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Reviewer's Bookwatch

Volume 3, Number 3 March 2003 Home | RBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Roger's Bookshelf Rick's Bookshelf
Pogo's Bookshelf Peter's Bookshelf Sullivan's Bookshelf
Magdalena's Bookshelf Susan's Bookshelf Lori's Bookshelf
Paul's Bookshelf Vicki's Bookshelf Leonhardt's Bookshelf
Kinni's Bookshelf Marya's Bookshelf Gorden's Bookshelf
Grant's Bookshelf Harold's Bookshelf Jennifer's Bookshelf
Frank's Bookshelf Donna's Bookshelf Hodgins' Bookshelf
Denise's Bookshelf Cindy Lynn's Bookshelf Harwood's Bookshelf
Judine's Bookshelf Alyice's Bookshelf Taylor's Bookshelf
Vogel's Bookshelf    

Reviewer's Choice

Seasoning Fever
Susan Kerslake
The Porcupine's Quill, Inc.
68 Main Street, Erin Ontario, Canada, N0B 1T0
ISBN 0889842345, $24.95, 2002, 320 pages, www.amazon.com

Kathy McNinch
Reviewer

Susan Kerslake has created a story reminiscent of the myths of ancient Greece. Seasoning Fever is about a homesteading couple that faces external and internal challenges while living their dream.

Matthew and Hannah are teenagers who marry and leave their families to homestead in the west. They are both dreamers who relish the challenge of creating a new life that is distinct from their established identities.

They are the na‹ve newcomers who depend on the kindness of their neighbors. Hannah notices early on how jaded and resigned the locals are but Matthew is too engrossed in living the dream to see the reality around him. "The answer to all my prayers, she thought. But it isn't wonderful, isn't anything. There must be something else. She scanned the horizon. What is it? I thought it would be here."

They endure the hardships of building a home, dealing with Natives and having a child. Hannah finds it hard to bear the loneliness of living on the prairie. Matthew finds the isolation invigorating because he is building a life for his family with his own hands and he can see progress every day.

Kerslake has added supporting characters that help to illuminate the inner needs of Matthew and Hannah. A travelling musician seems to understand their base desires and he encourages each of them to fulfill these needs.

Hannah is disillusioned fairly quickly but Matthew has no regrets about leaving their home. He relishes the challenges he faces every day. He thrives on adversity and courts excitement by riding horses for

betting men. He sees every obstacle as a test of his worth and does anything he can to win.

He never notices that Hannah is not as content as he is in their home. But Hannah does come to accept the drawbacks of prairie life. "Then sometime later, there came a day when he said, 'We are still the same after all of these years,' and she touched him, having come there to that point in the only way possible, through the long stretch of time, the pains and the triumphs. Her touch was both softer and heavier. And what they thought would never end, had and had been replaced. And what they thought could not be borne, was. And what they thought would not endure, did, unchanged."

Kerslake's rich language is a stark contrast to the barren prairie it describes. She depicts the land, the people and their dreams with candor and poetry. Her writing transforms a simple prairie story into a fertile myth with many layers and perspectives.

Susan Kerslake was born in Chicago but has lived in Halifax since 1966. She has four previous books and one, Book of Fears, was short-listed for the Governor Generals Award in Canada.

The Shipping News
E. Annie Proulx
Scribner
0671510053, $14.00, paperback, 352 pages
068485791X, $25.00, hardcover, 352 pages
Simon & Schuster
No ISBN, $15.50 (Canadian), 337 pgs.

Gerry Recouso
Reviewer

E. Annie Proulx has woven as delicate a narrative as that of the ecological systems of the Atlantic. The Shipping News is a rewarding journey into the understanding of life in Newfoundland. In fact it can be argued that the main character in the novel is indeed the island itself. Newfoundland is revealed as a mysterious place of harsh beauty and stagnant creativity. Proulx portrays the island as an isolated contradiction, covering Newfoundland's devastating and unmercifully fierce yet stunning and awe-inspiring weather systems to the overwhelming poverty that technological progress was supposed to eliminate. Through her main vessel or character Quoyle, Proulx navigates through an arsenal of characters as worn and weathered as the island itself.

The novel is rich in atmosphere, with Proulx providing an eerie sheen around the island, Quoyle's family history and the mysterious Wavey. The story seems to meander at a slow pace, but in retrospect upon its completion actually covers a lot of space and time. Never in the novel is there a sense of true peace, Proulx writes with a frank style befitting of islander temperament and culture. Behind every sentence there is the lingering threat of impending disaster and the understanding that there is very little that can be done in the way of prevention. It is in the accepting of fate and the beauty in that acceptance that lies at the heart of the journey of her characters. Life is presented as a chain of simple complexities that link together to form life.

The Shipping News is the kind of novel that makes one want to both experience Newfoundland firsthand and at the same time stay as far away as possible.

The Coming Islamic Invasion of Israel
Mark Hitchcock
Multnomah Publishers, Inc.
Post Office Box 1720, Sisters, Oregon 97759
ISBN 1590520483, $7.99, 101 pages, 1-800-929-0910

Helen E. Zanatta
hzanatta@satx.rr.com

The Islamic terrorists' attacks on September 11, 2001, the ensuing war against terrorism and all the talk about Jihad (the traditional Muslim word for 'holy war' against the unfaithful) spark interest in Mark Hitchcock's simple read of Israel's last invasion.

This short, convincing interpretation of Ezekiel 38-39 accomplishes its purpose of relating current events in the Middle East and throughout the world to Bible prophecy. Pastor of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, Hitchcock, a Dallas Theological Seminary graduate, authored four other books on end times and Bible prophecy. Skillfully, he translates the where, who, when, why, what and how of the Israeli invasion described in Ezekiel. His relationship of Biblical names like Rosh, Magog and Meshech to present day countries will surprise, and perhaps even astound, some readers.

Hitchcock generates new respect for President Bush as we learn one of the nations on his axis of evil matches God's account in Ezekiel. His skillful presentation of the final Jihad and the One-Day War lends credence to Hitchcock's claim-"Ezekiel is God's war correspondent for today's newspapers." Through this book, one sees the nations lining up on God's calendar and hears the cry of the last chapter calling out for everyone, everywhere to personally encounter God in relationship before the calendar runs out.

A Dena'ina Legacy K'tl'egh'i Sukdu: The Collected Writings of Peter Kalifornsky
James Kari and Alan Boraas, editors
Alaska Native Language Center
c/o University of Alaska - Fairbanks
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska, 99775-7680
1555000436, $27.00, 489 pages, 1-888-252-6657

Jody Pryor
jody@jodypryor.com

I found A Dena'ina Legacy: The Collected Writings of Peter Kalifornsky while searching for information on Alaskan Native legends. This is the only book I've found that pertains to the history of the Tanaina (Dena'ina) Athabaskan. Mr. Kalifornsky recited many of these stories orally and in the last years of his life wrote the stories in the Dena'ina dialect before translating them into English.

This collection contains both versions, the Dena'ina version on the right hand page, English on the left hand page. Mr. Kalifornsky explores the Dena'ina folklore, religious practices, and their sense of territory through the stories. The book also includes a history, including old photographs of the Dena'ina Athabaskan's who live in Cook Inlet Basin of South Central Alaska.

Some may find the language uncomfortable. "The Ones who Turned into Bears" is the story of two sisters of one tribe and two brothers from another tribe. The youngest brother marries the youngest sister. The older sister leaves and the older brother follows her so he can marry her. This is how people formed different tribes. But the older sister was disagreeable, which caused conflicts between the tribes. Mr. Kalifornsky's explanation adds texture and meaning to the stories.

The original story is not as clear: "There were two sisters. The older sister was mean. The younger sister was good-mannered. And two brothers came to them. And the younger brother married the younger sister.

"That older sister was mean, and she left them. She went across the ocean. And the older brother said, 'If she takes another form, that will be bad. I will go after her.'

"And he followed her and it got dark. He paddled up to her where she had a fire going. She was lying under a bear skin. She did not look at him. 'Lie down with me,' she said to him. And he lay down with her.

"In the morning, when they got up, they had become bears. And the younger brother and younger sister too had become bears."

Yet, the collection of writings allows us to peek into a culture that is rich in tradition and stories. This collection is used to teach Dena'ina children not only the Dena'ina language, but the history. It's written in such a way that anyone can benefit from the collection as long as the reader is aware that these stories do not follow the same approach as modern stories. These stories do not focus on plot, theme, or character. The stories are meant to unfold over time and with the explanations provided for several of the stories, it becomes easier to see the meaning with each story.

Mr. Kalifornsky's other works include: Kahtnuht'ana Qenaga: The Kenai People's Language (1977), K'tl'egh'i Sukdu: Remain Stories (1984) and Five Legends of the Dena'ina People (1980).

Hershey Bar Sandwich
Helga Rule
Pagefree Publishing, Inc
733 Howard St., Otsego, MI
$19.95 Paperback ISBN 1589610261; $32.95 Hardcover ISBN 1589610644 (1-269-692-3885)

Richard Lundeen
Reviewer

"Something woke me up. It's dark in our room, and I can barely see Grandmother's figure sitting in her chair. She holds her rosary between her hands, letting the beads run through her fingers.

"Grandmother told me how hungry and cold those soldiers are, and still they have to fight. They do not have a place to get out of the cold and wet weather. Grandmother Lang told me why I don't remember my papa. I was only three years old when I last saw him. Mutti and grandmother talked to me a lot about papa, but I can't remember him at all. Now I'm almost five. I can't remember Grandfather Schneider either, because I was only two years old when he died. He worked for I.G. Farben."

In that innocent style Helga Lang Rule begins Hershey Bar Sandwich, the story of a girl growing up during WW II. But for the use of the word "mutti" you would not realize that the locale is Ludwigshafen in southern Germany near Mannheim, not London.

In the bomb shelter, "My face is pushed into the bottom of the woman in front of me. The smell of her sweat is so strong it makes my empty stomach roll. I want to cover my mouth to keep my vomit off her."

After suffering illness, deprivation, repeated American and British bombing raids, cramped quarters, then destruction of their house, and refugee status, the family, mother, two daughters, and grandmother, flee to the relative tranquillity of a farming town. The deaths of brothers and friends wear them.

Finally, the father of little Helga, the narrator, returns, but all is not well. Helga's mother is pregnant. Helga's father does not appreciate this, and has other serious problems. He is prone to incest.

Snippets of history lessons entwine with the delightfully simple narrative. Through the course of the book, the voice changes naturally from the five year old, through adolescence, to a young adult, without losing its innocence and honesty.

Did war ruin the father? What if there had been no war? Most of us know it from the Allied side, from the stories about the bombing of London. This perspective will humble and broaden you.

Keep this absorbing book where you can find it. You'll want to read it again in a few months. This work is not bad strictly from an historian's viewpoint, and is a wonderfully written, necessary addition to any well-rounded collection.

Ladies Night
Claudia Rose
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1-84360-349-7, $TBA, Published:2003

Jennifer Macaire, Reviewer
http://monsite.wanadoo.fr/Iskander

In a near future, the masses scream for new and different distractions. One of the more violent forms is cage fighting. Although not officially approved of, cage fighting is tolerated because it channels the mob instincts of the teeming crowds. There, convicts tore themselves to pieces in the name of entertainment.

Chief Sociologist, Dr. Helena Jewel, has a newly enhanced body and a newly enhanced sex drive. In the future, one can change appearances and also adjust one's libido. Helena's libido is set on high, something that doesn't usually bother her; but her life is about to take a drastic change. She's going to ladies' night cage fighting, where ladies only are admitted. For Helena, the visit is to be educational. She watches as two men fight to the death. She is horrified, but the crowd loves it. Convict Brandt de Vos wins his fight and afterwards, the speaker announces a door prize. One lucky lady gets to take the winner home for a week, and guess who wins? Dr. Helena Jewel finds herself saddled with a fighting convict for a week! She has a stun bracelet to use on him if he tries anything funny. The stun bracelet will control him. This is not at all what Helena planned, but she can't back down now. So she brings him back to her apartment, determined to make the best of things. But the best of things is not what she ever imagined!

This was a hot, fast read about a sexy, intelligent woman and a great, alpha hero. Brandt is a convicted murderer, but the reader finds out all about that. His story is an integral part of the book. Helena is a great heroine, always keeping an open mind. The sex is great; Claudia Rose writes terrific, descriptive sex scenes that are so hot I suggest you keep the ice-cubes handy! I particularly liked all the shower scenes they are many and varied! -- Highly recommended

Civilizations: Ten Thousand Years Of Ancient History
Jane McIntosh and Clint Twist
DK Publishing
95 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
ISBN: 0789478307, HB, $29.95, www.dk.com

Thomas Fortenberry
Reviewer

Civilizations is a fabulous history book in content as well as appearance, being designed in over-sized hardback coffe-table style with DK's usual commitment to high quality, breathtaking photographic production. However, this book is quite different than the usual ancient civilizations books of this type in that it gives a very broad and at times deep overviews of the last ten thousand years of history. That is, this isn't a fluffy picture book; it is a serious study complete with graphs, maps, and pictures to highlight its points. Not only does it cover the usual suspects like Egyptians, Persians, Romans, Incas, and the Aztecs, but it covers more recently understood and explored civilizations, such as Tiwanaku, Nazca, Moche, Indus, and the steppe cultures of Central Asia. Likewise, beyond covering pyramids, cities and major wars, it tackles the origins and advancements of agriculture, pottery, copper, bronze, and iron metalurgy, textiles, medicine, art, recreation, trade, mathematics, religion, coinage, engineering, etc. Basically it does an amazing job of covering the entire breadth of human civilization in short format (only 240 pages).

I was most pleased to see informative, up-to-date studies of numerous civilizations from different time periods and often obscure corners of continents. Such as the study of the Indus civilizations. Beyond merely mentioning Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, they provided an in-depth analysis of the culture, its history, and its interaction with the world at large. This is very welcome, especially after decades of nearly identical renderings of mysterious lost cities of the Mayans and Asia. Here we have fact and explanation. With exquisite photography, they were able to expose new finds and illuminate cultural differences as well as similarities between different continents and times which might be unknown to the common reader. On the back cover they say their goal is to inform and delight the reader. They have done so admirably.

If we must find something to complain about, I would say that this book suffers a bit from the modern age style of hypertext. In the middle of the study of each civilization, when we reach an interesting topic like alphabets or weaving or navigation or burials, a page on that topic is suddenly inserted and wanders off across the globe and the ages to explore it. These are like pop up links on the Internet, and you can easily see this text as fully interactive and hyperlinked. So, if you aren't careful, it is very easy to get lost in all these meandering albeit fascinating asides and at times difficult to follow a single civilization from start to finish. You may be reading a chapter on ancient Egypt and suddenly somehow wind up in Mississippian mound building 5,000 years later. But if this is the only complaint, so be it. We can live with a little informative distraction now and again. I highly recommend this easy to read and comprehend text to anyone young or old interested in the history of the world. It certainly doesn't hurt to get our global history in a condensed yet beautiful format.

The Work We Were Born To Do: Find The Work You Love, Love The Work You Do
Nick Williams
Element Book Ltd (National Book Network, dist.)
Old School House, Bell St., Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8PL, United Kingdom
ISBN 1862045526, $18.95, 381 pages, www.amazon.com

Grace Tierney
grace.tierney@ireland.com

Have you ever been stalked by a book ? You know, every time you're browsing in a book shop you pick it up because you're drawn to the cover, or friends insist that you must it ? Well this is one of those books for me. I found it while waiting for my other half to finish selecting a dreary textbook. I couldn't bear to look at more technical books, so I strayed towards the self-help shelves. I was proud of never having read a self-help book in my life but there I was, with time to kill, and a golden-covered book before me called 'The Work we were Born to Do' by Nick Williams. It had a distinct dog-earred look about it from customers sneaking a peak at the contents so I just let it fall open at the most used section. I was halfway through the chapter before he caught me, 'Are you buying that ?'

'Me ? A self-help book ? No way !'

I bought it a week later.

The subtitle explains the book's purpose quite clearly 'find the work you love, love the work you do'. Williams won't tell you how to quit your job and make a fortune, but he will guide you to improving what you currently do and how to find different work, if that's what you need.

His twelve principles cover the process of working out what you really want to do, helping you to stop using money as an excuse to avoid change, unleashing your creativity, and learning what success means to you. Each principle is explained clearly and then illustrated by a series of questions that he recommends you answer in a journal. The first will get you to outline your beliefs about some aspect of work, the second will make you realise that you're merely repeating something you absorbed from others, and the final one helps you to decide for yourself. It's a simple ploy and it works well. Even if you decide not to change anything in your life as a result, I am sure that you'll understand yourself better.

He provides dozens of life examples from his work as a consultant for businesses and individuals on career issues. Bravely he has also included references to his own setback-plagued struggle to find the niche where he is now clearly happy. Reading stories about others who have been forced by illness, misery or inspiration to change their lives from being bankers to yoga teachers (and vice versa) provided great encouragement. It is always good to know that others have survived the transition.

His friendly style of writing, which is laced with inspirational quotations from sources as diverse as the Bible, Woody Allen, and the Dalai Lama, charms the reader into admitting their weaknesses and understanding that the cost of not changing may outweigh any risks involved in trying that new chance or starting a small business of their own.

For those who use the 'But where on earth could I start ?' excuse there is no escape, as Williams gives hundreds of practical steps to discovering and creating your ideal career. They vary from thanking a current colleague for being helpful, to finding a mentor who loves their own work and can be a positive example, through to using visualisation and deep breathing to focus your energy.

There's plenty of food for thought in the book. It is worth reading slowly (or reading twice) and I hate to recommend homework but keeping that question journal is a good idea. I defy you to read this book and not learn something about yourself from it, even if you're not thinking about changing your work. Its only weakness is that you will need to be honest with yourself to get anything from this sort of self-analysis, and honesty can be hard to come by.

So am I glad that this book stalked me ? Yes, I am. It helped me to realise some important facts about my attitude to work, money, and dreams. Halfway through reading the book I saw an advertisement for a freelance job that I would have normally have talked myself out of applying for. I applied in the spirit of 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'. I got the job, and I love it.

Serpent's Dance
Larry Brooks
Signet Books
c/o New American Library
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN 0451207955, $6.99, 464 pages, 1-800-847-5515, www.amazon.com

Terry Mathews
Reviewer

Larry Broooks' latest offering to the world of paperback fiction is ultimately a dark tour de force about family loyalty, friendship and forgiveness, but the author takes us on a long and tortuous route to salvation.

Bernadette Kane does not believe the police reports that say her sister Peggy committed suicide after a love affair went south. Bernie knows only that Peggy was involved with a computer magnate named Wesley and that Wesley had a jet. With the help of her long-time friend, Eric Killen, Bernie tracks Wesley to Arizona and lands a programming job at his company.

Bernie's appearance sets off a series of sinister events. While she thinks she's the lead dog, watching it all unfold, Bernie is actually just a pawn in two deadly games of greed and dark sexuality.

Do people like Damien and Diana exist? Are we so jaded that authors must resort to bleak plot lines to attract readers? I sure hope not....on both accounts.

I'm no Pollyanna, but the book's dark plot lines and somewhat incredible denouement stop me from giving the novel a thumbs up. I hope Brooks will use his considerable creative talents on a more upbeat story next time around.

Birth: A Literary Companion
Kristin Kovacic and Lynne Barrett, editors
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
ISBN 0877458316, $19.95, 259 pages, 1-800-621-2736, www.amazon.com

Tracey Broussard
tracywrite@aol.com

I recently bought this anthology as a gift for a pregnant relative, then found myself unable to put it down. In thumbing through Birth, A Literary Companion, I realized that it was not simply a book for expectant mothers. It is a companion for both parents, which comforts before during and long after the blessed event has occurred.

During my three pregnancies, my reading consisted mainly of childbirth classics such as What to Expect When Youre Expecting. While offering plenty of information on the mechanics of birth, the books I read left me ill-prepared for the barrage of bullets to be dodged on the minefield that is parenting. The physical changes and challenges faced during this time, while legitimate concerns, were nothing compared to the terrifying emotional terrain I was to encounter.

This broad range of emotions are eloquently addressed within the poetry and prose presented in Birth. As stated by writer, Edward Hirsch, Kristin Kovacic and Lynne Barrett have identified a new genre, birth literature, and delivered something extraordinary: a companionable anthology, an imaginative guidebook a spiritual Baedeker to the daunting country of parenthood.

If parenthood is a country, then Kovacic and Barrett have mapped it with brutal honesty. Pain, one of the most feared aspects of giving birth, is addressed in stories such as Breastfeeding in Indiana, by Jane McCafferty. In the story a character says Pain was nothing in the face of the joy shed ushered in by being born, and confesses, Youll fall so crazily in love with your own baby. As silly as it sounds, no one ever told me that I would unabashedly fall in love with my babies.

I would like to have been forewarned with the Propaganda Poem: Maybe for Some Young Mamas, by Alicia Ostrika. She says of babies, they limit your libertythey limit your cashthey limit your sleepthey whine until you want to murder them. My mother didnt confess until after I had children that there were times she would have liked to pitch me through the window, and that I, too, would experience murderous thoughts.

And why is it the Lamaze people lie? Phillip Lopate hilariously writes about training for birth and labor in his story, Delivering Lily. The central character relates that during prenatal Lamaze pep talks, the husband was always being built up as an essential partner, then questions this propaganda about the husbands importance.
During labor he tries to comfort his wife, by giving her a neck rub or caressing her hand, all recommended consolations by the Lamaze instructor. She shook me off like a cockroach.

The experiences of fathers are presented throughout the book, in stories such as the touching, Saul and Patsy Are in Labor, by Charles Baxter, and poetry by the likes of Stephen Dunn and Campbell McGrath. And while many wonderful male writers are represented, the whole table of contents reads like a dream team of writers; Sylvia Plath, Rita Dove, Margaret Atwood, Sharon Olds, and so on.

One of my favorite pieces is the poem, Prayer for My Children, by Kate Daniels:

I regret nothing.
My cruelties, my betrayals
of others I once thought
I loved. All the unlived
years, the unwritten
poems, the wasted nights
spent weeping and drinking.

No, I regret nothing
because what Ive lived
has led me here, to this room
with its marvelous riches,
its simple wealth
these three heads shining
beneath the Japanese lamp, laboring
over crayons and paper.
These three who love me
exactly as I am, precisely
at the center of my ill-built being.
Who rear up eagerly when I enter,
and fall down weeping when I leave.
whose eyes are my eyes.
Hair, my hair.
Whose bodies I cover with kisses and blankets.
Whose first meal was my own body.
Whose last, please God, I will not live
to serve, or share.

Amen. In the introduction to Birth, Kovacic and Barrett state, Like a traditional guidebook, Birth is organized chronologically, from early pregnancy to late infancy. New parents are inside a very real experience, and we think its one of the uses of literature to be a thoughtful companion to lifes realities, one we wish wed had when our children were born.

I would argue that they have shortchanged themselves by stating, new parents. Although I havent been a new parent for many years, I found myself buying a second copy of Birth to give to my relative. The first copy I am keeping as a present to me.

Painted Lady
Peter Abresch
Intrigue Press
PO Box 102004, Denver, CO 80210
ISBN: 1890768472, $24.95, Phone: 303-777-0539, Fax: 303-756-8011, www.intriguepress.com

Phillip Tomasso III
Reviewer

It is good to see author Peter Abresch back in the saddle again. Painted Lady is Abresch's fourth James P. Dandy Elderhostel Mystery. Though it is a series, you do not need to read one in order to understand the other. Each novel easily stands on its own as a witty, well-plotted out amateur detective mystery. Like all of Abresch's novels, the chapters are short, the dialogue is real, there is history involved and a murder or two that needs to be solved.

Elderhostel is an actual group. It's for people over 55. They get together and take trips to various locations around the country. Abresch has secured the permission of the group in order to have his mysteries take place on Elderhostel trips.

In Painted Lady, the Elderhostels are taking a trip along the Sante Fe Trail. Everyone is gathered at a hotel in Denver, waiting for the adventure to begin. James P. Dandy met Dodee at an Edlerhostel years ago, and the two have been together ever since (read to Bloody Bonsai). Dodee is an artist who is a painting portrait in the hotel lobby, while Dandy is mingling with guests of the hotel, when a woman across the street either falls or is pushed off a balcony. As an emergency medical technician, Dandy shouts for someone to call 911 as he rushes out of the hotel to the side of the fallen woman. She's dead. She's dressed in Native American clothing. Later everyone learns that the woman was a Shaman, like a witch doctor. To make things more odd the unexplainable image in the likeness of the Shaman begins showing up on the work Dodee paints.

Reports gathered by the police and inferred by the media claim that Dandy swiped something off the Shaman at the scene. The Mayan Falcon. Dandy had been certain that the Shaman jumped to her death. He did not believe the woman was pushed. That would indicate a murder had taken place. However, when it becomes clearly apparent that some people think Dandy either has this mysterious falcon artifact, or that he knows where it is, murder isn't as unlikely a cause of death as he once thought.

Priests, reverends and mystic mediums. Ninety-three year old athletes, handlebar mustache men, and rusty old green Buicks. The historical Sante Fe Trail, a kidnapping and more murder. A s‚ance, dandelions and relationships. Peter Abresch knows what he's talking about. He spices the chapters with history, romance and intrigue. He is craft and clever, weaving a tight-knitted plot. Fast, easy to read and satisfying. Another winner by a talented storyteller.


Roger's Bookshelf

Work 2.0
Bill Jensen
Perseus Publishing
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
ISBN 0738205699, $25.00, . Hardcover. 194 pages, 1-800-242-7737

This is the first book I've read that tempted me to write my review before I reached the last page. The content and the style inspired me to spread the good word before I finished the book. I forced myself to wait, and was continually delighted with what I gleaned from each page.

The world of work is changing-dramatically and quickly. Few people really "get" what is happening, let alone what to do about it. In my work as a Consulting Business Futurist, I face a daily challenge of motivating leaders to open up, shift their perspective, and begin to function differently than they ever have before. I'm almost embarrassed that I didn't write "Work 2.0," but still will have no difficulty at all in recommending it to my clients. I'll also recommend it to corporate executives who are not yet enlightened enough to become clients! Reading this book will shake them up enough to do something.

The message of this book is powerful, direct, and in-your-face. It's compelling; you won't want to put this book down. Employees are becoming more demanding-they want recognition, respect, empowerment, and all the rest, but with a different twist and different intensity than we've ever seen. Have you read the books about disruptive events that change history? Jensen closes-after the endnotes, acknowledgements, subject index, and people index-with a list of 55 disruptive events. Number 55 is 9/11/2001. And more has happened since then. You, dear reader, will be part of the sequel. It's unavoidable.

Corporate leaders: Read this book. Now, before your competitors do. Human resource professionals: "Work 2.0" will unsettle you and stimulate you to advise management in a whole new way. Allow me to quote from the FAQ page at the end of the book. "Dear Loony Author: Are you nuts? Have you read the papers? Employees are in no position to ask for anything but breadcrumbs. As far as I'm concerned, there's no way the My-Way is coming our way. Sincerely, Exec-in-Charge." Jensen heard this message from senior executives, just as we have. Executives excited about being back in control as the economy slowed.

Guess what! The economy's picking up. As we report in our book, "Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People," employers are moving into the most severe shortage of skilled labor in history. Employees will be in the driver's seat again. The new contract with employees, described in vivid detail in "Work 2.0," is being written now-by workers, not by employers. Executives who don't get the message of this book risk being written out of the contract. -- The choice is yours.

Influence: Science And Practice
Robert B. Cialdini
Allyn & Bacon
160 Gould Street, Needham Heights, MA 02494
ISBN 0321011473, $21.99, Trade Paperback, 262 pages, 1-781-455-1250, www.amazon.com

Here's a recipe for an enjoyable and useful book. Begin with one respected professor of psychology from Arizona State University. Sweeten with Regents Chair and Distinguished Graduate Research Faculty distinction. Mix in comments from readers of previous editions ("we get mail"). Fold in pop psychology twist and plenty of examples. Season to taste with just enough irreverence to spice up the text. Bake with three previous editions, improving on each version. Absorb and chill for 262 pages and gain a deep, fun, yet realistic understanding of how humans influence each other.

Marketers will benefit tremendously from this book. So will executives, managers, business owners, students, and everyone who has an interest in how we are influenced to make decisions. Those decisions may affect what we buy, where we work and live, and what relationships we have with others. The illustrations sprinkled throughout the volume offset the small print used to cram a tremendous amount of content into a book that is small enough not to be intimidating. No wonder over a quarter million copies have been sold. It's an Everyman's book on the topic, yet it's an academic treatise as well, with 16 pages of references preceding the index.

Each chapter includes a summary and study questions-both on content and to stimulate critical thinking. All those features you'd want in a book like this are all there, waiting for you. Expect to curl up with this book, nod your head, laugh, shake your head, and wonder in amazement while gaining insight. Cialdini grabs your attention and won't let go. Expect to make notes, write in margins, underline or highlight, and repeat your reading.

Readers of "Influence" will look differently at the world around them. Even if you merely scan through this book, you'll gain a new appreciation for advertising, group behavior, and even how you're treated by salespeople, co-workers, bosses, parents and friends. The conscious and unconscious heightened awareness will be well worth the time and money you invest in this book.

How To Build A Winning Team: And Have Fun Doing It
Peter A. Land
Skyward Publishing
813 Michael, Kennett, MO 63857
1881554147, $18.95, Trade paperback, 156 pages, www.skywardpublishing.com

The shelves are filled with books on teams, team-building, team performance, team ad nauseum. Do we need another one? How will this book be any different, any better?

As I opened the cover and began reading the introduction, I felt very comfortable. There's a human quality to this author's writing style that invites you to keep turning pages. Land shared the story of his experience building a team within a United States Air Force squadron during the Viet Nam War. As I learned of the results he achieved, my interest was piqued.

Land is a Certified Management Consultant with a wide range of engagements under his belt. He relates some of his experiences as we move through the book, teaching and sharing in a style that is more conversational than preachy. How refreshing! He even cites work done by other experts in the field, demonstrating that he's writing to help the reader instead of pumping his own self-worth.

You'll read six chapters, taking you from an understanding of terms and concepts into organizational and team values. Chapter 4 explores the transition from traditional to team values, followed by a chapter of the role of conflict in the process. In chapter 6, our helpful consultant takes us through a Team Building Process that Really Works. Five appendices provide tools for leaders to use in building teams in their organizations.

After reading this book, you'll have a different perspective and confidence about what can be done. Apply what you've learned and you'll build higher results similar to what Land built with the Air Force squadron when he began the process he helps us understand.
The Care And Feeding Of Indigo Children
Doreen Virtue, Ph.D.
Hay House
P.O. Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
ISBN 10561708461, $13.95, Trade paperback, 242 pages, www.hayhouse.com

Indigo children, a recognized group among today's young people, have been diagnosed, studied, and supported by psychologists, educators, and lay people. Born after 1978, they are described as bright, intuitive, strong-willed, and sometimes self-destructive individuals. I learned about them from some educators I served in a consulting capacity and read The Indigo Children: The New Kids Have Arrived" by Lee Carroll and Jan Tober. I learned a lot from that book and found myself wanting more. That drive led me to this book.

Compared to "The Indigo Children", this book fell short of my expectations. Because of the author's strong spiritual leaning, the topics, content, and treatment went much further into angels and prayers than it did into how to work practically with these special young people. Perhaps I should have expected this when I saw the author's photo on the back cover. It's a rather unusual shot of a woman in a forest with a Koala bear and she does not appear to have clothes on. Different kind of author photo than I'm accustomed to.

Virtue is described as a PhD "spiritual doctor of psychology." She's heavily invested in angels (author of "Healing with Angels"), which is quite obvious in the book. There is significant text devoted to angels, prayers, and the evils of pharmaceuticals like Ritalin.

Some readers may find the pre-written prayers helpful for them. My Indigo step-daughter was less than enthusiastic about prescriptions for communicating with spirits, though the book suggests that some Indigos are really into that sort of experience.

The book includes a number of valuable tips about diet, concentration, and overcoming insomnia. I would have personally preferred more emphasis on these practical techniques than the heavy spiritual component. If you are into the spiritual, you'll enjoy this book, becoming immersed in all of its aspects. If you are not so spiritual, you'll still find some concrete ideas interwoven in the text.

Would You Work For You?
Sam Geist
Addington & Wentworth, Inc.
ISBN 1896984126, $24.95, Hardcover, 181 pages, www.amazon.com, http://www.samgeist.com/

In today's turbulent world, we face a dangerous scarcity of effective leaders. The whole concept of quality leadership seems to be a foreign concept to many of the people charged with the responsibility of running organizations-whether those organizations are multi-national conglomerates, discrete departments, or a mom-and-pop store down on the corner.

Geist begins, aptly enough, by defining leadership and the interconnectivity of the leader, people, skills, and vision. Chapter two gets us right into self-awareness and the need to manage your own emotions more effectively. Management is logical; leadership is emotional. As we move through this chapter, we slide from one set of advice to another. Ten Steps to Develop Accurate Self-Perception is followed by topics like relationships and human behavior principles, trust, and self-control.

Chapter 3 explores the people aspect of the interconnectivity model. What are people looking for? What's the most effective way to deliver it to them? We learn how to meet employee expectations with praise, recognition, mentoring, work-life balance, and inspiration. Chapter four emphasizes skill development, beginning with the hiring process to be sure you have the right people on board. Team building, time management, delegation, conflict resolution, and decision making are addressed, providing insight into the fundamental skills that build leadership success.

Chapter five deviates from the four components of interconnectivity to address the all-important communication skills. The basics are all here-writing, speaking, reading, non-verbal. Chapter 6 returns to the model with a focus on the vision and how to move an organization forward. Innovation, change, culture development, and execution are discussed. A summary chapter reminds us that we're all still human, and that humanness is a vital part of leadership.

There is a series of "tough questions" at the end of each chapter, with some blanks for you to record your answers in workbook fashion. Insightful and inspiring quotations are sprinkled throughout the text. An index is included for later reference.

This is a good primer for supervisors or people without management experience. It's a broad and shallow survey of the myriad of concerns that face leaders. In the space available, Geist does not go into great depth in any of the topics; you'll find that penetration in other books. This is also not one of those books that will rock you to your very foundations and make you uncomfortable. It's a good starter book for people moving into leadership in corporate, non-profit, or civic organizations. The principles are universal, and essential for people moving up the leadership ladder.

Roger E. Herman
Reviewer


Rick's Bookshelf

The Eternal Battle
Keith Gouveia
1st Books Library
ISBN # 1-4033-1318-0 (ebook), www.1stbooks.com
ISBN # 1-4033-1319-9 (paperback), 298 pp, $14.95

In his debut novel, The Eternal Battle, Keith Gouveia does what the horror field has needed for a long time, that of breathing life into an over written sub-genre. He has expanded the horizon of modern day vampire stories into an area that, at least to this reviewer, is one never seen before. As Gouveia writes, the eternal battle between good and evil rages on each and every day, but this particular battle stands out as one of both great courage and tragedy. That is the premise we are given in the beginning pages of the novel, the author setting up the cosmic level this takes place on by the mention of God and Lucifer, yet manages to not make it sound preachy, instead informative and doctrinally sound.

The story then switches to a small cargo plane as it makes its way from London to Boston. The two men flying the plane have no idea that they are transporting two vampires, but once the sun sets on their travels, the unholy pair awaken, thirsting for blood. In the onslaught of violence that follows, both the pilots and one of the vampires, lose their lives, leaving one lone vampire to see to the survival of his bloodline. As the plane goes down, the vampire escapes, and begins a search of the area for a meal.

The novels' main character, Police Detective Mike Caisse, finds himself thrown into a strange world of vampires and their zombie slaves after his wife Julie has a physical affair with the last of the vampire bloodline from Europe that escaped from the plane, Jean Pierre. From this unholy union a child named Daniel is born, half human and half vampire. Not long after, Mike's wife willingly becomes one of the undead, leaving him with the responsibility of raising the child alone. Daniel begins aging at an alarming rate, and Mike realizes that he needs to put an end to the vampires before any more innocent lives are affected.

The story becomes even more enthralling when Julie and Jean Pierre want their son. Mike, with the help of John, his friend and partner on the police force, and Daniel, now aged to that of a teen, make it their mission to eradicate the vampire couple along with any newly created vampires. Julie seeks vengeance on Mike, and in a failed attempt to turn him into her slave, she unwittingly grants him powers beyond those that her and Jean posses. The battlefield now much more evenly matched, both sides make the necessary preparation for the melee that is to result.

The vampires need to come up with a way to destroy Mike before he has a chance to end what they have worked so hard to establish. They must build up their forces and gather the necessary tools while hoping that Mike will not find them as they rest. Mike has to destroy his wife, the woman he once loved, in order to save humanity, and free himself from the curse she placed upon him. However before he has a chance to do this, John is drawn in further, making the decisions Mike faces that much harder. His own fate, as well as that of Daniel, and John now relies on him being able to win this battle.

The style of writing shown by Mr. Gouveia draws you in quickly and keeps you through the end, making it hard to put the book down. The story is not bogged down with unnecessary descriptive narrative as you find with so many stories of this type, no endless paragraphs describing leaves on a tree, or the cut of someone's coat. It is refreshingly, highly character driven, and filled to the brim with action and dialogue. No matter what you feel for the characters, they will grab hold of you, as you are drug right into the center of the melee, with the eternal battle ensuing around you. Perhaps the highest compliment that I could pay is that once the story ends, I want to see more of the characters. I hope a sequel is forthcoming.

Degree Of Caution
Sibyl Avery Jackson
Milligan Press
1425 West Manchester Suite B, Los Angeles California 90047
ISBN 1881524272, $15.95, paperback, www.amazon.com

It has been said that the best murder weapons are ones using common items. Not only is the weapon itself often overlooked as being capable of causing a death, but it is easy to hide it in plain sight, and/or dispose of it readily. With Hitchcock, it was an icicle; it's sharp, melts, and leaves no fingerprints, even if it somehow manages to hold its shape. With author Sibyl Avery Jackson, it is a cell phone, and therein lies the beauty of this work.

In her novel "Degree of Caution", Ms Jackson has shown a mastery of storytelling that makes for a gripping and compelling story. From the cover art to the final page, she manages to craft a tale that made me as a reader stop and think over the chance of this being more truth than fiction-if not already, then someday in the not too distant future. Add to the mix Ms. Jackson's history in the cellular phone industry, and coupled with all the reporting in the media regarding cell phone safety, you have to wonder was she conjecturing or confiding?

This is a story of Corporate America caring more for the dollar than the consumer, and the town of Bastrop Texas having to pay the cost for that greed in the lives of it's citizens due to the testing of a new cell phone. The Excalibur is a next generation wireless that is given to some of the people in the town to try out, and not long after the test marketing is completed, those that received the new phone begin to get sick and fall into a coma, some even die. The manufacturer, along with divisions of the U.S. government begins a cover-up, the likes of which has never been seen before. Enter FBI Special Agent Monica Sinclair, who goes undercover to try to find the truth behind what really happened in that small town. But they are ready to ship The Excalibur worldwide-can she stop them before mass carnage is unleashed?

Ms. Jackson has not only crafted a tightly wound mystery that unravels at just the right pace to keep the reader interested, but she has also created characters that exist in a real world, with all of the concerns, misgivings and apprehensions that go with being a living breathing human being. Her characters have a three dimensional feel that makes the reading of this 400 page novel not a chore, but a thrill. Her heroes are heroic and her villain's evil without being caricatures, my compliments to her for doing so well. I think that any filmmaker worth his salt should pick up this story and run with it, it would make one terrific movie, and any reader who is looking for a solid well told tale should buy this book. Then you too will be like me and ask when is the next adventure with Special Agent Monica Sinclair going to be out? I hope it's soon.

Rick Mohr, Reviewer
http://www.pcisys.net/~drmforge/rickmohr.htm


Pogo's Bookshelf

Pathways To Publication: Ways For Writers To Reach Readers
Bernie Ross and Trevor Lockwood
Author.co.uk
61 Gainsborough Road: Felixstowe, Suffolk IP11 7HS UK
1898030170 ppbk 304pp, 2002, 10 UK
189803060X .pdf 207pp, 2002, http://www.author.co.uk, sales@author.co.uk

So you want to be a writer? Get published and have folks stand in line for your autograph? Have them fall at your feet for your ingenuity and creativity? Be famous like Grisham and dominate headlines like J K Rowling?

Stop. Fantasies like cobwebs are easy to shred. Successful publication is more sturdy enduring like good linens, and the best you know, are made from the humblest weeds, like nettles and thistles. Expect to to get your ego pricked in the process with the bloody, hard work of weaving together a story.

Bernie Ross and Trevor Lockwood present insights into the creativity of successsful writing. The book is well-organized for the reader to glance through the table of contents to find tips and tricks for improving his skills and productivity in developing daily discipline and alternative viewing for twisting the perspective.

The authors point out that writing cannot be purely internal reflection without becoming static, egocentric and boring. For lively expression, a writer needs external relationships whether grouching with an editor, kicking the reviewer or talking with a friend. Use Grouching Therapy to improve your level of work; become more objective and critical of your writing. The authors warn,

"You might think you've written a good book and you may have indeed written a good story, but the skill goes well beyond good grammar and a good yarn, and too many nascent writers find it hard to understand this. Writing must be tight, concise and daring if it's to stand out in the ocean of words that arrive on publisher's desk every week. " (p10)

Thus said, the authors systematically begin your education of twisting the writing perspective until it unfolds in seductive reading that leads us into a different world. To do this takes creativity balanced by craft. Being wise, the authors caution to begin with the end,

"One aim may be to produce a book; just an ink-smeared-on-dead-trees-book. Whatever process is finally chosen, the production of the final book must be as good as can be achieved. It's not just about the content, which must be subjected to close scrutiny by a disinterested third party, preferably a professional editor or proof-reader, but also the physical quality of the work."

For self-publishers and writers going with the POD route, this is particularly true. Although things are seldom what they seem, cover art, layout and typeface attract or repulse the reader or the publisher. The authors cover all aspects of the practical aspects, including basics about copyright, permissions, editing and formatting the manuscript so attract the eye of a busy editor or agent, giving insights on the variety of publishing avenues that are presently available: traditional, POD and electronic.

Unsure of yourself? Well, try the many exercises out to find your strengths and weaknesses. Explore the variety of genre and take a fresh look at resources available in your local library or on the internet to help you identify your personal strengths. The authors provide a broad range of creative exercises to exoricise the devilry inside of you. Find your Rostrum and get Literary Clout. Argue and trigger debate. That's what it is about: Creating conflict with the magic of resolution. Talk, tell and visualise as you send your characters into plots and predicaments. Learn to listen and identify different voices so that they speak across the page and into the reader's room. So start at the beginning with the tools of the trade and get a life. Write.

Rising From The Ashes
Michael laRocca
NBI Novel Books Inc
PO Box 661, Douglas MA MA 01516
1-59105-085-5 ppbk 220pp 2002 14.95 USD
1-59105-0060-X electronic version 5.50 USD, http://www.novelbooksinc.com

Rising from the Ashes invokes the image of a phoenix fledging from the fiery nest. Michael LaRocca evokes poignant scenes of a life shattered by hardships as his mother struggled for independence and social respect in a world unfriendly to single women. Reassembled in fragments to form a brilliant kaleidescopic reflection of his childhood, LaRocca recounts the ups and downs of daily life in the lower caste of American society. Forget watching Ozzie or Joe Millionaire: what you find here is reality where the ordinary and the not-so-ordinary blend together to make an intriguing mosaic of American life.

Reality begins with page one:

"My mother left my father when I was two. When she remarried, she didn't know that she'd end up raising my little brother and me alone... After Barry was born, Daddy picked up Mom and Barry from the hospital and took them to a motel room where I waited with a baby-sitter. He had lost the house in a poker game.. A few days later, he won it back."

The reader lands some heavy bumps in the see-saw of life. Michael's mother not only experiences the loss of a familial roof in her time of new role of motherhood, but also gets bashed about quite badly by an irascible husband. Like a mother eagle facing extinction, she fights to protect her nestlings, hoping for a better toehold in life. The breaking point comes when Daddy Sam viciously tosses Michael, who crosses the forbidden den as a shortcut to the kitchen,.against a wall

"You get away from him!" she screamed. She was mad, but it wasn't scary because she wasn't mad at me. She was mad at Daddy Sam. "You can hit me all you want, but don't you dare touch my son!" (p6)

Without much hesitation, she packed their few things and gathered them together to leave.

"Where are we going?" Barry asked.
"I'm going to leave you at Eleanor's house for a little while so I can find us a place to live."
"Are we ever going back to Daddy Sam?" Barry asked.
"No." Mom's smile vanished and her expression turned hard.
"Did Daddy Sam really hit you?" Barry asked.
Mom nodded, and swallowed. "You don't have to call him Daddy Sam. Just call him Sam."
"I don't like Sam," Barry said.
"Me either," I agreed.
"Don't worry," Mom told us, "You'll never see Sam again." (p7)

Unlike Dorothy in the wonderful world of Oz, life didn't follow along a yellow brick road. After their removal from the house of dispute, they settle in the Eutaugh Apartments. Life goes on with making new friends, learning new prohibited words and going to school; but by Chapter Two, another seismic tremor hits with the announcement:

"Mom," Barry siad one day, "you said we moved to Durham to be close to Gramma. But that's not the only reason is it?" "No, it's not. We had to leave Eutaugh Apartments because I didn't have enough money to pay the rent." "Why?" he asked. "It's hard raising two boys with what I get paid." (p27)

The harsh realities of seeking work and moving house has already become cyclical, causing the family to become transient in settled middle America. Unable to fulfill all the obligations of work and parenting with financial restraints, the family is often confronts more hardship.

Michael opts to move in with Daddy Jim and Ruby, offering insight to the problems of split families. Whether Daddy Jim is much better than Daddy Sam is unknown. Realistically drawn, the cussing redneck American, he accidentally shoots a doe out of season. Why? Just for kicks to frighten her. He wanted to see her run. Ruby puts on a front of an strict abstainer, but stocks the kitchen cupboards with whiskey, while Daddy Jim downs beer out brown paper bags while driving. Michael, seeking escape from his little brother, Barry's meanness, finds a new opponent in Mark, Ruby's son. Instead of wearing jeans, he gets stuck with Ruby selected clothing, which when soiled or torn by the overfriendly dog, he gets a belting. Burdened with chores, threats and more physical abuse, Michael learns that every trade-off has a price. Now he lives in a roomy house with a semi-private bath, new clothes, television and beer; but there seems to be little emotional security. In a year he contracts the mumps and has an ear infection that both need medical attention and gets bounced back to his single mother.

Poignant, well-written, the writer leads you through the years and experiences, from living in an apartment to living in a car. Personal, it lends an intimate picture of struggling America, of the conflicts and obstacles that confront kids from split families. Clearly voiced, it could be used as a documentary on single parenthood to support the argument that single-parents ought to receive financial support from the government to help them maintain their integrity and personal pride. With very little outside support and financial resources, Michael's mother faced difficult personal and ethical choices. When jobs are low-paying, and the kids too young to bring in their own pocket money, women are often forced into humiliating circumstances to be dependent on boyfriends or casual relationships to help out with basic necessities. Unfortunately, women who suffer abuse, tend to fall back into abusive situations as a result of social pressures and lack of financial resources. Society puts women at risk by refusing responsibility for social welfare. Enter Eugene.

Eugene piles their things into the old Plymouth Fury to take them on a ride to California for a new life, but teaches them to steal and cheat instead. The ride comes to an inglorious end as Eugene runs out of tricks and Micheal makes an emergency call to Daddy Jim.

Moving, startling and spell-binding, the narrator leads us on through one adventure after another, reading like a modern Tom Sawyer in the electronic age. Headlines scream about Florida's disappearing children and the notorious negligence of the social-welfare system. Whether New Jersey or Washington State, the stories echo the dilemma of broken families, of neglected and abused children throughout the United Sates, framing their lives within these pages. Unable to accept defeat, Michael's mother fights back after every setback to establish a new toehold in life. We see Barry and Michael grow from scrappy kids into responsible adults. With no easy breaks, the cycle of temporary work and moving is finally vanquished. Just when life should be the sweetest, fate turns cuts threads.

Suspenseful, warm, chilling and humorous, we await to see the phoenix rise again from the ashes.

Pogo
Reviewer
pogomcl@dowse.com


Peter's Bookshelf

The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book, 13th Edition
Dan Poynter
Para Publishing
P.O. Box 8206, Santa Barbara, CA 93118-8206
1568600739, $19.95, 430 pages, http://www.ParaPublishing.com

The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book (13th Edition, 2002) by Dan Poynter is one of the great, classic books about self-publishing. As a self-published author with hundreds of thousands of books sold and over twenty-years experience in the publishing industry, Poynter is one of the most highly-respected experts in the field of self-publishing.

The revised edition of The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book expands upon earlier editions to discuss ebooks and Printing-on-Demand (POD) books, as well as conventional self-publishing.

Poynter tells us a self-publisher using conventional offset printing should budget about $15,000 to launch a new self-published book. Poynter also discusses digital printing technology (sometimes called POD books), which makes small press runs feasible, allowing self-published books to be launched for only a few hundred dollars in production costs.

With the offset-printing route, Poynter suggests printing 3,000 copies, because he says a good non-fiction book should sell at least 2,500 copies in its first year, and promotion might involve sending out as many as 500 review copies to book reviewers and industry leaders. Poynter tends to favor free publicity over paid advertising to market books.

The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book has chapters about writing a book, book production, book promotion and marketing, starting a publishing business, and book fulfillment options. The Self-Publishing Manual also contains an extensive resource section for self-publishers.

Poynter is a big fan of seeking non-bookstore sales. Poynter writes: "Fifty percent of the customers in a bookstore are looking for a particular book. These particular-book seekers are more likely to be younger and female. About 47% are looking for a nonfiction title, 27% for a particular book of fiction and 28% want textbooks. Although 20% do not find the book they are looking for, 54% buy one or more books before they leave. Then there are those people who never visit a bookstore. Bookstores are a lousy place to sell books."

What about college bookstores? Poynter writes: "Don't put too much energy into college stores. Many of them primarily stock text books and reference materials. Students generally don't spend money on much more than assigned texts, CDs, and beer."

In marketing your self-published book, Poynter says you should start by evaluating the people most likely to purchase your book. Poynter writes: "Ask yourself what stores they frequent, what magazines they read, what associations they join, what conventions or events they attend, what channels they watch, ... and so on. Where can you find a high concentration of people interested in your book? Analyze carefully the type of person who is a prospective purchaser of your book. This is perhaps the single most important thing to consider."

The information, insight, and resources about book marketing alone make The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book a necessary addition to the self-publisher's or author's bookshelf. (As Poynter notes, authors, even if published by major publishers, are largely responsible for promoting their own books.)

Although The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book is as up-to-date as any other self-publishing book, the book publishing industry is constantly changing. For example, the Ingram Express program for small publishers has been radically redesigned, so the terms and conditions of the program are far different from those listed in The Self-Publishing Manual. (Ingram is the world's largest book distributor).

The Self-Publishing Manual doesn't mention any of the professional, online discussion lists, such as Publish-L (Publish-L.com), among its resources. These discussion lists can be valuable to new self-publishers and keep them up-to-date about industry changes. Other than this oversight of omitting publisher discussion lists as resources to keep current about the industry, The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book is a nearly perfect introduction to self-publishing.

Presentation Magic: Dazzle & Deliver Talks With Confidence
Marisa D'Vari
DEG International Publishing
220 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
1931094020 $21.95, 143 pages, softcover, http://www.deg.com

Presentation Magic: Dazzle & Deliver Talks With Confidence by Marisa D'Vari helps people who want to improve their presentation, public speaking, and networking skills.

"Behind Every Power Player is an Effective Speaker," writes D'Vari, who tells us that in today's package-focused society, everyone is a brand and we're always on display.

D'Vari writes: "In today's competitive world, your professional and social success depends on your ability to present your ideas to your colleagues, make more effective client presentations on the job, feel more confident in social situations, and handle media opportunities with panache."

While much of how others evaluate us is subconscious, D'Vari says there's a lot we can do to control and hone the image we project.

D'Vari tells us about a young, "...unhappy boy in a bleak English town...who yearned for a better life." By studying the mannerisms, speech, dress, and behaviors of those he admired, the boy polished his image. Eventually, the boy decided to become an actor and changed his name to Cary Grant.

"Are you stuck in a rut? Changing your image can have a huge impact on how you see yourself, and how others see you," writes D'Vari.

To improve your presentation skills, D'Vari suggests these steps:

- Analyze your audience, especially their level of knowledge about the topic and why they've come to listen to you.

- Make your presentation "you centric," establishing an emotional connection with the audience and showing how your speech can improve the listener's life.

- Use stories and anecdotes

- Create key units of information

- Vary your presentation. Smile, move, establish eye contact, and pause from time-to-time at key points.

- Take an acting class

D'Vari says it's important to prepare for your presentation, to visualize yourself being successful, and to "banish mind yapping" to positively influence your subconscious mind before delivering a presentation.

D'Vari writes: "... The mind/body response does not differentiate between past, present, future, or imagination. Each registers an image. Conditioning your mind to see yourself as confident and positive is one of the fundamental components of this process to achieving excellence while making a presentation."

As part of preparation, D'Vari says you should test any visual aids in advance, especially things like overhead projectors. Be sure everything works, so you don't become discombobulated right before your speech.
D'Vari asks us to consider the image created by unpolished shoes, a spot on the shirt, being overwhelmed by the overhead projector, or other apparently minor items.

Consider entering a house of worship where the religious leader has a spot on his shirt. D'Vari observes: "Here we are, anticipating someone who can lead us to salvation, and he can't even get the coffee stain off his shirt."

"We are 'pre-wired' to take appearance into account in every area of our lives," writes D'Vari, "...In any presentation situation, the audience looks to our appearance first, then our manner of delivery, and finally, the content itself."

Presentation Magic: Dazzle & Deliver Talks With Confidence by Marisa D'Vari also has great advice for anyone wishing to improve his or her networking skills.

Peter Hupalo
Reviewer


Sullivan's Bookshelf

A Brilliant Solution: Inventing The American Constitution
Carol Berkin
Harcourt, Inc.
15 East 26th Street, 15th floor, New York, NY 10010
ISBN # 0151009481, $26.00, 1-800-543-1918, www.amazon.com

Most Americans don't know much about their U.S. Constitution. Carol Berkin corrects that and makes it interesting. Taking the scant U.S. Constitutional Convention records, mostly James Madison's personal notes, which were sealed until long after his death, she traces the ebb and flow of political debate in the summer of 1787 within the closed and secret meeting place, the East Room of the Pennsylvania statehouse that would become known as Independence Hall.

For a long time during that unusually hot summer in Philadelphia, the new consstitution, known about only by convention attendees who were required to remain silent outside the hall about what was going on inside, was in serious doubt. Debates pitting small states, like Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island (derisively called Rogues Island), against large states, like Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania. Then there were the nationalists versus the states righters.

Small states were afraid of losing their equal clout with big states. And states had to count slaves as only 3/5 of a man for population purposes to determine how many congressional representatives they got.

But perhaps the most devisive debates were between those who favored a strong Federal government and those who wanted the states to keep all their powers. The solution to most such debates was a bicameral (two chambered) legislature: a House of Representatives, whose number were elected by the people based on their state's population. The other legislative part was the Senate, two senators per state, elected by that state's legislature.

A sidelight to this was that George Washington participated, since he was the presiding officer, in only one debate. He believed that there should be one representative per 30,000 people. This was agreed to.

The resolution quenched the protracted battle concerning the legislative branch of the Federal government. The chief executive's position, seen subordinate to the legislature, brought new argument. Some at the convention wanted a three-man office of the executive. Others thought the president ought to have a seven year term of office and no more. Such debates raged on. Mostly, those at the gathering were worried that the presidency could easily slide into that of monarchy with the president becoming king.

Though the field of psychology hadn't been formed, nor would it be for many years, the founding fathers knew mankind and its faults only too well. Such distinguished men knew through history and their own experiences the temptations a president might face. Thus, such powers as that of declaring war was put in the hands of congress and not in the presidency to prevent his acting rashly or recklessly.

Establishing the judiciary, the Supreme Court, was less contentious and much less defined by the convention.

The author makes this story come alive with dynamic, daring actual characters who participated in this Constitutional Convention. Most everyone knows about Ben Franklin, the oldest man there. And all high school students should be aware that George Washington was chosen to preside over this august gathering. But fewer people realized that James Madison was the real force behind the convention. And he, along with fellow convention delegates, such as Alexander Hamilton, would push for, and win, the nationlist cause.

Other interesting people also in attendance were Gouverneur Morris, (with his wooden leg and proclivity for the females), Eldridge Gerry, from whom the term 'gerrymandering' comes, and James Wilson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, one of the best lawyers from Pennsylvania, and the person who read Franklin's speeches for him on the floor of the conventon. All of those people are hardly household names but were powers to be reckoned with.

George Washington's presidential inauguration ends the book's story. But that's followed by short biographies of all convention delegates, the complete U.S. Constitution, and the full Articles of Confederation (which ruled the country before the U.S. Constitution was ratified). Consequently, this volume makes an ideal, handy reference guide.

Berkin writes in her introduction, "... Madison's remarkable record of the debates in the convention reveal, on virtually every page, a collective anxiety about what they were doing and a near-paranoid fear of conspiracies springing up around them--and among them. If they assumed a set of enduring truths, many of these truths were negative. Chief among them were that men were corruptible and that power always corrupted. Greed and lust for power, as Franklin frequently pointed out in the convention debates, were unquenchable in mortal men."

A professor of American History at C.U.N.Y. and at Baruch College, Berkin has authored numerous other history tomes. She resides in New York City. -- Recommended!

Whoever Makes The Most Mistakes Wins: The Paradox Of Innovation
Richard Farson and Ralph Keyes
The Free Press
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN # 0743225929, $22.00, 1-800-223-2336, www.amazon.com

The authors' main point, told in numerous interesting and informative anecdotes, is that a person shouldn't be afraid to fail in trying to accomplish something worthwhile. That goes for individuals as well as for companies.

Too often, the goal is to succeed everytime an attempt is made without ever making mistakes, coming up short, or outright failure. But this book asks readers and executives to treat success and failure similarly.

Admittedly, few companies and corporations are willing to accept unsuccessful efforts, even though they were sincere and well thought out. Those types of firms tend to be rigid. And their employees are afraid to take chances or creating something for fear that if they fail, they will be out of a job, demoted, or shunted to the side.

The authors write in their introduction, "Relying on conventinal, outmoded ideas about success and failure stands in the way of your ability to innovate, compete, and stay ahead of the curve in a changing economy."

Richard Farson, who resides in California, has written other books, among them Management Of The Absurd.

Ralph Keyes, at home in Ohio, has authored The Courage To Write and other volumes.

This book is highly recommended for all high school and college graduates, not to mention every CEO in America!

Jim Sullivan
Reviewer


Magdalena's Bookshelf

The Enigma Of Arrival
VS Naipaul
Vintage Books
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
0394757602 $15.00, 354 pages, 1-800-726-0600, www.amazon.com

Nobel Prize winner VS Naipaul is well known for his statements about the "death of the novel" - his criticisms of plot, character and a forward moving narrative structure. His recently re-released 1886 book, The Enigma of Arrival, which he labels a 'novel,' proceeds with very limited plot, characterisation and a structure that takes it form much more closely from memoir and even diary writing than a formal narrative. That the work has been widely praised is certain. The dust jacket contains gushing accolades from no less than Anthony Burgess, Bernard Levin and Jan Morris. Although the writing is richly descriptive, it is hard to see The Enigma of Arrival as a novel at all, but rather a self-indulgent account of a short period of Naipaul's own life. Of course all novelists take their material partly from their own life, but Naipaul never refines this vision of his into something universal, never pulls together anything more than the most internally focused and concurrently self-aggrandising and depressing vision.

There are 5 chapters, or "sections" as Naipaul describes them. The second section, "The Journey" follows Naipaul as he leaves Trinidad for England for the first time. The final section, "The Ceremony of Farewell" is really an epilogue, although much of the book reads like an epilogue. The other sections take place in a small Wiltshire village during a period where the narrator rented a cottage, worked on a number of other books, and had a serious spell of illness. During this time he observed, from the detailed perspective of an outsider, the people, and natural world around him. The narrator himself is so obviously and clearly Naipaul that it is impossible to see him as a character, and although we find out much about him through his first peron observations, there is little of formal development of this person aside from these impressions. We know little about his life in between his travel from Trinidad to England and his later stay in Wiltshire. It is as if the reader were being asked to rely on our understanding of Naipaul's own body of work, referred to, his unwritten biography and his considerable reputation to understand who this narrator is.

As the narrator's contact with the people around him remains cursory, we don't really get to know any of the other characters either, except in a very superficial sense. We hear a little gossip, and learn much about the clothing they wear, but aside from a few rather cliched surmises by the narrator, we learn almost nothing. Jack, a man with a whole chapter dedicated to him, is a quaint farm labourer, wont to work with his shirt off and devoted to his garden until his health fails. The descriptions of Jack's features, his waxen face, his clothing and his connection to his plot are some of the best pieces of writing in the book, but we see it as a passing observation by the only real character - the narrator:

"His eyes were far away. It was his eyes, oddly obstreperous, oddly jumpy, that gave him away, that said he was after all a farm worker, that in another setting, in a more crowded or competitive place, he might have sunk. And the discovery was a little disconcerting, because (after I had got rid of the idea that he was a remnant of old peasantry) I had found in thatbeard of his, a man with a high idea of himself, a man who had out of principle turned away from other styles of life." (29-30)

Other characters are equally glossed over, with detailed surmises about who they are and how they see the world taken solely from the clothing they wear, the manner in which they walk or talk, and the odd greeting or bit of news. There is Brenda and Les who provide a bit of local colour and even some minor plot material with Brenda's scandal and sudden murder, but all we know of them is this:

"And that took some understanding, that people like Brenda and Les, who were so passionate, so concerned with their individuality, their style, the quality of their skin and hair, it took some understanding that people who were so proud and flaunting in one way should be prepared in another corner of their hearts or souls or minds to go down several notches and be servants." (70)

One begins to learn more about the prejudices of the narrator with each character who joins the reminiscence but ultimately the characterisation of the Phillipses, Brenda and Les, Pitton the gardener, the landlord, Bray and the failed writer Alan (who at least gets some degree of dialogue and his own voice) is no more in depth than one of those games you play on a bus or at a cafe where you look at a person and try to guess their lives and motivations by their clothes and manner.

The natural world is well described, in great detail and often beautiful prose:

"The river curved here. On the opposite bank the down ended abruptly in a wooded cliff, giving a great depth, and a hint of surrounding forest, to the river colour. There was also a new channel here from the bare down, a spring breaking out of the chalk and quickly turning into a noisy cascade. So that again, in this neat, tame, smooth landscape, with a bare green-white down and with a river a few feet deep divided neatly into numbered beats, there was a reminder of the unpredictable force of water." (226-7)

I suspect that this may be the main source of the praise for this book. The prose moves very slowly and the narrator gives this single piece of the world such detailed attention, viewing it from a number of different seasonal angles, rendering it, like an impressionistic painter, in different hues and at different times of the day. So much detail though, without sufficient characterisation becomes more a kind of catalogue of botany - heavy, dull and difficult to wade through. Although the narrator takes some delight in his natural world, the overall effect is of lassitude - of a kind of personal ennui, which it is impossible to avoid feeling as a reader. This is compounded by his own stated melancholy, which permeates the book:

"...I began to be awakened by thoughts of death, the end of things; and sometimes not even by thoughts so specific, no even by fear rational or fantastic, but by a great melancholy. This melancholy penetrated my mind while I slept; and then, when I awakened in response to its prompting, I was so poisoned by it, made so much not a doer (as men must be, every day of their lives), that it took the best part of the day to shake it off. And that wasted or dark day added to the gloom of preparing for night." (375)

The more interesting theme, of displacement - of trying to find a new home and acquiring belonging could have lifted this work out of the morass of self-indulgent reflection into the universal, creating a good story. This is certainly touched upon in "The Journey" section, which seems to have little connection with the rest of the book. The importance of this theme is hinted at by the book's title, and the "Enigma of Arrival" painting by de Chirico which inspires Naipaul:

"My story was to be set in classical times, in the Mediterranean. My narrator would write plainly, without any attempt at period style or historical explanation of th eperiod. He would arrive...at that classical port with the walls and gateways like cut-outs. He would walk past those two muffled figures on the quayside. he wouldmove from that silence and desolation, that blankness, to a gateway or door. He would enter there and be swallowed by the life and noise of a crowded city..." (106)

The book would be a meditation on the journey of life, on death, on the dislocation of travel and exile and how we recreate those places in our own images. Presumably this "novel" The Enigma of Arrival, the very work he is talking about writing, is the work itself. With a decent unifying story, and the kind of characterisation which Naipaul is certainly capable of, it could have been a powerful piece of work. As it stands, The Enigma of Arrival, never quite comes together as the surreal and beautiful tale of a traveller. It is too self-obsessed. Too much a portrait of the artist as a young and then old man and very internally focused. There is too much pastoral, too much surmising about other people without actually letting us get to know them, and finally too much subjectivity to allow the richness of the theme to develop. We certainly feel the sadness of the narrator, and we clearly see, in great detail, what he sees as he walks out day by day, speaks to a few people, observes change, but we never realise anything more than that. Things appear, bloom and decay, and people appear, bloom and decay. Britain too has begun to decay, and indeed the narrator is also decaying.

For true fans of VS Naipaul, this book forms an important biographical piece of his work. If you aren't familiar with Naipaul however, this is not a book I would recommend. Neither memoir nor story, the descriptive detail is fine, but it lacks any overall movement, is slow going and painful to read, and ultimately leaves the reader with nothing more than a brief impression of the mental state of the narrator and a very detailed understanding of a single cottage, a single manor, and single place.

Step Across This Line: Collected Non-Fiction 1992-2002
Salman Rushdie
Random House
ISBN: 0679463348 $25.95

Salman Rushdie is as good an essayist as he is a novelist. That is a serious accolade. It is possible that he is one of the finest novelists of our century. His imaginative, distinctive and extraordinary novels have earned him significant awards, as well as the dubious distinction of a Fatwa, one imagines partly for the intensity and beauty of his prose and his strong adherence to a philosophy of truth, and a humanistic secularism which is strongly informed by the mythological heritage of his multiple cultures. Rushdie's non-fiction, which includes Imaginary Homelands, a collection of essays and criticism, The Jaguar Smile and The Wizard of Oz, along with a wide range of published essays and columns from newspapers and magazines is similarly powerful, full of insight, conviction, humour and the love of both language and life which have made him famous.

Rushdie's latest collection, Step Across This Line is split into four parts, the first is a series of randomly published essays on topics as diverse as The Wizard of Oz, literary criticism, writing, film, rock music, bread, on being photographed, religion, US politics, South East Asian politics and his first trip to India after the Fatwa. The second part is a series of writings on "the plague years" - a 10 year period when he was in hiding from the death sentence issued by the Iranian leader Khomeini. The third part, is a chronological sequence of New York Times columns, running from December 1998 to March 2002, and which look at a range of current events during that period. The fourth part, which inspired the title, is the transcript of the 2002 Tanner Lectures on Human Values, given at Yale University.

The essays in this collection are, without exception, witty, intelligent, acerbic, moving, thoughtful and above all, truthful. Celebrating secular freedom of thought and speech, personal responsibility and courage, together they form a thesis. The book reads quickly, and all of the pieces are interesting, illuminating their subject matter while always putting things into a larger context. The first , "Out of Kansas" is a superb piece of literary analysis focusing on the film The Wizard of Oz. The topic of one of Rushdie's non-fiction books and one of his earliest literary influences, his deconstruction and reconstruction of this apparently lighthearted film is a terrific piece of work, at once courageous and respectful, leading us through the range of straw men and illusions to Dorothy's ultimate crossing of the boundaries of Kansas to the discovery of herself. In his essay "In Defence of the Novel, Yet Again," Rushdie takes on George Steiner's comments that we are getting very tired in our novels. Celebrating the novel's diversity, Rushdie argues that: "The novel is precisely that 'hybrid form' for which Prof. Steiner yearns. It is part social enquiry, part fantasy, part confessional. It crosses frontiers of knowledge as well as topographical boundaries." (58) Eloquently Rushdie states that: "literature, good literature, has always been a minority interest. Its cultural importance does not derive from its success in some sort of ratings war, but from its success in telling us things about ourselves that we hear from no other quarter. And that minority - the minority that is prepared to read and buy good books - has in truth never been larger than it is now." (60)

Even in essays celebrating football, rock and roll or his influences, there is always an aim to produce something universal:

Afloat and terrifyingly free upon these boundless seas, the writer attempts, with his bare hands, the magical task of metamorphosis. Like the figure in the fairy-tale who must spin straw into gold, the writer must find the trick of weaving the waters together until they become land: until, all of a sudden, there is solidity where once there was only flow, shape where there was formlessness; there is ground beneath his feet." (69)

The importance of a broad minded secularism which celebrates freedom and the intrinsic good runs through the section on the plague years. Rushdie's refusal to be silenced, to give us his life, his sense of self-worth, and his ability to depersonalise the Fatwa is inspiring:

"I have had to understand not just what I'm fighting against...but also what I am fighting for, what is worth fighting for with one's life. Religious Fanaticism's scorn for secularism and for unbelief led me to my answer. It is that values and morals are independent of religious faith that good and evil come before religion: that...it is perfectly possible, and for many of us even necessary, to construct our ideas of the good without taking refuge in faith." (252)

The topical columns, many of them written quite recently, span the USA 2000 Presidential campaign (with a very funny Seuss inspired verse), Arundhati's dam protest, film festivals, the Sept 11th attacks and a very powerful piece on the Hindu-Moslem bloodletting in Gujarat. Even for this diehard athiest, Rushdie's last sentence is, like much of his writing, hard hitting in its clarity "So India's problem turns out to e the world's problem. What happened in India, happened in God's name. The problem's name is God." (403)

Rushdie has been criticised for his egoism, and there are a number of self-referential pieces in this book, but never does he trivialise or focus too far inwards. There is humour, generosity, even a relaxed good natured quality to this work which makes it very enjoyable to read - light, even while it makes the heaviest points. It is exceptionally well written, with crisp, joyful prose, light puns and the deepest insights. Even at its most personal, when writing of his attempts to get a film made of Midnight's Children, a trip with his son to India, on being photographed by Avedon, his struggles against Britain's refusal to show solidarity during the height of his troubles, or a visit onstage with Bono of U2, there is always a turning point where the basic thesis of freedom and secular decency becomes the point of the piece, as he writes to the six billionth person in the world: "Imagine there's no heaven, my dear Six Billionth, and at once the sky's the limit."

Magdalena Ball, Reviewer
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html


Susan's Bookshelf

Caring Hands: Inspiring Stories of Volunteer Medical Missions
Susan J. Alexis
Fairview Press
2450 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454
ISBN 1577491289, $14.95, 240 pp., Softcover, www.amazon.com

Many individuals have contemplated involving themselves in missions work. Often, they harbor an inexplicable number of doubts, questions or fears that prevent them from ever moving forward to fulfill that desire to give back to their fellow man. Caring Hands helps to dispel many doubts and fears by offering a concise, objective, and positive look at missions from the people serving. The obstacles faced by volunteers are not hidden behind quaint cliches or syrupy prose. The benefits of the Volunteers' presence in the countries to which they have traveled are evidenced clearly in photographs, before and after, and through the stories they share. Readers should not be surprised at feelings of both in joy and sadness in tandem with regard to the stories offered. Readers should not be surprised if they finish this book with a deep aching in the soul to join a missions group and lend a helping hand. Caring Hands is a small taste of a huge labor of love, and labors of love, as experienced by members of the volunteer medical missions, are habit forming.

It is all too easy to airily click past the ads for charitable organizations seeking sponsorship and aid for impoverished families in third world and war-ravaged countries around the globe. It is difficult for those comfortable in overstuffed furniture and sitting down to plentiful meals three times a day to imagine or comprehend living without the most basic of conveniences such as stores selling wholesome foods, electricity to operate a wide variety of appliances, clean drinking water, and functioning sewage disposal systems. It is unpleasant to think that in some countries, there are children and adults dying of starvation, curable diseases, common and treatable injuries, and illnesses brought on by unsanitary living conditions. For want of education, supplies, and properly trained medical help, hundreds of thousands are dying off the planet daily. Caring Hands is not a book about hopelessness, however. It is about possibilities. It is about all the good that can be done by individuals sponsoring and participating in volunteer medical missions to places such as Guatemala, Thailand, Nigeria, Russia, Vietnam, Bolivia, and many others. Medical training is not mandatory to joining such operations, a will to give is.

People with a variety of skills, talents, and abilities in addition to medical professionals are needed to fulfill roles in faraway places where inhabitants have little or no contact with the outside world, and little hope of long-term survival, save for the infrequent visits and aid provided by missions personnel.

Caring Hands is a wonderfully inspiring collection of thirty short essays - interviews with volunteers who have served. Many of the volunteers have found in missions work a tangible way to use their gifts and abilities in a profoundly humanitarian effort to allay the suffering of neighbors across the oceans. The volunteers depicted range from medical professionals, to administrative assistants, to maintenance personnel, and retirees from different walks of life. One central theme underlies every one of their stories - missions are a humbling experience, one that forever changes an individual's perspective on what is truly important. Nearly every story tells of volunteers being happily and graciously received by the people they are sent to help, peoples whose need to survive overshadows contradictory political agendas. Volunteer medical missions hurdle most political boundaries. Once hostile governments become welcoming and accommodating of volunteers, knowing they are there for the sustaining of life not the promotion of political ideologies. Volunteers concur through individual testimonies that they came away with much more than they gave during their short time abroad. They yielded a deeper sense of caring, of living life "in a way that feels worthwhile," as stated by retired surgeon David Harris.

Caring Hands should be on the shelf of every pastoral library of every church whose congregation is considering sponsorship or sending teams on trips, whether to preach the gospel through words or through good works. Caring Hands should be required reading for every sociology student desiring knowledge not carried in clinical textbooks - eyewitness accounts of the basic human struggle to survive, develop, and grow. Caring Hands should be in the hands of those in leadership, the decision makers responsible for funding such trips. Caring Hands tells of the good that is accomplished when an organization's focus is on improving lives, giving freely, expressing more profoundly the inherent command to "love thy neighbor as thy self."

Storms From The Sun: The Emerging Science of Space Weather
Michael J. Carlowicz and Ramon E. Lopez
Joseph Henry Press
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20418
ISBN 0309076420, $27.95, 197 pp. Hardcover, www.amazon.com

Did you know that the rings of trees on earth tell about the cycles of the sun? If someone asked what the Van Allen Radiation Belts were, would you tell them they were a part inside your microwave? Do you believe that the greatest contribution the sun makes to our planet, in addition to helping crops grow, is its ability to provide sunbathers a deep tan? Storms From The Sun- The Emerging Science of Space Weather provides a unique look at the fiery mass of energy, a few millions miles away, which hurls radiated plasma particles en-mass toward the Earth on a daily basis. Michael J. Carlowicz, science education specialist, writer, and former worker at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and Ramon E. Lopez, C. Sharp Cook Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at El Paso and Fellow of the American Physical Society, invite readers into a field of space science, still in its infancy, that may prove to be an area of great discovery for the present and future generations of humanity.

Storms From The Sun gives readers an opportunity to consider how space weather affects their daily existence. Carlowicz and Lopez encourage a serious study of solar activity in relationship to international dependencies upon satellites and other technologies necessary to daily communications, public energy distribution, and the design of national defense systems - systems that can be widely affected or disabled through increased electro-magnetic charges resulting from the sun's CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections). The solar storm of 1989 is a primary example of the profound effect space weather can have on Earth's habitat. Massive disruptions in communications and public utilities, damage and loss of costly equipment, and economic repercussions in the billions of dollars were felt around the globe. Despite the fact that space storms are quite common, Carlowicz and Lopez are careful to point out that a thorough study is needed of the sun, it's composition, and its cyclical patterns and emissions before Earth's inhabitants can hope to invent and implement protective measures. Storms From The Sun also shows how space weather can effect and even hamper progress of space exploration. Space weather, particularly from periods of intense solar activity, increases danger to astronauts, space stations, and equipment vital to survival and work in space. For humankind to be successful in intensive and distant exploration of the universe, it must understand space weather and how it moves and changes in the solar environment. The way to understand is to study.

Storms From The Sun is an example of how educational textbooks should be written. Dry, static fact has been reshuffled and served up with a generous helping of historical record, open discussions of past and present-day theory, and a subtle sprinkling of wit to keep it lively and captivating. Public school educators and parents of home-schooled children, as well as industry leaders, government officials, and anyone with an interest in science and the space around them, will draw many valuable lessons and discussions from the information provided. Carlowicz and Lopez have taken strides to carefully define and explain theories and their applications in relationship to the subject. They have provided in-text explanation of acronyms and abbreviations, as well as a glossary, and they have included a useful appendix of web sites and recommendations for further reading. Unique color photographs, drawings of solar observations from the journals of ancient astronomers, and charts of solar cyclical patterns provide valuable visual reference points and support.

After reading Storms From The Sun - The Emerging Science of Space Weather by Michael J. Carlowicz and Ramon E. Lopez, it is doubtful that anyone will be able to look at the sun the same way again. Contrary to its visual serenity, its beauty, and its pleasant warmth, it is a roiling mass of furious energy spitting particles at the Earth at millions of miles per hour. Storms From The Sun is an electrifying challenge for the mind to decipher the seemingly unfathomable secrets of the sun. The authors should be applauded for their I.E.I. (Insightful Emission of Information). This book will undoubtedly spark interest in space weather among present and ever-emerging generations of scientists, industry and government leaders, and educators.

Photographs; illustrations; bibliographical references; and index.

Susan Cronk
Reviewer


Lori's Bookshelf

Deceptions
Lauren Maddison
Alyson Publications, Inc.
6922 Hollywood Blvd., 10th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90028
ISBN: 1555834906, $13.95, 424 pps., www.Alyson.com

When Connor Hawthorne's estranged lover Ariana is murdered, Connor is knocked into a tailspin of grief and confusion. She's got her father, former senator Benjamin Harrison, and her best friend, cop Malcolm Jefferson to lean on, but her world is empty without her beautiful and enigmatic lover. The police have no leads on the murder, and it might have ended up a cold case, except that Connor's house is ransacked and booby-trapped. If not for Malcolm's fast thinking, Connor and her father would both have been killed by the explosion. Now it seems clear that Ariana's death could be connected to Benjamin, but Connor is not sure how.

Time passes, and Connor comes to understand that she must get on with her life. She gets back to work and attends a writer's conference in New Mexico. A Navaho chauffeur, Laura Nez, shows up to squire her around-but is she trustworthy? Who is the culprit who stalks Connor leaving destruction in his or her wake? Is it a lone nut or a frightening conspiracy? And why was Ariana killed?

Gun battles, explosions, and high speed chases are nicely offset by Connor's introspection, by Laura's subtle humor and toughness, and by Maddison's literate style. Told from several points-of-view, the novel is plotted well and executed with grace. Oddly enough, the secondary characters in this debut novel (Laura and Malcolm especially) are more compelling than the protagonist, but there is plenty of room for Connor to grow in the subsequent books. The Native American "woo woo" spiritualism at the end was almost over the top, but ultimately didn't detract from this solid and entertaining first novel in what promises to be a compelling mystery series.

Fans of tightly plotted, exciting books such as Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series should like this book. My sole complaint is that the spine of the physical book did not hold up well after one reading, with pages threatening to pull away. This is a shame since Deceptions is a novel many mystery readers will want to revisit.

Second Chances
Lynne Norris
Renaissance Alliance Publishing, Inc.
PMB 238, 8691 - 9th Avenue Port Arthur, TX 77642
ISBN: 1930928297, $19.99, 424 pps., www.rapbooks.biz

Regina Kingston, a new hospital resident, is a woman on the edge: in addition to being on the edge of completing her training to become a full-fledged doctor, she's also on the edge of realizing she's not straight, a fact about which her insensitive boyfriend has not been informed. When Regina joins the ER at St. Xavier's for her final rotation in the emergency services area, she's in for a lot more trauma and surprise than just the medical aspects.

Regina's chief attending doctor is Alex Margulies, a mercilessly driven perfectionist who possessing an unexpected past and an entire doctor's kit full of emotional issues. Her friendship with Regina comes as a complete surprise to her, and as it grows in intensity, Alex has serious choices to make. She's kept her past at bay for years, but if she is to have a future with Regina, she must face the consequences of her old life.

With the backdrop of internecine political battles, medical crises, the daily grind of long hours in the ER, and the constant responsibility of saving lives and losing patients, two women seek to forge a connection. Will their mutual attraction be thwarted by outside forces, both past and present?

The author writes with authority about the medical situations faced in a busy ER, and much of the book reads like a gripping and entertaining season's worth of episodes of Chicago Hope or ER. An inviting debut from a talented writer, Second Chances is highly recommended for fans of well-written lesbian drama.

Lori L. Lake
Reviewer


Paul's Bookshelf

Understanding Muslim-West Alienation: Building A Better Future
Arshad Khan
Writer's Club Press
5220 S 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595237096, $14.95, 151 pages, http://www.iuniverse.com

The conflict between Islam and the West, specifically America, did not start the day that New York and Washington were attacked. It is because of religious, social and political factors and has been brewing for many centuries. This book attempts to fill in the details.

The Islamic religion was started by the prophet Muhammad approximately 1400 years ago in Arabia. It spread quickly, reaching from Spain to China. When an area was conquered, there were no forced conversions to Islam. The right of the residents to freedom of religion was guaranteed. Honest and efficient governments run by early Muslim rulers, who found that simply conquering an area wasn't enough, brought about the rise of a civilization that lasted for centuries.

While Europe was going through the Dark Ages, the Islamic world was The center of learning and culture, especially during the years 750-950 AD, Islam's Golden Age. The conflict between Islam and the West started approximately 1000 years ago with the Crusades, a number of attempts to take Jerusalem from the Muslims and return it to Christian rule. That conflict still goes on today.

Moving to the present, the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack violated several basic principles of Islam. They killed innocent civilians, the committed suicide, they killed more than 200 Muslims who were working in the World Trade Center, and one of the hijackers was reportedly consuming alcohol in Florida the night before, all of which are totally against the teachings of Islam.

Islam has many complaints with America. Support for Israel is one-sided; Jewish influence in the Senate is too strong; America is widely perceived as anti-Muslim; the West talks a lot about democracy and human rights, but supports some of the worst dictators in the world; American media is biased and driven by business needs. Part of the "blame" for present conditions in the Muslim world lies with Muslims themselves. They suffer from a widespread lack of education, the control by religious fundamentalists is great, Muslims lack role models, the majority of Muslims care only about their personal sphere, otherwise, they are silent and apathetic, their leaders have failed them consistently.

The author talks about "jihad," which is mostly a personal struggle against one's inner self. It is not a tool of oppression or forced conversion against non-Muslims. On both sides, people have hijacked the term and turned it into something that it is not.

This book is a basic look at the Muslim view of the West, and it succeeds very well. It doesn't try to be a complete reference source. It is clearly written and very easy to read. It is also eye-opening and highly recommended.

Screaming At A Wall
Greg Everett
Grundle Ink Publications
P.O. Box 231, Chico, CA 95927
0970815255,$10.00, 448 pages, http://www.grundleink.com

This is the autobiographical story of one person's journey through 1990s youth culture.

Greg is your average resident of the Bay Area of San Francisco, more interested in drugs and the opposite sex than school. A couple of teachers along the way attempt to "reach" him, thinking that he is some sort of troubled teen, when a much better diagnosis might be "smart but bored with school."

He has a variety of jobs during this time, including spending a couple of years working behind the counter of a local bike shop. It's the sort of place where items like air guns and super glue are used in all sorts of intesesting ways. After high school, he intentionally gets out of town and enrolls in a sort of alternative college in Arizona to learn search and rescue. He leaves there after he finds that the school is the sort of place where the faculty would rather look at the goodness inside each of the students than actually teach search and rescue. During this time, Grundle Ink Publications is born, as Greg hand binds copies of his writings and hands them out to friends.

Everett eventually ends up in the college town of Chico, California, where Grundle Ink becomes more of a "full-time" job. The fact that he knows absolutely nothing about the publishing business is irrelevant; nothing like learning the hard way. He also makes several attempts to get off drugs.

Throughout this book are many relationships with the opposite sex. Some of the women Everett meets are decent, reasonable people, while others can best be described as one-dimensional idiots. He is unable to break off the relationship, so he intentionally acts like a jerk until the woman gets frustrated and does the breaking up. The conversations recounted are not literary masterpieces; sometimes, they consist of little more than "dude" and "(insert swear word)."

Because of the very large amounts of drugs and swearing in this book, it is not for the faint of heart. To attempt to understand youth culture of the 1990s, this does an infinitely better job than the various stories and films of adolescent hijinks. The writing is honest, sobering, and, in places, very funny. I loved it.

The Perseids And Other Stories
Robert Charles Wilson
Tor Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 0312873743, 2000, $12.95, 224 pages, http://www.tor.com

This group of speculative fiction stories take place in, and around, the city of Toronto, Canada.

An amateur astronomer buys a telescope at a local shop, and starts dating the female sales clerk. With a little hallucinogenic help, what starts as a relationship story turns into a tale of the next stage of human evolution. In 1950s California, young girl who claims to have been visited by aliens and is spending the summer with an uncle has a strange encounter with astronomer Edwin Hubble. Another story is about an ever-changing group of friends who get together for some intellectual conversation. One person says, "Invent a religion."

A writer of New Age books has a genuine encounter with the extraordinary, courtesy of a mirror that shows very interesting things to those who stand in front of it. In another story, a man speculates a being as far above humans as we are above a house cat among us right now, but we wouldn't know it. At a local used bookstore called Finders (locale for several of these stories) the man bought a rock as a paperweight. It's actually a scrying rock, which lets the holder of the rock see into their future.

I loved these stories. They could be set in any large city, they're sort of like Twilight Zone stories (a mixture of fantasy, science fiction and horror), and they are very thought-provoking. Wilson is one of my favorite science fiction writers, so I don't claim to be totally unbiased, but this is highly recommended.

Paul Lappen
Reviewer


Vicki's Bookshelf

Hello Kitty Hello Color
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
100 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0810985411, $12.95, 24 pages plus art kit, www.abramsbooks.com

Cute, cute, cute. Seeing this darling novelty gift book and art set has given me Hello Kitty fever too. The package looks like a hardback book, but when you swing open the cover you find a collection of eight colored pencils, nine chubby, stubby crayons, a ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener, all bearing the face of lovable Hello Kitty. On the right is a paperback coloring book featuring you-know-who and her favorite colors. "Red, yellow, green, blue Hello Kitty knows her colors! Do you?" Well, yes I do, as a matter of fact, and last I checked pumpkins were orange and swans were white, but for some reason they appear on the book's "Hello red!" spread. The cluster of unrelated images on each spread are mismatched and arbitrarily placed on every spread, as it turns out, with grapes and bubble gum and cotton on the "Hello yellow" page, a grasshopper, peas and a hamburger on the "Hello orange" page and so forth. There's no reasoning here. The lesson does not compute. Nor does the "Learn to draw Hello Kitty!" lesson at the back, as children learning colors are simply haven't yet developed the hand-eye coordination for such multi-step tasks. Such are the mysteries of the inscrutable Hello Kitty.

Hello Kitty's House & Garden
Illustrated by Jean Hirashima
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
100 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0810942305, $13.95, 12 pages, www.abramsbooks.com

Say hello to "Hello Kitty's House & Garden," an irresistible novelty book for the legions of little girls who're fans of the silent Japanese feline. As with perennially popular Color Forms toys, these stiff, slick pages act as the backdrop for nearly 200 reusable plastic "stickers" that can be arranged and rearranged at whim. The book offers brief text that simply introduces readers to the various scenes and suggests a few activities that children might imagine happening there. Each of the book's five two-page spreads offers a different landscape or interior scene, namely a sunny cottage garden, yellow and blue kitchen, pretty bedroom, busy family room, and a grassy back yard garden. "Hello Kitty's House & Garden" is a wonderful gift item for young girls Pre-K and up who enjoy solitary play, and would make a particularly nice travel kit.

Mikhail Baryshnikov's Stories From My Childhood
Edited by Joan Borsten
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
100 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0810910179, $24.95, 128 pages, www.abramsbooks.com

This compilation of 11 fairy tale stories is based on a promising concept: to gather fairy tales known around the world, but particularly beloved in Russia. Famous Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov's smiling face smiles from the cover, along with a sampling of the characters to be found inside: Ivan and his Magic Pony, the Golden Rooster, Cinderella, a crowned bird from "The Wild Swans, and Pinnochio. Like the wooden Italian boy himself, most tales here are European, but several are indeed Russian folktales, most notably "The Golden Rooster" and "The Prince, the Swan and the Czar Saltan" (both based on poems by Alexander Pushkin), "The Snow Girl" and "The Last Petal." The book's above-the-title recognition of ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov is a bit of a stretch. He in fact did not compile or rewrite any of the stories. Rather, he contributed a brief introduction about his childhood in Latvia, and that's all, aside from giving the collection star cache and a Russian context. Truly, this is more a salute to Russian animation than anything else, the variety of fairy tales stories merely serving as glue to connect approximately 90 somewhat randomly-chosen film stills reproduced here to illustrate the stories. And that's where this book succeeds best: as a retrospective honoring the little-known achievements of Russian film animation. Although the reproduced stills appear somewhat blurred with muddy colors, that's clearly due to the repurposing and restoration processes that the cels have had to undergo to be reproduced here. The unique folkart style of the 1950s images is intriguing, and will likely encourage readers of all ages to seek out the original films from which these animation stills and stories came.

Starting With Alice
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 068984395X, $15.95, 182 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com

"Starting With Alice" is the first in a trilogy of prequels written by prolific children's novelist Phyllis Reynolds Naylor to introduce her popular character, Alice McKinley, to a younger audience. In previous series, middle-grade fans followed Alice through her adventures in junior high and high school. Now Naylor turns back the clock so elementary students age seven and up can enjoy Alice's tales of third grade when the eight-year-old gets off to a rough start at a new school upon her arrival in Takoma Park, Maryland. Even at such a young age, however, our young heroine demonstrates that she has the pluck she'll need to get beyond the meanness initially shown to her by the local girls, and past her own misbehavior. How can she make up for the lie about her uncle? Or the crossing-guard incident? Or the fact that "the Terrible Triplets" seem to have it out for her? Eventually she warms up to her new home, makes some new friends, and is clearly on her way to becoming the older Alice that older readers know and love. Designed to enlarge Alice's reading base as well as for fans who can't get enough of Beverly Cleary's "Ramona" -- "Starting With Alice" is a strong start for a welcome new series, adding depth to a beloved character.

Fields Of Fury
James M.McPherson
Antheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689848331, $22.95, 182 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com

Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Battle Cry of Freedom," James M. McPherson, has again tapped his unparalleled knowledge of the American Civil War to produce his latest non-fiction children's book on the subject. From start to finish, it's a fascinating look back at the most significant conflict on American soil, bringing to life the drama and tragedy through impeccably researched facts and personal anecdotes. "Fields of Fury" is rich in detail and thorough in its scope, yet remarkably concise and beautifully edited into clear chapters and subsections, allowing for easy reference as well as casual browsing. The 41-chapter outline from "The Origins of the Civil War" to "Reconstruction" -- is simplicity in its purest form, listed by subject or battle, without unnecessary exposition or bells and whistles of any kind. The appealing format includes short subject-by-subject chapters of no more than 10 paragraphs each, plus a bullet-pointed "quick fact" full page-illustration whether it's an historical black and white photo or gorgeous color illustration and at least one additional illustrative element. With a generous illustration-to-text ratio of nearly 2:1, the format is extremely attractive, adding tremendously to reader enjoyment and comprehension. Completing the picture are illustrative maps, documents, political cartoons, timelines, an age-appropriate glossary, bibliography, index and list of civil-war sites on the web. It's an exceptional addition to any school, home or public library.

Pigs Can't Fly!
Ben Cort
Barron's
250 Wireless Blvd. Hauppauge, NY 11788
ISBN 0784155326, $13.95, 28 pages, www.barronseduc.com

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. That's the basic premise of this picture book path to the discovery that being yourself is the best thing you can be. In "Pigs Can't Fly" a pink porcine protagonist battles boredom by coveting the adventures of other animals. "I bet exciting things happen to giraffes," he decides, and so tries his talent at stilt walking. But when a zebra points out that he's about to fall, CRASH! Now, the pig decides a zebra's life seems grand, so he paints himself in black and white stripes. An elephant laughs at the silly sight and squirts the paint off with his trunk. Undeterred, pig decides he'd rather be an elephant. On and on the story goes, through more mishaps as pig pretends to be an elephant, kangaroo, parrot. Just when he thinks he's suffered his final humiliation, he discovers that he's accidentally found his true calling in life. The simple lesson of finding happiness by just being yourself is a lovely one, and it's well told in an easy-to-follow repetitious manner, with plenty of fun action and variety.

The Child's Gift Of Art
Laurence Anholt
Barron's
250 Wireless Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788
$16.95, 4 book set, www.barronseduc.com

This pocket-sized gift set is an irresistible introduction to four great fine artists. Inside the colorful cardboard case are four miniaturized editions of the popular picture books by illustrator artist Laurence Anholt, namely "Picasso and the Girl With a Ponytail," "Camille and the Sunflowers" (about Vincent Van Gogh), "Degas and the Little Dancer" and "Leonardo and the Flying Boy." Each relates stories of the artist's life and life's work through the eyes of four young people who were inspired by the artists through personal, real life encounters. Camille was a French boy whose family befriended the troubled Van Gogh and were rewarded with personal portraits. Sylvette was a shy muse who inspired several Picasso paintings and sculptures. Marie was a struggling ballet student who posed for Degas to pay for lessons. And Zoro was an apprentice of da Vinci's who may have been the first human to test a flying machine. Aside from the Picasso story, which was told to Anholt personally by "Sylvette" (aka Lydia Corbett) herself, one gets the feeling that much that is presented as fact is conjecture or, at best, wishful thinking. But the fact-based legends Anhold presents so beautifully among gorgeous illustrations incorporating the subject's own artwork, certainly do make for riveting picture book stories that young readers can't help but love.

Dougal Dixon's Dinosaurs
Boyds Mills Press
815 Church St., Honesdale, Penn. 18431
ISBN 1563977222, $19.95, 160 pages, www.boydsmillspress

Dinosaur authority Dougal Dixon isn't content to rest on past laurels. He'd rather evolve than see his best-selling reference book become extinct. His "Dougal Dixon's Dinosaurs" encyclopedia for juveniles is enjoyed around the world, having been translated into 18 languages, yet Dougal has now expanded and updated the winning original to create this better-than-ever second edition. Much more than a simple A-to-Z listing of dinosaur species and classifications, Dixon's dynamic text contains a clearly organized and wonderfully detailed account of all things dinosaur, and now it includes upated information and all the latest dinosaur discoveries, including, among others, Argentinosaurus, the biggest dinosaur known. As before, the revised "Dinosaurs" helps young readers discover 14 of the largest dinosaurs and several of the smallest, but more importantly, its concise chapters explore how dinosaurs evolved and disappeared, teach about dinosaur biology, and relate exciting stories about fossil hunters. It uses plentiful full-color illustrations, charts, timelines and cross-sections to make the informative journey visually stimulating as well as entertaining. Color photos of modern animals give compare-and-contrast lessons that young readers can relate to. An 80+-entry glossary and 4-page index provide simple cross-reference, and the "Do You Know?" section reiterates major lessons in a no-nonsense question-and-answer format. There's a reason the first edition of "Dougal Dixon's Dinosaurs" is found in nearly every children's library: it's an immensely readable and thorough account that stands out like a 100 ton Argentinosaurus in a field of 20 pound Heterodontosaurus. When those well-used editions become worn out and are rendered extinct from all the eager use, this second edition will be waiting.

Look What You Can Make With Dozens of Household Items!
Kathy Ross, editor
Boyds Mills Press
815 Church St., Honesdale, Penn. 18431
ISBN 1590780582, $24.99, 384 pages, www.boydsmillspress

Children's arts and crafts devotees are well aware of the clever "how to" book published by Boyds Mills Press, the parent company to stalwart "Highlights for Children" magazine. The "Look What You Can Make" book series organizes projects by common household materials from boxes and paper bags to egg cartons and plastic bottles. Recyling trash into treasures is the name of the game, so it's no surprise that the publisher has recycled the paperback book series by combining the all eight books into one hardback, spiral-bound edition called "Look What You Can Make With Dozens of Household Items!" The infomercial-sounding title tells it all. It features eight count 'em, eight! books in one, totaling more than 500 pictured crafts. But wait! There's more! "Dozens of more ideas!," to be precise. Each craft is clearly and colorfully- photographed with step-by-step instructions and a brief "you will need" checklist. But perhaps the book's best stand-out feature is the tabbed organization, allowing a crafter to seek projects based on their available stockpile of paper bags, tubes, paper plates, egg cartons, craft sticks, newspapers/magazines and plastic bottles and tubs. It's just the ticket for inexpensive rainy-day activities to entertain the kids from preschoolers through 6th grade. The level of difficulty varies, but there's something for everyone who can handle basic tools of the craft trade: glue, scissors and paint. Self-readers can safely achieve fun results on their own, with no parental supervision necessary. Wee ones will need a tad more help, and more discretion in project choice, but there's plenty here for every skill level. My four year old and I tested a few projects with varying results. The egg-carton creatures, toilet-paper roll dog and magazine valentines were simple and satisfying successes, but when we converted our milk jug birdhouse into a dollhouse, our noses soon realized no self-respecting doll would dare live in a home smelling of sour milk. Making some treasures from trash, it seems, require a few extra hints not found in this otherwise comprehensive "how to" activity book.

Big Baby Book
Helen Oxenbury
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763620165, $7.99, 10 pages, www.candlewick.com

Illustrator Helen Oxenbury has a soft touch for babies. Her pastel-hued babes are endowed with adorably big, round heads, tiny dot eyes and wee grins that make parents go "ahhhhhh." This large format board book, however, is designed with babies in mind. Its simple, interactive concept is to engage pre-literate children with drawings of the things babies experience. "I touch a worm, my ball, Granddad's beard, our cat, my blanket, water." Each word is accompanied by an illustration of a cherubic child in action as he eagerly explores the immediate world around him. Each spread tackles a difference sense or ability: touch, sight, hearing, movement and imagination. There is no story here, no academic lessons, no touch-and-feel interactive bells and whistles. Just a simple list of actions and illustrations that star Oxenbury's charming artistic touch.

My Perfect Life
Dyan Sheldon
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 076361839X, $16.99, 202 pages, www.candlewick.com

Ella Gerard and her high school friends are back in the young adult novel sequel to "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen." This time, the school election is at hand, and Ella's subversive best friend Lola Cep is itching to start a revolution by dethroning the shoe-in candidate, Carla Santini. Will Miss Popularity be handed the election on a silver platter? Not when Lola secretly nominates reclusive Ella and "bad boy" Samuel Creek as the surprising and surprised -- alternate candidates. The basic plot and underlying themes parallel the novel/film "Election" a bit too closely, but then I suppose it is about a scenario that is repeated in high schools (and presidential races) across the nation on a regular basis. Author Dyan Sheldon's breezy narrative and spunky dialog keeps things moving at a sit-com pace, making this a pleasant, light addition to the growing stock on the junior "chick lit" shelves alongside "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and other comfortable teen tomes.

Tom Finger
Gillian McClure
Bloomsbury
175 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10010
ISBN 1582347824, $16.95, 32 pages, www.bloomsburymagazine.com

Somewhat reminiscent of Aesop's gingerbread house tale mixed with Puss 'n' Boots, this quixotic tale is a about a mysterious tabby cat who brings a series of gifts to a young girl who's lost her cat. Her brother warns that the silent stranger is a "witch's cat", but the girl ignores him, instead pinning her hopes that the cat can lead her to her own lost kitty. One day she decides to follow the cat's trail to wherever it is he came. An unraveled string of yarn leads her through a snowy winter landscape to the home of a blind woman who thanks her for returning the objects her cat had taken. In the end, the girl's curiosity and faith in the goodness is justly rewarded. It's a satisfying conclusion to a murky story that unfortunately clouds the lessons parents warn their children about wandering off with strangers. Though told in a quiet manner, "Tom Finger" may prove to be a bit too disquietly menacing for fear-prone youngsters.

Sumo Mouse
David Wisniewski
Chronicle Books
85 Second St., San Francisco, CA 94105
ISBN 0811834911, $16.95, 28 pages, www.chroniclebooks.com

For his latest picture book, Caldecott Medal winning artist David Wisniewski ("Golem") wrestles with the notion that a mouse can use his sumo wrestling strength to become an unlikely superhero. "Is this some lawless lump in leotards? Or a chubby champion of justice?" poses the satirical narration with tongue-in-cheek humor as our hefty hero battles a feline crime spree in Tokyo. And the jokes keep coming, from the jacket copy ("He's not lean and mean. He's round and profound") to song lyrics spoofing themes from "Mighty Mouse" to "Godzilla" ("If Mount Fuji blows its stack / If a monster should attack / Don't just hide inside your house! / Give a call for Sumo Mouse!") The action-packed plot pits Sumo Mouse against Doctor Claw and Tiger Tanaka, catty 007-type villains whose plan to make squeaky toys of all Tokyo's mice is foiled by the superhero rodent. They discover Sumo Mouse's secret identity is Gachinko, the grand sumo champion, and so build a giant robot to clobber him in the ring. Leading up to the big showdown Wisniewski takes the opportunity to introduce young readers to sumo terms such as "rikishi" (champion), and various sumo moves (oshi-dashi, amki-otoshi and tsuma-dori). The multi-cultural lessons end there, although this picture book could be viewed as a stylized introduction to Japanese "manga" style comic books so popular with readers just a few years older. The story itself is complex, confusing and ultimately forgettable. The unique subject matter earns the book deserved attention, but ultimately it's Wisniewski's amazingly intricate cut paper collages that save the day.

Secret Heart
David Almond
Delacorte Press / Random House
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0385729472, $17.99, 206 pages, www.randomhouse.com/teens

This is David Almond's fourth home run hit. That's four out of four, mind you -- quite a batting average for this thoughtful Englishman, the winner of a Michael L. Printz Honor Book for his debut ("Skellig"), the Printz Award for his second ("Kit's Wilderness") and numerous nods for his third ("Heaven Eyes"). "Secret Heart" confidently strides into familiar territory with themes of peer-pressure vs. individuality, reality vs. spirituality and other adolescent themes set among otherworldly mysteries. In fact, the line between reality and fantasy is artfully blurred time and time again, keeping readers on their toes aw they wonder how to distinguish between the two. The outsider story centers on sensitive young Joe Maloney, a loner out of step with his peers, who's looked at as "different" even by his only ally, his mother. Taunted by classmates, Joe seems unable to grow up or express the deep feelings that dwell in his "secret heart." When a traveling circus comes to his isolated town, Joe can't help but be drawn toward the ragtag community of strangers who help him come into his own. He's especially intriqued by Corinna, a trapeze performer his age who seems oddly familiar. The sense of belonging he feels among the circus folk contrasts dramatically with his abhorrent reaction to the pressure he gets to join his peers in a deadly tiger hunt. The plot's escapist fantasies provide thought-provoking layers of hidden meanings, contrasting with Almond's more mysterious previous works. The inherent messages lack subtlety occasionally, but will still greatly impact middle grade readers.

My Memory Book: Angelina Ballerina
Based on text by Katharine Holabird, Illustrated by Helen Craig
Pleasant Company
8400 Fairway Place, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562
ISBN 1584857153, $14.95, 32 pages, www.americangirl.com

Decorating each page of this novelty gift book for young girls is sweet Angelina, the little mouseling ballerina, and the cast of characters from the popular "Angelina Ballerina" picture book series. Little human ballerinas will particularly enjoy this spiral-bound scrapbook designed to provide a perfect place to gather thoughts, memories and favorite keepsakes. There are pockets on every page for photos, drawings, postcards, newspaper clippings and other paper treasures. There are places to document newborn baby details, a personal growth chart, and a very basic family tree. Souvenirs of first friends are to be gathered on the "friends forever" autograph page and "my best friend" fill-in-the-blanks description, while pets are remembered too (even favorite stuffed animals). Budding personalities are documented in elementary diary pages such as "my favorite things," "my least favorite things" and "when I grow up" including a space for a self-portrait of one's future self. It's a darling introduction to journaling and archiving for girls ages 3 to 7, that's likely to open a Pandora's box for new scrapbook fanatics in the making.

Rudy's Beauty Shop
Rosemary Wells
Viking / Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers
345 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 067003553X, $15.99, 28 pages, www.penguinputnam.com

The beloved picture book bunnies Max and Ruby are back in a new comic caper involving makeup, wigs and stick-on nails. When Ruby and her friend Louise decide to play beauty shop with a toy beauty kit, Max the rabbit is their willing guinea pig. He pleasantly agrees to don red nails, eye shadow, lipstick and a "Blond Bombshell Wig moussed into a beehive 'do. But while the girls are distracted, Max decides to give himself a makeover or his own, and ends up dying himself in bright colors, from head to toe. The girls are shocked, but then the colorful trend catches on with Grandma, and Max is a surprise makeover success. The beauty shop concept is a delightfully appealing one, but the story is too simplistic to be told in the usual 32 pages, but even has difficulty sustaining the 28 pages allotted here. It's wandering plot centers on the oddity of a boy being the subject of beauty treatment, but it's a weak one-note joke; after all, what boy or girl pre-schooler doesn't love face painting? As a result, the tale just doesn't translate well to the young picture book audience that so loves creator Rosemary Well's funnier Max and Ruby (and Timothy, too) books.

How Angel Peterson Got His Name
Gary Paulsen
Wendy Lamb Books / Random House
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0385729499, $12.95, 160 pages, www.randomhouse.com/kids/

Personal memoirs just don't get any more charming and funny than this. Award-winning author Gary Paulsen ("The Winter Room," "Dogson" and "Hatchet") has written the personal history of the head-bashing, numbskull stunts of his boyhood, accomplished with his fearless (and sometimes, brainless) friends in Northwestern Minnesota. They were bored rural kids with big imaginations looking for some fun and adventure. So, intentionally or not, Paulsen and his pals found themselves speed skiers, hang-gliders, bungee-jumpers and skateboarders decades before they became know as extreme sports, and in some cases, decades before the activities were even imagined. It's that innocent, accidental nature of their ludicrous stunts, and the boneheaded ways that they found themselves risking life and limb, that's so absolutely hilarious and imminently relatable. "This book is dedicated to all boys in their thirteenth year," Paulsen says at the outset. "The miracle is that we live through it." Subtitled "And Other Outrageous Tales About Extreme Sports," the contemporary spin on the cover gives no hint that the book's insides contain personal tales from Gary Paulsen's 1940's childhood, when PF Flyer sneakers, nickel Cokes and radio dramas were the rage. The joke's on us, and it's a good one; the cover is bound to pull in pre-teen boys in droves, thinking it 's a modern history of x-game sports. By the time they realize it's a nostalgic account -- set in the dark ages before most kids had TV, for God's sake it'll be too late: they'll be hooked on the jaw-droppingly dangerous stunts shockingly performed without helmets, parental supervision or common sense of any kind. Considering the sadistic popularity of full-throttle sports and idiotic programming like MTV's "Jackass," the snappy stories here are strangely contemporary in their own folksy way, despite the absence of pop culture shock. Still, essentially these new testosterone-generating kids aren't unlike boys today, given the means and some extra time on their hands. They didn't hink anything of dragging a friend on skis by car going 80 miles per hour to beat the old record they saw on newsreel footage at a matinee movie. Why not? The record doesn't say anything about having ski downhill, by yourself. Could, in fact, these kids have built the first skateboard with chunky skate wheels and a plank? Well, hmm, maybe. Will an army surplus target kite fly with a hockey stick handle? Yep, as it turns out. But it might have flown better if Emil had let go before disappearing in the stratosphere. Bear-wrestling? Sure, anything to impress the girls. Paulsen's naturally deadpan storytelling is a marvel, giving doomed glimpses into the disasterous outcomes at just the right moment, and coloring the misadventures with slapstick humor and remarkably familiar characters. In the end, Paulsen leaves us with unforgettable stories so crisp, so warm and so detailed that readers will find it comfortingly hard to forget.

Beatrix
Jeanette Winter
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 0374306559, $15.00, 64 pages, www.fsgbooks.com

This "little book for little hands" is a melancholy tribute to Helen Beatrix Potter, one of the earliest, and most-enduring authors of children's books, most notably "The Tale of Peter Cottontail" and his friends. Written entirely as a first-person "autobiographical" account, this is a story of how a lonely and somewhat neglected young Victorian girl of wealth found company in the animals in and around her London home. More importantly, the animals provided escapism and inspiration for the budding artist, and were the unwitting models for young Beatrix's early drawings and paintings. With the nanny taking care of her little brother, and her neglectful parents taking care of non-family matters, Beatrix filled her days caring for her growing menagerie of mice, rabbits, birds, hedgehogs and reptiles, illustrating them in fine detail, and dressing their images in adorable clothes. "I don't know what to write to you, so I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits whose names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter." And the rest, is literary history. Likeminded author/illustrator Jeanette Winter ("Emily Dickenson's Letters to the World") wisely avoids illustrations imitative of Potter's own style, instead approaching the intimate images more seriously. Her slightly primative pictures and intimate framing reflect Potter's somber, solitary existence exquisitely, and without inappropriate sweetening, despite their muted jewel tones. The first-person narration is alluring, but because it's often unclear which lines attributed to Potter actually originated with her -- from journals, letters and other quotation sources readers are led to mistakenly assume this is an actual autobiographical account. A post-script explanation seems called for as clarification to make this a perfect little "first biography" picture book treasure.

George Washington's Teeth
Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora, Illustrated by Brock Cole
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 0374325340, $16.00, 40 pages, www.fsgbooks.com

Finally, here's an historical picture book with teeth and a biting sense of humor. Witty poets Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora give a snappy twist to the old "wooden teeth" fable about the first American president's tooth trouble. First they provide readers with a hilarious poetic account of what really happened to Washington and his teeth, because, as their research reveals, all his life he waged a fierce battle with his choppers and worked hard to save them. "The Revolutionary War / George hoped would soon be won / But another battle with his teeth / Had only just begun. / George Washington rushed into town / The dentist heard his shout / `Hold still,' he said, then gave a yank / A rotten tooth popped out!" One by one (or two by two) they went, all the while George returned to battle, sailed to New York and crossed the Delaware. By the time he chased the Redcoats from Valley Forge he was down to five teeth. When he had just one rotten tooth left, he at last solicited a dentist to make false teeth. "George put them in, but when he smiled / Springs snapped against his tongue / Out flew those teeth `Aagh!' George shrieked. / `They've knocked out my last one!'" The rest, as they say, is history. Or is it? The surprise ending just goes to show you that famous stories are often just that -- stories -- with little regard for the facts. And so the authors take the opportunity to set the record straight in a wonderfully researched timeline on the four pages after the end of the charming rhyming story. It's a treasure trove of Washington tooth trivia that puts to rest the old "wooden teeth" tale, for, in fact, he had teeth carved from hippo, walrus and elephant ivory, and cow, elk and human teeth but never wood. To prove their point, the delightfully fun and informative book concludes with visual artifacts from the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution. The irresistibly fun evidence? Two photos of the false teeth themselves. Now that's something to chew on.

Ancient Egypt Revealed
Peter Chrisp
DK
375 Hudson St., NY, NY, 10014
ISBN 078948883, $12.99, 38 pages, www.dk.com

Human Body Revealed
Dr. Sue Davidson & Ben Morgan
DK
375 Hudson St., NY, NY, 10014
ISBN 0789488825, $12.99, 38 pages, www.dk.com

This interesting new series of slim reference books from DK is, quite literally, revealing. The first two non-fiction "Revealed" titles present DK's famously bold, illustrative visual style with one clear difference: transparent pages that "lift" from the object being discussed, revealing layer after layer beneath the surface. In effect, it dissects the subject at hand, giving you-are-there views normally reserved for dissection of the real deal. For "Human Body Revealed," for instance, readers can get inside one's head, pealing away the scalp, cranium and brain matter; or "cut" through the chest, past the ribs and lungs to the heart; or peel back the layers of the abdomen and legs. "Ancient Egypt Revealed" is less obvious in its mission to provide cutting-edge graphics among the compelling facts and figures. The cross-sections revealed here allow readers to lift the lid off an ancient sarcophagus, for instance, to excavate the mummy within as an archaeologist might; or explore life on the Nile by investigating the cargo hold of a sail boat; or enter the great temple at Abu Simbel; or see what it was like to discover the contents of a royal tomb for the very first time. Each book presents four transparent cross-section views for a variety of discoveries. Both books are fascinating and informative learning tools, with concise information presented in a unique format. At less than the price of the average picture book, these books are an excellent value, making them an attractive purchase for home libraries as well as schools. Future titles will include: "Ancient Greece Revealed" and the intriguing "Secrets of the Deep Revealed."

Timelines of World History
John B. Teeple
DK
375 Hudson St., NY, NY, 10014
ISBN 0789489260, $40.00, 666 pages, www.dk.com

This weighty desktop reference book is an extensive visual chronicle of human history and development, from the emergence of modern man to the dawn of the 21st century. Designed to help students navigate through time, it includes every significant historical figure and key political and military events, with special emphasis on milestones in the arts, science, technology, exploration, discovery, philosophy and religion. The beautifully designed book offers an innovative approach to traditional date-by-date chronology, by organizing entries in a matrix based on both dates and geographic regions. As a result provides a fascinating visual record of the changing face of the earth by giving a clear sense of the passage of time, and to enable compassion between different civilizations and cultures. Among the deluxe extras are gatefold overviews of key historic eras, and detailed full-color maps illustrating changing civilizations, cultures and societies through time. The book's final pages contain a "concordance" index of more than 200 pages, yielding a significant encyclopedia of additional information in the form of brief biographies, outline histories of states and empires, lists of major rulers and leaders, and individual chronologies of each country around the world today. Authoritatively researched for 15 years by the late John Teeple and an editorial staff of 30, it's clear that this is a labor of love as well as an exemplary reference that no school or public library would be complete without. It's a terrible shame he passed away before he was able to see his grand efforts fully realized.

Ultimate Spy
H. Keith Melton
DK
375 Hudson St., NY, NY, 10014
ISBN 0789489724, $30.00, 208 pages, www.dk.com

"Ultimate Spy" gives readers top-secret clearance to the history, covert techniques and fascinating gadgets of the spy game. It's both exhilarating as a James Bond film, and as frightening as the daily headlines, given the current world crisis dripping with espionage, surveillance, ciphers, sabotage, concealed arms and covert operations. Originally published in 1996, this new edition contains several expansions, including an fully revised introduction to international espionage, and new sections on the Robert Hanssen conviction, and CIA and FBI counter terrorism efforts. Somber introductions -- by Richard Helms, former Director of the CIA, and Marcus Wolf, former Head of the East German Foreign Intelligence Service give chilling authenticity to the encyclopedic chapters that follow. After clear rundown on the Who's and What's of spying, and a crystal ball peek at the future of the field, it's time for a thorough history lesson. Famous spying operations are covered from early espionage (court intrigues, the Civil War, World War I and revolutionary Russia), to World War II (including subsections on the Office of Strategic Services, the Special Operations Executive, German secret services, code-breaking, Soviet and Japanese intelligence), the Cold War (Berlin spy networks, U.S security agencies, the Walker spy ring, spying from space and more) to Post-Cold War spying, bringing us up to date. But clearly the most thrilling part of the book is the extensive "Equipment and Techniques" section. Spy kids and "I Spy" fans will salivate at the amazing photographs and descriptions of hundreds of cameras, listening devices, secret operations tools, detectors, anti-bugging devices, special issue weapons, assassination devices, and on and on. It's enough to make anyone giddy with excitement or panicked with paranoia. The final chapters on "How to Be a Spy" is perhaps the most unnerving, as it makes things frighteningly clear how easily technology and greed can "turn a spy" or lead anyone with restricted intelligence to sell ut his country. Perhaps the morbid fate of many spies -- assassination, torture, imprisonment, suicide using deadly items secretly carried in case of capture is discouragement enough.

Stray Voltage
Eugenie Doyle
Front Street
20 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
ISBN 1886910863, $16.95, 144 pages, www.frontstreetbooks.com

When a severe ice storm hits northern Vermont, it's an apt metaphor for the cold, bleak, unforgiving six months in the life of the 11-year-old Ian Daley and his family. Times are hard for the Daleys. The dairy farm is struggling, and the family can't seem to cope with the internal dynamics. When the winter storm brings down the power lines, showering stray voltage on the farm, the random shocks parallel the random shock to Ian's daily existence: his mother abandons the family, his younger brother distances himself from everyone, and his father shows no interest in Ian. Anger, apathy and resentment fester among the three males, until Ian's gruff dad acts out by setting the barn on fire. It's up to Ian to find the courage to rescue the animals inside, and to try to salvage the remnants of his family. In this, her first novel, Eugenie Doyle employs tough circumstances and rough language to tell a realistic story that angst-ridden adolescents can latch onto. Middle-grade boys in particular will find solace in the plight of young Ian and his ability to overcome.

My Mommy
Susan Paradis
Front Street
20 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
ISBN 1886910731, $15.95, 30 pages, www.frontstreetbooks.com

It was only a matter of time that illustrator Susan Paradis should follow-up her picture book "My Daddy" with the female counterpart. Like the first, this is a quiet celebration of a child's special relationship with a parent; this time, it's a close-up look at the deep bond between a daughter and her mother. Written in list form, each two-page spread uses just a few words to describe a common act or expression of parental love, from preparing the food that starts the day, to the bedtime tucking in ritual. Most entries are highly sentimental in nature, with some sure to invoke adult tears of understanding. For instance: "My mommy holds me tight and lets me go," is a well-wrought phrase expressing the joy and pain of helping young ones on their way to becoming independent. The simplicity of the sentiments is deepened by the deep-hued illustrations. Each of Paradis's painterly pictures of a mother and daughter is rendered realistically, but then she adds to each fanciful wild animals to draw readers attention to the parallel lives of caring animal mothers and their young. And so as a mother braids her daughter's hair, a mother chimpanzee grooms her baby. While the mother builds her daughter's self-esteem by telling her she's beautiful, a graceful swan in the mirror reflects the notion. It's a lovely fantasy that will appeal most to caregivers who enjoy emotional lap-reading material with their children.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Catch The Cold
Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Arthur Howard
Harcourt Inc.
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 015202414X, $14.00, 42 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com

Emerging young readers age 6 to 9 are familiar with the lovably cantankerous Mr. Putter and his loyal cat Tabby from "Mr. Putter & Tabby Feed the Fish," "Mr. Putter & Tabby Take The Train," "Mr. Putter & Tabby Bake the Cake" and so on. The eleventh episode in the popular easy-reader chapter book series falls into step like a marching soldier, awkward title and all. After all, would the more common phrasing "Mr. Putty & Tabby Catch A Cold" really have been too blasphemous? Inside, the four short chapters also follow the formula precisely; not a word is out of synch with the "level 2" reading level constraints, not a phrase conflicts with the author's patented style, and not a scraggly hair is out of place with its still-charming, and comfortingly homey characters.

This Gum For Hire
Bruce Hale
Harcourt Inc.
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 0152024913, $14.00, 130 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com

"As I struck out on one clue after another, the trail led me straight to my least favorite place on earth: P.E. class. And there I learned the truth about sports: If you watch a game, it's fun; if you play it, it's recreation; if you work at it, it's football." Once again, author Bruce Hale hits satirical pay dirt with his funny chapter-book mystery series about cantankerous Chet Gecko, green-scaled detective. "This Gum for Hire" admirably follows in the comic footsteps of the gumshoe's previous mysteries including "The Hamster of the Baskervilles," "The Big Nap" and "Farewell, My Lunchbag. Here Chet is faced with the mystery of a disappearing football team. One by one, players seem to be kidnapped, and all clues point to Chet's old nemesis, Herman the Gila Monster." But when he takes the case by going undercover as a football player, what will be more dangerous to Chet: Herman or P.E. class? Filled with snappy dialogue, deadpan first-person narration, and hilariously inventive similes, Hale artfully pays homage to classic Raymond Chandler stories and crime pulp fiction, while giving the genre a slapstick kick in the pants. The carefully stilted first-person narration in itself is a terrific spoof on all those great Humphrey Bogart and Fred McMurray film noir roles, and the story's sporty (and middle-grade friendly) setting gives ample ammunition for hilarious sport pun after pun.

Penguin Post
Debi Gliori
Harcourt
525 B. Street, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 015216765X, $16.00, 32 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com

Children reluctant to become older siblings will be wowed by the potential pleasure of their new duties, thanks to this cartoonish picture book tale. It stars little Milo as the youngest penguin in a long line of penguin postmen, who is not looking forward to the impending hatching of a new baby in the family. While his mother hunts for food and his father watches the egg, Milo agrees to help out with the mail. To Milo's dismay, each time he makes a delivery, his customers ask eagerly about the egg's delivery date. Lo and behold, Milo is surprised to hear a "crack" coming from his mail bag, and discovers that he's been carrying the egg all along. Milo's special delivery becomes personal when he sees his baby brother for the first time, and proudly rises to the challenge. "Delivery" puns aside, the book's assuring message is a sweet one that will ring loud and clear for new big brother and sisters. Young readers will greatly enjoy repeat readings, thanks to Debi Gliori's vibrant, funny and imaginative illustrations, which provide seemingly endless details just waiting to be discovered.

What Happened To Lani Garver
Carol Plum-Ucci
Harcourt Inc.
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 0152168133, $17.00, 308 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com

Just who is the stranger new high school kid on Hackett Island? The isolated small community is never particularly warm to strangers, but how can they be expected to thaw at all toward such a stranger stranger? Who is Lani Garver? Where did Lani come from? And most puzzling, is Lani a boy or a girl? The gender-bending issues are mind-bending to the town, but are particularly intriguing to popular girl Claire McKenzie. To the dismay of her clique of friends, she befriends Lani, and finds her world turned inside out. In the blink of an eye, the social torment of Lani turns tragic, leaving Claire to sift through the clues on a path to discovery and her own coming-of-age development. "Lani Garver" is confidently written by Carol Plum-Ucci, the multi-award-winning author of "The Body of Christopher Creed." The compelling story has its feet firmly on the ground, but is unafraid to go where even angels fear to tread. Set in the world of teen counterculture, it's a vivid and compassionate exploration of homophobia and tolerance, reality and spirituality, peer-pressure and individuality, love and hate. "What Happened to Lani Garver" can now be counted on the growing list of young adult novels tackling the now-common "do angels walk on earth" question, but it has an entirely original, thoughtful and intense take on the subject that will leave readers speechless.

Anase And The Lizard: A West African Tale
Pat Cummings
Henry Holt
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805064761, $16.95, 40 pages, www.henry.holt.com

Created by veteran children's book author/illustrator Pat Cummings, a Coretta Scott King Award winner, "Anase and the Lizard" is vividly retold African folk tale about a devious spider and a cunning lizard. Anase wishes to wed a princess and become chief, but to do so he must guess her name. But because the penalty is death, Anase tricks a lizard into being his messenger and bearing the fatal penalty should they fail. But the lizard becomes suspicious, so in a nifty switcheroo, he manages to foil Anase's plot, winning the princess' hand for himself. It's an enormously satisfying trickster tale, artfully told and boldly illustrated. The lengthy picture book is quite wordy and is more than 20% longer than average, making this most appropriate for older picture book readers (age 6 and up) with a general understanding of foreign cultures. Only a more sophisticated audience can appreciate Cummings' glorious illustrations incorporating Ghanaian fabric colors and patterns woven throughout the book.

Chimp Math
Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel
Henry Holt
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805066748, $16.95, 30 pages, www.henry.holt.com

Subtitled "Learning About Time from a Baby Chimpanzee," this non-fiction chapter book has struck upon a fun yet academic teaching approach. Using the kid-friendly subject of baby animals, "Chimp Math" introduces young elementary readers such concepts of time lines, clocks, charts, graphs and calendars as measuring tools to monitor the growth of baby "Jiggs," a tiny chimpanzee baby at the Denver Zoo. Each spread lets readers learn more about Jiggs "hour by hour and day by day." While the left-had pages give simple academic lessons (time line of chimpanzees in the 20th century, time line of a day, how Jiggs grew each week, and so on), the right-hand pages feature a chronological photo album of his daily activities and progress, with explanatory text. Kids will love the snapshots of the chimp with his toys, toothbrush, and zoo friends, particularly Giorgio the jaguar cub, and will naturally be inclined to absorb and begin to apply the mathematical information accompaniment. Students and teachers wanting more can read "Tiger Math: Learning to Graph from a Baby Tiger."

Mammoth
Patrick O'Brien
Henry Holt
115 West 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805065962, $16.95, 36 pages, www.henryholt.com

Kids can't possibly resist this exceptional non-fiction picture book devoted to the fascinating wooly mammoth. Once again, the author of "Gigantic" and "Megatooth!" reveals a knack for making prehistoric creatures come alive for young readers, particularly those ages 5 through 9. This time, he admirably accomplishes the task by telling the tale of how the creatures coexisted with early man, how their long-buried bones were discovered and misunderstood, and how they evolved into modern elephants. Kids will relish the treasure trove of facts and stories, particularly those involving human error; for instance, the Siberian theory that mammoth bones were those of giant underground rats, which they named "mammut," hence the name "mammoth." Goofing again in the middle ages, "experts" proclaimed fossils the bones of 20-foot-tall giant men. The author/illustrator generously puts the data into context by explaining other amazing ice age stories, including how early man hunted the giant beasts; what other ice age creatures roamed the earth 20,000 years ago; how the earth's geography and weather has changed; and what life was like for mankind when the last mammoths lost their struggle to survive. "Mammoth" is a giant feat, a benchmark work for non-fiction picture books.

The Rudest Alien On Earth
Jane Leslie Conly
Henry Holt
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805060693, $16.95, 256 pages, www.henry.holt.com

This "tween" novel's middle grade readers who aren't familiar with Robin Williams as "Mork from planet Ork," now have their own out-of-this-world misfit in the form of rebellious Oluu the alien. Having refused to fall into line like her fellow youth who are programmed to follow the advice of the elder Wise ones, Oluu is given a chance to redeem herself by going on a mission to Earth. She is given a serious ultimatum, however: follow the rules or else. But where Oluu goes, trouble seems to follow, even when she tries to disguise herself by morphing into a series of earthly forms. First she's an unusual dog, and is befriended Molly, a Border collie living on a dairy farm in Northern Vermont. A close call causes her to try out life on earth as a bird, and then a pony. When she attracts attention from a horse-loving boy named Jack, Molly begins to worry that it will mean the end to her intergalactic friendship. Newberry Honor book author Jane Leslie Conly ("Crazy Lady!", "Trout Summer") continues her winning streak with an enjoyable and lively tale about friendship, self, and finding one's own place in the universe. She infuses the hefty tome with enough plot, pranks and pratfalls to win over 8-to-12-year-old boys and girls alike.

Waiting To Disappear
April Young Fritz
Hyperion
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786807903, $15.95, 316 pages, www.hyperionchildrensbooks.com

Young teenager Elizabeth Mullens known as Buddy to her friends is consumed with too many real life woes to enjoy her last summer before high school. Ever since her brother was killed in a car accident, Buddy's mother has been inconsolably depressed, even to the point of suffering a breakdown just before the big Fourth of July picnic. Missing the usual lighthearted summer activities of her peers, Buddy makes great efforts to do all she can think of to help her mother through the darkness. Will it ever be enough? Will the family ever be the same? Given the dire circumstances, can Buddy live up to everyone's expectations? Typically moody teens who enjoy connecting with sad, intimate stories will find a lot of honest emotion in these pages. It's easy to identify with Buddy, feel her pain, and struggle right there alongside her as she considers her quandary: how can she stand by her mother's decision to give into the pain by leaving the family? Is she being disloyal to her mother by enjoying the fact that her exciting aunt Sherry comes to stay? Can she ever succeed in bringing her real mother back home? Novelist April Young Fritz clearly gives Buddy's struggle with issues of loyalty a lot of heart and soul that will resonate deeply with readers.

Pig Tale
Verlyn Flieger
Hyperion
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 078680792X, $16.99, 322 pages, www.hyperionchildrensbooks.com

The old adage "you can't judge a book by its cover" is given a run for its money with the unattractive jacket art for "Pig Tale." There's something about the sullen girl's expression and asymetical features that's repellant from the start, and as for her pig companion, well, "Charlotte's Web" this is not. Inside, the 300-plus pages contain a dark fantasy that somewhat uneasily offers a muddy porcine spin on Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." The complex coming-of-age story centers about protagonist Mokie, an orphan who is half-heartedly taken in by the people of Little Wicken as a baby. When the town folk discover her special gift with animals, she is dubbed "little pig girl" when she becomes the town's pig herder. At 15, however, Mokie reaches a crossroads when she suffers a brutal attack from the village 's teen boys. She flees with her pig, Apple, to the mysterious and feared Wickenwood, a rumored portal to the Crystal Country, home to supernatural queens, phantoms and gypsies. Together, they teach Mokie skills she will need to become one of them, leading her to wonder whether her journey to the forest is linked with both her future and her past. Was she destined to come or return to this spiritual place? Questions arise of fate, duty, the true meaning of relationships, sacrifice, death and resurrection. Ostensibly written for children 12 and up, "Pig Tale" will certainly stoke the imaginations of fantasy devotees with a taste for musty Celtic folklore, cruel characters, complex relationships and generally dank events. The more obsessive of the bunch will enjoy dissecting the roots of its transformation myths, motifs and imagery, and will be able to devote many hours analyzing the symbolism and metaphors, if that's to their liking. But for most readers, too much ugliness and too many unpleasant descriptive details ritualistic pig stonings, human sacrifice nightmares, and a too-graphic rape scene -- are determinably offsetting and ultimately unredeemable.

Toot And Puddle On Top Of The World
Holly Hobbie
Little, Brown and Co.
1271 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0316365130, $15.95, 32 pages, www.twbookmark.com/children

Toot and Puddle are back in prime form in this round-the-world picture book adventure. The two piggie friends are happy as, well, pigs in mud at their cozy home in Woodcock Pocket until Puddle fails to return home from a walk. Puddle misses him terribly and tries desperately to try to find his friend. He traces his steps by thinking like Puddle, and so he's struck by a whim to jump on a train. That leads him to the airport where he figures his wanderlust friend Puddle probably couldn't refuse the lure of flying somewhere. Landing in France, Toot remembers that Provence is one place Toot has never been, and so, as crazy as it seems, decides to ride a bike there to find out. Will the two like-minded friends ever find each other this way? Creator Holly Hobbie's characters are at their best exploring the world, so it's a pleasure to see them back in their element. The warm lessons about friendship, home sweet home and new adventures in the big world will resonate with kids of all ages, and the rich variety of settings and scenes is a delight, making this a story trip worth repeating again and again.

Travels With Toot & Puddle
Holly Hobbie
Little, Brown and Co.
1271 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0316145645, $11.99, 3 book set, www.twbookmark.com/children

This boxed trio of books by successful picture book author Holly Hobbie is a delightful treat, capturing the antics of porcine best friends Toot & Puddle in three mini-versions of the characters' first three books. In "Toot & Puddle" (a 1998 Children's ABBY Honor Book), readers are introduced to the two residents of Woodcock Pocket: Toot, who's always seeking around the world adventures, and Puddle, who prefers to make his own fun at home. Always thinking of his friend, Toot regularly sends postcards of his exotic exploits to his stay-at-home Puddle, who's having a divine time of his own. In "Toot & Puddle: You Are My Sunshine" the Woodcock Pocket gang try their best to cheer up a melancholy Toot. And in "Toot & Puddle: A Present for Toot" the parrot character Tulip is introduced in an adventure about Puddle' s desire to give Toot a special birthday surprise. The three mini books (approximately measuring 7 _" x 6") are a better than average value, modestly priced under $12 for three winning picture books in a portable size, housed within a sturdy, handled carrying case, with three bonus postcards young readers will be inspired to send to their own friends.

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes
Rose Lewis, Illustrated by Jane Dyer
Little, Brown and Company
1271 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0316525383, $6.99, 24 pages, www.twbookmark.com/children

First published in 2000, this story is emotionally deep one about the adoption of a Chinese baby girl. Written in first person from the adoptive mother's perspective, the words are moving. Most heart-tugging is the confession that the mother's tears not only express her joy, but also the sadness of the child's Chinese mother who had to give her away. But this lovely picture book by Rose Lewis and Jane Dyer is an odd choice for board book adaptation. Firstly, the picture book format suits the book well; it's an intimate story that appeals to adoptive families, but it's too small a target market to cater too in a mass-market edition. Secondly, the sweet cover and chunky board book format misleadingly suggests that this is a playful toddler book. To the contrary. The board book-buying public expects something entirely different from toddler books: simple lessons, bright colors, sing-song rhymes, upbeat encouragement and word repetition. "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes" is a lovely, lovely picture book, but conceptually inappropriate as a board book. Just because it's about a baby doesn't make it a book for babies.

If You See A Kitten
John Butler
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Ave., Atlanta, GA 30318-2112
ISBN 1561451088, $13.95, 24 pages, www.peachtree-online.com

My, what big eyes, these little critters have. Illustrator John Butler ("Hush Little Ones") excels at cute and cuddly animal close-ups, and "If You See A Kitten" features some of his most darling picture book kittens and mouselings yet. The rest of the animal parade, however, isn't so adorable, and that's just the point. "If you see a cuddly kitten say 'Ahhh!', the text suggests, but "If you see a pudgy pig say 'Peee-ew!" Slimy slugs elicit "yuck," a slithery snake elicits "yikes," a prickly porcupine elicits "ouch" and so on. It's a refreshing twist on the usual "Cows say 'moo'" see-and-say routine. It instructs children how to articulate a range of emotional responses to a variety of different animals, although some of the reactions here needlessly teach stereotypes for the sake of exaggeration. As a result, spiders and pigs get a bad rap; after all, most spiders are harmless and pigs don't stink. Surely, Butler could have drawn a skunk instead, for instance, rather than produce a counterproductive lesson. With just 22 pages of simple pictures and text, this brief picture book is a natural for adaptation as a board book. The large images seem to pop out at the reader from their clean, white backgrounds, and the simple one-animal-at-a-time text could easily be reduced to just the best few. The large, square hardback has sturdy paper-stock pages to help little fingers transition from board book to traditional picture books, so as is, it's just right for lap-time snuggling between caretakers and emerging talkers.

Peep!
Kevin Luthardt
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Ave., Atlanta, GA 30318-2112
ISBN 1561450464, $15.95, 36 pages, www.peachtree-online.com

At once nostalgic and post-modern, illustrator Kevin Luthardt's wonderful new picture book "Peep!" is a laugh-out-loud joy. The book jacket is dressed in the classic 1960s picture book colors of bright yellow and green, and the duck hatchling on the cover harkens back to classic characters of that era. Inside, the anonymous little boy protagonist goes about his business is a serene landscape, naively whistling without a care in the world. It would be very "Mayberry R.F.D." if not for Luthardt's refreshingly modern graphic style and exaggerated gestures. The wholesomely na‹ve boy happily discovers an egg and witnesses its hatching. "Peep!" announces the duck. "Peep! Peep!" echoes the boy. When he waves bye bye, the duck responds, of course, with "Peep! Peep!" and follows the boy home. With a hopeful grimace, the boy silently asks his parents if he can keep the duck. Indeed he can, and so together they humorously enjoy television, school, and, most silly of all, a soccer game. While out for a walk one day, they encounter a flock of quacking ducks, inspiring the now-grown orphan duck to try out his voice. "Quack!!," says he. "Quack?" puzzles the saddened boy, knowing his father will say it's time to set the duck free to join the mature flock. Soon after they say their farewell quacks, however, the boy hears a quiet "Mew! Mew!" and we're left to laugh along with him as a stray kitten follows the boy home to start the whole process all over again. Luthardt is skilled in the art of storytelling through nearly wordless pictures and it's not an easy task. His boldly colored images act as stills from a cartoon, with only sound effects and the occasional dialog bubble breaking the silence. In a crowded world of picture books, this will stand out as a wholly unique, witty and timeless achievement.

Scholastic Book Of World Records 2003
Jenifer Corr Morse
Scholastic Reference
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012
ISBN 0439420970, $9.95, 320 pages, www.scholastic.com

It's not easy competing with such stalwarts as the "Guinness World Records" book and "The World Almanac" for the accolade "Best Book of World Records." But Scholastic gives it a good shot with its own fact collection of the world's biggest, heaviest, tallest, smallest, youngest and fastest. Each page contains one of 300 world or state records, complete with a color photo, a brief explanation, and a color graph comparing the record holder to competitors or other examples in the category. And so we learn that the world's smallest guitar is one micrometer smaller than a human cell, and 254 micrometers smaller than a speck of dust; that Finland drinks the most coffee, followed by Norway, Denmark and Sweden; and that golfer Jack Nicklaus still remains the man with the most major tournament wins, with Tiger Woods in a distant fifth place. The brevity of the single-paragraph entries unfortunately means that important details are sometimes omitted, such as the year the most valuable Barbie was manufactured, or where the world's most poisonous mushroom (the Death Cap) grows. And due to current events, some categories are already out-of-date, such as the "World's Largest Industrial Company" which ranks now-bankrupt Enron at number four. With less than one-third the entries of Guinness' perennial tome, "Scholastic Book of World Records" concentrates on making a unique presentation with photographic documentation, graphic design, and at-a-glance absorption of information of select records of interest to the greatest number of young readers. Records are clearly organized in categories of nature, sports (the consistently favorite section), pop culture, money, technology, the solar system and the United States.

Scholastic Visual Sports Encyclopedia
Scholastic Reference
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439317215, $19.95, 224 pages, www.scholastic.com

The "Scholastic Visual Sports Encyclopedia" is an illustrated guide to more than 100 different sports designed to instruct elementary and middle-school school students through descriptive overviews. Each two-page spread covers a different topic with a thumbnail introduction, sidebar discussions, and several illustrations with charts and captions. The result is a cross between standard juvenille textbooks and the highly visual reference books by DK Publishing. The primary difference is in the visual impact. Rather than follow DK's practice of using color photos that eye-poppingly stand out on stark white backgrounds, Scholastic favors computer-generated graphics. These illustrations are based on photographs, but go where photography can' t, resulting in illustrative examples that are detailed, and extensive, versatile and action-packed teaching tools. The book's 14 color-coded chapters cover track and field; cycling' gymnastics; aquatic sports; nautical sports; equestrian sports; precision and accuracy sports (archery, curling, golf and bowling); ice and snow sports; ball sports; racket sports; combat sports; wheeled sports; motor sports; and multi-sports. More than 80 individual sports are covered, from traditional team sports and Olympic categories, to such "extreme" sports as snowboarding, skateboarding and BMX racing. It's a lot of territory to cover in such brief one or two page chapters, so readers will quickly become aware that a great amount of detail had to be omitted for space reasons in these introductory passages. Also: the rules of each game or sport discussed here mainly reflect those used in Olympic competition, but different geographic regions may find differences in some details. More comprehensive study will require additional reference research.

The Passover Seder
Emily Sper
Cartwheel Books / Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439443121 $9.99, 20 pages, www.scholastic.com

This "touch, turn, open and learn" novelty book for toddlers unfortunately doesn't have what it takes to make an engaging interactive experience. It utilizes all the usual design elements: touch-and-feel textures (a silk swatch, for instance, to replicate a pillow "to remind us how lucky we are to be free"), lift-the-flaps ("Can you find the afikoman?"), slides ("Quick! Slide the fleeing slaves up the page before Pharaoh's arm catches up!), wheels ("Spin the seder plate [to] match the symbols on the plate with their names!"), and so on. Everything except "scratch and sniff" discs, it seems. The somewhat random text does a decent job Passover seder details. The information given is clear and concise, but it's stretched thin to make excuses for the novelty design elements. Is the stiff Astroturf inset really meant to simulate limp parsley-like "karpas"? And what additional knowledge or entertainment is to gain by sliding a picture of people up and down to accompany the story of Moses parting the red sea? The tale is normally thrilling on its own, but here the sea doesn't split, the people don't go anywhere, and Pharoh's advancing army is no where to be seen. As well intentioned and well designed as "The Passover Seder" is, it ends up a fruitless exercise in gilding the lily.

Math Appeal: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles
Greg Tang, illustrated by Harry Briggs
Scholastic Press
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439210461, $16.95, 40 pages, www.scholastic.com

Mathematician Greg Tang is a man with a mission: to make math and problem-solving a fun part of every child's life. He's devoted to the difficult task of making math "just as engaging and appealing to kids" as "hands-on [science] experiments that inspire curiosity and wonder [and] colorful picture books filled with exciting stories." Tang has combined those two elements by creating his own series of colorful picture books that engage the senses, simulate the imagination and give a fresh perspective when it comes to the way kids perceive math. In Tang's able hands, the old methods of rote memorization are rendered obsolete. He prefers to use poems and pictures to promote creative new approaches, such as thinking out-of-the-box to find strategic sums, using subtraction to add, and simplifying through patterns and symmetries. The bottom line is that he teaches creative thinking, with practical applications that will last a lifetime. Best of all, it works because it's fun. It's difficult to surpass his New York Times bestseller "The Grapes of Math" which bridged the gap from addition to multiplication for 7-10 year olds so Tang's fourth book in the series gets back to basics. Like "The Grapes of Math," "Math Appeal" features rhyming riddles that inspire readers to count and group numbers. It emphasizes the four basic rules in problem-solving: keeping an open mind, looking for number combinations, applying math skills, and recognizing numeric patterns. Snappy titles, clever rhymes, and Harry Briggs' sophisticated graphics make each riddle exciting. For instance, "Frog-Gone!" teaches how to use subtraction to add: "It's roll call at the local bog/ Can you count each friendly frog?/ Some are sitting calm and pleasant / Some are swimming they're not present./ Here's a tip to help you add/ Don't ignore a lily pad!" The illustration features five lily pad rows of five, some with frogs, some without. Kids are encouraged to take in the clues to figure out the easiest way of counting all the seated frogs. The time-conuming way of counting one-by-one would be the usual method, but Tang's clue to not "ignore a lily pad" hints that it's easier to imagine a frog is sitting on all the lily pads by multiplying five rows by five lily pads in each. Clever young mathematicians will then discover that it's easier to count the six missing frogs and subtract them from the lily pad total of 25. If a hopeless math failure like me can catch on in a flash and enjoy the challenge, just imagine how it will spark young minds eager to learn.

When Marian Sang
Pam Munoz Ryan, Illustrated by Brian Selznick
Scholastic Press
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439269679, $16.95, 42 pages, www.scholastic.com

Caldecott Honor medalist Brian Selznick and Pura Belpre Award-winning writer Pam Munoz Ryan will simply have to make more room in their trophy case, because the accolades are bound to keep pouring in for their newest non-fiction picture book. "When Marian Sang" is an exquisite introductory biography about an important cultural and sociological figure: the world's first black operatic singer. Most likely, few of the book's intended elementary school audience has heard of Marian Anderson, but all will be won over by the story of how her enormous talent and unrelenting drive helped her overcome significant obstacles in pre-Civil Rights America. Readers will find themselves enthralled by Marian's powerful life story -- due to Ryan's beautifully chosen words and Selznick's goreously detailed renderings -- and will especially be haunted the moving images of a young Marion singing with closed eyes, enraptured by the power of song. The subject's courage and subsequent success holds enormous appeal to a wide audience, particularly elementary school children seeking to study cultural role models. "When Marian Sang" is a first class tribute that deserves to join the creative team's previous effort, "Amelia and Eleonor Go For A Ride," on every children's library shelf.

Sleeping Beauty
Retold by Mahlon F. Craft, Illustrated by K.Y. Craft
Sea Star Books / North-South Books
11 East 26th Street, NY, NY 10010
ISBN 1587171201, $15.95, 32 pages, www.northsouth.com

Like the subject of one of her many previous books, illustrator Kinuko Y. Craft has the Midas touch when it comes to fine art illustrations for fairy tale picture books. Her elaborate paintings are like rich tapestries: tremendously elaborate, beautifully detailed and richly colored by a steady hand. The finely-nuanced, amber-tinted images evoke comparisons to European masterpieces, especially Renaissance paintings, French weavings and gold-leafed book manuscripts. In fact each spread is presented as if taken from a newly discovered artifact; very traditionally, Craft introduces the first word of each page with an elaborate capitol letter painting framed by craftsman flourishes. Each unique painting is stunningly beautiful, and filled with wonderful surprises just waiting to be discovered by lingering eyes. It's just what's needed to hold the attention of young listeners and older self-readers enraptured by the wordy, charmingly formal text. It's sheer beauty, indeed.

The Final Reckoning
Robin Jarvis
SeaStar Books / North-South Books
11 East 26th Street, NY, NY 10010
ISBN 1587171929, $17.95, 298 pages, www.northsouth.com

First came "The Dark Portal," then "The Crystal Prison," and finally English author Robin Jarvis concludes the spooky Deptford Mice Trilogy with "The Final Reckoning," a dark-themed animal fantasy that will appeal greatly to the legions of "Redwall" fans. In this volume, evil sewer cat Jupiter returns from the dead, and only the Deptford Mice can save the world from his plot to extinguish the sun. Additional troubles arrive in the form of Old Stumpy, Jupiter's henchman, leading to Jupiter's theft of the Starstone, causing a harsh winter to descend. Against such odds, how can the rodents, bats and squirrels possibly save the day? This is no cuddly animal tale. Not for the faint-hearted, "The Final Reckoning" is a true anti-hero story action-packed with evil characters, fierce fighting, and gruesome elements of the horror genre. Murders abound as the rats and their allies' battle their terrible enemies in modern London among humans oblivious to the life-and-death drama being played out at their ankles. To truly appreciate the bigger-than-life conclusion, and to fully grasp the plot points and the complex back story, new readers to the series are advised to put "The Final Reckoning" aside until after books one and two are first read. Not advised for sensitive readers or those under 10 years of age.

Counting Kisses
Karen Katz
Little Simon / Simon & Schuster
1230 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 068985658X, $7.99, 28 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com

How many kisses does a tired baby need? "Ten little kisses on teeny tiny toes Nine laughing kisses on busy, wriggly feet " and so on down to "One last kiss on your sleepy, dreamy head." Dressed in candy-colored pastels and sweetly patterned color blocks, this "count and kiss" countdown book for tots illustrates kiss after kiss in a new board book format. The generous dimensions (approximately 7"x6") and thick, sturdy pages (3/4" thick altogether) make this more attractive than many other 1-2-3 board books adapted from picture books. The transition is a graceful one, and, in hindsight more natural than the larger, thin-paper original edition.

Chicken Soup By Heart
Esther Hirshenhorn, Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689826656, $16.95, 32 pages, www.Simon SaysKids.com

Here's a picture book for "Chicken Soup for the Soul" fans who like their stock flavored with a heaping spoonful of Yiddish spices. In it, little Rudie decides it's his turn to take care of his elderly babysitter when she gets sick with the flu. And what's a better cure-all than a pot of homemade chicken soup? Well, there's one thing better soup made with extra love and a secret ingredient: the sitter's own stories about the "soon-to-be soup-eaters," that's what. While the soup simmers, Rudie recalls three stories of his own that underscore the special bond he shares with his caregiver. The endearing, heart-tugging recollections are as warm and comforting as, well, a bowl of you-know-what, making this a lovely read-aloud opportunity, particularly for babas and boychiks to share.

Bear Wants More
Karma Wilson, Illustrations by Jane Chapman
Margaret K. McElderry Books / Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 068984509X, $16.95, 36 pages, www.Simon SaysKids.com

Appropriately enough, "Bear Snores On" was quite a sleeper hit. Quite simply it was the best debut picture book of 2002, it so naturally whetted the appetite of smitten readers to want more from newcomers Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman. The new "Bear Wants More" picture book for children age 3 through 7 was created to meet the demand, and unlike most sequels, this one sparkles nearly as bright as the original gem. It follows the original book 's format to a tee with the same rhythmic rhyming scheme and alliterative bounce. It also stars the same cast of characters the not-so-menacing Bear, Mouse, Hare, Badger, Gopher, Mole, Raven and Wren in the same woodland setting. Only the season has changed, from the snowy winter landscape of "Bear Snores On" to lush green spring time for Bear to awaken from his long winter hibernation. "When springtime comes, in his warm winter den, a bear wakes up, very hungry and thin! He waddles outside and roots all around. He digs and he paws, fresh shoots from the ground. / He nibbles on his lawn, till the last blade is gone. But the bear wants more!" One by one his woodland buddies join him in the hunt for strawberries, clover and fish. Meanwhile, back in the den, the birds and burrowers are preparing a surprise party for Bear, complete with tea and honey cakes. "Bear sniffs and he snuffles as a sweet breeze blows. He romps to his home. He follows his nose." Returning to his den Bear soon discovers he's not the skinny bear he was when he first awoke, creating a charming dilemma that the animals work together to solve. By the time Bear snuggles in the grass, snoring big snores, it's so sweet, sweet, sweet that we'll all want more.

Henry And Mudge And The Tall Tree House
Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Carolyn Bracken
Simon & Schuster
1230 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 068981173X, $14.95, 40 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com

Puppy Mudge Takes A Bath
Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Isidre Mones
Simon & Schuster
1230 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689839804, $14.95, 28 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com

The long-running "Henry and Mudge" easy-reader series continues with "Henry and Mudge and the Tall Tree House," the 21st book of their adventures. It's geared well for beginning readers at "level two" who can independently read varied sentence structure, brief paragraphs, and simple chapters. The characters will likely be familiar to devoted new readers: Henry is a charming young boy whose best friend is the big, lovable dog Mudge. Here they welcome a favorite uncle, Jake, who arrives with lumber to build Henry a tree house. It's a wonderful gift, providing Henry with his own getaway high in the trees. But he soon grows sad, and gradually realizes it's because he's missing his dog who, naturally, can't climb with him to the tree house. Does that smile on Uncle Jake's face mean that he has a solution to the problem? Designed for younger readers than the "Henry and Mudge" line, "Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath" is an emergent reader picture book intended for children just beginning to recognize simple words and phrases and simple sentences. The story is told in stilted sentences in the tradition of the original "Dick and Jane" stories: "This is Henry. This is Henry's puppy Mudge. Mudge loves mud." The story is simple and satisfying: Mudge gets dirty, Mudge takes a bath, Mudge gets dirty again. Kids will relate to the mischief, and enjoy the humor, while Parents will love basking in the sense of accomplishment their children feel when they begin to read. The only sour note here is the steep price point for such a skimpy reader. Do Henry and Mudge fans really have to take a bath purchasing reduced-value "pre-level 1" hardbacks until reasonably priced paperback versions are available? Also questionable are the misleading spine credits claiming that these two new additions to the series were illustrated by the original "Henry and Mudge" co-creator Sucie Stevenson, when that is not the case.

Hairy Maclary's Rumpus at the Vet
Lynley Dodd
Tricycle Press
P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707
ISBN 1582460949, $5.95, 32 pages, www.tenspeed.com

Hairy Maclary Scattercat
Lynley Dodd
Tricycle Press
P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707
ISBN 1582460957, $5.95, 32 pages, www.tenspeed.com

"Kerfuffle" is my favorite word of the month, thanks to wee Hairy Maclary and his innocent, yet wild, rumpus at the veterinarian's office in this paperback picture book edition. When a cantankerous cockatoo gives Hairy's tail a tweek, it starts a hilarious chain reaction. "What a kerfuffle, a scramble of paws, a tangle of bodies, a jumble of jaws " In the companion paperback release, "Hairy Maclary Scattercat," our dogged protagonist is feeling spunky, chasing all the neighborhood cats one by one. Until, that is, he meets up with Scarface Claw "who bothered and bustled him, rustled and hustled him, raced him and chased him all the way home." Satisfyingly told with non-stop action and simple, rhyming text, the sing-song antics of Hairy Maclary have sold more than 4 million copies internationally, making him one lucky pup indeed, despite his tendency to get into trouble. The popularity of this book series is an intimidating factor when it comes to altering the New Zealand creator's works for the American market. Even so, these paperback versions would benefited from having simple foreign terms such as "lead" translated here as "leash" instead. It's a small complaint for the small pleasures of more Hairy adventures.

Professor Aesop's The Crow And The Pitcher
Stephanie Gwyn Brown
Tricycle Press
P.O. Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707
ISBN 1582460876, $15.95, 28 pages, www.tenspeed.com

A hot, dry desert. A tired, thirsty crow. A tall pitcher of water. Think you've heard everything about the famous "The Crow and the Pitcher" by Aesop? Think again. In illustrator Stephanie Gwyn Brown's reinterpretation of Aesop 's classic fable of logic and perseverance, she cleverly leads readers through all six steps of the scientific method from question to communication with Crow as the model scientist. But it's not an easy task, and it takes a several comedic tries before Crow figures out a scientific way to raise the water level high enough to drink. Not content to let simple storybook text and pictures relate the well-known tale, Brown ingeniously adds sidebar charts, graphs and other exacting tools to give scientific credence and creative insight -- to the plot's actions. And so, for instance, a blueprint illustrates the problem ("Beak [too short]. Pitcher [too narrow], Water [too low]"); dials measure the ebb and flow of Crow's determination; a "Thirst-O-Meter" registers Crow's rising danger level as he plucks rocks to drop into the pitcher; and a "Pebble Indicator" monitors the number of pebbles it takes to accomplish the task. In Brown's capable hands, the fable becomes much more than a passive picture book story. Rather, its ultimate moral about how to seek active solutions is put to work, teaching valuable critical thinking skills and acting as an interactive catalyst for out-of-the-box problem-solving. Highly recommended as an exciting Pre-K through 3rd grade classroom story-time activity that's sure to lead to animated discussion and inspired hands-on implementation.

Vicki Arkoff
Reviewer


Leonhardt's Bookshelf

Not "Just Friends"
Shirley P., Glass, Ph.D
The Free Press
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 074322549X, $25.00, 1-800-223-2336

Shirley Glass is a relationship counsellor and psychological researcher with 25 years of professional experience to her credit. Not "Just Friends" seems to be the culmination of a life's work.

Glass combines personal observations with a well-documented trove of scientific sources to provide a "prevention manual and survival guide". It is on the basis of her own experience and the many other well-documented sources that the book stands as credible.

Although based on a strong academic foundation, the book is made easy to read by numerous stories and examples, by several quizzes, and most of all by following a single couple through the entire betrayal and recovery process.

Perhaps the strongest point about Not "Just Friends" is that Glass is careful to address the issues and feelings of all concerned parties, those who have been unfaithful, those who have been betrayed, and also the betrayal partners. She debunks several myths about infidelity, explains how today's affairs differ from those of the past, and draws us inside the various players to understand their fears, their pain, and their motivation at each step along the path.

Prevention and survival are not necessarily the same thing, of course, as the markets for the two are quite different. In fact, the weak point of this book may be an attempt to include too many ideas into one volume. I could easily recommend the prevention chapters at the beginning to anyone in a marriage, but I doubt they would be interested in reading the majority of the book, which focuses on coping with an affair. Similarly, someone looking for advice on how to cope with a fair is unlikely to want to read through the prevention aspects.

This is a sensitive, well-founded, easy-to-read book, but make sure it is for you before buying it.

Depression Fallout
Anne Sheffield
Quill Trade Paperbacks
c/o William Morrow & Company
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0060009349, $13.95 1-800-242-7737

It is no pun to say that reviewing a book such as this is depressing. However, that won't stop me from saying a few positive things about Depression Fallout.

Unlike many books on depression, including Anne Sheffield's previous works, Depression Fallout is written for the oft-forgotten spouse of a depressive rather than for the victim of the disease itself.

Sheffield draws on her own experience as a depressive, as well as on thousands of postings to a message board on her web site. It is this interactive nature of her research that brings a unique vigor to her subject. These combined experiences provide the fodder for coping strategies she offers spouses to get past feelings of confusion, guilt, frustration and anger.

The writing is boring, which may be comforting to someone coping with depression but perhaps less so to a spouse, although it is clear and free of excessive jargon. Those who know they are suffering from depression or depression fallout will find this book useful. However, as Sheffield herself points out, most depressives and spouses do not recognize depression, so those who could most benefit are unlikely to seek it out.

It is hard to recommend this book, mostly because it is hard to find or define the prime audience. However, professional therapists and personal coaches might find it very helpful for their practices.

David Leonhardt, Reviewer
http://www.TheHappyGuy.com


Kinni's Bookshelf

How Customers Think
Gerald Zaltman
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
ISBN 1578518261, $29.95 1-800-668-6780 www.amazon.com

Traditional market research methods are ineffective because they don't plumb the 95% of the consumer buying process that takes place subconsciously, claims HBS marketing professer Gerald Zaltman. In the best book of the month, How Customers Think: Essential Insights Into The Mind Of The Market , Zaltman advocates a paradigm change that uses a systems-approach and tools, such as metaphors, response latency and neuroimaging techniques, to understand and shape the relationship between marketers and consumers.

Connecting The Dots
Cathleen Benko and F. Warren McFarlan
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way , Boston, MA 02163
ISBN 1578518776 $35.00 1-800-668-6780 www.amazon.com

Your company's projects - the collection of initiatives it is pursuing -- represents its "future currency," writes consultant Cathleen Benko and HBS Professor F. Warren McFarlan. In Connecting The Dots: Aligning Projects With Objectives Unpredictable Times, Benko and McFarlan examine how to maximize return on your "project portfolio" by evaluating existing and future projects, aligning them with strategic intent and environmental conditions, and managing portfolio risk.

Use What You've Got & Other Business Lessons I Learned From My Mom
Barbara Corcoran with Bruce Littlefield
Portfolio
ISBN 1591840023 $24.95 www.amazon.com

Real estate maven Barbara Corcoran built a $2 billion company out of $1000 loan. Her humorous take on attaining sales success in Use What You've Got & Other Business Lessons I Learned From My Mom, is organized into 24 lessons from her mother and illustrated with a plethora of examples of the imaginative marketing and high energy approach that Corcoran used to establish and grow her business.

Brilliance Marketing Management
Celia Rocks
Facts On Demand Press
ISBN 1889150398 $14.95 www.amazon.com

The key to business success, says PR professional Celia Rocks, is your company's "brilliance" - the unique element that sets it apart from the competition. Brilliance Marketing Management: Let Your Strengths Build Your Business is an accessible paperback offering solid practical advice and a five-step approach to managing brilliance by identification, enhancement, practice, highlighting, and focusing on it.

The Success Case Method
Robert Brinkerhoff
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
ISBN 1576751856 $24.95 1-800-929-2929 www.amazon.com

SCM (success case method) is a story-based technique for evaluating change efforts on the fly. In The Success Case Method: Find Out Quickly What's Working And What's Not , psychology professor and consultant Robert Brinkerhoff describes how to use SCM to quickly and accurately answer four questions: what's really happening; what results are being achieved; what is the value of the results; and, how can it be improved.

The Power Of Appreciative Inquiry
Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
ISBN 1576752267 $27.95 1-800-929-2929 www.amazon.com

The Power Of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide To Positive Change is a guide to "Appreciative Inquiry" (a change methodology based on the use of positive questioning), and describes its history and the basic principles for conducting organizational inquiries. The authors, Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom , are consultants with the Corporation for Positive Change, and use an extended case study drawn from Hunter-Douglas to describe the 4-D AI cycle: discovery, dream, design and destiny.

Making Rain
Andrew Sobel
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
605 Third Avenue, 4th floor, New York, NY 10158-0012
ISBN 0471264598 $27.95 1-800-225-5945 www.amazon.com

Making Rain: The Secrets Of Building Lifelong Client Loyalty , which is aimed at professional service firms, describes three main drivers of customer loyalty: the value you add; the trust you develop; and the extra mile you are willing to go. Consultant Andrew Sobel offers practical tips and advice for achieving all three using short, concise chapters and the examples of some famous advisors, including Ben Franklin and Leonardo da Vinci.

The Cure
Dan Paul and Jeff Cox
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
605 Third Avenue, 4th floor, New York, NY 10158-0012
ISBN 0471268305 $24.95 1-800-225-5945 www.amazon.com

Jeff Cox, author of The Goal, delivers consultant Dan Paul's process for creating the boundaryless, market-driven company in The Cure: Enterprise Medicine For Business , a compellingly written business novel. Told from the perspectives of the various senior execs at fictional Essential Corp., The Cure describes the journey toward and the common pitfalls in the alignment of strategy, processes, and culture.

And Now A Few Words From Me
Bob Garfield
McGraw-Hill Book Company
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
ISBN 0071403167 $24.95 1-800-722-4726 www.amazon.com

Bob Garfield (who writes the influential ad criticism column "AdReview" for Ad Age), now provides his brazen take on the ad industry. And Now A Few Words From Me: Advertising's Leading Critic Lays Down The Law, Once And For All enumerates and illustrates the reasons why so much advertising is ineffective: its rule-breaking mentality; misuse of sex, celebrities, humor, and special effects; lack of consumer focus; and, sheer bad taste.

The Art And Discipline Of Strategic Leadership
Mike Freedman with Benjamin Tregoe
McGraw-Hill Book Company
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
ISBN 007141066X $27.95 1-800-722-4726 www.amazon.com

The president (Mike Freedman) and chairman emeritus of consulting firm Kepner-Tregoe (Benjamin Tregoe) team up to describe the firm's integrated approach to corporate strategy in The Art And Discipline Of Strategic Leadership. The five-phase system includes: intelligence gathering and analysis; strategy formulation; master project planning; implementation; and, monitoring, review and correction.

The Power Of Full Engagement
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
The Free Press
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN 0743226747 $26.00 1-800-223-2336 www.amazon.com

Peak business performance requires four kinds of energy: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, say this pair of consultants, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. In The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is The Key To High Performance And Personal Renewal, toward the creation of those energies, they collaborate to present the Corporate Athlete Training System, a personal improvement system that addresses energy shortfalls by designing and executing new habits or "rituals."

Creative Training Idea Book
Robert Lucas
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814407331 $39.95 1-800-250-5308 www.amazon.com

Creative Training Idea Book: Inspired Tips And Techniques For Engaging And Effective Learning, training consultant Robert Lucas has written a computer manual-sized collection of training tools that emphasize fun, participation, and "brain-based" learning. The Creative Training Idea Book covers practical ideas for training preparation, openers, setting, group dynamics, visual aids, communication and reward.

Lean Lexicon: A Graphical Glossary For Lean Thinkers
Compiled by the Lean Enterprise Institute
Lean Enterprises Institute
ISBN 0966784367 $25.00 www.amazon.com

Lean Lexicon: A Graphical Glossary For Lean Thinkers is a spiral-bound dictionary of lean manufacturing is a good way to make sure everyone is speaking the same language. Lean Lexicon: A Graphical Glossary For Lean Thinkers includes 55 graphics, mapping icons, common acronyms, and 145 definitions ranging from "A3 report" to "yamazumi board."

Theodore Kinni, Reviewer
http://home1.gte.net/bizbooks


Marya's Bookshelf

Chesapeake 123
Priscilla Cummings, Illustrated by David Aiken
Tidewater Publishers
c/o Cornell Maritime Press
PO Box 456 , Centreville, MD 21617
ISBN: 0870335421, $11.95, Ages 3 to 6, 1-800-638-7641, www.amazon.com

The Chesapeake is a beautiful part of the country, with so much to offer and so much to learn about. There is fishing and wildlife, boats and beaches, and all these things can be counted. With clever rhymes and bright cheerful illustrations, this is a clever twist on the traditional counting book. Best of all, at the end of the book the various elements of the Chesapeake Bay come together to form a wonderful collage of animals and people, boats and scenery. Can you find nine sting rays and eight blue crabs or two ospreys and three sails? A delightful book which not only helps one learn to count but which also shows how a place is made up of many different parts that all come together to make an environment. In the classroom the teacher could ask the class to come up with its own counting environment, for example a cityscape or a farm.

Saving Birds: Heroes Around the World
Pete Salmansohn and Stephen W. Kress
Tilbury House, Publishers
132 Water Street, Gardiner, ME 04345
ISBN: 0884482375, $16.95, Ages 10 to 13, 1-800-582-1899, www.amazon.com

Black Robins, hornbills, black cranes, lesser kestrels, quetzals, and common mures, are all species of birds which have been rescued from possible extinction by remarkable people who care about the future of these wonderful animals. Protecting and increasing the numbers of these birds has been very hard work and on occasion has required that the scientists and their helpers perform what amounts to a miracle or two. At one time there were five black robins left in the world. Thankfully Don Merton and a team of helpers got on the job and by 1999 the number was up to 250, a remarkable achievement attributable to the resourcefulness of the scientists and the cooperation of two hard working female black robins. In Chiapas, Mexico, pair of puppeteers tell a story about a beautiful quetzal called Rainbow. Through their story they teach school children about the need to protect the quetzal and its environment. Despite a difficult political situation, several groups of scientists have also managed to recruit children to help them protect and study the lesser kestrel in Israel. Ingenuity has played an enormous part in the protection and recovery of the Sarawak hornbill and the common mure. Hornbills have beautiful plumage, prized by local tribal peoples. Luckily Liz Bennet and her companions noticed the white turkey feathers look very much like those used by the tribal people. A little paint and you couldn't tell the difference. Deception has also been used in California where common mures have been cajoled to return to an old breeding ground by the clever use of mirrors, decoys and sound recordings. In China a different tack was taken to save the black crane and its environment. A dedicated group of environmentalists raised small amounts of money. These were used to help build an infrastructure that would benefit both the people living near the wetlands, and the cranes which call that area home. In the classroom children could discuss how they would go about protecting an endangered species that they know about.

George Washington's Teeth
Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora, Illustrated by Brock Cole
Farrar Straux Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 0374325340, $16.00, Ages 4 to 7, 1-888-330-8477, www.amazon.com

A toothless George Washington! How is it that we have never heard about this side of our first president's life? It is with great enjoyment that we read the amusing rhyming lines about poor George Washington's trials and tribulations on the teeth front. One by one his teeth fell out as he bravely went forth and fought the British. When Washington came home at last, the redcoats vanquished, he only had five teeth in his head. Then, try as he might, those five fell out too. What was this leader of leaders to do? It is with great relief that we read that it was George Washington's own ingenuity which saved the day. He found all the teeth he lost and had a pair of false teeth made. As we follow Washington on his various adventures, we participate in events of those early days of the American Republic, and we see that even the most famous of people had very commonplace problems. With lively watercolor illustrations this is a book to read again and again.

How Groundhogs Garden Grew
Lynne Cherry
The Blue Sky Press
c/o Scholastic, Inc.
557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999
ISBN: 0439323711, $15.95, Ages 3 to 7, 1-800-242-7737, www.amazon.com

The Groundhog is a thief. He steals from the gardens of others to get his food. But soon Squirrel catches him in the act. "If you take food that belongs to others, you will not have a friend in the world!" she says. The embraced Groundhog is told that he should grow a garden of his own and Squirrel takes it upon herself to teach him how to go about doing this. The animals collect seeds to plant in the spring and then settle down for a long nap as winter approaches. Snug in warm beds in trees and underground they sleep while snow lies on the ground. Soon enough spring arrives and it is time to plant. As promised Squirrel shows Groundhog how to create a garden. He learns how to plant, how birds and insects pollinate the flowers of his plants, and how birds eat up the insects that may damage the tender shoots and flowers. With delight Groundhog soon finds himself the proud owner of a wonderful and fruitful garden. He and squirrel cook wonderful food and then everyone joins Groundhog for a big Thanksgiving dinner. With her striking artwork, Lynne Cherry has once again produced a remarkable book. Her trademark border art offers the eye lots of beautifully drawn information and the easy pace of the story reflects the pace of the seasons. This book would be a wonderful tool in a classroom to help show the students where our food comes from and how much work goes into growing and harvesting it. Readers who have enjoyed this book would also enjoy Cherry's other books: "The Great Kapok Tree," "A River Ran Wild," "The Armadillo from Amarillo," "The Shaman's Apprentice," and "Flute's Journey."

Marya Jansen-Gruber, Reviewer
mjansengruber@mindspring.com


Gorden's Bookshelf

Daredevil
Greg Cox
Onyx
c/o New American Library
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN: 0451410807, $6.99, 250 pages, www.penguinputnam.com

Novelizations of movie screenplays can be great stories to read. Greg Cox does a good job of bringing a screenplay to print but to fully enjoy this novel you need to have the edge of reading the comics or watching the TV shows that feature the Daredevil. Taking into account the main character is blind, the story is curiously filled with visual images.

Matt Murdock grows up in the Hell's Kitchen area of New York. His father knows that only with a good education can his son escape the poverty and crime of their home. In a freak accident, a barrel filled with chemical waste is punctured. The toxic liquid pores into Matt's eyes destroying his sight but somehow expanding his other senses to miraculous levels. In their struggle to rise above the misery around them, Matt's father losses the fight and is murdered. "A man without fear can do anything." are the words Matt's father told him every time he met a challenge. Without fear is how the child survives to adulthood to become the Daredevil.

The 'Daredevil' is a fun tale but it lacks the spark needed to stand on its own. Anyone who knows about the Daredevil from before will not be disappointed with the novel. But if you haven't read the comics, it might be best to wait until you have seen the movie before reading the book.

Primal Shadows
Alan Dean Foster
Tor Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
ISBN: 0812565800, $6.99, 424 pages, www.tor.com

Foster creates worlds. He tells a story filled with action but he clothes it in a world rich in detail and imagination. In 'Primal Shadows', Foster starts with Papua New Guinea and using just the facts makes a world larger, stranger, and more powerful, until it seems he is talking about a different planet. You read Foster's stories for the action. You love Foster's tales for the worlds he takes you to.

"They are now all dead. Except me, of course." That is the starting line to 'Primal Shadows'. It is all that is needed to tell you where the story is going.

We all remember the jungle explorer tales. From the factual accounts of Richard Burton to the fantasies of Edgar Rice Burroughs, the explorer genre is filled with tales you can find comfort in with their familiarity and thrill to with their action. Within the first few pages, you know that Steve Bohannon, rolled by a woman he met in Port Moresby, will follow her into the savage back country of Papua New Guinea. The story seems safe until the killings start. Why Bohannon is ready to face death to follow a woman who stole a few dollars from him is an easy question but one with only a partial answer. Every character in the tale has a motive, an agenda. Most are hidden at first but all are answered with violence or death.

If you like adventure tales that are fast paced and raw, 'Primal Shadows' is for you. Although it isn't the best that Foster can offer, it is worth the reading. 'Primal Shadows' brings you into a savage world that you wish still exists in some corner of the world but is best seen from your recliner. A world you still somehow hope one day to have the guts to visit.

S.A. Gorden, Reviewer
www.paulbunyan.net/users/gsirvio/content.html


Grant's Bookshelf

The Best School Year Ever
Barbara Robinson
HarperTrophy
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0064404927, $4.99, http://www.harpercollins.com/hc/aboutus/imprints/trophy.asp

Hilarious! The Best School Year Ever is one funny story after another and the humor revolves around the Herdman family, Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie and Gladys. These sibling students are something of a legend at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. Not for being academically advanced and not for athletics. They are infamous for causing disruptions, bullying, stealing, and driving their classmates and teachers crazy.

Beth Bradley's class is given a yearlong assignment. Compliments for Classmates. Every student has to compose a list of compliments about each other student in the class. It would be a simple task if Imogene Herdman weren't in her class. What could she, or anyone else have to say that could be considered a compliment when talking about Imogene? Luckily, they had the entire year to complete the assignment.

In the meantime, Barbara Robison spends the rest of the novel explaining exactly why the Herdmans were so notoriously recognized. An example from the book:

"We used to have a pet parade every year on the last day of school, till the year Claude Herdman entered her cat. The Herdmans' cat was missing one eye and part of an ear and most of its tail and all of whatever good nature it had so you wouldn't expect it to win any prizes in a pet parade so that was the end of the pet parade."

Throughout the novel, however, as Beth closely monitors Imogene for signs of humanity, she learns more about her classmate than she ever thought possible. And soon she is able to develop a list of compliments. When the end of the year comes and the class is to share the compliments in front of everyone, how will Imogene respond?

Light and humorous. The essay like chapters are fun. The story is easy to follow, despite all the characters. Kids will easily associate with Robinson's easy writing style and wit. Enjoyable from beginning to end, and satisfying. I look forward to reading, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Skinny-Bones
Barbara Park
Random House, Inc.
1745 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10019
ISBN: 067988792X, $3.99, www.randomhouse.com

Hilarious! Laugh-out-loud funny! The original middle grade novel, released in 1982, celebrated its fifteenth anniversary in 1997. Author Barbara Park decided to re-release the work with updated revisions. In an opening letter to fans, Park writes about how a lot has changed since 1982 and kids reading the book today have no idea what some of the references mean. For example, one reader asked Park what wax lips were. Another asked, who is Steve Garvy? But aside from updating some of the references, Skinny-Bones appears identical to its original version.

Alex Frankovitch is an only child. Of course he sees his parents as indifferent. They don't understand him. How could they? They weren't 12 years old. Alex learned to appreciate humor during his kindergarten year of school. Whenever he does not know an answer to a question, he turns to humor. Whenever he feels uncomfortable, he turns to humor. Whenever he is nervous, scared, hungry ? breathing, Alex Frankovitch turns to humor. He's a wiseguy. It's a way of life for him. The only trouble is that his big mouth and smart-alleck replies never seems to get him out of trouble. They only manage to make life more difficult.

Though Alex has been playing baseball nearly all of his life, he isn't a very athletic person. He can't really catch. He can't really hit ? he can bunt, but everyone knows it. So it doesn't help his game any ? And he can't throw. So why would he ever challenge T.J. Stoner, the best Little League pitcher ever?

It wouldn't be so bad if Stoner wasn't always picking on him. But things go from bad to worse. Stoner invites everyone to the baseball diamond to watch the pitching showdown. The following Saturday, Stoner's team plays Alex's team. Stoner is going for a Little League record. The stands are packed. Television news media people are there to cover the event. Alex seems stuck on a track that leads him from one humiliating moment to the next.

Barbara Park writes believable dialogue, and some of the best 12-year old narrative I've ever read. Very insightful. Though this 1997 release is a revised version it needn't have been. The work is timeless. Funny. Satisfying and timeless. It is no wonder Park has won more than 15 Children's Choice Awards. She knows what her audience wants. They want more books from Barbara Park.

Jake Drake, Bully Buster
Andrew Clements
Aladdin Paperbacks
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0689838808, $3.99, www.simsonsayskids.com

I used to think the only kids who don't know what it's like to be picked on by a bully, must be bullies. After reading Jake Drake, Bully Buster, I realized I might be missing something. Jake Drake, Bully Buster is a Read-for-Chapter middle grade novel that says it all about bullies. Andrew Clements writes like a man who has experienced it all growing up. Clements uses compact chapters and crisp dialogue. He knows how to set a scene, let the tension build, and the humor flow.

"But if a kid starts to bully me now, it never lasts?Bullies don't fool me anymore. Because back behind those mean eyes and that bully-face, there's another face. A real face. And if I keep looking for that real face, I see it. And the bully sees me see it. And BAM, just like that, another bully gets busted. By me. Jake Drake, Bully Buster."

Those are the words of Jake Drake. But the young fourth grader didn't always feel that way. It seems his life has been plagued by bullies since his early days at preschool. You know the bully. The snot nosed kid who grabs your cookie at snack time, takes a bite and then gives it back to you, all slobbered on.

It isn't until Jake meets the new kid, Link Baxter, before he truly understands there are different types of bullies. Those that take your food. Those that like to hit you. And those that get inside your brain and try to mess you up. Baxter knew how to get into Jake's brain and made it seem easy at messing him up. He made fun of Jake's name so everyone could hear, so all the kids would laugh. And they did laugh. He throws water on Jake, he almost makes him miss his bus stop. He is downright mean. And even Link's younger sister, who's in the same kindergarten class with Jake's sister, is a bully, taking crayons and threatening to snap them in two if anyone tells. The Baxter Bully family.

Jake works hard at handling the issues himself. Telling on a bully would only make matters worse. Even though Jake keeps his mouth shut, things get worse. The teacher pairs the two of them up to complete a Thanksgiving Day project on Native Americans. Link expects Jake to do all the work. That is the last straw for Jake and he tells Link, "No."

Want to find out what happens? Check out a copy of Jake Drake, Bully Buster. Andrew Clements is funny, while making many subtle points about dealing with bullies. An enjoyable story in an enjoyable series. Clements is the type of author who writes the type of books kids want to read. Hard to beat that combination.

Grant R. Philips
Reviewer


Harold's Bookshelf

Sadie Listens
James M. Steele
Steele Studios
PO Box 3093, Glenwood Springs, CO 81602
ISBN: 0971681139, $TBA, 43 pages

Sadie Listens is a short children's story about Sadie and the emptiness that she feels inside after the death of her cat. It elegantly discloses her feelings and the failure of activities to fill her loss. She learns to turn inside and listen to herself and to her feelings. It is a book about feelings, confusion, social expectations, and healing. A highly recommended purchase for anyone with a child going through difficult times of any kind, Sadie Listens can easily be used to open a discussion with children about honoring their feelings and moving on to healing.

The Doubleday Roget's Thesaurus In Dictionary Form
Sidney I. Landau and Ronald J. Bogus
Doubleday
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN: 0385239971, $16.95, 804 pages

I recently needed to pick up a new thesaurus and looked at several of them before deciding on this one. After using it on several occassions I know that it was the right choice. The Doubleday Roget's Thesaurus In Dictionary Form is not only easier to use than the old Rogets format but is much more comprehensive and a better reflection of today's english language. The Doubleday Roget's Thesaurus In Dictionary Form is highly recommended due to the level of user friendliness and comprehensiveness.

Honeymoon Marriage: Discover The Secrets To Achieving The Marriage Of Your Dreams
Darren McNees and Donna McNees
Blue Sail Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 6271, Aurora, IL 60598
ISBN: 0972190309, $24.95, 312 pages

The Honeymoon Marriage takes the reader through a clear discussion of many of the problems that take the honeymoon elation and happiness out of a marriage and for each one offers sound advice on how to keep your relationship fresh and alive. The authors discuss such topics as differences between the needs, desires and communication techniques of men and women, the differences between romance and passion and how to keep both of them in your relationship, and how small things can make a big difference.

Some of the information is nothing new, such as taking your spouse out on a date like you did before you were married. Other parts of the book contain more creative ideas designed to spice things up. Parts even contain various techniques that are almost workbook style processes. For example, there are several specific steps to help you learn about each other by examining your desires, attributes, skills, and talents. Recognizing that growth as a couple requires growth as an individual, the authors provide techniques and advice for empowering and growing as an individual. Since money matters are often the cause of stress in a relationship there is a section on financial abundance and basic financial techniques.

The reader should think of The Honeymoon Marriage as the introductory course into improving their marriage and keeping it alive. As an introduction it covers about every possible area of problems and solutions and is most useful for determining what type of problems need to be addressed and how to address them. However, once the suggested path to reenergizing your marriage is found, there are many more books available in specific areas. If you use Honeymoon Marriage and find that you want some more romance in your life, you can use the suggestions here, but you will probably find that there are many other books with many, many more ideas for romance.

Honeymoon Marriage is a good book to start with as it will help you determine the path that you need to be on and start you on that path. It is not the book to end with as there are many others available to help you down that path once you know the path you should be on..

Bipolar Disorder: Rebuilding Your Life
Rev. Dr. James T. Stout
Cypress House
155 Cypress Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
ISBN: 1879384442, $18.95, 287 pages

Bipolar Disorder is not a book of technical diagnosis and treatment techniques for the disorder. Quite different from similar books on the subject it is the personal story of the life and experiences of the author. Rev. James T. Stout opens up his heart and his life to public scrutiny in order to provide a thorough picture of the thinking patterns and problems of people with bipolar disorder. And yet, as he goes through his various experiences, interlaid within the story itself is the story of how rebuilt his life, the strategies that worked, the techniques that benefited his life, and how he has become more in control of his moods. It is a story of hope and practical guidance for those dealing with bipolar disorder or those who know someone with the disorder. The author masterfully leads the reader through learning to rebuild their life without resorting to jargon or a cold, sterile treatise on the disorder. Intensely personal, highly educational, it is a highly recommended read for anyone wanting to know more about bipolar disorder for whatever their reason.

Your Depression Map: Find The Source Of Your Depression And Chart Your Own Recovery
Randy J. Paterson, PhD
New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Ave., Oakland, CA 94609
ISBN: 1572243007, $19.95, 307 pages

Randy J. Paterson, PhD has spent years treating depression. The results of everything he has learned through both education and experience are distilled into Your Depression Map. The author points out that there are many, many different causes of depression and many, many different types of depression. Each of these different kinds of depression requires a solution that is designed to relieve that particular type. Based on this idea, he leads the reader through an understanding of the different types, how to determine the type that you have, and a pathway to recovery. He deals effectively with myths about depression, building your personal recovery plan, and a discussion of the journey to recovery and what you should expect. Even issues of how to deal with depression in real life are covered. For example he deftly covers the kind of professionals that you may need to seek help from, medication, living with emotions, building and maintaining a social network, and preventing future difficulties. If you are dealing with depression or know someone who is fighting that battle, this is an excellent book and a highly recommended purchase.

Harold McFarland
Reviewer


Jennifer's Bookshelf

Man With Wounded Bird
B. C. Douglas
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
ISBN: 075965493X, $11.95, Soft Cover, $3.95 e-book, www.1stbooks.com

Man With Wounded Bird is a wonderful fictional story that tells a stunning tale of imagination using cultures of Jamaica. Coming from Long Island in a white suburban community, Belle Brair sometimes felt uncomfortable by the Jamaican qualities that her mother so proudly wore. Her mom's accent, strange spice smells, and untraditional Thanksgiving dinners, get the locals attention, thus embarrassing Belle to no end. She didn't like being different. After Belle's mother dies, she finds herself needing answers to help fill in her emptiness, but while visiting her grandmother in Jamaica, Belle seeks answers to her heritage and soon discovers the disappearance of a priceless work of art. Man With Wounded Bird is a spectacular, energetic, novel for young adults, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Her well-thought out characters have unique personalities and the setting takes your breath away. Douglas's plot-driven book is sure to be a winner! I highly recommend B. C. Douglas and her book Man With Wounded Bird. B. C. Douglas was born in Watford, England, but was raised in both England, and Jamaica. She has seen many parts of the world, and she currently lives in Florida with her husband.

Out Of The Ordinary: Short Stories
Floriana Hall
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
ISBN: 14033-602514 (e-book), 140336026X (trade paperback), 1-800-839-8640, http://www.1stbooks.com

In reading the first few sentences of the first story in Floriana Hall's magnificent book, I knew it would be a hard book to put down. By the end, a day later, I found that I was right.

Throughout the gold-covered book are 41-short stories and poems written from the heart. Her positive messages, in most, are remarkably clear, in others; they become embedded in your mind forever. The book will delight almost any reader whether they read fiction of nonfiction. Peas, Anyone? Is a comical, yet lesson-learning story with the moral message of-"Don't pass the peas where they are not wanted or you'll never hear the end of it." Shaun's Quest-A Bunny Rabbit's Tail, written for children, describes the life of a pink bunny who felt he had to travel the world to find someone just like him, but he ends up finding love very close to home. At the same time, it teaches children not to judge a book by its cover. Hall's stories will fill the reader with enjoyment, inspiration, laughter, and encouragement.

This reviewer enjoyed reading Hall's book Out Of The Ordinary, and highly recommends it, as well as all works by this talented and wise author.

Being Kind to George
Jo Dunningham
Writers Exchange EPublishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing
Format: Ebook in PDF, HTML, RTF, CD, Price: Electronic download: $4.95, CD: $9.95, 39 pages

Oliver, a dog with long legs, overly large feet, and scared of every little thing, wandered into the reeds he came across a honking noise that caused him to run frantically towards his owner, Greg. Seeing that he was terrified of something, Greg investigated and found that the honking sound was a little scrawny and undernourished white goose. Oliver and Greg befriended the goose and decided to take care of him and feed him since it was winter time and the goose would find little to eat. Every morning, they took food to the goose and watched as he gobbled them all up. In no time, the goose grew stronger and fatter. Greg led his newly named goose George to the clean pond in the park across from his caf‚ and hoped that George would be happy there. George was, but as time grew on, spring and summer turned into winter, George noticed that not everyone was like his summer friends, and he grew very sad.

People thought he was a threatwas he? Find out by reading Jo Dunningham's delightful book "Being Kind To George".

Based on a true story, this book is a beautiful tribute to wild animals everywhere. Moreover, it is a great tool to teach children the meaning of a goose's honk and why people shouldn't try to befriend wild animals. The story is well written, and children any age will enjoy the charming goose and his friends. It teaches children the importance of kindness, friendship, and helping your environment to thrive.

Jo Dunningham is the author and illustrator of this wonderful children's book. She has been telling stories and drawing pictures to amuse her children for over twenty years. With a fresh approach to life, she now finds the time for the things she most enjoys-her family, and her writing. Dunningham lives in Wiltshire, England with her husband, three of their five children, and their youngest granddaughter.

"Being Kind To George" by Jo Dunningham comes highly recommended by this reviewer and her children. Look for more of her work, "Why Does the Tooth Fairy Want My Teeth?" which she is currently working on. You can check out her personal website at http://www.dunningham.be and view "real-life" pictures of George. Readers will also be able to download George's illustrations from the actual book to color.

Time in a Bottle
Karen Anzalone
Wings ePress
ISBN: 1-59088-073-0 eBook, 1-59088-950-9 Trade Paperback
Price: $6.00 eBook, $9.95 Trade Paperback, Formats: eBook (PDF or HTML), Trade Paperback

After Kevin Larson's brother breaks the antique glass bottle he planned on basing his school history project on, he and his friends, Naomi, Tasha, and Michael get together to search the Internet for a new project. However, when an accident turns the computer into a time machine, it transports Kevin and his three friends into the past-October 18, 1880 in Bodie, Californianow the adventure begins.

Ms. Anzalone's "Time In A Bottle" is an exciting young adult novel full of adventure, with realistic characters, while weaving in historical facts that is sure to intrigue its readers.

"Time In A Bottle" is well-written and told in an understandable and simple manner. Ms. Anzalone's plot is clear and moves the story along so that young readers will be able to keep up with the storyline.

Anyone, not only middle-grade students, will find "Time In A Bottle" a delightful read and will definitely put Karen Anzalone on their "must" read lists.

My ten-year-old son, Nicholas, who has recently found an interest in chapter books, thoroughly enjoyed the tale of Kevin Larson and his friends.

I highly recommend "Time In A Bottle" by Karen Anzalone.

Magnolia
Barbara J. Robinson
PublishAmerica.com
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
ISBN: 1591294304, $19.95, www.publishamerica.com

This coming-of-age book is a touching story of a girl who has had to deal with family loss, disappointment, and sorrow at a very young age. What makes this book more remarkable is that Barbara Robinson was that young girl! Readers will appreciate the events that unfold, and grow inspired as they read this heart-warming tale from a very talented author.

The Bible That Wouldn't Burn
Louise Ulmer
Peach Blossom Publications
136 Centre Line Ave. Williamsport, PA 17701
ISBN 0941367010, $7.95, 32 pages, paperback, www.amazon.com

"The Bible That Wouldn't Burn" by Louise Ulmer makes for an interesting read, as it is a book that covers many topics. Readers will find history, religion, and adventure included on each page accompanied by delightful black and white hand drawn illustrations.

This intriguing book, first published in the 1980s by Concordia Publishing House, is the story of how the Tyndale English version of the New Testament came about.

William Tyndale, the main character, struggles against much hostility as he translated the Latin Bible into English just before he smuggled it into England. His hope was to bring God's word to the English people so that they could read it in their own language. William meets many different people, friendly and unfriendly on his journey.

Cleverly, Ulmer wrote this book through the eyes of a young boy named Edward Walsh so that English reading children will understand it perfectly. The language is simple, making a fast and easy read for children 8 and up. Some of the words can be difficult, but with the help of an adult, they will have no problem getting through the entire book.

"The Bible That Wouldn't Burn" would be perfect for teachers to use as a lesson guide, and would make a wonderful gift.

Louise Ulmer discovered the joy of paper doll design when she was 10 years-old, while playing paper dolls wither sisters and friends. She began with children's books in the world popular Arch Book Series at Concordia and "The Bible That Wouldn't Burn". She has been a writing instruction and editor for fifteen years, and has recently started writing novels for middle grade readers.

This text refers to the first printing of this book in soft bound format by Concordia Publishing House.

The Legend Of Koolura
Michael L. Thal
Adventure Books
http://www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks
ISBN: 1553131789, Price: $5.99 Canada, $3.99 US, Formats: PDF electronic book

It's Koolura Akopyan's first day at a new school and she's realizing that no matter where she is or what school she is she attends, everyone treats her and her remarkable abilities the same. Koolura is in the sixth grade at Bethune Elementary. Mr. Major is impressed with her knowledge, Linda is jealous; Armine and Enrico think she's kool, all because of the same reasons. Koolura and her friend are able to vanish and reappear whenever they want, they can move objects with their minds, and they can float up off the ground.

"The Legend Of Koolura" is a wonderfully written book that tells the story of friendships, rejections, and of course, magic powers. Koolura and her story will keep your middle grade reader turning the pages. The dialogue will thrill them and they'll find themselves thinking about the realistic characters long after they've finished reading.

"Michael Thal, a veteran teacher of twenty-eight years, is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles with his daughters, Channie and Koren. He's had a passion for writing since his college days at the University of Buffalo. The Light: An Alien Abduction, has been a work in progress for many years. The completion of this novel has been a dream fulfilled, proving that goals set and focused upon, are goals completed."

I highly recommend "The Legend Of Koolura" and Michael Thal as an author to label as a new favorite.

The Computer's Nerd
W. Royce Adams
Rairarubia Books
ISBN: 0-9712206-2-X, Price: $17.95, http://www.rairarubia.com

Bullies rule at most schools, but at Arthur's school, they get what they deserve. Arthur is known as a computer nerd, and he is constantly being picked on at school. After strange things happen to the bullies, Arthur starts to think that his computer, that has a strange program called The Game, has something to do with it. Nevertheless, Arthur doesn't understand how The Game knows all the things that it does, nor does he understand why it wants to help him. Or does it?

Arthur is enjoying life until The Game takes control, spinning lies all around him. Then and only then, Arthur starts to wonder if The Game is on his side.

"The Computer's Nerd" is full of dangerous action that will fascinate and delight its readers. Young adults will surely get hooked on Adams's books. This well-written book deals with the troubles of many children today. The characters are intriguing. The dialogue is life-like. I found myself engulfed with the main plot, which kept me reading with interest until the very end.

I highly recommend "The Computer's Nerd" by W. Royce Adams for all middle grade students.

Jennifer LB Leese, Reviewer
http://www.geocities.com/ladyjiraff/aswbr.html


Frank's Bookshelf

Byzantium: The Bridge From Antiquity To The Middle Ages
Michael Angold
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010
ISBN 0312284292, $24.95, 186 pp., www.amazon.com

The Byzantine Empire, centered in Constantinople and based on the Eastern Orthodox churches, lasted from about AD 324 to 1453. During the sixth century, and at some other times, it ruled a region from what became known as the Holy Land-Syria-Iraq to Turkey, the Balkans, Italy, Sicily, most of the Mediterranean Sea, southern Spain, and nearly all of North Africa. It was one of the great pillars of the world along with China, India, Islam, and western Christendom. This unusual book, which some might call a collection of essays or lectures, was written by the Professor of Byzantine History at Edinburgh University who also wrote The Byzantine Empire, 1025-1204: A Political History (1997). It is in part a survey of Byzantine culture and part history of selected topics. It has a glossary, bibliography, index, but no footnotes, endnotes, or a chronology which would have been very helpful to most non-specialist readers. There are three simple maps and 33 black and white illustrations, mainly photographs, of Byzantine and Islamic art and architecture. The most interesting sections of Byzantium: The Bridge From Antiquity To The Middle Ages, at least to this reviewer, were on Islamic culture, Byzantine iconoclasm, Byzantium and the West, and Norman Sicily (which is something of an extraneous topic given the book's subject). There are only scraps of information about Byzantium's economy and trade and the Balkan region, which was often Byzantium's most important hinterland, and Russia.

The Oxford History Of Mexico
Michael C. Meyer and William H. Beezley, eds.
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016-4314.
0195112288, $31.50, www.amazon.com

This is a panoramic and interesting anthology of essays written by 23 experts, all from Canadian, American, and Mexican universities, and edited by two professors from the University of Arizona. It has black and white maps, color photos, a glossary of important terms, a bibliography, and an index. I will most likely be of interest to general readers, advanced high school and university students, and scholars. It is presented as a general history of Mexico as a pre-colonial state until the end of the one-party era which started during the 1930s and just recently ended. The most important topics covered are agriculture, the arts, banditry, colonialism, popular culture, domestic and foreign affairs, ecology, economics, education, emporors, ethnicity, flora and fauna, industrialization, military leaders, moderization, politics, poverty, presidents, Spain and Spanish history, and viceroys. The sections that seem especially strong (since there is always a certain unevenness with anthologies) deal with Mesoamerican eras, Mexica/Aztec cultures and societies, 19th century Mexico and Mexican leaders, the Mexican-American War, the severe turbulence caused by the repeatedly violent attempts by both military strongmen and civilian idealists to start and complete viable revolutions, the contributions of Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, the struggle to free Mexican resources from foreign control, the importance of Mexican artists, and the background to the problems and advances of today's progressive Mexico. If a reader or small library has room for only one book on Mexico, The Oxford History Of Mexico would be a solid choice.

A Brief History Of Canada
Roger Riendeau
Facts on File
11 Penn Plaza. New York, NY 10001
0816031576, $45.00, www.amazon.com

This useful history, which emphasizes domestic politics and economics with some discussion of culture and foreign relations, is a model of what can be well done briefly with national histories. It has 20 chapters, an index, bibliography, 20 black and white photos, eight maps, and no footnotes or endnotes. Mature students and general readers will find this to be an enjoyable read. The author works at the University of Toronto.

The author has organized his chapters into the following sections: Exploring the Northern American Frontier; the French Empire, 1608-1760; British North America, 1760-1867; Foundations of Canadian Nationhood, 1867-1931; and the Modern Era, 1931 to the 1990s (including NAFTA).

One of the themes developed throughout is Canadians' difficult, tense search for a national unity and identity while they have found themselves living in the four traditional regions: the Maritime provinces; Quebec and southern Ontario; the Prairie provinces; and British Columbia.

Riendeau in his preface writes "The central role of the historian is to instill a sense of order out of the chaos of the past and to make the past come alive so that it can inform the present and the future." (p. vii) He has accomplished this difficult goal exceedingly well.

Frank P. King
Reviewer


Donna's Bookshelf

Grimm's Fairy Tales
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Sea Star Books/North-South Books Inc.
11 East 26th South, 17th floor, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 1587170922, $19.95, 2001, 160 pages, www.northsouth.com

A cat with a face as long as a wet week, a braggadocios tailor who manages to kill seven at one blow, various beautiful princesses, several little, gnarly men, wise simpletons, foolish elder brothers, plus other old friends greet us in this imaginatively illustrated abridgment of the 1909 edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales, Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. In fact, the illustrations are the important point here. These twenty two tales are illustrated with no less than forty nine of Rackham's lavish, fantastic, intriguing paintings and dynamic pen and ink drawings. Using the words of the 1909 edition, this book is slightly less expurgated than fairy tales modern children read. We meet a slightly disobedient Red Riding Hood just before she is eaten by the wolf, as well as a Rapunzel pregnant with twins. And that frog did not metamorphose into a prince via a kiss, but through being smashed against a wall. An afterward gives brief histories of the Grimm Brothers, Arthur Rackham, and the pairing of their talents.

Other collections of these tales are available. Other books present Rackham's work. What makes this book distinctive is the marrying of the two in a new edition. If your library does not have Grimm's tales illustrated by Rackham, this book is a worthwhile edition. The morals behind the stories are obvious for both children and adults. These tales are precursors of today's science fiction, making this book useful for young fantasy and science fiction writers and buffs. Families and classes will enjoy reading these stories together and acting them out. With its front cover beautifully displaying Rackham's painting of the original Cinderella, Ashenputtal, Grimm's Fairy Tales will intriguingly decorate any coffee table.

I Love You This Much : A Song of God's Love
Lynn Hodges and Sue Buchanan; illustrations by John Brunello
Zonderkidz/ Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN 0310232686, $14.99, 32 pages, zonderkidz.com

"I Love You This Much," sing Adult Bear and Baby Bear as they spread their arms wide preparing for a hug. With book and accompanying CD before them, the loving reader and preschool listener will learn to sing along with the Bears. Starting with the NIV wording of Ephesians 3:17 & 18, the words and pictures lead the reader and listener through a whole day of love: waking with a smiling face, learning about deep, wide love, and that it comes from God, praying to this trustworthy God, finally falling happily asleep with words of love ringing in their ears. The accompanying sing-along lullaby CD has two sections: 1. Words and music, the music tailing into sleep; 2. music only, also tailing into lullaby tones.

John Brunello's happy, colorful illustrations tell the story as much as do the engaging words written by Lynn Hodges and Sue Buchanan. A large book, I Love You This Much, easily spreads across two laps for cuddled up reading. Children will enjoy noting the dedication at the beginning of this book includes Billy, the illustrator's cat. I Love You has many uses, among them: a gift for the new baby; a baby sitting tool; in secular or church nursery and preschool; an attractive first reader for the child who has heard it; for the children's choir.

Donna J. Eggett
Reviewer


Hodgins' Bookshelf

Love In The Time Of Cholera
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Penguin Books
c/o Penguin Putnam Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN 0140119906, $10.95, Can. $8.95, 1-800-847-5515

About this edition of Love In The Time Of Cholera: a banner across the top of the front cover proclaims the novel as "THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER" of its day, although it doesn't specify of which nation. May the banner refer to Colombia where the work is set?

At all events, upon conducting a Websearch for the book's title and finding many entries, I have looked under the first listing, that by Barnes & Noble of the U.S., and find they offer a dozen versions. Half of those are in Spanish; four of them are translated into English by Edith Grossman; and the other two are now unavailable. (One of the lastmentioned is expected to appear in mid-May. The other seems out of print.)

At the time of writing, therefore, essentially one translation is available, in four formats. In terms of fictional content, I expect each of these versions to prove identical to any other. Thus a shortcoming in one will surely apply to all - at least until the forecast Tom Fahy effort appears some months hence, under the altered title (and presumably with altered contents), Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love In The Time Of Cholera.

No judgement is yet possible concerning the Fahy product, which I'd hoped to see before a scheduled vacation. In literary terms, it also is my hope that the story's style will be altered to create greater interest, but all we can do is wait and see, while keeping our minds open. Meantime, I've had no response concerning the Fahy version and so can only report, with my personal regrets, on a paperback that's now 13 years old.

About language: the original Spanish title of Garcia Marquez's novel was "El amor en los tiempos del cole'ra". Here I have approximated the Spanish vowel-accentuation mark with ', but doing so carries some risk of reader confusion. Hereafter, then, that mark will be omitted altogether, but the accent ought by rights to appear twice in the book author's name - over the i of "Garcia", and over the a of "Marquez".

These two words taken together are in the customary form (except more often hyphenated) of family names in Spanish; the author is properly addressed as "Mr. Garcia Marquez", and Thomas Pynchon of The New York Times Book Review mentions "The Garciamarquesian voice", an adjectival form I've seen fit to borrow here.

About the author: author notes appear in the frontispiece area of the Penguin paperback edition of his book.

About the country: the locus of this story is Garcia Marquez's native Colombia. For those who can't remember their geography and have no map handy, Colombia occupies the northwesterly corner of South America, where, with Panama as a divider, the country has both Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Inland, Colombia is divided very approximately in half between, in the northwest, three forks of the great Andes mountain chain and the intervening valleys; and, in the southeast, a vast wilderness of headwaters of the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers. At a wildly unscientific guess, about 10% of Colombia lies south of the Equator.

About the title disease, other than love: as readers may or may not know, the true Indian or Asiatic cholera is an acute, usually fatal, infectious diarrhoeal disease of the intestinal tract, caused by the Vibrio cholerae organism which is ordinarily transmitted by polluted drinking-water supplies. In developed countries it has been brought under such control in modern times as to have lost its former familiarity, for which reason these notes explain aspects not mentioned in the novel.

The protagonist, at least near the outset, is a medical doctor who has done a great deal to combat the last onslaught of Colombian cholera.

Although, given the paucity of particulars furnished by Garcia Marquez, in my old Encyclopaedia Britannica I've found mentions of malaria, dysentery, yellow fever, and hookworm as major diseases of Colombia circa 1950, my admittedly limited research failed explicitly to connect that country with cholera. People do travel, though, and in theory the title's reference could have been to an epidemic in some other country, quite possibly in North America or Europe.

It turns out most clearly on page 43 (these page numbers refer to the 1989 Penguin paperback edition) that the protagonist has studied in France, with implications also of wider European travels.

It nonetheless seems that no law obliges an encyclopaedia to be comprehensively informative. Eventually it convincingly emerges in the novel, not in the encyclopaedia, that cholera struck South America, too.

In my view this sort of information should be provided in a novel almost as soon as a topic is brought up - in this book by its title, in fact, which we read even before the volume has been cracked open. If nothing else, a Foreword could have stated the salient facts.

It also is long left unclear just which of many "times of cholera" the book's title means. Back in mediaeval times, the disease seems to have destroyed the army of one Ahmed Shad (about whom I've discovered nothing else) in 1438 - more than half a century before Columbus's voyages. It became pandemic in India in 1817, reaching into Russia by 1823. That wave was followed by another beginning in India in 1826, which reached as far as Edinburgh in 1832; it also was carried by ship to ravage North America, and didn't disappear until 1838. Further pandemic waves in 1840-49 and 1863-66 reached Europe overland via Mecca and Egypt, again creating at least North American outbreaks in 1867 and 1873.

Nor were these the last of cholera's widespread recurrences but, given the paucity of solid information concerning Colombia, we may almost as well equate "the time of cholera" to "once upon a time". Only another reviewer's comment places the book's setting around a century ago. I only hope he's right!

On page 42 the initial protagonist, 81-year-old Dr. Juvenal Urbino, dies in a fall while trying to catch an escaped parrot. There follows a quasi-epitaph on p. 43, providing a series of important insights although no date. An epitaph is a static type of statement, though, and it is approximately here that Garcia Marquez's tale seems to bog down.

More exactly, the Garciamarquesian style falls quite flat after the death and burial of the doctor who is the initial central character of Love In The Time Of Cholera. That collapse happens dismayingly early in the story, and very little dialogue occurs in this work, thereafter. One may randomly open the book almost anywhere to discover a pair of facing pages containing few quotation marks, or none at all.

For instance, beginning with page 85 there is no dialogue whatever (assuming quotation marks to be indicative) until, on page 92, we discover in quotes, "If you don't tell me what you want me to find, I don't know how I am going to find it." Again there is nothing thereafter until page 97 says, "I turn over to you the keys to your life." The void then resumes until page 102 where there are less than four quoted lines ... and two of those are written in letter form.

Thus there may be an average of two or three words of dialogue per page, in much of this book. The characters don't seem bound by vows of silence, but they're rarely given speaking parts.

It has been said that a reviewer absolutely MUST read a book through from cover to cover, "in case the narrator awakens on the last page to find the whole thing has been only a bad dream". No conceivable last-minute surprise, though, can compensate for hundreds of pages of flat - "so flat you could sleep on it," as someone once said - writing, as if to create, by retrospective magic, a new work of excitement and intrigue. I admit it, then; I've committed the heinous crime of growing too bored to continue through the bulk of this self-proclaimed national bestseller.

In summary, I'd guess that Love In The Time Of Cholera has been bought most frequently for its author's reputation - but celebrity can be deceptive! - for its evocative title, and for its exotic cover design. I doubt, though, that it has often gripped its readers all the way through.

If/when Mr. Fahy's version becomes available, I hope (but can't be sure) to report on it too.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone
J.K. Rowling
Raincoast Books
9050 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6P 6E5
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
38 Soho Square, London, W1V 5DF, England, 1997
ISBN 155192398X; Can. $9.95

Harry Potter obviously is a goldmine. On what I may call page 224, numerous versions of the first four Harry Potter books, from Raincoast, are listed. They come in cloth binding, paperback, adult paperback, "deluxe gift editions", and boxed sets (collections of vols. 1-3 and 1-4). You can't do things that way without having plenty of financial re$ource$.

Also listed are two related paperback books, e.g., "Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them", by the same author using pseudonyms.

A curious thing is that none of the p. 224 listings agrees in ISBN number with the review volume's front cover or flyleaf. What appears to be the exact version I have here is given the ISBN of 0747532745 on p. 224, whereas 155192398X appears on cover/flyleaf. I can't explain it - can you?

This first of the H.P. series makes easy reading, at least in the non-adult form I have. No doubt that's one of the features making "Harry" so popular with the younger set. Yet middle generations also seem quite charmed - perhaps because, unlike myths recorded from ancient tradition by the Brothers Grimm, these are novel-length books with complex story lines.

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimms' lives make fascinating reading. Both were university professors, and particularly Jacob, the elder by one year, is credited with founding both scientific folklore and philology, complete with "Grimm's Law". However, a closer parallel to Joanne K. Rowling may be Hans Christian Andersen.

Andersen is called a fabulist rather than a folkorist, and the same term should, I believe, apply to Rowling. She spins her fairytales out of thin air with the aid of such pre-existing concepts as wizardry, witchcraft, ghosts, and imaginary animals or semi-humans: dragons, unicorns, centaurs, trolls, and an enormous three-headed dog. Never mind that these notions derive from the lores of far separated lands! (Today's famed Komodo "dragon" is a large and dangerous monitor lizard inhabiting Komodo, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands in the west-to-east series, Bali-Lombok-Sumbawa-Komodo-Flores ... The animal neither breathes fire nor possesses wings, although it's a fast runner with a very strong bite.)

Except in reminiscences, this volume covers less than a year of the youth of Harry Potter. He, it turns out, is a hereditary wizard whose supernatural parents had been killed during his babyhood by an evil wizard, although the lastmentioned had suffered a failure of his magic when he'd also attacked little Harry. The baby had then been raised for a decade by his hateful aunt and uncle, a pair of "Muggles" - ordinary mortals lacking both magical charms and, this time, ordinary human charm.

I recognized in that relation a stereotype closely akin to one in the "Cinderella" fairytale; for Harry was being abused by his people much as Cinderella had been by her cruel stepmother and -sisters.

At last the wizard world comes to reclaim Harry, offering to train (or perhaps educate?) him at Hogwarts, a remote school of wizardry. Although apparently situated in some far corner of England or perhaps Wales, Hogwarts must exist in dimensions other than our usual three; not only is Muggle society ignorant of the school's very existence, but also the place is approached by a magical train invisible to ordinary eyes and running, presumably, on its own invisible trackage out of London.

Numerous bizarre adventures and experiences await Harry at Hogwarts, but to spell them out here, even in outline, would be to betray too much of the story, and so to ruin the pleasure of reading it.

The magic is pretty much no-holds-barred stuff, e.g., with a flying motorbike and, later, whole teams of broomstick-riding players of "quidditch", a gravity defying, aerial ball game. However, whenever the plot requires limitations, they appear. For instance, various characters must be given time to interact; that seems why they travel by oldfashioned steam train rather than being, say, teleported in up-to-some-future-date, Star Trek style.

At times it seems as if wizardry/witchcraft is capable of absolutely anything, and yet a feat as elementary as Superman's x-ray vision seems unavailable. Why? In this case I think it's because nobody at Hogwarts could get away with any exciting skullduggery whatsoever if it were possible for the teaching/security staff to watch each other, as well as watching the students, through solid walls, ceilings, and floors.

Inconsistency tends to kill many fantastic tales, for me. For instance, while flames capable of actually burning flesh can be magically created at a mere wand's wave, it seems that nothing can be done about the weather by using the cost-free fire to warm all outdoors in wintertime.

The Potter series has been attacked on semi-religious grounds over the prospect of teaching children to believe in all sorts of folly. Is it not time that we ourselves practised greater consistency? How can we allow all sorts of fantasy comics, cartoons, etc., even Halloween charades, while wishing to disallow what is, in essence, simply more of the same? Why are parents happy that their kids watch "The Magic School Bus" on TV if they're unhappy about their reading "Harry Potter"?

That word "more" nearly says it all, in respect of this book's character. Whereas there seldom are complaints about traditional ghost stories, those usually involve just one ghost at a time; here ghosts fly through walls in squadrons, or anyway in multiples. We're accustomed to one witch at a time, piloting a broomstick; Harry and his crowd fly broomsticks in two seven-lad teams at a time. Could it be the "more" aspect, then, that upsets a few people? Well, as the Brits put it, in for a penny, in for a pound.

Here's a last observation. If I read once more the babytalk word "ickle" in place of "little", I shall throw up.

Mrs. Dalloway
Virginia Woolf
Oxford Worlds Classics*
ISBN 0192839705; Can. $13.50 (quoted by Chapters bookstores)
Harcourt
ISBN 0151009988, $18.00, hardcover
Harvest Books
ISBN Harvest Books, $12.00, paperback

* Of many "Mrs. Dalloway" editions beginning in 1925, the Oxford Worlds Classics version (2000) may be most widely available in book-retailers' shops today, although it's not quite the most recent. In principle, all versions should tell one identical tale - but there may be assorted additions, such as biographical notes and professorial commentaries. My reading is based specifically on the Harcourt, Brace and Company, Inc., New York, 4th printing, 1927, but the data cited above refer to the 2000 Oxford edition. However, any features unique to the still unseen Oxford edition cannot be described here; as to my 1927 hardcover Harcourt, Brace edition, it could scarcely be plainer.

** I've discussed the literary term "trade" previously. One recognized authority doesn't explain it at all in his "A Glossary of Literary Terms". Other sources provide differing definitions.

Here we probably have a format-based definition similar to, "Softcover books the size of a man's hand [my hand measures about 7 x 4 1/2 inches, 7" x 4.5" or 18 x 11.5 cm] are `mass market'; those a couple of inches (5 cm) taller are `trade' books." Examples of the latter in my home shelves commonly measure about 9" x 6" (22.5 cm x 15 cm).

However, paper can be cut to an infinite variety of dimensions, and one wonders how to classify a book that's just halfway between "mass market" and "trade"?

It's unclear, too, whether there is any upper size limit to "trade" books; my softcover illustrated copy of Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is twice the foregoing "trade" size, measuring 12" x 9" (30 cm. x 23 cm). What is that format to be called?
Then again, other definitions of "trade" are based on either production quality or contents ...

Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway" has received considerable recent attention in connection with the film, "The Hours" - which I can't usefully see, alas, until in appears on video with closed captions.

From a brief description I've heard, it appears that "The Hours", although using the original title of "Mrs. Dalloway", introduces important characters and episodes from elsewhere, almost inevitably omitting vast amounts of the "Mrs. Dalloway" tale. Keeping it in mind that Woolf's novel was copyright in 1925, a "The Hours" character who suffers from AIDS must have come along at least six decades after the book was written; Woolf, who killed herself in 1941, never heard of AIDS, in this world anyway.

Newer works based on older ones have by no means been uncommon - especially on Broadway, as it seems. Shakespeare, for one, has been ripped off time and again. To the best of my recollection, his "Romeo and Juliet" inspired "West Side Story", while "The Taming of the Shrew" gave rise to "Kiss Me, Kate". The origin (perhaps "Much Ado About Nothing"?) of "The Boys from Syracuse", however, escapes me at present.

At all events, there are plenty of precedents for the use of material from "Mrs. Dalloway" in "The Hours", although one would think that Woolf's copyrights must subsist today, and must surely have been taken carefully into account. Anyway, if you've seen the movie, just don't go away imagining that you've "as good as read" Woolf's book.

"Mrs. Dalloway" is a rather formless novel, lacking divisions into chapters, parts, etc. - but here and there, blank lines do occur between paragraphs. One might even call this "a book-length short story".

I'm told that doing new things is a hallmark of capital-L Literature, but it's hard to be certain that no-one has ever, say since the days of Homer, written a book in just this form. However, I've also read someplace that this whole story occupies a single day; someone may nod off for a few winks, but at no point does anyone go to bed. That fact eliminates the natural chapter breaks of standard day-night cycles.

I don't consider a lack of chapter divisions helpful, but rather a throwback toward chaos. If you're reading when you're called to dinner you can't say, "Just give me two minutes, dear; I've almost finished this chapter." Instead you may have to plead, "Just give me two days, dear ..." Keeping a bookmark handy, though, should ease that problem.

A charming bit of nonsense occurs early in the book, concerning a skywriting aeroplane (airplane) whose pilot, watched by perhaps hundreds of thousands of fascinated onlookers on the ground, seems unable to write a complete word. "T O F", the crowd reads; "T O F", again and again.

Of growing importance during the story's development is a party that Clarissa Dalloway plans to throw that evening. With few exceptions, everyone we meet will be in attendance, and there will be others present, too. Clarissa is not deeply involved in preparations, though, other than buying the flowers, for she is of the British Upper Class; she has permanent and temporary servants to set up the entire evening. Thus the book begins, "Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself."

While the novel's title makes it clear that Clarissa Dalloway is to be viewed as the work's protagonist, for many pages at a time the plot drifts into telling the stories of other people altogether, while Clarissa seems to all intents forgotten.

Whoever is "in the driver's seat", we are often but not invariably treated to a privileged view from someplace inside that person's head, watching his or her stream of consciousness flow by - often turbulently, often opaquely.

One "alternative or temporary protagonist" is Septimus Warren Smith, who in my inexpert opinion shows many of the classical signs of schizophrenia. As is the case of most other people introduced in this novel, at intervals we see the world through Septimus's eyes for pages at a time, and a strange world it then is! We also see it, occasionally, from the perspective of his mild, loving, rather pathetic, deeply concerned wife, Rezia (really Lucrezia; she was Italian, and they'd met in Milano at the end of World War I, Italy then having been on the Allied side. Septimus had survived the war with distinction, then discovered he could no longer FEEL - surely an after-effect of shell shock, stemming especially from his friend Evans's death in battle.)
A seemingly incompetent Doctor Holmes has assured Rezia that her mentally ill husband is quite all right. To him, Septimus is merely in a funk; to cheer up, he should go out and play a round of golf.

Now, though, Rezia is filled with new hope. "They were going to Sir William Bradshaw; she thought his name sounded nice; he would cure Septimus at once."

I quote those lines from page 125 of my inherited, 296-page 1927 edition of "Mrs. Dalloway". Mathematically, the same passage may appear near page 106 of the 250-page Oxford 2000 edition. Whatever its location, it provides an example of author Woolf's ironies, and also exemplifies passages in which she strays from her stream-of-consciousness style into her straightforward narrative one.

Modern readers who know no Latin may not recognize "Septimus" as meaning merely "Seventh". In pagan Rome large families were common, although high mortality rates restrained population growth. After fruitful parents had run out of regular given names, such as Didius and Iulia, for their first half-dozen children, they not uncommonly began naming new additions Seventh, Eighth, etc.: Septimus or Octavius for boys or, for girls, Septima or Octavia.

A likely intentional, further irony develops a couple of pages later when Woolf, still in her narrative mode, writes, "London has swallowed up many millions of young men called Smith; thought nothing of fantastic Christian names like Septimus with which their parents have thought to distinguish them." For, of course, the name is not of Christian origin; moreover, its formulation was prosaic, not fantastic at all.

Another person who sometimes occupies centre stage alone in this book is Peter Walsh, a onetime swain of Clarissa's until she'd thrown him over to marry Richard Dalloway. The now tenuous connection between Clarissa and Peter is typical of many another such means for a smooth transition to be effected from one person's stream of consciousness into another's, almost without our noticing it - and, of course, without the use of chapter breaks. Difficult as this tale sometimes is to follow, there can be no doubt that it is a work of genius in its conception, development, and exposition, ideally displayed in those transitions.

Some other persons who get the limelight are Hugh Whitbread; Lady Bruton and her sour-tempered and resentful secretary Miss Brush (who can't stand Whitbread's attempts at civility); Clarissa's only child, the oriental-featured 17-year-old Elizabeth; and ill-featured, impecunious, religion-is-my-refuge Miss Kilman, who secretly but impotently loves Elizabeth and is jealous of her overprivileged mother.

The complex interactions of so many people within the confines of London's West End on a single day amount to a remarkable tour de force. At times, though, we have a fairly commonplace portrayal, almost a lampoon, of the failings of a paternalistic, egotistical medical profession. Is it possible that Woolf created Septimus and his wife, Doctor Holmes, and Sir William Bradshaw solely as an adjunct to, or excuse for, some private war she wished to wage against doctors?

Meanwhile Mrs. Dalloway is nowhere to be seen for perhaps 30 pages at a stretch. It's a strange way to handle a title character, I feel.

A few pages past the book's midpoint, Rezia's disillusion with the great Sir William has already set in after a single, brief meeting. Far from being "cured at once", Septimus is to be committed to a long period in a glorified madhouse. Meanwhile the doctor is enjoying another of his richly profitable ego trips. Woolf bitterly comments, "Naked, defenceless, the exhausted, the friendless received the impress of Sir William's will. He swooped; he devoured. He shut people up ... But Rezia Warren Smith cried, walking down Harley Street [noted for its rich medical practices, at least in those times before Medicare or socialized medicine], that she did not like that man."

Woolf's smooth transitions from describing one character's day to the next character's may be exemplified by further following Rezia's walk. "Shredding and slicing, dividing and subdividing," writes Woolf, "The clocks of Harley Street nibbled at the June day, counselled submission, upheld authority ... until the mound of time was so far diminished that a commercial clock, suspended above a shop in Oxford Street, announced ... that it was half-past one." The medium of clocks, then, brings us, with scarcely a figurative ripple, to a new location, where we begin a new series of central characters. The first of these will be Hugh Whitbread.
Almost all the foregoing analysis, though, deals with form and style, or at most with thoughts and the exchange of words. At last a real and shocking event occurs, the nature of which I won't reveal - not least because real events are so scarce in Literary works. You will be glad to know, though, that action isn't absolutely ruled out.

The Dalloways' party that evening is affected only tangentially, because the news of the happening reaches only a few of the gathering when the evening is already well advanced.

I've noticed only one clear error in this book. With luck, it will have been corrected for the more recent editions. The blunder proves, though, that even the formidable Virginia Woolf wasn't quite perfect, and neither was her first editor. There's still hope for us ordinary, muddle-headed scribes, if the great can get away with even one such goof.

The foul-up occurs on the third-last page of the volume. Old friends Sally and Peter have been exchanging confidences, but Woolf writes, "That they're damnable humbugs,' said Richard ..." Said RICHARD? He's away over there, talking quietly with Dr. & Mrs. Humbug on the far side of this large, noise-filled room!

Pete Hodgins, Sr.
Reviewer


Denise's Bookshelf

Whippoorwill
Sharon Sala
Loveland Press
P.O. Box 7001, Loveland, CO 80537
ISBN: 0966269667, $14.95 www.amazon.com

Sharon Sala has once again proven that she is among the top in her field as a best-selling author with her latest work, Whippoorwill. While Sala takes a departure from her usual offerings with this novel, her daring has paid off in this wonderfully witty yet thought-provoking tale of the Old West, the world's oldest profession and lost souls seeking everything from acceptance to redemption to love.

Letty Murphy is a prostitute by trade and a woman yearning for love by nature, who passes her days working at the White Dove Saloon in God-forsaken Lizard Flats. Another lost soul and town drunk Eulis Potter cleans the saloon by night for a three-beer ration from the owner, totes Letty's bath water and digs graves by day when needed.

The inhabitants of Lizard Flats come to life when they hear that a real preacher man is on his way to marry their town banker and his sweetheart. Word of the preacher's impending arrival travels fast on the prairie and before you know it, Lizard Flats becomes a Mecca of sorts to a handful of characters desperately in need of burying, marrying, christening and redemption.

Only problem is, when the preacher finally arrives, he succumbs to Letty's charms and ends up paying for his sin by dying in her bed. Fearful of being hanged and desperate for help, Letty turns to the unlikely Eulis. Before he can even sober up and see straight, he finds himself posing as the good reverend himself. And so it is that two of the most looked-down-upon citizens of Lizard Flats become its very hope for their dreams and desires. Whether the two of them can pull off the deception before the truth is discovered is the question.

Ms. Sala excels in creating wonderful characters and compelling plot lines. With Whippoorwill, she has outdone herself. Mountain men, gunfighters, dirt-poor farmers and ranchers add colorful sub-plots and detail to this endearing tale, and each of them and their stories could become a novel in itself. And while the style and plotline of this offering from Ms. Sala may prove a departure from her norm, her readers will certainly not be disappointed - Whippoorwill is one of her best!

Promise & Honor
Kim Murphy
Coachlight Press
1704 Craig's Store Rd., Afton, VA 22920
ISBN: 0-9716790-2-9, 248 pps. $14.95, www.coachlightpress.com

Amanda Graham has been widowed after her Colonel husband John is killed during the First Battle of Manassas in July of 1861. While she, along with most of the nation, hopes that this War Between the States will end quickly, such is not the case. Approached by Lt. Colonel Will Jackson, a Confederate officer and long time friend of her husband's, Amanda agrees to smuggle medical supplies to the Southern troops from her home in Fredericksburg, just across the river from the Northern boundary.

At home, she also cares for the infant daughter of her long time friend, Lt. Sam Prescott, who recently returned from duty in New Mexico, is now serving in the Union forces. Torn between loyalty and compassion for soldiers of both sides of this new war, Amanda does what she can for them, risking danger, capture and even prison and hanging if captured. As the war draws on, and everyone begins to understand that it will not end any time soon, Amanda is caught in a tug-of-war that involves her heart. Both Will and Sam vie for her heart, sending Amanda into a maelstrom of conflicting emotions, desires and uncertainty. Desperate to love and be loved, Amanda is faced with making a decision, and must do so before the dangers of war does it for her and she loses everything and everyone she holds dear to her heart.

Ms. Murphy's Promise & Honor brilliantly captures the mixed feelings of a woman caught in the middle; of not only a war she wants no part of, but of the two men from opposite sides who hope for her affections. The author's ability to write gritty yet realistic battle scenes effectively portrays the sacrifices made by the men of both sides. Well fleshed out characters bring that intensity to life, and her exciting narrative propels the reader on a grim and realistic journey into the heart of one woman's struggle to find an enduring love in the midst of hell. This reader/reviewer certainly hopes to see more from this wonderful new author.

Denise M. Clark, Reviewer
http://www.denisemclark.com


Cindy Lynn's Bookshelf

The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd
Richard Zacks Theia
Hyperion
77 W. 66th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10023
ISBN 0786865334, $25.95, 426 pages, Hardcover

"But the novelists and historians and relentless treasure hunters have gotten it all wrong. Master Mariner William Kidd, who lived at 56 Wall Street, was no career cutthroat, no cartoon Blackbeard, terrifying his prey by putting flaming matches in his hair. Kidd was a reputable New York sea captain empowered by a secret commission from the king of England to hunt pirates, confiscate their wealth, and divvy the spoils among his investors."

And with that paragraph, four pages into the book, he had me. The first page, there were was a line that really killed my suspension of disbelief, and kind of disgusted me, and so I was thinking, well, I promised to read it, I'll slog through somehow. When I hit this paragraph, he grabbed me and didn't let me go through the rest of the 426 page book. Though I'm interested in pirates and privateers, my books, mostly scavenged at library sales have been relegated to the "To be read...eventually" pile, and so the majority of my pirate knowledge comes from Errol Flynn movies, and Polanski's rather cool Pirates, starring Walter Mattahau. So, whenever anyone mentioned Captain Kidd, I saw the Jolly Roger flying from the main mast, a wild haired, eye patched man with a colorful outfit and a peg leg laughing with his hardees.

Now I know differently. And I know much, much more about the naval history and context of the time than I thought I ever would. Zacks has a real gift for compacting knowledge and making it all as exciting as any fictional account. He squeezes in so many facts during the narrative. For example, you'll be reading the main story, "England, unfortunately for these mercenaries, was at peace, and was actually clamping down on illegal privateering. Captain Henry Morgan, the notorious buccaneer who relentlessly attacked the Spaniards and been rewarded with a knighthood, had recently died in Port Royal, Jamaica, a bloated man, rum-drunk, his body swathed in magic clay by a local witch doctor." with that, he sets the scene for Kidd to meet the man who would become his nemeses, Robert Culliford, and drops in a little bit of information that enlightens us even further about piracy...or, in this case, privateering. It might also make you think twice before drinking any Captain Morgan rum.

The story isn't just about William Kidd. It's about Robert Culliford, and how the two men's fates seemed perversely intertwined, one a privateer who played pretty much by the codes of honor and rules that defined a privateer from a pirate, one who embraced piracy with exuberance. Both would see the insides of the most notorious prison of London, Newgate, but only one would leave a free man.

This is a fabulous retelling of Kidd's story. In fact, with this take, and all the facts that Zacks has dug up, including actual trial transcriptions, calling it a retelling does it a disservice. Kidd, a sometimes sarcastic, honorable, restless man trusted far too much in the crown and his financial backers. He ended up making mistakes, not playing the politics with the wisdom so desperately needed for survival. He becomes both legendary and human, in some scenes expertly sailing silently through dangerous waters and leading his men to impossible victories, yet so capable of making silly mistakes that I can see myself making. An excellent read.

Cross Stitch Myth And Magic
David and Charles
c/o F & W Publications
1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45207
0715312219 $24.99 1-800-289-0962

This book of seventy designs brings together a group of very talented people...Teresa Wentzler, Susan Penny, Sue Cook, Linda and Rodger Garland and Rungrat Puthikul name about half of the familiar designers who have added their works to this collection.

Cross Stitch Myth And Magic is a beautiful collection, sectioned off by themes, and at the end of each section little spot cross stitch pieces and borders give stitchers a variety of small accents they can add to their things. In "Myth and Magic", a princess pets a dragon, Merlin casts a spell, and a medieval style black work castle and dragon are the main patterns. "Winter Magic" feathers a cloaked visitor on a horse delivering presents to a far off castle, a frost fairy cleverly done in pale pastels and white on a blue back ground, and an angel seated on a crescent moon. "Oriental Fantasy" has a lovely goddess of Mercy, an oriental dragon and good fortune symbols. "Angelic Messengers" consists of an angel blowing a horn, and a princess riding a unicorn. "The Mystic Deep" features a mermaid sunning herself on a rock outside a fantastical city, dolphins, and some other undersea motifs. The final section is named for the pattern it features, "Celestial Heaven". This piece is a blue and gold Greek-themed Zodiac design that tempts even those who do not know one sign from another.

The book also shows you how you can take different patterns and create mobiles, coasters, hand towels and wall hangings. The patterns are all worked in a straightforward way, only a few requiring any blending, and mostly not requiring any special stitches. The one major exception to this is "The Princess and the Unicorn." The reviewer would like to advise people who choose to use the tufted stitch to give the mane and tail of the unicorn a three dimensional look...you will read that it doesn't tell you to knot your ends as you go...indeed, I don't think you could, and I would like to advise you to do this part last. This is because when you wash your project, you might mess it up...consider washing and preparing your project, then taking a few minutes to do the tufted stitch, then iron and mount it. Otherwise, the instructions are clear and easy to follow, so that even beginners could make things from this book. The patterns themselves are full color, which makes them easier to follow.

All the floss numbers are DMC, so a person who uses a different brand will need to download a conversion chart from the internet. There are many free resources for this, so it shouldn't be a problem. I think this is a really nice collection of fantasy related cross stitch projects. Crafters looking to add a bit of magic to their lives will find some wonderful projects here.

Making And Dressing Doll's House Dolls
Sue Atkinson
David and Charles
c/o F & W Publications
1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45207
0715387634, $19.99 1-800-289-0962

If you're like me, doll house store shopping is rapidly becoming more of a window browsing experience, rather than a buying one. Some places have some truly exquisite dresses, for well-earned yet exquisite prices, while some places have none at all...and sometimes it's hard to find just the right doll with just the right dress for your house.

If you're reasonably crafty, then this book is a true treat. She starts from making the mannequin and goes on to discuss, by type then by periods, women's, children's and men's clothes. She wraps up with wigs, hats and accessories, dispensing practical advice a long the way.

I've always wanted to make my own dresses, but never knew how to start. She makes it easy, giving plenty of patterns for you to copy out. She suggests that you make the dress on the doll, because it's easier, shattering my own cherished notion that I'd be able to change my doll's clothes much like I used to change Barbie's.

She begins, as I said, with making the dolls. She explains how to mold them using various techniques, and how to use pipe cleaners, bound around with batting, which then can be covered with thin white jersey or felt for bodies. She also describes how to make an all pipe cleaner dolly, or string an all bisque body. This chapter also emphasizes her cleverness...throughout the book there are scenes created with her beautifully dressed dolls, and this one, with its duo of grandparenty looking dolls carefully working on their own mannequins while a third, just finished and ready for her clothes watches with great interest is ironic and fun. I found her dress making equipment and materials chapter to be very useful, and it details what we'll most likely need to have on hand, while the following chapter on "Dress Making Methods" shows us how to make several nifty tools that will help us, such as a simple tool for making roses. Her instruction are very clear and easy to follow, giving me confidence that I'll be able to create some truly elegant dresses.

She discusses a "Brief History of Fashion", explaining the trends for all genders so that we can understand and choose what we are looking for, before going into how to actually dress the dolls in the next chapter. This will be the order in which you create the clothes...you won't be making the dress until you've made the underwear, and it also writes a lot of important information about how to shoe them. It includes patterns for corsets and petticoats as well as other under-things.

The next chapter about women's fashions begins the main part of the book. She tells us how to make each dress in order of time, giving us many beautiful and lavish illustrations to inspire and give us examples. She explains the best methods and materials for each pattern, giving us a lot of tips to help make the project more successful. She uses a lot of quaint pen and ink drawings that capture the flavor of the past to illustrate single dresses next to the patterns themselves, and larger full color group scenes that show the dresses off nicely.

Of course, no doll would look right with out a nice head of hair, and she easily explains how we can help our dolls look perfectly coiffed. She explains how to get the proper look for all periods, and the best materials for getting a natural look. The final chapter details hats and accessories, showing us how o make all sorts of hats, parasols and fans. There is also jewelry, mittens, muffs, reticules, baskets and toys, giving us a wide variety of things we can use to go with the doll, or add to the decor of the house itself. There are several hat patterns included in this section.

Impossible not to pick up and browse through, it is clearly and well written by someone who not only loves what she's doing, but has obviously done it a lot and so understands the pit falls as well as the pleasures. This book is an incredible addition to any doll house crafter' library. Highly recommended.

Jennifer Government
Max Berry
Doubleday & Company
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN 0385507593, $19.95, 320 pages, 1-800-726-0600, http://www.MaxBerry.com

In Max Barry's satiric view of the near future, corporate culture takes over the world. People take the name of their company or school, much in the way a wife often takes her husband's name, and so Hack Nike works for Nike, Hayley McDonald's goes to a MacDonald's sponsored school, and Jennifer works for the Government. There are no taxes, and in order to get an ambulance, you have to be able to prove you can pay for it. In order to fuel an investigation into the murder of their daughter, a pair of parents will sell their home to give Jennifer and her partner Calvin a budget. It is a strange world that Barry invites us into, all the stranger because it feels possible.

It starts with John and John Nike offering the desperate Hack Nike a promotion. They fast talk him into signing a terrible contract with out looking at it, a contract where he agrees to kill ten kids. The idea is simple. Nike has been with holding the newest shoe, Mercurys, from the public, only selling a few pairs in order to increase demand. Now to give the shoes street cred, they intend to have Hack kill ten people who have bought the shoes, making it look like a gang-related incident. Left with no choices, Hack goes home, determined that he can't carry out such a horrible scheme. His self centered girlfriend, Violet, tells him to go to the police. Instead of helping him, they offer to subtract the deal out, taking care of it themselves to help him avoid prosecution. Hack, backed once again into a corner, agrees.

Jennifer has heard a whisper of this, and so she and several agents head out to various Nike Town stores, hoping to prevent the murders. She is too late to save one girl, and almost gets herself killed. When she gets out of the hospital, she is determined to revenge the dead, and even her own score with John Nike.

A novel like this is a very fine three way balance. It can become pretentious or downright insulting, or, it can take all the elements and blend them together so that it comes out perfect. Barry definitely does the later. A book where America annexes about 60% of the world to its borders, including Barry's own homeland of Australia, (where much of the book takes place) can feel like it may be tapping a sore spot. Unfortunately, the need for money, the need to drive the economy forward despite risks and loss of human lives is a concept universal to humans of all stripes, which is why this vision of huge corporations getting bigger and making political/commercial alliances works despite its frightening nature. The corporations force you to make choices, drawing the line between preferences and freedoms...if you like Whoppers, then you'll never be permitted to go across the street for a box of MacDonald's fries. It is also a world where the roots of problems that we can see now increase and feed upon each other. The nuisance suits of today become major problems when, for instance, Jennifer lands on and destroys a Mercedes...and the dealer is suing her for landing on it. It takes a sharp mind to see our world of today and extrapolate to a possible future.

Most satires rely on caricatures rather than characters. And while, like any good satirist, he points up the flaws and weaknesses of his people rather than tucking them away, he does it in such a way that it does not take away their ability to drive the story or be likable. Jennifer, in herself, while being a tough no nonsense copper, is also a caring, guilt stricken mother, a woman who is almost shy when it comes to certain circumstances.

Irreverent and clever, Jennifer Government warns us that in the future, everything will be counted cheap and be made to be thrown away...even human lives.

Crossroads Of Twilight
Robert Jordan
Tor Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 0312864590, $29.95, 700 pages, http://www.tor.com

The story is well known to us who have long read the series. Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles against the Dark One, with the help of a huge and varied cast. In this episode, Matt Cauthon has found the woman of his heart, the Princess of the Nine Moons, who he knows he is fated to marry. She is not quite so sure that this is her destiny, and so he kidnaps her. Perrin Aybara's wife Faile has also been kidnapped...by the Shaido, and he desperately searches for some clue to track her with. Meanwhile, Elayne and Egwene each fight their own desperate battles for power. Elayne fights for the Lion Throne, Egwene, recently given the position of the Amyrlin seat by a rebel faction of the sorcerous Aes Sedai, fights to unite the white tower under herself. A short summary, true, and you will see why if you read on.

The first thing is, that this is very much not a stand alone book. The structure of the series is such that each addition is just another chapter of a very large concept. While I admire the sweep of what he is attempting, in writing such a huge work, it has some side effects that I am not sure I care for. For example, in this book we have a little bit of Perrin's story here, a little bit of Egwene there. I'll just be really getting into the story, really cheering the character on...and then the chapter will end, and we may not see that person again for many pages...maybe not even for the rest of the book. I grind my gears, trying to shift into a new situation, another character who I may not have seen since the last book. He could probably fix a lot of this if he had a cast of characters in the back, and a summary of what has gone on before in the front, rather than spend story time trying to plant it all ...nine books worth, now, and probably many more ...into the context. As it is now, I find myself not enjoying the book as much because there is so much going on at once, so many people to keep track of. It blunts the impact of the story because nothing ever finishes. We rarely, if ever, come to an end of anything, and the supposed main idea of fighting the Dark one becomes second fiddle. Characters that he built up strongly and made you care about are abandoned. I can't help but think if he had grouped things together more, maybe having one whole book assigned to this set of plotlines/characters, resolving them, then going on with the next or using all the characters, but having each story arch pretty much complete in the book...where some small plot lines are resolved but they all strengthen the main goal, I would have been happier. As it is, I feel like he's just dragging things on too much, and I feel depressed because all these people I care about, all these interesting stories, are never finished...and may never be finished.

This book in itself, has some interesting things that it adds to the story as a whole, some well done surprises that make the story interesting, while recalling some of the past things, reminding you of why the are/will be important in the future. The characters are all well done -- the main characters extremely likable, while some of the minor ones are definitely not ...some of these people have a love of beating people that borders on perverse glee. So the book does move the story forward.

So, why do I read this series? When the first four books came out, I read them, adored them...the first four books showed Robert Jordan to be one of the most interesting and talented voices in fantasy...and since I loved those first four books so darn much, I guess I keep coming back, just in the hopes that this one is the last, and that I'll see and understand everything that Jordan was building towards, and how it works out, and Rand, Perrin and Matt, who started out together on this road so long ago, will finally get to live happily ever after.

Cindy Lynn Speer
Reviewer


Harwood's Bookshelf

Controlling Technology: Second Edition
Eric Katz, Andrew Light and William Thompson, editors
Prometheus Books
ISBN 1573929832, 550 pages, paperback, $34.00

As an undergraduate, I had my attention drawn to an inverse correlation between success in the Faculty of Engineering and the ability to read English literature. After reading this book, I am now convinced that there is an inverse correlation between whatever it is that these authors do, and the ability to write comprehensible English. The whole book is devoted to an issue about as profound as how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, and in places is equally metaphysical. Consider (p. 84):

"A primary consequence of the epistemological picture I advance is that no single unified account of knowledge will serve science and technology. In advancing a materialist account of epistemology-thing knowledge-I do not also argue for the negative doctrines that propositional and/or mechanistic accounts of knowledge are wrong. On their own, however, they do not provide a sufficient framework for an adequate epistemology of technology and science. More is needed and a critical part of this in an articulation of how the material dimensions of science and technology do epistemological work. Things and theory can both constitute our knowledge of the world. But I deny that there is a unified epistemological treatment for both. Even within my material epistemology, there are fundamentally different ways that different kinds of instruments constitute knowledge."

Anyone who sees the foregoing as something other than a close relative of The Jabberwocky may be the book's intended market. Certainly I am not. The last time I encountered so much incomprehensible gibberish in a single volume, it was in the Judaeo-Christian bible.

In the introduction to Part 1, the editors write, "Men do not actively conspire to destroy the planet that sustains them; toxic wastes, acid rain, ozone depletion, and changes wrought by the greenhouse effect are unintended 'side effects' of our intended goals. Nonetheless, we may, by incremental steps, so alter the ecology of the biosphere that life on earth is no longer viable. Our world may end in a whimper, not a bang." After such a succinct statement of the problem, I expected to be offered solutions, or at the very least suggestions for alleviating it. I did not find them.

"Are there philosophical aspects to technology? Of course there are.... if there is a philosophy of science, language history and art ... how can there not be a philosophy of technology?" (p. 175) Newsflash! There is not a philosophy of science, history, etc., and all who earn a living by proclaiming that there is, are parasites preying on the masses by peddling the thing that is not.

Is technology a good thing, a bad thing, or neutral? One could with as much justification ask such a question of grass growing or paint drying. Technology simply IS. Only persons incapable of rational human thought could mistake this compilation of glossalalia for a meaningful discussion of a legitimate issue. The world needs whatever discipline these doubletalkers practise like it needs theology, astrology, psychology, Velikovsky or the Maharishi. If this book has any value, it is for propping up a short leg on a kitchen table. Don't waste your money.

Mind Games: Are We Obsessed With Therapy?
Robert A. Baker, Ph.D.
Prometheus Books
ISBN 1573920711, 460 pp, cloth, $36.00

The good news is that Robert Baker agrees with the conclusions I gave the world in The Disinformation Cycle (Xlibris, 2002), that psychology is pseudoscience, psychiatry is pseudomedicine, "mental illness" is psychobabble for undisciplined behavior, and psychotherapy is the same kind of cold reading practised by bartenders and taxi drivers, but without the real experts' ability to recognize that their conclusions are just as likely to be wrong as right. The bad news (for me, not for the world) is that Robert Baker reached those same conclusions in a book published six years before my own.

So with writers such as Baker, myself, and Thomas Szasz (The Therapeutic State, Prometheus, 1985) exposing the practice as unmitigated fraud, why is it that (p. 64), "nearly 40 percent of all Americans will enter psychotherapy at some point in their lives"? Surely that 40 percent cannot fail to have noticed that such "treatment" simply does not work? The primary answer is that, as with religion, astrology, child minding posing as education, and chiroquackery, there are hundreds of thousands of professional pushers with sufficient collective clout to compel the mass media to continue disseminating disinformation for the simple purpose of preserving their bread and butter. "So many professionals in the mental therapy field have become so disillusioned that they have left the occupation entirely and no longer believe that mental therapy of any sort is desirable." (p. 153) Unfortunately, that group of defectors includes very few of the quacks who call themselves "psychotherapist" because they have no entitlement to the designation, "Doctor," and who cannot change their specialties because they cannot actually do anything.

Psychotherapists kill. "When age and alcohol took their toll in the case of Ernest Hemingway and he became severely depressed, his therapist resorted to electroshock. After a few sessions of this, the subsequent amnesia got steadily worse as a result of the ECT treatment and pushed Hemingway over the line. Tearfully confessing that life was not worth living without his memory, Hemingway took a shotgun and blew out his brains. His therapist killed him just as surely as if he had held the gun and pulled the trigger." (p. 173)

The number of deaths caused by psychotherapeutic humbuggery, usually patients but more recently innocent caregivers whom the patients have been manipulated into accusing of monstrous crimes as a consequence of therapeutically-induced false memories, is infinitesimal compared to the estimated one million victims of the conscienceless mass murderers known as faith healers. But even one patient who goes to a self-styled therapist with a minor problem and leaves with a major problem is one too many.

The only difference between psychotherapists and "psychic" Uri Geller is that, while both earn their livings by encouraging the belief that they can read minds, Geller is fully aware that he is a common trickster pretending to utilize mental powers that do not exist, whereas psychotherapists brainwash themselves into believing they really can see inner truths not apparent to bartenders and taxi drivers. The classic example of the species is psychiatrist John Mack, who published a book authenticating alien abductions because he sincerely believed that a psychiatrist such as himself could not be deceived by lies. He was deceived by lies, as was demonstrated when one of his alleged abductees acknowledged that she had fed him a pack of lies for the purpose of ascertaining whether he could recognize if a patient was lying.

As Baker puts it (pp. 18-19), "Today, for the most part, psychiatrists are either pill-pushers or analysts. Neither approach is either effective or relevant in the care and treatment of any of the major human behavioral problems.... Most of the time, fortunately, what is done in the name of psychotherapy is fairly harmless and innocuous or even, on rare occasions, of some help. But the occasions in which the fundamental principle of medicine, 'first do no harm,' is violated are much too frequent for either public comfort or individual complacency."

As a former teacher who daily faced classes of inattentive pupils whose real problem was that they were being forced to remain in school long past the point at which they had learned everything they would ever know, I have long been convinced that "Attention Deficit Disorder" is a psychobabble name for simple lack of interest in whatever a teacher (or other adult) wanted a juvenile to learn. Baker's chapter on the subject settles the issue. Attention Deficit Disorder does not exist.

Whole books, including Multiple Personality Disorder: An Exercise in Deception, which Baker cites in a footnote, have been written spelling out the proof that MPD is a psychobabble name for a form of compulsive playacting. Baker convincingly summarizes the evidence in a twenty-page chapter. Multiple Personality Disorder does not exist.

Baker devotes a short chapter to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the official psychiatric catalogue of mental disorders to be covered by medical insurance. He indicates (p. 331) that, "The original DSM listed only sixty types and subtypes of mental disorders." DSM-II raised the number to more than two hundred, and DSM-III to so many that they had to be subdivided into five "axes." He concludes that "DSM-V will probably consist of only one line on a single page: All human behavior is pathological!" (p. 332) He suggests that DSM should stand for "Dense, Stupid and Moronic." (p. 339) And the persons who accept DSM as something other than science fiction are permitted to call themselves doctors! If psychiatry is medicine, then religion is science.

In his chapter on Iatrogenesis, Baker writes (p. 250), "The majority of people can be persuaded to relax, close their eyes, and take slow, deep breaths.... When a therapist suggests to patients who are in this relaxed, susceptible state that they were abused as children (possibly by Satanists), or that they have been abducted by aliens, the ideas become 'memory,' and an iatrogenic [doctor-induced] disorder is born." Refuting specifically the book most responsible for the false memory pestilence, he writes (p. 253) that the authors of The Courage to Heal "go on to argue that the clients' failure to remember specific instances of abuse proves they were in fact, abused. Therapists reading and believing this nonsense and repeating it to their clients are laying another dozen miles of asphalt in hell." ("paved with good intentions") (This chapter was later expanded into a whole book, Baker's 1998, Child Sexual Abuse and False Memory Syndrome, probably the definitive work on the subject.) The extent of the problem was revealed when I recently posted a scathing indictment of The Courage to Heal to Amazon's website. Within two weeks, the site was displaying the message, "2 out of 12 people found this review helpful." In other words, for every two people capable of being told that recovered memories and really false memories, there are ten others who still cannot be told.

If I might insert a further personal note: Somewhere in my writings I cited the case of a woman who claimed a recovered memory of being raped by her father as a pre-teen, twice giving birth, and watching her babies being sacrificed by Satanists. A medical examination eventually revealed that she had never been pregnant. I did not name the fantasizer or give a source for the anecdote, as I was repeating it from memory and could not relocate it. Baker (p. 277) names the book in which she spelled out her fantasy, Satan's Underground, and the publication in which her story was falsified, Cornerstone, January 1989, pages 23-38. On the role of the media in promoting such superstitious hogwash, Baker writes (pp. 277-278), "Mincing no words, David Alexander lays part of the blame for Satan mongering right on Geraldo Rivera's doorstep for his October 25, 1988 NBC-TV special, 'Devil Worship: Exposing Satan's Underground.'" There was no follow-up TV special acknowledging that the program "watched by more people than any other television documentary in history" had since been definitively falsified. To broadcast a withdrawal, NBC would have had to place truth ahead of ratings. Anyone who expects that to happen is living in the same fantasy world as the Satan-mongers.
Mind Games is a logical, scholarly refutation of the hoax of psychotherapy, aimed specifically at practitioners of the discipline responsible for selling the emperor's new clothes: psychiatrists (MDs), psychologists (Ph.D.s), and self-styled psychotherapists, persons holding no higher qualification than Master of Bar Tending and not legally required to have even that. But definitive debunking of the psychotherapy hoax by psychiatrists of the eminence of Robert Baker, Thomas Szasz, and the two dozen others named in Baker's dedication, has clearly had little influence on the nonsense peddlers who need it most. Auto-reinforced brainwashing is still as prevalent in pseudomedicine as it is in religion and the paranormal. Why? Economic self-interest has been mentioned already. But there must be more to it than that.

God addicts who intentionally bury their heads in the sand have the legitimate excuse that, if they accepted the reality that death is the end of existence, a large percentage would have to be institutionalized and diapered. What defence do psychoquacks have for continuing to peddle the psychotherapy hoax? One explanation that comes to mind is that admitting they have spent years practising humbuggery would be too embarrassing. But that seems too simple. The persons who created the first gods came to believe in their own fantasy. Could it be that the persons whose fanciful imaginations first created "mental illness" feel the need to justify their delusion by experiencing it themselves? If anyone is truly mentally ill, it is surely the person who thinks that mental illness is a valid concept.

The Courage To Heal
Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
Harper Perennial
1350 Avenue of the Americas, NY 10019
0060950668, $22.50, 608 pages

HOW TO DESTROY INNOCENT LIVES IN ONE OBSCENE FANTASY:

Can all memory of a traumatic childhood event such as sexual abuse be repressed and then recovered twenty years later at the prompting of a psychotherapist whose other patients all tend to recover similar repressed memories? Since no evidence has been found in sixty years of research that "repression" even exists, and since the techniques used to "recover" lost memories read like something out of The Manchurian Candidate, the answer is almost certainly No.

The main weapon for propagating the recovered-memory hoax is The Courage to Heal, a piece of fiction by authors best described as the Charles Berlitzes of false memories. The book is the bible of the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse, an organization that believes that half of all women were sexually abused as children and that recovered memories are more valid than a ouija board or tealeaf reading. They assert that, "Children must be believed at all costs, except when they deny that abuse has happened.... People who don't believe the child must be protecting molesters, are probably molesters themselves." Can anyone doubt that the propagators of such paranoia are not sparking on all neurons? By the criteria proposed in The Courage to Heal, a strong case could be made for the real existence of the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny, the Great Pumpkin, and the serial killer known as God.

At a time when a growing number of innocent victims of false child-abuse allegations made by patients of the therapists touted in this book have been awarded several million dollars in damages against the quacks who put false memories in their patients' minds, the continued peddling of this validation of fantasies straight out of the sick imaginings of the Marquis de Sade is criminally irresponsible.

William Harwood
Reviewer


Judine's Bookshelf

The Way Of Wonder
Jack Haas
Iconoclast Press
Suite 144, 3495 Cambie Street, Vancover, BC, V5Z 4R3, Canada
ISBN: 0973100702 paperback, 0973100729 ebook, $TBA, 243 pages.

As young girl stood at the base of a Ferris wheel, she wondered if she could stay in the heavens when her seat reached the highest heights. But, she soon became a young woman who studied how the laws of gravity effect nature. She learned that although some Ferris wheels stood over 150 feet tall, if she went up, she was sure to come down. So she stopped wondering when she stood at the base of the Ferris wheel. As the years rolled past, the young woman matured into an older adult. Now as she stands at the base of a Ferris wheel, she wonders if she could see the face of God when her seat reaches the highest heights.

The Way Of Wonder inspires us to rediscover the mystery of ourselves. Unfortunately Western culture teaches us at an early age to confine our thoughts to societal truths.' There is little room for thinking out-of-the-box, without feeling outside-of-the-box. Age usually brings the wisdom of wonder, and it is then that we can appreciate the enchantment of not-knowing. The Way Of Wonder brings this Eastern or Oriental wisdom to the reader before you get too old to enjoy it.

Jack Haas delivers a wonderful message with thorough research. There are quotations about the positiveness of wondering' from people who have traveled all walks of life. He does not use plain language as often as he could, but he explains his topic from so many perspectives, the basic meaning is understood. I would recommend The Way Of Wonder to anyone searching for the answers to a wonder-ful' life.

The Leader's Voice
Clarke & Crossland
The Tom Peters Press and SelectBooks, Inc.
http://selectbooks.com/index.htm
ISBN: 1590790162, $21.95, 168 pages, Hardback

The Leader's Voice reveals how to change static communication and poor performance into dynamic communication for extraordinary results. A manager speaks to only ensure the job gets done. The leader's voice uses facts, emotions and symbols to motivate and create change. A leader carries out authenticity, and foresight to not only get the job done, but to also promote a willing to go the extra mile. Providing plenty of proven examples from leaders throughout history, with the ABC's of leadership, The Leader's Voice equips the reader with the necessary information to remove any obstacles preventing success.

Clarke and Crossland practice what they preach. Their written communication style is direct and to the point, with the determination to make a difference. Using the pictures to stir emotion, the various type fonts to personify symbols and the straight facts from the lives of other leaders immediately captured my attention. They did a fantastic job organizing the material and appealing to my creative core. I would recommend "The Leader's Voice" to anyone attempting to motivate a crowd of one to one hundred and one or more.

Now let me reflect . . .

I used to complain about my mother fixing so much tuna casserole. Her response, "There are alot of starving people in the world. You should be thankful we have food on the table." When my father knew I didn't feel as smart as my sister because of my grades, he would tell me, "You're intelligent. You just need to study a little longer." And when I cried after being hit by a car, my grandmother's words consoled me with, "If God looks over the sparrow, surely he'll take care of you." These voices addressed me with emotion. These voices encouraged me with facts. These voices motivated me with symbols. I now realize these are the voices of the leaders in my life.

The Legend Of Kokobono
Charles Steed
Gold Standard Press, Inc.
350 South Center Street, Suite 500, Reno, Nevada 89501
ISBN: 0965439631, $14.95; 176 pages, paperback

Is it live or is it Memorex? A few years back, that was the hook line on a television commercial for a company that sold blank cassette tapes. The viewer watched Ella Fitzgerald belt out an extremely high note, which caused a wine glass to shatter. Or so we thought that was what we were watching. Apparently a Memorex tape replayed her voice the whole time -- to say that their cassette tapes sounded just like the real thing. I had a similar reaction while reading The Legend Of Kokobono.

Let me get something straight before I continue. The actual legend of Kokobono sounds like fiction. There is an island called Lialah, a mysterious food ingredient termed Shee, a group who became the family Soon, and of course Kokobono. In order to influence many civilizations, Kokobono personifies himself through the power of facial and bodily transformation to interact with different cultures. Now he needs someone to record his stories.

An alias John Smith tracks down Charles Steed, the author, to write a book about Kokobono's experiences. Just imagine putting yourself in Charles' shoes, and that's when the story starts to sound like the truth. Like me, Charles doesn't believe the legend. Several conversations transpire to convince him that this mission is his purpose. At the very point Charles questions certain things, the very same questions arise in my mind. You know the saying, "Took the words right out of my mouth." Well, that's exactly what happens. By the end of the "Talent Scouts," Charles eagerly agrees to be the messenger. I then begin to think to myself, "Is this truth, or is it fiction?"

Charles Steed "transcribes" the conversations, and two of Kokobono's stories with vivid realism. His words swept me into my subconscious events which seemed so far fetched that they just could be true. Mark Twain's quote -- "Truth is stranger that fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't." describes his style of writing exactly. I recommend The Legend Of Kokobono to those who might want to read about reality adventures, instead of watching them on TV.

Judine Slaughter, Reviewer
http://www.eybooks.com


Alyice's Bookshelf

Outsmarting Goliath
Debra Koontz Traverso
Bloomberg Press
100 Business Park Dive, Princeton, NJ 08542-0888
1576600319, $19.95, 225 Pages, Paperback, 1-888-388-2749

Outsmarting Goliath picks up where traditional work-at-home/small business books leave off. What I admired the most about Traverso's style is the way she delves deep down into the issues that both small and home-based businesses face on a daily basis and boldly gives examples from the trenches of her clients! All too often, business books tell and don't show. Outsmarting Goliath does both-Traverso tells the reader what works as well as what doesn't, and then shows solutions by example. I especially loved her checklist on "Don't be a blabbermouth." This is definitely a book to be read and re-read.

101 Best Home-Based Businesses For Women
Priscilla Huff
Prima Publishing
3000 Lava Ridge Court, Roseville, CA 95661-3034
0761528172, $14.95, 463 Pages, Paperback, 1-800-632-8676

When searching for the perfect home business, many stay-at-home moms have no idea where their talents lie, let alone what to do with those talents once they realize they actually possess marketable skills. Huff's book is the perfect starting point for women looking for ideas to help them work from home. Each of the 101 businesses are explained in the most basic form, then enriched with recommendations, tips, and resources that allows each reader to go beyond the book and delve deeper into the business that best fits her talents. Order 101 Best Home-Based Businesses For Women today!

911: The Day America Cried
Victoria Walker
Obadiah Press
607 N. Cleveland Street, Merrill, Wisconsin 54452
0971326657, $15.95, http://www.obadiahpress.com/

"Only in America do we face adversity in the face and make something good come from it. The idea for 911: The Day America Cried came from Victoria Walker, who wanted to help those who suffered a loss from the 9-11 events. Being an author herself, she knew the healing power of words and put them to good use. 911: The Day America Cried isn't about re-living the nightmare of the terrorist attacks, it's about sharing compassion, hope, and yes, the healing power of words. The proceeds from 911: The Day America Cried will go to the Todd Beamer Foundation. I am very proud of this book. I stand up and applaud every author and person behind the scenes that made this book possible."

Tales Of Adventure And Discovery
Mary Emma Allen
MEA Productions
55 Binks Hill Road Plymouth, NH 03264
096516750X, $9.95, http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/jetent/mea/

Have you ever wanted to sit down at night and read a wholesome short story to your children or grand-children? One that would instill a bit of virtue and leave you feeling like you have taken a step back into your childhood? Then Tales Of Adventure And Discovery is a MUST READ! The stories are short enough that you can fit them into any busy life style, and simplistic enough that even a five year old can understand! The best part, however, is the fact that everyone in your family will actually enjoy these stories!

Alyice Edrich, Reviewer
http://thedabblingmum.com


Taylor's Bookshelf

The Pilgrim's Italy
James Heater & Colleen Heater
Inner Travel Books
14618 Tyler-Foote Road, Suite 171, Nevada City, CA 95959
0971986002 $17.95 1-866-715-8670 www.innertravelbooks.com

Collaboratively compiled and written by James and Colleen Heater, The Pilgrim's Italy: A Travel Guide To The Saints is a travel guide geared toward those Christians who want to follow the paths of Christian saints, seek out Christian shrines, and learn more about the lives of these notable and pious men and women while traveling in Italy. Enhanced with a wealth of information, maps, descriptions, and accessibility of holy sites, The Pilgrim's Italy is a first-rate guide to spiritually enriching travel and an invaluable aid in finding lodging in monasteries along the way.

Bible And Government
Dr. John M. Cobin
Alertness Ltd.
PO Box 25686, Greenville, SC 29616
0972541802 $10.95 1-866-492-2137 www.PolicyOfLiberty.net

Bible And Government: Public Policy From A Christian Perspective by John M. Cobin (a devout Evangelical Christian, father of six homeschooled children, and Visiting Professor of Economics and Public Policy, George Mason University) is a sharply written, critical account of the expansion of American governmental power and the threatening implication said power has for Christians and the Christian community in particular. Professor Cobin offers noteworthy and insightful evaluations on public policies ranging from speed limits to food stamps, all with an eye to what Christianity demands in terms of obeying the government. Bible And Government is a thoughtful and thought-provoking read with ideas imminently worthy of serious consideration by students of Public Policy, Political Economy, and Christian Social Issues Studies.

Inspired Preaching
C. Richard Wells & A. Boyd Luter
Broadman & Holman Publishers
127 Ninth Avenue, North, Nashville, TN 37234
0805424172 $19.99 1-800-251-3225

Collaboratively written by C. Richard Wells (President and Professor of Pastoral Theology, The Criswell College, Dallas, Texas) and A. Boyd Luter (Dean of Faculty and Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies, The Criswell College, Dallas, Texas), Inspired Preaching: A Survey Of Preaching Found In The New Testament is an exciting and innovative treatise on Evangelical Christian theology focused on interpreting the essence of Biblical preaching. Drawing upon the work and wisdom of great biblical preachers such as Jesus, Paul, and Peter, Inspired Preaching offers the Christian reader a vision and testimony for bringing the Bible's words into the context of modern daily life.

The Exiles
Gilbert Morris & Lynn Morris
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000
0785270027 $13.99 www.thomasnelson.com -- Phenix & Phenix (publicity)

Book One of "The Creole Series", The Exiles is a romantic novel collaboratively written by Gilbert and Lynn Morris, and set in nineteenth-century New Orleans. Chantel Fontaine is a young and devoutly Christian woman who is searching for love, the strength to persevere, and the baby sister she thinks might be lost forever. The Exiles is confidently recommended as being a truly memorable story which vividly brings a multicultural city of New Orleans to life!

The Lost Letters Of Pergamum
Bruce W. Longenecker (with extracts from Ben Witherington III)
Baker Academic
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0801026075 $14.99 www.bakerbooks.com

Bruce W. Longenecker's The Lost Letters Of Pergamum: A Story From The New Testament World is a compelling and thoroughly entertaining novel written in an unusual style -- a collection of letters telling the story of Christian life in the eastern Mediterranean during the first century. Bringing the New Testament world to life, blending history and fiction into a compelling whole, The Lost Letters Of Pergamum is enthusiastically recommended to readers of Christian fiction as being an evocative and interesting page-turner, the kind of novel that is so easy to pick up and so hard to put down!

The Bible And The Comic Vision
J. William Whedbee
Augsburg Fortress Publishers
PO Box 59304, Minneapolis, MN 55459
0800634861 $20.00 1-800-328-4648

The Bible And The Comic Vision by J. William Whedbee (Nancy M. Lyons Professor of Biblical Literature and History, Pomona College, California) is an original, scholarly, and informative study of comedy in the Hebrew Bible. Analyzing the Old Testament book by book, The Bible And The Comic Vision offers a body of unique insights into the wry side of the Holy Book, with an especial emphasis on the "dual faces" of comedy. The Bible And The Comic Vision is very highly recommended as being a truly fascinating work delving into a little-discussed and underappreciated aspect of The Bible.

God With Us
Herbert O'Driscoll
Cowley Publications
907 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
1561012084 $11.95 1-800-225-1534 www.cowley.org

God With Us: The Companionship Of Jesus In The Challenges Of Life by Anglican Priest Herbert O'Driscoll is an informed and informative treatise about the presence of Christ in the darkest places of our lives - those times of sorrow, heartbreak, and challenge. Drawing from the stories of the Gospels, God With Us is very highly recommended to a Christian readership as being an especially strong affirmation of faith in Jesus and in His walk alongside us all.

God Is With You
Larry Libby & Corbert Gauthier
Zonderkidz
c/o Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
0310703433 $12.99 www.zonderkidz.com

God Is With You: That Is All You Need is a Christian picture book by Larry Libby that deftly reminds children of the presence of God even in the darkest hours, and shows prayer as the way to invite Jesus Christ into one's heart. Beautifully enhanced with panoramic color illustrations by Corbert Gauthier, Biblical quotations, and a message of faith and hope fill this profound and very highly recommended narration for young readers ages 4 through 8.

Thank God For Rocks
Esther Bender & Mary Anne Lard
Morehouse Publishing
4775 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112
0819219029 $14.95 www.morehousepublishing.com

Thoughtfully written for young readers by Esther Bender, Thank God For Rocks is a vibrant, full-color picture book imbued with Christian values. A poor man becomes the owner of a small farm; yet he is grateful for all God has given him, -- especially the rocks. For the rocks themselves become vital material in his construction of a new house, a warm barn, and a stone fence for the garden. The rich colors of the impressionistic-style illustrations by Mary Anne Lard are an especial highlight in this simply outstanding children's book which is very highly recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Stories Of Jesus
Edward & Sarah Bolme
Crest Publications
PO Box 3195, Rendton, WA 98056
0972554645 $23.99 www.crestpub.com

Beautifully enhanced with colorful "animation-style" illustrations by Tim Gillette, and collaboratively written by Edward and Sarah Bolme, Stories Of Jesus is a superbly produced set of four 5"x5" board books designed specifically for children newborn through five years. The individual titles comprising this very highly recommended series includes Jesus Feeds the People; Jesus Heals a Little Girl; Jesus Helps a Blind Man; and Jesus Stops a Storm. Christian parents and church sponsored preschool centers concerned with instilling faith-based feelings of calm and security in their children during these troubled and troubling times are well advised to acquire the Stories Of Jesus for the edification of the youngsters in their charge.

John Taylor
Reviewer


Vogel's Bookshelf

Israel/Palestine
Tanya Reinhart
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
1583225382 $11.95 1-800-596-7437

In Israel/Palestine: How To End The War Of 1948, Israeli scholar Tanya Reinhart presents an unprecedented history and analysis of the myths and facts surrounding the diverse offers and agreements that were made at Camp David and later. Also covered are Israel's controversial military strategies with respect to the Palestinian Intifada (largely unreported in the American mainstream media). Drawing from official government sources as published in the Israeli media, Reinhart's analysis is impeccably researched, persuasively argued, and thoroughly "reader friendly" in its presentation. Israel/Palestine: How To End The War Of 1948 is very strongly recommended reading for students of the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Circuit Analysis I With MATLAB Applications
Steven T. Karris
Orchard Publications
39510 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite 315, Fremont, CA 94538
0970951124 $55.95 1-800-242-7737

Circuit Analysis I With MATLAB Applications by electrical engineer and educator Steven T. Karris (Adjunct Professor, UC Berkeley Extension) is a highly technical but accessibly written, college-level textbook for teaching engineering students how to analyze potential difference of voltage in a wide variety of increasingly complex circuits and much more. Embodying advanced math and physics material (all theorems and definitions are accompanied by carefully detailed and presented explanations and illustrations), the numerous exercises and practical applications are specific to the MATLAB software. Circuit Analysis I With MATLAB Applications is highly recommended as a scholarly text intended for (and appropriate to) undergraduate as well as advanced students in the field of electrical engineering.

Defending Zion
Roger Robin Ekins, editor
The Arthur H. Clark Company
PO Box 14707, Spokane, WA 99214
0870623214 $42.50 1-800-842-9286

By the time he was 30 years of age, George Q. Cannon had been a printer's devil, a religious refugee, an 1847 Utah pioneer, a member of the great Mormon trek of 1849 across the southern Great Basin to California, a gold miner, a Mormon missionary to the Hawaiian Islands, and finally, the editor and publisher of the San Francisco "Western Standard". Compiled and edited by Roger Robin Ekins (Professor of English and Chair of the Honors Program at Butte College, Oroville, California), Defending Zion: George Q. Cannon And The California Mormon Newspaper Wars of 1856-1857 is the latest and fifth volume in The Arthur H. Clark Company's outstanding "Kingdom in the West: The Mormons and the American Frontier" series and which details the published journalistic defenses of Mormonism in the 19th Century by a capable and articulate defender in a time when the newspaper was the most potent and powerful means of mass communication and persuasion for social, political, and religious causes. Defending Zion is a welcome and invaluable contribution to Western American History Studies in general, and The Utah War episode which saw President James Buchanan launching a military expedition to Utah so costly that it almost bankrupted the United States federal government on the eve of the Civil War.

Paul T. Vogel
Reviewer


James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
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