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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 1, Number 5 September 2002 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Self-Help Shelf Business Shelf
International Studies Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Poetry Shelf Fiction Shelf Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Travel Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Parenting Shelf Biography Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Guatemala's Folk Saints
Jim Pieper
Pieper and Associates
5364 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90019
0826329969 $39.95 www.pieper.com

Guatemala's Folk Saints: Maximon/san Simon, Rey Pascual, Judas, Lucifer, And Others compiled and written by ethnographic expert Jim Pieper is a beautifully presented reference, illustrated cover to cover with full-color photographs focusing on the history, religion, philosophy, celebrations, effigies, and much more, about the "folk saints" held by the people of Guatemala, and a religion with its roots blending Mayan beliefs with Christian theology. A respectful account, displaying numerous and wondrous works of religious folk art, dolls representing saints, Guatemala's Folk Saints is a unique cross-examination of belief and art which is highly recommended for academic reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Pronto! Writings From Rome
John Tullius, editor
Writers House Books
c/o TripleTree Publishing
PO Box 5684, Eugene, OR 97405
0971663815 $16.95 www.TripleTreePub.com

Compiled and edited by John Tullius Pronto!: Writings From Rome is a unique and enthusiastically recommended selection of stories, essays, and poems all written by a gallery of distinguished contributors expressly by special request and on location within the boundaries of Rome. Embodying the ancient city of Rome in verse, majesty, sensory impressions and more, Pronto!: Writings From Rome is an impressive, moving and diverse offering showcasing dozens of literary snapshots into the life and lore of this great center of European and World history. Whether you are an armchair traveler who enjoys well crafted travelogues or are planning your own personal trip to the Eternal City, you will enjoy reading Pronto!: Writings From Rome.

How To Find Great Senior Housing
Phyllis Staff, Ph.D.
TBIY Publications
6415 Gretchen Lane, Dallas, TX 75252
097211680X $19.95 www.thebestisyet.net

How To Find Great Senior Housing: A Roadmap For Elders And Those Who Love Them by experimental psychologist Phyllis Staff is a highly practical guide that teaches the alert home buyer to beware scams, resist tricks of the sale trade, and get maximum value for one's hard-earned dollars in the search for quality care. A wealth of state-health contacts with regard to specific maladies that often afflict the elderly round out this solid, resourceful guide. How To Find Great Senior Housing is enhanced with 16 checklists and worksheets covering all the important questions and points of concern when assessing senior housing properties. The result of her own personally experiences and researches in behalf of her father who was stricken with Alzheimer's and in need of appropriate housing, How To Find Great Senior Housing is an especially recommended and invaluable instructional resource and reference for non-professional generals needing to assist their families and loved ones in securing appropriate, affordable senior housing.

My Walker & Other Glamorous Accessories
Claire Theiot Mestepey
Clarified.net
1227 Mountain Lake, Missouri City, TX 77459
No ISBN $14.00 www.clarified.net

My Walker & Other Glamorous Accessories by Claire Theiot Mestepey is a humorous and highly recommended collection of very brief vignettes about the unique challenges of being a physically challenged woman. From the difficulties of putting on fine dresses to being easily confused with anyone else with any other type of disability, My Walker & Other Glamorous Accessories pokes fun at human foibles and offers a unique perspective on what it's really like to live and move with the assistance of a walker.

Take Two - They're Small
Whitney Scott
Outrider Press
937 Patricia, Crete, IL 60417
outriderpr@aol.com
0962103993 $17.95 www.outriderpress.com

Edited and designed by Whitney Scott, Take Two - They're Small is a delightful compilation of humorous, tongue-in-cheek, and gourmet-worthy essays and poetry about food. Enjoyable anecdotes blend with mouth-watering recipes in an excellent light reading book to page through while cooking. Complex Chocolate Chocolate Complex: what is luscious/is what hurts is/what is measured/as it measures me//what is a seductress as slim/as an enticing camisole/on slippery hips//is what labels me/so ripe with calories/that I cannot be adequate//what is succulent/as a first kiss is what is/addictive as an endless one//what is precious is what/is cheap is what is so expensive/that I cannot run away from it/no matter where I buy spandex (Chris Crittenden)

For The First Time Understand Realistic Self-Defense!
Ralph Haenel
Trafford
2333 Government Street, Suite 6E, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8T 4P4
1552123561 $24.95 www.trafford.com

We live in troubled times when every week there is a headline news story of criminal assault underscoring the value and necessity of knowledgeable self-defense. Professional self-defense instructor and martial artist Ralph Haenel has written For The First Time Understand Realistic Self-Defense! to specifically address this need in the lives of ordinary men and women seeking to go about their daily lives without falling helpless victim to brutal criminal assault. This superbly organized "how to" manual introduces the subject of self-defense, explains the deferences and relationships between the martial arts and self-defense activites; corrects the misinformation about self-defense coming from television and the movies; outlines and details a realistic and practical approach to a self-defense system; the various concepts of protection; the technical specifications and operational venues of self-defense; women and self-defense; the role of personal motivation in self-defense; considerations when seeking professional instruction in self-defense, and a great deal more. If you are considering acquiring an ability to defend yourself and your loved ones in today's hazardous and uncertain world, then begin with a careful and considered reading of Ralph Haenel's For The First Time Understand Realistic Self-Defense!

Reel Shame
Christopher Holland & Scott Hamilton
Stomp Tokyo
6822 22nd Ave N #278, St Petersburg FL 33710
0971835608 $14.99 www.reelshame.com

Collaboratively written by the creators of the B-movie website www.stomptokyo.com, Christopher Holland and Scott Hamilton, Reel Shame: Bad Movies And The Hollywood Stars Who Made Them is an unflinching look at some of today's most popular stars, including Kevin Costner, Shannen Doherty, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more, and the truly gut-wrenching bottom-barrel movies they once made. Individual chapters group the movies by trashy genres ranging from chainsaw massacres to sexy sizzlers, and discuss alleged reasons why these now-great names allowed themselves to become part of some of the sleaziest frames to be served upon the silver screen. A humorous, tongue-in-cheek read Reel Shame is especially recommended for B-movie enthusiasts.

The Dixie Dictionary
Thomas W. Howard, editor
Crane Hill Publishers
3608 Clairmont Avenue, Birmingham, Alabama 35222
1575872005 $12.95 1-800-841-2682 www.cranehill.com

Compiled and edited by southern journalist Thomas W. Howard, The Dixie Dictionary: An Introduction To The Southern Language is a fun, enjoyable, and useful glossary of terms unique to American Southern English dialects. From "all vine and no 'taters" (a phrase to describe someone who is all talk and no action) to "whistle-pig" (groundhog), The Dixie Dictionary is packed from cover to cover with wry, flavorful phrases that most northerners have likely never heard of. Highly recommended for writers looking to pen southern-style dialogue, as well as anyone planning to visit or move to the South, or who just wants to have a good time paging through some truly unique and eyebrow-raising expressions, The Dixie Dictionary is a welcome contribution to personal and academic Language Studies reference collections.

Stalking: Surviving The Hidden Terror
Paula LaRue, M.S.
Insight Publishing Company
PO Box 4189, Sevierville, TN 37864
1885640625 $14.95 1-810-225-2126 www.amazon.com

Stalking: Surviving The Hidden Terror by Paula LaRue is an extremely practical and effective guide to coping with the very real and unfortunately increasingly occuring problem of stalking. Although mostly known to the general public as a criminal activity by abusive men against vulnerable women, or by obsessed fans against celebrities, or by mentally disturbed men against politically prominent figures, stalking is actually an increasingly commonplace crime that can be committed by members of both genders, against members of both genders for a broad spectrum of reasons, and can often escalates to violence, rape, or murder. In plain terms, Stalking outlines the practical steps one can take to protect oneself, up to and including changing one's identity if need be. Stalking is very strongly recommended reading for anyone who is targeted by a stalker and should be a readily available reference in community library reference collections for the benefit of the general public.

Guide To Surviving Life
Myron J. Kukla
Lockport Books
Old Orchard Place, 273 Lakeshore Dr., Holland, MI 49424
0966560612 $12.95 1-616-403-9947

Midwest author and humorist Myron J. Kukla's Guide To Surviving Life is a cover-to-cover funny, exciting, stress-relieving look at the perils of surviving everything from overzealous lawn experts, to housework, to kids leaving home, to unexpected visits from one's mother-in-law (or one's own mother!). Guide To Surviving Life is a lighthearted blending of sensible advice on health, modern life, the great outdoors, holidays, and more, with chuckle-worthy anecdotes. Guide To Surviving Life is very highly recommended reading -- especially when the little hassles of life are really dragging you down!

Secrets Of The Ice Ages
Robert G. Johnson, Ph.D.
Glenjay Publishing
12814 March Circle, Minnetonka, MN 55305
0971563004 $24.75 1-952-544-6979 www.amazon.com

Written by Robert G. Johnson (Adjunct Professor, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota) a man who has devoted himself to the professional study of ancient climate variations, Secrets Of The Ice Ages: The Role Of The Mediterranean Sea In Climate Change is a meticulous and scientific study of just how the Mediterranean Sea has influenced ice ages in the past, and how it might affect Earth's climate in the future. Exhaustive data and analysis are presented in this college-level treatise. Secrets Of The Ice Ages is very highly recommended for anyone with a keen interest in meteorology and the natural history of climate changes.

Jack London: One Hundred Years a Writer
Sara S. Hodson & Jeanne Campbell Reesman
Huntington Library Press
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108
0873281950 $37.95 1-626-405-2172

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Sara S. Hodson (Curator of Literary Manuscripts, Huntington Library) and Jeanne Campbell Reesman (Ashbel Smith Professor of English, University of Texas, San Antonio), Jack London: One Hundred Years A Writer is an eclectic anniversary celebration of Jack London's turbulent life and classic stories. A variety of learned authors offer unique perspectives into the man and his written creations, ranging from intellectual dilemmas about sex and evolution, to an extensive dissection of "Martin Eden", to father-son relationships in "The House of Pride." Highly recommended for anyone with a keen interest in and a desire to learn more about this the life and work of an American literary icon, Jack London: One Hundred Years A Writer is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and academic collections.

Peace, Love, And Chocolate: Spiritual Humor And Other Stuff
Benny Aabamadamabaa
Writers Club Press/iUniverse.com
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595190650 $11.95 www. iuniverse.com

Written under the pseudonym of Benny Aabamadamabaa, Peace, Love, And Chocolate: Spiritual Humor And Other Stuff is a compilation of an amusing and insightful spiritual jokes, one-liners, dialogues, and shaggy dog stories -- all recorded with a gentle touch of mirth. An uplifting dose of light reading, especially as a break between more serious meditations and ponderings, Peace, Love, And Chocolate highly recommended and entertaining reading.

Regaining Consciousness
Francis Broucek
Writer's Showcase/iUniverse.com, Inc.
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595212972 $12.95 www.iuniverse.com

Regaining Consciousness: Resuscitating the Soul by analytically trained psychiatrist Francis Broucek is a unique and compelling analysis of what science has said and tries to say about human consciousness, as well as the essential difference between human thought and the limits of computerized artificial intelligence. A fascinating tour of Darwinian evolutionary theory, speculations on true consciousness within machines, Regaining Consciousness is especially recommended for students of the interplay between contemporary psychology, the creation of artificial intelligence, and the defining of core meaning of what it is to be human.


The Self-Help Shelf

Relationships
John-Roger
Mandeville Press
3500 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018
1893020053 $20.00 www.mandevillepress.org

John-Roger's Relationships: Love, Marriage, and Spirit offers an uplifting and insightful compendium of commentary and advice on coping in today's world of mind-boggling relationship options. Written in plain, easy-to-understand text ideal for the non-specialist general reader, Relationships explores right and wrong reasons to get married, as well as emphasizing that marriages based largely on sexual or physical attraction or other limiting constraints are unlikely to endure long term. Clustered together in sections organized around the topics of Marriage; Sex; Children; Communication; Your Relationship With You; and Spirit, individual chapters address the tangled issues of human relationships in all aspects. Relationships is to be highly commended for its "reader friendly" presentation of insightful wisdom and practical advice.

The Quest
Stephen Ruback
Dynamic Publishing
PMB 348, 14019 SW FWY, #301, Sugar Land, TX 77478
0965155161 $16.95 1-713-433-3182

Stephen Ruback's The Quest is a uniquely written and "user friendly" self-help guide in matters of love, sex, and orgasm. Using a hypothetical anecdote format, from angels debating in heaven to a pair of lovers discussing their quest for a better orgasm, The Quest traces questions about what love is and isn't, dispelling myths such as the idea that love is synonymous with lust, self-sacrifice, or mere karmic attraction. A provocative book edged with some sharp opinions (such as, say, that promoting and selling sexy pictures of oneself is little different from being a prostitute) but the ideas written herein attempt to address soundly address such important concerns as to why America's divorce rate is so high, and what to do about it. The Quest is recommended reading for any adult who is seriously considering marriage.

Everyday Crisis Management
Mark Friedman, M.D.
First Decision Press
c/o Mark Friedman
4305 Lonetree Court, Naperville, IL 60564
0971845204 $19.95 www.amazon.com

Written by Mark Friedman, M.D., an emergency physician with over 20 years' experience, Everyday Crisis Management: How To Think Like An Emergency Physician was capably written to inform the non-specialist reader on how to cope and respond effectively in a number of crisis scenarios. From using focus to make correct decisions under intense pressure, to planning for unexpected happenings, to learning the secrets behind the hit television series "ER", Everyday Crisis Management embodies a unique and recommended self-improvement guide for incorporating the decision-making skills of men and women trusted in life-or-death situations into business, work, daily life, and any sudden emergency.

The Power Of 2
Anthony C. Scire
Possibility Press
One Oakglade Circle, Hummelstown, PA 17036
093871645X $19.95 www.possibilitypress.com

The Power Of 2: Win Big With People In Your Work And In Life by author, international businessman, and motivational speaker Anthony C. Scire is a solid, "reader friendly", guide to building productive, mutually beneficial relationships with other people, whether in business or in the personal areas of life. From the importance of a sociable attitude, to learning how to master one's emotions, to building "high-touch" relationships, to adapting in an increasingly technological workplace, The Power Of 2 is a thoroughly practical and even inspired resource especially suited to the paradoxically globalized yet socially isolated world of today.

Inner Coach: Outer Power
Keith Varnum
New Dimensions Publishing
11248 N. 11th St., Phoenix, AZ 85020
0972269908 $16.95 1-800-736-7367

Inner Coach: Outer Power by Keith Varnum is a self-help book about connecting with one's inner self, and the memories of childhood, to find one's path and better embrace, experience, and enjoy the present day. Popular culture icons such as the "E.T." movie, Indiana Jones, and Mr. Rogers are offered as metaphors and reference points to guide the reader down the path to self-acceptance, self-improvement and higher fulfillment. Inner Coach: Outer Power is recommended for inclusion into any self-help, self-improvement reading list and reference collection as an insightful, accessible, meaningful guide.

Facing A Crowd
Keith Clinton
Drake Publishing
PO Box 8524, Bend, Oregon 97708-8524
0970991967 $18.95 www.drakepublishing.biz

Facing A Crowd: How To Foil Your Fear Of Public Speaking by Keith Clinton is a solidly written and "reader friendly" guide to learning the art and craft of dealing with the common condition of "stage fright". Individual chapters address how to research, organize, and prepare quality presentations and numerous tips, tricks, and techniques for calming public-speaking jitters. Facing A Crowd is a useful, practical, and very highly recommended "how to" manual for improving the singularly powerful skill communicating and performing in public.

Albert Einstein The Incorrigible Plagiarist
Christopher Jon Bjerknes
XTX Inc.
PO Box 9361, Downers Grove, IL 60515
0971962987 $19.95 www.xtxinc.com

Albert Einstein The Incorrigible Plagiarist is a provocative and iconoclastic assertion that Albert Einstein is not the original author of the famous theory of relativity. Filled with extensive reference and documentation, Albert Einstein the Incorrigible Plagiarist suggests that Einstein had a tendency to incorporate the work of contemporary scientists without properly crediting them, and even offers a body of evidence that his wife, Mileva Einstein-Marity, was the true author of his attributed works. Albert Einstein The Incorrigible Plagiarist is a fascinating, albeit controversial treatise, packed cover to cover with meticulously references to document and support its seemingly outrageous claim.

The Female Power Within
Marilyn Graman and Maureen Walsh, with Hillary Welles
Life Works Books
Meryl L. Moss Media Relations (publicity)
55 Fifth Avenue - Penthouse, New York, NY 10003
0971854823 $22.95 www.lifeworksbooks.com

Collaboratively written by Marilyn Graman and Maureen Walsh, and with the assistance of Hillary Welles, The Female Power Within: A Guide To Living A Gentler, More Meaningful Life is an insightful and highly recommended guide to developing inner strength, offers a step-by-step process to release personal power, and taking charge of one's own life. From identifying with our inner child, to visualizing the future and learning to enjoy life, The Female Power Within is an excellent and commended instructional to cultivating one's strengths and pursuing happiness.


The Business Shelf

A Quick Guide To e-Learning
Gregory C. Sales, Ph.D.
Expert Publishing
14314 Thrush St. NW, Andover, MN 55304-3330
1931945020 $18.95 1-877-755-4966

A Quick Guide To e-Learning: A "How To" Guide For Organizations Implementing e-Learning by Gregory C. Sales (President and CEO of Seward Learning Systems) is a simple, straightforward, "user friendly" guide for businessmen and organization managers seeking taking advantage of e-learning to stay competitive in today's ever-changing market that always demands the latest skills and competence in the newest software package or procedure. From smoothly disseminating lesson plans, to models for life-long learning, to dead-on appraisals of progress and success, A Quick Guide To e-Learning is highly recommended as a practical, smooth, and useful introduction to one more means of keeping up with the expanding information superhighway.

Love, Power & Money
Dean Fowler with Peg Masterson Edquist
Glengrove Publishing
17280 W. North Avenue, Suite 205, Brookfield, WI 53045
0971628408 $24.95 1-800-203-3071

Collaboratively written by family business expert Dean Fowler and business journalist Peg Masterson Edquist, Love, Power & Money: Family Business Between Generations is a welcome selection of insightful anecdotes about the emotional, personal, and money-related problems unique to the transition of a family business. From conflicts over business direction, to pushing children to be parental successors when their greater talents lie elsewhere, to the importance of reciprocity in agreements, and a great deal more, Love, Power & Money offers readers a unique insight into family dilemmas and offers constructive ways to build problem-solving bridges between members. Highly recommended reading, especially for anyone contemplating an involvement for themselves and/or their loved ones in a family business of any size or category.

Unlocking The Secrets Of Successful Women In Business
Linda Brakeall & Anna Wildermuth
Hawthorne Press
11 Arrow Wood, Suite 2D, Hawthorn Woods, IL 60047
0971020906 $24.95 1-800-662-7248

Collaboratively written by experienced business woman and public speaker Linda Breakeall and certified professional image consultant Anna Wildermuth, Unlocking The Secrets Of Successful Women In Business is a thoroughly "reader friendly" how-to, self-help guide written especially for women seeking to develop an effective and successful business career for themselves. Individual chapters offer a wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques about everything from basic business etiquette, to pointers that help women be taken more seriously (lower your voice, be wary of smiling too much, avoid starting sentences with uncertain phrases such as "I think", and more), to maintaining a professional image, to job interview tips, and much, much more. Unlocking The Secrets Of Successful Women In Business is very highly recommended reading for women in the business world from the novice entry-level beginner to the seasoned corporate executive seeking to rise even higher within the corporate environment.

Globalize, Localize, Translate
Thei Zervaki
1st Books Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
0759675678 $13.95 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com

Globalize, Localize, Translate: Tips And Resources For Success by linguist and free lance translator Thei Zervaki is a brief yet very useful listing of definitions, websites, and tips for translation specifically intended for businesses struggling to go global. The succinct advice is direct, to the point, and easy to understand, while the resources proffered are tailored especially for businesses striving to adapt their product to the tastes of different nations all over the world. Globalize, Localize, Translate is strongly recommended as being an excellent primer and an ideal instructional resource for any small business owner (regardless of their product or service) having Internet access and a desire to expand their market.

Coin Laundries: Road To Financial Independence
Emerson G. Higdon
Mountain Publishing
PO Box 1747, Hillsboro, Oregon 97123-1747
096231739X $44.95 1-800-879-8719

Now in a newly revised and expanded edition, Coin Laundries: Road To Financial Independence by Emerson G. Higdon is a practical, comprehensive, highly recommended guide to starting and operating self-service laundries that will turn a laudable profit. From machinery issues, to dealing with governmental regulations, to meticulously computing financial data and revenue balanced against expenses, Coin Laundries is an absolute "must" for anyone seriously considering a coin-operated laundry business, as well as being a useful and basic perusal for anyone with an interest in any other coin-operated form of commerce.

Transformational Change
Thomas K. Wentz
Corporate Performance Systems
5001 Pine Creek Drive, Westerville, Ohio 43081
0966843509 $22.95 1-614-890-2799 www.amazon.com

Written by the Thomas K. Wentz (President of Corporate Performance Systems Inc.), Transformational Change: How To Transform Mass Production Thinking To Meet The Challenge Of Mass Customization is a solid and deftly presented guide for adapting to the new and evolving demands and realities of a globalized marketplace where merely churning out vast quantities of a product is simply not enough to be profitable. Now, more and more, customers want goods and services uniquely tailored to their tastes, and they are willing to pay for it - so much so as to change the shape of international businesses worldwide. Learning how to incorporate customization for maximum consumer satisfaction and profit is a rocky road, but individual chapters of Transformational Change address a range of relevant problems including corporate restructuring, gathering appropriate intelligence, competitive advantages and disadvantages, and a great deal more. Transformational Change is a truly excellent resource and a highly motivational reading for business managers at all corporate levels of responsibility.

Never Pay for Advertising Again!
Red Triangle Enterprises
39040 Hubbard St., Palmdale, CA 93551-4642
0971487847 $20.00 www.red-triangle.com

Now in a revised and expanded second edition, Never Pay for Advertising Again! offers entrepreneurs and business owners seven ways to widely promote their businesses, products, or services for free. Tips, tricks, and techniques for effective Internet marketing, press releases, catalog marketing, and much more fill this useful guide from cover to cover. A reference and resource that will soon pay for itself, Never Pay For Advertising Again! is highly recommended for every budget-conscious small business whether seeking to be established or wanting to expand.

Real People Real Crises
Steve Wilson
Oakhill Press
Maryglenn McCombs Book Publicity (publicity)
2817 West End Avenue, Suite 126-274, Nashville, Tennessee 37203
1886939527 $12.95 1-800-313-9424

Real People Real Crises: An Inside Look At Corporate Crises Communications by public relations expert Steve Wilson is an informed and informative documentary that reveals how people handle major corporate problems every day, from violence in the workplace to product tampering. Useful information and guidelines from those who have survived corporate disasters include tips on how to recognize a crisis, the importance of picking a good spokesperson, reputation management, and much, much more. Real People, Real Crises is very highly recommended reading for anyone charged with a corporate responsibility of responding to and dealing with unexpected and potentially disadvantageous events, whether external or internal to corporate operations.

Starting & Succeeding In Real Estate, 2002 Edition
Mark Nash
Trafford Publishing
c/o Gulotta Communications
341 Lexington Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02466
1553695267 $19.95 www.trafford.com

Now in an updated and expanded 2002 edition, Starting & Succeeding In Real Estate by experienced and successful real estate broker Mark Nash is a straightforward guide to what it takes to earn a living in the career of Real Estate. Individual chapters address real estate related terms and jargon, sales training, how to distinguish potential buyers from tire kickers, and a great deal more. Accessibly presented in an easy-to-understand question-and-answer format, Starting & Succeeding In Real Estate is a kind of single volume, do-it-yourself seminar and a very highly recommended, invaluable primer for anyone seriously considering this exciting line of work.


The International Studies Shelf

The Mossadegh Era
Sepehr Zabih
Lake View Press
PO Box 25421, Chicago, IL 60625
0941702014 $6.95 www.amazon.com

The Mossadegh Era: Roots Of The Iranian Revolution by Sepehr Zabih (Chairman of the Government Department, St. Mary's College, and a Research Scholar at the Institute of International Studies, University of California - Berkeley) is a informed and informed study of recent Iranian history, focusing on the revolutionary leader Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, his coup over the Shah, and his downfall in during the years 1951-1952. A very sober and insightful political analysis of uprisings, draconian political measures, the employment deadly force, and still echoing repercussions in later revolutions in government and leadership, The Mossadegh Era is strongly recommended as a very serious and fact-oriented account, which is especially appropriate for International Studies and Iranian Political History academic reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Unclog Your Arteries
Gene McDougall
1st Books Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
0759622795 $14.95 1-800-839-8640 www.1stBooks.com

Unclog Your Arteries: How I Beat Atherosclerosis is the personal testimony of Gene McDougall, a man who used diet changes, vitamin supplements, prescription medications, basic lifestyle changes, and more to recover after his own clogged arteries nearly killed him in a heart attack. From calorie charts to insurance claims, Unclog Your Arteries is filled with useful forms and advice, and a welcome, highly recommended supplement (though emphatically not a replacement for a doctor's diagnosis and advice) for anyone who needs to improve their heart health and quickly.

For Your Body Only
Dr. Gregory H. Tefft
Dragon Door Publications
PO Box 4381, St. Paul, MN 55104
0938045415 $29.95 www.dragondoor.com

For Your Body Only: Discover The Diet You Were Born To Eat by Gregory H. Tefft (Board Certified Naturopathic Physicians) is a unique and very special type of diet and nutrition book specifically designed and written to help the reader find a balanced and healthy diet that's especially apt for his or her individual needs. Dr. Tefft lays out the "disease-nutrition" connection and presents a persuasive argument for what he has termed "the next megatrend -- personalized nutrition". From debunking the one-size-fits-all nutritional mind set, to meticulous calculations and percentages, to help determine the amount proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that best suit a give person, For Your Body Only is an excellent reference and guide to individually tailoring a healthy diet plan.

Discover Wellness
Phyllis Taber-Greenberg
Jewels of Wisdom Publishing
7040 W. Palmetto Park, Road #4 -352, Boca Raton, FL 33433
0966602587 $19.95 1-866-859-3230

Discover Wellness: A Directory For Self-Help Healing And Illness Prevention by Phyllis Taber-Greenberg is a collection of insightful and cogent advice for illness prevention and personal healing which is not readily available from traditional medical sources and reference collections. From avoiding types of makeup that irritate the skin, to taking diet and lifestyle precautions against cancer, to household air pollution and its cure; to lowered immune system functioning, and more Discover Wellness combines long-standing wisdom with the latest, yet-to-be-formalized but powerful warnings of the substances and contrivances that could unknowingly be contributing to the reader's poor health. Covering more than seventy-one health topics and issues ranging from obesity to Alzheimer's, as well as offering an invaluable resource contact list for people and products, Discover Wellness is a very highly recommended, practical and informative reference for identifying a health problem and then correcting the problem.

Whole-Body Dentistry
Mark A. Breiner, D.D.S.
Quantum Health Press
PO Box 1637, Fairfield, CT 06432
0967844304 $19.95 www.WholeBodyDentistry.com

Whole-Body Dentistry: Discover The Missing Piece To Better Health by dental surgeon Mark A. Briener provides a unique education specifically written for the non-specialist general reader into how dental health affects the health of one's whole body, and ranges from the option of alternative treatments to avoid unpleasant side effects from root canals or amalgam fillings, to how to guard against the degradation of periodontal disease, to speculations on the future of dentistry. Whole-Body Dentistry is a very highly recommended and accessible instructional reference for health-conscious minded individuals looking to take the best care of all parts of their body. It should also be compulsory reading for all students of dentistry.


The Social Issues Shelf

Please Don't Use The "N-Word" And Other Racial Slurs!
Eddie Arki Clayton
Cultural Pride Heritage Books
1626 N. Wilcox Avenue, Suite #376, Los Angeles, CA 90028
0971004811 $14.95 1-323-464-3282

Please Don't Use The "N-Word" And Other Racial Slurs! by Eddie Arki Clayton addresses the history and usage of some of the most pervasive racial slurs in America today. Emphasizing that such slurs are so dehumanizing that even voicing them is a degradation of the speaker, Please Don't Use The "N-Word" And Other Racial Slurs! promotes the importance of cultural heritage and pride, and offers an emotional, personal testimony of the power, both positive and negative, inherent in the use of language, Please Don't Use The "N-Word" And Other Racial Slurs! is highly recommended reading, particularly for teens, young adults, and others who may not fully understand the harmful impact that certain degradingly expressed verbal labels have in social discourse, including the perpetuation of racism and bigotry.

How Americans Can Buy American
Roger Simmermaker
Rivercross Publishing
6214 Wynfield Court, Orlando, FL 32819
1581410808 $24.95 1-888-US-OWNED

Now in an newly updated and expanded second edition, How Americans Can Buy American: The Power Of Consumer Patriotism by Roger Simmermaker is a seminal and essential guide for consumers seeking to supporting American owned companies, so that corporate profits stay in America with corporations (including their employees and stockholders) that pay taxes to the American government. In our increasingly globalized world, it is no longer enough to simply look for a "made in America" stamp or label. How Americans Can Buy American is filled cover to cover with extensive lists of virtually every imaginable brand of food or household item, complete with up-to-date information on where each company is based. How Americans Can Buy American is a solid, serviceable, consumer-oriented reference and one that should be in the home of every American union member and in the reference collections of every American community library.

The War On Freedom
Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed
Tree of Life Publications
PO Box 126, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
0930852400 $16.95 www.treeoflifebooks.com

The War On Freedom: How And Why America Was Attacked September 11, 2001 by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed (Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Research & Development, Brighton, United Kingdom) is a powerful and meticulously researched reconstruction of the background of events and the motivations of participants leading up to and following the infamous September 11 attacks on America. Numerous quotes and excerpts form the foundation of this carefully reasoned analysis of the recent history of the Taliban and Osama bin Ladin; fallout from the so-called "war on terrorism"; as well as a harrowing prediction of overly concentrated power in the United States leading to the rise of a new type of governmental fascism at home. Chilling, informative, and thought-provoking, The War On Freedom is very highly recommended reading and a welcome contribution to the growing library of information on contemporary international terrorism.


The Poetry Shelf

Sweet Relish
Amber Decker
Grundle Ink Publications
Phenix & Phenix (publicity)
PO Box 231, Chico, CA 95927
0970815247 $10.00 www.grundleink.com

Sweet Relish is a compendium of original poetry that showcases the compelling word-smithing talents of Amber Decker. Reasons: I had to go and fall in love with a perfect man again./My ideals never coincide with reality./The room exhales./There are too many songs on the radio/that destroy me./I was put on this earth to martyr myself/in the name of 'perfect' love./I'll take along nothing but a comfortable sweater/and my toothbrush./How very Egyptian, he says,/laughing./His third eye is painted shut/like the windows in my room./I sigh and pour myself another cup of coffee./The nuclear dawn has broken./I don't belong here.

Grub
Martin Mooney
CavanKerry Press Ltd.
6 Horizon Road, #2901, Ft. Lee, NJ 07024
0967885671 $14.00 www.cavankerrypress.org

Highly recommended to the attention of all who enjoy well crafted verse and word play, the poetry of Martin Mooney as showcased in Grub is hallmarked with a dark wit and emotional charge that is both eloquent and evocative. Alice: The house in Donnybrook street was a hive of draughts,/cold infesting the long crack in the skirting/and the hardly imaginable space below the floor,//that first winter, a lace curtain of frost/on the inside of your windows brought you under/my quilt and three blankets for the first time,//where to put out your arm was to run the risk/of frostbite, and to sleep with a cheek exposed/was to dream of a visit to the dentist.../For the first time we went through the looking-glass/chapter by chapter, me reading, you dwindling/quickly to sleep, up to your eyes in bedclothes,//with Alice no longer the little girl she was/and my voice like the idiot grin of the Cheshire Cat,/still hovering inexplicably over your head//muttering 'curiouser and curiouser' to itself.

Wit And Whimsy
H. B. Reed
Elderberry Press
1393 Old Homestead Drive, Second Floor, Oakland, OR 97462-9506
1930859244 $19.95 1-541-459-6043 www.elderberrypress.com

Wit And Whimsy is a delightful selection of H. B. Reed's original poems celebrating humor, mischief, and loveable animal characters. Simple, black-and-white sketches adorn the rhyming verses about gnomes, bunnies, mail pouch birds and more. A highly enjoyable selection for poetry lovers of all ages, and excellent for reading aloud to young ones as well. To Veterans: How bravely did our soldiers fight/With all their hearts and souls and might/To keep this land of ours still free/They fought in air and land and sea//They froze and starved at Valley Forge/To Break away from that King George/Through all the wars from then till now/Their fight for freedom was their vow//Now, they are sent to foreign lands/To "Keep The Peace" UN demands/How could a President let this/Put all their precious lives at risk//Is all their sacrifice for naught/In all those wars that they have fought/This is the question now, indeed/For us to ponder and to heed

Landscapes And Architectures: Poems
Kendall Dunkelberg
Florida Literary Foundation Press
517 - 5th Street South, Columbus, MS 39701-6703
1891855220 $12.00 1-662-329-4734 www.amazon.com

Landscapes And Architectures is Kendall Dunkelber'g debut book of poems and introduces his distinctive style and ability to fashion verse from a wide variety of sources ranging from the expansion of technology to the migratory nature of American life, to events bombarding us from the daily news, to the universal experiences of human relationships. Fragment: The black dog is silent, no poetry./The dog cuts out speech. Take me/where this no-speech will go./Bring me the syntax of whine/and growl, low in the throat./No words or expressions only this:/a big block of wood. A crack,/a sledge, a wedge would help.//Immobile, this block. Set fire,/set fire; like iron, won't burn./Too old and gnarled for the saw,/only the ping and crack of metal/on wood can cleave these memories,/not destroy, but sort, stack, and dry/until they rise in a blaze of language,/the flickering tongues of a poem.

In The Name Of The Neither
Gustaf Sobin
Talisman House, Publishers
Box 3157, Jersey City, NJ 07303-3157
1584980303 $14.95 1-201-938-0698

In The Name Of The Neither is a compendium of poetry that clearly establishes Gustaf Sobin as a master of worded thought and structural presentation that cannot fail to elicit a response within the heart and mind of his readers. Libretto: hardens to the spill of/so much soft/ambivalent breath. fits twisted about each successive ex-/halation. aren't we, in fact, for working our-selves out-ward,/sipping one another into the utterly un-//differentiated? knot and/tug, pull and/slip, aren't these the tiny, augmentative gestures we'd drawn/from that illegible libretto? for here, where the//room, the/very walls have lost all/substantiality, the mirrors in/swelling blossom. blossom vacuous. yes, here, as our mouths//break open, and our lashes/clamp shut against that very acceleration, we, at/last, massed, culminant, might arch and, in/arching, un-/happen

Shallow Waters
Everett Cutler
Unlimited Publishing, LLC
PO Box 3007, Bloomington, IN 47402
1588320596 $11.99 www.unlimitedpublishing.com/authors

Shallow Waters is a highly recommended colorful collection of Everett Cutler's free-verse poetry ranging across a gamut of human emotions. A thread of mourning, respect, and resolution for how the events of September 11th changed America is clearly present in some of the final poems. Each poem is brief yet uniquely picturesque, insightful, and vividly expressive. Stock Cars: Colorful as a line of Easter eggs/The brightly painted cars/Race around the giant oval/Propelled by their screaming engines/To speeds that stretch the limits/Of man and machine./As each driver strives for fame and fortune/He knows that his adversaries/Are not only the other drivers,/But injury and death as well./Around and around they go,/Two hundred times around the course,/Always returning to the starting line/And going nowhere./May in the crowd are watching for the accident,/The grinding crash, flying debris, flame,/Much as their counterparts/In ancient Rome, two millennia ago/Watched the chariot races./Quo vadis?

Marks
Richard Martin
Paradise/Asylum Arts
5847 Sawmill Road, Paradise, CA 95969
1878580566 $12.00 asyarts@sunset.net

Marks is a 96-page compilation of Richard Martin's unique and expressive poetry and showcases an obvious linguistic talent that fans of the surreal and the metaphysical will especially appreciate. Marks: the same satin boat/in wisps of steam/;landscape of ceiling fans/and the mystery//of a hat full of numbers/the age described//in a parlor of aquamarine/the way the shoe fits//twist of cigars during/important commercials//syntax of voice in the marsh/of requisite understatement//this for people/to quote//in the lost cafe/of night's ticking sounds.


The Fiction Shelf

Becoming Death
John David
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd St., Bloomington IN 47404
0759694613 $10.00 1-800-839-8640 www.1stBooks.com

A compelling novel of mistrust, conflict, and bloodshed as two conflicting beliefs threaten to tear apart society and change it forever, Becoming Death by John David is the first volume of the "Enemies of Society" series. Individual fighters caught up in the chaos must struggle to survive, and decide whether to obey leaders that may not be worthy of trust in this action-packed, darkly contemplative, and highly recommended reading.

The Fabric Merchant
Beaulah Bellaire
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd St, Bloomington, IN 47404
0759639159 $14.95 1-800-839-8640 www.1stBooks.com

Beaulah Bellaire's The Fabric Merchant is an historical fiction novel about Gaddiel the Fabric Merchant, a man who lived during the time of Jesus Christ. Gaddiel and his wife are destined to cross paths with Jesus, then forced to question and decide whether to accept him as the Messiah and the Son of God. An eye-opening allegorical tale offering unique perspective on the origin of Christianity, The Fabric Merchant is very highly recommended, entertaining, and thought provoking reading.

The Reich Mutiny
William Reynolds
1st Books Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
0759655510 $19.97 1-800-839-8640 www.1stBooks.com

Based on a factual account of a recently disclosed incident during World War II aboard a German U-boat off the coast of Florida in 1942, William Reynolds 505-page novel The Reich Mutiny is the riveting saga of two American members of the German Bund. Trained as pro-Nazi saboteurs and traitors to their own country, they get caught up in a deadly mishap, a clash of opposing and ruthless powers, and find that they must run for their lives in order to elude a ruthless SS assassin. The Reich Mutiny is a very highly recommended and gripping saga of murder, German U-boats, mutiny, and a desperate struggle to survive.

Brown Glass Windows
Devorah Major
Curbstone Press
321 Jackson St., Willimantic, CT 06226
188068487X $15.95 www.curbstone.org

Narrated by a 300-year-old spirit of an African slave, Brown Glass Windows is a down-to-earth, nitty-gritty novel of life and death in a modern day black community, and set in the Fillmore district of San Francisco. The Everman family must confront conflict and difficulties both without and within, as well as the search for spiritual values in this powerful, humanistic tale. Brown Glass Windows is highly recommended reading and documents Devorah Major as a writer of considerable talent.

Quest For The Crown
Diana M. Johnson
Superior Book Publishing Company
PO Box 8312, Van Nuys, CA 91409
0966150422 $14.95 1-818-894-7903

Deftly written by Diana M. Johnson, Quest For The Crown: The Story Of Pepin The Short is a compelling historical novel centered on the son of Charles Martel. Pepin is a man ambitious to become King of the Franks no matter what must be done to secure the throne. Set in the era of Byzantium, amidst murder, political intrigue, and human striving, Quest For The Crown is an engaging and enthusiastically recommended novel of rulership and destiny.

Moonshine Express
Rod Norville
Four Seasons Publishers
PO Box 51, Titusville, FL 32781
189192978X $11.95 www.fourseasonspub.net

Set during the rowdy prohibition era, Rod Norville's Moonshine Expenses is the story of Rob McKinley, a thirteen-year-old boy and his friend Katie who lives in a Florida swamp, with half-breed Seminole moonshiners among their neighbors. When they stumble across an illegal moonshine ring, Rob and Katie must flee for their lives and find themselves stealing a train! Moonshine Express is highly recommended and thoroughly entertaining reading as a wild and desperate saga of escape, independence, and the struggle to survive.

Three Part Invention
Judith Laura
Booklocker.com
PO Box 2399, Bangor, ME 04402
1591131634 $17.95 www.booklocker.com

Set in twentieth-century America, particularly the American Jewish experience during and after World War II into the sixties and seventies, Judith Laura's Three Part Invention is a compelling story of mothers and daughters, the conflicts in their relationship, and their efforts to help one another. Three Part Invention is highly recommended as a moving and emotional novel about growing up, living life, raising a family, and generational changes.

The Sacred Robe
Brian Schwab
Barrier Reef Publishing
Phenix & Phenix (publicity)
PO Box 142041, Austin, TX 78714-2041
0970731108 $11.95

Starkly written by Brian Schwab who drew upon true life stories of families who were victims of pastoral abuse and clerical cover-ups, The Sacred Robe is a brutal, shocking, and explicit novel of the contemporary Catholic Church. Sexual abuse in a seminary and a perversion of the system of justice meant to protect the innocent figure prominently in a compelling presented, unforgettably vivid, revealingly candid, and unflinchingly frank treatise of a very real and traumatic issue -- one that is the widespread subject matter of today's newscasts and spreading church scandals.

Becoming Angel
Jim Cherry
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
0738845388 $21.99 www.xlibris.com

Jim Cherry's Becoming Angel is an absorbing novel of angst, lost love, and hard choices. John Beckett is a man caught between the love of two women, one who ardently pursues him, and one who has had to spend time in a mental hospital. Anguish, relationships at an emotional crossroad, and life on the edge finally culminate in a life-or-death decision in an emotionally compelling, contemporary character piece.

Aloha and Mai Tais
Rosemary I. Patterson, Ph.D.
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401047319 $20.99 www.xlibris.com

Aloha And Mai Tais: A Novel About Hawaii In The 1930's And 1940's by Rosemary I. Patterson is a "slice-of-life" saga about Atherton and Jessica Scully, two elite people of Honolulu who decide to invest in the Tropical Palace Hotel. Young love, trouble in paradise (i.e. marriage), wrenching changes inflicted on Hawaiian life and culture by the crush and demands of the tourism industry, as well as the shock of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese are all part of this picturesque and memorable story that is the next best thing to taking a vacation to Hawaii in a time machine!

All She Ever Wanted
T. L. Cooper
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401039871 $36.99 www.xlibris.com

T. L. Cooper's All She Ever Wanted is the story of a blossoming interracial friendship between a white woman and an African-American man and his family. Victoria Caldwell must confront and deal with her own prejudices, as well as those of her family, and those of her ancestors as recorded in their journals. A thoughtful, insightful look into the changing human mind and spirit evoked by an interracial friendship, All She Ever Wanted is a superbly written, highly recommended novel showcasing a theme that is as historic and universal as interracial human experience, and contemporary as today's newspaper headlines.

Sifting Through The Madness
Mike Maggio
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
0738839523 $20.99 www.xlibris.com

Sifting Through The Madness is a collection of short stories by Mike Maggio characterized by a common thread of human desperation, hallucination, dementia, and mania. From a homeless Vietnam veteran searching for a mysterious pair of shoes, to a mother who sacrifices her own children, Sifting Through the Madness offers compelling glimpses into a bizarre, dangerous, and askew world at right angles to standard human consciousness. Sifting Through The Madness is recommended as a grippingly written, sometimes frightening, but always deeply involving anthology.

The Meridian Two
Clayton L. Hogg
Philo-Math Publications
PO Box 22, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022
0966539419 $17.95 http://members.aol.com/PhilomathP/

The Meridian Two by Clayton L. Hogg is an enthusiastically recommended novel about farm families who toughed out the dust storms that ravaged Kansas in the Great Depression. From the taste of farm water (unique to each farm), to the ominous threat of impending war threatening to draw young men away from the family farm and plunge them into the lethal heat of combat, to the experiences arising from an earth-shaking faith of religious revival, The Meridian Two offers an historically accurate picture of what it was like to endure through tough times, clinging to hope for better days ahead. Also very highly recommended is Clayton Hogg's The Meridian One, the first novel in the "Meridian" saga.

The Golden Altar
Michael J. Merry
Four Seasons Publishers
PO Box 51, Titusville, FL 32781
1891929755 $14.95 www.fourseasonspub.net

The Golden Alter is a historical fiction adventure novel by Michael J. Merry, and based on the 1671 pirate raid in which the British privateer Henry Morgan sacked the Spain's "new world" settlement of Panama City of an immense amount of treasure, but somehow overlooked the fabled "Golden Altar". This thieving exploit of history interlinks with a future destiny in 1985, when a British descendent of Morgan returns to Panama to steal the "Golden Altar". The Golden Altar is recommended as a well crafted and dramatic novel bringing life both ancient and contemporary conflicts focusing on a legendary treasure!

Gilded
Catherine Karp
Coachlight Press
1704 Craig's Store Rd., Afton, VA 22920
0971679002 $14.95 www.coachlightpress.com

Winner of the Hollywood Discovery Award, Catherine Karp's Gilded is an superbly written and highly recommended novel set in 1890's America. Emma Brandenberg is struggling against her abusive husband Philip and a Massachusetts culture that perceives women to be subject to men and incapable of governing their own lives or make their own life-choices. The movement for women's liberation and its intersection with the fate of one woman trapped in a turbulent and unhappy marriage from the substance of an exciting, emotional, reaching novel carrying a message that is as dramatically relevant today as were the events that background the story more than 100 years ago.

Silent Stones, Silent Acts
R. G. Chace
Writer's Club Press/iUniverse.com
c/o North Shore Publishing
PO Box 9865, Las Vegas, NV 89191
0595214339 $15.95 www.iuniverse.com

Silent Stones, Silent Acts by R. G. Chance is the haunted novel of a Los Angeles police psychologist struggling to cope with her own past trauma, a deadly killer young enough to be her own son and caught up in a disastrous robbery, and her own dark side. A superbly written saga of building a steady drumbeat of suspense and self-revelation, Silent Stones, Silent Acts is a deftly presented, highly recommended tale of engaging suspense.

Secrets Of The Painter
Matthew Hovious
Writer's Club Press/iUniverse.com, Inc.
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595214355 $13.95 www.iuniverse.com

Secrets Of The Painter By Matthew Hovious is a 134-page novel set in the Spanish city of Madrid in 1850. Luis Mariano Malasana is a young and ambitious painter who embarks on his chosen career with dreams of greatness and artistic immortality. Yet even as his portraits achieve success, he must confront the terrifying and tragic realization that everyone he paints dies. An odyssey about death, life, and the power of art, Secrets Of The Painter is a unique and memorable human saga.

Transylvania Red
Bert Quint
iUniverse
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595225071 $15.95 www.iuniverse.com

Bert Quint's Transylvania Red is a nicely crafted international thriller set in post-communist Romania. As a tourist boom flourished about the lands that birthed the legend of Dracula, a very human evil wreaks a bloody trail of murder compelled along with an unholy lust for money, in a dark and twisted saga of crime in the name of capitalism. Transylvania Red is a highly recommended and original novel that is a compelling read from first page to last!

About Ms. Mean-Wart
Edward C. Robinson
iUniverse
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595203868 $13.95 www.iuniverse.com

Edward C. Robinson's About Ms. Mean-Wart is an original, high-spirited, smoothly written, and enthusiastically recommended novel of adventure about Joel, a young Englishman, and Felicia, an Englishwoman, who are thrown together in a bizarre experience of laced with eccentricity and oddity. Together, Felicia and Joel must strive to escape the bizarre Ms. Mean-Wart and her friends, in an exhilarating chase through mysteries, romance, and queer paralysis of purpose.

Chance
James Knisely
Mwynhad
1615 43 Avenue East #101, Seattle, Washington 98112
0965799395 $15.00 www.mwynhad.com

James Knisely's Chance: An Existential Horse Opera is an unusual and highly recommended novel that blends elements of the traditional literary western with a metaphysical journey of self-discovery. A cowhand must follow a tale of betrayal and revenge to his destiny in this moody, metaphorical, and impressionistically haunting tale.

Journey Into Terror
Anne K. Edwards
Publish America, Inc
P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705
1591293030 $24.95 www.PublishAmerica.com

Journey Into Terror by Anne K. Edwards is a gripping novel of murder, revenge, and harrowing escape. Set on a small island, Julia Graye is a woman accused of a murder she did not commit, and must elude the homicidal hatred of the victim's closest friends, even as she must find a way to prove the identity of the real killer. A deadly saga of deceit, blood, kidnaping, and the desperate struggle to survive, Journey Into Terror is especially recommended reading for mystery/suspense enthusiasts.

Spirit
Dolores Stewart Riccio
America House
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705
1588517934 $24.95 www.PublishAmerica.com

Set in the late 1930's and World War II, Spirit by Dolores Stewart Riccio is the story of Brigit, a young woman with clairvoyant powers. As Brigit matures she must learn the lessons of life. Her imaginary childhood friend turns out to be the spirit of a Druid priest, who offers guidance and comfort in her darkest hours. Spirit is enthusiastically recommended reading as being a particularly unique and touching story embedded with both a necessary hope and an ultimate renewal.

Spear
Doug Hewitt
Sands Publishing
PO Box 92, Alpine, CA 91903
1590250133 $15.99 www.sandspublishing.com

Doug Hewitt's Spear is a thrilling and deftly crafted novel about CIA agent Warren Capshaw, a man whose duty threatens to force him to take extreme action against those he perceives as the worst humanity has to offer. But Warren has buried memories of his own that threaten to belie what he accepts as plain truth. Some of his memories are so horrific that he had mentally locked them away from his own conscious knowledge. As these terrifying memories begin to resurface, right and wrong become tangled in a deadly game in this exciting, multilayered, and ultimately deadly saga.

In Benton
Mary Rider
Dageford Publishing
128 East 13th Street, Crete, NE 68333
1886225710 $18.95 www.dageforde.com

Mary Rider's debut novel In Benton is the compelling story of Liz Daniels, a divorced single mother with three small children. Liz moves to a small Nebraska town to simplify her life, but tangled tragedies and crises, local politics, and unavoidable personal issues crowd her and Liz must strive to achieve balance and adjust to the manifold demands of her new surroundings. In Benton is highly recommended as a deftly woven tale focused on dealing with change, and embarking upon new beginnings.

Little Voices
Michael Sterba
Sensory Publishing, Inc.
2000 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Ste. D, Alexandria, VA 22301
1588530558 $14.95 www.SensoryPublishing.com

Michael Sterba's debut novel, Little Voices, is a riveting story of innocence betrayed. David Cooper is a man scarred during his own childhood and eventually becomes a priest, motivated by a personal desire to make amends with the past by helping others. Returning to his own home, he finds a troubled boy and becomes drawn in a quest to expose a concealed predator who sexually abuses children. Little Voices is a gripping, tense, hard-hitting novel with a theme that resonates with today's church scandal headlines.

Working The Hard Side Of The Street
Kirk Alex
Tucumcari Press
PO Box 40998, Tucson, AZ 85717-0998
0939122251 $14.95 www.amazon.com

Working The Hard Side Of The Street: Selected Stories, Poems, Screams is an anthology of powerful, caustic, original tales and poems Kirk Alex about the ups, downs, and hard knocks of Hollywood's seamy underbelly. The perspective of a 'fly-on-the-wall' cab driver provides a piercing realism and insight into the vicious clashes and personal struggles that lie hidden underneath the entertainment capital's glossy, photo-touched exterior. Working The Hard Side Of The Street is recommended as a gut-wrenching read for both its candor and bravado.

The Gypsy Lover
Roger Ladd Memmott
Gemstone Books
130 North Butte Street, Suite A, Willows, CA 95988
1588983994 $16.00 1-530-934-8827 gemstonebooks@aol.com

Roger Ladd Memmott's The Gypsy Lover is the dark, romantic, intrigue-filled saga of Evan Adamson, a fifteen-year-old young man who escapes his abusive home life to cast his lot with three mysterious Gypsy outcasts - a madman, a wise fortune teller, and a captivating young woman. Money swindles, deceit, murder, love, and revenge surround the unlikely group in this complex tale of hard choices and multiple pathways. The Gypsy Lover is confidently recommended as being an enthralling read from cover to cover. The Gypsy Lover is also available in a hardcover format (0738844160, $25.00); and a PDF digital format ($10.00)

Sender Unknown
Sallie Lowenstein
Lion Stone Books
4921 Aurora Drive, Kensington, MD 20895
0965848647 $16.00 1-301-949-3204 lionstone@juno.com

Sallie Lowenstein's Sender Unknown is the story of Markham Perrald, a brilliant and eccentric young man who turns away from his idyllic pastimes in order to pursue the computer industry, high business standards, and financial success that everyone at his high school reunion expects him to achieve. Yet a longing lies within him, which he tries to fill by ordering seemingly harmless toys from a catalog. Too late, he learns that the orders aren't exactly toys, there are no refunds or returns, and that the purchases he committed himself to are truly a matter of "let the buyer beware"! Sender Unknown is highly recommended as a compelling story of heart, threat, emotional loss, wry twists, and the eternal pondering of what is really important in life.

Worst Case Scenario: Bhopal In The South
Charles LoPinto & Lidia LoPinto
EnviroCrime Publishers
41 Travers Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10705
0967744121 $11.95 www.enivrocrime.com

Worst Case Scenario: Bhopal In The South is a riveting and recommended mystery novel. When a train of toxic chemicals is derailed near an area populated mostly by African-Americans, causing a poisonous explosion that kills hundreds of residents, Juliana Del Rio of the EPA and Sean Ryan of the FBI must team up to unearth the culprits. Infiltrating hate groups and an environmental conference in Argentina, they seek to discover who is causing suspicious chemical accidents worldwide before the death toll mounts further. Worst Case Scenario is a gripping, shocking, and exciting novel that keeps the reader relentlessly turning pages until the end. Also highly recommended are Charles and Lida LoPinto's previous novel: Countdown In Alaska: A Nuclear Winter (096774413X, $11.95).

The Deuce Of Pentacles
S. A. Gorden
Taconite Runes
42302 Chase Lake Road, Deer River, MN 56636
0971947104 $15.00 1-218-246-8032

The Deuce Of Pentacles by S.A. Gorden is a compelling murder mystery with deftly presented paranormal overtones of James Makinen, a troubled man whose problems are about to get worse. Makinen's wife has left him, taking their children to another state; a young woman has accused him of statutory rape; yet when an unknown fortune teller predicts that a serial killer has targeted him for the next killing, it sets in motion a chain of unexpected causes and effects, and only the hidden wisdom in the tarot cards can reveal the end of the journey. The Deuce Of Pentacles is a harrowing yet thrilling saga which is recommended to mystery buffs and readers with an interest the paranormal. Also highly recommended are Gorden's two previous novels: Faces Of Doom (0971947112, $15.00) and the "double novel", Days Between Seasons/Crystal Clear Pond (0971947120, $17.50).

Jackals In Iron
Merlin Douglas Larsen
Agreka Books
PO Drawer 39, Sandy, UT 84091-0039
1888106832 $10.95 1-800-360-5284 www.agreka.com

Set in England in 1100 A.D., a generation after the Norman Conquest, Jackals In Iron is a historical novel of oppression, survival, and vengeance. A dramatic saga, firmly rooted in history and events, of one man's struggle against an irresistible force. Author Merlin Douglas Larsen has deftly crafted an engaging saga of pivotal battles and strange alliances against a meticulously presented historical background. Superbly written, Jackals In Iron is one of those novels that is a riveting read from cover to cover. This is the stuff of which Hollywood movies and television mini-series are made!

The Pearls Of The Stone Man
Edward Mooney, Jr.
Champion Press
500 W. Bradley Road, A129, Fox Point, WI 53217
1891400738 $16.00 www.championpress.com/readpearls.htm

The Pearls Of The Stone Man by Edward Mooney, Jr. is a riveting and complex novel of bridging the gaps between generations, and attempting to reconcile in the wake of impending mortality. Joseph and Anne Marion are very much in love even after 53 years of marriage, and find themselves confronting the inevitable reality of eventual one will lose the other in death and be left behind alone for months that could well stretch into years. Love, heartbreak, and adapting to the inevitable progress of time are central and familial themes to this poignant and highly recommended novel that dwells on what it means to be mortal and human.

What Remains
R. Poole-Carter
Top Publications
12221 Merit Drive, Suite 750, Dallas, TX 75251
192997616X $14.95 www.toppub.com

Set in the South just after the American Civil War, What Remains by R. Poole-Carter is a grim novel of murder, intrigue, lies, and buried secrets that begins in 1865. Isabelle Ross is a woman mourning the loss of her fiance and joins forces with Paul Delahoussaye, an intrepid journalist, to uncover the truth behind a murderous wall of deception and hidden secrets. Isabelle and Paul must combine their wits and resolve to discover the truth beneath dark and ruthless motives. One of those historical mysteries that are so easy to pick up and so difficult to put down, What Remains is an original, atmospheric, evocative, and deftly woven novel that engages the reader's total attention from first page to last.

Bound To Die
Brian Lutterman
Salvo Press
PO Box 9095, Bend, OR 97708
1930486332 $16.95 www.salvopress.com

A dark thriller about the unseemly, mind-control tactics of a deadly segment of human society, Brian Lutterman's Bound To Die is the story of Tori McMillan, a middle-aged widow who witnesses her best friend commit inexplicable and unspeakable murders. She follows the trail of a child who has been missing for seven years to a camp of ruthless white separatists, a cult who marks all that cross them for death. Bound To Die is recommended as a gripping, twisted, lethal saga, an one that quickly captures the reader's total attention and won't let go until the shocking climax.


The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf

The Mount
Carol Emshwiller
Small Beer Press
360 Atlantic Ave., PMB #132, Brooklyn, NY 11217
1931520038 $16.00 www.lcrw.net

Carol Emshwiller's The Mount is a science fiction coming of age novel. Charley is an athletic young man and is a mount living in a stable and belongs to the Hoots, who alien invaders and conquerors of Earth. Yet Free Humans still survive in the world, and they're ready to fight for it. Caught between two contenting sides, Charley the runner must learn the hard way about what it truly means to be human. The Mount is especially recommended reading for SciFi buffs, as well as school and community library science fiction collections.

The Shoals Of Time
P. Orin Zack
1st Books Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
0759600562 $28.04 1-800-839-8640 www.1stBooks.com

Software engineer and technical writer P. Orin Zack's debut science fiction novel, The Shoals Of Time, is an engrossing 544-page saga of love, betrayal, disaster, and repercussions through a time stream that entangles human lives from the nineteenth to the twenty-third century. The rules of causality are twisted and the fate of humanity is precariously balanced between war and peace, as is the destinies of individuals caught up in the unbridles chaos. The Shoals Of Time is highly recommended for science fiction fans as an enjoyable, complex, interwoven narrative.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Innocent Blood And Judas Iscariot
Festus Enumah
Guardian Books
c/o Essence Publishing
44 Moira Street West, Belleville, Ontario Canada K8P 1S3
1553062965 $15.95 www.jiscariot.com

The Innocent Blood And Judas Iscariot by Festus Enumha offers a unique blend of narrative and scholarly perspective on the last days of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection, and in doing so, especially considers the role of Judas Iscariot. With its close look at the relationship between Judas and Jesus, an examination of the motives and fears in Judas' heart, an assessment of the history related in the New Testament, and a consideration of the accepted will of God, The Innocent Blood And Judas Iscariot is a thought-provoking and highly recommended reexamination of the foundation of Christianity itself.

Stepping Out On God's Words
Linda M. Carter
Brentwood Christian Press
4000 Beallwood Avenue, Columbus, Georgia 31904
1556304102 $11.95 1-800-334-2828 www.brentwoodbooks.com

Linda M. Carter's Stepping Out On God's Words is a profound and personally inviting message of one woman's understanding and embrace of God's wisdom and love. Presenting powerful and moving interpretations of Biblical passages showcasing such qualities such as obedience, love, prayer, Stepping Out On God's Words offers poetry written straight from the faith of the heart, inspiring prayers, an interpretation of the Body of Christ, and an impressive selection of superlatively important Biblical passages. Stepping Out On God's Words is recommended as a brief yet powerful presentation on the essence of Christianity and God's love for all His creation.

Whatever You Do Stop Going To Church
Dan Stockin
Third Option Concepts
PO Box 1403, Meadow Vista, CA 95722
0972002901 $14.95 1-539-889-9690 www.thirdoptionconcepts.com

Whatever You Do Stop Going To Church: It Wasn't God's Idea In The First Place is a scathing indictment of the failings of Christian churches today. Questioning the logic of claiming that some men are "closer" to God, or that God would want people, especially poor people, to give up their money to other people who claim to be "closer" to God, decrying the use of Biblical passages to perpetuate gender inequality, and more, Whatever You Do Stop Going To Church is a stringent, thought-provoking message raising very real questions about the problems that plague organized Christian communities today. Author Dan Stockin is emphatically not an atheist, but rather a devout believer in God who encourages the reader to live a personal life in harmony with and seeking God, rather than pretend that sitting in a building listening to someone else lecture is all it takes to know God. Whatever You Do Stop Going To Church is iconoclastic and highly recommended reading for anyone ready to think to long and deeply about what it means to worship God.

Creating Heaven On Earth
Robert Lester Peck
Personal Development Center
PO Box 93, South Windham, CT 06266
0917828097 $14.95 www.personaldevcenter.com

Creating Heaven On Earth by research scientist and meditation expert Robert Lester Peck is an insightful, spiritual treatise on what it takes to bring the higher consciousness, love, and existence of heaven into the earth upon which humanity dwells, on transforming oneself through rebirth, and on embracing the innocence of a child within even as one embraces Jesus. Creating Heaven On Earth is highly recommended as offering powerful metaphysical outline of a greater future that transcends self-imposed human limits.

Workplace Miracles
Lori Giovannoni & Kathleen Gage
Maxwell Publishing
c/o Turning Point Press
2120 South 700 East, Suite H251, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
0965815994 $11.95 www.turningpointpress.com

Collaboratively written and compiled by Lori Giovannoni and Kathleen Gage, Workplace Miracles: Inspiring Stories And Thoughts Of Possibility is an inspirational compendium of vignettes, suggestions, lists, keys, and other brief but insightful passages that reveal little miracles of everyday occurrences in the workplace. From the thoughts about the gift of listening to personal stories of workers who were holding out for a sign, Workplace Miracles is highly recommended, spiritually rewarding, emotionally satisfying, and thoroughly fulfilling reading.

Daily Bread
Robert Meade, Ph.D.
eBookstand Books
1804 Parmly Road, Mohegan Lake, NY 10547
1589091019 $13.95 www.ebookstand.com/m/robertmeadephd/

Daily Bread: Seven Days To A Healthier Soul by Robert Meade (Kairos Team, Loyola School, New York City) is a powerfully written and deeply reverent of one man's personal spiritual journey, and its implications to leading a more fulfilled, enlightened, and faithful life in accordance with the wisdom of God. This "reader friendly", 63-page treatise offers a brief yet profound introduction to self-examination and expansion of the soul, as well as offering questions to reflect and ponder upon at the close of each chapter. Daily Bread is recommended for students of sanctity with a Christian context, as well as the conditions and circumstances of the human experience with the spiritual realities of contemporary everyday life.

Educating For Life
Thomas Groome
The Crossroad Publishing Company
481 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1550, New York, NY 10001
0824519701 $19.95 1-800-395-0690

Educating For Life: A Spiritual Vision For Every Teacher And Parent by Thomas Groome (Professor of Pastoral Theology and Religious Education, Boston College), is an informed and informative examination of what it truly means to have a Catholic education. Examining modern spiritual concerns both at home and at the school, Professor Groome offers a wealth of insights to help the reader cope with the latest flood of distractions that modern, hyper-connected life throws at the faithful. Education For Life is a highly recommended, accessibly readable, thoughtfully insightful, and quite personable look at the meaning and future of Christian education.

Chasing God
Shirley Cunningham
Amoranita Publishing
Box 15563, Scottsdale, AZ 85267-5563
0972057102 $19.95 www.amoranita.com

Chasing God is the profoundly insightful story of Shirley Cunningham, who grew up Catholic as a young girl, spent time in a convent, married, became a mother, divorced, and battled with breast cancer. Shirley's quest to understand the love and gentleness of a God far greater than any institution created around him, makes for a profoundly spiritual tale, embellished with her accounts of dreams, encounters with angels, and revealing a memorable journey of opening one's soul to the Divine. Chasing God is recommended reading for students of spirituality and a recommended addition to Christian Studies supplemental reading lists.

Inner Healing
Dan Joseph
Quiet Mind Publishing
PO Box 4024, Greenwich, CT 06831
0971626715 $12.00 1-800-758-5761

Inner Healing: A Spiritual Process by Dan Joseph is a spiritual guide to promoting wellness within oneself, as inspired by "A Course in Miracles" by the Foundation for A Course in Miracles, Inc. Inner Healing often speaks of opening to the wisdom of God, yet the author deliberately intends an all-inclusive God to represent the simple faith in a higher power, regardless of church hierarchies. Exercises and step-by-step instructions concerning how to release one's negative feelings to God in this insightful and well-meaning guide. Also very highly recommended is Dan Joseph's previous work, Inspired By Miracles (0971626707, $12.00).

Our Man In Judea
Janet Tyson
Tripping Lightly Books
308-640 Dallas Rd., Victoria, BC V8V 1B6 Canada
0968991211 $22.95 1-250-595-8438 trippinglightly@hotmail.com

Our Man In Judea: The Secret World Of The First Gospel by Janet Tyson is an alternative, iconoclastic, 376 page investigation into the Jesus Christ of history as based on the Gospel narratives. Our Man in Judea dares to question traditional Christian beliefs and conventions about the life of Jesus, and offers a frank, serious, realistic discussion on numerous issues, such as whether Pilate had alternative reasons for wanting Jesus dead, whether Jesus was a Jew or a Samaritan, and what sort of man Peter really was. A persuasive account that carefully and convincingly proposes its theories, Our Man In Judea is highly recommended reading for students of the New Testament in general, and the life of Jesus of Nazareth in particular.


The Travel Shelf

The Complete Colorado Campground Guide
Outdoor Books & Maps, Inc.
11270 County Rd., 49, Hudson, CO 80642
0930657233 $14.95 1-800-952-5342

Now in fully updated and enhanced seventh edition, The Complete Colorado Campground Guide is a solid, fact-filled, "user friendly" guide to Colorado's national parks, state parks, campgrounds, and forest service. Packed from cover to cover with maps, directions, traveling, camping, and fee information, and more, The Complete Colorado Campground Guide is a first-rate reference for Colorado campers looking for the place best suited to their vacation plans and activities.

Seeing Venice: An Eye In Love
Frederick Franck
Codhill Press
219 Sandisfield Rd Sandisfield MA 01255
1930337043 $21.95 www.codhill.com

At the age of 93 years (making him one of the oldest living active authors of our time) Frederick Franck's intimate, closely observed drawings and descriptions of the everyday citizens, as well as the private and public places of Venice, are superbly showcased in Seeing Venice: An Eye In Love. An engaging travelogue, illustrated with 94 unique, black-and-white drawings and sketches, this compendium of memorable and vivid impressions of the city's beauty and its people's daily lives fill comprise an enchanting journey for the reader -- and one of the best ways to experience the emotions, vitality, and ambiance of Venice short of actually being there in person!

Crater Lake National Park
Ann and Myron Sutton
Silver River
1606 Meadowview Dr Medford OR 97504
0966281799 $19.95 www.silverriver.com

Crater Lake National Park: A Global Treasure is an amazing exploration of a breathtaking natural park, filled from cover to cover with a wealth of beautiful color photographs, historical anecdotes, surprising revelations of modern scientific discoveries of nature's ancient secrets, and more. A superb giftbook for nature lovers or vacationers who wish for a souvenir of their excursion to a memorable place of natural splendor, Crater Lake National Park is highly recommended as an absorbing portrait of North America's deepest freshwater lake and makes for wonderful armchair traveler browsing!

The Redrock Canyon Explorer
Irene Brady
Nature Works
PO Box 469, Talent, OR 97540
0915965062 $15.95 www.natureworksbooks.com

Written and illustrated by Irene Brady, The Redrock Canyon Explorer: A Virtual Visit To An Imaginary Canyon is a highly enjoyable and strongly recommended companion to exploring redrock canyons of the Southwest. Packed from cover to cover with black-and-white illustrations, The Redrock Canyon Explorer showcases amazing facts about canyon history and wildlife, from how lizards run, to the life cycles of ravens, to the Ancestral Pueblo Native American culture that once called the redrock canyons home. The Redrock Canyon Explorer is a truly amazing, fact-filled and exciting guide for nature lovers of all ages and backgrounds.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Wealth Mentality
S. Ross Ingram
Jourdan & Brown Publishing
104 West Chestnut Street, #101, Hinsdale, IL 60521
0971647844 $15.95 www.jourdanbrown.com

Wealth Mentality: Program Yourself To Get And Keep The Wealth You Want by businessman and investor S. Ross Ingram (International Center for Strategic Planning) is a psychological "self-help" guide to overcoming emotional and personality obstructions standing in the way of achieving personal wealth, whether it be for a comfortable lifestyle, or to insure sufficient funds to send children through college, or preparing for a secure retirement. A practical guide that places as much importance on personal psyche and image as practical behaviors to avoid bad credit or ill-fated business decisions, Wealth Mentality is a solid primer that is highly recommended for the non-specialist general reader looking to improve his or her personal financial situation and prospects.

Get Out Of Debt
Henri Valbon
Made E-Z Products
384 South Military Trail, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
156382499X $14.95 www.MadeE-Z.com

Get Out Of Debt by experienced bankruptcy attorney Henri Valbon is a comprehensive and "user friendly" guide written expressly for non-specialist general readers in need of coping with, reducing, and eliminating financial debt. From what to do in case of eviction or auto repossession, to handling oneself under scrutiny from the IRS, to declaring bankruptcy, to rebuilding credit Get Out Of Debt is very strongly recommended as a practical, useful, easy-to-understand instructional guide and reference.

Guaranteed Credit
Arnold S. Goldstein, J.D., Ph.D.
Garrett Publishing
384 South Military Trail, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
1880539403 $19.95 www.garrettpub.com

Guaranteed Credit by Arnold "The Money Doctor" Goldstein, is a remarkable, practical, and thoroughly "user friendly" guide to swiftly improving a personal credit rating in only 90 days! From secrets the credit card industry won't tell you, to solid strategies to stay out of debt and repair bad credit, Guaranteed Credit is a superbly presented and effective "how to" guide expressly written for non-specialist general readers with credit troubles. Even people with as-yet flawless credit can benefit from the sample form letters, layman's interpretation of latest credit laws, and just plain sound advice in a book so useful, it comes with a money-back guarantee by the publisher! If using the techniques within does not improve the buyer's credit, the buyer can return the book (in resalable condition) to the publisher for a refund of "the lesser of publisher's list of actual purchase price, excluding shipping and handling, if any." There are many credit and finance advice books out there, but this is one author puts his money where his mouth is!

157 Ways To Cut Your Grocery Bill
Eric Gelb
Small Business Advisors
PO Box 436, Woodmere, NY 11598-0436
1890158100 $5.00 www.amazon.com

Pamphlets are usually not considered but Eric Gelb's 157 Ways To Cut Your Grocery Bill deserves a place in any personal or public library money management and consumer advice reference collection. 157 Ways To Cut Your Grocery Bill will consumers take charge of their shopping expenses and habits and provides a system for sound grocery shopping. From coupons to an effective shopping list, 157 Ways To Cut Your Grocery Billis filled from cover to cover with tips on not only purchasing groceries, but their effective usage and storing as well.

You Don't Have To Be A Bag Lady!
Sheila Peters
1st Books Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
0759687188 $9.95 1-800-839-8640 www.1stBooks.com

You Don't Have To Be A Bag Lady!: A Humorous Survival Guide For The Reluctant Investor by Sheila Peters is a practical, tip-filled compendium of the "need-to-know" basics of the money market. From the pros and cons of buying mutual funds, to what to watch out for from the stock market, to gaining and evaluating financial information from the Internet, You Don't Have To Be A Bag Lady! blends practical advice with tongue-in-cheek humor ("The only real money secret that men don't share with women is that many of them are just as confused.") As enjoyable to read as it is valuable and accessible to people of all ages and financial backgrounds, You Don't Have To Be A Bag Lady! is especially recommended reading in the context of today's turbulent and volatile stock markets.

The New Underground Railroad
Robert Henderson, Jr.
New Underground Railroad Publishing
8004 NW 154th Street, #376, Miami Lakes, FL 33016
0970276206 $14.95 www.amazon.com

Written by Robert Henderson, the African-American founder and CEO of the Henderson Financial Group, The New Underground Railroad: Breaking The Chains Of Economic Bondage is a very highly recommended and "user friendly" guide to escaping the present day bondage and slavery-like conditions of endemic poverty. From freeing oneself of slave mentality ("I can't do this", etc.), to learning how to take advantage of investment options, to coping with bull and bear stock markets, health insurance, credit cards, and a great deal more, The New Underground Railroad offers solid financial and living advice in direct, easy-to-understand terms expressly for Black Americans, but would prove to be invaluable for readers of all backgrounds struggling to improve their financial circumstances. The New Underground Railroad is highly recommended reading, especially as a primer for the novice in a complicated world of finance and confronted with the conundrum of earning a decent living.


The Parenting Shelf

Baby Tales
M. S. Woodson
Hanrow Press
Box 675551, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
0972007512 $16.95 www.babytales.ws

Baby Tales: A Pregnancy Companion By Maurice Woodson is an impressive and welcome selection of inspiring, endearing, thought provoking tales of pregnancy and childbirth. The stories range from a single paragraph to a few pages in length. Sometimes they are gentle and heartwarming, sometimes they convey experiences of tragedy, but overall they give the reader a profound message of hope and showcase the importance of bringing new life into the world. Highly recommended for expectant parents, Baby Tales is very easy to pick up and very hard to put down!

How To Make A Pregnant Woman Happy
Uzzi Reiss, M.D. Ob/Gyn
Sharpman Press
11718 Barrington Court, No. 702, Los Angeles, CA 90049-2930
0970660030 $14.95 www.sharpman.com

How To Make A Pregnant Woman Happy is a compilation of easy, fast, and effective remedies for more than sixty of the most common place and unpleasant side effects of pregnancy. Addressing everything from how much weight gain is really appropriate, to mood swings, to serious medical problems such as premature labor, How To Make A Pregnant Woman Happy is a quick, accessible, "user friendly", and strongly recommended reference accessibly written non-specialist general readers and fathers-to-be.

The Fertility Guide
John C. Jarrett II & Deidra T. Rausch
Health Press
PO Box 37470, Albuquerque, NM 87176
0929173295 $14.95 www.healthpress.com

Collaboratively written by obstetrician/gynecologist John C. Jarreet and fertility-related stress and management counselor Deidra T. Rausch, The Fertility Guide: A Couples Handbook For When You Want To Have A Baby (More Than Anything Else) is a comprehensive, straightforward and "reader friendly" guide specifically for couples wanting to know the medical facts about the variety of options to improve their chances of successful conception. Covering medical terms in detail, yet written specifically for non-specialist general readers seeking to educate themselves on a complex condition, The Fertility Guide covers everything from endometriosis to donor gametes. The Fertility Guide is superbly presented, authoritative, extensive, and highly recommended reference.

Baby Matters
Dr. Linda Folden Palmer
Lucky Press
126 S. Maple Street, Lancaster, OH 43130
0967605075 $17.95 http://www.luckypress.com/babymatters

Baby Matters: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Caring For Your Baby by natural childbirth educator Linda Folden Palmer provides a straightforward examination of many key issues new parents might be unfamiliar with, ranging from why cow's milk is not the best food for an infant, to preventing and treating food allergies, to the inside scoop on bonding. Dr. Palmer, is an instructor in pediatric nutrition (among other health fields), and writes in "reader friendly", down-to-earth terms especially accessible to non-specialist readers in general, and anxious mothers in particular. Baby Matters is an excellent and highly recommended reader for the new mother!


The Biography Shelf

Conversations With An Eagle
Brenda Cox
Greystone Books
c/o Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebec St., Suite 201, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V5T 4S7
1550548115 $22.95 www.greystonebooks.com

Conversations With An Eagle: The Story Of A Remarkable Friendship is the personal account of Brenda Cox, a woman whose unique bonding experience with a bald eagle was to affect the course of both their lives. Brenda first met the magnificent raptor when it was twelve weeks old, and cared for it at the wildlife rehabilitation center where she volunteered her time. Brenda trained the bald eagle with falconry techniques (something that few human beings have ever had the privilege to attempt, let alone succeed), and suffered deep loss when her raptor friend unexpectedly perished after moving to a private aviary. Conversations With An Eagle is an amazing, memorable true story, and highly recommended reading for anyone with an interest in aviary wildlife or unusual life stories.

Standing The Watch
Rebecca Brown
iUniverse
c/o Big River Productions
PO Box 371, Clallam Bay, WA 98326-0371
0595227503 $16.95 www.iuniverse.com www.rebeccasreads.com

Standing The Watch: Memories Of A Home Death is the personal memoir of Rebecca Brown, a woman who took care of her dying father. A profound testimony and tribute filled with grief, love, and courage, narrating a terrible trial, Rebecca Brown wrote this candid, sensitive, at times inspiring autobiographical treatise in order to help others prepare for the inevitable day when they too must say goodbye to a loved one. Standing The Watch is very highly recommended reading for anyone charged with the responsibility of caring for a terminally ill parent, whether at home or in a residential care facility.

Heroes From The Attic
Herman Neuman
Writers Club Press
c/o iUniverse.com, Inc.
5220 South 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512-1274
0595223141 $20.95 www.iuniverse.com www.herobooks.com

Although written under a pseudonym, Herman Neuman's Heroes From The Attic: A Gripping True Story Of Triumph is the true and autobiographical story of a childhood experienced under the soul-crushing forces of a world at war -- and on both sides of the Atlantic. Born in Nazi Germany at the beginning of World War II, the author and his brother Siggi struggled to survive with dysfunctional parents mired in poverty. Eventually, Herman and Siggi were shipped to relatives in America and there found themselves forced to a life of constant labor in a kind of virtual slavery on separate farms. Their courage, and all-out drive to put themselves through college, earn their freedom, and establish a decent living characterizes this powerfully written and uniquely recommended memoir.

My Time At Bat
Chuck Hinton
Christian Living Books
c/o Pneuma Life Publishing
PO Box 7584, Largo, MD 20792
1562291769 $12.99 1-301-218-9092 www.ChristianLivingBooks.com

My Time At Bat: A Story Of Perseverance is the memoir of Chuck Hinton, a successful African-American player in Major League Baseball and the founder of The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. Very highly recommended reading (especially for baseball fans), My Time At Bat is highly recommended as an insightful story of one man's drive to follow his dream and make the most of what life to offer. My Time At Bat is also available in a hardcover edition (1562290037, $19.99).


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Cat Book
Emily Eve Weinstein
Beau Soleil Publishing
PO Box 2395, Huntington, West Virginia 25724
0966608585 $16.95 1-800-394-6909

Written and illustrated by Emily Eve Weinstein, Cat Book is both a unique original art collection and a memoir/celebration of beloved feline friends. Weinstein's vividly crafted, full color monoprints deftly capture the fur, love, and kinship of a variety of different four-legged hunters, and her words tell the unique life story of each animal, whom she got to know. Cat Book is enthusiastically recommended reading for cat lovers!

City Dog
Patricia Curtis
Lantern Books
One Union Square West, Suite 201, New York, NY 10003
1590560000 $17.95 lanternbooks.com

City Dog: Choosing And Living Well With A Dog In Town by animal expert Patricia Curtis is a very useful and highly recommended guide to selecting a dog which would be best suited to a particular living accommodation and lifestyle. City Dog is to be commended for its wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques for exercising one's pet in a city environment, adopting dogs from shelters, urban pet etiquette, and a great deal more, all presented in a "reader friendly" manual written especially for the non-specialist general reader in search of a suitable canine companion.

Lauren's Story
Kay Pfaltz
J. N. Townsend Publishing
4 Franklin Street, Exeter, NH 03833
1880158418 $22.50 www.jntownsendpublishing.com

Lauren's Story: An American Dog In Paris by Kay Pfaltz is a heartfelt autobiographical testimony to her love of both the City of Lights and her gentle canine companion Lauren. Kay and her beagle Lauren enjoyed living in Paris. But when Lauren came down with an aggressive form of cancer, Kay essentially put her own life on hold to care for her beloved animal companion. An engaging and heartwarming story of adventure, trust, caring, and hope, Lauren's Story is highly recommended reading, especially for dog lovers everywhere.

There Is Eternal Life For Animals
Niki Behrikis Shanahan
Pete Publishing
PO Box 282, Tyngsborough, MA 01879
0972030107 $11.95 hickory4@world.std.com

There Is Eternal Life For Animals: A Book Based On Bible Scripture by Niki Behrikis Shanahan is a positive, inspiring, and Biblically based examination of God's word about heaven and an afterlife as relates to His beloved animal creations. Backed by numerous scripture quotes and interpretations, Niki extrapolates from the word of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that there is hope not only for humanity (if they can repent their sins), but also for the souls and spirits of our beloved animal companions and virtually all living things. There Is Eternal Life For Animals is very highly recommended reading, especially for those readers from a Judeo/Christian heritage and having experienced an affectionate and enduring relationship with beloved animal companions.


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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