siebert
Woodcuts by David Frampton
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
0618096736, $16.00, 1800-225-3362, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
Told in a sometimes galloping and sometimes ambling rhythmic rhyme, this is the fascinating tale
of a town that grew out of the dust in a desert in Nevada on the wave of a gold strike. For a few
short years it was a place full of life, bustle and prosperity. Then, on the whim of far-away
investors who pulled out their money, the town died and the land went back to being the territory
of the desert creatures. Throughout the tale we read about the coyotes who watch the goings on
in the town of Rhyolite seeing "what coyotes saw" and hearing "what coyotes hear" watching
with "laughing eyes" the folly of the humans. All the way through the book the coyotes remind us
that there is something in Rhyolite that amuses them, there is something that they know that that
no one else knows. It is only at the end of the story that we know at least some of what they
know, that Rhyolite is doomed to be a ghost town. Illustrated with stunning, woodcuts which
reveal every folly, every excess of the people of Rhyolite, this is a remarkable book about the rise
and fall of a town in the forgotten place. The entire story of the town of Rhyolite can be found in
the back of the book.
The Amazing Love Story of Mr. Morf An Astonishing Circus Romance
Carll Cneut
Houghton Mifflin
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
0618331700, $15.00, 1800-225-3362, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
It is not a myth that anyone can fell lonely. Even a successful and popular dog like Mr. Walter
Morf discovers that he can feel the emptiness of loneliness. So, he decides to take a leave of
absence from his job as high wire artist in the circus and goes off to look for a friend to share his
life with him. Poor Mr. Morf soon finds that it is not going to be as easy as perhaps he thought it
was to find a friend. A beautiful swallow is fond of him but has to leave for her yearly holiday; a
mole loses its way trying to get to Mr. Morf; a cat announces that cats can never be friends with
dogs because "we cats dislike dogs." In many ways this is a rather sad story though the quirky and
colorful illustrations add humor to it. It is with great relief that we find that there is a happy
ending to the story after all and that Mr. Morf needn't have gone so far to look for a friend after
all. There is certainly a message in this tale: What you seek may not be as far away as you think.
With highly original and delightful illustrations this book offers both a thoughtful story and plenty
of visual entertainment.
Mrs. Armitage, Queen of the Road
Quentin Blake
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Ave, Atlanta, GA 30318
1561452874, $15.95, 1800.241-0113, www.peachtree-online.com
Deep inside us all is a wild spirit, a person who would like to climb a mountain, dive with sharks,
or perhaps, ride a loud motorbike. Mrs. Armitage is given an old car by a kindly uncle who has
bought a new motorcycle and doesn't need the car anymore. It is a most unexciting looking car,
battered, old-fashioned and rusty. Mrs. Armitage isn't very impressed but she decides to go for a
spin all the same. It isn't long before Mrs. Armitage discovers that her 'new' car is both prone to
mishaps and isn't very robust. Very soon the venerable vehicle starts to fall to bits. With his
wonderful minimalist ink and watercolor illustrations Blake conveys the wonderful freedom that
Mrs. Armitage begins to feel as the car falls apart around her. All the superfluous "stuff" "who
needs it?" goes by the wayside until the bare bones of the car is all that is left. Quite by accident
Mrs. Armitage has become a 'biker chick' of sorts and is at one with the road and the countryside.
She also finds herself adopted by others who seek the open road and wind in their hair. This is a
truly amusing, unique and warm story.
Little Rabbit Lost
Harry Horse
Illustrated by Nick Maland
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Ave, Atlanta, GA 30318
1561452734, $15.95, 1800.241-0113, www.peachtree-online.com
When do we stop being little and become big? That is a hard question, and sometimes we think
we know the answer before we actually do. Little rabbit was celebrating his birthday and one of
his presents was tickets to Rabbit World, a wonderful amusement park. The only problem was
that his mother kept telling him he was too little to go on all the most interesting rides. It was just
too annoying for a big rabbit like himself to be treated like a baby, he thought. So he paid little
attention to where his mama was until he found that he had lost her. Suddenly Little Rabbit felt
little again and afraid. With simple language that every little person will understand and can
identify with, the author tells that familiar story of a lost child. He also reminds us not too be in
too much of a hurry to be a "big rabbit." Harry Horse' illustrations delight the eye with their detail
and several double page spreads could keep the reader occupied for some time, exploring his
fascinating rabbit world. A gem of a book, readers might also enjoy the author's other books
which include "The Last Polar Bears" and "The Last Gold Diggers."
You've Got Dragons
Kathryn Cave
Illustrated by Nick Maland
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Ave, Atlanta, GA 30318
156145284X, $16.95, 1800.241-0113, www.peachtree-online.com
We all have worries in our lives. There are those little ones like "did I turn off the computer last
night?" And then there are the ones that seem to be huge. They may in fact be tiny but to you and
me they are huge; they are our dragons. Those wretched dragons which "show up when you least
expect them," which make your "knees wobble and your hands shake" and "you can't believe it's
really happening to you." That is the kind of dragon this book is talking about. We all have them
and we all are afraid of them. Most of us are afraid to talk about them too. The author with her
colloquial text and the illustrator with his quirky yet warm illustrations show us what to expect
and how to handle the situation. One thing we can do is to face our dragon and give it our "full
attention at least once a day." Best of all perhaps is the reassurance that we are not alone in our
fears and that our dragons will one day disappear for good. It is hard to imagine how the author
managed to make such a difficult subject so accessible but she did so with great skill and
sensitivity. This book is a must for anyone who has a dragon in his or her life.
The Printer
Myron Uhlberg
Illustrated by Henri Sorensen
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Ave, Atlanta, GA 30318
1561452211, $16.95, 1800.241-0113, www.peachtree-online.com
For most of us it is hard to imagine what it would be like not to be able to communicate with
anyone we wanted to. The father of the author was such a person because he was deaf. He did
know how to sign though and he had found a line of work that he loved; he was a printer. It was
hard for the printer sometimes because many of the people he worked with at the newspaper
printing plant ignored him and the other deaf printers who worked there as well. When a fire
broke out it was the deaf printer who warned everyone of the danger and no doubt saved many
men from injury or even death. Only after this event did the hearing plant workers realize that
their deaf co-workers are just like them. The author includes a fascinating section in the back of
the book about the life of deaf people in America in the 1940's. Considered less able to learn, deaf
people were often taught manual jobs like type-setting in printing plants. The pride, love and
compassion that the author feels for his father comes through clearly in this beautifully crafted
story. The illustrations show us what the events in that printing plant might have looked like back
in 1940, with special attention being given to the expression on the faces and the position of the
hands of the deaf plant workers. An extraordinary glimpse into a world and time so different from
our own.
War: The World Reacts
Paul Bennett
Published in Association with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies
Barron's Educational Series
250 Wireless Blvd, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764122258 $6.95 1-800-645-3476, www.barronseduc.com
In this time of widespread war in various parts of the war, there is great need to have a better
understanding of what is happening and why. This excellent book addresses these and many other
questions, looking into the causes of war and the repercussions for the peoples in the affected
areas. It is very easy for those of us living in safe countries to fail to understand the sheer misery
that living in a war zone can create. We don't realize what it means to be a refugee, to lose
everything, including family members. People are wounded in body and spirit in ways that we are
only just beginning to fully understand. The book also looks at the wars that have taken place
around the world in the 1990's and early 2000's. There is Yugoslavia, Somalia, Chechnya, the
Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Angola, Tajikistan and Afghanistan again. Finally,
from this book we are able to learn about the organizations and individuals who have done and
are doing all they can to help the victims of wars. With fully color photographs, a glossary, and a
section titled "How You Can Help" this is a remarkable book and excellent tool for parents and
teachers to use to help them educate their children.
Fast Forward: Pyramid
Illustrated by Peter Dennis
Barron's Educational Series, 250 Wireless Blvd, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764155857 $14.95 1-800-645-3476, www.barronseduc.com
Imagine being able to travel through time, being able to see a pyramid built and a civilization rise
and fall. With this book you can do just that. The creators of this volume have taken a great deal
of care gathering material about the possible construction of a pyramid with much attention being
given to detail. You can also see some of the more personal and private events in people's lives,
the amusing things that can happen to them, and follow the changes that take place in the country.
You can watch a pharaoh being prepared for burial and examine a battle in progress. Tabs on the
side of the book move the reader forward in time towards the present day. It can be hundreds of
years between tabs or a few hours. An enormous amount of information is provided to the reader
in a fascinating, beautiful and a palatable way. There is so much to look at on each page that this
is a book that one will come back to again and again. In the back of the book there is a glossary
and an index. Readers can find Castle, Shipwreck, Volcano, Wild West and Dinosaur in the Fast
Forward series.
Tinka
Rainy Dohaney
Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
0689852614, 1800-223-2336, www.simonsays.com
Tinka is a sheep. She is a truly tiny sheep. In fact she is so small that she is "the size of a cupcake"
and her fleece only makes enough yarn to knit a sweater for a "hamster, or an egg cozy."
Unfortunately for Tinka she only sees the down side to being small and her large sheep
companions are no help. They only make things worse by making Tinka sleep apart from them. It
is only when the yearly "purple spider" event occurs that Tinka's diminutive size turns out to be an
asset. Every year a large purple spider grows on one of the nearby hillsides. The sheep all wonder
at the phenomenon but cannot investigate because of the fence that keeps them enclosed. Tinka
however has a friend, an amusing crow called Sooty, who is able to carry her on his back to take a
look at this purple spider. What Tinka discovers is wonderful and miraculous. It also gives helps
her understand that being small isn't that bad after all. With charmingly soft watercolor and pencil
illustrations, this is a book that can be read over and over again. Little details in the illustrations
are sure to delight and surprise.
A Boy at War: A Novel of Pearl Harbor
Harry Mazer
Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
0689841604, 1800-223-2336, www.simonsays.com
Adam and his family have just moved to Honolulu. His father is an officer on the U.S.S. Arizona
and is very much a spit and polish kind of man. He is also the kind of man who does not want his
son to be seen hanging around with a Japanese boy. Adam has made friends with a Nisei boy,
Davi. Davi's parents came to Hawaii from Japan but Davi considers himself to be as American as
Adam is. Being told that he can't see Davi again is very hard for Adam. Despite his father's words
and feeling angry and confused as to what to do, Adam finds himself going fishing with Davi and
another boy. They go down to the harbor. There, they find a row boat, and just as they are
settling down to fish all hell breaks loose. With horrified eyes they watch Japanese planes bomb
Battleship Row. Adam sees his father's ship being attacked and sinking. What follows is a series
of nightmarish events. During these events Adam discovers all sorts of things about himself and
others, and he is forced to come to some awful conclusions. This touching and sometimes painful
story is told through the eyes and heart of a boy searching for a reason for war and suffering.
Adam finds himself seeking the love and recognition of his demanding father and also a place for
himself in the world.
Indescribably Arabella
Jane Gilbert
Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
0689853211, 1800-223-2336, www.simonsays.com
Arabella is the kind of girl who has dreams. Arabella wants to be famous and she has all sorts of
ideas about how she is going to become famous. First she tries painting but her paintings don't
have that quality that is needed to make her famous. Then Arabella tries acting but she simply
cannot seem to master her lines or her entrances. Finally Arabella tries ballet dancing and she
really is quite good at it in her own way but no one will give her a chance. Poor Arabella! For all
of us who have faced setbacks on our roads to our dreams, the story of Arabella and her own
Indescribable way of doing things is a balm. Arabella is lucky enough to meet some people who
appreciate her for what she is, who remind her that her gifts are wonderful and beautiful in their
own Indescribably Arabella way. With its oddly quirky illustrations and handwritten text this is a
very unique and thought provoking book. It will appeal to the young, but it will also touch the
older reader. Arabella is not a typical heroine but she is one we can grow to love and identify
with.
Andrew Jackson: Young Patriot
George Edward Stanley
Illustrated by Meryl Henderson
Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
068985744, 1-800-223-2336, www.simonsays.com
Andrew Jackson was the kind of boy who knew just he wanted to do. He knew that he did not
want to have to continue going to the little local school for one thing. After all, he knew more
than the teacher did didn't he? What Andrew, or Andy, as he was called by those who knew him,
wanted to do was to help his uncle drive the cattle to Charles Town. Later he wanted to help his
fellow Patriots fight against the British. Andy felt very strongly that the British had no right telling
his people, the Americans, how they should live their lives. Andy's widowed mother however was
not in favor of him going off to war, and Andy did his best to do as his mother asked. But, there
came a time when Andy had to defend his home and family. Still quite young, Andy found himself
fighting against redcoat soldiers. The story of Andrew Jackson's youthful adventures is
wonderfully told in this excellent addition to the "Childhood of Famous Americans" series. The
author manages to capture Jackson's innocence at the beginning of the book, which, as the war
takes its toll on the young boy, is lost by its close. We are able to understand the forces that
shaped the boy and thus, what it was that made Andrew Jackson the kind of man he was.
Marya Jansen-Gruber
Reviewer
Paul's Bookshelf
Colossus: The Collected Science Fiction Of Donald Wandrei
Philip J. Rahman and Donald Weiler, Fedogan and Bremer, editors
3721 Minnehaha Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406
http://www.arkhamhouse.com/fedogan
ISBN 1878252453, $29.00, 462 pages
In the 1930s, Donald Wandrei was one of the most famous science fiction pulp writers. Before the
lines were drawn between fantasy, science fiction and horror, he wrote with a dark vision of the
cosmos and a poet's sense of language. This book is an attempt to bring back some of his short
fiction, largely un-reprinted.
This was a time when scientific plausibility had not yet become a central principle of science
fiction. Plot and mind-blowing concepts were more important. On story in this book is about two
men, rivals for the same woman, who follow each other on one-way trips to the year 1 million.
One of the men makes a tiny, but huge, error in his calculations and arrives almost 2,000 years
"late." The woman, kidnapped by the other man, is long since dead, but the later man finds that a
cult, practically a religion, has grown up around his arrival among her descendants, the last people
on earth.
What if it could be determined that the entire universe was nothing more than an atom in some
incomparably larger universe (and what if that universe was nothing more than an atom in some
much larger universe)? A man builds a spaceship capable of traveling thousands of times the speed
of light and aims to find out. There are also a number of tales of the end of mankind, in all sorts of
interesting ways.
In 1938, John W. Campbell took over the editorship of Astounding Science Fiction, where many
of these stories first appeared. He forced scientific plausibility and extensive rewrites on his
authors, and thereby on the rest of the field. Wandrei found that he could not adjust his writing to
suit Campbell, and, by the 1940s, Wandrei basically gave up full-time writing to concentrate on
running the specialty publisher Arkham House, which he co-founded. While it introduced authors
like H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith to a new generation of readers, Wandrei basically
forbade the republishing of his stories.
I really enjoyed this book. It's quite good as a bit of science fiction history. Sometimes it's good to
read stories full of up-to-the-minute science, and other times it's good to read stories like these,
about the destruction of humanity or trips to the next universe. It gets a strong
recommendation.
Supreme Commander George
Markus Thyme
Wesoomi Publishing
P.O. Box 656, Ortonville, MI 48462
http://www.wesoomi.com
ISBN 0965373231, $12.00, 312 pages
A thousand years from now, mankind has spread throughout the galaxy and universal peace has
been achieved. It is as if the human race has forgotten the meaning of the word War. That is, until,
one day, an alien race called the Paranians land on one of the outlying colony planets. They take
many captives, and interrogate them about their defenses. They slaughter everyone else, and then
kill the captives when they tell the Paranians nothing. A second and third human planet is
attacked, with no sign of any Earth defenses.
That's because there are no Earth defenses. The Commonwealth Council, led by a man named Fair
Daryl (all of the humans have names like that) is at a loss as to how to respond. Fat William, a
resident of a Custodial Care Center (a place for misfits and others who don't fit into society) and a
student of military history, has a bold idea. Using mankind's considerable technical knowledge,
create the most spohisticated android ever; one that must be able to eat, move and bleed like a
human. The android will be programmed with the personality of General George Patton. Only a
few people will know that he isn't human.
Snow Rose, his "creator," falls in love with Patton. While he is away for long periods of time,
building an army from nothing, Rose lives in his apartment. She totally neglects her own work and
becomes more and more emotionally unglued. One day, after Patton rejects her, she totally loses it
and tells him that he's not human.
Despite this, Patton continues with his plans against the Paranians. Mankind is slow to respond,
both technically and in terms of building an army, but eventually gets going. With new types of
weapons and tactics against them, the Paranians find themselves nervously looking over their
shoulders, wondering when and where the next attack will occur. After the war ends, Patton plans
on continuing into space, not returning to Earth. He knew that if he returned, he would get shut
off, like any other machine.
Fans of military science fiction will really enjoy this novel. For everyone else, this belongs
somewhere in that large gray area of Pretty Good or Worth Reading.
Coyote
Allen M. Steele
Ace Books
Penguin Putnam
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
http://www.penguinputnam.com
ISBN 0441009743, $23.95, 390 pages
In the year 2070, the repressive United Republic of America is about to launch the starship
Alabama. Its destination is Ursa Major, approximately 50 light years away; there the passengers
and crew will set up the first human colony. At the last minute, the ship is hijacked by its captain
and crew and the hand-picked colonists are replaced by a group of Dissident Intellectuals and
their families.
America in 2070 is not a pleasant place. Any sort of dissent can earn a person a one-way trip to a
reeducation camp. The public face of the camps show them as happy places full of well-fed
people. The reality is very different. Midnight arrests inside one's own home are common. As part
of the plot, a group of D.I.'s are intercepted on their way to a reeducation camp and put aboard
the starship.
Traveling at 20 percent of the speed of light, the trip will take over 200 years. Through a
computer malfunction (or is it?), one of the crew, Leslie Gillis, is prematurely brought out of
stasis. The computer will not let him return to stasis. To keep from going insane, he plays chess
against the computer, he writes a magnum opus of a fantasy novel and he finds some art supplies
and paints giant murals all over the ship. He spends the next 32 years totally alone, until he dies in
a fall.
Their new home, Coyote (actually a moon of a gas giant planet) doesn't have separate continents
like Earth, but is all land, crisscrossed by rivers. The native plants and animals are edible, but
hardly delicious. The colonists find out, the hard way, that they are not top of the food chain. In a
bit of adolescent rebellion, a group of teenagers go off on an expedition of their own. There is
tension among the colonists between those loyal and not loyal to the Republic.
Many years later, several ships full of colonists from Earth arrive, but this is not an occasion for
celebrating. The hijacking of the Alabama was the beginning of the end for the Republic, but it has
been replaced with something equally repugnant. The original colonists have a hard choice: accept
5,000 new neighbors or fight.
Told in a series of unconnected novelettes, this is a strong, well-done piece of writing. It works as
a political novel and as a planetary exploration novel. You won't go wrong reading Coyote.
Paul Lappen
Reviewer
Pogo's Bookshelf
Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorder: Success Stories, Strategies And Other Good News
Jenna Glatzer, editor
Dr. Paul Foxman, commentary
Hunter House
Alameda,CA
ISBN 0897833818 $15.95 http://www.hunterhouse.com
For those in an invisible prison, Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders is a key to escape the
pain and torment suffered silently within the personal life that is difficult to speak about or
explain. The agony of isolation may not be detected in daily life at work or within the circle of
friends, but it remains deeper hidden with the soul and the anxious moments of self-doubt and
dread to open the mail, answer the door or face the audience. in a world demanding high
technology, high performance, high grades and over-achievement for leadership with smiles. Tears
and fears are erased like chalkdust from the days events as the world chants, "Don't worry; Be
happy," in an ever-increasing frenetic pace. Color the eyes, draw the eyebrows and paint a smile
upon yor lips. Stuff the nightmares back into the anxiety closet, secure the padlock and walk on.
It's life.
Take a pill, get a drink, throw a party; but smile, you're on a stage where the audience demands a
performance, so play the play before the footlights and pray fervently that folks like it.
Anxiety and stress the demand to perform like clowns before family and friends, to wear the
power shoes and enter the interview with the charm that bewitches the snakes on Medusa's head.
Often doubts, like arsenic in groundwater, seep slowly into our minds, poisoning our perceptives
on what we are and insidiously perverting our views on life by isolating us from ourselves and
from the world around us.
"Every day, my world shrank a little smaller, until I felt like a pathetic shadow of the person I'd
been before. What started as a problem only in big crowds had advanced to a tdial wave,
rendering me incapable of normal social interaction. I couldn't even invite someone over to watch
television with me.
I began sleeping days and staying up all night, in order to avoid people altogether. I had really
search to find reasons to keep on living. I had a diabetic cat, and often I talked myself out of
suicide only because I convinced myself that she needed me. If I died, who would take care of her
insulin shots? She'd nuzzle up aloongside me, and I'd hang on for one more day, knowing how
implicitly she trusted me and how she wouldn't allow anyone else to come near her with a needle.
For me, she purred and took her medicine well..." (p8)
Crazy? No. Absolutely not. As many normal healthy people as those who have emotional
problems, suffer panic and anxiety disorders. In 1999, a Canadian medical scientist, Jacques
Branwejn announced that he discovered a relationship between a genetic mutation and panic
disorders. In 2002, this was supported by Dr. Xavier Estevill, the head of the medical and
molecular genetics at Duran I Rynals Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. He concurred that there was a
gene or environmental factor could cause an abnormality in chromosome 15 that was not
inherited, but existed in 100% of the patients with panic and anxiety disorders. Previously, panic
and anxiety disorders had been treated as "anxiety neurosis" based on Freudian theory that it was
caused by deeply rooted within paychological conflicts or the upsetting impulses of a sexual
nature. The term "anxiety neurosis" also stigmatized a person as being "Neurotic" or a candidate
for the gummi-zimmer in the crazy-house. Now panic and anxiety disorders are recognized to be
physiological problems which should be treated with skilled medical assistance. Nearly 80% of
those who receive treatment and care for these problems, overcome them so winning isn't a
spectator sport enjoyed by a minority. Victims do win their battles. There's hope that a person can
overcome the crippling effects of panic and anxiety attacks.
The stories offer personal insight, compassion and support, with extra spoonfuls of hope, for
anyone who has ever known the defeating numbness and terror of a panic attack striking like
lighning out of a blue sky. Each person paics differently. Some have difficulty breathing and
pounding in their ears; others have sudden cold sweats; yet others suffer nauseea and diarrhea and
eventually become inhibited from the fear that they might make a spectacle of themselves at the
worst possible moment. Donny Osmond was terrified to walk onstage; others withdraw into a
secluded world defined by agoraphobia. Conquering Panic includes thirty-one stories with many
different experiences. No two people suffer the same way, and no two people conquer it the same
way. Like a traveler in the heart of a Dark Forest of Fear, there are many ways out; but you must
choose your path and follow it until you feel the sunlight warm your life again.
Jenna Glatzer offers her story as an introduction to the collection a victim of agoraphobia. Her
isolated world was was broken through a chink in the wall via email. A correspondence began,
establishing deep personal communication which gave her a lifeline. Then one day, a note entered
which changed her life for good. One note led to another until they met... You'll have to read to
find out what happened.
The book offers insider information on personal response, reactions and experience. Dr. Paul
Foxman offers commentary on the different experiences presented with tips and insights of
strategies used to overcome the crippling effects. The book contains listings for websites,
organizations and self-help programs for those too afraid to reach out. Being ridiculed isn't fun,
and being stigmatized is cruel. There are people who do understand and they have been through
the same ordeal and they won't ridicule the pain or anxiety that you may feel. It's not in your head,
but something that destroys the fabric and order of your life, shadowing you everywhere so that
you fear that a small misstep will cause all your ambitions, dreams and hopes to collapse. Have
courage. Fight back. With so many friendly voices to give encouragement, the way out of the
Forest of Anxiety may not be immediate, but definite.
Dr. Paul Foxman, suffered himself, but is now the Director of the Center of Anxiety Disorders in
Burlington, Vermont. Panic and anxiety disorders include: agoraphobia, APD,
obsessive-compulsive disorders, social anxiety disorders, selective mutism, PTSD, generalized
anxiety, panic attacks and body dysmorphic disorders. Nearly ten percent of Americans suffer
from panic or anxiety disorders; but if you start considering artists and writers as people, then the
figures soar. However, many people suffer, but afraid to speak, they hang onto it silently like an
unspoken, forbidden, hidden sin.
Offering encouragement and compassion, the book presents stories of hope. Someone's been
through a similar ordeal and overcome it. Carefully edited, clearly presented the stories open a
window to a new world where prisoners of panic and anxieties can look out for a new day.
Travel Dan, Editor / Dan Rosenthal
What! Me Travel?
Frontage publishing; La Canada, CA, USA
ISBN: 097218130X $19.95 USD
http://www.traveldan.com
http://WhatMeTravel.com
frontage@mail.com for special bulk copies reduced price
What! Me Travel? is a hilarious, energizing "how-to" book for savvy travelers. If you aren't savvy
yet, then investigate it, because it's more than worth the money. Forget all those other books out
there for a minute or millenium to concentrate on this handy-dandy compact in my hand. Cheeky
and brisk, it covers the Ten Commandments of Travel; Going-by air, sea, train, bus, car, and
thumb and what to do when you get there.
Each section gives insider tips to survive traveling and still laugh. Travel Dan gives extensive
information and tutorials on how to use the internet for traveling convenience and bargains. It's a
book to stock your office and bash the secretary over the head with for the company travel
time.
Opening randomly, jump inside the section, By Air, to find out what it entails. Expect to find a
quotation capping each section served up with a grin with a review of the air industry and how to
survive it succefully. At the foot of the page gives main links to relevant internet sites for further
information. Travel Dan reviews choice and gives a tutorial on smart shopping setting out the
different options while defining the variables of expense and mode of transportation. Not
everything is the same, so he introduces you to how to make the best of the resources you have
available. Don't waste your time popping into your local travel-dens or bothering the telephone
operator at the the airlines, Travel Dan explains effective use of internet, giving you an overview
of different types of services available with their links. Instead of using Ronald's RipOff Travel, try
bargains on travel auctionsites, such as, www.auction.com or the travelfleamarket.com. Don't risk
your life on a Aeroflop or African Cargo Drop when you can go air cargo on a reliable schedule,
but don't expect your boxed lunch while you're sitting amongst the cartons.
He divides the information within By Air to reservation services, referral websites, airports,
charter tickets, and consoolidated airlines, and helps you with shipping your adorable little bitch
mutt, Fifi, who is a mixed breed of French Poodle, Pomeranian, Pekinese and pug. If you're a
journalist, then it goes without saying, that your pup, is an American offspring of an Italian
Rathound.
If you are experiencing financial difficulties as an ex-CEO of a giant demise, then go cargo. He
offers advice for that, too. Need Standby? Tour operators? and special coupons? It's covered
along with notes on Airline Equipment and links to Passenger Rights. Don't blow a fuse if
something goes wrong. remember that Air Rage is a crime that goes from Federal to International
the moment you cross or enter an international airline. Keep your Cool. Maintain Coolth. Write a
letter notifying the agency or service of your disgruntlement in adequate but not offensive terms.
Keep a copy. Wait fifteen days for response and then make contact with a lawyer of an
appropriate agency concerned with passenger rights. He gives the links, not me..
The compehensive overview of each form of travel by boat, car, bus,train and thumb is
reduplicated in each chapter with tremendous insight for traveling successfully with links for
internet services that he deems worth investigating. The book is a useful companion for those on
the road and frequently flying or business that are always afraid of the bill collector calling.
For those, terrified to step outside the kitchen door, Travel Dan breaks through the Travel Fear
Barrier effectively by providing useful information that is well organized with a smile and lots of
flashy wit. Read it for an evening's entertainment.
In the Ten Commandments, he gives a brief tutorial on using the book and commonsense don't
leave home without it. Avoid the BlameGame and has basic sound advice for you to explore the
world on your own, gain investigative skills and confidence through learning to use research
techniques on the internet.
Learn how to handle panhandlers and sightseeing. Avoid rip-offs in Bargains and double-pricing
from shifty folks who like to shaft you for your green. Be aware of Dangers and remember always
that Health is Wealth. Landing in a foreign hosiptal without insurance is not funny and being
legally shafted through a crisis is a tragedy. It does happen. Ask me, I know. Call your consulate,
if you really want to know more.
Get the book; grab your bag and climb aboard with Travel Dan. Great guide. Great guy with a
Cheshire Cat grin.
Pogo
Reviewer
Rick's Bookshelf
Redemption of the Shattered
Bob Livingstone LCSW
Booklocker.com
ISBN # 1591130859 200 pgs. $16.50
Therapy for some is a joke, to use for comedy bits in movies and TV shows. For some, it is a way
for them to justify whatever vice or sin they indulge in, running a gamut from hating their mother
to being forced to eat broccoli as a child. However, to others like author Bob Livingstone, it is a
return to normalcy, a releasing of demons, and a chance to purge emotional baggage in exchange
for a fresh perspective.
Death is never an easy subject to deal with, and the death of a family member, especially a parent,
can have a lasting effect on anyone, regardless of their age or closeness to the deceased. The
passing of his father left a deep emotional chasm on young Bob Livingstone, one that he chose to
deal with using a rather unique and ingenious type of healing, a sand tray.
The best way to describe this technique is to think of a miniaturized sand pile, the type that can
be, or used to be, found in playgrounds all over the country. Remember as a child how you would
build castles and forts, using twigs for everything from trees to people, and then drawing roads
and streams in the sand itself. Think of it that way, only on a tabletop. There are toys and figures
used to represent anything from the Grim Reaper to an Angel of Mercy, and all points in-between.
Clientele of these practitioners do the same as in the days of their youth; use the sand and the
figures to tell a story. However, these are not stories of dragons and fairy princesses locked in a
castle, but repressed feelings locked away in the heart and mind.
Livingstone presents his travels through his despair and emergence clearly and concisely. With
each chapter he shows a picture of the tray he created, the story that went with it, the figures he
used, and the meaning behind the story, allowing a rare insight into the helping and healing
process that few outside of a physician's office ever see. Included at the end of each section is a
series of questions that will allow the book to be used as a textbook, leading into some deep
ongoing discussions no doubt, but also gives you something to think about even if you are reading
alone. However, in fact, you are not alone, he is there every step of the way, explaining the what's
and why's of the experience.
Is this book easy to read, yes, but is it an easy read? The answer to that is a resounding no, but
perhaps it will give someone the strength or courage to seek help themselves, and that would be a
greater testament to the author and his work than anything I can say here.
The Manhattan Conspiracy: Blood on the Apple
Ken Hudnall
Authors Choice Press,
c/o iUniverse
5220 S. 16th St. Suite 200 Lincoln NE 68512
ISBN: 059520399X $21.95 www.iuniverse.com
If you read the papers or watch the news on TV, you cannot help but be aware of actual and
implied threats of terrorism appearing on a daily level. Since 9/11, our national conscience has
turned to heightened states of awareness with multicolored hues of degrees of preparedness for
impending attacks from enemies to our country and its allies, both domestically and abroad. So far
we may have been spared additional carnage upon us, but what is going on behind the scenes that
we are not aware of, how possible is another attack? This novel by Ken Hudnall, Manhattan
Conspiracy: Blood on the Apple, perfectly captures the realism such an attack could bring with it,
coupled with an underlying fear of dread.
Originally written in 1992, author Hudnall has wove a rich tapestry of original characters and
situations, which only add to the realistic overtones that run throughout his work. His characters
live and breathe as surely as you or I, and react in the same manner when confronted by
circumstances beyond their control; in this case, it is a group known only as The Brotherhood,
which are planning to release a terrorist attack upon our country. The only problem is when their
own weapon, a master assassin turns against them, and begins tracking The Brotherhood to wreak
vengeance. This leads to a page turning adventure filled with all the action and suspense a reader
could want as you get brought into their world of intrigue, corruption, and violence sure to leave
you, as it did me, wanting more.
I visited Mr. Hudnall's website, www.kenhudnall.com, to find out what else I could about the
author, to see if I could gather further insight into why he chose this topic. Imagine my grateful
surprise when I discovered that this is but one in a series of books: MANHATTAN
CONSPIRACY II-CAPITAL CRIMES and the soon to be released MANHATTAN
CONSPIRACY III-ANGEL OF DEATH. I am glad to see that this is not the end, but only the
beginning of adventures that I cannot wait to take part. And believe me, I will be there every step
of the way, as should you.
Leo's Oscar
directed by Breht Gardner
written by Ken Gamble
produced by Ken Gamble and Breht Gardner
Available Free online at http://www.eyekandy.com
I am not a big fan of mainstream Hollywood.
Now don't get me wrong, I like 'Raiders of the Space Wars Part X2 Reloaded' as much as the next
person, but I take it for what it is-mainstream media manipulated to appeal to the lowest common
denominator in the intended audience. Movies nowadays cost tens, if not hundreds of millions of
dollars to be made, and need to gross many, many times that just to break even; to the point
where a movie that grosses 200 million dollars can still be considered a noncommercial
success-and to me that makes no sense at all. So where do I turn for satisfying entertainment,
where are all the young new voices coming from that breathe hope into the mass pabulum of
commercial film making? I'll tell you-independent films.
Now, I don't necessarily mean independent films as those released through a subsidiary of a major
studio, no, I am referring to truly independent productions. It is in these movies where you can
see the love of the craft still lives, where they care about what they are making-nurturing it along
every step of the way with conviction and dedication to their art that shows in the final product.
Moreover, to me, there is no finer example out there now than the one found at
http://www.eyekandy.com and a short film entitled, Leo's Oscar.
This is the story of how, one fateful Oscar night, a dark horse candidate for Best Actor, Val
Baron (played with perfect apathy, dignity, and even indignation by writer and co-producer Ken
Gamble) wins the statuette. However, just as he is giving his acceptance speech, a man comes on
stage to tell him there has been a mistake, the wrong name was announced, and tries to stop him.
It should not have gone to him; it should have gone to Leonardo DiCaprio (hence the title, Leo's
Oscar-I love it when books and movies actually use the title of their work in the work itself-but I
digress), and he refuses to give it back, and the repercussions that follow. Tinsletown is notorious
for eating its own tail to spite its face, evident by the sudden rise and fall of too many actors that
end up being the flavor of the moment one second, and then quickly chewed up and spit out when
even the slightest impropriety of scandal rears its head. This film captures that dirty little secret of
Hollywood perfectly: hot one-minute, the next appearing on a segment of 'Where Are They Now?'
yet with a surprise and satisfying resolution that left me begging for more-perhaps the greatest
compliment I can bestow. They tease at the end a sequel is forthcoming, and I hope that this film
is such a success that the wait will not be a long one.
This is a truly brilliant and in many ways scathing observational homage of Hollywood at its
greatest, as well as its most shallow, filled with in jokes and references that, if you get them, adds
to the enjoyment; however, even if you don't, it does not take away one iota of enjoyment. Even
on a technical level, this movie impressed me. Filmed on what was a shoestring budget, so small
that major studios spend more on catering than this film cost, you might think there would be
shortcomings in acting, lighting, directing, or in the production values overall, yet I can tell you
that this film can hold its own against anything produced by the major studios.
One of the most impressive parts to me was that they use actual footage of the Oscar telecast, so
you do get to see major celebrities in the audience. You get to see Halle Berry calling out the
wrong name, adding to a feeling more like 'this really happened', as opposed to a standard 'what if'
scenario with made up actors, my compliments to all involved on that beautiful piece of
maneuvering.
Now, let me tell you the best part of this movie-you don't have to go to a movie theater to see it;
you don't have to go to some video store to rent it, not even on pay-per-view. It's on-line, and it's
free! Just use the address listed at the top of this review, as well as several other places
throughout, and check it out for yourself. I should tell you it runs about 20 minutes, and the
makers, in their infinite wisdom and wanting to make it available to everyone, even have a version
up for those on dial-up as well as on high speed, with no loss of quality. While you are there, sign
the guestbook and let them know what you think about the movie yourself. I'd like to see Lucas
or Spielberg give their audience instant access to tell them what they think of the production, and
even exchanging dialogue with them as well, much less have it available for free to watch. Yeah,
when pigs fly, and I sure don't see any outside my window.
Go to the site, http://www.eyekandy.com and view this movie. If movies of this caliber from
filmmakers like Mr.'s Gardner and Gamble are any indication of the future of film, then it is in the
best of hands, and I look forward to their next endeavor-I just hope it's soon.
Rick Mohr
Reviewer
Roger's Bookshelf
Give to Get Leadership: The Secret of the Hidden Paycheck
Richard C. Huseman and Merwyn A. Hayes
Equity Press
ISBN 0971226016
Nothing New Here
If you're familiar with the literature and the anecdotes popular in the field of leadership,
motivation, or human behavior, don't waste your time with this book. You'll be frustrated in your
quest for something new. If this is a brand-new field for you, this book will give you a good
survey of the stories, old saws, and oft-repeated phrases and concepts. Many of these gleanings,
though not all, are cited in the notes section at the back of the book.
I suspect that this book was self-published using the services of book designers who either don't
know what they're doing or think they're really creative. Trying to read an entire book in a
sans-serif typeface was hard on the eyes. Chapter starts were not strongly called out, making it
difficult to separate sections of the book to organize thinking as a reader.
The flow of the text was interrupted a number of times with the presentation of extraneous
information that really didn't contribute to the author's points. I got the feeling that there was a lot
of filler in these pages.
The authors describe categories of Equity Sensitivity Benevolents, Equity Sensitives, and
Entitleds to explain that there's a balance to be achieved. Give to others and they'll give to you.
With my knowledge of leadership, I found these descriptions to be relatively shallow, causing me
to get bored and distracted. It was a challenge for me to make it all the way to the last pages of
the book. It doesn't take 300 pages to state that people work for more than money and that the
relationship with the immediate supervisor is paramount.
This review refers to the hardcover edition.
Greener Pastures: How to Find a Job in Another Place
Andrea Kay
St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN 0312198922 $12.95
Time for a Book Re-Birth
This book was written in 1999, during the go-go years of the late 1990s when people were
jumping from job to job like there was no tomorrow. There were plenty of employment
opportunities locally and across the country and the world. With such abundance, a lot of
people were just jumping without investing sufficient time and thought into the decisions they
were making.
Then the economy tanked, taking a lot of hopeful careers down with it. Hark! The economy is
coming back! Things are picking up again and workers will have an increasing number of job
options open to them. As we shift back toward a sellers' market, workers in all fields will again
have decisions to make. The search for new opportunities is kicking into gear and thousands of
people will be looking for exciting jobs which may not be right around the corner.
This book will take you step-by-step through a process that has baffled many job-seekers over the
years. Nope, it's not one of those academic treatises full of theoretical stuff. You'll have a
workbook in your hands one that will put ideas in your head, questions in front of your face,
and pages to write things down. "Greener Pastures" is very specifically for people who are
looking for a job in another location; they want to move to another city, another state, for
whatever reason(s).
In the initial chapter, Andrea Kay, a specialist in job seeking, will challenge why you want to
consider a move in the first place. Be ready to be forced into some research internal and
external. Then, in the subsequent chapters, you'll find questions, information, suggestions, and
techniques to streamline your process. Your mind will be opened by this book, which will also
help you fill it back up again with the information you need to find that distant job the right way.
Result: you'll go after your next position with a significantly higher level of confidence which will
support greater achievement.
Note: While this book is based on an out-of-town focus, there is plenty of value for the job-seeker
who does not necessarily want to move to another city. The process may reaffirm your desire to
grow where you are planted. "Greener Pastures" is a book whose time has come again.
The New Art of the Leader
William A. Cohen, Ph.D.
Prentice Hall Press
ISBN 0735203598 $15.00
Great Read: Instructive, comfortable, inspirational, heavily loaded
There are generals and then there are generals. There are PhDs and there are PhDs. When you see
a book by a retired Air Force major general who has a PhD, you pay attention. Maybe there will
be something interesting here. Indeed!
In fifteen chapters, Cohen covers a wide range of leadership topics. Understandably, there's a lot
of the military model here, but it will surprise you. You'll read about tactics and you'll learn about
caring. You'll learn about accountability and you'll read about morale. Several of the chapters are
organized with three steps, four tactics, seven actions. Yes, this may be a military sort of model,
but it's also good writing and reading.
The book is filled with anecdotes, practical stuff that you can sink your teeth into. The examples,
mostly from the military environment, effectively illustrate the numerous points Cohen makes. The
military examples are from present day and historical lessons, and they're combined with a good
selection of civilian stories. Leaders and prospective leaders, both military and civilian, will enjoy
the book for its lessons and for its high level of readability. The stories make the teaching points
come alive.
Yes, this is a leadership book. But it practically reads like a novel. You'll get caught up in the
reading to the point where you might even forget that you're reading a practical guide to getting
people to follow you. The New Art of the Leader is very appropriate for airplane reading, but
have your pen and highlighter handy!
Good index and notes for research and follow-up reading.
The Seeds of Innovation: Cultivating the Synergy that Fosters New Ideas
Elaine Dundon
AMACOM
ISBN 0814471463 $24.95
Relevant, Practical, Good Tool
Innovate or stagnate. Or, put another way, innovate or stand helplessly and watch your
competitors eat your lunch! Wise leaders stimulate, encourage, reinforce, and reward innovation.
If you're not doing this in your organization, now is the time to start and this book will show
you the path.
The book is organized into three parts: The Seeds of Creative Thinking, The Seeds of Strategic
Thinking, and The Seeds of Transformational Thinking. Dundon, a consultant and speaker on
innovation, takes us out of the proverbial box. The process starts with an introductory chapter
that delivers an introduction to innovation management. In this presentation, the author sets the
stage nicely for the value of the balance of the book.
Each aspect of thinking is essential to making a difference in an organization. Dundon explains the
what, the why, the how, and provides examples in a very instructive text. Each chapter addresses
skills and strategies to generate creativity, a strategic approach (big picture and visionary), and
practical how-to ideas to support innovation in organizational settings. Reading the chapters alone
is worthwhile, but we're not done yet. Following the eleven chapters are five appendices, a
recommended reading list, and an index.
The appendices provide an explanation of the nine step innovation process, a list of probing
questions to energize innovative thinking, 99 innovations and 99 trends. Readers will find it
valuable to go through the list of trends and consider their influence on how their organization
does business and will do business in the future. As a futurist by profession, I can vouch for this
being a comprehensive and highly usable list. The additional criteria section, while not too long,
offers even more thought-provoking insights to check your work, stimulate more discussion, and
refine the product of your synergistic thinking.
Readers will find this book valuable as a cover-to-cover read, but then highly effective as a tool to
achieve significant results.
Show Biz Training: Fun and Effective Business Training Techniques from the Worlds of State,
Screen, and Song
Lenn Milbower
AMACOM
ISBN 0814471579 $34.95
Disappointing
Show Biz Training. Fun and Effective Business Training Techniques from the Worlds of State,
Screen, and Song. Wow! An 8.5 X 11 trade paperback. Thick. I'll bet this volume is packed full of
great ideas lots of how-tos to add pizzazz to training programs.
What I got was page after page after page of theory, show biz history, anecdotes, and the author's
cartoons. I was almost 130 pages into this book before I found something that looked like useful
techniques. See what you think:
"Face Off. The action: Learners pair off and face each other. The learners turn away from each
other briefly. On the instructor's signal, they turn back around and make funny faces at each other.
The task repeats three times. Suggested Use: introductions, reenergizing activity. Parameters:
May be used in other contexts by directing the type of faces learners should make: angry faces for
customer complaints or conflict resolution." Page 127
Am I missing something here? Wait till you get to the section on microphones that begins on page
311. It's well written for someone who's never seen a mike before. Experienced trainers, who
might be interested in a well-done book with this title, will feel talked down to. With the author's
background as an instructional designer and "former Disney University and Disney Institute
employee" (doing ?), I expected more.
For people who are new to the field of education and training or studying the field in school, this
book has some value. If you're interested in a lot of learning theory, this book has something to
offer. If you're a professional trainer looking to gain a lot of new techniques from a strong how-to
book, this isn't it. I was hoping for more, so I'm disappointed that this book didn't grab me. Even
with the index and templates, and glossary of show biz terns, I just couldn't get excited about this
book especially for $34.95.
Anger And The Indigo Child
Dianne Lancaster
Wellness Press
ISBN 0972890432 $19.95
Valuable for All Parents, especially those with Indigo children
More attention to Indigo Children. There's a movement afoot to raise the societal and parental
consciousness about a "special" group of children known as Indigos. The writings in the field
suggest that they're significantly different than other children of their generation the children of
today. I suspect that those kids that we identify as "Indigo" are but the leading edge of an entire
generation of such people which makes every book on this topic substantially more meaningful.
Books on this topic including this one should be required reading for university students
preparing to be teachers and counselors, let alone those who are practicing in the field
already.
Chapter One of this book explains the terminology, so you don't have to scurry around looking
for references to understand the perspectives. Nevertheless, I'd recommend you read "The Indigo
Children" by Lee Carroll and Jan Tober and "The Care and Feeding of Indigo Children" by
Doreen Virtue. Their work will give you deep insight into Indigos, while this book focuses on
anger management issues and techniques and their relationship to Indigo children and
others.
At first, scanning the table of contents, I suspected this was the work of an anger therapist or
seminar leader looking for another place to promote her work. Part of this attitude on my part
came from seeing the trademark indicator on several of Lancaster's theories and approaches. As I
read the book, I came to realize that the trademarks show that this professional has done some
fine, groundbreaking work that is worthy of respect and recognition. There's a tremendous
amount of good content in this volume.
Chapter Three caught my attention: 44 Ways to Show Kids You Care. There's a whole book right
there, I pondered. And, sure enough, there is a great deal of advice in those pages. Thinking of
how I'd applied the principles with my own children, I patted myself on the back reading a few of
them emphasis on the word "few." Every parent should have this list on a laminated card within
easy reach.
The book continues with the same value, chapter after chapter. Not every word is an original
thought of Dianne Lancaster. She brings in chapters written by others or tapping into the work of
others. This technique makes two statements to me: first, Lancaster realizes she doesn't have all
the answers (bravo!), and second, she knows who does have answers and invests an extra effort
to be sure the reader gains maximum benefit from her book.
I will admit that there are parts of this book, like the chapter on symbology, that stretched
credibility for me. You should know that I'm fairly well hard-wired to solid knowledge and some
of the approaches in this field push the edges of my envelope. What does this mean to you? As a
reader, your mind will be stretched. Even if you reject some part(s) of what you read in this book,
you will gain so much that you'll want to read some sections again. The book is designed to
facilitate that kind of usage, so go right ahead.
Glossary, Resource List, no index. It would have been nice to have an index, but the Table of
Contents is so comprehensive, you don't really need an index.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to compose a letter to my Indigo child. Yes, a letter: to give her
time to re-read, re-think, and absorb, as you'll do with this book.
Absolute Honesty: Building a Corporate Culture that Values Straight Talk and Rewards
Integrity
Larry Johnson and Bob Phillips
AMACOM Books
ISBN 0914407811 $27.95
Read this book. Spread the message to others.
Recent corporate scandals have shaken confidence in leadership and the ethical underpinnings of
the business world. Without significant change, we risk increasing problems in the years ahead.
It's time for leaders to step forth, declare a commitment to ethical performance, and set the
example.
"Absolute Honesty" tells it like it is, and like it must be. Johnson and Phillips, management
consultants who have been inside and seen how things work, have produced a powerful tool. This
easy-to-read book emphasizes that no one argues against corporate integrity, but some executives
need support on HOW to apply the principles. Readers of "Absolute Honesty" will learn how to
build the right kind of cultural infrastructure.
The authors argue that too many companies adhere to what they call "the Kumbaya
Syndrome---embrace all decisions, no matter how stupid or unethical; smile and sing the company
campfire song." It's too easy to just go along, and confronting or fighting superiors or The System
is frowned upon.
The alternative is to apply their Six Laws of Absolute Honesty: Tell the Truth, Tackle the
Problems, Disagree and Commit, Welcome the Truth, Reward the Messenger, and Build a
Platform of Integrity. A chapter on each of the laws explains what needs to be done, with
effective supporting material including advice, anecdotes, and a style that makes the whole
process comfortable and acceptable.
The book is organized into three parts. The first part, The Challenge, includes chapters on The
Naked Truth and A Culture of Absolute Honesty. These 52 pages set the stage nicely for the rest
of the book. Part 2 presents the Six Laws, with engaging detail. Part 3 is aptly entitled "Where Do
We Go from Here?" The final two chapters discuss building an ethical infrastructure and Key
Points to Help Your Implementation Efforts. Lots of good, practical advice here. The book
concludes with Notes and a good index.
You'll find this book to be a disarmingly fast read. There's a personal sort of feeling that draws the
reader into the subject and keeps the flow moving. This book is one you'll keep in your
office for reference and to send a message to all who enter.
Roger E. Herman, Reviewer
www.hermangroup.com
Sullivan's Bookshelf
Book Business, Publishing Past Present and Future
Jason Epstein
W.W. Norton & Company
$2l.95, ISBN # 0393049841
"This book is an expanded version of three lectures that I delivered in October l999 at the New
York Public Library," the author explains
Epstein, a life-long book editor, details, in brief, book publishing from the Gutenbabout his own,
star-crossed, career in book publishing, which includes stints at Doubleday and Random House.
He was also instrumental in starting up Anchor Pocket books and in launchiing and guiding THE
NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS.
He delves into how book publishing has changed from his introductioon to the business to what it
has become: concentrated in ownership and part and parcel of computer publishing and
e-commerce. Epstein sees benefits to be derived from that, for instance, having all past
publications stored in the computer's memory for downloading by anyone desiring a book, thereby
avoiding the dreaded, out-of-print situation. Yet he also sees new troubles brewing for the
industry: e-commerce sale and distribution of books, for example, has brought with it unforseen
costs. There's not enough margin in book prices, always under price pressure, to cover costs and
provide profits. A sad case in point; amazon.com is losing hundreds of millions despite brisk book
sales.
Epstein has edited such popular writers as E.L. Doctorow, Norman Mailer, and Gore Vidal.
This book is full of interesting publishiing facts.
Recommended.
What Liberal Media? The Truth about Bias and the News
Eric Alterman
Basic Books
$25.00, ISBN # 046500l769
This volume answers the recent spate of conservative-authored books, such as BIAS, SLANDER,
COLORING THE NEWS, and the like, all accusing the media: print, radio, and TV, of being
left-leaning politically and commenting thusly. Alterman takes issue with this old adage and
convincingly brushes it aside as pure balderdash.
The author gives the reader example after example proving that there is hardly any left-of-center
shading of the news. That's particularly true when stacked up against blatantly conservative radio
and TV, such as Fox News and its kind. Conservative commenting, however, abounds!
"In recent times," Alterman writes in his book, "the right has ginned up its 'liberal media'
propaganda machine. Books by both Ann Coulter, a blond bombshell pundette, and Bernard
Goldberg, a former CBS News producer, have topped the best-seller lists, stringing together such
a series of charges that, well, it's amazing neither one thought to accuse 'liberals' of using the
blood of conservative children for extra flavor in their soy-milk decaf lattes. While extremely
popular with the media they attack, both books are so shoddily written and 'researched' that they
pretty much refute themselves. Their danger derives less from the authors' respective allegations
than the 'where there's smoke, there's fire' impression they inspire. In fact, barely any of the major
allegations in either book stands up to more than a moment's scrutiny. The entire case is a lie, and,
yes, in many instances, a slander. Although I abhor the methods of both authors, I do not feel they
can go unanswered. Ideas particularly bad ones, have consequences. The myth of the 'liberal
media' empowers conservatives to control debate in the United States to the point where liberals
cannot even hope for a fair shake anymore. However immodest my goal, I aim to change
that."
Alterman points out that such national magazines as THE NEW REPUBLIC and THE
ATLANTIC MONTHLY, both formerly considered quite liberal, are now squarely in the
conservative camp. And most of the TV commentators, or pundits, have moved right, too. A case
in point is Chris Matthews, host of cable TV's HARD BALL. A former key staffer for Democratic
Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, Matthews, whose views are all over the political landscape,
tends rightward these days. Howard Kurtz, media critic for the WASHINGTON POST and
various cable TV stations, is instance number two. He's drifted right long ago. Oh, and don't
forget Bill O'Reilly. But, then, he's alwas been out in right field.
And speaking of the highly vaunted, seemingly left-leaning WASHINGTN POST: In more recent
days, it's sounding not unlike its only rival, the WASHINGTON TIMES. Let's not forget, either,
the so-called giant liberal newspaper, THE NEW YORK TIMES. It blasted Clinton throughout
his presidency.
Radio, today, of course, is a bastion of ultra-right conservatives. Their drum major is Rush
Limbaugh. Not surprisingly, it's nearly impossible to find even one liberal radio proogram host.
Sunday morning TV news shows have few liberal interviewers. Even Tim Russert, arguably the
most admired, certainly by his peers, TV political questioner, and a former employee of liberal
congresspersons, is today considered one of the toughest, yet fairest, interviewers of both liberals
and connservatives.
Media consolidation is only making matters worse, in other words: more conservative. What
Rupert Murdock doesn't own, other conservative media moguls do. So, it's not absolutely true to
say today, even if it once was, that media is liberally biased. If anything, especially with real
liberals bending over backwards to avoid the charge of liberal bias, the media is moderate to
conservative.
A media columnist for THE NATION magazine and for MSNBC.com, Alterman has published
articles in ROLLING STONE, ELLE, MOTHER JONES, WORLD POLICY JOURNAL, and
others. His writing has won prizes, too. Other books by his hand include WHO SPEAKS FOR
AMERICA? WHY DEMOCRACY MATTERS IN FOREIGN POLICY and the
soon-to-be-published WHEN PRESIDENTS LIE: DECEPTION AND ITS
CONSEQUENCES.
With undergraduate and graduate degrees from New York University and Cornell, respectively,
he earned his Ph. D. at Stanford. Alterman lives with his family in Manhattan.
Recommended!
Jim Sullivan
Reviewer
Terry's Bookshelf
Morality For Beautiful Girls
Alexander McCall Smith
Anchor Books
ISBN 1400031362 $11.95
Another Great Visit with Precious & Company
I loved every minute of the third book in THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY
series.
Precious Ramotswe is solving problems, including some of her own, moving to a new location
and handling life as it comes to her.
There are three 'cases' in this book, but they're pretty much secondary to the true story of life in
Mma Ramotswe's beloved hometown of Gaborone, Botswana.
Mma Ramotswe's secretary - now assistant - Mma Makutsi gets to work on a case in this
book...and she handles other chores as well, all with apparent ease as expected from someone
who scored 97% at the Botswana Secretarial College.
A word of advice: read the books in order of publication. You'll be glad you did.
Enjoy!
Tears of the Giraffe
Alexander McCall Smith
Anchor Books
ISBN 1400031354 $11.95
Recommendation: *****
More Mma Ramotswe Stories, Please
Precious Ramotswe is quickly becoming one of my favorite fictional characters. For the
uninitiated, Mma Ramotswe is the first female private detective in Botswana. But, to say she's
only a private detective is like saying that Father Tim (from the At Home in Mitford series) is just
a village preacher.
I don't mind that most of the mysteries Mma Ramotswe solves are pretty transparent and not very
dangerous. What I love about these stories is the way the author weaves a spell about simple
people, living gracious lives, while being kind (for the most part) to one another.
At the end of a Mma Ramotswe book, I'm left with a feeling of peace.
This is sweet, gentle fiction...set in Africa, but it's universally appealing.
I wonder who's going to star in the movie? Whoopi Goldberg comes to mind...or Alfrie
Woodard....or Angela Bassett...strong, independent women all....like Precious Ramotswe
herself.
Enjoy!
The Devil Wears Prada
Lauren Weisberger
Doubleday
ISBN; 038550926X $21.95
Recommendation: < * (less than one star -- it's that bad)
This Girl is NOT from the South
I can't imagine any southern belle worth her baton and tiara reading more than 50 pages of this
book. I finished only because I was supposed to review it, but egads and little fishes, it is
bad.
No southern belle would put up with 11 minutes, much less 11 months of not being able to (1)
leave her desk (2) speak unless spoken to or (3) eat lunch ... just so she could be at the beck and
call of her self-important, puffed up, maniacal boss, even if HERself was the 'most important
woman in fashion.'
The author completely lost me when Assistant to the Editor of Runway magazine Andrea
Sachs had to go get more coffee because what she had broken her neck to bring to the office was
cold and when her boss screamed at her to hurry it up with her $92 lunch, only to order her to
toss it because she had already eaten with someone else. Having a pilot fly across the Atlantic just
so the boss' twin daughters could each have their own Harry Potter books three days before the
release date was also a bit over the top.
The final scene (no spoiler here, because you KNOW the girl has GOT to develop a backbone at
SOME point before the tale is over) is no big whoop, either. A southern belle woulda caused such
a fuss...it woulda been the talk of the town for years to come when "the boss" finally got what
was coming to her.
I guess that's why America's fashion elite gather in the Big Apple and not Atlanta. We wouldn't
stand for such nonsense down here.
If like is really like this in the fashion industry, there's something seriously wrong....seriously.
Terry Matthews
Reviewer
Vicki's Bookshelf
Indescribably Arabella
Jane Gilbert
Antheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689853211 $15.95, 32 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com
"Indescribably Arabella" is indescribably lovely. The picture book tale by Jane Gilbert features a
not-so-unique little girl who dreams, naturally enough, of being famous. First she attempts to
become a famous artist, "but her colors always ran together and the lines were always crooked."
Undeterred, she next attempts to become a famous actress, "but her entrances were always late
and she could never remember her lines." Growing increasingly downhearted, but decides to try
again by teaching herself how to dance. She practices and practices but no one would even watch
the short, chubby-legged girl dance one step. Thoroughly discouraged, Arabella concludes that
she will never succeed in making her mark in the world, and throws out her art and stage supplies.
When a kindly and curious old couple pass by, they're intrigued by Arabella's plight and request a
chance to witness her skills firsthand. The charming outcome is predictable enough, and not
terribly unique. Yet the book's innocent, antiquated charm is indescribably delightful, as is the
sweet story of its 56-year journey to publication after languishing in a trunk ever since the Korean
War. Bravo for "Indescribably Arabella" and its incredibly patient author.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth
Antheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689854684 $18.95, 54 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com
The classic adventure novel "Treasure Island" comes alive in this exemplary "Scribner Storybook
Classic" illustrated in 1911 by the incomparable N.C. Wyeth. This is the third addition to the
"Scribner Storybook Classics" and follows the same tradition of "The Last of the Mohicans" and
"Robinson Crusoe," in its careful abridgment for younger readers. The result is approximately 36
pages of solid text designed for middle-grade readers, accompanied by 14 of Wyeth's masterfully
dramatic paintings. The story is as timeless and exciting as ever. Jim Hawkins has led an ordinary
life as an innkeeper's son until the day he inadvertently discovers a treasure map in a trunk
belonging to an old sea captain. When Jim and his companions decide to follow the map to the
coast of South America to find their fortune, they plans run awry when they discover that the
ship's crew is comprised of pirates. Jim must outsmart Long John Silver and his gang to defeat the
pirates and find the treasure in this swashbuckling tale. This superior edition is the perfect
introduction to a thrilling classic for new generations of adventure literature aficionados.
Brand New Readers: Blue Set
Brand New Readers: Red Set
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763620610 (Blue Set)
ISBN 0763620629 (Red Set)
$12.99, 10 booklets, 8 pages each, www.candlewick.com
The lively, colorful and funny "Brand New Readers" line of emergent reader books are among the
best and most popular in the field. Their fun factor is undeniable. Children as young as four love
reading these silly and simple stories, and gain a tremendous sense of satisfaction that they can
read it themselves. The new "Blue Set" and "Red Set" series stick with the tried-and-true format
of previous four-book editions, but raise the bar by packaging together 10 previously books,
featuring five different characters. Both the variety and the packaging is a welcome improvement,
and at a $13 list price is a good value. Flip open the Velcro flap on the sturdy cardboard box to
find 10 8-page full-color books plus a nice collection of extras, namely a handy parent/teacher
guide, a foldout poster with reward stickers, a certificate of achievement, and a make-your-own
Brand New Reader book. The "Blue Set" features stories about a monkey, mouse, pig, worm, and
dinosaur. The "Red Set" features stories about the mouse and pig, plus a cat, dog and elephant.
Each of the funny, easy-to-read stories is its own reward, but the motivational stickers and
certificate go a long way to provide children with the will to read each of the books again and
again. Early education specialists will note that not all the words used here are in strict keeping
with phonics teaching practices difficult silent consonants, such as the "h" in "Dinah" for
instance, is more of a writer's convenience to maintain the "dinosaur" theme which will be
stumbling blocks for most beginner readers. The occasional tricky word aside, Candlewick's
"Brand New Readers" series has earned a place at the top of my emergent reader
recommendations.
Clever Lollipop
Dick King-Smith, illustrated by Jill Barton
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763621749 $15.99, 144 pages, www.candlewick.com
Watch out, Wilbur! Back off, Babe! The smartest pig in the kingdom is back, and she's ready to
teach pampered Princess Penelope a lesson or two in "Clever Lollipop," the sequel to Dick
King-Smith's charming "Lady Lollipop." This utterly charming middle-grade novel features the
return of Lollipop, a very special pig, plus her young trainer, Johnny Skinner and the young royal
miss who came to appreciate Lollipop's wisdom. This time the spoiled princess is too stubborn to
learn to how to read, but the new royal tutor, Collie Cob the Conjurer, is no ordinary teacher.
With his long white beard, brimless top hat and strange, multicolored clothing, Collie Cob shows
how he can teach anyone just about anything, almost as if by magic. Author Dick King-Smith is
also a magician when it comes to writing breezy, easy-to-read fiction for ages seven to 10 and the
read-aloud crowd. And as the creator of both "Babe: the Gallant Pig" and "Lady Lollipop," he's
an absolute expert at creating pigs that readers can't help but fall in love with. "Clever Lollipop" is
an enchanting tale sure to be beloved by young readers, parents, and especially, teachers who will
greatly appreciate this tribute.
The Emperor's Egg
Martin Jenkins, Illustrated by Jane Chapman
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763622338 $19.99, 32 pages, www.candlewick.com
Classroom teaching will come alive with the latest large-format "Read and Wonder Big Book"
editions of two science picture book favorites. "The Emperor's Egg" is the informative and
unforgettable story of the birth of a baby chick in the cold Antarctica. It's filled with charm and
fabulous facts about nature's most devoted dad, and the oversized pictures make the story even
grander and more personal. Children are mesmerized by the story of a father Emperor penguin
who guards over the eggs for two months in the frozen north, with nothing to eat, and no other
concerns but the safekeeping of his brood-to-be. "The Emperor's Egg" is an excellent choice for
pleasure reading and instruction, and the new larger format (14 " x 16 14") makes it a smart and
handy teaching tool.
Growing Frogs
Vivian French, Illustrated by Alison Bartlett
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 076362232X $19.99, 32 pages, www.candlewick.com
"Growing Frogs" is the other new "Read and Wonder Big Book" edition of a popular science
picture book. When a mother brings her daughter to a pond to collect some frog spawn, the little
girl isn't sure what to expect. Day after day she checks on the jellylike bubbles until they turn into
tadpoles, which sprout stumps that gradually turn into legs with webbed feet. The engaging
narrative keeps the facts from become dry, while the cheerfully colorful illustrations accurately
evoke ach stage of a frog's growth. It's wrapped neatly inside a story that inspires children to
experience firsthand the wonders of the natural world. The large format (14 3/4" x 16 14") makes
this a perfect instructional reading book to introduce groups to the subject, and for those
conducting hands-on science projects.
Ginger Finds A Home
Charlotte Voake
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 076361999X 40 pages, www.candlewick.com
Further evidence that most children's book authors are cat crazy, Charlotte Voake
author/illustrator of "Ginger" and "Pizza Kittens" -- has devoted yet another picture book to the
love of all things feline. A prequel to "Ginger," the new "Ginger Finds A Home" is a gentle
homage to tender hearts who can't help but feel a tug to adopt stray cats in need. In this case, the
hungry kitty is a little orange cat so scrawny hit tail is like a piece of string. He confidently lives
his solitary existence scrounging for food and bedding down in a patch of weeds. Until, that is, he
finds that someone has left a plate of food near his bed. When it happens again and again he
grows suspicious of the little girl who is his surprising benefactor. In time, he grows accustomed
to her, and curious when she invites him to live somewhere strange and alien to him: indoors.
"Ginger Finds A Home" is a simple tale of change, kindness that simply purrs with
contentment.
Planet Janet
Dyan Sheldon
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763620483 $14.99, 240 pages, www.candlewick.com
With a Mad Cow for a mother, an eccentric psychotherapist for a father, and a dweeble for an
older brother, it's no wonder sixteen-year-old Janet Bandry is ready to enter the Dark Phase of her
life. As this determined British teenager sees it, the DP requires dressing in black, listening to jazz
when she can find the right radio station, and thinking about Deep and Meaningful Things when
she isn't thinking about boys, what color to dye her hair, or whether hew nose piercing is infected.
"I REALLY don't want to end up having a trivial life like everyone else, especially everyone I'm
related to I mean, life isn't about what's on telly or who left the toilet seat up, is it?" Told in
diary entries with a comical dose of melodrama, "Planet Janet" shares the painfully funny travails
of a winning and whining -- new heroine who just knows she's destined for greatness. The
English-isms aren't as obnoxiously extreme here as they are in other "Bridget Jones Diary"-styled
chick lit novels for teens (yes, "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging," I'm talking about
you), so makes a breezy choice this season -- particularly for moping, reluctant teen readers who
usually roll their eyes at the thought of summer reading.
33 Snowfish
Adam Rapp
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763618748 $15.99, 192 pages, www.candlewick.com
On the run in a stolen car with a kidnapped baby in tow, Custis, Curl and Boobie and three young
people with deeply troubled pasts and bleak futures. As they struggle to find a new life for
themselves, it becomes painfully clear that none will ever be able to leave the past behind. Yet for
one, redemption is waiting in the unlikeliest of places. With the raw language of the street and
lyrical, stream-of-consciousness prose, young adult author and playwright Adam Rapp hurtles the
reader into a world of lost children, a world that is not for the faint of heart. Gripping, disturbing,
and starkly illuminating, his hypnotic narration captures the voices of two damaged souls a third
speaks only through drawings to tell a story of alienation, deprivation, and ultimately, the saving
power of compassion. It 's a difficult but rewarding journey that chills to the core as it ultimately
makes its harrowing journey toward redemption. "33 Snowfish" contains harsh language and
explicit subject matter, so is recommended for mature older teens only.
Waggle
Sarah McMenemy
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763620599 $14.99, 32 pages, www.candlewick.com
The primary colored paper collages and bold, black outlines of the cute "Waggles" story, instantly
trigger fond memories of such favorite baby boomer picture book characters as Curious George,
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and the yellow duck from "The Story about Ping." The
book's retro style is thoroughly engaging, as is author-illustrator Sarah McMenemy' s disarmingly
innocent text that sweetly reduces word count to a bare minimum in a way that harkens back to
the "See Spot run" days of Dick and Jane reading primers. Here, the simplicity is clearly focused
on telling a simple, kid-friendly story from a child's-eye-view, and it works. It's the tale of the day
Rosie and her new puppy first meet. He's wiggly, waggly, and wonderful! He loves to play, he
loves to run, and he instantly loves Rosie as much as she loves him. Now that they've found each
other, all the puppy needs is a name. Let's see, he loves to dig how about Digger? He enjoyed
getting into the wastepaper basket how about Basket? He likes chewing on sandals how about
Flip-Flop? Nothing sounds quite right until Rosie discovers why she knew how to find the puppy
in a game of hide-and-seek. His name was there all along, right there on the tip of his tail. Three
wags of the tail to McMenemy for one of the most charming new picture book characters to come
along on four legs.
Where's Waldo?
Martin Handford
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763622370 $19.99, 32 pages, www.candlewick.com
My oh my, Waldo! What big everything you have! The original "Where's Waldo" is back and it's
bigger than ever in a new jumbo hardback edition. The unjacketed "Big Book" measures a
table-filling 13" x 16", and its mere size makes it the most enjoyable Waldo book yet. The
standard size is perfect for library shelving and personal use and the microscopic mini-versions
(packaged with a distorting magnifier) were miserable migraine-makers. But this super-sized
Waldo is just right for sharing in classrooms and other group settings. Naturally, this only adds to
the fun as multiple Waldo-hunters compete to be the first to spot the skinny, spectacled,
beanie-capped, striped-shirt wearing wanderer as he gets lost in the crowd at the beach, airport,
campground, ski lodge and numerous other heavily-populated locales. Once that task is
completed, the fun isn't over. The author has added new checklists for each spread, giving hunters
dozens and dozens of tiny details to spot from a lion driving a car at the safari park, to a nude
runner at the sports stadium. Even after all the game goals are met, kids and grownups will find
themselves enjoying the simple pleasure of discovering literally hundreds and hundreds of tiny
details hidden in the pictures. It's no mystery why "Where's Waldo" became and continues to be
such a popular favorite, selling more than three million copies and inspiring other terrific
visual-game books such as "I Spy." The only mystery is why it took so long for the publisher to
realize that readers' enjoyment would grow even more with a bigger, bolder Waldo.
I Spy Little Learning Box
Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick
Cartwheel Books / Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439455375 $19.95, 26 pages each, www.scholastic.com
Dinosaurs, ducks, tin soldiers, trucks I spy them all and much, much more in the best-selling "I
Spy" books that have become an adored staple on toddler-Pre-Kindergarten bookshelves. Each
title is an engaging visual game that invites children to fine tune their cognative skills in "treasure
hunts" for a list of items scattered among cluttered collages. With the simple turn of each page, a
new game is afoot, making the each challenge unique and fresh. For obvious reasons, more than
one and a half million copies have been sold of the immensely popular "I Spy Little Book" series,
created by rhymer Jean Marzollo and photographer Walter Wick. Created for gift-giving, this "I
Spy Little Learning Box" is a convenient, shrink-wrapped slipcase holding three best-selling "I
Spy" board books: "I Spy Little Book" is designed to teach visual discrimination, "I Spy Little
Letters" teaches letter recognition, and "I Spy Little Numbers" teaches number recognition. The
board book format and just-right mini-size (approximately 6" x 5 1/4") makes this an especially
appropriate developmental learning gift that children under four will simply love.
An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
Jim Murphy
Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin
251 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 0395776082 $16.00, 166 pages, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
With a subtitle that screams like the headline of a yellow-journalism newspaper, how can kids
possibly find history boring? Award winning author Jim Murphy hooks young readers from the
start in this power, dramatic narrative that brings history alive. True to it's title, "An American
Plague" tells the terrible story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1791, and the toll it took on the
residents of Philadelphia, then the nation's capitol and the largest city in North America. Never
before, or since, has an American city been so devastated by an apparently incurable disease. Most
frightening, the cause of the frightening killer was unknown a complete mystery to medical
practitioners of the time. Murphy does a wonderful job grasping the fear and the medical beliefs
and practices of the times, and the conditions that helped the disease to spread through the city.
The parallel story is equally fascinating: how free black Philadelphians played a heroic role in
rescuing a city under siege by an invisible threat. The effort and intrigues of politicians and
doctors including George Washington and Benjamin Rush as also an important part of the
story, and the search for the fever's causes and cure provides a suspenseful counterpoint. Highly
recommended as supplemental classroom material for ages 10 to 14 for its absorbing handling of a
historical subject with contemporary relevance that will win over even reluctant readers.
Davey's Blue-Eyed Frog
Patricia Harrison Easton
Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin
251 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 061818857 $14.00, 98 pages, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
Patricia Eaton's crackling, fast-paced chapter book for ages 7 to 10 puts a new spin on a classic
fairy tale. Grade-school student Davey doesn't believe in spells and fairy tales until the day a
strange blue-eyed frog named Amelia turns up in his pond. Amelia, as it turns out, is really a
princess, and in order to break the spell she's under, she needs a kiss before two cycles of the
moon pass. It looks as though Davey is the only one who can help her. But he the thought of
kissing her makes him woozy, and he doesn't want to kiss the frog until he has a chance to show
off the talking frog to his friends. In the meantime, he'll have to take care of the bossy green
princess by keeping her away from his menacing little brother, Kevin. Can the princess convince
Davey to do the right thing, or is she doomed to stay a frog forever? Light and innocent, this
traditional chapter book story will pass muster with parents, librarians and independent young
readers alike.
The Sun, the Rain, and the Apple Seed
Lynda Durrant
Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin
251 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 061823487X $15.00, 200 pages, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
In 1783, when John Chapman was nine, his father planted some apple seeds around their
one-room cabin. A few years later, the fruit of those apple trees was feeding the growing
Chapman family. Young Johnny marveled how all that was needed for this miracle to occur was
the sun, the rain, and the apple seed and so the "seeds" of a remarkable life took root. This
engaging fictional account of a man whose name is know to American schoolchildren as Johnny
Appleseed, incorporated the facts of John Chapman's life while evoking the fanciful and fantastic
aspects of his character. "The Sun, The Rain, and the Apple Seed" provides an fictional inside
look at Johnny's convictions and quirks, his visions and voices, as the author cashes in her poetic
license to achieve a perceived understanding of the subject to make his story more dramatic and
more personalized. It does not make it historically factual, however, a point its your readers (age
ten to 14, primarily), should be reminded not to forget. Johnny Appleseed is the stuff of legend,
and "The Sun, the Rain, and the Apple Seed" is an elaborate tale of an American folk hero who's
rich and colorful story is just that.
Theodore Roosevelt: Champion of the American Spirit
Betsy Harvey Kraft
Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin
251 Park Avenue South, NY NY 10003
ISBN 0618142649 $18.00, 180 pages, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
In this insightful, panoramic portrait of the twenty-sixth president of the United States, author
Betsy Harvey Kraft shows how Theodore Roosevelt used his broad range of interests and abilities
to create a dynamic life for himself and the nation he served. Overcoming childhood illness, he
charged into the worlds of reform politics, war, statesmanship, and adventures with amazing
vigor. As president, eh wrestled with environmental issues, corporate excesses and international
unrest. For his efforts in mediating a truce between Russia and Japan, in 1906 he was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize. His progressive views on government and his heartwarming personal story are
as relevant now as they were a hundred years ago. Award-winning author and former children's
book editor Kraft, has written a sweeping biography that draws from rich and diverse sources,
including journals, letters, books, memoirs, and newspaper reports. Featuring archival
black-and-white photographs, political cartoons and Roosevelt's own line drawings, "Theodore
Roosevelt: Champion of the American Spirit" is presented somewhat dryly, but ultimately wins
out as a compelling story of a complex American hero. Recommended as supplemental classroom
and reference material for ages 10 to 14.
Dinosaur Mummies: Beyond Bare-Bone Fossils
Kelly Milner Halls, illustrated by Rick Spears
Darby Creek Publishing
7858 Industrial Parkway, Plain City, OH 43064
ISBN 158196000X $17.95, 48 pages, www.darbycreekpublishing.com
What's better than a Velociraptor claw? Rarer than a Stegosaurus hip bone? More amazing than a
whole T rex skeleton? Dinosaur mummies, that's what. More than bones and teeth, these recent
dino discoveries include fossilized skin, muscles, hearts, stomachs, and more creepy scientific
souvenirs. "Dinosaur Mummies: Beyond Bare-Bone Fossils" is an absolutely fascinating and
authoritatively researched look at the most complete dinosaur mummies ever found. Its content is
refreshingly new, as it was only in 2000 that a group of scientists on a dinosaur dig in Montana
found the most complete dinosaur mummy ever. Previously only a few fossilized organs had been
found, but each discovery was monumental to modern scientific understanding of these prehistoric
creatures. Chronologically, each significant discovery is discussed here in fascinating depth, using
easy-to-follow text, informative sidebars, and nearly 80 full-color photos, illustrations and
diagrams. It's all pulled together quite cleverly by author Kelly Milner Halls, a dynamite dinosaur
researcher, having dug up the dirt on fossils for numerous magazines and the book "Jurassic Park
Institute Dinosaur Travel Guide" about the world's best dinosaur museums, dig sites and all things
fossil. Children's publishing is overpopulated with dinosaur books, so it's no small feat that
"Dinosaur Mummies" stands out from the oversized pack by providing an unusual glimpse into an
underreported segment of the dinosaur world. Highly recommended for school libraries and
classrooms to bring a tired subject uniquely up-to-date.
Garden of Angels
Lurlene McDaniel
Delacorte Press / Random House
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0553570935 $9.95, 256 pages, www.randomhouse.com/teens
In September of 1974, 14-year-old Darcy Quinlin has just started ninth grade. Born and raised in
small-town Connors, Georgia, Darcy is used to normal family life with her parents and sister Adel.
But when her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, Darcy's seemingly impenetrable world
begins to unravel. "People as wonderful as my mother did not have horrible things like cancer
happen to them," says Darcy. But after a trip to the big doctors in Atlanta confirms her mother's
dire condition, Darcy's life begins to change beyond her control. Suddenly, she finds herself in an
adult role, taking on more chores while she struggles with her very real teenage feelings toward
the new boy in town. Meanwhile, her sister experience's her own budding relationship with a
soldier from New York. The only place Darcy seems to find solace is in her mother's beautiful
backyard garden, a garden filled with the magic of angels. Set against the backdrop of the
Vietnam War, author Lurlene McDaniel conveys a fictional story deeply rooted to her own battle
with breast cancer, the death of her beloved mother. The uncertainty of the time period lends itself
to the personal upheaval in Darcy's world, and to the very limited information about breast cancer
that then existed. Darcy's journey to womanhood will strike a chord with all sensitive teen and
pre-teen girls experiencing their own eternal bond between mother and daughter. "Garden of
Angels" is a heartfelt little jewel of a book.
Mickey Mouse: The Evolution, The Legend, The Phenomenon
Robert Heide and John Gilman, with Monique Peterson and Patrick White
Disney Editions
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786854073 $19.95, 194 pages, www.disneyeditions.com
Mickey Mouse is such a universal icon that this book doesn't even bother to bear his name on its
front cover. A close-up black-and-white-and-red portrait of his ever-grinning face is more than
enough to clue readers that this hefty paperback reprint of the 2001 hardback is a close-up look at
the world's most popular mouse. "Mickey Mouse: The Evolution, The Legend, The Phenomenon"
is a contemporary, fun-filled account at one of our very favorite stars rodent or otherwise of
movies, television, books and comics. The book takes a well-researched look at the path Mickey
took from humble beginnings as an unlikely, puckish hero, who has evolved into a phenomenon
like no other. The "Steamboat Willie" cartoon marked his debut on November 18, 1928, at the
Colony Theater in New York City, and ever since Mickey has entertained the public as a wholly
likable, albeit mischievous adventurer who's been there and done it all musician, magician, actor,
dancer, singer, detective, plumber, firefighter, lover, and so much more. Most interesting, is the
way the book addresses the personality and staying power of this international hero from musical
"mouseterpieces" and groundbreaking films and film roles, through chameleon-like changes and
comebacks. It's a fascinating trip, enjoyable illustrated by more than 300 images including
never-before-published artwork from private collections and The Walt Disney Archives.
Disney's Family Storybook Collection Volume 2
Adapted by Catherine Hapka, Emily Neye and Laura Driscoll
Disney Press
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786833793 $19.95, 194 pages, www.disneybooks.com
Subtitled "75 More Fables for Living, Loving and Learning," this short story collection features
familiar Disney-branded character tales about compassion, kindness and integrity. Besides the
usual archaic demonizing of one-parent families and magic, Bennett his conservative right wing
following are likely to find little to object to in this moralistic collection that attempts to "teach the
essentials of good character to today's children." It does so by selecting 316 pages worth of
segments from familiar Disney films and cartoons, and editing the down to the moral fiber. Four
sections link groups of otherwise unrelated stories by the moral lesson they impart. First is "You
Can Count on Me: Stories About Family, Love and Friendship" featuring "Tigger Finds a Family,"
"Pongo Knows Best," "The Wedding Gift" from "Aladdin and the King of Thieves" and 11 others.
The subsequent catch-all sections are "The Power of You" Stories About Helping Others and
Being Yourself"; "Open Your Mind: Stories About Fairness and Good Judgment"; "So the Right
Thing: Stories About Integrity"; "Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust: Stories About Hope"; and
"Journeys To Success: Stories About Teamwork and Determination." Together, the 75
mini-stories include an extensive role-call cast of Disney movie characters from princesses
(Cinderella, Belle, Pocahontas, Sleeping Beauty) to beasts (Aladar from "Dinosaur," the hyenas
from "The Lion King," Maleficent as a dragon), the prerequisite clowns for comic relief (Goofy,
Sulley from "Monsters, Inc."), and animals both great (Dumbo, Simba) and small (the "Bugs Life"
ants, and both Lilo and Stitch). Disappointingly, Disney's greatest, most classic goody-two-shoes
Mickey Mouse and Mary Poppins -- are nowhere to be found.
DK Geography of the World
DK Publishing
375 Hudson St., NY, NY, 10014
ISBN 078948594X $29.99, 304 pages, www.dk.com
DK Publishing's latest geographic reference book is a comprehensive guide to countries and
continents in today's rapidly changing world, written for children eight years and up. In style and
content, "DK Geography of the World" is much like the noted-non-fiction publisher's world atlas
books -- without detailed maps and encyclopedias without the non-geographic entries.
Arranged by regions, each country is given a separate chapter featuring at-a-glance key facts on
population, official languages, major religions, form of government, currency, capital city, and
more. Numerous full-color photos, graphs and illustrations on every page provide visual
stimulation. Easy-to-absorb information is related in a single overview paragraph, followed by an
assortment of high-interest sidebars and captions. A map of each country acts as a stepping stone
for relating information regarding agriculture and industry, ethnic groups, everyday life, food,
culture and recent history. A reference section and glossary expands on more difficult concepts
for young readers. Filled with up-to-date information concerning new country names and
changing economies, as well as full-color images of people and famous sites from around the
globe, "DK Geography of the World" is an asset to students and libraries.
DK Pockets: Animals of the World
DK Pockets: Encyclopedia
DK Pockets: Science Encyclopedia
DK Publishing
375 Hudson St., NY, NY, 10014
ISBN 0789496038 (Animals)
ISBN 0789496046 (Encyclopedia)
ISBN 078949602X (Science Encyclopedia)
$12.99 each, 512 pages, www.dk.com
This best-selling series of mini reference books for children ages 8 and up is back. Don't let their
small size deceive you. These little heavyweights pack a world of knowledge in their diminutive
5" x 3 " x 1 ¬" thick soft-back format. Compact yet mighty, each of these jumbo "pocket" sized
titles will require mighty big pockets as well as big hungers for knowledge. Subtitled "Pockets
Full of Knowledge," the series includes three primary general reference books: "Encyclopedia"
organized thematically covering space, the living world, the human body, science and technology,
transportation, and so on; "Animals of the World," covering ; and "Science Encyclopedia"
beginning with chemistry and physics, and ending with the living world. Each is arranged
thematically, with numerous subsections giving closer looks at endlessly fascinating subjects. And
as is DK's style, each book is filled with more than 1,000 full-color photos, diagrams, charts and
cut-away artworks. These are essentially mini versions of DK's substantial full-sized
encyclopedias, making these easy-to-carry, easy-to-afford editions even more attractive for casual
use. Also available for children 8 and up in the same format: DK Pockets Thesaurus
(0-7894-9600-3), English Dictionary (0-7894-9598-8) Spelling Dictionary (0-7894-9601-1) and
Spanish Dictionary (0-7894-9599-6) priced at $6.99 each.
DK Pockets: Cats
DK Pockets: Dinosaurs
DK Pockets: Reptiles
DK Pockets: Sharks
DK Publishing
375 Hudson St., NY, NY, 10014
ISBN 0789495902 (Cats)
ISBN 0789495899 (Dinosaurs)
ISBN 0789495953 (Reptiles)
ISBN 0789495929 (Sharks)
$6.99 each, 128 pages, www.dk.com
The tiny format of these newly reissued "Pockets Full of Knowledge" titles is irresistible. Truly
sized to fit easily into a pocket, purse or backpack, the smaller 128-page illustrated reference
books in the DK Pockets series are exactly what inquisitive minds need to readily have facts at
their fingertips. Each high-interest topic is carefully chosen to suit the curiosity of readers age
eight and up -- and is presented in such a fascinating way that they easily sustain adult readers'
interest as well. The books about cats, dinosaurs, reptiles, sharks and more are systematically
organized for easy access to the information desired. Every page contains multiple-four-color
images, including photos, illustrations, diagrams, charts and maps. A glossary and index
completes each small package. "DK Pockets" books are exemplary introductions to
species-specific zoology and make excellent back-to-school gifts. Also available in the same 128
or 160-page format: "DK Pockets: Ancient Egypt" (0-7894-9597-X), "Dogs" (0-7894-9591-0),
"Gemstones" (0-7894-9596-1), "Horses" (0-7894-9588-0), "Insects" (0-7894-9594-5), "Rocks
and Minerals" (0-7894-9587-2) and "Space Facts" (0-7894-9593-7).
Dolores On Her Toes
Barbara Samuels
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 0374318182 $16.50, 40 pages, www.fsgbooks.com
Sure spunky young Dolores is a budding ballerina, but she's a budding Nancy Drew too, in this
excellent picture book adventure. "Dolores On Her Toes" is a better-than-the-original sequel to
"Aloha, Dolores" which was an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, so that's saying something.
This time, Dolores is caught up in the world of ballet and is excitedly preparing for the big recital.
She's certain that her best friend Duncan will love practicing ballet as much as her but Duncan is
a calico cat, and isn't too crazy about practicing arabesques and wearing a fancy pink tutu. When
Duncan suddenly disappears, Dolores is heartbroken. Is it possible that her best friend has run
away from home? With the help of a Patsy Porter Junior Detective Kit, Dolores starts to gather
clues a pickle here, a tuna can there and posts "Wanted" posters all over town. Nothing seems
to help, though, until she tries thinking like a cat. The mysterious and funny storyline is unusually
complex for a picture book, harkening back to the time when children's picture books were 40
pages and more, and didn't condescend to its young audience. The bonus delight is that "Dolores
On Her Toes" features such a plucky young heroine who like the majority of Dolores' new real
life fans isn't a overly-cute, cookie-cutter ballet princess, but rather a multi-faceted character
with varied interests, emotions and capabilities. Bravo for Dolores.
Otto: The Story of A Mirror
Ali Bahrampour
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 0374270783 $16.00, 32 pages, www.fsgbooks.com
Otto is a mirror living and working at Topper's Hat Store. His job? To stand still and reflect the
customers as they try on hats. It's tedious work, particularly for a mirror who dreams of traveling
around the world to visit exotic destinations. When bored Otto can't resist playing a joke on Mr.
Topper's best customer, Curly Joe, trouble follows. But then a strange stroke of fate sends Otto
headed for a better place. The absurdity of this picture book is at once fresh and reminiscent of
sophisticated satirical children's literature of decades past. It's simply fun to see an inanimate
object become the unlikely hero of a picture book adventure, and even more unexpected for it to
develop into a love story, of sorts. Its offbeat nature is the book's most attractive element, but it
may be too offbeat for younger children to appreciate.
Wings and Rockets: The Story of Women in Air and Space
Jeannine Atkins, Pictures by Susan Petricic
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 0374384509 $17.00, 200 pages, www.fsgbooks.com
"Wings and Rockets: The Story of Women in Air and Space" is an intelligently constructed
history of American women who overcame obstacles to achieve success in the fields of aviation.
It's a simple compilation of brief biographies profiling a variety of women from pioneering
aviators Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart, to Eileen Collins, the first woman commander of a
spacecraft. Less well-known names are given their fair due here as well, not the least of whom is
Katharine Wright, sister of the Wright brothers, who always gave credit to their sister's
contribution to the first flight of the famous Kittyhawk. "When the world speaks of the Wrights,"
said Orville, "They should not forget our sister." Unfortunately, most of the world has forgotten
that Katharine Wright was among the first women to ride in an airplane, and few remember that
Blanche Stuart Scott was the first woman to sit a the controls. To achieve her dream, Blanche had
to overcome sexism and other obstacles. The same can be said of every woman whose piloting
career is highlighted here, including Jackie Cockran, Ann Baumgartner Carl, Jerrie Cobb,
Shannon Wells Lucid and others. They're all excellent role models for contemporary pre-teens and
teens, and their stories in "Wings and Rockets" are just the right fuel to help young readers' own
dreams really take off.
Animal Farm & 1984
George Orwell
Harcourt Inc.
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
15 E. 26th St., NY, NY 10010
ISBN 0151010269 $22.00, 386 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
In honor of the 100th anniversary of George Orwell's birth, Harcourt has brought together the
great English author's two groundbreaking novels for the first time. Reprinted in the hardback
edition, "Animal Farm" and "1984" are two "modern classics" in every sense of those terms,
asserts Christopher Hitchens in the book's scholarly, yet immensely readable introduction, noting
the books are "taught in many schools as examples of moral weight and political prescience read
for pleasure, excitement and instruction." Originally published in 1945, "Animal Farm" is a satire
of the Russian Revolution told through the account of a bold struggle, initiated by the animals,
that transforms Mr. Jones's Manor Farm into Animal Farm a wholly democratic society built on
the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. The subtle evolution leads to a brutal betrayal
when totalitarian rule is reestablished with the bloodstained postscript to the founding slogan: But
Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others. The eerily prophetic "1984" was originally
published in 1949. It imagined the future London as a grim city where Big Brother is always
watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. The protagonist, Winston, is
a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a
forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called
The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he
hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.
A Northern Light
Jennifer Donnelly
Harcourt Inc.
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
15 E. 26th St., NY, NY 10010
ISBN 0152167056 $17.00, 390 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
Hot on the heels of author Jennifer Donnelly's first adult novel, "The Tea Rose," her captivating
first novel for teens is a heartbreaking coming-of-age story set in 1906 against the backdrop of the
sensational Chester Gillette murder case. In it, sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey finds herself torn
between a promise to her dying mother and her dreams of going to college to become a writer.
Her life is further complicated by the handsome but dull Royal Loomis, who says he wants to
marry her. When the drowned body of a young woman turns up at the hotel where Mattie works,
she finds herself at a loss for words. But through the dead woman's desperate letters entrusted to
Mattie before the drowning, Mattie again finds her voice and the determination to live her own
life. Mattie's story was inspired by events that occurred in New York's Adirondack Mountains,
dubbed by the press of the time as "the crime of the century." A key element in the prosecutor's
case was the presentation of Brown's letters; Donnelly's fictionalized letters are artful insights
filled with unexpected revelations and endlessly inventive language. "A Northern Light" is a
riveting page-turner for historical fiction fans, mystery buffs and any young adult readers who
appreciates a well-written tale.
Odd Girl Out
Rachel Simmons
Harcourt Inc.
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
15 E. 26th St., NY, NY 10010
ISBN 0156027348 $14.00, 304 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
The national bestseller, "Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls" is now
available in paperback, making it affordable, required reading for parents of young girls. Female
bullying has gotten a lot of attention in the past few years, paralleling the increase in aggressive
and criminal behavior within the American teen population. Dirty looks, taunting notes, exclusion
from social groups the subtle signs can easily be hidden within school culture, but it is as
common and widespread as it is painful. In "Odd Girl Out," author Rachel Simmons exposes the
reality of what's really going on, and she helps everyone from parents and teachers to coaches
and counselors understand how to cope with the subtle ways girls express anger; the inner
workings of cliques; bullying across racial and socioeconomic lines; hidden jealousies, competition
and emotional abuse among close friends; and school attitudes toward school bullying. At the
book's core are real-life stories and important discoveries, making "Odd Girl Out" a
groundbreaking non-fiction handbook illuminating the most pressing social issues facing girls
today. It's an invaluable guide for educators, parents and teens alike.
Safari Journal
Hudson Talbott
Harcourt Inc.
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
15 E. 26th St., NY, NY 10010
ISBN 015216393X $18.00, 64 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
Grab your passport and come along on the summer vacation adventure of a lifetime with 6th
grader Carey Monroe and his 12-year-old Maasai friend, Pilot. "Safari Journal" follows the
African exploits of a typical American elementary student as he takes his first trip to Kenya and
documents everything he learns and experiences. With his native Kenyan guide, he learns how to
tack wildlife, speak Swahili, escape a wildebeest stampede, and appreciate the Maasai way of life.
Best of all, the two boys discover that they can help the local wildlife and do the right thing by
taking on an international ring of animal poachers who are after valuable rhino horns. The diary
format is distinctly kid-friendly, filled with casual text, snapshots, sketches and sidebar facts and
trivia. Nature notes on individual animal species lions, elephants and, the most dangerous of all,
African buffalos are likely to inspire kids to start their own journals. But the book's most
provocative chapters are those who ask eye-opening questions as "Do Cheetahs Dream?" and
proceed to introduce readers to the fascinating Maasai culture. "Safari Journal" is an excellent
teaching alternative to staid text books, and may be the next best thing to actually traveling
there.
Camp Granada: Sing-A-Long Camp Songs
Illustrated by Frane Lessac
Henry Holt & Co.
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805066837 $18.95, 46 pages, www.henry.holt.com
"Camp Granada: Sing-A-Long Camp Songs" is an illustrated collection of lyrics to 34 classic
summer camp songs. It couldn't be more simple in its execution: on each page one or two song
titles are followed by their lyrics, with, when appropriate, a memo explaining that the song is
meant to be repeated over and over, or that it's a satire sung to the tune of a traditional song (such
as "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" or "I've Been Working On The Railroad") or that hand gestures
are typically used to make the songs more game-like. The spare added information is useful but
unimaginatively related; it could have been told in a more interesting fashion say, by the
invention of a camper or a camp counselor character but that's a missed opportunity here.
Instead the only additional embellishment is in the colorful, child-like illustrations of various,
unrelated camp scenarios that provide a backdrop for each song lyric. Rarely, however, do they
contribute much to the subject. There's no introduction, no postscript, no narrative, and
practically no background information about the origination of the songs. But what the
well-intentioned book is really missing is the music -- without instructive melodies, the lyrics
presented here have limited use, and even more limited entertainment value.
Cat Count
Betsy Lewin
Henry Holt & Co.
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805067477 $14.95, 32 pages, www.henry.holt.com
Looks can be deceiving. This picture book for preschoolers and kindergartners is more than a
basic counting book for tots. Sure, it uses simple rhyming scheme and cute repetition to catch the
attention of new learners. And yes, it teaches counting from one to ten using a fun story and
numerals. But "Cat Count" by Betsy Lewin (illustrator of more than fifty children's books,
including "Dumpy La Rue") stands on its own four feet thanks to a surprise twist: an addition
component that, along the way, asks readers to add the felines in the book. When the whopping
total adds up to 60 cats, the author's punch line conclusion is an apt, humorous and memorable
one. Timeless "Cat Count" was first published in 1981 in a bare bones black-and-white edition.
This new and improved full-color hardback reissue will definitely extend "Cat Count"'s nine shelf
lives.
Follow The Trail: A Young Person's Guide to the Great Outdoors
Jessica Loy
Henry Holt & Co.
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805061959 $18.95, 48 pages, www.henry.holt.com
Now that summer has arrived, children across the country will be exploring the great outdoors, so
a little guidance is in order. New author/photographer/graphic designer Jessica Loy rises to the
occasion with this introductory guide that teaches safely and gives helpful tips on a wide range of
topics from navigation to first aid to astrology. Best of all, "Follow The Trail" is fun just the
ticket to encourage couch potatoes to trade in their Walkmans for walking sticks. Filled with
lively text and playful photographs, it's a child-friendly compendium chock-full of everything new
campers need to know. Included are helpful tips on what to pack, weather patterns, tracking
animal prints, identifying poisonous plants, campfire building and safety, finding the perfect
campsite, identifying bird sounds, and basic hiking rules. The author's crisp, enthusiastic style is
more infectious than poison ivy, providing a just-right attitude that will make nature lovers out of
any kid seeking a little adventure. Recommended for vacationers age seven through twelve.
Olivina Flies
Grace Lin
Henry Holt & Co.
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805067116 $15.95, 32 pages, www.henry.holt.com
Everyone knows that chickens can't fly, so it's not surprising that Olvina the hen is, well, chicken,
about getting on a plane. In the new picturebook "Olivina Flies" by Grave Lin ("Dim Sum for
Everyone" and "The Ugly Vegetables") our plucky heroin is invited to attend the Tenth Annual
Bird Convention in Hawaii, so decides it's time to overcome her fear of flying once and for all.
But on the day of her big trip, her tummy is nervously doing flip flops, giving her second
thoughts. Despite the fact that most children are eager to fly in airplanes, they will readily
sympathize with Olvina's fear of the unknown, and identify greatly with her worries and excuses.
A fun and reassuring picture book for kids 4-7, whether they're grounded or packing for their own
takeoff.
Rosie To The Rescue
Bethany Roberts, illustrated by Kay Chorao
Henry Holt & Co.
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805064869 $15.95, 32 pages, www.henry.holt.com
Ever been stranded at the supermarket left to wonder if your parents were abducted by aliens?
Not exactly? Well, how about finding yourself suddenly alone at the country fair and wondering is
a "carnie" had kidnapped mom and dad? Well, you get the idea: losing parents is a big worry,
especially when the scary scenario is left to the imagination of a kid. "Rosie To The Rescue"
addresses one of children's biggest fears: abandonment. Our heroine is Rosie, an adorable little
mouse, who's worried that her parents aren't yet home. All kinds of overdramatic thoughts spring
to her mind. Maybe a giant bird carried them away and dropped them in the sea. Maybe a tiger ate
them. Maybe an avalanche covered them up. For each horrendous possibility, however, Rosie
vows she would come to their rescue, in the most brave, imaginative and loving ways. The
satisfying conclusion will lead to extra tight bedtime snuggles.
The Way A Door Closes
Hope Anita Smith, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Henry Holt & Co.
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 080506477X $18.99, 64 pages, www.henry.holt.com
With a click, a bang, a whisper or no noise at all. There are so many ways that a door can close,
but it's not just the closing: it's the knowing. In "The Way A Door Closes" -- a remarkable
middle-grade novel told through the poetry of newcomer Hope Anita Smith 13-year-old CJ
knows too much. He knows what it feels like to be abandoned by a father, about his family's pain,
and about what it means to hold things together when times are the toughest. In a series of deeply
moving poems, Smith tells the young man's emotional struggle to accept his distant father's
life-altering choice. With wisdom and tenderness, her spare words artfully paint a too-common
inner-city portrait of fatherless children, imparting tremendous emotional resonance. The premise
is wide-reaching: without warning, an out-of-work father walks out the door, leaving behind his
wife and three children. Hurt and confused, the abandoned family are left to wonder "why" and
persevere on their own through a difficult process of healing and basic survival. When word gets
out, CJ feels ostracized from his friends. "The secret of my father's / leaving / spreads like wildfire
/ burning out of control before I can escape ," begins "Family Fire." As the eldest son, CJ
wrestles with his new role as male head of the household, and fights hard to change the course of
family history. "The Way A Door Closes" is a stunning, yet gentle A remarkable literary debut
from an immensely sensitive new poetic voice.
Begging For Change
Sharon G. Flake
Hyperion
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 078680601X $15.99, 238 pages, www.hyperionchildrensbooks.com
From the first page of her book debut, "The Skin I'm In," it was clear that novelist Sharon G.
Flake had talent to burn. Her latest accomplishment is "Begging for Change," a riveting novel for
ages 10 and up, and the sequel to the 2002 Coretta Scott King Honor book, "Money Hungry."
Here we again meet teenager Raspberry Hill, who was once homeless and has vowed never to end
up on the streets again. To her, money equals security. But when a troubled neighborhood
teenager attacks her mother, Raspberry is desperate for things in her life to change, and so ends
up stealing from her best fried. But as the plot unfolds, it becomes evident that nothing good
comes from bad money. As her thoughts alternate between the two men in her life as her
relationship with Sato blossoms and her relationship with her drug-addicted father erodes
Raspberry must finally confront the biggest of all her fears: is she really much different from her
thieving father after all? How will her friends react when they find out what she's done? One thing
is certain something's got to change. The apt title underscores the dichotomy underscoring
Raspberry's dilemma. It also harkens back to a continuing theme close to the author's own truly
inspirational story of her personal drive to break the cycle of poverty, and the writing success that
has since resulted. "Begging For Change" is a gripping, unflinching look at the realities of too
many young Americans.
Chip Wants a Dog
William Wegman
Hyperion
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786806060 $16.99, 40 pages, www.hyperionchildrensbooks.com
You'd think that photographer William Wegman would run out of picture book ideas based on
photos of his beloved Weimeraners and on first impression, many will be inclined to say he's
finally gone to the dogs. On second inspection, however, it becomes clear that the wisenheimer
attitude and tongue-in-cheek irony of "Chip Wants A Dog" gives the book an intriguing, surreal
edge. Told will dry wit, it's the story of Chip, an expressionless, mute human with a dog head.
Like Wegman's previous "Cinderella," "Surprise Party," and others, the dog-man is dressed in
human clothes, doing human activities, in a normal environment. But Chip is not ordinary: he's
dog crazy. All he ever thinks about is dogs. If Chip had a dog, he reasons, he could teach it to sit,
stay, fetch and rollover. He would love it, and it would become his best friend. But Chip's
dog-headed parents do not want a dog among the typical arguments is that his mother is a "cat
person," a particularly funny concept under the circumstances. Poor Chip resigns himself to his
sad fate, until turning the tables one night when he dreams up the perfect solution to his dog
problem. Wegman's fastidiously arranged photographs are cunning, and never cease to amaze,
though it adds up to a light hallucinatory experience that will appeal more to adult art and satire
fans than children.
Emily & Friends: A Playtime Learning Box
Rosemary Wells
Hyperion
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786808683 $19.49, www.hyperionchildrensbooks.com
This back-to-school set is a perfect gift for new kindergartners to commemorate their first 100
days at school. Packaged in a colorful cardboard box, "Emily & Friends: A Playtime Learning
Box" is filled with activities, games, stories and other surprises. It features author/illustrator
Rosemary Well's popular bunny character Emily and all the gang in such contents as 100 activity
cards that introduce children to numbers; a deck of 52 playing cards featuring Wells' artwork; a
card-stock ruler and growth chart to hone measuring skills; 100 colorful number stickers; a
black-and-white poster; and a paperback edition of Wells' best-selling "Emily's First 100 Days of
School." It's a fun and useful treasure chest of age-appropriate learning novelties and reading
materials that every kindergartner will enjoy.
Skunk Scout
Laurence Yep
Hyperion
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786806702 $15.99, 184 pages, www.hyperionchildrensbooks.com
In this funny sequel to "Later, Gator" and "Cockroach Cooties" for ages 8 through 12, Teddy's
idea of a good vacation is a triple-feature at the movie theater. So when his uncle invites him to
go camping, he is more than a little reluctant. To make matters worse, his know-it-all-little
brother, bobby, is coming too. Teddy practices his camping skills in his Chinatown apartment and
watches "Wilderness Scout" for tips, but nothing can prepare him for his meeting with Mother
Nature. Soon, Teddy, Bobby and Uncle Curtis find themselves in the woods, sleeping on rocks,
and battling raccoons, mosquitoes, and poison oak. Through it all, Teddy is determined to prove
he is just as smart as his little brother. But the worst is yet to come. A hike leaves them lost in the
woods, and uh oh, is that a skunk coming down the path? Author Laurence Yep ("Dragons
Wings," "Dragon's Gate" and "The Rainbow People") knows his audience well, and does an
excellent job relating a silly, lively story that will have happy campers laughing all summer
long.
Titanic: Ghosts of the Abyss
Mireille Majoor, Ken Marschall
Hyperion / Madison Press
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786818999 $19.99, 50 pages, www.hyperionchildrensbooks.com
Based on the recent 3-D Imax film by cinematic "king of the world" James Cameron, "Titanic:
Ghosts of the Abyss" is a glossy tie-in book with a difference. The high-interest-subject book is
augmented with more than 20 3-D images that can be viewed through a 3-D "mask" conveniently
housed in the book's inside front flap. With it young "Titanic" buffs can see exactly what the
cameras recorded in three-dimensional detail, including the ship's rust-enshrouded prow to the
elegant grand staircase and eerie water-filled staterooms. The book also offers information on the
ship's history prior to, and following, the majestic ship's tragic demise in 1912. But what makes
the highly-visual book special is its claim that its images are the first ever gathered from the
sunken site. They were colleted on film in 2001 when the Academy Award-winning director sent
mini underwater robots through the Titanic's windows and along its ghostly corridors. Movie
cameras recorded what they saw for the giant-screen 3-D film, Ghosts of the Abyss, still showing
in IMAX theaters across the country. The result is a dramatic, historic, once-in-a-lifetime dive for
grade school students, to the haunted Titanic depths.
The Wright Brothers
Pamela Duncan Edwards, Henry Cole
Hyperion
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786819510 $15.99, 38 pages, www.hyperionchildrensbooks.com
The 100th anniversary of flight is celebrated with yet another picture book account of aerospace
pioneers The Wright Brothers. The self-titled biography by the team of Pamela Duncan Edwards
and Henry Cole ("Muldoon," "Warthogs in the Kitchen") relates how Orville and Wilbur's interest
in flying began with a toy given to them when they were small children. As young men, they first
opened a printing ship and then a bicycle shop, all the while experimenting with how to design a
flying machine. Finally they achieved their incredible goal man's first powered flight. This
accessible picture book has a pleasant "House That Jack Built" approach, giving kids an
understanding of the steps that led up to the Wright brothers' remarkable accomplishment. It
makes this book for five to nine year olds somewhat more rewarding than straightforward
historical biographies, but with so many competing new picture books on the same subject, this
one may have trouble getting far off the ground.
Build-A-Word
Nora Gaydos, Illustrated by Jackie Snider
Innovative Kids
18 Ann Street, Norwalk, CT 06854-2258
ISBN 1584761636 $12.99, 10 pages, www.innovativekids.com
Compound words are the subject of this hands-on reading lesson "book" written by K-3 educator
Nora Gaydos, author of the "Now I'm Reading" series. Designed to look and feel more like a toy
than a learning tool, it's an instant hit with beginning readers. At it's heart, it's an
elaborately-produced and bound set of flash cards, which allow kids to open chunky pages, read a
cute pair of rhymes, and solve the word puzzle by sliding a pair of knobs to reveal a compound
word formed from two simple words. Here's a typical spread: "Look at the butter, a bright yellow
spread. Look at the fly buzzing high overhead. Slide them together. What could it be? A brand
new word! Read it with me!" After sliding two blue rectangles together, the butter and fly
illustrations disappear, and a new illustration emerges of a bright butterfly. Additional compound
words are also listed, inviting children to hunt for such objects as "sunglasses," "drumsticks" and
"peanuts" in the main illustration of each spread. Although the sliding knobs often jam, making
them difficult for small hands to operate, the product is attractive and fun for children. Most
unfortunate is that the not-inexpensive "Build-A-Word" demonstrates just nine compound words,
significantly undermining its value as a true learning tool.
Let's Fish
Leslie Bockol, illustrated by Shirley V. Beckes
Innovative Kids
18 Ann Street, Norwalk, CT 06854-2258
ISBN 1584761644 $14.99, 10 pages, www.innovativekids.com
"Let's Fish" is a magnetic fishing game concealed in the thick pages of a book designed to teach
toddlers how to count from one to 15. Additional basic concepts also come into play colors,
shapes and sizes, matching, sorting, patterning and size comparisons and hand-eye coordination
is put to work as kids use a mini-fishing pole to catch fish, frogs, turtles and crabs according to
the rhyming text's playful directions. First kids slide out the "pond" drawer, removed the
two-sided magnetic animal pieces, and a plastic fishing pole with a magnet "hook." Each page
challenges kids to fit the right animals pieces into a matching space before catching them. Kids
may not even notice that they're learning fundamental math skills like counting, creating patterns,
and sorting. Like all Innovative Kids products, "Let's Fish" is sturdy, colorful, fun and well
intentioned. Who can argue with the publisher's mission to design supplemental learning books
that children will love to play with?
My First Shape Sorter Book
Innovative Kids
18 Ann Street, Norwalk, CT 06854-2258
ISBN 1584761709 $14.99, 10 pages, www.innovativekids.com
The classic Shape Sorter toy has been transformed into a book-format with 14 chunky,
toddler-friendly pieces that fit into custom-cut holes on each page. Children are encouraged to
empty the slide-out box's compartments, and place the appropriate piece in die-cut matching
holes. When the "My First Shape Sorter Book" is tilted upward, the items then disappear into a
see-through compartment for a peek-a-boo surprise. Again and again, kids will enjoy the playful
hands-on experience and a sense of accomplishment gained each time they put away the toys in
the toy chest, wash the dirty clothes, grocery shop, or help two rabbits find their way home.
Meanwhile, their parents will appreciate that their kids are gaining basic early-learning concepts
about colors, animals, numbers, sizes and shapes, while honing their fine motor skill development,
hand-eye coordination while putting cause-and-effect concepts into motion.
My Christmas First Shape Sorter Book
Innovative Kids
18 Ann Street, Norwalk, CT 06854-2258
ISBN 158476208X $14.99, 10 pages, www.innovativekids.com
Candy canes, gingerbread men, elves and toys await toddler hands to put them in their proper
place in "My Christmas First Shape Sorter Book." In this holiday sequel to "My First Shape
Sorter Book," children 18 months through 3 years of age will enjoy helping Santa prepare for
Christmas by putting toys in boxes, cookies in tins, and gifts in stockings. Fourteen chunky
objects first slide out of their boxed compartments, then are fitted into the book in die-cut holes
on each page before disappearing again into their see-through box when the book is tilted upward.
Though more obviously gimmicky than its predecessor, this too teaches basic early-learning
concepts (shapes, colors, numbers and sizes), tunes fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination,
and teaches special relationships and cause-and-effect.
Bad Cat
Tracy-Lee McGuinness-Kelly
Little, Brown and Company
1271 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0316605840 $15.95, 32 pages, www.twbookmark.com/children
Bad Cat is one tough kitty. He stuts through the mean streets of the Big Stinky looking for
trouble and rejoicing that everyone fears him. But is his growl tougher than his bite? Bad Cat isn't
necessarily what he appears to be, as the city people discover in this picture book tale about basic
appearances not being a proper gage of a person or cat, for that matter. The wacky,
post-modern illustrations by author-artist Tracy-Lee McGuinness-Kelly keep the menacing
character cool and approachable, particularly when he's waving a friendly hello to some baby
birds, or grinning toothy grins while driving his sporty red convertible around the block.
Rough-and-tumble preschoolers will happily recognize a bit of themselves in Bad Cat's antics, and
hopefully be a bit relieved (as will parents and caregivers) by the book's redeeming conclusion. A
fun, contemporary urban romp.
Lizards Weird and Wonderful
Margery Facklam and Alan Male
Little, Brown and Company
1271 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0316173460 $15.95, 32 pages, www.twbookmark.com/children
Full of interesting facts, "Lizards: Weird and Wonderful" (not to be confused with Lawrence
Pringle's "Strange and Wonderful" series about different species) is a straightforward picture book
introduction to the reptilian world of lizards, with a few salamander and snake facts thrown in for
comparative purposes. After a two-page overview, each subsequent spread gives detailed
explanation of a different lizard species, from the 300-pound Komodo Dragon to the common
Fence Lizard. Most lizards here are extraordinary in one way or another, with their unique
physiology and habits making them natural attention-getters for the book's young grade school
audience. Budding herpetologists will lap up every word about the versatile Chameleon, the
chunky Chuckwalla, its oceanic cousin the Marine Iguana, mysterious Basilisk which can walk on
water, singing Geckos, long-tailed Skinks, poisonous Gila Monsters, the Flying Dragons, and
legless Glass Snakes. Zoological facts and history pepper each passage. Most memorable are
stories of unusual animal behavior and trivia such as Horned Lizards of "Horny Toads" squirting
blood from their eyes as defense, or the cruel fashion trend that once had women wearing leashed
Anoles as jewelry. Author Margery Facklam has won several awards for her non-fiction children's
books, lending credence to her research and ability to relate information well to young
readers.
Thanks, Mom
Ed Emberly
Little, Brown and Company
1271 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0316240222 $15.95, 32 pages, www.twbookmark.com/children
Innovative artist Ed Emberly won the Caldecott Medal for "Go Away, Big Green Monster!," one
of the classic picture books of the past decade. This time he's created a fun domino-style circle
story written for emergent readers. The simple caper begins with a small, hungry mouse and a
delicious piece of cheese. The mouse, of course, takes the cheese until it runs into a cat. The cat
chases the mouse until it runs into a dog. The dog chases the cat until well, you get the idea.
One event triggers another mirror response until the twist ending that has the wee mouse saying
"Thanks, Mom." Starring mice Koko and Kiki, Gato the cat, Fido the dog, Otto the tiger
(probably; it's hard to tell in his superhero costume), and Mumbo the elephant, the cheerful circus
animals are simply fun to look at. Created from bright, solid colors, bold elementary shapes and
patterns, they instantly bring a smile to your face. The stilted text playfully mimics the archaic
"See Spot run" lines of the classic "Dick and Jane" readers, with the clever addition of thought
bubbles and informal asides from narrator to characters, deliberately breaking the standard
formats. "Thanks, Mom" is a truly sweet treat for beginning readers. Thanks, Ed.
You've Got Dragons
Kathryn Cave, illustrated by Nick Maland
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Ave., Atlanta, GA 30318-2112
ISBN 156145284X $16.95, 32 pages, www.peachtree-online.com
Boy, problems sure are a lot like dragons, this wise and wonderful picture book asserts: "Dragons
come when you least expect them. You turn around and there they are." The unusual analogy is
a clever one. Certainly dragons -- or problems -- sneak up on all of us at one time or another, and
require a skillful dragon slayer to banish them. So what can a young boy with a bad case of the
dragons do? Pretending they're not there doesn't work, nor does pretending they're harmless
(because they usually aren't). Within the fun context of her new "You've Got Dragons" picture
book, author Kathryn Cave gently presents methods for children to cope with their worries, fears
and anxieties. The analogy allows her to create a safe buffer zone between the child's real-life
problems and a helping hand. Admitting that there's a real problem is a big step, goes the story,
and little things like hugs from mom help too. Giving the dragon your full attention at least once
every day and saying "hi" helps even more. But most reassuring, is the reminder that dragons
don't stay forever. The pointers give the book's protagonist such confidence that he becomes the
world's greatest expert on having dragons, and writes an advice column to help others including
his dad. His top tips ("Really get to know your dragon. Give it a name," for instance, and "Talk
with someone else about your dragon ") are as simple as they are profound, and will be
immensely useful for kids and grownups alike.
About Insects: A Guide for Children
About Reptiles: A Guide for Children
Cathryn Sill, illustrated by John Sill
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Ave., Atlanta, GA 30318-2112
ISBN 1561452327 (Insects)
ISBN 1561452335 (Reptiles)
$7.95, 40 pages, www.peachtree-online.com
Though subtitled "A Guide for Children," these introductory picture books about different animal
classes are far too sketchy to constitute a true guide. Each spread offers a single explanatory line
-- such as "Reptiles have dry, scale skin," or "Many insects fly.") without providing much to hold
the reader's interest. A non-dramatic full-color illustration of a reptile fitting the description fills
each facing page, along with animal identification and a plate number. It's dry as dust, bare bones
stuff. The information is sometimes poorly worded, creating unnecessary confusion. For instance,
does the statement "They move by crawling or by swimming" tell the child that all reptiles can
do either, or both? Wouldn't "Some move by crawling others move by swimming" have clarified
the point? The text's occasional weakness mainly suffers from dullness, extinguishing young
curiosity despite the fascinating subject. The accompanying illustrations serve to give clear
examples of each individual fact an Eastern Box Turtle shows bony plates, a corn snake hunts
its meaty meal while a Desert Tortoise eats a prickly pear yet like the text, does little to fuel the
imagination. At least a few open-ended statements such as "Reptiles need warm temperatures"
and "Insects are an important part of our world" will surely elicit healthy "Why" responses,
leading readers to consult the end pages' paragraph of additional information for each plate
Angelina Ballerina's Invitation to the Ballet
Katharine Holabird, illustrated by Helen Craig
Pleasant Company
8400 Fairway Place, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562
ISBN 1584857579 $17.95, 32 pages, www.americangirl.com
Little twinkletoes everywhere will be cheering "Bravo!" for this new addition to the Angelina
Ballerina storybook series. In "Angelina Ballerina 's Invitation to the Ballet," the little mouseling
receives an contest prize from her dance instructor, Miss Lilly: two tickets to see her favorite
ballerina, Serena Silvertail, star in the ballet. She can't wait to invite one of her friends to join her,
but all have already accepted other invitations that they too have received in the mail. Just when
things seem bleakest, a wonderful turn of events makes everything even better than Angelina
could have imagined. Like no other Angelina storybook before, young readers are able to share
Angelina's joy and frustration first-hand through the book's unusual interactive elements: six
oversized envelopes containing pull-out mail, each printed on different stationery, and containing
other full-color items like tickets and a poster for the ballet. Children love getting mail, so the
experience of opening these storybook envelopes and unfolding the letter inside is tremendously
exciting, bringing them up-close-and-personal share special moments with a beloved character.
The book's creative production makes this much more than a standard 32-page story, and adds
immensely to the enjoyment of its faithful audience. "Angelina Ballerina's Invitation to the Ballet"
is the first and most deluxe -- of five new Angelina Ballerina titles being introduced this
fall.
The Mix-It-Up Cookbook
Edited by Trula Magruder, illustrated by Amanda Haley
Pleasant Company
8400 Fairway Place, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562
ISBN 1584857420 $14.95, 96 pages, www.americangirl.com
Hungry? Bored? This fun and easy-to-follow cookbook for girls contains the perfect kids menu
for after-school snacks, slumber parties and weekend breakfasts. "Keep it simple" is the
common-sense motto here; the book touts that one can make more than 100 dishes from 18 basic
recipes. Those basic recipes scrambled eggs, pancakes, quick breads, pizza, noodles, etc. are
given clearly with colorful step-by-step instructions, followed by a yummy list of add-in
suggestions to suit a variety of tastes and occasions. Start with the basic macaroni and cheese
recipe, for instance, add a few new ingredients and presto! Dig into your tasty veggie stroganoff
or Mexican casserole. Whip up a basic quick bread then mix it up with nuts, chocolate chips,
pineapple or orange juice for a variety of home-baked treats. The mix-in concept is particularly
freewheeling for the dessert recipes. Just imagine what you can dip in chocolate or marshmallow
or caramel fondue! And what wouldn't be great in a home-blended ice cream shake? As the book
hints, the possibilities are endless after kids gain the basic skills. As an idea launcher, "The
Mix-It-Up Cookbook" is explosive, although it would have benefited from such standard
cookbook necessities as tabbed sections, ingredient lists, and an index. The write-your-own
kitchen notes sections are unique, however, and add to the sense of I-can-do-it-myself fun.
Roadtrip Nation
Mike Marriner and Nathan Gebhard with Joanne Gordon
Ballantine Books / Random House
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0345460138 $13.95, 248 pages, www.ballantinebooks.com
Sometime life takes you on career detours that lead to unexpected places. "Let it," say the authors
of "Roadtrip Nation: A Guide to Discovering Your Path in Life," a call-to-arms for professional
non-conformity that encourages readers to ignore the standard job paths people expect you to
follow. Truth be told, the book really a slacker's handbook for justifying wasted time and
aimlessly drifting through life without a rudder. The making of the book is more interesting, and
has been the subject some several magazine features, though: it's curious how two guys in an RV
traveled across the country to meet with hundreds of successful people who "defined their own
paths in life," either by accident or design. (And then how the authors have made a living out of
talking about it on college lecture tours and publishing this book.) From the first female Supreme
Court Justice to the head stylist for Madonna, the levels of interviewee success often seem as
random as the RV's itinerary. Certainly the chairman of Starbucks and the CEO of "National
Geographic Ventures" can be measured as successes, but the authors also chose to include
"Manny the Lobsterman," a laid-back college dropout who defines the "whatever" slacker
mentality. Most chapters contain an interview about the subject's career path, with emphasis on
what they truly wished to do with their lives, and how they made it a reality. But informal asides
give the book a sloppy edge, and insignificant "revelations" weaken the premise, making this
road-trip seem more frivolous than freeing. The book takes a seriously wrong turn with the final
"how to" section which is alternately inspirational and laughably amateurish. Called "Now It's
Your Turn: Find the Open Road," they authors embarrass themselves by outlining fan letters, and
contradict themselves by telling people exactly what do from cold calling people to networking
and even listing questions to ask in interviews. Green teens and twenty-somethings won't mind,
which could potentially make "Roadtrip Nation" a cult Thomas Bros. guidebook for
underachievers.
Gigantor Part 2
Rhino Records
10635 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A. CA 90025-4900
UPC 603497015122 $59.99, 4 DVDs, www.rhino.com
Bigger than big, taller than tall, quicker than quick, stronger than strong, Gigantor is back!
Premiering in the mid-1960s, "Gigantor" blazed a tail for Japanese animation as the simple story
of a giant robot controlled by young Jimmy Sparks -- the ernest young son of Gigantor's creator
who's always ready to fight for right against wrong. Using a remote control joystick, Jimmy
would again and again send the huge fighting machine into battle, defending Earth against a
never-ending assault by hostile aliens and enemy robots. The cartoon robot was the first Japanese
anime import to America, and the first of many shows featuring friendly giant robots. Uniquely, it
achieved a distinctive look with cinematic touches and unusual camera angles that made the most
out of its limited black-and-white palette, and forged the path that modern anime largely still
treads. Today's manga- and anime-crazed kids will think Gigantor is hopelessly drab compared to
contemporary TV hits like "Dragonball Z" and "Pokemon" and the Oscar winning film "Spirited
Away" and, well, they're right. But it was riveting enough to have young baby-boomers glued to
the set every week, spellbound by what was then the completely mesmerizing adventures of a boy
who not only controlled the world's most powerful robot, but also drove a car, flew jets, scuba
dived, and consulted various world leaders. This slickly boxed four-DVD set features all 300
minutes of episodes 27 through 52, transferred digitally from original 16mm film sources. Extras
include director's commentary from Fred Ladd on three episodes, a publicity gallery, and an article
by anime historian Fred Patton of Markalite Magazine.
A Time To Love
Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers
Scholastic Press
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439220009 $19.95, 128 pages, www.scholastic.com
Wonderful writer Walter Dean Myers and artist son Christopher Myers recount biblical stories
from a young adult perspective in "A Time to Love: Stories from the Old Testament" for ages 12
and up. The award-winner puts his gift of words to use, breathing new life into five Old
Testament narratives about Samson and Delilah, Reuben and Joseph, Ruth and Naomi, Abraham
and Isaac, Zillah and Lot, and Aser and Camiel. Each fable shares the pivotal emotion of love,
accented in dramatically different ways from passionate love to family love complicated by
jealousy. Myers explores classic themes of loyalty, revenge, prejudice, and even hatred through
the oft-told tales, and steadfastly remains faithful to their biblical teachings. The resulting
teachings delve into the meanings of relationships between brothers, friends, men and women,
parents and children, and God and creation form a fresh perspective designed to appeal to young
adults. "A Time To Love" is a true family collaboration, uniting father and son, Walter Dean and
Christopher, as well as Chaplain, Captain and Michael Dean Myers, who team up for the book's
introspective preface about the influence of the Bible on the Myers family.
Players in Pigtails
Shana Corey, Illustrations by Rebecca Gibbon
Scholastic Press
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439183057 $16.95, 40 pages, www.scholastic.com
Author Shana Corey began researching the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League after
she saw the movie "A League of Their Own" about professional female baseball players. "I
couldn't believe I'd never read about the league and its players before, so I wrote this book to
share their story with kids." Two specific facts inspired the picture book story, "Players in
Pigtails": First was the fact that "Take Me Out To the Ball Game" was written about a girl, and
second, that in the 1940s girls all across America were crazy for baseball! Like Corey's holiday
picture book "Milly and the Macy's Parade," "Players in Pigtails" is about a young girl who
follows her dreams. In this case, she longs to become a player in the first-ever All-American Girls
Professional Baseball League. The spirited text and illustrations celebrate this brave sisterhood of
players skirts, and the league they called their own. "Players in Pigtails" bats a homerun for fans of
baseball, women's history and gutsy girls.
Plum
Tony Mitton, Ilustrated by Mary Grandpre
Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439364094 $17.95, 64 pages, www.scholastic.com
"Plum" is a ripe fruit salad of poetry delicious enough to entice even non-poetry fans. It's the first
book of poems by North African-born Tony Milton, and to his credit, he has earned the full-fledge
support of "Harry Potter" editor Arthur Levine including the pairing with "Harry Potter"
illustrator Mary GrandPre, who's jeweled colors dance across the pages of "Plum." Together they
create a satisfying feast of imagination, from a short-and-sweet mermaid song to the culinary
adventure of Mrs. Bhattacharya' s Chapati Zap Machine. "Mrs. Rummage's Muddle-Up Shop" is
an equally raucous ride set into motion by a little girl's simple request to buy a lollipop. Just as fun
is the elaborately, "eleffervescently" illustrated "Elegant Elephant Delicatessen," complete with
double gatefold pull out pages giving a special peek at the unusual goings-on inside the deli doors.
On the not-so-sunny side of the street is the eerie walk down "Green Man Lane," the mischievous
"Song if the Wizard's Imp," and mysterious "The Cottage by the Sea." By the end, readers will be
tempted to follow the blissful "Instructions for Growing Poetry": "Shut you eyes./Open you
mind./ Look inside./ What do you find?/ Catch its rhythm./ Hold its sound./ Gently, slowly/ Roll
it round." Fanciful and free, "Plum" is the remarkably fresh debut of an outstanding new poetic
voice.
Rome In Spectacular Cross-Section
Stephen Biesty
Scholastic Nonfiction
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439455464 $18.95, 30 pages, www.scholastic.com
Similar in nature to several DK Publishing series, "Rome" is a meticulous visual reference book
filled with elaborate illustrations presented in "Incredible Cross-section." Previous series subjects
ranged from castles to the human body, explosions to "Star Wars." This time, the subject
dissected is ancient Rome, circa 128 A.D. when Rome was "at the center of the known world."
Bustling crowds mingled at the Roman Forum, relaxed at the Baths of Trajan, cheered chariot
races at Circus Maximus, created powerful new laws at the Forum Romanum and joined the
procession to the Temple of Jupiter. Illustrator Stephen Biesty peels away the layers of the city,
segment by segment, area by area, to allow readers to look inside roofs, through walls, and
underneath city streets. The visuals are distinctly captioned with explanatory details that make the
ancient city come alive in extraordinarily vibrant ways. To give the wealth of information a human
personality, the author invites readers to join nine-year-old Titus Cotta Maximus and his father
Marcus as they spend a festival day together in the grand European capital. Through their
activities and eyes, readers can better understand the meanings of the intricate golden statues atop
the Temple of Jupiter, the maze of passages used by gladiators beneath the Colosseum, and the
festival feast that the family shares. Kids will pour over page after page, relishing tiny details while
curiously soaking up information.
Stone Soup
Jon J. Muth
Scholastic Press
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 043933909X $16.95, 32 pages, www.scholastic.com
This profoundly beautiful picture book presents the classic "Stone Soup" story with renewed
importance and meaning. Based on a favorite old trickster tale, it celebrates the power of love and
generosity. Three monks, Hok, Lok and Siew, walk along a mountain road in rural China, on a
journey to understand the secret of happiness. At once they encounter frightened villagers who
lock their windows and extinguish the lights. The villagers have been ravaged by hard times, and
their hearts have grown cold toward everyone. But when the monks cleverly entice them to make
soup from stones, the villagers discover how much they each have to give and how much more
comes back in return. Jon Muth's sophisticated watercolors paint deeper meaning on every page
of this wise and familiar story, making this infinitely more satisfying than most other folk tale
retellings. Highly recommended to enrich classroom social education.
Let's Try It Out With Towers and Bridges
Seymour Simon and Nicole Fauteax, Illustrated by Doug Cushman
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 068982923X $14.95, 32 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com
"Let's Try It Out with Towers and Bridges" contains fun-filled activities that enable young
children to draw conclusions about how things work. Whether building a sturdy tower of blocks,
creating solid foundations with clay, or making a paper bridge, children will be entertained while
they learn basic science concepts. This innovative, acclaimed series for young children has been
preceded by "Let's Try it Out in the Air" and "Let's Try it Out in the Water," and all three do a
fabulous job of creating hands-on early-learning science experiments for children ages four to
eight. Projects such as building a structure than can withstand a windstorm, making a human
pyramid, and constructing short- and long-span bridges, encourage children to explore the world
around them as they play. Each book contains tips for parents and caregivers on how to create
positive learning experiences for even the littlest of scientists. Charming pictures by best-selling
illustrator Doug Cushman make the "Let's Try it Out" series as much fun to look at as it is to put
into action. Kudos to this unusually traditional educational series from a mainstream
publisher.
The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide
The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing Stone
Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689859368 (The Field Guide)
ISBN 0689859376 (The Seeing Stone)
$9.95, 128 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com
If the "Harry Potter" books are the menu entrees, these tasty morsels are kiddie menu hors
d'oeuvres, whetting younger market appetites for more and more and more. Created by the
gothically-inclined Holly Black ("Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale") and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi
("The Spider and the Fly"), this new fantasy series for elementary students fills a void for
independent readers not quite ready for the literary challenges of "Harry Potter." But consumers
will need to have their wallets ready, because each short chapter book can be consumed in a blink
of an eye, and will create addicts out of its readers. The first two books in the series are just a
warm up. Book one introduces readers to the three Grace kids twins Jared and Simon and their
older sister, Mallory who move into the decaying old mansion of their great-aunt Lucinda
Spiderwick after she's sent off to an asylum. Strange goings-on immediately lead them into a
fantasy adventure involving a mischievous creature living in the walls, and a secret room holding
an even bigger mystery in the pages of a mysterious book written long ago by the children's
great-uncle: "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You." As they try
to unravel the truth, the Grace kids find threatening messages, discover that valuable objects have
been stolen, and wrestle with their own consciences -- all while trying to adapt socially to their
new home, new school, and the absence of their father. Void of a riveting storyline, "The Field
Guide" really just sets the stage for books to follow, so is a disappointment on its own a true
cliff hanger that leaves readers dangling and feeling manipulated. The second book, "The Seeing
Stone," attempts to set things right by flinging the kids headfirst into a significantly more exciting
adventure. This time, the life of brother Simon is in jeopardy when he is mysteriously kidnapped in
the woods. Armed with their great-uncle's field guide to fantastic creatures -- and the insider-help
of the Dobby-like Thimbletack, the Grace's house Brownie -- Jared believes trolls are the culprits
and takes chase. Goblins, a giant troll, a Phoenix and other unearthly creatures pepper the
fast-paced story, complete with scattered diagram sketches detailing their peculiar attributes. The
too-few illustrations are another tease give us more, I say! More action! More detail! More
pages from the Field Guide! Something tells me the creators will do just that in another
manipulated tease, I predict, when they publish "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the
Fantastical World Around You" as a separate book. Ka-ching!
The Blossoms' Ball
Danielle Stein-Aubert, illustrated by Virginie Peyre
Tricycle Press / Ten Speed Press
P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707
ISBN 1582460965 $12.95, 32 pages, www.tenspeed.com
The off-beat nature of this fanciful little storybook ode to mother nature isn't immediately clear,
but it's due to the fact that this is an English translation of a French children's book. The lilting,
somewhat stilted prose of "The Blossoms' Ball" probably rhymed in the original French, but here
it skips along on light feet, occasionally missing a beat. Filled with fairies and flowers come to life,
it's a delightfully airy concoction for little girls. Its imaginative premise is that one day a fairy
tiptoes into a garden to awaken the flower children. "Quickly, my little buds, you have only one
week to blossom into flowers!" And so Buttercup, Lily of the Valley, Cosmos, Poppy, Violet and
the others begin their lessons at the School of Flowers. While Miss Rose teaches the blossoms,
young readers also peripherally learn about the days of the week, colors, various forms of art,
basic ballet steps, sewing, the seasons, and, of course, flower varieties. By the time the graduating
class snaps their class photograph, the minds of young readers will have blossomed a little too. A
sweet treat for girlie girls age 3-7.
Finklehopper Frog
Irene Livingston, illustrated by Brian Lies
Tricycle Press
P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707
ISBN 1582460752 $14.95, 30 pages, www.tenspeed.com
When jumpy Finklehopper Frog goes jogging, he quickly becomes the laughing stock off all the
other fleet-footed runners. He hops his heart out, determined to run with the cats in the in-crowd,
but to no avail. It takes the wisdom of another, more experienced hopper to help him realize that
fitting in doesn't mean compromising one's unique style. Irene Livingston's enjoyable, moralistic
storybook tale is told with rhythmic rhymes that nicely mimic the hip-hoppy mood of the froggy
protagonist. Artist Brian Lies' bright, lively illustrations keep pace.
Anna the Bookbinder
Andrea Cheng, Illustrated by Ted Rand
Walker & Co.
435 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0802788335 $16.95, 32 pages www.walkerbooks.com
Bookmaking is a lost art-form, overlooked in this age of mass-production. This lovely picture
book, "Anna the Bookbinder," takes young readers age five to nine, on a journey to the past when
craftsmen took the duty of making and repairing books very seriously. It's the story of young
Anna who loves to sit in the corner of her father's workshop, watching his skillful hands as they
lovingly repair books. She understands what other people do not: though the new large binderies
that are stealing her father's business can bind books faster, their work will not endure as long. To
many customers, though, speed matters more than skill. Her father's most important client
threatens to pull his business unless his latest order of books is rebound in three days. Anna's
father works long hours struggling to complete the order, but all seems lost when Anna's pregnant
mother goes into labor the night before the order is due. Determined not to let her father fail,
Anna decides to take the fate of the family business into her own hands. It's a sophisticated,
deeply poignant story that will only be truly comprehended by the most mature picture book
readers. Adults will respond most strongly to its sentimental message, and historical lesson.
The Seven Seas: Exploring the World Ocean
Lina Vierier, illustrated by Higgins Bond
Walker & Co.
435 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0802788335 $27.95, 32 pages www.walkerbooks.com
Written to compliment elementary school courses taught every year, "The Seven Seas: Exploring
the World Ocean" takes a straightforward approach to discussing the world's oceans and their
relation to world history. Ocean by ocean, the book discusses how each has shaped the progress
of civilization. Thousands of years ago, for instance, the sea retreated and exposed more than two
million acres of dry land, enabling early man to migrate from Asia and eventually settle North and
South America. Centuries later, explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan
braved the waters as they searched for shorter ocean routes to new worlds. When, in 1800, all
surface areas of the ocean had been explored, scientists turned their gaze to the deepest recesses
of the sea, discovering thousands of species of plants and animals there. The sea remains the
planet's largest source of food, fuel, and energy, holding the very key to life for sea creatures and
people alike. Rather than using continuous text, the book is written 100% in sidebars, so tends to
oversimplify for the sake of keeping to its rigid structure (i.e. "The Sea is Stormy," "The Sea is
Busy," "The Sea is Bountiful," "The Sea is in Danger," etc.). It's a beautifully illustrated overview,
useful as supplemental non-fiction material, for grades one through five.
Vicki Arkoff
Reviewer
Taylor's Bookshelf
Built By The Owner's Design
Danny Von Kanel
CSS Publishing Company, Inc.
PO Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503
078801952X $14.95 1-800-241-4056 www.cspub.com
Written by Danny Von Kanel (a church growth consultant with 20 years of experience), Built By
The Owner's Design: The Positive Approach To Building Your Church God's Way is a
straightforward instructional guideline to reaching out with the community Christian church in a
balanced, sustainable, and positive manner. Charting a solid middle ground between declining
attendance and excessive zeal, Built By The Owner's Design is a profound and meaningful
resource
to keeping both the needs of man and the will of God in mind with regard to managing the
evangelical church community.
Symbolism In The Fourth Gospel
Craig R. Koester
Augsburg Fortress
Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440
0800635949 $27.00 1-800-328-4648
A work of impressive scholarship by Craig R. Koester (Professor of New Testament at Luther
Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota), and now in its second edition, Symbolism In The Fourth Gospel:
Meaning, Mystery, Community is a seminal study of the Christian Gospel's "literary dimensions,
social and historical context, and theological import". From exploring representative figures; to
symbolic actions; to views of light and darkness, water, and crucifixion, and more, Symbolism In
The Fourth Gospel is an extensively detailed, thoughtful, insightful, and strongly recommended
contribution to Biblical Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
The Samson Syndrome
Mark Atteberry
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Alday Communications Inc. (publicity)
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
0785264477 $13.99 1-800-251-4000
The Samson Syndrome by Mark Atteberry (Minister at Poinciana Christian Church) is a
thoroughly
"user friendly" self-help book for Christians (especially Christian Men), concerning the lessons
that
can be learned from the Strongest Man of Biblical Old Testament lore. Cautioning against errors
common to the strong (including the tendency to use anger as a tool, take too much for granted,
or
lose sight of the big picture), The Samson Syndrome is profound in both its universally applicable
advice and in its encouragement of a Christian faith in God.
Global Catholicism
Bryan T. Froehle and Mary L. Gautier
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
157075375X $30.00 orbisbooks.com
The collaborative effort of Written Bryan T. Froehle (Executive Director of the Center for
Applied
Research in the Apostolate, Washing, DC) and Mary L. Gautier (Senior Research Associate at
CARA), Global Catholicism: Portrait Of A World Church is a straightforward and authoritative
compilation of solid data, insights, and anecdotes concerning Catholicism today. Composing an
understanding of the Catholic Church grounded solidly in facts, Global Catholicism is an excellent
modern-day resource covering the Church on all continents and is an especially recommended
resource for academia, as well as informative reading for non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the contemporary Catholic Church around the world.
Postmodern Christianity
John W. Riggs
Trinity Press International
PO Box 1321, Harrisburg, PA 17105
1563383640 $19.00 1-717-541-8130 www.trinitypressintl.com
An impressive body of work by John W. Riggs (Associate Professor of Historical Theology and
Church History at Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri), Postmodern Christianity:
Doing
Theology In The Contemporary World offers the proposition that postmodernism and Christianity
both have much to offer one another, and should scrutinize one another while avoiding complete
acceptance or rejection. A thoughtful analysis of the common ground between philosophy and
theology, Postmodern Christianity is a timely and welcome addition to Christian Theological
Studies
reference collections and personal reading lists.
The Gospel For Real Life
Jerry Bridges
NavPress
3820 North 30th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
1576833364 $19.00 1-800-366-7788
Jerry Bridges is an experienced Bible teacher and a member of the Navigator Collegiate Ministry
Group. In The Gospel For Real Life: Turn To The Liberating Power Of The Cross... Every Day,
Bridges offers a powerful testimony concerning human sin, God's terrible wrath, and the
transcendent redemption offered by Christ on the Cross. Promoting the Gospel as directly relevant
not only for the afterlife, but life today, The Gospel For Real Life is visionary, passionately
charged
with faith and hope, and vitally important reader for Christians of all denominations and
backgrounds.
Who Were The Early Israelites And Where Did They Come From?
William G. Dever
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
255 Jefferson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503
0802809758 $25.00 1-800-253-7521
William Dever (Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Arizona,
Tucson) has spent thirty years conducting archaeological field excavations throughout the Near
East. In Who Were The Early Israelites And Where Did They Come From?, Professor Dever
provides the reader with an informed and informative survey of ancient Israel (one that focuses
first
and foremost on what archaeology can tell us) in which he rejects unwarranted denouncements of
biblical literature as "pious propaganda, -- and also rejecting any fundamentalist oriented or
theologically conservative reluctance to question biblical literature. Written in a smoothly flowing
prose style which is thoroughly accessible to non-specialist general readers, Who Were The Early
Israelites And Where Did They Come From? is a fascinating trip through time and a highly
recommended addition to Biblical Archaeology reference collections and supplemental reading
lists.
Prayers Along The Trail
Jack Terry
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, OR 97402-9173
0736910255 $16.99 1-800-547-8979
Prayers Along The Trail by Jack Terry is a thoughtful picturebook intended for Christian readers
of
all ages. The warm, soft-toned, realistic art enhances the thoughtful representations of prayers
that
Cowboys have used to keep God and Jesus Christ in their hearts throughout American history. An
emotionally fulfilling and spiritually stimulating book that astutely captures the flavor of the Old
West, Prayers Along The Trail would make a superb choice as a gift book and a highly
recommended addition to any personal Christian Studies supplemental reading list.
Wesley And Men Who Followed
Iain H. Murray
The Banner of Truth
PO Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013
0851518354 $29.99 1-717-249-5747
Written by Iain H. Murray (a veteran minister of the Presbyterian Church), Wesley And Men Who
Followed is an informed and informative study of the life and teachings of John Wesley, the
Christian intellectual, and evangelist who was also an Oxford Don. Biographer Murray's extensive
and scholarly research draws especially from Methodist sources to reveal the reverberating
relevance
that John Wesley's life and work have on the present-day Christian church. A thought-provoking
biographically oriented account, Wesley And Men Who Followed is a welcome and scholarly
addition to Christian History collections in general, and Methodist Studies reading lists in
particular.
Statue Of The Neocatechumenal Way
Kiko Arguello, Carmen Hernandez, and F. Mario Pezzi, editors
Hope Publishing House
PO Box 60008, Pasadena, CA 91116
0932727999 $16.00 1-800-326-2671 www.hope-pub.com
The collaborative effort of Kiko Arguello, Carmen Hernandez, and F. Mario Pezzi, Statue Of
The
Neocatechumenal Way is meticulously translated from the Italian into English and presents the
statues developed by a unique group of Catholic Christians to reflect their rigid code of conduct.
Over 20,000 "Neocatechumenal communities" with over a million members have been formed in
parishes around the world, yet those following this way resist being called a "movement" and
insist
that they do not pursue a new "order", but rather strive to bring contemporary spiritual renewal to
the Christian community. A straightforward presentation, Statue Of The Neocatechumenal Way is
a
unique and very highly recommended contribution to Christian Studies and Catholic Studies
reference shelves.
John Taylor
Reviewer
Bethany's Bookshelf
Seeds Of Faith
Alaine Benard, Deb Anne Flynt, Angie Ledbetter, and Carol Schwartz
TurnKey Press
2525 W. Anderson Lane, Suite 540, Austin, TX 78757
0972380663 $17.95 www.turnkeypress.com
Seeds Of Faith: An Inspirational Almanac presents season-themed essays, recipes, advice, tips,
prayers, and anecdotes, all written with a special focus toward God's works. A powerful and
emotional compendium collaboratively compiled and written by Alaine Benard, Deb Anne Flynt,
Angie Ledbetter, and Carol Schwartz, Seeds Of Faith offers wonderful vignettes of inspiration
and
outpourings of Christian faith and love.
Echo Of The Soul
J. Philip Newell
Morehouse Publishing
PO Box 1321, Harrisburg, PA 17105
081921874X $17.95 1-717-541-8130 www.morehousegroup.com
Accessibly written by J. Philip Newell (a minister of the Church of Scotland), Echo Of The Soul:
The Sacredness Of The Human Body deftly presents the idea that the human body is not an
obstacle
to ascending to the divine, but rather the dwelling place of God, and truly created in God's image.
Echo Of The Soul is confidently recommended as a powerful and thoughtfully reasoned testimony
of
Christian faith offering informed and informative insights concerning the importance of both
human
and divine love as manifested on the physical Earth.
A Child's First Prayers/Las Primeras Oraciones Del Nino
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501
0825455049 $12.99 1-800-733-2607 www.kregel.com
A Child's First Prayers/Las Primeras Oraciones Del Nino is bilingual board book in both English
and
Spanish, that presents simple Christian prayers along with colorful and joyful pictures. A durable,
easy-to read introduction to the blessings of God; presenting prayers quoted directly from the
Bible;
as well as brief message asides for young folks such as "Praying to God is just like talking to your
best friend. God is your best friend.", A Child's First Prayers/Las Primeras Oraciones Del Nino is
an
enthusiastically recommended addition to any bilingual library collection for young children and
their
families.
Reflections For Tending The Sacred Garden
Bonita Zimmer
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595269516 $18.95 www.iuniverse.com
Reflections For Tending The Sacred Garden by Bonita Jean Zimmer is a superbly written guide to
reflection and self-improvement which was written especially for Christians who feel themselves
emotionally trapped and spiritually stressed by the endless daily grind of secular life. Reflections
For
Tending The Sacred Garden discusses the art of saying "no" to cycles of negative behavior and
other
undue taxes of one's sanity, the cultivation relationships, how to reaching out for spiritual succor,
and a great deal more. A thoughtful and devout text written with the love of God and Jesus Christ
firmly in mind, Reflections For Tending The Sacred Garden is highly recommended, inspirational,
"soul easing", spirit refreshing, mind calming reading.
The Miracles Of Mary
Kathleen Bickford Berzock
The Art Institute Of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603-6110
0865592004 $9.95 1-312-443-3600
Organized with an informative introductive commentary by Kathleen Bickford Berzock, The
Miracles Of Mary is a superb reproduction of a colorful seventeenth-century Ethiopian manuscript
depicting the Miracles of Mary. Such works were originally commissioned by royal patrons for
their
private collections as well as donations to enhance and bless monasteries and churches. This
particular and timeless manuscript embodies an unshakeable Christian faith in the inexplicable
work
of God, and Mary, the Mother of God as memorialized in a very special and distinctively
Ethiopian
Orthodox Christian art form. Showcasing twelve color plate reproductions, The Miracles Of Mary
is
an historic religious art treasure.
How To Be Like Jesus
Pat Williams with Jim Denney
Faith Communications/Health Communications
Creative Resources consulting & Media Services (publicity)
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
0757300693 $14.95 1-800-441-5569 www.hci-online.com
How To Be Like Jesus: Lessons On Following In His Footsteps is a profound and accessible
"self-help" book for Christian men and women seeking to improving themselves by following the
example lifestyle example, behavior, philosophy, and teachings of Jesus Christ. Discussing the
integrity, virtue, courage, leadership, and focus that Jesus had, and how we can remember Him in
order to better embody the traits within ourselves, How To Be Like Jesus is an enlightended and
enlightening reader which is enthusiastically recommended for Christians of all denominational
backgrounds.
Birth Control For Christians
Jenell Williams Paris
Baker Books
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0801064376 $14.99 www.bakerbooks.com
Birth Control For Christians: Making Wise Choices by Jenell Williams Paris (Associate Professor
of
Anthropology, Bethel College, St. Paul, Minnesota) is a book of facts and choices, presented
without judgmental overtones, written expressly to inform Christians of all denominations about
the
various means of birth control. A fertility awareness instructor with Fertility Awareness-Twin
Cities, Paris expertly examines the pros and cons of behavioral methods, barrier methods,
hormonal
method, IUDs, and male and female sterilization -- however, abortion is not discussed extensively
since Christian denominations generally oppose it. Birth Control For Christians: Making Wise
Choices is a highly recommended resource on the subject of family planning and birth control
technologies for all interested Christian couples.
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Burroughs' Bookshelf
Flyfisher's Guide To New York
Eric Newman
Wilderness Adventures Press, Inc.
45 Buckskin Road, Belgrade, MT 59714
1885106920 $28.95 1-800-925-3339 www.wildadv.com
Knowledgeably written by experienced flyfisher Eric Newman, Flyfisher's Guide To New York
presents an exhaustive 526-page compendium detailing of great flyfishing locales all over the
great
state of New York. The thoroughly "user friendly" and deftly organized text is profusely enhanced
with maps, directions, facility information, descriptions, recommendations and more. A superb
reference and resource cataloguing prime fishing creeks and locations throughout the Empire
State,
Flyfisher's Guide To New York is an enthusiastically recommended giftbook for anglers living or
vacationing anywhere within New York State.
Practical Turkey Hunting Strategies
Ray Eye
The Lyons Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1585748757 $24.95 1-800-836-0510 www.lyonspress.com
Informatively written by master outdoorsman Ray Eye (an expert on the tactics, ethics, and safety
of
hunting who has conducted more than 2,000 seminars across North America), Practical Turkey
Hunting Strategies: How To Hunt Effectively Under Any Conditions is a straightforward, "hunter
friendly" specialty guide to all aspects of hunting turkeys. Individual chapters address such issues
as
calling turkeys, scouting year round, tactics for various times of day and season, tips for making
the
shot or even accepting the challenge of bowhunting, and much, much more. Simply put, Practical
Turkey Hunting Strategies is "must-read" for anyone with an interested in the challenging sport of
turkey hunting.
Battle: A History Of Combat And Culture
John A. Lynn
Westview Press
5500 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301-2877
0813333717 $27.50 1-800-833-PLOT www.westviewpress.com
A work of impressive scholarship by noted expert on seventeenth and eighteenth-century warfare
John A. Lynn (Professor of History, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Battle: A History
Of
Combat And Culture From Ancient Greece To Modern America definitively studies the history of
war worldwide, including how ideas can carry more weight on the battlefield than heavy artillery.
Exploring the influence that a culture's values has on armed conflict and vice versa, Battle: A
History
Of Combat And Culture is both a trek through time and a window of insight into the complex
tangles of human society as exemplified by combat and conquest. Battle is a welcome addition to
Military History Studies reference collections, as well as non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the history of warfare and its influences upon the societies that engaged it as a tool of
international relations -- willingly or unwillingly.
When Philosophers Were Kings
Steven M. Best
Sunstone Press
PO Box 2321, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2321
0865343624 $28.95 1-800-243-5644
Based on the true story of a Wisconsin family drawn into the dramatic and dangerous events of
the
American Civil War, When Philosophers Were Kings by former military intelligence analyst
Steven
M. Best is a powerful novel of two men, both educated in the philosophy of Plato, who must
confront the horrors of the American conflict that pitted brother against brother. An impressively
written Civil War saga of dilemmas, both physical and spiritual, ruthless conflicts and unforgiving
tolls, When Philosophers Were Kings is thoroughly entertaining and will linger in the mind and
imagination of the reader long after the novel is finished and placed back upon the shelf.
For All To See
Sandra L. Brizee-Bowen
The Arthur H. Clark Company
PO Box 14707, Spokane, WA 99214-0707
0870623087 $82.50 1-800-842-9286 www.ahclark.com
For All To See: The Little Bighorn Battle In Plains Indian Art by Sandra L. Brizee-Bowen
provides
an unusual perspective of General George Armstrong Custer's infamous last stand. No white men
survived the battle - but there were hundreds of Native American survivors, many of whom drew
or
painted artwork images of the conflict. A close study of information these drawings and images
provide contemporary readers concerning what really happened, (as well as black-and-white and
color photographs of artworks, fill the pages of this unique, thoughtful, and in-depth study. For
All
To See is a welcome and strongly approved addition to academic Native American History and
19th
Century American Military Studies reference collections, as well as enthusiastically recommended
for non-specialist general readers with an interest in the famous battle that was to shake the very
foundations of the country and give rise to countless stories and legends associated with the
event.
Flying Through Time
James M. Doyle
Brassey's, Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166-2019
1574884476 $27.95 1-800-775-2518 www.brasseysinc.com
Flying Through Time: A Journey Into History In A World War II Biplane by aviation expert
James
M. Doyle is an aviation history book that examines the legendary Boeing Stearman biplane,
featuring the author's personal experience in retracing 8,000 miles of journeys in a restored
biplane.
Conversations with World War II survivors who piloted a Stearman; the exciting impression of
flying through time, space, and history; the expansive description of both the wonder of flight; as
well as the more mundane problems of mechanical upkeep on an aged plane distinguish Flying
Through Time as a very highly recommended read for Aviation History reference collections and
biplane enthusiasts.
The Filthy Thirteen
Richard Killblane and Jake McNiece
Casemate
2114 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083
1932033122 $32.95 1-610-853-9131
Co-written by Richard Killblane and Jake McNiece, The Filthy Thirteen: From The Dustbowl To
Hitler's Eagle's Nest is the fascinating story of a sub-unit of the 101st Airborne Division
paratroopers, the men who led Allied invasions into Nazi-held Europe during World War II.
These
notorious and dedicated soldiers were known for their courage, recklessness, bad attitude toward
officers, and undeniable toughness in combat. The 101st Airborne suffered heavy casualties as the
war progressed. Here is an unforgettable portrait of men in combat who were not role models, yet
who left their mark on history for striving their utmost in the face of often lethal battlefield
conditions, and directly in the face of the enemy, making the ultimate sacrifice in the world's hour
of
need. The stuff of which movies and legends are made, The Filthy Thirteen is an impressive and
mandatory addition to any personal, academic, or community library World War II Military
History
collection.
A Good Idea Of Hell
Robert Pellissier & Joshua Brown
Texas A&M University Press
Drawer C, College Station, TX 77843-4354
1585442100 $39.95 1-800-826-8911
Ably edited for contemporary readers by Joshua Brown, A Good Idea Of Hell: Letters From A
Chasseur A Pied presents the diary and letters of Robert Pellissier, a man who served his country
of
France in the infamous trench warfare of World War I. Vivid descriptions of shelling, the long
inactive waits in the cold and the wet, the limited tactics, the news of the battlefields, insights on
how changing technology affected the nature of war itself, and a great deal more comprise this
literate and highly recommended eyewitness testimony of the unfolding military battlefield history
of
World War I. Of special interest is the inclusion of three letters from a Protestant army chaplain at
the end, explaining just how Pellissier "heroically and selflessly" died during battle -- which
resulted
in his being posthumously awarded the Medaillie Militaire and the Croix de Guerre avec
Palme.
Because We Are Canadians
Sgt. Charles D. Kipp & Lynda Sykes
Douglas & McIntyre
201-2323 Quebeck Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
1550549553 $37.95 1-800-367-9692
Because We Are Canadians is a battlefield memoir of Charles D. Kipp, revealing a Canadian
soldier's
harrowing struggle to survive on the World War II battlefields of Europe after D-Day. Deftly
edited
by Lunda Sykes, Because We Are Canadians is strongly recommended as being an unusually
haunting and vividly written account, with all the visceral feelings of terrible risk and bloodshed,
as
well as offering one man's view of both the minute details of everyday life and the unfolding
battlefield journal of World War II history.
Pacific Odyssey Connections
Arthur C. Farrington
Sunflower University Press
Box 1009, Manhattan, KS 66505-1009
089745264X $22.95 1-800-258-1232 www.sunflower-univ-press.org
A welcome addition to the growing library of American military memoirs and autobiographies,
Pacific Odyssey Connections is the true story of Arthur C. Farrington, Jr., a young American
who
enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1940 five months after his highschool graduation, saw and
experienced the horrors of World War II in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, answered the call to active
duty in the Korean War in 1950, and then went to Vietnam to work for Explosive Ordinance
Disposal in 1967. Black-and-white photographs add a thoughtful touch to this solidly written,
ground-up, detailed recounting of life both inside and outside of the American military during
three
of the turbulent twentieth century conflicts.
Garry Kasparov On My Great Predecessors, Part 1
Garry Kasparov
Everyman Chess
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1857443306 $35.00 1-800-243-0495
Knowledgeably written by the World Champion chess player who held that title from 1985-2000,
Garry Kasparov On My Great Predecessors, Part 1 is an in-depth study of the play of great
masters
and champions such as Wilhelm Steinitz (who held the title from 1886-1894), Emanuel Lasker
(1894-1921), Jose Raul Capablanca (1921-1927) and Alexander Alekhine (1927-1935 and
1937-1946). Analyzing the specifics of the chess games, drawing from observation, experience,
and the
analysis of the latest chess software, Garry Kasparov On My Great Predecessors, Part One is an
invaluable resource which is especially recommended for those dedicated chess enthusiasts who
wish
to better understand the game itself through analyzing the play of its finest practitioners.
How To Form And Operate A Limited Liability Company
Gregory C. Damman, JD
Self-Counsel Press Inc.
1704 N. State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
1551804034 $19.95 www.self-counsel.com
Now in a completely updated third edition, How To Form And Operate A Limited Liability
Company: A Do-It-Yourself Guide by Gregory C. Damman is a straightforward, "user friendly"
instructional guide for taking full advantage of the benefits of a limited liability company (LLC),
which protects company partners from personal responsibility for the company's debts and
obligations. Introductory basics are accessibly presented concerning what types of companies can
become an LLC; the advantages and disadvantages of forming an LLC; converting a business into
an
LLC; tax considerations, and much, much more are all knowledgeably presented in a meticulous
and
highly accessible manner. An accompanying CD-ROM of forms and samples enhances this highly
recommended basic resource for the novice entrepreneur.
It's A Man's World
Adam Parfrey
Feral House
PO Box 13067, Los Angeles, CA 90013
0922915814 $29.95 www.feralhouse.com
An unusual artbook of full-color illustrations from adventure magazines and postwar pulp
magazines
marketing to a male readership, It's A Man's World is ably edited by Adam Parfrey and enhanced
with contributions by Bruce Jay Friedman, Josh Alan Friedman, Mort Kunstler, David Saunders,
and
Bill Devine. Sometimes sexy, sometimes violent, sometimes shocking, these striking color images
of
cover art and interior illustrations fully capture the heyday of American male popular culture,
showcasing the heady violence and sensual sex drive that distinguished the hot-selling and
sometimes disreputable periodical publications. An insightful text provides context and insight
making It's A Man's World a truly remarkable and very highly recommended showcase of 20th
Century American popular culture.
A Profile Of Ancient Rome
Flavio Conti
Getty Trust Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, #500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
0892366974 $29.95 www.getty.edu
Researched and expertly written by Flavio Conti (Professor, Facolta di Architettura del
Politecnico,
Milan, Italy), A Profile Of Ancient Rome offers the reader a truly superb historical overview of
ancient Rome and its society, ranging from the origin of the Roman Republic down to the end of
the
great Roman empire. Full-color photographs on every page illustrate the studious text that
presents
both features of daily life and the sweeping events of history. Highly recommended and accessible,
especially for non-specialist general readers, A Profile Of Ancient Rome would make a popular
addition to school and community library collections.
Documents Of Texas History
Ernest Wallace, David M. Vigness and George B. Ward
Texas State Historical Association
2/306 Sid Richardson Hall, University Station, Austin TX 78712
0876111886 $24.95 1-800-826-8911
The collaborative effort of Ernest Wallace, David M. Vigness and George B. Ward, Documents
Of
Texas History presents 141 historical documents concerning the great state of Texas with
studious
entries ranging from Cabeza de Vaca's tale of wandering about the area from 1528 to 1536, to
Lyndon B. Johnson's speeches about civil rights and Vietnam in the 1960s. A superb primary
resource offering a wealth of historical insights into the evolution of Texas as recorded through
the
eyes of those who were there to see it firsthand, Documents Of Texas History is an invaluable
reference resource for American History Studies in general, and Texas State History collections in
particular.
John Burroughs
Reviewer
Sharon's Bookshelf
Photo Art
Tony Worobiec and Ray Spence
Amphoto Books
c/o Watson-Guptial Publications
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0817453725 $29.95 www.watsonguptill.com
Collaboratively written by photography experts Tony Worobiec and Ray Spence, Photo Art:
Darkroom, Digital, Handcoloring, Montage is enhanced with two hundred color and twenty-five
black & white illustrations. Photo Art is more than a just another photography collection -- it is a
carefully organized and effectively presented step-by-step instructional manual which is ideal for
novice photographers seeking to create art through the use of their cameras, as well as an
outstanding educational resource appropriate for even experienced photographers as it provides
technical know-how, advice, tips, tricks, and techniques concerning both traditional and digital
working methods for taking pictures which rise to the high esthetic standards of fine art. The
eye-catching full-color photographs and extensive suggestions for light, border, distinctive
contrast in
subject material and much more fill this memorable guide.
Many Ways To Be Deaf
Leila Monaghan, Constanze Schmaling, Karen Nakamura, and Graham H. Turner, editors
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
1563681358 $69.95 1-800-621-2736
Collaboratively compiled and edited by Leila Monaghan (Lecturer in the Department of
Communication and Cultural at Indiana University, Bloomington); Constanze Schmaling
(Linguist
at the Institute of German Sign Language at Hamburg University, Germany); Karen Nakamura
(Professor of Anthropology at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota); and Graham H. Turner
(Senior Lecturer in the Deaf Studies Program at the University of Central Lancashire, Great
Britain),
Many Ways To Be Deaf: Internal Variation In Deaf Communities is a compendium of scholarly
assessments of deaf communities and sign languages worldwide, ranging from Swiss German Sign
Language; to the developing sign language of Nicaragua; the conflicts of hearing culture and deaf
culture in various nations; some national tendencies to view the hearing improvements of cochlear
implants as motive sufficient to dismiss the importance of sign language, and much, much more.
An
exhaustively researched and critically insightful resource, Many Ways To Be Deaf is an impressive
work of scholarship and a ground breaking contribution to Deaf Studies reference collections and
supplemental reading lists.
Zuzu's Wonderful Life In The Movies
Christopher Brunell
Hara Publishing Group, distributor
PO Box 507, Lynnwood, WA 98046
0970971001 $19.00 1-425-398-3679
Zuzu's Wonderful Life In The Movies: The Story of Karolyn Grimes by Christopher Brunell is a
veritable showcase of on-screen and behind the scenes photographs featuring Karolyn Grimes, the
talented child star of "It's a Wonderful Life" and many, many other memorable Hollywood films.
Complementing these captivating black-and-white photos is a brief yet involving story of actress
Karolyn Grimes' personal life, the obstacles she faced, and her extensive filmography. Highly
recommended for fans of classic movies, Zuzu's Wonderful Life In The Movies is a seminal
contribution to Cinematic History reference collections and a "must" for any dedicated fan of the
Golden Age of movie making.
Painting Alaska
Kesler E. Woodward
Alaska Geographic Society
PO Box 93370, Anchorage, Alaska 99509-3370
1566610516 $21.95 1-888-255-6697
Volume 27 number 3 of Alaska Geographic, Painting Alaska presents both historic and
modern-day
paintings of Alaska, its wildlife, and the people who call this northern most American "Last
Frontier"
state their home. Beautiful color reproductions of great artworks enhance the thoughtful text and
commentary on the works themselves and the marvelous artists who created them. A most
enjoyable
addition to Artbook collections, Painting Alaska is particularly recommended for anyone with a
special interest in Alaska history and culture.
Will H. Bradley American Artist In Print: A Collector's Guide
Robert Koch
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, 74-2 Union Street, Manchester, VT 05254
1555952240 $50.00 www.hudsonhills.com
60 color plates and 117 black-and-white illustrations adorn the Hudson Hills Press edition of
Robert
Koch's Will H. Bradley American Artist In Print: A Collector's Guide. This visually impressive
compendium showcases the work a man who, in his heyday, was the highest-paid commercial
artist
of North America. The printed oeuvre of Will H. Bradley (1868-1962) is gathered and lavishly
displayed, along with an extensive biographical text adding insight into the stark and vivid images
brought together from periodicals, programs, illustrations from books and much more. Bold lines
and eye-catching contrast characterize these memorable works. Will H. Bradley American Artist
In
Print: A Collector's Guide is a welcome addition to American Art History collections and will
prove
an invaluable informational resource for art students, art collectors and art dealers, as well as
gallery
and museum staff.
Light, Shadow, & Spirit
David J. Marcou & Steve Kiedrowski
Speranza, LLC
1720 Prospect Street, La Crosse, WI 54603
0967474043 $29.95 1-608-784-2796 wordpic@hotmail.com
Collaboratively edited by David J. Marcou and Steve Kiedrowski, Light, Shadow, & Spirit: On
The
Path Of A Picture-Family Of Life-Reflections offers more than 500 photographs taken by more
than
100 talented individuals. Assembled with the goal of promoting lasting world peace, these images
show an exciting mix of people and places, color and black-and-white, technology, hope, grief,
young and old faces and much more. A diverse and satisfying visual tour of life itself, Light,
Shadow, & Spirit is a welcome addition to any personal or community library Photography
Studies
collection.
The Ultimate Guided Reading How-To Book
Gail Saunders-Smith
Zephyr Press
PO Box 66006-2F, Tucson, AZ 85728-6006
1569761523 $24.95 1-800-232-2187
Expertly written by experienced reading teacher and educational consultant Gail Saunders-Smith,
The Ultimate Guided Reading How-To Book: Building Literacy Through Small-Group
Instruction
is an impressive and "user friendly" resource created especially for classroom teachers and
offering
them practical, effective strategies for coordinating their efforts to guide different levels of readers
to
higher literacy levels, implement a five-step guided reading process, coordinate literature
workshops
and literature circles, and more. An excellent supplementary resource for grade-school educators,
The Ultimate Guided Reading How-To Book is an invaluable addition to reading skill
development
curriculum reference and resource collections.
Divorce Solutions
Ed Sherman
Nolo Press Occidental
501 Mission Street, Suite 2, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
www.nolodivorce.com
0944508464 $19.95 1-800-464-5502
Expertly written by Ed Sherman (a specialist attorney in the complex field of divorce), Divorce
Solutions: How To Make Any Divorce Better is a straightforward and "user friendly" guide to
minimizing the pain, problems, and costs caused by marital divorce. From advice for protecting
one's
rights, negotiating agreements, and personal care worksheets, to ten ways to divide property
without
fighting over it, dealing with emotional issues, sample marital settlement agreements, and more,
Divorce Solutions offers professional advice, insights, recommendations, and instructions in plain
terms which are complete accessible to the non-specialist general reader. Divorce Solutions is
very
highly recommended and invaluable reading for anyone considering or in the process of a
divorce.
Concrete Countertops
Fu-Tung Cheng with Eric Olsen
The Taunton Press, Inc.
63 South Main Street, PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
1561584843 $29.95 1-800-888-8286 www.taunton.com
Written by residential architect Fu-Tung Cheng with the assistance of Eric Olsen, Concrete
Countertops is a detailed, step-by-step guide to utilizing custom-formed, colored, and finished
concrete in residential kitchens and bathrooms. From building molds, to mixing and pouring,
curing,
finishing, installation, and more, Concrete Countertops covers all stages of the process with
illustrative color photographs and an in-depth, "reader friendly" instructional text. A remarkably
useful guide by an award-winning expert contemporary designer, Concrete Countertops is a
welcome addition to personal, professional and academic Interior Design reference
collections.
Early Communication Skills For Children With Down Syndrome
Libby Kumin, Ph.D. CCC-SLP
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817
1890627275 $19.95 www.woodbinehouse.com
Written for both parents and professional caretakers, Early Communication Skills For Children
With
Down Syndrome by Libby Kumin (who has 23 years of experience in working with children with
Down syndrome) is very highly recommended as an informational resource by parents, caretakers,
teachers, and anyone else charged with the responsibility of dealing with Down Syndrome
children.
With a focus on speech and language development, through the stage of making 3-word phrases,
Early Communication Skills For Children With Down syndrome offers in-depth insight, home
communication activities, ways to help one's child learn basic rules of conduct, and much more.
An
excellent instructional resource, Early Communication Skills For Children With Down Syndrome
is a
welcome and necessary addition to institutional speech pathology and Special Education resource
and reference collections.
Encyclopedia Of Women In The American West
Gordon Morris Bakken and Brenda Farrington
Sage Publications, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
076192356X $125.00 www.sagepub.com
Compiled and co-edited by Gordon Morris Bakken (Professor of History, California State
University, Fullerton) and Brenda Farmington (Adjunct Faculty Member, Long Beach City
College),
Encyclopedia Of Women In The American West is a scholarly reference studying the
often-overlooked lives and roles of women on the American frontier. Alphabetical entries offer
succinct
summaries of great figures, events, situations, facets of daily duties, and more. A highly
educational
and enlightening resource, the Encyclopedia Of Women In The American West is a core
recommendation for academic and public library American Western History Studies and Women's
Studies reference collections, as well as an invaluable resource for writers and non-specialist
general
readers with an interest in studying women's experiences and contributions to American society
and
culture.
Using Internet Primary Sources To Teach Critical Thinking Skills In Visual Arts
Pamela J. Eyerdam
Libraries Unlimited
c/o Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0313315558 $45.00 www.lu.com
Compiled and written by Pamela J. Eyerdam (and part of the Libraries Unlimited Professional
Guides in School Librarianship Series), Using Internet Primary Sources To Teach Critical
Thinking
Skills In Visual Arts is a extensive catalogue of excellent web sites which are especially useful for
refining a student's critical thinking skills. Based on the Discipline-Based Art Education program
(an
all-encompassing educational program that covers the creative process, art history, criticism, and
aesthetics), Using Internet Primary Sources To Teach Critical Thinking Skills In Visual Arts is a
first-rate and "user friendly" instructional guide which is enhanced with guidelines for evaluating
and
making the best use of suggested sources, and especially recommended as a supplemental
resource
for traditional classroom educational curriculums and home school curriculum development in the
visual arts.
Practically Minimal
Maggie Toy
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
0500283702 $29.95 1-800-233-4830
Practically Minimal: Simply Beautiful Solutions For Modern Living by Maggie Toy (Executive
Editor of the London-based "Architectural Digest") is an informed and informative interior
decorating guide which emphasizes the idea that less is more, and openness can be refreshing.
Stunning full-color photographs of simple yet charming minimalist layouts illustrate the tips for
enhancing aesthetic appeal, comfort, and practicality of large and small interior features.
Practically
Minimal is a welcome and highly valued addition to professional and academic Interior Design
reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
Alphabet Lotto
Usborne Publishing, Ltd.
c/o EDC Publishing
PO Box 470663, Tulsa, OK 74146-6515
0794503144 $12.95 www.edcpub.com www.ubah.com
Part of the outstanding "Farmyard Tales Games" series from Usborne Publishing, Alphabet Lotto
is
an fun and "kid friendly" educational game for up to 4 players, and specifically designed for young
folks ages 2-6. Enhancing pre-reading skills such as word and picture matching, featuring colorful
cards of farmyard animals, as well as contents that can be adapted to varied difficulties depending
upon the children, Alphabet Lotto is a friendly, inviting, and intellectually stimulating game.
Parent's
notes are included to offer insight in helping young folks learn that words and reading can be fun.
Alphabet Lotto is confidently recommended for homeschoolers, as well as being a very welcome
addition to preschool and kindergarten curriculum enrichment resource collections.
Fiction Writing Demystified
Thomas B. Sawyer
Ashleywilde, Inc.
23852 Pacific Coast Highway, #132 Malibu, CA 90265
0962747610 $16.00 www.ashleywilde.com
Thomas B. Sawyer was the head writer/producer/showrunner of the popular television series
"Murder, She Wrote", as well as a vast number of other scripts for more than fifteen other shows.
Sawyer is also a professional teacher of creative writing and screen writing who co-created the
award-winning software "Plots Unlimited" for fiction writers. In Fiction Writing Demystified,
Sawyer draws upon his many years of experience and documented expertise to present the tricks,
tips, and techniques of the trade that apply to all forms of writing, including clear,
reader-involving
fiction, nonfiction, poetry, sermons, essays, business writing, and any other form of storytelling.
Individual chapters persuasively address the writer's optimum mindset, story ideas, the laborious
yet
rewarding process of crafting a story, red flags to avoid, crafting memorable characters,
distinctive
dialogue, and much, much more. Fiction Writing Demystified is enthusiastically recommended as
being an unusually helpful and useful resource -- especially for the novice writing seeking to be
published and/or produced.
Sharon Stuart
Reviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design