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Reviewer's Bookwatch

Volume 16, Number 1 January 2016 Home | RBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Andrea's Bookshelf Ann's Bookshelf
Bethany's Bookshelf Buhle's Bookshelf Burroughs' Bookshelf
Carson's Bookshelf Chutsky's Bookshelf Clint's Bookshelf
Gail's Bookshelf Julie's Bookshelf Logan's Bookshelf
Margaret's Bookshelf Mason's Bookshelf Moore's Bookshelf
Peggy's Bookshelf Susan's Bookshelf Suzie's Bookshelf


Reviewer's Choice

Rivers of Gold
Adam Dunn
Dunn Books
www.dunnbooks.com
c/o Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc.
9780996208208 $13.95 pbk / $5.39 Kindle www.amazon.com

Andy Jordan
Reviewer

Available in paperback, Kindle, and Audible digital audiobook editions, Rivers of Gold is a stark noir novel set in an alternate version of modern New York City beset by urban blight, rampant crime, political corruption, race riots, and worse. Renny is a young fashion photographer with a dangerous side job - distributing drugs through the taxi network to supply the ultra-rich with fuel for their debauched parties. Renny is pushed to overextend himself by his up-and-coming crimeboss Reza, the frontman for a shadowy international syndicate. Detective Sixto Santiago of the NYPD is trying to engineer a crackdown with undercover taxicabs, but Santiago's new partner, Everett More, does not appear to be a policeman at all! Dark and suspenseful, Rivers of Gold vividly portrays a horrifying state of decay. Also highly recommended for noir connoisseurs are the sequels to this intensely gritty saga of a truly wretched metropolis, "The Big Dogs" (9780996208246, $13.95) and "Saint Underground" (9780996208284, $13.95).

Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season
Urban Meyer
Penguin Press
c/o Penguin Group USA
357 Hudson Street New York, New York 10014
9781101980705, $16.77 HC, $13.99 Kindle, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Austin Boyer
Reviewer

In recent years, Urban Meyer and the Ohio State football team have dominated the college football rankings. Meyer is a legendary football coach that has taken multiple college football teams to high-level championship games including two BCS championships with Florida in 2006 and 2008 and also the first College Football Playoff Championship in 2014 with the Ohio State University. Meyer originally from Toledo, Ohio, spent a few years after college to pursue his Major League Baseball career but struggled to play up to the standards of an MLB team. He then decided to coach football. After a couple years of assistant coaching, Meyer finally landed a head-coaching job at Bowling Green State. As Meyer's carrier progressed, he built a reputation of winning as shown in his years at Florida. In 2012, Meyer finally returned home at Ohio State. After wining the 2014 College Football Playoff, Meyer wanted to share some of the concepts that he follows in life by writing Above the Line. His book shows the incredible determination that he has for his teams and leadership.

As you could probably tell from the title, Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season, the book is about leadership in a team environment. Meyer shows his dedication to his teams and family throughout the course of the book but he mostly focuses on good, constructive leadership skills. There are many steps that need to be taken to be a great leader in any environment and Meyer does a great job in conveying these steps in the book. Alongside with these steps in leadership, Meyer makes sure to show some specific examples of some of the players that he has coached over the years that fit well with each step and how they changed to become the great leaders that they are now. In some cases players didn't have to be molded into great leaders, they were natural leaders. One example of this that Meyer describes is Tim Tebow, who he coached at Florida. Tebow, who was and still is amongst one of the best college quarterbacks not because of raw talent, but because of his pure determination and leadership towards himself and his teammate. Meyer expresses this a lot in the book as he states, "Leadership isn't a difference maker. It is the difference maker." Raw talent cannot do as much as leadership and determination.

This book isn't any typical sports book. This sports book has hidden life lessons to the reader. Meyer does a great job in engaging the reader when transitioning between topics and emotions. At points in the book, it is up beat talking about a compelling win over the number one team in the country, and then at some points in the book he is talking about emotional situation that he has had to deal with in the course of his career. This is a great mix because the reader has an emotional response to how these kinds of things are dealt with in the book. In some cases, the book caters to football fans, and people who may not understand football might have a hard time understanding what is being said.

The "football talk" that Meyer adds into the book is necessary to the story because the book is essentially about football and leadership. At some points in the story, Meyer had to talk about some football situation, and without it; the story would have multiple gaps. Being an Ohio State fan, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I often found myself thinking, "I remember that." I couldn't put the book down because I felt like I was fully engaged in the story as I remembered some situations that Meyer describes. Even if you are not an Ohio State fan, I highly recommend this book. This book would have a great impact on any sports fan in general because of the leadership skills that Meyer describes throughout the entire book.

It is About Islam
Glenn Beck
Mercury Radio Arts
c/o Threshold Editions / Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
www.simonandschuster.com
9781501126123, $14.99 PB, $10.99 Kindle, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Colton Kephart
Reviewer

Glenn Beck continues to write in his own, unique style in an attempt to uncover the truth about the radical Islamic groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda in his new book, It is About Islam. Like the works he's published in the past, Beck's new book carries on the tradition of getting straight to the point without worrying about political correctness. His latest publication since Agenda 21, Beck takes a switch from the fictional world, as he does many times, to share his own views and research about the fundamental beliefs and traditions of Islam. Beck takes the opportunity to talk about something not many are willing to discuss in light of the recent terrorist attacks around the world. Both fans of Beck's works, and those who wish to see a different point of view on one of today's hot topics, will find It is About Islam right up their alley.

It is About Islam generally tries to persuade the reader that terrorism does in fact stem from the fundamental beliefs of Islam. Before going any further, Beck makes mention that proper terminology is critical, and states that there is a difference between followers of Islam and the extremist groups presented in the media. However, this doesn't mean that the two different groups don't share many similar beliefs that are displayed in the teachings of Muhammad. Beck's edgy ideas and writing fits in well with the rest of his non-fiction works, which all seem to follow a more right-winged view on today's hot topics, but with his own twist.

"Islamism is the supremacist political ideology that insists on imposing sharia, or Islamic Holy law, on the world."

Beck's research all stems from direct quotes and passages in the Islamic holy book, the Koran. While there is a possibility of mistranslation, Beck focuses on the abundance of violent ideas presented in the Koran, and comes to the conclusion that Islam, by its fundamentals, is a violent religion, and how it can't coexist with freedom or democracy. Along with this, Beck explains the general history of Islam, and tries to disprove multiple lies told to us by the media, such as "Islamic terrorists aren't really Muslim". While Beck is in no way of trying to instigate hatred and fear among Muslims, he simply attempts to inform the reader the dangers of common Islamic laws and beliefs.

It is About Islam is similar to many other non-fiction books that try to seek the truth on a certain subject. The author is usually influenced by his or her political standings of the subject, which can affect where their research is taken from or what they're trying to prove. Glenn Beck is a well-known conservative writer, so those who may disagree with his views might be turned away. However, people should know by now to never judge a book by its cover. It is About Islam does a good job in bringing a unique view on the religion of Islam, without spreading anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Redeployment: A Modern War Classic
Phil Klay
Penguin Press
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
www.amazon.com
9781594204999, $26.95 HC
9780143126829, $16.00 PB
0857864246, $11.99 Kindle

Ethan Graham
Reviewer

A lot of the books and media produced about war are from World War One, World War Two or the Vietnam era. It's rare that we see a piece of literature focused on present military relations. Phil Klay's Redeployment takes place during the years 2003-2010 during the Iraqui Freedom Operation and it is a modern work of art through its storytelling during this time period. Through 12 short stories Klay does a marvelous job of capturing the modern emotion, setting and struggle that is being on the first line with the military.

Klay's writing style is especially effective in providing various perspectives on what war does to one's mental psyche. Rather than tell a single story about one person's experience during the war Klay creates 12 individuals who each have different experiences with the war. This is interesting because it creates individuality and diversity among the characters experiences. It is far more interesting to hear the differences and emotional experiences of each of the individual 12 characters as opposed to just one constant character. Klay illustrates the human element of the war. Not everyone will react the same way to losing a friend to an IED or having to return home. The novel illustrates challenges, the raw emotion and intensity of war. We as readers, unless one has been on the frontline of a war, can't even begin to feel the same emotion described in this novel, Klay makes us begin to understand the mental chaos and how the war changes one's soul..

The first story details a soldier returning home after a long tour of duty to discover how everything has changed. Klay uses this soldiers dog as a metaphor for the permanent toll that the war takes on the soldier. Before his time in the war the dog was still old but playful and energetic. The soldier returns home to find that the dog is fading towards death, the dog vomits constantly and is covered in lumpy tumors. The soldier's wife wants to take the dog to be euthanized but the soldier insists that she doesn't take the dog. Instead the soldier shoots the dog himself stating that he doesn't want any old stranger putting down his dog. With this story we can begin to understand how war alters perception of death from the extreme and obscure to numbness. The dog is a metaphor for how things change and how the war left part of this soldier "dead".

The 12 stories are fictional but one wouldn't know it unless they looked it up. In addition to serving in the United States Marine Corps between 2005 and 2009 Klay completed four years of research between 2010 and 2014 on those who have served in the war and had first hand front line experience. Klay was quoted as saying that he wanted to avoid creating cliches and prototypes as characters leading up to the 2014 release of this book and he sure did accomplish that. Each story has unique, fluid and believable characters that make us understand the devastation of war. Klay also provides us with incredible detail of setting, whether it be first hand combat in the story "bodies" or the run down offices in the middle of the desert in "Money As a Weapons system" Klay creates a clear image of the setting. Overall this is a compelling and short read on the struggles and aftermath of war that anyone with an interest in emotion centered writing would enjoy.

Clues of Chaos
Gary Caplan
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781500515287, $9.50, PB, $8.87 Kindle, 196pp, www.amazon.com

Kevin Peter, Reviewer
www.moterwriter.com

'Spell' binding - A review of the novel 'Clues of Chaos'

"Evil surrounds everyone, but not everyone is able to confront it." - George A. Kos

Author Gary Caplan's new book 'Clues of Chaos' is set in an ancient continent known as Eidelon. The land of Megalos faces multiple threats to its citizens and property from numerous enemies. They unleash spell weavers and night crawlers upon the land to harm the people. A master wizard trying to uncover the murderer of a senator's sister accidentally stumbles upon a plan of Chaos Warriors to attack his land. Faced with seemingly insurmountable danger on all fronts, he must ally with a mystic Knight and a Shaman to thwart the advances of foes within their ranks and outside them.

'Clues of Chaos' is the latest addition to the ever popular genre of fantasy fiction in novels. But it also brings with it a refreshing story and voice. At its core, the novel is a gritty and dark adventure where the heroes and villains are quasi mythical figures who have control over sorcery and arcane powers. Such adventure stories usually have their set of faithful followers and 'Clues of Chaos' shouldn't disappoint them. Even though the theme and feel of the book suggests a strong story based narration, it's actually character driven, and the main protagonists - Leo, Erios, Sirus and Niya are great characters that you can relate with.

Leozanthicus or Leo is an experienced wizard/warrior whose control over spells and a predisposition to deductive thinking makes him sort of a super detective/PI of the middle earth. Erios is a mystic Knight who has his own arcane powers; and an advanced mode of transportation in the form of a skyship by which he and his allies can travel to any place undetected.

In the opening chapter itself we are introduced to a pulse raising action scene that announces succinctly what we can expect from the rest of the book. The narrative hits the ground running from there on out and doesn't slow down until all the obstacles in the lives of the protagonists are overcome.

Gary Caplan has created a wonderful world for his characters to exist in and he really gives you a sense of it through the depth in his writing. Even though the narrative is filled with characters and situations that are engulfed in magic and arcane powers, the author doesn't let the narrative wander by filling the pages with unnecessary details. If at all there's any negative to be found, it's that the prose in some places are choppy and certain dialogues felt too stereotypical & mechanical.

The story in 'Clues of Chaos' ends after a critical objective is carried out by the protagonists and doesn't bore readers with an unnecessary cliffhanger. But at the same time the story and the characters have enough potential for sequel adventures.

Readers who like dark fantasies set in middle earth with characters that have arcane powers should definitely not miss 'Clues of Chaos'.

Christmas Romance 2015 (The Best Short Story Christmas Romances of 2015)
Jennifer Conner, Sharon Kleve, Angela Ford, Nalie-Nicole Bates
Books to Go Now
PO Box 1283, Poulsbo, WA 98370
9781310850882, $2.99, 225 pages, www.bookstogonow.com

Mayra Calvani
Reviewer

Genre: Holiday Romance

If you're a fan of romantic stories and you love traveling and being transported to other countries, curl up in front of the fireplace these holidays with Christmas Romance 2015 - Places to See Series.

Now available as a box set, this uplifting collection is made of four interrelated stories about four women who encounter unexpected love during Christmas in the countries of their dreams. Friends and co-workers Aubri, Paget, Erika, and Jade work as buyers for Simon's Department Store. Their boss and "surrogate" father, Mr. Simon, having lost his daughter and believing that life is too short, decides to send his four favorite employees on their dream trips, all expenses paid.

The collection includes:

"Kisses and Strudel: Christmas Romance - Germany," by Jennifer Conner

"In Love with Paris: Christmas Romance - France," by Sharon Kleve

"Christmas in Tuscany: Christmas Romance - Italy," by Angela Ford

"Twice as Nice Christmas: Christmas Romance - Bulgaria," by Natalie-Nicole

Four stories to warm up the hearts of romance readers, Christmas Romance - Places to See features four lovable heroines, four to-die-for heros, and last but not least, four settings that sparkle to life with all their sights and sounds. Each tale is a delicious piece of chocolate to devour in one sitting. Christmas Romance is a light, upbeat, fast read and perfect for this time of the year.

Outlander: 105 Selected Poems-And Additional Musings
Lawrence Klepinger
Trafford Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN, 47403
9781490756370, $19.22, www.trafford.com

Paul Binford, Reviewer
http://www.outskirtspress.com/TheShademakers

Reading Lawrence Klepinger's Outlander is like riding a motorcycle through a mental landscape peppered with dire consequences. The motorcycle is a Harley-Davidson, the landscape is full of chasms, valleys, deserts and peaks. It is relentless, honest, and sometimes a brutal reminder of the frailty of our own inner landscape. The 105 poems in this book are short, ranging from a few lines to a couple of pages. They are alternated with one-liners Klepinger calls "Musings," which are mainly condensed tidbits of observations of human nature. The collection is described in the forward by author Sakon Maki like this: "Some are funny, some introspective, while others are given to commonsense concepts and ideas."

Regarding the poems, I noticed a repetition of various themes, one of which is the modern tendency to assume that one is at the center of the universe. In this excerpt from "Look At Me," he relates this to a childish level of growth, an imploring to parents:

The self-promotion
fantasy idol,
Me Incorporated,
a legend in my own mind...
...Mommy, Daddy, Look at Me!"

Klepinger likes to poke fun at people like this, who are consumed by their own self-importance. For example, one of the musings makes this point:

"Men profess the virtue of their ancestors as if honor and dignity were hereditary."

To balance this somewhat cynical, yet realistic, perspective of our fellow human beings, there are plenty of poems to touch on our mortality. In "Loose Ends," a beautiful metaphor is of the needle, and the thread. Before concluding that this metaphor is almost a cliche, look at these lines:

Save, for those certain threads,
That jostle me out of my daily trance,
And reassure me that the threads of my past,
Are what I am made of, woven into who I am
Reminding me where I once was,
Trying to thread the eye of a needle so that I may finally
Sew up the matters that still remain,...
... time to tie up loose ends

There's humor as well. I laughed out loud when I read "My Mirror." Mr. Klepinger gives a fresh take to the sometime horror of a look at ourselves in the mirror:

But there were too many wrinkles
Birds-feet scratched
At the corner of my eyes,
My nose was too red,
Probably from excessive drinking,
And my hair had begun to fall out
Brown age marks
Pocked my forehead.
Suddenly I began
To feel sick,
It was then
that I understood
why there is
a medicine cabinet,
located just behind
my mirror.

At some point in our lives, we must all be honest with ourselves, and Outlander does not let us off the hook when it comes to our own hidden desire to break the rules. Here is one of the musings about honesty:

"Daily we walk a razor-thin line between respectability and complete debauchery; it all depends on who is watching."

As a former warrior, Lawrence Klepinger has the experience and the afterthoughts to see the dark red side of man's oldest curse. In "The Gentle War" he raises the issue of drones, the latest version of bloodshed from the sky. He describes the inner sanctum of the hidden places from which these attacks are directed:

The animated blasts on computer screens,
Direct hit, the occasional miss
A school here, a hospital there
No one seemed to really care,
It was actually pretty fun.

There follows a graphic, gruesome description of the results of the attack, the so-called collateral damage. It is stomach-churning, painful and certainly raises second thoughts of the whole strategy. He finishes the poem with:

The automated cleanliness,
The antiseptic odor
Coming from the restroom,
Interspersed among the savory accent
Of freshly brewed coffee,
Cream and sugar upon request,
If you ask, they will even bring it
to your desk.
And the Gentle War rages on.

Mr. Klepinger is not the most polished of poets, yet his writing is brisk, direct, and truthful, while sometimes being a bit disconcerting, particularly when we see ourselves in his focus. He has had a life that makes up for the non-academic tone of the poetry. He has been a soldier in Vietnam, a city worker in San Jose, California, an English teacher in Japan and China, a candidate for the U.S. Congress, a real estate speculator in Panama and author of several books, not to mention the owner of an advanced degree from California State University. One of his books, "China House," was written while he lived in China. It is an expose of corruption and greed in China which almost got him thrown out of the country. To quote again from the introduction by Sakon Maki, "Yet, in the end, I guarantee you will find that Lawrence Klepinger is on to something that other people think about - but rarely take the time to express in writing - much less attach their name to."

Disruptive Feminisms: Raced, Gendered and Classed Bodies in Film
Gwendolyn Audrey Foster
Palgrave Pivot
c/o Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
www.palgrave-usa.com
9781137597670, $65.00, HC, 116 pages, www.amazon.com

Paul Lappen, Reviewer
www.deadtreesreview.com

This book looks at several films that explore issues like class, gender, patriarchy and income inequality without being overwhelming about it.

Post Tenebras Lux is a recent Mexican film about two families, one rich and one poor, attempting to survive in present-day Mexico. It is one of those films that has a rather flexible border between fantasy and reality, and leaves a lot of interpretation up to the viewer. A person could watch the film several times, and have several different interpretations. That may be why, at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, it received mixed reviews, and the Best Director Award.

Made in the early 1950's, The Hitch-Hiker is about a pair of war buddies who tell their wives that they are going camping for several days. They are actually planning several days of drinking and carousing. That is because they despise their new post-war lives of consumer and office worker. The buddies run into a homicidal maniac who may, or may not, be a repressed, self-loathing homosexual. Being the 1950's, the violence is more implied than actual, but this is still a very dark film. Bottled Up is a more recent independent film set in upstate New York. A grown woman is addicted to prescription painkillers, and her mother has no problem in enabling her, even faking injuries to get her own prescriptions. The daughter has no interest in trying to kick the habit.

In the early days of television, there was an actress with a couple of very popular, but short-lived, shows that spoke to women as real people, and not just as consumers. Her name was Betty White. She was willing to portray women having real thoughts and feelings, including of a sexual nature. The show's sponsor was not in agreement, so the shows were turned into your average sitcoms, and ultimately cancelled.

This is a very interesting book, not just for passionate movie fans. It is recommended for those dealing with issues like sexism and ageism. It is very much worth reading for everyone.

Hope A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland
Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Mary Jordan, and Kevin Sullivan
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street New York, New York 10014
9780525427650, $28.95 HC, $14.99 Kindle, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Shirlea Blue
Reviewer

As most of America might know by now, that there were three women kidnapped and found over a decade later in the city of Cleveland on the date of May 6,2013. The three women were Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight. "Hope A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland", was written by Berry and DeJesus, but two reporters from the Washington Post named Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan sat down and helped the two young ladies write out their tragic story. It was published on April 27, 2015. In this nonfiction memoir, the two women discussed all what happened first hand and how they dealt with everything. The two survivors talk about how they were lured into the captivity of their kidnapper for over a decade. Most of what they talk about was the type of person he was, and how he was able to keep them captured for all that time with anyone knowing. They tell you the truth in what really happened.

I chose to read this book mostly because I was born and raised in Cleveland. I knew that I would be very interested in this book because of that. I remember seeing the missing women posters all over town when I was younger, and thinking like wow that girl (Gina) is pretty. In most cases when somebody is missing in the city of Cleveland they are most likely found dead. So after a while, I know a lot of people started to forget about them. One day I turned on the TV and saw a miracle. At first I didn't know what they were talking about until I saw Gina Dejesus's old picture again. The one I used to call her so pretty on. All I could say was "wow."

The book had its dull moments where Berry and Dejesus could have elaborated more about how they felt about that moment, and why they felt it was necessary to tell in the book. The book definitely could have described more of the ladies emotions. For the most part, it was well written. Berry and DeJesus talk about how Ariel Castro had already known a little bit them beforehand of kidnapping them. They had some type of connection to him through his daughters including Michelle. They talked about what he did to them, how he treated them, and how he told them about his past life. They even explained how he told them why he was doing what he did. They talk about how he used to trick them into thinking they were going to get to go home soon. They tell how they felt about him, also how overtime one of them even felt differently about him. This book tells exactly what happened, and it gives you an understanding of why this man did what he did, and how he did it, and how he managed to get away with it for over 10 years, and could have done it even longer if he wouldn't have purposely let them go.

Before Amanda got kidnapped the book explained how she lived on the Westside of Cleveland. How she lived with her mom and sister. She was home schooled for the most part. Money was tight and she worked at Burger King to help out with bills, and pay her own personal expenses. She had got off early from work one day, and began to walk home. That was the last time anybody had seen her. It was the day before her birthday.

Before DeJesus got kidnapped it explained how she had lived in a small house with her parents, her sister, and all her kids. The house only had one bathroom, which made the house very crowded. They only had one car from which they got from Ariel Castro. Gina went to a school across town which she made her dad drive her to, because she didn't want to get picked on for riding the short bus. She was walking home from school one day with her friend, but her friend couldn't walk to Dejesus's because she has gotten in trouble that past week. So they went their separate ways after a while. That was the last time anybody had seen her.

I would recommend this book to everybody in the city of Cleveland for sure. Mostly to show the city of Cleveland how something can be right under their noses and you wouldn't think anything of it. Young women all around the world should read this book because something like this can happen to anybody. Another relevant book most readers would want to read and should is Michelle Knights "Finding Me". Knight was the first of the three to get kidnapped. This book tells her side of things.

Snowflakes and Teardrops
B. J. Betts
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781503238589, $9.99 PB, $0.99 Kindle, 154pp, www.amazon.com

Teri Davis
Reviewer

Celina Gray is accustomed to stress while daily working as an emergency room nurse. Living in Council Bluffs, Iowa during the winter, she knows that the weather changes quickly with the temperature being sixty degrees yesterday. Today she is driving home in freezing sleet while the inside of the car seems reluctant to provide heat. This is nothing unusual in this part of the country.

While stopped at a traffic light, she observes two little girls walking to their school. The older girl is arguing with her younger sister who is claiming to feel sick and wants to go home. What Celina noticed their legs which were cold and red and wonders about how cold their feet must be in flip-flops.

Celina hears the honk of a horn as the light turns green. As she turns the corner, another car races through the intersection forcing her to slam on her brakes and fish-tail, cutting a cookie on the icy road. As she takes a few seconds to refocus and breathe, Celina is startled by a knocking on her car window. The kind man outside just wants to be certain she was fine. It is reassuring to know there is still some kindness in the world.

All these factors combine into Snowflakes and Teardrops, a Christmas novel by local author, B.J. Betts.

Snowflakes and Teardrops is a warm, fuzzy romantic Christmas story. Betts' writing is engaging with a logical conclusion that yes, fits the typical romance novel. Her characters though are becoming more developed in her writing with conflicted situations between right and wrong and more realistic and complicated characters. Although most of the characters could be classified as good and bad, it is refreshingly realistic to have characters who are victims of circumstances with no hope of change within their lives. To view life through their eyes is a privilege and unquestionably adds depth to the characters and story.

Council Bluffs' native, B. J. Betts married her high school sweetheart while raising their children. Previously she has written Saigon Moon and Echoes in the Night which are both set in the Vietnam War and inspired by her grandson who served in Iraq, as well as A Moment in Time, Belle's Crossing, and Mile Marker 59. She in a member of Romance Writers of America and Romance Authors of the Heartland.

With only 154 pages the story is fairly simple but comforting with a reminder of the warmth of caring during the holiday season.

Tales of My Ancestors
Bruce Edward Golden
Shaman Press
http://goldentales.tripod.com
9781519414540, $12.95 pbk / $3.99 Kindle, www.amazon.com

Troy Erickson
Reviewer

Known for his distinctive concepts in both short stories and novels, Bruce Golden has done it again (though adding his middle name to his byline for the first time). Even more so, I believe he's done something no other writer ever has. Yes, I realize that's saying a lot, and being different doesn't necessarily mean being good.

His latest book, Tales of My Ancestors, is a collection of historically based short stories ranging from 911 to 1962. Though primarily historical fiction, each tale has a hardy helping of fantasy or science fiction--his usual genre. But there are a number of books that combine historical fiction with speculative fiction. That's not what makes the book unique. The crowning touch (literally crowning because some his ancestors were actually kings) is that each story features at least one of his direct ancestors (a great, great . . . grandfather or grandmother). I've searched, and can't find a single book with all three of these elements. And that's what I love about Golden's work. Each new book gives you something different. He hasn't written a sequel yet, though I often wish he would revisit some of the worlds he's created.

One of the stories in this volume deals with an English lord determined to not only colonize the new world, but to maintain religious freedom as one of the colony's founding precepts. Another follows a teenager who, against the wishes of his slave-owning parents, lies about his age to join the Northern Army and fight against the South. The best of bunch just might be the trip to Salem to witness the famous witch trials, with Satan in tow.

The stories are not in chronological order, so as you read you bounce around from one time period to the next--one culture to another. I kind of enjoyed this, as opposed to just traipsing straight through history. Along the way Golden's ancestors must deal with a mermaid, a creature of Hungarian legend, a banshee, and a pale horse of death which transcends time to plague four different ancestors. They will also meet up with time travelers, demons, and aliens, while learning how Shakespeare might have come up with the idea for one of his most popular plays.

As much as with the crisp writing and true dialogue, I was impressed with the depth and thoroughness of the research Golden must have had to conduct to put this all together. I was also amazed at the number of historical figures he's directly related to, from English royals to French dukes to the earliest American settlers (though in his Author's Note, Golden states that he takes no particular pride in such connections because, as he learned from his extensive research, millions of people living today are likely direct descendants of, for example, someone such as Charlemagne). That said, he gives equal time to ancestors who were not so well known - servants, military grunts, craftsmen, farmers, and a postman who died in the line of duty.

Golden's dry sense of humor and penchant for satire are at their best when he good-naturedly pokes fun at some of his more pompous, well-bred ancestors, and champions those of more humble origins, whose cleverness, pluck, and courage enable them to rise above their seemingly pre-ordained stations in life, in classic underdog-prevails fashion. He pays serious homage to heroic ancestors and deals with others, flawed as they may be, openly and honestly in perspective to the period in which they lived.

Tales of My Ancestors is a collection of stories not only about bloodlines, but about the family unit, and how chance and synchronicity unites them over and over again across the ages by way of the most seemingly unlikely and unusual events.

Golden dedicates the book to his son and two young grandchildren and "all the Goldens that will hopefully follow." One can only hope that Golden's gene for imagination will be inherited by at least some of his descendants, continually replenishing the well of talent, ensuring continued entertainment and enlightenment of future readers for many generations to come.

I highly recommend Tales of My Ancestors to anyone who loves adventure, history, humor, fantasy, or science fiction.

Wind Talker
Kim Murphy
Coachlight Press, LLC
P.O. Box 71, Batesville, VA 22924
www.coachlightpress.com
9781936785179, $14.95 PB, $3.99 Kindle, 254pp, www.amazon.com

Demelza Carlton
Reviewer

After reading the first book in the series, Walks Through Mist, I HAD to read this one next. And it was as terrible as the first - dragging me in like a tornado that I couldn't leave until it was spent. Or I reached the last page.

The concept was intriguing and horrifying at the same time. What if, knowing time travel was possible, you found your own corpse? Knowing how and where and, to some extent, where you'd die. And knowing that it was a past that you can't change, because it meant that you'd get to travel back in time. Oh, and if that's not enough pressure...knowing that when you die, your people die with you because you're the last survivor of a proud people that was massacred four hundred years before.

Lee doesn't have it easy. As he trudges toward the inevitable, he meets both the living and the dead in his journeys through the dreaming and the seventeenth century, all the while knowing he might never see his wife and child again.

I'm surprised I didn't cry during this book - while I don't cry often, this is definitely a heart-wrenching story. One I read with my heart very much in my mouth through a large chunk of it.

Once again, fiction, fantasy and history is blended together so seamlessly that Ms Murphy has created yet another brilliant masterpiece.

I gather that there will be a third book in this series, which I'll be eagerly awaiting.

Unquestionably, five stars.


Andrea's Bookshelf

A Treasury of Sufi Wisdom
Peter Samsel, editor
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
9781936597468 $22.95 www.worldwisdom.com

Sufism is a mystical and spiritual philosophy intimately connected to Islam; at its core, Sufism is about returning humanity to unity with God, and treasuring the values of peace, love, beauty, and wisdom. Sufi Muslims have suffered persecution for their religious beliefs, including attacks from extremist adherents of Salafism (a puritanical form of Islam which condemns Sufi practices such as celebrating the birthdays of saints). A Treasury of Sufi Wisdom: The Path of Unity is filled with almost 400 quotes and sayings from 100 of the greatest Sufis throughout Islam's history, as well as 150 sayings from the Qur'an and Hadith (Prophetic sayings). Passages are individually brief, from a few paragraphs to a single sentence, yet resonate with the drive to open one's heart to God in all things. A thoughtful concluding essay ("The Shahadah and the Path of Unity"), a bibliography, and an index round out this spiritually uplifting collection.

Ubi Fera Sunt
Maurice Sendak, author
Richard A. LaFleur, translator
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
9780865168312 $24.00 www.bolchazy.com

Ubi Fera Sunt is the first ever Latin rendition of Maurice Sendak's classic children's picurebook, "Where the Wild Things Are". Skillfully translated by Richard A. LaFleur, Ubi Fera Sunt is a new way to enjoy this long-beloved favorite, and features the remastered artwork of the fiftieth anniversary edition. Ubi Fera Sunt is especially recommended as a delightful enhancement to introductory Latin classrooms!

Saint Anthony the Great
John Chryssavgis & Marilyn Rouvelas
Isabelle Brent
Wisdom Tales Press
1501 E. Hillside Dr., Bloomington, IN 47401
9781937786465 $17.95 www.wisdomtalespress.com

Saint Anthony the Great is a picturebook retelling of the life story of Saint Anthony of Egypt (251-356), a faithful Christian whose dedication to God and secluded lifestyle inspired the practice of monasticism, to such a degree that he has been called "The Father of All Monks". When Anthony was a young man, his parents died and he sold all his possessions in an effort to follow the will of Jesus Christ. Anthony spent most of his life in solitude, learning to purify his heart, love God, and resist evil temptations. "Anthony had learned that the journey he started when he was young was short. It was a trip inside himself to discover God. This led thousands of people to become like Anthony and also find God in their hearts." Although Saint Anthony the Great is expressly about a Christian saint's lifelong dedication to God, the story is accessible to young readers of all faiths and backgrounds. Beautiful color artwork enriches this soulful parable, highly recommended for both public and Sunday School picturebook collections.

Jaya's Golden Necklace
Peter Linenthal
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
9781614292326 $16.95 www.wisdompubs.org

Jaya's Golden Necklace: A Silk Road Tale is a children's picturebook story set in the Kushan Empire (50-350 CE), a place that spanned lands that are now part of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and India. The final two pages are filled with fascinating historical facts about the Kushan Empire, which was one of four great powers of its day along with Rome, Persia, and the Han Empire of China. The story follows a young Jaya, a girl whose father is tasked with creating a statue of the Buddha for King Kanishka's birthday. The vibrant, stylized artwork brings Jaya's world to life. The Kushan Empire was a place where Hinduism, Buddhism, and Greek mythology, and more all influenced the people's culture and beliefs, and when Jaya needs help the most, she receives it from Shiva (a Hindu deity), Inanna, (a Mesopotamian goddess), and Hercules (a hero of Greek myth). A wondrous fairytale reflecting a cross-cultural medley that existed over a thousand years ago, Jaya's Golden Necklace is highly recommended.

Glow: Animals with Their Own Night-Lights
W.H. Beck
Houghton Mifflin Company
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
9780544416666 $17.99

Glow: Animals with Their Own Night-Lights is an extraordinary children's picturebook about animals that are bioluminescent - they make their own light. From fireflies to deep-sea creatures (like the "Spanish dancer" sea slug), to tiny one-celled dinoflagellates, these amazing animals light up the dark for a wide variety of reasons. The text of Glow is divided into "easy-reader" text, and more detailed asides with fascinating facts. "Some dinoflagellates light up when the small copepods and shrimp that eat them swim through their water. This glow spotlights the copepods and shrimp so that larger fish eat them - and the dinoflagellates stay safe." Astounding, full-color nature photography of bioluminescent animals (often against a black or natural background) illustrates this educational children's picturebook, highly recommended especially for school or public library collections.

Andrea Kay
Reviewer


Ann's Bookshelf

Carol
Patricia Highsmith
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781408865675, 19.99, paperback, 311 pages, www.amazon.com

It is surprising that a book written by Patricia Highsmith in 1948 and rejected by her publishers, Harper & Bros., should suddenly emerge as a major film success in 2015. It is surprising, too, that it was inspired by her employment as a salesgirl and a bout of chickenpox, both experienced by Highsmith when, as an impoverished writer she took a temporary Christmas job on a toy counter in a Manhattan department store.

Like young Therese in this novel, Highsmith was dizzily impressed by a rich, distracted, blonde customer in a mink coat. Unlike Therese, Highsmith's dizzy response was caused by early symptoms of chickenpox, caught from other customers' children, not by sudden heart-racing symptoms of love.

In Carol, Highsmith explores the results of this chance encounter between Therese, a nineteen-year-old apprentice stage-set designer getting by on casual jobs whilst looking for theatre work, and Carol Aird, the beautiful, wealthy, older woman, whose divorce from her cold and controlling husband, Harge, is still in the hands of his lawyers. Custody of their small daughter has yet to be finalised.

Therese's boy-friend, Richard, loves her, wants to marry her, and plans to take her on a trip to Europe but she is not sure she loves him enough to marry him. Nevertheless, she meets him often; she has slept with him three times, but not found it satisfying; and she is accepted by his family, who like her and anticipate the marriage.

Therese is confused by her sudden infatuation with Carol, who encourages it but remains somewhat distant and unknowable. She meets Carol as often as she can, but is still involved with Richard and his two friends, both of whom are attracted to Therese. She, too, is drawn to one of them. She meets Carol's friend Abby and notes with envy how close they are and how at ease they are in their friendship. But her own meetings with Abby alone are tense and uncomfortable. Highsmith conveys well the confusing and disturbing emotions of jealousy and superstition.

When Carol invites Therese to go on a trip with her for three weeks or so, offering to pay all expenses, Therese is excited but also defensive. She does not want Carol's money and refuses to take the cheque which Carol wants to give her. Eventually, however, she cancels her agreement to go to Europe with Richard and, in a break between the theatre jobs she has managed to get, she agrees to the trip with Carol.

All goes well and their relationship develops into a full love-affair to the delight of both. But half-way through the trip they discover that Harge has hired a detective to spy on them.

Highsmith is an excellent story-teller. Therese's life, her thoughts and emotions are just part of a bigger picture of the life of a young, ambitious woman in 1948 America. The attitudes towards marriage and sexual relationships, heterosexual and homosexual, are those of that time. But the argument expressed at one point by Highsmith's character, Carol, is still relevant today. Facing the loss of her child due to prevailing laws and social prejudices, she argues for understanding and tolerance of the choices people make in relationships.

Highsmith herself, in 1948, learned that some subjects were deemed unacceptable by some publishers. She also learned, as she wrote in her Afterword to this book, that there was a large readership, male and female, for such novels, especially if, as in her book, same-sex lovers do not end up "cutting their wrists, drowning themselves in a swimming pool", "switching to heterosexuality" or "collapsing - alone and miserable and shunned - into a depression equal to hell". After changing publishers this book was published in 1952 as The Price of Salt and sold nearly a million paper-back copies. And Highsmith's mail-box was filled with letters of appreciation and thanks.

A Good Life
Mark Rowlands
Granta Books
12 Addison Avenue, London, England, W11 4QR
http://grantabooks.com
978184708 9526, 29.99 PB, $$14.49 Kindle, 288 pages, www.amazon.com

"The truth to us philosophers, Mr Crouch, is always an interim judgement". So says one of the characters in Tom Stoppard's philosophical comedy play, Jumpers.

So what are we to make of Mark Rowlands' claim that when it comes to questions of existence and of distinguishing fact from fiction "we are all just words somewhere", and "the belief in the thinker behind the thought, the writer behind the written, is a mythology, an act of faith."?

To be fair, he gives these words to his fictional character, Myshkin, who is just one the four writers of this book (only one of whom, it seems, may be Mark Rowlands). The book is partly a fictional autobiography and partly an examination of morality and of what it might mean to lead a 'good' life.

Nicolai M, living in Key West, Florida in the year 2054, begins the book with a note telling us that what follows is his own transcription of a typescript/manuscript left by his dead father, who chose to call himself Myshkin, perhaps as a reference to Dostoyevsky's simple and naive narrator in The Idiot - Lev Nicholayevich Myshkin. The manuscript, Nicolai tells us, is his father's autobiography combined with his ruminations on philosophy, but Nicolai fears that not all of the biography is genuine, nor all of the philosophy correct. Nicolai claims to have had some training in moral philosophy (like his creator Mark Rowlands, who is a Professor of Philosphy at the University of Maimi), so he adds his own notes and comments to his father's work. So, too, it seems, had his dead mother, Olga. However, in one of Nicolai's first footnotes, whilst telling us that his father's name was not Myshkin, he writes: "And I am not Nicolai".

So here we have fictional characters becoming fictional characters - a device which drops us into thoroughly post-modern existential confusion. And we have not yet got to the extraordinarily complex problems of moral philosophy.

Myshkin, however, is an amiable and amusing companion to travel with, and Nicolai and Olga offer good comment on some of his philosophical musings. In his attempt to work out what constitutes a good life, Myshkin confesses to the early success of his schoolboy lies; we hear of his first, stunning, meeting with Olga; his studies at Oxford University; Olga's unexpected pregnancy, its problems and its results; Myshkin's work trading in stock-market futures (which he describes as dealing in magic); and his own knowledge of, and response to, his progressive decline into senile dementia, which prompts questions of voluntary euthanasia and suicide.

Myshkin is a competent amateur philosopher, well able to grapple with what constitutes 'the good' and 'the bad', 'right behaviour', religious and social rules, obligation and duty, belief and justification, love and compassion, and questions of autonomy and welfare. He examines different theories and points-of-view and comes to his own conclusions. Nicolai, meanwhile, points out possible errors and alternatives, and suggests further arguments and appropriate texts. And Olga, as in the question of abortion, for example, presents a seemingly valid, emotional and personal view as opposed to a dry argument.

You may or may not agree, or may not want to agree, with Myshkin's conclusions but his arguments are persuasive. Unfortunately, you are sometimes left with the feeling, as Myshkin himself claims he occasionally is, that the person one is reading about has "slowly but decisively lost the plot"; or, for those with no background in philosophy to help them untangle arguments, that there is some manipulation going on, something not quite right about the argument which you can't quite put your finger on. Philosophers, on the other hand, will relish the chance to pull Myshkin's arguments and methods apart, to present their own arguments and, in doing so, to reinforce their own beliefs (or, possible, see a need to adapt them).

Like scientists arguing for the truth of their scientific hypotheses, philosophers, for centuries, have argued for the validity of their beliefs. Logic, reason and mathematics may help, but all such 'truths' are always open to question.

Mark Rowlands, by involving us in the lives of his characters, explores some of the most pressing of current personal and societal moral dilemmas. Myshkin, for example, ponders what might be the 'right' response to his son's request for advice about the use of performance-enhancing drugs, which many of his son's fellow students seem to be using. In various other circumstances, Myshkin considers the moral issues surrounding abortion; voluntary and involuntary euthanasia; individual autonomy and the justification for restrictive legislation; empathy, compassion and charity; and the right not to have ones religious beliefs challenged or restricted. Rowlands, like Myshkin, considers that literature has the power to sway us in a way dry argument often cannot and his book offers moral philosophy in an interesting, amusing and generally absorbing way. Sometimes, however, the arguments overcome the story and it all becomes too complicated.

Nevertheless, this is an interesting and well-written book for those of a thoughtful disposition, and a fine overview of the centuries-old and the more recent arguments in moral philosophy.

The reader just needs to remember that one does not have to accept all of Myshkin's conclusions.

Dr. Ann Skea, Reviewer
http://ann.skea.com


Bethany's Bookshelf

African Textiles: The Karun Thakar Collection
Duncan Clarke, Bernhard Gardi, Frieder Sober
Prestel Publishing
900 Broadway, Suite 603, New York, NY 10003
www.prestel.com
9783791381633, $75.00, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "African Textiles: The Karun Thakar Collection" by Duncan Clark (an expert in African textiles who currently runs a London-based gallery dedicated to exploring the vintage textile traditions of sub-Saharan Africa) offers a fascinating journey through the history and culture of textiles in Africa drawn from the private collection of Karun Thakar, widely considered to be one of the best in the world. This collection of rare and exquisite textiles from Central, Northern, and West Africa includes weavings from Ghana, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast; embroideries, veils, and haiks from Morocco and Tunisia; and raffia fabrics from Congo. Organized by region, each piece is dramatically photographed to highlight the extraordinary colors, patterns, and skill with which it was created. Drawn from a collection consisting of over 4,000 pieces, this book illustrates the most important textiles from the renowned collection. The book provides not only a thrilling sample of timeless patterns and designs but also a historical perspective that deepens our understanding of the importance of woven materials in the African tradition.

Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of a Preface by Bernhard Gardi (Curator Emeritus of the African Department Museum der Kulturen Basel); an informative and detailed Introduction by Karun Thakar (owner of the collection), "African Textiles: The Karun Thakar Collection" offers a wealth of commentary along with a profusion of 230 beautiful and succinctly captioned images of the people and their textile artistry. A simply magnificent study, "African Textiles: The Karun Thakar Collection" should be considered as a core addition to academic library African Cultural Studies reference collections in general, and African Textile Studies supplemental reading lists in particular. An impressive coffee-table style publication, "African Textiles: The Karun Thakar Collection" is very highly recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, and would be an ideal Memorial Fund acquisition for community libraries as well.

Gardener's Yoga: 40 Yoga Poses to Help Your Garden Flow
Veronica D'Orazio, author
Frida Clements, illustrator
Sasquatch Books
1904 Third Ave, Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98101
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781570619892, $16.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Gardener's Yoga: 40 Yoga Poses to Help Your Garden Flow" features 40 yoga poses specifically designed for gardeners' bodies and spirits to stretch, relax, and grow through the seasons. With the right sequence of yoga poses, a gardener's body can bend with the wind and stretch to the sky to alleviate the aches that come from all that digging, pulling, and carrying. In this beautifully illustrated book, yoga poses are divided into seasonal sequences (or flows) each addressing the gardener's body, the state of the garden, and the natural world. The practice of yoga aligns perfectly with gardening in its motions, metaphors, and calming effects.

Critique: Very nicely and helpfully illustrated throughout by Frida Clement simply but elegant artwork, "Gardener's Yoga: 40 Yoga Poses to Help Your Garden Flow" by Veronica D'Orazio (a yoga instructor and freelance floral designer in Seattle) begins with an excellent commentary on 'How To Use This Book'. "Gardener's Yoga" will prove to be of immense and practical internet to all yoga practitioners in general, and those involved with the physical efforts of gardening in particular. Certain to be a popular addition to any community or academic library Yoga Exercise instructional reference collection, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Gardener's Yoga" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.07).

Stop Moaning, Start Owning
Brian Russell
HCI
c/o Health Communications Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
www.hcibooks.com
9780757318764, $14.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In "Stop Moaning, Start Owning: How Entitlement is Ruining America and How Personal Responsibility Can Fix It", clinical psychologist and attorney Brian Russell exposes the complaints that have the most destructive effects on Americans and, by extension, on America today. First, he helps us understand the damage we have done to ourselves, our relationships, kids, careers, and our country by misunderstanding what "the pursuit of happiness" really means, failing to differentiate wants from needs, and externalizing blame for our own failures. In the second part he explains how we got so off-track, leading to an "Age of Entitlement," and the "saving grace" that calls us back to personal responsibility. He then reveals how so many of us have abdicated personal responsibility and, consequently, power over our lives. Finally, we learn how to engage in transformative change by embracing and encouraging personal accountability and responsibility. "Stop Moaning, Start Owning" will empower us all to reassert control over our individual and collective destinies and teaches us how to leverage the transformative power of life's "perspective-preserver" -- gratitude.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Stop Moaning, Start Owning: How Entitlement is Ruining America and How Personal Responsibility Can Fix It" is a highly recommended and life-changing read that is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional and reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Stop Moaning, Start Owning" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.51).

Almeria
Adrian Harvey & Anne Mather
Dunedin Academic Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
www.isbs.com
9781780460376, $49.50, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Spain's Almeria exhibits superb structural geology (especially the fault system). It also includes a complete Neogene sedimentary sequence (itself rare), involving an enormous range of sedimentary environments and classic dry land geomorphology. Exposure of the sedimentary sequences is excellent. The area is spectacular and the landform assemblage includes a wide range of erosional and depositional landscapes. Furthermore, the region enables linkages to be made between the several disciplines of geodynamics. The Neogene sequence cannot be interpreted without considering the evolving tectonics, nor the contemporaneous geomorphology. Neither may the geomorphology be understood without considering the modern landscape as a development from the Neogene tectonic and sedimentary sequences. The collaborative work of Adrian Harvey (Emeritus Professor of Geomorphology in the School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool) and Anne Mather (Reader in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Plymouth), "Almeria" is guide that will prove to be an essential companion for geologists and physical geographers visiting this province in southeast Spain, to view its range of unique features, made famous as a spectacular location for a host of popular films. GPS coordinates are provided for the locations discussed.

Critique: The twelfth volume in the truly impressive 'Classic Geology in Europe' series, "Almeria " is profusely illustrated, organized into two primary sections: 1. The Main Themes in the Geology and geomorphology of Almeria; 2. Keynote Sites and Itineraries; and is enhanced with the inclusion of a Geological Timescale; Neogene Timescale; Quaternary Timescale; Glossary, Logistics, and an Index. Informed and informative from first page to last, "Almeria" is very highly recommended for both personal and academic library Geology reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "Almeria" is also available in a Kindle edition ($47.02).

Tiger Heart
Katrell Christie & Shannon McCaffrey
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
www.hcibooks.com
9780757318580, $15.95, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Katrell Christie was a thirty-something artist turned roller-derby rebel who opened a tea shop in Atlanta. Barely two years later, her life would make a drastic change -- and so would the lives of a group of girls half a world away. Katrell went to India and witnessed the throngs at the Ganges River, toured the tea fields of Darjeeling, helped string pearls in conservative Hyderabad, but it was in a crowded Buddhist orphanage where she crossed paths with some girls who would change the course of her life. "Tiger Heart" (with contributions by Shannon McCaffrey) recounts Katrell's riveting adventures back to India, through the chaotic streets of Mumbai, to tiny villages with roadside tea huts and hot samosas, to elephant crossings and snow-capped mountain switchbacks of the Himalayas -- an unexpected backdrop where she fell in love with a country that was gorgeous and heartbreaking all at once, where tragedy, humor, resilience and kindness were inextricably bound. From dodging feral monkeys, to slamming shots of whiskey to win acceptance at a local Rotary Club, to forging lasting friendships with the people who stepped up to help her cause, "Tiger Heart" offers a shot-gun seat on an inspiring trek across the globe, capturing the essence of India: its quirks, its traditions, and its people. Fate may have led Katrell to a tiny spot on a map, but it was a kinship that brought her back home a half a world away. "Tiger Heart" is a life-affirming look at the ties that bind and the power of each of us to make a difference.

Critique: Impressive, exceptional, and highly recommended reading, "Tiger Heart" by Katrell Christie is one of those autobiographical accounts that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. An extraordinary and ultimately inspiring memoir, "Tiger Heart" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library American Biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Tiger Heart" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).

The Oracle
D. J. Niko
Medallion Press, Inc.
4222 Meridian Pkwy, Suite 110, Aurora, IL 60504
www.medallionpress.com
9781605426273, $14.99, PB, 456pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In Delphi, the mountain city deemed by the Greek gods to be the center of the Earth, a cult of neo-pagans re-create with painstaking authenticity ancient rituals to glorify the god Apollo and deliver oracles to seekers from around the world. When antiquities are stolen from a museum in nearby Thebes, British archaeologist Sarah Weston and her American partner, Daniel Madigan, are drawn into a plot that goes beyond harmless role-playing: someone's using the Delphian oracle as a smoke screen for an information exchange, with devastating consequences for the Western world. Pitted against each other by the cult's mastermind, Sarah and Daniel race against time and their own personal demons to uncover clues left behind by the ancients. Their mission: to find the original navel stone marked with a lost Pythagorean formula detailing the natural events that led to the collapse of the Minoan Empire. But will they find it in time to stop the ultimate terrorist act?

Critique: A superbly crafted novel and a riveting read from beginning to end, "The Oracle" (Book 3 of the Sarah Weston Chronicles) clearly denotes author D. J. Niko as an original and exceptionally skilled storyteller of the first order. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular favorite with community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Oracle" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Grieving with Your Whole Heart
Editorial Staff
Skylight Paths Publishing
Sunset Farms Offices, Route 4
PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
www.skylightpaths.com
9781594735998, $18.99, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The collaborative work of the editorial staff of Skylight Paths Publishing, "Grieving with Your Whole Heart: Spiritual Wisdom and Practice for Finding Comfort, Hope and Healing After Loss" is a soulful companion for grief that offers profound wisdom and creative spiritual practices for expressing and experiencing sorrow while keeping a life-giving connection to the past. Whether you need to grieve in words or silence, in solitude or in company with others, "Grieving with Your Whole Heart" provides compassionate guidance from across spiritual traditions will meet you where you are, helping you find wholeness and a renewed vision of yourself and the world.

Critique: A truly exceptional and deftly presented compendium of commentaries by more than sixty diverse contributors, "Grieving with Your Whole Heart: Spiritual Wisdom and Practice for Finding Comfort, Hope and Healing After Loss" is very highly recommended and rewarding reading for anyone suffering a personal loss. Simply stated, a copy of "Grieving with Your Whole Heart" should be a part of every community, college, and university library collection in the country. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Grieving with Your Whole Heart" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.19).

Family Matters: Courageous People in the Promised Land
Barbara Katzenstein Jimenez
Gefen Publishing House
11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081
www.gefenpublishing.com
9780615808321, $85.00, HC, 356pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The citizens of Israel are a heterogeneous array of more than thirty-three nationalities, ethnicities and religions, totaling eight million souls, who live cheek by jowl in an area (7850 sq. miles) roughly the size of New Jersey. The Negev Desert comprises three fifths of its landmass. Additionally, two hundred and fifty six million virulently hostile neighbors surround Israel, the majority of whom wish for nothing less than the total obliteration of Israel. "Family Matters: Courageous People in the Promised Land" describes the multicultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious composition of Israel and the ideological evolution that has occurred, over three generations, in the twenty families interviewed and photographed. It relates these peoples ideals, goals, realities and changing attitudes spanning nearly a century. Their stories are amazing profiles of courage, faith, hardship, love, success and failure.

Critique: Magnificently illustrated, this coffee-table sized edition of "Family Matters: Courageous People in the Promised Land" is an inspiring pleasure to browse through and very highly recommended for personal, synagogue, community, and academic library collections, "Family Matters" offers an armchair traveler's excursion through the land and people of Israel in a way that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf.

A Practical Wedding Planner
Meg Keene
Da Capo Lifelong Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738218427, $19.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: With reality tv shows, glossy bridal magazines, and fanciful Pinterest boards leading the way, it can be easy for a newly engaged couple to slide from wedding planning into wedding madness. Inspiration and ideas abound -- so what couples really need is clear guidance on how to assess this information and sort the useful from the disastrous. The solution is "A Practical Wedding Planner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Wedding You Want with the Budget You've Got" in which Meg Keene (who has spent the last six years as the Executive Editor of www.APracticalWedding.com, and is now widely considered to be one of the top indie wedding brands) deftly walks couples through planning, from the big picture down to the nitty-gritty details. In her characteristic seasoned, sassy style, Keene offers no-nonsense guidance for planning a dream wedding on a real budget.

Critique: Exceptionally 'real world' practical, impressively informed and informative, thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content, organization and presentation, "A Practical Wedding Planner" will prove to be an invaluable investment for engaged couples seeking to create a truly memorable and once-in-a-lifetime event, regardless of their budgetary resources. It should be noted that "A Practical Wedding Planner" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).

Gateway of Life
Mary B. Cunningham
St. Vladimir's Seminary Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707
www.svspress.com
9780881415247, $20.00, PB, 197pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The Bible, taken on its own, gives us little information about Mary, the virgin who bore and gave birth to Jesus Christ. Yet throughout the history of the Christian Church she has been the focus of unparalleled love and devotion, the subject of fervent prayer. For countless people she is the heavenly mother, the first one to turn to with their urgent hopes and desperate needs. To add to this, she has been the subject of significant debate over the centuries, concerning theology as well as devotion. Theologically, there were ancient questions centered on the person of Christ, whom she bore in her womb. More recently, many Christians as well as non-Christians are puzzled: What in the Bible gives us the foundation for this degree of attention to Mary? Is not her veneration a potentially dangerous exaggeration, akin to goddess-worship? Is it not God, and His Christ and His Spirit, that are our proper focuses? Such questions arise especially in the churches born of the Reformation, although they can emanate also from people within churches where she is deeply venerated. It is not always easy to answer such queries, as the heartfelt love surrounding our experience of Mary makes it impossible fully to explain and still less feasible to convince someone of it. Yet we can learn a great deal from an informed and engaged exploration of the ways Mary, the Mother of God, has been understood in the Church. "Gateway of Life: Orthodox Thinking on the Mother of God", by Mary B. Cunningham, a scholar and person of faith, provides exactly that.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented from beginning to end, "Gateway of Life: Orthodox Thinking on the Mother of God" by Mary B. Cunningham (Assistant Professor, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, university of Nottingham, UK) is as informed and informative a read as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. Of special note is the chapter on 'Modern Orthodox interpretations of the "Mother of God: Symbol of Wisdom and Model for Humankind'. A seminal work of exceptional theological scholarship, "Mother of God" is a highly recommended and rewarding for clergy, academia, and non-specialist readers with an interest in a soundly based theological discussion of the Virgin Mary within Catholic traditions, scriptures, and history.

Anything For Amelia
Andrew C. Branham
First Edition Design Publishing
PO Box 20217, Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com
9781506900261, $16.95, PB, 222pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Anything For Amelia " by Andrew C. Branham is the true story of the challenges endured by two gay men who had the desire to adopt a child. When Andrew and DJ decided to adopt and bring a child into their lives, little did they know what they were about to endure; yet never did the thought cross their minds to give up. The horrific, pitilessly, and beyond comprehensible hoops one woman would make them jump through demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that little Amelia was going to be much better off in the loving home that Drew and DJ could provide her. Just when you think, how can two people survive such a nightmare and the journey is just about over when little Amelia is born and will be safely in the arms of her loving dads, Sandi decides to pull one more shenanigan that could change their lives forever.

Critique: More than 10 million adults have been adopted or fostered in their childhood. Along with spiraling increases in adoptions comes a growing need to disclose the significant flaws in adoption laws that open the doors to fraud, manipulation, and abuse of the system. "Anything For Amelia" explores this dark side of the adoption process through the true story of one couple's journey through hell. Called "the most difficult adoption in U.S. history" by adoption experts, "Anything For Amelia " will have a very special appeal to nearly families (traditional as well as non-traditional) interested in adoption, foster parenting, or surrogacy. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Anything For Amelia" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Gay Studies, Family Relations, Adoption/Fostering, and Contemporary American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Anything For Amelia " is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

The Gifted Puppy Program
Laurie Leach
T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, Third & Union Avenue, Neptune City, NJ 07753
www.tfh.com
9780793807215, $19.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Laurie Leach has had an eclectic dog training career. She has trained and raced sled dogs, competed in agility at the local and national level with multiple dogs, and taught classes for hundreds of future assistance dogs. In the pages of "The Gifted Puppy Program: 40 Games, Activities, and Exercises to Raise a Brilliant, Happy Dog", Laurie draws upon her years of experience and expertise to create a compendium of thoroughly 'user friendly' things anyone can do with their young canine companion that will help creating a bond that will last a lifetime. Nicely illustrated throughout with full color photos of an amazing variety of puppies, "The Gifted Puppy Program" is deftly organized into two main sections: Not All Puppyhoods Are Created Equal; From Puppy To Gifted Puppy. Enhanced with the inclusion of two appendices (Socialization Plan; Your Sporty Pup); a five page list of Resources; and a thirteen page index, "The Gifted Puppy Program" is an absolute "must" for anyone who has the privilege of a having a puppy in their life. Very highly recommended for community library Pets/Wildlife instructional collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Gifted Puppy Program" is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.99).

New Hong Kong Cinema
Ruby Cheung
Berghahn Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 512, Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.berghahnbooks.com
9781782387039, $95.00, 273pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The trajectory of Hong Kong films had been drastically affected long before the city's official sovereignty transfer from the British to the Chinese in 1997. The change in course has become more visible in recent years as China has aggressively developed its national film industry and assumed the role of powerhouse in East Asia's cinematic landscape. In "New Hong Kong Cinema: Transitions to Becoming Chinese in 21st-century East Asia", film historian Ruby Cheung introduces the "Cinema of Transitions" to study the New Hong Kong Cinema and on- and off-screen life against this background. Using examples from the 1980s to the present, "New Hong Kong Cinema" offers a fresh perspective on how Hong Kong-related Chinese-language films, filmmakers, audiences, and the workings of film business in East Asia have become major platforms on which "transitions" are negotiated.

Critique: An impressive and comprehensive work of seminal scholarship, ""New Hong Kong Cinema: Transitions to Becoming Chinese in 21st-century East Asia" is an invaluable contribution to the study of the Chinese film industry in general, and the contributions of the Hong Kong cinema industry in particular. Enhanced with the inclusion of an eight page Filmography; a 28 page Bibliography; and a four page Index, "New Hong Kong Cinema" will prove to be a greatly appreciated addition to academic library Cinematic History reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Susan Bethany
Reviewer


Buhle's Bookshelf

Dickey Chapelle Under Fire
John Garofolo
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870207181, $25.00, HC, 136pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In 1965, Wisconsin native Georgette "Dickey" Chapelle became the first female American war correspondent to be killed in action. Now in, "Dickey Chapelle Under Fire" shares her remarkable story and offers readers the chance to experience Dickey's wide-ranging photography, including several photographs taken during her final patrol in Vietnam. Dickey Chapelle fought to be taken seriously as a war correspondent and broke down gender barriers for future generations of female journalists. She embedded herself with military units on front lines around the globe, including Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the Dominican Republic, and Vietnam. Dickey sometimes risked her life to tell the story -- after smuggling aid to refugees fleeing Hungary, she spent almost two months in a Hungarian prison. For twenty-five years, Dickey's photographs graced the pages of "National Geographic," the "National Observer," "Life," and others. Her tenacity, courage, and compassion shine through in her work, highlighting the human impact of war while telling the bigger story beyond the battlefield. In "Dickey Chapelle Under Fire," the American public can see the world through Dickey's lens for the first time in almost fifty years, with a foreword by Jackie Spinner, former war correspondent for "The Washington Post".

Critique: With the posthumous help of military veteran John Garofolo, the life and work and sacrifice of Georgette "Dickey" Chapelle", a true Wisconsin hero, is a notable and highly recommended addition to community and academic library 20th Century American Photography and Military History collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Dickey Chapelle Under Fire: Photographs by the First American Female War Correspondent Killed in Action" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).

A Century of Progress
Chicago Tribune Staff
Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572841833, $24.95, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The Chicago Tribune, founded in 1847, is the flagship newspaper of the Tribune Company. Its staff comprises dedicated, award-winning journalists. Drawn from the Chicago Tribune's vast archives, "A Century of Progress: A Photographic Tour of the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair" is a collection of rare (and in many cases previously unseen) photographs that document the Century of Progress International Exposition, the world's fair held in Chicago from 1933 to 1934. Conceived during the Roaring Twenties and born during the Great Depression, this sprawling event celebrated the city's centennial with industrial and scientific displays, lascivious entertainment, and a touch of unadulterated bad taste. During this time, more than 48 million visitors flocked to Chicago's lakefront (the present site of McCormick Place and Northerly Island) to experience what turned out to be one of the most expansive displays of technological advancement and cultural diversity that took place in the 20th century. Featuring a fascinating introduction by Tribune reporter and historian Ron Grossman, this book documents the numerous facets of the exposition, from whimsical attractions, architectural triumphs, and scientific achievements to the occasionally insensitive and racist exhibits of differing cultures. At a time when the entire U.S. population numbered just over 125 million people, this world's fair left an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of American culture, and A Century of Progress captures that feeling through its historic photographs. These images are invaluable witness to a civic milestone that forever after was honored by the fourth star on Chicago's flag.

Critique: An impressively and photographically documented history of the 1930s Chicago World Fair, "A Century of Progress: A Photographic Tour of the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library American History reference collections. Simply outstanding!

Strategic Sourcing in the New Economy
Bonnie Keith, Kate Vitasek, Karl Manrodt, Jeanne Kling
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
www.palgrave-usa.com
9781137552181, $55.00, HC, 480pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Today's business environment is filled with volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The 'tried and true' procurement tactics adopted as the gold standard over the last 30 years are no longer as effective as they were in a time when organizations won by leveraging their power. The business battlefield of this century will be won by those who learn to create relationships that provide flexibility to meet emerging trends, technologies, problems and risks. Today's winners won't play yesterday's competitive 'win at all costs' game with key suppliers; rather, they'll seek to develop highly collaborative relationships that can help drive transformation and innovation in their organization. Sourcing Business Model theory is a revolutionary approach that will challenge procurement professionals much the way. Written from a practitioner's perspective, "Strategic Sourcing in the New Economy: Harnessing the Potential of Sourcing Business Models for Modern Procurement" not only teaches readers the 'why' and 'what' of Sourcing Business Model theory, but also how to apply it to their organizations to create real value and real results. With actionable advice and tools like the Business Model Mapping Tool and Sourcing Considerations Guidelines, "Strategic Sourcing in the New Economy" is designed to help the reader to identify the best Sourcing Business Model for your organization and implement it in an easy-to-navigate manner. Whether a Chief Procurement Officer or an entry-level buying analyst, "Strategic Sourcing in the New Economy" will show how to create powerful cooperative alliances that will help to reach (and surpass) initial business goals in today's dynamic new environment.

Critique: The collaborative work of Bonnie Keith (President of The Forefront Group, a leader in Strategic Sourcing Transformation, and an adjunct faculty for the University of Tennessee); Kate Vitasek (a world authority on highly collaborative win-win relationships for her award-winning research and Vested business model); Karl Manrodt (Professor of Logistics in the Department of Management at Georgia College and State University); and Jeanne Kling (a Research Associate with the Vested team at the University of Tennessee), "Strategic Sourcing in the New Economy: Harnessing the Potential of Sourcing Business Models for Modern Procurement" is enhanced with the inclusion of illustrations, figures, an appendix, twenty-four pages of notes, a twenty page glossary, and a thirty-nine page index. "Strategic Sourcing in the New Economy" is very highly recommended for professional, corporate, and academic library Business Management reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "Strategic Sourcing in the New Economy" is also available in a Kindle edition ($52.04).

World Politics Simulations in a Global Information Age
Hemda Ben-Yehuda, Luba Levin-Banchik, Chanan Naveh
University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
www.press.umich.edu
9780472072767, $85.00, PB, 204pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The collaborative work of Hemda Ben-Yehuda (Department of Political Studies at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan); Luba Levin-Banchik (Department of Political Studies at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan); and Chanan Naveh (School of Communication at Sapir College), "World Politics Simulations in a Global Information Age" is a comprehensive guide explaining how to create simulations of international relations for the purposes of both teaching and research. The "World Politics Simulations in a Global Information Age" is a model that involves participants representing various states, non-state actors, and media organizations embroiled in an international political crisis. Following the trajectory of a simulation, "World Politics Simulations in a Global Information Age" describe theory, implementation, and analysis. Starting with a typology of simulations, a framework is presented for selecting the most suitable one for a given teaching situation, based on academic setting, goals, costs, and other practical considerations. "World Politics Simulations in a Global Information Age" then provides step-by-step instructions for creating simulations on cyber platforms, particularly Facebook, complete with schedules, guidelines, sample forms, teaching tips, and student exercises. Throughout the simulation, and especially during the final analysis, "World Politics Simulations in a Global Information Age" explains how to reinforce learning and foster critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and other essential skills. "World Politics Simulations in a Global Information Age" concludes with suggestions for using data gathered during a simulation for scholarly research.

Critique: Impressively well thought-out, written, organized and presented, "World Politics Simulations in a Global Information Age" is especially recommended for academic library political science, international relations, media, history, and area studies reference collections and supplemental studies list. It should be noted that "World Politics Simulations in a Global Information Age" is also available in a paperback edition (9780472052769, $45.00) and in a Kindle format ($42.75).

Hunters and Killers: Volume 1
Norman Polmar & Edward Whitman
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9781591146896, $44.95, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The volume one of a two volume series, "Hunters and Killers:: Anti-Submarine Warfare from 1776 to 1943" is the first comprehensive history of all aspects of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) from its beginnings in the 18th century through the important role of present anti-submarine systems and operations. Published in two volumes, the work discusses anti-submarine warfare operations in World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and today. In addition to tactical and strategic narratives of major ASW campaigns, the work covers the evolution of ASW sensors, weapons, platforms, and tactics. This first volume looks at the often ignored reaction to the earliest submersible attack on British warships in 1776 to the first, primitive ASW actions of World War I. World War I saw the Germans use U-boats to devastate British shipping, nearly driving the country out of the war. Here the authors look at the development of the innovative, but rudimentary sensors and weapons that the Allies used to counter the U-boat threats in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theaters. Still, the U-boats were never completely defeated in the Great War, and the ensuing chapters about the two decades between the world wars narrate the development of sonar, radar, and ASW ships, as well as changing political attitudes toward undersea warfare. The remainder of the first volume covers the first half of World War II's Battle of the Atlantic, from September 1939 to the U-boat crisis in the spring of 1943. This section discusses the influence of intelligence, gained mainly through cryptography, on the Battle of the Atlantic.

Critique: A critically important and informative contribution to the growing library of Naval Warfare History, "Hunters and Killers:: Anti-Submarine Warfare from 1776 to 1943" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library collections. It should be noted that the second and concluding volume, "Hunters and Killers: Anti-Submarine Warfare from 1943" is due to be published June 15, 2016.

The Nonprofit World
John Casey
Kumarian Press
c/o Lynne Rienner Publishers
1800 30th Street, Suite 314, Boulder, CO 80301
www.rienner.com
9781565495302, $28.50, PB, 356pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the pages of "The Nonprofit World: Civil Society and the Rise of the Nonprofit Sector", John Casey (Associate Professor in the School of Public Affairs at Baruch College, City University of New York) explores the expanding global reach of nonprofit organizations, examining the increasingly influential role not only of prominent NGOs that work on hot-button global issues, but also of the thousands of smaller, little-known organizations that have an impact on people's daily lives. What do these nonprofits actually do? How and why have they grown exponentially? How are they managed and funded? What organizational, political, and economic challenges do they face? Professor Casey answers these questions and also, liberally using case studies, situates the evolution of the sector in the broader contexts of differing national environments and global public affairs. With its broad perspective, "The Nonprofit World" affords readers a thorough understanding of both the place of nonprofits in the global arena and the implications of their growing importance.

Critique: Impressively informed and informative, "The Nonprofit World: Civil Society and the Rise of the Nonprofit Sector" is exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented. A work of seminal scholarship, "The Nonprofit World" is very highly recommended for both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in not-for-profit organizations and their overall function within our American capitalist system. Every community and academic library should have a copy of Professor John Casey's "The Nonprofit World"!

Sermons On Titus
John Calvin, author
Robert White, translator
Banner of Truth
PO Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013
www.banneroftruth.org
9781848715691, $28.00, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Calvin's expository sermons to the great congregation of St Peter's, Geneva, taken down in shorthand and then published across Europe, were among the most sought-after volumes of the sixteenth century. For the first time in more than 450 years, Calvin's addresses comprising "Sermons on Titus" have been translated afresh into English. These sermons are not merely an updating of the language of Laurence Thomson's 1579 English translation (which, along with Calvin's Sermons on 1 and 2 Timothy, was previously reprinted in facsimile by the Trust in 1983). Robert White's new translation goes back to Calvin's original French, and the result is a fine modern English translation that will make the reader feel something of the excitement of those Elizabethan Christians who so prized their own contemporary English version of Calvin's sermons on this pastoral epistle.

Critique: This superbly translated edition of John Calvin's "Sermons On Titus" is a very highly regarded and enduringly valued contribution to personal and academic library Christian Studies reference collections in general, and Calvinism Studies supplemental reading lists in particular.

Night in Erg Chebbi and Other Stories
Edward Hamlin
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
www.uiowapress.org
9781609383831, $17.00, PB, 198pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Night in Erg Chebbi and Other Stories" by Edward Hamlin spans the globe with stories taking the reader from Belfast to Brazil, Morocco to Manhattan. The teenaged daughter of an IRA assassin flees Northern Ireland only to end up in Baby Doc's terrifying Haiti. An American woman who's betrayed her brother only to lose him to a Taliban bullet comes face to face with her demons during a vacation in Morocco. A famed photojournalist must find a way to bring her life's work to closure before she goes blind, a quest that changes her understanding of the very physics of light. By turns innocent and canny, the characters populated the stories that comprise of "Night in Erg Chebbi and Other Stories" must learn to quickly improvise when confronted with stark choices they never dreamed they'd have to make. Lyrical, immaculately constructed and deeply felt, these nine stories take us far beyond our comfort zones and deep into the wilds of the human heart.

Critique: Edward Hamlin's work has appeared in numerous literary journals and on stage. He was the winner of the 2013 Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction. "Night in Erg Chebbi and Other Stories" is an impressive collection of inherently absorbing short stories that reveal the scope, imagination, and diversity Hamlin's storytelling skills. Thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end, "Night in Erg Chebbi and Other Stories" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Short Story collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Night in Erg Chebbi and Other Stories" is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.36).

Arvida
Samuel Archibald, author
Donald Winkler, translator
Biblioasis
1520 Wyandotte Street East, Windsor, ON N9A 3L2, Canada
www.biblioasis.com
9781771960427, $15.95, PB, 300pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Exceptionally well translated into English for an American and Canadian readership by Donald Winkler, "Arvida" by Samuel Archibald is an anthology of memorable stories featuring innocent young girls and wild beasts, attempted murder and ritual mutilation, haunted houses, road trips heading nowhere, and more.

Critique: "Arvida" author Samuel Archibald teaches contemporary popular culture at the University of Quebec in Montreal, where he lectures on genre fiction, horror movies, and video games, among other subjects. He therefore brings to bear a very special expertise in this debut anthology comprised of fourteen short stories that together create a fully absorbing and highly entertaining collection. Very highly recommended for community and academic library Short Story collections, it should noted for personal reading lists that "Arvida" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Billy the Blackfella from Bourke
Chris Woodland
Rosenburg Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
www.isbs.com
9781925078688, $24.95, PB, 168pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Edited and transcribed by Chris Woodland, "Billy the Blackfella from Bourke" is the story of Australia's Billy Gray, who called himself "a blackfella from Bourke" ('blackfella' is an informal term used in Australian English to refer to Indigenous Australians). Transcribed from tapes made by his friend of 52 years, the story is told of Billy's life in Australia, South America, and Indonesia, working as a stockman, drover, fencer, taxi driver, factory laborer, and water/oil driller. Billy's travels and experiences gave him a deep understanding of the cultures of different peoples. He found, in South America, for the first time in his life, that he could move freely without experiencing that feeling of being an outcast; he just blended in. Music was always an important part of his life, from playing and singing around the camp fire to performing with a band. Many may find some of the terms used by Billy to be politically incorrect. Such expressions are still very much in use today among the Aboriginal people.

Critique: A unique and invaluable contribution to the growing library of Australia Popular Culture, Anthropology, Biography, and Social Issues literature, "Billy the Blackfella from Bourke" is an inherently absorbing and informative reading from beginning to end. Enhanced with the inclusion of full color photographs, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Billy the Blackfella from Bourke" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.50).

Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer


Burroughs' Bookshelf

From Sweetback To Super Fly
Gerald R. Butters, Jr.
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
www.umsystem.edu/upress
9780826220363, $60.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Racial politics and capitalism found a way to blend together in 1970s Chicago in the form of movie theaters targeted specifically toward African Americans. In the pages of "From Sweetback to Super Fly: Race and Film Audiences in Chicago's Loop", Gerald Butters (Professor of History, Aurora University, Aurora, Illinois), examines the movie theaters in Chicago's Loop that became, as Professor Butters describes them, "black spaces" during the early 1970s with theater managers making an effort to gear their showings toward the African American community by using black-themed and blaxploitation films. Professor Butters covers the wide range of issues that influenced the theaters, from changing racial patterns to the increasingly decrepit state of Chicago's inner city and the pressure on businesses and politicians alike to breathe life into the dying area. Through his extensive research, Professor Butters provides an in-depth look at this phenomenon, delving into an area that has not previously been explored. His close examination of how black-themed films were marketed and how theaters showing these films tried to draw in crowds sheds light on race issues both from an industrial standpoint on the side of the theaters and movie producers, as well as from a cultural standpoint on the side of the moviegoers and the city of Chicago as a whole. Professor Butters provides a wealth of information on a very interesting yet under-examined part of history, making "From Sweetback to Super Fly" a supremely enjoyable and informative book.

Critique: An impressively researched, written, organized and presented work of seminal scholarship, ""From Sweetback to Super Fly: Race and Film Audiences in Chicago's Loop" is enhanced with the inclusion of twenty-eight pages of Notes; a four page Bibliography; a twelve page Index, and a three page Index of Films Mentioned. "From Sweetback To Super Fly" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as both community and academic library Black Studies, Cinematic History, and 20th Century American Popular Culture reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Levitation: What It Is, How It Works, How to Do It
Steve Richards
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578635795, $14.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Levitation is the process by which an object is held aloft, without mechanical support, in a stable position. Long a staple of magician acts, is levitation truly possible? Can human beings really leave the ground through the power of the mind alone? How can this extraordinary defiance of gravitational force be induced at will? These are some of the questions answered in "Levitation: What It Is, How It Works, How to Do It", a startling book by Steve Richards that lays bare the occult meditational techniques by which the mind can lift the body off the ground. "Levitation: What It Is, How It Works, How to Do It" gives you the facts, the history, the controversies, the theories, and, above all, the centuries-old secrets of levitation that have remained in the hands of a few adepts -- until now. It is an essential guide for anyone interested in the power of the mind, the legends of the East, Transcendental Meditation, the occult, and metaphysical practices.

Critique: An inherently fascinating, fully absorbing, and exceptionally informative read from beginning to end, "Levitation: What It Is, How It Works, How to Do It" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists. It should be noted that "Levitation: What It Is, How It Works, How to Do It" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).

A-U-M: Awakening to Reality
Dennis Waite
Mantra Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781782799962, $36.95, PB, 431pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Gaudapada was one of the world's greatest philosophers in seventh-century India. He invokes the mystical symbol 'AUM' (pronounced as 'ohm') pointing to the three states of consciousness (waking, dreaming and deep sleep) and the nature of reality itself. In the text on which this book is based, he writes that the waker, dreamer and deep-sleeper are like the roles that an actor plays at various times. All three states are the result of ignorance and error. Who we really are is the fourth aspect - the actor himself. If you see or feel a 'thing', then that 'thing' is not 'real.' So the waking world is no more real than the dream. 'You' have never been born. Nothing has ever been created. Causality is a myth. Discover your true nature to be Existence-Consciousness, without limitations, undivided and infinite, prior to time and space. Incredible? Read "A-U-M: Awakening to Reality" by Dennis Waite and be convinced by the irrefutable logic of Gaudapada.

Critique: Gaudapada (c.6th century CE) was the author or compiler of the Ma ukya Karika, a quintessential text which used madhyamika philosophical terms to delineate Advaita Vedanta philosophy. "A-U-M: Awakening to Reality" by Dennis Waite (who has been a student of Advaita for over 25 years and maintains one of the most visited and respected websites on the subject at Advaita Vision - http://www.advaita.org.uk/) is an informative, thoughtful, and insightful study which is very highly recommended for academia and the non-specialist reader with an interest in Indian philosophy and metaphysics. Appropriate for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A-U-M: Awakening to Reality" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99).

Irenaeus, Joseph Smith, and God-Making Heresy
Adam J. Powell
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
The Gatehouse M010C
285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
www.fdupress.org
9781611478716, $85.00, HC, 276pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Irenaeus, Joseph Smith, and God-Making Heresy" by Adam Powell (Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Master of Arts in Religious Studies, Lenoir-Rhyne University's Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville, NC.) seeks both to demonstrate the salience of "heresy" as a tool for analyzing instances of religious conflict far beyond the borders of traditional historical theology and to illuminate the apparent affinity for deification exhibited by some persecuted religious movements. To these ends, "Irenaeus, Joseph Smith, and God-Making Heresy" argues for a sociologically-informed redefinition of heresy as religiously-motivated opposition and applies the resulting concept to the historical cases of second-century Christians and nineteenth-century Mormons. Ultimately, "Irenaeus, Joseph Smith, and God-Making Heresy" is a careful application of the comparative method to two new religious movements, highlighting the social processes at work in their early doctrinal developments.

Joseph Smith (December 23, 1805 - June 27, 1844), was the founder of The Church of Latter Day Saints (which is more commonly known as the Mormon Church). Smith proclaimed and worshiped an anthropomorphic God, that is, a God in the form of a man that included 'body, parts and passions'. One of Smith's descriptive sayings on the subject of God was that: "As Man is now, God once was. As God is now, Man may become."

Irenaeus (early 2nd century - c. AD 202) was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, then a part of the Roman Empire (now Lyon, France). He was an early Church Father and apologist, and his writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology. Irenaeus' best-known book, Adversus Haereses or Against Heresies (c. 180), is a detailed attack on Gnosticism, which was then a serious threat to the Church, and especially on the system of the Gnostic Valentinus.

Critique: Using the examples of Joseph Smith and Irenaeus, Professor Powell has organized his seminal study into two major sections: The Role of Heresy: Social and Doctrinal Impact (1. Heresy as Opposition: Debates and Definitions; 2. The heretical process: Its Assumptions and Predictions); Surviving and Integrating Heresy (1. Locating Heresy: The threefold Attack; 2. Resolving Heresy: Soteriological Schemas). Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Irenaeus, Joseph Smith, and God-Making Heresy" is a work of exceptional scholarship and enhanced with the inclusion of a twenty page Bibliography and a twenty page Index. "Irenaeus, Joseph Smith, and God-Making Heresy" is very highly recommended for academic library Christian Studies collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Irenaeus, Joseph Smith, and God-Making Heresy" is also available in a Kindle edition ($76.49).

The Studio: A Psychoanalytic Legacy
Gill Gregory
Free Association Books
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
www.isbs.com
9781853432217, $35.00, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Studio: A Psychoanalytic Legacy" by Gill Gregory (a lecturer at the University of Notre Dame in London) is a unique and exciting work, referencing Freud and other psychoanalytic heavyweights to examine a difficult past, where loss, trauma, and the complexities of life are addressed and explored. Each individual chapter takes a painting as its focus, holding it up to the light as the Professor Gregory's engagement with each work is interwoven with memoir and her thoughts on the psychoanalytic processes which inform her life.

Critique: A unique and inherently fascinating read from beginning to end, "The Studio: A Psychoanalytic Legacy" is enhanced with the inclusion of two appendices, a list of the paintings discussed, a bibliography, and an index. "The Studio" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as both community and academic library collections.

The Man That Got Away
Walter Rimler
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6975
www.press.uillinois.edu
9780252039461, $29.95, HC, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Harlan Arlen might not be well known to the general public, but his music most certainly is. His musical accomplishments include "Over the Rainbow", "Stormy Weather", and "One for My Baby". These are just three of Harold Arlen's well-loved compositions. Yet his name is hardly known except to the musicians who venerate him. At a gathering of songwriters George Gershwin called him "the best of us". Irving Berlin agreed. Paul McCartney sent him a fan letter and became his publisher. Bob Dylan wrote of his fascination with Arlen's "bittersweet, lonely world". A cantor's son, Arlen believed his music was from a place outside himself, a place that also sent tragedy. When his wife became mentally ill and was institutionalized he turned to alcohol. It nearly killed him. But the beautiful songs kept coming: "Blues in the Night", "My Shining Hour", "Come Rain or Come Shine", and "The Man That Got Away". Harlan Arlen's biographer Walter Rimler drew on interviews with friends and associates of Arlen and on newly available archives to write this intimate portrait of a genius whose work is a pillar of the Great American Songbook.

Critique: A masterfully written, organized and presented biography of an authentic American musical genius, "The Man That Got Away: The Life and Songs of Harold Arlen" is an inherently fascinating read that is very highly recommended, especially for community and academic library American Music History and American Biography reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Man That Got Away" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.56).

The State of the American Mind
Mark Bauerlein & Adam Bellow, editors
Templeton Foundation Press
300 Conshohocken State Road, Suite 670, West Conshohocken, PA 19428
www.templetonpress.org
9781599474588, $27.95, HC, 280pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the last three decades, even with the event called 'The Great Recession' and its aftermath, the United States has experienced unprecedented wealth, with more youth enrolling in higher education than ever before, and with technological advancements far beyond what many in the 1980s dreamed possible. And yet, the state of the American mind seems to have deteriorated further. Benjamin Franklin's "self-made man" has become a man dependent on the state. Independence has turned into self-absorption. Liberty has been curtailed in the defense of multiculturalism. In order to fully grasp the underpinnings of this shift away from the self-reliant, well-informed American, editors Mark Bauerlein (a Professor of English at Emory University) and Adam Bellow (Vice President and Executive Editor at HarperCollins) have brought together a group of cultural and educational experts to discuss the root causes of the decline of the American mind. The writers of these fifteen original essays include E. D. Hirsch, Nicholas Eberstadt, and Dennis Prager, as well as Daniel Dreisbach, Gerald Graff, Richard Arum, Robert Whitaker, David T. Z. Mindich, Maggie Jackson, Jean Twenge, Jonathan Kay, Ilya Somin, Steve Wasserman, Greg Lukianoff, and R. R. Reno. Their essays are compiled into three main categories: States of Mind: Indicators of Intellectual and Cognitive Decline; Personal and Cognitive Habits/Interests; and National Consequences. "The State of the American Mind" is both an assessment of our current state as well as a warning, foretelling what we may yet become. For anyone interested in the intellectual fate of America, "The State of the American Mind" offers an accessible and critical look at life in America and how our collective mind is faring.

Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of an engaging Foreword (America: Are We Losing Our Mind?); an informative Introduction (The Knowledge Requirement: What Every American Needs to Know); and a concluding Afterword by the editorial team of Mark Bauerlein and Adam Bellow, "The State of the American Mind: 16 Leading Critics on the New Anti-Intellectualism" is an inherently fascinating read that is exceptionally well organized and presented throughout. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library Social Issues reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for student and non-specialist general readers that "The State of the American Mind: 16 Leading Critics on the New Anti-Intellectualism" is also available in a paperback edition (9781599475097, $17.95) and in a Kindle format ($9.99).

The Mind's Own Place
Ian Reid
UWA Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
www.isbs.com
9781742587479, $24.99, PB, 328pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Two women and three men, displaced in different ways by the rapid transformation of Victorian England, travel separately to a small settlement on Australia's western rim. With them, they carry social ambitions and psychological wounds. As their lives intersect in the Swan River Colony, what they encounter is not quite what they expect. Who will struggle, who will thrive, and how will each react when secrets emerge? A work of historical fiction, "The Mind's Own Place" is partly based on the actual experiences of historical figures: a pair of convicts from respectable backgrounds, talented and enterprising, but troubled; two female immigrants, free settlers not equally fortunate or resilient; and the first detective in Western Australia who eventually uncovers more than he intends. "The Mind's Own Place" is a powerful story exploring intricate relationships between the shaping of character and the pressure of adversity, all while revealing damaged families, mixed motives, and long shadows thrown by the past.

Critique: An impressively executed work of meticulously written fiction, "The Mind's Own Place" clearly documents author Ian Reid as a master storyteller of the first order. Absolutely absorbing from beginning to end, "The Mind's Own Place" is very highly recommended personal reading lists, as well as for both community and academic library Historical Fiction collections.

Black Tom: Terror on the Hudson
Ron Semple
Top Hat Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781785351105, $27.95, PB, 514pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Black Tom: Terror on the Hudson" by Ron Semple is a tale of sabotage, subterfuge and political shenanigans set in that colorful, raucous place that was Jersey City in 1916 when America is on the cusp of war and the fate of a president and the nation might hinge on the decision a young policeman is forced to make.

Critique: A superbly crafted work of historical fiction that is fundamentally based upon a true incident of sabotage by German agents on American soil during the course of World War I, "Black Tom: Terror on the Hudson" is a riveting read and highly recommended for both community and academic library Historical Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Black Tom: Terror on the Hudson" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.19).

Classic Contemporary: The DNA of Furniture Design
Tim Gosling
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500517833, $75.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Tim Gosling (who Tim Gosling served eighteen years as a Director at furniture design company David Linley before founding Gosling, a luxury bespoke design service) is internationally renowned for his exquisitely designed interiors and beautifully crafted furniture catering to a range of public and private clients. Whether a Georgian town house or Victorian mansion, a Venetian penthouse or Florida home, Gosling brings both a classic and a contemporary look to his work that respects the architecture of the space and the needs of those who commission him. Each element of his designs is produced from the finest materials and to the most exacting standards by highly skilled British craftsmen. "Classic Contemporary: The DNA of Furniture Design" is an opportunity for Gosling to explore his influences, including historical sources (dating from the eighteenth century to the twentieth) and the work of contemporaries. "Classic Contemporary" examines the most essential elements, not just the bones but the DNA of classic design, to discover how they have endured and how they can be adapted for contemporary tastes. Through the pages of "Classic Contemporary", Regency, Victorian, Art Deco, or Modernism can be viewed in a new light, providing inspiration and unique insight into the work of one of today's most respected designers.

Critique: This coffee-table style edition is beautifully and profusely illustrated with some 235 illustrations that impressively enhance an informed and informative commentary, "Classic Contemporary: The DNA of Furniture Design" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Interior Design and Furniture Design reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

John Burroughs
Reviewer


Carson's Bookshelf

College Teaching
Donelson R. Forsyth
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433820816, $69.95, HC, 424pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Everything matters when it comes to teaching and learning at the college and university level: student characteristics, the school itself, and cultural ideas about the value of higher education, to name a few. Most of these influences are outside the college instructor's control. Other issues, however such as a course s intellectual demands, the type of feedback students receive, the instructional methods, and the relationship that connects professor to student are controllable variables by the classroom teacher. "College Teaching: Practical Insights from the Science of Teaching and Learning" by Donelson R. Forsyth (who currently holds the Colonel Leo K. and Gaylee Thorsness Chair in Ethical Leadership in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond) deftly examines the many choices professors make about their teaching, beginning with their initial planning of the course and its basic content through final decisions about grades and assessing effectiveness. "College Teaching" is for beginning instructors as well as having a great deal of merit for those who have been teaching at the college level for many years. "College Teaching" calls readers attention to basics such as the cognitive, motivational, personal, and interpersonal processes flowing through even the most routine of educational experiences. "College Teaching" also addresses online teaching, instructional design, learning teams, and new technologies to help professors re-examine and refresh their existing practices.

Critique: A complete course of instruction under one cover, "College Teaching: Practical Insights from the Science of Teaching and Learning" is ideal as a curriculum textbook and should be a part of every academic library Educational Methodology reference collections and supplemental studies list. For the personal reading lists of students and teachers it should be noted that "College Teaching" is also available in a Kindle edition ($56.49).

American Surnames
Elsdon C. Smith
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806311500, $21.00, PB, 394pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Elsdon Smith begins "American Surnames" with a discussion of the development of hereditary surnames and then he divides his subject into six broad categories: Classification of Surnames, Surnames from Father's Name (patronymics), Surnames from Occupation or Office, Surnames from Description or Action (nicknames), Surnames from Places, and Surnames Not Properly Included Elsewhere. In these areas he expounds on such subjects as abbreviated names, surnames derived from animals, changes of names by immigrants, ethnic names, names indicating nationality, surnames from place names, European names, Asian names, names of Blacks and Indians, surnames without vowels, surnames from Christian names, landscape names, Jewish names, surnames from history, garbled names, comic or odd names, and hyphenated names. The list is almost endless and Elsdon Smith is unstinting in his explanation of the roots and meaning of these names. In addition, he provides a list of the 2,000 most common surnames in the United States today, ranked in order of frequency with an estimate of the number of persons bearing each name.

Critique: A seminal study of impressive detail and comprehensiveness, "American Surnames" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Genealogy reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Crossing Antietam
Henry Augustus Sand
Peter H. Sand & John F. McLaughlin, editors
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9781476663104, $35.00, PB, 184pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Bearing aloft the flag of his country in the final charge" by Company A, 103rd New York Volunteers at the Battle of Antietam, Captain Henry Augustus Sand fell wounded. He penned a letter to his family in Brooklyn Heights while lying on the battlefield, and then three more before dying of his wounds six weeks later. His complete correspondence from the field, covering the first 18 months of the Civil War, paints a vivid picture of combat and life in a 19th-century German-Irish immigrant family. Captain Sand helped raise the 103rd--known as "the German Grenadiers" and "Seward's Infantry"--at the beginning of the war. The unit joined General Ambrose Burnside's 1862 campaigns in North Carolina and Virginia. His letters were collected and transcribed by his sister, Emily Isabella Rossire nee Sand, and illustrated with her own watercolors of the Antietam battlefield and sketches by their younger brother, Maximilian Edward Sand.

Critique: Deftly edited by the team of Peter H. Sand (a retired professor of international law at the University of Munich in Germany) and John F. McLaughlin (a retired professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle whose wife was a descendant of Emily Sand Rossire and preserved the transcriptions of Henry Sand's letters), "Crossing Antietam: The Civil War Letters of Captain Henry Augustus Sand, Company A, 103rd New York Volunteers" is enhanced with the inclusion of 57 photos (10 in color), notes, bibliography, index, making it an extraordinary and enthusiastically recommended addition to the growing library of American Civil War memoirs and biographies and is certain to be a popular addition the personal reading lists of Civil War enthusiasts, as well as for community and academic library Civil War reference collections and supplemental studies reading list.

Collision of Centuries
John J. Le Beau
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608091621, $16.00, PB, 332pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A vicious murder with a broadsword leaves a man dead at a remote and ancient castle in the Bavarian forests. Shortly thereafter, the bubonic plague - a hideous disease believed to be eliminated centuries ago, is detected in Bavaria, killing its victims. German police Kommissar Franz Waldbaer strongly suspects a link to the castle, but his investigation is impeded by the master of the castle, the arrogant Count von Wintelock. As Waldbaer painfully extracts information from the Count, more people die, and it becomes apparent that the deadly plague is spreading - and fast. Waldbaer and his team of international infectious disease specialists find themsleves on a collision course with a twisted genius who wants to plunge the world into the Dark Ages, leaving millions dead. To make matters worse, the killer has a terminal disease. With nothing to lose, he accelerates his efforts.

Critique: A riveting read from beginning to end, "Collision of Centuries" is all the more impressive considering that it is author John J. Le Beau's debut as a novelist. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Collision of Centuries" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.49).

The Great British Recording Studios
Howard Massey
Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonardbooks.com
9781458421975, $34.99, 357pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Great British Recording Studios" by music journalist Howard Massey tells the story of the iconic British facilities where many of the most important recordings of all time were made. This profusely illustrated and comprehensive study is endorsed by and was written with the cooperation of the British APRS (Association of Professional Recording Services, headed by Sir George Martin) to document the history of the major British studios of the 1960s and 1970s and to help preserve their legacy. "The Great British Recording Studios" surveys the era's most significant British studios (including Abbey Road, Olympic, and Trident), with complete descriptions of each studio's physical facilities and layout, along with listings of equipment and key personnel, as well as details about its best-known technical innovations and a discography of the major recordings done there. Seamlessly interweaving narrative text with behind-the-scenes anecdotes from dozens of internationally renowned record producers and a wealth of photographs (many never published before), "The Great British Recording Studios" brings to life the most famous UK studios and the people who created magic there. Meticulously researched and organized, "The Great British Recording Studios" will inform and inspire students of the recording arts, music professionals, casual music fans, and anyone interested in the acoustically pristine facilities, groundbreaking techniques, and innovative artists and technicians that have shaped the course of modern recording.

Critique: An original, detailed, and impressively informative study, "The Great British Recording Studios" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. This hardcover edition of "The Great British Recording Studios" from Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing is especially recommended for personal, community, and academic library Music History reference collections and supplemental studies lists.

The Hunting Trip
William E. Butterworth III
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780399176234, $28.95, 432pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: At the tender age of sixteen, Philip W. Williams III is expelled from boarding school for committing a prank, and on the train home naturally wonders where his life will take him now. It never enters his mind that he will become a world-class marksman and a special agent of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps in postwar Germany, play a key role in the defection of a Soviet officer, then court danger as a courier for the CIA, marry an Austrian ballet dancer of ferocious mien, become a renowned bestselling novelist, and meet the love of his life on a hunting trip to Scotland. Yet all of this, and a great deal more, awaits him, in a raucous series of adventures across Europe and the United States that will have readers laughing, cheering, and compulsively turning the pages to discover what happens next.

Critique: Simply stated, William Butterworth's "The Hunting Trip" is another masterpiece of fiction from the gifted imagination of truly impressive storyteller. A riveting read from beginning to end, "The Hunting Trip" is a very highly recommended addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Hunting Trip" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99), and in an MP3 CD format (Brilliance Audio, $24.99).

Telepathy
Amir Tag Elsir, author
William Hutchins, translator
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9789927101892, $16.00, 176pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A Sudanese writer begins to suspect that one of his most idiosyncratic characters from a recent novel resembles (in an uncanny, terrifying way) a real person he has never met. Since he condemned this character to an untimely death in the novel, should he attempt to save this real man from a similar fate? Set in both sides of Khartoum, the bustling capital city with its neglected, poverty-stricken underbelly, "Telpathy" is a novel of unreliable narrators, of insane asylums, and of the dubious relationship between imagination and reality.

Critique: A deftly crafted work of rather impressive literary merit, "Telepathy" clearly documents author Amir Tag Elsir as a uniquely gifted novelist whose riveting story is aptly translated into English by William Hutchins for the benefit of an American readership. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Telepathy" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).

A Map Through the Maze
Ned Rollo, author
Louis W. Adams, contributor
Katherine S. Green, editor
Impact Publications
9104 Manassas Drive, Suite N, Manassas Park, VA 20111
www.impactpublications.com
9781570233531, $11.95, 144pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Each year nearly 12 million people in the United States circulate in and out of jails, detention centers, and prisons. For most, it's a brief and eventful encounter. But for the 2.2 million who serve longer sentences, it's a chilling and costly experience punctuated with fear, distrust, fragile hope, boredom, grief, and depression. How can they best cope with a criminal justice maze that's often filled with endless barriers, deadly traps, and hopelessness? For more than 48 years, Ned Rollo has been active on both sides of the law - 5 1/2 years in state and federal prisons and more than 40 years as a correctional educator and counselor. He has authored several popular books, videos, and training programs for ex-offenders. In "A Map Through the Maze: A Guide to Surviving the Criminal Justice System" Rollo draws upon his years of experience and expertise to provide inmates, their loved ones, and correctional educators with critically important insights including: an understanding true freedom; confronting the prison experience; beating the system at its own game; transforming thoughts and actions; overcoming barriers to growth and self-worth; avoiding deadly traps; accepting responsibility and rejecting excuses; developing a survival and success strategy; maintaining physical and mental health; acquiring education and vocational skills; saying "Goodbye" and "Hello, I'm back"; staying in touch with the ever-changing world; controlling anger and hate; progressing in the free world; avoiding the dangers of trying to "catch up". A special chapter by Louis W. Adams, D. Min., provides much needed wisdom to the families of offenders who also serve a sentence in silence. It addresses such issues as loss, grief, anger, depression, setting limits, getting help, finding support, maintaining a relationship, helping children, visiting, and homecoming. An extensive resource section puts readers in touch with the best ex-offender survival and re-entry books and DVDs. "A Map Through the Maze" also is tied into a major DVD (Now What?) and training program. "A Map Through the Maze" is the definitive guide to surviving the correctional experience.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "A Map Through the Maze: A Guide to Surviving the Criminal Justice System" is a critically important and very highly recommended addition to city and county jail, state and federal penitentiary, prisoner rights oriented community agency, and academic library Penology instructional reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "A Map Through the Maze" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Inflection Point
Scott Stawski
Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.pearson.com
9780134387048, $46.99, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Enormous changes and stresses are in store for the business community due to an implacable convergence of several enormous trends in information technology, including cloud, mobility, Software as a Service, and Big Data. In Inflection Point, Scott Stawski shows how to harness these fierce winds of change, put them at your back, and sail towards greater competitiveness and customer value. In "Inflection Point: How the Convergence of Cloud, Mobility, Apps, and Data Will Shape the Future of Business" Scott Stawski (an Executive for Hewlett Packard Enterprise and responsible for managing the sales and revenue generation activities for HPE's largest and most strategic global accounts) explains the strategic implications of today's new technology paradigms, helping you reshape strategy to embrace and profit from them. You'll discover how technology and other factors are driving a radical new round of disintermediation, reintermediation, and disruption - and what that means to you and your company. Stawski shows how to go beyond inadequate incremental improvements, dramatically reducing IT spend and virtually eliminating IT capital expenditures. One meaningful step at a time, you'll learn how to transform Operational IT into both a utility and a true business enabler, bringing new speed, flexibility, and focus to what really matters: your true core competencies.

Critique: A critically important and timely read for all corporate managers and policy makers, "Inflection Point: How the Convergence of Cloud, Mobility, Apps, and Data Will Shape the Future of Business" is an especially recommended, core addition to corporate, community, and academic library instructional reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Inflection Point" is also available in a Kindle edition ($37.12).

On the Evolution of Conscious Sensation, Conscious Imagination, and Consciousness of Self
Robert G. Kunzendorf
Baywood Publishing
26 Austin Avenue, Box 337, Amityville, NY 11701
www.baywood.com
9780895039019, $42.95, 138pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Philosophical thought experiments invoking inverted spectra, zombies, et cetera suggest that conscious sensations have no function, and psychological studies finding no correlation between vivid visual imaging and visual problem solving suggest that conscious images have no function. Furthermore, both philosophical and psychological theories suggest that self-consciousness has no function. Countering such suggestions, the post-Darwinian double-aspect theory which Professor Robert Kunzendorf s introduces in the first chapter of his monograph "On the Evolution of Conscious Sensation, Conscious Imagination, and Consciousness of Self" points to evolutionary functions of certain sensations, youngling vivid images, and self-consciousness. Kunzendorf s second chapter presents evidence that the most primitive sensation pain, the subjective aspect of free nerve endings or nociceptors has a survival-promoting function. But as the pressure nociceptor mutates into a touch receptor, the heat nociceptor into temperature receptor, and the chemical nociceptor into a taste receptor, the painful qualia of these nociceptors evolve respectively into touch sensation, temperature sensation, or taste sensation painless sensations that add no survival benefit to their receptor s physical aspect. Building on evidence that retinal receptors embodying visual qualia evolved from primitive eyespots responsive to injurious heat at a distance or painful light, the third chapter presents evidence that visually imagined sensations are the subjective qualities of retinal receptors that are corticofugally innervated in warm-blooded animals for the developmental purpose of testing cortically hypothesized sensory-motor rules that have greater survival value than cold-blooded stimulus-response associations. The fourth and final chapter focuses on self-conscious reality-testing and on visuo-spatial self-conceptualization, and presents evidence that such manifestations of self-awareness evolve only in those warm-blooded animals whose rule-developing youth lasts two years or longer that is, those mammals and birds whose survival during the imaginal testing of rules is subjected to prolonged risk if self-consciousness that one is imaging sensations (rather than perceiving sensations) is absent.

Critique: The newest addition to the outstanding 'Imagery and Human Development' series from Baywood Press, "On the Evolution of Conscious Sensation, Conscious Imagination, and Consciousness of Self" is an erudite and thought-provoking treatise that will be of special interest to students of psychology, philosophy, cognitive science, and neuroscience. Highly recommended for academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "On the Evolution of Conscious Sensation, Conscious Imagination, and Consciousness of Self" is also available in a paperback edition (9780895039026, $34.95), in an ePub format (9780895039033, $27.96), and as an ePDF file (9780895039040, $27.96).

The Silver Spoon: Memoir of a Boyhood in Japan
Kansuke Naka, author
Sumiko Yano, illustrator
Stone Bridge Press
PO Box 8208, Berkeley, CA 94707
www.stonebridge.com
9781611720198, $24.95, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Kansuke Naka (1885 - 1965) was a Japanese poet, essayist, and novelist. Perhaps the most admired childhood memoir ever written in Japan, Kansuke Naka's "The Silver Spoon" is a sharp detailing of life at the end of the Meiji period (1912) through the eyes of a boy as he grows into adolescence. Innocence fades as he slowly becomes aware of himself and others, while scene after scene richly evokes the tastes, lifestyles, landscapes, objects, and manners of a lost Japan.

Critique: Ably translated into English by Hiroaki Sato, and enhanced with illustrations by Sumiko Yano, "The Silver Spoon: Memoir of a Boyhood in Japan" is an inherently fascinating and thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end. Of immense interest for academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in Japanese history and culture, "The Silver Spoon" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Silver Spoon" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.49).

Michael J. Carson
Reviewer


Chutsky's Bookshelf

Lieutenant Ramsey's War
Edwin Price Ramsey and Stephen J. Rivele
Potomac Books
c/o University of Nebraska Press
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles Virginia 20166
www.potomacbooksinc.com
9781574887372, $12.95, 333pp, www.amazon.com

War is a place where human activity has the greatest chance of displaying some nobility especially from those whose pre-war path showed nothing of the sort.

In Lieutenants Ramsey's War, co-author Stephen J. Rivele most certainly aided the cause of turning what could have been a rich first person documentary of Edwin Price Ramsey's fearsome WWII efforts to fight the ruthless Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines, into a highly poignantly told story full of history, passion and pain, that reads like a novel and conjures the visuals of a film. (Not surprising since Rivele hails from the bastions of screenwriting for the likes of Director Oliver Stone).

Not to say that war doesn't on it's own make philosophers out of ordinary men, author's Ramsey and Rivele movingly express the chiseled markers along the trail of youth turning to manhood, selfish goals morphing into selflessness, the passion of a cause that overtakes one in order to sustain life when the body is actually too battered to go on, all in a philosophical mesh of powerful sentences spotted throughout the book that bring the reader fully-on board-emotionally to 'the cause'. Even as the battles and killing go on and on, marked by small triumphs along the way, there is always a progression of Ramsey's soul that helps us, as it did him, to re-ignite the pilot light of the purpose of it all.

"Where was I going and why? How had I come to be here, in this place, among these (Filipino) people, becalmed within a sea of enemies, whistling for the wind?... Who was I now: that (rebellious) Ramsey boy from Wichita, the (last) Cavalryman (of the US military ) or a Philippine Guerilla? I was all of these things, and, in a sense, I was none of them, for at any moment, just on a whim, I-all of us- could be annihilated."

When a book is well written the review writes itself. Through quotes and passages it's all there.

From his early life as a boy, "Ramsey was drawn like a beacon to those thrills and chills of trouble, an edge honed by the turmoil roiling through his family life." Luckily his mother was wise enough to direct those energies into something constructive and wholly life-saving, the Military Cavalry.

And though the American Cavalry was diminishing, mainly because of the lessons learned of it's obsolescence in taking on the tanks and artillery of WWI/lessons carved out of the flesh of men and mounts across Europe, the Cavalry did remain the elite fighting force in the Philippines, held in place by tradition and untested by modern war that is until 1941 with the invasion by the Japanese. (The exact time Ramsey was sent overseas and began serving with the Twenty-sixth Cavalry in Manila.)

In fact LT. Ramsey was to ride in the last charge of the U.S. Cavalry, a sad blow to the proud men whose hearts held a special place for their equine compatriots.

"For the military, cavalry was mobility, shock and speed; it was firepower compounded with flesh, the comingled flesh and fury of man and mount. The cavalry was always first, the cutting edge of steel and spirit."

Over a three year period Ramsey Morphed from; Cavalryman to regular soldier, to beaten down warrior hiding in the jungle from the Imperial Japanese army who was by then marching most of his captured American compatriots to death camps, to impassioned Guerilla fighter whose insides were as ravaged as the city of Manilla, to the leader of a forty thousand strong Guerilla force able to outmaneuver the Japanese soldiers that combed the lush jungles and mountains like an army of deadly ants with the precise aim of cutting his head off, to providing MacArthur with the counter-intelligence and backdoor support that cut across the island of Luzon and aided in the success of McArthur's invasion in 1945 which most certainly allowed the Philippines to win their war of freedom from the Japanese.

For Ramsey, risk had become a drug his health depended on during the war but after the fighting stopped he fought the war of healing the body and mind he had dragged through the jungles for over three years.

Hats off to the authors wonderfully lush passages that bring not only the emotions and actions to life but the lush landscape of the Philippines as well.

"We entered a vast, sunken wetland choked with reeds and thick with vegetative ooze, with no roads or even trails. Two guides led us as we waded in a ragged line, straining to keep sight of one another through the dark, chest deep in slime, holding our weapons and belongings above our heads."

"The ponds were a giant flooded labyrinth that stretched for miles in every direction, the moon glinting off the salt cisterns and the big bangus fish slapping impatiently against the water."

"Above us towered the giant acacias and luans of the upper slopes, some spreading straight for hundreds of feet in dense umbrellas of branches. The air was thick and blue with moisture, everything hung heavy with vines, and though it was midday, we found ourselves in the cool dark of a cathedral."

It's worth reading Lieutenant Ramsey's War for not only the light it shines on the history of WWII in the Philippines, which I fear most of us are ignorant about, but mainly for the incredible journey of one lone man's death defying efforts to help save a country...which he inevitably did.

Confucius - And The World He Created
Michael Schuman
Basic Books
250 West 57th Street, New York New York 10107
www.perseusbooks.com
9780465025510, $28.99, HC, 285pp, www.amazon.com

Who hasn't heard of Confucius? To most Americans the name evokes thought provoking sayings that pop up in a fortune cookie at a Chinese Restaurant.

Maybe this is partially what I expected when I ordered the book "Confucius - And The World He Created" by Michael Schuman. I thought I was getting a comprehensive book of his philosophies and teachings-neatly packaged in sayings or longer passages of the Chinese Philosopher and some sort of biography of his time on earth.

But author Michael Schuman had the much loftier ambitions of presenting Confucius's influence over thousands of years of Chinese history- the past, the present and the future. Dealing with any important philosophy is complicated enough, but thousands of years of a foreign history makes it even more so. The history of those years could take up volumes but here they take up the opening third of the book.

After wading through roughly 2,515 years it, (in 100 pages), I felt over my head, the mind-numbing names of the multitude of Emperors and influential people seemed to fall through the sieve of my mind, yet I will say I was left with a clearer picture of Confucius's bigger influence, sometimes as a Sage, sometimes as a villain, in shaping Asian thought, culture and politics.

On the whole I grasped Confucius's ideals were to create a more harmonious society, by not only having the masses live by the proper values and virtues, but by having the ruling governments run on those good values and virtues also. Okay that's understandably simple. To put it even simpler in a context we Westerners can all understand-His rules were along the lines of Moses's Ten Commandments. Proper Rules for man and his government to live by.

But then it get's complicated. One man's values and rules to live by- are another man's chains and the main thrust of the book presented the ebb and flow of Confucianism to answer the ills of Asian society or cause the ills of Asian society. A heavy debate indeed.

Not to say that Schuman didn't nicely insert a short line of Confucius's quip's here and there that kept one going, a glass of water in the dry desert of a thousand grains of thoughtful history.

"The Superior man examines his heart."

"If you set an example to being correct who would dare to remain incorrect?"

"A virtuous person finds his true strength when faced with misfortune."

That's the stuff I wanted to hear.

It seems Chinese antiquity may have not been any different from the rest of antiquity, see-sawing through periods of kill/and /conquer to peace/through/principled prosperity. Most of antiquity throughout the world was run that way, though early on heavy on the kill/ and/conquer and grow/your-own territory. And within those times there were many other great thinkers in the vein of Confucius that tried to bring a higher level of ethics and values and thinking to their worlds too- such as Aristotle, Socrates, as well the author pointedly uses the example of Buddha and Jesus, Among others.

Clearly Asian culture through its history had a ying-yan relationship with Confucianism so it needed to metamorphize it over the years to conform to the needs of the time or maybe more accurately the leaders of the time. When society got out of control, or more Barbaric, those thinkers tried to use it as an answer to the ills of the time. Some even tried to elevate it to a religion, mainly once it hit the shores of Japan, by creating temples and ceremonies but it never quite made it to that religious realm, It never had the structure of the Christianity, or Judaism or Buddhism. And rightly so as Confucius never intended it to be a religion though he did say following the perfection of the rules brought one closer to 'The Way'.

One of Confucius's major ideas was that Government should be run like a family, assuming the proper traditions so in a way in-his-eyes they are interchangeable. Simply put everyone has their role, which they should perform dutifully, from higher up to lower down in the family as well as government. Everyone should proceed to fulfill that role with virtue and ethics that benefit the whole. No one should deviate for motivated purely for their own good. One should only question higher up's if there is some outstanding abuse being perpetrated but not by force-by engaging and participating for a change, ie- the soft powered approach of benevolence over coercion.

Actually Confucius's philosophies regarding government are not extreme. Balancing all that with freedom is the tricky part.

The other problem of always doing what is right is that it is impossible to satisfy all people at all times, Especially in the hands of the so-called wiser and better educated that should become the government. In the hands of many there will always be the Ying and Yan - the good and the bad.

I think the one Global community that we have now become calls upon us as Westerners to understand Confucianism in order to understand Asian peoples, for it represents the strongest ties in the mesh of their approach to life- wether they adhere to it or buck it-it is ingrained in their thinking. A fact we cannot ignore for the sake of good relations, of good trade and good government and world peace. No one country lives in isolation anymore and as East Asian is dubbed the most powerful emerging markets.(The nucleus of that cell being China-undoubtedly a powerhouse economy that at this very moment affecting all the world's economies-their slowing growth is slowing everyone's economies.)

And In doing that we must realize the West and Asia come at it from opposite thinking - Jeffersonian freedoms with our inalienable rights versus Confucius's thinking- that of the dominate over subordinate, of inalienable responsibilities of conformism.

But I would make the effort to go to the source also-the "Analects", the closest pure words of Confucius's teachings. For as you may listen to numerous preachers expound their interpretations of the Bible, so goes the numerous examples Schuman presents of laymen, scholars and Emperors, preaching Confucianism while using it for their own purposes. This way you can determine for yourself the true essences of Confucius's ideas and the value of them to his time as well as ours.

And Even though the words are from ancient times they do apply for all time. For example-Not everyone needs to be a farmer to feed themselves as they did in ancient times- that role has morphed into a trip to the grocery store. But that doesn't change the need to have food to eat. So goes those principles set down 2515 years ago, though they must be viewed through a different prism, they still answer a need in modern times.

It is the classic struggle between old and new ideas and ideals, as well as Chinese versus foreign ideas of how men should live, work and play. Can a society without a soul prosper and live in harmony? Clearly Asia is re-visiting that choice right now as it has periodically for thousands of years-Is Confucianism their Soul?

That question is certainly pertinent in China in 2015-Especially now that country is so prosperous and created a true middle class in world terms, wallowing in stuff and self- interest, rating self as more important than taking care of the family-community. (It feels in Confucianism as if those words are interchangeable.)

And maybe it is rightly so that the current leader Deng Xiaoping has indeed tried to re-introduce and re-educate the public of China on Confucianism. Maybe in answer to their societal problems of neglect of the aging and rebellious youth. (Though the commercialism of turning Confucius's hometown into nothing short of the extreme kitschy tourist destination paralleling in some ways the life-size pop-up's of a 17th century gentleman holding a box of chocolate Mozart balls that has invaded Salzburg-Austria, seems a bit too Western for Asia.)

Most certainly this is a book that should be read by Employees of international Companies that do business in the Asia, all foreign Diplomats and Heads of World Governments, especially our own, in order to understand the mindset better of Asian peoples. And maybe everyone else should be on that list too, so we can better understand our Asian friends, neighbors and co-workers.

I guess in the end I did get the jolt of philosophical introspection I thought I would find, just in a different form than I expected. Personally I think it is indeed worth a revisit to some of Confucius's thinking and maybe if used wisely in the right doses, it can better the lives of all peoples of the world.

The War Journal Of Major Damon "Rocky" Gause
Damon Gause
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
www.hbgusa.com
9780786884216, $18.99, PB, 181pp, www.amazon.com

"The War Journal of Damon "Rocky" Gause: The Firsthand account of One of The Greatest Escapes of World War II" reads like a combination Raid on Bataan, South Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Robinson Crusoe and The African Queen all rolled into one.

It is an incredibly well written, fast paced account (so fast I had to read it twice) of Gause's time as an American Airforce pilot in the Philippines during 1941- at the start of the WWII, who never actually flew a plane in combat, since the airfield was demolished in the first wave of attacks by the Japanese, but rather ended up being charged with firstly unloading supplies from trucks in Manila - to setting up radio communications in Bataan - to keeping the Japanese soldiers at bay manning a machine gun from a ditch on a hill- to just keeping alive by staying one foot ahead, though sometimes as close as a breath away, of the enemy.

Major Damon "Rocky" Gause proved to be better than Houdini at performing escaping acts, either hours or footsteps ahead of the ruthless Japanese soldiers swarming throughout the Philippine Islands of Luzon, Corregidor and Borneo. At times they were;

...so close the shelling became a constant nerve rattling sound: "During those days we were never without the braaam and crash of bombs and shells in our ears, and what had been verdant jungle when we arrived on Bataan was now shattered tree stumps and trampled grass and underbrush"....

...so close he could hear their barbaric taunting shouts: "A jarring kick in the side awakened me, and there were more sharp blows along the legs and back. I had been lying on my side. Although I opened my eyes, I was still so drugged from sleep my reflexes were slow in responding, and fortunately I made no movement. I snapped out of my lethargy when I heard Jap voices and men laughing. I had been mistaken for a dead American"....

...so close he could feel the rippling suction effect of their bayonets jabbing to find him in the deep brush off a river bank mere feet from where he was buried neck deep in the wet oozing muck: "A white beam flashed straight across the creek, and a bayonet and gun muzzle poked down into the water a foot in front of my eyes. I watched hypnotically and was preparing to dodge its slashes...."

...so close he could feel the enemies breath while laying adjacent to a sleeping soldier while trying to sneak through the middle of a Japanese regiment camp: "In a flash I dropped down on a sleeping mat beside sprawling Jap soldiers, and Baker, without any hesitation followed my example. I pulled the tarpaulin slowly off the Jap next to me. He gave a groan and turned over, and I covered my head with the sheet. I lay tense, straining every nerve...."

There were also two love stories of sorts that arose, one between "Rocky" and a local Philippine woman whose life he saved after she was hit by a shell in Manila, who in turn saved his life by offering him refuge with her family in the jungle after he was found washed up on an island shore sunburned and lifeless, and one between the Filipinos and Americans, specifically General MacArthur.

The death defying lengths the Filipinos went to help the Americans as well as the courageous fight they put up to once again secure their American style Democracy was remarkably valiant. I was surprised at the numbers of Americans that found sanctuary hiding out amongst the natives on the network of jungle islands, and the lengths the locals went to keep them updated on the movements of the Japanese and Americans, literally the state of the war, through the "Bamboo-Telegraph", a jungle radio system of information passed by word of mouth.

And even though the seas all around the South Pacific were looming thick with Japanese patrol boats and aircraft carriers from the shores of Manila to the shores of Australia, (and surprisingly including the shores of North Australia where the fight had spread by the fall of 1942), "Rocky" was determined to make his escape by sailing in a rickety native launch, though he had never sailed anything before, to the Aussie-land and freedom, with his grit and unending determination serving as the most useful tools to get him there.

The ending was quite poignant, with "Rocky" standing in front of MacArthur in the General's gleaming Australian headquarters (before the "Great Man" had the chance to make good on his promise to the Filipino people of "I Shall Return"). After months of being a castaway at sea, enveloped in an un-kept scruffy beard, his skin blackened from sunburn, his scraggly body clad in a shred of dirty rags, he managed to present a sharp salute while announcing, "Sir, Lt. Gause reporting for duty from Corregidor"......

This book is a must read for those interested in the history of WWII in the Pacific, as well as for the testimonial it presents to the indomitable spirit of the Filipino people in their pursuit of Democracy, and mostly for the amazing story of one man's 3200 mile journey of escape from the enemy at all odds in the jungles of the Philippine Islands.

Karen Chutsky
Reviewer


Clint's Bookshelf

Just Make Me A Sammich
Don Ake
Wojelay Publishing
9780998001807 $14.95 pbk / $8.69 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Just Make Me A Sammich is a collection of humorous essays from a wild mind, Don Ake. He explores a wide variety of topics, finding the absurd in the simple things and hilarious perspectives on more complex topics. His warped sense of humor will repeatedly catch you off guard. Sometimes politically incorrect, sometimes a bit naughty, but always witty. It is literally laugh-out-loud funny, story after crazy story.

Critique: Just Make Me A Sammich: Absurd Observations from a wild mind is irreverent, unfettered, eyebrow-raising, yet always funny. The stories (some of which were originally popular blog posts) range from author Don Ake being sexually harassed (well, technically) by a female co-worker, to supporting his beloved daughter's decision to get married outside in the pouring rain even though he privately opposed the idea 100%, to a "pooh bear" analogy of the economic stimulus of 2009-2010, and much more. Don't take the tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic-parody-of-a-sexist-cliche title too seriously or literally; Just Make Me A Sammich is a book that both men and women will find hilarious!

Confessions from the Comments Section
Jonathan Kieran
Privately Published
c/o Author Marketing Experts (publicity)
9780988568181 $9.95 pbk / $2.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In 'Confessions from the Comments Section: The Secret Lives of Internet Commenters and Other Pop Culture Zombies,' humorist Jonathan Kieran shines an uproarious and irreverent light upon 33 different "types" of internet commenter, exploring issues like religious hypocrisy, narcissism, and celebrity obsession while probing the hilarious depths to which human behavior will plunge when people think they are anonymous online. Read it and laugh or read it and weep ... especially if you happen to recognize yourself.

Critique: Humorous and insightful, Confessions from the Comments Section is a browse to prepare oneself for the digitally interconnected 21st century. Remember, the internet is "written in ink"; your comments today will very likely be viewable decades in the future - perhaps by a potential employer or love interest doing a background check! As funny as it is forewarning, Confessions from the Comments Section is both a showcase of what not to do while exercising one's right to free speech online... and a sparkling prize of inspiration for crafting Internet comments that convey a valuable and memorable message. Highly recommended!

We Go to the Gallery
M. Elia and E. Elia
Dung Beetle Ltd.
http://wegotothegallery.com
c/o Distributed Art Publishers (dist.)
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
9780992834913 www.artbook.com

Synopsis: Have you taken children to a gallery recently? Did you struggle to explain the work to them in plain, simple English? With this new Dung Beetle book by artist Miriam Elia--a tribute to and a parody of the much-loved British Ladybird early learning children's books of the 1960s--anyone can learn about contemporary art and understand many of its key themes. Join John and Susan on their exciting journey through the art exhibition, where, with Mummy's help, they will discover the real meaning of all the contemporary artworks, from empty rooms to vagina paintings or giant inflatable dogs.

Critique: We Go to the Gallery is eyebrow-raising adult satire couched in the format of an easy-reader book. Even though the sentences are tailored for the reading comprehension of a young child, We Go to the Gallery is emphatically not a children's book due to its references to sex, ennui, and other mature topics. "'Why is there a penis on the painting?' 'Because God is dead and everything is sex,' says Mummy." The colorful art, parodying the wholesome style of classic children's books, also shows some decidedly adult-only images, such as the aforementioned penis on a painting. Whether interpreted as a scathing criticism of modern art, a primordial expression of the futility of life, or a hilarious twist on sanitized children's literature, We Go to the Gallery is unforgettable.

Dark Turns
Cate Holahan
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781629531939, $24.99, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Nia Washington is an incredibly talented ballerina. She fought her way up from the streets and was nearing the pinnacle of her profession when an injury and a broken heart derailed her career. Taking a temporary job at an elite boarding school was supposed to give her time to nurse both body and soul. It was supposed to be a safe place to launch a triumphant comeback. It is anything but. Shortly after she arrives at the beautiful lakeside campus, she discovers the body of a murdered student, and her life takes a truly dark turn. It's not long before she is drawn into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with a ruthless killer. And Nia isn't the only target. She must use all of her street smarts to protect her dancers, save a wrongfully accused student, and rescue the man she loves.

Critique: An impressively well crafted murder mystery, "Dark Turns" reveals author Cate Holahan's total mastery of the genre. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Dark Turns" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.59).

The Do-Right
Lisa Sandlin
Cinco Puntos Press
701 Texas, El Paso, Texas 79901
www.cincopuntos.com
9781941026199, $16.95, PB, 306pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In 1959, Delpha Wade killed one of the two men who was raping her. It resulted in her going to prison. She wanted to kill the other one too, but he got away. Now, after fourteen years in prison, she's out. It's now 1973, and nobody's rushing to hire a parolee. Persistence and smarts land her a secretarial job with Tom Phelan, an ex-roughneck turned neophyte private eye. Together these two pry into the dark corners of Beaumont, a blue-collar, Cajun-influenced town dominated by Big Oil. A mysterious client plots mayhem against a small petrochemical company-why? Searching for a teenage boy, Phelan uncovers the weird lair of a serial killer. And Delpha, while on a weekend outing, suddenly is looking into the eyes of her rapist, the one who got away. "The Do-Right" conclusion is classic noir, full of surprise, excitement, and karmic justice. Author Lisa Sandlin's elegant prose, twisting through the dark thickets of human passion, allows Delpha to open her heart again to friendship, compassion, and sexuality.

Critique: A superbly crafted story that grabs the readers total attention from beginning to end, "The Do-Right" demonstrates author Lisa Sandlin's impressive mastery of the genre. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Do-Right" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Clint Travis
Reviewer


Gail's Bookshelf

The Bridge
Karen Kingsbury
Howard Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
216 Centerview Dr., Ste. 303, Nashville, TN 37027
9781476748658, $14.99, http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/howard

Karen Kingsbury's heartwarming story of dreams, young love and unmet expectations wrapped in second chances is an inspirational holiday read. However The Bridge's poignant tale of college students, love, forgiveness and grace is a good read any time of year.

Kingsbury centers the story around a favorite combination bookstore coffee shop where owners, Charlie and Donna Barton, serve up "coffee, conversations and good books" inside a store designed to bring people together. Where customers connect the past to the present and the future, which prompted the Barton's to name the bookstore The Bridge thirty years ago. While the Barton's treatment of customers like family made their business prosper the arrival of the digital age brought "dismal book sales" and fears of financial ruin.

College students Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly considered The Bridge their "hiding place" where they spent countless hours reading, studying and sharing dreams of the future in the bookstore's upstairs reading room. They were magical times of dreams for two college kids who had become fast friends.

However their dreams weren't supported by loves ones back home. Molly's father expected her to take over the family corporation when she finished college even though Molly dreamed of playing "the violin for the philharmonic." Ryan dreamed of joining a band and becoming a country guitarist while loved ones at home expected him to be a high school music teacher.

It seemed destiny had brought them together until a magical kiss brought Molly new dreams. Dreams that were suddenly shattered when Molly "should have said something" and didn't until it was too late to say anything.

Add tragedy, financial ruin and an unprecedented hundred-year-flood in a story that highlights the struggles of American book stores and you have what readers are calling an "instant classic." The Hallmark Movie Channel believed in the heartwarming story so much they made The Bridge into a premiere movie that debuted December 6 with the second half scheduled for December 2016.

Prepare to be entertained and inspired by this five star poignant love story wrapped in a powerful message of forgiveness and God's grace.

Pseudonym
Dennis E. Hensley & Diana Savage
Whitaker House
1030 Hunt Valley Circle, New Kensington, PA 15068
9781629116143, $14.99, www.whitakerhouse.com

What happens when a high school English teacher submits a student's paper to an award winning contest without her knowledge and the essay wins the "golden quill award" for writing excellence? For eighteen-year-old Sheila Gray the award "verified...her dreams of becoming an author weren't all that far-fetched." However, for her suspicious, domineering father it meant trouble and she wasn't surprised when he said, "writin' won't put food on yer table the way gardening and canning will."

It wasn't until Sheila mentioned the $500 cash award, the $100 savings bond and six-week college writing program scholarship that her father grabbed the envelope from her hand, studied the contents with disbelief and said, "What's the catch?"

Sheila knew there was only one "catch." Who would cook, clean and take care of her father and brothers while she was away. She had once said, "I'd give my life to become a best-selling author," the sub title of Pseudonym, Doc Hensley and Diana Savage's January 2016 release. What Sheila couldn't know was that her off-the-cuff remark would cost exactly that - "her life."

Thus begins a riveting suspense with such true-to-life characterizations, so many twists, turns and continual surprises, the pages almost turn themselves. Add naivete, an upper classman's diabolic agenda, a whirlwind summer romance and proposal of marriage attached to a deceptive promise and you have an emotionally charged mystery impossible to put down.

I kept telling myself, just one more page, but I couldn't stop. The true-to-life characterizations, intricate, in-depth and well-developed plot captured me up to and through the rocket-fueled ending. Narrative themes of submission, dominion and the cost and drive of creativity, complicated by the wily hand of fate will make readers question if they too might have "a date with destiny."

If you're looking for a book that prompts bursts of laughter, "Oh no's" and outright cheers Pseudonym belongs on your bookshelf, especially the shelf of anyone who harbors dreams of writing! When I reviewed Hensley's Jesus in the 9 to 5 December 2013 I saw he not only told a good story, but did so with a quirky dash of humor. Together these authors do that and more with their January release, Pseudonym.

Dr. Hensley and Diana Savage seriously challenge the stereotypical phrase coined by George Bernard Shaw in 1903, "Those who can, do and those who can't teach." This amazingly creative duo does both - write and teach. The good doctor, more affectionately known as Doc Hensley, chairs the Department of Professional Writing at Taylor University. While Diana Savage, in addition to speaking and providing professional writing, editing and website management assistance through Savage Creative Services, LLC also directs Northwest Christian Writers Renewal which the Northwest Christian Writers Association sponsors.

Incidentally, Doc Hensley will be the keynote for the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal conference May 13-14, 2016,Westminster Chapel in Bellevue.

Gail Welborn, Reviewer
https://plus.google.com/112878134284824899387


Julie's Bookshelf

Thirty Works of Art Every Student Should Know
Andrew Jay Svedlow
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
4050 Westmark Drive, Dubuque, IA 52002
9781465287861, $60.00, PB, 156pp, www.kendallhunt.com

Synopsis: Written from the experienced viewpoint of skilled artist Andrew Jay Svedlow, "Thirty Works of Art Every Student Should Know" examines thirty pieces of world-renown artwork, each of which representing a different style and movement from the vast history of art. "Thirty Works of Art Every Student Should Know" introduces art movements and artists that have helped make art what it is today and forces students to appreciate the long, rich history of art throughout the world. "Thirty Works of Art Every Student Should Know" gives readers an insight to the materials and methods used in the visual arts; informs readers of connections between art history and today, along with interesting facts about each of the cultures observed through the use of in-depth vignettes; challenges readers to continue research on each topic through the use of projects at the end of each chapter; educates readers in the deeper meaning of the chosen works of art, and tells where these works of art can be found throughout the world; and demonstrates various examples of the expressed movement through the use of high quality images.

Critique: Profusely illustrated, as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Thirty Works of Art Every Student Should Know" is the perfect introduction to the diversity, scope, and variety of art mediums from antiquity down to the present day. Ideal as a textbook for art appreciation curriculums, "Thirty Works of Art Every Student Should Know" is very highly recommended for both community and academic Art History reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. Commended for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in art, it should be noted that "Thirty Works of Art Every Student Should Know" is also available in an ebook format (9781465288387, $48.00).

Succulent Wild Love
SARK & John Waddell
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608683581, $22.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) has made a career out of sharing her personal, journal-like writings and art, and inspiring others with her vulnerable and honest journeys toward self-acceptance. She has helped her legions of fans craft lives filled with joy, creativity, and self-love -- and she even married herself in a "statement of self-liberation" described in "Succulent Wild Woman". And yet SARK had one big secret wish: overcoming her fears to commit to an intimate life partnership. So she embarked on a "Covert Love Operation", and, after much soul-shaping, it culminated in her meeting psychologist and spiritual teacher Dr. John Waddell -- and discovering Succulent Wild Love. They now teach and mentor together using the principles comprising "Succulent Wild Love", including six powerful habits that can transform any relationship or open you to create the partnership you want.

Critique: Thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in tone, organization and presentation, "Succulent Wild Love" is as thoughtful and informative a read as it is inspiring and motivating. Impressively well written and a thoroughly absorbing from beginning to end, "Succulent Wild Love" is very highly recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Succulent Wild Love" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Black Book of Arabia
Hend Al Qassemi
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9789927118098, $17.00, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A princess from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates writes stories about women who live and love in the Middle East. These candid, moving and inspirational tales will resonate with readers around the world. In the pages of Hend Al Qassemi's "Black Book of Arabia" readers will meet a princess whose best friend literally tries to steal her wedding, down to her bridal shoes and fiance; a bride who mysteriously goes blind on her wedding day and stays blind for years; a woman whose romantic Parisian honeymoon proves too good to be true; and a jealous wife who lures her husband into falling in love with another woman. These stories present an intimate picture of women's lives in the Middle East.

Critique: An inherently fascinating, fully absorbing read, and thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end, "Black Book of Arabia" is especially recommended for both academic and community library collections and will be invaluable in aiding the non-specialist general reader to discount the hyperbole demagoguery regarding Muslims and Islam that has become so prevalent in American right-wing national presidential politics. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Black Book of Arabia" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.59).

Payback
Jonnie Jacobs
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432831127, $25.95, 355pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A split-second decision sends a woman's life spiraling out of control. Wife and mother Marta Crawford is away on business when she stops at the hotel bar after a particularly difficult day. There she meets the charming Todd Wilson and, much to her dismay, wakes up the next morning in his bed. Filled with remorse and regret, she tells Todd she's made a terrible mistake and flees, hoping to put her reckless behavior behind her. But Todd isn't willing to let go. To her dismay, he worms his way into all corners of her life, befriending her husband and her business partner and seducing her teenage daughter, Jamie. "Payback" is a frightening and emotionally gripping tale of deception, determination, and love.

Critique: Impressively written, "Payback" is a riveting read from beginning to end and documents author Jonnie Jacobs as a particularly gifted novelist. Very highly recommended for personal reading lists, "Payback" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections.

This Earth You'll Come Back To
Barbara Roether
McPherson & Company
PO Box 1126, Kingston, NY 12401
www.mcphersonco.com
9781620540152, $16.00, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Rose Healy of Blanchardville, Ohio, child bootlegger, WWII veteran, devoted reader of Tolstoy, and heroic mother of ten, had the nerve to die before her youngest daughter could get home. Which, as Rose would say, was her own damn fault. Yet, when Stephanie returns after the funeral, restless and plagued by the same unease that drove her away thirty years earlier, she discovers that death is no object when two women need to talk. And Rose is talking, speaking out the secrets buried for generations in the heart of the heartland: what a mother will do to feed her children, who will protect them when she cannot, why Stephanie left home thirty years before, and what part of herself she left behind. Rose s penetrating wisdom and resilient spirit guide this journey through the inward and outward struggles of a working class family as they move from the rich promise of Ohio farmland in 1850 to the rustbelt ruins of 2005. "This Earth You ll Come Back To" captures the unpretentious colloquial voice of the American Midwest while exposing an archetypal story of startling sophistication. Tragic, triumphant, and wholly original, "This Earth You'll come Back To" introduces a new breed of literary heroes.

Critique: Original, exceptional, impressive, and an absorbing read from beginning to end, "This Earth You'll Come Back To" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as both community and academic library Literary Fiction collections.

The Rock
Monica McCarty
Pocket Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 13th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.pocketbooks.com
9781501108785, $7.99 PB, 432pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The first time he caught sight of Elizabeth Douglas, Thomas MacGowan thought she was a princess. To the son of the castle blacksmith, the daughter of the powerful Lord of Douglas might as well be. When it becomes clear that his childhood companion will never see him as a man she could love, Thom joins Edward Bruce's army as a man-at-arms to try to change his lot. If he's harbored a secret hope that he could close the gap between them, he faces the cold, hard truth when Elizabeth comes to him for help. She might need the boy who used to climb cliffs to rescue her brother from the hands of the English, but she would never see the son of a smith as a man worthy of her hand.

Critique: "The Rock" is another deftly crafted historical romance by Monica McCarty who continues to exhibit a mastery of the genre. Exceptionally well written and thoroughly entertaining, "The Rock" is very highly recommended for community library collections. For personal reading lists, it should be noted that this mass market paperback is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

The Palest Ink
Kay Bratt
Lake Union Publishing
9781503949447, $24.95, 388pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A sheltered son from an intellectual family in Shanghai, Benfu spends 1966 anticipating a promising violinist career and an arranged marriage. On the other side of town lives Pony Boy, a member of a lower-class family - but Benfu's best friend all the same. Their futures look different but guaranteed...until they're faced with a perilous opportunity to leave a mark on history. At the announcement of China's Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao's Red Guard members begin their assault, leaving innocent victims in their wake as they surge across the country. With political turmoil at their door, both Benfu and Pony Boy must face heart-wrenching decisions regarding family, friendship, courage, and loyalty to their country during one of the most chaotic periods in history. The prequel to the beloved Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters series by Kay Bratt, "The Palest Ink" depicts Benfu's coming-of-age during the tumultuous years of the Cultural Revolution.

Critique: A deftly crafted and riveting read from beginning to end, "The Palest Ink" once again demonstrates author Kay Bratt's extraordinary storytelling talents as a first class novelist. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Palest Ink" is also available in a paperback edition (9781503946163, $14.95) and in a Kindle format ($5.99).

Lucky Shot
B. J. Daniels
HQN
c/o Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
www.harlequin.ca
9780373788552, $7.99, 368pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: When hotshot reporter Max Malone gets a rare shot of Buckmaster Hamilton with a blonde woman near Beartooth, Montana, he chases down one of the senator's daughters to verify that the woman is his supposedly long-dead first wife. But Kat Hamilton won't give him the time of day, let alone any information about her mother. With his tousled blond hair, sexy stubble and an old straw cowboy hat topping off his long, lean frame, Kat can just tell Max isn't used to female sources denying him anything. But when her own life is put in jeopardy, it's Max who comes to her rescue. Seems someone is prepared to kill to keep the past in the past. Kat can't deny she needs Max to find out what happened to her mother, but will getting closer and closer to each other lead them to the truth or to danger? Max is determined to uncover the truth behind a decades-old disappearance even if it kills him!

Critique: A riveting read from beginning to end, "Lucky Shot" is another deftly crafted paperback novel from B. J. Daniels and very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Lucky Shot" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).

Postural Correction
Jane Johnson
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.HumanKinetics.com
9781492507123, $35.00, 232pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Profusely illustrated throughout, "Postural Correction" by Jane Johnson (a chartered physiotherapist and sport massage therapist specializing in occupational health) presents" 30 of the most commonly occurring postural conditions in a comprehensive format, providing hands-on therapists and body workers the knowledge and resources to help clients address their malalignments. Focusing on treatment rather than assessment, it takes a direct approach and applies specific techniques to improve posture from an anatomical rather than aesthetic perspective. Primarily concerned with the lengthening of shortened tissues to help realign body parts, "Postural Correction" offers a collective approach to remedying malalignment. Techniques vary for each posture correction, including deep tissue massage, simple passive stretches, soft tissue release, common trigger points, and gentle limb traction.

Critique: An ideal instructional reference for students, therapists, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest postural correction issues, "Postural Correction" is as informative and educational as it is thoroughly 'user friendly' in content, tone, organization, and presentation. "Postural Correction" is very highly recommended for professional, community, and academic library Health/Medicine instructional reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Postural Correction" is also available in a Kindle edition ($19.00).

Magical Mandalas Coloring Book: Magical Designs
Samantha Snyder
Doodle Art Alley Books
c/o AKA Associates Inc.
6007 North Sheridan Road, Apt 15A, Chicago, IL 60660
www.akabooks.com
9780983918219, $9.95, 104pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The newest adult coloring book title in the Doodle Art Alley Books series, "Magical Mandalas Coloring Book: Magical Designs" shares 50 doodle art images printed on one side of the page for all ages to color. These mandalas have been organized from simple to more intricate so that you can design your own beautiful pictures with the sacred circle of the mandala. Choose your color combinations and see what patterns they create. Let the magical designs take shape before your eyes. Experience greater focus, dedication, and patience that coloring can bring. Slow down and enjoy the colors and patterns coming to life in front of you. Take a deep breath, sit down, and color. Each doodle art image has been carefully selected to provide plenty of enjoyment, inspiration, and relaxation.

Critique: A Mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Indian religions, representing the universe. In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any diagram, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. "Magical Mandalas Coloring Book: Magical Designs" on one level is an adult coloring book that is just pure fun and a very pleasant way to pass the time. But on another level, especially with meditative music in the background, coloring in the images and patterns that comprising "Magical Mandalas Coloring Book: Magical Designs" can be a truly memorable and reflective experience that goes beyond ordinary entertainment. "Magical Mandalas Coloring Book: Magical Designs" is a very highly recommended addition to personal adult coloring book collections.

Crystal Prescriptions
Judy Hall
O Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781785350535, $17.95, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: An internationally known author, astrologer, psychic, healer and workshop leader, Judy Hall has been a karmic counselor for over forty five years. "Crystal Prescriptions: The A-Z Guide To Chakra Balancing Crystals And Kundalini Activation Stones" is the fourth volume in this outstanding A-Z series. This directory provides all you need to know about crystals for the chakras, subtle energy bodies and raising kundalini. There are many more chakras than the conventional seven that have traditionally been in use. As the frequency of the human organism is raised, additional chakras are opening up to assimilate higher dimensional energy. This frequency uplift, and overall well-being, can be facilitated by stimulating the rise of kundalini energy, which in turn can be activated with appropriate crystals. However, spontaneous kundalini awakening can be overwhelming. Fortunately crystals have the answer. This new directory in the A-Z series assists you to identify exactly the right crystal to release any blockages and return the chakras to a state of equilibrium. "Crystal Prescriptions" will enable the higher chakras to open and controlled kundalini rise to occur.

Critique: Comprehensive, detailed, exceptional in organized and presentation, ""Crystal Prescriptions: The A-Z Guide To Chakra Balancing Crystals And Kundalini Activation Stones" is an essential addition to personal, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the study of crystals and their uses that "Crystal Prescriptions" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.49).

Living Mindfully: At Home, at Work, and in the World
Deborah Schoeberlein David, author
David Panakkal, contributor
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
www.wisdompubs.org
9781614291534, $16.95, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the pages of "Living Mindfully: At Home, at Work, and in the World", author, educator, meditator, and mother Deborah Schoeberlein David walks her readers through a complete, easy-to-follow curriculum of mindfulness practice. Beginning with the very basics of noticing your breath, "Living Mindfully" shows how simple mindfulness practices can be utterly transforming. Each practice builds on the previous exercise like a stepping stone, until you have the tools to bring mindfulness into every aspect of your life including sex, parenting, relationships, job stresses, and more. "Living Mindfully" is an approachable guide for anyone who desires positive change.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Living Mindfully: At Home, at Work, and in the World" is thoroughly 'reader friendly' from first page to last, and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Living Mindfully" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).

Seated with Christ
Heather Holleman
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610
www.moody.edu
9780802413437, $13.99, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Many of us live in a prison of self-absorption. Shackled with pride and despair, we compare ourselves to others constantly in our frantic, unending pursuit of perfection. "Seated with Christ: Living Freely in a Culture of Comparison" by academician and public speaker Heather Holleman gets to the root of this behavior and charts a path to freedom. Scripture says that God's beloved are seated with Christ in the heavens (Eph. 2:6), treasured by Him and given a place at His table. Heather Holleman unveils what this means for us. It means we walk out on the fight for acceptance. We quit measuring ourselves to others. We leap free from cycles of shame. Securely-seated people can ask themselves hard questions about their lives; they can deal with sin, grieve their losses, and move forward in hope. From a position of security and self-forgetfulness they can joyfully do the good works prepared for them uniquely. They can even celebrate the successes of others. "Seated with Christ" is a deeply personal, liberating look at a glorious truth: that we have a place at God's eternal table.

Critique: Impressively articulate and well written, "Seated with Christ: Living Freely in a Culture of Comparison" is an exceptionally inspired and inspiring read from beginning to end. Also available in a Kindle edition ($8.79), "Seated with Christ" is very highly recommended to the attention of all members of the Christian community and dedicated students of the New Testament regardless of their denominational affiliation.

Julie Summers
Reviewer


Logan's Bookshelf

Serial Winner: 5 Actions to Create Your Cycle of Success
Larry Weidel
Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781626342347, $21.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: We all know people who seem to move from success to success, with barely a pause or dip in between. They're always excited about the next big project or goal. When trouble comes, they land on their feet. They are role models and opinion makers who lead rewarding lives. In a world full of people who almost win, these are the few who do it repeatedly and consistently. Larry Weidel has benefitted tremendously from the mentorship of some of these serial winners. Applying and adapting their lessons allowed him to achieve extraordinary success and coach others to do the same. In Serial Winner, he distills the 5 basic actions of the Cycle of Winning in "Serial Winner: 5 Actions to Create Your Cycle of Success" to help the reader: Move forward when you feel stuck; Crush early doubts and give yourself the best shot of succeeding; Overcome obstacles to win anyway; Maintain mental toughness until crossing the finish line; Avoid the winner s trap and use the momentum of each win to achieve the next. Through inspiring and funny stories and no-nonsense advice, "Serial Winner" exposes the myths and facts about successful people and shares essential insights into achieving whatever you want in life. Whether just starting a venture or looking to get out of a longstanding rut, "Serial Winner" lays out the steps for creating a regular pattern of success!

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented from beginning to end, "Serial Winner: 5 Actions to Create Your Cycle of Success" is a potentially life changing read. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, content, and commentary, "Serial Winner" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Serial Winner" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

Walter Chandoha: The Cat Photographer
Walter Chandoha
Aperture
547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10001
www.aperture.org
9781597113304, $29.95, 112pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Walter Chandoha has worked as a freelance photographer for more than four decades, landing more than 300 magazine covers and thousands of advertising campaigns. He began photographing cats shortly after the end of World War II and within the genre of commercial animal photography, Walter Chandoha is a master photographer. His photographs of cats in particular have appeared in the pages of National Geographic and Life magazine, and have been absorbed into the public subconscious via countless posters, pet-food packaging, T-shirts and other uses. The Internet is awash with cat pictures, but Chandoha's cat pictures might be seen as the forefather of them all. Chandoha's images are striking not only for their singular charm, but also for having established a vocabulary of the animal studio portrait with a signature look--clean, brightly colored backdrops and high-key "glamour" backlighting of the subjects. "The Cat Photographer" is a pure pleasure to browse through, but it also offers insight into the unique career of a successful commercial photographer who carved out his own niche. Here, Chandoha is interviewed by David La Spina, who has been working with Chandoha and his family to bring his archive to public attention, and Brittany Hudak. The interview includes photography tips and diagrams of Chandoha's studio setup, and an account of how the photographer came to make a living with animal photography.

Critique: Simply stated, "Walter Chandoha: The Cat Photographer" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library photography collections. It will also have an immense appeal for the non-specialist general reader who has a feline companion of their owns to take pictures of.

Shoot Like Scorsese
Christopher Kenworthy
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932320, $15.95, 144pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Christopher Kenworthy worked as a writer, director, and producer for fourteen years. In "Shoot Like Scorsese: The Visual Secrets of Shock, Elegance, and Extreme Character" Kenworth draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to provide aspiring directors with descriptive insights into how legendary director Martin Scorsese created films that range from the subtlest studies of relationships to violent gangster movies, with characters who are driven to the extremes of their personality. "Shoot Like Scorsese" looks at Scorsese's key techniques, showing how he uses space, framing, and a strong sense of direction, to en-sure that your films are brimming with tension, shock, and emotion.

Critique: Profusely illustrated, "Shoot Like Scorsese: The Visual Secrets of Shock, Elegance, and Extreme Character" is an informative and instructive read that is especially recommended, not only for aspiring directors but anyone engaged in the creation of a film project including assistant directors, producers, sound and lighting handlers, as well as actors. "Shoot Like Scorsese" should be considered an essential, core addition to professional, film school, and academic library Cinematic Studies instructional reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Shoot Like Scorsese" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.95).

The Last Armada
Des Ekin
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.us
9781605989440, $27.95, 420pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The date is 1601. The place is off the shores of Ireland. As thunder crashes and lightning rakes the sky, three very different commanders line up for a battle that will decide the fate of a nation. General Juan del Aguila has been sprung from a prison cell to command the last great Spanish armada. His mission: to seize a bridgehead in Queen Elizabeth's England and hold it. Facing him is Charles Blount, a brilliant English strategist whose career is also under a cloud. His affair with a married woman edged him into a treasonous conspiracy - and brought him to within a hair's breadth of the gallows. Meanwhile, Irish insurgent Hugh O'Neill knows that this is his final chance to drive the English out of Ireland. For each man, this is the last throw of the dice. Tomorrow they will be either heroes or failures. These colorful commanders come alive in this true story of courage and endurance, of bitterness and betrayal, and of drama and intrigue at the highest levels in the courts of England and Spain.

Critique: An impressively well written, exceptionally well researched, and thoroughly absorbing historical study of the last great naval battle between England and Spain, "The Last Armada: Queen Elizabeth, Juan del Aguila, and Hugh O'Neill: The Story of the 100-Day Spanish Invasion" by historian and journalist Des Ekin is very highly recommended for both community and academic library history collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Last Armada" is also available in a Kindle edition ($20.44).

Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns: A Strategic Approach
Anne Gregory
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100, Philadelphia, PA 19102
www.koganpageusa.com
9780749468736, $37.50, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Getting a public relations campaign or program off the ground can seem an overwhelming task. But, as with any project, the secret of success lies in good planning and effective management. This fully updated fourth edition of "Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns: A Strategic Approach" by Anne Gregory (Professor of Public Relations and the Director of the Centre for Public Relations Studies in the Faculty of Business and Law at Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England) provides a revised and more dynamic 12-step planning model to help all practitioners implement and run a campaign. With new coverage of key social media developments and using new case studies, Professor Gregory covers vital topics including: the role of PR in organizations; the importance of context; research and analysis; communication theory; setting objectives; publics and content; strategy and tactics; timescales and resources; evaluation and review.

Critique: A complete, comprehensive, up to date, and thoroughly 'user friendly' course of instruction under one cover, "Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns: A Strategic Approach" is very highly recommended for professional, corporate, community, and academic library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns: A Strategic Approach" is also available in a Kindle edition ($30.00).

Romance of the Grail: The Magic and Mystery of Arthurian Myth
Joseph Campbell
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
978160868324, $24.95, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Throughout his life, the late Joseph Campbell was deeply engaged in the study of the Grail Quests and Arthurian legends of the European Middle Ages. "Romance of the Grail: The Magic and Mystery of Arthurian Myth" is part of the Collected Works of Joseph Campbell series under the editorship of Evans Lansing Smith and collects under one cover all of Campbell's writings and lectures on Arthurian legends, including his never-before-published master's thesis on Arthurian myth, "A Study of the Dolorous Stroke". Campbell's writing captures the incredible stories of such figures as Merlin, Gawain, and Guinevere as well as the larger patterns and meanings revealed in these myths. Merlin's death and Arthur receiving Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, for example, are not just vibrant stories but also central to the mythologist's thinking.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and thoroughly absorbing read, "Romance of the Grail: The Magic and Mystery of Arthurian Myth" is a 'must read' for the legions of Joseph Campbell fans and will aptly serve as an introduction for the non-specialist reader with an interest in Arthurian mythology. Indeed, "Romance of the Grail" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library collections.

Planet Earth
David Baker
Haynes North America Inc.
861 Lawrence Drive, Newbury Park, CA 91320
www.haynes.co.uk
9780857338105, $36.95, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, "Planet Earth: The Practical Guide To Earth" by former NASA scientist David Baker provides factual information explaining the physical world in which we live by first setting the Earth within the context of the planetary system which orbits the Sun. Inevitably, because Earth is part of a bi-planetary system, "Planet Earth" explains how the Moon was formed from the Earth at a time very close to the beginning of the solar system, and how it has influenced the evolution of the Earth.

Critique: A complete course of instruction under one cover, "Planet Earth: The Practical Guide To Earth" is a superbly presented historical overview of the planet from the moment the Earth was created some 4.5 billion years ago to the present day. Informed and informative, exceptionally well organized and presented, "Planet Earth: The Practical Guide To Earth" is very highly recommended for personal, family, school, community, and academic library collections.

The Cowboy Legend
John Jennings
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
www.uofcpress.com
9781552385289, $34.95, 412pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Cowboy Legend: Owen Wister's Virginian and the Canadian American Ranching Frontier" by John Jennings (Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at Trent University) details the evidence that Everett Johnson was the prime inspiration for Owen Wister's cowboy. With an impressive range of scholarship and archival research, Jennings melds this realistic study of the cowboy frontier with an intriguing account of Wister's creation of the cowboy mystique.

Critique: An impressive work of exceptional scholarship, "The Cowboy Legend: Owen Wister's Virginian and the Canadian American Ranching Frontier" is a seminal study that is impressively enhanced with the inclusion of thirty-four pages of Notes; a thirty-two page Bibliography; and a nine page Index. "The Cowboy Legend" is highly recommended for both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the history of Canadian ranching in general, and the cowboy in Canadian popular culture.

Colors: A Book About a Magazine About the Rest of the World
Francesco Bonami
Damiani/Fabrica
c/o Distributed Art Publishers
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
www.artbook.com
9788862084246, $50.00, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Colors: A Book About a Magazine About the Rest of the World" explores the very best of more than 20 years of the influential magazine of the same name, a quarterly Italian publication "about the rest of the world." Founded in 1991 by photographer Oliviero Toscani and art director Tibor Kalman, each issue of Colors focuses on a single topic and follows it around the world, relying on images as heavily as text to tell stories. Some have called it the magazine of the MTV generation; Kalman himself described it as "a mix of National Geographic and Life on acid." In keeping with the structure of its unruly subject, the book treatment of Colors approaches its subject transversely, organizing content thematically to highlight the "Tumblr ante litteram" nature of the publication. Material is grouped under headings such as "That's Amore" (on physical and emotional love of all kinds), "Bang!" (on weapons, violence, lust and shock), "Elvis" (on fame, excess, degeneration, disguise and kitsch) and "I Want to Believe" (on faith, cult, and what we worship now). An attempt to tell the story of Colors in its own words--and make work carried out in the past speak to the present day--this volume recombines text and images from different issues, pulled from the entire 25-year history of the magazine. With a foreword by Francesco Bonami, "Colors: A Book About a Magazine About the Rest of the World" is a fitting representation of the antic and intelligent spirit that defines the magazine.

Critique: Profusely illustrated and featuring an informed and informative commentary from beginning to end, "Colors: A Book About a Magazine About the Rest of the World" is an inherently fascinating read and a very highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library collections. Indeed, this coffee-table sized edition of "Colors: A Book About a Magazine About the Rest of the World" would be appropriate as a Memorial Fund acquisition for any public library.

The Ambassador
Yehuda Avner & Matt Rees
The Toby Press
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776
www.tobypress.com
9781592643882, $24.99, 339pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: It's 1937 and the British Cabinet accepts the recommendations of the Peel Commission, establishing a Jewish State in the Land of Israel. Dan Lavi is a young diplomat sent by Ben-Gurion to serve as the country's first ambassador to Berlin, in an effort to save as many Jews as possible under the controversial Transfer Agreement. Surrounded by the terror and atrocities of the Third Reich, Dan struggles to uphold good relations and diplomatic protocol with those who want him dead, to negotiate Nazi party politics and Allied pressures, to reconcile his love for his family with his loyalty to his country, and to stop the Final Solution even if it costs him everything. Yehuda Avner's political insight combines with Matt Rees's novelistic skill in this fast-paced counter-historical thriller about a diplomatic mission to the Devil.

Critique: A riveting read from beginning to end, "The Ambassador" is a superbly crafted novel with a story that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. "The Ambassador" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library general fiction collections.

The Wizard's Guide to Energy Healing
Brett Bevell
Monkfish Book Publishing Company
22 East Market Street, Suite 304, Rhinebeck NY 12572
www.monkfishpublishing.com
9781939681492, $15.95, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the pages of "The Wizard's Guide to Energy Healing: Introducing the Divine Healing Secrets of Merlin", author Brett Bevell (Brett teaches regularly at Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, NY and at The Sanctuary in Koh Phangan, Thailand.) offers instruction for a system of energy healing called Magical Awakening, a playful yet powerful style of energy healing based in the Celtic shamanic concept of the three cauldrons, plus Arthurian imagery. It is a rich, Merlin-inspired magical energy healing system as playful as Harry Potter and more powerful than Reiki.

Critique: An informative and inherently fascinating read from beginning to end, "The Wizard's Guide to Energy Healing: Introducing the Divine Healing Secrets of Merlin" will prove to be a welcome addition to personal, community, and academic library Alternative Medicine and Metaphysical Studies instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. Fully accessible to the non-specialist general reader, it should be noted that "The Wizard's Guide to Energy Healing" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

Ethics in the Last Days of Humanity
Don Cupitt
Polebridge Press
900 State Street, Salem, Oregon 97301-3922
www.polebridgepress.com
9781598151701, $19.00, 120pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Ethics in the Last Days of Humanity" by academician Don Cupitt (a Life Fellow and former Dean of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, England) is not about the science of global warming so much as the absence of a serious ethical and religious response to it. When all existing 'reality' breaks down, ethics can no longer be based on nature or religious law. In the pages of "Ethics in the Last Days of Humanity", Don Cupitt persuasively advocates for an alternative inspired by the historical Jesus.

Critique: "Ethics in the Last Days of Humanity" is an informed, informative, thoughtful, thorough-provoking, and inherently absorbing read from beginning to end. Especially recommended reading for philosophy students and members of the Christian community (regardless of their denominational affiliation), "Ethics in the Last Days of Humanity" is highly recommended for community and academic library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Ethics in the Last Days of Humanity" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Controlled Recklessness
Nathan Sanderson
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
www.sdshspress.com
9781941813034, $29.95, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: As a cowboy, Ed Lemmon saddle-handled more cattle than any man in history. As a cattleman, he oversaw the largest fenced pasture in the world. Equally at home in both roles, Lemmon balanced reckless risk-taking and controlled management to shape the development of the cattle industry and become a central figure on the northern plains. Born in 1857 into a hardworking and resilient family, George Edward ( Ed ) Lemmon grew up learning how to bounce back from adversity. Despite several crippling accidents on horseback, he continued to pursue his passion. A full-time cowboy at twenty and a range manager at twenty-three, Lemmon finally achieved what few cowboys could: an ownership stake in one of the largest outfits on the plains, the Flying V. As the open range disappeared, Lemmon helped to transform the Northern Great Plains from a network of worn, dusty cattle trails to one of cattle towns linked by railroads. In "Controlled Recklessness: Ed Lemmon and the Open Range", author, historian, and South Dakota native, Nathan Sanderson explores the motivations that led one of the greatest cowmen on the plains to saddle up time and time again. Using Lemmon's own vibrant accounts, historical records, and corporate and government documents, Sanderson separates myth from reality. The result is a comprehensive look at Lemmon's colorful life and his perspective as both a cowboy and a cattleman at the end of the open-range era.

Critique: An impressive work of seminal scholarship that is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Controlled Recklessness: Ed Lemmon and the Open Range" is the latest addition to the outstanding South Dakota Biography Series from the South Dakota State Historical Society Press. An extraordinary and inherently fascinating read from beginning to end, "Controlled Recklessness" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, and academic library American Biography reference collections.

Judaism Alive
Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn
Gefen Publishing House
11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081
www.gefenpublishing.com
9789652296528, $18.00, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Judaism Alive: Using the Torah to Unlock Your Life's Potential" is an introspective guide in which Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn taps into the wisdom of the wisest of men Abraham, Joseph, and Moses to reveal ancient secrets of productivity and success. Along with passages from the Torah and quotes from noted Jewish scholars and leaders, Rabbi Einhorn incorporates thoughts and experiences from popular culture by citing the likes of the rock group Queen, Muhammad Ali, and inspirational speaker and author Tony Robbins, among countless others. With a wit and charm honed from his varied experiences as a rabbi, lecturer, and teacher, Rabbi Einhorn melds the ancient Jewish sources with the best of modernity to guide readers to a better, more fulfilled life.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Judaism Alive: Using the Torah to Unlock Your Life's Potential" is a valued addition to the growing library of contemporary Judaic literature and would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, synagogue, community, and academic library Judaic Studies reference collections and reading lists. It should be noted that "Judaism Alive" is also available in an inexpensive Kindle edition ($2.99).

Writing in a Speaking World
Peter Orton
ACMRS
Arizona State University
PO Box 874402, Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
9780866984935, $68.00, 266pp, http://acmrs.org/publications

Synopsis: "Writing in a Speaking World: The Pragmatics of Literacy in Anglo-Saxon Inscriptions and Old English Poetry" is a critical investigation of some manifestations of literate ways of thinking and expression in Anglo-Saxon writings. Two of its main themes are the relationship between runic and roman writing in both epigraphical inscriptions and manuscript poetry, and certain distinctive deictic usages, in particular the use of the first-person pronoun, 'I' or 'me', in reference to non-human subjects (inscribed media or artifacts, particular copies of texts, or the texts themselves). The Old English Riddles, comparable with inscriptions in their use of the first-person pronoun for non-human 'speakers', also sometimes combine runic and roman writing, and shed interesting light on contemporary ideas about literacy and orality. Finally, the Old English 'lyrics' of the Exeter Book illustrate certain difficulties involved in 'reclaiming' the first-person pronoun for human reference, and foreshadow later developments in human subjectivity in writing.

Critique: An impressive work of seminal scholarship throughout, "Writing in a Speaking World: The Pragmatics of Literacy in Anglo-Saxon Inscriptions and Old English Poetry" by academician and medieval literature expert Peter Orton is very highly recommended for academic library Medieval/Renaissance Literature reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

101 Different Ways to Build Homes and Pens for Your Animals
Randy LaTour & Sarah Ann Beckman
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
www.atlantic-pub.com
9781620230176, $14.99, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Animals need their own space, and nowhere is this more apparent than for those who own multiple animals. When not given their own private space to be alone in many animals, especially dogs and livestock will become overly territorial, marking space, and fighting with other animals or even humans for a place to call their own. Yet many owners put off or overlook the need for building homes for their animals because they think it might be too hard or time consuming. That could not be further from the truth however; and this book aims to prove just that. Written for every pet and livestock owner who has sighed or groaned at the prospect of building a home for their animals, "101 Different Ways to Build Homes and Pens for Your Animals: A Complete Step-By-Step Guide" shows you 101 different ways you can cut cost and time and effectively build a viable home for your animals. You will learn in "101 Different Ways to Build Homes and Pens for Your Animals" how to create homes from scratch for dozens of different kinds of animals. First and foremost you will learn how to assess the needs of your animals according to breed and personality, from indoor domesticated pets to outdoor livestock. You will learn what features these homes need to match your animals according to size, feeding habits, gender, whether you have more than one, and whether they will be bred or not. You will learn which building materials are best for which breeds' homes and how these materials can be purchased and used by yourself at home.

Critique: As informed and informative as it is step-by-step instructive and thoroughly 'user friendly', "101 Different Ways to Build Homes and Pens for Your Animals" begins with an introductory chapter covering tools and equipment, safety issues, materials and hardware, permits and building codes. Then the various do-it-yourself structures are organized into chapters on doghouses; cat homes; birdcages, birdhouses, and flight enclosures; fish aquariums; a turtle aquarium; snake pens; homes for guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, and rabbits; homes for chickens, ducks, and geese; building a horse barn; and homes for goats and sheep. Enhanced with a glossary, a bibliography, and an index, "101 Different Ways to Build Homes and Pens for Your Animals" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library collections. It should be noted that "101 Different Ways to Build Homes and Pens for Your Animals" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.24).

Carl Logan
Reviewer


Margaret's Bookshelf

Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence
Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610
www.moody.edu
9780802413390, $14.99, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Members of the Christian community should have a answer for the question -- When a low-income person asks your church for help, what do you do next? God is extraordinarily generous, and our churches should be, too. Because poverty is complex, however, helping low-income people often requires going beyond meeting their material needs to holistically addressing the roots of their poverty. But on a practical level, how do you move forward in walking with someone who approaches your church for financial help? Short and to the point, "Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence: A Practical Guide to Walking with Low-Income People" provides foundational principles for poverty alleviation and then addresses practical matters, like: How to structure and focus your benevolence work; How to respond to immediate needs while pursuing long-term solutions; How to mobilize your church to walk with low-income people. With practical stories, forms, and tools for churches to use, "Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence" is an all-in-one guide for church leaders and laypeople who want to help the poor in ways that lead to lasting change.

Critique: One of the most primary of God's commandments is to help the poor. Simply stated, "Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence: A Practical Guide to Walking with Low-Income People" is a critically important work that is very highly recommended reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliation. Commended for both community, church, and academic library Christian Studies reference collections and supplemental studies curriculums, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.59).

The Sacred Ego
Jalaja Bonheim
www.jalajabonheim.com
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781583949436, $22.95, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In The Sacred Ego, she tackles one of the core myths of popular spiritual culture - the myth of the ego, supposedly responsible for our greed, selfishness, and violence. In contrast, Bonheim approaches the ego as a sacred function worthy of honor and gratitude. With riveting stories from her work, she guides us into the depths of our collective psyche to pinpoint the real sources of our problems and illuminate our path to wholeness. Firmly grounded in a lifetime of practical experience, The Sacred Ego is a visionary, uplifting book that explains why our world is in crisis and how we can support the unprecedented transformational process that's underway.

Critique: "The Sacred Ego: Making Peace With Ourselves And Our World" by Jalaja Bonheim (an inspiring teacher, public speaker, counselor, author and circle leader) is An exceptionally thoughtful and thoroughly impressive work that is as informed and thought-provoking as it is "reader friendly' in organization and presentation. Inspired and inspiring, "The Sacred Ego" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Self-Help and Spirituality reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Sacred Ego" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).

Chasing Ghosts: A Memoir of a Father, Gone to War
Louise DeSalvo
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
www.fordhampress.com
9780823268849, $24.95, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: When literary biographer and memoirist Louise DeSalvo embarked upon a journey to learn why her father came home from World War II a changed man, she didn't realize her quest would take ten years or that it would yield more revelations about the man--and herself--and the effect of his military service upon their family than she'd ever imagined. During his last years, as he told her about his life, DeSalvo began to understand that her obsession with war novels and military history wasn't merely academic but rooted in her desire to understand this complex father whom she both adored and reviled because of his mistreatment of her. Although she at first believes she wants to uncover his story, the story of a man who was no hero and who was adversely affected by his military service, she learns that what she really wants is to recover the man he was before he went away.

Critique: A unique and truly exceptional study, "Chasing Ghosts: A Memoir of a Father, Gone to War" by Louise DeSalvo (Jenny Hunter Professor of Creative Writing at Hunter College) is an inherently fascinating and thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Chasing Ghosts" is also available in a Kindle edition. Special note: the type font in the paperback edition is quite small and those needing a larger font size for comfortable reading would be well advised to avail themselves of the Kindle edition which permits enlarging the type font as desired.

Stand: Staying Balanced With Answers for Real Teen Life
Shannon Perry
Carpenters Son Publishing
307 Verde Meadow Drive, Franklin, TN 37067
https://sites.google.com/site/carpenterssonpublishing
9781942587279, $14.99, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the pages of "With Stand: Staying Balanced with Answers for Real Teen Life", author, speaker and TV show host, Shannon Perry speaks the raw, but real truth to teen/tween girls, offering practical and spiritual advice to help them make the best decisions for their lives. Though Shannon holds a Master's Degree in Education and Counseling and is a Certified Instructor in Parenting and Crisis Counseling, she sought the input of ten teen girls who she met with regularly for several months in her home. The girls shared their real life issues, offering Shannon a personal glimpse into the topics that affect teenagers today. "Stand" addresses the most pertinent questions that concern young women, offering real-life advice on topics such as friendships, dating, self-esteem and body image, bullying, cutting, gender identity, sex, technology, and parental communication. Using wit, wisdom, and scriptural references. Shannon speaks in a language teen and tween girls understand.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Stand: Staying Balanced With Answers for Real Teen Life" is as informed and informative as it is inspired and inspiring. Very highly recommended for school and community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Stand: Staying Balanced With Answers for Real Teen Life" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Blind Shady Bend
Adina Sara
Regent Press
2747 Regent St., Berkeley, CA 94705
www.regentpress.net
9781587903281, $17.95, 370pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: None of the neighbors considered it trespassing. The run-down shack on five overgrown acres in the Sierra Nevada foothills had been abandoned for years. But their exploits on the land are suddenly threatened when a woman appears out of nowhere, claiming to have just inherited the place.

Critique: A deftly crafted read from beginning to end that is all the more impressive when considering that it is the author's debut as a novelist, "Blind Shady Bend" by Adina Sara is a rewarding and thoroughly entertaining read that will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Blind Shady Bend" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.19).

How To Talk To An Alien
Nancy du Tertre
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
12 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470
www.newpagebooks.com
9781632650214, $15.99, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In 1972, American astronomer and ufologist J. Allen Hynek first coined the term "close encounter." He also identified three types of close encounters with UFOs. Since then, several more types of encounters have been proposed. A close encounter of the fourth kind is an alien abduction. A closer encounter of the fifth kind is voluntary, bilateral contact with an alien species. We are no longer just looking at strange flying objects in the skies; now we are beginning to interact with the actual pilots, crew, and passengers! Do aliens exist? In 2013, one poll showed that nearly half of all Americans (48 percent) believe UFOs may be a sign of extraterrestrial visitation; another found that 10 percent of Americans claim to have actually witnessed an actual UFO; and yet another showed that 2.9 million Americans believe they had actually been abducted by aliens. If aliens exist and are visiting us, we need to talk! Who will speak to them on behalf of planet Earth? Who can translate their intentions (benign or evil) toward the human race? How can we learn about their advanced technologies? Can aliens speak human languages? These and even more fascinating questions are all addressed in "How to Talk to an Alien".

Critique: Nancy du Tertre, known as "The Skeptical Psychic," is a securities litigation attorney who became a trained psychic detective and a remote viewer trained in military CRV methods. In the pages of "How To Talk To An Alien" she reveals an impressive and articulate ability to create a study that is an inherently fascinating and a thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end. Especially recommended to the attention of student of ufology. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "How To Talk To An Alien" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.49).

Put Anxiety Behind You
Peter Bongiorno
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781573246309, $18.95, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist, Peter Bongiorno has been researching natural approaches to anxiety for over 20 years and treating patients for a dozen. His interest was both professional and personal; he had his own history with debilitating anxiety. In "Put Anxiety Behind You: The Complete Drug-Free Program" he offers his holistic approach to healing anxiety and avoiding relapse, with a toolkit that includes foods and plant-based medicines, plus anxiety-reducing yoga poses, massage techniques, and acupressure points you can try on your own for lasting relief. Bongiorno also tackles how to safely wean from anti-anxiety medication and how to supplement conventional medications with herbs and other remedies to increase their efficacy and reduce side effects. If you are one of the 40 million Americans with panic attacks, phobias, or other anxiety-related issues limiting your life, or are in close relationship with someone who is, "Put Anxiety Behind You" will be a lifeline.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Put Anxiety Behind You: The Complete Drug-Free Program" is an ideal for the non-specialist general reader seeking to deal with the problems and stresses of contemporary daily life that breed the debilitating state of anxiety. Enhanced with the inclusion of four appendices (Checking Under the Hood: Lab Tests; Great Natural Medicine Resources; Supplemental Resources; Quick Breakfast Ideas), a fourteen page list of References, and a twenty-five page Index, "Put Anxiety Behind You" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists as well as both community and academic library reference collections. It should be noted that "Put Anxiety Behind You" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).

Accidental Grace: Poetry, Prayers, and Psalms
Rami M. Shapiro
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
www.paracletepress.com
9781612616551, $22.00, 176pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Spiritual teacher, writer, rabbi, and poet, Rami Shapiro has taught thousands of people in workshops across North America for a quarter century. His books have sold in the hundreds of thousands. But before he did any of those things he was writing poems, psalms, and prayers that were anthologized in the Jewish siddurim of several different denominations. He did most of this work while he was a pulpit rabbi in Florida. Still today, every week at services, Jews in the Reform and Reconstructionist movements read Rami's verse in their prayer books. Now, those spiritual teachings have been gathered into one volume, "Accidental Grace: Poetry, Prayers, and Psalms", incorporating all of Rami's poetic work over the course of his long and varied career. The result is startling - as if we've discovered a new spiritual teacher of great importance, all in verse.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Accidental Grace: Poetry, Prayers, and Psalms" is an absorbing and rewarding read from first page to last. An impressive anthology of the thought and poetry of Rabbi Shapiro, "Accidental Grace" is very highly recommended for anyone seeking spiritual guidance amidst the vicissitudes of daily life in these contemporary times. Highly recommended for inclusion into community and academic library Contemporary Poetry collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Accidental Grace" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.95).

The Tears Of Dark Water
Corban Addison
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.thomasnelson.com
9780718042202, $25.99, 464pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Daniel and Vanessa Parker are an American success story. He is a Washington, DC, power broker, and she is a physician with a thriving practice. But behind the gilded facade, their marriage is a shambles, and their teenage son, Quentin, is self-destructing. In desperation, Daniel dusts off a long-delayed dream of a sailing trip around the world. Little does he know, the voyage he hopes will save them may destroy them instead. Half a world away on the lawless coast of Somalia, Ismail Adan Ibrahim is living a life of crime in violation of everything he was raised to believe except for the love and loyalty driving him to hijack ships for ransom and plot the rescue of his sister, Yasmin, from the man who murdered their father. There is nothing he will not do to save her, even if it means taking innocent lives. Paul Derrick is the FBI's top hostage negotiator. His twin sister, Megan, is a celebrated defense attorney. They have reached the summit of their careers by savvy, grit, and a secret determination to escape the memory of the day their family died. When Paul is dispatched to handle a hostage crisis at sea, he has no idea how far it will take him and Megan into the past or the chance it will give them to redeem the future. Across continents and oceans, through storms and civil wars, the paths of these individuals converge in a single, explosive moment. It is a moment that will test them and break them, but it will also leave behind an unexpected glimmer of hope - that out of the ashes of tragedy and misfortune, the seeds of justice and reconciliation can grow.

Critique: An extraordinary and thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end, "The Tears Of Dark Water" showcases the impressively honed storytelling skills of author Corban Addison. "The Tears Of Dark Water" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Tears Of Dark Water" is also available in a paperback edition (9780718042394, $16.99), in a Kindle format ($9.99), and in a complete and unabridged audio book edition (Recorded Books, C03957, $71.78, 15 CDs, 18 Hours, 6 Minutes).

Sex, Love, and Dharma
Simon Chokoisky
Destiny Books
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620552872, $19.95, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Simon Chokoisky teaches Sanskrit and Medical Astrology at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also runs a private consulting business based on his trainings in Vedic life mapping and Vedic astrology. In "Sex, Love, and Dharma: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Relationships" he enables his readers to discover their dharma type and prepare their body, mind, and spirit to attract and build a lifelong union with their soul mate. Readers will explores how the dharma types align in relationships, giving quick and simple insights into which dharma pairings work and which ones need work; learn detailed methods for attracting a mate as well as practical techniques for improving one's sex life, including the best time to have sex during the day. "Sex, Love, and Dharma" also provides self-tests to determine dharma type and outlines unique ayurvedic diet, exercise, detox, and lifestyle tips for better health and sex appeal.

Critique: Informative, articulate, exceptionally well written, thought-provoking, inspired and inspiring, "Sex, Love, and Dharma: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Relationships" is an inherently absorbing read from beginning to end and very highly recommended, especially for mature readers seriously seeking to discover, improve, or enhanced their personal relationship with their significant life partner.

The Spirituality Of Age
Robert L. Weber & Carol Orsborn
Park Street Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620555125, $14.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Spirituality of Age: A Seeker's Guide to Growing Older" is a compassionate guide for transforming aging into spiritual growth. Readers will be engaged with 25 key questions guiding them to mine previously untapped veins of inspiration and courage, as well as finding a constructive role for regret and fear and embrace the freedom to become more fully themselves. "The Spirituality o Age" draws from both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions and offers the latest research in psychological and religious theory to cultivate spiritual potential.

Critique: Co-authored by Robert L. Weber (Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School and a former Jesuit) and Carol Orsborn (founder and editor-in-chief of "Fierce with Age: The Digest of Boomer Wisdom, Inspiration, and Spirituality"_and the author of more than twenty books for and about the Boomer generation), "The Spirituality of Age: A Seeker's Guide to Growing Older" is enhanced with the inclusion of an appendix offering twelve exercises for seekers, a seven page list of recommended readings, six pages of notes, and a nine page bibliography. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library Spirituality & Aging reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject of spirituality an the aging process that "The Spirituality Of Age" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

The Soul of Ancient Egypt
Robert Bauval & Ahmed Osman
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591431862, $18.00, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The collaborative work of Egyptologists Robert Bauval and Ahmed Osman, "The Soul of Ancient Egypt: Restoring the Spiritual Engine of the World" is an informed and informative examination of the cultural occupations of Egypt over the past two millennia and how we in this 21st Century world can return to the sacred harmony of ancient Egypt. "The Soul of Ancient Egypt" explores the golden civilization of ancient Egypt and its system of natural magic that birthed the Western Mystery tradition; examines each phase of Egyptian history from the Pharaonic period, through the Roman conquest, to the ongoing Islamization; and provides a revised portrait of the life of Muhammad, revealing his connections to the Essene tradition. Of special note is the revelation of how even the dams built on the Nile are impeding Egypt's sacred role, and the call for a return to the original tenets of Egyptian civilization, one that sustained itself in harmony and peaceful creativity for more than three millennia.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and absorbing read from beginning to end, "The Soul of Ancient Egypt: Restoring the Spiritual Engine of the World" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Egyptian History and Metaphysical Studies reference collections. Impressively accessible for both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in ancient mysteries for modern times, it should be noted that "The Soul of Ancient Egypt" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Margaret Lane
Reviewer


Mason's Bookshelf

To Hell and Back: Europe 1914-1949
Ian Kershaw
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780670024582, $35.00, 624pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The European catastrophe, the long continuous period from 1914 to 1949, was unprecedented in human history and an extraordinarily dramatic, often traumatic, and endlessly fascinating period of upheaval and transformation. "To Hell and Back: Europe 1914-1949" is the newest volume in the outstanding Penguin History of Europe series and offers a comprehensive and detailed coverage of this tumultuous era. Beginning with the outbreak of World War I through the rise of Hitler and the aftermath of the Second World War, British historian Ian Kershaw (a Fellow of the British Academy, of the Royal Historical Society, of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, and of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung in Bonn) combines his characteristic original scholarship and gripping prose as he profiles the key decision makers and the violent shocks of war as they affected the entire European continent and radically altered the course of European history. Kershaw identifies four major causes for this catastrophe: an explosion of ethnic-racist nationalism, bitter and irreconcilable demands for territorial revisionism, acute class conflict given concrete focus through the Bolshevik Revolution, and a protracted crisis of capitalism. Incisive, brilliantly written, and filled with penetrating insights, "To Hell and Back" offers an indispensable study of a period in European history whose effects are still being felt today.

Critique: Simply stated, no community or academic library 20th Century European History collection can be considered complete or up-to-date without the inclusion of Ian Kershaw's "To Hell and Back: Europe 1914-1949". Of immense interest to academic and students of the two World Wars, "To Hell and Back: Europe 1914-1949" is fully accessible and recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in what some considered to be one long extended European conflict that had a twenty year interlude between the two halves of a whole. For person reading lists it should be noted that "To Hell and Back: Europe 1914-1949" is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.99).

Black Apples of Gower
Iain Sinclair
Little Toller Books
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781908213280, $35.00, 184pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the pages of "Black Apples of Gower", author Iain Sinclair is digging into memory to realize that a series of walks from Port Eynon Point to Worm's Head, in Wales, had become bookmarks for the significant stages in his life. Sinclair comes to realize that the defining quest is for access to the Paviland Cave, where the Red Lady was discovered. Who, as it turned out, was no lady but a young man put to ground 36,000 years ago. All the threads of the story knot within this potent and still mysterious cavern.

Critique: A truly exceptional approach to British regional history, "Black Apples of Gower" is a thoroughly absorbing and inherently fascinating read from beginning to end. Articulate, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Black Apples of Gower" is very highly recommended to the non-specialist general reader with an interest in a deftly crafted and unique approach to the study of history, and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library collections.

Oscar Romero: Prophet of Hope
Roberto Morozzo della Rocca
Pauline Books & Media
50 St. Pauls Avenue, Boston, MA 02130
www.pauline.org
9780819854667, $21.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Oscar Romero: Prophet of Hope" by Roberto Morozzo della Rocca (academician and historian at Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy) is compelling biography of Oscar Romero and reveals a man's dramatic change from a silent upholder of the status quo to a defender of the poor and the voiceless. Thirty-five years after his assassination, Pope Francis has declared Oscar Romero a martyr. "Oscar Romero: Prophet of Hope" is published to coincide with Romero's beatification, and gives readers a heightened understanding of his Gospel courage and heroism. Working closely with the postulator for the cause, historian Roberto Morozzo della Rocca had unique access to the official archives detailing Romero's life and unpublished documents showing his relationship with St. John Paul II and his pastoral outreach to those in need. The biography traces out Romero's journey of personal holiness and his love for the Church and for the poor and defenseless. Through his life and through his martyrdom, Romero remains a prophet of hope, who continues to remind us: "Let us give to the things of this earth their relative value. Let us not make wealth an absolute, nor the struggle, nor the party, nor the organization. Nothing on this earth has absolute value; everything is relative compared with the one and only Absolute.

Critique: As informed and informative as it is absorbing and inspiring, "Oscar Romero: Prophet of Hope" is very highly recommended reading for all members of the Catholic faith. Very highly recommended for community and academic library biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Oscar Romero: Prophet of Hope" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order
Ron Rhodes
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736964319, $15.99, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The readers of "90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order" by Ron Rhodes (President of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries) will encounter the story of Jesus and the early church like never before in this daily chronological tour through the New Testament. With one short reading a day, readers will see how the Gospels, Acts, and all the letters fit together. Each daily reading includes: Scripture Readings and Insights with short passages of the New Testament and easy-to-understand notes on each verse; Major Themes as brief summaries of the most important ideas; Cross-References in the form of several other passages that can be looked up on relevant topics; Life Lessons as practical applications to everyday life; and Questions for Reflection and Discussion that are thought-provoking conversation starters for group discussions or personal journaling.

Critique: Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, inspired and inspiring, "90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order" is very highly recommended for all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliation. Of special note for personal reading lists is that "90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).

Memoirs Red and White: Poland, the War, and After
Peter F. Dembowski
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.undpress.nd.edu
9780268026202, $25.00, 216pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Born after World War I into an educated and progressive Polish family, Peter F. Dembowski was a teenager during the joint occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. "Memoirs Red and White: Poland, the War, and After" is the account of his life as a young Polish soldier, as an immigrant to Canada, and finally as an American professor is a gripping narrative of life before, during, and after the horrors of World War II. Skillfully weaving a tapestry of emotion and history, Dembowski recounts the effects of loss: at age twelve, his father's death; and later, the arrest of his mother and sister by the Gestapo and their execution in 1942 in the women's concentration camp of Ravensbruck. Balancing those tragedies, Dembowski recalls the loving care given him by Janina Dembowska, the wife of his paternal uncle, as well as the inspiring strength of character he witnessed in his teachers and extended family. Still a very young-looking teenager, Dembowski became involved with the Polish Underground in 1942. Suspected as a konspirator, he was incarcerated in Pawiak Prison and later, after a rare release, fought in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. His on-the-ground account describes the deprivations Polish soldiers faced as well as the fierce patriotism they shared. With the defeat of the Uprising, he was deported to Sandbostel; once liberated, he joined the Polish Army in Italy, serving there for two years. In 1947, Dembowski made the momentous decision not to return to Poland but rather to emigrate to Canada. We learn of his stint as a farmhand and, later, of his studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He continued his education in France, receiving a Doctorat de l'Universite de Paris in Russian philology and, in 1960, a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley in medieval French. In tandem with his successful academic career teaching at the University of Toronto and at the University of Chicago, Dembowski describes his happy marriage and the joy of family life.

Critique: An impressively written and detailed autobiography, "Memoirs Red and White: Poland, the War, and After" showcases a life live out in interesting times. An informative and absorbing read from beginning to end, "Memoirs Red and White" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Memoirs Red and White" is also available in a Kindle edition ($23.75).

Rust
Corbin Bernsen
Pelican Book Group
PO Box 1738, Aztec NM 87410
http://pelicanbookgroup.com/rustnovel
9781611165111, $15.99, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the midst of a crisis of faith, a man finds hope where he least expects it - his hometown. James Moore is a former pastor who returns home to discover his childhood friend is implicated in the arson of a farmhouse and the murder of an entire family. Convinced of his friend's innocence, James sets out to find the truth. In the process he reclaims a relationship with his father, restores hope to a floundering congregation, and rediscovers his own lost faith. Rust is an uplifting tale about faith, family and the powerful ties that bind a community.

Critique: An absorbing novelization of Corbin Bernsen's film of the same title, "Rust" is a compelling and deftly crafted Christian-themed novel from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Rust" is also available in an inexpensive Kindle edition ($1.99).

Twilight of the Wolves
Edward J. Rathke
Perfect Edge Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781782793397, $18.95, 292pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Twilight of the Wolves" by Edward J. Rathke is an epic fantasy involving a man cursed by a dying god's blessing, a mute eunuch carrying the dead to the Goddess of Death, and a young girl saved from a burning metropolis only to be raised by the cursed man and two wolf gods. These three lives intersect and become bound together as they walk with gods, watch them die, and hide from the terror that is humanity's lust for violence and destruction. Wandering across countries and cultures, the characters discover the cacophony and contradiction of visions and values that define humanity. They see the collision of cultures highlighting the definitions of civilization and try to find their place within and without them. The past, present, and future haunt the people of this world as they wander on, hoping to find an answer to the questions buried deepest.

Critique: A beautifully crafted story of unexpected plot twists and turns, "Twilight of the Wolves" is an inherently fascinating and thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end -- and one that will have very strong appeal for fantasy fiction enthusiasts. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Fantasy & Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Twilight of the Wolves" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

The Tudor Discovery of Ireland
Christopher Maginn & Steven G. Ellis
Four Courts Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
www.isbs.com
9781846825736, $74.50, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The rapid acquisition of knowledge about Ireland in Tudor times constituted a discovery of no small importance for the development of the early modern English state. How the Tudors, and the most influential members of the political establishment who served them, came to be acquainted with Ireland, including its history, with its politics and economy, as well as with its people and geography, and how that acquired knowledge was applied is the subject of "The Tudor Discovery of Ireland". It includes in its analysis an edition of a previously unexamined 16th-century manuscript (the Hatfield Compendium) as a means of exploring the phenomenon of knowledge acquisition and its relationship to the determination of Tudor policy. "The Tudor Discovery of Ireland" shows that before the Tudor conquest of Ireland there was the Tudor discovery of Ireland

Critique: The collaborative work of Christopher Maginn (Professor of History, Fordham University, New York) and Steven G. Ellis Professor of History, NUI Galway, Ireland), "The Tudor Discovery of Ireland" is an impressively well written work of exceptional scholarship that is enhanced with the inclusion of illustrations, an eight page bibliography, and a nine page index. A welcome and very highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Irish History, Medieval Studies, Renaissance Studies, and Irish Archaeology reference collections and supplemental studies lists.

Judaism Alive
Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn
Gefen Publishing House
11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081
www.gefenpublishing.com
9789652296528, $18.00, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Judaism Alive: Using the Torah to Unlock Your Life's Potential" is an introspective guide by Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn in which he taps into the wisdom of the wisest of men Abraham, Joseph, and Moses to reveal ancient secrets of productivity and success. Along with passages from the Torah and quotes from noted Jewish scholars and leaders, Rabbi Einhorn incorporates thoughts and experiences from popular culture by citing the likes of the rock group Queen, Muhammad Ali, and inspirational speaker and author Tony Robbins, among countless others. With a wit and charm honed from his varied experiences as a rabbi, lecturer, and teacher, Rabbi Einhorn melds the ancient Jewish sources with the best of modernity to guide readers to a better, more fulfilled life.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, deftly organized and presented, as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Judaism Alive: Using the Torah to Unlock Your Life's Potential" is an inspired and inspiring addition to synagogue, community, and academic library Judaic Studies reference collections and supplemental studies curriculums. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Judaism Alive" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

The Middleman Economy
Marina Krakovsky
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
www.palgrave-usa.com
9781137530196, $30.00, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: If you're a PowerSeller on eBay, or a real-estate agent showing houses to your client, or a sales rep in any field (as more than two million Americans are), you're not just pushing products. If you're worth your salt, you're a Certifier, staking your reputation on the quality of the goods you represent. Far from killing the middleman, the Internet has generated a thriving new breed. Between 1999 and 2010, just as the Internet was transforming the world, middlemen's contribution to the United States' GDP has actually grown from a quarter to more than a third of our economy. In "The Middleman Economy: How Brokers, Agents, Dealers, and Everyday Matchmakers Create Value and Profit", Silicon Valley-based reporter Marina Krakovsky elucidates the six essential roles that middlemen play.

Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of twenty pages of Notes and a fifteen page Index, "The Middleman Economy: How Brokers, Agents, Dealers, and Everyday Matchmakers Create Value and Profit" is an impressively well written, deftly organized and presented study of a key aspect of the modern American (and global) economy. An inherently absorbing, informed and informative read, "The Middleman Economy" is very highly recommended for both community, corporate, and academic library Contemporary Economics reference collections and supplemental studies curriculums. For the personal reading lists of entrepreneurs and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in modern economic issues, it should be noted that "The Middleman Economy" is also available in a Kindle edition ($19.25).

Grant Park
Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Boldon
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com
9781932841916, $24.95, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Grant Park" is a deftly crafted novel by Leonard Pitts, Jr. and begins in 1968, with Martin Luther King's final days in Memphis. The story then moves to the eve of the 2008 election, and cuts between the two eras. Disillusioned columnist Malcolm Toussaint, fueled by yet another report of unarmed black men killed by police, hacks into his newspaper's server to post an incendiary column that had been rejected by his editors. Toussaint then disappears, and his longtime editor, Bob Carson, is summarily fired within hours of the column's publication. While a furious Carson tries to find Toussaint and simultaneously dealing with the reappearance of a lost love from his days as a 60s activist, Toussaint is abducted by two white supremacists plotting to explode a bomb at Barack Obama's planned rally in Chicago's Grant Park. Toussaint and Carson are forced to remember the choices they made as young men, when both their lives were changed profoundly by their work in the civil rights movement.

Critique: An absolutely absorbing read from beginning to end, "Grant Park" is a compelling and entertaining novel of unexpected twists and surprising turns throughout. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Grant Park" is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.99).

Cut and Cover
Kevin Hurley
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781634504966, $25.99, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: To most people, Maj. John Rexford is a retired Marine living in the Catskill Mountains of New York on disability. Even John's girlfriend, Maggie, has no idea he's really a CIA spook recruited in Afghanistan and assigned to kill enemies on US soil. With exemplary skills in hand-to-hand combat and small arms weaponry, John Rexford completes a string of successful kills, eliminating terrorists and their money supply in the New York Metropolitan area. With the FBI hot on his trail for these illegal assassinations, John must find a way to stop an international team of explosives experts from destroying New York City's aqueducts, killing thousands with chlorine gas, and burning the five boroughs to the ground. During his mission, John runs afoul of a high level underworld assassin who uses his mastery of yoga to silently strangle his victims. When the assassin discovers John's one liability (his girlfriend, Maggie) John will have to make a terrible choice between her life and the capture of her abductor. This tightly scripted story begins with a terrorist plot and gradually turns into a clash between two professional killers, with the lives of both John Rexford and Maggie hanging in the balance. As the characters collide with deadly force on the streets of New York in Cut and Cover, the line between right and wrong blurs, long-standing loyalties are questioned, and no one is really sure, even if they succeed, what the final outcome will be.

Critique: An inherently absorbing read from beginning to end, "Cut and Cover" documents author Kevin Hurley as a master of the suspense thriller genre. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Cut and Cover" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).

The Trench Angel
Michael Keenan Gutierrez
Leapfrog Press
P.O. Box 505, Fredonia, NY 14063
www.leapfrogpress.com
9781935248712, $16.95, 250pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Set in 1919 Colorado, photographer Neal Stephens is finally home from the war in Europe, only to find himself blackmailed by the sheriff over his secret marriage to a black woman in France. When the sheriff is murdered, Neal's investigation calls up memories of the trenches and his search for his dead wife, as he untangles the connections among the murder, the coal miners' strike, and his mysterious anarchist father.

Critique: An inherently absorbing and exceptionally well crafted novel from beginning to end, "The Trench Angel" showcases the extraordinary storytelling talents of author Michael keenan Guiterrez. "The Trench Angel" is very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of mystery buffs it should be noted that "The Trench Angel" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).

Wall Street's Think Tank
Laurence H. Shoup
Monthly Review Press
146 West 29th Street, Suite 6W, New York, NY 10001
www.monthlyreview.org
9781583675519, $34.00, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The Council on Foreign Relations is the most influential, non-governmental, foreign-policy think tank in the United States, claiming among its members a high percentage of government officials, media figures, and establishment elite. For decades it kept a low profile even while it shaped policy, advised presidents, and helped shore up U.S. hegemony following the Second World War. In 1977, Laurence H. Shoup and William Minter published "Imperial Brain Trust" which was the first in-depth study of the CFR and an explosive work that traced the activities and influence of the CFR from its origins in the 1920s through the Cold War. "Wall Street's Think Tank: The Council on Foreign Relations and the Empire of Neoliberal Geopolitics, 1976-2014" is the sequel to that original and groundbreaking study. It follows the CFR from the 1970s through the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union to the present. It explains how members responded to rapid changes in the world scene: globalization, the rise of China, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the launch of a "War on Terror," among other major developments. In "Wall Street's Think Tank" Shoup argues that the CFR now operates in an era of "Neoliberal Geopolitics," a worldwide paradigm that its members helped to establish and that reflects the interests of the U.S. ruling class, but is not without challengers. "Wall Street's Think Tank" is an essential guide to understanding the Council on Foreign Relations and the shadow it casts over recent history and current events.

Critique: Articulate, well organized, deftly presented, as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Wall Street's Think Tank: The Council on Foreign Relations and the Empire of Neoliberal Geopolitics, 1976-2014" is essential reading for academia and non-specialist general readers with an interest in America's foreign policies and how they are developed and influenced. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library Political Science reference collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted that "Wall Street's Think Tank' is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.61).

Bryant & May and the Burning Man
Christopher Fowler
Bantam Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780345547682, $26.00, 416pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the week before Guy Fawkes Night, London's peaceful streets break out in sudden unrest. Enraged by a scandal involving a corrupt financier accused of insider trading, demonstrators are rioting outside the Findersbury Private Bank, chanting, marching, and growing violent. But when someone hurls a Molotov cocktail at the bank's front door, killing a homeless man on its steps, Bryant, May, and the rest of the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in. Is this an act of protest gone terribly wrong? Or a devious, premeditated murder? Their investigation heats up when a second victim is reported dead in similar fiery circumstances. May discovers the latest victim has ties to the troubled bank, and Bryant refuses to believe this is mere coincidence. As the riots grow more intense and the body count climbs, Bryant and May hunt for a killer who's adopting incendiary methods of execution, on a snaking trail of clues with roots in London's history of rebellion, anarchy, and harsh justice. Now, they'll have to throw themselves in the line of fire before the entire investigation goes up in smoke.

Critique: Another deftly crafted mystery novel laced with black humor and unrelenting suspense from beginning to end, "Bryant & May and the Burning Man" is another highly recommended read for all mystery buffs from the Christopher Fowler who is quite obviously a master of the genre. Very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading list that "Bryant & May and the Burning Man" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99).

Design Thinking
Michael G. Luchs, K. Scott Swan, Abbie Griffin
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com
9781118971802, $55.00, 456pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Design Thinking" is the Product Development and Management Association's (PDMA) guide to better problem solving and decision-making in product development and beyond. The second in the New Product Development Essentials series, "Design Thinking" shows you how to bridge the gap between the strategic importance of design and the tactical approach of design thinking. The readers will learn how to approach new product development from a fresh perspective, with a focus on systematic, targeted thinking that results in a repeatable, human-centered problem-solving process. Integrating high-level discussion with practical, actionable strategy, "Design Thinking" will help the readers to re-tool their thought processes in a way that translates well beyond product development, giving them a new way to approach business strategy and more. Design is a process of systematic creativity that yields the most appropriate solution to a properly identified problem. Design thinking disrupts stalemates and brings logic to the forefront of the conversation. "Design Thinking" shows you how to adopt these techniques and train your brain to see the answer to any question, at any level, in any stage of the development process including: Become a better problem-solver in every aspect of business; Connect strategy with practice in the context of product development; Systematically map out your new product, service, or business; Experiment with new thought processes and decision making strategies. "Design Thinking" will help readers to internalize this essential process so they can bring value to innovation and merge strategy with reality.

Critique: The collaborative work of Michael G. Luchs (Associate Professor at the College of William & Mary and Founding Director of the Jim & Bobbie Ukrop Innovation & Design Studio); K. Scott Swan (Professor of International Business, Design, and Marketing at the College of William and Mary Mason School of Business, and a Fulbright Scholar serving as the Hall Distinguished Chair for Entrepreneurship in Central Europe at WU Vienna, Austria from 2015 to 2016); and Abbie Griffin (Royal L. Garff Presidential Chair in Marketing at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, and the former editor of the Journal of Product Innovation Management), "Design Thinking: New Product Development Essentials from the PDMA" is a complete and comprehensive course of instruction in a single volume. Of special note are the chapters on Intellectual Property Protection For Designs and Design Thinking For Sustainability. "Design Thinking" is a critically important addition to corporate and academic library Business Creativity & Management reference collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted that "Design Thinking" is also available in a Kindle edition ($32.49) for personal and professional reading lists.

Jack Mason
Reviewer


Moore's Bookshelf

Island World
Gary Y. Okihiro
University of California Press
155 Grand Avenue, Suite 400, Oakland, CA 94612 - 3758
www.ucpress.edu
9780520252998, $42.00 HC
9780520261679, $27.95 PB

Readers of "Island World" who are new to the work of Gary Okihiro should prepare to adjust notions of land and water masses. Dr. Okihiro presents a novel view of islands, seas and history. The earth, Dr. Okihiro explains, is comprised of plates that are constantly moving and rearranging land forms. Some land forms rise above the sea in mountain peaks. We call these islands. Beneath the sea land continues for thousands of miles. Water is not separate from land but is part of the universe of experience for residents of vast ocean territories.

"Continental men", Dr. Okihiro asserts (quoting Tongan writer Epeli Hau'ofa), artificially divided the continuous universe. These men "drew imaginary lines across the sea, making colonial boundaries that confined ocean peoples to tiny spaces for the first time". 'Continental men' described geography in terms of islands and continents because these terms suited colonial ambitions.

Dr. Okihiro, founder of Columbia University's Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race, was born in Hawaii. His book begins with a recitation of the Hawaiian song of genesis, which describes the unity of people with land, sea, flora and fauna. Dr. Okihiro's tone is gentle, yet assertive. He recognizes that he is challenging preconceptions but he is confident of his facts.

Traditionally, historians have written about the colonization of Hawaii and the effect this event had on Hawaiian culture. Dr. Okihiro turns the scene around. He writes about the influence Hawaiian culture had on its colonizers.

"Island World" is not revisionist. It does not try to change the history most of us have been taught. What it does is change the perspective from which that history is told. Dr. Okihiro's arguments cannot be dismissed easily because he is meticulous in providing evidence to build his case.

Dr. Okihiro traces, for example, the influence of Hawaii on Mississippi Delta blues and country music. Okihiro highlights the art of Grand Ole Opry performer Jerry Byrd. Byrd worked with some of the greats in U.S. music, including Dolly Parton, Jerry Garcia and Jimmie Vaughan. An early student of the steel guitar, Byrd credited Hawaii's influence on his development, saying, " 'Hawaiian music was my first love..I played Hawaiian style on hundreds of records with some of the greatest country singers.' "

The strongest evidence for Okihiro's assertion of Hawaiian influence may be found in his discussion of mission schools. Okihiro trains his sights specifically on the career of Samuel Chapman Armstrong. Armstrong was a son of the Reverend Richard Armstrong, 19th century missionary to Hawaii who built and ran mission schools in Hilo. The younger Armstrong was born in Hawaii and as a child attended a mission school in Honolulu.

In 1860, at the age of 21, Samuel Armstrong moved to the U.S., where he attended university and led a regiment of "Colored" soldiers during the Civil War. After the war, Armstrong founded the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in Virginia. He brought to Hampton the religious zeal and racial prejudices of his father. The stated purpose of Hampton was to train the children of recently freed slaves to become productive members of society. That goal, Armstrong believed, could only be achieved if the children understood their appropriately subservient role in the U.S. economy.

Hampton Normal emphasized manual labor. The reason for this was two-fold: manual work was the only future Armstrong envisioned for his students and it was through his students' labor that he hoped to finance the school. Income earned from child labor was supposed to offset school expenses.

Hampton's charges grew crops and worked at various chores throughout the day. At the end of the day they were given a couple of hours to study. Okihiro quotes from a Hampton publication of the time, "'...the students work eight or ten hours daily and study two hours in the evening, an arrangement which, as might be imagined, weeds out effectively the incapable or the unwilling."

As time passed, income from student labor was not sufficient to maintain the school. Money from another source was needed. That source turned out to be more children, children of Native Americans.

While Hampton Normal had begun with the idea of training the children of freed slaves, the idea eventually grew, partly in response to the need for more income. Okihiro quotes from a letter Armstrong wrote to his wife about taking in Native American students: "They are a big card for the school....There's money in them, I tell you."

Parents of these new students often resisted turning their children over to Hampton for 'education'. Coercion was frequently necessary to gain compliance. The reluctance of parents was apparently justified, for a number of their children did not fare well at Hampton. Many graves were dug at the school for those who sickened and died while in its care.

Both Native American and freed black students at Hampton were indoctrinated into the prevailing racial attitudes of 19th century Virginia. As evidence of this indoctrination, Okihiro quotes a passage from a Hampton lesson book: "The white people are the strongest...(next are) ...the Mongolians or yellow...(next are )...The Ethiopians or blacks...(next are)...The Americans or reds...the Caucasion (sic) is away ahead of all the other races..."

The exploitation of child labor for income was a practice with which Armstrong had become well acquainted in his youth, for this was the model established by Christian missionary schools in Hawaii. Okihiro quotes Armstrong's daughter; "'...the Hilo Manual Labor School for Native Hawaiians...often occurred to his mind as an example of successful industrial education for an undeveloped race."

The legacy of Hawaii's mission schools did not end with Hampton Normal, but was passed on through its graduates to other institutions. The most famous of these was probably the Tuskegee Institute, founded by Booker T. Washington. At Tuskegee Armstrong's guiding methodology of training in manual labor and the principle of accommodating white supremacist ideology was continued.

"Island World" will certainly meet with objection from many readers. Dr. Okihiro's book asks that we reexamine established habits of thought. For some, this may not be a comfortable process. However, the material in Okihiro's book is well-researched and deserving of serious consideration. Extensive use of original sources adds weight to his argument. It is hard to dispute, for example, that a direct line exists from Hawaiian mission schools to mission education in the U.S., and then on to the Tuskegee Institute. And it is hard to dispute the fact that Booker T. Washington had a profound effect on the integration (or lack thereof) experienced by black Americans into mainstream society. As for Dr. Okihiro's concept of island nations--modern earth science describes earth tectonics in very much the same terms that he uses.

"Island World" is a brilliant book. It is well written, even lyrical in places. Readers who are open to new ideas and fresh perspective will welcome the opportunity Dr. Okihiro offers to take a second look at the way in which topography and geography have been used to shape a concept of history.

There Is a Special Place: The Poetry of Marilyn Goldsmith
Marilyn Goldsmith
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
4900 Lacross Rd, North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781482706178, $12.00, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com

This is a slight volume but there is nothing slight about the poems within. A rare wisdom and skill are on display here. Marilyn Goldsmith, who passed away on April 6, 2014, was well known in the Long Island, New York poetry community. Her work was published in periodicals and anthologies, and was also recognized by local arts groups with several awards. Her best poems demonstrate why this was so.

I first read There Is a Special Place a couple of years ago and keep waiting to hear that Ms. Goldsmith had been 'discovered'. Her work is brilliant. One of her poems, "Clothesline Communication" (published in the South Dakota Mail), for example, is quintessential Americana. "Clotheslines tell a story in small towns," Ms. Goldsmith writes. And so they do. Ms. Goldsmith holds up a mirror to this simple rural ritual and imbues the reflection with insight that is nothing short of genius.

Another poem, "Afghanistan Pantoum" (published in the South Dakota Magazine), sears in four arresting stanzas. It speaks of a boy "Sent from prairies sown with grain" to "Cave-pocked mountainous terrain", a boy who "Smells death on every passing breeze". Ms. Goldsmith is a wordsmith, but not the showy sort. There is nothing ostentatious in her work. There is instead an exquisite efficiency in the use of language and a reverent respect for form.

I don't know if Marilyn Goldsmith will be 'discovered' by a large audience. However, I recommend that those who read this review make it a point to discover her on their own.

Death of the Heart
Elizabeth Bowen
Anchor Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780385720175, $15.95, PB, 418pp, www.amazon.com

As Death of a Heart begins, we meet Portia Quayne, a sixteen-year old who is the essence of unaffected innocence. Orphaned and sent to live with an unfamiliar half brother, Portia finds herself in a home that is almost a museum of human pretense. As guileless and expressive as she is, so are her brother and his wife unfeeling and calculating. But Portia is no Jane Eyre; there is no Mr. Rochester waiting in the wings to redeem her heart. Instead, Bowen's young miss undergoes a gradual erosion of trust until she comes to terms with life as it is and not as she might wish it to be.

Elizabeth Bowen was born in 1899 - the same year Sigmund Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams. Not only was Bowen Freud's contemporary, she was also an associate of some the most influential literary figures of her time, including Eudora Welty and Virginia Woolf.

Other books I've read by Bowen are The House in Paris and A World of Love. While I enjoyed both, A World of Love, in my opinion, was a less impressive work. However, to read Bowen is to spend time with an incisive and subtle intellect. That is a reward in itself.

Bowen was born in Dublin, Ireland. She was what was known as Anglo-Irish--heir to a legacy of British rule in Ireland. Throughout her life she described her awkward national legacy, neither entirely belonging to Ireland or England. Not only was she bereft of a national identity, but she was also bereft of parents. From the age of 13 Bowen was raised by relatives. This history no doubt influenced development of Portia Quayne's orphan status.

In 1930 Bowen inherited the family's Irish estate, Bowen's Court, but could not keep up with the expenses. She sold the estate in 1960 and shortly afterwards saw the house torn down. She spent the last years of her life in England, where she died February 22, 1973. Her body was interred at St. Colman's Church, County Cork, Ireland.

A. G. Moore
Reviewer


Peggy's Bookshelf

When Mischief Came to Town
Katrina Nannestad
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young People
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9780544534322, $16.99, 192 pages, www.amazon.com

Forget the comparisons to "Pippi Longstocking" or "Anne of Green Gables," 10-year old Inge Maria Jensen is very much her own person. It's 1911 when Inge arrives in a fishing boat on the island of Bornholm, where everyone is grumpy including her grandmother. Grandmother is especially cross when she discovers that a goat has eaten half the hair on Inge's head during the long voyage from Copenhagen. But Inge doesn't care. She has much bigger problems. Her mother has died and she was forced to leave her beautiful home in Copenhagen to live with her gruff, old grandmother on this stuffy, cold island. Though much to Inge's joy and surprise, Grandmother's cottage is cute and cozy and the farmyard is teeming with life in the form of two cows, a donkey, one overbearing turkey, a pig and eight piglets, and a bunch of chickens. To Inge's delight, the animals accept her for who she is. Yet life outside the farm is exceedingly boring. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, Inge uses her imagination to act out her grief and boredom through impulsive antics, like singing out loud in church and dancing in school. Except for one unfortunate incident where she clobbers Henry the turkey with a bucket, Inge's mischief is harmless, albeit hilarious. She steals the hearts of everyone she meets but it is Grandmother's love and approval she is determined to win. "When Mischief Came to Town" is the story of a spunky little girl who turns her grief upside down and reinvents her life.

Escaping Camp Ravensbrook
R.T. Johnson
CreateSpace Independent Publishing
7290 Investment Drive, Suite B, North Charleston, SC 29418
9781517724719, $6.55, PB, 148 pages, www.amazon.com

In spite of the fact that 16-year old Katrina is a witch, she is powerless to keep the Nazis from shooting and killing her parents in the middle of the night. Katrina and Aunt Lisa are captured and taken to Camp Ravensbrook, a concentration camp for widows and orphans whose husbands and fathers were killed because they were members of the Resistance. To overcome her grief and the brutality of the prison guards, Katrina hones her witchcraft powers to make herself useful and thus stay alive while she plans her escape. But an unusually kind prison guard befriends her and she falls for him which complicates her plans. When a busload of Jewish captives arrives Katrina is reunited with her old friend, Alice who is also a witch. Together they find the strength to use their powers to help others. Word spreads that witchcraft is popping up around the camp and the Nazis decide to exterminate all the prisoners. Suddenly Katrina and Alice have just a few short hours to save themselves and the other prisoners. Even though this is historical fantasy, the subject matter could be strengthened with the addition of end notes and suggested reading about the rise of the Third Reich, the Resistance, the Holocaust, and the actual Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, a major concentration camp for women and children only that was run by the Nazis. "Escaping Camp Ravensbrook" shows the human side of the grief and suffering when the government drags and women and children from their homes and steals their dignity and freedom in the name of religious bigotry.

Peggy Tibbetts, Reviewer
www.peggytibbetts.net


Susan's Bookshelf

Biff the Useless Mention: Book IV of the Sell the Pig Trilogy
Tottie Limejuice
http://tottielimejuice.com
Amazon Digital Services, Inc
B0198J9L6M, $3.03, 94 Pages, www.amazon.com

Language: English / Genre: Memoir

Those of us who are avid fans of Tottie Limejuice have enjoyed following her adventures through the Sell the Pig series. We have watch, fly on the wall like, as she left her native England and moved to the Auvergne department in the central region of France, with her alcoholic brother, and their elderly mother suffering from dementia.

Then, after her mother's death she decided to buy the 'grottage' and moved there.

She is a very open author and gives the reader, whether they are living in France themselves, or just enjoying a good read, lots of information about the French people, customs, idiosyncrasies' etc.

Now, with the grottage not finished, but coming along nicely, she has decided to tell her readers more about her lovely area and also the neighbouring Rhône-Alpes region. In this the fourth book in the trilogy (she explains that in the book too) she takes us on camping trips, mini breaks, and days out, nearly always accompanied by her Border Collies.

There are wonderful days out described in detail, and I have to say personally a big thank you for her descriptions of the many adventures she has had with her friend Alex. Alex is in a wheelchair a lot of the time and with a wheelchair bound husband myself, it was very interesting to hear about the facilities, or not, at the places they visited especially at the Puy de Dome.

For those of us who have not yet visited this side of France it makes us yearn to go there and see the wonderful sights she describes.

It is obvious that the author has found her forever home, as she has even become a French national. My father has always said that you cannot live on a view, that may be true, however it must be amazing to look out of your window and be able to see the magnificent Puy de Dome and some of the volcanic chain (chaine des Puys).

I was given a copy of this book for an unbiased review thoroughly enjoyed it.

The back of this book allows her readers to sample snippets of her other books, some, like the Ted Darling Detective series totally different from this series.

The Dobyns Chronicles
Shirley McLain
Xlibris Corporation
1663 South Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.xlibris.com
9781499024098, $19.33, 260 Pages, www.amazon.com

Language: English / Genre: Historical Fiction

This book is fascinating, it tells the life of Charley Dobyn, and what a life. If you think we have it hard now, you should read this book about what life was really like in Texas in the 1800/1900.

Before reading it, I would have just have thought cowboys and Indians, not really considering how they interacted when they weren't riding around on horses shooting each other with bullets and bows and arrows.

This book is a real eye opener.

To say that in those days children had to grow up quick is an understatement, and reading this book was humbling. You think we work hard these days, think again! These children had to cope with conditions unheard of now, and take on responsibilities which would not even be an option in this day and age. If they were lucky, with their parents by their side, if not, well their parents taught them well. As adults they shouldered their responsibility without a second though and family was everything.

The life of Charley Dobyn and his family is amazing, and I can understand why this author wrote this book, and the pride she must have felt when it was published. To think she actually met her Great, Great, Grandfather and heard the stories of his life first hand, what a privilege!

It was so interesting to read about how changes in the world, inventions, and events affected people who had no idea they were even going on.

The author gave me a copy of this book for an honest review and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to read it. Well done Shirley McLain for writing such an interesting and informative book.

The Time Traveler
Joe Corso
www.corsobooks.com
Black Horse Publishing
B018WGXP1Y, $3.01, 202 pages, www.amazon.com

Language: English / Genre: Science Fiction

Fans of The Time Portal series know that the main character is called Lucky Campo, and that he gained the power of time travel after a horrific accident. In this book the author, Joe Corso, takes the reader back to Lucky's terrible 'accident,' and explains how, and why it happened.

The story is told in the form of a meeting at the Astoria Safe House between Lucky and Professor Lindstrom. At the meeting, Lucky recounts to the professor what happened when he was kidnapped, and woke up in a hospital room, at an unknown location, securely tied to the metal frame of his bed.

Eventually, he discovers that he is in a medical facility in Huntingdon, Long Island owned by Ivan Stross. He is being questioned by a Dr Gustav Abrams, and finds himself enjoying recounting how he gained his powers, and explaining what they are to the doctor.

Of course, the doctor doesn't believe him. However, after consideration, he cannot resist humouring Lucky, by taking him up his offer to travel with him to another time through one of the portals.

Stepping with Lucky into the portal, the doctor soon discovers to his amazement that Lucky is telling the truth, as they travel back through the centuries, stopping off in Egypt and ancient Rome, before going to Medieval England, where he meets Lucky's wife and children.

However, he is soon to learn that everything has a price, Lucky needs to know who captured him and why. After reassurance that he, and his family can be protected, the doctor agrees to help...

Back in the present time, Lucky and friends have to first get the doctor and his family safe, then they set about teaching Ivan Stross, and Lionel Sturm, his assistant, and the person who kidnapped Lucky a lesson, or two.

It doesn't matter whether you have read Joe Corso's The Time Portal series of books or not, this book stands alone. I have read them all, and yet thoroughly enjoyed learning all about Lucky's accident. One thing I am sure of though is that once you have read this book, you will not be able to resist The Time Portal series, and trust me, you will not be disappointed!
Fans of The Time Portal series know that the main character is called Lucky Campo, and that he gained the power of time travel after a horrific accident. In this book the author, Joe Corso, takes the reader back to Lucky's terrible 'accident,' and explains how, and why it happened.

The story is told in the form of a meeting at the Astoria Safe House between Lucky and Professor Lindstrom. At the meeting, Lucky recounts to the professor what happened when he was kidnapped, and woke up in a hospital room, at an unknown location, securely tied to the metal frame of his bed.

Eventually, he discovers that he is in a medical facility in Huntingdon, Long Island owned by Ivan Stross. He is being questioned by a Dr Gustav Abrams, and finds himself enjoying recounting how he gained his powers, and explaining what they are to the doctor.

Of course, the doctor doesn't believe him. However, after consideration, he cannot resist humouring Lucky, by taking him up his offer to travel with him to another time through one of the portals.

Stepping with Lucky into the portal, the doctor soon discovers to his amazement that Lucky is telling the truth, as they travel back through the centuries, stopping off in Egypt and ancient Rome, before going to Medieval England, where he meets Lucky's wife and children.

However, he is soon to learn that everything has a price, Lucky needs to know who captured him and why. After reassurance that he, and his family can be protected, the doctor agrees to help...

Back in the present time, Lucky and friends have to first get the doctor and his family safe, then they set about teaching Ivan Stross, and Lionel Sturm, his assistant, and the person who kidnapped Lucky a lesson, or two.

It doesn't matter whether you have read Joe Corso's The Time Portal series of books or not, this book stands alone. I have read them all, and yet thoroughly enjoyed learning all about Lucky's accident. One thing I am sure of though is that once you have read this book, you will not be able to resist The Time Portal series, and trust me, you will not be disappointed!

Winter's Mystery: Time to Go Within
Patricia R. Blumhagen
http://wintersmystery.com
9780578072494, $22.00, 143 Pages www.amazon.com

Language: English / Genre: Poetry

This is definitely the most powerful, inspiring and amazing poetry book I have ever read.

In Winter's Mystery: Time To Go Within, the author, Patricia Blumhagen writes in a very powerful yet open way. I loved the title, since, loving nature myself I could immediately connect to the fact that in winter everything is exposed in its raw detail. Gone are the flowers which distract, the leaves which hide, in winter there is only what is...

The author has a lovely way of exploring the frailties and strengths of humanity. Her poetry is simply beautiful, looking at the myriad of emotions which make us who we are, our hopes, fears, dreams etc., opening them up for us in an amazing way and exposing the nucleus for us to consider.

That she is an Interfaith Minister is not really surprising, she has a wonderful way with words and I loved the strength of belief which is shown in the poem 'Calling.'

There are many inspirational poems and one, which I loved was The Vessel which tells of being broken, yet still there lies the possibility of healing.

In this busy world there are many people who will criticise you, but sometimes you can be your strongest critic and this can cause a lot of emotional pain, and lead to self-destruction; the poem the 'Inner Critic' inspires you to let go of these thoughts.

'I Let Go' is a short, yet very powerful poem about coming to terms with loss which is just simply beautiful.

However, I have to say that my favourite is Open the Door' which is about facing your demons and gaining inner peace, something, many people lack the strength to do.

Simply, this book is a joy to read and to own, I know that I shall pick it up many times from now on, whether to gain inspiration, search for answers, or just to enjoy the wonderful words within.

Susan Keefe, Reviewer
www.susan-keefe.com


Suzie's Bookshelf

A Comparison of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Classroom Motivational Orientations of Gifted and Learning Disabled Students: Dissertation
Gunnar E. Skollingsberg, PhD
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781514250990, $5.95, Paperback, 116 pages, www.amazon.com

"Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes." - Kenneth Hildebrand

Motivation is the driving force that persuades a person to act in a certain way. Throughout the pages of this dissertation it showcases an amazing contrast between academically-related intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. The target age group consisted of students in grades four through nine and involved 57 gifted students verses 53 learning disabled students.

How a student becomes motivated in the classroom is a vital element to a student's future success. As an instructor it is crucial that the educator takes time to educate themselves of this important learning concept.

"A Comparison of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Classroom Motivational Orientations of Gifted and Learning Disabled Students: Dissertation" provides a very through look into analyzing motivation and how it applies to different students. I feel this dissertation contains priceless information that can be of benefit to any educator. It is simple to understand and provides a wealth of knowledge and examples that can be used in any education setting.

Dr. Skollingsberg has done an outstanding job in writing this dissertation. As a teacher and a lifelong learner I can appreciate the work that went into this project. I feel that this paper should be read by all educators. It offers a fresh and unique look at how motivation can be a key element to the learning cycle. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for a way to make a bigger impact to their student's education experience.

The Hireling (A Medley of Short Stories Book 1)
Paul Purnell
Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
B01849WKEM, $2.99, 115 pages www.amazon.com

Fiction

You literary senses will take a roller coaster ride as it embarks on a book that offers a wide variety of mystery and intrigue. Each story is masterfully crafted to showcase an assortment of cleverly designed plots that is assured to leave you guessing what is to come next.

Each one of these short stories left me wanting more of this talented authors work. I found they were written with a true to life voice. There were many times I caught myself pausing while I was reading and ask myself if I was reading fact or fiction.

THE HIRELING is an outstanding work of art. It offers a book that is filled with meaningful substance. Readers will find each story offers a stimulating reading experience that will satisfy all lovers of mystery and intrigue.

Paul Purnell is a talented author. Through this book it showcases his ability to create a book that offers its readers a pleasurable reading experience. I was highly impressed with his work, and look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

Suzie Housley
Reviewer


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Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
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