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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 1, Number 2 June 2002 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Literary Shelf Fiction Shelf
Memoir Shelf Travel Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Poetry Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Biography Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Business Shelf International Studies Shelf
Parenting Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Military Shelf
Native American Shelf    



Reviewer's Choice

A Comprehensive Indian Wedding Planner
Sarbjit K. Gill
Bookmark Press
P.O. Box 807, Voorhees, NJ 08043-0807
0970066104 $28.95 www.amazon.com

A Comprehensive Indian Wedding Planner by Sarbjit K. Gill (founder and editor-in-chief of www.dodilweddings.com) is a solid, comprehensive, "reader friendly" guide to all aspects of planning a traditional East Indian wedding. Including traditions from Hindu, Bengali, Gujarati, Jain, Tamil, Marathi, Islam and Sikh cultures, superb photography, straightforward advice, A Comprehensive Indian Wedding Planner is also a superb directory of up-to-date professionals, web sites, and much more. A Comprehensive Indian Wedding Planner is the premier reference to consult if one is contemplating, planning, or attending an East Indian wedding ceremony!

William F. Buckley Jr.
William F. Meehan III
1st Books Library
3901 Centerville Road, PO Box 4431, Wilmington, Delaware 19807-0431
1882926668 $29.95 www.isibooks.org

William F. Buckley Jr.: A Bibliography is quite simply a very solid, comprehensive, and superbly presented bibliography of political commentator and social conservative William F. Buckley Jr.'s considerable and extensive body of work, including his articles in various magazines, the National Review, fiction and nonfiction books, reviews of movies, music, and theater, obituaries, essays in books, syndicated newspaper columns, and more. Enhanced with an erudite introduction by William F. Meehan III, William F. Buckley Jr.: A Bibliography is especially recommended for college and public libraries collections, as well as the non-specialist general reader hoping to track down a some particular gem of Buckley's political wisdom.

Eddie: Lincoln's Forgotten Son
Tom Emery
History In Print
337 East Second South, Carlinville, IL 62626
096616377X $4.99 1-217-854-3010

Abraham Lincoln had a son named Eddie who died in 1850, not yet having achieved his fourth birthday. This family tragedy deeply marked the man who was to become the 16th president of the United States, and his often controversial wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. Most biographies of Lincoln give scant mention to the death of Eddie, even though his untimely passing still echoed in the emotional character and religious beliefs of his parents more than a decade later. With the publication of the chapbook, Eddie: Lincoln's Forgotten Son, Lincoln scholar Tom Emery presents a unique, intimate, seminal, documented examination on the impact of their son's early death on the family life of the Lincolns and includes letters from both parents, combined with rare poetry and obscure references by other Lincoln biographers. Eddie: Lincoln's Forgotten Son is a very welcome addition to Lincoln Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Life Lines
Wayne Mutza
The Guest Cottage
P.O. Box 848, Woodruff, WI 54568
193059612X $14.95 1-800-333-8122

Life Lines: Stories From The Firehouse by experienced firefighter, officer and instructor (serving for almost two decades with the Milwaukee Fire Department, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is truly impressive and memorable collection of true-life, personal tales of firefighters and paramedics who candidly speak of the most pivotal calls they had to face during their professional duty. Highly recommended for personal, school, and community library collections, the triumph, tragedy, and heroism are all presented in Life Lines makes for truly unforgettable reading.

Meditations In My Favorite Places In Southern Africa
Gail Evans
iUniverse.com
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595200869 $12.95 www.iuniverse.com

Gail Evan's Meditations In My Favorite Places In Southern Africa is both a spiritual meditation and a wonderfully panoramic description of the natural beauty of Southern Africa written with a especial appeal for the armchair traveler. Individual chapters bring the reader along with Gail on several grand journeys, enhanced with seven meditations offered to calm the soul and enrich one's spiritual life. Meditations In My Favorite Places In Southern Africa is a unique and wondrous, deftly written and highly accessible Southern African experience.

Herbs Of Southern Ecuador/Hierbas del Sur Ecuatoriano
Ezra Bejar, Rainer Bussmann, Cruz Roa, & Douglas Sharon
Latino Herbal Press
P.O. Box 57, Spring Valley, CA 91976-0057
0971520402 $34.95 www.latinoherbal.com

Herbs Of Southern Ecuador/Hierbas del Sur Ecuatoriano is an unique, impressive, highly accessible, English and Spanish bilingual field guide to the medicinal plants of the southern Ecuador region of Vilcabamba (where the native population has a deserved reputation for longevity). The "reader friendly" text is enhanced with black-and-white illustrations of each plant, a straightforward list of facts about each plant, along with its ethnobotana and its traditional applications. Herbs Of Southern Ecuador/Hierbas del Sur Ecuatoriano is an excellent and practical field book, and a welcome addition to personal, professional, and academic botanical reference collections.

High Doses Of Wisdom, Low Doses Of Advice
Marian Chiesa, Ph.D.
Independent Psychology Press
P.O. Box 12, Stockton, NJ 08559
0966914643 $12.95 1-800-434-9888 www.amazon.com

High Doses Of Wisdom, Low Doses Of Advice: A Collection Of Essays About Doing The Right Thing by Marian Chiesa (Director of Behavioral Science at a Residency program for Family Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), is a fascinating selection of candid essays presenting the author's reflections on the crucial virtues of thoughtfulness and ethics. Filled with honest, sensitive, candid and often humorously conveyed advice for taking other people's feelings into account during day-to-day ethical dilemmas, High Doses of Wisdom, Low Doses of Advice is a solid read and a highly recommended compendium of essays for students of ethics and contemporary values.

The Totally Unauthorized Enron Joke Book
Tim Barry
IT Press
P.O. Box 871016, Vancouver, WA 98687
0966741722 $9.95 www.enronjokebook.com

"Why do they bury Enron senior executives at least 20 feed under ground? Deep down they are really good people." This is just one of the many hilarious jokes, shaggy dog stories, riddles, and side-splitting humor comprising Tim Barry's The Totally Unauthorized Enron Joke Book, and dedicated to making light of one of the worst financial scandals in modern American history. Undeniably funny, sometimes quite nasty, and always tipping its tongue in cheek to the disastrous behavior of Enron and its harsh consequences upon many ordinary people, The Totally Unauthorized Enron Joke Book is highly recommended for anyone who needs a good, solid laugh in these troubled times.

Lovers' Legends
Andrew Calimach
Haiduk Press
P.O. Box 1783, New Rochelle, NY 10802-1783
0971468605 $25.00 www.haidukpress.com

Lovers' Legends: The Gay Greek Myths by independent scholar Andrew Calimach is a "restored and retold" selection of nine classic Greek mythical stories with homosexual content. Lovers' Legends straightforwardly presents instances of love between men perhaps the most well known to the general public being that of Hercules and his male love Hylas, as well as Orpheus, who sought the love of men because no woman could compare to his doomed Eurydice. Recommended for both academic and the non-specialist general reader, Lovers' Legends is erudite, scholarly, thoughtfully annotated, highly accessible presentation enhanced with black-and-white photographs of thematically appropriate classical Greek sculpture.

The Political Reference Almanac 2001-2002 Edition
Anthony Quain
Keynote Publishing
P.O. Box 6912, Arlington, VA 22206
0967028612 $49.95 www.polisci.com

Painstakingly compiled by Anthony Quain, The Political Reference Almanac 2001-2002 Edition is a thorough, comprehensive, 1,038 page fact-filled reference and resource on the current political system and the elected men and women who serve it. Listing information about state and local governments, all three branches of federal government, political parties, other nations and their leaders, international organizations, state and local governments, political documents, economics, statistics, mission statements, black-and-white photographs of featured individuals, and much more, The Political Reference Almanac 2001-2002 Edition is the core source to consult for quick, useful information on just about any important and influential political figure.

Gifts From The Heart
Virginia Brucker
We Believe Publications
P.O. Box 47, Nanoose Bay, B.C., Canada V9P 9J9
096869960X $16.95 www3.telus.net/webelieve/

Virginia Brucker's Gifts From The Heart: 450 Simple Ways To Make Your Family's Christmas More Meaningful is a gentle, seasonal offering of numerous ways anyone can meaningfully contribute to the Christmas holiday spirit, from volunteering time to crafts for kids, and making creative gifts the whole family can enjoy. A heartwarming book offering means to promote family togetherness, Gifts From The Heart is an ideal addition to the Christmas bookshelf. A portion of the proceeds from Gifts From The Heart is donated to help fund cancer research.



The Literary Shelf

Beneath Black Stars
Martin Chalmers, editor
Serpent's Tail
255 West 108th St., Suite 9D1, New York, NY 10025
185242379X $14.00 www.serpentstail.com

Deftly edited by Martin Chalmers, Beneath Black Stars is an outstanding selection of original short stories by a number of talented, twentieth century Austrian writers. Many of these stories appear in English for the first time, and subtly express such concerns as alarm over the degree to which Austria collaborated with Nazi leaders during the German occupation, among other dark corners of Austrian culture that are not so often discussed in the land of Mozart, Vienna, and The Blue Danube. A most impressive and compelling literary anthology, Beneath Black Stars is a welcome and highly recommended contribution to Austrian Literature supplemental reading lists and reference collections.

Escaping Expectations
Barbara Neuwirth, editor
Ariadne Press
270 Goins Court, Riverside, CA 92507
1572411015 $18.50 www.//ariadnepress.com

Impressively compiled and edited by contemporary Austrian literature expert Barbara Neuwirth, and ably translated into English by Pamela S. Saur (Professor of German, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas), Escaping Expectations: Stories By Austrian Women Writers is a truly ground breaking anthology offering a unique look into the female perspective of contemporary Austrian literature. A diverse selection of tales about interpersonal relationships, struggles against implacable bureaucracy, and the endurance of the human spirit, make Escaping Expectations a unique and welcome contribution to international literary and women's studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections.

The Image And Influence Of America In German Poetry Since 1945
Gregory Divers
Camden House
P.O. Box 41026, Rochester, NY 14604-4126
1571132422 $65.00 1-716-275-0419 www.amazon.com

The Image And Influence Of America In German Poetry Since 1945 by Gregory Divers (recipients of a Ph.D. in German literature, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri) is a very scholarly and meticulously written account of the German poetic perspective as affected and impacted by American culture throughout the decades after World War II, including the turbulent 1960s, the influence of Jazz to the Vietnam era, and the dramatic fall of the Berlin Wall. This college-level account is written in English, yet presupposes an understanding of German by presenting quotes and poem excerpts in their original language. The Image And Influence Of America In German Poetry Since 1945 is strongly recommended for 20th Century German Literature Studies reading lists and academic reference collections.

The Troll Tale And Other Scary Stories
Birke Duncan & Jason Marc Harris
Northwest Folklore
Dept. of Scandinavian studies, University of Washington, Box 353420, Seattle, WA 98195-3420
0971058202 $14.95 www.amazon.com

Collaboratively collected and analyzed by Birke Duncan and Jason Marc Harris, The Troll Tale and Other Scary Stories is an impressive selection of engaging fairy tales about trolls, poltergeists, fairies and other creatures of folklore mythology. Narrated in the fantastic, sing-song style of folklore storytelling, The Troll Tale and Other Scary Stories is an engaging, entertaining, and strongly recommended anthology for folktale/fairytale enthusiasts.



The Fiction Shelf

Bad Dream
Bill J. Duke
DCC Publishing
P.O. Box 10498, Fargo, ND 58106
0964883856 $6.99 1-701-241-9281

Bill Duke's Bad Dream is a chilling suspense novel about Megan Ambrose, a ten-year-old girl who finds herself kidnaped. Her abductor is a brutal and ruthless murderer who cuts off Megan's attempts to communicate, and then assassinates the FBI agent that she tried to contact for help. Bad Dream is recommended as a dark, brooding saga of razor tension, emotional instability and dramatic upheaval.

Done In By Innocent Things
William Eisner
GreyCore Press
2646 New Prospect Rd., Pine Bush, NY 12566
0967185165 $23.00 1-845-744-5081 www.amazon.com

William Eisner's Done In By Innocent Things is an anthology of original and engaging stories that walk the razor edge of ambiguous moral choices. From a widower who discovers the fountain of youth and must decide what to do, to the put-upon humdrum man who idly contemplates robbing an armored truck, to an older man who must choose between attending to business or spending time with a dying friend, this compendium of short stories are uniformly thought-provoking, perplexing dilemmas of character that fascinate, puzzle, and astound. A most remarkable and engaging read, Done In By Innocent Things is enthusiastically recommended reading.

A Silver Tongue
Marlene Taylor
Oshun Dynasty Publications
P.O. Box 2574, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
0967767911 $9.99 asilvertongue.com

Marlene Taylor's A Silver Tongue is a suspense novel focusing on Gregory Washington, an Air Traffic Controller suffering from building stress. Gregory's 29-year-old wife bears witness to his dangerous mental deterioration in this compelling tale of nightmares, substance abuse, and the impending press of mental imbalance. A Silver Tongue is a gripping and violent story.

Down These Wicked Streets
D. L. Browne and Kevin Burton Smith, editors
Wicked Company
1588984230 $15.00 www.amazon.com

Collaboratively edited by D. L. Browne and Kevin Burton Smith, Down These Wicked Streets: Seven Tales Of Original Detective Fiction is an compelling anthology of unique private-eye stories from seven undeniably talented writers of the "Wicked Company Writers Community". The stories range from a woman who unexpectedly inherits her uncle's detective agency, to Doug McCool, good guy aided by the power of an ancient text. An outstanding collection, recommended for detective fiction buffs, Down These Wicked Streets features hard-boiled action, subtle intrigue, conflict, sultry agendas and more.

The Justice Council
Oliver W. Holmes Jr.
Sensory Publishing
2000 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Suite D, Alexandria, VA 22301
1588530485 $12.95 1-800-832-2823

The Justice Council by Oliver W. Holmes Jr. is a deftly written thriller novel of murder, revenge, and international subterfuge. Vince Parnell is a man who must track the murderers of his best friend into the territory of a Columbian drug lord. A highly secret organization called the Justice Council allowed a chance for the wrong to be righted in this gripping, highly recommended saga.

Redemption
Emma Farry
Face To Face Press
16 West 32nd Street, Suite 10A, New York, NY 10001
1929712030 $14.95 www.face2facepress.com

Emma Farry's Redemption is a superbly written novel set in New York and London, about Solomon Cortesi, an ordinary man who must travel to understand and free himself and his family from a curse that has brought suffering for over a century. A powerful saga, seen and related largely through the eyes of the women who are close to the enduring protagonism, Redemption is a highly recommended tale of true hope and renewal.

Plowin' Newground
Jerry W. Brown
Dry Bayou Press
161 Linda Marie Lane, Panama City Beach, FL 32407-3979
0970557523 $21.95 1-850-230-5905 drybayoupress@aol.com

Set in America during the 50's and 70's, Jerry W. Brown's Plowin' Newground is the engagingly written story of George "Jickie" Jennings, a young Louisiana man called home to his estranged father. Jickie decides to use his mind to win a scholarship, to earn a college degree from Tulane, and achieve a better life than what he sees at home on the swampland. In the course of tending to his father's needs arising from a traumatic head injury, and a reunion with a childhood sweetheart who is now an expert neurosurgeon, complicate everything. Plowin' Newground is a deftly drawn dramatic, highly recommended account of how people and lives can change, for good or for ill, and the hope for understanding that lies within us all.

Bethlehem Road
Nancy Crowe
Odd Girls Press
P.O. Box 2157, Anaheim, CA 92814-0157
1887237003 $12.95 1-800-821-0632

Superbly written by journalist and freelance writer Nancy Crowe, Bethlehem Road a unique small-town America novel with a very special twist. Two women return to their Midwestern roots, Naomi Bittner, a mother who has been spurned by her daughter Marina, and Ruth Greene, a lesbian lover who has also been rejected by Marina; neither fully understands why they have been pushed away, yet both become absorbed in reconnecting with the past and stumbling upon others who closet their lifestyle in secrecy. Bethlehem Road is a truly thoughtful, demonstrably well-written novel and highly recommended addition to the growing library of contemporary lesbian fiction.

Doctored Evidence
Michael Biehl
Bridge Works Publishing
Bridge Lane, Box 1798, Bridgehampton, New York 11932
1882593553 $24.95 1-631-537-3418

Doctored Evidence is Michael Biehl's thrilling novel of suspense and foul play. A corrupt hospital, suspicious deaths on the operating table, incompetent and murderous physicians, and undercover truth-seekers putting their lives on the line charge this medical drama with ominous portent. Doctored Evidence is a gripping read that irresistibly hooks the reader's riveted attention straight through it's high tension ending.

Dead Weight
Diane Sherlock
Creative Caffeine Press
11684 Ventura Blvd., Suite 168, Studio City, CA 91604
1591130638 $13.95 www.creativecaffeine.net

Diane Sherlock's Dead Weight is a gripping novel of greed, death, and willful destruction. Tommi Winters is a woman trying to recover after the end of a terrible marriage. She takes up scuba diving on a dare; she travels all the way to beautiful Fiji, but then she gets caught on the knife-thin edge of a deadly game for golden riches. Dead Weight is about coping, finding balance, and the desperate fight to survival, as well as the challenge to grow beyond bad memories. A highly entertaining and engaging read, Dead Weight is highly recommended for both personal summer reading lists and community library contemporary fiction collections.

The Color Of Courage
Janet Teeple
Humble Bee Planet
P.O. Box 1991, Kingston, Pa. 18704
0970771711 $7.99 teeple@epix.net janet@humblebeeplanet.com

The Color Of Courage is a powerful debut novel by sixteen-year-old young woman of enormous talent and promise, and who began writing her novel at the age of thirteen! Set Northwest Canada, The Color Of Courage is about the life and daily travails of a blind girl who learns to better understand the world around her. The loss of vision is balanced by the growth of wisdom and inner strength in this touching and heartfelt story. Hand-drawn sketches in black and white, and a few in color add a personal touch to this remarkable novel, one that deserves as wide a readership as possible.

Palmer Lake
Thomas C. McCollum III
Shoji Books
Maryglenn McCombs Book Publicity (publicity)
2123 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903
0971379718 $25.00 www.amazon.com

Thomas McCollum's Palmer Lake is a disturbing novel offering a glimpse of where the near future just might lead. A wealthy man commits suicide, and his body is cryogenically preserved - but when some question of whether or not he was murdered arises, advances in cryogenic technology imply that he just might be revived to name his killer! Palmer Lake is truly compelling saga of lies, deceit, money, and power.

Captain From Corfu
Muriel Maddox
Sunstone Press
P.O. Box 2321, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2321
0865342873 $22.95 1-800-243-5644 (orders only)

Muriel Maddox's Captain From Corfu is an engaging, highly recommended love story in which two people from dramatically different backgrounds meet one another aboard a Greek cruise ship. A Greek captain estranged from his wife and sons meets a beautiful young widow in an emotional tale of passion, mixed feelings, and the deep blue ocean. Also highly recommended are Muriel Maddox's earlier novels, Llantarnam (0865341737, $16.95) and Love And Betrayal (0865342490, $22.95).

Instead Of Confusion
Stephen-Paul Martin
Asylum Arts
5847 Sawmill Road, Paradise, CA 95969
1878580205 $12.00 asyarts@sunset.net

Instead Of Confusion is a unique anthology of seven original short stories by Stephen-Paul Martin. The various stories encompass a scathing evaluation of American culture, politics, morality, and history. Looking at an incidental journey through space and time as falling between realities, these stories stir up a challenge to formerly unquestioned traditions and present a wildly divergent viewpoint on the twentieth century. A mind-bending and highly recommended read of pure fascination, the stories include: Sentenced; Gaps in the System; Authenticity; Whatsoever; Fighting; A Whole New Human Race; and the title piece, Instead of Confusion.

River City
Philip Johnson
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
158721301X $24.91 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com www.amazon.com

Philip Johnson's River City is a 483 page novel depicting the life and times of Rollie Schneider, a middle class, Roman Catholic, family man who married his high school sweetheart, became the father of four children, and seemed on track for a blissful life. But hard times, emotional difficulties and a break from the life he knew came with marital problems, his wife's affair, and a divorce, which send him on a downward spiral, sleeping with everyone he can starting with a Las Vegas hooker. A dark tale of the self-destructive reaction to being unable to cope with change, River City is raw and turbulent reading.

A Simple Mistake
Dav Allen
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Suite #1, Bloomington, IN 47404
0759665532 $19.95 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com www.amazon.com

A Simple Mistake: (Or: Is My Farce Red!?) by Dav Allen is a tongue-in-cheek, humorous novel about a prototype ABM site idiotically placed in a peyote field. The unfortunate Grand Capt. Jerry Hire has erroneously been put in command of the site, and must deal with an Indian tribe, horny subordinates, hideous diseases and much more to fulfil his woeful mission. A wild, rollicking, and bizarre comedy, A Simple Mistake is enthusiastically recommended reading from beginning to end!

A Thing Most Marvelous
Joan Cromer
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Suite #1, Bloomington, IN 47404
1587211920 $18.67 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com www.amazon.com

Joan Cromer's A Thing Most Marvelous is a brilliantly conceived and written historical novel about the life and travails of Queen Isabel of Spain, as told by the Queen herself. Authentic details bring to life this 15th century saga. The rocky sagas of two of the Queen's daughters, Catherine of Aragon and Juana, are also included in this story of politics, romance, cruelty, royal machinations and much more. A Thing Most Marvelous is highly recommended as a most powerful and engaging account.

Exit Unicorns
Cindy Brandner
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
075966661X $27.50 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com www.amazon.com

Cindy Brandner's Exit Unicorns is a complex novel set in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1968. Pamela, Jamie, and Casey are three people from very different backgrounds, but each is touched by personal tragedy and the violent times of the "troubles" that scarred Belfast. Three lives destined to collide, two men and a woman who each share different attachments to home and to country. Exit Unicorns is a dramatic and deftly woven novel of human growth and change, and of the soul of Ireland itself. Here is a riveting read filled with the politics of conflict, the drama of the human condition, the depth of character, and the story of mid-twentieth century Northern Ireland struggling from freedom and peace amidst the rubble of armed conflict and the politics of terrorism and suppression.

School For Hawaiian Girls
Georgia Ka'apuni McMillen
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Suite #1, Bloomington, IN 47404
0759627339 $22.95 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com www.amazon.com

Set in Hawaii in the early 20th century, School For Hawaiian Girls by Georgia Ka'apuni McMillen is an engaging and deftly written novel about the family of a murdered Hawaiian schoolgirl. The murder investigation is fraught with errors and sloppy policework, so the family copes by not speaking of the murder, or of the daughter they lost. But their silence and denial takes a toll on them, and they must grapple with the price of forgetting and what it means to remember, in this charged and emotional tale of the human psyche.

Only The Determined
J. Clifford Barnes
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
0759617945 $12.42 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com www.amazon.com

Former Mendocino resident J. Clifford Barnes' Only the Determined is a compelling novel of courage, set in the Mendocino Coast, and introduces a young artist returning home charged with the challenge of creating a new commission. Her journey requires that she face, understand, and accept her troubled past in order to produce a work to which only the most determined of creative souls could give life. Only The Determined is a deftly written, genuinely moving, highly recommended saga of finding the strength within.

Doctor Nose
David A. Evans
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
0759637121 $20.23 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com www.amazon.com

In Doctor Nose, author David Evans draws upon his own considerable medical training and experience to provide a background authenticity that significantly contributes to making his debut novel a truly impressive medical mystery. Doctor Nose is Dr. Drucker Lampling, a busy and successful Ear, Nose and Throat who becomes outraged by the pervasive unethical practices of the physician-administrators of a local medical group. Dr. Lampling resigns from his volunteer activities at the hospital becomes a whistle blower, telling his story to the local paper. This is soon followed by his making a grisly discovery a murdered hospital colleague. The next thing he knows, Dr. Lampling is accused of murder. It's up to the doctor to defend himself the only way he can -- solve a murder steeped in intrigue and permeated with deceit. Doctor Nose is highly recommended for mystery buffs and documents David Evans as a writer of considerable talent in the genre.

The Ultimate Test
Catherine Schuett
AmErica House Publishing
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
1591290899 $19.95 PublishAmerica.com

The Ultimate Test is Catherine Schuett's gripping novel of action and suspense, about Kyle Irons' quest to rescue three innocent people, caught up in the deadly machinations of crime boss Antonio Cartillone Jr. Kyle's rescue mission takes him to Cartillone's private tropical island, where he must face the challenge of deadly games for Cartillone's evil pleasure; he and the captives must work together to withstand "the ultimate test" or die. The Ultimate Test is an exciting saga of intrigue and staying just one jump ahead of danger.

Tom Wedderburn's Life
Theodore Judson
AmErica House Publishing
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
1588514374 $19.95 www.PublishAmerica.com

Adroitly written by Theodore Judson, Tom Wedderburn's Life is the story of a rural man who grew up with traditional nineteenth-century values, only to find himself thrust into a continually conflicting twentieth century world. From lost love with a woman he cannot understand, to enduring the hell and horror that was the World War II battlefield, to facing the ravages of old age alone with little more than his dignity, Tom Wedderburn's Life is the memorable and highly recommended saga of a man's experience and also of the pursuit of happiness, a chase that is not necessarily futile.

The Messenger's Legacy
Jim Magee
iUniverse.com, Inc.
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595203752 $16.95 www.iuniverse.com www.amazon.com

The Messenger's Legacy: A Story For Our Times is practicing attorney Jim Magee's debut venture into writing fiction. We are introduced to John, a man who is caught up in a series of life circumstances that begin with the simple occurrences of an ordinary everyday life which through a series of events compel him into a world of global intrigue that threaten the very future of society and take the reading through a fascinating story of despair laced with wonder and culminating in joy. The Messenger's Legacy is a true and unique gem of contemporary literature and deserving of as wide a readership as possible.

Nalani Of Hawaii
Myrna Ericksen
Xlibris
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401028780 $20.99 xlibris.com www.amazon.com

Myrna Ericksen's Nalani Of Hawaii is an evocative, engaging novel of Nalani, an Hawaiian woman who has deferred marriage to further her career - yet when she opens her heart to love at last, an unexpected tragedy leaves her faced with stark choices for her new life. Written very much in tune with the natural rhythms and beauty of Hawaii itself, Nalani Of Hawaii is a compelling and highly entertaining novel focusing on the quandary of a woman striving to find balance in the present and the future.

Ceridwen Of Kilton
Octavia Randolph
Xlibris
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401032974 $32.99 xlibris.com www.amazon.com www.octavia.net

Set in ninth-century Saxon England, Ceridwen of Kilton is Octavia Randolph's adroitly written historical novel of romance, the struggle for survival, and harsh cruelty set against an England suffering from the onslaught of Danish Vikings. A young woman named Ceridwen, with loyalties on both sides of the conflict, watches her peaceful world brutally torn apart as events irresistibly and inevitably culminate in a decisive final battle. Enhanced with a map, a glossary of Anglo-Saxon terms, a calendar of Anglo-Saxon Feast Days, and a list of place-names with their modern equivalents, Ceridwen Of Kilton is a powerfully written and highly recommended saga depicting the best and the worst of human nature.



The Memoir Shelf

Catching On
Carol J. Morrison
Freestone Press
P.O. Box 353, North Bend, WA 98045
0971492409 $14.95 www.freestonepress.com

Carol Morrison's Catching On: Love With An Avid Fly Fisher is a gentle series of essays about love, fly fishing, and faith in God. A compelling story of sharing bonds and pastimes, as well as a reverent appreciation for the harvested bounties of nature, Catching On is a memorable dream made real -- and pleasantly colored with a personal love of angling for a fish dinner.



The Travel Shelf

The Road Taken
Joan Morse Gordon
The Local History Company
112 North Woodland Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
0971183511 $19.95 1-412-362-2294 www.amazon.com http://www.TheLocalHistoryCompany.com

Joan Morse Gordon's The Road Taken: A Journey In Time Down Pennsylvania Route 45 is the story of one woman's journey that began with an Interstate drive, and which led to her fascinating survey of regional Pennsylvania, its history, and the people who call the land home. Picturesque black-and-white photographs, soulful observations and colorful local personalities make The Road Taken a genuine treat for the armchair traveler and/or the Pennsylvania history buff.

Top Special Interest Vacations, USA
Dr. Doris Martin, editor
Martin Management Books
2108 Kahekili Highway, Wailuku, HI 96793
1878500120 $19.95 www.amazon.com

Top Special Interest Vacations, USA is a very straightforward reference book designed specifically for tourists and vacationers wanting to find a place to enjoy a particular pursuit or activity, whether it be sports, cooking, dance, learning a foreign language, music, painting, island hopping, riding hot air balloons, or pretty much anything else. Top Special Interest Vacations, USA is a great reference for the vacationer looking for something extra, that something special to find, see, learn and/or enjoy during his or her getaway time anywhere in America.

European Menu Translator
Whitney H. Galbraith & Anne T. Galbraith
Creative Minds Press
Beagle Bay Books
3040 June Meadows Road, Reno, NV 89509
0967959144 $8.95 http://www.europeanmenus.com

Collaboratively written by Whitney and Anne Galbraith, European Menu Translator is a "user friendly" pocket-sized dictionary specifically designed for tourists and travelers seeking to understand the specialized cuisine terminology of France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. A brief introduction to the fine dining basics of each nation supplements the lists of alphabetically arranged terms, subdivided by language. European Menu Translator is an excellent and very highly recommended reference whether when dining abroad or simply eating at a European-style restaurant here at home.



The Christian Studies Shelf

Reclaim The Fire
Martin W. Pable, OFM Cap.
Ave Maria Press
P.O. Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
0877939632 $12.95 www.avemariapress.com

Reclaim The Fire: A Parish Guide To Evangelization by Martin W. Pable (Retreat Director, St. Anthony Retreat Center, Marathon, Wisconsin) is a straightforward, "reader friendly" guide to bringing new life and followers into the Catholic parish. Individual chapters address a brief history of evangelization, evangelizing active and inactive Catholics alike, reaching out to people when surrounded by the distractions of modern culture, and a great deal more. Reclaim The Fire is especially recommended reading for Catholic activists and a welcome addition to the bookshelf of every parish.

Responding To Domestic Violence
Beth Swagman
Faith Alive Christian Resources
c/o CRC Publications
2850 Kalamazoo Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49560
1562127993 $14.95 1-888-642-8606

Responding To Domestic Violence by Beth Swagman (Director of Abuse Prevention for the Christian Reformed Church in North America) is specifically written for pastors and other church leaders, in order to help them understand and deal with the widespread social illness and domestic tragedy of violence in the home, as well as become involved in the three defenses of education, intervention, and prevention. Individual chapters competently and informatively address the cycle of violence, its impact on children, treatment and spiritual issues, and more. As informational and eye-opening for lay readers as it is for its intended ministerial audience, Responding To Domestic Violence is a straightforward, practical, and candid look within a Christian context at a very real, pervasive, disturbing national phenomenon.



The Social Issues Shelf

USA Immigration & Orientation, 5th Edition
Bob & Mary McLaughlin
Wellesworth Publishing
P.O. Box 372444, Satellite Beach, FL 32937-2444
0965757153 $39.95 www.wellesworth.com

Now in an updated and expanded fifth edition for 2002 (including all of the various procedural changes enacted by Congress and the INS in 2001), USA Immigration & Orientation is a thorough, comprehensive reference written expressly for people immigrating to and settling in the United States. From getting a green card or a visa to becoming a citizen to handling such matters as customs clearance, insurance, banking, buying a home, and more, USA Immigration & Orientation is a direct, easy-to-read, solidly reliable, highly recommended resource filled with so much useful information that even native born citizens of American can learn some useful tips by reading it!

100 Ways To Strengthen & Unify Our Country
Jenniffer Lee
Aribet Books
P.O. Box 15640, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-5640
0964406497 $9.95 www.megspace.com/lifestyles/america

Dedicated to those who perished in the September 11 attacks, as well as those who survived them, 100 Ways To Strengthen & Unify Our Country by Jenniffer Lee is a straightforward and inspiring book of one hundred simple, practical, effective, commonplace and extraordinary things American can do to bolster our nation. From volunteering one's time to a community cause, to reviving the family dinner, to donating books/magazines, to offering a smile, the simple ideas in this book challenge the reader to change his or her life and daily behavior so the nation and the world will prosper in peace, freedom, and unity. A highly recommended collection of powerful and moving thoughts, and to demonstrate the intent of its author, $1.00 per sale of each copy of 100 Ways To Strengthen & Unify Our Country will be donated to charity.

Stop Sky Jackers
Robert Lawrence Holt
California Financial Publications
c/o California Health Publications
P.O. Box 306, Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007
0930926285 $10.00 www.stopskyjacker.com

Stop Sky Jackers: 60 Steps That Can Save Your Life is a solid, eminently practical, no-nonsense traveler's guide and instruction book specifically designed for airplane passengers whether they are on local, regional, national, or international flights. Written by a former Captain of the U.S. Marine Corps Robert Lawrence Holt, Stop Sky Jackers informs passengers about suspicious behaviors to watch for, how to prepare to fight back against attempted skyjackings, rallying other passengers to resist, and what to expect in a hostile, possibly lethal situation that has become all to common in the last few decades. Simply put, in the wake of the September 11 attacks, Stop Sky Jackers should be mandatory reading for all air travelers -- it could save lives, both in the air and on the ground.



The Poetry Shelf

Verbalizions Of Enlightenment
Eric L. Farrell
Emaculate Publishing
PO Box 1074, Woodbridge, VA 22195
1931855242 $14.95 1-703-405-7004

Eric Farrell's Verbalizions Of Enlightenment: The Secret To The Pain is an 80-page compendium of soul-stirring stories and powerful messages showcases in a poetry written to convey a process of healing from the stresses and abuses that life inevitably imposes upon most of us. Lotto Motto: Look at that airplane/That's your role model/You played like you was plane/Since babies tipping bottles//You'll crash just like a plane/When "We Get High!" turns to your motto/You admire rich planes/But they just played the lotto//I got something to say/Right now, for then/When you play the lotto/You either lose, or you win//Listen to me now/Or listen to me when/You could win a whole lot/Or your life could end...Take heed.

From Hell To Jackson Hole
Michael L. Johnson
Bridge House Books
P.O. Box 809, Rancho Murieta, CA 95683
0965348776 $18.95 www.amazon.com

From Hell To Jackson Hole: A Poetic History Of The American West is a memorable book of original poems cherishing the history and spirit of the American West. Color photographs of artworks celebrating the Old West are occasionally interspersed among the moving, free-verse narratives that give life and memory to an era. Adah Isaacs Menken: Toast of San Francisco, she wowed the West/playing Mazeppa, the Cossack prince lashed/birthday naked to a wild stallion's back/in punishment for some illicit love./She filled the stage with frenzies of the flesh.//Many men damned her; most fell at her feet/and gave her gold or shares of mining stock.//Once, in Virginia City, Mark Twain came/to call at her hotel. She sipped champagne/and fed her lap dog brandied sugar cubes./He spoke in riddles of her pretty hands.

Domestic Work
Natasha Trethewey
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
1555973094 $12.95 1-651-641-007 www.graywolfpress.com

Natasha Trethewey has won the Grolier Poetry Prize and her individual pieces have been widely published in a variety of places. Domestic Work is the debut collection of her poetry and will well serve to introduce her work to a whole new audience of appreciative readers. Housekeeping: We mourn the broken things, chair legs/wrenched from their seats, chipped plates,/the threadbare clothes. We work the magic/of glue, drive the nails, mend the holes./We save what we can, melt small pieces/of soap, gather fallen pecans, keep neck bones/for sou. Beating rugs against the house,/we watch dust, lit like stars, spreading/across the yard. Late afternoon, we draw/the blinds to cool the rooms, drive the bugs/out. My mother irons, singing, lost in reverie./I mark the pages of a mail-order catalog,/listen for passing cars. All day we watch/for the mail, some news from a distant place.

You Never Know
Ron Padgett
Coffee House Press
27 North Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401
1566891280 $14.95 1-800-283-3572

The poetry of Ron Padgett is hallmarked with a very special wit and an artfully conversational American approach. You Never Know offers a complete spectrum of his style, which has a penchant for surprise and discovery, all in service to acknowledging the simple magic of everyday life. Poet As Immortal Bird: A second ago my heart thump went/and I thought, "This would be a bad time/to have a heart attack and die, in the/middle of a poem," then took comfort/in the idea that no one I have ever heard/of has ever died in the middle of writing/a poem, just as birds never die in mid-flight./I think.

Poems From The Akashic Record
Ira Cohen
Panther Books/Goodie Publications
461 - 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215
0970847610 $12.00 www.goodie.org

New York poet Ira Cohen is a keen observer and interpreter of the human condition as witnessed over a span of five decades. Enhanced with b/w photography, Poems From The Akashic Record is an impressive and recommended compendium of his work. Plateau: Even if the temple is destroyed/the spirit will remain/The Border between earth & sky/is described by a bird/The boarder between life & death/is defined by a single breath/The border between past & future/is now, a tightrope, a cutting edge,/a point never to be reached.//We dance on one leg/between Samsara & Nirvana/trying to consummate our own future/between the dancing & the telling/Let the dancer break away/from the dance/Let the words fly off the page/Next time we will begin/with a headstand. (Bruxelles, June , 1997)

The New World
George Evans
Curbstone Press
321 Jackson St., Willimantic, CT 06226
1880684810 $13.95 www.curbstone.org

The New World is a selection of unique and lyrical poetry, as well as evocative stream-of-consciousness passages. Meditating profoundly upon the Vietnam War and its aftermath, The New World sees the good, the bad, and the lice-infested with equal weight in a moving, spiritual wordplay drama. Wedding Bells: In early evening,/at rest on a plastic garbage bag/on the sidewalk,/curled with his back to traffic,/fetal on his right side,/facing the wall of onyx tiles that frame the window of Victoria Pastry,/under the display of elaborate wedding cakes,/without shoes, his feet/black as the tiles but without the shine,/he is chattering over and over/shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up/to the hopeful tourist brides who stand above him/leaning slightly to admire/the triple and quadruple-tiered white castle/wedding cakes in the window/manned by tiny grooms in tuxedos/and brides with delicate veils/who smile forever/onto Stockton Street.



The Fantasy/Science Fiction Shelf

Lyskarion
J. A. Cullum
Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
P.O. Box 1714, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 2L7
1894063023 $13.95 www.edgewebsite.com

J. A. Cullum's Lyskarion: The Song Of The Wind is an epic fantasy set in the world of Tamar, where nine humanoid races are being drawn into a war that threatens to engulf the world. The future of Tamar depends upon four young wizards who must learn to grow beyond their differences and accept one another in this perilous novel of fate, conflict, and hope. Lyskarion is enthusiastically recommended to fans of the high fantasy literary genre.

Tomorrow Child
Michael H. Fox
Writer's Club Press
c/o iUniverse
5220 S. 16th, Ste. 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595201032 $18.95 www.tomorrowchild.com

Michael H. Fox's Tomorrow Child is a compelling paranormal science fiction saga of a group of young children who develop extraordinary powers enabling them to reach one another's mind with a touch. When the government learns of their preternatural abilities, the resulting strife threatens to spill over into causality itself, changing the past, present, and future timeline for good or ill. Tomorrow Child is strongly recommended as a powerful and evocative saga, fascinating and written with a keen thought for the innate mutability of life.

The Road To Shamballah
Steven Graham Charles
Dancing Ground Press
P.O. Box 11509, Las Vegas, NV 89111-1509
0970263201 $15.00 www.DancingGroundPress.com

Steven Graham Charles' The Road To Shamballah is an adventurous science fiction fantasy tale of the first space voyage between stars in the late twenty-first century. A exciting and eventful journey that changes mankind's understanding of known life, filled with challenges, fears, and love, The Road To Shamballah is a truly profound, highly entertaining, enthusiastically recommended and epic story of human confrontation with the vastness of space.

The Mask Of Ollock
Robert F. Kauffmann
Arx Publishing
10 Canal Street, Suite 231, Bristol, PA 19007-3900
1889758337 $12.95 www.arxpub.com

Robert F. Kauffmann's The Mask Of Ollock is a wonderful and distinctive fantasy, uniquely written in the style of the epic poem. The lengthy saga of a world torn in conflict among politicians, wizards, and demonic spirits is recounted in rhyming verse and powerfully illustrated with stark black-and-white artwork. A superb book for fantasy enthusiasts who tire of the same old prose and long to enjoy a thrilling new experience. Ollock grinned in his golden mask/in deep abiding satisfaction:/"Let us withdraw to yonder hill/To discuss our imminent alliance together/Chosen from among our faithful following."/And Arrack and Ollock withdrew as stated,/Signaling soldiers to follow in train.

Journey To Kumbooda
Paul Buchheit
AmErica House
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
1591291860 $19.95 1-877-333-7422 www.PublishAmerica.com

Set on the edge of the modern day, Paul Buchheit's Journey To Kumbooda is the compelling and original story of a nation divided between the cutting edge of artificial intelligence research and the common people's rebellion against being treated as less than the machines that the rules embrace. Marie is computer scientist is stranded in the middle of a nation at war, and her husband Peter and brother Gene must find Marie amidst the chaos in this dramatic and all-to-possible tale of what may perhaps be the very near future for all of us.



The Biography Shelf

Finding My Way
Evelyn Stefansson Nef
The Francis Press
3029 Ordway St. NW, Washington, DC 20008
0966505158 $26.00 www.francispress.com

Finding My Way: The Autobiography Of An Optimist is the self-told life story of Evelyn Stefansson Nef, a young woman born in Brooklyn 1913, who became a master craftswoman in the specialized art of creating marionettes; a skilled editor, researcher and writer; and who in her late fifties studied psychotherapy and became qualified to administer to patients. A particularly well written autobiography, Finding My Way presents a most remarkable and varied life, vividly and memorably narrated.

America To America
Hugo Mena Zambrana
Hugo Mena Zambrana, Publisher
59 Forum Center, Chesterfiield, MO 63017
0971825106 $19.95 1-866-434-2127 hmenaz@yahoo.com

America To America is the fascinating memoir of one man's life on two continents. Author and publisher Hugo Mena Zambrana has called both La Paz, Bolivia and St. Louis, Missouri home, and grew up amidst the tumult of Bolivian partisan politics and social revolution. Zambrana's journey to the United States as a young man transformed his life, and his saga and memories are recounted in a most vivid and unforgettable manner in America To America -- an engaging and inherently interesting autobiography.

Florence Nightingale
Val Webb
Chalice Press
DeChant Hugues & Associates (publicity)
P.O. Box 179, St. Louis, MO 63166-0179
0827210329 $34.99 www.chalicepress.com

Florence Nightingale: The Making Of A Radical Theologian by theologist and biographer Val Webb is a fascinating study of the little-known yet fiery and passionate religious beliefs held and shared by the world-famous nursing and hospital reformer, feminist, and social activist. In the Victorian times when Nightingale lived, the inequalities of the stratified British "class" society worried her, and she came to espouse a vigorous liberation theology and followed a deeply spiritual and intimately personal quest for Truth. Amazingly informative, meticulously researched and openly candid, Florence Nightingale: The Making Of A Radical Theologian is a unique and highly recommended biography of an influential and devout historical figure.



The Money/Finance Shelf

Getting Psyched For Wall Street
Bernard I. Murstein, Ph.D.
Cypress Publishing Group
1835 Roe #187, Leawood, KS 66211
0894473298 $23.95 1-800-284-7328

Getting Psyched For Wall Street: A Rational Approach To An Irrational Market by psychology and behavioral finance expert Bernard Murstein is a superb blend of psychology and finance. Specifically written to help ordinary investors of all background better understand the interaction between human psychology and the ups and downs of Wall Street, Getting Psyched For Wall Street covers everything from why so many people were blind to Enron's problems to why stocks sometimes go up on bad news and down on good news. Getting Psyched For Wall Street is a unique, inherently fascinating, "reader friendly", practical work that should be read by any investor seeking to understand how market forces function and are influenced.

Health Insurance Made E-Z
The Silver Lake Editors
Silver Lake Publishing
2025 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027
1563825120 $14.95 www.MadeE-Z.com

A solidly practical guide written expressly for bewildered lay readers, Health Insurance Made E-Z covers almost everything anyone needs to know ranging from basic terms and definitions, to how managed care works, Medicare and Medicaid, choosing the right plan, tips for health insurance shoppers, coping with insurance claim trouble and much more. Simple, down-to-earth explanations and a wealth of details and advice make Health Insurance Made E-Z an absolute "must" for health insurance buyers everywhere. In this era of rapidly rising health costs, it iss far, far better to learn the nuances of health insurance before you find yourself paying hundreds of dollars or more a month for it -- only to be disappointed if the need for it should ever arise!



The Self-Help Shelf

Another Way
Damion Kirk and Judy Lynn Griffler
Openbridge
P.O. Box 9, Louisville, CO 80027-3117
0971189005 $12.95 1-303-494-5633

Another Way: Allowing Inner Peace by experienced counselors and meditation teachers Damion Kirk and Judy Lynn Griffler is a non-denominational, spiritual book meant to guide the reader to better understanding and acceptance of all that is good and bad about life itself. Each two-page spread features a brief yet memorable thought on the left, such as "Life flows... do not look for an ending. Life moves on." The right-hand side of each two-page spread then offers parables and insights in a gentle, meaningful narrative form. Another Way is a calming, enlightening read, and highly recommended for those seeking their own spiritual and emotional self-improvement.

The Art Of Leading Yourself
Randi B. Noyes
Cypress House
155 Cypress Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
http://www.leadership-international.com
1879384426 $15.95 www.amazon.com

The Art Of Leading Yourself: Tap The Power Of Your Emotional Intelligence by Randi B. Noyes (President, Leadership International, Inc.) is a straightforward and practical guide to the art and science of taking charge of one's own life, and putting one's emotions to best use, rather than being ruled by them. Individual chapters address the importance of taking responsibility for one's own life, balancing family conflicts with emotional disturbances, step-by-step exercises to managing one's feelings, anecdotes of these teachings in practice, and a great deal more. The Art Of Leading Yourself is very highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to self-help, self-improvement reference collections.

Anger Busting 101
Newton Hightower
Bayou Publishing
2524 Nottingham, Houston, TX 77005
1886298041 $14.95 www.bayoupublishing.com

Written by Newton Hightower (Director of The Center for Anger Resolution), Anger Busting 101: New ABCs For Angry Men And The Women Who Love Them is a solidly written, immediately accessible, highly recommended psychological self-help guide for people who suffer the effects out-of-control anger. Using the "Recovery" approach to end destructive patterns and improve the quality of life for oneself and one's family, Anger Busting 101 is filled from cover to cover with tips, tricks, and techniques that can prove useful for everyone (since just about everyone has lost their temper at least once in a while, with disastrous effects) and in severe cases, can even be life-saving when combined with the wisdom and personal care of a professional therapist. Individual chapters address the basics of anger management, how a woman can tell if she should help her mate or if she has no choice but to leave him, step-by-step instructions to improve communication, and a great deal more.

Touch And Go
Judy Borich
Interact Publishing
P.O. Box 2185, Tijeras, NM 87059
096416163X $15.95 1-505-266-1500 www.spiritrelationship.com

Written by an experienced marriage, family therapist, teacher, minister and philosopher Judy Borich, Touch And Go: The Nature Of Intimacy is an insightful and thought-provoking examination of the spiritual side of human relationships. While not an overt self-help book, Touch And Go deftly explores human issues such as personal self-perception and boundaries, dealing with emotions, accepting the past, and conflict resolution. Touch And Go is recommended as a profound and penetrating account of the complexities of human association.

Why Make Yourself Crazy?
G. Gaynor McTigue
Pick Me Up Books
P.O. Box 321013, Fairfield, CT 06432
0971642702 $9.95 pickmeupbooks.com

Gaynor McTigue's Why Make Yourself Crazy?: 100 Ways To Rid Your Life Of Needless Stress is a simple, straightforward collection of 100 brief yet meaningful tips to simplifying the ills and problems that threaten everyone's mental health. Each tip comes with a brief, sensible explanation. From tip #19, "Don't be goaded into making hasty decisions" to tip #76 "Don't lend out books (unless you want to be rid of them. You'll never get them back)", Why Make Yourself Crazy? is a solid, practical, pragmatic collection of highly recommended advice -- and quite enjoyable to simply leaf through again and again and again.



The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Let Spirit Be Your Counsel
Charlene Littau Smith
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Ave., Haverford, PA 19041-1413
0741408368 $18.95 1-877-289-2665

Let Spirit Be Your Counsel: A Handbook For Self-Healing psychic healer Charlene Littau Smith is the distinctly uplifting story about one woman's journey to self-acceptance by means of seeing through the bitterness and pain of her treatment in a past life. Highly recommended reading for students of metaphysical studies and past live regression enthusiasts, Let Spirit Be Your Counsel is a compelling book of emotional and spiritual healing, filled with a meaningful revelation to better understanding oneself and getting along with others.

Radical Nature
Christian de Quincy
Invisible Cities Press
Warwick Associates (publicity)
50 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602
1931229155 $16.95 www.invisiblecitiespress.com

Radical Nature: Rediscovering The Soul Of Matter by Christian de Quincey (Professor of Philosophy and Consciousness Studies, John F. Kennedy University) is both a scientific and a spiritual treatise that meditates upon the essence of the soul and the spiritual existence of all life forms, including trees, animals, and of course humans. Presenting Professor de Quincy's conviction that consciousness exists down to the level of single-cell animals and beyond, Radical Nature is a intriguing study offering a transcendental viewpoint of living things. Radical Nature is very highly recommended reading for students of philosophy, metaphysics, spirituality, the nature of nature, and how the phenomena of consciousness is present in the physical world around us.

Touching The Wall - Entering The Stream
Karen J. Kobrin Cohen
Caprice Publishing/KKCohen
47593 Comer Square, Potomac Falls, VA 20165-7460
0971723702 $14.95 www.capricepublishing.com

Touching The Wall - Entering The Stream is a deeply spiritual book about Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), Buddhist principles, and means of meditation. Author Karen J. Kobrin Cohen recounts her life experiences and journey, and the basic wisdom she has gained through a difficult mental quest to reconcile the idea of Karma and the devastating reality of the Nazi Holocaust. A thoughtful, insightful treatise, Touching The Wall - Entering The Stream is enthusiastically recommended introductory reading for students of Judaism, Buddhism, personal spirituality, and the mystic tradition of Kabbalah.

Skiing At Midnight
Kevin Koch
Loras College Press
1450 Alta Vista, P.O. Box 178, Dubuque, IA 52004-0178
0936875089 $12.95 1-563-588-7100

Skiing At Midnight: A Nature Journal From Dubuque County, Iowa by Kevin Koch is a heartfelt selection of twenty-two essays (some in poetry, some in prose), reflecting on the beauty of nature and the joy of experiencing God's gifts. Koch's experience amid the untamed woods of Dubuque County, Iowa and his love for the wilderness color this superbly written, emotionally felt, and devoutly spiritual account.

Sacred Union: The Healing Of God
Beth Green
Rising Mountain Press
Warwick Associates (publicity)
PO Box 3174, Idyllwild, CA 92549
0971716919 $14.95 www.thestream.org

Sacred Union The Healing Of God by intuitive counselor and spiritual teacher Beth Green is a profoundly spiritual treatise that challenges the commonly held notion that God is a perfect, changeless being. Instead, Sacred Union: The Healing Of God proposes an evolving, complex God that is the totality of all being. A dynamic, iconoclastic, thoughtful and thought-provoking work that seeks to reconcile the age-old dichotomy of a world filled with horrible evils and the worship of a holy supreme creator, Sacred Union: The Healing Of God is a transcendental work with a message that reaches past all boundaries within the mind and soul.



The Business Shelf

How To Salvage Millions From Your Small Business
Ron Sturgeon and D. L. Fitzpatrick
Mike French Publishing
1619 Front Street, Lynden, WA 98264
0971703108 $14.95 www.amazon.com

Collaboratively written by experienced and successful entrepreneurs Ron Sturgeon and D.L. Fitzpatrick, and with the assistance of Dwayne Parsons, How To Salvage Millions From Your Small Business is a dynamic, go-getting book for entrepreneurs who want nothing less than economic success from their own business, regardless of the produce produced or the services offered. Individual chapters address the common problems in setting up a business, taking care of money matters, a work sheet for taking action, and much, much more. How To Salvage Millions From Your Small Business is a simply superb resource filled from cover to cover with useful, practical, money making and money saving advice for small businessmen everywhere.

Outsourcing The American Dream
Christopher M. England
Writers Club Press/iUniverse.com
5220 S. 16th, Ste. 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595201482 $16.95 www.iuniverse.com

Outsourcing The American Dream: Pain And Pleasure In The Era Of Downsizing by finance and marketing consultant Christopher M. England is a straightforward, critically revealing examination of the effect that the widespread business practice of downsizing for cost management is having on American industries and the general American economy. Individual chapters address everything from the psychology of downsizing (including its drawbacks), and the tangled role of the government-- which can either amplify problems or be part of the solution. Outsourcing The American Dream is an authoritatively written, well-researched, provocatively presented, no-holds-barred look at a trend that can personally affect just about any worker at any business or corporation in today's volatile and globally competitive marketplace.

Leadership & Golf
Thomas K. Wentz & William S. Wentz
Corporate Performance Systems
5001 Pine Creek Drive, Westerville, Ohio 43081
0966843517 $22.95 www.transchange.com

Leadership & Golf: Creating An Organizational Alignment by Thomas K. Wentz (President of Corporate Performance Systems, Inc.) and Bill Wentz (Vice President, Golf Operations, Corporate Performance Systems, Inc.) is a unique book that uses the recreation of golf as a metaphor for developing the leadership and strength required to power a successful business. The experiences of sixteen experienced executives are presented in this zealous, go-getter book with a positive underlying message presented parallel to the triumphs and travails of the golfing world. If you're a golfer who has difficulty understanding the nameless jargon and strategies that circulate about how to improve the administrative and managerial responsibilities of the corporate business environment, Leadership & Golf is the perfect resource and written just for you.

After E-Mail
Roger Kropf
YBK Publishers
425 Broome St., New York, NY 10013
0970392303 $14.75 www.amazon.com

After E-Mail: New Internet Tools That Can Save Time And Improve Your Performance by Roger Kropf (Professor of Health Management, Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University) is a coherent and deftly written presentation of the technology of the future as applied to the business office. E-mail is of course a useful and speedy office tool for prompt communication, but when e-mail is no longer enough by itself to get the job done, what comes next? After E-Mail addresses several useful practices of streamlined work and improved communication, including virtual offices, video conferencing and why it's not for everyone, digital daily news, instant messaging pros and cons, and much more. A superb guide for advancing any workplace into a more efficient future, After E-Mail is written expressly for non-specialist general reader and the corporate administrator who has barely figured out how to send and receive e-mail.



The International Studies Shelf

Mexico Madness
Eduardo Garcia Aguilar
Aliform Publishing
117 Warwick Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
0970765207 $14.95 0970765207

Mexico Madness: Manifesto For A Disenchanted Generation by Eduardo Garcia Aguilar (a journalist with Agence France-Presse) is a scathing, sober, and meticulous examination of what it means to be Mexican, and what it means to be Latin American. Discussing such hot button political and economic issues as the gathering strength of the Zapatistas, the controversy surrounding NAFTA, and the emotional state of a land and its people, Mexican Madness is a powerful, insightful, candid account, presenting very a series of real problems in a no-holds-barred style of unforgettable writing by a journalist well versed in his craft and knowledgeable about his subject.

Driven By Drugs
Russell Crandall
Lynne Rienner Publishers
1800 30th Street, Boulder, Colorado 80301
1588260895 $19.95 www.rienner.com

Driven By Drugs: U.S. Policy Toward Colombia by Russell Crandall (MacArthur Assistant Professor of Political Science, Davidson College) is a straightforward history of American relations vis-a-vis Colombia with particular emphasis on the last decade. An exhaustively researched, scholarly presentation surveying U.S. drug dependency, and its relationship with the roots of violence and guerilla groups in Colombia, as well as the volatile political situation revolving about who owns the land and what is to be done with it, Driven By Drugs is a fascinating, insightful, revealing, and greatly disturbing account of the troubled interaction between these two nations. Driven By Drugs is an important contribution to academic and community library International Studies supplemental reading lists and reference collections.



The Parenting Shelf

How To Get Kids To Eat Great And Love It!
Christine Wood, M.D.
KidsEatGreat, Inc.
c/o Griffin Publishing Group
18022 Cowan Suite 202, Irvine, CA 92614
1580000975 $16.95 1-800-472-9741

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, How To Get Kids To Eat Great And Love It! by practicing physician and nutrition expert Christine Wood is a superbly written nutrition guide for parents seeking to ensure their children eat properly and happily. Simple, step-by-step guidelines offer tips for teaching young children the benefits of good nutrition at an early age. Also provided is nutrition advice to lower the risks of common ailments such as allergies, asthma, ear infections, eczema, and ADD. In a world inundated with obesity-causing and artery-clogging fast food and junk food, How To Get Kids To Eat Great And Love It! is a very strongly highly recommended primer for parents and caregivers pointing the way to a healthier tomorrow their children and charges.



The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Fit For Life Solution
Harvey Diamond
Dragon Door Publications
Phoenix Media (publicity)
P.O. Box 4381, St. Paul, MN 55104
0938045393 $24.00 dragondoor.com

The Fit For Life Solution: How To Identify And Successfully Eradicate The Causes Of Pain, Fatigue And Disease -- Now! is a superbly presented guide to a wealth of natural remedies and information on balancing one's diet so as to improve health and well-being. Individual chapters address a range of pertinent issues including the importance of a nutritious diet and faithful exercise regimen, evading life-threatening conditions (including cancer), as well as offering a "participant friendly" program called CARE that involves simple health principles to improve one's look and feel. The Fit For Life Solution is a solid, informationally packed and recommended guide to self-betterment.

Information Therapy
Donald W. Kemper & Molly Mettler
Healthwise, Inc.
P.O. Box 1989, Boise, ID 83701
1877930881 $32.00 healthwise.org

Information Therapy: Prescribed Information As A Reimbursable Medical Service by medical consumer activist Donald W. Kemper and Medical self-care and health promotion expert Molly Mettler offers an original and ground breaking proposition to change modern health care for the better. The definition of "information therapy" is that patients should be provided with accurate information, based on evidence, as part of the treatment. The individual chapters comprising Information Therapy discuss how to best put this idea into solid practice, and its impact on the health care industry, and more. Information Therapy is a profound, iconoclastic, persuasive, and a welcome, recommended contribution to the national debate over the nature and need of public health care policy today.

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Katherine M. Poehlmann, Ph.D.
Satori Press
904 Silver Spur Road #323, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
0961726865 $14.95 www.amazon.com orders@RA-Infection-Connection.com

Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Infection Connection is a close, careful and somewhat controversial study of the chronic illness of rheumatoid arthritis, a debilitating disease in which the body's immune system turns on itself. Research scientist and former arthritis sufferer Katherine M. Poehlmann, Ph.D. forcefully advocates evidence to support the theory that rheumatoid arthritis is caused by bacterial infections that trigger allergic reactions, and that can be treated by identifying and removing the cause of the allergies. An extensive background on arthritis written for the non-specialist general reader seeking help with this debilitating disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Infection Connection is an alternative point of view well worth taking into consideration, particularly when conventional remedies have proven ineffective.

Making The Modern Medical School
Robert Oliver
Science History Publications
c/o Watson Publishing International
P.O. Box 493, Canton, MA 02021-0493
0881353620 $24.95 www.shpusa.com

Making The Modern Medical School: The Wisconsin Stories by Robert Oliver (Fellow in the Center for the Study of Cultures, Rice University) is a collection of true stories about the evolution of medical instructional facilities in Wisconsin. From faculty disputes to advances in medical science, the anecdotal stories and slices of "insider" history in Making The Modern Medical School is simply fascinating reading, and highly recommended for anyone who wants to know the real story behind what happens in Wisconsin's medical school environment in order to teach young men and women how to save lives.

Waiting For The Morning
Brenda Parris Sibley
Writers Club Press
c/o iUniverse.com
5220 S. 16th, Ste. 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
059518782X $16.95 www.iuniverse.com

Waiting For The Morning: A Mother And Daughter's Journey Through Alzheimer's Disease is a profound, personal testimony. Author Brenda Parris Sibly presents her poetry, caregiving journal, helpful advice for those who are struggling to adapt to caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's. Waiting For The Morning is sensitive, thoughtful, occasionally inspiring, and always highly recommended reading. Parting Thoughts: I didn't fix things/by being here,/and more of my trying/brought you much cheer./The flowers I planted/will be a mockery/if they bloom again/without you to see./There'll be no more Christmas--/no holidays again--/for you were everything/in my Christmas plans./I feel a cold chill/all the way to my soul,/but Mama, please know,/that I love you so.



The Military Shelf

Proof Through The Night
K. P. Burke
Opal Creek Press
1675 Fir St. S., Salem, OR 97302
1931105049 $23.95 opalcreekpress.com

Proof Through The Night: A B-29 Pilot Captive In Japan is the true life saga of Ernest Pickett, as told to able scribe K. P. Burke, of his World War II odyssey and nightmare. Shot down behind enemy lines, Ernest survived the horrendous conditions which the Japanese military authority inflicted upon prisoners of war in general, and hated American bomber pilots in particular. A gripping, first-person saga of endurance, humanity, and the horrors of war, Proof Through The Night is a highly recommended contribution to the growing library of World War II military memoirs.



The Native American Shelf

Courage To Follow The Vision
Tom Wilson
Red Apple Publishing
15010 113th St. KPN, Gig Harbor, WA 98329-5014
1880222477 $15.00 1-877-884-1450

Courage To Follow The Vision: The Journey Of Lyle Emerson George is the story of Lyle George's life, as told to friend and colleague Tom Wilson. Lyle George was a Tribal Council Chairman on the Squamish Reservation and participated in the National Indian Council. George's daily life, as well as his duties, often involved figuring out ways to combat the chronic and endemic problems plaguing the Native Americans he represented, including the all too familiar specters of poverty, alcoholism, corruption, boundary disputes, and crime. An informative and engaging account filled with memorable, candid experiences, as well as a personal look at Native American culture today, Courage To Follow The Vision is an impressive contribution to Native American Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections.

Cornplanter Chronicles
Harold Thomas Beck
Mountain Laurel Publishing Corporation
P.O. Box 28, Custer City, PA 16725
1929382014 $24.95 1-814-362-5281

Cornplanter Chronicles: A Tale Of The Legendary Seneca Chieftain by Harold Thomas Beck (Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the "Mountain Laurel Review) is the true and fascinating saga of the Seneca, a Native American nation and its war chief, Cornplanter (1733-1832), who served the responsibility of his station from the age of 18. The Seneca were a member of the Iroquois League of Six Nations, and the only tribe who were never defeated by American armies, or forced to accept the white settlers' peace terms. Cornplanter's tribe fought in many wars and battles, ranging from the French and Indian War through the War of 1812. All of their struggles in war, peace, and the simple daily effort to survive and remain true to oneself, are accurately reflected in this amazing biography of one Native American leader. Cornplanter Chronicles is an invaluable, informative, highly recommended and greatly appreciated contribution to Native American Studies.


James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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